Ears

Whew- sorry its taken so long to post this. I’ve had a new job, met some really cool new friends who unfortunately live way too far from me and returned to college. So anyway I hope you enjoy this.
Disclaimer: Still don’t own Inuyasha, Taptai still owns me, still not making any money, and all is right with the world.

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No more words were necessary as the two mates locked eyes, silent agreement passing between the two of them Taptai straddled Inuyashas waist, and still stretched from their earlier exploits, lowered himself onto his lover, taking his length with barely a hiss. Inuyasha threw his head back in pleasure as he felt himself enveloped in the velvety warmth of his mate while Taptai leaned in to nuzzle his neck, allowing his ears to flick gently against his lovers cheek.

Feeling his lover brace below him, Taptai begin to slowly undulate around him, gently rocking his body against his lover as he curled his tail around him, pulling his new mate close. The two hanyou rocked against each other, their chests pressed against their mates, their lovemaking gentle, almost a sensual dance as two sets of hands explored bodies new to them.

Taptai leaning in nibble gently at Inuyashas now human ears, taking the lobes between his fangs as he pulled back gently, his attention getting a soft moan from his lover. While Taptai was occupied with his ear, Inuyasha was letting his now dull nails trace the pattern on his cats back, his hands gently rubbing the raised flesh of his new mates scar, his mind wondering at the complexity of the pattern drawn into the flesh of his lover.

The lovers took their time, there was none of the frantic rush of the forced sex that had been brought on by the heat, instead the two young hanyou spent long moments exploring the many reactions they could elicit from their partner. Taptai used his tail to grasp Inuyashas waist firmly, the black haired teen grunting as he was squeezed in the grip of the fluffy organ then gasping as taptai dipped his tail down to rub its tip between inuyashas cheeks, applying a gentle pressure all the way down to the bottom of inuyashas shaft while he worried inuyashas entrance gently.

Both teens faces were red-tinged as they worked in concert to take their partners over the precipice and into the bliss of release, neither partner hurrying to reach their own peak as they spent their attentions on their lover, both minds engrossed in finding the greatest carnal pleasure they could for their new found mate.

The only sounds were the gentle swish of flesh moving against flesh as Taptais gentle purr murmered throughout the cave, Inuyashas low grunts answering in counterpoint. No words were necessary as the two lovers moved in the intricate dance that was older than either of them, each allowing their body to take control of their actions as they focused only on the bond they were forming between them.

Tears trickled gently down two sets of cheeks as Inuyasha felt his fears and loneliness melt away from the heat of the body pressed against his, enveloping him. The years of agony that he had kept bottled up inside for so long came out from him as his lovers rough tongue left reddened traces where it chased each tear, capturing it from his cheek. For the first time in too many years, Inuyasha felt himself relax totally in the arms of another, his hands reaching up to pet the ears that only a while ago his had resembled in the manner that he had enjoyed when others had done it to him- not that he would ever let anyone know.

Feeling Taptais motion grow slightly jerky, his body moving in stronger rhythm against his, Inuyasha looked up to see his lover biting his lower lip, one fang poking out as he strained to keep his breath from becoming too ragged. At the sight of his flushed face mate, inuyasha felt his own release build within him, ready to meet his new mates. Opening his eyes to bare slits, Taptai looked down to meet his mates gaze, barely able to squeeze the words from his lips.

“Are you ready, love?”

In an answer that meant more than any words could have ever expressed, Inuyasha leaned his head back and up, exposing the tender underside of his neck in the ancient sign of submission. Looking down at his mate, his neck exposed as a sign of the trust and love he had for his new found mate, Taptai felt his own release boil up from within him, his insides tightening as they milked Inuyasha to his release and he leaned down, gently lapping one cheek before he placed his fangs carefully at the junction of his mates neck and shoulder.

And in the instant before he could complete his mark, He felt Inuyashas body twitch, then go rigid beneath him. Opening his eyes he jerked back in shock when he saw a black- thing- coming out of Inuyashas shoulder. Then before he could even react to the strange sight before him, he felt his mate go limp below him as the tentacle wrapped around his love and with a swift jerk, pulled him from the cave and from him.

