Author's Note:
Hello, loves. Sorry for the long delay in posting. I'm currently going through a lot of personal adjustments, and life has put me in a chokehold. However, I sincerely appreciate the wonderful comments and feedback I received from all of you on both sites (Fanfiction . net and AO3). Please keep them coming so I can keep using them as motivation. I also hope that this long chapter makes up for the missed last few weeks. Love you guys! Now, onward to Chapter 9!
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Chapter 9
After his conversation with InuKimi in her sitting room, InuYasha had a lot to think about. On the one hand, he was fortunate and happy that the meeting went better than he expected. Never in his lifetime would he ever thought that full-blooded demons would ever accept him? Who knew that being the son of a famous Inu daiyōkai and an omega would get him somewhere in life? It's funny how life seemed to work out that way. However, after giving his decision much thought and some begging from his pups, Shippo and Koga, InuYasha decided that it would be best to comply with The Council's wishes and finally make his mark in the Inu clan. And, as InuKimi said, it wasn't like he had to stay within the castle walls. In fact, it was shocking to know that The Council was okay with him taking off once everything was over. The young hanyo thought that, especially with his status and the threat of Fukushu looming over their heads, he would be forced to stay within the castle. Maybe they don't care about him that much after all? Or, maybe, they recognized his strength and decided that he could take care of himself. Whichever the case, InuYasha would be sure to use it to his advantage.
After he woke up and readied for the day, InuYasha made his way to Sesshomaru's study. Since the twins were in their lessons, he would have to talk to them about it later. For now, he had to deal with the Council by giving them his answer. Without knocking, InuYasha confidently entered the study, catching a glare from both Sesshomaru and a gasp from Jaken.
"I truly cannot believe that the hanyo survived all these years and still has the audacity to disrespect Milord!"
InuYasha quickly covered his ears and glared back, "Quit ya squawking, ya annoying toad! I didn't basically come back from the dead to deal with you."
Jaken was about to refute when Sesshomaru cut him off, "InuYasha. As much as it pains me to say, I agree with Jaken. You should have enough common sense and courtesy to at least knock before entering a room that does not belong to you."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be sure to do that next time," the hanyo said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. "I need a favor."
"You insolent wretch! How dare you barge into Milord's study and ask for anything, you useless hanyo!"
"Jaken," Sesshomaru called, effectively silencing his servant before turning back to his younger brother. "What is it that you need, InuYasha?"
"I want you to call for the Council. I'm ready to give them my answer."
"And that would be?" Sesshomaru asked with a perfectly raised eyebrow.
"You'll find out when I give my answer. I ain't tellin' ya until then," InuYasha said firmly with his arms crossed in his sleeves.
Sesshomaru glared at InuYasha for a short while. But when his younger brother didn't back down, the older daiyōkai sighed as he put his brush down and stood up, "You seem confident in your decision."
"I am," InuYasha lied, "But before I give them my answer, I need to know something." Sesshomaru didn't say anything but instead used his silence to encourage InuYasha to continue. "I still haven't wrapped my head around the Mating Ritual, and I'm still pissed at you for marking me, which we'll have to talk about later. But if I decide to go through with at least the Coronation Ceremony and add my name to our clan's scroll, were you serious about me being free to leave the castle?"
"I do not tend to repeat myself, InuYasha,"
"I know, but I need to hear you say it so that I know that you meant it."
Sesshomaru sighed, "Yes. After your Coronation Ceremony and our Mating Ritual, should you decide to leave the castle, then I will not stop you. You will be free to roam the countryside as you once did. And, should you choose to, you may return to the castle and stay for as long as you deem fit. However, you are also free to stay within the castle walls for as long as you deem fit and not leave the twins behind."
"What if I decide that I want them to come with me?" asked InuYasha.
"You would seek to remove my heirs from the only home they've known?"
"You're acting like they're only your pups. They're mine too, and if they want to come with me when I, in fact, leave this castle, then you won't stop us," he glared.
Sesshomaru matched InuYasha's glare with the same amount of determination. However, seeing InuYasha standing before him with the same stubbornness and pride he's always had made Sesshomaru realize that something their Father said centuries ago rang true: you catch more flies with honey instead of vinegar. Deciding that it was not worth the fight, the daiyōkai backed down to fight another day.
"Fine. You have my word that I will not try to stop either you or the pups should they decide to leave the castle. Come, I shall take you back to the Meeting Room. The Council members have been waiting there for you since yesterday."
