Servant Boy

Chapter 5 recap:

"So we've established that it'd be fair for someone in a higher position to pronounce discipline on one below him. With that said, and by those standards, it'd then be fair if you were to think of the ranks, and take it up a few notches... where the Lord was the enforcer to the servant enforcer, just as the one who enforces servants is to those that serve."

Toshiru's face had finally evaporated to solid understanding as the his back hit the wall and Inuyasha stood directly in front of him. Though the same height, the hanyou somehow towered over him, his fierce aura adding to the intimidation and threatening promise he resolved to achieve should a certain boundary ever be breached again.

"Just in case ya don't understand exactly what I'm saying, I'll say it once more, in easier terms for your brain to grasp," Inuyasha said slowly, a clawed hand coming out of nowhere and attaching itself to Toshiru's slender neck. The half-demon prince leaned in, blatantly eying the column that connected head to body. "I will rip out your goddamned throat if you ever think to make up some lameass bullshit that'd get someone I call a friend into trouble, specially the kind you seem to be apart of. Does that make sense? Yeah? Good." Inuyasha pressed his claws harder into Toshiru's neck, leaving lightly bleeding pin pricks, before pushing away in disgust. "Now get the hell out of my sight."

Toshiru's mouth started twitching again, but this time for entirely different reasons and with entirely different emotions playing across his eyes.

"Yes. My Lord," the ookami said tightly, obeying. As he was about to slide the shoji closed behind him, Inuyasha called out.

"By the way, Tacky, I hope you realize that I'm pretty well acquainted with all four servant quarters, and consider the household servants as some of my closest friends. You'd be smart to remember that. Dismissed."

The soft snarl the wolf emitted did not go undetected.

But neither did the chortle Inuyasha let out after it.

~ * ~


Chapter 6: The Servant Become Bodyguard

RUN! he thought frantically as he watched the small child stand frozen before three large, wild youkai. Their eyes glowed red as they appraised their catch, licking their frothy lips.

The child's eyes were huge, never once daring to blink as he continued to stand there as if a deer that had just noticed a predator in its midst. Terror trembled throughout his small limbs, completely immobilizing him not only physically but mentally as well.

Don't just stand there, run you fool!! He knew the child before him could sense the difference between these demons and the ones the boy had grown up around within the castle.

While the ones that served in his home were docile and polite, these youkai were rogues, ones which the royal ningen referred to when deciphering between "bound demons" and "wild" ones. Rogues were even more ill thought of than bound ones, for they answered to no master and ran around the lands illegally, no collars restricting their actions whatsoever. They were usually uncouth, homely, deranged,... free creatures. Wild - and detested for that fact - though they were, they were also envied by many a Bounded.

"Caged", is what his father told him the wild ones called those who answered to humans, those who wore collars around some part of their bodies. "While humans detest those of our kind that run wild, we envy their freedom. And while we envy the rogues, they see us as weak and deserving of our imprisonment."

"Ridiculous," a smaller version of himself had said then in response. "How are we weak, when it's them who run wild with no purpose in life?"

His father just smiled down at him sadly, patting the young child’s head.

A scream broke the memory within a memory, and all attention was once more focused on the small boy as the demons descended up on him!

He tore from his disembodied position in the background, racing toward the child without thought. In a flurry of movement and yells, the beasts were slain, their blood staining his hands, his chest puffing. A small sound caught his attention and he turned around claws still raised as he blinked curiously at the child behind him.

The aching choke the other made as their eyes connected tore at his own heart...

For his face and expression, as he glanced at his reflection in the boy's eyes, was just as dangerous and horrifying as any rogues was, his neck completely free of any collar, his eyes having bled red.

And suddenly the beast within him churned at the delicious smell of the child, and he growled, his youki threatening to overwhelm him as he took a step forward against his own will.

NO! he yelled at himself, trying to reign control of his body but to no avail, he still stalked forward awkwardly, his bloodied hand still pulled back to strike as his eyes gleamed in the moonlight...

"Sesshomaru... please..." the boy pleaded, gulping and closing his eyes. Tears streamed down the sides of his face.

Sesshomaru’s claws glowed green, the poison that dripped from his fingertips hissing, before he brought them slashing down with a snarling howl-!!

Sesshomaru woke with a start, eyes wide and unfocused, having torn into the one meager sheet he had adorning his cot. Cold sweat covered his body as he sat there staring at a bare wall for what felt like hours before he realized where he was, that he'd been dreaming...

Only after his sight returned to him did he also realize the position his claws were in. Raised, as if to strike at the air in front of him.

