InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Trust ❯ Chapter 15

Chapter 15

In the dining hall, dessert had already been brought out, and the atmosphere was already more boisterous due to the freely flowing wine and ale. Not to be outdone, the diners at the head table were engaged in an argument.

"Why can't you just drink wine or ale like everyone else? Why do you have to be difficult and ask for rum?" Inu Yasha demanded.

"I don't like wine or ale. I like rum." Nzinga responded.

"Too good for ale?" He sneered.

"Too weak for rum?" she shot back.

The two stared at each other, one growling, the other hissing.

"Are you challenging me, Zi?"

A truly wicked smile crossed the woman's face. "Only if you think you can handle it, baby dog."

Kagome began to worry. "Are you two sure about this?"

"What are you waiting for, little man? Go get us some rum!" She slapped the table for emphasis.

"Fine!" Inu Yasha jumped up and made his way to one of the servants.

Nzinga shook her head in disbelief (He is so easy to bait!) and looked at Kagome. "Don't worry. I won't let him get hurt."

"I know that," she said sourly. "But he's so stubborn! I don't want to have to suffer the hangover this produces when I didn't even get to drink."

"Why can't you drink?" her friend asked.

"If he's going to get really drunk, then I need to be in control to take care of him." Kagome sighed. "He did it for me."

Inu Yasha returned with the bottle of rum, and a smirk on his handsome face. "Let's go! Like I'll let some girl beat me at drinking."

His brother shook his head slowly. "Idiot boy."

Later that night, Miroku, Sango, Kagome and a barely conscious Inu Yasha made their way to the women's rooms.

"I can't believe Zi did this to him." Miroku grumbled.

"She didn't make him drink," Sango reminded the monk.

Kagome just sighed and looked at her hand, which Inu Yasha had yet to release. Every once in a while he would spout drunken gibberish, then subside.

"Thanks for helping us, Miroku." She said.

The monk shrugged as best he could with his cousin draped along one side of him. "He's done it for me often enough. Although I don't remember ever being this bad."

"He doesn't drink often, does he?" Sango asked after Inu Yasha gave a particularly unnerving giggle.

"Not like that…just ale and wine at meals. How did that start, anyway?"

"I'm not even sure anymore," Kagome tried to get her hand back once again, but gave in when her mate tightened his grip and growled.

><><><><><><><>< ;><>

By the time Miroku and Sango had returned to the dining hall earlier that evening, the liquor and insults were flowing freely between the two shifters.

Kagome looked on in amazement. The two were feuding like…like…

"Like brother and sister." Sesshomaru murmured. "I was wondering how long it would take for them to get back to normal. All this goodwill was making me uneasy."

"You mean this is how they were when they were children?" Kagome asked.

"Not all of the time… but it became more frequent as Inu Yasha grew older and more obnoxious."

Sasha picked this time to walk over to greet the pack leader. He returned her greeting civilly enough, but was obviously more interested in his brother's drinking contest. Turning to see what held his interest, a disapproving look crossed her pretty face. Attempting to regain Sesshomaru's attention, her words were interrupted by a loud belch.

Delicate red eyebrows knotted over silver-blue eyes and her full mouth twisted in disgust. "Inu Yasha, can't you find a more refined activity? And your language is hardly suitable to your station."

Inu Yasha scowled at her. "What's the big fucking deal, bitch?"

"Yeah," Zi chimed in. "Fuck fuckity fuck fuck fuck."

Highly offended, Sasha stiffened and stalked off, as Miroku and Kagome stifled their laughter. Sesshomaru shook his head in exasperation, while Sango smiled unwillingly.

"The two of you shouldn't provoke her like that…" she chided.

"Honestly…I usually ignore her. But she had that coming." Nzinga explained, with the exaggerated patience of the very drunk. Then she shrugged. "Besides, Pup can't defend himself, so I had to step in."

"Shut up!" he barked. "Drink, dammit!"

Even as they insulted each other, Kagome could see that none of the barbed words were taken to heart. And as it became clear that Inu Yasha was approaching his limit, Nzinga took over pouring, using the excuse that he was too drunk to do it without spilling. His rum became more and diluted until he was tossing back cup after cup of water instead of alcohol.

Nzinga herself alternated between water and fruit juice, her point having been made. As her brother's eyes grew heavier, she motioned to Miroku.

"I think I won. Can you take him to bed, please?" She whispered to the monk. Smiling, he nodded.

"Inu Yasha. It's time to go." His cousin heaved him up from his chair.

"Where is my mate?" Inu Yasha said clearly.

Kagome hurried to his other side, grasping his hand. "I'm right here, Inu Yasha. Let's go to bed, alright?"

Nzinga waved as they all began the long trip to Sango and Kagome's rooms.

Sesshomaru eyed Nzinga as she continued to drink. "You haven't had enough?"

"This is water." She responded.

"I am impressed. How did you ever build such a tolerance?"

"Pirates." She stated.

Sesshomaru blinked, unsure he had heard correctly. "Pirates?"

"Yeah. They drink a lot of rum, and since I was with them, so did I. I grew to like it myself."

"And how are you still sober?"

She looked at him, surprised. "Who said I was sober? I am extremely drunk. To use a nautical phrase, I am three sheets to the wind. Not too far from passing out."

Sesshomaru's mind tried to process the obvious disconnect between her words and her controlled demeanor.

"I can still function sitting down, but I can't walk. I'll need you to take me to my room. Along with some water. So whenever you're ready."

She sipped her water calmly.

"You cannot walk." Sesshomaru had never felt so slow-witted in his life.

"I can't even stand. I'll try if you really want me to, but I'll just embarrass myself." She braced her hands against the table and made as if to rise.

