InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Proposition ❯ Back Down the Rabbit Hole: Cries in the Night ( Chapter 4 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: lady_eclipse 
Kagome goes back home to study for a test but Inu Yasha follows her making studying suddenly much harder.
WARNING: LEMON ALERT!!
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.15.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 8.8K | Visits: 3.4K | Status: Work In Progress
Kagome goes back home to study for a test but Inu Yasha follows her making studying suddenly much harder.
WARNING: LEMON ALERT!!
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.15.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 8.8K | Visits: 3.4K | Status: Work In Progress
Back Down the Rabbit Hole: Cries in the Night
Written by: Lady Eclipse
Kagome parked her bike next to the Bone Eater's Well and eased her backpack onto her shoulder. Reluctantly, she faced her friends who had escorted her thus far to see her off, everyone but Inu Yasha. That morning Inu Yasha had wandered off to go investigate something and he had yet to return. Kagome sighed checking her watch; she couldn't wait much longer to say good-bye. She had just remembered that morning that she had a big math test the next day so she had decided to return home to do some frantic studying. Kagome had waited as long as she could with the test looming in her mind until she could no longer ignore the pressing need to study. So now, as the afternoon was waning, she offered her farewells to her patient friends silently regretting that Inu Yasha was not there.
"Can't I come with you?" Shippo pleaded tugging on her hand.
"I don't think you'd have very much fun. I'll be studying the whole time so I won't be able to play with you." Sadness filled his childish face, his eyes becoming watery. Kagome smiled sympathetically plucking up the young fox and gave him a light hug. "I'll be back in a few days so just take this time to relax, okay?" Shippo pouted but nodded sadly and gave her a big hug before he leapt from her arms.
"I hope you do well with your test. We'll be waiting at the village for your return." Sango said.
"Thanks. Well, I'd better go; I'll need to study as much as possible. Take care!"
"Are you not going to wait for Inu Yasha?" Miroku asked raising an eyebrow.
"I'd like to, but I really can't wait any longer." She said with a sigh. "Please tell Inu Yasha good-bye for me." Kagome turned back to the well hesitating, she hated to just leave without saying good-bye to Inu Yasha but if she didn't pass this test she could fail the class. Kagome had already wasted a lot of potential studying time waiting thus far. She steeled her resolve reminding herself that it was only for a few days and leapt into the well without looking back.
********
Later that night, after a hasty dinner, Kagome sat amidst a pile of notebooks and books scattered on her desk frantically looking through them to study for a test in another class she hadn't even been in for weeks. It was times like this that she seriously considered home schooling; the stress just wasn't worth it. Shuffling her papers a bit, Kagome managed to clear a small space in order to work on a math problem that she had yet to master. Buyo entered the room announcing himself with a loud meow. When Kagome failed to respond, he strode over to her legs and rubbed up against them imploringly.
"Not now, Buyo, I have to study." Buyo peered up at her for a few minutes hopefully but Kagome's head was bent upon her task too busy to notice him. Grunting with frustration, she set her eraser to her paper and erased vigorously. The shaking motion of her erasing made the corner of a paper smashed between two books flutter enticingly. This, needless to say, quickly caught Buyo's attention. With feline grace he leapt up upon the desk silent as night stalking the dangerous sheet of paper.
"Not now." Kagome chided Buyo without looking up oblivious to the impending danger. Buyo ignored her and crouched down preparing to attack the unsuspecting paper. Just as Kagome was at the pinnacle of solving the troublesome math problem, Buyo unceremoniously tackled the largest stack of books that happened to house the loose sheet of paper. There was a long moment of stillness as Kagome held her breath watching the stack wobble drunkenly while Buyo had his claws gripped into the paper clinging for dear life. Just as her hands stretched out to steady it, the stack promptly fell down scattering everything all over the floor with a great cacophony. Buyo managed to fall on his feet (as most cats do) yowling in fright. Once he recovered from his scare, he made a mad dash out the door knowing that discretion is the better part of valor. All Kagome had managed to catch in all the chaos was the single sheet of paper that she now clutched in a state of shock.
"Kagome, is everything all right up there?" Her mother's voice drifted up from downstairs.
"Yea, Buyo just knocked over all my books." She yelled back still staring at the mess in dismay.
"I'm going to bed now, don't stay up too late, okay?"
"Sure, Mom." She replied absently although she knew that this would be an all-nighter for sure especially after Buyo's accident. To distract herself from the grueling effort of reorganizing everything, she looked down at the paper she was clutching. The paper was the problem she had been working on and to add insult to injury she realized that she had been doing it wrong. With a frustrated growl she crumbled it up and tossed it over her shoulder not caring where it landed.
