InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis ❯ Settling Her Debt ( Chapter 27 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
Sango must pay the piper...
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.12.2009 | Updated On: 01.19.2011 | Pages: 5 | Words: 8.7K | Visits: 4.6K | Status: Completed
Sango must pay the piper...
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 05.12.2009 | Updated On: 01.19.2011 | Pages: 5 | Words: 8.7K | Visits: 4.6K | 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.
Ice Vixen X: No, I haven’t lost a parent. I only recently lost a grandparent. That makes your compliment all the more rewarding for me, that you believed I had lost a parent because of what I had written. I guess I’m just good at inserting myself into situations. I hope you keep reading and continue to enjoy the story.
Settling Her Debt
Kagome roused from slumber slowly, cosseted in unearthly comfort. Had she ever been this warm and cozy? No, she decided, she hadn’t. And as her mind finally came back online, she remembered the reason why she currently felt that way. She beamed, snuggling further into her hanyou mattress, which grunted and pulled her closer in response. Inuyasha had chosen her. He wasn’t going to hell with Kikyou; he wanted to spend his life by her side. He had chosen her. Kagome. He had chosen Kagome. She feared her mind would be forever stuck on that infinite loop, just chanting the message to herself over and over. Plus, her face was going to be permanently frozen in this ridiculous grin she was wearing.
Cracking one eye open, she glanced at her hanyou lover. He was still asleep, his visage peaceful and his breathing deep and regular. It was dark, which meant that unless they had been unconscious for twenty-four solid hours, it was still the same evening in which they had made love. Early in said evening, if the position of the moon was any indication. So they had probably only been dozing for a few hours, but why had they fallen asleep in the first place? It certainly hadn’t been the fatigue factor; when you just finish making love for the first time, you don’t fall asleep right away, especially if you’re a hanyou and don’t need as much shuteye as humans. And yet, she recalled feeling so incredibly tired afterwards that it took mere seconds for her to pass out. And Inuyasha had apparently experienced the same thing, which made it all the stranger.
She shrugged it off; it probably wasn’t important. What was important was that she was lying here—naked—with Inuyasha—also naked—and she planned on enjoying every second of it. Shifting away from the pebble digging into her hip, she made the mistake of moving her thighs apart for the first time. Eeeewwww. She was quite sticky down there, her inner thighs coated in blood and various other bodily fluids. She needed to find her way to a bath, and soon. She battled with herself for a few minutes, part of her wanting to just stay where she was and bask in the moment, but eventually the urge to be clean won out. Besides, Inuyasha was hers now, so she could cuddle with him whenever she wanted. And you can make love whenever you want too, her mind supplied, bringing a silly grin to her features as gingerly stood up and grabbed her kosode, sliding her arms into the voluminous sleeves. She decided to just carry her undergarments and hakama; she was only going to find a body of water, after all. The kosode was easily long enough to cover the essentials. She would have to hold it closed, but that was simple enough to accomplish.
“Where ya goin’, wench?” came the drowsy male voice behind her, startling Kagome into a gasp and spin. Heavy-lidded amber eyes stared back at her, amusement dancing in their depths. Damn, how does he always manage to do that, even though I’m a hanyou?
“Uh, just going to take a bath,” she replied lamely, praying he didn’t ask why. She would really like to avoid having to tell him that his stuff was on her leg, and her stuff was on her leg, and it was a big sticky mess. Fortunately, he seemed to understand without any further explanation.
“Oh,” he said, blushing and looking away. Kagome turned her attention to sniffing for a water source as he dressed himself.
“Okay, I think I found something,” she declared. “Come on.”
Inuyasha made no reply, and uncomfortable silence settled on the pair as they made their way through the underbrush. Is this awkward or what? In retrospect, the sudden shyness was to be expected, she supposed. Neither of them were virgins any longer, but they would probably still act like it for awhile yet. Old modes of behavior were hard to break. But she wanted to be open! She wanted to start acting like a happy couple sooner rather than later. Okay, she thought, nodding to herself in determination, I will try to not act like such a virgin! With any luck, maybe she could pull Inuyasha out of his timidity as well.
Her nose led them to a small pond, barely seven or eight meters across at its widest. But the water was relatively clear, and it would have to do. She didn’t need a bath, per se, just a quick rinse. And since she wasn’t going to act like a virgin any longer… She hesitated only a moment before shrugging her shoulders and dropping her kosode to the ground. The reaction from Inuyasha was immediate and detectable by multiple senses. His soft gasp reverberated throughout the clearing, and his scent spiked noticeably in excitement. Glancing coyly over her shoulder, Kagome grinned as she glimpsed his dumbfounded expression. He was staring wide-eyed, his mouth slightly agape, his gaze directed noticeably lower than eye level. Her hips rolled with just a little extra wiggle as she made her way into the water. She shivered slightly; it was cold, but she didn’t intend to stay in very long. Wading in only up to her waist since she didn’t have a towel, she began to clean herself, and Inuyasha took notice.
“Sorry,” he murmured, drawing Kagome’s attention to where he was sitting cross-legged on the bank, glaring pensively off into the forest. She blinked and cocked her head to the side in confusion.
“For what?” she asked. He flushed at this, stammering for a couple seconds before finally meeting her eyes.
“You…uh, I hurt you.”
“Oh,” Kagome responded, feeling her own cheeks warm. “Don’t apologize for that, Inuyasha. It’s only natural. Actually, I meant to thank you,” she confessed shyly.
“Why?” he wondered, completely baffled.
“Well, you put a lot of effort into making it feel good for me, and I really appreciate it.”
“Keh,” was his eloquent reply, but he did seem somewhat more confident than before, as one corner of his mouth curled just enough to reveal a fang. “Just did what any good mate would have done.” Mate. That was another thing they needed to talk about, Kagome realized.
“So, we’re mates now?” A curt nod was her only answer, so she continued voicing her line of thought. “What exactly does that mean?”
Inuyasha shrugged. “Dunno. Whenever I hear demons talk about…being together, they always call each other mates. That’s how Aoi and her mate referred to each other, remember? Nobody ever told me if it actually means anything beyond…uh, the physical part.”
“Oh, well what do you want it to mean for us?”
“I already told you what I want. This shit is permanent, wench. You’re stuck with me for life.”
Kagome flashed a positively radiant smile. “I guess that means you’re stuck with me as well, huh?”
“I’ll manage,” he joked, earning a chuckle from his miko mate. Her mirth persisted as she climbed out of the water and saw him swiftly turn his back, his posture stiff.
“You are allowed to look, you know,” she informed him, shaking her head in amusement.
“Keh.” Inuyasha had a very good reason for averting his eyes. He figured Kagome might still be sore, and he didn’t want to engage in any more intimate activities this evening. Observing her in the buff would increase the temptation to do just that, and make it exponentially more difficult to restrain himself. Fortunately, Kagome decided to let it go, assuming he was just being bashful. He listened as she got dressed, but was pleasantly surprised when she sank down on her knees behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her chin against his right shoulder. His hands came up to grasp hers, their fingers entwining as their cheeks nuzzled together. Kagome sighed in complete contentment.
“Things are never going to be the same, are they?” she questioned, without a hint of regret.
“Nope.” Inuyasha smirked as a delightful idea popped into his head. “There are definitely going to be some changes.”
“Like what?” Kagome inquired curiously.
“No more ‘osuwari-ing’ me, for one thing.” He expected an argument, that Kagome would be less than willing to relinquish the power she had held over him for so long, but quickly discovered that not only was she willing to give it up, she wanted to. He was certain their previous discussion regarding the rosary had something to do with that. (1)
“I’ll just take the rosary off,” she replied.
“R-really? That easy?”
“Sure. I mean, how often do I use it nowadays, anyway? Besides,” she cooed, her voice dropping into a lower, more sultry octave. “Now I have other ways of getting you to do what I want, mate.”
Inuyasha stifled a groan and tried to control the rapid beating of his heart, absently wondering when Kagome became such a vixen. What am I talking about? She’s always been a fiery temptress, yelling and fighting with me in that exceedingly short skirt of hers. Now I get to experience that feistiness in a whole new way. He grinned stupidly. Oh, the fun they were going to have.
“Bitch,” he growled huskily, getting slightly annoyed that she was making his abstinence mission difficult.
“Watch it, dog-boy,” she teased, “or I might decide to leave the rosary on, after all.” Nevertheless, she pushed herself upright, grasping the beaded strand and beginning to pull it over his head. Shockingly, his hands stopped her progress, pulling the necklace back down to rest upon his chest. “Inuyasha, what—”
“Leave it on.”
Kagome blinked at him a couple times, trying to make sure she’d heard him correctly. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Just don’t say the word.”
“Okay,” she hedged, still perplexed as to why he would want to keep the rosary. “I’ll try not to say ‘osuwari’ any—”
*THUD*
“Oh, shit!” she swore as Inuyasha’s face was planted into the ground, his body bending at a painful-looking angle. She rubbed his back as she waited for the spell to wear off, and the inevitable tongue-lashing that was sure to follow. It wasn’t as bad as she feared. He coughed and sputtered, spitting out the dirt stuck between his teeth. He hated getting ‘osuwarid’ by surprise; if he knew it was coming, he could at least close his mouth. Turning his head, he glared at his sheepish mate over his shoulder.
