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True Legends
Chapter 3
“Legends die hard. They survive as truth rarely does.” -- Helen Hayes
Kagome was pacing in front of her kitchen phone. She couldn’t keep Sesshoumaru here. In his animal form she couldn’t really communicate with him. She wasn’t completely sure that he knew who she was or if he was even in his right mind anymore. A few hundred years alone in a cave was bound to have some sort of effect on your psyche. A normal Sesshoumaru was difficult enough to deal with. There was no way that she could handle caring for him while he was like this. What had she been thinking?! Kagome found herself questioning her own sanity not for the first time that day.
The only thing left that she could do was call Inuyasha and try to work something out. But first she had to work up the nerve to do so. The last time that she’d brought up the topic of her friend’s older brother things hadn’t gone very well. That talk was still very clear in her mind…
“So we’ve covered what you, Kouga, and Shippou are doing these days,” she’d started. “What’s Sesshoumaru up to? Let me guess—running a multi-million dollar company somewhere?” She laughed a little at the thought, but went quiet as soon as she saw how tense her lunch guest had gotten.
“No, Kagome.” His voice was hard and cold. “I don’t know where he is; nobody does. A century or two after you left, he just disappeared.”
Kagome didn’t know what to say. Sesshoumaru had too much pride in his station to just abandon his lands. Something must have happened…had he died?? That couldn’t be it. Kagome couldn’t even begin to wrap her mind around the possibility of someone as strong as Sesshoumaru dying. “So…there weren’t any signs? You can’t just vanish into thin air, Inuyasha.”
“Well he damn sure figured out a way!” The half-demon shouted. But he settled down when he saw how he’d startled Kagome. This had become something of a sensitive subject for him over the years. “The last rumors I heard about him said that he was watching over a small village at the base of some mountains in the West. Then a large-scale demon extermination started. A lot of people were killed—human and demon alike. It forced a lot of us to go into hiding for a while and we started watching our population numbers more closely; the smaller our numbers, the less likely it was that there would be a repeat.”
“So it was just one big massacre?” Kagome asked unbelieving.
Inuyasha snorted in response. “Of course not! It almost turned into an all-out war. We would have won, but one year there was an increase in humans born with holy powers. Once they were trained to fight at long ranges like you did, it was more-or-less over.” Kagome could hear the tightness of his voice and suddenly felt slightly ashamed to be human. “But Sesshoumaru hadn’t been heard from for a while before that. If he hadn’t just disappeared like that…we wouldn’t have lost so many.”
“I know he was strong, but I don’t see how Sesshoumaru could have prevented what happened.” Part of her nature dictated that Kagome stand up for those who weren’t around to defend themselves.
“He could have. Sesshoumaru grew up surrounded by some of the best generals that the demon race had to offer. You don’t get it, Kagome. He wasn’t just strong. He was a damn good strategist. On top of that, he had authority. We could have organized better, we could have had a plan, but we didn’t know what we were doing by ourselves. We all lost people that we cared about…” He trailed off.
Kagome gently laid a hand on his arm in a silent bid for him to continue. She needed to know what had happened.
“Shippou lost Souten. He started courting her after running into her while getting some herbs he needed. He won’t admit to it, but I’m almost positive that he was planning on making her his mate,” his voice sounded like one of a proud father, though Kagome was sure that he wasn’t aware of it. “I lost Kagura—”
Kagome choked. “Kagura?!”
Inuyasha smirked at her. “Yeah, that’s what I thought too when the thought finally caught up with me. But she wasn’t so bad once she got her heart back. She even lost Naraku’s scent after a while and began to smell like a meadow breeze.”
Kagome wasn’t sure what to think about that, but she wanted to be happy that her friend found love even if it was relatively short lived. She nodded for him to continue, but felt her stomach drop at his now-grim expression.
“Kouga…he probably got it the worst. He and Ayame lost their first four cubs to the human hunters. Ayame almost couldn’t cope. She refused to try to have more cubs for over a century. It almost tore their relationship apart.” Inuyasha may not have like Kouga very much, but even he had to admit that something like that shouldn’t have to happen to anyone.
Kagome tried to hold back her tears. She’d seen Kouga a few times since Inuyasha had showed up at her house that one evening after school, but he’d never mentioned anything like that happening. She hadn’t seen Ayame at all, but now Kagome wasn’t sure if she could face the she-wolf without letting her sympathy show. And if the couple was just starting to really get over their loss then the last thing they needed was someone bringing up bad memories. Her attention was drawn back to Inuyasha when he sighed and leaned back in his chair.
