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Seth sighed and got to his feet, then exited the small hut. Once outside, he breathed in the cool night air. It had been two days since he had brought the small pup to this place. Seth disliked being cooped up inside watching over the boy, but there was no else to do it and the pup needed almost constant supervision, lest he accidentally hurt himself. However, Seth now had an excuse to escape to the outside. He was in need of more herbs and straight sticks to set Inu's arm with. Seth had put off setting the arm long enough and knew that if there was much more delay he would have to rebreak the arm to set it. That would most certainly not go over well with Inu, since the boy didn't trust him that much in the first place.
Not that he had given him any reason to. Inu had been unconscious through the end of the battle and couldn't remember being given blood or carried to the house, not that this surprised Seth.
Seth set off at a speed that no human could ever reach and circled the vicinity of the house. Checking for anyone who might attack Inu while he was away and finding no one, Seth then set off for the rocky edges of the high hills. At the speed he was going at it only took an hour to gather everything he needed and return to the hut, where Inu was still soundly asleep.
Seth put the herbs in a pot over the fire then could only wait for them to boil. He sat down beside Inu, staring at his sleep-relaxed face.
How innocent and peaceful he looks. Does he even know how weak and vulnerable he is? How is he ever going to survive being all alone? Seth thought as he sat there.
Soon, the herbs were ready and Seth gently prodded Inu awake, ever mindful of the boy's broken body. The hanyou opened his eyes and yawned. He was startled when a mug was thrust into his hands.
"Drink," Seth instructed. Inu sniffed the cup and wrinkled his nose, he didn't recognize these herbs at all and it smelled too sweet to be a medicine.
"What is it?" he asked suspiciously.
"Medicine."
"It doesn't smell like medicine to me."
"It will make you sleep."
"I can sleep well enough on my own, why do I need this crap?"
"I'm going to set your arm, this will keep you asleep while I do it," Seth said, his patience wearing thin. Inu eyed the liquid, then turned his head away.
"No thanks. I'm good without it," Inu said handing it back, a frown on his face daring Seth to try and make him drink it. Seth sighed, he was done playing childish games with the pup. If he didn't want to be asleep while he had his broken arm set, that was fine, but he'd regret it later.
Seth took the mug and set it aside, then picked up Inu and laid him on the floor. He pulled off the oversized shirt Inu was wearing so that he could get at the broken arm and knelt beside Inu.
The now naked Inu lay on the floor, fear coursing through his body. Inu blushed at his own nakedness, then randomly wondered what Seth was going to do to him. All the things that Seth could do rose in Inu's mind, mainly thoughts of torture and rape. Inu knew things like this happened because he had lived on the streets and had been attacked by both humans and demons before. He had always been strong enough to defend himself before.
Well, except for the last time...
Thoughts of roving hands and pain flew through his mind as he remembered the one demon he hadn't been strong enough to fight. That demon was the reason he had fled so quickly to place without demons, he was wary of them now, he didn't want a repeat incident. Not after that one had been so horrible. His eyes dilated in panic too strong for him to even move. He began to shiver in fear. Above him, Seth watched this change and wondered what in the world had caused it.
"Inu Yasha," he said gently. Inu seemed to snap back, his eyes focused, but the shivers got worse. Inu swallowed hard.
"W-what are you going to do to me?" he asked in a pathetic voice. Seth frowned.
"I'm going to set your arm. Do you want to sleep?" Seth asked nodding toward the mug. Inu's eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously. Seth sighed, but figured it would be better not to force the issue.
Seth leaned forward and placed one knee on Inu's belly right below the bruise, pinning him to the ground. Inu squirmed beneath him, but was no match for the bigger man. Seth leaned down and took Inu's shoulder in one hand and his wrist in the other. Then he pulled.
Inu threw back his head and screamed, but was unable to get away since he was pinned to the floor. Inu continued to scream as the pressure on his arm increased, only to end with a loud snap. The pressure on his arm abruptly faded and Inu lie there panting as Seth immobilized his arm with the stick and pieces of leather.
When he was finished, Seth pulled a blanket off the bed and wrapped it around Inu, who was hiccuping slightly. Then he pulled Inu into his lap. Inu's body went rigid at first, but he was too drained to stay that way and he soon leaned against the other's soft skin. Seth was warm and smelled like the forest, the same way Inu's father had.
But father is also dead, Inu reminded himself, and you're just an orphan hanyou. You can't trust anyone! Inu told himself, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to believe it. There had to be someone out there he could trust. Inu looked up at Seth, who was deep in thought. Then, without warning, Seth spoke.
"What happened to you?" Seth asked. Inu felt himself turn red when he realized Seth was referring to the scene he had made earlier. Seth probably thought he was a coward.
