InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ My Brother's Keeper ❯ My Brother's Keeper ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter 1

My Brother's Keeper

Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters from the show. Ah me, I can dream though. ~-^ And thanks for the reviews. It just took me longer than I expected to actually get back to this story.

"If he chews through one more set of boots this week, I'm dumping him in the well again and this time without him being in the bucket!" came a deep masculine voice sliding through the sweet morning air and dripping with frustrated anger in every single word.

"He's teething, son. You also remember my warning the last time you placed your brother in such an undignified place," a highly amused deeper masculine voice replied, laced with the careful warning of punishment. The sounds of both voices were carried on the pleasant wind wafting up from the gardens of an immaculate, imposing castle that stood out noticeably from the trees surrounding its sides. The presence of this structure fit perfectly within the Sengoku Jidai era of Japan as well as those rolling, beautiful forests that veiled it away from prying eyes. The view from the towers and battlements was breathtaking, offering an amazing vista of the Western Lands. The flowing, cool male voices belonged to two figures that perched atop the highest tower, gazing out over the lands that belonged to one and would one day fall to the other.

"Half-brother," came the curt reply from the youngest of the pair with a touch of disdain and conviction lacing his tone.

"He is your brother, Sesshoumaru, and you will get along with him because I wish it to be so. Not only that, but I would see the pair of you become close instead of fighting all of the time as you seem apt to do, though he is far younger than you and knows not half of what he does yet," replied Inutaisho, the youkai lord of the Western Lands as he folded his arms across the strong line of his chest and fixed his eldest son with an unnerving golden eyed gaze.

"Why, father? Why make excuses for him? He's nothing but a half-breed mongrel that has no business even being in this house," Sesshoumaru replied with a flare to his own golden gaze, returning his father's look without flinching or backing away. A part of him knew better than to push his father when it came to his hanyou brother, but he was tired of losing his favorite articles of clothing to the mutt as well as his precious free time to keeping him out of trouble or babysitting him. Sesshoumaru was not his half-brother's keeper, though it certainly felt like it lately.

"You're treading on dangerous ground, son," Inutaisho spoke in a cool, deadly voice usually reserved for lesser youkai but it worked just as well on his eldest offspring when he was acting like an insolent pup.

"I won't dump him in the well but if he doesn't stay away from my things with his teeth I will not be held responsible for what I do to him in retribution," Sesshoumaru replied, folding his own arms across his chest and feeling the responding play of muscle against cloth. The soft breeze lightly ruffled his waist length, silver hair just as it teased at the silver strands that were captured in a topknot upon his father's head. Both the elder and younger man held themselves with pride, arrogance and a cool temperament that very few cracked. The telling difference, outside of age, could be found in a slight softness around Inutaisho's eyes as well as his carriage. Inutaisho was a demon, through and through, yet he held an indefinable compassion and sympathy that often showed themselves at the oddest moments. Although, his enemies saw only his cool gaze and wicked blade as well as the power he commanded behind it, never the softer emotions that seemed reserved for his human mate and offspring.

"I see too much of what I once was in you. I have told you time and again, son, that without compassion to temper your vast power you will never truly be my heir," Inutaisho said softly, rubbing his temples and repeating words that he has said many times to his stubborn son. He could only hope that Inuyasha was more pliant than his eldest, though he doubted the hanyou would be. In his heart, he knew his younger son would walk the knife edge between worlds, always fighting against himself as well as youkai and humanity alike for acceptance and respect. Sesshoumaru was already a feared, powerful youkai, brilliant swordsman and respected amongst his peers to boot simply by virtue of birth, breeding and reputation. They were like night and day, in what they were and even who they were yet both strangely favored their Sire in the worst and best of ways. Though Inuyasha was tenderly young, his father could already see much in him that none other would be able to. Inutaisho's musings were broken by the feeling of golden eyes upon him and the cool voice of his eldest slipping to his ears once again in response to his familiar words.

