The next morning was quite beautiful but cold. Dew clung to the ground, and the mist from the waterfall would have left a chill on Sesshomaru's skin…
Had he been human.
He awoke well before Inuyasha, needing less sleep than the hanyou. There was also the scent of another yokai outside; one he recognized.
He stretched; very gently organizing the blankets so Inuyasha stayed warm. She mewled in protest, but didn't actually bother to wake up.
A soft, orange dawn was blooming over the horizon. Slowly turning the deep blue lighter and lighter shades. He could tell a few demons had followed their trail, but were deterred by Sesshomaru's smell.
After all; going after Inuyasha alone was one thing.
Going after Sesshomaru was another entirely.
He reached inside his red-tipped sleeves, pulling out a tortoiseshell comb. Dipping it in the near-freezing water and starting to comb his hair. The edge of the pond was frozen, a fluffy, icy ring.
The grasses were still frozen, the dirt hard and clumped and fat with frost. Sesshomaru called softly, "Koga. I can smell you." Without turning. Too engaged in a snag about halfway down his silver locks.
There was a low chuckle, and Koga dropped from a tree nearby. Closing the space between them with long confident strides. A black, shiny tail flicking back and forth behind him for about two feet.
The two gave each other a slight incline of the head. Koga's noticeably lower.
"Lord Sesshomaru. You certainly caused a commotion. My pack and I couldn't believe the pile you left behind; we could barely catch anything last night. You spooked game for miles."
Sesshomaru looked slightly thoughtful. " Apologies. My-" He paused, then sighed softly. Why bother hiding it with the wolves? It'd soon be common knowledge. And unlike information with Rin, this was probably something Koga had figured out for himself already.
"My mate was running around unsupervised. She engaged them before I had a chance to stop her." He said, irritation creeping into his expression. He had forgiven her, but he was still irritated by it. Koga stepped over to the pool , scooping up some of the clean water and taking a drink.
Koga was chuckling lowly. " Uh huh. Sounds about right." Then added softly, " But, the real question is; why'd they go after her like that? Inuyasha's been running around by himself since he was a pup. Best he'd get is one or two on his tail."
Sesshomaru didn't answer, his tail giving a small uncomfortable flick on the ground.
" Only time I've see shit like that is when they're drawn by pup-flesh. Daiyokai, usually." Koga said, casually.
Sesshomaru grabbed Koga by the neck and slammed him into the rocks. So hard that a great chunk of it broke off. The commotion causing Inuyasha to wake. Looking around with bleary confusion.
The Daiyokai was snarling right up on the wolf yokai's face, a string of drool glistening from doglike teeth as his lungs squeezed out a warning and a promise of death, should the wolf take one more step out of line.
His horns glistened like fish hooks in the weak morning sun.
Koga did not squirm; didn't even try to breath, for Sesshomaru's grip was far too tight. His face was starting to turn slightly blue.
"You know my disposition, yet you continue to tempt me to dig you an early grave." Sesshomaru spat, his nose wrinkled all the way to the bridge of his nose. He loosened his grip just a little and Koga took a quick, desperate breath.
"You are my alpha-Your pups will always be safe with me. It is the law of our kind." Koga said, coughing softly. Sesshomaru was still snarling a bit under his breath. The low, angry growls making his torso vibrate and skittering tiny pebbles on the ground. He knew this, but he did not like the fact that Koga had put together the pieces so quickly.
Because if he had, surely others would too.
"Did you obscure it?"
Koga was still suspended in air, his feet scrabbling a bit for purchase on the rocks. "O-Obviously." Sesshomaru sighed. It was part of the reason he'd woken up so early this morning to try and hide what had occurred.
Try to hide how many had come. A gathering of that many yokai to one spot was quite unusual behavior for wild yokai.
"Spread rumors; harm her in any way, and be assured of the eradiation of your clan." Sesshomaru whispered, still beating back his urge to kill Koga where he stood. His pupils so contracted, so reptilian, that it set goosebumps on Koga's flesh, and tucked his tail even further between his legs.
