( two weeks prior)
It was about six in the morning when Sesshomaru arrived.
Arrived at the human daimyo estate he'd chosen to take care of Rin. She'd been moved a few years ago- from the human village to get a proper education and become a lady of the court. At first the daimyo and his wife had been none too keen to take on Rin- but Sesshomaru's coin soon convinced them.
Still though… it was quite a shock to the guards to find Sesshomaru on their doorstep.
"L-Lord Sesshomaru!" They scrambled to their feet, terrified of the demon dog. They were of the mind that it had been a great mistake to take in the girl- that any association with demons was bad luck. But their master had not listened, and now… now the devil himself stood at their doorstep.
" I must remove Rin from your master's care for the time being. Wake him." Sesshomaru said simply, looking rather bored.
"Yes Lord Sesshomaru."
The guard with darker black hair went inside to wake the lord and get Rin ready to leave. The other guard made a soft sound- something like a whine, not liking being left alone with Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru heard the noise and for a moment, their eyes met. The guard glanced away quickly in fear and this time it was Sesshomaru who let out a sound.
An amused huff of air.
He reeked of fear.
Humans.
It was Rin who came out of the gate first and at quite some speed.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" She wore a dark, many layered kimono with a pretty golden obi tied around her waist. Her hair was up and held in place by a pair of golden pins.
Five years had passed and already she was more of a young woman than a child. How the passage of time pained him so.
Sesshomaru was proud of the person she had become.
He was also impressed with her speed considering the restriction of her outfit.
" Rin-" He paused as she embraced him, surprised as always by her blatant affection. He returned the hug before setting her gently back on her feet.
"It is not appropriate of a woman of the court to show such affection in public, Rin." He corrected softly, rearranging the pins.
"I know, Lord Sesshomaru, but I am really happy to see you!" She giggled. Jaken was already safe in the Foo-Dog Palace- so now it was only her left.
The guard watched the exchange with shock. The demon must have stolen her heart! It was the only explanation!
And yet… for a moment, the guard thought he saw a great and terrible pain in those yellow eyes.
"And I you Rin. Do you have all your belongings?" He said, noting a bag she had brought with her.
"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru. I am ready to go." She said, giving him a little playful bow. The corner of his mouth went up, just a little, and he lifted his tail to wrap around her.
"Then we fly." He murmured, and he watched the estate disappear underneath them, turning to nothing but squares among fields of grass and rice.
"Is something happening, Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked, after some time, so softly that he scarcely heard it above the wind.
" Yes, Rin. I must have you in a safe place."
If they'd caught Inuyasha, Rin's hiding place would be found soon enough. He needed everyone close, where he could protect them properly until this threat had passed.
"Thank you." This too, was very soft. He nodded, but in his heard, wondered yet again if she'd have been better off without him. After all…if she had no ties to the great dog demon, she'd have been able to live a normal human life. Free of these dangers and sorrows.
Perhaps he would ask her about it, later.
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(present)
They were walking together down one of the many hallways of their home. Squares of sunlight decorated the walls, and he smells of the outside and the pups drifted in and out of her nose.
" Well, that battle plan is stupid, and I think you should've told them so. If not, I can start coming to all these stupid meetings." Inuyasha huffed, crossing her arms.
Sesshomaru got a rather interesting look on his face. " You lack… decorum, Inuyasha. Finesse." And then paused. His tail slowly sliding off of his shoulder and onto the floor. Giving little twitches here and there. His chin lifting.
Inuyasha sniffed as well, but she wasn't catching whatever was in his nose.
"What is it?" She whispered softly, and he turned to her, looking her over as if examining a specimen in a glass jar.
"It's you." His voice was soft.
Inuyasha tilted her head a bit, not understanding. "Me?" A snarl leaving her lips as Sesshomaru's hand went to her neck.
"Oi, watch it, bucko-"
As her hand moved up to slap away Sesshomaru's, suddenly, both of hers were trapped in his. She felt him move them both, pinning her arms above her head while moving himself to trap her there. Between the wall and himself.
"You." Sesshomaru whispered again, and this time his lips were suddenly on hers. She struggled her legs, maybe, if she kicked him- but no, his legs were flat against hers.
Pressing to make sure she didn't escape.
His kisses were ravenous, sucking her lower lip, pressing, biting, daring her to fight back-
So she did. She snarled and thrashed and bit and felt his blood and her mouth and…
And all of the sudden.
