Sesshomaru and Inuyasha watched the pups playing with the other yokai children.
Sesshomaru had a break between meetings- Inuyasha often popped in at around this time. She liked watching them play, and cheering them on of course. There were other yokai parents there too- their horns or ears betraying the type of yokai they were.
Inuyasha noted that they kept a respectful distance from Sesshomaru, however. And that made him just a little bit sad.
"Kick their asses, Katsu!" She yelled over the railings, her red sleeves wrapping the wooden barrier.
Katsu gave Inuyasha a quick thumbs-up before running off. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, a few feet away from the hanyou. He watched the pups with some interest.
Apparently, this was a normal part of their lessons- or rather, a scheduled break from them.
There were many other yokai children participating- horse, dog, pig, sheep. They were identified easily enough by the horns, hair color, or ears. They were in the same building as the training rooms, but a different section. This one was filled with fake walls and other things for the young yokai to play with between classes.
"It's Keidoro." Sesshomaru said with mild surprise, recognizing the way they'd broken off into two groups and watching the yokai go hide. Ame and Toshi were quite good- both their hiding places were hard to see.
" Mm hmm. Katsu's a demon, along with those dog and horse yokai. Toshi and Ame are on the other team, pretending to be humans." He said excitedly. Sesshomaru's tail twitched a bit, watching as the children played.
He was grateful that they had this opportunity. They seemed to get along well enough with children their own age, which was a relief.
"Eight… nine… Ten! All right, here we come!" Katsu shouted. There was a faint giggling from a few of the girls.
What ensued was a fierce round of tag. Many of the yokai 'humans' were tagged and sent to jail. Ame was sneaky enough to get a few out of jail, but ended up getting caught on one of her rescue attempts.
Soon, only Toshi was left.
Both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha watched in interest as he was cornered by Katsu, the little yokai's pure white tail flicking and poofed out in excitement as he taunted, " I'm gonna get you, Toshi! You're the only one left!"
But Toshi was just a little too fast for Katsu- going around walls, under fake bushes, over big boulders. The little yokai just couldn't catch the fox.
And jut when all seemed lost, something very interesting happened.
Inuyasha wasn't sure exactly what had occurred. But Sesshomaru was watching carefully, and saw exactly what had happened.
Katsu had, just for a moment, disappeared- and reappeared right next to the fox, tackling him down.
A total distance of about ten feet.
It had not been super speed though, as Sesshomaru possessed; there had been no blurring of the form.
Katsu had actually teleported the distance.
"Hahah! Gotcha!" Katsu shouted victoriously, and Toshi huffed, " That wasn't fair!" brushing himself off and flicking his own tail a few times.
"Holy shit." Inuyasha muttered under her breath, giving Sesshomaru a glance.
"Did you know he could do that?"
Sesshomaru shook his head, looking a little impressed. It appeared every pup's powers were slowly emerging.
And he was relieved. They would be strong, able to defend themselves very soon.
But not soon enough.
" It is a relief to see them playing well with the others." Sesshomaru murmured as Katsu and Toshi talked, mixing with the other yokai as naturally as they were mixing with the Daiyokai pups.
"Yeah." Inuyasha's expression darkened a bit. " I didn't get much of this when I was their age." No, indeed… the other kids in the estate wouldn't play with the hanyou, via the instruction of their parents.
"Nor I." Sesshomaru murmured, which surprised the hanyou.
"Seriously? But, but you were Inu No Taisho's kid, in the fancy-pants mansion. I thought you were totally pampered." Inuyasha said, gesturing to the hall with a swing of his hand.
Sesshomaru glanced around before explaining in quiet tones, " In some ways. Mother thought it was beneath me to socialize with yokai of lower status. All my lessons were private. I scarcely remember seeing a yokai of my age, much less socializing with them. I barely spoke after father died, until I met Rin."
In fact, his throat was often sore from what little he did say to the human-child. It was Rin who had socialized the Daiyokai.
