InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Strings and Kevlar ❯ The Risks Men Take ( Chapter 21 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Selina MacCloveror 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Angst / Psychological / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.05.2016 | Pages: 17 | Words: 10.5K | Visits: 663 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Angst / Psychological / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.05.2016 | Pages: 17 | Words: 10.5K | Visits: 663 | Status: Work In Progress
“Tomoko!”
Mrs. Higurashi sat at the small breakfast table, calmly sipping her morning tea just as her husband tore into the kitchen bellowing her name. “Tomoko, where is Sango? She's not in her room!”
After another slow sip, she set down her cup, the picture of serenity. “Have you checked the garden, koishii?”
His brow furrowed in confusion. “The garden? Sango doesn't spend time in the garden. Why would I look there?”
“Hmm, I'm fairly certain I saw our daughter spend a few seconds there this morning,” she said leadingly.
He frowned and looked out the kitchen window, his eyes scanning the expanse of the garden outside. “She is not… Wait. A few seconds?” he asked, looking at her again.
She looked down into her tea again, hiding her resentment well. “Yes, Yuu. Just long enough for her to run out of the gate and to Miroku's car parked up the street.”
“Run out…?!” His face morphed into one of first disbelief, and then rage. “Your daughter!” he accused, pointing a finger at his wife. “She gets this from you! She dares to defy me after I drive all the way to Baton Rouge to retrieve her! She is too bold!”
Mrs. Higurashi merely picked up her tea, finding some small comfort in the warmth cupped in her hands. “She is my daughter,” she confirmed, not meeting her husband's eyes. “And I am proud of her for standing against he who seeks to oppress her.”
“Stand against me, does she?” he countered vehemently. “She snuck out of my house like a fugitive.”
“Or perhaps like a hostage,” she suggested, swirling the contents of her cup.
He scowled angrily. “Where is her honor?!”
“Perhaps she left it in Baton Rouge with the boy from whom you ripped her away in the dark of night.”
“That boy is little more than an animal seeking to take our daughter's virginity as a prize!” he raged.
She took a sip of her tea, inwardly astonished by her husband's blindness. Anyone with eyes could see that Sango's virginity had been a thing of the past for quite some time. “That boy loves her, and she him. Perhaps you should have thought of that before you sought to separate them, husband,” she said.
“Love? Bah! They are too young to know what love is,” he argued, waving his hand dismissively.
She regarded him with calm eyes. “I seem to remember you at her age, so sure of your love for me. Are you saying we were too young to understand? Are you saying that was not really love?”
Mr. Higurashi blinked, startled. “What… what are you going on about? That was a different time, woman,” he stammered. “We were more mature than she is.”
“Our daughter is not mature? A move to a new country before she reached her teens, learning a new language, acclimating to a new culture, earning perfect grades, winning a full scholarship to the college of her choice and maintaining her grade point average, and all while being a positive role model for Kohaku, who you know admires her so much. Yes, it sounds like she has a lot of maturing to do,” she said coolly.
Her husband scowled. “I fail to see how sneaking out of her bedroom and defying her parents to be with her boyfriend is setting a good example for her brother.”
“She was escaping the prison in which you placed her,” she pointed out, rising from her seat to refill her cup. “She has only defied you when her separation from Miroku was concerned.”
“Precisely my point!” he shouted. “That insolent boy is a bad influence on her!”
“Insolent? He has never been anything but respectful toward us both.”
“How does he respect me when he seeks to defile my only daughter?!” he raged.
“All right, Yuu, that's enough,” she finally said, her patience spent, and faced her husband. “I can assure you that Sango is only under the influence of her own emotions. You cannot blame Miroku for her desire to be with him. She loves him, I tell you. Don't you remember doing foolish things when we were young and in love?”
He had the decency to blush at the memories to which she was referring. “Well, I --”
“And we never got into any serious trouble,” she reminded him, cutting in before he could showcase any more of that stubborn streak the Higurashis were so infamous for. “But we loved each other and were willing to incite our parents' wrath in order to spend time together. Surely you have not forgotten the Sakura Festival in '68?”
His lips slowly slipped into a sly grin, and he didn't bother hiding it. “Of course I remember, koi. You played the taiko in the evening performances.”
She blushed, happy that he remembered. “I remember seeing you in the crowd, and I couldn't stand to look at you. You were such a distraction.”
“You were beautiful,” he said, slowly stepping around the breakfast table toward her. “There was a pink ribbon in your hair, and I remember thinking about how you could have had anyone, and for some reason, you had chosen me.”
“I loved you,” she gently reminded him, watching the heat simmer in his expressive brown eyes.
“I was so worried your parents were going to make you spend the entire festival by their sides,” he continued, tenderly grasping her hand as he reached her. “I needed to get you away from them. I had plans for that night.”
“And you kept them,” she said fondly, a tingle running up her spine at the memory.
“Yes.” He dipped his head and kissed her cheek. “I remember how you gave your father some excuse about cleaning up with the other girls, and you met me in the outskirts of the Square.” He paused, looking into her eyes heatedly. “I would have done anything to have you to myself that night, even if it meant facing your father's vengeance,” he declared, leaning forward to kiss her other cheek.
She closed her eyes, already regretting what needed to be said. “Mm, much like Miroku and Sango.”
He froze.
“Yuu,” she started, running her fingertips along his forearm soothingly. “Our daughter is grown, and she is honorable. Miroku is honorable. Their activities reflect those of two young adults in love with one another,” she explained, kissing his jaw softly. “Do not be so quick to forget those feelings, or else you will alienate her, and you will encourage him to believe she needs protection from you.”
Her husband met her eyes again, his own a volatile mixture of anger and fear. “Protection from me? He wouldn't dare.”
“He would,” she confirmed, and stared at him hard. “And I would not forgive you if you drove them to those lengths.”
His eyes shifted, and she knew he was mulling over her words. She waited patiently--someone in this family had to have patience, after all--and was satisfied when he visibly relaxed after several moments and met her eyes again. “I remember,” he said simply, and then his eyes hardened. “But she is not married.”
“Neither were we,” she reminded him.
“But I did not take you until my intention was to wed you,” he argued.
“And how do you know that is not Miroku's intention as well?”
“Because he has not spoken with me!” he said, his brows furrowing.
“When did you speak with my father?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
His skin flushed again, and he looked away stubbornly. “Well, it was a bit later….”
She squeezed his hand. “We will speak with Sango regarding sneaking out of the house, but considering the circumstances, we will withhold punishment. In return for our leniency, she will be made to understand that if it happens again, regardless of the circumstances, discipline will be inflicted.” At his reluctant nod, she continued. “And you will agree to be more understanding, and more tolerant of Miroku. He truly loves our daughter; you can see it in the way he looks at her. He will do what he deems necessary to look out for her best interests,” she reminded him. “And I, for one, trust his judgment. He has not led me to believe he is untrustworthy in any way. You need to accept him as well.”
He frowned, but sighed. “I will try,” he relented.
Believing him, she smiled. “Good. Now let's have some breakfast, and then we'll call her.”
With a grunt, he agreed, and she smiled as he sat at the table and shuffled through the sections of the Sunday paper, a dejected scowl still marring his handsome features. Sometimes it felt as if she had three children instead of two. Shaking her head, she turned to the task of making breakfast for her husband and son.
***
`Stubborn, hard-headed, stupid wench, thinking she can take on the fucking world and keep everything a fucking secret from everybody… fuck, fucking fuck, fuck….'
“Inuyasha, are you sure you don't need to go see a doctor?” Sango asked.
“Feh!” he replied, unthinkingly watching Kagome's ass sway in front of him as he strode behind her toward the girls' apartment. “I'm fine. He barely touched me, the pathetic shit.”
Kagome's step faltered, just barely, but enough for Inuyasha to know she was mad. And just what the hell was she mad for, anyway? She wasn't the one who had just found out she'd been lied to! Figuring now was just as good a time as any to make that point, he opened his mouth to do just that when he suddenly had a face full of enraged Higurashi.
“What were you thinking?” she screeched, jabbing her index finger into his chest right where Kouga's shoulder had landed earlier. Inuyasha bit the inside of his cheek to keep from yelping. “Did you think you could just come over here when Kouga showed up and fight over me? Did you think you were saving me or something? What? What, Inuyasha? Tell me what you were hoping to accomplish by fighting him!”
His eyes twitched in building rage. “Why, you thankless little --”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Miroku yelled, quickly placing himself between the two. “Can we at least get inside the apartment before starting the battle? Inuyasha is already bleeding, and I'd hate to see him lose one of those ears Kagome seems so fond of,” he kidded, chancing a hopeful grin.
But it was too late. Inuyasha already had his sights set on the girl, and judging from the way she set her jaw as she stared back at him, she wasn't going to back off, either. An uncomfortable silence ensued, but was quickly cut short by the other Higurashi.
“That's enough, you two!” Sango snapped, shoving her way between them as she wrestled with her keys. “It's hot as balls out here, and I need some water before Miroku and I go to breakfast. Kagome, I suggest you clean up your dog-boy before he bleeds all over the place. First aid kit's under the bathroom sink.”
“Hey!” they both yelled, but Sango ignored their protest and opened the apartment door, leaving them in the breezeway. Miroku only chuckled and patted them both on the backs as he passed them, wordlessly following the girl into the apartment.
Kagome turned and favored Inuyasha with another angry look, clearly conveying her opinion on the matter. Inuyasha scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest, stubbornly looking toward the parking lot. “Don't worry, wench. You're not laying a finger on me.”
Mocha eyes narrowed at his challenge. “Is that so?” Not giving him a chance to retort, Kagome latched onto one of his forelocks and gave a harsh tug, issuing a loud yelp from the hanyou and dragging him behind her as she marched into her apartment.
“Ow!” he shrieked as he stumbled behind her through the door. “Leggo! Ow, fuck, dammit, let go! Shit!”
“Not a finger, huh?” she taunted, not releasing him until they were both inside and the door was shut. She met his glare with one of her own, hands on her hips as he rubbed his sore scalp. Though she was clearly pissed, he could also still see the concern swimming in her eyes as she surveyed the damage on his face. “Now have a seat,” she said, a touch softer now, “and I'll go get the first aid kit.”
“Feh. Ain't happening.”
The red flare returned with a vengeance. “Inuyasha, SIT!” she demanded, pointing to the couch.
And he sat. He huffed and sulked about it, but he sat.
Kagome blinked, apparently not expecting him to obey. “Well, t-thank you. I'll be right back,” she said, and with one more look to see if he'd say anything more, she disappeared into the narrow hallway.
“Whew,” Miroku said, carrying two glasses of ice water from the kitchen. He waited until Sango left the kitchen to help Kagome in the back before speaking again. “Those Higurashi ladies can be dangerous, Inuyasha. I tried to warn you about that before you got involved.” He offered him one of the glasses as he sat in the adjacent loveseat.
“Feh, bunch of crazy women,” Inuyasha replied, accepting the water. Raising his free hand, he gingerly touched his face and winced when he pressed against his tender cheekbone. It was definitely broken and would probably be swollen for the rest of the day, if not longer. “Fucker,” he muttered, rolling his shoulders a little. “I can't believe Kagome showed up. Why did you bring her here?” he asked irritably.
“Hey, man, she and Sango cooked that up,” Miroku defended, leaning back in the seat. “I was bringing Sango back from New Orleans, and she called Kagome…”
“New Orleans?” Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow. “What the hell were you doing there? I thought you two were going to crash at your dorm?”