A flash of that face made his heart lurch and he quickly dropped his arm, his other hand coming to grip at his pounding chest.

A dream, it was just... a dream, he thought as his body caught up with his mind.

These dreams, they kept coming to him more frequently, ever since his reunion with the hanyou prince, ever since the incident where Inuyasha had reprimanded Toshiru. Tormented yet thankful for their reinstated friendship, the young lord and he had slowly but surely grown closer over the course of a couple months.

The prince’s mother was still away from the castle, and while Inuyasha had confided to his youkai friend that he missed her, he’d also admitted that he was grateful for the time alone. It seemed the half-demon appreciated separation not only to learn what it would be like to rule (without her influence standing behind him), but also because he had a feeling she wouldn't be entirely happy with how he was spending the majority of his days after his initial lectures.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes at the memory of a few weeks ago when the young lor- when Inuyasha- mentioned with careful ease that his mother kept a fairly strict "leash" on him when it came to who he spent his time with. The half-demon didn't need to specify that his Lady Mother did nothing to encourage any sort of camaraderie with the help- especially the ones of youkai blood- unless it was to give an order.

And while this bit of knowledge should have shrouded his heart, Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel... somewhat relieved (though none would be the wiser to this, nor the secret smile it caused), because it meant their reunited relationship was becoming more comfortable for both of them.

Which is why the demon wasn't entirely shocked when he was brought back to a memory from earlier that day when a rather new feeling crawled up his spine at the first glance he caught of Inuyasha as he tried to inconspicuously (well, as inconspicuously as a prince could) waltz in to the dining hall for breakfast, covered in cuts, scrapes and bruises of varying colors and sizes.

While it was surprise and a hint of fear that made Sesshomaru’s instincts pound, what had caught his attention way before the sight of the rather minor wounds was actually the smell of them. They were fresh. Not even an entire day old.

Sesshomaru had set his face, impassive and professional as ever while going about his duties of serving the morning meal.

However, as soon as the prince finished filling his belly, and took his leave from the hall (as well as relieving Sesshomaru of his cleaning duties that morning to "tag along" with him to the young lord's chambers) he began to devise a plan of how to go about inquiring about the injuries. Once both were safely within Inuyasha's private rooms and away from subtly attentive ears, the demon figuratively pounced on his charge.

Though it took a bit of working up to for him to actually commence with said figurative pouncing.

Sesshomaru stood in front of the closed doors as Inuyasha sat down, reading a letter from his mother leisurely (meaning he skimmed through the mushy parts with a pinched expression adorning his face). The youkai continued to stare, a determined expression plastered over his usually blank face until the prince was finished reading. As the half-demon started to put the letter away he accidentally nicked his palm.

"Tch," the hanyou cursed at the letter in his now bleeding hand. A hand which was instantly enveloped by slightly larger, more lethal looking ones.

Inuyasha looked up at Sesshomaru as the demon went on to tend to his paper cut with a medical kit. A smile slowly lit the prince's face as he watched how intense the older male looked while handling his hand so tenderly. He snorted despite the situation as his friend to look up to see if he'd accidentally hurt him somehow.

The demon was dismayed at the laughter the prince held on his face, and thought nothing of his next actions due to circumstance; the time, place, and population that were within the vicinity dictated the degree they were allowed to act more themselves with one another. Which is why Sesshomaru asked rather bluntly, "Why are you laughing?"

"Hahaha, I'm sorry, it's just... ahahaha...you're... taking such care on one tiny scratch, something the majority of people would just suck on until it stopped bleeding. And here you are, treating it with a household medical kit like it was a gaping wound. It's just... endearing, I guess," Inuyasha said, trying his best to reign in his laughter but lost in the end as his words apparently made no sense to his friend if his put off look was anything to go on.

Crinkling his brow, Sesshomaru mentally agreed that perhaps he was being a bit too overcautious and decided to take the unintended advice given. With a firm nod to his next course of action the youkai pulled the minor injury to his mouth and attached his lips over the soft slit of skin, occasionally sucking or stroking it with his tongue.

"S-S-Sessho-....R-Ru, what..." the half-demon gasped, eyes transfixed on the mouth firmly fastened to his palm. While one of Sesshomaru's hands held Inuyasha's hand in place, the other rubbed circles around the prince’s wrist with the pad of his thumb in a soothing motion.

When the demon was finished, he kept the prince's hand upturned, motioning for his friend to look at his palm.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. The cut, while small yet red from the tear the paper caused, suddenly began to close up, the redness all but dissipating to the color of the flesh around it. Inuyasha touched it, as if his eyes had somehow deceived him.

They hadn't.

The cut had completely disappeared.

