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A tag-work with timewaster123456789, brilliant lady. Check out our pack :)
Family by Choice
Warnings: Not much, language, Sess being Sess. Head-hopping but should still be easy enough to follow. The InuSess yaoi is slow-burn. Very slow burn, but the ride is gonna be fun ;)
Rin hadn't been able to stop trembling since the incident earlier in the day. The Wolf demon may have saved her but her memories of that day tormented her. Most of the time she could suppress her terror but seeing the dark demon again had brought it all back.
Sesshomaru could see Rin shaking, it disturbed him, more so for the fact that she had disobeyed his order to stop, though he could smell the sweat of her effort. Perhaps he should not have forgiven the Wolf so easily.
Rin bit her lip as she tried to obey her Lord's order. But it was to no avail.
They had just stopped for the night, and Sesshomaru was a short distance away, looking up at the moon like he sometimes did. Rin crept around behind Ah-Un where Jaken couldn't see and wrapped her arms around her knees. The effort of not crying made her bite her lip harder until she could taste blood.
She had forgotten about a youkai's sharp sense of smell. At the smell of blood, Sesshomaru bolted to the girl's side. Though it would take torture in the extreme make him admit it, the events of the day had unnerved him; he couldn't say with certainty that he would have been fast enough to save her had Koga not been there.
It was a tiny sliver of doubt but enough to make him overreact. When Sesshomaru appeared around Ah-Un, Rin gasped and hurriedly brushed away a few tears that had managed to escape, licking away the incriminating blood on her lip. The demon was staring down at her, and she felt ashamed that she'd gotten his attention without reason.
She turned away slightly, whispering, "I'm sorry for disturbing you my Lord. It won't happen again."
"Why were you bleeding?" he asked, worried enough to offer a full sentence. He didn't ask about the obvious tears, as the question would be deeply offensive, in his view. Rin hesitated, unsure of how to answer.
"I… I bit my lip. I was trying to keep from crying, but it didn't work," she said sadly.
Sesshomaru almost cocked his head, but refrained. "Why?" he asked.
Rin blinked a few times. Which part was her Lord asking about? But the fact he was asking at all surprised her into a rambling answer.
"Ummm, I was crying because of what happened earlier, I was trying to keep from crying so I wouldn't disturb you, and I don't know why it didn't work."
Sesshomaru's eyes hardened, his version of shaking his head. He contemplated for a moment then deigned to give a full answer, with luck it would prevent problems in the future.
"Your effort is futile, I can smell it regardless. If I'm bothered then I will leave until you calm down." Rin saw how the golden eyes hardened, but she would never be afraid of her Lord.
"You being here is calming me down. I feel a little better. It was just… seeing that demon… Koga? Seeing him reminded me of that day you saved me from the wolves." Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly at that.
He addressed the pertinent part first, "If there is a reason to believe he's a threat, he will die. All he did was kill the demon attacking you."
Rin nodded her understanding, and tried to explain. "I know, my Lord. I know you would protect me if he was a threat. And I am grateful he defended me earlier. It's just the memories… they still affect me. I'm not strong like you, Lord Sesshomaru."
Sesshomaru locked eyes with her, carefully scented for Jaken and finding that he hadn't yet returned spoke. "You should know that no one is strong all time. I certainly don't expect such from a human."
Rin gazed up at the powerful youkai, innocently refuting his words.
"You are, my Lord. Nobody is ever stronger than you."
"Do not insult me," Sesshomaru hissed coldly.
Rin was taken aback by the cold tone, "I did not mean to insult you, Lord Sesshomaru. I was being honest. I really didn't think there was anyone stronger than you."
"Liar!" his eyes narrowed. He smelled her fear however and, still not scenting Jaken, relented.
"Do you not remember how we met?" he asked with a hint of a sneer, offense expressed as anger. Rin's eyes rounded as she remembered.
"Oh," she said in a small voice. "You… You were hurt." Not wanting to make the youkai any more upset, she tried to explain her reasoning. "But… That doesn't really mean someone was stronger than you. I thought if someone hurt you that badly, then, being stronger, you must've killed them. You never did tell me what happened for you to be in the woods like that. I never asked because I thought I'd upset you."
Sesshomaru quietly suppressed his rage, it was more from humiliation than actual offense anyway. He remembered Inuyasha's demon form unconscious under his blade and met Rin's eyes with effort.
"I've avenged myself but," he sniffed the air for anyone else, "that doesn't change what happened. Showing weakness is indeed disgusting, but I must accept your weaknesses as you accepted mine."
