InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ First Class Dog ❯ The Love Bite ( Chapter 15 )

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Hello everyone! I wanted to let you all know that I can't guarantee how quickly I'll turn out chapters in the next couple of weeks. You see, I'm a senior in college right now and as part of my graduation requirements for my art major I have to make an art exhibition (like in a gallery and everything) and I only have a few months to work in. Additionally, my teachers put a kink in my plans for making my exhibition because half of the faculty were offended that I referenced video games and anime as aspects of my artistic inspirations. I literally had one teacher say to me, “Well I tuned you out the minute you said `video games'.” Ugh! Can you believe that? Each member of the art faculty has a say in my grades so right now I'm getting screwed out of good grades because half of them think anime and video games are `low art' forms. Because of this I've had to come up with a new exhibition in one month to appease the less open-minded people on staff. So, because I'm a little bit of a smart ass, I decided to make an exhibition which focuses on cultural paranoia to technological innovation. All of my sculptures will subtly reference some anime or video game but I'm not going to tell the staff that until my exhibition speech. I think the art styles I'm using have universal meaning without any contextual referencing. We shall see, in time. So yeah, it makes me a pretty busy gal, to say the least.

 

Story note: Okay, I can't help it; I love the `marking' idea that has been used in Inu Yasha fictions before. It's not very original, but I think it makes sense. I love paige morgan's version of marking in her story “The Sickness,” I definitely recommend reading it! What do you guys think about marking? Send me a review response or e-mail me! I'm really interested in learning what you all think. This is also fair warning that there may be a little lime in this chapter, too.

 

Oh, hey, new thought, here. What is your favorite IY fan fiction story? There's so many on this website that it's really hard for me to root through to the good ones. I'd love you forever if you sent me some reading recommendations! It inspires me to write.

 

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The morning had Inu Yasha thanking his lucky stars for his demonic ability to heal. The bullet holes from the evening before were little more than dime-sized marks on his chest which itched like sunburn, yet otherwise felt normal. The dog demon felt refreshed, yet confined in his bandages, so he set to work slicing them off. Kagome slept peacefully. By the time he was finished the miko had stirred.

“Mm… Inu Yasha?” She mumbled. “How're you feeling?”

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard her voice; he hadn't expected her to wake up so soon, “Oh! I feel better, everything's healed.”

She gave him a look of mild disbelief. She did not think he was lying but he did have a way of ignoring the severity of his injuries. Kagome climbed out of bed and stood to face him, slightly blushing when she realized he was shirtless. The hanyou crossed his arms defensively. He knew she wouldn't believe him until she saw them.

“You got shot by a weapon called a `gun' okay? We don't know how bullets might affect you. Please, let me see them.”

With a grunt he let his arms drop. She could see the small, round red marks on his chest and another on his side, it was obvious they itched, too; there was evidence that he had been scratching at them like they were mosquito bites. It reminded her of how her little brother always absently picked at his skinned knees and bug bites. Something else made her a little more concerned. Inu Yasha was still very pale and his cheeks were flushed. It was time to call Shippo.

“Okay, well they look a lot better…”

That was all that the dog demon needed to hear to head out to the living room for breakfast. Moving made his chest ache a little. Some bones must have been broken when he was attacked with the gun-thing. Eating would help encourage the healing process. At that point a feral demon would have sought out a human to eat for their blood nourishment. He would never touch a human like that.

While he was eating Kagome emerged from their room with the strange `cell phone' contraption that allowed her to talk to anyone in the world. It was a device that fascinated him. He had asked her if they could use one in their time period. It would have been a huge help if Kagome ever got kidnapped again. He could have talked to her immediately and have her guide him to her. However, she said that in his time the devices needed a special tower built near it or else the cell phone could not call another one. It was quite a let-down. Still, the hanyou could not help but be interested as he watched her talk. His sensitive ears recognized the sound of Shippo's matured voice on the line; he couldn't make out what he was saying until the end when he said that he would be arriving shortly. Finally, Kagome closed up the clam-shell phone and headed back to the living area.

“Are you finished eating?” She asked.

He nodded.

“Good, because Shippo says you have got to get back in bed.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I said so, that's why!”

“I feel fine!”

“Fine is a relative word for you. I don't buy it. You're too pale and Shippo's coming over here to give you a transfusion.”

“Confusion?”

“Ugh! TRANS-FUSION! You'll see what I'm talking about when Shippo gets here but until then GO LAY DOWN!”

