InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Lemon-Scented Bath Salts of Fate & Time ❯ 500 Years Is Long Enough ( Chapter 4 )

Lemon-scented Bath Salts of Fate & Time.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I make no profit off this story other than the ability to sleep at night because it’s not longer pinging around in my skull.





Chapter 4 – 500 years is long enough for Fate to recycle her ideas

Waiting was one of his least favorite activities - but one he'd started to become used to since Kagome entered his life. His fire-rat haori, along with the rest of his clothes were in a neat pile, awaiting Kagome's return from the bath. Then he'd help her with laundry.

Leaning back against her bed, he sighed, inhaling deeply. This room was his favorite place. Besides the Goshinbuku. When he sat in this room, her scent was the only thing he could smell. It was HER room. So comforting to feel nestled snug inside her scent. And the yukata her mother had made had obviously been in this room for some time - she may have even worn it once or twice, because the smell on it was all Kagome. He pulled it tighter around his otherwise naked form and breathed deep.

It would be better, though, would smell more right, if a bit of his smell were laced through it all. That would be perfect. To have the room smell like the two of them.

He snapped himself out of his thoughts. What he'd just been imagining... It wasn't ever going to happen. The only way for her scent to mix with his like that would be if she became his mate. He couldn't let himself think that she would ever allow that. That she would ever be his mate. His mate...

Again, he pictured those parts where the clothes had been clinging. They were out in the yard, and she was wet, and he stalked over to her, growling possessively. "Inuyasha," she'd question, "What's wrong?" And he'd respond, "Standing in wet clothes is bad for you." And then his claws would slash down the front of her garment, between her breasts, shredding them and leaving her standing before him, shivering and with nothing between them. "You're cold now, but I'll warm you," he'd say, and she'd smile at him and say, "I've wanted you to warm me for so long." And he'd pull her naked form to his, embracing her, lifting her chin so that his lips could capture -

'DAMMIT!' Now he was having dreams while he was awake. This just couldn't be good for him. He wanted to take a few deep breaths to calm the parts of him that were apparently overexcited by his own stupid imagination, but he knew that would just draw in more of her scent and would have the opposite effect from what was intended.

Instead, he forced himself to repeat the facts of life as he knew them. He was nothing but a dirty hanyou. A beautiful, strong, smart, funny, pure miko like Kagome would never want him the way he wanted her. She loved him as a friend. There was no way he'd risk that. He didn't even deserve THAT much. No. He'd just stay by her side and protect her.

He leaned his head back, resigned to waiting some more.

X


Her forehead rested against the shower wall, the steamy water cascaded down her neck, shoulders, back, soothing away the chill from the cold hose water.

'Why do I keep doing this to myself? The more time I spend with him, the more time I spend thinking things I shouldn't. I mean, just because he cleans up after you, you let yourself think he LIKES you? He just didn't want to face the wrath of mom!'

She stood and let the water blast her in the face, then bent for her shampoo. It was new. There was a light citrus scent, but it was all natural, so the fragrance shouldn't bother him.

And there it was again. Even without thinking she found herself doing things that she thought he'd like. From picking out a new shampoo and soap, to switching to the brand of ramen he liked best, to wearing more greens since he'd once commented when something she wore matched her eyes. He hadn't said he'd liked it. Just that it was the same color. No further commentary. But that color had become a staple. That and red. She knew he liked red best.

'Why can't I stop myself? I do things I think he'll like, when I KNOW that he couldn't care less. I know, we're friends - I may be the first friend he ever had...

'That's really depressing. It pisses me off that no one else ever bothered to see how funny and bold he is. And he's a quick learner, too. AND he doesn't judge people.

'Oh, great, Kagome! Let's list off all his assets when we're trying NOT to think about him. Might as well add in his adorable ears that are so soft, and his pretty hair - God, if only MY hair were that nice! And let's not forget his strong back that we get to climb up on for every trip. If I just shifted a bit, I could wrap my legs around...

'NOT GOOD! Okay, first off, he doesn't want you like that. Okay. Just get over it. He loves Kikyo, and not you. Just because you're in love with him does not mean he'll EVER love you! Okay?

'FINE! And you know you're just lucky that he hasn't ever noticed that riding on his back gets you... excited.

'God,' she felt the water running over her, caressing the hollow between her breasts, 'if I ever did wrap my legs around him, he'd feet how hot I get. Heh. He'd probably just think I had a fever and was getting sick on him or something.'

In her mind, she pictured him turning to her, "Kagome, are you alright? You seem to have a fever." His eyes would be looking into hers - Oh, that's right. While going over his attributes, she neglected those warm amber eyes that were like dancing flames. Just looking into them could make you melt and be happy about it -and she'd be trapped in there. She'd reply, "It's just you." And then she'd lean toward him her legs tightening around his waist. And he'd...

Look at her like she was crazy.

'I keep doing this! This is beyond stupid! HE. Doesn't. Like me. Okay? We're just friends.'

