Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Spiel Mit Mir	By : botticelliangel Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 15039 -:- Recommendations : 5 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and make no profit from writing.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
The humidity never left. It stayed heavy and oppressive as the mismatched group of demons, humans, and a half breed diverted a few days to the west at Sesshomaru’s demand, and Inuyasha’s dismay.

Sesshomaru walked on trying to keep a pace that the humans could handle. But they were running out of time. They were too far north already, or Sesshomaru would have brought Inuyasha to his home. The infection was getting worse every day. Sesshomaru suspected that the bone in Inuyasha’s arm had never healed because something inside of it became inflamed with toxins. Now Inuyasha couldn’t bend the arm at all, and the bloating infection was splitting open his skin.

A few days ago, when Sesshomaru returned to their little campsite after finding the need for solitude, he found Inuyasha and Kagome lying in the road asleep. His brother’s instincts woke him up in the presence of Sesshomaru’s youki, but something was wrong. His face was flushed with a fever and he mumbled something to Sesshomaru about hoping that his arm didn’t fall off, because then the brothers would make quite a pair.

Sesshomaru hoped that they didn’t have to take it off. The loss of an arm was nothing to a great demon like himself, but he doubted his brother would fair as well. Inuyasha probably wouldn’t even have the strength to wield the tetsusaiga.

If it had to be done, Sesshomaru would sever the limb.

Inuyasha was still feverish, but awake. Kagome made emollients out of plants and bandaged Inuyasha’s arm after she spread the oily medicine on. She also had some strange containers that held little white pills. She gave them to Inuyasha to digest and said it would help keep the fever down. Sesshomaru wondered about her strange world, because everything about her seemed unreal. It seemed to help some, but she whined and worried, and tried to demand that Inuyasha be brought back to the little farm village they used as a base camp. She said that she knew how to get medicine that would kick the infection out from under his skin.

Sesshomaru ignored her, because even if she was correct it would take too long to get there.

Instead they were headed to the closest competent healer that Sesshomaru knew of. He just hoped she’d be receptive to the visit.

It was quiet and peaceful in the tall grassland they were walking through. Summertime flowers were bobbing their head’s to the sway of the grass. The air was weighty and clear, and devoid of the filth of human settlements.

Sesshomaru looked to the sky. He searched with his nose because where they were going was hard to see. He was so intent on sniffing it out he almost didn’t hear Inuyasha speak.

“This place seems awfully familiar.” The half breed sounded nervous. Sesshomaru smirked and looked behind him to where Inuyasha sat upon AhUn still rosy cheeked with fever. At least he was still alert, the fever and underlying infection were clearly being fought even if the outward appearances were horrific.

Inuyasha was certainly not going to die from this, but being dead and being crippled were two of the same things. Incapacitated a half breed would be just as prey worthy as a human. It was distasteful to think that Sesshomaru might be burdened with protecting him again.

“It should,” Sesshomaru replied, “I brought you here many times when you were a child.”

That definitely made Inuyasha nervous, and Sesshomaru was practically laughing inside the stone statue of his skin. He wondered if Inuyasha would even remember her. He would find it strange if his brother didn’t remember.

Inuyasha was terrified of her when he was a child. Sesshomaru remembered his little brother running for shelter behind his legs and clinging onto him with desperation.

Inuyasha wasn’t the only one who recognized this place.

Suddenly as if it was a startlingly wonderful revelation Rin called out.

“We’re going to see Inukimi-ko!”

“Yes, Rin, we are.” Sesshomaru confirmed glancing to the sky. Unlike Inuyasha, Rin adored Sesshomaru’s wicked mother. He caught the scent and saw the swirling of clouds that were preparing to open and reveal the spirit castle that was his mother’s domain.

“That scent! Oh shit!” Inuyasha squeaked out. There was a sudden putrid fragrance of fear, in the air. Inuyasha’s friends reacted to the sudden fright of the strongest member of their little group. Sesshomaru didn’t have to look back to see his brother panicking. He could hear Inuyasha’s feet hit the ground. He could hear the swish of the Robe of the Fire Rat. He could hear Inuyasha’s breath labor with sickness. There was no doubt that Inuyasha jumped off of AhUn and tried to make a break for it.

He was way too slow. He always would be.

Sesshomaru felt the concentrated youki of his mother rush by him straight to the half breed. His sleeves rustled in the breeze of her passing. A moment later Inuyasha yelled.

“Let go of me! You psychotic bitch! Ack! No, don’t touch the ears!” Inuyasha was flustered and protesting.

“My sweet little half breed, you’ve grown up to be just as handsome as your father.” Inukimi’s voice sounded playful.

Sesshomaru turned around finally, not even reacting when he saw his mother had picked up Inuyasha and cradled him in her arms. Her long silver hair was only partially pulled back and tendrils swayed in the breeze. Her kimono was a perfect shade of pink with green and black cranes flying up from the right side across her hip to the opposite shoulder. She wasn’t wearing any shoes. Her pretty voice hummed a sweet song as she held the struggling Inuyasha.

It was amusing to see her act in such a motherly way. A long time ago, when Sesshomaru was forced to seek safety after tough battles with amorous suitors, he would retreat to the spirit castle with Inuyasha in tow. And his mother would hold Inuyasha’s small form giving him mixed words of love and torture.

Inuyasha was looking indignant and struggled against the stronger demon. Inukimi kissed the top of his head and rocked him in her arms as if not a day had gone by and he was still the tiny pup she last saw. She always acted as if Inuyasha was as much her son as Sesshomaru was, and she probably felt that was true. Inuyasha’s mother had been the second mate, and although she did not see Inukimi many times was always deferent to her. Inukimi simply acted as any alpha bitch would in a pack; all pups belonged to her.