Miroku just shook his head, a pained expression darkening his features. “Yeah, that's a story for later. Her dad's a psycho, and that's all I'll say for now. Anyway, Sango called Kagome, and the next thing I knew, I was being ordered to go pick her up so she could come here and get some of her stuff.” He shook his head, gesturing toward Inuyasha's wounds. “Once I realized you had left her at your place to come here and confront Kouga, I figured we'd catch quite a show, but I didn't think it was going to be that… bloody. I swear, man, I wouldn't have brought her here if I had known.”
Inuyasha frowned and studied his ice water, brooding. It was bad enough that the asshole wolf had gotten the best of him in their skirmish, but what was worse was that Kagome had borne witness to the worst parts. It made his gut churn to know she had seen the ookami punch him. He scowled, lifting his arm and feeling the tenderness in his ribs. He'd meant what he said; he wouldn't underestimate the wolf again. Next time….
“I think I have everything, but I can't find any aspirin,” Kagome said as she and Sango came back into the front room loaded down with medical supplies.
“Feh, don't need any aspirin.” Inuyasha crossed his arms again and looked away, resuming his indifferent façade. “I said he didn't hurt me.”
Sango rolled her eyes, dropping an armload of bandages and gauze on the glass coffee table. “You're so full of it. At least admit you got your ass beat. It's the least you can do after going on your little hero escapade and scaring us half to death.”
“Keh! Get control over your woman, Miroku. Her mouth is running off again.”
“What?!”
“Okay, time for us to go, Love,” Miroku said, quickly rising from his seat and restraining his irate girlfriend. “Let's leave Kagome to her mending. I'm sure she'll take excellent care of our good friend here,” he added with a knowing smile.
“You'd better watch yourself, hanyou!” she threatened with a pointed finger, ignoring Miroku completely. “I'll kick your ass into next week! I'll make Kouga look like a little girl once I'm done with you! And don't even think I'll go easy on you, because I'm the one you'll have to answer to if --”
“Holy hell, don't you ever shut the fuck up?” Inuyasha shouted, flattening his ears to block out her shrieking. “Miroku, get her out of here! She's giving me a fucking migraine!”
“Yash, don't make me hurt you!”
“Let's go, Sango,” Miroku insisted, pulling her toward the door. “Later, you two. Go easy on each other,” he said, chuckling, and coaxed a still-resisting Sango out the door.
Once the screaming had ceased and the door was shut behind them, Inuyasha sighed heavily and rubbed his aching forehead. He had almost forgotten Kagome was even in the room until he caught another whiff of her and looked toward the hallway.
She was standing beside the couch, still holding the first aid kit and a bottle of peroxide, and was giving him a very tolerant look. “Do you really have to provoke her like that? You know it doesn't take much to set her off.”
“Feh, sounds like another crazy wench I know. Your whole family is fucking nuts,” he said, intentionally goading her as he set his water glass on the coffee table.
“Right, because you've met my whole family,” she drawled, shaking her head. She came around the loveseat and set the medical supplies on the table with the ones Sango had left. “And don't get stupid with me. I'm still mad at you.”
“Well, I'm mad at you, too, so it looks like we got shit to settle,” he shot back, looking away and crossing his arms again.
He heard her sigh as the couch shifted with her weight beside him. “Fine. Now look at me so I can clean up those cuts on your face.”
“I told you, I don't need you to --” Inuyasha's tirade was cut short when he turned toward her and felt her gentle touch on his jaw. He stared, wide-eyed and mouth agape, as she delicately wiped a damp cloth over all of his abrasions, her eyes never once meeting his. Suddenly, his run-in with Kouga was forgotten, and all that consumed his thoughts were Kagome and the softness of her touch as she cared for him. He didn't bother telling her that most of the wounds she was cleaning would be healed by that evening; for the moment, her gentle hands were doing much to soothe him and to quiet the jealous rumblings of his youkai, and he didn't want to lose that feeling. `A woman's touch,' he mused, resisting the urge to lean into her hands. `It's been a long time.'
Once she finished, she picked up a small tube of ointment and carefully applied it to different areas of his face with the same tender care she had used to clean him. The ointment stunk, but it had a cooling effect and tingled a bit. He closed his eyes for just a moment, silently appreciating her and the calm she was inducing. It felt… nice. Really nice. So nice, in fact, that as she worked, Inuyasha was surprised to find his hand gently cupping her hip. Despite his confusion as to when he had even placed it there, he couldn't bring himself to withdraw. It somehow did him good to be touching her while she tended to him, as if that simple gesture was reassuring her that he was all right, or perhaps the other way around. Regardless, she didn't seem to mind his touch.
After not nearly enough time had passed, she leaned back a bit, and he immediately missed her touch. “Okay, I think that's it for your face. You don't need any stitches, but I'll get an ice pack for your cheek and your nose. What about your body?”
Inuyasha blinked, his left ear twitching nervously. “My body?”
Kagome blushed again and nodded. “Yeah. Did your body sustain any damages? You were… you were on the ground when we got there.” Her hands rose tentatively and gently prodded against his shoulders over his shirt, moving slowly across his chest. “Does it hurt when I touch you here?”
His breath caught in his throat, and he quickly swallowed. “No,” he replied, watching her eyes follow the movements of her fingers, igniting a tingly warmth on his skin wherever they passed.
She lowered her hands cautiously, pressing against his sternum. Dark eyes finally rose to his, and she licked her lips. “What about here?”
“No,” he said again, his hand increasing the pressure on her hip. He swallowed a second time and held her gaze as her hands roamed his upper body, continuing their inspection that was beginning to affect him in a way he was sure was unintentional.
Kagome nodded absently, perhaps not so unaware of the spell she was casting, and spread her fingers slowly over his lower ribcage. “Here?” she breathed, pressing softly.
A sudden sharp pain shot through the right side of his torso, and Inuyasha winced and bit back a curse. “No,” he ground out, lying through his teeth.
The enchantment between them shattered, and she gasped and immediately withdrew her hands. “Sorry!” she yelped, jumping off the couch. She dashed toward the kitchen. “What happened? Did he kick you?!” she called, her voice rising angrily as she shuffled through the contents of her freezer.
Inuyasha relaxed as the pain subsided, but he didn't answer her. If she hadn't seen Kouga get those kicks in on him, then he wasn't about to admit it to her.
Kagome returned a moment later carrying two bags of frozen vegetables. She settled next to him again, tucking her legs beneath her, and gave him one of the bags. “Here. Put that where it hurts, and I'll wrap it on.”
Knowing she wouldn't take no for an answer, he rolled his eyes and pressed the bag gently against his ribcage over his shirt, holding it there while she wrapped a large Ace bandage around his torso to keep it in place. She blushed prettily as her arms reached around him to wind the wrap. “We'll leave it for fifteen minutes and then switch to heat,” she softly told him, securing the end of the bandage with small clips.
“Fine.” Inuyasha relaxed his arm again and looked at her. Her eyes were getting shiny again, and she was starting to sniffle every now and then.
Picking up the bag of frozen peas, she squeezed it in her hands a few times to break up the clumps inside, then wrapped it in a kitchen towel. Looking up into his eyes again, she sniffled again and very carefully pressed the bag to his cheekbone. Inuyasha reached up to take it from her so she wouldn't have to hold it, but she frowned and batted his hand away. He sighed heavily, but submitted to her care.
They sat there for a moment in silence, and her tears passed unshed, but he could tell they weren't far from the surface. The ice she was holding to his cheek would help with the swelling but was otherwise useless, but once again, her touch was having a calming effect on him, and he wanted to hold onto it whether he needed the ice or not. Feeling moved, he raised a hand, still swollen and bloodied from the fight, and traced her jaw with his fingers, but she bit her lip and wouldn't meet his eyes. Did he look that bad? He knew he had taken a pretty good beating--even if he wouldn't admit it aloud--but it wasn't as if he was going to die. Kagome was obviously overreacting.
Still, she needed comfort, and he needed her not to cry.
Zeroing in on her quivering lower lip, he stretched forward and licked it softly before brushing his lips against hers, hoping to chase away her distress. To his relief, Kagome responded immediately, pressing her mouth back to his in a way that spoke of her desperation and need. Feeling victorious, he kissed her again, planning to push it a little further, but the scent of her persistent tears suddenly stung at his nose, indicating his failure to truly comfort her.
Frowning, he withdrew from the kiss and regarded her wet cheeks. “What? What is it? Dammit, Kagome, I'm trying to make you feel better here!”
Her weeping eyes darkened, and she turned and slammed the bag of peas down on the coffee table. “You jerk! I can't believe you put yourself in so much danger! You could have been seriously injured, and then what --”
“Oi! I can handle my own against that mangy piece of wolf shit!” Inuyasha shot back, leaning back in his seat with a huff. “Geez, you'd think I was fatally wounded or something. Have a little faith in me, would ya?”
“I saw what happened, Inuyasha!” she insisted, and stubbornly wiped at her tears. “You were on the ground and he was hitting you! And then he picked you up and was going to --”
“Whatever!” he cut in again, throwing his hands up in disgust. He quickly--and painfully--stood up and paced a few steps in front of her. “I know what happened, Kagome. I was there, remember? Trust me, it wasn't as bad as it looked.” `Liar,' his conscience taunted, but he ignored it, choosing instead to turn the attention back to the girl on the couch. “And what were you doing there anyway? I could have sworn I told you I was going to be right back. Were you trying to back out of our breakfast date?” he asked, suddenly feeling insecure.
“Oh, please, Inuyasha!” Kagome exclaimed, rolling her eyes as she rose to her own feet. “Don't try to turn this around on me. I was just coming to get a change of clothes and my car, and I was going right back to your place to meet you, where I thought we were having breakfast with the groceries you said you were buying at the store!” she spat angrily.
He narrowed his eyes and closed the distance between them with one angry step. “All right, that explains why you were here. Now how about this: Why did you tell me last week that you and that cocksucker weren't together anymore? `Cause finding out that wasn't true was pretty fucking shitty,” he said, gritting his teeth at the memory of that indignation. “You lied to me, Kagome.”
“I didn't lie!” she shot back, stepping back defensively. “I did break up with him! It's just… he said he didn't want to end it yet, and I… well, I guess I felt….”
Inuyasha's ears flattened irritably, and he held up a finger. “Okay, first of all, that's fucking retarded. If you told him you were dumping him, then he's as good as dumped, end of story. It's not like that kind of thing is negotiable.” He scoffed and held up a second finger. “Second of all, that still doesn't explain why you told me it was a done deal when you obviously didn't think it was.”
Kagome frowned sheepishly. “I guess… I wanted to keep from hurting you. I didn't want you to be mad.”
“Well you failed, didn't you?” he snapped back.
“Hey! I didn't mean for this to happen, Inuyasha!” she argued, her hands curling into tight fists. “I thought I'd be able to settle this whole mess with him once and for all, and then everything would be all right. I didn't think you'd intercept a text message and go play hero without even telling me what it said!”
“Enlighten me! When did you plan on settling the mess?” he yelled, growing more and more agitated. “How long were you going to lie to me, Kagome? How long were you going to let him think he had a claim on you while telling me he was history? I want to know!”
“I don't know!” she finally admitted, her voice cracking with emotion. “I didn't mean for it to happen like this! If I had known he was coming here today, I would have --”
“You would have gone to brunch with him, just like he wanted,” Inuyasha interrupted. Her downcast eyes were rimmed with moisture again, and he crossed his arms and looked away to keep from taking back everything he said. “And you wouldn't have settled anything with him because he knows all the right buttons to push with you, the dirty fuck.”
