Cursing his soft heart and wondering when it turned that way he stopped walking to pick up the demon. "Fine. You can stay with me, but no ears. I need to hear." He settled him on his back, satisfied when his ears remained untouched and the only sign was the claws holding his kimono and the magenta striped face pressed in his hair sniffing. There was a little sigh before the movement stopped all together.
Right before lunch they reached the outskirts of the slayer village. Not even wanting to see their reaction he trudged in. Most definitely not looking foreword to the explanation and the comments that would result.
Chapter 2
The guards recognized him and the gates opened for him to enter. After making sure the twin dragon heads were muzzled he had Rin get off and handed the reigns over to a boy to take it somewhere out of the way. Cursing himself for not paying attention he chased after Rin, who had spotted Kohaku and crashed into him for a hug. "Kohaku! Rin is so happy to see Kohaku!"
Laughing, the young demon slayer sat up, "Hi Rin, how did you get here?" He looked up spotting Inuyasha. "Oh, hello Inuyasha."
"Hey. Where's your sister and the monk?"
"They're training I think. I'll take you to them. Why are you taking care of Rin?" A clawed hand clapped over Rin's mouth as she was about to spill everything.
"I'll only explain it once." Taking the hint Kohaku lead the way, followed by the girl after a warning to be quiet. On his back his half-brother was shaking a little under his hair as he tried to hide, it was no wonder though. Any demon with a nose like theirs could tell this village was dangerous; demon death lingered in the air.
Soon they reached a large training field where Sango and Miroku were sparring, blade to staff. As they watched the monk knocked the sword away and used his staff to pull her close and grope her. Her eye twitched and the monk was on the ground with a bright red handprint. "Oh how you wound me dearest Sango, I was merely trying to adjust your stance." He stood holding his staff as Sango stomped over to where her sword had fallen.
"Hey, quit messin' around I need your help." Inuyasha's shout brought them over quickly.
"Hello Inuyasha, what is it that requires our help?"
Inuyasha reached behind himself and grabbed his passenger by the back of his neck and pulled him off so he could hold Sesshomaru out to them. "This." He ignored the demons whining as they looked.
"Is that who I think it is?" Sango was wide eyed as she examined the shying away child.
"Yes," He set the demon down in front of Rin, "Stay there ya brat." His ears laid back when Sesshomaru started whining softly into the girls dress.
"What's wrong with him? Is he crying?"
"He's scared 'cause he can smell the scent of dead demons here, it's not exactly something that would make him feel safe."
"How did he get to be in this state and in your care?"
Inuyasha crossed his arms in his wide sleeves, "I think he had a run in with a witch, the girl brought him to me yesterday on my way here."
Rin was holding the little demon but he still wouldn't quiet, "Jaken was not with Rin, but Rin remembered Inuyasha. So Rin told Ah-Un to take Rin and her Lord to Inuyasha."
"Very wise thing to do Lady Rin. Kohaku perhaps you should take Lady Rin and Lord Sesshomaru for lunch while we discuss what to do?"
"Sure Miroku, come on Rin." Rin tried to leave but strong hands held her in place.
"My Lord does not wish for Rin to leave?" Sesshomaru whined and looked up at Inuyasha with pleading eyes.
"Fine brat, just let the girl go." He growled as the kid jumped onto him and climbed for his ear, once again holding onto it. He tried pulling him down to rest on his back but he would immediately start trembling, so he left him on his ear. "Don't you dare say a thing monk."
"Why Inuyasha what would I have to say about Sesshomaru having an obsession with your ears that rivals…" Miroku trailed off when Sango casually elbowed him.
"Kaede could help you better than we could."
"Feh. I know that, I was already on my way here so I thought the monk might have some ideas in his lecherous head." Just as he finished speaking said monk was knocked out by the butt of Sango's sword for groping. Looking down on the unconscious monk he felt a prick on his ear from the pup's claw and growled. "You stupid brat." He knocked the demon in the head with his knuckles before pulling him off to stand on the ground.