"Hey!" Someone cried in an indignant voice from behind her. Kagome whirled around, her heart in her throat from fear and surprise, to face her intruder. She was very relieved to discover Inu Yasha standing a few feet from her window holding the paper ball inches from his face where he had caught it. Kagome let out the breath that she had been holding and held a hand to her racing heart.
"Do you mind? You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Next time watch where you throw things." He countered tossing the ball into the garbage can. "Is this how you always study?" He asked in amusement glancing at the mountain of debris and books littering the floor around her desk.
"Of course not. Buyo knocked over all my books." Kagome wearily sat down on the edge of her bed as she contemplated the mess, "This is going to take forever to clean up." She mumbled gloomily to herself. Inu Yasha crouched down studying one of the open textbooks.
"Why do you need to know this stuff anyways? It doesn't look very important."
"I just do. They say it helps with problem solving." Realization of whom she was talking to suddenly sparked in her brain, "Wait, why are you here? Is there something wrong, is someone hurt?"
"No." Inu Yasha sat down next to her on the bed and nervously stuck his hands into his sleeves. "You left me behind." He continued in a quiet voice, there was almost a pout to his tone.
"Huh? But, I had to come back to take the test. I wanted to say good-bye but you went off somewhere and I didn't get a chance. I'll be back in two days so I didn't think it was too major." Inu Yasha sighed in exasperation,
"You promised that you wouldn't leave me."
"But I didn't leave you...not really."
"Yes, you did. I wasn't far, you could have waited a little bit." Kagome frowned in confusion,
"I couldn't find you. Besides, it's just for a few days, I didn't think it would be a big deal not saying good-bye."
"Yes, but-"
"I've left to take tests before lots of times I don't see why this should upset you." She went on not heeding his attempt to elaborate. Inu Yasha pulled his hands from his sleeves and held them to her cheeks to get her full attention.
"I didn't want to just say good-bye...I wanted to come with you. I'm mad because you left without me."
"But I thought that you didn't like it here." She grasped his wrists lightly.
"I don't, but I'm going wherever you go. Unless," he looked down suddenly shy, "you don't want me to." Her heart melted in her chest,
"Of course I do." She leaned forward and smiled up into his serious, amber eyes. "I just didn't think that you'd have much fun hanging around here with nothing to do while I study." Inu Yasha grinned impishly at her.
"I can think of plenty of things to do." His hands slid down her neck to her shoulders where he lightly massaged the skin there. His thumbs playfully slipped under her collar to brush along her collarbone. Without realizing it Kagome was already relaxing into the soothing massage, her head lolling slightly; the last few hours of studying had really cramped up back and caused a kink in her neck. She almost gave in but her eyes caught on the pile of study material and she knew that the studying had to be done. So, with a valiant effort, Kagome rallied her will power.
"I really do have to study." She said regretfully grabbing his hands and pulling them from her shoulders. Inu Yasha sighed, a martyred expression on his face. With a conciliatory smile she kissed his hands and held them to her heart. "I'll make it up to you, I promise." Inu Yasha leaned forward and kissed her softly, just enough for a small taste but not deep enough to rile his hungry demon blood. It was a long time before he released her simply enjoying the feel of her body against his.
"I'll hold you to that." He whispered against her lips sending shivers down her spine.
"I know you will you perverted old demon." She laughed.
"Miroku is the pervert, I'm only asking for what's mine." His voice became husky. Kagome pulled back a little to rest her forehead on his.
"Do you really mean that?"
"Yes." His grip became possessive.
"The same goes for you." She pressed her lips to his lightly then quickly eased away before he could reply. She smiled at the way his cocked is head in mild surprise as she returned to her desk to begin rebuilding her fortress of study material. Wordlessly, Inu Yasha rose from the bed and joined her. He helped pile the books back on the desk in even columns while Kagome got all of her papers together and back in order. Once order had been restored, Kagome sighed wearily and sat back down at her desk in front of her mountain of books. With a great deal of reluctance she opened the first book and continued the arduous process of memorizing its contents. Inu Yasha returned to the window and made himself comfortable on the windowsill. He spent a few moments watching her silent task then turned his attention to the moon looming heavily above through the thick webbing of the trees. As the hours quietly slipped by, he would shift his gaze to Kagome every now and then and watch her diligently study. Sometimes she would growl in frustration and paper would go flying. Inu Yasha smiled to himself as he watched her, she made him smile even when she was furious and glaring. There was something special about her that he just couldn't place, something that endeared her to him so deeply. Her spirit was as fiery as any demon he knew yet she was very gentle and sensitive. She wasn't afraid of being savagely killed by Naraku yet she was afraid of anyone around her getting hurt even if it was a stranger.
