InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pictures on the Wall ❯ Understanding ( Chapter 4 )

Many many apologies for the long wait between chapters! I ran into a mini writer's block halfway through the lemon (yes, this is the lemon) and then midterms jumped up and sucker punched me. Again, I tried to keep smut words to a minimum, but damn was it ever tough not to use them in this chapter! I wanted to make this lemon different from the one in Fluffy Love, and I hope you enjoy it just as much! I'm penning an epilogue for this at the moment, so if you give me another day or so, I should have that posted!

Again, if you find any spelling or grammatical errors or things that just don't make any sense at all (the dreaded word vomits), please let me know!

Thank you so much, everyone, for all of the kind reviews! I have the warm fuzzies all over! *^_^*

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PICTURES ON THE WALL

By Jacki (aka Kena, Oritsu)

Chapter 4 - Understanding

Ayame's eyes widened in shock. What was this? Was he actually kissing her? She opened her mouth slightly and he leaned forward, using her arms as leverage to pull her closer. His tongue tentatively brushed against hers and she jumped and broke the kiss.

"Stop it, Kouga."

He blinked at her, a hurt look surfacing on his face. Her heart leapt in her chest; what was it about his expression that inspired so much pain in her? She shifted uncomfortably in his lap, trying desperately to suppress the shivers of pleasure that shot down her spine and legs as her bare skin brushed his. Never before had she felt so confused. Part of her wanted to move from his lap, put at least the fire in between them and brave the chill autumn air. Common sense told her to stay warm and safe in his arms. A darker instinct told her to return the kiss and welcome what would most certainly happen as a result.

He leaned forward to kiss her again only to connect with her cheek.

"Kouga, no," she whispered.

"I thought this was what you wanted. Why are you always being so stubborn?" he replied, his lips lingering on the side of her face.

"You have may have saved my life, but you don't own it. I'm not going to be your little toy until you can get Kagome to consent to be your mate." She felt him stiffen and, unwilling to meet his eyes, she focused on a distant spot beyond the fire. To her surprise he began to chuckle lightly, his breath running hot over her cheek.

"Baka. You're far too annoying for any man in his right mind to keep as a concubine." He silenced her cry of outrage with a kiss.

Furiously, she began to squirm and writhe in his arms. His hands were like steel bands on her arms, locking her in place. Her heels drummed a furious tempo on the earthen floor in frustration and rage. He tugged playfully at her upper lip, smiling as she growled at him.

All struggles ceased, however, when his teeth closed lightly over the tip of her nose. She fell instantly limp in his arms, gaping at him in abject shock. What did he think he was doing? He stared at her intently, gauging her reaction and waiting for her response. Her jaw trembled slightly, lips just barely brushing his chin.

The request was clear-cut, and instinct informed her of its meaning. It was an assertion of dominance, typically used by males to ask for a female's submission. In other words: Kouga was asking her to mate with him.

How many years had she wanted exactly this from him? And how many times had she been curled up on her bed, blushing as she imagined how the whole scenario would play out? She had an overactive imagination, but she had never figured on it occurring in this setting-a hard, cold burrow some unknown distance from the ancestral caves. Nor had she ever conceived that she would feel such an overwhelming tangle of emotions. It all just seemed so imperfect and abrupt.

Kouga watched her as she thought things over, finding a wry amusement in the flurry of emotions that passed over her face. He didn't quite understand himself why he had decided to do this. Unlike the promise under the rainbow moon, this sort of proposal was a permanent, binding contract. If she accepted she would be his, and he hers. No longer would he be able to pursue Kagome.

Somehow this thought didn't bother him. After all of the action, adventure, and pain he had gone through, he found himself longing for a more stable, less tumultuous life. Not to say that life with Ayame would be devoid of turmoil or surprises. She had a knack for stirring things up-something that he had always loved about her. And she had an understanding of him, of what and who he was, which was something that neither Kagome nor any other human could ever possess.