It was Inuyasha that didn’t understand that her sarcasm and evil would never truly touch him. He was probably still scared that Inukimi would tease him by threatening to chop of his puppyish ears and use them as soft padding for her makeup. He was probably still scared that Inukimi would tackle him from out of nowhere and relentlessly force him to acknowledge her as alpha, and inveigle him into calling her Mother.

Sesshomaru definitely knew that Inuyasha feared that she would transform into her true self and prance around with his body between her jaws.

Inuyasha was not her little “bo-chan” anymore. He could defend himself and well. Inukimi cuddled with him unyielding to his anxieties until Inuyasha dug his claws into her kimono and shredded the sleeve cutting the pretty pale arm underneath.

Letting him go Inukimi smiled coldly.

“You may have your father’s appearances, but I see your brother has taught you not to play well with others.” She lifted her hand as if to swat his nose, and then backhanded him so hard that Inuyasha was thrown across the clearing.

Watching Sesshomaru decided it would be very displeasing if that hit broke anything else on Inuyasha. He waited for a scream or shout of pain laced with profanities. After a moment it was clear no voice was going to bellow from across the field. Sesshomaru assumed he passed out.

Nervously Inuyasha’s friends looked torn between wanting to run and help him and staying rooted to their spots in awe inspired terror. They weren’t whispering in their normal pitter patter. They were too struck by the bestial beauty of Inukimi. Sesshomaru looked like her, and didn’t all at the same time. They shared the mark of the crescent moon, but Inukimi’s face was rounder. Her lips held a perpetual pout, and her eyes were like yellow diamonds set into a casing of thick black eyelashes.

Her coloring was like pale porcelain, and Sesshomaru’s skin was creamy alabaster.

“Mother,” Sesshomaru spoke to grab her attention. Inukimi turned to look at him as her gaze had been drifting carelessly out to the field as if she expected to see Inuyasha pop up among the flowers and make another attempt at escaping. Her cruel smile vanished, and Sesshomaru tried not to react when her lip quivered and her citrine eyes glossed with tears. He had a good idea what caused that reaction: Memories. She walked up to him slowly as if every step was a battle. Only a mother could look so heart heavy.

Only his mother would try to attack him for the feeling.

She moved fast, a smear in the air, and Sesshomaru side stepped to avoid her claws. He was just as fast, and more alert because of his fighting experience. All Inukimi did was play in the spirit castle all day. Her scent was a path that betrayed the position that eyes couldn’t see. Sesshomaru avoided again only to have his hair caught in her short delicate fingers that were deceptive with their unholy strength. Her grip pulled on him. It was not enough to make him stumble, but his hair fell out of its fastenings dropping out around him in a heavy mess. Inukimi moved so fast it seemed that she materialized in front of him clenching in one fist the tie he used to bind his hair and a few long strands pulled from his scalp. Her tears were more pronounced this time. His mother backhanded him in much the same way as she did to Inuyasha.

Unlike Inuyasha, Sesshomaru barely budged. Well maybe he moved a little bit. He took two steps back and felt the sting of her claws against his cheek. She only cut him shallowly indicating that she was vexed to a degree that she lost the thought to hurt him more seriously.

“No son of mine is going to dance all over the empire showing off his mating like a whore.” She finally said using her fingers to spread his blood over his face. Her eyes flickered down to his neck.

Demons don’t cry; that’s what she told him when he was younger. On the few occasions he did cry she’d punish him by tying him up, turning him upside down, and pouring vinegar into his nose. Then he’d panic because loosing his sense of smell was one of the scariest experiences he knew. Then she would set him free of the bindings allow him to choke on the foul liquid and force him to fight rabid mice demons before his nose could recover. Sesshomaru remembered her doing that to Inuyasha too.

Demons don’t cry because of mothers that teach them not to, but mothers do cry.

The tears that rolled down her cheeks glistened in the sunlight. Her hands reached up and this time she touched him gently. She flattened her palms over the newest mating marks.

“I have not come all this way to show you these.” Sesshomaru spoke stepping back so that her soft touch couldn’t turn into pain. She pulled her hands back to her sides and looked at him as if she was detached from the world, even though a moment ago she shed tears.

She cried when Father marked him too.

And then she did many more things.

“What business may I be so concerned about that it would eclipse my need to see to my son’s safety?” She glanced once more to Sesshomaru’s neck and reached out to brush her finger across Inuyasha’s mark. “If this goes on you will die.”

“You’ve said that before, and I did not die.” Sesshomaru replied with distance. She said that when she saw Touga’s mark, and to protect her son she toppled the world of power upside down.

Chaos and clan wars still burned holes in the country side many years after Touga’s death. There was no true leadership in the world anymore, not among humans or demons. Although Sesshomaru should have been capable of uniting all of the clans under him and rule as the Inu no Taisho, those efforts and aspirations were cut down by the bosatsu’s curse.

“You didn’t die, because you were smart enough to listen to my advice to get the bond removed.” She looked saddened in her eyes, but her face remained a blank slate ready to reactivate. “Tell me Sesshomaru, my maiden like son, if I was not wise for hiring Ryukotsusei to slay your father? Do you still blame yourself for his deserved death?”

This conversation was becoming tedious, and he did not wish to discuss the sordid details of his father’s death in front of the gossiping humans. He was not going to argue with his mother, because she was wrong for plotting the murder of her mate. She was wrong for enticing Ryukotsusei to attack Touga by offering him half of the western lands. She was wrong for feeding off Ryukotsusei’s hatred for humans and planting the seed in his thick head that the great Inu no Taisho was weaker for taking a human mate.

