Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Shadowed Nights	By : Huronoryu Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 19768 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Shadowed Nights

By The Black Dragon Queen

Co Authored by Kallipso

I AM SO SORRY ABOUT THE LATE
POSTING TO THOSE ON AFF! I do not post my own stuff and I know I�ve mentioned
before that I do not have the Internet! (Right now I�m at my grandparents monopolizing their
computer while everyone is in the living room singing carols� *Shudders*) So
I just give it to Kallipso to upload� Unfortunately, last Tuesday the
19^th AFF would not allow her to log in. GRRRR. Better late then
never? Right?

Pairings, Summary, Disclaimers,
and Rating & Warnings: Please Read
�The Pact-Part A� (Though why you would be reading a story out of order
is beyond me�)

Fonts: �Speaking�� Thinking�� Mind
Speak!� ^o_~^

Apology:
I keep forgetting to add the damn blast
Japanese Index at the end of the chapters! *#@*&$^$%)!*#*&%$@!!!!
^><!^ Grrrrrrrrrrrrr�� So here it is!

Japanese
Index:

Arigato
(gozaimasu)-Thank
you

Baka-Idiot/stupid

Hanyou-Half
Demon

Hakuchoo-Swan

Inu-Dog

Kitsune-Fox
Spirit

Koinu-Puppy

Kumo-Spider

Miko-Priestess

Nani?-
What?

Neko-Cat

Ningen-Human

Ookami-Wolf

Osuwari-Sit

Taisho-
General

Tokage-Lizard

Youkai-Demon

Youki-Demon
Spirit

NOW (finally) ON TO THE STORY!

Shadowed Nights

Home is Where You Horde Your Food: Chapters 13-18

Chapter Thirteen: Not Exactly
Enemies

�Rin think that Sesshoumaru-Sama
is sleepwalking,� little Rin stated with all confidence from the back of the
two-headed dragon a week after the new moon.

�Rin!� Jaken snapped. �You mustn�t
bother Lord Sesshoumaru. He is in deep meditation.�

Sesshoumaru glanced at the foreign
surroundings. �Now where the fuck are we?� he wondered.

He studied the two paths in front
of him before finally deciding to head right and knowing his sense of direction
turned left, giving the reins a sharp tug for An and Un to follow.

�Ack! Wait for me,
Sesshoumaru-Sama!� Jaken cried hurrying as fast as his legs could
move.

Rin giggled as she glanced back at
the little toad demon. �Hurry up Jaken-San!� she called cheerfully, �or we�ll
leave you behind!�

�Hmph! Lord Sesshoumaru would
never leave me behind!� Jaken said with pride.

�Of course not!� Rin agreed.
�Sesshoumaru-Sama is so kind!�

�I wonder if rat stew would
taste any good��

�Lord Sesshoumaru is a gracious
leader!� Jaken corrected. �Not kind, Rin.�

She tilted her head to the side, a
habit she had gained from her companions. �Isn�t that the same thing?� she
asked.

�Of course, you�d have to
figure out something for the broth��

�They are not the same
thing, Rin.�

�Are too!�

�Are not!�

�Perhaps a side of curried
rice��

�I don�t care what you say,
Sesshoumaru-Sama is very kind to Rin!�

�He takes care of you little
human, there is a difference from being kind and taking care of ones
responsibilities.�

�Then again, I could use a new muff
for winter��

Rin sighed, the conversation
loosing its appeal quickly as many things did to a child�s fleeting attention
span. �Sesshoumaru-Sama? May Rin get down?� Rin asked, holding her arms out so
she could be lifted off the dragons back.

Wrapping his arm around her waist,
the youkai swung the girl down to the forest floor and watched as she ran off to
pick some late blooming wildflowers in the field before
them.

�I must apologise
Sesshoumaru-Sama,� Jaken huffed as he came beside the other figure. �She still
dose not understand the appropriate edict for Youkai society.�

�Could one rat skin be enough to
make a muff?�

�Err� rats?� Jaken stammered in
surprise.

�Sesshoumaru-Sama!� Rin called as
she stood and started towards the others. �Rin made you a
present!�

Sesshoumaru jerked, dropping An
and Un�s reins and surged forward scooping up the girl without even stopping and
leaping to the other side of the clearing.

The delicate flower ring that Rin
had made was soon trampled back into the earth as a frightened heard of wild
deer suddenly stampeded into the small clearing, charging right through the area
where the girl had been standing.

Rin coughed as a cloud of dust
rose into the air waving her hand in front of her face as she watched the
animals go. �What were they running from Sesshoumaru-Sama?� she
asked.

Sesshoumaru stared back the way the
animals had come, setting Rin down and pushing her behind
him.

There was silence as the sound of
the running heard gently faded into the distance�

Then-�Damn it! Who needs you?�

There was the sound of someone
crashing through the underbrush and a small figure soon appeared in the deer�s
wake, stumbling into the small glen. �No one would want to eat you
anyway!�

Sesshoumaru raised an
eyebrow as he slowly looked over Inuyasha�s disheveled appearance. �Immaculate
appearance as always.�

�Sesshoumaru!� Inuyasha jumped in
surprise and immediately positioned himself in a fighting stance. �What are you
doing here? Its not�� he halted mid sentence, glancing at Sesshoumaru�s
companions.

�You have twigs in you hair Inuyasha-Sama,� Rin called out
but did not moved from her spot, watching the two expectantly.

Inuyasha scowled and tried to pull one free of his long
strands, �thanks.� Rin giggled as the twig took a few silver strands with it and
Inuyasha threw it aside, working on another one.

�Rin, come over here!� Jaken
motioned frantically, also keeping an eye on the two
warily.

�What on earth were you doing?�
Sesshoumaru ignored his companions and wrinkled his nose at the hanyou�s
appearance.

�None of your business!� Inuyasha
snapped back.

Sesshoumaru reached out and
plucked another twig.

�Careful!� Inuyasha barked as he
rubbed the spot where the hair had been forcefully ripped out.

�You look as if that herd of deer
ran over you,� he commented as he dropped the twig in
amusement.

Inuyasha actually blushed and
muttered something as he struggled with his hair. Rin giggled as she reached out
to brush a streak of dirt off Inuyasha�s pants.

�Why were you chasing the deer
anyway?�

�None of your business!� Inuyasha
repeated.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. �You
always say that, so I�m making it my business.� He studied Inuyasha�s full
appearance critically. �Why are you standing funny?�

Jaken watched from the edge of the
clearing, darting looks between the elder and younger siblings and becoming
increasingly bewildered. �Sesshoumaru-Sama?�

�Not now Jaken,� Sesshoumaru
called back.

�I�m not!� Inuyasha defended even
as he shifted his stance.

�Yes you are.� Sesshoumaru�s eyes
narrowed. �Are you still limping?�

�No,� said quickly.

�A little too
quickly,� Sesshoumaru thought. �Yes you are. Just what the hell is wrong
with you?�

�There�s nothing wrong with
me!� Inuyasha insisted.

�Besides your terrible lack of
ability to lie?�

�That�s it!� Inuyasha took up his
stance once more, his hand moving to the hilt of Tetsusaiga. �If we�re going to
fight, lets go. I�ve go no time trade insults with you.�

Sesshoumaru turned and led Rin
back to An and Un and helped her re-mount. �What a surprise,� he said. �Neither
do I.�

�Wha?� Inuyasha stared as the
small group made their way past him, Sesshoumaru reaching out once more to
snatch another twig.

�Don�t get killed,� the youkai
hissed as he passed.

Jaken glanced back at the fuming
hanyou as they made their way through the woods. �Sesshoumaru-Sama? Is it wise
to leave him? It would be a perfect opportunity to claim the Tetsusaiga if he
was injured as you say.�

The two-headed staff was instantly
snatched and brought down on the imp�s head. �Never question me when it comes to
that hanyou�� Sesshoumaru snarled.

�Hai, Sesshoumaru-Sama,� Jaken groaned
and rubbed the rapidly forming bump.

Rin ignored the males and turned
around herself to stare back at her lord�s brother.

�Is it my imagination or dose
he look lonely?� she wondered as they disappeared around the bend.

The look of sadness and longing on
the hanyou�s face stayed with Rin for an entire week as they made their way
through the woods. It was not unusual to see Inuyasha angry or smirking at
Sesshoumaru, but that last look he had thrown their way as he quickly flashed
into the trees and disappeared was something that she had never seen
before.

