InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis ❯ Now Everybody Knows ( Chapter 32 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
Word of the new development continues to spread.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.09.2009 | Updated On: 01.26.2011 | Pages: 6 | Words: 8.6K | Visits: 4.3K | Status: Completed
Word of the new development continues to spread.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.09.2009 | Updated On: 01.26.2011 | Pages: 6 | Words: 8.6K | 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.
JennyLynn: Thanks for the suggestion. I did read “Sloppy Seconds” awhile back but discovered that it wasn’t for me. Inuyasha was a little too OOC for my tastes. But it was well written, and anyone is welcome to check it out. The author is Cutie Pie Hentai.
Now Everybody Knows
Mrs. Higurashi seemed back to her old, cheerful self the following morning, and for that Inuyasha was grateful. He was glad she had confided in him the emotional turmoil she had dealt with over the past year and a half. Somehow, knowing how strong her reservations had been made overcoming them all the more rewarding. She served enough bacon for three meals, knowing that he loved the stuff and his hanyou body could handle eating that much of it. Kagome daintily munched on a few pieces while hungrily eyeing the rest, and Inuyasha just rolled his eyes at her civility. Eh, more for me.
Having had enough of the enticing aroma, Kagome went upstairs to shower. Of course, she did this only after Inuyasha had offered to wash the dishes, which led to his current dilemma. He was stuck rubbing soap over dinnerware when he really wanted to be in the shower with Kagome, running his hands along her smooth skin. He scrubbed as fast as he could, but there were dishes from the night before as well and he knew he wasn’t going to make it. Still, he plugged along on the off chance that Kagome might stay in the shower longer than expected.
*Slip*
Only lightning reflexes saved the falling plate from a messy demise.
“Oops! Nice catch, Inuyasha,” Mrs. Higurashi proclaimed. Inuyasha merely grunted a reply and turned back to his task, so he missed how she rolled her eyes and shook her head at him with a grin. Kids, always in a hurry! “Go ahead, Inuyasha, I’ll finish up.”
The hanyou stared at her in shock. Did she know why he was rushing—no, screw it. He was better off in the dark. He nodded a quick thanks before bounding up the stairs.
“Oh, going shopping for c-c-condoms, Kagome?” her mother teased, mocking the girl’s inability to say the word the previous day.
“That’s not funny, Mama!” Kagome cried, her face flushing.
“I think it is.”
Kagome stormed out of the house to the sounds of her mother’s chuckling, her embarrassment growing fairly acute. But even so, it had been a wonderful morning. She was sure her and Inuyasha’s activities in the shower had something to do with that. She had been standing with her eyes closed under the stream, simply enjoying a final rinse before turning the hot water off, when the shower curtain was pulled back and in stepped her very naked and very aroused male hanyou. Thoughts of resisting didn’t even cross her mind as his lips crashed upon hers and she looped her arms tightly around his neck. Pent-up lust throbbed between them, the now uncomfortably warm water cascading over their bodies and adding to the burgeoning heat. After some simple but effective foreplay, he proceeded to spin her around and screw her so hard from behind that her front practically melded into the shower wall. After the lingering tremors wracking their bodies had subsided, they used the shower for its proper purpose, cleaning and washing the fresh sweat off each other. A futile gesture, since neither of them could resist another romp. This time was far more languid as sated lust gave way to love and adoration, replete with all the kissing, touching, and caressing they had come to expect from the act of making love. He held her up, Kagome’s legs wrapped around his waist, their lips and tongues tangling between ragged gasps and moans as he moved slowly against her. And when the rising torrents of passion reached simultaneous climaxes, they stifled each other’s cries of ecstasy with a scorching lip lock that stole all traces of breath away.
They remained that way for the longest time, relishing in the afterglow as their heartbeats returned to normal. When he finally put her down, Kagome turned the temperature down and they stood under the stream together, allowing the water to cool their heated skin. They toweled themselves off, not wanting to provide any further temptation and knowing that they did need to come out of the bathroom sometime. She sent Inuyasha to her room to dress while she blow dried her hair, and he was nowhere to be found when she arrived a few minutes later. So here she was, ambling happily across the shrine grounds to buy the condoms they would soon need, feeling both satisfied and content. She could now say from experience that having multiple orgasms was a fantastic way to wake up in the morning. They would definitely have to try it again sometime. She jumped slightly when a familiar figure landed suddenly beside her.
“Inuyasha! Wha—” she started, trailing off as she gazed appreciatively at his lean frame. He was clad in snug fitting black jeans and the same red shirt in which he had shown up at her school some time ago. Seeing him in modern clothing didn’t have quite the same effect it had back then, but she still enjoyed the view. “What are you doing?”
“K-keh!” he muttered, her attire sending him for a loop. She wore a yellow sundress and light blue blouse, the exact same ensemble she had worn when she returned to the feudal era during his battle with Rouyakan. (1) She looked almost the same as she had then, when she came back to him after he banished her to the modern era, though perhaps a little older and a little wiser. What a mistake that had been! I thought I was doing the right thing, but damn, what an idiot I was. And it hadn’t been the last time she defied everything that made sense in the world just to be with him. She actually asked me if she could be by my side. I should have been asking—begging her to stay with me! But that was all in the past. Right now, they were living in the present and looking toward the future. The past could stay there where it belonged.
“Are you coming with me?” Kagome asked hopefully, snapping him out of his musings.
“Uh, I gotta wear these con-dum things, so I thought I should tag along. Unless you don’t want me to…”
“Don’t be silly! Come on!” she ordered, grabbing his hand and dragging him off with just a little extra skip in her step. As they descended toward the street, he couldn’t help but stare at her.
“It’s been awhile since you wore that,” he stated solemnly.
“Yes, it has,” Kagome replied, her tone indicating that she remembered as well. But her smile said it all; he didn’t need to apologize, and indeed she didn’t want him to. So he didn’t, instead hesitantly returning her smile.
“Do you like it?” she queried playfully. He smirked in response. Yeah, but I like it better when you’re not wearing anything. To his credit, he didn’t voice that thought, even though Kagome knew it had crossed his mind. He settled on something a little more reserved, and that he was more comfortable voicing aloud.
“Yeah. I miss seeing your legs.”
“Hm, well I have to wear my school uniform tomorrow,” she said, rolling her eyes at his silly grin. Ah, the uniform. He hadn’t realized how much he would miss it until she stopped wearing it. How many times had she flashed her panties without realizing it? And how long did he pretend he wasn’t interested in those luscious legs of hers? Early on they had been too slim, still girlish in appearance, but over time they had matured into a woman’s legs, toned and curvy in all the right places. And they were strong too; his waist could attest to that.
“Man, it stinks in this city!” Kagome declared, covering her nose.
“And you always thought I was just whining about nothing, didn’t you, wench?” Inuyasha replied smugly, earning himself a sideways glare.
“Yeah, well you did like to complain a lot.”
“No way!”
“Yes way!”
“I did not!”
“Did!”
“Name one thing I used to complain about.”
“Okay, let’s see,” Kagome said, inhaling a deep breath. “How clumsy I was, how slow I was, how bad my aim was, how I was too nice to Kouga, how annoying Shippou was, how I always got into trouble, how often I had to go home, how—”
“Alright, alright! I get it!”
“Really? Because I could keep going if you want.”
“I’ll pass.” A short pause ensued, during which Inuyasha’s mood sobered noticeably. “You know,” he began seriously, “I didn’t really mean any of that stuff.”
Kagome favored him with a grin, a forgiving look that said ‘I know that.’
“Well, you were pretty clumsy,” Inuyasha continued unawares, “and your aim was terrible, and you were too nice to wolf-shit, and—” He cut himself off, feeling the full weight of Kagome’s ire directed at the center of his forehead through her twin smoldering eyes. “B-but you got better!” he hastily added, desperately trying to dig himself out of his self-made hole. “Even before you became a hanyou…”
Kagome let him stew in silence for a few moments before breaking out in an amused smirk. “You’re just lucky I love you,” she said simply.
Inuyasha grinned stupidly; he would never tire of hearing her speak those words. Perhaps someday he would find the courage to say them back to her. He had almost said as much on their first night together, but something about articulating those three little words always caused them to catch in his throat.
“Come on, we’re here,” Kagome observed, effectively ending his contemplation on the subject. It seemed their arguing had taken them all the way to the pharmacy. Though it wasn’t really arguing; bickering was a better term for it. It was a shift from the verbal warfare they were used to, and it was fun! He had a feeling Kagome enjoyed the harmless banter as well.
The pharmacy was a clean, orderly place that smelled of any number of medications, the combination of which made the two hanyou dizzy until they got used to it. When their heads cleared, Inuyasha let Kagome navigate, trailing along behind as she found the right aisle. He almost chuckled when she loitered for a few seconds at the end of the aisle before taking a deep breath and striding purposefully forward. Her eyes were steely and her chin set; she looked like she was marching into battle. Inuyasha could only shake his head, not understanding what the big deal was. She said this is what responsible human couples did, so why should she be so embarrassed? Apparently she had her reasons, because her face slowly flushed as she carefully scanned a row of boxes.