Shocked by his brother's words, InuYasha was stunned into silence as he followed Sesshomaru out of his study and down the hall to meet with the Council of demons waiting for him.
"Ah, young Lord InuYasha. We hope that you had a restful night and came to a decision this morning." The bear demon, along with the rest of the Council and InuKimi, bowed in greeting. Shippo and Koga were missing from the meeting.
"Yes. I made my decision."
"Wonderful! And what have you decided, young lord?" The crocodile smiled.
"I still haven't decided about the Mating Ritual. I need more time. However, I will go ahead with the Coronation Ceremony for now."
"But, Lord InuYasha, you must consider the risks of not going through with the Mating Ritual, especially since Lord Sesshomaru already started the process," the leopard demoness said.
"And I will, but for right now, it's all too much. This is all that I can promise to deal with for right now. I want all of you to respect that and the time it takes me to make my final decision."
"But, Milord-!"
"That will suffice for now," InuKimi said from her seat, cutting off the leopard.
"Milady?"
"Let the boy have time to think things through. It is not as if his life will end if he does not decide right away. He still has some time. Besides, we should honor his request. He's barely an adult in our years and has spent most of his life sealed away. We can give him some grace before he finally makes his decision," she said while nodding to InuYasha and trying to convince the Council to see her point of view.
"I agree with Lady InuKimi. She understands what Lord InuYasha has been through and is right in allowing him more time to decide. However, milord, we urge you to decide before it is too late. With the ritual already begun, in a sense, it would be best to finish it before it is too late," the mouse demoness warned.
"I will be sure to do that," he said with his arms crossed in his sleeves.
"Then it's settled. I want everyone to begin planning his Coronation Ceremony. I want this to be a lavish event to show everyone how our clan is the strongest and thriving clan within the Western Lands," InuKimi announced.
"Yes, Milady!"
"First thing first, we must make sure that your education and etiquette are up to date. I'm assuming that since you spent the majority of your time with humans, you do not know the first thing about demon etiquette?" InuYasha shook his head with blush dusted cheeks. "That is fine. I expected much. And what about your education? Hopefully, at least one of those humans taught you how to read and write?" InuYasha stayed silent, embarrassed to admit the truth, surprising Sesshomaru despite it not showing on his face. "That is unfortunate. Those close to you have failed you, young one."
"It ain't their fault!" he snapped. "My mother taught me enough before she passed, and I picked some up along the way. It's been working for me all this time, so I never saw a reason to worry about it until now."
"It is alright, InuYasha. I was not blaming you. You cannot blame the ignorant for what they do not know. You can only blame them for what they refuse to learn. Sesshomaru, I trust that you will use the same tutors for my grandpups' education. I also expect that you will make sure that he is prepared in a few months for his Coronation Ceremony," she said with a glare.
"Yes, mother."
"Then the matter is settled. InuYasha, I expect that you will have learned enough education and etiquette in the next two months or so to attend your Coronation Ceremony. I also trust that you will not fail me."
"I won't."
"Excellent. Now, if you will all excuse me, I desire to return to my castle in the sky. I am quite tired. I shall be back in time to see how far you have come in your education before your Coronation Ceremony." And with that, Lady InuKimi gracefully walked out of the room, leaving an awkward silence in her wake.
At that time, InuYasha decided to take off as well, leaving Sesshomaru to dismiss the Council and conclude the meeting. Before they could exit the room, the daiyōkai left to find his pups' tutors to inform them about their new, tedious student. With the mountains of paperwork he would have to do for InuYasha's Coronation Ceremony on top of the new responsibilities he needed to take on and his current duties, the daiyōkai massaged his temples to alleviate the oncoming headache that was undoubtedly coming.
Later in the day, the twins found InuYasha hiding under his favorite Cherry Blossom Tree in the gardens.
"Papa, what are you doing?" InuRida asked as they approached.
"Isn't it obvious? He seems to be brooding," InuKanpeki giggled from behind her hand.
"Brooding? Didn't even know parents could brood," InuRida chuckled as he folded his arms.
"Why, of course they can. Father does it all the time," she giggled again.
"Ha ha ha. Very funny. It isn't nice to talk about someone as if they ain't there," InuYasha huffed.
The twins laughed at their Papa's expense before sitting down next to him.
"We were only teasing. Please, Papa, tell us what's wrong," InuKanpeki said.
InuYasha sighed as he leaned further against the tree with his arms crossed. "Your Father and the Council are making me take etiquette classes and trying to educate me for this stupid Coronation Ceremony."
