Warning(s): Slight rape

Inuyasha was about ready to slap the youkai—he didn't know how else to get him to wake up. Everything he'd tried—the shaking, the prodding, the calling out to him—nothing worked. But then, Sesshomaru had gone deathly still beneath him. "...Sesshomaru?" Was he waking up now?

The hanyou leaned down, his brother was shaking and he didn't know wh—a strong, unyielding arm curled around him and before he realized what had happened, he was pressed against his brother's chest. "Wha—" This close to the youkai, Inuyasha felt the shallow, unsteady breaths the youkai was taking and the way his body was wracked with tremors. "Sesshomaru?" Looking up as much as he could, the hanyou saw twitching marked eyelids. How was he still asleep?

Worried—no, confused, Inuyasha dropped his face back down. Looking at the lord wouldn't wake him up after all. With his forehead resting near the base of the lord's throat, he noticed that his brother's kimono was spread and—the mark. That's it. The hanyou wiggled his hand up to Sesshomaru's chest and pressed his fingers into the mark. There was hardly a reaction. Growling to himself as the grip on his torso tightened, Inuyasha closed his eyes and shifted as much as he could with Sesshomaru's death grip on him. Mouth hovering over the mark for a moment, Inuyasha let out a breath before pressing his lips and tongue to it.

Sesshomaru snarled lightly and tightened his grip. After what had just happened to Inuyasha, the stimulation of his mating mark had to have been impossible. And yet, he could feel it. The touch of its bestower. The youkai made a sound that was the closest thing to a whine he had ever uttered aloud, tightening his body in confusion. His claws fisted in...something. After a few moments though, his body began to instinctually relax. The pressure on his body was his mate, it had to be. His instincts could not be wrong. His nose and lips found something which soon his tongue darted out to taste.

Inuyasha froze when his brother growled and claws tangled in his hair. He doubted the youkai would be impressed to wake up from a nightmare like this.. He started to pull back, but then the lord relaxed and something warm touched his ea—his brother's tongue. In his ear. The hanyou shuddered, nipping at the mating mark—the flesh most available to his own mouth. "Stop—" His ears fluttered and twitched, trying to get away from the lord's tongue, but they always flicked back toward it. And, worst of all, Inuyasha didn't completely hate the feeling. Unsettled, the hanyou shook his head and pushed himself up, away from the lord.

Sesshomaru made a small, distressed growl of protest. He'd finally had what he'd been searching for and again, it was already leaving. He extended his hand blindly and grasped whatever was in his reach.

Pausing, the hanyou slowly lifted his own hand to the one curled around the back of his neck. He pried the fingers out of his hair, ready to leave the lord alone. But he hesitated. His brother was obviously still not with it; Inuyasha could practically smell the lord's distress. Swallowing heavily, he dropped Sesshomaru's hand. 'Contact with you is not always displeasing.' His brother had told him that... Now he had to bank on it. The hanyou lowered himself back onto the lord's chest, body tense.

Sesshomaru sighed through his nose and relaxed where he lay, shifting to allow as much of the warm body as possible. He held it close, not willing to let it escape. Soon, his nose found its way into Inuyasha's hair.

Inuyasha let out the breath he'd been holding. The youkai seemed better now. Maybe, he could go back to the pile of straw once the lord was completely back to sleep... But as he lifted one hand and used his fingers to massage the mark he'd given his brother, his own mark seemed to hum. Contentment was spreading through him in a fuzzy wave and his eyelids felt heavy. This was what he wanted right? To have his brother close while he slept... Eyes closing, the hanyou shook his head, managing only in rubbing his cheek against the lord's chest, and told himself he'd get up in a minute and go back to the straw.

When Sesshomaru opened his eyes, it was before dawn. It was the same time he had often risen but he did not want to get up. He did not want to move from this spot though his backside was a little numb from sleeping directly on the wooden floor. His hand moved to rub the sleep from his eyes but it was tangled in hair. Hair that did not belong to him. Sesshomaru blinked groggily and tilted his head to glance down at himself, catching sight of an ashen head, topped by two tufted ears, making a pillow of his chest. A clawed hand—also not belonging to him—was tucked into his kimono and resting atop his marked flesh. That certainly explained his relaxed state.

What was Inuyasha doing there? They had fallen asleep in separate places. And Sesshomaru was sure he would have sensed it if Inuyasha's youkai had emerged in the middle of the night...

The youkai slipped his hand out of Inuyasha's hair and ran his claws through it, absently trying to untangle it some. After removing the rat's nest his hand had created, Sesshomaru touched the hanyou's face lightly with the pad of his finger. Inuyasha's mouth twitched. *Honestly...* What was he doing?

Inuyasha had his knees on either side of the youkai's thighs. And his other hand, he found, was in turn tangled into Sesshomaru's hair. Also, they were both wrapped loosely in Sesshomaru's length of fur. And the hanyou was just so warm, how could anything be this warm? Perhaps he was sick. Why else would he not have woken up after sleeping on Sesshomaru, and after being prodded? Sesshomaru moved his hand to brush away the hanyou's bangs and to slide gently over the skin beneath. He did not seem feverish...