“What’s the problem, wench? Just grab some and let’s go.”
Kagome only blushed darker at this, biting on her lower lip as she sometimes did when nervous. “I don’t know what…size to get,” she confessed lamely. If she had been looking in his direction, Kagome would have seen a positively evil smirk cross Inuyasha’s features.
“What, did you forget to take measurements this morning?”
Kagome felt her brow twitch but chose to ignore him, that is until she heard the ominous sound of a zipper being lowered. Dread gripped her as she glanced at him, and sure enough, it was indeed the zipper on his pants that had been undone, with the button soon to follow.
“What are you doing?!” she whispered scandalously.
“I thought I could try them on here, though you’d have to help me get in the right mood, if you know what I mean.”
“I…you…no… Put that away!!!”
This time Inuyasha did snicker quietly to himself as he refastened his trousers. Kagome was so fun to mess with. She turned back to the boxes, redder than ever, an irritated frown twisting her lips.
“You and my mother think this is so freakin’ funny!”
“‘Cause it is.”
“Isn’t!”
Inuyasha let it drop there, but no matter what she said, this whole situation was downright hilarious. Still, he figured he had teased his mate long enough. Nudging her gently aside, he began his own perusal of the strange boxes that vexed her so. What the hell was her problem anyway? There weren’t many sizes to choose from. He studied his options for a few seconds before grabbing a box off the shelf and tossing it to her, grinning to himself when she fumbled the catch. He had chosen the selection he thought would fit, but would still have to try one on before leaving for the feudal era. Either that, or take the chance of suffering the truly horrible consequence of ten days without sex. Ah! Kill me now! No, that scenario was to be avoided at all costs.
Kagome studied the box as she marched down the aisle toward the cash register, Inuyasha trailing happily along behind her. She was only partially attentive of her surroundings, which meant she couldn’t avoid the oncoming collision. A hurried young woman barreled into her from the right, sending Kagome’s box and the contents of the girl’s basket clattering to the floor. Inuyasha reached out a hand to steady his mate, though the action was not really necessary due to her feline sense of balance. The other girl was not so lucky, tumbling backward and landing flat on her backside with a yelp. Bending down, Inuyasha snatched his box of condoms off the floor and offered the stranger a hand up.
“You alright?” he asked distractedly, focusing his attention on the box in his hand. The picture was the same, but the weight had changed, and now that he looked closely, the colors were different as well. Hey! This isn’t my box.
“I-Inuyasha?”
Amber eyes snapped to the girl on the floor, the one with the vaguely familiar voice who somehow knew his name. He recognized her instantly, and her name was on the tip of his tongue when Kagome supplied it from his side.
“Ayumi?”
The wavy-haired girl turned slightly dazed eyes on her friend at hearing her name.
“Oh, Kami! I’m so sorry!” Kagome exclaimed, kneeling to help Ayumi replace her things in her basket. “I wasn’t looking where I was going, and…” she trailed off as her eyes landed on a very familiar box. Faster than a person could blink the container was hidden safely behind her back, but her expression left no doubt that it had been there. Red didn’t just stain her nose or cheeks, but her entire face and neck too. Meanwhile, Ayumi had realized that she too was missing something, and glanced around frantically for it until Inuyasha bent down and held it in front of her nose.
“I think this is yours,” he said lamely. A wide-eyed gasp followed, with Ayumi hastily seizing the box from his hand. Kagome felt better when the other girl’s face blossomed in the same crimson shade as her own; at least she wasn’t the only one caught buying condoms! Even Inuyasha developed a little tint to his cheeks. But the trouble was what to do now, as none of them seemed to know what to say. Ayumi was the first to gather her wits.
“So…uh, you look well, Kagome. Did those weird blue spots on your feet clear up?”
Kagome sweatdropped. So Jii-chan ran out of actual diseases and started making up random symptoms. Wonderful.
“Yep! My feet are fine!” she proclaimed with painfully false cheer.
“That’s good,” Ayumi replied with the same phony enthusiasm. Then uncomfortable silence settled in again, and neither girl had the courage to break it. Fortunately, they had a brash, at-times-insensitive male with them to do the job.
“Are we gonna sit here all day or what?” Inuyasha grumped, impatiently folding his arms over his chest.
“Uh, why don’t we check out?” Kagome said, standing and helping Ayumi follow suit. The three walked to the registers, paid for their things, and left the store. They once again found themselves staring anxiously at each other, only outside on the sidewalk this time. Kagome could see the questions dancing in Ayumi’s eyes, and she had several of her own as well. She just needed to get her alone for some old-fashioned girl talk.
“Inuyasha,” she pronounced sweetly, “can you please meet me back at the shrine? Ayumi and I have some catching up to do.”
Inuyasha’s first instinct was to vehemently refuse, maybe with a ‘hell no!’ or a ‘no way in hell!’ But he choked down his retort when those damn chocolate eyes blinked at him. He was lost as soon as his resolve wavered. Ah, dammit.
“Fine! But don’t stay out all day.”
“T-thank you,” Kagome stuttered, honestly expecting much more of a fight. Not for the first time, she decided she loved their newfound ability to get along. She leaned in and delivered a quick peck on the lips, then scurried off dragging Ayumi behind her. “Bye!”
Inuyasha delayed until the two girls were some distance off before ducking into the alley on his left. From there, he leapt onto the roof of the pharmacy and began running and leaping his way across the buildings of Tokyo. Soon he slowed to a stroll, matching the pace set by Kagome and Ayumi, below him and about fifty feet ahead. He scoffed inwardly; did Kagome really expect him to wait for her at the shrine while she went gallivanting around the modern world? He’d said it before—the girl was a trouble magnet. He wasn’t even sure he was letting her go to and from school tomorrow without him as an escort. Was it rational that his protectiveness of her had never been stronger now that she was more capable than ever of taking care of herself? Probably not, but he didn’t give a damn. Rationality could jump off a cliff. Besides, since when did rationality have any place in their relationship?
After several blocks, the girls stopped at some kind of outdoor restaurant and got lunch. Just thinking of food caused Inuyasha’s stomach to growl ravenously, though it had only been a few hours since breakfast. But he had grown used to hunger in his youth, and was fully prepared to simply ignore the urge until a familiar white ‘W’ down the street caught his attention. His stomach rumbled again as his mind conjured up images of processed meat and fried potatoes, all swimming in salt and grease. Kagome and Ayumi had barely started eating, meaning he had some time to burn. To make matters worse, Kagome’s mother had slipped him some money for just this occasion. He had intended to return it to her in full, but she did say she wanted him to use it… He shot to his feet, vaulting over a few more rooftops before dropping into the alley across the street from WacDonald’s. What could possibly happen if he left Kagome alone for a little while?
“I guess you could say that.”
“So, you’ve had occasion to use those condoms?” Ayumi asked shyly.
“Well, no, but only because I’ve been…keeping track of myself,” Kagome replied, mirroring her friend’s embarrassment. “What about you? Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Of course!” Ayumi answered, slightly insulted that Kagome would even have to ask that, when the alternative was that she went around sleeping with random guys.
“Sorry! It’s just, you never said anything. How long have you been dating?”
“It will be six months on Friday.”
“Six months! Why didn’t you tell anyo—never mind, I think I know.”
Both girls giggled at that. Kagome loved Eri and Yuka, but they were very intrusive when it came to her love life. Ayumi had always been the calm one, the one most inclined to let her work it out on her own, the one slowest to judge Inuyasha as ‘bad for her’ on hearsay alone. Throughout this conversation, she had been asking questions rather than demanding answers. And after seeing how many times Eri and Yuka had told her to dump Inuyasha and pushed her on Hojo, it was understandable that Ayumi simply wanted to avoid any meddling.
“I was going to tell them eventually, Kagome, but he’s my first real boyfriend, and I just wanted to get to know him without being asked about it every day at school.”
“Don’t worry, Ayumi, your secret is safe with me.”
“Thanks. I just hope they don’t get too mad at me.”
“Oh, I’m sure they’ll forgive you,” Kagome reassured, and Ayumi nodded gratefully. “How far have you two gotten?” she asked after a few seconds, deciding that it was her turn to play interrogator.
“We’ve kissed…a lot,” Ayumi confessed with a dreamy look. “And made out some, though we haven’t gone all the way yet. Almost once, but my mom nearly walked in on us. To this day I don’t know how he heard her coming. As for the condoms, I just want to be prepared, I guess.”
Kagome nodded, knowing what was coming next. This is like Sango all over again.
“What’s it like?” the other girl posed predictably. But whereas Kagome had given Sango a somewhat detailed answer, she didn’t feel comfortable answering Ayumi that way. Her modern friends were her friends, but her feudal era friends were actually more like family.
“It’s hard to describe. It was my first time, doing it with the man I love. It was magical. That sounds cheesy, doesn’t it?”
“A little,” Ayumi teased, “but thanks for sharing anyway. I don’t know if I love Kenji. I mean, I like him a lot, but… How did you know you loved Inuyasha?”
