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Stray	By : 3phemeral Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > Kouga/InuYasha Views: 10827 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor the characters from it. I make no money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter 1 - Stand

(5 Years later…)

The quiet constant roar of the waterfall was a mantra in the back of Kouga's mind as he sat, cross-legged, on his straw dais overlooking the cave that was the wolf-tribe's den. Next to him, Ayame also sat stoic, the exuberance of her younger years nowhere to be seen. Dealing with matters of politics wasn't Kouga's strong point, but as the leader of the merged North and East Wolf Demon Tribes, it was a necessary evil.

" Lord Kouga?" asked a wolf demon kneeling on a lower shelf of the cave.

Kouga shook himself out of his stupor. "Yes?"

"What should we do?"

"I'm sorry?"

Ayame chimed in, her gaze fixed forward. "About the humans encroaching on our grounds for the upcoming hunting season."

"Thank you, Ayame." Kouga recalled the facts of the matter. A human village had been founded a few years prior on one of the wolf tribe's rotating yearly hunting grounds and they were using the land for their own sustenance. He had tabled the issue, and now he could run from it no longer, as the occupied grounds were unhuntable. Damn politics, indeed.

He answered, as he knew he always would. "We skip the grounds and move to what should be next year's. It's an unfortunate loss, but these things happen." Ayame quickly glared at him. "The other lands will still replenish."

"Kouga…" Ayame whispered. "You can't."

Kouga looked briefly at the ceiling. She was right. He hated when she was right. "But I will meet with the elder of their village to bring about an agreeable compro-"

Ayame whispered more sharply. "Kouga!"

"…to bring about their withdrawal before the hunt begins."

The demon bringing the issue bowed his head. "Thank you, Lord Kouga."

"What's next?" Kouga's voice rang clear across the cave as the other wolf rose and left. Another wolf demon took his place and kneeled.

"Lord Kouga, we have captured an intruder!"

"An intruder?"

"A dog, from the smell of him. Also a strong scent of human. He struggled with our guard wolves, but we have him in custody now."

Dog and human? No, it couldn't be… What was he doing here? "Where was he captured?"

"The cliffs further down the river," the patrol wolf demon responded.

"How much longer until-"

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" The familiar yell of the dog demon echoed into the cave. Kouga rolled his eyes. The yelling grew louder as Inuyasha got closer.

"I WAS HEADING HERE ANYWAY! WHAT THE HELL, SENDING YOUR WOLVES AFTER ME WITHOUT EVEN ASKING WHAT I'M DOING? OW! YOU DON'T SEE ME FIGHTING YOU, DO YOU?"

"We'll see what our leader says!" the other patrolman yelled as they passed behind the falls and into the chamber. Inuyasha's hands were bound in front of him as he was led to the center, the patrolman flanked by two growling wolves. Inuyasha growled in kind. The wolf demon gave the hanyou a good shove, pushing him to his knees. He was a familiar sight – the fire-red jacket and hakama cinched at the ankles, silver hair, dog ears, fiery yellow eyes, clawed fingers – and it finally struck Kouga that he had no idea how to react to this.

He defaulted to a smirk, along with the attitude that accompanied it. "Well, what do we have here? A stray mutt come whimpering to me? I believe my invitation was extended only to Kagome, not to you."

"I ain't whimpering! And Kagome's dead!" he snapped.

Both paused, staring sternly at each other. Kouga stood proudly, eyebrows narrowing as the news set in. Ayame sat silently beside him. Little whimpers to either side of him reminded him that Ginta and Hakkaku stood guard there. "Nee-san..." he heard them mutter.

"Unbind him," Kouga ordered. The wolf demon below cut the ropes around Inuyasha's wrists and he stood, pushing aside the helping arm of the patrolman. "Come with me." Kouga exited through a doorway out of the main cavern. A narrow stone ramp led from the cavern floor to the dais, and Inuyasha jumped down from the platform and climbed to the upper level and past the other wolf demons.

"Next!" Ayame yelled, as another member of the tribe knelt on the lower level.

-----

Inuyasha passed through a curtain and arrived in a secluded round room lit by torches, a bed of many pillows arranged neatly over a layer of fresh straw. Kouga stood in the center of the pile facing the far wall. "Feh. You're sure living the life, aren't you?"

"I am their leader. It's hard work - I've earned it." Kouga turned - stern, which surprised Inuyasha - hands on hips. "So what happened to her? Why didn't you protect her?"

