One Can Only Wander For So Long
folder
InuYasha AU/AR › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
7
Views:
2,367
Reviews:
8
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Category:
InuYasha AU/AR › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
7
Views:
2,367
Reviews:
8
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.
Spoiled Rotten
Heavy Revisions! - Still the same story all around, I’ve just rearranged portions. Please note that this chapter contains darker material that I have toned down *slightly* from its original. If you’d like to skip over the ‘bad’ stuff, scroll past the large italicized section. There is a short summary of what happened during that part at the end of the chapter.
Disclaimer - Of course, I don't own the Inuyasha characters.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~
One Can Only Wander for So Long
By Alesyira
~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Chapter Seven – Spoiled Rotten
A lone, disfigured woman hobbled across a darkened room, her focus set on a small, tarnished silver mirror placed carefully at the center of a dusty table. The intricate handle of a sheathed blade could be seen through the folds of cloth at her side, rustling softly against her hip as her uneven steps fell on the worn wooden floor.
Stopping in front of the table, one cold gray eye stared down at the barely reflective surface in disgust and hatred. She lifted a mangled left hand to her hip and pulled the blade free of her loosely tied waist sash. She brought it into her line of sight with the mirror and stared hard at both objects until they blurred in her vision, indistinct from the unshed tears that had surfaced.
‘You're not good enough for him....' a mocking voice echoed in her head.
Small, wicked looking eyes from the snake head that served as a fanged clasp gazed back at her as she lifted her other hand to release the blade with a barely audible *snick*; the sound of cold steel scraping against old leather seemed to magnify in the silence as it was slipped free from its sheath. She looked at the hand now clutching the blade for a moment, admiring the only appendage of hers without flaw. Carefully holding the blade, she pressed her right thumb against the sharp snake's teeth, drawing two small droplets of blood. No sounds were made other than the soft tap of the sheath against the tabletop as it was set aside.
She caught her scarred reflection in the dirtied reflective surface before she pressed her bloody right thumb to the mirror, leaving a small imprint. She closed her eyes and centered her thoughts and hatred on one being before touching the tip of the blade to the center of the mark.
An ugly green light spilled from point where the blade met her blood, engulfing the mirror in its unhealthy glow before fading, revealing an almost indiscernible image. The haggard woman set the knife aside and lifted the mirror to her face, watching the scene intently. A white dog lay curled upon the floor, sleeping in a barely-lit room.
‘He's found someone better than you... ’ the voice taunted in a near singsong tone.
Her working right eye widened for a moment before narrowing into a small slit of fury. “Is she still there?” her voice rasped out, sounding strangely dead in the emptiness of the room. The image shifted at once to show the girl from before, still alive and perfectly healthy, dozing in a bathtub. She wiped the blood from the mirror and calmly placed it back on the table as the image faded. Collecting her blade, she replaced it in its sheath before slipping the set back under her sash.
‘Give him pain...’ the voice whispered, wrapping the soft tendrils of its dark will around her tarnished soul.
“Yes... pain,” she muttered, turning from the table to shuffle slowly to a dusty bookshelf nearby. “Attack where he cannot fight back...” she said, her fingers wrapping around the spine of a particularly worn book. “Misery where he cannot hide...” she breathed as she flipped through the pages, finding the desired information quickly.
“Remember what you have forgotten, Inuyasha...” Her mouth twisted into a pleased expression as she began her work.
~-~
Something was wrong. Inuyasha was pretty sure that he was still curled up on the soft plush carpet in Kagome’s sweet-smelling bedroom, sleeping soundly... But he wasn’t. His body felt different than normal, stretched out in a strange, unfamiliar manner; his head throbbed insistently, as though he had struck it on something. His energy seemed dangerously low and he couldn’t see or hear anything properly, as though his senses had been dulled... ‘The new moon...?’ he thought wildly, confused as to how it could be occurring while he was cursed.
With a sickening sense of dread, he realized that he was reliving the long-suppressed memory of the night he’d been captured by that witch. He’d fallen from his perch in the tree, which was the cause of the massive headache that blossomed throughout his skull... and she’d drugged him with something that had dulled his ability to see and smell while leaving his skin hypersensitive to touch.
He slipped further into the dream, no longer remembering that he had already lived through the torment, losing the assurance that he’d be waking soon from the horrible nightmare that was about to turn his world upside down... again.
He couldn't put his finger on it, but something seemed... off. As his fuzziness wore off, he vaguely became aware of something alarming - his arms or legs seemed to be strangely immobile. Suddenly feeling trapped, he weakly strained his muscles, trying to get them to respond to his commands - and realized they were bound somehow to whatever he lay upon. Sharp pricks bit into the base of his thumb joint along his wrist as he pulled against his restraints, and he knew he would be unable to rip himself free while in his human form.
He became nervous at this realization, and his body broke out in a fine sweat. As the liquid cooled and evaporated from his skin, he noticed another fact - his shirts had been removed. As his attention centered on his clothing, he could also tell his pants felt looser, probably from when his inner white haori had been untucked and removed. His vision was blurry, so he couldn't make out any details of the darkened room he was in, and his whole body tingled - his nerves felt like they were hypersensitive. He was very confused about this situation: he hadn't ever been kidnapped before, if he was correct in his assumptions. He had been the target of life-threatening attacks, verbal abuse, but no one had attempted to capture him before.
