InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Feudal Tale ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Lemon Warning: This chapter has a sex scene that goes into a little more detail. If you want to read the clean version, go to fanfiction.net and search for the author Akihanah.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi is that lucky person.

 

The utopia of the morning made Kagome feel tranquil, but she grew uneasy as they approached the home of Sesshomaru again. She had a feeling that he had been shocked speechless by their rude behavior, but by now would have some response formulated. She cast a worried glance at her husband. He was jubilant, and he was almost bouncing as he walked. If he was beaten down by his brother he would be in a sour mood for days.

 

Inuyasha burst into the house the same way he had that morning. He went straight to the audience chamber, ignoring the servants in the household.

 

“Oi, Sesshomaru!” The elder looked up from his desk, where what looked like account books were spread out. He set down the wet brush gracefully, and Kagome thought she saw a hint of a sigh on his lips.

 

“Your lack of manners is only met by that of your wench, otouto.”

 

“At least I don't have a bug up my ass. So, do you have the order?”

 

Sesshomaru cast a withering glare in their direction.

 

“Since your woman testified about your amazing skills, you can waste the month tinkering with whatever you fancy. When you bring in only useless wood fit for the fire then you can make up this month's and the following month's apprentice work.”

 

He turned back to his accounts, a clear dismissal. Inuyasha frowned. Kagome had turned to leave, but stayed when she noticed his steady stance.

 

Sesshomaru glanced up from his desk. His eyes darted to one side, as though he was too elegant to roll them around completely.

 

“Must I actually dismiss you since you are too dull to notice you are unwelcome?”

 

Inuyasha gritted his teeth. “I gave you my work for the month, so I need my payment.”

 

Stroking his fine hair thoughtfully, Sesshomaru reached down and cast a small bag in one smooth motion towards Inuyasha. He caught it, thanks to quick reflexes.

 

Unashamedly, he went through the contents, and finally nodded to show it was satisfactory. He upended the pouch into his purse, and threw the little embroidered piece back at his older brother. He caught it without missing a beat.

 

Finally Inuyasha turned from the room and made his way to where his shirt was still resting in the room, and donned it. Kagome picked up her pack and they went back outside, where Inuyasha retrieved the now empty cart. They left quietly, not wanting to disturb Sesshomaru or his household any more than they had to. The letter that had been entrusted to them was delivered, and they were on the road home by mid-afternoon.

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

Soft grating of dishes filled the air in the house, joined by the chirping of crickets and a weak breeze rustling the leaves of the trees outside. Kagome put the last of the clean dishes away in the kitchen, and rolled her shoulders. She wasn't used to the long walk to Edo and she was beginning to feel soreness in her legs and back. She imagined it was nothing compared to Inuyasha's stiffness, as he had to pull the cart.

 

She doused the last of the lamps, knowing the way to her room even without light. Inuyasha was already abed, stretching his legs to soothe the muscles. She noticed his hiss of pain and went to help him.

 

“Anata, will you allow me…?”

 

Inuyasha looked up at her, nodding after a few moments. She gently massaged his legs, feeling knots in his thighs. He sighed as she applied pressure with the pads of her thumbs. He slowly relaxed, thanks to her soothing ministrations. She then moved up to his back, easing the stiff muscles there. He shivered slightly, and his entire body relaxed into the futon. She chanced a glance at his face.

 

His eyes were closed, his dark eyelashes dusting his cheek. His lips were resting lightly together, but they pursed when she applied pressure to his shoulder blades. His hair fanned out around him, loose and billowing as always.

 

He opened his eyes, and she was taken aback at the peace that was contained in the sleepy, half-closed orbs.

 

“Your turn.” He mumbled, sitting up and gently pushing her down on her front. She protested slightly, but he ignored her and proceeded to pull her yukata down to her waist.

 

She closed her eyes when he began to massage her back. The feel of his toughened hands on her was strangely soothing. She sighed and relaxed.

 

A slight breeze made her shiver slightly, realizing her half-naked state. She pulled her arms up to herself protectively, shooting a worried glance at her husband. He didn't notice her glance, because he was transfixed with the smooth muscles of her back. He ran an unsteady hand from her shoulder blade down the smooth curve of her side and rested on the swell of her hip.

 

She shivered again, feeling heat rising in her cheeks. His eyes had lost the sleepiness, and seemed hypnotized in a different way. A glaring reminder of his suffocating presence was the warmth of his large hand on her naked hip. The roughness chafed against her soft skin, and she quivered silently.

 

The next few moments were filled with slight glances and some twitching, but it resulted in Inuyasha tugging at the knot of her sleeping yukata while kissing her neck and pulling her against his chest.

