InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Convalescence ❯ Chapter 1

"Convalescence"

by MidsummerDreamer

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

"Kagome!" Inuyasha was just returning from a bath at the hot springs north of Kaede's hut when he heard Shippou's joyful cry. He looked up to see her clambering out of the Bone Eater's well with her full bag and bike.

"Hey there, Shippou," Kagome opened her arms to the kit as he jumped to give her a hug.

"I missed you so much!" he squealed, burrowing into her arms.

"I missed you, too, Shippou." She smiled. "Where is everybody?"

The kitsune cub thought for a minute. "Well, Kaede's at her hut, I think Sango and Miroku are helping her with some repairs, and last I heard Inuyasha was going to take a bath." Kagome noticed that he made a face as he mentioned the hanyou.

"What's the matter, Shippou? What has Inuyasha done now?"

"He's just being his usual grumpy self." Shippou sighed. "He's done nothing but make a nuisance of himself since you left. He's such a pain."

"I AM NOT A NUISINCE! HE'S THE PAIN!!"

Both Kagome and Shippou jumped in fright as Inuyasha came storming into the clearing, still in the process of putting on the top of his haori and looking like he was about to murder something. Shippou yipped and dove behind Kagome's legs. Kagome braced her feet and squared her shoulders in preparation to defend the young kitsune.

"Stop yelling Inuyasha! Now, if you haven't been a nuisance, then what have you done while I was gone to make him say that you are?" Kagome crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him expectantly.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to make an angry retort when suddenly a wave of gentle, beguiling scent washed over him. His mouth fell open, eyes glazing slightly, as his nose began to sniff vigorously, searching for the source of that smell. He was confused, he knew he was in the middle of doing something, but he couldn't think of anything else until he found the cause.

Kagome watched the change come over Inuyasha and stepped foreword, worried. He looked . . . sick almost, like he had a high fever or like he was about to faint. When he started to move towards her, she took a careful step backwards, thinking he might be going full youkai for some reason. It didn't seem like it, but she wanted to be sure.

Inuyasha moved closer towards Kagome, realizing that the tantalizing aroma was coming from her. He stepped into her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. He leaned his head down to her neck and inhaled deeply.

Kagome stood stock still in his embrace, looking sideways at him through her hair. She couldn't figure out what the heck he was doing. "Inu . . . yasha?"

Still lost in the fog that permeated his brain, Inuyasha slid to his knees in front of Kagome. Her scent got stronger as he moved down her body, concentrated in certain places more than others: the curve of her neck, under her breasts, and especially her lower abdomen. He put his hands on her hips, pulling her sharply up against him as he buried his face into her stomach. Kagome jumped and let out a startled `eep' at the sudden movement.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Shippou's young voice broke though the fog from his earlier place behind Kagome.

Shippou's sharp, childish voice pierced through the mist that clouded Inuyasha's awareness. He jerked his head up to stare at Kagome's face before jumping to his feet three feet away from her.

"I . . . I . . ." He stammered incoherently for a few seconds before turning and running off in the direction of the Goshinboku.

Kagome and Shippou stared after him for a moment before turning to look at each other confusedly. After a moment, Kagome spoke.

"What was that all about?"

"I don't know." Shippou replied, jumping into Kagome's arms again.

Kagome was silent for a moment, thinking. "He was sniffing at something. Maybe the detergent I use on my clothes didn't agree with him. I hope I didn't make him sick."

Shippou sniffed experimentally at the hem of her shirt. "I don't smell anything that would make a youkai sick," he informed Kagome, "but . . . there is something . . . different about your scent . . . something . . ."

"What is it?" Kagome queried. Shippou leaned up to sniff at the curve of her neck, where Inuyasha had been earlier.

"I'm not sure," he responded, wrinkling his brow. "It's nothing bad. Just different. Like -- like when a flower is about to bloom, or like when an animal is looking for a mate. Yeah, that's it." He sat back in her arms, perplexed by the meaning of this new smell.

Kagome started in surprise. `Mate? Is that what got Inuyasha so worked up? But he can't possibly think of me like that, so why would it affect him?' She shook her head in confusion, leaning down to pick up her bag. Shippou jumped to the ground to walk beside her as she wheeled her bike in the direction of Kaede's hut.

`Oh well, I'll just leave him alone until he's ready to come back.'

Many hours later, Kagome was getting worried.

"Hey, you guys, I think I'll go find Inuyasha." Sango and Kaede looked up from their cooking to smile and nod, while Miroku merely waved a hand in acknowledgement through his meditative trance. Shippou was taking a nap.

Kagome headed for the Goshinboku since that was the direction Inuyasha had run off in. When she got there, the hanyou was nowhere in sight. She began to walk around to the other side of the tree when she heard a loud splashing sound coming from off to the right of the clearing. Kagome followed the sound of the water until she came upon Inuyasha sitting up to his neck in the cold, crystalline pond that merged with the rice paddies farther south. His clothes lay on the bank a little ways away from her with his katana, and he glared at the water directly before his eyes with a kind of fierce concentration that reminded her of his expression when he was trying to fight with his tetsuseiga. Stepping away from the shelter of the trees, she called his name.

"Inuyasha?"

"Not now, wench." He didn't even look up to speak to her. `Of course,' she thought, `he must have smelled and heard me a mile away.' Resenting his attitude after acting so strangely without any explanation, Kagome crossed her arms and set her resolve.

"Inuyasha, come out of there right now!" she demanded.

"No!" was the sharp reply.

"Inuyasha -"

"Keh!"

"Inuyasha, why on earth not? I don't understand, what's going on? First you run up and startle Shippou and me out of our wits in a bad temper, then you . . ." she trailed off, searching for a way to describe his actions. "You . . . manhandle me. And then you disappear for five hours with no explanation, only for me to find you up to your neck in cold water that will no doubt cause you to catch your death of cold. Now you come out of there right now and talk to me!"

Inuyasha looked at her in frustration. Kagome was used to seeing this expression on his face. Inuyasha was remarkably repressed emotionally, and having to deal with any feelings, especially his own, always seemed to give him a nasty case of mental constipation. This time, however, there was something else in his face. He seemed . . . frantic, in a strange way. Like the way Eri looked at a double chocolate fudge sundae when she was depressed. The intensity of the expression gave her pause, but she firmed her resolve and stood her ground.

"Kagome," Inuyasha ground out from his place in the lake, "just go away and leave me alone!"

Kagome fisted her hands on her hips. "Last warning, Inuyasha. Come out now. I'll say it!"

That got Inuyasha's attention. With an ill-contained scowl and a loud growl, he stood and started sloshing towards the shore.

"Keh. Fine, just don't use that word. And turn around, why don'cha?!"

Kagome complied with a tired sigh. She waited until she heard him plunk himself onto the ground in his trademark cross-legged pouting stance. She moved towards him and sat down on his left, looking out across the lake. She turned towards him, noticing how he seemed to breathe a little quicker and harder as she leaned into him.

"Now, are you going to tell me what's going on, or do I really have to say the word?" She asked gently as she laid a hand on his arm. He shook it off convulsively and slid away a bit.

"God damn it, bitch, why are you doing this?" he exclaimed in an anguished voice.

