To Be Clean by Queen of Decadence

AU one shot…doesn't relate at all to Take Care, but yeah, it can and it really is, however they both stand out on their own. No beta-reader either, so I proofed everything myself so there might be some errors here and there. Sorry. REMEMBER: I don't own Inuyasha…but I wish I owned Inu no Taisho-sama, the youkai is simply to die for. Drool

Was there any reason as to WHY he couldn't be clean? Sesshoumaru glanced in the direction of his half-brother's closed bedroom door with a wince—and he never winced.

Yes, yes there was, he reminded himself. Inuyasha was his reasons name and he would make sure his apartment was clean even if it meant venturing into his half sibling's room to do so…

"Dear God," he mumbled, not believing his own thoughts. "Inuyasha's room? That settles it, I'm finding him a new apartment myself."

In fact, he would hire his brother a personal chief just so the idiot didn't have to cook for himself ever again. No way was he going to trust the idiot to cook for himself after burning his apartment down trying to make ramen.

"And land his ass in MY apartment for a few months again."

Making note to search the add papers and the city later, Sesshoumaru gathered his cleaning supplies, making special note to put on the yellow rubber gloves before anything else, and went into what was once his study…

"My eyes!" he cried out, turning away from what he knew was the LAST mess he would see in his household ever again. Kikyou must have been the one that cleans up after Inuyasha, he decided, but just how did the woman do it?

Sides, the faster his half-brother was out of his home, the more he could have Kagome over without the idiot interfering. And the more he time he spent with her, the more he knew he would not be rejected it he were to ask her…

Gathering his strength, he ventured into the room setting out to finish his cleaning mission.

Just how did Inuyasha find anything in this pigsty anyway?

Kagome could smell the cleaning products when the elevator doors opened and sighed; she had forgotten that today was Sesshoumaru's chosen day to clean his apartment. She loved the dear for all he was worth; including the fact he was a neat freak. She smiled at the memory of him cleaning her apartment when she was sick. She could live with everything he dished out, because that was what made Sesshoumaru, well, Sesshoumaru.

"And I wouldn't have him any other way."

The smells were stronger as she came to the door and she wondered if he remembered to turn on some fans and open the windows to let the fumes out. Briefly she also wondered if he remembered that she was coming over to watch some rented movies with him—while hopefully sharing some ice cream and snuggling together on the couch without anyone to bother them.

Taking out the spare key he had given her just a few weeks ago when she was helping him recover from the cold she had given him—it was the idiots own fault for kissing and snuggling with her while she had it—and let herself in.

The front room was empty, but it was clean and the counters and walls and windows—which she noted were opened and that fans had been turned on to push the fumes out—shined in the light. However, to her disappointment, there was no Sesshoumaru in the front room, or the hallway so she ventured inward, leaving her shoes, purse and bag of DVDs at the entry way as she did so.

"Sesshoumaru?" she called out, checking the first door in the hallway, he wasn't in his room, nor the bathroom, which left one room…

Kagome found him and tried not to laugh—or drool—at the sight before her. He was half under Inuyasha's bed, his ass sticking out into the air in a pair of tight fitting jeans that hugged his ass for all it was worth. Since she hadn't been noticed, Kagome walked as quietly as she could towards him, reached down and grabbed his ass, giving it a good squeeze.

Sesshoumaru froze, and growled out, "Inuyasha, get your hand off my ass."

His half-brother was going to get it, Inuyasha really was. This had to be the FIFTIETH time the one he sadly had to call kin touched him like this to be "funny."

"Inuyasha, ne?" Kagome's sweet voice reached his ears. "It seems like I am going to have to talk to him about touching what is mine."

Sesshoumaru crawled back out from under the bed and looked at his girlfriend, not missing the humor that shinned in her eyes. Giving her a quick smile he decided to play along with her, "Oh could you please? I feel so tainted and unclean by his touch."

His arms snaked around her waist and he buried his face into her side, giving a few fake sobs. He could feel her sides shaking with the laughter she tried to hold back. When she spoke her voice was forced into straightness.

"My dear, I will avenge you and punish the vile creature that has touched what is mine." Her smooth hand reached down and cupped his chin, turning his head so he was looking up at her. "Just tell me my dear, what would I get in return?"

