InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Waning Moon ❯ Markings ( Chapter 18 )

18. Markings

The half-breed is walking alone, for the first time in a long while. Shippo is riding on Miroku's shoulder, while the monk humours Sango with his own type of prattle. Kagome isn't around to keep Inuyasha company. His golden eyes level a gaze at Sesshomaru, watching as he gently teaches Rin the wonders of being a demon; she seems especially talkative today.

He watches with a dark, raised brow and mirth filled eyes as his brother picks at his clothes, a mildly disgusted look on his face. It seems Sesshomaru is starting to smell and he is in dire need of a bath, or so he says, Inuyasha can't whine either way; he's gone weeks without bathing. Sesshomaru will no doubt search for a clean water source tonight.

Inuyasha wonders if his brother has also heard the loud splattering of a small water fall, one that - judging by its smell - runs into a hot spring. The half-breed expects he has, but is waiting for their group to stop. Inuyasha snorts at the thought; trust his jackass brother to act well mannered around his friends, trust him to try and show him up. He huffs, he doesn't even have Kagome here to chastise him.

Without the company of anyone willing to talk to him (and for him to insult aloud), the rest of the day held a scowling Inuyasha that either `keh'ed or huffed to every question asked. Sesshomaru seemed to be the only one to notice that his reactions to their probing meant `leave me the hell alone;' he hadn't bothered to speak to him since early that morning.

The thing that has Inuyasha off balance most is that his behaviour hasn't been punished with now familiar `sit' command one would have left Inuyasha stuck to the ground, neither happy to be there nor wanting to get up. He'd had enough of everything for the day: of thinking, of his friend's stubbornness and unwillingness to just leave him be and Sesshomaru's presence. The Brat didn't count anywhere, they hardly talked, and when they did it was usually because Sesshomaru wasn't around or because she was finding some new and far more devilish way to torture or embarrass him.

When the group stops, Inuyasha doesn't care if the others laugh, or if his brother thinks he is foolish; he lays down on his stomach and allows his face to rest in the dirt. It isn't the same without the tremendous weight Kagome's 'sit' command pushes onto him, but the position itself comforts Inuyasha. So he stays there, his face resting on the ground and his ears drooping on his head. He wants to sleep; he feels tired and sick. Sesshomaru will look after their group, he can't be bothered. He feels oddly depressed today, like the world had just faded to black and dark greys and would never turn back. Perhaps it's because of the nearing new moon, or Kagome's ability to never return? He knows he is sometimes overly emotional the few days before the moon disappears, though he is usually subjected to easily brought on fits of rage, not depression.

Either way, Inuyasha is comfortable and he is going to sleep. He will feel better after a nap.

“Little brother.”

Inuyasha growls an angry groan, “What? Can't a guy wallow in peace?” He asks incredulously, fixing Sesshomaru with a heated glare. The demon Lord in kneeling in front of him and, much to Inuyasha's obvious dislike, he doesn't flinch because of his glare.

“You're acting childishly, Inuyasha, your friends are worried.”

Inuyasha snorts, and looks away. He is now sitting with his legs and arms crossed, a sour look on his face. "What do you care?" He asks haughtily.

“I do not." Sesshomaru blinks slowly, flashing Inuyasha more of the pink make-up like stripes covering his brother's eyelids, "I am going to bathe. You will humour Rin, should she want your attention.”

“Keh.”

Inuyasha watches as Sesshomaru stands and heads towards the setting sun. The half-breed remains where he is, staring after his brother, until he is struck by a sudden curiosity that leaves him itching to follow. It has been a long time since he last thought of his brother's markings - though it had been hard to rid his mind of their presence the first time he'd seen his brother start to strip in front of him - and he is once again wondering how many and where they are.

His eyes flicker over to his friends, they're all setting up a small fire, except for Miroku; the monk is nursing a bruised cheek. With another quick glance, Inuyasha pushes himself from the ground and rushes after Sesshomaru, careful to not alert the cautious demon to his presence. It isn't hard for him to track his brother, his nose doesn't find it at all difficult, just as it always has.

