Itzika: This comes to you by request of AMK!

AMK: (squeals and claps hands)

Itzika: (smiles a little and avoids looking at AMK) Okay, folks, start the camera and run it backwards. We are gonna take a trip through the past to InuYasha's time. This is a before-to-during thing, not a "we're-already-a-couple-don't-ask-how" thing. So here you have it: the only possible way in my mind for Sesshoumaru to hook up with his little bro InuYasha!

AMK: We no own—

Itzika: And all that jazz. On with the fic!

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Sesshoumaru walked silently through the forest. For once, he wasn't running, but truly walking, his steps light as air as he thought. Jaken did not dare to disturb him; no, not even Rin. Lord Sesshoumaru might do anything when he was interrupted.

The direction the youkai's thoughts had taken was unexpected even to him. His mind had wandered, but it constantly came back to the thought of his half-brother, and the disturbing thought that the half-breed presented. The thought was stranger than anyone could have imagined; it involved mating.

All Sesshoumaru had ever wanted in his eventual mate was for them to be powerful, and now he had found a powerful youkai. Well… half-youkai, anyway. The problem was that InuYasha was Sesshoumaru's half-brother. Mating was forbidden by the human standards to which the other had to conform. But still—InuYasha was the most powerful being in the world!

Besides Sesshoumaru, of course.

Sesshoumaru pulled himself back to the real world as he sensed danger. He brought out his sword to block the oncoming youkai's attack, and felt the other push at his sword. The dog youkai turned to face his opponent. This one was strong, at least in body. If it was fast as well, Sesshoumaru would have to pay attention to deprive it of its body.

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru ordered automatically, "take Rin and go." He never wanted the girl to see the bloodshed. It was a bother sometimes, to have to worry about human sensitivity to such things. At least with his brother, he would never have to worry about that.

Stop, Sesshoumaru ordered himself. Don't go there. He had to focus, which he would never manage if his mind was on his brother. His half-human brother. His powerful half-human brother.

Stop, Sesshoumaru ordered himself again. Looking at the outside world again, Sesshoumaru suddenly realized that the youkai's arm had abandoned his sword, his force against which had slackened when he started daydreaming. Now the demon was slashing at him with two sets of claws, knowing that a sword couldn't block both.

He… hadn't counted on Sesshoumaru's skill, however. The dog youkai slashed across his body, hacking one hand off. In the same second, he uncoiled his body from the twist, letting his own anatomy swing the blade through the tendons in the youkai's other arm. The demon fell to the ground, grinning.

"What are you so happy about?" Sesshoumaru asked as though it didn't matter. A moment later, he got his answer, as a knife pierced his shoulder from behind, dragging across his back, partially severing his spinal cord. The attacker pulled the knife down his back, leaving a stream of blood as Sesshoumaru fell to the ground. He could barely turn his head to look behind him, but whoever had attacked him had left as stealthily as they had arrived.

The youkai dragged himself up slowly, shaking with the effort. His whole body was rejecting his commands, and he fell, paralyzed and dying. Jaken wouldn't return; Sesshoumaru came for them. Rin would return, but too late. No one else in the world cared. Sesshoumaru cared for no one else in the world. An image of InuYasha appeared in his mind. Sesshoumaru almost laughed, closing his eyes; he had no reason to care about finding a mate anymore.

A familiar scent assaulted his nostrils. Sesshoumaru's eyes opened suddenly. It… couldn't be… there was no way… But his half-brother's scent continued to grow stronger, until he could tell exactly where he was. Sesshoumaru looked over at the half-demon standing by a nearby tree.