Slowly, Inuyasha felt himself being pulled out of his slumber by gentle touches, though he was not quite ready to wake. He was warm and comfortable, after all. But at a light pressure on his forehead, the hanyou sleepily opened his eyes, confused as to why his face kept being touched.

The events of the previous night came back to him in a rush and he sat up too quickly, making his head spin. Blinking away the sudden dizziness, Inuyasha used his hand on the lord's chest to steady himself as he looked down at his brother. The lord's eyes were open, but the hanyou still didn't know if he'd gone back to normal. "...Are you okay?"

Sesshomaru blinked. His hand, no longer touching the hanyou's forehead, remained suspended in the air for a laggard moment. "...What?"

Inuyasha frowned. "You... Don't rememb—well, I guess you were kinda asleep..."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, ignoring the fact that his brother was still on top of him. "What is it I am supposed to remember?"

"Oh, uh... You were freaking out—a nightmare or something. I tried wakin' ya up, but nothing worked. Then.." Inuyasha hesitated and scratched his ear, remembering his brother's tongue on it. "Um, you kinda.. Grabbed me. But ya calmed down—so.. I just stayed here.."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened minutely before he turned his head away. He could not remember... Wait. He recalled a flash of something—blood. The face of his mother. The dead face of someone else... He nearly growled. It was so difficult to remember what he dreamt most of the time. When he did remember, the images were cryptic. Whether he remembered or not, he could normally tell when he'd experienced a nightmare. It left him feeling generally unwell and drained. The presence of the hanyou seemed to subdue the impact.

This was the second time the hanyou had witnessed one of his nightmares. Unacceptable. "You...attempted to rouse me?"

"Well... Yeah." Inuyasha gave a light shrug, fingers unknowingly picking at his brother's kimono. "I thought.. You were lookin' pretty bad—I didn't know what else to do. 'Sides... Not like I could sleep with all the noise you were makin'.."

With thinned lips, Sesshomaru returned his gaze to the hanyou, eventually resigning himself. It could do no harm now. "When I was young...I was plagued with harrowing sleep terrors. At times, they would keep me locked within my own mind for days. They were hazardous to my health because it was nearly impossible for an outside force to pull me from them. I was never permitted to stay outside the palace, or even outside of my chambers beyond sunset. My chambers were specifically chosen to be in a secluded part of the palace. If I were to accidentally fall asleep where they could see or hear me, they would know my weakness," he said with a touch of feigned horror. "My mother did whatever she could to veil it. She could not understand why, with my expert control, I was unable silence myself in my sleep. I was not permitted to indulge in Isami's potions when they could have helped me. I was to overcome my burdens on my own. With age, they became scarce and less blatant. But it seems...they are returning." Sesshomaru closed his eyes, disturbed. If they were indeed returning, this could hurt their chances of ever achieving what they'd set out to do. "You are now the third with official knowledge of this. I believe...it is within your rights to know."

Coming from Sesshomaru, such a telling admission was startling and Inuyasha frowned in confusion. Why did the youkai suddenly think his hanyou brother had the rights to know anything? He'd never said something like that before—it had always been comments about how wretched and ignorant the hanyou was. Inuyasha swallowed heavily. The lord had claimed that something changed between them, now the hanyou was left wondering if that was true and to what extent their relationship may have shifted.

Refocusing on the subject at hand, Inuyasha looked back down at his brother. To have had his entire childhood plagued by nightmares... The hanyou didn't want to think about. He knew what it was like to have them. He never remembered anything once he woke up—sometimes even the previous day was gone from his memory. The feelings from the nightmares would linger though; anger, fear, sadness, pain—always pain. Those moments when he would wake up, the images in his mind disappearing as a wave of emotions crashed over him in the blankness of the night.. Those were the moments he never forgot; when he woke up terrified, sometimes even crying but never knowing why. In his eyes, Sesshomaru was lucky. It seemed the youkai remembered nothing at all—not even whatever he was feeling last night. "Well... This was only the second one, right? Maybe they're just random.."

Sesshomaru nodded slowly, absently toying with a lock of the hanyou's hair. "Perhaps."

An ear flicked as he watched pale fingers twist and stroke through his hair. Inuyasha came to the sudden realization that he was still on top of his brother, legs spread slightly as he straddled the lord. With a sharp intake of breath and a rush of blood to his cheeks, the hanyou stood rather abruptly. He nearly stumbled as he made his way to his haori and hastily jerked the fabric on. "I-I gotta work."

Sitting up, Sesshomaru opened his mouth like he was going to protest then, with an odd look, closed it again and nodded.

Inuyasha quickly moved toward the door and slid it open before glancing back briefly. "I'll... See ya later." Not waiting for a response, the hanyou left.

