In My Brother's House by Yabou

In My Brother's House

- - - - -

Title: In My Brother’s House
Prompt: One-Shot for Dokuga’s Cotton Anniversary Challenge
Dedication: For Skye, always there to listen and share.

- - - - -

Her eyes flitted over the fading sunlight like it was the last burning ember she would ever see. Hand rising to her heart and head bowed low in thought, the young woman prayed for her ever absent husband - and her forever gone lover.

Nearly two years had passed her by since she came to inhabit the seaside estate, but the weight of life and death still pressed upon her shoulders just as heavily as it had the very first day after his demise. Sighing, her fingertips traced the leaded sill, and Kagome turned away, pulling the blanket closer for some form of comfort.

“Maybe tomorrow,” Sango assured. “They weren’t positive of his departure time.”

Giving a curt nod, Kagome attempted a smile. “I know. I just thought it might be nice… to … see him again.”

Rounding the corner of their shared desk, her assistant gave her a loose, one-armed hug and moved toward the door. “It’s probably best that we wrap it up for the night, anyhow. I need to get downstairs before Cook kills Miroku.”

A genuine giggle passed through her lips. “Right. That would be best.”

But, watching Sango walk away, Kagome felt the small semblance of happiness slipping away again as her thoughts crowded back to the forefront.

Everyone in the mansion had been abuzz for the past two weeks in preparation for the return of the long absent master of the house - her husband. The married miko, however, felt knots of fear and dread rising in her stomach at the thought of Sesshoumaru.

And, thoughts of Sesshoumaru were accompanied by memories of her now dead first husband, Inuyasha. His brother.

The entire premise of her second marriage was really quite atrocious if given any reasonable thought. Such practices were considered medieval among any of the dominating human families, but the fact remained that Kagome ceased to belong among mortals after her mating to Inuyasha. At the time, she had been so filled with love and utter devotion that any introspection into the future, other than immediate, were tossed aside with a careless smile.

Inuyasha was made for her, and she for him. That was what she had felt all those years ago, and that was what she still believed. Given the chance, the miko did not doubt she would do it again, but the fact remained that her magical heritage left her vulnerable to other prospective youkai. It would have been so easy for anyone to tie themselves to the open bond left with her when Inuyasha died.

It was a well known fact that miko, like some other mystical beings, could only exist when attached to someone else. In childhood, it was a parent or parental figure, but once the young woman blossomed into maturity, the bond was passed to a spouse or a temple. The choice had to be made.

Kagome chose love, and, in the end, it betrayed her by taking away the most important person in her life.

Upon Inuyasha’s death, she remembered laying on their bedroom floor, gasping for breath and wondering what was happening. Several days were spent slipping in and out of comas before she saw Sesshoumaru’s face for the first time.

Kagome remembered the shock and anger she felt at discovering that her mate even had a sibling.

Then, she was given an ultimatum. In that calm and calculating demeanor he had, Sesshoumaru gave her a choice. She would not be allowed to die - as such would surely be considered dishonorable by his followers and peers. She could travel to the distant mountain nation where some of the few remaining temples still flourished, leaving her family and all of her heart behind, or she could become his.

Kagome still couldn’t quite remember exactly what transpired in the hospital room that day, but she did remember the long drive out to the seaside manor and the subsequent departure of her newly made husband of less than two whole hours.

He fled like a man running from a burning building.

And she was the fire.

- - - - -

She was fire.

Sesshoumaru pondered his wife as the driver navigated the treacherous hills of the seaside bluff with an experienced hand. Two years away had done nothing to calm the racing in his long forgotten heart.

His lips could still almost taste her chaste kiss, and the feel of her black as night hair brushing against his neck when she craned to reach his mouth.

It was wrong to want your brother’s wife in such a way.

It had always been wrong that he wanted his brother’s wife in such a way. However, there was no need for mention of a rivalry in their estranged relationship. Before his passing, Sesshoumaru had not seen or thought of his long lost brother in nearly seven years.

The day Inuyasha took the woman Sesshoumaru wanted for a bride.

