InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Nights of Possession ❯ The Final Night ( Chapter 4 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
Nights of Possession
An Inuyasha Fanfic by SakuraWings
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its cast belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
Warnings: (I know you’ve all been waiting for this) Lemon.
A/N: Thanks for your patience, kind readers! Your reward? A fifteen page grand finale!
---
Chapter Four: The Final Night---
Inuyasha sneezed loudly as the sun slowly ascended over the eastern horizon. Shivering in the early morning light, he let out a loud sigh. Apparently, he was going to have to go through the coming day without any sleep.
Perched on a branch high above the mansion, Inuyasha slumped against the trunk of the tree. Again and again, Kagome’s gasping voice echoed inside of his head.
HIROSHI!
HIROSHI!
HIROSHI!!
His heart lurching painfully in his chest, Inuyasha ran a tired hand over his face. It just didn’t make any sense. How could he have lost her so quickly to a fucking ghost? They had been here for only two days!
His ears drooped miserably. He honestly had never thought that Kagome of all people would turn out to be such a slave to the pleasures of touch. Eyes glazing over slightly, he recalled the way she had squirmed and shivered underneath his claws. Oh yes, she had really enjoyed it; he distinctly remembered the way her aroused scent permeated the air, effectively spiking his own arousal in the process.…
…but of course, that had all been the result of that fucking ghost.
In a rage, Inuyasha smashed his fist into the rough bark of the tree. A goddamn ghost! If it had been Kouga or anyone else, he could at least take out his anger by beating his rival to a pulp. But how was he supposed to pummel a fucking ghost?! His tensed claws sank into the soft wood as he growled loudly in frustration.
He was so lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t even notice the monk calling out his name.
“Inuyasha!” Miroku yelled for the tenth time.
“What!” was the barked response. Inuyasha didn’t feel like talking. He felt like shredding a large forest.
Miroku raised an eyebrow. Being the perceptive monk that he was, he immediately noticed the agitated tone in the hanyou’s voice. Only one person could have caused him that kind of distress.
“Did something happen with Kagome?” Even through the foliage, Miroku swore he saw Inuyasha jerk at the name. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
“It’s none of your fucking business,” was the annoyed response.
Miroku shook his head, as he began setting down the equipment in his arms. “No, I suppose it’s not.”
Shifting his position, Inuyasha watched as the monk spread candles, incense and various trinkets on the ground in front of him. “What are you doing?” he asked suspiciously.
Arranging the candles in a semicircle, the monk replied, “Well, since we are getting nowhere with the ghosts, I thought we’d try something a little different.” Producing one of Kagome’s matchboxes from his sleeve, he began to light the candles. “I figured that we could try–”
“Forget it!” snapped Inuyasha. “The last time we tried one of your fucking exorcisms, it seriously fucked everything over.”
Miroku cleared his throat in annoyance as he threw the hanyou a particularly nasty glance. “As I was saying, I have double checked all of my equipment this time, and I am sure that this will work as planned.” Finishing his preparations, he blew out the used matchstick. “This incense will allow you to travel into the depths of your soul, and confront Hiroshi face to face. Perhaps then you could–”
Miroku jumped back as Inuyasha suddenly appeared in front of him. “Meet him…face to face?” he growled loudly.
The monk blinked. “Yes…” he began slowly, a questioning look in his eyes. “Then perhaps we could find out what exactly happened that night.…” He trailed off as he realized that the hanyou was no longer listening.
Repeatedly punching a fist into his other hand, Inuyasha stomped to the center of the semicircle. “Let me at ‘im!” he hissed, glaring at Miroku. “What do I do to get this thing to work?!”
Cautious of the hanyou’s strange behavior, Miroku reached for a lit candle, and moved it to light the incense. “Er…well, all you have to do is breathe in this incense deeply and….”
Miroku’s voice phased out as the strange bitter smell of incense stung Inuyasha’s sensitive nose. He gagged, “Miroku, this stuff…what is this crap–”
And then everything was black.
---
Stumbling to his knees, Inuyasha opened his eyes to a slightly blurry gray world. The stench of the incense still echoed in his brain, giving him a sharp headache. “Goddamn monk,” he muttered, as if it were all Miroku’s fault.
“Where have you been all day?!”
Inuyasha’s ears perked. He knew that voice. It had haunted his mind for the past two nights.
Spinning with a clenched fist, he launched himself towards the source, ready to beat his anger away.
To his surprise, he fell right through his target, landing in a disgruntled heap on the floor. He blinked rapidly. “What the…” He took a good look at his palm and found himself to be slightly transparent.
He looked to the solid black and white figures in front of him. ‘I suppose they can’t see me either,’ thought Inuyasha, bitterly disappointed that he wouldn’t be getting into any fights with Hiroshi anytime soon.
The male figure in front of him was actually rather handsome, with striking black hair and a well shaped and angled face. He was glaring intently at the other figure, a female with fair skin and soft delicate-looking hair. Her brow was furrowed in annoyance.
“I haven’t been anywhere! I went to the shops to buy some rice, and then I came back!”
“We have servants to do that,” Hiroshi bit out. “You have no reason to leave the mansion!”
The female – Yumiko, Inuyasha presumed – stomped her foot in frustration. “I don’t like to be cooped up in the mansion all day! I like going outside every once in a while!”
Hiroshi’s eyes narrowed. “What you like,” he said in a strained voice, “is going to see him.”
Yumiko glared at him. “I can’t believe you! Don’t you have any faith in me?!” she hissed. “You’re letting your jealousy get the better of you–”
His voice was stern. “I had you followed.”
She paled. “How…how could you?” she whispered.
Something in Hiroshi’s eyes snapped. “NO!” he roared. “How could YOU?!” He clenched his shaking hands. “I thought you loved me...” he whispered.
“Hiroshi…” she said with sad eyes, reaching out for him. He knocked her hands away, turning sharply.
“I want you gone by morning,” he said coldly.
She froze in shock. “You…you don’t mean that?!”
“I see now that you only wanted me for my position and my money,” he sneered. “Well, now you can go live your life with him.”
Yumiko crumpled to the ground, sobbing heavily as Hiroshi left the courtyard. Frozen by the scene that had just taken place before him, Inuyasha was torn between following Hiroshi and staying with Yumiko. He shook his head. ‘What am I doing? It’s not like I can do anything to help her anyway.…’
Still, for some reason, he found that he couldn’t leave the crying girl’s side. Briefly, his mind flicked to the last time he had seen Kagome, sobbing quietly as he had left the room late last night. His shoulders slumped heavily. ‘Kagome…what are you doing right now? Are you alright?’
Her cries slowly quieting into hiccups, Yumiko sat up, wiping her tears away. For a long time, she remained silent, staring at the ground absently. Then taking a glance at the setting sun, she stood and moved towards the back of the mansion. Blinking curiously, Inuyasha followed her as she walked around the building and down a long winding path through the forest. Soon enough, he found himself in a small clearing with an old, worn down hut.
She stood quietly at the door, staring into the green depths of the woods. A rustle in the bushes behind them caught Inuyasha’s attention, causing his ears to twitch cautiously. Yumiko moved then, producing a small bundle from her clothing.
“This is the last time I can give you this,” she said quietly to the figure still shrouded in shadow. “I am leaving this mansion tomorrow.”
