Somber Sweetness

Sesshomaru smiled, picking up the hanyou’s scent finally.



He followed it and found Inuyasha sitting with the monk and the kitsune near a fire. He dropped out of the tree he stood in and approached the clearing they were in on foot.



Inuyasha stood, drawing Tetsusaiga as he neared. “What do you want, Sesshomaru?” He growled.



Sesshomaru stepped into the clearing, a smile on his face. “Why, you, of course, Inuyasha.” He said calmly.



Inuyasha tensed. “Well, you’ve got me. Are you here to fight, or just looking for a brotherly chat?” He asked sarcastically.



Sesshomaru shook his head. “Actually, I was hoping to return home soon, but I refuse to leave alone. I wanted you to come back and live with me, where you belong, in our family’s home.” He told the hanyou.



Inuyasha snorted. “Oh, yeah? And were you planning on killing me before or after we got there?” He spat.



Sesshomaru sighed. “I have treated you callously in the past, haven’t I? My intentions are... Well, not pure, but neither are they untrustworthy. I simply wish for a companion besides Rin and Jaken. They grow tiresome. Will you join me?” He asked hopefully.



Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. “I don’t trust you enough to go alone, but if I can bring the others, I might consider it.” He muttered.



Sesshomaru inwardly seethed at the thought of sharing his home with others not of his choosing. ‘And humans? How... Base. But if it will bring Inuyasha home...’ “Very well.” He said, wishing Inuyasha were able to trust him more, but knowing that this was his own fault. ‘At least he’ll be home.’



Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at Sesshomaru, but didn’t say anything.



Sesshomaru sighed. “I assume the females are bathing?”



Miroku, who had been silent so far, nodded. “Yes.” Was all he said in reply.



Sesshomaru sat, enduring the strained silence. There were so many things he wanted to tell his brother, but couldn’t do so with an audience.

 

*****

 

“…So, I think I should go home. I mean, I don’t really BELONG here. And, besides, I have a whole life waiting for me back at home. I have tons of friends who miss me, I have Mom, Gramps, and Sota. I want to finish school, get married, have children, and get a job. I want to have the life I’ve been planning since I’ve been old enough to plan.” Kagome said.

 

Sango nodded in understanding. “If you feel that strongly about it, then there’s really no question. You HAVE to go.”

 

Kagome sighed. “Yes, but I’m worried about Inuyasha. Do you think he’ll be okay without me here?”

 

“It might hurt him at first, but he’s strong. He’ll get over it. But if you stay here, you’ll probably be wondering ‘what if’  for the rest of your life. In the long run, it would only hurt both of you even more.” The Taijiya  finished wisely.

 

“Yeah, you’re right.” Kagome said, wringing  out her hair. “That settles it, then. I’m going to tell him when we get back.”

 

Sango patted her shoulder. “I wish you luck. If this is truly how you feel, then this is the best choice for everyone.”

 

Kagome nodded. “I guess we should get dressed and head back, then.” She said, heading for shore, where  their clothes were. “Do you think you could bring up the subject for me? I’d just start a fight, I know it.”

 

Sango smiled at her friend, the bittersweet sentiments contained in the smile shining through clearly. “Of course.” She agreed.

*****

 

Inuyasha stared at Sesshomaru, trying to figure out what was going on in his head.



‘So, he just shows up out of nowhere and asks me to come home with him? And he thinks I’m stupid? Of course I’m not just going to go alone!’ Inuyasha huffed. ‘I’m not suicidal.’



He looked at his brother more closely. ‘There’s something he wants to say to me. Why won’t he just SAY it? Miroku won’t dare talk back to him. He values his lungs too much to want to see them up close and personal before he dies.’ He shrugged mentally. ‘Whatever. His loss.’



Kagome and Sango came back from bathing, and stopped at the edge of the clearing, seeing Inuyasha and Sesshomaru silently staring at each other across the fire. Kagome cleared her throat. “Um, Inuyasha? Why is Sesshomaru here?” She asked.



Inuyasha huffed. “He wants me to move back home. I told him I don’t trust him enough to go alone. He’s inviting all of us.”



Sango blinked in surprise. She glanced at Kagome, then back at Inuyasha. She began speaking quietly. “Maybe Kagome should go home first. She doesn’t need to be here anymore, since we found all the jewel shards, and she doesn’t really belong here.”



Kagome nodded. “Yeah. I need to get home. I’ve been gone too much, and as much as I’ve enjoyed being here, it’s not the same. I don’t belong in this time, and I never will. I need to leave.”



Inuyasha sighed, nodding. “Okay. We’ll take you to the well first. I’ll miss you.”



Kagome rushed over to Inuyasha, throwing her arms around him, crying. “I’ll miss you, too. Oh, I hate good-byes!”



Inuyasha tensed. “Don’t cry! What did I do?!” He asked, alarmed.



Sesshomaru sighed. “You did nothing. Sometimes females weep for no reason. It happens in all species, and there is no explanation for it.” He said, sounding bored.



Kagome sniffled, then pulled out of Inuyasha’s embrace. “I promise, I’ll never forget you. And I’ll even name my first daughter Izayoi for you.”