"I suppose it must shock you to learn I wasn't the most social being in my youth." Sesshomaru said, dryly. Inuyasha's ears perked up.
Humor. The dried-up Sesshomaru was making a joke.
"I am shocked. Beyond measure." Inuyasha said with fake seriousness, gripping her sternum playfully.
Sesshomaru laughed softly, his hand coming up to cover his mouth a bit. It was the first time she'd heard a good laugh from him- not one stifled or choked by his ego.
It was the sweetest sound in the world to her ears. That, paired with the tiniest of smiles on his face, revealing those perfect white teeth- the way the Daiyokai's eyes had closed for just a second-
Inuyasha's heart jumped.
Oh, she wanted to see that again. She would do anything to see that smile then of course, she felt that sick rock of guilt in her belly, for wanting that.
His smile was gone already though. A soft look of surprise on Sesshomaru's face replacing it. Almost as surprised as Inuyasha felt.
"Damn. You've got a perfect laugh, Sesshomaru. How come you never show it off?" Inuyasha teased, smirking and shoving Sesshomaru's arm on the railing. He huffed, his tail puffing out with embarrassment.
"Don't be ridiculous, hanyou." He said, prickling. "That would be unbecoming of a Daiyokai of my status."
"I agree with Inuyasha. I want to see you laugh more often, Sesshomaru." Said a voice softly from his right.
He looked over in surprise. Rin had snuck in among the yokai, and had somehow overheard the conversation.
She was looking as pretty as ever- a purple kimono with cherry blossoms decorating the sleeves and hem. Her hair up in a delicate bun.
"You're outnumbered, Sesshomaru, " Inuyasha jeered, and the Daiyokai huffed, " Hardly." Though ,the little nervous twitches of his tail told a slightly different story.
Deep down under the snow and ice, there's a person in there. Every bit as volatile and vulnerable as me. Inuyasha thought in wonder.
His mother tried to crush him, but…. He's still there. Diaozuan resurrected a part of him, and now I want to see the rest.
" Rin, you should not be walking the Palace by yourself."
"I'm not alone ! I have-" As if on que, Jaken appeared, looking rather cross.
"RIN! How many times have I told you not to run off like that-" Jaken then spotted Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. He bowed over and over to Sesshomaru, "My apologies, my lord! Her legs are a bit longer than they were before, and she likes to keep ditching me!"
Sesshomaru indicated for him to stand, " It is forgiven." Then gave Rin a raised brow. She melted under his gaze. " Uh… okay. I did ditch him. I'm sorry. I just really wanted to see the pups playing with the other kids, and make sure they were doing okay."
Sesshomaru nodded. But Inuyasha could tell that Sesshomaru was still agitated by her being here. In fact… now that she thought of it, Rin was attracting a few curious stares. Curious… and some, unfriendly. The girl was a little oblivious to such things.
"Rin- why don't we go practice sewing for a bit? Sesshomaru's been getting on me about that, so we might as well suffer together." Inuyasha offered, and she took the bait. As the two of them walked off, Inuyasha gave Sesshomaru a little salute with two fingers.
Sesshomaru gave a slow nod back. It was about time for him to leave, as well.
Thank you, Inuyasha.
He sent to the hanyou. Rin didn't understand, but there may be enemies here, too. There may be wolves inside the walls, and he wasn't about to take that risk with her.
Time for more training with Youshi.
Sesshomaru winced slightly at the thought.
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SLAM.
The dragon chuckled, flipping his mane from one side of his neck to the other as he kept Sesshomaru pinned to the rock, his little tail flicking back and forth in amusement. His huge clawed paw covered the length of the Daiyokai's body with room to spare.
The Daiyokai growled and started to go for his sword, but the dragon growled a soft warning.
"Uh uh uh, Sesshomaru. That's cheating."
Sesshomaru panted. He was tired and sore and irritated. How long had they been at it? A few hours, at least.
He could feel sweat sticking to his clothes, plastered to his forehead. His hair was brought up in a ponytail, and the silver strings clung to his sticky skin. Various claw marks and bruises littered his body. The dragon certainly wasn't going easy on him.
