Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

A Heat to Overcome	By : Sparrowhawk Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 31291 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the associated characters, nor do I make any profit from this fanfic. All other characters not associated with the original manga or anime, however, are mine.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
Wow, it's been a long time! I can't believe how long. I apologize profusely for the long wait. Life got in the way, as it probably will for the foreseeable future as my life is really hectic right now. This chapter is EEEEEXTRAAAAAA long, so I hope that makes up for it, at least a little. Thanks for being so patient and for the awesome reviews (: (:

Vyperbites: Lol, sorry, had to cut it off there, hope this chapter is to your satisfaction (: Kagome is a bitch, I agree wholeheartedly and things aren't going to get much better in this chapter, unfortunately. Thanks so much for leaving a review, and again I apologize for the long wait. Isn't life just a bitch? Always getting in the way. Hope you enjoy the this chapter!
starchilds: Oooh, I love Suzu, too! Besides Sessh and Inuyasha, I think Suzu is definitely my favorite character in this story. He's so much fun to write! Shiro and Sho are interesting. Not sure how much of them you're going to get as the plot moves along, though there will definitely be something. Yes, yes, I had to end the chapter in the middle of the damn bath scene. It's my bitchy, sadistic streak as an author. Sorry (: Glad you're looking forward to this chapter. Hope I don't disappoint. Enjoy!
Moonlight Vampiress: Ha ha! You and me both, lol. Suzu is so damn *drool* hot! YES! Exactly. You get it. Layers (like a cake or an onion, whichever you'd like) and many, many sides. It is good that he's still restraining himself, especially since Inuyasha is clueless as to what's going on with her and wouldn't understand it if Sesshomaru hurt her. Poor Inuyasha ): The sod is too good for her. Shippo ... no, haven't planned out who he'll be spending his heat with. Males, females ... not at all sure. Cute as it would be to put him with Kouga (and I agree, it would be pretty dang cute) I don't know that Kouga would go along with it since he's so in love with Kagome still. But, Shippo's heat isn't going to be for a while, so ... maybe by then .... I'll have to think on it. As for Shiro and Sho, not sure how much of them you're going to get, but I'm hoping to throw in at least a little between them. Keep your fingers crossed (; Lol, we'll see if you're still marrying Suzu *wink wink* No, but seriously, I really don't know who to put him with! I have a vague idea that might work, but I'm not sure about it yet. It depends on where the plot takes me. If you have any input on the matter, though, I'd be glad to hear it (: I am ecstatic you love Suzu so much!! Thanks for leaving such an awesome review and making me laugh. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!
BlackLuna: Sorry it's taken so long to update, but here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy and thanks for leaving a review!
Nikkie23534: Thank you so much, I'm so happy you enjoyed them!! Right? I love Shiro and Sho, too, and totally agree with you. Sho put Kagome down and out like BAM!! Bad, bad badass! Yes, kitty demon love! Can't wait to go more in depth in their relationship, cause that will be coming up, just not sure exactly when yet. Look forward to it (; Awesome as it would be for Sessh to do that ... wouldn't work so well plot-wise. Not with the plans I have going. Sorry, but hope you like what's coming, regardless. Oooh, next step in intimacy between Sessh and Inuyasha ... well, you'll just have to wait and see, lol. Hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks so much for leaving a review!!
Oh my GOSH, I was so touched by all of your reviews! Thank you everyone who left reviews, you totally make my day ... days ... months? However long it's been since I've put out a chapter. Thanks for sticking with me, and hope this chapter meets everyone's expectations!!
Warnings for anyone who might like to know: profanity, male x male interaction and sexiness, a sneaky little Kagome bitch we have to keep an eye on

Chapter Eighteen
Soul Mates
He liked sleeping with his brother, Inuyasha decided after his second full night without any of the usual nightmares. He curled further against the daiyoukai’s belly fur, reluctant to wake up all the way when he was so comfortable. Last night’s bath had been awkward, but good. Even before … well, just before, he had never felt comfortable being naked in front of anyone. He supposed that probably had to do with being called an ugly half-breed for most of his life. Last night, though … last night he hadn’t felt comfortable, but he hadn’t felt like he wanted a mountain to fall on him and hide him from Sesshomaru’s eyes either.
An inquiring type of bark he, surprisingly, understood alerted him to the fact that his aniki was awake.
He smiled sleepily. “No nightmares.” A wet nose nudged his face. He laughed, swatting his brother’s muzzle away. “Sessh, cut it out. That tickles.” The enormous inu snorted, shaking his head and getting to his paws. “Aw, come on,” Inuyasha groaned, pulling some of the blankets over his head. “It’s still early.” Next thing he knew the blankets had been removed by an inconsiderate paw and his face was being licked. “Sessh!” he gasped through gut-aching laughter. “S-Stop! Ooh! Ah ha ha ha! St-Stop, that tickles! O-Okay, he he, I’m up! Damn it, Sessh, I said I’m up!”
Sesshomaru drew back and smirked—if dogs were capable of smirking—whacking Inuyasha in the face with his tail as he sauntered to the other side of the bed where his youki condensed around him, returning him to his lesser form. He ran his fingers and claws through his hair. “You are far too easy to tease, little brother.”
“Not my fault I’m ticklish,” the hanyou grumbled, wiping his face. “What we doin’ today, anyway?”
“Breakfast with your pack, first of all. After that, I will be introducing you to the rest of my generals and a few other major officials. Should you feel well enough, we will then proceed to the dojo where I will teach you katas and tai chi, simple work outs that will not exhaust you overly much. Then lunch, again with your pack should you so choose, where we will discuss what subjects you need to begin your tutoring to become a secondary ruler.”
“Oh goody.”
Sesshomaru smiled as he slipped off his sleeping yukata and disappeared beyond the changing screen to find clothing for himself and his little brother. “You will have a difficult time ruling if you do not learn how to do so.”
“You’re the one who’s gonna be ruling. I’m just a secondary ruler. Means I getta stand by and look pretty for all the visitin’ Lords and Ladies.”
“Then perhaps you would prefer to wear a kimono?”
Inuyasha grinned cockily, refusing to give his elder brother the upper hand. “Whatcha got?”
Shrugging on his hitoe and tucking it into the hakama he had chosen to wear that day, Sesshomaru shook his head at his little brother’s antics, admitting defeat. “Unfortunately, nothing that would suit you as well as a warrior’s outfit. How does black sound?”
“Does it have red on it?”
The daiyoukai inclined his head with a smirk, though the younger inu wasn’t where he would be able to see. “Naturally.”
“Well, whatcha waitin’ for then? Toss it over.”
Gathing up the black and red hitoe, black kosode, and black hakama along with a new fundoshi, he stepped back out from behind the changing screen, and stopped. Inuyasha had his back turned, his upper half bare with only a fundoshi on his lower half. He never thought himself one to ogle, but ogle he did. In the bath last night, he had been focused on not scaring the pup, and so he had pointedly ignored all but his face. Now he had nothing else to focus on to draw his attention away from the lightly tanned skin, the firm muscles, slim waist, and the numerous pale scars crisscrossing his baby brother’s flesh. Sesshomaru’s skin healed fast enough it would take a lot to leave a scar on him. But for Inuyasha, who was half human, it would take less, and he wondered what all the scars were from. Some, he knew, had to be from his time with the slavers, but those were easily identifiable as they were still quite red and slightly raised from the rest of his skin.
Fascinated, Sesshomaru crossed the room to look at the pinkish marks more closely. A star shaped one on his shoulder drew his fingers to flesh. The hanyou stiffened, his breath catching audibly.
“Sessh? W-What are ya doing?”
“Looking.”
“Ya don’t need to touch to look,” Inuyasha mumbled, shifting uncomfortably, though he stayed where he was. “What are ya lookin’ at?”
“Where did you get this scar, ototo?” Sesshomaru asked, tracing the outline of the pale mark almost reverently.
Inuyasha craned his neck to see exactly which scar his aniki was talking about. “Oh, that one. Got that one from a big ass youkai with a spear. Went right through my shoulder. Took almost three full days to heal since the bastard decided t’poison it. I have another scar on the other side.” He turned, gesturing toward the front of his shoulder where there was a similar scar.
Sesshomaru traced that one, too. There was another next to it. His fingertips brushed over it as if to memorize its shape. “And this one?”
“Umm … don’t really remember. Had that one long as I can recall, so prob’ly happened when I was still a pup.”
“This one?” the daiyoukai inquired again, tracing another jagged scar that ran across Inuyasha’s throat.
“Wolf. Not youkai, just a regular wolf. Pack of ‘em found me while I was feedin’ off a carcass left by a bear. Nicked my jugular, that’s why it took long enough to heal to leave a scar, lost a lot of blood. Prob’ly bout … twenty years old at the time.”
