InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis ❯ Out in the Open ( Chapter 10 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
Inuyasha's payback doesn't go according to plan, and some feelings come out in the open.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.15.2008 | Updated On: 12.19.2010 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.4K | Visits: 4.3K | Status: Completed
Inuyasha's payback doesn't go according to plan, and some feelings come out in the open.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.15.2008 | Updated On: 12.19.2010 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.4K | Visits: 4.3K | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.
Fanfiction of the Week: Miko Malice, by EmilyBlood
I keep saying AUs aren’t my forte, but I keep recommending them. This one was exceptional, with great characters and an interesting premise too. It was creative and gripping, and I had a very difficult time stopping in the middle so I could get some sleep. I very nearly pulled an all-nighter with this one.
Out in the Open
Kagome roused from very pleasant dreams a little after dawn, feeling completely refreshed. After a hearty breakfast, she changed into jean shorts and a plain yellow blouse. The shorts, which went down almost to mid-thigh, probably covered more than her normal skirt did, and with them she wouldn’t have to worry about flashing her panties every time she used her hanyou abilities. The tight-fitting material did show off her butt more, but she considered it a fair tradeoff. The downside was that her clothing would seem even more bizarre to people from the feudal era, but she expected strangers would judge her by her youkai blood, not by how she dressed. That unpleasant evening in the village they rescued not too long ago came to mind. After packing several changes of clothing in her monstrous yellow backpack, she carried it downstairs to stuff the remaining space with food.
Inuyasha’s breath caught when he saw her, but he wasn’t sure he liked her new attire. The hentai in him was glad the strange garment still showed off her long, luscious legs, but the material also hugged her hips and molded to the gentle contours of her ass. The shirt was tighter as well, outlining her slender frame and making the soft swell of her breasts much more noticeable. Inuyasha gulped, then turned away. Fortunately, Kagome was too distracted with getting ready to leave to notice his attention. And while she wasn’t looking, her mother slipped some of the clothing she had bought for him yesterday into the bag, sending a conspiratorial wink his way in the process.
“Alright, Inuyasha, I’m ready,” Kagome said, hoisting the bag up to her shoulder. Inuyasha snatched it out of her hand, slipping his arms through the straps as he shouldered it.
“You know, I can carry that now, Inuyasha. It isn’t really heavy to me anymo—”
“I’m still stronger than you are, wench. Let’s get a move on.”
Kagome rolled her eyes. So much for being a gentleman.
The others met them on the other side of the well, all prepped and ready for the journey. Miroku grabbed Inuyasha’s hand and examined it, his face showing disappointment that the mysterious girl’s name had turned into a healing wound.
“Inuyasha, what did you do to your hand?”
“Keh. Only a hentai like you would want some strange girl’s name on his hand.”
“So you gouged it out?” Miroku sighed dramatically. “And here I was, under the impression that you were flirting with the women in Kagome-sama’s time. You’re hopeless, you know that, Inuyasha?”
To the monk’s surprise, the hanyou simply smirked. With as many times as Miroku had teased him over the years, Inuyasha decided a little revenge was in order.
“I wasn’t flirting with them, bouzu, but they sure as hell were flirting with me. Hanging all over me even,” he declared, not hesitating to embellish the truth. “I tried to get them to leave me the fuck alone, but I couldn’t get them to stop throwing themselves at me.”
Miroku gaped at his hanyou companion, who was currently wearing a huge shit-eating grin. He sensed Inuyasha was exaggerating, but he had clearly received some attention yesterday. What a lucky bastard.
“W-well,” he replied in his normal cheery voice, “we shall just have to figure out a way to expand the abilities of the bone-eaters well.”
“What was that, Houshi-sama?!” Sango growled, brandishing hiraikotsu menacingly. Up until this point, the taijiya had been watching Kagome, ready to bash Inuyasha over the head if his words appeared to be upsetting her. But the younger girl seemed genuinely amused over the boy’s antics, and not in the least bit angry or sad. Good, at least he’s not three-timing her.
“Why, Sango, I was merely expressing my desire to verify Inuyasha’s story.”
“Verify his story, huh? You just want to flirt with all the girls from Kagome-chan’s time!”
“Think about it, Sango! If Inuyasha could attract a few women, how many might I be able to—”
*Bonk!*
Sango stormed off, the old flea riding on her shoulder pointing her in the right direction. And though he was hungry, Myouga knew better than to attempt to sneak a mid-morning snack from the irritated woman. Miroku rubbed his head, feeling the beginnings of a sizeable lump forming as Inuyasha snickered at him. (1) Kagome promptly elbowed him in the side, effectively silencing him.
“Don’t be too impressed, Miroku-sama. Girls from my time don’t worry nearly as much about talking or flirting with strange men as women from this time do.”
Inuyasha sputtered. “Wench, you didn’t have to tell him that.”
Kagome shrugged and scurried off to join Sango and the others.
Miroku shook his head. “I believe Kagome-sama meant to make me feel better, but now I’m even more envious.”
“I dunno, bouzu. I think you’d get into a lot of trouble playing grab ass in Kagome’s time.”
“Ah, but it would be fun while it lasted.”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and left the pervert to his hentai daydreams.
The next hour or so was uneventful as the group traveled slowly across the feudal countryside, but as the sun rose higher in the sky, Kagome’s sense of well being sunk lower and lower. It started with a headache, which she passed off as something upsetting her hanyou senses. But the sensation only intensified as time went on. She had never had a migraine before, but she now believed she knew what they felt like. And it wasn’t just her head that was throbbing. The soreness enveloped her entire body as her limbs filled with lead. Then her stomach began churning, as nausea and dizziness struck her. It was all Kagome could do to stay on her feet and keep her panic at bay. Hanyou weren’t supposed to get sick, right? And yet, here she was experiencing the worst set of symptoms she had ever known.
“Wench, what’s wrong with you?” Inuyasha asked gruffly from up ahead, having sensed her discomfort. Lifting her eyes, Kagome saw the entire group staring worriedly at her, and she shook her head in an effort to reassure them. But that simple act caused the world to spin as her body collapsed underneath her. Only Inuyasha’s lightning-fast reflexes saved her from a sharp impact from the ground, and he gingerly laid her on her back.
“Kagome! Kagome!” Shippou’s high-pitched voice was like a knife piercing straight into her skull, and her ears hid themselves in her hair. Inuyasha quickly got everyone to shut up, but it didn’t help. The pounding in her cranium was like a drum beat, gradually increasing in tempo and ferocity. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bear it any longer. What’s wrong with me?! Why won’t it STOP?!!!! Then she felt something snap inside her, and everything was quiet once more. Too quiet, in fact. She could hear her own breathing, but not much else. It was as if someone had stuffed cotton in her ears, and she could no longer smell everything about the world around her. Hesitantly opening her eyes, she stared into the shocked faces of her friends, thinking how much less vivid the world looked.
Sango was the first to break the stunned silence. “Kagome-chan, you’re human!”