Inu Yasha watched the moon rise higher to its pinnacle into the star-laden sky occasionally obscured by a drifting cloud. When he looked up at the sky he could forget that he was watching it from behind a glass window illuminated by artificial lights. When he looked up at the sky, he could forget that he was in a time far different from his own. He briefly wondered if Kagome felt the same way when she looked up at the sky when she was in his time. That thought somehow comforted him; perhaps the large gap in time separating them wasn't too large to overcome if they shared common ground. Some things didn't change no matter the finicky tides of time. Somewhere in all the change brought by the long stretches of time, he and Kagome had found each other and recognized something familiar in each other. Inu Yasha pressed his fingertips to the frigid glass; he hoped that it would be enough.
The faint rustle of papers drew Inu Yasha from his thoughts and turned his attention to the desk. Exhausted, Kagome had fallen asleep over her books scattering a few papers. A warm smile found its way to his face crinkling the corners of his eyes. He agilely leapt from the windowsill and quietly made his way to the desk. Inu Yasha paused at the desk looking down at her prone form. Kagome was bathed in a small pool of bright light coming from the lamp on the desk. Her folded arms cradled her head, a pencil still securely held in her right hand in the middle of writing. The light from the lamp drew the color from her features making her seem pale and the circles under her eyes stand out more starkly. Inu Yasha considered waking her up so that she might continue her task, but the sight of her worn out body gave him resolve to do the opposite. Carefully he lifted her from her seat into his arms nestling her head into his shoulder. Kagome was so deeply asleep that she did not stir; the pencil in her hand slid from her grip and fell to the floor unnoticed.
"You really are weird, you know that?" He whispered smiling tenderly. He carried her to her bed and gently placed her on top of the soft comforter. With a small, sleepy sigh she rolled onto her side facing him. Inu Yasha stood for a moment studying her, that strange sensation of coming home rippling through him again. Unsure of what to do with the sensation, he followed the craving of the foreign emotion and crawled onto the bed slipping to her other side. Inu Yasha wrapped his arms securely around her arms and waist and rested his nose on the crook of her neck pulling her back against his body. He inhaled deeply basking in her scent and felt the ache in his heart intensify. He wasn't sure if it was painful or pleasurable; all he knew was that Kagome was both the cause and the remedy of that ache and for some bizarre reason he didn't want it to stop. Ever. Kagome, still asleep, snuggled into his embrace bringing her arms up to curl around his.
"I must be really weird too because I love you so much." He murmured as sleep and a deep sense of peace found him. Somehow, when he was with her, the nightmares didn't come and he never felt lonely. The only peace he had ever known, he had found in her arms.
********
Kagome was allowed a whole three seconds of the shrill beeping of her alarm clock before it was ungraciously smashed into pieces. The alarm didn't have much of an effect on waking her up but the shattering of plastic sure did. She bolted up reaching for the nearest weapon, which happened to be her pillow.
"What was that thing?" She heard Inu Yasha sleepily mutter. Memories of last night swept through her mind and with a relieved sigh she released her projectile. Inu Yasha was sitting up in bed as well rubbing his ears and casting a fierce glare at the pieces of her alarm clock. Kagome followed his gaze then, with a scowl, grabbed the pillow and hurled it at his head. It made contact with a satisfying 'whump.'
"Hey! What'd you do that for?"
"You just broke my alarm clock, you big jerk!" Inu Yasha considered tossing the pillow back at her but then thought it better that she didn't have any weapons for the time being.
"It was being very loud and what do you need this 'alarm clock' for anyway?"
"It's supposed to be loud so it can wake me up to go to school." She paused as her own words sank in. "School! I'm going to be late for my test!" Kagome sprang from the bed and became a whirlwind of clothes and paper as she tried to dress and study at the same time. Not sure whether to be amused or confused, Inu Yasha watched her get ready from the comfort of her bed.
"If you ever moved this fast to find Shikon shards then we would have the entire jewel in a week." He commented with a sly grin. Kagome paused her actions, her eyes narrowing dangerously. She contemplated the book in her hand for a very long moment but her mother calling from downstairs to announce that breakfast was ready spared Inu Yasha's head from the attack.
"I have to go. Please promise me that you'll behave and leave my other electronics alone." Inu Yasha hopped off the bed and cautiously approached her eyeing the book she was still holding.
"What are 'electronics'?" Kagome looked down at her watch and realized that the long and very drawn out explanation (one he probably wouldn't listen to for more than five seconds anyway) would take too much time.
