I have come upon a roadblock in this story, I already have this story briefly outlined, however instead of getting ideas for Ch.6 I'm getting them for Ch.7, in an effort to bypass the roadblock I have written this brief interlude. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's aging rate came from Ann Bishops' Daughter of the Blood:
Among thelong-lived racesthere wereperiods of rapid growth followed by long plateaus."
On a different note, my free time is severly limited, being a Junior means that I have the SAT/ACT looming before me. Also I am a member of Spanish Honor Society, Chemistry Honor Society, and Art Honor Society. Aside from working at the hospital, library, court, I am also working on decorations for Homecoming and making trips to the UCF campus in Orlando for chemistry on Sundays. However, I promise to still work on this fic.
A Brief Interlude
I am losing you again
Let me out and let me in
'Cause you're not alone here not at all
Let me belong here
Break my fall
Breaking Benjamin – Break My Fall
Sesshoumaru heard soft sniffling from underneath his bed, the scent was unmistakable, and the reason for the sniffling was evident in the scent, as was the fear. Sesshoumaru bent down and lifted up the covers, his little half-brother's curled up form trembled as hot tears trickled down his face, an occasional sniffle was heard as he stared at his onii-chan with large watery eyes.
"Inuyasha, daijoubu desu ka, why are you hiding under my bed when you ought to be asleep?"
At this Inuyasha trembled even more a broken sob escaped his lips as more tears trickled down his face, "Okka-san will be angry with me, so will Otou-san because, because Inuyasha was bad." The young child's sobs increased at these words, their brackish scent disquieted Sesshoumaru, and they left trails down Inuyasha's face.
Sesshoumaru sighed, Inuyasha was the equivalent of a ningen five-year old while he, he was the equivalent of a thirteen year old ningen and all things included Inuyasha was too old for this constant problem that plagued them all. "Maa maa, it's all right," he said soothingly as he slowly drew Inuyasha out from under the bed. He wrinkled his nose at the horrid smell, "So you wet the bed again, it's all right Izayoi and otou-san, won't be angry for it happens to all of us. Dry your tears little one, there is no need for them, we all have our little accidents."
Inuyasha sniffed and looked at his brother his large eyes red and puffy; "I bet you never wet the bed onii-chan, you're perfect and never ever make mistakes like me."
At these words Sesshoumaru smiled and slowly shook his head at his younger brother, "Nothing is perfect Inuyasha, I too wet the bed when I was younger and Otou-san never became angry with me nor will he be angry with you."
"Honto ne? You wet the bed too and nothing happened and you weren't punished for it?" Inuyasha questioned looking hopefully into his onii-chan's eyes.
"Aa, come now Inuyasha wee need to get you cleaned up, a warm bath and some clean pajamas," Sesshoumaru answered while scooping Inuyasha's small form into his arms.
He carried Inuyasha into the bathroom, set him down on the bathroom counter and began to fill the tub with warm water and a small quantity of lavender bubble bath. He stripped Inuyasha of his soiled bedclothes wrinkling his nose in distaste of the awful scent, as an inu youkai he naturally hated any other scent than his and of his belongings, and the soiled bedclothes were blatantly marked as Inuyasha's. The scent would take weeks to fully be scrubbed off the clothes, ningens never would detect the scent after the first washing, youkai however noticed it and there was still the matter of Inuyasha's mattress and sheets not to mention the area beneath Sesshoumaru's bed.
"Alright Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said as he turned of the running water then he turned scooped Inuyasha into his arms once more and placed him in the tub, "time for your bath cause you really stink, and your stench is overwhelming." At this, he wrinkled his nose for emphasis but he could not help the small smile that escaped his lips.
Inuyasha giggled at his onii-chan's choice of words but then he looked at his brother in confusion, "Onii-chan, what does ober-vell-meeng mean?"
"Overwhelming, overwhelming Inuyasha, it means that something so strong that you can not bear it, overpowering," Sesshoumaru answered while scrubbing Inuyasha's arms with a soft washcloth.
"Like Otou-san is really powerful and he's stronger than anybody in the whole wide world and noone can beat him, like that?"
"Not exactly, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru laughed but at Inuyasha's downhearted look he hastily added, "but it's close enough," and was awarded with a toothy grin.
"Onii-chan," Inuyasha began as Sesshoumaru moved the wash cloth to cleanse Inuyasha's knees, feet, and legs, "I'm your otouto-san and nothing will ever change the way you feel ne, you love me ne?" Inuyasha whispered the last couple of words and Sesshoumaru could notice the sadness behind the words without the change in Inuyasha's scent.
"Of course you're my otouto-san Inuyasha, nothing will ever change that, this Sesshoumaru gives you his word on that."
"Honto ne, promise onii-chan, do you really promise?"
"Aa," Sesshoumaru answered and began to lather Inuyasha's hair with shampoo.
Sesshoumaru finished washing Inuyasha's hair, bundled Inuyasha in a towel, and set him on the counter once more. He drained the tub and wondered what he what he would do with Inuyasha's soiled bedclothes whose stench permeated throughout his bathroom, despite the soothing scent of lavender. He picked Inuyasha up and walked out of the bathroom and out of his bedroom, into the hall he went passing three wooden doors before stopping in front of the fourth one. The atrocious stench of urine was stronger here, Sesshoumaru face contorted into one of disgust; nevertheless he pushed open the door and walked in. Sesshoumaru's eye was infallible as he surveyed the room, the bed sheets were rumpled and damp, the floor littered with various children's toys and crayons, a few coloring books tossed haphazardly on the ground. There was small cherry-stained dresser positioned against the far wall of the room, Sesshoumaru walked towards it, placed Inuyasha on top of it and rummaged through the drawers finding a clean set of clothes. The dresser's wood protected the clothes, and so they remained unsaturated with the unpleasant smell in the air.
Sesshoumaru found decent attire for Inuyasha, he held them up and after receiving a nod of approval picked Inuyasha up once more and left the room. He reentered the hall and continued walking until he reached the staircase and walked down them to the second floor of the house were all the guestrooms were located. He entered the first vacant one and set Inuyasha gently on the bed, he took the towel of and dressed Inuyasha in the clean clothing before taking the damp towel into the bathroom and returning with a fresh one. Sesshoumaru towel-dried Inuyasha's hair and then tucked him into bed, he turned to leave when Inuyasha's sleepy voice stopped him.
"Iie, onii-chan, don't leave me alone, onegai."
Sesshoumaru pondered the request before slowly nodding his head, "Alright," regardless of his decision there was no way he could return to his room and sleep. Sesshoumaru pulled the covers back and laid down next to Inuyasha.
"Oyasuminasai, onii-chan."
"Oyasuminasai, Inuyasha."
You're so cold, but you feel alive
Lay your hand on me one last time
Show me how it ends it's all right
Show me how defenseless you really are
Satisfied and empty inside
That's all right let's give this another try
Breaking Benjamin – So Cold