A Taste of Humanity

Disclaimer: Sesshomaru and all characters from Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, not me (Zukiko is mine though). This story is for entertainment purposes only; I make no profit from it.

A/N: Reviews are appreciated. Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Home

Sesshomaru awoke as the sky brightened in an array of gold, pink, and lavender. He quietly watched his brother change back as the sun's rays drenched the land in their warmth. He noted every change with interest. Hair seemed to be washed clean of the deep black to return to its shimmering silver-white, stubby nails grew and sharpened into imposing claws, and two triangular ears popped up atop his brother's head. He continued to quietly sit there as his brother's ears twitched and now-golden eyes took in the morning. He made no movement as Inuyasha sniffed the air and yawned, showing off his fangs. He had to hide his surprise as the hanyou calmly turned to him and smiled.

"Good morning," Inuyasha said, yawning once more.

"Good morning, little brother," Sesshomaru replied, slowly testing his stiff muscles.

"Today's day seven isn't it?" He nodded to his brother. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving! Let's see if Kagome is done making breakfast!" He got up slowly as Inuyasha paced and hopped about impatiently. Sesshomaru was a bit surprised his brother was actually waiting for him, but quickly decided to simply accept the gesture. With a few wobbles and wincing, they made their way down the small hill to where Kagome sat preparing breakfast.

"Ah, there you two are! We were wondering where you two went," Kagome smiled and handed them their food. Turning to Rin, she quipped, "See? I told you they'd be back by breakfast! I've never known Inuyasha to skip a meal willingly!" He smirked a bit as the girls giggled together.

"…mrph mmm hrmph…" was all Inuyasha said in his defense, his mouth stuffed with food.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome admonished, "Don't speak with your mouth full!" The group dissolved into another round of giggles as Inuyasha tried to apologize around his mouthful. Sesshomaru felt himself relax for perhaps the hundredth time since he was cursed. He chuckled softly at the new habit. He felt comfortable around his brother and sister-in-law. 'These people, human and hanyou, are my family,' he acknowledged, 'my… pack. It doesn't matter that they aren't full-blooded demons. They have their own strengths.' He finished his meal and enjoyed the friendly conversation, making the occasional comment. He noticed they included him in their conversations though unlike many of the earlier times, it didn't feel forced or awkward. Zukiko finished eating and soon claimed his lap, snuggling contentedly into the folds of his clothing.

"So, Sesshomaru," Kagome started. He looked up at her, not sure what to make of her suddenly serious tone. "Zukiko was telling us how you agreed to be her new daddy." He glanced at his brother and saw his eyes were wide. "I know you like to wander around a great deal, but do you… do you have a home?" His eyes widened slightly. 'A home?' he pondered her question, 'There's my mother's home, but I could never bring humans or hanyou there…' He frowned.

"I have never required a permanent residence since I was a child," he admitted. "Perhaps it would be unfair to Zukiko to not have such a place… yet she is a target for demons and would be unwelcome and unsafe in human villages. Inuyasha alone would not be able to fully protect her even if she were accepted here after what happened." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he looked up, he saw Kagome and Inuyasha nodding in agreement with his comment.

"Keh," Inuyasha said, slipping his hands into the sleeves of his robes, "I'd gladly look after the pup, but you're right. With the destruction the last demon caused, I don't know if the other villagers would like having a 'demon-magnet' around."

"Still," Kagome chimed in, "it would not be fair to deny her a place she can call home. Somewhere she can play with other children her age." They sat and pondered the problem. Sesshomaru looked down at the girl sleeping soundly, completely unaware of the conversation about her future.

"Wait," Inuyasha remarked, breaking the silence, "Kagome if you… if we… I mean… if we had pups wouldn't we have the same problem?" Kagome's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed at the thought.

"That's true," she mused, "they'd be part demon and probably would draw demons here as well." Sesshomaru heard someone clear their throat behind him and turned to see an elderly man with a bandaged arm.

"I overheard some of your conversation Lady Kagome," he said, his voice a nasal whine, "though Kaede was happy to keep half-demons in our village, she is gone now and we can not allow this kind of danger to become commonplace. The other elders and I have decided that once you are finished training young Rika in the ways of a priestess, I'm afraid you and your demon mate must leave. The demon pup must go as well." With a flurry of robes, the man left the group.

