Standard disclaimer applies. I do not own Inuyasha.

This was written for Saholia, for the 2011 Dokuga Holiday Exchange!

Happy Reading!

…

Summary: Written for Saholia, for the 2011 Dokuga Holiday Exchange! Sesshoumaru's world had always been dark. Abused by his father, ignored by his mother, Sesshoumaru thinks his life is only for existing, not for living. But when he receives a love letter from a most unlikely source, a light too strong to resist slowly pulls him out of the darkness…

Genre: Angst/ Drama/ Friendship/ Romance

…

Author: Luna

Title: To The One I Love…

Rating: M

Gift for: Saholia

Prompts used: Sesshoumaru finds a love letter by Kagome, he thinks it's for him...was it?

…

To the one I love,

I know this must be sudden, but I wanted to give this to you. I've admired you for a very long time, but I never had the courage before to approach you or tell you how I felt. I don't expect for you to fall for me, and I am not writing this letter in hopes that we can go out, because I know that's impossible. I guess I just wanted you to know that I see what a great person you are, even if nobody else does.

My goal, I think, is to see you smile. I've seen it once, and it was the smile that made me fall in love with you. If I can make you smile, even once, I will be very happy.

I'm not expecting a response, so please do not feel as if you need to give me one. Just having you read this would be enough. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Love,

Higurashi Kagome

Sesshoumaru stood stock still, staring down at the letter with wide eyes. He couldn't believe that Kagome, of all people, would write him a love letter. They were never on the best of terms; since childhood they had competed against each other, and more times than not Sesshoumaru beat her.

At the start of the school year had been the worst; they were both starting their third year, and both had competed for spots in the student council. Sesshoumaru became the president; Kagome dropped out of the running and ended up not taking a position as part of the student council. They also competed for the number one slot on the school's academic ranking. Though sometimes Kagome beat him to number one, the recent results had shown Sesshoumaru the victor. The odd thing was, despite their rivalry, their relationship had remained largely… unspoken.

Unspoken merely because they did not speak to each other at all. Ever.

It wasn't as if Sesshoumaru hated her, and he didn't think she hated him either. She was always there, and Sesshoumaru had acknowledged her as an equal, but other than that he hardly paid attention to her, and he had always thought she felt the same way. He certainly never caught her looking at him, but that could also be contributed to the fact that Sesshoumaru never bothered to look around to see who may or may not be staring at him.

For Sesshoumaru, he merely existed.

He had no place by his father's side; Inuyasha stole that coveted position. His mother didn't even want him with her, ordering him to stay living with his father when she moved to the other side of Japan after her divorce.

Sesshoumaru was a disappointment; nobody cared to look his way.

At first, being the best at everything was from a need to make his parents notice him; he had received honors in elementary school, and it was the only time he remembered both his parents smiling at him and telling him he did a good job. After that… After that his father started staying out late at night, until he eventually didn't come home at all. His mother would leave him in the care of a nanny, and soon she would disappear as well. If one parent returned home before the other, it would sometimes take days for them to ask where their spouse was, and sometimes they wouldn't ask at all.

He would stay in his room, because it was the only place in the entire house that felt like a haven; no one, not even the servants, entered his room. His room was not a typical boy's room; every available space had stacks of books piled on top, and the only spot on his desk that didn't have a book was where his computer sat. Sesshoumaru's escape was books; he didn't have to deal with himself or his family when he read, and maybe it was because of that reason that schooling came very easy to him.

Excelling at something at first had felt good, but then it turned to something else; when he realized that being a part of the student council would mean he would go home later at night, he had jumped at the opportunity, and soon school had become his escape as well. He dreaded going home at night. The house was well lit, but it still felt dark and oppressive to Sesshoumaru. No one was ever home except the servants, and they only appeared if he needed something.

His father and his new family lived in a different home. At first Sesshoumaru felt bitter towards that woman and their son, Inuyasha. His father obviously didn't want his first son interfering with his newfound happiness. Sesshoumaru had thought he understood; if he was able to escape, he would certainly do so.

