Kagome noted that Inuyasha had begun to linger around more again giving her hope that soon the two brothers could reconcile or at least come to an understanding.
Observing Inuyasha she saw him sometimes seeming to beeline for Sesshomaru only to avoid him at the last moment.
Knowing that Sesshomaru was aware of his presence but not calling attention to it meant he didn't find the behavior curious.
She supposed perhaps he was used to it as being one of his younger brothers traits and had learned to either ignore it or give him the time he needed to come to him.
Sitting with Rin and Shippo as they colored Kagome sat upright tapping her pencil against her notebook. From over the edge she spied Inuyasha once again approaching Sesshomaru.
Trying to be unassuming and keeping to herself she adjusted her knees to raise the notebook higher so it wouldn't be so obvious she was eavesdropping.
Stopping a few feet from where Sesshomaru sat with his eyes closed Inuyasha jammed his hands in the sleeves of his kimono.
"Sesshomaru." He said his voice low. Opening his eyes Sesshomaru flicked his gaze to him.
"Inuyasha." He replied back. Sighing and crouching down as he did Inuyasha squared his gaze at his brother.
"If you abandon Rin the way you did to me, we're gonna have a problem." He began. Kagome felt her breath hitch and her heart sink into her stomach.
"You were never abandoned. It was time for you to survive on your own." Sesshomaru said sternly. "The same as I did and our father before us."
"I woke up and you were gone. When I found you, you ignored me or attacked me." Inuyasha defended.
"Do you not remember the conversation we had that I would be leaving your side shortly after your mothers passing?" Sesshomaru questioned.
"Yeah but I didn't think it would be the next day." Inuyasha said.
"Do you know what your problem is Inuyasha? You think to much with your human convictions. It clouds your logic making you unable to see that what I did was for your betterment." Sesshomaru replied.
"My betterment? You were all I had and you left." Inuyasha scoffed. "I had to fight to survive."
"And you did survive regardless of what I may have done or not done. No matter what predicament you have found yourself in you have not only survived but come out stronger with each encounter." Sesshomaru closed his eyes again as if ending their conversation.
"Hey, I'm not done talking with you." Inuyasha said.
"Of that I have no doubt. You always do like to get the last word in." Sesshomaru retorted.
"Look, all I wanna say is…I'm not mad about you being with Kagome. She chose to be with you and I can respect that. What I don't get is how much your tune changes from time to time."
"Elaborate."
"You were my mother. When she died you started spewing your human, hatred crap. Now Kagome comes along and you seem perfectly fine with them again. Why can't you be consistent?"
"I'm curious as to what you are referring to when you said, I was with your mother." Opening his eyes he held his younger brothers gaze. "There was nothing between us aside from companionship and a mutual agreement to care for you."
"I'm not buying that. You were always there, there's no way nothing physical was going on between you two." Inuyasha rebuked.
"Are you calling me a liar?" Narrowing his eyes Kagome sucked in her breath to hold it in.
"I'm saying that there was something more going on between you and my mother." He replied.
"Lady Izayoi was faithful to our father until the end. I never had any interest in her other than taking on the responsibility to ensure she survived for your own survival. The fact that you believe either of us would disrespect fathers memory and the sacrifice he made for the two of you is disgusting." Sesshomaru said slowly but tensely.
Looking away Inuyasha seemed to be absorbing the information.
"I should have gone with him when he expressed his urgency to be by your mothers side. He had been severely wounded in his battle with Ryokotsei and I sought him out to finish him off." Sesshomaru said. "It was only after he left to the Setsuna shiro that I realized the mistake I had made."
"Why? Why would you do that?" Inuyasha wondered.
"At that time he was the strongest demon of this land with the most prestige and title, all of which he had obtained on his own. I wanted what he had. If I defeated him then it would be mine." Sesshomaru glanced over at where Kagome sat knowing she was listening to ever word. "Instead he met his end by a humans hand, Takemaru of Setsuna, one of your mothers samurais."
"What happened to the human?"
"He also perished. You see, when it was found out that your mother had chosen to be with a demon her father ordered she be locked away and the affair kept a secret. She explained to me that her and a faithful servant kept her pregnancy with you guarded until it became apparent."
"Father planned to take both of you from that place only to be intercepted by Ryokotsei."
"So, you went to go kill him. He left, died…then what happened?"
Mentally Kagome screamed at Sesshomaru to tell Inuyasha what he had told her, that he had been there all along. He was the one who had protected them from that night forward and taken care of them.
"I went to the shiro to find your mother hiding in the woods nearly frozen to death. She knew whom I was and requested my assistance. I lent it." He said curtly.
Smirking to herself Kagome sighed relief feeling as if she had just run a marathon.
"Thank you Sesshomaru. Really." Inuyasha said after a few moments had passed.
"You're welcome." He replied closing his eyes again. Standing Inuyasha walked some feet away before jumping into a tree to process the everything he had just been told.