Chapter 11
Without a Scratch
Hours later, the warmth of the rising sun's slanted rays tickled the half breed's animal ears making them twitch. As hard as he tried to stay unconscious, Inuyasha's eyelids were forced open by a prying shaft of sunshine. Taking in a deep breath and letting out a heavy, jaw-parting yawn, the hanyou stretched his arms over his head until they trembled arching his back only to find that his body was still weighed down by another. Arching his neck to look down at the man still slumbering on his chest, Inuyasha couldn't help but give a weak smile before his lips parted in a second yawn. Idly as he let himself wake up, the mutt stroked his fingers through the other man's spun-gold tresses, letting the long, silken hair slide between his claws.
"Deeeei… hey kid, wake up….Mmmm come on kid." He rustled his partner's head softly, cocking his own to inspect the muscles slightly twitching over the ninja's face. "Come on, kid, I seriously gotta go….mmmmmm get up, you're heavy…"
"Nnnna… mmm…" the ninja groaned, still as asleep as he could be without being a vegetable. "Not now 'Tachi-kun… 's too early… we c'n sleep in un…" Deidara nuzzled the half demon's chest dreamily, making a sound like a rumbling purr before going totally limp again, never once having roused from his sleep.
A new fear shot its way and wrapped around the hanyou's one fuzzy heart. The thought of the hated enemy as any type of rival for the blonde's love… and even the thought of Deidara still considering the abusive bastard…
"Get up kid. Dei, it's morning, we got to get up." The mutt was more forceful this time, pressing on his partner's head to almost push him off. Hopefully awake the young man would realize his surroundings and forget his dream, or with any luck forget his nightmare.
"Nnnn sssssleep in, Tachi-kun, n I'll give you head in a minute. I'm…. uuuh I'm tirud…"
With reality slapping him in the face, Inuyasha rolled the other man from him, taking his hakama and quickly stepped into it, re-belting his obi as he paced furiously.
Groaning as he was suddenly dumped on the floor, Deidara rolled his head over to the side and gave a sound of distress and pain. Slowly his body followed until he way laying on his stomach on the cold, slightly damp cave floor, producing another aggravated hiss from between his teeth. Propping his front half up on his elbows, the ninja mashed the heel of his left hand into his tired eye to wipe away the sleep and hopefully give him a clearer vision of the morning. When finally he did raise his head and look away, he caught sight of Inuyasha and smiled at once, relaxing as the sudden feeling of urgency all but drained from him.
"Well good morning beautiful un. Did you sleep well?"
Inuyasha ignored him, taking up to cracking his knuckles.
"So… you planning on sticking around this time un? I don't mind getting breakfast this time, and maybe when I get back-"
"Are you going to come back? Cause it sure didn't sound like you wanted to be around here," Inuyasha spat.
The shinobi's eyes blinked absentmindedly a few times.
"Did… did I miss something, hmm? Because last time I checked we were together last night, and I told you I liked it. What's up with you un?"
"Just by the sound of it, it sounded like you were ready to be back in Itachi's arms, so sorry if I'm a bit confused!"
"Look, dude, you're crazy un," Deidara retorted, raising himself up onto his palms and giving the hanyou a look of exhausted annoyance. "How is it physically possible… no… how could it even be fathomable that while I told you that there were no regrets you somehow took it as 'this was fun but I want to go back to Itachi now' un? Are you out of your mind un?"
The silver-hair stopped and turned back to the other man, unexpectedly taking a knee in front of him and leaning in so close that Deidara wouldn't escape his words.
"… Every morning that you've talked in you sleep, you've always called me Itachi. Yesterday… I really didn't think of it, since we weren't there yet, but just now. Deidara, this is the second time you've called me Itachi. So if you hate him so much, why are you dreaming so much about him?" With that he rose with disgust, taking back to pacing near the mouth of the cave, appearing to consider leaving.
Deidara hung his head as if in total defeat, staring awestruck at the ground while his mind scrambled for the right words, anything to make the hanyou stay. He fisted his hands in his hair and pressed his forehead into the cold rock below, wishing that maybe if he ground his face hard enough into the stone it might undo time and take the whole morning back.
"Inuyasha… I can't ask you not to be angry or upset… but please, will you stay and let me try to explain un? I… god I can't let it all go like this un."
"What's there to explain? You aren't thinking about me… whatever. I'm leaving. I told you I'd stay, but… I can't do this. This 'loving someone who doesn't love you' thing… I've been through that already." He remembered back to his pursuit of his lost love after her death, finding only to be filled with vengeance and rage, and then nothing at all. "If you have weird feelings for him, then fine… just don't' ask me to…. To fix you. If I can't even fix myself…"
"It's not like that un!" Deidara finally lifted his head and shouted, the fear of his only companion, his… lover… walking out making him frustrated and angry. "It's all Itachi's damn fault to begin with! If you leave now, it will only get worse un!" Shuddering, the ninja pinned Inuyasha in a stare full of hurt and anger, a look that the half demon had never expected to see from the other man. "It's been going on for years! The abuse, the torture… look at me close enough and you can still see the scars… A little over a year ago I started having these dreams… these beautiful, wonderful dreams un, and in them, Itachi wasn't a monster. When I went to sleep, suddenly the world was nice, I didn't have to kill people, everything was at peace and Itachi was something that he could never be… he was good, and kind! This… this alternate reality my brain somehow started making was just enough to upset the… the brutal reality un… and… and I'm sorry if it isn't suddenly fixed when I find a lover who is good, and kind in real life un!"