Sesshoumaru was of another
opinion. He had seethed for an entire week over Inuyasha�s refusal about his
obvious injuries.

On the other hand, the putrid goo
had worked wonders and the bruise on his face had dulled considerably to a
sickly yellow.

�There is something strange
going on in that little village,� he thought as he took another random path
in the hopes it would lead him to a somewhat familiar
location.

It was amazing that it actually
did.

The cave was suddenly there! The
same cave where he had spent the past four moonless nights with his hanyou
brother.

And
the Rat�

�Sesshoumaru-sama? Isn�t that your
sash?� Rin asked innocently as she pointed at the very scene that Sesshoumaru
was glaring at.

�That rat has a death
wish�� Sesshoumaru concluded as he turned to Rin and Jaken. �Stay here,� he
commanded as he withdrew Tokujin and quickly ducked behind a
tree.

�Um�� Jaken and Rin stared at the
spot where Sesshoumaru was hiding. �Sesshoumaru-Sama?�

�SH!�

They shut
up.

It was very slow going, creeping
up on the rat. Sesshoumaru could feel his nerves tense at every step he took,
watching that he did not step on any branches or fallen autumn
leaves.

He had made it! He was with in
striking distance of the little fur ball that tormented his life� and his
wardrobe.

With a satisfied smirk, he raised
his arm and brought the sword down with all his strength.

�What the hell are you doing?�

The swords clanged as another
irritating rat suddenly appeared to the rescue of the
first.

�Why are you so obsessed with
killing Kuufuku?� Inuyasha asked annoyed as he re-sheathed Tetsusaiga.

�What are you doing here two weeks
early?� Sesshoumaru asked a question of his own. �And who the hell is
Kuufuku?�

A small squeak rose from the
direction of Inuyasha�s feet.

�YOU NAMED THE
RAT?�

Inuyasha shrugged nonchalantly. �Yeah.�

�What the
fuck?�

�Um� Sesshoumaru-Sama? May we come
out now?� Rin called out.

Inuyasha whirled to Sesshoumaru,
�why did you bring them here?� he demanded.

Sesshoumaru scowled. �It wasn�t
exactly planned��

�What do you mean it wasn�t
planned?�

�Hello Inuyasha-Sama!� Rin smiled
as she walked up to the frenzied hanyou.

�Er, hi.�

Sesshoumaru gazed at the small
basket of vegetables and other forest foods that Inuyasha had set
down.

�Why are you gathering food?� he
asked.

Inuyasha gave him an arched look.
�Because winter is coming. You remember winter, don�t you? Snow, cold, the
complete lack of food� �

�Yes, I do know what winter is�
but why should you be gathering food? Do you not live in that horrible little
human village?�

Inuyasha blanched.

The color just drained out of him
leaving remains of the horrible yellow bruise in vivid detail as he gave
Sesshoumaru a fearful stare.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and
whirling around, marched into the cave. Inuyasha took a step forward as if to
stop him but the white figure had already gone.

�Inuyasha-Sama,� Rin called,
capturing Inuyasha�s attention. He looked down to see her offering a small,
embroidered bag. �Sh� the nice ladies at the village sneaked this to Rin!� she
explained as he opened it to release the fresh smell of sweet buns. �Will it help?� she
asked.

Inuyasha smiled softly and handed
the small offering back. �Thank you Rin, but you should save that for yourself.�
She pouted but took the bag back.

Stomping footsteps suddenly echoed
and Inuyasha was grabbed by the collar and whirled around to face furious gold
eyes.

�Inuyasha�� Sesshoumaru
ground out between clenched teeth. �Are you actually living in the
cave?�

Chapter Fourteen: Homemaking Hanyou

The morning after the new moon had
been cast in shadows as overhanging clouds threatened to deliver a harsh
November storm.

It was a terrible day to start a
new life, however that was exactly what Inuyasha planned to do. He watched the
retreating figure of his brother from the small cluster of bushes where he had
hidden himself in the pretense of returning to the
village.

Ensuring that he was completely
alone he slowly started back to the cave�

-Only to quickly dive back into a
prickly mulberry bush at the sudden sound of someone tromping through the
woods.

Inuyasha frowned as he tried to
puzzle out why Sesshoumaru would come back to the cave and judging from
Sesshoumaru�s aggravated look, he didn�t know either.

The Youkai glanced into the cave
briefly before his gaze swept over the ground as if looking for something that
was small and possibly furry.

�Here ratty, ratty, ratty� Where are you, you little
shit?�

Inuyasha ignored the taste of dirt
as his jaw hit the ground. �What in the hell? He came back to kill the rat?
What is he, mental?�

He watched as Sesshoumaru continue
to search for a few moments before finally huffing in frustration, turned and
left.

Remaining where he was,
disregarding the prickly thorns before once more stepping out into the little
clearing, shaking his head in the direction Sesshoumaru had
gone.

�What the fuck was that?
I thought Sesshoumaru was above
such menial tasks��

Shrugging, Inuyasha once more
entered the cave.

�It looks like it�s just going to
be you and me from now on,� he smiled down at the rat that had immediately come
out to greet him.

Dropping his sack down again, he
stepped back from the center of the room and took in the large chamber with new
eyes. �Mine,� he thought
with pride. �Okay, so it�s not exactly a palace� hell, it�s not even a
shack, but it�s MINE!�

The fire pit would have to be
moved, that was the first thing he had to do, and make something more
substantial for a bed in place of the little pallet he had been using. He
wondered if he should make some sort of den for Sesshoumaru but decided that it
could wait until later.

Old leaves from past occupants
would have to be raked out and perhaps some rushes brought in for warmth in the
coming months. It would be a lot of work, but when Inuyasha was determined to do
something, he made sure that he got it done.

Still with a slightly maniac grin
of triumph, Inuyasha sat down and dragged his bag towards him and began to
unpack his few precious belongings. The rat, which was a little surprised at the
hanyou�s remaining presence, wandered over curiously and began to sniff the few
meager contents.

�This is everything I own,�
Inuyasha explained. �It�s nothing really special but they�re mine and mine
alone.�

The rat disagreed by immediately
gnawing on one of the scrolls.

�Do you mind?� he asked, taking
the precious parchment away from the rodent and placed it with grate care on his
other side, far away from the rat. �Do you ever stop eating?� he asked in
amusement as the rat moved onto his already half eaten
strap.

�Oh god, I�m talking to a
rat�� Inuyasha realized as the rat almost pulled the bag down completely in
his frenzied eating.

It was stupid, he knew but he was
eager to tell someone �anyone- of his plans and the rat at least wouldn�t
call him a complete baka.

�You know, with your endless appetite, I think I�m going to
call you Kuufuku. How dose that sound?�

The newly named animal squeaked in
approval and devoured half the fastening in a minuet and a
half.

Inuyasha chuckled. �Glad you
approve,� he said as he searched for a good place for his things.

The total count of his possessions
consisted of three shirts, two antique hair combs of his mothers that were
missing most of the teeth, a small dagger, and four cups of instant ramen he had
snitched before he left the village the day before.

The last but not the least of his
collection was the six small scrolls, carefully wrapped in poorly, but lovingly
made leather covers. Inuyasha had been completely relived that the scrolls had
survived in their little hiding place for all those years he had been trapped to
the great tree.

It was the one secret that
no one, not even Myouga knew about his love to read.

�Hell, people take one look at
me and automatically think I�m completely illiterate!�

In truth, it had been the one
thing his mother had never wavered from. There were many fond memories of him
sitting upon his mothers lap under a blooming Sakura tree or in his mothers
chamber, the eerie glow of a single candle dancing across the pages, just
reading.

They had quickly depleted her
small pile of novels and his mother struggled to get her hands on something,
anything, for her to use in teaching her son the multitude of kanji and just
about anything she hoped could help him through out his
life.

Smiling, he moved the scrolls
aside and set in to clean his new home. It was hard work, as he knew it would
be, but Inuyasha was bound and determined that he would have at least one place
that would feel like a home.

The only thing he ever had to go by was his mother�s small
chamber in his �uncle�s� palace. Just stepping out of the small room was like
stepping into hell and sometimes his mother had a hard time to convince him to
go out and enjoy the sunshine and to get some color in his cheeks.

Inuyasha smiled fondly at the
memory of his belief that it was hiding in his mother�s room that made him so
pale and silver� It was a childish notion but one that he clung to in
explanation of why he was so different from everyone around
him.

