• *within asterisk= sound effects* • Italicized= thoughts • Chichi-ue= archaic, polite form of "father"
WARNING: This chapter is especially cloying. You have been warned.
~~Two days later~~
Sesshōmaru is sitting with his legs out before him, his arms in front of him as well, and his back is inclined forward. His father unwraps his bandages; they fall to his waist. He's all better: no redness, no bruise, no blood, no scar – nothing.
The dragons push themselves up with their forelegs *Gah!*
They both look at the little ones. Taishō pats Sesshōmaru's back, "They're glad to see that you're okay. They seem to like you, despite your treatment."
Sesshōmaru turns his head away, "They've been here for seven days. Aren't they headed yet?"
"They're little, and they aren't exactly Greater Demons either. If anything, that wound would've have meant the end for them had it not been for your rescue. Just be patient. It'll be a while until they've fully recovered. So," Taishō wraps his arms around Sesshōmaru's shoulders and brings him to his chest, "stop fretting!"
Sesshōmaru gets pretty damn pink – like a peach you could say?
"Chichi-ue! Ch… not – it's watching…" Sesshōmaru has his arms bent in front of him, his hands gripping his father's arms.
Taishō turns his head to his right and stares at the dragons who are staring right back, "You're embarrassed because they're watching?" He turns to his son, "I thought they were too slow to understand anything, hmm?"
"Well… uh, I mean, nnn… just not now."
He hugs Sesshōmaru tighter and puts his left cheek to Sesshōmaru's right cheek, "Stop being so fidgety."
Sesshōmaru gets pinker.
The little dragon's eyes widen and they continue to stare.
"F-father… really! Not, not right now…."
"Come on, calm down already! *mwah*"
"Ch, ch, chi- Chichi-ue! I, I, I, -"
"My dear little puppy…"
"Chichi-ue - not here. I, I, I don't want it to look." He lets out a long querulous whine as his father continues to nuzzle him.
Wow, he's like a strawberry now.
The dragons stare and stare and blink and gawk and stare some more at the complete collapse of the boy's composure.
Sesshōmaru hastily clambers into a crawling scrabble out of his father's arms to the outside door, once there, without pausing a pace, grips the open door with his left hand and transfers his momentum to swing himself outside and to the left. He's gone…
Dragons- *Aaahh* Taishō, who had fallen over but had caught himself by planting his palms to the floor when his son suddenly ran off, sits back up properly. He then turns his head to the dragon and smiles. He puts his index finger vertically across his lips, "Shhh… please, don't mention this to anyone, ever. If Sesshōmaru were to find out that I told and other people know, he would probably refuse to show me any sort of affection ever again."
They look at him, eyes haven widened. Taishō closes his left eye, "You have to keep this secret, okay?"
They nod.
~~Meanwhile, outside~~
Sesshōmaru's knees are bent, but he's still standing. His left hand is on his left knee; his right hand is on his chest. He's panting, sweating, and looks like a tomato.
That… that was completely on purpose!
Exhale, inhale, exhale, inhales sharply, inhale-hale, pause, exxxhale *cough* His knees buckle- *Blop!* He keeps on gasping, "Unnnhhgg…."
(This will be a mix of an older Ah-Un reflecting, but also what they thought at that time when the events took place)
It's strange: when the boy is just with us he's more calm and callous, albeit he certainly has a temper, but when he's by his father…
It's like the tension in his body eases; he shows affection; and his cold temperament completely shatters – the boy becomes a frantic jittery mess – he totally spazzes out. And the man, well… he's actually sort of doting – and stern when he needs to be, but sometimes he's doting and stern in a consecutive cycle.
Well, it is the boy too, being loving, then mean to us, then apologizing and then being harsh to us again.
Why did the man do that last time? Surely he knew what his son's reaction would be from that; he should have expected that he'd run… so why then-? Then he told us to keep it a secret, and since that day…
"Aaaa – hahahahahaha! Fa-a-Aaa – Stop it! You're, you're, aah! Ahahahahahahaha! Ple- ease! *Gasps*"
We watched as the boy rolled on the ground on his back, desperately trying to stop his father's quick hands from tickling him to death.
"But, why…?" *tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle*
"Aaaahh! Oh… stooop! Hahaha-haha- ple - ahhahaha!" He managed to roll onto his right side and curled up into a ball, but… "Aaahahahahaha! I, I, haha, I swear – I'm, I'm, ghh, I'm gonna die!"
