Higher Education by SunsetMiko

Chapter 23

Each prompt is labeled with which challenge it goes to.

Prompt: Sweet Pea (Goodbye) (The Language of Flowers Challenge)

"Come on, man. Just give me the fucking key. I have to leave the door open when I go to take a piss in the middle of the night." Inuyasha was whining while Sesshoumaru stormed around his dorm room, collecting things he would need for the night and the next morning while blatantly ignoring him.

"I am not giving you my keys," the taiyoukai said firmly, stuffing his textbooks into his bag along with his laptop.

"Dude, don't take the computer. What the hell am I supposed to do all night?"

"I do not care how you amuse yourself," Sesshoumaru replied flatly. "It is my laptop and I have work to do and classes to attend. I am not going to allow you to affect my grades. We both know you have no interest in attending this university so why not just go home?"

"I ain't leavin' until I check out the weekend party scene."

"Of course not," the taiyoukai said while rolling his eyes.

Kagome stood in the hall, leaning against the wall opposite Sesshoumaru's mostly closed door, a small smile on her face. The taiyoukai had stood up for himself and her. Sure, it had taken Inuyasha seriously crossing the line to make him do it, but he had, and that was all that mattered. Even now, he wasn't backing down and giving his jerk of a brother what he wanted.

"Pops said you have to let me stay and show me around, so don't think you're gonna just ignore me and leave me to fend for myself. I'll call him. You know I will."

Sesshoumaru paused for a moment, considering Inuyasha's threat, before shrugging his shoulders. "Call him. See if I care. Can you dial with that hand or do you need me to do it for you?" The confidence Kagome had given him was surging through his veins, along with the outrage at everything his brother had said, and he was on the verge of hurting the fool again. He certainly was asking for it.

"Dude, better hope I don't tell him you just said that."

The taiyoukai whirled on his brother, having finally collected everything he needed, and stared the hanyou down. "I am not afraid of father, nor am I afraid of you, not anymore. You can threaten all you want, but I will not hesitate to throw your ass out on the street if you do not stop running your mouth. This is my dorm room and no one can make me allow you to stay. You shouldn't even be here to begin with. Having you here is against dorm rules."

"I bet sleeping with your girlfriend is too," Inuyasha muttered.

"Does it look as if I am concerned?" When Inuyasha failed to respond, Sesshoumaru smirked, the expression sending chills down the hanyou's spine. He almost didn't recognize his own brother. Not only was he behaving differently, but so was his aura. It had always been small and weak, but now it was growing around him, getting stronger as his youkai side awoke from its slumber. He didn't know what was drawing it out, whether it was his insults or if it was Kagome's doing, but he knew it was a problem. He would definitely be calling his father the first chance he got, after he found some ice for his damn hand.

"At least tell me where her room is, so I can find you if I get locked out."

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Don't get locked out. I will not give you the opportunity to harass her any more than you already have." With that said the taiyoukai picked up his bags and headed out to the hallway, smirking at Kagome as he shut the door behind him.

"That," she whispered softly, her fingertips tracing the stripes on his cheeks, "was exactly what I was talking about."

"And my reward?" he asked, his voice deeper, rolling over her like a wave of warmth that settled itself between her legs.

"I think you've more than earned it." Then the miko turned and began the trip two floors down to her room, Sesshoumaru following along, excitement running through him. He had no idea how far she would allow him to go, but he was going to savor every second of it.

Prompt: Yellow Acacia (Secret Love) (The Language of Flowers Challenge)

Kagome had no idea what was going on, but she was going to find out. She had expected Sesshoumaru to jump her the moment the door closed behind them, but instead, he was sitting in her desk chair looking intently at his phone. What could be so interesting that it was more important than climbing into bed with her?

Determined to see what he was looking at, the miko crept closer, moving as silently as possible. She knew that he would hear her if he was paying attention, but he wasn't. He was fully focused on the small screen he clung to with both hands. She leaned over his shoulder, peering at his phone, and was shocked by what she saw.

"Porn?" she said indignantly. "I'm sitting here waiting for you to come to bed and you're over here looking at porn?" She felt vindicated by the way he jumped and nearly dropped the phone. He turned to look at her in shock, having no idea what to say or do.

"It was not porn," he said meekly.

"It sure as hell looked like it," Kagome chided, giving him a knowing look. "And this from the guy who said he didn't look at porn."

"I... I can explain," he stammered, desperate to fix what he might just have broken.

"Go for it, big guy. Tell me why you had a close up picture of a vagina on your phone. I'm dying to hear it." She watched as his cheeks burned a brilliant red and she raised a brow at him, now very interested in his explanation.

He relaxed a little when she used her pet name for him. She wasn't absolutely livid and she was giving him the opportunity to explain it. The only problem was the explanation was absolutely humiliating.

"It was not pornography," he started, pausing to search for the perfect wording. He would only get one shot at this and he was praying she didn't kick him out or laugh in his face, even though he would deserve it. "It... was a... tutorial."