"No, no. I believe you." The man eyed his desired mate with as much open bemusement as anyone had ever seen on his face.

Nzinga motioned to a passing servant. "Sarah, it's you!" The girl smiled. "May I have two clean flagons please? I'd like to bring some water and juice up to my room."

"Of course," the girl eyed the empty rum bottle in front of her. "Will you need anything else?"

"You know, I may need a chamber pot in my room…and so will Inu Yasha. I doubt Kagome has thought of that yet." Nzinga smiled.

Sarah giggled. "Of course. Since I'll need to bring chamber pots up, should I just leave the flagons in your room?"

"Thank you…I hadn't even thought of that."

The girl laughed again and ran off.

Sesshomaru felt as though he had emptied the bottle of rum himself. He had just spent hours watching the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with drink his brother into a stupor, then calmly tell him she was too drunk too walk, all the while holding perfectly coherent conversations with the people around them.

That was it. She was going to bed.

"Are you done? I am taking you to bed."

"I'm not really up to anything strenuous tonight. Actually, I'm not up to anything at all." She looked at him apologetically.

He felt his cheeks heat slightly. "That is not what I meant. I am putting you to sleep."

"Oh." She drained her cup of water, then looked at him expectantly. "Whenever you're ready."

He stood, then pulled her chair out from the table. He drew her to her feet, and then looked on alarmed as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Please…try not to move me too suddenly."

He could see the effects on her now. As far as he could tell, she wouldn't last too much longer. She swayed and tightened her grip on his tunic.

"Can we go? I don't mean to be pushy," she kept her eyes closed.

Lifting her smoothly into his arms, he waited for her to rest her head on his shoulder before starting out of the dining hall.

After a stop at the privy (preceded by a growled, "No, I can't hold it, mutt!"), they made it to Nzinga's room. Undressing her, Sesshomaru laid her in her bed and resigned himself to a long night.

"Are you leaving?" she asked drowsily.

"No, I will stay with you." He answered.

"Then get in bed."

"As you command." He said, amused. Climbing behind her as to not be between her and the chamber pot, he carefully wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You smell good…and feel good…" she sent, rubbing her backside against his front.

"You smell like rum." He responded, holding her hips still. "Go to sleep."

Meanwhile, Sarah was good to her word, and made sure that water, juice and chamber pots were sent to Nzinga and Inu Yasha's rooms. Kagome thanked the servant profusely, as her mate sprawled seemingly lifeless across her bed. As the door closed behind the helpful Sarah, Kagome heaved a sigh. She began to try to make Inu Yasha more comfortable by undressing him, at least partially. Leaving him only in his red breeches, she then tugged the blankets from underneath his body and covered him.

After changing into her own nightclothes, she climbed into bed and curled next to him. He immediately wrapped an arm around her waist and nuzzled her neck. She smiled, and stroked his ear until she fell asleep.

"My love," she murmured just before dropping off, "You are not going to be happy in the morning."

Nzinga was up mixing her post-drinking binge remedy just past dawn. She drank hers, then paused a moment to admire the man in her bed. She'd never had an opportunity to see Sesshomaru asleep before. He seemed less austere with his face relaxed. With his incredible eyes not dominating his face, it was easier to appreciate his high cheekbones and sensual mouth.

She felt herself soften as she continued to watch him. Pouring more of the remedy into a flagon, she walked gingerly down to Kagome's room and left it outside the door.

I feel like shit…but I just need to sleep some more and I'll be fine. She told herself as she tried to make her way back to her room.

"Uhhhh…" she groaned. Why do I do this to myself?

Suddenly, she felt short of breath, like a band had fastened around her chest. Whimpering, she braced herself with a hand against the wall. She wasn't sure what was happening, but it hurt, and all she knew was that she wanted it to end.

"Stop, stop, stop…" she gasped.

Suddenly, it did. She panted for a moment, then made her way to her room as quickly as she could. The door was thrown open just before she got there, and Sesshomaru stood there, eyes blazing.

"Woman, what have you done?" He demanded. He drew her into the room and closed the door.

She looked at him, surprised. "I was on my way back from Kagome's room to drop off my remedy for Inu Yasha." She scowled at him. "And don't jerk me around, I feel like shit."

"Did anything happen to you just now?" He asked, his eyes boring into hers.

"Well, I felt a little strange just a moment ago, but it stopped." She flinched as his eyes sparked red, then returned to normal.

Sesshomaru felt cold. "What do you mean, it stopped? How did you stop it?"

"I don't know…it just stopped on its own." Nzinga was confused. She had never seen him act that way towards her, and she was becoming both frightened and angry. "What's the matter?"

Sesshomaru could not remember ever being so angry. In the coldest voice she had ever heard from him, he responded, "It doesn't just stop on its own. You stopped it."

"Stopped what? Would you make sense already?" she demanded. Then took a step back as his eyes glowed red.

A low rumble rose from his chest, and he bared his fangs. Grabbing her arms hard enough to leave bruises on her dark skin, he leaned in close to her and snapped out, "Our Bond, woman. That was our Bond forming and you stopped it." He released her arms abruptly and she fell to the ground, stunned.

"I allowed you time...I allowed you space…and now this." He stood with his back to her.

Nzinga felt tears come to her eyes, her anger all but forgotten in her shock. She had stopped their Bond from forming? That was all but unheard of.

And besides, that couldn't have been their Bond forming…it wasn't supposed to hurt…

He said tightly, "How could you dishonor me and our ways in such a manner? You had best pray the Bond has not been so profaned that it can no longer form." He remained turned, refusing to look at her.

"But…" she choked through a throat swollen with tears.

"No!" He barked. "I can stand neither the sight nor scent of you right now."

He left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Leaving a distressed, hurt and shaking woman behind on the floor, fighting back tears.