Recap: InuYasha had decided to follow the dream's instructions and go see Sesshoumaru, whom he apparently had a proposition for. InuYasha confessed to Miroku that he, and all youkai and hanyou, were hermaphroditic and that he was afraid to see his brother but would do so the next day.

Dedication: This is for Lady of the Squirrels and MurderedLogic (my cousin) because you two rock my socks!

Prophecy of Brothers

By Scarlet Willows

Chapter Three – The Western Lord

"Kagome, I'm leaving for a while. You'll be fine here for a few more days," announced InuYasha after he'd finished breakfast. Miroku quickly glanced at him, making eye contact with understanding in his own and fear in InuYasha's. Miroku's eyes said, "You don't have to do this," while InuYasha's answered, "But I do, don't you see? It's…preordained." He forced an aggressive smile. Kagome looked at him, but said nothing, deciding against it because of the hanyou's mood recently.

"Will you need rations?" asked Sango.

"No."

"But you'll starve," exclaimed Kagome.

"No I won't, trust me." He gazed at her for a few moments longer than normal and then he set off into the woods.

…

It had started raining, the leaves glistened, the birds sang. InuYasha's red fire rat haori and matching hakama were soaked and glued to his skin and he was cold, although, he didn't feel it; he'd gone blessedly numb since before the rain had begun. He trudged through the mud slowly, in no rush to confront his looming black cloud any time soon. The smell was getting stronger, that told him he was getting closer. The scent was his only guide. His head was hung as if he were doomed to die. And perhaps he was. He was so nervous now that it was becoming difficult to walk or breathe. In fact, he had the uncontrollable urge to vomit.

Suddenly his knees gave way; he didn't try to fight it. He sat there, in the mud, sodden platinum strands of hair drooping into his eyes, face upturned to the heavens. This had been his limit…he could deal with rabidly murderous youkai, cunningly traitorous hanyou, and backstabbing, prejudice ningen…anything but this.

Then he did something he'd never done before. He prayed. He prayed to any god who would listen to his cry, and, ironically for not being a religious man, he cried and poured out his soul to the higher powers. Give me strength, he pleaded. Stinging hot tears gathered in the corners of his yellow pools but he stubbornly held them back for some minutes…or hours. He didn't even know why he wanted to cry. And then the rain stopped.

The sun was waning, painting the sky in hues of orange, yellow, and lavender. He finally arose and followed the scent leading to his rival, his enemy…his brother.

…

Before he knew it, he found himself at the doorsteps to a strange house that was tucked away in the forest. He'd seen it in his dreams at least several dozen times now.

Sesshoumaru, the Lord of the West…blood of his blood.

A row of servant's shoes lined the outside wall and a gray cat scurried away at his presence. He stood at the door, three inches away, trying to pluck up the courage to knock. Would his lord brother himself, or Jaken, or a maidservant greet him? Probably Jaken would answer, as he had in the dreams.

He felt like he was going to have a panic attack. For being so brave, all his defenses had melted away over the past two weeks. Now he felt like a mewling kitten or a newborn puppy with its tail between its legs.

He knocked. Now there was no turning back. He heard footsteps. A sickening jolt shot through his stomach and his heart sped up painfully, he was sure anyone could hear it. He suddenly realized what a mess he must look and tried to straighten his hair, turning his cheeks crimson in the process. The door slid open.

At first, InuYasha didn't see anyone, but then looked down and saw the stunned amphibious face of Jaken. "You are the last person I'd expect to see at Sesshoumaru-sama's door!"

"Spare me." He was grateful it hadn't been Sesshoumaru himself to open the door. Sending Jaken to find him would give him time, a few moments at best, to clean up. "I only want to talk." Jaken opened the door wider, allowing InuYasha into the main entrance.

"Wait here," he said, somewhat exasperated. As soon as Jaken had egressed, InuYasha brushed the dried mud from his clothes and hands, untangled the twigs from his hair and tried to run his fingers through his silver mass but gave up. It was beyond hope.

Minutes passed and he wondered how long it really took to find someone. InuYasha became uneasy and started fidgeting. He wasn't going to fight if Sesshoumaru wanted him to leave. He'd leave gracefully; he wasn't going to be a sore loser…like he usually was.

His ears perked as he heard footsteps in the hall. His heart beat wildly and he tried to swallow.

…

Jaken didn't even have to tell him, he already knew his brother was there, but he listened anyways. "…He looks like a mess. How peculiar. Do you know why he's here, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru had been seated on a plushy cushion at the low Asian dining table, eating with Rin, before his servant had burst excitedly into the room. The youkai didn't answer, but instead told Rin to finish eating and go play – or whatever she did – straight away. Jaken was almost on his toes with curiosity, but knew better than to push the subject if his master didn't wish to speak.