Until he found out that his father's new family lived in a different house because they didn't even realize that the old one existed.

Sesshoumaru went to the new house with the intent of introducing himself to his father's new wife. Instead he came face to face with another teenager that looked only a year or two younger than Sesshoumaru, and he hadn't known him at all. He remembered that they had merely stared at each other, each too surprised to even say anything. Instant recognition had flashed through Sesshoumaru; this was his brother – and he was only a few years younger, which meant his father had carried on his illicit relationship a lot longer than Sesshoumaru, and possibly even his mother, had expected. When his father came around the corner and saw Sesshoumaru, he suddenly became angry and ordered Inuyasha inside, then slammed the door shut and dragged Sesshoumaru to the gates.

"Don't ever come here again, Sesshoumaru! Your face and personality are too much like your mother – I don't want that reminder in this home!"

Sesshoumaru never went back there again. He knew that Inuyasha entered the high school as a first year; so far he had managed to avoid being seen—not because he felt he needed to obey his father's demand; instead, it was because he didn't know what he could say. It was painful looking at his little brother's face, because every glimpse Sesshoumaru had ever seen, Inuyasha looked… happy.

He wasn't sure why, but he looked out for the brother who didn't know he existed. When he heard that Inuyasha was about to get suspended for getting in a fight, Sesshoumaru had quietly stepped in as the student body president and persuaded the faculty to let him stay in school, and to decide on a different punishment than suspension.

Inuyasha used to get bullied as well; his father did not have a sterling reputation for being kind; sons of other corporations would take their family's trouble out on Inuyasha. Not only was Sesshoumaru the student body president, but he was also the captain of the kendo club; he made sure the offenders stayed away. He knew a few probably slipped through the cracks; it wasn't as if Sesshoumaru's eyes were trained on Inuyasha all the time, but at least the ones that would do the most damage were taken care of.

Sesshoumaru had a different last name than Inuyasha. Since junior middle school Sesshoumaru claimed that he didn't have parents, so no one would connect him with the Taisho's, so Inuyasha would never find out—Sesshoumaru preferred it that way. He didn't want gratitude, but for some reason protecting Inuyasha was something he had to do. He wanted Inuyasha to live the life Sesshoumaru was never able to. So far, Inuyasha seemed to be succeeding.

As far as Sesshoumaru could see, Inuyasha was liked by everyone. He was flashy and loud, rude and obnoxious, but everyone looked like they were having fun whenever he was there. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. His personality was ice cold and distant, and he preferred people to stay away from him. He didn't want to make friends; Sesshoumaru was determined to disappear after high school, to go somewhere nobody knew him; where he could be anyone he wanted to be.

He wasn't liked, he knew that. People viewed him as cold and unapproachable, and his nickname was the Ice Prince of the Student Council. He was fine with that, too. He could honestly say that he didn't care about what others thought. He didn't care about anything. Sometimes he didn't even consider himself human; merely a demon that was passing through the times.

Sesshoumaru merely existed.

…I guess I just wanted you to know that I see what a great person you are, even if nobody else does…

Closing his eyes, Sesshoumaru called himself a fool for letting a stranger's words mean so much.

…

"Higurashi-san."

Kagome blinked up at the cold voice addressing her, and blushed a little when she realized it was from the prettiest boy in school. Why was he talking to her? She cleared her throat a little. "Yes, Fujiwara-san?"

"Is this seat taken?" He gestured to the seat next to her.

They were in the library, and there were plenty of empty tables and chairs. Kagome was a little confused, but she nodded anyways. "No, of course not. Um… would you like to sit down?"

Sesshoumaru nodded solemnly and sat next to her. Without a word he reached into his book bag and started pulling out college text books. Kagome's eyes widened. "Why do you have those? How are you able to take college classes?" Sesshoumaru's golden eyes stared at her for a moment, and Kagome blushed harder in embarrassment. "Never mind, such rude questions from someone you don't even know. Sorry for disturbing you."

He was silent for a moment as he stared down at the text book in his hand. After a while, he said, "I've already completed the school's exit examination. I have been taking correspondence courses for a while now."