“You wanna try being a little more careful than that, wench?!”
“I’m sorry! You should just let me take it off!”
“No! You need it if I go full-youkai.”
Finally Kagome understood, even if she didn’t agree with his thinking. “Inuyasha, I don’t think you need the rosary to control your youkai blood anymore, even if you lose Tetsusaiga. Remember against Ryukotsusei? You went for Tetsusaiga in your full-youki form and changed yourself back. You’ve gotten so much stronger since the day you killed that Gatenmaru creep. I think—”
“I just don’t want to take any chances, Kagome.”
Said miko wanted to argue further, but the look of fear and anxiety in his amber eyes convinced her to let it be…for now. She fully comprehended his worry, the fear that he might lose control of himself and hurt someone, even someone he didn’t know. Oh yes, she knew that feeling very well, indeed.
“Alright, Inuyasha, but someday you’re going to see that I’m right. I believe you have enough control over your youkai blood so you’re not a danger to anyone but your enemies when you transform.”
“I hope you’re right, wench,” he replied seriously, before standing and offering her his hand. “We should get back to camp. I’m starving!”
It was a blatant attempt at changing the subject, but Kagome made no comment on it. She was very hungry as well, after all. As they made their way back to camp in companionable silence, following the scents of their friends on the breeze, another pressing concern occurred to Kagome.
“So, should we tell them?”
“Keh. Ain’t any of their business.”
“Well, I suppose we don’t have to tell them,” Kagome babbled, trying futily to cover her disappointment. “We could pretend nothing happened—”
“Kagome.”
“or come back separately—”
“Kagome.”
“or& #8212;”
“Kagome!”
“What?!” she yelled, her frustration breaking through.
“I said it ain’t their business, but I didn’t say we wouldn’t tell them.”
“Y-you mean…”
“I’m not ashamed of you, Kagome,” he professed sincerely, gazing into her beautiful brown eyes, tinged with just a hint of moisture. Grinning, she leaned up for a quick, but passionate lip lock.
“I know, Inuyasha,” she said after they separated. “I just thought you’d be nervous about their reactions. Even I’m a little worried about Miroku-sama’s teasing.”
“Feh. If the bouzu says anything, it just means he’s jealous,” Inuyasha declared, smirking smugly.
“Yeah,” Kagome giggled, “I guess that’s true. Okay, so we tell them.”
“You tell ‘em.”
“Hey! Why do I have to do it?”
“’Cause it was your idea, wench.”
Kagome grumbled under her breath about unsupportive mates, but she supposed she couldn’t really complain. She sidled up next to him, looping an arm around his waist, and was delighted when he reciprocated the gesture. He seemed more sure of himself after their ‘morning after’ talk, and for that Kagome was grateful. Maybe they really could start acting like a real couple. The true test, however, would be how he behaved in front of their friends. Would he pretend nothing had happened and drag the group dynamic back to the status quo? But even if he let his gruff side govern his actions in public, and kept her at arm’s length, she could deal with it as long as their private moments were like this. No barriers, no guarded emotions, just the two of them. She hoped he would treat her at least a little more intimately in the company of others, but if not, then she would live for these moments. Now that she knew the contents of his heart, his tough exterior didn’t seem to matter as much.
But perhaps she was making unwarranted assumptions. She kept waiting for him to release his hold and drift away, but he never did, even as they approached and finally entered the camp. He was somewhat tense, but they stood there together as their companions turned to regard them with shock, an emotion that lasted only a moment. And as his trademark lecherous grin curled Miroku’s lips, and Sango blushed, Kagome knew their little argument about who was going to tell their friends was moot. Neither of them would have to say anything.
“So, Kagome-sama,” the monk drolled, “I see you found Inuyasha.” Then, after a short pause, he sobered slightly and spoke in a serious, but still amused tone. “It’s about time.” The hidden meaning in his words was lost on no one.
“Damn straight, bouzu,” Inuyasha replied, stunning Kagome yet again. Miroku merely smiled in return, but the two men shared a meaningful look, coming to a silent understanding. Inuyasha smirked inwardly. Oh, the monk was hiding it well, but he was indeed jealous. His thought process at the moment was probably somewhere along the lines of ‘you lucky dog.’ Inuyasha certainly couldn’t argue with that sentiment. He did make a mental note to try to avoid finding himself alone with the monk, not wanting to answer the slew of perverted questions which would surely be posed by the hentai houshi. Meanwhile, Kagome was attempting to gauge Sango’s reaction, and was taken aback upon seeing the slayer appearing decidedly forlorn. Scratch that—she looked downright pissed! Her fists were clenched in her lap, and her teeth were gritted. If she listened carefully, Kagome swore she could hear them grinding together. It hurt to witness this attitude, and from her closest friend no less. She hadn’t expected Sango to be hostile to her and Inuyasha being together, and it saddened her greatly.
“Sango-chan, what’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy for us,” she muttered despondently. The taijiya started suddenly, seeming to jump out of her mood as she met Kagome’s gaze with a cheerful smile.
“I am happy for you, Kagome-chan, really. I just…did something stupid,” she finished, glancing away in embarrassment.
“There’s nothing stupid about it, my dear Sango!” Miroku declared exultingly. Sango only blushed harder at this, her lips pursing, and Kagome’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. If she didn’t know better, she would swear Miroku was gloating about something.
“What did you do, Sango-chan?” she voiced neutrally, but the slayer refused to answer. Several seconds ticked by, and both she and monk just sat there, Miroku wearing a big shit-eating grin. Kagome was starting to get a bad feeling about this. She was just about to repeat her question when an unlikely informant spoke up.
“They bet on whether you two would make sweet love,” Shippou stated into the silence. “They wouldn’t tell me what that means, but it sounds really good. I wonder if it’s sweeter than pocky!”
“WHAT?!!!” the two hanyou demanded at once, before sharing a murderous look. Inuyasha appeared as if he had strangulation on his mind, but Kagome clasped him on the shoulder.
“It’s okay,” she ground out in a whisper. “Let me handle this.”
Nodding grudgingly, Inuyasha settled himself against a nearby tree to watch the show. Kagome made her way to her yellow backpack, using the diversion to try to control her steaming temper. How dare they?! Taking something so beautiful like that and…and *gambling* on it!! *deep breath* Okay, calm down, girl. Nothing bad came of it. They’re just stupid bakas. Bakas! BAKAS!!!
“Here, Shippou,” she called out with false glee, holding up a tasty treat. “I’ll give you this whole box of pocky if you promise not to ask or talk about making love ever again.”
Inuyasha choked. “Ever, wench?”
“Well, until you’re grown up, at least.”
Shippou thought if over…for about half a second. “Deal!” he shouted, charging over and leaping through the air, snatching the pocky from her hand and scurrying off to devour his booty in private, away from other hungry eyes and hands. Kagome giggled briefly at his antics, but quickly turned her attention to the two bakas who’d forced her to part with the treat in the first place. She glared at each of them in turn, and even Miroku looked a bit sheepish, though not nearly enough for Kagome’s tastes.
“You two should be ashamed of yourselves!” she scolded furiously. “I would expect this kind of thing from the houshi, but I honestly thought you were more mature, Sango.” Both humans cringed at the sudden change in the way Kagome referred to them; the new nomenclature was probably a good indication of just how furious she was.
“I’m sorry, Kagome-chan,” Sango replied shamefully, closing her eyes and wiping away the few rogue tears that strayed down her cheeks. Seeing this, Kagome felt the greater part of her anger melt away. Sango didn’t cry very often; she only seemed to shed tears when she was really broken up about something. Sighing heavily, the miko resolved to forgive her friends. She was still upset with them, but she had definitely overreacted.
“It’s okay, Sango-chan. There’s no harm done. Besides, I’m sure it was Miroku-sama’s idea.”
Sango nodded gratefully, and Miroku sputtered in mock indignation. “Why, Kagome-sama, what makes you so sure this little wager came about at my behest?” When only a collection of disbelieving stares greeted his loaded question, Miroku sighed. “I am so misunderstood.”
“So who won the bet?” Inuyasha interjected abruptly. Once again, the expressions on the faces of their two human friends told the whole story. Could Sango’s face get any redder? And could Miroku’s dumb grin get any larger?
“I guess that answers that question,” Kagome muttered.
“Indeed,” Miroku agreed, reveling in his victory, “my dear Sango should have known better than to bet against a virile male such as Inuyasha!”
“F-feh!” the hanyou stammered, flushing darkly. Kagome’s thoughts turned contemplative. They hadn’t been together long enough for her to see how ‘virile’ he was. She couldn’t help but wonder when she would get the chance to find out. She blushed as well.
“What, uh…what were the stakes?” she choked out, a lame attempt to cover her embarrassment. Her ire returned full force when Sango grimaced, this time directed solely at the perverted monk sitting across the campfire. She advanced on him, her aura sparking and claws flexing dangerously. “I swear, bouzu, if it’s anything hentai, I’ll—”
“No, no, Kagome-sama! You misunderstand! My prize is merely an encounter with Sango’s luscious lips.”
“Just a kiss?” Kagome repeated warily, halting her forward progress. Miroku nodded, as did Sango when Kagome glanced at her for confirmation. If the slayer hadn’t then taken to staring at the ground, she might have noticed how the miko’s face slowly twisted into a mischievous smirk.