No one needed to know those things. No one needed to know that Inukimi lovingly told Sesshomaru about the demons skilled in severing mating bonds, because she heard that he was going north to do business with allies of the western lands.

No one needed to know that Sesshomaru paid exorbitantly for the service even though they warned him that breaking the bond would make Touga weaker by purifying a portion of his youki. He was naïve enough to believe that his father was invincible.

No one needed to know that when Sesshomaru returned home, having been ignorant of Inukimi’s treachery with Ryukotsusei, that Touga was fatally wounded. No one needed to know that Sesshomaru couldn’t stand seeing his father dying, and would have killed him if Touga wasn’t so good at going off to destroy himself completely. No one needed to know that Sesshomaru’s father cast the guilt for his death on his oldest son.

No one needed to know because it would just make their needless noise more. Even with Inukimi’s few words they would flap their mouths about like squawking crows.

“I came so that you could see to the safety of your other son, Inuyasha needs your healing talents.” Since she so freely offered her motherly instincts to Inuyasha there was no harm in holding her to it.

“That is trivial. Healing him won’t even tax me.” Inukimi replied haughtily. “I do my best for my sons. Now go get your brother, and these humans,” Inukimi glanced over to the traveling group, “Jakin can show them to the guest rooms. Rin comes with me.”

Giving a nod of agreement Sesshomaru darted across the field to gather his brother.

*Spiel Mit Mir*

“This will not do!” Inukimi exclaimed rubbing the material of Rin’s kimono between her pretty fingers. Rin looked down at her clothing. It wasn’t anything special. She had a nicer kimono in a bag on AhUn’s back. Rin brought it along in case they went somewhere that a fancier garment was needed.

If Sesshomaru told her where they were going ahead of time she would have insisted on changing.

“It is only for traveling, Inukimi-ko.” Rin said a little embarrassed. She picked at the orange hem of her kimono. It was worn and old. It was the first kimono Sesshomaru gave her upon realizing that it was best to secretly tuck away her status as a woman. That was two years ago, and she really only wore the aged garment when they were traveling. She had only grown perhaps an inch for each year so the length was still acceptable, and although her breasts were very humble she wore a tight cloth wrap underneath so that no one could remotely guess at their slight curve or see the perk of her nipples. Rin thought, from her experience, how much a woman’s nipples peeked through the cloth in front of it was a visual value of maturity that most people ignored.

“Just for traveling,” Inukimi laughed and untied the obi whirling Rin around to shed her of the old cloth. “My dear, that excuse was thin when I first met you.”

“Sesshomaru only has me wear it to protect me.” Rin whispered dizzily closing her eyes. She found her balance because Inukimi centered her, holding her in a strong grasp.

“And now you are mated.” Inukimi commented brushing her claws around Sesshomaru’s marks. Rin shivered partially because it was cold in Inukimi’s spectacular room, and partially because the marks were still very sensitive. Rin understood why Sesshomaru was wearing his hair up. Even the slightest brush of her windblown locks against the mark made her break out into a sweat. “Your mating is very fresh I see. Still sensitive?” Her fingers wisped over the pinkish sheen of scar tissue. Rin flinched and shivered holding onto Inukimi’s kimono as the demon brushed their cheeks together.

“Yes, Inukimi-ko. We mated less than a month ago.” Rin replied feeling the cool air of the spirit castle being chased away from her skin. Inukimi was rubbing her back softly. Inukimi held her with the gentle touch of a mother, and Rin never knew fear in it.

“What was the purpose of you marking him?” Inukimi questioned curiosity bleeding into her playful voice. “I have never seen such a thing. And yet I know you are just a human. Any bite from you should have been playful and inconsequential, yet he scared. It leaves quite a racy image.”

Rin blushed and Inukimi picked her up tossing her a few feet into a mound of pillows and bedrolls. Tumbling over Rin came to rest lopsided with pillows under her. The words were a little humiliating. Rin hadn’t meant to tarnish anything about Sesshomaru when she eagerly tried to theorize a way to save him from the bosatsu’s curse. She felt ashamed now that she knew it never worked, and worse that it made Sesshomaru appear to be a gluttonous sex god.

That wasn’t an inaccurate statement either. He was a sex god, although gluttony could never be considered one of his sins. Sesshomaru was not above spending the whole day on pleasure if he felt other matters weren’t pressing.

But those things were private, and she understood now that by leaving just a tiny scar of her teeth in a fading crescent on his neck that she made those things open to public scrutiny. Rin pulled herself up sitting nearly naked in the pile of pillows. Her hands clenched onto the finely woven cotton of one pillow as she tried to think of a good way to explain and apologize for her actions.

“Inukimi-ko, I did not mean any harm on Sesshomaru’s image by marking him…” Rin began and was cut off by a beautiful giggle.

“I know you didn’t.”

“I thought that if he was marked the demons affected by the bosatsu’s curse would stop seeking him, because that is what happened before.” Rin danced by those words because she knew the whole story. She knew about the war between Touga and Inukimi over Sesshomaru. She knew that Inukimi still found it hard to bear. “I suggested it to Sesshomaru on the night that we mated. He agreed to try, so when he marked me and my body was infused with his youki I bit into him hoping that some of my chi would transfer.”

Rin looked up from the pillow she had been grasping onto with sweaty palms. It seemed so stupid now. She had been so convinced that she could somehow save him with her little human soul. But Rin was grateful that Inuyasha was strong enough to save him, because at least Sesshomaru didn’t resent the marking. At least Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were somewhat getting along. They were getting along enough to have sex anyways.