"Inuyasha, please, what's wrong? Are you angry with me? Are you sick or hurt? I don't underst -"

"You're what's wrong!" he growled out, grabbing her shoulders roughly. "It's your scent. It's . . . you're . . ." he trailed off as his eyes glazed over again. It seemed to calm him, ever so slightly. At the least, some of the anger left his voice, even if it was replaced by heat. Kagome blushed as she caught his meaning and the added accent in his tone.

"Oh." She said quietly.

"Yes, OH." He mimicked her. "You're . . . I don't know what they call it in your time, but you're fertile now. You're ready to mate, and it's driving me nuts. That's why I had to run away from you and sit in an ice-cold lake to cool off for five hours." His voice held so much contempt as he finished that it brought tears to her eyes.

"I'm . . . I'm sorry." She said quietly. He looked up at her in surprise as she began to get up, tears evident on her cheeks. He caught her arm and pulled her back down.

"What are you sorry for, wench?" he snapped with more force than he intended. She flinched before replying.

"Obviously my . . . condition upset you. And it's my fault you had to go sit in a lake all day. I suppose it was better than what you were feeling, all things considered." She looked away from him.

He looked at her, perplexed, and then realized what her obscure words and self-deprecating tone meant. She thought he was upset by . . . desiring her. That he was disgusted, even. `I suppose it was better than what you were feeling . . .' Inuyasha had known for a long time - many months - that he desired Kagome. And much as he hated to admit it, he cared for her. She taught him to love after years of hurt and distrust. She wasn't perfect, but she was practically an angel for putting up with him, that he was sure of. She worried about him when for so many years the only people he came in contact with tried to kill him. She comforted and encouraged his emotions when the only thing he had ever known of his feelings was that he got ridiculed and attacked when he expressed himself. She praised and admired his hanyou heritage when for his entire life he had heard that his blood was tainted, evil, that he should have been destroyed as a child. And here she was worried that he was repelled by the scent of her in heat. He pulled her suddenly into an aggressive embrace.

"Nothing could be better than what I was feeling, wench." Her eyes widened at his statement. "In fact, I was feeling too good. That's why I had to spend the day in the lake. I was getting far too worked up. God, Kagome . . ." He shook his head, peering into her face with that same slightly glazed expression, his breath coming faster and harder.

Suddenly, he pushed her away and started pulling off his haori again. "I need to go for another swim. Just go back to the village, okay?" She nodded, even though he couldn't see her with his back turned, and started back to Kaede's hut.

Inuyasha finished stripping off his haori and dove back into the frigid waters. The cold jarred him to the bone, but at least it helped calm the frantic heat building in his body, settling in his loins.

Finding the rock he had been sitting on in the middle of the lake before Kagome found him, he sat down again and tried to focus on anything but her retreating scent.

Part of the problem was that this was so unexpected. Inuyasha usually liked Kagome's scent well enough - as in very much - but this had never happened before. He supposed that this was just the first time she had been in this era while in this condition. He had smelled the blood of her cycle on her before, so he knew that this wasn't her first . . . he ended that train of thought quickly. He had to get his mind onto something else - anything besides Kagome's reproductive capability.

Bracing himself for the cold, Inuyasha plunged himself completely into the water and swam a ways. It was strangely peaceful under the water. The water blanketed him, blocking out almost all sound and most of the light. Usually he hated it when his senses failed him, like when he was human on the eve of the new moon. For some reason, this was relaxing.

He surfaced suddenly, flinging water out of his eyes and ears and inhaling air. Suddenly, his nose picked up a familiar and decidedly unpleasant scent.

"Kouga!" Kagome gasped as the wolf-prince dashed to a halt directly in front of her, seemingly out of nowhere. She had been so distracted that she hadn't even sensed his shards. Kouga smiled down at her warmly, taking her hands in his.

"Kagome, my love, it's wonderful to see you, but you shouldn't be out alone after dark." Suddenly, he leaned towards her, sniffing experimentally. The same glazed expression that had overtaken Inuyasha crept into his features. He pulled her closer as she gulped nervously.

"Kagome," he said tenderly, "it's time I made you my mate officially. Your body is ready. It's time."

"Kouga," she began uncertainly, "I'm really flattered, but I can't." He seemed almost amused by her response.

"Why not?"

"I just don't feel that way about you. You're my friend, but I don't love you that way, and besides, I'm really not ready for a . . . mate." She stumbled over the unfamiliar word. Kouga merely laughed.

"I believe your body would disagree with that, my love." When she didn't respond, he frowned slightly. "There's no reason to be nervous, Kagome." His expression darkened suddenly. "Are you thinking about that dirty hanyou? Don't worry, love, after I make you mine, he won't bother you again. He can't have you!" With that, Kouga bent down to give Kagome her first kiss.

"AAAAAAUURGHHHHH!" Kagome stumbled backwards a few feet as a large red and silver something collided with Kouga's head before their lips could touch. Kouga was thrown a few yards away, but he landed on his feet, shaking his head to clear his vision. Inuyasha now stood between her and Kouga, growling aggressively with his hand on the tetsuseiga.

"Stay away from her, you rotten, mangy wolf pelt!" he yelled through his growling.

"You stay away from her, dog turd!" Kouga yelled back. "How dare you separate me from my mate?!" At that, Inuyasha began to draw the tetsuseiga. Kagome quickly stepped forward to stop him before someone got hurt.

"Inuyasha, please." She begged. "Please don't. He didn't do anything. Let's just go."

Inuyasha looked at her hard, then slowly resheathed his katana. He turned back to Kouga, who had approached several steps closer.

"You're getting off easy this time, flea-bag!" He snarled at the wolf prince. Kouga ignored him, instead reaching for Kagome's hand and pulling her close before anyone could react.

"Come, Kagome," He cooed, "I'll take you to the den and make you my mate this very night." Kagome sighed in frustration, preparing to explain her stance to him once again.

"What!?" Inuyasha interrupted before she could speak. "You're not taking her anywhere, and she's not your mate!" Kouga turned to face the furious hanyou, livid. He was so worked up that he clenched his hands into fists, squeezing her left wrist viciously. She whimpered and tried to pull away, but he only clutched her harder.

"Who asked you, you filthy half-breed!" Kouga roared. With that, he flung Kagome away from himself, causing her to fly into a tree hard enough to knock the wind out of her. Inuyasha watched the impact in horror, turning to Kouga in a rage.

"You idiot! What the hell do you think you're doing?! You just -"

"I know what I'm doing, Inu-shit!" Kouga interrupted, too far gone with fury to notice his actions. "You're always getting in the way. Kagome and I are meant to be together, and you're in our way." With that, he raised a fist to strike a truly terrible blow to Inuyasha.

Meanwhile, Kagome was gathering her wits at the foot of the tree. She knew that she was the only one who could stop the fight before one of them killed the other. She stumbled to her feet and dashed in between the two, just in time to receive Kouga's punch full in the face.

Inuyasha and Kouga watched in terror as Kouga's fist collided with Kagome's head. She collapsed back into Inuyasha's arms, barely conscious. Inuyasha pulled her to the side, shielding her from Kouga with his shoulder as he bared his fangs and growled with such intense ferocity that Kouga stepped back a pace. Kouga was in shock. Now that he was finally aware of Kagome, he realized what he had done: crushing her wrist, throwing her into a tree, and now . . . he hadn't meant to, it was too late to stop the blow. He just couldn't believe . . .