Kagome sat straight up at that, nearly knocking foreheads with Inuyasha in the process. Sure enough, her questing hands told her that her ears were back on the sides of her head, and her fingers were tipped with nails once again rather than claws.
“H-how?” she asked, totally stumped.
“Kagome-sama,” Miroku spoke up, “why don’t you tell us what happened. Then maybe we’ll have a better chance of figuring out what’s going on.”
“Well, I got a headache, then body aches, and then I started to feel really queasy. Then I got dizzy and collapsed and now I’m human again.”
The group sat, silently digesting this information, for several long moments.
“Inuyasha,” Miroku asked, “as a hanyou yourself, do you have any idea what happened?”
Inuyasha shrugged. “Every hanyou has a time of weakness. Maybe this is hers.”
“But that’s so weird!” Kagome exclaimed. “In the middle of the morning on some random day?”
“At least it explains why you were feeling sick, Kagome-sama,” Miroku observed. When the rest of the group regarded him quizzically, the monk continued. “We all know hanyou have a time of weakness, but have you ever wondered why?” A collection of shrugs and blank stares greeted his question, so he carried on with his explanation. “I believe it is because the bodies of hanyou are unable to constantly cope with the strain of the youkai blood flowing through them. So periodically, hanyou lose their demonic attributes in order to allow their bodies to rest and recuperate.”
“So…when I felt sick, that was my body telling me it needed a break?”
“That is what I believe, Kagome-sama.”
Kagome frowned. “I just hope I don’t have to go through that every time it happens. And how often is this gonna happen, anyway? And how long is it going to last?”
“Keh! Who knows? You can still walk, can’t ya? So let’s keep going.”
Miroku sighed. “Even though he is a baka, Inuyasha is right. Only time will tell how long it will take for your demonic powers to return, and how often you will need to lose them.”
“Maybe you can change from hanyou to human and back whenever you want, Kagome!”
“I don’t think so, Shippou-chan,” she replied. But upon seeing the kitsune’s disappointed expression, she hurriedly added, “but as soon as my youkai blood returns I’ll test it out, okay?”
“That would certainly be an interesting ability to have,” Sango interjected.
“Oi!” Inuyasha yelled from fifty feet ahead. “You lazy humans can walk and talk at the same time!”
Miroku smiled ruefully while standing and offering Kagome a hand up, which she gratefully accepted. “Just like old times, isn’t it?”
“Yep. I’m back with the ‘lazy humans’ again,” Kagome lamented in mock despair. The group shared a laugh at that comment, tuning out the continuing sounds of Inuyasha’s blustering. Then they resumed their journey, though the hanyou did set a slightly slower pace than before. No one dared point that out, however, especially not Kagome, who was probably the most appreciative. Perhaps Sango and Miroku would have been insulted that he slowed down for Kagome but not for them, if they didn’t already know the reason why he gave her that small special treatment. It seemed like those two were the only people who remained in the dark about the truth of their relationship. But for better or for worse, they needed to figure it out for themselves.
Kagome’s youkai powers returned in a rush about an hour before dusk, and the world was suddenly there again. She hadn’t realized how much she’d gotten used to her youkai senses until they were suddenly taken away. All things considered, she was glad they were back, a conviction which confused her greatly. Weren’t they trying to return her to being human full-time? That thought prompted her to recall her promise to Shippou, but focusing her concentration yielded nothing, not even a glimmer. It seemed her youkai blood had a mind of its own when it came to coming and going.
“Oh, Kagome-chan, you’re hanyou again.”
“Yeah, Sango-chan. It was a lot easier changing this way than it was the oth—” Kagome abruptly cut herself off as a positively delightful scent drifted past her nostrils. Water. Hot, steamy water. Following her nose, she swerved left off the path and into the nearby forest.
“Where are you going, Kagome-chan?”
“Oi, wench! Get back here! We are not stopping at a hot spring! There’s too much day…light…left?” Inuyasha trailed off as Kagome loomed over him, storm clouds rising around her as she glared at him.
“You mean you knew there was a hot spring nearby, and you were just going to lead us right past it? Is that what you’re telling me, Inuyasha?”
“…”
“Osuwari! 221;
*Thud*
Kagome stormed off, followed by Sango, Shippou, and Kirara. The monk was the only one remaining when Inuyasha peeled himself out of his self-made indentation.
“Damn bitch. What the hell was that for?” His rhetorical question was really just for show, however, as he knew exactly how he had brought on Kagome’s wrath. Maybe I did deserve that one…but haven’t they had enough fuckin’ baths lately?
“You should consider yourself lucky, Inuyasha. In the past, I’m sure your little indiscretion would have earned you more than one meeting with the earth.”
“Shut up, bouzu,” he grouched, stomping after the rest of their companions.
“And once again I’m disappointed in you! I know we men don’t enjoy a soak as much as the women seem to, but there are other benefits. Take the lovely view, for example…”
“Feh! You won’t be getting any ‘lovely view’ tonight, bouzu. Not on my watch.”
“Ah, Inuyasha, be reasonable! You could join me. I’d promise not to look at Kagome, and you’d promise not to look at San—”
“And what makes you think I want to look at Kagome?!” Inuyasha growled, keeping his voice down as he spun to face him.
“Well, that red face of yours for one thing.”
Said visage darkened further before the owner turned and resumed stalking through the foliage. “You’re imagining things,” he barked.
Miroku chuckled amusedly at his evasiveness, but wisely decided to end his teasing, lest he wind up with another lump on the head.
After over a year of traveling with Kagome, Inuyasha was sure he’d been to every hot spring in Japan, but not this one. It really was a perfect campsite; a large clearing, with the spring in one direction and a small river in the other. Hopefully they would be eating fish tonight. And as he looked at the shimmering surface of the sluggishly-moving waterway, a devious smile worked its way to his lips. He had promised the wench some payback, after all. And she really does want a bath…
Kagome was minding her own business, helping Sango set up camp, when she suddenly found herself flung over a shoulder and whisked off to some unknown destination.
“Inuyasha! What are you doing? Where are you taking m—AH!”
*Splash!*
Kagome came up sputtering, and started shivering immediately. “Kami, that’s cold!” Anger bubbled within her as she glowered at Inuyasha, who was looking quite pleased with himself. “I-NU-YA-SHAAAA!!!”
He cringed, well familiar with that tone, and what it meant. “Don’t even think about it, wench! That’s payback!”
Kagome lips had already formed the ‘o’ shape to utter the first syllable of ‘the word,’ but she stopped herself. And as much as she really wanted to say it, Inuyasha did have a point. Fine, Bakayasha, you get one freebie. Pouting, she folded her arms in front of her chest and looked away. So she was understandably surprised when Inuyasha’s low snickering turned into a surprised yelp and a loud splash.
“Whoops! Sorry, Inuyasha! Didn’t see you there!” Sango exclaimed, smirking and winking at Kagome. The miko covered her amusement as Inuyasha emerged coughing and spitting.