How his hanyou brother managed to gain their family’s favor in seeking the hand of the neighboring territory’s youngest miko, Sesshoumaru still did not understand, but he had, unbeknownst to his elder sibling. The newly made demon lord was so engrossed in establishing boundaries and treaties that he had failed to notice when the woman who caught his eye was swept away without ever having gained even the simplest introduction.

The two were mated only a few shorts months later.

Sesshoumaru once believed that would be the end of his interest, but he was very disheartened to find the woman lingering in his thoughts far more than she ought. So, he distanced himself with work and scorn, and ignored the pair altogether.

Until the idiot went off and died.

And saddled him with a grieving widow whom he had no kind words for - only a deep seated fire that refused to be extinguished.

“We have arrived,” the chauffeur announced, opening his passenger’s door before moving to retrieve the luggage.

Sesshoumaru unfurled his body and stepped away from the car. “Leave them,” the demon lord directed, taking his only suitcase and starting up the stairs. “The household sleeps. There is no need to awaken anyone.”

“Yes, my Lord,” the stouter youkai replied. “If that is all, I will take my leave.”

“Go,” he permitted, already at the door. Sesshoumaru silently cursed the way his hand hesitated on the knob. His heart rested uneasily in his chest, and his senses flared out in their search for the one who should be his mate.

Almost like a whisper, her innate powers pulsed softly in response. Sleeping, but willing to wake their master at a moment’s notice. For the briefest of seconds, Sesshoumaru felt the anticipation and the need inside his body swell to near tantamount proportions. She slept in his bed, and she wore his ring.

But she did not bear his symbol. Nor his scent.

Kagome possessed a bond made only the slightest impression. One simple kiss. It was enough for her spirit, but it would never be enough for his soul.

With a soundless sigh, the youkai made his way to his own sleeping quarters and waited for morning - when the woman in his bed would discover a male at her side.

- - - - -

“Who’s there?” Kagome whispered, tugging the sheet a little higher over her nightgown clad form. “You shouldn’t be in here.”

“Should I not?” Sesshoumaru gave a rusty chuckle. “I once believed this to be my own domain, but perhaps I am mistaken. It has been too long since I set foot on these grounds.”

“Sesshoumaru,” she breathed, still pulling on the coverings. “Forgive me. I wasn’t expecting you, I’m sorry.”

Stepping into the light, the demon lord sat at the edge of the bed and contemplated his wife. “It is of no importance. It is late. You should sleep. I will not disturb you.”

Kagome watched him stand and move toward the adjoining office with a flinch. “Of course,” her hands fidgeted as her mind raced. This was not how she expected to greet her husband after two years of absence, but the words escaped her. “Welcome home.”

Acknowledging her with only a nod, Sesshoumaru left the room, shutting the door and the vision of the frightened woman from his view.

- - - - -

“Good morning,” Kagome greeted, managing to keep her tone light and airy as the demon lord joined her outside the sunroom. The coffee cup in her hand trembled only slightly, but, thankfully, it was covered by the sound of the wrought iron chair sliding across the patio.

“Yes,” he returned, brushing his long silver ponytail over his shoulder. “The garden has changed since I saw it last.”

“Ah,” his wife blushed, demurely laying aside her cup. “That was my doing. I needed something to pass the time, and this area seemed…”

“Neglected,” Sesshoumaru finished. “Yes, it was.”

Kagome searched for some conversation to pass the time with her mate, but the words were all lacking. In the end, they sat in total silence as she looked out over the garden and wondered what he really thought of its changes, and he hid behind the pages of the Sunday paper.

- - - - -

“And put something in there about their lack of activity during the last tour. If they want to be one of the overseeing households, then they need to … you know… oversee something,” Kagome rattled off a few more directives while Sango typed away, nodding in all the appropriate places.

Shaking her head, the assistant swiveled her chair to face a rather frustrated miko. “I don’t understand why you let them choose these things on their own. Maybe you should start electing families instead of asking for volunteers.”

A frown tugged at Kagome’s mouth. “That seems so… I don’t know… bossy? They should get a choice. Otherwise, it’s just a dictatorship, right?”