Sounds to his left caught his attention and he found he was unable to rotate his head to look around himself. The sound of a door opening, followed by the soft footfalls of someone... "I see you are awake," a soft, muffled sounding voice came to his ears. "I've set up a lovely session for us, my darling, full of activities beyond your wildest dreams." Inuyasha became even more nervous, his mind flashing with various images of horrible torture that could easily kill him while he was still in his human form.
"I'm sure you've noticed by now you can't see or hear very clearly..." the woman -he was sure it was a `she' talking- ran a finger slowly down his extended arm, eliciting a shiver from him. "But you can feel everything quite well, can't you?" The soft steps moved around the room to stop on his right side. A soft breath tickled his too-sensitive ear as she whispered huskily, "I've been wanting to do this for quite some time..." as she slid her fingers over his abdomen and slipped them under the hem of his hakama, brushing the tips of her fingers teasingly over his sensitive skin, jerking from him a ragged groan.
Inuyasha was in a strange mental state, he knew this voice sounded slightly familiar, but as his underdeveloped hormones twisted and raged under her dark caress, he no longer cared about her identity. He was frightened as to her ultimate intentions, worried that she would try and force herself upon him. He was still too young to be sexually active, and the woman hovering over him seemed to be intent on doing unthinkable things with him.
He couldn’t control the slight tremor that ran through his body as she ran the flat edge of what felt like a knife along his cheek. With his sense of touch in overdrive, he couldn't hold back the pained yelp as the sharp edge of the blade turned against his skin. It slid slowly over the curve of his neck, drawing a thin line of blood. A tear slipped down his cheek, and she wiped it from his face with a soft brush of her fingertips. The sharp sting from her warm fingers tracing lightly over the wound followed as she wiped the traces of blood from his neck.
"I'll be needing much more of this before we're through, Inuyasha, for a little something special later..." He shuddered and tried not to whimper as she touched him again before withdrawing her hand. Her touches seemed to be aimed at dragging forth physical arousal from him, and regardless of the pain she caused, he was unable to control his bodily reactions to what she did to him. His feelings jumped through extremes within seconds of each other; she was leaving his body in the state of utter confusion. He had little time to collect his thoughts before she was back again, running the fine strands of something along his right arm and down his bared chest. "With you so sensitive to pain and pleasure, this will be a lot easier for me..." she murmured.
Those fine strands turned out to be attached to a small whip, which she struck him with, supposedly lightly, on the chest. All thoughts of even minor arousal left his mind in an instant, as his nerves felt as though they were exploding in pain, and through his surprise he was unable contain another pained shout.
His body was suddenly raised to a semi-standing position, it seemed whatever he was attached to could rotate. The flat surface behind his back was no longer there, for it seemed to drop away from him as he was turned up. She brushed her fingers below his waist and stroked his flesh through his pants, bringing him back to instant, confused arousal before she struck him again over his back with the whip. He was humiliated and sickened by her touches, disgusted by his body’s slight physical reaction to her manipulations. He wanted to kill the bitch that had dared violate him like this... This wasn't how things were supposed to be done, and he had never been forced to submit to anyone.
Her slight strikes stopped suddenly, much to his relief. Although he knew they were hardly even leaving marks, it felt like his back was being stripped of its flesh. Her hand gripped him through his pants and she pulled him roughly. White stars of pain erupted from behind his tightly shut eyelids and he grit his teeth in an effort to contain yet another shout of pain. He realized that he could actually make out the small noises she was making... she was enjoying this torture as much as a normal person would enjoy physical pleasure!
She removed his pants, and it seemed there was no limit to the abuse she could place on his body. His hypersensitive skin enhanced the pain she caused, enabling her to work at a more careful and leisurely pace without fear of killing him from excessive damage. He screamed again as the blade of her knife cut into his skin, drawing a gush of blood that she caught in a tarnished silver bowl.
~-~
Kagome’s short nap in the relaxing bath ended abruptly as she jerked awake. ‘What the...?’ she thought to herself, looking around in confusion. Something seemed strange, as though a chill had snuck into the room and stripped away the pleasant lethargy. She frowned and stood up, letting the water drain from the tub as she grabbed a towel to wrap around her body. She stepped toward the door to her bedroom, peeking in to see her new companion asleep on the floor at the foot of her bed.
She watched him carefully for a moment, sensing something was wrong as he twitched and whined in his sleep. ‘A nightmare?’ she thought, walking toward him in concern. She knelt at his side and ran her fingers through the soft fur of his face, willing the bad dreams away. He immediately calmed under her touch, his furrowed features relaxing into a peaceful expression.
She smiled and stood, satisfied that he would sleep easier as she walked to a dresser. She finished toweling herself off and slipped into her favorite silky pajama shirt before hanging her towel in the bathroom to dry. She checked the small security device by her bedroom door to ensure that the house alarm system was activated before getting into bed, falling asleep quickly in the comfortable warmth of her soft blankets.