That managed to stop the hanyou's heavy footsteps, but still in his torrent he could only lean against the cave wall, looking out into the open forest.
"I… I won't compete, kid… How can I compete with a dream?" Internally, Inuyasha was thinking about the young man's life, the years of abuse and how that could warp his mind. But for how long would he have to hold his hand and be by his side before he could love him? It was clear there was still a part of him that cared about the idea of Itachi, and what had the hanyou done? Only given up all he knew, all he was familiar and comfortable with to please this man. Turned his back on the woman who had been there and cared wither whole heart about him, even when he mistreated her… and he had just swept that to the side for a man that couldn't give his full heart to him.
"And I suppose you don't dream of Kagome then, hm?"
"… I don't dream. Not for a long time."
Deidara tensed up and bit his lip, greatly considering the clear dream Inuyasha had been whimpering about while he was unconscious as a weapon against the scathing remark… but that would only make them both angrier. He shook his head and swallowed the retort that wanted to come up from his throat, completely unable to call Inuyasha out and bite him back. Rolling slightly so that he could crouch instead of lying on his belly, the ninja perched himself on the balls of his feet, avoiding putting his weight on his still sore rear.
"I'm… I'm not going to argue with you Inuyasha… I can't… it won't get us anywhere or make anything right… it will only make things worse if we fight… it's just… you if anyone, you should know what it's like for the thought of losing someone to make you feel sick inside un..." The blonde man looked over his shoulder slightly but kept his body at a profile to Inuyasha's, giving the other man a stare full of an entirely different emotion: pitiful longing. "I… I don't want us to end like this un…"
"… And I don't want us to end. I think… I need time to think about stuff. I always mess stuff up if I don't think about things. We should get moving back to Kaede's, you spend the night with her, and maybe… maybe some time alone will fix things." Inuyasha looked back and sighed at the heartbroken tears collecting in his lover's eyes. "No, I'm not leaving you. I won't stop protecting you just because things are complicated. I just don't want to mess this all up because I've got a hot head, ok?"
Shaking his head as such to clear his mucked up thoughts, the younger man trembled for a moment before rising to his feet. Deidara wiped his forearm across his eyes to stay off the water and recreate his firm bravado if for no other reason than to show Inuyasha his stiff upper lip. He tried and failed miserably to laugh, making it appear more as if he was mocking his own expense as the ninja gathered up his clothing, piled up from the night before. There was a kind of awkward moment as Deidara filled the time in which he processed the other man's words with the simple, busy action of redressing himself.
"You know…" Deidara looked up briefly from picking up his netted dark grey shirt from the ground, "I really hope that one day you and I will be able to look back at now and laugh un…"
Inuyasha didn't respond, still watching outside their hideout until the sounds of the other dressing ceased. He felt something hit the back of his head, and the elder pulled his robe off over his head and threaded his arms through. Finally he was joined at the mouth of the grotto and he stepped out into the grass, leading them through the trees.
The day wore on in a thick silence, interrupted by their late brunch of the local game and a quick clean up in a pond. Through the thick of the trees, Inuyasha lead with a manageable pace with Deidara keeping a few feet behind. Every once in a while the shinobi wished to advance and talk, but the stoic, concentrative look warded him off. A few hours after, the beaten dirt of the road came into view, and the walk was given over to a flight, putting Dei into the responsibility of getting them to their destination. The whole ride was awkward, with the blonde's skill he was able to converse and interact with his partner without needing to cling to his sculpture, but Inu opted to use his nails as a brace, digging deep into the clay of their steed.
Nearly two hours had passed, containing only very brief exchanges of grudging and jaded words between the pair. All the silent passing of time made Deidara more and more desperate to drum up some sort of conversation with the other man if for nothing else, then for his own sanity and entertainment.
"So… think you'll ever tell me what's so special about the new moon un?" The young blonde was laying on his side, leaning his cheek against his palm, looking miserably bored as he tried to dig up whatever dialogue he could pry out of the other man.
"If I can help it, no. It's not something I'm proud about." Inuyasha had leaned back onto his hands by the base of the birds' tail.
"What… are you and addict or something un?"
"… not really, but sure. It's not something I can control, but I deal with it. I'm of no use to anyone during the new moon, so it's best if I'm off somewhere else."
Looking at the other man and nodding slowly as if he didn't understand but he was going to pretend like he did, Deidara made a quiet hum of agreement. There was more awkward quiet while the ninja mulled over the new information in an attempt to make heads or tails of it. Suddenly his bright, blue eyes widened and he crawled across the top of the clay creature on his elbows and belly approaching Inuyasha and spurring a confused look from the hanyou.
"Are… are you a werewolf un?" He hissed as if it was some enormous secret.
"… What the hell is that? A wolf demon? Hell no, I'm dog, remember… I fucking hate wolfs, mangy mongrels that drool and stink."
"No, it's… never mind un."
"Stop guessing, kid. If I wanted you to know, I'd tell you, now drop it!"
Taken aback, the shinobi flinched and backed away; he hadn't expected Inuyasha to snap at him like that and quite frankly, it hurt. He wasn't trying to pry, he didn't mind allowing Inuyasha his privacy however much he needed, the younger man had only wanted to break the painfully awkward silence between them.
"I'm sorry un… can we talk about something else then? Anything you want un."
Inuyasha sighed, leaning back until the raptors' tail rose to meet his back. He smiled at Deidara sympathetically.