It had taken him a full week
before his effort had even begun to show. The removal of the leaves had taken
the longest but he was pleased with the result as he laid down some dried long
grass and other foliage as a barrier against the cold stone
floor.

Kuufuku had a blast hopping
through the grass-covered floor. Every once in a while Inuyasha would see a
flash of grey as the rat leapt from one side to the other and burrowed through
the terrain, leaving little rat sized tunnels behind.

He had even taken to hanging some
dried flowers and fruits to the walls to make the cave more inviting. Happy with
his work, Inuyasha glanced around to see if he was forgetting anything before
stepping out into the bright sunshine.

The storm had finally broken on
the second day of his mad cleaning and had lasted for three. However the fresh
scent of the rain soaked forest was worth it.

Quickly dashing into the woods,
Inuyasha kept a keen eye out for possible food. Winter was barely a month away
and he knew from vast experience that if he wanted to eat during those three
long, harsh months he had to hunt now.

Jumping from tree to tree,
Inuyasha occasionally leapt down to investigate something that looked promising
before continuing onward.

He spotted some promising
mushrooms but it was an hour later when he hit pay dirt.

He would not have spotted the
creature if it hadn�t been for the sudden flick of it�s tail and Inuyasha had to
force himself to a stop and turn around to confirm he saw anything at
all.

A lone adolescent buck was grazing
as if without a care in the world just a few feet away from him. Inuyasha
grinned excitedly. Deer meat was not one of his favorite, but a kill that size
would last for quite a while.

Dropping to the forest floor he
slowly made his way towards the animal rejecting the idea of using the
Tetsusaiga and instead flexed his claws as he stealthily crossed the
woods.

He was almost upon the buck,
poised for the kill when he suddenly had this undeniable feeling of eyes staring
at him. As he hesitated, there was a harsh snort behind
him.

Freezing in his place, Inuyasha
slowly turned, fearing what he would find.

�It was.

An older buck, with a large
rack of horns was staring menacingly down at him.

�Er��

The deer flattened his ears and
raised his head to let out a long baying call that forced Inuyasha to flatten
his sensitive koinu ears.

There was another answering call
from the young buck he had been hunting but what worried Inuyasha was the
multitude of similar answers that echoed through the
forest.

�Oh SHIT!� Inuyasha screamed as a
sudden thunder resonated throughout the woods.

He turned to try and move out of
the way but the heard was upon him in an instant and Inuyasha was quickly
overrun. Soon he was simply trying to avoid razor like hooves and even sharper
horns as escape became impossible.

The herd disappeared as quickly as
it had come and Inuyasha was struggling to his feet staring after the dancing
white tails of the animals.

�Damn it! Who needs you?� he
screamed as he started to make his way through the forest after the beasts. �No
one would want to eat you anyway!� he huffed as yanked his Fire Rat Robe free
from a jutting branch.

�Immaculate appearance as always,�
a voice suddenly declared in an amused timbre.

Inuyasha jumped at the recognition
and whirled around. There, standing right in front of him was Sesshoumaru
smirking at him as usual.

�Sesshoumaru! What are you doing
here? It�s not�� he trailed off as he spotted the little girl that stood behind
Sesshoumaru�s cloak.

Rin peeked around Sesshoumaru�s legs and gifted Inuyasha
with a warm smile. She told him of the small cluster of twigs in his hair and
Inuyasha immediately started with their removal.

�What on earth were you doing?�
Sesshoumaru asked as he sneered in disgust at his disheveled
look.

�Who dose he think he is to
give me orders?� Inuyasha thought angrily as he glared at the other. �None
of your business!� he huffed in annoyance.

Sesshoumaru�s reply had been to
yank a twig out violently from his hair.

He jumped back, ensuring that
Sesshoumaru could not reach him. �Careful!� he shouted as he stared at the few
strands that Sesshoumaru had taken along with the twig.

�You look as if that herd of deer
ran over you,� the Youkai announced and Inuyasha could feel the heat rise to his
cheeks.

�Couldn�t get out of the way fast
enough,� he mumbled and smiled down at Rin who was attempting to remove the dust
from his pants.

�Why were you chasing the deer
anyway?� Sesshoumaru asked.

Inuyasha could feel his tolerance
ware thin. �None of your business!� he repeated.

�You always say that,� Sesshoumaru told
him, �so I�m making it my business.�

�You make anything that has to
do with me your business,� Inuyasha thought sarcastically as he shifted his
weight from one foot to the other.

Sesshoumaru suddenly changed the
subject. �Why are you standing funny?� he questioned.

Inuyasha flinched in surprise.
�I�m not!� he insisted but still took a mental stock of any and all injuries. He
could swear that he was not standing funnily and he scowled at Sesshoumaru�s
keen instincts and took the option to deny everything

�Yes you are.� Sesshoumaru�s
contradicted.

Inuyasha shifted under his gaze
again and Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. �Are you still
limping?�

The word �no� was already out of
his mouth before he could think better of it.

�Yes you are. Just what the hell is wrong
with you?� Sesshoumaru demanded.

�There�s nothing wrong with
me!� he insisted, even as he could feel his muscles freezing up on him. He grit
his teeth and continued to stare at the Inu Youkai.

�Besides your terrible lack of
ability to lie?� Sesshoumaru drawled.

Inuyasha could feel what was left
of his endurance finally snap at the barb. �That�s it! If we�re going to fight,
lets go. I�ve go no time trade insults with you.�

Sesshoumaru simply stared at him
for a few moments before turning his back on the angry
hanyou.

Inuyasha gapped as Sesshoumaru
helped Rin onto the dragons back and with a quick nod to Jaken, made his way
back towards him.

Sesshoumaru made a point of
walking past him so closely that the fur of Sesshoumaru�s stole actually brushed
against him.

Inuyasha tensed, waiting for
something to happen.

So it was no surprise when
Sesshoumaru�s parting phrase of �don�t get killed� confused Inuyasha even more
as he watched them go.

�What the hell?� he thought
in bewilderment. �Bah, �don�t get killed�� Like I haven�t taken
care of my self for the better part of a century�Still, what did he mean by
that?� he wondered. �I�m the one he wants
dead��

Inuyasha gave the little team one
last longing glance before leaping back into the trees feeling almost dejected
that they left him behind.

While it had been a tense
encounter, Inuyasha was almost desperate for company. Kuufuku, for all his
entertaining wonder, could not hold a conversation very
well.

It was sad almost, that
Sesshoumaru�s group was actually better behaved than his own� of course one imp
and a little girl wouldn�t cause as much trouble as say a lecherous monk.

They seemed to be much closer too�
Well, Sesshoumaru and Rin were at least.

Sighing, he turned and continued on in the
search of food for the coming winter.

Chapter Fifteen: Daylight Hours

A week later after the deer incident, Inuyasha was gazing
over the rather large pile of food that he had squirreled away in the confusing
round-a-bout passageway that went nowhere.

�It�s a good start,� he thought as moved a large jug
he had appropriated from a village some miles away. �Still don�t know if this
will last the winter.�

As he returned to the main cavern he smirked at Kuufuku,
whom had dragged yet another piece of silk cloth from who knew where that just
had to been Sesshoumaru�s, and had half devoured it.

�You�re going to get sick,� Inuyasha told him as he passed.

Kuufuku promptly burped.

Inuyasha laughed at the sight, �suit your self.�

Grabbing a small basket sitting by the entrance, another
item he had �acquired�, he stepped back out into the sunshine.

The sun was so very warm and Inuyasha had never felt better
as he tilted his head back to allow the suns rays to dance over his face. �All
right!� he stated exuberantly as he stretched out his arms above his head. �Back
to work I go!�

And he went.

Kuufuku remained where he was for a while before sitting up
and smelling the air. There was a familiar scent on the wind, very faint but
getting stronger.

The rushes were soon pushed aside as the small creature
started to drag the sash out of the cave and if one were to see him, they would
have sworn the rat was smirking.

Inuyasha, meanwhile, had made his way deep into the woods
and was occasionally picking different kinds of edible plants and placing them
in the basket.

While meat was more defiantly the meal of an Inu, the human
in him sometimes demanded a taste of something less bloody.

�Though if I ever see that deer again, its toast,�
he growled as he added some late blooming blackberries to the pile. Popping a
few in his mouth, he continued on.

The thought about the damn deer had brought another image
to Inuyasha�s mind.

Sesshoumaru.