Rin was grateful for Inuyasha, because another demon may not have allowed her to live. Another demon may have killed her just for belonging to Sesshomaru. Rin was grateful for Inuyasha, because someday… someday she would die. There was no power in the world that could stop that.

Rin didn’t want Sesshomaru to be alone again.

Inukimi was sitting across from her. Her face was serene, so much like Sesshomaru’s. She always felt comfortable around Inukimi because she and Sesshomaru were truly mother and son. Inukimi was just a woman and expressed herself far more than Sesshomaru did.

But the serene face didn’t tell her anything. She didn’t know if Inukimi thought the idea to be a fool’s gamble, or if she was upset by the less than successful outcome.

“My dear half breed marked Sesshomaru after then?”

Rin nodded ashamed again.

“I was childish for suggesting it. It did not stop the curse at all.”

“However guileless your thoughts were, Rin, you are the true daughter of my soul.” Inukimi said lovingly. “Even though you have no power, you tried everything to save and protect my son. I could not be happier that he has found you.”

The praise was unexpected and showered on Rin’s skin like sunbeams from heaven.

“Thank you, Inukimi-ko. I love you as well.” Rin replied. She knew that demons didn’t often use the word ‘love’ (at least not Sesshomaru and Inukimi), but ‘love’ the word was strong in utterance to them as well.

Inukimi stood up patting Rin on the head in acknowledgement before walking across the white stones of clouds that made up the floor of her room. She snapped her fingers and before her materialized the figures of two spirit children wearing matching gray kimono’s and blank emotionless masks.

“Measure my daughter for two kimonos: A durable one for traveling, and one for her wedding.” Inukimi ordered and immediately the spirit children flew towards Rin pulling her up out of the pillows. They yanked off the rest of her meager clothing leaving her naked to the cold air of the room. Rin wondered how it was that Inukimi and Sesshomaru never seemed to notice cooler atmospheres, was it that their true forms were covered in fur and it made it that much harder to detect cold?

The spirit children pulled her arms out to her sides and seemed to be taking measurements with their eyes.

“A wedding kimono?” Rin asked. Inukimi had retreated to the far end of the room and was sitting at a little table looking endlessly into the stone meido that she wore around her neck. Rin wondered what Inukimi was searching for in there. She fearfully remembered what it was like in there. She remembered the encompassing coldness of death. She remembered that Sesshomaru tried to leave her after that. She knew it brought fear to him that he would watch her grow old and die… or just die.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

Rin didn’t fear her own mortality, she feared being alone.

“I will not let my son dishonor you by mating like an animal, and not properly giving you a wedding. All his petty little fears about falling to his father’s fate are ignorant. I only did those things to protect him.”

Rin would have said something if she wasn’t blinded by the light of demon youki. She squinted and in a moment of pure light felt the soft billowing of material around her.

The light suspended and Rin felt the weight of cloth on her arms and across her shoulders. She looked down seeing the resplendent cyan of the finest woven cotton of an inner kimono void of decorations. The spirit children closed the curtain of that kimono around her body and tied it with a flat sash of white silk with orange triangles patterning it. Then another layer was blindingly laid over it. The outer kimono was the same bright yellow of dandelions. At the front of each shoulder was the crest Sesshomaru wore on his clothing. The red octagon surrounding a chrysanthemum was a prestigious mark. At the center of each chrysanthemum was a little white button to which a silver rope was affixed and draped across Rin’s small bosom like a glittering necklace.

The spirit children, the dressmakers, tied shut that layer with an obi of tangerine that was patterned with waves of azure that carried on it pretty red flowers.

Blinking Rin stepped away from the spirit children examining the new outfit. The kimono was longer than any she owned before, and the sleeves more of a regal length. She felt like a child dressed up in women’s clothing. Then she felt like a woman who never wore anything but children’s clothing when Inukimi directed her to look into a wavering mirror made from the youki of one of the spirit children.

The tighter obi accentuated her skinny waist, and made the very slight curve of her breasts more visible. Her hips suddenly had definition. The esteem she had for her body soared high as she looked at herself in the mirror.

They hadn’t done anything to alter her body. It was just her clothing that made her look womanly. Rin wondered if the curves and graces of a womanly figure were there without the clothes on. She had never seen herself naked.

“These are traveling clothes?” Rin asked glancing at Inukimi. She doubted her mate’s mother understood the dirty hard work traveling was.

“Of course they are. I’ve had them made out of the same cloud silk as Sesshomaru’s clothing. If they get dirty or tear they only need to be soaked in water to replenish, because the spirit home of water is the clouds. Also, like Sesshomaru’s clothing, this kimono will protect you against poison, youki attacks, and smaller physical attacks. You are as dear to me as he is.”

Rin hid her hands inside of the sleeves and touched them to her face. Even though the collar was high her mating mark didn’t seem disturbed by the soft material.

“Thank you, Inukimi-ko.” She whispered in marvel.

*Spiel Mit Mir*

Everything was white, silver, pristine, clear… all this place needed was winged cherubs playing golden harps to look like heaven.

Who knew heaven would be so boring?

Kagome sighed and continued walking down one particularly long stretch of hall. She wasn’t sure where she was anymore, but she didn’t think that mattered. It didn’t feel dangerous here.

Pausing Kagome wondered if she lost her mind. This place was simply brimming with the feeling of youki. It was so much so that Kagome couldn’t even tell where Sesshomaru’s youki was, and out of any demon she had ever met (except maybe Naraku) Sesshomaru had the most distinctive aura. That alone should make her feel threatened.

And then she reminded herself she was also wandering the hallways of a palace owned by a woman who named her son after his future prowess in the battlefield. Just from the little bit that Kagome saw of Inukimi she was pretty sure that she was the one who raised Sesshomaru. A lot of their mannerisms were identical.