"That ungrateful….! How dare he!" Inuyasha growled and began to stand up.

"It's alright Inuyasha," Kagome coaxed the seething hanyou back down. "They are concerned for their safety, that's all." Her eyes lit up and Sesshomaru had a feeling she had an idea. "What if we moved to the other side of the forest? There's a large stream and a field with plenty of herbs and flowers. I'm sure Miroku and Sango would join us and Sesshomaru can have a hut for Rin and Zukiko."

"You're right," Inuyasha agreed, "it's a good 5 days walk away, so we would be far enough away from this village." As they finished deciding, Sesshomaru heard a loud slap and the distinctive cry of "Sango". Sure enough, Kirara appeared carrying the two demon slayers and the monk. They landed nearby and were greeted warmly by Kagome and Rin. Sesshomaru stood by his brother feeling nervous. Zukiko watched the group uncertainly as they approached.

"Is that?" Kagome nodded to the monk, "and who's the little one in his arms?" Kagome smiled.

"Her name is Zukiko," she said, "She's a hanyou like Inuyasha. Her parents were killed so Sesshomaru has agreed to adopt her." He watched the monk's face express surprise and shock and felt his lips curl into a small smile.

"Do you have a problem with this Sesshomaru's decision?" He raised an eyebrow for effect and was rewarded with a stammering and flailing monk.

"Geez Sesshomaru," Kagome chided, "You're going to give him a heart attack!" He simply allowed the smirk to grow and quietly chuckled.

"D..did he just… is he laughing at us?" Sango looked at him, clearly nervous even though he was still human. He watched as Kagome calmed her friends down and began to explain what had happened while they were gone.

"Well, that explains why our hut is now rubble," Miroku stated. "If you want I can talk to the elders about letting you…"

"No, it's alright," Kagome assured the monk, "We decided it's better to just move to the other side of the forest, by the field I get a number of my herbs from anyway. It'll be easier to have it closer and easy access to water would be handy too."

"Kagome," Sesshomaru asked, "How much longer until 'Rika' is fully-trained?" He saw her smile.

"Actually," she replied, "I was going to test her on some things today and then tell her she's ready. She's a smart girl and has picked up everything quickly, though she tends to have issues with me being mated to Inuyasha." She sighed. "Guess I should get packing…" He was about to say something when Inuyasha pulled her into a hug.

"We will pack," he said, nuzzling into her hair, "you have enough to deal with. I'm sure the six of us can manage to pack up a single hut."

"I hope so!" Kagome said, laughing. She headed off to find Rika, leaving them to pack. He watched Inuyasha roll up his sleeves and fix a determined look onto his face. Zukiko chose that moment to wake up and reach for Rin. He handed the girl to her reluctantly.

"Pfft," Inuyasha muttered as he marched inside, "It's just one tiny hut. How hard can packing the stuff in it be?" Sesshomaru glanced at the others and saw Sango and Rin shaking their heads. Within moments, a loud crash in the hut could be heard followed shortly by a very long list of expletives. Sesshomaru chuckled, causing Sango to flinch.

"He truly is hopeless," he said. He raised an eyebrow at the others, "how does she put up with him?" The monk chuckled, relaxing around him finally.

"It is indeed a great mystery," the monk replied, "I believe the beads help somewhat though."

"Perhaps," Sesshomaru agreed. They approached the hut, which was quieter now. Only an occasional mutter or crash was heard. Peering inside, Sesshomaru saw his brother amid a vast collection of pots which seemed to have toppled onto him.

"Don't say a word," his brother growled, his ears twitching. Shrugging, he went over to another section of the hut and began sorting through the cabinets. A familiar growl outside told him Ah-Un had come to help. Taking a few bundles in hand, he went to the dragon. Zukiko was being sniffed by the two-headed mount. He noticed she stood stiffly; the only movement visible was her ears which were twitching as the dragon sniffed near them.

"Zukiko," he called, "it is fine. Ah-Un will not hurt you." He approached the dragon, securing the bundles to his back. The heads turned to him and nuzzled his side. He gave each neck an affectionate pat. He felt a tug on his leg and scooped her up into his arms. He noticed this gave her confidence as she now reached for one of the heads.