InuYasha's expression boded no good will to the next person who spoke to him, but Sesshoumaru couldn't just let that be. Not now. Not when it could cost him his life. "Otouto-san," Sesshoumaru said, and coughed blood. Every word cost him more effort than he'd ever had to exert in his life. "Help… me…"

InuYasha's expression darkened another shade. He lunged forward and grabbed the youkai's throat, dragging him up. Sesshoumaru winced. Damn it all. He hadn't even known it was possible to feel this much pain.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!" InuYasha shouted. "DID YOU JUST CALL ME YOUR BROTHER! HEADS UP, BROTHER! YOU DON'T JUST FIGHT FOR YEARS, GET HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE KILLED, AND THEN TRY TO GET HELP BASED ON SOME KIND OF FAMILY TIES! YOU IDIOTIC—" InuYasha was abruptly cut off as Sesshoumaru kissed him. His eyes widened, but in his shock, he didn't pull away for several moments.

For Sesshoumaru's part, he wasn't sure why he was doing this. It wasn't doing him any good to kiss his brother, but he did it anyway, not quite daring to slide his tongue in and taste the other.

InuYasha finally realized what was going on and jerked away, shoving Sesshoumaru down. "What—" he panted, scrubbing at his mouth with his sleeve "—the hell—was that?"

Sesshoumaru lay still. He could feel his demon body already healing. "It was a kiss," he said calmly. "Don't you know that? I would have expected you'd have shared one with that girl by now."

InuYasha froze. "W-what? Kagome? That's… that's…"

"Sick? Disgusting?" Sesshoumaru laughed. "She is young, granted, but so are you, considering you've been sealed away most of your life."

InuYasha looked suspiciously at him. "Demon law says you don't marry someone who's more than fifty years or half their lifespan younger than you," he reminded his brother. "So what was that?"

Sesshoumaru slowly, haltingly, brought himself to a sitting position. He healed quickly; his attacker had been a fool to leave him alive. "Call me a law-breaker," he said softly. "Or say that you were alive through those fifty years; I don't care. But you do realize what you've become, with that Tetsusaiga, otouto-san?"

InuYasha narrowed his eyes and waited.

Sesshoumaru smiled. "Powerful." There, his body was weak but completely healed. He had needed only those moments in contact with another source of demon energy to jump-start his healing.

InuYasha sat stunned. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "Are you really so naïve you didn't notice?" he asked. InuYasha shook his head and started to laugh. "What's funny?" Sesshoumaru inquired.

InuYasha focused on his brother. "You finally admitted what I've known for a long time. But I can't help wondering, brother, if you would say the same if you were at full strength?"

"No." In response to InuYasha's triumphant look, he added, "If I were at full strength you would have already attacked me."

InuYasha nodded grudgingly. "Probably," he admitted.

"Not just probably, otouto-san," Sesshoumaru corrected him. "One of us would have had to leave with severe injuries by now."

"You mean, you would have had to leave with severe injuries by now," InuYasha corrected him in turn.

Sesshoumaru nodded. InuYasha stared in stunned silence. His half brother smiled and shakily stood and walked over to him. "You should be aware," he informed InuYasha, "that I will deny every word of this later. I will also deny this." And he leaned in and kissed InuYasha again.

This time the half-demon responded to the kiss. He wasn't just a tool, that much was clear. And even if he was—so what? In a moment of pure lust, driven by the feel of his brother against him, InuYasha responded. The two… it was clear now—Sesshoumaru was just like him in at least one very important respect.

InuYasha had only ever wanted a strong mate, too.

---

Itzika: Jeez, why do I always end the fic like that?

Sesshoumaru: Because you have a death wish.

Itzika: (aside to AMK) I was so hoping they weren't gonna show up…

InuYasha: And miss out on a chance to kill you? No way!

AMK: And, once again, the couple is united in the end by their mutual wish to kill Itzika!

Itzika: Imouto-chan, a little help here!

AMK: Coming, onee-chan!

Sesshoumaru: (turns to AMK to attack)

AMK: Or… not.

Sesshoumaru and InuYasha: (redirect attacks and Itzika)

Itzika: (under her breath) Traitorous imouto-chan. (looks at murderous half-brothers, gulps, starts running)