Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, or affliated characters. All rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi and her subsidiaries. No copyright infringement intended.
All of my fanfiction is nonprofit and for fun.
Reviews and feedback are always warmly welcomed, though never expected.
Happy reading, my friends.
-Oh Jiru-
AN: This is the first time I've ever written anything quite like this. I hope its enjoyable. This story has stolen my attention and all of my energy. I've worked really hard, so I hope that it will be worth continuing.
Secrets Within the Keyhole.
Some doors were never made to be opened.
A wayward boy, bedraggled by the weather, is taken in by an elderly couple. The story they told him will leave him setting out to find what they lost. What he will change his life forever. M for violence, sexual situations, and adult material.
Chapter One:
Hush.
Winter.
The pale hand of winter clutched the landscape with its frigid grip. It had yet to relent, sending beggars into the homes of strangers, or the arms of lovers that they had found. The snow was up to his waist, burying him within the arms of the slush blanket.
He had traveled for days. His stomach rumbled, his skin grayed and burned. There was nothing left in his pocket, save for some lint and a piece of gum. He had lost everything; his home, the woman he loved, his beloved sea.
Everything had been decimated by the recession. No one needed the small capsule boats with the handful of mean, dragging their souls to the churning waters for a catch. They had been replaced by refined, large networked ships and bregades.
His wife had died in an accident the previous year, leaving him in shambles.
"Oh, that poor Ito boy!" They had all said. He had eventually tired of hearing it. His house burned to the ground about three months ago, leaving him homeless.
Sure he had friends, aquaintances that had been more than helpful. His pride was just shackled to his heart, which was the only thing that he had left. When Kikyo had passed away, he had promised to keep his head high no matter the situation.
It was increasingly hard to be brave, be strong without her guilding him through his daily motions. If she had seen him now, she would have turned over in her grave, full of disappointment.
Ito InuYasha had become nothing.
His hair, which used to be short and shaggy, had grown and grayed prematurely. It hung about his spine, curling down the center of his back. It kept him warmer than his clothing, and he relished in the fact that he had chosen to leave it be.
He wasn't exactly sure where he was now, as he meandered through the thrush of snow. All that he did know, was that he was lost, starving, and in desperate need of sleep.
His lanky hands rubbed his dark eyes free of the creases that hung below them. His nose was nipped by the cold kisses of wind as he reached the mouth of a town.
His stomach churned with relief as he gripped to the icy trunk of a withered tree. It's frozen leaves crumbled into glassy shards as he slipped away. His shoes were damp, completely soaked through by the frothy precipitation.
The evening was approaching, darkening the sky to a violet cocoon for Nippon to sleep within. The clouds rolled like the waves that stirred the ocean that rested nearby. His heart fluttered with the scent of smoke, curling warmly in his nose.
A few koi kites, brittle from the weather, batted against the sides of houses and shops upon his approach. He tried to hurry, but found it hard to really move much faster that a tortoise.
Another wave of shivers washed over him as he sank within his thin coat. How he abhored the cold, he scowled. When his feet finally left the snow, it hit the wet, salted cement of a lonesome street that lead through the shanty town.
Lights hung low in the windows, the shadows of the occupants dancing like ghosts across the ground. He envied their warmth and looked back and forth for a place to just sit for a moment.
If I could just thaw out, he thought miserably.
The first gathering of homes were busy with the sounds of children squealing and crying. It pained him to know that he had never had a child. All he had ever wanted was a son to teach, to love...
All of that had been washed away like everything else.
He didn't pity himself, no. He merely believed that he was dealt a bad hand he had to overcome. Nothing was impossible in his mind. This was a mere setback to things that would come to fruition, he had decided long ago.
Idly, he ruminated with his hands searching for the denim of his pockets. He pulled out that piece of gum, exposing the warmth of his breath to the air as he slid it in.
His dark eyes shifted to an inn. It's finish had faded and the painting on the side was almost illegible. With a sigh, he scampered up the two steps and opened the door, being blasted in the face by the heat.
It clung to his brow like fire, scorching the coolness of his skin. He felt his body relax as he caught site of an elderly woman, hobbling with a cane. She came to rest behind a counter and placed her knobby hands upon it.
Said counter looked about as old as she did. The low illumination of lamp light and a dusty chandelier lit her small, creased eyes. "Well, it looks as though you're frozen to the bones."
InuYasha pressed a smile across his face at how raspy her voice was. "I've been out there all day, nearly froze to death." He chided, trying to make himself more alive.
"Awfully young to have all that gray hair, eh?" The woman said, licking a briary thumb to turn a page in her log-book.
InuYasha's face contorted with distaste as shuffled to the counter, resting his weary body against it. His arms tiredly laced across the edge, his head falling upon them.
The woman's name tag was crooked across her spotted apron. He winced at it, attempting to read the shaky kanji. "Well, Ka-ede-san?" He said wearily, nervous of the pronunciation. "I've been through a lot this past year."