Taptai froze for a moment as his mind raced to comprehend what his body had just perceived, but then he realized.

Something took my Mate!

Before he had even realized he was moving- he was outside of the cave, and had there been anyone watching him, they would have been surprised to see his normally grass green eyes change to blue rimmed with red. Outside Taptai could see the retreating form of some dark multi-tentacled thing retreating with his mate still curled up in one of its tentacles.

If Taptai had taken the time to think things through, he maybe would have taken the moment to return to the cave and grab his staff- but at the sight of his bleeding mate being dragged through the trees, his bleeding body in the clutches of the monster that he now recognized as Naraku from the stories he had heard from Inuyasha and the others- well perhaps he couldn’t be blamed for not thinking things through.

Naraku though seemed to have other things on his mind, and was paying little attention to the gray haired hanyou that was following his swiftly retreating form. As he leapt after the monster, Taptai gave silent thanks for the training that he had under Inuyasha for without it he was sure that he would have already lost the monster as he raced through the falling limbs, rocks and even trees that it kicked up in its passage.

Finally getting close enough to allmost reach the creature that held his love, he looked up just in time to see Inuyasha- his face ashen from loss of blood as his head rocked in time to the monstors mad crashing rush through the forest. His mind momentarily distracted at the sight of the ashen face of his mate, Taptai narrowly missed being smashed by a tree that the monster had absentmindly thrown out of its way, he almost was able to get away unscathed- but as he leapt forward he felt a sharp pain in his rear and suddenly found himself pinned in place.

Without even looking back he could already tell what had happened- his tail had gotten caught by the tree that had barely missed him, and now he was stuck. Giving his tail a few experimental twitches he could tell that it was stuck good- but the thing that had his mate had not even slowed down. A low growl ground out of his throat, and Taptai leaned forward as he knew what was to come. Steeling himself- he jerked forward, a small gasp escaping his lips as he felt his fur rip from his tail when he jerked it loose.

Finally free again he looked up in despair as he noted just how much progress the monster had gained on him while he was immobilized. The path was easily followed- seeing as there was plenty of debris to track the thing- but the same debris made the path almost unusable. But then in a moment he remembered something he had seen Inuyasha do before, and with a great leap he made his way up into the treetops and leaping from one high branch to another, followed the retreating scent of his lovers blood that way.

Even as he made up ground he marvelled at the skill his lover must have to run through the treetops as easily as he did- for while he was pretty darn fast when it came to open ground, most cats are, he was finding it almost impossible to keep his balance on the swaying limbs as he pounced from one to another, several times only being saved by his tail as it grasped a tree limb to keep his balance.

Looking up he found that he had managed to catch up to the form hidden under a baboon pelt, and before the monster noticed him Taptai leapt and brought his claws down on one of the tentacles, almost completely severing it from the monsters body. His actions got the attention of the monster as the beast came to an abrupt stop, Taptai almost running into the beast as he skidded to a halt.

For a moment the two forms studied each other in the dark night, the monster slowing moving its tentacles as it lowered the limp form of Inuyasha to the side while it pondered what to do with this new interloper. Taptai stood silent, his chest heaving in the dim glimmer of the stars while his tail swished slowly behind him even as he felt the creatures blood drip from his claws where he had attacked.

“Drop him, Naraku”

Taptais words carried away into the night silence as the two faced each other, drifting into nothingness before the demon started to cackle.

“And why should I? Because some naked bleeding hanyou commands me? Leave me while I still give you the chance, before I change my mind and kill you too.”

Listening to the offhanded dismissal from the vile creature in front of him Taptai felt something inside of him change, not even pausing he leapt towards the monster, claws aiming straight for its head but at the last moment changed his attack to something that he had just barely seen. Landing behind the demon he kept his claws extended in the air, just barely grasping an allmost invisible thread before he turned to face the monster again.

“Release him now- or die at my hands.”