Not that he'd expected that.
He clenched a fist. Damn it. Perhaps this was how Inuyasha felt, trapped in that body. How was he supposed to use such a fickle power? How was he supposed to tap into a part of him that had been hidden all these years? And only a fourth, at that.
He gathered up his legs to pull himself to his feet, but Youshi pushed him back flat on his stomach.
"Youshi-"
"Order me to , Sesshomaru." He replied lazily as a few whiskers twitched. Smoke coiled lazily from horse-like nostrils.
Sesshomaru snarled and felt his temper flare- and something else as well. A kind of painful tingling in his veins- different from the feeling of his Foo-Dog powers.
And for just a moment, the whites of his eyes turned a brilliant silver. "Release me, lizard!"
Youshi blinked and felt the claw rising against his will.
Sesshomaru wiggled out and stood warily, one hand on the hilt of his sword. Panting hard. His eyes downcast, nervous. Had Youshi let him go out of pity?
Gods, he felt so dizzy. And his throat ached. He touched it with a few claws, and swallowed gently. Looking up at the dragon apprehensively.
The dragon blinked slowly, then chuckled in amusement, "Ooh, Sesshomaru. Your voice gives me shivers." And the Foo-Dog's ears turned a brilliant red in embarrassment.
"Did you free me out of pity or-"
"No, no. Quite unwillingly, I assure you. Looks like the potential is there after all." Youshi said, examining his own clawed paw with some fascination. The limb had acted of its own accord, lifting in response to Sesshomaru's voice. What an interesting gift this Foo-Dog had.
"Now, lets see if you can do it again."
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Sesshomaru returned to the Foo-Dog Palace in the evening, and was greeted in the doorway by Tiao-Wen.
"My lord. News from our informers, and letters." A thin stack of letters was in his hand. Sesshomaru took them, feeling a pit in his stomach. He carried him over to the desk in his room. The wood gleamed with a thin coat of oil as he opened the window, then started reading them one by one.
It was confirmed, then.
The ones who went after Inuyasha, though fox tribe, were connected with the dragon tribe.
Even worse…
The Rat Demon of the east had reported strangely large groups moving into the South. Yokai of many different zodiac.
I was grateful for your discretion regarding the humans, and wanted to return the favor. I think they plan to attack your Estate, and soon. If you believe you need any of our forces, please send a bird as soon as possible, as it will take them a while to get there even by horse.
He was also pleasantly surprised to find a letter from Koga of the Wolf Demon tribe. His writing could use improvement, but Sesshomaru could make it out none the less.
Oi.
My thanks for making sure my pack didn't starve this winter. Here's something you should know- we're getting a lot of movement from yokai through our territories. They're all heading to the Dragon Territories. It's suspicious. Keep your eyes open. I'm sending some scouts to track them. Will send further letters if more information is found.
Sesshomaru's eyes squinted just a little. Interesting. So perhaps he had an ally in them both.
Better than what Inukimi would have accomplished. It would probably be a good idea to let the other yokai know what was going on, and soon. So they could decide if they wished to stay in the Palace or not. It was not the average run- of -the-mill yokai that lived inside The Foo-Dog Palace that Ryuu would be after.
It would be Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha, and the pups.
He grabbed the other book by his desk, sighing a bit. Finally, he'd found an illustration of the Inu No Takahiro, tucked away amid the dust and cobwebs of the records section of their library.
It confirmed his suspicions.
Sesshomaru flipped it open to the page he'd marked once more, his pale claws running over the faded yellow illustration gently.
The Foo-Dog had been a rather handsome fellow, to be fair. His true form essentially a dog, made different only by the dragon horns that protruded from just behind his ears.
It was rather a faded illustration- parts of his legs and tail were too faded to see clearly, and there was a water stain near the bottom that made it impossible to read his full title.
Luckily, this author had included both his human and true forms. And the one detail that was so essential to Sesshomaru had survived the passage of time.
