InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Cohesion ❯ Cohesion ( Chapter 1 )

"Cohesion"

by MidsummerDreamer

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Kagome, any of the other characters that they interact with, or the futon. I do, however, own a very nice spatula, which I will use to hit people who read my work and don't review. ^__^

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"Inuyasha!" Inuyasha awoke with a jerk at the voice screaming his name right beside his head, and it certainly wasn't the voice he wanted to hear.

"Damn it, Shippou!" he growled at the kitsune, rubbing his eyes blearily, "What the hell is it?"

"It's breakfast time, grouch." Shippou pouted, turning his attention away from the irate Hanyou to say good morning to Kagome. Shippou crawled across Inuyasha's stomach, eliciting a loud "oof!" as his little feet dug into Inuyasha's softer parts. But before the kit could get very close to the sleeping girl, he found himself hanging upside down over the edge of the futon by his tail, now clasped firmly in the inu-hanyou's hand.

"Where do you think you're going?" Shippou gulped at Inuyasha's lethal expression.

"T-to wake up Kagome . . . ?" he ended his sentence like a question. Inuyasha dropped him unceremoniously on the floor.

"Oh, no you don't." Shippou screwed up his face and pouted again.

"You can't stop me!" he made another lunge for the sleeping girl on the futon. Inuyasha stopped him with a not-so-gentle bop on the head.

"Listen, twerp," he growled, his expression and tone brooking no argument, "Kagome has had a rough time, and I know for fact that she didn't sleep very well last night." Shippou was interested to note that Inuyasha's face seemed to flush as he said those words. "You are not to go anywhere near her until she wakes up on her own, got it? She's hurt and she does not need a hyperactive, rambunctious little kid running around playing rough with her."

"If that's the case, then you'd better leave her alone, too, ya big baby!" Shippou ran as if his life depended on it - and it probably did - before Inuyasha could react to his stinging reply. He didn't stop until he was outside, with Sango firmly in between him and any murderous hanyous who might exit the hut at any moment. After a few seconds of waiting, Shippou carefully crept back to the hut to peer inside. What he saw was about the last thing he expected.

Inuyasha still sat where he had been when Shippou ran out, looking down at Kagome's sleeping form with a look of wonder and worship in his eyes. Shippou had known since about the first night he had spent with this little group that Inuyasha was totally in love with Kagome, but he had never seen him act this way before. He would usually never turn down an opportunity to chase him, and here he was, completely ignoring Shippou's blatant insult to his maturity in favor of staring down at Kagome as she slept.

Shippou watched as Inuyasha reached a clawed hand forward to gently stroke Kagome's cheek. He wiggled a little closer to her reclining body on the futon, leaning his weight on one arm as he leaned over her. Shippou saw Kagome smile slightly in her sleep, rolling over to press against Inuyasha, snuggling her head against him. Inuyasha leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Kagome's lips, causing her to blink awake. She smiled and clasped Inuyasha's hand, moving to sit up.

"Hey hey hey, take it easy," Inuyasha chided as he slipped an arm behind her back to support her. She smiled at him gratefully, raising a hand to her head as if it pained her. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling good." Her voice was quiet, but Shippou could clearly make out the warmth and affection in her tone. "My head's still a little sore . . . as well as something else . . . and my muscles are a little tired . . ." Shippou wrinkled his brow in confusion as Kagome suddenly flushed a deep red. Inuyasha smirked at her, lifting his free hand to her cheek. Shippou watched their faces get closer and closer until they were finally obscured by Inuyasha's hair.

"Shippou!" Shippou jumped as his observation was interrupted by Sango calling him loudly. He turned and ran back to her. "I thought I asked you to wake Kagome and Inuyasha?"

"I know, and I did, but Inuyasha said I had to leave and let Kagome sleep," Shippou explained hurriedly. "I was going to go back in and get him up anyway but . . ." Sango looked at him sharply as he trailed off.

"What are they doing, Shippou?" Shippou looked up at her in confusion.

"I'm not sure -" he was interrupted as Sango suddenly walked away from him towards the hut. Miroku looked up from where he was cutting firewood to watch the fireworks. Sango stalked towards the doorway, intending to get the two out of bed once and for all, until she suddenly ran smack into Inuyasha's chest. He looked down at her in annoyance.

"Keh!" he sneered, "Watch where you're going." With that, he left the clearing in the direction of the hot springs. The remaining three looked after him for a while before going into the hut to see Kagome. Now that Inuyasha was no longer there to tell him not to, Shippou launched himself at the girl joyfully.

"Kagome!" he cried gleefully as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Hey, Shippou."

Miroku and Sango approached the futon warily. Both knew full well what had occurred between her and Inuyasha the night before. After all, the hut had only one room. Luckily, that meant that they also knew that Inuyasha's intentions towards her were honorable and that she was happy. Still, it made sitting down and having a conversation with her face to face a little awkward.

"Good morning," Kagome said, looking up at them tiredly.

"Good morning, Kagome," Sango replied, sitting down beside her, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, and my head still hurts." Sango reached a hand over to her chin to turn her head so she could look at the injury. It was less vivid after a night of recovery, and some of the swelling had gone down, but it still looked extremely painful.

"How's your wrist?" Miroku queried. Kagome held up the neatly bandaged appendage obediently, allowing her friends to inspect it. It, too, was on the mend.

Sango sat back, secretly impressed with Inuyasha's healing skills. When he had returned with Kagome on his back, badly injured after a confrontation with Kouga, she had been initially skeptical when he insisted on treating the girl's hurts himself while everyone else went to bed. Still, he had seemed sincere and even competent when he started wrapping Kagome's wrist in the bandage. She still wondered why on Earth Kouga had gotten worked up enough to hurt her. From what Inuyasha had told them the night before, it seemed like he and Kouga were fighting, and then Kagome got in the way. But it still boggled the mind to imagine how Kouga had gotten so upset that he hadn't been able to stop himself before she got hurt . . .

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Inuyasha gratefully splashed warm water over his head, shaking off the last remnants of sleep. He looked up through the tree tops at the brilliant sky, feeling contentment seethe through him. He had made love to Kagome for the first time last night, and he was so happy he was in shock. Even now, he still had trouble getting the images from the previous night out of his mind: the feel of her skin against his, the sounds she made as he touched her, the feel of her around his -

Inuyasha shuddered as the images and memories washed over him. He tamped down his rising arousal in favor of a speedy clean up. After all, the faster he finished, the faster he could get back to Kagome. That decided, he finished his washing and redressed.