"Ah-Un," she declared, "um, Daddy? Which is 'Ah' and which is 'Un'?" He smiled. He enjoyed hearing her call him 'daddy' and hoped it would continue. 'Rin was the one who named them,' he mused, 'I have no idea which is which.' He felt relieved when Rin came out the hut and loaded some more bundles onto the dragon. Turning to her, he repeated Zukiko's question.

"Zukiko would like to know which is 'Ah' and which is 'Un'." Rin's face lit up as she smiled.

"This is 'Ah'," she declared, pointing to the right head, "and this is Un," pointing to the left one. Zukiko frowned slightly.

"Will they eat me?" The dragon snorted and huffed at the pup.

"No Zukiko," he replied, "Ah-Un doesn't eat meat, only plants." She relaxed, smiling once more. He let her climb onto the saddle and went back into the hut to help pack. 'Such a menial task,' he thought, 'yet I do not mind helping.' He noticed the monk beside him, a bundle of herbs in hand.

"I never thought I would see the fearsome Lord of the Western Lands packing up the contents of a hut," he glanced over at Inuyasha, finally disentangled from the pots.

"It is partly my fault they must move," he explained. "Why are you helping?" He felt uncomfortable around the monk though was willing to listen. His brother held the monk's advice in high regard, though probably never would admit it.

"Kagome and Inuyasha are my friends," the monk replied, "helping friends and family can be quite rewarding." He nodded in agreement and went to load more supplies. He noticed Kirara beside Ah-Un, Zukiko jumping playfully from the back of one to the other. He secured the bundle and looked up just in time to catch a leaping Zukiko in his arms.

"Daddy!" she cried, snuggling into his arms. 'Wasn't it only yesterday that her parents were killed?' he mused, 'How can she accept me as her father so soon?' Concerned, he decided to ask the pup.

"Zukiko," her large golden eyes looked up into his dark brown ones. "You lost your father yesterday…" She shook her head.

"No," she insisted, "Mommy and daddy were killed..." She paused to count her fingers, "8 days ago." 'Eight days?' he thought, 'She was struggling all alone for six days. That's quite impressive for one so young.' He looked down at the pup in his arms. 'Rin was eight when she began following me, this pup is older only because she's half-demon. If she were a human child, she would be three, maybe four, years old.' He was startled from his thoughts as she continued. "It was scary and I was so hungry. Before I left Mommy, she told me to be strong. She said to hide well. I'm good at hiding, up high in trees or in burrows."

"You did well," he stated softly. "I will keep you safe now." She smiled, content with his promise. He noticed the last of the hut's contents were loaded onto Kirara. He glanced about and noticed the others had started a fire for tea. His brother waved him over and he sat between him and Rin. Zukiko jumped into Rin's lap as she saw a small jar being retrieved from the yellow bag. Tilting towards Rin's ear, he whispered, "I can feed her." Smiling, she nodded and handed him the food. Zukiko, noticing that Rin wasn't going to feed her, jumped back into his lap. He smiled, enjoying how obedient she was when fed. 'I could be quite obnoxious at her age,' he recalled. He was vaguely aware of the conversation as he fed Zukiko and tried to ignore the way the female demon slayer was staring at him. He just finished scraping the last of the food out of the jar when Kagome returned looking disheveled and a bit upset. She plopped down between Inuyasha and Sango and poured herself some tea.

"She can be such a…" Kagome muttered, "…I take the time to… …and then she… UGH!" He watched Inuyasha flinch and wondered what this Rika person had said to Kagome to get her so riled up. He felt his hand clench at the thought of some human wench insulting his sister-in-law. 'Strange,' he pondered, 'a few days ago I didn't care who insulted her. She was just another bothersome human.' He shrugged off the thought as the others finished the tea. As they got up, Kagome seemed to have calmed down. "Alright," she said, "everything packed?" A round of nods answered her. "Great, let's get out of here. I guess Sesshomaru, Rin, and Zukiko can ride Ah-Un… Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku can ride Kirara… and I'll go with Inuyasha, ok?" A second round of nods followed and soon everyone was mounted on their designated mount.

