Dogs

Kagome received a phone call the next morning from the bathroom at Sesshoumaru’s castle.

“Kagome……..please don’t hang up. I don’t have a lot of time.”

Inuyasha whimpered.

“Why should I listen to you? I should S. I. T. you back into the Feudal Era for what you did.”

Kagome roared through the phone.

“No shit, but I need your help. Sesshoumaru is acting weird like something is wrong with him.”

Inuyasha stated in concern.

“What is new? He was always acting weird trying to kill everyone or threatening to do so. What is new about that? I swear you are with your brother more than I am and I know him better then you do. He is an asshole who is miserable because Rin and his pack are dead than you lied to him. Inuyasha you are the one to blame for this one so tell me something I don’t know.”

Kagome screamed over the phone making Inuyasha wince.

“I know that, but what does that have to do with Kagura?”

Inuyasha then got silence.

“What did you just say?”

Kagome stated softly.

“What does Sesshoumaru being a miserable old murdering asshole jerk have to do with Kagura? “

Inuyasha stated not sure what to do.

“Who mentioned her?”

Kagome asked not sure what to think. It might mean Sesshoumaru actually did have a heart and more of one then she thought. He was good with Rin, but after Rin was gone he turned back into the self righteous asshole he always was.

“Sesshoumaru did. He said he doesn’t want to go back in time because he can’t have what he wants. I don’t get what that has to do with Kagura.”

Kagome started laughing.

“Inuyasha my naive husband, you don’t understand your brother at all. I will help after you apologize and make amends. I might even be able to help him, but if you didn’t know it then you are really blind. Sesshoumaru was in love with Kagura and she with him. Are you really that dense about women still? Even Sango and Miroku knew that much.”

Inuyasha shook his head. No way was his cold asshole brother in love with anyone. That guy could freeze ice.

“I think you are wrong. I mean this is Sesshoumaru we are talking about right? He doesn’t love anyone except himself.”

Kagome rolled her eyes and tried hard not to fall off her chair laughing. Inuyasha really was dim witted sometimes.

“Just know it is so and if you don’t believe me ask Miroku. Here talk to him.”
Miroku picked up the phone after Inuyasha heard a squeak and a slap from his wife Sango. She never could stop slapping the pervert.

“Hey Inuyasha, how is it with the tyrant?”

Inuyasha moaned. Miroku was not who he wanted to talk to and he didn’t have that much time.

“Miroku I want your advice, not a lecture.”

Sesshoumaru pounded on the bathroom door.

“Inuyasha you have five minutes to get out of there before I break down the door. You have been in the bathroom all morning.”

Miroku started laughing.

“He hasn’t changed one bit. Ok spill it.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

“I told you I don’t have time. Kagome said Kagura and Sesshoumaru were in love. That is ridiculous because my brother couldn't love anyone except a mirror. Ok, I got to go. Talk to you later…….”

Miroku desperate to get Inuyasha to talk tried to say something, but he was hung up on.
Sesshoumaru watched Inuyasha come out with his hair still in shambles. That would not do at all today.

“Little brother you were in there for half an hour. There is no excuse for this mess you have made of yourself. Must I do everything?”

Sesshoumaru raked his long fingernails through his hair.

“I told you that you were gay. Combing my hair like I am your child as if I cannot do it.”

Sesshoumaru sighed and continued as he felt Inuyasha relax.

“You act like a child so I shall treat you as one. Until you grow up I will continue to do so. I am not a homosexual. I am bored of you saying this and it is not amusing.”

Inuyasha smiled enjoying his hair being combed by those claws. It had been a long time and then he turned bright red trying to pull away. He was a man not a kid.

“Enough, shit you are getting to touchy feely with me.”

Sesshoumaru let Inuyasha go with an ‘Hn’ sound and then pushed him out of the bathroom going in to get ready himself.

“I do not know why I put up with him. Father what would you do?”

Inuyasha could smell the food coming from the kitchens and raced down there since he knew Kagome would not have anything cooked for him. This was one of the good things about seeing his brother. Inuyasha despised cooking for himself and here at the castle he never had to.
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Sesshoumaru looked in the mirror not liking what he saw. He was still young and he wound not ever get any older. Nothing would change and it was always so. Why could nothing change other then the deaths of those he cared for? Inuyasha would also die before him. Being born half human he would not ever live the full life of a diayouki. It was now time to enjoy the few years they would have together since a thousand years to a diayouki’s life was a mere blink. Inuyasha was still very young, but it would not last. Just like with Rin, Kagome, and other humans. Their lives were much too short for him to consider a mate in these times.

