InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Coming of Age ❯ 4 ( Chapter 4 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: DemonSaya 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 11.06.2005 | Pages: 7 | Words: 9.6K | Visits: 1.6K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 11.06.2005 | Pages: 7 | Words: 9.6K | Visits: 1.6K | Status: Completed
AN: Wow...this is scary...This is the one story that I was only planning on making a one-shot, and now it's my most popular chaptered fanfic. Kakkoi! Hontou ni URESHII! I know you were all hoping that I would make a lemon of this chapter, but I can't do that and continue to post it on FF.net, so when I get around to writing the lemon version, I'll notify everyone that has this listed in their favorites or on Alert, so they know the fully completed story is posted elsewhere, and where it's posted. Thanks!
Note: Anata-you/dear. In the context I'm using it in, in other words, when referring to a loved male, anata can mean dear or husband.
He turned towards her, his face showing his nervousness, his fears. "Kagome, if I stay here with you tonight, I'm going to want to have sex with you." He warned.
She nodded in agreement.
His eyes widened a bit. "Kagome...?"
"I made my decision, Inuyasha." She said, reaching up, caressing his beautiful face.
He stared at her in shock. 'Is she saying...what I think-' His mind screeched to a halt when her lips pressed lightly against his and he heard her whisper softly into his ear.
"I want to be your mate."
She scowled, glaring towards the trees, where a sixth sense told her the priest was watching her wait. 'Pervert...he probably thinks I'll do something sukebe...' Her eyes narrowed and she harrumphed, turning her back on him and sitting down to polish her boomerang, Hiraikotsu. 'Let him try to come over here and do something perverted, I'll beat him six ways from sunday.'
"Hey, you stupid human."
Sango looked up abruptly, seeing Kouga standing there, a look of severe irritation on his face. A scowl covered her face. "Kagome hasn't yet returned, Kouga-kun..." She said evenly, returning to her chore. She glanced behind her, seeing Miroku with his hand on the rosary around his hand, just in case. "So what do you want?" She asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Has that dog turd gotten back, I've still got a score to settle with him."
"No, Kouga, Inuyasha is still with Kagome. I don't know when they'll return." 'So please go away!' She mentally screamed.
Miroku chose that moment to make his presence known. "Kouga-kun, from what Inuyasha told me, Kagome will probably not return until her ankle is mended, if then." He bit back a grin. "He requested she stay till she answered his request. So why don't you go take care of your pack and return in a few weeks?"
"Request?" Kouga hissed. "You mean he's asked her to be his mate?! Keh, like she'd agree to be with that weak dog-turd when she could have someone who is actually a powerful full demon."
"Indeed, a powerful demon that wouldn't have given her the option of saying 'no' to him." Miroku sneered. "Why on earth would she pick Inuyasha when she could have you with all your 'greatness'." He walked towards the demon with his eyes narrowed. "If you so much as lay a hand on either of them, my kazanaa will make room for such an important guest..."
Sango looked up at him in surprise, then glanced at Kouga who was growling deep in his throat. "I think you should leave for awhile, Kouga-kun..." She said softly, standing and slipping into a ready stance, so that if he took exception to their words she'd be ready. "Kagome is not here, and will not return for a bit, and I'm sure you'll be able to catch her scent again, easily enough."
He snarled at the humans, cracking his claws. "I could kill you both..." He hissed, stalking closer to them.
Miroku began to unwrap the rosary, getting directly in front of Sango. "Not if you want Kagome to truly hate you forever. She considers you a friend...don't spoil that for her further."
Kouga made a rude gesture with his hand and turned, running off. "Screw y'all! I'll return and take Kagome as my mate no matter how she answers dog-turd!"
Sango relaxed a bit when he was gone, glancing at Miroku, who was winding the rosary back around his hand. "You really respect Inuyasha for giving Kagome a choice, don't you, Miroku-sama..."
Miroku glanced back at her and shrugged, walking towards the trees. "Women always deserve a choice. It makes the relationship more rewarding later on." He paused, glancing back at her. "I am sorry for forcing that kiss upon you. Perhaps I should take a page from Inuyasha's book." He smiled, but it was an unhappy smile, and he disappeared into the treeline.
Sango watched him go through wide eyes. 'Miroku-sama...'
He was crying.
Her jaw dropped and she moved towards him, putting her arms around him quickly. This was something new. True, he had cried once before, but this was different. This time, he wasn't trying to hide it from her. This time, his tears caused a strange ache in her heart and she felt the need to whisper anything it took to calm him.
He couldn't believe it. Her words echoed in his head over and over again and he felt her fingers were now gently caressing his hair, her voice telling him that everything would be alright, she was there, she wouldn't leave him. He clung to her as the emotions welled up inside him. He had fully expected to go his entire life as he always had. Unwanted, uncared for, unloved. And then Kagome had come into his life. And now...
"I love you..." She whispered softly against his hair, her hands moving in a soothing motion, feeling him begin to shake harder. Her heart bled and she hurried to try to soothe the hanyou who clung to her like a life-line. 'Oh, Inuyasha...please, say something...'
He heard her words and they brought fresh tears to his eyes. Yet, as he cried, a smile had turned up his lips. After everything he'd done to her, after all the hurt he'd caused her, here they were, holding each other, and she'd said..."Thank you..." He whispered. Then, he lifted his face and kissed her.
Kagome's lips parted in a startled gasp at the initial contact. It wasn't as though it was their first kiss. No, they'd kissed plenty much already before she'd told him she would be his mate. But never once had the kiss been this sweet. There was none of the desperation of before. Just his lips pressed against hers. Kagome let her eyes fall closed as she kissed him back. His lips tasted salty like his tears, and she lifted her hands, gently brushing the remnants of the hanyou's show of emotion from his cheeks.
He pulled back reluctantly, looking down into her smiling face. He leaned forward, nuzzling her neck, pressing soft kisses against it. Slowly, he pulled back looking into her eyes. "Kagome, you deserve for this to be special your first time...I won't do this the demon way this time...so rutting isn't the right word..." He blushed faintly, stroking her cheek. "What do humans call it?"
Her eyes widened. "W-we call it...making love." She whispered softly, blushing as well. She felt his fingers gently trailing across the area where he would mark her and she bit her lip, looking up at him, shyly. "Inuya-"
He leaned forward, kissing her tenderly on the lips. He slid his hand down her back, trying to find the device that would free her from the dress. 'Where is that...what's the word? Zipper? Ah! Bingo!' He found it after a long moment of searching and he slid it slowly down, pulling back to meet her gaze. "Kagome, I want you to promise me that if you're not sure about this part yet, you'll stop me..." He said as the zipper was finally open completely, and a bit more of her back was exposed to the air.
She blushed faintly. "I promise..." She whispered. She felt his hands slowly pull the straps of her dress down and she blushed darker when her chest became exposed to his view. Instinct told her to hide, to cover herself, but Inuyasha caught her arms, holding them gently at her sides.
"Don't hide from me." He ordered softly. Slowly, he slid his clawed fingers down her arms to her wrists, slowly wrapping around them, bringing her hands to the line of tiny buttons down the front of his shirt. He saw the faint blush on her face and felt her fingers gently opening his shirt as she'd closed it earlier that evening. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back, drawing her towards him. He could smell that she was nervous and bit the inside of his cheek. 'Please, please, PLEASE don't get scared now...'
Kagome watched with fascination as she buttoned his shirt and his chest slowly came into view, inch by gorgeous inch. 'How did he get this tan?' She wondered, not for the first and probably not the last time. She made a mental note to herself to ask him about it at a later time. Right now, it wasn't the right time, and she knew it. Meanwhile, she allowed her eyes the privilege of drifting over the hanyou's muscular chest, down to the waist of his pants.
She heard him suck in his breath when she began to run her fingertips across his moonlit skin, exploring each ridge of muscle. To her surprise, he was being remarkably patient with her exploration and a shy glance up at his face gave her a good reason why.
He was blushing, a faint smile on his face. He caught one of her hands and pressed light kisses to each fingertip, holding her eyes with his own. "You're not scared?" He asked softly, gently caressing her neck and shoulders.
She slowly shook her head, blushing faintly. "Not of you."
He stood, pulling her to her feet as well. Gently, he gave her dress a tug, sending it to the floor. A tiny smile turned up his lips when she gasped softly. He caught her chin, holding her eyes with his as he shrugged from the silk shirt, which joined her dress on the floor. He pulled her against his chest, embracing her gently, moving his lips to her ear to whisper to her. "I'm glad." He whispered softly, then he picked her up, setting her softly against the bed. He leaned over her, letting his silver hair hang like a curtain around them.
Kagome reached up, freeing the rest of his hair from the rubber band her mother had used, effectively freeing her true goal as well. His ears. She reached up, lightly stroking them with her fingers, watching as his face relaxed and a deep, rumbling purr escaped his chest.
The pair continued their mutual exploration of their partners exposed skin, till Inuyasha thought his head was going to explode. He just wasn't sure if it was the one on his shoulders, or the one between his legs. "Kagome..." He whimpered softly, before kissing her a bit desperately, trying to convey his meaning in something other than words.
Kagome lifted her gaze to his and slowly nodded.
He was certain to make as much noise as possible to not startle the demon huntress. He even spoke her name as he approached her back. When she didn't respond, his eyes narrowed in concern. He moved around her, kneeling in front of her. "Sango?"
The girl was sleeping peacefully, leaning back against the well.
Miroku dropped to a knee and smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Good morning, sleepy-head..." He said, lightly stroking her face with his index finger.
Her eyes opened slowly and she saw warm gray eyes looking at her with affection. "Miroku-sama?" She asked, feeling suddenly awkward. 'Why is he looking at me like that?!'
He sat down, turning, resting his back against the well beside her. "Sorry to wake you, but you shouldn't sleep in such an exposed place." He said, glancing towards her. "It's dangerous, especially with Kouga around."
Sango smiled, shrugging. "But I have an attack cat, so I think I was pretty safe."
"Except from perverted monks?" He teased, but there was an underlying bitterness in his voice that he didn't expect. He winced, looking away. 'That's right. No matter how you may like this woman, you're nothing but a pervert to her so why do you even bother?!' He fisted the hand on the ground.
Sango blushed, looking at the ground. "Kirara trusts you not to hurt me." She said, resting her hand on his hesitantly.
Miroku looked at her in surprise. 'Why bother? Because I'm head over heals in love with this frustratingly, frighteningly beautiful woman.' He took a deep breath, glancing towards her, his heart catching in his throat. There was a soft look of affection in her eyes that made him slightly hopeful. "Do you?" He asked softly, dropping his gaze to his sandaled feet.