"With all due respect, father, I do not see the point in holding weak emotions for these humans and hanyous as if they were our equals. They will never be the perfection we are so why bother with them at all?" Sesshoumaru asked, clearly puzzled by why any youkai in their right mind would wish to feel anything for human or half-breeds alike. They were nothing to him, as his own breeding and people had taught him. His father confused him to no end, especially since taking that human bitch to his bed as his mate. Inutaisho had taken to her too soon after Sesshoumaru's mother had been taken from this world. A part of the young youkai would never forgive his father for replacing his mother so soon after her death and with a human. A human of all things! Sesshoumaru only remembered the time shortly after his mother's death in flashes of blood soaked memory, anger and mind wrenching grief. For countless years, he had killed anything that crossed his path, letting his grief and anger out upon the hides of any being that dared to confront him until he had achieved cold resolve at last. His mother's love had been replaced with the cool ice of reason and his blade after slaughtering many upon its cold length.

"You will learn, Sesshoumaru. You do not need to know why, or are you now questioning everything I say to you?" Inutaisho said softly with a bare hint of a growl at the last words out of his mouth. Such was a sign of danger that any idiot could have read plainly from the youkai lord. His son was no idiot and knew when to simply let something rest between himself and his sire.

"Father,..I...." Sesshoumaru began softly, carefully tempering his words and letting them fall from his lips in a neutral tone, though his eyes remained warily fixed upon his father as the older man interrupted him.

"You are my eldest and heir. Never forget that," Inutaisho growled out firmly, even as his gaze pinned his eldest son. He studied the boy, looking for flaws or signs of dissent he would only tolerate to a specific point from anyone, be they of his blood or not. He expected far more from his blood than any other in his lands, even his mate.

"Hai, father, but I will never see what you want me too in these filthy vermin, starting foremost with Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said softly, pride evident in his tone as well as the realization he had taken one step too far by mentioning his younger, half-brother.

"Where it concerns your brother, my word is law. You will get along with him or you will die," Inutaisho said coldly, staring down a blade he pressed to his elder son's throat even as his golden eyes glimmered with barely contained power. The look of utter dominance in those orbs was enough to send any lesser youkai fleeing for their lives.

"Hai, father," Sesshoumaru replied softly, bowing in respect as much as the sword that remained pressed to the tender skin of his throat would allow. Two sets of deep, golden eyes meet across that blade as both searched for dominance, even though it was Sesshoumaru who looked away first out of respect for his father more than admitting defeat. The silence of the perfect morning returned as the breeze played about both of them, lifting their clothing and long, silvery manes alike. It was to be short lived as Inutaisho soon had to depart on pressing business to one of the farther corners of his lands. He turned to his eldest son shortly after the messenger that had delivered the urgent news to him had departed back down the steps leading up to the tower they had been occupying for some time.

"I will be back by nightfall, Sesshoumaru. Watch over the castle and its inhabitants while I am away and refrain from skinning your baby brother to add to your pelt," Inutaisho said, chuckling softly and patting the younger man on his shoulder even as he took to the sky and disappeared quickly from view.

"He would make such a good throw rug though," Sesshoumaru whispered to himself as he turned and disappeared into the castle to hunt down his annoying, half-breed, half-wit, half-everything brother to see what destruction the rambunctious pup had caused in the time he had spent with their father.

~*~

"Brother! Brother! Brother!" came the high pitched, enthusiastic voice of a very young Inuyasha who was happily dangling from his older brother's claws. He swung softly in place, batting his own claw tipped fingers at the other's flowing sleeve. The youngster thought this was some sort of fun new game Sesshoumaru had invented just to play with him. Little did he know that his brother was holding him up to keep him away from the soft, tempting pelt that wound its way around Sesshoumaru's arm and down his back.

