The sun rose above the horizon, its rays warming the life above the surface. It was a particularly..fresh day. The wind blew gently against the Earth, bringing forth the wondrous smell of life. Flowers, waters, trees. Even a human could smell such wonderful fragrances in the air. The proud and powerful Taiyoukai known as Sesshomaru stood tall, gazing over the valley which he could easily see from his position on the grassy cliff. His expression was emotionless, though he had no thoughts in particular. Mostly his head was filled with what gifts he would bring Rin next. He knew the old priestess could use the help to provide for young Rin, especially since she was ever growing, but most importantly, he enjoyed the expression on her face when she got a new gift. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, then frowned. An unpleasant scent struck his nostrils. He turned sideways to see his younger brother Inuyasha standing a few yards from him with his arms crossed and a peeved look on his face.

"What do you want this time, half-breed? Did your wife kick you out again?" Sesshomaru said amusingly.

Inuyasha scowled. "No! She didn't kick me out..I er..I wanted to leave. On my own!"

Sesshomaru said nothing and simply turned his body back to towards the valley he was gazing upon.

"She wants me...us...to try this 'bonding' thing again."

Sesshomaru turned back around and walked past Inuyasha, walking towards the dense forest.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"Away from you."

Inuyasha started walking after Sesshomaru. "You're not getting away from me that easily. If I have to suffer, so do you."

And so the two brothers walked quietly through the forest for a couple of hours. Neither said a word and yet the eldest was growing a tad irritated having unwanted company.

"You've been following me for hours. Leave me be." Sesshomaru said, his voice laced with irritability.

"No."

"And how is exactly are we suppose to bond if all you do is follow me around like a lost mutt and not say a word?"

"You haven't been saying anything either."

"It's your wife who got you into this predicament, not mine."

"Tch, as if you could get a wife anyway.." Inuyasha mumbled. Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks, his head turned slightly so Inuyasha could see his narrowed eye glare daggers at him. For some reason this made Inuyasha plaster a smug smirk on his face.

"Hit a nerve did I? You pompous little-.."

"I'm telling your wife."

Inuyasha's smirk dropped as he blinked a few times. "What?"

"I'm telling your wife."

Sesshomaru found it amusing when he noticed Inuyasha began to sweat. 'How pathetic. And to think I actually thought he had potential...'

Inuyasha didn't think it was funny however. 'He wouldn't! Would he? The bastard's so devious and manipulative...he probably would! Oh man, if Kagome found out I wasn't doing what she "suggested" I do..What was I suppose to do anyway?'

Flashback

Inuyasha sat against the wall of the small hut, watching Kagome stir a pot of stew at the fire in the middle of the hut. His nails raked over Tessaiga in an attempt to tame his eagerness for lunch. That is, until Kagome opened her mouth.

"So..Inuyasha..How did that bonding go with Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha snarled. "How the hell did you think it went? We sat there staring at each other."

Kagome shook her head as she poured some of the contents of the pot into a wooden bowl with a ladle. "Oh Inuyasha...It'd be good for you if you actually tried conversing with him. He's the only family you have right now." She handed the bowl over to Inuyasha before pouring some for herself.

"You seem to think I give a rat's ass about that. I don't care about family." He mumbled the last bit of the sentence before slurping some of the stew.

"Inuyasha! You cared for your mother and you know it."

"Sesshomaru's not my mother. My mother was kind, gentle, not judgmental at all and most importantly, actually took care of me instead of trying to kill me."

"Your mother was a wonderful woman, I know. But don't you think it's time you two buried the hatchet?"

"What hatchet?" Inuyasha said with a mouth full of food. Kagome took a seat next to her husband and sighed.

"It's an expression. It means to..forget the past and move forward. I heard about what happened during the battle against Magatsuhi."

He took a big slurp from the bowl. "Yes, he knocked you out, tainted Kohaku's shard, and tried to absorb Sesshomaru."

"Well yea but, I also heard about how concerned you were about your brother. You told him to stay out of the fight when you saw his only arm injured and how you rushed in him to try and save him when he was absorbed by Magatsuhi."

Inuyasha sat in silence for a while, staring into his half-full bowl. "I wasn't about to let him sit there and be stupid."

Kagome smiled and leaned her body against his so her head was resting on his shoulder. "Oh Inuyasha, you don't hate him as much as you act like you do. Just..at least give it one more try. I'll make you the best ramen you've ever had!"

Inuyasha groaned. "If I try this stupid bonding thing, you promise? And I want if it's as amazing as you say you can make it, I want it for a whole month."

Kagome smiled and closed her eyes. "You have my word. Just try little things. Maybe you can apologize for cutting off his arm."

He spat out the bit of stew he had been slurping into his mouth. "Apologize? He attacked me first! The bastard had it coming!"

"Well at least say you felt bad about it!"

"Well I didn't."

"Yes you did. Eventually."

"Feh..Maybe a little.."

End of Flashback

Inuyasha shook his head. He noticed Sesshomaru starting to walk away from him.

"Hey wait."

"What is it now?" The irritation in Sesshomaru's voice was stronger now and more obviously irritated.

"I erm. I just wanted to tell you that..even though I think you deserved it, I felt..kind of bad about you losing your arm and I'm..kind of glad you got it back." Inuyasha sharply turned from him. It almost shocked him that he thought that, let alone said it. He couldn't deny that it was the truth though.

The expression on Sesshomaru's face softened. Inuyasha couldn't see it, but he could hear it in his voice. "You did what you had to do."

"I didn't want to."

"You had to."

"Mother always said family is the most important thing.." Inuyasha whispered to himself. Sesshomaru's ears twitched.

They stood there for a few minutes, just listening to the sounds of the forest with their backs turned to each other.

"Tell your wife the bonding went..well." Sesshomaru disappeared further in the forest, his hair swaying back and forth as he gracefully walked away from the scene.