InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Duck ❯ The Medallion, The Ring, and Inuyasha's Letter ( Chapter 11 )

Greetings, my favorite people in the world! It's been awhile I know, and I'm sorry.

 

nimhrodell:I thank you very much for your review. And I do notice when I go back and read my chapters on FF.net that I have a few errors (well… A LOT of errors, I keep banging my head on my keyboard for not noticing my stupid mistakes. The chapters I can't stand the most are 1, 3, 5, and 8. I said 8 because of my really idiotic spelling error "Who do I do?" towards the end. Obviously I meant "What do I do?" Grr… Damn my impatience for editing!); I want to kick myself for not noticing them before. Because I have no editor and I rarely find time to write the chapters, it makes it hard for me to go back and read my work. I have to be careful not to let my parents find out. (I would not exist anymore if they found out I was writing this; it's hard for them to accept the fact that I like Inuyasha as is, so you can see where I'm coming from, can't you?) Also, I am thoroughly embarrassed every single time I read the first chapter, because it looks like a six year old wrote it! Ugh! I am far too cautious to replace the first chapter with a new one, so I'll have to leave it. I just hope that people don't judge my story too hard having read the first chapter. Thanks for your encouragement.

 

inuyashafreak82622: (This is a response to your review on Chapter 8, "that is the most evil cliffhanger ever!") It was rather evil wasn't it? I sometimes go back and read my story and the readers' reviews. When I read yours after chapter 8, I nearly laughed out loud. It makes me actually squeal with happiness when people react so strongly to my story. Thank you so much for your review. If there is anything you'd like to suggest for the story, or just want to chat or something, that's totally fine with me! (Insert emoticon here) That offer is extended to all of the readers of this story as well!

 

I want to thank you all again for the lovely reviews, I'm so grateful. I'm so thankful to have you all in my life, to have the knowledge that people like my story. I think we all should take a moment right now to appreciate all the wonderful people in our lives, our family and friends, the strangers we wave to on the street, everyone. They all help shape us into what we are today: who we are,what we feel. I'm thankful for everything I feel right now. I'm thankful that I know what it feels like to really love someone, and then to have it taken away, because it means that I've felt a taste at what real love is like, what it means. And that's something I've always wanted to feel. So I'm grateful for all the pain and sadness I hold in my heart right now, because I know I won't always feel this way, and I'll meet someone new and the fact that I had really loved someone, someone I was willing to give my whole heart to makes me happy. I'm happy I've known that feeling, even though it didn't work out. That's why we fall: to learn to pick ourselves up. (And yes... That was from Batman.)

 

I would also like to mention Heath Ledger. I am very sad that he died; he was a brilliant actor and a seemingly very normal person. And I'm not just saying that because he's good looking, even though he is; I feel sympathy for Christian Bale as well, because I once read that he and Heath Ledger were good friends due to the fact that they'd worked together on the next Batman movie. I know what it feels like to lose a friend. I lost a friend of mine last year around this time, a few days after Mother's Day. There's a lot more I could (and should) say about him, but I really don't want to get into all of that right now.

 

One more thing (before I depress all of you)… I LIKE receiving emails! Please, please, please feel free to talk to me at any time. It doesn't have to be about the story; if you just want to talk, I'm okay with that!

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QUICK NOTE!!!!

 

THE POINT OF VIEW WILL CHANGE A FEW TIMES! Don't be mad at me, please…

 

 

DISCLAIMER: I'll own Inuyasha when Titanic doesn't make me cry.

 

 

(Chapter Eleven: The Medallion, The Letter, and The Ring)

 

(Kagome's Point of View)

 

It was a little early in the morning when I woke up. I guess I don't need much sleep anymore.

 

Ugh… But my bed was so comfy… And to be laying in Inuyasha's arms no less! He was holding me tightly to him, my back to his chest. I wiggled slightly to loosen his grip, he growled slightly before realizing that I was trying to face him. He took one of his hands off my waist reluctantly and let me roll over on my other side. He replaced his arm and I snuggled up to him. He smirked arrogantly in his sleep.

 

Normally, this would make me laugh and poke him in the arm, but he was asleep… God… He looks so cute and handsome and… The words hot and sexy sounded degrading and wouldn't do the way Inuyasha looks now any justice. He looks… strong, I guess. I put my face in the crook of his neck and closed my eyes. I could feel him press his face in my hair, smelling me. He took a deep breath and let it out.

 

"Mmm… I can definitely get used to that…" I heard him mumble sleepily above me. I blushed… Had he read my mind? Could he smell what I was thinking?

 

"Get used to what?" I asked nervously.

 

I felt him smile against my head, "Waking up to your scent every morning." I was relieved; perhaps it was too early in the morning for him to process what I smelt like? He pulled me as close to him as possible and continued to rub his face in my hair. I sighed, nuzzling the spot where his neck met his chest. He started to hum. I couldn't recognize the tune, but it was nice. He stroked my hair gently as he continued to hum, his claws occasionally scratching the base of my ear, which almost made me gasp in delight every time he did it. Now I knew why he didn't like his ears scratched in public. He seemed to sense (or smell) the effect this had on me and instead of running his fingers through my hair, he started to scratch them gently. I enjoyed this immensely, and I was unable to stop the mewl that escaped me. He laughed softly and used his other hand to stroke my other ear. I bit back whatever sound was trying to emerge from my throat.

