Ouchie! This came out A LOT longer than I thought it would...heh heh...didn't even realise just how long until I finished the draft...don't start this until you have plenty of time to spare :P
As always, sorry for the wait...it was hard, but I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. In all honesty, wasn't sure where it was going when I first started it, but as I got into it, the pieces started falling together nicely...slowly, but nicely...
Once again, another chapter for the SesshxInu lovers XD...wasn't sure it was going to be, but I guess that's how it goes :P
WARNING: lol, it's a yaoi fanfic...you know what to watch out for :P
Well, that's it, so thanks for your patience, and please enjoy! :D
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters...only the plot for this fanfic, and any previously mentioned characters.
Chapter 14:Let Go…
There was only a light breeze as he sniffed the air, making things more frustrating for him.
"Koga!"
The wolf youkai glanced over at his friends as they caught up. He hadn't been running full pelt, just nonstop.
"What are you even looking for?" One panted lightly, not as out of breath as usual.
"Hush, I thought I caught a scent."
Koga turned his nose to the air again, moving further into the field around them.
It was then he heard something.
"Was that…laughter?"
He caught the pounding of feet too late; Pain shot through his tail as someone stepped on it.
"AAAHH! Who the…?"
He was on his feet in a second, glaring down the fast retreating culprit.
"Wait…that's…"
This time, he did take off at full speed, leaving his friends just hanging their heads.
Ahead of them, Inuyasha ran as fast as he could, grinning as Rin cheered him on from his back.
"Is Sesshomaru sama even faster than this Inuyasha Sama?"
"Drop the Sama; I don't care for the formalities. And nope, he ain't faster than me."
"I'll bet he is," Rin teased.
"Either way, is he gonna give you a ride? Or do this…!"
Rin screamed as the hanyou suddenly jumped sideways, flipping in the air over a small stream. Once he landed, he finally took a break, allowing Rin to figure out which way around they were.
His ears pricked up sharply as he noticed the familiar tornado that was following them.
Wondering how the heck he'd missed it, he jumped back as it crossed the stream, causing water to rain down over them.
"What is it ya damn wolf?" He yelled as the whirl wind began to die.
"What the hell do you think?" Koga yelled back, looking fairly pissed off, "Did you even notice when you stepped on my tail, dumb mutt?"
"Oh, that's what that was? I thought I stepped on a snake or something," Inuyasha shrugged, his honest surprise just angering Koga more.
"How could you've missed us? You ran straight between me and my men!"
"Wasn't paying attention…" Inuyasha answered without the slightest apology.
It was then he noticed that Rin was cowering on his back. He followed her gaze back to the wolf youkai.
"You two know each other…?"
"Hardly, but isn't she normally with that brother of yours?"
"Yeah, so?"
"So…if you should be hanging around any humans, it should be Kagome! Do you know how worried you've made her?"
The wolf was met with a harsh glare.
"Keep up wolf; I've already spoken to her about it! She understands the situation."
"Situation?"
"Tsk! Come on, you knew before I did. I still remember you falling on your ass over it! You wanna risk a beta possibly losing control around her? Cause I don't! Trust me, it didn't go so well last time!"
"You…you're saying you almost hurt Kagome?" Koga growled, "You mongrel…I knew you were no good for her!"
"Well then ain't it a good thing she dumped me!" Inuyasha snapped back.
A sharp growl made him flinch sharply, and shrink away.
Koga also flinched, but his hackles stood on edge as he glanced around.
"Have you quite finished fooling around hanyou?" Sesshomaru continued to growl as he moved closer.
He shot a warning glare as the hanyou stood as straight as his beta blood felt like letting him.
"Do you have business here wolf?" He turned his attention to the other alpha.
Koga was keeping his initial defences under tight restraint. Sesshomarus growl hadn't been aimed at him, but he was still a lead alpha after all.
"I was just telling Inuyasha here to watch where he's going. Otherwise, no, there's nothing."
His friends had just caught up on the other side of the river, when he raced straight back over to them, stopping only briefly before he took off once more.
"This is getting weird. I should've thought of Sesshomaru being the mutt's blood alpha, but even so, I'm sure they hated each other," He muttered to himself.
Back across the water, Inuyasha felt a tiny peek in the alpha's aura.
"Intentionally rile your beta blood, and I won't fix it for you hanyou," Sesshomaru warned as he walked away.
"Hey, he came after me, not the other way around. I didn't even know he was there."
"Then I suggest you learn to open your eyes."
"Could say the same to you."
Inuyasha clamped his mouth shut as the youkai glared around at him.
"Sesshomaru sama!"
Jaken had caught up to them, and after a week to recover, Ah Un was almost beating him at a fast walk.
Without looking away from his younger brother, Sesshomaru kicked up a river stone from the ground, caught it in his hand, and with barely enough time to get a solid grip, he tossed it at the imp.
Jaken saw it coming and ducked. However, the rock hit Ah Un square on the hide, and the startled creature knocked Jaken over in fright.
Inuyasha couldn't help snickering, but when he did, he found claws resting beneath his chin.
Trying to hide his panic, the hanyou glared up at his brother.
"What you need to learn…otouto…is how to focus."
Sesshomaru plucked Rin from his back, and swiftly delivered a kick to the back of his knee, sending him to the ground.
"Rin, you're capable of walking on your own," The youkai stated lightly as he set her down.
"We were just playing Sesshomaru sama," She began.
"We're moving on," Sesshomaru ended the conversation.
"What did I tell you?" Inuyasha whispered as he stood again, "…he won't even let someone else give you a ride."
Sesshomaru caught the whisper and glanced back, but otherwise didn't react.
Inuyasha quickly indicated for Rin to follow her leader, though he himself gave a reasonable distance before he followed. It wasn't too wide; over the week that had passed, he'd slowly closed the gap between them when they travelled, though occasionally that size fluctuated if he thought it best to give the youkai his space.
Since…that night…Inuyasha hadn't really had an incident with his beta blood. He'd been careful not to push himself, and Sesshomaru had been just nice enough not to provoke him.
Still, it HAD been a week, and though nothing serious, his body was starting to react again.
He sniffed his wrist slightly. He was still barely able to catch the difference in his scent, but it was getting stronger.
"You really have no control. Even your so called playing is causing you to lose out."
"I've been dealing with this for some time now, I think I have a good idea of how far I can push it," Inuyasha defended, hiding his arms in his sleeves, "Besides, I had too much energy; all you do is walk all day every day!"
Sesshomaru turned sharply, making all but the hanyou flinch.
"If you have a problem with how things are done hanyou, then I suggest you leave!"
Inuyasha growled under his breath; He was getting so tired of holding his tongue…
…not that he always did.
"I think I've been pretty damn patient not saying anything this long! I know our pack was nomadic and everything, but it seems the ONLY thing we do is wander…do you even have a destination in mind?"
Sesshomaru made him flinch with another growl.
"No place I'm obligated to share with you."
"There's that damn word again…GAH! What makes you think I'm saying you're obligated?"
"So…you believe I should tell you by my own choice?"
"Would it kill you? You don't even tell your companions."
"If you want to waste your breathe on idle chatter, then return to your friends."
"Tsk, you won't get rid of me that easily."
"As long as you remember that I CAN and WILL that easily, if I so choose."
As the youkai looked away, Inuyasha felt his ears lower.
'Enough…enough.'
A large part of him wanted to say 'see ya' to his arrogant half-brother, and even his stubbornness agreed he should just quite.