“You escaped with just the one?” Sesshomaru asked, more than a little impressed.
“I’m good at escaping. Wolves don’t climb trees, and they have t’eat more often than I do.”
“This one doesn’t look as faded as the others.” He trailed his claws lightly down another scar, easily identified as one left by a katana. “Perhaps … four months ago?”
Inuyasha shrugged. “Yura of the Demon Hair. Nasty piece a work if ya ask me. Got wrapped up with her cause she wanted t’scalp me. ‘Pparrently my hair’s pretty rare.”
“I would imagine so,” Sesshomaru murmured, tracing the slim scar again. “There is a beauty to be had in the hair of the shiro inu youkai that would be most desirable to those of a more disreputable nature. Our hair, our fur, our blood and flesh and bones, have properties that many would pay mountains of gold to have the barest molecule, the smallest strand, or drop. You were not hunted only for food, Inuyasha.”
“But … I’m hanyou. I’m not a pureblood youkai. I’m not a daiyoukai like you are or like the old man was. Why would they want somethin’ from me?”
“Hanyou though you are, little one, you possess the beauty and power of a pureblood youkai. And … as much as I dislike admitting as much, hanyou are generally easier prey than pureblood youkai, and especially daiyoukai. Our father gave your mother the fire rat robe not to protect you just in battle, but to protect you also from those who would attempt to harm you to gain a piece of your shiro inu heritage, of that power.”
“Oh. I guess … I never really thought of that.”
“You had no reason to think of such things.” His eyes dropped lower, to the point between his little brother’s chest and abdomen where there was a larger, more irregular shaped scar. “This scar was given to you some time after the last. Where did it come from?”
Suddenly looking highly uncomfortable, Inuyasha took a few steps back, his hand covering the scar as if to hide it from the daiyoukai’s gaze. “Th-That one? Well, y’see … that one was …” He stopped, then started again, face flushing even darker. “Y’see, it’s like this … i-it’s …” Finally he looked down, scratched at his ear, and averted his eyes. “S-Saa.”
It didn’t take long for Sesshomaru to realize why his sibling was stuttering like he was confessing his undying love to a girl for the first time. It was obvious by the way his sibling couldn’t, or wouldn’t, look at him that it had been one he had left. After realizing that, it was only a matter of recalling the last time they had truly fought. “My hand. I pierced your chest with my hand and poisoned you. This is that scar.”
Eyes flicking up to his sibling’s face nervously, Inuyasha nodded. “Yeah …”
“Forgive me,” Sesshomaru murmured, lowering his hand to his side and backing away. “I have been touching you without your permission. I have been too forward.”
Frantically shaking his head in denial, Inuyasha grabbed the elder inu’s hand before he could retreat any farther and brought it back to his chest. “It’s fine. Really. Heck, if ya think about it, it’s because you kept poisonin’ me that I could fight M—that slave-trading bastard as much as I could.” He turned serious, realizing his attempt at a joke wasn’t helping. Clasping the daiyoukai’s hand to his chest, golden eyes intent, he whispered earnestly, “You saved me, Sessh. The past don’t matter.”
“It matters to me, Inuyasha. Every scar, every reminder of the hurt I have caused you, every inch of you matters to me.”
“Why? Do my scars make me ugly? Bet you don’t got any scars. Ya heal too fast.”
“No, your scars do not make you ugly, little one. They make you beautiful.” He gripped his ototo’s hand and brought it to his lips, tenderly kissing one of the numerous scars atop the hanyou’s knuckles. “Your scars are a part of you. They have left marks of your hardships, your triumphs. You should bear them proudly.”
Inuyasha’s ears laid back into his hair as he cleared his throat and took his hand back from his touchy-feely sibling. “Yeah, well, I haven’t had as much practice at that as you.” Feeling suddenly awkward, he finished getting dressed, only just tying the obi around his waist when a knock came on Sesshomaru’s bedroom door.
“Yes?”
“Healer Tamae is asking entry, my Lord,” the guardsman replied.
“Let her in.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
They listened as the guard tramped back to the door and spoke in loud, clipped tones telling Tamae to go ahead and go in. In a much softer voice, she thanked him. Her voice was followed by the soft click of a closing door and then the nearly inaudible sound of air moving before she knocked upon Sesshomaru’s bedchamber door.
“You may enter, Tamae.”
Carrying a tray with the usual medications for Inuyasha, she bustled her way into the room, setting the tray on Sesshomaru’s bedside table. “Good morning, Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Inuyasha. Lord Inuyasha, may I inquire as to how you are feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
“Fine being …?”
“Uh … fine?”
“No fever?”
“None.”
“Muscle pains?”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, slapping his elder brother on the arm when the bastard had the gall to smirk at him. “No.”
Tamae continued on, either not noticing the exchange between them, or else ignoring it. “Severe mood swings like sudden depression, or overly sensitive skin?”
“No, nope, and nope,” Inuyasha answered. “Can I have my medicine now?”
“Would you kindly disrobe?”
“Uh … why? I just got finished gettin’ dressed! Sessh, would you do somethin’ about this witch?”
Sesshomaru chuckled, shaking his head as his sibling practically whined at him. “Unfortunately for you, ototo, I agree with Tamae. Please do undress so she can check how well you are healing.”
“Why do I hafta undress for that? Can’t I just tell her if I’m healing well or not?”
“Ototo, a healer’s eyes see much more than that of an untrained, two-hundred-year-old pup. Please allow her to look at you.”
Inuyasha harrumphed, but got up and began to undress obediently. He slid the hitoe from his shoulders without a problem, but hesitated when he came to his kosode as he felt eyes upon him. He knew there was no mockery in those gazes, no intentions to cause him discomfort or pain, even so he could not stop the fear that made his hands freeze and tremble.
“My Lord … if you are willing, there is another method I can employ that would bear the same results since you do not appear to be comfortable removing your clothes in front of me.”
“W-Wha’s that?”
“I possess an ability unique to the pureblood wind youkai. I am what is called a mind reader. If you would permit me, I can delve into your mind to ascertain how well you are recovering and what other medications I may need to bring to aid in your recovery.”
Inuyasha looked over at his brother, seeking permission. Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows. “It is up to you, ototo. Tamae has been a faithful servant and healer to our family since I was but a pup. If you are uncomfortable undressing in front of her and wish to allow her access to your mind, you will be perfectly safe in doing so. I leave the decision in your hands.”
“Is there any way you could … I dunno … do it with her? I’d feel better knowin’ you were there t’make sure nothin’ happens.”
“If Lord Sesshomaru is willing to allow me to guide him, we can enter your mind together should that be your wish, Lord Inuyasha.”
“Sessh?”
The daiyoukai brushed his knuckles against his baby brother’s cheek, cocking his head slightly to the side. “It would not bother you if I were to enter your mind? There may be things there you do not wish me to see—thoughts, feelings, memories. Think carefully before you decide to allow this, ototo.”
“I’m not much good at thinkin’ hard on things, aniki,” Inuyasha responded with a brave, though still nervous grin. “There’s nothin’ in there I’d want t’hide from you, anyway, so it’s fine.”
“Very well. If that is your decision then … Tamae?”
The wind demoness nodded solemnly and motioned for them to take a seat on the edge of the bed. Once they finished getting settled, she placed her hands over Sesshomaru’s temples and closed her eyes.
Sesshomaru felt the intrusion the moment the healer entered his mind. Her presence was soothing, like a healing salve, it made him feel comfortable. He checked his mental barriers to make certain they were firmly in place before allowing her to gain a materialistic form. She wasn’t truly solid since she was still in his mind, but just as he could form a double of himself within the planes of his mindscape, he could allow her to do so as well.
My Lord, she addressed him, turning her head to him, though her mouth didn’t move. There is an issue I wish to bring to your attention. I did not feel it wise to speak of it in front of Lord Inuyasha as it concerns his miko friend and I am afraid he may act rashly should he hear what I have to say. May I proceed?
Sesshomaru nodded once, content to let her do the talking.
I was approached yesterday by the wolf prince, Prince Kouga. I believe he also wishes to speak to you concerning this matter, but has not yet found occasion to do so. He has expressed his unease to me that she has been acting strangely, especially where it concerns your brother.
Sesshomaru’s expression didn’t change, but the white space of his mindscape turned a foreboding red.
I agree, my Lord, the healer murmured as if he had spoken aloud. It is most disquieting. Prince Kouga has asked that I … discreetly perform tests on the miko to ascertain her mental and physical wellbeing as she refuses to come to me of her own accord. As much as I would like to perform such tests, however, I cannot. Sesshomaru left his question unasked, but as his mindscape went from red to a darker maroon color, she answered as if he had. I cannot do so, my Lord, because as untrained as she is, her sacred powers are strong. She is much too strong for me to handle on my own. I dare not try to enter her mind. To do so, I would need access to a telepathe of equal power to the miko, which we simply do not have.
