Game of Cat and Mouse

Just wanted to say a big thank you to my reviewers for their warm reviews! I’m very happy that people are enjoying my stories just as much as I enjoy writing them. I look kind of stupid right now with a big grin on my face, haha. /embarrassed but bows anyway


Please read disclaimer before reading! Thanks!


Chapter Three: Innocence

“How the hell did this happen!” Roared Sesshomaru, angry at how foolish he had been. If only he hadn’t been blinded by his rage and his desire to seek revenge… If only he had been more patient! Then he wouldn’t have made such a grave mistake. He had always been cautious about what vengeance could do to a person, so why hadn’t he seen this coming?

He felt so uncomfortable right now. Something inside him was pulsating and Sesshomaru couldn’t discern whether if they were bursts of sharp pain or just leftover adrenaline. He was having a hard time calming down, which was unusual and instigated additional stress. It wasn’t like he never had a senior subordinate die before, but their deaths were always by the hands of his enemies. And Silverclaw was innocent. And although he had made former rash decisions, he thought nothing of them for his satisfaction was the only thing that mattered to him. He also never failed to erase the evidence of his actions, in case they ever hinder him in any way. But the second he considered killing off the silver haired assassin, his insides churned. If he had not been overwhelmed by anger, Sesshomaru would have been surprised to find that he, the most feared person in the mafia, was in fact, in a state of utter confusion.

“I-I’m sorry, boss! I should have talked to Myoga’s wife properly before… before I jumped to conclusions!” Miroku cursed at himself for his own incompetency. Sure, Silverclaw was caught on video and he just happened to be a retired assassin, but that didn’t mean for certain that the man was the one who killed his best friend. He felt ridiculous for suggesting that Silverclaw was the man they wanted without solid proof.

Both Miroku and Sesshomaru were upset at their recklessness that led to this irreversible mistake. Miroku was taking it harder however, for it was undeniable that he had first and foremost, failed his boss. His heart flooded with guilt and regret.

“I’ll accept any kind of punishment from you, boss. But please don’t tell me to leave…!” Miroku begged having fallen to the ground with his temple practically glued to the floor in shame.

“Get up. Call Kaede, right now. Silverclaw cannot die.” Sesshomaru ordered coldly, as he made his way to the torture room. He couldn’t think about anything else right now. Before he could even imagine what kind of punishment to give to his rueful subordinate, he needed to guarantee Silverclaw’s safety.

“But I…” Miroku trailed off, bewildered by his boss’s words that was clearly mixed with concern. Knowing him, he would have made Miroku cut off his own arm by now, or worse. What had Silverclaw done to make Sesshomaru so agitated?

“Now, Miroku! Or I will see to it that you die a woman hanging naked from Kintai Bridge.” With that, Sesshomaru treaded down the hall, entered the elevator, and pressed the bottom for the basement floor where the torture room was located. He had heard Miroku stammering apologies and stumble to get to a phone. Luckily, Kaede, the organization’s physician and medical examiner, had her house close to headquarters so she should be in his office by the time he retrieved Silverclaw’s body from the dungeon.

Sesshomaru reached the torture room and quickly entered the secret password so that he’d be allowed access inside. As he hesitantly walked in, the familiar citrusy aroma invaded his nose. He winced slightly, remembering exactly what he had done to the innocent man just hours ago. Silverclaw’s position on the abrasive asphalt floor hadn’t changed since he had left. Panic stuck him like a bullet when Sesshomaru noticed that the man was still—too still. His chest indicated that he was no longer breathing. Sesshomaru ran to his side and placed a finger under the man’s nose. No air. He then brushed the strands of hair on his chest aside and placed his ears to his heart, straining to hear a beat. It felt like an eternity before a faint thumping was heard and then a sigh of relief. The taller man did what he had to to increase the shorter man’s oxygen intake. Finally his breathing had leveled sufficiently.

Upon unchaining him, Sesshomaru threw his shirt over the assassin, gently picked him off the floor and carried him, princess-style, to the elevator. As the doors closed, a couple of threads of hair fell away from Inuyasha’s face, fully revealing the man’s attractive androgynous features, among some bruises. No matter how many times he saw the man’s face, Sesshomaru would never get bored. He was discovering more and more things about this man, every surprise taking his breath away. Even when dried and cracked, Sesshomaru felt the urge to kiss the man’s lips. Not rape him with the intent of humiliating him like he had before, but to lick the skin, wet it with his own saliva, and have the pleasure of seeing the red lips gleam under the glaring lights inside the elevator. Sesshomaru was sure it would make the man’s face even more sensual.

