InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Change of Heart - A Sesshoumaru & Inuyasha Story ❯ Lap of Luxury ( Chapter 15 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

A/N: I know, way too short. But at least our favorite InuHanyou gets pampered!


Inuyasha was blinded to the beauty of his rooms by his conflicting emotions for about one minute. While standing motionless, the wonderful scent of the wood used in all the furniture caressed his senses, and he started to take visual notice of his surroundings.

The room he was in was a formal sitting room. Paneled in Japanese cedar, with painted scrolls decorating the walls, there was a kotatsu of Makassar Ebony wood in the center, surrounded by ornate cushions of red and purple fabric trimmed with gold. He admired its beauty for a moment, and then walked further into the suite.

Opening a slightly smaller set of doors, he was blown away. His bedroom. ‘This…is all mine?’ It was huge. He felt soothed instantly by the scents of wood all around him; it reminded him of the forest he loved so much.

In the center was a platform-storage bed with a bookcase-headboard that could comfortably fit ten people. Covered in silks of reds, purples, and violets, accented with gold threads, and canopied with more of the same. There were sheer panels of red and purple blended colors floating around the bed, hiding it almost completely from view. Sitting at the foot of the bed, and stretching the entire width, was a large chest made of cedar.

In one corner of the room near a window was a traditional desk, along with a tansu-chest to the side with drawers and cubbyholes within easy reach. The large chair was cushioned on the seat and back with the same silks as his bed.

On another wall was a massive wardrobe, flanked by painted shoji screens for privacy. He noticed larger tansu-chests behind the screens as he got closer. Somewhat dazed, he opened the wardrobe to put his bundle of clothes away, expecting to find it empty. Instead, it was filled with beautiful clothes. He reached out to run his hand along the clothing hanging there, and all of it was so soft.

He’d never known anything but his coarse Fire Rat clothing before he’d been injured this last time. It was hot in the summer, and the clothing from Sesshoumaru had been a welcome change.

The clothing he was looking at now was just as soft as Sesshoumaru’s, and the colors… He was amazed. He could tell by the scents that they had just been placed in this wardrobe recently, and had been newly made just for him; although he could detect two other family-scents, they were very faint, and he decided to wait to find out what they were.

He was overwhelmed by how much Sesshoumaru seemed to truly want to make him happy and feel welcome.

He walked dazedly to a set of glass doors on the same wall as the bed, and opening them, walked out onto a large balcony. The sight that greeted him, of the early morning sunlight shining on the ocean, left him breathless. ‘The sea is right below me! I’ll get to see it all the time!’ he thought excitedly.

The first thing he noticed when he could tear his gaze away from the water was a walled-in forest directly below his balcony…far below… ‘Wow, I’ve never been this high up in anything but a tree…’ There were huge trees, flowers, and even a small river flowing through it, emptying out under the wall on the ocean-side. The scents were so calming, even reaching four stories into the air to meet him...he’d have to remember to ask Sesshoumaru about it. ‘Maybe I could visit it. Is it someone’s private forest?’

To his left he could see the main part of the castle; the front entrance was hidden behind the part he could see. It looked as though the family-towers of the castle were set on the edge of the cliff, with the bulk of the castle shielding it. Thinking of the doors to Sesshoumaru’s rooms, he realized that what he saw to his right would be the tower for the Lord’s Chamber; and behind him on the other side of the cliff would be Sesshoumaru’s tower of rooms. He could imagine from this vantage point that the balcony for the Lord’s Chamber must be perched on the very tip of the cliff. All of the family-suites were overlooking the ocean, set on a narrow finger of land extending out into the sea.

After relaxing there for a while and allowing the scents to calm him, he remembered his original plan to take a bath. He returned inside, and walked to a single door he had yet to open near the wardrobe. Opening it, he got yet another shock.

The bathroom was huge too! Softly lit by huge windows covered with painted rice paper, it was instantly soothing, and calmed his emotions even further.

The tub was sized like the bed. He could have a party in here! (Not like he’d ever let that happen, but wow.) The tub itself was built to be identical to a hot spring, with rocks to sit on and a smooth rock bottom.

To his left was a large mirrored wall, with a shelf built into the wall below it, and a cushioned backless stool. On the shelf were racks with brushes, oils, towels; anything he could ever need.

Turning back to the enormous bathtub, he was already stripping off his clothes. Then he stopped. ‘Right, I need to call a servant to fill the tub.’ He didn’t want to wait, but at least he’d have his first-ever private bath; no looking over his shoulder. ‘This is gonna be so great.’

Looking around for the rope Sesshoumaru mentioned, he saw it next to the tub, but next to that was a small stone lever. ‘I wonder what this does?’ he thought, as he pushed it down.