Her thin, gangly brow arched. "I can tell. We don't get many people from out of town here. If you like you can pick out whatever room you'd like." She said, slowly sliding her book across to him.
The man's sleepy eyes looked at the prices and let out a sigh. It had been involuntary and he felt his pride shatter slightly. "I know this sounds bad, but I don't have a cent to my name. I just came in to warm up before I head out." He said softly.
Kaede-san shook her head, a few strands of her wiry hair spilling from her bun. "What's your name?" She asked abruptly, grabbing a pen from a cup.
His blinked at her and furrowed his brows. "I'm not askin' for a hand out or nothin'." InuYasha grumbled.
Kaede looked unamused as she tapped her pen. "What's your name?" She asked again, "I didn't ask you if it hurt your feelings."
InuYasha stood straight, rolling his eyes. "Ito InuYasha," He muttered beneath his breath.
"Well," She smacked, "I'm pleased to meet you, InuYasha-sama. You can follow me, if you'd like."
Inside, he felt relieved. He hadn't slept in real bed in weeks. The last time he had the luxury, he had been in Tokyo visiting his friend, Miroku. He and his wife were expecting, so InuYasha had chose to leave.
Being another burden was just too hard to bear.
Yet, as he brought his attention back to the staggering woman, he followed her around the counter to a small hallway. It was musty, darkly lit, and looked like it was nice in its prime. There was nothing wrong with it now, it had just seen far better days.
His mind was wandering from one end of his brain to another when Kaede's voice tore him from his reverie.
"Are you hungry, InuYasha?" She asked, pointing to a room on the right side of the small hallway. "This is yours, if you want it by the way." She said.
"Arigato," InuYasha said, pushing the door open. "I'm always hungry," He smirked, taking in the large bed.
"Well, go on in and get yourself cleaned up. The mister and I haven't had a chance to feed a soul since my grand-daughter stopped coming." The woman said, sadness and worry seizing her voice.
InuYasha furrowed his brows at her. "Did she get married, or somethin'?" He asked idly, slipping off his shoes to place them on a shoe-shelf. His toes felt like they were about to fall off, he scowled.
Kaede pointed to a photo on the bedroom wall, near a window. "That's her over there." Her hand quivered when she gestured to the portrait of a young woman smiling.
"She's pretty." InuYasha said, inspecting her gray eyes. She reminded him of his wife a little. "My wife looked a lot like her." He said absently.
Kaede perked her brows and nodded slightly. She knew from the sound of his voice that she had passed. "Well, this is my Kagome. We haven't seen her in nearly a year. Everyone says that she ran off with a rich boy from the next town, but I know better."
"You don't think she would have done that?" He asked biting his lip. Truth be told, he was pretty curious about what happened to the girl. His eyes fell on her photo again, and took in the light that glistened in her eyes. She was at the beach, posing in a yukata, dark hair billowing around her face.
Kaede swatted an arm at the air, "Never. That girl was too fiery to ever let a man get the better of her. I told her she would break a million hearts before she chose someone." A sigh erupted from her cracked lips and she turned her attention away from the room. "You get settled and Old Totosai will come fetch you."
InuYasha let himself smile in earnest. "I, uh, appreciate this a lot, Kaede-san."
A calloused hand patted him on the arm, "Go shower up, there's some hakama and haori in that closet. Hope you don't mind dressing like us old folks. Times have changed too much." She mused.
As she scooted away, she pulled the rusting and closed the door. Her heart ached as she thought of the girl. She hoped everyday that she would return. Ume, Kagome's mother had died years before, leaving Kaede and Old Totosai her guardians.
She had been every bit their daughter as Ume had been. Taking care of that Ito boy made the hole in her heart fill partially.
In the room, InuYasha violently stripped his soaked clothing. His bare skin felt clammy as the heat hugged to his skin. Whatever source had granted him such good luck, he wanted to thank them. He had craved for a bath, clean clothes, this warmth that enveloped him.
His hands shucked his dirty clothes into a pile in the corner of the room. He looked down at how thin he had become and patted his stomach softly. "God damn, I'm just fuckin' bones." He rasped to himself, staggering on cold feet to the bathroom.
"No wonder she wanted to feed me." He scoffed, slightly.
The cool white tile soothed his feet as he immediatedly turned on the warm water. The handle creaked and spat out a murky, brown sludge before running clear. A set of towels hung across the small sink beside him.
A nozzle that connected to the shower-head was wrapped around the faucet as he stepped into the water. He audibly moaned as he sank his tired body into the small sea he created. The tub was tiny, forcing him to bend his knees crookedly.
For a moment, he let the water wash away the aches and pains that had crawled across him. He didn't remember the last time he had taken a proper bath. He washed up in the rivers and scrubbed his clothes, but this was a gift.
