Chapter 3

Sesshomaru's head was pounding with intense pain and he regretted his actions of bringing along the little human who gave the word 'fiasco' an altogether new, higher meaning. That was mistake number one.

The mistake number two was that, he was too busy cursing under his breath, muttering profanities (that would cause him trouble if his mother ever heard him utter) and wondering how he should train the human child, he had failed to rely on his senses only to bump in to Inuyasha in the long narrow corridors bordered with marble alcoves. Never had he let his guard down and the very thought that he had missed Inuyasha's smell was enough for the eldest to frown even more.

Mistake number three was that he had thought it was below him to flee the scene with his new pet and stood firmly even when Inuyasha peeked behind him to glance at the giggling maniac.

Mistake number four was what was happening right now. His hold on her wrist was not strong enough because honestly he didn't think she would leap away from his claws. On seeing the hanyou clad in red and silver, she had yelled "PUPPY!" on top of her lungs and leapt at Inuyasha's twitching ears.

The half brother of his had been startled, dumb folded and it should have made Sesshomaru to roll down with roaring laughter on seeing the expression painted on his brother's face but strangely he was more concerned with the tiny silver claw that may scratch his pet. Father had told she was fragile and he didn't want to be the one to break his pet in just one day.

The little girl was totally oblivious to the danger around her and had decided that she wanted to squeeze the tiny furry cone shaped ear on the head of the cute small silver puppy with golden eyes. She giggled and dived at her target; the puppy whined and moved back. She pouted and made a mad dash for the clothed target.

And hence the maddening crazy fiasco!

Here he was, standing in his all tall mighty glory and there were two toddlers with no sense whatsoever running around him, yelling and giggling like the world out there is their very own play ground, completely ignoring him, the future lord. Inuyasha had braced his heart; he howled, whined and ran across the room in concentric circles, yelling, to escape the clutches of a mad creature with a missing tooth. He yelped when she almost touched his clawed foot and so she righteously tripped.

Huge tears of saltiness assaulted the sensitive nostrils of two demons. Her eyes were impossibly large, glossy, filled with tears, dripping down, leaving a trail in her chubby cheeks and a huge sob started. Sesshomaru had never been this helpless. He was tired, frustrated and the saline tainting the air was killing his sensory nerves. He added this to the never ending list that he maintained as reasons to kill Inuyasha in the near future (as if he needs any reason to do the rightful and grant the universe a sense of much needed solace).

But most of all, there was a small churning in the depth of his navel on seeing his little pet shedding tears who had been smiling like an idiot a moment ago, his hands fisted in a tight knot and he wanted to pound Inuyasha badly on his ridiculously laughable fluffy appendage sticking in his stupid head, which was the whole cause of her non smiling scenario.

"Inuyasha" He called in his monotonous tone. The hanyou was almost touching the crying girl, crouching on the floor, desperate to make her stop the drips from the wet eyes. He looked at his brother who was scary as hell now, so he pouted, hoping he would be forgiven.

A wave of guilt prodded Sesshomaru and he felt right in knowing that his little brother at least had a mind to feel tints of remorse.

"Sess'mru, what is this?" He had the audacity to point at his pet and ask a dumb question.

'Couldn't he see that the now crying creature is a human? Oh, he has a brain of a homefly!' he thought (he had meant Mioga, he hated that flee demon too).

"She is my pet and I would send you to the gates of hell if you don't make her stop the tears" Sesshomaru had said, his voice never faltered and his golden eyes never left his brother's. He witnessed a streak of freight inhibiting his brother's visage and he almost felt content.

There, that felt enormously right.

If his pet wanted to rip his brother's ears, then she shall do so.

Inuyasha was desperate. So he didn't think twice like his teachers repeated everyday in his morning lessons. He crawled next to his brother's pet, nudged the little crying girl in her shoulder. When she didn't respond, he grew a little bolder and tugged her sleeves. He promptly tore it.

"Eeep" he made a weird sound that made the girl to stop her tears. She looked at him so closely, her gaze averted back to her master and then to Inuyasha and she kept doing it until she got dizzy. After few moments of silence she giggled pointing at Inuyasha.