 

"God, you are so cute," He said quietly, "Hmm… I wonder what scratching under your chin would do…?" And with this, one of his hands stopped working on one of my ears and moved to my chin, lightly stroking with his claws. A strangled gasp-moan type noise escaped my mouth and I tried (unsuccessfully) to lean into both of his hands. My eyes closed, just feeling how his hands were affecting me. I started to purr loudly, (much to Inuyasha's amusement). He chuckled.

 

"My, my, my… We are a happy kitten, aren't we?" He managed to tease during his silent laughing fit. He stopped his motions and I opened my eyes, disappointed that he stopped. Somehow, during his attentions, I'd leaned into his touch so much that I was above him, with my hands on either side of his head… My tail was swishing back and forth out of pleasure and I think I'd arched my back unconsciously. Embarrassed beyond belief, I rolled off of him onto my stomach, burying my face into my pillow.

 

I felt him move to face me again, "You're embarrassed."

 

I nodded, burying my face further into my pillow, "Yes."

 

I could feel his face close to mine as he said, "What for? Cats react to ear scratching differently than dogs do. You were just letting me know that you liked it," he paused, "you were just being a cat at that moment. And it was very cute." I turned my head to face his amused smile.

 

I glared playfully at him, "Is that all I am to you? Cute?"

 

He rolled his eyes and then looked at me seriously, "Kagome, you are beautiful. Gorgeous. Celestially stunning." He put his hand on my face, "You just look cute when you react that way. I like it when you purr." He leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips. I sighed and put my arms around his neck, loving the way his hands went through my hair.

 

"I love you," I breathed against his lips.

 

He smiled and brushed his lips against mine, "And I you." He kissed me lightly again and I sighed. He was a really, really good kisser. I remembered the time we made out on my bed and my stomach did flips. And then there was the time he kissed me in front of my friends at the mall.

 

But there was that kiss before those… The one where I was worried about him, when we were in the woods and we both were sitting on the ground. It was impossibly light… It was shy, sweet, and wonderful. I couldn't get it out of my mind, nor did I want to. I loved how gentle he was with me, how loving. He tried to act like nothing had happened the morning after, but something had changed between us and he wasn't able to hide it.

 

He was able to tell me about his bottled up sadness, about his mother. I had a feeling he didn't want to tell me all of it - the really bad parts - but I wanted to know him more… I wanted to know what his life was like, I wanted to understand. Even though I understood his feelings about being a half-demon, about himself, I still wanted to know his life, and I wanted him to know mine.

 

I told myself that he'll tell me when he's ready, and I know he will. He just doesn't want to make me upset, to make me feel sorry for him. But I am, and I'll always hate what he'd been through. I'll always hate the fact that he lost his mother when he was so young, and to only know her love and then for it to be snatched away from him so cruelly. I'll always hate it that Kikyo never loved him unconditionally, that she would betray him just because of something that he couldn't help. I'll always hate it that he had no one in the world to protect him from harm. I shuddered to think about what it was like for him on new moon, when all of his powers were gone and he'd been banished from the village. He wouldn't be able to run away as fast from danger as a human. I couldn't bear the thought of a child Inuyasha running away from various demons, trying to find a place to hide. Tears formed in the corners of my eyes and fell down my cheeks silently as Inuyasha continued to kiss me - a bit more urgently now that we'd been doing it for a while. He took a deep breath through his nose, trying to gain enough oxygen so he wouldn't have to break the kiss. He must have smelled my tears, because he pulled away slowly to look at my face.

 

He frowned and petted my hair lightly, "What is it?"

 

I wiped my face with my hands, "It's just… I was thinking about your life… After your mother died-" He opened his mouth to speak, I knew he was going to say he didn't need me to feel sorry for him, but I stopped him, "And I know the last thing that you need is pity from me - me especially - but it's just odd the way you're the most important thing that's ever come into my life, and yet I know hardly anything about your life at all. And I want to know, to understand that part of your life, despite the sadness that I feel for you right now. And I want you to know my life, too. Please know what I mean when I say that."

 

He nodded and sat up, and I followed, "I do know what you mean, Kagome, but I want you to know that those weren't happy times for me, and I don't want you to feel sorry for me. Things are different for me now, I've changed, and my whole life has turned around. It had the moment I saw you. It's not the life I lived as a child: it's not the constant guilt for existing I feel now, and it's not that awful feeling of loneliness I have in me: it's love, Kagome. It's pure love I feel, and happiness of having someone like you by my side; someone that will always be there for me and that those feelings are returned to me; and I couldn't be more grateful for that.

 

"And… in a way, my childhood was good for me - not in a way you'd exactly want, but it was - because it taught me to be thankful for what I had. Even though I had no one there to protect me and I was always in danger, I was still thankful, that, at the end of the day, I could say that I was living. I was thankful for every sunrise, because it meant a promise of another day. I was thankful for viewing something as beautiful as a sunset. I was thankful for the sounds and smells of the ocean to calm me enough in the evenings to where I could sleep…"

 

I looked at him, he was staring at me with his head against the wall and his legs crossed beneath him, "You told me you hated the smell of the ocean."

