Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Inuyasha or any of Rumiko Takahashi's creations.
Chapter 19
Last time: Inuayasha coughed to clear the smoke from his lungs, but the stroke had already fallen. For Inuyasha, it moved slowly. The blade flashed as it swooped down, through the white curtain of his brother's hair, and erupted in a gush of blood as it pierced flesh and organs and eventually out the other side.
His brother's unconscious form convulsed once, and a low gasp escaped his lips. Then he lay still, a deathly pallor already in his face.
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At that point, the world moved from slow to still. Inuyasha could not believe what he had just seen. In all his years of fighting with his brother, even hitting him with the windscar, the most he had managed was to lop off his arm—and that had mostly been luck. Whether he liked the youkai or not, Sesshomaru had always been on a pedestal, occupying a whole other plane above the world Inuyasha struggled to find a place in. He was always stronger, faster, better than anyone else around him—something Inuyasha had both envied and admired about him apart from their mutual hatred.
And even deeper than that, Inuyasha had come to associate Sesshomaru's strength, prowess and invincibility with their father's. Sesshomaru had known him, Sesshomaru had trained with him, and Sesshomaru was the only living direct tie, other than himself, to their great father. That was part of what made Sesshomaru's rejection so painful, because to Inuyasha it seemed that it wasn't just his brother who rejected him, but his father as well.
Around him the world contracted and crumbled. He had just found acceptance with his brother, formed a shaky agreement to watch over one another like pack, and despite his own insistence that Sesshomaru needed his pack as much as they needed him, Inuyasha had still held the notion that his brother truly was untouchable. Not emotionless, but truly indestructible. But all that shattered now as the ugly truth dawned on him. His brother would die today unless he did something to save him.
Inuyasha lowered his sleeve from his nose and flexed his claws. He coughed slightly and growled low. The half-crazed human turned toward him and laughed.
"Ah, the monster's brother. I will slay two youkai with one stone. The smoke will soon kill you, youkai."
The man made as if to draw the sword from his brother's body and attack. Inuyasha smirked and charged, tackling him against the far wall with enough force to crack the paneling, before he could. The sword was probably the only thing keeping his brother from bleeding out right now. He lifted the man up against the wall with one hand and flexed his claws so the points pierced the man's skin.
"Keh, I'm not like my brother, baka, I'm a hanyou," Inuyasha informed him.
The man sneered at him. "Whatever you call yourself, you'll soon be as dead as your brother. I can tell the smoke affects you."
"Baka, a little coughing won't keep me from killing you," Inuyasha told him. He deactivated his charm and bared fangs at the man. The man gasped and glanced over at Sesshomaru as if amazed at the resemblance. "I'm half youkai so this stuff is gonna give me one hell of a headache, but I'm half human, too."
The man's eyes widened as it finally dawned on him that the smoke wouldn't kill this one. Inuyasha smiled, grabbed the man's face, and threw him to the floor like he was nothing more than a rag doll.
"I'm not like that stuck up ice prick at all," Inuyasha told him. "I'm one hundred percent wild, and I haven't gone soft from living around humans. And I won't tolerate anyone touching someone in my pack!"
And at that moment Inuyasha truly looked wild. His gold eyes turned red, and blue markings appeared on his face. He stalked forward with nothing but death in his eyes. Urine ran down the man's leg at the sight. Inuyasha was telling the truth. There was no cold reason, hatred or calculation behind his eyes. Nothing but a feral, mindless anger and desire to kill lurked in their depths. There would be no pleading, no negotiating, or even any taunting. He would kill with great pleasure and no thought whatsoever.
Only a faint moan from his brother prevented Inuyasha from descending completely into a mindless rage. He hesitated, his claws lifted for the death blow, and turned towards his brother. It was fading, but there was still life. If he didn't get Sesshomaru out of this smoke and to someplace safe, the youkai would die.
The markings faded and the gold seeped back into his eyes. He turned back to the human who smiled up at him with relief.
"It's a little soon to be celebrating, human. I won't kill you. I'll leave you for Sesshomaru to deal with." The man's smile faded and he glanced at the youkai he thought he'd killed. "And unlike me, he has been trained in the art of torture. With over five hundred years experience to perfect it."