Sesshomaru watched as Inuyasha left with about as much haste as would a cornered animal. Even if Inuyasha had spent the night on top of him without the influence of his youkai, he did not yet seem quite keen on the idea. Apparently, his youkai had not shown him the events of its last conscious appearance. If it had, the hanyou would likely have preferred to see Sesshomaru sleep in mental agony. But then, the hanyou would also know what he had done to cause Sesshomaru to snap. It was not entirely Sesshomaru's fault. How was he to know Inuyasha's youkai would withdraw completely? Voluntary interaction with his hanyou brother was new to him. He truly could not have known. Inuyasha was just...far too sensitive.

Inuyasha arrived in record time at the current area they were working to clear. He went through the motions, though he worked slower than he could've. Maybe he thought it would drag out the day and he'd have to spend less time with the youkai later. Or maybe, he was too caught up in his thoughts to monitor the strength of his swings or the pace he was keeping.

How was it that for an entire day, only one person occupied his thoughts? Why was that one person his brother? He wasn't even sure what had happened between them.. Sesshomaru remembered nothing of the night before and then Inuyasha just had to go and fall asleep on him. And that wasn't even the worst part! They.. Talked, the youkai shared something about his past, and the hanyou had just sat, contentedly, on the lord's waist. How had he not realized sooner that he was still on his brother? Why.. Why hadn't it bothered him? Maybe he'd just been shocked by the youkai's admission. Why the Hell did Sesshomaru even feel the need to tell him? He wasn't expecting the lord to share childhood troubles—he wasn't even expecting an explanation. What he had been expecting was anger or something... It wasn't his youkai who made them sleep together after all... Inuyasha had made the choice to and Sesshomaru hadn't made a deal with the hanyou. He figured the lord only bartered with his youkai to keep it quiet and relatively tamed.

The more he thought and struggled to understand, the less Inuyasha felt he knew. His questions, no matter how hard he thought on them, went unanswered. They only festered and bred more questions which also went unanswered. The hanyou's mind was too full of worries and inquiries now—and the only one who could help him figure anything out was likely his brother. Inuyasha shook his head. He would not resort to asking the youkai about what was happening between them or what the fingers in his hair had meant.. Or why the lord had not tossed him aside after waking with the hanyou sprawled over his body.. No. He wouldn't. That would just be awkward—besides, it probably meant nothing. It was probably just the bond messing with both of them. Shrugging lightly, Inuyasha nodded to himself. 'Course it was just the bond. Had to be. Right?

"Oi!"

The hanyou jumped slightly, jolted from his thoughts. Everyone was leaving.. The day was already over? Frowning, Inuyasha looked toward source of the call. Shigeo.. The youkai he'd met his first day—who had finally thought to introduce himself so the hanyou wouldn't have to think of him as 'male number two' anymore. "Whatdya want?"

Shigeo snorted, cracking his knuckles as he made his way closer to Inuyasha. "I've been tryin' to get your attention. Thought you might've been avoiding me for a minute there."

"Oh," He'd been that out of it? Inuyasha shook his head. "Nah, just.. Lost track a time, I guess."

"Ah." The dark-haired male leaned his elbow against the tree Inuyasha had been working on and crossed one leg behind the other. "So how about those drinks?" Shigeo smiled with a cocky waggle in his brow.

The hanyou wedged his axe into the opposite side of the tree and lifted a hand to the back of his neck. "Eh.. I dunno. I got a lot on my mind right now." Maybe Hanna could help him figure out what was going on... Since she was the only person beside he and his brother who knew even a small portion of the details about what went on and how they got ended up mated. And he'd already decided not to talk to Sesshomaru about it.

"Aw, come on. All the more reason to have a nice, relaxing drink. If you wanna talk about it—or, if you wanna forget all about your troubles for a little while, I'm your guy."

Inuyasha hesitated. It would be okay to just forget about everything going on with his brother for bit, right? It's not like anything bad would happen.. He was pretty sure the worst already had. He was mated to Sesshomaru after all. And he could always talk to Hana tomorrow, though he would miss the daily meal with her and Keiji.. His ears drooped slightly. He could explain it tomorrow... But right now, he wanted to be able to relax—to forget. The hanyou gave a slow nod. "Ya know.. A drink might be exactly what I need.."

"Great!" Shigeo clapped him quickly on the shoulder. "Sun's getting low... I think now would be a good time to start, hm?"

Sunset... Inuyasha's eyes searched the thick forest, finding the fading golden light. It wasn't like his youkai came out anymore though.. It would be fine. "Sounds good. "

Shigeo gave Inuyasha a lopsided smile and gestured for him to follow. As he walked, he shoved his hands into his pockets and fell back so that his pace was even with Inuyasha's. "So... What do you think of this place?" It was clear the male did not have anything in particular to say.

"Helluva lot different, that's for sure." The hanyou rolled his shoulders and looked over at his new companion, realizing he didn't know that much. "Ya from here or...?"

"Yep. Born and raised. Not from this settlement, though."

"There's more than this?" It never crossed his mind there would be other settlements. He figured just.. Floating spirits.