 

He tilted his head to the side slightly, "It's actually very calming to me. The water smells really good. I like the breeze and the sand and the driftwood, and the sounds of the waves are very relaxing… It's just… Sometimes the salty smell reminds me of the times my mother and I would go to the beach, to get away from the people in our village, she'd ask me to find her lots of shells so that we could take them home and wash them and then make them into chimes, and I'd look all over the beach for them, but I could still smell her tears…

 

"I guess she thought if she were to cry there… Then I wouldn't smell them, because of the salt. Sometimes she would cry at home and I'd rush to her and try to comfort her, I hated to see her sad," He paused and I took his hand, "Myoga told me that she and my father met there, at the beach, in secret so that they could be together. The villagers never found out until my mother told my father that she was going to have me and that Takemaru had seen them together and threatened to reveal their secret unless she married him and never saw my father again. My father attacked the village out of anger to find and kill Takemaru and then escape with my mother.

 

"Of course, by this time the village found out that my mother was about to have me because of that stupid man: he'd known that my father would attack the village, so he told everyone anyway." He sighed, "You know the rest."

 

I nodded and took him into my arms. He sighed again, this time it was content-sounding. I leaned my head on his shoulder and kissed his neck, I could feel him smile into my hair, "No more crying," He said, "None."

 

I let out a short, whispery laugh, "No more crying," I agreed. I pulled back to look at him, "You hungry?"

 

His eyes widened in excitement. "Yes." I laughed again and kissed him on the cheek before heading to the door. He got up and started to put his white kosode on, I turned to the door. As I reached for the knob he said, "Hey."

 

Again, I looked at him, "Yes?" His kosode was still open and he was holding his red haori in one of his hands, an unreadable expression on his face.

 

"Come here."

 

I did as I was told and he placed his hands just above my hips, dropping his haori, and kissed me on the lips. My hands snaked into his slightly pillow-tangled hair and his hands moved up and around my torso, crushing me to him. I trembled as his hands traveled up my back, his claws occasionally tickling sensitive parts. A gasp rose in me and managed to escape, "Ah!" His mouth came back over mine to stifle anything else that might come out and his tongue began to smooth over my own, causing more shivers to run up and down my spine. I stood up on the balls of my feet and cupped the sides of his face with my hands to gain dominance, which I did. He held me even tighter as I led our kiss. I angled his head and tried to delve deeper into his mouth as I leaned forward a bit to really get into it. His hands (which had moved to my butt now because they'd been resting pretty low on my back before I'd started the whole 'let-me-show-you-who-knows-what-they're-doing' type kissing and stood on my tippy-toes) squeezed my butt gently and I ran my fangs and tongue across his bottom lip before breaking away, breathless.

 

I looked at the position of his hands and looked back at him, smirking, "And you call Miroku a pervert."

 

He gave his famous half-smirk and squeezed me there again before putting his hands back to a more gentleman-like place, "You didn't seem to mind."

 

I lifted an eyebrow and mimicked his expression, "Oh, I don't." He put his lips to my neck and began rubbing them back and forth, tickling me. I giggled softly, "Silly dog…"

 

He smirked again against my neck, "Silly beast," he corrected me. I laughed and kissed him on the cheek again before going downstairs to fix breakfast.

 

As I closed the door behind me, and allowed Inuyasha to dress, I let out a heavy sigh, "Oh, my God."

 

Scratch what I said before, Inuyasha is a fantastic kisser.

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(Inuyasha's Point of View)

 

I needed sit down for a minute after that. Holy crap. I think Kagome and I are pretty well matched in kissing. But I have to be careful… I don't want things to go too far before I asked her to be my mate officially (or marry her, because I think her family would like it if she had a proper wedding in this era, seeing as they wouldn't be able to pass through the well to see the Mateship Ceremony if Kagome did want to be my mate).

 

A/N: Lemon-ish bit. Skip if you are uncomfortable reading. It will stop at the next line of bolded text.

 

I was partially lying before when I'd said she looked like a cat when I was scratching her ears and chin. I didn't want her to be embarrassed. She did look cute, and she was acting like a cat… But the way her back arched and the kitten-like noises she made while she was on top of me were extremely arousing. Thoughts that were not so pure were clouding my senses, and I allowed them to stay for a few moments, wondering what it would be like to make love to her on the night of the ceremony.

 

I would be gentle and slow. I knew that dog-demons had to mate in the traditionally on the ceremonial night, but not necessarily on the first time. I wanted to look into her eyes when we're together for the first time. I wanted to be able to see her face as she gasped in exhilaration, panted with ardor, and whimpered in satisfaction. In my mind, I was able to see and hear the brushing of flesh against flesh, our hurried breathing, the whispers of our names as we said them to each other over and over, and the unmistakable roars of our completion.

 

My face grew hot as I thought up different settings of what would happen that night. I was unable to see Kagome's room clearly because my eyes were so thickly glazed with lust. It was getting hard to breathe and my mouth seemed to be wetter than usual. I opened my eyes half-way, unaware that I'd closed them. I needed to get away from her scent; it's all over her room! But she's downstairs... The source of her scent would make it even harder for me to get a grip... I guess I should take one of those 'shower' things...