Ever since she had been injured yesterday, Inuyasha had noticed his protective instincts flaring out of control. It got to the point where he even growled when Shippou came too close. Even though the kit was annoying, he was in no way a danger or rival male. The bottom line was that he couldn't stand to let anyone else be that close to his Kagome. He wanted to be able to run his hands over every inch of her body, making sure she was with him and unharmed. He wanted her close. Of course, it was bound to cause some problems, like when she had to go home, or when he had to go fight somewhere, but for now he wasn't complaining. If his youkai blood wanted him close to his mate, he would just have to stay close to her. He smiled. Very close, if he was lucky . . .

Once he was back on the path to the village, his good mood quickly faded as a particular scent drifted to his nose.

"Shit!" he muttered to himself, "Twice in two days is too god damn often . . ."

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"Kouga!" Kagome said, trying to inject even an ounce of enthusiasm in her voice as she sat up straighter between Shippou and Sango. Not only was she failing miserably, only managing to sound as if she were in no small amount of pain, but she was getting a distinct feeling of deja-vu . . .

"Kagome! I'm so glad you're alright." The wolf prince really did look as relieved as he professed. He rushed over to her, bringing his hands down gently on her shoulders. A look of contrition came over him as he continued. "Please forgive me, Kagome. You have to believe me; I would never, ever intentionally harm you. I would never have laid a finger on you if that worthless hanyou hadn't muddled it up so much."

"It's okay, Kouga, really," she tried to assure him while simultaneously wriggling out of his grasp without his noticing. Well, he wasn't noticing, and he seemed reassured, but she wasn't getting any farther away from him.

"Uh . . . Kouga?" Shippou crept closer to the adult youkai timidly. Kouga turned to the kit impatiently.

"What is it?" he snapped.

"Um . . . I just thought you should know . . . Inuyash-"

"I don't want to hear that disgusting creature's name again!" Kouga exploded. Shippou yipped and jumped into the arms of Sango, who looked at the wolf youkai warily.

"Kouga," she began, "this really isn't a good time to be visiting Kagome." Miroku nodded in agreement, stepping closer.

"And just why not? I don't need to wait for a `good time' to visit my w-" Kouga stopped suddenly, staring at something around Kagome's collar. He leaned in closer, inhaling suddenly, sniffing her skin. He threw himself backwards off of the futon as if he had been burned, looking at Kagome in horror.

"Kouga?" she asked softly, confused. He continued to stare at her until his expression changed to one of anger. He sat there on the floor for a few moments, still glaring at the mark on her neck in fury, his clawed hands clenching and unclenching spasmodically. Finally, after working his jaw soundlessly for a moment, he answered.

"I'll kill him!" With that, Kouga leapt up off of the floor and out the door. The remaining occupants of the hut stared after him for a moment before running after him, Kagome bringing up the rear more slowly.

When they caught up with him about a hundred paces into the woods from Kaede's hut, he was well into a heated conversation with a slightly damp hanyou.

"Oh, hell," Kagome muttered under her breath in annoyance. "Kouga! Inuyasha!" She ran towards them as fast as her condition would let her in the hopes of halting another ill-fated battle.

"You bastard, what did you do to her?!" Kouga screamed at Inuyasha, looking like he had just contracted rabies. Inuyasha set his feet in a fighting stance, ready for whatever the wolf prince decided to dish out.

"I don't know what you're babbling about, Kouga. I know what you did yesterday, though, so why the hell are you here anyway?" Kouga's only reply was to charge at Inuyasha, whipping out his sword on the way. Inuyasha jumped up out of his way, landing where Kouga had been standing before he charged. Kagome ran up to him, putting her hand on his arm to halt any further actions.

"Inuyasha, please don't do anything rash!" Kagome's eyes were bright as she spoke. "He didn't do anything except apologize, really!" Inuyasha glanced derisively at Kouga as he whipped around to make another pass with his sword.

"I haven't done anything, Kagome," he informed her, "It's this hairy lout that suddenly attacked me out of nowhere." Kouga advanced on the two, growling.

"Like hell you haven't done anything, you son of a bitch!" Inuyasha growled at the insult, but was soothed by Kagome's hand moving to his shoulder. "You marked her! You've taken my woman from me!" Kagome stepped forward. This was an issue she wanted to deal with herself.

"I am not your woman, Kouga! I never was! I kept trying to tell you, but -" Kouga sped over to her suddenly, grasping her hands in his.

"Hush, Kagome," he cooed, "I know you don't really mean it. It's this thug, isn't it? I knew it was a bad idea to leave you with him!" Kouga turned his attention to Inuyasha, who was steaming at the sight of another man with his hands on Kagome. "You fiend! You forced yourself on her, didn't you?" Kagome gaped at him in shock, while Inuyasha roared in outrage.

"You think I forced . . . Kouga, you idiot -" Kagome cut him off.

"No, Kouga, it wasn't like that!" She tried to bring his attention back to herself. "I know this hurts you, but I wanted to. I love -" Kouga hushed her softly.

"It's okay, Kagome," he soothed, "You don't have to lie for him. You owe him nothing. He's just a dirty hanyou. He's just more proof that all of his kind should be killed at birth." Kagome froze at the easy way the words left Kouga's lips. "Once I've dispatched him, I'll take you as my mate and you'll never have to fear from monsters like him again."

CRACK!!

Kouga reared back in shock from the force of Kagome's slap. He stepped back from her as he raised a hand to touch the place where her hand had made contact. Even Inuyasha looked at her in surprise.

"Kouga, how could you say that?!" Kagome's voice was full of anguish. "You would really kill children just because their parents happened to fall in love? Little innocent babies? What kind of a monster are you?!" She closed her eyes on the tears threatening to spill out, only to reopen them on a realization. "What about our children, Kouga?" She stepped forward, radiating white-hot fury. "Even if you did make me your mate - which you won't - our children would be hanyou." She paused significantly. "Would you kill my babies, Kouga?"

Kouga opened and closed his mouth for a moment, trying to find a reply. It had never occurred to him that any offspring he produced with Kagome would be filthy half-breeds. Of course, if they were his and Kagome's, they would never be filthy. And yet . . . what she had said struck close to home. Would you kill my babies . . . ? He closed his eyes in shame and regret. Slowly, openly displaying his submission and defeat, he pulled himself to his feet.