With a long string of curses he stomped off to bed and threw himself in it. His thoughts ranged somewhere between anger that modern women did not seem to show any respect any more and resentment that he had gotten shot just to get his woman some damned tea…

About a half hour later two voices joined with Kagome's grumbling voice as Shippo and Ikume appeared at their door. The dog demon could hear some sort of argument erupt between the three of them. The miko was particularly upset about something but she would not raise her voice enough for him to know what. His curiosity was undone the moment Ikume burst through the bedroom door.

The blonde kitsune wore a uniform he had never seen before. It was a white dress with buttons down the front; though he could barely call it a dress as it was far too short. If she were to cough too hard he was certain he would be viewing more than just her white nylon-clad legs. The buttons had been undone to the point that her cleavage peeked out of the upper half of the uniform. On top of her head was a tiny white hat with a red shape that Kagome had once identified in her homework as a plus sign. He had to wonder if that was how math teachers dressed in her world. Ikume carried a strange translucent bag filled with something that looked like blood, yet he couldn't scent it. He had no clue the bag was air-tight.

The air seemed to chill considerably and he realized that Kagome was watching him stare at Ikume. Her face was a mask of barely-contained fury. His death was definitely eminent. Shippo stood slightly behind the miko with a half-amused, half-embarrassed grin on his lips.

“Nurse Ikume is in!” She chirped cheerily.

“Wh-what? No thanks.” He replied, scooting backwards on the bed until his head knocked against the backboard.

Kagome cleared her throat, “Ahem, all things aside, Ikume's the only one who knows how to give a transfusion… much as I hate to admit it. You'll have to listen to her…for now.”

The glare she gave the girl could have chilled the fires of hell however, the kitsune hanyou seemed unfazed. Inu Yasha could have sworn he smelled ozone in the air. With a nervous grunt he crossed his arms and relaxed only slightly. Ikume trounced over to him and grabbed one of his arms. The half demon shot his girlfriend a look to make sure that her handling was okay.

“Hold you arm out, underside up.” She instructed and he complied.

Ikume bent over a little more than she needed to tie a rubbery wrap a little too tightly around his bicep. She then told him to make a fist, to which he did and she made a comment about how sexy he was. A second, fearful look was sent Kagome's way but she was too busy blushing furiously. For a few minutes his fear changed to elation. Apparently, she agreed with Ikume's assessment. At that moment a sharp jab of pain emanated from his forearm. He tried to jerk his arm away but found it held by Shippo; his grip had become a lot stronger over the years.

“I thought you might do that.”

“What the hell is she doing?” The half demon argued.

“My daughter is giving you blood. The humans use a method now where they donate and store blood. They give it without dying; willingly. Regardless, you lost a lot of blood last night and you need this.”

Inu Yasha replied with a disgruntled “Feh” but allowed Ikume to continue. Minutes later the IV was in and Shippo somehow ended up holding the blood bag over his head. Ikume skipped off to wash her hands in their bathroom. While she was gone the hanyou eyed Shippo.

“You let your daughter dress like that?”

“No, I had no clue she was going to come here like that.” The kitsune bristled.

“I sure as hell wouldn't let any of my kin dress like that… too many heads to beat in.”

Shippo could not contain the sly grin which played upon his lips, “Oh? Are you considering kin? Have you discussed this with Kagome?”

He got the desired result. Inu Yasha blushed brightly and burbled something incomprehensible while Kagome turned red and fiddled with her fingers; she inspected them intently, as if some speck of invisible dirt marred her skin. He could not resist making them feel even more awkward.

“Wow, it sounds like you really want to settle down, now. Are you giving up on the fully demonic dream?”

“W-well… It's not like…” The dog demon faltered, “I've been fully demonic enough times to know that I'm no use to anybody half-crazed…”

“…And it might be possible for you to have a family after you've completed the jewel?” Shippo finished.

Inu Yasha's face darkened slightly, “Family? Feh. Spreading my half blood around would make for some pretty messed up kin…what they might have to endure.”

“Messed up?” Kagome interrupted. “You turned out fine.” She ended quietly.

The kitsune could barely contain his mirth. The level of energy from the strong feelings of awkwardness in the room had practically doubled which the demon inadvertently absorbed into his aura. The increase in power made him feel almost giddy.

“I did?” His golden eyes were wide and inquiring, apparently surprised by the revelation that everybody but him was aware of.