His kiss went soft. His lips were chapped and warm and so very gentle against her own. Like a butterfly's wing. It was hard to stay angry at those kinds of kisses. His hands dropped from hers, only to cup her face as he pressed more into her and she felt herself pressing back.
But she did not use her hands to escape, not this time.
He went to pull back, and Inuyasha was embarrassed to find her arms around his shoulders. A tiny sound escaped from her throat.
No.
Don't go.
He smirked. His arms went underneath hers and lifted her, pinning her high on the wall. In return her legs wrapped gently around his waist so she didn't slide down.
They fit perfectly.
He came for her again, and her claws looped around that ridiculously thick hair, twisting it into a ball at the base of his neck as they kissed. He bit along her neck and sucked with a mix of teeth and tongue, leaving tingling bruises that seemed to steal the breath from her body. Even his spit stung pleasantly, cooling her skin and leaving goosebumps everywhere it blessed her tan hide.
Her claw traced the line of his ear as he did so. She panted hard and bared as much of her neck for him to devour as she could. Her body holding him tight to her, ankles crossed. His warmth, his scent all around her. That heartbeat thundering in his chest and those huge shoulders cupping hers.
Protecting her. Claiming her.
Sesshomaru.
"Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha woke up.
Inukezi was at the door frame, giving her an annoyed look. She looked around deliriously, cheeks red and hair messy.
A dream.
"C'mon, if we wait much longer the pups will be late to all their classes. Besides, I wanna talk to Rin!" Inukezi hummed, adding, " So get dressed already!" before pulling the door shut.
Inuyasha forced her breath to go back to normal. Her hands were shaking a bit. She covered her face with embarrassment and disgust, giving a little sound when she felt a slight wetness where there shouldn't be.
Oh.
God, damn it. Stop it!
Never had she felt so utterly disgusted in herself. Her own half-brother. Why did this keep happening? No matter how much she ignored it, it just seemed to be getting worse. How on earth was she going to make it six months, when it had only been a few weeks?
She was going to slip up in front of him.
And that was going to make raising the pups together… so, so awkward.
If she messed this up, would he kick her out?
How could they raise the pups together when she felt this way? He could never and would never, return those feelings. And she could hardly blame him- nothing grosser came to her immediate mind. Except perhaps, a brother laying with a sister. But brother and half-brother was hardly an improvement.
She could just imagine it, his cold voice, his lips raised in disgust and showing half a fang:
How can you feel these things for your own half-brother?
You disgust me. Get out of my sight. Filthy hanyou.
And what argument did she have against that? Nothing, because it was true.
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Meanwhile elsewhere in the castle, Sesshomaru was having a hard time keeping it together.
The whole week had been a daze- the knowledge that he was not Ino No Taisho's son weighed on him heavily. He felt bursting to the seams. Yet he knew he could not share the information with anyone… not yet. Never had he felt so alone, such a fraud.
So lost.
And Inuyasha wasn't helping. She was having some sort of erotic dream or something. Usually Sesshomaru could ignore little things here and there and block her emotions when he had to. But Inuyasha was just a big ball of emotions. And as adept as Sesshomaru was at blocking her out, sometimes it felt like he was trying to stop a flood with a single bucket.
The Lord's face was rather red, the color trickling up to his ears as he kept his head down. Hoping no one would notice as he pretended to read through notes. While stifling down an unfortunate side effect of Inuyasha's arousal.
He was grateful to be sitting down. And for the table. The world needed more tables.
Stupid Inuyasha.
He thought, clenching a clawed fist. This was about the last thing he needed right now. He had plenty enough on his mind as it was, especially with the revelation a few days ago about Inu No Taisho not being his father.
He still hadn't told Inuyasha. Or anyone else for that matter.
Sesshomaru.
The Daiyokai's skin shuddered just a bit, breaking out in delicious goosebumps. And his eyes flew wide with surprise as he realized, She's dreaming about me.
It was the first time Sesshomaru had read Inuyasha's thoughts without her calling out to him.
Inuyasha just wasn't good about repressing her emotions when they were running high. His hand covered his mouth, claws tapping a very slow rhythm. Hm. Well. This was a problem that needed to be addressed too, at some point.
Now?
No…
Still too raw. Inuyasha's mind was a bit of a turmoil. She needed to calm down before she'd be at all receptive to anything he had to say.
Yet, some tiny part of him was relieved to know that she was experiencing the same issues he was. The same urges. It made him feel less alone.
