The Heir and the Spare

The Heir and the Spare

The Continent of Japan is in danger; humans and demons are engaged in a deadly war. To avoid calamity Princess Kagome, a human, finds herself betrothed to the heir of the demon-dominated Western Lands, Prince Sesshomaru. Too bad she finds herself falling for her future-husband's younger brother, Inuyasha.

.xx.

Inutaisho was practically falling off his throne, holding his sides in pain. He had succumbed to more laughter than his poor demon body could handle. Before him was his son, Inuyasha, and his future daughter-in-law, Kagome, both dripping wet. To add to the hilarity, Inuyasha's breastplates were missing. Kagome was half a step behind Inuyasha with her hands clamped over her mouth and her shoulders shaking—she was trying not to laugh.

But Inutaisho wasn't helping her situation.

"Let me get this straight," Izayoi's lip was twitching. She was trying so hard not to laugh. Between her and her husband, she was the "stricter" one, and even then the term was used loosely. "A giant sea monster threatened to eat you both alive. So, to get away, both of you mounted some dolphins and guided them back to land… but upon arriving to shore—"

"The monster caught up and demanded to take my breastplate because it was so fashionable." Inuyasha concluded for his mother.

Izayoi's eyes flickered to Kagome. "Sweetheart, is this true?"

Kagome's eyes were wide. Slowly, she pulled her hands away from her mouth and while shaking her head to infer that Inuyasha was not telling the truth, she said out loud: "Every word of it is true, your Majesty."

Inutaisho burst into even louder laughter and Izayoi began coughing to try to cover her own laughter. Inuyasha was grinning stupidly and Kagome bit her lower lip—never in her life was it so hard to try and not laugh. To put the icing on the cake, however, Shippo (the carriage driver) quietly entered the room and sought their audience.

"Your Majesties?"

Inutaisho just about exploded. "Now that is poetic justice!"

Standing at the doorway was Shippo holding Inuyasha's breastplate.

"A monster took it?" Izayoi smirked.

"I found it in the rowboat out on the Miyaji River," Shippo revealed. "The rowboat owner stopped me as I was leaving to say that Prince Inuyasha and Princess Kagome hadn't returned his boat. I, uh… found the breastplate and well… here it is?"

Inuyasha turned to his mother and with the straightest face he could manage he said: "Well, I guess that monster wouldn't know fashion if it bit him in the as—"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded, not liking how his language was turning vulgar.

"Esophagus?" Inuyasha saved, turning to Kagome with both eyebrows raised.

Inutaisho was finally able to compose himself. "Not only did a monster steal, and return, your breastplate but you're getting lessons in how to be less vulgar from your future sister-in-law. I never thought I'd see the day."

Inuyasha grit his teeth. "Thanks, father."

"Now that the mystery of the fashionless monster has been solved," Izayoi stood up from her throne and was followed by her husband. Shippo had taken his leave with Inuyasha's breastplate, saying something about washing it and putting it back in the weaponry room. "Your father and I are going to take a stroll through the gardens. When you both are prepared to tell us the truth, you'll know where to find us."

Kagome frowned and looked at Inuyasha. "Tell them!" She hissed and he frowned. Inutaisho held his arm out to his mate, preparing to escort her to their vast and luxurious garden.

"No!"

Kagome put her hands on her hips. "You can't lie to your parents, Prince Inuyasha."

"I can lie to them all I want wen—" Inuyasha yelped as he felt his mother grab his fuzzy ear.

"What were you going to call her?" Izayoi asked darkly. Inuyasha looked from his mother to Kagome; the latter woman seemed to be enjoying his pain a bit more than she should.

Inuyasha gulped. "A wonderfully talented princess who I could only hope to one day find a bride like?"

"Good," Izayoi released her hold on her son. "That's what I thought. Let's go, darling." Smiling sweetly at Kagome, Izayoi looped her arm through her husband's once more and they both left the chamber. Inuyasha stood there rubbing his ear and scowling at Kagome.

"I save you from an evil sea monster and you get me in trouble with mother?"

Kagome smiled sheepishly. "If you only told the truth…"

"And get thrown in the dungeons for almost letting their future daughter-in-law drown?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, his voice mirroring incredulousness. "Or how about the fact that I had to… uh… you know…" Inuyasha looked away from her.

"I know what?" Kagome took a step towards him.

"… use certain techniques to get you to start breathing again?"

"What techniques?"

Inuyasha gaped at her. "You know!"

Kagome shook her head. "No, I don't, Prince Inuyasha."