"No," he almost whispered. "I would never harm your children, Kagome. Or you." He looked up at her, his heart breaking. "I love you, Kagome. I'm sorry." He walked past them, leaving to go back to his tribe. Before he left, he turned. "Inuyasha!" The inu-hanyou acknowledged him with a sour glance and a grunt. "Take care of Kagome. If she comes to grief while in your care, ever, you're as good as dead." It should have been a very heated threat, but somehow it seemed more the first half of an agreement of sorts.

"I know," Inuyasha replied, just as gravely. Agreement, indeed. With that, Kouga turned and sped back to his den.

As soon as he was out of sight, Kagome whirled around and threw herself into Inuyasha's arms.

"Whoa, Kagome," Inuyasha stroked her hair, confused. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?" Inuyasha hadn't seen Kouga lay a finger on his mate besides to hold her hands, so he didn't think she was hurt, but . . .

"I can't believe what he said!" she sobbed. He sighed, pulling her closer.

"It's okay, mate," he soothed. "It isn't like I haven't heard it before -" Kagome jerked her head up to stare at him in horror. Inuyasha merely looked at her. "That's the common attitude about hanyou, mate. I've heard it countless times, from both youkai and humans, ever since I was little." He was knocked back a pace as Kagome launched herself at him again, this time sobbing harder, her arms winding about his neck.

"I'm so sorry, Inuyasha!" Inuyasha held her, baffled.

"Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything." Kagome merely held him tighter.

"How could people say things like that? A little child? And to your face!" Inuyasha continued to hold her, staring at the top of her head in bafflement. No one had ever showed such emotion for him this way. He supposed it was because no one have ever really cared about him before, except his mother, at any rate.

"Kagome, it's alright, really," Inuyasha tried once more to calm his mate. She shook her head violently.

"It isn't right, Inuyasha!" He had never seen her so angry, except maybe a moment ago at Kouga. "Just because you're used to it doesn't make it right." She looked up at him with new light in her eyes. "I don't ever want you to feel like that again. From now on, anyone who says that to you is going to deal with me!" Inuyasha nearly laughed at the look of fierce determination on her face, warmth passing over him in a wave.

"You'd do that for me?" She squeezed him tightly.

"You're my mate." She shrugged. "It's my job to protect you, just as you protect me. And I want you to know, Inuyasha, that you are not dirty, or worthless, or any of the other things people have called you in the past." She paused, a thoughtful look passing over her features. "Well, at least you're not dirty when you've bathed recently." He cracked a smile, poking her in the side.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I just had a bath less than half and hour ago." She grinned into his face, reaching up to take a kiss.

"Yeah?" her grin widened. "Well, I haven't. Wanna give me a hand . . . mate?" Inuyasha leered at her before throwing her over his shoulder and dashing back to the hot spring.

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Inuyasha's hands shook as he stared down at them, resting against the bark of the tree branch where he sat, trying to decide what the hell to do. His mind was numb from panic that he had been trying to suppress and rationalize away for the past two weeks.

It had all started at the hot spring that morning after he sent Kouga on his way for good. Well, after Kagome sent him on his way, at any rate. They had gone to the water, stripped each other playfully, and . . . bathed each other. He was too distracted at the time to pay much attention to the slight change in her scent, but he took note of it for further study later. It was . . . a slightly warm smell. It was very faint, so faint in fact that if he hadn't been deliberately inhaling as much of her scent as his lungs could hold, he probably would never have noticed it. As it was, he pondered it and mulled it over, trying to find something familiar to compare it to, to figure out what it was.

It suddenly struck him as he was slashing a few trees for firewood a few days later that the scent was similar to the one he had scented on Kagome that time she had gotten sick. It wasn't exactly the same; when she had been ill, it was a very minor change, and, when he asked, Kaede and Sango hypothesized that the slight warming to her scent came from the heat of her illness. They assured him that it was nothing to worry about, and so he shrugged it off in favor of hunting down the ingredients for her medicine.

This time, however, he was more concerned. The warmth was much stronger, and only increased by the day. He asked her constantly how she was feeling, touching her to persuade himself of her health, insisting that she take naps, and bringing her medicinal herbs. But her only reply was that she was fine and that he was driving her bonkers. After a week and a half of his constant fussing, she finally sat him and told him, quote:

"The only thing that's making me sick around here is you and your incessant nagging! Now go destroy some foliage somewhere and leave me alone! And I don't want to see you again until dinner!"

He had reluctantly trudged off into the forest, more concerned than ever. He could tell there was something off about her scent, something that reminded him of the smell of sickness. But the thing that bothered him the most was the snatches of conversations he had heard from humans over the years. Yes, they went, so and so's sister finally passed away. Turns out she'd been sick for years and nobody ever knew. But that's illness for you. And it was such a terrible, painful death, too . . .

"That's it!" he erupted, "I don't care if I AM annoying the hell out of her, I'm going back there right now, and god damn it, she's going to fucking tell me what the hell is wrong with her!" With that, he stomped back towards the village, growing more angry and afraid with every step, fully intending to scream his head off at his mate the moment he saw her.

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"KAGOME!" Kagome looked up from the woodpile where she was gathering several large logs for that evening's fire at the sound of Inuyasha's enraged voice.

"Inuyasha, stop yelling, I'm right here." She watched in growing impatience as her hanyou mate stomped over to her, looking just as self-righteous and determined as she had ever seen him. She set the log she had been holding down on the ground and waited for him to get to her and say what he wanted to say.

"Kagome, this has gone far enough." Inuyasha looked every bit the egotistical control freak that he sounded like as he lectured his mate. Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and waited patiently for him to finish his tirade. Or, at the very least, get to the point. "I don't know what's going on, but I've been in the dark for long enough. I know there's something going on with you, and I want to know what it is. RIGHT NOW!!"

Kagome stared at him. She couldn't be sure from the ambiguity of his statement, but . . . was he actually suspicious that she was hiding something from him? What on earth did he think she would lie to him about? Her mind cast over the various things that drove Inuyasha nuts, and the only thing she came up with that fit what he was talking about was her relationships with Hojo and Kouga. Well, now just Hojo, at any rate. She blinked in surprise. Was it possible . . . was he actually worried about her fidelity?! She put her fisted hands on her hips, firming her gaze and making him falter, ever so slightly.

"Inuyasha, I don't know what is going on in that head of yours, but I am not, in any way, hiding ANYTHING from you." Kagome wasn't quite screaming at him. Quite. "I don't know why you're so paranoid all of a sudden, but there's absolutely no reason for it, and it's driving me nuts!" She changed strategies suddenly, working him from all angles as her countenance suddenly became offended and sad. "What have I done to ever deserve your distrust?" She turned away from him to reclaim the log she had abandoned to talk with him, but before she could reach the pile, a strong hand clamped down on her upper arm.

