InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Centennial Hunger ❯ Are We There Yet? ( Chapter 10 )

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Chapter Ten

 

Are We There Yet?

 

 

Please thank my wonderful beta, Hellfyrre aka LadyDeathFaerie. Check her out on AFF. She is violently wicked and has a great original preternatural fic going. If you want to keep up with how a chapter is coming along, visit my lj, snow_fall on livejournal dot com

 

 

 

They had done it, really done it. Sex. Inuyasha couldn't believe it. The worst part of it all was that he had wanted it, had enjoyed it. Perhaps that wasn't the worst part. He had also felt something…something indefinable.

 

Oh, the shame! The guilt!

 

`What would Kagome think!? What would Kikyou think!? Especially if that feeling was something that I don't feel for Kagome or Kikyou. Now they'll both want to kill me! Maybe I should kill myself! Stupidest thing I've ever done in my life! '

 

It was bad enough that he still had Kikyou to protect and was doing a shitty job of it, too. The bitch was always getting herself killed. That guilt was nothing compared to this. By the way, contrary to popular opinion, if she thought he was going to go to hell with her…well, she could just take a flying leap off a cliff…again. It wasn't as though she shouldn't be accustomed to the act.

 

Who the hell had convinced everyone that he was bound and determined to go to hell with her anyway? Kaiede must have been gossiping again. Still, the guilt of his ineptitude weighed on him like a boulder.

 

Instantly, the image of Shippou's trick that left him stuck to a boulder came to mind and almost eased the weight of his much heavier guilt trip. However, too quickly, it returned to thwack him on the head. He wished that he could at least have the comfort of pretty stars. Connect-the-dots would be a lot more entertaining than beating himself up.

 

`Stupid bitch…always getting herself killed then coming back to life. She should make up her mind. What's in that hollow head of hers anyway!? Dirt, of course!' Inuyasha groused in his head. `It's her own fault for arrogantly believing that she can bring down Naraku all on her own.'

 

`Why did I do it!? Why do I find that bastard so irresistible? I just can't seem to keep my hands off of him! Argh!'

 

Inuyasha sneaked a peek at Sesshoumaru and actually had to tear his eyes away. It was a good thing that he was a hanyou. Had he been human, his eyeballs would have been stuck to Sesshoumaru's ass instead of being comfortably nestled in their sockets.

 

Heaped on top of that boulder was even more guilt. What was he supposed to do about Kagome? Wasn't he supposed to love her? She certainly loved him. Maybe. Perhaps. `Sit'ing him didn't help that illusion. Yet, while he had been frolicking around the wilderness, screwing his brother, Kagome had probably been worried that Fluffy had finally decapitated him.

 

`Humph! More than likely he would rip my heart out of my chest while it's still beating. Besides, I really don't love Kagome. Mostly, she's just a pain in the ass…always screaming my name. Makes my ears hurt. But that definitely has nothing to do with what the fuck I'm doing now!'

 

Again and again, he had wondered what the girls had that could possibly compare to anything that his Fluff could give him, had given him. Not Sesshoumaru, but his red-eyed Fluff.

 

Also, how could the former bane of his existence change so drastically? Bipolar. That had to be it. Hell would freeze over before Sesshoumaru would accept him. But Fluffy had. Still, it was the sane Sesshoumaru who had begged him.

 

What could cause such a transformation? Could having morphed into a puppy garnered Sesshoumaru's loyalty?

 

`Another fucking accident! Who knew that Sesshoumaru could be so accident prone? He could give Kagome a run for the money!'

 

Inuyasha glanced over at his mostly naked brother and was once again hypnotized. Those muscles rippled so deliciously beneath the sleek, smooth skin. And those fucking nipples just had to be all perky and shit! The action of walking made them slide around too, bunching up then spreading out. Oooh, he could run his tongue all over them, feel them with his lips and suckle them into his mouth while he breathed deep his mate's…No. Not mate's. Half brother's scent. Hmmm.

 

`Calm down, calm down. No nipples today! Tonight. Yeah…salve…massage…a little…Fuck!'

 

Sneaky half-breed.

 

`Sesshoumaru even wants me to do it. Gods! I'm going to kill Miroku! I'm cursed, possessed, and it's all his fault!'

 

Inuyasha licked his lips and forced his eyes away, perusing the boulders to his left, the forest to his right then staring at the lazy river. Mission accomplished! Hard-on retreating.

 

Back to Kagome…and being assaulted by guilt. If that wouldn't kill a hard-on, nothing would.

 

`Could a hard-on for Sesshoumaru be worse than this guilt? What if…what if I just gave in? What would happen? Would he truly accept me? Would the girls leave me alone? Yeah, right. When the sky turns blue!

 

`But…but he wants me!As if he has any brains to even know what he wants right now. Well a little,' he had to admit. `I know that my brains aren't completely in my dick. I think.' Inuyasha frowned. `Is that the only reason that I want him? It's not good enough. Not good enough at all.'

 

Aside from the fact that Kagome had always been trying to strip him in order to examine his wounds, she had never touched him. Not like Fluffy had. Now that he knew how good it could feel, he wished she had touched him like that. Almost. The question was, could she send those same shivers down his spine? Would her body, wrapped around his—as Fluffy had done the past two nights—lull him into a deep contented slumber? Unfortunately for his conscience, he highly doubted it.

 

In his frustration, Inuyasha kicked a stone. He wanted what he couldn't, shouldn't, have.

 

Still, he shouldn't feel as though he were sneaking around behind her back. Didn't that feeling mean that this was all wrong? It's not like she had offered to fuck him. Despite that, he still felt as though he were cheating on her. But then…pink, perky nipples would cry out to him, those crimson orbs would orbit his body, and he would lose all train of thought, except for fucking his Fluff brainless.

 

And of course, feeling wanted and needed, which was debatable, added weight to his confusion. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the bright red sky was beginning to fade and blue started creeping in, creating an extremely pretty purple. He could live with that for the time being.

 

`Is it really so wrong? Would something terrible happen if I were to give in? Bad thoughts! Bad!' Inuyasha shook his head in an attempt to relieve himself of those constant, perverse images of him and Sesshoumaru doing a little sparring with thick, hard...

