InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Memories of Us ❯ Barriers ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters. And I do not intent to gain any kind of gain for this work of fanfiction.

~Memories of Us~

Chapter 4. Barriers

The hanyou sighed. The last couple of weeks had been difficult. For both of them. Kagome trained almost every day from dawn and finished well after dark. He had been diligent about picking her up. Sometimes she was so tired he had to carry her on his back, he wasn't complaining, it was something he offered every night actually. But he didn't like the fact that the old hag and the bouzu were working her out like that. Besides she never, never complained! Never! As if it wasn't burning her out like a candle!

He knew Kagome had a big heart. She really did. His cheeks got hot and he smirked thinking it was good he was alone on the Goshimboku's higher branches, shielded from curious eyes. He nestled on the branch again thinking his miko had the biggest heart in the world.

Just thinking about it `his miko' made the heat in his cheeks go up to his ears. He flicked his fluffy ears around trying to cool them. Neither Kagome nor he had said anything concrete about what would happen after she finished her training. Damn training! But he was sure after she finished the only thing needed was to build their home. He felt a giggle coming to his lips and muffled clearing his throat. A house, and the only thing standing between them would be the lack of courage to ask her to be with him as… The heat was starting to get too intense on his cheeks. He cleared his throat again. …to be with him as husband and wife.

The thought gave him a shiver of expectation and he had a stupid grin in his lips. He frowned again. They needed a house… If they needed a hut he would be the one building his family home. There was the heat in his ears again.

The thought of having a hut of their own started to become more and more real as he focused on the situation. The hut couldn't be around the rest of the village. It was dangerous for them and for himself. Being around them would mean risking the secret of the new moon. Beside he knew that any supernatural creature coming to the village would go first to him, being the strongest non-human occupant of this lands. He decided that building the hut in his favorite part of the forest would mean a long distance walk for Kagome every day. He was deep in his thoughts when the voice of and elder came to his ears.

He instantly remembered why he had looked for shelter on the higher branches of the sacred tree. In was that damned elder. Since Kagome came back that group of old wrinkly humans had been demanding his attention more and more asking him, ordering was the correct word, to do stuff around the village. He didn't like the way they were treating him, like some kind of servant. But if that made easier for Kagome to be accepted as she wanted, he would continue to do it.

Yeah, he would do it. But not right now.

Going back to the important stuff he decided the best place for the hut was close to his forest. He knew of a clearing close to the border of the forest, close enough for a quick walk to get to the village, or the Goshimboku. The clearing was partially hidden from the other humans. The hanyou smiled pleased with himself. The place for his future home was decided.

He heard the elder walk closer to the tree, still trying to not be seen, --> as the elder's voice traveled to his ears[Author:AW] . The hanyou scoffed, it was the elder he disliked the most. The old man was as ugly inside as he was outside. Being shorter than most humans, he had a bulbous appearance, starting with his balding head that still sported some grow on the sides, a swollen face that connected with his torso with something that could barely be called neck, his also bulbous torso that protruded in a way it reminded him of a very pregnant belly with more than one pup inside. The silver haired man shuddered remembering the smell that even with the multiple layers of his overly worn garments before washing never fail to sting his nose. It was the smell of old alcohol and dried sweat on dirty skin. Inuyasha really disliked this elder.

The hanyou's ears perked up when the word “miko” left the elder's lips.

“That damned servant doesn't know his place. And neither does the” the old men made a mocking sound through his nose “miko, a servant is to be controlled, and to serve its master. The both need to learn, and they will”

Inuyasha's jaw clenched holding back a growl. Nobody was allowed to talk about his miko in that tone.

“I hate this fucking forest! I should not be here looking for this hanyou. He should be put on a leash like the dog he is! It needs a lesson, running around like a wild beast with no bounds to the village that allows him to be near.” The old man was now almost bellow the branch that hid Inuyasha, and oblivious to his presence the mean speech continued.

“And that woman even lets the dog sleep inside the hut. The next thing will be the disgrace of bedding the beast. A whoring miko!”

Inuyasha was trying his hardest to stop himself from coming down and gut the human. The man was close enough for him to kill him before he even knew hanyou was there. And in Inuyasha's forest --> humans were not in frequent enough to even discover a body[Author:AW] let alone identify it. His claws cracked ready to strike, but as easy as it may look and as --> easy it would [Author:AW] be to get away with, he wouldn't, --> no couldn't [Author:AW] do it. He was not betray the oath he made. He swore to keep the humans safe, and disposing of stupid old men, was not part of that.

When he felt his strength weaken as he lower himself silently to a branch closer to the ground, the only thing capable of stopping him again was picturing Kagome's sad and disappointed look knowing what he planned to do. That stopped him instantly.

“That's what this village is going to have thanks to this beast, it should have died when the last real miko was still…” The elder didn't finish the sentence as his bulbous front made contact with the ground and a pained sound replaced the word. One of the Goshimboku's roots had trapped his foot and he fell as big as he was.

The bitter man was still swearing under his breath before standing up when the hanyou landed graciously in front of his head. Inuyasha could not stop a grin even when his eyes showed the contained anger he felt.

“Ya need me. Old man?” Even as the elder was getting up with much difficulty Inuyasha said nothing more nor did he move a muscle to help. He only towered in front of him with an angry, mocking smirk.

The elder watch him with furious eyes and a face redder than normal “We need to knock down an old hut. The strength of a beast is needed” he finished with a bad copy of Inuyasha's smirk.