That was, if she decided to acknowledge him, which didn't seem all too likely given how she had been at his throat for most of the evening and didn't seem all too thrilled to kiss him. It would be the icing on the cake, the straw that broke the camel's back if she denied him. He had ignored and treated her poorly for too long, then come and insulted her and her last remaining family members, and this occurring even after he had finally come to realize how important she was to him. It wouldn't come as much a surprise to him if she refused to mate with him, though it would drive yet another splinter of failure into his heart-one of many.

He shuddered as her teeth tentatively closed over his chin, accepting his offer and sealing their fates. He hadn't realized he had been holding his breath, and it rushed from his mouth in one long, relieved sigh, rustling her bangs. Before he could even take another breath she was on him, crushing his lips back against his teeth in a bruising kiss and slamming him back against the cold dirt wall. His cry of surprise was muffled and quickly melted into a pleased grunt as her tongue met and mingled with his.

Ayame dug her fingernails deep into the thick muscles of his shoulders, pinning him to the wall with mouth and hands. With one deft movement, she adjusted her position so that she now straddled his lap, her knees and shins firmly planted on the floor. He attempted to push back against her, but was only able to move his mouth from hers long enough to take a breath before her lips pressed against his again.

His fingers splayed out over her thighs, kneading at the lean muscles and slowly moving upwards beneath her skirt. He lightly cupped her buttocks and squeezed, smiling against her mouth as she moaned and tightened her grip on his shoulders. He pushed one hand farther up and over her rear until he reached the base of her tail. He began to slowly massage the area, fingers tangling in the soft silver fur.

Ayame shivered, sharp teeth unconsciously biting down into his lower lip. What he was doing to her was absolute torture. That small spot in the small of her back where tail met body was extremely sensitive, sending a flood of shivers up her spine each time he ran his fingers over it. Each stroke was slowly driving her towards the limits of her control; her hands felt drained of strength, her legs shaky. His other hand found its way to the soft skin of her inner thigh and began to move in a gentle caress along its length, starting just above the knee and moving upwards. His fingers brushed lightly at the throbbing heat between her legs and she threw back her head and cried out, her hips bucking involuntarily against him.

Kouga took advantage of the distraction to bring both hands behind her knees and flip her onto her back. She landed with a loud thump and blinked up at him, panting quietly. He smiled wolfishly and tickled lightly at the sensitive flesh in the crook of each knee, grinning as she squirmed and whimpered quietly, before moving so that he stood above her. She braced her elbows against the floor in an effort to sit upright, only to have him force her back down with a kiss.

She complied reluctantly, staring at him from beneath half-lidded eyes as he lowered his head to her chest and drew a hot, wet line over her chest bindings and up to her neck with his tongue. She swallowed loudly, lips quivering as he ran his tongue into the hollows beneath her collarbones, teeth nipping lightly at the delicate, bony curves. He trailed wet kisses up her neck, mouth lingering momentarily over her pounding pulse. Hot air blew over her ear in a warm rush and he tugged playfully on her earlobe. She turned her head to the side, meeting his mouth eagerly, her fingers rising to cup the sides of his face.

His hands smoothed down her neck to her chest, palms running lightly over her covered breasts. She arched up against his fingers, longing for more. There was a small ripping sound and she was jerked upwards. He pulled again at the tight bindings in an attempt to rip them completely off, but with little luck.

"Why do you have to wear so much crap?" he grumbled as he tugged fruitlessly at the heavy fabric. Growling, he set to chewing it off of her, sending her into gales of laughter.

"What? Don't you want this off of you?" he asked, mouth twisting into a lopsided, good-natured grin.

"I'm not so sure," she replied flippantly. "It does keep my armor from chafing me."

"After tonight you're going to have larger concerns than a few small scratches," he fired back in kind. He flicked his tongue into the small bit of cleavage showing above the bindings in emphasis, then resumed gnawing at them.

"Baka. By the time you're done doing that it'll be morning and I would have fallen asleep."

