Update February 2015: This is a revised chapter. I believe my english is better now than back in 2011-2012... or at least now I can read this fic in english and say: "That doesn't sound right..." hehehe...

Author notes: First of all, thank you so much to Pandastarz and A.B. Plasencia for their marvelous help being my beta readers ^^ I'm really grateful, thanks for the advices and corrections! X3 I hope not to disturb you so much with future chapters ^^U

And well, here's chapter 4 I hope you like it and please, remember, everything happens in here for a reason! =3 Anyway, I'll not distract you anymore ^^ thanks for your alerts, reviews and reads!

Disclaimer: Besides the plot line, I don't own anything. Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Yomiuri TV Corporation. I'm not getting any profit from this story; this was just made for fun.

Warning: Once in a while there will be cursing. I'm not familiarized with the english dub of this series, but I don't think it's so much, because I honestly don't like bad words but sometimes they happen. You understand me, right? :3

Thanks to: petpeeves12 and A.B. Plasencia for your help when I was uploading this fic, for your corrections and beta work!

Slavery.
Author: MikoAucarod

Chapter 4. Appearances.

Cold. She was freezing. She couldn't remember ever being so cold since they began living in that apartment. Jeez, then the news was right, this year they would be facing the coldest winter in the last twenty years.

It was so frustrating.

Kagome moved under her covers, hugging herself and hiding her head between her knees. It was so cold, she couldn't sleep.

"Would you stop complaining? We can't sleep," She heard someone say from some part of the room.

"Inuyasha, do you want to switch beds?" she asked, shaking with cold. This was the first time, in almost a month, since they had been living together, that she was willing to give him the top bunk.

"What's the catch?"

"I'm cold," She whispered, as if she were a little girl, hiding deeper under the covers. The young woman heard a soft laugh coming from him, something between arrogant and moved, as if what she said was funny.

"Fine. But the upper bed will be mine starting today until the end of February."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, just please, let's switch beds now." Begged the young girl, shaking vigorously. Then she felt him remove the cover from her head, and a cold breeze entered the little cocoon that she had built around herself. Inuyasha's warm breath appeared so close to her, she shivered even more.

"Damn it, Kagome, you're so pale," he scolded before scooping her up into his arms, with the covers still around her. If she had been less sleepy she would have said or done something in protest, she couldn't deny that Inuyasha's presence, so close to her, always made her nervous. But at that moment, when she felt his warm body so close to hers, all she wanted to do was to wrap herself around him seeking comfort.

Wait a minute, how could he be so sure that she was pale if the room was completely dark? She couldn't see his face, all she could see was a black silhouette, thanks to the dull light coming from the balcony window.

Outside she could see a downpour of snow and ice falling. So that's why she was freezing.

"What time is it?"

"It's not dark yet, Kagome. It's not even eight o' clock."

That's when she remembered what had happened earlier that day. All the lights in the house had gone out because of the storm that had started at noon, and her mother had told them to go to bed early. She wondered, what the hell was her mother thinking, sending them to bed at 6pm? The storm was so strong that by three o' clock it had looked to be nightfall.

"I love snow, but when it's this much it feels more like torture," she whispered, lost in thought, making Inuyasha laugh again, softly. She felt his chest vibrate because of it. Hold on, why hadn't he let her go?

It was then when she noticed that he was walking down the stairs, towards the living room. Fearing to fall, she wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's neck, careful to not accidentally cause the shackle fall off. Speaking of shackles, she could feel the cold steel, and it worried her. If she was freezing then he, with that thing around his neck, probably felt worse.

"Don't worry, I can see perfectly. We're not going to crash into anything and I won't let you fall." he said, guessing as to why she had tensed.

"It's not just that…" Kagome relaxed realizing that he, at least, appeared to be telling the truth. "Don't you feel cold?"

"Not much." then they fell silent again.

Inuyasha put Kagome on the couch, while he went to light a fire in the fireplace. She looked really cold and he had to find some way to warm her up.

"Do you think your mother will get mad if I use the kitchen for a minute?" he asked a few seconds later, after making sure that the fire was warm enough for Kagome.

The girl shook her head and got closer to the fire. She sat in front of it, watching the logs crackle. Inuyasha walked into the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with two steaming cups. He handed one to Kagome.

"Drink it, it'll make you feel better. Don't let it get too cold."

Kagome took it and, without even knowing what it was, took a sip, savoring the delicious taste of cinnamon as it filled her mouth.

"Is this… chocolate?"

Inuyasha took a seat beside her, drank from his own cup then sighed and relaxed.

"Yup, it's chocolate with a dash of cinnamon. I don't know why, but it helps. Kaede used to ask me to make her some every winter night, that's why I thought it would help you." He told her, watching with satisfaction as a soft blush began to creep over her face once more.