“It just happened,” Kagome said, shrugging. “One day, I saw him with Kikyou. I considered leaving him for good, thought about it for awhile, and then I just knew.”
“So this Kikyou person is the one he was two-timing you with? Is she out of the picture? Do they still see each other?”
“She’s still around, and I’m sure we’ll see her again, but he doesn’t want to be with her anymore.”
Ayumi didn’t say anything, but her eyes dripped with doubt.
“Look, Ayumi, Inuyasha has never lied to me. He snuck off to see Kikyou sometimes, but he never lied about it afterwards. I trust him.”
“Okay, Kagome,” Ayumi said, her voice still a little skeptical. “As long as you’re sure he isn’t still two-timing you.”
“I am. Now all this talking has made me hungry, so let’s eat!”
They were halfway through their respective meals when Kagome felt a sharp prick on the side of her neck.
“Ouch!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah, damn that hurts,” Kagome hissed, swatting the offending entity away. “I think I got stung by a hornet.” (2)
“It must have been a pretty bad sting to make you swear.”
“Little bastard.”
“Kagome!”
“What? I can swear if I want to.”
“Hmph. I bet you learned how to swear from your boyfriend.”
“Oh, please. I knew all the words by the time I was thirteen. I just didn’t have a reason to swear until I met Inuyasha.” Both girls chuckled at the joke, then returned to their lunches.
“Well, I should get going,” Ayumi said after they had finished. “I’m not nearly ready for that math test tomorrow.”
Kagome grimaced; if Ayumi was worried about the test, then she was doomed! “Uh, yeah, I should start studying too—whoa,” she broke off, steadying herself on shaky legs.
“You okay, Kagome?”
“I think so,” she answered after her head stopped spinning. “I just felt a little dizzy when I stood up, but I’m fine now.”
“Kagome,” Ayumi began, frowning, “are you sure you should be engaging in all this, uh…intimate activity with your health problems?”
Kagome smiled wryly, wishing not for the first time that she could just come clean with her modern friends about her “illnesses.” But it simply wasn’t an option, and they were probably better off not knowing.
“Don’t worry, Ayumi. Inuyasha is very considerate of my health.”
“If you say so,” the other girl relented, relieved but not completely mollified. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she exclaimed, digging around in her purse until she found what she was looking for. “I pilfered this from Yuka,” she said, handing Kagome the article. The miko laughed aloud, covering her mouth with her hand as she gazed at the long-forgotten picture. They were sitting in WacDonald’s, Inuyasha’s arm wrapped around her and she leaning her head on his shoulder. Inuyasha was looking embarrassedly away, and both of them were blushing hotly. Was this really taken only a couple months ago? (3) Their relationship had progressed so much since then, starting with Inuyasha rescuing her from the Rebirth curse. They had grown steadily closer ever since she first came through the well on her fifteenth birthday, but her metamorphosis had certainly accelerated things.
Kagome thanked her friend and the two parted ways, each heading home to study. Inuyasha, who had long since returned to his rooftop and scarfed down his fast food feast, stalked her for a few minutes before deciding to make his presence known. He vaulted into an alleyway and stepped out onto the street right beside her.
“Hey, wench,” he said smugly, fully expecting her to jump in shock. She did nothing of the sort, not even batting an eyebrow at his sudden appearance.
“Hey,” was her nonchalant reply.
“Wh—how—” the deflated hanyou stuttered.
“What? You think I didn’t know you would follow us instead of going to the shrine like I asked you to?”
“I wasn’t spying,” Inuyasha replied defensively, sensing that he had waded in over his head. He needn’t have worried.
“I know,” Kagome answered with a smile, “you were just worried.”
“Feh!” he grumped, but he didn’t deny it. “You still could have been surprised.”
“You’re not as stealthy as you think you are.”
Inuyasha grumbled at that, but it was difficult to pout when Kagome was grinning impishly at him like that. Let no one say he didn’t like to see her happy, even if her amusement was at his expense. The pair slowly made their way back to the shrine, enjoying the peaceful time together before another marathon night of studying for Kagome. She had two tests tomorrow, and she was only half-prepared for one of them! So it was with understandable reluctance that they ascended the shrine steps, stopping only when a pair of sandaled feet came into view. Both hanyou gulped when they looked up and saw Kagome’s grandfather glowering formidably down at them. I guess Mama told him about Inuyasha and me.
“YOU!!!” he cried, pointing a gnarled finger at Inuyasha. The young man pulled himself to his full height in response, glaring up at the elderly human, ready for whatever insults or degradations he was about to receive. “You…you had better treat my granddaughter like a goddess! And YOU!!!” he yelled again, turning to a very stunned Kagome. “Don’t stay hanyou for him! Only remain this way if it’s what you truly desire. And if he can’t accept that, then—”
“I accept Kagome without question,” Inuyasha interrupted sternly. The two men locked eyes, one seeking truth and the other providing it.
“Jii-chan,” Kagome said, “please believe me. This is what I truly want.”
The old man regarded them seriously for a few moments, eyes flitting back and forth before finally softening. “Very well then,” was his only reply, though he looked as if he desperately wanted to say more, and was nearly biting off his own tongue to keep quiet. He quickly found himself enfolded in a tearful hug by his granddaughter.
“Oof! There, there, Kagome,” he soothed, patting her back. “Now off to your studies with you! I will not have my granddaughter failing at something she’s put so much hard work into!” When she had gone, the two men lingered, each entertaining his own thoughts.
“I will,” Inuyasha declared, responding to the other’s first demand.
“In that case, welcome to the family. Do not make me regret saying that.”
“I won’t.”
“Good, maybe we can finally get back to hunting Naraku.” As far as Inuyasha was concerned, the only important thing that had occurred in the modern era was the procurement of condoms, which did indeed fit nicely. Well, maybe not the only thing, but he could pretend that it was.
“Oh, please! Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy the time off, Mr. ‘Red Lightning.’”
“You heard that, huh?” Inuyasha replied dryly. Oh, crap. Miroku and Shippou would never let me hear the end of that if they found out. “Keep that shit to yourself, wench.”
“Oh? And what if I decide not to keep your secret?” she asked playfully, flashing a sideways smirk his way. Inuyasha growled low, his blood heating to meet his bitch’s challenge. He advanced on her until her back was pressed against a tree, glaring intensely down at her. The now-familiar ache was already throbbing to life between them, as insatiable as it had ever been.
“Then I’ll make you be quiet,” he rumbled huskily, earning a coy smile from the woman before him.
“And how will you do that?” she inquired breathlessly. Inuyasha planned to fully show her, raising his right hand to grip her chin, but stopped mid-motion as a familiar—and dreaded—scent reached his nostrils.
“Dammit!” he shouted, using his fist to take out his frustration on the hapless tree. “Don’t tell me this shit is gonna start again!”
“Well,” Kagome stated, his antics making her grin despite her equally powerful disappointment. She was happy to see her friends, but they could have waited another twenty minutes—or a couple hours. “We did tell them we’d be back this afternoon.”
“So what? Here’s a novel idea—wait in the babaa’s hut!”
“But Shippou-chan misses us, and you can’t blame him. You miss him too.”
“Feh! Do not!”
Kagome shook her head at his half-hearted denial, but let it go. She could tell he knew the truth no matter what he said.
“Try not to be cranky at everyone, Inuyasha. You know we’ll have less alone time now that we’re here.”
“Not if I knock them all unconscious,” Inuyasha mumbled under his breath. Kagome’s reply was forestalled by the nearby pitter-patter of little feet.
“Kagome!” the young fox hollered, hopping up into her arms. “I missed you. Did you bring me something!” he asked quickly, eyes shining in childish glee.
“We missed you too, Shippou-chan,” Kagome declared, to which Inuyasha just snorted. “And as a matter of fact, I do have some pocky.” She handed him the sweet treat, and much to Inuyasha’s dismay he planted himself on Kagome’s shoulder instead of scurrying off and leaving them alone. Sighing, the disgruntled hanyou finally came to terms with the fact that he would be getting no action today.
“I’m going to see if the babaa is cooking anything,” he grumbled, trudging off toward the village. An amused Kagome followed, a pocky-engrossed Shippou coming along for the ride. There were a couple men hanging around Kaede’s hut when they arrived, probably seeking some sort of healing or herbal remedy. They bowed respectfully at the newcomers, and Kagome was just about to return the gesture when she felt another prick in her neck, this time on the other side. But she recognized this particular sensation, and simply rolled her eyes while applying a firm slap to the area. A flattened pest remained in her palm when she pulled it back.
“Myouga!” Inuyasha bellowed, brandishing a clenched fist, “I told you not to bite Kagome!”
But the flea didn’t grovel or make excuses as he normally did. He just sat there, staring back and forth between his master and mistress for a few long seconds.
“Inuyasha-sama, Kagome-sama…you’ve mated!” he exclaimed loudly. Too loudly, if a couple of choked gasps from the village men were any indication. Both hanyou knew what that meant; everyone in the village would know by nightfall. They would be the hottest gossip of the season, which begged the question of whether their new relationship would receive cheers or jeers, or possibly even swords and torches. But they would have to wonder about that later, as Kaede stormed out of her hut and motioned briskly for them to come inside. They obeyed, Kagome biting her lip in worry and Inuyasha hardening his expression, prepared for the worst. He thought he knew Kaede well enough to say that she wouldn’t have a problem with them being together, but one could never be sure about traditional miko.