With that, Inuyasha struck the man at the base of the neck, rendering him unconscious, and left him lying there. First things first. He needed to move Sesshomaru now. The fur was rather awkward, so he unwound it from his brother's shoulder, mindful of the sword in his chest, and laid it on the desk. Gingerly, he maneuvered his brother over one shoulder, surprised at how easy he was to lift. He recalled sparring against him just the other day. He had tried to move the youkai's arm with all his strength and been unable to budge him.
"I think it's that damn ego of yours that weighs you down," he muttered to his brother. "And maybe that fur, too."
Now Inuyasha needed to do something to keep the human from getting away if he happened to regain consciousness before he could come back for him. He locked the door first, then tried to think of something to tie the man up with. He couldn't help a sinister smirk as he caught sight of the fur again.
He hurriedly lay his brother down and moved the man over to the desk. "You are extremely fortunate, human," he whispered softly as he worked. "He only lets his mate and the girl touch this. And I'm sure he'll be real forgiving about you getting your scent all over it."
Once that was done, he lifted Sesshomaru and carried him to the balcony. He heard his brother draw a deep, shaky breath as they left the smoke behind. That was a good sign. Inuyasha jumped from there to the roof of a nearby building. He had no idea where Sesshomaru lived, so he decided to go to the only safe haven he knew in the city.
He hoped Kagome's mother wouldn't mind an extra guest for the evening.
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Kagome was sitting outside under Goshinboku when he landed in the shrine yard. She shaded her eyes and smiled up at him. "Was everything- oh, my gosh! What happened? Are Maika and Reiku okay?"
She jumped to her feet and ran over to them with a hand over her heart. Inuyasha frowned. He hadn't even thought about the fact that they could have been targeted, too. "I don't know. This happened at his office. I'll explain more later, though. Is there a place inside where we can lay him?"
"Of course, hurry," she told him and ran inside her house. "Mama! Grandpa! I need the first aid supplies."
Mrs. Higurashi met them at the door, drying her hands on a towel. "What happened?" When Inuyasha entered carrying his brother, she didn't bother to wait for an answer, but went in search of medical supplies.
"Take him into the living room, dear," she called to them.
"Thanks, Mom. This way, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha bit back the retort that he knew where that room was and followed. Kagome scurried to set up a futon on the floor and he laid his brother on it. The youkai still looked abnormally pale, and though he was breathing a bit better, each one of those was a labored breath wracked with obvious pain because of the sword that had most likely pierced a lung.
Kagome knelt beside him with misty eyes and started to unbutton the strange shirt he wore. "I think it hit a lung, but nothing more serious. I hope," she pronounced gravely.
Inuyasha nodded. "I thought so. I had to get him out of that smoke, though, before I pulled it out. It was killing him as much as the sword and with it hampering his healing abilities, I thought he might bleed out."
Kagome accepted a handful of rags from her mother and the two women knelt on either side of him. "Okay, we're ready. We'll put pressure on the wounds once you pull the sword out. Whatever you say was affecting him before this happened, I don't know how long it'll take to work out of his system."
Inuyasha nodded. He was starting to feel a bit weak and dizzy from his brief exposure to it. Who knew how long his brother had been exposed, and he lacked the protection Inuyasha had from his human blood. It had probably been quite a while. For him not to have noticed the smoke immediately, it would have had to accumulate very gradually.
He counted to three and jerked the sword out. Sesshomaru snarled, his face creased with pain, then he fell limp again to the futon. Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome pressed rags against the wounds as blood filled them.
"It- it doesn't look all that bad. I think if we keep pressure on his wounds, he should be fine," Kagome told him, her voice had a forced cheeriness to it. "Are you okay, Inuyasha? You're looking kind of gray, too."
He shook his head. "I'm okay. Just inhaled a bit of that smoke. But I'm part human, so it didn't get me so bad. While you two are bandaging him up, I'll go get the snake I caught putting that sword through his chest. I think Sesshomaru is going to want to speak with him."