Exhaling sharply, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's upper arm and began dragging her to an area of the castle that wasn't heavily guarded by demons that had hyper sensitive hearing. Finally, after moments of unceremoniously dragging (whatever, he just saved her… he could drag her around for a bit), he pushed the doors open to their solarium. Kagome gawked at the walls covered with stained glass. Too add to the beauty of the room, the high vaulted ceiling made her feel like she was standing inside of a diamond…

"This is officially my favourite room," she whispered as he released his hold on her upper arm. For some reason, the connection that sizzled between them for the duration of time that they were in contact for, remained. Kagome could still feel the warmth of his fingertips seep into her and ignite a fire in her core—a feeling she hadn't known existed.

Slowly, Inuyasha shut the brass doors. Turning around, he decided to watch her revel in a room that he designed just short of fifty years ago. The solarium was the newest addition to their palace and Inuyasha was proud to call it his creation. Apart from his masterpiece, there were two things he couldn't believe at that very moment: a) the Princess let him drag her from his parents' throne to the solarium, not once chiding him about how unmannered he was acting, and b) her beauty.

Damn, she's beautiful.

Inuyasha paused, realizing what he was thinking…

And she's my fucking brother's fucking bride. Stop thinking of her like that! Argh!

"So what techniques?" Kagome turned to Inuyasha, managing to catch him off-guard. Inuyasha hid his surprise well and crossed his arms in front of him.

"I kissed you back to life, okay?"

Kagome raised both eyebrows. "You. Kissed. Me. Back. To. Life…?" She repeated slowly. Her eyes were locked with his and she was having a hard time keeping her heartbeat steady. Unbeknownst to her, Inuyasha was able to hear exactly when her heartbeat began accelerating and that, as a chain reaction, caused his to as well.

"Well, yeah." Inuyasha took a step away from the door and towards Kagome. "You stopped breathing and I had to get air into your lungs somehow."

Kagome gulped but stood her ground. Inuyasha was getting closer and the room was getting smaller. "So you… kissed me?"

"Well," he was two steps away from her. "More like mouth to mouth resuscitation."

"But that isn't kissing."

"If you weren't dying and my brother's wife, I would've kissed you."

Kagome saw the deadly seriousness in Inuyasha's eyes. "So… if I wasn't dying you would've?"

"No," Inuyasha took a step, closing the gap a little. "If you weren't my brother's wife, I would've."

Time seemed to be at a standstill as the two stared into each other's eyes. The sun was shining in through a red and yellow stained glass and reflected off of Kagome's skin, giving it an ethereal glow. Everything seemed to be in slow motion; Inuyasha started leaning forward and Kagome's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes stayed locked with Inuyasha's.

Thump thump

Thump thump

Thump thump

Brother-in-law!

Kagome's eyes widened as she broke out of her reverie. Taking a step back, she purposely broke the spell that was cast over them and saw Inuyasha come back to reality. He seemed to realize what he was doing and immediately composed himself.

"So that's why we can't tell my parents what really happened," Inuyasha mumbled, adding "even though they probably already know," as an afterthought.

"Right," Kagome nodded. She just needed to get her mind off of what just happened. "You know best. They are your parents."

"Yeah," Inuyasha whispered. He was trying not to watch her try to avoid him. The awkwardness between them was thick enough to cut with his rusty tetsusaiga. Clearing his throat, Inuyasha bowed gallantly before holding his arm out for Kagome, might as well turn the situation around.

"Have you been to the solarium balcony yet?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, what is it?"

"Allow me to show you." He said grinning widely before winking playfully at her. Kagome knew what he was doing and was thankful for it. Looping her arm through his, she allowed him to guide her to a place where she knew was going to take her breath away.

.xx.

Along the circumference of the solarium was a balcony that overlooked much of the castle courtyard and some of the castle village. Kagome couldn't help but lean as far over the balcony as she could; the wind felt amazing, the view was perfect… and the company?

She idly glanced sideways at Inuyasha.

The company was the best part.

"Can I ask you something?" She said softly.

"Sure, but can you not lean so far over the guardrail." Inuyasha called playfully. Kagome shot him a faux glare and, tauntingly, leaned a bit farther over the edge.

"Highness," he said warningly and Kagome laughed, pulling herself back. She adored how easygoing Inuyasha was, especially after what had just happened in the room below them. She doubted anybody else would be able to recover from such an incident with the grace and skill that he did.

To add to it, he was ensuring that the atmosphere between them was anything but awkward.

"Did Sesshomaru leave because he did not want to meet me?"

Inuyasha's heart stopped. Well, he wasn't expecting a question like that. "Uhh…"

"Tell me the truth?"