 

It seemed like a good idea, so I let Kagome know and she called back that she'd heard me.

 

A/N: Okay. It's over. Hakuna matata. (Or however you spell it. -Starts singing, "What a wonderful phrase!... Hakuna matata!)

 

I went over the events of yesterday as I got everything in order. I mentioned the wedding idea to her grandfather…

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(A/N: This chapter takes place on the day of the festival where Souta will have his date. He said that it would happen "the day after tomorrow". So, in other words, this chapter takes place a day later.)

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We had been sitting in the living room after I'd come back from the Feudal Era visiting Sango and Miroku. Kagome wanted to stay behind with the baby for a little while longer, so I kissed her lightly and went ahead of her, knowing that she'd be there for a while yet. I remembered how happy and content she looked with the little child in her arms… She looked right as a mother, and I'd do anything in my power to make sure she got the chance to have children. Kagome was made for motherhood, it was time for her to take on her natural right.

 

I turned to her grandfather and said, "I want to marry Kagome here."

 

He looked at me, "That had been discussed last night, hadn't it?"

 

I nodded, "Well, yes I know. But when I say 'here', I want to marry her here in this era. I know that's very important to you and Ms. Higurashi. Souta, too.

 

"I also want to get mated to her, but in order for that to happen, I need to be in the Feudal Era, that's where most of the resources for that type of union are. But I wanted to have a ceremony here for Kagome's family since you all can't pass through the well. I just thought that you guys would want that…" I finished a little weakly, wondering if I'd done something wrong. I wasn't exactly up to date on modern human customs, and I wasn't sure if I'd accidentally offended him.

 

He looked at me, his eyes slightly wide, but they didn't tell me anything about how he was feeling right now. I waited.

 

"Inuyasha…" He started, "I-I'm touched that you would think to do that for us. Of course that's okay." He paused, "But the wedding ceremony doesn't have to be something big, it can just be you and Kagome getting married by a judge at the courthouse. I know that the-er… what is it exactly that you call it? The demon ceremony?"

 

I smiled sheepishly, "The Soul-Binding Ceremony."

 

"I know that that has to be pretty formal, from the stories I've heard over the years." He lifted an eyebrow, "What happens during that ceremony?"

 

I tilted my head to the side, thinking. "Well, I'm sure Sesshomaru could tell you about it in a few more details, but during the ceremony, Kagome and I will say our vows - you know, promising eternal loyalty and love and commitment - and then we take the Binding Rings-," I took the rings that Sesshomaru gave me out of my pocket and showed them to him, "And put a drop of our blood on them and then give them to one another (the blood is soaked up from the ring, demon magic). After that, we put our mark on each other; we bite each other's necks. The rings look simple and everything, I know, but they're really important. They can't be taken off once they've been put on, it shows how dedicated we are to one another, and they contain all of the previous mates' blood, so they're heirlooms, really."

 

He rolled them around in his hand, "Wow. But is there another ring? One that has a gemstone in it? Like diamond or emerald? Sapphire?"

 

I nodded, "There are two rings, but it's not quite the same. The nicer ring with the gemstone is given right after the Mating Ceremony, the ceremony after the Soul Binding Ceremony. There aren't any guests allowed to watch that one, and I'm sure you can imagine why.

 

"The nicer ring - there isn't really a name for it in Japanese - there's no translation from Inu, which is the language I can speak. It is also the type of union we'll have - is more of a reminder of the male demon, to reassure the female, that no matter where her mate is, he's always with her. The color of the gem in the ring represents the male, and it varies from time to time."

 

"Do you have one of those rings with you?" He asked me.

 

I shook my head, "No, I need to get one, though… I'm not sure where to start." I hadn't really thought about the other ring… I'm not sure if Totosai ever made any rings, but it shouldn't be that hard for him, he's done metal-working for years.

 

Kagome's grandfather spoke up, "I'll get one for you. How are they made? If it costs anything, I'll buy it."

 

I was shocked, "Y-You don't have to do that!"

 

He frowned, "But I want to. I don't know what you give as gifts for demon ceremonies, so I want to buy the ring. I want to be able to do something for the two of you."

 

I relaxed and smiled slightly at him, "Thanks, really, that's very kind of you."

 

He smiled at me, "Alright. Now how are these rings made?"

 

I thought for a moment, "Well, the nice ring can be any ring. There's a spell the male has to perform so that the ring can become demonic. I'm pretty sure all I have to do is put a drop of my blood on that ring as well and mutter a few things in Inu…"

 

We stood up from the couch. He said, "Let's go to the jewelry store. If anyone asks where we've been when we come back, we'll tell them we went to see an old friend of mine. Which is the truth, partially; the owner of the jewelry store is a friend of mine and the only trustworthy person in the business. You get a lot of jewelers trying to bullshit you on a price."

 

I laughed and headed upstairs to get dressed.

 

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Kagome showed me my winter clothes earlier that day, in case we needed to go out for anything. She'd also proposed the idea of going to the fair that Souta was going to on his date. But not together, of course. She wanted to go out to eat with me beforehand and then go, possibly meeting up with Souta, just to check in. He'd seemed fine with that, so long as we didn't stay.