"What just happened...?" the hanyou asked, still rubbing across his palm in disbelief and intrigue. All the while looking up at the youkai before him. "Was that a... a youkai thing?"

Sesshomaru regarded him with a critical stare but decided to answer as best he could. "I am unsure as to whether all youkai have this ability. However, I come from a line that have regenerative capabilities within our saliva. I suppose it's..." the demon trailed off, contemplating something.

"...it's what?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

Sesshomaru's expression changed from open to closed off. Something the hanyou wasn't used to seeing when it was just the two of them.

"Nothing. How did you get all these cuts and bruises?" Sesshomaru asked, changing the subject as he ran the pads of his fingers softly over the visible wounds along Inuyasha’s arm. It wouldn't do to dwell on something that could not be helped. Demons, after all, were merely property, regardless that the capabilities they possessed leaned more toward that of survival were they free to live like a human. To roam free where they wished.

"Ahh.. I was sort of hoping you wouldn't notice," Inuyasha admitted, biting his lip. His eyes fluttered shut briefly at the nice sensation the stroking caused.

"It was hard not to. I could smell them before I even set eyes on them. They're relatively fresh. Not even half a day old. What happened, Inuyasha."

It was not a question, so much as a demand; something neither of them would think twice on. Their stations mattered little when one or the other was injured in some way. And when they were together they were on equal ground as far as they were concerned; no one else's opinion, not even the race of man, and the law they set to divide human and demonkind, would stand between the bond they shared.

So a simple demand of concern was never an issue.

"I was actually wanting to talk to you about it.” The half-demon looked away sheepishly.

"Go on," Sesshomaru prompted.

"Well, you know how my mother won't allow me to train with anyone that has a backbone and actually wants me to know how to handle myself in battle should one ever arise?" The demon nodded, skeptical of the reason to come. "Well, I found one. An instructor, that is. One that's teaching me about combat, the only one I've ever had that truly seems to want to train me to be ready for war, or even to just protect myself. And he's not like the other guys I've had teach me, he's not intimidated or too scared of hurting me when we spar if it's what makes me stronger. And-”

The hanyou went on talking about his teacher, all the while Sesshomaru became more and more uncomfortable with what he was hearing but otherwise remained silent through Inuyasha's praises of his instructor.

"-So will you?"

Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly as he had not been paying attention, too engrossed in his own thoughts of how he could keep his friend safe. He was skeptical of this teacher Inuyasha spoke of so proudly. Not all instructors had the best of intentions, and the ones that came to the castle to train were usually shady men with ulterior motives, from greed to revenge to dark, indecent things.

"I'm... unsure whether I... would be able to..." the demon chose his words carefully.

"Com'on! No one will mind, and I'll even tell the guards to not give you trouble so you can pass them without repercussion, just please come watch me train!"

Train? Was he even allowed to do such a thing? To partake in the viewing of the young lord's training? A servant?

"I don't think it's wise for me to leave the barracks to merely watch you train. I have chores to accomplish, and I need to help with meals among other things. Servants aren’t allowed to view a royal’s training anyway, Inuyasha."

"You won't need to worry about that. Like I said, I'll let the guards know you're okay to walk over. If they give you any crap let me know and I'll handle it. Besides, you're not a servant, Ru, you're my friend. But just so you don't have a heart attack or something, why don't you come to my training tonight after the main house has turned in for the evening? That's when our trainings usually are."

“In the evening?” the demon repeated, slightly put off.

“Yeah, my teacher prefers to work with me after hours in the old dojo just outside the east wall. It's always just him and me, so you really don't need to worry about getting in trouble or something since it'll only be us there.”

“Do the guards not even inquire about the sound of fighting?”

“Nah, I told them the first few times that if they bothered me again while training- no matter what they heard- that I’d send place them on barn duty. They didn’t think involving themselves unnecessarily was worth that. At least, not unless I sounded like something wasn't right. They stay at their posts and otherwise know to keep their mouths shut. Mostly cause if word got out to my mother... Well, while she wants me to become the best ruler I can, she wouldn't exactly approve of my sensei's teaching methods, heh.”

Sesshomaru's frown deepened. He did not like the sound of it at all; training after hours? When no other was around, save teacher and pupil? The demon's eyes narrowed slightly, but could not deny a request the young lord had given, especially when it wasn’t a demand or order.

Giving a slight nod, Sesshomaru gave his acceptance of the invitation.

Even now, coming back to the present from that memory of earlier that morning, the youkai was weary of his decision, or rather, weary of the implications of what Inuyasha had told him. He was mildly surprised that he was able to complete his chores as swiftly as he had, what with how preoccupied his mind had become, never mind how anxious he was as the day progressed towards nightfall.