"Hai, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru said softly, resisting the urge to cover his pointed, Elvin ears that were being assaulted by the high pitched squeals of delight his half-brother insisted upon making as he kept trying to grab onto his sleeve and jerk upon it. The little rascal actually succeeded in wrapping his claws around the trailing end of Sesshoumaru's sleeve, tugging upon it and rending long tears in the fabric. Another series of happy squeals, half-barks and a big eyed, proud grin appeared on the child's face as he began making a grab for the other sleeve. Large golden eyes fixated upon the soft fabric of Sesshoumaru's pelt as Inuyasha began inching towards it, swinging with all his might and his claws extended.

"Oh no you don't," Sesshoumaru said curtly, promptly holding the pup higher in the air, away from all of his clothing so that he was nose to nose with his half-brother. A low growl of warning came out of the elder's throat as he saw the shredded remains of not only his sleeve but half of the boots in his room as well. How had the insufferable half-breed managed to get past the lock and wards both this time? Visions of dunking the little mutt into the well flashed through his mind, only to be brought up short by his father's warning.
Damn.

"This is fun! Can we play s'more?" Inuyasha asked innocently with the same big eyes and puppy smile that could have melted the heart of an ice demon, though his elder brother seemed completely immune to it. The key word there being seemed to be.

With a long suffering sigh, Sesshoumaru continued to pin the rambunctious, loud, obnoxious, enthusiastic pup with his best dark, don't mess with me look. The only result was a lick to his nose as well as a triumphant squeal of delight as the child wormed out of his brother's grip and made a grab for the aforementioned soft pelt that was a never ending target for pouncing, tearing and biting. The end result was both of them toppling back onto the floor with Inuyasha happily drooling and nibbling at the fuzzy object, contentedly curling up in its soft depths and stalking it repeatedly. Sesshoumaru glared at his brother, quickly snagging up the weapon/fashion accessory as his younger brother trailed after it and continued to pounce upon it. What followed was a tug of war between the pair, with Sesshoumaru ending up the victor though with a much bedraggled, abused weapon that reeked of his brother's drool and bite marks. The elder calmly placed it high upon the wall and turned to stare at the crouching child, who beamed up at him with adoration and open trust.

"How many times have I told you that my possessions are not your personal chew toys, little brother?" Sesshoumaru growled out, eyes flashing dangerously as he stood in front of his beaming, baka of a brother. He resisted the urge to tap his foot and spit poison at the little monster. Still, the little scamp was rather cute, in an annoying, kill me now kind of way.

"I dunno. What you wanna do now, Sess?" Inuyasha managed to get out that much of the long name, still having trouble pronouncing all of it completely. Those adorable, golden eyes continued to beam up at his older brother in what Sesshoumaru had labeled the cuteness stare of death. Why? Simply because when his younger brother looked up at him that cutely, not even he could resist though he tried his best to hate, ignore or forget about the little fur ball.

Sometimes, he just couldn't win for losing.

"I would like for you to remember to stay out of my room when I am not in it, mutt," Sesshoumaru said irritably, glaring down at his younger brother as the pup continued to just beam at him, though his eyes would stray to the garment hanging so tantalizingly out of reach. Inuyasha loved how soft it was and the fact it was forbidden to play with or tear apart made it all the more appealing to the child. He just could not understand why his brother didn't want to share it with him.

"You're in it now so what you wanna do? We could play s'more or I know! Lemme show you what I found this morning," Inuyasha said, looking this way and that as if it was the world's biggest secret that only he knew about. He rose swiftly, sliding his tiny hand into the larger, clawed one of his older brother and began dragging the reluctant youkai towards the door to the room he wasn't supposed to be in in the first place. Sesshoumaru sighed, hoping that if he at least let the baka show him whatever it was that had kept his interest for longer than five minutes that he might get some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, he would have no such luck any time soon.

"If I let you show me whatever it is you think is so important, then you will leave me alone the rest of the afternoon," Sesshoumaru stated, planting his feet firmly and glaring down at the child who had one tiny, clawed hand upon the door. He had probably found a shiny object in the well or near the river. With any luck, this would be a short trip and the elder could return to the castle quickly enough to get in some practice time before their father returned.