Inuyasha arched his eyebrow, a shocked expression on his face. "You think I didn't... You think there was... She was 80, you mangy bastard!"

"So?" Kouga glared.

Inuyasha glared back, still stunned. He gathered himself and stood defiant. "Alright, I'm sorry I even came here. I thought you deserved to know. That's the last time I-" do anything for you... Can't lose the friends I have left. His stance loosened. "I thought you deserved to know, that's all."

Kouga relaxed too, and smiled weakly. "You know, I don't even need her anymore. Haven't for a while."

Inuyasha was taken aback. What the hell was with this back and forth? "You better not! You've got Ayame now anyways!"

"Listen, I didn't love Kagome. Never did. Now that I married Ayame, I know that. You two seemed so... complete together. Deeply. I only had use for Kagome. I only have use for Ayame. But I've never had what you two had."

Inuyasha was really confused now. This was Kouga? The same Kouga? "You gone soft or somethin'?"

Kouga sat on the pillows and motioned for Inuyasha to join him. He did. "It's not easy for me to show weakness, to be honest. I'm trusting you, Inuyasha, because your friends always did, and rightfully so."

Inuyasha continued to look quizzical. "What's this about?"

"You destroyed the jewel. It was complete, which means I wasn't. I'm not as strong as I used to be. I hold my power simply because I am unchallenged, and because I married Ayame. Tradition, my legacy, and my confidence are my strengths, but it's getting tiring wearing this mask all the time."

Inuyasha crossed his arms. "Nice speech," he scoffed. "So you're saying if I want to rule this place, all I gotta do is kick your a-"

Kouga lunged across the bed, baring his fangs, and tackled Inuyasha backwards, claws digging into his arms, pinning him to the floor. His face hung inches over Inuyasha's.

"I've let you into my den, opened up to you, and all you do is bark about deposing me? Look, I know why you're here. Kagome, Miroku, Sango - they're all dead now. You have nowhere else to go. So if you want my hospitality, in this room you will drop this attitude. Outside, strut your stuff all you want. It'll get you some respect at worst. But in this room, you will level with me."

After letting his words sink in, Kouga pushed back onto his haunches and stood.

Inuyasha sat again and crossed his arms, looking disdainfully off to the side. "Feh, I'll do what I want."

"Inuyasha!" Kouga barked at him.

The pair glared at each other amidst another heavy silence.

"Fine," the dog demon acquiesced.

"You've got a good heart. Loyal. I've always respected you for that. You only get so many true friends in your life – brothers - and I want to be able to count you among them. How long do you intend to stay? The night? Two? A week?"

Inuyasha stood and straightened, eyes shifting as he responded. "Ah, I was hoping... much longer than that?"

"A month?"

"I need a place to stay. I can't go back to the village. Too many painful memories there. I can't go back to the dog demons - they would never welcome me. Your tribe has become more tolerant since you took over, and you've been a capable ruler. If you have a place here for me, something I can do, I would hope to live and work here, find a mate among your people, and find my happiness here."

Kouga crossed over to him, clapping a hand on his shoulder and guiding him toward the main chamber. "We'll see what I can find. I'm sure I can work this out. For now, you can stay in the visitor's chamber."

"Thank you."

"I'll get Ginta and Hakkaku to show you around." Inuyasha nodded.

Kouga laughed. "And you may be in the wrong tribe if you're looking for women. We primarily do our breeding with other tribes so there aren't many single ones here." They entered a rocky corridor lined with torches winding up to the dais and down to the rest of the den. They headed back toward the dais.

Inuyasha smiled. "If you don't love Ayame, then she's free, though, right?"

"Whoa, don't go there." Kouga warned. Inuyasha laughed. Kouga stopped them. "I'm serious! She has a consort, and they've mated."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. He'd been doing that a lot, he realized. "And she's married to you?"

"Yeah. Complicated, isn't it?"

Inuyasha shrugged it off. More tolerant indeed! "Whatever."

"Let's go." Kouga continued leading them upward.

"You never mated with her?"

"Shut up!"

"I mean, when she was in heat and all over you, you never once thought..."

"SHUT UP!"

Inuyasha laughed. It'd been years – so many years – since he'd done that. He'd forgotten what it was like. It was as though he felt his age in demon years for once and not in human years. It felt nice. It felt good. It felt right.

It felt like he just might be home.
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