Not that he himself returned these feelings of course- it was only his stupid yokai.
It had nothing to do with Sesshomaru himself. At least, that's what he did to reassure himself.
But there was a.. softening going on. Even he had to acknowledge that part. No longer did Inuyasha's scent anger him, no longer did her voice grate on him.
Quite the opposite, in fact. A running commentary of Inuyasha's reactions to what was said during these meetings often brought him comfort and amusement.
When had that started?
The Lord of the West frowned.
He did not remember. He did remember the feeling of carrying her, though. Her scent was a bit sweeter in this form, still lemongrass and pine. It certainly no longer bothered him anymore. He should have been more careful. Should have swallowed down and crushed these feelings before they had a chance to manifest.
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
But later of course… later, they returned. Rin wasn't half as bad at watching the pups as he'd suspected, so he let her and Inukezi help Inuyasha for the time being.
"I have someone I must pay a visit to. Inuyasha, make sure the pups get to all of their lessons. If they have free time in the evening, they may go training, or out to the river to swim." Sesshomaru said smoothly, and Inuyasha gave a nod.
She seemed distracted and a little flustered. He could hardly blame her for not wanting to meet his gaze after this morning. Still though.
"Inuyasha?" She looked up at him, the little ears turned out sideways in apprehension.
"What." Her tone was flat, annoyed. Covering up for the inner vulnerability, as usual. And as he looked at her all of the sudden… It felt like it was the first time he was actually…
Seeing her.
The beautiful silver hair. The warm tones of her skin. The great golden orbs that were so similar to his own, yet so different.
Inuyasha. They had fought together. Raised their children side by side. Stubborn, egotistical, yes.
But also… loyal. Loving. Brave.
Traits Sesshomaru and his yokai had noted. Admired.
Desired.
His gaze went to those dark marks on her cheeks- the marks of Inu No Taisho. Involuntarily he saw his own hand reach up and a clear claw gently trace the mark on her cheek.
She startled at the touch- partially because it was quite unusual, and partially because of its gentleness. The flush it produced on her cheeks was a velvet pink, and..
And it was beautiful. She was beautiful beyond measure.
Sesshomaru's heart was racing, and his mouth felt suddenly dry. He drew back almost as if he'd been slapped and said quickly, " It's nothing." Taking his leave of her as quickly as he could.
What was that.
What's going on.
It cannot be.
Once he was outside, he looked down at the hand that had touched her cheek. It was still trembling just slightly.
It was happening again, just as with Diaozuan. Of course, they'd done it a little backward- mated first, and fell into love later.
But it had started just like this.
Being haunted by those little touches. By the sound of their voice. By the scent of their skin, especially when it was left on his own.
A need and want to be with them.
A vulnerability that Sesshomaru had had great trouble accepting. Yet now, the fox was his- his mark rested on Sesshomaru's chest. And so too, Sesshomaru's crest rested on Diaozuan's collarbone.
He now couldn't imagine his life without the fox.
And Inuyasha… Sesshomaru's cheeks flushed. Where did she fit in? Certainly Sesshomaru acknowledged that he was grateful for the hanyou's help in the Palace and with raising the pups. But he also could never anticipated that it would morph into …this. Perhaps he was drawing to conclusions. Perhaps Inuyasha had just been in the right lighting at the time. And when he went back , Inuyasha would be her regular annoying self and these feelings would be gone.
Yet.
He thought, bringing the fingers that had touched Inuyasha's cheek to his lips.
Her scent lingers.
Sesshomaru closed his eyes, allowing himself to enjoy it. He wanted to see her blushing again. He wanted… other things, as well, he was suddenly realizing.
These feelings had been bubbling under his skin, intensifying for some time and now they were starting to manifest. He could not blame his yokai for this...so the only other option was to ignore the feelings. For now.
After all, it could not be that Sesshomaru was developing… feelings for the hanyou after all this time.
His hand dropped to his side and he kept walking, his tail giving irritated flicks.
He wasn't sure how to move forward, which was an unusual and unpleasant sensation for the Daiyokai.
It was clear both he and Inuyasha were suffering from newfound…feelings, thanks to his transformation. Yet, how was he to bring it up?