"Just don't destroy anything, okay?"
"Whatever." He shrugged but before she could scurry away he grabbed her shoulders and stole a quick kiss that efficiently stilled her frantic motions. "Now go take that stupid test of yours, the sooner you go the sooner you can come back." He said pulling away. "And the sooner you can fulfill that promise you made to me last night." Kagome blinked and felt her cheeks redden but there was no more time for shyness or bantering. She could only manage a nod and was out the door in a heartbeat. Once downstairs Kagome grabbed a piece of toast, said good-bye to her mother, and was out the door munching the toast as she went.
********
Kagome read the same question for the fifth time trying desperately to pin her attention to the test before her. The test was not as bad as she had feared and all of her late night studying had paid off. However, the test took far longer than it should have because she could not get her mind off of Inu Yasha or the fact that he was waiting for her in her bedroom. Kagome tried to suppress the blush at the thought of her promise and the very attractive half-demon she had made it to. Somehow, even though they had already been intimate once, she was feeling very shy and virginal. Perhaps it was because that night had been unplanned and in the midst of emotional turmoil. It could also have been the fact that the feudal era still seemed so unreal to her. Back in that time there were demons, goddesses, and all kinds of strange things. Now, back in her own world, there were no such things and reality came crashing back down around her. Now, in her own time, her demon lover was waiting for her and there was no doubt what he was waiting for. It left her mind reeling with the implications.
"Class, you have fifteen more minutes." Her teacher called from the front of the room. With a start, Kagome looked up and realized that she was one of the only people still working on her test. Kagome plied herself to the test once again and her panic temporarily drove Inu Yasha from her mind. She worked through the problems with hasty speed and managed to finish her test with thirty seconds to spare. Seconds after she turned in her test, the bell rang and she was nearly swept away by a virtual sea of students rushing out the door eager to begin their weekend.
Kagome lingered at her desk slowly putting her things away, her nervousness returning a hundred fold. Once her book bag was neatly filled and her desk devoid of any object, Kagome made her way out of the classroom and started the long walk home. As she walked her mind filled with worries such as what would she tell her mother about Inu Yasha's presence or if she should even tell her mother about the sudden change in her sexual status. She broke out in a cold sweat at the thought of it and wondered if she should ask Inu Yasha to abstain until they returned to the feudal era.
By the time she reached the shrine Kagome's stomach had started to knot up from nervousness. As she climbed the stairs she tried to decide whether she should talk to her mother or ask Inu Yasha to keep their secret. Neither option sounded easy or pleasant. Kagome slowed her steps as she neared the ancient tree wanting to prolong any confrontation for as long as possible. She leaned up against the sturdy tree and let her thoughts wander.
"It's about time." Came a gruff voice from overhead. Kagome had become so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed the splash of red amongst the lush green leaves. Startled, Kagome peered up through the branches and saw Inu Yasha casually resting in the upper branches. As she saw his face, her worries faded, dulled by the love she felt for him. At that moment she knew that she'd do whatever was necessary and decided not to worry about the trivial details. Inu Yasha gracefully descended from the tree landing a few feet away from her. "How'd it go?"
"Good." She smiled, "I think I even managed to get a decent grade on it too."
"What are 'grades'?"
"Grades are how our work is rated. There are a hundred points possible and the closer to a hundred you are the better it is. You lose points when you answer a question wrong." Inu Yasha stared at her as if a she were a lunatic spouting idiotic dribble.
"What's that look for?" Kagome glared at Inu Yasha.
"Are you sure this is a more advanced civilization? Did you really just go through all of that worry and studying just to get a hundred of those 'point' thingies?" Kagome's eyebrow twitched dangerously. "Hmm, or maybe it's just you. Do any of your classmates act so weird about- Ow!" Kagome had taken two fistfuls of hair and pulled down so that they were face to face.
"I am NOT crazy!! Everyone goes through this and just because you don't understand the importance-" Inu Yasha, although wincing from the mistreatment of his hair, snaked a hand around her back and started delicately brushing his fingertips at the back of her neck. "...of...of grades..." Kagome faltered, Inu Yasha's rogue fingers distracting her. "...doesn't...um..." Kagome sighed in frustration, "You know that's really not fair." She gave his hair a light tug.
"Demons don't play fair." He replied as his other hand lightly caressed a trail up her neck to lazily trace her jaw line. Kagome released his hair resting her hands on his shoulders,
"You know, if my Grandpa saw us like this you'd be covered in wards and I'd be grounded for a month." She said changing the subject.