However, as the evening came he found the guards had been made aware of his invite to the dojo tonight and had arranged for an escort to the outskirts of the castle where they left him to his own devices to find his way inside the dojo beyond the palace’s walls.

As he approached the facility he could easily make out the sharp sound of bamboo swords clashing rhythmically, his initial instincts perking as his rational mind soothed the shock, remembering he shouldn’t be overly concerned of danger. It was after all only a training session.

That was in the dead of night.

With no guards anywhere near the building.

The only two people occupying the old dojo being the crowned prince and his teacher.

Sesshomaru exhaled, nerves frayed but otherwise under impressive control.

At least until he heard a loud crash against a wall of the dojo as he came through the first entrance. He stopped immediately, long elfish ears wiggling slightly at the tips, straining to hear every movement he could catch. The impact he’d heard sounded almost like someone had been thrown against it, like-

Sesshomaru’s breath nearly caught when his brain finally recognized the sound that had accompanied the thud, the sound of a pained moan from a certain hanyou prince. The demon quickened his pace down the hallway to the inner room’s entrance. He tried to catch a scent that would tell him whether the young lord was hurt or not, but all he got was a nose full of incense that was customary to burn during practice in this area of the continent.

Before Sesshomaru made it to the doorway, he heard another sharp thud against the dojo wall. As he looked around the corner into the training room, he had to will himself to remain stationary as he took in the defeated hanyou inside lying against the far wall.

Inuyasha's mask was off but he was otherwise dressed up in protective gear, hunched over himself. He spit blood onto the floor before his voice wheeze out, "Damnit, that hurt."

Sesshomaru’s pulse jumped as he noticed Inuyasha suddenly tense, readying his sword; that's when the youkai noticed the other geared warrior, whom he presumed was the young prince's sensei.

The male was clad in the same armor as Inuyasha, the whiskered mask being the only difference between their garments. The teacher charged at the unprepared youth then, and Sesshomaru had to yet again restrain himself to not make his presence known as Inuyasha fended off the attack rather impressively for a few minutes. Sesshomaru took the sight in with pride and admiration.

Only when Inuyasha’s wrist seemed to give out did that look of pride turn into concern. The half-demon’s sensei used that slight window of opportunity to knock Inuyasha’s sword out of his hand, the impact causing them to jump away from one another.

Inuyasha gripped his wrist; the pain evident on his face as he held his ground despite having lost his sword. The teacher began to charge once more with intent to finish the fight, which had been the final straw that had held Sesshomaru in place.

In silent fury, the demon servant turned self-appointed protector practically flew over to the prince, grabbing the fallen sword along his way and blocking the teacher's finishing blow at nearly the last moment.

The clash, and who had blocked his final attack, seemed to take the teacher by surprise as he went rigid suddenly, not having sensed another in the dojo besides the prince and himself, before backing away cautiously the next moment. The instructor seemed to think on something momentarily before trying again to go for the prince from a different angle.

His attempt was unsuccessful, and a low growl and fierce look was the only outcome. Another silent moment passed in contemplation before the instructor once more tried to go for the prince, but this time with a different strategy in mind.

Sesshomaru’s eyes narrowed further, completely enraged that the other would still continue to threaten what he was obviously protecting after the first two defeats. And when the attack came yet again he blocked it just as easily as the others, but this time progressed with a dual attack on the teacher.

With a swift kick to the side of the geared sensei’s head, Sesshomaru managed to knock off the protective mask as the velocity of his strike with his sword shattered the bamboo sword the other held. The power of the assault propelled both of them backwards to a safer locale in the dojo, Sesshomaru immediately recovering to stand defensively in front of Inuyasha once more as the teacher on the other side of the room remained on the floor, head down as he cradled it from the massive blow.

“Sesshomaru!” Inuyasha yelled, grabbing Sesshomaru by the elbow. His eyes widened in confusion when he saw the serious look the demon turned on him, a look that seemed to scold him for even being here to train... The hanyou shook his head clear. “What the hell was that for?!”

Sesshomaru’s face contorted at the underlying reprimand, his skin crawling with defensive anger, as his glare changed back to this so-called great sensei that had the nerve to...- The youkai froze; everything from his expression to his movements ceased, the shock so paralyzing that he nearly dropped the kendo sword he held in front of him.

"Sensei! Are you okay? Did he-" Inuyasha began to say, but trailed off the moment he heard Sesshomaru gravely whisper behind him.

"...Father?"

~ * ~


Author’s Note: Yeah. That just happened. Hoozah.