Bloodborne Duties
An ancient curse was placed upon the Inuyoukai family: if the youngest born heir does not produce an heir-apparent before his 205th birthday, the Dogs will surrender to the Panthers. Inuyasha is the youngest heir and it is his duty to avoid the curse.
Inuyasha wasn't so nice this time around in letting his mate win their race. He beat her, by a long stretch, and then made the effort to actually point and laugh at Kagome, repeating that she had to tell his older brother that he looked like a girl. He was laughing so much that he didn't notice Kagome run up to him and push him into the spring. Despite the shock, he still managed to continue laughing at her expense.
Kagome crossed her arms and had half the mind to subdue him while he was in the water. But alas, she didn't want her husband to drown, so she did not. "You are so mean, you know that?" Kagome muttered. Inuyasha regained composure and stood up in the hot spring, the water reaching up to his mid-thigh. He was drenched and, in a rather sinfully sweet mannar, he climbed out of the water and shook the water off of him.
Like a wet dog.
"Like hell I'm telling Sesshomaru he looks like a girl," he unpinned his sword from his back and threw it to the side gently. "Besides, he's less likely to kill you if you tell him that. I'm pretty sure he'll rip my left arm off. As payback, of course."
"I don't think he'd kill the saviours of his race," Kagome rolled her eyes, "be it you or me. But still, you're a jerk."
Inuyasha could only grin stupidly and Kagome's eyes narrowed. "Fine. I guess last night was the beginning
and the end. I wanna take a bath, relax and then be on our merry little way." In an evidently seductive manner, she swayed her hips over to the hot spring and proceeded to undress herself in a languid fashion.
Inuyasha felt the familiar fire.
"Wench…" He called out, but received no response. He saw her plump behind come into view before she stepped into the comfort of the naturally warmed spring. "Hey, Kagome!"
She still ignored him. Well, if he couldn't beat her, might as well join her.
In the hot spring.
Stripping himself of all of his clothing, he splashed into the water and sat down beside his wife. "Inuya—" Before she could finish scolding him, he pressed his lips tightly against hers. He was adamant; he wanted to finish what they had begun last night.
.xx.
"Marriage has become you," Kagome smiled as the two were on their way late into the afternoon. Being the provider and the manly man, Inuyasha kept Kagome's backpack away from her and firmly on
his back. Something about not wanting to strain her? Kagome attempted to fight him, but failed when he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
That lasted all but ten minutes before he put her down because she was thrashing about too much.
"
Keh," he shrugged, "what's there not to become. You be. I come."
Kagome rolled her eyes as he snickered to himself. His quirkiness and wit was getting better and his battle of the brains between Kagome was getting lengthier and less '
SIT BOY'. "We headed to Sesshomaru's now?"
"Might as well," Inuyasha shrugged. "Daiki called us, we go."
"Think he'll ask us about expecting a pup?"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "It's Sesshomaru, wench, he won't even ask us
how we are…"
Kagome stifled her laughter and silently agreed with Inuyasha. What was she thinking? The chances of Sesshomaru asking on how their baby-making was going would be slim to absolutely none. They were in tandem, Kagome's arms crossed in front of her and Inuyasha holding onto one strap of the backpack, as his other lay loosely beside him. Their quiet was comforting, a sense of serenity.
This was what they called their life now.
.xx.
"Little brother," Sesshomaru bowed his head, "priestess," he acknowledged Kagome. "How are you both today?"
Inuyasha's jaw dropped.
Sesshomaru didn't… he… asked…
"Are you sick?!" he blurted out and Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.
"No, why would you have the impression that I was ill?"
"You asked us how we are," Inuyasha stated as if it were a vulgar swear word. Sesshomaru simple rolled his eyes and shook his head at Inuyasha's stupidity.
"I did," he spoke as if he were addressing a child, "it's called common courtesy, Inuyasha."