Kagome was quiet for a moment, and it was only a few seconds before he could smell the salt. She sniffled once, and he clenched his jaw and stared at a dark grain in the wood of the dining room table, remembering a similarly heartbreaking conversation they had had there just a few weeks earlier. `Fuck it all! Why can't we catch a break? Why is there always something keeping us from being happy? It's as if the Kami themselves don't want me and Kagome together.'
He frowned, unhappy with the taste that left in his mouth, and stared harder at the spot on the table.
“I… I'm sorry, Inuyasha,” she finally said in a small, broken voice. “I don't know what else to say.”
Fighting the urge to grimace at her tone, he dared a look into her eyes. He immediately regretted it. “Just… just say you won't lie to me again,” he found himself saying, willing to do anything to rid her of those tears. His arms itched to hold her, but he needed to hear her say it first. “That's something I just can't deal with, Kagome. I hate being lied to.”
“I won't,” she promised, her fingers wringing together in that way they always did when she was anxious. “I'm sorry. I don't know why I….” She trailed off, her eyes dropping shamefully to her busy hands, and pursed her lips. And that's when he saw it.
Fear. She had been afraid to tell him.
His heart dropped into his stomach, and he acted without thinking. “Kagome,” he breathed, and reached out for her, pulling her roughly against him. “Don't ever be scared of me. Don't ever think I would do something to….” He gritted his teeth and hugged her tighter, burying his face in her sweet-smelling hair. “Damn it, Kagome! Why would you be scared to tell me that? What have I done to make you scared of me?”
Her arms squeezed out from where they were trapped between their bodies and laced around his waist. “It's not like that,” she replied tearfully, her voice muffled by his shirt. “I wasn't scared you would do anything violent, at least to me. But… but I knew you were angry about the whole thing, and I was worried that… that if you knew I still felt obligated to him, you would… maybe… give up,” she finished softly.
Inuyasha's heart nearly stopped. “Give up?” he asked, the words tasting foul on his tongue.
He felt her hands tighten into fists on his back, bunching his shirt. “I didn't want to lose you,” was all she said.
`Lose me?!' She thought she was in danger of losing him? He clenched his jaw and jerked her away from him, just far enough so he could look into her eyes. “You'll listen to me now, Kagome,” he ground out through his teeth, quelling his rising panic that her ideas had created within him. “I've waited too long to call you mine to just give up because your fucking ex is deranged. You will not lose me,” he stressed, squeezing her shoulders for emphasis. “Do you hear me in that damned stubborn head of yours? I want to be with you, damn it. I wouldn't have fought that asshole if I didn't.”
Her eyes narrowed a fraction at the mention of “stubborn,” and he couldn't help to be relieved to see some of that spark that he loved to ignite return to her eyes. “Why did you come here?” she asked suddenly, her voice firm but not angry. “You never answered that question. You told me you were going to the store, but that obviously wasn't the truth, either.”
He frowned, giving her a dubious look. “The difference is I lied to protect you. I didn't want him to see you, and if you knew he was coming, you wouldn't have let me keep you away from him.” She didn't hurry to disagree with him, so he continued. “I don't trust him around you, and I just wanted him gone. I came to tell him to get lost and not come back.”
Kagome pursed her lips in agitation. “It sounds like you didn't trust me, either.”
“It wasn't that, but hey, there was apparently a reason to not trust you anyway, wasn't there?” he argued bitterly.
She pushed his hands off her shoulders angrily. “Okay, Inuyasha, I get it. I fucked up. But I admitted that and I apologized and I promised not to do it again. Are you going to forgive me or not?”
Yeah, she was right, but he couldn't help it. She brought it out in him. Suppressing his smirk, he fired back. “I don't know. What's to keep me from believing you're not really sorry, and that the only reason you want to hang with me is for my amazing sex appeal?”
She scoffed loudly, even as her cheeks burned bright red. “Amazing sex appeal? Right, Yasha. That's why I'm with you. You're just waaaay too hot for me to resist!” she mocked, waving her hands dramatically.
“Don't lie, wench,” he goaded, grabbing one of her hands and holding it flat against his chest. “You want me and you know it. In fact, you haven't been able to resist me since the moment you first saw me.”
Kagome jerked her hand back, indignation written all over her face. “Yeah, I can't resist. I can't resist throwing up at your colossal ego!”
“Keh. Liar.”
“Chauvinist.”
“Stubborn.&# 8221;
“Conceited.”
“Wench!”
< br> “ASS!”
With a growl, he pounced, grabbing her face in his hands and attacking her pursed lips with all of the gentleness of a jackal. He couldn't help it, damn it. When that flame lit in those dark brown eyes, it was all he could do to keep from throwing her against the nearest wall and taking her like the red-blooded male he was. The anger, the arguments, the banter; it was all part of their game, he realized, and it was more than enough to set his blood afire for her.
If he had any fears his advances were unwelcome, they died with Kagome's response. With a whimper, she met his eagerness head on and threw it back at him, nipping and sucking at his lips with a desperation only rivaled by his own. Their hands were everywhere, pulling each other's hair, holding each other's heads in place, gripping each other's arms and not letting go. It was frenzied, and it was desperate. It was relief that they were both all right and still belonged to one another wholeheartedly. But, at least for him, it wasn't enough. He needed more. More reassurance, more proof, whatever. Just more.
Fuck her.
`Not yet,' he thought in dismay as he stroked his tongue against hers. She was a virgin, and he was sure she wasn't ready. That was fine, though. He knew of other ways to make her scream his name.
At that thought, he growled again, deeper, and pulled her body against his. She seemed to have been expecting this, and immediately looped her arms around his neck and moaned into his mouth. He could taste the coffee on her tongue from earlier, rich and sweet and complementing her own flavor so melodiously, it made his mouth water. She was delicious.
God, how he wanted her.
“Kagome,” he groaned, dropping wet kisses along her jaw. He nibbled her earlobe, and she whimpered again. “Tell me you're mine, Kagome.”
“I am,” she whispered, tugging him closer. She tilted her head to the side, sighing as his lips made their way feverishly down her neck. “I'm as much yours as you are mine.”
“I'm all yours,” he murmured against her throat, pressing his hand into the small of her back for emphasis. His scent was still all over her because she had slept in his bed last night, and he breathed in deeply, loving the mixture of fragrances clinging to her skin. He swept his tongue across the top of her shoulder, and promptly shuddered in desire. The affect she had on him was devastating. With a single taste of her skin, he was reduced to a horny mass of muscle and testosterone, and it was by sheer force of will alone that he kept himself from ripping her clothes off.
“Inuyasha,” she whined, and he nearly bit through his lip to keep himself in check. Her fingernails clawed at the back of his neck, her breaths hot and damp on his throat. “I… please….”
His control shattered.
With a grunt, he hoisted her into his arms and sat back on the couch, her knees straddling his hips and her pussy in his lap. He looked into her eyes, dark and desirous, but nervous. He kissed her again, hard and demanding, and settled his large hands around her waist. When she didn't hesitate to kiss him back, her fervor just as intense as his, he helplessly gave into his need and pushed down on her hips, lifting his own to meet her. The friction of her heat against his arousal sent a shower of sparks through his body, and he dropped his head back in frustration and cursed his lack of restraint. His need was furious, and his control was frail, at best. This was not a good combination.
Kagome wasn't helping. Between her breathy moans and the way her hips were now moving on their own volition atop him, the thread of control in his hands became finer and weaker, and he was quickly losing his grip. He had to slow her down, or else he was going to do something he was afraid she would resent him for.
She wants it.
“Shut up,” he muttered under his breath.
“What?” Kagome breathed, her movements slowing hesitantly.
He shook his head. “Nothing,” he said, stilling her movements with his grip. “Kagome, you've got to stop. You're driving me crazy,” he pleaded.
She slumped in his arms, a sound of protest escaping her throat. Her eyes closed and she swallowed hard, still not looking at him. “It… you feel good. I don't know… I-I don't know what….”
`Fuck,' he thought, and ran his hands up and down her smooth thighs as he struggled to resist her. There were still other options he had to choose from, but not without her consent. “What do you want?” he growled, needing to hear her say it.
Her eyes opened to meet his, and he held his breath. Her mouth opened, but she couldn't get the words past her lips, and merely sat there in his lap with her tongue moving soundlessly inside her sweet mouth, a sweet flush coloring her cheeks.
Inuyasha leaned forward and kissed her again, hoping to suck the words out of her. His thumbs slipped under the hem of her shirt, stroking the skin on her stomach teasingly. “Tell me,” he whispered against her lips.
Kagome sighed and dropped her head back. He immediately attacked her neck again, and she tightened in his arms pleasantly. “Tell me,” he said again, and snaked his whole hands under her shirt, his claws trailing slowly and lightly across her heated skin.
She shuddered violently and yanked hard on his hair, and her scent exploded around him. “Inuyasha, please!” she gasped.
`Good enough.' He pushed his hands up and removed her shirt, moving slowly so as not to frighten her. Once it was gone, he could see that her blush extended beneath the cups of her light green bra--the same as the night before in the annex--and gave her breasts a beautifully rosy hue. She was gorgeous. And she was his, as much as she was willing to offer to him at the moment, anyway. `But how much is that?' he wondered.
Determined to find out, he leaned forward again, brushing his lips across the top of her left breast, and allowed his fingers to whisper around her sides to her back. Her skin was hot, her breath ragged, her pulse racing, but she showed no signs of complaint. Encouraged, he dipped his tongue in the valley between her breasts and licked her sweat-slicked skin up to her collarbone, smiling as she shuddered in his arms. Meanwhile, his fingers found the small hook at her back that kept him from his prize, and released it deftly with a snap.
He pulled back and kept his eyes locked with hers as he hooked his fingers beneath both bra straps, inching them slowly down her arms. Kagome's already flushed skin grew impossibly pinker, but she shifted her arms to let him pull the bra completely off, revealing herself to him. Her breasts were round and pert, with pretty pink nipples that were begging for his mouth. He salivated at the thought as he dropped her bra to the floor. `MINE,' he found himself thinking, unconsciously licking his lips. Another rush of blood flowed to his dick as he imagined removing more of her clothing and revealing more of her treasures.
He must have been staring for too long, because her fingers were suddenly on his ears, her voice impatient. “Do something,” she begged self-consciously.
As if it were his trigger phrase, he immediately dropped his head and circled a nipple with his tongue, palming the other breast in his hand. Kagome cried out in his arms, her hands playing with his ears and driving him insane. The taste of her skin, as he already knew, was astounding, and he licked and sucked on his new treat with the eagerness of a child with his favorite confection. To make things even more interesting, her hips were moving against him again, rubbing his erection in just the right way inside his shorts, and holy shit, did it feel good. It felt so good.
…No. It felt too good. If he was going to come for the first time with her, he'd be damned if it would be in his pants. Beyond frustrated, he held her still with one arm and released her nipple from between his lips with a pop, quickly switching to the other. His previously occupied hand lowered to play with the button on her fly, and as he rolled her nipple between his lips, he waited for her reaction.
Far from protesting, Kagome actually released one of his ears and helped him open her shorts, her fingers working frantically to unfasten the button while he jerked down the zipper. Her hand flew back up to his ear and she pushed her breast more fully into his mouth. “Please,” she whispered again, needy and pleading. It was his undoing.
Keeping one arm securely around her waist, his other hand promptly dove into territory in which no man had gone before. He shuddered violently, astonished at how wet she already was, and bit down on her nipple harder than he intended. She gasped in pain, and his fingers froze in their descent, his head rising to look her in the eye. “Are you okay?”