But he'd known from the beginning that if he was to have any chance of success here, he'd have to master the one thing he felt he had no control over…
…his damn patience.
A quiet gasp left his lips as he felt tiny fingers embrace his own.
"Ha…"
He turned swiftly, expecting to see a bobbing bundle of pink, but instead was met by Rins concerned look.
He quickly gave her fingers a small, reassuring squeeze, and looked away.
'Is this truly worth it?'
When he couldn't see the child's face, his mind still pictured Haru walking beside him, and there'd been a point when talking to Koga that he'd almost spouted out Kunios name.
'Is it really worth giving up those I care about, for something I'm certain will never happen?'
He glanced to his brother's back again.
"Am I even sure I WANT that? It can't be worth all this just because I'm curious about something that happened a long time ago. Sesshomaru probably only looked at me like that out of genuine surprise. I mean, it's only natural that even he'd be surprised to see his little brother just turn up out of nowhere for the first time.'
His eyes lowered and narrowed, whilst his fangs pressed against his lip, careful not to pierce it.
'Still, why is it every time…every time he crosses my mind…the first thing I see, is that look?'
Sesshomaru noted the look on Inuyashas face, but as usual, said nothing.
"Fox fire!"
Shippos flames burst all over the demon's tail, making it shriek loudly, and turn to him.
"K-Kagome!" the small fox yelled, racing away as the giant snake slithered after him.
"I'm on it!" She called back to him, setting her arrow ready.
The second the snake paused just long enough, she fired at the tiny glimmer hidden amongst its scales.
The shikon jewel shard was flung free, and the serpent froze. There was a pulse from its body, before it began to shrink. Without the power of the shard, it quickly returned to its normal size.
"Good work Kagome," Sango applauded.
"Ha, not so tough now are ya?" Shippo taunted the reptile, standing over it.
His moment of pride was ruined when the snake hissed and struck out at him. He yelped and scurried back quick. Kirara growled as the creature slithered off, but made no move on it.
"Well that makes three," Miroku stated as he collected up the jewel shard, "Though I think we have to acknowledge that we've been pretty lucky so far. This time it wasn't even a demon."
"True, but we're still making progress. The more jewel shards in our hands, the less in Narakus," Kagome replied.
"Well I certainly can't argue with that,"
"Why don't we take a break from hunting jewel shards, and go back to Kaedes village for a while? Our supplies are starting to run low anyway," Sango suggested.
"Good plan, I think we could all use a descent rest," Miroku agreed.
He handed the jewel shard to Kagome. At the same time, his other hand passed over Sango's behind briefly.
"Mi…ro…ku!" Sango growled through gritted teeth.
The slap that met the monk's face was loud enough to scare some birds from the trees. Whilst Miroku blurted out another of his excuses, Kirara looked around, and suddenly raised her hackles.
"Kirara? What is it girl?" Sango called as the tiny demon ran forward.
The cat suddenly changed to its larger form, and looked to her master. Understanding, Sango quickly climbed on her back, and they took to the air.
"What is it Sango?" Kagome called as Shippo jumped on her shoulder.
"It looks like there's a fire near the mountains ahead of us. It's too far to tell if it's an attack, but there's a lot of smoke. I think we should go look."
"There might be people in danger," Shippo agreed.
"Well I guess taking a break will have to wait a little longer," Miroku joked with a shrug, "Lead the way Sango!"
Sweet juice spilt over his fingers as Inuyasha ripped the persimmon in two, and handed one half to Rin.
"Arigato, this is one of my favourites," Rin thanked as she bit into the fruit, "What's your favourite food Inuyasha?"
"Ninja food," The hanyou answered automatically, but gave an awkward look at Rins confusion, "Uh…never mind…I don't really have a favourite."
"But everyone has something they like to eat."
"As long as it's not that stuff that burns my tongue, I'll probably eat it. I guess, maybe smoked fi…"
The hanyou stopped in his sentence as his ears and nose twitched.
He realised he'd gone to say smoked fish because he could indeed smell smoke, but it was accompanied by the scent of wood, not fish.
Sesshomaru had also stopped and looked around, whilst Ah Un shifted uncomfortably.
Inuyasha peered through the trees where he could just make out a village.
Thick, black smoke was rising from a number of buildings, and his sharp ears definitely caught screaming.
He moved closer until he could see people running around the village, and though it took a moment, he quickly recognised the attackers when one destroyed another house.
"Isn't that the eastern plain inu youkais? But that village is outside of their territory…"
"They may be protective of their own land, but like any youkai, it won't stop them from trespassing if necessary, especially into areas not far from their borders," Sesshomaru answered uncaringly as he turned back to the path.
"H-hey, wait…I know Rin's the only human you don't hate, but…"
"But what hanyou?" Sesshomaru snapped, "If you're suggesting I waste time saving their miserable lives…"
"Oh no, you're way too busy walking nowhere in particular," Inuyasha growled sarcastically as he drew Tetsaiga, "Rin's human, but you chose to save her."
"Do as you will hanyou, but don't expect me to wait around."
"Save it. The day you DON'T walk away, I'll honestly be impressed!"
Inuyasha took off through the trees, heading directly for the village.
'Damn teme…what was I thinking? Things will probably be better without his help anyway.'
Inuyasha felt something on his face, but quickly swiped it away…just a little too fast; he scratched his own cheek.
As he descended into the village, he watched the inu youkai destroy property, steal food stock, or terrorise the humans.
As Sesshomaru had told him, each one seemed completely focused on their individual targets, and didn't even twitch an ear at the presence of a stranger.
'Perfect.'
Inuyasha lined up a group sitting in the fields, munching away at whatever vegetables they'd ripped from the ground.
"KAZE NO KIZU!"
The force of the strike was incredible. One youkai was too busy chasing a human to notice the attack, and ran straight into the firing line. The woman herself skimmed the blast, though was knocked from her feet by the sheer force.
The targeted youkai saw it coming, and whilst most scrambled out of the way, two weren't so lucky.
"Kuso…" Inuyasha grumbled as the blast faded, and he saw the damage left behind, "…beta blood…attacks are strengthened…how the hell did I forget…"
He raised his sword again as every youkai still standing turned to him. They all had wild hair that fell at least the length of their shoulders, if not longer. Some had brown locks, others various shades of green.
But they all shared the same hazel eyes.
"Well? I'm not gonna stand around forever!" He challenged them.
Challenge accepted.
The closest youkai growled fiercely and charged at him. Not forgetting about their speed, he was quick to raise Tetsaiga, blocking the claws that came at him. The demon growled and kicked out, catching him lightly on the side, just enough to earn a wince.
At the sight of the first successful strike, the other youkais suddenly growled in unison, and bolted into the fight.
'Crap.'
Knocking the first opponent back, he quickly swung forward with another wind scar.
The attack was dodged, though a few were left with minor scratches or singed hair.
Three youkai snarled and jumped over head, ready to come down on him at the same time. He dive rolled out of the way, but was almost instantly set upon by the next lot. They pinned him for a moment, but only a moment, as he…quite easily…threw them off.
"Well that was…"
He was cut off as he had to defend against another strike. The youkai pushed against his blade, but he found it was little effort to push back.
"I see. Your power comes from your speed, not your physical strength. Against a slower opponent you're each pretty lethal, but in order to do any large amount of damage, you have to come in mass."
A particularly tall, lean youkai snapped and bolted at him. He'd been right about the lack of brute force, but he'd forgotten to think about the power than came behind the speed itself.
