InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ My Futures' Past ❯ Brother Dearest ( Chapter 8 )

My Futures' Past

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, the well, the swords, or the tree. Hell, I don't even own my cat; she owns me. Inuyasha & co. belong to the illustrious Rumiko Takahashi and I am just borrowing them for my own guilty pleasures.

 

Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing, it really motivates me and my plot bunnies (which I keep hidden in a box under my bed).

 

Chapter 8: Brother Dearest

 

Kagome was shaking so badly she sliced into herself as she tried to sheath her dagger. She was on her feet and running before it was secure in her waistband. Dropping to her knees beside the fallen hanyou, she placed both hands on his chest while tears streamed down her cheeks.

 

“Inuyasha? Please be alive! You can't leave me alone!”

 

Her head jerked to his face when she felt his chest rise and fall.

 

“No so loud, wench.” Inuyasha rasped out. “You need to pull out the katana.”

 

The long blade was piercing Inuyasha nearly in the center of his chest. Kagome couldn't help but think that while it missed his heart, the blade had to pierce a lung.

 

“Inuyasha, are you sure? You could bleed to death before I can get help,” she whispered.

 

“Keh. I'm not human. If you can slow the blood flow I should be fine till we get to the village.”

 

Kagome nodded. She was just going to have to trust in her companion's healing abilities. Stripping out of his red haori, she pulled off her under kimono to use as a bandage. Not able to rip it herself, she grabbed Inuyasha's hand and used his claws to start a tear so she could work the cloth into manageable pieces. The hanyou watched her with raised brows, wincing every so often as the katana shifted with his breathing.

 

“Ready,” she said, placing both hands on the blade's hilt. Pulling with all her strength, the katana slide out with a squish. Without pausing, Kagome tossed the sword aside and placed a folded piece of cloth against the gushing wound. Inuyasha had squeezed his eyes shut the moment the katana began to slip out. Adding another patch and more pressure with one hand, she worked one of the longer strips under Inuyasha's body and tied the knot over the gaping hole. Able to free her hands, Kagome moved quickly, adding more strips and tying them off to keep pressure on the wound.

 

“Okay, now how are we going to get you back to Lady Kaede's?” Kagome asked, shrugging the fire rat back on.

 

Inuyasha propped himself up on his elbows with a groan.

 

“We walk, wench. No one is going to come get us and I doubt the hag knows how to explain to the villagers why everyone is outside their homes.”

 

Kagome moved behind him and put her forearms under his arms. As he rocked forward, she pulled up and as soon as Inuyasha was standing she scooted under his arm, draping it over her shoulder to support him. She'd worry about her empty quiver and bow later.

 

“The hairs all disappeared when I destroyed the skull anyway. I guess Yura was tied to the comb in the bottom of it.”

 

“Keh,” was the hanyou's weak reply. He sagged more heavily against the small miko as they started along the path towards the village.

 

“Just hang on, Inuyasha. You'll be fine when we get to Lady Kaede's.” At least I hope you'll be fine. You're losing so much blood.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Kaede hurried out of her hut as soon as she felt Inuyasha's and Kagome's auras approach. She was surprised to see the young miko struggling to support the nearly unconscious hanyou. When she noted how much blood covered both of them she became serious, calling out for Sango to help bring Inuyasha inside. People were still milling about in the village square awaiting the answers Kaede said Kagome and Inuyasha could supply.

 

When Sango reluctantly approached the pair she was greeted with a low snarl and a snap of the hanyou's powerful jaws.

 

“Inuyasha,” Kagome scolded softly, “Sango just wants to help you inside.”

 

He barked in the negative then shook his head.

 

“Do it myself,” he grumbled and straightened himself up as far as his wound would allow but remained heavily supported by Kagome.

 

“Take him in the back room, child,” Kaede instructed as she went to the fire pit to check the water she had put on to boil. It was meant to be drinking water but it looked like her charges needed it more. Quickly adding dried marigold and camphor to the water, she gathered healing balms, clean rags, and bandages.