Kagome's mouth dropped. "No way! Why on earth are you still here, then? You'd be able to stay at home all day and only leave when you have lectures. It sounds way better to me than having to stay in school all day."

Again he was silent, and it took a long time for him to answer; Kagome had the funny thought that it wasn't because he was being rude—for some reason she thought that he was carefully thinking each word before he spoke them. "I like staying in school." He said quietly. "It's peaceful here."

Kagome laughed a little as she looked around the library. "It's certainly that. This place is a tomb – no one ever comes here. It's like there's an unwritten law saying only nerds go to the library." Sesshoumaru's eyebrows rose coolly at her words, and she flushed again as she hurriedly added, "Not saying you're a nerd! I mean, I'm just saying… ugh, foot in mouth, Kagome."

His facial expressions never changed, but his eyes somehow looked… softer. "It's all right. This Sesshoumaru will freely admit to enjoying books. Studying comes easily to me since it's what I've always done."

Smiling, Kagome leaned her elbow on the table and rested her cheek in her hand. "It's why you always beat me at the number one spot."

His expression was almost too grave as he looked at her. "You have taken the spot before."

Kagome rolled her eyes, still smiling. "Yeah, but that's because you were gone for two weeks during that time period, weren't you?"

Sesshoumaru was surprised she noticed. But then, her letter did indicate that she may have noticed quite a few things about him. "Yes, I was… unwell."

Truthfully, his father had come to the house drunk one night and threw a boken at him, challenging him to a practice session. Sesshoumaru had been beaten so badly he hadn't dared show his face at school until he was healed; he did not want to be faced with questions he would not be able to answer.

Sesshoumaru studied her for a moment as she turned back to her text books, his brows furrowing slightly. He knew that her letter stated that she didn't expect an answer, but her reactions now almost told him she didn't care for one at all. Perhaps she really was just happy with letting him know…?

Sesshoumaru turned back to his text book, and it was only when Kagome started to rise did he realize the warning bell sounded; his study period was over. He gathered his books and silently followed Kagome out of the library, ignoring the stares and hushed whispers his appearance next to her caused. Kagome turned and smiled at him as they made their way down the hall. "Hey, Fujiwara-san, why do you go to class and participate if you've technically already passed school? I know you said you liked school, but you could have stayed in the library."

Again, he seemed as if he was thinking about his response carefully before he answered her. "I wanted to walk with you."

Kagome's eyes widened, and a blush spread across her cheeks. "Erm, okay. I mean, we've had the same classes since grade school, so it's not as if we're going in separate directions."

"Hnn." Sesshoumaru glanced out the window idly, and stopped when he noticed Inuyasha still hanging out in the courtyard.

Suddenly Kagome was there, looking out the window as well. "Oh? You know Inuyasha-kun?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her in surprise. "Do you?" She called him by his first name.

Kagome hummed in her throat a little as she watched him wrestle with his friends for a moment before running to his next class. "Yes. Our houses are right next door to each other. How do you know him?"

He's my brother. He couldn't say that. "I don't. "

Forcing his gaze away, he continued walking down the hall, noting Kagome's confusion as she skipped a little to catch up to him. "Oh. That's odd, I could have sworn you guys knew each other."

Sesshoumaru raised his brows a little at that. "What makes you think that?"

"Well," she started, her eyes contemplative. "Doesn't Fujiwara-san watch Inuyasha's baseball practice every now and then? And Inuyasha-kun, too. Sometimes he goes over to the dojo and watches kendo practice."

"He does?" Sesshoumaru was surprised; he had never seen him there before. But then again, as captain he was usually too busy to notice if other students showed up to watch.

"Oh well, maybe it's just that you like baseball? And maybe Inuyasha is interested in kendo?" Kagome offered, still looking confused.

Sesshoumaru doubted it; he once spotted Inuyasha in the back courtyard with a boken, and he was swinging it around like a caveman. If Inuyasha was at least a little interested besides trying to show off to his friends, he would have approached the club and asked to join. Sesshoumaru didn't have any interest in baseball, either; it was just another way to pass the time before he had to go home again.

