Tiny "Ai no Kusabi" term explanation: In the original "Ai no Kusabi" novel, Furniture are like harem guards. Basically they take care of the Pets. Their function is literally to be "useful" and "decorative". Normally they are mongrels by birth, but becoming Furniture elevates their status. In the novel, a requirement of becoming Furniture is castration. But I modified that a bit, Shippo being as young as he is. The castration would be so the Furniture wouldn't be doing things they shouldn't with the Pets, and since Shippo's too young to do that kind of thing anyway... ;;;
Now, on with the show!
Rating: R - For sexual situations and Inu Yasha's fondness for swear words.
Just as a note.. the main sexual situation in this chapter isn't exactly WAFFy, so if you're looking for warm fuzzies.. well.. I'm not to that part yet. -
This chapter has been edited, in case some zealous reporters stumble across this story and want to have it deleted for being "too explicit". It's now safely, firmly in "R-land" (Heck, I consider it PG-13 because I even cut out gasp nudity). Of course, that doesn't mean they won't ding me for grammar or something. :p
To read the unedited version (which I highly recommend if you're of age and don't mind explicit material, since that is my original vision, and I'm very proud of it), please search for it on mediaminer, at Iridescent Dreams, or my own website: inuyasha dot ficbit dot org. Replace those "dot"s with "."
By going to the version of this story on the sites mentioned above, you verify that you are of legal age for your country. I have no control where you go to read the story, and wash my hands of it.
Pairing: Ultimately, IY/Kag. With hints of Sess/Kag and Kik/IY along the way.
Disclaimer: Inu Yasha, Kagome, Sesshoumaru, Shippo, and Kikyou do not belong to me.. they are the creations of Takahashi Rumiko. Amoi, Tanagura.. in fact, the whole setting.. belong to Yoshihara Rieko. The actual story and lemony goodness, though, was written by me. But unfortunately, I don't work for Harlequin, so I'm not getting paid for this, so please don't sue me (because reviews are only considered riches to writers, not lawyers).
Ai no Koinu
By Elora
Chapter 2
Bed. Soft. Comfy. Sleepy. Were the only thoughts going through Kagome's head as warm morning sun kissed her face. But that was not what had woken her up. As she struggled to bring herself back to full consciousness, she became more fully aware of the bed shaking and a high-pitched voice crying out, "Kagome-sama! Kagome-sama! Wake up, Kagome-sama!"
Kagome blinked the last of the sleepy haze from her eyes and pushed herself into a sitting position to see a small redhair bouncing up and down on the mattress, wearing the lavender jumpsuit that was the typical uniform of Furniture.
Then the previous evening came back to her in a rush.
After the interlude in the taxi, Inu Yasha dragged her inside a tall building, one of the most prominent apartment buildings in Tanagura. Her eyes went wide and her jaw ached with the effort of keeping it from gaping open at the well-known building in front of her.
He lived in a place like this?
Inu Yasha watched her for a full minute before growing impatient and turning back to her, taking up the leash and forcing her to follow with an abrupt, "Come on."
Kagome stumbled, but she quickly regained her balance and let him lead her inside.
The main foyer was just as impressive as the outside of the building had promised, the vaulted ceiling rising several stories above her head. She looked up to gawk, somehow trusting the strange silverhair not to lead her into anyone. She had heard about the homes of the rich, but she had never dreamed they'd be anything like this!
She was led to an elevator, oblivious to the stares and whispers that followed in her wake.
Inu Yasha tapped his foot impatiently, eager to escape the susurration of voices that his sensitive ears were picking up as strangers weighed and judged his choice of Pet.
At least now he had one.
He was relieved when the doors finally slid open to admit him into the privacy of the compartment. He carefully led his Pet forward until they were both safely inside. As soon as the doors closed and his retinal scan was taken, he dropped the leash and turned toward the female who gazed at him with curious eyes.
"You are my first and only Pet, so there won't be anybody around to keep you from being bored. My Furniture is still just a kid. I wasn't planning on getting a Pet for a while yet," he offered as an explanation. "But he is reliable and should be able to look after you."