"God, Kagome, are you alright?" he exclaimed, stepping towards her and extending a hand. Kagome whimpered, looking up at the two of them with frightened eyes, and Inuyasha lashed out at the hand with claws extended. Once again, Kouga retreated.

"Just leave, wolf." Inuyasha grated out. "Leave her alone. You've done enough damage." Kouga hung his head, and spoke once more.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. It was an accident. I never meant to hurt you. I can't forgive myself." He took a breath. "I'll be back, but until then . . . I'm sorry." With that, he turned and left.

Inuyasha watched Kouga leave before turning his attention to the girl in his arms. Once again, her scent washed over him, calling him seductively, but he shoved it away viciously.

"Kagome?" he said gently, "Kagome, are you okay? C'mon, talk to me." He moved over to the bole of a tree and moved to set her down, but she only whimpered and clutched the shoulders of his haori, so he settled down on the ground with her in his lap instead. He held her and stroked her hair until she calmed down.

"I'm . . . I'm okay . . . oooh, my head hurts though." She told him feebly as she reached up to touch the lump forming on her temple. He snorted.

"I would expect so, considering how that mangy excuse for a wolf decked you like that. God, when I get my hands on him . . ." Kagome cupped his cheek in her good hand, trying to get his attention. He looked down at her, surprised at the contact.

"Please, Inuyasha," she soothed, "It was an accident. As dense as he is on the issue of my being his mate, he would never intentionally hurt me."

"That doesn't make it okay!" Inuyasha exploded, hurriedly calming himself when he realized that he had just yelled at Kagome.

"No, it doesn't," she said, "but that doesn't mean you should kill him. Just leave it alone." Inuyasha was about to protest when he realized that he had other things to take care of, more important things, like her.

"We should get back to the village." He said. "Can you walk?" She answered him by struggling to her feet, only to sway wildly, almost falling back into his lap.

"Oh no you don't, come on." He said as he tucked her onto his back. Kagome considered protesting that she was fine, but to be perfectly honest, she was so comfortable snuggled up against him, so sleepy, that she just accepted it. Her eyes drifted shut as she slipped from consciousness.

About an hour later, Inuyasha walked into Kaede's hut to meet the worried questions and exclamations of Kaede, Sango, Miroku, and Shippou. Shippou spoke first.

"Inuyasha, where have you been? Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha answered the kit's question by turning and motioning for Miroku to take Kagome off of his back. Miroku hurried to comply, and Sango gasped.

"Inuyasha, what happened? Where you attacked?" she asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes." He replied succinctly. Kaede hurried over to the futon which Miroku had set Kagome down on.

"Who caused these injuries, Inuyasha?" she asked.

"Kouga." He replied, sitting next to Kagome on the futon, curling around her slightly. Shippou crept closer, intending to snuggle against her, and got snarled at for his trouble.

"Kouga?!" Miroku exclaimed, "But he's in love with her." Inuyasha's expression darkened at the mention of the wolf prince's feelings. "Why would he hurt her?" Inuyasha sighed before replying.

"It was an . . . accident." He admitted grudgingly. "He was trying to hit me, and she dodged in front of me." She dodged in front of me. Inuyasha felt a wave of something warm and tender wash over him as he replayed his words in his head. Kagome had stepped in between two fighting youkai - well, a youkai and a hanyou - and risked herself in order to protect him. He reached out a gentle hand and stroked her dark hair.

"You should all get some sleep." His sudden change of topic startled everyone in the room.

"We will, Inuyasha, but we should really stay up a while longer to tend to Kagome." Sango began to unroll a length of bandage as she spoke.

"No!" Sango was stopped by Inuyasha's hands closing over the bandage. "I'll take care of her. It's the least I could do."

Everyone looked at him for a long moment. Finally, Kaede nodded. "Very well, Inuyasha. Ye may look after her. Just remember that if her condition changes during the night, we are right here and Sango and I are far more skilled at the art of healing than ye." With that, Kaede hobbled over to her futon to prepare for bed. One by one, the others followed suit, Shippou going to sleep with Sango for once.

Inuyasha stayed up wrapping Kagome's injuries. He was concerned that she had fallen asleep so quickly, and so deeply. Her wrist, now nicely wrapped in a bandage, would mend with only a few bruises to show for it. The only injury she showed from being thrown against the tree was a cruel bruise on her hip and a few on her ribs. It was her head that worried him. Her temple now showed a lurid black, blue, and purple bruise, and she flinched in her sleep every time he touched it. He checked her vital signs, making sure her breathing was easy and her heart beat regular, and finally settled down on the futon beside her. He gently lifted her head onto his shoulder, pulling her close to his side and nuzzling the hair at the crown of her head. He froze as she muttered something that sounded like his name and fluttered her eyes open.

"Inuyasha?" she asked as she sat up.

"I'm here, Kagome." He sat up with her, keeping his arm across her shoulder blades in case she felt woozy.

"What . . . where are we? Why . . ." she trailed off, taking in her surroundings and their close proximity.

"We're back at Kaede's," he told her. "I don't know how much you remember, but after that flea-bitten wolf hit you, I scared him off and brought you back here."

"Oh. Where are the others?"

"I sent them to sleep." He pulled her a little closer. "I kinda felt like I should be the one to take care of you."

"Thank you, but I don't want you to feel obligated to do anything." She dropped her gaze to a spot on the futon facing away from him. "I know I create enough trouble for you as is. You don't owe me anything." At this, Inuyasha placed both hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him.

"Stupid wench," he sneered fondly, "I wanted to do this. I wanted to make sure you were okay, especially since it's kinda more or less my fault that you got hurt." She looked up into his face. "You dodged in front of me and took Kouga's blow for me." She bit her lip and glanced away.

"I was afraid for you." She admitted softly. "I know you could've handled it yourself, but I was worried that if I let you two settle it, one of you would be badly hurt. I knew that Kouga would stop before he hurt me, so -"

"But he didn't!" Inuyasha's temper flared. "The damn fuck-head went ahead and hit you anyway! God damn it, wench, what were you thinking? I'm part youkai! I can handle getting knocked around! What on earth made you think a human could stop a full youkai like that son of a -"

"I was thinking that if I didn't stop you two, one or both of you would get hurt!" Kagome's eyes began to glisten with tears. "Inuyasha, if you had gotten yourself seriously hurt because of me, because you were defending me from Kouga . . . I'd never forgive myself." Inuyasha paused in surprise, first at the sudden passion in her voice and the unshed tears in her eyes, second at what she was saying. She . . . cared enough for him that she would put his safety above her own. Now that he thought about it, he shouldn't be surprised. How many times had she stayed in a battle, putting herself in danger when she had a clear chance to run away, all because she wanted to make sure he was safe? Still, hearing it said in the open made his heart melt a little bit.

"So . . . you care . . . about me?" he asked her quietly, needing final reassurance. She smiled gently at him in reply.

"Of course I care, Inuyasha." She paused, considering for a moment before setting her resolve. "I love you."

Inuyasha stilled at the quiet admission. He supposed he had known for a while that she cared about him so deeply, and a small part of him had been almost sure that she loved him, just as it had known that he loved her. "Kagome . . ." he sighed her name as he exhaled, moving his hand up to brush through the hair at her temple, glistening in the moonlight. He quickly jerked his hand away as she flinched again at his touch. "I'm sorry!"

