My Boyfriend's Brother

I promise to reply to any comments you left me in the next installment. That's right! Those of you who were looking forward to this thing being over will be disappointed. The next chapter is almost ready to go. Just got to get that Sesshomaru/Kagome only lemon finished! I warn you in advance that some of the content is not for the faint hearted... Not in a good way... After that there may be a further two chapters... I'm not sure. Got to get it finished first!


This chapter... Those of you who enjoy Sessh/Yasha alone time are going to love this one!


I'm not sure if an additional disclaimer is needed but I'll say it anyway: In taking the name Hakuryuu for one of my (briefly) mentioned characters in this installment, if I am infringing upon the rights of the ladies at CLAMP or Kazuya Minekura, know that I do not claim to own this name and I do not profit from using it.



CHAPTER ELEVEN


For twelve days he kept a vigil. Everyday when he awoke he made the pilgrimage to the well, where he would sit in wait until the sun went down again. Then he would drag his body back to Kaede’s to eat and sleep. At night he could not sleep. He tossed and turned. One little white lie… Who knew it could have such far-reaching consequences?

On one particular day he awoke in the half-dark, not knowing where his was. When his eyes adjusted he realised that the slimy, solid thing under his folded arms was the lip of the well. He cried out in anguish. It had only been a dream. Kagome and the pups had not returned home. The night air was cool on his cheeks. He put his hand up to touch his face and found it wet. I’ve been crying in my sleep…Again.

He picked himself up, wiping at his cheeks in annoyance. Then he realised that there were no claws on the blunt ends of his fingers. He stared at them in shock. Then he looked up at the sky and indeed there was no moon. God, I thought I had another day! How could I have been so careless?

A low growl sounded on the other side of the clearing. He jumped. Then the shaggy grey body of a demonic wolf came into view, followed by another. No doubt more of his pack mates were ringed around him. His eyes went wide in panic. He had not heard or smelled a thing in this human form. His heart was racing. His breathing was harsh. His body began to sweat. No doubt the smell of his fear was delicious to these skinny predators.

He grasped the hilt of the rusty blade on his hip and pulled it clear as the first wolf leapt at him. He caught it across the abdomen but its dead weight still knocked him to the ground. Warm entrails spilled over his clothing. He grimaced but he was relieved to still be alive, for however long that would last. He pushed the heavy body off him and sprang to his feet. The trees were at his back and the wolves were ringed around him.

Another wolf leapt towards him. He lashed out with the sword. He caught it across the chest and it retreated with a yelp. The wolves closed in, trying to surround him. His eyes rolled wildly in his head trying to keep them in sight. Then he turned and began to run into the trees. The wolves took off in hot pursuit. He ran, trying to ignore the branches that snagged his clothing or scratched his face, arms and legs. The rocks under his feet cut his softer human skin but he ran on.

The birds had gone silent. Above the thundering of his heart he heard the occasional wolf call. They had fanned out and separated but soon they would close in again and catch up with him. It was like they were playing with him. His only option was to go up. He climbed the nearest tree. It was a struggle with his clumsier human body but he was soon perched high above the ground, staring down at the wolves pacing around the foot of the tree.

Occasionally one of them would run forward and try to jump into the branches. It would just slide down the bark, claws scrabbling and hit the ground with a thud and a yelp. The corners of his mouth turned up. I’m so glad that wolves can’t climb! Hopefully they’ll get bored soon and start chasing something else. I don’t want to be stuck out in the woods all night. I need to find shelter. This human form is far more susceptible to the elements… He sighed.

Low growls sounded in the throats of the most dominant wolves. Then they began to back away from the foot of the tree that had become his refuge. Huh! Why are they doing that? What the hell is going on? They wouldn’t do that unless… His eyes went wide. The throaty growl of a demonic bear sounded in the night. Then its large brown body came into view. It sniffed the foot of the tree. Holy crap! A freakin’ bear! Can they climb?

It raised its head, sighting its human prey among the branches. A low rumble sounded in its chest and throat. Then it lumbered away, out of sight. Again his eyes went wide. Is he leaving already? Maybe I’m not worth bothering about? Too skinny…He was overcome with relief. It was short lived. The bear came into view, running, directly towards his tree. The entire tree shook with the impact as the bears body slammed into the trunk. His body began to fall.

His arms and legs flailed, trying to find something, anything to grab on to. His hand grasped a branch. The weight of his body threatened to pull the arm out of the socket. He grunted in pain. He threw his other arm up and grasped the branch with the other hand. Then he began to haul his body up. Lying along the length of the limb, clinging to it with both his arms and legs, he watched the bear run across the clearing towards the tree again.

His chest heaved. If he did not get his breathing under control soon he would hyperventilate long before he hit the ground. His panicked brain assessed the situation. He was going to die. The bears body slammed against the tree again. He hit the ground with a thud. He groaned, wondering how much longer he had to live. He rubbed the back of his head. Then he picked himself up and faced the enemy. The bear stood less than six feet away. He drew his sword and took up a fighting stance. As futile as the gesture was, if he was going to die, he would die fighting.

“Come on you bastard! Come and get me… Or are you scared? Huh!”

The bear was just standing there, sniffing the air. A frown creased his brow. Why isn’t he attacking? What’s going on? Has he smelled something more appetising? He was almost insulted. After all that trouble… Then, without warning, the bear charged. It was on him in seconds, jaws snapping at his face. Its body was so heavy. Now I know how Gome feels when Sessh is on top…

The blade of the sword was buried in the bears chest and protruding out of his back. Hot blood spurted and fell on his face, throat and chest from the wound. The beast roared in pain. His arm in front of his body was the only thing holding it back from his throat and that arm was weakening… He could feel its claws shredding his clothing and the delicate flesh underneath. The beasts breath was foul. Maybe if I’m lucky the stench coming out of its mouth will kill me first…

The pressure on his body eased. On the other side of the clearing, a tree shattered into toothpicks as the demon bears body impacted with it. It picked itself and swayed unsteadily on his feet for a few moments, looking dazed. Then its red eyes focused on the interloper. It growled. Then it began to run. Inuyasha sat up in time to see the bear charging towards his elder brother. His eyes went wide. Sessh! Why is he here? I didn’t call him… His eyebrows knit together in a scowl as the bear came to a halt, only inches away from the demon lord’s feet. It stared up at him with frightened eyes.

“Go…”

His older brother’s voice was low. There was enough menace held in that single word to make his younger brother’s scalp tingle. The large beast whimpered. Then it turned and slowly lumbered away. Inuyasha stared. He saved me! The demon lord turned on his heel and walked towards him. He knelt beside him. He cupped his younger brother’s face in his hand and turned his head from side to side. When he was satisfied that not all the blood on his face and neck were not his own he let him go.

“Are you injured elsewhere?”, he said.

Inuyasha would have said he was concerned if his face and eyes were not impassive.