"Wouldn't dying from laughter be a nice way to go?"
"Th-th-aat's – ahh! – cr- cruuuell…!"
Sesshōmaru is wearing white poofy hakama, and a close fitting, short, black kimono similar to the one the dark priestess Tsubaki wore; it has an autumn leaf pattern at the sleeves, and left shoulder and collar.
Although the boy managed to roll onto his stomach, the man is relentless.
The boy laughs and laughs and gasps and continues to beg for him to stop. He lifted his head and looked up at us. Through laughter and gasps he said, "W-what the he-ell's wrong with you! Hahahahahaha!"
He reached his hand out to us, "H-help! Ahhahaha – hah! Don't just ssssit there, *gasps* doing nothing!" He dropped his head so that his face was on the floor and hit the floor repeatedly with his right fist, "D-do something! I- I- I saved-ed you – ahahaha!"
He looked at us again, "Dammit – help!" Tears were forcing themselves from his eyes and he had such a wide smile.
The man pulled the boy's kimono-shirt up, "Ah, let's see. Here are your stripes - " The boy's eyes widened.
Wait, the boy has stripes there? – oh, yeah… we saw that he had two magenta stripes on his waist above the hips when the man was tending to his wounds.
"And here's the last of your ribs…"
"Chi-chi-chichi-ue! Please, no – not -"
"So then, ri-i-ight here!"
"Not – Gah!" his eyes were huge, hair stood, his fingers contorted, his jaw dropped but the corners of his mouth pulled up. "Aaaahh – haahaahaa! Haa! Haa! No, no, no, no, no, ple-e-e-ease!"
"No. Besides, laughter is good for your health!" *tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle!*
The boy's belly region is ticklish, but apparently that little spot between the stripes and ribs is the jackpot area.
The boy eventually rolled onto his back again and the man stopped. The boy caught his breath but he still had that upward curve on his lips and his eyes were watery; he looked exhausted yet still pleased. His father then patted his son's chest twice and smiled too. The boy lifted his right forearm and extended his fingers out to his father's face, he then said, "You know, when I'm older and bigger, I'm gonna get you back."
His father pulls himself back a little, "Um, Sesshōmaru, that… came off kinda sounding like a threat." *sweatdrop*
The boy just closed his eyes still smiling.
~~#~~
They cherish each other and they always show a lot of affection.
At night, the boy usually curls up in a ball facing his father who usually puts his arm around him. In the morning, well, apparently the boy moves around a lot at night. Some mornings he is on his back on top of his father, but sideways: head at the man's left, and his legs at his right. Other times he's just on him. On occasion the boy turns up on the other side of his father, such as if he went to sleep on the man's right side he'd turn up on his left side the next morning. The boy wakes up on his belly, back, left side, right side, in a ball, sprawled out – how does the man sleep through so much of his shifting? One time the man had both arms around the boy in an embrace and they were facing each other; the next morning… the boy was on his back, limbs extended like a starfish and with his father's head on the boy's chest; the man was lying on his side and had his hand lightly resting at the side of his son's lower belly.
Even who gets up first is hard to guess. Some mornings the boy – Nnn… well, maybe we should stop calling him 'the boy' we know his name right? – He doesn't even like us – Shut up, besides we got dirt on him – True, his name… - The man's said it a few times you know! – Riighht… Se-something – Sesshōmaru! You can be really annoying sometimes! – Yeah. Okay. I get it. Now… where was I, uh, where were we?
Sometimes, Sesshōmaru, is the one who rises first. The man – maybe we should call him 'Dad' – What? He's not our dad. – I know, but, just saying – He's not even one of us! He's a - - he's a… what are they anyway? – I dunno. Hey! This guy has been really nice and caring to us these past few days, and I think that's why we should call him 'Dad' – What? What kind of! Ugh! Fine: 'Dad.' Now stop interrupting!
'Dad' will sleepily and blindly feel around for his child, turn side to side and such, and then wake up. Sesshōmaru will especially do this if his dad is the first to get up. He gropes around the sheets for his dad and even moves his hands as though he's looking for someone to hug.
Sometimes Dad will come into the room and half pick-up Sesshōmaru by holding his chest and he'll gently shake him, "Sesshooomaaruuu… wake up, puppy."