“Why was I not informed of this?” the old woman queried when all were seated, giving nothing away with her neutral tone. Inuyasha and Kagome shared a glance, waging a purely optical argument over who would have to field that question. Ultimately, the responsibility fell on the latter.
“Well, you see,” Kagome hedged, “it happened very recently, and it’s our first trip back to the village since, and we went right through the well a few days ago…” She trailed off, wondering whether all of those reasons were just lame excuses. Was the real reason they hadn’t gone out of their way to tell Kaede because they feared her rejection? Bless her, the elderly miko didn’t say anything along those lines, but merely nodded and smiled.
“Congratulations, to the both of you. And especially ye, Inuyasha, for at last coming to terms with your feelings.”
“Thanks, babaa,” Inuyasha quipped, covering the genuine relief he felt.
“Kaede-babaa,” Kagome spoke hesitantly, “I should also tell you that I plan to stay a hanyou…forever.”
Again the old woman simply nodded. “I thought ye might.”
“Y-you did?”
“Aye, child. I have long known that ye would become too attached to your new powers to change back. To be honest, I cannot blame you. There was a time in my life when the thought of youkai and human joining together would have sickened me, but that time has long passed. You two have my blessing.”
Tears of gratitude appeared in Kagome’s eyes, only to be blinked back as more distressing thoughts crossed her mind.
“But Kaede-babaa, some of the villagers heard what Myouga-jiji said too. How will they react? Will we…will we be welcome here anymore?”
“Hmmm, an interesting question,” Kaede murmured. “On the one hand, mating with a hanyou—and becoming one herself—are incomprehensible things for a miko to do. On the other, neither of ye have done anything to harm this village. Most of the people are far too young to remember the tragedy that befell fifty years ago, much less hold a grudge against Inuyasha for it. Usually, they take a peaceful approach to youkai, preferring to leave and be left alone. I do not believe ye will be banished from the village. There will be those who are narrow-minded and will seek to have ye ostracized for this, but I believe they are in the minority.”
“I hope you’re right, babaa,” Inuyasha said somberly. If not, then where were he and Kagome going to live after their mission was over? He had survived alone, isolated in the forest for many years, but Kagome couldn’t live like that. She was friendly, outgoing, always wanting to help people, and she needed regular human contact. The modern era was an option, but only because the vast majority of humans didn’t even realize youkai existed. If anyone outside Kagome’s family found out what they were… It would be nice to find a place where he and his mate could live without fear of persecution, a place where they could raise a family and not worry for their children’s lives every day. Only now did he realize that he had been hoping this human village would be that haven. And perhaps it would, if Kaede was right. She was one of the oldest and probably the wisest inhabitant of the village, and her opinion would hold weight. Either way, they would find out soon enough.
“Stupid humans!” called a small voice from Inuyasha’s shoulder. “Don’t they realize how exciting this is? My master, finally finding a woman with which to carry on the bloodline of the great Inu no Tai—”
“Can it, flea!”
“But Inuyasha-sama, I can’t contain myself! This is the happiest day I’ve seen in years!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Inuyasha muttered dismissively.
“Myouga-jiji,” Kagome spoke up curiously, “how did you know we had…done that just by tasting my blood?”
“My dear Kagome-sama, do you know nothing of youkai mating?” When she and Inuyasha merely shared a confused look, Myouga sheepishly hung his head. “Oh, my, I must have neglected to inform Inuyasha-sama about this.”
“About what?!”
“Nothing! Just some minor details, really.”
“Yeah, then why are you so nervous? You didn’t tell me about something important, and I want to know why!”
“Because you would have gotten all embarrassed and squashed me, that’s why!”
*squish*
“There, now you’re squashed anyway. Was it worth it?”
“…”
“Come on, wench. We’re taking a walk,” Inuyasha declared, marching out of the hut with his flea vassal clenched firmly between his fingers. “Time to get some answers.”
Kagome nodded in agreement, her interest peaked as well. They reached a suitable spot for a private conversation, and Inuyasha tossed Myouga unceremoniously to the ground.
“Now tell us everything you know, flea.”
“Very well, Inuyasha-sama. Before we begin, might I just take a little blood?”
“Hell no!!!”
“Alright, alright, perhaps later. The first thing I should tell you is that I don’t know everything about youkai mating. No one does. It’s a very…mysterious thing.”
“What do you mean ‘mysterious?’”
“Just what I said. When two youkai who truly care for each other have sex, a certain bond forms between them. But it is impossible to foresee what kind of link or how strong it will be. Mating bonds change, evolve over time. They can be unimpressive and hardly noticeable, or they can be truly amazing, the single most powerful connection two individuals can share.”
“What determines the strength of a bond?” Kagome inquired.
“No one knows. Some speculate that it is based on the needs of each particular pair, others say it has something to do with the potency of the youki, and the romantics say it is determined by how ‘in love’ the couple is. Because of the ambiguity, it is not considered a dishonor to share a weak bond with one’s mate. Youkai are usually not quick to choose mates, but they are remarkably faithful to their chosen partners regardless of the mating connection.”
“So what you’re telling us,” Inuyasha ground out, “is that you can’t tell us anything.”
“I’m not saying that, Inuyasha-sama. I just don’t want you to expect me to give you all the answers. I can only shed a little light on your bond; the rest is up to you.”
“And we appreciate it, Myouga-jiji,” Kagome interjected. “What can you tell us?”
“Well, the fact that I could taste Inuyasha’s essence in your blood is an indication of a fairly strong bond. Tell me, did anything strange happen immediately after your first time?”
Both hanyou wracked their brains for an answer to the question. “I can’t think of anything,” Kagome finally admitted in defeat.
“I remember feeling really sleepy all of a sudden,” Inuyasha said, sparking some excitement in his mate’s eyes.
“Oh, I did too! Does that mean anything?”
“Possibly,” Myouga responded. “Truly powerful bonds occur at the level of the soul, and that sort of thing usually happens during unconsciousness.”
“So our souls bonded?”
“Perhaps. If they did, then other changes will arise as a result. Have you noticed anything else different between you?”
Kagome frowned in consternation. “Well, we haven’t really fought since then, but I just thought that was because we’ve resolved some issues between us.”
“You’re probably right,” Myouga agreed. “That most likely doesn’t have anything to do with youkai mating.” When both hanyou looked slightly crestfallen at this, Myouga hastened to reassure them. “Don’t fret, you two! The mating bond should be the least of your concerns right now. Whatever is meant to happen will happen, and perhaps you will begin to manifest some signs of a strong bond eventually. But regardless, I can see that you are fully committed to each other. This is a happy day! Your parents would be so proud, Inuyasha-sama!”
“What kind did they have?” the hanyou asked solemnly, ignoring the praise.
“Ah, your parents were an extraordinary case. They had such a short time together, but even so their bond was incredibly strong. If he had lived, I believe your father could even have given your mother his life span. Only those with the most potent, deep-seated connections can perform such a feat.”
“And now,” the flea continued, “all this helping you has made me hungry. Are you willing to grant your humble vassal a small token of appreciation, Inuyasha-sama?”
Sighing at the obvious guilt-trip, Inuyasha nevertheless pulled down the collar of his haori and bared his upper chest. Myouga leapt on and started sucking like a starved…well, flea. Inuyasha raised his hand to flatten him after a few seconds, but Kagome snatched it, pulling it down into her lap. She dazzled him with a shy smile, and he couldn’t help but reciprocate. They had been perfectly happy with the relationship they had, and now there might be some other mystical magic linking them together. It was thrilling, if not a little scary as well. But they could handle it, together.
So for the first time in ages, Myouga was able to drink his fill of his master’s blood. Unfortunately, the evening’s excitement had caused him to forget something important, the peculiar, almost sinister taste he had detected in Kagome’s blood. If he had remembered, it would perhaps have saved Inuyasha and Kagome a lot of trouble down the road.
Kenji – studying second son, though I chose this name just because I like it.
(1) This is what she has on in the anime. She wears some kind of dark skirt/dress and sweater combination in the manga, but I liked the anime ensemble better.
(2) They have some huge hornets in Japan (not that I’m saying Kagome actually got stung by one). We always hear about how the introduction of foreign species can hurt local animals, but that’s not the case with European honeybees and Japanese hornets. Follow this link to see what I mean (warning – will probably make you squirm).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDSf3Kshq1M
(3) See chapter 6
2011 Note – I took out the bickering scene with Shippou and Inuyasha when he and Kagome returned to the feudal era. Inuyasha was acting way too immature for my tastes. I think I was trying to show he still hadn’t completely grown up, but went too far and made him almost OOC for his characterization at this point in the story.