"Alright… tell me more about you. What… what do you want me to know about you?"
"Like what… a life story un?"
"Whatever you want to tell me."
Taking in a deep breath, Deidara nodded to the other man and grunted quietly, wordlessly telling him he could agree to that.
"All right well… I guess I had a regularly normal childhood… well for a child in my time un… I studied how to be a ninja like dad for seven years from when I was five to when I turned twelve un… I guess I made a lot of stupid mistakes back then though… mostly having stolen that damn cursed scroll un… Maybe that was just the first in a long line of mistakes… it seems like that's all I've been able to do since my twelfth birthday is fuck everything up un…" It appeared as if he was about to leave it at that, including so many other things along with the list of mistakes, including things more recent. "But you know what's weird? I've found myself messing up a lot less since I met you un… I mean I'm still making some bad decisions like that fight with your brother and stuff… but… I'm making some good ones now too… like… well… you know all about the good decisions I've made… you were there after all un…"
"That sounds like a familiar story," the hanyou nodded. "Aren't we just a pair of failures? It is funny though."
"What's that un?'
"How tow failures get together and make everything better. The world's has a weird way of working… ah well. So did you have a brother or something?"
"No un… I was the only child my parents were able to have… I mean… well after I was born there was a complication… I never got the full story… but my mother wasn't able to have children after that un." Deidara hunched his shoulders and bowed his head, thinking about his own past wasn't his favorite thing to do, but at the very least he was glad Inuyasha was interested in his history. "My father wanted another son very badly, he wanted a prodigy to learn all of his advanced explosive fire jutsus and carry on his legacy un… So when my mother couldn't conceive again, I got blamed for it a lot un… But to answer your question; no… no brothers or sisters un."
"I can feel the whole 'prodigal son' thing, Dad's suck, right? That's why I don't think I'll be one."
"You never thought about being a father un?"
Inuyasha placed his hands behind his head and sealed his eyes shut.
"Not really. I mean when I was thinking of a life with Kagome, I figured she might talk to me about it eventually, but I hadn't really thought hard about it. I'm pretty messed up, and I'm afraid I'd mess the kid up, growing up with an old man like me."
With a smirk, the ninja snorted as an odd form of laughter, not quite mocking but still finding humor in the fact that Inuyasha considered himself to be old by any standards.
"You are not old un… I mean sure you would be really old by human standards, but you're not human… not entirely anyway un… No, you're not old, you're in the spring of youth and wise far beyond your years un… you just don't really give yourself credit where credit is due un." Deidara paused for a second, looking down and pinching a tiny bit of clay from his sculpture between his two index fingers. "And for the record… I don't think you'd make a bad father un… if you ever did have a kid, they'd look up to you so much, and if you are as kind with little ones as you have been with me, then there would be no problems un."
"Feh, then you don't know me that well. You're nice, but I'm a freak." Inu sat up and looked over the edge of their ride, watching clouds trickle by as the wings sliced into them. "I wouldn't want to mess up a kid with a freak of a father… not human, not demon. Trust me, living with it sucks, so I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I had to run for my life cause I couldn't protect myself, and now that I can, people are afraid of me. I mean sure, I've got great friends… but… never mind, I'm not going to whine to you. I already told you my sob story, and it's over and done with."
His brow furrowing, Deidara tilted his head to the side slightly as if he couldn't understand exactly what Inuyasha was talking about. Finally he shook his head, indicating that either he disagreed or simply couldn't make sense of the things his partner told him.
"I know you well enough, and anyone would be lucky to have you as a friend, let alone a father un. And besides, you may be a freak, but what's the matter with that? There are a lot worse things you could be un… you could be a monster… but you're not, and that's the beauty of it un."
"Ok, now I know we're not talking about me. Dei, when Itachi attacked me- my mind, it took over. This… rotted, nasty part of me took over, and I can't do anything about it! I can't control my body, and it's like… watching yourself run around and do these horrible things… But as long as I have Tetsusaiga, I'm fine. And if that wasn't bad enough-" but he suddenly cut himself off, blushing horribly and turning away before he let his other little secret out.
"But what un?"
"Nothing, just nothing- forget it."
"Oh... well you're not like that all the time un… I mean not to throw numbers around or anything but like… ninety-nine percent of the time, you're you, and you are a wonderful person, whether you believe it or not un. Sure, that other one percent of the time you might be a bloodthirsty demon, but in a way, everyone has their own inner demons, so you're really not as alone as you think un." The blonde leaned back on his side and sighed again looking at his companion with a look that begged to know what was going on inside of the hanyou's head.
"Yeah but regular people's demons don't kill random people… and innocent people. Other people have weird fears like fish or trees and stuff… but I'm sure they can keep control of themselves. Even if I'm not like that all the time… it doesn't make it better when I… come out of it, and everyone hate me and thinks I'm a monster… they are right. Spending my whole life doing good doesn't make up for a second of evil I've done."