Oh by the way Inuyasha, my father wasn't actually Inu No Taisho, so don't feel like your inclinations are anything blasphemous, they're actually quite natural, considering we've been raising the pups together for years now…
He rolled his eyes. Yes, that'd go over well. Inuyasha probably wouldn't even believe him. After all, Sesshomaru was one of the strongest Daiyokai alive. It was hard to believe he wasn't the son of the great dog demon, considering his accomplishments.
He hadn't accepted it himself, quite yet. But… it explained away so many of his father's sins.
Most of all… it transformed the great dog demon. Transformed him from one who had spurned Sesshomaru's birthright for selfish reasons… to a demon who took in a pup that was not his own, and raised it with all the love and care in the world.
To a demon that had never cheated on his mother. A demon that had been loyal to one mate his whole life.
Inuyasha's mother.
If anything, since finding out the shocking news… Sesshomaru's love and respect for the great dog demon had increased tremendously.
Perhaps I am being a bit greedy myself. Wanting both of them.
Sesshomaru thought with a wry smile as he headed out to the stables. It smelled of fresh chips, alfalfa, and the stink of animal sweat inside but Sesshomaru did not mind. He much preferred the company of animals to the company of those he often met in meetings. After all, if an animal was plotting to kill you, it was fairly easy to tell.
It never tried to be your friend first.
Sesshomaru scratched Ah-Un's ears and down his mane and the dragon made happy little huffs. He was well-taken care of as usual- his mane was thick and clean, and his scales glistened in the darkness. Seemed that the master of the stables had enough sense to keep Sesshomaru's ride in perfect condition, as he was always popping in and out of the Palace.
"Ah- Un, my old friend. Perhaps I should find you a mate as well, hm? We could always use more two-headed dragons. Don't think I didn't hear you flirting with those dragons from the Fox Tribe Kingdom." He teased softly as he bridled and cinched up the saddle on Ah-Un's middle. The dragon growled happily, pushing his heads up against Sesshomaru's shoulders and arms affectionately.
"All right, all right. When this is over, we'll find you a nice mate. One of the blue ones, all right?" Sesshomaru said, his eyes crinkled with amusement. He led Ah-Un out and took off over the enormous walls of the Palace.
It didn't take them too long to get to the mountains of mist.
The place that Sesshomaru was the King and Protector of. As a younger Daiyokai, he'd sealed off the area with his own demonic energies, making sure only low-level demons could get through.
Why?
Simple- he'd discovered Youshi, great-grandson of the dragon of chaos. He didn't want anyone else to gather the dragon on their side. He never, ever wanted to face Youshi in battle. And though of course the dragon had noticed the barrier, he didn't seem to mind.
When Sesshomaru asked him about it later, he simply replied, "Before, I was harassed by Daiyokai left and right. I finally have some peace, and can eat as many demons as I wish."
Sesshomaru tied Ah-Un to a tree, making sure there was plenty of thick grass for the dragon to eat. He dug out of his saddlebags something to tempt the dragon into talking- it was never a good idea to approach one as old and powerful as Youshi empty- handed.
He sighed as he took it out. It was rather heavy. Some of the foo-dog's best dried tobacco from the stores under the Palace. Not as grand as his first gift, but the price of some information would be smaller.
Sesshomaru slung it over one shoulder, and headed to the mouth of the cave.
It was well-hidden behind a thick barrier of rocks. The Daiyoki slid between them, even needed to go sideways at some points.
Littered around the sandy entrance were the bones of literally, hundreds of demons. The hole into the ground here was gaping and enormous, a great circle of darkness.
A few corpses even stank of fresh fire and blood. Sesshomaru's nose wrinkled and his hackles raised.
He did not like this place.
"I, Lord Sesshomaru, call upon Youshi, Dragon of Trickery and grandson of Mai-Zei, the Dragon of Chaos." He roared at the rim, and then crossed his arms and waited.
There was a sound of sliding… scraping.
And then suddenly, he emerged. His eyeball was as big as Sesshomaru's entire body, and he opened it lazily, giving the Daiyokai a sniff. The force of it pulled lightly at Sesshomaru's clothes, and he had to wrap his tail around his ankles to prevent it from going up his huge nostril.
Sesshomaru could see a full reflection of himself in those terrible eyes, red and blue streaked, with a sickening gold right at the pupil.
"Sesshomaru the Undying. It is so nice to see you again in your preferred gender. What have you brought for me?"
Sesshomaru held out the bag in one hand. The dragon took it lightly in one scaled hand, weighing it.
"The payment is fair, but small. What is it you seek?"