 

When he and Fluffy kissed, which Fluffy forced him to do quite frequently, it was hungry, deep and demanding. His entire body would burst into such fiery flames that his head would buzz, his ears would ring before turning into fried chips, and he wouldn't be able to breathe, something not conducive to living. He would almost pass out from the heat.

 

To top it all off, those large hands could completely cup his privates, massage and knead them until…but he couldn't give in. He had to be stronger than a wet noodle.

 

Noodles…ramen. `Haven't had any of those in awhile. Okay, that was random.'

 

When Sesshoumaru tangled around him, begging for attention, those indefinable feelings would stir. It was those more than anything that set his body on fire. Fluff didn't want a fuck. His Fluff wanted him, all of him…in every way. Not just sex. And that was part of what gave him that wonderfully weird feeling.

 

“Fuck,” Inuyasha swore at himself.

 

He really was a pervert. Sensations had ghosted over his flesh all day. Even when Fluffy hadn't been attacking him, he had found it necessary to fight his own body. Spreading the herbal medicine all over that swollen, hot flesh every day was getting to him. Each day, he was tempted to forge beyond the mere application. Just thinking about it set Inuyasha's hands to tingling. Such temptation!

 

Now he was beginning to understand that Miroku's hand truly was cursed, and the bastard had infected him with it. Regardless of how many times he'd had words with his body, it refused to obey him. Desire, want, need and arousal were constantly springing to the surface, like one of Kagome's popup tents. Pop! And there it was, tenting his pants. Damn aggravating was what it was. Oh, and that wasn't the worst part.

 

During the past two days, Fluffy had been all over him, trying to seduce him, squeezing him, and most recently, humping him. Fortunately, Inuyasha had managed to keep his pants on and his dignity intact. Which was a sad, sad thing indeed.

 

Not that some of it wasn't entirely Fluffy's fault. Those necessary massages had a tendency to become a bit intimate. Fluffy needed the stuff in places that he normally wouldn't have even thought of approaching!

 

Yeah, and Myoga wasn't a coward.

 

Unfortunately, Fluffy had always managed to give him a raging hard-on, which made it all the more difficult to refrain from giving in, throwing his brother against a tree trunk and driving his cock into that luscious hunk of flesh until he came like…well…like he had that day when he had fucked Fluffy into the sand.

 

Although, that had been an accident. That, or, Fluffy had done it deliberately.

 

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. It had to be SEF. Someone else's fault. Since everyone seemed to be causing shit that wasn't his fault, he might as well give it a label. He certainly wouldn't have intentionally fucked a male, much less his own bastard of a brother! Would he? Either way, he was missing out on something thoroughly enjoyable.

 

Inuyasha sighed. He couldn't deny that he wanted Fluffy. He had accepted the fact that the moon wasn't made of a ball of ramen and that his sword was painfully sharp and harder than a rock. He truly wanted those feelings, emotional and physical.

 

That desire had him on the verge of believing that the sky was actually blue, taking away his last vestige of autonomy, his precious SEF. Denying that desire had become a devastating war within his world and he was beginning to waffle in his position, verging on being a traitor to his own side.

 

A rush of wind and blur of silver in his peripheral vision alerted him to the fact that Fluffy had once again streaked off into the forest. Even though he had become accustomed to Fluffy's little `gifts', he was trying to train the once aristocrat out of the habit. After all, there was no telling how long this birthday madness would continue. At least it broke up the monotony of his SEF pity party.

 

“Damn it, Fluffy! Get the fuck back here!”

 

If it wasn't one thing, it was another. That damn dog was either limping behind or charging off into the trees after those damn rodents. Between chasing down his Fluff and debating whether or not the aching dog needed to be carried—not that Fluffy would submit to such a thing—and Fluffy being insanely feral when he wasn't whining like a puppy, Inuyasha had at least managed to get an answer concerning their destination.

 

Getting information out of Fluffy had been worse than trying to pull chickens' teeth. Particularly when sanity was a constant problem. Delays. It was almost as though the bastard had ulterior motives…such as…fucking him again before they reached Fluffy's home! Yes!

 

`Not gonna happen! Never, ever again! Ever! Promise! Swear on ramen!' Inuyasha's ears took a turn for the droopy before continuing to give himself a migraine.

 

Fluffy's moments of lucidity had severely decreased and his symptoms had become extremely aggravated. Out of pity, Inuyasha had allowed Fluffy the bone, although, more often than not, the leather chew toy kept the bone at bay. It was odd that Fluffy's teeth were taking so long to grow in. Perhaps his body was focusing on the arm.

 

Inuyasha tipped his nose into the air, sniffing the lingering scent of Sesshoumaru's pain, something that only added to Inuyasha's discomfort and irritability.

 

Poor Fluffy's skin had swelled to the point that the dog couldn't even scratch for the pain it caused. Just thinking about it had Inuyasha wincing. Maybe the little hunts were Fluffy's form of distraction. Perhaps he should join in.

 

It hadn't helped Inuyasha's level of stress when Fluffy had picked up a ravenous appetite. That meant tying his Fluff to a tree while he hunted. There was no reason to worry about Fluffy getting loose. Struggling would hurt his skin too much. Despite Fluffy's acceptance of the act, Inuyasha couldn't help but hate it. Even the beads of subjugation around his neck didn't compare to the act of tying his Fluff to a tree. The guilt was nearly overwhelming. He had been intentionally `sit'ing his poor, wounded puppy.

 

Guilt, guilt, guilt. He was so fucking tired of it. Fed up and ready to dump it into the deepest trench of the ocean. Drown it like Fluffy was always trying to do to him. Speaking of which…Inuyasha dug at his ear with the claw. Swimming upside down while sleeping was not his idea of fun. His ears were constantly plagued with a tickling sensation.

 

“Fine! You can find your own way back!” Inuyasha shouted and huffed from his sunny perch on the nearest boulder while watching his brother disappear into the woods.

 

At least, he could try to give his Fluff some small amount of freedom, even if it didn't alleviate the guilt of tying the poor dog to a tree. Though he wasn't all that angry, yelling did make him feel the tiniest bit better. All that pent up aggravation and he didn't even have Kagome around to insult. That really sucked.