Even though he managed to get his blade up in time, the speed of his opponent was enough to send him flying to the ground.
A little winded, he pushed up on his blade, which the youkai was laying on top of, but not before the demon managed to scratch him badly across the face. He had to clench his teeth not to hiss at the pain.
The youkai raised its claws to strike again, when a sharp growl made him freeze and look away from his target. At the same time, Inuyasha felt himself tense.
'Oh no…don't tell me…'
He looked around the best he could from his position. A male larger than the rest was moving forward. He too shared the hazel eyes, but unlike his pack, his hair was short and gold.
The way everyone else stepped back from him said everything.
As his opponent backed off, Inuyasha quickly got to his feet, raising his sword once more. The leader was sniffing the air as he drew closer, making Inuyasha cringe.
'He can smell it…he knows…' He realised, cursing the bleeding scratches.
He was grateful that the alpha didn't automatically jump on him, but at the same time, he seemed to be trying to decide whether to claim him or kill him.
"Don't even think about it," He growled.
The alpha bared his fangs, apparently not liking the challenge of a beta. He stepped forward, giving a low, deep growl.
Instantly, Inuyashas ears lowered, the familiar pressure pushing down on him.
'Don't back off…don't back off…'
He'd gotten himself in this mess, he wasn't about to turn tail and run.
The booming growl that echoed over the village was unmistakable. This time the hanyou fell to his knee, half out of surprise, half from the dominance behind the sound.
Sesshomaru stormed across the field, his eyes actually red in rage.
The eastern plain youkais snarled and snapped, but back away, only their leader remaining where he was.
Inuyasha glanced up as his brother walked past him, standing face to face with the other alpha, much the same as he'd done the last time an eastern plain inu had appeared.
However, this time the alpha seemed more hesitant to fight; perhaps because this wasn't actually their territory?
Suddenly, Sesshomaru lunged forward and struck out at the alpha. He caught him badly across the chest, but otherwise didn't strike.
The eastern plain leader seemed to understand the warning, and suddenly growled to his pack, before taking off in the other direction, his pack quick to follow.
Sesshomaru gave one more warning growl to their back, but didn't pursue them.
As the youkais disappeared, Inuyasha slowly stood and sheathed his blade. He was quick to regret it however, as Sesshomaru glared over his shoulder, and turned on him. The pissed off expression actually frightened Inuyasha in the second before his brother grabbed him by the ear.
A light slap like Takehiko gave him was painful enough on the sensitive ears, but the powerful grip that Sesshomaru used actually earned a cry of pain, and Inuyasha found his legs collapsing under him.
"Could you get more foolish?" Sesshomaru snarled, and pushed down on his head, forcing him to his knees, I shouldn't have bothered saving your sorry hide. Be grateful those primitive youkai were off their own land to begin with, or I would have left you to them!"
He finished the sentence by pushing Inuyasha away. The hanyou immediately grasped his ear; if it wasn't already bruised, then it soon would be.
"Well it's not like I was expecting you to come…"
The pained whisper made the youkais frown darken.
"You said you wouldn't wait for me, so I figured this fight was my own. Why did you come?"
He glared up at his brother.
"Did you just want to show off, or did Rin ask you to help me?"
Sesshomaru didn't answer, but Inuyasha thought he caught a flicker in his eyes, a sign which only made him growl.
"That's it isn't it? You only came because of her!"
"Are you actually jealous of a human, otouto?" Sesshomaru mocked.
"What the hell do you think?" Inuyasha stood as he said those words, meeting the youkais eyes.
"I have no pity for one who dwells upon the past, Inuyasha…"
"Says he who won't get over not getting his pick of father's swords!"
Sesshomaru snarled again, letting just a little of his alpha dominance slip in.
Inuyasha shuddered, but didn't back down.
"Was the rest of the old man's pack like you? Because if they were, then maybe it's a good thing they didn't stay together!"
His ear twitching painfully, he looked away.
"I'm done. I can't take that look anymore…it's just like…"
He bit his lip, feeling his eyes burning.
"You're just like those humans who threw me out!"
The hanyou turned and dashed away, and this time, he didn't hear the youkai follow.
Sesshomaru only watched him go, before turning away.
"Fool."
"How horrible," Sango whispered, surveying the damage from the air.
The village was in a terrible state. The fires had been extinguished, but many homes barely remained standing. A lot of humans were scrambling to help the injured, but it was impossible to tell from there if anyone had been killed.
It was then she took notice of a particular group of grooves in the ground; Deep, long and straight, like a giant demon had scrapped its claws through the dirt.
"It can't be…"
She quickly directed Kirara to the ground. When they landed, the villagers jumped back in fear.
"No, please! No more demons!"
"It's alright, she's harmless," Sango tried to assure them as she jumped down.
The cat youkai shrunk to her small form to help calm them, though many still looked hesitant to believe.
"Tell me what happened here."
"A pack of crazy youkai attacked us."
"I told you Nori! I told you we couldn't trust those cursed inu youkai to leave us in peace!"
'Inu youkai?'
"Enough Tana! They may be prone to attacking travellers, but this is the first time they've attacked the village!"
"Well it's not like they needed a second try!" The second retorted, pointing to the destroyed village.
"We should be grateful no one was killed," A woman spoke hesitantly.
"Oh no, only left to die slowly from their injuries!"
"That's enough!" Sango broke through, "Arguing won't fix this. You said they've never attacked the village, do you know what could've suddenly provoked them to do so?"
"No. They've always been vicious, but as long as we kept to our land, they kept to theirs. However, lately they've taken to attacking supplies traded with other villages. Even today, their main goal seemed to be our food stores."
"We always had to be vigilant for them when travelling, but until recently, an attack was extremely rare. Mostly it was only if someone was careless enough to step into their land, we live right near their border you see…"
"It sounds as if they're acting out of desperation. Somehow their own food sources must've been cut short," Sango though out loud, "Oh! Tell me, those markings in the ground over there, was that their doing?"
"Those? No, that was another demon, one with silver hair…"
Sangos heart sank.
"He was wielding this enormous blade. I…I don't think he was out to hurt US…he looked like he was trying to fight the other pack. It's just…"
"It's just he still managed to cause us even more damage!" A villager shouted.
Sangos silence caught the attention of the first villager.
"Do you know the youkai we're speaking of?"
"Possibly…what happened after that?"
"Well it all ended when this other silver haired youkai turned up, and scared away the pack…"
"Other silver haired youkai? Did he…look like the first one?"
"A LOT like him. He was taller, his ears were a little different, and he wore a pretty ornate outfit, but the two definitely must've been from the same pack or something…"
'Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were in the same place? He didn't say they'd fought or anything…'
"Where are they now?"
"Well, the smaller one headed in that direction, and the taller in the other direction. It looked like they were arguing before they parted, I couldn't really hear what they were saying…"
'Those two can rarely be around one another without getting into a fight. Myoga said that they were supposed to be blood alpha and beta or something…but this is Inuyasha and Sesshomaru! There's just…just no way they'd actually…'
She breathed out heavily, letting go of the tension as she looked between the two directions.
"Did the unbelievable happen? Or perhaps coincidence just let them both meet in this place. I guess that would seem more likely…"
She wasn't convinced of her own thoughts.
"Kuso! Kuso kuso kuso!"
Water splashed over his face repeatedly, as if he felt the action may actually wash away some of his anger.
Inuyasha had found his way pretty deep into the forest, and the continuous slope in the path told him he was heading up a mountain side.
