Of Sickness and Wet Noses

When Sesshomaru had first been told that his brother wasn't going to show up for breakfast, he didn't think much of the reason why other than Inuyasha simply wanting to annoy him. He often did, it wasn't at all odd. But after the third time Jaken had returned with the same message (though with very different words should Sesshomaru take his loyal retainer's rapidly changing colouring into account), Sesshomaru knew this was not one of his brother's spontaneous need for attention. The demon Lord found it annoying how his healer was away, healing in a village an hours leisurely walk from his palace.

He decided it would be quicker and less troublesome to check up on the half breed himself.

Sesshomaru frowned as he entered the room. He smelt sweat and a sickenly thick smell throughout the plainly decorated room, the scents tickling his nose in the most unpleasant way. The demon Lord didn't understand the scents, but knew that there was a problem if Inuyasha was sweating so profusely the room smelt so strongly of it. The room was dimly lit, the small amount of light coming through the shutters on his window effectively blocking the majority of it.

Inuyasha, or what Sesshomaru could see of him, was tucked under thick blankets, his nose buried in his pillow. The small parts of him he could see covered in a slightly golden sheen of sweat. With narrowed eyes, Sesshomaru circled the half of the futon he could. It laid in the corner of the room and annoyed Sesshomaru greatly; his brother hadn't obeyed his order to move the thing into the centre of the room, where it was supposed to be. He would have to talk to him about following orders and the reason he gave them. Later though.

"Inuyasha, I am in need of your assistance. I do not know the stories mortals tell. You must explain them to Rin." Sesshomaru's disapproving expression didn't change as the half-breed groaned throatily and curled in on himself tighter. Inuyasha's back was turned to Sesshomaru, and he didn't like it, "Inuyasha, face me, now."

When Inuyasha didn't move, Sesshomaru lowered himself into a kneel before he sat himself upon the egde of the futon, his back turned towards Inuyasha's legs as he sat at the half-breed's waist. Sesshomaru frowned and shifted to his right, using his remaining hand to roll the half-breed so that he was facing him. Inuyasha moaned again, and kicked, causing Sesshomaru to scowl darkly and grip Inuyasha's bared side with a deadly grip. His claws pierced small nail marks in Inuyasha's too pale flesh. It was only a warning; his claws didn't pierce too deeply.

"You aren't feeling well?" Sesshomaru asked monotonously.

Inuyasha clenched his eyes shut and cursed, "Fuck, Sesshomaru, it's too fuckin' bright." The demon Lord ignored Inuyasha's foul language and remained silent. Slowly after he'd shielded his eyes from the little light in the room and he'd finished licking thickly at the roof of his mouth, Inuyasha began to speak hoarsely again, "It's nothing, I just need sleep."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and his eyebrows furrowed, "If you are unable to stand this dim light, little brother, it cannot be nothing."

"It's nothing, damnit! I'm fine! I'll be fine!"

Sesshomaru raised an elegant black brow, "You are not ill then?"

"No."

The demon Lord looked on with a blank expression as Inuyasha peeked from beneath his raised arms, his eyes red and puffy. His brother's state did not seem like 'nothing' in Sesshomaru's mind. But he hadn't ever witnessed an ill half-demon either. He wasn't sure what to expect or how to tell if Inuyasha was ill.

When he was much younger, his father's healer, Chiyo, had always told him stories of how ill humans became, of how their skin would develop itching, red spots or how their eyes would cry cream coloured tears and become impossible to open. Demons, Sesshomaru had found and been told were subjected to illnesses that caused the infected demon to sneeze, their markings to turn a sickly shade of brown or feel nauseous. It was also common for a demon's fangs to ache and for their gums to swell, but that was all. Only when a demon was poisoned were they supposed to develop other symptoms.

Sesshomaru examined Inuyasha with narrowed golden eyes. He couldn't see any angry red marks or small red spots. His brother's eyes were slightly red and puffy, but they weren't leaking any cream liquid. He couldn't see any other symptoms on his brother either: Inuyasha hadn't any markings to change, whilst he was sneezing, he didn't seem at all nauseous, just sore. The room's scent didn't carry that of bile. Could Inuyasha be telling him the truth?

He shifted closer to Inuyasha, so that his right thigh was pressed against Inuyasha's hip. Sesshomaru leant forward to examine Inuyasha's face further. The half-breed lifted his forearms, he seemed confused at Sesshomaru's actions. The demon Lord ignored Inuyasha's expression and examined his nose.

"Inuyasha, remove your arms from your head." Sesshomaru ordered.

Inuyasha snorted, only causing him to cough thickly and painfully as he rolled over and away from Sesshomaru again, "Fuck off." He croaked grumpily.

Sesshomaru frowned and proceeded to pull the half breed so he was facing him again, "You claim to not be ill. I am checking."

"How's looking at my face supposed to tell you if I'm sick or not?" Inuyasha clenched his eyes shut again as he allowed his arms to remain by his sides. "Hurry up. You only like seeing me in pain, bastard..." Inuyasha continued to mutter.

Whilst ignoring his brother's colourful language, Sesshomaru leant forward again. Supposedly, according to Chiyo, one could tell if a dog demon was sick by feeling or examining their nose: if the said appendage was moist, the demon was well, but if it was dry or drier than what it was supposed to be, it meant the demon was ill. With critical eyes Sesshomaru examined Inuyasha's nose.

It was small and rather snubby on the half-breed's face, the demon noticed first. Sesshomaru frowned, it didn't look at all wet. Perhaps his brother was ill.

"Does your nose feel odd, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha's left eye peeked open slightly, golden eye flashing with annoyance, "How the hell should I know? My nose feels numb! I've been blowing it all morning!"

"Perhaps you should heed my words and not bathe before you go to bed." Sesshomaru suggested, his face very close to his brother's. He'd heard humans could fall ill if they were wet and Inuyasha had been going to bed with soaking hair for a bit over a month now.

He couldn't tell by looking at Inuyasha, whether the half-breed's nose was wet or dry, his own didn't shine from the moisture that was there. With a slow decent, Sesshomaru lowered his face so that his nose was touching his brother's.

"What the hell?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, eyes wide and threatening to shut again. He'd jumped away from Sesshomaru, successfully managing to bash his head on the wall above it, "What the fuck was that?" The half-breed asked as he rubbed at his now sore head.

Sesshomaru straightened, watching with molten gold eyes as Inuyasha raised his right hand to block the offending light from stabbing at his own golden gaze. Even with his hand up, the half-breed continued to wince.

"That was my nose, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha scowled slightly, with chapped, sore-looking lips, "It's wet."

"Of course. And your own is not. You are ill."

"I could have told you that!"

"You claimed to be well, but in need of rest."

"So? Just because I'm sick doesn't mean I wanna admit it!"

Sesshomaru's expression turned into one of disapproval, "It is important you tell me if you are not feeling well, Inuyasha. You may infect Rin with a disease. By not telling me you are also hindering your own quick recovery, I am able to ask Chiyo for some healing herbs."

Inuyasha snorted wetly, "Whatever. I just wanna sleep. Go away." The demon Lord shifted slowly, unsurprised when Inuyasha called for him to wait. Inuyasha motioned for him to come closer, "Gimme a kiss."

Sesshomaru leant down and did so, pressing his lips chastely to his brother's uncomfortably chapped ones. A moment later he was moving to stand again, "I will have Chiyo visit you when she returns in a few hours. She will wake you should you be asleep."

Inuyasha nodded gudgingly and turned to face his wall again.

The demon Lord shut the door quietly after him, heading in the direction of the dining hall. He would just have to eat with Rin and Jaken this morning.