“Just some cuts and bruises…”

His brother grunted softly. He pulled his younger brothers haori and shirt out of the waist of his hakama. The bleeding claw marks on his chest seemed superficial. He was also bleeding in places on his arms and legs. He reached out to examine his ribs for broken bones.

“Hey! What do you think you’re…. Aaaahhh!”

The younger male cried out in pain as his older brother’s impersonal hand found his cracked ribs. His fingers continued their probing. He made a soft whimper. He met his eyes.

“They are not broken, merely damaged. You will live. This time…”

He was on his feet in a swift movement. Then he began to walk from the clearing. Inuyasha stared after him. I forgot to thank him… Hey! Is he just going to leave me here, now! His older brother stopped walking and half-turned towards him.

“If you are to accompany me, you must first stand…”

There was a smirk on his lips. He turned and began to walk away again. Inuyasha stared at his retreating back, eyes wide. Then he scowled. Bastard! He wiped his blade on the grass. Then he got to his feet and hurried after his brother, fixing his clothing as he went.


The warmth of the spring brought blessed relief to his aching body. He could see why Kagome derived such pleasure from a soak. He sank a little lower beneath the surface of the water and closed his eyes. He splashed water on his face and rubbed away the drying blood, wincing when his fingers found the scratches. This damned human skin! It was far softer and more fragile than it was in his usual half-demon form.

He had followed a good ten feet behind his older brother as they trekked through the woods. The demon lord did adjust his pace thought his younger brother in his human form was injured. He was tiring, fed up of tripping over roots and rocks in his attempt to keep pace. His pride would not allow him to call out to his older brother and ask him to slow down. He grunted in pain as he pulled yet another large splinter out of the sole of his foot. It was then that he realised that they were passing a hot spring. Not caring if his brother noticed, he changed direction and headed towards the steaming water.

The feel of caking dirt, and blood and sweat drying on his skin disgusted him. One of Kagome’s rules for sharing her bed was regular baths, so he was used to being clean. The second was no eating in bed. She hated the feel of crumbs under her… He would never admit it to out loud but he liked to be clean. It was the way he preferred it now... Standing on the bank, he forced the blunt end of makeshift torch he carried, into the ground. Then he stripped off his clothing and waded in.

The demon lord quickly realised his younger brother was not following. He backtracked and followed the scent trail down to the pool. He arrived in time to see his fully human brother’s clothing pool around his feet. He watched him wade into the pool, long, lustrous, dark hair swinging softly around his naked body like something live. The absence of his tail and dog ears was strangely disturbing.

From the bank he heard a soft thud. He looked towards the direction of the sound. His older brother’s attention was on the ties holding his breastplate and back plate together. The fur boa and his swords were already on the bank. The paudlin was on the ground at his feet. Perhaps that was the source of the sound? He stared at the demon lord realising that he intended to strip off and bathe too. This is too weird! Even in all the years he had travelled with his friends, he and Miroku had never bathed together.

His older brother raised his head and met his eyes, feeling his gaze on him. Inuyasha looked away first. He concentrated his attention on cleaning the wounds on his arms and legs. He looked up as his brother waded into the pool, torchlight playing on the muscular, sculpted mass of his body. He waded towards the deepest part of the pool. When the water reached his waist he began to wash, splashing water on his chest and then rubbing his skin in slow circles with his hand. Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. Whatever he thinks he’s doing, it’s wasted on me!

He closed his eyes and sank down into the water again. He could feel his eyes grow heavy. He realised he must have fallen asleep when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder, shaking him awake. His eyes flashed open to meet his brother’s. He was kneeling between his splayed legs.

“Crap!”, he exclaimed, “Did I fall asleep?”

His older brother nodded. Then he noticed the vulnerable nature of his position.

“Could you move?”, he said, cheeks flushing.

The corners of the demon lord’s mouth twitched.

“Why, do I make you uncomfortable, little brother?”, he said.

He swallowed.

“Sometimes…”, he admitted.

The demon lord laughed softly. He let go of Inuyasha’s shoulder. He raised himself up and climbed over one of the younger male’s legs. Then he settled beside him again, hip and thigh pressing against his leg. The edge of his knee was under his younger brother’s thigh because his parted legs were slightly bent. He stared at him. Yeah! Things have officially gotten weirder… He noticed the healing pink scars across his older brother’s abdomen and arm. One of them was the size of both of his fists side by side. He idly wondered how he had acquired them.

He watched the rise and fall of his younger brother’s naked chest, wondering if the claw marks were giving him much pain. There were similar marks on one of his thighs. Scratches marred the surface of his face, his lower arms and lower legs. His feet were a mess. He seemed smaller in this form but the demon lord quickly realised it was an illusion. His proportions were the same. He sat lower in the water because his tail was temporarily missing. The absence of the soft, white dog ears also shaved a few more inches off his height.

Damp raven locks clung to his shoulders or floated in the water around him. The long dark lashes and eyebrows that framed those smouldering brown eyes did not look so out of place anymore. He tore his gaze away to run his eyes down his body. They came to rest on his groin. His curls were dark. A smile came to the demon lord’s lips, remembering Kagome’s question the first night he had shared their bed.

He still insisted on lying awake every night of the new moon, sword clutched in lap, even in safe surroundings. Usually Kagome persuaded him into their bed or else she went to his bed if he could not be moved, but even after the fully human half-demon had made love to her, he still struggled instead to stay awake… The demon lord shook his head slowly. Baka! Do you still not believe that I would die defending you, from anybody or anything that tried to take advantage of your weakness?

Inuyasha scowled, noticing his brother’s expression.

“What are you grinning at?”, he demanded to know.

The demon lord met his eyes, his own golden eyes still glinting with amusement.

“Nothing…”

His younger brother’s scowl deepened.

“Whatever!”

His older brother’s face sobered.

“Are you in much pain?”, he said.

Inuyasha’s eyes widened at the unexpected question. He’s actually concerned about me? He’s not just sticking about because he knows he’s making me uncomfortable? Wow! His brother was almost unnaturally comfortable naked. Perhaps it’s something to do with the fact that when he’s in dog form, he is actually naked? You can’t fail to notice that he’s anatomically correct when he’s towering over you and you’re looking down the underside his body. He’s not smooth like that toy dog Kagome’s Mama bought Maki. It looks pretty like him when he’s in that form, huge jaws and red eyes aside… He realised he was staring when the demon lord quirked an eyebrow at him. His face flushed.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle…”, he said gruffly.

The timbre of his voice was different in human form. The words sounded softer than he had intended. The corner of his brother’s mouth twitched.

“I am sure…”

He reached out a hand to touch his younger brother’s face. Automatically he jerked his head away but the hand kept coming. He cupped his face in his hand and gently turned it from side-to-side, as he had done in the forest, while he glared at him, powerless to stop him. He was weaker in this form but that was not the point. In his usual form, the full demon was still stronger, but when they sparred he was frequently the one who gained the upper hand. He released him and his hand dropped to his thigh beneath the water again.

“How did you acquire so many injuries?”, he said.

There was genuine curiosity in the demon lord’s eyes and voice. Inuyasha’s face flushed.

