A/N: Sorry guys, school's been busy. Any updates in the future will depend on my poll, which can be found in my profile. Please vote on it if you have the time.
CHAPTER 7: WHEN WINNING ALSO MEANS LOSING
Cold hands scanned across his bruised chest, occasionally stopping here and there at what Inuyasha thought to be very awkward places, to rub in a much too sensual way. As the skilled, cool fingers slid down his slim torso, Inuyasha felt himself involuntarily gulp in strange apprehension. God he felt like a girl. But that was his current role, wasn't it? He couldn't help but wonder if he had been in his right mind when tingling, playful shivers ran down his bare spine. A small seed of a doubt planted itself in his more than slightly confused mind and he soon became too scared to close his eyes—he just couldn't. Considering he was in the presence of a better, it would not be wise.
"You seem nervous. Should we stop?" The all-knowing, too-perceptive-for-his-own-good, pain-in-the-ass asked, with a deeper tone than Inuyasha recognized. Yeah okay fine, he was nervous. Shut up.
He didn't want to admit it, but he was getting too affected by this. Inuyasha really wished he could calm his panicked heart, maybe kick some sense into it. If he had to choose between it and his brain right now, he'd choose the latter. At least it knew a thing or two about necessary sacrifices.
"No." The younger man flatly replied, biting the inside of his lower lip to force the willies away. He will do this, he willnot back down. "And I ain't nervous." He lied, but hey, the other man didn't need to know. "I just don't know what to do. I've never done this before." That part was true though. He frowned, suddenly feeling more vulnerable than he already was.
"Would you prefer I give you instructions?" Sesshomaru mused while hovering over the boy on all fours. "You do want to make this enjoyable for me, don't you?" He provoked huskily as he casually flicked a soft, rosy nipple. Inuyasha held his breathe at the unexpected contact but didn't try to move away.
Oh fuck, his inner mind cried. What do people do in these situations? Inuyasha panicked, despite himself. It was as if Sesshomaru could tell exactly when he finally managed to calm himself down, just to throw something even more nerve-wrecking his way to screw with him! Beads of sweat began to surface on his pale temple. You see, he could deal with women, no problem. But men? Fuck that shit, where did you expect him to find that kind of information?
Yes, that's right. Inuyasha had absolutely noidea how to pleasure a man. And Sesshomaru was the man of all men. 'Dear Life', Inuyasha mentally sighed, 'when I asked if my life could get any worse, it was a rhetorical question. Not a challenge.'
But despite his incompetence in that area, Inuyasha knew at least one thing. It was all about dick when it came to men. He would know. So of course his next course of action was to reach out and fondle the bigger man's privates. Well. He had to do something right?
Sesshomaru flinched, surprised by the boy's sudden boldness.
"Can I touch you here? I mean, that's what I'm supposed to do right?" Inuyasha sounded uncertain and worried. He didn't want to disappoint the man that could potentially make his life a living hell. Well, a hell worse than that one he lived in now.
When Sesshomaru only grunted and let his head fall, Inuyasha continued his rough massage, hoping the man was properly being stimulated through all those useless layers of clothing. He tried to imagine the times he masturbated and how he himself liked to be touched, letting the images guide his ministrations. When a groan of pleasure escaped the big man's lips, Inuyasha practically glowed in happiness. Maybe he could actually do this!
"Do you feel good?" He asked with excitement clearly laced in his voice. But this seemed to snap the older man out of his lust and suddenly, Sesshomaru's grip was on his busy hand and his mouth on Inuyasha's neck, biting and nipping and licking. God,theboytastedgood. Inuyasha gasped as the shift in position happened all too quick and instinctively started to squirm into the sheets.
"W-wait! What are yo—!" He breathed out under the full weight of Sesshomaru.
"Are you afraid, boy? Of what heinous crimes I might inflict on you?" snarled Sesshomaru, completely aware of what his actions, words, and very presence was doing to the young man sprawled on his bed.