"Well I suppose the only advice I can give you, is that if people can't see you for the good you do, then why do you care what they think in the first place un?" The younger man scratched behind his ear and glanced away as if to avoid the possibility of again locking eyes with Inuyasha. "At least you have done a lot of good in your long life un… in the twenty one years I've been alive, nine of them have been filled with senseless violence, needless killing… brutal murders… massacres… genocide… there was not a single good thing I did for the world between the day I graduated the ninja academe and the day I set foot in this time un… not a damn thing…"
Deidara looked down off the edge of the clay falcon as if contemplating how much more beautiful the world would be if he simply leapt off and rid the earth of another hardened criminal. "There are people who are a lot worse than you un, but you know something… I still try to make the most of life when those rare opportunities to make a bond with someone arise un… I'm a good person who does bad things un… but who I really am is not defined by the things I've done… and they shouldn't define who you are either un…"
The mutt couldn't help but peek on Deidara, seeing his own worries ignite the blonde's worries. Inuyasha huffed as he sat up, catching his attention from the scene below.
"Well, here's what I see… you may have done bad things in your time… but now you're here, and it's like a fresh start for you. You told me that in your group you had to do bad shit so that they didn't kill you, so I kinda think it doesn't count. I say you shouldn't even think about all that past stuff. You're here now, and you can be as good as you want. I can deal with the world not particularly liking me; I've done it so far. But you're a good person, and you've got a great life ahead of you, so don't worry about all this stuff, ok?" The hanyou did manage to snag his partner's eyes and hold them in a gentle stare. "Please?"
Grunting and closing his eyes for a moment to stay off any reaction to the soft look Inuyasha was giving him, the blonde nodded. He turned his chin down so he could look at the empty space in between them rather than at the man himself.
"I suppose it is a new beginning for me… but as long as you're around, I'll be just fine un." The ninja tried once to glance up at his partner but when their eyes locked again, his face grew hot and he had to avert his eyes once again.
Inuyasha's heart pumped hard in his chest, catching the stream of the younger man's scent bowing into his direction into his sinuses. He waited for several minutes, analyzing his scent until the shinobi's body demanded he reposition. Deidara swung his leg over and straddled the bird's neck, letting his feet dangle freely on either side. Clawing the clay mount, Inuyasha quietly crawled up to just behind his lover, and with great stealth wrapped his arms around Deidara's waist until they fully encompassed him. The ninja jumped for a moment, but with Inuyasha's face peeking out over his shoulder he couldn't help be chuckle shyly.
"Hey," they younger man cooed, the proximity of the two reducing the volume he needed to use to be heard over the wind rushing past. "I… I know you have a lot to think about un… I mean… I know it's a big decision you're going to be mulling over tonight… and I just wanted to ask you to really… and I mean really really consider me un…" The ninja gave his comrade a gentle smile and rested the ridge of his brow against Inuyasha's at an angle looking him in the eyes.
"You don't have to worry about that." The elder man nuzzled Deidara, bringing his nose to poke at the blonde's neck, shielding his face from the wind. With a simple touch the butterflies between them burst into their animated clouds, that playground love sparked if only until they reached the old miko's village and separated for the night.
All around the sky above was painted with a marvelous gradient from soft peach to deep violet as Deidara stood by the doorway to Kaede's hut. Inuyasha was just on his way out, but the other man refused to let him disappear for the night without at the very least saying 'good bye'. The shinobi squeezed one of his partner's hands in both of his own as if reluctant to allow him to leave.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright alone tonight un? I mean I doubt another attack from Itachi so soon after the last, but still… you're sure you'll be okay un?"
The dog demon sighed heavily, but ran a hand over Deidara's head, tipping his chin before retracting his hand.
"I've been alive almost 90 years and most of it was spent alone, I think I'll be ok. Do me a favor and don't leave. I don't think he'll come looking here. I'll be back for you in the morning."
"Don't worry about me, I'm not going anywhere un." He lowered his eyes for a moment, finding that more and more he was hating the idea of Inuyasha leaving, even if he would return in the morning. "Are you sure there's nothing I can say that would make you stay here un?"
"I'll be back before you know it, kid. Just drink tea with the old hag and sleep in, and I'll be there when you wake up. Now head inside and get some dinner. Smells almost done."
"Can you stay to eat with us hm?"
"Nah, I can feed myself. Go inside now, Dei," Inuyasha spoke softly. Before either could process the motion, Inu had dipped forward and planted a soft peck just below the golden hairline, signaling it as he farewell before he ventured out into the twilight.
The younger man stood on the priestess's stoop, at a total loss for words as he watched Inuyasha leaving; it made his heart sink. His brow furrowed and he couldn't help himself but cup his hands around his mouth and call after the other man before he vanished into the forest.
"Be careful Inuyasha un!" The hanyou turned to look over his shoulder and waved one hand in the air in a friendly farewell.
"Don't worry kid, I'll be back before you know it, not a scratch on me." And with that, the elder man disappeared into the thickness of the wild woods.
Inuyasha took off as soon as he lost sight of the glow form the village, plunging into the forest to find a cozy spot he could hide out for the night. Already he could feel the effects of the vanished moon working against his body. Raising his hand to brush away a limb, he spotted his claws fading into human nails, and with his clenched jaw his teeth were losing their natural length. He stumbled through the brush as his night vision was spent, and he eventually came crashing down into a lump of roots. Inu hit his cheek hard, a sliver of blood already collecting to drip to his chin.
"Shit! Ssss," he hissed, bringing his nimble finger to press against the cut. Well so much for no scratches on him. As he picked himself up, the hanyou hoped with his returned strength in the morning that the cut would heal over.
As time drug on, the hanyou lost track of time and ultimately collapsed at the remains of a fallen oak, leaning himself back to rest. As if he was unconvinced by his aching feet and haggard breath, he grabbed a strand of his hair and brought it close to his eyes, the light almost too dim to see. The hair was jet black, having lost all of their brilliant white hues, and he grumbled.
