Chapter six : I love you
Normal POV
OK... Sesshomaru hadn't seen this one coming. For a second he thought it was a joke, but he quickly brushed it off when he noticed that Inu-Yasha was dead serious. So his brother was pregnant ? But... that meant...
"Is it...?" Sesshomaru started.
"Yours ?" Inu-Yasha finished for him. "Yes. I mean you're the only one I... hum... so, yes. It's yours"
It took a lot to surprise the Lord of the West. But right now, he was rendered speechless ; Inu-Yasha was pregnant... with his pup ? He didn't even know his brother was a bearer ! But wait... so that was the delicious new fragrance in Inu-Yasha's scent ! Sesshomaru knew he had smelled it before, around women who were with child...! But that wasn't important right now. The fact was that Inu-Yasha was bearing his pup ! That was... that was... but that was wonderful !
On his side, the hanyou took his silence the wrong way and started to move backward again while saying :
"I knew you wouldn't like it. Like if I wasn't enough of a freak before..."
Sesshomaru's delight disappeared and he frowned. Pulling Inu-Yasha back into his arms almost harshly he snapped at him :
"First of all, you are not a freak, little brother, and you've never been one. I don't want to hear that from you ever again, is that clear ?"
Inu-Yasha nodded, a bit stunned. Sesshomaru took a more gentle tone and pursued :
"Good. Now for your information, I am more than pleased to learn that you are bearing my pup"
"Really ?" Inu-Yasha asked hopefully.
"Really" Sesshomaru said with a little smile.
Yes, a smile. He was smiling again. OK it was just a tiny smile, but for him and those who knew him it was enormous. Did Inu-Yasha only knew how much power he had over him ? Probably not...
Stroking his brother's hair with one hand, Sesshomaru lowered his other one to the hanyou's stomach. Glancing at him, he asked softly :
"May I ?"
Inu-Yasha just nodded and Sesshomaru placed his hand on his lover's stomach. It was very slight, but he could feel a small bulge under the red kimono. Sesshomaru caressed it gently... It just felt so... right, to have his hand there.
"It's still small..." Inu-Yasha said a bit timidly.
"It's perfect" Sesshomaru whispered in the hanyou's ear, making him shiver. "And it'll grow"
"I know that. Well, at least I can still fight some lesser demons... In just some months I won't even be able to run or jump..."
Sesshomaru backed off at this and stared at his brother, asking very slowly :
"You've been fighting in your condition...?"
"Well not much" Inu-Yasha answered, not yet noticing the threatening tone of Sesshomaru's voice. "Just some weak demons on the borders of Kaede's village. They were making troubles and besides, I needed exercise. Sango and Miroku took care of the stronger youkais. I had a hard time just convincing them to let me walk out of the village. They finally agreed but... Sesshomaru, are you OK ?"
Sesshomaru was far from OK. Glaring daggers at Inu-Yasha, he grabbed him by the shoulders and said :
"Little brother, are you insane ? How could you fight knowing that you were with child ?"
"What do you mean ?"
"I mean that the pup could have get hurt, or you, for that matters"
"But I've been very careful !" Inu-Yasha defended himself. "I only fought demons I was sure I could beat !"
"Is that suppose to reassure me ?"
"Well what did you want me to do ? Avoid every last demons of this forest and hide each times I saw one ?"
"Yes" Sesshomaru answered seriously.
Inu-Yasha frowned and pushed him away, retorting angrily :
"Then think again, because there's no way I'm ever gonna do that ! I'm not a weakling !"
"This has nothing to do with it"
"Yes it does ! And why the hell do you care, anyway ?"
Sesshomaru sighed. He had feared that moment would come. Now he had to say it again, or Inu-Yasha would never listen to him. His little brother was way too thickheaded. Also, his pregnancy was making him more snappish than usual. Fortunately, Sesshomaru knew exactly how to sooth him and make him see things his way...
He walked toward Inu-Yasha until he drove him back against the massive oak behind him. Then he placed his hands on the trunk at each sides of the hanyou's shoulders, trapping him against the tree. Finally, he brought their faces as close as possible without touching and he whispered :
"I care because I love you, silly brother of mine, and because I wouldn't want you... (he glanced at Inu-Yasha's stomach) ...or our pup, to get hurt"
Then he stopped, however staying in the same position. He could feel Inu-Yasha's warm breath on his face and he wanted nothing more than to kiss him right now, but he wished to give the hanyou a chance to actually answer this time.