Shigeo gave Inuyasha a side-ways look, thinking he must have been joking. When he saw the seriousness on Inuyasha's face, he barked out a laugh. "Course there is! There is a lot more than this. Only a few other settlements are hidden and share the same cause as this one. But there are a lot of different places. And a lot of different kinds of creatures. I've heard that the places run indirectly by the Blue Spirits are mighty luxurious. But folks there ain't got much free will."

"Huh. I never figured the spirit world to be so... Organized, I guess." Inuyasha opened his mouth to ask what type of creature Shigeo was, but closed it as soon as he realized the question might be directed back at him. It was better that none of the men knew he was a hanyou.

"Yeah, well..." Shigeo scratched the back of his head, never losing his face-splitting smile as he ascended the plank leading to the bridge.

Inuyasha gave up on their conversation as walked. On the worn wood of the bridges he didn't have to worry about wood chips stabbing his bare feet or splinters wedging their way into his skin. His eyes strayed to the route he took to get to Hana's hut and he wanted to stop in and let her know he wouldn't be there for dinner. Glancing at Shigeo, the hanyou thought it best that the youkai not know how he frequented her and Keiji's place. It would probably just cause more trouble for them—even if Shigeo had a nice face and an easy smile, Inuyasha would rather not haul over someone who might have a bone to pick with the pair.

Resigning himself to waiting until tomorrow to see them, the hanyou tried to pay attention to where Shigeo was leading him. He expected they'd go to the center of the settlement—wherever that was—and that the huts might be closer together, more creatures wandering about. Instead, the number of huts seemed to be thinning and there were no dawdling creatures. It seemed everyone was either headed to their own place or back the way he and the youkai came. "Oi..." Inuyasha glanced over at his dark haired companion with a frown. "Where we headin'?"

"I told you, didn't I?" Shigeo veered off onto a side bridge that lead toward a secluded hut. "We're gonna have some drinks."

The hanyou stopped, now slightly unsure. "Where we havin' drinks?" Some hut off on the very outskirts of the settlement was not what he had been expecting.

"My place." He flashed the hanyou another face-splitting smile and opened the door to his hut, leading the way inside. "That's okay, right? Tell you what. Next time, we can have drinks at your place."

Inuyasha raised a brow. Drinks? At the hut he shared with his brother? Like that would happen. But he had come here to escape thoughts of the youkai, so he just nodded and pushed away any thoughts involving the lord. "Your place is fine." Stepping inside, the hanyou glanced around. "Ya live with anyone?"

"No." Shigeo dragged an extra chair over to the table, glancing at cupboards along the far wall distractedly. "It's just me."

Dropping into one of the chairs, Inuyasha slung one arm over the back of it and looked to Shigeo. "Lucky bastard." Again, his thoughts wanted to stray to his brother but he wouldn't allow it. "Booze?"

The dark-haired youkai chuckled and walked over to one of the large cupboards, shoes clunking heavily against the wooden floor. Scratching behind a pointed ear, he rummaged, grumbling about how he really needed to organize his shit. "Ah-hah," he procured two porcelain jugs with a grin, passing one to Inuyasha and keeping one for himself as he sat heavily in his own chair.

The hanyou nodded his thanks and jerked the cork out of the jug. He gave the liquid a curious sniff and shifted his gaze to Shigeo's. He wondered if it would taste like alcohol from the mortal world. Inuyasha shrugged. No better way to find out than drinking it. So he did, letting the jug touch his lips before he tipped it up. The liquid was nearly room temperature but he didn't mind. It had a sharp taste and a slight burn as it slid down his throat, it was hardly intolerable. After another hefty gulp, Inuyasha set the jug on the table, though his fingers remained curled around it. "Lil' different from what I'm used to, but it ain't bad."

"Oh good, good," Shigeo sighed after taking a few substantial gulps from his own jug and wiping his mouth on his forearm. "I take it you would rather drown your troubles than make them known," said the brawny youkai casually.

Inuyasha nodded again, taking another short swig. "Yeah, ain't much for sharin'," But he wondered how much the drink would loosen his tongue. Hopefully not too much, he couldn't go spilling his thoughts to this youkai. Especially if he started blabbing about his brother... Another drink. He wanted to forget for just a little while. "Oi," Inuyasha looked toward Shigeo and tipped his jug toward the dark-haired man. "Ya better not let me drink too much. Got it?"

"Oh, sure," he grinned. "I don't think you'll be able to anyway. Not of this stuff."

"Pssh, what's so special 'bout it?" The hanyou took another drink, letting the alcohol sit on his numbing tongue as he tried to figure out any distinct tastes. "Don't taste too special."

"Ah, you will have to see. It's got a different...effect, you might say. You'll feel it soon enough. Now." He tilted his head, swishing the contents of the jug around in a slow circle. "What could you possibly be lookin' for, so far from home?"

"My brother's arm." After a moment, Inuyasha frowned, he hadn't wanted to say anything like that. He took another swig, this one longer before he shifted his gaze away from Shigeo and muttered, "I don' wanna talk about it."

"Mm," Shigeo nodded, taking a moment to drink more and stare at Inuyasha strangely. "You and your brother are pretty close."