“Kagome, I made peace with the fact that my brother hated me and was a complete ass a long time ago. But we never expected him to abandon our kind. I’m not the only one who thinks this way; those of us that were around for the fighting all agree. Sesshoumaru could have changed the outcome of those battles.” And then his eyes took on a hard gleam as he stared straight at her. “I don’t know where he went, but for his sake I hope he never comes back. There are a lot of people who are still really pissed at him.”
Kagome continued to stare at her kitchen phone in a memory-induced daze. Would Inuyasha want to kill Sesshoumaru for disappearing? ‘Maybe he’ll understand if I explain how I found him…’ She hoped as she reached for the phone.
But she was interrupted and let out a startled scream when a light buzzing came from her front pocket. Wanting the sensation to stop, Kagome removed the phone and opened it without checking her display screen to see who was calling her. “Hello?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were already back?” Came the response.
Kagome could practically feel the blood draining from her face when she heard Inuyasha’s voice. “Sorry, Inuyasha,” she tried to keep the anxiety out of her voice. “It must have slipped my mind. You know how I get when I get home from these trips; I always want to go over my information first!” She laughed weakly.
“Well I’m coming over and you can tell me about it. I’ll pick up something for an early supper. I should be there in about an hour!” Kagome was about to protest when she heard a click as the line went dead.
Staring at the phone with wide eyes for a moment, Kagome let the only thought she could manage fall from her lips. “CRAP!” That stubborn half-demon that she called a best friend was on his way over and his estranged older brother was in her guest room.
Kagome took off down the hallway to her office once more to grab her calligraphy brush. She didn’t notice the odd looks Sesshoumaru was giving her as she made a few modifications to the wards she’d put around the entrances to the room. “I’ll be right back!” She told him in a rushed tone before darting away from the doorway.
She ran outside and pulled all of the stuff out of her Jeep before depositing it by the back door. Then Kagome noticed the dried blood on the otherwise pristine concrete from where Sesshoumaru had bitten her. She grabbed the water hose and tried to wash it away, but only some of it lifted. Running back inside the house and to the refrigerator, she grabbed an almost full two-liter of Coca-Cola before returning back to the stain. She slowly poured the drink over the blood and watched as it began to dissolve before she washed everything away with the hose. There were still some pinkish splotches here and there, but nothing you would notice at a glance.
Kagome then hoped in her Jeep before taking it to its usual parking spot on the other side of the house. She moved all of her hiking gear and equipment to its designated closet in record time. It would probably be best if she tried to feed Sesshoumaru again before Inuyasha got there.
Rummaging around in the kitchen didn’t turn up much, but she was able to find some beef broth to heat up along with some ground beef that was still good. The liquid was warmed quickly and poured into a large bowl and the meat was placed in another bowl. Kagome noted that she wouldn’t be able to cook much for a while since Sesshoumaru was using most of her mixing bowls. One at a time was taken into the guest room so that nothing was spilled and Kagome finally began to calm down slightly when she refilled Sesshoumaru’s water and closed the bedroom door to leave him on his own.
A quick look at her dirty, bloody, and ripped clothing signaled that she was going to need a quick shower before Inuyasha got there and started asking questions that she really didn’t want to answer. But she needed to try to keep her freshly stitched and bandaged arm relatively dry. Kagome ran different possibilities through her head, brushing off each one, until one struck her as actually plausible. She rushed to the kitchen and searched her cabinets until she found the item she was after: saran wrap.
Wrapping a few layers around her forearm and cutting the sheet, Kagome secured everything in place with one rubber band near her elbow and one at her wrist. “Now to get a shower and get out before this cuts off my circulation,” she mumbled before heading for the bathroom connected to her master bedroom.
The shower was quick yet relaxing. By the time she stepped out of the steaming water, Kagome had almost forgotten why she had needed a bath so badly…almost. She removed the rubber bands and plastic wrap to reveal dry bandages save for a little blood. Gently removing them, she grabbed a few cotton balls and some peroxide before cleaning the several small wounds that dotted her arm and gently wiping away any remaining grime.