"… This sucks. Fucking new moon…. Come on sun… get up already." Interrupting his rant, the man's abdomen screeched at him, carving a dull pain through his torso. He hadn't had the chance to catch anything, too worried of putting distance between him and his new lover and fearing the thought of camping in the open. In this state he knew he could be easily picked off by a large group of lesser demons or one upper level. Or Itachi for that matter.
Back in the safety of Kaede's homey cottage, the priestess and her two guests all sat around the central fire pit and shared a pot of thick noodle soup. Myoga had rejoined the two men at the elderly miko's house having predicted that Inuyasha would return there before leaving for that night. He had been able to steal a few words with the half demon in private, but the vast majority of the hanyou's time before he left was spent by Deidara's side.
Now the remaining three slurped on Kaede's deliciously prepared supper and made idle conversation, waiting for tiredness to set in and for bedtime to be declared.
"So this Itachi man is powerful in your time? But does his attack in which we saw him use last drain his energy, or can he summon this 'Tsukuyomi' attack at random?" the flea demon said through his slurps of broth.
"No, it takes a lot of chakra for him to perform it, and it's only drawn from his left eye un. It is a difficult jutsu to perform, but I've only seen Inuyasha break out of it. With Itachi, he's normally faced with one opponent, and watching him I'm assuming he's too focused on the jutsu to defend. We'll have to see the next time we run into him un."
"I see. So you do intend to fight this man again? Will he leave if defeated?"
"I wouldn't guess so un. It's not the way he works I guess… Still I'd prefer not to kill him if at all possible, but it will be whatever Inuyasha and I can work out best in the scenario. I guess we don't have a real formal plan un… just worst comes to worst… yeah, we'll have to kill him un…" As in to avoid discussing Itachi any longer, Deidara lifted a large bundle of noodles to his mouth and slowly began to slurp them, taking as much time as he could to down the food. Of course as soon as he had swallowed, Myoga's questions persisted.
"So I have seen you getting… close to Master Inuyasha, and I believe I have misinterpreted you actions towards him." The flea moved to find a higher perch, settling for a nearby box of herbs the old woman had forgotten earlier that day. "You see, in this time you're actions could be considered, and I hope you are not offended, but seen as… flirtatious. Surely I am mistaken, but trying to raise the subject with Master Inuyasha is near impossible."
Pursing his lips and furrowing his brow, Deidara gave the tiny demon an indignant snort, contemplating simply going back to eating without dignifying him with a response. His pride having gotten the better of him, the blonde man decided to set Myoga straight now and deal with Inuyasha about it later.
"Yeah, and what's so wrong with that un?" Raising another few strings of noodles to his lips, the ninja blew the steam from them before adding a quick "I like him in such a way un," before again filling his mouth.
"What is wrong with that, Master Deidara, is that it is ill-advised to partake in such a… distasteful display. Maybe in a few decades you could conduct yourself in such an abnormal manner but-"
"Now wait a minute un, I-" Deidara began to retaliate, but before either male could speak, the old woman rose her hand and stopped the fight in its tracks.
"Enough! Myoga, I would advise you treat my guest with the respect he deserves or I will ask you to leave. There is no need to talk like that to such a man that has lived through what I have heard." The tiny demon grumbled and folded his four arms, but did grow silent with a heavy glare from Kaede's one good eye. "Now, Deidara-sama, although I do not agree in the manner in which he is addressing this issue, I must tell you that what he says is in fact correct."
His azure eyes constricted, having thought the female to be on his side.
"Now, my friend, it is a sad thing that the world is such a closed-minded place. In our lands, we have traditions that most humans hold near and dear, living in a world of uncertainty and fear that they will not see the next day. Change has always been a struggle, even reaching back further in time. Now I have lived fairly long, and not many things surprise me anymore. Your love towards your own kind, I'll admit I haven't commonly seen, but love is a thing not often obtained and is to be treasured and protected wherever you find it."
"That may be all well and good, my good lady, but living between the world of humans and demons isn't the easiest thing, you know," Myoga piped up. "Master Inuyasha has had to struggle his whole life, fighting off both kinds that wish to see him dead. But now that he has become his strongest with his father's sword at his side, he can pass through places with little opposition. He mostly keeps to himself, and with the good he is doing for humans, is starting to get a good reputation. But you see, with something like this setting him off from the rest, I believe that it will tarnish his reputation to a point that he will be targeted once more for being so different. First and foremost, I serve Master Inu no Tashio's wishes and will protect Master Inuyasha how I can, and that is to keep his good name safe."
"So having relations with Inuyasha would be detrimental to his good name un? Shouldn't his name be defined by the deeds that he does and not who he shares his love with un?" Deidara narrowed his eyes at the little demon, his mouth twisting to the side and his nose scrunching in distaste. "Boy, talk about closed-minded un. Why don't you let Inuyasha decide who he wants to be with un?" With a grunt of irritation, the blonde set aside his bowl of soup, laying his chopsticks across the top and pressing the palms of his hands into his knees in an assertive stance. "I say, as long as he is happy, what does it matter who he wants to make love with un?"
"In a perfect world, Deidara-sama, that would be enough. But in a situation as Inuyasha is forced into, it is to his own discretion how he presents himself to the world. I do agree that such an image will not be greeted with open arms and smiles, but I say if he is willing to handle that burden, it is his choice." With her opinion spoken, the old woman folded her hands together, her eyes drooping with fatigue.