Early the next morning, Inuyasha found himself waking to the soft sounds of Kagome shifting in her bed, fast asleep. He stretched his furry body out, reaching far with his paws to ease the kinks that had resulted from such a tormented evening of nightmares. It had been especially disturbing to relive his torture in such horrifying detail, as though he’d been submitted to it all over again. He twisted about, checking himself for fresh cuts – just in case he really had gone through it all again.
Reassured that he had just been dreaming, he stood and poked his nose over the edge of Kagome’s bed, watching her sleep in the early morning light. He carefully climbed up onto the foot of her bed, curling up at the edge of her mattress to keep an eye on her until she woke.
Later that morning when she finally rose to face the day, Inuyasha was right there to greet her with a seemingly happy canine-grin. She chuckled as she sat up, reaching over to scratch his head in fond affection before she stood and stretched. Inuyasha quickly averted his eyes as her short shirt rode up high, exposing her thighs and underwear. ‘It’s torture!’ a small voice reminded him as he jumped off the bed. He decided it was a very good idea to go wait elsewhere in the house for her to finish changing for the day.
She made her way into the kitchen with him close on her heels, making herself some coffee and bringing out a box of cereal for the two of them to eat. She poured herself a small bowl, holding out pieces for him to eat from her fingers as she sipped her coffee. “I’ve got to get some groceries today, since there really isn’t much in the house that I think you’d like to eat. I wonder what kind of dog food you would like?” she asked, not really aiming the question at him, but watching him for a possible response, anyways.
His brow rose in an incredulous manner, and she had the distinct feeling that he probably would not eat dog food if she presented it to him. “Ok, so dog food isn’t an option...” She bit her lip as she racked her memories for any knowledge about dogs that might prove useful, but she was drawing a blank. She only had experience with cats (fat, lazy ones at that) and so, her only option seemed to be bugging Sango for information.
‘Forget what she may be feeding me later... I think I could live off this sweet stuff...’ he thought, licking her outstretched fingers to catch any extra traces of sugar. She giggled before holding out another handful of cereal for him to eat. Sure, he was being spoiled rotten, but he easily justified the extra attention with the youkai he’d done away with the previous night. ‘Then again, if I use the destruction of potentially dangerous youkai as justification for getting spoiled...’ He couldn’t bring himself to finish that thought, worried that if the guilt got to him before he could really enjoy himself, he might regret staying with her.
His mouth twitched in the small semblance of a smile as he nuzzled her leg, perfectly comfortable with showing physical attention like any canine pet might do. ‘Who the hell cares, anyways? No one is around to see me do this stuff, and she’ll never know the truth behind my real identity.’
After they had eaten enough cereal to be satisfied for the morning, Kagome set out a bowl of cool water for him to drink and picked up the phone. Sango had said that she would come over and check on his wound’s progress sometime today, but she figured it would work just as well to give her a phone call and find out what she’d needed to know about an acceptable diet while they spoke.
Inuyasha made his way outside a short while later, loping off into the trees surrounding her home as Kagome picked up the phone to make some calls. Sango was bound to be in her clinic at this time of day, so she called there first.
Sango picked up after the first ring, but the loud crash and her shouting ‘Miroku!’ in the background made it perfectly obvious that she had her hands full. “Hey, Sango, I didn’t mean to bother you, but I wanted to give you an update on his condition, and I had some questions about dogs in general.”
“I’ve got a second, what’s up?”
“First of all, his wounds are completely healed as far as I can tell, and I didn’t want you to bother driving out here today if it wasn’t necessary.”
“That’s great news, Kagome. I’m glad he’s feeling better. I still haven’t gotten back any information on a possible owner, but I’ll give you a call if anything turns up.”
“Ok. The other thing I needed to know... What kinds of things I can feed him? He seems appalled at the idea of eating dog food.”
“Oh, I’ve got a few patients that refuse to eat that stuff, too. Here – I’ve got a diet plan with some tips...”
After jotting down some notes about what not to feed her new canine companion, she made up a short list of groceries she’d need to get, then called the local store to have them delivered to her home. It was still early in the morning, and she moved to look out the dining room window at her yard, glancing around for where he’d gone. She could see him in the farthest corner of the lawn, sitting in the sunshine and staring off into the woods. Her two calls complete, she stepped outside to see what he was up to.
That morning, the two sat on the grass, simply enjoying the sunshine for a while. Lunch was an amusing affair – it turned out that Inuyasha had a definite preference for ramen noodles. She ended up making several packages of the stuff for him before he would stop turning that sparkling sad puppy-dog gaze on her.
‘It seems that with a twist of my brow and a sorrowful gaze, this woman will give in to almost anything I desire...’ he mused, carefully slurping up yet another bowl of the salty noodle dish. ‘I can’t imagine what could make this any better...’ The image of him in his original form flashed through his thoughts, giving him an idea of what would make life with Kagome better... if his curse were to be broken. ‘I think that would be... very nice.’ Even knowing that he’d already spent five decades as a canine couldn’t put a damper on his current mood. If he were to be stuck as a dog till the end of time, he could (and most definitely would!) make use of the hospitality and kindness that she showed him.