“Weeeelllllll,” she drolled nonchalantly, “I guess you’d better go pay your debt, Sango-chan.”
The taijiya’s head snapped up, her shocked and betrayed eyes locking with her friend’s. “B-but Kagome-chan,” Sango protested, shooting her miko companion a scandalized glare. What the hell, Kagome? You were supposed to help me get out of this!
“Sorry, Sango-chan, but a bet is a bet. You lost fair and square.” Strolling over and plopping down next to the slayer on the pretext of giving her a comforting pat on the shoulder, Kagome whispered in her ear. “Besides, you know you want to.”
It was true, Sango realized; she really did want to kiss Miroku. But it wasn’t that simple. She had always imagined their first kiss being one of those earth-shattering moments, where she would bask in the glow of his love and devotion. That dream was to take place only when their hearts were totally committed to each other. But right now, Sango was unsure where the monk’s heart lay. So he had behaved himself on their most recent excursion; big deal! She hadn’t forgotten the evening he went off to sleep with that hussy in that bigoted village. Sure, he claimed he didn’t have anything sexual on his mind, but then how did the girl get that idea in the first place? The bottom line was that while Miroku hadn’t outright betrayed her, at least to her knowledge, she couldn’t bring herself to trust him. And that was a problem, because she didn’t want to do anything with him until he had earned her trust. Unfortunately, she had made a wager, and it would stain her precious honor to go back on her word. Her romanticized vision of her first kiss would have to go the way of so many of her other hopes and dreams, like living in the taijiya village with her family and friends, and finding a husband who would love her and only her, beyond doubt.
“Fine!” she barked out, not even attempting to hide how she truly felt about this. “Let’s get it over with!” With that, she stood stiffly and stormed off into the forest, not sparing a glance to see if the hentai was following her. Miroku climbed to his feet, still grinning, though it somehow seemed hollower than before. Kagome favored him with a meaningful look; her eyes said it all. Don’t fuck this up, Miroku-sama!
Miroku nodded confidently, ambling off in the direction his wayward bride-to-be had taken. Only when he had passed beyond the reach of the light from the campfire did he allow his face to fall, revealing just how troubled he was by Sango’s attitude. And it didn’t take a genius to figure out why she was acting that way. Then, he saw her, facing away from him, arms crossed over her chest and foot tapping in impatience. She became aware of his presence and turned to face him, but refused to make eye contact. Instead, she advanced toward him, staring into his chest, eyes steeled in determination. In that instant, Miroku knew how she intended this to go down. She would initiate the ‘payment’—a quick and dry affair, probably not even worthy of being called a kiss—then stomp back to camp, filled with resentment. He wondered briefly if she would ever forgive him, or if he would forgive himself for allowing it to happen. No, he decided, he would not forgive himself if their first kiss was anything less than mind blowing, and that meant taking action. Right now, before it was too late. Placing his hands firmly on her shoulders, he stopped her momentum just as she was raising herself on her toes. She frowned, but any comment she was about to make died on her lips as she finally met his gaze. He was like a completely different person. Where had the hentai gone? Where was the lecher who shamelessly lured her into gambling on the sexual adventures of their friends? In its place was a man, his expression humorless, looking at her with eyes darkened by concern and tinged with remorse. The sudden change left her breathless, and she could do no more than wait for him to speak.
“Sango,” he spoke into the silence, his tone cracking the very foundations of everything she thought she knew about him. He paused, glancing away as if to gather his thoughts, before facing her once more. “Sango, when I wagered for your kiss, I did so because I thought you would be willing. If…if you truly do not wish to share such a thing with me, then I will not force you. I will think of something else.”
Sango gaped, and her heart clenched at the defeat in his tone. But there was something else there, a desperation, almost as if he was pleading with her to correct him, to tell him he was dead wrong. Under such an appeal, how could she deny him the truth?
“I-it’s not that, Houshi-sama,” she confessed, lowering her head. “It’s just—”
“That you feel you cannot trust me because of my womanizing habits?” he proposed, less a question than a statement of fact. Gasping, Sango snapped her head up to stare at him.
“How did you—”
“Please, Sango, any baka could have figured it out.” Sighing, Miroku glanced off to the side, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. “Unfortunately, I am no ordinary baka. I did not understand until someone spoke with me very frankly about how you feel.”
“Kagome,” Sango growled, enraged that her friend had broken her promise of silence.
“Actually, it was Inuyasha.”
“Inu-Inuyasha?!” That only made Sango a little less irritated, however; she was sure Kagome still had a hand in this. Well, I guess I don’t have to feel guilty for our bet anymore. This makes us dead even, in my book!
“Don’t be angry, Sango. I’m actually glad Inuyasha talked to me. He helped me see just how strongly my behavior was affecting you, how much I was hurting you. If I had known before then, I would have started to correct my bad habits sooner.”
“H-houshi-sama,” she replied, mind reeling. Was he actually saying that he had been trying to change his ways…for her?
“Please, Sango, call me by my name. It will make what I’m about to say easier for me.”
“Alright…Miroku,” Sango choked out, her insides fluttering wildly in anticipation of the words he had alluded to. He smiled then, as if just the sound of his name from her lips gave him unbridled joy, and her mere presence filled him with vitality. Perhaps it did.
“Sango, I cannot promise you that I will never look at another woman. Nor can I assure you that you will always be the only woman to occupy my thoughts and dreams.”
Sango started to pull away at this, fearing that if she remained near him any longer she would shrivel up and die on the spot. But he stopped her, clasping both her hands tightly in his, holding them to his heart. She could feel the organ pounding in his chest, so fast, so fast.
“But,” he declared, the inflection in his voice demanding her attention, pleading with her to hear him out. Again, she was powerless to refuse. “There are some things I can promise you. I will never grope another woman. I will never kiss, caress, or lie with any other. You will be the only woman to know my touch, to feel my lips, to bear my children. You are, and always will be, the only woman I will ever want. You are the woman I have chosen to be my beloved wife, the mate of my soul. Please, Sango, if you have any feelings for me left, give me another opportunity to prove this to you. Give me a second cha—”
At this point, speech became impossible, due to the pair of lips firmly pressed against his own. Overcoming his disbelief, he eagerly joined the dance. They moved sensuously together, hesitant at first, then growing bolder. Her lips were softer than the most luxurious satin, and he knew that he was already inescapably addicted to them. He parted his own lips, allowing his tongue to emerge and taste, caress, and coax her lush petals until they opened shyly. He delved inside, soothingly stroking her warm, damp appendage until it rose to tangle with his own. They twisted and weaved together, entwined in body and connected in far more, as their very souls seemed to pour out and flow through them unhindered. All the doubts and insecurities vanished from Sango’s mind; there was no room for them in this new world they had created.
Finally, lack of air forced them to part, but even afterwards they clung to their own private nirvana as long as they could. Sango was dizzy, flush, heated to the point of scorching, and she dared not open her eyes for fear that the world had not yet stopped whirling around her. Jumbled thoughts crossed her even more jumbled mind, faster than she could or cared to keep track of. But one stuck out above all others. Kagome, you were right. That was…that was… It was literally indescribable. No mortal words could ever hope to fully express everything that was her first kiss. Only a memory could do it any sort of justice, and this was one experience she would never forget.
“Shall I take that to mean you’ve decided to give me another chance?” Miroku’s amused voice rang out. Finally returning to the world around her, Sango glimpsed him there, gazing down at her and grinning with dazzling light dancing in his eyes. He was still gripping her hands as tightly as ever, and she had no notion of pulling away this time. Nodding, she flashed a brilliant smile, causing a noticeable hitch in the monk’s breathing.
“Kami…you are so beautiful,” he declared in absolute awe.
“No, I’m not,” she rebutted, blushing prettily.
“Yes, you are, Sango. Kami, you are.”
Sango looked away in embarrassment, but she couldn’t keep herself from beaming, nor could she deny the way his words and proximity warmed her body, heated her skin, or set her trembling slightly with barely-restrained desire.
“Sango?” she heard him ask.
“Y-yes?” she replied shakily.
“Was that the kiss I won in our wager?” he inquired, his voice a combination of teasing and yearning. Sango instantly knew what he wanted: another searing, passionate lip lock. But his playful tone had given her another idea, one which caused an impish smirk to blossom on her visage. He did deserve some payback for calling her a coward earlier.
“No,” she mumbled in the huskiest, most sensual manner she could muster. “This is.” She leaned in slowly, giving him ample time to bend down to meet her. She could see the anticipation burning in his rapidly closing eyes, and it almost made her feel guilty for what she was about to do. Placing a quick peck on his lips, she pulled away, practically skipping around him back in the direction of camp. And Miroku was left standing there, lips pursed, eyes closed, brows twitching.
“You coming, Houshi-sama?!” Sango called out from some distance away, more than a hint of laughter in her voice. Miroku felt like collapsing onto the ground and curling into the fetal position. To be brought so close to the promised land only to be torn away at the last moment… Sango would pay for her teasing. Oh yes, she would pay. But he would worry about that some other time. Right now, he was just glad the feisty slayer had apparently forgiven his previous indiscretions. He had spoken from the heart, been completely honest with her, and she had taken it well…very well. He would have to figure out some way to get her to kiss him again, a real kiss this time.