"Puppy?" She had asked and the brothers stared at her, not knowing what to reply.

The frantic hanyou who had committed more crime than the allowed quota for the day nodded at her and smiled, hoping she wouldn't cry again until he was safely tucked in the confines of his bed with his blanky on his side, inside his room with at least ten bolts.

She clapped again and raised her arms forward, asking for what seemed like a permission to pet his ears. His puppy ears flattened when it sensed the oncoming threat. He heard a growl from Sess'mru and his self preservation came alive, because honestly he felt that bleeding ears were much better than poisonous whips decorating him in permanent burnt tattoos. He nodded subtly at the grinning girl and so she jumped further, merrily to pet him.

His eyes closed with an expected pain to follow. Never in his limited existence had he thought that he would purr. She was delighted and clutched his forelocks, pulling him down to look in his happy face. His eyes were lidded heavily and she tickled him with her tiny fingers. Her feather light touches made him laugh, roll down and beam with a sudden drenched happiness.

Sesshomaru was speechless to see his kid brother to roll over and play with her, and he had definitely not expected him to purr like a stray mongrel, and the whole 'aww and woo and cooo' had to just end. This had to stop! Right now! Because, firstly she was his pet and secondly, well secondly he had said so.

So with enough determination that he had gladly inherited from his Lady and Lord, Sesshomaru stepped in and caught her wrist as softly as possible and tugged her back towards him. She wobbled up, giggled and fell rightly on his chest.

There. She was his and his alone. Inuyasha can get his own pet.

"Sess'mru, can I play with your pet, she smells good" Inuyasha had asked with his golden eyes wide and big.

"No! She is mine. Now leave" He had given his sentence and moved.

"Bye Puppy" Kagome peeked over his chest, somewhere under the confines of his silver streaks and waved her tiny hands to Inuyasha who stood there with a big whining pout on his face.

'I'll ask Papa for a pet' he decided, sneered at Sess'mru's back and stuck his tongue out.

"Are you mocking me?" Sesshomaru stopped right on his tracks (he knew that Inuyasha would display something childish, without even having to look back). Before the elder heir could turn and stare at Inuyasha, there was ruffle of clothes and the hanyou had fled.

Kagome Giggled.

"Stop that" Sesshomaru ordered.

She giggled more.

Either she was a complete lunatic having a death wish or she had a bone to disagree with him. He thought he would let it go this once and marched towards his room, his hands full. By the time they had reached the confines of his well lit brazen room, the five year old had fetched few towels, made a make shift bed, admired his handy work and dumped his little pet in that.

"I want to pee" She whined and he prayed to the heavens above that she was all potty trained and not a stinking disaster like Inuyasha. For once the Gods were on his side.

After the night rituals that strangely involved splashing water at Sesshomaru at least twice. (The young lord was tired and he didn't want to explain his mother why he had killed his new pet, because the very thought was exhausting) He pushed her through her small pillows in the towels and floor. She sat there while he crawled up in to his huge bed.

Apparently the human just didn't know when to sleep and so she had tried climbing the huge bed, slipped, tangled in satin bedspread and fell back. She blinked and tried again. After five more tries, Sesshomaru was plain irritated and rose up under the heavy blankets.

"What?"

"Teddy?" She pointed at his fur.

"No"

"Pwease?" She whined.

"No"

"Okay Ses-o-maaaruu"

For the millionth time, Sesshomaru wondered why his sire gave him a ridiculous name and a ridiculous creature as a pet. When the sleep had finally taken mercy on him and lulled in to its lap, the human had climbed her way up to the bed.

"Ha, Teddy!" She shouted and Sesshomaru slapped his head. After few wresting, stares and whines, he gave up and allowed her to touch his damn fur. The girl was just far too stubborn.

"Sleep" He ordered.

She yawned and closed her eyes with a smile. He held her tight under his arms, his fur pelting her, his nose buried deep in her raven tress, sniffing at the wonder snuggling with him.

'Inuyasha was right. She smells good.'

Two young ones slept with curves edged in their lips as the night covered them both in its arms, petting them until they finally succumbed in to the realm of tranquilly and bliss.

~.~.~