Kagome waved cheerfully at him before she took her seat. Following suit, Sesshoumaru's eyes once more fixed themselves out the window, and he didn't bother to pay attention to the teacher's voice as class started.

…

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called from behind as both Kagome and Sesshoumaru were on their way to change their shoes. Rather, Kagome was on her way to change her shoes, and Sesshoumaru only wanted to accompany her.

Sesshoumaru's body tensed, and adrenaline surged through his blood. This was it. Would Inuyasha remember him…? Would he even know who Sesshoumaru was even if he did?

Kagome turned to smile at Inuyasha. "Hi there. What are you doing? Don't you have club activities?"

"Yup. But when I saw you I wanted to say hi." Inuyasha's eyes slid nonchalantly towards Sesshoumaru. "I'm surprised you're walking with the Ice Prince. Everyone says that no one is able to get close without getting frostbite."

Sesshoumaru remained silent. He merely returned Inuyasha's stare with steady, cool composure. Kagome wasn't as docile; she stepped forward and shocked Sesshoumaru with her familiarity as she punched Inuyasha in the shoulder. "You shouldn't say that about him! Not only is he your sempai, but you don't even know him."

"I don't know him, huh?" Inuyasha drawled, his tone arrogant and obnoxious. "I may be a first year, but everyone knows this guy." He jerked a thumb at Sesshoumaru rudely while looking at Kagome. "He never hangs out with us mortals. Everyone knows he thinks he's too good for us."

Despite the rude words directed at him, Sesshoumaru was relieved; Inuyasha did not know him. In this, at least, he had not disappointed his father. When Kagome's face turned red in temper and it looked as if she was going to fight Inuyasha for him, Sesshoumaru placed a hand on her shoulder, and calmly met her surprised eyes when she turned to stare up at him.

"It's all right, Higurashi-san." He told her quietly. "In any case, I have club activities as well. I will see you tomorrow."

For some reason, Inuyasha looked angry. Sesshoumaru met his brother's eyes only briefly before he coolly turned and walked away.

Behind him, he heard Kagome's concerned whisper, "Inuyasha…?"

Later that night, Sesshoumaru came home tired from club activities. He neatly lined his shoes up at the front step before heading towards his bedroom, freezing at the shadowed form of his father sitting on a loveseat in the drawing room, smoking a cigar as he coldly stared Sesshoumaru down. "Coming home a bit late, aren't you son?"

Sesshoumaru bowed respectfully. "I had club activities, Father."

"Club activities, huh. Kendo, is it?" Taisho-sama looked cruel to Sesshoumaru; he wasn't sure how to explain it any other way. With his other family, he had the face of a doting husband and father. With Sesshoumaru, it always seemed as if Taisho wanted to hurt him, but Sesshoumaru never figured out why. Was he having marital problems, and needed a release…?

"Well, since you're warmed up, how about a practice bout?" Taisho suggested. "C'mon, son, just me and you. What do you say?"

If he really was having problems and needed some sort of outlet, Sesshoumaru felt as if he had to oblige.

He only hoped his father avoided his face this time.

…

Sesshoumaru walked carefully through the front gates of the school, trying not to show his limp. His father wasn't easy on him, but Sesshoumaru had been practicing, and he had been able to hold his own. He still woke up with aches and pain all over, and he was fairly certain he landed a jump wrong and sprained his ankle. He couldn't remember falling, but at the moment it was his ankle that hurt the most.

"Wait up, sempai."

C'mon, son.

Sesshoumaru froze, fearing for a moment that if he turned around he'd see his father's face. Turning around, he met Inuyasha's eyes carefully, confused when the sneer on Inuyasha's face was immediately wiped away to be replaced by concern. "Whoa. Are you okay man? You don't look too good."

He didn't feel too good either. He should have stayed home, but he wanted to see Kagome… Sesshoumaru attempted to shrug it off. "It is nothing."

