InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As Fate Would Have It ❯ Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 

Inuyasha blinked at his older brother. “'Gruesome'? Is it really that bad?”

 

Sesshoumaru exerted extreme control to keep from grinning uncharacteristically. “No, baka. At least, not that I've heard. I've not had personal experience of taking a mate, but I know the basics.”

 

“Basics?”

 

The tai-youkai sighed, walked over to a nearby stone and sat down gracefully. He kept his always-solemn gaze on some trees as he spoke.

 

“From what I've heard, when a youkai takes a mate, there is obviously a strong commitment between the two.”

 

“Duh.”

 

Sesshoumaru flicked an irritated glance at his brother, who hid partially in the moonlight and shadows of the trees. “Quiet, baka, else I won't divulge the information you seek.”

 

Inuyasha grunted and leaned back further into the tree shadows. “Gomen.”

 

Somewhat surprised at his apology, Sesshoumaru deliberately continued. “It is difficult to say what will be applicable to you, given the fact that you are only half youkai. Nonetheless, I will endeavor to relate all that I was told.”

 

“Told? By who?”

 

“Our father, baka. He told me what I needed to know, should the occasion arise where I would take a mate.”

 

“Keh! Like that'll ever happen.”

 

“Silence or else leave. I will not tolerate your insolence.”

 

Inuyasha growled but shut his mouth.

 

“As I was saying, I only know youkai traditions- you may or may not experience these occasions.”

 

“Get on with it. I'm getting old here.”

 

Sesshoumaru sighed. “Very well. Basically, your soul will know when it chooses your mate. Once the soul has chosen, a youkai's crests will darken in color, showing his mated status.”

 

“That's it? I'll turn colors and then we'll be mated?”

 

“You really are a baka. The crests will turn to a darker shade. You have no crests- you are only a half-breed, after all. True youkai have crests, or markings, that show their demon status. These marks can be anywhere and can be any number. You will notice, of course, that this Sesshoumaru's crests are on the face and wrists.”

 

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side, his white ears twitching. “You mean these?” He pointed to his cheek in confusion.

 

“What are you blathering about? I told you- you have… no…” he trailed off as Inuyasha jumped closer, landing close to the tai-youkai and glaring at him. The jagged lavender stripes on the hanyou's cheeks were quite visible in the pale moonlight.

 

“Kami… when in all the hells did you get crests?”

 

Inuyasha grinned, suddenly cocky because he had finally managed to get Sesshoumaru's iron-clad composure to slip. The look of complete and utter shock on the tai-youkai's face was completely priceless. “I dunno. Sango and Miroku seem to think they showed up after I battled that stupid Wolf youkai, Kouga.”

 

“Tell me.”

 

He shrugged. “There really isn't that much to tell. Kouga threatened to kill my pup and I kicked his ass.”

 

“Your pup?”

 

Inuyasha sighed. Apparently the great Inu no Taishou was a little behind in the news. “A human man washed up on the shore of the river near old Kaede's village. He had been attacked by youkai and was fatally wounded.” Inuyasha glanced away, his golden gaze suddenly going sad. “He entrusted his pup- a little girl- to Kagome before he died. The pup… she's a hanyou.”

 

“Never say so. There are more abominations in the world?”

 

Inuyasha glared at his brother. “Contrary to your belief, oh pureblood Inu no Taishou, she is not an `abomination.' She is loved and wanted- something I never was!”

 

“Gomen, little brother. I did not mean to offend you, this time.”

 

Somewhat mollified, Inuyasha continued his tale. “The pup is Kouga's niece- his sister's and that human man's. That bastard Wolf wanted us to give the pup up to him so he could raise her to be less than what she is, just because she's a half-breed.”

 

Sesshoumaru would've normally made a condescending remark at this point, but he was now beginning to get an insight to another side to his usually annoying brother. He merely nodded so Inuyasha would continue.

 

“When Kouga made the comment that all half-breeds should be killed, my pup included, I snapped. Kagome tells me I transformed again, but the Tetsusaiga was still by my side. I had total control over my body and I remember fighting Kouga, but more than that is kinda… hazy. I didn't kill the Wolf.”

 

“Thank Kami for that… that would've been devastating for Kagome.”

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Tell me about it. Wench is way too sensitive.” He glanced down at his hands. “After the fight, we decided to head home. Ever since then, everyone's been looking at me differently. Kagome finally told me about these marks. They appear when I'm transformed, but after the fight with Kouga they haven't gone away.”

 

Sesshoumaru regarded his little brother for a long time in silence. Finally, his cultivated voice broke the quiet. “You look like Father.”

 

“I what?”

 

“It would appear that your hanyou ears are hard of hearing. I said that you look just like Father did. His crests match yours.”

 

“So… these things are my crests?”

 

“It would appear so. Apparently the fight to defend your family was brought on by your soul declaring who your mate was- and your pup, regardless of whether or not she's your blood.”