“Sango! What the fuck was that for?!”
“I told you, Inuyasha, it was an accident,” the taijiya replied innocently.
“Bullshit!” But though he knew Sango had pushed him in on purpose, he also knew that doing the same to her would not be worth the subsequent hiraikotsu-inflicted pain. At the same time, he couldn’t just sit there and do nothing in retaliation; that just wasn’t his style. So he leapt out of the spring, flying over the taijiya in an impressive display of agility, and landed in a crouch behind her. Then he shook like a dog, spraying water everywhere and dousing Sango, who was none too pleased with this new development, if the downward slash of her hiraikotsu was any indication.
*Bonk*
“Baka! Kagome and I are going to the hot spring now. And if anyone peeks at us, I’m holding you responsible, Inuyasha!” With that, the slayer stormed off toward the campsite, followed by Kagome, who was tickled by the whole situation. Inuyasha looked distinctly nervous, but then again, Sango was pretty scary when provoked. They could probably trust him to keep Miroku in line tonight. The hanyou trailed her back into camp, and she took pity on him. He looked, and even smelled a little like wet dog, so she tossed him a spare towel before joining Sango in the hot spring.
Inuyasha muttered his thanks as she departed, and glared at the monk, daring him to move from his spot by the fire. Sighing, he started drying his hair, wishing he could get out of his wet clothes. Struck by sudden inspiration, he dug through Kagome’s bag until he found what he was looking for. Moving behind a tree to preserve his modesty, he quickly changed, and emerged wearing a pair of dark gray sweatpants. Man, these things are great! Screw those jeans; these are a hundred times more comfortable. But as he hung his fire-rat clothes over a low tree limb to dry, he couldn’t help but feel that something was missing from the campsite, something that really should have been there…
“Dammit!”
“Ahhhhh,” Kagome moaned as she sank into the warm waters of the spring.
“Mmmm…you said it, Kagome-chan.”
“And that Bakayasha was going to deny us this? He’s lucky I only said ‘the word’ once.” Both girls chuckled at that before comfortable silence settled in.
“So, Kagome-chan,” Sango asked, “anything interesting happen in your time?” She wasn’t really expecting an affirmative answer, but Kagome’s blush sparked her curiosity. “Oh, something did happen! Spill! Spill!”
“Nothing happened, Sango-chan! Really!” Kagome protested, waving her off.
“Kagome-chan,” the taijiya said seriously, “you can’t hide the truth from me. I’m your friend, so you can tell me anything. Okay?” At Kagome’s reluctant nod, she continued worriedly, “It wasn’t anything bad, was it?”
“No,” Kagome replied sheepishly, her flush deepening, “it definitely wasn’t bad.” At Sango’s confused look, Kagome put her head in her hands. “I kissed Inuyasha.” Her words were muffled, but Sango’s gasp indicated she’d heard them. But she waited for Kagome to explain herself, knowing the younger girl wouldn’t appreciate a bombardment of questions.
“We were arguing, and I got jealous, and then he got jealous, and…I wanted—needed to show him that I wasn’t interested in anyone else.”
“So did he get the message? You know how dense he is.”
Kagome giggled at that, thankful that Sango always seemed to know what to say to make her feel better. She was as close to a sister as Kagome was ever going to get.
“Yeah, I think he got it, Sango-chan.”
“Is that all that happened? He didn’t yell at you, did he?” Sango asked dangerously, raising her fist.
“No, no, he definitely wasn’t angry. He…kissed me back.”
“What?! He did?”
“Yep. He deepened it too; we even tangled tongues.”
“T-tongues?” Sango had heard of such a thing, but had never even thought about doing it with anyone. She wondered what it would be like, a certain lecherous monk worming his way into her thoughts. She blushed crimson.
“It was amazing, Sango-chan,” Kagome continued, completely lost in the memory. “I’ve never felt so alive, so connected to Inuyasha.”
“That’s probably because you’ve never been more connected with him.”
“Sango-chan!”
Now both girls were flushing a pretty shade of red, but both were smiling and content.
“Good for you, Kagome-chan. I’m happy for you.” And though she was truly happy for her friend, Sango couldn’t keep just a hint of jealousy from her voice.
“Don’t worry, Sango-chan. He’ll come arou—” Kagome paused mid-sentence, a familiar scent causing her eyes to widen in alarm. He’ll come around, alright. Discreetly she motioned for Sango to stay in the water. Catching on, the taijiya sunk down until only the top half of her head protruded. Kagome reached for a towel, wrapping it around herself as she stepped out of the spring.
“Alright, Sango-chan! I’m heading back to camp!” she called, louder than she needed to. Then, picking up hiraikotsu from where it lay on the bank, she circled in a wide arc, heading for the area the scent originated from. Sure enough, there was the lecherous monk, lying on his belly and staring through a bush. He was engrossed by whatever he was looking at, as if there was any doubt what that was, and completely oblivious to the world around him. Good, Kagome thought, slinking closer. The monk was about to get a painful lesson in not spying on bathing women. And then Inuyasha’s getting osuwari’d again for letting him out of his sight. But just as she raised hiraikotsu to thump Miroku on the head, rustling to her left stilled her forward motion. Inuyasha dashed out of the foliage, pushing the monk’s face into the ground and grabbing the back of his robes.
“Dammit, bouzu!” he whispered, still hoping to avoid discovery. “I can’t let you out of my sight fo—” He broke off, noticing for the first time the presence hovering not six feet away, his eyes widening in shock as he tuned to stare at her. She was just standing there, an equally bewildered expression on her face, her arms raising hiraikotsu over her head. And she was wearing a fluffy white towel; that’s it. Beads of water glistened on her bare shoulders, flowing down to the lip of the towel covering her chest. They disappeared into her prominent bust, and he traced their imaginary path down her body, his eyes moving lustfully over her hips. Droplets emerged from underneath the bottom of the cloth, which revealed most of her thighs to his hungry gaze. Then they wove their way down her beautiful legs, completing both the journey and his delightful visual torture.
Kagome found herself just as enthralled by the object of her attention. He was crouched down on one knee, clad only in a pair of gray sweatpants. His pale skin glowed in the dappled moonlight filtering through the canopy. His entire chest and abdomen was bared to her gaze, and his muscles seemed to ripple with a mind of their own. The sweatpants rested scandalously low on his hips, but she wanted nothing more than for them to slide lower still. The air was perfumed with mutual arousal, the clearing pervaded with the scents of overpowering desire. Ultimately, it was this that brought Inuyasha back to reality, enabled him to tear his gaze from the temptress standing before him. Abruptly he leapt to his feet, marching back into the trees and dragging Miroku, who was just now wiping the mud from his eyes, behind him.
“Ah, Inuyasha,” he lamented, “must you spoil all my fun?”