“When I was running through the forest from the wolves I got all scratched up...”

His older brother raised an eyebrow.

“There were wolves as well? Tsk, tsk… You might have picked a better night to go for a walk in the woods alone, Inuyasha. It was most fortunate I was there to come to your rescue…”

His younger brother huffed in annoyance. He folded his arms across his chest, winching in pain when he aggravated the claw marks. He folded his arms across his stomach instead.

“It’s not that I’m not grateful Sessh, but do you have to rub it in?!”

The demon lord grinned, showing a flash of fang.

“Oh, yes…”

Inuyasha snorted. His older brother’s gaze was drawn to the marks on his chest and leg again.

“It is not the scratches that worry me…”, he said, “They will heal on their own. It is the claw marks…”

“Why?”

He met his younger brother’s eyes. He raised an eyebrow.

“That was a no ordinary bear, Inuyasha”, he said, “It was a lesser demon. Did you not notice its unusual size, strength and glowing eyes?”

Inuyasha scowled.

“Yeah. So what?”

“His claws contain a toxin, which is probably why you are feeling so lethargic…”

His younger brother’s eyes widened.

“I thought it was just the heat of the spring…”

The demon lord shook his head.

“That is why it is vital you let me cleanse the wounds as soon as possible….”

He stared at him.

“With your tongue?!”

His older brother nodded.

“No way!”

He moved to stand. His older brother grasped his arm. His eyes narrowed. His forehead furrowed angrily.

“Let go!”, he cried.

The demon lord did not comply.

“Sit!”

His voice was an angry growl. It raised the small hairs on the back of his neck. Inuyasha stared at him in shock. He sat back in the water again. When he spoke his older’s brother’s voice was low and controlled, as if he was trying to contain strong emotions.

“As the night goes on you will start to run a fever. You body will become weaker and weaker. You may even die… So you see you have a decision to make Inuyasha… You can let this poison continue to ravage your system in the hope that in the morning your demon half will make short work of it… Or… You can let me lick the poison out of your wounds… What is it to be?”

His older brother eyes bored into his. His throat was dry. He swallowed his own saliva to moisten it.

“I think I will go with the second option…”

His older brother nodded his assent. He released his upper arm. There was an angry purpling mark around it, but what was gross bodily harm between brothers? His eyes went wide as Sesshomaru’s arm snaked around his waist, pulling him towards him. His firm, wet tongue thrust into the first claw mark, stretching it. Inuyasha gasped. He bore down with his tongue, organ moving back and forth as he cleaned the wound, eventually hitting the sweet spot where pain became pleasure. A soft whimper escaped his lips.

He continued in that way, cleaning the other seven claw marks on his chest in a similar fashion. By the time he let him rest against the bank and lifted his leg out of the water he was breathing hard. His cheeks were flushed and the organ between his legs was hard and standing to attention beneath the water. He hoped his older brother had not noticed. He continued his ministrations on the claw marks on his thigh.

The tightness in his groin was incredible. If he did not have release soon he was sure he would explore. It was an effort to hold back the movement of hips. For a second his control slipped and his hips bucked beneath the water, jerking his leg in his older brother’s grasp.

The demon lord raised his head, having just finished cleaning the last claw mark, his eyes falling on his younger brother’s obvious sign of arousal. His lips curved into a smile. It would be so easy to take him, now, in this form when he could not resist… How he longed to take that hardened organ into the heat of his mouth, lick his way along the shaft. Then he would close his lips and…

“Don’t!”
His younger brother’s cry was breathless. There was an edge of panic in his voice. He lifted his eyes to meet his brother’s gaze and was met with his heaving abdomen instead. He realised that he had inadvertently moved closer to the object of his desire. His mouth hovered above Inuyasha’s erection. His thigh was still in his grasp, holding him still. For a moment he lingered. Then he released him and sat back in the warm water.

His chest and abdomen were heaving. The tendons in his neck stood out in stark relief against the skin. His cheeks were flushed, his lips parted, his eyes wide. His heart was racing, the pulse point jumping at his throat. He leaned towards him, cupping his face in his hand. He tried to jerk backwards away from him but he held him fast.

“Sssshhh, little brother… I will not harm you. I am many things but not a rapist. If I were to take you, it would only be with your consent… Forgive me for my momentary loss of control. If you had not cried out…”

He fell silent, looking at his younger brother with earnest eyes. He sighed.

“Say you forgive me…”

Inuyasha stared at him. His lips formed the words.

“I forgive you…”

The corners of his brother’s lips turned up. He leaned his forehead against his.

“Thank you.”

He leaned back, letting his hand drop to his shoulder and trail down his chest before letting it rest against his thudding heartbeat. Inuyasha stared at his older brother. What the hell just happened? One moment he’s about to take me into his mouth and pleasure me against my will, the next he’s begging my forgiveness… And I just gave it to him, just like that! Is there anything I won’t forgive him?

He stared at his older brother’s pretty face. Yes, pretty. Handsome was not a word that came to mind. He was not his eyes nor his nose nor his mouth nor the shape of his face, nor his markings that made it so. It was the sum of its parts. He had those same decorative markings on his wrist, hips and shins. According to Sesshomaru, their father’s markings had been in single lines. He had never met his older half-brother’s mother, so he had to assume the second line and the crescent moon had been her contribution.

Very different words could be used to describe his body. Strong, hard, unyielding... Running his eyes over his wide shoulders, broad chest, narrow waist and hips, groin and muscular limbs that contradictory word came to mind. Beautiful. I admit it. I think he’s beautiful. How can I look upon his pretty face and well-shaped body and not think that? I would have to be blind… But he’s my brother! The love I feel for him… But I could never do that with him no matter how much he wants me to... Yet I respond to his touch... I can’t fathom it!

“You look thoughtful, Inuyasha…”

The deep sound of his brother’s voice brought him out of his reverie. He met his gaze. He looked down at the long, elegant hand on his chest. Thinking it was objectionable to him, the demon lord removed it. Inuyasha leaned towards him. Tentatively he reached out to touch his older brother’s striped cheek. He saw his wide eyes open a little wider.

“Sessh…”, he said softly.

“Yes, little brother?”

“I do think you’re beautiful and as much as I love you, I’m never going to want to do that with you… I know my body responds to you but…”

“You need not say anymore. I understand perfectly, Inuyasha.”

His voice was quiet, his face and eyes unreadable. His younger brother stared at him. He made a small sound of exasperation.

“I’m not saying this to hurt you, Sessh”, he cried, “I just want you to understand! That’s…”

His older brother pressed a long, finger to his lips, forcing him into silence. He stared at him indignantly.

“Ssshhh… You do not need to explain what has already been understood. I am your older brother, Inuyasha. We have been living together for many months now. I know what you are thinking and what you are going to do almost before you do…”

He took his hand away from his younger brother’s face. The expression on his face was tender. He stared at him. Then he did something he could never have imagined he would ever do. In one smooth motion, he moved and threw his arms around his older brother’s waist, pressing his upper body against his. His hip pressed against lower abdomen. His thigh pressed against the side of his leg. The other leg was outstretched, keeping him upright.