“Houshi-sama! I’m leaving you behind!” The sound of her voice snapped Miroku from his musings, as he strode toward her. She waited for him and fell in step alongside, neither knowing what to say but both feeling comfortable enough with the silence. Miroku’s thoughts drifted back to why they were out here in the first place, and a contented grin formed on his lips.
“So, they finally got together, did they?”
“It seems so, Houshi-sama. It’s about time,” Sango replied.
“Indeed. Sango, I thought you agreed to call me by my name.”
The taijiya shrugged, smirking mischievously. “Old habits are hard to break,” she said, bringing a wry smile to Miroku’s face. I used to think so.
“No, they’re not,” he countered softly, seriously. Sango gasped, staring up at him wide-eyed as she comprehended the true meaning behind his words. Encouraged, Miroku threw his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. When she didn’t protest, but only relaxed against him, the wayward monk couldn’t help but wonder what else he could get away with…
“If you grope me I’m still going to slap you,” Sango stated suddenly, glaring suspiciously at him out of the corner of her eye. This time, Miroku didn’t bother with pretenses of innocence; he merely adopted the ‘you caught me red handed’ look. Am I really that predictable?
“Someday you won’t be saying that, Sango.”
“We’ll see, Hentai-sama. We’ll see.”
* * *
Damn bouzu. Was that ‘virile male’ comment supposed to be a joke? Heh! I’m a hell of a lot more ‘virile’ than him, I fucking guarantee it! Still, Inuyasha was enjoying watching Kagome deal with their friends. If the task had been left up to him, he was quite sure it would have descended to violence by now. And since he didn’t hit women—at least human ones—the monk would have received double lumps, though that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The hanyou was broken from his thoughts by a small weight landing on his knee. Glancing down, he spied Shippou standing there, pocky clutched in one hand, a concentrated frown marring his features.
“Whaddya want, runt?” he grunted.
“So you’re mates now?” the kit asked, earning a curt nod from Inuyasha. “Like my parents were?” Instantly, the hanyou realized what the fox was getting at. Was this permanent, a basis for starting a family? Again, he responded with a nod. At this, Shippou puffed up his little chest, shooting Inuyasha the most intimidating look he could muster. “You treat her right, got it?!” He cringed when the hanyou raised his arm, but instead of bopping him on the head, Inuyasha merely ruffled his hair.
“Yeah, yeah, runt. I got it,” he replied, clearly amused by the kid’s display of toughness. Satisfied, Shippou turned and joined Inuyasha in watching the show. Then, the kit did something unthinkable: he offered Inuyasha a stick of his pocky. The offer was turned down, but it still comforted the two that they could get along, at least some of the time. And that was important, because they were now vying for Kagome’s attention more than ever, and neither of them were going anywhere. Said miko had apparently been too engrossed in ‘bouzu-taijiya theatre’ to overhear any of their conversation. Currently, she was whispering something in Sango’s ear, and the slayer didn’t look too thrilled about it. Shortly thereafter, the fuming woman stormed out of camp, followed by the monk. Inuyasha could guess where they were going, having kept one ear on the conversation while speaking with Shippou, his thought confirmed by the scent of nervousness coming from his mate. And even he, normally the densest of their group when it came to relationships, knew that the monk couldn’t afford to mess this up.
“Do you want some ramen, Inuyasha? I’m guessing everyone else already ate,” Kagome said, grinning at him despite her worry.
“Have I ever said no to that question, wench?”
Kagome shook her head as she prepared the meal, two cups for him and one for her. Finished, she ambled over and settled next to him, handing over the steaming supper to her mate’s eager hands.
“You know, someday I’m going to get you to refuse ramen,” she declared.
“Not *slurp* a chance, wench.”
“Yes, I will! You just wait.”
“Feh. Eat your ramen or I’m gonna eat it for you.”
“Baka.”
Kagome gaped as he tossed the empty cup in the fire and started on the second. He’s already done his first cup? I guess he really was hungry. He was completely finished by the time she was halfway through hers, but fortunately for him, he made no move to filch what was left of her dinner.
“Thanks, Kagome,” he suddenly uttered, causing the miko to stare at him in shock. H-he thanked me? And no ‘wench?’ Wow.
“You’re welcome,” she replied, leaning into him. He reciprocated, the gentle pressure between their bodies reaffirming bonds, both old and new. They remained like that until Miroku and Sango returned to camp, and were relieved to see that they did so on favorable terms. More than favorable, it appeared by their physical proximity and ease around one another. Kagome’s hackles rose, then twitched in repressed curiosity. She wanted details. Details! She would have to make it a point to find a hot spring tomorrow, because some serious girl talk was in order.
No words were spoken as the small group of friends went to bed, but there was plenty of silent communication, such as secretive smiles from a slayer to a miko, and self-satisfied smirks from a monk to a hanyou, who tried gamely to ignore all of it. Eventually, the humans settled down first, noticeably closer than ever before. If Miroku stretched out his arm, he could almost caress the curve of Sango’s backside, lovely even in the low, flickering light provided by the dying fire. But he dared not ruin the evening with his lechery; old habits were not that difficult to break, after all. Kagome and Inuyasha remained sitting together against the tree until well after their companions had nodded off around the campfire. The former covered a yawn with her hand, prompting the other to stand and gently pull her to her feet.
“Come on, wench. Get to bed.”
“Inuyasha, I was wondering…” she mumbled, pausing as if to gather her courage before meeting his eyes. “Do you want to share my sleeping bag?”
For a split second, Inuyasha’s mind went down a hentai road, but he quickly buried those thoughts. She wasn’t just asking about tonight; she was proposing a permanent shift in sleeping arrangements, one which would lead him into unfamiliar ground. He had never been comfortable sleeping prone, preferring his back to be resting against a wall or a tree. But would he even be able to sleep now without Kagome nestled against him? Probably not, he realized, and any negative aspect of it would be outweighed by the simple fact that he would be in her sleeping bag with her. Kagome’s offer was indeed extremely tempting, but still he resisted.
“No. I’ll sleep in the tree.”
“Oh,” Kagome answered, failing to hide her disappointment as she trudged morosely over to her resting place. Inuyasha growled to himself, hating the fact that he had been the one to make her sad. Dammit, I guess a simple ‘no’ isn’t going to work this time.
“Wait, Kagome. Do you know why I usually sleep in a tree?” When she didn’t answer, he continued. “I gotta keep watch for youkai.”
Kagome brightened at this, finally understanding that he wasn’t refusing her because he wanted to, but because he felt obligated by one of his self-imposed duties. Funny, that situation seemed familiar somehow.
“Inuyasha, when was the last time we were attacked during the night?”
“…”
“Exactly. Besides, we have two hanyou and two youkai in our group, plus two humans who can sense demonic auras. I think we’re covered.” Seeing that her hanyou was wavering, Kagome decided to play her trump card. “Please,” she begged, “I don’t know if I can sleep without you…” She batted her doe eyes at him, but the gesture was unnecessary; Inuyasha had been convinced at ‘please.’ He nodded, blushing despite himself, only his amber eyes revealing how excited—and nervous—he was at the prospect of sharing Kagome’s bedding. She went into the woods to change into flannel pajama bottoms and a tank top, giving Inuyasha a few moments to ponder what he was going to sleep in. He considered the modern clothing lurking at the bottom of Kagome’s bag, but decided against it, settling for just removing his haori and kosode. If a youkai did show up, he wanted to be wearing his fire-rat hakama already so he could roll out of the bag, throw on his haori, and pull out Tetsusaiga in a matter of seconds. Kagome was right; the group’s many and varied senses would give them advanced warning of any threat, but not enough for him to feel comfortable going completely unprepared. Perhaps in Kagome’s time he could afford to let his guard down, but not here in the feudal era.
Kagome hadn’t expected him to be topless; that much was certain from the hitch in her breath and the noticeable scent of attraction in the air. And she looked quite stunning herself, her shoulders almost bare and her pants riding low enough to reveal just a hint of navel. They exchanged a sheepish look, but the whole turn of events seemed to help them relax, oddly enough. Kagome got into the bag first, facing him as he climbed in behind her. They shared a chaste, but lingering kiss before she turned her back to him, his arms wrapped around her small frame. Kagome soon slipped into slumber, but Inuyasha remained awake for awhile, reliving the events of the past months, weeks, and especially today. Perhaps he was afraid to fall asleep, fearing that all of it was a very pleasant dream. Everything else that was good in his life had been taken away from him, so why would this be any different? No, this would be different. This was real, and he would not let anything take his Kagome away from him. Not that asshole wolf, not Naraku, not even death.
A quiet rustling drew his attention across the clearing, where Shippou was tossing and turning next to Kirara. If the kit was asleep, it wasn’t very deeply, and Inuyasha had a pretty good idea why. He sighed heavily.
“Oi, runt!” he called in a whisper.
“Yeah?” came the immediate response, confirming his suspicion.
“Get over here,” he ordered, lifting up the edge of the bag. Shippou was shocked by the invitation, but wasted no time in accepting, scurrying over and settling himself on the opposite side of Kagome, careful not to wake her. Almost instantly, he began to nod off.
“Thanks, Inuyasha,” he murmured drowsily.