Sesshomaru’s mindscape turned black.
No, my Lord, I do not believe it would be prudent to simply kill the girl. She is of Lord Inuyasha’s pack, after all, and as long as he still cares for her, killing her will only drive him to despise you. For now, I would suggest that you keep a close eye on her, particularly when she is in contact with Lord Inuyasha. Do not leave them alone. In the meantime, I will consult my mate and sister-mate and see if we cannot devise a way to ascertain what has happened to the girl without delving into her mind.
The color of Sesshomaru’s mindscape went from black to a neutral brown. What of the mon—Miroku?
I believe the monk may be able to aid in our endeavors. I do not know enough of the slayer to say for certain how she might react, though. For the sake of caution, I would not reveal Kouga’s suspicions to her as of yet. Afterall, we do not know if the miko has contracted a disease, if she is mentally unstable, or if she was possessed by a demon of some kind.
Sesshomaru nodded and his mindscape returned to the carefully controlled expanse of white. I do not plan to leave my brother alone with anyone for the time being. However, should the need arise I will call upon either Sasaki or yourself to keep an eye on the miko.
Very good, my Lord. Shall we proceed?
The daiyoukai inclined his head for her to go ahead.
I need you to think about your brother, my Lord. Think about what he looks like, the sound of his voice, his smell. Think about how you feel about him. Think on your memories that involve him—the good, and the bad.
Letting the healer’s words flow over him, lulling him into a trance-like state, Sesshomaru did as she told him. He thought about earlier that morning, his baby brother’s tan flesh riddled with lighter colored scars. He thought about the calluses on the hanyou’s hands from wielding Tessaiga and the calluses on the soles of his feet from being forced to go barefoot most of his life. He thought about his surprisingly soft mane of hair, how it contrasted with his sun kissed skin so nicely. He thought about those captivating golden eyes, so like his own, but with far more emotional depth than he would ever wish to show. He recalled the younger inu’s voice raised in anger, gruff with embarrassment, tense with uncertainty, husky with arousal, high and stressed with fear, and soft in those rare instances when he was completely calm and perfectly at ease. He breathed in deeply, taking in the scents of his room and isolating that which belonged to his sibling. Such an alluring aroma. He smelled of forest and earth, sun, water, spring air, the sweet smell of honeysuckle, family, and that underlying scent that was purely Inuyasha.
Then he let himself mull over his feelings for his sibling. Regret, first and foremost. Regret for not being there. Regret for forcing him to survive for so long without him. Regret for allowing Michio and his slavers to get away with raping him. It was frustrating and painful to watch his ototo battle the fear the slavers had left in him. Yet he also felt good when the hanyou relied on him, when he wanted to be near him even if it was out of fear of everything and everyone else. He wanted Inuyasha to rely on him. He wanted that trust. He wanted to keep him close and protect him so that he wouldn’t be hurt ever again. At the same time as he wanted to treat him tenderly, though, he also wanted to destroy him, to tear him down and ravish him until he no longer thought of anyone else, didn’t want to be with anyone else, rely on anyone else, touch or speak to anyone else.
With another deep breath to calm his turbulent emotions and regain control of himself, he thought back on his memories in which the hanyou had been the focus. He recalled well the night his Lord Father told him of Inuyasha’s conception, how angry he had been, how disgusted that his Lord Father, the great Inu no Taisho, had bedded a ningen woman, that he had soiled their proud bloodline with human blood. He recalled the night of his younger brother’s birth, that awful night when his Lord Father was injured battling Ryuukotsusei and then died saving his human mate and bastard child. He remembered how that very same child, so beautiful, but so ugly in his mind, followed after him everywhere like a duckling. Somehow, he always knew where Sesshomaru was even if he wasn’t within sight of the estate where he and his mother lived. Then, finding him after his mother’s death and her relatives threw him out, leaving him to fend for himself when he knew demons would likely kill him within the next moon cycle. Yet, the boy didn’t die. He grew, grew fast, and grew well. The beautiful child with the puppy dog ears grew into an equally beautiful young man. Inuyasha gradually forced him to acknowledge his strength—first, during their battle in their father’s tomb when the half-breed managed to take off his arm, then repeatedly later on when he continued his attempts to take Tessaiga from him and continuously failed.
Then he thought on that day weeks ago when he met him again, realizing he was going into his very first heat and the sudden possessive feelings that made him want to claim the hanyou even after his memories returned. The nightmare of having him taken from him by Michio and the slave traders, knowing exactly what they would be doing to him and yet being unable to stop them. Searching, so long searching for him, so long was his chest hollow and pained by his brother’s absence. The despair when he had thought he might never find him. The relief when he finally felt their connection and knew his sibling was alive. Bringing him back, half dead, in his arms. Lying with him at night, praying to whatever gods would listen that his ototo would wake with the rising sun. The joy that filled him when the younger inu finally opened his eyes. Eating together. Bathing together. Sleeping together. Having him constantly by his side, constantly within arm’s reach. He had never known such intense monopolistic feelings existed. It was a little disquieting how quickly and utterly his feelings toward the pup had changed.
You are doing very well, my Lord, Tamae’s soothing voice interrupted his thoughts. Now, I need you to reach out to your brother with your youki. Find that connection. Concentrate.
Slowly, Sesshomaru let his youki leak out. He felt his brother beside him, felt his youki, as suppressed as it was, and reached for it. Suddenly, something shifted. It felt as if he was being pulled by a great force. When the sensation eased and then stopped, he knew at once that he was no longer within his own mindscape. He was inside Inuyasha’s mind.
Tamae?
I am here, my Lord.
He glanced around, expecting to see the wind demoness within the forms of the dark trees that made up most of Inuyasha’s mindscape.
I cannot assume a proper shape here. Lord Inuyasha does not know how to give others form. You are able to do so because you have a connection with him. Give me some time to find the information I need to determine his wellbeing.
Do what you need to do. I will wait here.
When he felt the healer’s presence disperse into the surrounding trees, Sesshomaru let out a quiet sigh and sank down to rest against one of the larger trunks. The forest was reminiscent of the one near the borders of the West where Inuyasha had been pinned to the tree by a priestess a little over fifty years ago. It was also night. He could see the moon high in the sky, a crescent moon like the crest on his forehead. He wondered what it meant. From a young age, he had been taught to control his thoughts, and thus learned to hide them behind strong defenses lest a demon with mind abilities seek to gain information from him. Obviously, that was not something Inuyasha had learned. Or perhaps, the hanyou could not. It was not a skill that came easily and there were some who simply didn’t have the capability to learn it.
He stiffened and looked around when his acute, demonic hearing picked out the sound of growling. It was faint, quite a distance from him, but it was distinctly inu. The only inu besides himself in Inuyasha’s mindscape should be Inuyasha himself. Yet, as far as he was aware, the pup didn’t know the inu language. Then again, this morning he seemed to have understood Sesshomaru when he was in his inu form. Could he be wrong? Did the pup know the inu language, or did he only have an instinctual understanding of it? That was certainly something to think on.
Curiosity getting the better of him, he stood and started walking in the direction of the growling. The sound was one of anger and distress. It almost sounded like the inu was trapped.
“Inuyasha?” he tried.
The growling quieted for a moment, and then started again, louder and more aggressive than before. Obviously, the inu didn’t understand the human tongue. Concentrating as he moved closer to the sound, he slowly forced his body to change. It wasn’t like what he would normally do—release his youki and just let his body do what was natural. In Inuyasha’s mind, he had to concentrate hard to recall what he looked and felt like in his inu form. He had to remember the pristine white of his fur, its softness, the feel of having four legs instead of two, the movement of his tail and ears, the way his muscles bunched and stretched as he walked and trotted and ran, the crests on his cheeks and forehead and the blood red of his eyes and then force Inuyasha’s mind to accommodate those memories. The intensity of concentration necessary for the transformation had him panting quietly, but when it was finished, it felt as natural as it ever had and gave him a feeling of power and freedom. The growling was closer now. It was guttural, as if it came from within the cavernous chest of a large beast—not as if it was Inuyasha making the sound. Inuyasha could not growl like that, his lungs and voicebox didn’t have the capacity.
Slowly, Sesshomaru weaved between the trees and underbrush, making barely a sound. He paused at the edge of a clearing and peered through the leaves, sensing whatever creature was there in Inuyasha’s mindscape was just beyond the edge of the underbrush. His eyes widened in shock at what he saw. In the center of the clearing, tangled in what looked to be some kind of chain, was an inu. A true inu. In full demon form. And it was glorious.