“But,” Sango smirked. “This is a dictatorship, Kagome. Sesshoumaru is the end all. You give them way too much leeway with this stuff.”

She sighed. “I know, but I hate to force people to do these tours. They take weeks away from their households, and they’re usually only for reinforcement anyway. I don’t feel like anyone who doesn’t want to participate or do the things I tell them should be forced.”

Her assistant gave a slight shrug. “They would do it if they cared for the safety of their own households. Sesshoumaru wouldn‘t let them do this.”

Kagome rubbed her forefinger against the knot working its way into her temple. “True. But this is my territory. Sesshoumaru deals with other nations and territories in his own way, and I take care of our people. That’s the way its supposed to be, and I want to try it this way for just a little longer. I promise, if I keep having problems we’ll come up with a new system, okay?”

 “Okay, you’re doing a really good job, Kagome. Some people just don’t know what’s good for them.” Glancing at her watch, Sango stood and smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt. “It’s time to go down to the shrine for lunch with your family. Are we finished here?”

“Yes,” she eagerly agreed. “Anything to get away from this mess.”

- - - - -

Sesshoumaru stood at the door to his adjoining office and listened to them leave the room.

- - - - -

“Sesshoumaru is home,” Kagome announced over their bi-weekly luncheon.

Her mother paused, spoon hovering at her lips. Returning the utensil to her bowl, she folded her hands in her lap and examined her daughter. “Have you seen him?”

“Yes,” Kagome replied. “He came to bed late last night.”

“Came to bed,” the older woman flushed. “Did you sleep with him?”

“Mother,” she blushed. “He’s my husband. Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?”

“Oh, Kagome. You know what I mean. Is he pressuring you to have… sex? After so long? I didn’t think this was going to be that kind of relationship.”

“No, I don’t know what you mean,” Kagome paused, searching for some explanation as to why she would or would not have sex with the man she married. Other than the fact that they’d never really had a relationship. Or a conversation. Or even a single, solitary hour alone together before last night. “But he hasn’t… tried anything. He just slept. We both slept.”

“Right,” her mother fidgeted. “I just… I don’t like this, Kagome. I want to see you safe and happy.” Reaching across the table, her hand settled on top of her daughter’s, gently patting. “This isn’t what I imagined for you. If you’re unhappy…”

“No,” the young miko shook her hand. “I am happy… in a way. Sure, its not perfect, but I have a purpose. I have friends, and I have my family. And now… maybe it won’t be so bad… knowing Sesshoumaru. I was never given the chance before, but he can’t be that bad. I’m sure we’ll make the best of this… whatever it is.” Holding her mother’s gave, she offered the strongest smile she could. “Don’t worry about me, Mom. I’ll always be happy so long as I have you and Grandpa and Souta.”

- - - - -

Mind set, Kagome made her way back to the mansion to put her plan into action. The idea of knowing Sesshoumaru wasn’t unappealing; he just scared the living daylights out of her. He was so much different than his brother. Inuyasha was barely on the cusp of adulthood when they married. They grew to love and care for each other in appreciative and respectful ways over a few years, but the initial attraction had been shy and sweet.

The memory of it still made her heart ache.

Thinking of the man who had slept beside her the night before brought a hot flush to her skin, a feeling that was completely new to her body.

“Where did you go?”

Kagome jumped at the sound of her husband’s voice. “What?”

“You left,” he rephrased.

“Oh,” she responded. “I went to have lunch with my mother. I usually go to see her twice a week. Why?”

“I was not informed.” Sesshoumaru answered.

Kagome’s eyes narrowed. “You weren’t informed. Should you have been?”

“I am your mate,” the demon lord replied, not noticing the anger seeping into her tone. “It is necessary that I know where you are.”

“Ah,” she stood, pacing the length of the bedroom. “I’m sorry to be such a burden. You haven’t been concerned where I was for the past two years. Why bother now?”

“You are angry,” Sesshoumaru noted.

Kagome’s ire doubled at his lack of response. “Yes, I am. Why does it even matter to you? You don’t tell me where you go. Why should I give you my itinerary for every second of the day?”

“I did not ask-.”