 

This was supposed to be a peaceful rest before navigating around a human village. Of course, that would be too much to ask. Noooo. Fluffy had sniffed out one of those little fuckers. Inuyasha was certain. Damn rat impersonators seemed to be following them everywhere. However, right now, he was just too tired to give a shit.

 

“Fucking sonofabitch,” Inuyasha mumbled while shaking out his sleeves, a common practice when he was frustrated. He then shoved his arms through the sleeves while sticking his nose up into the air. “I ain't moving.”

 

Sitting there on his haunches, twiddling his toes and straining his cute, white, furry little ears toward his brother, his thoughts meandered around, taking the opportunity to sunbathe. They deserved a vacation. Inuyasha was driving them batty with the unusually large amount of abuse he was currently dishing out. Couldn't he just shut the hell up and enjoy a good fuck?

 

It had been a long two days of traveling up river. Keeping Fluffy fed, medicated, massaged and moving had been a tiring task. Inuyasha only wished that he could sedate the bastard and carry him. When Fluffy wasn't being a total pain in the ass, he was either sleeping or all over Inuyasha, begging for attention like some kid. At least, initially. However, in the past several hours, Fluffy had completely ignored him. He didn't mind…too much. It was lonely though; plodding along with Fluffy snarling then whimpering, never really happy. If it were him experiencing all of that constant pain, he wouldn't be too happy either. Nevertheless, it didn't explain Fluffy's almost hurtful distancing.

 

Even worse was that Inuyasha liked every bit of that attention. Snuggling was…nice, though he'd never admit it. And, though annoying at times, he actually enjoyed having Fluffy wrapped around him like a glove. The fact that Fluffy enjoyed playing with Inuyasha's new accoutrements, the necklace, bracelets and anklets—and that, with a soft smile on his face—pleased Inuyasha to end.

 

Inuyasha mentally gave a small contented sigh. His Fluff approved. Again, he had done something right. Not that it mattered. They were simply payment. That was his story and he was damn well sticking to it. Screw what anyone else might think. Those sparklies were his. And no one was taking them away. Fuck them!

 

Something was poking his shoulder and it was damn annoying. That didn't compare to being shoved and having his head collide with the boulder on which he'd been resting. At least there were a few pretty stars to show for the lump he would now be sporting. Scowling at the one who would disturb his unexpected nap, he stared up to see an uncommon sight.

 

Though Fluffy's eyes were still tight with pain, he gave every appearance of a triumphant warrior. It was a welcome sight. Except for one small detail…the squirrel tail hanging out from between his grinning lips.

 

“Gah! Gross! Get that thing out of your mouth!” Inuyasha yelled, shoving his brother to the ground. “Give it to me!”

 

Sadly, Inuyasha noted the crestfallen visage of his Fluff. It was also disheartening that his brother had no means with which to fight him. Prying Fluffy's mouth open and sweeping his fingers across the inside to scoop out the remains of the squirrel was all too easy.

 

Inuyasha sighed when Fluffy turned his head away, expression blank. He knew that Fluffy was upset. The squirrel had been a gift after all.

 

The urge to soothe his brother was stronger than his desire to walk away and bury the thing, so he set it to the side and reached out to caress his brother's cheeks. Inuyasha chaffed under this new need to comfort Fluffy. Every once in awhile—when he was extremely tired and cranky—the thought that he should be shoving Tetsusaiga up Fluffy's ass crept into his conscious mind and battled with these new softer feelings.

 

Inuyasha could only hope that he was on the winning side. After all, running around with pointy objects couldn't be good for his health and he was getting too tired to fight. This war needed to end. Soon. But, how? This question would lead him into unknown territory and hell if he would get himself lost in such treacherous terrain!

 

“I'm sorry, Fluffy,” Inuyasha whispered while removing himself from Fluffy's thighs, soft, gooey thoughts engaging in a sticky battle and winning against venomous retorts. “Thanks for the gift.”

 

Attempting to further placate his mate…lover…brother—he was definitely becoming more confused by the hour—he leaned forward and kissed Fluffy a few millimeters in front of the left ear. That was a mistake…or not. Immediately, he found Fluffy's lips against his own.

 

Inuyasha groaned in disappointment. It wouldn't lead to anything more. Not that he wanted it to! Yet, he quite easily fell into the kiss, savoring those silky-smooth, plump curves of flesh. Such overwhelming temptation! So much! He wanted it, bad!

 

Miroku was going to pay.

 

Another one of those SEF's muddying the water.

 

Not that it would help him now. Not when Sesshoumaru's lips were so soft, warm, luscious, tasty and…No, no, no! That powerful feeling of being inside of Fluffy's body could not be repeated, flashbacks not withstanding. It shouldn't have happened in the first place. Despite how good it felt; warm and tight and…and…it just wasn't right!

 

`Gods, no!' Piece by piece, his resolve was being carved away into little statues resembling laughing, little women who were weaving a long, red, string of fate.

 

With a great amount of reluctance, Inuyasha relinquished the bottom lip that he was suckling and withdrew. He needed a distraction, something to do. If a hard-on wasn't killing him, finding things to keep his mind off of Sesshoumaru was wearing him out.

 

Through all of these tiring activities, hunting for Fluffy's meals was imperative. Dealing with a snarling, vicious, and volatile dog was not his idea of a good time. Food seemed to help more than anything else. So, the discomfort of tying Fluffy to a tree had to be tolerated.

 

The only things that had kept him going were the new baubles that he sported. Damn straight. It was only for those.

 

Every time that he felt as though he were going to collapse from fatigue, all he had to do was stare at his new prizes and it was worth it all, even the kisses that he was forced to endure. The small rewards were worth it all. Out of this entire ordeal, that was all he wanted. The powerful sparklies. Nothing else whatsoever. Nope.

 

Yeah, right. And Kikyou wasn't the bitch from hell, Kagome wasn't the bitch from the other side of the well, Miroku wasn't a pervert, Sango wasn't a frigid bitch who didn't beat the shit out of the lech, Shippou wasn't an agitating, spoiled brat, and Kaiede wasn't a meddling old hag.

 

He had given up protecting all of that to take care of a creature in need. Kagome should be proud of him for making such sacrifices.

