My Brother is my Destiny, Inuyasha x Sesshomaru

Chapter 5

"Don't touch what doesn't belong to you!" Inuyasha couldn't make sense of what he had heard and struggled to believe Sesshomaru had even said it. Inuyasha stood looking out his window, into the courtyard where the events of the morning had taken place. Sesshomaru didn't think twice about him, so what did he mean, "Don't touch what doesn't belong to you?" He played it again and again in his mind. He didn't yell at him either when he lost control of his own yokai again, he realized. Inuyasha's arm still tingled in the place where Sesshomaru had touched him. "Please calm down." That was the first time Sesshomaru had touched him outside of when they had fought in battle. Furthermore, he had said "please." Inuyasha mulled everything over for another moment but feared letting his mind take this line of thinking too far. Could Sesshomaru really be warming up to him? Could things really be changing between them?

"Excuse me, my Lord Consort, I was just coming to prepare Lord Inuyasha's bath. I'll come back later." Inuyasha could hear the old badger demon speaking just outside his door. "No, I was just passing by. I have no business here," he could hear Sesshomaru explain hesitantly. "All the same, my Lord Consort, I will return later." The servant said with a bow before retreating down the hall.

"I said there is no need."

As he spoke, Inuyasha opened the door. Sesshomaru turned to meet the man he still wasn't sure he was ready to see. "Inuyasha," Sesshomaru greeted slightly flustered, which surprised the younger as he held open the door. His brother was never flustered. Moreover his greeting actually sounded like just that, a greeting. Usually his older brother sounded as if he was spitting something distasteful from his mouth when he said his name.

Inuyasha said nothing, worried that if he said the wrong thing it could spook him.

"We should discuss your training," the elder continued.

"I already smoothed things over with Koga so there will be no fallout for the alliance. I cleaned up the mess I made," Inuyasha said, hoping to curb the irritation he expected from Sesshomaru.

"You aren't to blame."

Inuyasha met Sesshomaru's gaze, shocked at his response. Sesshomaru averted his gaze quickly before saying, "I'll begin training with you again, that's what I came to say."

"You will!" Inuyasha responded with more excitement and shock than he meant to reveal. "Good. I am sure I will improve a lot faster with you and Koga training me..."

Inuyasha was interrupted when Sesshomaru tssked, "Do you doubt my abilities? Is it so important that he stay now that I am training you?"

Inuyasha saw something in Sesshomaru's eyes as he spoke, as if there was more he was asking than simply what his words were communicating. Inuyasha hoped he wasn't delusional in his inferences. Perhaps that this, along with his actions during training, were in fact jealousy. He knew if he and Sesshomaru were to work together, they had to take a turn for the better in this moment.

"I will tell Koga he is no longer needed, and have him return home tomorrow," Inuyasha reassured him. Some of the tension in Sesshomaru's face softened with Inuyasha's answer, encouraging boldness in Inuyasha in the silence that followed. "Do you want to come in? Yuri should be coming back with food soon."

"No, I'll leave you to it, I have other business to attend to." Sesshomaru turned to head back in the direction of his room.

Without thinking, Inuyasha reached out and grabbed Sesshomaru's wrist. "Wait," Inuyasha called out. Sesshomaru turned, both of them staring at each other for a moment without saying anything. Sesshomaru's wrist was radiating heat where Inuyasha was holding him.

"I am grateful you came back," Inuyasha said clearly as a substitute for what he wanted to say. He released Sesshomaru's wrist still radiating with heat. Sesshomaru simply nodded and turned towards his room. Inuyasha couldn't help but watch him walk down the hallway for a few moments before turning back to his own room.