"That old geezer's scrolls working on me? That's a laugh." The hand that had been wreaking havoc on the skin on the back of her neck moved to her side where he grazed his fingertips along the sensitive area.
"A month? Try a year!" Came a youthful voice from not too far away. Blushing furiously, Kagome jumped away from Inu Yasha babbling excuses.
"What do you want, twerp?" Inu Yasha faced Souta unfazed.
"Woohoo, Kagome! I'm gonna tell Mom and boy will she be mad!" Souta baited.
"Knock off you little shrimp!"
"Kagome's got a boyfriend! Kagome's got a boyfriend! Kagome and Inu Yasha sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Souta chanted as he ran back to the house. Her temper frayed, Kagome took off after him yelling threats. All the noise soon had her mother coming out,
"Now, now, you two; what's all this yelling about?" Souta grinned evilly at Kagome,
"Kagome's just mad because-
"Because I didn't do as well as I'd hoped on my test!" Kagome frantically cut in covering Souta's mouth with her hands. Her mother eyed her thoughtfully clearly not buying her excuse as Kagome desperately tried to contain her squirming brother. However, after a moment of careful deliberation, her mother only shook her head and smiled a mother's smile.
"You should come home sooner next time to study more." Was all that she said. Her eyes then shifted to Inu Yasha who was watching from a distance. "Ah, Inu Yasha!" She greeted. "I haven't seen you in a while. Has everything been going okay?" Inu Yasha politely approached them,
"I guess so." He shrugged.
"That's good. Will you be staying for dinner?" Inu Yasha's ears perked up at that and his whole countenance brightened.
"You bet!"
"Great! Well, I'd better get back to preparing it. You two behave and stop fighting." She warned her children then beamed at Inu Yasha before she went back inside.
Dinner was in interesting situation to say the least. Inu Yasha, with the manners of a boar, eagerly slopped down his meal without so much as a single word to his gracious hosts. Meanwhile, Kagome barely ate spending most of her time glaring daggers at her brother who was thoroughly enjoying torturing Kagome with her secret. He would pipe into the conversation every now and then to drop hints about her and Inu Yasha's relationship. Grandpa eyed Inu Yasha the entire time with his hand suspiciously tucked inside his gi as if to unleash a flurry of wards at him at any second. Her mother, however, remained a rock smiling at everyone and initiating small chitchat.
Half way through the meal, Grandpa startled everyone by slapping his hand on the table and leaning forward toward Inu Yasha intently. Culinary leapt and rattled and some food sloshed onto the table.
"Will you be spending the night in this time?" He asked slowly and carefully as though it were some kind of meaningful test.
"I guess so." Inu Yasha replied nonchalantly.
"Then you shall be saying in my room." Grandpa declared a bit too loudly.
"I'd rather sleep outside." Inu Yasha's tone was sardonic.
"Oh, I'm sure there's no need for that when we have plenty of room here." Her mother cut in, neutral smile in place. "You can sleep on the couch tonight, it's a pull-out bed."
"Sure, whatever." He shrugged glancing at Kagome.
"Wonderful, now that that's settled, let's all finish our meals. You're all growing children who need to keep your strength up." Despite her best efforts though, the rest of the meal continued to be painfully strained and Grandpa still wouldn't let go of his concealed wards.
Later that evening, after everyone had said their goodnights, Kagome was further humiliated by her grandfather showing up at her door with handfuls of wards tightly gripped in his wrinkled fists. Accepting no refusals, he papered the entire door and added a few to the window for good measure.
"Grandpa, is this really necessary?" Kagome asked crossly when she couldn't stand his intrusion any more.
"I just want to keep you safe. We can't be too careful with a demon in the house." He stood back to inspect his handiwork.
"He's not going to kill us in our sleep you know, and why aren't you putting any wards on Souta's door?"
"Don't trouble your pretty little head with details my dear." He patted her head as though she were still six years old. "Just know that you will be safe and that's all that matters."
"Grandpa!" She tried to reason with him, but he was already out the door firmly sealing it shut with more wards. Kagome groaned at his eccentricity seriously tempted to rip all of the wards off after he left. She could only image how stupid her door must look right then and prayed no one she knew would ever see it. Kagome toyed with the notion of burning his stash of wards as she pulled off her school uniform and tossed it into her hamper. She laughed to herself imaging Grandpa's look of horror and shock at the crime. No doubt he would blame it on an evil spirit and spend weeks performing exorcisms on the house and tie charms to anything that didn't move.