 

“So now what? Are Kagome and I mated now?”

 

Sesshoumaru allowed himself a small smile. “Not quite. There's still the matter of the act itself.”

 

“What act?”

 

“The physical mating, of course. Surely you realize that you didn't just spawn from the ground?”

 

Inuyasha blushed deep red. “Never really thought about it. I don't know where babies come from.”

 

This time Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. The hanyou was really bringing out all the unfavorable emotions in him tonight. “I really do have to tell you everything, don't I?”

 

Inuyasha hung his head, trying to hide his embarrassment. “Keh… no one else would…”

 

“Oh, Kami…” Sesshoumaru looked up at the sky as though searching for help from the stars. “Is this a test, Father? I assure you, this Sesshoumaru is not amused!”

 

Inuyasha jumped to his feet and grabbed his brother by his white haori. “This isn't a joke, you bastard! What else do I fucking have to do to take Kagome as my mate, damn it?”

 

Sesshoumaru glared at the hanyou. “Cease your caterwauling, baka. You are not a cat youkai.”

 

He released the tai-youkai and sank down onto his haunches, staring up at his brother. “Then tell me what the hell I'm supposed to do with her!”

 

Sesshoumaru actually coughed. He looked away from Inuyasha, his gaze steadily resting on the nearby trees. “You are supposed to… have sex… with the miko.”

 

“Sex? What in Kami's name is that?”

 

The Inu no Taishou swiftly got to his feet, his long silver hair blowing with the movement. He stared down at his brother with that familiar unemotional look. “You cannot be serious.”

 

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side, looking like a little lost puppy. “Is it like a dance or something? `Cause I never learned how to dance.”

 

Sesshoumaru looked hard at him, ready to commit murder once more. However, the sight of Inuyasha's crests- their father's crests- made him pause. The Inu no Taishou was charged with maintaining the pureblood line of tai-youkai, yet only Inuyasha obviously had the chance to continue the inu youkai blood, tainted though it already was. What if he, Sesshoumaru, never found his mate? Or bore the heir to the Western Lands? Then that responsibility might fall to Inuyasha or his pups.

 

He mentally smiled. It might prove to be entertaining to be an uncle and regale those pups with their baka father's infantile tendencies. But to reach that point, his clueless brother had to figure out how to make said-pups.

 

He reached up with his only hand and uncharacteristically rubbed his chin, as though pondering. “When you are around this miko- how does your body react?”

 

“React?” Inuyasha blinked at the odd question. “She irritates the hell out of me. Why?”

 

“Not like that, baka. How does your body physically react? Does anything… change?”

 

Inuyasha blushed and looked at the ground, scowling. “Keh!”

 

“I'll take that as a yes.”

 

“So what does that have to do with anything?”

 

“Do something original for once and think. Why would that particular part of your body reacts like that around her if there was no purpose for it?”

 

“Purpose? You mean… use it…?”

 

“Indeed.”

 

“I have to put that…?”

 

“You're starting to understand.”

 

Inuyasha stared hard at his brother. Sesshoumaru could almost see the wheels clicking into place as understanding dawned. “Like… animals do?”

 

“Somewhat. I'm not sure your miko would appreciate being taken in such a bestial manner. I've heard that with humans it is usually done face-to-face and occasionally rather slowly, compared to most animals.”

 

“Occasionally?”

 

Sesshoumaru shrugged. “I've heard different views on the length of the process. It seems to relate to the bond between the pair. The stronger the bond, the longer it lasts.”

 

“Then I'm in for a long night, huh…”

 

The brothers shared something that had never happened before- a smile. Inuyasha coughed and looked away, his face red. “W-when… am I supposed to… you know- do this?”

 

“Let your senses lead you on this one, puppy. You'll be able to tell when she's ready. Her scent will change.”

 

“Is this… something that'll just happen or do I need to… do stuff?”

 

The older brother smiled slightly. “Have you even kissed her, baka-for-brains?”

 

“Keh! Of course!”

 

“Then I suggest you try that again and proceed from there.”

 

Inuyasha flushed again. “Eh… arigatou, Sesshoumaru. Don't know what I would've done otherwise.”

 

“You would've bungled it like usual, little brother. Just remember that she's not youkai and she's not an animal- you could really hurt her in the process.”

 

“Keh! I would never hurt Kagome!”

 

“Certainly. I would not have helped you if I thought you might.”

 

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side as he regarded his brother. “As to that- why are you so concerned with Kagome's welfare in this? She's ningen. You hate them.”

 

Sesshoumaru's golden gaze took on a faraway look. “Let's just say that I've come to see a different view on ningen females, Inuyasha.”

 

Still not quite understanding, Inuyasha shrugged and ran off, heading back to Kaede's village. Now that he knew what to do, he just needed to get Kagome alone to complete the act. Let's just hope I don't end up hurting her.