"No we ain't." The hanyou lifted the jug again, but misjudged the distance to his mouth and spilled some of the alcohol down his front. "Fuck!" Growling at his dampened clothing, he concentrated on the jug as he took another drink. He got it that time. Self-satisfied, Inuyasha dropped his chin into his hand, propping his elbow on the table. His drunken grin faded as he noticed there were two Shigeos now. With a frown, the hanyou tilted his head. The motion and the way the Shigeos were beginning to spin was making him dizzy. "I thought.. Ya said... Ya lived alone?" He reached a hand out, pointing at the other Shigeo as it tilted and moved. "...Who'sthat?"

Shigeo chuckled and leaned forward so that his face was inches from Inuyasha's, filling the space between them with hot, stinking breath. "That—would be the drugs."

Inuyasha winced. There was only Shigeo now, but his eyes crossed and made his head hurt. "Huh? Wha.." The hanyou lifted his hand, but it was heavy. The jug fell, he barely heard it. "Whatdya...?" Inuyasha groaned, cutting himself off before his eyelids fell heavily. All he saw was a gleaming smirk before darkness descended.

Head throbbing, the hanyou blinked blearily. It was dark, but.. He didn't remember eating at Hana's or anything... And he wasn't at the hut with his brother. That much he knew. He couldn't smell the lord anywhere. Slowly, awareness trickled back into his tired mind and body.

He could see, but he could not speak. His lips were drawn back and his tongue was trapped in his mouth by a cloth of some sort which was tied around the back of his head. Inuyasha lifted a hand to removed it, mind still too muddled to understand, but his arm would not move. Neither would. That was when he realized he was laying on his back, both arms bound beneath him. Straw prodded his skin—his bare skin. Eyes going wide, the hanyou tried to growl and thrash, but he couldn't. His bound body wouldn't obey him. His legs, no matter how much he tried to clench them, together would not move together. There was something between them—a bar of some sort which kept his knees spread. What the Hell?

Naked and exposed, panic began to set in and Inuyasha renewed his struggles. His limbs were heavy and weak though. His wrists and forearms burned—whatever bound them felt hot, achingly hot. Whatever was attached to his legs burned too. His breath came too quickly through his nose and he bit down on the cloth in his mouth hard, feeling a sense of dread in bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

"Wow, that stuff didn't keep you out for very long. Don't look too good though. Probably because that rope is infused with my spiritual energy. It ain't as 'purified' as Kurama's, but hey—it does the trick."

Inuyasha froze, eyes searching the darkness for—Shigeo. He tried to growl at the youkai, but the gag kept him relatively quiet. "Ufg—mmgnf!" The hanyou struggled, trying to jerk at his bonds to no avail.

"This was easier than I thought it'd be." Shigeo nodded to himself as he stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight streaming from the lone window. "You were a lot more powerful on the day we brought both of your asses here. Goro bet I'd at least get a chunk bitten outa me. He doubts my smooth tongue, I guess." Teeth gleamed through his smirk. "Did you like my gift? Poor beast, it never saw me coming. A lot like you."

Breathing heavily, the hanyou stilled. Struggling like that should not have worn him out as much as it did. Shigeo had said something about spiritual energy though.. The same shit that screwed with Sesshomaru's legs. Fuck. Inuyasha glared at the dark-haired man as he moved closer, brow creasing as he processed what the youkai said. The name he mentioned sounded familiar, but the hanyou couldn't focus on that. Gift..? His eyes widened in realization. The genitalia over his and Sesshomaru's bed. The hanyou's body tensed as much as it could and he shook his head viciously. Maybe he could loosen the gag.. "Nngm—mff."

"I thought you'd like it," chuckled the dark-haired male as it circled him. "I almost felt bad for the dumb beast, you know? It didn't do anything, it was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I needed a model." Shigeo crouched down beside Inuyasha and reached out to lightly stroke his hand across his smooth, flushed cheek. "I held it down and fucked it. I castrated it—and sliced off its prick—as I came. Do you know why I did that?"

A chill swept up his spine as the youkai touched him and he jerked his head away. With a snarl lodged in his throat, Inuyasha glared at Shigeo and the hand that was to close for comfort, trying to hide his growing anxiety beneath a thick veil anger.

Shigeo's smile flattened and he took a slow breath before violently backhanding Inuyasha. "I did that because I needed to decide exactly what I'm going to do with you." He sighed, shaking his head. "This would've been better if your brother could be here to watch. But it would've been too much of a hassle to deal with the both of you at the same time. Speaking of that pompous prick, I've been wondering... How does it feel to fuck your brother? Does it feel good?" Dark eyes narrowed, their edges becoming squinty with his crooked smile.

Ears fell against his hair as his cheek reddened, but he sustained his glare. While the hanyou tried to remained firm in his anger and disgust, he couldn't help up feel that fear bubbling up again. This youkai.. Had planned everything. From subduing the hanyou with spiritual energy to drugging him. There'd even been a warning—how had Inuyasha not thought something was up? Mentally kicking himself, the hanyou tried to growl again at mention of his brother. He wondered if Sesshomaru would even care about what Shigeo had planned... Inuyasha put the thought out of his mind. His stomach churned to think his brother might come to know or even witness this. The lord already thought he was hardly more than hanyou filth...