Kagome looked as though she had just sucked on a lemon. What was with the high and mighty act, anyway? He was treating her a lot more formally than he had in the car. Was he afraid of being watched?
She was just about to ask when a chime sounded, signaling Inu Yasha to take her leash in hand again just as the doors opened.
He needn't have worried. No one was there.At least, until Inu Yasha keyed in the access code to the door at the opposite end of the short hallway. As soon as the panel slid to the side...
"Welcome back, Inu Yasha-sama!" a young voice chirped. A small redhair, apparently little more than a child, bounded into the main room of Inu Yasha's suite and made a bow. When the Furniture straightened, his eyes immediately fell on the Pet. "You got one?"
"Yeah, Shippo. Now maybe Sesshoumaru will shut up for a week or two." Inu Yasha flicked a glance toward the front door, which was now closed again.
"Sesshoumaru? Who's that?" Kagome wondered. But she didn't get a chance to dwell on it before Inu Yasha reached up, fitted a key into the lock of her collar, and freed her in one swift motion. The girl stretched, loosening the abused muscles in her neck and shoulders. She was so happy to finally have that stupid thing off!
The sound of her Master's voice brought her back to the present.
"Kagome, this is Shippo. Shippo, Kagome."
The Furniture bowed. "Pleased to meet you, Kagome-sama!"
Kagome couldn't help but smile. "Nice to meet you, too, Shippo."
Inu Yasha snorted, drawing the Pet's attention back to him. "You're free for the rest of the night. Let Shippo show you around. If you need anything, tell him. I've got stuff to do."
Kagome nodded and Shippo grabbed her hand, nearly dragging her in his eagerness to finally do his job.
"Keh."
After an evening consisting of a whirlwind tour, a luxurious bubble bath complete with grooming session, and being tucked into bed wearing a clean silk nightgown ("Knew he'd forget. Hope it's not too small," Shippo had told her as he presented it to her.), she had fallen right to sleep.
To wake up to this.
"What is it, Shippo?" she asked.
"You've gotta hurry and get dressed! Boy am I glad I had your clothes cleaned last night!"
"But why?"
Shippo couldn't stop bouncing, but it wasn't a happy movement.. more like he was really, really nervous. "Sesshoumaru-sama wants to inspect you."
"Sesshoumaru-sama?"
"My pain-in-the-stuck-up-ass big brother," a familiar voice replied. Kagome stopped looking at Shippo to raise shocked eyes to Inu Yasha, who leaned carelessly on the doorframe.
"AH! HENTAI!!" the Pet cried, and without thinking, grabbed her pillow and flung it at his face.
The silverhair neatly sidestepped and the soft missile landed harmlessly on the floor with an airy plop.
"Moron. I saw you in less than that yesterday," he smirked.
"Don't you know how to knock?" Kagome asked, a light pink flush spreading over her cheeks.
"No. But we've gotta hurry. Sesshoumaru has a real thing about people being late," he rolled his eyes and gave a long-suffering sigh.
"So let me get dressed!"
"Go ahead!" he challenged.
Kagome fought down a wave of fury. How dare he?
Then she remembered.. he was her Master. He acted so unlike anyone else she'd been presented to, she kept forgetting that he technically owned her.. and she had to obey him.
With a sigh, she threw the covers back, nearly knocking Shippo off the bed and swung her legs to the ground. She saw her Pet outfit laid neatly across the back of a chair and was about to go get it when she had a perfectly wicked idea. If he was going to make her change in front of him, she really should give him a show. It was her job, after all.
Carefully locking herself into Pet mode, she lifted up her arms and started to work the nightgown off over her head.
As soon as Inu Yasha realized what she was doing, he abruptly turned his back on her. "Wh.. what did you do that for?" he blustered, his face nearly as red as his outfit.
"You told me to change!" the Pet called back.
"I didn't you know you weren't wearing anything under that!"