She blinked, looking at him through wide eyes. "Do I what?" She asked, blinking. He'd been staring at her for several minutes, and she guessed she must have been staring at him as well.
He laughed, shaking his head. "Nothing, Sango-sama..." He said softly, keeping his eyes averted from hers. "You should go back to the village." He said softly.
"No. I'll stay here and wait for Inuyasha and Kagome to return. Perhaps you're right, it's better for two people to sit as guards, they stand less of a chance of being caught by surprise." She felt his eyes snap towards her, but didn't meet his gaze.
"Hm. Even if the other person just happens to be a lecherous monk who can't seem to stop groping you?" He asked, tilting his head back and lifting his eyes to the purple and gold sunrise. "Do you think Inuyasha made it to Kagome's time alright?" He asked idly, not waiting for his companion to answer his rhetorical question.
"I hope so. He probably made it there fine." Sango arched an eyebrow at him, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "Ne, Miroku-sama..."
"Hm?" He glanced towards her and saw a peculiar expression on her face.
'Should I?' She wondered, frowning slightly. 'Or should I not?' She gave a shrug. 'Oh, what the hell.' She grabbed him by the ears and pulled his face down to hers, kissing him firmly on the lips.
Miroku's brain promptly shut down. It seemed impossible. He, the womanizing monk, Miroku, had just been rendered incompetent by this woman whose lips were pressed chastely against his in a kiss.
Sango pulled back, trying not to smirk at the dumbstruck look on the monks face. She leaned back against the well and looked upwards, lacing her fingers together.
Miroku felt his mind finally click back into place and stared at the girl in wonder. 'She kissed me.' He realized, his face softening and a small smile turning up the corners of his lips. "Thank you, Sango-sama." He said lifting his gaze as well.
She smiled as well, not saying anything.
"Why?" He finally asked, not looking at her, choosing to watch as the sun rose above the treetops. So lovely. Just like the girl beside him.
She shrugged. "I don't know. It just felt like a good idea." She laughed softly. "You know, now that I think about it, that sounds like something you'd say..."
He looked at her, arching an eyebrow. "Sango-sama, look at me."
She was still giggling softly when her eyes met his. Slowly her laughter died. He was leaning towards her, a question in his eyes. She nodded, not breaking eye contact.
'Finally...' He caressed her lips with his, making the first consensual exploration of her mouth slow and lingering. He pulled back, his face serious. "Sango..." He said softly, lifting a hand and touching her arm gently.
She blushed a bit, lifting a hand and brushing his bangs from his face. She gasped shocked when she was suddenly pulled tightly against his chest, and his arms were around her, and she was being rocked back and forth. She felt his face pressed against her shoulder and bit her lip, wondering if she didn't make a bad decision by letting him kiss her once again.
He gently combed her hair with his fingers, his face soft. "You are so perfect..." He whispered softly. "Everything that I could ever want..."
She turned darker with each word he whispered against her hair. Slowly, she lifted her face to look up into his eyes. "Miroku-sama..."
He smiled fondly, touching her face. "So strong and beautiful..." He ran the finger down her cheek, to her chin. He kissed her forehead, then released her, scooting a bit away from her. "I'm sorry, Sango-sama..." He said softly, looking away. 'I am in love with her.' He realized, his face saddening. 'But I wont break her heart by dying.'
She blinked when he withdrew from her, confusion overwhelming her. "Miroku? What's wrong?"
"I can't." He said softly. "God knows I want to, but I wont do that to you."
Her eyes widened in realization and she felt her heart begin to crack. "But, I-"
He turned towards her, resting his hand against her lips. "Don't, Sango. Please." He whispered, his eyes filled with his pain, his feelings.
A sob escaped her and she jumped to her feet. She ran towards her demon cat, who transformed to full size and she jumped onto it, looking back at Miroku a final time. He wasn't looking at her, he was staring at the ground where she'd once been. "Damn you!" She shouted at him, then guided her pet into the air towards the village. 'DAMN ME, TOO!'
He smiled sadly, lifting his face to the sky and watching as she left. "I love you." He said softly as she disappeared from sight.
No, this kind of tired was a kind of lazy, warm, WONDERFUL tired.
He felt safe and comfortable, warm.
'This is my home...' He realized, burying his nose into the girls hair, wincing as a leftover hairpin stuck him in the eye. He grunted, opening his eyes and pulled it gently from her hair, throwing it across the room. That was when he took the opportunity to really look at the woman beside him.
Her skin glowed faintly gold in the light from the rising sun shining off the clouds outside her window. Her brown hair shone in the light, spilling around her like brown satin, begging to be touched.
Who was he to refuse?
He brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face, smiling fondly down at her. He watched her stir and leaned over, kissing her gently on the lips. She moaned against his mouth, and he pulled back, staring down at her.
She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. "Inuyasha..." She whispered, lifting a hand and caressing his face. "I like how you say 'good morning'." She murmured, snuggling closer to him and putting her arms around him. She saw him smirk and rolled her eyes a bit. "We should go get cleaned up..." She pondered idly.
He nodded in agreement, but looked a bit dejected. "Can we do that later?" He asked, running his hand down her shoulder to her elbow, then back up, his fingers lightly caressing the slightly swollen red spot on her shoulder.
She gasped when his fingers brushed the mark and she lightly tapped his chest. "Inuyasha!" She whispered. "What if my baby brother were to hear?"
He gave her a lecherous grin. "Like the whole city didn't hear you last night." He teased, leaning towards her ear and mimicking her cries. "Motto...motto...oh, anata..." He breathed into her ear, before wincing when she grabbed his nipple and gave it a sharp tug. "Ow!"
"Jerk..." She purred, soothing the hurt with a gentle kiss before smiling at him. "Besides, I was trying to be quiet...it's not my fault you wouldn't let me."
He closed his eyes, pulling her tighter against his side. "Don't blame me." He grinned at her. He sighed, running his claws through her soft hair. "Kagome, I have to say something to you." He saw her look at him, a smile on her face. 'Here goes nothing...' He thought and opened his mouth to tell her those three words he hadn't said in years.
Three words that were interrupted by the door bursting open and Kagome's friend Ayumi running into the room. "Kagome, you're not going to believe this-" The girl froze, staring at the pair that lay on the bed, horrified looks on their faces. She blushed dark red, realizing that both were naked from at LEAST the waist up and spun on her heal, walking out of the room.
A moment later, Mrs. Higurashi peeked into the room. "Sorry, hon, I tried to warn her."
Kagome groaned, pulling the blankets fully over her head, trying to hide. "Oh my GOD...the whole house really DOES know!"
Inuyasha groaned, putting his head into his hands. 'Shit. Fucking mood is completely ruined now. I'm not going to fucking say something this important without saying it right.' He climbed from the bed, grabbing his yukata and pulling it on before putting on his hakama. He walked back to the bed and sat down beside her. "Kagome, I'll wait for you downstairs, okay..." He said, tugging the blanket down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.
She nodded shyly, watching him walk out of the room. She groaned, rolling out of the bed and wandered over towards her closet. She pulled out her robe, then located a clean pair of panties, pulling them on. "I can't BELIEVE this!" She muttered, annoyed. 'I wonder what Inuyasha was going to say before Ayumi barged in. What's she doing here, anyways? It's a Sunday, so there's no school.' She growled softly, jerking the robe around her and wandering downstairs. "This better be good..."
When she reached the kitchen, she found Inuyasha standing there, drinking a cup of tea. He caught sight of her and grabbed another, bringing it to her.
"I'm SO sorry, Kagome, I had no idea!" Ayumi cried, blushing from the neck of her shirt clear up to her hairline. "It's just...I just found out Hojo's gonna try to propose to you so that you 'can't possibly say no'. Or something like that. I heard him talking about it at WacDonalds with a bunch of guys." She looked so urgent. "What are you going to do?!"
Kagome snorted. "I'm going to tell him that there's no chance in hell, less than a snowballs chance in summer, as likely as me to roll over and do a dog impression."
Inuyasha arched an eyebrow at her for the phrase and his ear twitched.
She looked at him and sighed. "Sorry, anata...I guess I'm just tense."
"Wait a sec...anata?!" Ayumi grabbed Kagome by the collar of the robe and shook her lightly. "I want DETAILS! Now!"
Kagome turned bright red, looking from Inuyasha to her mother in a desperate attempt to get help.
Unfortunately for her, the one who interceded was Inuyasha. "She's my mate." He said, finishing the last of his tea and leaning back against the counter.
"M-m-m-m-MATE?!" Ayumi squealed, then drug the girl from the room. "What the hell did he mean by MATE?! I mean, I know you slept with...him...Kagome, what the hell is that mark on your shoulder?!"
Kagome adjusted her robe. "You do know everyone can hear you, right?" She asked, her eyes narrowing. "And for your information, that mark on my shoulder is probably the closest thing I'll get to a wedding ring. It's his mark, given to me marking me as his." Kagome shook her head.
"B-b-but...you're just in high school!" Ayumi burst into sobs. Suddenly, the girl stopped and looked at her. "Kagome...were you a virgin?"
Kagome turned purple. "Of course I was!" She hissed. "Not that it's any of your business!"
The girl's eyes teared up. "Oh, Kagome-chan! Our little Kagome-chan!" She smiled, hugging her friend. "She finally got the stick out of her ass!"
"WHAT?!" Kagome pushed her giggling friend back. She gave the other girl a glare and then dissolved into giggles. "You're one to talk, Ayumi. I haven't seen you date a guy since we were in grade school!"
"I have too dated!" Ayumi said. "So, is he any good in the sack?"
"Ayumi! He'll hear you!" She whispered, blushing to the roots of her hair. She giggled, gesturing to the couch. "And for your information, yes!"
"Do you think he's done it before?"
Kagome tilted her head back, closing her eyes and thinking back to the first time the night before, their first time. She smiled faintly. It wasn't like you'd read in a romance manga. It wasn't great. It was kind of awkward, a bit painful, and she didn't really get much out of it. She grinned at her friend, a faint smirk on her face. "No, I don't."
The door creaked open and they saw Inuyasha leaning in the doorway looking at them with arched eyebrows. "Do all girls gossip about their sex life?" He asked mildly, taking a sip from a fresh cup of tea.
Both girls turned bright red.
He smirked, glancing towards Kagome. "Your mom said breakfast's done. She said to go wake up your brother, too..."
She glared at him, arching an eyebrow. "Fine." She jumped to her feet and flounced indignantly out of the room, pausing to tap him on his mark.
