InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Divergence ❯ Chapter 12

Divergence

 

Canto XII

 

 

Two days before the vassals were to arrive for the stupid party Inuyasha could be found in the main courtyard putting a few young soldiers through their paces. It had started when he and Kagura had been sparing. A few of the guards had wanted to make use of the space and there had been a bit of a contest to see who deserved it. Kagura had stepped back, not interested. Inuyasha's brow had furrowed as he had stepped into the center of the courtyard, obviously not intending to leave upon their request.

 

Inuyasha's hadn't even broken a sweat and had left the guards in the middle of the courtyard to recover. Kagura stood from where she had been leaning against a stone wall and walked over to him, her smile taunting.

 

“I'm a bit worried,” she said bluntly as the two of them began to stroll around the grounds.

 

“Why's that?”

 

“Earth Katashi is fighting with Naraku is he not?”

 

Inuyasha heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I know. They're not ready for an attack from the Hyouga, Naraku and Katashi. I think the bastard knows it too.”

 

“His name is Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha,” Kagura said, sounding as if she were fighting with a young child.

 

Inuyasha waved her off and began to pace in front of a large tree. The branches had lost their leaves and the lay upon the ground crunching softly under his feet as he paced. Kagura sat down on the bench placed in front of the tree and watched him, remaining silent.

 

“I think I might be able to get Hirkaru to help us with Katashi,” he said at last.

 

He paused and looked into the distance for a brief moment before continuing to pace. “Naraku I can deal with.”

 

“The Hyouga?”

 

“He's an unknown factor in all of this. I managed to get Sesshoumaru to explain to me a little bit. Basically the Hyouga wants Sesshoumaru's land and wants revenge on me for killing his father and brother.”

 

Kagura couldn't hide her astonishment. “That was you?”

 

Inuyasha just grunt and waved it off. Kagura sat back, blinking in surprise.

 

“So what's the problem? You've done it before.”

 

“There's this thing where the next Hyouga gains the powers of all the ones previous. He'll be stronger than before and I. . . .I really can't now,” Inuyasha finished sheepishly.

 

Kagura deadpanned. “What?”

 

“I can't kill him. He had nothing to do with me directly so I can't use the currents to kill him because it would be going against the rules.”

 

Kagura's expression and tone didn't change. “Rules?”

 

The half-demon leveled an indignant glare at her. “Yes rules. Everything has rules.”

 

The wind-witch still seemed displeased. But nodded, letting the matter drop. Inuyasha looked slightly relived. The two of them settled under the tree and watched the servants tend to the grounds and the guards practicing in the courtyard not so far away. As the sun began to set they stirred and moved inside, were they sat down to dinner. Surprisingly Sesshoumaru appeared a few minutes later and paused minutely at seeing his brother sitting at the table. Inuyasha ignored him and began to eat, sharing a quick look with Kagura. She buried herself in her food.

 

Half way through the meal Sesshoumaru placed his bowl down and looked up at Inuyasha, waiting for the hanyou to acknowledge him. Inuyasha did so with a raised eyebrow.

 

“The nobles will begin arriving the day after tomorrow.”

 

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side, obviously conveying, “Yes I know, and?”

 

“You will have to begin acting your status then.”

 

Kagura burst into loud laughter but Inuyasha shoved her over onto the floor before she could begin in earnest.

 

“Shut up,” he hissed as she sat back up looking angry.

 

“You can't do that to me!”

 

“I just did. What are you gonna do about it?”

 

Sesshoumaru quickly redirected Inuyasha's attention back to himself before Kagura could tell Inuyasha exactly what she was going to do about it.

 

“Four days from now there will be a formal ball. You will have to be fitted for it.”

 

Inuyasha looked down at his clothes, the same clothes that Hirkaru had given him, and didn't see why he had to wear anything different. His expression must have said so because Sesshoumaru looked exasperated.

 

“You cannot be serious.”

 

“What's wrong with what I'm wearing?”

 

“You are outfitted for war not a party. As my consort you cannot be seen as such.”

 

Inuyasha flushed light red and mumbled something incoherent to himself.