Converting /tmp/phpsElIjI to /dev/stdout
JennyLynn: Thanks for the suggestion. I did read “Sloppy Seconds” awhile back but discovered that it wasn’t for me. Inuyasha was a little too OOC for my tastes. But it was well written, and anyone is welcome to check it out. The author is Cutie Pie Hentai.
Now Everybody Knows
Mrs. Higurashi seemed back to her old, cheerful self the following morning, and for that Inuyasha was grateful. He was glad she had confided in him the emotional turmoil she had dealt with over the past year and a half. Somehow, knowing how strong her reservations had been made overcoming them all the more rewarding. She served enough bacon for three meals, knowing that he loved the stuff and his hanyou body could handle eating that much of it. Kagome daintily munched on a few pieces while hungrily eyeing the rest, and Inuyasha just rolled his eyes at her civility. Eh, more for me.
Having had enough of the enticing aroma, Kagome went upstairs to shower. Of course, she did this only after Inuyasha had offered to wash the dishes, which led to his current dilemma. He was stuck rubbing soap over dinnerware when he really wanted to be in the shower with Kagome, running his hands along her smooth skin. He scrubbed as fast as he could, but there were dishes from the night before as well and he knew he wasn’t going to make it. Still, he plugged along on the off chance that Kagome might stay in the shower longer than expected.
*Slip*
Only lightning reflexes saved the falling plate from a messy demise.
“Oops! Nice catch, Inuyasha,” Mrs. Higurashi proclaimed. Inuyasha merely grunted a reply and turned back to his task, so he missed how she rolled her eyes and shook her head at him with a grin. Kids, always in a hurry! “Go ahead, Inuyasha, I’ll finish up.”
The hanyou stared at her in shock. Did she know why he was rushing—no, screw it. He was better off in the dark. He nodded a quick thanks before bounding up the stairs.
* * *
“Bye, Mama! I’m going out!” Kagome called into the kitchen. “Oh, going shopping for c-c-condoms, Kagome?” her mother teased, mocking the girl’s inability to say the word the previous day.
“That’s not funny, Mama!” Kagome cried, her face flushing.
“I think it is.”
Kagome stormed out of the house to the sounds of her mother’s chuckling, her embarrassment growing fairly acute. But even so, it had been a wonderful morning. She was sure her and Inuyasha’s activities in the shower had something to do with that. She had been standing with her eyes closed under the stream, simply enjoying a final rinse before turning the hot water off, when the shower curtain was pulled back and in stepped her very naked and very aroused male hanyou. Thoughts of resisting didn’t even cross her mind as his lips crashed upon hers and she looped her arms tightly around his neck. Pent-up lust throbbed between them, the now uncomfortably warm water cascading over their bodies and adding to the burgeoning heat. After some simple but effective foreplay, he proceeded to spin her around and screw her so hard from behind that her front practically melded into the shower wall. After the lingering tremors wracking their bodies had subsided, they used the shower for its proper purpose, cleaning and washing the fresh sweat off each other. A futile gesture, since neither of them could resist another romp. This time was far more languid as sated lust gave way to love and adoration, replete with all the kissing, touching, and caressing they had come to expect from the act of making love. He held her up, Kagome’s legs wrapped around his waist, their lips and tongues tangling between ragged gasps and moans as he moved slowly against her. And when the rising torrents of passion reached simultaneous climaxes, they stifled each other’s cries of ecstasy with a scorching lip lock that stole all traces of breath away.
They remained that way for the longest time, relishing in the afterglow as their heartbeats returned to normal. When he finally put her down, Kagome turned the temperature down and they stood under the stream together, allowing the water to cool their heated skin. They toweled themselves off, not wanting to provide any further temptation and knowing that they did need to come out of the bathroom sometime. She sent Inuyasha to her room to dress while she blow dried her hair, and he was nowhere to be found when she arrived a few minutes later. So here she was, ambling happily across the shrine grounds to buy the condoms they would soon need, feeling both satisfied and content. She could now say from experience that having multiple orgasms was a fantastic way to wake up in the morning. They would definitely have to try it again sometime. She jumped slightly when a familiar figure landed suddenly beside her.
“Inuyasha! Wha—” she started, trailing off as she gazed appreciatively at his lean frame. He was clad in snug fitting black jeans and the same red shirt in which he had shown up at her school some time ago. Seeing him in modern clothing didn’t have quite the same effect it had back then, but she still enjoyed the view. “What are you doing?”
“K-keh!” he muttered, her attire sending him for a loop. She wore a yellow sundress and light blue blouse, the exact same ensemble she had worn when she returned to the feudal era during his battle with Rouyakan. (1) She looked almost the same as she had then, when she came back to him after he banished her to the modern era, though perhaps a little older and a little wiser. What a mistake that had been! I thought I was doing the right thing, but damn, what an idiot I was. And it hadn’t been the last time she defied everything that made sense in the world just to be with him. She actually asked me if she could be by my side. I should have been asking—begging her to stay with me! But that was all in the past. Right now, they were living in the present and looking toward the future. The past could stay there where it belonged.
“Are you coming with me?” Kagome asked hopefully, snapping him out of his musings.
“Uh, I gotta wear these con-dum things, so I thought I should tag along. Unless you don’t want me to…”
“Don’t be silly! Come on!” she ordered, grabbing his hand and dragging him off with just a little extra skip in her step. As they descended toward the street, he couldn’t help but stare at her.
“It’s been awhile since you wore that,” he stated solemnly.
“Yes, it has,” Kagome replied, her tone indicating that she remembered as well. But her smile said it all; he didn’t need to apologize, and indeed she didn’t want him to. So he didn’t, instead hesitantly returning her smile.
“Do you like it?” she queried playfully. He smirked in response. Yeah, but I like it better when you’re not wearing anything. To his credit, he didn’t voice that thought, even though Kagome knew it had crossed his mind. He settled on something a little more reserved, and that he was more comfortable voicing aloud.
“Yeah. I miss seeing your legs.”
“Hm, well I have to wear my school uniform tomorrow,” she said, rolling her eyes at his silly grin. Ah, the uniform. He hadn’t realized how much he would miss it until she stopped wearing it. How many times had she flashed her panties without realizing it? And how long did he pretend he wasn’t interested in those luscious legs of hers? Early on they had been too slim, still girlish in appearance, but over time they had matured into a woman’s legs, toned and curvy in all the right places. And they were strong too; his waist could attest to that.
“Man, it stinks in this city!” Kagome declared, covering her nose.
“And you always thought I was just whining about nothing, didn’t you, wench?” Inuyasha replied smugly, earning himself a sideways glare.
“Yeah, well you did like to complain a lot.”
“No way!”
“Yes way!”
“I did not!”
“Did!”
“Name one thing I used to complain about.”
“Okay, let’s see,” Kagome said, inhaling a deep breath. “How clumsy I was, how slow I was, how bad my aim was, how I was too nice to Kouga, how annoying Shippou was, how I always got into trouble, how often I had to go home, how—”
“Alright, alright! I get it!”
“Really? Because I could keep going if you want.”
“I’ll pass.” A short pause ensued, during which Inuyasha’s mood sobered noticeably. “You know,” he began seriously, “I didn’t really mean any of that stuff.”
Kagome favored him with a grin, a forgiving look that said ‘I know that.’
“Well, you were pretty clumsy,” Inuyasha continued unawares, “and your aim was terrible, and you were too nice to wolf-shit, and—” He cut himself off, feeling the full weight of Kagome’s ire directed at the center of his forehead through her twin smoldering eyes. “B-but you got better!” he hastily added, desperately trying to dig himself out of his self-made hole. “Even before you became a hanyou…”
Kagome let him stew in silence for a few moments before breaking out in an amused smirk. “You’re just lucky I love you,” she said simply.
Inuyasha grinned stupidly; he would never tire of hearing her speak those words. Perhaps someday he would find the courage to say them back to her. He had almost said as much on their first night together, but something about articulating those three little words always caused them to catch in his throat.
“Come on, we’re here,” Kagome observed, effectively ending his contemplation on the subject. It seemed their arguing had taken them all the way to the pharmacy. Though it wasn’t really arguing; bickering was a better term for it. It was a shift from the verbal warfare they were used to, and it was fun! He had a feeling Kagome enjoyed the harmless banter as well.
The pharmacy was a clean, orderly place that smelled of any number of medications, the combination of which made the two hanyou dizzy until they got used to it. When their heads cleared, Inuyasha let Kagome navigate, trailing along behind as she found the right aisle. He almost chuckled when she loitered for a few seconds at the end of the aisle before taking a deep breath and striding purposefully forward. Her eyes were steely and her chin set; she looked like she was marching into battle. Inuyasha could only shake his head, not understanding what the big deal was. She said this is what responsible human couples did, so why should she be so embarrassed? Apparently she had her reasons, because her face slowly flushed as she carefully scanned a row of boxes.
“What’s the problem, wench? Just grab some and let’s go.”
Kagome only blushed darker at this, biting on her lower lip as she sometimes did when nervous. “I don’t know what…size to get,” she confessed lamely. If she had been looking in his direction, Kagome would have seen a positively evil smirk cross Inuyasha’s features.
