Hand on his throat, Inuyasha could hardly believe his sudden freedom. He had been trapped by the beads for so long, he had forgotten what it felt like not to have them. He could feel the full extent of his power finally lose to function properly, aches and pains fading away. He hadn't realised just how much the beads were suppressing!

"Thank you," he said earnestly. "Thank you so much!"

Izuku smiled. "Happy to help. In all the stories, the beads were never mentioned."

"Feh, course not. Why would Kagome admit to anything that makes that Wench look bad?" Inuyasha voiced bitterly. "She's always been good at making herself the victim."

"Gaslighting at its finest," Shoto commented.

Izuku chuckled. "My mom told me she was impossible to deal with. Like no matter how many years that passed, she never grew up."

Inuyasha snorted. "Sounds about right. So…What now?"

"Now," Nezu said from the doorway, drawing their attention. "We help you begin a new life."

…./….

::::

…./….

After that day they enrolled him. Honestly, Inuyasha figured it would be the last thing they did, and yet, here he was yanking on a uniform and feeling like an idiot. He tied up his hair to keep it out of the way and winced at how confining his new clothing was.

Seriously, how did men in the modern era find it in any way comfortable?!

He was given a room in the 1-A dorm and being able to sleep without the risk of another demon breathing down his neck was quite refreshing. Hell, he was tempted not to leave the bed, but someone important was visiting U.A. and according to a very hyperactive Izuku, he couldn't miss it.

After a battle with his tie, where Inuyasha finally gave up and tossed the wretched thing, he grabbed the plain book bag supplied by Nezu and made his way down to the common room where Izuku, Katsuki and Shoto waited for him.

"Morning!" Izuku greeted cheerfully.

Inuyasha fussed over his ponytail, pulling at his collar. "If you say so…, What has you so damn perky?"

"That's just Izuku's flavour," Katsuki commented dryly, coming up to join them.

Izuku's cheeks pinked. "Is not! Are you excited for your first day, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I guess. Never did the whole school thing. Half demons don't exactly get that privilege. But I can read and write, learnt plenty from my mother and liked to read those weird hard scrolls Kagome brought with her…so…worth a shot. I don't exactly have anywhere else to go and I'd rather not sit around doing nothing."

Together the four headed out and toward the school where a platform had been set up. Present Mic was preparing his equipment and the rest of the school had already gathered, along with some of the families staying within the U.A. barrier.

Gazes followed Inuyasha as they made their way to the front of the stage and settled in next to the rest of 1-A. As far as he knew, Nezu had already made everyone aware of him being a Yōkai. It was still so strange not seeing hostility for what he was, but by this era, humans were aware of his kind and taught not to mistreat them. Thanks to the encyclopaedia of knowledge that was Izuku Midoriya, he was learning a lot.

"So…Who is this guy?" Inuyasha asked curiously, stood between Izuku and Shoto. "You're all pretty pumped up to meet him."

Izuku practically bounced. "Only the CEO of the largest Hero support gear company on the planet! The family has been dabbling in all different areas for years. Then they started off here in Japan with Hero gear around the time Heroes first became big and grew to be the leading distributor of it! Taisho industries is the best! I can't believe Principal Nezu got him here! It was all organised last minute!"

Inuyasha startled, amber eyes widening, his gaze locking on the bouncing green haired teen. "Taisho industries?" It couldn't be, could it?

"Presenting, the CEO of Taisho industries!" Present Mic's voice suddenly boomed. "…. Sesshōmaru!"

Everything in Inuyasha went still, his gaze settling on his elder brother. Gone were his silken Suikan and Hakama and instead he wore a crisp white suit, long jacket billowing about his calves. A black shirt contrasted nicely, and his silver hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail. Funnily, it made him appear younger, but there was no mistaking that regal air or that scent.

"Sesshōmaru," Inuyasha choked out before he could stop himself.

Shocked amber eyes snapped in Inuyasha's direction the minute he had spoken. Inuyasha had no idea if he should flee or stay. He and his brother had been on civil terms six hundred years ago, but he had been gone a long time.

"Inuyasha?" Sesshōmaru whispered, just as astonished.

"Uh…Mr Taisho…is everything okay?"

Ignoring Present Mic, Sesshōmaru leaped off the stage, startling the gathered crowd and before Inuyasha could react, the bigger dog demon had thrown his arms about him and thumped to his ass, cradling a stunned Inuyasha against his chest. Nose buried in his shoulder, Sesshōmaru drank in the scent he hadn't known fresh in six hundred years but had never forgotten the memory of.