“I have nothing to do now. I'll go and help the weak humans. Be sure to go back to the village without kissing the ground again, old man,” Inuyasha knew how much this human liked to say the last word so he jumped to the trees before he gathered the air needed to talk. Even if he was out of the hearing range of the old man, the hanyou heard the angry words of the stupid human.

“You are nothing more than a glorified livestock, hanyou”.

Inuyasha was still seething when he reached the hut, it was easy to identify, close to the older part of the village, --> and[Author:AW] this hut hadn't been occupied since the last human of the family had died from a nasty case of flu. It had been so strong that even Kaede had kept her distance and the villagers avoided the area for a long time after he disposed of the body. The structure looked weak. He sighed, destroying it would not take the edge of his anger.

With a few punches and youki infused attacks there was no hut anymore, only a pile of --> broken and splintered wood left at the foundation[Author:AW] . Without being noticed a man stood watching him until he finished and looked at his work. Surprising Inuyasha with his words “Thank you. That was fast”.

The hanyou looked at the old man. It was the elder that had organized Kagome's welcome. This was his least disliked elder. This old man reminded him of Kaede in his manners and calmness. Still he didn't trust him. Humans had no real loyalties and kind people could turn into enemies in a second.

His only response was a court nod in his direction and “You need something else?”

The elder shook his white haired head slowly and smiled. “We will take care of the rest.”

Inuyasha nodded again and jumped again as he saw the bulbous elder walking with much more energy he had ever saw him in the three years he had been around. He moved faster to prevent another exchange with the man and went back to the forest.

He wanted to go to Kagome, just seeing her would help to relax him, but she had forbidden his visits during training. It distracted her --> and although the thought of him being a distraction for her did things to his ego, her being distracted could actually prove dangerous[Author:AW] . The other option was to visit the old hag and spend time there, but his current --> mood[Author:AW] would --> raise[Author:AW] questions that wasn't ready to answer without feeling the need to shred something.

He decided it was a good time to start cutting the core structure of a hut. He went to check the place he liked and started the work. Maybe if --> he wore himself out it would take the edge off his thoughts. Hopefully[Author:AW] .

Kagome started her day early with the cleansing ritual, being careful not to overdo it. After that first time she had been careful to stop herself from following the flow.

After she was done it was time for her training with her spiritual power. They had been working with the physical manifestation and control of the intensity used. Kaede once explained that when she could control her powers enough they could even help to heal. At least humans. She had to remember that helping Shippou and Inuyasha was not possible. At least not without hurting them.

Now she was capable of bringing her powers to a focused point on her body. She was able to project it to envelope someone or something to purify it. All this time Miroku had been the subject of their little tests.

Now her teacher, Miroku, was explaining the nature of barriers.

“During our journey we encounter different barriers, serving different purposes. The characteristics, range and purpose are the three aspects you need to think when willing a barrier to appear and sustain,” He changed his posture and clasped his hands together, he showed her both the position he had been taught in his training and the one he learned from Kaede. She copied both imitating him.

“Very well. The next thing we need to try is extending the range of your powers.” He gave her a side smile “I'm sure your range is enough to cover this entire village, but…” The playful glint in his eyes “The bigger or stronger your barrier is, the more power it will demand. Let's start bringing your energy out of your body.”

She sat in the meditation position and listened with attention as he instructed her to close her eyes and focus on reaching for her powers.

“Now, let it envelope you completely. Imagine it around you, picture it clearly growing from your body and slowly occupying more space. Remember, you have to picture it in detail in order for it to work.”

Kagome breathed slowly trying to calm her nerves and forget the mishaps of this morning… it was not important and would not ruin her day. She breathed again, emptying her mind from distractions and followed the steps. Reach, envelope, picture, and make it grow and expand… She kept her eyes closed but the monk observed how the pink glow of her reiki enveloped, noticing how her powers seemed to be easier for her to reach, the energy started to separate from her slowly, but instead of forming the dome of a kekkai, the energy formed a ring around the woman, thickening slowly, and at the time her brow furrowed in concentration the ring quickly expanded, running through him and everything on sight.

When the energy passed, the monk could feel it was not an attack, it was more of a reckon, probing at her surroundings, he could feel the energy still expanding steadily, right now it was reaching the limits of the village. He had to stop her before she found any antagonizing presence.

“Kagome, you can stop now,” he could not feel the wave's limit, meaning it was well inside the forest by now. “Breath and open your eyes” Her face relaxed and eyes looked at his face searching for clues regarding her performance. He opened his lips to begin when the wave came back and hit him on the back first. The ring came back to circle Kagome for a moment before entering her body. She gasped and her eyes became incredible wide.

“Are you alright, Kagome?” She only nodded feeling her heartbeat race in her chest and her whole body covered on goosebumps. The monk looked worried at the strange expression on the miko's face, more so when she close her grey eyes and seem to focus on something and smile.

“Kagome!” Was the greeting from the approaching hanyou. He had felt Kagome's presence around him for a moment before the energy pulled back from where it came, he felt the need to follow and check on her. His intentions were to check on her from afar, but the shocked and preoccupied monk made impossible for him to be apart anymore.

Miroku looked up to his friend's face, he tried to speak but was blocked by Kagome's outburst. “I felt you! Again!” Her face lit with happiness as her eyes locked on Inuyasha's face. He seemed to relax at her words. Inuyasha sat beside her without invitation or permission and Kagome kept her focus on him. Miroku felt ignored for a moment but his curiosity kept him from talking.

“I felt you, you were in the woods, doing something on the ground” She tilted her head “What were you doing there?” Inuyasha looked down, searching franticly for an excuse.