Inuyasha didn’t respond; he kept his focus straight ahead, trying with all his might to keep his mind off what he had just seen. But it was futile. The image of Kagome standing there in nothing but a towel had been permanently burned into his consciousness, taking its place alongside all the other images he kept of her in various states of dress and undress. But this one was different. This was the first time that he had been equally unclothed as she, and the tantalizing scent of her arousal almost drove him to do something he would regret. How badly had he wanted to rip the towel from her, take her in his arms, kiss her senseless?
It scared the shit out of him, his desire. That was why he’d left, because to crave something—someone so intensely inspired an immeasurable fear in him. It was many-faceted, this fear; part of it stemmed from the unknown, the fact that he had never before been gripped by such longing. The need itself was frightening, past hurts and betrayals weighing heavily on his heart. But just the thought of his happiness riding so much on one person, this light amongst the darkness, filled him with dread. Most of all, however, he feared rejection, that Kagome would finally realize that he was a dirty hanyou unworthy of her love, her desire. And yet, he couldn’t regret his vulnerability, his unbreakable attachment to this girl. She who returned everything he felt for her, and perhaps more. But how much did he feel for her? The answer seemed to dangle just out of reach, teasing him with promises of bliss, but remained elusive. Tossing Miroku back into camp, he leapt into a tree, praying to every Kami imaginable that Kagome did not realize what the scents in the air meant.
Kagome quickly retreated to the hot spring, her breathing ragged, her body flushed with a combination of lust and embarrassment. She had wanted to leap on top of him, trapping his hard, powerful body beneath her as she plundered his mouth with her own. She was throbbing, aching with need of an intensity that blew her away. And…he had felt the same way, the delicious scents in the air telling her as much. She beamed at the thought, but it only served to remind her how much she yearned for him now. The warmth of the water could never compare to the heat of his back as she rode him, the feel of his hands as he carried her, the sensation of his lips brushing against her own…
She shook her head, trying to cool down, vowing to sit in the uncomfortably warm water until she composed herself. Unfortunately, a certain taijiya decided not to cooperate.
“Well, that certainly was interesting,” Sango stated slyly. “Inuyasha must have gotten those pants from your time, huh?”
Kagome blushed furiously and glared at her friend, who was currently foiling her attempt to forget what Inuyasha looked like in those pants. Just those pants.
“He looked pretty good, didn’t he, Kagome-chan?”
“Sango-chan!” At this, the taijiya cackled, her amusement at the expense of her flushing friend finally bubbling over. And surprisingly, it helped Kagome relax, though that was mostly because annoyance proved to be a welcome distraction from her embarrassment. And the ensuing splashing fight helped too, especially since she had the mortal woman begging for mercy through her giggles by the end of it.
By the time dinner was served and most of the group had gone to sleep, however, Kagome was no longer content. Inuyasha had been skittish the entire time, barely looking at her and fidgeting nervously whenever she looked at him. That he donned his soaked hakama and haori was indicative of his discomfort. But what truly bothered her was his scent: embarrassment mingled with fear and shame. Maybe she would have let his behavior go before the acquisition of hanyou senses allowed her to read his emotions, but not now. She couldn’t let him feel this way about their encounter, their physical feelings for one another. They definitely needed to have a talk, one which was probably long in coming.
“Inuyasha?” she called up to him, but received no response. “Inuyasha, please, come down. We need to talk.” She used her most beseeching tone this time, and heard a sigh before he dropped down right in front of her. His face was hard, his emotions masked, but his eyes revealed great inner turmoil. Kagome walked a little ways beyond the reach of the campfire, knowing he would follow. She sat down in the grass, motioning for him to do the same. He did, but kept a noticeable distance between them, looking away with a small frown marring his features. Kagome sighed inwardly. He’s not going to make this easy, is he?
“Inuyasha,” she breathed helplessly, searching for something to break the ice. “Are you…mad at me?”
That got a reaction out of him; it was shock, but at least it was something. “Wh-what?! Mad at you! Why would I be mad at you?”
Kagome shrugged forlornly. “I don’t know. You’ve been ignoring me since we…since the hot spring.”
“Well, I’m not mad at you. If anything, you should be mad at me.” His voice sank low as he finished, and Kagome heard the remorse, the self-degradation in it. She studied him, the way his eyes were downcast, his ears drooped in resignation like a whipped puppy. She resisted the urge to shake her head. He thinks I resent him for wanting me. Baka! Can he truly not see how much I love him?
“Why should I be mad at you?”
Inuyasha remained silent as the countless reasons why Kagome should leave him and never return flashed through his mind. But he couldn’t voice them aloud, these insecurities, lest he give up all hope and forever damn himself to a life of crushing loneliness.
“Look, Inuyasha,” Kagome continued at his silence. “I know you feel…attraction towards me, even” she gulped, “lust. And I’m not mad. I know you’ve probably never been told this before, but it’s okay to feel that way about someone.”
“Why?” was all the stunned hanyou could muster, but Kagome heard the questions he didn’t ask. Why is it okay that a filthy hanyou is lusting after you? Why don’t you run away? Why don’t you find me disgusting?
“Because I feel the same things for you,” she answered, to both asked and unasked questions.
Inuyasha was floored, frozen in place as Kagome’s words sunk in. Sure, he knew she was attracted to him, but nothing could have prepared him for the feelings that would bombard him upon hearing her admit it. Relief was probably the foremost. She wasn’t ashamed to feel that way about him; even now, she was smiling at him. And slowly, his lips quirked in a smile as well, as he raised his head to meet her gaze. And looking into her eyes, he felt all his tension, his fear melt away. Perhaps it truly was okay, after all.
“So, wench,” he said, clearing his throat as he attempted to change the subject. “How was it being human again?”
Kagome made a face. “Actually…it was weird. I actually missed my hanyou senses a little.”
“Keh! I know what that’s like. I feel naked without my senses.” Inuyasha smirked as Kagome’s face reddened; she was no doubt remembering what he looked like sans clothing from any number of times she had seen him naked or near so. Yes, it was…freeing, to be able to tease her like that, and to know that she didn’t mind. She could do the same to him, and probably elicit the same reaction.
“Come on, baka,” she said, grinning despite her blush. “Let’s get back to camp.” She held out her hand, and Inuyasha took it, not releasing it until he returned to his position in the tree. As he surrendered to contented slumber, he reflected that things were changing rapidly now. His relationship with Kagome had opened, moved to the next level, and he had never felt so close to her—to anyone—before. It truly was freeing. There was no other word to describe it.
(1) This is something I’ve wanted to get off my chest for a while now. Why in so many fanfictions does Sango knock Miroku unconscious, sometimes for hours? It’s such a turn-off for me! Show me one instance in the anime or the manga where Sango actually knocks Miroku out. And a couple seconds of lying on the ground with anime swirly-eyes doesn’t count! Plus, there’s the health factor; head trauma isn’t anything to screw around with. I absolutely hate seeing this. Okay, rant over.