The flea however was long from letting the argument rest.
"Inu no Tashio wanted what was best for his sons, and with Lord Sesshōmaru's pedigree, he is respected by demons and avoided by humans. Unfortunately, Master Inuyasha does not get that luxury. So if you think imposing this lifestyle on him won't make his life any harder, you are insane."
Deidara ground every tooth in his body, a habit he had taken to many years ago to burn off his hot temper, though it rarely did more than give him a moment to plot his next attack.
"First off, I'm not imposing any lifestyle on him, we both expressed a mutual desire for each other's companionship and shared happiness, passion and lust reciprocally… I never have forced any deviation on him, if he loves me, then it is by his choice un, not my doing… And secondly, please let me see if I have you entirely understood un. You tell me that you would much prefer that Inuyasha chose the opinions of total strangers over the prospect of eternal companionship un? How do you think he would react to your take on our romance un?" The ninja leaned forward, narrowing his eyes until he had the tiny flee trapped in his glare and his nose was nearly touching that of Myoga. "Do you really think he would see this conversation as your attempt at protecting his reputation, or would he see you going behind his back to try and chase off his mate of whom you disapprove un?"
"You aren't understanding me. It is not my opinion of you that I am expressing… it is his father's. I am a man of very small stature, as you can see, but before the great lord met his demise, he entrusted me to look out for his youngest son so that he could survive in a world, in a society, that would cast him aside to the demons, who would in turn eat him alive. Now that he is able to stand up against opposing demonic forces with help from his father, it is now time for him to learn how to survive in society, whether that is in the light as a hero or in the shadows as an unknown. But with such a thing, an act discouraged by our culture simply holds him back and in fact puts him into danger. If you truly love him, then you might consider the world he lives in and the possible, if not probable chance that by being this open will put him into harm's way. Now to my understanding, and correct me if I'm wrong, but do lovers intentionally put their loved ones in harm's way?"
"Of course they don't," Deidara grunted, leaning back and separating himself from the glaring contest he'd been having with the miniscule demon if only to relieve himself from going cross-eyed staring at the bug. "But you know what lovers do? They try to make it work un. Are you saying that the risk is so great that a love between he and I isn't worth endeavoring un? Are you saying that the pros are so outweighed by the cons that it would simply be more beneficial to us to not pursue a happy future together un?"
The ninja shook his blonde mop of hair solemnly, bowing his head and humming disapprovingly in his throat. "I say that there is no such distinction un. There is no risk too great that justifies a potential romance to be snuffed out before it is given a chance to thrive un. What do you know of me, Myoga-san? Only that I am a stranger and that I am a male… you know nothing of what I am… what I could be for Inuyasha un. Have you ever thought, that perhaps one day I save his life, where would your logic be then un? Perhaps one day… he and I are a family… with an adopted child between us… could you really, honestly believe that the risk outweighs that future un? Could you take that option away from Inuyasha in good conscious un?"
"Alright… but what if Itachi kills him? Or what some other comes and kills him for his relationship with you? Would it be worth it then?"
"If we're playing 'what if' then what if Itachi or someone else kills me for having relations with him? Is Inuyasha then to blame for having entered into the eternal contract only for it to go sour with early death un? It is an unjust lie to say that in sharing myself with Inuyasha that I am not at risk as well, even more so than any regular man because of my foreign status and my less-than-human appearance un. Of course if Inuyasha died by any fault of mine, where perhaps I could have done differently and spared him, then I would never forgive myself un…"
Deidara suddenly looked up, locking Myoga in a strong, determined stare as if preparing for a physical altercation to arise. "But if we are discussing reality, then I can assure you that I will not let anything of the sort happen to Inuyasha while there is still breath in my body un!"
Across the room a satisfied smile creased Kaede's worn face, the affirmed words reassuring her confidence in his intentions. But still the tiny demon was unsatisfied; not believing his logic was being opposed by such a young human.
"Who are you to place yourself beside Master Inuyasha?"
"I love him un."
"No! I mean how are you to talk as if you have any idea how his life is! As if you could possibly understand what burdens being part demon can be placed on his shoulders. Why do you think he is gone this night! Do you think he wants to lose his powers for a whole night?"
Suddenly the room became frozen, the statement sending all of them into alert.
"What… w-what are you talking about un," Deidara stumbled as he crawled to hover directly in Myoga's teeny face.
"Did he not tell you? During the new moon Master Inuyasha loses his demon powers and is forced to be human. Now for someone like you, it's no big deal, but to a man that has relied on his god given gifts to defend himself and has them stolen away is a nightmare. He is powerless to save himself, let alone others. That is why he seeks seclusion."
Something inside the young ninja's mind snapped and he suddenly snatched the flea up in his powerful grasp and leapt to his feet, bringing Myoga so close to his face that he nearly couldn't see the demon.
"Why the fuck didn't you tell me that before un?" he shouted, shaking the poor little bug in his fist. "Do you know who the hell is after him un? Do you realize the DANGER he's in right now out there ALONE even WITH demonic powers un? Itachi WILL kill him!" Furiously, Deidara hurled the insect yokai with blatant disregard for injuring the little demon. "You're a damned stupid old coward un! I'm going to go find Inuyasha un!" With that, the ninja's cloak was over his shoulders and he was throwing the cloth screen out of Kaede's doorway.
