InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Waning Moon ❯ Darkness ( Chapter 11 )

11. Darkness

The night is dark as Sesshomaru raises his golden eyes to the moonless sky. Sesshomaru doesn't know whether to be disgusted at the prospect of his brother turning completely human, or to be curious. It will be the first time he is present for the whole of Inuyasha's transformation. It is also the first time he's been present with Inuyasha knowing he is just that.

It has been an hour since the sun had set. Inuyasha had wandered into the forest once the sun had begun its descent into the forest, and his friends are beginning to worry. They are currently arguing over who will be going in search of him.

Sesshomaru isn't worried. He doubts his brother is stupid enough to anger any demons tonight. Or that if he is he is at least smart enough to run or be thrown in their direction; Inuyasha will not be able to defeat any demons in his humans state.

He ignores their senseless prattle and stands up, following his nose as he enters the forest. He barely hears Rin's words as she attempts to settle his brother's friends, “It's alright. Lord Sesshomaru will go and find Inuyasha. That way Kagome, Miroku and Sango can stay here and protect Rin and Shippo.”

Sesshomaru doesn't blink, but wonders how his child can remain so pure around his bloodied soul. He has mulled over this often, but has yet to create an answer he sees as fitting. He allows that question to disappear into the dark recesses of his mind, as he focuses on Inuyasha's scent and he keeps his ears perked in case he may hear the half breed's breathing or heart.

It takes Sesshomaru mere moments to track the half-breed down. Sesshomaru almost doesn't recognise him: surprisingly, Inuyasha is sitting in the grass with a look of defeat on his face, a face that bears dark brown eyes and is hidden by a black fringe. He lacks the demon aura he is usually surrounded in and his dog ears.

Inuyasha turns to glare at him, “Can't I get any peace? Listen you bastard, what ever sick pleasure you get from seeing me this way, I don't want to know about it!”

Sesshomaru's eyebrows rise minutely, as he strides closer to his little brother. Inuyasha is now completely human and is truly defenceless against him. He could rid his land of the disgrace his father protected with a simple twist of his wrist, or a quick slash of his Tokijin; Inuaysha has no hope of stopping him should he act.

Inuaysha's dark, narrowed eyes soon widen as Sesshomaru kneels down in front of his brother and tilts his head to his left. Inuyasha blinks at his brother's odd behaviour. Sesshomaru ignores the expression, like so many before it, and continues his inspection.

“I prefer your ears when they are on top your head, Inuyasha.” He states slowly.

He watches curiously as Inuyasha's expressions are displayed clearly on his face: confusion, anger, embarrassment. Sesshomaru feels that Inuyasha doesn't know what he should be feeling.

Inuyasha finally growls and frowns, “Yeah, well… It's not my fault I turn human once a month.” He huffs before glaring at a tree behind Sesshomaru.

The demon Lord's eyes remove themselves from Inuyasha's ears and instead settle on the inky locks now falling over Inuyasha's shoulders and his forehead. It is dull and looks course, unlike Sesshomaru's own hair, just as its colour is his hair's polar opposite. Sesshomaru finds himself preferring his brother's hair as it is now.

He stands again, his posture perfect. “You should comb your hair, Inuyasha.”

“Keh!” Inuaysha snorts, again glaring up at Sesshomaru with his arms crossed over his chest, “I don't have time to obsess over my hair. I'm too busy trying to track down and kill that bastard, Naraku.”

Sesshomaru regards the sulking human with a cool stare, “As a child you would ask me to comb your hair and in turn you would comb my own.” He turns and heads back towards their companions, “Your friends are worried. Do not stay away for much longer.”

Again he hears Inuyasha snort.

The next morning, Sesshomaru listens as his brother's hair is yanked and pulled, and he whines about the waste of their time and the girl's effort; the priestess is attempting to rid his stained grey hair of knots. He has watched her attempt to do this many times before, but this morning is the only time Inuaysha has willingly let her brush it. He doesn't offer his help, just as he doesn't send Rin to offer her own in his place. Inuyasha has had this coming.

He listens, a statue as his brother yelps and whines again, louder, and the priestess 'sits' him. It will be a long day.

Sesshomaru spends it sitting and thinking and wondering about hair as dark as the night, and whether it is sensible for him to regard Inuyasha as attractive, rather than disgusting. He is, after all, a half-breed, first and foremost.