"It's okay," she soothed, "I guess it's still a little tender." He smiled wryly and lifted his hand again, this time smoothing over her head so gently that she didn't feel even a twinge of pain.

"I'd guess so. That's one hell of a shiner there." She smiled a bit, peering into his face curiously. He simply looked back at her, gradually becoming aware of her scent washing over him again. He remained in place as his eyes glazed a bit and his heart rate and breathing increased. Kagome noticed, not moving but looking at him a little warily.

"Inuyasha . . . ?" she wasn't sure what to do. Before he had made it seem like he had to run away to the lake to keep from . . . taking her. Now he wasn't moving at all, just sitting there letting his body react. Inuyasha smiled a bit and reached to grasp her good hand.

"Relax, Kagome," he whispered hoarsely, "I wouldn't do anything you didn't want me to. I just want to sit here and . . . enjoy this. Okay?" She nodded timidly, looking back into his entranced face. She jumped as he once again reached to take her hand, running his finger tips over her palm and wrist, careful to keep his claws away from her tender skin. She gasped at the soft, tickling contact. The slight noise made Inuyasha's breathing speed up more.

"Inu -"

"Kagome," Inuyasha interrupted her. "Can I . . . can I hold you?" She stared into his hungry face for a moment before nodding and settling herself, preparing to be grabbed like at the well earlier that day. She was surprised when he just looked at her, spreading his arms slightly, waiting for her to come to him. She hesitated a moment longer before sliding closer to his warm body, curling her hands around his shoulders and leaning her head on his chest. His body wrapped around her like a warm blanket, exuding a sense of safety and tenderness. His arms came to wrap around her back, palms skimming against her, as he leaned them back to lie down on the futon again. He nuzzled the hair at the crown of her head again, before moving down to her neck, aiming for her clavicle. Kagome closed her eyes as something washed over her. It made her dizzy and hot, like she wanted something, and it was all because of Inuyasha's face nestled against the side of her neck, his hot breath blowing over her chin and collar bone. She didn't understand what was happening.

"Inuyasha, wait." Kagome protested, sitting up. "What are you doing?" He blinked at her dazedly from his place beside her.

"I should think it's fairly obvious what I'm doing, wench." His voice was harsh with impatience and suppressed desire. Suddenly his attitude softened. "What's the matter? Did I hurt you? Frighten you? Should I stop?" She simply stared at him, mute, for a moment before speaking.

"Why?"

He blinked again. "Why what?"

"Why do you want to do this? Is it just because I'm . . . because of . . ." she fumbled for the appropriate word. "Is it just because of my scent?" Inuyasha fell silent.

"That's part of it." He admitted quietly. Her face hardened.

"So that's all this is about? That's all this means to you? Chemistry and hormones?" She began to slide off of the futon, looking around for her bag. She stopped as a strong hand clamped down on her upper arm.

"Damn it, wench, where do you think you're going?" he hissed, his voice pitched low so as not to wake the other occupants of the room. She tried to shake his hand off.

"I will not be just some object that you can satisfy your desires with, Inuyasha!" her mouth began to tremble as emotion flooded her. "If all this is just because you can't control your hormones, then you can just fuck off!" She was silenced as two strong hands clamped down on her shoulders, spinning her roughly to face him, their faces but inches apart. The hurt in his eyes gave her pause.

"I said that was part of it, wench, not all." He relaxed his grip slightly and drew her back onto the futon, drawing her close to him between his legs as he sat with them humped up in front of him. "Yes, your scent is driving me crazy, and yes, I do desire you - but that doesn't mean that this is meaningless!" he hurried to finish as she tensed and started to move away from him again. "God damn it, Kagome, I love you!" he froze as soon as he heard the words exit his mouth. Kagome looked at him with wide, liquid eyes.

"You . . . you love me?" she asked in awe. "But what about -"

"I love you, okay?!" apprehension made Inuyasha short. Kagome looked at him for a long moment before relaxing into his embrace once more. He glanced down at her in surprise. She wasn't rejecting him?

"Silly," she giggled, as if reading his mind, "I love you, too, remember?" He grinned a bit as she reminded him. He tightened his arms around her, delighting in the feeling of holding her so close, tamping down the wave of desire that her scent and proximity brought over him.

"I'm sorry I got so upset before." He glanced down at her once more as she spoke. "It seems silly now, but I was afraid you were . . ." he waited for her to continue. "I was afraid . . . you were using me." She whispered at the end. His brow wrinkled in a frown.

"Why would you think I would do that?"

"I don't know. It seems ridiculous now, but for a while it seemed like you were just reacting to my . . . my scent, and, Inuyasha, I'm just not the kind of person who can . . . you know, do those kinds of things just for the sake of hormone induced desires. If there's no love involved, I just couldn't . . ." she took a breath. "It would have been okay if you didn't love me, I would have lived with it, but in that case, I just couldn't do that."

"Then I guess it's a good thing that I do love you." He smiled a bit as he spoke. She smiled in reply.

"I guess I'm also feeling a bit vulnerable, what with all these guys coming after me just because of my scent." Inuyasha's smile faded slightly as she said this. "In my time, no one can tell, not by smell, at any rate. People still . . . make love . . . in my time, but there's not much chance that a girl's scent will cause guys to swarm her. Humans don't have those kinds of senses. I'm just not used to it, and the attention is a little unsettling."

"I'll make sure you don't get any unwanted attention from now on, Kagome." Kagome looked up in surprise at the unexpected heat in his voice.

"How will you do that?"

"Well, for starters, next time that bastard Kouga shows up, I'm gonna give him a knuckle sandwich." Kagome sighed in exasperation. "I could also . . ." He hesitated.

"What?"

He sighed. "There's a custom among youkai. It's called a marking." Kagome, picturing what dogs in her time did to mark their territories, looked at him sideways warily. "It's what youkai males do to mark their mates so that other youkai won't try to mate them."

"What exactly does it entail?"

"It can be anything, really." He looked thoughtful. "Any physical mark. Sometimes it's a bite mark, sometimes a scar from a scratch, or even a tattoo. Anything that the female in question can show to a youkai trying to mate her to show that she's taken."

"Anything? But then what's to stop her from just making a fake mark, even if she's not mated?"

Inuyasha sighed again. "The mark is made while mating, and as a result, it takes on the scent of the youkai that made it. A youkai would be able to tell that the mark was real. It serves as a warning: `touch my mate, and I'll come kill you in your sleep.' That sort of thing."

"And you're suggesting . . ."

"Only if you want to." He cupped her chin gently. "Some youkai mark their mates without permission, but I'm not one of them. A mark is like a marriage: it's considered to be forever. I would never force you into that kind of commitment, no matter how much I want it." She stared at him in shock.

"You want to be with me . . . forever?" He grinned.

"Inu youkai mate for life, Kagome. I love you." The way her soft lips parted in surprise made his blood boil, augmented by the gentle pressure of her hands sliding down his chest to his stomach. He felt a quiet moan, almost half growl, rise in his chest at the sensation. That slight noise quickly turned into a growl of anger as he thought of Kouga and what he had almost done. He wanted to be the first one to taste those soft lips, and Kouga had been a mere fraction of an inch away from taking the privilege from him.

