A Fine Mess

Inuyasha said very little after he was dressed. Sesshoumaru really never had much to say at all so it wasn’t surprising that the two of them walked in silence to the market where he would buy Rin’s kimonos.

Sesshoumaru ignored the stares at his mates current undress as he walked over to one of the vendors he knew Inuyasha backed away seeing a green kimono that looked hauntingly familiar. Sesshoumaru still prodded him forward.

“Do not embarrass me here Inuyasha.”

Sesshoumaru stated firmly as he went over to speak to the vendor about buying a new kimono for Inuyasha.

“My Lord I will have to measure the boy.”

Inuyasha really didn’t want to be touched, but he also did not want to walk around half naked. The tailor measured his neck, arms, waist, hips, and the length of his legs. At that he nodded and came forward with a gold kimono with a simple red threading similar to his fire rat robes except it was much more elegant and there were designs in gold thread of small flowers.

“This will do.”

Sesshoumaru stated paying the vendor and offering him more for a few made in red for his mate to be sent to the castle.

Amusingly enough Sesshoumaru looked at Inuyasha like he wanted him to put it on right there in front of all the people at the market.

“I ain’t getting naked right here.”

Sesshoumaru shook his head handing Inuyasha the garments. He was expecting a thank you, but what really did he expect out of Inuyasha?

Inuyasha wasn’t sure what to say or do. He didn’t want to say thank you again. It wasn’t in him so instead he figured he would make something for his mate. His demon was pissed feeling he should have just subjugated himself and bowed low before his Alpha.

As soon as they found a more private area Inuyasha put on the kimono. When he came out Sesshoumaru was shocked. Inuyasha looked even better in gold then in red.

Inuyasha looked at his feet and then up at his mate. Sesshoumaru’s look of approval was enough to gain the daiyôkai a small blush.

“We will have your shoes made at the castle.”

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side. Shoes? Why the fuck did he need shoes? He had done ok so far without them.

“Why?”

Sesshoumaru looked down at the bare feet. As enchantingly cute as Inuyasha was with his bare feet, he would feel better having boots like his own. They would also prevent dirt from being tracked all over the castle.

“When we are home I wish for your feet to remain as clean as possible as well as the rest of you. You will be dressed as my mate and therefore will present yourself in a manner that benefits my rank.”

Inuyasha didn’t know if he liked that.

“What is wrong with me now just being as I am?”

Sesshoumaru looked down at Inuyasha.

“You are mine and therefore you must look like you belong to me Inuyasha. I am not making you change your personality, just your clothing.”

Sesshoumaru ran his fingers over Inuyasha’s hair and caressed his cheek.

Inuyasha leaned into it and felt loved. It was nice being treated with kindness by his brother for a change. It was a special moment and Inuyasha nuzzled his face against Sesshoumaru’s hand.

Sesshoumaru really didn’t know what was coming over him. He just wanted to adore his mate and treat him with kindness. Something he had never done before. It was unusually strange since he had this feeling of protectiveness over the little hanyou and wanted to do nothing else except love him.

“Inuyasha………”

Sesshoumaru bent down and pulled his mate into a heated kiss. It was gentle and warm. Then the two pulled away with Sesshoumaru doing something completely out of character. He held Inuyasha’s hand as they walked amongst the woods once again not arguing for the second time in their lives.

*************************************************************************************

Chise watched the two brothers and hissed. She was furious at the money lost on the elder brother and wanted revenge for her comrades. However she needed reinforcements.

“Fusao, follow them. I want to know everything that they do and where they go. We will need to seek out the panther tribe for our revenge.”

Fusao nodded as he took off as silently as the wind after the two brothers keeping downwind so that their strong sense of smell would not detect him.

*************************************************************************************

When Inuyasha arrived at the castle he was shocked by the amount of damage there still was.

Sesshoumaru noticed and sighed.

“Having to rule on my own has not given me much time to find loyal servants and I trust very few so I have done most of the repairs if not all on my own. Had I not been fighting with you, searching for tessaiga, and surveying Father’s lands to remove all his foes so that there was peace before I finished here I would have been done years ago.”

Inuyasha nodded and felt saddened. It was once a beautiful palace, now overrun by weeds and there was still much work to be done. There were still burn marks in the wood and Inuyasha couldn’t help but touch the wood itself. It breathed of Father’s terrible demise.