"All afternoon! That's not fair!" Inuyasha said, giving his older brother that look of cuteness but with disappointment and innocent hope to spend time with his sibling thrown in. The pointed white ears drooped down to his skull even as his eyes sparkled a little and a small sniffle was added to the picture that was spelling certain defeat for Sesshoumaru's cold indifference.

"You want to be tossed in the well again?" Sesshoumaru said pointedly with a lift to one silvery brow in amusement. It was better amusement and a smirk that caving in to that look of the mutt's.

"Daddy said you wouldn't do that no more to me so there. C'mon, brother! We could play dragons and youkai again! It'll be fun!" Inuyasha said, with a definite sticking out of his tongue to accent the 'so there' part of his first sentence. The eager child began tugging on his brother's hand again, coaxing him towards the door and to whatever treasure he had spotted earlier that he just had to share with his older brother and no one else.

"I will let you show me this thing you found and you will leave me alone the rest of the afternoon. That is the end of it, pest," Sesshoumaru said firmly, casting his younger brother a decidedly dark look with a lift of his jaw in arrogant assumption that the child would listen to him this time and behave. Oh, but he should have known better.

"I'll tell daddy you're being mean to me again if you don't stop being such a sour puss. Now c'mon!" Inuyasha said, zipping out the door and dragging his older brother along behind him. Sesshoumaru 'allowed' himself to be lead just for the sake of expediency of course. The sooner he saw whatever it was his brother wanted to show him; the sooner they would be through with this odious task.

"One day, I am going to stuff a boot in your mouth just to get you to keep quiet longer than a minute at a time," Sesshoumaru said as Inuyasha lead him through the winding halls of their father's castle and outside into the gardens. The spunky child continued merrily along, happily ignoring the glares and growls from his older brother. The elder of the two finally gave up on making the pup be quiet and simply strode along behind him as they drifted into a familiar trail that lead straight into the forests that spread out for miles away from his father's domain.

Small claws dug into the palm of Sesshoumaru's hand as the silver haired child bounced happily ahead of him, chattering away about everything they passed along the forest floor. The soft, high pitched voice grated on his ears as the enthusiasm of the child never seemed to dim any more than his boundless energy. The plain wonder and delight he took in the world around him at his tender age was apparent as he pointed out an interesting tree, rock, squirrel, bird, flower, or anything else that would happen to catch his eye. The fact he looked up to and adored his older brother was also apparent in the naive trust and happy smile he kept in the presence of the cold, impassionate youkai who was trying very hard not to smile or chuckle at the exuberance of his younger brother.

`He'll grow out of it soon enough. The cute puppy stage will only last a few more years at most and then he'll be an ungainly half-grown man who will probably still try to sneak in my room and tear up my belongings. Why am I afraid he will be even more loud, obnoxious and annoying as he grows? If he has a saving grace, I have yet to find it. Father, you have no idea what you have brought into this world and what he will face because of what he is. I almost pity him for being the half-breed he is. Almost'

Sesshoumaru's thoughts were interrupted by a firm tug on his already shredded sleeve as well as the loud yelling of his name.

"Must you always shout at five times the volume necessary to hear your whining voice?" Sesshoumaru asked irritably as he stared down from his superior height at the small form of his little brother who frowned and began to actually pout at the harsh words.

"Whydda you always have to be so mean to me and whydda you have to be so tall?" Inuyasha asked quietly, craning his head way, way back to meet that cool golden gaze of his older brother.

"I will always be taller than you, little brother. Now is this what you wanted to show me?" Sesshoumaru asked, gesturing towards a broken stump that held a panorama of claw marks and owl droppings upon it with a disdainful lift to his lips and eyebrows alike.

"Not that, silly. C'mon and I'll show you!" Inuyasha said as he bounded away from Sesshoumaru with happy laughter trailing behind him. A suspicious quirking of the stoic youkai's mouth could almost have been called a smile, if he wasn't known to be such a cold hearted bastard that is. Either way, Sesshoumaru trailed easily after the pup, tracking him by scent and the obvious trail he left through the forest that clearly marked every inch of his hurried passage.