"Don't be an idiot." Inuyasha said, stepping forward with a scowl and lightly slapped Sesshoumaru's back. At first it surprised Sesshoumaru; it was a move one made towards a friend. But then pain intruded, and Sesshoumaru flinched slightly as he turned away. Inuyasha grabbed his arm roughly and yanked him back.

"Hey man, what the hell? I think you need to go to the infirmary." Inuyasha stated, crossing his arms as he stood in front of Sesshoumaru. "I'm not moving unless you agree to go."

Sesshoumaru was too tired to argue, glaring icily at his brother, he agreed. He expected Inuyasha to leave after that; they had never talked before. They never had a reason to talk before. Why had he approached Sesshoumaru…? Inuyasha didn't leave; in fact, he followed Sesshoumaru all the way to the schools infirmary.

The infirmary smelled of antiseptic, and it burned his nose. Sesshoumaru hissed out an impatient breath as he shot a glare at Inuyasha. "Your classes are about to start. Shouldn't you be leaving?"

"Keh. I don't feel like going." Inuyasha snorted, shifting his eyes away. Was he… concerned? About Sesshoumaru? It couldn't be—but there wasn't any other explanation for the look on Inuyasha's face. "This gives me an excuse to skip."

Sesshoumaru scowled, but didn't say anything as the school's doctor, Tsukino-sensei, came in. He looked surprised to see Sesshoumaru. "Fujiwara-san? And here I thought it was Inuyasha-chan I was going to patch up."

Inuyasha scowled. "Yeah right, sensei. I don't get into fights that often. And don't call me 'chan'!"

Was everyone so friendly with Inuyasha that they used his first name? Sesshoumaru met Tsukino-sensei's concerned eyes. "I twisted my ankle. That is all."

"Bull," Inuyasha retorted. "I barely tapped his back and he practically curled in on himself."

Sesshoumaru scowled at the description. He most certainly did not!

"Hmm," Tsukino-sensei murmured. "Fujiwara, why don't you take off your shirt and let me take a look at your back."

Sesshoumaru froze, staring at the doctor, unable to move as panic fluttered in his stomach. Take off his shirt…? "Sensei, I'm fine. It's just my ankle."

Tsukino-sensei shook his head bemusedly. "You two are really alike, did you know that? So stubborn. I mean, you guys already look alike—you guys aren't brothers, are you?"

As Tsukino laughed at his own joke, Sesshoumaru stayed uncomfortably silent, and even Inuyasha didn't say anything. Tsukino-sensei chuckled a little bit more before he fixed Sesshoumaru with a stern look. "Shirt. Off with it."

"Really, it's just my—"

"For God sakes, Sesshoumaru, just take the damn thing off!" Inuyasha huffed, stomping over and yanking his shirt up.

Sesshoumaru sat frozen at the shocked silence at his back, and his cheeks felt hot with what might have been shame. He should have been better. He shouldn't have allowed his father to win the match. Now they saw the proof of his failure, spread all the way across his back.

Tsukino-sensei turned him around slowly, and there was a cold look in his eyes Sesshoumaru had never seen in the warm hearted doctor. "Fujiwara," he started, his voice rock hard. "Who did this to you? You look like you were beaten on purpose. Did one of your parents do this to you?"

Sesshoumaru's expression was shuttered, his eyes completely blank. Looking at him, one could almost call him a lifeless doll. "I have no parents," he intoned flatly. "I live by myself."

"Then how did you get these?" Tsukino asked, his voice gentling.

Inuyasha was still staring at Sesshoumaru's back as if he could still see the bruises painted across Sesshoumaru's skin. Sesshoumaru made himself meet his sensei's eyes. "I was walking home when I was jumped by a gang. My skill at kendo rescued me in the end, so I was able to get away. There is nothing to worry about."

Tsukino looked worried. "I still need to assess you for further injuries. I'll need to report this to the school, as well as contact your guardian…" He trailed off when Sesshoumaru reached out and gripped his wrist.

"Don't do that." Sesshoumaru's voice was ice cold. Inuyasha's eyes jerked to his face in surprise. "There is no need, and you will only get me into more trouble."