Unhesitatingly, he stepped out into the clearing, entranced by the beautiful, snowy white dog demon. Almost as soon as he did so, the inu froze, its ears twitching and nose sniffing. Then, with another threatening snarl, it turned its head in Sesshomaru’s direction, fixing him in a defiant crimson stare that made his heart pound hard against his ribs. That stare. The demon crests on the inu’s cheeks. The upright puppy dog ears. Sesshomaru knew them. He had only seen them once all together, but Kami-sama, did he know them. This inu … This inu was the spitting image of how he imagined his little brother would look in full demon form. If he had a full demon form, that is.
Inuyasha?
The other dog demon’s snarl stopped at the questioning sound of Sesshomaru’s growl. It … he cocked his head, his ears swiveling back and forth and to either side in confusion.
Inuyasha, he repeated more firmly. However this demon came to be here, there was no doubt in the daiyoukai’s mind that this was Inuyasha … or at the very least a part of the hanyou.
The smaller inu whined tentatively, his “voice” soft with fear. Alpha?
You are Inuyasha then.
I’ve been calling for you. Why didn’t you come? Why have you left me alone?
You are Inuyasha, aren’t you? Sesshomaru asked, moving a little closer to the trapped inu. But you are not hanyou.
I am Inuyasha. I am youkai.
You called to me before. It wasn’t a question. Sesshomaru remembered Inuyasha’s demon blood had called to him that night he escaped Michio while Inuyasha was in human form. He didn’t know how it was possible while Inuyasha was human, but there was no denying he had heard the hanyou’s demon heritage calling to him.
I have called to you ever since my heat first started, ever since I was released from the arrow that bound me to Goshinboku.
Sesshomaru stopped, eyes narrowing with doubt. Inuyasha’s heat did not start until I was with him.
The inu barked sharply, enraged. No! My heat started many months ago.
Inuyasha’s heat did not start until I was with him. I could smell it. I could feel it. It was his first heat!
Yes, it was my first heat, but that is not when it started. I was already headed into my heat when the arrow struck me.
Sesshomaru’s eyes widened. He remembered that. He remembered feeling … something. He hadn’t been sure what it was at the time, but he had called in Tamae and she had told him he was experiencing a sympathetic heat. Someone close to him had gone into heat—which he had thought ridiculous at the time since there were no inu youkai close to him. But if it was Inuyasha … if Inuyasha had gone into heat … it made perfect sense for him to go into heat as well. He was the pup’s alpha, whether he acknowledged it or not. He was Inuyasha’s alpha by birth and by blood and the only inu who met with him on a semi-regular basis. Then … only a few hours into his heat, it stopped. Tamae couldn’t explain it. If it was a sympathetic heat, he should have been in heat until he relieved the heat of the inu who had triggered it. Sesshomaru hadn’t given it much thought at the time. All it meant was that it wasn’t a sympathetic heat. After all, he was alone. There were no inu youkai among his palace staff or servants, how could he have a sympathetic heat? Then, a few days later, he received news that his hanyou half-brother had gotten himself pinned to a tree by a sacred arrow.
You’ve been calling to me to help you finish your heat, Sesshomaru realized with a sudden surge of clarity.
I cannot finish my heat without my alpha.
Sesshomaru moved forward again, alarmed. Why? This doesn’t make sense. There have been young inu youkai who have gone through their first heat without an alpha and they were perfectly fine. Why is Inuyasha different?
Then he saw it. The thing tangled around the inu he had thought to be a chain was not a chain at all. It was a necklace. The same necklace he had seen around Inuyasha’s neck. Inuyasha had told him back in their den that the miko had put it on him when he had tried to kill her, that it allowed her to control him—though that part was more implied than anything else. Could this be why Inuyasha could not control his demon blood? After all, when he had spoken to Bokseno, he had only asked the tree demon why Inuyasha transformed sometimes. The tree demon had said that Inuyasha’s demon blood would eventually devour his soul if he continued to transform. He had also said that Inuyasha’s youkai blood was too strong for him, but not why it was too strong for him. Sesshomaru had assumed, foolishly, that the cause was because Inuyasha was hanyou. What other reason could there be?
Their father had given Inuyasha the Tessaiga in order to prevent him losing himself to his demon blood, but what if the sword wasn’t truly necessary? Their father always did think it wise to be prepared for the worst and he would not have wanted there to be a possibility that his youngest son could become a rampaging monster with no thought in his head but to kill. Furthermore, Inuyasha had never once transformed into anything like a full demon before he had those subjugation beads around his neck, and Sesshomaru knew for a fact that he had encountered life threatening situations often enough as a pup to have done so. In trying to control Inuyasha’s demon heritage, had the miko unwittingly started the cycle that would eventually pull his baby brother down into madness?
You’ve been calling me to free you from the miko’s power, Sesshomaru realized with a low, frustrated growl. But I was so caught up in my arrogance and my quest for power that I could not hear you.
Ears going back against his head, the inu whined. You are not angry with me for calling you then?
No. I am not angry with you, little one. You were right to call me. I do not think I will be able to free you, though. Not here, at any rate. I dare not use my youki here where it may cause Inuyasha … you more harm than good.
You’ll … help me?
Of course. I am your alpha, after all. By the way, he growled softly, glancing around the clearing, if you’re here … then where is the human part of Inuyasha?
That … human … is not here. Just as I am bound by the miko’s power, he is also bound, but by the power of the moon and by my own strength. He fears me.
Sesshomaru let out a huff. You are a part of Inuyasha, what is there to fear?
He fears me … as he should, the inu snarled, renewing his struggle against the beads of subjugation. I will kill him one day, and he knows that. He knows I despise him. It is because of him you abandoned us … and because of him that I have been bound!
You cannot kill him, little one, Sesshomaru rumbled.
Why not? the inu demanded irately, stomping his paw in frustration. He has ruined everything! If he was not here you would not have abandoned me! Is that not so?
Bowing his head slightly in regret, Sesshomaru answered quietly, That was true. It was, the way I was back then, but it is not true now. I have seen your strength, both as a demon and as a human. You are one and the same. If you kill him, you will be killing a part of yourself. I will not allow it. I will free you from the miko’s oppression, but I will not let you harm yourself. Do you hear me, submissive? You will not kill your human counterpart.
Huffing in discontent, the inu stopped struggling and again fixed him in his crimson stare. You will free me? You will not abandon me again?
Never again, little one, Sesshomaru promised, moving forward to lap at the younger inu’s cheek. It’s okay to stop fighting now. I’m here. I will do all I can to free and protect you.
The inu closed his eyes in contentment as Sesshomaru continued to lick across his face, grooming his soft white fur and renewing their bond as brothers and as alpha and submissive. Did I do well, alpha?
Sesshomaru stopped, confused. Do well?
I protected us.
It didn’t take long for the daiyoukai to realize what the inu was talking about. Inuyasha had immediately reverted to his demon form the morning after his escape from Michio. It was Inuyasha’s demon blood that had protected him, that had let him live through the torture with his sanity intact.
Yes, my brother, you did very well.
My Lord?
The inu, so calm only moments before, raised his head and snarled at the voice.
Hush, little one, Sesshomaru reprimanded, getting to his feet. She is a healer. He turned his attention to the wind demoness and opened his mind to her so she could read his thoughts as he continued to speak the inu tongue so the inu could understand what he was saying to her. Did you find anything?
Nothing physical. This, though … I have never seen anything like this. Does your brother have a full demon form, my Lord?
Not that I have seen. The subjugation beads put on him by the miko in his pack makes transformation impossible. He is capable of something like a transformation, but … it is not natural to inu kind. I have never heard of a hanyou that could transform.
Nor have I, Tamae replied thoughtfully. We should return.
Yes, we should.
You’re leaving? The inu struggled to his feet, his eyes flooding with sadness, tail drooping with remembered loneliness.
I must leave, Sesshomaru responded with a gentle rumble, whining softly and licking across the younger inu’s face once more to reassure him. I will not forget my promise to you, little one. You are a part of Inuyasha. My feelings for him extend to you as well as his human part. I will free you both. It might take some time and I may not be able to come here again like this, but I will not abandon you. I will always be with you.
Whining, the inu rubbed his head against Sesshomaru’s cheek and throat, nipping lightly at his jaw. I don’t want you to go, but I know you must. Be well, my alpha, and don’t forget.
I will not forget. Soon … Soon you will be whole again. Be strong until then.
Tail thumping against the ground, the inu gave him one last lick to his cheek and then laid on the ground amongst the tangled necklace to rest. Go now, alpha.