 

Yeah, and the sky was still purple.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“No, you can't have that,” Inuyasha whispered, tugging on Fluffy's hand.

 

Apparently, humans weren't immune to Fluffy's appetite. Despite giving the village a wide berth, Fluffy had managed to sniff them out. Now he was pouting while Inuyasha led him away from one little human that Fluffy appeared to consider a particularly mouth-watering treat.

 

“I'll get you something to eat as soon as we get a good whiff of a deer or something,” Inuyasha assured, coaxing the growling beast away from the weak, pathetic humans that would make such a delicious snack.

 

They hadn't cleared two miles before Fluffy's head snapped to the right and he took off at a dead run.

 

“Not again,” Inuyasha groaned then put his ass in gear and raced after his mate…erm…bastard brother.

 

What he found was Fluffy, hiding in the darkness of the forest, ready to pounce on Kouga's two wimpy companions. Not only that, but they were shaking in their fur, eyes wide as saucers and were spluttering proof of their innocence of any misdeed, real or imagined.

 

All in all, they looked like two whimpering little virgins about to be eaten by a dragon. As bad as they were trembling, they may have even feared that the dragon enjoyed a bit of perversion as an appetizer.

 

“I swear, we were good puppies. We do everything that Kouga tells us to do!” Hakkaku of the white mohawk declared quite bravely while his knees clacked together in time with Ginta's.

 

“Yeah, you can't eat us! We've been good little wolves,” the girly Ginta of the white and gray hair added with a definite tremor to his voice while hiding behind Hakkaku.

 

Fluffy snarled and crouched for the leap. Inuyasha was just in time to grab and tackle his Fluff to the ground, ending up lying on top of his Fluff.

 

“Run, Ginta!” Hakakku shouted as he turned and took off at a speed that would have made Kouga proud. “Hurry! Kouga will save us from the bogeyman!”

 

“Don't leave me with that flesh eating monster!” Ginta yelled while attempting to catch up with his comrade.

 

Of course, they wouldn't recognize Sesshoumaru. This feral beast was not in keeping with the one that they had previously encountered, the proud Lord of the West. That Sesshoumaru had been dressed in regal clothing and expensive armor. Considering the current state of this Sesshoumaru, all beast and mostly naked, the defining facial markings were of no consequence.

 

This was the notorious beast that haunted the nightmares of bad little wolves, the one that would eat them were they to misbehave. All little wolves, including the wolf prince, Kouga, had heard the nursery rhyme over and over again just in case the monster happened to free himself on the one hundred year anniversary of its first disappearance.

 

Watching the cowards flee, Inuyasha wondered if Kouga's little comment had anything to do with Hakkaku's and Ginta's behavior. After all, nursery rhymes tended to be rather violent when parents were attempting to prevent unsafe behavior from offspring. It would make sense. However, that didn't explain everything. What did that have to do with Sesshoumaru?

 

After what Kouga had said, Inuyasha had assumed that this was Fluffy's birthday. Well, if that was the case, it was taking a damn long time for Fluffy to get over it. How could he explain what was obviously a growth spurt? Why was it happening so suddenly? Couldn't Fluffy have normal birthdays like any other creature?

 

On birthdays, Kagome usually gave out presents; candy for Shippou, sake for Miroku, an excellent holder and throwing knives for Sango. Kouga couldn't possibly have meant that Fluffy's present had been a mate…him no less. No. He was not Fluffy's mate. And he definitely was not a birthday present!

 

However, Inuyasha was the only one around for Fluffy's birthday. Did full-blooded youkai exchange gifts? If so, Inuyasha was up shit creek because he had been the one taking Fluffy's teeth and hadn't bothered to think about giving something back to his brother.

 

About that time, Inuyasha heard a growl—accompanied by an almost inaudible whine—rumble against his torso.

 

“I promise. I will get you something to eat very soon. I promise,” Inuyasha whispered into Fluffy's pointy ear.

 

With his close proximity to his Fluff, seated on top of his brother, heat seeped through Inuyasha's clothing and he found himself becoming aroused. This was so not good. With each passing hour, being around Fluffy without touching him was becoming next to impossible, despite his firm decision to avoid all sexual contact.

 

“What are you doing to me?” Inuyasha muttered when he carefully lifted himself off of his brother's body.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Even while Fluffy sat, tied to a tree, he knew his mate was doing everything possible to see to his needs. That couldn't change the fact that his skin felt as though it were going to split apart from the unimaginable heat and swelling. At the same time, his bones still ached. He couldn't win for losing. The constant hunger was also conspiring against him.

 

Other than momentary distractions, like those little red-eyed fur balls, the only things that seemed to help were food and that wonderful salve that his mate spread all over his body. And, oh, the application was always an experience to enjoy.

 

On one occasion, his mate had been so gentle that he'd fallen asleep. However, on the last application, his mate had become more adventurous, had teased him the smallest bit. It was possible that his mate had not understood. Fluffy doubted that his mate would not know that being stroked and caressed in certain areas would arouse him. That aggravating little voice inside his head heartily agreed. He and that little snot were beginning to agree more often than not.

 

On a full belly, and with salve on his skin, his appreciation for his mate always swelled his chest. By default, affection was a direct result. The fact that his more amorous attentions were deflected was so disappointing that he'd almost given up. Particularly after his last enthusiastic attempt. Yet, as long as his mate continued to follow his instinctual journey toward home, there was no doubt that there would continue to be opportunities, especially when he tended to lead Inuyasha the long way around, adding a few circles along the way.

 

Fluffy sighed and stared at the rope restraining him to the tree. He had no reason to complain. When he had previously experienced this treatment, there had always been food in the near future. As of yet, there had not been an attack while he was in this vulnerable position. His mate must have been disposing of any dangerous creatures before leaving to hunt.

 

Except for those damn poofy excuses for rats, which he could scent at this very moment. He well remembered his first run in with the little bastards and was bound and determined to kill every single one of them. How dare they attack his mate!? He would kill them. Kill them all! That should make his mate very happy. Fluffy narrowed his eyes while a feral grin crossed his face. The little bastards were doomed.