Once he was gone, Kagome's mother said, "I can't imagine who would do this. His wedding is only two days away."
"And he and Maika are expecting a child," Kagome added in a quiet voice. Her mother gasped.
"I know Sesshomaru still isn't what I'd call innocent, but he has changed a lot. And he's always been honorable. Whoever did this wasn't, though. That sword was used from behind. And the only way that could have happened was if someone attacked him while he was incapacitated."
"What a dishonorable coward!" her mother said. She ran a hand through Sesshomaru's bangs and looked down at him with motherly compassion.
Kagome checked the wound and said, "I think the bleeding is slowing some. Let's get these cleaned and dressed."
In silence, the women worked to clean out the wounds and laid clean gauze over them.
"Can you hold him so I can wrap the bandages all the way around?" Kagome asked.
Her mother nodded. "Just help me lift him, dear. I don't want to aggravate the wounds."
Kagome helped move him into a sitting position and her mother drew him against her chest to support him. Being extremely careful, Kagome wrapped the bandages around the wound. It took a lot of concentration not to get them too tight or too loose, but after a couple tries, she managed it. She smiled when she heard her mother humming softly. Mrs. Higurashi held him close and stroked his bangs as she hummed.
To her surprise, it actually seemed to soothe Sesshomaru. He relaxed against her and softly murmured, "Mother, I can breathe."
Without skipping a beat, Mrs. Higurashi smiled and said, "Of course, dear. You're going to be all right now. Just rest. You have a wi-mate, girl and a baby to care for. They need you to rest."
Kagome grinned. "You are something else, Mom, you know that."
"I know, and so are you, Kagome. You'll take good care of my grandbabies someday."
Kagome blushed lightly and had a hard time looking Inuyasha in the eye when he returned with a strange old man tossed over his shoulder.
"Who is that?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as the man was dumped unceremoniously on the floor.
Inuyasha shrugged. "I saw him once in a room with my brother and a bunch of other men in funny clothes. He was in Sesshomaru's office when I got there and stabbed him with that sword."
"He's human," Kagome said. "How did he get close enough to stab your brother?"
Inuyasha growled and kicked the man in the ribs. "The office was filled with smoke, a kind of smoke that slayers use against youkai with good noses."
"Oh, like the kind Sango has that makes you sick," Kagome said, but Inuyasha shook his head.
"No, this stuff was worse. It won't just make youkai sick, it will kill them. I just don't see how he didn't notice the stuff. It reeked. Unless they let it slowly fill the air and dull his senses first, but even then I would have thought Sesshomaru would have sensed something off."
"I guess we won't find out until he wakes up," Mrs. Higurashi said. She still held him propped against her and tenderly stroked his hair.
Inuyasha nodded. "I'm gonna throw this into a closet," he indicated the man. "Do you have anywhere for my brother to stay the night? I don't know how long before he wakes up, and I don't think he'll want Reiku or even Maika for that matter to come by and see him lying on a bloody futon."
Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "You can put that coward into the utility room for now, and you can take your brother up to my room. He can use it."
"We do need to let Maika know what's happened," Inuyasha added. "I don't want her wandering down to the office looking for my brother and exposing herself and the pup to that smoke."
"You're right. Mom, do we still have her number?" Kagome said.
"It's in the kitchen, dear, with all the other information for the wedding."
Kagome ran into the kitchen for it, pointing Inuyasha in the direction of the utility closet as she went. She retrieved the number, got the phone, and dialed.
"Hello," Maika answered almost immediately. Her voice sounded very concerned.
"Maika," Kagome said, "this is Kagome."
"Oh, hi Kagome," Maika said, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice.
"Maika, please stay calm, I don't want you or Reiku to get upset, but we need you to come to the shrine right away. Sesshomaru's here."
"He's there?" Maika asked. "We were just on our way to his office. He was supposed to come home early for lunch, and I haven't been able to get through to his office all morning. Is everything okay? Kagome?"
Kagome winced at the worry in her voice. It was obvious she loved Sesshomaru. "It will be. I don't know all the details yet, but Inuyasha found him being attacked and brought him here."