Rin tilted her head, absorbing the youkai's words. "I'm glad you got to avenge yourself, my Lord. And I'm glad you accept me the way I am." She wanted to hug him but knew that gesture would surely be rejected, so she settled for sending him a bright smile.
Sesshomaru warmed at the smile though he showed nothing. "I do not expect you to be strong all the time."
Rin saw the barely-noticeable difference, doubting anyone else would've noticed. Really, it was just that he was frowning a bit less.
"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru. I'll still try, but it's good to know you won't be too disappointed in me if I fail." She wanted to say that she didn't expect him to be strong all the time, either, but held her tongue, knowing that would definitely offend his regal sensibilities.
He nodded sharply and hoped his eyes conveyed the appreciation he couldn't express. He hoped this went a ways to repaying the old debt.
Rin was surprised to see what looked like gratitude in the youkai's eyes, unsure if that was even what she was seeing. She beamed up at Sesshomaru, hoping to get the conversation on a lighter level. "Where did Master Jaken go, my lord?"
He almost didn't answer out of habit but said, "He said he had some contacts that may know Naraku's location." he noted her shiver and misinterpreting the source of her fear looked away.
"I will take you to stay with the humans if you wish."
Rin tilted her head, wondering why her guardian would be making this offer. Had she said something wrong? She ran over their conversation, biting her lip when she remembered that the demon had gotten rather short-tempered with her.
"I would rather stay with you, Lord Sesshomaru. I'm sorry I made you angry earlier. You...you do know I don't want to go to humans. I mean, the ones in Inuyasha's group are ok, but I'd still rather stay with you."
"You're scared. You would be safer with the hanyou's group," disgust tinged the word.
Rin felt trapped, she could hardly lie, and she did prefer to stay, but the truth would not help with her Lord's already dark mood.
"I know you'll keep me safe," she tried and sensing her Lord's annoyance added, "I wasn't scared about myself."
Sesshomaru's frown deepened. "Then what, exactly, are you afraid about?"
Rin squeaked and looked away, "I uhh...what would I do if you...left me alone again?"
Her lips trembled and the words poured from her, echoing their earlier conversation, "I said I'm not I'm strong like you. I don't want to be alone again! I don't want to have to steal or wonder if a human will kill me before the demons eat me or..." tears streamed down her face and Sesshomaru, utterly at a loss for what do, simply walked away.
It solved a surprising number of problems in general and in this case the problem would either stop crying and follow or eventually be out of earshot. He'd return later of course and...
"Don't walk away from me!" Rin shrieked. He froze, head whipping around to stare at Rin, all tears and snot, quivering in fear.
He stared at the diminutive human, who suddenly ran at him and began beating his leg. Tears still poured down her face as she wailed, "You always do that! You always wa-walk away! Why? Why do you do that?"
Oh, gods. What now? he thought to himself. If he tried walking away again, Rin would surely become even more upset. But what else was there to do? He certainly couldn't solve this with violence.
He glanced around for witnesses, or any form of help, and finding neither, sighed to himself. Ok, how did other people deal with crying kids?
Unfortunately, only one set of people came to mind - his brother and his nakama.
As loathsome as the thought was, maybe the interactions he'd witnessed could be useful. What would they do in this situation?
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then carefully laid his hand on the sobbing girl's head. "It is...ok, Rin."
Rin stared at him, "H-how can you say that? You always walk away and y-you could die and I'd be lost and y-you don't even care if I-I'm here or not and..."
A realization struck her young mind like a bolt of lightning. An innocent question 'would you remember me' brushed off and she'd rarely thought about it since. The memory suddenly seemed horrific and she pulled away from her Lord.
"My lord might not care if I live or die but I'm...not that strong..." she sank to the ground whimpering. "I don't want to be alone." she repeated as though he'd start caring if she said it enough. She knew he wouldn't, never did, never would but she didn't know what else to do.
Sesshomaru looked to the heavens for salvation before looking back at his sweet ward. Annoying as she was at times, she was his, and it was his fault that she was so upset.
But he'd rather do anything than this. He'd even rather deal with his temperamental brother than deal with this.
Damn it all to Hell, anyways.
Scanning the area once again, he slowly kneeled next to Rin. He lowered his hand from her head to her back, cautiously rubbing a circle. She sniffled and looked at him with a blend of surprise and hope.