On the Foo-Dog's cheeks were stripes identical to his- same location, same length, same color. Sesshomaru's claw rested just under the magenta markings, and he let out a sigh.
It was true, then.
He'd let out quite a bit of emotions about it before. After all… He felt as though he'd lost a part of himself. Being Ino No Taisho's son was his identity- his claim to the throne, the reason he could sneer down his nose at others.
But to find that his real father was simply a doppelganger, and a half-dragon no less…
Well…
It broke him a little.
Not that his ego was so fragile, it was just… knowing he'd been going after Tetsaiga for so many years, lost an arm, nearly killed Inuyasha multiple times, and… and for what?
Nothing.
It made him feel like a fool. An egotistical one. To have so much of his pride and dignity built on a sham. But… in a weird way, it was also a relief.
Now, he need not worry about ever surpassing Inu No Taisho. Nor did he have to have repressed anger and resentment towards his father's blatant favoritism. It was not favoritism to give your only son their birthright after all.
No longer did he see humans as responsible for Inu No Taisho's death. If he was protecting his one and only mate, leaving her alone to birth his son was unthinkable by yokai standards. Any mate worth their salt would protect their only kin.
Sesshomaru considered himself extremely lucky. Surely Inu No Taisho had had a hand in covering up his true father's identity… there was no way Inukimi could pull that off by herself.
The scandal if it was discovered that Inukimi's first born son was not the great dog demon's son would be unthinkable, especially since they were married. It was on her shoulders to produce an heir to the Foo-Dog throne. Sesshomaru might easily have been killed after scarcely drawing his first breath.
No- he knew in his heart that Inu No Taisho had saved him from an awful fate.
But, why?
He wondered, closing the book and shifting his feet to the table. His tail wrapping comfortably around the bottom of the chair.
Why did he save me?
He shook his head- he needed some air. It wasn't too late at night yet; the sky was just beginning to get shades of orange and pink.
Sesshomaru left, in search of that small space that his father often had run to for the same reason.
For peace and quiet.
It was a place far off in the outer wall- nearer to where the yokai of the place tended to their plants and animals. In some ways, similar to the human villages- but in other ways of course, much different.
Out here, was a clear lake. And in the middle, an ancient gnarled magnolia tree.
One was able to get to the little island via a vein of rocks- a pathway that Sesshomaru had built in his childhood. He was pleased to find that the other yokai children seemed to have kept rebuilding it over the years.
He made it to the little bit of land that the tree clung to and sat down, letting his tail float on the water. The buds stretched out far along the lake and were beginning to grow. Soon, the tree would be in bloom, and the entire lake would be filled with its magnificent pink and white petals.
Sesshomaru slapped his tail on the lake a few times, smirking when the ripples disrupted the water and bounced back and forth between his side, and the edge. Fireflies began to appear and filled the area with their soft light. Like a hundred fluttering stars, reflected in the gigantic mirror of the lake.
He then settled back, crossing his arms and closing his eyes for a moment.
"It is a lovely evening, isn't it?"
Sesshomaru nearly fell into the lake.
That… that was his father's voice.
He scrambled to his feet, making his way around the small patch of earth and grass that surrounded the tree. His father was on the other side, stuffing his pipe as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His armor glittered faintly, his twin tails resting to his side over the roots of the tree.
The Daiyokai stood gaping for a moment before managing, " How-how are you here?"
Inu No Taisho indicated for Sesshomaru to look outward with a tilt of his pipe. It flashed faintly green and silver in the light.
"We are neither here nor there- in the place between sleeping and waking. Though I cannot stay long. One of the many tedious rules."
Sesshomaru looked across the lake. His father was right. Everything across the lake looked like a strange watercolor… and there were no other yokai to be seen.
" You are in pain over the revelation with Inu No Takahiro. Talk to me, son." Inu No Taisho said softly, and Sesshomaru jerked a bit in surprise.
Sesshomaru sat down shakily.
