A/N- Happy Birthday Adagio! New chapter up. hopefully another one coming up soon.
Large amber eyes stared at him from only inches away. Juuroumaru gasped and jerked his head back, hitting it hard on the bed frame. The eyes danced with laughter before withdrawing to a more reasonable distance. Juuroumaru's eyes quickly came into focus until the blurred orange figure had resolved itself into the body of a slim, fiery haired fox youkai. The small pointed face was graced with a coy smirk and his tale flicked eagerly back and forth beside Juuroumaru.
"Looks like I had to receive the shackles after all." Juuroumaru narrowed his eyes.
Kyo laughed, not at all threatened by the youkai, whose weak state put him at a disadvantage. "I wouldn't if I were you," he chided, scooting closer just to prove he could and that there wasn't a thing Juuroumaru could do about it. Juuroumaru was smarter than to rebel against the unyielding shackles and fight the youkai. He only sunk back seething and watching the fox's flicking tale.
Kyo sighed dramatically. "As amusing as it would be, I'm not here to tease you, Sesshoumaru-sama insists that you have food," he said, waving his hand carelessly towards a comparatively smaller plate than yesterday's. The selection was meager: an apple, bread, some berries and a glass of water. All of which, Juuroumaru noticed, didn't involve the use of chopsticks which was either meant to be a consideration, or a mockery of how uncivil he was. Either way, Juuroumaru felt no desire for food and only turned his head away to stare at the blank wall with a determined gaze.
Kyo pushed the tray close enough so that Juuroumaru could reach it if he needed to and then left with little sound other than the charm that hung from his ear.
All day, the food remained on the table untouched. Juuroumaru sat silently in his bed, his eyes staring off at an anonymous point as he sullenly brooded over everything that had happened thus far.
In a way, the strange life that the inu youkai had fashioned for himself seemed even crueler than Naraku's hated existence. Sesshoumaru had led Juuroumaru to believe that everything would be okay; that the hot springs, the soft bed and the delicious meals had all been part of the lifestyle. Instead however, one wrong move had shoved him into a tiny room, away from the inu youkai's surreal chambers and gentle kisses. Not even the fleeting moments of warmth that had flickered in the youkai's eyes were left. Only coldness.
Now, the bed beneath him felt too hard, the room too dark. It was as if he had been spit out from his own fantasy and had been returned to the life that real people were meant to live.
He cried again, trying not to envision Sesshoumaru's cold eyes or Naraku's mocking laughter. He slept, but not a peacefully. In his dreams followed by Naraku, moving only feet behind, yet disappearing whenever Juuroumaru sought to find him. At one point, Juuroumaru began to run, his footsteps were echoed, but only barely by another pair of feet that ran toward him almost simultaneously. Up ahead loomed a figure who he knew was Sesshoumaru and who would surely save him from whoever followed. But Sesshoumaru never seemed to move. He was little more than a white column in the distance, possibly Sesshoumaru, possibly not.
He was getting so close, he was sure he could see Sesshoumaru's face now, his pelt blowing like the finest silk. But suddenly, something jerked him backwards. A long chain was snaked around his chest and suddenly jerked him hard. The forgotten wound on his belly was suddenly ripped as he was forcefully dragged backwards, heaving and crying. He felt like he would be ripped in two as the chain twisted around inside the slash, blood pouring out. A small creature sprang from his belly, sharp pincers clicking furiously, but quickly vanished before Juuroumaru could reach out to him.
The chain was not finished yet. It continued pulling him further and further away from the white figure that stood motionless in the distance until he was a speck, and then nothing on a dark horizon.
Once again, he woke to the sight of large amber eyes, this time slightly concerned. Juuroumaru's brow had beads of sweat and he was panting and trembling. The dream replayed itself with frightening clarity and he could even hear his own screams in his mind. Kyo was frowning and pushing a glass against his bruised lips. He refused water and pushed the hand away, still crying. Kyo sighed. "Drink it you fool!" the voice made Juuroumaru cringe and he pushed himself away, shutting his eyes.
The image began replaying itself almost immediately and he quickly forced them open again, refusing to succumb to the dream. Kyo took his face in his hand and tried to tip the water down his throat but it only trickled down his lips and jaw. Kyo gritted his teeth in frustration. "You are not supposed to die," he said with fierce resolve. He hissed, pushed the food tray close and stormed out, his hands balled into small fists.
Juuroumaru fought with himself not to shut his eyes again, shaking his head until it spun to keep himself awake. His eyes felt heavy and his limbs would not obey him. He grit his teeth, trying to stay awake but to no avail.
The moment his eyelids unwillingly fell, the dream burst into life again. Only this time, when the chain began dragging him back and he looked up at the horizon, there was no white figure in the distance.
A/N- it gets happier, i promise!