"No! Jesus, stop getting so full of yourself!" Inuyasha barked, not appreciating the mockery.
"Am I?" Sesshomaru teased while he began crudely biting the salty skin between his lips. He was pleased when he gained an almost inaudible whimper from the younger man.
"Stop, this—this isn't right!" Inuyasha cried, trying to push the other man off of him. At this, Sesshomaru snarled and angrily shoved the boy into the bed.
"How dar—"
"I'm the one that's supposed to make you feel good!" Inuyasha finally huffed out between quickened breathes. Sesshomaru froze.
"T-that's what you wanted right? I mean…like…" Surely, he didn't think… "I'm starting to feel good, I think, but that's not right. This is about you but I…" Dear Lord, he did. "I don't know what to do beyond touching your, um." Besides being thoroughly embarrassed, the boy actually looked frustrated with his 'failure'. And that's when Sesshomaru lost it. He laughed.
At the confused pout on Inuyasha face, he laughed harder and proceeded to wrap his arms around the boy's body and bury his face in the grove of his neck, all the while indulging himself in his musk.
"What? What are you laughing at?" When he received only more chuckling, Inuyasha sulked. "You're so fucking weird." He huffed, looking away and subsequently exposing more of his neck to the very amused Sesshomaru.
"You're the stranger one, boy."
"Hey!" Inuyasha yelped, not enjoying getting repeatedly insulted.
Sesshomaru simply raised himself back up. "Alright, so you want to make me feel good, do you?" He smiled at the irritated boy underneath him.
"Shut up, I'm reconsidering that." Inuyasha grumbled, crossing his arms and looking away. Here he was, trying to be all serious about this and the stupid guy had the nerve to laugh at him! Who the bloody hell does that anyway!
Sesshomaru raised a brow. "Are you sure?"
Inuyasha winced. Fuck, he forgot he wasn't the boss right now. He was the one who had something to lose. He uncrossed his arms and relaxed, locking his eyes back on Sesshomaru again, daring him to give him a command.
"Spread your legs for me." The older hummed, staring, anticipating. The boy brows furrowed, but he complied. His elbows pushed down on the mattress as he attempted to sit up in preparation to bare all his worth. Next came his bruised legs but he found himself beginning to tremble in his efforts, his battered muscles aching from the earlier skirmish. Inuyasha ignored the agony as best he could, making pleasing Sesshomaru his current top priority.
Seeing the internal struggle, Sesshomaru was touched by the boy's determination and courage. He trailed comforting patterns down the boy's baby soft skin until he reached Inuyasha's pelvis, whereupon his trembling increased two-fold. Sesshomaru would be lying if he said he didn't find this remotely amusing and the unbearable tightness of his pants demanded him to continue the foreplay, but no. This was not the right time. Any further and he would hurt the boy beyond regrets. Besides the physical injuries, there was also Inuyasha's emotional and mental health to possibly worry about.
It was times like these he quite liked having men who could afford to kill under him. Disposing the two drunkards earlier may have proved to have been a bit more difficult otherwise.
Sesshomaru sighed and petted the boy's velvety hair, causing Inuyasha to stare at him like he was crazy. Yes, crazy enough to dismiss his sensual and considerate exertions, practically insane to let go of such a delicious meal. He signed again.
"Alright, let's stop for today." For today.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Inuyasha was bewildered. What the hell was going on in the president's head now?
"I mean what I said." He replied calmly and stood up, off the bed.
"But I haven't…" His eyes widened. "Oh shit, did I do something wrong?" He flustered unnecessarily, replaying everything that just happened in his head to pick out his mistake. Then it dawned to him. "S-sorry, my legs, they're—"
Sesshomaru offered another pat to the head, "Don't misunderstand, you haven't disappointed me at all." before pulling the covers over Inuyasha's naked body. "Get some rest, I'll wake you up in the morning."