His jaw dropped and he scowled. "That's just mean."
She stuck out her tongue at him and disappeared up the stairs.
He growled deep in his chest, then saw Ayumi staring at him, a strange expression on her face. "What?"
"If you hurt Kagome-chan, I'm going to kill you." She said evenly.
Inuyasha jumped a bit, his eyes widening. "Wh-what?!"
Her eyes narrowed a bit. "I've known Kagome since we were in grade school. I know her best, better than any of our other friends in high school. When Kagome feels something, there's not room for anything else. Love, hate, compassion, it doesn't matter. When she feels, she feels completely, with everything she is. If you hurt her, I'll kill you."
He blushed, looking away. "Keh. Don't be ridiculous." He muttered, feeling awkward again. He ground his teeth together and looked back at the girl. "Kagome'll be the first to tell you that I'll always protect her."
"I'm not talking about physically." She said softly, standing. "I risked my friendship with two of my best friends because I think you two are perfect for each other. Don't turn me into a liar." She moved towards the kitchen just as Souta and Kagome hit the bottom step. They laughed and skidded past Inuyasha and into the kitchen.
He watched her go, his face soft. 'I wont hurt her...I'll do everything I can to protect her. Even if it's her heart and mind I have to protect, too...'
Inuyasha and Souta fought over the last pancake, arguing so furiously they didn't notice Kagome sneak the pancake off the plate and smother it in syrup, beginning to eat it. When they finally did notice, it was because Kagome's mother had begun cleaning off the table.
That of course started a brand new argument, which managed to get everyone in the vicinity splattered with the syrup from her pancake.
When that was over, everyone that had been in the kitchen had to go get changed and toss their syrup covered clothing into the laundry. Then, people began fighting over who got the first showers.
Kagome admitted defeat to Souta, who got the first shower, which adjourned the rest, all wearing a fresh yukata, to the living room.
"So, I take it last night went well?" Kagome's mother asked, smiling cheerfully. She watched the teenagers blush and sipped her tea, eying them over the rim of the cup. Of course Kagome had told her that she had planned on accepting Inuyasha's offer the night before. She had simply nodded, demanding to get an update later.
Kagome leaned against Inuyasha's shoulder, watching him play with the ring on his finger while she contemplated the answer. "Last night went fine, mama." She said, reaching over and squeezing Inuyasha's hand gently in her own. She felt him jump a bit, as though he'd been deep in thought and gave him a small smile.
He smiled back, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Last night had, technically speaking, gone very well. He and Kagome had mated. However, the first time, he couldn't help but remember the soft whimper of pain, and then the faint scent of her blood. She hadn't enjoyed the first time much.
He glanced away, slightly tuning out the two women's voices, thinking back to what had happened the past few weeks. 'She's better off without me...I'll just wind up hurtin' her again and I don't want to hurt her...' He looked down, tracing a pattern on the table.
"So when are you two going to get married?"
This question caused his face to jerk up and look at the older woman at the table. She was smiling cheerfully, but her eyes told him she was dead serious. He squirmed uncomfortably.
"Mom..." Kagome said slowly. "Inuyasha and I haven't even talked about that yet..."
"Then perhaps you should explain the ring he's wearing to him." She said, standing and walking out of the room. "I think Souta's done in the shower." She said.
Inuyasha glanced down at the ring on his finger, then towards Kagome, who was standing and looking like she was heading towards the shower. "Kagome...?" He asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "Why did you give me this?" He asked softly.
She blushed, looking at the ground. "Come on, Inuyasha...let's go get a shower..."
He blinked, eyes widening. "Together?"
"Of course. It's not like we didn't see everything the other had to offer last night." She leaned towards him, kissing the tip of his nose.
He watched her leave the room, his eyes focusing on her shapely hips, before getting to his feet and following her from the room like a puppy. Sure enough, they arrived at the bathroom just as Souta walked out, a fluffy robe wrapped around him, towel-drying his short hair.
"Nee-chan, try not to make so much noise." The young boy teased, ducking out of the way of a good rough noogie before running down the hall to his room.
Kagome shook her head, walking into the bathroom. She had secured two towels and glanced back, noticing Inuyasha hesitating at the door. "What's the matter?" She asked, straightening, her eyes narrow with concern.
"Last night...I hurt you, didn't I." He said softly, his head lowered his hand fisted so tight his claws were piercing his skin.
She shook her head, smiling and walking towards him, catching him by the arm and dragging him into the bathroom. She closed the door behind him and walked towards the shower, turning on the water. She didn't answer him, choosing instead to get ready for a brief period of intimacy with her loved one. She turned to face him, untying her yukata and letting it drop to the ground.
He looked up, startled when her yukata hit the ground and he bit his lower lip, his mind going blank for a moment. Then, her hands started removing his. 'Bitch! I bet she knows I can't think straight when she's all naked in front of me and shit...' He took a deep breath, his face serious. "Kagome, I need to know..." He said, glancing away.
She sighed, taking his hand and dragging him into the bath. "It always hurts a bit the first time for a girl." She said calmly, stepping under the spray and dragging him with her. "I thought you knew that..." She gave him a tiny smile and caressed his face gently.
His eyes widened a bit. "But I thought that was because of the barrier! You didn't have one..." He paused, his eyes narrowing a bit. "Kagome..."
She rolled her eyes. "Inuyasha, girls that are active don't usually have a hymen." She said evenly. 'Geeze, he's a bigger virgin than I thought. He doesn't know alot about it at all...then again, I guess they didn't have 'Sex for Dummies' five hundred years ago...' She took his hands in her's, giving both a gentle squeeze. "Anata, I swear to you, I am yours alone. I haven't shared myself with anyone else." She looked directly into his eyes. "Don't you trust me?"
He blushed faintly, his face saddening. "Kagome, I-"
She pressed herself up onto her toes, kissing him lightly on the lips.
His eyes fell completely closed at the gentle touch and he moaned softly. "Aren't we supposed to be getting cleaned up?" He teased, as she dropped back down and drew her close, pressing himself against her.
She smiled softly. "Don't worry about it, Inuyasha. Everything's going to be okay." She promised, nuzzling his chest with her cheek. "I love you."
Suddenly, the start of this whole conversation came back to him and he pulled back a bit. "Hey, your mom said something about this thing you gave me?" He held up his hand, arching an eyebrow at her.
She blushed faintly. "Well, Inuyasha, it only seemed fair that if you had a visual claim on me that all demons could see, that I have one that all the human girls in my time can see." She glanced away.
He arched an eyebrow. "Kagome?"
"It's...It's a wedding ring." She admitted. "I didn't care if we ever had a ceremony. I pledged myself to you when I put it on your finger. I love you, and I want to be with you...wherever we are."
His face softened visibly and he wrapped his arms tightly around her. He smiled, pressing her face gently against her shoulder. The one that wasn't swollen with the mark. "Thank you."
She smiled, snuggling into his chest.
Miroku breathed easier, knowing the wolf wouldn't come back and test his luck now. Perhaps he'd remembered his obligation to his pack, and had decided to STAY THERE! It would be easier on everyone involved.
He rubbed his eyes, sighing softly, remembering with distinct fondness his encounter with Sango earlier that day, when the sun was just rising. He smiled sadly, closing his eyes. She tasted sweet, not startled, as she had the first time they'd kissed. Her lips had willingly softened beneath his, she'd kissed him back.
"Dammit..." He whispered, looking away from the well, towards the trees, but not really staring at anything. "I love her, why in the name of hell did I push her away?!" He slammed his fist into the ground, his face darkening. He sound of a twig breaking suddenly caught all of his attention and he jerked around, seeing a beautiful girl walking towards him. Her frame was wrapped in a pink and white yukata, and there was a huge boomerang attatched to her back. His eyes widened in surprise. "S-sango..."
She stared at him with a look of shock, her mind running a mile a minute. 'Was he talking about...me?' She wondered, slowly walking towards him, her brow creased in confusion. She wasn't going to let him push her away. This time she wanted answers. This time she'd get them, without having to worry about pride.
He jumped to his feet, about to make a break for it, when her arms suddenly went around his waist from behind. He froze, unable to move. His face saddened, but he smiled softly. "Sango..." He whispered, resting his hands over hers.
"Don't run away." She whispered softly. "Please, don't run away from me..."
"Don't do this..." He whispered, squeezing his eyes closed. "I don't want to hurt you, Sango-sama..."
"Oh, just drop the damn 'sama' shit." She whispered fiercely. "I heard what you said!"
He went rigid, his eyes shooting wide. "No..." He pulled away from her, turning, his face worried. "Please, just forget it...I was just ranting..."
She was getting angry. "No, and I'm not going anywhere until I get some answers!" She shook her head fiercely. "I can understand me pushing you away. You've been groping every female that came arm's-length away from you probably since birth! But...you kissed me first. And when I let you in...you shove me away! Don't you think I deserve some answers!?" She slammed her fist against his chest as he reached towards her again. "You jerk! The only reason I haven't said anything is because we've always been in a dangerous situation, or Kagome has, or Inuyasha has! Well there's no danger to hide behind now! I LOVE YOU! YOU STUPID CREEP!"
He blanched under her words. "Sango..." He pulled her into his arms, his eyes narrowing in pain. Never before now did he more feel like crying. "I'm sorry, but we can't...we can't be together, if we were...I am sealing your fate. I am an ORPHAN, for the love of god. So was my father! I can't have a child with the woman I love! Why do you think I never asked you! If you have my child, then you'll DIE!" He didn't yell, but he emphasized his words fiercely. "When I was born, my mother was sucked into Kazaana." He took a shuddering breath, resting his face against her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Sango...we can't be together...it's impossible."
Her heart broke. "No..." She whispered. "What about when we defeat Naraku?!"
He laughed softly. "Sango, you're assuming that I'll live to see Naraku defeated." He released her and stepped away. "I don't have much time left. It's getting bigger, and I'll be gone in under a year. And the curse will die with me."
Her eyes widened in shock. "NO." She said firmly. "We're going to beat him! You'll be able to have a normal life!"
He looked away from her, a faint smile on his face. "Don't be sad for me, Sango. I have been blessed enough to know love before I die." He reached out with his uncursed hand, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "I have been blessed to be loved by you." He stepped away from her, walking towards the trees.
"If you refuse to be with me, can't you just give me tonight?!" She cried, her hands fisting into her yukata.
He froze, his eyes going wide. He turned towards her, shocked. "S-sango?"