Instantly, steaming hot water began to pour into the tub from a large waterfall at one side. He’d noticed the smooth sloped stone with no seats below it, but that it was for water to pour out of surprised him. It was beautiful.

He quickly resumed shedding his clothing. He was sweaty and hot from running for nearly two days, and this looked like paradise.

He got in, and sighed in pleasure. The water was very hot… ‘Maybe they’re getting the water directly from a real hot spring somehow?’ He decided he could figure it out later. For now, all he was interested in was sinking into the water and relaxing.

He sat on the rocks opposite the waterfall, allowing his mind to clear and enjoying the sensation of the hot water climbing up his body as the tub filled quickly. He realized he could fill it high enough that he could literally swim in it, but for now he’d fill it about halfway, up to his shoulders while sitting.

As he leaned his head back with a soft sigh of pleasure, he saw an alcove in the rock. In it were more towels and a variety of shampoos and hair-oils, body soaps and body oils. ‘Wow, this is all for me to use? I never knew fancy stuff like this existed. Maybe I can try them all eventually.’ He was excited. He’d never known such luxury before. He lazily floated so his foot could reach the lever to stop the flow of water, then floated back, grabbed a towel, and placed it behind his head.

He leaned back with a sigh and a content smile on his face, floating weightless in the soothing water. Maybe his life was truly changing for the better after all. He would let himself hope and enjoy everything.

He would, for the first time, trust his brother completely. It would kill him if Sesshoumaru reverted to his old ways, but something in his soul told him that Sesshoumaru’s change of heart was genuine.

***

Sesshoumaru entered his own rooms, fighting his Youki with each step.

Knowing his brother was feeling emotionally vulnerable, his Youki was demanding they go and comfort him. Knowing he was going to bathe, his Youki was also demanding they go in there and bathe with the boy. Kami knew he wanted to do both. However, he could not. Not yet.

For now, it was best to allow Inuyasha some space. He needed to gain the boy’s trust completely. Without that, there could be nothing built between them for the future.

***

Inuyasha spent a full hour in the bath just laying back and dozing in the hot water. Finally stirring, he leaned over and looked through the soaps he could use. Deciding on a soap that had the lightest fragrance, one that smelled lightly of sandalwood, he washed his body first, then reached for the matching shampoo to wash his hair. He began to duck under the water to rinse it out, then had a thought and reached for that lever again, and let the waterfall rinse his hair for him. ‘This is awesome. I could definitely get used to this.’

He then looked at the oils next to the soaps. He could see that there were oils for both his hair and body, paired with the soaps or shampoos. He’d never used oil in his hair, but decided to give it a try. He slowly worked the sandalwood oil into his hair, and was pleasantly surprised with how soft it made his hair feel even while still wet.

Getting out finally, he dried off, and then looked at the combs and brushes that were on the counter by the mirror. He hadn’t had a brush or comb since his Mother died; he’d always just used his claws to try to get the tangles from his hair. ‘Well, I’m trying lots of new things, so why not try a comb too?’

He chose a big comb with wide teeth, and got started. It pulled at the knots in his hair, but the oil he’d used was helping a great deal. Within a short period of time, he’d been able to comb out all of his normally-unruly hair.

Finally looking up to see the mirror, he stared in surprise at his reflection. Combing his hair out had also helped to dry it faster, and he was very pleased with how soft and shiny it looked. It even looked longer than before, and lay much better; still full but not so wild.

Leaving the bathroom, the first thing he saw was the bed. Even though his original intention had been to go to the wardrobe and find something to sleep in (with all those drawers in it, he was sure to find something), he couldn’t resist the way the bed seemed to be calling out to him after the relaxing bath. So he walked to the bed, pulled back the furs and sheet, and climbed in naked.

‘Wooowww… Ho-ohh-ly shiiiit…’ was all he could think at first. He was totally taken by how amazing the silk sheets felt against his bare skin. ‘Have I ever felt something this soft before?’ he wondered. The only answer he had to that question was that Sesshoumaru’s Fluff was this soft. But he’d never felt his brother’s Fluff at any time except when they would fight. Or when he’d been hurt, but he’d been too out of it then to appreciate it fully. So, no, he’d never felt anything quite like this.

He spent a decent amount of time just sliding his body back and forth, enjoying the feel of the cool silk on his skin. He’d never slept naked before.

Then it hit him, like a physical blow, just how completely fucking tired he was. The entire thing with Kagome, then his run to the West, his excitement, and then all the confusing and upsetting emotions…finally the wonderful hot bath…he was exhausted.

And so, for the first time in his life that he could remember, he cleared his mind completely and fell asleep in total comfort and security; content in the knowledge that he was completely safe here, and because of that, he could sleep deeply and peacefully.

~tbc

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MM doesn’t format things like I want them. So if you want the Japanese translations of anything, just ask.
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