Koga whispered, "Forgive me. Curiosity runs too strong in my family. And I could not believe you'd made her the mother of your pup."
Sesshomaru got quiet, and muttered, "Understandable. No one was as surprised as I. Still." He slid Koga down a foot or so, letting him stand but still keeping him pinned to the wall.
"It is no business of yours. I hardly keep track of how many pups you've belted out with your dame."
Koga was faintly amused. " No, but that is because a lowly wolf-pup is not nearly as exciting as a pup born of Inuyasha and yourself. Especially when it holds the blood of Inu No Taisho in its veins."
Sesshomaru could hardly argue, and that fact irritated him. It was big news; big news for all the tribes.
He couldn't blame the wolf's curiosity. But nevertheless, Koga's intelligence made him somewhat uncomfortable. He'd much preferred the days when he thought of the wolf tribe leader as being slightly more intelligent than a shovel. If less charismatic. Sesshomaru gently removed his hand, and Koga coughed a few times, rubbing the red mark on his neck.
"I am unused to this weakness. How you manage it, I cannot comprehend." Sesshomaru muttered under his breath. He only had his small family to worry about; Koga's family was his pack.
Koga said softly, " Sesshomaru; they will always be your greatest strength and simultaneously, your greatest weakness. That is what a family is. And from my family to yours; I will never. Ever. Betray you."
Sesshomaru searched the wolf's wide, blue eyes, but found no lie in their great oceanic pools.
Yes; this wolf had fought beside him. His brothers and sisters had died right beside Sesshomaru. Perhaps… he was loyal after all.
He… regretted harming the wolf. Koga had been loyal, had sent his army, and Sesshomaru had repaid him with his own terrible temper.
" I owe you and your people a debt. Tell me best how I am to repay it." He murmured. They both abruptly turned at the sound of scrabbling feet- and Sesshomaru managed to catch Inuyasha by the back of the collar as she lunged for Koga.
"What the fuck is this bastard doing around here!" She snarled and spat, angrily writhing about a foot from the ground and stretching to try and nick Koga with the Tetsaiga. " I'll kill him- Now, let me go!"
" I will do no such thing." Sesshomaru said haughtily.
Koga smirked, crossing his arms and stepping a bit away from the point of her sword. " What a wonderful dame you've got there Sesshomaru. So shy, and soft-spoken."
"The fuck did you just call me?" Inuyasha growled, and her mate murmured, " It is not an insult Inuyasha. I will tell you the definition later."
Sesshomaru then added, " Perhaps some of us prefer a challenge, not a servant to our whims."
And the wolf chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "Well she definitely fits that category." Giving Inuyasha a little wink.
Inuyasha sheathed her sword so she could give the wolf prince a rather rude gesture with both hands instead of one. "Fuck you! Get outta here before Sesshomaru and I beat your ass!"
Koga chuckled, "Surprised you're so spicy while you're pup-sick."
Inuyasha's ears perked up in surprise, giving Sesshomaru an uncertain glance. Sesshomaru put a hand gently on her shoulder in reassurance. He will not use that against us.
She just snarled, "Surprised you're not busy whelping half your pack. Dumb ass." But it was much quieter, and Sesshomaru noted with some amusement that she was standing a little behind him now. Unconsciously of course.
Koga smirked, " Unfortunately, your mate has me beat. Only by one, though. Guess I gotta step up my game." giving an amused glance to Inuyasha's midsection. Her arm covered her abdomen, and she hissed like the devil.
Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, the tips of his pointed ears slightly pink with embarrassment. He'd never meant to have so many damn pups;it just seemed to keep happening. "I'll take my leave. Apparently your presence upsets her greatly. Send me a bird for your compensation."
Koga nodded, "Absolutely Lord Sesshomaru."
his blue eyes bright and his black tail giving a flick.
Eager to please.