"How… how can you even call me that? I don't understand. So much of my life, I spent after that sword, after vengeance on Inuyasha for killing you by proxy and now…" The Daiyokai trailed off, his yellow eyes beginning to water.
"And all for naught. An identity built on lies and deceit." Sesshomaru's head drooped, unable to even look his 'father' in the eyes anymore.
"I hated you so, father. I hated you for leaving me, and Inuyasha, and the ningen woman, and come to find out you saved me." His claws balled into a fist, bringing grass and dirt with it.
"I judged you so harshly, and from no position to be doing so. I… I'm so sorry."
" It is forgiven, son."
Sesshomaru flinched again, and the tears were flowing freely, now. Down his chin, meeting at the tip of his chin and falling onto the ground.
"Don't. Do not forgive me so easily. Why did you save me? Surely you knew the moment you saw me I was not your pup. Why did you love me? Did you, or was it just another royal duty to fulfill?
Is this why I was never enough for you?" He finally whispered. He felt his chin being grasped and lifted. His father's hands were as warm and callused as always. Inuyasha's hands.
Sesshomaru gave a pathetic little hiccup, suppressing a sob.
" My beautiful boy." Inu No Taisho whispered. " You were the catalyst to make me want another son. Never doubt that I was blessed the day you were put in my arms. It mattered not that you weren't mine. You were, and always have been, so much more than enough."
Those words healed parts of the Daiyokai he hadn't even realized were broken. Sesshomaru wept silently, bitterly, and Inu No Taisho slipped an arm around his son's shoulders.
" In every way, you've exceeded my expectations. I am proud of you, and I love you more each day as I watch you continue to grow and change, and shake off the cobwebs of the past."
He paused to wipe some tears from Sesshomaru's face, faintly nostalgic. He had missed holding him.
" Blood is no consequence to a bond like ours, Sesshomaru." The Great Dog Demon murmured, looking out into the lake and watching the way the fireflies glittered in the reflection.
" I am lost without you father." Sesshomaru whispered, his eyes red from crying. "I am frightened. My family…" He gritted his teeth, his fangs feeling like they were about to break.
Inu No Taisho gave Sesshomaru a look, and gently pulled the Daiyokai to his feet.
"Frightened? No, Sesshomaru the Undying feels no fear. Every time it rears up, invert that emotion- therein lies your strength. For what is the opposite of fear?"
Sesshomaru stood in front of his father, his golden eyes tinged with red. Body and soul heavy with fear and doubt. There was a slight tremor throughout all of him. As if the slightest wind would knock him to his knees.
Warm tan hands cupped his cheeks. His father's short, brutal claws just barely brushing those markings-those magenta stripes that were not his own blood. And his voice was a low powerful rumble as he murmured, " Courage, Sesshomaru. Courage for our family."
He then laid one hand on Sesshomaru's black chest plate and spread his fingers. Meeting the boy's eyes.
" I am always with you." Inu No Taisho's expression changed a bit. He set a hand on the Daiyokai's shoulder once again, and Sesshomaru realized in a muted horror that his father's body was becoming see through.
This is the last time I can speak with you like this, Sesshomaru.
"No-" He whispered. He needed this moment- needed a thousand more like it.
Needed to make up for all the time he wasted running after a sword and hating the being who had saved his life.
The Great Demon Dog gave one of his rare wry smiles- one corner of his mouth slightly up, revealing a little fang.
Goodbye.
All of the sudden, it was after dark. Sesshomaru was alone on the patch of earth, and all the world was a series of blues and blacks except for the fireflies that hovered.
He walked back home in an unpleasant daze.
The moment Sesshomaru entered their home, Inuyasha knew something was wrong. The Daiyokai's shoulders were low and he scarcely met the gaze of the hanyou, giving him barely a nod before making his way down the hallway.
A little concerned, Inuyasha matched his pace ( though that was a bit difficult with her shorter legs).
"Sesshomaru? You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." Inuyasha tried to tease, though her breath caught in her throat at the look he gave her. Apparently, that had not been the right thing to say. He tried to brush past her, but she sort of jammed herself in the hallway, feet tucked in the corners of doorways and arms outstretched and braced.