Maika gasped and lowered her voice. "He's not- is he…?"
"He's unconscious right now, but I think he'll be perfectly fine. He's stronger than most. Just don't go to his office, come here."
"Okay, we'll be right there," Maika said after a stretch of silence. "Thank you, Kagome."
There was a click. Kagome hung up her phone and looked back at Inuyasha, who had just lifted his brother into his arms. Her mother had gone upstairs to get the bed turned down.
"They're on their way," she told him. "I'm gonna go get rid of all these bloody rags and clean up. I don't want Reiku or Maika to see it and freak out."
"Okay," Inuyasha told her. "Thanks."
His voice was haggard and Kagome could see the dark circles under his eyes. That smoke had affected him more than he was letting on.
"Once you put your brother down, you should go lay down for a bit in my room. You could use some rest, I'm sure."
"Keh, I'll be fine," he retorted and headed up the stairs.
Kagome shook her head. Always such a tough guy.
She had just tossed the last stack of rags into the trashcan, when there was a knock at the door.
There's no way Maika could have walked that fast, Kagome thought as she went to the door.
Maika stood there, holding Reiku by the hand while she tucked a feather back into her hair. Kagome almost smiled. She had forgotten about Maika's youkai abilities.
Reiku smiled broadly and threw herself at Kagome's legs. "We flew! Mother has a giant feather and we flew right over the city. She said it is only for special occasions, so we can't go all the time, but it was soooo fun!"
Maika smiled weakly and glanced over Kagome's shoulder. Inuyasha walked up, nodded once and turned to go back up the stairs. Kagome took Reiku's hand and nodded for Maika to follow.
"How would you like to help me fix something to eat for everyone?" Kagome asked as she led Reiku to the kitchen. The little girl agreed eagerly.
Maika easily caught up to Inuyasha and asked, "What happened?"
"I went to his office and found him unconscious on his desk with some guy sheathing a sword in his back."
Maika smiled sadly. "My aren't we blunt."
Inuyasha shrugged. "No use sugar coating it. You ain't human. But he should be okay. Probably by tomorrow he'll back to his old self."
He opened the door to Mrs. Higurashi's room. She was just spreading a soft throw over his brother.
Maika inhaled sharply, and tears filled her eyes. Sesshomaru lay completely still beneath the covers and his markings stood out starkly against the gray-tinged skin. She choked back a sob and threw herself to her knees beside him.
"Sesshomaru," she cried as she kissed and stroked his face. He didn't wake.
Inuyasha squirmed uncomfortably. Mrs. Higurashi approached and said, "Go on, Inuyasha. I'll stay with her."
Once he was gone, Mrs. Higurashi closed the door. She quietly sank onto the foot of the bed, waiting.
Maika kissed him once more, cupping his face with her hand, then closed her eyes. She stayed like for a moment, tearstains glistening on her cheeks, then she laughed. A sweet, simple laugh of relief.
Wiping her face, she turned to Mrs. Higurashi and said, "Yes, he'll be fine. The wounds are almost healed. There is some sort of toxin in his system. I couldn't drive it out, but his own resistance to poison is destroying it."
"I'm so glad to hear that," Mrs. Higurashi told her with genuine happiness, and before Maika could react, she was wrapped in a tight embrace.
The embrace eased and Mrs. Higurashi backed away slightly. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Maika, though I wish it were under different circumstances. Are you doing well?"
Maika caught the pointed look Mrs. Higurashi gave her and smiled. She put a hand to her abdomen and said, "The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Higurashi. We're doing fine, thank you."
"Well, you feel free to stay as long as you need. All of you are welcome here. Would you like to come downstairs and eat a little something?"
Maika shook her head. "No thank you, I think I'll just stay here with him for a while."
"Does Reiku know anything yet?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.
Maika sighed. "I told her Sesshomaru was here getting some rest, but she is uncannily perceptive. I think she is acting so cheerful to keep me from worrying about her, too. If she wants to come up, she can."
