Title: Onii-san
Rating: K+ -- cause I use "hell" twice… well dang, now it's three times…
Diclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha. That would belong to the lovely woman of whom wrote the manga for 12 years. Yeah. Let's give the credit to her. ;) Oh, and quotes the quotes Kagome and Inuyasha say to each other are straight from the translation.
A/N: Oh me, oh my. It would appear as though the Inuyasha manga is finally over, wouldn't it? And a fine ending at that! (Though I do feel bad for Kagome's family…) Well, I for one could not leave the issue of Kagome's, Inuyasha's, and Sesshomaru's "family business" alone. :3 And so this was spawned. (At 4 A.M., no less…) So! Here it is!

But first a short dictionary for those of us not Japanese savvy:
Onii-san is big brother. Quite informal. :) Gotta love Kagome
Ototo is little brother. Also informal.
Tanechigai is half brother.
Otoyome is younger brother's wife. (Or at least I hope it is, for the sake of this story. Lol)

Enjoy!

Onii-san:
Memoirs of a Half-Brother

"A friend is a brother who was once a bother." -Unkown

"Onii-san," she says, "Onii-san!"

Keh! What a stupid girl she is! "Aw, he made a really mean face at me." What was she expecting? It's not like Sesshomaru had ever been particularly friendly, what would make now any different?

Just because of Sesshomaru's three year peace treaty (or rather a rain check, he supposes) she thinks he'll be any different? Stupid girl…

It was strange though, wasn't it? They'd never really agreed on the sudden hiatus… it was kind of unspoken, he guesses… it wasn't as if it were something strange though.

He remembers coming back from that place. The place in between times. That five hundred year gap, inaccessible to either time-traveler. It had been a hard decision, one not easily thought of, but it had to be done. Kagome belonged in her own time. Her mission here was complete.

When Inuyasha arrived back (the other's saying three days later) he was still there. Him, and his ward, and his little green subordinate. Kaede-baa-chan said he'd struck a deal with her. That Rin was to stay in the village and learn basic miko skills.

"If she is to stay in a human village at all in her life, she will need the experience to make herself welcome…" To Inuyasha's ears it sounded as if the frail old woman was defending his half-brother; and Inuyasha's ears never failed him.

But he supplied no reply to the woman's statement. He only stared back at the tall figure in front of him, a figure he had so often before held malice for. Now? Now he didn't know what he felt. It wasn't as if he had forgiven the man (in no easy way would that ever happen) but without Kagome, Inuyasha found it hard to care about much.

Inuyasha felt the calculating gaze of both miko and youkai. He cared little of both.

"Inuyasha…" the woman spoke again. With that though, the older, purer demon speaks.

"Leave us, miko." A simple order, but one with dire consequences should she not concede to it.

She looks between the two for a minute, as if she might be able to stop something she knows is coming, but eventually heeds his command (a warning, really, Inuyasha thinks to himself.)

It is silent then. Nothing is exchanged between the brothers other than a never breaking look.

Eventually Inuyasha nods his head. For others the move is nonsensical, for there was no preface to the movement, but to the dogs it is a promise: no harm will come to Rin while 'This Sesshomaru' is away.

And thus: three years of tolerance is born. And Inuyasha had felt no need, nor desire, for wantonbattles. No beatings take importance with a cause no longer there. So a peace treaty with a man so wrapped in Inuyasha's own loathing was a not a hard thing.

But eventually, Inuyasha had noticed, it was hard to keep the loathing wrapped so tightly to him. But all was not forgiven.

Just because the use of "ototo" and "tanechigai" had become less venomous and more affectionate did not mean anything had changed… right?

He can remember the interaction between Kagome and Souta, her own little brother. Had they really been so different to what Sesshomaru and he, himself, had interacted in? You know, without the swords…

Wait a second- had he just compared himself to Kagome and Souta!? That was wrong, a mistake! A complete accident! …not that anyone had heard, but for him even to think the thoughts had to be taboo, right?

Besides, now that Kagome was back, and also his new wife, the Treaty of Tolerance would be forgotten on Sesshomaru's part, would it not? After all, Inuyasha was sure it was born out of pity on his side. (And Sesshomaru did not have a lot of that to spare.)