But right now was not the time for that. If he didn’t get him to Kaede soon, the man’s heart would stop beating entirely.

Holding him tight against his wide chest, Sesshomaru walked out of the elevator and found Kaede standing outside his office door, with her equipment in a large purse in her hands.

“It has been a while, sir.” The old women said, bowing in respect. “I wish to express my condolences to you, for the loss of one of your men. I have begun funeral proceedings for Mr. Myoga.”

“Right now, I need you to look after this man.” Sesshomaru nodded in Silverclaw’s direction in his arms. “Money is not a problem, purchase anything you may need. I want him better, understand?”

“Certainly, sir. But I will need a suitable place to examine him.”

Sesshomaru gaze left her and was back to the man in his arms. Inuyasha was growing paler by the moment, and his wounds hadn’t completely closed yet. His blood pooled into the white dress shirt Sesshomaru covered him with. In his condition, going to a hotel would be too risky. With a mental sigh, Sesshomaru said, “We will go to my suite. Miroku,” he continued, glancing at the nervous man, “Get food. We’ll need to feed him later.” Motioning for Kaede to follow, the two entered into the elevator, as Miroku went back inside his boss’s office to get his cellphone, in case Sesshomaru calls him while he was out.

The entire building belonged to Sesshomaru. He had it built to serve as a headquarters for his organization, but the top ten floors and the suite were strictly for his personal use. Only select personnel were given a card key and inputted into the security system as a valid passer. The card allows one to freely move within the highly secured area, excluding the luxurious suite that only Sesshomaru used. Otherwise, permission from the boss would be required to enter, which is often needed since the important conference rooms were located on these floors. The suite was added because Sesshomaru needed a convenient place to rest in case he couldn’t leave the premises for whatever reason.

Sesshomaru didn’t like the idea of having Kaede, or anyone else for that matter, in his suite. This notion came about from the numerous attempts of copious men and women trying to invade the place so as to win him over. But it couldn’t be helped, Silverclaw needed Kaede’s medical expertise. Swiping the suite card key into a special slot in the elevator, Sesshomaru and Kaede were immediately brought up to the suite that occupied almost the entire top floor. A little area had been left out for the other elevators to be able to pass the suite floor and reach the roof where helicopters would often come and go.

“Over here.” Sesshomaru moved into a guestroom and positioned Silverclaw gently down on the king-sized bed, as a quiet whimper left the man’s lips at the sudden shift in his body.

“Check him.” Sesshomaru ordered.

“I’ll begin right away. Please excuse me.” Kaede replied, moving to sit next to the battered body and taking out her equipment from her black leather medical bag. She quickly slipped on a pair of disposable gloves and got to work.

‘You better not die on me, Silverclaw.’ Sesshomaru thought as he starred attentively at the man’s face, expecting him to, at any moment now, open his eyelids. The man had the longest and most dazzling eyelashes Sesshomaru had ever seen.

---

It was now almost dawn, as the bright sun began to rise from his resting place. Over 15 hours passed before Kaede come out of the room, with much of her clothes tarnished by blood. Throughout the entire process, Sesshomaru had to call Miroku to pick up various materials and things to assist in her work. She was now to report her findings to her boss who had left the guestroom hours earlier to make such call. She caught Sesshomaru drinking whisky, sitting cross-legged on a couch in his living room. The look on her face was severe and she couldn’t help keeping her head down due to her incapacity to speak.

“His condition?” Sesshomaru asked.

“…”

“Kaede.” He commanded, growing impatient.

“Yes… The man is in critical condition,” she hesitated, “Before I explain, I’ll tell you that I have thoroughly hydrated his body—it was necessary to heal him. Now, I found three bullet holes in his hips that refused to seal up. They were completely infested with bacteria and fungus. It was impossible to fix without cutting out some of his insides, which I did. He also had two other bullet holes in proximity, on his right thigh. From one of them, I retrieved a bullet that was embedded in an area of muscles very close to his bones.”

‘He was already injured when we got to him…Shit! But how…? And Miroku’s bullet…’ Sesshomaru contemplated, his eyes narrowing.

The woman continued her report. “His wrists were completely broken and had several gashes which I’ve managed to seal up. When I felt his upper abdomen, I noticed two of his ribs were also broken and one punctured his right lung slightly.”