"Let me pass." Sesshomaru hissed, his tail giving a little angry flip on the wooden floor.
"Sesshomaru, for god's sake, talk to me. You don't get to just comfort me, and get no support in return. I know something huge is going on, and you're taking it all on your own shoulders. That's not fucking fair. Let me be here for you- tell me what's going on. Please."
She muttered softly, " Don't you dare take away the one scrap of usefulness I have left."
Her eyes pierced his and he stewed for a moment, his tail doing little twitches and flips uncertainty. She wasn't wrong, it was just… it had been such a long day, he wasn't sure if he had the strength left to tell her everything.
The inevitable battle at the Foo-Dog Palace. The training with Youshi. The secret about Inu No Takahiro.
Where do I even begin?
He sighed deeply and dropped his shoulders, leaning back to Tiao-Wen. " Please tell one of the servants to bring us tea and refreshments."
And then indicated his room with a wave of his hand, murmuring, " You may as well get comfortable. This is going to take a while."
And indeed, he and Inuyasha spoke for some time. In Sesshomaru's room there was a small set of chairs and a table, and it was there that they spoke. Him, with his tail curled over his feet and his swords resting comfortably on his hip. Her, with the fire-rat robes rolled up to the sleeves and her bare feet slung over the periwinkle-blue fabric. Inuyasha occasionally sipped from her teacup or snacked but for the most part listened quietly.
When Sesshomaru was finished, he sat quietly for a moment with the tip of his tail making little lazy circles in thought. Well, Inuyasha was right about one thing.
Telling someone about it, even without being able to necessarily fix the problem, did make him feel a little bit better.
In the end, though, he'd decided to keep Inu No Taisho's little visit to himself. He didn't want Inuyasha feeling left out.
"I wanna see the evidence." She said, and her voice was steely. It couldn't be true. Sesshomaru, her archrival, blood of her blood… it just couldn't be true. It was half her identity, but it was nearly all of his.
Sesshomaru tilted his head a bit. " Pardon?"
" About Inu No Taisho not being… you know." She murmured, waving a hand. It was unbelievable. Sesshomaru left and later returned with a stack of papers and books, taking Inuyasha through each piece of evidence in the same order he'd discovered it himself.
"I admit there's still a possibility, but the evidence is pretty damning." Sesshomaru said mildly after he and Inuyasha had combed all the evidence he'd collected.
Not to mention he'd heard it from the old man himself. But Inuyasha didn't need to know that.
Inuyasha seemed quite distraught- and he could hardly blame her. But… he'd emptied himself out earlier- grief, anger, hatred, pain. At least for the next few hours, he was going to be a little numb.
"Holy fuck, Sesshomaru. Are you- are you okay? I mean, goddamn… " Inuyasha whispered feverishly, giving the Daiyokai a thorough glance.
"I don't…" Sesshomaru sighed, looking down at his hands. " I think the pain will pass. Mostly, I just feel… quite foolish. I almost-" He paused and tensed, " I almost killed you over nothing at all. That sword was always meant to be, only yours."
"But… Sesshomaru. That was such a big part of who you- who you were. Hell, I don't remember a time you didn't reference him."
The Daiyokai gave a shrug. " I've spent the last few moon cycles grieving, angry, tortured. I am coming to terms with it." He looked over at Inuyasha and gave a weak, " Hn. I thought you would've been relieved."
Inuyasha's ears were pinned down, and all of the sudden, her anger seemed to peak.
"Fuck that evidence. And fuck the idea that we aren't brothers!" She snarled, grabbing up his kimono by the collar and yanking him close.
" I don't care if your half-hanyou, god dammit, we've been through too much together to just write it the fuck off, like, like its nothing, like we're nothing- I don't fucking accept that!" She was almost yelling, now.