A new set of bandages and some clean clothes later, Kagome was pinning up her damp hair as she walked to open the door for the impatient half-demon that she knew was waiting on the other side. She spotted a light sweat-jacket hanging near the door and quickly pulled it on over the tank top she wore so that the sleeves would cover her arm. “Hey Inuyasha,” she greeted with a smile as she stepped aside to let the older man into her home. “I just got home this afternoon. Is there any particular reason that you feel like you have to come see me as soon as I get back?”
Inuyasha scoffed as he set the plastic bags containing their food down on the kitchen table. “As often as I had to rescue your ass while we looked for those jewel shards, you’re lucky I don’t go on those trips with you.”
Kagome just waved him off as she shut the door and followed him to the kitchen. “Fine, fine. So what did you get us for supper this time?”
“I thought some sautéed liver and asparagus from that restaurant uptown would be nice,” he answered with an evil grin. And he couldn’t help but laugh when he got his desired reaction; Kagome faltered in her steps and turned to look at him as though he’d struck her. As the color continued to drain from her features, Inuyasha rolled his eyes and said, “Look in the bag, stupid.”
With a lightly trembling hand, Kagome reached out to open the open the bags with a light rustling sound before sighing in relief when she spotted bowls from her favorite little corner shop for oden. After hacking apart those animals and feeding them to Sesshoumaru, Kagome really didn’t want to think about any kind of internal organs, edible or not. Besides, she hated liver!
As Inuyasha continued to laugh at her, Kagome picked up the pepper shaker from the table and aimed for his head. “You jerk!” She laughed. “That’s not funny. Sit down while I get some glasses. What do you want to drink?”
“What do you have?”
“Ummm…” Kagome checked her refrigerator. “I have milk, orange juice, water, or I could make us some tea.”
“Kagome Higurashi doesn’t have soda in her house? Is the world ending?” Inuyasha asked as he laughed at her nervous blush. Little did he know that she had polished off the rest of her favorite drink trying to get rid of a blood stain. “Water’s fine.”
Kagome listened to Inuyasha rattle of the usual status reports on her friends that she didn’t see nearly as often as him while she reached for two glasses on one of the higher shelves. Inuyasha, in turn, sat at the table taking their meals out of the bags. But his ears twitched when his delicate hearing picked up the brush of soft fabric against something with a more coarse texture. He looked up at Kagome to see the sleeve of her jacket sliding up her arm as she stretched which revealed a glimpse of the white bandages that rested underneath.
Kagome jumped and nearly dropped the newly acquired glasses as she heard Inuyasha’s chair scrape across the floor due to his abrupt stand. He stalked toward her with a serious look and she grew increasingly nervous. She had no idea what he was doing until he grabbed her injured arm and tugged the sleeve up to her elbow. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt? How did this happen? Have you had it treated yet?” He may have fallen into the role of her best friend, but Inuyasha had never stopped loving the girl from the future. If he didn’t look old enough to be her father, he would have tried to pursue her in a romantic manner. But now, for as long as she would allow, he would be her protector.
“Nothing Dad,” she teased while trying to pull her arm away from him. She grew increasingly nervous as his grip held firm. “I fell in the woods and cut my arm on a rock. You know how it goes sometimes. I’ve already been to the hospital and had them look at it. I’m fine. Now if you don’t mind—” she tried to pull her arm away again.
“It was bad enough that you went to the hospital?”
“Just a couple of stitches, nothing major,” she tried to placate him, but it didn’t seem to be working. When he began to bring her arm up to his face her eyes widened and she jerked back before asking, “What are you doing?”
“You got this in the woods. There may be an infection that they missed at the hospital. Inferior human senses can’t catch a damn thing…” Inuyasha mumbled before bringing her arm up once more and taking a deep breath through his nose before she could object again. His brow furrowed. Something wasn’t right.
He began to sniff again, trying to place what was off. It was faint, but there was another smell there. The source seemed so familiar and foreign to him all at the same time. An image was trying to collect in his mind’s eye, but it was blurry. Taking in and analyzing breath after breath, the image steadily became clearer until he stopped all together and turned accusing eyes onto his friend. With the swift flick of a claw, Inuyasha pulled the bandages from Kagome’s arm and stared at the small, stitched up puncture marks marring her skin. He took another sniff with no interference this time and growled deep in his chest. ‘Sesshoumaru,’ he thought.
Without saying a word to Kagome, Inuyasha turned away from her and began to sort through the smells of the house a little more closely. Again, it was faint, but his brother’s scent was definitely present. How had he not noticed before? He’d had no reason to look for it and hadn’t come across it in centuries. His best friend—his eyes darted to Kagome—wouldn’t hide this from him. Maybe he was wrong.