"Damn it, Kagome, it's not that I don't trust you." He was slightly calmer now, a little contrite, but still just as intent on his goal as before. "I trust you, but I know that there is something going on. I can smell it, Kagome! Something is happening with you, and I just want to know what the hell it is! Now for god's sake, will you tell me what in the nine hells is going on--" Kagome twisted herself violently out of his grip, furious that he still doubted her. She pulled away, slightly off balance, only to be struck with a wave of dizziness. She raised a hand to her head, all trace of hostility immediately gone. Inuyasha saw her gesture and stopped his tirade in mid-sentence. He stood in place for a moment, nervous and unsure. "Kagome?" He ran forward suddenly as her legs buckled and she toppled to the side. He caught her the moment before she hit the ground.

"Kagome!?" Inuyasha pulled her against him, patting her cheeks and rubbing her neck frantically, searching for some kind of injury - anything! That odd warmth in her scent spiked in his nose, mixing oddly with the cooling in her blood that came from loss of consciousness. Not waiting for her to regain consciousness, Inuyasha scooped her up into his arms and ran full speed into Kaede's hut, shouting for the old miko to come see to the unconscious girl. Kaede hustled over to Kagome, who Inuyasha has placed on the futon in the corner. After a moment, her eyes fluttered.

"Kagome?" Kaede's voice was soft, but firm.

"Muhh?" She tried to pull into a sitting position, only to have Inuyasha yank her back against his body. She lay there docilely, gaining her bearings.

"Kagome, are you alright? What happened?" she blinked at Inuyasha's question, still trying to clear her head. Once he saw her eyes clear of befuddlement, Inuyasha resumed his previous attitude, his anger sharpened by fear. "Fucking hell, Kagome! Stop playing games! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Kagome's eyes filled with angry tears. She opened her mouth to reply, only for Kaede to get to it first.

"Inuyasha, be still! This is no time to be yelling at her." Inuyasha looked down at the ground, obviously quieted for a moment, if no less angry. With a final hard look at his mate, he stomped out the door. Kaede turned to Kagome with an odd smile on her face.

"Now, tell me child, have ye fainted before?" Kagome shook her head. "Have ye had any other symptoms besides this?"

"I haven't felt any different." Her face darkened for a moment. "Inuyasha seems to think so. He just spent the past ten minutes yelling at me because he thinks I'm hiding something from him. He says he can smell it. And he hasn't let me alone about my health for the past two weeks! Every other word out of his mouth has been asking me if I'm alright, or something." Her calm suddenly snapped. "What I want to know is what's the matter with him?!" Kaede smiled in amusement.

"I think I have an idea of what's bothering ye, child. I won't know for sure until I test, but I have an idea." She stood as if to leave the hut.

"What do you think is happening, Kaede?" The old miko walked to the door.

"The instrument I need to perform the definitive test is in the shrine. I'll go get it, and then we'll know for sure." She walked out the door. Kagome leaned back against the futon, only to jerk up as Inuyasha stormed back into the hut. It seemed that his time-out in the yard had only served to distill his anger. He opened his mouth once more.

"KAGOME! THIS IS THE LAST STRAW! I HAVE HAD IT UP TO -"

"Stop yelling at me, Inuyasha!" He pulled back slightly at the grief in her voice. "There is nothing going on! I'm not hiding anything from you! Do you think I've been sneaking off to someone, or something?! WHAT?!" Inuyasha blinked again at her statement.

"Kagome, no," he cooed, all heat gone from his voice. "I would never think that of you. I meant . . ." he swallowed. "There's been a weird edge to your scent for a few weeks now. It's almost like you're sick, but different. And - and now you f-faint like this, and . . ." Kagome was shocked to see that he was near tears with frustration and frantic worry. She softened, realizing that his anger had been merely covering his fear, and he had been worried for her health, not her faithfulness. She held out her arms, and he rushed to her, sitting next to her and burying his head in her lap like a small child.

"Shh, Inu, shh," she hushed him, "I'm really not hiding anything from you." He looked up and opened his mouth, only to have her close it with gentle fingers under his jaw. "I don't know what's going on. I didn't know there was something wrong until you mentioned it just now. Well, until I fainted, I guess. I can't smell my own scent, remember?" He relaxed at the reminder, pulling her close, holding her as a child would cuddle a doll or stuffed animal.

"I'm worried." He whimpered. She wrapped her arms around him.

"I know." She stood slowly, his arms resting on her waist to catch her if she fell again, only to sit once again, this time in his lap. "Kaede said she had an idea about what was going on, and she's gone to get an instrument from the shrine that will give us the definitive answer." He smiled weakly, nodding. He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers, sighing softly.

"I have the testing device, Kagome," Kaede announced as she walked through the doorway. She went over to the futon where the two lovers sat, kneeling beside Kagome. In her hand she held what appeared to be a fragment of a demon bone. She held the scrap of bone towards Kagome, approximately over her solar plexus. Inuyasha eyed the fragment with suspicion.

"What the hell is that, old woman?" Kaede sighed.

"It is an uncleansed demon relic, Inuyasha," she replied, speaking slowly, as if to a small child. Inuyasha huffed.

"I can tell that much, granny," he sneered, ignoring Kagome's persistent jabs at his side. "I can sense the youki perfectly. But what is its purpose, and why the hell did you bring it anywhere near Kagome?" Kaede smiled slightly, watching the bone carefully.

"Watch and see, Inuyasha." Before she even finished speaking, the youki became visible around the bone. Soon after, more youki became apparent, reacting to the demon aura present: a pale red wind from Inuyasha, a light purple from Kagome, a gentle green from Kaede, and one other. Kagome and Inuyasha stared in confusion.

"Kaede, where is that other aura coming from?" Kagome asked, "I see one for each of us, one from the relic, but there's another . . ." She trailed off as she realized that the extra aura was coming from her.

"What's going on?" Inuyasha demanded. "How can there be a youki present with no one to exude it?" Kaede's smile widened.

"Ah, but there is someone to wield the new youki, Inuyasha." Kaede looked significantly at Kagome, whose eyes slowly widened to an almost comical state. Inuyasha stared between the two women, growing steadily more annoyed.

"Well? WHO?!"

"Inuyasha . . ." Kagome turned to him with a look of stunned, wondering joy.

"The youki ye see here is that of your child, Inuyasha." Kaede sat back in satisfaction as the truth sunk in. Inuyasha froze, looking between Kaede and his mate.

