Chapter One: Death and Discovery
Where to read: FFN, AO3, WP
Characters - Inuyasha x Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo
Summary - Inuyasha has been raised as a dog. A dog that hunts, fights and kills for his master. When Kagome finally tumbles through the well on her 18th birthday she is surprised by what she finds. Is it an animal capable only of following commands or a man learning to cope with his tragic past? Can Kagome look past it all and love him for what he is? Or will she only find a beast within?
Warnings - Slowburn, Angst, Drama, Romance, Semi-Out of character, What-if?
A/N - Set in an alternate timeline under a what-if? scenario.
I love this gift of IY laughing like some mad scientist! If only he knew what I am going to do to him.
Inuyasha slowly came out of his hiding place, hesitant for the blow that always followed this trickery from the villagers, who were more hateful of what he was than scared. But his stomach and nose compelled him to trust the man enough to expose himself to possible mockery, if not a beating. But none came.
He slowly made his way inside the man's modest home. He took a step forward, and the Stranger patiently smiled and waved him inside. It looked warm inside, and the food smelled delicious. "Go on," the man said. "Eat up."
Inuyasha still felt distrustful of the man, but the other villagers never smiled at him. Only his mother had ever smiled at him. By his innocent logic, the stranger must be good.
He picked up the bowl but was stopped when the stranger's smile disappeared. "You may eat, but dogs eat on the floor." Perplexed, Inuyasha hesitantly sat the bowl on the floor. He looked from the bowl to the man whose smile had reappeared. "Yes, that's right," he said, pleased.
His mother would be appalled, and he felt horribly humiliated, but his stomach won. That and the pleased expression on the stranger's face gave him a sense of elation. He got down on all fours and began to devour what had been laid in front of him. As he ate, the man came over and patted his head. "Good boy," he said.
Inuyasha felt something new that he could not describe and beamed at the attention he had never received from anyone but his mother. There was no disdain or revulsion from this stranger.
Once Inuyasha had finished the bowl, he looked hesitantly at the man. The man smiled at him again. "What's yer name, boy?" the Stranger asked.
"Inuyasha," he responded, hesitantly.
"Hmm. I'll just call you Inu for short," the man said, his smile never leaving his face. The name 'Inu' seemed wrong. His mother had always told him that she loved his name because his father had given it to him. But he did not want to upset this kind man who had fed him when no one else would. Inuyasha made to leave, wanting to stay within his welcome, but was stopped.
"Where are you going Inu? I don't mind if you stay here. I'm sure you can be of some use, being a half-breed and all," the stranger asked. The man scratched his chin and nodded at Inu in approval. Inu's heart lifted at the prospect of a home and someone who would be kind to him. "Yes, I am sure we can get along just fine," the man said.
Inu watched as the man set up a pallet by the entrance of his abode. "You will sleep here," the man said. Inuyasha looked hesitantly at the pallet. "Well," the man motioned, "Go on." He moved over to the pallet that had been made for him.
"Sit," the man instructed. Inu sat.
"Lie down," the man said. Inu laid down.
"Good boy," the man said.
