InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Brothers-in-Arms ❯ Moving Forward ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: The only claim I have on these characters was made in the Live Journal community 30Shards, whose story prompts serve as a basis for this tale. In point of fact, the inu-brothers belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

 

Dedication: For Racing Stripes. Sorry about that little mix-up the other day, man. You're the best kind of friend—straight and true.

 

Date: 07.04.07

 

 

 

 

Brothers-in-Arms by Ginger Bits

 

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Chapter 4: Moving Forward

 

The village disappeared behind a bend in the road and the last, straggling well-wishers gave up their merry chase. Edo's farewells had been long and drawn-out, taking three days to reach a satisfactory conclusion. Sesshomaru was grateful to finally put the crowd of strangers behind him—especially the children, with their wide eyes and fearless manners. Having doted on youkai protectors all their lives, they harbored no concerns over his presence, according him the same odd combination of acceptance and hero worship that the hanyou and the kitsune received. So much like Rin. It had unnerved Sesshomaru, making him even more uncommunicative than usual.

 

“How you plannin' to travel?” Inuyasha asked, eyes forward, but one ear cocked to catch his brother's answer.

 

“On foot,” the taiyoukai replied shortly.

 

“Good.” Inuyasha flashed a fanged grin before setting off at a lope. He started slowly, giving muscles a chance to warm as he took deep breaths of air still dew-damp at this early hour. Gradually, he lengthened his strides, leaning into the run as he gained speed. How long has it been since I ran just to run? Damn. I haven't left the village since she disappeared, he realized. Not really. He'd hunted and patrolled with Shippo, training the kit as he grew, but they'd stayed near Edo, always circling back, always returning before nightfall. Inuyasha's eyes were bright with the sheer pleasure of moving forward. This feels good.

 

Though his steady gait was quickly eating up the miles, Inuyasha was ready to step up the pace. Counting down to himself, he used his forward motion to greatest advantage; with a coil and snap of muscles, he planted one foot firmly on the packed earth and launched himself into the air. The long, low arc ended with a practiced spring, sending the hanyou surging upwards again in another effortless curve.

 

It didn't take long for Inuyasha to relax into his rhythm and relish the sensation of being airborne. This was as close as he'd ever get to true flight, and it was one of the few pleasures he'd been able to derive from his mixed heritage. Pushing aside old memories, he gave himself over to the wind. It rushed past his ears, rippled and snapped through the loose fabric of his fire-rat, lifted his hair away from his neck, cooled his heated skin. This was one thing he'd clung to since childhood—something that was his and his alone—and nothing had surpassed the joy it carried for him until… until I could share it with Kagome.

 

As a hanyou, Inuyasha had gained an intimate understanding of loneliness. No one needed him; none would have him. His isolation had been nearly complete in his struggle for survival. The acceptance he'd come to treasure had its beginning in Kagome's warm heart. She'd set him free in more ways than one. Because of her, he'd found a home—a place to belong and a pack to protect. Kagome had given him something to live for and a future to hope for.

 

Whether she knew it or not, he'd shared a piece of himself with her whenever he carried her on his back. This exhilaration, this freedom, this private thrill—he'd let her know it too. It was the only thing he'd had to give, and the giving had left its mark, for now this solitary pleasure was touched by the shadow of loneliness. Kagome's comfortable weight was absent, and his hands felt empty without the need to steady her against his back. I miss her thighs gripping my hips, her chin tucked against my shoulder, her hands curled into my fire-rat, her voice in my ear. A pang of grief and longing trembled through Inuyasha, and he swallowed back the desperation that threatened to consume him. My wait is not forever. I will not succumb to depression again. Determined to shake off his melancholy, the hanyou took to the trees, vaulting through the complex network of branches at headlong speeds. The footwork demanded all his concentration and drove other, unwanted thoughts temporarily from mind.

 

As the sun was reaching its zenith, Inuyasha caught the scent of water and altered course to make for it. Dropping down beside a narrow creek, he dipped his hands into the chill current and swallowed a quick mouthful before running damp hands over his flushed face. He turned slightly to confirm what his other senses had already told him. Sesshoumaru stood quietly a few paces away, watching. The bastard isn't even breathing hard. The hanyou shook his head with a quiet snort. Figures.

 

Inuyasha turned his attention back to slaking his thirst, and once he'd had his fill, threw himself down on the mossy bank with studied carelessness. “So… where are we going?” Sesshomaru calmly pointed in a direction much further south than the line the hanyou had been taking all day. Inuyasha stared at his half-brother in disbelief. “You let me go the wrong way?” The taiyoukai shrugged indifferently, and Inuyasha looked at him with a combination of disgust and disbelief. “Why didn't ya say something?” At Sesshomaru's continued silence, Inuyasha growled his frustration. Stubborn asshole. “Fine. How far are we from wherever the hell it is we're going then?”

 

Sesshomaru didn't answer immediately, but stepped to the stream and dropped to one knee, scooping up some water with his hand. Inuyasha fidgeted. Something nagged at the back of his mind, telling him this was significant, which was stupid. So the bastard was thirsty. What do I care if he needs… The realization struck Inuyasha forcibly, and he stiffened. I've never seen him do that. Sesshoumaru moved tensely, and the look he shot at his brother had a rebellious light burning through it, as if daring him to comment. Inuyasha's mind raced. This is important. Why is this important?