"Nothing," Inu denied.
"You were raped," Seth replied, leaving the statement open for Inu to elaborate. Inu gasped, then swallowed.
"I-I was walking through the woods, it was bright and sunny early spring. Suddenly, something grabbed me from behind, covered my eyes, and dragged me into a cave. It was a female cat-demon. She dragged me into a room and moved this huge boulder in front of the door so that I couldn't get out. Then she took off all of her clothes. I just stood there since I didn't know what she was doing. When she came toward me I backed away and tried to run, but she was faster. She slammed me against the floor and pulled my clothes off and... and..." Inu started sobbing as Seth pressed him against his chest and wrapped his arms around him protectively.
Seth knew that should have never happened, and it wouldn't have if Inu had a family to protect him.
"D-do you think she made little bastard puppy-kittens with me?" Inu asked, teary eyed and scared. He was no where near ready to father children. Seth almost smiled.
"No, you're far too young for that."
"Does it happen a lot?"
"No, it wouldn't have happened at all if not for your demon blood."
"Do all full demons do that...to kids?" he asked, needing to understand why it had happened. Seth knew that his questions would not stop until he had a reasonable explanation.
"No, female demons almost never get to do that to kids, because young demons don't leave their mother until they can protect themselves or they're ready to do that sort of thing. Demon mothers are one of the most powerful beings alive, nothing will mess with a mother protecting her pup. But the cat demon had probably been watching you for a very long time and knew you couldn't defend yourself. She must have been desperate to choose someone so young, since demons always go for the most powerful mate. However, females in heat lose all sense of reality and will attack any male in the vicinity. You were just unfortunate, most pups your age would not be allowed out of their mother's sight in the spring months, when the females come into heat."
There was silence after Seth finished speaking, as Inu digested what he had heard. It made sense to him and he realized that he wouldn't have anything to fear once the spring months were over.
Seth, on the other hand, was not nearly so at ease. More than ever he realized how vulnerable Inu was to demon attacks. And how lucky the little hanyou was. The demon that attacked him was probably a very young female, most likely her first time in heat, and hadn't really known what to do herself. For a more experienced female, the process of mating might have gone on for days and it would have been a power struggle all the way, one Inu would not have walked away from unscathed. Seth knew that he would have to teach the hanyou a little about fighting before he left.
Seth sighed and got to his feet, then exited the small hut. Once outside, he breathed in the cool night air. It had been two days since he had brought the small pup to this place. Seth disliked being cooped up inside watching over the boy, but there was no else to do it and the pup needed almost constant supervision, lest he accidentally hurt himself. However, Seth now had an excuse to escape to the outside. He was in need of more herbs and straight sticks to set Inu's arm with. Seth had put off setting the arm long enough and knew that if there was much more delay he would have to rebreak the arm to set it. That would most certainly not go over well with Inu, since the boy didn't trust him that much in the first place.
Not that he had given him any reason to. Inu had been unconscious through the end of the battle and couldn't remember being given blood or carried to the house, not that this surprised Seth.
Seth set off at a speed that no human could ever reach and circled the vicinity of the house. Checking for anyone who might attack Inu while he was away and finding no one, Seth then set off for the rocky edges of the high hills. At the speed he was going at it only took an hour to gather everything he needed and return to the hut, where Inu was still soundly asleep.
Seth put the herbs in a pot over the fire then could only wait for them to boil. He sat down beside Inu, staring at his sleep-relaxed face.
How innocent and peaceful he looks. Does he even know how weak and vulnerable he is? How is he ever going to survive being all alone? Seth thought as he sat there.
Soon, the herbs were ready and Seth gently prodded Inu awake, ever mindful of the boy's broken body. The hanyou opened his eyes and yawned. He was startled when a mug was thrust into his hands.
"Drink," Seth instructed. Inu sniffed the cup and wrinkled his nose, he didn't recognize these herbs at all and it smelled too sweet to be a medicine.
"What is it?" he asked suspiciously.
"Medicine."
"It doesn't smell like medicine to me."
"It will make you sleep."
"I can sleep well enough on my own, why do I need this crap?"
"I'm going to set your arm, this will keep you asleep while I do it," Seth said, his patience wearing thin. Inu eyed the liquid, then turned his head away.
"No thanks. I'm good without it," Inu said handing it back, a frown on his face daring Seth to try and make him drink it. Seth sighed, he was done playing childish games with the pup. If he didn't want to be asleep while he had his broken arm set, that was fine, but he'd regret it later.
Seth took the mug and set it aside, then picked up Inu and laid him on the floor. He pulled off the oversized shirt Inu was wearing so that he could get at the broken arm and knelt beside Inu.