“Keh. You were here first,” the hanyou replied, but even he knew that was just a lame attempt to rationalize his nice behavior. Damn, I really am getting soft. Sparing a glance at the woman in his arms, he shrugged. Eh, I can deal with it.
(1) See Chapter 7
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Ice Vixen X: No, I haven’t lost a parent. I only recently lost a grandparent. That makes your compliment all the more rewarding for me, that you believed I had lost a parent because of what I had written. I guess I’m just good at inserting myself into situations. I hope you keep reading and continue to enjoy the story.
Settling Her Debt
Kagome roused from slumber slowly, cosseted in unearthly comfort. Had she ever been this warm and cozy? No, she decided, she hadn’t. And as her mind finally came back online, she remembered the reason why she currently felt that way. She beamed, snuggling further into her hanyou mattress, which grunted and pulled her closer in response. Inuyasha had chosen her. He wasn’t going to hell with Kikyou; he wanted to spend his life by her side. He had chosen her. Kagome. He had chosen Kagome. She feared her mind would be forever stuck on that infinite loop, just chanting the message to herself over and over. Plus, her face was going to be permanently frozen in this ridiculous grin she was wearing.
Cracking one eye open, she glanced at her hanyou lover. He was still asleep, his visage peaceful and his breathing deep and regular. It was dark, which meant that unless they had been unconscious for twenty-four solid hours, it was still the same evening in which they had made love. Early in said evening, if the position of the moon was any indication. So they had probably only been dozing for a few hours, but why had they fallen asleep in the first place? It certainly hadn’t been the fatigue factor; when you just finish making love for the first time, you don’t fall asleep right away, especially if you’re a hanyou and don’t need as much shuteye as humans. And yet, she recalled feeling so incredibly tired afterwards that it took mere seconds for her to pass out. And Inuyasha had apparently experienced the same thing, which made it all the stranger.
She shrugged it off; it probably wasn’t important. What was important was that she was lying here—naked—with Inuyasha—also naked—and she planned on enjoying every second of it. Shifting away from the pebble digging into her hip, she made the mistake of moving her thighs apart for the first time. Eeeewwww. She was quite sticky down there, her inner thighs coated in blood and various other bodily fluids. She needed to find her way to a bath, and soon. She battled with herself for a few minutes, part of her wanting to just stay where she was and bask in the moment, but eventually the urge to be clean won out. Besides, Inuyasha was hers now, so she could cuddle with him whenever she wanted. And you can make love whenever you want too, her mind supplied, bringing a silly grin to her features as gingerly stood up and grabbed her kosode, sliding her arms into the voluminous sleeves. She decided to just carry her undergarments and hakama; she was only going to find a body of water, after all. The kosode was easily long enough to cover the essentials. She would have to hold it closed, but that was simple enough to accomplish.
“Where ya goin’, wench?” came the drowsy male voice behind her, startling Kagome into a gasp and spin. Heavy-lidded amber eyes stared back at her, amusement dancing in their depths. Damn, how does he always manage to do that, even though I’m a hanyou?
“Uh, just going to take a bath,” she replied lamely, praying he didn’t ask why. She would really like to avoid having to tell him that his stuff was on her leg, and her stuff was on her leg, and it was a big sticky mess. Fortunately, he seemed to understand without any further explanation.
“Oh,” he said, blushing and looking away. Kagome turned her attention to sniffing for a water source as he dressed himself.
“Okay, I think I found something,” she declared. “Come on.”
Inuyasha made no reply, and uncomfortable silence settled on the pair as they made their way through the underbrush. Is this awkward or what? In retrospect, the sudden shyness was to be expected, she supposed. Neither of them were virgins any longer, but they would probably still act like it for awhile yet. Old modes of behavior were hard to break. But she wanted to be open! She wanted to start acting like a happy couple sooner rather than later. Okay, she thought, nodding to herself in determination, I will try to not act like such a virgin! With any luck, maybe she could pull Inuyasha out of his timidity as well.
Her nose led them to a small pond, barely seven or eight meters across at its widest. But the water was relatively clear, and it would have to do. She didn’t need a bath, per se, just a quick rinse. And since she wasn’t going to act like a virgin any longer… She hesitated only a moment before shrugging her shoulders and dropping her kosode to the ground. The reaction from Inuyasha was immediate and detectable by multiple senses. His soft gasp reverberated throughout the clearing, and his scent spiked noticeably in excitement. Glancing coyly over her shoulder, Kagome grinned as she glimpsed his dumbfounded expression. He was staring wide-eyed, his mouth slightly agape, his gaze directed noticeably lower than eye level. Her hips rolled with just a little extra wiggle as she made her way into the water. She shivered slightly; it was cold, but she didn’t intend to stay in very long. Wading in only up to her waist since she didn’t have a towel, she began to clean herself, and Inuyasha took notice.
“Sorry,” he murmured, drawing Kagome’s attention to where he was sitting cross-legged on the bank, glaring pensively off into the forest. She blinked and cocked her head to the side in confusion.
“For what?” she asked. He flushed at this, stammering for a couple seconds before finally meeting her eyes.
“You…uh, I hurt you.”
“Oh,” Kagome responded, feeling her own cheeks warm. “Don’t apologize for that, Inuyasha. It’s only natural. Actually, I meant to thank you,” she confessed shyly.
“Why?” he wondered, completely baffled.
“Well, you put a lot of effort into making it feel good for me, and I really appreciate it.”
“Keh,” was his eloquent reply, but he did seem somewhat more confident than before, as one corner of his mouth curled just enough to reveal a fang. “Just did what any good mate would have done.” Mate. That was another thing they needed to talk about, Kagome realized.
“So, we’re mates now?” A curt nod was her only answer, so she continued voicing her line of thought. “What exactly does that mean?”
Inuyasha shrugged. “Dunno. Whenever I hear demons talk about…being together, they always call each other mates. That’s how Aoi and her mate referred to each other, remember? Nobody ever told me if it actually means anything beyond…uh, the physical part.”
“Oh, well what do you want it to mean for us?”
“I already told you what I want. This shit is permanent, wench. You’re stuck with me for life.”
Kagome flashed a positively radiant smile. “I guess that means you’re stuck with me as well, huh?”
“I’ll manage,” he joked, earning a chuckle from his miko mate. Her mirth persisted as she climbed out of the water and saw him swiftly turn his back, his posture stiff.
“You are allowed to look, you know,” she informed him, shaking her head in amusement.
“Keh.” Inuyasha had a very good reason for averting his eyes. He figured Kagome might still be sore, and he didn’t want to engage in any more intimate activities this evening. Observing her in the buff would increase the temptation to do just that, and make it exponentially more difficult to restrain himself. Fortunately, Kagome decided to let it go, assuming he was just being bashful. He listened as she got dressed, but was pleasantly surprised when she sank down on her knees behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her chin against his right shoulder. His hands came up to grasp hers, their fingers entwining as their cheeks nuzzled together. Kagome sighed in complete contentment.
“Things are never going to be the same, are they?” she questioned, without a hint of regret.
“Nope.” Inuyasha smirked as a delightful idea popped into his head. “There are definitely going to be some changes.”
“Like what?” Kagome inquired curiously.
“No more ‘osuwari-ing’ me, for one thing.” He expected an argument, that Kagome would be less than willing to relinquish the power she had held over him for so long, but quickly discovered that not only was she willing to give it up, she wanted to. He was certain their previous discussion regarding the rosary had something to do with that. (1)
“I’ll just take the rosary off,” she replied.
“R-really? That easy?”
“Sure. I mean, how often do I use it nowadays, anyway? Besides,” she cooed, her voice dropping into a lower, more sultry octave. “Now I have other ways of getting you to do what I want, mate.”
Inuyasha stifled a groan and tried to control the rapid beating of his heart, absently wondering when Kagome became such a vixen. What am I talking about? She’s always been a fiery temptress, yelling and fighting with me in that exceedingly short skirt of hers. Now I get to experience that feistiness in a whole new way. He grinned stupidly. Oh, the fun they were going to have.
“Bitch,” he growled huskily, getting slightly annoyed that she was making his abstinence mission difficult.
“Watch it, dog-boy,” she teased, “or I might decide to leave the rosary on, after all.” Nevertheless, she pushed herself upright, grasping the beaded strand and beginning to pull it over his head. Shockingly, his hands stopped her progress, pulling the necklace back down to rest upon his chest. “Inuyasha, what—”
“Leave it on.”
Kagome blinked at him a couple times, trying to make sure she’d heard him correctly. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Just don’t say the word.”
“Okay,” she hedged, still perplexed as to why he would want to keep the rosary. “I’ll try not to say ‘osuwari’ any—”
*THUD*
“Oh, shit!” she swore as Inuyasha’s face was planted into the ground, his body bending at a painful-looking angle. She rubbed his back as she waited for the spell to wear off, and the inevitable tongue-lashing that was sure to follow. It wasn’t as bad as she feared. He coughed and sputtered, spitting out the dirt stuck between his teeth. He hated getting ‘osuwarid’ by surprise; if he knew it was coming, he could at least close his mouth. Turning his head, he glared at his sheepish mate over his shoulder.
“You wanna try being a little more careful than that, wench?!”
“I’m sorry! You should just let me take it off!”
“No! You need it if I go full-youkai.”