"My eternal loyalty and person." His golden eyes were so hopeful that Kagome couldn't contain her laughter and broke out into a fit of giggles.

"Of course, my fair dear," she choked out, "I will be forever willing to have you in my service."

"Oh thank you," Sesshoumaru said, batting his eyes for added affect. He looked so cute…Kagome leaned down and kissed him quickly on his forehead.

"Now, go, finish your cleaning and we shall go and punish Inuyasha." At that, Kagome took the moment to observe Inuyasha's room and decided that her friend would not only be in need of a punishment, but a lecture on hygiene as well. "How can he live in this?"

And how could Sesshoumaru? Was her unspoken question, she knew his habits better then him and for good reasons too—you didn't just know a person for a few years without learning important things about them, and she had plans for the two of them where information like his habits would come in handy—and cleanliness was an important habit of his. He liked to have things clean, not excessively so that it turned into an OCD, but that things were just clean enough for if people came over their weren't swimming in dust and filth.

"Better yet, how can Kikyou stand all of this?" She knew Kikyou, and the woman would not stand for this amount of…junk—was that a half-empty pizza box? Kagome's fingers itched to reach for the box and see how old the pizza was, but just the thought of something crawling out of it made her wince and hold the reigns on her curiosity. "He can't be THAT good in bed to make her want to keep him, can he?"

Sesshoumaru's arms tightened around her middle before he replied, "I think the only one you should be thinking about in that sort of situation should be me…and the rest of it I don't want to think about. I only know that I am helping him find an apartment SOON…and I'm hiring a personal chief so that he doesn't burn his place down again."

Kagome giggled, "It was pretty funny though, his love of ramen."

"Yes, it was completely funny, the only part that wasn't was when he came to stay with me."

"Ah, but he chose you over so many others, doesn't that make you feel loved?"

Sesshoumaru snorted, "Hardly. Now…why are you over?"

Kagome gave him a good luck, "We were supposed to watch some movies after you finished cleaning…remember?"

Sesshoumaru sighed, he had forgotten but with throwing in Inuyasha's room to what needed to be done, he doubted there would be time for watching anything for several more hours unless he had helped… He blinked at looked up at his girlfriend, meeting her eyes.

A light dawned in them as she realized what he wanted and she tried in vain to get out of his hold.

"Don't even think it! Not all the loyalty in the world would get me to help you with cleaning this…this monstrosity! It's a science project in here, nothing I am willing to touch!"

Sesshoumaru knew it was below him to beg, he had never liked begging, but hell, today he had made several new discoveries about him self (the fact that he was willing to actually hire someone for the benefit—and not death—of his brother being one) and so begging was now an option. "Please Kagome! I'll do any thing, just help me clean!"

Kagome stopped struggling and looked at her boyfriend in shock. Did he just ask for help? Her eyes widened and her hand reached for his forehead and before she could get her mind back on working track she asked him, "Are you having a relapse? You know, Sango came back down with her cold after everyone thought she was better…"

Sesshoumaru gave her a good glare. "No, I am not having a relapse, and yes I am asking for your…help in cleaning this…mess."

"And you would really do anything in return?"

"…Yes."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

"You really mean 'okay?'"

"Really."

"Really 'Really' or just, 'really?'"

"Really Really! Now, go get me some gloves and old clothing…in fact, you're hand washing my shirt for touching me with those dirty gloves of yours too."

"…Can I help you change?"

"Just go!"

Kagome found herself in a too large t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants and rubber gloves, throwing garbage into a large plastic bag ten minutes later, listening to Sesshoumaru curse his brother as her boyfriend once more tackled what was "growing" underneath his brother's bed. Not that she minded the view, but she always did wonder why his cleaning jeans fitted so tight. Sure they were covered in holes and paint, but the way they gripped his…

Kagome roughly shook the thoughts from her head and got back to work, telling herself forcefully that she could fantasize about her boyfriend later. Like after she had taken care of the pizza box.

It sat before on top of dirty clothing and food rappers—none of them were ramen cups or anything of that sort she was glad to note, maybe that "Addicted to Ramen" health group was really helping. Or he was hiding the evidence.