The now naked Inu lay on the floor, fear coursing through his body. Inu blushed at his own nakedness, then randomly wondered what Seth was going to do to him. All the things that Seth could do rose in Inu's mind, mainly thoughts of torture and rape. Inu knew things like this happened because he had lived on the streets and had been attacked by both humans and demons before. He had always been strong enough to defend himself before.
Well, except for the last time...
Thoughts of roving hands and pain flew through his mind as he remembered the one demon he hadn't been strong enough to fight. That demon was the reason he had fled so quickly to place without demons, he was wary of them now, he didn't want a repeat incident. Not after that one had been so horrible. His eyes dilated in panic too strong for him to even move. He began to shiver in fear. Above him, Seth watched this change and wondered what in the world had caused it.
"Inu Yasha," he said gently. Inu seemed to snap back, his eyes focused, but the shivers got worse. Inu swallowed hard.
"W-what are you going to do to me?" he asked in a pathetic voice. Seth frowned.
"I'm going to set your arm. Do you want to sleep?" Seth asked nodding toward the mug. Inu's eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously. Seth sighed, but figured it would be better not to force the issue.
Seth leaned forward and placed one knee on Inu's belly right below the bruise, pinning him to the ground. Inu squirmed beneath him, but was no match for the bigger man. Seth leaned down and took Inu's shoulder in one hand and his wrist in the other. Then he pulled.
Inu threw back his head and screamed, but was unable to get away since he was pinned to the floor. Inu continued to scream as the pressure on his arm increased, only to end with a loud snap. The pressure on his arm abruptly faded and Inu lie there panting as Seth immobilized his arm with the stick and pieces of leather.
When he was finished, Seth pulled a blanket off the bed and wrapped it around Inu, who was hiccuping slightly. Then he pulled Inu into his lap. Inu's body went rigid at first, but he was too drained to stay that way and he soon leaned against the other's soft skin. Seth was warm and smelled like the forest, the same way Inu's father had.
But father is also dead, Inu reminded himself, and you're just an orphan hanyou. You can't trust anyone! Inu told himself, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to believe it. There had to be someone out there he could trust. Inu looked up at Seth, who was deep in thought. Then, without warning, Seth spoke.
"What happened to you?" Seth asked. Inu felt himself turn red when he realized Seth was referring to the scene he had made earlier. Seth probably thought he was a coward.
"Nothing," Inu denied.
"You were raped," Seth replied, leaving the statement open for Inu to elaborate. Inu gasped, then swallowed.
"I-I was walking through the woods, it was bright and sunny early spring. Suddenly, something grabbed me from behind, covered my eyes, and dragged me into a cave. It was a female cat-demon. She dragged me into a room and moved this huge boulder in front of the door so that I couldn't get out. Then she took off all of her clothes. I just stood there since I didn't know what she was doing. When she came toward me I backed away and tried to run, but she was faster. She slammed me against the floor and pulled my clothes off and... and..." Inu started sobbing as Seth pressed him against his chest and wrapped his arms around him protectively.
Seth knew that should have never happened, and it wouldn't have if Inu had a family to protect him.
"D-do you think she made little bastard puppy-kittens with me?" Inu asked, teary eyed and scared. He was no where near ready to father children. Seth almost smiled.
"No, you're far too young for that."
"Does it happen a lot?"
"No, it wouldn't have happened at all if not for your demon blood."
"Do all full demons do that...to kids?" he asked, needing to understand why it had happened. Seth knew that his questions would not stop until he had a reasonable explanation.
"No, female demons almost never get to do that to kids, because young demons don't leave their mother until they can protect themselves or they're ready to do that sort of thing. Demon mothers are one of the most powerful beings alive, nothing will mess with a mother protecting her pup. But the cat demon had probably been watching you for a very long time and knew you couldn't defend yourself. She must have been desperate to choose someone so young, since demons always go for the most powerful mate. However, females in heat lose all sense of reality and will attack any male in the vicinity. You were just unfortunate, most pups your age would not be allowed out of their mother's sight in the spring months, when the females come into heat."
There was silence after Seth finished speaking, as Inu digested what he had heard. It made sense to him and he realized that he wouldn't have anything to fear once the spring months were over.
Seth, on the other hand, was not nearly so at ease. More than ever he realized how vulnerable Inu was to demon attacks. And how lucky the little hanyou was. The demon that attacked him was probably a very young female, most likely her first time in heat, and hadn't really known what to do herself. For a more experienced female, the process of mating might have gone on for days and it would have been a power struggle all the way, one Inu would not have walked away from unscathed. Seth knew that he would have to teach the hanyou a little about fighting before he left.