�Why am I getting so jumpy every single time I see
him?� he wondered as he added some walnuts to the basket. �It�s not like
I�ve never seen him before, he hasn�t changed or anything��

A small smile crossed his face as he remembered the Inu�s
look of surprise when he had answered his very thoughts.

He truly didn�t see how that was anything to freak out
about. There have been countless times he heard a demons thoughts in his
head�

�Well okay, one time,� Inuyasha admitted to himself.
�But the Lesser Demons are dead and I very much doubt they�ll tell
anyone.�

As Inuyasha thought back over the past months, he found
himself smiling more than not at the antics that had happened.

He was still rather amused at Sesshoumaru�s use of the word
�goo� and made a promise to himself that he would get Sesshoumaru to lighten up
a little.

The man was far too aloof to Inuyasha�s mind and it was
just so fun to get the Youkai completely frazzled.

He wondered if there was ever a time that Sesshoumaru woke
up with mused bed hair before giggling at the thought.

�He�d probably beat his hair into submission before
allowing anything like that to happen.�

Still smirking, Inuyasha lowered himself to his knees and
started to pick through the small plants that grew around a rotting log.

He paused mid pluck of some herbal leaves as the memory of
the Youkai wards rose.

When he had been thrown backwards by the wards while he
still possessed youkai blood only to be caught by his brother� That feeling had
emerged again.

The emotion that Inuyasha had no name for welled inside his
chest at the feeling of Sesshoumaru�s arm around his waist. The weight had
comforted him somehow and that disturbed Inuyasha more than his unnamed
feeling.

All he knew was that when he could feel Sesshoumaru�s
breath tickle the small tips of his ears and ruffle his strands of hair,
Inuyasha�s unknown feeling nearly overwhelmed him.

And then Sesshoumaru had dropped him and the feeling was
quickly dispersed.

Scowling at that memory, Inuyasha yanked out the rest of
the leaves and began to march back to the cave.

It was only natural for Inuyasha to have his brother on his
mind, or at least that was what he told himself. After all, he had been spending
more time with the silver youkai than anyone else.

Whenever he left the sanctuary of the cave and returned to
the village, most of the time he left immediately after returning to hide out in
the trees from Kagome�s rages.

The last time had been the absolute worse. Not only did
Kagome, Kagome of all people, insult his mother and his half heritage but
had actually physically lashed out at him; swinging a large branch and striking
him right in the head.

Sango and Miroku had managed to
restrain Kagome�s arms but had not been able to silence her words as a multitude
of �Osuwari� were fired out in rapid succession.

Striking the ground multiple times
added to the already fierce head wound had nearly forced the hanyou to pass
out.

It had been a horrible scene and
Inuyasha was only grateful that Shippo had been out playing with the other
village children.

Kaede had tried to fix him up but
Inuyasha preferred to be alone to lick his wounds and left the village for a
good ten days, hiding in the woods.

The others had occasionally
approached, looking for the missing Hanyou but he refused to reveal
himself.

The only one who had found him, who could find him, when
Inuyasha was in stealth mode had been Kirara. She was the only one who Inuyasha
would allowed to see his true feelings and when she had leapt into the tree to
join him he had cuddled the neko to him and allowed himself to let the tears
free.

Inuyasha had prayed as the little
group had formed that he had finally, after years of watching from the side
lines and wanting, had found what he never had as a child.

Friends.

But he knew that he had simply
been deluding himself that quiet night when he finally came to his
decision.

It wasn�t so much the beating he
had received that had strengthened his resolve to leave, but the fact that upon
his return everyone went right back to acting normal, even if they were only
doing it as a pretense to sooth the kitsune, Inuyasha knew that he could not
remain there.

As quietly as he could the night
before he was to leave, Inuyasha packed away his few possessions and left the
village for what he hoped was for good.

There were always other ways for
him to find the Jewel shards. He did not need Kagome and while the other two
were great to have around during a battle, Inuyasha could very well take care of
his own.

His only regret had been leaving
Shippo in the care of humans, but what else could he do? He didn�t have time to
take the child with him and he knew that Shippo wouldn�t understand why they
were leaving the others.

Shippo loved his little makeshift
family and Inuyasha could not bring himself to take a child away from what he
himself had lost.

Hell, he barely had enough food to
feed himself, to add Shippo�s equal if not more so growing appetite; the cave
would be empty in a week.

Inuyasha sighed as he continued
onward when he was quickly brought out of his musing by a sudden flash of silver
out of the corner of his eye.

�What in the world?� he
wondered as he slowed his steps and peered into the forest searching for the
object. �The only thing silver besides myself is Sesshoumaru, but he wouldn�t
be here yet��

Reaching the edge of the woods he
stared in amazement. �And yet there he is, slowly sneaking up on a rat.
Keh��

Hefting the basket to the crook of
his arm, Inuyasha withdrew the Tetsusaiga and went to Kuufuku�s aid.

�What the hell are you doing?� he demanded as he halted his
brother mid-swing. �Why are you so obsessed with killing Kuufuku?�

Sesshoumaru scowled, re-sheathing Tokujin. �What are you
doing here two weeks early?� he questioned, completely ignoring Inuyasha�s own
inquire. �And who the hell is Kuufuku?�

Inuyasha smirked as Kuufuku
answered to his name.

�YOU NAMED THE
RAT?�

Inuyasha suppressed another laugh and instead simply
shrugged.

�What the fuck?� Sesshoumaru sputtered as he glanced down
at the rat to Inuyasha and back to the rat again.

Inuyasha was about to ask why Sesshoumaru was there again
when a small voice suddenly floated out from the forest.

Inuyasha�s gaze snapped to the
edge of the woods and the three occupants that waited there before he whirled to
Sesshoumaru, his fury clashing with a sense of panic.

�Why did you bring them here?�

�It wasn�t exactly planned��
Sesshoumaru admitted.

Inuyasha stared at him, �what do
you mean it wasn�t planned?� he asked in disbelief as he set the basket down;
the thing was heavy.

He didn�t believe Sesshoumaru�s
excuse for one second. Sesshoumaru wasn�t the sort of person who would do things
on a whim� he had to have brought them here for a purpose and Inuyasha did not
believe for one second that it was to kill a small defenseless
rat.

Inuyasha wanted to kill
him.

It was as his frazzled mind was
running around in little yapping circles that the small human child approached
him.

�Hello Inuyasha-Sama!� she smiled
brightly as she gave him a very practice but still shaky
bow.

His mind suddenly stopped at the
show of respect to him. �Er, hi,� he mumbled embarrassed at the
display.

�Why are you gathering food?�

The question shook Inuyasha out of
his daze and he turned to give Sesshoumaru a look of pure menace. �Because
winter is coming,� he said slowly as if speaking to someone Rin�s age and not a
some-odd centuries old Youkai. �You remember winter, don�t you? Snow, cold, the
complete lack of food��

�Yes, I do know what winter is,�
Sesshoumaru frowned at him, �but why should you be gathering food? Do you not
live in that horrible little human village?�

Inuyasha could feel his heart
freeze.

The village! And Sesshoumaru for
some odd reason or another that only he knew about was obsessed with Inuyasha�s
safety.

�Oh no! When he realizes
that I�ve left the village, he�s going to be pissed!�

Inuyasha�s stomach rebelled, the
few blackberries threatening to come back up to greet the day. �Oh God,�
he thought with growing horror. �What if he takes me
back?�

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at
Inuyasha�s growing panic and turning stormed into the
cave.

�Oh God,� he nearly swayed
on his feet. �My freedom��

�Inuyasha-Sama.�

Inuyasha jerked and glanced down
at the small girl that Sesshoumaru had somewhat adopted.

She held out a little purple bag,
embroidered with gold thread.

He could feel the toad demon�s
eyes watching him menacingly but for the moment ignored the ugly imp and
hesitantly took the small bag. He glanced at her curiously and he opened it.

The smell of the pastries inside
made his mouth water and his stomach rumble.

�The nice ladies at the village
sneaked this to Rin!� Rin said with pride, smiling up at him. �Will it help?�
she asked as she pointed to his abandoned basket.

He was moved by the girl�s
generosity. Usually he had to fight for his food and here was this small human
child unselfishly offering him what she was obviously saving for
herself.

Thanking her, he told her to
continue to hold on to the buns and smiled as her bottom lip jutted out in a
pout.

It was then that the sound of
Sesshoumaru�s return echoed behind him and spotting the toads evil smirk felt a
hand grab the back of his robe and the world spun as he was whirled
around.