 

Kaede wasn't surprised by the sight that greeted her when she entered the room. Sango was nursing a small fire to life in the corner fire pit and Kagome was trying to coax a stubborn half conscious hanyou out of his inner kimono and hakama. She managed to get both untied but was having little luck removing either. Inuyasha kept growling and lamely swiping at her with his claws.

 

Kagome looked up when she heard Kaede clear her throat.

 

“Lady Kaede, maybe you could help Inuyasha out of his clothes. He certainly won't let me.”

 

Inuyasha's response was to lay back his ears and snarl. Kagome swatted him on the back of the head.

 

“Look, I'm tired of dealing with you. I know you're half demon and stronger than us puny humans but you're also half human. You could still get an infection before you heal and I don't want to have you sick on top of injured. What if your brother sends another demon after you? What then?”

 

Kagome rocked back on her heals and regarded her companion. Inuyasha gave a short sharp bark and sat straight enough to stare at her nose to nose. She shook her head even though she noticed his eyes flashing between blue and gold again.

 

“I will not submit. Not this time. You need your injuries looked at and treated and it's either me or Lady Kaede that's doing it. You can punish me later, when you recover.”

 

Relenting, Inuyasha sat back on his elbows. “I won't forget you disobeyed me, wench.”

 

“I know and I'm sure you'll make me regret it,” she unconsciously rubbed the back of her neck, “but right now I'm more worried about you.”

 

“You're injured, too.”

 

Sango perked up.

 

“Kagome, you're hurt? Why didn't you say something earlier?” The slayer asked.

 

“Because I wasn't the one with a sword impaled through my chest. I can wait. Now strip, Inuyasha.”

 

Grumbling under his breath in both inu and Japanese, Inuyasha assisted with the removal of his shirt and pants. Kagome was surprised when Sango took a place sitting next to Kaede. The slayer was uncomfortable enough around Inuyasha when he was dressed. When he was naked, she usually turned bright red and hid. Kaede handed the bowl of antiseptic water to Kagome, keeping a safe distance between herself and the injured hanyou. He kept looking in their direction and growling lightly. While Kaede was certain he wouldn't attack, he was similar to a wounded animal, much more youkai than human still, and he didn't trust anyone but Kagome. And she appeared to be on his bad side as well.

 

Inuyasha sucked in a breath as Kagome pressed a sodden rag to the wound. The only thing she could think to do was make soft, cooing noises in the back of her throat and rub his silky ear with her free hand. She never expected to have to tend to a serious chest wound at fifteen. Hell, she remembered giggling with her girlfriends when they had to practice on the CPR dummy at school.

 

Soon it would be one month since the day Kagome sat at WacDonalds with the girls, blushing and giggling over the erotic manga Eri thought to get her. Now, she was used to sleeping naked with an equally naked and very male inu hanyou curled around her. And she was no longer a virgin. Eri was always the one with a steady stream of boyfriends but Kagome, the girl who never went out on dates, lost her virginity first; hundreds of years before she was even supposed to be born.

 

A low whine brought her attention back to the hanyou before her. His eyes were scrunched shut and his claws were digging into his palms.

 

“Inuyasha, you have to relax.”

 

Getting no response, Kagome dropped the bloody cloth beside the futon and gently began prying his fingers apart.

 

“If you keep that up it'll be something else I have to clean. I just have to put the balm on your chest wound and deal with the hole in your shoulder. Then its only scratches that need washed out, okay?”

 

Blinking his golden irises at Kagome, Inuyasha gave a short nod.

 

“Keh. When you finish the worst of them, fix yourself.” When Kagome started to protest he cut her off with a bark. “Then you can come back to me. Don't argue, I can smell your blood, wench.”

 

Sighing, she agreed. Anything to get him to hold still long enough for the wounds to clot. The shoulder wound wasn't horrible; it looked like it pierced clean through. Finished for the moment with the hanyou, Kagome stripped out of the heavy fire rat and pinned her hair up with a chopstick she kept close by for that purpose. She heard Sango draw a sharp breath when she discarded her hakama.