The doctor didn't look convinced, but he nodded slowly anyways, his eyes never leaving Sesshoumaru's. "Okay, Fujiwara. I won't report this to your guardian. However, I still need to check you over for further injuries. It's okay," he added gently, and it was only then that Sesshoumaru realized he was still holding his sensei's wrist is a crushing grip; he hadn't realized, and the doctor hadn't made a sound in protest. "You can let go now."

Sesshoumaru slowly sat back, and did not say a word throughout the examination. Inuyasha stayed quiet too; he did not leave even once until Sesshoumaru was allowed back to class.

"Hey, Fujiwara, what's wrong? You're so silent today." Kagome teased. They were in the library again, only Sesshoumaru had not reached for his books even once.

Her presence soothed him. Her teasing smile, her gentle touch; why didn't he notice them before? If he had never found her love letter, if she had never told him she noticed him, Sesshoumaru would have remained oblivious. Sesshoumaru met her eyes, and when Kagome noticed the intense look in them, she blushed and looked away.

He heard whispers behind them, and Inuyasha's name. Turning his head slightly, he looked at two girls giggling as they talked about their crush. Relaxing, he faced forward again, and only noticed Kagome's stare when he turned to reach for his books. He stopped, his brows slightly furrowed. "What?"

Kagome was watching him with a smile on her face. "You really like Inuyasha a lot, don't you? You're always looking out for him."

"He's my brother." Sesshoumaru froze as soon as the words escaped his mouth, then cursed at his slip.

Kagome didn't look very surprised; her eyes had widened, but other than that she didn't seem very surprised. "I thought you guys looked too much alike not to be related. Besides, you're always the one defending him, aren't you? Just like what a big brother is supposed to do. Inuyasha told me once that someone always seemed to be helping him out, but he could never figure out who. No wonder it was so effective! No one would dare go against you."

Scowling, Sesshoumaru reached for his books and set them abruptly on the table. "I am not unapproachable."

"Sure you aren't," she said, rolling her eyes. "So says the guy who walks around with a completely expressionless face. Or like right now, with a scowl."

"You're talking to me," Sesshoumaru told her, as if she didn't know.

"That's because I like you." She said simply. "You're much easier to talk to once you get to know you."

Sesshoumaru couldn't move; was she trying to tell him she liked him kind of like? Or just as a friend? And what about her letter… ?

"To be honest, I'm not really surprised you're Inuyasha's older brother. I mean, Inuyasha's kind of the same. He usually walks around as if he has this huge chip on his shoulder, but once you get to know him you realize he's just this big, awkward guy." She blushed a little, doodling on her notebook, then admitted shyly. "Actually, I used to have the biggest crush on him."

Sesshoumaru only stared, dread welling up inside him. Somehow, he knew he did not want to hear the rest of what she had to say.

"I even wrote him a love letter, but I lost it a little while ago. I guess it was meant to be," she added with a sigh, not even noticing the pale, frozen man staring at her with hurt eyes. "There are some things that just aren't meant to be read."

"I read it," he blurted out. His face felt frozen; he was sure his expression was a little too harsh right now, but he was trying desperately not to show his emotions. "I thought it was for me."

Kagome was staring at him, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open, and then she looked away and blushed madly. "Oh no, I'm so sorry you had to read such an embarrassing thing."

"It wasn't embarrassing." He said tonelessly, even while he told himself to shut up. "It meant something to me."

…I guess I just wanted you to know that I see what a great person you are, even if nobody else does…

He had been a fool.

While Kagome was avoiding his eyes and stammering, Sesshoumaru packed up his textbooks and left without a word.

…

Sesshoumaru was in his room when he was surprised by a knock on his bedroom door. The servants never knocked on his door; they never had any reason to. He had been lying in his room staring at the ceiling blankly when the knock sounded; getting up, he went to open the door. A stone faced servant calmly informed him that he had a visitor.

For a moment, Sesshoumaru didn't know what to do. He never had visitors; if it had been his father, the servants wouldn't have informed him. Walking downstairs, he froze at the sight of Inuyasha staring at a family portrait taken when he had been three years old.