A/N – well, I intended to go a little further and end the chapter with a cliffhanger, but then I decided to be nice. And their mutual arousal is finally out in the open! Can you tell I’m building toward something here? I’ve never done a long drawn-out romantic buildup before; my previous stories have been like a spark igniting an instant bonfire. And that’s not bad, but I wanted to try something different this time around.
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Fanfiction of the Week: Miko Malice, by EmilyBlood
I keep saying AUs aren’t my forte, but I keep recommending them. This one was exceptional, with great characters and an interesting premise too. It was creative and gripping, and I had a very difficult time stopping in the middle so I could get some sleep. I very nearly pulled an all-nighter with this one.
Out in the Open
Kagome roused from very pleasant dreams a little after dawn, feeling completely refreshed. After a hearty breakfast, she changed into jean shorts and a plain yellow blouse. The shorts, which went down almost to mid-thigh, probably covered more than her normal skirt did, and with them she wouldn’t have to worry about flashing her panties every time she used her hanyou abilities. The tight-fitting material did show off her butt more, but she considered it a fair tradeoff. The downside was that her clothing would seem even more bizarre to people from the feudal era, but she expected strangers would judge her by her youkai blood, not by how she dressed. That unpleasant evening in the village they rescued not too long ago came to mind. After packing several changes of clothing in her monstrous yellow backpack, she carried it downstairs to stuff the remaining space with food.
Inuyasha’s breath caught when he saw her, but he wasn’t sure he liked her new attire. The hentai in him was glad the strange garment still showed off her long, luscious legs, but the material also hugged her hips and molded to the gentle contours of her ass. The shirt was tighter as well, outlining her slender frame and making the soft swell of her breasts much more noticeable. Inuyasha gulped, then turned away. Fortunately, Kagome was too distracted with getting ready to leave to notice his attention. And while she wasn’t looking, her mother slipped some of the clothing she had bought for him yesterday into the bag, sending a conspiratorial wink his way in the process.
“Alright, Inuyasha, I’m ready,” Kagome said, hoisting the bag up to her shoulder. Inuyasha snatched it out of her hand, slipping his arms through the straps as he shouldered it.
“You know, I can carry that now, Inuyasha. It isn’t really heavy to me anymo—”
“I’m still stronger than you are, wench. Let’s get a move on.”
Kagome rolled her eyes. So much for being a gentleman.
The others met them on the other side of the well, all prepped and ready for the journey. Miroku grabbed Inuyasha’s hand and examined it, his face showing disappointment that the mysterious girl’s name had turned into a healing wound.
“Inuyasha, what did you do to your hand?”
“Keh. Only a hentai like you would want some strange girl’s name on his hand.”
“So you gouged it out?” Miroku sighed dramatically. “And here I was, under the impression that you were flirting with the women in Kagome-sama’s time. You’re hopeless, you know that, Inuyasha?”
To the monk’s surprise, the hanyou simply smirked. With as many times as Miroku had teased him over the years, Inuyasha decided a little revenge was in order.
“I wasn’t flirting with them, bouzu, but they sure as hell were flirting with me. Hanging all over me even,” he declared, not hesitating to embellish the truth. “I tried to get them to leave me the fuck alone, but I couldn’t get them to stop throwing themselves at me.”
Miroku gaped at his hanyou companion, who was currently wearing a huge shit-eating grin. He sensed Inuyasha was exaggerating, but he had clearly received some attention yesterday. What a lucky bastard.
“W-well,” he replied in his normal cheery voice, “we shall just have to figure out a way to expand the abilities of the bone-eaters well.”
“What was that, Houshi-sama?!” Sango growled, brandishing hiraikotsu menacingly. Up until this point, the taijiya had been watching Kagome, ready to bash Inuyasha over the head if his words appeared to be upsetting her. But the younger girl seemed genuinely amused over the boy’s antics, and not in the least bit angry or sad. Good, at least he’s not three-timing her.
“Why, Sango, I was merely expressing my desire to verify Inuyasha’s story.”
“Verify his story, huh? You just want to flirt with all the girls from Kagome-chan’s time!”
“Think about it, Sango! If Inuyasha could attract a few women, how many might I be able to—”
*Bonk!*
Sango stormed off, the old flea riding on her shoulder pointing her in the right direction. And though he was hungry, Myouga knew better than to attempt to sneak a mid-morning snack from the irritated woman. Miroku rubbed his head, feeling the beginnings of a sizeable lump forming as Inuyasha snickered at him. (1) Kagome promptly elbowed him in the side, effectively silencing him.
“Don’t be too impressed, Miroku-sama. Girls from my time don’t worry nearly as much about talking or flirting with strange men as women from this time do.”
Inuyasha sputtered. “Wench, you didn’t have to tell him that.”
Kagome shrugged and scurried off to join Sango and the others.
Miroku shook his head. “I believe Kagome-sama meant to make me feel better, but now I’m even more envious.”
“I dunno, bouzu. I think you’d get into a lot of trouble playing grab ass in Kagome’s time.”
“Ah, but it would be fun while it lasted.”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and left the pervert to his hentai daydreams.
The next hour or so was uneventful as the group traveled slowly across the feudal countryside, but as the sun rose higher in the sky, Kagome’s sense of well being sunk lower and lower. It started with a headache, which she passed off as something upsetting her hanyou senses. But the sensation only intensified as time went on. She had never had a migraine before, but she now believed she knew what they felt like. And it wasn’t just her head that was throbbing. The soreness enveloped her entire body as her limbs filled with lead. Then her stomach began churning, as nausea and dizziness struck her. It was all Kagome could do to stay on her feet and keep her panic at bay. Hanyou weren’t supposed to get sick, right? And yet, here she was experiencing the worst set of symptoms she had ever known.
“Wench, what’s wrong with you?” Inuyasha asked gruffly from up ahead, having sensed her discomfort. Lifting her eyes, Kagome saw the entire group staring worriedly at her, and she shook her head in an effort to reassure them. But that simple act caused the world to spin as her body collapsed underneath her. Only Inuyasha’s lightning-fast reflexes saved her from a sharp impact from the ground, and he gingerly laid her on her back.
“Kagome! Kagome!” Shippou’s high-pitched voice was like a knife piercing straight into her skull, and her ears hid themselves in her hair. Inuyasha quickly got everyone to shut up, but it didn’t help. The pounding in her cranium was like a drum beat, gradually increasing in tempo and ferocity. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bear it any longer. What’s wrong with me?! Why won’t it STOP?!!!! Then she felt something snap inside her, and everything was quiet once more. Too quiet, in fact. She could hear her own breathing, but not much else. It was as if someone had stuffed cotton in her ears, and she could no longer smell everything about the world around her. Hesitantly opening her eyes, she stared into the shocked faces of her friends, thinking how much less vivid the world looked.
Sango was the first to break the stunned silence. “Kagome-chan, you’re human!”
Kagome sat straight up at that, nearly knocking foreheads with Inuyasha in the process. Sure enough, her questing hands told her that her ears were back on the sides of her head, and her fingers were tipped with nails once again rather than claws.