The demon females he knew were so young and he did not want to raise his mate. He wanted a mature person who could understand him. Kagura had been one who did and was much like him. She had stolen his heart with her wind song. He had not revealed it truly until she died. It was tragic and now he was alone without anyone except the brat in the other room that mattered to him. Inuyasha would not ever hear him say he loved him as a brother. It was not for a diayouki to say such things. Emotions were weakness when they were seen.

Inuyasha needed to buy flowers and clean off the grave of his beloved daughter. Rin needed sunflowers and daisies that were her favorites. She was always putting the weeds and flowers she found in his hair. It was a small frivolity he allowed. Rin was his light and she had dimmed too soon in her young life.

A small tear fell from his eye as this always affected him. Had he not gotten involved with a human he would not feel such things. It was unbecoming and it bothered Sesshoumaru very much even though he would not trade those years with Rin for anything.
Inuyasha’s years as a child with him had been turbulent and trialed. It was hard to explain to a young hanyou that he was not one to show affection like his beautiful Mother. His Mother was what drove them apart even to this day. She in Sesshoumaru’s mind stole their Father’s heart from his Mother. She was the one who was to blame for Inuyasha’s weakness. He would be powerful as a demon, but instead he would live the short dangerous unforgiving life of a hanyou.

Washing his face, Sesshoumaru brushed his fangs and headed out to the kitchen where he saw a horrific sight. Inuyasha was wolfing down his breakfast without slowing down. It was like he was starving to death and there was more than enough food to feed a kingdom set out for them. The servants and others would finish off the meal. They as Lords had the table to themselves for now.

“Little brother, swallowing your food is also another option you should consider since obviously chewing it is impossible for you. There is more of it on your attire then in your mouth.”

Sesshoumaru sat down gracefully and drank the wine that was set out for him. Inuyasha looked up and then noticed Sesshoumaru. Wiping off his chin he smirked.

“Sorry, Kagome threatened to not ever cook for me again so I was hungry. I figure I better fill up now.”

Inuyasha watched Sesshoumaru cut his food with his claws then devour the meat in small red chunks chewing it enjoying the raw flavor.

“This is just a snack for me. I plan on feasting on more fresh meat later. I suggest you do the same Inuyasha and stop your mastication of this meal.”

Sesshoumaru stated dryly as he drank more of his wine.

“You are just pissed off because I got here first.”

Inuyasha stated childishly as he smirked.

“No Inuyasha, actually I am quite glad I waited.”

Sesshoumaru stated as he could no longer look at the mess his brother made of himself.

“You will bathe before we go to Rin’s grave. I will not have a slob at her tomb.”

Inuyasha dropped his food down.

“What the hell is your problem? I have always done this and you are being a jerk.”
Sesshoumaru smiled softly.

“Yes I know. I thought perhaps your human woman had better luck with you than I did. Apparently even a woman cannot teach you to act like a human with some civilized manner about you. Then again you are only a half human so I should see that as your excuse for bad manners. Perhaps you need a bib.”

Inuyasha started laughing. Sesshoumaru was indeed annoyed with him which was much better than him threatening him with death as usual. This was fun.

“No thanks, your tail will suffice for a napkin though when I am done.”

Sesshoumaru’s eyes went wide.

“You would not.”

Inuyasha smiled widely.

“Your right, I wouldn’t just like you would not kill me. Now let me enjoy this and don’t watch if you don’t like what you see.”

Sesshoumaru got up from the table.

“I shall leave you to your trough. I am finished.”

Inuyasha huffed. Sesshoumaru was such a snob.

“Lord Sesshoumaru I guess my company is no longer required then?”

Sesshoumaru stopped at that barb.

“Why use manners now little brother when you have not had the courtesy to use them before? Your lack of respect is refreshing considering I would not ask you to ever consider anyone else’s feelings other than your own. It would be unlike you.”

Inuyasha stood up and wiped his hands with his napkin pissed off.

“If I didn’t give a shit about you Sesshoumaru I wouldn’t be here.”

Sesshoumaru grasped Inuyasha and dragged him by his ear to the bathroom.

“You do not care for anyone else or you would not have insulted me all these years! You never show me one ounce of respect and when you did you did it only for your benefit to humiliate me! I have put up with your nonsense for years and I have tolerated you. Do not push me again I will hurt you.”

Inuyasha was flung into the bathroom with Sesshoumaru leaving the door open.

“Go ahead attack me Sesshoumaru! At least then I know you have some feelings in there!”
Sesshoumaru turned away closing the door.

“No I do not have feelings Inuyasha. You mistake me for someone else.”