"And you might want to cover your mouth." Sesshomaru added to the hanyou, his grip tightening on Inuyasha's shoulder just a bit.
"Why would I-?"
The two of them abruptly disappeared, replaced by a tiny ball of white light that was zipping through the woods at top speed.
The minute they stopped, Inuyasha had to drop to her knees and retch. Luckily, Sesshomaru managed to somehow catch her hair on her way to hair knees, holding it up with a mix of disdain and pity as she threw up off the side of the drawbridge.
I do not understand why this effects others so.
Sesshomaru thought mildly over the vomiting. Of course, his stomach was feeling a teensy bit uneasy as well… There were still so many dead. And is nose worked well enough to smell the hundreds of bodied buried here; and, their various stages of decay.
The thousands of insects and worms that were infesting them, breeding, and dying.
He wrinkled his nose slightly.
When Inuyasha was finished she rolled to her side dramatically and whispered. "Just fuckin' kill me. I've had enough. I'm tapping out."
And Sesshomaru rolled his bright yellow eyes. " Do not be overdramatic Inuyasha. Katsu kept me retching for months."
He winced again as a sharp pain ripped up his arm, holding his left forearm and raising a brow. Huh.
Faintly, the Tenseiga rattled faintly on his hip, and Inuyasha was startled out of her misery as her own sword stirred faintly.
"The heck?" Inuyasha whispered. Glancing around and then to Sesshomaru, her ears going back slightly when she saw the way he was holding his arm.
This was a very special kind of pain.
This is the pain of a sword being born.
He thought. Remembering the agony as Bakusaiga had torn free from his flesh and brought a new arm with it. Something else was brewing inside him now, to take Bakusaiga's place.
Something new.
Seems as if I'm fated to always be pregnant with one thing or another. Sesshomaru thought wryly, reaching out and helping Inuyasha to her feet with his good arm.
"Sesshomaru… You've got another sword brewing, doncha?" Inuyasha said softly as the gates opened with a great roar and a rattling of chains. It did not take long for the gatekeepers to recognize Sesshomaru. Especially now that those glistening horns adorned his head. Giving him an organic crown that would make any monarch's stomach twinge with jealousy.
"It will still be a while. I shall go see Totosai when I am assured some dog won't be sitting in my throne when I return." Sesshomaru muttered, though he wasn't entirely sure he even had that much time.
The last time a sword had come from him it'd been so quick and violent he'd half been afraid that it'd take both arms as compensation.
" I'm sorry. That looks like it really hurts." She murmured as they entered the gates. Inuyasha narrowing her eyes for a moment as the wind swept past and the sunlight washed over them.
The Daiyokai got a slightly amused look on his face, reaching over and rubbing that special spot on one of Inuyasha's ears. After all the times we tried to kill one another, that worries you? Get some perspective little hanyou.
This of course, threw her into a rage after the ear rubs had worn off.
"Ngh, no, you know what? I'm not sorry- maybe pulling a second sword outta your ass will finally fix that awful personality of yours!" She huffed, closing her eyes and keeping one hand on the Tetsaiga and her chin high in the air.
Blinking in surprise when she heard a laugh nearby. No- his laugh. Soft and velvet like summer rain.
She stared at him in shock. And he seemed surprised himself, the laugh fading to a charming, shy half-smile. Showing off perfect white teeth and- oh, already hiding behind the fingers of a clawed hand.
"Only you would think to speak to me in such a fashion." Sesshomaru mused, pushing some silver locks behind one of his perfectly pointed ears.
Inuyasha was at a loss for words- at least, for a few seconds. Taken aback by his amusement and wanting to make another scathing comment- but basking far too much in that perfect laughter.
It was so unfair. Inuyasha's laugh was a rather rude sound; Sesshomaru's was something she never could get enough of.
"I-"Inuyasha grumbled insults under her breath. Unsure how to react.
Sesshomaru smelled Rin and that little fox demon inside the tents near the gates, and was reassured.