Before the bug hit the floor, Kaede showed she still had a bit of pep still in her, holding her hand out to catch the frantic thing. She gently placed him on her shoulder before rising to follow. Deidara was almost out of sight when she called to him.
"Wait, Deidara-sama, we shall follow!"
"No time un," he cast over his shoulder as he plunged into the night. Somewhere out in the thick of it a glimmer of chakra activity caught him, and digging his toes in the shinobi flew to meet it.
Moving swifter that the wind itself, the shinobi flew through the forest on skill and intuition. Though his vision was failing in the near pitch blackness of the moonless night, he somehow managed to find the high-road through the woods. Leaping through the trees with more skill than the beasts that make their homes in the canopy, his eyes combed the forest floor in search of the hiding half demon. The blackness of the ninja's coat made him almost completely invisible against the dark background of the night behind him.
Following what trail he could detect through the thick underbrush, he followed the tiny signs of a passerby hopefully to find Inuyasha before anyone else could reach him. Suddenly, his eyes caught a tiny blob or red lying amongst the gnarled remains of a fallen tree and he froze on his perch above. Squinting his eyes, he could just make out the shape of a man wearing robes identical to Inuyasha's; the main difference was that this man lacked all of the imposing, animalistic qualities. He was utterly human. Breathing a sigh of relief that he'd made it to the other man before something else could get to him, the ninja dropped to the forest floor just before the moon-afflicted hanyou.
Instantly the newly turned human shrunk back, his instincts driving him to scramble behind the fallen log. He hoped and prayed it to have been a lesser demon with the brain the size of a pea and hopefully by holding his breath he'd avoid detection. But as footsteps neared him, he cursed and looked around him, grabbing the hilt of his worn sword. Even without the power of its demon form he could at the least beat off whoever had found him.
Looking up just a little, Inuyasha found a pair of familiar feet before him and suddenly the fearful fluttering of his heart calmed. He would recognize the strange, futuristic sandals and strange socks anywhere. Feeling the wave of relief wash over him quickly faded and the hanyou felt the need to tell Deidara to leave before he drew attention to them both and got them eaten. Why had he gone against his word? He'd said he would stay put. He lifted his head and frowned at the figure of the ninja standing before him and hissed in a voice so as to not alert the local demon population.
"Deidara, what are you doing here? You promised you'd stay with Kaede tonight!"
"Deidara eh?" Ice ran through Inuyasha's veins and his stomach sank down below his belt. That was not the voice of his lover. "Not I… but I thank you for telling me where he is hiding. I'll be sure to collect him when I'm through with you."
There and then Inuyasha's heart broke, knowing all that awaited him was an early grave. And to make it worse, he'd sealed his lover's fate along with his. All he could do now was try to prolong his demise. He kicked hard against the dying wood and propelled himself out to the brush, futilely trying to escape immediate torture. But as he cleared a tangle of brush, his face was met with a sandal, his teeth rattling in his mouth and spilling a great gob of blood.
As Inuyasha went sprawling, he felt fingers wrap around his ankle, the skin where Itachi grabbed burning as if it had been licked by flames. The ninja suddenly jerked him sideways, throwing him through the air and sending him crashing into the ground and rolling sideways. As the raven-haired half demon found his bearing and tried again to scramble away, Itachi's heel dug deeply into his back, grinding in between his shoulder blades and drawing out a howl of pain.
As Itachi continued, he reached down a seized a knot of raven hair, yanking the weaker man's head back. He stepped off and drug his victim by his hair, making the hanyou's body twist and scramble to try to turn with the pull, gripping hard to the base of his roots and grumbling in pain. The shinobi forced Inuyasha to his feet, choking him with his iron grip and ramming him into the trunk of his hiding spot. A dribble of blood oozed out of Inuyasha's mouth, and as Itachi's hand clenched tighter, he gritted his bloody teeth. Before he could blink, a series of lightning blows struck his chest and face, almost making him black out.
The enemy ninja slammed his victim against the fallen tree, compressing his windpipe against the molded wood until he struggled and gasped desperately for breath. Inuyasha scrambled against the log, wishing he had his claws back if for no reason more than to scramble away from his attacker. His human nails scraped across the tree and only managed to grind splinters into his soft skin and wear the ends of his fingers raw. Above him, Itachi only smirked, enjoying his position of power over the man who had made himself such a nuisance in the past few days. He leaned in with a cunning smile to the transmogrified half demon's ear.
"You are a lucky beast. I have decided to spare your life, take your breath of relief now… I have decided to spare your life so that you may know for the rest of your days ho miserably you failed to keep Deidara from me." The shinobi grinned cruelly and ground the hanyou's soft neck into the fallen trunk. "But, transgressions don't go unpunished, my little cur, and I'm afraid you will have to pay for them. You have looked upon and lain with the man whose body is my property, and such a thing will cost you an arm and a leg… oh don't worry… I don't mean that as a term-of-phrase…"
Inuyasha took in what moist breaths he could, trying his childhood trick of vacating his body, wandering to somewhere else until his beating was over. If he survived until the morning, he knew there would be a hell of a fight waiting for Itachi. Inuyasha closed his eyes and waited, only for them to be forced open with the Uchiha's next cruelty.