"That is wonderful news! It'll be great to have your name on the family scroll, Papa, finally!" InuRida smiled as he slapped a hand on InuYasha's shoulder.
"I don't think so. I went all this time without it, so why does it matter if my name is on a damn scroll or not."
"Papa, it's your birth given right to have your name recognized on the Inu Clan's scroll. Every member of our clan added their name to that scroll. It not only tells future generations the names of their ancestors, but it also stands as a testament to the most powerful clan in the West. Your accomplishments and status are more than enough reasons to add your name to the scroll, aside from the fact that you are the second son of the Great Dog Demon himself. Do you not feel the sense of honor and pride from this acknowledgment, Papa?" InuKanpeki asked as she looked at him in confusion.
"I was… different being accepted so easily by the Council. It made me feel… weird…"
"That was to be expected. You said it yourself that no one besides your friends and Grandmother Izayoi accepted you. I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now," InuRida said, trying to comfort the hanyo.
"I just hate that I'm being told what to do all of a sudden. I'm used to running wild and free. But now, everyone is treating me like royalty and expecting me to act like it. I don't like it."
InuKanpeki giggled behind her hand again before speaking, "You truly are our Papa. Rida said the same thing on the day of our coronation."
"Hey! I was a lot younger back then and didn't like my tutors and Father treating me like a ruffian. I swear he favored you more than me."
"That was because I was more well-behaved while you were a ruffian. You ran all over the castle and tried to sneak away from our tutors on several occasions. Father even said, on more than one occasion, mind you, that you resembled Papa more than he knew," she continued to laugh.
"Laugh all you want, dear sister. But I am not ashamed, and I find that our Father complimented me that day. I am honored to resemble Papa's antics on any given day!"
"I don't think that he thought it was a compliment."
"Alright, alright. That's enough teasing your brother. He's had enough."
InuKanpeki immediately stopped laughing and straightened her posture, hands in her lap. "Sorry, Papa."
"It's alright. I ain't mad. I don't want him to get the wrong impression."
"Papa, correct me if I'm wrong, but you haven't seen Lord Shippo and Lord Koga in a long time, right? Why don't you spend some time with them? Maybe that will cheer you up," InuRida suggested.
"They're stuck in meetings with Sesshomaru and the Council the rest of the day. I didn't stick around long enough to understand them."
"Well, why don't you stay with us? We can stay out here all night and gaze at the stars. I heard it was supposed to be a clear night with the new moon coming out," InuRida said.
"New moon?! The new moon is tonight?!" InuYasha yelled as he jumped up and looked towards the sky.
"Yes? What is the problem, Papa? Do you sense any trouble?" asked InuKanpeki as they both jumped up and prepared for an attack.
"No!" The hanyo suddenly shouted before he corrected himself by clearing his throat. "No. Nothing is wrong. I just remembered that I have something to do tonight."
"Oh, if that's all, then why don't we help you? You'll get done much faster, and we can still sit outside and see the moonless sky and the twinkling stars." InuKanpeki offered.
"No! I mean, no, thank you. I'd… prefer to be alone tonight. I am always alone on the night of the new moon." He said as he suddenly turned his back towards them.
"But Papa~"
"I'll see you both in the morning. Be good until then," was all InuYasha said as he waved at them from behind.
The twins watched the hanyo disappear into the castle before giving each other confused looks.
"Something's up with him," InuRida said with his arms crossed.
"Yes. It is quite strange that Papa does not want us around tonight. I think he's hiding something," InuKanpeki suggested.
"Yeah, and we should find out what."
"Or, we could respect his privacy. Even Father keeps secrets from us. Maybe Papa has one of his own?" she said.
"But Papa isn't Father. Papa always shares things with us. He hasn't lied or hidden anything since we met him."
"That we know of. He's only been in the castle for a month. There's so much about him that we don't know. This is all still new to us and him. Let's respect his privacy and ask about it in the morning."
"Come on, Kanpeki, you can't be serious. What if he doesn't tell us then, either? Your nose is sharper than mine, so I know that you could smell when he lied just now. Don't you want to find out what Papa's hiding from us? What if he's in danger?"
"In danger? In the castle? You can't be serious?"
"And you seem to forget about the assassination attempts from Lord Fukushu," he glared.
"Those are different and far few in between."
"Exactly. What if he's in danger and doesn't want us to know or be hurt? We have to help him,"
Inu Kanpeki frowned as she considered her brother's words. For the first time in a long time, she started to believe that her brother might be on to something, which made her worried even more.