Kagome soon had to discard her frivolous thoughts though deciding that it wouldn't be worth the fight. Grandpa was too stubborn to ever back down so she would never hear the end of it. She instead decided to talk to her mom who had had better luck in the past persuading her overly zealous grandfather in the past. Solution in mind, Kagome pulled out some comfortable pajamas sliding on the pants first. All thoughts of her grandfather's annoying quirks were thrust from her mind by a loud tearing sound at her door. Kagome yelped turning her back to the door clutching her nightshirt to her chest as the door opened.
"Souta, you little runt! I told you to knock first!" She yelled over her shoulder. When silence was her only reply, she tentatively glanced back. Inu Yasha was leaning against her closed door with his head cocked. Kagome's jaw dropped, she had forgotten about Inu Yasha. Now that he was there, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. It wasn't his casual body posture that held her attention, but the ravenous glint in his demon eyes. The raw desire in them sent a tremor through her body making her very aware of her state of undress.
"Inu Yasha." Pink tinged her cheeks. "I thought Grandpa put wards all over my door." She said lamely in all honesty at a complete lack of words. Inu Yasha withdrew his hand from behind his back and held up a fist full of shredded paper, a smug grin on his face.
"Since when has his wards ever worked on me?" Kagome couldn't suppress a chuckle at that knowing her grandfather's ire should he ever find out how useless his wards were against Inu Yasha. "A few lousy spells aren't nearly enough to keep me out." He tossed them over his shoulder as he advanced upon her. Kagome hastily flung the shirt on and fumbled the buttons together. Inu Yasha had already reached her by the time she turned around, disappointment in his expression at seeing her shirt in place. Kagome tried her best to think of something intelligible to say but all that would come out of her mouth was stuttered babbling. Intelligent thought was impossible with him standing in front of her like that looking so damned sensual. A slow wave of lust washed over her body as her eyes ran over his beautiful face and well defined body hidden by his voluminous robes. Heated memories of that night in the clearing flooded her mind filling her body with fiery anticipation. The yearning of her body was seriously working against her inhibition tempting her sorely to indulge in the delights her deep primal instinct offered.
Up until that point, Inu Yasha had every intention of being a gentleman realizing that Kagome wasn't ready for her family to know about their relationship. It stung a little that she didn't want them to know raising a niggling doubt far back in the shadows of his mind that she was ashamed of him. Still, the love that she offered to patently in her eyes was sufficient to keep that doubt from consuming him. So, Inu Yasha curbed his raging hormones that so ardently cried out for her, and had decided to settle for chastely holding her in her sleep as he had the previous night.
His resolve had been strained when he had walked in on her with her naked back turned toward him, her hair tumbling down it with familiar abandon. Then, all of his good intentions went out the window when he caught sight of her standing before him with cheeks flushed with desire. Her glassy eyes were distant as though lost in thought; the delectable pheromones that filled the air around her betrayed where her thoughts drifted. His hand shot out of its own accord to grip her chin and angle it upward so he could delve into her eyes and fathom her thoughts. The warmth of her rising body temperature seeped into his fingers, her eyes told him everything he needed to know.
"You made a promise."
"I know." Inu Yasha smiled faintly wrapping an arm around her waist to bring her up against him.
"Good because I'm not a patient person. I don't think that I can wait any longer." He backed her up until the backs of her knees pressed against her mattress.
"That's an understatement!" Kagome laughed. Inu Yasha's hands lowered to her waist urging her onto the bed. Kagome accommodated by scooting backward then tucking her legs underneath her to have better stability never once breaking the tight embrace.
Inu Yasha licked her ear slowly, sensually; his demon senses reveling in the shiver he felt slide through her petite frame. His hands caressed the smooth column of her neck as he nibbled her delicate earlobe earning a hitch in Kagome's breathing. His hands then trailed down her shoulders and along her arms raking his claws lightly against her exposed, soft flesh. It wasn't enough to draw blood but it had every nerve in her arms painfully sensitized. Inu Yasha released her ear to turn his attention to her arms grasping her wrist he held it to his mouth and dragged his tongue along her forearm making her skin tingle. Kagome gasped at the subtle sensation and was rewarded with a soft kiss on the crook of her arm. Inu Yasha's hands shifted along her body returning to her neck where his thumbs angled her chin upward as his other fingers delved into her thick hair. He covered her mouth with his own in a consuming kiss. He licked her lips running his tongue upon their fullness then went further to message her tongue and slide against the roof of her mouth. All the while his hands were not still; he pulled them from her hair and slit them down the front of her body seeking the smooth buttons of her nightshirt. Upon finding his goal, his fingertips grazing the smooth, round surface of the first one, he undid them one by one with purposeful consideration. A bit overwhelmed by the intensity of his kiss, Kagome's fingers clenched the fabric of his gi tightly trying her best to return the kiss with equal fervor.