“What, did you forget to take measurements this morning?”
Kagome felt her brow twitch but chose to ignore him, that is until she heard the ominous sound of a zipper being lowered. Dread gripped her as she glanced at him, and sure enough, it was indeed the zipper on his pants that had been undone, with the button soon to follow.
“What are you doing?!” she whispered scandalously.
“I thought I could try them on here, though you’d have to help me get in the right mood, if you know what I mean.”
“I…you…no… Put that away!!!”
This time Inuyasha did snicker quietly to himself as he refastened his trousers. Kagome was so fun to mess with. She turned back to the boxes, redder than ever, an irritated frown twisting her lips.
“You and my mother think this is so freakin’ funny!”
“‘Cause it is.”
“Isn’t!”
Inuyasha let it drop there, but no matter what she said, this whole situation was downright hilarious. Still, he figured he had teased his mate long enough. Nudging her gently aside, he began his own perusal of the strange boxes that vexed her so. What the hell was her problem anyway? There weren’t many sizes to choose from. He studied his options for a few seconds before grabbing a box off the shelf and tossing it to her, grinning to himself when she fumbled the catch. He had chosen the selection he thought would fit, but would still have to try one on before leaving for the feudal era. Either that, or take the chance of suffering the truly horrible consequence of ten days without sex. Ah! Kill me now! No, that scenario was to be avoided at all costs.
Kagome studied the box as she marched down the aisle toward the cash register, Inuyasha trailing happily along behind her. She was only partially attentive of her surroundings, which meant she couldn’t avoid the oncoming collision. A hurried young woman barreled into her from the right, sending Kagome’s box and the contents of the girl’s basket clattering to the floor. Inuyasha reached out a hand to steady his mate, though the action was not really necessary due to her feline sense of balance. The other girl was not so lucky, tumbling backward and landing flat on her backside with a yelp. Bending down, Inuyasha snatched his box of condoms off the floor and offered the stranger a hand up.
“You alright?” he asked distractedly, focusing his attention on the box in his hand. The picture was the same, but the weight had changed, and now that he looked closely, the colors were different as well. Hey! This isn’t my box.
“I-Inuyasha?”
Amber eyes snapped to the girl on the floor, the one with the vaguely familiar voice who somehow knew his name. He recognized her instantly, and her name was on the tip of his tongue when Kagome supplied it from his side.
“Ayumi?”
The wavy-haired girl turned slightly dazed eyes on her friend at hearing her name.
“Oh, Kami! I’m so sorry!” Kagome exclaimed, kneeling to help Ayumi replace her things in her basket. “I wasn’t looking where I was going, and…” she trailed off as her eyes landed on a very familiar box. Faster than a person could blink the container was hidden safely behind her back, but her expression left no doubt that it had been there. Red didn’t just stain her nose or cheeks, but her entire face and neck too. Meanwhile, Ayumi had realized that she too was missing something, and glanced around frantically for it until Inuyasha bent down and held it in front of her nose.
“I think this is yours,” he said lamely. A wide-eyed gasp followed, with Ayumi hastily seizing the box from his hand. Kagome felt better when the other girl’s face blossomed in the same crimson shade as her own; at least she wasn’t the only one caught buying condoms! Even Inuyasha developed a little tint to his cheeks. But the trouble was what to do now, as none of them seemed to know what to say. Ayumi was the first to gather her wits.
“So…uh, you look well, Kagome. Did those weird blue spots on your feet clear up?”
Kagome sweatdropped. So Jii-chan ran out of actual diseases and started making up random symptoms. Wonderful.
“Yep! My feet are fine!” she proclaimed with painfully false cheer.
“That’s good,” Ayumi replied with the same phony enthusiasm. Then uncomfortable silence settled in again, and neither girl had the courage to break it. Fortunately, they had a brash, at-times-insensitive male with them to do the job.
“Are we gonna sit here all day or what?” Inuyasha grumped, impatiently folding his arms over his chest.
“Uh, why don’t we check out?” Kagome said, standing and helping Ayumi follow suit. The three walked to the registers, paid for their things, and left the store. They once again found themselves staring anxiously at each other, only outside on the sidewalk this time. Kagome could see the questions dancing in Ayumi’s eyes, and she had several of her own as well. She just needed to get her alone for some old-fashioned girl talk.
“Inuyasha,” she pronounced sweetly, “can you please meet me back at the shrine? Ayumi and I have some catching up to do.”
Inuyasha’s first instinct was to vehemently refuse, maybe with a ‘hell no!’ or a ‘no way in hell!’ But he choked down his retort when those damn chocolate eyes blinked at him. He was lost as soon as his resolve wavered. Ah, dammit.
“Fine! But don’t stay out all day.”
“T-thank you,” Kagome stuttered, honestly expecting much more of a fight. Not for the first time, she decided she loved their newfound ability to get along. She leaned in and delivered a quick peck on the lips, then scurried off dragging Ayumi behind her. “Bye!”
Inuyasha delayed until the two girls were some distance off before ducking into the alley on his left. From there, he leapt onto the roof of the pharmacy and began running and leaping his way across the buildings of Tokyo. Soon he slowed to a stroll, matching the pace set by Kagome and Ayumi, below him and about fifty feet ahead. He scoffed inwardly; did Kagome really expect him to wait for her at the shrine while she went gallivanting around the modern world? He’d said it before—the girl was a trouble magnet. He wasn’t even sure he was letting her go to and from school tomorrow without him as an escort. Was it rational that his protectiveness of her had never been stronger now that she was more capable than ever of taking care of herself? Probably not, but he didn’t give a damn. Rationality could jump off a cliff. Besides, since when did rationality have any place in their relationship?
After several blocks, the girls stopped at some kind of outdoor restaurant and got lunch. Just thinking of food caused Inuyasha’s stomach to growl ravenously, though it had only been a few hours since breakfast. But he had grown used to hunger in his youth, and was fully prepared to simply ignore the urge until a familiar white ‘W’ down the street caught his attention. His stomach rumbled again as his mind conjured up images of processed meat and fried potatoes, all swimming in salt and grease. Kagome and Ayumi had barely started eating, meaning he had some time to burn. To make matters worse, Kagome’s mother had slipped him some money for just this occasion. He had intended to return it to her in full, but she did say she wanted him to use it… He shot to his feet, vaulting over a few more rooftops before dropping into the alley across the street from WacDonald’s. What could possibly happen if he left Kagome alone for a little while?
* * *
“So, your relationship with Inuyasha has…progressed since the last time we saw you?” Ayumi observed, the first words either of them had spoken since leaving Inuyasha behind. Kagome put down her chopsticks, a contented grin working its way across her features. “I guess you could say that.”
“So, you’ve had occasion to use those condoms?” Ayumi asked shyly.
“Well, no, but only because I’ve been…keeping track of myself,” Kagome replied, mirroring her friend’s embarrassment. “What about you? Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Of course!” Ayumi answered, slightly insulted that Kagome would even have to ask that, when the alternative was that she went around sleeping with random guys.
“Sorry! It’s just, you never said anything. How long have you been dating?”
“It will be six months on Friday.”
“Six months! Why didn’t you tell anyo—never mind, I think I know.”
Both girls giggled at that. Kagome loved Eri and Yuka, but they were very intrusive when it came to her love life. Ayumi had always been the calm one, the one most inclined to let her work it out on her own, the one slowest to judge Inuyasha as ‘bad for her’ on hearsay alone. Throughout this conversation, she had been asking questions rather than demanding answers. And after seeing how many times Eri and Yuka had told her to dump Inuyasha and pushed her on Hojo, it was understandable that Ayumi simply wanted to avoid any meddling.
“I was going to tell them eventually, Kagome, but he’s my first real boyfriend, and I just wanted to get to know him without being asked about it every day at school.”
“Don’t worry, Ayumi, your secret is safe with me.”
“Thanks. I just hope they don’t get too mad at me.”
“Oh, I’m sure they’ll forgive you,” Kagome reassured, and Ayumi nodded gratefully. “How far have you two gotten?” she asked after a few seconds, deciding that it was her turn to play interrogator.
“We’ve kissed…a lot,” Ayumi confessed with a dreamy look. “And made out some, though we haven’t gone all the way yet. Almost once, but my mom nearly walked in on us. To this day I don’t know how he heard her coming. As for the condoms, I just want to be prepared, I guess.”
Kagome nodded, knowing what was coming next. This is like Sango all over again.
“What’s it like?” the other girl posed predictably. But whereas Kagome had given Sango a somewhat detailed answer, she didn’t feel comfortable answering Ayumi that way. Her modern friends were her friends, but her feudal era friends were actually more like family.
“It’s hard to describe. It was my first time, doing it with the man I love. It was magical. That sounds cheesy, doesn’t it?”
“A little,” Ayumi teased, “but thanks for sharing anyway. I don’t know if I love Kenji. I mean, I like him a lot, but… How did you know you loved Inuyasha?”
“It just happened,” Kagome said, shrugging. “One day, I saw him with Kikyou. I considered leaving him for good, thought about it for awhile, and then I just knew.”