For a moment the demon lord went still. His surprise showed on his face. Then he put his arm around his younger brother holding him against him. He pressed his face against the top of his head, feeling the sensuous brush of the smooth, ticklish layers of his hair against his lips.

His body was so warm. His breath was warm against his chest. He really was weaker in this form. The strength in his grip was only a fraction of his usual. He knew this from their sparring sessions. He was overwhelmed with a desire to protect, rather than destroy. He realised with a jolt that this human form no longer disgusted him as it once had.

The rumblings of Inuyasha’s stomach interrupted his musings. The demon lord drew back with a smirk. His younger brother sat back in the water, his face red.

“Have you not eaten today?”, Sesshomaru said.

Inuyasha shook his head.

“No…”

His older brother studied him a moment.

“Very well”, he said, “Stay here and soak or get dressed… It does not matter. I will soon return with provisions for you.”

He stood up in the shallow water and headed toward the bank. Then he stopped and looked around at his younger brother, a slightly pained expression on his face.

“Try not to attract the attention of any predators in my absence… Please.”

Inuyasha’s answer was a snort of indignation. One corner of the demon lord’s mouth lifted. He reached that bank. He quickly donned his inner kimono, hakama, boots, obi belt and sword. Then he disappeared into the trees. Inuyasha stared after him.

“Okay, then!”


He was dressed and had a fire going by the time his brother returned with water and a large buck slung over his shoulders. He tossed a water skin, and a short, sheathed blade to Inuyasha. Then he began to gut and skin the buck for his and his younger brother’s consumption. He liked his meat raw, but he would not eat entrails and skin unless he was ravenous. He tossed some of the more choice bits of meat to Inuyasha. He caught them before they hit the ground.

“Thanks!”

The demon lord’s reply was a soft grunt. Inuyasha drew the knife out of its sheath, grateful for its assistance since he did not have claws to aid him in stripping off the fuzzy outer layer of hide. The knife was a thing of beauty, more like a good quality dagger than a utility knife.

“Where did you get the knife and the water?”, he said.

His older brother raised his head.

“The humans who attacked me for my pretty sword and hair did not need them anymore…”

His brother’s tone was very matter of fact. He was not sure why it bothered him so much. Only the strongest of demons could hold human form. Any human who attacked such a demon wagered his life, and usually lost.

“Did you relieve them of their dinner as well?”

The demon lord raised his head again. There was a hint of a smile on his lips.

“No, but your question amuses me, little brother”, he said, “What is the old adage? Waste not…”

“Want not.”

“That is it...”

He turned back to his meat again. Inuyasha stared. He would never get used to the sight of his elegant, older brother eating raw flesh with his bare hands. Afterwards he would lick the blood away... He did not have the right of complaint. Times when he was ravenous, he too had eaten his prey raw and licked the blood off his hands. Today, however, he was going to cook his meat. He got up and searched the firewood for suitable sticks to make a spit.



By the time the meat was done, he was almost too tired to eat it. As soon as he began to eat, however, he soon realised how ravenous he actually was. He soon gave up trying to cut the meat off in strips and instead took it up in his hands and tore off great chunks with his teeth. Meat fat and juices soon coated his hands and face.

From his position on the other side of the fire pit, the demon lord watched the display with almost macabre fascination, similar to the way one stops and stares at the bloody, mangled victims of a horrific car accident. He wanted to look to look away, yet he could not. Ye gods! What atrocious eating habits he has! How does Kagome sit across from that three times a day and not vomit? She truly is a woman of strong constitution!

The fully human half-demon struggled to remember how long it had actually been since he had last eaten. He concluded that it had actually been at least two days or more. Little wonder his friends looked at him with worried eyes these days. For a second he paused in his ferocious activity. I should have told them I was leaving, even if I did not know where Sessh was leading me. They will worry. Then he scowled. Baka! They know I’ll be all right. I was taking care of myself long before I met them!

His older brother continued his internal monologue. Now he appears to be scowling at his meat. Is the half-breed having a displeasing thought? No! Inuyasha is not thinking. Otherwise the clearing would be filling with noxious purple smoke as it poured out of his ears! The demon lord grinned at his own cleverness. Though he is so adorable when he is so engaged…

The younger male raised his head conscious that he was being stared at from across the fire pit. He met his brother’s golden eyes and scowled.

“What are you looking at dog breath?”, he said.

The corners of the demon lord’s mouth twitched.

“Dog breath? How original!”

Inuyasha scowled.

“Whatever! Just quit staring at me. It’s creepy!”

His older brother’s mouth threatened to curve into a smile.

“I cannot help it if I find everything you do so fascinating!”

His younger brother stared at him a moment. Then he turned back to his meat.

“Weirdo…”, he muttered.

“I heard that!”

He spared him a glance. If he could, Inuyasha would have cracked the bone open and gobbled up the marrow. His human side balked at the notion, even if the dog demon in him was slavering at the jaws. With a strange sense of disappointment he set the bone aside and started on another piece of meat. This time he took the time to cut it into pieces again before chewing on them at a more controlled pace. Soon he was sated.

He got up and searched the clearing for suitable leaves to wrap his bounty in. Then he rinsed his face and hands in the spring. He returned to the fireside and sat opposite his older brother again. His eyes were beginning to close and his body felt heavy. He yawned. He watched as the demon lord took the large white pelt he carried from around his shoulders and spread it on the ground to stave off the cold. Then he lay down.

A crosswind tore came in from across the spring and tore across the clearing, making the flames flicker and Inuyasha shiver. He picked up his water skin and took a large gulp of water. He shivered again. He folded his arms, pushing them into the sleeves of his haori. He glanced over at the demon lord lying on the ground. He had to admit it, if he asked him to join him on that pelt right now, he would risk molestation. It looked too warm and inviting.

Almost as if he was reading his thoughts his older brother drew himself up and patted the space on the pelt next to him.

“Come, lay next to me and keep warm, Inuyasha, instead of shivering over there”, he said, “I promise I will not molest you… At least while you sleep!”

The corners of his mouth turned up. The younger male stared at him. Then he got to his feet. The wide golden eyes of the demon lord became wider. He watched as his younger brother walked around the fire pit and knelt in front of him. He raised his eyebrows.

“So move over”, he said.

He looked at him a moment. Then he moved over to give him room. The younger male lay down on his side next to him, facing him. The demon lord stared into his sensual brown eyes. He reached out to stroke his soft, human cheek. To his further surprise, his younger brother did not flinch or try to pull away.

“I am surprised at this Inuyasha”, he said, “This behaviour is so out of character…”

“That’s because I’m too bloody cold and tired to be bothered about your roving hands! This body is far too vulnerable to the elements and my surroundings. I’d rather curl up with you and stay warm and protected, than sit out there and take my chances with the cold and the beasts that lurk in the forest…”

He watched his younger brother’s throat and upper chest move as he swallowed.