Ignoring his disdainful snort, she maneuvered herself out from under him and crawled towards their discarded clothing, grabbing his sword from the pile. He grinned ruefully as he caught her meaning and grabbed her up around the waist and pulled her back against his body. Curling his fingers around hers on the hilt, he slowly drew it from its sheath and aimed the tip at her chest. She guided him as he slowly and carefully sliced through the chest bindings, each band of fabric springing apart instantly as the blade skillfully parted them.

The fire-light sparkled off of the sword as he tossed it aside. Immediately he ripped the shreds of cloth from her body. His hands were soon on her breasts, squeezing and fondling them gently. A small sound of pleasure escaping her throat, she tilted her head back over his shoulder. He nuzzled and nibbled at the exposed flesh of her neck, his fingers rubbing her nipples taut.

Ayame shut her eyes, lost in a swirl of pure bliss as he caressed her with hands and mouth. His legs rested on either side of her own, and she gripped at his thighs, marveling quietly at the rock-hard lengths of muscle that rested beneath his tan skin. They had served him well, these long, strong legs of his. They had carried him all over this country, carried him in and out of danger, and finally brought him back home to her. Smiling to herself, she smoothed her fingers farther up his thighs until she reached the thick brown fur of his kilt.

He purred into her neck, his hands mimicking hers and curling into her skirt. He unknotted the ties, pulled the garment from her body, and tossed it aside. Clad only in her thin underclothes, she spun around to face him and rose up onto her knees. He followed suit, hands gripping her hips and pulling them close to his. His breath hissed between his teeth as she drew her nails languorously down his back and slid them beneath the waistband of his kilt. A few seconds later and it fell from his body. His loincloth soon followed.

Kouga grinned roguishly at her as she spread her fingers out over his rear and gave it a tentative squeeze. His fingers looped under the ties of her underclothes and they parted easily with one tug. He suddenly ground his hips into her, grin widening as he caught sight of the furious blush that rose to her cheeks.

"Anata," she whispered, arms hesitantly encircling his waist. She nipped his chin in reaffirmation of her agreement before shyly burying her face in the hollow of his neck.

"Ayame." He repeated his part of the ritual then buried his face into the shining auburn mass of her hair and returned the embrace. He could feel her heart pounding wildly in her chest and knew that his was beating just as fast. Her skin was warm and soft, her hair only slightly damp now. Her scent was heavy in the air, nearly driving him mad with desire. With a grunt, he grabbed her rear and hauled her onto his lap.

She stiffened slightly then relaxed as her lower regions came into close contact with his. She sighed in contentment and pushed him onto his back. His hands rose to her breasts as she sidled her pelvis more firmly against his. She pressed his hands to the floor over his head, giving his wrists a gentle squeeze-a silent order to keep them in place. Her fingers smoothed over his arms, his shoulders, down to his chest. He murmured her name as she leaned forward and took one nipple into her mouth. There was a sharp prick as her fangs closed over it, making him jump in surprise. She smirked at him, then removed her teeth and lapped at the spot with her tongue. She moved to the other nipple, drawing a wet line across his chest.

Kouga trembled beneath her, his hands rising to her breasts. She leaned into his touch, rolling her hips from side to side. Kouga's breath shook, his fingers falling down her sides to grip her hips. His hands trembled on her skin then tightened, lifting her up off of his body. With his help, she guided him into her, teeth digging into her lower lip as she sank slowly down onto his body. The pressure and pain were incredible; sensations she never had imagined much less experienced.

"Ayame?" His voice was low and husky, the firelight casting warm shadows on his face. Her lips curved up in a wide smile at his concerned look. She slowly rocked her hips up and down, steeling herself against the burning ache that suddenly flared between her legs. Kouga inhaled sharply, his fingernails digging deeply into the flesh of her thighs. She started an easy rhythm, focusing on him and letting the pain fade into the back reaches of her mind. His chest heaved like a bellows beneath her hands. He squeezed her thighs, coaxing her to move faster. She complied readily, hips grinding against his with increasing speed.

Kouga made an impatient sound and levered himself into a seated position, scooping up Ayame and crossing his legs beneath her. She cried out in mingled pleasure and surprise as, with one swift motion, he rammed her hips against his. She slumped against him momentarily, stunned by the wave of pure pleasure that this new angle was sending through her body. Kouga's breath ran hot and ragged over her ear, small keening noises issuing from his mouth.