Keh, yeah, that's right. Soon, he would be back to his old tricks again. Trying to kill him, take tetsusaiga, and insult him. All in a day's work for Inuyasha's "onii-san". Tch…

"And, Inuyasha, so are you…" she says at him.

Had he? He hadn't noticed. Thoughts of Sesshomaru never brought a pleasant look to his face, but not all recent thoughts were bad, right? After all, as it turns out, when he's not trying to rip your throat out, Sesshomaru's a rather good sparring partner.

But "onii-san" was pushing it.

"That had a really nasty ring to it." He says truthfully. She pouts, but he knows she was expecting it. After all, they were both stubborn mules; what would three years change?

Not soon enough it's time to check in on Miroku's newest whelp. The little brat was a healthy four months old now, and had the lungs of one of those "aup-her-aa" singers Kagome was always prattling on about, and anyone near the vicinity of Sango knew that well enough.

The woman was never one to be titled as patient, but now, with midnight interruptions, the slayer was as tightly strung as ever. The slightest wrong to her would send you straight to hell and back. (And you'd probably rather stay there…) Thus, Inuyasha's mouth hardly ever opened when near the new mother.

It hadn't been that way two years prior. The two little angelic twins she had given birth to never cried. He couldn't count the number of times the little tykes had fallen, then simply gotten up and kept running around. Impressive, those little ones were. Obviously inherited their mother's genes.

But, as it would appear, all boys in Miroku's family were bound to cause trouble.

It was midday when the conversation going on below him between the two gals of there former troop, got awkward. Inuyasha, not wanting to hear anymore of that particular conversation fled for cover.

The Inuyasha Forest, as the locals still dubbed it, had become a frequent visiting spot for the hanyou over the years. The morose feelings that tree had spawned inside him prior to the deciding battle had long since disappeared. Now it was a place of happiness, and of nostalgia. 'This is where he met Kagome', he thinks, instead of 'this is where I lost Kikyou'

He can hear the birds chirping, and the deer talking amongst themselves, and even a small stream, miles away, but still the sharp, but passive, "Inuyasha" that passes through the small break in foliage makes him start.

He turns at a relaxed pace but is ready for any sort of reaction.

He turns to see Sesshomaru, in all his pride and glory, looking as he always has (prideful, for sure) with his small retainer at his side, and a small delicate white flower in his hand. From Rin, no doubt. The girl was quite fond of flowers, and even more fond of forcing them upon figures she sees fit to be brought down a few pegs. (Himself included, many times over.)

The thought does nothing to subdue the small grin of smug satisfaction that covers his mouth, though it does restrain him from saying anything further. Sesshomaru's eyes narrow in warning, but both know Inuyasha would take no heed of the small caution either way.

It is silent for a moment, and it seems to others as if there is another silent conversation only they are privy to taking place. Inuyasha closes his eyes and turns his face halfway away from him in a sign of what Jaken believes to be disrespect.

But a short glance at his precious master shows no ill feelings, only a small amount of amusement. Jaken had definitely missed something.

A small chortle and grin escape Sesshomaru's ever present, ever stoic façade before he turns to go. As Jaken turns to follow, he must scuttle as fast as he can to avoid his masters gait as he swivels back around to face his younger sibling. (As honored as Jaken would be to be trampled by his master's feet, it would still hurt like hell.)

"Ototo," he begins. Inuyasha turns his face to him, ignoring the voice in his head (that sounded oddly like Kagome) encouraging him to say it. That title still was not justified.

"Tell…" the small hesitation a clear give-away to the older sibling's discomfort, "Otoyome to keep her insults to herself."

Inuyasha's fairly certain this is a dream. But hell, why not go along with it?

"Will do, Onii-san."

Yeah, that definitely has a bad ring to it.

Eee! I simply loved this page of the manga. :) Kagome so rocks… I wonder, though, if she really called him "Onii-san" or if the translation was simply off. They said it meant 'brother-in-law' but it really only means older brother… "gikei" would be brother-in-law… hehe, either way, Kagome got so many brownie points for that.

Well, please review, as any comment is appreciated.