 

“Kagome, your hip…and there are cuts all along your neck.”

 

“They're not bad; I cut my hip myself accidentally when I tried to sheath my dagger. The rest aren't deep, they just sting.”

 

Kaede moved closer to help despite the grumbled protests of the prone Inuyasha. Finally, all injuries were dressed and Kagome was wearing her thick cotton yukata, leaning back against the wall, with Inuyasha's head in her lap. The evenings were getting colder and the small fire helped take the chill out of the air in the small room.

 

“Would you like anything to eat, child?”

 

Kagome shook her head, yawning.

 

“No, thank you, Lady Kaede. I think I just want to go to bed. It's been a long day.”

 

Kirara mewed her agreement and burrowed into Sango's futon while the slayer tidied up her side of the room and Kaede headed to her own futon.

 

“Kagome, do you need me to leave the lamps lit?”

 

She shook her head.

 

“No, Sango thanks. There's no point in wasting oil, I'll be sleeping anyway. Goodnight.”

 

Kagome wasn't sure how much time passed but she could hear Sango's steady breathing mingling with the crackling of the small fire. Inuyasha hadn't stirred since Kaede left and so Kagome continued to run her fingers through his silky hair. She was half asleep when a clawed hand tugged at her wrist.

 

“Inuyasha?” she whispered.

 

“Lay down, wench, you're not comfortable.”

 

“You're hurt…”

 

“So are you. Now do you want me to make you?”

 

Kagome heaved a sigh and began wiggling under the blankets but Inuyasha stopped her a second time.

 

“Take off the yukata, it's too scratchy.”

 

She hesitated. It didn't matter to her whether or not they slept naked but she was worried about what Sango and Kaede might say.

 

“What about Sango and Lady Kaede?”

 

“Keh, ain't none of their business.”

 

Knowing she wasn't going to win the argument, Kagome stripped off her night clothes and slipped in next to the hanyou. As soon as she was flush with his warm body she began to relax. Unable to curl around her as usual do to his injuries, Inuyasha rolled half onto the miko using her breasts as a pillow. Kagome couldn't rest rubbing the fuzzy ears that were twitching just under her chin. He nuzzled the inside swell of one breast with his nose.

 

“Go to sleep.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Kagome awoke to a warm licking sensation on her hip. Still fuzzy headed with sleep; she looked down and noticed the blankets moving. Squirming slightly, she let out a tiny squeak when she felt her thighs grasped tightly. When she lifted the blanket, she was greeted with Inuyasha's glowing red and gold eyes.

 

“Wha...what are you doing?”

 

“Cleaning your wounds. They'll heal faster than with the hag's herbs.”

 

He gave her hip a few more leisurely swipes before moving up Kagome's body and sniffing at the soft skin under her jaw. She couldn't repress the shudder that ran through her when he began to lick the scratches on her neck. The hanyou shifted so he was draped completely over her, his hips resting between her thighs. She could feel him pressing hot and hard against her. Kagome let out a quiet moan when Inuyasha slid his tongue across to the side of her neck.

 

“You…ahhh…you have to stop.”

 

“You forget who you belong to, wench. You disobeyed me earlier.”

 

Kagome could see Inuyasha was struggling to maintain his human half as his eyes flickered in the dying firelight.

 

“This is my punishment?”

 

“No, not punish, to remind you you're here because I allow it.”

 

He didn't move to flip her on her stomach, which came as a surprise to Kagome. Instead, Inuyasha placed his hands low on her hips and nibbled his way down to the nearest breast and lapped at the nipple. The moment she arched into his mouth, he drew in the taunt nub and slipped inside her. She gasped slightly and went still. It didn't hurt, not like the first time, but he was still stretching something that hadn't been used in a while. Inuyasha simply continued the assault on her breasts, tugging one nipple between his teeth before moving to suckle as much of the satin-soft flesh as he could. When he heard panting, he began to move.