“No,” she interrupted, stopping to jab her finger into his chest. “You haven’t asked. In fact, I’m pretty sure you jumped ship just as soon as you possibly could. So I don’t want to hear it.”

And with that, she was gone. The door nearly shook off its hinges in her wake.

- - - - -

Kagome glared at the pillow. It was a very stupid pillow with a very stupid owner.

It was also very empty - Sesshoumaru’s head no where in sight.

Rolling to face away from the other side of the bed, her eyes squinted against the darkness as she read the bright 3:00 A.M. on the digital clock.

Stupid pillows.

And stupid bonds.

And stupid mates.

Yanking the covers over her head, Kagome promised herself to rid the world of all things deemed ‘stupid’ as soon as the sun rose.

- - - - -

“That is my pillow,” Sesshoumaru stated, staring at the pile of flying feathers that had been, none too gently, deposited on his morning plate of eggs.

Kagome made an indiscernible noise and pushed a head full of wild hair out of her eyes. “Yes, it is, and it is no longer welcome in my bedroom.”

“I see.”

“And for that matter, neither or you. I understand that this is your house, but I have lived in that room for over two years. I’m claiming it. You can find a bed elsewhere.” She rattled off her demands with her chin held high, but her hands were obviously trembling. There were also a few, very notable, tear tracks on her cheeks.

“I see.”

“Good,” she turned. “I’m going to get ready.”

Sesshoumaru watched her walk away and wondered how his marriage had come to this state in only two days.

Kagome wavered at the edge of the room. “I’m having breakfast with Sango.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Then I’m going to my mother’s.”

- - - - -

“What’s got you so distracted today?” Sango questioned, pen falling onto a half-filled ledger.

Kagome tugged the notebook from under her arms and stared at the figures. “What else?”

“Is it really that bad?” She wondered. “He’s only been home for a few days.”

The miko sighed and passed back her additions. “It wouldn’t be if he didn’t hop right in to husband mode. Am I really expected to fall into line behind him so easily? I don’t even really know him. I just don’t know what to do.”

Sango gave her an encouraging smile. “Give it time. You don’t understand each other right now because you don’t know one another. I’m sure everything will be fine.”

- - - - -

Reassured, albeit not quite bolstered, Kagome decided to try a tentative form of niceness with her estranged husband. “Coffee?”

Sesshoumaru’s sharp golden eyes slanted away from the newspaper and toward her proffered cup. “Yes.”

She blew a strong sigh up into her bangs and placed the china, a touch too heavily, onto the table in front of him. His response was less than satisfactory; however, Kagome was determined not to be dissuaded. “How was your morning?”

Her mate’s gaze strayed from the business section for a moment. “Productive.”

After a minute’s time, Kagome realized that her conversation had been dismissed, and she, dishearten and more than a little teary, fled the garden for higher ground.

- - - - -

“Your conversational skills are beyond comparison, my Lord.” Miroku spoke, taking Kagome’s abandoned seat.

Sesshoumaru didn’t bother to set aside his paper.

“Really, how could anyone ignore such charm with your well-versed answers,” he continued.

The demon lord neatly folded his paper and picked up his coffee cup before speaking, “Your point?”

“Do you not wish to woo her?” His servant pondered. “She is your wife, and while such things are not always apparent… it would seem that a certain closeness is lacking in your relationship.”

Sesshoumaru granted him a seeping stare.

“Not that you would need such things,” Miroku interjected. “However, in such a relationship, it is often considered polite to reply with multi-syllable responses. It is also considered appropriate to ask such questions in return.”

Taking a cautious sip of his coffee, Sesshoumaru began to think over his liaison’s words.

With a final thought, Miroku put forth his best effort. “The garden has become quite beautiful in the two years since your departure, my Lord. It was with a careful and considerate hand that Lady Kagome chose and nurtured the blooms residing here. She has created a practical sanctuary among the seascape and sand… and, throughout it all, her thoughts were not on her own pleasure, but that of the household as a whole. Perhaps that effort should be rewarded.”