He lifted her again, and she moved with him, locking her ankles behind him and putting her own power into the motion this time. Kouga moaned and buried his face in the hollow of her shoulder. His hands, now slick with the sweat that was streaming down both of their bodies, shook on her skin. He nuzzled one of her breasts, then began to suckle lightly on it. Ayame threw her head back and gritted her teeth against the fierce, wet heat between them that seemed to be growing ever more intense with each second that passed.

Their bodies moved in sync, two lovers in perfect time with each other. Ayame leaned into Kouga, wrapping her arms around his waist. She ran her fingers through the thick fur of his tail, moving upwards to knead at the base. He growled and began to pull her even harder against him. The tired muscles of her thighs and calves, having already sustained quite a workout earlier, ached and throbbed. Unable to keep up the feverish pace any longer, she relaxed and let him guide her body, the powerful muscles of his arms straining and bulging beneath taut, sweat-streaked skin.

Ayame buried her teeth in his shoulder, muffling her cry as a wave of ecstasy wracked her small frame. She bucked uncontrollably in his arms, her fangs sinking through his skin and her fingernails raking deep furrows down his back. Her breath was suddenly driven from her lungs as Kouga crushed her against him. His shout of pleasure reverberated throughout the cave, shaking loose bits of dirt from the tangled roots above them. He finally released her and she collapsed against him, tremors of pleasure still shooting up her spine and down her legs.

Kouga's voice wavered in her ear. "Ayame," he whispered reverently, reaching up with one hand to brush the wet tendrils of her hair from her face. She made a contented sound and nuzzled his neck. A few droplets of blood oozed from where she had bit him, and she lapped lightly at them, taking pleasure in the shiver that ran through his body.

Kouga fell back to the floor, a satisfied grin surfacing on his face. How long had it been since he had felt this relaxed? The rage and all of the worries that had been eating away at him for the last few months had completely disappeared. He felt light, blissfully spent. He smoothed one palm up Ayame's belly and between her breasts, smile widening as her hand covered his and pressed it firmly against her pounding heart.

Kami, he had been so blind. She was beautiful beyond compare, glowing with a vitality and strength that not even the most powerful of humans could hope to muster. Kagome's rejection still stung, but that was slowly fading into the past, drowned out by the sight and feel of his mate above him.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Ayame asked, a quizzical look on her face. Kouga shook his head dismissively. She squeezed his hand and gave an impatient little jump that sent a pleasant tingle up his spine. "What is it?"

"You'll not be the wild wolf princess anymore," he finally replied, a wry look on his face.

"Is that so?" she replied, expression skeptical. He nodded, his fingers idly twisting themselves around hers.

"I can't have you running off and causing trouble when my pups are born."

Ayame threw back her head and laughed delightedly. "Me? Running off and causing trouble? I thought that was your specialty, Anata."

Kouga snorted derisively and pulled her down so that they were now face to face. He surveyed the crusted blood beneath her fingernails and wiggled her captive fingers before her nose.

"Here's proof right here that you're a troublemaker. Half of the skin on my back must be under your nails."

"Really? And I thought that you liked it."

His dark eyes sparkled brightly in the firelight, a mischievous smile teasing at the corners of his mouth. "Oh, I liked it. In fact, I liked it so much that I want to try it again. Right now."

Ayame suddenly found herself on her back, pinned to the floor by Kouga's body. A blush crept to her cheeks as she caught sight of his roguish expression. "Kouga, the sun will be rising soon. We need to get back to the caves." Her brow furrowed suddenly and she looked up at him hesitantly. "You are planning on coming back to the caves, aren't you?"

"Baka. Where else can I go?" He nibbled lightly on one of her earlobes, then on the side of her neck.

"Kouga, you mean you-" He silenced her with a kiss. She returned it hungrily, her words dissolving on her tongue. There would be plenty of time to talk about all of these things later.

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