It was as though fate had decided to give him something nice for a change, and he wasn’t about to take it for granted now that he had it within reach. They spent most of the day together outside on the grass, soaking up the sunshine and listening to the birds. She pet him almost constantly, taking pleasure in the fact that she had someone new to dote upon. Inuyasha couldn’t help but marvel at the completely peaceful day; comparing his past with his current growing affection toward the girl, there should have been at least an attack a day aimed at taking her life...
That evening, Kagome made spaghetti for dinner, careful not to add too many spices to the sauce. It had been a very long time since anyone had prepared food for him, and while he didn't mind eating all his meals raw, he occasionally missed all of the extra things you could do - baking, grilling and especially being able to season everything... Kagome was going easy on the additions to the basic sauce, and he could hear her muttering to herself about things she didn’t think he could eat without bothering his stomach. ‘Silly woman... She needs to realize that I’m not the average dog.’
He figured he could go without the missed spices for a short while longer, but he’d eventually have to find a way to tell her to ignore the dog-limitations that she’d labeled him with. Soon, dinner was prepared, and Kagome filled a plate for herself and a thick glass flat-bottomed dish for him. She set his dish on the floor near her chair as she sat down to eat her food.
He ate slowly, trying to avoid splattering the staining red sauce all over himself. After finishing, he relaxed at her feet and waited for her to finish her own food, keeping one eye open to watch her. He licked his chops absently, catching the last traces of his dinner as she stood and cleaned up the kitchen.
Kagome finished straightening everything after a short while and wiped her hands dry on her shorts. She glanced at her watch; it was almost eight thirty. `Where did the day go?' she wondered to herself. She stretched and rolled her shoulders. `Need another bath... ' Her ponytail had fallen down somewhat, so she pulled the tie free and let her hair hang down her back. "I'm going to take a bath. It's been a really nice day, hasn't it?" She smiled down at the adorable dog. He was concentrating on trying to clean the last bits of spaghetti sauce from the top of his nose. She laughed at his cross-eyed expression of annoyance before she wiped the spot off with a piece of paper towel. “There, all better.”
Her bath was short and uneventful, and after she’d dried and dressed in her spaghetti-strapped pajama shirt, she climbed into bed with a favorite book. Inuyasha took a moment to take a good look around her room, since he’d fallen asleep so quickly the previous night. He stepped slowly around the room, taking a moment to bask in Kagome's scent that was so deeply ingrained into everything around him. Even after an entire day alone with her, he still couldn't quite figure out why her scent made him feel so funny. He had become accustomed to the feeling of calm and happiness that accompanied it, and he was sure that sleeping in her room the night prior had probably helped in his rapid adjustment. He caught his reflection in her simple bedroom mirror and couldn’t help but grumble, ‘Damn, what I would give to be back to my old self...'
He repressed the urge to growl in annoyance at his never-ending dilemma, choosing instead to focus once again on examining the trinkets that had placed on small shelves lining her walls, sticking his nose into her closet to see what was stored there, and looking under her bed to see if she was secretly messy. He smirked; everything was pretty clean in her house - organized, neat and tidy. His curiosity sated for the time being, he stepped up to the edge of her bed and poked his nose over the blanket to watch her read. He sighed softly; surely she was the most wonderful being thing to have ever walked the earth. ‘I'm getting all sappy... I've spent too long alone.’
She glanced over at him, smiling softly before patting the blanket at her side in welcome. His eyebrows rose at the invitation, but he didn’t hesitate in leaping up onto the bed, curling at her side and resting his head in her lap to enjoy the gentle scratches while she continued to read. He sighed in perfect contentment, reveling in the feel of her fingers stroking through his soft fur. She closed the book after a short while and flicked off the light, and the two fell asleep in the warmth of each other’s company.
~-~
He stood in the darkness, the wind around him completely still with no sounds coming to his ears. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, trying to see anything in the black. He could smell her - she was very close, but he couldn't see her. Reaching out with his left hand, he could feel the soft skin of her shoulder, and he grinned as he stepped forward, pulling her warm back flush with his bare chest. She shivered slightly as his fingertips trailed down her arm, and he didn’t miss the telling scent of her excitement as he nuzzled his lips against the back of her neck.
He traced his other hand under her arm and across her stomach, eliciting a gasp from her as he teased the skin with his claws. He reached higher to tilt her head to the side, tasting her skin with a sensual glide of his tongue... He smirked as she shuddered in his arms, and his desire to kiss her took firm root in his mind. He shifted slightly, turning her around to face him in the darkness as he ran his thumb over the curve of her jaw.
They were so close to one another; he could feel her soft, panting breath caress his lips as he leaned down slightly to meet her mouth with his. Their lips brushed briefly, the fleeting sensation of warm silk and sweet honey...
~-~
Author’s Note - If you skipped the italicized section to avoid reading Inuyasha’s dream about his torture, here’s the brief summary: Inuyasha wakes on the night of the new moon, finding himself drugged and restrained. A familiar woman has him bound to a table where she tortures him in various ways, all the while collecting his blood for something she has planned. There is slight mention of his physical immaturity and inability to fully ‘participate’ in some of the activities she seems to want. There is more to this gruesome section in later chapters, and I’ll summarize those in the same way.