Ok, so circles were good. He kept rubbing gently as he spoke. "Rin, after all this time, do you really think I do not care? I am a demon, it is not in my nature to be...so human. But you are aware I want you at my side?" He knew he wasn't explaining well but how to do so? Even if he could bring himself to say the words she was young and human she wouldn't understand.
"Then wh-why would you not remember me if I die?"
Sesshomaru's eyes widened, this again, "I told you not to ask such silly questions."
"Th-then don't lie and say you care."
"Lie?!" he hissed - he'd never done such a thing, especially not to her. He felt her tremble under his hand and looked down to see her, so small and frail, and an overwhelming urge to 'fix this', to make her stop hurting, hit him as strong as if she'd been captured and needed rescue.
He may not have lied but he also hadn't given her a proper answer. He lowered his voice, "I wouldn't want to remember."
Rin felt like crying again, but she was getting exhausted. "Why not?"
The youkai was silent for a moment before answering quietly. "It would hurt to remember."
Rin's eyes widened in shock and she instinctively reached out before stopping herself. That didn't make sense, even when she'd met him wounded in the forest it taken her a bit to realize that he wasn't simply resting as he showed no pain. There was a reason she thought him impervious and yet...
"You don't care about that when you fight," she said.
"That fades," he whispered. "Jaken approaches." The hanyou scum and his pack were with him as well. Why? Jaken wouldn't have gone to them so they must have sought him out. Why?
Sesshomaru rose to his feet and set his features in a stern, disapproving mask. Voices began to reach him; apparently, Jaken was making his opinion of Inuyasha clear. "How dare you follow me, you worthless half-dog?!"
The unmistakable sound of a strike followed, then the little kitsune's voice. "I told you he's a bully - you'd do well not to provoke him."
The approaching group emerged from the trees, and Sesshomaru frowned deeply. It appeared that there'd been a fight of some sort, as everyone in the group bore wounds and looked exhausted.
He could smell blood and death thick in the air. The pungent reek of human sweat mingled with demon musk. Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and took a defiant stance despite the fact that he obviously could barely stand much less fight.
The monk rushed forward and fell to his knees, the bundle in his arms fell to the ground and he saw it was the body of the demon slayer. It stank of poison and death.
"Please," the monk pleaded and looked up at him. There was blood running from a cut on his head and he wasn't even trying to hide that he was on the verge of tears. Why were humans invariably crying, such tiresome creatures.
He turned away.
"Idiot I told you that wouldn't work," the hanyou panted, "This is the only thing he'll listen to." He felt Tetsusaiga at the back of his neck.
Sesshomaru easily leapt away, spun and lashed out with his poison whip. He intentionally let it fall short, the weak half-demon didn't look like he could take another hit. He was proven right a moment later when Inuyasha tried to rush him and stumbled, bracing himself with his sword in the ground.
"Bastard!" he gasped. The monk pulled the covering from his hand and Sesshomaru leaped back out of range.
The monk tried to struggle to his feet, failed, "Please!"
Ugh, how he hated neediness. Inuyasha looked at his companions and growled. He forced himself to stand on his own feet and threw Tetsusaiga at Sesshomaru.
"You can have the fucking thing just revive Sango," his voice shook. Why was everyone so emotional today, was it the moon?
"I said I no longer want it," Sesshomaru hissed.
"For fuck's sake Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled.
Rin ran up from where she had been hiding from the wind tunnel, Jaken shrieked for her to come back.
"My Lord save her please, you can, right? Like you saved me?"
He looked down at her then back to the enraged half demon and drew Tensaiga, "It's not reacting. The woman has been poisoned badly. If I was to bring her back she would only die again and quickly."
"We can get a cure like we did for Jaken!" Rin yelped happily.
"There wouldn't be time."
"If we did get a cure, could you revive her after we had it?" Miroku asked latching on to the sliver of hope.
"Perhaps." it was as close to 'I don't know' as he would utter in front of a hanyou.
The young kitsune and Rin both piped up at the same time.
"Jinenji!"
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, but apparently, everyone else knew the name. Even Jaken nodded. "Jinenji would indeed likely have something to counteract the poison. We are only about a mile from his farm, me'lord."
Inuyasha nodded wearily. "Ok, I'll go."
Sesshomaru watched as his brother retrieved Tetsusaiga, watching him warily. Then Inuyasha turned and summoned the fiery neko from the little basket on the priestess's contraption. "C'mon, Kirara. I know you're hurt and tired, but we need to go to Jinenji's place to try and save Sango."
The tiny two-tail leapt out of the basket and flared to her larger form, big red eyes focusing on the slayer's body with a deep whine.