“Obviously you turned out fine.” Shippo inserted, pointing a thumb at himself, “Look how I turned out.”

“You might be wealthy but you spoiled your kids.” Kagome wagged a finger at him, internally surprised by how mothering she sounded just them.

The kitsune frowned, “That's the fifth time I've heard you say that, mama…well, not you… the other you.” He scratched his head, confused by his own words.

“So, she's safe?” The dog demon interrupted.

“Of course… wait… should I be telling you guys this?”

The couple shrugged, how could they possibly know? Shippo decided it best not to leak any more information to them; however, he could tell that his father-figure was much relieved. The kitsune quickly added,

“But be careful, I don't know if you can change our future by getting sloppy in the past.”

Kagome could tell Inu Yasha was beginning to look a lot better. As the conversation progressed the bag of blood had gradually decreased and the color had steadily returned to his face. At some point Shippo had called out Ikume, who had been listening in on their conversation from the bathroom. He knew all along that she was doing it but hoped that by letting her eavesdrop that she would come to terms with the fact that Inu Yasha was a taken man. The defeated look on her face and the way she had buttoned up her dress higher told him that Ikume had silently bowed out of a competition she could have never won.

“Well, I think it's about time we left you lovebirds alone. Call me if the idiot gets shot again. Try to stay out of trouble.” Shippo practically pleaded the last part.

“I'm not an idiot.” The hanyou pouted.

The two kitsune rolled their eyes. Ikume removed the IV; she did not bother with a band aid. By the time she had removed the needle the puncture wound had almost completely closed. Finally, they bid the couple farewell. Shippo sidled over to Inu Yasha and whispered something into his ear (which made it twitch) that the miko could not make out. Whatever he had said caused the dog demon to blush and he quickly socked the sly trickster in the shoulder. He laughed and rubbed his sore arm, it had been a while since he had been on the receiving end of one of Inu Yasha's punches. Shippo marveled at how much the half-demon of his time (not the one sitting before him) had matured in six hundred years.

“We'll see you two later tonight for dinner.” He waved and led Ikume off.

Kagome waited for them to leave.

Once, they were gone the miko clambered onto the edge of the bed, staring inquisitively at her cohort, “So, what did Shippo say to you?”

He crossed his arms, the blush that normally remained in his ears had grown so much that it had spread to his cheeks. It was the first time she realized his blush was most prominent in the insides of his pointed ears. She found it to be quite cute. He continued to spout garbled nonsense.

“Sh-Shippo? Oh, I-I don't know what he said. I couldn't hear him. Yeah, that's it.” As if saying the lie somehow made him believe it he repeated, “I couldn't hear him.”

Stormy blue pools narrowed as she gave him a withering look. “You must think I'm an idiot if you think I would believe that. You have far too good of hearing for that. If Shippo had whispered across the room you would have known exactly what he was saying.”

He couldn't argue with that. Inu Yasha became incomprehensible again and fidgeted. One of his ears twitched in a rhythmic pattern that she had recognized long ago as an indication of his internal discomfort. It meant that he couldn't decide if he ought to go on the attack and snap at her, or spill his guts. He decided to go on the offensive.

“Oi, woman, it's none of your business! It's something between us men.”

His anger only fueled her curiosity. Kagome placed her palms in front of her and then proceeded to slowly crawl closer. Her blue eyes sparkled in the light.

“It so is my business! If you're being evasive then I have to know!”

Her pose made him stare. The fight left him as he watched her every move. Her curves were hard for a man to ignore, especially in tight-fitting blue jeans. Her shape and looks stupefied him. The miko took his silence as a sign of stubbornness and she crawled closer still.

“Answer me, Inu Yasha! What did Shippo say?”

“Shippo? What? Is he back?” He murmured, enchanted by the alluring picture of beauty before him. The hanyou had completely forgotten the subject of their argument. Somewhere during the time she was closing the distance between them his brain had become too busy making sure his eyes took in every detail of her body. According to his mind, conversation had taken secondary priority.

“Back?” She hesitated and looked behind her at the open bedroom door, “What, can you hear him or smell him or something?”

“N-no…He's not here. Did I say he was? I can't remember.”

Kagome gave him a concerned look. Shippo had mentioned that he might suffer from memory loss if he was still bleeding internally from somewhere. He said the best way to check was to press her hand to his cheek. If it was flushed then he was okay. With that in mind she scuttled forward and pressed her cool hand to his cheek. Much as Shippo had predicted he was blushing furiously, his mouth hung partially open.