 

In the bag she'd prepared for me, there were three sweaters: white, red, and navy; a few more pairs of underwear (I smiled silently to myself as I remembered the conversation we'd had about them); a few hats (or "beanies", as she called them): black, a bright red with lightning bolts around the rim, and another black one with white paw prints around the rim (Ha-ha, Kagome); and a few "hoodies" (they were all zip-ups: navy, black, and grey) and a dress jacket.

 

I looked around for the other bag of my clothes. I wasn't sure if the outfit I'd had in mind would look okay, but it would keep me warm. I found it close to the end of Kagome's bed on the floor. From it, I got out the black jeans, red shirt, and belt. I took the grey "hoodie", the black dress jacket, and the hats from the other bag.

 

I got undressed and put on the underwear first. Then I put on the jeans and shirt properly. I tucked it in, figuring that if I left that undone, it wouldn't look right. I put the belt on (putting it through the loops, of course) and then the "hoodie". Before I put the jacket on, I paused to put on my shoes.

 

I sat on the bed next to my clothes, putting my socks on. I looked over at Tetsusaiga. It was my father's sword. I picked it up and sat it in my lap. Heaviness settled over my chest. I was unsure what it was that I felt at that moment, but regardless, a lump rose in my throat. My father protected my mother and I with this sword. He fought many battles with it. It was hard to believe, after I'd visited his grave those few times, that I'd surpassed him in power. His skeleton was so huge, and I seemed like something so little, so insignificant in its presence.

 

I was so thankful to have seen him for the briefest time. After the battle with Sounga, I prayed to hear his voice, to hear his knowledge. There had been so much that I'd needed help with back then. There are some things I still need help with, for him to teach me. But he never answered. I never hated him for not answering my prayers, though. I told myself that it was probably his way of teaching me; that this -learning on my own- was the way that he'd learned about life. I was grateful for that, too.

 

I noticed the fraying piece of fabric bound around the opening of the sheath. It was coming off, so I removed it from the covering. Something shiny fell out from underneath it. I placed the sword and fabric on the bed and picked up the object. It was a medallion.

 

It was silver, I think. The edges of it were slightly smoothed over, as if it had been under high heat for a long time. The symbols on the coin were still intact, though. A single etching of a fang lay in the center of the medallion, and there were four symbols on the top, bottom, and sides of it. I didn't know what they meant… I don't think they were kanji exactly.

 

I thought about Kagome's grandfather and how he'd said that he would pay for the ring. I couldn't let him do that… It was too big of a deal. Maybe I could pick out a necklace or bracelet for Kagome and he could pay for that. I wondered how much this would be worth. I guessed it was probably a lot since it was a historical artifact… Well, to this era anyway.

 

I put it in my pocket with the fabric and headed downstairs with my jacket. But before I left, I grabbed the black hat with the paw prints.

 

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When we arrived at the jewelry store, it was late morning. I'd mentioned my idea to Kagome's grandfather, he agreed. I was glad I hadn't made him angry.

 

A bell chimed as I pushed the door open; an old man sat behind a counter examining a diamond. He looked up as we entered and smiled, exclaiming, "Chikao, my good friend!" He got up and embraced Kagome's grandfather. When he let go, he said, "What brings you here?"

 

"Well," Chikao began (I didn't know that was his name...), slapping my shoulder, "This young man needs to get my grand-daughter an engagement ring!" He grinned at the man. I smiled sheepishly.

 

The jeweler smiled back at me, "Well, well, well... Captured little Kagome's heart, have you?"

 

I nodded, still smiling, "Yes, sir. She's got mine, too."

 

He continued to smile and said, "Well, I'll let you look around for awhile then. Let me know if I can help you."

 

I paused before turning around to look at the display cases behind me, "Er... I was wondering if you could tell me how much this was worth," I pulled out the medallion and fabric from my pocket and showed it to him, "You see, I haven't any money on me at the moment... But I know that this is very old and probably worth a good amount of money." On the way over here, Chikao told me that his friend was very interested in history, especially history where demons were mentioned. So maybe my medallion idea was pretty good.

 

The old man sighed and took the medallion from my hand, "Well, let's see what you have here..." He took it over to the counter he'd been working at and began to examine it. I followed him. Suddenly he gasped, "I know what this is!"

 

I raised my eyebrows in shock, "What?"

 

He looked at me with serious eyes, "This is the medallion of the Great Dog Demon, Inuyasha!"

 

"What? !" I sputtered. I couldn't believe this! I was the new Great Dog Demon?

 

The man became very excited, "I mean, his father was the original 'Great Dog Demon', but once his son, Inuyasha, surpassed him in power, historians gave him the title." I stood there, silently stunned while he continued, "It was said that after the first Great Dog Demon died, he entrusted one of the legendary swords, Tetsusaiga, to Inuyasha, his half-demon son.

