InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Something To Protect ❯ Need Pt1 ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: A lot of people have said that there are loads of unanswered questions: they will be answered, have faith. Things start to come out here and get more and more unravelled in the next 2/3 chapters.

 

 

Chapter Three ~ Need: Part 1

 

InuYasha panicked. His coming to be pregnant was an experience that he cared not to remember, let alone talk about, and especially not with Sesshomaru. “I asked first.” He said quickly.

 

“Well then nobody is going to get the answers they want, now are they?” Sesshomaru said softly.

 

The rest of the journey back to camp was a silent one, and even as they sat down to eat neither of them could find a suitable topic of conversation. InuYasha picked up a small piece of meat and pierced it with a stick, holding it over the rekindled fire, just as Kagome had once shown him. Sesshomaru grabbed a piece also and started eating it just as it was. InuYasha wrinkled his nose at the sight. “How can you eat it like that?”

 

“Why would I ruin it by burning it?”

 

“I'm not burning it!” InuYasha snapped back, only to realise that he had done exactly that as the stick disintegrated into ash and fell in the fire. He blushed. “As if you could do any better.” He mumbled.

 

Sesshomaru almost expertly gathered pieces of meat onto a fresh stick and toasting them almost perfectly, handing them to InuYasha with a smug look.

 

InuYasha stared at Sesshomaru. “Where did you learn how to do that?”

 

“I lived with your mother remember. Feeding me all that human garbage. Salads…” He shuddered.

 

Rin giggled at the vision of Sesshomaru poking at the mass of green in front of him before trying a lettuce and going as green as the food. InuYasha half smiled and picked the meat of the stick, desperately trying to ignore the ripping sounds emitted by Sesshomaru's eating.

 

* * *

 

“We had best get moving.” Sesshomaru said as he got up, gathering his things.

 

“Moving? Why? I like it here.” InuYasha protested, unwilling to be helped up again, especially not when he had finally managed to get himself into a position where his back didn't hurt!

 

“It will be easy for demons to find you here, and easier still for them to ambush us. We need to find an area that is safer, on the lower grounds perhaps.”

 

“Lord Sesshomaru, surly higher ground would be safer than lower ground?”

 

“We head for lower ground Rin.” Sesshomaru replied sternly and she nodded. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, he was a little concerned about how he was going to get his heavily pregnant brother up hills; going down them seemed by far to be the easier option.

 

“Alright…” InuYasha sighed unwillingly as he was lifted from his comfy spot by Sesshomaru. InuYasha paused for a moment, marvelling at how he now almost expected Sesshomaru's help, and how he almost happily accepted it.

 

“Come on.” Sesshomaru said, starting to walk off, InuYasha and Rin following at a far slower pace behind him and they started their steady decline to the lower grounds.

 

“How are you feeling?” Rin asked as casually as she could, but she couldn't force all of the concern from her voice. InuYasha panted heavily as he tried to keep up with his brother. “We can stop if you need to rest.”

 

“I'm fine.” He replied stubbornly. “Say, Rin…”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I… I don't know what to say.”

 

“About what?”

 

“No, I mean, I don't know what to say to him.” He motioned his head toward Sesshomaru.

 

“Well, if you could just say anything you liked and not have to worry about any of the consequences, what would you say to him?”

 

“I guess… I guess I would tell him that I don't hate him.”

 

Rin thought for a moment. “Well… why can't you just say it?”

 

InuYasha snorted a laugh. “Yeah, right, and give him every opportunity to make fun of me. No thanks, I'd rather he thought that the feeling was neutral.”

 

“How do you know that it is?”

 

“Come on, isn't it obvious? He's always hated me for what I am… that fathers death… it was all my fault…”

 

“Why do you say that?”

 

“He was coming to save me and my mother when he was killed.”

 

“Did Lord Sesshomaru go with him?”

 

“What, and protect me? No way.”

 

`Well at least that explains one thing…' Rin thought to herself before looking back to InuYasha who was now struggling to walk, let alone keep up with Sesshomaru, who was a long way ahead of them and she deliberately slowed her pace. “Well what do you think he is doing now?”

 

InuYasha fell silent. It wouldn't be fair to say that Sesshomaru hadn't protected him up to this point, he had been beside him when he thought the baby was coming, then he had given him a warm place to sleep and helped him getting up and settling down, even watching over him while he slept and bathed and again the question burned in InuYasha's mind. “Why?”

 

Sesshomaru glanced back over his shoulder, finally noticing the distance he had put between himself and the other two. He could smell the sweat on InuYasha and glanced around. The area was not entirely silent, he could still head birds and it was well sheltered. No sign of immediate danger. Perfect. “We will rest here a while.”

 

InuYasha practically collapsed to the ground and Sesshomaru knelt opposite him, regarding his brothers somewhat pathetic state. “It's not much further.” He said, in an attempt to sound comforting, but his voice didn't seem to want to leave its flattened tone. He stared at InuYasha for a moment. “Your clothes… they look almost tight.”

 

InuYasha glared at him. “You don't say.” He spat sarcastically.

 

“Well have they not always grown with you?”

 

“Well they weren't exactly designed to grow outward… well not this far anyway.” InuYasha glanced down at him stomach. `Please, please be deceptive. Please be really, really small.' He though desperately.

 

“Are you frightened?”

 

Using the tree behind him for support InuYasha struggled to his feet. “We should be going. You said it wasn't far.” InuYasha said shortly, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead. It was because of this that he missed a look on Sesshomaru's face. A look of worry, of pure concern, that might have eased the tense air that surrounded them.

 

“Of course.” He said slowly and InuYasha stormed on ahead, leaving Sesshomaru and Rin to follow.

 

Rin glanced at Sesshomaru. “He blames himself you know.” She said casually, as if continuing a conversation.

 

“For what?”

 

“Your father's death. He thinks that it was his fault.”

 

Sesshomaru stared after InuYasha. “No. It wasn't his fault.”

 

“Well maybe someone should tell him that.”

 

Sesshomaru looked down at Rin. “When did he tell you about that?”

 

“A moment ago, before he stopped.”

 

“What else did he tell you?”

 

“Why are you asking me?”

 

Sesshomaru scowled. “You were so much easier to talk to when you barely stood as tall as my waist.” He hissed.

 

“Well why won't you ask him?”

 

“Have you been with us the past few days? All he wants me to do it leave him alone.”

 

“Well then why don't you leave him alone?”

 

“I can't do that.”

 

“Why not?”

 

Sesshomaru stared at the back of InuYasha again, whose pace was very quickly getting slower. “I just… can't.”

 

Sesshomaru ran forward without another word and threw his arm around InuYasha's chest, barely managing to hold him up as he fell forward. Sesshomaru lowered him to the ground, turning him to lay on his back. “I had a feeling that might happen.” He said softly as Rin caught up and looked at the exhausted hanyou.

 

“You used to run that fast when I was in trouble.” Sesshomaru looked up at her and she smiled. “And you said that you had nothing to protect.”