 

Kagome met his narrow hips with her own, biting her bottom lip to try and muffle the noises she desperately wanted to make. It wasn't like she went out looking for sex, she and Inuyasha hadn't even kissed. Did dog demons even do that? He was simply staking a claim on his `property' and Kagome couldn't help but react to his ministrations. He was her companion, her protector and it wasn't like he was using her every night to get laid. She admitted to herself and to Sango, on one of the rare occasions she'd talked to the girl without the hanyou present, that Inuyasha was gorgeous. Sango said he would make a handsome human but Kagome loved his now golden eyes and his fangs and claws. Most of all, she adored his velvety puppy ears and the contented growling sound he made when she stroked them.

 

As if he could sense her mind had wandered from the task at hand, Inuyasha gave a light nip to Kagome's throat and cupped her butt, changing the angle and thrusting harder.

 

“Ahhh…” Kagome tried to bury her moan in Inuyasha's muscular shoulder. Her small hands clung to his back, nails biting into the tough flesh.

 

She could feel the coil winding tighter low in her stomach and it was just close enough to drive her insane. Suddenly, Inuyasha twisted his hips and sent her flying, starbursts flashing behind her eyes. She bit down on his shoulder so she didn't cry out and he continued to move in short, fast jerks until he stiffened, reaching his own release. Without sliding from her core, Inuyasha nuzzled her cheek before pressing his cheek into her shoulder and relaxing his body on top of hers.

 

“You belong to me Ka-go-me, don't forget that,” he whispered.

 

Struggling to catch her breath, Kagome pulled the blanket up and wrapped her thin arms around his powerful back.

 

“I know, Inuyasha. My life belongs to you.”

 

Both settled back into a comfortable position on the futon and drifted back to sleep. Neither realized that during their activities Sango had woken up and seen everything. Not being able to clearly hear what was being said, she assumed the hanyou had defiled a pure miko and she was willing to bet there were a few people in the village that would be upset by the news.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

A roar and subsequent crash was heard from the taiyoukai's study. Only Jaken was willing to approach the door and it was not of his own volition, he had been summoned yet again.

 

The sight greeting the toad youkai was not something he was used to from his normally reserved Lord. While Sesshomaru was vicious, he was cold and calculating, rarely showing any type of emotion.

 

Flashing crimson eyes and elongated facial features, Sesshomaru growled at his vassal.

 

“My…my Lord, you summoned me?” Jaken squeaked.

 

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and took several calming breathing, waiting until he felt his face slice back into humanoid form.

 

“Yura of the Hair failed.”

 

“Yes, my Lord, but she still gave the message that you were the one who wished to see him. The half breed knows for certain that you are looking for him.”

 

“And the human survived. She was the one to kill the oni. How is that, Jaken? How could a human girl defeat one of my demons?”

 

“My Lord, your sources say that with Yura was distracted with the half breed the girl managed to find her red skull. She destroyed it.”

 

Pacing to clear his flustered mind, Sesshomaru tried to think of a new approach. He wasn't sure if his half brother would make the journey to the Western lands with a human tagging along but he wanted to defeat him here, in their father's castle, as a way to throw everything back in the late Inu no Taisho's face. Perhaps a visit would be in order. If he killed the human, Inuyasha would no doubt go into a blood rage and stalk after Sesshomaru.

 

“Jaken, prepare to travel. I want to pay my dear brother a visit. I think I know a way to make seeking this Sesshomaru a priority.”

 

The imp turned a sickly shade of olive green.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

It was two days before Kagome allowed Inuyasha to get up and move around. She'd washed his clothes and was once again fascinated by the regenerating abilities of not only the fire rat but the silk kimono he wore. When she asked if he knew how to get more of the fabric, he snorted and said it was a gift from his mother and tied to his youki. He dropped the subject and Kagome didn't have the heart to push it.