After fifteen minutes, Inuyasha finds himself hiding in a tree down wind of his brother, who is staring at an inviting hot spring. It smells of minerals and salts, yet his brother's scent overrides the spring's. Inuyasha almost feels as though his stomach is filled with insects; he will finally discover how many sets of markings his brother has, he will finally be able to see Sesshomaru. All of him.

Suddenly Inuyasha feels that his limbs have gone numb.

Inuyasha doesn't have to wait long before Sesshomaru quickly and messily ties his hair back, so that the silvery cobwebs are once again tickling his elegant neck, held up with a dark, leather tie. Inuyasha leans forward in anticipation, his feet hooked around the tree's trunk as Sesshomaru's only hand reaches for the his pelt and tugs it off, laying it to rest by the pool's edge. Next the hand plucks at the ties to his armour, before that too drops from Sesshomaru's body. Inuyasha can't help but lick his lips, watching Sesshomaru untie his obi, before doing so again. To Inuyasha, it is as though he is seeing his first cup of ramen in days, just made and being opened by a fuming Kagome.

Why doesn't his brother hurry? He wonders; Sesshomaru had seemed so displeased with his own odour, Inuyasha expected that he'd be in the water before he had managed to catch up. But his brother wasn't and Inuyasha can't criticise his brother's behaviour, not as he shed his kimono from his pale body, slowly, like a child carefully pulling the wrapping off a delicate gift. Inuyasha starts his counting distractedly, managing to lose count twice before he managed to acknowledge and give each of the five sets of stripes a number.

The ones that teasingly frame Sesshomaru's hips, each stripe starting as a blunt edge before it traces the junction of where his thighs met his abdomen, dipping down from the Lord's stomach stopping somewhere under his hakama. Inuyasha imagines they'd go to a point, much like his other markings - it is unfortunate that Sesshomaru's back is turned towards him and he can't make sure.

As Sesshomaru's hakama falls from his hips and is kicked off with care, Inuyasha's mouth begins to feel dry and gummi, and he runs his tongue along his lips again. His brother's ankles brandish another set of magenta stripes. That is six sets of markings, and Inuyasha is keen to find more.

He doesn't get to admire them for long; Sesshomaru is soon stepping into the steaming hot spring he's been staring at for the past five minutes. For a moment, Inuyasha examines his brother, eyeing the evidently strong, yet elegant and pale body with something close to awe, though there is a bitter tang within his stare. Sesshomaru is perfect - Except for the stubby inch or so remaining from his left arm.

The half-breed feels a wave of accomplishment overcome his staring and his lips quirk into a smirk as he continues to eye the appendage. He was the one that marred his brother's complete perfection; he was the one that finally made a dent in Sesshomaru's elegance, for there was nothing elegant about a missing arm. It was small compared to the rest of Sesshomaru, but Inuyasha can't help but feel proud of himself; it only proved he can win against his brother and that he is worthy of Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha finds himself setting goals to accomplish as he stays at Sesshomaru's home: a large estate filled with servants and housing more than ten of Sesshomaru's most important officials. The half-breed will see his brother like this again, even if he must find an unbreakable binding spell and undress the Lord himself.

There is a sudden squawk from Inuyasha's right as a protective mother bird finds that Inuyasha has his right foot less than an inch away from kicking her nest from its branch. He is sure Sesshomaru can see him through the thick nest of leaves and branches he's kept himself hidden in as the demon Lord turns to glare in his direction. He immediately rushes away, cursing the bird and his own stupidity as he does.

Sesshomaru has six sets of markings and Inuyasha still wants to find more. He smirks, he wouldn't be able to do this if Kagome were around; he'd have felt too guilty, as though he were toying with her fragile emotions. It is the first time he has celebrated her inability to return to this era.