But a little part of her did not fear Inukimi or this spirit castle at all. She seemed hospitable. They arrived here midmorning and were promptly given tea. Then they were given a very rich meal of roasted duck, fresh salmon, juicy oranges, and sticky rice balls filled with umeboshi paste. And then they had a lighter meal of pickled radishes and sweetened rice stuffed into honey glazed wonton wrappings.

Kagome didn’t think she had ever eaten so richly in this era.

Other than the meals they were left very alone in a large room that was busily prepared for them upon arrival. There were enough rich looking bedrolls for all of them, except Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Rin. No one had seen any of them since they arrived. As her friends went to sleep, and Kagome was struck with insomnia, Miroku yawned and said that he wasn’t too worried about the missing brothers.

This was the home of Sesshomaru’s mother. Would it be so strange to assume that Sesshomaru, and even Inuyasha, might have their own rooms inside the palace? It wasn’t strange to assume that Sesshomaru would have his own place in this magnificent home, but it still felt a little suspicious to think that the same would apply to Inuyasha. Inukimi didn’t appear to hold the same level of disdain for Inuyasha that Sesshomaru showed many times since Kagome met him.

But something just didn’t seem right.

If Inuyasha had some family support how had he ended up abandoned?

Inukimi might be hospitable, but there was deception in her beauty. Kagome couldn’t shake the feeling that something was being kept from them. She walked on in the white hallway that was shadowy with night trying to concentrate on finding Inuyasha, or at least Sesshomaru because he might know where Inuyasha was.

Concentrate, concentrate: This youki felt a little too light to be Inuyasha’s, this youki felt too disorganized to be Sesshomaru’s. Kagome stayed still in the hallway trying to sort out the different auras around her.

It was easier to distinguish differences between human chi in large populations because a human’s chi did not extend very far past its body in normal circumstances. For demons, the youki could extend for feet, miles. Kagome wasn’t sure if there was a limit because she never asked. And with demons youki had no problem mixing together like different colored beads in a bowl.

Right now in her deep concentration Kagome picked up one of those beads out of her mind, and managed to throw herself against the closest wall before the demon whose youki seemed to be a soft laugh of sarcasm, a breeze of curious evil came upon her.

Her heart pounded rapidly in her throat as her sidestep was futile. Right before her was the demon.

Inukimi was staring at her with a calculated expression, and Kagome nervously giggled.

“You know; if Sesshomaru dressed up like a girl he’d look just like you.” The nervous blurt out was really rude, Kagome thought as she reevaluated her words. She wanted to hit herself over not being able to keep her mouth shut and wondered when she let Inuyasha’s manners rub off on her. “Um… sorry. I …”

“It is not so far from the truth, priestess.” Inukimi said having donned an amused smile. “He was always such a beautiful young boy. When he wasn’t fighting I used to dress him up in my kimonos, and teach him how to play the koto.” Inukimi spoke fondly of the past, and then she added. “He hated it.”

Kagome laughed truly this time. She tried to cover her mouth with her hands and wipe the laughing tears away from her eyes.

“I’m sorry!” Kagome exclaimed through her muffed giggles. She hoped she didn’t do anything so unpleasant as to snort like a pig. But her body was threatening that as she continued her efforts to hold in the giggles. It seemed moms from all eras had embarrassing stories about their progeny.

“Sesshomaru looks more like my mate than me.” Inukimi said wistfully, a sadness drowning her voice. That sadness stifled Kagome’s laughter. She must be referring to the Inu no Taisho. It was romantic to think so, to think that so many years after his death he was still loved and missed.

“Was it hard on you to loose him?” her voice spilled out with natural compassion. Kagome was like the soothing waters of a hot spring. She could ease away aches of the heart and soul. Kagome had always thought of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru’s father in terms of those he left behind. The Great Inu no Taisho left behind so many; loyal servants, a son who resented his dying wish, a new mother with a baby boy… Inukimi added another splash of color into what Kagome knew about the man whose bones she had once climbed on.

It occurred to her suddenly that since Inukimi was still alive, the Inu no Taisho had two wives at the same time. Unless they had divorced, but Kagome wasn’t even sure the concept of divorce could happen in demons. Mating seemed very permanent.

Inukimi looked blank, and Kagome got the impression that she was being sized up, summed up, to see if she was worthy. Uncomfortably Kagome waited. There was no point in trying to rush whatever process was going through the demon’s mind. Rushing would probably produce the same results as it did when she tried to rush Inuyasha into a decision.

Rushing equaled nothing. Rushing meant getting nowhere. Kagome found it ironic that Inuyasha was always in a rush, and somehow seemed to get places while leaving parts of himself behind.

“You are a strong priestess. My dearest Rin told me that you are the keeper of the Shikon no Tama, and that you travel with my little half breed to collect its broken pieces. My son Sesshomaru has told me that you are the one who controls the enchanted necklace on his brother.” Inukimi said. Then the demon did something unusual. She averted her eyes to the side and scowled. “Can you break the curse?”

The curse? The bosatsu’s curse? Kagome didn’t think anyone could do that. She was a human not a divine being. Kagome was about to shake her head when Inukimi lifted her chin and pointed to her throat. There in the center of her throat was a swirl of something dark, something suppressing.

“You are cursed!” Kagome exclaimed in realization. How and what for she could only guess, but it was very clear dark magic. Unlike the bosatsu’s curse which she could not sense at all, the darkness that gripped Inukimi’s throat was very tangible.

“Yes all of us who know are cursed, suppressed into not speaking. Therefore I cannot tell you much, or give you the secrets to save my sons. Break the curse, priestess.” Inukimi barred her throat and Kagome hesitated. What did she mean by this? Save her sons? Kagome was already pretty sure that Inukimi was referring to both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. The pretty demon acted as if Inuyasha was her child and not her child.