Inuyasha bit down on the gag, gaze hardening once more. He wanted to spit and kick, bite and claw. But he was immobile and weak. Glaring was all he was capable of. He'd expended most of his energy struggling for the freedom that remained far from his reach. Go to Hell. Glowering up at Shigeo, the hanyou tried to speak his mind, but only muffled sounds made it past the gag.

"Yeah... When I'm through with you—you won't ever fuck again. At least, not with your dick." Without warning, Shigeo grabbed ahold of Inuyasha and flipped him over, taking a moment to admire his work. Inuyasha's hands were bound, forcing him to meet the floor with his chest and face. The bar between his knees and the binding around his ankles kept him immobile and fully accessible. Shigeo watched the hanyou watching him as he removed his cock from the confines of his pants and began stroking it to life. After a moment, he gave Inuyasha a look of feigned exasperation as his length began to rise. "You know... This would be a whole lot easier if you were prettier. I would've picked your brother if you weren't such an easy target."

With a stifled sound of protest, Inuyasha tried to change positions. He felt to vulnerable with his exposed ass in the air with no way to shield himself. Between his bound arms and his locked and spread legs, there was nothing he could do other than shift his hips a little. Not that it would help him. Nothing was going to help him now..

He couldn't tear his gaze away from Shigeo or the hand he was using to stroke his cock. With each motion, a sense of finality sunk deeper in the pit of the hanyou's stomach. He was weakened by the spiritual energy, bound tight enough that his fingers tingled, and laid out for anyone to see. Pathetic. That's all he was. A pathetic hanyou. Inuyasha closed his eyes.

Left hand still stroking himself, Shigeo slipped a knife from his boot and twirled it between his fingers, smiling as Inuyasha's eyes followed the sharp blade closely. The dark-haired male removed his hand from his erection and grasped Inuyasha's left ass cheek. Slowly, so the hanyou could see, he lowered the knife and held it against the underside of Inuyasha's balls. With a gravelly hum, Shigeo pressed the head of his cock against Inuyasha's dry entrance, waiting for utter fear to ensue.

Inuyasha tensed at the cool, sharp edge the knife sliding against his skin and his heart rate increased. Increased until the muscle seemed to hammer against his ribs. Ribs that were constricting too tightly around his lungs. Lungs that were too frantic for oxygen and had his entire chest heaving. Heaving as though it could end this. This, which felt familiar, but not. Not—because he was beginning to, subconsciously, learn pleasure. Pleasure that he could not grasp now. Now—no. No. No!

The fear he felt sinking into his being slowly, along with that hard, painful length, sunk deep into the recesses of his mind. His mind, where thoughts were not wholly his own and where another entity lurked. Lurked in the darkest corners. Corners it had withdrawn to for the sake of it's other half, which was suffering now. Now, because no one cared and no one knew. Knew of the past with haunted the hanyou and threatened to trap him. Trap him as he was now—an unwilling participant who's only purpose was to suffer. Suffer—that was the one thing it could not and would not allow it's other half to do.

No matter the reason it had pulled away, it would come back. Back to it's other half because it was needed. Needed by one. Only one.

The hanyou's cry was muted by the cloth binding his mouth as his body tried to jerk away from the youkai as that cock was pressed forward. His eyes squeezed shut as he tried to block everything out.

Out—it was out.

Eyes the color of blood, glistening in the moonlight, were out.

Jagged stripes, the hasty battle markings of a fighter, were out.

Lengthened claws and thickened fangs, craving the slippery touch of blood, were out.

It was out and now, it was out for blood.

Fully intending to bathe, Sesshomaru paced the river bank but made no move to undress. Fist clenched, tension wound tighter in his shoulders with every step. For nearly an hour, his heart rate had been too high. He felt the incessant need to tear something apart. He felt the need...to run. But he'd fought it. He was through being controlled by any sort of impulses. Bodily impulse led him to do things akin to marking his brother. A moment's peace was far too much to ask for, it seemed.

Could he not just—?

No. Of course he could not.

With a low growl, Sesshomaru turned on his heel and headed in the direction of the bridge. Perhaps if he returned to the hut—

"Sesshomaru!" A shrill cry sounded, becoming louder as the same cry pierced the air in succession, moving towards him. Sesshomaru picked up his pace. By the time he reached the source of the cry, he had made it back to the end of the bridge. Panting, the boy Sesshomaru had come to know as Akira, tried in relative failure to spit out his distressed message.

"In—trouble," Akira gasped. "Inuyasha—"

Already, the daiyoukai was shrouded by a tumultuous sphere of light, surging through the sky to wherever the long-festered feeling in his gut would finally lead him. He paid no mind to the world that passed him by, single-mindedly moving at a speed that could only be controlled by pure instinct.