Sesshōmaru does and then turns around and wraps his arms above his father's shoulders and groggily rests his head, it's like he wants to be carried, but then, as though he realizes how old he is, he let's go and half gets onto his feet; Dad gives him a pat on the head, grips the boy's shoulders so he's standing completely and then they leave.
Sesshōmaru gets up before his dad too. But, while Dad is asleep Sesshōmaru will come into his room with a small, black, shiny tray-table with food prepared. He'll kneel, then say, "Chichi-ue… Chichi-ue, good morning."
Usually Dad opens his eyes by this point and he'll train his gaze to Sesshōmaru who will then blush, faintly, just a little; smile, faintly, but sweetly and shyly; his brow unfurrows and eyes close very slightly too. "I, I made breakfast for you…"
He offers the tray-table to him. Dad sits up, and then Sesshōmaru scoots back a little, cautiously, then sets the tray-table down and gradually pushes it toward his father. Dad shifts so that he can be in a more comfortable position as he eats. Sesshōmaru just rests his hands on his knees, tilts his head to the side and waits upon him in a serene patience.
It's been fourteen days since the dragon arrived. They're in their bedding resting when, *tss, tss, tss, tss, tss*
Both of their heads rise and they look around. The sound is from outside… They prop themselves up on their forelegs, then they put their right leg under them and push up. The left leg drags as the dragon limps-pull-hops itself to the outside door, which fortunately (and seemingly is always) open.
After some effort they reach the doorway, pause, then they peek their heads out the door and on the portico they see Sesshōmaru sweeping. *tss, tss, tss, tss*
*Graah* Sesshōmaru looks up and then toward the door. His eyes widen as he sees two little brown heads tilted in curiosity, and big blinking eyes.
"What are you doing out here? Get back inside." The little one drags itself outside a little.
"No. No. Go, go back inside." They look up at him and he walks over to them, broom in hand, "Go. Back. Inside. Now." *Naah*
Sesshōmaru points with his free hand to the room, "Go." They stare at him.
Then Sesshōmaru tries to push them back inside with the broom, essentially he's 'sweeping' the dragon indoors. With each swift stroke the dragon is pushed a hand length. *Gah!* *tss*
They look up at him. *Gyan!* *tss*
*Gy-ya-yan* *tss, tss, tss* *Ga-* *tss* *-an* *tss*
They're almost at the bedding.
"Sesshōmaru… why are you sweeping the dragon?"
Sesshōmaru looks behind himself to see his father, "Um…? Because."
~~The next day; morning~~
Taishō is carrying the dragon: they're outside. The dragon's hear a swishing sound…
"Pup – py."
Sesshōmaru comes into view. He's kneeling over a round wooden tub filled with foamy water, in it is a washboard. Sesshōmaru's black sleeves are tied back and he has a white-blue bandanna on his head. He's washing.
Sesshōmaru pauses, then looks to his right. His eyes widen; his mouth pulls back.
Taishō smiles at him.
"Why did you bring that out here?"
"What? Don't tell me you're embarrassed that it's watching you?"
"I, I, just…" Sesshōmaru scrubs faster and looks at the washboard.
Taishō pouts, "You're normally not this jittery when I watch you."
Wow, he's actually scrubbing pretty damn fast. The dragons stretch their necks. Is, is he blushing? It's hard to tell; his head is turned away.
He then gets up holding a wet kimono, wrings it out, holds it by the collar and shakes it out so it untwists. He walks over to a clothesline, gets on a small stool, and uses clothespins to hang the kimono to dry. He puts his arms to his sides once he's done. Taishō tilts his head.
"Father, can you… take that back inside?"
"It's a baby dragon! Do you expect it to go around gossiping that you wash clothes; that they'll ruin you 'image'?"
Sesshōmaru spins around, hands in fists, face red, "I just don't need that thing staring at me all day, okay?"
Taishō's eyes widen and his eyebrows rise.
There's a silence. The wind- *woooooo….*
Sesshōmaru's body loosens, he seems to shrink back, then he raises his arms out in front of him and waves them frantically side to side with a nervous smile, red cheeks, and big eyes with a twitchy left eyebrow, "Ch, ch, ch, Chichi-ue, I, I, I, I, I – did not mean that in anyway to – I was not judging, uh, condemning, no, no, no, no, no. I, I should totally – utterly respect – revere – your word. Y-you-" he points at himself, the right corner of his mouth is twitching, big sweatdrops around him, "It was, it was me. It was, it is all me… my (puts hands to chest) fault, solely mine. I, I, I am an impudent child, no-no-not that- (goes back to waving arms) -I was not trying to insult you or be offensive. NO! The exact opposite! Uh, because… actually – guh" his head falls to the side then pulls up again, "I, I'm naïve! I! I! I…"
He then sharply gives a 110 degree bow, looses his balance, "Gah!" he flails his arms in circles at his sides, a leg in the air, the other foot hops on the seat, he slips, then kicks the stool, "Aah!" arms still flailing, then *Crash!* *Clank!* *Splsh!* "Ooooaaahhh…"
"Sesshōmaru?"