She felt the tears that had been threatening finally overflow. "Just tonight, Miroku. One night where neither of us have to think about Naraku. One night, for the rest of my life. So I know how it felt to lay in your arms. So I know..." She blushed. "How it feels with the man you love." She looked away, her face softening further, as tears continued to fall down her face. "Because I swear to you, I'll never fall in love with anyone again."
He turned towards her, and in two short steps, he had her in his arms, and he was kissing her as though his life depended on it. He pulled back, looking deeply into her eyes. "You're sure?"
She nodded. "Yes."
Kagome spent the next several hours packing her bag, including all the necessities, including spare yukata for her friends. When she was finally done, she and Inuyasha told everyone goodbye and headed towards the well.
They reached the mouth of it and Inuyasha paused, glancing towards her, his eyes smiling at her. "Ready?" He asked, putting an arm around her waist.
She nodded, her eyes lighting up brightly. She threw her arms around him as well and he lept into the well, carrying her bag on his back. There was a jerk in her stomach as they fell through time, and then they landed in on the other side, five hundred years in the past. She tilted her head to the side, hearing two voices talking softly.
Inuyasha sniffed the air and arched an eyebrow. "Hey, you two decent?!" He shouted.
The sounds of curses and two people scurrying to put their clothing on was heard and when it was quiet, Miroku peeked down. "Ah, Inuyasha..." He smiled weakly. "We weren't expecting you back yet..."
"Keh." The hanyou wrapped his arm around his mate's waist, jumping straight out of the well and setting her down carefully when his feet touched down on the ground. He gave the pair that were 'waiting' for them an interesting look that said 'I know what you two were doing...'.
Kagome ran towards her friend, giving her a big hug. "Sango-chan! I missed you!"
The girl hugged her back, trying to ignore the bright blush covering her face. "I missed you, too, Kagome-chan. But what are you doing back, I thought you weren't coming back until-" Her eyes widened when the girl before her blushed and smiled shyly, glancing towards Inuyasha.
The hanyou was sniffing the air, and being exceptionally cautious.
"Oh..." She said slowly, envying the pair slightly. In spite of everything standing in their way, they had finally pledged themselves to the other, and now were lovers. All she could ever have, would ever have...would be this night. She glanced towards Miroku, who was talking quietly to Inuyasha, who was still scanning the area with his ears, eyes, and nose.
"Kouga left." Miroku said softly, glancing towards Kagome and Sango, meeting the latter's eyes briefly before looking back at the hanyou. "But it's only a matter of time till he returns for Kagome. What will you do?"
"Kagome is my mate." Inuyasha said evenly. "I will do what I've always done, I'll protect her." He kept his ears rotating. "There's a wolf nearby...no doubt someone keeping a nose out for Kagome..." He snorted. "Let's get out of the open..." The hanyou walked over towards Kagome, giving his back to her and dropping on one knee. "Come on, Kagome, we should get to the village."
She nodded in agreement, climbing onto his back without hesitation. She wound her arms around his neck, settling in for the ride ahead of them. She glanced back and saw Sango start out after them, followed by a solemn looking Miroku.
"Are you okay, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked softly, glancing back at her. "You know Kouga's going to come to us soon, right?"
She nodded. "Yes, and yes. I need to have a word with him for hurting you, anyways..." She looked away, her face darkening in anger. "He had no right to do what he did...it was an unprovoked attack..." She whispered fiercely.
He smiled a bit at her protectiveness. "He was doing what any other demon would have done. Trying to protect what he considered 'his'." He said softly. "All that matters is his plan didn't work, and we're both okay." He sniffed the air, glancing back at the other members of their band. They were walking a good distance away from each other, looking in different directions. "Did Sango tell you what's goin' on with her and Miroku?"
"No." She replied. "They seem kind of tense, huh..."
"They were rutting just before we got there." He muttered, shaking his head. "You'd think they'd be thrilled."
Kagome shook her head. "Not necessarily, Inuyasha. They both have heavy burdens, and they can't really afford the luxury of a relationship."
"We have our burdens, too, right?" He smiled faintly. "You're a miko, and the protecter of the Shikon no Tama. You come from a different time." He patted her hand gently. "Sometimes, it might be better to just say screw everything else, and just be with the person you want to be with for as long as you can."
She looked at him in shock, then laughed lightly. "Wow, Inuyasha...that was pretty deep. I'm impressed."
He glared at her. "It's what I get from hanging around with you too much." He muttered, although he grinned a bit as well.
They continued on in silence, listening carefully in case a demon snuck up on the group. They had to be ready to protect their important people, their friends.
The orders were simple. He was to bring the girl to the alpha male. So why wasn't the little twit back yet?!
The wolf demon took several calming breaths, leaning forward, catching a strange scent. Nervousness? His eyes darted towards the entrance of the cave and he saw his sentry returning, his eyes darting around. "Oi."
The sentry, Ginta, jumped, looking up at his leader. "Ah, Kouga-sama..." He ran towards him, trying to figure out how to break the news to the much stronger demon.
"Where's. My. Mate?" The question was spoken in three words, and a threatening manner than frightened the poor wolf shitless.
"Forgive me, Kouga-sama, I was unable to retrieve Nee-chan." He said, dropping to the ground in an extremely formal bow.
"And why is that?!" Kouga was on his feet, standing over the lesser wolf menacingly.
Ginta cringed. "Because she's mated with the inu-hanyou!" He gasped out.
"SHE'S WHAT?!"
Letting it down here was a completely different story.
So, as the group walked along, Inuyasha kept his ears and nose active while watching the human girl who walked a few paces in front of him. Miroku was being excpetionally quiet during the trip and hadn't even made a single lecherous comment towards Sango or Kagome, which was unusual for him. "Oi, Miroku. What kinda bug crawled up your ass?"
Miroku gave a half-shrug. "It's nothing, Inuyasha. I am just thinking."
"Well, think fast because I think I smell a wolf headed this way. Kagome!" Inuyasha caught her wrist as she turned and he pulled her to a stop. "Stay by me." He said evenly, his eyes narrowing as he stared up the road.
Miroku grabbed Sango gently and pushed her behind him. He stood ready, his eyes narrow in irritation. "You'd think the alpha-male of a wolf-pack would have better things to do than chase after a woman who's already mated with another demon..." The houshi said evenly, his face darkening.
The wolf finally came into sight, his face dark. His jyaki swarmed around him and was visible to all of them. The demon was PISSED.
"KAGOME!" Kouga shouted, a fair distance up the road from them. His eyes laid eyes on the girl and he sprinted forward, stopping abruptly right before the pair. He sniffed the air around her and his eyes went to her shoulder. His face darkened dramatically. "You...mated with this...THING?!" He snarled, his claws lengthening just a bit.
Inuyasha gently guided Kagome behind him. "Stay behind me, Kagome..." He said softly, not taking his eyes off the wolf.
Kagome glared at Kouga. "He asked, Kouga. You didn't!" She fisted her hand into the back of Inuyasha's haori.
"That's because You. Are. MINE!" He lunged forward, his hand going around Inuyasha's throat. "If I kill you, she's released from your mark...and then I can mark her myself..."
A creak sounded through the air and everyone's eyes snapped towards Kagome, who had readied her bow and had an arrow trained on Kouga. She fixed him with a death glare, glancing briefly towards the boy Kouga held in his grasp. "Release him." She demanded evenly.
"Kagome..." Kouga whispered, his eyes deeply confused. "But Kagome, I love you...you're my woman, remember? He's only ever treated you like crap..."
"Let him go." She said once again, her eyes narrowing dramatically. It was mostly for effect, to see if it worked. "This is your last chance before I make you."
Kouga slowly unwound his hand from Inuyasha's throat, letting the hanyou drop to the ground. "I love you! How could you betray me like this?!"
"I haven't betrayed you. I considered you my friend. I no longer do. Leave us alone. I love Inuyasha, and I always have. If you ever touch him again, I'll kill you without hesitation."
Everyone stared at Kagome in shock. Inuyasha's jaw dropped just a bit, and he got to his feet, moving towards his mate, standing by her side, sliding an arm around her waist before fixing the wolf with a glare of his own. "It's okay, Kagome..." He said softly, taking the arrow with his free hand. "He wont do anything else. You've turned him down...he can't do anything else..." He glared at Kouga, his eyes dead serious.
"Wanna bet?!" Kouga snarled, leaping forward, kicking their friends out of the way, spinning and sending Inuyasha through the air as well.
Kagome winced as Inuyasha's claws scraped her slightly when he was dislodged from her. Her eyes met Kouga's and she stood perfectly still, looking up at him. "I'd die before I mated with you." She said softly.
He grinned ferally. "That's what I had in mind, pet..." He lifted his claws, preparing to rip through her flesh.
She closed her eyes, cringing back as she heard the claws whistle through the air.
They never touched her.
A sword blocked the downward path, and Kagome slowly opened her eyes.
A silver-haired demon stood before her, between herself and the wolf demon. But it wasn't Inuyasha.
No, it wasn't Inuyasha, because this demon wasn't wearing a haori and hakama colored in red. No. It wasn't Inuyasha. Inuyasha didn't have a fluffy thing thrown over his shoulder.
Everyone stared at the demon that had saved Kagome in shock, but Inuyasha was the only one who could find it in him to say the demon's name.
"Sesshoumaru...?"
Note: Anata-you/dear. In the context I'm using it in, in other words, when referring to a loved male, anata can mean dear or husband.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Kagome felt her heart almost break. "Inuyasha..." She whispered, taking a deep breath and wrapping her arms around his chest. "You weren't taking advantage of me..." She felt him trying to break away from her and she wanted to cry. "I don't want you to leave tonight."He turned towards her, his face showing his nervousness, his fears. "Kagome, if I stay here with you tonight, I'm going to want to have sex with you." He warned.
She nodded in agreement.
His eyes widened a bit. "Kagome...?"
"I made my decision, Inuyasha." She said, reaching up, caressing his beautiful face.
He stared at her in shock. 'Is she saying...what I think-' His mind screeched to a halt when her lips pressed lightly against his and he heard her whisper softly into his ear.
"I want to be your mate."
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Coming of Age
By: Demonsaya
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4
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Sango stood by the well, staring down into it, waiting for Inuyasha and Kagome to return. She had been avoiding a certain lecherous monk for the past day, while he had been trying to make contact with her for the same timespan. She didn't really know why. She knew she liked the monk, but she had a distinct feeling that he was just using her because his time was running out and he had yet to make an heir.Coming of Age
By: Demonsaya
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4
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She scowled, glaring towards the trees, where a sixth sense told her the priest was watching her wait. 'Pervert...he probably thinks I'll do something sukebe...' Her eyes narrowed and she harrumphed, turning her back on him and sitting down to polish her boomerang, Hiraikotsu. 'Let him try to come over here and do something perverted, I'll beat him six ways from sunday.'