Inuyasha followed the scent out of the kitchen and down the hallway before coming to stand before what he knew to be the guest bedroom door. Only now the door had two wards on either side and one in the center. He pushed the door open, ignoring the sound of Kagome approaching him, and stared at an impossibly large, dirty dog. This was his brother? His eyes said no, but Inuyasha trusted his nose more and it was screaming yes. Stunned eyes flickered to Kagome once more as she reached his side and he caught a glimpse of her injured arm again. It was then that his shocked mind seemed to connect the bite to his canine brother lying before him.
Kagome wasn’t sure what to do. She was terrified. There was no way to tell what action Inuyasha was going to take and she didn’t know if Sesshoumaru would try or even be able to do anything in return. But when the white of Inuyasha’s eyes began to tint pink, she knew there was bound to be trouble.
“You son of a bitch! What the hell did you do to her?!” He yelled. “Not only did you leave your kind to die at the hands of those damned humans, but you bit the woman I love while she was obviously trying to help your pathetic ass!” The words were just coming out; Inuyasha wasn’t even realizing what he was saying. His fists were clenched tightly at his side as his shoulders trembled with barely restrained rage. He’d waited centuries to confront his brother and this was what he got? A half-dead shell of a demon lord? “You bastard…” he mumbled softly before yelling, “I’ll kill you!”
Inuyasha launched himself towards the doorway only to hit a solid yet invisible wall. Growling at the wards by the door, he beat against the energy keeping him away from his target until he was repelled completely and collided with the opposite wall. As he slid down and sat on the floor, Inuyasha couldn’t stop the heavy weight that came with the feeling of betrayal.
Kagome crouched down next to her friend and cautiously reached out to place a hand on his shoulder only to have the appendage slapped away. Inuyasha didn’t look at her, and if she knew him at all she knew that she didn’t want him to. His eyes would be too heavy and hurt for her to handle right now. “Inuyasha,” she began, “I’m sorry—” but she was cut off.
“Don’t.” It was a simple demand. “Just don’t start, Kagome.” Inuyasha slowly rose to his feet and glared at his growling brother before stepping towards the door once more. “Sesshoumaru, you are not to hurt her again. Do you understand me?”
Kagome heard a responding growl, this one more guttural than the previous. Her attention turned back to Inuyasha when he spoke again.
“Don’t act like you don’t know who I am, Sesshoumaru! You will NOT harm her again. If you do, I will come back here and I will kill you. I’ll bring Tetsusaiga and nothing will get in my way.”
Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru glanced at her as she looked past Inuyasha and into the room. He answered with another low series of growls. But this time his answer came in a more animalistic form from Inuyasha. Apparently there were parts of this conversation that they didn’t want her to know about. When Sesshoumaru didn’t answer and instead just glared at his brother, Inuyasha gave a curt nod and turned away from the room sharply to leave.
Following her friend back into the kitchen, Kagome watched quietly as Inuyasha pulled his wallet out of his pocket and took a small plastic card out of one of the slots. He placed it on the kitchen table before explaining with his back still turned to her, “He’s going to be eating a lot while he’s on the mend. No matter how angry I am at him, he’s still my half-brother and I’ll take financial responsibility for him. I’m not going to let him bankrupt you. Use this credit card for everything he needs. If he gives you trouble, call me. But otherwise, Kagome,” he said before glancing over his shoulder. “Please don’t talk to me for a while.”
He turned away before he could see her tears and left the house quietly.
When the door shut, Kagome felt her throat begin to constrict as more tears trailed down her cheeks. Bringing Sesshoumaru to her home may have ruined one of the closest friendships she had. But she couldn’t have left him alone in the mountains to die. She felt horribly conflicted. She didn’t want to choose between the two brothers. She knew which one she wanted to choose, but he wasn’t the one who needed her. Sesshoumaru didn’t have anyone else and would probably die on his own. She couldn’t turn him away now. Her conscience and principles wouldn’t allow it. And so, until he was able to care for himself in a world that he had never really seen before, Kagome had to resign herself to being Sesshoumaru’s primary caretaker…no matter how much it hurt her or those she loved.
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AN: Sorry it took so long for me to do this. Reality is trying to kill me. So tired…must sleep. Sorry for any errors. I think I got most of it, but I double check again when I’m slightly more conscious. Hope you enjoyed! Nighty night.
