Marks of Maturity

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews again ^_^ I was at the beach for about 4 days, so I took the chance to bring my laptop and revise previous chapters and write this one. Since I wrote the lemon in the living room, surrounded by half my extended family, please excuse any oddities/nonsense in it. I was trying to keep my screen away from family, which was rather distracting... I'll go over it later to smooth it out.


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PART III
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It had been a week since Inuyasha had disappeared into the wilderness, and Miroku was beginning to worry. The hanyou did have a tendency to leave from time to time- supposedly that was part of his dog-like nature; but usually he returned within a few days. The priest rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Inuyasha was strong whenever it wasn't the new moon, and that had only just passed two days before his departure. So he should be fine, but he had a strange, nagging feeling that something just wasn't right. Apparently he needed another demon's help, but who could the inu possibly go to for help? Almost every demon hated the silver-haired hanyou. The only exceptions to this were Shippou, Myoga, and Totosai's strange beast of burden- although he wasn't too sure about that one's feelings, because it was incredibly stupid and couldn't speak.

Oh.

Of course.

Inuyasha must have gone to see Totosai. That was the only option.
Should he follow him? He owed it to their friendship, but respected Inuyasha's tendency to keep personal issues private.
Well, if his friend didn't want to share his problems, he didn't have to, but the priest still wanted to be around so Inuyasha could rely on his friend's quiet inner strength. It was true that the hanyou hated talking about his problems, or even admitting that something was wrong, but he was still a lonely, touch-starved puppy at heart and usually needed a friendly being nearby. Just knowing he was no longer alone seemed to be enough.

"Sango!" he called, "Don't you think we should go visit Inuyasha and Totosai? I'm sure that's where Inuyasha has gone."
Sango jogged over, excited to finally have a plan. She wasn't a fan of idleness. "It's a good idea, but maybe it would be better if we waited for Kagome to return- give them a chance to reconcile, talk things over... every couple has arguments like this."
Miroku sighed. Kagome and Sango thought they were so perceptive, thought their women's intuition was so sharp. The two females were so assured that Inuyasha and Kagome had a thing for each other- well. It was true that Kagome had a major obsession with Inuyasha, but...
"Ummm... well, Sango," he began, trying to figure out how to be diplomatic about the subject. Inuyasha had never asked him to keep this certain discovery a secret, and he didn't think the hanyou would mind that Sango knew (they were all friends, of course) but he just felt guilty.
"You know something, don't you?" Sango accused, narrowing her eyes. "Tell me why you're blushing. You don't want to be near Kagome anymore?"
"I-I- No, that's not it! That's not it at all!" Just, I can't believe you didn't pick up on this. Alright, well... Inuyasha doesn't have... umm... special affection for Kagome."
"Yes, he does! You can see it in his eyes! They're in love!" insisted the slayer.
"No... he doesn't love her. Trust me." Seeing the look of disbelief in her eyes, the expression that told him that she thought he was an oblivious man, he breathed deeply before continuing. "Sango, Inuyasha definitely doesn't feel anything special for her, because... he's gay. He doesn't... um...
Sango cut him off. "No way! There's no way he likes guys that way! How would you know?"
Averting his eyes, Miroku flushed, feeling the situation's awkwardness. "I, uh, well, um, walked in on him and Shibata Hei in the woods once. And they, um... they were, you know..."
"You can't be serious! Shibata, that travelling dancer? Well... I guess I could see that, but... What about Kikyo?"
"They weren't in love either. Maybe Kikyo had romantic feelings towards him, but Inuyasha... I think he just thought of her as a very good, close friend. Think about it. Inuyasha's been despised and shunned for most of his life, and Kikyo was probably the first person other than his mother and father to care about him. He barely even remembers his dad anyway, so that makes Kikyo pretty much the second person to accept him in his entire life. Can't you imagine the gratitude he must have felt?"
Sango had never thought about it like that. "I guess you've got a point," she conceded. "So, basically we should leave Kagome behind?"
"Yes. She could stay in the village and help Kaede... do some work. She hates spending a lot of time doing even mild physical labor, so it's a fairly fitting punishment for treating Inuyasha the way she did."