- - - - -

The demon lord’s mind lingered on Miroku’s words for the duration of the day, and by night fall, he had decided upon a plan of action. Moving to sit at the edge of the bed, he looked, truly, at his mate. Her long hair was drawn back in a braid that fell over one shoulder, and her eyes were drifting lazily along the pages of a novel. A romance.

She was a vision in soft pink, and the words almost caught in his throat.

Turning away, he stared at the window and spoke. “How was your day?”

“My… day?” Kagome wondered aloud, not quite understanding what to make of such a question from him.

“Yes,” he lowered his head, examining the pale white of the rug. “What did you do?”

It took her only a moment longer to comprehend his meaning. “Oh,” she smiled. “My day. I went down to the beach with Sango for a while, and I had lunch with my mother. Sango and I also went over the figures for the winter contributions and supplementals from the families within the compound as well as the immediate surrounding area. The seasons change so fast around here that I think it’ll be upon us any moment, and I’m always afraid that we won’t be prepared in time.”

In the midst of her ramblings, Sesshoumaru turned and examined the excited air slowly taking over her form. Her hands began to move as she spoke, waving with gestures to emphasize her words. Her eyes sparkled when she spoke of her mother or Sango, and her braid tugged restlessly against her pajama top.

And, it was during this, mostly one-sided, conversation that Sesshoumaru realized just how breath-taking his mate could truly be.

- - - - -

“May I come in?” Kagome poked her head around the door separating their offices.

Sesshoumaru examined the statistics scattered across his desk, determined to deny her entry, but one look into her hopeful eyes made him reevaluate his afternoon. “Of course.”

“What are you doing?” She wondered, settling a delicate tray of tea and cookies on a nearby table.

“Treaty negotiations,” he replied. “A necessary evil.”

“Oh?” Kagome carefully leaned over his shoulder, her chest brushing against his back. “With who?”

“The kingdoms to the south,” Sesshoumaru answered, rearranging the sheets into a more sensible order. “They are particularly…”

“Snobby,” Kagome finished, gathering the tray and presenting her mate with a steaming cup.

“Yes,” he agreed, giving her the slightest smirk in response.

Folding her arms over her chest, she deigned, “Well, they are.”

“Indeed.”

- - - - -

“Come with me,” Kagome grinned, nearly grabbing him across the countertop in her excitement.

“Where?” Sesshoumaru questioned, slightly taken aback by this new, overzealous form.

She nearly squealed with delight, “To the beach! It’s empty!”

“It is cold,” he returned.

Sticking out her tongue, she danced around the kitchen, shoving a few more haphazard items into an oversized basket. “Which is why its empty! It’s the perfect time for a pre-winter picnic. Besides, I didn’t think demons got cold.”

“I do not,” he assured. “You, however, do.”

“Oh, come on,” Kagome pleaded, eyes melting into a liquid, sooty gaze. “Please?”

“Hnn.”

“Yay!”

- - - - -

“Achoo!” Kagome groaned and twisted underneath the blankets.

Sesshoumaru felt out her forehead beneath her burrow and frowned. “You are warm.”

“Am not,” she denied, almost cuddling into the coolness of his hand.

“You are sneezing,” he redirected.

“Achoo!” The miko snuffled and sighed when he passed her a tissue. “Am not.”

“You are,” Sesshoumaru affirmed. “You are ill.”

“No,” Kagome moaned, curling onto her side. “I can’t be sick. There’s to much - achoo! - to do.”

“Not today,” the demon lord refused.

“But I -cough- have to,” she assured. “I’ll be okay.”

Pressing the intercom on the bedside table, Sesshoumaru stared at her ruddy cheeks and puffy nose. She looked completely vulnerable, and it called to the protector buried deep in his cold, dark heart.

“Yes, my Lord?” a crackling voice called.

“You will bring medicine appropriate for a … cold, and whatever nourishment might be necessary. The Lady will be staying in bed today,” he rattled off directions, his fingers threading through her tangled hair as she drifted back to sleep.

“Yes, my Lord.”

“That is all.”

The electronic buzz clicked off, and he wondered at the burden tucked into his side. She cuddled close to his side as she drifted back to sleep with her hand tangled into his shirt.