The water he'd found couldn't be called anything larger than a trickle, so small that it had been well hidden amongst the foliage; only the hanyous sharp nose had alerted him to it.
Like all water, it made its way casually down the mountain, pausing only for a moment in a small pool formed by rocks, like a drinking spot suited only for the smallest animals.
He shook his face, wincing as his ear twitched in pain. Carefully, he poured a handful of water over the bruised ear, knowing it wouldn't help even though it felt good for a few seconds.
He stood and tried to prick both ears, but he only ended up biting his lip as the injured one refused to raise more than half way.
'Oh well, just try to relax it…it'll be fine by tomorrow.'
The fact didn't lighten his mood one bit.
Seeing his brother's face before his eyes, he snarled and swung a punch straight at the nearest tree. Birds shrieked and flew away, whilst some small animal rushed away through the bushes.
He'd rushed on up here, but now that the tree had unwillingly absorbed a good portion of his anger, his pace chanced to an idle walk.
'I'm here again…'
He felt his shoulders slump as he rested his forehead on another tree. This was getting old, so old!
'Why can't I just stop? I'm tired of running back and forward. All I've been doing is going between alphas and temporarily making my blood chill out.'
He remembered again the vision; hovering between two choices, and yet despite the obvious reasons both presented, he found himself unable to pick.
'I just…want…to stop.'
Covering his eyes with his hands, he slowly slipped down the side of the tree. His breathing was still a bit heavier than normal thanks to getting so worked up. He wasn't in trouble yet, but he seriously had to chill out for a while.
'Just be calm…let it go…let it go…'
As his ear still stung, he found it so much harder to forget his anger than he wished.
His breathing was rapid and fierce, he could hear himself sniffing something feverously.
'Hmm, damn, what got up my nose? I can't even smell anyth…'
Awareness alerted him to the fact that it wasn't him sniffing.
His eyes snapped open, his hackles raising as eyes hovered just over his face.
His muscles tensed so much it was painful, but he couldn't move beneath the hovering youkai.
"What…what are you…?"
He easily recognised the alpha he'd encountered earlier amongst the eastern plain inus, but why on earth he was there was a mystery; This Mountain was far from his territory!
As the alpha began sniffing over his body, he admitted that it wasn't really a question of why he was there; Inuyasha had never heard him approach, he probably could've killed him if he'd so chose.
As the alpha's scent check reached his thighs, a small part of him almost wished that had been the case.
He kicked out hard, catching the alpha by surprise. He jumped up fast and raised his claws, giving a warning growl.
For whatever reason the youkai had been on the mountain in the first place he didn't know, but he'd obviously decided he wouldn't waste a chance when their paths met.
As expected, the alpha wasn't pleased by the lack of obedience, and he snarled sharply, making the hanyou flinch. He stood tall and proud, earning a frown from Inuyasha, who noted a sheer height difference between them.
The alpha stepped forward, making the beta step back. Whether or not he could take this youkai in a fight was debatable, but this alpha wasn't looking to fight.
Away from the judgement of his pack, he'd clearly resolved to bag himself a new toy.
"Keep away from me or…" Inuyasha threatened, reaching for Tetsaiga.
But the youkai recalled the blade too well, and quickly shifted right into the hanyous personal space.
Shaken from the deep growl that rumbled in the alphas throat, Inuyasha felt frozen, until claws touched lightly against his cheeks. The gentleness behind the grip made him blink in surprise at the youkai.
At least from what he'd seen, the eastern plain inus didn't seem to speak outside of animalistic sounds and body language, but within the hazel eyes, he could see just as much emotion and intelligence as any other youkai he knew.
For whatever reason the dogs of the eastern plains chose not to speak, it was definitely not because they were…as Sesshomaru would put it…primitive.
The youkai was actually regarding him, like checking his faults and assets. Even if only out of lust, he appeared quite fond of the hanyou, whom he suddenly urged backwards.
Inuyasha gasped quietly as the grip on his face firmed, and he was made to move back until he was pressed against a tree.
"Hey! Don't even…!"
Another sharp growl, and he almost bit his tongue as his teeth gritted.
The hold on his face hadn't loosened, but he felt the youkais face move to his neck, a quiet rumble that had to be the dog equivalent of a purr grazed over his skin.
'What's with this guy?'
The youkais attitude seemed like some strange mix of the other alphas to touch him.
Not as rough as Sesshomaru, but still more forceful than Takehiko.
He hissed at a short lick on his neck. Was this alpha trying to seduce him? It was as if he was only being as firm as he had to be.
He felt the tongue against his neck again, and a shaky breath left him as a faint tingle travelled down his throat.
'Maybe this is better?'
His eyes crept open at the strange option his mind presented him with.
Maybe it was better…to just start over?
He kept saying he was tired of his beta blood right? Why not just let this alpha take what it wanted and get it over with? Sesshomaru had once said the worse effects would diminish once a beta was claimed. Maybe if he was lucky, it would be good enough that he'd even be capable of going back to his friends…
The thought stirred a longing within his chest. Even though he'd barely been on his own at any time, he realised now how lonely this whole thing had made him feel.
And that in turn, stirred another pain.
'No. What am I thinking? This isn't what I want…'
He shuddered as the youkai found his way to his chest peeking out from the red material.
Had he no one he cared for…if his lust over ruled the judgement of his heart…maybe the idea wouldn't be so bad.
But whilst the touches slipping lower over his body brought light doses of pleasure, they also left behind a disgusting feeling like some gross residue.
"Stop it…"
The youkai ignored him, having taken favour to the smaller male's stomach.
"I said get off…" He growled, now placing his hands against the alpha's shoulders.
A short growl answered him, but the youkai just proceeded to slip his claws under the hem of his hakama.
'No, not you…NOT TO YOU!'
It felt as if something had burst within Inuyasha. A snarl tore from his throat, as his knee rose and slammed into the youkais chest.
The alpha reeled back, clutching his chest and spluttering.
Inuyasha had jumped away, his claws raised and twitching as his hair flared around him. However, just as quickly as the burst of energy had come, it vanished, leaving him feeling a bit light headed.
'What…what was…?'
He looked to his hands, then to the youkai.
Against neither Sesshomaru nor Takehiko had he ever been able to resist their advances, or at least not so effectively.
"An alpha can be as dominant as he wants, but unless the beta chooses him, he can never fully claim them."
Bakusuis words clicked into his memory. He'd thought they merely referred to a set rule for alphas, but had he meant something much more? Could the rule actually be implanted within instinct?
"If, I don't want them to touch me like that…then…" He whispered.
He was cut off when the youkai growled again, and walked towards him. His fists clenched, and he jumped at the alpha, throwing a punch. It was deflected easily by the speedy demon, but a clawed hand fastened around his wrist, pulling him in closer.
The alpha snarled through his teeth, making Inuyasha shudder again. He gasped and glanced over his shoulder as the youkais free hand suddenly pushed up the back of his kimono, raking over his skin.
"I said…NO!"
Inuyasha pulled against the strong grip, before another burst of heat shot through his body. Without really intending it, his legs suddenly raised up, and kicked hard into the youkais stomach.
His wrist came free, whilst the alpha rolled away across the ground.
This time, the draining of the energy burst left him stumbling a few steps.
'Not that I'm ungrateful, but I definitely can't keep this up…'
The youkai was slower to rise this time. Inuyasha got his breathing under control as he watched him get to his feet. The hazel eyes shot to where the hanyou was standing, a frustrated consideration running through them.