The planet focused again and
Inuyasha found himself staring into Sesshoumaru�s angry golden
eyes.

The unknown feeling started to
bubble to the surface only to take one glance at Sesshoumaru�s angry look and
retreated back the way it had come.

�Inuyasha��

The said hanyou gulped as
Sesshoumaru leaned forward, their noses almost touching.

�Are you actually living in the
cave?�

Chapter Sixteen: Gloomy Explanations

There was absolute silence in the
tiny glen as all eyes zeroed in on the sweating hanyou. Even Jaken was giving
him an odd look.

Inuyasha gulped as a large bead of
sweat appeared at the back of his head.

�Er� Define �living�,� he
stammered nervously.

�YOU�RE LIVING IN A CAVE?� Rin
shouted. �That�s so NEAT!�

�Rin!� Sesshoumaru glowered at the
girl who looked up at him innocently with clamped lips. The youkai turned back
to the squirming figure in his grip. �Care to explain
this?�

�Um, well��

�Sesshoumaru-Sama,� Jaken finally
spoke up as he made his way to the clustered group. �I know you stated to never
question you when it comes to� er� this person, but I am wondering why this is
such a problematic situation.�

Sesshoumaru growled again and
wondered if he could manage to whap the imp over the head while maintaining his
grip on the struggling hanyou.

�Sesshoumaru-Sama,� Rin finally
piped up.

�In a moment,� Sesshoumaru snapped
at her, to Jaken he said, �This is something that I must discuss with my
brother. It is a matter concerning the greater good of the Inu
Clan.�

Jaken was sweating and his knees
were shaking but he stubbornly continued on. �I do not understand why this er,
person has -if any-say in what goes on in the clan my
lord.�

�Sesshoumaru-Sama�� Rin whined
again.

�Inuyasha may not have a say but
I do, and I�ve told you before not to question me in regards to my
brother.�

�I am sorry my lord but I must
insist in this matter,� Jaken persisted and his shaking got
worse.

�There are thing�s in this world that an inu must deal
with, and someone like you could not comprehend.�

�But my lord, this person is an
outcast by your own hand.�

�I may have disowned him as a
member of the royal family,� Sesshoumaru snarled, �however he was never cast out
of the Inu Clan.�

Jaken actually stopped shaking and
he just stared at his leader in shock. �But your decree my
lord��

�INUYASHA-SAMA!� Rin, who had
given up trying to get her companions attention, finally turned to Inuyasha who
was still trying to remove his collar from Sesshoumaru�s iron
grip.

Stopping in mid struggle, Inuyasha swiveled an ear down in
the girl�s direction. �Yeah?� he asked.

�I have to go to the
bathroom��

All three males sweat dropped.

�Uh�� Inuyasha graced the child with his blank stare.

�Yes Rin, you are excused,� Sesshoumaru told her
politely.

�Arigato,� the girl smiled and turned to go back into the
woods for privacy when Inuyasha suddenly yelled for her to halt.

�You can�t let her go alone,� Inuyasha was now slapping at
Sesshoumaru�s arm in earnest. �I saw a bear a few days ago and there are
traps!�

Sesshoumaru arched an elegant eyebrow. �You set up traps?�
he asked amused as he finally dropped the smaller hanyou.

Inuyasha huffed as he walked over and took the girls hand.
�Didn�t want him to try and set up residence while I was gone��

Sesshoumaru stared down at the furry rodent that was
actually chasing his own tail. �Can�t see why not,� Sesshoumaru drawled, �I�m
sure he would be better company that the rat.�

�AND DON�T HURT KUUFUKU!�

Sesshoumaru glanced back down at the insane ball of fur.
�Oh wouldn�t dream of it�� he muttered as his hand went to the hilt of
Tokujin.

The rat darted back into the cave and Sesshoumaru clicked
his tongue in annoyance of the rats escape.

It was a few moments later when
Inuyasha and one contented little girl returned and sighing, Inuyasha gestured
towards the cave. �It�s getting late,� he explained. �Might as well talk
inside.�

Sesshoumaru did not wait for any further invite before
marching back into the cave once more, leaving the others with no choice but to
follow.

After lighting the fire again and moving to light the few
candles he had taken from Kaede�s hut, Inuyasha returned and sat with the others
at the small table he had set up in a corner of the room.

�Where did all these things come from?� Sesshoumaru asked.

Inuyasha sat up taller in defiance, �I brought them.�

Sesshoumaru gave him a disbelieving stare. �Brought them
from where?�

�The village.� It was true; he had
acquired them from a village. Just not the one Sesshoumaru
thought.

Rin was glancing around the cave with wide eyes at all the
little knick-knacks that always seemed to appear in a home.

�Why do you have grass in the cave?� she asked.

�It�s to keep out the chill.�

�Oh�� she looked at the grass again still trying to
understand what it had to do with the cold.

�Yes, this is all fascinating however none of it explains
why you are here.� Sesshoumaru brought the attention back to the matter at
hand.

Sighing, Inuyasha crossed his arms and slumped across the
smooth expanse of the tabletop. �Short version?� he asked. �I couldn�t stay at
the village anymore.�

Sesshoumaru smirked, �finally kicked you out?�

�No, I just left,� Inuyasha simply stated.

Sesshoumaru jerked in surprise. �You mean you left
voluntarily?�

Inuyasha shifted awkwardly and rose from the table, moving
towards the fire pit and swinging a makeshift bracket over the fire to heat the
small kettle that hung from it. �Well, it wasn�t exactly �voluntarily�,� he
finally admitted.

He moved on to a little chest and removed a small verity of
pouches and a few mismatched cups.

Even Jaken could tell the hanyou was nervous and disliked
the conversation but Lord Sesshoumaru was a hard person to shake when he was on
to something.

�I think you better give us the long version,� the youkai
stated firmly as he settled himself more comfortably for what he expected was a
long account of things.

Sighing, Inuyasha filled the cups
with the herbs and the now boiled water and served his guest the tea before
settling down with his own cup.

�It was really a matter of
survival,� he said.

�Survival?� Jaken asked.
Sesshoumaru glared at him and the imp tried to make himself as small as
possible.

�Yeah. I honestly did not think it
was safe for me there anymore.�

�So they really did kick you out
because of you heritage? I thought that village claimed to be above such
prejudice viewpoints.� Sesshoumaru guessed.

Inuyasha shook his head. �That
wasn�t it at all.�

Setting down the cup, Inuyasha
looked right into Sesshoumaru�s eyes as he said, �I was afraid Kagome was going
to kill me.�

Dead
silence.

�You mean that nice lady in the
funny cloths?� Rin asked.

�Rin!� Jaken hissed and both
turned to see Sesshoumaru�s reaction.

The fury was evident on
Sesshoumaru�s face but who exactly he was angry at was anyone�s
guess.

�How could she harm you?�
Sesshoumaru asked. �You were able to remove the necklace.�

Inuyasha shifted guiltily. �Er, I
haven�t really been back since then��

Sesshoumaru�s eyes widened in
comprehension and his eyes shot towards Inuyasha�s bruised chin. �You brought a
bag,� he whispered in realization. �You didn�t open it that
night��

�Yeah,� Inuyasha nodded. �I knew
before then that there was no possible way that I could go back. Not with the
way things have been going.�

�Why did you not say
anything?�

Inuyasha gave Sesshoumaru a pointed look.

��Oh.�

Chapter Seventeen: Tea Talk

Sesshoumaru figured that he had to
have consumed at least three pots of tea while the four of them had sat around
Inuyasha�s little stolen table in complete silence. Night had since fallen and
Rin had long been sent to Inuyasha�s futon for sleep as the hanyou made yet
another kettle full.

Refilling the cups, Inuyasha once
more sat, threw back his head and downed the portion in one
go.

Sesshoumaru frowned at the brown
liquid that sloshed around in his cup. Tea was all well and good, but at that
moment the youkai wanted something a little more�
intoxicating.

�Don�t you have any sake?� he
asked the hanyou who was already pouring himself a third
cup.

Inuyasha stopped and glanced up at
the other inu, �sake?� he asked as he set aside the kettle. �Don�t much care for
it.�

Sesshoumaru mind boggled. �What do
you mean� you �don�t much care for it�?�

Shrugging Inuyasha took
Sesshoumaru�s now cold tea and drank it quickly before refilling it with a fresh
batch. �I don�t like sake. People do stupid things where they�re drunk and
someone like me can�t afford to act stupid.�

Sesshoumaru gave him a sarcastic
look, �as oppose to your normal stupidity?�

The hanyou glared and shoved the
small cup back towards him forcefully, some of the warm liquid sloshing over the
rim and fell over his hand. �You could very well leave,� he told
him.