Inuyasha frowned at the escaping back, unsure of what to do now that he's suddenly being left all alone. He had expected, had prepared to be with Sesshomaru for the entire night. He thought that was the least he needed to do for his secret to be safe. He didn't really miss him, per se, and he sure wasn't being a sappy, lonely girl or anything, but there was a strange feeling in his chest that he couldn't quite describe. He found himself gripping the soft sheets underneath him, no longer finding them as comfortable as before. As if the solemn click of the door was the cue, Inuyasha felt his body getting heavier and heavier. His eyelids became too taxing to lift and upon realizing just how dry his lips were, he licked them until he was satisfied and fell back onto the bed with a poof.
In his fetal position, he found himself hating the feeling of the sheets. Sleeping in the nude wasn't comfortable at all. He had no idea why he thought it was so nice earlier, but his back was colder than he remembered. This was his final thought as darkness finally reached the deepest crevices of his conscious.
The next morning, Sesshomaru entered Inuyasha's room with the intention to wake him up and bring him breakfast but instead found it empty. This was strange, as it was merely 6AM in the morning and the injuries the boy sustained last night should have made it impossible for him to leave the colossal mansion alone, and unnoticed. What were even stranger were the dirty clothes still lying on the floor and the missing bed sheets. But when the chirping robins outside stopped their chattering, a faint snoring was heard.
Sesshomaru walked slowly towards the bed, unsure of what to find. As he walked closer, he noticed the white of the sheets and chuckled, a hypothesis for the missing boy already in his head. He went around the bed and lo and behold, there was Inuyasha, cocooned thickly inside the sheets, with only his temple and a few strands of his silvery hair visible. The school president chuckled, wondering how the boy managed to fall out of bed and still remain asleep. He was interesting indeed.
Placing the plate of food on the bed, he shook the oversized caterpillar until he groaned and met with the first morning light of the new day.
"Five more minutes... No wait, make that ten…" He mumbled as his head crawled sluggishly back into the protective blankets.
"Wake up Inuyasha, I've brought you breakfast. You can go back to sleep after you've eaten it." He didn't mind the boy sleeping—after all, he did need the rest—but Sesshomaru on the other hand would need to leave for school in half an hour and he didn't want anyone else seeing the bruised, naked boy while he was away.
They were in the family mansion despite Inuyasha's room being in a secluded wing within Sesshomaru's own separate compound. The place was really a collection of several mansions each loosely connected to each other and belonging to separate members of the family. Sesshomaru's was the second largest next to his parents, as the heir had been expected to learn independence much earlier than other children.
Normally, it would be respectful to give him advanced notice of any visits to his compound but there were still housekeepers, security, and servants around and he couldn't risk them finding a stranger in his territory. All hell would break loose and Inuyasha may not survive such an event. Literally. Frankly, the best situation was to have Inuyasha leave with him, but his injuries recommended otherwise.
"Where are you going?" Inuyasha lazily asked, noticing the president's formal attire, then yawned, rubbing his eyes of fatigue. Ah, Sesshomaru didn't have the blazer or tie on.
"School. Now, come eat breakfast before I leave."
"I'm coming too." He stated as he stretched, revealing the sounds of cracking bone here and there. He had never missed a day of school in his entire life and he'd be damned if he broke that record today.
"You can continue to rest here, it's not a problem." He reassured.
"No way, I'm definitely coming. I can't risk losing my scholarship." Inuyasha explained as he ate away. Sesshomaru nodded then, pointing to the door that led to the washroom. When he finished breakfast, Inuyasha slowly slipped out of the warm covers, unashamed of baring all he was worth around another male—forgetting that Sesshomaru wasn't just any male—and stood up to walk to the bathroom. Or at least he tried to.
The injuries on his thighs didn't make it easy for him to walk. The first step was especially difficult and Inuyasha suddenly found himself in the arms of his senior. Upset that he was already embarrassed so early in the morning, he quickly regained his composure and urged Sesshomaru to release his hold. Before slipping into the bathroom, however, Inuyasha glanced back and mumbled something in the lines of, "Erm, thanks a lot for breakfast, and um, for everything else too. I'll be ready in ten."