Inuyasha was completely confused and pissed off. What the fuck did he have to do to make Sesshoumaru see that he did give a shit? Taking everything off grumbling at himself the whole time he took a long shower in the large bathroom. It was an elegant room.

Sesshoumaru always had good taste and everything was precise. It had to be perfect and Inuyasha wanted to take everything messing it up just to slight Sesshoumaru. Chaos was not always a bad thing.

“Sesshoumaru you really need to get a life or someone is going to think you are gay. Especially since everything here looks better then Kagome’s Mom’s house.”
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After a long bath in the hot springs, with the waterfall Inuyasha called his shower, in what Sesshoumaru made into a bath house for them both, and changing into one of the suits that now fit Inuyasha stepped out of the bathroom. He refused to wear the clip on tie and threw it on the sink.

“You will wear that little brother or you will wear my claws. Which one will it be?”

Inuyasha looked at Sesshoumaru who had suddenly appeared in front of him. Sesshoumaru was dressed in a black suit with a silk red shirt and black tie. He had an elegant cane at his side with a demon dog etched in silver with ruby eyes. If Inuyasha wanted to tease him he could call him a vampire, but that was indeed an insult to Sesshoumaru who apparently had met the undead in the past calling them a waste of human flesh. They were below him as was most things in life.

“Fine, but don’t expect me to wear it for the whole day.”

Sesshoumaru assisted Inuyasha with his collar as the hanyou whined. Sesshoumaru touched the beads finding them offensive.

“You still have not had your woman remove these. I see you enjoy being a pet.”

Inuyasha grumbled.

“Kagome is the only one who can.”

Sesshoumaru lifted an eyebrow.

“Really?”

With a flick of his wrist the beads fell to the floor. Inuyasha rushed to gather them up only to have Sesshoumaru crush one under his boot.

“Leave them. You insult yourself enough without adding her collar to your problems. She is not your Master. I am since I am the one who is your brother who raised you and the sooner you figure it out the better. The servants will clean up this mess. You are a Lord and you had better start acting like one. We are leaving now.”

Inuyasha swallowed. Kagome was going to kill him for this. It was something that had become special because she had put them on him and it had helped him sometimes when he was in the wrong. Still it did feel good to have them off.

“You had to bring the stretch?”

The stretch limo was sitting outside of the fake mansion. It was an excellent illusion. As they got in Sesshoumaru instructed the driver to take them to a florist shop he knew well and then to the address where his beloved Rin was laid to rest.

“Inuyasha you will pick the flowers and I suggest you chose them well if you ever remember what others may want. Do you remember Rin at all?”

Inuyasha wasn’t sure if he should answer that question. Sesshoumaru was really just talking to himself out loud because he was mad at him.

“She loved sunflowers and daisies. She was my sunshine and you will show respect to her grave. She meant more to me then you do. You ran from me, you got yourself killed over a human, and you still lie to me. I had once placed you in her position, but you destroyed that little brother. You did that to yourself. You will not do this anymore or I will change you into something you will not like.”

Inuyasha swallowed. He was in deep shit.

“I remember Rin. I do, I didn’t forget you jerk. I know that is why I am in trouble.”

Sesshoumaru smiled.

“No that is only one reason. There are many, many more. We will not go into all of those now though since we must do this one thing first. The most important thing to me is this right at this moment.”

Inuyasha sat back and started fidgeting with his hair. He was indeed going to suffer and it wasn’t going to be fun. Kagome won’t let him in the house after she finds out about the beads damn it all.

“Why did you have to destroy them?”

Sesshoumaru was looking out the window.

“Because they are not for you, they are mine now. Your beads were a tool to be used to subjugate a demon. You are not a demon, you are a half demon. It is foolish to do something that would harm you as a human. Do you really love your collar that much?”
Inuyasha pouted.

“Of course not, it is just Kagome……….”

Sesshoumaru waved that away with his hand as he leaned on his fingers gracefully crossing his legs looking out the window since he had not really looked at the modern world in a while.

“Kagome is going to die before you. Is this what you worry about? A trifling thing, such as a collar to keep you together? If that is what it takes then you do not belong together. It is as simple as that.”

Inuyasha frowned making him look like a sulking child. He was not happy about this.
“You are not the one who has to explain where they are. That is me. It isn’t that we can’t live without them, but you don’t know Kagome’s temper. She can be mean.”
Sesshoumaru smiled.

“Does she beat you or harm you? A little human woman? Are you that pathetic or do you not know how to run your own home?”

Inuyasha growled.

“It ain’t like that! I am the man of my house and my woman does what I tell her to!”
Sesshoumaru started laughing.