Sesshoumaru simply took the new
offering and sipped the drink smoothly. �You still haven�t told us the rest of
the story.�

Inuyasha glared at him as he sat
back. �I told you. That�s it.�

�That is most assuredly not all
�it�,� Sesshoumaru sneered. �That is just where you
stopped.�

Inuyasha huffed in annoyance but
still said nothing as he raised his hand and started to lick off the spilled
tea.

Starting at the wrist, the dainty
pink tongue slowly trailed upward, making sure that he managed to capture the
small flowing drops that trailed downward. Spreading his fingers, Inuyasha
lapped at the wetness between each one before placing his fingers one at a time,
completely in his mouth and sucked them clean.

Sesshoumaru nearly choked on his
tea. �Fuck.�

He had always prided himself on
his ability to keep his emotions in check. It was an accomplishment for a
warrior to keep control over every element of his youki and to focus on the
battle.

�Right� so why dose it feel as
if there�s a sumo match going on in my stomach?� he wondered.

Sesshoumaru continued to stare as
the hanyou licked away any traces of the tea completely oblivious to the
distraction it caused the other youkai.

Now Sesshoumaru really
wanted that drink.

�You still haven�t explained why
it is that you chose the cave.� Sesshoumaru stated instead, desperately trying
to keep his mind off the small pink tongue.

Inuyasha shrugged, �why
not?�

Sesshoumaru hummed. �Why not
indeed.�

�It seemed like a good idea at the
time.� Inuyasha continued. �And since we know about the back chamber, there�s
really no reason for you to concern yourself with me any longer isn�t
there?�

Sesshoumaru jerked in reaction.
�Do you really expect that you would be safe here even with the wards?� he
demanded.

�What wards?� Jaken asked but his
small question was lost as Inuyasha slammed his fist on the
table.

�Why not? You said yourself that
the wards will not allow a youkai through, why shouldn�t I be protected when I�m
human,� he contradicted.

Jaken gawked at the statement as
the conversation continued carelessly around him.

�You are obviously a larger baka
than I had originally thought!� Sesshoumaru shouted back.

�What dose that mean?�
Inuyasha snapped.

�It means, you moron, that the
wards were built by someone to begin with. It is stupid to think
that someone couldn�t just as easily eradicate them!� With each word,
Sesshoumaru leaned forward towards Inuyasha menacingly and he nearly jumped at
the sudden fierce string of twittering from the rat behind the hanyou.

Scowling at the animal and raised
his cup to better aim for the rodent and the rat delved into the rushes.
Sesshoumaru scowled before setting his cup back down on the table and reached
for the blasted kettle again.

Inuyasha shuddered as
Sesshoumaru�s words hit him full force and he finally understood what it was
that his brother was trying to get into his thick skull.
�Naraku.�

�Yes� him,� Sesshoumaru sneered as he took another sip of
tea, resisting the urge cuff those ridiculously distracting ears.

�Well fuck,� Inuyasha muttered as
he rose to make another serving of tea.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at the
Inuyasha�s complete lack of awareness. �You were probably better off in that
horrible village.�

Inuyasha whirled around, nearly
clonking Jaken on the head with the kettle as he glared at Sesshoumaru. �Would
you just drop it?� he shouted.

The Inu Youkai raised an eyebrow.
�Why are you being so difficult?� he countered. �It is just humans. Kill them
and move on.�

�What would you know about
friends?� Inuyasha roared as he waved the kettle about in emphasis nearly
managing to thwap Jaken at least four more times. �You probably never had any in
your entire life!�

�Well of course I never had
friends,� Sesshoumaru stated in mater of fact tone. �With my position, �friends�
are never just �friends�. They could betray you for the smallest bit of coin or
even worse, to try and use you to further their position. No,� Sesshoumaru shook
his head. �It is unwise and dangerous for myself to have
�friends�.�

Jaken nodded in agreement though
no one was paying the smallest bit of attention to him while Inuyasha stopped in
mid-motion and just gaped at him in astonishment.

�You never had any friends?� he
asked amazed.

Sesshoumaru scoffed. �What need of
I for friends?�

Inuyasha turned and jerked the
kettle in Jaken�s direction, ignoring the imp�s automatic duck. �What about
him?�

A sneer, �Jaken is my servant�� he
said in a voice that told Inuyasha he should have known
that.

�All right then, what about her?�
and this time he gestured towards the futon with the still sleeping
Rin.

Sesshoumaru shrugged and said
nothing more.

Inuyasha stared at him for a few
moments before finally turning back to the fire and the undertaking of the tea.

�Are you trying to drown us?�
Sesshoumaru asked annoyed.

Inuyasha glared. �You don�t have
to drink it, baka inu.�

The scowl returned full
force.

�Why the hell am I pressing the
issue?� Sesshoumaru wondered as he watched Inuyasha methodically go though
the motions of tea making. �If he ever learned the discipline of the tea
ceremony, he would be quite graceful at it.�

His face quickly darkened and
Jaken began inching backwards.

�What the hell am I
thinking?� Sesshoumaru reprimand himself. �He is nothing more that a
filthy hanyou. Grace? Hah!�

He glanced at the figure in red.
�Still��

It was so odd, to see Inuyasha
doing something so mundane as making tea. Usually all he ever saw of the hanyou
was mostly fighting and the occasional foolish antics. �Or is it the other
way around?� he questioned as he watched as the heated kettle boil over and
Inuyasha�s frantic attempt to save some of the water.

Sesshoumaru finally took this time
to study, really study Inuyasha the same way he had when he first saw him
as a human. The way he had the very first time he saw him sitting at that tiny
Koi pond all those years ago.

�He has certainly filled out
nicely from the scrawny child he had been, that�s for sure,� he thought. Not
that Sesshoumaru would ever admit it aloud, but he could still admire him-
silently, of course.

Years of fighting for his life had toned the hanyou�s
muscles and slimed his physique, though how anyone could tell under the blasted
Fire Rat Robe was anyone�s guess.

Then there was the hanyou�s
stance. That sense of fluidity, which simply radiated of the hanyou while he
danced with the Tetsusaiga, was an enigma. Not even the bird demons of the
Hakuchoo Clan could rival that poise.

Inuyasha was a daunting enemy in
battle, Sesshoumaru could attest to that.

The very subject of his thoughts
then let out a surprised squawk as the kettle finally boiled over completely and
spilled onto the hanyou�s bare foot. Hopping around while trying to sooth the
burnt appendage, Inuyasha managed to lose his balance and went flailing
backwards onto the soft cushioning of the rushes, nearly flattening the rat in
the process.

�And then you take the sword
out of his hands and he becomes a bumbling oaf,� Sesshoumaru finished as
Inuyasha started to apologize, apologize, to the
rat.

�Humph. Baka,� Sesshoumaru
huffed and returned to his bland, ordinary tea.

Inuyasha apologized to Kuufuku
again before once more trying to make a sixth pot of tea. Sighing, he gave the
kettle a depressing glance and begrudgingly admitted to himself that the tea was
no longer appealing.

He wondered if he could find a way
to get that carbonated sugar drink called �soda pop�. But to get the �soda pop�
meant going back to the small village and the Bone Eater Well and that meant
possibly running into Kagome as the well was at her shrine and
all.

Sighing, he once more delved into
the small chest and looked for another combination of tealeaves. It was a
mundane task but it kept him focused if even for a moment.

It had come as a bit of a shock to
the hanyou to find out that perhaps Sesshoumaru had just as bad a childhood as
him.

�I wonder what he was like as a
child,� Inuyasha wondered. �Was he ever happy? Did he ever play as
a child?�

He snuck another glance at the
menacing Youkai. �Did he ever smile?�

Ensuring that there was still
enough water in the small barrel Inuyasha sighed and settled down for the second
attempt to boil water.

The nightlong discussion was
beginning to take it�s toll on him and Inuyasha could feel yet another headache
coming on.

He peeked at the regal figure that sat behind the scared
wood of the table.

�What was Sesshoumaru
like as a child? Hell,� Inuyasha smirked. �What was he like
short?�

He studied the other youkai. His
brother.