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True Legends
Chapter 3
“Legends die hard. They survive as truth rarely does.” -- Helen Hayes
Kagome was pacing in front of her kitchen phone. She couldn’t keep Sesshoumaru here. In his animal form she couldn’t really communicate with him. She wasn’t completely sure that he knew who she was or if he was even in his right mind anymore. A few hundred years alone in a cave was bound to have some sort of effect on your psyche. A normal Sesshoumaru was difficult enough to deal with. There was no way that she could handle caring for him while he was like this. What had she been thinking?! Kagome found herself questioning her own sanity not for the first time that day.
The only thing left that she could do was call Inuyasha and try to work something out. But first she had to work up the nerve to do so. The last time that she’d brought up the topic of her friend’s older brother things hadn’t gone very well. That talk was still very clear in her mind…
“So we’ve covered what you, Kouga, and Shippou are doing these days,” she’d started. “What’s Sesshoumaru up to? Let me guess—running a multi-million dollar company somewhere?” She laughed a little at the thought, but went quiet as soon as she saw how tense her lunch guest had gotten.
“No, Kagome.” His voice was hard and cold. “I don’t know where he is; nobody does. A century or two after you left, he just disappeared.”
Kagome didn’t know what to say. Sesshoumaru had too much pride in his station to just abandon his lands. Something must have happened…had he died?? That couldn’t be it. Kagome couldn’t even begin to wrap her mind around the possibility of someone as strong as Sesshoumaru dying. “So…there weren’t any signs? You can’t just vanish into thin air, Inuyasha.”
“Well he damn sure figured out a way!” The half-demon shouted. But he settled down when he saw how he’d startled Kagome. This had become something of a sensitive subject for him over the years. “The last rumors I heard about him said that he was watching over a small village at the base of some mountains in the West. Then a large-scale demon extermination started. A lot of people were killed—human and demon alike. It forced a lot of us to go into hiding for a while and we started watching our population numbers more closely; the smaller our numbers, the less likely it was that there would be a repeat.”
“So it was just one big massacre?” Kagome asked unbelieving.
Inuyasha snorted in response. “Of course not! It almost turned into an all-out war. We would have won, but one year there was an increase in humans born with holy powers. Once they were trained to fight at long ranges like you did, it was more-or-less over.” Kagome could hear the tightness of his voice and suddenly felt slightly ashamed to be human. “But Sesshoumaru hadn’t been heard from for a while before that. If he hadn’t just disappeared like that…we wouldn’t have lost so many.”
“I know he was strong, but I don’t see how Sesshoumaru could have prevented what happened.” Part of her nature dictated that Kagome stand up for those who weren’t around to defend themselves.
“He could have. Sesshoumaru grew up surrounded by some of the best generals that the demon race had to offer. You don’t get it, Kagome. He wasn’t just strong. He was a damn good strategist. On top of that, he had authority. We could have organized better, we could have had a plan, but we didn’t know what we were doing by ourselves. We all lost people that we cared about…” He trailed off.
Kagome gently laid a hand on his arm in a silent bid for him to continue. She needed to know what had happened.
“Shippou lost Souten. He started courting her after running into her while getting some herbs he needed. He won’t admit to it, but I’m almost positive that he was planning on making her his mate,” his voice sounded like one of a proud father, though Kagome was sure that he wasn’t aware of it. “I lost Kagura—”
Kagome choked. “Kagura?!”
Inuyasha smirked at her. “Yeah, that’s what I thought too when the thought finally caught up with me. But she wasn’t so bad once she got her heart back. She even lost Naraku’s scent after a while and began to smell like a meadow breeze.”
Kagome wasn’t sure what to think about that, but she wanted to be happy that her friend found love even if it was relatively short lived. She nodded for him to continue, but felt her stomach drop at his now-grim expression.
“Kouga…he probably got it the worst. He and Ayame lost their first four cubs to the human hunters. Ayame almost couldn’t cope. She refused to try to have more cubs for over a century. It almost tore their relationship apart.” Inuyasha may not have like Kouga very much, but even he had to admit that something like that shouldn’t have to happen to anyone.
Kagome tried to hold back her tears. She’d seen Kouga a few times since Inuyasha had showed up at her house that one evening after school, but he’d never mentioned anything like that happening. She hadn’t seen Ayame at all, but now Kagome wasn’t sure if she could face the she-wolf without letting her sympathy show. And if the couple was just starting to really get over their loss then the last thing they needed was someone bringing up bad memories. Her attention was drawn back to Inuyasha when he sighed and leaned back in his chair.