“Dammit, yes!” she rasped, and kissed him hard.
Reassured, he kissed her back and his fingers resumed their burrowing, pulling more moans from her throat that vibrated his tongue. Finally, he encountered the source of the fragrant moisture soaking her panties, and with a single brush of a finger, Kagome fell apart in his lap, ripping her lips away from his and sobbing his name to the walls around them. Her mouth was opened in a perpetual gasp, her eyes were screwed shut, and her hands were gripping the front of his shirt with all of her might. She was the epitome of female desire, and he thrived off the rush of power it sent through him.
Before she could recover, he stroked her again, and didn't bother suppressing his groan at her responsiveness to his touch. Physically, she was beyond ready for him, and oh, how easy his entrance would be. She was slippery and hot and perfect, and as he pulled her back to him to kiss her sweet lips again, visions of her own hand in place of his own flashed before his closed eyes, and more blood flowed into the angry rod between his legs. She had done it here, when he first came here to proposition her. In the shower, with his name falling from her lips in the heat of her climax, she had masturbated. It was not something he would soon forget, and as he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and rubbed his slick fingers together with her essence, the beast inside him stirred at the memory and took a little more control.
“How many times?” he groaned into her mouth.
Kagome broke the kiss and opened her eyes, cloudy with lust but coherent enough to hear his question. “What?” she asked lazily, her eyes losing focus again as she rode the storm he was brewing.
He smirked, his fingers still petting the succulent lips between her thighs. “How many times have you fantasized about me? How many times did you touch yourself and pretend it was me? Tell me.”
“I….” Kagome bit her lip, clutching the fabric of his shirt tighter in her fists. Moisture beaded on her brow, and her cheeks flushed even more as she struggled for words. “I-I don't….”
“Tell me,” he demanded and, feeling emboldened, slipped a finger inside her, angling his knuckle with practiced ease to keep her safe from his claw. His teeth clenched painfully as her untried muscles seized up around his finger. She was tight; very tight, as she damn well should have been. His erection gave a covetous throb.
Her mouth fell open, gasping his name, and the beast within him rumbled in approval. “Tell me how many times, Kagome. I want to know. How many times did you play with your pussy and wish that it was my fingers making you come?”
“Oh, God,” she sobbed, clinging to his shirt like it was a lifeline, shoving her face into his neck. Her dignity was quickly crumbling away, and she seemed to know it. “I…. Please, Yasha, I can't….”
“Yes, you can,” he cooed, and slipped in a second finger, stretching her gently. She cried out again and her hips pressed forward instantly, instinctively, and as much as he loved her reaction, he tightened his other arm on her waist to still her, pulling her flush against his body as he manipulated her sex. He craved the control, the power over her pleasure, and more importantly, he wanted her to answer his question. “Tell me, Baby. Once? Twice? How many times? Tell me and I'll take you there.” He swallowed hard, reigning in his lust. Her arousal was swirling in the air around him, thick and heavy. He could almost taste it coating his lips, like morning dew. “How many times did you come while calling out my name, Kagome? Was it three times?”
She was panting on his neck now, her control as fragile as his. Moans escaped her throat as she tumbled toward the finish of his making, but no words; she seemed incapable of speaking coherently. But even as she gripped his shirt tighter, pressing her body against his in her undeniable need, he felt her shake her head.
Inuyasha sucked in a deep breath to quell his excitement, and rubbed the heel of his palm against her clit as he gently pumped his fingers in and out of her tight entrance. “No? More than three times, Kagome? Was it five?” he asked, struggling to maintain his composure.
“Ungh…” she moaned again, and fought against his hold to move her hips to match the rhythm of his fingers. She nodded against his shoulder, her breaths coming faster and harder.
“Five times, Baby?” He closed his eyes, holding her tighter still against him. His erection throbbed again, begging to be released.
“M-maybe more… Ah!” Kagome cried, responding to the increasing pressure of his hand. Her movements were becoming increasingly frantic, her muscles starting to spasm. “Inuyasha! I… I…. Oh, my God, you're gonna --”
“Make you come. I know,” he replied with as much cockiness as he could muster. “I'm the first one, aren't I? I'm the first man to touch you like this, right, Kagome?” he asked, slowing the speed of his fingers a bit. He hated to tease her, but inside, his possessive rage was still howling from Kouga's earlier proclamation. He needed to hear her say that that shit had never gotten this chance. “Tell me, Kagome. Who else have you let feel this pussy?”
“Nobody! Only you!” she cried desperately.
“Swear to me.”
She growled, her aura shifting immediately. “No, you bastard!” She raised her head and glared into his eyes, clearly having had enough of his bravado. “I already said you were the first. So do you believe me or not? Stop teasing me!”
Feeling satisfied with her answer--and properly chastised--Inuyasha upped the pace of his fingers, expertly applying the right amount of pressure to the source of her ecstasy, and took great joy in the way her head fell back at the unexpected surge of pleasure. Anymore of the rant she had planned to throw at him left her lungs in one expelled breath, and he was amused to have finally found a way to effectively shut her up.
He suddenly noticed she was holding her breath as he guided her to climax, and he hurried his pace again to finish her off. Her fingers dug into his shirt again, her nails exerting enough pressure on his straining pectorals to make him clench his jaw. Just as he started to fear she might pass out, he pulled out his last resort: he curled his fingers and circled forward firmly, praying for a g-spot that was reachable without breaking her hymen.
Her sudden cry provided the answer he sought.
His own breathing escalated, his blood roared in his ears like a tidal wave as he watched her in the throes, feeling both envy and a terrible male pride swelling within him at the ability to give her such a high. His arm tightened around her as she thrashed, as if he were protecting his most valued treasure. And as he felt her fingers finally loosen their grip on his skin, as he watched her full lips slowly relax and quirk into a silly, awestruck grin, as he heard her beating heart eventually slow from an eighth note cadence to quarter notes, he was struck with a realization that made the softer, human side of him swell with joy: She had just given him more than she had given any other before him. She gave him her vulnerability, a large piece of her female innocence, and entrusted him to treat it well. But had he?
“Inuyasha,” she breathed happily, slumping against him in exhaustion with her arms loosely flung around his neck.
`I'll take that as a yes,' he thought with a relieved sigh. Carefully withdrawing his fingers from her depths, he stroked her swollen lips once more, eliciting a final shiver from her body and a frustrated groan from himself, and slowly pulled his hand from her panties. Kagome grunted uncomfortably, but otherwise didn't react, still basking in her afterglow.
But despite his inflated ego and male satisfaction from pleasing his female, Inuyasha was all too aware that he had been left high and dry. `What I wouldn't give to see her lips wrapped around my dick right now,' he thought, said member throbbing painfully in agreement, his wet dream from that morning still fresh in his mind. But would she be willing?
She sighed heavily into his neck, sitting back slowly to meet his stare, and his heart pulled just a little at the complete happiness he saw dancing in her eyes. He hadn't seen her look that happy since he had dropped her off the week before after driving back from New Orleans: the night he had first kissed her. The night he realized….
His eyes widened. `Realized what?'
“Inuyasha,” Kagome said, having come back to herself while he was lost in his memory. He shook his head and focused on her face again, which was bright with another blush as she visibly struggled to not cover her breasts. She bit her lip and looked down pointedly before meeting his eyes again. “What about you?”
Indeed.
He grinned, thankful she couldn't pick up on the sway of his instincts, and lazily trailed his fingers under the swell of one breast, making her blush darken irresistibly. “Only if you want to,” he wagered, choosing his words carefully.
She swallowed nervously, and he tried to act casual, continuing to play with her breasts even as his arousal throbbed impatiently, awaiting her answer. “I want,” she began.
He brushed a thumb across her nipple, watching her lips in anticipation. “Yes? You want?”
She hesitated a moment, then licked her lips and deliberately met his eyes. “I want to take a shower.”
His head fell back in resignation, a humorless chuckle rising out of him. Sighing dramatically, but figuring he must have had that coming, he mustered a smile for her and brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “So go take a fucking shower already,” he grouched, no real heat behind his words.
Smiling knowingly, she leaned forward to kiss him sweetly, left a whispered “thank you” on his lips, and was gone--with her shirt--before he could change his mind. Only after he heard the water running in the bathroom did he realize his claws had embedded themselves in the couch cushion.
“Feh,” he snorted, looking down at the angry bulge between his legs and feeling an odd sense of déjà vu. “Better be the fastest shower in the history of showers, wench.”
***
Two weeks passed. Work resumed as normal, and life was as methodical as he wanted it to be. And no more calls from audacious women who had no business calling him in the first place.
Sesshomaru stared impassively at the contract in front of him, his eyes ghosting over the words on the document but not really seeing them. The phone call he had received two weeks earlier was still on his brain, but only because of the havoc he knew she would cause if she were really coming here as she claimed to be. He had no desire to see her, and he was sure she would make his life a living hell. No, her presence would only be troublesome, if not downright disastrous. Unfortunately, the bitch was stupid as hell; she had proven as much when she had strayed. He frowned disdainfully. As if a son of the Inu no Taisho would tolerate such disloyalty.
`That cow,' he thought, disgusted.
“Hey, Sesso,” Kouga drawled, poking his head into his office.
Amber eyes narrowed coldly. “I have told you to refrain from using that ridiculous name, wolf.”
Kouga. He was another one. All fucked up and moping around because of a bitch, not that it couldn't have been predicted by anyone with half a brain. Sesshomaru had seen at the charity ball three weeks earlier that the human girl and his idiot brother had eyes for one another. Why Kouga didn't have the fortitude to put a stop to it then, Sesshomaru would never know, but he knew one thing: any man who couldn't control his woman didn't deserve her. Actually, that brought up an interesting point; how was the hanyou dealing with her? The girl had a certain spirit about her. Surely she would test Inuyasha as well, especially considering she was bull-headed enough to tolerate his idiocy in the first place.
`Hn. I might have to make an appointment to check in on him and see for myself. It would be entertaining if nothing else.'
Kouga snorted loudly, drawing the inu youkai from his thoughts. “Whatever. You getting lunch?”
“No,” he answered simply, returning his attention to the contract in his hands.
“Fine.” He left without saying another word.
Sesshomaru scowled. `Pathetic,' he thought, not for the first time, and began scanning the agreement terms. `Fifteen percent. Acceptable. But this condition of sole proprietorship --'
“Mr. Taisho?”
He sneered contemptuously, setting down the contract again, his eyes focusing on the trembling intern in his doorway. “I am working,” he informed her, and that was all that should have needed to have been said.
She paled visibly. “I-I know, but there is a woman here to see you. She said she's here to interview for the Director of Talent opening,” she said hurriedly.
“I do not conduct interviews. Take her to Mr. Boudreaux's office.”
She swallowed nervously. “I was going to, but she specifically asked for you. She said you're expecting her.”
His eye twitched. No. It couldn't be. She said she had an interview in New Orleans, but she couldn't have meant here. She was bold, but not that bold.
The intern took a hesitant step back from the doorway. “M-Mr. Taisho? Should I send her in?”
“That won't be necessary, dear,” a sultry voice announced from behind her just before the owner of that voice sidestepped the poor girl and waltzed right into his office as if she owned the place.
Sesshomaru fought the urge to stand and demand she leave, but such an emotional display was beneath him. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at the woman, her scent triggering memories he had thought long-suppressed, and regarded her with disdain.
She smiled smugly down at him, her eyes belying her innocence. “Sesshomaru,” she greeted with familiarity, dipping her head in a mock bow. “It's been far too long.”