Nodding, Sesshomaru stepped away from the inu, concentrated on the line of his youki connecting him to Inuyasha’s mindscape, and followed it back to his own. As he went, he thought he caught a glimpse of something dark moving amongst the trees, but it was there and gone so fast he couldn’t be sure he hadn’t imagined it.
After the comfortable darkness of Inuyasha’s mindscape with its large trees, leafy underbrush, and the black sky lit only with a crescent moon, the white of his own mindscape almost shocked him. He had never noticed how blinding it was. As Tamae materialized in the space, he quickly adjusted it to a neutral gray—not too bright and not too dark.
Tamae, is Inuyasha aware that his soul is split?
I do not believe so, my Lord. If he was aware of it and was able to access that part of his mind, I do not believe he would fear his demon blood as much as he does.
Sesshomaru growled at that reminder, his mindscape darkening to black. That necklace he wears needs to be removed.
Yes, I quite agree. The longer he wears it, the more he risks losing his soul, and the less control he’ll have over his actions when his demon blood comes forth.
***Ӂ***
While Sesshomaru and Tamae went wandering willy-nilly through his head, Inuyasha scooted a little closer to his elder brother, leaning in just slightly to feel the warmth radiating from the daiyoukai’s body. He really didn’t care what Sesshomaru saw in his head. Though the demon lord had been an enemy not too long ago, he somehow knew that he could trust him, did trust him. Maybe it was their bond as blood brothers. Or maybe it was because Sesshomaru had saved him. Or perhaps because the daiyoukai had finally taken him in as his brother and submissive. It just felt right. More right than it would have felt to let any one of his pack—except maybe Shippo—have the same privilege. Whatever. He meant what he said. He wasn’t good at thinking hard on things. It wasn’t any harder than what he did last night, what he let his brother do. Compared to last night, it was actually a hell of a lot easier.
Last night …
“Then … could you do that … grooming thing you did before and we can w-work our way up from there?”
“If that is what you would prefer.” Inclining his head, Sesshomaru let the strand of silky, white hair slide through his fingers and drop to lay against the younger inu’s slim shoulder. Rotating his hand until his palm faced upward, he then offered it to his sibling. “Come. Let me take care of you.”
Lowering his eyes shyly, Inuyasha accepted the hand into his as he accepted the words into his heart, though they seemed to mean far more than what Sesshomaru had meant in reference to bathing.
Sesshomaru led him into his personal bath chamber where he gestured for him to take a seat on the stool behind the partition to rinse off, which Inuyasha did, though apprehensively. “Wait here,” his aniki told him gently.
Inuyasha nodded as the daiyoukai went about the small space collecting towels, washcloths, soap, and whatever other materials he thought were necessary before disappearing inside the bath chamber itself to fetch warm water. He returned a moment later, bringing with him water as well as a second stool.
The stool he set behind Inuyasha. The hanyou turned to watch him as he slid his hitoe and kosode from his shoulders, which he then folded neatly at set by the door. They were quickly followed by his hakama and fundoshi. Feeling his cheeks heat, Inuyasha turned back around. Would he ever get used to seeing his aniki naked? Somehow, he doubted it.
He sucked in a sharp breath when he sensed Sesshomaru settle on the stool behind him.
“Are you all right, ototo?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Mmm … well, maybe I’m nervous. A-A little.”
Chuckling, Sesshomaru took one of the washcloths and dipped it into the warm water. “I enjoy your honesty, Inuyasha. It is refreshing.”
“Keh,” Inuyasha grunted, recognizing the fact that the demon lord was trying to distract him from his insecurities as the washcloth came in contact with his flesh, raining warm water down his shoulder and back. “You’re more honest than I am, aniki.”
“I state what I believe to be truth, but there have been times when I have lied because I, myself, did not realize the truth. You lie knowingly because it has been ingrained in you to never show weakness. You cannot afford to let those who may be enemies see your fear or sadness or loneliness or compassion, for every one of those can be used against you. I would have used those emotional weaknesses against you if I had seen them there—have used it against you when it came to your miko. Instead, you show anger. Anger shields you. I lie to myself unknowingly, ototo, which is far worse than lying while knowing you are lying because in that way you are always true to yourself. Despite my enmity toward you, I still respected your ability to overcome and your fierce determination to survive.”
“Un,” Inuyasha muttered, unable to think of anything better to say to that.
“I have wondered, little brother …”
Curious, Inuyasha looked back over his shoulder at the daiyoukai, who seemed to be trying to gather his thoughts. “What?” he prompted, when the demon lord trailed off.
“You told me before that you have always trusted me,” Sesshomaru murmured as he continued to rub the wet cloth all across Inuyasha’s shoulders and back.
“Yeah?”
“I have wondered how it is, after everything I have done to you, the pain I have inflicted, that you could continue to put your trust in me. How is it that you do not hate me?”
“Well … I-I don’t really know,” Inuyasha replied honestly, shrugging uncomfortably as he turned his head back to face forward while Sesshomaru dragged his stool around and began to wash his front. “I mean … there were things you did that I hated, but … I could never quite bring myself to hate you. I wanted … your approval, I suppose, and I thought if I worked hard enough, became strong enough, you would accept me.”
Sesshomaru nodded solemnly as he lifted Inuyasha’s foot from the floor and set it up on his knee. He then dipped the cloth back into the water and began to rinse it almost reverently. “It was never your strength that was in question, little one. You were born with our father’s blood, and your mother, while human, was not weak. Physically weak, yes, but spiritually and emotionally she was very strong. I did not like her, but I did respect her.”
“You hated me because the old man died protecting me and my mother, right?”
“Yes,” the daiyoukai murmured, wincing inwardly when his baby brother flinched. “I hated you for living while he died. He was a great demon … and he was my alpha. I loved him dearly. When I lost him, it seemed to me I had lost all direction. All that was left to me was my hatred of you, and so I cast you out, spurned you, persecuted you, and pursued you. It was not your fault. It was never your fault.” Setting the cloth aside and then lowering Inuyasha’s foot back to the floor, Sesshomaru lifted his hand and brushed away the single tear that slowly slid down his little brother’s cheek. “It has taken much for me to recognize that truth, much that has hurt you, and I will do whatever is necessary to make up for that.”
“I don’t want you to make up for it, Sessh,” Inuyasha growled, jerking his head away from his sibling’s gentle touch. “It already happened. Nothin’s gonna change it. I learned valuable lessons bein’ out on my own. I just … I just want you to be there for me now. Just be there … that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Slowly, Sesshomaru reached down and picked up Inuyasha’s other foot, again setting it on his knee as he rinsed it thoroughly. “I will give that to you.”
Inuyasha nodded curtly while Sesshomaru finished with his foot and set it back on the floor. Then the demon lord began to move the dripping cloth further up his leg, past his knee, and all across his thigh. He tensed and clenched his teeth against the urge to shove his alpha away. Sesshomaru would not hurt him.
He gasped when he felt his brother’s fingers on his inner thigh and snapped his gaze down to watch as they rubbed along his skin, massaging firmly.
“You are tense, little brother.”
“Wonder why …” Inuyasha muttered wryly, still watching the deadly appendage move along his thigh, maintaining a fixed distance from his crotch at all times. He guessed it was so he wouldn’t spook. Already he could feel tremors running through his body, energy coursing through his muscles, all the preparations that were needed if he felt as if he had to run. And it was no wonder. He had been poisoned by that same hand, by those same claws, more times than he cared to count. Slight immunity notwithstanding, Sesshomaru’s poison still hurt like a bitch.
Finally, Sesshomaru was done rinsing his body and began rinsing his own. Not that there was much to rinse. Living in the palace, there wasn’t much dirt to get on one’s skin, even if they walked around barefoot like Inuyasha preferred to. After a few short minutes, Sesshomaru dumped the leftover water onto the floor where it slowly flowed down a slight incline to the drain situated between where he and Inuyasha sat. Then the daiyoukai gathered the materials he had brought with him and stood. Inuyasha automatically followed suit and trailed after him at a much slower pace into the main bath chamber.
By the time he rounded the partition after the other inu, his brother had set the supplies near the edge of the basin and was already partially submerged. When the older youkai spotted him, he smiled slightly and held his hand out for him.
Inuyasha hurried over to take it, blushing when Sesshomaru laughed in a low, amused way that made his stomach perform an odd kind of flip and left it tense and quivery as he descended into the basin alongside his brother.
The water was hot and made his skin prickle unpleasantly for a few brief moments as his body adjusted to the temperature. Once the prickling passed, he sank down into the water with a sigh, letting it soothe the tension in his muscles and chase away the feeling of uncleanliness left on him by the slave traders. He stretched and swam a little, always aware of his older brother’s golden eyes watching him, though the demon lord made no move to interfere with his activities. Then, when he was sufficiently loose, he swam back to the ledge upon which Sesshomaru was sitting and let himself sink down onto it, tilting his head back to wet his hair without getting water in his ears.