Kagome shook her head as she listened to the two brother's banter. She couldn't look Sesshomaru in the eye, however, knowing that she had to tell him that he looked like a girl. She was hoping Inuyasha forgot, otherwise it would prove to be a rather painful experience.
Painful in the loosest definition.
But still… it
would be funny…
"Well it ain't common for you to be courteous." Inuyasha shot back.
"I am," Sesshomaru drawled, "just not with the likes of you. I apologize for trying."
Kagome had enough. "Alright, both of you be quiet. Inuyasha, you thank Sesshomaru for being nice and Sesshomaru," her eyes whirled to her brother-in-law, "stop berating Inuyasha. Honestly, for a man that has the time and energy to dress himself up like the way you do, you'd think he'd be slightly more mature."
Now it was time for the Daiyoukai Brothers to gawk at the priestess. Inuyasha didn't know if he should
laugh or laugh—his mate, indirectly, called his brother a girl. He knew he loved for a reason and he believed that
this was the reason that his love existed.
His wife had serious balls.
Kind of a turn on…
The urge to finish what he started in the
hot spring was strong, but he had to curb his desire. His brother could probably smell his arousal, which would not be the greatest thing in the world.
Sesshomaru's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water and he finally decided on not responding to what his sister-in-law had said. He didn't know whether she complimented him or insulted him but, as the years of maturity and sensibility told him, he should not pester her further for fear of her placing a form of subjugation on him. Instead, Sesshomaru cleared his throat and told Kagome that Rin was in the study and that he wanted Inuyasha to accompany him for a run through the lands.
Apparently, they had to talk.
Inuyasha nodded and said he'd meet Sesshomaru by the castle stables; he wanted to drop his mate off to the study first. Agreeing, Sesshomaru took his leave and, when Inuyasha was sure he was out of earshot, kissed Kagome square on the lips.
"You are the reason I exist," he snickered, "you
actually said that to him?"
Kagome dusted off her shoulder. "Well, I
have been influenced by the ever-so-awesome Inuyasha for the past three years."
"Damn right you have been."
Inuyasha walked with Kagome to the study and greeted Rin ("Hey, wenchlette.") before going off to find his brother. Whatever Sesshomaru wanted to talk to him about, he knew it
had to be important—the last time his brother
had to speak to him; Inuyasha learned his race was doomed to extinction unless he married and had a child.
Note to self, he thought sarcastically,
don't have any serious talks with Sesshomaru in the future. Chaos is bound to happen.
.xx.
Inuyasha followed Sesshomaru through a run across the lands. The pathway was always the same; Sesshomaru never detoured, Inuyasha never tried. It was just his duty as the Leader of the West to ensure that peace and serenity ruled through his kingdom. Inuyasha simply watched the back of his brother's head as they both jumped over an illuminating dead log.
Enchanted, Sesshomaru once told him.
Fungi that has healing properties, particularly those inherently moth
. Inuyasha kept that in mind; he never knew when a rabid moth would attack them. Heck, the Menomaru incident of their lives was rather sudden and uncalled for.
He didn't know whether he should push his brother into speaking. Sesshomaru would eventually blurt out what he wanted to say—besides, he probably wanted to ask if Kagome was pregnant or something along those
uncomfortable lines that would probably make Inuyasha double over in laughter.
"The northeastern part of our lands has been destroyed," Sesshomaru finally said and Inuyasha's eyes widened, screeching to a halt.
"What?!"
Sesshomaru stopped and turned to face his younger brother, his voice void of any emotion.
But then again, when does
his face have any damn emotion? Inuyasha asked himself in self-hilarity.
"There's no sign of foul play, no external injuries; an entire section of our territory has
died unexplainably."
Inuyasha studied Sesshomaru before crossing his arms in defiance, shoving his hands into his sleeves. "You want Kagome and me to go?"
"Yes."
So much tact, big-brother. Inuyasha thought, mockingly. "How do you expect us to have pups if you're sending us on demon hunting missions?"