“Kagome, I made peace with the fact that my brother hated me and was a complete ass a long time ago. But we never expected him to abandon our kind. I’m not the only one who thinks this way; those of us that were around for the fighting all agree. Sesshoumaru could have changed the outcome of those battles.” And then his eyes took on a hard gleam as he stared straight at her. “I don’t know where he went, but for his sake I hope he never comes back. There are a lot of people who are still really pissed at him.”
Kagome continued to stare at her kitchen phone in a memory-induced daze. Would Inuyasha want to kill Sesshoumaru for disappearing? ‘Maybe he’ll understand if I explain how I found him…’ She hoped as she reached for the phone.
But she was interrupted and let out a startled scream when a light buzzing came from her front pocket. Wanting the sensation to stop, Kagome removed the phone and opened it without checking her display screen to see who was calling her. “Hello?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were already back?” Came the response.
Kagome could practically feel the blood draining from her face when she heard Inuyasha’s voice. “Sorry, Inuyasha,” she tried to keep the anxiety out of her voice. “It must have slipped my mind. You know how I get when I get home from these trips; I always want to go over my information first!” She laughed weakly.
“Well I’m coming over and you can tell me about it. I’ll pick up something for an early supper. I should be there in about an hour!” Kagome was about to protest when she heard a click as the line went dead.
Staring at the phone with wide eyes for a moment, Kagome let the only thought she could manage fall from her lips. “CRAP!” That stubborn half-demon that she called a best friend was on his way over and his estranged older brother was in her guest room.
Kagome took off down the hallway to her office once more to grab her calligraphy brush. She didn’t notice the odd looks Sesshoumaru was giving her as she made a few modifications to the wards she’d put around the entrances to the room. “I’ll be right back!” She told him in a rushed tone before darting away from the doorway.
She ran outside and pulled all of the stuff out of her Jeep before depositing it by the back door. Then Kagome noticed the dried blood on the otherwise pristine concrete from where Sesshoumaru had bitten her. She grabbed the water hose and tried to wash it away, but only some of it lifted. Running back inside the house and to the refrigerator, she grabbed an almost full two-liter of Coca-Cola before returning back to the stain. She slowly poured the drink over the blood and watched as it began to dissolve before she washed everything away with the hose. There were still some pinkish splotches here and there, but nothing you would notice at a glance.
Kagome then hoped in her Jeep before taking it to its usual parking spot on the other side of the house. She moved all of her hiking gear and equipment to its designated closet in record time. It would probably be best if she tried to feed Sesshoumaru again before Inuyasha got there.
Rummaging around in the kitchen didn’t turn up much, but she was able to find some beef broth to heat up along with some ground beef that was still good. The liquid was warmed quickly and poured into a large bowl and the meat was placed in another bowl. Kagome noted that she wouldn’t be able to cook much for a while since Sesshoumaru was using most of her mixing bowls. One at a time was taken into the guest room so that nothing was spilled and Kagome finally began to calm down slightly when she refilled Sesshoumaru’s water and closed the bedroom door to leave him on his own.
A quick look at her dirty, bloody, and ripped clothing signaled that she was going to need a quick shower before Inuyasha got there and started asking questions that she really didn’t want to answer. But she needed to try to keep her freshly stitched and bandaged arm relatively dry. Kagome ran different possibilities through her head, brushing off each one, until one struck her as actually plausible. She rushed to the kitchen and searched her cabinets until she found the item she was after: saran wrap.
Wrapping a few layers around her forearm and cutting the sheet, Kagome secured everything in place with one rubber band near her elbow and one at her wrist. “Now to get a shower and get out before this cuts off my circulation,” she mumbled before heading for the bathroom connected to her master bedroom.
The shower was quick yet relaxing. By the time she stepped out of the steaming water, Kagome had almost forgotten why she had needed a bath so badly…almost. She removed the rubber bands and plastic wrap to reveal dry bandages save for a little blood. Gently removing them, she grabbed a few cotton balls and some peroxide before cleaning the several small wounds that dotted her arm and gently wiping away any remaining grime.
A new set of bandages and some clean clothes later, Kagome was pinning up her damp hair as she walked to open the door for the impatient half-demon that she knew was waiting on the other side. She spotted a light sweat-jacket hanging near the door and quickly pulled it on over the tank top she wore so that the sleeves would cover her arm. “Hey Inuyasha,” she greeted with a smile as she stepped aside to let the older man into her home. “I just got home this afternoon. Is there any particular reason that you feel like you have to come see me as soon as I get back?”