As they walked, Sesshomaru was polite to those who greeted them. Exchanging a few questions but careful to keep Inuyasha moving.
Every yokai they met seemed quite surprised by Sesshomaru's new horns; except for those who had been on the battlefield that day. They made him feel a little self-conscious.
Inuyasha also noticed how he seemed to always… shield her. Not in a way that was immediately obvious; but his shoulder was always slightly overlapping her form. And when they did stop, his arm was usually around her shoulder.
Under Sesshomaru's skin, his yokai was writhing uncomfortably. All it wanted was to get Inuyasha somewhere safe, quiet. So she could eat and rest and keep that pup inside her healthy.
It did not like dealing with so many other yokai. And it especially didn't like how much attention Inuyasha received whenever she was out and about. Additionally, that instinct to go and hunt for her was bubbling up inside him, as it had when Diaozuan had been carrying the twins.
Not that Inuyasha would even eat what he wanted to hunt for her. But that didn't seem to deter his yokai any.
When they arrived Diaozuan was there to greet them; the pups were back in their classes, all except Toshi.
The two Daiyokai greeted each other with uncharacteristic warmth; nuzzling each other's cheeks together briefly. Sesshomaru's left to Diaozuan's right. Inuyasha rolled her eyes in embarrassment.
Only to squeak with surprise when Diaozuan dropped low, rubbing his cheek against her pretty, jagged cheek-stripe with a slight purr.
"Awe. I missed you too Inuyasha."
"Don't touch me! Ugh! Gross!" She snarled, her hair and ears poofing up. The fox demon smirked before setting eyes on Sesshomaru.
You must go before the court. I've delayed the discussion of lineage as long as I could. But they probably have already started without you.
The fox's own purple eyes unusually glassy with anger. Sesshomaru bristled, " Of course. Much easier to condemn someone when they are not present." Turning angrily and making his way towards the main Palace.
Shall I come?
No. I can take care of the likes of them. He assured the fox, his lip curling in anger. Ridiculous. What cowards they were, to try and slip this past during his absence.
"Sesshomaru? Where-" Inuyasha made to follow him, but was stopped gently by one of Diaozuan's arms.
"Our presence would not help Sesshomaru for this little endeavor, Inuyasha." The fox explained softly. " He is going to-address the issue of lineage with Inu No Taisho."
Inuyasha's soft silver ears went down a bit. She had no idea they'd get on him about that this soon. Made sense that Inuyasha should probably take the sidelines… her lineage wasn't exactly subtle.
Still Inu No Taisho, but a hanyou. A waste of what could have been.
"He'll be okay right? He'll figure this out? Or do I gotta go chop some heads off with the Tetsaiga?" She snarled, her hair poofing out slightly with anger. Diaozuan looked amused, but in a faint and far off kind of way.
"He will be fine. His tongue is as sharp as his sword. If anyone can get him out of this, it is himself." The fox murmured, shifting Toshi from one arm to the other. The kit mewled faintly in protest.
But the hanyou couldn't help but be worried. Always, people were looking to grab that throne out from under Sesshomaru. What a burden that must be. No wonder he'd left- wandering the wilds, unchained, able to go wherever he wanted, whenever the hell he wanted.
Inuyasha missed that, too.
Perhaps one day, they'd be able to go together.
"Hey- what does 'dame' mean?" She asked the fox as they headed back inside, one hand still on her sword almost thoughtfully.
"Dame? It's a term canid yokai use for a high-ranking female, usually one mated to a leader of a pack." Diaozuan said as he flicked his seven long tails out of the way of the door. "Its also slang for wife, or mother of someone's children, depending on context. Why?"
Inuyasha's face went as red as her robes. " That's it I'm going to kill him. This is the last fuckin' straw, I swear to god-"
Meanwhile, Sesshomaru opened the double-doors to one of the Palace's many rooms; one of the largest.
The throne room.