"Kagome." He took her firmly by the shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes. "I want you. I want to kiss you, love you, mate you, and make you mine. Tell me to stop now if you want, because I'm having a lot of trouble controlling myself." She looked at him with round eyes, looking almost frightened. He tried to soften his grip on her arms, to relax a little bit so she wouldn't be so afraid, but he did not break eye contact.

"Inuyasha . . ." she began hesitatingly, "I . . . I don't know what to . . . I want to, but . . ." Inuyasha's ears drooped, misunderstanding her hesitation.

"Kagome, I'd never hurt you. You have no reason to be afraid of me." She smiled at him fondly.

"I know. It's not that. It's just such a big step, and I'm so young. In my time, I wouldn't even be considering this for another few years, at least. And there's also . . . what if I . . . get pregnant?"

Inuyasha peered at her, confused. Did she not want children? Did she object to having his pups? After a moment, he spoke.

"Would that be so bad?" he asked quietly. She smiled again.

"No. No, that would be wonderful, but . . . do we really want to start a family in the middle of our quest, with Naraku still at large and the Jewel still fragmented?" He nodded in understanding.

"I see you're point. I'm not worried, though. I believe I can protect us, and, if need be, you can always go home for a while." When she opened her mouth to protest, he cut her off. "Kagome, I don't want you getting hurt. If it's that big a risk, you always have a safe haven to go to, for a little while at least. If you're going to agree to be my mate, you have to let me keep you safe." He pulled her closer. She wasn't going to like this. "You're going to have to learn to do what I say." He was right. As soon as the words left his mouth, she stiffened and began to struggle.

"What do you mean, do what you say?" she demanded. "Inuyasha, I love you, and I'm glad that you want to keep me safe, but I refuse to become some simpering, subservient little woman for you! I am my own person, damn it, and I'm not letting you take that away from me, mate or not!"

"Kagome, I know. I would never want you to give up your personality, your fire. It's part of what I love about you. But in this world, in the youkai world, males are dominant. I don't want you to be below me or anything. We are equals, in my eyes. But there will be times when you need to just obey me, even if it's only for show."

"'For show'? What are you talking about?" He took a deep breath.

"Maybe it's wrong, but in youkai society, if a male doesn't show proper dominance over his mate, he's considered weak, and he and his family become targets. It's like the rest of the youkai feel the need to kill off his influence, like he'll infect them with weakness." Kagome gasped in horror. "Another thing that can happen is that another youkai can decide that this youkai's mark is illegitimate. That would leave the first youkai's mate completely exposed, and a real target." He paused. "That's what happened with my parents."

Kagome's mouth dropped open in shock. "Your parents? Oh, Inuyasha . . ."

He wouldn't look at her as he spoke. "My father didn't have the heart to make my mother obey him. He loved her so much, and he couldn't stand to force her to do anything, even if it was only the most trivial, benign thing, like sitting next to him." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "She probably would have obeyed him, but the fact that he didn't make her do anything, ever, turned a lot of powerful youkai against him. They killed him after he took that wound fighting Ryuukoytsusei, and my mother had to go into hiding with a few of his remaining loyal family members. They didn't treat her well, but she was never . . . she was safe."

He was pulled out of his reverie when Kagome suddenly threw her arms around him, holding him lovingly. When she looked into his face, he saw tears in her eyes. She's crying for me? He rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Inuyasha, I had no idea."

"It's okay, Kagome. Do you understand now why I need you to obey me? At least sometimes?" She nodded.

"I understand. And I've also decided that I want to make love to you tonight." Inuyasha looked at her in surprised pleasure. "Sure, we could wait, but with all the dangers we face, I don't really want to waste any more time than we have to. I want to be your mate. If we do end up starting a family, we'll both protect our children with everything we have until it's safe." He squeezed her gently in agreement.

"I'm glad, love, because frankly, I was having a really hard time controlling myself." He punctuated his confession with a kiss, reverent in the knowledge that this was their first, her first with anyone. He wanted to give her this moment as a fond memory, something magical for her to keep within herself for the rest of her life.

Kagome accepted his kiss timidly, not sure what to expect. For all the hype about kissing, she had always secretly thought it seemed kinda gross. Touching your mouth to someone else's, touching tongues, getting your face all wet - it wasn't that she didn't want to be kissed, but when she thought of the act itself, completely isolated from feelings of romance and love, it didn't seem all that appealing.

Inuyasha's kiss wiped all thoughts of grossness from her mind. She wasn't sure how experienced he was, but she was sure that he must have kissed someone before - and she had a good idea of who - to get this good at it. His lips moved against hers slowly, tenderly, feeling like the softest things on earth against her own. He didn't immediately open his mouth and try to gag her with his tongue as Eri complained some of her boyfriends had tried to. Instead, he simply opened his mouth slightly, quickly, gently introducing her to his methods. When she opened her own mouth in response, he brought his hands up to the sides of her face and became slightly more aggressive. She felt more of his tongue, but she didn't dislike it at all. It felt . . . sensual. Hot. All she could concentrate on was the incredible heat, seemingly building out of nowhere.

Inuyasha quickly lost himself in the taste and texture of her mouth. Kagome was shy at first, letting him lead their kissing. Her lips were so soft and smooth, the very feel of them caused the heat that had been building in his pelvis to intensify greatly. When she finally opened her mouth to him, he nearly lost control of his desire, having to remind himself repeatedly that this was her first time - in all senses of the term - and he could not, could not, do anything to hurt or frighten her.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he pulled away to look at her. What he saw in her eyes and on her face took his breath away. Her lips were swollen and moist from their kisses, and there was a high flush to her cheeks, making her look simply delicious. Her luscious mouth hung open a bit, her breath coming in panting puffs. And her eyes . . . Inuyasha had never seen such expressive eyes. Dark with arousal, falling half-closed sleepily, Kagome looked at him with such love, trust, and lust that he didn't know whether to cry from happiness or jump on her and make her his. Instead, he settled for bringing his mouth back to hers and slowly pushing her back to lie down on the futon, settling over her like a blanket. She molded to his body perfectly, pressing her soft, gentle curves against him in a way that drove him crazy.

"Inuyasha . . ." she moaned his name breathily and unconsciously parted her legs a little, letting him slide in between them. Just as he got himself settled in the cradle of her thighs, she let out an abrupt gasp and pushed herself partway into a seated position, pushing him back a bit.

"Wha . . . what's wrong?" he asked, on the verge of panicking. She looked at him for a long moment, her flush deepening into what he understood to be a blush of embarrassment.

"I . . . I'm sorry. I f-felt something . . ." he smiled knowingly, while cringing inwardly at her innocence. He pushed that `something' more firmly against her thigh, gently, but hard enough for her to really feel him. She looked at him shyly. "So that's you?"

He smirked. "Yeah." Her blush deepened. His smile broadened.