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"Ahhh, Sesshomaru..." Inuyasha gasped and writhed under his brother's caresses. The slender fingers massaged Inuyasha's belly and twirled in idle patterns. The pair had exhausted themselves by the pool several times before staggering to the Western Lord's chambers, dripping water down the ornate hallways. Inuyasha felt bad for leaving such a mess for the servants, but couldn't bring himself to leave the warm bed to help mop up the water. He glanced down at his sleeping lover. He brushed the heavy bangs out of Sesshomaru's face, smiling when his brother slowly opened his eyes and held his gaze.
"Heh, I never thought the great western lord had to do such a mundane thing as sleep."
"I don't sleep. Sleeping implies a lack of awareness. I occasionally rest briefly, which the uneducated may mistake as sleeping," the youkai pronounced haughtily.
A knock on the door interrupted their flirtatious bickering.
"Lord Sesshomaru! Milord, there is a visitor who demands to speak with you!"
"Jakken, take them to the main room's third antechamber and tell them I will be with them as soon as I have time," Sesshomaru replied, stretching his entire body and wrapping himself around the hanyou. "Who is it, anyway? If they aren't important, have Sunsuke deal with them."
"Ehhh... milord, it is the Wolf Prince Kouga."
"Very well. I will be with him shortly." The inuyoukai swung himself off the bed and began dressing in his normal attire.
"Ah, so I take it the wolf prince is above being dealt with by your second-in-command, but not worth dressing up for?"
The older youkai gave him the ghost of a smirk. "This Sesshomaru is intimidating no matter what he wears. But you, Inuyasha... you will be dressing up."
"WHAT?!" the hanyou yelped, "I don't even have anything remotely fancy! I only have my fire-rat robe. But... yeah, you are still intimidating no matter what..." He strolled over and stroked the lord's hips and groin through the clothing.
"Stop that. You'll make me later than necessary," he grunted, swatting the adventurous hands away. "I had clothes tailored for you. They should be in your room- no, don't bother putting all your clothes on, just take this robe. Don't be late; I will wait for you in the main hall."
Inuyasha absorbed this and vowed not to make his brother wait too long. Even when in a good mood, the Inuyoukai Lord was not known for his patience. He sped out of the room to find these 'fancy clothes.'

Sesshomaru didn't have to wait long. Before long, Inuyasha was by his side in the great hall.
"You look beautiful," he said, taking in Inuyasha's ornate crimson and silver clothing, identical to his own but with inverse colors.
"Thank you. You look great too, as usual," Inuyasha replied shyly. He wasn't used to compliments, or complimenting others.
Sesshomaru acknowledged the praise with a nod before calling, "Jakken, please bring our guest here."
The toad scurried across the hall, and appeared out of a room with Kouga.
"Lord Sesshomaru. I am honored that you deigned to accept my plea for a meeting." He took in the way the half-brothers stood shoulder to shoulder, like equals. If this was the case, it would not a good idea to ignore the hanyou."...L-Lord Inuyasha. I am- surprised to see you here, but it is... a pleasant surprise." He bowed to Inuyasha as well.
"What issue brings you here, why do you insist on my attention?" Sesshomaru questioned, his face impassive and voice lofty.
"To review the peace treaty we have been negotiating, lord, but if you have other things to attend to..." He trailed off, looking at the hanyou by the lord's side. He must have stared too long.
"What are you staring at, Wo- Wolf Prince?" Inuyasha asked defensively. He crossed his arms and glared belligerently at the wolf. Sesshomaru unobtrusively nudged him, and he uncrossed his arms and attempted to look more diplomatic. He was trying; he'd even refrained from calling the guy 'Wolfy.'
"I- I just didn't know you were gonna be here, mu- Lord. And it's kinda weird to see you wearing something that isn't that red robe." At the narrowing of Sesshomaru's eyes, he hastily added, "Don't get me wrong. It looks good on you. Nice effect, with the matching patterns and all."
"Thanks, Kouga. Umm, Sess? Am I really needed here? I don't see why I gotta be here... I'm not a lord or anything, and I don't have experience in politics."
"Inuyasha. You sell yourself short. You too are a son of the greatest Youkai to ever live- a son of the mighty Inu no Taishou. You are also a Lord of the Western Lands. As such, you will present yourself accordingly and receive the utmost respect," he paused for a second. "While it would be beneficial for you to observe diplomatic negotiations, you are excused. But next time, I will expect you to remain by my side."


