Reconciliation doesn't come without a fight.

Inuyasha unloads. Rages. Years of hurt and pain spill out into the night, stabbing into him with the cold-hard truth of his neglect and transgressions, but Sesshoumaru stands quietly, letting his brother vent and release what he needs.

It's no less than what he owes.

And it is hard. Upsetting. And as the bitter scent of Inuyasha's distrust washes over him, something foreign blooms in Sesshoumaru's throat, making it suddenly hard to swallow.

It tastes like guilt.

But he bears it because it's long overdue, and he knows that healing rarely comes without pain.