"Ch-chi-child?" Inuyasha began breathing hard and fast. "Child? Our child? Kagome's . . . that is, she's gonna . . ." Kaede nodded sagely. Inuyasha let out an ear-piercing whoop of joy, sweeping Kagome into his arms and spinning her around. Too stunned at the news and his behavior, Kagome merely hung in his grip, letting herself be spun wildly. Inuyasha suddenly realized that he was tossing his pregnant mate carelessly around the room and set her down, wrapping a sheltering and supporting arm around her waist before sitting her down on the futon again, smoothing his hands over her abdomen. "Kagome," Inuyasha breathed in her ear, "We're gonna have a pup!" Kagome grinned at his wonder and interesting choice of nouns. She wrapped her arms around his waist, reveling in the warmth and love she found in his embrace.

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Kagome stomped over to the river edge, sitting down to pout. It had been a lovely, blissful three weeks since she and Inuyasha found out about their impending bundle of joy, and Kagome was fed up enough to kill anything that came within a three-foot radius of her person.

"Kagome!!" She looked back in the direction from which she had come, sighing in frustration. It had been wonderful at first. She liked how attentive Inuyasha suddenly became, how affectionate he was being. In addition, she turned out to be one of those lucky women who had minimal morning sickness, and apart from occasional bouts of dizziness and a few faints, she was just fine and dandy. However, as time wore on, it became increasingly clear that Inuyasha didn't agree.

Kagome thought back to his reaction after the first time she fainted. She really hadn't thought about how he had blown up that time, because, when she really sat down and thought about it, he really had reason to worry. That time, he hadn't known what the hell was happening. But his over protectiveness only continued to escalate from there. Oh, she didn't mind him insisting that she not carry large loads of firewood. That made a bit of sense. And convincing her go to bed a little earlier, while annoying, didn't really bother her too much. She especially hadn't minded the cuddling and back rubs that he insisted she endure. If Inuyasha had kept his insistences to that scale, she would be one happy woman.

It had started right after the first time she had fainted after learning of their child - or `pup,' as Inuyasha called it. Kagome had been carrying a (rather light) basket of herbs back into the hut when she suddenly became light-headed. She hurried over to the futon, and luckily managed to pass out on the soft surface rather than risking herself injury on the floor. But, as luck would have it, Inuyasha picked that exact moment to walk inside. He saw her hit the futon, and promptly panicked upon discovering that he was unable to wake her.

"Kagome!!" Kagome sighed again, hearing the note of fear and anger in Inuyasha's voice as he called her. She supposed it wasn't very mature of her to run away like she had, but she was really at her wits end. She supposed she'd eventually have to go back, but until he came to get her, she supposed she was entitled to enjoy this bit of freedom she'd stolen for herself.

After she'd come to, Inuyasha had spend a good half-hour screaming at her, Kaede, Sango, Miroku, and Shippou about why she was exerting herself to the point where she fainted. He even glared at Kirara. Kagome wasted a lot of breath trying to explain that she hadn't been doing anything very hard, that her fainting spells didn't directly reflect the amount of work she was doing, and that it wasn't any of their friends' faults, but none of it had sunk in. The only thing that kept her from completely losing her temper and taking his head off before stomping back to the well to go home was his reaction after everyone had left them alone. He lunged at her, wrapping his arms around her waist the way he had that first time at the well when she was in heat. He snuggled his face against her, next to where their child lay inside of her, and whimpered. She was so shocked it took her all of a minute to realize he was trembling. She had smoothed her hands over his shoulders to soothe him, only for him to start crying softly into her shirt.

After he had calmed down, they'd had a long conversation, mostly involving Inuyasha's overwhelming fear of losing her and their baby, how he had had a panic attack when he saw her fall, and him begging her, on his knees, to let him take care of her. At that point, Kagome couldn't refuse him anything. She simply dried his tears away, and smiled at him, nodding softly.

"Kagome, there you are!" Inuyasha jumped down from the tree that hung over the river bank, landing beside her and promptly leaning over to hover over her. "What do you think you're doing, wench? You can't run off like this all by yourself! What if something happened?" Kagome huffed as they began the same argument that they'd been having ever since that day when she'd fainted.

"Nothing is going to happen to me, Inuyasha!" This time she couldn't help the slight tremor in her voice. "I didn't even go far. It's barely a minute's walk back to the village, and I haven't been outside in days! You've kept me corralled in that hut the whole time!" Inuyasha crossed his arms.

"Yes, I have, and that's where you should be now." Kagome turned to glare at him over her shoulder. "When you're inside, I can watch over you. I can't if you run away every five minutes. What if you fainted again, Kagome? What would happen if you passed out - or worse! - where there was no one to help you?" Kagome's glare intensified.

"That doesn't mean I need to become a prisoner," she said with more than a little resentment. Inuyasha scowled. Kagome's manner changed suddenly, becoming more seductive. "It also doesn't mean that I can't get any . . . exercise." She snaked her hand into the waistband of his pants, grasping the cloth firmly before pulling towards her, hard. Inuyasha yelped as he suddenly fell forward, barely getting his arms up in time to catch himself before he fell on her. He stared at her for a moment, looking for all the world like a deer caught in the head lights, before he scrambled off of her, not meeting her eyes.

Kagome sighed. This was just another aspect of Inuyasha's over protectiveness. Not only was she supposed to sit on her ass all day inside, but she also couldn't get any indoor exercise - especially that kind of exercise. No one was allowed to touch her but Inuyasha, and sometimes Sango and Kaede (when he was in the room). But he wouldn't touch her the way she wanted him to. She had had it up to here with snuggling and caresses on her tummy and chaperoned visits to the door of Kaede's hut. She wanted to go outside and feel the sunshine. She wanted to swim. She wanted to go for walks. She wanted to play and work with her friends. She wanted her freedom, god damn it, and she wanted Inuyasha, but she wasn't getting any of it!

"Let's get you back inside," Inuyasha interrupted Kagome's thoughts in a soft voice. He reached down and put a gentle hand on each of her hips, lifting her to her feet. Usually she would have been touched at the gesture, but now all she could think about was that apparently she wasn't even allowed to get up by herself. She slapped his hands away angrily and stomped off towards the village. It wasn't long before Inuyasha caught up with her, snagging her hand and slowing his pace until she was forced to walk at the speed Inuyasha had deemed appropriate for her. Kagome heaved another sigh and slowed, dropping her head to watch her feet. She was beginning to think that maybe she should just give up. The more she fought him, the more he tried to pack her in cotton. She lashed out at him in frustration only to find that he had brought out the metaphorical pillows to prevent her from hurting herself. It was so infuriating!