Mrs. Higurashi nodded, then left the couple alone. Maika idly traced the crescent on his brow and ran her fingers through his bangs. It bothered her that she could do nothing to heal him through their mating bond. She felt so helpless. He was fighting it on his own, but that was really the last thing he needed—to have to fight alone. Thank goodness his brother had shown up when he did, or Sesshomaru might not have survived.
Inuyasha sank wearily into a chair and accepted a cup of Ramen from Kagome. Reiku had gone up to see his brother and Maika now, so the house was finally quiet. It was a relief, really. His head was pounding, and if he wasn't carefully controlling them, his arms and legs would be shaking. While he ate, Kagome moved around behind him.
"You know, that was a really great thing you did, saving your brother," she told him as she started to massage his shoulders and neck. "That was what you sensed, wasn't it?"
Inuyasha shrugged. It wasn't that he didn't know; he simply didn't feel like talking now. He quickly finished the Ramen and set the container on the table.
"You should go lie down now, Inuyasha," Kagome told him. "You're almost as pale as your brother and your hands are shaking."
"Keh," he protested automatically. "I'm part human. I'll be fine."
Kagome suddenly had an iron grip on his ear and pulled him to his feet.
"He may not have your human blood," she told him sternly as she dragged him up the stairs to her room. "But you also don't have his resistance to toxins."
She released his ear and shoved him down onto her bed. "Rest."
Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest, but a glare from Kagome silenced him. He really did feel awful. A little rest couldn't hurt. He shut his mouth and rolled over to his side. He was surprised to feel a slight weight on the bed and a pair of small hands pushing him over to his stomach. Then she was massaging him. Oh, it felt so good. If this would be the reward each time, he would have to save his brother more often.
He tried to turn over events in his mind, but discovered that he couldn't think. His thoughts grew fuzzy and slipped from his grasp like sand. Finally, he fell asleep, but not before he thought he felt Kagome's soft lips on his cheek as she whispered, "I love you."
But then, it could have just been part of a dream.
Mrs. Higurashi walked the rounds of her house, turning off lights, making sure everyone had a blanket and was comfortable. Reiku was sleeping in Sota's bed, while he slept in a futon beside it. Kagome had fallen asleep at her desk and Inuyasha snored softly in her bed, so she fixed another futon and moved Kagome to it.
On tiptoe, she crept into her own bedroom. Maika sat in a chair beside the bed, her hand draped over Sesshomaru's arm. The youkai lord himself was sleeping fitfully. His breathing was labored. Trying not to disturb what rest he was getting, she collected the dirty bandages Maika had been changing for clean ones every hour and took them to the kitchen to throw away. She returned and covered Maika with a blanket, then set to work inspecting Sesshomaru's wounds. They were closed now, merely ugly red bruises on his pale flesh, and painfully hot to the touch.
Concerned, Mrs. Higurashi wet a rag and used it to dab his brow, neck, and chest in hopes of easing the fever. As she worked she hummed softly, drifting off into thoughts of her own, so that when she finally noticed the faint glow of golden eyes watching, she jumped.
"You care for me like your pup, human," he said softly, in a voice much weaker than it should have been. "I do not deserve such kindness. Mother. She wasn't his, wasn't my mother, yet I said it was so."
"Shhhh," Mrs. Higurashi crooned, wiping his brow with the cloth and running a hand across his eyes. "You'll think more clearly once the fever breaks. Rest now, child."
Maika stirred at that point. "Is he awake?" she whispered. Mrs. Higurashi smiled at her. "He's feverish and saying things brought on by that. You go ahead and rest, dear. I'm just trying to cool him down some."
Maika stretched and stood. She reached for the rag and said, "I don't think I can sleep any more tonight. You've been too kind to us already; you go ahead and get some sleep. I'm not mortal, so I don't need as much rest. Here, let me."
Mrs. Higurashi hid a yawn and handed Maika the cool rag. "I'll let you two be, then. If you need anything, just let me know. I'll be downstairs."
Maika nodded, already busy cooling Sesshomaru down herself. It was going to be long night for them.
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Inuyasha woke in the morning feeling refreshed. His body seemed to tingle with an enough energy for him to track down Naraku and kill him without resting. That was the wondrous part of hanyou healing. When his body mended itself, it did it right.