“You are too kind, Lady Yumiko,” came a male voice. A young man emerged from the bushes, coughing heavily. Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed upon the man. Something about him annoyed him greatly. His eyes were beady and sharp, and his mouth was twisted in a small smirk. “Forgive me for intruding, but I heard your husband has left you,” he wheezed.
Yumiko snapped just then, throwing the small bundle at the man. “Just take your medicine and leave!” she yelled hoarsely, her voice breaking slightly.
The bundle hit the man and it fell heavily to the ground. He made no motion to pick it up. “Since you have no place to go,” he said silkily, “why not come with me?”
She froze. “I won’t,” she said.
“Why not? It’s not as if that man will provide for you anymore.”
“I…I still love him.” Yumiko’s head tilted forward as she held back tears.
Inuyasha frowned as he saw the man’s face contort into anger. His eyes widened as he saw something flash in the man’s eyes. He almost looks…inhuman.…
“You idiot!” Inuyasha barked at Yumiko. His words echoed strangely all around him. “You’ve been helping a youkai all this time–”
She made no indication that she had heard him. “Please leave,” she said quietly.
“Very well,” bit out the other man. With one last lingering glare at the young woman, he turned and left the clearing.
When he was gone, Yumiko fell to her knees, hugging herself tightly. She stayed that way for a long time, not moving or saying anything. As the sun began to set, she stared at the horizon sadly.
“Hiroshi,” she whispered sadly.
Eventually, the young woman stood on unsteady feet, moving slowly through the woods, towards a secluded area that eventually became a large, steaming hot spring.
As she began to strip off her clothes, Inuyasha blushed and jerked his head away from her. He may be invisible to her, but it still seemed wrong to watch her undress. When he heard her get into the water, he turned back around, taking note of his surroundings. He recalled what Kagome had told the group yesterday…that Hiroshi was the one to kill Yumiko at the hot springs.
A twig snapped behind him. Inuyasha jerked around as Yumiko suddenly stiffened in the hot spring.
Sure enough, Hiroshi emerged from the shadows. “Yumiko,” he murmured quietly.
“H-Hiroshi?” Yumiko turned around, hopeful eyes falling on the shadowed figure.
“I’ve been such a fool…” said the young lord, kneeling on the grass before her wife. “I was rash. I was angry…I didn’t mean anything that I said.”
Tears in her eyes, Yumiko smiled softly, “I forgive you.…”
Within a heartbeat, Hiroshi had Yumiko in his arms. She snuggled into his warm embrace, her arms encircling his neck. “I love you–”
Her voice suddenly cut off as a stream of blood trickled down her chin. “Hi…roshi?” she said weakly.
He dug the knife deeper into her back, and she began to choke on the blood flowing freely from her mouth.
“W…why…” she coughed, leaning back in an attempt to see his face. She cried out when she saw the look of pure hatred on his face.
“I…thought you loved me…” were her whispered words as the light began to fade from her eyes.
Inuyasha closed his eyes sadly. This was a betrayal between lovers; something that he was all too familiar with.
“NO!”
The hanyou’s eyes jerked open as he spun around to find…Hiroshi?! Eyes darting between the newcomer and the human in the hot spring, he came to a sickening realization in his gut.
Moving so fast that even Inuyasha had a hard time keeping up, Hiroshi had drawn his dagger and lodged it deep within the doppelganger’s back.
The fake Hiroshi’s eyes widened in surprise. Obviously, the youkai had not expected the lord to come to such a secluded area at this time of night.
“You bastard,” the youkai hissed in pain. Then, as he started to fade, he began to chuckle. “But you are already too late.…”
Falling from the youkai’s loose grip, Yumiko’s body slid into the water. Ignoring the demon’s howls of laughter, Hiroshi jumped into the steaming pool and gathered her into his arms.
“Yumiko,” he whimpered softly, burying his nose into her damp hair. His hands ran over the body that he knew so well; she was still warm. “Yumiko…please wake up.…” His voice broke heavily.
For a long time, Hiroshi sat on the edge of the spring, cradling his dead wife’s body and whispering her name. Inuyasha swallowed heavily and looked away. He knew all too well what Hiroshi was feeling. He, himself, had been tricked by a malicious demon and lost the woman he had loved.…
Hiroshi moved suddenly, wading deeper into the hot springs. Slowly, still clutching Yumiko and staring into the setting moon, he sank into the blood red water until it engulfed him from head to toe. Mesmerized, Inuyasha watched as his breath bubbled over the water’s surface; large at first, and then trickling down into nothing.
Once again, the world fell into darkness.
---
I loved her.
'Wha--? ' Inuyasha spun around in the dizzying darkness that surrounded him. His eyes darted back and forth, searching for the voice that seemed to originate all around him. "Where am I?!"
It was my fault. All my fault.
I didn't trust her.
I didn't make it in time.
The background wavered and dimmed. Once again, Inuyasha found himself bathed in darkness, save for one translucent figure in front of him.
"Our last chance," he whispered. "Tonight is our last chance."
Inuyasha looked startled. "Last chance? Last chance for what?"
"He comes tonight," continued the ghost with sad eyes. "He comes to drag our damned souls to hell."
"You and Yumiko?" asked Inuyasha with a frown. Wasn't that a good thing? Then he'd finally have control of his own body again.
"No, you and I," continued the ghost, "for although we are two different souls, we reside in one body." He closed his eyes. "The body must be destroyed for the soul to be released."
Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly. Gritting his teeth, he looked away. It was strange how fate worked out sometimes. Perhaps he was destined to go to hell after all. Whether it was through Hiroshi or Kikyou, the end result was the same.
"After tonight," came the ghost's hollow voice, "I will never see Yumiko again." He leveled his gaze on Inuyasha. "And you will never see her again."
Inuyasha's heart ached heavily at the thought. Never again would he see Kagome's smile, hear her voice, smell her scent….
"Keh," he pushed it all out of his mind. "That girl betrayed me last night. I could care less about her."
Hiroshi stared at him silently, somehow knowing that was far from the truth.
Inuyasha sighed. "She...she'd live a better life without me anyway," he finished in a small voice. It was true. Kagome had her own life on the other side of the well that she held close to her heart. It would have been too much to ask her to stay and live a cruddy life as a hanyou's mate.
The ghostly figure shook his head. "She will not survive," he whispered.
Inuyasha paled.
"Wh-what?" he stuttered. "What do you mean?!" His heart began to pound furiously.
Hiroshi gave him a small, sad smile. "Her body...and Yumiko's soul...."
Inuyasha's eyes snapped open.
He lurched upwards into a sitting position, cradling his head in his hands. The world around him swayed unevenly. Immediately, Miroku and Sango appeared at his side.
“Did it work?” asked Miroku urgently. “What did you see?”
“Kagome…” he wheezed, shaking his head. The effects of the incense were starting to wear off, but continued to make him slightly groggy. “Where’s Kagome?!”
Sango and Miroku looked at each other.
“I haven’t seen her all day,” said Sango slowly. “The last time I saw her was when she was with you last night.”
A sinking feeling in his chest, Inuyasha’s desperate eyes shifted to Miroku.
He shook his head, shrugging, “That was when I last saw her too.”
