Chapter 2: Sweet Tooth

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It had been fifty years since last Sesshoumaru had caught the enticing, entirely too sweet scent of the little temptation he had cuddled in the garden. Almost unconsciously, he began to move in the direction of the familiar trace, curiosity curling his fingers and quickening his pace.

It was not long before he reached a tiny clearing where the air was heavy with Naraku's aura and the humidity of a nearby hot spring. Carefully remaining close to the tree line, Sesshoumaru soundlessly scaled a nearby trunk, perching himself in one of the overhanging boughs. He rather didn't care to contemplate his actions- the idea that he was more or less stalking the small kumo did not sit well with him.

From his vantage point, Sesshoumaru was able to pinpoint the smaller hanyou deftly slipping into a robe of deep purple, etched with midnight latticework. He was turned away from Sesshoumaru exposing the dip of a smooth lower back melded into a round, lightly muscled backside.

Feeling the pair of eyes roaming his person, Naraku whirled around in alarm and Sesshoumaru immediately recognized a matured version of the child he had fed apple tart and tea. Although he was still angular and slender, he had obviously grown up some; his large eyes were no longer too big for his pointed face, his mouth had bloomed into a pomegranate colored crescent, and his long inky hair now fell over broader shoulders and a tapered waist.

Sesshoumaru drew back into the veil of the tree line, content to observe rather than confront.

His desire however, was not to be fulfilled.

"Who's there?" the voice, although older, was frightened and thin.

"Show yourself, demon! Who are you? I know you are there, come out!"

Even though he was unable to see Naraku, Sesshoumaru could sense the rising panic and the beginnings of anger. Making an abrupt decision, Sesshoumaru soundlessly leapt off of the wide tree branch, landing nimbly before the alarmed hanyou.

Naraku gasped, first frightened and then shocked. He was speechless as he froze on the spot, taking in the youkai Lord he had met some decades past. Instinctively, he stepped back, raising his arms before as if bracing for an attack.

"Hello Naraku," said Sesshoumaru quietly, disturbed by the anxiety practically rolling off of the hanyou. Ordinarily it would not have bothered the dispassionate Lord but on Naraku the scent troubled him.

"It has been some time, little one. You have grown much stronger," He added, hoping a gentle voice would allay the other's nerves.

Slowly, ready to defend himself if he needed to, Naraku slowly lowered his arms, opening eyes he had unconsciously shut.

"Sesshoumaru," he whispered. "Why- what are you doing here?" he questioned breathily.

He looked up in an accusing way, backing away yet another step. He pulled his robe closer, suddenly feeling exposed even though his skin was covered. How long had Sesshoumaru been watching him? Had he seen the bruises? The bite marks? Naraku's cheeks flushed with shame and he felt almost as miserable as he had upon entering the clearing in the first place.

"Passing through," replied the youkai Lord, snapping Naraku's attention back. "I caught your scent and couldn't help but wonder if it was actually you..." he trailed off, surprised by his own candor

He noticed the color staining Naraku's milky cheeks, wondering if he was scaring the hanyou again or just making him uncomfortable. Suddenly a tiny smirk lifted the corners of his mouth. He stepped towards Naraku who looked to be fighting the instinct to shy away. He reached for the pocket at his waist and Naraku immediately bolted backwards, scampering into a tree like a shy kitten. Slowly, Sesshoumaru produced a small bundle, choosing to ignore the fact that Naraku was already some fifty feet away.

Naraku didn't move from his place, tucked against the limb of a broad tree. He gazed suspiciously down at Sesshoumaru, waiting. Nonchalantly, the inu youkai folded into a meditative sitting position and began to unwrap the bundle he had early produced. A smile still curved his thin lips and he waited.

Naraku berated himself for trusting the inu Lord. Perhaps he had been kind once, but to expect a repeat of his single-most peaceful day was simply too much to ask for someone like him. Besides, they were in the wild now, beyond property borders and etiquette; Sesshoumaru could virtually do anything he wished and Naraku would not have the strength to stop him. This last thought made Naraku shudder. He knew he didn't stand a chance but if he could sprint away quickly enough, perhaps Sesshoumaru wouldn't bother to follow... Or if he was submissive to whatever the Lord had in store, maybe he would be left alone.

His brooding was suddenly overrided by the aroma of sugar permeating the clearing. He almost gasped but refrained in favor of cautiously peeking down between the leaves. His eyes widened when he saw a cross-legged Sesshoumaru with a small mountain of desserts set out before him.