Kagome felt her emotions begin to bubble inside of her. All of her anger pulled together into a tight little knot, hard and ugly with her confinement. Hot tears stung her eyes. She suddenly felt as if she were being led to a prison cell. Ever step she took was taking her one step closer to that claustrophobic hut and Inuyasha's intolerable doting.

"ENOUGH!" Inuyasha actually jumped at the volume of her scream. "I am not going back inside! I am going to stay out here and enjoy the breeze, and nothing you can say will change my mind!" With that final statement, Kagome sat down in the path where she was, crossing her arms.

Inuyasha stared at her in amazement. After a moment, he shook his head as if to say `Oh no you don't' and wrapped his arms around her, one under her legs the other behind her back, and began to carry her along the path.

Kagome sagged in defeat. God, she was so frustrated! She felt her eyes begin to fill up with tears as she wallowed in her misery. The worst part of it all was that she should be happy. Inuyasha was just being a gentle, doting, attentive mate, and all she wanted was to get away from him. Most women would just tell her to sit back and enjoy it. She couldn't help it, though. Tears started coursing down her cheeks. She had everything she should ever need or want, and yet she was miserable.

Inuyasha's steps slowed when he sensed the change in her demeanor. He stopped altogether when he smelled salt. He put her down as it hit him that she was crying.

"Kagome?" he couldn't keep the bewilderment out of his voice. "Kagome, love, what's wrong?" His tone took on a slightly panicked edge as his hands slid over her body, checking for injury or some other source of her distress. "Are you feeling bad? Are you hurting?" Kagome only cried harder as she leaned into him.

"I just can't take it anymore, Inuyasha!" Inuyasha recoiled at the raw anguish in her voice. "I'm suffocating! I just want to have a normal life. Is that too much to ask?" Inuyasha's ears drooped as he jumped to a conclusion.

"Do you want to go back home?" he asked softly. "Are you telling me that you want to leave me for your world?" Kagome gaped at him in astonishment.

"Nooo!" she exclaimed. "I don't want to leave you! Never!" She launched herself into his arms at the thought of ever being apart from him. "No no, it isn't that, Inu. I just . . . I need to be free." Inuyasha hugged her, still not understanding.

"What do you need to be free from, mate, if not me?" Kagome looked at him a little awkwardly.

"In a way, it is you." Inuyasha's ears once again resumed their downward tilt. "Inuyasha, don't misunderstand, I love you, but I need some freedom."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha was genuinely confused.

"This!" Kagome exploded. "You! You're behavior! The way you've suddenly locked me in a cage." When he opened his mouth to express his confusion once again, she jumped to interrupt him. "You won't let me go outside unless you practically carry me. I can't have any time to myself, while I'm simultaneously not allowed to talk to anyone. I can't do anything, and I can't go anywhere." Once again, Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, and once again she interrupted him. "You won't let Miroku in the same room with me, Shippou either gets hit or yelled at - or both - every time he comes near me, and you won't even let Sango or Kaede be alone with me for long. I've even seen you growling at Kirara!" She paused to take a deep breath. "Inuyasha I understand that you want to protect me, but you're not letting me live!" Inuyasha looked at her sadly.

"I just want you to be safe." She smiled at him, reaching up a hand to stroke his shoulder.

"I know. And I'm grateful. But even you have to see that not everything in the world is out to get me." He looked at her uncertainly. "For example, you and I both know that Miroku and Shippou would never hurt me. The same goes for Kirara. And it's perfectly alright to leave me with Kaede and Sango." He nodded reluctantly. "And furthermore, there is nothing wrong with me stepping outside sometimes. As far as I know, a little breeze and sunshine never did anyone any harm." He smiled sheepishly at her teasing tone. She sighed. "The bottom line is, Inuyasha, I need you to balance protecting me with respecting my freedom. Keeping me from every little thing is not only unnecessary, it's hurting me. That's why I was so upset." Inuyasha put his hands on he cheeks, looking into her face.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm just so . . . worried. I . . . I don't really know what I should be doing, except keeping you safe. I don't really know how to do this mate and father thing yet." She smiled at him fondly.

"You're doing fine, just ease up a bit, huh?" she tugged at one of his ears teasingly. His response, as she anticipated, was to lean into her hand, his eyes darkening and shining with desire. What she didn't anticipate was him suddenly pulling her hand down and stepping away from her. He shook his head slightly, his cheeks coloring as he refused to meet her gaze.

"We should get back-" Kagome crossed her arms as her supposed mate refused her advances once again.

"That's another thing we have to discuss, Inuyasha." Her tone brooked no argument, and Inuyasha glanced nervously at her out of the corner of his eye. "I don't know why you've been avoiding my touch like this, but I won't stand for it any longer." She stepped forward until they were practically nose to nose. "Am I your mate or not?" She allowed a touch of seductiveness into her tone as she snuck her hand back up to his ears, trying to get him to give in to her.

Kagome's efforts were rewarded as he let out a low groan, his eyes rolling back in his head in pleasure. She stepped in closer to him, wrapping her free hand around his neck and reaching up to nip at his collarbone. She gasped as she suddenly found herself up against a tree with her very aroused mate pressed against her. She returned his heated golden gaze, panting, before he suddenly pulled away from her, leaving one arm around her to steady her. She took a moment to pull herself together before rounding on him. She grabbed him roughly by the upper arms and shoved him back against the tree. He was so startled that he let her.

"Damn it, Inuyasha, why won't you touch me?!" Kagome yelled at him. Inuyasha looked at her ashamedly, almost fearfully, before she felt him place a gentle hand on her stomach, right over where their child grew inside of her. She looked down at the hand briefly before meeting his eyes once more.

"Kagome . . . I . . . can't." He looked away. She was ready to kill something from frustration. All kinds of frustration.

"Why the hell not?!" He sighed and returned his gaze to hers.

"I'm not a gentle person, Kagome." She was so surprised by the seeming randomness of the statement that she dropped her arms from his shoulders. She was about to protest, but he cut her off. "I try to be careful with you, yes, but by nature I am not." He looked down at the hand that rested on her abdomen. "If I . . . if I make love to you and I . . . lose control . . . if I hurt the pup, I'll never forgive myself." Her expression softened at his admission. "I would try my hardest to be gentle, Kagome, I really would, but I'm just so scared."