"Shall we continue?" he asked, stroking a strand of hair away from her face. She smiled and placed a small hand on the back of his neck, encouraging him to return to her. He pushed her back down onto the futon again, this time pressing his body more fully against her, letting her feel and get used to him. He took the opportunity to luxuriate in the sensation of her curves against him. Her soft breasts created a pillowing feeling between them, making him itch to take them in his hands. Moving slowly, he moved his right hand stealthily towards his goal. When she finally felt his claws brushing against her, she inhaled through their kiss, pressing herself foreword, more firmly into his grasp. He kneaded her soft flesh gently, careful not to squeeze her too hard or mark her with his claws. Finally, she pushed him away from her, only to reach for the hem of her blouse. He watched her pull the white garment over her head, revealing a lacy white contraption on her chest. He examined the inter-connected straps and the two patches that covered her breasts with interest and some impatience. She smiled at his curiosity, reaching behind her in a rather impressive display of dexterity and did something that made the strap around her ribs come loose, letting the patches over her breasts fall away. He stared at her body in rapture, taking in the soft, white skin with a satiny sheen present, and the taught, rosy nipples. Almost without realizing it, his hand reached foreword to stroke her body, lifting and caressing her perfect orbs. He smiled in pure pleasure. Her breasts weren't enormous. They were rather modest, by youkai standards. But they were perfect. Soft and smooth and round and . . . perfect.

Slowly, tentatively, he lowered his head to place a kiss on her breast, flicking his tongue out to taste the skin of her nipple. She sighed in response, running her hands through his hair, glancing along the edges of his ears. He shivered convulsively as he felt that light touch, his ears twitching as he pressed his head more firmly into her hands. She increased the pressure of her touch and he returned to his worship of her body, lavishing attention on the other breast as well.

Kagome lay perfectly still beneath Inuyasha, back arched in offering to his busy mouth, trying to absorb these new sensations. His silver hair felt warm and soft against palms as she slid her hands over to caress his ears. Now she knew why he objected so strongly to anyone playing with them. His moans and shivers timed to her strokes told her exactly what she was doing to him with her fleeting touch. She increased the pressure and intensity of her strokes, smoothing the hair around them, massaging his scalp, and his kisses on her bosom grew more intense with every movement. Finally he threw himself into a sitting position, gasping for breath.

"God, wench, what are you doing to me?" he panted. She smiled at him shyly, moving a hand out to cover his.

"I'm trying to make you feel good. Didn't it work?" He grinned rakishly at her candid response, lowering himself back to her body.

"Damn straight it did." His eyes took on a feral gleam. "In fact, a few more minutes of that kind of treatment would have made me lose control."

"Maybe I want you to lose control." Kagome whispered. Inuyasha suddenly sobered.

"No, Kagome." She looked at him curiously, and he sighed in response. "Tonight I keep control and make love to you as gently as I can possibly manage. There will be other times when we can let go more, but you don't really want me to lose control tonight." The playful attitude between them gone, Kagome realized the truth of his words. She eventually wanted to feel him completely lost in passion, wild with abandonment, but for their first time, she just wanted to love and feel loved.

"Then make love to me, Inuyasha." At her soft command, Inuyasha returned his body once again to hers, kissing his way down her chest, stroking his claws gently over the skin of her arms and sides, just barely enough to tickle, not leave any mark. She shivered in pleasure from the sensation, moaning out loud and squirming under his hands. He glanced up at her sharply from the path he was kissing down her torso towards the junction of her legs to stare at her reaction to his claws. In all his life, he had always been taught the fell purpose of those claws, how they could kill instantly, and how the ones he loved should never feel their power. Now he discovered that he was just as capable of giving pleasure with his first weapons as he was of giving pain. He paused in his journey downwards to stare at her reactions, enraptured.

Kagome's squirming grew more and more frantic as his slight caresses wound her nerves tighter and tighter. Warmth shot through her body, making her systematically aware of everything her body touched. The rough textures of the futon and Inuyasha's haori contrasted sharply with the feathery slide of his hair upon her skin. And every feeling was set off by the slight caress of his claws.

Inuyasha watched the tension fill Kagome, watched as her breathing and heart rate increased, watched a warm, shining glow move from the tops of her heaving breasts to creep up to her hairline. Her hands fisted in the folds of her skirt, her head thrashing side to side. He watched, entranced and shocked, as Kagome experienced her first orgasm. And all because of his claws.

Kagome grasped frantically for sanity as she felt that warmth turn to an electric pressure that gradually began to move closer and closer to the secret spot between her legs. Her body tensed uncontrollably as that pressure washed over her like a wave, starting at her torso and sending little electric shocks to the ends of her extremities. It was the most intense feeling she had ever experienced, and she was more than a little frightened. A couple of confused, overwhelmed tears filled her eyes as she struggled to catch her breath. She reached out for him blindly, frantically, needing to feel his comforting warmth and weight against her body.

Inuyasha responded to her searching hands by quickly moving up her body and settling himself against her, gently but firmly. He laid gentle butterfly kisses over her cheeks and nose, whispering endearments hoarsely. When he moved one hand up to caress her shoulder, whisper-light, she jerked and cried out, sounding almost as if she were in pain.

"What's the matter?!" he sounded a little panicked. She gasped for air, pulling him close and clutching him as she would a life preserver.

"Too . . . too much." She gasped out. "It . . . it was so intense. I need you to just hold me for a bit. Don't touch me, just hold me." She sighed in relief as his weight settled against her. Her muscles still quaked with the shock of her orgasm, but they gradually began to subside and she relaxed her grip on him.

"What was that, Inuyasha?" she asked him in awe. He gave her a little smile.

"Your first orgasm, Kagome." Kagome blushed a pretty pink at his frank response.

"But . . . but how? I mean, you just touched my arms and my side. How did that . . ." she trailed off, lost in thought.

"I think I just got you worked up enough that that kind of touch was enough to . . . you know . . ." Inuyasha rubbed her arm comfortingly. Then he smirked. "So . . . how was it?" Kagome looked at him, her flush deepening. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and looked deeply into his eyes.

"It was the biggest, scariest, strangest, and the most powerful and wonderful thing I've ever experienced." She told him seriously. A slow smile spread across his lips, silly with relief and masculine pride.

"So, does that mean you liked it?" he teased her. Her only reply was to kiss him with a sudden ferocity that made him want to rethink his earlier vow not to lose control. When she released his mouth, spoke again. "Shall I continue, then?" She nodded vigorously before renewing their kiss. Once again Inuyasha began to make his way down her body. Kagome's breath picked up as he once again neared her belly-button, stopping for a moment to dip his tongue into the tiny indentation. Kagome moaned in response, bringing her hands down to fist in his hair, caressing his ears. He took her movement as encouragement, continuing his journey until he reached his goal, only stopping to pull off her skirt and panties.

Dropping gentle kisses over her lower stomach and hips, he gently spread her thighs to either side. Kagome went dead still, waiting for him to do something while she was exposed to him in this most intimate of ways. Inuyasha took a moment to take in the sight of her, to drink in her heady scent. Then, slowly, he reached foreword and caressed her with a single claw, not hard enough to cause any pain, but enough to make her jump.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome moaned his name in a way that made him feel drunk. Before she had completely finished speaking the word, he had lowered his head to her body to taste her. He was rewarded with an even louder exclamation of his name and a delicious shiver that ran through Kagome's body. Encouraged, he settled himself closer to her and began to lick her in earnest. She cried out sharply as his rough tongue ran over a little pink bud peeking out from the top of her folds. He focused his efforts there while using his claws to tease the opening that lay barely an inch below.