"Well it's not like I've had a chance to go shopping for lingerie or anything!"
Inu Yasha made a mental note. Give Shippo a catalog. Have his Pet pick out underwear. Yeah. And more clothes.
Damn this Pet thing was giving him a headache!
"Ready!" Kagome's voice broke into Inu Yasha's train of thought, making him jump a bit. He turned back around to see her dressed once more, but his mind could not resist filling in the dots.
No wonder the outfit was beige. White would have made the black show through…
"I thought you said we had to hurry?" Kagome prodded, noting the way he seemed fascinated by her clothing. Or more specifically, what was under it.
"Oh, yeah. Right." Inu Yasha fought another blush. "Come on, let's go," and he motioned for her to follow.
As soon as the two were out of hearing range, Shippo started to giggle. "Oh, I'm so glad I became Furniture! This is gonna be great!"
As the elevator chimed and opened its doors, Kagome could have sworn she felt a chill run down her spine. She gritted her teeth to keep them from chattering as she meekly followed Inu Yasha out into Sesshoumaru's rooms. As she glanced around, she noted that white was the predominant color in the room with some touches of red. She didn't like the feel of the place at all.
"Sesshoumaru! I know you're here!" Inu Yasha called out, his temper being rapidly shortened as he sensed his Pet's nervousness and heard her teeth gnash together.
"Come into my den, Inu Yasha. And bring your purchase with you," a rich baritone commanded from somewhere in the apartment.
What Sesshoumaru had referred to has his "den" looked more like the office of a Blondie, very sparsely furnished with only the desk and a few chairs. Anything paper was stored in shelves set against the pristine white walls, neat and organized. The ceiling was an extra story higher with a skylight that let sunshine filter in, creating a patterned spotlight on the floor. Behind his desk, Sesshoumaru waited, part of the skyline of Tanagura behind him.
Kagome gaped as Sesshoumaru rose. He was dressed in the plain black jumpsuit of the style most citizens of Tanagura wore, but over it he sported an open over-robe of white material with light red flower patterns at the shoulders, at the end of his long, flowing sleeves, and near the hem of the covering, that was tied at his waist with a sash of purple and yellow. His shoulder pads were spiked, almost as if they could be used as weapons. Finally, his footwear consisted of white boots with red trim at the tops, and a line of the same color running down the outside. But what intrigued her most was the fluffy cream-colored boa he wore wrapped around his left shoulder.
He was every inch what she had come to expect of silverhairs.
"Is that the Pet?" Sesshoumaru inquired, looking past Inu Yasha to Kagome.
"Yeah," Inu Yasha grunted.
Sesshoumaru came out from behind his desk and walked toward them, his innate grace making Kagome feel that familiar lump of lead in her stomach that she got every time she was confronted with someone from proper society.
But somehow, Inu Yasha never made her feel that way.
The older silverhair just kept walking, forcing his younger brother to either step aside or be flattened. Inu Yasha moved out of the way just in time, obviously fighting back the impulse to growl warningly.
"You really should keep a tighter reign on those animal emotions of yours, Inu Yasha. They may cause you grief someday," Sesshoumaru condescendingly rebuked.
Inu Yasha did not dare respond, not with Kagome standing so close to Sesshoumaru.
And why did that make a fucking difference, anyway?
Sesshoumaru extended a hand and caught her chin, his thumb on one side, his four remaining fingers on the other. He turned her head to the side, then the other way. A spark of intense dislike entered her eyes before she could quell it, and the silverhair caught it.
"Rather attractive features.. except for the eyes. Those are a decent, if ordinary, shade. It is the expression that needs work," Sesshoumaru commented. "Open your mouth."
This last part she was used to, and she knew what would immediately follow. Those who visited the Academy to get the newest arrivals had put her through this test before. Her eyes went blank as she locked herself away into the little box that kept her sane and obediently opened her mouth.
Sesshoumaru watched as the life drained from the Pet's eyes. "So, she has been well trained after all," he remarked.
