The Taisho fire

Sesshomaru's pain

After a while spent in bed,  Tōga's restlessness kicked in.

"I need a shower," he whined.

Haru shook his head, his gaze filled with sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Tōga-sama, but it will have to wait until we land. It is imperative that you do not move for the next twelve hours."

The former Captain didn't even have the energy to glare at his medic, especially since he owed him big time. Yet, his own smell disgusted him as much as his sweat-drenched skin.

"I can probably use warm water and a towel without jostling him around," Gwen mused.

Haru's electric blue eyes unfocused for a moment before he nodded his assent.

"I trust you to be careful," he stated before retreating, and closing the door behind him. Silence settled in the room except for the gentle hum of the motor. Gwen watched Tōga, stuck against cushions and a very plush mattress, completely helpless. To her credit, her grey eyes weren't filled with pity. Lithe fingers touched his cheek with tenderness, and Tōga managed to kiss them before she retreated to the nearby diminutive bathroom and soaked a towel in scalding water.

His shirt and slacks had been laid off in favour of bandages, leaving him in boxers. Gwen only had to pull at the heavenly smooth blanket to access his naked body. She applied the hot towel upon his chest and uninjured shoulder carefully. The heat was such a blessing that he sighed in relief. And so, with gentle care, Gwen swabbed at his whole body, avoiding tender areas. A thousand times she returned to the sink to wash it off, and start anew.

There were no words shared, eye contact the only communication in between the gentle pressure of her hand. There was no pattern to her wanderings, the soft cotton providing relief and contact. Tōga deflated entirely under her ministrations. He had not realised how he missed her touch. Eventually, though, she left the towel in the nearby room and covered his skin with the sheets to keep him warm. Then, she settled against him again and brushed a tender kiss upon his lips.

"Thank you," he whispered against her vibrant skin. "I needed that."

"You staying abed doesn't mean we have to be strangers," she responded, her hand snaking on his skin. Goosebumps rose where she touched naked skin and he almost laughed when his manhood stirred. Almost killed, and his desire was already blazing. After all, he used to have her at least twice a day, so he'd missed his dose of Gwen's pleasure already.

But it would be some time before he could enjoy her anew, and he groaned in frustration to think of the countless hours his healing would steal away from her glorious body. The door clicking open effectively distracted him; his eyes zeroed on the proud daiyōkai that occupied the whole frame.

His mind was still struggling to wrap around the concept... Sesshōmaru was still alive, and in his prime. Seven hundred years, and there probably stood the most powerful being in existence.

"How are you feeling ?" he asked, a tang of concern inflecting his usual toneless voice.

"I'll live."

There was the slightest of flinch in his countenance, one that would have passed unnoticed to anyone that didn't know Sesshōmaru. But despite him being the produce of a past life, Tōga knew where to look. The last time he'd been set upon by dragons, he had died of his wounds. Speaking of which...

"What happened to Ryūkotsusei ?" he asked.

Sesshōmaru stepped into the room and sat regally in the armchair; this way, he didn't tower over them both like a looming angel.

"InuYasha finished him."

Tōga's heart lurched in his chest, the painful reminder of a second son he never got to even hold in his arms. As much as Sesshōmaru's childhood was lacking, his firstborn had, at least, beneficiated from his guidance. InuYasha was left in the world without his protector and father, a half demon probably shunned by both parties. His greatest regret.

Gwen squeezed his hand in a show of silent support, and Tōga swallowed the lump in his throat.

"He did ?"

Sesshōmaru nodded.

"That's a story I want to hear," he said, his voice raspy.

There was no smile to soften the alabaster features of his firstborn, but a strange exasperated spring in his voice when he responded.

"And you shall. He'll be joining us at the shiro the day after tomorrow."

Golden eyes opened wide, his mouth agape.

"He... he's alive ?"

Heart thundering, Tōga heard Sesshōmaru's amused snort.

"He's old. And very alive. And impatient to meet you."

Rarely had Tōga been left speechless, but the pressure that now crushed his chest wasn't due to the cracked ribs. InuYasha, alive. He blinked, hoping the moist of his eyes was due to the air conditioning, and not the deep, rooted feeling of hopelessness that threatened to overtake the joy. He was but a human now, what would his second son think of him ? Would he be a disappointment ? Already, he felt like Sesshōmaru protected him out of obligation, but was less than impressed with his abilities.

To think that, for the past fifty years, people had looked up at him for his courage and his prowess. And now, he was about to join a community of people that would regard him as the weakest link. How could he live up to the legend he'd once been ?

"I hope he's not too disappointed."

"He knows you're not ... him," Gwen murmured, exchanging a silent gaze with Sesshōmaru. Strangely, the daiyōkai nodded to her, as if he understood what she was asking.

"InuYasha has been hurt too many times to count. Like you, he had a hard time staying down. I blame his brashness on your blood."

There was both humour and exasperation laced in this statement.

"How about you, Son ?"

A slight smile lifted the corner of his lips, his eyes unfocused in a memory that seemed long gone.

"Would you believe I had to lay prone for days once ?"

Tōga couldn't prevent his eyebrows from rising high; Sesshōmaru admitting to weakness was new to him.

"Whomever incapacitated you must have been terribly powerful."

"Indeed," he smirked.

But he offered no more than this. Hence his surprise when Gwen actually gasped, her eyes set upon him. She had probably seen something, and if the trembling of her hand was an indicator, it shocked her a great deal. Would she keep her gift a secret, or air it out ?

Given her flustered state, he doubted she would be able to hide it.

"Who was she ?" she asked. "The child who helped you ?"

Sesshōmaru's pupils suddenly reduced to dark slits, his eyes narrowing in a glare. Gone was the playful mood, replaced by irrepressible rage.

"Did you read my mind ?"

His words cut like claws, sharp and precise.

"No. But I feel your emotions, and I see things. I see... her."

Sesshōmaru stood so fast that it almost gave him whiplash. His yōki was all over the place, uncontrolled, grieving, angry. For a scant moment, Tōga feared for Gwen's life; should his son chose to strike her, he would be powerless to stop him. Even without injuries, the former Inu no taishō was well aware of his firstborn's power. Nothing, short of a nuclear bomb, would be powerful enough to fell him.

"She is none of your concern," he hissed. "Never ask about her again."

And when he walked away, Gwen huddled by his side with a sigh of defeat. He didn't need her sight to know how deeply hurt Sesshōmaru was; his pain radiated in their bones like a sea of despair.

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