I bet Sesshomaru is already up and about as his usual not-cheerful self, he thought wryly. I'm surprised I still smell him around. Must be waiting on that kid to wake up.
Inuyasha turned to stand up, but had to jerk his feet up quickly so not to step on Kagome, curled up on a futon beside her bed. He felt a little twinge of guilt that she'd had to sleep down there while he got the soft bed. As he watched, she rolled over to her back, a soft frown on her face, then she muttered, "Sit."
Inuyasha had about half a second to realize what happened before he felt himself being dragged forward, off the bed, right on top of Kagome. He managed to absorb the brunt of the impact with his arms, but she still jerked awake in surprise and a sound thump carried throughout the house.
He and Kagome lay nose to nose, unable to say anything for shock as they waited for the spell to wear off. Inuyasha groaned and his cheeks heated as he heard the tell-tale sound of feet scurrying upstairs.
"Is everything all right?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she burst through the door. She stopped and Inuyasha could hear the silent laughter she was trying to suppress.
"Inuyasha, what are you doing on top of Sis?" Sota asked a moment later.
Kagome's face was as red as his felt, though she seemed to be trying to come up with an excuse awfully hard. Inuyasha couldn't help but stare dumbly at her face. She was so beautiful, and though he'd never tell her, she felt so right beneath him.
An awkward pause followed, so he reacted in his usual manner by getting angry, or at least feigning it.
"You sat me! Baka, what'd you do that for?"
Kagome flushed an even more enchanting shade of red and said, "I don't know. I was asleep. I can't help what baka things you do in my dreams!"
"Uhhh, Sis," Sota said, a goofy smile on his face, "why were you dreaming about Inuyasha?"
"Sota!" Kagome shouted, struggling to push Inuyasha off, and he prayed she was successful before his body fully reacted to her rubbing against him. "You just wait till I'm up!"
Sota laughed and ran from the room shouting, "Inuyasha and Kagome sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!"
Inuyasha snarled softly. He might have to help Kagome hunt her brother down.
"Well, breakfast is almost ready whenever you two come down. Are you going to go to school today, Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.
The spell finally released them, and Inuyasha reluctantly climbed back up onto the bed. Kagome stood and sighed. "I guess I should. I'm so behind, and the wedding is tomorrow, so no need to go back to the feudal era. They are still having the wedding, right? Or will they postpone it to let Sesshomaru recover?"
"I'm not sure, sweetie. He hasn't woken yet. Inuyasha, that man you brought, don't you think we should go ahead and call the police to take him away? I gave the him some dinner last night, and I'll take him breakfast this morning, but I don't like the way he talks. Such a rude man."
Inuyasha tried to hide his shock. His brother hadn't woken up yet? But he had recovered fully and was only a hanyou, wouldn't his brother heal even faster? He scrambled to his feet and crossed his arms. "Keh, I don't think my brother is going to be letting him off so easy, but I'll go take care of your food and disrespect problem right now."
He ignored any further protests as he moved down to the utility room. The man's curses fell on deaf ears as Inuyasha hit the back of his neck, sending him back to unconsciousness. Why hadn't Sesshomaru woken up yet? Maybe he and Maika were just expressing their relief to one another? No, he would have smelled that.
The smoke must have taken a worse toll on him than they'd first thought, which in and of itself was unsettling. First to see his brother almost die, and then for him not to get back on his feet immediately. Or had humans just advanced that much? Perhaps that was why Sesshomaru had adapted…it was that or be destroyed by the humans.
"Inuyasha," a timid voice called softly. He jumped anyways. He hadn't sensed anyone approaching.
Mrs. Higurashi stood in the doorway. "Your brother just woke up."
A strange relief flooded him. Good, now things would get back to relative normalcy. "Keh, about time he woke up his lazy ass."
"Well, he's awake, but I think you should go up there," Mrs. Higurashi told him. He could smell her worry. What was wrong now?