Inuyasha let out an exasperated sound as he struggled to his feet. “Fuck! You guys are useless as hell!”
Miroku quickly grasped Inuyasha’s red sleeve before he could run off. “Inuyasha, what’s going on? What’s wrong with Kagome?!”
The hanyou looked away. “Yumiko’s possessed Kagome’s body,” he said. “They were given only a brief time to right what was wrong.” He looked to the ground. “Tonight, the shinigami come for their souls.”
“Yumiko is in Kagome…” said Sango slowly. “That explains why we haven’t seen her since we got here....”
“I need to find her before the moon sets,” Inuyasha said through a clenched jaw. He closed his eyes as if in pain. “I…I need to tell her.…”
Miroku let go of his sleeve. “Never mind that. What matters right now is that we have to find Kagome.”
---
Miroku and Sango took off towards the mansion, thinking that Kagome was probably somewhere inside. But Inuyasha knew better. For some reason, he knew exactly where she’d be.
He would have told the monk and demon slayer that Kagome would be at the hot springs, where Yumiko had died that night, but something inside told him to stay quiet, that the confrontation that would inevitably occur was something that needed to be private.
When he arrived at the hot springs, she was standing naked, waist deep in the steaming waters, staring quietly at the moon hanging low in the night sky. Inuyasha moved forward slowly, almost afraid that he would scare her away. Her figure came into clear view, and he frowned as he realized that she was embracing a dark figure.
His heart stopped as saw the figure lift something dark and sharp that glinted into the moonlight. “NO!” he bellowed loudly, his voice echoing across the spring.
Kagome started at his voice, and moved back, eyes widening as she took in the sight of him. The shadow hissed angrily, twitching as it made an attempt to relocate its prey.
The creature dissipated as soon as Inuyasha’s claws touched him. “It’s not their time yet!” he snarled vehemently.
The clearing fell into a deep silence as Inuyasha turned to look at Kagome.
“Inuyasha?” Kagome took a tentative step forward.
He stumbled into the hot spring fully clothed. Without a word, he pulled the girl into his heavy embrace. She sank into him, arms wrapping around his torso.
"Yumiko…." Inuyasha found himself whispering in a foreign voice, cradling the precious girl in his arms. "Yumiko, I'm so sorry...I was such...such a fool...." Tears brimmed in his eyes as he pulled her closer in a tight hug. "How can I ever ask for your forgiveness?"
Kagome's face was tucked into the crook of his neck. She shook her head furiously. "No.... It was me. I...I...." She pulled away to look into his amber eyes. "I always knew deep in my heart, it couldn't have been you. But there was so much pain, so much blood...and then I saw your face...." She touched his cheek softly.
"You were…" he gasped, "y-you were going to leave me!"
The corners of her lips lifted slightly. "And so, you decided to come with me." She tucked his head under her chin and embraced him warmly. "Hiroshi...I could never leave you. Not without a fight."
"A fight that you lost," he murmured hoarsely against her neck. "If only--"
She pulled away from him, silencing his lips with a delicate finger. "Let's talk no more of the past," she brushed her soft mouth against his, "not when we have all of eternity to enjoy together...."
He let out a long breath, feeling as if all the weight upon his shoulders had suddenly been lifted. The girl in his arms shivered slightly, pressing soft kisses along his neck and running her tongue along his collarbone. She kissed him again, this time sinking her tongue into his mouth, running across his teeth. He felt himself give a long rumble in pleasure, and she began to giggle softly. The innocent noise sent heat spiraling through his body and he felt himself harden considerably.
Growling gently into her mouth, he slid one hand from her back to her breast, gently scratching one nipple with the side of his claw. She cried out and clung to him, beginning to pant softly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and one hand drifted higher, sifting through his silken locks to find one fuzzy ear. She rubbed it softly between her thumb and forefinger, and felt him shiver underneath her touch. Lightly, she ran one finger down one of the fine, fuzz-covered edges from apex to base.
Inuyasha reacted instantly, roughly pushing her against the bank of the spring. Wrapping her legs around his narrow waist, he ran a tongue along her jaw line and down the line of her throat. He grew hot and annoyed at the water-logged haori that slowed his movement, and roughly pulled away his tops, leaving his chest bare to press again Kagome’s hardened nipples as he kissed her hard. Each calloused hand rose up to cup a breast, thumbs rhythmically running over painfully tight, pebbled tips.
She bucked up against his hips, and began to gyrate against the clothed protruding hardness. Clutching his biceps to keep her balance, she lost herself to the touch and movement of the coarse fire-rat material against the sensitive skin of her inner thighs.
Inuyasha let out a guttural moan and moved his hands down to support her hips, helping her to move against his erection harder and faster. Tension began to build between the two of them, like a tightly wound coil. Inuyasha began to tear at the ties that held his hakama closed, eventually freeing his twitching rod, tipped with precum.
Kagome enclosed one small hand around him, and began to stroke him from head to tip, drawing out long deep moans from Inuyasha’s throat. Slowing her pace, Kagome’s finger’s danced lightly over the tip of his staff, pressing a finger against the small slit she found there before moving down and taking his shaft into her palm again.
Soon, the miko found the pressure building inside of her to be too much. Guiding the hanyou’s hips forward by his swollen flesh, she pressed the tip against her hot, wet entrance.
She stared into his amber eyes. “Please…” she whispered, voice heavy with arousal.
Without another thought, Inuyasha pressed his hips up and forward, feeling the slight tear of what had been her hymen. She stiffened noticeably, crying out in pain. He quickly embraced her, kissing away the tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes.
Gods. She was impossibly tight, her flesh gripping every inch of him. Inuyasha let out a long breath. It was absolute heaven.…
He wanted nothing more than to draw back and pound heavily into her, over and over again, but he would die before hurting this precious girl any more than necessary.
Holding onto the reigns of sanity, he forced his eyes open to peer at the young girl. Sweat began to bead on his forehead, and his body was beginning to shake in agony. “A-are you okay?” he ground out through clenched teeth.
Taking short panting breaths, she looked deep into his eyes, forcing her pained muscles to relax. When they finally did, she nodded wordlessly, giving him silent permission to continue.
He moved slowly at first, drawing out by only an inch or so, but the resulting flood of pleasure left them both breathless. Kagome soon found the pain replaced with sparks of pleasure, and began to press against him enthusiastically with each thrust.
She wrapped her arms around his neck in a death grip. “Faster!” she found herself panting.
Inuyasha simply moaned in response and complied, bucking into her in a near crazed frenzy.
Kissing, and panting heavily into her mouth, Inuyasha grazed his hand over the spot where they were joined, and slowly began to rub at her stiff pearl hidden within her folds. Within seconds, Kagome cried out her release, convulsing around him, milking him as he found his own shattering release.
Gasping for breath, Inuyasha took her into his own embrace, burying his nose into the side of her neck, taking in her warm scent of satisfaction. She mewled happily, snuggling into his shoulder.
"I love you," he whispered breathlessly into her ear. She stiffened suddenly. He frowned as he leaned back to look at her.
"How long?" she whispered quietly her eyes wide in shock.
He smiled softly, "Ever since I first saw you...."