" My son Toshi sent me. He has had a premonition that the Foo-Dog Palace will be attacked, and that without your assistance, there is a possibility that we will fail to protect it."
Youshi considered this. His breath was so hot that Sesshomaru could feel the edges of his illusion-cloth turning grey, then black with the heat, smoldering softly.
"The fox kit? He is not incorrect. Poor kit must be sight-blessed. You'd do well to keep that a secret as long as possible." Youshi murmured and shook out his mane. A few bones of wayward demons shot from it, exploding on the rocks around them. It then drooped gracefully over his blue scales like stains of dried blood.
"The payment for this is not adequate for what training you must receive, Sesshomaru." He said finally, leering down at the Foo-Dog demon. The Daiyokai was surprised. " I only wanted information. What training could I possibly require?"
The dragon snorted at that, his whiskers moving a little in amusement.
" Lord Sesshomaru. In the arts of the Foo-Dog,you are quite well-equipped. But in the arts of dragons, you are still just a lizard. And it is from your dragon blood that you will, perhaps, be able to save your Foo-Dog family from their terrible fate."
The dragon stretched his upper body, rolling his shoulders and then starting to groom his claws as Sesshomaru processed the information.
"What items would be enough to-"
"There are none, for my time and energy is of great value to me. However, let me tell you a little secret, Sesshomaru the Undying." He said. And all of the sudden, his muzzle was pressed to the Daiyokai's body. He reeked of blood and sand and death. His lower canine rested comfortably against Sesshomaru's shoulder blade, leaking blood and spit as the dragon growled, "I am sight-blessed myself. However, there is one line in the zodiac I cannot see the movements of. One bloodline whose actions I cannot predict with accuracy."
"One bloodline whose actions always keep my interest. Who satiate my near-complete boredom. For what can be more boring than to know all that is going to happen? Such is a dragon's fate, Sesshomaru. Be grateful that you yourself are not so 'blessed'."
The great dragon paused before whispering, " It is the Foo-Dog line whose actions I cannot predict. Inu No Taisho's decision to fall for the human woman and produce Inuyasha was entirely a shock and surprise to I. As are all the movements of yourself, Katsu and Ame. If your line were to end… why, my boredom would be complete. So, I will train you for no payment. Besides… I think it would be greatly entertaining."
Sesshomaru made a face, a little apprehensive.
" What exactly will-"
"We will be training your voice, Lord Sesshomaru. You can make others bend to your will… yet, you cannot do it on command. You only respond in high-stress situations. You will need to be able to command me many times over with your voice, before you are ready to call… her."
"Her?"
The dragon snorted. " In due time. Now-" He pulled himself from his lair and shook himself once more. His great girth filled Sesshomaru's vision as he laid out all around Sesshomaru, a huge cylinder of scales and fur.
"Go ahead, then. Command me. Tell me to be silent, or sit, or perhaps roar. Any order that comes to mind."
Even the Daiyokai hesitated. That power to command was quite fickle and…
The great dragon growled in impatience, his tail flicking Sesshomaru. He batted away the red fur in irritation.
" Fine." The Daiyokai let out a breath and concentrated. For a moment, his aura seemed to expand… but the dragon was watching carefully. Sesshomaru was relying on the Foo-Dog power in his veins. But he was not in tune with the dragon blood there in any way.
" Stand."
The dragon shot him an amused stare.
" Sesshomaru. You are a quarter dragon. A quarter me. You must find that strength, rely on it instead of your Foo-Dog blood. Now, try again."
Sesshomaru was hoarse by the time he returned to the Palace, and covered in little cuts and scorch marks besides.
He checked on the babies- they were all curled up in their bed in a big pile, as usual. The litter preferred to sleep together. Rin was in bed as well, and Inukezi was asleep beside her in a chair.
Odd.
He'd have to keep an eye on that. Sesshomaru nearly crawled to bed. And once near, flopped into it, not even bothering to take off his armor or shoes. He was asleep within minutes.
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It was the next morning that everything went to hell in a handbasket.
Sesshomaru woke to a scream from Inuyasha. He was inside her room in record time, and the smell of blood was in his nose.
"Inuyasha? Are you well? What-"
He paused as she reddened further, covering up a bloodstain on the sheets with her sleeve.
This blood, this was… oh.
Oh.
It was Sesshomaru's turn to flush red. Ah. That's right.
"I… ah, God fucking damn it. Would you get outta here? Just- get one of the servants or something?" She shot at him, gathering up the sheets and doing her best to hide her lower half.