Golden eyes locked on hers for a few seconds before moving down to observe her soft pink lips. He had kissed her before, but something else told him he should do so again…something primal. The dog-demon's uncomfortable silence had made her a little nervous and his sensitive nose picked up on the change in her scent. He did not smell fear at all; he still marveled at that. Kagome took everything in stride. She accepted everyone, regardless of their demonic state and she even had the courage to give someone as powerful as him attitude. He knew she would have been a great leader of demons, had she been one. Somehow, she had fallen in love with a scruffy whelp like him.

His claws came up to hold her upper arms, the hanyou was careful not to prick her delicate skin with his razor-sharp nails. Her cheeks turned pink as realization set in at their intimate arrangement. Shippo had set her up to cause this little scene; she was certain of that now. Inu Yasha had never been in any real danger… the clever bugger.

Kagome's thoughts were interrupted as the dog-demon leaned in. He could hear her heartbeat accelerate and her scent was so alluring. Her hand had never left his cheek. It had warmed against his burning skin, the hanyou wanted to know if hers felt just the same. One hand moved up from her arm to her shoulder, then up into her hair instead. They sat there in that frozen position for several minutes. Then slowly, Inu Yasha cupped the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss.

Her hand slipped from his face to better hold her body up as she was pulled in. Eventually her other hand settled down on the opposite side of his body, holding herself up half-over him as they continued their kiss. Finally, the dog demon broke their embrace. He gently eased her away just enough to lock eyes with her, holding her face in both of his hands. His words came low and husky as he spoke.

“Are you sure… are you sure you want me?”

Kagome gave him an are-you-kidding-me look before answering by pressing her lips firmly onto his again. He was still asking her that after all this time. Would he ever trust that her feelings for him were true? In fact, Inu Yasha was asking permission for a different reason. He pressed more insistent kisses on her lips and she happily responded as his breathing shortened and occasionally a soft growl emanated from his throat. Her scent was intoxicating him, calling him to break away from her lips to her chin and along her jaw. Near her ear he somehow managed to speak again.

“You wanted to know what Shippo told me. He said I should mark you before we went back. The mark would make you safer.”

Kagome turned her head to train her eyes on him obviously confused, “Mark?”

“Shit. He said you wouldn't know.” He sighed and closed his eyes, thinking took far too long while her body hovered above him and her scent overwhelmed his senses. “It's kind of like a ritual… it says you're mine.”

“How does that make me safe?”

She could have sworn Shippo was giggling hysterically from somewhere. Sure, it was all in her mind, but Inu Yasha's awkwardness was always far too entertaining for the kitsune. Of course he would let the dog demon blunder his way through what was apparently a sensitive subject. The hanyou kept his eyes closed while he thought.

“Safe…” Again, his feral side insisted that he should just shut the hell up and do it already before she said no but his humanity pushed for him to explain further. “…It keeps you safe because other demons can scent it. It scares them off.”

“Well, why didn't you mark me sooner?” She sounded slightly annoyed.

Inu Yasha raised an eyebrow at that and opened his eyes to give her a glare, “Because, woman, it's a mating practice. It says, `Oi, you bastards, this one's mated and the demon's powerful. Don't touch her.' Any demons close enough to scent you would know.”

Kagome gaped at him for a few awkward seconds before she had the ability for formulate a response, “I thought I already was your mate-er-girlfriend.”

He growled in frustration, “I forgot when we talked about it before…Shippo reminded me.” He was growing tired of the conversation and wanted to get the marking over with.

“So do it.” Her reply was so matter-of-fact that it stunned him.

“F-fine,” He stumbled over his words while his mind tried to collect itself, having been certain there would have been more of a fuss. Then again, perhaps she did not know what the mark entailed? He had to tell her.

“I'll have to…” He hesitated for a moment before he found the courage to finish saying it, “I'll have to bite you…”

“Ah, so THAT'S why you're being evasive. Well, it's a love-bite, right? Those aren't exactly killer.”

He was surprised she knew about that, but then again he forgot she had a cat and had witnessed a love-bite on more than one occasion. She was right. It would be a single bite and it would heal quickly from his saliva. Still, the thought of hurting her in any sense pained him. Before he knew it his face was in her hands and she was smiling.

“It's okay. It will make me safer, right?”