"Inuyasha…" It was the first time Sesshoumaru used his given name. He was unsure what to say when Inuyasha calmly turned to face him.

"I know you're my brother – and you know you're mine. Why are you so surprised to see me?" Inuyasha asked, his eye brow rising cockily. "I was pretty pissed when you tried to hide it, so I was kind of an ass to you."

"How did you know?" Sesshoumaru asked, leaning on the door jamb.

"When you came to our house. I recognized you immediately as my brother – I'd have to be an idiot not to have." Inuyasha said. "Especially when dad was so angry to see you. I knew he wanted me to forget I ever saw you, but I couldn't. When I found out who you were and where you lived, I even searched to find what high school you were going to and studied like crazy so I'd get accepted."

Sesshoumaru attended a school known for having gifted students; all students had to pass an entrance exam before being allowed to attend. Sesshoumaru was still confused; why would Inuyasha want to know about a complete stranger, one their father made it known he was ashamed about? "Why?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Why did you always protect me? Yes," Inuyasha added at Sesshoumaru's surprise. "Kagome told me about that. It's because we're brothers. Why else?"

Sesshoumaru didn't know what to say; it was one of the reasons why he never bothered to make friends in school; words did not come easily to him. "Father will not approve."

"Keh," Inuyasha snorted dismissively. "Who cares? He doesn't approve of half the shit I do. He had no right trying to hide either you or your mother like you were some kind of dirty secret. I confronted him about it before," Inuyasha admitted, his eyes guilty and apologetic. "And it only just clicked in my head that was when you didn't show up to school for two weeks. And then today, you came to school even after he beat the shit out of you. For that, I'm sorry. It was my fault."

"What happened yesterday?" Sesshoumaru asked. His father had been angry, but yesterday he wasn't sure if that anger had been directed at him.

"I told my mom. I told her who you were, and how I knew we were brothers. She was pissed – and trust me when I say you don't want to see my mother angry. She'll be this docile little lady one minute and explode like a stick of dynamite when she's really furious. She confronted my dad, threatened him. Said if he didn't bring you into our family properly she was gonna divorce him."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened minutely. A woman he didn't even know defended him? It was… odd. He wasn't sure what he should be feeling. "Why does she want to meet me? I plan on leaving Japan after graduation. I do not plan on ever seeing that man again."

"Because we're family now, idiot." Inuyasha snapped, as if he was fed up already with Sesshoumaru's confusion. "Why is that hard to understand? You've had one before your mom divorced him."

"No," Sesshoumaru said quietly. "I didn't."

Inuyasha didn't look as if he knew how to reply to that. Instead, he looked at Sesshoumaru with narrowed eyes. "You said you're leaving. Is that why you rejected Kagome?"

"I did not reject her," Sesshoumaru replied levelly, expression evening out and becoming expressionless.

Inuyasha looked confused. "Didn't she confess to you today?"

"No. She told me she used to have a crush on you." Sesshoumaru straightened, then turned and started walking back towards his room; he didn't want to talk to Inuyasha anymore.

Inuyasha followed. "What? That's not possible! She just got finished telling me that she had a crush on you, but you left while she was in the middle of confessing to you!"

Rounding on him, Sesshoumaru's eyes were narrowed in sudden fury, and he was pleased when Inuyasha took a cautious step back. "Why tell me such lies? Do you find it amusing?"

"I ain't telling you a lie!" Inuyasha barked back. "I'm telling you the truth! If you weren't such a goddamned coward you might even have the balls to believe your own goddamned brother!"

"Coward?" Sesshoumaru seethed, then launched himself at his brother.

When Sesshoumaru collided with Inuyasha, they both hit the ground hard and rolled. Gone was the finesse Sesshoumaru made into an art form; he was nothing but rage and pain that only wanted to hurt. Inuyasha didn't sit there docile; punches were thrown, elbow jabs and knees were thrown as they rolled across the waxed floors. Sesshoumaru didn't know how long they fought; he only knew that when his mind cleared, he was straddling Inuyasha's waist and his fist was raised in preparation so smash his brother's nose.