Sesshōmaru is mostly face down, the wash tub rolls on its side around Sesshōmaru's head in a semi-circle, then falls so that it's upside down at his left. The washboard is at his right. His arms are out in front of him. His left leg is on top of the tipped over stool, and his right leg is at a 45 degree angle to his body. The grass around him and his torso and his sleeves and his hair and his face, are soaked and foamy. Sesshōmaru brings his arms closer to his head, plants his palms into the wet grass and pushes himself up; his face is dirty, wet, and foamy, and there's some grass on his face and in his hair.
*Pfft* and out comes blades of grass and water from Sesshōmaru's mouth. He has that 'I just ate dirt' look on his face. He pushes himself onto his hands and knees. He's dripping water, then he hears, "My, you're just adorable!"
Sesshōmaru's eyes get big fast and he whips his head up and looks at his father with big pleading eyes; eyebrows low; cheeks red; and his mouth is contorted into a pout, but his upper teeth are showing. Then his lower lip pulls back so that his clenched teeth are visible; his brow quivers and he says in a shrilly moan, "Faatheer!" He sits on the grass; knees out in front of him and legs to his side; he brings his arms into his body and his hands into fists near his neck; face still strawberry-ish, "I've told you before! Stop saying that!"
Taishō looks at him with innocent confusion, "What? That you're adorable?"
"Nnnn… Yes! That!" He gets cherry-red; he sets his forearms down so that they are perpendicular to his upper arms which are pressed in close to his ribs, "Stop calling me 'adorable'!"
Taishō pouts at him, "But… you are adorable!"
Sesshōmaru spazzes out.
~~Three days later~~
After staying with Sesshōmaru and Taishō for 18 days it seems that the little dragon is now fully healed. They have seen Sesshōmaru turn various shades of red, do chores, totally spaz out and actually look and act kind. The dragons no longer have bandages on them and they feel fine, albeit sore, but good enough to get up and walk around. Finally, they get a chance to see more of the house besides that bedroom!
The door across from their bedding is open, and so they walk beyond it. It's a hallway. They go to the left, since that's the direction where the boy and man always go to. After a while of wandering around and seeing other rooms, they stop. They feel something – something is calling out to them…
They peer around and see a door that's open slightly. They go over and peer into the crack. It's dark in there. The left head pushes the door open more and then more light enters the room. After some pushing, there is enough light for them to see what's in there.
The room is a mere 4 ft x5 ft (about 121 cm x152 cm), but in it is armor. Its black armor, with large gray, spiked cauldrons. The top of the cuirass is gray and also spiked, then red and it has a jewel in the upper middle. It has gauntlets of black and gray. There's a tasset in the front and flowing from the top back of the cuirass and cauldrons is thick white fur that drags onto the floor. The whole armor stands on a display that is only three feet (about a meter) tall. The one who wears the armor must be quite tall.
Oh! Dad must wear this! It's his armor! The dragons look to the armor's left side.
There's a sword – a big one. At the end of its brown hilt is a large, purple sphere. It shines. They get closer. Then they stop and take a step back. They're shaking.
Bad feeling. Bad feeling – really bad feeling! They turn around and move hastily to the door. Bad, bad feeling. *boop*
They look up. It's Sesshōmaru; they've bumped into his legs. *Gahn! Gahn! Gahn! Gahn!*
Sesshōmaru bites back his lip and his brow furrows, "What are you doing in here!" He bends down and grabs the dragon by its waist with his right hand, "You shouldn't be in here. Get out."
He turns around and drops the dragon outside the door to the floor. *Gnah!*
They turn around and look at Sesshōmaru who is closing the door, still looking rather irritated. He turns around and looks at them, "Did you touch anything?"
They shake their heads. *Sigh* "Don't ever go in there again."