Sesshomaru frowned, seeing that the neko bled from half a dozen wounds. She would likely collapse on the trip.
"I will go."
"What?" Inuyasha snapped, instantly suspicious "Why?".
"I see no reason to allow a demon to die to save a human. It's an animal it has no choice in the matter. I also do not intend to waste my time here and I'm already uncertain if the human can be saved even without making two trips," Inuyasha's jaw went slack at the monologue. "Jaken, you know the way?"
"Yes My lord," Jaken was already holding on tight.
"Rin if there is any danger take Ah-Un, they won't be able to protect you." With that he was gone.
"Well that went better than expected," Miroku tried to laugh.
Inuyasha frowned, "Yeah too easy..."
"Don't be so suspicious," Kagome admonished.
Inuyasha just shook his head certain this was going to cost them something. He looked over at Miroku who had given up on trying to keep the mood light and was nuzzling Sango's body like a dog with its dead master. Whatever the cost, if it saved Sango it'd be worth it and Miroku would gladly pay. If.
Sesshomaru flew to the farm with Jaken pointing the way. A huge half-demon was outside in the moonlight, tending the herbs that grew best in the darkness of night.
He described the scent of the poison, and the half-demon nodded, handing over a pouch of medicine.
"Tell them I hope everything's ok," Jinenji said in a soft, rumbling voice. He nodded and took off.
He arrived back at the little gathering and handed the pouch over to Inuyasha, who murmured, "Thank you."
He drew Tensaiga. "Stand back."
"Miroku," Inuyasha said softly when he made no move from where he clutched her body to him.
Sesshomaru grabbed the monk, pried him from Sango and tossed him aside. Inuyasha growled but settled for restraining Miroku while his half-brother swung Tensaiga. Time seemed to slow and he held his breath, Miroku shook against him with quiet sobs. Sango whimpered and stirred slowly.
"Ugh what the hell happ..." she yelped and scrambled back from her rescuer, reaching for Hiraikotsu through she was too weak to rise.
The hanyou rushed to her side and knelt by the slayer, "Take this, quick," he added when she gave him a suspicious look.
Sesshomaru noted that the stench of poison began to fade almost immediately. Hanyou or not this 'Jinenji' knew his herbs.
Inuyasha sniffed the woman, and looked up at him with those big golden eyes.
"It's okay Sango," Kagome said kneeling by her, happy tears streamed down her face.
Miroku dove for her and Sango groaned, nauseous from the remnants of poison, as he hugged and kissed her.
Sesshomaru sheathed Tensaiga and turned away. He'd only made it a few steps when he heard Inuyasha's voice. "Hey, Sesshomaru?"
He briefly closed his eyes, contemplating the benefits of banging his head against the nearest tree. This night could not end quickly enough. "Yes, Inuyasha?"
The hanyou stepped up to his side. "Uhh look, thank you. This might not seem like a big deal to you, her being human and all, but...well, it's a big deal for us."
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "Does this babble have a point?"
Inuyasha frowned at him, showing a flash of bared fang before the younger male took a deep breath. "Ok, ok. I wanted to thank you. And find out what this is gonna cost us."
He was confused, but didn't show it in his expression. "Cost you?"
Inuyasha folded his arms. "Yeah. I'm not stupid; I know you wouldn't have helped us without something in it for you."
Sesshomaru was caught off-guard by the assumption that he wouldn't have helped without personal gain. Well, it'd been true enough in the past.
"I want nothing from you or your friends."
"Come on there must be a way we can repay you," Inuyasha was getting angry now, he didn't want to owe the bastard.
Sesshomaru began walking away completely done with humans and demons that thought they were human when he saw Rin and a thought occurred to him, "I wish to borrow the priestess."
Inuyasha's jaw dropped. "Huh?"
Sesshomaru glanced back at him. "I do believe you heard me."
He racked his brain for any reason the youkai could possibly need Kagome, but came up empty. "Uhh ok, but why?"
"She's a female."
Inuyasha was just more baffled, but he owed the demon. He shrugged and called to his packmate. "Hey Kagome, c'mere for a minute."
The priestess came up, smiling and wiping away the last of her happy tears. "Thank you for helping us, Sesshomaru. What did you need, Inuyasha?"
Sesshomaru secretly enjoyed the hanyou's obvious discomfort. The pup scratched his head and tried to explain. "Well, umm you see, I was asking Sesshomaru how we could repay him. And, uhh well, he asked to borrow you? So, yeah..."
Kagome stared at Inuyasha for a full 10 seconds, then looked up at Sesshomaru, "What on earth could you need me for?"