Kagome clenched her hands in Inuyasha's hair as she felt the pressure and sparks that had sent her over an invisible precipice before begin to build once again. She could scarcely believe this was happening. She tried to concentrate, to puzzle out how she had ever gotten so lucky as to land herself in bed with Inuyasha, but the sensations he was causing in her lower extremities drove all thought from her head. The feel of his tongue, his hot breath panting against her, and the single claw teasing her so gently drove her wild. She had to bite her tongue hard to keep from crying out and waking the other occupants of the hut. The feelings continued to increase in intensity until Kagome felt all of her muscles quake, starting from the place between her legs where Inuyasha was so enthusiastically tasting and expanding outwards like ripples on the surface of a pond. She fisted her hands in his hair, trying not to yank too hard, as her back arched into the air and her face twisted into a grimace of ecstasy.

Inuyasha felt Kagome's hands suddenly clench in his hair, felt the shockwave pass through her muscles, and slowed his ministrations until he felt her relax back onto the futon. Peppering her hips, thighs, and lower stomach with butterfly kisses once again, he slowly moved back up her body to settle himself over her again. He looked into her flushed face, sparkling lidded eyes, and felt his desire swell up inside of him. He felt his burgeoning erection brush against the place where his mouth had been moments before, and felt himself grow even harder in anticipation. He lay above her, waiting for her to recover and give him permission to continue, when he suddenly felt her small hand reach down to caress his hardened flesh. He jerked into her palm in surprise, gasping.

"Kagome!" She smiled at his reaction, squeezing him gently.

"It's my turn to make you feel good, Inuyasha." Suddenly, Kagome pushed her palms against his chest, not hard, but enough to make him sit up. She brought herself to her knees in front of him and began to undress him, starting with his fire rat robe. He shivered as he felt the night air caress his skin after she removed his under-robe, and watched, frozen, as she moved her hands down to untie his pants.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a choked voice. She giggled quietly at him.

"I should think that was fairly obvious, Love." She continued undressing him until his hands closed over hers, drawing her away from him. Memories of the things his mother was forced to do in the house of his uncaring relatives flashed through his mind. He could never allow Kagome to perform such an act, something so impersonal, so degrading. She looked at him in surprise.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong?"

"You don't have to do this, Kagome." She smiled at him, misunderstanding his feelings.

"But I want to." She slid a hand up to cup his cheek. "I want to make you feel good, to repay you for the pleasure you gave me." Inuyasha tensed at the word `repay.' That had been the word one of the fat youkai lords had used with his mother.

"You don't owe me anything!" Kagome recoiled at the heat in his voice.

"Inu . . . what are you talking about? I know I don't owe you anything. I want to do this. I want . . ." She trailed off as he lowered his head and began to speak.

"After my father died and my mother and I moved in with my relatives, she never had a moment's peace." Kagome rubbed his leg in sympathy, not quite understanding why he was bringing this up now. "The women of the house disliked her for being a burden and the servants resented her for being another noble they had to wait on. But the men . . ." Kagome suddenly understood. "They treated her like a courtesan. The lord of the house once told her that she owed him whatever he wanted for the protection he offered us. They never raped her, but they made her . . . do things, like that, to them. Half the time they didn't even care if I was in the room."

Kagome threw her arms around him in a fierce embrace, tears leaking down her cheeks silently. He reached up to lay a hand on her arm, surprised by her reaction.

"I'm so sorry, Inuyasha." She whispered.

"It's okay, Kagome. I just don't want -"

"Inuyasha," she interrupted him, "I want to do this for you." When he opened his mouth to protest, she laid a finger over his lips. "I understand your not wanting me to degrade myself. But, Inuyasha, this is something I want to do for you, as a gift. You're no fat youkai lord, forcing me into something I don't want. You would never do that. And this doesn't degrade me if I'm willing. Nothing done out of love can ever be bad." She paused for breath, looking into his still eyes. "Please?"

Inuyasha looked at her for a long moment, weighing her words. Finally, he sighed.

"Okay, but I don't want you to finish me that way, okay?" she looked at him in puzzlement. "The first time I finish, I want to be inside of you." She smiled and nodded before reaching up to kiss him. Her hands traveled back down to the ties of his pants, and after a moment of activity, she released him from the folds of cloth. She stared down at his body, not moving, for long minutes. Inuyasha grew nervous under her gaze. What if he wasn't enough for her? What if she didn't like his body? What if -

His thoughts were interrupted as she suddenly launched herself into his arms, hiding her face in his neck.

"Kagome? What's wrong?" She smiled up at him a little sheepishly.

"Nothing. I'm just a little overwhelmed. You're . . . big . . ." At her shy admission, Inuyasha felt a silly grin spread across his face. His elation at her admiration was tempered by the increasing nervousness he felt emanating from her. Guessing what might be bothering her, he cupped the side of her face, carefully avoiding her bruised temple.

"Don't worry. I'll be gentle." She smiled at him trustingly and slid a tiny hand around the object in question, squeezing him in a way that drove all thought from his head. He moaned roughly and leaned back on his hands, throwing his head back as she leaned down to give him a most intimate kiss. She started by feathering her mouth over his tip, her tongue flicking out to taste his skin. After a minute, she shifted her weight slightly, and Inuyasha felt himself slide into the warm velvet of her mouth. Clenching his hands in their discarded clothes, he resisted the urge to abandon all restraint and thrust himself into her welcoming mouth. He shuddered as Kagome extended a hand to cup and gently fondle the tender sacs that hung beneath his erection. He brought a hand foreword to rest on her head, not pushing, not guiding, just resting there, as if blessing her.

Kagome continued her ministrations, sucking his hard length, swirling her tongue around him, until she felt his entire body tense and his hands pushing her away from him. When she looked up, Inuyasha sat in front of her, panting as if he had just had a brutal fight with his brother. However, Sesshoumaru couldn't put that look of longing and joy into his eyes. She smiled inwardly as she realized that she had made him like this. That lust, that love, was for her, because of her. Her smile widened as he leaned forward, pushing her onto her back as he went. His mouth collided with hers as they lay on the futon, touching and writhing against each other. After long minutes of simply reveling in the feel of one another, Kagome felt Inuyasha's hardness pressing against her thigh once more, except this time, there was no cloth in between them. She paused and looked up into his sparkling golden eyes, nearly glowing in the moon-washed darkness.

"Are you ready, Kagome?" Inuyasha's tone was soft. She smiled at him sweetly and nodded, a slight tremor about her mouth giving away her earlier apprehension. He noticed, as he did everything, and leaned into the curve of her neck to nuzzle her for comfort. "Hey," he whispered, "I told you before, I'll be gentle. And if there's anything I'm doing wrong, anything that doesn't feel good or that you don't like, you tell me. I'll stop for you, no matter where we are." She smiled at his reassurances. Seeing her acquiescence, Inuyasha reached down to guide himself into her.

Kagome gasped as she felt his hot hardness push against her. Even though she technically knew what was supposed to happen between them, it was still a shock when he pressed against that opening he had been teasing so cavalierly with a claw earlier. She cried out as he pushed inside her, creating a mild burning sensation that was not altogether unpleasant.