Suddenly, it all made sense. All of it: his refusal to touch her, his refusal to let anyone else touch her, and to let her go outside. He was really afraid of hurting the baby. All his life, he had been told that he was a dangerous killing machine. All he'd ever learned to do was fight until he met her. He wasn't really afraid that Miroku or Kirara would hurt her. And he wasn't really afraid that something would happen if he let her go for a short walk with Sango. He was really afraid that he would hurt her and was projecting it onto everything around her.

Psychological revelations aside, Kagome knew that she had to dispel this fear. She smiled at him gently, taking his hand and pulling them over to a patch of soft grass to sit down.

"Inuyasha, that is perhaps the sweetest thing I have ever heard of." His mouth quirked into a smile as he glanced at her briefly. "It is also completely unfounded." At this his smile disappeared and he looked at her fully. Kagome took his hand firmly in both of hers, willing him to understand what she was saying. "Inuyasha, the female body was made to do this kind of thing. Just because there's a baby inside of me, doesn't make me any more fragile this way." Inuyasha opened his mouth, likely to remind her of her numerous fainting spells, but Kagome cut him off. "Yes, my blood pressure fluctuates, and that can make me faint, but may I remind you that we usually make love lying down on a soft surface? And the fainting itself doesn't even really hurt me; it's the potential danger from a fall that's the problem. Other than that, there's no reason a little . . . exercise could hurt me. Besides," she moved closer, her breath caressing his ear, "how could I be any safer than when I'm in your arms?" Inuyasha met her gaze, and seemed on the brink of giving in to her, but he suddenly pulled back.

"That doesn't change the fact that I could still hurt you." Kagome threw her hands up in vexation.

"How, Inuyasha!?" She crossed her arms as he turned to face her fully. He set his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently and looking deeply into her eyes.

"Kagome, you know more about me than anyone else on this earth." Her brows knitted in confusion. "Despite that, you have no idea how strong I am. You have never fought me. You don't know what it's like to face me. I don't ever want you to face that, especially not while you're pregnant." Kagome opened her mouth, planning to ask him what her facing him in battle had to do with sex, but he silenced her with a gentle kiss. When he pulled away, he continued to speak. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid I'll lose control and you'll suddenly find yourself at my mercy while I'm hurting you. I know it wouldn't be the same as if we were fighting, but anywhere I am, whatever I'm doing, that strength is still there. Kagome, I just - I couldn't take it-" Kagome saw the image flashing behind his eyes, knew that he was imagining it, his worst nightmare. She smoothed a hand over his brow, letting it rest against the back of his neck. She pulled him towards her until their foreheads touched.

"If all this is a valid worry, then how did you manage to make love to me our first time?" Her question seemed to take him aback. She pressed on. "Inuyasha, I know you're frightened of hurting me, but in this case, I know you better than you know yourself. Your strength may be beyond my comprehension, but I know you. I know that you will not hurt me. You kept control for me that first night, and you will again." She inched closer, pushing his legs apart so that she could snuggle herself in close to his body. "Besides, I'm a lot tougher than you think I am. I wouldn't like you to completely brutalize me, but I can handle you being a little rough. I might even like it." Inuyasha seemed somewhat soothed by her reasoning, but he still looked at her a little uncertainly.

"Are you sure?" Kagome reached up to his ears again, this time stroking them firmly, teasing them in a way that she knew was sure to arouse him.

"Very sure, mate," she replied in a husky tone. "Every doctor on the planet in my time would agree that it is perfectly safe to make love while the woman is pregnant. It can be beneficial, even."

"And these `doctors' know what they're talking about?" Kagome laughed at the skeptical expression on his face.

"They would be the experts, love." This finally seemed to reassure Inuyasha. He wrapped his arms fully around Kagome's waist, pulling her close to him while she continued to tease the edges of his ears. He looked down at her upturned face, his eyes dark and shining from the arousal that he was finally allowing to take hold.

"Well, then," his voice took on a husky quality as well. "If the experts say so, I say we should follow their advice." Kagome shivered at the promise his tone held, near tears with relief that she was about to receive the thing that she had been craving for so long. "Let me love you, mate." He lowered his mouth to the side of her neck, teasing the place where he had marked her as his with his talented tongue.

"Yes, please!" Inuyasha couldn't help but react to her impassioned cry. He redoubled his efforts against the skin of her neck, no doubt leaving a mark that would be very visible later, and gently lowered her to the soft grass, covering her soft form with his torso. He whispered into her ear in between nibbles of her soft, sweet skin.

"You know . . . I'm . . . glad you . . . finally convinced me . . . to do . . . this." Kagome took a moment in between gasps of pleasure to answer him.

"Oh? Why?" He punctuated his answer with a firm kiss on an especially sensitive part of her neck, eliciting a loud moan.

"'Cause I don't think I could have lasted for the next eight months otherwise." With that, Inuyasha began a slow, torturous journey down her body, pulling away clothing and dropping hot, steamy kisses as he went. He paused when he reached her breasts. From the first time he had seen them, he had known that they were beautiful. Not exceptionally large, but perfect nonetheless. Or, at least he hadn't thought they were particularly large. He looked at them now, and he couldn't help but wonder at how full and soft they seemed. He looked up at her questioningly. She smiled at him mischievously.

"You've missed a few interesting changes while you've been trying to resist me, mate." Inuyasha smirked at her teasing tone and lowered his head to tease one of her nipples gently with his tongue.

Kagome gasped as she felt his mouth make contact with her skin. She arched her back, trying to get him to touch her more, harder. Inuyasha, surprised at the sudden spike in her ardor, looked up at her questioningly.

"Oh, don't stop. Please don't stop!" responding to her frantic moans despite his confusion, he lowered his mouth to her breasts again, more aggressively this time, nipping her gently. She only cried out louder and clutched him to her more tightly, as if afraid he would suddenly disappear. After a few minutes of giving her such torturous pleasure, he slowly released her breasts and looked up at her again, reaching to place a kiss on her chin. When he saw that she had come down a bit from the high he had pushed her to, he continued his journey down her body. When he reached the juncture of her thighs, she grasped his arms and pulled him back up to face her. He looked at her in mild confusion.

"I've been waiting for weeks to feel you inside me. That's all I want now. Everything else can wait." Her voice took on an edge of desperation as her hands clutched at his body. "Please, Inuyasha, just make love to me." He nodded, kissing her tenderly as he squirmed out of his haori.