He walked away, surprised when she didn't follow, "Follow."
Kagome glared at Inuyasha, nervous about being around not only a full adult demon but one she had no control over. If Inuyasha thought for a moment that Sesshomaru would have any nefarious interest in a human woman he would have balked too but instead he simply gestured her along.
Kagome huffed, "You think I'm just a commodity, you..."
"You're my friend, but he isn't going to harm you, so just go, ok?"
She huffed again and followed Sesshomaru to a small clearing. Jaken, Rin and Ah-Un were on the far side, eating dinner by the moonlight. He stopped and she did as well almost walking into him. It was strange not rushing everywhere.
Sesshomaru gesture to his followers, "You are familiar with Rin?"
"Yeah of course but..."
"You are a human female, naturally...caring?" he cut in searching for the right word.
The priestess blinked at him. "Yeah? I think I'm pretty caring. What about it?"
Sesshomaru glanced to Rin, trying to think of the correct way to word what he wanted Kagome to help with.
"Would you...that is to say I believe that Rin needs a bitch and hers is dead."
Kagome's shock at Sesshomaru's hesitation was instantly trumped by outrage, "How dare you?! You ask a favor and insult me in the same breath? Sit boy!"
Sesshomaru just stared at her, smelling Jaken and Rin's anxiety at the noise. His eyes widened as he realized his mistake.
"I think you would say...mother. A female influence," he explained.
Kagome paused with her mouth open. Oh, he meant bitch like female dog.
Slowly, she closed her mouth and stared at the demon. "She...needs a female influence?"
Sesshomaru nodded once. "And she refuses to leave my side, so sending her with your group or leaving her in a village is out of the question."
Kagome nodded, understanding now. "How long will you need me to be around to 'influence' her? Do you think...would you consider our groups traveling together? You and Inuyasha don't have to interact. It'd just be a bit easier to agree to this if my family were close by."
Sesshomaru tensed. "Your...family?"
Kagome nodded, blithely unaware of the youkai's tension. "Yeah. I know it's not a traditional family, but we're all kinda like...siblings, you know?
For the first time, she noticed how still and quiet Sesshomaru had become. Gods, I'm an idiot.
"That would be acceptable." His voice was, if possible, colder than normal. He could always attend to other things the majority of the time; he need not actually travel with them himself so long as he returned to Rin regularly as usual.
"However I would require some of your time each night, I will take you to a location where we won't be disturbed." A location where Inuyasha wouldn't be able to overhear.
Kagome wondered if she should say something, the tension hadn't left him and it was setting her on edge, she was still dithering when the demon said, "I'll inform Rin and Jaken, I suggest you do the same."
"I'm…I'm sorry I wasn't thinking and I just..."
He doubted humans ever thought, but let it pass for the sake of ending the interaction quicker, "Sorry for what?"
"It never occurred to me that...I mean obviously...I wasn't trying to hurt you I just..."
"No human could hurt me," a slight exaggeration one should never underestimate an enemy but true enough in this case. At least for now, until he had nothing else to think about, she needn't know that though.
Kagome nodded, deciding that trying to stay on that subject would only result in more tension. "Ok so you're gonna inform Jaken and Rin - I'll go tell Inuyasha and the others. I'm thinking we just stay in our camps tonight and set off in the morning?"
Sesshomaru nodded once, and the priestess took off. It was only about a three-minute walk between camps; surely she couldn't get into trouble that quickly.
A few minutes later, he heard the satisfying sound of Inuyasha overreacting. "WHAT?! WHAT'D YOU SAY?!"
Ha. If anything were going to amuse him in this century, it would likely be his brother losing all sense. Of course that would mean he'd had any to begin with.
X
"Inuyasha it's just to help Rin."
"You can't SERIOUSLY expect me to deal with that bastard all day. He'll probably try to kill me in my sleep...okay well no but he WILL try to kill me," Inuyasha ranted.
"Well just don't give him a reason to," Kagome said sweetly.
"He doesn't need a reason and...fuck the new moon's in less than a week!"
Kagome paled, "Well I doubt he'll need me for that long."
"You'd better hope not," Inuyasha groused.
X
Later that night Kagome was having trouble sleeping, thinking about the day's events. She got up and sat down next to Inuyasha.
"Hey can I ask you something without you flipping out?"
Inuyasha grunted assent
"I said something that upset Sesshomaru but I'm not really sure why."
"You're human, it was probably just that you were breathing."
