InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Confessions of the Heart ❯ Old Friend, A New Beginning ( Chapter 2 )

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

The next morning Kagome was awakened by a soft hand on her cheek. She opened her eyes and smiled, seeing Inuyasha's golden eyes peering down at her.
"Morning love," Inuyasha said barely above a whisper, making sure not to wake the others.
"It is a lovely morning," Kagome yawned with a smile and stretched. She was about to continue but Inuyasha silenced her with a finger to his lips, indicating someone was awake.
"Really Inuyasha. Are you in such a hurry to take Kagome-chan from us, that you must wake her so early," Miroku growled.
Inuyasha glared daggers at Miroku but before he could act on his thoughts, a hand bopped Miroku on the head.
"Enough you," Sango moaned, beginning to wake up.
Kagome snickered and got out of her sleeping bag. She turned around after straightening her clothing and looked at Miroku.
"In fact, Miroku-chan, Inuyasha let me sleep too long. I wanted to be up earlier than this. I would say that was thoughtful of him, wouldn't you," Kagome said with her hand on her hip.
Miroku grunted in response, hating that Kagome was right.
Kagome smirked and turned away from the monk to roll up her sleeping bag.
Inuyasha grinned and stood up with tetsusaiga at his side and turned to go out of the hut.
"Are you not eating breakfast?" Sango asked.
"No, we will eat on the way. We are already behind schedule," Kagome said with a smile.
"How long will you be gone?" Sango asked, beating the others to it.
Kagome shrugged her shoulders and looked out the doorway to the waiting Inuyasha.
"I don't know, perhaps a week," Kagome said with a look over her shoulder as she walked out the door.
Kagome climbed up onto Inuyasha's back and with a wave behind her they were off.
Inuyasha ran as fast as his legs could carry him, anxious to get to the cottage. He smiled as he thought of his conversation the previous night with Myoga.

"Myoga, I need to speak with you," Inuyasha said quietly, walking out of Kaeda's hut.
"Yes my lord," the flea said, jumping up onto Inuyasha's shoulder.
"Myoga, you know that I will need to remove the seal in order for Kagome to enter the house," Inuyasha said seriously.
"Yes, and you will be most vulnerable," Myoga said, looking at the stern expression on Inuyasha's face.
"I know that. I need a guardian, for the time we are there," Inuyasha said unhappy, knowing that he would not be able to protect himself and Kagome during mating.
"There is one who is most trustworthy. He is one of the guardians of the earthly representation of your father's tomb," Myoga said with a nod.
"If he comes, then who will guard…" Inuyasha began, but Myoga silenced him.
"My lord, there is always another to fill in. Your father was well respected of the youkai," Myoga said.
"Myoga, you know the youkai do not take it well when a fellow youkai takes a human mate," Inuyasha said plainly.
"I know, my lord. He whom I speak of feels differently. He was the youkai that was protecting you and your mother when you were attacked. He was wounded badly and could not fight the hordes of youkai when they came. He nearly died from his injuries and took a position protecting your father's tomb. I know he will protect you and Lady Kagome without a second thought," Myoga explained.
"I had no idea we were being protected. I thought that all loyalties were abandoned when father died," Inuyasha said, shocked at this information.
"There are still youkai that feel you are the rightful heir to the Western Lands and not your brother," Myoga said to Inuyasha's surprise.
"Then why do they not do something about it?" Inuyasha growled.
"Fear and their small numbers," Myoga said with a sigh. "Besides, do you honestly think you could defend your father's land right now?" Myoga added.
"No," Inuyasha mumbled.
"Why not take things one step at a time. You have many years to make up for. Become better skilled and enjoy your mate. Become a leader and an example to others. Then when and if you decide to take on your brother, you will have loyal followers behind you, and your reign will be respected," Myoga said, trying to make Inuyasha understand that he needed to live for himself and his mate, not attain happiness only to loose it, because he did not take the time he needed to be prepared for it.
"Remember my lord, when you take lady Kagome as a mate, there will be two of you to think about, and if Kami-sama is gracious, possibly pups too. This will no longer be about you. It will be about your family," Myoga said, narrowing his eyes at his young charge.
"I do understand, Myoga," Inuyasha said, deep in thought about the flea's words.
"I am glad, my lord. Now I will go and summon Shinzen to the cottage. I will be with him, so we will wait for you outside the seal's boundaries," Myoga said, jumping down from Inuyasha's shoulder and bounding off into the forest.
"Thank you, my friend," Inuyasha said softly to the bouncing flea.