Kagome gasped loudly at the first contact of his skin against hers. This was one of her favorite parts of making love with Inuyasha. Ever since their first night together, she had been amazed at the sensitivity of her skin. Now, after such a long period of restraint, the feel of his skin against hers was so good, so sensual, it left her senseless. She writhed and moaned mindlessly under him as he peppered her skin with kisses and love bites, strategically placed to make her moan the loudest. He grunted in surprise when she grasped his shoulders again, more firmly this time, and once again pulled him up so that their faces were level and their hips perfectly aligned. He stared into her lust-painted face for a moment before a wave of tenderness flooded over him.

"Inuyasha," her voice held a bit of a growl that surprised and aroused Inuyasha more than a little. "Stop stalling! Make love to me now!" He chuckled at her impatience, deciding that he would do best not to antagonize his mate while she was expecting.

Shifting his weight to balance on one arm, Inuyasha lowered one hand to guide himself into Kagome's warm body. The feel of his hand on his hardness, something he had become very accustomed to in the past few weeks, did little to excite him, but the wetness he found between Kagome's legs made him instantly harder than he could ever remember being before. He took a moment to steel his nerves before he slowly pushed himself inside her tight wetness.

Kagome clutched his shoulders in ecstasy when she felt Inuyasha enter her. After close to three weeks of involuntary chastity, the feel of her mate inside her was like coming home after a long, hard journey. And now, she could look forward to another one. Long and hard . . .

Inuyasha braced himself with ironclad self-control as he felt Kagome's warmth press in around him. Three weeks . . . three long, long weeks. How he had dreamed of loving her again like this. Images of this moment filled his dreams. And his nightmares. Once again, he renewed his resolve to take this slowly, to treat her as if she were made of the finest porcelain. He sucked in a deep breath at the feel of her muscles moving around him, the sensation of her small, soft body under him, and the sound of her passion. After steeling himself for a moment, he lowered his head to bury his face in the side of her neck and began to move.

Kagome nearly cried as she felt Inuyasha begin to move within her. It was so, so good. Each movement sent a wave through her body, like ripples on a pond, and she was helpless to do anything but revel in the feeling. She wrapped her legs around his hips, trying to bring him into her faster, harder, and deeper. Yet try as she might, he continued with his slow, gentle pace.

"Inuyasha," she half moaned, half whined, "Inuyasha, please, more!" Inuyasha moaned in response, shaking his head slightly and mouthing her collarbone, refusing to give into the temptation of pounding into her until they were permanently joined at the hips. He nearly gave the effort up for lost when he felt Kagome raise her hips to meet his thrusts, trying to increase the pressure. Still, Inuyasha held his self control in an iron grip, refusing to let the encounter become any rougher.

Kagome moaned again in frustration. Inuyasha was finally, finally making love with her, and he was still treating her like glass! Huffing in her disapproval, she reached up to his ears once more, hoping to fray his control. He moaned in response and dropped his head to rest against her shoulder. Not satisfied with his response, Kagome fastened her lips to his neck, searching for the sensitive spot just below where his human ears should have been. She was rewarded with a larger moan and a slight quickening in his pace. She smirked, preparing to deliver the final blow to his self-control. Running one hand down his back, she pressed his lower back down to her while simultaneously raising her hips. The moment he was at his deepest point within her, she contracted all of her inner muscles, clamping down on him as hard as she could.

Inuyasha's reaction was explosive. Everything had been going well. He was finally able to make love to her, and he was even managing to keep control. The sensation on his ears and neck sent him scrambling to keep his cool, and the sudden pressure from inside her drove him completely from any manner of restraint. Self-control resolutely snapped, Inuyasha gave into the urge to take her with a rough moan.

Kagome whimpered in ecstasy as Inuyasha finally began to use some force. Every movement he made within her sent tremors flooding through her frame, turning her muscles to jelly and setting her skin aflame. Her cries of pleasure grew louder as Inuyasha's movements grew more and more forceful. She suddenly felt him pushing against her cervix, as deep as he could go inside of her. One more thrust, one more hard push against that spot, and she was suddenly flying, screaming in bliss as she came. At that moment, she was so overcome with happiness at finally being able to make love with her mate again that she cried.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha moved steadily closer and closer to his own completion. Kagome's little cries and her movements against him only served to enflame his already blazing desire. Despite his fear of doing her injury, Inuyasha gradually increased his pace, pushing into her harder, faster. He was close, so close, and then suddenly, he felt her entire body tense, her inner muscles clamp down on him again, and finally, heard her scream of delight. Finally throwing all self-restraint out the proverbial window, Inuyasha bend his head to lick and suck at his mark on Kagome's neck, slamming into her a few more times before finishing with a choked cry.

As soon as she felt Inuyasha finish, she wrapped her arms around him, intending to pull him down on top of her. She was surprised when she met resistance, and instead found herself lying on top of her love as he rolled them over, determined not to put his weight on her. She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. He stroked her hair in response.

"Mmmm, that was . . . amazing!" Kagome whispered. Inuyasha smirked and craned his head down to look into her face. He suddenly tensed under her, brushing a hand over her cheek.

"Kagome! You-you're crying!" his expression turned tragic. "Did I . . . hurt you? Damn it, I knew this was a bad idea!" Kagome quickly wriggled herself around on top of him to look into his face. She stroked a hand through his hair as she spoke.

"Inuyasha, calm down! You didn't hurt me." She felt him relax minimally. "These are happy tears." He looked at her warily, not sure whether she was being honest.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, very sure." Kagome smiled. "I have never been happier in my life than when I'm making love with you." Her smile broadened. "You just made me so happy, I cried." The beginnings of a trademark Inuyasha smirk bloomed on his face.

"So, I really didn't hurt you?" Kagome made a slight sound of impatience.

"God, no." she snorted softly. "If that's pain, we should all be masochists." Inuyasha's little smirk grew into a full blown leer.

"That good, huh?" She smiled gently at him.

"Yup." He squeezed her gently.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. Gotta keep my mate happy, after all." Kagome's expression morphed into a wicked smile.

"In that case, lover-boy, you better take me back inside to bed." He looked at her curiously. "If you really want to keep me happy, then you've got your work cut out for you." She punctuated her statement with a soft kiss to his neck and a subtle grope in a place that sent bolts of desire through him all over again, leaving no doubt as to what kind of work she had in mind. He barked a laugh and sat up, gathering their clothes and swinging her into his arms.

"Well then, with all the work I have ahead of me, we'd better get started. What do you say, lover-girl?" Kagome answered him with a beaming grin, and he set off towards the village.

Fìn.

R&R!