 

"Inuyasha defeated many demons with this sword, including the dark Naraku, who nearly doomed all mankind. This medallion," he held it up to his eye level, "was put on Tetsusaiga's sheath by InuTashio, Inuyasha's father, before he died. He sent a letter to Izayoi, his mate; for he'd known that he would die the evening his youngest son was born, explaining that Tetsusaiga was to be entrusted to Inuyasha. Izayoi was the only one that he'd told about Tetsusaiga's fate after he died, she was the only one he'd trusted with the information.

 

"He told her about Tetsusaiga's secrets and that she should find a good hiding place for it. He explained to her that there was a medallion on the sheath; he told her that the symbols around the fang in the middle of the medallion meant love, family, duty, and peace. The fang represented strength, and InuTashio said that it was for Inuyasha to give to whomever he wanted. Giving it to someone would bless the person greatly, and give them good luck for the rest of their lives.

 

"Inuyasha kept the medallion for years after he discovered it. He didn't even give it to his mate! Which is what a lot of people expected of him." I tilted my head to the side at this, wondering. Why didn't I give it to Kagome?

 

The man continued, "Eventually, Inuyasha gave the medallion to his first and only daughter, his youngest child, after she was mated to one of Inuyasha's dear friends, who's name was-"

 

I stopped him, my throat filled with a lump of emotion, "Wait," I said, "I want to find out the rest for myself."

--------------------------------

 

We were going to have a daughter. A little girl... Would she look like me? Or Kagome? I could feel tears of happiness fall down my cheeks again as I thought about what that man had said. We're going to have a daughter, and she was going to be mated... She was going to have a happy life, and with someone that would care about her

 

God... It's really going to happen, isn't it?

--------------------------------

 

The man still held the medallion. He looked at me, lowering it to the counter beneath his hands, "It is a rare person indeed that would give away such a valuable trinket -priceless, even." The man looked down and said nothing for a long moment; I waited. He looked up again, "Whatever ring you choose today, I'll give it to you for free and let you keep the medallion. An old man like me doesn't need such a precious item. Give it to whoever you want."

 

Chikao interrupted him, "What? ! No! I told him that I'd buy whatever necklace he wanted for Kagome in addition to the ring. I want to pay for something!"

 

The old man rolled his eyes and said, "Fine! I'll let you buy the necklace at half-price, or at a ridiculously lower price if the necklace he picks out is costly."

 

Chikao huffed, "Fine."

 

I smiled at the man and looked around at the counters. I walked up to the first one.

 

The ring. The perfect ring. I couldn't believe it, I just turned around and there it was, "This one." I said. I didn't say anything else. The ring had a silver band and three hexagonal-cut diamonds on each side of the middle jewel. The large gem in the center of the ring was squarely cut and put to where the points of it acted like the points on a compass.

 

Kagome's grandfather came up behind me to look over my shoulder at the ring. I could practically hear his eyes soften as he said, "It looks like Kagome."

 

I smiled, still looking at the ring, "Yeah, it does. It's the sapphire. It's the color of her eyes."

 

The man came over and stood behind the counter where the ring sat in the case. He smiled at us as he took it out and placed it in front of us on a piece of black velvet, "So? It's this one, I take it?"

 

I looked up at him and nodded, "Yes."

 

The man nodded at me and said, "Alright. I'll put this in a box for you while you look for a necklace."

 

I stuck my hand in my pocket and touched the fabric from Tetsusaiga, "Oh... Hey, I noticed that there was a small hole in that medallion... You could use this to make that into a necklace," I said pulling it out of my pocket. The man took it from me and smiled.

 

I turned around again to look at the other cases of jewelry. Again, the first case I went to, I found something that Kagome would like.

 

The necklace was silver like the ring and the small charm on it was sapphire, like the ring. The sapphire was shaped like a teardrop and there was a diamond on either side of it. I motioned for the man to come over and bring this one out. He smiled at me (again, for the millionth time) and quickly went to go and get it a box.

 

Picking out jewelry was easy.

-----------------------------------

 

In the shower, I couldn't help but be proud of the stuff I'd chosen for her. I know she'll be happy with it. My arms were stretched out in front of me, my hands touching the wall as my head hung low and let the warm, steamy water ran down my back.

 

(A/N: Inuyasha- "And then I imagined Oddery's hands massaging my wet shoulders, working her way down my back, and then to my butt..." Huh? Oh... Sorry, y'all...)

---------------------------------------

(Kagome's Point of View)

 

I smiled as I prepared breakfast. I keep doing that; not that it's a bad thing. I just keep thinking about Inuyasha... I know it's stupid being all starry-eyed and giggly and whatnot, but I can't help it. Inuyasha and I are still kind of sort of "new", I guess. I know we've been friends for several years, but we're just now a couple.

 

I love him so much... My smile brightened as I thought about what Miroku and Sango had told me yesterday.

 

-----------------------------------

I nearly squealed yesterday afternoon when I'd seen the new baby. Setsuka was such a pretty little girl: she had all the confidence in Sango's face on hers and all of the gentle contentment contained in her father's eyes in hers.

 

"So how did you guys come up with Setsuka?" I'd asked her, looking at the giggling infant in her father's arms. She pulled on one of his earrings, Miroku jumped in surprise and pain. I laughed, "It's such a pretty name, and it suits her well."

 

"Well, actually," Sango said sitting next to Miroku, "Inuyasha came up with it."