 

“And no more of this mumbling. You sound like a common beggar,” Sesshoumaru said sharply.

 

But inside Sesshoumaru was practically cackling in glee. The vassals would most likely stay for a few weeks and in that time Inuyasha would be his. His to torment. The dai-youkai was positive that he would be drooling if he was capable of such things.

 

“Yes,” he said thoughtfully to himself, almost smiling. “I will give you to the maids. Then the seamstress.”

 

Inuyasha was looking a little worried and turned to Kagura for help. She merely stared at him before looking to Sesshoumaru, a conspirator's smile curling her painted lips.

 

“Oh yes, very good my Lord.”

 

Inuyasha groaned.

 

Sesshoumaru smiled, actually smiled as he steepled his hands and rested his chin on them, looking Inuyasha over carefully. Inuyasha really looked worried now.

 

“Tomorrow, a bath, and the day after, the fitting for your clothes. She will not be able to complete them all over night, but she will have at least two done before the vassals arrive.”

 

“What if I say no?” Inuyasha snapped.

 

Sesshoumaru smiled again. Inuyasha just scowled in defeat and looked away.

 

 

 

“Aaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggg!”

 

“Please hold still my Lord!”

 

Inuyasha braced himself as he felt the maid shift to gain better leverage before trying to drag the comb through his hair again. He bit his lip to keep from crying out again, but couldn't stop his eyes from tearing up.

 

“Have you ever combed your hair before my Lord?” the maid asked incredulous as she tugged the comb out of a knot at the nape of his neck.

 

Inuyasha just whimpered.

 

“Perhaps if you did it more often, it wouldn't hurt so much my Lord.”

 

She began to tug again and Inuyasha whined pathetically. The maid felt a little bad for him, but was happy that her Lord Sesshoumaru had given her this task. She feared that if one of the young maids had been given the task of tending to her Lord's consort, they would spend more time fawning over him than getting anything done. Over half an hour later Inuyasha was slumped over on the benches that lined the baths, whimpering softly every few moments. His scalp was smarting and it hurt to move. His ears had compressed themselves to his skull but every once and a while he would flick them in an overall irritated manner. He'd bathed once today, but if he understood this fully, he would get a soak before a scrubbing and then his hair would be washed, again. The maid from before walked over and told him that he could get in now and that she would send someone to help wash later.

 

Inuyasha eyed her carefully as he stood and walked over to the door leading to the bath-house. When she only smiled at him and told him that he had the nicest, thickest, softest hair she'd seen in a long while he blushed and disappeared quickly. She laughed quietly to herself.

 

Inuyasha slipped out of his robe and into the bath, sighing contently as he leaned back. He knew that he could have fought Sesshoumaru harder about this whole Consort thing. But he couldn't help but think that maybe this wasn't that bad. Sesshoumaru couldn't belittle him in front of the nobles. It was bad form. Also, he must not mind Inuyasha that much if he was willing to spend a long amount of time with him. Inuyasha told himself that he shouldn't care that much, but before he could even go down that road the soul and his youkai rose up to dissuade him.

 

No young one, He would make a good mate and this is your chance.

 

-You are his second half. I see this.-

 

Inuyasha sighed in frustration this time but his thoughts were not allowed to steam any longer because a number of young servants barged into the room. Inuyasha groaned and dunked himself under the water.

 

 

 

 

When he collapsed onto his futon a few hours later he felt as if he'd just fought Naraku and his demon's over and over again for days. His muscles were sore in a way that he didn't even think possible. But he felt ridiculously clean, so clean that he felt that if he moved too quickly his skin would crack and he'd bleed to death, which was an odd thought. He knew that he was expected at dinner. But after he'd laid down he didn't want to get up. He blinked a few times, rolled over a few times but nothing worked. So he decided not to go. With a jaw cracking yawn he rolled over onto his back, only half dressed, and pillowed the back of his head with one of his arms. He stared at the ceiling sleepily for a few long moments. He didn't even realize that he had fallen asleep.

 

 

 

 

Kagura had opted not to wait for Inuyasha to show up for dinner and had started before Sesshoumaru had even got there. He sat himself down across from her and glanced at the empty spot on her right. Of course she noticed and shrugged.