Making quick work with soap and sponge, she washed the remainder of her body angrily. Then turned off the flow of water. Pulling back the shower curtain, she looked over to the furo that she'd filled up with hot water and bath salts before she even turned on the shower.

The idea had been to scrub the ick off in the shower, and then let the hot tub sooth some of her muscles. Was it even worth it to go in there now? Wouldn't she just start fantasizing about him again?

OOOOH. A fantasy about him JOINING her in the tub. That'd be good!

'NO! No, it most definitely would NOT be good. You need to face facts, girl, not keep living in a dream world.

'You know what? I DO know the facts. That's WHY I fantasize. Because it's never going to happen. And if it's never going to happen, I may as well enjoy the fantasies while I can so just shut up!

'This is great. Now I'm developing a split personality!' She stuck out her tongue at herself in her mind.

'You know what? Screw it. Why CAN'T I enjoy the fantasy. *I* know that's all it is. What further damage could it possibly do?' Having no answer to that question, she nodded to herself.

Now to figure out how she would get the hanyou in the other room to join her in the bath. Not in reality - just in her mind. ' Oh. Maybe if he had been splattered with demon, too. No. That would be icky. Hmmm. It's a fantasy, right. So... he just wants me and sneaks into the bath while I'm already there soaking. Yeah....'

She stepped over the lip of the tub, and lifted her other foot to step the rest of the way in. That's when her first foot slipped out from under her. With nothing to grab onto, her arms flapped as she fell backward. "AAAAAaaah!" She yelped and then felt her head hit the tub's edge. And then all thought was gone.

X


The sound of water had stopped. 'Good. She'll be done in just a couple of minutes, and we can get out of here. I hate sitting in her room like this.' He'd gotten very good at lying to himself since he'd met her. Actually, to be fair, he'd been pretty good at lying to himself even before he met her. But his level of impatience had definitely increased.

Tapping his foot idly, he started staring at her bathroom door, waiting for her to exit. 'What the hell is taking her so long? It doesn't take this long to dry off!' Frustrated, he stood up. Not because he planned on going in after her - that would be a bad plan. Naked Kagome would result in hanyou losing control. But his standing gave him something to do. Moving was good when frustrated. Perhaps pacing would even be in order.

"Aaaah!" THUNK.

There wasn't even a second of hesitation. If there was one thing he knew, it was trouble when he heard it. Or saw it. That bathroom was trouble. That sound more so.

He lunged at the door and almost ripped it off it's hinges (for those who are big into traditional Japanese houses, you can read this "threw it off it's track") in his haste. As soon as the door was open, he was bombarded with the smell of clean Kagome. There was also a bit of herbs and... lemons and oranges? But mostly, it was just clean Kagome. His heart began to race.

No one was yelling at him for busting in, so he scanned the room. His heart froze for a nanosecond as he processed the scene. Then in a single bound, he jumped in the furo.

She was floating on her back, unconscious. He sniffed and could smell no blood. Sitting in the water so that he could pull her up to him, he would make sure she was breathing. If she wasn't, he would get her out of the water and do that thing he'd seen on the box with pictures that moved. This guy pressed on this woman's chest because she wasn't breathing, and then blew air into her mouth. It was like he was forcing air in and out of her lungs, and by doing so her lungs remembered that was what they were supposed to do.

This thought took place in the amount of time it took to sit and grab her. He held her, cradled in his arms, and immediately felt her breath on his cheek. Thank god.

Part of his brain registered that he was holding a naked Kagome in his lap. Touching her. His yukata had come untied in his haste to get to her. He didn't really know how to wear one of those things anyway - his pants and shirt were more practical - so he hadn't tied it properly shut. So her skin was now touching his. His legs supporting her firm bottom and thighs, her shoulder pressed against his chest.

But that didn't matter now. She was breathing, and that was good. But she wasn't awake, and that was not good. With a touch as light as a feather, his fingers traced the back of her head. There was a bump on it, as expected, but it wasn't too bad.

So why wasn't she waking up?

What if she never woke up? That happened sometimes. People hit their heads and they didn't die right away - they just slept until they faded out of life. And that breathing reminder thing didn't work if the person was already breathing.

'No. No no no no no.' He lightly slapped her face, but she didn't respond.

"No. Kagome. Wake up.

"Wake up, Kagome. Come on, Kagome, get up."

He rested his forehead against hers. "You're stronger than this, Kagome. You're the strongest person I've ever known. You can't do this. You gotta wake up."

Suddenly, he became very certain this was it. It was just his luck. She'd die because of a stupid fall in the danger room. He knew he hated this room from the moment he first saw it.

"You can't leave me, Kagome. I'll do anything you want. Don't leave me. Please!"

He didn't realize that his eyes were slowly leaking. "Please, Kagome, wake up. I'll do anything. Please."

He shook her a little bit. "Wake UP, Kagome! Wake UP!"

Crushing her to him tightly, "Please wake up, Kagome. I need you. I need you."

His tears were bathing her shoulder. "Please don't leave me, Kagome.

"Please. I love you."

X