"Come here," said Sesshoumaru quietly, sending both demons back into a scene of the past. Just as he had back in the surreal memory of the garden, Naraku nervously approached Sesshoumaru. He was tense and watchful, waiting for any movement that suggested harm. As he slowly lowered himself into a sitting position, a bit of his robe fell away from his neck and he heard Sesshoumaru inhale sharply. Instantaneously Naraku became a blur of deep purple, withdrawing as far back as he could before whirling to bolt. However, he was confronted with a flash of radiant white and he fell against a solid, silky obstacle.

Sesshoumaru waited for Naraku to overcome his shock. He grasped the other's chin feeling him flinch. Tipping Naraku's chin to the side, his suspicions were confirmed with the appearance of two twin fang marks, obviously new and still purpled with bruising.

"You are mated," he said blankly.

There was a moment's pause before Naraku began to squirm and thrash in Sesshoumaru's hold, grunting and snarling. He tried to pull backwards but found he could not and the sense of captivity sent him to an even higher state of distress. Sesshoumaru ignored the slow escalation of claw marks across his chest, choosing to wait out the panic attack.

Eventually, the fight seemed to ebb from Naraku's body. His desperate clawing became pushing and trembling and each subsequent snarl began to lose its venom. He whimpered, appearing to be resigning himself to whatever fate Sesshoumaru had in store. He finally stilled altogether, going limp against Sesshoumaru's solid frame.

"Will you run if I release you?"

Naraku nodded his head miserably.

Sesshoumaru sighed and gently picked the hanyou up, carrying him back to the clearing. Naraku curled in on himself, forcing his mind from all of the cruel scenarios he was certain the youkai Lord would inflict upon him. He wondered if Sesshoumaru would be violent, or if maybe his impulses would take a lewder form? He didn't know what he would do if Sesshoumaru meant to degrade him that way; Sesshoumaru had thus far been the only kind Lord he had ever met and if he too sought to use Naraku like all of the others...

He was shaken out of his daze as he was deposited near the small sweet pile, but he couldn't bring himself to be even a little hopeful. Sesshoumaru sat beside him and Naraku tucked into his characteristic position, arms hugging his knees close to his chest.

"P-please don't make me go back..." the words tumbled from his lips in a desperate jumble. "I won't go back. You can't make me! I won't go back no- no matter what you do."

He looked up his cheeks flushed with feverish panic.

"I won't! I hate him. I hate him! I hate him so much and he plans to mate me and he keeps me l-locked up all the time. It's always dark and he is so cruel and I can't go back, I can't!" Naraku was almost in hysterics, his pupils dilating as he worked himself up more and more.

He looked up at Sesshoumaru with glassy irises that nearly stole the entire curve of his huge eyes. Sesshoumaru regarded the terrified hanyou gravely.

"There is nothing either you nor I can do." He said quietly, hating the hint of emotion creeping into his tone. "You know the laws of mating, surely your sire has explained them. He is your mate, you belong to him till death."

Naraku flinched, gazing miserably at the ground. He knew the words were true- his cold-blooded mate enjoyed reminding him of that fact every day. He relished in the tears Naraku shed when he would take the small hanyou, whispering how he wanted to hear Naraku beg and scream.

Naraku curled closer in on himself, crossing his arms over his chest and allowing his claws to pierce his biceps. Unconsciously he raked his claws down the pale stretches of his arms. Blood rivulets began surfacing on his milky skin as he repeated the motion, systematically ripped at his own body. Sesshoumaru watched for a few moments, sickened by the rising scent of blood and tears. He knelt forward, carefully yet firmly pulling Naraku's wrists apart and dragging Naraku to him. Naraku made a keening noise but didn't pull away as Sesshoumaru gently lapped at his bloody fingers one by one. He then turned his attention to Naraku's red stained arms and ran his tongue along the abraded skin. He repeated the motion until the skin was lightly damp with the inu youkai's unique healing saliva.

Naraku closed his eyes, oddly soothed by the warm, wet pressure against his skin. It didn't even occur to him how odd the whole scenario was in the first place; but the attention felt good and the healing process was working wonders. The skin began knitting itself back together, leaving behind mostly pale, flawless skin and a bit of leftover red.

Sesshoumaru released Naraku's wrists, still maintaining the same closeness. He took a cookie from the small pile and placed it in front of Naraku's lips. Blushing a little at the idea of being fed, Naraku docilely leaned forward and took a delicate bite. His eyes widened and his lips curled up over his fangs as the sugar flooded into his system. He eagerly leaned in again, this time pulling the treat out of Sesshoumaru's fingers with his teeth.