 

I felt my eyebrows lift, "Really?"

 

Miroku nodded, "We were telling him when he came over here that we weren't sure of what to name her, even though we'd already thought of so many names. None of them seemed good enough, though, so he came up with Setsuka. He just said it capriciously."

 

Sango smiled and leaned her head on Miroku's shoulder as he held the small child, "He was so sweet with her, Kagome. You should have seen him."

 

Miroku smiled at me, "You could tell he truly adored her. You've really changed him Kagome."

 

I blushed, "It's not all me. He's done some growing up over the years we've known each other."

 

Sango nodded, "We know that, but you're the reason he wanted to change." She paused and looked lovingly into her daughter's eyes, "He really wants to be a father..."

 

She'd said it so softly I almost didn't hear her. I smiled softly to myself as I said goodbye to them.

 

He wants children... Well, of course he does. Inuyasha needs to be a father; he'd be a great one.

-----------------------------

 

I arrived at the cabin to pick up a few things before I went back to the present. I find that phrase funny, "back to the present"; it's a bit of an oxymoron, isn't it? I smiled to myself as I entered my bedroom. I noticed my diaries were on the desk. 'Souta', I thought. He must have given them to Inuyasha. I sat down and looked at them. I'd been writing in the fifth one when I'd fallen asleep. I looked at one of my notebooks. It was open and the handwriting in it wasn't mine.

 

It was Inuyasha's.

 

He had very neat handwriting, surprisingly. I started to read what he said...

 

Kagome,

 

I don't know if you'll read this or not after what I'm going to do. You may never want to be reminded of me when this is all over. But I wanted to say one more thing if you'll hear me out:

 

I'm in love with you.

 

Those words are true. It's taken me all this time to say it, and I'm sorry for making you wait.

 

Kagome, I've been in love with you ever since I first saw you. I know that is fairly hard to believe since one of the first things I ever said to you was, "Kikyou was cuter, much cuter." Back then, I'd thought you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. I was trying to convince myself that you weren't "cuter" than Kikyou.

 

I often woke up from dreams during our travels to find myself sweating. I dreamed of you and you alone. There was rarely a moment that my head wasn't filled with thoughts of you. I was confused by my feelings for you, because I'd always felt that Kikyou was the one that was destined for me. I felt that it was wrong to be in love with you because I thought it would be rejecting my destiny.

 

I realize now that you are my destiny, my fate, my love, my soul-mate, my sun, my moon, my joy, my lust, my everything: my every need. You fuel my desire and satisfy it. I love everything about you. I love your kindness, your energy. I love that you love me. I love your personality. I love how your nose crinkles when you laugh. I love your laugh: how it instantly cheers me up, how your face flushes when you do, how you sometimes need to hug your stomach. I have always fantasized about holding you when you laugh that hard, to try and soothe that ache from the exhausting laughter that you expel. I love your legs, your hips (it's something about how they curve down so perfectly to your thighs), your arms, your neck and collarbones. But most of all, I love your eyes. Your eyes betray everything you try to cover up, they tell the truth. I love the determined look in them before battle. I love the softness in them when you look at me or Shippo. The serious anger in them when I say something wrong (you are absolutely adorable when you're angry; I'll admit that sometimes I'd pick a fight just to see that look in your eyes).

 

(A/N: I'm really trying to ignore the fact that I'm writing this while listening to "Bulls on Parade" by Rage Against the Machine. 'This microphone explodes, shattered the molds. Ya either drop hits like this or get the fuck off tha comode... Rally round the family, with pockets full of shells...')

 

I want you, Kagome, too. You know what I mean when I say that. It is exactly what you think it means. I am in love with you, I'd die for you. If you wanted me to climb a mountain, I would climb it. If you wished for the moon or the sun, or both, know that I would get them for you. If you wished for a child, I would give him or her to you without hesitation. I would love to raise a family with you here in this quiet cabin by the lake. I will rub your feet while you're pregnant with our child,I will put you to bed with a kiss on the forehead, I will bathe you and say soft, sweet things into your ear while I smooth a rag over your supple, bare skin.

 

All of these things are true and I will follow everything I've said to you here, but I cannot ignore (nor do I want to) the physical desires I have for you.

 

The scent you give off is so enthralling; I can barely control myself when I'm around you. Lavender and mint. I think about them everyday. Even now, writing this, I find it hard not to let these lustful thoughts fill my headwith you and your luscious scent filling my nose. Your scent has changed slightly; it is still the same one, but it is fruitier or sweeter or something. I can't quite tell what it is exactly: it is a cross between honey, oranges, and water-lilies.

 

Whenever I come near your scent, it takes over me. I am consumed by its deliciousness. It makes me wonder what your skin would taste like if I were to run my tongue over it. Just the thought of you and your scent makes me crave your presence even more.

 

I apologize if those things made you uncomfortable when reading them, but that's how I feel about you. I want you;I'm in love with you.

 

If you were to be with me, to be my mate, I promise to fill your life with love and gentleness; I promise to be the best husband, mate, father, lover, friend, and anything else you want me to be. I just want you, nothing more. There's nothing I would change about you; you're the perfect woman Kagome.