Finally Kagome understood, even if she didn’t agree with his thinking. “Inuyasha, I don’t think you need the rosary to control your youkai blood anymore, even if you lose Tetsusaiga. Remember against Ryukotsusei? You went for Tetsusaiga in your full-youki form and changed yourself back. You’ve gotten so much stronger since the day you killed that Gatenmaru creep. I think—”
“I just don’t want to take any chances, Kagome.”
Said miko wanted to argue further, but the look of fear and anxiety in his amber eyes convinced her to let it be…for now. She fully comprehended his worry, the fear that he might lose control of himself and hurt someone, even someone he didn’t know. Oh yes, she knew that feeling very well, indeed.
“Alright, Inuyasha, but someday you’re going to see that I’m right. I believe you have enough control over your youkai blood so you’re not a danger to anyone but your enemies when you transform.”
“I hope you’re right, wench,” he replied seriously, before standing and offering her his hand. “We should get back to camp. I’m starving!”
It was a blatant attempt at changing the subject, but Kagome made no comment on it. She was very hungry as well, after all. As they made their way back to camp in companionable silence, following the scents of their friends on the breeze, another pressing concern occurred to Kagome.
“So, should we tell them?”
“Keh. Ain’t any of their business.”
“Well, I suppose we don’t have to tell them,” Kagome babbled, trying futily to cover her disappointment. “We could pretend nothing happened—”
“Kagome.”
“or come back separately—”
“Kagome.”
“or& #8212;”
“Kagome!”
“What?!” she yelled, her frustration breaking through.
“I said it ain’t their business, but I didn’t say we wouldn’t tell them.”
“Y-you mean…”
“I’m not ashamed of you, Kagome,” he professed sincerely, gazing into her beautiful brown eyes, tinged with just a hint of moisture. Grinning, she leaned up for a quick, but passionate lip lock.
“I know, Inuyasha,” she said after they separated. “I just thought you’d be nervous about their reactions. Even I’m a little worried about Miroku-sama’s teasing.”
“Feh. If the bouzu says anything, it just means he’s jealous,” Inuyasha declared, smirking smugly.
“Yeah,” Kagome giggled, “I guess that’s true. Okay, so we tell them.”
“You tell ‘em.”
“Hey! Why do I have to do it?”
“’Cause it was your idea, wench.”
Kagome grumbled under her breath about unsupportive mates, but she supposed she couldn’t really complain. She sidled up next to him, looping an arm around his waist, and was delighted when he reciprocated the gesture. He seemed more sure of himself after their ‘morning after’ talk, and for that Kagome was grateful. Maybe they really could start acting like a real couple. The true test, however, would be how he behaved in front of their friends. Would he pretend nothing had happened and drag the group dynamic back to the status quo? But even if he let his gruff side govern his actions in public, and kept her at arm’s length, she could deal with it as long as their private moments were like this. No barriers, no guarded emotions, just the two of them. She hoped he would treat her at least a little more intimately in the company of others, but if not, then she would live for these moments. Now that she knew the contents of his heart, his tough exterior didn’t seem to matter as much.
But perhaps she was making unwarranted assumptions. She kept waiting for him to release his hold and drift away, but he never did, even as they approached and finally entered the camp. He was somewhat tense, but they stood there together as their companions turned to regard them with shock, an emotion that lasted only a moment. And as his trademark lecherous grin curled Miroku’s lips, and Sango blushed, Kagome knew their little argument about who was going to tell their friends was moot. Neither of them would have to say anything.
“So, Kagome-sama,” the monk drolled, “I see you found Inuyasha.” Then, after a short pause, he sobered slightly and spoke in a serious, but still amused tone. “It’s about time.” The hidden meaning in his words was lost on no one.
“Damn straight, bouzu,” Inuyasha replied, stunning Kagome yet again. Miroku merely smiled in return, but the two men shared a meaningful look, coming to a silent understanding. Inuyasha smirked inwardly. Oh, the monk was hiding it well, but he was indeed jealous. His thought process at the moment was probably somewhere along the lines of ‘you lucky dog.’ Inuyasha certainly couldn’t argue with that sentiment. He did make a mental note to try to avoid finding himself alone with the monk, not wanting to answer the slew of perverted questions which would surely be posed by the hentai houshi. Meanwhile, Kagome was attempting to gauge Sango’s reaction, and was taken aback upon seeing the slayer appearing decidedly forlorn. Scratch that—she looked downright pissed! Her fists were clenched in her lap, and her teeth were gritted. If she listened carefully, Kagome swore she could hear them grinding together. It hurt to witness this attitude, and from her closest friend no less. She hadn’t expected Sango to be hostile to her and Inuyasha being together, and it saddened her greatly.
“Sango-chan, what’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy for us,” she muttered despondently. The taijiya started suddenly, seeming to jump out of her mood as she met Kagome’s gaze with a cheerful smile.
“I am happy for you, Kagome-chan, really. I just…did something stupid,” she finished, glancing away in embarrassment.
“There’s nothing stupid about it, my dear Sango!” Miroku declared exultingly. Sango only blushed harder at this, her lips pursing, and Kagome’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. If she didn’t know better, she would swear Miroku was gloating about something.
“What did you do, Sango-chan?” she voiced neutrally, but the slayer refused to answer. Several seconds ticked by, and both she and monk just sat there, Miroku wearing a big shit-eating grin. Kagome was starting to get a bad feeling about this. She was just about to repeat her question when an unlikely informant spoke up.
“They bet on whether you two would make sweet love,” Shippou stated into the silence. “They wouldn’t tell me what that means, but it sounds really good. I wonder if it’s sweeter than pocky!”
“WHAT?!!!” the two hanyou demanded at once, before sharing a murderous look. Inuyasha appeared as if he had strangulation on his mind, but Kagome clasped him on the shoulder.
“It’s okay,” she ground out in a whisper. “Let me handle this.”
Nodding grudgingly, Inuyasha settled himself against a nearby tree to watch the show. Kagome made her way to her yellow backpack, using the diversion to try to control her steaming temper. How dare they?! Taking something so beautiful like that and…and *gambling* on it!! *deep breath* Okay, calm down, girl. Nothing bad came of it. They’re just stupid bakas. Bakas! BAKAS!!!
“Here, Shippou,” she called out with false glee, holding up a tasty treat. “I’ll give you this whole box of pocky if you promise not to ask or talk about making love ever again.”
Inuyasha choked. “Ever, wench?”
“Well, until you’re grown up, at least.”
Shippou thought if over…for about half a second. “Deal!” he shouted, charging over and leaping through the air, snatching the pocky from her hand and scurrying off to devour his booty in private, away from other hungry eyes and hands. Kagome giggled briefly at his antics, but quickly turned her attention to the two bakas who’d forced her to part with the treat in the first place. She glared at each of them in turn, and even Miroku looked a bit sheepish, though not nearly enough for Kagome’s tastes.
“You two should be ashamed of yourselves!” she scolded furiously. “I would expect this kind of thing from the houshi, but I honestly thought you were more mature, Sango.” Both humans cringed at the sudden change in the way Kagome referred to them; the new nomenclature was probably a good indication of just how furious she was.
“I’m sorry, Kagome-chan,” Sango replied shamefully, closing her eyes and wiping away the few rogue tears that strayed down her cheeks. Seeing this, Kagome felt the greater part of her anger melt away. Sango didn’t cry very often; she only seemed to shed tears when she was really broken up about something. Sighing heavily, the miko resolved to forgive her friends. She was still upset with them, but she had definitely overreacted.
“It’s okay, Sango-chan. There’s no harm done. Besides, I’m sure it was Miroku-sama’s idea.”
Sango nodded gratefully, and Miroku sputtered in mock indignation. “Why, Kagome-sama, what makes you so sure this little wager came about at my behest?” When only a collection of disbelieving stares greeted his loaded question, Miroku sighed. “I am so misunderstood.”
“So who won the bet?” Inuyasha interjected abruptly. Once again, the expressions on the faces of their two human friends told the whole story. Could Sango’s face get any redder? And could Miroku’s dumb grin get any larger?
“I guess that answers that question,” Kagome muttered.
“Indeed,” Miroku agreed, reveling in his victory, “my dear Sango should have known better than to bet against a virile male such as Inuyasha!”
“F-feh!” the hanyou stammered, flushing darkly. Kagome’s thoughts turned contemplative. They hadn’t been together long enough for her to see how ‘virile’ he was. She couldn’t help but wonder when she would get the chance to find out. She blushed as well.
“What, uh…what were the stakes?” she choked out, a lame attempt to cover her embarrassment. Her ire returned full force when Sango grimaced, this time directed solely at the perverted monk sitting across the campfire. She advanced on him, her aura sparking and claws flexing dangerously. “I swear, bouzu, if it’s anything hentai, I’ll—”
“No, no, Kagome-sama! You misunderstand! My prize is merely an encounter with Sango’s luscious lips.”
“Just a kiss?” Kagome repeated warily, halting her forward progress. Miroku nodded, as did Sango when Kagome glanced at her for confirmation. If the slayer hadn’t then taken to staring at the ground, she might have noticed how the miko’s face slowly twisted into a mischievous smirk.
“Weeeelllllll,” she drolled nonchalantly, “I guess you’d better go pay your debt, Sango-chan.”