Steam kissed the mirror, dampening the floor and the walls. He took his time basking his head in the hot water that shot out from the nozzle in his hand. The soap peeled away the dirt, cleansing each pore. His hair felt clean for the first time in what felt like a year.
When the water began to cool, he finally relented to getting out and drying himself. Upon entering his quaint room, he found a closet next to a television on the dresser.
He tossed his damp towel on the quilt and stood bare as his hands parted the wardrobe. He dressed himself in a white haori and a pair of dark hakama. They probably had belonged to that Old Totosai guy.
He pulled on a pair of tabi for good measure. His chaffed feet desperately needed the extra protection. The reflection he saw in the mirror made him feel almost proud. He looked like he had been taken care of like he should have been.
A knock thwapped at the door, tearing him from the mirror. Before he opened the door, he looked at the photo of Kagome and mused about her.
Wonder what happened to her, he thought as he pulled the door open to see a scraggly, tall man. His back had the hint of a hunch. "Totosai-san?" InuYasha asked, seeing the man place his hands behind his back.
He was so thin he looked like a stick. A stick with loose skin hanging daintly from his elbows. "So, my wife tells me that you were hungry?" He smiled almost toothlessly. His voice was hoarse and throaty.
InuYasha nodded, walking to the end of the hall. "Very." He confirmed, turning behind the man to find a large, plain room. The walls had a few knick-knacks and the table was Western. It wasn't much of a surprise as their age made it difficult to move as they use to.
"Well, sit yourself down. Mama is bringing over the pot." Totosai laughed, patting the man on the back weakly. His effort was much stronger than his weightless hands.
InuYasha complied and took a seat that faced a small, yellow kitchen. It reminded him of his mother's house in the way it was constructed. He sank into the rickety wooden chair, placing his hands oddly in his lap.
Kaede hunched and shuffled to the table with a hot-plate and a pot of rice. Totosai brought the bowls and the wares, taking a seat ajacent to InuYasha.
The boy's stomach was churning with a need to be filled. He didn't care if it was rude or not, he couldn't help it. All he wanted was to devour every last morsel that hit the table. Kaede eyed him as he fixated on the offerings she had given him.
Rabbit stew, rice, charred fish, and a adzuki bun laid out before him and he absorbed the smell in awe. It had been four days since he had really eaten anything. When the old woman sat down in front of her guest, she sighed in relief.
"These old bones can barely keep themselves together!" She exclaimed with a hum. Her husband chewed at his lip, waiting for the boy to dig in and help himself.
"What are you waiting for, son?" Totosai quipped, handing the boy the plastic rice spoon. "Eat as much as you want. The missus and I want you to eat." He said, almost shooing InuYasha.
The man blinked and parted his mouth, trying to find a word that would justify this plentiful meal. When he couldn't find any, he smiled wide and happily helped himself. When he filled his bowls, he filled theirs.
Most of the meal was silent, save for InuYasha's inhalation of food. The slurping and the gasping for air amused the old couple.
"Now," The room was melancholy as Totosai sighed. "The last time I saw someone eat like that, it was when Kagome had thought she could make it on her own. She'd gone on a camping trip with that girl from the fishery, remember Mama?"
Kaede fell quiet for a moment before inspecting InuYasha's curious face. "There are a few similarities between the two." She said, aged eyes falling on the old table. "I think she'd like this one."
A flush hit InuYasha's cheeks and he thought for a while about the girl. He wasn't sure if it was because she resembled his wife that he had taken a fancy to hearing about her, or not. Either way, he decided, he was curious to know more about her.
Totosai grabbed his wife's hand and placed a ginger kiss atop the nooks and crannies of veins. "She was something. I just want to know what happened to her."
"She'll turn up, Papa." Kaede said, shaking off the memory of the last time they saw her. "How long are you staying with us, InuYasha?"
InuYasha stuttered for a moment before sitting his chopsticks down. He nervously ran a hand through his long hair and shrugged. "I was planning on leaving in the morning. I gotta make my own way, you know? I sure appreciate all this, though."
Totosai and Kaede shared a solemn look before the woman reached over and smacked him with the rice spoon. "Oi, you aren't going anywhere in this weather. You'll freeze to death."
"I've survived much worse," InuYasha assured her, shaking the pain from his hand.
It wasn't good enough of an answer for her and she pressed her mouth in a straight line.
"I don't know what you think you've gone through, but you're going to stay with us." She said, looking happily at her husband. He seemed to be content with the decision and nodded.
"I can finally have a hand getting things done around here." He said, "You work, you have a place to stay."
Kaede shook her head, assuring that either way, he would have a roof over his head.
InuYasha just sat dumbfounded by this elderly couple. He'd never seen any kindness that resembled theirs. If anything, he would try to repay them by finding out what happened to Kagome.
He didn't know how long it would take, but it seemed like it was the least that he could do. He wasn't worth much at the time being, but he had an able body.
That night was one of the best he had had in a long time. He may not have been deserving, but he sure as hell would prove himself to be.