Inuyasha smiled and gripped Kagome's legs tighter as he ran through the trees.
Soon they came upon a familiar clearing that had a stream running through it. Inuyasha stopped and helped Kagome off his back.
"Are we there?" Kagome asked, looking around and seeing no house.
"No, but I remembered that we had not eaten yet this morning," Inuyasha said, going over to some bushes and picking the berries that grew on them.
Kagome pulled out the picnic blanket from her backpack and spread it out.
Inuyasha brought over many colored berries and laid them on the blanket.
"Here," Kagome said, handing Inuyasha a bottle of water.
"Thank you," he said with berries in his mouth.
Kagome giggled at him.
"What's so funny?" he asked, swallowing the berries.
"You look cute with berry juice on your lips," Kagome said, giggling.
"Oh, really. Would you like to help me clean them?" Inuyasha asked in a low husky voice.
The tone of his voice sent little shivers down Kagome's back.
With a smirk, Kagome pulled a tissue from her backpack and wiped Inuyasha's lips.
Inuyasha growled and leaped at her, pinning her down. "That was not what I had in mind," he said softly.
"Oh and what did you…" Kagome began but was cut off by Inuyasha claiming her lips in a heated kiss.
Kagome's mind was floating in the clouds. Inuyasha's kisses were pure heaven on earth. All too soon for Kagome's liking, Inuyasha was pulling her up off the ground.
She looked at him, puzzled.
"If I did not stop then, we would not make it to the cottage," Inuyasha said, blushing.
Kagome smiled at him and stood up. "Well then, I suggest that we keep moving so we can get there sooner, don't you agree?" Kagome said, bending down to ruffle the hair behind Inuyasha's ears, as he was folding up the blanket.
That was all the encouragement that he needed. Inuyasha picked up the blanket and was trying to stuff it back into Kagome's backpack, when giggling stopped him.
"What?" he growled.
"Need some help?" Kagome asked, still giggling.
Inuyasha looked down at what he was doing. In his hurry he was trying to put the blanket into the small pouch in the front of the backpack.
Inuyasha humphed and put the blanket in the right compartment, then handed the bag to Kagome.
"You know, you are cute when you are flustered," Kagome said with a smile.
"Ooh, I'll show you flustered," Inuyasha growled and crouched down to pounce on Kagome.
"Now we are never going to get there," Kagome said with a wiggle of her index finger in Inuyasha's face.
"I know… I will deal with you when we get there," Inuyasha growled, swinging Kagome up onto his back.
In a flash they were back on their way to Inuyasha's childhood home.