He felt the water slosh against him in subtle ripples as Sesshomaru moved closer to him. He breathed deeply, taking in the scent of water, sakura petals, soap, and Sesshomaru. The scent left him feeling … not comfortable … content, maybe. Yes, he felt content. This was where he was supposed to be.
With Sesshomaru’s non-verbal prompting, he lifted himself up onto the edge of the bath and held out his hand as the daiyoukai took up the soap and washcloth and began to “groom” him. His hand and fingers were gentle, the cloth warm and soft as it dipped down between his fingers and slid along his hand and wrist. He closed his eyes, basking in the feeling of rightness, rumbling deep in his chest in a primal show of gratitude.
Sesshomaru echoed the sound, smiling when he glanced up to see his baby brother’s eyes closed, his face relaxed. Besides when Inuyasha was sleeping with him, he’d never seen the hanyou so at peace. He continued grooming the younger inu’s soft skin, loving the feel of it when his fingers brushed bare flesh, reveling in the fact that his brother was beginning to let go of his fear.
It didn’t take him long to finish grooming Inuyasha’s arms and shoulders. He moved closer to reach the hanyou’s back, noticing as he did that his eyes remained closed and his body relaxed. Once finished with his back, Sesshomaru moved on to Inuyasha’s chest.
I want to kiss him. The thought struck him so suddenly, he froze, his hand poised over the younger inu’s heart as he considered the thought. He had been wanting to touch him and kiss him for some time now, but the thought had never struck him so suddenly nor with such strength. Would Inuyasha allow it? He had given Sesshomaru permission to test his boundaries. If he does not want that kind of contact yet, he can always push me away, he decided.
Inuyasha sucked in a sharp breath when he felt something other than Sesshomaru’s fingers on his skin. He cracked his eyes open, realizing as he did so that he could feel warm breath, which told him it was the daiyoukai’s lips against his collarbone. Their eyes met, Sesshomaru’s wary as he again pressed his lips to Inuyasha’s skin and moved back, awaiting his reaction.
Slowly, Inuyasha breathed out and leaned his head back, taking deep breaths as he once again closed his eyes. No words were necessary. He knew Sesshomaru could sense how he felt.
As Inuyasha thought, Sesshomaru could indeed sense how his little brother felt. Nervous, a little afraid, but the lingering sense of contentment was still there, that lingering trust. He continued grooming, pressing his lips tenderly to the skin before lathering it with soap. Lower and lower he went, kissing Inuyasha’s sternum and moving downward to kiss what ribs he could see, brushing light scars with his lips on the tan abdomen, feeling his sibling’s anxiety mounting the lower his lips touched. Just above his navel, Sesshomaru ceased the administrations of his mouth, simply wiping the area with the soapy cloth. He smiled when Inuyasha’s breathing eased and the sour stench of anxiety retreated.
He finished applying the soap on his little brother’s stomach and hips, careful to avoid his crotch, and then moved back to allow Inuyasha to pull his feet up out of the water.
Having already done this once, Inuyasha followed what Sesshomaru had told him last time and raised his foot so the daiyoukai could properly clean the sole of it. Inuyasha’s eyes widened in shock when Sesshomaru cupped his heel in his hand and raised his foot up to his mouth, kissing the underside tenderly. The gentle brush of lips was ticklish, but Inuyasha didn’t pull away, too stunned by the display to do anything other than stare.
Looking up from beneath dark lashes, Sesshomaru chuckled, kissed his foot once more, and then let it go. It dropped back into the water with a splash. “Inuyasha,” he rumbled, voice soft, eyes full of heat and a spark of desire that he kept well under control. “If I am to groom your foot properly, I need it out of the water.”
Blinking dumbly, Inuyasha nodded and stiffly raised his foot again. “R-Right … sorry.”
In answer, Sesshomaru finished lathering soap over his foot and between his toes, allowing him to put it back down on the edge of the basin while he did the same to his other foot—minus the kisses. He placed a few more kisses on Inuyasha’s ankle, shin, and knee on each leg before finishing. Then, boldly, he stepped forward and hooked his arm under Inuyasha’s left arm and around his back, pulling him back down into the water. Scooping up handfuls of water, he dumped them over his little brother’s scalp, careful to avoid getting water in his ears. He didn’t immediately reach for the oils as he had the last time. Instead, he pressed a light kiss to the top of his head and then to each triangular ear. Inuyasha shuddered, but—beyond the usual scents of anxiety and slight fear—didn’t otherwise react and Sesshomaru moved on to applying the oils, combing it gently through his sibling’s white locks.
When Sesshomaru finally finished applying the fragrant oils to his hair, Inuyasha ducked under the water again and ran his own fingers through the silky strands to dislodge any excess before resurfacing. Sesshomaru was still growling softly, the sound soothing to Inuyasha’s frayed nerves. He smiled timidly and took the daiyoukai’s hand, squeezing firmly. “Thanks.”
“Anytime, little brother,” Sesshomaru responded, squeezing back. “Anytime.”
Inuyasha waded to the edge of the basin, prepared to get out, get dried off, dressed, and get to bed, but stopped when he noticed Sesshomaru wasn’t following him. “Sessh?” he called, turning back to face his brother. “Are you coming?”
“Not yet. I thought to take the time to groom myself as well. You may leave or stay, whichever pleases you.”
Slowly, nervously, Inuyasha walked back the way he had come and sank down onto the ledge his brother had previously occupied. “Sessh …”
“Yes?” the daiyoukai inquired absently as he took up a new wash cloth and scented soap and began to apply it to his skin.
“You talked about mating before. You said … the old man was mated to your mother, but that he later dissolved their mating. How can that be? Myoga told me inu youkai mate for life, that mating bonds are permanent.”
“That wretch is correct,” Sesshomaru replied, snarling at the mention of his baby brother’s retainer. “Inu youkai do mate for life. Lady Hiyakaika, my mother, was our father’s mate, but it was only a political mating.”
“A political mating?”
Sesshomaru waved his question away. “You will learn this in your studies to become a secondary ruler, but for now, I will explain as best I can. There are several different kinds of mating bonds. There is the political kind, which is what was between my mother and our father and is of a type that can be dissolved should one or the other wish to part with their partner. This kind of bond is common among nobility and often comes about from arrangements made by the parents at the birth of their offspring. Another type of bond, which is more common within lower ranking inu clans, is a pack mating bond. It is a bond in which the alpha mates with all the males and females in his or her pack—barring any offspring they have—and is one method in which the alpha ensures loyalty. Like a political mating, it is not permanent and can be annulled should one of the pack desire it. There are a few other mating bonds, some more powerful, some less so, but the one that flea has seen fit to teach you—and, possibly, the most important of them all, depending upon your view—is that which is called a soul mating. In other words, the two are bound together as soul mates. A soul mating is an ancient, permanent bond that has the power to bind inu youkai together for time and eternity, never to be separated. Even should they die and be reborn, they will always find one another. Because it is permanent, there are not many who attempt such a mating. It can also be quite dangerous as it does not depend solely on how much two youkai love one another. Their youki must also agree to the mating.”
“Oh …”
“Of course, a soul mating is not confined to species,” Sesshomaru continued with a casual air, watching his brother’s reaction to his words from the corner of his eye as he turned and began to wash the parts of his back he could reach.
“Eh?” Inuyasha asked, head tilting to the side. “What d’ya mean?”
“It is rare, but … there have been instances when a demon’s youki has called out to a demon of a different species or a person of another race entirely.”
“You mean … like humans?”
Sesshomaru nodded serenely, pleased his sibling had understood. “Ningen, hanyou, quarterlings, akuma, tenshi, and other such beings with very few ties to the shiro inu clans.”
Inuyasha’s eyes widened as he thought about the implications of what the elder inu was telling him. “Then … you mean … my mother and … and our father were …?”
“Soul mates?” Sesshomaru asked the question for him. “I believe so. They were not mated. Lady Izayoi did not wish to bring shame upon our family. Father insisted it did not matter, but your mother understood should they have engaged in a mating ceremony many of the nobles would have lost all respect for him and for me. Though they did not perform the mating ceremony, I do believe they were soul mates. When they are reborn, I have no doubt they will find each other again.”
“Th-That’s … uh …” Inuyasha stuttered, overwhelmed by what Sesshomaru was relating to him. They weren’t mated, but … they were soul mates? His mother and Sesshomaru and his father were meant to be together? He swallowed the lump of emotion that had lodged itself in his throat and finished lamely, “That’s good.”