"Inuyasha! I don't care who he is, you shouldn't hit him like that! Sango reached for him only to pull back to avoid his claws.
"Feh. Leave the asshole alone, he won't let anyone near him."
"What about you and Rin?"
He looked at her like she was an idiot, "I smell like family and her scent is probably on his clothes." He looked down in disgust when Sesshomaru hugged him around his leg. "This is disgusting, I wish I knew where that stupid toad was so I could get rid of him." Sesshomaru frowned showing the tips of his fangs and he whined apologetically.
"He does not speak?" Miroku was awake with only a minor bump to show for his actions.
"He is speaking pervert. It's dog demon." His ears laid back of their own accord to block out the whining noises from the back of Sesshomaru's throat.
"So you can understand him?"
"No, I only understand the general tone. He knows it instinctively, I had to learn." He closed his eyes and turned up his nose to the side, clearly ending that conversation. "Are you going to help me get rid of the bastard or not?"
Sango eyed him suspiciously, "Why are you helping him anyways?" She almost immediately regretted the question when Inuyasha's ears drooped.
"Kagome would want me to…" Things were quiet between them for a brief moment until he shook his head a little and rapped Sesshomaru's lightly with his knuckle, "Quit apologizing, your whining's hurting my ears." The noise stopped after one more little sound and he was silent as he watched the two humans with big golden eyes.
"Amazing how innocent he looks." Miroku reached out only to have his hand snapped at by sharp fangs. "Never mind."
"A demon's a demon, this is Sesshomaru monk, Inuyasha just explained that he won't let anyone unfamiliar to him close."
"Ah, I see. I do not believe that I can offer any assistance, surely Lady Kaede would know more about this. Will you be staying with us for the night?" He gestured for them to begin walking and they went down the main street towards the hut where Kohaku should be feeding Rin.
"I was going to, but I need to get back and it's going to take longer with the brats." He was walking with no obvious trouble from the demon attached to his leg. "I need to get him some clothes, don't need the little jerk freezing." He gestured to the bare foot and oddly covered demon attached to his leg.
"What is that furry thing?" Inuyasha shrugged.
"Damned if I know." He jerked a little and all their eyes widened when the 'furry thing' revealed it self to be a tail of some sort by sluggishly unwinding from Sesshomaru and wrapping around Inuyasha's waist.
Though his face remained unusually passive for a child his eyes lit up in amusement and his little fingers played with the sash that was barely helping to keep him covered.
"Apparently at this age even Sesshomaru has a sense of humor." Miroku spoke with hardly concealed amusement as Sango excused herself to find clothes for the demon.
"Look I can take you hanging on my leg, but get this off my waist and cover yourself with it." He plucked a little at the fur until it moved back around Sesshomaru, he looked vaguely disturbed as it slid off of him, but it was covered with a quick, "Feh" before he turned his attention back to Miroku. "You wouldn't get hit if you didn't grope her."
"It was worth the pain." Inuyasha snorted.
"She allowing you to court her yet?"
"No." He spoke it sadly then grinned lecherously, "She does not hit me nearly so hard now that I have stopped paying attention to other women though." He sounded oddly proud until a sword butt came crashing down and he crumpled unconscious once more, revealing a fuming Sango with her sword in one hand and a bundle of clothes in the other.
"Perverted monk. Here Inuyasha, I think these will fit him; I managed to find some that are like his normal clothes. Does he need shoes?"
"No. How much for those?" He reached into one of his sleeves but Sango's hand stopped him.
"It's okay Inuyasha I don't mind, just come back to visit again when you can stay for a while. We do miss you when you don't come by." She handed the clothes to him, and not being one prone to affection she gave him a slightly awkward but sincere hug.
"Feh, where can the little brat dress?" Undeterred by his usual way to get rid of embarrassment Sango directed him to her hut.
"Hi Inuyasha! Hi Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin was grinning up at them with rice on her face from there meal. "Is Inuyasha and Lord Sesshomaru going to eat with Rin and Kohaku?"