The taijiya’s head snapped up, her shocked and betrayed eyes locking with her friend’s. “B-but Kagome-chan,” Sango protested, shooting her miko companion a scandalized glare. What the hell, Kagome? You were supposed to help me get out of this!
“Sorry, Sango-chan, but a bet is a bet. You lost fair and square.” Strolling over and plopping down next to the slayer on the pretext of giving her a comforting pat on the shoulder, Kagome whispered in her ear. “Besides, you know you want to.”
It was true, Sango realized; she really did want to kiss Miroku. But it wasn’t that simple. She had always imagined their first kiss being one of those earth-shattering moments, where she would bask in the glow of his love and devotion. That dream was to take place only when their hearts were totally committed to each other. But right now, Sango was unsure where the monk’s heart lay. So he had behaved himself on their most recent excursion; big deal! She hadn’t forgotten the evening he went off to sleep with that hussy in that bigoted village. Sure, he claimed he didn’t have anything sexual on his mind, but then how did the girl get that idea in the first place? The bottom line was that while Miroku hadn’t outright betrayed her, at least to her knowledge, she couldn’t bring herself to trust him. And that was a problem, because she didn’t want to do anything with him until he had earned her trust. Unfortunately, she had made a wager, and it would stain her precious honor to go back on her word. Her romanticized vision of her first kiss would have to go the way of so many of her other hopes and dreams, like living in the taijiya village with her family and friends, and finding a husband who would love her and only her, beyond doubt.
“Fine!” she barked out, not even attempting to hide how she truly felt about this. “Let’s get it over with!” With that, she stood stiffly and stormed off into the forest, not sparing a glance to see if the hentai was following her. Miroku climbed to his feet, still grinning, though it somehow seemed hollower than before. Kagome favored him with a meaningful look; her eyes said it all. Don’t fuck this up, Miroku-sama!
Miroku nodded confidently, ambling off in the direction his wayward bride-to-be had taken. Only when he had passed beyond the reach of the light from the campfire did he allow his face to fall, revealing just how troubled he was by Sango’s attitude. And it didn’t take a genius to figure out why she was acting that way. Then, he saw her, facing away from him, arms crossed over her chest and foot tapping in impatience. She became aware of his presence and turned to face him, but refused to make eye contact. Instead, she advanced toward him, staring into his chest, eyes steeled in determination. In that instant, Miroku knew how she intended this to go down. She would initiate the ‘payment’—a quick and dry affair, probably not even worthy of being called a kiss—then stomp back to camp, filled with resentment. He wondered briefly if she would ever forgive him, or if he would forgive himself for allowing it to happen. No, he decided, he would not forgive himself if their first kiss was anything less than mind blowing, and that meant taking action. Right now, before it was too late. Placing his hands firmly on her shoulders, he stopped her momentum just as she was raising herself on her toes. She frowned, but any comment she was about to make died on her lips as she finally met his gaze. He was like a completely different person. Where had the hentai gone? Where was the lecher who shamelessly lured her into gambling on the sexual adventures of their friends? In its place was a man, his expression humorless, looking at her with eyes darkened by concern and tinged with remorse. The sudden change left her breathless, and she could do no more than wait for him to speak.
“Sango,” he spoke into the silence, his tone cracking the very foundations of everything she thought she knew about him. He paused, glancing away as if to gather his thoughts, before facing her once more. “Sango, when I wagered for your kiss, I did so because I thought you would be willing. If…if you truly do not wish to share such a thing with me, then I will not force you. I will think of something else.”
Sango gaped, and her heart clenched at the defeat in his tone. But there was something else there, a desperation, almost as if he was pleading with her to correct him, to tell him he was dead wrong. Under such an appeal, how could she deny him the truth?
“I-it’s not that, Houshi-sama,” she confessed, lowering her head. “It’s just—”
“That you feel you cannot trust me because of my womanizing habits?” he proposed, less a question than a statement of fact. Gasping, Sango snapped her head up to stare at him.
“How did you—”
“Please, Sango, any baka could have figured it out.” Sighing, Miroku glanced off to the side, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. “Unfortunately, I am no ordinary baka. I did not understand until someone spoke with me very frankly about how you feel.”
“Kagome,” Sango growled, enraged that her friend had broken her promise of silence.
“Actually, it was Inuyasha.”
“Inu-Inuyasha?!” That only made Sango a little less irritated, however; she was sure Kagome still had a hand in this. Well, I guess I don’t have to feel guilty for our bet anymore. This makes us dead even, in my book!
“Don’t be angry, Sango. I’m actually glad Inuyasha talked to me. He helped me see just how strongly my behavior was affecting you, how much I was hurting you. If I had known before then, I would have started to correct my bad habits sooner.”
“H-houshi-sama,” she replied, mind reeling. Was he actually saying that he had been trying to change his ways…for her?
“Please, Sango, call me by my name. It will make what I’m about to say easier for me.”
“Alright…Miroku,” Sango choked out, her insides fluttering wildly in anticipation of the words he had alluded to. He smiled then, as if just the sound of his name from her lips gave him unbridled joy, and her mere presence filled him with vitality. Perhaps it did.
“Sango, I cannot promise you that I will never look at another woman. Nor can I assure you that you will always be the only woman to occupy my thoughts and dreams.”
Sango started to pull away at this, fearing that if she remained near him any longer she would shrivel up and die on the spot. But he stopped her, clasping both her hands tightly in his, holding them to his heart. She could feel the organ pounding in his chest, so fast, so fast.
“But,” he declared, the inflection in his voice demanding her attention, pleading with her to hear him out. Again, she was powerless to refuse. “There are some things I can promise you. I will never grope another woman. I will never kiss, caress, or lie with any other. You will be the only woman to know my touch, to feel my lips, to bear my children. You are, and always will be, the only woman I will ever want. You are the woman I have chosen to be my beloved wife, the mate of my soul. Please, Sango, if you have any feelings for me left, give me another opportunity to prove this to you. Give me a second cha—”
At this point, speech became impossible, due to the pair of lips firmly pressed against his own. Overcoming his disbelief, he eagerly joined the dance. They moved sensuously together, hesitant at first, then growing bolder. Her lips were softer than the most luxurious satin, and he knew that he was already inescapably addicted to them. He parted his own lips, allowing his tongue to emerge and taste, caress, and coax her lush petals until they opened shyly. He delved inside, soothingly stroking her warm, damp appendage until it rose to tangle with his own. They twisted and weaved together, entwined in body and connected in far more, as their very souls seemed to pour out and flow through them unhindered. All the doubts and insecurities vanished from Sango’s mind; there was no room for them in this new world they had created.
Finally, lack of air forced them to part, but even afterwards they clung to their own private nirvana as long as they could. Sango was dizzy, flush, heated to the point of scorching, and she dared not open her eyes for fear that the world had not yet stopped whirling around her. Jumbled thoughts crossed her even more jumbled mind, faster than she could or cared to keep track of. But one stuck out above all others. Kagome, you were right. That was…that was… It was literally indescribable. No mortal words could ever hope to fully express everything that was her first kiss. Only a memory could do it any sort of justice, and this was one experience she would never forget.
“Shall I take that to mean you’ve decided to give me another chance?” Miroku’s amused voice rang out. Finally returning to the world around her, Sango glimpsed him there, gazing down at her and grinning with dazzling light dancing in his eyes. He was still gripping her hands as tightly as ever, and she had no notion of pulling away this time. Nodding, she flashed a brilliant smile, causing a noticeable hitch in the monk’s breathing.
“Kami…you are so beautiful,” he declared in absolute awe.
“No, I’m not,” she rebutted, blushing prettily.
“Yes, you are, Sango. Kami, you are.”
Sango looked away in embarrassment, but she couldn’t keep herself from beaming, nor could she deny the way his words and proximity warmed her body, heated her skin, or set her trembling slightly with barely-restrained desire.
“Sango?” she heard him ask.
“Y-yes?” she replied shakily.
“Was that the kiss I won in our wager?” he inquired, his voice a combination of teasing and yearning. Sango instantly knew what he wanted: another searing, passionate lip lock. But his playful tone had given her another idea, one which caused an impish smirk to blossom on her visage. He did deserve some payback for calling her a coward earlier.
“No,” she mumbled in the huskiest, most sensual manner she could muster. “This is.” She leaned in slowly, giving him ample time to bend down to meet her. She could see the anticipation burning in his rapidly closing eyes, and it almost made her feel guilty for what she was about to do. Placing a quick peck on his lips, she pulled away, practically skipping around him back in the direction of camp. And Miroku was left standing there, lips pursed, eyes closed, brows twitching.
“You coming, Houshi-sama?!” Sango called out from some distance away, more than a hint of laughter in her voice. Miroku felt like collapsing onto the ground and curling into the fetal position. To be brought so close to the promised land only to be torn away at the last moment… Sango would pay for her teasing. Oh yes, she would pay. But he would worry about that some other time. Right now, he was just glad the feisty slayer had apparently forgiven his previous indiscretions. He had spoken from the heart, been completely honest with her, and she had taken it well…very well. He would have to figure out some way to get her to kiss him again, a real kiss this time.
“Houshi-sama! I’m leaving you behind!” The sound of her voice snapped Miroku from his musings, as he strode toward her. She waited for him and fell in step alongside, neither knowing what to say but both feeling comfortable enough with the silence. Miroku’s thoughts drifted back to why they were out here in the first place, and a contented grin formed on his lips.