"Hey, you stupid human."
Sango looked up abruptly, seeing Kouga standing there, a look of severe irritation on his face. A scowl covered her face. "Kagome hasn't yet returned, Kouga-kun..." She said evenly, returning to her chore. She glanced behind her, seeing Miroku with his hand on the rosary around his hand, just in case. "So what do you want?" She asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Has that dog turd gotten back, I've still got a score to settle with him."
"No, Kouga, Inuyasha is still with Kagome. I don't know when they'll return." 'So please go away!' She mentally screamed.
Miroku chose that moment to make his presence known. "Kouga-kun, from what Inuyasha told me, Kagome will probably not return until her ankle is mended, if then." He bit back a grin. "He requested she stay till she answered his request. So why don't you go take care of your pack and return in a few weeks?"
"Request?" Kouga hissed. "You mean he's asked her to be his mate?! Keh, like she'd agree to be with that weak dog-turd when she could have someone who is actually a powerful full demon."
"Indeed, a powerful demon that wouldn't have given her the option of saying 'no' to him." Miroku sneered. "Why on earth would she pick Inuyasha when she could have you with all your 'greatness'." He walked towards the demon with his eyes narrowed. "If you so much as lay a hand on either of them, my kazanaa will make room for such an important guest..."
Sango looked up at him in surprise, then glanced at Kouga who was growling deep in his throat. "I think you should leave for awhile, Kouga-kun..." She said softly, standing and slipping into a ready stance, so that if he took exception to their words she'd be ready. "Kagome is not here, and will not return for a bit, and I'm sure you'll be able to catch her scent again, easily enough."
He snarled at the humans, cracking his claws. "I could kill you both..." He hissed, stalking closer to them.
Miroku began to unwrap the rosary, getting directly in front of Sango. "Not if you want Kagome to truly hate you forever. She considers you a friend...don't spoil that for her further."
Kouga made a rude gesture with his hand and turned, running off. "Screw y'all! I'll return and take Kagome as my mate no matter how she answers dog-turd!"
Sango relaxed a bit when he was gone, glancing at Miroku, who was winding the rosary back around his hand. "You really respect Inuyasha for giving Kagome a choice, don't you, Miroku-sama..."
Miroku glanced back at her and shrugged, walking towards the trees. "Women always deserve a choice. It makes the relationship more rewarding later on." He paused, glancing back at her. "I am sorry for forcing that kiss upon you. Perhaps I should take a page from Inuyasha's book." He smiled, but it was an unhappy smile, and he disappeared into the treeline.
Sango watched him go through wide eyes. 'Miroku-sama...'
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Kagome yelped softly when she was suddenly crushed against his chest, his face buried into her shoulder, as he whispered soft, affectionate things that she couldn't quite make out. She slowly, hesitantly rested her hands against his chest, blushing furiously. "Inuyasha..." She whispered, wanting him to look at her. She felt a strange dampness on her shoulder and her eyes widened, making her whisper his name once again. This time, his head rose. One look caused her heart to almost burst.He was crying.
Her jaw dropped and she moved towards him, putting her arms around him quickly. This was something new. True, he had cried once before, but this was different. This time, he wasn't trying to hide it from her. This time, his tears caused a strange ache in her heart and she felt the need to whisper anything it took to calm him.
He couldn't believe it. Her words echoed in his head over and over again and he felt her fingers were now gently caressing his hair, her voice telling him that everything would be alright, she was there, she wouldn't leave him. He clung to her as the emotions welled up inside him. He had fully expected to go his entire life as he always had. Unwanted, uncared for, unloved. And then Kagome had come into his life. And now...
"I love you..." She whispered softly against his hair, her hands moving in a soothing motion, feeling him begin to shake harder. Her heart bled and she hurried to try to soothe the hanyou who clung to her like a life-line. 'Oh, Inuyasha...please, say something...'
He heard her words and they brought fresh tears to his eyes. Yet, as he cried, a smile had turned up his lips. After everything he'd done to her, after all the hurt he'd caused her, here they were, holding each other, and she'd said..."Thank you..." He whispered. Then, he lifted his face and kissed her.
Kagome's lips parted in a startled gasp at the initial contact. It wasn't as though it was their first kiss. No, they'd kissed plenty much already before she'd told him she would be his mate. But never once had the kiss been this sweet. There was none of the desperation of before. Just his lips pressed against hers. Kagome let her eyes fall closed as she kissed him back. His lips tasted salty like his tears, and she lifted her hands, gently brushing the remnants of the hanyou's show of emotion from his cheeks.
He pulled back reluctantly, looking down into her smiling face. He leaned forward, nuzzling her neck, pressing soft kisses against it. Slowly, he pulled back looking into her eyes. "Kagome, you deserve for this to be special your first time...I won't do this the demon way this time...so rutting isn't the right word..." He blushed faintly, stroking her cheek. "What do humans call it?"
Her eyes widened. "W-we call it...making love." She whispered softly, blushing as well. She felt his fingers gently trailing across the area where he would mark her and she bit her lip, looking up at him, shyly. "Inuya-"
He leaned forward, kissing her tenderly on the lips. He slid his hand down her back, trying to find the device that would free her from the dress. 'Where is that...what's the word? Zipper? Ah! Bingo!' He found it after a long moment of searching and he slid it slowly down, pulling back to meet her gaze. "Kagome, I want you to promise me that if you're not sure about this part yet, you'll stop me..." He said as the zipper was finally open completely, and a bit more of her back was exposed to the air.
She blushed faintly. "I promise..." She whispered. She felt his hands slowly pull the straps of her dress down and she blushed darker when her chest became exposed to his view. Instinct told her to hide, to cover herself, but Inuyasha caught her arms, holding them gently at her sides.
"Don't hide from me." He ordered softly. Slowly, he slid his clawed fingers down her arms to her wrists, slowly wrapping around them, bringing her hands to the line of tiny buttons down the front of his shirt. He saw the faint blush on her face and felt her fingers gently opening his shirt as she'd closed it earlier that evening. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back, drawing her towards him. He could smell that she was nervous and bit the inside of his cheek. 'Please, please, PLEASE don't get scared now...'
Kagome watched with fascination as she buttoned his shirt and his chest slowly came into view, inch by gorgeous inch. 'How did he get this tan?' She wondered, not for the first and probably not the last time. She made a mental note to herself to ask him about it at a later time. Right now, it wasn't the right time, and she knew it. Meanwhile, she allowed her eyes the privilege of drifting over the hanyou's muscular chest, down to the waist of his pants.
She heard him suck in his breath when she began to run her fingertips across his moonlit skin, exploring each ridge of muscle. To her surprise, he was being remarkably patient with her exploration and a shy glance up at his face gave her a good reason why.
He was blushing, a faint smile on his face. He caught one of her hands and pressed light kisses to each fingertip, holding her eyes with his own. "You're not scared?" He asked softly, gently caressing her neck and shoulders.
She slowly shook her head, blushing faintly. "Not of you."
He stood, pulling her to her feet as well. Gently, he gave her dress a tug, sending it to the floor. A tiny smile turned up his lips when she gasped softly. He caught her chin, holding her eyes with his as he shrugged from the silk shirt, which joined her dress on the floor. He pulled her against his chest, embracing her gently, moving his lips to her ear to whisper to her. "I'm glad." He whispered softly, then he picked her up, setting her softly against the bed. He leaned over her, letting his silver hair hang like a curtain around them.
Kagome reached up, freeing the rest of his hair from the rubber band her mother had used, effectively freeing her true goal as well. His ears. She reached up, lightly stroking them with her fingers, watching as his face relaxed and a deep, rumbling purr escaped his chest.
The pair continued their mutual exploration of their partners exposed skin, till Inuyasha thought his head was going to explode. He just wasn't sure if it was the one on his shoulders, or the one between his legs. "Kagome..." He whimpered softly, before kissing her a bit desperately, trying to convey his meaning in something other than words.
Kagome lifted her gaze to his and slowly nodded.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Miroku walked slowly towards the well the next morning to relieve Sango of her post from the night before. He sighed as he reached the well and saw the girl's back was to him, so she wouldn't see him coming.He was certain to make as much noise as possible to not startle the demon huntress. He even spoke her name as he approached her back. When she didn't respond, his eyes narrowed in concern. He moved around her, kneeling in front of her. "Sango?"
The girl was sleeping peacefully, leaning back against the well.
Miroku dropped to a knee and smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Good morning, sleepy-head..." He said, lightly stroking her face with his index finger.
Her eyes opened slowly and she saw warm gray eyes looking at her with affection. "Miroku-sama?" She asked, feeling suddenly awkward. 'Why is he looking at me like that?!'
He sat down, turning, resting his back against the well beside her. "Sorry to wake you, but you shouldn't sleep in such an exposed place." He said, glancing towards her. "It's dangerous, especially with Kouga around."
Sango smiled, shrugging. "But I have an attack cat, so I think I was pretty safe."
"Except from perverted monks?" He teased, but there was an underlying bitterness in his voice that he didn't expect. He winced, looking away. 'That's right. No matter how you may like this woman, you're nothing but a pervert to her so why do you even bother?!' He fisted the hand on the ground.
Sango blushed, looking at the ground. "Kirara trusts you not to hurt me." She said, resting her hand on his hesitantly.
Miroku looked at her in surprise. 'Why bother? Because I'm head over heals in love with this frustratingly, frighteningly beautiful woman.' He took a deep breath, glancing towards her, his heart catching in his throat. There was a soft look of affection in her eyes that made him slightly hopeful. "Do you?" He asked softly, dropping his gaze to his sandaled feet.
She blinked, looking at him through wide eyes. "Do I what?" She asked, blinking. He'd been staring at her for several minutes, and she guessed she must have been staring at him as well.
He laughed, shaking his head. "Nothing, Sango-sama..." He said softly, keeping his eyes averted from hers. "You should go back to the village." He said softly.
"No. I'll stay here and wait for Inuyasha and Kagome to return. Perhaps you're right, it's better for two people to sit as guards, they stand less of a chance of being caught by surprise." She felt his eyes snap towards her, but didn't meet his gaze.
"Hm. Even if the other person just happens to be a lecherous monk who can't seem to stop groping you?" He asked, tilting his head back and lifting his eyes to the purple and gold sunrise. "Do you think Inuyasha made it to Kagome's time alright?" He asked idly, not waiting for his companion to answer his rhetorical question.