It was so odd. They were like night at day! Sesshoumaru was
the epitome of elegance, while he was the very personification of ineptness.

Sesshoumaru�s very looks were even
vastly different than his own! Setting aside the hair and eyes, their physiques
were complete opposites.

Sesshoumaru was tall and agile
with an aura that radiated his authority. Even his very features were lean and
angular with a sharp nose and high cheekbones.

Inuyasha, meanwhile, had a rounder
more childish face that made him look more like an impudent kid than anything
else. As for his physical stature� �Hell, I�m just plain short�� he
snorted in annoyance.

Inuyasha sighed as he once more
stole a look at his elder brother. �Why is it that he�s so freaking
fascinating?� he asked himself. �He�s a completely rude, arrogant,
stuck-up jerk!�

Sesshoumaru reached up to push a
strand of hair behind his elfin ear.

�And completely stunning,�
Inuyasha moaned. �While I�m�� he paused as he ran a hand through his own
hair, grimacing when his fingers found more tangles and even a few more twigs
that just seemed to gravitate to his hair.

�Hell,� he tried to
discreetly groom himself.

Inuyasha never really cared about
his appearance. It didn�t mater to the demons that tried to kill him on what he
looked like, but one look of revulsion from Sesshoumaru made Inuyasha feel
totally filthy.

Yanking out a few more twigs,
Inuyasha looked up right into heated golden eyes. Blushing, he jerked his hand
down from his hair and gave Sesshoumaru a defiant gaze.

Sesshoumaru said nothing and
returned to the last of his tea.

Inuyasha waited for a moment
before standing and retrieving the kettle from the fire, adding a few more logs
to the flame before returning to the table.

Once more replenishing the tea, he
sat down and was glad that this pot didn�t end up on his poor foot. He briefly
realized that it had been the same leg that had been injured by the lesser
demons all those weeks ago.

�Man, is the only luck I have
bad luck?� he wondered in annoyance.

�What did you put in this
pot?� Sesshoumaru�s voice piped up.

Inuyasha startled. �Er, just some
random leaves,� he muttered.

Sesshoumaru�s eyebrow went up
again. �Dare I fear that there�s poison oak in this?�

�Keh, it�s bad luck
alright,� Inuyasha confirmed. �I do know the difference, thank
you.�

�Hmm.� Sesshoumaru still set aside
the cup. Even Jaken was gazing into the dark liquid in
question.

Snorting, Inuyasha took a large
sip just to prove it was drinkable.

Turning somewhat green, he peered
back into the cup before collecting the others and, dumping the sludge, started
again.

�You know, you can leave at any
time,� he hinted.

Sesshoumaru jutted his chin up in
defiance. �You still have not told us about the Miko.�

Inuyasha groaned again as he set
aside the kettle and instead started to dig out something to
eat.

�Yep. Nothing but bad
luck.�

Chapter Eighteen: Say that
again?

�I�ve said it three times
already,� Inuyasha stated. �It�s none of your business.�

�You know,� Sesshoumaru sighed,
�that line is getting really old.�

�It�s the truth!� Inuyasha snapped
in frustration.

�Can you not see how wrong this
is?� Sesshoumaru hissed, mindful of the sleeping child.

Inuyasha had no such concerns. The
child could probably sleep though a battle from the snores that his koinu ears
were picking up. �You think I didn�t notice?� he yelled.

�That Miko has outlived any
usefulness as far as I can see.�

Inuyasha jumped to his feet. �You
can�t kill her!�

�I do not see why not,�
Sesshoumaru stated. �Miko or no, she is just a pathetic
ningen.�

Inuyasha shook his head
venomously. �I still can�t allow you to kill her. She is the only one who can
purify the Jewel Shards. And�� he trailed off, reluctant to say anything
further.

��and?� Sesshoumaru
prompted.

Sighing Inuyasha continued, �and
she�s my friend.�

A narrowed gaze and Sesshoumaru
rose to his own feet, �would a �friend� collar you?� he asked
scathingly.

Jaken raised his head and looked
up curiously but had long since given up getting a word in
edgewise.

�It wasn�t exactly her,� Inuyasha
admitted. �It was actually Kaede who placed the beads and I can not blame her
for fearing the creature she saw as the murderer of her sister even though we
now know it was Naraku disguised as me at the time.�

Sesshoumaru couldn�t help but feel
disturbed that Naraku once disguised himself as his hanyou brother and filed
that information away for further examination as Inuyasha
continued.

�Kagome really only held the power
to make it work,� Inuyasha finished.

�And the power to remove the beads
a her leisure.�

Inuyasha reluctantly nodded. �You
can�t really blame her for that though, she�s still a child by ningen
standards.�

A glare, �as are you by youkai
standards.�

Inuyasha jerked in surprise as
Sesshoumaru once more leaned over the table. �What are you talking about?� he
asked. �I�m over two hundred you know, hardly a koinu!�

Sesshoumaru�s gaze flicked over
the small fuzzy ears before looking into Inuyasha�s stubborn gaze. �You were
bound to a tree for fifty of those years.�

Inuyasha eyes widened as a thought
crossed his mind. �Is that why you have been so insistent in this alliance?� he
demanded. �Because I�m still not of the majority?�

Sesshoumaru scoffed as he sat back
down, reaching for the small bowl of fruits that Inuyasha had brought out. �Not
in the least,� he stated as he bit into a winter apple.

Inuyasha looked puzzled as he once
again sat down. All this standing and sitting was beginning to irritate him but
damn it if it wasn�t effective.

�If you aren�t concerned about my
age, then what the hell are you worried about?� Inuyasha
demanded.

Sesshoumaru scowled and bit into
his apple again.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, �if you
don�t want to tell me you could just say so. But I think I deserve an
explanation SEEING AS IT�S MY LIFE!�

The Inu Youkai set down the half
eaten fruit and once more reached for the last of the tea. �No,� Sesshoumaru
said.

Inuyasha nearly threw the apple at
his head. �What the hell? And yet you keep insisting that I tell you about
Kagome and the others?�

�Yes,� Sesshoumaru sneered. �The
others, those other humans who have reached the age of majority. What of
them? Hmm? Were they completely oblivious to the goings
on?�

Inuyasha shifted guiltily but knew
anything he said would be taken the wrong way and who knew what Sesshoumaru
would do to Sango and Miroku.

�You can not tell me that they had
no idea of what was happening between you and the odd Miko
child.�

Shaking his head, Inuyasha refused
to give Sesshoumaru his answer.

�But you have told me once that
the monk had gone to a shrine to escape the tension.�

Inuyasha picked up his own piece
of fruit. �Monks are sensitive to stressful situations I suppose,� he tried half
heartedly to explain.

In truth, each word Sesshoumaru
uttered cut though like a knife to Inuyasha.

Why had Miroku and Sango
allow it to continue on as long as it did?

They knew that things had been
getting worse with Kagome and yet they still persisted that it was just a phase
and that if they ignored it, it would go away.

At least Miroku, a monk for
crying out loud, should have been able to help. Or at least give Inuyasha some
better advice than to simply grab Kagome�s ass and be done with
it.

Sango even had taken to leaving
the village for a string of very long �walks�. �Walks� that would last a good
few days before her return. They knew, they knew that there had been something wrong and
yet they prefer to continued going along pretending to be completely
ignorant.

At least Kagome never did anything
too violent in front of Shippo.

The kit worshiped the ground the
Miko walked on and in his little eyes could see her do no
wrong.

Inuyasha rubbed his chin in
remembrance and winced.

She could be evil all right; he
had the bruises to prove it. Even if the bruises had faded with the work of
Sesshoumaru�s miracle �goo� he still remembered.

Sesshoumaru watched Inuyasha
critically as the hanyou thought back over whatever past events that led them to
this point.

�Do you understand now?� The
Youkai asked. �This is why we can not trust the humans. They are nothing but
self absorbed pitiful creatures that have no sense of
pride.�

Inuyasha glared. �Clearly you�ve
never been around too many humans.�

�I do not need to be around them
to know what they are,� Sesshoumaru declared as he returned to his
apple.

Inuyasha narrowed his own golden
eyes. �Then you are lying through your fangs if you think that you know
me at all.�

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrow at
Inuyasha�s show of defiance and asked �You forget that I do know you,
hanyou.�

�And that�s why you haven�t been
able to defeat me?� Inuyasha scoffed.

Sesshoumaru sat bolt upright, his
elegant mouth curled up in a snarl.