There was a sickening low crunch, like the sound of a large tree limb being shattered under the weight of an occupant far too heavy to be supported. Inuyasha tried to scream, not managing to make a sound as Itachi compressed his throat further. The shriek of agony burned in his throat, and without his voice for the pain to escape through, tears flooded the hanyou's eyes and streamed down his cheeks. Itachi had shifted just slightly and with some stolen technique acquired through the Uchiha's bloodline trait had barely touched the log with his right palm and the dead wood had suddenly sprung to life. The trunk had erupted violently, growing a clutch of thick branches which wrapped around Inuyasha's right forearm and constricted until the bone snapped. Once the ulna and radius had been broken, the pressure of the sudden growth eased until the branches merely served to hold the limb in place, allowing hot blood to seep through the crevices between branches.
Paying no heed to the tears streaking down his victim's face, Itachi continued without a word, keeping the other man's neck buried against the collapse tree. There was a momentary pause during which the suffering subsided and Inuyasha found the ability to whimper in miserable fear only hoping that his attacker would be finished with him soon.
Again the shinobi shifted his weight overtop of Inuyasha, increasing the pressure on the half demon's throat to drown out any outcries that might rise up just before he enacted a second stolen jutsu. Beneath the pair, the ground shifted, almost as if the earth below was all one living being. All the tiny particles of stone and earth that made up the sand underfoot gathered together like an enormous cocoon around the hanyou's right shin, compressing until like the bones in his arm had done, the leg too snapped under the pressure. Again the sounds of sheer pain were strangled out by Itachi's firm grip, lending still more saline to pour from Inuyasha's tear ducts and slide down his cheeks.
Unlike the branches, which didn't retract, the destructive sand fell away, leaving the crushed leg lying on a pile of silt and sticky, crimson blood. Finally the pressure on the tortured half breed was released, and he immediately gasped desperately to fill his agonized lungs. Itachi merely took a few paces back to admire his handiwork for a few moments before nodding with satisfaction at the broken man before him.
"Inuyasha, your debt to me has been repaid. I'm taking Deidara back where he belongs. If you follow me, I will kill you." With nothing more, the Uchiha seemed to dissolve into the blackness of the night.
Left like a carcass after the slaughter, Inuyasha crumbled against the dead log and howled through the blood still bubbling in his mouth. As his body went slack, his arm readjusted and radiated stabs though his whole right side. His body seized and it made him lose balance. He fell onto his left side, his broken arm and leg relocating to stick in sickening positions. Whatever bile had collected in his stomach cam spewing up, making him choke out onto the dark grass. Inuyasha had long forgotten his pride, whimpering and sobbing in the dirt with agonizing throbbing covering him like a Satan's blanket.
Elsewhere in the forest, Deidara was dashing blindly through the trees, pushing himself past his physical limits to the point where his every muscle screamed in protest. But the young shinobi's heart was screaming louder, so harder and harder he pushed himself. Suddenly his nerves were assaulted with the sharp pang of chakra being used nearly a mile ahead. With his breath heaving desperately in his chest, the blonde shouted at the top of his lungs to overcome the burning in his muscles and force himself still further towards his lover.
The blonde pressed on until the hot spot died away, making him fling himself harder into the unknown scene. The drop in power level meant that whatever Itachi had been battling against, he had finished with. With his mind on the thought of his weakened lover beaten or worse, he didn't concentrate of the dwindling power source, which was closing in on him to his left. Too late did the blonde feel his ex-lover's presence as Itachi came crashing in, blasting him to the ground. The dirt rolled up around Deidara, leaving him in a crater for Itachi to pounce upon.
"My little kintori-kun, how I've missed you," the raven hair sneered, taking up his property by a wad of his gold hair.
Before thinking anything else, the younger ninja lashed out with a yelp, scraping his fingernails across the other man's cheek and leaving three distinct scratches across the Uchiha's plaid jaw. There wasn't but a split second for the raven-haired man to feel the pain before he released his fistful of Deidara's hair. Instead the Uchiha took a firm hold of Deidara's jaw and held it while his opposite fist gave the bomber's mouth a powerful blow. The blonde only made a quiet sound of protest as he spat out a gob of blood that welled up from a molar that had been made very loose by the punch.
"Now why do you want to go and anger me? Do you like me to beat you, Deidara? I'd much rather you apologize and we go home. I'm sick of beating on these simpletons… you know I'm only doing this to bring you home with me. Be a good pet and come quietly."
His answer was a nice, goopy wad of his lover's blood spat directly into his left eye.
"I see. Well then I'll just have to teach you another lesson when we get back." With that he again knocked his fist repeatedly into the blonde's face, loosening another tooth and almost breaking his nose.
With the sticky mess of scarlet blood streaming down his face from his nose and past his lips, Deidara groaned but still refused to concede to the will of his aggressor. Even when he was delivered powerful, chakra-infused punches to his gut and even his groin, the blonde man still would not let himself be taken. After minutes of brutal assault that dragged on for what felt like hours, Itachi's narrow filament of patience finally burned out. Taking a hold of Deidara's head, though not without struggle, in both of his hands, the Uchiha slammed his fellow ninja's skull against the ground until he went limp and lost consciousness.
Looking over the unconscious man's face, the older man sighed heavily.
"What a waste. I always did love your face. Ah well, bruises will heal, scraps will mend, and if I have to chain you up for the rest of your life, then I will. I won't let you go, my kintori. I love you too much. See all the blood I've spilt to get you back to me? You need to learn to appreciate things, Deidara…" When he received no answer from his comatose lover, the smallest of grins slide across his mouth. "Oh well, I'll teach you when we're home." With that, he scooped up his prize, letting him drip blood all over his cloak as the assassin made his way through the foreign land towards their true time period.