“Just cutting some wood,” She tilted her head again shrugging and seemed to accept his lie with no more questions.

“Did you sense anything else?” The question came from the monk and Kagome beamed a smile on his direction. “I felt everyone in the village, Kaede is in the field with Rin, Shippou and some man, outsider perhaps, Sango at home with the children, she is cleaning as they take a nap” Both men stared at her with something that she wanted to call surprise, but wasn't completely sure.

“Please explain…” Said the monk with his voice barely above a whisper.

“I did as you told me, and when you ordered to stop, I did and opened my eyes, then the ring appeared and as it came inside me, I saw everything that was happening in the village” She looked around, signaling the woods and the river. “I saw everything around this”.

Her smile faded when Miroku's face became stern and Inuyasha didn't look pleased. “I wouldn't recommend you to try this often.” Kagome's eyebrows went up, Miroku continued answering the unspoken question. “I was able to feel your energy and Inuyasha was too, if you come across some kind of youkai as you do…that technique…its possible your location would become known to them”. Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

As her mood grew sour, the monk stood up dismissing both of them of the training grounds. He started walking away when the little Kitsune came running.

“Miroku! Inuyasha! There is a job for you!” He said before reaching them. He automatically landed in front of Inuyasha. “A traveler came and ask for help! Kaede wants to talk to both of you!” Shippou finished and looked expectantly around him.

“Tell the old hag we're coming,” Inuyasha told him showing his dislike of being summoned when the monk had just given them a free afternoon. Damned fucking luck. Shippou nodded with a somewhat worried face and ran back, not wanting to get involved in the situation.

The three of them reached Kaede's hut. As usual Kagome and Inuyasha were sitting side by side, this time both of them against the side wall, with Miroku on the opposite side of the fire and Kaede with Rin facing the door. The old miko explained a visitor had come searching for shelter, and looking for help. His village had been attacked almost every day for more than a week. The outsider had explained the youkai only came at night and took one villager from their home without being seen.

“Then how do they know is a youkai and not some assassin or a bandit?” Questioned Kagome at the same time she left her head rest on Inuyasha's shoulder. The soft grumbling in his chest only loud enough for her to notice. Kaede spoke in her calm, tired demeanor.

“I asked the same child, he said it only took one person by night but everyone else in the house becomes paralyzed for half a day.” She also said the village had no idea what kind of demon was, those were the only clues it had left behind.

Inuyasha smiled. This was a great opportunity to gain some money and use it on his little project. This way Kagome could go on her training and he could get everything else he needed for the hut without her knowledge.

“Alright we'll go tomorrow!” He declared to the rest. Miroku looked confused, Inuyasha was known for being impatient, delaying their departure was not normal.

“It's only noon, we can get going after lunch” Said the monk.

Inuyasha shook his head and an annoyed deep voice sounded low in the hut “I won't be on the road tonight… Tomorrow morning is good.” The hanyou's eyes drilled the ceiling of the hut with disgust. Kagome's hand slid in his and clasped tightly. “This night is not safe,” was the rest of his explanation. Miroku nodded understanding the implications of his words. Tonight was a moonless night.

Kaede told them the rest of the information she gathered. The village was three towns south and it took almost five days for the man to get to this village. Inuyasha scoffed saying take three days for them to get there. Miroku agreed with him and started to discuss the kind of youkai that could be doing these kind of attacks.

After lunch they were still talking about the best strategies taking in consideration the closeness of the river and the mountain. The youkai could travel at night from afar without the humans noticing.

Kagome interrupted their brainstorming. “I will go to check on the daughter of the Mean-elder” She knew that particular elder was prone to insult her hanyou and that made easier for her to only announce her leaving without inviting him to go. He wouldn't accept anyway. As she thought he only scoffed to no one in particular.

“It's a waste of your time to help that family. They don't deserve it”

She pushed the hanyou playfully as she got up faking an angry expression “Everyone deserves help and care, Inuyasha,” She smiled and winked at him “Besides, I'm helping his pregnant daughter not him…” The silver haired man blushed softly at her words, and nodded as she walked to the door. “I'll be back before sun set”.

She heard them go back to the brainstorming as she walked to the top of the hill, the place where the three funding families lived, they were the elders. Not entirely because of their age, but for the generations of their families living in the small village.

On the way there she encountered a woman who was struggling to move water to her hut. The woman's rounded belly making it difficult to go on her knees and pick the buckets. Without a second thought Kagome went to help her. After carrying the water she sent the woman to rest as she fed her toddler. --> It was well past noon when the pregnant woman woke up and thanked the miko for her help. [Author:AW]

Kagome kissed the baby good bye and started her way to the elder's home. This particular elder had the biggest house of the village. She was certain that he felt like a daimyo without the real power. After announcing her presence the pregnant daughter opened the door. The elder and a stranger were on the first room, almost as if they were waiting for her. She bowed greeting them. The stranger responded in kind, the elder almost dismissing her presence with his lack of attention.

He was still talking to the other man “This is our youngest miko, she is still on training”. Kagome bowed again as she looked at the other man. He was fairly young, his frame was broad but not particularly muscular, with an incipient baldness and a crude face. Maybe the crudeness came from the way he was looking at her, his eyes were too bright with something that looked like lust. She immediately disliked the man. The sound of his voice was not better. It was deep, nasal and his words slow and dragging the sounds longer than needed.

“You are a full woman but still in training, miko?”