“God! I hate being so freakin’ dependant on you of all people, uh, demons…”

The demon lord smiled. A strange warmth spread across his chest. This is what my human mate calls love… That certainly was backhanded compliment if I have ever heard one, but I shall suffer it.

“I believe that is what they call irony…”, he said.

He rubbed his fingers over his brother’s soft lips. Then he smoothed his soft dark hair. He plucked a twig out of his tangled locks.

“Honestly Inuyasha…”, he said, “You should pay a little more attention to your grooming…”

“Hey! It’s not like it’s my fault! I was being chased by wolves, demonic wolves, not ordinary wolves… Then once you chased the bear off I had to trek through the woods after you. It’s not like I could keep pace with you and stay tidy, me being a puny human and you the all powerful demon lord!”

The demon lord raised an eyebrow. One corner of his mouth twitched.

“I suppose not…”

He continued to pluck various bits of debris from his hair, including a feather. His younger slapped at his hand.

“Stop that! I’ll bother about it myself in the morning.”

He scowled. The demon lord raised his other eyebrow.

“What?! I will!”

His older brother sighed. He let his hand come to rest on his chest above his beating heart. Inuyasha stared up at his older brother.

“You know, don’t you?”, he said.

The demon lord met his eyes.

“What do I know, little brother? Please enlighten me…”

“The morning Kagome left you heard us talking about what happened in the woods. I know how sharp your ears are…”

He raised an elegant eyebrow enquiringly.

“And what exactly happened in the woods, Inuyasha?”

The younger male swallowed.

“Don’t draw it out any longer, Sessh”, he said, “I know you know… We broke your trust. We did not leave home that day intending to have unprotected sex, but we did, and then we stayed silent trying to protect ourselves… It was just a silly role-playing game that got out of control.”

The demon lord pouted. Then he grunted softly.

“And what did you think the consequences of your actions would be?”, he said.

The fully human half-demon swallowed again.

“The worst case scenario… I thought you would kill one or both of us… At the least, I thought you would beat the living crap out of me and then banish me from your household.”

His older brother was silent, considering this. He cupped his younger brother’s face in his hand. He stiffened in his grasp.

“Perhaps once upon a time…”, the demon lord said, “But of late I have gone through many changes… If you had chosen to make a clean breast of it I would have been lenient... Fortunately for both of you, Kagome had already conceived.”

Inuyasha stared at his older brother. His jaw tried to drop but it was impeded by Sesshomaru’s hand. His mouth worked like a fish out of water. He gave up trying to speak when his brother gave him a pointed stare.

“How do I know this?”, Sesshomaru said.

Inuyasha nodded, not an easy task when his face was firmly in the demon lord’s grasp.

“If your nose was as good as mine, you would have known that she was with pup. Her scent had changed and when she cut her hand on a broken dish days before, her blood smelled and tasted different… Also… When Kagome came to my bed that night after being with you in the woods earlier in the day, she had bathed but there were still residual remnants of your seed. I smelled it, tasted it when I put my tongue inside her to lick her damaged walls. It irritated me that she should have allowed you to be so rough with her, but that is beside the point… You should know by now that you can keep very little secret from me.”

The half-demon’s eyes were wide. His cheeks were slightly flushed.

“You mean you knew about it all along and you let us suffer on?!”, he spluttered.

The corners of the demon lord’s mouth twitched.

“Do you not think that the punishment befits the crime?”, he said.

His younger brother stared at him.

“Maybe, but to watch everything fall apart… Even for you, this goes beyond sadistic; this is masochistic! For the sake of your pride, you would risk loosing everything? I don’t pretend to understand you. Perhaps I never will…”

His older brother sighed.

“Let us pray that is still time to fix it. That events will not break beyond repair in our exquisite human wench’s mind, our tenuous existence, once she knows everything…”

Again he sighed. He suddenly looked morose.

“What mess we have all made!”

“Yeah…”

The demon lord’s fingers caressed his younger brother’s face. He sighed again.

“Let us try to sleep, Inuyasha. Morning will be upon us too soon and we shall have to move on…”

He released the younger male’s face. His hand trailed down his chest again to rest above his heart. Then he settled next to him and closed his eyes. Inuyasha stared at him. Then he turned on to his back. Tentatively he reached towards his brother’s hand resting across his chest. Then he placed his hand on top of it.



Kagome had come to love weeklong cosplay conventions though she would never describe herself as Otaku. She had a passing interest in Shojo and Shonen, strangely enough, when she was younger. When she entered high school she did not have the time. She was too busy running back and forth between the feudal era and the modern era. The reason such an event brought her joy was because she could take Makoto and Shippo out to the corner shop and to the park with Kyoko and Rin without attracting too much attention.

Shippo and Makoto loved the slide. Rin was a swing girl. Kyoko was too little to do much else but sit on her mother’s knee and watch or play in the sandpit. Mama did not like the sandpit. She said the words “No, dirty!” when she tried repeatedly to eat the sand, so she had to sit with her and watch the others or play with her doll.

Watching was something Kagome had been doing a lot of lately, watching how normal people lived. Once upon a time she had been one of them. Normal. What exactly was that? She thought she knew for once upon a time... For most people it meant school and boyfriends and college. Not sacred jewels, demonic husbands and adorable, but “special” children. That was what had become normal for her. She sighed.

Deep in contemplation, eyes on Shippo, Makoto and Rin, she did not notice the young woman walking up to her. They had known each other in another life. At least that is how it seemed. High school seemed like something far away…

“Kagome? Is that really you?”

She raised her head to look at the stranger’s face, automatically tightening her hold on Kyoko. The little girl made a sound of protest so she loosened her grip a little. It was in shadow because the midday sun was behind her. She shaded her eyes with her hand. There was something vaguely familiar about the young woman’s pretty, open face but she could not quite place her.

“Kagome, it is you!”, the young woman said, “Don’t you know me?”

She shook her head, cheeks turning red.

“No, I don’t. I’m sorry…”

The other woman’s face flushed.

“Well, I suppose it’s been what, three, four years… In the end you were ill so much you had to finish high school by correspondence… I’m sorry I stopped calling round to see how you were, even if you were never there and your Grandpa didn’t seem to know which hospital you were in... It’s seems so silly now but I was so busy with my own life. I had part-time job, a boyfriend and on top of that I was trying to get into medical school…”

The woman flushed anew, realising she was babbling. Kagome stared.

“Ayumi?!”, she cried, “It is you! How have you been?”

She stood. Still holding Kyoko in her arms she pulled her into a one armed hug. Ayumi’s eyes widened slightly. Then she hugged her back. The child between them squealed in protest at being squeezed. They broke apart.

“Sorry, sweetheart”, Kagome said in apology to the little girl, “Mama didn’t mean to squash you…”

She stroked her hair and kissed her noisily on the cheek, once, twice, three times. Kyoko giggled. She gripped her mother’s casual jersey and jacket. She bestowed a sloppy kiss on her nose. The high school friend smiled, observing the scene.