"HURRY UP BROTHER!" Inuyasha yelled back impatiently, speeding up and disappearing from sight beyond a hill as Sesshoumaru continued on at his own measured, gracefully flowing gait that would speed up only when he chose to, not at the urgings of that annoying little whelp. Sesshoumaru came to a halt beside of Inuyasha who was bouncing up and down with excitement and pride as the older part of the duo just looked around in puzzlement and inquiry.

"Well?" Sesshoumaru asked the bobbing head of his younger sibling, getting slightly annoyed that he had been drug all the way out here for nothing probably.

"You don't see it! It's right there!" Inuyasha pointed excitedly towards the center of a perfectly circular clearing at the bottom of the hill they were both standing upon. A hint of annoyance and long suffering patience at the foolish blindness of adults flickered in the golden eyes of the child who waited impatiently for his older brother to see what had him so excited.

"The only thing I see is a clearing as empty as your head is," Sesshoumaru said, tilting his head to one side and causing the rippling silver of his hair to cascade softly down towards the lithe line of his hip and thigh. This was getting ridiculous. He knew the mutt was an idiot but even this was above and beyond what he expected of his brother's stupidity.

"Oh come on. I'll have to take you straight to it since you're too blind to see what's right there!" Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes and dragging Sesshoumaru down the hill and towards the center of the clearing where nothing was visible to the youkai except a few blades of grass and a few wayward butterflies.

At least until he tripped over something he couldn't see and heard a low groan from someone that wasn't there to his vision.

"What in the--" Sesshoumaru said in surprise, blinking down at the child who was wearing a carbon copy of their father's smirk with an I-told-you-so expression upon his little face.

"Can you see him now? Can you? Can you?" Inuyasha asked in a sing song voice, continuing to smirk with an air of self satisfaction that he could see something his older brother couldn't.

"No but I can see an annoying little pest that is about to be sliced in half if he doesn't point out exactly where this he is to me," Sesshoumaru threatened, golden eyes raking over the spot he had tripped over and heard that groan from. His fingers gripped the hilt of his sword reflexively even as he placed himself between Inuyasha and whoever was hidden from his eyes. The youkai would never admit he was even remotely protecting his younger brother.

"He's right there! He's green and looks like a little toad. He looks hurt 'cause he's gripping this ugly staff with heads on it and bleeding onto the ground," Inuyasha said matter-of-factly as he extended one tiny hand to directly point out the thing he could see and his older brother could not. Oddly enough, when the child pointed directly at the being, he became visible and open startled eyes to both brothers.

"What businesses have you upon our lands?" Sesshoumaru demanded of the little toad, even as he took one step forward with his drawn sword in his hands. The movements were as fast as lightening, fluid and graceful with a deadly menace that caused the little toad to start groveling before the youkai and hanyou both.

"Please noble lord, spare Jaken! He means no harm! He is only here because he is terribly lost! Surely you can use a good magician! Please spare Jaken!" the little toad continued on and on in that same vein, until Sesshoumaru cut him off with a pointed look and threatening motion of his sword. Inuyasha was grinning the entire time as he looked from Jaken to his elder brother with unfeigned excitement.

"See! I did good! Let's keep him, brother! Daddy always says that good toadies are hard to find, especially loyal ones," Inuyasha said, repeating his father's words without really understanding all of the implied meanings and nuances. Sesshoumaru laughed softly, a rare sound indeed as a slow smile spread across his face. Jaken had the funniest feeling that when this youkai smiled it would mean trouble for him or someone else. Perhaps this had not been the best of ideas for the little toad.

"This toad's loyalty has yet to be proven or disproved, little brother. We will carry him back with us and let him stay as our guest until father decides what to do with him," Sesshoumaru said, gesturing for Jaken to precede them and Inuyasha to remain behind Sesshoumaru, just in case the little urchin had any designs at hurting his younger brother.