Unable to ask, he just silently followed. When he got there, he discovered a rather upset Maika kneeling on the floor beside his brother. Sesshomaru was on his hands and knees, still wearing the ruined clothes from the day before, his long, silver hair disheveled and his face set in an icy mask that made him take a few steps back and grip Tetsusaiga's hilt instinctually.
Maika tried to reach for Sesshomaru's arm, but he brushed her off and said in a cold, dead voice, "Mind your place, woman."
Maika clutched her arm to her chest as though she'd been stung and looked up at Inuyasha with imploring eyes. "I've never seen him like this," she whispered. "He hasn't spoken more than a few phrases to me all-"
"Silence yourself, woman. Do not address him as though I am not present," Sesshomaru ordered sternly. Maika's mouth opened and closed a few times as she debated whether she should tell him off or obey. Obedience won out, and she bowed her head and fell silent, though Inuyasha could visibly see her restraining herself.
Sesshomaru tried to stand. His legs wobbled and he swayed slightly, but he made it to his feet. He tried to take a step and lurched forward, almost falling if Inuyasha hadn't jumped forward to catch him.
"Baka! Get your ass back in bed," Inuyasha told him, trying to figure out what was going on with his brother. No wonder Maika was upset. This was how his brother acted back in his time.
From somewhere, Sesshomaru mustered the strength to wrap a hand around Inuyasha's throat, choking him. "Stay out of my affairs, hanyou."
Inuyasha coughed and pried his brother's fingers away easily. "Like hell I will. I don't know what crawled up your ass, but we're pack, so it's our affair. Especially when I see you treat your mate like that."
"I have not struck her, and she is fortunate for that," Sesshomaru told him coldly, and an indignant Maika bit her fist to keep from saying anything, though Inuyasha did not want to be in his brother's shoes when she finally let loose. "Now you will back down, hanyou, or is this an official challenge you are issuing?"
Sesshomaru stared evenly at him, managing to appear unmovable even as he swayed on his feet.
"Keh, fine, try to keep going until you fall and break your stupid neck. Baka!" Inuyasha replied, crossing his arms and stepping out of the youkai's way. "I shouldn't have saved you from that smoke in the first place."
Sesshomaru staggered forward, his head high and his entire being emotionless. "No, you should not have," he replied as he moved past Inuyasha and caught the doorframe.
Inuyasha lowered his gaze to Maika and motioned for her to remain where she was. She nodded and they watched in silence as Sesshomaru tried his damnedest to descend the stairs regally without sparing a glance at anyone as he passed.
"What the hell is all that about?" Maika demanded, her rage mixed with tears. Her fists clenched on her lap as she tried to suppress it all.
"Easy, stay calm. You don't want to hurt yourself or the pup," Inuyasha cautioned her.
"My brother makes donkeys seem mild when it comes to stubbornness. Just let him go for now. He won't make it too far like that."
Kagome ran in a moment later. "Inuyasha! Where is your brother going? He can barely even walk; he should be in bed."
"I think he's going to hunt down the person who attacked him," Maika supplied.
Inuyasha scoffed. "His nose must be off, if he can't tell that the guy is in the house. Well, I say he'll make it to the front door."
"Oh, I think he'll make it to the shrine entrance," Kagome said.
Maika looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
"He's not gonna stop until he passes out. We're just guessing how far he'll make it before that happens," Inuyasha told her.
Kagome rushed over and put an arm around Maika. "Don't worry, Inuyasha will make sure he doesn't hurt himself, won't you."
"Keh," Inuyasha replied noncommittally, but he set off at a slow walk to trail his brother.
Kagome was right; Sesshomaru made it right up to the tall shrine steps before losing consciousness. Inuyasha just managed to catch him before he tumbled down the stairs. With a sigh, he tossed his brother onto his shoulder and carried him back up to the bedroom. Kagome and Maika both squealed softly when they saw him.
He tossed his brother onto the mattress and said, "Hey, Kagome, you got any good rope?"
"Sure, why?" she asked.
Maika smiled. "To tie him to the bed. I have to admit I've been wanting to do that to him." Her smile lessened and she walked over to him. "Though under different circumstances."
