InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ After an Afternoon ❯ Tear to Tear and Mouth to Tongue ( Chapter 4 )

…Four…

“After and afternoon with you

And your rich brown eyes,

Your lips, and dark hair

Elbows and exposed knees tossing toward the ceiling

 

After an afternoon…

 

Face to palm

Tear to tear

And mouth to tongue

Heart to ground

I am in love.”

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Before he can speak, she lets out a yelp.

He looks up sharply from the floor where he had been studying the dirt, which had suddenly become superbly interesting, and sees her holding her hand in pain, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Feeling the need to protect her from the pain, as has always been his self-appointed task, he rushes to her.

He sees that she had, while speaking to him, been ignoring the ramen and rabbit soup that she had been preparing. While stirring, she had splashed herself with the broth, and a red welt was already beginning to form where the boiling liquid had touched her pale skin.

“Are you ok?”

She nods, head tilted down so that her bangs obscure her eyes.

He rummages through her bag and finds her medicine box. Having seen her treat multiple burns, he knows what do.

He goes over to where she is sitting and crouches next to her, picking up her limp hand. He rinses off her finger, fighting the urge to kiss it painless. Slowly, carefully, he wipes it down with a pad wetted with alcohol. He then unwraps a bandage from its paper sleeve and, hands trembling slightly at their proximity, wraps the it around her finger. He mentally shakes himself. Snap out of it! She is hurt, and you helped her. That's all this was, nothing else.

“Thank you, Inuyasha.” She looks up at him for the first time. The light from the fire glances off of a single tear running down her cheek.

Upon seeing her cry, his restraints are forgotten, and he sinks to the floor beside her and pulls her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her small form.

Instead of comforting her, this only seems to make her cry harder. Confused, he reacts by doing as his mother had when he was a pup, and begins to rub her back and run his fingers slowly through her hair, feeling the silky waves slide over his fingers.

This doesn't seem to be helping. Did I do something to make her cry so brokenheartedly? Please tell me that I didn't hurt her! He cups her chin in his hand, trying to get a better look at her face to see what is truly troubling her. She refuses to look at him. Tentative, shy fingers brush the tears off of her cheeks and, unable to speak, unbidden tears begin to fall from molten gold eyes. He closes his eyes, too late in trying to stop the tears from leaving their wet tracks on his cheeks.

One of the salty droplets falls on her nose. She looks up and, seeing him crying softly, a confused expression flits across her face. It is gone as fast as it came, however, and resolve shines in chocolate eyes still wet with tears.

What is she doing? Brushing them off? Oh Gods! She sees me crying…She must think I'm so weak… He refuses to open his eyes and see her looking at him with the pity that he knows must lie in the warm, brown depths of her eyes.

One unintercepted tear trails its way down his cheek towards his mouth. She reaches it just as it hits his lips, and, suddenly, lips meet with lips. His eyes open with a shock, and he sees her kneeling, facing him. In his misery, he had not noticed her leave his lap, or take his hands in her own. Finally, he realizes what she had been doing.

She was kissing my tears away.

He closes his eyes, smiling against her lips in his joy. Maybe…

He wraps his arms around her small form, tightly and protectively, moving her back into his lap.

He meets her lips again, tentatively, shyly at first, just as he had brushed away the tears from her cheeks earlier. To his amazement, she kisses him back.

His kiss becomes more desperate; he kisses her as though he is drowning, and to kiss her is to breathe. His lower abdomen tightens and his throat aches.

I'm not sure what I want more: to dance around the room, singing with joy, or to stay like this, with her forever, and never stop.Because if we stop, she might think it was a mistake…

He pulls away. I need to know.

“Kagome…” he rasps out, struggling to speak, his voice hoarse with desire and apprehension.

Her eyes open slowly, and she is smiling slightly. “Yes, Inuyasha?”

“I…” Trails off, almost losing his nerve.

“Mmmhmm?”

“I love you,” he chokes out, barely making a noise.

“I know.”

She kisses him lightly, smiling against his lips.

Confusion is reflected in honey-colored eyes before they close.She does? But…

“And I love you.”