 

He knew that there was something else that he was supposed to kill, but for the life of him, the memory was mysteriously out of his reach. Fluffy wondered if that little creep inside of his head, twirling around in a tutu, had anything to do with the loss of his memory. No matter, he would remember. If that weird part of him was after his mate, he would show no mercy.

 

With his mind made up, Fluffy went back to sniffing the air. The very thought of destroying those pests was giving him a hard-on. Not the best of circumstances, considering that his hand was well out of reach of his newly aching body part.

 

Just as he was about to attempt an escape in order to go hunting for the source of that disgusting smell, his mate returned with a very large buck. All previous thoughts scattered, lost in anticipation. Those little bastards and his hard-on could very well wait.

 

After dumping the deer, his mate stopped and sniffed the air then looked in the direction of his once soon to be prey. Brilliant, golden eyes narrowed before his mate turned back to him and stomped forward. Fluffy got a nose-full of that wonderful scent when Inuyasha squatted in front of him. Again, his goals changed. All he wanted to do now was to bury his face into his mate's crotch.

 

“No,” his mate commanded.

 

Oh, amongst all the gibberish, that was one frequently spoken word Fluffy had come to understand. Out of all those garbled vocalizations, this one had become clearly familiar. And annoying as hell.

 

Fluffy scowled. Was his mate saying that he couldn't eat? Or that he couldn't hunt? Or worse, that he couldn't bury his face in that wonderful scent!? This was just too confusing and the fact that he would be ordered not to eat really pissed him off.

 

In protest, he puffed up his chest and growled. At that, his mate leaned forward and rubbed their noses together, which instantly deflated his ire. Not that he was a hot air balloon or anything of the sort.

 

“Food. We are going to eat.”

 

`Food' and `eat' he understood. So! They were going to eat! Something strange inside of his mind executed a twirling leap. He didn't mind so much since he could barely wait until his mate had untied his one arm. Food, food, food!

 

Hoping that his claws had sharpened to the point that he could now rip away the hide, Fluffy cracked his knuckles and made a beeline for the carcass. The hide was still warm when he dug his claws in, only to find that they were still too thin and blunt and would cause damage to his fingers should he attempt to tear at the thick skin.

 

His mate would prepare the meat for him, but he wanted to do it himself! It wasn't fair! He wasn't a puppy!

 

Oh well, the benefits weren't all that bad. If he intentionally drooled, his mate would clean his chin and then he would have the opportunity to lick and suck his mate's fingers. That was a definitely plus! If he were exceptionally lucky, it would be his mate who would actually lick away the slimy substance!

 

Fluffy mused, daydreaming of times passed. White fluffy ears would stand at attention, golden eyes would glaze over, and his mate's cheeks would flush a cherry red. Oh, that was the best! He sat back on his haunches and eagerly awaited the opportunity to watch his mate's cute reaction to that particular activity.

 

Had it not been for the fact that he could simply sit and watch his mate flit around the campsite, he would have become irritated. That was not the case. Enjoying observing the red material swishing around, the long white hair flowing in waves like a fluffy flag, and little ears flicking back and forth had him enthralled. Strangely, the fluttering red sleeves made him want to charge forward and capture that flag.

 

He had to be patient though. Subsequently, he patiently waited and watched

 

…watched and waited.

 

… waited and watched.

 

Frustration reared its ugly head when the arrival of food had been delayed for an inordinate amount of time. There was only so much red and white flapping about that the birthday boy could take. That irritating, flailing brat beating a hole in the side of his head had begun to drive him insane! He had to put a stop to this aggravating flag waving.

 

A deep, rumbling growl hissed past his lips. This had to end now! Fluffy crouched, readying himself to charge his mate. Food, licking, sucking his mates fingers…He had waited long enough!

 

 

~*~

 

 

“What the fuck?” Inuyasha grunted after his back had been slammed into the hard earth. “Alright, what the hell did I do wrong this time!?

 

Red, pained eyes stared down at him, his brother's lips curled back in a snarl.

 

“What!?”

 

Fluffy raised his head and turned it toward the buck, his nostrils flaring. Inuyasha sighed. Fluff was never one to be patient. He should have known better than to do anything other than put a few strips of meat in front of the poor beast before preparing to set up a fire.

 

In order to save time and energy, perhaps he should try eating the meat raw himself. Inuyasha swallowed while his stomach did a couple of back flips. Not likely!

 

“Alright already! Food! Eat! Now! Go! Sit down!”

 

Thank the gods that Fluffy had learned the meaning of a few commands, `sit' being one of them. Though Inuyasha hated that word with a passion, he couldn't come up with anything simpler.

 

Unexpectedly, Fluffy stood, refusing to obey. He crossed his arms and gave Inuyasha that raised eyebrow. Inuyasha hated that leftover of Sesshoumaru's snootiness. Even as an animal, Fluffy could still show his ass. Figuratively speaking, of course. On the beast, Inuyasha could even call the expression `disturbing'. However, rather than challenging his weakened brother, he ignored the irritating bastard and went to work on the deer.

 

The next thing he knew, Fluffy had squatted behind him, reaching around for a strip of meat. Inuyasha would never admit to having those tiny, fluttering butterflies in his belly when Fluffy's chin dropped onto his right shoulder. There was the sneaking suspicion that Fluffy intentionally allowed the meat to slip in order to force him into the delectable treat of hand-feeding. Now there was something that he could do without guilt! He could watch his mate's…

 

`Dammit! I don't care how it feels! He is not my MATE!'

 

His brother's plump lips would pout between each bite and they were oh so sexy. But not as sexy as that ever so smooth, long, slick tongue that snaked out to wrap around his fingers. In an effort to bring himself back to the present, Inuyasha blinked his eyes a couple of times then noticed that Fluffy had managed to grab a piece of meat..

 

“No, you're always dropping it,” Inuyasha huffed, swatting away, albeit gently, Fluffy's hand. Finger licking had absolutely nothing to do with his desire to hand-feed his Fluff.

 

Inuyasha was falling right into Fluffy's trap. Beasty boy was fairly certain of that fact. Soon, very soon, they would be mating again. Even instincts had an innate ability to seduce and the oh so naïve Inuyasha didn't stand a chance in hell.