Kagome nodded and ran to fetch a rope. When she returned, Inuyasha quickly tied his brother snugly into the bed. "Maybe you should carry out your plans," he told Maika when he was done. "It might knock some sense back into him."
"What is wrong with him? Is he still delirious from fever?" she asked, too worried to properly banter.
"I don't think so. He's always like this, er, well, he was back when, uh, I was younger," Inuyasha tried to explain. Damn, did Maika know about the well or not? "He's probably just upset."
"Upset?" Maika repeated. "When you get upset you, throw things, shout, cry. He's just gone, like the youkai I mated vanished behind all that ice."
Inuyasha shook his head. "Normal people cry and throw things. Stuck up, aristocratic assholes get like that. They stop up all emotions and just go around not feeling or reacting to anything. He must be pretty damn upset, too, to get this bad. Like I said, it has been a long time for him since he's acted like that."
"But why is he so upset? Is it because a human did this to him?" Kagome asked.
Inuyasha shrugged. "That's probably part of it, but if it were me, I'd be more upset with myself."
"How could he be mad at himself for getting attacked?" Kagome asked.
"Sesshomaru is all about pride and honor. To him humans are weak insects—no offense—and for one to best him would be a shortcoming on his part," Inuyasha explained. He blushed slightly as he continued. "But more than that, if it were me, I'd be more upset at having failed my mate."
Maika froze, her hand still tangled in Sesshomaru's bangs. "What do you mean? He didn't fail me. He couldn't fail me. Ever."
Inuyasha didn't look up from his toes. "You may feel that way, and it's obvious he loves you more than anything, but in his mind he's failed you. By allowing himself to be injured and nearly die, he left you defenseless and almost without a mate. And he really takes it hard to allow anyone he's chosen to care for and protect to come to harm."
"Yes, he told me about Rin," Maika said, her voice sad. "I've been trying to help with that."
"He never once openly acknowledged any affection for the child, but you can see it in everything he does," Inuyasha told her. "But that's just my theory. My brother is an asshole so he could just be acting normally."
Inuyasha winced as he noticed a very nasty sit brewing behind Kagome's eyes. Fortunately, he was saved.
"Okay, breakfast!" Mrs. Higurashi announced as she entered the room carrying a tray. "Here is something for you, Maika. And a little something for him, if you can get him to eat when he wakes up."
Maika regarded the small dish of raw meat with wonder. "How did you know…?"
Mrs. Higurashi winked. "He's been a guest in this house before. But I think this time the house will fare a bit better."
Kagome chuckled at Maika's bewildered expression, and Inuyasha arched an eyebrow. What had happened when his brother passed through the well? Kagome had been vague about the details.
"Okay, you two have breakfast downstairs. You'll call when he wakes?" Mrs. Higurashi directed her question to Maika who nodded.
"And thank you for breakfast. I'll come down and help with the dishes."
"Nonsense, you just stay here with him and call us if he gives you any more trouble," Mrs. Higurashi insisted as she dragged Inuyasha and Kagome into the hall and shut the door.
Inuyasha smelled Ramen on the air and had to wipe the drool from his mouth. No need to tell him twice. Kagome tugged on his arm, though, holding him back with her.
"You know, you and your brother have a lot more in common than you think," she told him, leaning in close against him. She lifted herself onto her toes and brushed a soft kiss to his cheek. "You could never fail me either."
Inuyasha squirmed, unsure of how to react. She was practically saying she viewed him as a mate like Maika viewed his brother. Darn them all, getting him to think so much this early in the morning.
"Let's go eat. I really do need to go to school today," Kagome said as if sensing is discomfort.
In the kitchen, Reiku, Sota and Grandpa all sat around the table already eating breakfast. Reiku turned and brightened at the sight of white hair, but slumped when she realized it wasn't Sesshomaru.
"Oh, I thought you were Father," she said as she turned back around to pick at her breakfast.
"Oie, kid, if you want to see him so bad, you ought to go up there," Inuyasha told her.
She brightened instantly and looked to the females in the room.
"I don't see any harm in it," Mrs. Higurashi told her.
"Thankyoumrshigurashi," Reiku exclaimed as she raced from the kitchen.