Mrs. Higurashi sat at the small breakfast table, calmly sipping her morning tea just as her husband tore into the kitchen bellowing her name. “Tomoko, where is Sango? She's not in her room!”
After another slow sip, she set down her cup, the picture of serenity. “Have you checked the garden, koishii?”
His brow furrowed in confusion. “The garden? Sango doesn't spend time in the garden. Why would I look there?”
“Hmm, I'm fairly certain I saw our daughter spend a few seconds there this morning,” she said leadingly.
He frowned and looked out the kitchen window, his eyes scanning the expanse of the garden outside. “She is not… Wait. A few seconds?” he asked, looking at her again.
She looked down into her tea again, hiding her resentment well. “Yes, Yuu. Just long enough for her to run out of the gate and to Miroku's car parked up the street.”
“Run out…?!” His face morphed into one of first disbelief, and then rage. “Your daughter!” he accused, pointing a finger at his wife. “She gets this from you! She dares to defy me after I drive all the way to Baton Rouge to retrieve her! She is too bold!”
Mrs. Higurashi merely picked up her tea, finding some small comfort in the warmth cupped in her hands. “She is my daughter,” she confirmed, not meeting her husband's eyes. “And I am proud of her for standing against he who seeks to oppress her.”
“Stand against me, does she?” he countered vehemently. “She snuck out of my house like a fugitive.”
“Or perhaps like a hostage,” she suggested, swirling the contents of her cup.
He scowled angrily. “Where is her honor?!”
“Perhaps she left it in Baton Rouge with the boy from whom you ripped her away in the dark of night.”
“That boy is little more than an animal seeking to take our daughter's virginity as a prize!” he raged.
She took a sip of her tea, inwardly astonished by her husband's blindness. Anyone with eyes could see that Sango's virginity had been a thing of the past for quite some time. “That boy loves her, and she him. Perhaps you should have thought of that before you sought to separate them, husband,” she said.
“Love? Bah! They are too young to know what love is,” he argued, waving his hand dismissively.
She regarded him with calm eyes. “I seem to remember you at her age, so sure of your love for me. Are you saying we were too young to understand? Are you saying that was not really love?”
Mr. Higurashi blinked, startled. “What… what are you going on about? That was a different time, woman,” he stammered. “We were more mature than she is.”
“Our daughter is not mature? A move to a new country before she reached her teens, learning a new language, acclimating to a new culture, earning perfect grades, winning a full scholarship to the college of her choice and maintaining her grade point average, and all while being a positive role model for Kohaku, who you know admires her so much. Yes, it sounds like she has a lot of maturing to do,” she said coolly.
Her husband scowled. “I fail to see how sneaking out of her bedroom and defying her parents to be with her boyfriend is setting a good example for her brother.”
“She was escaping the prison in which you placed her,” she pointed out, rising from her seat to refill her cup. “She has only defied you when her separation from Miroku was concerned.”
“Precisely my point!” he shouted. “That insolent boy is a bad influence on her!”
“Insolent? He has never been anything but respectful toward us both.”
“How does he respect me when he seeks to defile my only daughter?!” he raged.
“All right, Yuu, that's enough,” she finally said, her patience spent, and faced her husband. “I can assure you that Sango is only under the influence of her own emotions. You cannot blame Miroku for her desire to be with him. She loves him, I tell you. Don't you remember doing foolish things when we were young and in love?”
He had the decency to blush at the memories to which she was referring. “Well, I --”
“And we never got into any serious trouble,” she reminded him, cutting in before he could showcase any more of that stubborn streak the Higurashis were so infamous for. “But we loved each other and were willing to incite our parents' wrath in order to spend time together. Surely you have not forgotten the Sakura Festival in '68?”
His lips slowly slipped into a sly grin, and he didn't bother hiding it. “Of course I remember, koi. You played the taiko in the evening performances.”
She blushed, happy that he remembered. “I remember seeing you in the crowd, and I couldn't stand to look at you. You were such a distraction.”
“You were beautiful,” he said, slowly stepping around the breakfast table toward her. “There was a pink ribbon in your hair, and I remember thinking about how you could have had anyone, and for some reason, you had chosen me.”
“I loved you,” she gently reminded him, watching the heat simmer in his expressive brown eyes.
“I was so worried your parents were going to make you spend the entire festival by their sides,” he continued, tenderly grasping her hand as he reached her. “I needed to get you away from them. I had plans for that night.”
“And you kept them,” she said fondly, a tingle running up her spine at the memory.
“Yes.” He dipped his head and kissed her cheek. “I remember how you gave your father some excuse about cleaning up with the other girls, and you met me in the outskirts of the Square.” He paused, looking into her eyes heatedly. “I would have done anything to have you to myself that night, even if it meant facing your father's vengeance,” he declared, leaning forward to kiss her other cheek.
She closed her eyes, already regretting what needed to be said. “Mm, much like Miroku and Sango.”
He froze.
“Yuu,” she started, running her fingertips along his forearm soothingly. “Our daughter is grown, and she is honorable. Miroku is honorable. Their activities reflect those of two young adults in love with one another,” she explained, kissing his jaw softly. “Do not be so quick to forget those feelings, or else you will alienate her, and you will encourage him to believe she needs protection from you.”
Her husband met her eyes again, his own a volatile mixture of anger and fear. “Protection from me? He wouldn't dare.”
“He would,” she confirmed, and stared at him hard. “And I would not forgive you if you drove them to those lengths.”
His eyes shifted, and she knew he was mulling over her words. She waited patiently--someone in this family had to have patience, after all--and was satisfied when he visibly relaxed after several moments and met her eyes again. “I remember,” he said simply, and then his eyes hardened. “But she is not married.”
“Neither were we,” she reminded him.
“But I did not take you until my intention was to wed you,” he argued.
“And how do you know that is not Miroku's intention as well?”
“Because he has not spoken with me!” he said, his brows furrowing.
“When did you speak with my father?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
His skin flushed again, and he looked away stubbornly. “Well, it was a bit later….”
She squeezed his hand. “We will speak with Sango regarding sneaking out of the house, but considering the circumstances, we will withhold punishment. In return for our leniency, she will be made to understand that if it happens again, regardless of the circumstances, discipline will be inflicted.” At his reluctant nod, she continued. “And you will agree to be more understanding, and more tolerant of Miroku. He truly loves our daughter; you can see it in the way he looks at her. He will do what he deems necessary to look out for her best interests,” she reminded him. “And I, for one, trust his judgment. He has not led me to believe he is untrustworthy in any way. You need to accept him as well.”
He frowned, but sighed. “I will try,” he relented.
Believing him, she smiled. “Good. Now let's have some breakfast, and then we'll call her.”
With a grunt, he agreed, and she smiled as he sat at the table and shuffled through the sections of the Sunday paper, a dejected scowl still marring his handsome features. Sometimes it felt as if she had three children instead of two. Shaking her head, she turned to the task of making breakfast for her husband and son.
***
`Stubborn, hard-headed, stupid wench, thinking she can take on the fucking world and keep everything a fucking secret from everybody… fuck, fucking fuck, fuck….'
“Inuyasha, are you sure you don't need to go see a doctor?” Sango asked.
“Feh!” he replied, unthinkingly watching Kagome's ass sway in front of him as he strode behind her toward the girls' apartment. “I'm fine. He barely touched me, the pathetic shit.”
Kagome's step faltered, just barely, but enough for Inuyasha to know she was mad. And just what the hell was she mad for, anyway? She wasn't the one who had just found out she'd been lied to! Figuring now was just as good a time as any to make that point, he opened his mouth to do just that when he suddenly had a face full of enraged Higurashi.
“What were you thinking?” she screeched, jabbing her index finger into his chest right where Kouga's shoulder had landed earlier. Inuyasha bit the inside of his cheek to keep from yelping. “Did you think you could just come over here when Kouga showed up and fight over me? Did you think you were saving me or something? What? What, Inuyasha? Tell me what you were hoping to accomplish by fighting him!”
His eyes twitched in building rage. “Why, you thankless little --”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Miroku yelled, quickly placing himself between the two. “Can we at least get inside the apartment before starting the battle? Inuyasha is already bleeding, and I'd hate to see him lose one of those ears Kagome seems so fond of,” he kidded, chancing a hopeful grin.
But it was too late. Inuyasha already had his sights set on the girl, and judging from the way she set her jaw as she stared back at him, she wasn't going to back off, either. An uncomfortable silence ensued, but was quickly cut short by the other Higurashi.
“That's enough, you two!” Sango snapped, shoving her way between them as she wrestled with her keys. “It's hot as balls out here, and I need some water before Miroku and I go to breakfast. Kagome, I suggest you clean up your dog-boy before he bleeds all over the place. First aid kit's under the bathroom sink.”
“Hey!” they both yelled, but Sango ignored their protest and opened the apartment door, leaving them in the breezeway. Miroku only chuckled and patted them both on the backs as he passed them, wordlessly following the girl into the apartment.
Kagome turned and favored Inuyasha with another angry look, clearly conveying her opinion on the matter. Inuyasha scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest, stubbornly looking toward the parking lot. “Don't worry, wench. You're not laying a finger on me.”
Mocha eyes narrowed at his challenge. “Is that so?” Not giving him a chance to retort, Kagome latched onto one of his forelocks and gave a harsh tug, issuing a loud yelp from the hanyou and dragging him behind her as she marched into her apartment.
“Ow!” he shrieked as he stumbled behind her through the door. “Leggo! Ow, fuck, dammit, let go! Shit!”
“Not a finger, huh?” she taunted, not releasing him until they were both inside and the door was shut. She met his glare with one of her own, hands on her hips as he rubbed his sore scalp. Though she was clearly pissed, he could also still see the concern swimming in her eyes as she surveyed the damage on his face. “Now have a seat,” she said, a touch softer now, “and I'll go get the first aid kit.”
“Feh. Ain't happening.”
The red flare returned with a vengeance. “Inuyasha, SIT!” she demanded, pointing to the couch.
And he sat. He huffed and sulked about it, but he sat.
Kagome blinked, apparently not expecting him to obey. “Well, t-thank you. I'll be right back,” she said, and with one more look to see if he'd say anything more, she disappeared into the narrow hallway.
“Whew,” Miroku said, carrying two glasses of ice water from the kitchen. He waited until Sango left the kitchen to help Kagome in the back before speaking again. “Those Higurashi ladies can be dangerous, Inuyasha. I tried to warn you about that before you got involved.” He offered him one of the glasses as he sat in the adjacent loveseat.
“Feh, bunch of crazy women,” Inuyasha replied, accepting the water. Raising his free hand, he gingerly touched his face and winced when he pressed against his tender cheekbone. It was definitely broken and would probably be swollen for the rest of the day, if not longer. “Fucker,” he muttered, rolling his shoulders a little. “I can't believe Kagome showed up. Why did you bring her here?” he asked irritably.
“Hey, man, she and Sango cooked that up,” Miroku defended, leaning back in the seat. “I was bringing Sango back from New Orleans, and she called Kagome…”
“New Orleans?” Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow. “What the hell were you doing there? I thought you two were going to crash at your dorm?”
Miroku just shook his head, a pained expression darkening his features. “Yeah, that's a story for later. Her dad's a psycho, and that's all I'll say for now. Anyway, Sango called Kagome, and the next thing I knew, I was being ordered to go pick her up so she could come here and get some of her stuff.” He shook his head, gesturing toward Inuyasha's wounds. “Once I realized you had left her at your place to come here and confront Kouga, I figured we'd catch quite a show, but I didn't think it was going to be that… bloody. I swear, man, I wouldn't have brought her here if I had known.”