Inuyasha paced the palace corridors. With Sesshomaru occupied with politics, he had nothing to do in the large, lonely building. For the first time in a week he missed his friends and regretted leaving them. Now that he knew what was happening to him, and that his soul was safe, he began to consider returning to them.

Returning to Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Kagome... he could live with never seeing Kagome again, but the others' absence was beginning to gnaw a hole in his chest. He wanted to go back to them so bad; although, if he left Sess now, the pain would be even greater. He had just gained his brother's acceptance and affection, and the feeling of being adored and desired was addictive. Maybe he could bring everyone together?
No, that would never happen. Miroku probably wouldn't mind, as he was such an easy-going man, and Shippou was happy no matter where he was, but Sango would constantly feel uncomfortable being surrounded by demons. There was another problem. He looked into a polished, shining plate on the wall and studied his reflection. His fangs had extended and his claws looked lethal. The markings on his face had darkened to a purple hue. He doubted that they would get any darker. His eyes remained white, clear, and thoughtful- proof that he was still sane- but would it matter? Would Sango still enjoy his presence, or would her instincts as a demon slayer scream for his blood?

Did they miss him as much as he missed them? He turned and sprinted back to the room where Sesshomaru was dealing with the Wolf Prince.

"Kouga!" he called. He was just in time, as the wolf youkai was walking away to leave.
"Yes? How can I help you... Lord?" the Wolf Prince asked. This whole 'respecting Inuyasha' thing was going to take some getting used to.
"I- hey man, don't be so formal. Listen. Are you going to be around Sango and Miroku and them sometime soon?"
"Yeah, I was gonna go see if Kagome was back. Um, why?"
"Could you give them a message from me? Maybe just tell them that I'm fine, that I'm here with Sesshomaru... ah... yeah. Tell them they should come here so I can tell them everything." Inuyasha was sure that his friends wouldn't think to check the Western Lord's palace when looking for him.
"Sure, of course, I don't mind at all. In return, I want to talk to you about... about Kagome."
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and he sighed. "I don't have anything to do with her. She's alienated herself so much from me; I never even want to talk to her."
"No, no, that's not what I meant. Here, can we sit somewhere?"
The hanyou nodded, suddenly realizing that they were standing in the middle of a hallway. "Uh, I think there's a sitting room over there. Come on."

When the two were seated, Kouga took a deep breath and threw all pretenses of formality to the wind. "Okay, well, I know you two had something going on, and I was always in the way, but now that you're apart... Remember how she was saying you hit her?" He quickly silenced the hanyou's claims of innocence. "Just hear me out. I know you wouldn't ever hit her, no matter what. I believe you. Well, after you left she totally threw herself at me. In the past, I wouldn't have minded, but I can't trust her. Something's not right. Please just tell me what she's after."
Inuyasha blinked. "Something going on? Between us? I don't know what you're talking about. I've never wanted, or had, a special relationship with her. I just didn't know you, so I didn't want a stranger trying to take one of my friends away. Not that I can call her a friend anymore," he added glumly.
"I have a hard time believing that."
"You'd better start believing it. I'm not into... I'm.... She's not my type. Trust me. So... well, Kagome always was a diva. She's shallow and wants the world to revolve around her, and throws a fit when it doesn't. I guess she was hurt that I didn't listen to her talking about whatever stupid topic, and flipped out. Now she's probably trying to get revenge on me in her own sick, twisted way."
"Hmm... I guess this makes sense. So... I think we should end our petty fighting. It all started over her, and neither of us want anything to do with her any more. Friends?" Kouga held out a hand. The hanyou grasped it firmly and they shared a smile.
"It's wonderful to watch you two get along, but I have plans for this silver-haired puppy. Farewell, Prince Kouga. Inuyasha, get over here." Sesshomaru appeared in the doorway and in one fluid movement, picked up the hanyou and sped out the door.