Inuyasha released a growl of his
own and both had their hands on the hilts of their respective
swords.

There was a small cough and both
inu youkai�s turned to look at the small green imp.

�Um�� Jaken sweat dropped but set
his own tea down and turned to his chosen master. �Sesshoumaru-sama. I am afraid
that I do not understand what it is that is happening
here.�

�You are not suppose to
understand,� Sesshoumaru told him. �I have stated this before that this is
between my brother and I.�

Jaken swallowed nervously. �Yes
Sesshoumaru-Sama, you have stated that but it was by your own decree that no one
have contact with the er� with this person.�

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and
the toad. �You would bound me by my own decrees?� he
snapped.

Jaken gulped again and grabbed his
tea. �N-no my lord.�

�Then I truly do not see it as any
concern to you.�

�But my lord�� Jaken persisted and
this time he got two angry gold eyes glaring at him. �Your contact with your
brother like this is bound to start the gossip. You must remember your
position��

Now Inuyasha looked worried as he
glanced to gage Sesshoumaru�s reaction.

�So?�

Even Jaken rolled his eyes at that
response. It seemed Jaken too was use to Sesshoumaru�s curt
attitude.

�My lord, everyone knows that you
are bound and determine to kill your, er, brother but if it is found out that
you have had um�� he glanced between the two, �civil contact with each
other�� Jaken trailed off and tried to shuffle to a safe distance from his lord.
�Then I am afraid that the other youkai will find you to be deceiving and will
try to challenge your position as Lord of the West.�

Sesshoumaru huffed. �Let them try
to find me,� he declared arrogantly. �I can�t even find myself half the
time��

�But my
Lord��

Inuyasha was staring into the
remains of his tea pensively. The toad did have a point.

If it were found out that they had
an agreement� hell- that they had been meeting in secret
for the better part of five months then the demons truly would challenge
Sesshoumaru.

�Every one knows that
Sesshoumaru is determined to kill me,� Inuyasha realized. �That he�s had
ample opportunity and had not taken it, it will be shown as a weakness,
his weakness, and that�s the very reason that Sesshoumaru proposed this
blasted �truce� to begin with.�

Inuyasha sighed as he glanced
around the cave. �What the hell dose it matter?� he wondered. �It�s
not like I�ve never been on my own before. And now it�s back to the way things
should be. Just me. Surviving. Alone.� Inuyasha finished off his tea in
silence and stared down at the bottom of the porcelain cup. �So why is the
though of being by myself so daunting?�

Sesshoumaru was frowning as he
mulled over Jaken�s concerns.

�I should have realized that
this was going to be trouble,� he thought in aggravation. It had been better
that these matter were never brought up at all, but that was the reason he kept
the little toad around in the first place.

The last thing he needed was
someone to find out about his brothers human nights and his own strange
shifting. �Inuyasha still has some other purpose� what it is, I still do not
know but there is something else going on here.�

He turned and growled at Jaken.
�Then they best not find out that we have been in contact, shouldn�t
they?�

�Er� My Lord?� Jaken stared at him
in puzzlement.

�The situation between us is far
too important to abandon half way through. I must see if my instincts are right
in this matter.�

�What instincts?� Inuyasha glanced
sharply at Sesshoumaru. �You forced me into this ceasefire to begin with!
What are you babbling about?�

Sesshoumaru completely disregarded
him. �Therefore, you will return to the palace and ensure that
there are no rumors regarding Inuyasha and myself. If there are, you are to
report to me at once!�

�Sesshoumaru-Sama?� Jaken jerked
startled. Sesshoumaru scowled and Jaken knew it was in his best interest not to
try and dissuade the Inu Youkai. �And where will you be so that I may report to
you?� he asked instead.

Sesshoumaru thought about this for
a few moments before an evil grin broke out on his face. �I will be
here.�

Both Inuyasha and Jaken gave him a
strange look.

�Er, where�s �here�
Sesshoumaru-sama?� Jaken asked.

�Yeah, �where�s �here�
Sesshoumaru-sama�?� Inuyasha mocked already feeling the dread creeping
upward.

�At this cave,� the Inu clarified.

Jaken�s eyes nearly popped out of
their sockets in shock and Inuyasha could feel any semblance of solitude slowly
slipping away.

�Rin and I will stay here for the
winter,� the Inu Youkai finished

Inuyasha started banging his head on the table rattling the
cups with every thud. �Fucking wonderful.�

~*~LOOK! MORE NOTES~*~

ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR PAGES AND NOT
ONE SMUT SCENE! What the hell is wrong with me? I�m still setting up the
freaking plot! This was supposed to be a short one-shot fic of pure
lemon� what the fuck happened?

Sesshoumaru: *stares at the frantic dragon* �You promised me that I
would have Inuyasha withering in ecstasy by now!�

Inuyasha: �Who�s withering in what now?�

BDQ: *Throws her pen at the Youkai* �You have to wait your
turn!�

Inuyasha: �Why dose he get to be seme? I thought I
was the main character!�

BDQ: �How is it my fault that you�re
shorter?�

Sesshoumaru: *Smirks* �You should be grateful, hanyou! I shall show
you pleasures you never dreamed of��

Inuyasha: *Glares at Sesshoumaru* �A sore ass and a shove off the
bed� yeah, you�re real romantic��

BDQ: �Stop bickering! It�s coming! PUN
INTENDED!�

*Sighs*�ignore them�they�re just
horny� Anyway�

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL
PEOPLE WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO ME! I honestly didn�t think anyone would like it.
I�m in shock! Really! So is Kuufuku who has his own set of groupies! Next up
will be �Winter Woe�s� and I hope you all stay with me till the end. I can�t
wait to find out what happens!
*Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru gawk at BDQ* �What?

Thank you for taking a few moments of your time to write to me!

Okay, now that I have thanked you
all properly� THIS STORY WILL (probably) NOT BE UPDATED UNTIL JANUARY
15^th. *BDQ throws herself into a bunker and slams a helmet on her
poor head!* DON�T HURT ME!
Again, the only Internet access I have is Kallipso and the local college,
which is closed until Spring Semester. I will try to get more up sooner�
but considering the holidays� it�s more unlikely than possible.

*BDQ runs away and hides behind
her Fullmetal Alchemist Al Plushy*

*Kallipso sighs and cuddles Ed*
(which she pilfered and refuses to return!
^>.<^)

Shippo: �I want a cuddle too��

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
TO ALL- BE THEY NINGEN, YOUKAI, KAMI or
RAT!
- 2
- 3
- 4
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Shadowed Nights

Shadowed Nights

By The Black Dragon Queen

Co Authored by Kallipso

Hakuchoo-Swan

Inu-Dog

Kumo-Spider

NOW (finally) ON TO THE STORY!

Shadowed Nights

Home is Where You Horde Your Food: Chapters 13-18

Chapter Thirteen: Not Exactly
Enemies

Sesshoumaru raised an
eyebrow as he slowly looked over Inuyasha�s disheveled appearance. �Immaculate
appearance as always.�

And
the Rat�

�Inuyasha�� Sesshoumaru
ground out between clenched teeth. �Are you actually living in the
cave?�

Chapter Fourteen: Homemaking Hanyou

Sighing, he turned and continued on in the
search of food for the coming winter.

Thank you for taking a few moments of your time to write to me!

Shadowed Nights

Shadowed Nights

By The Black Dragon Queen

Co Authored by Kallipso

Hakuchoo-Swan

Inu-Dog

Kumo-Spider

NOW (finally) ON TO THE STORY!

Shadowed Nights

Home is Where You Horde Your Food: Chapters 13-18

Chapter Thirteen: Not Exactly Enemies

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow as he slowly looked over Inuyasha�s disheveled appearance. �Immaculate appearance as always.�

And the Rat�

�Inuyasha�� Sesshoumaru ground out between clenched teeth. �Are you actually living in the cave?�

Chapter Fourteen: Homemaking Hanyou

Sighing, he turned and continued on in the search of food for the coming winter.

Thank you for taking a few moments of your time to write to me!

Chapter Thirteen: Not Exactly
Enemies

Sesshoumaru raised an
eyebrow as he slowly looked over Inuyasha�s disheveled appearance. �Immaculate
appearance as always.�

And
the Rat�

�Inuyasha�� Sesshoumaru
ground out between clenched teeth. �Are you actually living in the
cave?�

Sighing, he turned and continued on in the
search of food for the coming winter.