Inuyasha frowned and studied his ice water, brooding. It was bad enough that the asshole wolf had gotten the best of him in their skirmish, but what was worse was that Kagome had borne witness to the worst parts. It made his gut churn to know she had seen the ookami punch him. He scowled, lifting his arm and feeling the tenderness in his ribs. He'd meant what he said; he wouldn't underestimate the wolf again. Next time….
“I think I have everything, but I can't find any aspirin,” Kagome said as she and Sango came back into the front room loaded down with medical supplies.
“Feh, don't need any aspirin.” Inuyasha crossed his arms again and looked away, resuming his indifferent façade. “I said he didn't hurt me.”
Sango rolled her eyes, dropping an armload of bandages and gauze on the glass coffee table. “You're so full of it. At least admit you got your ass beat. It's the least you can do after going on your little hero escapade and scaring us half to death.”
“Keh! Get control over your woman, Miroku. Her mouth is running off again.”
“What?!”
“Okay, time for us to go, Love,” Miroku said, quickly rising from his seat and restraining his irate girlfriend. “Let's leave Kagome to her mending. I'm sure she'll take excellent care of our good friend here,” he added with a knowing smile.
“You'd better watch yourself, hanyou!” she threatened with a pointed finger, ignoring Miroku completely. “I'll kick your ass into next week! I'll make Kouga look like a little girl once I'm done with you! And don't even think I'll go easy on you, because I'm the one you'll have to answer to if --”
“Holy hell, don't you ever shut the fuck up?” Inuyasha shouted, flattening his ears to block out her shrieking. “Miroku, get her out of here! She's giving me a fucking migraine!”
“Yash, don't make me hurt you!”
“Let's go, Sango,” Miroku insisted, pulling her toward the door. “Later, you two. Go easy on each other,” he said, chuckling, and coaxed a still-resisting Sango out the door.
Once the screaming had ceased and the door was shut behind them, Inuyasha sighed heavily and rubbed his aching forehead. He had almost forgotten Kagome was even in the room until he caught another whiff of her and looked toward the hallway.
She was standing beside the couch, still holding the first aid kit and a bottle of peroxide, and was giving him a very tolerant look. “Do you really have to provoke her like that? You know it doesn't take much to set her off.”
“Feh, sounds like another crazy wench I know. Your whole family is fucking nuts,” he said, intentionally goading her as he set his water glass on the coffee table.
“Right, because you've met my whole family,” she drawled, shaking her head. She came around the loveseat and set the medical supplies on the table with the ones Sango had left. “And don't get stupid with me. I'm still mad at you.”
“Well, I'm mad at you, too, so it looks like we got shit to settle,” he shot back, looking away and crossing his arms again.
He heard her sigh as the couch shifted with her weight beside him. “Fine. Now look at me so I can clean up those cuts on your face.”
“I told you, I don't need you to --” Inuyasha's tirade was cut short when he turned toward her and felt her gentle touch on his jaw. He stared, wide-eyed and mouth agape, as she delicately wiped a damp cloth over all of his abrasions, her eyes never once meeting his. Suddenly, his run-in with Kouga was forgotten, and all that consumed his thoughts were Kagome and the softness of her touch as she cared for him. He didn't bother telling her that most of the wounds she was cleaning would be healed by that evening; for the moment, her gentle hands were doing much to soothe him and to quiet the jealous rumblings of his youkai, and he didn't want to lose that feeling. `A woman's touch,' he mused, resisting the urge to lean into her hands. `It's been a long time.'
Once she finished, she picked up a small tube of ointment and carefully applied it to different areas of his face with the same tender care she had used to clean him. The ointment stunk, but it had a cooling effect and tingled a bit. He closed his eyes for just a moment, silently appreciating her and the calm she was inducing. It felt… nice. Really nice. So nice, in fact, that as she worked, Inuyasha was surprised to find his hand gently cupping her hip. Despite his confusion as to when he had even placed it there, he couldn't bring himself to withdraw. It somehow did him good to be touching her while she tended to him, as if that simple gesture was reassuring her that he was all right, or perhaps the other way around. Regardless, she didn't seem to mind his touch.
After not nearly enough time had passed, she leaned back a bit, and he immediately missed her touch. “Okay, I think that's it for your face. You don't need any stitches, but I'll get an ice pack for your cheek and your nose. What about your body?”
Inuyasha blinked, his left ear twitching nervously. “My body?”
Kagome blushed again and nodded. “Yeah. Did your body sustain any damages? You were… you were on the ground when we got there.” Her hands rose tentatively and gently prodded against his shoulders over his shirt, moving slowly across his chest. “Does it hurt when I touch you here?”
His breath caught in his throat, and he quickly swallowed. “No,” he replied, watching her eyes follow the movements of her fingers, igniting a tingly warmth on his skin wherever they passed.
She lowered her hands cautiously, pressing against his sternum. Dark eyes finally rose to his, and she licked her lips. “What about here?”
“No,” he said again, his hand increasing the pressure on her hip. He swallowed a second time and held her gaze as her hands roamed his upper body, continuing their inspection that was beginning to affect him in a way he was sure was unintentional.
Kagome nodded absently, perhaps not so unaware of the spell she was casting, and spread her fingers slowly over his lower ribcage. “Here?” she breathed, pressing softly.
A sudden sharp pain shot through the right side of his torso, and Inuyasha winced and bit back a curse. “No,” he ground out, lying through his teeth.
The enchantment between them shattered, and she gasped and immediately withdrew her hands. “Sorry!” she yelped, jumping off the couch. She dashed toward the kitchen. “What happened? Did he kick you?!” she called, her voice rising angrily as she shuffled through the contents of her freezer.
Inuyasha relaxed as the pain subsided, but he didn't answer her. If she hadn't seen Kouga get those kicks in on him, then he wasn't about to admit it to her.
Kagome returned a moment later carrying two bags of frozen vegetables. She settled next to him again, tucking her legs beneath her, and gave him one of the bags. “Here. Put that where it hurts, and I'll wrap it on.”
Knowing she wouldn't take no for an answer, he rolled his eyes and pressed the bag gently against his ribcage over his shirt, holding it there while she wrapped a large Ace bandage around his torso to keep it in place. She blushed prettily as her arms reached around him to wind the wrap. “We'll leave it for fifteen minutes and then switch to heat,” she softly told him, securing the end of the bandage with small clips.
“Fine.” Inuyasha relaxed his arm again and looked at her. Her eyes were getting shiny again, and she was starting to sniffle every now and then.
Picking up the bag of frozen peas, she squeezed it in her hands a few times to break up the clumps inside, then wrapped it in a kitchen towel. Looking up into his eyes again, she sniffled again and very carefully pressed the bag to his cheekbone. Inuyasha reached up to take it from her so she wouldn't have to hold it, but she frowned and batted his hand away. He sighed heavily, but submitted to her care.
They sat there for a moment in silence, and her tears passed unshed, but he could tell they weren't far from the surface. The ice she was holding to his cheek would help with the swelling but was otherwise useless, but once again, her touch was having a calming effect on him, and he wanted to hold onto it whether he needed the ice or not. Feeling moved, he raised a hand, still swollen and bloodied from the fight, and traced her jaw with his fingers, but she bit her lip and wouldn't meet his eyes. Did he look that bad? He knew he had taken a pretty good beating--even if he wouldn't admit it aloud--but it wasn't as if he was going to die. Kagome was obviously overreacting.
Still, she needed comfort, and he needed her not to cry.
Zeroing in on her quivering lower lip, he stretched forward and licked it softly before brushing his lips against hers, hoping to chase away her distress. To his relief, Kagome responded immediately, pressing her mouth back to his in a way that spoke of her desperation and need. Feeling victorious, he kissed her again, planning to push it a little further, but the scent of her persistent tears suddenly stung at his nose, indicating his failure to truly comfort her.
Frowning, he withdrew from the kiss and regarded her wet cheeks. “What? What is it? Dammit, Kagome, I'm trying to make you feel better here!”
Her weeping eyes darkened, and she turned and slammed the bag of peas down on the coffee table. “You jerk! I can't believe you put yourself in so much danger! You could have been seriously injured, and then what --”
“Oi! I can handle my own against that mangy piece of wolf shit!” Inuyasha shot back, leaning back in his seat with a huff. “Geez, you'd think I was fatally wounded or something. Have a little faith in me, would ya?”
“I saw what happened, Inuyasha!” she insisted, and stubbornly wiped at her tears. “You were on the ground and he was hitting you! And then he picked you up and was going to --”
“Whatever!” he cut in again, throwing his hands up in disgust. He quickly--and painfully--stood up and paced a few steps in front of her. “I know what happened, Kagome. I was there, remember? Trust me, it wasn't as bad as it looked.” `Liar,' his conscience taunted, but he ignored it, choosing instead to turn the attention back to the girl on the couch. “And what were you doing there anyway? I could have sworn I told you I was going to be right back. Were you trying to back out of our breakfast date?” he asked, suddenly feeling insecure.
“Oh, please, Inuyasha!” Kagome exclaimed, rolling her eyes as she rose to her own feet. “Don't try to turn this around on me. I was just coming to get a change of clothes and my car, and I was going right back to your place to meet you, where I thought we were having breakfast with the groceries you said you were buying at the store!” she spat angrily.
He narrowed his eyes and closed the distance between them with one angry step. “All right, that explains why you were here. Now how about this: Why did you tell me last week that you and that cocksucker weren't together anymore? `Cause finding out that wasn't true was pretty fucking shitty,” he said, gritting his teeth at the memory of that indignation. “You lied to me, Kagome.”
“I didn't lie!” she shot back, stepping back defensively. “I did break up with him! It's just… he said he didn't want to end it yet, and I… well, I guess I felt….”
Inuyasha's ears flattened irritably, and he held up a finger. “Okay, first of all, that's fucking retarded. If you told him you were dumping him, then he's as good as dumped, end of story. It's not like that kind of thing is negotiable.” He scoffed and held up a second finger. “Second of all, that still doesn't explain why you told me it was a done deal when you obviously didn't think it was.”
Kagome frowned sheepishly. “I guess… I wanted to keep from hurting you. I didn't want you to be mad.”
“Well you failed, didn't you?” he snapped back.
“Hey! I didn't mean for this to happen, Inuyasha!” she argued, her hands curling into tight fists. “I thought I'd be able to settle this whole mess with him once and for all, and then everything would be all right. I didn't think you'd intercept a text message and go play hero without even telling me what it said!”
“Enlighten me! When did you plan on settling the mess?” he yelled, growing more and more agitated. “How long were you going to lie to me, Kagome? How long were you going to let him think he had a claim on you while telling me he was history? I want to know!”
“I don't know!” she finally admitted, her voice cracking with emotion. “I didn't mean for it to happen like this! If I had known he was coming here today, I would have --”
“You would have gone to brunch with him, just like he wanted,” Inuyasha interrupted. Her downcast eyes were rimmed with moisture again, and he crossed his arms and looked away to keep from taking back everything he said. “And you wouldn't have settled anything with him because he knows all the right buttons to push with you, the dirty fuck.”
Kagome was quiet for a moment, and it was only a few seconds before he could smell the salt. She sniffled once, and he clenched his jaw and stared at a dark grain in the wood of the dining room table, remembering a similarly heartbreaking conversation they had had there just a few weeks earlier. `Fuck it all! Why can't we catch a break? Why is there always something keeping us from being happy? It's as if the Kami themselves don't want me and Kagome together.'