"I hope so. He probably made it there fine." Sango arched an eyebrow at him, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "Ne, Miroku-sama..."
"Hm?" He glanced towards her and saw a peculiar expression on her face.
'Should I?' She wondered, frowning slightly. 'Or should I not?' She gave a shrug. 'Oh, what the hell.' She grabbed him by the ears and pulled his face down to hers, kissing him firmly on the lips.
Miroku's brain promptly shut down. It seemed impossible. He, the womanizing monk, Miroku, had just been rendered incompetent by this woman whose lips were pressed chastely against his in a kiss.
Sango pulled back, trying not to smirk at the dumbstruck look on the monks face. She leaned back against the well and looked upwards, lacing her fingers together.
Miroku felt his mind finally click back into place and stared at the girl in wonder. 'She kissed me.' He realized, his face softening and a small smile turning up the corners of his lips. "Thank you, Sango-sama." He said lifting his gaze as well.
She smiled as well, not saying anything.
"Why?" He finally asked, not looking at her, choosing to watch as the sun rose above the treetops. So lovely. Just like the girl beside him.
She shrugged. "I don't know. It just felt like a good idea." She laughed softly. "You know, now that I think about it, that sounds like something you'd say..."
He looked at her, arching an eyebrow. "Sango-sama, look at me."
She was still giggling softly when her eyes met his. Slowly her laughter died. He was leaning towards her, a question in his eyes. She nodded, not breaking eye contact.
'Finally...' He caressed her lips with his, making the first consensual exploration of her mouth slow and lingering. He pulled back, his face serious. "Sango..." He said softly, lifting a hand and touching her arm gently.
She blushed a bit, lifting a hand and brushing his bangs from his face. She gasped shocked when she was suddenly pulled tightly against his chest, and his arms were around her, and she was being rocked back and forth. She felt his face pressed against her shoulder and bit her lip, wondering if she didn't make a bad decision by letting him kiss her once again.
He gently combed her hair with his fingers, his face soft. "You are so perfect..." He whispered softly. "Everything that I could ever want..."
She turned darker with each word he whispered against her hair. Slowly, she lifted her face to look up into his eyes. "Miroku-sama..."
He smiled fondly, touching her face. "So strong and beautiful..." He ran the finger down her cheek, to her chin. He kissed her forehead, then released her, scooting a bit away from her. "I'm sorry, Sango-sama..." He said softly, looking away. 'I am in love with her.' He realized, his face saddening. 'But I wont break her heart by dying.'
She blinked when he withdrew from her, confusion overwhelming her. "Miroku? What's wrong?"
"I can't." He said softly. "God knows I want to, but I wont do that to you."
Her eyes widened in realization and she felt her heart begin to crack. "But, I-"
He turned towards her, resting his hand against her lips. "Don't, Sango. Please." He whispered, his eyes filled with his pain, his feelings.
A sob escaped her and she jumped to her feet. She ran towards her demon cat, who transformed to full size and she jumped onto it, looking back at Miroku a final time. He wasn't looking at her, he was staring at the ground where she'd once been. "Damn you!" She shouted at him, then guided her pet into the air towards the village. 'DAMN ME, TOO!'
He smiled sadly, lifting his face to the sky and watching as she left. "I love you." He said softly as she disappeared from sight.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
He woke first, noting that he was warm. Warm and oddly tired. Not the bad kind of tired, where you couldn't sleep the night before because you were worried about the woman you loved. Not the kind of tired where you wake up after getting the crap kicked out of you.No, this kind of tired was a kind of lazy, warm, WONDERFUL tired.
He felt safe and comfortable, warm.
'This is my home...' He realized, burying his nose into the girls hair, wincing as a leftover hairpin stuck him in the eye. He grunted, opening his eyes and pulled it gently from her hair, throwing it across the room. That was when he took the opportunity to really look at the woman beside him.
Her skin glowed faintly gold in the light from the rising sun shining off the clouds outside her window. Her brown hair shone in the light, spilling around her like brown satin, begging to be touched.
Who was he to refuse?
He brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face, smiling fondly down at her. He watched her stir and leaned over, kissing her gently on the lips. She moaned against his mouth, and he pulled back, staring down at her.
She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. "Inuyasha..." She whispered, lifting a hand and caressing his face. "I like how you say 'good morning'." She murmured, snuggling closer to him and putting her arms around him. She saw him smirk and rolled her eyes a bit. "We should go get cleaned up..." She pondered idly.
He nodded in agreement, but looked a bit dejected. "Can we do that later?" He asked, running his hand down her shoulder to her elbow, then back up, his fingers lightly caressing the slightly swollen red spot on her shoulder.
She gasped when his fingers brushed the mark and she lightly tapped his chest. "Inuyasha!" She whispered. "What if my baby brother were to hear?"
He gave her a lecherous grin. "Like the whole city didn't hear you last night." He teased, leaning towards her ear and mimicking her cries. "Motto...motto...oh, anata..." He breathed into her ear, before wincing when she grabbed his nipple and gave it a sharp tug. "Ow!"
"Jerk..." She purred, soothing the hurt with a gentle kiss before smiling at him. "Besides, I was trying to be quiet...it's not my fault you wouldn't let me."
He closed his eyes, pulling her tighter against his side. "Don't blame me." He grinned at her. He sighed, running his claws through her soft hair. "Kagome, I have to say something to you." He saw her look at him, a smile on her face. 'Here goes nothing...' He thought and opened his mouth to tell her those three words he hadn't said in years.
Three words that were interrupted by the door bursting open and Kagome's friend Ayumi running into the room. "Kagome, you're not going to believe this-" The girl froze, staring at the pair that lay on the bed, horrified looks on their faces. She blushed dark red, realizing that both were naked from at LEAST the waist up and spun on her heal, walking out of the room.
A moment later, Mrs. Higurashi peeked into the room. "Sorry, hon, I tried to warn her."
Kagome groaned, pulling the blankets fully over her head, trying to hide. "Oh my GOD...the whole house really DOES know!"
Inuyasha groaned, putting his head into his hands. 'Shit. Fucking mood is completely ruined now. I'm not going to fucking say something this important without saying it right.' He climbed from the bed, grabbing his yukata and pulling it on before putting on his hakama. He walked back to the bed and sat down beside her. "Kagome, I'll wait for you downstairs, okay..." He said, tugging the blanket down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.
She nodded shyly, watching him walk out of the room. She groaned, rolling out of the bed and wandered over towards her closet. She pulled out her robe, then located a clean pair of panties, pulling them on. "I can't BELIEVE this!" She muttered, annoyed. 'I wonder what Inuyasha was going to say before Ayumi barged in. What's she doing here, anyways? It's a Sunday, so there's no school.' She growled softly, jerking the robe around her and wandering downstairs. "This better be good..."
When she reached the kitchen, she found Inuyasha standing there, drinking a cup of tea. He caught sight of her and grabbed another, bringing it to her.
"I'm SO sorry, Kagome, I had no idea!" Ayumi cried, blushing from the neck of her shirt clear up to her hairline. "It's just...I just found out Hojo's gonna try to propose to you so that you 'can't possibly say no'. Or something like that. I heard him talking about it at WacDonalds with a bunch of guys." She looked so urgent. "What are you going to do?!"
Kagome snorted. "I'm going to tell him that there's no chance in hell, less than a snowballs chance in summer, as likely as me to roll over and do a dog impression."
Inuyasha arched an eyebrow at her for the phrase and his ear twitched.
She looked at him and sighed. "Sorry, anata...I guess I'm just tense."
"Wait a sec...anata?!" Ayumi grabbed Kagome by the collar of the robe and shook her lightly. "I want DETAILS! Now!"
Kagome turned bright red, looking from Inuyasha to her mother in a desperate attempt to get help.
Unfortunately for her, the one who interceded was Inuyasha. "She's my mate." He said, finishing the last of his tea and leaning back against the counter.
"M-m-m-m-MATE?!" Ayumi squealed, then drug the girl from the room. "What the hell did he mean by MATE?! I mean, I know you slept with...him...Kagome, what the hell is that mark on your shoulder?!"
Kagome adjusted her robe. "You do know everyone can hear you, right?" She asked, her eyes narrowing. "And for your information, that mark on my shoulder is probably the closest thing I'll get to a wedding ring. It's his mark, given to me marking me as his." Kagome shook her head.
"B-b-but...you're just in high school!" Ayumi burst into sobs. Suddenly, the girl stopped and looked at her. "Kagome...were you a virgin?"
Kagome turned purple. "Of course I was!" She hissed. "Not that it's any of your business!"
The girl's eyes teared up. "Oh, Kagome-chan! Our little Kagome-chan!" She smiled, hugging her friend. "She finally got the stick out of her ass!"
"WHAT?!" Kagome pushed her giggling friend back. She gave the other girl a glare and then dissolved into giggles. "You're one to talk, Ayumi. I haven't seen you date a guy since we were in grade school!"
"I have too dated!" Ayumi said. "So, is he any good in the sack?"
"Ayumi! He'll hear you!" She whispered, blushing to the roots of her hair. She giggled, gesturing to the couch. "And for your information, yes!"
"Do you think he's done it before?"
Kagome tilted her head back, closing her eyes and thinking back to the first time the night before, their first time. She smiled faintly. It wasn't like you'd read in a romance manga. It wasn't great. It was kind of awkward, a bit painful, and she didn't really get much out of it. She grinned at her friend, a faint smirk on her face. "No, I don't."
The door creaked open and they saw Inuyasha leaning in the doorway looking at them with arched eyebrows. "Do all girls gossip about their sex life?" He asked mildly, taking a sip from a fresh cup of tea.
Both girls turned bright red.
He smirked, glancing towards Kagome. "Your mom said breakfast's done. She said to go wake up your brother, too..."
She glared at him, arching an eyebrow. "Fine." She jumped to her feet and flounced indignantly out of the room, pausing to tap him on his mark.
His jaw dropped and he scowled. "That's just mean."
She stuck out her tongue at him and disappeared up the stairs.
He growled deep in his chest, then saw Ayumi staring at him, a strange expression on her face. "What?"
"If you hurt Kagome-chan, I'm going to kill you." She said evenly.
Inuyasha jumped a bit, his eyes widening. "Wh-what?!"
Her eyes narrowed a bit. "I've known Kagome since we were in grade school. I know her best, better than any of our other friends in high school. When Kagome feels something, there's not room for anything else. Love, hate, compassion, it doesn't matter. When she feels, she feels completely, with everything she is. If you hurt her, I'll kill you."