Inuyasha scoffed as he set the plastic bags containing their food down on the kitchen table. “As often as I had to rescue your ass while we looked for those jewel shards, you’re lucky I don’t go on those trips with you.”
Kagome just waved him off as she shut the door and followed him to the kitchen. “Fine, fine. So what did you get us for supper this time?”
“I thought some sautéed liver and asparagus from that restaurant uptown would be nice,” he answered with an evil grin. And he couldn’t help but laugh when he got his desired reaction; Kagome faltered in her steps and turned to look at him as though he’d struck her. As the color continued to drain from her features, Inuyasha rolled his eyes and said, “Look in the bag, stupid.”
With a lightly trembling hand, Kagome reached out to open the open the bags with a light rustling sound before sighing in relief when she spotted bowls from her favorite little corner shop for oden. After hacking apart those animals and feeding them to Sesshoumaru, Kagome really didn’t want to think about any kind of internal organs, edible or not. Besides, she hated liver!
As Inuyasha continued to laugh at her, Kagome picked up the pepper shaker from the table and aimed for his head. “You jerk!” She laughed. “That’s not funny. Sit down while I get some glasses. What do you want to drink?”
“What do you have?”
“Ummm…” Kagome checked her refrigerator. “I have milk, orange juice, water, or I could make us some tea.”
“Kagome Higurashi doesn’t have soda in her house? Is the world ending?” Inuyasha asked as he laughed at her nervous blush. Little did he know that she had polished off the rest of her favorite drink trying to get rid of a blood stain. “Water’s fine.”
Kagome listened to Inuyasha rattle of the usual status reports on her friends that she didn’t see nearly as often as him while she reached for two glasses on one of the higher shelves. Inuyasha, in turn, sat at the table taking their meals out of the bags. But his ears twitched when his delicate hearing picked up the brush of soft fabric against something with a more coarse texture. He looked up at Kagome to see the sleeve of her jacket sliding up her arm as she stretched which revealed a glimpse of the white bandages that rested underneath.
Kagome jumped and nearly dropped the newly acquired glasses as she heard Inuyasha’s chair scrape across the floor due to his abrupt stand. He stalked toward her with a serious look and she grew increasingly nervous. She had no idea what he was doing until he grabbed her injured arm and tugged the sleeve up to her elbow. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt? How did this happen? Have you had it treated yet?” He may have fallen into the role of her best friend, but Inuyasha had never stopped loving the girl from the future. If he didn’t look old enough to be her father, he would have tried to pursue her in a romantic manner. But now, for as long as she would allow, he would be her protector.
“Nothing Dad,” she teased while trying to pull her arm away from him. She grew increasingly nervous as his grip held firm. “I fell in the woods and cut my arm on a rock. You know how it goes sometimes. I’ve already been to the hospital and had them look at it. I’m fine. Now if you don’t mind—” she tried to pull her arm away again.
“It was bad enough that you went to the hospital?”
“Just a couple of stitches, nothing major,” she tried to placate him, but it didn’t seem to be working. When he began to bring her arm up to his face her eyes widened and she jerked back before asking, “What are you doing?”
“You got this in the woods. There may be an infection that they missed at the hospital. Inferior human senses can’t catch a damn thing…” Inuyasha mumbled before bringing her arm up once more and taking a deep breath through his nose before she could object again. His brow furrowed. Something wasn’t right.
He began to sniff again, trying to place what was off. It was faint, but there was another smell there. The source seemed so familiar and foreign to him all at the same time. An image was trying to collect in his mind’s eye, but it was blurry. Taking in and analyzing breath after breath, the image steadily became clearer until he stopped all together and turned accusing eyes onto his friend. With the swift flick of a claw, Inuyasha pulled the bandages from Kagome’s arm and stared at the small, stitched up puncture marks marring her skin. He took another sniff with no interference this time and growled deep in his chest. ‘Sesshoumaru,’ he thought.
Without saying a word to Kagome, Inuyasha turned away from her and began to sort through the smells of the house a little more closely. Again, it was faint, but his brother’s scent was definitely present. How had he not noticed before? He’d had no reason to look for it and hadn’t come across it in centuries. His best friend—his eyes darted to Kagome—wouldn’t hide this from him. Maybe he was wrong.