Said woman forced her lips to form a smile as she turned her head to the man, “I come from a distant land and I just realized of my powers and abilities,” The man appeared to accept her explanation. Before he said anything else she spoke again. “I'll go to tend to Hisoka,” For an answer the elder moved her hand dismissing her from the room. She could still hear them when the venomous voice of the elder confided on the other man.

“She is a disgrace to the miko name.” She stopped to listen the rest of his words. “She even accepts a hanyou on her bed…a hanyou!” the other man made a surprised sound and the elder continued “A miko, bedding a hanyou!” he laughed mockingly “A miko in training huh…maybe that's why she never uses those supposed holy powers…” His tone became joyous --> as he marveled at his own[Author:AW] wit “…because there is nothing pure or holy about her,” Both men laughed.

Kagome stood outside of the room seething with rage. How dared they to say that about her? When she was in his house to check on her soon-to-be-married daughter! This was too much. Kagome was about to open the door to show them just how much real powers she had when the timid voice of Hisoka called her.

“Are you well, Lady Kagome?” The pregnant woman was incredible gentle and soft spoken. If everything went well with the pregnancy she would be living with her husband in just a few months. Hisoka told her in one of her last visits how her beloved came to ask for her hand in marriage and after some negotiations with her father the nightly visits began. And she had also told her how she soon she got pregnant. Being an only child with only her father to take care of her left her with many doubts on what her father liked to call `female problems'.

Kagome smiled and searched for the woman's face, slowly Hisoka gave her a soft smile with somewhat sad eyes. The miko walked to the younger woman's room. It was cozy and clean. The main reason for her visit was to bring her some herbs, good for the vitamins.

The visit took longer than she expected, many question were made and honestly she didn't have the answer half of them. She decided to write them down and ask Kaede about them later. Kagome said goodbye promising to return in a few days with some answers.

The miko looked up as she exited the house and cursed, it was almost dusk, and the reddish and violet colors in the sky meant Inuyasha was soon to come for her. She was adjusting her robes for a quick sprint when someone grabbed her by the arm. She jerked away in response.

It was the visitor, who now seemed to be inebriated, his face was flushed with a sickly spotted red and his eyes were watery and bloodshot. “Where are you running to, Miko?”

She tried to present herself calm and proper. “I'm going home, sir,” his hand moved from side to side in front of her.

“No `sir' me, Kagome… Mikio is my name”

Kagome bit back a laugh. How fitting was his name `tree trunk man' as he was as brilliant as his name.

“Well, Mikio. As I said, I'm going home. Good night”.

The man tried to grab her again but quickly moved out of his reach. “Going to your hanyou?” She stared ahead as she swiftly walked away. The only answer he got from her was an affirmative sound.

“Look at me when I'm talking to you woman!” Kagome groaned for two reasons. First this man was climbing up in her list of unpleasant people. And second she could feel Inuyasha's youki closing in, the fact he remained behind the tree line and his slower pace told her the change already started. She was late!

Not stopping she walked with the man on her heels. He kept talking, she was only giving him the smallest part of her attention. She needed a safe place, and some way to make this man go away. By his lips came the answer.

“So you are the miko that beds monsters!” she still didn't answer rousing his anger to a new level “If you are capable of live with yourself after that kind of unspeakable action. I think I deserve some of your attentions.” The drunk man smiled sordidly as she finally looked at him with disgust.

A brief flare in Inuyasha's youki told her he could hear them. She kept walking, almost reaching an abandoned hut, smiling inwardly she hear his newest insult, “I mean, at least I'm human… I could even take you with me to the village. After all, a powerless, soiled miko is no good. You could instead be a wife… of a human!” She finally stopped and turned to him with a blank expression. He interpreted as a sudden interest on his proposal.

Proud of himself he continued with his speech. “If you leave that filthy hanyou and come with me you could avoid carrying some abomination and you could even be a respectable enough wife.”

Kagome had enough, insulting Inuyasha when he was that close was not something they could do without retribution. She felt Inuyasha moved towards them, her head shot in his direction and with a small movement of her head he stopped. She will set this straight, if the outsider found out about Inuyasha they could have more problems.

She looked into his eyes and tried to copy the lewdest face she could imagine. Channeling Miroku's vibe for this. A shudder ran through the man's back, but too stupid to notice what was wrong he puffed his chest thinking he was going to be a lucky man tonight.

Her voice was ice and steel as she answered. “As flattered as I am with your offer... I will refuse.” The man tried to speak but her hand moved rapidly in front of his chest with her reiki glowing pink. “As you see I do have powers, so I'm still a miko,” She let her powers envelope her completely, “And about who I bed. I may bed a filthy hanyou and I may plan to carry some kind of abomination” The sexy façade gone, showing only the miko's anger in her scowling face and in the way her powers moved erratically around her. “But I will never lay with vermin… human or not”. She took a couple of step towards the man. “Oh, and my powers only harm people with ill intentions or rotten hearts… want to try them?” The almost sadistic smile in Kagome's face was enough to make him go white and walk backwards.

“Stupid Bitch!” was his good bye before running to the elder's house.

As her anger subsided she found the fun in the situation and a laugh that sounded slightly hysterical came from her, she was holding her sides when a set of arms took her and started moving, too fast for a human. She relaxed knowing she was safe.

She was dropped unceremoniously on her ass. Looking around she realized this was the abandoned hut. Her laugh hadn't completely subside when Inuyasha embedded the sliding door with Tessaiga and they were instantly protected by the sword's barrier.

The hut was small, with two windows on the side walls, letting the soft light of the moonless night in. Her eyes adapted slowly to the darkness, being able to make his form and expression but not to perceive color.