Kagome was very confused.

But something told her that this was the right thing to do.

“I’ll try.” She agreed and reached out to purify the forbidding thing. Kagome’s hand touched the soft pale skin of Inukimi’s neck.

She felt the darkness, youki based, not a human made curse. It was strong, and complex weaving in and out of Inukimi’s aura. The glow of her spiritual powers illuminated from her fingertips. Kagome cringed as the pale skin of Inukimi’s neck blistered and split. This was not good. The curse purified at her touch, but it kept borrowing Inukimi’s youki to replenish, making it impossible to breach. She wished she knew how to get at the darkness without purifying everything near it.

Kagome could feel it in her fingertips! The breaking point was near. And Inukimi’s youki was reacting explosively to Kagome’s spiritual powers.

Everything seemed to shoot out with energy and Kagome felt her body slam back into the wall.

She was swallowed up in a storm of darkness and light.

Kagome opened her eyes somehow expecting an earth shattering epiphany, or at the very least an unbound demon.

It was vaguely disappointing that nothing happened at all. Inukimi just stood there looking at her, and her back hurt. The back of her head throbbed from having hit the wall so hard. Kagome frowned still seeing the spell that trapped Inukimi’s voice and made her mute to things that she so obviously felt important.

“You could write it down?” Kagome suggested nervously. The demon turned away from her apparently finding her useless now that she failed her task.

At least she wasn’t useless enough to kill.

*Spiel Mit Mir*

Inuyasha awoke with a start. He had not been dreaming, and in fact sleep had been tranquil. He was still swathed in stillness.

The serenity was chased away with consciousness and the scent of a woman who tortured and coddled him so many times. Looking around with suspicious eyes Inuyasha did not see Inukimi. She was not hiding in some bright corner of the room to confuse him with hugs that were inevitably followed by the sharp bite of her claws. Her scent was in the room, but she no longer was.

His eyes adjusted and he recognized the room. He remembered playing on the floor while his brother slept, and recovered from injuries that should have killed him.

It was spacious, the walls hung with banners of a royal crest. There was a table underneath the left window that viewed a garden in the clouds. On that table sat a teapot and little cups that he remembered from his childhood. He remembered looking at the little pictures on them for hours making up stories about the tiny painted dogs flying through the sky over woods, bridges, and villages.

Inuyasha’s eyes swung to the opposite side of the room where he saw the only person in the world more confusing than Inukimi.

Sesshomaru was sitting on the ground shirtless, and concentrated on painting smooth beautiful strokes onto rolls of perfect parchment. Once, a long time ago, he told Inuyasha that calligraphy was a lot like sword fighting. Once upon a time his older brother spoke in a silky voice that the smooth and controlled movements of the brush strokes were good for steadying oneself. Then he rottenly refused to teach Inuyasha how to create the seemingly endless flow of smooth black ink. He snottily said that Inuyasha should never know things like reading and writing, because he was too idiotic to know them.

Sesshomaru told him that he was a nothing, and then went on painting holding up one draping sleeve, and steadying his other hand to spread the ink in magical beauty.

Inuyasha supposed now that Sesshomaru got rid of his shirt because he could no longer hold his sleeve up to disallow it from smudging the ink.

Now Inuyasha widened his eyes, because of all the things in the world that Sesshomaru could be writing he didn’t expect this. Inuyasha never expected to see his name painted so smoothly as if the brush was dancing on the paper. For some reason it made Inuyasha’s heart pound.

Then he scowled. Why should his heart give into romantic thoughts? His brother was probably bored, or placing some kind of spell on him through the ink. Sesshomaru certainly wasn’t flourishing the curving characters of his name out of concern or loving thoughts of him. There was absolutely nothing romantic between them at all, just weird messed up shit.

“Are you just going to stare at me, half breed?” Sesshomaru finally asked, not taking his eyes away from his work as he picked up another brush dipped in a grassy tempura and began drawing the straight tall shoots of bamboo around Inuyasha’s name.

“I’m not staring at you, jerk.” Inuyasha huffed and turned away. He crossed his arms over his chest aggravated that he was so easily called out. The action made him aware that his arm no longer throbbed. In fact it felt good, strong and back to normal. He pulled up his sleeve and looked at the perfectly healed flesh. There wasn’t even any sign of the injury.

“Do not get too used to that feeling. Mother’s potion worked this time, but injury will always lay someone as weak as you low.”

Taking issue with the cold hearted tone Inuyasha ground his teeth, and clenched his hands around the thick blue kimono that had served as his blanket.

“Shut up, asshole. I’m a lot tougher than I look.” Inuyasha growled out turning on his side away from Sesshomaru. He propped his head up with his hand, and tapped his claws against his bent knee trying to think about his favorite tea pot.

His ears twitched at the sound of Sesshomaru moving. His body tingled when Sesshomaru lifted up the heavy kimono sliding into the bedroll behind him. His warm breath floated through Inuyasha’s hair to his neck producing a million little goosebumps to texture the surface of his skin.

“You are not tougher than you look. You are what you are, who you are. Don’t delude yourself to think you could ever be strong.” Sesshomaru whispered snaking his hand around Inuyasha’s waist and curling his deadly hand over the top of his thigh.

Fed up with the liverish words Inuyasha wiggled himself to face Sesshomaru, pushed his brother onto his back and turned around again hoping the jerk would get the hint and leave.