“H-how?” she asked, totally stumped.
“Kagome-sama,” Miroku spoke up, “why don’t you tell us what happened. Then maybe we’ll have a better chance of figuring out what’s going on.”
“Well, I got a headache, then body aches, and then I started to feel really queasy. Then I got dizzy and collapsed and now I’m human again.”
The group sat, silently digesting this information, for several long moments.
“Inuyasha,” Miroku asked, “as a hanyou yourself, do you have any idea what happened?”
Inuyasha shrugged. “Every hanyou has a time of weakness. Maybe this is hers.”
“But that’s so weird!” Kagome exclaimed. “In the middle of the morning on some random day?”
“At least it explains why you were feeling sick, Kagome-sama,” Miroku observed. When the rest of the group regarded him quizzically, the monk continued. “We all know hanyou have a time of weakness, but have you ever wondered why?” A collection of shrugs and blank stares greeted his question, so he carried on with his explanation. “I believe it is because the bodies of hanyou are unable to constantly cope with the strain of the youkai blood flowing through them. So periodically, hanyou lose their demonic attributes in order to allow their bodies to rest and recuperate.”
“So…when I felt sick, that was my body telling me it needed a break?”
“That is what I believe, Kagome-sama.”
Kagome frowned. “I just hope I don’t have to go through that every time it happens. And how often is this gonna happen, anyway? And how long is it going to last?”
“Keh! Who knows? You can still walk, can’t ya? So let’s keep going.”
Miroku sighed. “Even though he is a baka, Inuyasha is right. Only time will tell how long it will take for your demonic powers to return, and how often you will need to lose them.”
“Maybe you can change from hanyou to human and back whenever you want, Kagome!”
“I don’t think so, Shippou-chan,” she replied. But upon seeing the kitsune’s disappointed expression, she hurriedly added, “but as soon as my youkai blood returns I’ll test it out, okay?”
“That would certainly be an interesting ability to have,” Sango interjected.
“Oi!” Inuyasha yelled from fifty feet ahead. “You lazy humans can walk and talk at the same time!”
Miroku smiled ruefully while standing and offering Kagome a hand up, which she gratefully accepted. “Just like old times, isn’t it?”
“Yep. I’m back with the ‘lazy humans’ again,” Kagome lamented in mock despair. The group shared a laugh at that comment, tuning out the continuing sounds of Inuyasha’s blustering. Then they resumed their journey, though the hanyou did set a slightly slower pace than before. No one dared point that out, however, especially not Kagome, who was probably the most appreciative. Perhaps Sango and Miroku would have been insulted that he slowed down for Kagome but not for them, if they didn’t already know the reason why he gave her that small special treatment. It seemed like those two were the only people who remained in the dark about the truth of their relationship. But for better or for worse, they needed to figure it out for themselves.
Kagome’s youkai powers returned in a rush about an hour before dusk, and the world was suddenly there again. She hadn’t realized how much she’d gotten used to her youkai senses until they were suddenly taken away. All things considered, she was glad they were back, a conviction which confused her greatly. Weren’t they trying to return her to being human full-time? That thought prompted her to recall her promise to Shippou, but focusing her concentration yielded nothing, not even a glimmer. It seemed her youkai blood had a mind of its own when it came to coming and going.
“Oh, Kagome-chan, you’re hanyou again.”
“Yeah, Sango-chan. It was a lot easier changing this way than it was the oth—” Kagome abruptly cut herself off as a positively delightful scent drifted past her nostrils. Water. Hot, steamy water. Following her nose, she swerved left off the path and into the nearby forest.
“Where are you going, Kagome-chan?”
“Oi, wench! Get back here! We are not stopping at a hot spring! There’s too much day…light…left?” Inuyasha trailed off as Kagome loomed over him, storm clouds rising around her as she glared at him.
“You mean you knew there was a hot spring nearby, and you were just going to lead us right past it? Is that what you’re telling me, Inuyasha?”
“…”
“Osuwari! 221;
*Thud*
Kagome stormed off, followed by Sango, Shippou, and Kirara. The monk was the only one remaining when Inuyasha peeled himself out of his self-made indentation.
“Damn bitch. What the hell was that for?” His rhetorical question was really just for show, however, as he knew exactly how he had brought on Kagome’s wrath. Maybe I did deserve that one…but haven’t they had enough fuckin’ baths lately?
“You should consider yourself lucky, Inuyasha. In the past, I’m sure your little indiscretion would have earned you more than one meeting with the earth.”
“Shut up, bouzu,” he grouched, stomping after the rest of their companions.
“And once again I’m disappointed in you! I know we men don’t enjoy a soak as much as the women seem to, but there are other benefits. Take the lovely view, for example…”
“Feh! You won’t be getting any ‘lovely view’ tonight, bouzu. Not on my watch.”
“Ah, Inuyasha, be reasonable! You could join me. I’d promise not to look at Kagome, and you’d promise not to look at San—”
“And what makes you think I want to look at Kagome?!” Inuyasha growled, keeping his voice down as he spun to face him.
“Well, that red face of yours for one thing.”
Said visage darkened further before the owner turned and resumed stalking through the foliage. “You’re imagining things,” he barked.
Miroku chuckled amusedly at his evasiveness, but wisely decided to end his teasing, lest he wind up with another lump on the head.
After over a year of traveling with Kagome, Inuyasha was sure he’d been to every hot spring in Japan, but not this one. It really was a perfect campsite; a large clearing, with the spring in one direction and a small river in the other. Hopefully they would be eating fish tonight. And as he looked at the shimmering surface of the sluggishly-moving waterway, a devious smile worked its way to his lips. He had promised the wench some payback, after all. And she really does want a bath…
Kagome was minding her own business, helping Sango set up camp, when she suddenly found herself flung over a shoulder and whisked off to some unknown destination.
“Inuyasha! What are you doing? Where are you taking m—AH!”
*Splash!*
Kagome came up sputtering, and started shivering immediately. “Kami, that’s cold!” Anger bubbled within her as she glowered at Inuyasha, who was looking quite pleased with himself. “I-NU-YA-SHAAAA!!!”
He cringed, well familiar with that tone, and what it meant. “Don’t even think about it, wench! That’s payback!”
Kagome lips had already formed the ‘o’ shape to utter the first syllable of ‘the word,’ but she stopped herself. And as much as she really wanted to say it, Inuyasha did have a point. Fine, Bakayasha, you get one freebie. Pouting, she folded her arms in front of her chest and looked away. So she was understandably surprised when Inuyasha’s low snickering turned into a surprised yelp and a loud splash.
“Whoops! Sorry, Inuyasha! Didn’t see you there!” Sango exclaimed, smirking and winking at Kagome. The miko covered her amusement as Inuyasha emerged coughing and spitting.
“Sango! What the fuck was that for?!”
“I told you, Inuyasha, it was an accident,” the taijiya replied innocently.
