Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

What Matters the Most	By : Avarwen Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 55388 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 62
- 63
- 64
A/N: Not much to say right now... Although I apologize again to everyone who�s confusion I caused with the strange chapter-uploads last time. >_<

~*~

Aristocratic Dance

�Inuyasha?!�
The name slipped past Sesshomaru�s lips in the form of a startled gasp as the youkai jolted upward slightly in bed, his eyes slitting open as he stared around him in disorientation, not entirely certain what had woken him, or if Inuyasha really was there, before finally settling in on the doorway, and the figure silhouetted against the faint light streaming in from the hallway.
He frowned and squinted imperceptibly, his disoriented and despairing youki unable to distinguish the person standing before him, and adamantly refusing to let his rational mind take a crack at it. After all, if it wasn�t his mate, what was the point?
He took a light sniff of the air, trying to clear his head, and was even more disoriented when he smelled-- not the earthy and sweet scent of forests and trees and early spring rain that was Inuyasha�s, but a far lighter, much more airy sort of scent-- the kind that usually clung almost imperceptibly to almost any breeze (or hurricane), with a faint underlying tone of something toxic clinging to it as well.

�That�s not my Inuyasha�s scent.� His youki supplied to him. And very unnecessarily he might add. Of course it was not Inuyasha. Inuyasha did not smell like that.
Still, he could not help but inwardly slump a little at the thought, while his youki continued to search for signs that this was it�s mate... after all, a scent could be very misleading sometimes. Maybe Inuyasha had just gotten caught up in a tornado sometime in his absence?
The figure at the doorway suddenly took a step inside, sliding the door shut behind them with a light snap, effectively cutting off the light and plunging them again into the darkness that filled the room-- nothing but the very weak traces that made up the tiny sliver of moon outside to provide them light.
And, as Sesshomaru�s eyes took their time (and exceedingly long amount of time doing by the youkai�s standards) adjusting to the change, he heard a deep, but undeniably female voice speak.
�Yo.�

�That�s not my Inuyasha�s voice.�

Giving himself a low growl of agitation at his youki�s continued insistence of pointing out the obvious (especially in such an absolutely idiotic manner), he turned slightly and, finally, focused his narrowed eyes on the intruder. And he could not help but inwardly tense in anger as his eyes came to rest on...
�Kagura.�
The name forced itself grudgingly up his throat and past his lips, sounding dully and icily in the small room as he continued to stare at her, taking in the small smirk on her face, the almost haughty way she seemed to be tapping her fan lightly against her shoulder, before returning his eyes to her own glittering red ones, as Sesshomaru mentally cursed the wind witch. It seemed as though this was going to be another restless and sleepless night. And he didn�t like it when he couldn�t sleep, because, for some reason, he seemed closer to his brother when he slept-- like Inuyasha was right there, and he could see him and somehow help him through everything Naraku was doing to him, even though he couldn�t stop it. It was foolish, maybe, but so was doing absolutely nothing in the matters of finding his mate as he had been. At least this way he could think he was somehow helping Inuyasha.
For a moment the two just stared at each other, ice creeping in from the tension of their locked gazes and the coldness pouring off of the Daiyoukai in waves-- seeping under the doorway and all but frosting the windows and Sesshomaru eyed the wind with in something akin to contempt.
After all, this was one of the one�s who had sought to betray himself and his mate... maybe she had not played a very imperative roll in the entire plot against them, but she was still part of it, and his youki-- especially now that it was without it�s mate-- was not ready to forgive her.
It had not wanted to forgive Rin either, and had only done so because of his brother. But it held absolutely none of the similar qualms over loathing this being in front of him. It was her own fault for never bothering to befriend his brother like her ningen sister had, after all.
His body, suddenly deciding that his current position of only half sitting up, and barely even bracing himself on his one arm was no longer comfortable nor appropriate, shifted, and he found himself sitting up a little straighter upon his futon, which, much to his despair, was starting to loose it�s hold on his baby brother�s scent. Pushing those thoughts away for the time being, Sesshomaru leaned back slightly and rested a bit more comfortably against the wall-- heedless of the fact that his robe (which had been loose before) was now all the way open, parted in the front all the way from his chest to his hips and thighs, while the sheets had somehow managed to become entangled around his calves-- which meant that he was left with nothing but the loosely hanging sash to hide his dignity from the rest of the world.
Not that he was, at the moment anyway, overly concerned.
He had never been ashamed of being naked before-- it was a trivial waste of time, and not one he cared to participate in. And at the moment, he was more concerned with why this wench whose brother had kidnapped his own dared to seek him out the way she had.
Glancing over to the corner where Arekusu and Inuko were restlessly whining and squirming about in their sleep (a habit they had picked up on ever since Inuyasha had gone missing), he turned his eyes up to Kagura�s, only to find her own sliding in an almost sensuously over his exposed flesh in a fairly appraising sort of manner.
And, much to his surprise, Sesshomaru found his youki roaring to life within him, screaming and thrashing about harshly in indignation.
How dare that wench?!
How dare she?!
No one, No one, was allowed to look at him like that except Inuyasha! Only his mate had a right to see his body in a state of such undress! Not this woman!
A metallic tang that he doubted Kagura could pick up on because of it�s faintness eased it�s way into the room as Sesshomaru felt poison seeping beneath his fingernails, and he dug them tightly into the futon beneath him-- trying to resist the urge to slice this presumptuous slut to pieces.
He would find out what she had to say first. It was the smart thing to do, after all. Never kill your enemy before they tell you whatever it is they might know.
That was the only thing that stayed his hands-- held him back from sinking his claws deeply into her flesh right then and there and giving into his youki.
And Sesshomaru could not help but mentally sigh in aggravation and exhaustion.
Ever since Inuyasha had disappeared, his youki had been out of control-- lashing out and any and all who got too close or pushes him even remotely too far-- and he had found himself on the borderline of transformation at almost every waking moment (and some sleeping moments too). It was strange to him, because he had never had such little control as this before and... he didn�t like it very much.
Reigning it back in angrily as it tried to force it�s way to the surface now, Sesshomaru forced himself to remain calm as he raised one silky eyebrow and continued to gaze coolly at the woman before him, who was still raking her eyes over his naked flesh.
Having had just about enough of being on the receiving end of her continued eye-molestation, Sesshomaru shifted a little and spoke.
�It is custom in some society�s to knock before entering another�s chambers.� He said, keeping his voice smooth and cold as he waited for the wench to look up.
And she did.
But not all the way.
And, considering she had seemingly been very closely examining some are of his calves before, this now left her gaze lingering heavily upon the apex of his thighs...
Sesshomaru frowned slightly and, resisting the urge to growl sharply at the woman before him (who seemingly had absolutely no regard for her life whatsoever), he slowly and deliberately raised one leg, blocking himself from her sight and drawing her gaze back toward his face as he spoke again, using the same purposeful manner as he had just done with his movements.
�Why are you here?�
Her eyes locked with his again, and Sesshomaru was vaguely surprised to see none of the lust or want he had expected-- none of the lust or want he had become so adjusted to seeing in other�s eyes over the years. But this surprise he was feeling lasted only for a moment, before it was replaced with understanding, as it all clicked in his rational mind, and he began to realize exactly what she had been doing.
Testing him.
She had been testing him.
Not in such an obvious or deliberate manner, but that�s what she had been doing. Playing a game with him-- an age old aristocratic dance that was always a battle of wits and wills, and never one of strength. It was often a tradition amongst the more refined youkai when two opposing lords or such met-- a way of sizing up your opponent without ever having drawn a blade.
It was, naturally (or else none would ever have bothered with it to begin with), a very effective game when played correctly.
And he had just made a serious blunder in it by not having realised that it was being played in the first place.
Because it was common knowledge that, the easiest way to size up your opponent and win the game was to make the other uncomfortable-- find out what made them twitch, and how long they could withstand being under the pressure of their discomfort before giving in.
And he had unwittingly given in-- however subtly-- and given Kagura that much more leverage. For the moment at least.
Said woman continued to stare at him a moment more, the smirk on her lips seeming to have widened slightly since he last saw it as she tapped her fan gently against said lips.
�Your brother is missing.� She said after a moment, ignoring his own question as she continued to stare at him in that �I-know-something-you-don�t-know� sort of way.
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at the woman, his agitation rising within him. If there was one thing he had very little tolerance for, it would be stupidity. Especially when it was forced. This woman clearly was far more intelligent than she was behaving (or she never would have initiated they play such a game in the first place) so there was no reason for her to go on pointing out the obvious like this.
That was one of the reasons he had had so little tolerance for his little brother before they became mates.
�I appreciate you informing me of this, Kagura-- I assure you I never would have realised such a fact without your help.� He stated in as close to sarcasm as he ever achieved, not in the mood to do this right now.
Whatever it was she was trying to accomplish here would require rationality to figure out-- something which had fled him right around the same time Inuyasha had been kidnapped. He had no room for this right now.
Kagura�s own eyebrow raised at him, before the woman stepped forward and very nearly strolled over to his side of the room. For that�s the only word he could think of to describe how she had just moved-- a slow, leisurely, stroll with no particular purpose and seemingly no particular hurry to get where she was going.
�You know, I do believe my brother was right.� She said, slipping down to sit on the edge of his futon, ignoring the dangerous way his eyes flashed and narrowed at the very mention of her nefarious bastard of a brother. �You and I would have made a good match. Much better than that hanyou you adore so much.� There was a tinge of disgust when she put emphasis on the word �hanyou� but Sesshomaru somehow managed to ignore it. She was still playing the game after all... and now she was trying to get a rise out of him. And, as much as it pained him not to, he would not defend Inuyasha against that. There would be no point. And she needed to understand that he knew there was no point.
Still, he could not help but grind his teeth harshly together at the audaciousness of the yasha-- something he kept very well hidden as he continued to stare impassively at the kazeyoukai.
And Kagura stared back at him, some of the amusement leaving her features as he continued to adamantly refuse to play along with her game, before finally speaking, her voice carrying undertones of seriousness that had not been present before.
�You care for him a great deal.� She noted carefully, and Sesshomaru could not keep the barest of frowns from marring his face as he continued to watch her steadily, the frown only deepening as that smirk of hers that reminded him so much of her brother returned again in full force.
�Tell me then, oh might Lord Sesshomaru,� Kagura�s voice sliced through the air of the room, cutting it like a blade as her eyes glittered darkly in the faint traces of moonlight reflecting from the window, her tone mocking. �Do you love him?�
Sesshomaru�s eyes flashed and narrowed slightly, rippling with hundreds of different emotions and thoughts flowing just beneath the surface as he watched her and considered... -- not what his answer would be, of course-- he had known for a long time what it was-- but rather... if he should answer.
He still did not trust, nor did he like this woman. As such that made her a potential enemy... and, what�s more, he had no idea what her motives in this whole charade they were playing out might be. And, as he had learned several times over by now, when in confusion about the motives of another-- especially an enemy-- it is best to keep as much about your own motives and thoughts hidden from them as possible.
Still, he found himself unable to deny this question...
His youki would not allow for him to ignore it. And, more importantly, his heart would not allow it to go unanswered-- and for that answer to go unvoiced.
So, ever so deliberately, he raised his eyes up to meet her own intent one�s, staring in a strangely serious manner at the yasha before him a moment, before answer...
�Yes. I do.�
Kagura stared at him, her eyes loosing the smirk as she too seemed to take on his serious manner, and she gave him a rather solemn sort of nod. �Good.� She said, holding her fan out and letting out on the ends slip from her fingers and fall-- spreading the silken folds out in a soft semi-circle of rippled material in front of her. �If that is truly the case, Lord Sesshomaru, then I shall help you.�
She turned her eyes back toward him, and gave him a small smile that could actually almost be considered such, and not the usual sort of sneer she wore most of the time as she tilted her head slightly to the side. �I can help locate Naraku.�

~*~

Glossary

Youkai - Demon

Youki - A demon�s spiritual energy

Daiyoukai - Great Demon

Ningen - Human

Hanyou - Half-Demon

Yasha - Female Demon

Kazeyoukai - I think this would be wind-demon, but I could be wrong.

~*~

-ArchNemesis - Lol, y�know, I think you�re the only one who currently thinks I�m updating too fast. ^_^ But then again, you�ve got you�re own story to deal with and whatever other stuff that goes on in your life keeping you busy and your kids (as you stated) so it�s understandable. ^_^ -- Well, I look forward to your next review-- whenever you manage to get it in. ^_^
-riddlestar - *wince* Yeah, I was afraid that was going to happen. Still, I�m glad you managed to get it all straightened out. Feel free to whack me over the head for my lack of organization in these updates. ^_^ -- Yeah, there were lots of little holes there, so those two chapters being put up definitely helped fill them (I think they did anyway). Yep, inu can lactate, which definitely benefits Tsukiko. As to why it didn�t happen at the beginning... Well, there are several reasons why that could�ve been. Firstly, they did have a wet-nurse/nursemaid/whatever you want to call it to feed the baby, so it wasn�t essential for Inuyasha�s body to produce milk, so maybe, because it wasn�t called upon to do so, it simply didn�t. Secondly it might actually have nothing to do with Tsukiko needing food, and have more to do with the amount of stress he�s under right now. I posted a link somewhere on one of the chapters I think, but basically it takes you to an article that talks about how severely stressful situations have been known to cause (on extremely rare occasions) male lactation. So that could be it too. Or maybe a combination of the two. But I think it probably is really more the third explanation-- that it just fits in well with the stories plot. Lol, could be any one of those really, or all three. ^_^ Does that help answer your questions? -- Lol, of course I�ll send you alerts. All I need is your email (which you have kindly provided). ^_^ -- Well, I�m trying to update sooner, but my muses are on strike for whatever reason. *sighs* Still, at least now I don�t have feel too guilty about you coming here all the time looking for updates, neh? ^_^ -- Still, I will put an extra effort into trying to update sooner-- for all the hopeless addicts my story has enslaved! ^_^
-SP777 - How far will this story go? Hm. Well, yes, people have asked that before, and, if you are referring to chapter number, I have no idea. The length will end up being decided by the ending. If Naraku wins, the fic will probably be a lot shorter than if he loses, simply because there will be no healing for Inu to go through and none of the other problems that would arise if the family got back together again. And as to when Sess will take action... Oh, I think it�s coming along pretty soon... ^_^
-*blue_rain* - *Beams* I�m glad you�re loving the story so much then! ^_^ And no, I suppose you wouldn�t have read it in one day... especially considering the usual span for reading it all is around 3-4 days! o.O -- Lol, anyway, I�m glad you liked Tsukiko�s reaction. She�s not even a month old yet, so it�s kinda hard for her to kick his ass, but she does what she can, neh? ^_^ -- Yes, well that�s understandable. I�d be more concerned if you were happy about Naraku kidnapping, raping, mind-fucking and just all around abusing Inuyasha. ^_^
-Incessant_Darkness - Lol, yep, it�s updated. I don�t know if that pace will stay though (somehow it seems unlikely) but we can always hope that I�ll find some kind of pattern in my updates... -- *blinks* Huh. I think your the first one to prefer seeing the Inuyasha-torment chapters more than the Sess ones... And of course I have a heart! It�s over there, in that jar on the shelf! ^_^ *sighs* �Evil?� Well, I really prefer the term morally bankrupt, but whatever. ^_^ -- I�m glad you liked the inserted chapters (however evil) although this one may have only helped further your depression of Sess... or maybe it lessened it, I don�t know... But hopefully we can find some way of getting depressing Sess out of your head... Not right away, mind you, cause I�ve still got a lot to do with this fic, but maybe sometime... -- Again though, glad you liked the inserted chapters. ^_^ And you�re not stupid. A couple other people did the exact same thing and I know that I, had I been reading the fic, would�ve done it too. It�s understandable that you don�t read my A/N�s anyway, considering ho fricking long they tend to be... Lol. ^_^
- 62
- 63
- 64
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

What Matters the Most