"Mm. Politics are so... stressful. I'm sure you got bored, but I have the perfect way to unwind. Come on, my silver little prince, my gorgeous. I hope you aren't sore from last night, because this Sesshomaru's bed is calling," he whispered with a sultry tone.
Inuyasha giggled and wrapped his arms around his lover's neck. "Ohh, mine. I'm gonna make you so happy, I'm going to kiss every inch of skin on your body and send you over the edge," he gasped. They reached Sesshomaru's private chambers and Inuyasha nipped at the lord's chest through the fabric of his clothing. He was thrown down onto the edge and his lover pulled a bowl out and swirled one slender finger in it.
"Taste," he ordered, and Inuyasha complied; wrapping his mouth around the proffered digit and sucking.
"Sweet.... mmm," he moaned.
"I remember last night you told me you liked sweet things. Does this satisfy your craving?"
"It satisfies one of my cravings, Sess," Inuyasha said. He pushed the youkai off the bed, forcing him to kneel on the thick rug. "My other craving... is you," he said, rubbing the sweet gooey treat over Sesshomaru's neck, chest, abs, and finally wiping the rest off on Sesshomaru's erection. He sat back and licked his hands clean, looking Sesshomaru in the eyes. "This is where the fun begins," he rasped. He leaned forward and held the slender body in an embrace and began stroking the elegant throat with his tongue. The gel-covered Sesshomaru froze as the long, textured tongue played over his throat and jugular.
He was unused to being so vulnerable, yet he was strangely comfortable with the fact that Inuyasha's deadly fangs were so close to his neck. He moaned when Inuyasha's tongue slipped down over his collarbone and played with each nipple, savoring the pale flesh.

"Inuyasha, when you get down to my lap... you have figured out how to retract your fangs, right? I noticed how sharp they've become, and while I trust you not to intentionally... aaahhhh..." he choked out, distracted by the way his half-sibling's mouth was suckling his lean belly and teasingly close to his shaft.
"Mmmmhmm, don't worry, I have my teeth under control." Inuyasha stood, pulling his lustful mate up as well. "Stand still." He knelt, taking his brother into his throat and sucking at the sweet taste of the candy syrup and precum. After a terribly short time, Inuyasha released the heavy cock and spread the youkai's legs. He maneuvered until he was behind the tall lord and held the pale ass in his hands. "You ever had this done to you?" he asked, and whisked his tongue around the puckered hole. He teased his tongue into the entrance and let his tongue pleasure the moaning, sweating demon while subtly stretching the ring of muscle. He pulled back and covered one finger in saliva. "You know what it feels like? There's a little spot," he began, and worked one finger in. He knew he'd found the prostate by Sesshomaru's gasp of pleasure, "that gives you such amazing pleasure... and last night, every time you hit this, oh Sess, it was heaven." He added another finger. "And when you filled me with that huge, amazing dick, there's no feeling I've ever had that could compare." He worked on loosening the youkai while fingering the spot inside of the gorgeous boy.
He continued to play and talk until Sesshomaru quivered, about to climax. Instead of pleasing the shivering lord, Inuyasha stood and scanned the room. He was barely surprised when Sesshomaru spun around, eyes full of primitive arousal, and got on the floor to begin running his tongue over Inuyasha's own hard length.
"Stop that," Inuyasha chided, and moved away. He grabbed a bottle of salve on table- he'd been looking around the room to find a suitable source of lubrication- and quickly stepped around to kneel behind the stunned Sesshomaru. "You knew I liked sweet things, Sesshy, but I didn't tell you how much I LOVE surprises. He slipped a hand down to make sure that Sesshomaru was appropriately loose and added some lube. Holding the larger youkai still, he slathered lube onto his own cock. He didn't want it to hurt. He pushed Sesshomaru's hips back and moved forward, slowly entering the tight passage.
"Relax, love, please..." he whispered into the pointed ear. He waited for a few beats to make sure the boy beneath him was accustomed to his invasion and began to slowly thrust in and out. He brushed the prostate and angled to touch it with every thrust. Seeing Sesshomaru's skin flush and shine with sweat, he sped up and eventually lost all vestiges of rhythm and pounded the elegant prince with abandon. Sesshomaru growled quietly, always the silent one, as his orgasm racked his body. His muscles tightened around Inuyasha's stiffness, causing the hanyou to come as well. Inuyasha threw his head back and howled, standing and carrying his love back into the bed where they collapsed, chests heaving.