 

“Didn't show up. He's probably hiding somewhere.”

 

“I have to speak with him.”

“You know where his rooms are. You gave them to him after all.”

 

 

 

 

After dinner Sesshoumaru made his way to Inuyasha's chambers, absentmindedly reminding himself to move Inuyasha into his own rooms. They didn't have to sleep together but it would look odd if their rooms were so far apart. The dai-youkai came to a stop at the door he knew to be Inuyasha's and knocked firmly. Then he waited. When no one came to the door he knocked again before getting irritated and sliding the door open.

 

The room was cooler than most of the castle, was Sesshoumaru's first observation. The second was that it looked extremely bare, which made sense because as far as he knew Inuyasha owned nothing. The room was on the corner of the keep so there were windows on two walls. They had been opened and a strong breeze was blowing through the room, which had blown out the candle, plunging the room into darkness.

 

Sesshoumaru heard a soft sound by the bed under one of the windows and moved to awaken his brother so he could speak to him but the sight he beheld made him pause. Inuyasha was sprawled out on his back shirtless. One long arm pillowed his head while the other rested lightly at his side. His hair fanned out underneath him but a few locks, the ones the framed his face, had found themselves resting against a protruding collar bone and a long neck. Sesshoumaru's hands twitched at his sides, which happened so often when he was around his brother. He finally gave in and kneeled at Inuyasha's side. He carefully reached out and smoothed those stands back. He couldn't stop the small smile that curled his lips when he saw that a tuft of hair was caught at Inuyasha's mouth. Unable to resist he brushed that one aside as well, inadvertently brushing his fingertips against Inuyasha's lips. Inuyasha snorted in his sleep and began to snore softly, breaking the spell on Sesshoumaru and causing him to swiftly climb to his feet. He studied his brother for a brief second more before fleeing from the room with as much dignity as possible.

 

The affect was lost however because he nearly ran into Kagura, who was staring at him openly. The two of them stood there for a moment outside Inuyasha's door. Sesshoumaru wanted nothing more than to leave right now and Kagura must have sensed it because she merely nodded to him before slipping past him to continue her path down the hallway. Sesshoumaru allowed himself to appreciate this gesture before retreating to his study.

 

 

 

 

The next day was much easier than the first in Inuyasha's opinion but was far more boring. He stood on a stool in a large room with mirrors on all sides. He lifted his arms when told to do so, and was stuck with pins. An old demon with her two young assistants held up all kind of fabric to him, wrapping it around him and taking notes, chatting excitedly to each other. Sesshoumaru sat at a low desk that had been brought in to him so he could oversee Inuyasha's fitting and still get word done. Every time on of the young girls would giggle he would look up and Inuyasha tried hard to hold his gaze for any length of time. But Sesshoumaru's head would also bow back over his work and Inuyasha would convince himself that he didn't care.

 

“You have a fabulous figure my Lord,” one of the girls commented with a shy smile.

 

Inuyasha's whole face turned red and he looked up at the ceiling. Both girls giggled again but halted abruptly when the old seamstress hushed them sharply.

 

The rest of the fitting went well and by the end of it Inuyasha had gotten three new pre-made but fitted outfits. He had expected them to be like Sesshoumaru's but they weren't. The hakama were ungathered and pooled at his feet. They rode low on his hips, which made the girls break into giggles again. The shirts were yukatas of different colors but the overcoats were much like kimono, in that they were so long they swept the floor. His feet were covered in boots much like Sesshoumaru's, much to his chagrin. He didn't like shoes.

 

The one he was in currently was dark, but probably his favorite. The hakama were solid black and the yukata was as well. But the over coat was a dark blue with thin stitched lines branching out on the wide sleeves. Inuyasha wasn't one to gush about clothes but he liked this outfit a lot.

 

Sesshoumaru seemed almost as pleased as he felt and the seamstress basked in this. That night when Inuyasha collapsed on his futon he paused to angst a little about what tomorrow would bring. Then could bring himself to care very much, hesitant to ruin his good mood.