Sensing that Inuyasha would not welcome a continuation of their conversation, Sesshomaru fell silent. The emotions he could feel from their bond were so mixed; he wasn’t sure exactly what his little brother was feeling. Whatever it was, at least it wasn’t fear. Shrugging to himself, he continued grooming his back, stretching to reach those places he hadn’t yet washed. He was so engrossed in the struggle—a struggle that often happened when it came to his missing arm—he wasn’t paying attention to his brother’s whereabouts until he felt another wet cloth join his.
He stopped and twisted so he could look back over his shoulder where the younger inu stood, ears slicked back against his head while a blush rode high across his cheeks. “Ototo?”
“Y-You looked like you were having some trouble so … I thought I’d … help. Is—I mean … is it okay?”
Twisting further to put less strain on his arm, Sesshomaru grabbed his sibling’s wrist as he turned to face him, taking note of his flinch and the way his ears pressed back closer to his soaked scalp as if he expected to be struck for daring to ask such a thing. “You, little one, are free to touch me anytime you desire it. In fact, I welcome it.”
“Then … um … can I …?”
Wading over to a shallower area of the basin where the water only reached to the middle of his thighs, Sesshomaru released his sibling and turned back around. A soothing rumble filled the chamber, coaxing his nervous baby brother closer. It had been a long time, not since his Lord Father was alive, that Sesshomaru had allowed another to groom him. The act of grooming was so intimate he didn’t have bath attendants as so many other nobles saw fit to employ.
As he felt the warm cloth and the hanyou’s hand come in contact with his skin, he realized he had forgotten what it felt like to engage in this kind of intimacy. It was everything he remembered. Everything … and possibly more. Tension seemed to literally melt away in places he hadn’t even realized tension existed. Inuyasha stepped closer as he gained confidence and his hand moved against his skin more firmly, washing in slow circles all along his shoulders, up the back of his neck, and down along his spine. He didn’t care that the pup was grooming places he had already finished; it felt too good, too right and he wasn’t about to make him stop. As good as it felt to him, though, he could sense the act of grooming was also calming Inuyasha. Perhaps he had been going about the healing process the wrong way, he reflected mildly. Perhaps Inuyasha would heal more quickly if, rather than always being the one to touch, he encouraged the hanyou to touch him in return.
He felt some awkwardness encroach upon the hanyou’s calm when his grooming brought him down to Sesshomaru’s bare posterior. As careful as he was to avoid Inuyasha’s private areas, it was a part of the grooming process, and he knew the younger inu could sense that. He waited patiently while his sibling hesitated, and was rewarded a moment later when the cloth passed over his buttocks and even dared to dip down between them.
Without being prompted, the daiyoukai waded to the edge of the basin and lifted himself to sit upon it, leaving only his feet dangling in the water. Inuyasha followed him. He didn’t have to ask if he was doing it right, his entire being thrummed with confirmation of that fact. His instincts guided his hands to lift Sesshomaru’s right foot out of the water, which he then held in one hand as he used the other to lather soap across the top, between each of his toes, and along the sole of his foot. Still holding it up out of the water, he washed around the daiyoukai’s ankle, pausing when he reached Sesshomaru’s demon markings. He had the strangest urge to … kiss them.
“Do it,” Sesshomaru encouraged him softly.
“Nani?” Inuyasha asked breathlessly, golden eyes peering up at his elder brother questioningly.
“I know what you want to do, and you have my permission to do it. It would please me greatly,” he added, almost, but not quite as an afterthought. “Your youki is urging you to do so, is it not?”
“H-How do you …?”
“I told you. We have a connection.”
Sesshomaru raised his foot up from where Inuyasha’s hand held it and growled softly, in a manner that struck something deep inside the younger inu’s being. Nervously tossing his hair over one shoulder, Inuyasha bent down and pressed his lips lightly to the demon lord’s magenta stripes. It tingled where their skin made contact, and he gasped and drew back, raising his wide eyes up to his brother’s. The corner of Sesshomaru’s mouth lifted upward as if to say, “Well, what did you expect?” Huffing, Inuyasha lowered his head back down and kissed the stripes once more. Then, more to spite the smug demon lord than anything else, he ran his tongue over the markings, too.
Whatever reaction he was expecting, it wasn’t what he got. With a fierce snarl, Sesshomaru’s hand shot out and seized him by the jaw. Inuyasha let out a frightened yelp as the daiyoukai dragged him up and smashed their lips together in a brutal kiss. The soapy washcloth in his hand fell from his limp fingers into the water with a quiet splash that neither Inuyasha nor Sesshomaru actually heard.
It was over before Inuyasha really had time to comprehend what was happening.
Breathing heavily, Sesshomaru released his jaw and, instead, held Inuyasha at arm’s length with an outstretched hand on his chest. “Forgive me,” he said, voice unsteady. “I was not prepared for that kind of contact.”
A little belatedly, Inuyasha gasped and clapped his hand tightly over his mouth. “Y-You just … You just kissed me.”
“Indeed,” the daiyoukai responded dryly, forcing his breathing back under control.
“Why?”
Sesshomaru shrugged, “The way you touched me. You did not give me time to prepare myself for that kind of contact. It was an instinctual reaction.”
“So … licking those markings is like … like pressing a button that makes you sexually assault someone?”
“When that someone is the one my youki has deemed as one worthy to take the place beside me in the kingdom and in my bed, then … yes.”
“Oh …”
“Indeed. I hope I did not frighten you too much.”
“Depends on what ‘too much’ means,” Inuyasha muttered as he bent to retrieve the washcloth. He picked up Sesshomaru’s leg again and slowly continued to groom him, trying hard to still the shaking in his hands.
Sesshomaru pulled his leg away. “I will finish, Inuyasha. You have done enough.”
“I can do it,” Inuyasha stated bravely.
“I have no doubt you can, little one,” Sesshomaru replied soothingly, taking hold of his little brother’s arm and straightening him up. “No doubt. But you are frightened, your hands are shaking, and there is no need to push yourself simply to please me. You have done more than enough.”
“But—”
“Your mouth is bruised, ototo.”
“Oh … uh … y-yeah.” He raised his hand to his lips again, brushing his fingers across the kiss-bruised skin. Swallowing, he folded his arms tightly across his middle.
“Sit down, Inuyasha. I will be finished in a few minutes and then we can retire to our bed.”
Biting his lip, Inuyasha did as he was told. He watched his elder brother finish grooming himself, eyes threatening tears the whole time, but determined not to let them fall. He wasn’t sure why he was so upset. It wasn’t as if Sesshomaru had hurt him. Not really. But … it had frightened him. Not the fact that his brother had kissed him; rather, it was because he hadn’t had time to react, nor would he have been able to fight the demon lord off if he had been intent on continuing. Sesshomaru was so much stronger than he was, and that damn slave trader had been the same. Stronger, faster, more powerful. He was pathetic in comparison.
“Inuyasha,” Sesshomaru called, holding out his hand. “Come. It is perfectly all right to allow yourself to cry because you were scared.”
Inuyasha looked up sharply and wiped the offending moisture away. “I don’t damn well need to cry. I’m not a child.”
“Of course you’re not a child,” Sesshomaru agreed, moving a single step closer, which had Inuyasha scooting farther back on the edge of the basin. He stopped and held out his hand again. “And because you are not a child, you understand that sometimes it is necessary to let oneself cry and to let oneself be comforted by another.”
“You’re the one who scared me!”
“I know.” Slowly, Sesshomaru moved toward the hanyou a little more, reaching out his hand to touch his cheek. The younger inu flinched, but didn’t recoil from him any farther.
“I feel like all I’ve been doin’ is … is bein’ a freakin’ scaredy cat and fuckin’ crying all the time and it’s your fault!” Frustrated, angry, and more than a little scared, Inuyasha grabbed his sibling’s wrist in a crushing grip, his claws making deep punctures in the daiyoukai’s skin. “Y-You’re … You’re mean. Why do ya hafta be like that? Why can’t you just leave me alone?”
“You do not want me to leave you alone. If I left, you would be even more scared. Take comfort in me, little brother, for that is why I am here. That is why I am your alpha, so you may show weakness and not be afraid.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he had an arm and chest full of sopping wet, naked hanyou. Shaking arms wrapped tightly around his waist, squeezing desperately. Trails of salty tears mingled with the water sliding down his chest in thin rivulets as his baby brother stifled his sobs in his elder brother’s skin. Sesshomaru wouldn’t say so aloud, but admitted internally that he was surprised the younger inu was the one to initiate physical contact—especially considering it had been physical contact that had scared him in the first place.
