New Mates

Chapter 5


It took three days to reach Raizen's home with Inuyasha insisting they make camp at night, even if they didn't need to. When they did, he would pull his mates off to secluded areas for sex.

xxxxxx

The group watches the tower explode outward from Yusuke's spirit gun blast. "Right. I'm heading up to say hi." Inuyasha turns to his mates, "I'll see you two in a bit. It won't take long."

Inuyasha leaps up the stairs inside heading to Raizen's room. When he gets to the door, he opens it revealing Raizen crouching in front of a sitting Yusuke. "Raizen! Got something for your decrepit ass!" He digs in his sleeve and pulls out some of the boar meat he wrapped up before the trip. "It's from human world. Boar meat. Well, I gotta go, apparently my aniki is pissed." Inuyasha ruffles Yusuke's hair, "See ya, kid. Careful around the old man it'll be a while before you stop smelling completely human."

Inuyasha leaps out the hole Yusuke made and grabs his bags from where he left them at the base of the tower. "Let's go."

Inuyasha leads his mates out toward a distant forest. "Can you guys carry my bags? When Sesshomaru shows up there's gonna be a fight and I don't want the goods damaged." He holds out the bags and they each take some. Inuyasha places a hand on his tetsuiga and steps into the forest. He stops, sniffing. "Okay, Lets go." He picks a direction and leads them through the woods his ears swiveling and nose to the air alert for an attack. He leads them onto a trail that they follow into a huge clearing with a walled in palace that looks like it came from feudal japan nestled against a cliff face.

Inuyasha pauses at the edge of the clearing sniffing the air and looking around. He frowns in confusion, "He should be here. Why can't I... Shit!" He whirls around blocking a glowing green whip with his tetsuiga. His eye shift to red, and he leaps so he stands between Sesshomaru and his mates.

A calm, deep voice rumbles, "Where have you been, Inuyasha?"

"What do you care? Put away your whip," Inuyasha demands still standing guard before his mates.

Sesshomaru narrows his eyes at his brother's tone. "Very well, but you will answer me, otouto." Sesshomaru dispels his poison whip. "Now put away your sword."

Inuyasha sheathes tetsuiga, still standing guardedly between his brother and his mates. "Went on a visit to Ningenkai to pick up some things Kagome used to bring with her when she came through the well."

Sesshomaru nods, "Indeed. And the month before the tear occurred?"

"I needed to get away, so I wandered around for a while." Inuyasha pauses, "How's Shippo? I know he worries."

"He was fine until you vanished from the Makai completely." Sesshomaru glares down at his brother, "I have been banished from my own chambers until I succeed in bringing you back."

"It ain't like I was gonna stay gone!" Inuyasha looks frightened for a moment.

"I see you have acquired more strays."

"Mates, actually." Inuyasha corrects and grins, "And don't forget you mated my first 'stray'"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrow, "You run off to avoid eligible potential mates, insulting my guests in the process, make my mate sick with worry, and get me banished from my chambers, so you can run off and... elope with the first hanyou and..."

"Their names are Kurama and Hiei," Inuyasha interrupts. "Kurama happens to have been invited to become one of Yomi's advisors, and Mokuro wants Hiei to come to her side to work for her. Do not insult my mates again Sesshomaru. I let it go with Kagome when you did because she didn't like me fighting. I will not let it go now." Inuyasha's eyes had bled red again.

Sesshomaru watches as Hiei and Kurama's eyes narrow at the mention of Kagome finding it interesting. "Come," Sesshomaru commands sweeping past them toward the palace.

When they get half way across the clearing a petite ginger fox comes bounding through the gates, "Inuyasha!" Inuyasha grins, and moves forward to catch his kit when he does a flying leap into Inuyasha's arms. "I was so worried! I couldn't sense your presence anymore!" The kitsune starts crying into Inuyasha's shoulder.

Inuyasha maneuvers him into a headlock, digging a knuckle into the fox's head. "Thought I'd go down easy, didja," Inuyasha growled. "No such luck kit. I got some people you aught to meet." He let go suddenly letting Shippo fall to the ground and walked to stand by his mates.

The kitsune leapt to his feet, all his tears replaced with indignation. "Inuyasha," he whined, "Why do you always have to be so rough?"

"It got you to stop crying didn't it?" He pulls the bags out of Kurama and Hiei's hands and pushes them forward. Hiei took all this with his usual mask of indifference, while Kurama watched with some amusement. "This is Hiei," Inuyasha nudges Hiei. "And this is Kurama. Yoko Kurama." He nudged Kurama with a grin. Shippo's eyes look like they're going to pop out of his skull. Kurama sighs and releases his youki changing into the silver haired vision Inuyasha hadn't seen since they left the Makai weeks ago.