 

Finally the knot in her obi came undone and he pushed her down onto the futon, slipping his knee between her legs and settling at her hips.

 

Inuyasha eased slowly in, moaning as he engulfed himself. Kagome whimpered, and tensed against him. He moaned louder at the pressure around his member, pulling out and thrusting back in again.

 

Slowly Kagome realized that it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would and she allowed herself to rock against him. He was very gentle, pulling in and out with aching slowness. He had dropped his upper body against hers, cradling her chest and head with his arms.

 

As her fear ebbed away, Kagome relaxed and cradled his hips with her knees, mimicking his embrace on her upper body.

 

She tried to stifle her gasps whenever he entered, but by the end she was gasping just as loud as he. Soon she realized he wasn't even pulling out anymore, he was just rocking his whole body into the junction of her legs where he was buried.

 

He gave a cry and collapsed onto her chest, heaving. His sweaty chest brushed against her erect nipples, his hard skin to her smooth flesh.

 

After a few minutes both their breathing had calmed and Kagome looked at her husband's calm face, to see that he was sound asleep. She gently swept his stray hair away from his sweaty face and tucked it behind his ears.

 

They lay quietly like that for what felt like ages, but finally Kagome acknowledged that his weight made it hard for her to breathe and she eased him to the side. With a little wiggling she dislodged herself and curled up on what was her designated space on the futon.

 

Several minutes later she was still tossing sleeplessly. She rose temporarily to redon her yukata and straighten her mussed hair into a braid.

 

“Kagome?”

 

Kagome jumped slightly and turned towards the futon. Inuyasha was sitting up, watching her coolly. She smiled and returned to his side. He wrapped hands around both her upper arms, searching her eyes with his. She wasn't sure what he was looking for, but evidently he found it, as he soon nodded. He wrapped an arm around her waist firmly and tucked her underneath the cover, against his body.

 

“It didn't—hurt—did it?” he mumbled hesitantly.

 

“No,” she whispered. “It was—nice.”

 

“Nice,” he said. “Good.”

 

He sighed, and rolled slightly, tugging her into his side, under his arm.

 

“My wife,” he mumbled sleepily.

 

“Inuyasha,” she replied, finally beginning to feel drowsy.

 

“Night, Kagome.”

 

“Good night, Inuyasha.”

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

“Ane! Ane!” Kagome turned and smiled at her younger sisters. Their coats fluttered around them, as the weather had grown chill with the arrival of autumn.

 

The whole village was alight with lanterns as they celebrated the day of their protective kami. The little statues had been decorated with new paper clothing and carried through the village and to each rice field to ensure that they would keep over the winter to produce new rice in the spring. Then the little gods were put in their newly oiled and dusted shrine where they were presented with many offerings of little fruit and little piles of rice for each deity. After that was done the village settled in to celebrate.

 

For Kagome it was the first real social event since her wedding, and it was a very welcome opportunity to socialize with the other women of the village. She was particularly happy to see her mother and sisters. Her father had been right about part of her marriage: her family looked better fed and happier, and she saw that some of their kimono were fairly new and clean.

 

“Ane, what's it like being away?” the youngest sister asked, her bright eyes curious. Kagome giggled at the girl's interpretation of marriage.

 

“Well, I'm not that far away. I live just up the road. You should come and visit me. And it is very quiet. My husband likes things quiet, and he is devoted to his work.”

 

The youngest girl hopped up and down with glee. “We visit!” she exclaimed. Kagome's mother frowned. “You should ask your husband, so there are no misunderstandings between you.” She chided. Kagome nodded obediently to her mother. At the reminder of her husband, she cast about for him. Her face dropped when she saw him sitting alone, drinking sake from a little bottle on the bench next to him. He was glowering at the ground, scuffing blades of grass with his feet.

 

Kagome turned back to her family with a bitter smile. “I will be right back.” With several choruses of “Hai!” she went to him.

 

He looked up at her when she approached and turned away, a shamed blush rising on his face.

 

“I get to be with you all the time. Go be with your family.” He ordered. She sat down next to him anyway, tentatively setting a hand on his. He stiffened, but did not pull away.

 

“Ane! Ane!” her youngest, Mariko, jumped up into her lap, grabbing the collar of her new kimono to hold herself on. “We visit?”

 

“Visit?” Inuyasha echoed.

 

Kagome nodded. “My sisters want to come visit me.”

 

“Fine.”

 

The little girl squealed with glee. Before Kagome could stop her she hopped laps and gave Inuyasha a bear hug. “Arigato, Ane's husband.” She chirped sweetly.

 

Much to Kagome's surprise, Inuyasha broke out into a smile. “I might even have something for you when you come visit.” Mariko's face lit with excitement.