The alpha suddenly gave an annoyed snort as he looked away; It seemed he realised he wasn't going to get what he wanted. Inuyasha was about to feel a bit more relaxed, but the youkai suddenly turned in the other direction, and let out a loud howl.
'Crud.'
Inuyasha felt his heart bang painfully against his chest; He knew exactly what the alpha was doing.
And he didn't plan to see the results.
Something stopped him.
A silent warning, like something had stirred all through his body, raising his senses to the extreme.
"My lord?"
Jakens questioning voice barely reached Sesshomaru, and when he did eventually turn around, his gaze moved far beyond his travelling party.
"Sesshomaru Sama, did something happen?" Rin asked.
Her voice was quieter than usual. When her lord had come back without Inuyasha, she hadn't had the courage to ask why, but she already missed the hanyous presence.
Still Sesshomaru didn't respond, not even when he caught the faint echo of howls from somewhere far behind them.
Inuyasha raced further up the mountain side. He wasn't sure just how far behind him the alpha was, but he didn't intend to find out. The steep slope might slow him down, but it would still make little difference to the speedy demon.
Even worse was knowing the rest of the eastern plain inus were now on their way. They may not have dared cross a borderline on their own, but after hearing their leader's call, there was no way they'd hesitate.
"I won't give him what he wants, so he decides to kill me…how original," He grumbled, jumping up some larger rocks.
He flinched back as a mouldy scent slammed into his nose, but shook it off and kept running.
Just as the forest was beginning to thin, something caught his eye. A cave entrance was hidden fairly well…though not completely…in the mountain side behind a load of bushes.
He knew it couldn't be a good idea. Accompanying the mouldy stench was now a strong musky scent. Despite a lack of any visible signs of life, something definitely lived around here.
But as he heard another howl back down the mountain, he had to hope maybe the strong odours would block out his own.
Covering his mouth and nose, he dashed to the entrance and dived in. He almost choked as the scents seemed to worsen by ten.
Typical…this clearly had to be wherever the creature lived. The scent wasn't old enough for the cave to be abandoned.
He spluttered as the musk brought him to his knees. Something was familiar in the smell, but there were too many different elements that just confused him.
'Ah crap! I get it now…this isn't the den of just one demon…it must belong to a whole bloody pack!'
The smell was a combination of many, but belonging to members of the same pack, they were so similar that it was near impossible to pick one from the other.
He curled up on the ground, wrapping his arms around his face, trying to shield his sensitive nose.
He peered an eye over his sleeve as he heard another howl, soon followed by many others.
"I…I can't stay here…"
He almost wasn't sure he could get to his feet. His legs shook beneath his weight, but he couldn't use his arms for balance, they were occupied.
Another short growl that sounded even closer was enough to convince his body to move. He ran deeper into the cave, coughing as the smell got stronger. It wasn't surprising, just annoying.
'This place's a lot bigger than it looks…'
"GAH!"
His own cry echoed around him as the ground suddenly slopped so far that had he not been sent rolling down it, he might've thought it had disappeared all-together.
He groaned painfully as he thudded to a stop when the ground levelled out. He tried to raise up, but the second he did, he found his breath taken, and choked loudly.
He couldn't breathe…the air was absolutely saturated first and foremost by alpha stench. It had risen above the mere musk and mould to suppress anything that dare try to act high and mighty here.
Again, his kimono sleeve provided just enough protection that he didn't feel suffocated, but as he crawled further along, his body was giving out on him.
His good ear twitched as he caught muffled sounds, making his stomach clench to realise he wasn't alone. The place he'd tumbled into was dark, but he could see it was a very large open space, and around the base of the walls were strange, deep grooves, almost like sitting areas. Most of them were occupied by women, children or smaller males.
'Females and beta males?...Oh no…"
This is why the youkai had been on the mountain in the first place. He was in the chamber of the lead alpha!
The youkai were looking at the intruder questioningly. Those with children held them protectively, whilst some of the beta males shifted a little closer, curious at the presence of one like themselves.
'Now what? If there even is another way out, I can't see it!'
Inside the cave, the next growl was as loud as thunder, temporarily deafening any who heard it. Inuyasha felt his muscles tense, and noticed the other betas shrink back, a couple even huddling together for comfort.
He'd felt the effects of an alphas dominance too many times, but it seemed sort of strange to see it affect others to.
His attention was brought back to the entrance as a rumble echoed into the small space. The lead alpha had caught up quite quickly, probably after he realised the hanyou had walked straight into a dead end. He was alone, but other anxious or excited growls could be heard back up the path. No doubt the other alphas were forbidden from entering the chamber, but they did provide a useful blockade should the hanyou try to flee.
Unlike before though, he was moving upon all fours, the animalistic side of his blood leading the way now. As he slowly moved forward, Inuyasha found himself moving back in the exact same fashion, or at least as far as he could before the constant, dominant rumbling forced him back to his stomach. He hid his face again, trying to catch his breath as the alpha came to hover over him.
The youkai lowered his face into the hanyous neck, growling and baring his fangs.
'I can't move…I've gotta do something, but right now my only options are be raped or be killed…'
If only the scents weren't choking him. His head was starting to spin from the nauseating mixture, even though the lead alpha's scent dominated all else, it was difficult to pick any…
His eyes slit open slightly, and he glanced to his kimono sleeve, sniffing faintly.
The lead alpha of the eastern plain inus suddenly rose back up and snarled loudly, making all others whimper and shy away. He clenched the hanyous kimono between his fangs and ripped into it, leaving two nasty slices in the smaller males shoulder as he did so.
He went to bite again, when a short whimper from the hanyou made him stop.
Inuyashas body shook gently as his head slowly raised up, just enough to see his eyes and cheeks. The golden orbs were soft and submissive, whilst the pale skin had turned a shy shade of pink.
The alpha looked caught off guard by the suddenly passive beta. Slowly, he lowered his face closer to the one looked up at him, and gave a soft lick to the rosy skin. The hanyou shrunk back slightly, his eyes closing nervously for a second, before looking back up.
The youkai responded with a soft, approving sound. He looked conflicted now that the hanyou had suddenly changed his mind about being cooperative. Was it safe to assume that he wouldn't suddenly lash out again?
A clawed hand found its way to the red hakama, and slowly but firmly, glided along the hanyous thigh. Inuyasha flinched slightly, but just closed his eyes, breathing deeply behind his sleeve. The gentle, submissive sounds escaping him relaxed the alphas instincts. He gave a quiet growl to catch the betas attention, and coaxed him to shift onto his back.
Inuyasha kept his arm over his mouth and nose, even as he felt his kimono pulled open and a heavy weight press down on him. Just like earlier, the dominant male had chosen to become gentler now that he thought he had the other party's full cooperation.
The youkai held Inuyashas sides tightly, his mouth sucking over his abdomen, and though his free hand clenched into the ground, Inuyasha still didn't resist.
A hungry look took over the alpha. He almost ripped the hakama as he pulled them down, and flipped the hanyou back onto his stomach. He was pleased by another whimper from the hanyou.
Inuyasha felt real dread as his hips were pulled up harshly, and a disgusting, wet sensation caressed him in the last place he wanted. But he forced his face back into his sleeve, not allowing his breath to speed up.
'Just wait, just wait…'
It hurt his chest so much to keep his breaths slow and deep, almost to the point that he wanted to give a pained cry. However, he knew he had to keep it up, because he could already sense the change that was happening.
To one who could see the alphas face, he might seem as if he had gone off the edge. In the small time he had been presented with what he wanted, all but the tiniest per cent of his control had been lost to his instincts.