"No. I'm just gonna get him dressed then we're going to leave."
"But Rin wants to visit with Kohaku more!" She scrubbed her face on her sleeve, ridding it of the rice grains.
Sango stepped in, catching the last bit. "Inuyasha, she is welcome to stay with us while you deal with this problem." Intent golden eyes had darted around as Sesshomaru followed the conversation. He began whining and shaking his head no, tugging on the red material he was attached to.
"I'm not listening to the brat whine because she aint there. She's going." He walked over to the door of the smaller room in the hut and pushed Sesshomaru through with the clothes, "Get dressed brat." He crossed his arms and settled on the floor by the door.
His ears laid back when a small yip came from the other room and growled. "What is it now?" Another yip and he stood up with a scowl and went in there with the demon child. Scuffling noses and a few growls later they were back out again with Sesshomaru dressed in a much smaller, coarser, solid forest green, version of his clothes clutching his bunched up 'tail'. Inuyasha scowled, haphazardly folding the silky kimono and sash before shoving them into his sleeve.
"Do you want lunch Inuyasha?" Sango held out a bowl and chopsticks to him, he accepted it grumbling and sitting on the floor as he addressed Rin.
"If ya wanna play go do it, we're leavin' soon as I'm done."
"Oh, we better hurry Rin. I hear Inuyasha doesn't chew." Rin giggled as she and Kohaku ran away from the lunging half-demon and out past the reed mat over the door. Sango smiled as she watched them run out and down the busy street.
"It's nice to see him happy again."
"He still have nightmares?"
"Not so much anymore, worried Inuyasha?" She smiled as he 'fehed' and returned to his food. She looked at his half-brother who was standing close to him, still holding his 'tail'. "What about food for him? Is he hungry?"
"Ask him yourself."
"Uh, okay." She crouched down in front of them, keeping her distance from his attack range. "Sesshomaru?" The big golden eyes turned to her. "Are you hungry?" She used the voice one would with a slow child.
"Just cause he doesn't speak don't mean he don't understand, demons are smarter than human kids." He didn't look up or pause in his eating while he made his arrogant statement.
Sesshomaru's mouth opened to reveal his little fangs as he nodded in answer to her question and ran his tongue along a sharp canine.
"He's not a human eater is he?"
"That asshole? He was too stuck up to even get near them let alone eat them. Never really asked ya know, but he ate a rabbit last night. I'll take him out when we leave and feed him." He growled and pushed Sesshomaru away roughly when the little demon licked his cheek, sending the pup tumbling to the floor. The child looked hurt as he crawled away to sit in the corner, he whimpered softly to himself and hid his face in his 'tail'.
"Inuyasha! I think you hurt him."
"He's fine."
"No he's not, look at him!" The little demon was almost hidden by the fur and he was making small noises.
Inuyasha stood, tossing his bowl down onto the floor with the children's, "Look, I really don't give a shit! I am doing more for that bastard by taking him around than he ever did for me. That jerk is the one who tried to kill me, why should I even be nice to the little fucker?" He went out the door and jumped up to the roof and lied back to look at the sky. His ears twitched and swiveled as he listened to Sango talk to his half-brother inside. He heard his half-brother's growl then a sharp hiss of pain, soon the coppery smell of blood reached his nose. A few minutes later Sango stomped out with her hand bandaged and Inuyasha snickered. "Bastard got you huh?" She didn't acknowledge him, just stomped off to most likely take her frustrations out on an unlucky monk.
He jumped down from the roof, landing in a crouch. After a quick look around to make sure he wasn't being watched he entered the hut and stood over the crying demon pup. "Quit crying kid, we need to go." When Sesshomaru didn't move he reached down to haul him up by his arm, but something stopped him. He realized something as he looked down on him, that position was familiar. He used to sit just like that when he was little and other children would pick on him. An old forgotten memory found its way to the surface in his mind.
