InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Falling Away ❯ Flashes of Happiness ( Chapter 4 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

By: Lynx212

Chapter 4

(Inuyasha's POV)

When I awoke I was completely confused, I had no idea where I was and what had come about to bring me here. Blinking my eyes to remove the last traces of sleep I looked around and I remembered. I remembered breaking down and crying like a small child on my brothers shoulder as I told him what had happened. Cursing the fact I had shown my weakness in front of Sesshomaru I stood up and dusted myself off, extinguished the fire…. wait a minute I don't remember building a fire, if I didn't then…I sniffed the air trying to pick up my brothers scent, even though I hadn't expected to find it, only to receive two surprises in as many days.

His scent placed him not far from where I stood and it was mixed with the smell of water. Now curious as to why he had hung around I bounded off in his direction. It only took mere minutes for me to cover the distance between where I had awakened and the hot spring my brother was soaking in. I watched him for a moment before I made my presence known, because this was the first time in many seasons I could ever recall seeing my brother engage in something so day to day. I know everyone has to bathe, well at least they should, but Sesshomaru always came across as being above so much that it never really settled on my mind that he has the same needs and desires as anyone else walking around. I guess he got tired of me staring because he spoke, which snapped me out of my daze.

“Are you going to stand there and gawk for the rest of the morning or are you going to join me?”

I shook my head no but he beckoned me again anyway.

“Come Inuyasha after the emotional cleansing you went through yesterday a physical one is indeed in order. Now join me.”

With a reluctant sigh I began to remove my Fire Rat robes and place them on a boulder at the edge of the spring. As I did so my mind flashed back to the last time I had taken a bath with my older brother. I couldn't have been more than five or six and I wasn't actually supposed to in the bath with Sesshomaru but upon discovering him there with his guard down, which was quite an uncommon occurrence, I pounced on him, pushing him under water. When he surfaced he looked liked a pissed off soggy rat, and I could only guess that finding me rolling around on the floor in amusement didn't do much for his temperament at the time. In one swift motion he yanked me up and plunged me under the water and held me there until I thought my lungs would burst. When he finally let me up and saw that, near drowning still did nothing to stifle my amusement he got out of the bath and strode off but not before glancing over his shoulder and gifting me with one of his rare smiles as he said, “I will not be so easy a target the next time little one.” I must have looked as lost in thought as I was because he spoke up again.

“I will not bite Inuyasha nor will I try to drown you this time.”

At this my head snapped around and I wondered for a second if he was reading my mind, because it was almost to much to believe that he actually remembered the instance I was just thinking about. Pushing the thought aside and removing the remainder of my clothing I slipped into the hot spring and tried to relax. I wanted to ask him why he hung around last night but I was not in the mood nor was I stupid enough to raise my brothers' wrath by questioning his motives. Truthfully I wasn't afraid for my safety because if he had wished me harm he would have done so upon our meeting yesterday or just left me unguarded last night after my little outburst. I couldn't help but twitch at the thought of that and I was more than a little surprised he wasn't giving me a hard time about it. Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth I took my bath and would just follow his lead.

(Sesshomaru's POV)

I knew to him I appeared to be relaxing and paying little mind to what he was doing but in fact I had my senses on high alert. I could tell I shocked him when I mentioned, not drowning him this time, I have not forgotten what time we had spent together when we were both still pups. In his mind I know he thinks that after fathers' death I turned on him with a hatred he couldn't understand but… Enough of that line of thought I have much more important matters to attend to, namely getting to that reincarnated Miko without my brother interfering. I know this is none of my business but I am the Lord of the West, my business is what I choose it to be.

After a while of soaking and after we washed I could sense my brothers hesitation to make a move so I decided to make up his mind for him. Leaping out of the spring and replacing my clothing and watching him as he did the same I felt a familiar rumble within my stomach and decided the Miko would have to wait. With us both now fully dressed I leapt upon the closest tree branch and began sniffing the air, catching the scent of several deer in the vicinity I looked down at my baby brother only to find him looking at me rather quizzically.

“Breakfast is not going to come to us otouto.” Seeing a gleam; however slight come to his eyes I took off knowing he would follow.

I didn't take us long to corner our prey and polish them off. We ate in silence and when we were done I stood with every intention of tracking down that human wench and showing her the meaning of pain. I knew he would object so I decided no to make my intentions known to him. I had not moved five paces before he spoke.

“Don't do it nii-san.”

This statement stopped me dead in my tracks, putting my shock in check I responded.

“I am the Lord of the West I do as I please. If I want to return to my …”

“Can the crap Sesshomaru I know where you're going and what you plan to do I can't physically stop you, so I'm asking you not to.”

Deciding to drop the charade I ask him, “So after everything you have been through for that wench, she rejects you and still you defend her. Why?”

“Let me ask you a question. Why do you care either way?”

“I do not have to explain myself to you.”

“Nor I, to you.”

(Inuyasha's POV)

We stood there at a stalemate and locked in a battle of wills. I wasn't going to back down and neither was he. I was prepared to fight him over this and he knew it, as much as Kagome had hurt me I still wished her no harm, especially the type Sesshomaru was likely to inflict. It was quite a while, or at least it seemed so, before he finally broke the silence and ceased the stare down.

“Fine we will play it your way for now.” and with that he continued walking toward the forest.

“Where are you going? Your palace is in the other direction!”

“Just because I will not harm her does not mean I have nothing to say to the wench. Now I suggest you drop the matter before I change my mind.”

With that said I followed him into forest.