Also, please be assured that I’ll be posting the revisions to AFF and FAC as quickly as possible now, so that readers on both sites aren’t tempted to search out this fic on MMO or FFN. If you DO desire to seek out the next chapters on another site, you will most likely find yourself confused and unhappy with how certain story elements differ from this revised version and the old version. If you’d *like* to continue enjoying this story, hold your horses and wait for an update on this site, pretty please? :) Thanks for the patience, everyone.
Disclaimer - Of course, I don't own the Inuyasha characters.
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One Can Only Wander for So Long
By Alesyira
~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Chapter Seven – Spoiled Rotten
A lone, disfigured woman hobbled across a darkened room, her focus set on a small, tarnished silver mirror placed carefully at the center of a dusty table. The intricate handle of a sheathed blade could be seen through the folds of cloth at her side, rustling softly against her hip as her uneven steps fell on the worn wooden floor.
Stopping in front of the table, one cold gray eye stared down at the barely reflective surface in disgust and hatred. She lifted a mangled left hand to her hip and pulled the blade free of her loosely tied waist sash. She brought it into her line of sight with the mirror and stared hard at both objects until they blurred in her vision, indistinct from the unshed tears that had surfaced.
‘You're not good enough for him....' a mocking voice echoed in her head.
Small, wicked looking eyes from the snake head that served as a fanged clasp gazed back at her as she lifted her other hand to release the blade with a barely audible *snick*; the sound of cold steel scraping against old leather seemed to magnify in the silence as it was slipped free from its sheath. She looked at the hand now clutching the blade for a moment, admiring the only appendage of hers without flaw. Carefully holding the blade, she pressed her right thumb against the sharp snake's teeth, drawing two small droplets of blood. No sounds were made other than the soft tap of the sheath against the tabletop as it was set aside.
She caught her scarred reflection in the dirtied reflective surface before she pressed her bloody right thumb to the mirror, leaving a small imprint. She closed her eyes and centered her thoughts and hatred on one being before touching the tip of the blade to the center of the mark.
An ugly green light spilled from point where the blade met her blood, engulfing the mirror in its unhealthy glow before fading, revealing an almost indiscernible image. The haggard woman set the knife aside and lifted the mirror to her face, watching the scene intently. A white dog lay curled upon the floor, sleeping in a barely-lit room.
‘He's found someone better than you... ’ the voice taunted in a near singsong tone.
Her working right eye widened for a moment before narrowing into a small slit of fury. “Is she still there?” her voice rasped out, sounding strangely dead in the emptiness of the room. The image shifted at once to show the girl from before, still alive and perfectly healthy, dozing in a bathtub. She wiped the blood from the mirror and calmly placed it back on the table as the image faded. Collecting her blade, she replaced it in its sheath before slipping the set back under her sash.
‘Give him pain...’ the voice whispered, wrapping the soft tendrils of its dark will around her tarnished soul.
“Yes... pain,” she muttered, turning from the table to shuffle slowly to a dusty bookshelf nearby. “Attack where he cannot fight back...” she said, her fingers wrapping around the spine of a particularly worn book. “Misery where he cannot hide...” she breathed as she flipped through the pages, finding the desired information quickly.
“Remember what you have forgotten, Inuyasha...” Her mouth twisted into a pleased expression as she began her work.
~-~
Something was wrong. Inuyasha was pretty sure that he was still curled up on the soft plush carpet in Kagome’s sweet-smelling bedroom, sleeping soundly... But he wasn’t. His body felt different than normal, stretched out in a strange, unfamiliar manner; his head throbbed insistently, as though he had struck it on something. His energy seemed dangerously low and he couldn’t see or hear anything properly, as though his senses had been dulled... ‘The new moon...?’ he thought wildly, confused as to how it could be occurring while he was cursed.
With a sickening sense of dread, he realized that he was reliving the long-suppressed memory of the night he’d been captured by that witch. He’d fallen from his perch in the tree, which was the cause of the massive headache that blossomed throughout his skull... and she’d drugged him with something that had dulled his ability to see and smell while leaving his skin hypersensitive to touch.
He slipped further into the dream, no longer remembering that he had already lived through the torment, losing the assurance that he’d be waking soon from the horrible nightmare that was about to turn his world upside down... again.
He couldn't put his finger on it, but something seemed... off. As his fuzziness wore off, he vaguely became aware of something alarming - his arms or legs seemed to be strangely immobile. Suddenly feeling trapped, he weakly strained his muscles, trying to get them to respond to his commands - and realized they were bound somehow to whatever he lay upon. Sharp pricks bit into the base of his thumb joint along his wrist as he pulled against his restraints, and he knew he would be unable to rip himself free while in his human form.
He became nervous at this realization, and his body broke out in a fine sweat. As the liquid cooled and evaporated from his skin, he noticed another fact - his shirts had been removed. As his attention centered on his clothing, he could also tell his pants felt looser, probably from when his inner white haori had been untucked and removed. His vision was blurry, so he couldn't make out any details of the darkened room he was in, and his whole body tingled - his nerves felt like they were hypersensitive. He was very confused about this situation: he hadn't ever been kidnapped before, if he was correct in his assumptions. He had been the target of life-threatening attacks, verbal abuse, but no one had attempted to capture him before.