‘That must have been when I held him captive in his apartment... The gashes surely came from the cuffs and chains… How could one kick do so much damage, goddamnit!’ Sesshomaru reminisced.

Kaede frowned when she noticed the fury in Sesshomaru’s eyes, and considered whether she should go on. The last thing she wanted to do was to upset the powerful man in front of her. It also came as a shock to her that Sesshomaru, who she often saw without an expression on his face, was now less attentive of his conspicuous feelings. Sensing her insecurity but ignoring it, Sesshomaru urged her to carry on.

“Continue.” He demanded.

Sighing, she spoke again. “The gashes on his back were very austere. I cleaned them and performed surgery, saving him from any potential scars since they were fresh. But if I had been called any later, they would have surely caused his death due to over excessive loss of blood. And it seems that he was also… raped.” Sesshomaru flinched. “But luckily, there was very little damage and I’ve washed him well.” Sesshomaru wasn’t relieved; he was more worried about the potential emotional and mental damage.

He also wasn’t the least bit happy to hear that the woman had touched Silverclaw in such intimate places, but he knew it was necessary. Besides, considering her ages and looks, he probably had nothing to worry about.

“I do, however, have some good news,” she said as her expression softened, “His healing abilities are astounding. When I properly treated the smaller injuries, his body began to restore by itself. It’s almost inhuman. There were several scratches, rashes, and bruises, of various sizes but most of them have already been healed. I was surprised to see a very small cut close up almost instantly when I cleaned it.” She smiled tiredly at the man starring at her. She could tell he was surprised, although most people wouldn’t catch it. Kaede, however, was a woman with intuition, and also had years of experience with impassive men so she could tell. Now her job was finally finished and she was pleased she had saved another life from danger.

“Will you prescribe him any medicine?” Sesshomaru asked, getting back on his feet to escort the healer to the elevator.

“This case is particular, for his body is quite unusual. For now, I’ll only prescribe some minor medicine, but take heed—they still need to be taken. Have one of your men come by my office sometime tomorrow.”

“Miroku will do so. I’ll have him drive you back and buy you some new clothes.” One look at her clothes told him that they were far too dirty to be reused.

“Your concern is not necessary, sir. I can handle these stains myself. Please do call me again if anything should happen to the man.”

Sesshomaru nodded. “I appreciate your help with Myoga’s case, as well as your coming today.” He said, as Kaede bowed to him one last time before she disappeared behind the elevator doors.

He flipped open his cellphone and called Miroku to order him to make sure that the woman got home safely. More food would be needed, as the batches his subordinate brought back earlier were either finished or cold. Silverclaw would need something warm to eat. Constantly making sure that there was a supply of warm food around was not exactly the best idea but Sesshomaru didn’t want Silverclaw to have to wait to eat—the man probably hadn’t eaten for days—and he didn’t know when he would awaken.

Then a loud bang was heard and Sesshomaru rushed back to see what had happened. Silverclaw had regained his conscience and was now in his kitchen.

“Silverclaw!” Sesshomaru called out to the man. He was limping and looked ever so delicate. Surely, he would fall. Sesshomaru was running and reaching his arms out before even realizing what he was doing. But he had to stop in his tracks. Sesshomaru had assumed that the man was helpless; he didn’t know how irrepressible he really was.

Silverclaw had picked up a large knife with the only thing he could still use—his mouth.

“Be calm, Silverclaw. I mean no harm.” But before he could continue, Inuyasha made his one last desperate move to escape.

Panting heavily, he did his best to ignore the pain of his beaten body, and thrust his weight towards Sesshomaru. His eyes thundered with passion—the desire to survive. Sesshomaru’s eyes met with his and he felt not fear, but his own strong desires—he wanted to protect this man.

Silverclaw turned his head to the side slightly to make sure the sharp end of the knife would hit his enemy. He was not using his own ‘claws’ but he was still better with knives than guns and he was thankful he found one in the kitchen.

Sesshomaru dodged the blade and reached for a part of its hilt, hoping to get Silverclaw to release it. If he had been against an amateur, he would have surely succeeded, but Silverclaw had just as much experience in fighting as him. He had anticipated Sesshomaru would reach for his knife by the side he moved to as he dodged, so he had quickly turned his head again, in sync with his opponent’s motion. His perfect timing succeeded in cutting the palm of Sesshomaru’s hand, but he had forgotten that his useless arms were vulnerable to capture.