He nodded, relief washing over him, “Yes.”

He pulled her in close in one of his signature bear hugs. She fell against his chest as she was jerked forward so suddenly. Her nose hurt a little where it had bumped his sternum but she ignored it. They stayed that way for countless minutes before Inu Yasha finally worked up the courage to tilt her head up gently. He could see the muscles beneath her skin in her neck and shoulders tense as she prepared for the bite like one might receive a vaccine. It would not do to have her tensed up; it would leave a nasty bruise.

Fighting his instincts, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. For a moment, her mouth was slack; apparently surprised that he did not mark her right away. Good. He wanted her to relax. If he could get her to forget for just a second then he would make his move. Gradually, Kagome began to return his kiss. As she did she leaned into his chest and he couldn't resist an excited growl. His lips followed the same trail they had taken before while his palms moved up and down her back. At her ear he murmured her name and reminded her that he loved her, nuzzling her head further to the side.

A claw moved up from her back to brush back her hair away from one shoulder. At first he was worried that she might realize what he was about to do but the young girl was too focused on his kisses to notice. As his lips dragged down to her neck he scooted backwards into the bed rest, forcing him into a more upright sitting position. Her pulse thrummed near her collar bone and he gave it a quick kiss before moving past it. He nosed back the collar of her shirt and angled his head forward and behind her head to her deltoid muscle. No demon would dare risk causing an unstoppable bleed by biting her neck anywhere near the jugular vein.

Inu Yasha paused for only a second before wrapping his arms around her tightly and sinking his fangs behind her neck. Kagome gave a short, surprised gasp as two sharp pin-pricks of pain took her breath away. Her hands instinctively tried to push away from his chest but the hanyou held her fast in an iron grip, growling his displeasure that his mate would struggle. She was his now.

The scent and taste of her blood was all around him and the last vestiges of his control vanished. He squeezed her tightly, though not too tight, no demon would ever be blinded by bloodlust so much that they might endanger their mate's lives or their ability to provide kin. After his possessive hug he pulled his fangs out in a quick motion, slashed his lower lip open with one of his sharp canines, and then kissed and licked the wound. His blood intermixed with hers would last for years because it did not break down as easily as a human's would. What he did not know was that it would also prolong her life and speed the healing time of any injuries.

The dog-demon pulled his head away, his eyes shielded by his long bangs. His hair did not hide the light purple stripes that crawled across his cheeks. Kagome quickly realized that he looked different than the other times he had gone fully demonic. The stripes on his face were too light and his exposed canines looked only half as long. He also held her tightly, but gently.

“Inu Yasha?” She questioned, wriggling a hand out from between their chests to brush away some of the hair from his face.

His eyes were open beneath the bangs, the normally sunset-hued orbs were a bright purple encircled by a small band of red. Except for the ring of red around his iris the whites of his eyes were completely free of his tell-tale demonic coloring. Kagome's blood within his system had halted the hanyou's transition to a full demon. Apparently, it gave him the ability to worry.

“Did… I hurt you too much? I'm sorry.”

Her one free hand reached up to check the bite mark and one of the claws that had been resting on her back moved on top of it. She noted that even his claws were half as long. The two concave wounds the miko found were dry, having already stopped bleeding almost as soon as the half demon had released her skin from his mouth.

“I'm okay,” she finally replied, “It doesn't even hurt anymore.” Her other hand wriggled out from between them and touched his lower lip, “You're bleeding…”

At that moment some base instinct within the half-breed encouraged him to kiss her suddenly, transferring his blood to her a second time, sealing their bond. The miko's nose wrinkled as she tasted copper. Her initial revulsion from the flavor was quickly blocked out as his lip rapidly healed and he continued to insistently press on her mouth. A small voice in her mind whispered to her to end their embrace before it got out of hand but a larger part of her had longed for such an intimate moment.

Just as his claws dug into the back of her shirt to tear it off her cell phone buzzed from her pants pocket. Initially the miko ignored it until she opened her eyes to see that the dog-demon's ears had flattened against his skull in irritation. Additionally, the marks on his cheeks were beginning to fade and his eyes had returned to their normal golden hue. She gave him a sheepish smile.

“That's the alarm to get ready for dinner… sorry.”

Inu Yasha groaned and released her. He desperately needed a cold shower to calm down. However, before he had the chance to get into the bathroom the miko had beat him to the punch.

As soon as the bathroom door had closed he muttered to himself, “Will we ever have any peace?”