“I guess that means she forgives you!”, she said.

Kagome returned her smile, wiping at her nose and the child’s face with a handkerchief that seemed to have magically appeared in her hand.

“I guess so!”

Ayumi leaned forward and addressed the little girl, adopting that slow, high-pitched tone of voice some adults use when talking to children.

“What a pretty little girl you are! What’s your name, honey?”

She reached out to touch the little girl’s hair. Overcome with childish shyness Kyoko turned her face to hide it. The other woman’s face flushed and withdrew her hand, which made Kagome blush too.

“Sorry”, she found herself saying, her voice a little stilted, “She’s a little shy around strangers…”

Technically she was not sure if that was true. She was not sure if it was wrong or right but she had tried to limit the amount of exposure the children had to people in general in the modern era. She sat down on the bench, Kyoko clinging to her like a limpet. She sneaked little glances at the lady around her hair.

The lady made her nervous. It was not her appearance and there was nothing threatening about her behaviour. It was the waves of anxiety rolling off her body. Mama was nervous too, but that was okay. She was used to that. She always seemed to be a little on edge whenever they left the safety of the house or the shrine. At night, when she was suposed to be asleep, she could sometimes hear her crying...

Kagome patted the bench next to her and gave her friend a smile. Ayumi smiled back and sat down next too her. For a moment there was an uneasy silence. Then both women tried to talk at once and the message became lost. Kagome’s face flushed. Her friend’s face was red too. Kagome smiled.

“So you’re in medical school?”, she said.

“Yes”, Ayumi said, relief in her voice, “Second year…”

“What’s it’s like? It must be hard work cutting up bodies all day?!”

She grinned. Her friend smiled back.

“That’s only part of what we do… We spend a lot of time in lectures, in the lab, doing research, writing papers...”

She took a breath.

“Then there’s the practical side. We spend two days a…”

She fell silent seeing the patient, open, listening look on Kagome’s face.

“I’m boring you!”

“No!”

“You’d tell me if I was boring you, wouldn’t you?! No you wouldn’t because you’re like most people… You’re too polite to say anything!”

Kagome stared at her, eyebrows slowly lifting a little each time, waiting for her friend to come to end of the rant so she could get a word in edgeways. Ayumi paused for breath. Kagome opened her mouth to speak but she cut her off.

“So…”, Ayumi said, smiling, “You’re pregnant!”

Automatically Kagome glanced down at her belly but she could not see it because Kyoko was blocking her line of sight. The little girl was now staring at Ayumi as if she was engaged in an examination of the inside of her head. She shifted in her seat, conscious of the child’s intense gaze. It’s like she can see right through me… She met her friend’s gaze again and tried to focus on what she was saying.

“Yes…”, Kagome said, smiling automatically.

She made some quick equivalent calculations.

“I’m in my fifth month…”

Ayumi frowned, trying to see around Kyoko.

“Really?!”, she said, “From the way you looked when you were standing up I’d have said you were further along than that…”

She met Kagome’s eyes and her face flushed.

“It’s just that you’re bigger than you should be… I mean… Sorry! I didn’t mean…”

Kagome fought the urge to laugh at her friend’s discomfort. Her lips curved into a slight smile.

“It’s alright, Ayumi”, she said, “Really! This is my third. Mama reckons that’s why I’m putting on the weight so fast…”

“Or maybe you’re having twins?!”

Her friend laughed. Kagome’s eyes went a little wide. Twins! Oh God! That’s probably the last thing I need right now! She chewed her lip.

“Maybe…”

Ayumi’s face sobered. She frowned prettily.

“You mean you don’t know? Haven’t you had your scan?”

Kagome shook her head.

“No, not yet...”

I don’t want to have to explain to the doctor why I’m so far along in only a few weeks. Yes, Doc, those really are puppy ears and a tail in the picture! You’re not seeing things!

Her friend frowned.

“I mean I already know I’m pregnant!”, Kagome finished.

“Yeah, but you should still have a scan, just to see if everything’s alright… Promise me you’ll phone your obstetrician when you get home and set up an appointment, okay?”

Kagome frowned slightly irritated that Ayumi was already slipping into her old role. Until she, Eri and – met Inuyasha in person, they were telling her to break up with him.

“Okay…”

Her friend giggled unexpectedly.

“Sorry!”, she said, “There I go again playing doctor! It used to drive Toru mad…”

She sighed, pressing a small hand to her chest, she looked away. She seemed suddenly sad. This did not go unnoticed by Kagome. She wondered if she should stay silent but instead she pressed the issue.

“Is Toru your boyfriend?”, she said.

Her friend met her eyes.

“Yes, at least he was… We broke up.”

She grimaced slightly.

“Oh, I’m sorry…”, Kagome said, “I didn’t know.”

I knew I shouldn’t have pushed it… Her friend smiled but it did not reach her eyes. They were tinged with sadness.

“That’s alright”, she said, “How could you have known?”

There was a moment of silence.

“How long were you going out?”, Kagome said.

When Ayumi smiled, the expression was a little happier.

“Three years”, she said, “I met him at a Karaoke bar in the last year in high school. He was two years older than me, in his first year of college. So cool and good looking… We hit it off and things just went on from there!”

There was another silence.

“Sorry I kept pushing…”, Kagome said.

“No, it’s okay! It wasn’t a bad break-up. We just drifted apart…”

Ayumi stared ahead of her.

“He didn’t love me anymore…”

She sighed. Kagome reached out and took her friend’s hand. She met her eyes. Kagome offered her a half-smile. She tried to smile back but her lips were quivering, signalling that she was going to cry. Kyoko wriggled in her grasp. Kagome broke eye contact to set her down on the ground.

She expected she would toddle towards the sand pit again but she surprised her and Ayumi by pulling on Ayumi’s casual trousers. She reached her arms towards her to be picked up. She made small noises of protest when all she did was stare back at her. Ayumi looked at Kagome for reassurance. Kagome smiled.

“Looks like she’s gotten over her shyness!”, she said with a smile.

Ayumi reached down and picked her up. She set her on her lap. Kyoko reached a hand towards her face.

“Britty lady!”, she said.

Ayumi’s eyes went a little wide.

“Amazing!”, she said, “How old is she?”

Kagome’s face flushed.

“Ten months… She’s very advanced for her age.”

The truth was Kyoko had a wider vocabulary and a better understanding of the world than Makoto, who was seventeen or more months her senior.

“That’s what I thought…”

She looked back to Kyoko.

“Amazing…”, she said again.

She smiled at the little girl.

“I think you’re very pretty too…”

She looked at Kagome expectantly.

“Kyoko”, she supplied.

Ayumi turned her attention to Kyoko.

“Kyoko”, she repeated, “A pretty name for a pretty little girl… I could just eat you up!”

The little girl stared at her in surprise, seriously wondering for a moment if the sad lady was really going to eat her. Then, when a moment ticked by, then another and she had not been eaten she concluded that the lady was being silly, like Mama was sometimes. She giggled. She accepted Ayumi’s kiss on the cheek. Then she settled against her with a sigh. With a little hand she reached out and touched her abdomen. Ayumi looked at Kagome.