“Bullshit!” But though he knew Sango had pushed him in on purpose, he also knew that doing the same to her would not be worth the subsequent hiraikotsu-inflicted pain. At the same time, he couldn’t just sit there and do nothing in retaliation; that just wasn’t his style. So he leapt out of the spring, flying over the taijiya in an impressive display of agility, and landed in a crouch behind her. Then he shook like a dog, spraying water everywhere and dousing Sango, who was none too pleased with this new development, if the downward slash of her hiraikotsu was any indication.
*Bonk*
“Baka! Kagome and I are going to the hot spring now. And if anyone peeks at us, I’m holding you responsible, Inuyasha!” With that, the slayer stormed off toward the campsite, followed by Kagome, who was tickled by the whole situation. Inuyasha looked distinctly nervous, but then again, Sango was pretty scary when provoked. They could probably trust him to keep Miroku in line tonight. The hanyou trailed her back into camp, and she took pity on him. He looked, and even smelled a little like wet dog, so she tossed him a spare towel before joining Sango in the hot spring.
Inuyasha muttered his thanks as she departed, and glared at the monk, daring him to move from his spot by the fire. Sighing, he started drying his hair, wishing he could get out of his wet clothes. Struck by sudden inspiration, he dug through Kagome’s bag until he found what he was looking for. Moving behind a tree to preserve his modesty, he quickly changed, and emerged wearing a pair of dark gray sweatpants. Man, these things are great! Screw those jeans; these are a hundred times more comfortable. But as he hung his fire-rat clothes over a low tree limb to dry, he couldn’t help but feel that something was missing from the campsite, something that really should have been there…
“Dammit!”
“Ahhhhh,” Kagome moaned as she sank into the warm waters of the spring.
“Mmmm…you said it, Kagome-chan.”
“And that Bakayasha was going to deny us this? He’s lucky I only said ‘the word’ once.” Both girls chuckled at that before comfortable silence settled in.
“So, Kagome-chan,” Sango asked, “anything interesting happen in your time?” She wasn’t really expecting an affirmative answer, but Kagome’s blush sparked her curiosity. “Oh, something did happen! Spill! Spill!”
“Nothing happened, Sango-chan! Really!” Kagome protested, waving her off.
“Kagome-chan,” the taijiya said seriously, “you can’t hide the truth from me. I’m your friend, so you can tell me anything. Okay?” At Kagome’s reluctant nod, she continued worriedly, “It wasn’t anything bad, was it?”
“No,” Kagome replied sheepishly, her flush deepening, “it definitely wasn’t bad.” At Sango’s confused look, Kagome put her head in her hands. “I kissed Inuyasha.” Her words were muffled, but Sango’s gasp indicated she’d heard them. But she waited for Kagome to explain herself, knowing the younger girl wouldn’t appreciate a bombardment of questions.
“We were arguing, and I got jealous, and then he got jealous, and…I wanted—needed to show him that I wasn’t interested in anyone else.”
“So did he get the message? You know how dense he is.”
Kagome giggled at that, thankful that Sango always seemed to know what to say to make her feel better. She was as close to a sister as Kagome was ever going to get.
“Yeah, I think he got it, Sango-chan.”
“Is that all that happened? He didn’t yell at you, did he?” Sango asked dangerously, raising her fist.
“No, no, he definitely wasn’t angry. He…kissed me back.”
“What?! He did?”
“Yep. He deepened it too; we even tangled tongues.”
“T-tongues?” Sango had heard of such a thing, but had never even thought about doing it with anyone. She wondered what it would be like, a certain lecherous monk worming his way into her thoughts. She blushed crimson.
“It was amazing, Sango-chan,” Kagome continued, completely lost in the memory. “I’ve never felt so alive, so connected to Inuyasha.”
“That’s probably because you’ve never been more connected with him.”
“Sango-chan!”
Now both girls were flushing a pretty shade of red, but both were smiling and content.
“Good for you, Kagome-chan. I’m happy for you.” And though she was truly happy for her friend, Sango couldn’t keep just a hint of jealousy from her voice.
“Don’t worry, Sango-chan. He’ll come arou—” Kagome paused mid-sentence, a familiar scent causing her eyes to widen in alarm. He’ll come around, alright. Discreetly she motioned for Sango to stay in the water. Catching on, the taijiya sunk down until only the top half of her head protruded. Kagome reached for a towel, wrapping it around herself as she stepped out of the spring.
“Alright, Sango-chan! I’m heading back to camp!” she called, louder than she needed to. Then, picking up hiraikotsu from where it lay on the bank, she circled in a wide arc, heading for the area the scent originated from. Sure enough, there was the lecherous monk, lying on his belly and staring through a bush. He was engrossed by whatever he was looking at, as if there was any doubt what that was, and completely oblivious to the world around him. Good, Kagome thought, slinking closer. The monk was about to get a painful lesson in not spying on bathing women. And then Inuyasha’s getting osuwari’d again for letting him out of his sight. But just as she raised hiraikotsu to thump Miroku on the head, rustling to her left stilled her forward motion. Inuyasha dashed out of the foliage, pushing the monk’s face into the ground and grabbing the back of his robes.
“Dammit, bouzu!” he whispered, still hoping to avoid discovery. “I can’t let you out of my sight fo—” He broke off, noticing for the first time the presence hovering not six feet away, his eyes widening in shock as he tuned to stare at her. She was just standing there, an equally bewildered expression on her face, her arms raising hiraikotsu over her head. And she was wearing a fluffy white towel; that’s it. Beads of water glistened on her bare shoulders, flowing down to the lip of the towel covering her chest. They disappeared into her prominent bust, and he traced their imaginary path down her body, his eyes moving lustfully over her hips. Droplets emerged from underneath the bottom of the cloth, which revealed most of her thighs to his hungry gaze. Then they wove their way down her beautiful legs, completing both the journey and his delightful visual torture.
Kagome found herself just as enthralled by the object of her attention. He was crouched down on one knee, clad only in a pair of gray sweatpants. His pale skin glowed in the dappled moonlight filtering through the canopy. His entire chest and abdomen was bared to her gaze, and his muscles seemed to ripple with a mind of their own. The sweatpants rested scandalously low on his hips, but she wanted nothing more than for them to slide lower still. The air was perfumed with mutual arousal, the clearing pervaded with the scents of overpowering desire. Ultimately, it was this that brought Inuyasha back to reality, enabled him to tear his gaze from the temptress standing before him. Abruptly he leapt to his feet, marching back into the trees and dragging Miroku, who was just now wiping the mud from his eyes, behind him.
“Ah, Inuyasha,” he lamented, “must you spoil all my fun?”
Inuyasha didn’t respond; he kept his focus straight ahead, trying with all his might to keep his mind off what he had just seen. But it was futile. The image of Kagome standing there in nothing but a towel had been permanently burned into his consciousness, taking its place alongside all the other images he kept of her in various states of dress and undress. But this one was different. This was the first time that he had been equally unclothed as she, and the tantalizing scent of her arousal almost drove him to do something he would regret. How badly had he wanted to rip the towel from her, take her in his arms, kiss her senseless?