She shook her head jerkily, "N-no, I mean...." She flushed bright red. "How long have...you two been...out there?" She lifted a shaky finger and pointed behind Inuyasha.
Eyes blinking in confusion, he jerked around quickly, spraying water across the lake. Standing before him were two ethereal looking figures watching the flustered couple with an amused smile on each of their faces.
Hiroshi cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha while addressing Kagome. "After the apologies...it really only took a kiss to free us."
Yumiko smiled sheepishly, “We apologize for intruding, but we wanted to thank you before we left.”
Turning red, Inuyasha sank further down into the hot spring with a groan of mortification. Kagome watched him with startled eyes, her own face hot with a blush. What they just did...and what Inuyasha just said...it was all without the ghosts' intervention? Pressing a hand to each of her burning cheeks, she continued to stare at the ghosts with dazed eyes.
With a deep bow, Hiroshi and Yumiko gave them one last smile, and turned to walk toward the forest, slowly fading into the shadows.
The hot spring fell into a deafening silence. Covering herself with her hands, Kagome stared intensely at the rippling waters. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the hanyou’s ramrod-straight back.
‘Did…did he just tell me that he loved me?’
“Inuya--”
“I’m sorry,” he interrupted with a mumble, turning slightly so that he could take a glance at her face.
Her heart pounded heavily in her chest. Was he was already regretting what had just happened between them? Disappointment and shock tore at her heart.
He avoided eye contact with her. “I lied to you about Hiroshi…and,” his voice became a little more strained, “last night…it was Yumiko.…”
Letting out a breath of relief, Kagome’s eyes softened. “Inuyasha…it’s alright. You weren’t yourself after all.…”
“It’s not just that.… I…I should have known you weren’t yourself.” His shoulders slumped. “I know you better than that, it’s just.…” His amber eyes darted to hers. “I should have trusted in you more.”
Eyes widening at his words, Kagome was taken aback as she stared at the sullen hanyou. Had the infuriatingly stubborn Inuyasha actually apologized to her?
Inuyasha shifted nervously. The quiet miko had been watching him for almost five minutes now. What if she didn’t accept him? Had he really screwed things up for the both of them? He twitched slightly. Things would be so much easier if they weren’t standing naked together in a hot spring.…
What if she left him? His heart pounded in his ears as he awaited her response.
Kagome’s eyes suddenly turned concerned as she stared deeply into his eyes. She opened her mouth nervously stuttering out the first couple of words.
“You…are you sure you weren’t possessed by another ghost?”
Inuyasha’s reaction was instantaneous. “Wha…what the fuck is that supposed to mean?!” He glared at her angrily.
Kagome moved back slightly, holding up her hands in defense. “No…nothing! It just seemed kind of strange–”
“Keh!” He turned his back to her in a huff. “I can apologize if I want to!”
A small smile played at Kagome’s lips. “Oh…so you are apologizing.”
Realizing his slip, he vehemently denied the girly accusation. “No, I’m not.”
“Oh, don’t you lie! I heard you!” she teased, splashing a little water at him.
“Keh! I just wanted to make things clear!” He dodged another splash of water and grabbed for her.
Kagome danced away from his reach. “Nuh-uh! You know, Inuyasha, I think us ‘weak humans’ are rubbing off on you a little.”
Inuyasha opened his mouth for a retort, when Kagome tripped over a hidden rock and fell clumsily into the water. “Kagome!”
Diving underneath the surface, he swam through the murky warm water, stretching his arms until he came into contact with soft silky skin. A million memories of the past few nights flicked through his mind, but he quickly pushed the thoughts away to the back of his mind. Right now, his main priority was Kagome.
With a gasp for air, Inuyasha broke through the surface of the water, cradling a sputtering Kagome in his arms.
“Jeez,” grumbled the hanyou, unconsciously holding her tighter.
Blushing, Kagome reveled in the quiet moment, enjoying the feel of Inuyasha’s skin against her cheek.
“I love you…ever since I first saw you.…”
Kagome flushed bright red, and turned away from his face. Inuyasha looked on with a puzzled look.
“Inuyasha…when…when you said, ‘I love you’.…” She fidgeted nervously with her fingers. “That was you, wasn’t it?”
“Uh.…” The color of Inuyasha’s cheeks flushed a bright red.
She smiled shyly at his unspoken words. “I see.”
A light cough to their left brought their attention to the shore, where a houshi and tajiya looked on curiously. Immediately, Inuyasha and Kagome jumped three feet apart, their flustered excuses echoing in the night.
Miroku waved to Inuyasha with an innocent smile on his lips, “When you’re done ‘finding’ Kagome, make sure you let us know how it all turned out–”
“Miroku!” hissed Sango, giving the monk a well-deserved knock to the head.
Silently, Kagome’s eyes shifted from the arguing couple to the stoic hanyou across the hot spring. Though neither of them had openly spoken about it, she knew that their relationship had changed completely. Before, they had been close friends with a deep trust, but tonight they had been thrust into the role of lovers.
Pressing a clenched fist to her breast, Kagome worried about the situation, knowing that sex oftentimes complicated relationships, destroying even the deepest of friendships. Staring into the depths of the hot spring, she wondered if things could possibly return to the way there were before, if she could ever look at Inuyasha the same way again.…
…if they would ever sleep together again.
Shamefully, Kagome realized that the last thought brought a heated roar of anticipation running through her body.
Meanwhile, across the spring, Inuyasha’s mind was already hard at work, scheming an inconspicuous way into her sleeping bag.
Oblivious to the hanyou’s lust filled gaze, Kagome stared up in the setting moon. A brief memory flicked across her mind, and she couldn’t help but chuckle in response.
‘At least I won’t have to lie when I say I’m not a virgin anymore.…’
---
Japanese Terms:
Shinigami - Mythical creatures that guide souls to the afterlife
A/N:
Oh...oh my. When I read the reviews to that last chapter I was amused. And then slightly scared of the people who threatened my life. And then I was amused again. I'm terribly weird.
On another note, I realize some people might consider this to be a rape!fic (especially with the 3rd chapter). In no way am I condoning rape, or any kind of sexual abuse. This story was not meant to be incredibly serious, or touch upon the topic of rape in any way. I've tried to steer the scenes in question away from N/C, but it's pretty hard to do so considering the circumstances. So, I've tried to keep stuff a little open ended. I tend to think the Kagome in this story secretly desires Inuyasha's body despite the situation...
Inuyasha: *eyebrow raise* ...
Kagome: *blush* ...
..and Inuyasha desires Kagome's body no matter what...
Kagome: !!!
Inuyasha: ...Keh!
Ah, well. To make a long story short, sorry if anyone is offended by the scenes; Kagome, in this story, doesn't really feel like she's being raped (I feel 'seduced' or ‘ravished’ would be more appropriate); and I'm really not one of those teenybopper fic writers that thinks, "oooo, rape is yumyum fun."
In the end, it's really just a little fantasy smut fic meant to entertain. But I’ll leave that up to you to decide.
If the ending seems a little abrupt, it’s because I actually had more to write towards the end, but ended up snipping it out for a forthcoming epilogue. Yes, that’s right; epilogue. It’s not over yet!
Oh right, and also, this fic is currently in the running for Fourth Quarter “Best Lemon” at the Inuyasha Fanguild. Win or lose, it’s a great honor and morale booster. Thanks for your support!