"It's very effective." She concluded, taking another sip. "I love it, thank you, Inuyasha" she smiled, looking over at him. The moment she saw his face all trace of her smile disappeared and she turned pale again. She hadn't seen him since that afternoon, and he…

"What?" He asked noticing the look she was giving him, he couldn't help but worry when he noted how pale had she gone again. As if she had seen a ghost…

It was then that he realized. Damn, what day was it? How could it be that out of all the nights of the month she had to see him on precisely that night.

"Inuyasha, what- what's happening to you?"

"It's nothing, Kagome. Don't wor-"

"But you're bleeding!"

"I already told you it's nothing, and keep your voice down. Or do you want your mother to wake up?"

Inuyasha stood up and walked around the room until he found a corner away from the carpet. He had completely forgotten to count the days of the month and now, because of his neglect, Kagome…

"Why is that happening to you?"

Inuyasha sighed angrily, while looking at her. He couldn't blame her for being scared, but the stare she was giving him made him think that she felt that at any moment he would collapse completely.

"First of all, don't cry or make a big deal out of it. Even if doesn't look like it I feel perfectly fine. This happens every month, on the anniversary of my death."

The hanyou looked the same as always, except for a big patch of blood on his chest and another on his head dripping down his left cheek and on to his shoulder. Now that she could examine him better, thanks to the firelight, she noticed that his skin had a green color, as if he was poisoned.

"This is how I looked like when I died," he continued, watching Kagome closely, noticing the concern in her eyes. "Don't worry, nothing is happening to me right now at this moment, it's just…" Inuyasha struggled for the right words to say so he could explain it to her. "Imagine as if I were wearing a disguise, this was how I looked when I died. But I'm not poisoned, or hurt, or anything.

"You were poisoned?" she asked hoarsely.

Damn, he'd said too much.

Kagome stood up and walked over to him. As she moved she noticed that the covers wrapped around her were clean and there was no traces of blood on the carpet. She could even bet that the kitchen was impeccable, as always. She herself was clean, even though he had carried her against his chest, she had touched him without feeling anything.

"Why am I not-?"

"I hadn't started to bleed when I carried you. I also finished making the chocolate before that. I started bleeding only until I sat beside you. It just got dark."

"Does this only happen at night?"

"Yes, only during the nights on the day I got killed, every month. On my anniversary it's worse," he said with a slightly bitter smile, but when he noticed Kagome's gaze he realized he had said too much again.

"W-worse?"

"I become unconscious, along with all the other symptoms and injuries and blah blah blah," he said, as if dismissing the matter. It was uncomfortable to talk about.

"But if you-!"

"Keep your voice low," he said again, always keeping his voice slightly above a whisper.

Kagome tried to calm down and finally she knelt beside him. Pulling her hand out from under the covers she touched his cheek withdrawing blood from there. Instantly more blood emerged from his face, staining him again.

"You'll bleed until you die, if it continues like this…"

"I already told you that nothing is happening to me, at least not today. It just looks like it. You can't change that."

"What happened to you? Can you tell me about it?"

"Is that an order?" he asked, angrily. Was she pretending to take advantage of her power, as his owner, and force him to relive his past?

Kagome looked down and stared at the floor. Slight streaks of blood were beginning to form around the hanyou's body as it fell from his face and chest. She felt so much pain, despair and sadness. She felt so helpless unable to help him, not knowing the truth of his past… but she shook her head and silently continued drinking her chocolate.

Inuyasha stared at her, shocked. Kaede had practically forced him to tell her everything with detail. But then again, he couldn't blame her, she had only been 8 years old when she had found him. Even so she'd still taken advantage of her power… but, Kagome…

"Believe me, it'll be better if you don't know." He said, calmly, while watching the fire.

"I just want to help you…"

"No one can do anything about it, Kagome. It happened 500 years ago. You can't change the past, and wipe that look of pity and compassion of your face. I don't like it." He said, a bit roughly. Damn it, that girl made him lose his patience all the time.

Kagome didn't look up, she was lost in thought. She didn't know how long they had sat there in silence, facing each other.

"Are you better now?" Inuyasha asked suddenly, making her jump, as she looked up at him in disbelief. What did he mean by 'better'? He was the one who looked fatal. "I mean, you're not cold anymore, are you?"

Kagome couldn't help but feel bad. She had been so lost in her thoughts and emotions that she had completely forgotten about the storm outside and the coldness of it in her. Yet, Inuyasha hadn't forgotten. He never stopped worrying about her, even when he was…

"No. I feel better," she said, with a small smile. The hanyou nodded and turned to watch the fire.

He knew she felt bad but he couldn't do anything about it. What if he just told her? That would bring her more pain and suffering, he'd grown to know her so well, in that small amount of time, he had learned to recognize all of her gestures and manners. She felt other's pain as if it was hers…

… And he didn't want to cause her pain.

