jikan_network | {Voice; UN: bakusaiga}

Of course not.

You're a fine liar. It wasn't my intention.

That's funny. [ Mild. Quiet. ]

I have no reason to lie to you. You have done me and my mate no harm.

{He has no difficulty remembering his time with Zishu. They... There had seemed to be no pain, no distrust.}

Humans vary. They are not like demons.

How can I reassure you if you are not here to smell my honesty?

Why would you wish to see me?

Because I count you as a friend.

{A...friend. Sesshomaru follows Zishu's scent, very careful how he enters the Four Seasons Manor if the man happens to be there. He looks pale - and he is bruised from his various fights. Something has rattled him and taken away the happiness he derived from mating with humans.}

[ Zishu has just returned to the Manor from the clinic he helps A-Xiang with. Precisely because he'd fully expected Sesshomaru to come find him. Something has happened, and it worries him.

But the meditation room is a safe, neutral place, and that is where his scent will lead the demon. The doors are open to the orchard, allowing the comforting scents to mingle with the gentle sounds of the wind and the pond with a small waterfall's gentle splashing.

Seeing the pallor and the bruises, Zishu stands and moves without comment to where he keeps salves. ]

Sit. Let me tend to you.

[ No demand to talk. Just physical actions to show he's genuine in his care. ]

{The sounds are comforting. He likes this place. Many days he has napped in the garden - sometimes even as a giant dog. He had thought he had connected with some of the residents; that his presence was wanted.

Removing his armor before he walks into the meditation room, he sits down as instructed, his breath wheezing. His ribs are no longer broken, but his sides are covered in nasty bruises.}

Demons do not care for one another. I was taught to stand alone; to never need another.

Humans are different. I used to think them weak, but they are complicated; not weak.

[ He's worked hard on his home, and continues to. He'd missed it when away, and loves having something of it back. It's not fully the same, but it's close enough to ease his spirit.

A place for people to rest in peace. Zishu's movements are simple to read, and he makes sure not to surprise the wounded demon. Salve in hand, as well as bandages, cloth and a bowl of water, he kneels before Sesshomaru to get to work, cleaning, then rubbing the salve into bruises. He also adds healing energy, coaxing his friend's body into mending a little faster. ]

Habits of a lifetime are hard to bend or break. I know you don't need me tending you. But sometimes, often, words fail. So action is required.

{He loosens his kimono and reveals his upper body. There is no attempt to stop Zishu, though he seems to have trouble meeting the man's gaze. Once, having a human kneeling before him would have meant nothing. He would have cut them down anyway. Now...}

I tried to explain myself. {But his words fell on deaf ears and then his temper had flared.} I haven't been as open with my past, with...anything...

{Until Jikan.}

To have my words misconstrued as "boasting". To be told I was interfering with two who share a true bond...

It made me feel like I didn't belong.

[ Then it is just as well that Zishu isn't trying to meet Sesshomaru's gaze. He knows how hard that can be, when one is off-balanced. And he feels this demon is. And hurting. So he uses hands and what medicinal art he knows to tend the physical pains, and listens.

His brow furrows at what he's told and he glances up. He normally wouldn't ask who Sesshomaru had apparently tried to get between according to someone else. But. ]

My bond with Kexing? Or another? [ Call him conceited for even thinking it has to do with him at all. But this is a friend. ]

{His eyes widen at the question and he finally lifts a hand, caressing Zishu's face carefully. This man could have reacted the same, it's true. In fact, he should have. Yet here he is, tending to his wounds and trying to understand why his heart feels...

Shattered. Perhaps that's a fitting state for it since it used to be a block of ice.}

You have every right to be angry with me. {Conceited? Hardly. Sesshomaru values Kexing and Zishu - they were the first to show him how wonderful it could be to let down his guard.}

I met General Ouyang. He was not happy I had mated with Runyu. I made the mistake of thinking otherwise.

[ Zishu immediately leans into that gentle hand, showing he's not afraid of the demon's touch. But it's something of a relief to know it's not about him and his soulmate, so he nuzzles that hand too. Offering affection.

And then any confusion clears as jealousy is made known. He shakes his head a little, resting a hand gently over Sesshomaru's heart. ]

I'm not. Neither is Kexing.

[ Not to mention he and Kexing have both had sex with that particular dragon. More than once. ]

Aah. Some get jealous. It can be difficult to judge.

{He is careful with his talons, tracing over Zishu's cheekbone. The hand over his heart reminds him of how he and Zishu laid together and he realizes it's too late. He can't turn his back on those who have welcomed him.}

Wen Kexing would have spoken plainly.

{That he trusts.}

I've been a fool thinking I caused no harm.

[ He trusts that care. His eyes lid in contentment and trust. Maybe he'd had to relearn trusting others again, but he's managed it. Fingers rub gently over the strong heart under them, and he smiles. ]

Yes. We both would have.

[ The smile sobers and he can't help the concerned look he gives the demon. ]

Have you decided what you will do about it?

{Sesshomaru pulls on one of Zishu's arms so they can sit side by side. Or, if the man likes, his lap is vacant.}

I believe that.

{Zishu has been nothing but direct. The soulmates are so like one another that he almost feels like he is with both when he is with one.}

I must speak with Runyu. He can decide. I will never push away someone who desires my company.

[ Zishu does, in fact, like. And settles in that vacant lap as he's finished fussing over the physical wounds. Tails curl around Sesshomaru and he nuzzles in as he makes himself comfortable. ]

That sounds like a good plan.

{He leans forward and rests his head on Zishu's shoulder. Those scars are remembered, however, so he doesn't rest his full weight on his...friend. Sesshomaru has never been called that before.}

Foxes, a Dragon and a Heron... I have left my own kind far behind.

[ Scars that have healed. But the simple fact Sesshomaru cares enough to remember them is a good sign. So he curls an arm around him and gently plays with his hair. ]

A demon, a dragon god, and a rabbit. I have as well, aside from my Lao Wen. It is not what someone is that matters so much as their heart.

{Those kitsune tails call to him and Sesshomaru strokes them. He is an admirer of fur, obviously, and Zishu's is of a fine quality.}

The Foxes taught me how humans connect. The Dragon healed me and welcomed me. The Heron does her best to comfort me and I want to protect her.

{Voice; UN: bakusaiga}

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