Affliction

Pallid tints of fushcia, teal, and orange shaded the evening sky with the iradescent glow of starlight. A breeze -cool and settling- lifted through the bonzai trees and the tropical flowers; a swell of heat infected the coolness of the night-time climate caused everything to succumb beneath it's wrath. Bathed in moonlight, Sesshomaru's creamy skin glistened, a fire danced within his being as thoughts loomed on Inuyasha. A shadow clung neatly behind his form as he lingered among the masses, a sigh aroused as the bunching of a nostril in disgust emerged. Clad in garb unbecoming of those among the suare, Sesshomaru at first thought he had mistakenly come upon a convention of backwood mongrels. He was adorned in attire unlike theirs, but only the youkai's opinion was to be counted for. He looked appealing and there was none that would dispute such either.

|| "If I wasn't me, I'd fuck myself." ||

A delicious thought submerged while entering into the fairgrounds, a sinful look painted in Sesshomaru's serious eyes, amber gold becoming a maple hue. Bodies jived among the grounds, all being lost in the thumpa-thumpa produced by intoxicating rhythms of techno music. A moshing pit had emerged in a circle of the concert-goers, Sesshomaru snarled in protest from each bump and nudge he unfortunately had gotten. It was some obscure ritual that he didn't comprehend nor did he care to for that matter. He had been certain he had seen those rancid wenches among the group jumping and shouting - he wouldn't put it past Kagome and Sango to do something so ridiculous. Music from an unknown performing group swept the grounds, being not to the liking of the youkai. He detested anything that was sloppily conceived and labelled music from no-talent performers. He had come for a purpose, a specific reason. To see first-hand the mess Inuyasha had crawled himself into.

Harboring backstage, with a pass he was delivered by Kagome much to his demise, Sesshomaru decided to shake the hourglass so to speak and take control of the situation. Twirling oak sticks between his fingers, Miroku had begun to approach the youkai, in return earned him a stern growl and a flickering of annoyment in amber eyes. Sesshomaru had no desire to encounter the monk-now-turned-drummer nor that foul beast Kouga who had managed to fall for his own trickery of being able to play a guitar. It was oh so comedical for the demon; even after decades they managed to never out grow their boyish stages. Talking to either subhuman, as he referred to them sparatically, would deduct his suave points off the popularity scale. Sesshomaru had an image and reputation to protect and nurse after-all.

"Sesshie?"

The ardent cadence molded within the elvenesque ears of the youkai, the lyrical movements halting any action. A sensual gesture of a body brushing to that of Sesshomaru's, Inuyasha whisked a hand gingerly to the nook of his sibling's back to guide himself around until they were face to face. Quavering from the hanyou's touch with sadness pooling in once passionate eyes, a ball of saliva choked in the rear of Sesshomaru's throat. After all these years, his adored was now before him and not hidden behind some cement wall. His love had stood the test of time though it seemed that candle had burned out long before this time. Amber orbs narrowed with passionate rage as the youkai revealed in the sight before him. He couldn't understand what had become of his precious Inuyasha; he was nothing as before. Frail, peaked, and decorated as one of those freaks. It infuriated him.

"Inuyasha, what has happened to you?"

Silence. Painful silence sheared through the space between. Inuyasha's eyes fell to the boots he wore being unable to match his brother's stare. It was hard, too hard, for him to answer such a question. How could he possibly ferret Sesshomaru into believing his reasoning knowing all to well that quilt of lies he weaved. Saltwater bubbled at the corners of golden orbs, the hanyou's lower lip trembling as his forced himself to not crumble. Inuyasha knew how his sibling detested the performance of such emotion, especially those of such a sad natured. Sesshomaru considered it dishonorable, distasteful, disgusting. Ensnaring his arms around the waist of his demon brother, he nuzzled his nose into the cloth before him as the tears tumbled down his pale cheeks. For years he had whored himself around with whomever, inhaled and shot up anything on a platter that was served to him, and the one person who had been willing to care for m and lead him down the path of well-being had walked out on him due to his own childish endeavours.

"Sesshie...don't...leave me."

"Inuyasha, you left me. You had made your choice. You were not ready for such a commitment. I understand that now. I understand you couldn't love me. I was standing in your way, brother."

Grinding down his rear teeth, Sesshomaru refused to indulge in his emotions of the past. Accepting Inuyasha underneath these terms were something he could not do. He wanted to right every wrong with one word, one embrace. That would never materialize. Would never be. Gingerly removing the hanyou's arms from around his body, a soft nose caressed in rugged palms replaced with a sincere kiss. Sesshomaru was dying inside watching his adored fall so far, watching his blood withering away because of a path he paved for himself. Before he could incorporate Inuyasha's life he needed to learn to care and love himself. For if he could never learn that, then he surely could never truly love him. It was breaking his heart,

"I do love you, Sesshie. I...I'm sorry. Don't leave me all by myself!"

"No, Inuyasha. I wish I could be your saving grace, but I can not.

"If you leave me now, don't ever come back! I...I would hate you."

"That proves to me that there is no compassion when you try and convince me into believing a fabrication of love you have for me. Never lie to me again, Inuyasha."

Rendering the hanyou speechless, Sesshomaru harbored within the space between he and Inuyasha, backing his sibling into the speaker cabinet behind him. Engaging in a mildly forceful, passionate kiss, the youkai drew Inuyasha in his arms with a set of fingers swirling within the snowy fluff. It was brief, but seemed like an eternity to the half-breed - a desire he had been longing for. Removing himself from the confrontation, Sesshomaru nipped at a furred ear with his teeth playfully griping at an earring. A hand scooped to the rear of the hanyou, placing a soft tap just as the demon pivoted away from the younger entity, nonchalantly giving a farewell bid with his hand.

"Se...Ses...Sesshie?"

No answer.

"Sesshie? Stop."

As Inuyasha pleaded in raspy vocals, the youkai still did not respond.

"Sesshomaru!!! Don't leave me!!!"

Sesshomaru disappeared amid the masses only to remove himself from the fairgrounds, leaving Inuyasha with caked tears kneeling upon the stage. Though it wasn't the proudest of moments, justice to some extent had been served. Time was now the warrior among the war of love and hate. Inuyasha had received what he was deserved, but it left the elder feeling just as empty and incomplete prior to the confrontation. Sesshomaru had Inuyasha by the mane.

|| "You will love me just as you had once feared me, my dear Inuyasha." ||