“Kagome,” he almost whispered.

“Hmm,” she grumbled, scooting a little closer.

“Someone will bring you medicine and necessities. You are to stay in bed.”

“What?” Kagome blearily opened her eyes. “Are you leaving?”

“I must finish the reports,” he answered, reluctantly.

“Don’t,” she begged, burying her face in his shirt. “Please stay. It’s nice… to lay like this.”

With a soft sigh, he turned off the lamp and returned his fingers to her hair, carefully combing out the tangles. “I will stay.”

“Good,” Kagome graced him with a teasing smile. “It’s your fault I’m sick anyway.”

“Hnn,” a single brow raised at her accusation. “I believe you accosted me, my Lady. However, you are sick. I will pardon your forgetfulness.”

His miko laughed, loud and sweet, until a fit of coughing wracked her frame, and he prayed to any deity that would listen for the return of her wellbeing.

- - - - -

“Thank you,” Kagome whispered, hours later after a soothing bath and a thorough teeth brushing. She delicately back into their large bed and perched, awkwardly at his side like a small, flighty bird.

“It was necessary,” Sesshoumaru responded, pulling the blanket into a more comfortable position as he settled into bed.

The miko blushed, “I’m sorry I made you stay. I didn’t mean to ruin your entire day.”

Noticing the warble in her words, the demon lord finally recognized a crucial moment for what it was. He knew she was unsure of his feelings, and he knew she was also unsure of her own. But he was not. It was time Kagome came to understand what he held in his heart. Fingers grasping her chin, Sesshoumaru leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her brow. “It was necessary.”

Kagome felt the heat swell against her face, and she stared at her sleeping mate’s back long after he turned away and bedded down for the night.

- - - - -

“I made breakfast,” she chirped, smiling even as her cheeks darkened at the sight of him.

“I see,” Sesshoumaru’s stomach churned at the sight. Pancakes were not supposed to be green.

Kagome sighed. “It’s kind of a disaster, I guess. I’m not a very good cook.”

Her mate remained silent, watching a thick layer of homemade jam congeal on the side of the plate.

“Maybe we should go out,” she whispered, poking her creation with her knife.

Sesshoumaru chuckled, “Agreed.”

- - - - -

“This was nice,” Kagome sighed as they strolled along the boardwalk, hands loosely intertwined. “I’ve never been to this part of the beach before. I didn’t realize there were so many shops this far south.”

“It is a very productive section of the domain,” Sesshoumaru agreed. His palm itched, restlessly, against her fingertips, and he pondered what more could pass between them on the pier. “It has been many years since I passed any time here as well. It is good to see it prosper.”

Trailing her free hand over the weathered banister, she stared at the morning sun and smiled. “How could any place as beautiful as this not do well?”

Standing behind her, the demon lord looked out over the ocean and thought about many beautiful things. “It was not always so. At one time, a single fish market dwelt upon this land.”

“Really?” Kagome turned, and her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the sunlight against his silver hair and honeyed eyes.

“Really,” he replied, returning her gaze. Hands moving to her waist, Sesshoumaru felt her bump against the railing, and he felt his body being pulled closer, caging her completely.

Glances darting, they looked between lips and eyes. Both wondering what would come in the next breath, but time passed and they still drew closer.

Lashes fluttered. Hearts sped. And in an instant, flesh was upon flesh. Sesshoumaru’s hand cupped her cheek as she grasped his bicep, and a slow heat wound its way through her body, teasing her with possibilities.

Coming up for air, Kagome gasped and pressed her forehead into the cotton covering his chest, listening to the slow stuttering of his heartbeat. She felt his hands against her back and wondered what he was thinking as her brain fluttered to restart. Tilting her chin, she squinted to see his face.

The warmth locked inside those orbs filled her with possibilities, and hope blossomed somewhere deep inside her. “Hi,” she mumbled, smiling against the sunlight.

A slow rumble filled his chest, “Hello.”

Kagome giggled and slung her arms around his chest, knowing that, even for a moment, everything was going to be all right. “Let’s go home, Sesshoumaru.”

- - - - -

[The End]