"You should go to sleep. If you don't want to go back to the room, you can lay down over the couch, at least it's warm."

Seconds later, he felt Kagome's cover draping over him, and looked over at her, shocked. Kagome was smiling, with sadness in her eyes. Even without knowing his past, without knowing about his death, she too had learned to read his gestures and manners, and at that moment she had noticed something very important in his eyes…

"I have no intention of leaving you alone tonight."

The girl sat beside him and placed her head on his shoulder. Inuyasha stared at her, completely surprised… she sat at his left side. She didn't care if her clothes or body were stained with his blood. She had placed herself there.

Kagome hesitated a few seconds, but in the end she lifted her hand and placed it over his heart. She could feel, through his clothes, a small bump on his skin. She didn't ask, but left her hand, right there. What had happened to him?

"It was a witch…"

Kagome lifted her eyes, fearing she had made him uncomfortable, but his eyes were calm. Even under all that blood she could see his stare, intent and steady, as always, but this time… he was truly calm.

He would definitely never stop being surprised by Kagome.

Inuyasha moved the cover draping it over Kagome as well, that way, both of them were protected against the cold. Then, he opened his haori a bit, and showed Kagome what she had asked to see, without the need of words.

The young girl covered her mouth with her hands when she saw some kind of scar bulging on his chest. It looked like burnt flesh, and it seemed that under the flesh there was something rotting… and it was right above his heart.

"This is the curse that she placed on me…"

"Who?"

"Tsubaki, the daughter of the lord of the area where I lived. She was obsessed with me, I rejected her, so she sent guards to attack me. I defeated them and escaped but she threw her curse at me. If I had known sooner that she practiced witchcraft, I would have killed her since the beginning."

"Then, those injuries…"

Inuyasha searched Kagome's face, and all he could see was worry. He could even feel it.

"I'll tell you what happened…"

"Feh! Stupid guards, they're so weak!" exclaimed the young hanyou, running through the forest. He didn't plan on staying in that area much longer. It was easy to defend himself, but it was annoying.

Then he felt as if a small stone had hit his chest and stopped. What had that been?
He opened his haori a bit and saw, with disgust, some sort of big worm biting his chest. He tried to cut it out with his claws, but the thing regenerated itself with tremendous speed and it wouldn't let go of his skin.

"Damn worm!" he yelled while aunching another attack. He could feel it, his instincts were warning him, if he didn't get rid of that thing…

In the midst of his frustration, he wounded himself with his claws, on his chest and his left shoulder. He knelt slightly.

"Damn… You should control your strength better, Inuyasha." he told himself, watching the insect had disappeared at last and he didn't have that strangled feeling anymore.

The hanyou, taking a gently hold of his shoulder with his right hand, started running again upon hearing the remaining soldiers trying to find him, not so far away.

It was then that he felt it.

He turned just in time to prevent an arrow from embedded it self in his head, but it managed to graze is forehead, causing him to bleed.

"Damn it, Tsubaki, don't be a coward and come out!"

He heard her malicious laughter and saw her coming out from in-between some trees, with some sort of small sphere in her hands.

"My dear Inuyasha, that's no way to treat the daughter of a lord. Oh well, I'll make sure to educate you properly." Tsubaki stared at the sphere between her hands and began to recite an incantation in a language unknown to Inuyasha.

"What the…?" Inuyasha trailed off when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. I made him scream in agony and fell to the floor. Moving his hand to his heart, he opened up his clothes and saw, with horror and disgust, that the skin where the worm had been was beginning to rot.

"Thanks to your lack of patience and tact, when you made yourself that wound it allowed my curse to enter your body so much faster and attack your heart. There's nothing you can do, my dear Inuyasha" she said, maliciously. Her face had an almost psychotic smile.

Inuyasha's vision started to blur as he felt an excruciating pain run through out his body. He knew it was the end, and it was very humiliating… he just wanted it all to stop.

Then… everything went dark.

"The next think I knew I was in Tsubaki's arms, I was her Slave. She bragged to the whole world about me as if I were some kind of trophy."

He didn't remember the exact moment when it had happened, but Kagome was hugging him again.

"I'm so sorry, Inuyasha…"

Strangely enough, he felt a bit better. With his right hand he started to stroke the girl's head, with great care. Her hair got tangled in his fingers and he became afraid of cutting it with his claws, but fortunately nothing happened.

He didn't know what to say, tell her to not worry? Tell her that it was something from the past? He couldn't. He himself regretted not being able to do anything to defend himself…

"… And that's the end of my tragic death." He said in a mocking tone, as an attempt to calm the girl, but she only clung closer to his chest, however, she wasn't crying. "Kagome, you're going to mess-"

"I don't care…" she said, with the front of his haori in her hands, squeezing tightly.

"Silly girl."