“So, they finally got together, did they?”
“It seems so, Houshi-sama. It’s about time,” Sango replied.
“Indeed. Sango, I thought you agreed to call me by my name.”
The taijiya shrugged, smirking mischievously. “Old habits are hard to break,” she said, bringing a wry smile to Miroku’s face. I used to think so.
“No, they’re not,” he countered softly, seriously. Sango gasped, staring up at him wide-eyed as she comprehended the true meaning behind his words. Encouraged, Miroku threw his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. When she didn’t protest, but only relaxed against him, the wayward monk couldn’t help but wonder what else he could get away with…
“If you grope me I’m still going to slap you,” Sango stated suddenly, glaring suspiciously at him out of the corner of her eye. This time, Miroku didn’t bother with pretenses of innocence; he merely adopted the ‘you caught me red handed’ look. Am I really that predictable?
“Someday you won’t be saying that, Sango.”
“We’ll see, Hentai-sama. We’ll see.”
* * *
Damn bouzu. Was that ‘virile male’ comment supposed to be a joke? Heh! I’m a hell of a lot more ‘virile’ than him, I fucking guarantee it! Still, Inuyasha was enjoying watching Kagome deal with their friends. If the task had been left up to him, he was quite sure it would have descended to violence by now. And since he didn’t hit women—at least human ones—the monk would have received double lumps, though that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The hanyou was broken from his thoughts by a small weight landing on his knee. Glancing down, he spied Shippou standing there, pocky clutched in one hand, a concentrated frown marring his features.
“Whaddya want, runt?” he grunted.
“So you’re mates now?” the kit asked, earning a curt nod from Inuyasha. “Like my parents were?” Instantly, the hanyou realized what the fox was getting at. Was this permanent, a basis for starting a family? Again, he responded with a nod. At this, Shippou puffed up his little chest, shooting Inuyasha the most intimidating look he could muster. “You treat her right, got it?!” He cringed when the hanyou raised his arm, but instead of bopping him on the head, Inuyasha merely ruffled his hair.
“Yeah, yeah, runt. I got it,” he replied, clearly amused by the kid’s display of toughness. Satisfied, Shippou turned and joined Inuyasha in watching the show. Then, the kit did something unthinkable: he offered Inuyasha a stick of his pocky. The offer was turned down, but it still comforted the two that they could get along, at least some of the time. And that was important, because they were now vying for Kagome’s attention more than ever, and neither of them were going anywhere. Said miko had apparently been too engrossed in ‘bouzu-taijiya theatre’ to overhear any of their conversation. Currently, she was whispering something in Sango’s ear, and the slayer didn’t look too thrilled about it. Shortly thereafter, the fuming woman stormed out of camp, followed by the monk. Inuyasha could guess where they were going, having kept one ear on the conversation while speaking with Shippou, his thought confirmed by the scent of nervousness coming from his mate. And even he, normally the densest of their group when it came to relationships, knew that the monk couldn’t afford to mess this up.
“Do you want some ramen, Inuyasha? I’m guessing everyone else already ate,” Kagome said, grinning at him despite her worry.
“Have I ever said no to that question, wench?”
Kagome shook her head as she prepared the meal, two cups for him and one for her. Finished, she ambled over and settled next to him, handing over the steaming supper to her mate’s eager hands.
“You know, someday I’m going to get you to refuse ramen,” she declared.
“Not *slurp* a chance, wench.”
“Yes, I will! You just wait.”
“Feh. Eat your ramen or I’m gonna eat it for you.”
“Baka.”
Kagome gaped as he tossed the empty cup in the fire and started on the second. He’s already done his first cup? I guess he really was hungry. He was completely finished by the time she was halfway through hers, but fortunately for him, he made no move to filch what was left of her dinner.
“Thanks, Kagome,” he suddenly uttered, causing the miko to stare at him in shock. H-he thanked me? And no ‘wench?’ Wow.
“You’re welcome,” she replied, leaning into him. He reciprocated, the gentle pressure between their bodies reaffirming bonds, both old and new. They remained like that until Miroku and Sango returned to camp, and were relieved to see that they did so on favorable terms. More than favorable, it appeared by their physical proximity and ease around one another. Kagome’s hackles rose, then twitched in repressed curiosity. She wanted details. Details! She would have to make it a point to find a hot spring tomorrow, because some serious girl talk was in order.
No words were spoken as the small group of friends went to bed, but there was plenty of silent communication, such as secretive smiles from a slayer to a miko, and self-satisfied smirks from a monk to a hanyou, who tried gamely to ignore all of it. Eventually, the humans settled down first, noticeably closer than ever before. If Miroku stretched out his arm, he could almost caress the curve of Sango’s backside, lovely even in the low, flickering light provided by the dying fire. But he dared not ruin the evening with his lechery; old habits were not that difficult to break, after all. Kagome and Inuyasha remained sitting together against the tree until well after their companions had nodded off around the campfire. The former covered a yawn with her hand, prompting the other to stand and gently pull her to her feet.
“Come on, wench. Get to bed.”
“Inuyasha, I was wondering…” she mumbled, pausing as if to gather her courage before meeting his eyes. “Do you want to share my sleeping bag?”
For a split second, Inuyasha’s mind went down a hentai road, but he quickly buried those thoughts. She wasn’t just asking about tonight; she was proposing a permanent shift in sleeping arrangements, one which would lead him into unfamiliar ground. He had never been comfortable sleeping prone, preferring his back to be resting against a wall or a tree. But would he even be able to sleep now without Kagome nestled against him? Probably not, he realized, and any negative aspect of it would be outweighed by the simple fact that he would be in her sleeping bag with her. Kagome’s offer was indeed extremely tempting, but still he resisted.
“No. I’ll sleep in the tree.”
“Oh,” Kagome answered, failing to hide her disappointment as she trudged morosely over to her resting place. Inuyasha growled to himself, hating the fact that he had been the one to make her sad. Dammit, I guess a simple ‘no’ isn’t going to work this time.
“Wait, Kagome. Do you know why I usually sleep in a tree?” When she didn’t answer, he continued. “I gotta keep watch for youkai.”
Kagome brightened at this, finally understanding that he wasn’t refusing her because he wanted to, but because he felt obligated by one of his self-imposed duties. Funny, that situation seemed familiar somehow.
“Inuyasha, when was the last time we were attacked during the night?”
“…”
“Exactly. Besides, we have two hanyou and two youkai in our group, plus two humans who can sense demonic auras. I think we’re covered.” Seeing that her hanyou was wavering, Kagome decided to play her trump card. “Please,” she begged, “I don’t know if I can sleep without you…” She batted her doe eyes at him, but the gesture was unnecessary; Inuyasha had been convinced at ‘please.’ He nodded, blushing despite himself, only his amber eyes revealing how excited—and nervous—he was at the prospect of sharing Kagome’s bedding. She went into the woods to change into flannel pajama bottoms and a tank top, giving Inuyasha a few moments to ponder what he was going to sleep in. He considered the modern clothing lurking at the bottom of Kagome’s bag, but decided against it, settling for just removing his haori and kosode. If a youkai did show up, he wanted to be wearing his fire-rat hakama already so he could roll out of the bag, throw on his haori, and pull out Tetsusaiga in a matter of seconds. Kagome was right; the group’s many and varied senses would give them advanced warning of any threat, but not enough for him to feel comfortable going completely unprepared. Perhaps in Kagome’s time he could afford to let his guard down, but not here in the feudal era.
Kagome hadn’t expected him to be topless; that much was certain from the hitch in her breath and the noticeable scent of attraction in the air. And she looked quite stunning herself, her shoulders almost bare and her pants riding low enough to reveal just a hint of navel. They exchanged a sheepish look, but the whole turn of events seemed to help them relax, oddly enough. Kagome got into the bag first, facing him as he climbed in behind her. They shared a chaste, but lingering kiss before she turned her back to him, his arms wrapped around her small frame. Kagome soon slipped into slumber, but Inuyasha remained awake for awhile, reliving the events of the past months, weeks, and especially today. Perhaps he was afraid to fall asleep, fearing that all of it was a very pleasant dream. Everything else that was good in his life had been taken away from him, so why would this be any different? No, this would be different. This was real, and he would not let anything take his Kagome away from him. Not that asshole wolf, not Naraku, not even death.
A quiet rustling drew his attention across the clearing, where Shippou was tossing and turning next to Kirara. If the kit was asleep, it wasn’t very deeply, and Inuyasha had a pretty good idea why. He sighed heavily.
“Oi, runt!” he called in a whisper.
“Yeah?” came the immediate response, confirming his suspicion.
“Get over here,” he ordered, lifting up the edge of the bag. Shippou was shocked by the invitation, but wasted no time in accepting, scurrying over and settling himself on the opposite side of Kagome, careful not to wake her. Almost instantly, he began to nod off.
“Thanks, Inuyasha,” he murmured drowsily.
“Keh. You were here first,” the hanyou replied, but even he knew that was just a lame attempt to rationalize his nice behavior. Damn, I really am getting soft. Sparing a glance at the woman in his arms, he shrugged. Eh, I can deal with it.
(1) See Chapter 7
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