His eyes shoot wide open. Then he smiles. Now that I know that…

His lips crash against hers, and he pulls her even closer, wanting to be as much in contact with her as possible. She wraps her arms around his back, slender fingers catching in tousled silver locks. She pulls his head down, closer, seeming to enjoy the proximity as much as he.

His hands move to her cheeks, and he runs the tips of his claws across them, featherlight, trailing over her cheekbones, through her dark hair to the back of her head and then down her neck and spine. Nibbling on her bottom lip, he feels the shiver that follows his fingers down her back, and the way her hips move against his. His eyes shoot wide open, as if in epiphany. He suddenly, but gently pushes away.

We can't. Not yet. She can't know what she's doing, and I want to make sure that this is what she truly wants. I want her to want me as badly as I want her.

“…Inu…yasha…?” Her brown eyes are now hazy with desire.

He smiles softly, but falters. I almost lost my resolve, seeing her like that…but …I--I shouldn't…

“Kagome, there is food cooking. It's already starting to burn…”

She visibly shakes herself, then sighs and runs a finger through her now tousled black locks. “Right.”

She walks over, and takes the pot off of the fire. He hears her place a lid on it.

“There, now it can wait. Now, where were we?”

He looks up at her in surprise, molten gold eyes widening. I thought that for sure that she'd want to take it slow…

Seeming to read his mind, she gives him a half smile, lips still red and slightly swollen with his kissing. He swallows hard, controlling himself. I will not jump her... I will let her speak before jumping her… I will…I've just waited so damned long for this!

“You're wondering why I'm jumping right into this?” she raises her eyebrows, and he nods, slightly surprised that she should know his mind so well. “I'm not, really. If you think about it, we've been living together for two years, and I've been in love with you for…” She trails off playfully. The darkness partially hides her eyes as she looks down at the dirt floor of their cave, pretending not to remember. Sensing his tension, she relents, grinning broadly.

“…since almost the beginning. If that's not taking it slow, then I'd like to know what is?”

He grins back at her and sweeps her into his arms, bridal style. He crosses the cave, elated, and sets her down gently on her sleeping bag, which she had already unrolled in the corner. He lies down next to her on his side, his head propped up on his fist, drinking her in as though he has never seen her before. And now I can look at her without having to pretend to be annoyed so that she won't see what she really makes me feel…

She is smiling slightly at him. Her clothing is slightly askew from his energetic reaction to her earlier declarations. The heat from the fire has added a flush to her cheeks that reminds him of rose petals. He reaches out to touch her cheek, finding it as just as soft. Continuing to stroke it absently, he continues his survey of her body. His eyes travel down her frame, committing her to memory as though he might never see her again. He admires how smoothly her neck flows into her shoulders, and her breastbone as it curves outwards with the swell of her chest, the shape of which he can see through the light fabric of her shirt. He blushes slightly, and quickly shifts his gaze. The firelight caresses her bare legs, making the flesh seem lit from within. Long black hair shines like midnight in the flickering light. Her eyes, bright with joy, are half closed in drowsiness.

She looks like something…not human…a goddess… He kisses her, lovingly and softly, not wanting to force her fully awake.

“Kagome?”

She yawns slightly, moving closer to his body's heat. “Yes?”

“You're… beautiful.”

She looks up at him, and smiles softly. She then lays her head on his chest, nuzzling him slightly, and drinking in his warmth.

“Thank you, Inuyasha.”

He smiles down at the dark head on his chest, and begins to comb his fingers through her hair as she dozes off.

“Always, my Kagome. My love.”

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Aw! The end of my favorite fic so far…such fun to write! I wrote this last chapter fast because I couldn't wait (it earns the story its PG 13 rating, I think) but I stopped it before it went further. There may be a sequel…let me know if you'd be interested in reading one…I'm not going to make the effort to write one if no one really wants to read it. Plus, I love hearing from you guys, even if it is just a few words of encouragement or critique. Review with ideas for songs to use for the next fic, if you have any that you think would work well (perhaps more of a lemon?). Thanks to all who read the story, and I hope to hear from you soon. Sabai sabai!