In no time, Inuyasha began to slow down as the shape of a building came into view. Inuyasha stopped and let Kagome off his back.
Inuyasha took a deep breath. "We are home," he said with a smile to Kagome.
"Home," Kagome smiled and put her hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "I like the sound of that," she said.
"My lord," a soft voice said from beside Inuyasha and Kagome.
Kagome was getting use to Myoga popping up out of nowhere.
"Oh Myoga-san, I forgot about you. I'm sorry. Did you have to hop all the way here or did you…" Kagome trailed off as she turned to the direction of Myoga's voice and froze in place.
Before her was a very large grey wolf youkai.
Kagome was speechless and could not take her eyes off the large wolf. Kagome made gasping noises and began to back up from the large youkai, but her escape was stopped by a pair of hands around her waist.
"Shh. It's alright. He is a friend," Inuyasha cooed in Kagome's ears as he put his hands around her waist.
"It's… It's a…" Kagome stammered.
"I am a wolf youkai, your ladyship. Inuyasha-sama, it is good to see you. My, you have grown since I last saw you," Shinzen said bowing to Inuyasha.
"I remember you now. You were the one who pulled me from the stream when I fell out of the cherry tree over there. I thank you for that, but not for the tanning my mother gave me when you brought me to her after I had disobeyed her and climbed the tree anyhow," Inuyasha said, smiling at the memory, motioning to the tree in the distance.
"My most humble apologies. I regret that I could not save you both. I am glad that you were unharmed in the attack," Shinzen said with a faint smile.
"Inuyasha, he is not going to..." Kagome stuttered with wide eyes, as she turned around to look Inuyasha in the eyes.
"No love, no," Inuyasha said, shaking his head.
"No, my lady. I am here to stand guard over you and Lord Inuyasha," Shinzen explained.
"Please, call me Kagome. And your name is?" Kagome said, walking to the now sitting youkai.
"My name is Shinzen, Kagome-sama," he answered, looking to Inuyasha for approval of calling his mate by her given name.
Inuyasha smiled and nodded, indicating that was fine with him. Since that was how Kagome wanted things, so be it.
"My lord, if you will please remove the seal so that lady Kagome may look at the house," Myoga said, bouncing up onto Inuyasha's shoulder.
Inuyasha nodded and walked to a tree that had a clump of hair on it and looked like it was stained with blood. Inuyasha took a claw and pierced the clump of hair on the tree and the mists that were shrouding the house faded and before the group was a fairly large house.
"This is the vacation house?" Kagome whispered more to herself, but forgot that she was in the company of youkai that have keen ears.
"Yes, my lady. His late lordship had two homes, this one, and the large castle that Sesshomaru has taken over," Myoga answered.
"I see," Kagome said with a nod.
"Come, let us get inside and get a fire going," Inuyasha said, walking toward the house.
Kagome picked up her bag from where it rested on the ground at her feet. She looked over the house as she approached it. It was large by modern day Tokyo standards. It had three parts to it. In the middle there was a large building and a smaller one on each side. It kind of reminded her of the teahouse that she had seen in Kyoto when her family had gone to the Cherry Blossom Festival there last year.
Kagome walked slowly to the main door and took off her shoes. She stepped into the house and her breath caught in her throat. It looked like something that would have come out of her history books. In the middle of the room was a large sunken hearth and the room had tatami mats on the floors. Off to the right and left were shoji screens, separating the "wings" of the house. It was beautiful. It looked like someone had lived here for many years, even down to the cushions stacked in the one corner and the low table by them, ready for guests to use them.
Kagome's eyes went over the entire room that she was in, when someone emerging from her left caught her attention. It was a man with long gray hair.
"Your ladyship," the man bowed to Kagome, and then it dawned on her who this man was.
"Shinzen?" Kagome questioned.
"Yes, my lady. This form is smaller and less intimidating than that of my youkai form," Shinzen explained as he walked up to Kagome.
"I like this form. I still need to get used to the other one," Kagome said with a smile.
"My lady, your bath awaits," Shinzen said, motioning to the shoji screen in the direction that he had just come from.
"What do you mean? At this point in this time, indoor plumbing does not exist yet," Kagome said, running through her history lessons in her head.
"No, my lady. This house does not have indoor water, if that is what you call this plumbing. In the bath house, there is a sunken pool that is fed by the hot spring and is controlled by a dam of sorts," Shinzen explained as they walked to the shoji screen.
Shinzen pushed the screen open and motioned for Kagome to go in. She did, and found what they would have called in modern day Japan, a rural bathhouse. It had the sunken "tub" and a low bench to put clothing on.
"Yes, we have these in modern times. This is just like you would find at a shrine," Kagome explained to Shinzen.
"I see. Here is a yukata for your ladyship to put on after your bath. His lordship will bring other clothes for you," Shinzen said, motioning to the folded yukata on the bench.
"Thank you, Shinzen-san," Kagome said with a bow, as he walked to the shoji screen door.
"It is my pleasure to serve you, my lady," Shinzen said with a low bow before he opened the screen and stepped out into the main room.
Kagome smiled as Shinzen closed the screen to give her some privacy for her bath.
'I feel sorry for him, having to live with Inuyasha's mother's death on his mind,' Kagome thought sadly.
Kagome took off her clothes and placed them on the bench beside the yukata. She put a toe in the water and was surprised to find it quite warm. Slowly she descended into the water and just let her body relax.