 

I found among your many books, one of poetry. There is a man in that book whose poems have truly touched me and, in one of them, my feelings for you are put into the most beautiful collection of words. I want to recite it to you, I have memorized it:

 

silently if,out of not knowable

night's utmost nothing,wanders a little guess

(only which is this world)more my life does

not leap than with the mystery your smile

 

sings or if(spiralling as luminous

they climb oblivion)voices who are dreams,

less into heaven certainly earth swims

than each my deeper death becomes your kiss

 

losing through you what seemed myself,i find

selves unimaginably mine;beyond

sorrow's own joys and hoping's very fears

 

yours is the light by which my spirit's born:

yours is the darkness of my soul's return

-you are my sun,my moon,and all my stars

 

This man took these words out of my mouth. And, if I was patient enough to sit down and write such a beautiful poem, I know that I would have written this, or something like it. You are all my stars, Kagome. You are everything that shines on and off this earth, and you'll never change.

 

That's a good thing.

 

---

 

I sat there, stunned and truly touched by his confession. I wiped tears from my eyes as I read the poem over and over and imagined Inuyasha saying those words to me. I read it and read it until I'd had it memorized.

 

My face was still hot from his description about his reactions to my scent. I could feel the organs in my abdomen begin to contract. I bit my lip, thoughts of what Inuyasha wanted to do to me fill my head.

 

I had physical attractions toward Inuyasha (alongside what I already feel for him) as well. I could picture his tongue running along my neck and collar bone. His warm breath would brush gently across my throat as he moaned softly under his breath. I would feel his hands go up and down my body: over my hips and back again, down my elbows and up to my throat where he would be kissing his way up to my lips. He would smile softly as he kissed me on the mouth. I would murmur quietly as he continued his assault on my lower body...

-------------------------------------------------------------- --

(Inuyasha's Point of View)

 

"Inuyasha..." I heard Kagome sigh as I walked down the stairs. Once I had finished my shower, I'd gotten dressed (again) and went downstairs. The unbelievably incredible sight before me nearly took years off of my life.

 

Kagome was standing next to the prepared breakfast. Her eyes were closed and she was biting her lip. She had a hand on her throat and she'd just whispered my name.

 

"Uh... Should I come back later?"

 

She jumped and her face flushed even more. She looked at me and then quickly looked away, busying herself with serving breakfast, "I-I didn't know you were there.

 

I just smirked at her and sat down at the table.

 

-----

 

No one was home when Chikao and I got back to the shrine, so I decided to go and wait for Kagome at the well house.

 

I sat on the steps inside the well-house. I waited for about ten or fifteen minutes before she came. She jumped out of the well and I stood up, smiling at her. She smiled back and launched herself into my arms. I expected just a hug, but what I got was a series of heated kisses. Her lips were slightly cold from the winter weather, but made the kisses more irresistible. I could barely get in a greeting.

 

"Hey - you - miss - me?" I said between her strong kisses.

 

She gave me one long, forceful, delicious kiss before parting. She said, smiling, "You are the world's most wonderful man."

 

My heart leapt and I smirked at her as I said, "Oh yeah? Why's that?"

 

She buried her face into my chest, "I read your letter. The one in my notebook."

 

I blushed, "R-Really? You read that..."

 

She lifted her head and quirked an eyebrow, "Yes, did you not want me to?"

 

My eyes widened, "N-No! It's not that. I just - I just wish I hadn't put all that stuff about how I react to your scent in there. I felt that it got too..." I trailed off.

 

She smiled, "Erotic?"

 

I looked away from her, my face growing hotter, "Yeah... That. I didn't want you to think that I was some sort of pervert or something..."

 

She smiled and kissed me again, "I'd never think that. You're not a pervert. Guys tend to have a little bit of 'pervert' in them, but that's not who they are."

 

I held her tightly to me, leaning my back against the wooden wall, "And who I am is the 'most wonderful man in the world' right?"

 

She laughed softly, "Right." She looked at my outfit, "Did you put this together?"

 

I looked down at myself, "Yeah... Do you like it?"

 

She smiled at my paw-print hat, "Yeah. You look nice." She touched my hat, "You wore it."

 

"I thought you would like that." I grinned. She kissed me again, but this time I took over the whole thing. She gasped as I switched our positions against the wall. She was now pressed against it, her hands around my neck as my tongue slipped into her mouth. She gripped the hair at the base of my neck. I kissed her more urgently, my claws digging into the wooden panels of the well-house. Her fingers laced into my hair, tossing my hat aside. She stroked my ears gently and I moaned into her mouth. I started to salivate as her scent clouded my head. I murmured gruffly and pulled away, fearing that if we didn't stop, I wouldn't be able to tell if we were going too far.

 

She tried to pull me back to her, but I stopped her, "No."

 

She frowned, "No?"

 

I took her hands in mine, "I can't. We can't."

 

She looked down, I could smell salt, "You don't want t-"

 

I pressed my hips against her, so that she could feel what she did to me ("Oh!" she gasped), "I do want to, Kagome. But not now... Just wait. Just wait." I closed my eyes, relishing in the feel of the heat coming from her. God... I wanted to so bad...

 

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