"How did you meet, THE Yoko Kurama," Shippo asks in awe.

"Well that's a cool story, but not half as great as the first time we had..."

Hiei glares at Inuyasha. "What did I say about gossiping like women?"

Inuyasha laughs, "Well, anyway. These are my mates Shippo."

Shippo looks between the three. "Whaddaya know! You CAN find a mate on your own!" He looks over to Sesshomaru, "Looks like all those suitors were a waste of time after all," he begrudgingly admits to his mate, then a steely not creeps into his voice, "But not for the reasons you said! He found worthier mates than you could dredge up." Shippo sighs, "But I suppose you did bring him back, so you are no longer banished." Sesshomaru leaps forward, grabs his mate around the waist, and dashes inside with Shippo's loud protests of, "That doesn't mean we have to go back right now!" and "He just got back and I smell candy!"

"I'm surprised this went so well," Inuyasha says with a grateful sigh. "I suppose the conditions of Sesshomaru's banishment had something to do with it though."

"He was genuinely concerned for your wellbeing," Hiei speaks quietly.

Inuyasha looks at Hiei incredulously, "The bastard greets me by attacking me and I'm supposed to believe he cares about my wellbeing?"

Hiei nods. "Yes."

Inuyasha glances toward the palace a glimmer of hope in his eyes, then hardens them. "Probably just couldn't stand the thought of someone taking 'his kill'," he sneers. He shifts the bags in his hold and starts trudging into the palace, heading toward his wing at the other end of the building from Sesshomaru. He leads them to his rooms and drops the bags in his sitting room. "Home sweet home," he says softly.

"Lets see." He opens shoji doors onto a porch overlooking a sprawling, unkempt garden. "This is the garden for my wing of the palace. Not much I know, but I don't really use it much and couldn't think how I wanted it to look, so no one's dealt with it." He crosses the room, not noticing Kurama walk out into the garden, and opens doors decorated with images of battles with a pink glowing jewel as the focal point. "This door leads to the dojo," he says sliding it open to reveal a huge open room with weapon racks lining one wall and dummies shoved in a corner. Hiei walks in inspecting the equipment. Inuyasha looks over to Kurama to see him inspecting a patch of weed infested flowers.

Inuyasha smiles, "Looks like I showed them just the right things to keep their interest for a while." He opens another set of doors off the main sitting room looking into his bedroom. The bedding was still a mess with blankets thrown about and pillows scattered around the futon, and he still had clothes and papers scattered around. He starts picking up the papers shoving them in the fireplace built into the wall for a fire later, the he tidies up his clothes and bedding. He piles the clothes in a corner while he straightens the bedding and moves the pillows onto the bed in a more pleasing array. When the room is cleaned up, he picks up the pile of kimono and carries them out through the sitting room to dump them in the washroom for the servants his brother employs to deal with later.

When he comes back Hiei is practicing in the dojo and Kurama is working his magic in the garden. Inuyasha picks up their bags of belongings and places them in his room before changing out of his fire rat robes and into a red silk kimono with gold and orange dragon embroideries, matching hakama, and a gold obi. He looks through his closet looking for something that might suit Kurama, knowing they would all need to dress better for the dinner that was sure to come. When he finds something he lays it out and heads toward Sesshomaru and Shippo's wing to see if he can borrow something from the kit for Hiei. He knocks on the door to their suit and waits for an answer.

Shippo answers the door with a smile, "Inuyasha! Come in," he moves to the side allowing Inuyasha entrance. Inuyasha looks around cautiously. "Don't worry. Sesshomaru's not here. He said something about informing the cook there would be more people for dinner."

"Che, figures. I was just coming to raid your closet for something that Hiei could wear." He looks around expectantly, "Where are the kits?"

"They're off visiting with Kouga's cubs. They should be back tomorrow." Shippo leads him through the sitting room and the bedroom to his closet. He grins evilly, "Now. I want details, or your mate can show up naked for all I care. Don't worry this room is soundproof.." Shippo trails off when he sees Inuyasha's glare. "What?"

"Hiei has a jagan. He'll know if I share smutty details with you... not to mention I really don't think it's exactly appropriate for me to talk about my sex life with my son." Inuyasha thinks about his conversation with Hiei outside the palace, "Listen, was Sessh... I don't know... worried about me?" When Shippo just frowns Inuyasha sighs, "It's nothing just something Hiei said." He starts sifting through Shippo's clothes looking for something that would work for Hiei.

"Inuyasha. Sesshomaru... how do I put this in a way that won't get me in trouble? He wants... he doesn't hate you, or want you dead." Shippo pauses thinking for a moment. "He's trying, in his own dysfunctional way, to be a better brother."