Kagome's eyes widened as she did everything in her power not to burst out laughing. He looked so embarrassed and she knew it would only make it worse. She swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. She wasn't sure if she could speak without laughing, but he obviously needed her to say something.

"A tutorial? For what, exactly?"

Sesshoumaru looked away and Kagome took pity on him, taking his phone and setting it screen down on the desk. She climbed into his lap, gently turning his face towards her, kissing him softly. "It's okay, whatever it is."

"I did not wish to disappoint you," he murmured. He didn't want her to think that he assumed he was going to get that far, and so he was wary of specifics.

A giggle bubbled up the miko's throat, and though she tried to stifle it, he knew. Sesshoumaru sighed and looked at the floor, all of his gained confidence lost in one instant, all because he was a pathetic virgin who knew absolutely nothing about sex.

"Sesshoumaru," she said softly. "That's adorable, but you didn't have to do that. The internet isn't meant to teach you about sex." She paused for a moment, sucking up the confidence to continue. "I am."

He was instantly looking at her again, staring into her eyes in shock. "You... are?"

"I'm not saying all your lessons will happen tonight, but they will all happen with me, so long as you still want me."

"Of course I want you," he replied quickly. "But I still do not desire for you to be disappointed in my lack of experience."

"That," she said with a smile, "is what your instincts are for."

"My instincts?"

"Exactly. You are going to listen to yourself, do what feels right, and if you do something wrong, I'll tell you. No biggie. And don't tell me you don't have instincts, because we both know that you do. You just need to pay attention to them."

Prompt: adj. Nocuos: Harmful, dangerous. (The Obscure Word Challenge)

Inuyasha was sitting in Sesshoumaru's desk chair with a bag of frozen peas he'd snagged from someone defrosting on his hand when he decided it was time to call his father. The changes in Sesshoumaru were beginning to scare him. No, scratch that, he was officially scared. If the taiyoukai was growing into himself, if his beast was coming to the surface and making itself known after all these years, he was in serious trouble. Sesshoumaru had a lot to pay him back for.

The hanyou struggled to pull up his contacts on his phone using his left hand, muttering complaints all the while. Finally, he found his father and clicked to call him. He turned on the speakerphone so he could focus on his aching hand and waited impatiently as the line rang and rang. Finally the other end picked up.

"Well, my son. Have you decided whether you would like to attend that university or not already?"

"Ugh, this place sucks, but that's not why I'm calling. There's something wrong with Sesshoumaru."

On the other end of the line, the old dog raised a brow in confusion. "We've known that for a long time, Inuyasha."

"No, I mean there's something wrong wrong with him."

"Oh, dear Lord, please don't tell me he's gay. My reputation cannot suffer another hit like that."

Inuyasha snorted. "No, he ain't gay. Believe it or not, he's got a fucking girlfriend."

"A girlfriend?" InuTaisho said, sitting up in his chair with interest. "And does she weigh three hundred pounds?" he asked with amusement in his tone.

"The bitch is a goddess, Pops. It's not fucking fair."

"Are you certain it is not an act they are putting on for your benefit?" There was no way his nerdy, pathetic son had somehow caught a woman so out of his league. It had to be a setup of some kind.

"She kisses him like he's her only air supply. I don't think she's faking it. I thought so at first, but he's really into her too. Dad, I think he broke my hand."

"He did what?"

"He's growling, his eyes are bleeding red, his markings are going jagged and his aura is changing too. He's been scent marking the bitch. It's like his beast is waking up or something."

The old dog chuckled darkly. "And he stood up to you. What did you do? How far did you push him before he finally snapped?"

"It wasn't that bad!" Inuyasha said in his defense. "I only asked if she does anal and he flips out and shoves me. I go to hit him and the fucker caught my hand and crushed it. I heard popping and it hurts something fierce."

"Oh, you will heal, you big baby. They told me something like this might happen someday but I never believed it. Perhaps I will no longer have to pretend I have but one son."

"You knew this could happen? Why didn't you fucking tell me?"

"Do not swear at me, boy. I warned you long ago that you should not torture your brother, that someday it might come back to bite you. Now that time has come. If I were you, I would not aggravate him further. Where is he?"

"He's sleeping with his girl in her dorm room somewhere. He won't even tell me where. Just dumped me in his room and took off."

"Have you been hitting on this girlfriend of his?"

"Of course I have. That pathetic freak doesn't deserve that hot piece of ass, no way, no how."

"And yet he has her. It is likely his interactions with her that are awakening his youkai nature."

"I think I might just come home. Screw waiting for the weekend." Inuyasha was worried that if he remained, his brother would continue to change until he was no match for the taiyoukai. He didn't want to suffer paybacks for everything he had ever done to Sesshoumaru. He was ready to run away with his tail between his legs.

"No, you will stay and watch him. You will keep me apprised of the situation. If he loses himself fully to his beast, there will be a rabid animal running around campus. We have to ensure that does not happen."

"And if he beats my ass?"

"You will know that you truly deserved it."