"My lord," Shinzen said, as he stood at the shoji screen on the opposite side of the house from the bathhouse.
"Yes, please come in, Shinzen-san," Inuyasha said from the other side of the screen.
Shinzen entered the room and saw Inuyasha opening up the drawers in the tansu that was built into the wall.
"My lord, what are you looking for?" Shinzen asked, hoping that he could help.
"I am looking for... ah, here they are," Inuyasha said, pulling two large lacquer boxes out from a drawer. One was black and one was red.
"What are in those, my lord?" Shinzen asked, curious as Inuyasha placed them carefully on the floor.
"These were my parents'," Inuyasha said simply.
"I see," Shinzen said, already having an idea of what the boxes contained, but would push Inuyasha no further on the contents.
"Shinzen-san, will you take the red box and place it by the bathhouse door for me?" Inuyasha asked, motioning to the box that was on the floor.
"Of course. Should I tell her ladyship that it is there?" Shinzen asked, not feeling comfortable walking into the bathhouse with Kagome in there and the possibilities of seeing something that he should not.
"No. I will take it in to her once I have changed my clothes," Inuyasha said, taking tetsusaiga off his hip and beginning to remove his kimono.
"As you wish," Shinzen replied. He picked up the box for Kagome and headed to the bathhouse screen.
"My lord, I have the parchment that you asked for," Myoga said, once Shinzen had left.
"Good. I will need both you and Shinzen to be present for that and to witness it," Inuyasha said as he opened the box that lay before him.
"Why is this needed? You marking the Lady Kagome will stand up to any youkai that contest it," Myoga said, not understanding Inuyasha's reasonings for a human marriage parchment.
"Yes, my mark will uphold to youkai laws, but not to human. My marking her will not hold up in her time," Inuyasha explained as he pulled a white garment from the box.
"My lord, is that..." Myoga said with wide eyes.
"Yes, this is the hakama and haroi that my father wore in the ceremony with my mother," Inuyasha said as he sniffed the garment that held his father's scent.
The conversation was interrupted by Shinzen opening the shoji screen to the room and walking in.
"Excuse me, my lord. I hope that I was not interrupting," Shinzen said quietly.
"No. Of course not, my friend," Inuyasha said with a smile.
"My lord, may I say that you have calmed down since the Lady Kagome has come into your life," Myoga said with a smile.
"In a way I have, but I would not be this way outside of this house. I do not want the others to think that I have gone soft. That would make Kagome more of a target than she already will be," Inuyasha said, putting the under kimono on.
"I see," Myoga said, understanding Inuyasha's reasons.
"My lord, I have placed the Lady Kagome's box before the bathhouse shoji screen as you asked. I believe that she may have fallen asleep in the pool. I heard a faint growling noise within the bathhouse." Shinzen said, as Inuyasha stepped into the white hakama and tied the waist.
"I will tend to her," Inuyasha said as he slipped the accompanying white haroi on and tied the tassel that closed the front.
"My lord, you have such a resemblance to your father," Shinzen said with a smile.
"Yes, the likeness is uncanny," Myoga said, bouncing over beside Shinzen.
"Thank you. Now I must awaken Kagome," Inuyasha said as he walked out of the room and headed toward the screen for the bathhouse.
Inuyasha stopped outside the bathhouse screen and took a deep cleansing breath to calm the butterflies that were dancing in his stomach.
"Kagome," Inuyasha called softly. He received no reply, other than the faint growling that Shinzen had mentioned. Inuyasha listened for a moment and was sure that the sound was indeed Kagome snoring. Inuyasha smiled at this, quietly opening the screen and walking into the bathhouse.
Kagome had fallen asleep and had her head resting on a rock on the side of the pool and she was floating on her back. A deep blush spread over Inuyasha's cheeks and a heat built up in his loins at the sight of Kagome's naked form floating in the water.
Shaking his head to clear some of the passionate thoughts from his mind, Inuyasha kneeled down beside Kagome's head and caressed her cheek. Kagome cooed in her sleep but did not awaken. Inuyasha leaned down and brushed a soft kiss over Kagome's forehead.
"Awaken my love," Inuyasha whispered.
Kagome's eyes fluttered open and a large smile spread across her face.
"Hello there," Kagome smiled up at Inuyasha.
"Did you enjoy the bath?" he asked.
"Well, did you enjoy the view?" Kagome grinned, as Inuyasha blushed.
"Very beautiful, my love. Are you ready to get dressed? I have a gift for you," Inuyasha said standing up.
"Yes. Can you hand me my towel?" Kagome asked, standing up.
"I…I… wow," Inuyasha stuttered as he handed her the towel she asked for.
"You are so cute when you blush," Kagome giggled as she dried herself off.
Inuyasha turned his back to Kagome while she was putting on the yukata. He walked to the screen door where he left the lacquer box for her.
"Here. This is for you," Inuyasha said, walking toward Kagome with the box.
"Thank you," Kagome said, sitting down on the bench and opening the box.
Inside the box was a beautiful white silk Kimono set.
"Oh, Inuyasha, it is beautiful. Thank you," Kagome said, pulling Inuyasha into a hug and kissing him.
"You're welcome, my love. I want you to wear it. Do you need help with it?" Inuyasha said, holding Kagome away from him a bit so that he could look at her happy face.
"No, I know how to wear this type of kimono, I have dreamed about wearing one of these many times," Kagome said with a smile.
"Alright, I'll leave you to get ready," Inuyasha said, turning to leave the bathhouse.