Taking hold of the box gingerly, she lifted it, cringing as she noted that it was still heavy (he wasted good food the idiot!) and shoved it into the trash bag quickly feeling disgusted as she did so. She was starting to understand why Sesshoumaru was so clean.

And loved him even more for it.

"Have I told you how much I love you?" she asked, giving his ass a good look as she did so. She could still look, Kagome told herself, she just couldn't fantasize.

"Every chance you get," was his reply, as he unconsciously wiggled his ass for her as he struggled with something under the bed.

"Well I really do, don't doubt it."

His head peaked up from the side of the bed and those golden eyes looked at her confused for a moment before brightening. "I never do."

Maybe he was having a relapse, she thought, he was never so open before.

But Sesshoumaru would not listen to her until everything was clean so she went back to work, pushing back her own feelings of disgust for the dust and grime as she did so. The faster things were clean, the quicker she could get Sesshoumaru bathed and sitting down with a thermometer to see if he wasn't running a fever. Sango seemed just fine and normal as well but one could never be too careful.

The two started at Inuyasha's clean room, tried and satisfied that it was finally over and done with. Only, now there were the ones in need of being clean.

"Come on, lets go take a shower," Sesshoumaru said, grabbing Kagome's hand and proceeding to drag her to the bathroom, but she dug her heels into the carpet.

"On no we aren't you perv! I'm going to take a shower after you get me some clean clothes and THEN you are going to take yours. Think of it as just one of the things you are going to be doing for me in return for helping you."

"Why can't we take one together?" Sesshoumaru pouted, since when did he pout? He must really be in a relapse…

Sesshoumaru couldn't believe she wouldn't let him bathe with her—all he wanted to do was get clean…and get her clean…and see her sweet body…

They had seen each other naked several times in the past—he had given her a small sponge bath back when she was sick after all—but Kagome was still modest when it came to him seeing her body. He cursed Inuyasha one more time; he knew it was because of that idiot she wouldn't let them take a shower together. She wouldn't want Inuyasha to know anything about their personal business. Well, it would shock her to know that Inuyasha knew some important details about their personal lives. Only he had sworn his half-brother to secrecy, okay it was more like threaten but the fact of the matter was that Inuyasha would not let Kagome know that he knew something. It was a good thing Inuyasha knew when to keep his mouth shut.

She just gave a god glare and Sesshoumaru got to work gathering clean clothes and a towel for his "Master" not that that didn't have a bad ring to it, he would just rather have it so he was the one on top instead. Sides, who knew what Kagome would do if she was in charge of a bunch of people—or the world for that matter.

He paused a moment to think that last part over, everyone would certainly be healthy, that was for sure.

Kagome got out of the bathroom fifteen minuets later, and Sesshoumaru stood there waiting for her dressed in his bathrobe, clean clothing draped over his arm. She sent him off to the shower with a teasing grin. "Don't take too long!" she called after him, knowing full well he would be in there for a half-hour making sure none of the "impurities" were still on him after cleaning the mess that was Inuyasha's room.

Really, how was Kikyou able to stand it?

Now was not the time to dwell on Kikyou's sanity, she scolded herself. It was time to find the thermometer so she could check Sesshoumaru's temperature when he got out of the shower. She did not want him going through a relapse. It just wouldn't have been fair if that happened, she had finally gotten Sesshoumaru all by himself for a few hours and she was going to take full advantage of the rest of those hours for some well wanted snuggling time.

She located the thermometer in the kitchen in the drawer that held all the painkillers and medication that Sesshoumaru had for this and that. Inuyasha had always snickered at his "drug drawer" but his elder brother had a whole system that organized his household, and the drugs did NOT go in the medicine cabinet.

"Sides, that's the first place someone would look for drugs…this is the last." At least that was his reasoning for it.

Sitting in the couch, she started at the blank flat-screen plasma TV before her, cursing her inability to understand the five (at least) different remotes needed to turn the TV on. She had been given the tutorial on how to work everything more than once, but she could never figure out how to turn the thing on—or off. If someone else did so for her, she could channel surf just fine; it was the process of getting there that stumped her.