The monster turned to face him, the evil chuckle still filling the clearing but now their was a tinge of fear evident.

“So, you’ve found the link to my puppet, what of it. You can’t break it before I can kill your precious Inuyasha.”

Taking a moment to study the form of the cat hanyou before him, the demons eyes paused as they took in the mating marks on the cats neck.

“Oh-hoho, so the half-breed cur has found himself another half-breed to be his bitch, is that why you are so worried, afraid I will take your lover from you? Don’t you fret kitty, when I am done with this worthless dog I’ll take you home and show you just what you should expect from a demon”

“I don’t think so- it seems you don’t know as much as you think- at least about how these puppets work. I can get to you through your link, just like you can get to your puppet.”

The monster stilled at his words, the evil cackle dying away as it backed slightly away before dropping Inuyashas now still form to the ground.

“Fine, here’s your bitch- now release my puppet.”

At the sight of the still form of his love on the ground, Taptai had loosned his grip on the strand he had found, and now at the words of Naraku he made his way towards his still lover. He felt more than sensed the tentacle coming towards him, calling upon the training his mate had given him he was able to avoid being peirced through the back, but Naraku still managed to land a glancing blow that sent the gray-haired youth flying.

Before he even had a chance to right himself to land he felt more of the monsters tentacles coming for him as Naraku, having given up all thoughts of Inuyasha, was now intent on destroying the neko-hanyou who had demonstrated he could be a threat.

Taptai called upon all the skills he had learned, and while he was able to avoid taking a direct hit from any of the monsters tentacles, the shear numbers of them had been keeping him from actually landing. Taking a moment to assess his surroundings he realized that he was fairly high above the trees, and each of the demons attacks, while not doing much damage to him, was sending him flying ever higher as he blocked the attack and was sent flying. Feeling some relief that at least because the demon was focused on him he had left his love alone Taptai quickly realized that they were covering vast distances.

The two continued to fight for some time, neither at an advantage to the other as Taptais speed allowed him to avoid taking a fatal blow but the monsters strength allowing him to push the pace and keep the harried cat flying high in the air. Taptai was growing exceedingly worried as his body bled from hundreds of small cuts, the results of the hits from the demons tentacles and his distress at the plight of his mate gnawed at him. Hoping to end the fight soon Taptai angled his body so that he could reach the next tentacle to come for him, hoping to grasp hold of it and ride down to attack the demon directly, but while his attention was focused elsewhere a tentacle came up from behind him and instead of trying to deliver a damaging blow instead knocked him hard into the air.

Dazed for a moment Taptai came back to himself as he noted the great whistling in his ears. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he tried to place himself but as he looked around he realized that he was now flying very high above the distant landscape. He could make out the coastline far below him and with dread filling his heart he realized finally what the monsters plan had been. Unable or unwilling to risk letting the gray-haired hanyou close enough to exploit the weekness of his puppets again Naraku had kept the cat flying in the air until he had gotten him close enough to the shore to launch to the ocean.

Taptai felt tears dry on his cheeks as his eyes ached at the wind rushing past him, he had failed his love, and he knew that he would never see him again. His heart plumeted as the knowledge of his failure came crashing down on him, even as he was barely able to make out the ocean surface rush up towards him.

Upon impact he felt his body go numb, icy fingers reaching into each cut and scrape on his body as he felt the blue waters reach up to entomb him. His last thoughts reaching back as he wished that he could be there again for his mate.

“I’m sorry- I never meant to leave you.”

For a moment, the blue waters of the ocean stilled as great depths paused to pay tribute to his passing, a few bubbles the only disturbance in the calm waters before the waves began their eternal passage again.

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Ok, so now that this story is “finished” I need to know what people think- is everyone happy with this, are you upset that I offed Taptai, do I need to bring him back or something, would you like me to continue this story?
Please review and let me know what you think and what you would like to see, and to all those folks who have reviewed so far, bless you- it makes my life so much nicer to know their are people who actually do read this stuff and actually enjoy what I have to say.