Inuyasha's jaw drops, "Then why does he attack me every chance he gets," he exclaims. "He greeted me this morning with a sneak attack with his poison whip!"

"Were you hurt?" When Inuyasha shakes his head he chuckles. "It's like when I pulled tricks on you when we first started traveling together. He's trying to get your attention." He pulls out a black kimono with silver inus embroidered in it with matching haori and an obi the exact same shade as Hiei's eyes. "Try not to take everything he says as an attack. Maybe even talk with him from time to time." He hands Inuyasha the outfit. "I'm happy for you, papa. I'm glad you moved on."

"It ain't like I was mopin' around! I just haven't had any interest since... well Kagome." Inuyasha heads toward the door with the outfit.

The door opens and Sesshomaru walks in. "What are you doing here, otouto," he asks.

"I was just borrowing some of Shippo's clothes for Hiei. He's too short for mine," Inuyasha responds. "I assume dinner is at the usual time," he asks in a small effort to make peace.

Sesshomaru's eyes show a flicker of surprise at the lack of antagonism. "Indeed."

"I'll see you then, aniki." Inuyasha heads out to go back to his rooms.

He sighs when he gets there. He lays out the clothes for Hiei before heading to the garden for some fresh air. He looks around in surprise. Already the flower beds are weed free and the paths have been cleared of dead leaves. Inuyasha walks around looking for Kurama, finding him crouching by a magnolia tree thickening the grass at the base of the tree to create a thick cushion. When he sees Inuyasha his eyes widen at the splendid kimono.

"You look very nice," he says softly sitting in the grassy cushion he created.

Inuyasha joined him leaning back against the tree. "Yeah," he sighs. "I have clothes for you and Hiei too. I had to borrow some from Shippo for Hiei. He's too short to fit into any of my clothes." Inuyasha closes his eyes letting the breeze blow through his long silver hair.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong," Kurama asks quietly.

"Hiei was right, about Sesshomaru," Inuyasha relays his conversation with Shippo. "I just don't know how I'm supposed to deal with a suddenly... unhomicidal older brother."

"Why don't you just try what Shippo said and see how things progress." Kurama smiled. "Do you wear any other color besides red?"

Inuyasha laughs, "Of course! I just wanted to wear the kimono with the dragons today. I picked a kimono out for you as well. I thought it suited you." Inuyasha stands offering Kurama a hand up, "C'mon. we have to get ready for dinner anyway." He leads Kurama back to the room looking in the dojo on his way past, "Hey, Hiei! Dinner's gonna be soon, and you gotta wash up and change." Hiei sets aside the dummy he was examining wondering if it would hold up when attacked and follows Inuyasha into a room they hadn't entered yet.

He looks at the large futon and the traditional clothes on it, hoping the black set was his, and follows further in through yet another door into what seemed to be a small hot spring. Hiei looks around impressed There is a sunken pool with steaming water large enough for a large family to lounge and play comfortably on the other side of the pool was a sandy area with stools and a shelf with soaps and brushes. Inuyasha stops by a rack where he removes his clothes and drapes them over the bar. Hiei and Kurama follow his example, and follow him over to the bathing area.

Inuyasha grabs some soap and a stool and starts washing. "Sesshomaru built this place as a replica of the palace father built during the feudal era when we came here," he says to break the silence. "All the suites have their own spring fed baths, but only the master suit in each of the wings has one this big. I remember when I was still little, just after mother died, Sesshomaru brought me to the palace to live. None of the servants wanted to have anything to do with me, so I was left on my own much of the time while Sesshomaru was gone dealing with his lands. Once he came back he would come and check on me." A wry smile graces his face, "He always looked so disgusted when he saw me. He would lift me by the collar and march me to the bath in his rooms and scrub me down from head to toe. Then he'd toss me into the pool and leave me to swim around until he felt it was time for me to get out." Inuyasha frowns, "I'm starting to wonder if it was me he was disgusted by." He grabs a bucket scooping water from the pool to rinse himself, allowing the soapy water to soak into the sand, before sliding into the pool to soak, "Maybe I'm thinking too much." The other two finish washing, Kurama grabbing a comb from the shelf on his way to the pool. Inuyasha watches Kurama start untangling his air and reaches out taking the comb from his hand, "Come here, I'll comb your hair for you." Kurama moves to sit in front of Inuyasha who, starting at the ends of the silky, red tresses, gently runs the comb through Kurama's hair. Hiei gets out of the pool grabbing a comb from the shelf and sits on the edge of the pool behind Inuyasha working the tangles from the inu's hair.