Sounds to his left caught his attention and he found he was unable to rotate his head to look around himself. The sound of a door opening, followed by the soft footfalls of someone... "I see you are awake," a soft, muffled sounding voice came to his ears. "I've set up a lovely session for us, my darling, full of activities beyond your wildest dreams." Inuyasha became even more nervous, his mind flashing with various images of horrible torture that could easily kill him while he was still in his human form.
"I'm sure you've noticed by now you can't see or hear very clearly..." the woman -he was sure it was a `she' talking- ran a finger slowly down his extended arm, eliciting a shiver from him. "But you can feel everything quite well, can't you?" The soft steps moved around the room to stop on his right side. A soft breath tickled his too-sensitive ear as she whispered huskily, "I've been wanting to do this for quite some time..." as she slid her fingers over his abdomen and slipped them under the hem of his hakama, brushing the tips of her fingers teasingly over his sensitive skin, jerking from him a ragged groan.
Inuyasha was in a strange mental state, he knew this voice sounded slightly familiar, but as his underdeveloped hormones twisted and raged under her dark caress, he no longer cared about her identity. He was frightened as to her ultimate intentions, worried that she would try and force herself upon him. He was still too young to be sexually active, and the woman hovering over him seemed to be intent on doing unthinkable things with him.
He couldn’t control the slight tremor that ran through his body as she ran the flat edge of what felt like a knife along his cheek. With his sense of touch in overdrive, he couldn't hold back the pained yelp as the sharp edge of the blade turned against his skin. It slid slowly over the curve of his neck, drawing a thin line of blood. A tear slipped down his cheek, and she wiped it from his face with a soft brush of her fingertips. The sharp sting from her warm fingers tracing lightly over the wound followed as she wiped the traces of blood from his neck.
"I'll be needing much more of this before we're through, Inuyasha, for a little something special later..." He shuddered and tried not to whimper as she touched him again before withdrawing her hand. Her touches seemed to be aimed at dragging forth physical arousal from him, and regardless of the pain she caused, he was unable to control his bodily reactions to what she did to him. His feelings jumped through extremes within seconds of each other; she was leaving his body in the state of utter confusion. He had little time to collect his thoughts before she was back again, running the fine strands of something along his right arm and down his bared chest. "With you so sensitive to pain and pleasure, this will be a lot easier for me..." she murmured.
Those fine strands turned out to be attached to a small whip, which she struck him with, supposedly lightly, on the chest. All thoughts of even minor arousal left his mind in an instant, as his nerves felt as though they were exploding in pain, and through his surprise he was unable contain another pained shout.
His body was suddenly raised to a semi-standing position, it seemed whatever he was attached to could rotate. The flat surface behind his back was no longer there, for it seemed to drop away from him as he was turned up. She brushed her fingers below his waist and stroked his flesh through his pants, bringing him back to instant, confused arousal before she struck him again over his back with the whip. He was humiliated and sickened by her touches, disgusted by his body’s slight physical reaction to her manipulations. He wanted to kill the bitch that had dared violate him like this... This wasn't how things were supposed to be done, and he had never been forced to submit to anyone.
Her slight strikes stopped suddenly, much to his relief. Although he knew they were hardly even leaving marks, it felt like his back was being stripped of its flesh. Her hand gripped him through his pants and she pulled him roughly. White stars of pain erupted from behind his tightly shut eyelids and he grit his teeth in an effort to contain yet another shout of pain. He realized that he could actually make out the small noises she was making... she was enjoying this torture as much as a normal person would enjoy physical pleasure!
She removed his pants, and it seemed there was no limit to the abuse she could place on his body. His hypersensitive skin enhanced the pain she caused, enabling her to work at a more careful and leisurely pace without fear of killing him from excessive damage. He screamed again as the blade of her knife cut into his skin, drawing a gush of blood that she caught in a tarnished silver bowl.
~-~
Kagome’s short nap in the relaxing bath ended abruptly as she jerked awake. ‘What the...?’ she thought to herself, looking around in confusion. Something seemed strange, as though a chill had snuck into the room and stripped away the pleasant lethargy. She frowned and stood up, letting the water drain from the tub as she grabbed a towel to wrap around her body. She stepped toward the door to her bedroom, peeking in to see her new companion asleep on the floor at the foot of her bed.
She watched him carefully for a moment, sensing something was wrong as he twitched and whined in his sleep. ‘A nightmare?’ she thought, walking toward him in concern. She knelt at his side and ran her fingers through the soft fur of his face, willing the bad dreams away. He immediately calmed under her touch, his furrowed features relaxing into a peaceful expression.
She smiled and stood, satisfied that he would sleep easier as she walked to a dresser. She finished toweling herself off and slipped into her favorite silky pajama shirt before hanging her towel in the bathroom to dry. She checked the small security device by her bedroom door to ensure that the house alarm system was activated before getting into bed, falling asleep quickly in the comfortable warmth of her soft blankets.
Early the next morning, Inuyasha found himself waking to the soft sounds of Kagome shifting in her bed, fast asleep. He stretched his furry body out, reaching far with his paws to ease the kinks that had resulted from such a tormented evening of nightmares. It had been especially disturbing to relive his torture in such horrifying detail, as though he’d been submitted to it all over again. He twisted about, checking himself for fresh cuts – just in case he really had gone through it all again.