Inuyasha closed the screen behind him and made his way to the other room across the main room. He walked in through the screen and headed past Myoga and Shinzen to the far wall.
"My lord, where is the lady Kagome?" Myoga asked, noting that she was not behind Inuyasha.
"She is getting ready. I needed to come and retrieve the outer kimono of my mother's," Inuyasha said, lifting a heavily decorated kimono from the wall and removing its hanger.
Inuyasha inspected the kimono to make sure that it was still intact.
"My father had this made for my mother on the day he made her his mate," Inuyasha said, turning to Myoga and Shinzen.
"It will look most beautiful on the lady Kagome," Shinzen said with a smile.
"Yes… on the back of this is the account of how my mother and father met," Inuyasha said, tracing the image of his mother with his claw. "I wish to have one made for Kagome, but my mother's will have to do for now," he added as he walked toward the shoji screen that led to the main part of the house.
"Shall we follow my lord?" Myoga asked.
"Yes, it is time. I will get Kagome," Inuyasha said as he walked across the room with the kimono cradled in his arms.
Myoga and Shinzen followed and took their places before the small alcove that had a vase for a flower to be put in and a scroll on the wall. The scroll only had one thing on it, the kanji character for love.
Inuyasha stopped at the screen to the bathhouse and took a deep breath.
"Kagome are you ready?" Inuyasha called softly and was answered by a soft 'yes' from the other side of the screen.
Inuyasha opened the screen and was amazed by the vision before him.
Kagome stood there in the elaborately embroidered white kimono with a soft smile on her face.
"Greetings my mate," Kagome said softly and bowed to Inuyasha, who gulped at this.
Inuyasha could do nothing but stare at her. She was beautiful and that was an understatement.
"Does this not please you?" Kagome asked, fearful that she had upset or offended him.
"Beautiful," Inuyasha said as he walked toward the vision in white before him.
"I take it you like," Kagome said with a smile.
"Yes, very much so. Are you ready to begin?" Inuyasha asked.
"Yes, I could not wait another moment," Kagome said, and leaned toward Inuyasha to kiss him on the cheek.
"Here. It would do me great honor if you would wear my mother's outer kimono. Father had this made for mother… I wanted to have…" Inuyasha stumbled over his words and was silenced by Kagome's hand on his cheek.
"I would love to. Will you help me put it on?" Kagome smiled, looking into Inuyasha's gold eyes.
Inuyasha nodded and walked behind Kagome to help her into the outer kimono.
"You look beautiful, my love," Inuyasha cooed into Kagome's ear from behind her.
"You're not so bad yourself," Kagome smiled, putting a hand on Inuyasha's head.
The couple stood that way for a while until Myoga bounced into the room.
"My lord, my lady, are you ready?" Myoga asked the couple.
"Yes, Myoga," Inuyasha answered. He walked beside Kagome and took her hand. "Shall we, my love?" Inuyasha asked with a smile.
Kagome nodded and followed behind Inuyasha and Myoga slowly out of the bathhouse.
Once out in the main part of the house, Kagome and Inuyasha took their place before the alcove and Myoga began.
"My lord, if you please." Myoga said, nodding to Inuyasha to begin.