Many had gathered more than he'd expected; he even saw Lou near one of the improvised tables that had been moved into the room.
Sunlight poured in behind him. For a moment, there was nothing but his black silhouette, and the glittering of his demonic yellow eyes.
Small gasps of relief were heard from the common people; they too, had come. Foo-Dogs of lower rank, but also boars and sheep; the two yokai tribes that were his charge.
Their were four zodiac Daiyokai ; the rat demon of the east, the tiger demon of the north, the dragon demons of the south, and of course Sesshomaru, the Foo-Dog demon of the West. And each had two lesser zodiac tribes under their wings, for they almost never produced Daiyokai and hardly ever usurped the main houses( though, it had happened once or twice).
The yokai were wanting to hear if the rumors were true. Wanting to hear if Sesshomaru really wasn't the son of Inu No Taisho. For they couldn't believe it.
The Tiger yokai and rat yokai representatives looked quite intrigued to see Sesshomaru here. The few Foo-Dog yokai on the other hand, looked unsettled. They'd been hoping to get this over with without Sesshomaru being present.
Things were going to be much harder with him around.
"You are late, Lord Sesshomaru." One of the Foo-Dogs called. But he could hear the slight waver in their voice, and he knew that his yokai- the people who he'd fought right beside- heard it too.
" One can hardly be late to an event one was not invited to." Sesshomaru said coolly, making his way over to one of the chairs nearby the currently unoccupied throne. It was traditional that when issues of lineage were brought up, no one could sit in the throne until the matter had been solved diplomatically. That meant that the Foo Dogs and the representatives had a (weighted) vote- but so did Sesshomaru's court.
So did every able bodied yokai of breeding age who lived in the Foo-Dog Palace, if they so chose.
He took his seat on the far-left end of the table, crossing a leg and placing his tail over one shoulder comfortably. It was going to be a while.
Once linage was proven or disproven via birth records, each Foo-Dog would get their turn explaining why they may be a better fit than the current ruler. Sometimes if the speech was moving enough, they'd usurp the current leader.
Sesshomaru knew his few Foo-Dog 'relatives' like the back of his hand. And he was not impressed. None were Daiyokai; none had that brilliant spark of the Inu No Taisho for leadership. All their furs were the common colors; brown, black, grey. And, in his opinion, none of them would be good leaders.
For who among them had he seen on the battlefield that day?
None.
"Lord Sesshomaru, we were presenting the evidence against the assumption that Inu No Taisho was your father." One of them said quietly. A stack of books lay before her; the same stack that Sesshomaru had found the truth for himself from all those moons ago.
The entry that had brought him enough pain to bring him to his knees.
And yet… was it not the dragon blood in him that had saved them all? Saved his pups, his mate?
"Get on with it Cho." He said, his tone a mix of boredom and vitriol. His lip curling slightly into a snarl. Showing glistening white fang. Oh, how he detested it. His dirty laundry aired for all to see.
So, he had to sit through them meticulously picking through the signatures, holding it to the light as he'd done in private all those months ago. Listening to the evidence that he himself had put together- the double stripes on his cheeks, the dragon strike as the first attack he'd ever learned… and of course, the horns and scales that now adorned his form.
Sesshomaru had survived a direct attack from Mai-Zei, the mother of all dragons.
And it was a well-known fact that only yokai with dragon blood could withstand her chaos dragonfire with no effect…. The lucky ones.
"According to the records, then. The hanyou is the one and only son of the Inu No Taisho. So… Katsu would still inherit the throne." She pointed out with some interest. This made the other Foo-Dogs huff and snarl in protest.
A male Foo-Dog piped up,"Do you deny this evidence, Lord Sesshomaru? That it is most likely that Inu No Taisho was not your sire? That you sat on this throne all this time, and are a false ruler?" his tail lashing slightly in irritation.