Sitting there staring at the TV was oddly calming to Kagome's senses and she feel into a light sleep for the rest of Sesshoumaru's shower.

Sesshoumaru came out half an hour later, his wet hair dripping water onto his clean shirt but he wasn't complaining, he was clean. More than just himself, but his home. Every thing was clean and orderly and nothing was out of place…except that giant spot of WET HAIR on his clean white couch! He snickered as he approached the couch, touching Kagome's slightly damp hair as he gazed down at his sleeping girl friend. She may not have noticed, but he was worried about her. There was something about the way she was acting that day that just did not seem right. In all the years they had been dating, not once did she doubt his feelings for her—or her own for his. But her words from earlier were worrying him somehow.

He spotted the thermometer in her hand, and gently took it out of her loose grasp. Kagome had been worried about him suffering a relapse, but maybe it was she how was having a relapse instead. He frowned and, reaching over, gently shook her awake.

Kagome mumbled in response, swatting his hand away.

He simply shook her harder.

"I'm up!" Kagome shouted, swatting his hand away firmly with a glare. "What do you want?"

"For you to take your temperature."

He held the thermometer out to her, and Kagome quickly pushed it back towards him.

"No. You are taking yours first. And what's this about worrying about me? You're the one that has been acting strange!"

"Strange? Me? I'm just glad to be in a clean area. Sides, can't I worry about you?"

"Yes, but you are still taking your temperature first."

"No, you are."

Their eyes met in a clash of anger and fury, fighting for dominance as they did so. Neither was willing to bow out to the other.

A giant sneeze from the front door, followed by a female voice cursing brought both of their attention to the door at the same time, both ready to yell at whoever disturbed their fight. Both cringed as Inuyasha sneezed again as Kikyou helped steady her boyfriend as he took off his shoes. His nose was red and dripping—Sesshoumaru mentally cringed and noted that he would have to clean his floor again—and his usually bright golden eyes were dull with the need for sleep.

"Hey guys!" Inuyasha managed before sneezing again without covering his nose. Kikyou cringed while Sesshoumaru and Kagome jumped back slightly. At least that was what they thought he was saying; his throat must have been sore as it made his words rough and mumbled. "I caught your cold!" He gave a weak smile at that, wiping his nose with a tissue he dragged out of his jacket pocket.

Kagome and Sesshoumaru shared a look as the elder brother put the thermometer onto the counter top and went around the couch to stand with Kagome—and away from the germ infested Inuyasha.

Kikyou and him were now out of the entry way, as well, and moving down the hall towards Inuyasha's room. "But we have good news! Once we find some papers for the old apartment, we got an apart—"

"That's good to hear!" Kagome said, smiling, appearing to mistake his words for something else as she and Sesshoumaru backed towards the front door. "If you need anything from us, we'll be over at my place."

With that, the two struggled into their shoes, grabbed their jackets and the bag of DVDs and were out of the apartment.

Kikyou and Inuyasha merely shared a look before going back on track to Inuyasha's room. He would need to rest and get a little bit better before he could start packing for the move to their new apartment. Inuyasha grasped the doorknob weakly and turned, what awaited them stunned them both.

"Hey! They cleaned my room—how am I supposed to find anything now!"

Um…yeah… Sesshoumaru is OOC but I picture him as happy to have things cleaned up and put away—he seems a bit of a neat freak to me—just HOW does he keep all that white clothing white anyway? When Sesshoumaru is happy, I bet he lets a little more of his emotions show, thus making Kagome think he is having a relapse because he is OOC. And Kagome was worried, I see her caring a lot for her friends and all…so I don't think she was OOC too much but oh well.

Meanwhile, I support the idea that Sesshoumaru can and is a giant pervert deep down inside, he just needs something to help it escape. Kagome was just enjoying the view. Also, while I am at it, the sponge bath scene mentioned above is in the un-cut version of "Take Care" and its unmentionable because I'm not very good at writing lemon scenes…but yeah. One day I might put it up somewhere but it needs some big revising first. And finally: no comment on Inuyasha grabbing anyone's ass.

Remember to review! A good little review a day will keep the doctor away—but not the Animanicas, which really should come back.