He turned to her frowning. She took her time calming herself as she drank his image. He towered her, with his customary angry expression, but now his ears were not flattened against his skull, two small elvish ears at his sides greeted her, his eyes not entirely dark yet and his hair showed a dirtier gray instead of the bright silver-almost-white. She smiled at him, at least she was present for the rest of his transformation.

“That was stupid Kagome!” his voice as a human always sounded sweeter to her, even as angry as he was, she only wanted him to keep talking.

“What was stupid, Inuyasha?” Asked with her sweetest and most innocent voice.

His eyes squinted with suspicion. He couldn't figure out what she was feeling with his nose gone and his human ears “Showing him your powers like that! And lying to him! Now he'll just go around saying bad-!”

She stood up with a loving smile on her lips. “What bad things?” She walked to him and hug him. He immediately reciprocated her actions. Looking up from his chest with her cheeks aflame she continued “That I prefer my hanyou that any human?” His cheeks copied her color as she kept going “or they I prefer to be carry a hanyou's child than a human's with a rotten heart?” she drove her hands up and down his back as he tensed with the last statement “Or… the fact that being a miko is part of me?” She rested her chin on his chest still searching for his eyes, her last question was only a whisper “Which part was bad? Every one of them seems amazing to me”

Inuyasha had trouble breathing. All those things delivered with no reservations made him feel humble and unworthy of her love. He could only breathe her name and look at her beautiful grey eyes.

Their lips met in a reverent kiss. Their lips meeting slowly, drinking the moment and the transcendent moment. The kiss conveyed all her honesty and hope for their future as he put his endless amazement at her acceptance of him. The world around them slowly disappear leaving them surrounded only by their love and hope. They separated as gently as it had started, with their foreheads still touching they waited for their breathing to become normal.

It all fell natural and right. The feeling they were exactly where they belonged made Inuyasha feel relaxed and nervous at the same time. With a heavy sigh he broke the contact.

He walked to the wall facing the door and sat down. On a moment of courage she walked to him and sat in the space between his crossed legs. If he was surprised she could not tell, but as his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her to his chest, she knew he was not against it.

His breath tickled her neck as he moved his head to rest it on her shoulder. By now his hair was as dark as hers and his ears were completely human. “What happened to you, wench?”

“Huh?”

She had to admit that focusing on his voice when she could feel the heat of his body pressing against her, feeling his steady heartbeat on her back, his breath moving some strands of hair as his strong hands rested on her belly, was too difficult.

He had to ask three times for her to understand the question. “Oh! I helped Chiharu to carry water to her home, then she fell sleep and babysat his baby. Then I got to that mean-elder's house and Hisoka had too many questions, when I finally got out of the house ready to run home, that man made everything difficult.”

He tried to growl, remembering through the human-sounding growl, that his human chest wasn't capable of producing those kind of sounds. He opted for grunting and talking.

“If he ever does as much as looking in your direction with something other than pureness in his eyes… I'll gut him!”

She shook her head knowing that answering would mean opening that line of conversation. The occasion was too good to be talking about that topic.

Inuyasha opened his lips to say something more about his plans on the foolish human but his miko chose that time to sigh and snuggle in his chest. Having her that close made funny things inside him. He felt that even as a human he could take on anyone just to stay a little longer like that. He felt his miko move his hands on her middle, Inuyasha was about to take them away when she held them and she turned to the side, she put his hands back on her waist and she hugged him with one arm, placing the other on his chest.

She made another happy sound against his chest. The silence that enveloped them was full of hopes and dreams, making it easy to remained together enjoying the moment.

Inuyasha set his eyes on the closed door as he kept thinking about what that human said. His hands ached from the need to teach him a lesson, but deep down he knew it was best to leave him to Kagome. A proud smiled adorned his face, she made him run, probably shitting his pants during the escape. Stupid human. The smiled abandoned his face as he thought of one particular topic the man had taken. Unknowingly he pulled Kagome closer and made the human equivalent of his growl.

She looked up at his face and saw the worry in his eyes. “What's wrong Inuyasha?” His eyes darted at her face, but his gaze remained unfocused as his brow went lower. She used her free arm to smooth his forehead and cup his cheek. He blink a couple of times as she smiled at him, waiting for her answer.

“Huh?”

She giggled and repeated the question softly “I said what's wrong?”

He jerked his head to the side once, “Nothing's wrong,” She tried again.

“Then what is making you worry?”

Too fast to be true he said, “Nothing.” Kagome huffed in annoyance and went back to rest her head on his chest

“If you don't want to tell me, it's alright. I'm here when you're ready”

Inuyasha stayed immobile for a moment. Then his lips opened and closed trying to find the best words. When a sound finally came from his mouth it was barely above a whisper. She listened to him without moving. “Do you think that if you marry your powers will disappear?” He could master the courage to ask the question, but was unable to add the me after marry, she noticed.

She got on her knees between his legs and looked at his eyes serious. Kagome knew that his undivided attention was needed here. She made have no other chance to talk this openly about the subject. “Inuyasha…” his face was turned away from hers with the first sound, she put a hand on his chin and pulled. He finally looked at her but his vulnerable, flushed face made her nervous too. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Inuyasha, when, not if, we marry.” He tried to look down but she mover her face to follow his eyes until he came to face her again. “I don't think a major change will come upon me,” Without a realizing a soft `why' left his lips. Kagome smiled sadly, this was the part she dreaded.