Inuyasha heard the rustling of clothes, before he felt the pressure from behind he'd been waiting for.
As the lustful breath of the alpha drifted by his ear, his eyes shot open.
The instinct to force away an unwanted alpha had been building up inside him the whole time, and the struggle to keep it at bay almost seemed a new kind of impossible. Now though, Inuyasha invited all that energy to let loose at once.
A viscous snarl broke free of his throat, as he yanked himself free of the dominant grip, and swung a powerful blow to the alpha's face. Far too deep into his instincts, the alpha was sent rolling across the ground, where he laid sprawled and dazed.
Inuyasha was upon him almost immediately, jumping and landing with both feet straight onto his opponent's crotch. It was completely unlike him to strike a males most sensitive spot, not because he was also a male, but because he just found it dumb and kind of weak…a move that should only be used if fighting WASN'T an option.
Much to the annoyance of his pride though, this WAS one of those situations, and tempted as he may be, getting out of the cave was more important than fighting his molester.
The alpha have given a strangled gasp of pain, and remained still, like he was struggling to catch up with what had happened.
Inuyasha was still furious. He pulled Tetsaiga from its sheath, and pointed it at the youkai.
His ears twitched in an anxious way, trying to alert him to something. He was so angry though, that it wasn't until they twitched again, that he finally took note of the sound begging for his attention. Dark though it still was, his eyes met the terrified expressions of those in the cave. Every last eye was upon the scene before them.
Horror trickled slowly over his heart; Children were crying, their mothers tried to shield their eyes, and it finally struck him that they had seen EVERYTHING.
He wasn't certain when exactly he'd raised Tetsaiga over his head, but now he carefully lowered it, and glared at the alpha.
Bakusui…Kunio…Koga…Arata…even Sesshomaru and Takehiko…he'd seen the struggle alphas were put through. Their blood was just as potent as a beta's. It was like a toxin that spread through every nerve in their body, forcing their will and actions into some instinctive decision they didn't necessarily understand or agree with.
He understood all too well the struggle taking place on the alphas face, for only his kimono sleeve and a memory had protected him from either succumbing to the lust, or from attacking the alpha whilst he still had his senses;
"The name's Bakusui, but just Baku for short. I help teach the younger children here. As you can see, today we've been learning to pick out one particular scent from the many in the air around us. I'm sure you understand how important that is in everyday life."
"I'd forgotten how hard that was..."
"Hm, it's one of those things that comes with time and practice, but once your memory locks in a scent, it's easy to sniff it out."
He recalled watching the way Baku had taught the children how vital their senses were to them. It wasn't merely a case of being able to catch scents, but being able to recognise them, and focus on them.
Upon his kimono sleeve, he could faintly make out the scent of his brother. Sesshomarus strong odour lingered within the fire rat fur, subtle against the putrid cave, but after forcing himself to focus upon it solely, his mind felt clear enough to keep what control it needed over his body.
After all, the pull of his blood alpha would always over rule any other.
"We can both do a whole lot better than this. I hope you have some idea what you've just done to your pack. If you're as intelligent as I believed you to be before, then learn to prove it!"
Inuyasha swiped his blade out fast, making every youkai in the cave gasp, snarl or yelp.
The leader gave a pained growl and cringed. However, he soon realised that the pain was limited to a small spot on his face. The message spelt out the hanyous message well; He'd forgive this time, but not again.
Inuyasha kept his blade pointed as he used his free hand to pull his hakama back up, and fumbled to straighten his kimono. All the time his eyes burnt like mad, but he wouldn't let a single youkai there see the pain. He gave a last snarl at the alpha, before backing up to the entrance. The alpha pushed up to his elbows, but otherwise didn't make a move. Only when he felt the ground slope up, did Inuyasha dare to turn his back, and run up the hill.
The other youkais were waiting there, looked confused, not one sure of what was even happening.
The second they saw the hanyou, snarls and growls echoed painfully loud in the confined space. They moved towards him until he raised his blade, and they saw the trickle of blood coating the tip.
They all looked furious, but now they had to question the hanyous strength. Not only had he come back from where he should've been trapped, but there was no sign of their alpha except for the blood on the huge blade.
Inuyasha didn't need to be part of a pack to know that without their leader, chaos and confusion would render them helpless…at least for now.
"Don't try it…" He warned one who stepped forward.
The youkai quickly stepped back, and Inuyasha slowly shifted through the group, and out the exit. Just like before, he didn't dare turn his back until he was truly out of their reach.
The second he was, he bolted down the mountain. This current delay in reaction from the eastern plain inus would only last as long as it took their alpha to recover; Best to get as far away from the chamber as he could WHILST he could.
He allowed himself to slow when he felt the ground begin to flatten out. Although he could still faintly catch the youkai scent, it only drifted through on the breeze, it didn't mark the area.
With that knowledge in mind, he felt a wave of relaxation rush through his body. The tension lifted away, but left a heavy ache in his muscles. Now that he wasn't fighting back an alpha, his beta blood wove its way into his joints, raising his breathing and making it difficult to walk.
"Come on…you can relax when you get somewhere a bit better than this…"
The last of the descent was painful thanks to the rugged landscape, which in normal circumstances would've likely been a pretty fun playground for a youkai.
He stumbled when he finally reached the bottom, and threw out Tetsaiga to catch himself. His body refused to go another step. Everything was finally catching up with him, and his hand rose to his mouth as he tried not to yell out.
His body still felt repulsive from the touches of the alpha. What he'd experienced left him feeling humiliated.
All those youkai…even children…seeing him like that…
His knees caved under him, and he let his head hang as tears spilt down his face. His hands remained upon the handle, as if letting go would be letting go of the last of his strength.
Not even when Sesshomaru had first touched him had he felt THIS sickened. No he hadn't wanted what his brother had given him…not at the time at least…regardless of what his blood said. But somehow this youkai had felt so much more forceful. The proof was in this new reaction he'd felt. If his body had rejected anyone besides Sesshomaru, he'd put it down to the youkai being his blood beta, but then why had it never happened with Takehiko?
Vice Versa, if it had happened because he truly didn't want to be touched by the strange alpha, then why had Sesshomaru been able to? He'd always run…or tried to…when Sesshomaru had made a move.
His heart was beginning to make him feel sick, but he didn't cry for very long, perhaps five minutes at most. The short moment of weakness was more of a breather after a race than an actual break down.
"Inuyasha?"
The whisper broke the tranquillity of the wind, and he had to blink a few times before he even believed he'd heard it.
"R…Rin?" He peered up.
He barely saw the girls face before she was on him, hugging him almost too tightly.
"Inuyasha sama! I was worried about you!"
"Rin? You should be long gone from here. I thought you went in the other direction…"
"We did for a while," Rin answered as she pulled back, "When Sesshomaru sama returned without you, I thought you must've fought again."
"We did, but don't worry about that now," Inuyasha chuckled dryly, pushing himself to his feet.
The five minute rest had helped, and once his balance was ready to cooperate, he re-sheathed Tetsaiga.
"Come on."
He took her hand and began walking a long side her. The air was steadier down here, but he could now catch a familiar scent that made his sore ear twitch painfully.
"Hey, thanks."
"Nani?"
"I mean thanks for coming after me. I don't know how the heck you convinced Sesshomaru, but then I guess he'd do anything to make you happy."
Rin tilted her head.
"Do you really think Sesshomaru Sama came for me?"