“I am sorry.”

Sesshoumaru looked surprised and then felt rather bad.

“His death was not your doing. You were a newborn. I am not that callous.”

Inuyasha begged to differ.

“But, you blamed me my whole life for his death.”

Sesshoumaru frowned.

“Inuyasha I hated you because I was angry at Father and your Mother. I am still angry at your Mother, but logically it was Father who made the ultimate decision. I did not stop him and I would not. All I wanted were the swords so I could fight if he was going to rush to his death. He owed me that much.”

Inuyasha looked at tessaiga.

“Why did he leave without giving them to you?”

Sesshoumaru shrugged.

“He had a battle to finish although a legion of humans could not have stopped him in his true form. He wounded many of Takemaru’s men, but did not kill them outright. He was defending his mate as any male would do. They had no right to keep Izayoi from Father, but humans are always prejudice toward our kind.”

Sesshoumaru sneered.

“Inuyasha…….you do not know our history with humans. Father loved some of them. Not all and he was not as kind as you imagine. We are demons, we kill. It is our nature and if one stands in our way we will kill them. For the most part however, humans do not stand a chance against any Inu No Tashio. That is why Takemaru only lost an arm. If it were me I would have destroyed him where he stood. Father was too………emotionally attached to them.’
“We Inuyouki are too powerful although not invincible. We were created by a curse. Loyal to humans at one time we had loved them and they betrayed our love with death. Do you know why Inu demons hate humans?”

Inuyasha frowned.

“I don’t hate humans……..”

Sesshoumaru shook his head.

“You are wrong Inuyasha. Your demon half hates being attached to your human side although somehow you have out of millions of hanyous come to learn to accept both sides. However, your demon side still resents your human half because of our history.”

Inuyasha was confused.

“I still say you are wrong, but explain.”

Sesshoumaru then nodded.

“When we were first created it was by a human who owned us as a pet. We were loved, pampered, and treated with reverence. Soon however their true nature was revealed. Our ancestors were buried in the ground with only their heads above the ground. Food and water was set around them as a way to appease the demon we were to become. Indeed our ancestors died of starvation and the elements. This was a way for a human to try to tame our spirits and create us into god like beings forced to protect them. However many of our kind remembered the cruelty of humans and their betrayal. Our kind remembered Inuyasha. Our ancestors, my Mother, our Father did not forget. When we are born our demon side remembers.’
“Over time one may come to forgive those who betrayed us, but not me. I cannot fathom forgiving such cruelty. I may have some form of compassion for their weakness, but I would never betray my nature by taking one as a mate.”

Inuyasha felt hurt.

“Then why take me as a mate?”

Sesshoumaru looked down at Inuyasha with no emotions showing.

“You are not fully human Inuyasha. What human you have in you is very small. It lasts but one day. Most hanyous have more than one day to suffer their detachment from their demon half. You have found harmony as I stated before. Your demon has for some reason forgiven the part of you that is human enough to coexist with it.”

Inuyasha frowned. His demon had hated his human side. Perhaps that was what drove him to seek out the jewel for so damn long. Perhaps that is why when Kikyo offered to make him human he wanted it so much because his demon hated his human half wanting to leave it and when she died the demon wanted to become full demon to remove the hated part of himself. No wonder he was constantly confused. Now it made perfect sense. Not only was he not accepted by demons or humans he couldn’t accept himself.

“I guess that makes some sense. Still I don’t hate humans.”

Sesshoumaru smirked.

“I don’t suppose you would after forgiving yourself.”

Inuyasha knew better then to bring up his Mother, but it had been a sore spot for a long time.

“What about my Mother. Will you ever look past your hate so you and I can move forward?”

Sesshoumaru frowned.

“I do what I can Inuyasha. I do not forgive either of them. However as I said, Father is mainly to blame. I cannot hate my mate and therefore I have to grow some kind of tolerance to your reminiscence of Izayoi just as you will someday have to deal with my Mother.”

Inuyasha looked confused.

“Your Mother is still alive?”

Sesshoumaru wasn’t sure if that question was an insult or not.

“She still lives.”

Inuyasha frowned as they walked into the part of the castle that had been rebuilt.

“You sound disappointed.”

Sesshoumaru almost laughed. He didn’t really like talking to or about his Mother. They had a strained relationship and he would leave it at that.