Reassured that he had just been dreaming, he stood and poked his nose over the edge of Kagome’s bed, watching her sleep in the early morning light. He carefully climbed up onto the foot of her bed, curling up at the edge of her mattress to keep an eye on her until she woke.
Later that morning when she finally rose to face the day, Inuyasha was right there to greet her with a seemingly happy canine-grin. She chuckled as she sat up, reaching over to scratch his head in fond affection before she stood and stretched. Inuyasha quickly averted his eyes as her short shirt rode up high, exposing her thighs and underwear. ‘It’s torture!’ a small voice reminded him as he jumped off the bed. He decided it was a very good idea to go wait elsewhere in the house for her to finish changing for the day.
She made her way into the kitchen with him close on her heels, making herself some coffee and bringing out a box of cereal for the two of them to eat. She poured herself a small bowl, holding out pieces for him to eat from her fingers as she sipped her coffee. “I’ve got to get some groceries today, since there really isn’t much in the house that I think you’d like to eat. I wonder what kind of dog food you would like?” she asked, not really aiming the question at him, but watching him for a possible response, anyways.
His brow rose in an incredulous manner, and she had the distinct feeling that he probably would not eat dog food if she presented it to him. “Ok, so dog food isn’t an option...” She bit her lip as she racked her memories for any knowledge about dogs that might prove useful, but she was drawing a blank. She only had experience with cats (fat, lazy ones at that) and so, her only option seemed to be bugging Sango for information.
‘Forget what she may be feeding me later... I think I could live off this sweet stuff...’ he thought, licking her outstretched fingers to catch any extra traces of sugar. She giggled before holding out another handful of cereal for him to eat. Sure, he was being spoiled rotten, but he easily justified the extra attention with the youkai he’d done away with the previous night. ‘Then again, if I use the destruction of potentially dangerous youkai as justification for getting spoiled...’ He couldn’t bring himself to finish that thought, worried that if the guilt got to him before he could really enjoy himself, he might regret staying with her.
His mouth twitched in the small semblance of a smile as he nuzzled her leg, perfectly comfortable with showing physical attention like any canine pet might do. ‘Who the hell cares, anyways? No one is around to see me do this stuff, and she’ll never know the truth behind my real identity.’
After they had eaten enough cereal to be satisfied for the morning, Kagome set out a bowl of cool water for him to drink and picked up the phone. Sango had said that she would come over and check on his wound’s progress sometime today, but she figured it would work just as well to give her a phone call and find out what she’d needed to know about an acceptable diet while they spoke.
Inuyasha made his way outside a short while later, loping off into the trees surrounding her home as Kagome picked up the phone to make some calls. Sango was bound to be in her clinic at this time of day, so she called there first.
Sango picked up after the first ring, but the loud crash and her shouting ‘Miroku!’ in the background made it perfectly obvious that she had her hands full. “Hey, Sango, I didn’t mean to bother you, but I wanted to give you an update on his condition, and I had some questions about dogs in general.”
“I’ve got a second, what’s up?”
“First of all, his wounds are completely healed as far as I can tell, and I didn’t want you to bother driving out here today if it wasn’t necessary.”
“That’s great news, Kagome. I’m glad he’s feeling better. I still haven’t gotten back any information on a possible owner, but I’ll give you a call if anything turns up.”
“Ok. The other thing I needed to know... What kinds of things I can feed him? He seems appalled at the idea of eating dog food.”
“Oh, I’ve got a few patients that refuse to eat that stuff, too. Here – I’ve got a diet plan with some tips...”
After jotting down some notes about what not to feed her new canine companion, she made up a short list of groceries she’d need to get, then called the local store to have them delivered to her home. It was still early in the morning, and she moved to look out the dining room window at her yard, glancing around for where he’d gone. She could see him in the farthest corner of the lawn, sitting in the sunshine and staring off into the woods. Her two calls complete, she stepped outside to see what he was up to.
That morning, the two sat on the grass, simply enjoying the sunshine for a while. Lunch was an amusing affair – it turned out that Inuyasha had a definite preference for ramen noodles. She ended up making several packages of the stuff for him before he would stop turning that sparkling sad puppy-dog gaze on her.
‘It seems that with a twist of my brow and a sorrowful gaze, this woman will give in to almost anything I desire...’ he mused, carefully slurping up yet another bowl of the salty noodle dish. ‘I can’t imagine what could make this any better...’ The image of him in his original form flashed through his thoughts, giving him an idea of what would make life with Kagome better... if his curse were to be broken. ‘I think that would be... very nice.’ Even knowing that he’d already spent five decades as a canine couldn’t put a damper on his current mood. If he were to be stuck as a dog till the end of time, he could (and most definitely would!) make use of the hospitality and kindness that she showed him.
It was as though fate had decided to give him something nice for a change, and he wasn’t about to take it for granted now that he had it within reach. They spent most of the day together outside on the grass, soaking up the sunshine and listening to the birds. She pet him almost constantly, taking pleasure in the fact that she had someone new to dote upon. Inuyasha couldn’t help but marvel at the completely peaceful day; comparing his past with his current growing affection toward the girl, there should have been at least an attack a day aimed at taking her life...