Inu-Yasha just looked at him, totally startled. Hesitantly, he asked :
"You... you love me...?"
Sesshomaru just gave him a peck on the lips and nodded.
The hanyou practically beamed at him, then he advanced his head and brushed his lips against Sesshomaru's... This one immediately captured his mouth, lowering his arms and wrapping them around Inu-Yasha's waist to bring him closer. Inu-Yasha did the same and they kissed lovingly, like if they could never have enough of each other...
When they parted, Inu-Yasha hugged his brother and said just loud enough for him to hear :
"I love you too..."
Again, Sesshomaru made a little smile. He would've never guessed it, but it felt good to have those words directed at him... Sure Rin was saying it sometimes, but as much as he appreciated it, it just wasn't the same. Coming from Inu-Yasha, those few simple words suddenly took an whole new meaning...
His smile turning into a smirk, Sesshomaru asked :
"So, are you going to stop putting yourself in danger from now on ?"
His brother frowned. It was obvious he was going to protest ; Sesshomaru bent down and left a soft kiss on the brink of his nose, moving up slowly to draw the arch of Inu-Yasha's eyebrow with his lips. The hanyou became like goo in his arms, leaning in his touch and silently asking for more... Sesshomaru drew back and he almost grinned when his brother let out a small whine of protestation.
"Do you promise me you'll be more careful and that you'll avoid fighting if you can ?" the taiyoukai asked again.
Inu-Yasha looked up at him and understood that this was one battle he wasn't going to win. With a dejected sigh he nodded and said :
"Fine, I promise. Now for God's sake just go on and kiss me before I burn alive !"
Satisfied with his brother's answer, Sesshomaru took his mouth again. Inu-Yasha threw his arms around his neck and kissed him back hungrily.
Suddenly, the hanyou yelped and almost collapsed in his brother's arms. Sesshomaru supported him and asked with worry :
"Inu ? What's wrong ?"
Inu-Yasha looked back at him with eyes shrouded in pain and raised a trembling hand to his right shoulder ; slowly he slid down his shirts to reveal his collarbone, where a small wound could still be seen. However it was healing and nearly invisible by now...
"It burns..." Inu-Yasha moaned with tears gathering in his golden orbs.
Sesshomaru kneeled down and gently leaned his brother against him, rubbing his little puppy ears to distract him from the pain. It worked a little, and Sesshomaru observed the fading mark on Inu-Yasha's collarbone. Luckily he knew what was going on and also how to deal with it. Softly, he said :
"It's OK Inu-Yasha. It's only the mark I gave you that's reacting to our renewed closeness. But it's fading and your demon blood is trying to warn you that our bond is breaking. We've been apart for too long and the mark is healing. I have to mark you again or it could be dangerous for you and our pup. Will you allow me ?"
Inu-Yasha smiled to him a bit weakly and nodded. Sesshomaru lowered his head and licked the skin where the mark was, kissing it slowly to make it as sensitive as possible. When he felt that Inu-Yasha was ready, he elongated his fangs and bit until thin lines of red blood started flowing from the fresh wound. Inu-Yasha tensed and Sesshomaru quickly removed his sharp fangs, tenderly licking away the blood. Then he planted some more kisses on his new mark and finally raised his eyes to look at his brother's face.
The hanyou already looked a lot better but Sesshomaru still asked :
"Does it still hurt ?"
"No" Inu-Yasha answered with a loving smile. "Thank you"
Sesshomaru caressed his brother's cheek and added :
"Now you have to mark me too so that our mating may be completed and to prevent this kind of thing to happen again"
Inu-Yasha stared at him in awe.
"You mean you would let me...?"
As an answer, Sesshomaru simply smiled and slid down his own kimono over his right shoulder. Smiling back, the hanyou approached his head and repeated the same ritual his brother had applied on him, licking and kissing the taiyoukai's collarbone to finally bite it to the blood. Then Inu-Yasha licked the mark tenderly to help close the little bruises. After what he passed his arms around Sesshomaru's waist and cuddled up to him, letting out a sigh of contentment.
Sesshomaru just hold him and said :
"Inu-Yasha, I wish you to come back home with me"
"Home ?" the hanyou asked, confused.
"Yes, home" answered Sesshomaru. "The Western Lands"
A/N : I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for making so much chapters with just Sessh and Inu together. It's just that I needed them to make peace and declare to each other before I could do anything else, you see ? Don't worry there will be other characters in the next chapters ! Also I'll try to make the action move a little faster... if that's what you want, of course. Just review and tell me, don't be shy ! I love reviews !