When they had gathered their wits enough to speak, Sesshomaru pulled his young lover to his chest and held him tight.
"I am glad you let me experience that. Do you prefer being on top?"
Inuyasha thought for a moment. "You know, I always preferred being on top with my former boyfriend, but I really think I like it better when you take me. I like to feel stretched around you; I like being filled with your seed."
"Good. While that was pleasurable, I love to feel surrounded by your warmth." He nuzzled the long hair and furry ears. Sighing, he buried his hands in Inuyasha's tangled hair. "I want to brush your hair tonight. It's very attractive, but I don't think you've had time to properly care for it in the woods. I have some wonderful hair conditioners that will help greatly. And I'll find you a good comb... made of the finest materials; only the finest for you."
"You're flaming, Sess, but if it makes you happy, alright." He nestled into the warm body contentedly, making a noise of disappointment when the youkai pulled away.
"I would love to cuddle, Inuyasha, but I still have matters I must attend to. If you dress yourself, you can come with me. You should learn to deal with these things as well."
"What? You mean... You think I'll be staying here?" Inuyasha asked. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to stay or not.
"Of course. Don't you want to live with me? You are my soul mate, can't you feel it?"
Inuyasha paused, searching his mind for an answer. There was a resounding answer from the wild part of his mind he had always fought so hard to suppress. "My Youkai blood screams that you are meant for me. But my weaker, human side is... afraid."
"Afraid?" Sesshomaru murmured, tweaking the triangular ears. "What is there to be afraid of? I will protect you always. I know that fate pulled us together; we are made for each other. I love you."
"Surely there's someone more suitable for you, though... you've always hated half-breeds, you wouldn't accept a hanyou..."
The Western Lord pressed a finger to Inuyasha's mouth, cutting off his words. "More suitable? Of course. There are demons from every land who would beg to be my mate. Demons that would ache to get into this family and have the wealth, power, influence.... But you don't, and that is one of the reasons I love your company. And no matter what well-bred, educated youkai with status and money threw itself at me, as many have done, I do not love them. I love you, you are mine." He paused before starting the next part of his soliloquy, and took in his lover's form. "I will be honest. I was disappointed that Father had you, a hanyou pup. I hated that he would stoop so low. However..." his claws traced the jagged purple stripes on Inuyasha's face, "you are a hanyou no longer. Your demon blood has taken over, yet you manage to keep your soul and sanity. You are an Inuyoukai, a son of Inu no Taishou. You are my equal, and my soul mate. No more questions, I have taken more time than I intended and still have things to do." He left the stunned, smaller youkai in the sheets.