The unlikely trio arrived back at the castle around lunchtime, with a happily bouncing, hungrily complaining Inuyasha streaking inside ahead of the other two to see what his mother had had prepared for his lunch. Sesshoumaru prodded the little toad known as Jaken forward until he deposited him within the happy guest quarters known as the dungeon until Inutaisho could have a look at their newest 'guest' and decide his fate. All of that accomplished and finding himself puppy free, Sesshoumaru made his way up to his own room and quietly curled up with his own lunch and an archaic tome on warfare to fill what he hoped were the quiet hours of his afternoon.

~*~

"BROTHER! BROTHER! BROTHER! WAKE UP AND PLAY WITH ME!" came the high pitched voice of Inuyasha disturbing his dreams and the sweet bliss of a well deserved nap. Did the baka never collapse into a little ball of sleep? Apparently not.

"I'm awake, little brother. Now stop yelling and go away," Sesshoumaru said grumpily, curling up tighter on his bed and resolutely ignoring the pokes of tiny fingers at his ribs and side.

"But you promised to play with me this afternoon!" Inuyasha whined, pouncing on his brother's back and peering down into one half-opened eye that was growing even narrower by the minute.

"I did no such thing. Get out of my room, mutt, before I throw you out the window," Sesshoumaru replied, rolling over and promptly dumping the child into a heap on the floor. That was when the sniffling began as well as the sound of quiet sobbing. The older youkai squinted one eye open to stare down at the crying child with a soft sigh. Inuyasha's ears were flat to his skull even as those big golden eyes were full of shining tears that small, grubby little paws were rubbing at as he sniffled against his sleeve and wiped his nose on it.

"You promised," Inuyasha said with a definite pout, looking up with accusing, sad eyes at his older brother and still continuing to wipe his nose along the back of his sleeve.

"If I let you stay in here with me, will you be quiet and not chew on anything?" Sesshoumaru asked, sighing inwardly and wondering why he was even giving in to the little rascal. He had not promised the pup anything at all yet that look. He just couldn't stand to see that look in his half-brother's eyes. He was sure in time he would grow completely immune to it and be able to ignore the little pest better but until then, he was just royally screwed.

"I want you to read me a story and play at least one game of foxes and snakes with me and then I'll be good. I promise! (Think shoots and ladders or any childhood board game) Pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase?" Inuyasha said, face brightening and the tears vanishing magically from those big, cute eyes of his at the idea of spending the entire afternoon with his older brother.

"You will be good, regardless, pest. I will read you one story, simply to try to drill some sense into that little skull of yours but no games," Sesshoumaru said firmly, moving to a seated position and folding his arms across his chest in what Inuyasha knew was his don't push me and tempt fate take what you can get stance.

"Aww, but, 'kay! I have just the story! Be righ' back!" he replied, bounding out of the room and returning a few moments later with a treasured, loved and obviously well read book in his little hands. He solemnly and carefully handed it to Sesshoumaru, before promptly crawling into his older brother's lap and getting comfortable for story time. The older of the pair looked down at the younger, wondering how to remove the little urchin without another round of tears, whining and pesky sniffles. As the answer wasn't fast coming to him, Sesshoumaru simply leaned back against the wall with a pillow behind his back for support and did his best to ignore the warm lump that was curled happily in his lap. He opened the book, actually smiling a bit at the bold colored pictures that adorned the pages, even as one of Inuyasha's tiny hands twined around his wrist and urged him to start reading with an impatient bounce. Inquisitive golden eyes looked up a moment as tiny claws traced the line of one of the deep pink marks that ran along Sesshoumaru's forearm, twins to the ones that lined the sides of his chiseled, sculptured face.

"Why don't I have marks like those, Sess?" Inuyasha asked innocently, blinking up to his older brother as the story was forgotten in the moment of the child's innate, overwhelming curiosity.