When they're done grooming, they get out of the pool drying off with the drying clothes on one of the shelves near the door. Inuyasha pulls on the clothes he had hung up and pulls Hiei and Kurama into the bedroom to help them get dressed. He holds up a pale yellow kimono with cherry blossoms embroidered into the silk with matching hakama and an emerald obi for Kurama, "Do you like it? I don't wear it often. Shippo got it for me, so I keep it even if it really isn't something I'd pick for myself." Kurama smiles pulling the kimono on admiring the silk's quality. Inuyasha holds up the one for Hiei, "You're too short for my clothes, so I borrowed these from Shippo. I'm surprised he has anything this darkly colored really. It must have been a gift from Sesshomaru. If you two end up staying here more often, we'll have to get you your own clothes like these." Inuyasha frowns, "We really do need to discuss that... later though."

Inuyasha checks them over for a moment then leads them out through the halls to a large dining hall. Shippo and Sesshomaru are seated at a low table at the head of the hall. Shippo waves them over, "Hey, don't you all look fetching!" He grins evilly. "My two new daddies," He laughs.

Hiei trips. Somehow, this had not occurred to him. Inuyasha grins at his kit. "I don't think you're up to the challenge of handling all the tricks Kurama has stored away in his pretty head if you mess with them, kit," Inuyasha warns good naturedly. He leans in and whispers, "He's teasing," in Hiei's ear.

"Hn," Hiei nods.

Kurama moved over to sit right across from Shippo, draping himself elegantly on the cushions. "I suppose you could do with a proper kitsune parent." He states calmly as if the jibe had been sincere. Shippo's jaw drops. "After all. How else are you going to move on from such rudimentary tricks?" He holds out a handful of tacks and drops them on Shippo's plate. "You should be more careful where you leave those. Someone could get hurt." Kurama leans back waiting for his mates to join him.

Inuyasha leads Hiei over to the table sniggering at his kit. "Told ya." he sits next to Kurama pulling Hiei down on his other side. Now that everyone is seated, servants bring in the food and they all begin to eat.

Partway through the meal, Shippo starts giggling over nothing. everyone watches as he leans into Sesshomaru and starts batting at a stray lock of hair, "Sesshy?" He giggles, "Have I ever told you you're really pretty?" Sesshomaru looks down at his mate like he grew an extra head. "You're so pretty... just like a girl!," he exclaims as if it was the revelation of the century the giggles again, "Well, almost." He reaches down climbing onto his flustered mates lap.

"This Sesshomaru is not a girl," he growls.

Shippo climbs further into his lap and leans up nipping at Sesshomaru's jaw, "Like I said." He reaches a hand down stroking Sesshomaru through his hakama, "Almost."

Sesshomaru nearly jumps out of his skin at the touch right in front of everyone. Kurama smirks, "Who'd have thought so little would have had such an effect? You'd think the kit had never had kit mint before."

Sesshomaru glares at Kurama over a very overenthusiastic kit. "What have you done to my mate," he demands.

"I slipped him a little kit mint is all. It's harmless really. It acts like catnip for cats, usually." He smirks, "If it hasn't been enhanced that is. You, get to experience a high kitsune with an aphrodisiac running through his veins. I suggest finding someplace more private to enjoy my trick." He takes a sip of his tea, "Unless of course you want us all to see your mate have his way with you?"

Sesshomaru snarls picking up his mate and runs out of the dining hall, Shippo cheering about the ride being awesome and if only they could have sex on it. Inuyasha groaned from his seat, "That is not something I needed to see. Did you really have to go that far Kurama? When did you slip him the drug anyway?"

"I dusted his plate with some when I dropped the tacks, so it mixed with his food when he started eating." Kurama shrugs, "It'll wear off in a few hours. I certainly hope your brother is up to it."

"I'm more worried about Shippo."

"Your kit brought this on himself, inu. I would have been less kind if I sat on tacks, believe me," Hiei growls standing up. "Are we finished?"

"Yeah, yeah." Inuyasha gets up from his seat offering a hand down for Kurama. Kurama takes it and allows Inuyasha to pull him up. "Lets head back to our rooms."

"Our rooms," Kurama asks.

"Well, yeah. You're my mates now. Mates live together." Inuyasha takes in Kurama's slightly surprised look and Hiei's wary look at Kurama. "I'm not saying we have to live here permanently if you don't want to, but it is an option and the rooms are ours for when we do stay here." He looks ahead toward the door to their rooms. "Inu are a bit like wolves. We're pack animals, so we don't like to live alone." Inuyasha opens the doors to their room. "It's something to think about. We obviously have some time to figure out living arrangements."