He blushed, looking away. "Keh. Don't be ridiculous." He muttered, feeling awkward again. He ground his teeth together and looked back at the girl. "Kagome'll be the first to tell you that I'll always protect her."
"I'm not talking about physically." She said softly, standing. "I risked my friendship with two of my best friends because I think you two are perfect for each other. Don't turn me into a liar." She moved towards the kitchen just as Souta and Kagome hit the bottom step. They laughed and skidded past Inuyasha and into the kitchen.
He watched her go, his face soft. 'I wont hurt her...I'll do everything I can to protect her. Even if it's her heart and mind I have to protect, too...'
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Breakfast was...lively.Inuyasha and Souta fought over the last pancake, arguing so furiously they didn't notice Kagome sneak the pancake off the plate and smother it in syrup, beginning to eat it. When they finally did notice, it was because Kagome's mother had begun cleaning off the table.
That of course started a brand new argument, which managed to get everyone in the vicinity splattered with the syrup from her pancake.
When that was over, everyone that had been in the kitchen had to go get changed and toss their syrup covered clothing into the laundry. Then, people began fighting over who got the first showers.
Kagome admitted defeat to Souta, who got the first shower, which adjourned the rest, all wearing a fresh yukata, to the living room.
"So, I take it last night went well?" Kagome's mother asked, smiling cheerfully. She watched the teenagers blush and sipped her tea, eying them over the rim of the cup. Of course Kagome had told her that she had planned on accepting Inuyasha's offer the night before. She had simply nodded, demanding to get an update later.
Kagome leaned against Inuyasha's shoulder, watching him play with the ring on his finger while she contemplated the answer. "Last night went fine, mama." She said, reaching over and squeezing Inuyasha's hand gently in her own. She felt him jump a bit, as though he'd been deep in thought and gave him a small smile.
He smiled back, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Last night had, technically speaking, gone very well. He and Kagome had mated. However, the first time, he couldn't help but remember the soft whimper of pain, and then the faint scent of her blood. She hadn't enjoyed the first time much.
He glanced away, slightly tuning out the two women's voices, thinking back to what had happened the past few weeks. 'She's better off without me...I'll just wind up hurtin' her again and I don't want to hurt her...' He looked down, tracing a pattern on the table.
"So when are you two going to get married?"
This question caused his face to jerk up and look at the older woman at the table. She was smiling cheerfully, but her eyes told him she was dead serious. He squirmed uncomfortably.
"Mom..." Kagome said slowly. "Inuyasha and I haven't even talked about that yet..."
"Then perhaps you should explain the ring he's wearing to him." She said, standing and walking out of the room. "I think Souta's done in the shower." She said.
Inuyasha glanced down at the ring on his finger, then towards Kagome, who was standing and looking like she was heading towards the shower. "Kagome...?" He asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "Why did you give me this?" He asked softly.
She blushed, looking at the ground. "Come on, Inuyasha...let's go get a shower..."
He blinked, eyes widening. "Together?"
"Of course. It's not like we didn't see everything the other had to offer last night." She leaned towards him, kissing the tip of his nose.
He watched her leave the room, his eyes focusing on her shapely hips, before getting to his feet and following her from the room like a puppy. Sure enough, they arrived at the bathroom just as Souta walked out, a fluffy robe wrapped around him, towel-drying his short hair.
"Nee-chan, try not to make so much noise." The young boy teased, ducking out of the way of a good rough noogie before running down the hall to his room.
Kagome shook her head, walking into the bathroom. She had secured two towels and glanced back, noticing Inuyasha hesitating at the door. "What's the matter?" She asked, straightening, her eyes narrow with concern.
"Last night...I hurt you, didn't I." He said softly, his head lowered his hand fisted so tight his claws were piercing his skin.
She shook her head, smiling and walking towards him, catching him by the arm and dragging him into the bathroom. She closed the door behind him and walked towards the shower, turning on the water. She didn't answer him, choosing instead to get ready for a brief period of intimacy with her loved one. She turned to face him, untying her yukata and letting it drop to the ground.
He looked up, startled when her yukata hit the ground and he bit his lower lip, his mind going blank for a moment. Then, her hands started removing his. 'Bitch! I bet she knows I can't think straight when she's all naked in front of me and shit...' He took a deep breath, his face serious. "Kagome, I need to know..." He said, glancing away.
She sighed, taking his hand and dragging him into the bath. "It always hurts a bit the first time for a girl." She said calmly, stepping under the spray and dragging him with her. "I thought you knew that..." She gave him a tiny smile and caressed his face gently.
His eyes widened a bit. "But I thought that was because of the barrier! You didn't have one..." He paused, his eyes narrowing a bit. "Kagome..."
She rolled her eyes. "Inuyasha, girls that are active don't usually have a hymen." She said evenly. 'Geeze, he's a bigger virgin than I thought. He doesn't know alot about it at all...then again, I guess they didn't have 'Sex for Dummies' five hundred years ago...' She took his hands in her's, giving both a gentle squeeze. "Anata, I swear to you, I am yours alone. I haven't shared myself with anyone else." She looked directly into his eyes. "Don't you trust me?"
He blushed faintly, his face saddening. "Kagome, I-"
She pressed herself up onto her toes, kissing him lightly on the lips.
His eyes fell completely closed at the gentle touch and he moaned softly. "Aren't we supposed to be getting cleaned up?" He teased, as she dropped back down and drew her close, pressing himself against her.
She smiled softly. "Don't worry about it, Inuyasha. Everything's going to be okay." She promised, nuzzling his chest with her cheek. "I love you."
Suddenly, the start of this whole conversation came back to him and he pulled back a bit. "Hey, your mom said something about this thing you gave me?" He held up his hand, arching an eyebrow at her.
She blushed faintly. "Well, Inuyasha, it only seemed fair that if you had a visual claim on me that all demons could see, that I have one that all the human girls in my time can see." She glanced away.
He arched an eyebrow. "Kagome?"
"It's...It's a wedding ring." She admitted. "I didn't care if we ever had a ceremony. I pledged myself to you when I put it on your finger. I love you, and I want to be with you...wherever we are."
His face softened visibly and he wrapped his arms tightly around her. He smiled, pressing her face gently against her shoulder. The one that wasn't swollen with the mark. "Thank you."
She smiled, snuggling into his chest.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Kouga hadn't come back yet.Miroku breathed easier, knowing the wolf wouldn't come back and test his luck now. Perhaps he'd remembered his obligation to his pack, and had decided to STAY THERE! It would be easier on everyone involved.
He rubbed his eyes, sighing softly, remembering with distinct fondness his encounter with Sango earlier that day, when the sun was just rising. He smiled sadly, closing his eyes. She tasted sweet, not startled, as she had the first time they'd kissed. Her lips had willingly softened beneath his, she'd kissed him back.
"Dammit..." He whispered, looking away from the well, towards the trees, but not really staring at anything. "I love her, why in the name of hell did I push her away?!" He slammed his fist into the ground, his face darkening. He sound of a twig breaking suddenly caught all of his attention and he jerked around, seeing a beautiful girl walking towards him. Her frame was wrapped in a pink and white yukata, and there was a huge boomerang attatched to her back. His eyes widened in surprise. "S-sango..."
She stared at him with a look of shock, her mind running a mile a minute. 'Was he talking about...me?' She wondered, slowly walking towards him, her brow creased in confusion. She wasn't going to let him push her away. This time she wanted answers. This time she'd get them, without having to worry about pride.
He jumped to his feet, about to make a break for it, when her arms suddenly went around his waist from behind. He froze, unable to move. His face saddened, but he smiled softly. "Sango..." He whispered, resting his hands over hers.
"Don't run away." She whispered softly. "Please, don't run away from me..."
"Don't do this..." He whispered, squeezing his eyes closed. "I don't want to hurt you, Sango-sama..."
"Oh, just drop the damn 'sama' shit." She whispered fiercely. "I heard what you said!"
He went rigid, his eyes shooting wide. "No..." He pulled away from her, turning, his face worried. "Please, just forget it...I was just ranting..."
She was getting angry. "No, and I'm not going anywhere until I get some answers!" She shook her head fiercely. "I can understand me pushing you away. You've been groping every female that came arm's-length away from you probably since birth! But...you kissed me first. And when I let you in...you shove me away! Don't you think I deserve some answers!?" She slammed her fist against his chest as he reached towards her again. "You jerk! The only reason I haven't said anything is because we've always been in a dangerous situation, or Kagome has, or Inuyasha has! Well there's no danger to hide behind now! I LOVE YOU! YOU STUPID CREEP!"
He blanched under her words. "Sango..." He pulled her into his arms, his eyes narrowing in pain. Never before now did he more feel like crying. "I'm sorry, but we can't...we can't be together, if we were...I am sealing your fate. I am an ORPHAN, for the love of god. So was my father! I can't have a child with the woman I love! Why do you think I never asked you! If you have my child, then you'll DIE!" He didn't yell, but he emphasized his words fiercely. "When I was born, my mother was sucked into Kazaana." He took a shuddering breath, resting his face against her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Sango...we can't be together...it's impossible."
Her heart broke. "No..." She whispered. "What about when we defeat Naraku?!"
He laughed softly. "Sango, you're assuming that I'll live to see Naraku defeated." He released her and stepped away. "I don't have much time left. It's getting bigger, and I'll be gone in under a year. And the curse will die with me."
Her eyes widened in shock. "NO." She said firmly. "We're going to beat him! You'll be able to have a normal life!"
He looked away from her, a faint smile on his face. "Don't be sad for me, Sango. I have been blessed enough to know love before I die." He reached out with his uncursed hand, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "I have been blessed to be loved by you." He stepped away from her, walking towards the trees.
"If you refuse to be with me, can't you just give me tonight?!" She cried, her hands fisting into her yukata.
He froze, his eyes going wide. He turned towards her, shocked. "S-sango?"
She felt the tears that had been threatening finally overflow. "Just tonight, Miroku. One night where neither of us have to think about Naraku. One night, for the rest of my life. So I know how it felt to lay in your arms. So I know..." She blushed. "How it feels with the man you love." She looked away, her face softening further, as tears continued to fall down her face. "Because I swear to you, I'll never fall in love with anyone again."
He turned towards her, and in two short steps, he had her in his arms, and he was kissing her as though his life depended on it. He pulled back, looking deeply into her eyes. "You're sure?"