Sesshomaru said mildly, " I can hardly deny it when evidence sprouts from my very skull, Kobe." Indicating the horns with a tap of his pointed claw with some amusement before adding, " Bear in mind that I was as unpleasantly surprised as all of you when the evidence forced itself through my skin. You paint me as a villain."
"You are a villain. And a traitor to all Foo- Dogs." The grey-coated one named Kobe spat, much to the surprise of his fellow Foo-Dogs.
"How dare you make me waste my breath on you." Sesshomaru whispered, a wrinkle of anger on the bridge of his nose. " I, a traitor? Whose scent was curiously missing during the battle, and in fact, until but a few days ago?"
Kobe went slightly pale, the tips of his ears reddening with anger. " What? Ridiculous. I was there, just like-"
Sesshomaru pointed to a ram demon in the front row, with a large chunk of one of his horns missing. " I recognize his smell. Good with a bow, he was. He lasted all three days."
The ram in the audience looked at Lord Sesshomaru in awe. He would never have thought that his lord had noticed him; even less, that he would be honored with recognition like this.
He randomly selected another scent; a black Foo-Dog in the third row, center, with soft black-and white spots on her coat. " Another; that spotted female, there. She was absolutely vicious with her war hammer. If it hadn't have been for a near-fatal injury to her lungs the second day, I know she would have lasted until the end as well."
She turned a pale pink with pride, smoothing down her fur with a hand.
Sesshomaru nodded to Cho, "Even she was there in the tents, helping the wounded." Cho was surprised and a little taken aback. She had no idea Sesshomaru's nose was that acute. It made her uncomfortable.
"But you? No. I did not smell you." Sesshomaru whispered with deadly certainty, his eyes glittering and catlike. Devoid of sympathy.
"How pathetic, to project your faults onto me. And you presume to replace me? Laughable." He snarled, smoothing his own fur since it was starting to prickle from his irritation.
"Get out. My court will not suffer your testimony." He finished quietly, using his mind trick. Pressing his will down hard upon the other Foo-Dog, so hard he visibly staggered as he stood. Glaring at Sesshomaru and trying to say something, but… he was weak in the mind. Weak in spirit. Unlike Inuyasha and Diaozuan.
Sesshomaru kept a narrowed gaze on Kobe until the doors had closed behind him.
"I tire of these traditions." He murmured, picking his claws for a moment before standing. The other Foo-Dogs nervously watching.
"The laws of our lands dictate that each of these Foo-Dogs receive the opportunity to testify to the people of this court the reasons to why they would lead you better than I. But there is an important topic I feel must be addressed before we continue."
"My Lord, you cannot-" Sesshomaru snarled at the other male Foo-Dog, a soft brown-pelted one who startled badly at the hostile snarl, and the look in Sesshomaru's wickedly cruel gaze.
Sesshomaru again, indicated Cho with a dip of his head. " She is the only scent I detected of the Foo-Dogs you see standing before you during our battle. Yet, she does not covet the throne; only wishes to make known to our people the truth. She is humble. This is a trait I admire in her; a trait perhaps not inherited by her Foo-Dog lineage. Which brings me to my point."
He looked around at all of them. Most he recognized from the battle. Others; wives, and children who had fled and were returning. Needing to hear the truth of their lord.
" Is it more important that a ruler have a pure lineage? Or is it preferable that they show traits which make a good ruler?" He asked, holding one hand up to represent lineage, and the other their traits.
"It is possible that you have the happy coincidence of both. But in times like this, ask yourself the following; do we teach that blood is the only trait that matters? Or can one earn their right to rule, through their deeds? Through traits not inherited by blood, but meticulously honed through years of training?"
He paused, his tail lowering off his shoulder to flick on the ground as he spoke. " I fought beside you because I wanted you to see me, and know I was there. Protecting you. I gave you and your families a chance to leave before the destruction because I know the pain of losing a mate, a child to a war you never saw coming. I ended Inukimi's senseless wasting of our finances, and have not seen a starving child on our streets in years."