“So!”, she said, looking brighter, “How about you? Are you living with somebody or are you married or what?!”

Kagome’s eyes widened though the question should not have that unexpected. Ayumi frowned, a little confused by her friend’s reaction.

“Did I just ask a trick question?”, she said slowly.

Kagome shook her head.

“No! I’m sorry… I’m married…”

In an unconventional kind of way… Ayumi raised her eyebrows.

“Lucky you!”

She looked about her.

“Where’s the lucky guy?”, she said, “Is he here with you?”

Kagome shook her head.

“No, he stayed at home… We, eh, decided I’d visit Mom on my own this time…”

Realisation dawned in her friend’s eyes.

“You’re getting divorced”, she said, “I’m sorry, Kagome. Really, I am…”

She turned sympathetic eyes on her. Kagome’s eyes threatened to pop out of her sockets and on to her cheeks.

“No! It’s not like that! We’re just taking a break from each other, that’s all…”

Her friend gave her that calming, patient look doctors give insane people who do not think or realise they are insane. Kagome could feel herself growing angry. Hot tears stung her eyes. Before she could vent any of the misplaced emotion, a sharp cry was heard to her right. She recognised the sound. Her head swivelled as Shippo came running towards her in panic.

“Maki!”, he cried, “Okasan, come quick!”

He noticed Ayumi sitting on the bench next to Kagome, holding Kyoko and he went still. His eyes went very wide. He made an audible gulping noise in his throat. Then he turned tail and ran back towards the slide and swings. She looked at Ayumi to gauge her reaction and saw her staring after Shippo, eyes wide.

Kyoko wriggled in her grasp and she let her down, eyes flickering back to the retreating Kitsune. Makoto was still crying. The sound tore at her heart. Scooping her little girl up into her arms she ran, deciding she would deal with Ayumi later. If she was still here when she got back…

She found Rin cradling Makoto in her lap, his head pressed to budding breasts in a fluffy, pink wool jumper. She had taken off his cap and was gently rubbing the corner of one soft, silver puppy ear in an attempt to calm him down. Her jacket was wrapped around him. Shippo sat by her side.

Makoto was still crying loudly, his face red, which Kagome took as a very good sign. If he was wailing so furiously it meant that he was possibly not that badly hurt. He was probably more frightened than anything else. She knelt in front of her and set Kyoko on her feet. The young girl met her foster-mother’s eyes.

“What happened?”, she said.

She took her son in her arms and he began to calm. She cuddled him belly, wishing she could hold him a little closer. At least there was plenty of room for him in her long, legged lap. Rin looked a little apprehensive about answering but she cleared her throat to speak regardless.

“Makoto-sama was playing with Shippo-kun on the slide. I was at the end waiting to catch him on the way down. I only took my eyes off him for a moment and that was when it happened. He fell off the edge on the way down…”

Makoto’s cries were now a soft whimper. Rin’s clasped the material of her jacket with both hands. She bowed low.

“I am very sorry, Kagome-san. Punish me in anyway you see fit.”

Kagome stared at her. Her eyes went a little wide. She reached out and touched her soft, dark hair.

“Rin-chan look at me”, she said softly.

Slowly the young girl raised her head to meet her foster-mother’s eyes. She shivered as a breeze cut across them.

“Put your coat on”, Kagome said simply.

She turned her attention back to Makoto. She stroked his hair. His breathing had slowed to a normal pace. He made only the barest of whimpers. Unfortunately he was sucking his thumb, a habit she was trying to rid him of. Gently, she pulled the offending extremity out of his mouth. He whined in protest so she let it be, just for today.

“Did he hit his head?”, she said.

Rin stared at her. Kagome met her eyes.

“Did he hit his head?”, she said again.

“I do not know. He just kept crying and crying…”

She looked slightly stricken.

“It’s all right Rin-chan. He probably just sat down hard on his tail or something… Put your coat on.”

Rin nodded. Then she complied with Kagome’s gentle order. She began to struggle into her jacket, wishing she had not taken it off. This modern clothing Kagome-san made them wear outside the house was so confounding. She sensed movement behind her foster-mother. She lifted her eyes. Then she went still. There was stranger standing in their midst. Kagome frowned at her, noticing her odd behaviour.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a look…”

Kagome went still at the sound of Ayumi’s voice. Then she slowly lifted her head to meet her eyes.

“May I? I am a doctor in training…”

Kagome nodded. Her friend knelt beside her. Then she held out her hands to take Makoto. He stared up at her with huge golden eyes as she took him out of his mother’s arms. His thumb slipped out of his mouth but he did not cry. With gentle hands she checked his little body for broken bones.

He did not mind so much, even when she touched his tail and ears. There was a kindness emanating from her just like Mama. She had very clean, small, soft hands and she smelled nice, like soap and flowers. Once again her fingers drifted back to touch his ear. She hit a nerve and it twitched involuntarily.

“They’re real aren’t they?”, she said, “They’re too good to be part of a costume. They’re so soft and warm…”

She met Kagome’s eyes. Kagome nodded.

“Yes, they’re real…”

Her voice was soft.

“What is he?”, Ayumi said, “He can’t be human! Not with these…”

She trailed off, sensing that her words had been too blunt, if not a little hysterical when she saw the look in her friend’s eyes. Makoto whimpered. Kagome took him back into her arms. He settled against her swollen abdomen once more. He liked the soft, pulsating sounds her belly made, particularly the louder thumping noises like a heart beat. It comforted him.

“He’s half-human…”, she said, not liking the defensive tone that had crept into her voice.

“And the other half?”

“Dog demon.”

Ayumi stared at her.

“Am I getting this right?”, she said, “You’re telling me that his father is a dog demon?”

When she spoke, she was surprised by how calm her voice sounded. She was particularly proud that her voice had not risen in pitch.

“Yes, quite a powerful one. A Taiyoukai…”

Her friend stared at her. Then she looked at the child in her lap.

“I’d accuse you of lying if I could not see the evidence for myself, if I had not held him on my lap and touched his ears and tail for myself… How?”

“It’s a long, long story…”

“Eh, Kagome, that’s not quite what I meant…”

Her face flushed. Kagome looked at her friend and guessed correctly what was on her mind. She raised her eyebrows slightly.

“Then what was it you meant?”, she said, playing along.

Ayumi shook her head.

“No, it’s too personal...”

“What is it, Ayumi?”

Her friend was silent. Her face flushed a deeper red. She looked at Rin.

“I don’t really want to ask in front of the girl and the… Sorry, I don’t know you’re name…”

“Rin”, Rin supplied.

“Rin”, Ayumi repeated.

Kagome raised her eyebrows fully. If she could she would have folded her arms beneath her breasts.

“You want to know if I’m having sex with a dog?”, she said.

Ayumi made a strangled noise in her throat. Her eyes went wide. She looked back to Kagome.