 

Lady Kaede and Sango had been acting strangely as well. Sango asked her the morning after Yura's attack if she wanted to share her bedroll instead of sleeping with Inuyasha as she usually did. Kaede didn't ask her to train or demonstrate any miko powers, only allowing Kagome to help gather and sort herbs. No one would tell her what was going on and when she asked Inuyasha about it he said he could smell apprehension and anger coming from both of them.

 

“Inuyasha, I still don't get why you felt I had to get into the hot spring with you. I could reach your hair perfectly fine from the edge,” Kagome grumbled as she wrung more water from her hair.

 

“Keh. If you were going to scrub my hair with that smelly stuff then you should at least have to be wet, too.”

 

“It doesn't smell, it's clove and mint, and I made it! It wouldn't hurt you to use soap once in a while, ya know. I made sure the scent was light.”

 

“Keh.”

 

The front room of the hut was empty but it wasn't a surprise. It was just past noon, and Kaede needed to make her rounds in the village. Sango had been disappearing more often lately but Kagome didn't worry since she usually left Kirara behind.

 

“I'm going to put this stuff in the back.”

 

“Kagome, wait!” Inuyasha called out, sniffing the air. He didn't smell anyone in the hut, which made sense, but he couldn't smell anything at all from the back room and that was a problem.

 

Kagome paused with one hand pushing the mat back.

 

“What's wrong…ooofff!”

 

Inuyasha lunged forward when he saw Kagome get tugged into the room. He was greeted with a blow to the head and a sutra slapped onto his chest. He turned blazing eyes to Sango who was standing over him with her katana drawn. Kisho was holding Kagome against the wall beside him, her hands pinned above her head.

 

“What the fuck do you humans think you're doing? Let Kagome go, bastard.”

 

“Silence, half breed. The slayer here has told me what you did to Lady Kagome. It is a crime that the rest of the village would see as punishable by death.”

 

“I didn't do nothing to the wench. She's fine.”

 

Struggling against the man's large hands, Kagome nodded her head as tears threatened to fall. She didn't think Sango would allow Kisho to hurt her if she was in the room but still…

 

“Please, Lord Kisho, Inuyasha is telling the truth. I'm fine, he would never hurt me.”

 

Kisho turned his attention to the small miko before him.

 

“Fine you say. Then you deny that the half breed forced himself on you? That he took your innocence and ruined your chance to take over as this village's miko when Lady Kaede steps down? Are you saying that Lady Sango lied to me?”

 

“Forced himself…Inuyasha never forced himself on me. Wait, Sango said something to you?” Kagome asked and turned to the older girl.

 

“Two nights ago, you saw us? I thought you were sleeping. Inuyasha didn't force himself on me, it was mutual.”

 

Sango pressed her sword tip against Inuyasha's throat while her sutra kept him immobile.

 

“You wanted him to defile you? Why would you choose to be with a half breed, especially when Lady Kaede was training you?”

 

“I was never planning on staying in the village and what does my training have to do with anything?”

 

Kisho leaned close enough for his hot breath to ruffle Kagome's uneven bangs.

 

“Mikos must be pure in order for their spiritual powers to thrive. The hanyou tainted you, now you are no better than a common whore. No man in the village would take you as a wife…although I could think of another use for you.”

 

The man moved down to kiss at Kagome's neck. Unlike the warm feeling she got when Inuyasha did that, she only felt dirty. Her eyes moved to the hanyou and she saw he was straining against the sutra, his eyes flickering from gold to blue. Sango still stood at attention but she looked uncomfortable, as if this wasn't part of the deal. Trying to think of a way out of this, Kaede's words drifted back to her. The beads will offer you protection from the other if they are not near. Now, if she could only connect with the beads around Inuyasha's neck.

 

Closing her eyes in concentration and in an effort to block out Kisho's unwanted advances, she felt the bracelet on her wrist grow warm. When she heard a gasp from Sango she cracked her eyes.