He stood in irritation and pulled his collar slowly from her grasp. She let the cloth go grudgingly, giving him an angry stare and growling lowly. Her hair a froth of angry silver, teeth bared and nose wrinkled at the bridge.
"Fuck that." She whispered once more, and he cupped her cheek.
She stood, frozen and wary, watching him. Like a caged animal, she was. Breathing hard and fast.
"I never implied it meant nothing, Inuyasha. Actually, this opens up opportunity for us."
She tensed further. Good lord, it felt like her muscles were close to snapping. "Fuck you. Don't you even fucking say it. We can't just go from brothers our whole lives to something else. I can't- its immoral. It's disgusting. It's this damn body, and nothing else, that's making me feel this way."
Sesshomaru was not impressed.
"And frankly, -" She added with some venom, " I would think you'd be the one resisting this. After all, I'm the disgusting hanyou who you always hated! Blood or-"
Sesshomaru grabbed her, throwing her up against the wall and pinning her there with one arm. Her feet dangled a few feet off the ground and she started kicking and swiping.
No, Inuyasha. I felt the stirrings of something else when your pup grew within me.
And I suspect, you've been feeling something similar for some time.
Otherwise… we wouldn't have such inclinations now.
"Shut up! Get outta my head, asshole!" She whined. Her growling peaked and she writhed, scratching his cheek with her claws.
He felt the hot blood down one cheek and leaned in, opening his mouth right next to her ear.
Letting out a very low and dominant growl. Something that ripped upwards from his belly and seemed to vibrate the very floor: his ribcage contracting with the power of it. A hot drop of saliva dripped onto the skin of her neck and slid down her collarbone.
She winced and went still. Her ears tucking tight to her head and her chin turning to one side. And he watched as she slowly, exposed part of her neck to his teeth.
Wanting to be forgiven.
Inuyasha wasn't quite sure why the hell she was doing it- but it was body language, and a language Sesshomaru understood well.
He could feel everything that she was feeling, in that moment. And yes, there was fear, and anger, and confusion, and embarrassment…
But he was most interested in the one Inuyasha was trying desperately to conceal.
" Inuyasha." He whispered against her neck, making sure she could feel the warmth of his breath. Teasing? Yes. Cruel? Oh, yes.
But a sure-fire way to make Inuyasha lose control of her emotions. One way or another.
And he was right…
Even as she cursed him and swore and tried to wriggle free, he felt it through their bond. Streaking down from the crescent moon on his forehead. An easily identifiable sensation.
Arousal. And he was affected by it too. Wanting to run his fangs along her skin and bite down hard. Wanting to take all this indecision out of her once and for all.
For the more he interacted with her, the surer he was that these feelings had been present for some time.
That he , like Inuyasha, had been trapped in the messiness for some time. Ignoring it, pushing it away.
But repressing it did not cure the disease. And now it was blooming at an alarming rate.
"If we are not brothers, it leaves opportunity for us to become more. Perhaps it's time for you and your- inclinations, to be more in sync, Inuyasha." He snarled and removed his arm. She dropped to the floor gracelessly and gathered herself up as best she could. Shooting him the best glare she could manage and receiving only an amused stare in return.
Well. She'd done her job of comforting him, and he'd felt a little bad about the ending.
But… it was time for them both to start coming to terms with this.
With whatever was beginning between them.
For what good would it be, hiding it forever? Living a life in desperate want?
Sesshomaru didn't want that. And he wouldn't accept that from the hanyou, especially now that he'd felt her emotions.
Sesshomaru cared not for her stupid honor, or ego, or whatever made her think what was happening was immoral somehow. Now that the matter of blood had been cleared up, it was rather simple to him.
She took his leave, and he gathered up the books quietly, then fell into a dreamless sleep.
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No fan of Kikyo- Hahah yeah and no surprise, Sesshomaru's gonna use that vulnerability to his advantage lol
Smiles-Yeah.. he's not super happy about it. Mostly because he knows the potential doors it could open up ~ But Diaozuan will be happy, I think. xD He's a shapeshifter so he's always up for mixing things up~