That evening, Kagome made spaghetti for dinner, careful not to add too many spices to the sauce. It had been a very long time since anyone had prepared food for him, and while he didn't mind eating all his meals raw, he occasionally missed all of the extra things you could do - baking, grilling and especially being able to season everything... Kagome was going easy on the additions to the basic sauce, and he could hear her muttering to herself about things she didn’t think he could eat without bothering his stomach. ‘Silly woman... She needs to realize that I’m not the average dog.’
He figured he could go without the missed spices for a short while longer, but he’d eventually have to find a way to tell her to ignore the dog-limitations that she’d labeled him with. Soon, dinner was prepared, and Kagome filled a plate for herself and a thick glass flat-bottomed dish for him. She set his dish on the floor near her chair as she sat down to eat her food.
He ate slowly, trying to avoid splattering the staining red sauce all over himself. After finishing, he relaxed at her feet and waited for her to finish her own food, keeping one eye open to watch her. He licked his chops absently, catching the last traces of his dinner as she stood and cleaned up the kitchen.
Kagome finished straightening everything after a short while and wiped her hands dry on her shorts. She glanced at her watch; it was almost eight thirty. `Where did the day go?' she wondered to herself. She stretched and rolled her shoulders. `Need another bath... ' Her ponytail had fallen down somewhat, so she pulled the tie free and let her hair hang down her back. "I'm going to take a bath. It's been a really nice day, hasn't it?" She smiled down at the adorable dog. He was concentrating on trying to clean the last bits of spaghetti sauce from the top of his nose. She laughed at his cross-eyed expression of annoyance before she wiped the spot off with a piece of paper towel. “There, all better.”
Her bath was short and uneventful, and after she’d dried and dressed in her spaghetti-strapped pajama shirt, she climbed into bed with a favorite book. Inuyasha took a moment to take a good look around her room, since he’d fallen asleep so quickly the previous night. He stepped slowly around the room, taking a moment to bask in Kagome's scent that was so deeply ingrained into everything around him. Even after an entire day alone with her, he still couldn't quite figure out why her scent made him feel so funny. He had become accustomed to the feeling of calm and happiness that accompanied it, and he was sure that sleeping in her room the night prior had probably helped in his rapid adjustment. He caught his reflection in her simple bedroom mirror and couldn’t help but grumble, ‘Damn, what I would give to be back to my old self...'
He repressed the urge to growl in annoyance at his never-ending dilemma, choosing instead to focus once again on examining the trinkets that had placed on small shelves lining her walls, sticking his nose into her closet to see what was stored there, and looking under her bed to see if she was secretly messy. He smirked; everything was pretty clean in her house - organized, neat and tidy. His curiosity sated for the time being, he stepped up to the edge of her bed and poked his nose over the blanket to watch her read. He sighed softly; surely she was the most wonderful being thing to have ever walked the earth. ‘I'm getting all sappy... I've spent too long alone.’
She glanced over at him, smiling softly before patting the blanket at her side in welcome. His eyebrows rose at the invitation, but he didn’t hesitate in leaping up onto the bed, curling at her side and resting his head in her lap to enjoy the gentle scratches while she continued to read. He sighed in perfect contentment, reveling in the feel of her fingers stroking through his soft fur. She closed the book after a short while and flicked off the light, and the two fell asleep in the warmth of each other’s company.
~-~
He stood in the darkness, the wind around him completely still with no sounds coming to his ears. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, trying to see anything in the black. He could smell her - she was very close, but he couldn't see her. Reaching out with his left hand, he could feel the soft skin of her shoulder, and he grinned as he stepped forward, pulling her warm back flush with his bare chest. She shivered slightly as his fingertips trailed down her arm, and he didn’t miss the telling scent of her excitement as he nuzzled his lips against the back of her neck.
He traced his other hand under her arm and across her stomach, eliciting a gasp from her as he teased the skin with his claws. He reached higher to tilt her head to the side, tasting her skin with a sensual glide of his tongue... He smirked as she shuddered in his arms, and his desire to kiss her took firm root in his mind. He shifted slightly, turning her around to face him in the darkness as he ran his thumb over the curve of her jaw.
They were so close to one another; he could feel her soft, panting breath caress his lips as he leaned down slightly to meet her mouth with his. Their lips brushed briefly, the fleeting sensation of warm silk and sweet honey...
~-~
Author’s Note - If you skipped the italicized section to avoid reading Inuyasha’s dream about his torture, here’s the brief summary: Inuyasha wakes on the night of the new moon, finding himself drugged and restrained. A familiar woman has him bound to a table where she tortures him in various ways, all the while collecting his blood for something she has planned. There is slight mention of his physical immaturity and inability to fully ‘participate’ in some of the activities she seems to want. There is more to this gruesome section in later chapters, and I’ll summarize those in the same way.
Also, please be assured that I’ll be posting the revisions to AFF and FAC as quickly as possible now, so that readers on both sites aren’t tempted to search out this fic on MMO or FFN. If you DO desire to seek out the next chapters on another site, you will most likely find yourself confused and unhappy with how certain story elements differ from this revised version and the old version. If you’d *like* to continue enjoying this story, hold your horses and wait for an update on this site, pretty please? :) Thanks for the patience, everyone.