"How is this possible?" He demanded, pushing the younger boy back, amber eyes drinking him in. "You were gone! Sango and Miroku searched for years! Kagome was distraught!"

Inuyasha stiffened. "K-Kagome? She…. She sealed me, Sesshōmaru. She sealed me under a damn tree for six hundred years. Placed a barrier and made damn sure I couldn't be found."

Eyes widening, the white bled red, amber turning a brilliant blue. Sesshōmaru released a terrifying snarl. No! He had held that Miko as she wept! Had joined Sango and Miroku as they searched the country for his brother! Had told Kagome he understood when after months she opted to return to her time, unable to bare the loss of Inuyasha and yet…she knew! Had been the blasted cause!

"Is he okay?" Izuku asked, taking step forward.

"Stay back!" Inuyasha warned. He could see his brother was fighting against his Yōkai, his form wanting to change. "Damn it Sesshōmaru! You need to calm your ass down! This doesn't help anyone!"

By sheer force of will Sesshōmaru shoved his Yōkai down, his eyes returning to their chilled amber. Heart racing, he looked about at his audience and felt a twinge of guilt. Transforming there would have created so many problems.

"Forgive me," Sesshōmaru apologised. "It's not often my temper gets the best of me."

"Do you extras want to explain?" Katsuki finally groused, looking between the pair.

"Sesshōmaru is my older brother," Inuyasha explained. "Been a while since we saw each other."

"You're a Yōkai?!" Izuku asked in excitement.

"Yeah, he's a pureblood. And even in a suit, still a smug princely bastard."

Sesshōmaru chuckled in amusement. "It's been a long time since I've heard you speak so crassly little brother. I've honestly missed it."

Laughing, Inuyasha wiggled from his brother's lap and dusted off his uniform. Once upon a time, he wouldn't have been so easy going around his brother, but after finding out he'd been left in the abyss for six hundred years, he was just so relieved to see a face he knew.

"The fox and mongrel will be delighted to see you alive."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Shippō…Kouga…They're alive?"

Sesshōmaru nodded. "After we had to integrate with human society, I offered them protection. More so the kit…Well…after six hundred years, he's no longer a kit."

Elated by the news, Inuyasha turned to Nezu who had joined the crowd at some point, grinning in delight. "You knew?"

Nezu returned the grin, happily enjoying a cup of tea. "There isn't a plethora of Yōkai hanging around. But yes, I do recall your brother mentioning a sibling that disappeared and considering you look a lot alike, I put two and two together…. Oh! And since by human standards you are technically a minor, your brother now has custody of you."

"Wait…what? I'm an adult!"

"Not in this century little brother," Sesshōmaru told him cheerfully. "I'm barely an adult myself when comparing Demon years to human."

Well, wasn't that a load of crap! But at least he had family.

Because he had made a promise, Sesshōmaru went ahead with his presentation. Some were more intrigued by the whole demon thing, and he answered questions that were asked of him. Mostly, he just wanted to spend time with Inuyasha and was unwilling to let the younger Yōkai go far. When asked about growing up together, the brothers avoided answering. Not a can of worms either wanted to open. Eventually, Nezu called an end to the presentation and delighted the students of U.A. when he dismissed all classes early in honour of their guest and using the opportunity to speak with his brother, determined to know what the hell had happened, Sesshōmaru followed Inuyasha back to the 1-A dorms.

"What happened with Kagome?" The InuDaiYōkai asked the minute they were all seated in the common room, uncaring of the listening humans, Shoto, Katsuki, and Izuku. The others had headed to their rooms.

Inuyasha looked over from where he had just gotten comfortable with a bowl of ramen curtesy of Katsuki and rolled his amber eyes. "Right to the point, Aniki."

Warmed by the term, Sesshōmaru chuckled, sipping at the tea he had been given. "As always, Otouto. So, what happened?"

"Shortest version, Kagome wanted to be with me, I said no, and she threw a tantrum."

Making a sound that could only be referred to as a splutter, Sesshōmaru gaped. "You? She wanted to mate you. But…You…You are a Uke!"

"A what?" Katsuki asked, unfamiliar with the term.

Inuyasha flushed, aware of the curious faces. "Nothing."