"Yeah. I mean hell, if you hadn't noticed, he kinda adores ya. Though I gotta admit I'm surprised he'd come back for me even when it was you asking."
"Asking him what?"
The hanyou paused and raised an eyebrow at the child.
"You asked him to come find me, right?"
"No. I mean I wanted to, but Sesshomaru Sama seemed really angry, so I didn't want to bother him. I'm sorry, should I have?"
The little girl looked confused when the hanyou just gave a blank expression, his gaze not really on her.
"Inuyasha?" She tugged his sleeve a bit.
"Huh? Oh, no…no it's fine," He snapped out of his daze.
He released her hand as he hid his own in his kimono sleeve, but continued to walk by her.
"So…what did happen?"
"I'm not sure. We were just walking, when Sesshomaru Sama just stopped. He kept looking back at where we'd come from, and then suddenly started going back. Ah Un had a really hard time keeping up with him, he was so fast."
Inuyasha knew what must've stopped Sesshomaru. Rins ears would've never been able to pick up the howls of the inu youkais from so far away, but to his brother, it would've been no difficult task.
Sesshomaru…had come back for him…of his own free choice?
"My lord!"
Rin speed up and ran ahead, whilst Inuyasha stopped.
Jaken was telling Rin off for running ahead or something, whilst she just hugged Ah Un. In the shadows a fair way back, stood his older brother.
The youkai just stared at him silently, his face unreadable. The look would normally have the hanyou on edge, ready to quip back with some retort the second the alpha spoke.
Instead, he just found himself blinking, and glancing away. It wasn't that his anger wasn't there…more like…he really didn't WANT to feel angry.
"Regardless of what it may mean to myself or anyone else…regardless of anything that has happened between you…the fact remains that Sesshomaru and yourself are brothers."
"How can two brothers feel so opposed to each other?"
'Are you…Niisan?'
'You're nothing but a filthy hanyou, don't bother thinking you'll ever be worth anyone's concern!'
Those words had led his feelings his whole life. He'd accepted that he was unwanted, and chosen to hate his brother as much as he felt hated in return.
But…
"Don't say that Inuyasha. It's sad that you don't get along, but at least you know your brother…"
"Still, it almost seems pointless, since he doesn't think of me as a brother…"
"Maybe he does…"
"What?"
"There's plenty of brothers in the world who don't get along, and can't talk without getting at each other's throats. It doesn't mean that they don't care about each other, just that they're unsure how to communicate."
Both the conversations with Takehiko and Bakusui filled his mind. He recalled the time Sesshomaru had lost himself to the lust of his alpha blood. He'd said he could pull back if he chose to, but was that really the case?
If he…a beta…was physically capable of rejecting an alpha he didn't like, then could the same be said about an alpha?
When they'd both realised how far they'd been about to go, they'd flinched away sharply…
He'd thought it was just a normal reaction…maybe their personal conflict had suddenly pushed them away…?
'Every fight…every angry word…I don't want to admit it, but it's all because of what happened when I was a kid. Why am I only realising this now? I convinced myself that I hated him, but beyond that moment of hurt, if I let just that one thing go…would I still…?'
"Hanyou."
He heard himself gasp as his head shot up. He became aware that one hand was shielding his face.
Sesshomaru was looking back at him, and when he didn't speak, Inuyasha cautiously moved closer.
His heart cringed as the memory of meeting his brother for the first time flashed past his vision. He felt like that small child again, lost and hoping that maybe…maybe…
'Do I really…?'
"Why were you near that alpha when you knew this would happen?"
"I was just exploring the mountain, I didn't know they had a cave up here. It's not even on their land."
"This particular piece of land belongs to no one, so clearly he took advantage of that. He tried to claim you, didn't he?"
Inuyasha flinched and glanced away. Sesshomaru was watching his reactions too carefully.
"And you actually rejected him?"
"My body did."
"Hm. So you're blood intervened for once. And just how did you fair against him?"
"What?"
"You entered his den. If you didn't submit, you should've been killed. Yet here you are."
Inuyasha felt his body tense again; He really needed to stop.
"I…faked submitting, then struck him down when he lost control to his alpha blood."
Sesshomaru stopped so suddenly that it took Inuyasha a second to realise. He felt himself shrink back from the look he was given.
"You faked submitting?"
"I didn't want to…I just didn't know how else to get out of there…" The hanyou diverted his gaze, feeling his cheeks warm ever so slightly.
"That is hardly the point, Inuyasha…"
Inuyasha didn't like to back down against his brother, but his feet moved before his mind did, and he quickly found himself backed against a tree.
"What I fail to understand, is how exactly you faked submission. If you didn't succumb to his alpha scent, then your physical rejections should've worn you out beyond the point of resistance."
As the gold eyes bore into his own, Inuyasha felt like anything he may try to hide was being dragged to the surface. He fought to keep the answer locked away, but his mistake came when he instinctively hid his arm behind his back.
"Let go!" He half growled when Sesshomaru grabbed the culprit arm.
Sesshomaru sent him a short warning growl in return, before returning his attention to the red material. His eyes narrowing, he leant close enough to smell the mix of scents upon it.
Inuyasha couldn't do this…the youkai was too close…and after everything he'd just been through…
Sesshomarus deep breathing suddenly halted. His eyes returned to the hanyou, cold and calculating, not allowing the younger male to know if he'd worked it out or not.
Inuyashas breath got caught in his throat when he noticed a peak in the alpha's scent…he was intentionally raising it!
Choking for a moment, he covered his face with his free arm, focusing instead on the scents there. He chose the revolting scent of wet earth, and let it fill him.
The alpha scent was still very much there, but after about ten seconds, Inuyasha suddenly glared at Sesshomaru and yanked his arm free. He jumped away, stumbling to his knees, but keeping his eyes on his brother.
Sesshomaru stood tall, tilting his head in an almost mocking way. But his eyes lacked the same emotion.
"Rin, turn around and cover your ears."
"Sesshomaru sama?"
Inuyasha shrunk back in shock. He gave the youkai a 'you can't be serious' expression as he moved closer, to which Sesshomaru only raised an eyebrow.
The look seemed out of place on him, though his intimidating aura hadn't decreased at all.
"Do as you're told Rin," Sesshomaru said firmly when the child hesitated.
"Y-yes my lord," Rin quickly turned her back and blocked her ears.
Sesshomaru hadn't shifted his gaze once, and now Inuyasha felt he couldn't look away as the youkai grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him back against another tree.
"Are you insane? She could easily turn around!" He hissed.
"She won't," Sesshomaru stated, before pressing his mouth hard over Inuyashas.
His lips burned furiously, daring him to resist any longer. A hungry growl fought to break free of his throat, but he refused it passage.
He'd had a bad enough day, he wasn't going to just give in to his pain in the ass bro…
As Inuyasha felt touches across his stomach, he carefully peered up at the youkai.
Even though he wasn't necessarily in the mood for it right now, his body showed no rejection to Sesshomaru. It never had, by his liking or not.
'He's a jerk. He's never treated me like a brother, but even so…'
Their lips separated, and Inuyasha instinctively turned his head so Sesshomaru could reach his neck. The clawed hand moved from his stomach to his groin, making it near impossible to keep quiet.
'Are you…Niisan?'
That one memory held so much pain.
'I don't know if I can…but…if I let it go, just that one thing, is it possible that passed all the anger…could I actually…?'
"You finally learnt to resist an alpha's scent, though your physical endurance could use some work."
"Pardon me if my personal best is a week."