She'd totally fucking forgotten about the damn cycles.
But still… it had been a lot of blood to wake up to. Inuyasha could hardly be blamed for freaking out. Her heart was still racing and her hands were still shaking.
And… and, it hurt. It hurt, a lot.
Damn this weak body!
She cursed. Sesshomaru leaned out the door, closing it and speaking quietly to a few of the house servants. He sent the worried pups on their way, explaining Inuyasha had just been startled and that it was nothing serious.
While he waited for the servants to return, he went back into Inuyasha's room. She seemed totally unsure what to do with the soiled sheets… or herself, for that matter.
" Hand them to me, Inuyasha."
She gave him a look, and then he understood. If he took those, she'd be left with nothing to hide the other stains of blood on her form.
He looked around. Aha. He yanked open a small set of doors on the left side of Inuyasha's room. A small storage room. It should work, for now.
"Change in here. The servants will be back soon with clean clothes and other- supplies you will need."
"Don't you got somewhere to be? I told you, I don't want you here." She snarled as she quickly darted into the storage room and snapped the door shut behind her.
"Would you rather be in the company of a stranger?" Sesshomaru murmured, hearing garments dropping to the floor and the low mix of snarls and whimpers coming from the hanyou. If the roles were reversed, Sesshomaru would certainly prefer to be taken care of my Diaozuan or Inuyasha than a stranger… no matter how embarrassing it would be.
The hanyou made no answer, just low curses under her breath.
The servants returned with fresh kimonos, undergarments, and sheets, as well as basin of warm water and towels for Inuyasha to clean herself with. But they were surprised when Sesshomaru offered to take care of it from there. He shrugged, "I'm her marked one. I should be taking care of her." taking the items and stacking them neatly by the crack of the storage room door.
Sesshomaru knocked, " Inuyasha."
And heard a little snarl.
"Leave the soiled garments and linens by the door. I will get them cleaned. The other items you need are by the door as well."
He then waited on the other side of the room, arms crossed, eyes shut. All in all, it was probably a good thing her cycle had started today, as Sesshomaru had the day almost completely off.
Soon enough he heard her snatching things up.
Gently setting things down. And then the splashing of water as she cleaned herself up.
"Do you know how to dress yourself for your cycles?" Sesshomaru murmured, and was surprised when Inuyasha muttered in embarrassment, " Yeah. I helped Kagome before, many times."
A little while longer of splashing, and then;
"Okay I'm fine. You can go now." She snarled from behind the door when she realized Sesshomaru was still in the room.
" No Inuyasha. You are not fine- you may be able to fool yourself. But you cannot fool me." Sesshomaru muttered mildly. Heck, even her attempt at bravery and anger was betrayed by her voice. There was that little tremor in it. A tremor of fear and apprehension.
Inuyasha was close to crying.
He could sense it through their connection. But even if he didn't have that, it was clear enough in her voice. The splashing stopped, replaced by the sounds of shuffling garments.
Sesshomaru didn't move when she finally came out, though his eyes opened. She crawled into bed silently and curled up into the smallest ball she could make herself.
When he crossed the room to join her, he was surprised when she made no noise. Even more so when she actually let him join her, his longer body curling around hers in a protective manner. His legs folded into hers easily, and his shoulders cupped hers. He set his chin in the tan curve of her neck. Looking outside to the courtyard, and the rainbow of plants and sunlight. A rather sunny day for such an unfortunate occurrence.
"It's disgusting." She whispered after a moment.
"It is just part of being a female yokai." He murmured back in a soft tone. " The price all females must pay in order to bear pups."
"It's stupid. I'm paying the price for a gift I don't even want." Inuyasha hissed back, her fist clenching a bit. Clenching a bit more when a wave of cramps hit her. "Damn it."
"Shall I fetch you a potion-"
"No! No. Just…no." She said, a little too quickly. She then sighed, trying to curl up tighter, trying to hide underneath him. But there was nowhere else for her to go. He let her squirm and then settle, and settled back down beside her once more. His tail wrapped her feet, keeping them warm from any cool breeze that might sneak through the window.
They stayed like that for some time. Not talking. Their breath synched and their bodies warm.
Inuyasha's mind wandered. The body of a woman. The ability to give life. She'd never thought about it one way or the other because it'd never been a possibility. But for curiosity's sake.. what would it be like?