An Inuyasha Fanfic by SakuraWings
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of its cast belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
Warnings: (I know you’ve all been waiting for this) Lemon.
A/N: Thanks for your patience, kind readers! Your reward? A fifteen page grand finale!
---
Chapter Four: The Final Night---
Inuyasha sneezed loudly as the sun slowly ascended over the eastern horizon. Shivering in the early morning light, he let out a loud sigh. Apparently, he was going to have to go through the coming day without any sleep.
Perched on a branch high above the mansion, Inuyasha slumped against the trunk of the tree. Again and again, Kagome’s gasping voice echoed inside of his head.
HIROSHI!
HIROSHI!
HIROSHI!!
His heart lurching painfully in his chest, Inuyasha ran a tired hand over his face. It just didn’t make any sense. How could he have lost her so quickly to a fucking ghost? They had been here for only two days!
His ears drooped miserably. He honestly had never thought that Kagome of all people would turn out to be such a slave to the pleasures of touch. Eyes glazing over slightly, he recalled the way she had squirmed and shivered underneath his claws. Oh yes, she had really enjoyed it; he distinctly remembered the way her aroused scent permeated the air, effectively spiking his own arousal in the process.…
…but of course, that had all been the result of that fucking ghost.
In a rage, Inuyasha smashed his fist into the rough bark of the tree. A goddamn ghost! If it had been Kouga or anyone else, he could at least take out his anger by beating his rival to a pulp. But how was he supposed to pummel a fucking ghost?! His tensed claws sank into the soft wood as he growled loudly in frustration.
He was so lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t even notice the monk calling out his name.
“Inuyasha!” Miroku yelled for the tenth time.
“What!” was the barked response. Inuyasha didn’t feel like talking. He felt like shredding a large forest.
Miroku raised an eyebrow. Being the perceptive monk that he was, he immediately noticed the agitated tone in the hanyou’s voice. Only one person could have caused him that kind of distress.
“Did something happen with Kagome?” Even through the foliage, Miroku swore he saw Inuyasha jerk at the name. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
“It’s none of your fucking business,” was the annoyed response.
Miroku shook his head, as he began setting down the equipment in his arms. “No, I suppose it’s not.”
Shifting his position, Inuyasha watched as the monk spread candles, incense and various trinkets on the ground in front of him. “What are you doing?” he asked suspiciously.
Arranging the candles in a semicircle, the monk replied, “Well, since we are getting nowhere with the ghosts, I thought we’d try something a little different.” Producing one of Kagome’s matchboxes from his sleeve, he began to light the candles. “I figured that we could try–”
“Forget it!” snapped Inuyasha. “The last time we tried one of your fucking exorcisms, it seriously fucked everything over.”
Miroku cleared his throat in annoyance as he threw the hanyou a particularly nasty glance. “As I was saying, I have double checked all of my equipment this time, and I am sure that this will work as planned.” Finishing his preparations, he blew out the used matchstick. “This incense will allow you to travel into the depths of your soul, and confront Hiroshi face to face. Perhaps then you could–”
Miroku jumped back as Inuyasha suddenly appeared in front of him. “Meet him…face to face?” he growled loudly.
The monk blinked. “Yes…” he began slowly, a questioning look in his eyes. “Then perhaps we could find out what exactly happened that night.…” He trailed off as he realized that the hanyou was no longer listening.
Repeatedly punching a fist into his other hand, Inuyasha stomped to the center of the semicircle. “Let me at ‘im!” he hissed, glaring at Miroku. “What do I do to get this thing to work?!”
Cautious of the hanyou’s strange behavior, Miroku reached for a lit candle, and moved it to light the incense. “Er…well, all you have to do is breathe in this incense deeply and….”
Miroku’s voice phased out as the strange bitter smell of incense stung Inuyasha’s sensitive nose. He gagged, “Miroku, this stuff…what is this crap–”
And then everything was black.
---
Stumbling to his knees, Inuyasha opened his eyes to a slightly blurry gray world. The stench of the incense still echoed in his brain, giving him a sharp headache. “Goddamn monk,” he muttered, as if it were all Miroku’s fault.
“Where have you been all day?!”
Inuyasha’s ears perked. He knew that voice. It had haunted his mind for the past two nights.
Spinning with a clenched fist, he launched himself towards the source, ready to beat his anger away.
To his surprise, he fell right through his target, landing in a disgruntled heap on the floor. He blinked rapidly. “What the…” He took a good look at his palm and found himself to be slightly transparent.
He looked to the solid black and white figures in front of him. ‘I suppose they can’t see me either,’ thought Inuyasha, bitterly disappointed that he wouldn’t be getting into any fights with Hiroshi anytime soon.
The male figure in front of him was actually rather handsome, with striking black hair and a well shaped and angled face. He was glaring intently at the other figure, a female with fair skin and soft delicate-looking hair. Her brow was furrowed in annoyance.
“I haven’t been anywhere! I went to the shops to buy some rice, and then I came back!”
“We have servants to do that,” Hiroshi bit out. “You have no reason to leave the mansion!”
The female – Yumiko, Inuyasha presumed – stomped her foot in frustration. “I don’t like to be cooped up in the mansion all day! I like going outside every once in a while!”
Hiroshi’s eyes narrowed. “What you like,” he said in a strained voice, “is going to see him.”
Yumiko glared at him. “I can’t believe you! Don’t you have any faith in me?!” she hissed. “You’re letting your jealousy get the better of you–”
His voice was stern. “I had you followed.”
She paled. “How…how could you?” she whispered.
Something in Hiroshi’s eyes snapped. “NO!” he roared. “How could YOU?!” He clenched his shaking hands. “I thought you loved me...” he whispered.
“Hiroshi…” she said with sad eyes, reaching out for him. He knocked her hands away, turning sharply.
“I want you gone by morning,” he said coldly.
She froze in shock. “You…you don’t mean that?!”
“I see now that you only wanted me for my position and my money,” he sneered. “Well, now you can go live your life with him.”
Yumiko crumpled to the ground, sobbing heavily as Hiroshi left the courtyard. Frozen by the scene that had just taken place before him, Inuyasha was torn between following Hiroshi and staying with Yumiko. He shook his head. ‘What am I doing? It’s not like I can do anything to help her anyway.…’
Still, for some reason, he found that he couldn’t leave the crying girl’s side. Briefly, his mind flicked to the last time he had seen Kagome, sobbing quietly as he had left the room late last night. His shoulders slumped heavily. ‘Kagome…what are you doing right now? Are you alright?’
Her cries slowly quieting into hiccups, Yumiko sat up, wiping her tears away. For a long time, she remained silent, staring at the ground absently. Then taking a glance at the setting sun, she stood and moved towards the back of the mansion. Blinking curiously, Inuyasha followed her as she walked around the building and down a long winding path through the forest. Soon enough, he found himself in a small clearing with an old, worn down hut.
She stood quietly at the door, staring into the green depths of the woods. A rustle in the bushes behind them caught Inuyasha’s attention, causing his ears to twitch cautiously. Yumiko moved then, producing a small bundle from her clothing.
“This is the last time I can give you this,” she said quietly to the figure still shrouded in shadow. “I am leaving this mansion tomorrow.”