Sesshomaru snorted. "You two
reek of each other. It's rather obvious you two have mated recently. Besides," Sesshomaru turned away from Inuyasha. "You two are searching for jewel shards, consider this another destination."
Inuyasha's eye twitched as he watched his brother's back walking away from him. The almighty Sesshomaru, ruler of the West was sending his younger brother and
mate to do his dirty work. Yep, sounded like something Sesshomaru would do. But, Sesshomaru was right—it sounded like the dirty work of a jewel shard. Kagome would be the prime woman for the job, given her magical abilities.
"Fine," Inuyasha snorted. "On one condition."
"You require a condition to get the jewel shards?"
Inuyasha picked up a pebble and threw it at Sesshomaru. "Will you
let me finish?!" His brother had a murderous look on his face. "
Keh, Kagome wants fire rat robes, like mine. I don't know where the witch is so…"
"I will have a pair made for her upon your arrival," Sesshomaru cut Inuyasha off. "Tell me the colour and it will be done."
Inuyasha gawked for a moment before grinning, widely. "I kinda like it when you act all brotherly. Makes up for lost time while we grew up."
"I still don't like you."
"Still doesn't change the fact that I'm saving our race from panther extinction," Inuyasha smirked before sprinting off towards the castle. He didn't want to be present when Sesshomaru comprehended what he said; he'd rather die at the hands of a crazy jewel shard infested demon than his elder (and much older) brother.
.xx.
Kagome was brushing Rin's hair when Inuyasha lounged in and flopped onto the floor. Rin grinned widely at him and Inuyasha sent her a wink in acknowledgement. Kagome smiled in affection but continued her ministrations upon Rin's hair.
"We have a lead," Inuyasha piped up and Kagome looked over at him. Her engagement and wedding bands were glistening in the light and Inuyasha loved how it looked on her. From the corner of his eye, he looked at his own wedding band and felt a surge of love for his wife.
"Where?"
"Northeast in the Western Lands," Inuyasha told Kagome exactly what Sesshomaru told him. Kagome kept her face expressionless but Inuyasha heard the blood beginning to pound in her veins. The situation made her edgy and he couldn't blame her; after the incident with Naraku (which took three years), any sign of trouble put them
both on edge.
"Sounds like the legend of the Dream Demon." Rin murmured and both pair of eyes snapped over to her. Rin smiled up at Kagome and twisted out of her hold, to look at her properly. "When I was a little younger and my parents were still alive, they told me about the Dream Demon—a human, who didn't know that it was them, would transform into a spectre that only existed in dreams at night. It has the ability to clear out villages in a matter of two nights."
Inuyasha scoffed. "It's just a legend, wenchlette," he said.
"So was Kaguya Hime." Kagome reminded him. Inuyasha shot her a dirty glare and turned his attention back to the youngster.
"A whole section of our land has been wiped out, as in no civilization exists anymore. You're suggesting it's a Dream Demon?"
Rin shrugged. "I don't know, Inu-onii-chan. Just a suggestion; gosh, you're worse than Lord Sesshomaru."
Kagome stifled her giggle when she saw Inuyasha's eyes grow wide.
"If there is a Dream Demon, I'm sending it after you." He muttered, affectionately though. Rin rolled her eyes and stood up, placing her hands on her hips.
"You do that, and I'll send Lord Sesshomaru after you." After blowing a raspberry at Inuyasha, Rin ran off and Kagome burst into hysterical laughter. Eyes narrow, Inuyasha watched her, growing angrier by the minute.
"You two make a nice pair," she wiped a tear from her eye, recovering from her lapse of sanity.
"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha muttered, "we leave at sunrise, wench." Standing up, he approached her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving the room, saying something about finding some
goddamned food in this place. Kagome touched where he kissed, her forehead still tingling from when his lips came in contact with her skin.
He never ceases to have me fall deeper in love with him.
.xx.