He… He didn't know what else to say… he didn't know how to react to her actions.

The sun was bothering him, so he drowsily opened one of his eyes and moved his ears, as always, listening to everything around him.

Kagome was still asleep, leaning on his chest. He looked at her gratefully. She could have left his side at any moment and yet she didn't. Dried blood was all over her face, clothes and hands, while he appeared as usual, with not a hint of blood. That's why he had asked her to let go, but she had ignored him.

Inuyasha took her gently in his arms and went quickly to the bathroom, before her mother or Shippo woke up and made a tremendous scandal. Fortunately for him, it was still early and no one inside the house was awake, yet.

The hanyou entered the bathroom and shook Kagome slightly, causing her to grumble in her sleep.

"Kagome, you must wake up, you need to take a shower before your mother wakes up."

"Five more minutes…"

"No can do. Get up, Kagome."

"I don't want to…"

"Kagome, you have to clean yourself." He was beginning to lose patience. "Don't make me throw you in the tub and turn the cold water on."

"I dare you," she answered, half-awake, in a challenging tone.

That was a mistake.

Inuyasha closed his eyes in fear as he felt some kind of magical strenght forcing him to obey what the girl had ordered him to do. The young hanyou threw Kagome into the tub and turned the water on, which fell with force against the girl who screamed, stood up as soon as she could and quickly got out.

"What's wrong with you?!"

"You ordered me to!" Inuyasha responded in self-defense, "I can't ignore any order you give me!"

"I was asleep! An order given when someone is sleeping isn't valid! And you know it!"

"You were half-awake! You were conscious! I can't control it!"

She grumbled, staring at him with a frown. Then she saw herself in the mirror and realized what a disaster she was. She would definitely never wear those pajamas again, they were completely stained with blood. All her anger dissipated when she saw Inuyasha again and noticed that he didn't have a single spot or wound. Nothing. He looked perfect as always.

"You didn't lie when you said that I would get dirty… but this is exaggerating, Inuyasha."

He looked down, slightly uncomfortable.

"Come on, hurry up before you get in trouble," he said before leaving the bathroom.

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Ms. Higurashi from the kitchen. "Kagome!"

"Let Inuyasha do it!"

"And why must I do it?!"

The woman appeared at the doorway to the living room to see the two of them sitting, watching the half visible screen of the TV peeking from behind the Christmas tree, while Shippo was playing with his toy horse.

"Sweetie, Inuyasha doesn't know our neighbors. I need you to get me a bit of sugar, go with one of them and ask them to give you some, please."

The girl sighed and stood up, but Inuyasha followed her closely as they left the apartment. Ms. Higurashi couldn't help but smile as she went back to her chores in the kitchen.

"If you didn't want to come, why are you following me?" she asked.

"It's boring to just watch TV… at least this way I'm not locked in at home."

"I told you that you could go to the forest whenever you wanted to. It's not necessary for you to be with me all the time."

Inuyasha didn't answer. He knew and remembered her words very well but, for some strange reason, if he went to the forest alone he felt devastated. It reminded him of those times, hundreds of years ago, before he had became a Slave. He had always been alone.

"Feh!" was all he said. He was also curious to find out from which apartment came those fights and the consequential crying, from almost every night.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Myouga. Whenever you need something, please don't hesitate to ask us."

"Hehehe, it's no big deal, young Kagome. Say hello to your mother for me."

"Of course." The girl smiled and left the apartment, and went to where Inuyasha was waiting for her, leaning against the corridor wall.

"Hey Kagome, besides the old Totousai and old Myouga, what other neighbors do you have?"

She thought about it.

"I only know the two of them." Kagome noticed Inuyasha's confusion and explained, "In this building there're a lot of departments, but only four of them are in use. We live in the apartment of the first floor, which we merged with the one above it, so you can say that we live on the first and second floors. The third floor is empty. On the forth floor lives the manager, Mr. Totousai and in the fifth floor, on the other side of the building, lives Mr. Myouga. I know that someone else lives in the sixth floor since I have seen mail in the mailbox but I don't know who it is."

'That one should be it, then,' Inuyasha thought. He was worried about the constant fights and screams that he heard and now he understood why no one else seemed to notice.

"Is something wrong, Inuyasha?"

"Do you want to go and see?" he asked in response. She nodded, thinking that her mother could wait a few more minutes.

But when they arrived to the sixth floor landing, they heard the loud shouting of insults and claims from a man and then they watched in horror as a girl fell down the stairs, towards them.

Inuyasha didn't hesitate. In less than a second he jumped the stretch between them to prevent more injuries to the woman. She seemed to already have a lot of them.

Kagome stood still, staring horrified at the person in Inuyasha's arms. He was also staring, in no less concerned horror than Kagome, at the girl lying unconscious in his arms.

What was Kikyo doing in this place?