He looked suddenly rather weary. " I understand the importance of blood. But… should you choose them, understand the message that you are sending. That it is only pedigree that matters. Not bravery. Not empathy. Not effort or strife or struggle. Only parchment."
Then, to everyone's surprise, Lord Sesshomaru dropped to his knees in front of the court. Not his Foo-Dog competition, not the Daiyokai representatives, but to his people. His two horns shining in the light, casting a stained glass rainbow onto his snow-white fur.
"It only takes half of you to be rid of me, if that is your will. If so, please…take a seat now. I detest drawn-out goodbyes."
He said, and waited. Scared for once, to open his eyes. But soon he forced them to snap open.
No one was sitting down.
He was- confused. And touched his throat lightly, wondering if he'd been speaking too softly as he got to his feet.
The ram, who'd he'd spoken to before, slowly approached him. He was a bit in the sunset time of his life; his black hair was streaked with grey, and there were crow's feet around his eyes.
"My Lord, forgive my rough language but- I don't want anyone's ass in that seat except yours until that little pup Katsu gets older. I wouldn't care if you were half-flea. And I know I ain't the only one who feels that way." He said, smiling kindly and squeezing Sesshomaru's shoulder with a gnarled, tanned fist.
That warmth reminded him so of his father's touch.
Sesshomaru had never felt such relief. He was crowded by so many yokai who shared the same sentiment, assuring him that they supported him, that they would never vote for anyone else. That they loved him. And just once, he was comfortable in the crowd of his own people.
Cho started packing up with some amusement, while the rest of her Foo-Dog brethren broke out into arguments with each other. To her, it was already over. Sesshomaru had broken tradition- but even if he hadn't the people of the Palace had found their leader. They would take no one else on the throne.
Inuyasha stood in the doorway, having only caught the last bit. But it'd been enough. She'd snuck away from Diao at the earliest opportunity. Wanting to make sure nothing went wrong.
She was eclipsed by him; his strength, his cunning; his expertise when it came to handling the masses. But for once, being in his shadow didn't feel so bad.
Their yellow eyes met from across the room. Sesshomaru made his way slowly towards her. She acted like she didn't notice; cleaning the blade of the Tetsaiga on a scrap of cloth before sliding the blade back into its sheath.
" You were worried." Sesshomaru murmured in amusement when he finally made his way there. The other yokai around them distracted now, but a few eyes here and there still followed the Lord Sesshomaru. And the curiously beautiful hanyou.
" No! I don't give a shit. I happened to be going this way, that was –"
He kissed her deeply, in front of God and everyone in the court. His clawed hand resting on her cheek, those five cool points of his claws a blessing on her skin. Part of his hair moving forward as he did and tickling her temple in a wave of ephemeral seafoam.
She blushed furiously, a snarling, embarrassed mess when he pulled away with no small trace of smugness.
The best way to silence you. It never fails me.
Sesshomaru tucked a few stray glittering strands of hair behind one of Inuyasha's soft ears; pleased at the way it folded so perfectly under his touch. Like origami. Ignoring the curious, blushing, excited squeals and stares as the yokai around them realized exactly what kind of relationship the two yokai had.
"Wh-?"
She stood in silent amazement, shocked that he'd let others know of their relationship in this fashion. She figured he'd save it for some big announcement later, when her pregnancy became too hard to hide.
"Let's go home Inuyasha." He offered softly, a slim clawed hand lifting to hers.
And after a moment of hesitation she put her hand in his. Caramel and snow.
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DMadukes- Yep, yep. Gonna need em to be a bit closer if Inuyasha's gonna be having Sesshomaru's kid lol. But I do have one more surprise planned so hopefully you don't figure that out too quickly lol.
EatEmUp- Ahh, you're too sweet. Not gonna lie, I reread your review a couple times to give myself a confidence boost this week lol. And I do hope you enjoyed the court stuff in this one. I didn't want it to be as dramatic as the war, but there's still plenty to be dealt with to you soon!