“Because of Kikyou,” His eyes opened wide and she kept talking to avoid his questions, “Even as she was in her most enraged state, as her spirit wanted only to inflict pain and suffering, even as she was no longer alive…” it was her turn to look down. “She always had her powers. Even after being infected with Naraku's miasma, she was still a powerful miko.”

She felt shy to say the rest she wanted, but she needed him to understand, she put both hands on her lap and looked at them as she talked again. “That's why I'm convinced that being with you as man and woman or even carrying your children will not take my powers away”.

The air in his lungs shot out of his body, he was sure that if he was in his hanyou body a whine would have sound. He was amazed and humbled she had given so much thought. That she even thought of the possibility of having a child, his child, made him dizzy. She was thinking of a future together, with no doubts on sharing her life with a hanyou.

His eyes felt watery as her name escape of his lips reverently “Kagome…” She looked at his face, expecting to find shyness or some kind of conflicted emotion. But the happiness and hope reflecting in his eyes, beaming in his smile, made her bite down a sob. He raised his arms and without a second to waste she clashed against his chest, but he was not planning on hugging. He put a hand on each side of her head and slowly pulled her to his level. She expected him to keep talking and was surprised when he went close to kiss her, before she had time to react, he was giving little kisses on every part of her face. One of his hands traveled down to her waist, making it difficult for her to abandon the embrace, not that she even considered the possibility.

Using the hand still on her nape of her neck, he tilted Kagome's head slightly to the side, kissing her jaw line, when his lips reached her ear every ounce of playfulness was gone and a shudder ran across her body along with a breathed moan. He pulled her closer as his back separated from the wall and leaned forward. In the back of her mind, the only part not foggy, she noticed how his soft pecks were now open mouth kisses.

His lips moved lower as the hand on her waist pulled her up, resting her weight on her knees. Inuyasha was now kissing and lapping at her lower neck, Kagome's head fell back, giving him full access, when his tongue touched the spot where her shoulder met her neck a whine left her lips. The sensations being too intense for her to be silent.

Inuyasha separated from her at her whine and tried to look at her face, his dark eyes could only watch part of her jaw, he could nonetheless drink on the sensual vision she was giving him.

Her head thrown back, with her hair falling freely in a luscious curtain behind her, her neck flushed and moving rhythmically with her chest and her ragged breathing came in and out of her body. Her robes where slowly slipping down showing only a small contour of her breasts. He looked at the small portion of her chest with hungry eyes, he bit down a groan. The arms that encircled his head and pulled him back to her made it clear that she wanted to continue. A rush of male pride made him feel confident on his actions as he kissed her skin again.

He nuzzled her neck, pushing down the robes-. The trail of kisses continued to the center of her chest. Her creamy, rosy skin went up and down with each breath, his arm moved from the back of her neck to the front, brushing her neck until he reached for the tie of the white robe, slowly he untied her robe, giving her time to deny him, but she stood still expectantly, waiting for him. He took a deep breath cussing inwardly at his dulled senses. It was too dark to see clearly what was in front of him, only the contrast of her white form against the darkness of the rest of the hut, it was enough for Inuyasha to make him feel reverent at her sight.

The hanyou focused on the texture of her skin as he parted her robes, using the opportunity to caress her with the back of his fingers as the fabric moved. She gasped feeling the gentle hand brush her skin, his hands were not soft but the carefulness she felt in his touch was enough to swoon her deeper in his embrace. Even in his human ears the sound of her heartbeat was clear, thundering in her chest, just as his.

He went back to nuzzle her skin, moving closer with each movement to her breast. At the moment his tongue touched her skin, Kagome's legs lost all strength making her fall on her back and pulling him with her.

The position was uncomfortable and awkward, she started laughing softly at their state, but he was not going to stop for something like that. Hovering over her, Inuyasha rested his body on top of hers with their upper limbs still intertwined he went back to explore her body.

One of his hands was still on her back keeping her still, and the other slowly reached inside her robes caressing her side from the red hakama to the side of her breast. The laughter died down as his fangless mouth reached her breast and a startled sound halted her breath.

The wet heat of his mouth was drawing patterns on her sensitive skin. He felt the skin inside his mouth contracting. His hand moved to the other breast, cupping the soft flesh, feeling it fill his hand.

She heard him mumble something unintelligible, the only thing she could make of his sounds was, “You taste so fucking great…” some more mumbling and more of his heat on her nipple and again, “Wish I could smell you…”

She moved her hands on his head to touch the place his doggy ears usually rested. She didn't say it out loud, but she missed those ears. She arched against him when suckled her breast.

After the word `smell' left his lips, something began to bother him in the back of his mind. He could not think of exactly what it was as her creamy skin pressed against him. She was all heat and softness in his hands molding underneath him.

There it was again, that idea moving beyond his reach. The feminine hands treaded in his black hair before fisting it and pulling him closer. Her legs curled on his waist along with another needy moan came out of her. Her flesh was covered with a thin layer of sweat, glistering in the dim light.

He went back to her lips trailing the way with his lips. She faced him with her bright eyes, parted lips in an unguarded smile. He saw her take a deep breath as she pulled him closer with her legs. “I love your scent…” were her words before closing the gap between their lips. Sealing their lips in a hot kiss that was more need than skill.

Her hands drove down his chest, with trembling hands she opened his haori and inner robe. Under Kagome's hands his chest was soft, hot skin and hard muscles, her hands circled his waist pulling at his robes. She got distracted with a soft groan coming from him as his hips pushed into hers. Something hard pressed between her legs and she pressed back gaining ragged moans from both of them.