 

For every three strips that Inuyasha carved from the carcass, one went to that moist, heated mouth. A shiver skittered down Inuyasha's spine and clenched his gut while Fluffy's tongue teased his fingers. Add that to the heat against his clothing, the hard, stiff thing against his back and the warmth of Fluffy's cheek against his own, Inuyasha had begun feeling the burn of the blush rising to his face and ears, matching the rising temperature in his groin. At the corner of his mouth, something wet trickled down his chin and he found his tongue snaking out to lick it away, which was where he met another slick appendage intent on the same, though devious, purpose.

 

The next thing Inuyasha knew, he was involved in yet another one of those long, frequent, unintended, tongue-twisting, toe-curling kisses. As usual, his mind took a short vacation while he savored that coaxing, teasing muscle that had to be magical because he always found unbearable tingling running from his throat, expanding through his chest, and shooting through his abdomen to swell his crotch. With each swipe and roll of Sesshoumaru's tongue, his body temperature rose. And then the sucking…his cock was simply going to explode!

 

`Gods! I'm going to die!' he thought while flexing his thighs in an attempt to alleviate the swelling.

 

All he wanted to do was turn around and wrap his arms around his mate's torso.

 

`Fuck the mate argument. I don't care right now. I can't. Don't want to. Ah, fuck.'

 

He knew that he was quickly losing ground. If he didn't cease the tongue dueling, someone was going to get stabbed. The thought of it being his ass prompted him to tear himself away and speed up feeding his…his…

 

What the fuck was Fluffy to him anyway!? A mate? Lover? Bastard brother? The lines were dangerously blurring. However, the rhyme wasn't all that bad.

 

`Decide, decide, decide,' whispered that small inner voice that had been plaguing him for years. Everyone wanted him to choose. Why couldn't he just have ramen? That was easy enough. But, no. Everything had to be so complicated.

 

Everyone wanted a piece of him; Kikyou, Kagome, Naraku, Fluffy, even Tokijin! How much worse could it get? Feeling completely overwhelmed, Inuyasha dropped from his squatting position onto his ass, taking Fluffy with him.

 

`Decide, decide, decide,' that small whisper pushed. `Who do you want?'

 

Inuyasha groaned at the onslaught of what he had previously been able to avoid. If only the damn sky wouldn't keep waffling colors! One day soon, the sky was going to fall on him, and he would learn exactly its true color.

 

With Fluffy's strong presence, he had no choice. What he didn't know was that the only reason he felt torn was because his subconscious had already made the decision. Fighting against it was simply ignoring the inevitable, a skill that he'd honed over the years.

 

Fluffy's nearly completed arm tugged him backward into a firm embrace, lips blazing a heated trail down the right side of his neck. Inuyasha, fatigued from fighting himself, didn't even think to protest, easily leaning into Fluffy's body. The fact that Fluffy stopped to lick the choker necklace elicited a groan and Inuyasha tipped his head to the side, giving Fluffy more room to lick the sparkly.

 

At the same time, in an apparent attempt to soothe Inuyasha, Fluffy's right hand caressed Inuyasha's arm, pausing to play with the bracelet before continuing along Inuyasha's thigh and down to the anklet. It was soothing, though simultaneously arousing.

 

Had he ever had the overwhelming desire to steal anything from anyone, other than Fluffy? Well, there was the jewel, but that was another thing entirely.

 

`No, I've never wanted to have anything that belonged to someone else. No mementos. Nothing. What is holding me back? Why can't I have what I want?'

 

Inuyasha's mind whirled with the implications. Who could attack him for a decision in Sesshoumaru's favor? Choosing Kikyou would certainly bring on Kagome's wrath. There was no doubt that Sesshoumaru could handle her. Of course, he couldn't imagine living, or dying, with the smell and taste of graveyard soil. Kikyou already wanted to kill him. She didn't even need the added motivation to take him to hell. Nothing new there. Sesshoumaru could take her on any day.

 

However, what about Sesshoumaru? Would Sesshoumaru attack him for his choice if it were Kagome? Could Sesshoumaru protect him from the women? Would his lover even care? Lover?

 

`What the fuck? I'm going insane. My mind must have been left at that tree when Sesshoumaru first whapped me with that bone.'

 

Though Inuyasha's mind was on the brink of meltdown, he hung on by a thread. Then his brain rolled down the slope of a ravine, gathering momentum as it fell.

 

`No, it's an SEF. Someone else's fault. Anyone else's. I didn't do this on purpose!'

 

Despite his arguments, his mind continued its headlong rush.

 

Of everyone, Sesshoumaru was the strongest. Could he trust his bastard brother—who may no longer be a bastard—one who had always despised him? Only Sesshoumaru had followed through when it came to wanting him.

 

Sesshoumaru didn't hold back, didn't blush and crawl away.

 

As if.

 

Inuyasha examined the little trinket gripping his right wrist.

 

`He wants me…and I want him, dammit to hell!'

 

`Decide, decide, decide,' that little voice chanted.

 

Unbeknownst to Inuyasha, contentment had descended upon Fluffy, providing some relief from physical distress. Crimson and amber fought for control; Inuyasha over his emotions and Sesshoumaru over his intellect, or lack thereof. Somewhere through the haze, Fluffy took a backseat and Sesshoumaru heard a whisper that pleased him to no end.

 

“Would you protect me?”

 

`We would, wouldn't we?' that annoying voice softly pleaded.

 

It didn't matter what protection Inuyasha needed. Fluffy's instincts would never allow anything or anyone to harm his mate…except for…maybe, a bone. Sesshoumaru inwardly sighed. No matter how difficult it might be, he had to live with the side of himself that constantly clamored for his mate. With the Centennial weakness of his body and mind, Sesshoumaru wasn't given much of a choice.

 

“Yes,” Sesshoumaru murmured while licking up the edge of Inuyasha's right puppy ear.

 

Receiving an answer was not what Inuyasha had expected and he nearly jumped out of Sesshoumaru's lap, but he was held tight. Sesshoumaru's cheek continued to firmly press against his to such a degree that he couldn't even move his head.

 

`Decide, decide, decide.'