In the bathroom Kagome turned this way and that and fussed with her hair to examine the two red holes. She marveled at how much the puncture wounds had healed in the brief time she had received them. Her fingers played over the marks, which had swelled slightly her reward was a tiny jolt of pain. Her face scrunched up in a wince.

“So this makes me yours now, huh?” She murmured to herself, watching a slow blush tinge her cheeks.

With a shake of her head to clear her thoughts the miko turned around to the tub and began to fill it with water. A long soak was just what she needed to go over their most recent turn of events.

In the living area Inu Yasha was too fixated on replaying the memories of the marking and the taste of her lips to remember how to properly dress for a formal dinner. Every time he picked up a shirt and inspected it his thoughts would be invariably drawn back to picturing Kagome. While he enjoyed the memory it was frustrating his efforts to pick out the appropriate outfit to no end. Finally, he gave up and stomped over to the bathroom door, calling out to the miko.

“Oi, woman, what the hell do I wear to this dinner?”

There was no response. He could not hear the water running so it was not like his voice had been drowned out by anything. He waited a moment and then banged his fist on the door; perhaps she was being stubborn for some reason?

“Kagome, you have to tell me what you stupid humans wear to these damned events!”

The silence continued. The hanyou grew slightly nervous. Was she mad at him?

“Stupid woman, answer me!”

Still no sound; in his over-protective mind he conjured up images of the miko slipping in the tub and hitting her head. She might have been drowning while he stood around stupidly!

“I-I'm coming in there!” He barked warningly before throwing the bathroom door open.

In the bathroom he found the miko lying at the bottom of the tub, eyes closed. With a welling sense of dread he scrambled to kneel at the edge of the tub and yank her out of the water. Immediately Kagome's eyes shot open and she sputtered at him.

“What the… Inu Yasha! What the hell are you doing in here? Eek! Don't look!”

He was so surprised by her reaction that he immediately released her and she splashed back into the water with a gasp. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he tried unsuccessfully to stop staring at her nude form. Words burbled from his lips with little coherence as he tried to explain why he had come in there.

“I… but… you…. I thought you… I was…”

“Get out!” She shrieked.

He tried to scuttle backwards away from her crab-like until one of his palms slipped in a patch of water which had spilled out of the tub when he had dropped her. With a surprised yelp he crashed into the floor.

While he was stunned Kagome jumped out of the tub and grabbed a nearby towel, throwing it around her body. She stood over him with fire in her eyes as she shook her finger at him.

“J-just because you marked me doesn't mean you can just barge in on me like that!”

The dog-demon had only barely recovered from his collision with the floor and coughed before responding, pushing himself up onto one elbow. He figured that he might as well stay on the floor; the likelihood that he would be sat was very high. If he was already close to the ground then the inevitable crash would not hurt quite so bad.

“Stupid wench, I thought you were drowning! I called and called out to you and you never responded.”

“I was underwater! I couldn't hear you!” she shouted back.

“Well I didn't know that! I was trying to ask you something!” He snarled.

His last point threw cold water onto the flames of her anger. She realized quickly that he had been trying to look out for her. Still, the stubborn miko would not give him the satisfaction of vindication and stomped past him into the bedroom where she sat behind the bed on the opposite side of where the bathroom lay and began to pull on her clothes. He waited until her grumbling had come to an end before slowly rising to his feet again.

“So what did you want, Inu Yasha?”

His reply was chock full of irritation, “I was trying to ask you what I needed to wear for that damned dinner!”

Without a reply, the miko headed into the living area and rooted through his shopping bags until she found a pair of black slacks, a blue button down shirt, and a black dinner jacket. Kagome tossed each piece of clothing to him one at a time. He pulled on the shirt first, having been bare-chested all day anyway. Without a second thought he dropped his shorts and yanked on his pants, to which the miko blushed and turned away, muttering something about men having no common decency. Moments later the hanyou was dressed and ready to go.

She had to admit he looked dashing as usual. No one would have suspected that the handsome young man was an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed half demon. For some reason the thought brought a smile to her lips. Her smile confused the dog-demon, who was still convinced she was ready and willing to sit him for having stared at her naked…again. Oh gods, he was a dead man. She was still smiling absently to herself as she pulled the strap of her purse over her shoulder and strode to the door. Kagome glanced back at him.

“Are you coming?”

“Feh.”

“I'll take that as a yes.”