They were both bruised and bloody, breathing hard as they glared at each other. Sesshoumaru's eyes were wide with his unleashed fury, while Inuyasha continued to glare defiantly. Slowly, the fight drained out of Sesshoumaru's face, and his fist dropped in defeat. He sat back and slid until his back touched the wall, and stayed there slouched.

Inuyasha remained on the floor, glaring up at the ceiling. "You feel better now?" He asked as he sat up, spitting blood out of his mouth.

"Father, are you better now?"

Sesshoumaru was going to be sick. He was just like his father. So full of rage and wanting nothing but to hurt someone weaker than him. Pulling his knees up to his chest, Sesshoumaru folded his arms on top of them and dropped his forehead on top, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said dully.

Inuyasha fell back against the wall next to Sesshoumaru. "Keh. I've been wanting to fight you ever since I saw your smug face at school. Don't think you'll always be able to beat me; I'll train until I'm able to kick your ass."

Sesshoumaru smiled faintly. "You can try." Lifting his head, he dropped it back until it fell with a dull thud against the walls, and he closed his eyes and focused on calming his heartbeat.

Inuyasha turned to him and smirked despite his split lip. "So, where can a man get something to eat around here?"

Sesshoumaru was still smiling when a figure appeared in front of them, and they both blinked up at a furious Kagome.

"Are you serious?" She hissed, her hands fisted at her sides. "You guys are alone for not even an hour and you get into a fight? What the hell is wrong with you two?"

"Dynamite," Inuyasha whispered conspiratorially to Sesshoumaru, completely ignoring her. "Gentle as a kitten, and then bam! You're toast."

"Inuyasha, go home!" Kagome snapped, stomping her foot. "Don't make me hurt you too!"

Inuyasha rose with a pained wince, but shot an arrogant grin at Sesshoumaru. "See ya at school, brother."

Inclining his head, Sesshoumaru watched as Inuyasha sauntered out of sight. After a moment, the sound of the front door closing was heard. Sesshoumaru turned to stare up at Kagome, who still looked furious with him. After a moment, her expression softened to one of disgruntlement, and she crouched down in front of him with a worried frown. Her cool fingertips gently touched his bruised cheek. "You're hurt."

"I heal quickly." Sesshoumaru replied, reveling in her touch.

"Good." She suddenly pinched his cheek, then wagged her finger at his angry expression in reprimand. "That's what you get for fighting with your brother." She suddenly didn't look too angry; instead, her face was one of hurt. "Sesshoumaru, why did you leave? You didn't even let me finish speaking."

"I did not want to hear you." He said, hoping she would leave. He didn't care what Inuyasha said; she had not indicated she liked him in any way. "You said you liked Inuyasha."

She frowned at that. "I said I liked you, you idiot. And then you ran away from me."

He scowled back. "You said you wrote a love letter to Inuyasha."

"But that it was fate that he never got to read it." She scowled at him. "Seriously, Sesshoumaru, do you even listen to me when I speak? I just told you I liked you and you're already arguing with me."

He raised his bruised hand, bloody knuckled and all, and let his fingertips graze her cheek. "If you like me, then go out with me."

Her face softened, and her lips curled up into a gentle smile. "Just like that? You get into a fight with my best friend and expect me to go out with you while you're all broken and bloody?"

Sesshoumaru considered her solemnly. "Yes."

Leaning forward, Kagome brushed her lips across his. "Okay."

The next day Sesshoumaru went to school with Inuyasha and Kagome, but ignored all the looks they received at the obvious signs of a fight – and the even more incredulous expressions at Kagome, who arrived holding the hand of the Ice Prince of the Student Council.

As for Kagome, she could care less that people were staring, because no one else knew what she did.

Sesshoumaru wasn't an Ice Prince at all; inside, he was warm and kind, and (though he'd never admit it) just a little bit shy.

And hers. Only hers.

And Kagome was just fine with that.