Sesshoumaru smirked a little, knowingly too tempted by the winsome little creature. He watched as Naraku plucked a second cookie from the pile and began to eat in such a fashion slightly reminiscent of a squirrel. Sesshoumaru's eyes slid from Naraku's delectable little mouth to land frowningly on the offensive looking bite marks. He knew the rules as a High Lord. The rules of mating were some of the oldest established of all. He knew that courting the hanyou would be beyond taboo, and even his current position relative to Naraku was rather frowned upon. Only after his mate's death would Naraku be considered fair game, but by youkai standards that could mean centuries...

Unaware of Sesshoumaru's plight, Naraku enthusiastically devoured the entire pile of sweets, leaning back on his haunches contently when he finished. For the first time in a long while, Naraku felt sated and content. His escape from his mate's castle, the horrors he had left behind, and the uncertainty of the future, all seemed irrelevant in the presence of the peace he had reached.

His gaze shifted to Sesshoumaru, who appeared pensive. Naraku watched the ethereal creature before him, wondering what was warring behind Sesshoumaru's honey colored eyes. Something had to be bothering the Lord, for a light crease had formed between his brows and he was unconsciously chewing his lower lip. Naraku's curiosity grew when he edged closer and Sesshoumaru did not appear to even notice. Interest rising, Naraku let his eyes fall to soft slits as he focused on centering his mind. Slowly, he allowed his aura to extend outwards, giving his mind and instincts rein to flow towards the other youkai. He sensed the turmoil on the surface, a weighing of options, cause and effect. When he delved deeper he found confusion and a bit of hard-suppressed interest. Further still, he could feel the small, surging pulse of lust which nearly broke Naraku's concentration as simultaneous panic and surprise overcame him. Reestablishing his focus, a blush on his cheeks, he found that his aura was no longer alone. Judging by the dominant, poised weight of the other tone, testing his own edges, it was not difficult to guess who the other presence was.

Naraku quickly retracted back into himself, opening his eyes to the steady gold colored gaze of the inu Lord. Sesshoumaru had a serious expression on his face but Naraku could not tell if he was angry.

Abruptly, Sesshoumaru stood. "I should leave," he said blankly.

Naraku jumped to his feet. "No! Please, don't... I don't- I won't do it again! I can't be here a- alone. Don't- don't leave me alone, please. Please..." he hated the desperation in his voice but he couldn't help it.

Sesshoumaru was quiet for a long time, so quiet that Naraku was certain he would leave. For this reason, Naraku was shocked when Sesshoumaru slowly folded into a sitting position, seemingly surprised as well. Naraku sat slowly, cautiously, as if expecting Sesshoumaru to disappear if he blinked.

"Um..." he wasn't sure what to do now that Sesshoumaru seemed to be staying. In truth the emotional and physical stress of the day had drained him, but he felt foolish considering sleep after begging for Sesshoumaru to stay near.

"Sleep, little one." Sesshoumaru commanded quietly, reading the exhaustion on the hanyou's face. "You are exhausted, and I am not going anywhere."

Sesshoumaru himself had already closed his eyes, appearing to be settling into meditation.

Scooting a bit closer, Naraku curled up as close to Sesshoumaru as he dared, soothed by the warmth and strength emanating from the youkai. Tenderly, Sesshoumaru brushed a few strands of hair from Naraku's forehead, ignoring the bewildered expression he received. He gently traced his index finger down the delicate nose, and then fanned his fingers across an ivory cheek. Naraku slowly relaxed against the touches and even nuzzled closer to the fluttery contact. He shifted a little closer, his back lightly pressed to Sesshoumaru's knee. Sesshoumaru tucked his pelt fondly around Naraku, combing long fingers through midnight hair. Naraku fell asleep with a small smile curling his lips.

In the morning, Sesshoumaru was gone.

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A/n- If you haven't already, take a look at "Spoils of War" (Sesshoumaru/Juuroumaru pairing). It's an old piece, but I'm pretty proud of it, if only because it is one of the only completed works I've every managed. The next update will be a bit slower as I am starting school this week. Thank you for the reviews thus far, they really keep the inspiration up. For those of you who miss REAL Naraku, then you are in for a treat. If you like sweet, adorable Naraku, then you'll just have to wait :)

Reviews please!

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Chapter 3: Appetite for Revenge