Bristled and baring his fangs, Sesshomaru came to a halt at what appeared to be an expansive area in the center of the settlement. Inuyasha stood, stark naked, at the far end, surrounded by a hoard of creatures on the offensive. Sesshomaru watched as Inuyasha tore the arm from the one who foolishly attempted to attack with a mere knife. The crowd buzzed with sickening spiritual energy. Now, even after receiving hit after hit—there were simply too many of them for the hanyou to dodge—Inuyasha was showing no signs of slowing down. The hanyou regarded his opponents with nothing more than fierce, erratic, animalistic strikes. His tormented eyes—solidly crimson—lacked the iris and pupil. It was clear, the hanyou intended to fight until his body became too rife with poison to continue functioning. Sesshomaru moved.

Blood. The feel of it on his naked skin—sticky, tangible proof that he had slaughtered and maimed his enemies. It was a euphoria. One he had not felt in a long while. Too long. He craved more—needed more.

The damp, cold scent of fear and the hot, burning scent of anger made him high. The screams and cries of outrage took him even higher. Until he was untouchable. He had buried his humanity, hidden it, so it would be safe. So his other half would be safe. Now, he was free to slaughter and maim. And nothing could touch him. Pain was a thing unknown. Even though he was aware that his flesh was split and flayed in places, pierced by weapons—he felt none of it. The only thing he could feel was the anger that drove him, the fear that had called upon him, and the pleasure he felt now. In this moment, he was perfect—complete.

But the ones he had killed were too weak. The ones who he had chased were not enough. The ones surrounding him were proving to hardly be a challenge. Now that his bloodlust had been whetted, he needed to fight. He needed that challenge he was not being given—to prove he was the strongest.

Then he smelled it. A scent he should have known, but dared not recognize. No, recognition would only hinder him. But it was the scent of someone stronger than the pests now prodding at him. He wanted this new creature's blood on his body too.

The grin that spread across his blood-splattered face at the sight of this creature coming toward him was only malicious and eager in it's excitement. Blood. There had to be more of it. He had to make sure they were all dead—gone—so they could no longer harm his other half.

He leapt—there would be no wasting time with the beings who tried to trap him, not now, not when something stronger beckoned him. Bare, blood-coated feet hit the ground and he was running. Running toward the creature who held the promise of power—of a challenge. His claws ached to be embedded in that flesh and he lunged, far to eager to feel the way that blood would course over his fingers, the way it would feel smeared over his skin. He had to know. Had to kill. Above all else—had to protect.

Sesshomaru halted in his step.

Inuyasha was running now—running directly towards him. But his mark only burned. And his heart throbbed fiercely in his chest.

My heart...

The hanyou was far gone, locked behind instinct, bloodlust, and survival. Inuyasha wanted a fight—to slice open and tear, to draw out sounds of death.

Sesshomaru should have been drawing his sword. Or utilizing his whip. Or unleashing his sealed form. He needed to attack.

But an attack would never break the searing, tormented rage that was Inuyasha. Inuyasha would not stop.

Sesshomaru stayed his defense and stared the promise of pain in the eye. As well as the pain of promise. He waited for Inuyasha to come.

Inuyasha growled. He wanted to be met on the battlefield, a worthy opponent charging to clash with him. But the creature he was to fight had stopped. It outraged him.

Knowing only the offensive, the hanyou didn't stop. Not even when he was a single step away from the creature. No, he continued forward, letting his shoulder drop as his body collided with the creature. Hands curled around his opponent and claws mercilessly cut through fabric and skin until he felt the warmth of blood on his fingers. He wanted more. He had to have it.

The creature who would feed his desires was beneath him now—it had not moved when he crashed into it nor when his momentum toppled them over. They had rolled, but only briefly, for the hanyou would not tolerate being beneath his opponent. His claws had sliced into the creature as they tumbled and now they were both coated in the blood of his previous adversaries.

Sesshomaru hissed, staring wide-eyed up at the creature above him, wincing as claws lacerated deep within his chest. He was hopelessly transfixed by Inuyasha's gnashing teeth and unmerciful, remorseless face. The hanyou snarled dangerously as Sesshomaru grasped one of his wrists, alleviating some of the relentless damage. The side of the youkai's face was slashed open and bleeding into his ear. His breaths came short and hitched. The sound of surrounding footsteps split his hyper-aware ears and every unfamiliar, unwanted scent burned in his nose. But the thing above him was his only concern.

Quickly, the pair were surrounded. All around them, there were weapons of ill intent—the intent to kill. Sesshomaru whipped his head around and snarled ferociously when one of them got too close. "Leave him! He is mine," growled Sesshomaru; red bleeding into his vision.

The hanyou growled, annoyed by the creature's voice and the insistent presence of the beings around him. He no longer wanted them—the creature beneath him was the only one worthy of his attention. It's blood smelled sweet and strong; it made the hanyou want to taste it.