After so long in the village, Sesshomaru found the forest refreshing. Even as a child, he had always enjoyed being out in nature instead of in some building, no matter how lavish. He remembered many nights where he had decided to sneak out into the garden after being tucked into bed. His father usually found him asleep in a tree or by the pond and would return him to his bed before his mother found him. He let his mind wander to the idea of having a home again after so long. 'Though the trip is 5 days walking, we are all flying, save Inuyasha,' he mused, 'We may reach the other side tomorrow.' He sighed. 'I will become a demon again tomorrow. I should be relieved, yet I'm… worried.' He tried not to dwell on his worries and focused on Zukiko, who seemed fascinated by the ground as it whizzed by below them. Rin noticed his tension and gave him a gentle squeeze as she held onto him. He relaxed a bit more and enjoyed the scenery as they made their way to their new home. 'Home,' he thought, 'Wait, I have no idea how to build a hut…' He guided Ah-Un down to fly alongside Inuyasha.

"When we get to this area you spoke of, what then?" Kagome glanced at him and smiled.

"Don't worry Sesshomaru," she replied, "Inuyasha and Miroku both built the original huts we left behind. I'm sure they'll help you build yours." Satisfied, he let Ah-Un climb higher. 'I will build a hut for Rin and Zukiko…' he blinked, 'Inuyokai males dig burrows for their mates and pups… perhaps demons and humans aren't so different.' Determined to build the finest hut he could, he fell into a light doze.

A gentle nudge from Rin woke him from his nap and he noticed it was getting quite late. Ah-Un followed Kirara's lead and landed in a soft grassy clearing. The dragon wasted little time and began grazing on the bright green shoots. Sesshomaru slid out of the saddle and joined the others as they set up camp for the night.

"We should get there by midday tomorrow," Kagome stated to the group as dinner was cooking. "Sesshomaru, tonight's the last night of the curse, will you be ok? We can take turns staying up with you if you can't sleep." He was touched by her offer. His brother had mentioned that the group did so on his human night back when they were after Naraku.

"No, I should be fine," he assured her, "but thank you." He noticed the reactions from Sango and Miroku were less extreme now and wondered if they would be as comfortable as Kagome was with him soon. He glanced about the group feeling as if someone was missing. 'Jaken is missing,' he realized, 'that pompous, loud-mouthed imp who thinks he's so high and mighty…' He wondered if the foolish vassal would realize his 'great and powerful lord' had left the village he had refused to enter. 'Serves the fool right for such arrogance,' he decided. He accepted the cup of ramen Kagome handed him and began eating. 'I will miss this,' he admitted, relishing the camaraderie of the group. 'Will I still be accepted as part of this group tomorrow? Will I still want to be accepted?' It seemed a bit foolish, even as he thought these things, to worry about it, but he couldn't shake the feeling he would somehow lose all he had gained in the past seven days. 'A taste of humanity she had called it. I wonder if she realized how much this would affect me.' He sighed, another habit he had picked up. He looked up from his musings and noticed most of the others were finished and heading to bed. He finished his ramen and watched the others bunk down for the night. Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku curled up against Kirara, each offering a quiet 'good night' to him and the others. Rin took her typical position beside Ah-Un and Kagome laid out something she called a 'sleeping bag'. He noticed Zukiko was asleep in his lap and Inuyasha still sat beside him. He stood and gently placed Zukiko next to Rin and returned to his spot beside his brother. Turning to his younger brother, he saw worry in his eyes. He raised an eyebrow, trying to seem unconcerned.

"Will things change when you…?" He was comforted by Inuyasha's question, yet sadly had no answer.

"I don't know," he admitted, "Do you… want it to?" His brother shook his head.

"It was strange having you not trying to kill me every time we crossed paths after Naraku," he explained, "It was even stranger these past few days, but I…" he waited as his brother struggled for the right words. "I like actually having a brother, you know?" He nodded, ignoring the wetness in his little brother's eyes. Blinking back the mist in his own eyes, he put his arm around Inuyasha.

"I don't want this to change," he whispered, "I'd…" He couldn't believe what he was about to say, but he knew it was true. "I'd even stay a human if it was the only way to keep this." He suddenly found himself engulfed in red. Shifting slightly so he could still breathe, he returned the hug.

He had no idea how long they stayed like that, but when they released each other the fire was barely emitting any light. Reluctantly, he stood and moved to lean against a nearby tree. He was only mildly surprised when Inuyasha decided to pick the same tree to lean on. With a final smile, he wished his younger brother good night and closed his eyes.