 

“Can we go tomorrow?”

 

Inuyasha chuckled. “I need some time to make it, little one.”

 

She frowned. “Day after tomorrow?”

 

Kagome smiled and gently pulled her sister off Inuyasha's lap. “We'll arrange it with Okaa, won't we?”

 

Inuyasha stood hesitantly when she did, abandoning the sake bottle. “May I come?” His violet eyes were timid, and he looked even lonelier with his slumped and dejected stance than when he was drinking alone.

 

Kagome smiled. “I'll introduce you to my sisters.” Little Mariko grabbed his hand and pulled him along towards the knot of women.

 

After introducing all the female members of the family Inuyasha backed away, this time intercepted by her father before retreating to his bench. Kagome remained with her sisters, catching up on the gossip of the village.

 

“How is your newlywed life?”

 

Inuyasha turned to see Akamaru, his hooded eyes watching him carefully. He had been at the sake, and was definitely drunk.

 

“It is very pleasant.” Inuyasha said between gritted teeth. This man had eyed his wife and had done enough to make her nervous around him, which made him an enemy in his book.

 

“We have something in common,” Akamaru continued. “We both married women of the same family. That would make us brothers, wouldn't it?”

 

Inuyasha stiffened, his guard going up. “If that kind of relationship were honored, then every member of the village is a brother or sister.”

 

Akamaru's eyes narrowed. “Of course a craftsman wouldn't understand.” He muttered, clearly intending to be unheard but the drink affecting his voice.

 

“Wouldn't understand what?” Inuyasha bit back, his hackles raising at the insult.

 

Akamaru glanced at him. “You don't pay taxes to the bakufu, do you? So you wouldn't understand the burden we carry. You can go to Edo and buy rice when you need to. You can even have meat! We will likely not have enough to feed the villagers because the shogun wants to feed his own wealth by hoarding the rice while the common people starve.”

 

Inuyasha backed away in alarm. “That is treason!” he hissed.

 

Akamaru laughed. “Things are already in motion.” He said, his eyes staring into space.

 

“Akamaru!” Kagome's father interrupted, dragging the man away. “You have had far too much sake. I do not want my son to spread such a bad impression on the village.” The man shot Inuyasha a cold look before hauling the drunk Akamaru away.

 

Inuyasha frowned deeply. He'd heard of revolts in other provinces across Japan, but never had there been one here. He hoped that Akamaru and Kagome's father were just up to idle drunken banter, which wouldn't endanger the rest of their family, or his wife.

 

He marched over to the women. The sun had set and slowly the crowds were beginning to disperse to put children to bed and begin cleaning up. Inuyasha fought his way over to Kagome.

 

“Are you ready to go?” he asked, anxious to be away from the troublemakers. Kagome nodded, making her final rounds of goodbyes with promises of visits. Mariko came over and hugged as much of him as she could reach, and he patted her back. He hoped she would not fall into trouble should her father be implicated.

 

Kagome hummed quietly up the road home. Inuyasha brooded over what he had learned. He would have to make some inquiries in town, which meant dealing with his brother. He grumbled. He didn't want to have to rely on Sesshomaru, but that would be better than being caught unprepared for an uprising.

 

“Inuyasha?” Kagome queried softly. “What are you thinking about?”

 

Inuyasha grunted noncommittally and stomped into their home, not pausing to light the fire but instead going straight for their room.

 

Kagome followed. “I saw that you were talking to my sister's husband.” She commented vaguely. “You looked displeased.” Inuyasha grunted again.

 

Kagome sighed and began changing into her sleeping yukata.

 

“My mother says there isn't enough rice.”

 

Inuyasha looked back at her. She was tying the obi absently.

 

“Why the hell were we celebrating then?”

 

Kagome sighed. “It's because we get lots of government officials who take rice and money for their purposes without compensating us, and the yield was not excellent this year. And taxes were high.”

 

Inuyasha sighed. While he didn't think the government was right to take the supplies of the villagers, even he knew that challenging that meant losing your head. And now that he had a woman to provide for he wasn't going to take stupid risks like that.

 

Kagome continued. “The most we can hope for is that the governor dies soon and that the shogun appoints someone who actually cares about the corruption in the government.”

 

“The governor has been bedridden for about a week now, according to the newspaper.” Inuyasha said, speaking for the first time. “It's pretty vague about what is causing it, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone is appointed to take over the post soon.”

 

Or until the revolutionaries decide to strike.

 

Inuyasha lay awake thinking long into the night, after Kagome had fallen asleep tucked against his side.

 

Thank you for leaving reviews! See you guys on Wednesday! - Akihana