Jerking his wrist free, his red-coated fingers found a home wrapped around the creature's throat. Not to kill though. Just to subdue. His hand slid upward, clawed thumb pressing under the jaw and forcing the creature's head back slightly. Again, a hand was around his wrist but he ignored it as foreign claws pierced his skin, choosing instead to focus on his free hand. The creature's blood was on his fingers, under his claws, and dotted along his forearms. Tongue snaking out, the hanyou licked from his palm to the tip of his middle finger.

He knew that taste. Even contaminated by the traces of other's blood, he knew. But the information was locked away. He didn't want to know—he had to protect. Knowing would make him unable to protect. Snarling, the hanyou pressed his hand into the creature's windpipe and leaned over it. His blood splattered hair fell around him.

No. This creature only wanted to stop him—to make him remember so that his other half could be harmed again. He couldn't allow it. But that taste was stuck to his tongue and it was trying to tell him otherwise. The hanyou's grip loosened as he shook his head roughly. There was nothing to remember—it was only he and his other half. The taste, the scent, the presence were all telling him that there was another though.

The surrounding murmurs and gasps of horror were maddening. And the hand around his throat, holding him at bay, constricted and loosened strangely. The action did not seem to have anything to do with Sesshomaru. Whatever was going on within the hanyou's mind, it had distanced his eyes and slowed his lust for blood as he leisurely licked it from his hand.

Sesshomaru forcefully ignored those around him. He knew they were too fearful and stunned to attack at this moment. But that was probably all Sesshomaru had. Moments.

"Hear me," the youkai whispered through the strain on his throat. He removed his claws from the hanyou's wrist. "Feel me." His pulse throbbed against Inuyasha's hand, emphasizing his words, as he slid his hand up Inuyasha's blood-slicked arm. "See me." Unblinking, he searched the hanyou's tormented gaze. "I have you." Sesshomaru sucked in air shakily before embedding his claws in the back of Inuyasha's neck and tugging his head down. Panting, he closed his eyes and whispered against his brother's bloodied lips, "I have you, mate." Closing his eyes, Sesshomaru harshly sealed his lips over Inuyasha's, not willing to release what was finally in his grasp. Somehow, he knew... No matter how long he might have to bear the bite of claws driven by a thousand blatant and hidden wounds, he could not relinquish his hold.

As if commanded by the soft words falling from the creature's lips, the hanyou's ears perked forward. His flesh seemed to hum as a hand slid up his arm—his shoulder especially. His eyes seemed to be held captive by the stern, pleading golden hue looking up at him. Then the hanyou went rigid as claws pierced his neck. But he could do nothing besides obliging the creature beneath him who's blood was sweet and who's touch calmed his frenzy.

Mate.

That was the word that had been pressing at his consciousness. The word he had fought against because he thought it would hurt more than he already did. But he was wrong. It soothed the burn of his pain and took the burden from his shoulders; he did not have to bear his and his other half's pain and anger alone.

Lips on his were rough and his body, tense from fighting, sagged in relief. His hand released the youkai's neck completely, sliding into silver hair instead. His mate. All else was forgotten in that moment; the hateful words, the violence between them, his own decision to stop taking control so his mate could break the bond without his interference. His own lips moved against the his mate's as he dropped his bare, bloodied body down on the youkai. He couldn't hold himself up any longer. And with his mate here, he didn't have to.

Sesshomaru released an unstable breath of mild relief as Inuyasha sagged into him, the hanyou's raging fog leaving him by slow degrees. Sesshomaru squeezed Inuyasha's neck lightly and he bobbed upward, pulling that bloodied tongue into his mouth, becoming lost in the sensations he'd spent forever locking away.

Inuyasha sighed and went limp in his arms, tongue and lips slipping abruptly from Sesshomaru's, instilling an instant of fear in the youkai's gut as he suddenly righted himself to hold Inuyasha in the bow of his arm. After glancing up and down his abrasioned body, Sesshomaru pressed an ear to the hanyou's chest. Merely unconscious...

Sesshomaru lifted his head to glare and bare his teeth to the ones who kept trying to approach. They all carried weapons, thick with spiritual energy. In his condition, it would be difficult for Sesshomaru to get them both out of there. A large one approached with two sets of shackles, appearing unsure of his advance. Two other males stood at his sides, weapons outstretched toward him and Inuyasha. His fingers curled into the hanyou's hair as he challenged the males with darkened golden eyes.

Before the men advanced any further, Akira stepped forward, shaking his head solemnly. "Don't," he said quietly, not looking Sesshomaru in the face. "Things will be better for you if you let them take you without any more bloodshed."

Sesshomaru's eyes flicked between Akira and the men seeking to imprison him and his foolish brother. Inuyasha gave a pained, senseless shudder against him and Sesshomaru dropped his gaze, gritting his teeth. Neither of them could afford further injury. "Do it."

Hello there, people.

So, the both of us have been pretty busy lately. An I've been on makeup and set cres for the school muscal. So we haven't written as much as we usually do. We don't have as much accumulated story. I hope we can update next weekend… But I'm not entirely sure. I bet a hoard of good reviews will inspire us to write super fast. ^^

Comments, questions, and suggestions. Thanks guys! Awesome reviews for the last chapter. :)

Ja ne.