A/n- Okay, so Ethereal kinda pointed out to me that I kinda posted the same chapter twice (kinda)… ehehe… anyway, the REAL chapter 8 is there now, so if you don't read it, you probably won't get this chapter unless you're weird.

Or crazy.

Or way smarter than the rest of us.

…So please, if you haven't already, go back and read Chapter 8 or be weirder, crazier and smarter than the rest of us.

Dark shadows leered in and out of Juuroumaru's view. Hands clawed at his ankles, threatening to pull him under. Soft, eerie whispers followed his labored steps.

A/n- Just in case you were one of those impulsive people who didn't go read the authors note, go read the authors note… NOW!

"He betrayed you."

"He doesn't want you."

But Juuroumaru shook his head, refusing to believe their lies as he stumbled through hands that tore his clothing and tugged on his arms.

"He put chains on you."

"He hates you."

Juuroumaru paused in his struggling. Did Sesshoumaru really hate him? And in the brief moment of doubt, a hand caught his ankle and jerked him downward.

"He forgave me!" A voice in his mind argued back, and he renewed his struggle, trying to disentangle himself from their hands.

"Only to make you shut up! He grew tired of your silly crying!"

"You are now more than an irritating pet to him!" The voices sneered at him with a confident strength.

Juuroumaru's slender, silk-clad legs were engulfed in small, clawing hands. He sunk lower and lower, desperately reaching out, only to have his hands tugged by strong finger.

Tears streamed down his face as he desperately clung to the image of Sesshoumaru, telling himself over and over again that Sesshoumaru had forgiven him. But as he sunk lower and no Sesshoumaru came to him, his hope slowly dissolved.

"He doesn't love you." Juuroumaru drowned in the embrace of doubt.

Sesshoumaru shook the smaller, writhing body again as he tried to bring Juuroumaru back into the world of consciousness. As if in denial, Juuroumaru shied away, wincing even in sleep.

"Juuroumaru," He called softly, but there was no response. He dealt a rather harsh blow to Juuroumaru's cheek. Juuroumaru shot up, bumping his head soundly against Sesshoumaru's. Black dots exploded before Juuroumaru's eyes. Dazed, he fell back against the pillow, blinking unseeingly up at a white ceiling, partially obscured by the angular, pale face of Sesshoumaru. His eyes widened and he wordlessly threw himself against Sesshoumaru, clutching Sesshoumaru's clothes tightly.

He buried his face in the hollow of Sesshoumaru's elegant neck, closing his eyes and sobbing. "You forgave me! You said you forgave me! They lied! You said... you said..." Raw pain shone through the fear and uncertainty in Juuroumaru's raspy voice. Sesshoumaru shuddered a little at both the sound so near his sensitive ears, as well as the closeness of the other youkai. His arm slid around the comparatively small youkai and he gently hushed him.

Juuroumaru wouldn't stop crying, however, and the soft whispers only reminded him of the nightmare he had been woken from.

"He doesn't want you..."

"He hates you now..."Would he ever escape the pain? Sesshoumaru was slightly taken aback by the negative effect of his actions. He removed himself from Juuroumaru's hold, only to be hauled back against the other youkai who whimpered and hooked his arms around Sesshoumaru with such conviction that Sesshoumaru didn't try to pull back. Instead, he tipped Juuroumaru's chin upwards, smothering his senseless babble with a firm kiss.

What he had intended as a quick solution to Juuroumaru's doubt rapidly plunged downward into an abyss of sensual lust. Sesshoumaru's instincts were raising him up to such a height that a rational thought was scarce. He pushed Juuroumaru down beneath him, straddling his hips as he poured passion into the unbroken kiss. Juuroumaru's lips were soft and pliant, mostly because he was far too shocked to react. Sesshoumaru took no notice, however. Grasping Juuroumaru's chin, he ran his tongue along Juuroumaru's bottom lip, coaxing him to open his mouth.

In surprise, Juuroumaru accidentally complied and his mind was immediately sent reeling as Sesshoumaru's warm tongue dipped inside his mouth. He moaned unconsciously, his arms encircling Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru wasn't breathing, he wasn't thinking. All that mattered was the feeling of Juuroumaru's body beneath him, the single moan that had caused him to double his efforts in making the kiss even more pleasurable. His hands abandoned their earlier effort in keeping Juuroumaru's face still, and instead, they began roaming along Juuroumaru's pale, somewhat marred skin.

He momentarily broke the kiss, staring down at his prize. Juuroumaru's breathing was irregular and his cheeks flushed. He stared wide-eyed up at Sesshoumaru, whose cool hands were still sliding along his skin.