“So this Kikyou person is the one he was two-timing you with? Is she out of the picture? Do they still see each other?”
“She’s still around, and I’m sure we’ll see her again, but he doesn’t want to be with her anymore.”
Ayumi didn’t say anything, but her eyes dripped with doubt.
“Look, Ayumi, Inuyasha has never lied to me. He snuck off to see Kikyou sometimes, but he never lied about it afterwards. I trust him.”
“Okay, Kagome,” Ayumi said, her voice still a little skeptical. “As long as you’re sure he isn’t still two-timing you.”
“I am. Now all this talking has made me hungry, so let’s eat!”
They were halfway through their respective meals when Kagome felt a sharp prick on the side of her neck.
“Ouch!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah, damn that hurts,” Kagome hissed, swatting the offending entity away. “I think I got stung by a hornet.” (2)
“It must have been a pretty bad sting to make you swear.”
“Little bastard.”
“Kagome!”
“What? I can swear if I want to.”
“Hmph. I bet you learned how to swear from your boyfriend.”
“Oh, please. I knew all the words by the time I was thirteen. I just didn’t have a reason to swear until I met Inuyasha.” Both girls chuckled at the joke, then returned to their lunches.
“Well, I should get going,” Ayumi said after they had finished. “I’m not nearly ready for that math test tomorrow.”
Kagome grimaced; if Ayumi was worried about the test, then she was doomed! “Uh, yeah, I should start studying too—whoa,” she broke off, steadying herself on shaky legs.
“You okay, Kagome?”
“I think so,” she answered after her head stopped spinning. “I just felt a little dizzy when I stood up, but I’m fine now.”
“Kagome,” Ayumi began, frowning, “are you sure you should be engaging in all this, uh…intimate activity with your health problems?”
Kagome smiled wryly, wishing not for the first time that she could just come clean with her modern friends about her “illnesses.” But it simply wasn’t an option, and they were probably better off not knowing.
“Don’t worry, Ayumi. Inuyasha is very considerate of my health.”
“If you say so,” the other girl relented, relieved but not completely mollified. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she exclaimed, digging around in her purse until she found what she was looking for. “I pilfered this from Yuka,” she said, handing Kagome the article. The miko laughed aloud, covering her mouth with her hand as she gazed at the long-forgotten picture. They were sitting in WacDonald’s, Inuyasha’s arm wrapped around her and she leaning her head on his shoulder. Inuyasha was looking embarrassedly away, and both of them were blushing hotly. Was this really taken only a couple months ago? (3) Their relationship had progressed so much since then, starting with Inuyasha rescuing her from the Rebirth curse. They had grown steadily closer ever since she first came through the well on her fifteenth birthday, but her metamorphosis had certainly accelerated things.
Kagome thanked her friend and the two parted ways, each heading home to study. Inuyasha, who had long since returned to his rooftop and scarfed down his fast food feast, stalked her for a few minutes before deciding to make his presence known. He vaulted into an alleyway and stepped out onto the street right beside her.
“Hey, wench,” he said smugly, fully expecting her to jump in shock. She did nothing of the sort, not even batting an eyebrow at his sudden appearance.
“Hey,” was her nonchalant reply.
“Wh—how—” the deflated hanyou stuttered.
“What? You think I didn’t know you would follow us instead of going to the shrine like I asked you to?”
“I wasn’t spying,” Inuyasha replied defensively, sensing that he had waded in over his head. He needn’t have worried.
“I know,” Kagome answered with a smile, “you were just worried.”
“Feh!” he grumped, but he didn’t deny it. “You still could have been surprised.”
“You’re not as stealthy as you think you are.”
Inuyasha grumbled at that, but it was difficult to pout when Kagome was grinning impishly at him like that. Let no one say he didn’t like to see her happy, even if her amusement was at his expense. The pair slowly made their way back to the shrine, enjoying the peaceful time together before another marathon night of studying for Kagome. She had two tests tomorrow, and she was only half-prepared for one of them! So it was with understandable reluctance that they ascended the shrine steps, stopping only when a pair of sandaled feet came into view. Both hanyou gulped when they looked up and saw Kagome’s grandfather glowering formidably down at them. I guess Mama told him about Inuyasha and me.
“YOU!!!” he cried, pointing a gnarled finger at Inuyasha. The young man pulled himself to his full height in response, glaring up at the elderly human, ready for whatever insults or degradations he was about to receive. “You…you had better treat my granddaughter like a goddess! And YOU!!!” he yelled again, turning to a very stunned Kagome. “Don’t stay hanyou for him! Only remain this way if it’s what you truly desire. And if he can’t accept that, then—”
“I accept Kagome without question,” Inuyasha interrupted sternly. The two men locked eyes, one seeking truth and the other providing it.
“Jii-chan,” Kagome said, “please believe me. This is what I truly want.”
The old man regarded them seriously for a few moments, eyes flitting back and forth before finally softening. “Very well then,” was his only reply, though he looked as if he desperately wanted to say more, and was nearly biting off his own tongue to keep quiet. He quickly found himself enfolded in a tearful hug by his granddaughter.
“Oof! There, there, Kagome,” he soothed, patting her back. “Now off to your studies with you! I will not have my granddaughter failing at something she’s put so much hard work into!” When she had gone, the two men lingered, each entertaining his own thoughts.
“I will,” Inuyasha declared, responding to the other’s first demand.
“In that case, welcome to the family. Do not make me regret saying that.”
“I won’t.”
* * *
“Ah, it’s so nice to be back!” Kagome proclaimed, emerging from the well into the lush greenery of Feudal Japan. “I passed all my tests, and I don’t have to worry about school for three more weeks!” “Good, maybe we can finally get back to hunting Naraku.” As far as Inuyasha was concerned, the only important thing that had occurred in the modern era was the procurement of condoms, which did indeed fit nicely. Well, maybe not the only thing, but he could pretend that it was.
“Oh, please! Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy the time off, Mr. ‘Red Lightning.’”
“You heard that, huh?” Inuyasha replied dryly. Oh, crap. Miroku and Shippou would never let me hear the end of that if they found out. “Keep that shit to yourself, wench.”
“Oh? And what if I decide not to keep your secret?” she asked playfully, flashing a sideways smirk his way. Inuyasha growled low, his blood heating to meet his bitch’s challenge. He advanced on her until her back was pressed against a tree, glaring intensely down at her. The now-familiar ache was already throbbing to life between them, as insatiable as it had ever been.
“Then I’ll make you be quiet,” he rumbled huskily, earning a coy smile from the woman before him.
“And how will you do that?” she inquired breathlessly. Inuyasha planned to fully show her, raising his right hand to grip her chin, but stopped mid-motion as a familiar—and dreaded—scent reached his nostrils.
“Dammit!” he shouted, using his fist to take out his frustration on the hapless tree. “Don’t tell me this shit is gonna start again!”
“Well,” Kagome stated, his antics making her grin despite her equally powerful disappointment. She was happy to see her friends, but they could have waited another twenty minutes—or a couple hours. “We did tell them we’d be back this afternoon.”
“So what? Here’s a novel idea—wait in the babaa’s hut!”
“But Shippou-chan misses us, and you can’t blame him. You miss him too.”
“Feh! Do not!”
Kagome shook her head at his half-hearted denial, but let it go. She could tell he knew the truth no matter what he said.
“Try not to be cranky at everyone, Inuyasha. You know we’ll have less alone time now that we’re here.”
“Not if I knock them all unconscious,” Inuyasha mumbled under his breath. Kagome’s reply was forestalled by the nearby pitter-patter of little feet.
“Kagome!” the young fox hollered, hopping up into her arms. “I missed you. Did you bring me something!” he asked quickly, eyes shining in childish glee.
“We missed you too, Shippou-chan,” Kagome declared, to which Inuyasha just snorted. “And as a matter of fact, I do have some pocky.” She handed him the sweet treat, and much to Inuyasha’s dismay he planted himself on Kagome’s shoulder instead of scurrying off and leaving them alone. Sighing, the disgruntled hanyou finally came to terms with the fact that he would be getting no action today.
“I’m going to see if the babaa is cooking anything,” he grumbled, trudging off toward the village. An amused Kagome followed, a pocky-engrossed Shippou coming along for the ride. There were a couple men hanging around Kaede’s hut when they arrived, probably seeking some sort of healing or herbal remedy. They bowed respectfully at the newcomers, and Kagome was just about to return the gesture when she felt another prick in her neck, this time on the other side. But she recognized this particular sensation, and simply rolled her eyes while applying a firm slap to the area. A flattened pest remained in her palm when she pulled it back.
“Myouga!” Inuyasha bellowed, brandishing a clenched fist, “I told you not to bite Kagome!”
But the flea didn’t grovel or make excuses as he normally did. He just sat there, staring back and forth between his master and mistress for a few long seconds.