 

Inuyasha wished that voice would shut the fuck up. Perhaps, if he had more information, he would be able to make a decision. This might hurt like hell, but he had to go through with it.

 

“I'm not talking about Naraku. I mean Kikyou and Kagome,” he quietly clarified.

 

“Hm. Why would you need protection from them?” Sesshoumaru asked while nuzzling his nose into Inuyasha's hair.

 

A couple of hundred years would do a lot to wear down someone's resistance and Sesshoumaru had had as much as he could handle. Yeah, he was strong. Nevertheless, he was no god. Not at the moment.

 

“You already know that Kikyou wants to kill me. And…Kagome wants me, but she is always `sit'ing me. Especially when Kikyou comes slinking around. Either way I go, I'm doomed.”

 

“You are mine,” Sesshoumaru growled, scraping his fangs along Inuyasha's scalp.

 

No one would have what he had so faithfully denied himself. It was time. With the possessive nature of a TaiYoukai, Sesshoumaru decided that no one, other than himself, had the right to take Inuyasha.

 

“You say that now, but you have always hated me,” Inuyasha choked out, trying to ignore the sparks teasing his skin.

 

It was an honest question and Inuyasha did not need dishonest answers. He would be lucky if Sesshoumaru didn't kill him for simply asking.

 

While Inuyasha waited, there was once again that long, stretching silence. Waiting for an answer was already wracking his nerves. Keeping his heart inside of his chest was imperative. Inuyasha's mouth watered, even as his heart thumped against the wall of his chest.

 

At the moment, he didn't need to be thinking about that long, silent stretch of taffy. A sugar high was the last thing he needed.

 

“My desire for you was…unacceptable, though irritatingly unavoidable. Beating you was my attempt to drive you away and to assert my dominance. Although, you do deserve an ass-kicking on a regular basis.”

 

Inuyasha huffed at the blunt honesty and lack of regret.

 

“However, after a time, I continually found myself seeking you out. Which of course, gave me more opportunities to force you to submit. This Centennial has made me weak and I am no longer able to deny this fate. However, I fully intend to skewer the fates.”

 

“Why? If you want me so much, why have you been trying to stop?”

 

“The bitches took control of my life. I despise being manipulated. However, I do not despise you,” Sesshoumaru sighed in an effort to placate his mate. `No matter how much I want to.'

 

“So all this time, you were lying!” Inuyasha exclaimed while struggling to remove himself from his brother's grasp. “You could be lying now! Just trying to lull me into a false sense of security so you can kill me and take Tetsusaiga!”

 

Mentally rolling his eyes, Sesshoumaru fisted his fingers through Inuyasha's hair and yanked his insolent mate's head backward so that he could glare into Inuyasha's eyes.

 

“How many times have you been completely vulnerable to my sword!? How many times have I refrained from killing you outright!? Ask yourself why I haven't taken your life before now.” Sesshoumaru's voice softened at that last sentence. “You are mine, Inuyasha,” he whispered before loosening his grip and leaning forward in an attempt to capture Inuyasha's lips, only to find hands pushing against his chest.

 

“I don't think I've ever heard you talk so much. Must be the fever,” Inuyasha mumbled.

 

“Damn it, Inuyasha!” Sesshoumaru swore as that little shit in his head kept complaining that he wasn't doing enough to keep his mate. Was it any wonder that he was cranky when it came to Inuyasha? The attraction wasn't his doing. It was the SEF that he hated. Inuyasha just happened to be the closest target for his carefully stored rage!

 

“What do you expect!? You've been an ass and all the sudden you say that I'm yours as opposed to I'm yours to kill. What the hell am I supposed to think? I'm yours,” Inuyasha snarled in derision. “Give me a fucking break. Doesn't mean that you love me or anything. You just want a piece of ass!”

 

`Tell him you love him, you hard-headed prick.'

 

`Not necessary. Go back to your bench,' Sesshoumaru blithely commanded his subconscious, that idiot who thought `Fluffy' was an adorable nickname.

 

`I'm not in love,' Sesshoumaru spat.

 

`Yes, you are! We'll lose him. We will!'

 

“Well? You aren't going to deny it, are you? Figures,” Inuyasha growled while continuing his attempts to break free.

 

What if Inuyasha needed to hear him say those three little revolting words? Weren't his actions enough? Did he truly have to admit them? Is this what it came down to? What it would take to make Inuyasha understand? Sesshoumaru swallowed, hard, when he decided that, yes, he needed to say those words that he reviled more than any that had ever existed. For Inuyasha. He had to do it, but it was so difficult, maybe even impossible. He wasn't even sure that he did love Inuyasha.

 

`Liar! Yes, you do, dammit! It's only fair that you tell him. Look at everything he's done for you. He's fed you, treated you, kept you from killing with abandon, and put up with your cranky attitude. And look! Without even thinking about it, he has accepted your gifts. Look at him! Just look! Around his throat, wrists and ankles! If that isn't an invitation, I don't know what is. And you let him, didn't you?' Fluffy smirked. `Say it. Just say it!'

 

Well, if he said it very quietly, maybe no one would hear. No one else would know. With that thought, Sesshoumaru's eyes scoured the area then he tightly held Inuyasha's head with the fingers twined through that ruffled hair. Leaning down until his lips were just inside that nose-tickling fur, in a barely audible whisper, he spoke those three words that twisted his entire body into knots.

 

“I love you.” Whew! That wasn't so bad. And there was no possible way that he would ever lower himself to repeating this nauseous activity.

 

“Hah! I knew it!” was shouted from a green whirlwind that plowed its way from the forest, kicking up all manner of debris. “Hop to it, Inuyasha. You need a serious fuck. My woman is looking for you and it'll only take a day or two for her to find you. Believe me. I am going to be well out of range when she plants you twenty feet deep, mutt.”

 

“Get the fuck…”

 

Hm,” Kouga stroked his jaw with his thumb and forefinger, staring up with thoughtful eyes, though, as far as Inuyasha was concerned, the presence of a brain to house those thoughts had always been debatable.

 

“…outta here, you…”

 

“Maybe I should stick around. Should be a real laugh. Where's that wind bitch, anyway!? She's around here somewhere,” Kouga asked, completely off topic, searching the sky and flaring his nostrils. And then as pretty as you please, the annoying wolf sped off without so much as a “See ya!”