Inuyasha stared at her. “You don’t have to.” He whispered.



Kagome smiled. “I know. But I want to.”



Inuyasha smiled. “Thank you, Kagome.”



Miroku cleared his throat. Sesshomaru was looking rather... Murderous. “Shouldn’t we get to sleep?” He suggested. “Then we can head for the bone-eater’s well tomorrow morning.”



‘Perhaps the reason he came here is because...’ Miroku blinked in shock. ‘Oh, my! Inuyasha must be his mate!’ He wondered if there was some way he could get out of going with the two demons when they headed west.





*****





Miroku crept out of bed as soon as he noticed that, wonder of wonders, Sesshomaru had actually convinced Inuyasha to trust him enough to sleep. Or perhaps his poison had convinced Inuyasha.



Miroku followed the demonic aura to the hot spring Kagome and Sango had made use of earlier, stepping out of the trees to see that Sesshomaru was standing in waist-deep water, wringing out his hair, not facing him.

 

His bare back was on display, from the knees up. Miroku couldn’t help but notice (and admire) that, for a man, he had a wonderfully curvaceous backside.



“Do you wish to die, ningen?” Sesshomaru asked conversationally, smelling monk and lust. ‘Disgusting creature.’ He thought to himself. ‘How dare he even dream that I would sully myself by touching one such as him?’



Miroku gathered his courage. “Sesshomaru, I was wondering if I could have a word with you.”



Sesshomaru turned his head to look at him over his shoulder, assessing him silently. After a long moment, he nodded, and turned to head for his clothes, which were hanging on a branch.



Miroku blushed and averted his eyes.



“Speak, monk.” Sesshomaru said impatiently. “I do not have time to waste on you.”



Miroku cleared his throat. “I wanted to know... I mean, it came to my attention... Is Inuyasha your mate?” He blurted out finally, paling as Sesshomaru stared at him, expressionless.



After a moment, Sesshomaru inclined his head. “He is.”



Miroku blinked. “In that case, is there any way I can get out of going to your home with you two?”



“Are you worried that the rumors of youkai sexual drives are true?” Sesshomaru purred, smirking. “For your information, they are, but while you are there, I shall strive to keep our encounters behind closed doors. Not for your sensibilities, you understand. For the Taijiya.” He explained.



Miroku nodded. “So I can’t stay behind?” He tried once more.



Sesshomaru shrugged. “If you try to and Inuyasha decides that he can’t accompany me because of you, I will pull your heart out and let you watch it as it takes its last beat.” He said calmly, brushing his clothes off and walking back to the clearing, leaving a trembling Miroku behind.



“Okay. I’m going to be keeping company with a demon that wants to kill me for the slightest transgression. How fun.” Miroku said, breathlessly.





Miroku sat, watching Sesshomaru as the first rays of sun appeared on the horizon. Inuyasha was still sleeping soundly, much to his amazement. “Sesshomaru, how did you get Inuyasha to sleep?” He asked finally.



Sesshomaru smiled fondly at the hanyou, stroking an ear while he had the chance. “As his mate, I have the ability to lull him to sleep with a thought. It’s my job to ensure that he is well cared for, and part of that is forcing him to get his rest, if necessary. He will soon sleep willingly around me, when he realizes that he has nothing to fear from me.”



Miroku frowned. “About that, if he is your mate, why did you attack him so often?”



Sesshomaru smirked at Miroku. “Part of the youkai mating process involves the dominant partner determining whether the submissive partner is strong enough to survive at their side. I may have injured him several times, but he survived and grew stronger from it.”



Miroku wondered if that was the best way to test Inuyasha, but wisely kept his mouth shut. He liked his tongue where it was, and didn’t want to know what it looked like after being pulled out of his mouth.



Sesshomaru stood as Inuyasha murmured, stirring. “Hanyou.” He called gently. “It is morning.”



Inuyasha yawned and opened his eyes. “Wow. I slept and you didn’t kill me.” He said sarcastically.



Sesshomaru sighed. “I do not wish to end your life, Inuyasha. It would be a waste, and I am not wasteful.”



Inuyasha snorted. “Yeah. Sure. We’ll see.” He said.



Miroku noticed the minute tightening of Sesshomaru’s mouth that was the only indication that Inuyasha’s reaction had hurt him.



Sesshomaru cursed himself again for the pain he had caused Inuyasha in the past, and the distrust to which his actions had given birth. The worst thing out of it all was that Inuyasha really had no reason to trust him, if he was to be honest with himself. He had never told the hanyou that his fights were a series of tests for him. And that if he had died, Sesshomaru would have gladly followed him into death. Sesshomaru himself hadn’t even been able to feel the call to mate at that time.



“Hanyou, do you wish to wake the Taijiya and Miko?” He asked.



Inuyasha shook his head. “Nah. I need a bath, anyways. Let them sleep a bit more.” He replied, heading off to bathe. Sesshomaru glanced at the monk. “You will watch them?” He asked, knowing that their deaths would hurt Inuyasha immensely.



Miroku hid a grin. “Of course. Go, keep an eye on him.” He made shoo-ing motions with his hands.



Sesshomaru frowned at him, but silently headed after his mate.

 

 

 

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