Sesshomaru moved right back to his position except this time when he embraced Inuyasha he let his strong hand fall between Inuyasha’s legs and slowly feel him up. Urgently Sesshomaru squeezed him through his hakama. It was as if he was impatient to have Inuyasha’s desires wake up.

“Get your hand off of me before I cut it off.” Inuyasha growled. Sesshomaru didn’t heed his warning. Despite being mad, and wanting to turn his brother away, and possibly harm him, Inuyasha felt his flesh heat up.

“I was wrong.” Sesshomaru said flatly still gently coaxing Inuyasha to arousal. It wasn’t taking much. He was half hard already, giving into the stimulation, and sexy warmth. In a short moment Inuyasha resented his brother’s ability to get him so heated. Then he processed Sesshomaru’s words and decided to be just as vexatious to him.

“You are wrong a lot.”

A long moment passed where Sesshomaru didn’t say anything.

“Maybe.” He responded quietly.

“It’s not a maybe, bitch. It’s a fact.” Inuyasha spat trying to suppress the rising heat. He tried to think of something other than the warmth of Sesshomaru’s hand gripping him through his hakama.

He was fully erect when Sesshomaru spoke again. Inuyasha refused to gasp, or cry out, or thrust up into that hand. They were having an argument goddamnit! They were having a very strange atypical argument, and Inuyasha wasn’t sure what they were really arguing about. And oh, that hand was so nice and warm, and doing very good things!

“I am wrong right now,” Sesshomaru said quietly though his voice betrayed no emotion, “I assumed before that you were becoming weak because of your inability to form a bond with that priestess…”

“Just because Kagome can’t hear you doesn’t mean that you can call her whatever you want.” Inuyasha interrupted. Sesshomaru pulled Inuyasha to his back. Inuyasha found himself in the familiar position of being between Sesshomaru’s legs. He growled wondering why there were so many layers of cloth between them. Shouldn’t they be more naked now?

Sesshomaru ignored him softly scratching his claws down Inuyasha’s cheek, over the firmness of his jaw, and down the vulnerable skin of his neck. His movements were melancholy, and slow even when he positively wiggled his ass on Inuyasha’s dick.

“Your bond with Kagome was never strong enough to make you loose any strength. She only benefits you, and you benefit her.” Sesshomaru looked like he was flushing. He licked his lower lip eyes focused rather hazily onto Inuyasha without really meeting Inuyasha’s gaze. “It was the lack of our bond that was destroying you slowly.”

“We never had a bond. It was you that came seeking me out and causing all this to happen.” Inuyasha retorted and then felt sick at his own words. It felt wrong to say that, but Sesshomaru didn’t react. Sesshomaru didn’t let his body react, but Inuyasha could feel the sudden sting of his brother’s pain. He tried to chase it away by grabbing onto his hips.

“Do you remember what we were doing this time last year?” Sesshomaru asked evenly. Inuyasha had no idea what he was referring to. “Sounga.” His brother said quietly. Oh, yeah, Inuyasha thought. The memory of the possessed sword still left him feeling foul. “It was the first time we’ve ever fought together. We cooperated. It was after that, after that I started to think of you.”

Inuyasha remained stalk still under Sesshomaru processing his words. It was after that when Inuyasha started having strange fuzzy dreams about his brother. Those dreams were not very vivid, but they weren’t unpleasant. Those dreams were an anomaly that he passed off as curiosity about Sesshomaru’s ever enigmatic behavior. It was only a few months ago that those dreams faded away into the background. Inuyasha thought they were gone because things were getting harder. Demons that they came across were more difficult to kill. Matters of the heart seemed to weigh on his soul.

“We were bonding?” Inuyasha’s voice came out a half whisper, half squeak.

“Yes,” Sesshomaru said leaning down and brushing his lips against Inuyasha’s. “I was annoyed by the constant presence of you in my head, so I came to you to get rid of it. I mistakenly assumed that your bond with Kagome, or seeming lack there of, was affecting you and weighing down my thoughts.”

“Then all along…”

“We were feeding into our bond,” Sesshomaru pressed an open mouthed kiss onto Inuyasha. He tasted divine. His smell was intoxicating.

“But we didn’t want this. It was the bosatsu’s curse!” Inuyasha protested freeing his mouth and grasping onto the naked skin of Sesshomaru’s sides. His thumbs worked circles over the smooth hard muscle. Sesshomaru blinked and touched Inuyasha’s face again.

“I know, and not all of it was unwanted.” Sesshomaru withdrew his hand and slowly reached up to touch his neck. Inuyasha’s mouth dropped open as cold shock dumped down his body filling all of his hallow cavities, drowning his blood. He had not just heard that right. Sesshomaru was not touching their mark in a loving gentle way.

His brother had to be playing some kind of twisted trick on him.

“I was transformed when I did that! You have every right to hate me for that. I hate that I did that, because you did not choose that.” Inuyasha protested. It was wrong. He forced that on Sesshomaru, just like their father had. Sesshomaru should hate him, should resent it, should seek to get it removed…

“I was not ready for it, but it does not displease me, little brother.” Sesshomaru said. Inuyasha thought he had to be dreaming. That was the only possible explanation, because his heart was strung up in his chest all over the words of his brother. He couldn’t come up with an explanation for the reactions he was having. The strange primal feeling of pride filled his chest at hearing his mate acknowledging their union. And the feeling of finally belonging to his pack, the pack that he should have belonged to from the first moments of his life was his again even though he had to fight a long unusual path to get there.

“Sesshomaru, I…”

“I am still wrong, Inuyasha.” Sesshomaru said cutting him off, “Do you really think that my words of your weakness were frivolous? I was not throwing insults to the wind.”

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose and snorted. Love and then weakness: What did he expect? For Sesshomaru to actually be consistent?