"Ahem! Umm... Sesshoumaru-sama...?"Sesshoumaru, whose lips had started to descend back towards Juuroumaru's, paused. Growling irritably, he sat up fixing Kyo with an annoyed look. Kyo blushed hotly, but a small smirk could be seen on his face. "Ummm... lunch is ready and I got the- erm... things you requested." With that, he ducked out of the room with the sharp grace of a fox. Sesshoumaru sighed, got up and walked to the door. Still dazed, Juuroumaru sat up and simply stared at Sesshoumaru's retreating figure. Sesshoumaru glanced back at him. "Come Juuroumaru,"

Slowly, Juuroumaru slid out of the bed, wincing at the coldness of the stone beneath his bare feet. Ankles aching, he gingerly made his way over to Sesshoumaru, finding his breathing labored after just the short walk. Sesshoumaru frowned but said nothing. Despite his seeming indifference to Juuroumaru's condition, he unconsciously walked slower and continuously glanced back over his shoulder to make sure that Juuroumaru was still following. Juuroumaru for his part was in far more pain than he showed. Every step made him feel like he was being ripped apart. The long gash across his stomach seemed on fire and the scattered cuts along his hips and ribs seemed to tear with each jarring step.

When at last they reached the dining room, a large, high-ceilinged room with a single long table down the center, Juuroumaru fell heavily in the seat Sesshoumaru directed him to sit in. He was too exhausted and hungry to even think about the hardness of the chair beneath him, or the isolation he felt with only himself and Sesshoumaru at the table.

Out of nowhere appeared a youkai servant who poured water and served a bright array of dishes whose aroma made Juuroumaru's mouth water. Juuroumaru's stomach's reaction was quicker than any other. Immediately, he felt a pang of hunger and he glanced at Sesshoumaru to see if it was okay to begin. Sesshoumaru nodded slightly and Juuroumaru's hand shot out to grab a sliver of cantaloupe. (Ahahahaha I love that word).

With little grace and a lot of food, Juuroumaru was finally sated. No longer dizzied by hunger and the ache of his sores, he took the time to glance around the large chamber. The sheer size of the room was overwhelming. The ceilings seemed endless, with a sky roof whose translucent glass let through the light of infinite stars. So mesmerized with the ceiling was Juuroumaru, that he didn't even take notice of Sesshoumaru getting up and moving around to his seat.

Sesshoumaru's firm hand on Juuroumaru's shoulder directed his gaze away from the ceiling. Sesshoumaru's look was passive, when he fixed Juuroumaru with his glassy, golden stare. "Come Juuroumaru, and we shall tend to your wounds."

Juuroumaru nodded slightly and stood obediently, wincing as his multiple wounds made themselves known again, pulling in every direction.

Slowly, painfully, he followed Sesshoumaru, occupying himself by looking at the rather stark scenery on the way up to the chambers. A faceless hallway, staircase, another blank hallway, two windows, a staircase, a familiar door. Juuroumaru shuddered. He glanced up at Sesshoumaru who didn't even glance in the direction of Juuroumaru's old room. He walked all the way down to the end of the hallway where hung a simple bouquet of dried flowers which Juuroumaru hadn't noticed before. Pushing open the door to the right of the flowers, Sesshoumaru went straight to the door in the corner which Juuroumaru vaguely remembered led to the washbasin.

Sesshoumaru reappeared moments later, motioning for the nervous youkai to come into the room.

He led Juuroumaru to the hot spring; efficiently removing Juuroumaru's soiled clothing. Throwing them unceremoniously into a far corner, he pushed the uneasy youkai into the hot water. Juuroumaru hissed at the intense heat, but let out his breath contently as the heat gently caressed his aching body. He looked up at Sesshoumaru, half expecting, and half hoping he would join like he had before. To his disappointment, Sesshoumaru left the room, leaving him to himself.

Juuroumaru didn't know how long he let himself soak in the hot water, but when finally he rose from the relaxing depths, the water had already begun to get cold. Finding a towel, he wrapped it around his waist and left the room quickly, hoping Sesshoumaru wasn't angry with him for taking so long. When he entered the comparatively cooler room, he saw that it was seemingly empty. Relaxed and sleepy, he instinctively went straight to Sesshoumaru's bed, curling up beneath the feather comforter.

It was pure bliss- he was clean, sated, and encased in warmth. And yet... there was still one more thing missing- one thing- one youkai specifically, who would've made his dream come true.

Sesshoumaru was surprised, to say the least, when he pulled back his covers to find a lavender-haired youkai, entirely nude and curled up, asleep in his bed.

A/N- sighs happily. Ooh I do love that one. Next chapter will be soon.