"You're right. If Papa's in trouble, then we need to keep him safe in his weakened state. Let's spy on him and see what's going on. Afterward, we can confront him about it."
Both the twins nodded as they headed into the castle to spy on their precious hanyo.
For the rest of the day, InuYasha held himself up in his room, only coming out to tell a servant that he would take his dinner in his room before sunset. It was about six in the evening when the servant brought him his food before disappearing into the hallway. After he finished eating his food, InuYasha put the dirty dishes in the hallway to be picked up later before sliding under the covers and waiting for nightfall. Because of the excitement from the day and because he was still somewhat recovering, InuYasha felt tired and decided to take a nap before he had to remain awake all night.
Although he got used to sleeping soundly in the castle, his human nights were no different than if he were to stay outside. Even though he was among all demons, InuYasha couldn't help but think about how vulnerable he would be should they find out his secret, especially with Sesshomaru. Would his elder brother kick him out and forbid him from seeing his pups if he knew? Would his pups turn their backs on him? That wasn't a risk he was willing to take. So, he must keep his secret for the rest of his life if he wants to keep his pups in his life. At least if he rests during the day, he can blame it on his fatigue, and no one will question him. So, he slept for a few hours before nightfall settled in.
It was about eight in the evening when he woke up. The sun was setting under the horizon, painting the sky in pretty dark reds, yellows, purples, and oranges. Soon, the new moon would blanket the sky in darkness, just like his hair change. InuYasha sighed as he climbed out of bed and made it. The lower the sun went, and the darker the sky got, the more his anxiety spiked. To calm himself, InuYasha grabbed his Tessaiga and held it tightly in his hands as he leaned against the wall opposite his bed. He turned his head to look out the balcony's doors and counted down the moments before the sky was blanketed in darkness. At the same time, the hanyo could feel his senses and his claws dull as his hair faded into midnight black. And just like that, he was fully human for this night. Knowing this and the fact that full-blooded demons completely surrounded him did nothing to quell his anxious mind. Instead of dwelling on his situation, the hanyo decided to meditate to try and calm his nerves.
"In and out. In and out, just like Kagome taught you," he thought to himself as he performed the exercise.
It didn't take long for his heart rate to drop and his nerves to calm before he let his mind wander. Images and thoughts of Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and the rest of their pack appeared in his head as he remembered better days—days of his freedom, when his pack would wander the countryside, looking for the Secret Jewel Shards and battling Naraku. Days where he would fight with Kagome and his friends but turn around and make back up as if almost nothing happened. Days where he thought he would travel to Kagome's time through the Bone Eater's Well and get to experience her strange world. Days when he fell in love with Kagome and her strange ways. Days when he thought Kagome and him would be together forever and maybe raise a family; happier days when he thought nothing would take that away from him, especially with Naraku being gone. Little did he know that his life would change so dramatically, thanks to his elder brother.
A sudden anger boiled within him as he thought about the time he had spent with Sesshomaru over a century ago. Apart from him, he regrets ever giving in to his heat and mating with his brother, especially with the amount of time he lost with his pack. The other part of him is happy that it happened because his twins were created because of it. InuYasha can't say that he always wanted to be a father, at least not until he met Kagome. But that was a brief thought since they weren't even together as a couple during their travels. They were close friends who could have been lovers if things worked out for them, but he guessed that the Gods above had other plans for him. Who knew that they would have involved Sesshomaru?
InuYasha took a few more deep breaths as he reminded himself that there was nothing he could do about the past and that it was best to focus on the future. So much had been expected of him in the past month since he woke up from his 150-year slumber. First, he had to deal with recovering from his postpartum, which almost cost him his life. Next, he learned that all of his human friends from his pack were dead and that he lost 150 years of his life. Then, he was expected to integrate into the high society of demons before he was to become Sesshomaru's mate, or else he would lose his life. His head spun as he thought about everything from the past month. The only thing he could do was take things a day at a time, but his reality still felt unreal. He was a papa, for God's sake. He gave birth to a powerful set of twins that will rule the lands after he and Sesshomaru are gone or retired. And now his elder brother was actually being nice to him.
In fact, if InuYasha thought about it, they haven't had one argument since he woke up. It was strange, considering they went from trying to kill each other to being cordial with one another. Sesshomaru even gave him the option of leaving the castle once he was well enough and agreed to the Coronation and Mating Ritual. And even though he was mad at the moment when he found out, InuYasha was surprised to learn that the daiyōkai saved his life after giving birth to their twins. The old Sesshomaru wouldn't have looked in his direction, let alone save his life more than twice in the same lifetime. Who was this new Sesshomaru, and could he really be trusted? InuYasha wasn't sure, but for now, it seemed as if he could. However, that doesn't change the wariness that he felt whenever he was around the daiyōkai.