 

“…wimpy wolf!”

 

Once the two blinked a few times and determined that this bizarre occurrence had not been a mirage, Sesshoumaru decided that he would indeed kill the wolf. Damn the consequences. Silently, Inuyasha wholeheartedly agreed.

 

It took Inuyasha a whole of two minutes to process what Sesshoumaru had whispered into his ear before they were so rudely interrupted.

 

“What!?” Shock couldn't describe the bone that had hit Inuyasha in the head.

 

Sesshoumaru stared off as though he had absolutely no idea what Inuyasha was referring to.

 

“Did you just say…” Inuyasha's entire body was about to explode in anticipation of Sesshoumaru's response. This was not Fluffy. This was Sesshoumaru, bastard brother, asshole galore, hypocritical snob, and accidental lover.

 

“Yes. Be silent,” Sesshoumaru curtly commanded, cutting him off.

 

“But, but…” In his stupefaction, Inuyasha couldn't finish his sentence. He wouldn't have been able to if he had tried, for at that moment, Sesshoumaru's lips sprouted wings and swooped down to effectively shut Inuyasha the hell up.

 

And that was that.

 

The great nothingness of brainless, tangling tongues devoured all SEF's and the sky hesitantly faded to a pale shade of blue.

 

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

To all of my wonderful readers, thanks for reading. ^_^ Thanks to my able reviewers for putting in that extra bit of effort.

 

I Lurve You All

 

 

LadySess

Thanks bunches for the great scores! `Rocked'…cool! Sorry that it took so long.

 

Trigger Happy Bitch

Hope you get lots of smiles out of it! Love making people smile. ^_^ Keep the safety on!

 

Shigure-san

Thanks for being such a regular reviewer and for turning your friend on to the fic. Reading it more than once pleases me to no end. Warm fuzzies to you. Sorry that this chapter wasn't as funny, but I wanted to move the relationship forward.

 

SoSickOfNyQuil

Thanks for the great scores! Sorry that this chapter didn't have a lemon. I tried. Wow, `a fix'. *heart flutters* I'm glad that you're liking it so much and that you are seeing some of Inu's progress. Hope you find some in this chapter too.

 

Gen50

Thanks for the scores, my friend. I hope that you liked this chapter even though it was more serious. I really needed to move Inu along and was having some difficulty. Of course, you read my journal, so you know.

 

Merely Truth

Thank you for all the great scores, mon cher/bon ami. (?) Perhaps I will recruit you for phrasing with one of my future fics in another category. (five chappies written). I'm so glad that you commented on detail. Sometimes I wonder whether or not I'm doing a good job of it. Ah, won't we love to see Kagome's reaction! Well, we gotta have that welcome lemon first, oui? ^_^ au revoir

 

Bibi11

Thanks for the great scores! Glad you're enjoying it so much. And, I am thinking of a spin off where Sess nails inu and temporarily turns inu into a girl. LOL Of course, we know what that would lead to! Any way you look at it, Sess is always going to be the best choice! LOL The fates really are laughing their asses off. We may actually see that too.

 

HTPR Fangirl

Thanks for the great score and for being a regular reviewer! I'm glad that you are one who enjoyed the comedy in the lemon. Ah, everyone is waiting to see Kagome's reaction. Heheh As far as titles, I go by content or theme. I don't usually name a chapter until after it is finished.

 

Purinsu Arashi

Thanks for the great scores and for compliments to my beta. She deserves it. I have had the same beta throughout this fic and she is helping on the older ones that I am reposting as well. I believe that she helped me on the last bit of Torn too. Wow, `Perfection'. How am I supposed to live up to that? Glad you're enjoying this and hope you got a smile out of this chapter too. ^_^

 

Cathappy;)

Thankies for the great scores. I promise that the next lemon will have much less talk. However, there was a bit of internal turmoil with the first two, so it really couldn't be avoided. This chapter is meant to lead into the next lemon. There will be much less turmoil and more determination of sealing the deal, so to speak. ^_^ Glad I could make you laugh and keep your interest!

 

KamakuraYumi

Thankies for the great scores. Making people smile is the entire purpose of this fic and I'm glad that I could do that for you. All reviewers are appreciated no matter who they are. The reviews tell me whether or not I am accomplishing my goal. ^_^ Hope this chapter made you smile too.

 

Lunarfang

Thanks for the great scores. Wow, all of you have been so kind. I appreciate your quick and to the point style. You can thank my beta. She really helps a lot and I know that I miss some of her corrections. I haven't seen much in the way of slapstick comedy, so saying that my fic is original puts a smile on my face. This chapter wasn't hot, but I hope that it leads to some hotness in the next chapter. Hope you got a smile out of this one. ^_^

 

AmberRose

Keh, bet I update faster than you! Of course, you have been working in other fandoms. Wish I was a fan of them. Thanks for the scores and the review. Much appreciated, especially from someone that I look up to. Speaking of which, I just read BI again and am so anticipating what is going to happen with Kouga. If you need any ideas, I have plenty. ^_^

 

PromisedWings

Oh wow, so many compliments and on those things where I can definitely use the reassurance! Thank you so much!

 

Ladyjay62

Thanks, I'm trying!

 

Moussaginx

LOL Don't worry, no mpreg. However, I may do a furry sess spinoff where inu gets a surprise sex change and is unhappy with the size of his boobs. Of course, who do you think he will blame for breaking off `it'. LOL Then we could have puppies! What do ya think? *snicker* Haven't decided yet. ^_^ Thanks for the fun review!

 

Kesha

Sorry for making you wait. I haven't been well for quite some time. Updates won't be quick, but you can keep up with chapter progress on my livejournal under Snowfall. Thanks for the review my impatient little one. ^_^ I think that this last chapter is probably the hardest one that I will have to write. Hopefully, the others will be much more fun and easier to write. Thanks for the awesome scores! * smooches*

 

 

 

~*~

 

 

 

*Disclaimer*

 

Inuyasha and all associated characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I make no profit from this story, nor do I intend to. My only goal is to occupy my demented mind with delusions of actually owning a life-sized, anatomically correct Fluffy.