It scared the shit out of him, his desire. That was why he’d left, because to crave something—someone so intensely inspired an immeasurable fear in him. It was many-faceted, this fear; part of it stemmed from the unknown, the fact that he had never before been gripped by such longing. The need itself was frightening, past hurts and betrayals weighing heavily on his heart. But just the thought of his happiness riding so much on one person, this light amongst the darkness, filled him with dread. Most of all, however, he feared rejection, that Kagome would finally realize that he was a dirty hanyou unworthy of her love, her desire. And yet, he couldn’t regret his vulnerability, his unbreakable attachment to this girl. She who returned everything he felt for her, and perhaps more. But how much did he feel for her? The answer seemed to dangle just out of reach, teasing him with promises of bliss, but remained elusive. Tossing Miroku back into camp, he leapt into a tree, praying to every Kami imaginable that Kagome did not realize what the scents in the air meant.
Kagome quickly retreated to the hot spring, her breathing ragged, her body flushed with a combination of lust and embarrassment. She had wanted to leap on top of him, trapping his hard, powerful body beneath her as she plundered his mouth with her own. She was throbbing, aching with need of an intensity that blew her away. And…he had felt the same way, the delicious scents in the air telling her as much. She beamed at the thought, but it only served to remind her how much she yearned for him now. The warmth of the water could never compare to the heat of his back as she rode him, the feel of his hands as he carried her, the sensation of his lips brushing against her own…
She shook her head, trying to cool down, vowing to sit in the uncomfortably warm water until she composed herself. Unfortunately, a certain taijiya decided not to cooperate.
“Well, that certainly was interesting,” Sango stated slyly. “Inuyasha must have gotten those pants from your time, huh?”
Kagome blushed furiously and glared at her friend, who was currently foiling her attempt to forget what Inuyasha looked like in those pants. Just those pants.
“He looked pretty good, didn’t he, Kagome-chan?”
“Sango-chan!” At this, the taijiya cackled, her amusement at the expense of her flushing friend finally bubbling over. And surprisingly, it helped Kagome relax, though that was mostly because annoyance proved to be a welcome distraction from her embarrassment. And the ensuing splashing fight helped too, especially since she had the mortal woman begging for mercy through her giggles by the end of it.
By the time dinner was served and most of the group had gone to sleep, however, Kagome was no longer content. Inuyasha had been skittish the entire time, barely looking at her and fidgeting nervously whenever she looked at him. That he donned his soaked hakama and haori was indicative of his discomfort. But what truly bothered her was his scent: embarrassment mingled with fear and shame. Maybe she would have let his behavior go before the acquisition of hanyou senses allowed her to read his emotions, but not now. She couldn’t let him feel this way about their encounter, their physical feelings for one another. They definitely needed to have a talk, one which was probably long in coming.
“Inuyasha?” she called up to him, but received no response. “Inuyasha, please, come down. We need to talk.” She used her most beseeching tone this time, and heard a sigh before he dropped down right in front of her. His face was hard, his emotions masked, but his eyes revealed great inner turmoil. Kagome walked a little ways beyond the reach of the campfire, knowing he would follow. She sat down in the grass, motioning for him to do the same. He did, but kept a noticeable distance between them, looking away with a small frown marring his features. Kagome sighed inwardly. He’s not going to make this easy, is he?
“Inuyasha,” she breathed helplessly, searching for something to break the ice. “Are you…mad at me?”
That got a reaction out of him; it was shock, but at least it was something. “Wh-what?! Mad at you! Why would I be mad at you?”
Kagome shrugged forlornly. “I don’t know. You’ve been ignoring me since we…since the hot spring.”
“Well, I’m not mad at you. If anything, you should be mad at me.” His voice sank low as he finished, and Kagome heard the remorse, the self-degradation in it. She studied him, the way his eyes were downcast, his ears drooped in resignation like a whipped puppy. She resisted the urge to shake her head. He thinks I resent him for wanting me. Baka! Can he truly not see how much I love him?
“Why should I be mad at you?”
Inuyasha remained silent as the countless reasons why Kagome should leave him and never return flashed through his mind. But he couldn’t voice them aloud, these insecurities, lest he give up all hope and forever damn himself to a life of crushing loneliness.
“Look, Inuyasha,” Kagome continued at his silence. “I know you feel…attraction towards me, even” she gulped, “lust. And I’m not mad. I know you’ve probably never been told this before, but it’s okay to feel that way about someone.”
“Why?” was all the stunned hanyou could muster, but Kagome heard the questions he didn’t ask. Why is it okay that a filthy hanyou is lusting after you? Why don’t you run away? Why don’t you find me disgusting?
“Because I feel the same things for you,” she answered, to both asked and unasked questions.
Inuyasha was floored, frozen in place as Kagome’s words sunk in. Sure, he knew she was attracted to him, but nothing could have prepared him for the feelings that would bombard him upon hearing her admit it. Relief was probably the foremost. She wasn’t ashamed to feel that way about him; even now, she was smiling at him. And slowly, his lips quirked in a smile as well, as he raised his head to meet her gaze. And looking into her eyes, he felt all his tension, his fear melt away. Perhaps it truly was okay, after all.
“So, wench,” he said, clearing his throat as he attempted to change the subject. “How was it being human again?”
Kagome made a face. “Actually…it was weird. I actually missed my hanyou senses a little.”
“Keh! I know what that’s like. I feel naked without my senses.” Inuyasha smirked as Kagome’s face reddened; she was no doubt remembering what he looked like sans clothing from any number of times she had seen him naked or near so. Yes, it was…freeing, to be able to tease her like that, and to know that she didn’t mind. She could do the same to him, and probably elicit the same reaction.
“Come on, baka,” she said, grinning despite her blush. “Let’s get back to camp.” She held out her hand, and Inuyasha took it, not releasing it until he returned to his position in the tree. As he surrendered to contented slumber, he reflected that things were changing rapidly now. His relationship with Kagome had opened, moved to the next level, and he had never felt so close to her—to anyone—before. It truly was freeing. There was no other word to describe it.
(1) This is something I’ve wanted to get off my chest for a while now. Why in so many fanfictions does Sango knock Miroku unconscious, sometimes for hours? It’s such a turn-off for me! Show me one instance in the anime or the manga where Sango actually knocks Miroku out. And a couple seconds of lying on the ground with anime swirly-eyes doesn’t count! Plus, there’s the health factor; head trauma isn’t anything to screw around with. I absolutely hate seeing this. Okay, rant over.
A/N – well, I intended to go a little further and end the chapter with a cliffhanger, but then I decided to be nice. And their mutual arousal is finally out in the open! Can you tell I’m building toward something here? I’ve never done a long drawn-out romantic buildup before; my previous stories have been like a spark igniting an instant bonfire. And that’s not bad, but I wanted to try something different this time around.
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