"I said you guys were my family," Inuyasha's eyes softened.
"He got real tense but when I tried to apologize he brushed me off. If I'm going to be spending time with him I don't...want to step wrong. I didn't mean to hurt him," she finished repeating her earlier words and hoping for a more helpful response.
Inuyasha hesitated, inexplicably uncomfortable with the thought of Sesshomaru being hurt. He shook his head. "I doubt you actually hurt him, Kagome. Nothing hurts him. But if you're that worried, just don't mention it again."
He thought back to their fight over Tetsusaiga, Sesshomaru calmly facing him while blood dripped from his missing leg. Granted some of it might have been being transformed and he had fled in the end when Inuyasha had unlocked Tetsusaiga's power but still Inuyasha wasn't sure he could have stood there ready to keep going.
The constant hanyou insults would hurt less if he didn't see the truth in them when he compared himself to his brother. It seemed that no matter how powerful he got he would still never be able to match the full demon. Even with all the times he'd beaten him there were always extenuating circumstances. And no matter what, he always had the hanyou softness - if anything that had gotten worse.
Inuyasha stared into the fire as Kagome went and laid back down. He found his thoughts consumed by the youkai and what Kagome had said. Maybe the thought of family makes him tense? He did lose Father, I've never heard mention of his mother, and his only sibling is a 'filthy disgrace'. But I don't see him actually being hurt over it.
As the night advanced, he checked his pack to make sure everyone was still breathing, especially Sango. It was a habit he'd developed from almost losing all of them at one point or another. Kagome was right.
They were family.
After assuring himself his nakama were fine, he circled the camp a few times, restless for a reason he couldn't pinpoint.
Maybe he could go check on the new extension of his pack?
Nah that was stupid.
But Sesshomaru was probably asleep and wouldn't know.
Still a stupid idea.
Well, he wasn't known for having the brightest ideas.
Staying downwind of the other camp, he stalked it, using all the stealth skills he'd learned growing up alone.
Inuyasha slipped up until he was just within the tree line of the clearing and observed Rin and Jaken sleeping on Ah-Un, Rin restlessly so. Sesshomaru was sitting against a tree some twenty feet or so away, easy reach for a demon of his caliber.
Inuyasha watched, unsure of exactly why he'd gone there or what he planned to do. Every once in a while Sesshomaru would look down at his sleeping pack before returning his gaze to the moon.
X
Sesshomaru gazed at the sky, lost in thought and uncharacteristically anxious. He hoped the human could give him the information he sought, he'd planned to talked to her when he returned from the days travels but perhaps first light would be better. He had thought Rin could adapt, she was shockingly capable for a small human but it was becoming apparent that she needed things he couldn't provide.
For that matter he didn't even know what she needed. He had no idea what a human bi...mother was supposed to do and demon mothers clearly weren't the same if Inuyasha's affection for his human one was anything to go by.
Family...maybe that was what Rin needed. He'd long since lost any interest in it, it brought only pain and the unfading kind at that. He caught scent of Inuyasha and quickly turned his thoughts to more martial topics. If the hanyou chose to approach he needed to be in a frame of mind to fight not...whatever he'd been doing. Besides he didn't want Inuyasha to catch any...untoward scents.
X
Inuyasha hesitated at the anxiety and almost wistful scents he was picking up - they were alarming in their unfamiliarity when it came to the scent of the youkai.
Then they faded, Sesshomaru's scent becoming a solid force once again.
Crap, he had the strangest feeling he'd interrupted something.
But it was too late to back off; those golden eyes were focused on his hiding spot. Damn demon senses. Taking a deep breath, he walked slowly into the clearing, hands loose at his side.
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, and the demon shifted to get up. Inuyasha held out his hands. "Calm down. I'm not here to fight, ok? I just came to confirm something."
Those golden eyes watched him suspiciously. "What would that be?"
Inuyasha sighed. "Are our groups really gonna be traveling together?"
The older canine gave a curt nod, and he sighed again. "Ok. Well, do you think maybe, for the sake of the younger ones, we could have like a truce or something? I know you hate me, but the kids are exposed to enough fighting without us being at each other's throats."
Sesshomaru didn't answer for several moments, but Inuyasha managed a rare bout of patience. This was important, after all.
Finally, his brother gave another curt nod. "I do not plan on being around excessively, but when I am, we will have a 'truce'."
Inuyasha nodded and tried not to sigh in relief.
"Was there anything else?"
Inuyasha shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. So...see ya in the morning."
He left as quickly as possible without looking like he was running away.