Sesshoumaru walked down the hallway, slowly, deliberately, and the smell of fear and a canine in heat that had been assaulting his sensitive nostrils intensified so that it was almost staggering, a delicious combination. He heard the heartbeat, pulsing like a hummingbird's wings. He even heard the rapid panic-induced breathing from three rooms away. He decided he'd play dumb, ignorant of his brother's purpose. He wanted to play a little game of cat-and-mouse first.

…

Sesshoumaru was a sight to behold, his shoulders bare of his fur stole, his haori undone and absent of his armor and yellow and blue obi, ivory abs chiseled, every muscle in his body shaped to perfection, his pants sagging low, threatening to fall. InuYasha tried to keep his eyes on the bishounen's face, but even that made him want to weep. His honey eyes were so piercing; surely he was looking into his soul. InuYasha couldn't help but invent a new shade of red at letting his mind wander.

Since the dreams had started, he could admit that his youkai brother was desirable. He had been slightly startled and resistant of the idea at first, but then he learned to accept it and cast aside those human doctrines. Youkai and hanyou had a different view on inter-familial relationships.

Sesshoumaru stood there for a few moments before speaking, taking in his brother's disheveled appearance and echoing his brother's thoughts. "Why are you here, InuYasha?" It wasn't filled with anger or accusation, just soft curiosity. Why hadn't he ever noticed Sesshoumaru's beautiful baritone voice before? It would be perfect for whispering tender commands hotly into his ears as he pounded the hanyou into the bed with the headboard banging against the wall as the only background music. The younger brother shivered. InuYasha turned away; he couldn't look his brother in the eyes when he said this.

"I…I need your help." Sesshoumaru glanced at Jaken, who was still standing in the hallway.

"Jaken." The froglike youkai jumped, a little startled, his yellow eyes bugging out of his head momentarily. "Go see to Rin."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama. Right away." He quickly skittered off in fear of his master's wrath.

"Follow me, InuYasha." Sesshoumaru motioned to his brother, who obeyed. He led him to a lounge where they could talk privately and be comfortable. "What is it, exactly, that you want?" he asked, sitting down seductively onto one of the low divans, knowing perfectly well what he wanted; InuYasha sat opposite of him, eyes averted.

"I…I…I've come…t-to…damn it!" He'd never had a problem demanding what he wanted and he'd never stuttered. Sesshoumaru tried not to smirk, knowing that he was making his brother nervous, which aroused him. He thought InuYasha's red cheeks were endearing and his stammering was adorable. His pants grew tighter and he leaned forward to hide the bulge. He'd been having that problem a lot lately, mainly whenever he thought of his silver-haired hanyou.

"Well…" InuYasha looked helpless, pleading for his brother to know, to silently understand. Sesshoumaru said nothing, but kept his eyes fixed on his brother. What a magnificent creature…the last wild beauty, he thought soberly, watching his brother struggle for words. InuYasha was looking around the room, occasionally opening his mouth, but no words came. He was probably debating on whether to be blunt or to employ some rusty diplomacy and be tactful about his words. He looked anywhere but at his older brother, the most dangerous, powerful…beautiful youkai sitting before him. Sesshoumaru was being driven to the point of insanity at the pheromones InuYasha was expelling; it was a wonder he hadn't pushed him against a wall and ravaged him already. He was trying his best to behave himself, a fact that his otouto would appreciate later. InuYasha seemed to be unaware of what he was doing to his older brother.

"InuYasha, come to the point."

InuYasha inhaled and slowly exhaled. "I've been having a vision, the same vision for about two weeks," he paused, waiting for Sesshoumaru to say something sarcastic like, "Why are you coming to me? I'm not a psychic," but he didn't. "In the dream…I get pregnant," he rushed through this sentence and stole a quick glance at Sesshoumaru. His eyebrow was arched, feinting surprise, but that was all. InuYasha continued, staring at the floor again. "The child grew up to be a great leader, written about in books and praised in songs. The child…my child…made many changes." It sounded so lame.

"Who was the father of this child?" asked Sesshoumaru "innocently," knowing damn well who the father was!

"In my vision…" InuYasha cut short; he didn't want to say it. "Well, that's why I've come to you, Sesshoumaru. I need you to knock me up," he said with false bravado. He squirmed uncomfortably, feeling Sesshoumaru's eyes boring holes into him, but he held his head high nonetheless. "I went to Myouga and asked him about this. He said that there was a prophecy…that a child would be born from InuTaishou's sons, a powerful, influential dog-demon. He said this was prophesied before we were born. I mean, it makes sense…we are the last inu-youkai."

Somewhere in the middle of this speech, InuYasha had stood up and started pacing the room. He furtively glanced at the door, wishing nothing more than for Sesshoumaru to get it over with and tell him to go to Hell. Suddenly, a shadow fell across him and he looked up into honey orbs. Sesshoumaru was towering him by at least a head and a half and it was slightly intimidating...maybe slightly would be an understatement. InuYasha involuntarily took a step backwards to the door. Sesshoumaru took a step forward, cornering him against a wall. That's it, I'm dead, thought InuYasha.