He glares down at the dragon, "Tch." He picks them up again and walks down the hall, "You shouldn't even be out here to begin with." *Nah*
~~Two days later~~
The dragons wake up on their bedding, roll onto their backs and stretch, and then roll back onto their stomach. Taishō is kneeling by them, smiling. They look up at him. *Ah*
"You're all better now."
The left head tilts his head to the side.
"You're not going to be staying here anymore, but first…"
~~Outside~~
Water pours down on the dragons' heads. They are in the washtub. Sesshōmaru is kneeling by them holding a bucket in his hand, "There."
The dragon shakes off the water and Sesshōmaru closes his eyes as some of it gets on him. He then reaches in and takes them out of the foamy water. After they're dried, Sesshōmaru takes the little dragon outside of the bedroom door. He's standing in the grass facing the forest where he first stepped out holding them. He kneels and sets the dragon down. They stare at the bushes, then they turn their heads to Sesshōmaru and squawk at him in confusion.
Sesshōmaru tilts his head a little to the left, blinks, and says, "Go."
The dragons begin to turn around their body, but then Sesshōmaru grabs them and redirects them so that they're facing the bushes, "You can leave now. Go." *Naah*
"You're all better now. Leave." The dragon slinks back.
He then places the palms of his hands, fingers pointing down, behind the dragon and pushes them forward, but they don't take a step.
Sesshōmaru gives them another push, "Come on. Go." Another push, but still they won't take a step.
"Come on already. G- - -o." He pushes them again with more force. The dragon leans forward and then its head and chest fall to the grass, hind legs still standing, tail straight in the air. *Omph!*
They stand up, walk forward a bit and look back. Sesshōmaru is squatting, looking at them, "Come on, keep going," and motions with his right hand for them to go away.
They look forward, take a few steps, then stop again and look back.
Sesshōmaru stands and waves goodbye, "Travel through the bushes and stay out of larger demon's sights until your big enough to fight them."
They walk on some more, and then stop right before they go into the bush and look back.
Sesshōmaru has his arms to his sides. They just stare at him…
Black ankle-high boots; white poofy-hakama; short, close-fitting, untucked, black kimono with usual kimono sleeves that has autumn leaves on them, the left shoulder too; short, above-the-shoulders, white hair; blue crescent moon on the forehead; two thin magenta stripes on both cheeks; red lines on the upper eyelids; and yellow eyes…
They stare at him…
…Sesshōmaru…
"Bye-bye."
They go into the bushes.
*Roooaarrr!* *Graaah!* *Shluck!* *Kyeeh!* *Shlack!* *Groooahh!* *Shlurk!* *Raaah!* *Shluck!*
A knee falls to the ground, *Pant, pant, pant* "Damn it!"
Sesshōmaru is on his right knee. He looks to be 16-years-old. His hair is past his shoulders, mid-back. He has on a white kimono with large red floral patters at the left shoulder, collar, and sleeves; fur on his right shoulder; armor: a black cuirass, broken off at the top; four tassets; it's tied by a blue sash and at the end's tips are two bands of yellow; ankle-high, black boots; and at the left side of his waist is a blue-hilted, red-hand guarded sword within a black sheath.
His sleeve-torn, bloody right hand grips his bloody left shoulder. A little below his collarbone is a puncture of about 3-4 inches (7.6-10 cm) in diameter, but it doesn't go through. He has a large gash across his right forearm. Blood flows down to his right hand. There is a cut on his face: it starts a little below the inner corner of his left eye and continues diagonally to his jaw line.
All around him are demons, dozens of them. They're closing in.
Damn… they've only been able to inflict four wounds on me, but… He moves his right hand and puts it over the gaping hole he has in the middle of his thigh. But the attacks that were able to make contact caused a lot of damage.
A demon flies to Sesshōmaru, he lifts his left hand and cuts it down. *Shluck!*
I can't move as well. He grips his leg. They managed to completely break my thigh bone in half.
He shakily pushes himself up. The demons close in. He lifts his right hand and starting from his left side sweeps his Whip of Light in a semi-circle in front of him.
*Gaah!* *Kyaah!* Pieces of flesh fall in the grass.
There are still more of them. Sesshōmaru moves his body back, but then he feels a surging hot pain shoot from his leg and he falls down again on his right knee, "Ggh!"
The other demons come closer. Sesshōmaru lifts his hand in front of him, claws cracking. Damn-
*Roooarrr!* *Graah!* *Groooahhh!*
To be continued...
Next: Final Chapter