InuYasha sighed again as he looked out the balcony's door. It was a nice, quiet spring night as the stars twinkled in the distance, lighting up the sky. It made him think of his twins and their suggestion to watch them in the gardens. The hanyo clenched his heart as it ached, knowing that he couldn't be with his pups right now, but it was for their own good. They looked up to him and saw him as a strong warrior. If they knew that he was a vulnerable human one night out of the month, then they would look at him differently. It would break his heart if that happened. It would also break his heart if Sesshomaru found out. Things were finally starting to go well for the brothers, and this could be the very thing that made Sesshomaru hate him again, which he couldn't have. So, it was best if he hid away in his room for the night and acted as if nothing was wrong in the morning. Should the twins ask about his night, he would come up with an excuse and blame it on his recovery. Hopefully, they would believe him and not ask any more questions. However, after his recovery, he'll have to come up with another excuse from there and continue to do so until he can leave the castle. It wasn't the best plan, but it was something to cover his ass in the meantime. InuYasha only hoped that he could continue the charade for as long as he could without getting caught. It's too bad his twins inherited their father's impeccable sense of perception, so he may be on more borrowed time than he thought. And it's too bad that he was on more borrowed time than he thought.
Suddenly, he could hear the voices of his twin pups creeping outside of his bedroom door, interrupting his thoughts and spiking his anxiety. He cursed when he couldn't hear what they were saying and instead focused on trying to disappear into the darkness of his room. InuYasha thought that if he could hide deep enough in his room, then he could trick the twins into believing that he was somewhere else in the castle. Thinking quickly, the hanyo snuck along the wall until he reached a corner of the room and made himself as small as possible. Luckily, his Fire Rat Robe and his dark hair blended into the darkness of the room. Hopefully, it would conceal him and make the twins move on. Unfortunately, he was never that lucky in life.
"I hear movement in there," InuRida said as he leaned closer to the door.
"Of course you do, you imbecile. It is his room. He might be sleeping. We shouldn't wake him," InuKanpeki said as she stood behind her brother with her arms in her sleeves.
"I don't know. Something feels off." InuRida leaned in closer and sniffed around the door. "Hey, something is off. I smell a human."
InuYasha internally cursed as he forgot about how powerful their noses were. Luckily, InuKanpeki saved him as she rolled her eyes and scoffed, "You're being ridiculous. There are no humans in the castle. How would one even get in here in the first place?"
"I don't know, but I'm telling you that there's one in Papa's room. What if it's an assassin sent by Lord Fukushu to attack Papa while he's weak?!"
"Really. Lord Fukushu would send a human to kill Papa. Do you know how foolish you sound right now? Utterly ridiculous," she scoffed again as she turned her head.
"Ok, it may not be the most logical thing I've ever said, but you have to admit that it's strange that a human is in Papa's room right now. Use your nose and tell me I'm lying." The girl sighed as she rolled her eyes and did as she was told. However, when she caught the human scent, her perspective and expression changed. "See! I told you!"
"I will never admit to you being right, but I have to admit that it is strange that I'm smelling a human's scent, too. Maybe we should check on him."
"What are you two up to?" Sesshomaru asked as he came around the corner, scaring his pups.
"Father?! What are you doing here?!" They yelled, trying not to jump out of their skin.
"I ask you a question first. What are you up to? Shouldn't you be in InuYasha's room instead of lurking outside?"
Inu Kanpeki was the first to compose herself and say, "In normal circumstances, we would be. However, we are concerned about Papa. He told us that he was busy tonight and that we would not see him. However, when we came to check on him, we smelt a human. I think we should investigate."
"You smelt a human from within InuYasha's room?" asked Sesshomaru with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, father. I was the first to smell it and became concerned," InuRida said confidently.
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the door before moving closer, causing the twins to step aside. With determination in his eyes, Sesshomaru opened the door and stepped inside, with the twins following closely behind him.
"I can smell your human stench. Come out and tell me what you did to my younger brother, human." InuYasha's anxiety spiked further as he shrunk more into the corner and held Tessaiga closer to his body. Annoyed that no one answered him, Sesshomaru summoned his poison whip and cracked it in the air. "Come out if you value your life, human. I won't ask again."