He frowned, unhappy with the taste that left in his mouth, and stared harder at the spot on the table.
“I… I'm sorry, Inuyasha,” she finally said in a small, broken voice. “I don't know what else to say.”
Fighting the urge to grimace at her tone, he dared a look into her eyes. He immediately regretted it. “Just… just say you won't lie to me again,” he found himself saying, willing to do anything to rid her of those tears. His arms itched to hold her, but he needed to hear her say it first. “That's something I just can't deal with, Kagome. I hate being lied to.”
“I won't,” she promised, her fingers wringing together in that way they always did when she was anxious. “I'm sorry. I don't know why I….” She trailed off, her eyes dropping shamefully to her busy hands, and pursed her lips. And that's when he saw it.
Fear. She had been afraid to tell him.
His heart dropped into his stomach, and he acted without thinking. “Kagome,” he breathed, and reached out for her, pulling her roughly against him. “Don't ever be scared of me. Don't ever think I would do something to….” He gritted his teeth and hugged her tighter, burying his face in her sweet-smelling hair. “Damn it, Kagome! Why would you be scared to tell me that? What have I done to make you scared of me?”
Her arms squeezed out from where they were trapped between their bodies and laced around his waist. “It's not like that,” she replied tearfully, her voice muffled by his shirt. “I wasn't scared you would do anything violent, at least to me. But… but I knew you were angry about the whole thing, and I was worried that… that if you knew I still felt obligated to him, you would… maybe… give up,” she finished softly.
Inuyasha's heart nearly stopped. “Give up?” he asked, the words tasting foul on his tongue.
He felt her hands tighten into fists on his back, bunching his shirt. “I didn't want to lose you,” was all she said.
`Lose me?!' She thought she was in danger of losing him? He clenched his jaw and jerked her away from him, just far enough so he could look into her eyes. “You'll listen to me now, Kagome,” he ground out through his teeth, quelling his rising panic that her ideas had created within him. “I've waited too long to call you mine to just give up because your fucking ex is deranged. You will not lose me,” he stressed, squeezing her shoulders for emphasis. “Do you hear me in that damned stubborn head of yours? I want to be with you, damn it. I wouldn't have fought that asshole if I didn't.”
Her eyes narrowed a fraction at the mention of “stubborn,” and he couldn't help to be relieved to see some of that spark that he loved to ignite return to her eyes. “Why did you come here?” she asked suddenly, her voice firm but not angry. “You never answered that question. You told me you were going to the store, but that obviously wasn't the truth, either.”
He frowned, giving her a dubious look. “The difference is I lied to protect you. I didn't want him to see you, and if you knew he was coming, you wouldn't have let me keep you away from him.” She didn't hurry to disagree with him, so he continued. “I don't trust him around you, and I just wanted him gone. I came to tell him to get lost and not come back.”
Kagome pursed her lips in agitation. “It sounds like you didn't trust me, either.”
“It wasn't that, but hey, there was apparently a reason to not trust you anyway, wasn't there?” he argued bitterly.
She pushed his hands off her shoulders angrily. “Okay, Inuyasha, I get it. I fucked up. But I admitted that and I apologized and I promised not to do it again. Are you going to forgive me or not?”
Yeah, she was right, but he couldn't help it. She brought it out in him. Suppressing his smirk, he fired back. “I don't know. What's to keep me from believing you're not really sorry, and that the only reason you want to hang with me is for my amazing sex appeal?”
She scoffed loudly, even as her cheeks burned bright red. “Amazing sex appeal? Right, Yasha. That's why I'm with you. You're just waaaay too hot for me to resist!” she mocked, waving her hands dramatically.
“Don't lie, wench,” he goaded, grabbing one of her hands and holding it flat against his chest. “You want me and you know it. In fact, you haven't been able to resist me since the moment you first saw me.”
Kagome jerked her hand back, indignation written all over her face. “Yeah, I can't resist. I can't resist throwing up at your colossal ego!”
“Keh. Liar.”
“Chauvinist.”
“Stubborn.&# 8221;
“Conceited.”
“Wench!”
< br> “ASS!”
With a growl, he pounced, grabbing her face in his hands and attacking her pursed lips with all of the gentleness of a jackal. He couldn't help it, damn it. When that flame lit in those dark brown eyes, it was all he could do to keep from throwing her against the nearest wall and taking her like the red-blooded male he was. The anger, the arguments, the banter; it was all part of their game, he realized, and it was more than enough to set his blood afire for her.
If he had any fears his advances were unwelcome, they died with Kagome's response. With a whimper, she met his eagerness head on and threw it back at him, nipping and sucking at his lips with a desperation only rivaled by his own. Their hands were everywhere, pulling each other's hair, holding each other's heads in place, gripping each other's arms and not letting go. It was frenzied, and it was desperate. It was relief that they were both all right and still belonged to one another wholeheartedly. But, at least for him, it wasn't enough. He needed more. More reassurance, more proof, whatever. Just more.
Fuck her.
`Not yet,' he thought in dismay as he stroked his tongue against hers. She was a virgin, and he was sure she wasn't ready. That was fine, though. He knew of other ways to make her scream his name.
At that thought, he growled again, deeper, and pulled her body against his. She seemed to have been expecting this, and immediately looped her arms around his neck and moaned into his mouth. He could taste the coffee on her tongue from earlier, rich and sweet and complementing her own flavor so melodiously, it made his mouth water. She was delicious.
God, how he wanted her.
“Kagome,” he groaned, dropping wet kisses along her jaw. He nibbled her earlobe, and she whimpered again. “Tell me you're mine, Kagome.”
“I am,” she whispered, tugging him closer. She tilted her head to the side, sighing as his lips made their way feverishly down her neck. “I'm as much yours as you are mine.”
“I'm all yours,” he murmured against her throat, pressing his hand into the small of her back for emphasis. His scent was still all over her because she had slept in his bed last night, and he breathed in deeply, loving the mixture of fragrances clinging to her skin. He swept his tongue across the top of her shoulder, and promptly shuddered in desire. The affect she had on him was devastating. With a single taste of her skin, he was reduced to a horny mass of muscle and testosterone, and it was by sheer force of will alone that he kept himself from ripping her clothes off.
“Inuyasha,” she whined, and he nearly bit through his lip to keep himself in check. Her fingernails clawed at the back of his neck, her breaths hot and damp on his throat. “I… please….”
His control shattered.
With a grunt, he hoisted her into his arms and sat back on the couch, her knees straddling his hips and her pussy in his lap. He looked into her eyes, dark and desirous, but nervous. He kissed her again, hard and demanding, and settled his large hands around her waist. When she didn't hesitate to kiss him back, her fervor just as intense as his, he helplessly gave into his need and pushed down on her hips, lifting his own to meet her. The friction of her heat against his arousal sent a shower of sparks through his body, and he dropped his head back in frustration and cursed his lack of restraint. His need was furious, and his control was frail, at best. This was not a good combination.
Kagome wasn't helping. Between her breathy moans and the way her hips were now moving on their own volition atop him, the thread of control in his hands became finer and weaker, and he was quickly losing his grip. He had to slow her down, or else he was going to do something he was afraid she would resent him for.
She wants it.
“Shut up,” he muttered under his breath.
“What?” Kagome breathed, her movements slowing hesitantly.
He shook his head. “Nothing,” he said, stilling her movements with his grip. “Kagome, you've got to stop. You're driving me crazy,” he pleaded.
She slumped in his arms, a sound of protest escaping her throat. Her eyes closed and she swallowed hard, still not looking at him. “It… you feel good. I don't know… I-I don't know what….”
`Fuck,' he thought, and ran his hands up and down her smooth thighs as he struggled to resist her. There were still other options he had to choose from, but not without her consent. “What do you want?” he growled, needing to hear her say it.
Her eyes opened to meet his, and he held his breath. Her mouth opened, but she couldn't get the words past her lips, and merely sat there in his lap with her tongue moving soundlessly inside her sweet mouth, a sweet flush coloring her cheeks.
Inuyasha leaned forward and kissed her again, hoping to suck the words out of her. His thumbs slipped under the hem of her shirt, stroking the skin on her stomach teasingly. “Tell me,” he whispered against her lips.
Kagome sighed and dropped her head back. He immediately attacked her neck again, and she tightened in his arms pleasantly. “Tell me,” he said again, and snaked his whole hands under her shirt, his claws trailing slowly and lightly across her heated skin.
She shuddered violently and yanked hard on his hair, and her scent exploded around him. “Inuyasha, please!” she gasped.
`Good enough.' He pushed his hands up and removed her shirt, moving slowly so as not to frighten her. Once it was gone, he could see that her blush extended beneath the cups of her light green bra--the same as the night before in the annex--and gave her breasts a beautifully rosy hue. She was gorgeous. And she was his, as much as she was willing to offer to him at the moment, anyway. `But how much is that?' he wondered.
Determined to find out, he leaned forward again, brushing his lips across the top of her left breast, and allowed his fingers to whisper around her sides to her back. Her skin was hot, her breath ragged, her pulse racing, but she showed no signs of complaint. Encouraged, he dipped his tongue in the valley between her breasts and licked her sweat-slicked skin up to her collarbone, smiling as she shuddered in his arms. Meanwhile, his fingers found the small hook at her back that kept him from his prize, and released it deftly with a snap.
He pulled back and kept his eyes locked with hers as he hooked his fingers beneath both bra straps, inching them slowly down her arms. Kagome's already flushed skin grew impossibly pinker, but she shifted her arms to let him pull the bra completely off, revealing herself to him. Her breasts were round and pert, with pretty pink nipples that were begging for his mouth. He salivated at the thought as he dropped her bra to the floor. `MINE,' he found himself thinking, unconsciously licking his lips. Another rush of blood flowed to his dick as he imagined removing more of her clothing and revealing more of her treasures.
He must have been staring for too long, because her fingers were suddenly on his ears, her voice impatient. “Do something,” she begged self-consciously.
As if it were his trigger phrase, he immediately dropped his head and circled a nipple with his tongue, palming the other breast in his hand. Kagome cried out in his arms, her hands playing with his ears and driving him insane. The taste of her skin, as he already knew, was astounding, and he licked and sucked on his new treat with the eagerness of a child with his favorite confection. To make things even more interesting, her hips were moving against him again, rubbing his erection in just the right way inside his shorts, and holy shit, did it feel good. It felt so good.
…No. It felt too good. If he was going to come for the first time with her, he'd be damned if it would be in his pants. Beyond frustrated, he held her still with one arm and released her nipple from between his lips with a pop, quickly switching to the other. His previously occupied hand lowered to play with the button on her fly, and as he rolled her nipple between his lips, he waited for her reaction.
Far from protesting, Kagome actually released one of his ears and helped him open her shorts, her fingers working frantically to unfasten the button while he jerked down the zipper. Her hand flew back up to his ear and she pushed her breast more fully into his mouth. “Please,” she whispered again, needy and pleading. It was his undoing.
Keeping one arm securely around her waist, his other hand promptly dove into territory in which no man had gone before. He shuddered violently, astonished at how wet she already was, and bit down on her nipple harder than he intended. She gasped in pain, and his fingers froze in their descent, his head rising to look her in the eye. “Are you okay?”
“Dammit, yes!” she rasped, and kissed him hard.
Reassured, he kissed her back and his fingers resumed their burrowing, pulling more moans from her throat that vibrated his tongue. Finally, he encountered the source of the fragrant moisture soaking her panties, and with a single brush of a finger, Kagome fell apart in his lap, ripping her lips away from his and sobbing his name to the walls around them. Her mouth was opened in a perpetual gasp, her eyes were screwed shut, and her hands were gripping the front of his shirt with all of her might. She was the epitome of female desire, and he thrived off the rush of power it sent through him.