“Yes, that is why you are here and she is at your human pack’s home with her Mother. You are certainly the man of your home.”

Inuyasha felt his fists clench.

“Do not get blood on my seats with your claws. I just had this limo cleaned.”

Sesshoumaru stated softly. This was a hard day for him. It was not something he did with another often and it was almost as though Inuyasha was invading a private place.
“You will be on your best behavior or I will skin you. We are here. Go get the flowers.”
Inuyasha jumped a bit at the rage flowing off of his brother. Sesshoumaru was not happy at all. He was miserable and it was dangerous to be around a miserable demon with Sesshoumaru’s power for too long. It was a death wish.

Happy to get out of the limo Inuyasha went into the flower shop. There were so many, but no fucking sunflowers. What the hell! Sesshoumaru was going to have a shit fit.

“Can I help you young man?”

An elderly woman, who kind of reminded Inuyasha of Kaede, asked as she was arranging some flowers.

“I need some sunflowers and daisies quick. We are going to a grave site and my brother will not have anything else. He will kill me if I don’t do this right.”

The lady rolled her eyes.

“Surely he will not kill you for doing such a nice thing.”

Inuyasha leaned over the counter.

“No, I am serious. I need sunflower and daisies. If I mess this up it will be my head.”

The elderly woman was not sure if she should laugh or call the police for this young man.

“I am sorry, but we do not have any sunflowers in yet. They will not be in until tomorrow.”

Inuyasha felt like he was going to pass out.

“Are you sure? I mean is there a sunflower field around here? I will go pick some if I have to as long as you can arrange them.”

The woman now was a bit worried.

“Are you ok young man? Do you need me to call the police for you?”

Inuyasha panicked.

“No! Don’t call the cops! Then we will have real trouble. Man……..I have to go tell him. You promise they will be here tomorrow right?”

The lady nodded.

“Yes I can have some arranged very nicely for you tomorrow.”

Inuyasha nodded and then adjusted his tie as he headed out to tell his brother the news. This was not going to be fun. Pacing inside the store for a few minutes he tried to figure out how to explain to his miserable asshole brother that there were no sunflowers for Rin’s grave until tomorrow. He just hoped it wouldn’t be too painful.
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Sesshoumaru waited in the limo looking at his watch. What the hell was taking Inuyasha so long? It shouldn’t be this hard to get some flowers.

“He is taking too long. I should go in there. My brother cannot seem to do anything without someone holding his hand.”

Inuyasha at that moment came into the limo looking rather timid.

“Where are the flowers for Rin’s grave?”

Sesshoumaru growled at his brother angry that he took this much time in the flower shop to only come back empty handed.

“Sesshoumaru…….I um……….I don’t know how to tell you this…………”

Sesshoumaru roared.

“I don’t want your pathetic excuses Inuyasha. I expected results. How hard is it to buy some flowers for my Rin’s grave?”

Inuyasha then got angry.

“They don’t have any damn sunflowers until tomorrow you jerk! I couldn’t get what you wanted!”

Sesshoumaru sat back placing a hand to his forehead.

“Inuyasha, all you had to say is that they won’t have any until tomorrow. You were blubbering. We can come back tomorrow.”

Inuyasha groaned. Another night at the castle away from Kagome and his Ramen noodles. It wasn’t fair and he had to put up with the biggest jerk in the universe on top of it all.

“I have to spend the night again?”

Sesshoumaru smiled.

“Yes little brother you do. Is there a problem?”

Inuyasha wined at this.

“But, you don’t want to go anywhere! I want to go get Kagome and go to the movies.”

Sesshoumaru groaned since it was true. Still he didn’t want to hear Inuyasha whimpering all night.

“We will go get your damn human woman then and you two can go with an escort.”

Inuyasha then rolled his eyes.

“Yes Daddy dearest.”

Sesshoumaru growled.

“Don’t ever call me that again.”

Inuyasha watched his brother exit the limo as he bade the driver to go pick up Kagome leaving his little brother in there with a mental note to his driver that they were to be watched at all times.

Sesshoumaru then ran as fast as the wind into the forests. He knew the way and had to get away from these modern smells that hurt his nose. The noise bothered his sensitive ears and the thrill of the kill filled him. He had to kill something or Inuyasha was going to die. The boy had pushed all day and he was asking for a beating.

The forest smelled clean, fresh, and welcoming. Even with the modern smells it was home. It was where he could feel secure and it didn’t change as much as this world had. He felt his bones shift into position as he took his full form on and howled a lonely call to the world. It was nothing more than a sound of freedom, but to Inuyasha’s sensitive ears nothing was more sorrowful.
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