Deciding that his life was more important than a secret, InuYasha sighed before speaking, "Put your whip away, ya bastard. I'm coming out."
With his shaky legs, InuYasha stood up and slowly inched his way out of the corner.
"How dare a human be so bold as to talk to The Lord of the West that way. Father, please allow me to take this human's life on your behave."
"Whoa, whoa. Everyone settle down. It's just me, InuYasha, your papa."
"Lies! Our papa is merely a half-demon, not a full-blooded human. Do not sprout your lies to us," InuRida said with anger in his voice.
"No, no. I promise that it's true. Just look at me," he said as he stepped closer. "Use your noses and tell me that I am lying."
Everyone in the room sniffed the air and was surprised that they could not smell any lies. After a closer look, InuRida stepped closer to the human InuYasha and reached out to him.
"Papa? Is that really you?" he asked.
"Yeah, it's me, kid. You caught me,"
"But I don't understand. How did you turn into a human, Papa?" InuKanpeki asked.
"Sesshomaru, did your tutors or you not teach our pups shit while I was gone?" InuYasha huffed with his hands on his hips.
"I do not understand what you mean. This is the first time I've ever seen you like this. I was unaware of this change myself."
InuYasha sighed for the millionth time that night as he walked over to the desk and lit the oil lamp, revealing human features, dark, ebony hair, and dark brown eyes, "You guys are idiots. Every half-demon turns human on the new moon, which is tonight. I was hoping to keep this a secret for much longer, but I guess that was impossible with the three of you lurking about."
"We're sorry, Papa, but you were acting strangely. We wanted to make sure that you were ok," InuRida said.
"He's right, Papa. We've spent almost every night together since you've been awake. We were worried that something might be wrong. Please forgive us for intruding on your privacy. It won't happen again," InuKanpeki said as she bowed at the end of her apology.
InuRida did the same, causing InuYasha to scratch the back of his head nervously. "It's alright. Like I said, I was hoping to keep this a secret for a while longer, but I knew that you'd eventually figure it out. Another annoying trait you inherited from your father is his perception."
"You look so much like her," Sesshomaru said suddenly.
"Excuse me?"
"Your mother. You look like her in your human form."
"Yeah, what's it to ya, bastard?"
"Nothing. Forget I said anything. If there's nothing else, then I shall take my leave," Sesshomaru said as he turned his back to them. "Enjoy the rest of your night, InuYasha,"
"Do you want us to leave as well?" InuRida asked.
"Naw, it's okay. You can stay. You know about me now, so I guess it doesn't really matter anymore."
"Why did you not tell us in the first place? It would have cleared up all of this confusion," InuKanpeki asked.
"It's not something that is broadcasted to the world. You guys have to remember that demons and humans do not like or understand us. Therefore, if they found out about our weakness, then we would be hunted down and killed because of it. So, I've always stuck to myself and spent my human nights alone until I met my pack. And… I was also worried about how you guys would think about me if you found out."
"What do you mean?" asked InuRida.
"I mean, you've only known me as the strong warrior I made myself out to be. I didn't want to tarnish that image by showing you guys my human nights. It's not easy for me to be open and honest about my weaknesses, but that's how I survived for so long."
"But Papa, there is nothing that you could say or do that will make us think anything else of you. In the month that we've known you, we've learned so much that it makes us glad that you're our papa. This is no different. It's just another part of you that we want to get to know."
"Rida is right. And now that we know this about you, you're even more vulnerable, and we won't allow anything to harm you. With your permission, we ask that you allow us to stay and protect you."
"I don't need protection."
"Yes, you do, and we won't go away until you accept," InuRida said as both twins stood their ground.
Annoyed but somewhat happy, InuYasha scratched his head and smiled before speaking, "Fine. If you insist, I guess you guys could stay here. But so that you know, I'm staying up with you both all night. I don't sleep on my human nights."
"That is fine with us. We could talk more, look at the stars, and you could tell us stories," InuKanpeki said as she made herself comfortable on the side of InuYasha's bed.
"Yes, I would love to hear more about these human nights and about how you survived them," InuRida said as he did the same next to his sister.
"Fine, but there's not much to tell. But if you want me to, I can do that."
As the hanyo and his pups got comfortable and talked throughout the night, Sesshomaru did not leave his post from outside InuYasha's room. In his foolish brother's most vulnerable state, he was practically a sitting duck. To prevent anything from happening to his younger brother and pups, Sesshomaru would stand guard throughout the night, leaving his very capable twins as a second line of defense in protecting the naïve hanyo.
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…
…
To Be Continued…