She nodded. "Yes."
oooooooooooooooooooooo
It was almost midnight when Inuyasha and Kagome finally headed back to the well, wearing their usual clothing, their shower had gotten rather 'steamy', and when they had cleaned up, they vowed to not do that again for awhile. Kagome was slightly sore, and Inuyasha was exhausted, after all.Kagome spent the next several hours packing her bag, including all the necessities, including spare yukata for her friends. When she was finally done, she and Inuyasha told everyone goodbye and headed towards the well.
They reached the mouth of it and Inuyasha paused, glancing towards her, his eyes smiling at her. "Ready?" He asked, putting an arm around her waist.
She nodded, her eyes lighting up brightly. She threw her arms around him as well and he lept into the well, carrying her bag on his back. There was a jerk in her stomach as they fell through time, and then they landed in on the other side, five hundred years in the past. She tilted her head to the side, hearing two voices talking softly.
Inuyasha sniffed the air and arched an eyebrow. "Hey, you two decent?!" He shouted.
The sounds of curses and two people scurrying to put their clothing on was heard and when it was quiet, Miroku peeked down. "Ah, Inuyasha..." He smiled weakly. "We weren't expecting you back yet..."
"Keh." The hanyou wrapped his arm around his mate's waist, jumping straight out of the well and setting her down carefully when his feet touched down on the ground. He gave the pair that were 'waiting' for them an interesting look that said 'I know what you two were doing...'.
Kagome ran towards her friend, giving her a big hug. "Sango-chan! I missed you!"
The girl hugged her back, trying to ignore the bright blush covering her face. "I missed you, too, Kagome-chan. But what are you doing back, I thought you weren't coming back until-" Her eyes widened when the girl before her blushed and smiled shyly, glancing towards Inuyasha.
The hanyou was sniffing the air, and being exceptionally cautious.
"Oh..." She said slowly, envying the pair slightly. In spite of everything standing in their way, they had finally pledged themselves to the other, and now were lovers. All she could ever have, would ever have...would be this night. She glanced towards Miroku, who was talking quietly to Inuyasha, who was still scanning the area with his ears, eyes, and nose.
"Kouga left." Miroku said softly, glancing towards Kagome and Sango, meeting the latter's eyes briefly before looking back at the hanyou. "But it's only a matter of time till he returns for Kagome. What will you do?"
"Kagome is my mate." Inuyasha said evenly. "I will do what I've always done, I'll protect her." He kept his ears rotating. "There's a wolf nearby...no doubt someone keeping a nose out for Kagome..." He snorted. "Let's get out of the open..." The hanyou walked over towards Kagome, giving his back to her and dropping on one knee. "Come on, Kagome, we should get to the village."
She nodded in agreement, climbing onto his back without hesitation. She wound her arms around his neck, settling in for the ride ahead of them. She glanced back and saw Sango start out after them, followed by a solemn looking Miroku.
"Are you okay, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked softly, glancing back at her. "You know Kouga's going to come to us soon, right?"
She nodded. "Yes, and yes. I need to have a word with him for hurting you, anyways..." She looked away, her face darkening in anger. "He had no right to do what he did...it was an unprovoked attack..." She whispered fiercely.
He smiled a bit at her protectiveness. "He was doing what any other demon would have done. Trying to protect what he considered 'his'." He said softly. "All that matters is his plan didn't work, and we're both okay." He sniffed the air, glancing back at the other members of their band. They were walking a good distance away from each other, looking in different directions. "Did Sango tell you what's goin' on with her and Miroku?"
"No." She replied. "They seem kind of tense, huh..."
"They were rutting just before we got there." He muttered, shaking his head. "You'd think they'd be thrilled."
Kagome shook her head. "Not necessarily, Inuyasha. They both have heavy burdens, and they can't really afford the luxury of a relationship."
"We have our burdens, too, right?" He smiled faintly. "You're a miko, and the protecter of the Shikon no Tama. You come from a different time." He patted her hand gently. "Sometimes, it might be better to just say screw everything else, and just be with the person you want to be with for as long as you can."
She looked at him in shock, then laughed lightly. "Wow, Inuyasha...that was pretty deep. I'm impressed."
He glared at her. "It's what I get from hanging around with you too much." He muttered, although he grinned a bit as well.
They continued on in silence, listening carefully in case a demon snuck up on the group. They had to be ready to protect their important people, their friends.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Kouga reclined back against the cave wall, looking over his pack, his eyes narrowed. "Where is that damn bitch..." He snarled, his claws sinking into the hard rock like a hot knife through butter. It had been nearly four days since Inuyasha had disappeared down into the well last, two since he'd left the side of the well to return to his pack, leaving a sentry to wait for the girl's return.The orders were simple. He was to bring the girl to the alpha male. So why wasn't the little twit back yet?!
The wolf demon took several calming breaths, leaning forward, catching a strange scent. Nervousness? His eyes darted towards the entrance of the cave and he saw his sentry returning, his eyes darting around. "Oi."
The sentry, Ginta, jumped, looking up at his leader. "Ah, Kouga-sama..." He ran towards him, trying to figure out how to break the news to the much stronger demon.
"Where's. My. Mate?" The question was spoken in three words, and a threatening manner than frightened the poor wolf shitless.
"Forgive me, Kouga-sama, I was unable to retrieve Nee-chan." He said, dropping to the ground in an extremely formal bow.
"And why is that?!" Kouga was on his feet, standing over the lesser wolf menacingly.
Ginta cringed. "Because she's mated with the inu-hanyou!" He gasped out.
"SHE'S WHAT?!"
oooooooooooooooooooooo
They had left late the next morning, giving everyone an opportunity to rest up. Inuyasha had sat vigilantly awake, his ears twitching back and forth, listening for interruptions of the normal night sounds. Letting his guard down in Kagome's time was one thing. He didn't have to worry about getting attacked and murdered in his sleep.Letting it down here was a completely different story.
So, as the group walked along, Inuyasha kept his ears and nose active while watching the human girl who walked a few paces in front of him. Miroku was being excpetionally quiet during the trip and hadn't even made a single lecherous comment towards Sango or Kagome, which was unusual for him. "Oi, Miroku. What kinda bug crawled up your ass?"
Miroku gave a half-shrug. "It's nothing, Inuyasha. I am just thinking."
"Well, think fast because I think I smell a wolf headed this way. Kagome!" Inuyasha caught her wrist as she turned and he pulled her to a stop. "Stay by me." He said evenly, his eyes narrowing as he stared up the road.
Miroku grabbed Sango gently and pushed her behind him. He stood ready, his eyes narrow in irritation. "You'd think the alpha-male of a wolf-pack would have better things to do than chase after a woman who's already mated with another demon..." The houshi said evenly, his face darkening.
The wolf finally came into sight, his face dark. His jyaki swarmed around him and was visible to all of them. The demon was PISSED.
"KAGOME!" Kouga shouted, a fair distance up the road from them. His eyes laid eyes on the girl and he sprinted forward, stopping abruptly right before the pair. He sniffed the air around her and his eyes went to her shoulder. His face darkened dramatically. "You...mated with this...THING?!" He snarled, his claws lengthening just a bit.
Inuyasha gently guided Kagome behind him. "Stay behind me, Kagome..." He said softly, not taking his eyes off the wolf.
Kagome glared at Kouga. "He asked, Kouga. You didn't!" She fisted her hand into the back of Inuyasha's haori.
"That's because You. Are. MINE!" He lunged forward, his hand going around Inuyasha's throat. "If I kill you, she's released from your mark...and then I can mark her myself..."
A creak sounded through the air and everyone's eyes snapped towards Kagome, who had readied her bow and had an arrow trained on Kouga. She fixed him with a death glare, glancing briefly towards the boy Kouga held in his grasp. "Release him." She demanded evenly.
"Kagome..." Kouga whispered, his eyes deeply confused. "But Kagome, I love you...you're my woman, remember? He's only ever treated you like crap..."
"Let him go." She said once again, her eyes narrowing dramatically. It was mostly for effect, to see if it worked. "This is your last chance before I make you."
Kouga slowly unwound his hand from Inuyasha's throat, letting the hanyou drop to the ground. "I love you! How could you betray me like this?!"
"I haven't betrayed you. I considered you my friend. I no longer do. Leave us alone. I love Inuyasha, and I always have. If you ever touch him again, I'll kill you without hesitation."
Everyone stared at Kagome in shock. Inuyasha's jaw dropped just a bit, and he got to his feet, moving towards his mate, standing by her side, sliding an arm around her waist before fixing the wolf with a glare of his own. "It's okay, Kagome..." He said softly, taking the arrow with his free hand. "He wont do anything else. You've turned him down...he can't do anything else..." He glared at Kouga, his eyes dead serious.
"Wanna bet?!" Kouga snarled, leaping forward, kicking their friends out of the way, spinning and sending Inuyasha through the air as well.
Kagome winced as Inuyasha's claws scraped her slightly when he was dislodged from her. Her eyes met Kouga's and she stood perfectly still, looking up at him. "I'd die before I mated with you." She said softly.
He grinned ferally. "That's what I had in mind, pet..." He lifted his claws, preparing to rip through her flesh.
She closed her eyes, cringing back as she heard the claws whistle through the air.
They never touched her.
A sword blocked the downward path, and Kagome slowly opened her eyes.
A silver-haired demon stood before her, between herself and the wolf demon. But it wasn't Inuyasha.
No, it wasn't Inuyasha, because this demon wasn't wearing a haori and hakama colored in red. No. It wasn't Inuyasha. Inuyasha didn't have a fluffy thing thrown over his shoulder.
Everyone stared at the demon that had saved Kagome in shock, but Inuyasha was the only one who could find it in him to say the demon's name.
"Sesshoumaru...?"
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TBC(?)
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AN: Um...Yeah, so another cliffy. Sorry. I needed a good place to cut off the chapter and this seemed as good a place as any. You all are probably sick of the damn cliffies. I'll try to not end the next chapter with one. No promises, tho. It's been hard enough to crank out this chapter. I actually wrote it and re-wrote it four or five times. The only part that stayed consistant was the opening scene with Miroku and Sango. Sorry to those of you who've been hoping that it would be a lemon, but this IS ff.net I'm posting this on. I have to keep it reasonably citrus free. When I write the lemon version, I'll register to a site where I can post it and let all my ff.net readers know, k? Thinking back, I never really planned to turn this into a lemon to begin with...>.>; Oh well. Anyways, please review the latest chapter! You guys are the ones that are getting this story done, remember? No reviews...well, you get the idea! Love, peace, and puppy ears!TBC(?)
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