Inu Yasha's hands opened and closed almost convulsively. What he wouldn't give to put his hands around Sesshoumaru's neck and squeeze until there was no air left in the jerk's body! He had no idea where the situation was going to go, but he knew that if he interfered, his brother would have no qualms about carrying out the earlier threat of "reconditioning" him.
And the thought of losing not only Kagome's soul, but his own as well, scared the hell out of him.
"Strong, white teeth. Good. No indentation on the tongue, indicative that she is open to pleasure rather than biting her tongue to quell the sensation. Close your mouth," the last, he directed to the Pet.
Kagome closed her mouth.
"Unblemished skin. Fair, yet able to blush," He ran a taloned hand through her hair. "Decent. A bit coarser than perfection, but adequate enough." Then he lowered his hand down her back, between her shoulder blades, to work on the fastenings of her clothing.
Inu Yasha caught his brother's wrist, glaring at the older man with murder in his eyes. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Sesshoumaru?" he ground out.
Sesshoumaru regarded his brother as if looking at a particularly annoying fly, his composure as cool as ever. "Such language is unbecoming. I am inspecting her, as you should have done when you bought her. She is used to this. All Pets are checked this way."
Inu Yasha's fingers loosened in shock, and Sesshoumaru flicked his wrist away, undoing the last fastener at the same time.
As the cloth fell away, Inu Yasha had to turn away. He could not bear to watch as his brother continued to touch her, even in the most intimate of places, commenting on her good and bad points as if she weren't even human. A thing.
Following the final part of the inspection, Sesshoumaru took out a handkerchief and dried his fingers on it.
"No diseases of any sort. Has not even been taken by a male. Someone thought very highly of her.. or had an eye to profits.. if they chose to have her hymen removed by a dildo rather than wasting her first full experience. 'Toy broken' Pets bring a much better price than naturally penetrated ones," Sesshoumaru mused. Finally, his cold, yet slightly amused, eyes focused on his brother once more. "I would say, Inu Yasha, that you found quite a bargain. Based on my findings, most appraisers would value her at 120 million credits."
"Well whoop-de-do. I saved you money," Inu Yasha bit out, feeling frustrated beyond belief, and utterly bleak at his inability to do anything to stop what had just happened. He couldn't bring himself to look at either his brother, or the Pet he felt he had just betrayed.
Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No, the twenty million credits was granted to you for use on a Pet. Buy her something nice with the remaining money. If she wasn't registered to you, I would make her one of my own."
Inu Yasha turned to face his brother, eyes blazing. "I'll never let you touch her again, you asshole!" he growled, going over and getting Kagome's clothing from the chair. He thrust the garment into her hands and barked, "Put it on."
She obeyed.
Tension was thick in the air, but Sesshoumaru ignored it, watching the Pet dress instead. It was all Inu Yasha could do to keep his temper in check as his brother spoke once more. "Jealousy is a dangerous emotion, Inu Yasha. Remember, she is a Pet. She will couple with many males in her lifetime. She is a thing, a toy. Becoming emotionally attached will only serve to ruin the both of you."
"Shut the hell up, Sesshoumaru!"
"I am merely giving you some brotherly advice…"
"Well stuff it back down where it came from! I can take care of myself!" At that moment, Kagome finished dressing. Inu Yasha grabbed her arm and dragged her over to the elevator. "Remember what I said, Sesshoumaru! I meant it!" and he bared his fangs before getting into the compartment and shutting Kagome and himself inside it.
"Still just a pup," Sesshoumaru mused to himself as he calmly went back behind his desk to work on that day's business reports.
To be continued...
Author's Note: First and foremost, I really want to apologize for the lateness of this chapter! Job hunting, school, and socializing has been taking up my time.. and I had a horrible writer's block in the middle of Chapter 3. But it's going smoothly now!
Originally, this chapter was going to be this long, then I added a scene, then I decided it worked better at the beginning of Chapter 3. So don't despair! The next Chapter will be nearly twice as long, so hopefully that will help make up for the shortness this time.