“You are too kind, Lady Yumiko,” came a male voice. A young man emerged from the bushes, coughing heavily. Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed upon the man. Something about him annoyed him greatly. His eyes were beady and sharp, and his mouth was twisted in a small smirk. “Forgive me for intruding, but I heard your husband has left you,” he wheezed.
Yumiko snapped just then, throwing the small bundle at the man. “Just take your medicine and leave!” she yelled hoarsely, her voice breaking slightly.
The bundle hit the man and it fell heavily to the ground. He made no motion to pick it up. “Since you have no place to go,” he said silkily, “why not come with me?”
She froze. “I won’t,” she said.
“Why not? It’s not as if that man will provide for you anymore.”
“I…I still love him.” Yumiko’s head tilted forward as she held back tears.
Inuyasha frowned as he saw the man’s face contort into anger. His eyes widened as he saw something flash in the man’s eyes. He almost looks…inhuman.…
“You idiot!” Inuyasha barked at Yumiko. His words echoed strangely all around him. “You’ve been helping a youkai all this time–”
She made no indication that she had heard him. “Please leave,” she said quietly.
“Very well,” bit out the other man. With one last lingering glare at the young woman, he turned and left the clearing.
When he was gone, Yumiko fell to her knees, hugging herself tightly. She stayed that way for a long time, not moving or saying anything. As the sun began to set, she stared at the horizon sadly.
“Hiroshi,” she whispered sadly.
Eventually, the young woman stood on unsteady feet, moving slowly through the woods, towards a secluded area that eventually became a large, steaming hot spring.
As she began to strip off her clothes, Inuyasha blushed and jerked his head away from her. He may be invisible to her, but it still seemed wrong to watch her undress. When he heard her get into the water, he turned back around, taking note of his surroundings. He recalled what Kagome had told the group yesterday…that Hiroshi was the one to kill Yumiko at the hot springs.
A twig snapped behind him. Inuyasha jerked around as Yumiko suddenly stiffened in the hot spring.
Sure enough, Hiroshi emerged from the shadows. “Yumiko,” he murmured quietly.
“H-Hiroshi?” Yumiko turned around, hopeful eyes falling on the shadowed figure.
“I’ve been such a fool…” said the young lord, kneeling on the grass before her wife. “I was rash. I was angry…I didn’t mean anything that I said.”
Tears in her eyes, Yumiko smiled softly, “I forgive you.…”
Within a heartbeat, Hiroshi had Yumiko in his arms. She snuggled into his warm embrace, her arms encircling his neck. “I love you–”
Her voice suddenly cut off as a stream of blood trickled down her chin. “Hi…roshi?” she said weakly.
He dug the knife deeper into her back, and she began to choke on the blood flowing freely from her mouth.
“W…why…” she coughed, leaning back in an attempt to see his face. She cried out when she saw the look of pure hatred on his face.
“I…thought you loved me…” were her whispered words as the light began to fade from her eyes.
Inuyasha closed his eyes sadly. This was a betrayal between lovers; something that he was all too familiar with.
“NO!”
The hanyou’s eyes jerked open as he spun around to find…Hiroshi?! Eyes darting between the newcomer and the human in the hot spring, he came to a sickening realization in his gut.
Moving so fast that even Inuyasha had a hard time keeping up, Hiroshi had drawn his dagger and lodged it deep within the doppelganger’s back.
The fake Hiroshi’s eyes widened in surprise. Obviously, the youkai had not expected the lord to come to such a secluded area at this time of night.
“You bastard,” the youkai hissed in pain. Then, as he started to fade, he began to chuckle. “But you are already too late.…”
Falling from the youkai’s loose grip, Yumiko’s body slid into the water. Ignoring the demon’s howls of laughter, Hiroshi jumped into the steaming pool and gathered her into his arms.
“Yumiko,” he whimpered softly, burying his nose into her damp hair. His hands ran over the body that he knew so well; she was still warm. “Yumiko…please wake up.…” His voice broke heavily.
For a long time, Hiroshi sat on the edge of the spring, cradling his dead wife’s body and whispering her name. Inuyasha swallowed heavily and looked away. He knew all too well what Hiroshi was feeling. He, himself, had been tricked by a malicious demon and lost the woman he had loved.…
Hiroshi moved suddenly, wading deeper into the hot springs. Slowly, still clutching Yumiko and staring into the setting moon, he sank into the blood red water until it engulfed him from head to toe. Mesmerized, Inuyasha watched as his breath bubbled over the water’s surface; large at first, and then trickling down into nothing.
Once again, the world fell into darkness.
---
I loved her.
'Wha--? ' Inuyasha spun around in the dizzying darkness that surrounded him. His eyes darted back and forth, searching for the voice that seemed to originate all around him. "Where am I?!"
It was my fault. All my fault.
I didn't trust her.
I didn't make it in time.
The background wavered and dimmed. Once again, Inuyasha found himself bathed in darkness, save for one translucent figure in front of him.
"Our last chance," he whispered. "Tonight is our last chance."
Inuyasha looked startled. "Last chance? Last chance for what?"
"He comes tonight," continued the ghost with sad eyes. "He comes to drag our damned souls to hell."
"You and Yumiko?" asked Inuyasha with a frown. Wasn't that a good thing? Then he'd finally have control of his own body again.
"No, you and I," continued the ghost, "for although we are two different souls, we reside in one body." He closed his eyes. "The body must be destroyed for the soul to be released."
Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly. Gritting his teeth, he looked away. It was strange how fate worked out sometimes. Perhaps he was destined to go to hell after all. Whether it was through Hiroshi or Kikyou, the end result was the same.
"After tonight," came the ghost's hollow voice, "I will never see Yumiko again." He leveled his gaze on Inuyasha. "And you will never see her again."
Inuyasha's heart ached heavily at the thought. Never again would he see Kagome's smile, hear her voice, smell her scent….
"Keh," he pushed it all out of his mind. "That girl betrayed me last night. I could care less about her."
Hiroshi stared at him silently, somehow knowing that was far from the truth.
Inuyasha sighed. "She...she'd live a better life without me anyway," he finished in a small voice. It was true. Kagome had her own life on the other side of the well that she held close to her heart. It would have been too much to ask her to stay and live a cruddy life as a hanyou's mate.
The ghostly figure shook his head. "She will not survive," he whispered.
Inuyasha paled.
"Wh-what?" he stuttered. "What do you mean?!" His heart began to pound furiously.
Hiroshi gave him a small, sad smile. "Her body...and Yumiko's soul...."
Inuyasha's eyes snapped open.
He lurched upwards into a sitting position, cradling his head in his hands. The world around him swayed unevenly. Immediately, Miroku and Sango appeared at his side.
“Did it work?” asked Miroku urgently. “What did you see?”
“Kagome…” he wheezed, shaking his head. The effects of the incense were starting to wear off, but continued to make him slightly groggy. “Where’s Kagome?!”
Sango and Miroku looked at each other.
“I haven’t seen her all day,” said Sango slowly. “The last time I saw her was when she was with you last night.”
A sinking feeling in his chest, Inuyasha’s desperate eyes shifted to Miroku.
He shook his head, shrugging, “That was when I last saw her too.”