Within 20 minutes, the two were in the car heading to the academy, with Inuyasha clothed in one of Sesshomaru's oversized school uniforms, minus the third year blazer.
"This is kind of bad." He frowned, looking down at what he was currently wearing.
"How so?"
"Ugh, I knew I should have worn my own uniform! Why do I listen to you?" He wailed. What ever happened to that 'never attract attention' policy of his? Where did his determination go? Ah, right. It was the idiot president's fault.
Inuyasha sighed. As irritated as he was, he knew it would be unwise to be disrespectful to Sesshomaru in the future,… and the guy had saved his ass last night, and fed him, and provided him a bed, and clothes, and a shower and… Aw, fuck. Now he really couldn't sass him up. It was as if things were reverting back to the beginning, when he tried to hide behind his persona of a boring, invisible nerd and had no one he could truly be himself around… Wait.
Persona. Disguise. Nerd. Glasses. "Motherfucker!" He yelled suddenly, surprising everyone in the car. Ignoring the momentary sway of the vehicle, he pulled at the roots of his hair and banged his forehead against the window of the car.
"Cease that behavior, Inuyasha." He didn't stop, obviously.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck. Sesshomaru, can I get off?" Maybe he could run home and grab another pair or something.
"If you wonder off now, we will be late for class. The uniform is not discrete, I agree, but that's no reason to…"
"No, no, my glasses, Sesshomaru! I don't have my glasses! Oh my god, I'm so screwed."
"There is no need for them."
"No need for them? Are you fucked in the head? Of course I need them, I've never been to school without them! I—" It was then that Sesshomaru's hand crawled behind his neck and rudely pulled his head towards his so that Inuyasha found himself looking straight into the president's golden irises.
And for only an instant, he felt fear.
Sesshomaru's penetrating gaze demanded two things: Shut up and listen.
"There is no need." He repeated again with emphasis, but then softened up to remind the boy, "You are now under my care, entailing you protection and freedom. Freedom to be you."
Inuyasha considered his words. "Oh…right. I guess you did say that." He smiled bitterly to himself.
Freedom to be himself. Hah, how wrong he was. How long had he yearned for such a thing? This wasn't freedom to be himself. It was freedom from hiding. But that meant nothing. Sure, he no longer needed to hide behind his persona, but Sesshomaru had taken its place. What was the point?
This was how things would always be. Nothing changed. Inuyasha would have given up everything to change. He had never hoped for something so much as he had last night, but who was he kidding? No matter what he did, what he sacrificed, what he denied… He would always be a coward.
Inuyasha was indiscreetly closing himself in again and this disturbed Sesshomaru greatly. He had never visually seen the transition before but having it happen in his presence was what irked him more than anything. But before he could interrogate the boy further, the driver announced their arrival to the academy and Inuyasha had quickly made himself scarce.
Likewise, moments later, Sesshomaru exited the car and entered the third year buildings, but try as he might, his thoughts never left Inuyasha and the lingering uneasiness inside his chest quickly grew into a storm. It was understandable then, that within minutes of the first break, Sesshomaru found himself already inside the second year building and heading towards Inuyasha's classroom.
What he didn't understand, however, was the scene in front of him when he entered the room.
He immediately noticed Inuyasha's trembling, virtually naked body curled in the corner of the room, his normally beautiful silver hair now messy and unrefined with a part of it vulgarly cut off with rusted scissors, his face bruised with a visible black eye and numerous bloody scratches, and god, his legs. His bruised and battered legs that had begun to heal this morning, but were now almost entirely covered in black and purple and all shades of blue.
Then finally, the tears. Or rather, the lack thereof. There was no evidence of tears whatsoever. Inuyasha was glaring fiercely into the guilty eyes of his ruthless attackers through the crack between his protectively raised arms and it was at this very moment… that Sesshomaru's heart broke.
A/N: Blargh. Again, please vote on the poll, and only if you want, leave me a review too. See ya.