Sesshomaru paused. The sarcasm in the reply was evident, but the lack of anger behind it seemed almost alien coming from the hanyou.
As he pulled back a bit, Inuyasha looked around and slammed his mouth against the youkais.
"Just what are you trying now otouto?" Sesshomaru grumbled, pushing him back.
But Inuyasha leant forward again, looking straight at the youkai. His words barely made it past his lips;
"To let go…"
"Louder hanyou," Sesshomaru warned, his grip tightening on the smaller males shoulder.
"I said just do it," Inuyasha sighed, lowering his gaze, "Neither of us are really in the mood. And besides, your damn sidekick is getting annoying."
Justifying the hanyous words, Jaken stood frozen where he was, his mouth still hanging open from when Sesshomaru had kissed Inuyasha.
'Sesshomaru sama! How could he…what is…with the filthy hanyou? Something must be amiss here. My lord would never touch Inuyasha in such a manner, even if the hanyou is a beta!'
He only felt more shocked and angry when Sesshomaru pinned Inuyasha against the tree, and pushed his hand down the back of the red hakama, causing Inuyasha to grit his teeth to hide a shaky gasp.
"Jaken sama, could you let me know when it's ok to look again?" Rin suddenly asked, glancing to the imp.
"Uh! N-not just yet Rin!" Jaken panicked, and threw his hands over her eyes.
Sesshomaru gave a quiet growl as his hand moved over the hanyous backside, and found the skin to be wet.
"Did he?"
"N…no, it was his tongue…" Inuyasha admitted shamefully, hiding his face in Sesshomarus shoulder, "…he tried to, but I…"
The hanyou felt his breath get stuck in his throat as a small, but unexpected pain shot threw him.
Sesshomarus finger…it had…!
A small, defensive growl slipped free; He wasn't sure if he genuinely didn't like it, or if it was merely the short pain that came with the feeling.
Sesshomaru didn't push him away. Instead he kissed him again and pushed their groins together, making the hanyou moan quietly into his mouth.
Inuyashas hands shakily found their way to the white kimono and gripped tightly as his body relaxed into total submission, whilst Sesshomaru calmly rose into dominance.
He firmly pulled the hanyous head back, and kissed between his neck and collar bone.
Inuyasha choked back another gasp and stared to the sky.
'No doubt about it. That filthy half breed has done something to my master. This is just so…so…' Jaken gripped the Nintoujou furiously, making the wood creak beneath his fingers.
Sesshomaru kissed Inuyasha deeply again, now holding him in place as he grinded against him, almost making the imp gag in horror. The silver haired men exchanged growls and whimpers quite fevourously, until Inuyasha suddenly went rigid, and Sesshomaru kept their mouths firmly sealed together, not releasing the hanyou until he relaxed once more.
Inuyasha gasped deeply when he was finally allowed to breathe, and tried to steady his breaths to stop his head spinning.
"I trust you can walk properly now?" A gruff whisper came from in front of him as the pressure lifted from his body.
His vision was still a bit blurry, but he gave a silent nod, and carefully moved to find his balance. He was a little tired, but his body didn't feel heavy now, and his strength was returning fast.
"Rin, let's go!" Sesshomaru called loud enough for the girl to notice.
She glanced around carefully to make sure she'd heard correctly, then took after her master as he moved away. Inuyasha calmly gave some space before he followed. It wasn't as much as usual, but if Sesshomaru noticed…which no doubt he did…he didn't say anything.
For once, it was Jaken who trailed at the back, glaring daggers at Inuyashas back.
"Damn hanyou…I won't let you get away with tainting my masters reputation!"
Inuyashas ear twitched and he glanced over his shoulder. He noticed the death glares, but thought nothing of the mumble; it hadn't been loud enough for him to make sense of it.
As the hanyou turned away, Jaken grabbed a rock, and tossed it in the air a few times.
"Take this hanyou!"
He threw the rock straight at the back of Inuyashas head. This time however, when Inuyashas ear twitched, he didn't ignore what he heard or sensed.
He easily ducked clean out of the way of the rock, which continued straight on to hit Sesshomaru in the shoulder.
The knock would've been less than a mosquito bite to the youkai. But none the less, he stopped dead in his tracks.
At first Inuyasha had glared to Jaken questioningly, but as the youkai slowly glared over his shoulder, he felt himself quiver even though he wasn't the one who had to be afraid.
"S-s-s-Sesshomaru s-s-sama…I…I…" Jakens voice cracked worse than thin ice, "Please forgive me m-my lord…I-I…"
He glanced to the hanyou then, and decided to try and turn things in his favour.
"I tried to stop the foolish hanyou, but he was too fast for me. Forgive my slow reactions my lord."
"What?" Inuyasha snarled, standing straight, "You little…!"
"You better beg forgiveness half breed! Not that you deserve it from my master!"
Jaken swung the Nintoujou at Inuyashas head. The hanyou ducked again, but it clipped the edge of his injured ear. It still wasn't better from earlier. He winced and lightly covered the sensitive ear.
"Inuyasha."
He looked around as Sesshomaru came up behind him, and suddenly pulled him back up. Jaken looked pleased with himself, until the youkai pulled Inuyashas hand away, and trailed the tip of his tongue along the edge of the injured ear.
Inuyasha shivered with a startled expression. Damn did that tickle like crazy!
The expression changed however when Sesshomaru lingered by his ear, whilst his other one twitched in interest.
The brothers stood like that for a moment, before suddenly pulling away, Inuyasha pouting whilst Sesshomaru took the lead again.
"Hey, imp," He turned to Jaken, "I suppose you want to know what your lord said to me?"
"Indeed," The imp replied smugly.
"He said…"
Inuyasha suddenly raised his fist and brought it down hard on Jakens head, making him face plant the ground.
"…to tell you, not to think of him as a fool."
He grabbed the small youkai out of the ground, frowning as he was knocked out.
"Even I could've told you that…baka," He whispered, and slung Jaken over his shoulder.
He grabbed the staff and continued after his brother.
"Sesshomaru sama, is everything alright?" Rin asked, still confused about what was even going on.
"Everything is fine Rin," The youkai answered almost routinely.
He glanced back to Inuyasha, who seemed more relaxed than usual. When he gazed up, he didn't glare like normal at the youkai, and there was no anger in his motion when he turned his attention elsewhere. His ears twitched here and there, and his nose vaguely sniffed at the air, not so much looking for something as simply seeing what was present.
"Keep in mind hanyou, I will not back track like this again. Wander off again, and you'll have to find your own way back."
Inuyashas eyebrows bent slightly, but he just sighed and closed his eyes.
"Ok."
Obvious or not, the calmness of the reply left the youkai unsure even how to react.
So happy to get this done.
As always, sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes...I've stayed up late to remove all the ones that I could, I just hope I found the majority at least :P
btw, don't fear any Takehiko fans...I'm hoping to bring him back in next chapter (if not, then straight after in the following chapter...depends how the next one turns out...sorry ^^').
Alright, so of course I will be working on this again asap, but I've got a very difficult section to work on in my other fanfiction, which I've put off for far too long already, so I'm afraid my attention will be turning there for sometime...plus I have another one shot to finish prior. Hence, I won't be getting back to this for a bit...but then that's nothing new with my fanfics XD...non the less, I've never abandoned one so far, and won't start now! (I love them way too much XD)
Heh heh...ok, I'm getting silly, which means I'm getting very tired...so enough ranting from me. I hope this chapter was worth it, and I will update asap.
Thanks for reading! Reviews are loved!