Inuyasha let out an exasperated sound as he struggled to his feet. “Fuck! You guys are useless as hell!”
Miroku quickly grasped Inuyasha’s red sleeve before he could run off. “Inuyasha, what’s going on? What’s wrong with Kagome?!”
The hanyou looked away. “Yumiko’s possessed Kagome’s body,” he said. “They were given only a brief time to right what was wrong.” He looked to the ground. “Tonight, the shinigami come for their souls.”
“Yumiko is in Kagome…” said Sango slowly. “That explains why we haven’t seen her since we got here....”
“I need to find her before the moon sets,” Inuyasha said through a clenched jaw. He closed his eyes as if in pain. “I…I need to tell her.…”
Miroku let go of his sleeve. “Never mind that. What matters right now is that we have to find Kagome.”
---
Miroku and Sango took off towards the mansion, thinking that Kagome was probably somewhere inside. But Inuyasha knew better. For some reason, he knew exactly where she’d be.
He would have told the monk and demon slayer that Kagome would be at the hot springs, where Yumiko had died that night, but something inside told him to stay quiet, that the confrontation that would inevitably occur was something that needed to be private.
When he arrived at the hot springs, she was standing naked, waist deep in the steaming waters, staring quietly at the moon hanging low in the night sky. Inuyasha moved forward slowly, almost afraid that he would scare her away. Her figure came into clear view, and he frowned as he realized that she was embracing a dark figure.
His heart stopped as saw the figure lift something dark and sharp that glinted into the moonlight. “NO!” he bellowed loudly, his voice echoing across the spring.
Kagome started at his voice, and moved back, eyes widening as she took in the sight of him. The shadow hissed angrily, twitching as it made an attempt to relocate its prey.
The creature dissipated as soon as Inuyasha’s claws touched him. “It’s not their time yet!” he snarled vehemently.
The clearing fell into a deep silence as Inuyasha turned to look at Kagome.
“Inuyasha?” Kagome took a tentative step forward.
He stumbled into the hot spring fully clothed. Without a word, he pulled the girl into his heavy embrace. She sank into him, arms wrapping around his torso.
"Yumiko…." Inuyasha found himself whispering in a foreign voice, cradling the precious girl in his arms. "Yumiko, I'm so sorry...I was such...such a fool...." Tears brimmed in his eyes as he pulled her closer in a tight hug. "How can I ever ask for your forgiveness?"
Kagome's face was tucked into the crook of his neck. She shook her head furiously. "No.... It was me. I...I...." She pulled away to look into his amber eyes. "I always knew deep in my heart, it couldn't have been you. But there was so much pain, so much blood...and then I saw your face...." She touched his cheek softly.
"You were…" he gasped, "y-you were going to leave me!"
The corners of her lips lifted slightly. "And so, you decided to come with me." She tucked his head under her chin and embraced him warmly. "Hiroshi...I could never leave you. Not without a fight."
"A fight that you lost," he murmured hoarsely against her neck. "If only--"
She pulled away from him, silencing his lips with a delicate finger. "Let's talk no more of the past," she brushed her soft mouth against his, "not when we have all of eternity to enjoy together...."
He let out a long breath, feeling as if all the weight upon his shoulders had suddenly been lifted. The girl in his arms shivered slightly, pressing soft kisses along his neck and running her tongue along his collarbone. She kissed him again, this time sinking her tongue into his mouth, running across his teeth. He felt himself give a long rumble in pleasure, and she began to giggle softly. The innocent noise sent heat spiraling through his body and he felt himself harden considerably.
Growling gently into her mouth, he slid one hand from her back to her breast, gently scratching one nipple with the side of his claw. She cried out and clung to him, beginning to pant softly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and one hand drifted higher, sifting through his silken locks to find one fuzzy ear. She rubbed it softly between her thumb and forefinger, and felt him shiver underneath her touch. Lightly, she ran one finger down one of the fine, fuzz-covered edges from apex to base.
Inuyasha reacted instantly, roughly pushing her against the bank of the spring. Wrapping her legs around his narrow waist, he ran a tongue along her jaw line and down the line of her throat. He grew hot and annoyed at the water-logged haori that slowed his movement, and roughly pulled away his tops, leaving his chest bare to press again Kagome’s hardened nipples as he kissed her hard. Each calloused hand rose up to cup a breast, thumbs rhythmically running over painfully tight, pebbled tips.
She bucked up against his hips, and began to gyrate against the clothed protruding hardness. Clutching his biceps to keep her balance, she lost herself to the touch and movement of the coarse fire-rat material against the sensitive skin of her inner thighs.
Inuyasha let out a guttural moan and moved his hands down to support her hips, helping her to move against his erection harder and faster. Tension began to build between the two of them, like a tightly wound coil. Inuyasha began to tear at the ties that held his hakama closed, eventually freeing his twitching rod, tipped with precum.
Kagome enclosed one small hand around him, and began to stroke him from head to tip, drawing out long deep moans from Inuyasha’s throat. Slowing her pace, Kagome’s finger’s danced lightly over the tip of his staff, pressing a finger against the small slit she found there before moving down and taking his shaft into her palm again.
Soon, the miko found the pressure building inside of her to be too much. Guiding the hanyou’s hips forward by his swollen flesh, she pressed the tip against her hot, wet entrance.
She stared into his amber eyes. “Please…” she whispered, voice heavy with arousal.
Without another thought, Inuyasha pressed his hips up and forward, feeling the slight tear of what had been her hymen. She stiffened noticeably, crying out in pain. He quickly embraced her, kissing away the tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes.
Gods. She was impossibly tight, her flesh gripping every inch of him. Inuyasha let out a long breath. It was absolute heaven.…
He wanted nothing more than to draw back and pound heavily into her, over and over again, but he would die before hurting this precious girl any more than necessary.
Holding onto the reigns of sanity, he forced his eyes open to peer at the young girl. Sweat began to bead on his forehead, and his body was beginning to shake in agony. “A-are you okay?” he ground out through clenched teeth.
Taking short panting breaths, she looked deep into his eyes, forcing her pained muscles to relax. When they finally did, she nodded wordlessly, giving him silent permission to continue.
He moved slowly at first, drawing out by only an inch or so, but the resulting flood of pleasure left them both breathless. Kagome soon found the pain replaced with sparks of pleasure, and began to press against him enthusiastically with each thrust.
She wrapped her arms around his neck in a death grip. “Faster!” she found herself panting.
Inuyasha simply moaned in response and complied, bucking into her in a near crazed frenzy.
Kissing, and panting heavily into her mouth, Inuyasha grazed his hand over the spot where they were joined, and slowly began to rub at her stiff pearl hidden within her folds. Within seconds, Kagome cried out her release, convulsing around him, milking him as he found his own shattering release.
Gasping for breath, Inuyasha took her into his own embrace, burying his nose into the side of her neck, taking in her warm scent of satisfaction. She mewled happily, snuggling into his shoulder.
"I love you," he whispered breathlessly into her ear. She stiffened suddenly. He frowned as he leaned back to look at her.
"How long?" she whispered quietly her eyes wide in shock.
He smiled softly, "Ever since I first saw you...."
She shook her head jerkily, "N-no, I mean...." She flushed bright red. "How long have...you two been...out there?" She lifted a shaky finger and pointed behind Inuyasha.