 

The rosary was glowing blue and the sutra on Inuyasha's fire rat was smoking. Suddenly, it burst into flames and the hanyou leaped up, flinging Sango into the far wall. He lunged for Kisho and pinned him with his claws in the man's neck. Kagome could see blood trickle down into his brown haori.

 

“Inuyasha, don't kill him!”

 

“Give me one good reason to let you live, human. You threatened what it mine!”

 

Kisho gurgled out a response and clawed at the hanyou's hands. Kagome stepped up beside Inuyasha and laid a hand on his shoulder. She could feel the tension ease at her touch.

 

“Inuyasha, please. Just let him go and we can leave.”

 

He looked down on the tiny ningen that he'd come to care for in the passing weeks. She was unharmed, just shaken up. This human male would not touch her again. When the acrid scent of urine hit his nose, Inuyasha snorted and bounced Kisho's head off the wall, knocking him out.

 

Pausing to grab the yellow bag she'd sewn with Kaede's help, Kagome gathered their fur blanket and the scattered bathing supplies. When she was ready, Inuyasha held the mat aside. Both had noticed Sango's absence.

 

Lady Kaede greeted them by blocking their exit from the hut. Sango was next to her rubbing her shoulder. Kirara was standing back, still in her kitten form, regarding the hanyou with a cocked head.

 

“Kagome, Inuyasha what is the meaning of this? Attacking Sango without warning or provocation? She said you choked Kisho, Inuyasha, is this true?”

 

“Did that woman tell you she set us up? That she slapped a sutra on me and allowed that weak human male to touch Kagome?”

 

Kaede looked to the young girl. She was holding tight to the hanyou's billowing haori sleeve and looked frightened.

 

“Kagome? Child is what he says true?”

 

Nodding, Kagome drew a breath. “Yes, we thought no one was here, Inuyasha didn't smell anyone when we got back from the springs. Kisho grabbed me. He said I was ruined, that Inuyasha defiled a pure miko. He said I would have no spiritual powers anymore. Sango told us she saw Inuyasha force himself on me. It's not true!”

 

“Yes, it is! Kagome, I heard you both. I saw you. He took your innocence. All the practice you went through is for nothing,” Sango insisted.

 

“Why should I lose my spiritual powers?”

 

“Child, only those who are pure of mind and body are trained as mikos. If a miko decides to take a husband she relinquishes her place and ceases to have any powers.”

 

Kagome shook her head. “But I wasn't a virgin when I started training”

 

Both Kaede and Sango looked shocked. At that moment, Kisho stumbled out from the back and glared at the pair. His hands covered the punctures on his neck and the front of his pants held a dark stain.

 

“Lady Kaede, I demand you purify this beast! He attempted to kill me.”

 

Inuyasha growled but stayed with Kagome.

 

“It's nothing more than you deserved for trying to make Kagome a whore.”

 

“What is Inuyasha speaking of Kisho? Sango?” Kaede had eased away from the door and was now standing next to the still fire neko.

 

Sango hung her head. “That is true, Lady Kaede. Kisho said that while Kagome may not be able to take over as miko, he could find another use for her.”

 

“And you were going to allow this? We need to sit and find out what is going on here. Kisho, leave my home. If I find you anywhere near Kagome or Inuyasha without my knowledge I will call together the elders. Go to your wife.”

 

The man stomped out leaving the four staring at each other. Kagome spoke first.

 

“Lady Kaede, I thank you for everything but I think Inuyasha and I should go. There is too much trouble here for us.”

 

“We will eat first and then I wish to talk with the three of you about what has happened. It is most unusual for you to have retained any powers after lying with a man, Kagome.”

 

Inuyasha tightened his grip on the miko in his arms and raised his head sniffing at the air. His ears went back into his hair and a feral snarl bubbled up as he stared at the doorway.

 

“Inuyasha?” Kagome asked, worried. She'd never seen him react like that before.

 

“The talk is going to have to wait, hag. Sesshomaru is here.”