“Inuyasha-sama, Kagome-sama…you’ve mated!” he exclaimed loudly. Too loudly, if a couple of choked gasps from the village men were any indication. Both hanyou knew what that meant; everyone in the village would know by nightfall. They would be the hottest gossip of the season, which begged the question of whether their new relationship would receive cheers or jeers, or possibly even swords and torches. But they would have to wonder about that later, as Kaede stormed out of her hut and motioned briskly for them to come inside. They obeyed, Kagome biting her lip in worry and Inuyasha hardening his expression, prepared for the worst. He thought he knew Kaede well enough to say that she wouldn’t have a problem with them being together, but one could never be sure about traditional miko.
“Why was I not informed of this?” the old woman queried when all were seated, giving nothing away with her neutral tone. Inuyasha and Kagome shared a glance, waging a purely optical argument over who would have to field that question. Ultimately, the responsibility fell on the latter.
“Well, you see,” Kagome hedged, “it happened very recently, and it’s our first trip back to the village since, and we went right through the well a few days ago…” She trailed off, wondering whether all of those reasons were just lame excuses. Was the real reason they hadn’t gone out of their way to tell Kaede because they feared her rejection? Bless her, the elderly miko didn’t say anything along those lines, but merely nodded and smiled.
“Congratulations, to the both of you. And especially ye, Inuyasha, for at last coming to terms with your feelings.”
“Thanks, babaa,” Inuyasha quipped, covering the genuine relief he felt.
“Kaede-babaa,” Kagome spoke hesitantly, “I should also tell you that I plan to stay a hanyou…forever.”
Again the old woman simply nodded. “I thought ye might.”
“Y-you did?”
“Aye, child. I have long known that ye would become too attached to your new powers to change back. To be honest, I cannot blame you. There was a time in my life when the thought of youkai and human joining together would have sickened me, but that time has long passed. You two have my blessing.”
Tears of gratitude appeared in Kagome’s eyes, only to be blinked back as more distressing thoughts crossed her mind.
“But Kaede-babaa, some of the villagers heard what Myouga-jiji said too. How will they react? Will we…will we be welcome here anymore?”
“Hmmm, an interesting question,” Kaede murmured. “On the one hand, mating with a hanyou—and becoming one herself—are incomprehensible things for a miko to do. On the other, neither of ye have done anything to harm this village. Most of the people are far too young to remember the tragedy that befell fifty years ago, much less hold a grudge against Inuyasha for it. Usually, they take a peaceful approach to youkai, preferring to leave and be left alone. I do not believe ye will be banished from the village. There will be those who are narrow-minded and will seek to have ye ostracized for this, but I believe they are in the minority.”
“I hope you’re right, babaa,” Inuyasha said somberly. If not, then where were he and Kagome going to live after their mission was over? He had survived alone, isolated in the forest for many years, but Kagome couldn’t live like that. She was friendly, outgoing, always wanting to help people, and she needed regular human contact. The modern era was an option, but only because the vast majority of humans didn’t even realize youkai existed. If anyone outside Kagome’s family found out what they were… It would be nice to find a place where he and his mate could live without fear of persecution, a place where they could raise a family and not worry for their children’s lives every day. Only now did he realize that he had been hoping this human village would be that haven. And perhaps it would, if Kaede was right. She was one of the oldest and probably the wisest inhabitant of the village, and her opinion would hold weight. Either way, they would find out soon enough.
“Stupid humans!” called a small voice from Inuyasha’s shoulder. “Don’t they realize how exciting this is? My master, finally finding a woman with which to carry on the bloodline of the great Inu no Tai—”
“Can it, flea!”
“But Inuyasha-sama, I can’t contain myself! This is the happiest day I’ve seen in years!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Inuyasha muttered dismissively.
“Myouga-jiji,” Kagome spoke up curiously, “how did you know we had…done that just by tasting my blood?”
“My dear Kagome-sama, do you know nothing of youkai mating?” When she and Inuyasha merely shared a confused look, Myouga sheepishly hung his head. “Oh, my, I must have neglected to inform Inuyasha-sama about this.”
“About what?!”
“Nothing! Just some minor details, really.”
“Yeah, then why are you so nervous? You didn’t tell me about something important, and I want to know why!”
“Because you would have gotten all embarrassed and squashed me, that’s why!”
*squish*
“There, now you’re squashed anyway. Was it worth it?”
“…”
“Come on, wench. We’re taking a walk,” Inuyasha declared, marching out of the hut with his flea vassal clenched firmly between his fingers. “Time to get some answers.”
Kagome nodded in agreement, her interest peaked as well. They reached a suitable spot for a private conversation, and Inuyasha tossed Myouga unceremoniously to the ground.
“Now tell us everything you know, flea.”
“Very well, Inuyasha-sama. Before we begin, might I just take a little blood?”
“Hell no!!!”
“Alright, alright, perhaps later. The first thing I should tell you is that I don’t know everything about youkai mating. No one does. It’s a very…mysterious thing.”
“What do you mean ‘mysterious?’”
“Just what I said. When two youkai who truly care for each other have sex, a certain bond forms between them. But it is impossible to foresee what kind of link or how strong it will be. Mating bonds change, evolve over time. They can be unimpressive and hardly noticeable, or they can be truly amazing, the single most powerful connection two individuals can share.”
“What determines the strength of a bond?” Kagome inquired.
“No one knows. Some speculate that it is based on the needs of each particular pair, others say it has something to do with the potency of the youki, and the romantics say it is determined by how ‘in love’ the couple is. Because of the ambiguity, it is not considered a dishonor to share a weak bond with one’s mate. Youkai are usually not quick to choose mates, but they are remarkably faithful to their chosen partners regardless of the mating connection.”
“So what you’re telling us,” Inuyasha ground out, “is that you can’t tell us anything.”
“I’m not saying that, Inuyasha-sama. I just don’t want you to expect me to give you all the answers. I can only shed a little light on your bond; the rest is up to you.”
“And we appreciate it, Myouga-jiji,” Kagome interjected. “What can you tell us?”
“Well, the fact that I could taste Inuyasha’s essence in your blood is an indication of a fairly strong bond. Tell me, did anything strange happen immediately after your first time?”
Both hanyou wracked their brains for an answer to the question. “I can’t think of anything,” Kagome finally admitted in defeat.
“I remember feeling really sleepy all of a sudden,” Inuyasha said, sparking some excitement in his mate’s eyes.
“Oh, I did too! Does that mean anything?”
“Possibly,” Myouga responded. “Truly powerful bonds occur at the level of the soul, and that sort of thing usually happens during unconsciousness.”
“So our souls bonded?”
“Perhaps. If they did, then other changes will arise as a result. Have you noticed anything else different between you?”
Kagome frowned in consternation. “Well, we haven’t really fought since then, but I just thought that was because we’ve resolved some issues between us.”
“You’re probably right,” Myouga agreed. “That most likely doesn’t have anything to do with youkai mating.” When both hanyou looked slightly crestfallen at this, Myouga hastened to reassure them. “Don’t fret, you two! The mating bond should be the least of your concerns right now. Whatever is meant to happen will happen, and perhaps you will begin to manifest some signs of a strong bond eventually. But regardless, I can see that you are fully committed to each other. This is a happy day! Your parents would be so proud, Inuyasha-sama!”
“What kind did they have?” the hanyou asked solemnly, ignoring the praise.
“Ah, your parents were an extraordinary case. They had such a short time together, but even so their bond was incredibly strong. If he had lived, I believe your father could even have given your mother his life span. Only those with the most potent, deep-seated connections can perform such a feat.”
“And now,” the flea continued, “all this helping you has made me hungry. Are you willing to grant your humble vassal a small token of appreciation, Inuyasha-sama?”
Sighing at the obvious guilt-trip, Inuyasha nevertheless pulled down the collar of his haori and bared his upper chest. Myouga leapt on and started sucking like a starved…well, flea. Inuyasha raised his hand to flatten him after a few seconds, but Kagome snatched it, pulling it down into her lap. She dazzled him with a shy smile, and he couldn’t help but reciprocate. They had been perfectly happy with the relationship they had, and now there might be some other mystical magic linking them together. It was thrilling, if not a little scary as well. But they could handle it, together.
So for the first time in ages, Myouga was able to drink his fill of his master’s blood. Unfortunately, the evening’s excitement had caused him to forget something important, the peculiar, almost sinister taste he had detected in Kagome’s blood. If he had remembered, it would perhaps have saved Inuyasha and Kagome a lot of trouble down the road.
Kenji – studying second son, though I chose this name just because I like it.
(1) This is what she has on in the anime. She wears some kind of dark skirt/dress and sweater combination in the manga, but I liked the anime ensemble better.
(2) They have some huge hornets in Japan (not that I’m saying Kagome actually got stung by one). We always hear about how the introduction of foreign species can hurt local animals, but that’s not the case with European honeybees and Japanese hornets. Follow this link to see what I mean (warning – will probably make you squirm).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDSf3Kshq1M
(3) See chapter 6
2011 Note – I took out the bickering scene with Shippou and Inuyasha when he and Kagome returned to the feudal era. Inuyasha was acting way too immature for my tastes. I think I was trying to show he still hadn’t completely grown up, but went too far and made him almost OOC for his characterization at this point in the story.
Converting /tmp/phpsElIjI to /dev/stdout