Sesshomaru didn’t even react to his hand being injured. When Silverclaw’s arms were unguarded, he grabbed his right and pulled the man towards him roughly. He quickly wrapped his left arm around the younger man’s waist to prevent him from escaping.

The sudden contact of their bodies and the transfer of the heat between them made Silverclaw wince, in both pain and in fear. As he twisted his head again, to enact another blow, Sesshomaru grabbed his head gently and turn his face away so that the knife was made useless.

“Argh!” The injured man struggled to free himself, but he couldn’t ignore the pain anymore. He stopped moving when he felt dizziness and when his field of vision began to blur. He had experienced too much blood loss. In that one split second however, Sesshomaru swiftly turned his head, so that they would face each other, and then dove in for a rough kiss, the knife still in Silverclaw’s mouth.

The shock of the new turn of events made Silverclaw loosen his teeth’s grip on the knife’s hilt. Again, Sesshomaru made use of his weaknesses, and retrieved the knife from Silverclaw’s mouth. Spitting the weapon as far as he could, Sesshomaru turned back to stare at the delicate man he was holding in his strong arms.

“Stop struggling, Silverclaw!” Sesshomaru shook him a little bit. But that only made the man dizzy and weak in his knees again. He would have fallen had Sesshomaru not caught him.

“N-No… L-Let me go!” He cried out in distress.

“I can’t, you fool! Your wounds—“

“Please…! I-I just want to go home!” Tears were once again coming to his eyes, against his will. Inuyasha didn’t want to show his weak side to anyone. Especially not this person. But he was just so tired now… Every attempt to escape had failed and every effort to ignore the pain was hopeless.

“I won’t let you leave. Not until—“

“Why, damn it?! I really didn’t do anything to your friend... I only helped him, you stupid bastard!” Inuyasha rammed his head towards Sesshomaru’s chin, taking advantage of their proximity and hoping again to get away. But Sesshomaru just moved his neckline to where his chin was, effectively deepening their embrace. He held Inuyasha there in place as silent his tears wet the collar of his shirt.

Sighing, Sesshomaru whispered into his ear, “I know you are not my enemy now. Far from it actually. So don’t make me yours. I want you to rest and heal, do you understand?”

“Fuck you, this is probably another one of your amusing ideas.” Inuyasha let the man hold him and lift him up slightly, his bottom sitting on his strong arms. “My ass still hurts…”

Inuyasha had lost control of his body again. He wanted to move, but couldn’t. The tall man’s last words made him feel relieved, but only a tiny bit. He couldn’t trust the guy that easily yet. He wouldn’t have even given the asshole a chance if only his body wasn’t so weak with injuries right now.

Sesshomaru chuckled in response to Inuyasha’s complaint. As he carried Silverclaw to his own bedroom, his hand reached his butt and rubbed it affectionately.

“That ain’t helpin’, asshole.” Inuyasha closed his eyes, sensing that his vision screwing up again. Breathing in Sesshomaru’s scent, he cursed himself as he felt his own body relax.

“I’ll make you feel better—way better—after you heal. Just rest for now.” Sesshomaru smirked as he placed Silverclaw in his own king-sized bed and got in with him, pulling the sheets over them.

“No, after I heal, I’ll kick your ass….” He mumbled, feeling his severe fatigue dragging him back to sleep.

“Sleep.” Sesshomaru ordered.

“Feels…different…”

As if understand exactly what he meant, Sesshomaru replied, “We’re in my room. The guestroom’s probably filthy by now.”

“Hm…” Sleep was right around the corner.

“…Tell me your name, Silverclaw.” The older man asked, before it was too late.

“Why…”

“Tell me.”

“…Inu…yasha…”

“I see.” Sesshomaru unintentionally smiled. But this time, he chose not to think too much about it. He removed some of Inuyasha’s hair from his face and caressed his baby soft cheek, now showing more colour than it had before. He held Inuyasha close to his chest, feeling bliss as they exchanged heat, and breathed in his additive citrusy scent. It seemed sleep had no mercy on anyone for even though Sesshomaru wanted to continue looking at Inuyasha, he soon dozed off himself. It had been a long couple of days.

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Okay… maybe this was too long….
Should probably shorten it next time, haha.
Anyway, I hoped you liked the new chapter. I think a few mistakes. But I’m like Inu and Sess, too tired right now to do anything, lol. Maybe I will fix later.

Please do review if you enjoyed my story, as they really do encourage me to continue writing. /grin
See you next time!