 

The hanyou felt at a distinct disadvantage. His gut was telling him there was a message here, but he couldn't decode it. It frustrated him no end, knowing that his full-youkai brother might be communicating with him in ways he did not understand, especially since the bastard was so close-mouthed. It might help if I understood his cues. Instinctively, Inuyasha grasped that this wasn't how Sesshomaru normally behaved. He'd never lower himself or admit to needing anything, even something as insignificant as a drink. The taiyoukai was allowing himself to drop his guard… No, he's forcing himself. Inuyasha's ears flattened, then flicked forward as Sesshomaru raised another mouthful from the stream, never breaking eye contact.

 

The compulsion to respond in some way left the hanyou at a loss. It's just a fucking drink. Still, as insignificant as this gesture might seem, it spoke volumes. Sesshomaru had declared him an ally, and in his own subtle way, he was confirming Inuyasha's change of status. The taiyoukai had accepted the unavoidable and was also moving forward, assiduously going through the motions, acting as if his scorned half-brother was a trusted ally.

 

Inuyasha swallowed, struggling against the wash of anger and resentment that burned through his heart. The brother who had always spurned him now claimed him, at least verbally. Though Sesshomaru was exhibiting obvious distaste over their association, he was honoring his word on the matter, and the implications stung. There had never been anything standing in the way of… of whatever the fuck this is… except Sesshomaru's wishes on the matter. All it took to be accepted by that asshole was for him to decide to accept me. Longstanding rivalries had been set aside because he'd suddenly become useful, and Inuyasha couldn't ignore the fact that this meant that up until this point, he'd been considered useless. This in turn meant that he was being used. What the hell am I doing here? I don't have to put up with this shit.

 

He watched his half-brother warily, taking comfort in the taiyoukai's sour expression. I may not have to put up with it, but he doesn't have a choice. He's probably pissed to find out I might actually have some use. Somehow, this heartened Inuyasha a bit. At least I can annoy the hell out of him while he's using me. That could be fun for a while. As if sensing the mutinous train of thought, Sesshomaru's glare sharpened in intensity. Discomfited, the hanyou broke eye contact, scowling darkly into the undergrowth off to one side. A soft chuffing noise drew his eyes back almost immediately to where Sesshomaru now stood, head canted slightly, his expression smug. What the hell is he preening himself about?

 

The taiyoukai finally addressed the hanyou's question, if not answering it directly.

“I am in no hurry.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“I do as I please.”

 

“Yeah, well, so do I,” snapped Inuyasha. After a moment of surly silence, he tried again. “What are we doin' in the meantime?”

 

“There are things to discuss. It is best done in privacy,” the taiyoukai replied, a trace of reluctance in his manner.

 

Inuyasha scrutinized his half-brother. “Is that your way of saying you don't trust me not to make an ass of myself in public?” he demanded bluntly.

 

Sesshomaru skirted the question. “Once we arrive, our alliance will be under scrutiny. We need to reach an understanding beforehand.”

 

“What kind of understanding?” Inuyasha asked suspiciously.

 

“It would seem that you possess only the most rudimentary understanding of acceptable behavior,” the taiyoukai stated plainly.

 

Bristling, Inuyasha shot to his feet. “I can be fucking polite,” he protested heatedly.

 

Eyes narrowing, Sesshomaru stalked towards his younger brother. “No doubt,” he agreed in a tone that did not. “However, much of what is said amongst inuyoukai is left unspoken.” As the taiyoukai bore down on the hanyou, Inuyasha's hand flew to Tessaiga's hilt and he crouched defensively. Sesshomaru halted a handsbreadth from him and lifted one brow mockingly. “Your response indicates a certain lack of trust.”

 

“That's because I don't trust you, asshole.”

 

“Then you must become a convincing liar.”

 

Inuyasha shifted, trying to unobtrusively put some distance between him and his older sibling. “I ain't a liar.”

 

“Then you will learn to hide the truth.”

 

“And I suppose you're the one who's gonna teach me?” Inuyasha challenged, meeting his brother's calm gaze with a heated glare.

 

“Indeed,” Sesshomaru replied flatly.

 

Inuyasha's brows lowered and he searched his half-brother's face with suspicious eyes. This was serious. For this ploy to succeed, their responses to one another had to look natural. If non-verbal communication played as big a part with inuyoukai as Sesshomaru seemed to indicate, then he needed to know the do's and don'ts. The taiyoukai's expression was guarded, and the hanyou guessed his brother wasn't any happier over the prospect than he was. The fucking bastard's willing to try. I can do this. With a conscious effort, Inuyasha relaxed his stance and let his own guard drop.

 

Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly, registering the astonishment he felt when Inuyasha's customary glower fell away. In its absence, his half-brother's entire personality seemed to shift. The wide, golden eyes that gazed up into his own bore no trace of their usual combative light. Instead, he was greeted by candid intelligence. Sesshomaru realized with chagrin that while his brother's mask couldn't have been more different from his own, it was no less effective. So the half-breed is not a complete fool.

 

The momentary glimpse of the truth behind the bravado rattled the taiyoukai's composure enough to bring a knowing smirk to Inuyasha's lips. “Oi, asshole,” he said with casual gruffness. “I'll listen, but I ain't stupid.”

 

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the return to insolence, but he did not miss the change in its tone. “Hnn. That remains to be seen.”

 

Inuyasha shrugged and turned his back on the taiyoukai, taking to the trees again as he resumed the day's aimless travels. It didn't matter that there was no destination; after all, he was just killing time. The endless, empty days he'd endured so far were nothing compared to the mind-numbing centuries that still lay ahead. Maybe that's why I'm doing this for the bastard. At least if he's using me, I can use him right back. Dealing with his crap certainly breaks up the monotony. Gradually increasing his speed as he shot through the forest canopy, the hanyou wondered if he would regret the new direction his life had taken.

 

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Shard 26, Travel

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