She'd already talked about it with Diaozuan, but she was still so curious. Was it warm? How did it feel, having a pup moving inside you?
She blushed, trying to shake these damn thoughts. She was being ridiculous. Who was the father of this phantom pup, anyways?
Stupid.
But, she already had an answer for that too, didn't she?
It was of course, the Daiyokai behind her. "Sesshomaru?"
"Hm?" His voice was lower with sleepiness and it sent goosebumps on her arms.
" Um." She turned in his arm and buried her face in his chest. He sat up slowly, pulling them both so they were leaning against the wall. And he smelled salt, and knew that she was crying.
"Thank you." She whispered, as he felt little shudders all along her body as she cried silently. He was a little alarmed, "Are you in pain? Should I-?" but she interrupted him by shaking her head.
"Why… why are you comforting me? I don't understand…"
Sesshomaru paused. His bonded one was clearly in pain, but… it still didn't seem like the right time to tell her about him. About the foreign blood that ran through his veins. He swallowed thickly.
"Inuyasha. When you fell for the miko, Kagome, were you able to recognize the precise moment when it happened?"
Inuyasha seemed a little irritated that he'd dodged the question. But, here in his arms, she was also willing to talk with him. If that kept him near.
She thought for a moment. Lines of sunlight filtered through the window, making patterns on their feet. Birds sang.
"No. It was a gradual kind of thing. I went from hating her, to tolerating her… and then, all these weird factors started adding up. I wanted to be around her. I wanted to protect her. But there was never a single moment… it was just sort of messy. It was almost like before I knew it, I was in love with admitting that to myself was one of the toughest parts of it." Inuyasha said, looking out into the gardens and sighing.
Damn. Such a strange situation. Yet she didn't want it to end. She wanted him to stay here.
She smiled weakly. " I was in the messy part of love for a long, long time."
Sesshomaru got quiet, then.
"Hey… don't you have meetings, and things?" He snorted lightly. " Not until the afternoon. Are you so quick to be rid of me?"
And Inuyasha backtracked, admitting, " … No." In a grudging manner.
Admitting it to myself…
Trapped in the disarray.
Sesshomaru thought quietly, his claws playing with the sleeve of her kimono. Could it be that this was more than a carnal reaction to her being female? Could it be that he'd been repressing these feelings for some time now?
That they were only cropping up because they'd been pushed down, condensed. And that the pressure had built to a point where it was overflowing?
"I am comforting you because I enjoy your company, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru finally answered, lowly. His voice so cool in comparison to the sunlight of day it left little shivers in her spine.
"When you are suffering, it is difficult for me. And not just in the sense that I can feel it over our connection. I want…" Sesshomaru paused, a little irritated he couldn't find the right words.
"What?" Inuyasha prompted, her large eyes piercing his, demanding an answer.
I suspect… I want you.
Perhaps, that I've desired you for some time, and did not even realize it.
But I must make sure, first. It would be cruel to act on these feelings without making sure this was not simply triggered by the transformation.
Sesshomaru's brow raised when Inuyasha gave him a very strange look.
"What?"
Inuyasha choked out, " You… you didn't mean for me to hear that, did you."
But she'd heard. Oh yes.
Now it was Sesshomaru's turn to flush. " I didn't- It was not-" and he finally gave a snarl, gently standing from their position and murmuring, " I must go."
She let him, giving him a little nod as he headed out the door. She hadn't meant to pick up on his thoughts like that, but they had been so loud and so clear she could hardly have blocked them out.
Inuyasha leaned back and sighed.
Sesshomaru.
He was as intangible as the wind, and sometimes as cold.
He would need time to recover. But still… even, knowing that there was something between them, that even he was recognizing…
It brought her comfort beyond measure.
But also set a cold rock of self-loathing in her stomach.
For she didn't know what the Lord of the West knew.
Didn't know that accepting his affection would not be the carnal sin she imagined it was. What an irritating form this was- she longed for him when he was gone, yet was too shy to act upon her feelings when he was there. God, she hated this body beyond measure.
Inuyasha looked out the window for some time, seeing nothing. Thinking of her feelings, and the feelings of the Daiyokai, and wondering where this was all leading to.
Where it would end.
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No fan of Kikyo- I knooow lol. But, I think it makes sense. Aaand, it gives Inu No Taisho a bit of a redemption ark so that's good.
EatEmUp- Ehehe, yeah. Gotta mix it up, you know. #plottwistftw