"Of course not."

"Prince Inuyasha," her voice was stern, "I am neither your father nor mother so you shouldn't find the need to lie to me."

"I said I lie to my parents," Inuyasha teased. "I never said they were the only ones I lied to."

Kagome pouted, playing along. "And I thought we were friends."

"Didn't anybody tell you I lie to my friends the most?" He winked at her and she blushed. Again. As always. When did she not blush when he winked?

Control yourself, Kagome.

"Well that is a very backwards way of treating your friends." Kagome commented. "Where I'm from, we trust and respect our friends most, after family that is."

"Perhaps that's why you were sent to bridge the gap between your people and mine." Inuyasha offered. "Like you analyzed earlier today, our reasons and philosophies behind life differ greatly.

Kagome nodded. "They do. But don't think I forgot my question—"

Dammit, I thought my distraction worked!

"Did he leave because he did not want to meet me?"

"I already told you, Highness—"

Kagome cut him off. "Do you swear on the life of your unborn nieces and nephews?"

"I would rather not think of you and my brother creating mini-Sesshomaru's, thank you very much!" Inuyasha shuddered. He was all but undressing Kagome in his mind and she had the nerve to bring up such a disturbing topic such as her and his brother-

Fornicating.

I am scarred for life.

"Please tell me?"

Inuyasha was ready to whimper—puppy dog eyes! They were his weakness and it wasn't because he was part dog. He just… a pretty girl… pouting… lower lip… trembling.

"Augh! Fine!" He threw his hands in the air. "Stop with that face already!"

Kagome squealed and clapped her hands. Inuyasha gave her a dirty look but admired what she did. She was definitely going to get along with his family. Well, his family minus Sesshomaru; his elder brother walked around with a stick up his as—esophagus? She's rubbing off on me.

"He doesn't want to get mated, especially to somebody that our parents have picked for him and, don't take this the wrong way," Inuyasha forewarned, "but somebody who is also human."

Kagome blinked, she was slightly confused.

"Sesshomaru isn't fond of humans," Inuyasha revealed. "He has something against my mother. He always said father should've married another demoness. With time, of course, he's lightened up but old grudges don't disappear just like that. So not only is he expected to mate somebody to stop a raging war, but that somebody is the princess of the human lands. He just felt the world was going against him."

Kagome seemed to digest everything Inuyasha said and nodded, slowly. "So it's not because he hates me?"

"Keh," Inuyasha snorted. "No. He hates everybody so don't take that personally."

Kagome eyed him. "Seriously?"

"You'll know what I mean when you meet him. I'm not kidding when I say I'm the nicer, better looking, and much more intelligent brother."

Kagome exhaled loudly. "Well that doesn't really make me feel better?"

Inuyasha frowned and stepped towards her. The scent of her body was assaulting his nose and making his inner demon rage for release—why did this woman affect him so much? Why, when she was unavailable? "What do you mean, Highness?"

Kagome closed her eyes and breathed in deeply before reopening them. "Think about it," she said softly as she turned to Inuyasha, "I have to spend the rest of eternity with a man who doesn't like my kind. I have to spend my whole life with somebody who married me out of duty and not because he wanted to, even if it was in the least. I have to build a relationship with somebody who wasn't even here to receive me… I mean, I could've died if it weren't for my baby brother."

Inuyasha feigned appal. "I'm older than you until the moment in which you marry my brother."

Kagome couldn't help but giggle. "Is he like you? Even a little bit?"

Sadly, Inuyasha shook his head. "Nope. He's a jackass, to put simply."

"And you aren't just saying that because you're his younger brother?"

Inuyasha's eyes twinkled. "I could be saying that for many reasons, but that would require us to recreate what happened in the solarium."

Kagome's words were caught in her throat and she simply watched Inuyasha's shoulder's shake in laughter. He was able to make her feel things… things she didn't know a woman was capable of feeling. But she was supposed to marry his older brother.

And not him.

"What if I just decide to… drown… again?" Kagome asked softly and Inuyasha's eyes darkened. It reflected the desire and hunger he was feeling and Kagome didn't know whether to feel afraid or excited.

Her mind said afraid.

Her body told her excited.

"Then I'd have to resuscitate you again, wouldn't I?"

"Wouldn't Sesshomaru have a problem with that?"

Inuyasha smirked and approached Kagome, closing all the gaps that were between them. He brought his left hand up and pushed some of her bangs behind her ears. "What Sesshomaru doesn't know can't hurt him." And he closed the final gap that remained between them.

He kissed her.

.xx.

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