-Flashback-
The other children of the demon nobles had been teasing him; they were there because there was a conference about a rouge former demon lord. He had just wanted to play with them and they had teased and thrown rocks at him. His right ear bore a cut from a sharp rock and he had little bruises everywhere that were taking longer to heal because of his young age, he was only five at the time. Just about the same age Sesshomaru seemed now.
He had run away from the demon children and into his own room, crouching in the corner then pulling his knees up to cry into them. He remembered how he reached up with the irrationality of a child and began tugging on his ears, trying to get rid of what showed he was a half-breed, when another pair of clawed hands pulled his away. He whimpered when they gently rubbed his ears and looked up to meet his brother's golden eyes with his own teary ones.
"S- Sess?" His brother's hands withdrew from his ears and he looked down at him.
"Inuyasha, father requested you stay with the other children." He was only a few years older then himself but he behaved like a proper son of a lord.
He put his face back in his knees, the tears running down. "I-I tried Sess, b-but they th-threw rocks at me and pulled on m-my e-ears." His brother had gathered him into hug then and was rocking him gently while he cried into his shirt. He felt his brother's tongue gently soothing the cut on his ear and helping it to heal while he let the tears run their course. He had sat there rocking him until the tears had dried, on his face as well as his brother's clothes.
"Come, we should do as father says." Sesshomaru had picked him up as he stood, he remembered clutching his clothes and hiding his face in Sesshomaru's fur.
"But Sess-" He didn't want them to pull on his ears again.
"I will protect you from them."
He remembered looking up to meet his brother's caring eyes then reaching up to touch one of the magenta stripes that marked him as nobility and full demon. "Promise?"
"Yes." He laid his head back down on his chest.
"Forever?" It was an innocent question.
"Forever and always little brother…"
-End Flashback-
Inuyasha sat on his haunches to regard his half-brother. It had been a lie, he had promised to protect him. Then their father had died protecting him and mother, and Sesshomaru shunned him.
His brother had cared for him at one time; he wouldn't treat Sesshomaru like Sesshomaru had treated him after their father died. No, he would be better.
He reached down and pulled Sesshomaru to his chest just like the demon had for him then. He hugged the demon child close and rested his chin on the silver hair and whispered without knowing, "I will be better."
To be continued
Review Responses
cLuMzYaZnGrL106: Thanks for all the exclamation points!!! Yeah hurry up and get off your butt and write for them, I'm waiting…. Thanks for the review!
DaniLuvsPyro(anon): Thanks for telling me about the way Rin speaks, I had an idea that is what she speaks like originally but didn't know for sure. Glad you like it, thanks for the review!
Eboni: See he is speaking, in his own way. It's right up there. Thanks for the review!
Elantis Seasali: Glad you like it, I tried to make him cute so I could be as opposite his normal self as possible. Thanks for the encouragement and review!
insanechildfanfic: Ah, short but gratifying nonetheless. Thanks for the review!
Lavender Valentine: Glad you think it's cute. points to chibi Sesshomaru being huggled by Lavender Um… I kinda need him for the story. Thanks for the review!
Sesshy81: The sound of virtual laughter, sighs gotta love it. Like I said in my a/n before, this story is already completed, I am posting after I've had time to do some editing. Your questions will be answered in future chapters. Thanks for the review!
Shadow Dragon59: He's supposed to be cute… I think. Laughs nervously Glad to know you like it, I really don't know how it ended it up being humorous since I can almost never pull it off when I actually try. sigh Maybe my mind just doesn't like me… Anyways thanks for the review!
Shinna: Another short yet sweet review. Thanks!
The Bloody Queen of Hearts: Glad you like it, here's the update. Thanks for the review!
Thornwitch(anon): Don't worry Sesshomaru is stuck like that for at least a little longer. Thanks for the review!Vulcana(anon): Glad you liked it, hope it meets your expectations! Thanks for the review!
A/N: Sheesh, okay that's all done. Hope you liked this chapter too, and reviews would be appreciated. BTW I call this story my Fun with flashbacks one, -- you'll see why...
Wish He Was Mine