“You’re wrong about me being weak!”

Sesshomaru let out a long exasperated sigh and looked down to Inuyasha in umbrage.

“I am wrong to keep you weak. There is a difference.”

“Oh please! As if you’d ever make me stronger,” Inuyasha huffed. Sesshomaru glared at him with unveiled annoyance. Ok that was better, Inuyasha thought. Finally something was looking normal again.

“I taught you how to fight. I was the one who showed you the path of the wind scar, not to mention led you to the Tetsusaiga’s location. I protected you from Sounga. There are a million little things that I have done for you that you have shown ungratefulness for.” Sesshomaru hissed. “And this time… I am not going to help you unless you ask for it.”

“How can I ask for it when I don’t even know what it is?” Inuyasha hissed back feeling a little better that they were close to fighting again. His blood was pumping correctly now, and he felt cocky when Sesshomaru growled at him.

Part of him liked it when Sesshomaru rebelled against his role as the bitch. In the past growling and fury from his brother would have frightened Inuyasha to no end. Now hearing the aggressive tone fueled his sexual fantasies.

Flipping Sesshomaru onto his back Inuyasha felt satisfied to growl in dominance. He wanted to fuck Sesshomaru while they were still slightly aggressive mindset. He wanted to be rough with his brother. He wanted Sesshomaru to be submissive and strong, who thought that those things could coexist?

Taking advantage of the moment he untied Sesshomaru’s hakama, leaving the demon a little more bare than he had been just a moment ago.

“You shouldn’t have had any problem healing from a broken bone, Inuyasha. That kind of infection shouldn’t have even touched you, but it did.” Sesshomaru said glancing down to Inuyasha’s hips. Satisfaction gleamed through Inuyasha as he slowly humped Sesshomaru, hearing the slight increase of his breath. “Inuyasha, you got sick because of me.”

“Huh?” Inuyasha was a little confused and ready to abandon the conversation in pursuit of Sesshomaru’s hot skin. He leaned down licking Sesshomaru’s collar bone, pushing the cloth off of his brother’s hips so that he could see the dripping head of his erection.

“I haven’t marked you.” Sesshomaru whispered roughly, as if he was suppressing a moan. “Mating marks work best when both partners have made a mutual decision to mark each other. If you were full demon it would not matter so much. I never marked Father, but his youki was strong enough to bolster me without sapping his body. When he marked Izayoi he only kept loosing youki to her human soul because she had no youki to signal to the bond that she was safe.”

“But I have youki. I am half demon!”

“I know.” Sesshomaru replied, “But your youki is limited. Even giving me some of your youki without me supporting you is allowing your human blood more strength. And it’s erratic because my youki is still slipping to you waiting for our bond to be completed. It’s been a while since you’ve transformed.”

Sesshomaru was right! The asshole was right. Inuyasha transformed a lot immediately after marking Sesshomaru. Then even with the same provocation he hadn’t transformed once after.

And then it hit him.

Sesshomaru wasn’t just rubbing these things in his face. He was telling him, giving him a choice. Sesshomaru was offering to mark him, to finalize their bond. He was giving Inuyasha the opportunity to back out… something he never had because of a damned curse.

Inuyasha had no idea how to respond. He didn’t know how to deal with this.

“Do you want to mark me?” Inuyasha finally asked rather brashly. “Because if you are only doing this over stupid ideals of strength then I don’t want it.”

Sesshomaru blinked underneath him.

“What should I want this for?” Sesshomaru asked as if another thought hadn’t crossed his mind. Those words gave Inuyasha his answer, and at the same time made him embarrassed. He didn’t know how to answer that with words that made sense to him. He didn’t know how to answer that without asking Sesshomaru for more than the demon could give.

“If you can’t figure that out it’s not my problem.” Inuyasha huffed. He was confused, by himself. Still in the haze of arousal, Inuyasha breathed in Sesshomaru’s scent. It was the best scent he had ever known, and it was stronger because of the warm lubricant that coated Sesshomaru’s cock.

“Inuyasha?” his brother sounded distant.

His brother’s voice was enough to break his lusty concentration. He was ready to go stew in a corner and wonder why his heart wanted Sesshomaru to love him. It had to be something about the mating bond. Instinct… or maybe he was finally going insane. It certainly didn’t stand to reason that he would desire Sesshomaru’s love in his brain. Inuyasha could accept the want to mount Sesshomaru nonstop, but not to love him.

Didn’t Sesshomaru just express that he cared?

Was there that much of a difference between love and caring?

There was; if caring was only for a personal agenda, especially agendas filled with the thirst for power. It was the lack of that thirst; no, turning the drink of power down with restraint that brought him to love Kikyo. And in the end someone else’s desire for power and control ruined it for them. It was the reason he loved Kagome. The girl from the future was anything but power hungry. She was kind, selfless, and nurturing. She accepted him. Sesshomaru was ambivalent about his real feelings for Inuyasha.

Inuyasha felt bad as he focused back in on Sesshomaru’s face. His older brother was wearing an expression that screamed that he didn’t know what he did wrong. He looked upset, and not in the ‘I’m going to kill you because you interrupted my dinner’ way. He looked disappointed? Hurt?

Whatever it was that Sesshomaru was feeling he was damn good at repressing, because Inuyasha couldn’t even feel it through his bond.

Sesshomaru seemed to know he was being stared at and roughly pushed Inuyasha aside turning onto his stomach.

The silence between them stretched on and sunk deep into their minds.

Another note: "bo-chan" is a nickname given to a little boy kinda along the lines of saying "my baby boy". My mother-in-law used to call my husband "bo-chan" when he was little.
Thank you for reading!
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Spiel Mit Mir