“That’s right, little one, let yourself cry,” he murmured, running his fingers gently through Inuyasha’s wet tresses. “You’ll be all right. Inu youkai are passionate creatures. We rage, scream, laugh, and cry. To those of us who know better, it is not considered a weakness.”
Inuyasha still wasn’t sure if he believed him. He’d seen Sesshomaru’s rage, but even in rage, the daiyoukai projected the feel of a glacier—cold and hard and unyielding. That Sesshomaru, king of expressionless faces and cold smiles, would tell him he could cry, would encourage him to do so was … unfair. After all, he’d never seen Sesshomaru cry. Why should he be the only one?
A sudden sound from the direction of the balcony startled him out of his thoughts. He tensed, wondering what it could be. Where were the guards? He knew for a fact there were at least two soldiers who patrolled just beneath Sesshomaru’s balcony. Even if Sesshomaru didn’t need it, it was protocol, or so the daiyoukai had explained to him when he had asked after seeing them pacing the lawn below.
The sound came again—a footstep. It was light; whoever was there was clearly trying not to be heard. He sniffed, hoping to pick out their scent, but couldn’t. The air in the room was still. All he could smell was Sesshomaru’s spicy sweet musk. Recalling his older brother’s presence, he cast a hopeful look up at the demon lord’s face. It couldn’t possibly take that long to rummage around in his head to see that there was nothing wrong. Surely they were done by now.
“Sessh?” he called, moving a little closer to his sibling. The demon lord remained immobile, his face serene, eyes closed. The footsteps stopped at the sound of his voice, and then resumed moving a little faster, coming straight for him. “Sessh?!” he called again, terror breaking through, making his voice crack.
“Inuyasha?”
Inuyasha froze, recognizing the voice just as a dark head of hair peeked around the corner of the open balcony doors. “Kagome?” The soft question had only just left his mouth when, suddenly, Sesshomaru lunged away from him with an explosive snarl. “Sessh, wait!” he cried as the demon lord crashed into her, pinning the wide-eyed miko to the floor, his hand around her throat. “Don’t hurt her!”
Sesshomaru froze, but didn’t get off the struggling human or remove his hand as he turned to meet Inuyasha’s eyes. “Are you all right?”
“Y-Yeah,” Inuyasha breathed, suddenly nervous at the intensity in his sibling’s gaze. Why was Sesshomaru looking at him as if checking for injury? Kagome was crazy scary when she was angry, and last night she had been angry, but she would never actually hurt him. “I’m fine. She just startled me. I didn’t expect anyone would be able to … well, get in here.”
“Hn,” Sesshomaru grunted, turning hard eyes back onto the miko. “It would seem I will have to speak to the guards concerning the climbing vine beneath my balcony.” He let up on her neck, but only enough to let her speak. “Why are you here, onna? I believe it was made quite clear that no one, whether of Inuyasha’s pack or not, is allowed in these rooms without express permission.”
“I’m … I’m sorry,” she coughed. “I only … only wanted to … apologize for last night. I was out of line. I shouldn’t have said what I did and I apologize.”
Sesshomaru’s eyes narrowed, sensing the concealed falsehood, but before he could say anything Inuyasha was speaking.
“Ain’t no big deal,” Inuyasha muttered, frowning a little at the fact that his elder brother still hadn’t let her up. “I mean, I know to humans incest is bad, so … yeah. Anyway, you couldn’t have waited till lunchtime to tell me? For a bit there I was afraid Sessh was gonna kill ya.”
“I would have,” the daiyoukai interjected coolly, eyes like ice, the same eyes that quelled the protest on the tip of Inuyasha’s tongue. “You had best be grateful you did not harm my submissive, miko, and that he has such a forgiving nature. For I can assure you, I do not. Had he not spoken out on your behalf, you would be dead and that fact would not be something I would regret. It would do you well to remember in the future that these rooms are off limits. I cannot guarantee he will stay my hand should you trespass here a second time.” Showing the appropriate amount of fear, the miko frantically nodded her head, and Sesshomaru finally saw fit to let her up, returning to his sibling’s side. He looked him over critically before sitting beside him on the bed, ignoring the miko as he turned his attention on the royal healer. “Tamae?”
The wind demoness smiled serenely, not at all affected by the violent display shown moments ago. If she was being honest with herself, she was actually rather pleased by it. Lord Sesshomaru was taking her warning about the priestess seriously. “Physically, there is nothing wrong. Everything is healing well. It doesn’t seem as if Lord Inuyasha will sustain any lasting damage.”
“Did … Didja happen to look t’see if I’m … I mean, if I’m gonna have any … um …”
Her smile was sympathetic. “I did. You are not pupped.”
At that announcement, Inuyasha let out a huge, relieved sigh. “Thanks.”
“You are welcome. All the same, I would caution that you continue to take the pregnancy potion at least through your heat. Unless, of course, you decide you would like to get pupped during that time?”
Her voice went up in question and Inuyasha quickly shook his head. “I’ll keep takin’ the potion. I don’t think I’m … ready for pups just yet. It may happen anyway, I guess, but … all the same, I’d rather not be pupped with that damn slave trader still about.” It was then that Inuyasha remembered Kagome was still in the room. Her face looked pale. In fact, she looked just a little bit like she was going to be sick. “Kagome?” he called questioningly. “You okay?”
“You … You can get pregnant?”
He blinked at her, confused for a moment. Surely, he had told them that the other night? Then he remembered that he hadn’t, and his face quickly turned scarlet.
“Whether he can or not is none of your concern, miko,” Sesshomaru growled, looping his arm around his brother’s waist and pulling him against his side. “All you need know is that it was not his choice to become so, but it is his choice to birth my pups. You did come here to apologize, did you not? I would advise you not to spoil that.”
“Sessh,” Inuyasha muttered, pleased that his sibling was so concerned for him, but a little miffed that the daiyoukai thought he couldn’t defend himself. “It was just a question. I can answer it myself.”
Sesshomaru frowned in displeasure, but nodded. “My apologies.”
With a smile that made the apology worth it ten times over, Inuyasha turned back to the miko. Sesshomaru didn’t much like that he was forced to sit here and watch their interaction, neither did his youki like the fact that his intended was defending a former interest, but was placated by Inuyasha’s blatant regard for him in the way the pup snuggled up to him.
“Sorry I didn’t tell you guys,” Inuyasha apologized—unnecessarily in Sesshomaru’s opinion. “I … actually kinda forgot about it. Plus, it’s not exactly somethin’ I’m used to, bein’ able to carry and birth pups of my own.”
He smiled hopefully at his first real friend, hoping she wasn’t taking it as badly as she’d taken the news that he was to be Sesshomaru’s mate. Mate. Wow, that was a weird thought. What kind of mate did Sesshomaru want him to be? Would it simply be a political mating? A pack mating? The thought of soul mating entered his mind, but he brushed it aside soon after. He and Sesshomaru weren’t soul mates. Even if they were, he couldn’t see Sesshomaru wanting to bond with him for their entire lives and lives after. Probably a political type mating then.
Eventually, Kagome smiled back at him, though it was small and rather tremulous. He knew this couldn’t be easy for her. “It’s … It’s okay. You just surprised me.”
She stood. Inuyasha felt his brother’s muscles tense when she came closer, but chalked it up to his being such a jealous ass. He actually growled—softly and low in his chest, which she wouldn’t be able to hear—when she reached out to touch his shoulder, but did nothing else beyond squeezing his hip in a rather territorial display that made Inuyasha bite his lip to keep from laughing. Funny as it was, he still wasn’t ready to let anyone else touch him so casually, so he ducked away from her seeking fingers with an apologetic look.
“So … we’re okay now?” Kagome wanted to know, her eyes soft and imploring as she retracted her hand.
“Keh, we were never not okay,” Inuyasha retorted. “Arguing’s what friends do, innit?”
She laughed. “I guess it is.” She turned to Sesshomaru and offered him a deep bow, which he didn’t return. “Please accept my apologies for upsetting you, Lord Sesshomaru. Inuyasha is very dear to me and I’m finding it difficult to let him go. I’ll try harder not to be such a bitch, though. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“You need not thank me for my hospitality, miko. Any who hold Inuyasha’s favor are welcome in my home.” His eyes flashed crimson in warning, the implied threat in his words plain. The moment she lost Inuyasha’s regard—whether now or in the future—it would not be his hand at her throat, but his fangs.
She smiled sweetly at him, “I will be sure to keep that in mind, my Lord.” Waving to Inuyasha, she opened the door and was gone.
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Definition of Terms
Sakura - cherry blossom
Onna - woman

A/N: Think that was all the terms, if I missed any feel free to mention it and I'll correct it. Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone enjoyed the new chapter!! If you have time/desire please feed the author and leave a review (:
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A Heat to Overcome