The feminine arms circled his torso underneath the half opened robes. His lips crashed with hers again, nipped her lower lip and pulled slowly. She gathered the courage to feel his firm ass when he went rigid.

---

The kiss suddenly stopped and he cursed with his breath fanning her face “Fuck!” was the word he kept repeating with anger.

That also stopped her cold. The only thing that kept circling her head was that she had ruined it. Everything was perfect and she had somehow ruined it. Inuyasha wasn't looking at her, his head fell on the floor beside her, with his cheek still pressing on hers.

The ceiling became even more blurry in Kagome's vision, her hanyou was still muttering curses. She didn't have the strength to separate first, she tried to breath deep but a heartbroken sob came from her, followed by a shakily gasps. Kagome felt him go even tenser.

“Kagome?” his voice was breathy but full of concern. He used his elbows to lift his head and looked at her. He was almost sure he was hurting her with his weight but her limbs were still around him and made impossible for him to move away. He looked at her crying face, tears were falling from her eyes and her swollen lips were opened with silent sobs. He nuzzled her cheek softly gaining another broken sob from her and her head turned away from him.

“What is wrong, Koi?” The sweetness of his tone and the term made her feel ashamed of messing things and couldn't contain her crying anymore. Without looking at him her voiced came to his ears in between cries “I'm sorry… I'm so sorry”

Inuyasha's brow furrowed in confusion. “Kagome! Look at me…” he intended to make a plea but it came out as an order with harsh voice. She slowly looked at his dark eyes, the expression she wore broke his heart. She looked like a lost child with eyes wide open and crying softly.

“What are you sorry for?” His fear made him ask in a defensive way. The fact he had initiated what quickly escalated into something that was clear she was not ready for, and choosing a bad moment to start it and a worse one to stop, made him feel like a jerk. If someone should be apologizing should be him. Kagome's broken voice worried him.

“I ruined it… e were having,” a jerky breath interrupted her, “a moment and I ruined--”

Inuyasha groaned and cursed again. “Ugh! You didn't do anything wrong!” He lowered his head and kiss the corner of her eyes, “So stop crying already!”

Small hope glowed in her grey eyes but her voice still sounded week and shy. “Then… why did you stop?”

He felt his cheeks flush and now it was his turn to look away, “I didn't wanna… I had to”

Curiosity got the best of her and she finally moved her hands away from his hakama and cupped Inuyasha's face and pulled until he looked at her. “You had to?” She closed her eyes before continuing, “I didn't want to stop either…”

He let his forehead rest on her as a dry laugh made his body jerk. The movement made and the shivers it generated in both of them, made them remember how intimate their embrace was. “Koi, don't make this more difficult for me,” was all his answer as the manly arms tightened around her torso and he rolled onto his back. Leaving Kagome partially resting on his chest with one of her legs between his. Inuyasha kept one of his arms around her back making sure she stayed on his chest, not that she wanted to move.

She stretched to look at his face, only seeing his neck and chin. “I want to know why you stop,” his voice was gruff and humorless. “I told you, I HAD to” The hanyou stretched the word with bitterness.

She imitated his tone “That I get, the WHY you did it is what you are not telling me.”

Inuyasha covered his eyes with his arms and talked hurriedly “I-don't-think-you-want-a-pup-right-now” It took some time for her to understand what he said. Her only response was a shy, “oh... alright,” He relaxed at her words.

She snuggled on Inuyasha's chest feeling the heavy weight inside her disappear. They both wanted to go on… but as he was right, they didn't want a baby right now. The question was uttered automatically. “How do you know I am…” she couldn't say ovulating, that concept was unknown to him.

“In heat?” he supplied. She nodded without raising her head.

“You're scent, it changes, and a couple of days ago it did.” He made one of his human growls, “but with this stupid human body not picking it up on you. I forgot for a moment.”

“And when you remembered… you stopped?” Inuyasha responded with an affirmative grunt. “Because,” her voice went closer to a whisper with each word, “you don't want us to have a baby…” another affirmative grunt was his answer.

A tense silence formed between them. Kagome's insecure voice barely made it to his human ears, “never?”

He breathed out slowly searching for the best words to explain what he thought, “I've never really thought about it… I never had the hope to even find someone to share my life with, and the idea of me having pups is…” Slender arms hugged him tightly and she pressed a kiss on his still uncovered, chest. “And I don't think that wanting to have a pup is enough to birth them.” Inuyasha sighed bitterly. His thoughts became dark as he remembered the way he grew up, alone, fearful and hated by everyone he met. He opened his mouth to tell her, but she cut his unspoken words.

“But having a baby is enough to love and protect it” She declared.

He smiled against his will. He could imagine her little fiery miko putting every person or youkai that even looked at their pup wrong in their place. He blushed when he noticed the fact he was thinking of their pup. Inuyasha cleared his throat thinking of a way to change the subject.

“Sleep, Kagome,” was the safest one. She pecked his chest again and closed her eyes.

Inuyasha waited for her to fall sleep before moving, he separated from her to close his inner robe, arranging the best he could her clothes, finishing with his haori over both of them as he placed the petite miko on his chest again.

The quiet of the night enveloped them as he kept going back to what transpired inside the hut. It amazed him still how she was completely she accepted him. Closing his eyes he conjured the visions of her passion. Her sensual body reacting to him. He cursed quietly at his limited senses. If this was not a new moon, his memories would be full of her true scent, he would have being able to see and not only feel the blush on her skin. Remembering the true spectrum of her passionate sounds.