Inu Yasha finished with the buttons and easily slid the shirt from her shoulders and tossed it to the floor. He continued to ravish her mouth all the while without hesitation but Kagome was forced to break away with a stifled moan when his hands discovered her breasts. With an aching slowness he kneaded her supple mounds toying with her nipples with the balls of his thumbs. Kagome rested her forehead against his shoulder, her hands grasping his; already the heat between her thighs was almost unbearable. Inu Yasha's attention was soon diverted to her exposed neck resting so temptingly close to his mouth. Not one to deny himself the unwitting offer, he first kissed then gently nibbled her throat. As he pressed his lips to her pulse point he could feel her heart beating wildly and the warmth of her increased blood flow against his hungry mouth.
No longer being still, Kagome had gone into action, she pushed Inu Yasha away and worked on freeing him from his robe. Not the patient type himself, Inu Yasha helped her and it wasn't long until his clothes joined her shirt on the floor. Kagome's hands went to his chest where they traced his muscles and scars in a tantalizing dance that soon had his blood boiling. Inu Yasha pushed her back down on the mattress and continued where he had left off on her neck. He began to work down laving her collarbone then tasting the valley between her breasts where a fine sheen of sweat and begun to form. The amount of pheromones that her body was giving out at this point almost had him mad with desire and he could smell and taste them coming from every pore. The siren's song of her body strained his will tempting him to simply give in to his lust and just take her roughly right at that moment. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the love he felt for her, it helped him to restrain his libido and ensure that she enjoyed this just as much as he did. Besides, the sight of her writhing with heat and need for him was almost just as sweet as the actual act.
Pausing his erotic actions for a moment, he pulled back allowing his eyes so sweep over her glorious body. He followed the delicate slope of her shoulder that transformed into long, slender arms. His gaze moved over her flat stomach and up to the soft swell of her breasts. He stopped there as he caught sight of a small white scar above her right nipple; two pinpoints with brief hint of teeth in-between. A surge of male satisfaction welled up within him as memories of that scar rolled within his mind taking him back to that delicious night when he first tasted the delights of her body; the delights of her heart. He placed two fingers on the scar smoothing over the skin, a hint of awe and possessiveness flickering in his eyes. Despite how much he hated to hurt her, the thought that he had permanently marked her as his was intoxicating.
Inu Yasha lowered his hand, his mouth taking his fingers place. He teased the skin with his tongue and reaffirmed the scar with a light nip. While his mouth continued to take in the sweet taste of Kagome's flesh nipping her breasts, his hands traveled lower dipping underneath the fabric of her pants. He lazily stroked the inside of her thighs then moved up to slowly trace the v of her groin with his claw. Kagome moaned harshly and gripped his shoulders tightly trying to keep her noise to an absolute minimum. Hearing the restraint in her voice, Inu Yasha looked up into her eyes and smiled wickedly, he suddenly had a perverse desire to make her cry out even if her entire household should hear. Perhaps it was a secret desire to let everyone in the world know that she was his, body and soul. Whatever the reason, he gave in to the desire and quickly pulled free Kagome's pants dragging her underwear down with them. Once that last article of clothing joined the collection on the floor, he began to torture Kagome. He captured her hands then held them pinned above her head with one hand, the other slowly trailed down her body taking some tome to tease her breast and circle her bellybutton. Then with artful skill, his finger slipped between her labia seeking her pleasure center. Kagome arched her back at the contact, her arms tugged against her restraint seeking liberation. Inu Yasha paid no heed to her struggle and soon found her nub. Inu Yasha turned his gaze to her eyes, hazy with desire and newfound pleasure. He worked her between his thumb and forefinger all the while locking his eyes with hers watching the heat built within her brown orbs. Inu Yasha kept his sped too slow to allow her climax but enough to give her an aching taste of it. Kagome's breathing became labored and she writhed against his grip trying to free herself of his torture.
"Inu...Inu Yasha." She pleaded softly, her voice no more than a shaky whisper.
"Don't hold back and I won't either." He pressed his body against hers.
"I can't. My family will hear." Kagome bit her lip hard to keep from crying out from the sweet agony.
"Let them hear." Their eyes locked and she saw his intent.
"You're a fiend, you know that?" She growled at him.