Eyes blinking in confusion, he jerked around quickly, spraying water across the lake. Standing before him were two ethereal looking figures watching the flustered couple with an amused smile on each of their faces.
Hiroshi cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha while addressing Kagome. "After the apologies...it really only took a kiss to free us."
Yumiko smiled sheepishly, “We apologize for intruding, but we wanted to thank you before we left.”
Turning red, Inuyasha sank further down into the hot spring with a groan of mortification. Kagome watched him with startled eyes, her own face hot with a blush. What they just did...and what Inuyasha just said...it was all without the ghosts' intervention? Pressing a hand to each of her burning cheeks, she continued to stare at the ghosts with dazed eyes.
With a deep bow, Hiroshi and Yumiko gave them one last smile, and turned to walk toward the forest, slowly fading into the shadows.
The hot spring fell into a deafening silence. Covering herself with her hands, Kagome stared intensely at the rippling waters. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the hanyou’s ramrod-straight back.
‘Did…did he just tell me that he loved me?’
“Inuya--”
“I’m sorry,” he interrupted with a mumble, turning slightly so that he could take a glance at her face.
Her heart pounded heavily in her chest. Was he was already regretting what had just happened between them? Disappointment and shock tore at her heart.
He avoided eye contact with her. “I lied to you about Hiroshi…and,” his voice became a little more strained, “last night…it was Yumiko.…”
Letting out a breath of relief, Kagome’s eyes softened. “Inuyasha…it’s alright. You weren’t yourself after all.…”
“It’s not just that.… I…I should have known you weren’t yourself.” His shoulders slumped. “I know you better than that, it’s just.…” His amber eyes darted to hers. “I should have trusted in you more.”
Eyes widening at his words, Kagome was taken aback as she stared at the sullen hanyou. Had the infuriatingly stubborn Inuyasha actually apologized to her?
Inuyasha shifted nervously. The quiet miko had been watching him for almost five minutes now. What if she didn’t accept him? Had he really screwed things up for the both of them? He twitched slightly. Things would be so much easier if they weren’t standing naked together in a hot spring.…
What if she left him? His heart pounded in his ears as he awaited her response.
Kagome’s eyes suddenly turned concerned as she stared deeply into his eyes. She opened her mouth nervously stuttering out the first couple of words.
“You…are you sure you weren’t possessed by another ghost?”
Inuyasha’s reaction was instantaneous. “Wha…what the fuck is that supposed to mean?!” He glared at her angrily.
Kagome moved back slightly, holding up her hands in defense. “No…nothing! It just seemed kind of strange–”
“Keh!” He turned his back to her in a huff. “I can apologize if I want to!”
A small smile played at Kagome’s lips. “Oh…so you are apologizing.”
Realizing his slip, he vehemently denied the girly accusation. “No, I’m not.”
“Oh, don’t you lie! I heard you!” she teased, splashing a little water at him.
“Keh! I just wanted to make things clear!” He dodged another splash of water and grabbed for her.
Kagome danced away from his reach. “Nuh-uh! You know, Inuyasha, I think us ‘weak humans’ are rubbing off on you a little.”
Inuyasha opened his mouth for a retort, when Kagome tripped over a hidden rock and fell clumsily into the water. “Kagome!”
Diving underneath the surface, he swam through the murky warm water, stretching his arms until he came into contact with soft silky skin. A million memories of the past few nights flicked through his mind, but he quickly pushed the thoughts away to the back of his mind. Right now, his main priority was Kagome.
With a gasp for air, Inuyasha broke through the surface of the water, cradling a sputtering Kagome in his arms.
“Jeez,” grumbled the hanyou, unconsciously holding her tighter.
Blushing, Kagome reveled in the quiet moment, enjoying the feel of Inuyasha’s skin against her cheek.
“I love you…ever since I first saw you.…”
Kagome flushed bright red, and turned away from his face. Inuyasha looked on with a puzzled look.
“Inuyasha…when…when you said, ‘I love you’.…” She fidgeted nervously with her fingers. “That was you, wasn’t it?”
“Uh.…” The color of Inuyasha’s cheeks flushed a bright red.
She smiled shyly at his unspoken words. “I see.”
A light cough to their left brought their attention to the shore, where a houshi and tajiya looked on curiously. Immediately, Inuyasha and Kagome jumped three feet apart, their flustered excuses echoing in the night.
Miroku waved to Inuyasha with an innocent smile on his lips, “When you’re done ‘finding’ Kagome, make sure you let us know how it all turned out–”
“Miroku!” hissed Sango, giving the monk a well-deserved knock to the head.
Silently, Kagome’s eyes shifted from the arguing couple to the stoic hanyou across the hot spring. Though neither of them had openly spoken about it, she knew that their relationship had changed completely. Before, they had been close friends with a deep trust, but tonight they had been thrust into the role of lovers.
Pressing a clenched fist to her breast, Kagome worried about the situation, knowing that sex oftentimes complicated relationships, destroying even the deepest of friendships. Staring into the depths of the hot spring, she wondered if things could possibly return to the way there were before, if she could ever look at Inuyasha the same way again.…
…if they would ever sleep together again.
Shamefully, Kagome realized that the last thought brought a heated roar of anticipation running through her body.
Meanwhile, across the spring, Inuyasha’s mind was already hard at work, scheming an inconspicuous way into her sleeping bag.
Oblivious to the hanyou’s lust filled gaze, Kagome stared up in the setting moon. A brief memory flicked across her mind, and she couldn’t help but chuckle in response.
‘At least I won’t have to lie when I say I’m not a virgin anymore.…’
---
Japanese Terms:
Shinigami - Mythical creatures that guide souls to the afterlife
A/N:
Oh...oh my. When I read the reviews to that last chapter I was amused. And then slightly scared of the people who threatened my life. And then I was amused again. I'm terribly weird.
On another note, I realize some people might consider this to be a rape!fic (especially with the 3rd chapter). In no way am I condoning rape, or any kind of sexual abuse. This story was not meant to be incredibly serious, or touch upon the topic of rape in any way. I've tried to steer the scenes in question away from N/C, but it's pretty hard to do so considering the circumstances. So, I've tried to keep stuff a little open ended. I tend to think the Kagome in this story secretly desires Inuyasha's body despite the situation...
Inuyasha: *eyebrow raise* ...
Kagome: *blush* ...
..and Inuyasha desires Kagome's body no matter what...
Kagome: !!!
Inuyasha: ...Keh!
Ah, well. To make a long story short, sorry if anyone is offended by the scenes; Kagome, in this story, doesn't really feel like she's being raped (I feel 'seduced' or ‘ravished’ would be more appropriate); and I'm really not one of those teenybopper fic writers that thinks, "oooo, rape is yumyum fun."
In the end, it's really just a little fantasy smut fic meant to entertain. But I’ll leave that up to you to decide.
If the ending seems a little abrupt, it’s because I actually had more to write towards the end, but ended up snipping it out for a forthcoming epilogue. Yes, that’s right; epilogue. It’s not over yet!
Oh right, and also, this fic is currently in the running for Fourth Quarter “Best Lemon” at the Inuyasha Fanguild. Win or lose, it’s a great honor and morale booster. Thanks for your support!