"I Inuyasha, hanyou, son and heir to the great Inuyoukai of the western lands, choose you Kagome, miko, to be my life mate. Do you accept me or do you decline?" Inuyasha said holding Kagome's hands.
"I accept," Kagome said with tears in her eyes.
"My lord, my lady, you have both agreed to be life mates," Myoga said, nodding to Shinzen who walked up to the couple.
"My lord, my lady, please grasp each other's wrists," Shinzen instructed. He then took a gold rope and bound Kagome's and Inuyasha's left hands together and tied it.
"As this rope binds your hands, may it also bind your hearts and souls together," Shinzen said, passing his hand over the gold rope as it glowed.
"Kagome-sama and Inuyasha-sama, if you would please, sign this parchment solidifying your acceptance of this arrangement," Myoga said, pointing to the paper that lay beside him.
Kagome and Inuyasha signed their names in the indicated places. Myoga and Shinzen signed also as witnesses.
"I thought that you had to mark me," Kagome said to Inuyasha quietly as he took the rolled up parchment from Myoga.
"That will come later. This ceremony is for noble youkai. The parchment that you have signed is proof to the human world of your union, and the gold rope ceremony will bind your souls to each other. One cannot live without the other. However, if one is in need the other that is bound can help," Shinzen explained, removing the rope from their hands.
"How can that be? My father died, but my mother…" Inuyasha began but stopped.
"My lord, your parents did not perform this ceremony. They chose not to. Your father was concerned about his children. He did not want to perish and have your mother pass also and leave his children with no mother to protect them. He was thinking of the future," Shinzen explained.
"Then it could happen to us," Kagome said with her eyes narrowed at the wolf youkai.
"No. There is one way that it would not," Myoga said, seriously.
"How…" Kagome began but stopped. She already knew the answer.
Myoga and Shinzen nodded their heads as Kagome answered her own question.
"I see," Kagome said with a nod.
"My lord, your mother did not choose to become youkai. In your parents' time that was not a safe option," Myoga explained, answering the question in Inuyasha's eyes.
"Myoga-san, we will discuss this privately. It will be my decision in the end. Now please, let us retire," Kagome said quietly, debating with the prospect of becoming a hanyou or not.
"As you wish, my lady. Remember we are never far if you need us," Shinzen said with a bow as Inuyasha led Kagome toward the shoji screen to the room that was prepared as a bedroom for them.
Inuyasha let Kagome go in first and then he followed closing the screen behind him.


"I will go outside and stand guard" Shinzen said to Myoga quietly.
"Very well, I will remain as the witness" Myoga said with a nod to the wolf youkai.


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Notes: More to come. Many have asked about the lemony part of my story, just be patient that will be in the next chapter. Good things come to those who wait.
Thanks for reading.

Inuyasha and all related characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi, I do not seek to infringe on her rights. I am only borrowing the characters to expand on the love and romance between them.

You can find my stories at:
Strands of Moonlight www.geocities.com/the_yarnspinner/