He grunted in frustration. Kagome jerked to a sitting position, looking around with drowsy eyes. He followed her lead and sat, “What happened?”

“I felt someone around the barrier, someone with ill intentions” Her eyes closed tight focusing on the surroundings. “It's gone…” She looked preoccupied.

“Sure it is gone?” She nodded in response. “It was a weird presence, not quite human or youkai, not even animal”

The hanyou pulled her back to his chest and laid down again using the haori as a blanket. He kept rubbing his hand up and down her back until she was sleeping again.

Inuyasha didn't want to make a fuss about it because he was not fit for a fight at the moment and knew how strong Tessaiga's barrier was. They were safe inside. He would check the surroundings for foreign scents.

Outside the light was vanquishing the darkness when Kagome started to stir and wake up.

“Morning, Inuyasha” She said as another peck on his chest was placed.

“Mornin', Wench”

Kagome sat and stretched as every morning. She turned to him noticing his hair was not entirely silver yet and his ears had that stupidly cute elvish shape. She preferred his doggy ears over any other, but he love how during the change he looked hanyou, human but for a moment he looked youkai. At least close to his brother's humanoid shape, minus the marks on his skin.

They waited for his hanyou youki to come back in lovely silence.

As his hand reached for the sword her urgent voice called him. She was waiting for him with her back against the wall. “What, wench?”

She remained quietly looking at his golden eyes. Her arm reached for his neck and pulled him to her lips. Taken by surprise it had been extraordinary easy to move him. As her lips touched his a soft appreciative rumble sounded in his chest, circling her waist with his arms and pulled her on him, she molded perfectly against his hard chest.

Kagome smiled against his lips and breathed out, “I missed that sound”. He growled stronger gaining a fit of giggles from her.

Inuyasha ended the kiss resting his forehead on hers as his lungs filled with her aroused scent…he sighed again…she still smelled slightly in heat, it may be the last scent before going back with her usual. But he would not risk it.

The hanyou pecked her on the lips and retired the sword from the door. They walked out of the hut hand in hand and walked towards the old miko's hut without discussion.

The surprised stares were drilling them from every direction. The reaction after the surprise was either wonder or curiosity, or disgust. She paid attention to the ones with angry faces. Those people were not their friends and she tried to remember the faces.

“Why did none of our friends come looking for us?”

He shrugged uninterested. “I think Kaede thought we stayed at Miroku's and the bouzu think we were with Kaede.”

The only one inside Kaede's was the little Kitsune, who only sniffed after they entered and gave Inuyasha a sly smile, “Good night huh?”

“Shut up, brat”

Shippou only laughed at him.

The rest of the morning passed with no important incident. Before meeting Miroku on the southern part of the village, Inuyasha searched for threats around the village. Beside so very weak monsters, everything was clean. Even around the hut they used.

Kagome walked with Inuyasha to the meeting place, hand in hand as usual. Before the last curve in the path, he hugged her and lift her, taking her to the forest.

Suddenly she was between Inuyasha's hard body and an equal hard tree and his lips were on hers. Kagome arched her back and closed her arms around his neck. The familiar purr vibrated against her flesh bringing a needy whine from her. He pulled back with her lower lip still in his lips, slowly letting it go. The feeling of the soft grazing of his fangs on her skin send shivers to every part of her body.

She felt him dip lower, moving her clothes to uncover the upper side of one of her breasts. His lips pressed an open mouthed kiss and he suckled her skin for a moment. Kagome's legs went limp and he pulled her up with his arms around her waist.

He waited for her to regain control on her body, together they arranged her clothes back to the rightful place.

A clawed finger pointed to the place above the swelling of her breast he had kissed and said with a cheeky voice, “To help you remember me”

Before knowing what he was talking about he picked her up again and walked to the monk. Not giving her time to find his love mark in her skin.

Miroku greeted them and soon they were ready to part. Miroku gave her exercises for the next days and gave her new instructions. The most important, “think of forming a bubble around you and will it to envelop what you want to protect.”

She nodded and the men started to walk to the south. She tried as hard as she could to hold back the tears. He would be gone just for a few days. But this was the first separation since she came back and it was killing her to think she would go to bed without him by her side.

Looking at the ground she tried to breath deep and blink the tears away. Red obscured her sight of the ground and two hands cupped her head making her look up. “Don't cry, Kagome” He kissed the corner of her eyes just as he had done the night before, but he licked the trail, she smiled softly, that was her Inuyasha. “Is only a week. Only few days” He tried his hardest to convince himself with the words that came out of his mouth. “We can do it! In a few day I'll be back and everything will be alright”

She nodded and his lips crashed against hers, with his hands still on either side of her head, he tilted her head to the side and kissed her thoroughly, leaving her panting when the kiss ended.

“Take care, Koi,” breathed before nuzzling her neck inhaling soundly, he separated from her with a sad smile. “You too, be careful”

His hands let her head go with a caress as he nodded, he turned to the direction the monk was waiting and walked without looking back.

Kagome's shoulder slumped. This was going to be a long week.

Changed the wording from " to his ears the elder's voice came"

Changed from "were not common to be able to find the body before it became impossible to identify"

Changed from "much as it was easy"

I added this. :/ IDK if you want to keep it I just thought it added to the statement.

added this. c:

Changed from tree trunks and wood splatter"

Changed from "and even as it made him feel important, it was dangerous not only for him."

Changed from "humor"

Changed from "arise"

Changed from "tired his body, his inner turmoil would reduce, he hoped"

Is it pat noon? Did the gang eat an early lunch then? Just asking.

added this