Before she could recover, he stroked her again, and didn't bother suppressing his groan at her responsiveness to his touch. Physically, she was beyond ready for him, and oh, how easy his entrance would be. She was slippery and hot and perfect, and as he pulled her back to him to kiss her sweet lips again, visions of her own hand in place of his own flashed before his closed eyes, and more blood flowed into the angry rod between his legs. She had done it here, when he first came here to proposition her. In the shower, with his name falling from her lips in the heat of her climax, she had masturbated. It was not something he would soon forget, and as he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and rubbed his slick fingers together with her essence, the beast inside him stirred at the memory and took a little more control.
“How many times?” he groaned into her mouth.
Kagome broke the kiss and opened her eyes, cloudy with lust but coherent enough to hear his question. “What?” she asked lazily, her eyes losing focus again as she rode the storm he was brewing.
He smirked, his fingers still petting the succulent lips between her thighs. “How many times have you fantasized about me? How many times did you touch yourself and pretend it was me? Tell me.”
“I….” Kagome bit her lip, clutching the fabric of his shirt tighter in her fists. Moisture beaded on her brow, and her cheeks flushed even more as she struggled for words. “I-I don't….”
“Tell me,” he demanded and, feeling emboldened, slipped a finger inside her, angling his knuckle with practiced ease to keep her safe from his claw. His teeth clenched painfully as her untried muscles seized up around his finger. She was tight; very tight, as she damn well should have been. His erection gave a covetous throb.
Her mouth fell open, gasping his name, and the beast within him rumbled in approval. “Tell me how many times, Kagome. I want to know. How many times did you play with your pussy and wish that it was my fingers making you come?”
“Oh, God,” she sobbed, clinging to his shirt like it was a lifeline, shoving her face into his neck. Her dignity was quickly crumbling away, and she seemed to know it. “I…. Please, Yasha, I can't….”
“Yes, you can,” he cooed, and slipped in a second finger, stretching her gently. She cried out again and her hips pressed forward instantly, instinctively, and as much as he loved her reaction, he tightened his other arm on her waist to still her, pulling her flush against his body as he manipulated her sex. He craved the control, the power over her pleasure, and more importantly, he wanted her to answer his question. “Tell me, Baby. Once? Twice? How many times? Tell me and I'll take you there.” He swallowed hard, reigning in his lust. Her arousal was swirling in the air around him, thick and heavy. He could almost taste it coating his lips, like morning dew. “How many times did you come while calling out my name, Kagome? Was it three times?”
She was panting on his neck now, her control as fragile as his. Moans escaped her throat as she tumbled toward the finish of his making, but no words; she seemed incapable of speaking coherently. But even as she gripped his shirt tighter, pressing her body against his in her undeniable need, he felt her shake her head.
Inuyasha sucked in a deep breath to quell his excitement, and rubbed the heel of his palm against her clit as he gently pumped his fingers in and out of her tight entrance. “No? More than three times, Kagome? Was it five?” he asked, struggling to maintain his composure.
“Ungh…” she moaned again, and fought against his hold to move her hips to match the rhythm of his fingers. She nodded against his shoulder, her breaths coming faster and harder.
“Five times, Baby?” He closed his eyes, holding her tighter still against him. His erection throbbed again, begging to be released.
“M-maybe more… Ah!” Kagome cried, responding to the increasing pressure of his hand. Her movements were becoming increasingly frantic, her muscles starting to spasm. “Inuyasha! I… I…. Oh, my God, you're gonna --”
“Make you come. I know,” he replied with as much cockiness as he could muster. “I'm the first one, aren't I? I'm the first man to touch you like this, right, Kagome?” he asked, slowing the speed of his fingers a bit. He hated to tease her, but inside, his possessive rage was still howling from Kouga's earlier proclamation. He needed to hear her say that that shit had never gotten this chance. “Tell me, Kagome. Who else have you let feel this pussy?”
“Nobody! Only you!” she cried desperately.
“Swear to me.”
She growled, her aura shifting immediately. “No, you bastard!” She raised her head and glared into his eyes, clearly having had enough of his bravado. “I already said you were the first. So do you believe me or not? Stop teasing me!”
Feeling satisfied with her answer--and properly chastised--Inuyasha upped the pace of his fingers, expertly applying the right amount of pressure to the source of her ecstasy, and took great joy in the way her head fell back at the unexpected surge of pleasure. Anymore of the rant she had planned to throw at him left her lungs in one expelled breath, and he was amused to have finally found a way to effectively shut her up.
He suddenly noticed she was holding her breath as he guided her to climax, and he hurried his pace again to finish her off. Her fingers dug into his shirt again, her nails exerting enough pressure on his straining pectorals to make him clench his jaw. Just as he started to fear she might pass out, he pulled out his last resort: he curled his fingers and circled forward firmly, praying for a g-spot that was reachable without breaking her hymen.
Her sudden cry provided the answer he sought.
His own breathing escalated, his blood roared in his ears like a tidal wave as he watched her in the throes, feeling both envy and a terrible male pride swelling within him at the ability to give her such a high. His arm tightened around her as she thrashed, as if he were protecting his most valued treasure. And as he felt her fingers finally loosen their grip on his skin, as he watched her full lips slowly relax and quirk into a silly, awestruck grin, as he heard her beating heart eventually slow from an eighth note cadence to quarter notes, he was struck with a realization that made the softer, human side of him swell with joy: She had just given him more than she had given any other before him. She gave him her vulnerability, a large piece of her female innocence, and entrusted him to treat it well. But had he?
“Inuyasha,” she breathed happily, slumping against him in exhaustion with her arms loosely flung around his neck.
`I'll take that as a yes,' he thought with a relieved sigh. Carefully withdrawing his fingers from her depths, he stroked her swollen lips once more, eliciting a final shiver from her body and a frustrated groan from himself, and slowly pulled his hand from her panties. Kagome grunted uncomfortably, but otherwise didn't react, still basking in her afterglow.
But despite his inflated ego and male satisfaction from pleasing his female, Inuyasha was all too aware that he had been left high and dry. `What I wouldn't give to see her lips wrapped around my dick right now,' he thought, said member throbbing painfully in agreement, his wet dream from that morning still fresh in his mind. But would she be willing?
She sighed heavily into his neck, sitting back slowly to meet his stare, and his heart pulled just a little at the complete happiness he saw dancing in her eyes. He hadn't seen her look that happy since he had dropped her off the week before after driving back from New Orleans: the night he had first kissed her. The night he realized….
His eyes widened. `Realized what?'
“Inuyasha,” Kagome said, having come back to herself while he was lost in his memory. He shook his head and focused on her face again, which was bright with another blush as she visibly struggled to not cover her breasts. She bit her lip and looked down pointedly before meeting his eyes again. “What about you?”
Indeed.
He grinned, thankful she couldn't pick up on the sway of his instincts, and lazily trailed his fingers under the swell of one breast, making her blush darken irresistibly. “Only if you want to,” he wagered, choosing his words carefully.
She swallowed nervously, and he tried to act casual, continuing to play with her breasts even as his arousal throbbed impatiently, awaiting her answer. “I want,” she began.
He brushed a thumb across her nipple, watching her lips in anticipation. “Yes? You want?”
She hesitated a moment, then licked her lips and deliberately met his eyes. “I want to take a shower.”
His head fell back in resignation, a humorless chuckle rising out of him. Sighing dramatically, but figuring he must have had that coming, he mustered a smile for her and brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “So go take a fucking shower already,” he grouched, no real heat behind his words.
Smiling knowingly, she leaned forward to kiss him sweetly, left a whispered “thank you” on his lips, and was gone--with her shirt--before he could change his mind. Only after he heard the water running in the bathroom did he realize his claws had embedded themselves in the couch cushion.
“Feh,” he snorted, looking down at the angry bulge between his legs and feeling an odd sense of déjà vu. “Better be the fastest shower in the history of showers, wench.”
***
Two weeks passed. Work resumed as normal, and life was as methodical as he wanted it to be. And no more calls from audacious women who had no business calling him in the first place.
Sesshomaru stared impassively at the contract in front of him, his eyes ghosting over the words on the document but not really seeing them. The phone call he had received two weeks earlier was still on his brain, but only because of the havoc he knew she would cause if she were really coming here as she claimed to be. He had no desire to see her, and he was sure she would make his life a living hell. No, her presence would only be troublesome, if not downright disastrous. Unfortunately, the bitch was stupid as hell; she had proven as much when she had strayed. He frowned disdainfully. As if a son of the Inu no Taisho would tolerate such disloyalty.
`That cow,' he thought, disgusted.
“Hey, Sesso,” Kouga drawled, poking his head into his office.
Amber eyes narrowed coldly. “I have told you to refrain from using that ridiculous name, wolf.”
Kouga. He was another one. All fucked up and moping around because of a bitch, not that it couldn't have been predicted by anyone with half a brain. Sesshomaru had seen at the charity ball three weeks earlier that the human girl and his idiot brother had eyes for one another. Why Kouga didn't have the fortitude to put a stop to it then, Sesshomaru would never know, but he knew one thing: any man who couldn't control his woman didn't deserve her. Actually, that brought up an interesting point; how was the hanyou dealing with her? The girl had a certain spirit about her. Surely she would test Inuyasha as well, especially considering she was bull-headed enough to tolerate his idiocy in the first place.
`Hn. I might have to make an appointment to check in on him and see for myself. It would be entertaining if nothing else.'
Kouga snorted loudly, drawing the inu youkai from his thoughts. “Whatever. You getting lunch?”
“No,” he answered simply, returning his attention to the contract in his hands.
“Fine.” He left without saying another word.
Sesshomaru scowled. `Pathetic,' he thought, not for the first time, and began scanning the agreement terms. `Fifteen percent. Acceptable. But this condition of sole proprietorship --'
“Mr. Taisho?”
He sneered contemptuously, setting down the contract again, his eyes focusing on the trembling intern in his doorway. “I am working,” he informed her, and that was all that should have needed to have been said.
She paled visibly. “I-I know, but there is a woman here to see you. She said she's here to interview for the Director of Talent opening,” she said hurriedly.
“I do not conduct interviews. Take her to Mr. Boudreaux's office.”
She swallowed nervously. “I was going to, but she specifically asked for you. She said you're expecting her.”
His eye twitched. No. It couldn't be. She said she had an interview in New Orleans, but she couldn't have meant here. She was bold, but not that bold.
The intern took a hesitant step back from the doorway. “M-Mr. Taisho? Should I send her in?”
“That won't be necessary, dear,” a sultry voice announced from behind her just before the owner of that voice sidestepped the poor girl and waltzed right into his office as if she owned the place.
Sesshomaru fought the urge to stand and demand she leave, but such an emotional display was beneath him. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at the woman, her scent triggering memories he had thought long-suppressed, and regarded her with disdain.
She smiled smugly down at him, her eyes belying her innocence. “Sesshomaru,” she greeted with familiarity, dipping her head in a mock bow. “It's been far too long.”
******************
I'm so sorry this is late. This time of year is nuts for me
work-wise (60+ hour weeks for the next six weeks or so, plus a
family to look after, and I have to sleep at some point), so
updates might slow down a little, but they're still coming. Thank
you for your patience. ^_^
Also, this is where I stopped when I was posting this story the
first time, so everything from here on out is new stuff. :D I hope
you'll all enjoy it. Thanks for reading!