“Uh, yes…”

“Technically… Yes, but…”

Ayumi swallowed audibly. Her eyes went a little wider.

“But?”, she said.

“He had a human form. I’ve only seen his dog form a few times… When he takes his clothes off he almost looks like a human man…”

“Almost?”

“Yes… He’s too beautiful to be human, too perfect…”

Kagome stared down at the top of Makoto’s head. She sighed. Her breath disturbed one of his ears and it twitched. He raised his head to look at her and she smiled at him, though her eyes did not smile. They were tinged with sadness, shiny with unshed tears. She swallowed the lump in her throat. God, I miss him…

Ayumi stared. God! She loves him! Kagome loves a demon and she had his child! How did this happen? Then she sobered, really seeing and understanding the pain on her friend’s face. She really does love him, doesn’t she? And she’d do anything to be with him again… She was suddenly uncomfortable, wanting to look anywhere but at her.

She was torn. The idea that her friend was copulating with a demon was disturbing but the fact that she loved him was heart-rending. She looked Rin. She was looking at Kagome, her expression tender. Who is this girl? Why is she with Kagome? In the midst of it all she had not noticed Kyoko climbing on to Rin’s lap.

She was looking at her through half-lidded eyes. She appeared to be falling asleep. Is the dog demon her father too? It’s just that she looks human… Perhaps they have different fathers? Then who is the father of the baby she’s carrying at the moment? Is it the dog demon or somebody else? Her forehead furrowed into a frown. I’m utterly confused... And I thought my love life was complicated!

She sighed. Her eyes fell on Shippo, half-hidden behind Rin. His large eyes were on her. She took in his pointed fox ears, tiny hands and feet and what looked like a bushy foxtail. Her lips curved into a smile. He’s really quite cute and harmless looking…Whatever he is!

“You’re real too, aren’t?”, she said, “As real the little boy… I couldn’t have dreamed you up. You’re too cute!”

Shippo flushed. He came out of hiding.

“I’m Shippo”, he said brightly, “I’m a Kitsune fox cub…”

“A fox demon?”

“Yes.”

Ayumi looked at Kagome again. Rin raised her eyebrows at Shippo. She smiled. He flushed a deeper shade of red.

“Shut up!”, he cried.

Ayumi spared him a glance before focusing on Kagome again. She opened her mouth to speak. She jumped as her mobile phone began to ring. She gave a soft cry of surprise and clutched at her chest.

“You’d better answer that…”, Kagome said, “It might be important.”

There was a slight smile on her lips. Her eyes danced with good humour. Ayumi frowned, slightly confused by the change in her expression. She dug her phone out of her hip pocket, drawing in her breath to make the extraction a little easier. She read the display with wide eyes. Toru calling… For a moment, she hesitated. Then she pressed the send button.

“Hello!”

Her voice was a little strangled in her throat. She tried again.

“Hello…”

Her voice was a little more composed this time.

“Hello Ayumi, darling…”

He drew her into conversation. She barely noticed her companions readying themselves to leave. Kagome touched her shoulder, Kyoko clutched to her chest. She made the universal sign for “call me”. Ayumi nodded. Her friend walked away with her unusual party. She watched her go, reflecting on the scene. They look like they’ve just come from a kid’s birthday party…

“Darling, are you listening to me?”, the disembodied voice of her lover said on the other end of the line.

“Yes, I’m here…”

Kagome turned around when she reached the park gates and waved goodbye. Ayumi did not acknowledge her. Her attention was elsewhere. For a moment Kagome watched her smiling face. She sighed. Then she walked on.


There were many times when Sesshomaru had contemplated death over the centuries, usually the deaths of others. Lying in a pool of his own blood, he contemplated his own. What a battle it had been… Who knew that almost dying, falling into unconsciousness and waking up hours later could bring such exhilaration!

For the first time since he was a whelp he had push his own intestines back into his body after battle and tie the flesh to hold his battered, broken body together so his vital organs would not fall out. There was also a sizeable hole in his chest. Such folly! Except for the assistance of a youkai healer, Izanami, daughter of one of his father’s friends, he surely would have died. What a surprise she had gotten when he turned up at her doorstep and collapsed without saying a word.

The demon Ryukotsusei apparently had a son, who had been travelling abroad looking for away to unseal the great Taiyoukai, when Inuyasha had taken his life. That day he had come seeking Sesshomaru’s death for his father’s. The dragon demon had cared little that he had the wrong sibling. He wanted his revenge. Hakuryuu, that had been his name. Not very inventive, considering his father had been a big, white dragon too…

Lying bandaged and naked between blankets on the floor of the healer’s hut, he succumbed fever, infection and finally coma. His bones and flesh would not knit together. Izanami could find no physical reason why he did not recover. If only he would awaken and tell her what a lousy healer she was…

With a sigh she concluded there was nothing more she could do, that it had to be an emotional or spiritual failing. His life was in his own hands or the hands of whatever god he believed in. If he did not believe that he was a god himself... What gods do other gods pray to? Then her eyes went wide. The great Sesshomaru has a heart and soul?!

He welcomed death if it would relieve the pain in his demonic heart and body. In his dreams, those he loved and lost in his time came to him, including his beloved father. He saw the faces of the children and Inuyasha. Kagome came to him last of all, slipping into bed with him like an insolent child... He found his will to live again. He soared onwards and upwards out of the abyss towards the light. When she thought him lost, inexplicably he awoke and began to recover. The healer, who never prayed, thanked the gods.

She had refused payment to spare his honour, saying that she already owed him a debt of honour by allowing her to remain in his territory, now that both their father’s were dead. He had nothing of value on him aside from his sword and his boots. She glad to see that he was well again. Nonetheless she was still surprised when days after he had left to seek out his half-brother, furs and jewels of great value were delivered to her doorstep by a very disagreeable toad demon.

Sesshomaru awoke with the birds. How surprised and overjoyed he had been to find his younger brother’s hand on top of his, and the boy sleeping next to him! He sat up and looked down at him curled up in his pelt next to him, head almost touching his hip. He let his hand rest gently on the fur next to his body.

He watched his dark tresses turn to light and his fuzzy, white dog ears re-materialise, literally as the rays of the rising sun touched him. His fingers seemed to elongate as the claws returned. He was tempted to touch a hand to the space above his buttocks to see if his tail had grown back. The corners of his lips turned up at the thought. No, such a move could be misconstrued…

A sharp cry was head to the right. His head jerked towards the sound, hand reaching blindly for the sword by his leg. A large white bird, resembling a heron stood only inches away. He did not have time to wonder how it had gotten so close without him sensing it, when it held a leg towards him. There was a small, folded piece of paper tied to it with a red, silk ribbon. It blinked a double set of eyelids at him.

“Kagome…”

Hurriedly, he untied the ribbon to read the note. It contained a single word.

“Come.”




For anybody who's interested... I will update Interlude once I am finished this fanfict. I have part of the big scene done and I know how the rest of it goes... It's just the run up...