InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Waning Moon ❯ Flowers ( Chapter 6 )

6. Flowers

“Please, Inuyasha?” He glares down at the Brat looking up at him with her hazel eyes far too big, and her gaze far too innocent. She is a child, but he attempts to ignore that also.

“What? No, go away! Stupid brat,” He roughly turns his back to her, dirtying his kimono as he drags his butt around in the dirt. Inuyasha pays it no attention, though he knows Kagome will get angry when she sees it.

Inuyasha wonders how his brother does it, and whether it's just him that Rin seems to love embarrassing with her questions; he'd never heard her ask Sesshomaru half the things she did him. Since when did men wear flowers? Why was he the one to get asked to wear them? Was the kid trying to imply something?

She pouts, stubbornly running around him (stumbling as his toes catch her own) so she is facing him again. Rin is still clutching the yellow flowered chain she'd created that morning as the others chatted about their activities for the day. Inuyasha had watched her curiously all morning, his ears perked as she hummed quietly to herself. He growls lowly and turns again, his hand now gripping his Tessaiga's sheath in the effort of not losing his temper. He's now done a complete 360 and is going for another round. Even so, Rin doesn't relent; instead she continues to follow him around.

Inuyasha's sure they make an amusing sight.

“Please? Rin made it herself, and it should fit, and,” She struggles to work out what Inuyasha's problem is. She can't seem to think of another reason for him to not take the gift she'd worked so hard on.

Inuyasha's heart tightens painfully. But he ignores it stubbornly, as Rin's eyes sadden and lower to the ground, a small disappointed frown on her face. She finally goes away, dragging her toes in the dirt with each of her tiny steps. It is the first time Inuyasha hasn't seen a smile upon her pretty face, and he instantly starts glaring when his chest starts to hurt and he feels the need to apologise. But he won't, because he's a man and men don't wear flowers.

Inuyasha wonders idly where she's heading considering only him and her had stayed behind to look after their group's camp; Kagome had said something about needing to buy more food. Sango and Miroku had offered to accompany her considering Inuyasha's ears would draw attention and they weren't going to ask Sesshomaru. They'd dragged Shippo with them in the efforts of keeping their camp intact until they decided to leave; Inuyasha had been ready to fling the fox across the small clearing they're camped in. Sesshomaru had remained behind also, but after an hour he'd left silently with Ah Un and the toad at his heels. He'd talked to Rin for a moment before then.

Inuyasha's fine with being left alone, just as he has been for the past one hundred years. He's managed to make himself believe it, and after a moment of getting used to the silence around him he manages to close his eyes and relax. His ears are still alert on top of his head, despite his limbs being strewn hazardously around him.

He is breathing evenly and he's emitting soft snores when Sesshomaru nears him half an hour later. It takes a moment for Inuyasha to realise he's there and he hurries to shake himself awake. His nose tingles with the scent of flowers.

“What do you want?” he asks rudely, as he stretches his arms back over his head and he arches his back wincing when the bones crack back into place. Inuyasha decides he'll find a more comfortable place to nap next time he wants to.

Sesshomaru blinks before lowering himself into a crouch in front of Inuyasha. “Hold out your arm.” He intones without feeling.

Inuyasha scowls, “And if I don't want to?”

“You will.”

It takes a few minutes, but with a small huff Inuyasha turns from the staring contest he is blatantly losing, and lifts his right arm dejectedly, his palm up and raised in front of Sesshomaru's chest. He's mumbling about his `bastard brother' and his 'shitty' manners. He knows Sesshomaru can hear him.

Sesshomaru seems to be ignoring his commentary and raises his own hand. Inuyasha is surprised to feel something tickle his wrist when he does. His eyes are wide as he watches his brother carefully hold a small chain of flowers almost identical to the one he'd had Rin chasing him to wear earlier that day, except for a rubbery piece of material on the ends of the chain. Inuyasha's heart leaps when he sees a green, glowing drop of poison fall from one of Sesshomaru's elegant claws and melt a small bit of material that then glues the two sides of the chain together, having sizzled and melted.

Inuyasha feels sick for a moment, as the sickly scent of his brother's poison drifts to his nose, but is able to ignore it when Sesshomaru moves. He inspects his work carefully, gently tugging on the small chain before drawing away completely, one of his claws scrapping lightly against the palm of Inuyasha's hand.

Inuyasha is furious.

“Hey! I didn't want that on before, what makes you think I want to wear it now?” He asks Sesshomaru, shaking his fist as he does so. The flowers, surprisingly, don't fall from his wrist, so he moves to tear it off.

His left wrist is caught in Sesshomaru's tight grasp. Inuyasha glares, but is silenced before he can even utter another sound, “They will die in a few days, until then, do not attempt to remove them.”

“Keh! If you haven't noticed I'm a man, and men don't wear flowers.” He isn't impressed by his brother's unresponsiveness, and angrily snaps, “I don't see you wearing one!”

Sesshomaru is slow to stand. He is scowling down at Inuyasha now, “You are far more childish than I expected, little brother.” He turns, so that his back is facing the hanyou and lifts his right hand. "It is a gift, keep it."

Inuyasha can only blink in wonder and disbelief as he spies a flower chain of flowers, just like his own, hanging from his brother's wrist. They seemed paler than his own flowers, perhaps because of the stunning contrast they have with Sesshomaru's crimson markings that are of a deeper crimson than his clothing. Inuyasha eyes them, idly wondering how many sets of markings Sesshomaru has. All he can do is stare and let his hands drop to the floor as his brother departs, disappearing to be on his own again.

Later that evening, Inuyasha hears Rin singing about friends with matching bracelets, a song that has him fuming silently. She has some nerve to be so happy and look so innocent after sicking his bastard brother onto him. He still doesn't want to wear the stupid thing. However, he doesn't understand the girl's intent when he realises it is only Sesshomaru and himself that have received a flower bracelet, and that even the Brat herself isn't wearing one.

A disconcerting feeling swells in his chest when he thinks that the girl's trying to tell them something.