Inuyasha followed the scent out of the kitchen and down the hallway before coming to stand before what he knew to be the guest bedroom door. Only now the door had two wards on either side and one in the center. He pushed the door open, ignoring the sound of Kagome approaching him, and stared at an impossibly large, dirty dog. This was his brother? His eyes said no, but Inuyasha trusted his nose more and it was screaming yes. Stunned eyes flickered to Kagome once more as she reached his side and he caught a glimpse of her injured arm again. It was then that his shocked mind seemed to connect the bite to his canine brother lying before him.
Kagome wasn’t sure what to do. She was terrified. There was no way to tell what action Inuyasha was going to take and she didn’t know if Sesshoumaru would try or even be able to do anything in return. But when the white of Inuyasha’s eyes began to tint pink, she knew there was bound to be trouble.
“You son of a bitch! What the hell did you do to her?!” He yelled. “Not only did you leave your kind to die at the hands of those damned humans, but you bit the woman I love while she was obviously trying to help your pathetic ass!” The words were just coming out; Inuyasha wasn’t even realizing what he was saying. His fists were clenched tightly at his side as his shoulders trembled with barely restrained rage. He’d waited centuries to confront his brother and this was what he got? A half-dead shell of a demon lord? “You bastard…” he mumbled softly before yelling, “I’ll kill you!”
Inuyasha launched himself towards the doorway only to hit a solid yet invisible wall. Growling at the wards by the door, he beat against the energy keeping him away from his target until he was repelled completely and collided with the opposite wall. As he slid down and sat on the floor, Inuyasha couldn’t stop the heavy weight that came with the feeling of betrayal.
Kagome crouched down next to her friend and cautiously reached out to place a hand on his shoulder only to have the appendage slapped away. Inuyasha didn’t look at her, and if she knew him at all she knew that she didn’t want him to. His eyes would be too heavy and hurt for her to handle right now. “Inuyasha,” she began, “I’m sorry—” but she was cut off.
“Don’t.” It was a simple demand. “Just don’t start, Kagome.” Inuyasha slowly rose to his feet and glared at his growling brother before stepping towards the door once more. “Sesshoumaru, you are not to hurt her again. Do you understand me?”
Kagome heard a responding growl, this one more guttural than the previous. Her attention turned back to Inuyasha when he spoke again.
“Don’t act like you don’t know who I am, Sesshoumaru! You will NOT harm her again. If you do, I will come back here and I will kill you. I’ll bring Tetsusaiga and nothing will get in my way.”
Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru glanced at her as she looked past Inuyasha and into the room. He answered with another low series of growls. But this time his answer came in a more animalistic form from Inuyasha. Apparently there were parts of this conversation that they didn’t want her to know about. When Sesshoumaru didn’t answer and instead just glared at his brother, Inuyasha gave a curt nod and turned away from the room sharply to leave.
Following her friend back into the kitchen, Kagome watched quietly as Inuyasha pulled his wallet out of his pocket and took a small plastic card out of one of the slots. He placed it on the kitchen table before explaining with his back still turned to her, “He’s going to be eating a lot while he’s on the mend. No matter how angry I am at him, he’s still my half-brother and I’ll take financial responsibility for him. I’m not going to let him bankrupt you. Use this credit card for everything he needs. If he gives you trouble, call me. But otherwise, Kagome,” he said before glancing over his shoulder. “Please don’t talk to me for a while.”
He turned away before he could see her tears and left the house quietly.
When the door shut, Kagome felt her throat begin to constrict as more tears trailed down her cheeks. Bringing Sesshoumaru to her home may have ruined one of the closest friendships she had. But she couldn’t have left him alone in the mountains to die. She felt horribly conflicted. She didn’t want to choose between the two brothers. She knew which one she wanted to choose, but he wasn’t the one who needed her. Sesshoumaru didn’t have anyone else and would probably die on his own. She couldn’t turn him away now. Her conscience and principles wouldn’t allow it. And so, until he was able to care for himself in a world that he had never really seen before, Kagome had to resign herself to being Sesshoumaru’s primary caretaker…no matter how much it hurt her or those she loved.
O-O-O-O-O-O-O
AN: Sorry it took so long for me to do this. Reality is trying to kill me. So tired…must sleep. Sorry for any errors. I think I got most of it, but I double check again when I’m slightly more conscious. Hope you enjoyed! Nighty night.
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