"A submissive male," Sesshōmaru explained, ignoring his flustered brother. "A male demon who can carry and birth young. They're rare…in fact, Inuyasha is the only one I've ever known, and they instinctively prefer a strong dominant male for a mate."

Mortified, Inuyasha was sure his head was going to combust. He had wanted to love Kikyo, wanted to love Kagome, but instinct was a bitch and his body wanted to be dominated, not be the one dominating. Of course, he didn't need his brother to be so blunt about it. "Sweet Kami, Sesshōmaru! Did you need to blurt it out?!"

"Was it not explained to Kagome?" His brother asked, still confused. "Surely she understood!"

Inuyasha barked out a laugh. "Kagome? No! Even as friends she was the most selfish creature you will ever meet! If it isn't something that she can have, there's no point! Besides, I mentioned Uke before and she… she called it an abomination…. disgusting."

Snarling, Sesshōmaru had to forcefully keep his temper in check. "There is nothing disgusting about being Uke. Uke bear powerful young… are strong demons themselves. The girl was a fool."

"Says the demon who kicked my ass for fun for years," Inuyasha pointed out with a laugh.

Sesshōmaru winced. "Yes, well, let's not drag that up right now…There are other matters that need to be addressed. So, you rejected that girl, and she used her Miko powers to get back at you?"

Inuyasha nodded, scooping up more ramen, swallowing his bite before speaking again. "In short…. Yes. She, uh, spouted crap about wanting to go for a walk and the next I knew I'm running for my life as she started shooting those stupid reiki infused arrows. Then there was a hollowed-out tree and pain and nothing…endless nothing…"

It had been worse than what he felt when Kikyo had hit him with that arrow. Nothing could compare to the constant darkness and nothing that hounded him for what felt like eternity. When it had been Kikyo there was no awareness, but this time around, there was in a distant sort of way that had been catching him off guard at night. Feeling his heart begin to race, bowl of ramen falling from his hands, Inuyasha felt his hearing going, that abyss closing in.

The minute Inuyasha's face lost all colour, Shoto was up and crouching in front of him. "Inuyasha…Can you hear me?"

"What is ailing my brother?" Sesshōmaru demanded, tea forgotten, on his feet the moment the bowl fell from his brother's hands.

"Looks like a flash back," Katsuki grunted, recognising the signs. "Should I get Recovery Girl…Aizawa?"

"Won't help," Shoto said, watching Inuyasha's wide eyes, the boy shaking. "Inuyasha…I'm…I'm going to touch you, okay?" It had worked before, and he couldn't think of anything else. Warming his left side, a little, he climbed onto the couch and scooped up the half demon, settling him in his lap, warmed hand running through his hair. Inuyasha melted into the touch, clawed fingers fisting in Shoto's shirt, tremors running through him.

Everyone remained quiet while Shoto soothed him, telling him he was safe that no one would hurt him and after several agonising minutes, awareness returned to the half demon's gaze.

Flushing, shocked to find himself in Shoto's lap, Inuyasha looked about in confusion. "W-What happened?"

"You tell us, Otouto," Sesshōmaru said softly. "You went unresponsive."

He had? Shit! "I…I was thinking about being trapped. Unlike Kikyo, I was aware to an extent…there was just nothing. I couldn't see, couldn't hear…couldn't feel…"

"Complete sensory deprivation," Katsuki snarled with disgust. "Bitch tortured you and who the hell is Kikyo?"

"Another Miko who trapped him for fifty years," Sesshōmaru snarled. "A misunderstanding, thanks to another demon…. but her mistreatment afterward was enough to make me despise the wench."

"She was angry," Inuyasha defended meekly.

"She was aware Naraku was at fault for that anger Inuyasha and still insisted on seeing you dead!" Sesshōmaru snapped. "Do NOT defend her."

"Sounds like you've had it shit," Katsuki grunted. "Anyone gives you trouble now…tell me and I'll blast the bastards to hell."

"Aww, you care!"

Jumping, Katsuki looked up to where some of the others had gathered on the stairs. "Shut it Pikachu!" He barked at Kaminari. "Do you idiots not have studying to do? No one ordered a peanut gallery!"

Sesshōmaru blinked in astonishment. "Remarkable…he's grumpier than you Otouto. I didn't think such a thing was possible!"

Laughing, Inuyasha flipped him off, taking his time to get out of Shoto's lap, and if Shoto's hands lingered on his hips, he was totally okay with that.