"You just don't baka. Now do you want me to read this story to you or not?" Sesshoumaru asked puzzled as to why the simple question made him feel ill at ease. There was no easy answer or explanation for the differences between the pair of them or their very different worlds and lives. How could he even begin to break it to his little brother that he would never be as perfectly strong and powerful as their father was or even Sesshoumaru himself was? It didn't matter anyway. The pup would figure it out on his own in due time or that human mother of his would tell him. Either way, it wasn't Sesshoumaru's job to enlighten the fur ball. Still...

"Sure do! I want marks like those though! Maybe I'll grow into 'em. Yeah, I'll get them when I am older, like you are!" Inuyasha said with sweet joy as he turned his eyes back to the pages of the book and waited impatiently now for his brother to begin reading to him as he'd promised.

"Hai, maybe when you're older, kid," Sesshoumaru said softly, frowning and pushing away the unhappy thoughts the child's questions had brought into his mind and heart. It didn't matter to him, anyway. What difference did it make to him what the little hanyou thought or wanted? None was the ready answer supplied to him as he felt another sharp tug at his sleeve once again and felt a pair of familiar golden eyes staring up at him in a frown.

"Brooooooooooooooother, you're supposed to be readin' to me!" Inuyasha said after letting go of his older brother's sleeve to lean back against him and peer at Sesshoumaru upside down with glittering, mischievous eyes. Sesshoumaru chuckled and finally began scanning the opening kanji that lined the first page of the book.

"Once upon a time..." Sesshoumaru's voice drifted out, continuing to read the entire book to the excited and as the story progressed quieter child. The pair of them remained curled up together, reading and passing the time as the afternoon grew longer and gave way to darkness.

~*~

Inutaisho smiled at his mate, kissing her forehead and looking at her curiously as she gestured for him to follow her quietly. A lift of his silvery brow in inquiry was the only outward sign of concern at what she wanted to share with him or show him. He had a sinking feeling in his gut that he was going to have to drag Inuyasha out of the well again or someplace worse. He was not looking forward to the thrashing and beating he was going to have to mete out to Sesshoumaru to bring his point home about getting along with his little brother.
He couldn't leave those two alone for a minute, he thought to himself as he prowled after his mate, quiet as the ghost many named him to be. Inuyasha's mother lifted a delicate finger to her full, pouting lips as she made a furtive gesture towards the door to Sesshomaru's room. This couldn't be good, especially not with her being so very quiet.

Inutaisho quietly opened the door half-way and felt his jaw open in shock at what he saw inside. His eldest son was curled on his side, sprawled out and completely asleep upon his sleeping mat. In slumber, the youkai appeared to be a wingless angel, come to light upon the face of a dark world that would always fear him and the terrible powers he possessed. What shocked and amazed his father was the fact that his youngest son was also curled up on that same sleeping mat, unharmed and in one piece. The young pup had one of his thumbs in his mouth and the other tiny hand was clutching a fist full of Sesshoumaru's silver hair, twining and clinging there in his own state of sleep. The eldest had one arm draped over Inuyasha protectively, as if only in sleep would he admit he loved his younger sibling and ever looked out for him at all.

Quietly, Inutaisho shut the door and just stared at his mate, shaking his head and chuckling softly before saying quietly as he slipped one arm around her waist, "Who are they and what did you do with my children, woman?"

"I found them like that an hour ago when it got rather quiet and I was afraid something had happened again. Around here, silence only means two things, death or someone's been gagged. I feared the worst and could only do what you are doing now when I saw them," she said softly, shaking her head and leaning against his body as they disappeared into the chambers they shared.

"Again, that can't be Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. I won't hold my breath that either one of them will even remember this tomorrow morning though. By then, I'm sure my real children will be back from where you hide them away. But until them, the night is still young, my love," Inutaisho said softly with a familiar, predatory gleam in his eyes she had come to know so well.

"Hai, the night is just beginning, love," she responded as the door shut firmly behind them.

The silence of the castle stretched out into the night and a rare peace was found within by all. It would not last but then, nothing ever really does save for the ties of blood and hope.