Inuyasha bit his lip as he entered into her tight, hot body. The feeling of her surrounding his aching erection was enough to drive him mad. He wanted to claw something to shreds, beat something senseless, and then fuck Kagome until the futon caught fire from friction. He beat that part of his consciousness down mercilessly, forcing himself to push in slowly, gently, until he reached the thin membrane that was proof of her virginity. He stopped in his progress to look into her face, giving her one last chance to back out before she became his forever. She looked back at him through passion clouded eyes, and pushed on his back with her hands, urging him on. Leaning down to nuzzle her neck once more, he whispered to her hoarsely: "This might hurt some. I'm so sorry." With that, he pushed through the barrier, quickly, but not roughly in the least. She cried out again, quickly bringing a hand up to cover her mouth to silence her cries. He waited inside her, completely motionless, until she gave him permission to continue.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her, again and again. It became his mantra, his prayer for salvation for causing his love - his mate - pain. She swallowed a few times until the feeling subsided, before reaching to stroke his hair. To him, it felt like a benediction.

"It's alright. I'm fine now." She cuddled her face against his arm, holding his body up beside her head.

"I hurt you." He turned his head away in shame.

"It would have happened eventually." She chided him for his self-flagellation. "It hurts for every girl when she loses her virginity. I'm just glad it was with you." He looked up at her in confusion. She was glad he had caused her pain? "Not all guys would have been so gentle and caring." He smiled at her a bit, simply enjoying looking at her face until she reminded him where certain of his body parts were by raising her hips experimentally. He moaned, lowering his head to her left shoulder as he began to move within her.

Kagome swooned and clutched at Inuyasha's shoulders as he began to move within her. Each movement caused a tremulous vibration to ricochet through her, each moment of pressure against her womb prodding her closer and closer to a third climax. She pulled him closer to her, wanting to feel him against her body as they committed this sacred act.

Inuyasha was almost too far gone in the sensation of being inside Kagome to notice her movements. He had never felt such an incredible sensation. The heat, the pressure, and the wetness against his hardened flesh set his nerves on fire, driving him past sanity. Pausing for a split second, he reset his limbs around and above Kagome in an effort to gain better leverage, and then recommenced his earlier movements, this time harder and faster. Kagome moaned in appreciation at the change and brought her hips up to meet his every thrust.

Inuyasha was approaching panic. The sensations washing over him, the scent of them mating, and the sounds Kagome was making were driving his control away faster than he could reign it back in. Kagome's slight form writhing under him, her mewling kitten-noises, and the desperate look in her eyes made his protective instincts awaken, and he was terrified to lose his control and hurt her. She was so small under him, around him, he felt almost as if he was mating a child. Somewhere, beaten back into the deep recesses of his consciousness by his arousal, the rational part of his mind knew that she was not a child, that she loved him and wanted this just as much as he did, but right now his rational mind was out cold on the metaphorical floor of his psyche. He was lost in his emotions, and it frightened him. As a result, he did the only thing he could think of: scrabble for any modicum of control that he could manage to hold on to.

The movement of Kagome's hips had felt wonderful before, but now he just couldn't handle the extra distraction. He reached down with one hand and clamped onto her hip, carefully keeping his claws from her. With less gentleness, he pressed her hips back into the futon as he picked up the pace and began to thrust into her harder and faster. Kagome noticed the change in his demeanor the moment she felt his hand on her hip. She let out a little `omph' as he pushed her down, then began moaning in earnest as he increased his pace. It was a little scary, him being so far gone in his passion, but Kagome knew he would sooner cut off his sword arm than cause her harm . . . and besides, she couldn't deny that the things he was doing to her felt sinfully good. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he increased his speed, and thrust into her with increasing force. She could hear him, panting and whimpering next to her ear, sounding near tears in his ecstasy. She pressed what she hoped would be a soothing kiss to his shoulder only to have him return the gesture on her neck. She reached a hand up to soothe his sensitive ears, causing him to groan and whimper, laving her neck with his tongue. She could feel her release building inside of her, begging to be triggered.

Suddenly, she felt a light caress on the side of her breast. Inuyasha's claws were gently stroking her skin, hoping to give her some of the same pleasure that they had earlier. The feeling was slight, but it was enough. Kagome felt her muscles go taught as she threw her head back in a silent scream, her inner muscles clamping down on Inuyasha where he was joined inside of her. The feeling crashed through her nerve endings like a tsunami, but lasting much longer. She felt reality begin to blur as the sensation went on and on.

Inuyasha felt the shock wave rip through her body, and he definitely felt it when her inner muscles clenched around him. He suddenly found himself inside the tightest place he could have ever imagined, better than anything his inhumanly strong hands had ever been able to create. The scent of Kagome's completion reached his sensitive nose and he snapped. Letting out a soft, but fervent cry that was half sob, Inuyasha pounded into Kagome as hard as he could before exploding within her. At the moment of his completion, he sank his teeth into Kagome's neck, carefully avoiding her blood vessels, to leave a marking scar with as little blood as possible.

Kagome wrapped her limbs around her lover as he bit her neck, still trying to recover from the fast, hard pace he had broken into a moment earlier. She clutched him to her as he panted and sobbed in her arms, feeling the warmth he had left in her womb with pleasure. Her world was spinning, her vision growing fuzzy. She clung to him with all her strength, realizing she was about to pass out. I can't believe he's actually made me faint with pleasure!

"Inuyasha . . ." she whispered as her world went black. Inuyasha lay against her, panting for breath, before he finally gained the energy to roll off of her. Unable to bear parting with the feel of her skin, he pulled her up close to his body, letting her head rest on his shoulder again. Her leg slipped over his own as he wrapped his arms around her in a protective embrace. He was exhausted from their lovemaking, but he still felt like ripping the limbs off of anyone who dared disturb them. He lay still with her, feeling their breathing synchronized, their hearts beating in tandem. He looked down at the mark he had left on her. It was oozing a very negligible amount of blood, but it wasn't even enough to arouse his protective instincts. He bent his head to lave the wound in a silent apology for the necessary damage inflicted upon his mate. He then raised his head to gaze into her eyes, only to find them closed.

"Kagome?" he whispered softly, trying to wake her. She stirred, blinking dazedly for a moment. "You sure fell asleep fast, mate."

"I . . . I think . . . I think I fainted." She shook her head slightly, trying to clear away some of the cobwebs that had suddenly taken up residence behind her eyes. Inuyasha gaped at her.

"What do you mean, you fainted? Why? God, are you alright? Does your head hurt? Damn it, I knew we should have waited until you were recovered. Shit, I am going to murder Kouga!" Kagome could only laugh at the rapidity with which he said all this. She laid a soothing hand on his arm.

"Calm down, Inuyasha. I'm alright. Just take it as a compliment." He looked at her strangely. "I think I just swooned. In other words, you pleasured me into unconsciousness." Inuyasha blinked at her dumbly for a moment before letting a silly grin spread across his face that quickly became sly.

"Oh, is that so?" he pulled her closer. "I'll have to remember that particular skill for sometime in the future."

They lay there, kissing and cuddling, touching as new lovers do for a while longer before they reluctantly recognized the need to dress again. They slowly pulled on their clothes, each kissing the disappearing skin of the other in silent farewell. Once decent again, Inuyasha pulled Kagome to him to hold her. Together, they watched the sun rise through the crack between the doorway and the flap, waiting to greet the new day as lovers for the first time.

Fìn.

R&R!