Sesshoumaru just stood there for a few moments, watching his brother grow more and more anxious. It almost became insufferable, InuYasha wanted to scream, "What? Why are you staring at me?" but held his tongue; Sesshoumaru was playing with him and he would not rise to the bait. InuYasha reverted to looking at his feet again.

"Why me?" asked Sesshoumaru in a low deadly voice.

"You're the most powerful youkai I know, and the fact that we're related…pure blood of the dog demon tribe. You have attributes and powers that…would be desirable for a future leader of Japan…to have." He gulped. He'd said it and that made it real now. He couldn't take it back. Sesshoumaru continued to stare at him from under long sooty lashes.

What InuYasha didn't know was that his brother was observing him in a way that was openly lustful, taking in his lean, willowy, taut body, his thin waist, his softly flared hips, his muscled thighs. He searched the hanyou's mind and all he gathered was that InuYasha felt fear, apprehension…and desire. He already smelled that. But the most overwhelming of the feelings was the one to flea at that moment.

After a few excruciating moments where Sesshoumaru's manhood had begun to ache with the need for release, InuYasha broke down and said, "Look, I shouldn't've bothered you. This was a bad idea." He turned to go, sliding the door halfway open.

"No," Sesshoumaru plainly stated, moving at lightning speed, placing his hand on InuYasha's hip, gently turning the hanyou from the door towards him and all the while InuYasha couldn't help but think that his brother smelled like a blended cologne of a unique cross between gardenia and jasmine, and underneath that was the youkai's natural scent of something similar to rain, a scent only discovered by proximity. InuYasha looked up with moist golden doe eyes as his brother whispered, "You will bare no-one's child but mine." InuYasha began trembling as the place where Sesshoumaru's hand rested was burning and spreading like a wildfire to warm his stomach. He looked down again, he couldn't help it; Sesshoumaru's eyes were just too intense. He wanted to cry, he felt drained now, weak, but relieved.

Sesshoumaru gently pushed him up against the cold wall and InuYasha let himself be directed. Sesshoumaru lifted InuYasha's chin with his index finger, gazing into eyes that were identical to his own. He felt InuYasha shaking under his hand. He heard the heart accelerate, on the verge of exploding. He slid his hand into InuYasha's pants…and stopped at his lower abdomen where the "happy trail" from his belly button met soft pubic hair. InuYasha tensed instantly, exhaling a shaky breath. InuYasha's eyes widened, his breaths coming erotically hard. Oh shit, is he gonna take me right here?

"Not…quite…ripe," Sesshoumaru whispered, sensing the changes in his brother's body, brushing against InuYasha's lips, eyes half closed with longing. InuYasha had to repress a moan and the urge to push into his brother's soft lips. Sesshoumaru tenderly scraped his talons across InuYasha's underbelly. "Stay here for a while. Your body is not yet fertile and ready to…receive me." InuYasha's stomach had dropped. Sesshoumaru was actually going to make love to him, be inside of him. The thought made him halfway lean into Sesshoumaru's hand. "Rest, clean up, eat. You can even have your…ningen friends here if you like. I know you'd worry about them. And that would distract you…and we don't want you distracted, do we?" InuYasha shook his head in agreement. Sesshoumaru took his hand out of InuYasha's pants and its dearth made him feel cold. He cupped InuYasha's chin in his hand, turning his face to his own and slowly ran his tongue across InuYasha's bottom lip so softly it almost didn't touch. InuYasha's insides went numb with want and some of his fear dissipated, his eyes heavy and half-lidded. Sesshoumaru. "I'll send Jaken in for you." And he left him there, shocked with desire coursing through InuYasha's body…Sesshoumaru could smell it.

…

As soon as he had left, InuYasha sank to his knees, nearly unable to breathe. He didn't know he'd react that way, didn't know his body would respond and yearn for Sesshoumaru's touch. Sesshoumaru…his brother. It wasn't uncommon for youkai to mate with their siblings or other relatives, but it was still a surprising notion for InuYasha to find that his brother was willing.

He tried to focus on his breathing to slow down his heart rate. Surely Sesshoumaru had heard it. Oh, his smell…I must have it… he thought, wishing his brother's scent was a tangible thing, like a blanket that he could drape around his body and snuggle against. Soon, he would be carrying Sesshoumaru's child. It was a somber thought.

Jaken came into the lounge warily. "Can I get you anything, InuYasha-sama?"

"No, I'll be gone a little while, but I'm coming back in few hours."

"Are you staying here long?" Jaken asked, still surprised that InuYasha had shown up on his master's doorstep.

He shrugged. "Ask your master." Then he turned and left to find his friends.

Japanese terms:

Haori – outer shirt

Hakama – pants

Obi – sash

Bishounen – beautiful man

Otouto – younger brother

Inu-youkai – dog demon(s)

Ningen – human

To be continued…