"That's right." He purred slowing his fingers slightly to draw out the sensation even more. The battle had officially begun and it all boiled down to how long Kagome could last is assault in silence. Fortunately, Kagome was never one to back down to a challenge and she'd rather die than have her entire household catch her in such a compromising position. Kagome's eyes skimmed over Inu Yasha's body seeking a way to free herself before her control was completely stripped away. Her eyes settled on his (think of a good word and description.) An idea sparked in her mind. In a sudden act of rebellion, Kagome raised her knee and began to rub against his member with exaggerated slowness. Inu Yasha had to bite back a cry of surprise and pleasure at her clever and daring move. He looked down upon his prey as he felt her arms breaking free using his distraction to her advantage. Inu Yasha grinned at her ingenuity; she could be wily when she got over her shyness. Once freed from his tortuous caresses, Kagome sought revenge by replacing her knee with her hand. At first she blushed from her daring but the heat of the moment had stripped her of her inhibitions. Inu Yasha groaned as her fingers explored him with uncertain curiosity. With a tormenting slowness her fingers trailed down from the head and along the shaft. In eminent danger of ending the session right then, Inu Yasha grasped her hand to still her motions,
"You're not playing fair." He whispered hoarsely.
"Demons aren't the only ones who don't play fair." She grinned enjoying the effect she was having on him. A mischievous light sparked within his amber eyes and a slight half smile toyed at the corner of his lips,
"As you wish." He swiftly shifted so that he was behind her, his arms wrapped around her torso firmly trapping her arms to her sides. He leaned forward pressing against her back and brushed his lips against her ear, "No more games." A tremor ran through her body and she gulped. Inu Yasha's devious smile widened and he shifted his embrace so that his hands had access to her breasts. He fondled them lightly then began feasting on the smooth slope of her shoulder. Kagome's hands curled around his arms as she desperately tried to remain quiet. As Inu Yasha used the edge of his teeth on her tender skin, Kagome was suddenly filled with curiosity about what the effect of biting might have on him. She had never tried it but he certainly seemed fond of marking her. Deciding that turn-about was fair play, Kagome used her grip on his arm to urge it up enough that her mouth had access to the soft area of his forearm. She lowered her head and pressed her lips to the skin there, Inu Yasha's motions slowed. Encouraged, she gingerly bit his arm then soothed the skin with her tongue tracing her mark with its velvety tip. Inu Yasha stilled, a violent wave of passion spread through his limbs and he became painfully aroused. The innocent bite shattered his frail restraint and the demon in him surfaced with greedy anticipation. His arms slid down her lithe body and grasped her hips jerking them upward bringing her to her knees. Kagome had only a moment to register the sudden change in his demeanor before he brought her down forcefully upon his erection. Kagome gasped digging her nails into his arms to keep her silence. Inu Yasha remained still for a long moment, his breathing ragged. Then his hands slid up her stomach and cupped her breasts. He slowly pulled out of her then thrust again exaggerating the movement. Kagome arched her back against him, a soft moan escaping her parted lips. He thrust again, harder this time, planting a kiss just below her ear. Inu Yasha soon picked up a rhythm moving faster but still retained deliberate control empasizing every moment. It almost seemed that each thrust moved in time with her frenzied heartbeat. She moved with him as best she could in her submissive position but soon found that she had to focus all her attention on holding back her moans of pleasure. Kagome used her labored breathing as an outlet expressing her ecstasy in ragged gasps and soundless cries. Inu Yasha pressed his lips to her shoulder releasing muffled grunts of his own. Kagome slid one hand upward to cup his cheek, her body trembled as she neared the cusp of rapture. Inu Yasha bit down hard on her tender shoulder as he reached his climax thrusting so hard that he raised her body a few inches higher. That final stroke accompanied by his warm fluid pushed her over the edge tumbling down with him in the momentary bliss of orgasm.
They remained in that position while riding out the after shocks letting their sweat-slicked bodies cool. When Inu Yasha became soft within her, Kagome lifted her hips to rearrange herself in a more comfortable position. Inu Yasha pulled himself out of her but before she could turn, the arms wrapped around her torso tightened.
"I love you." He whispered, his voice strained.
"I love you too." His arms loosened enough for her to shift in his embrace to face him. His eyes were shadowed by his bangs.
"Thank you."
"For what?" He only shook his head, a faint glimmer in his eyes.
"Just...thank you."
********
That night he dreamed of Kikyo's death. He watched helplessly as the disguised Naraku slashed ruthlessly into her and gloated over her fallen body. He watched in anguish as Kikyo cursed him and her love for him. He saw her take in her last breath after pinning him to a tree with her enchanted arrow; dying without ever knowing the truth. The dream was so real that he could hear the cries of the men and felt the heat of the fire that threatened to consume the village. The dream was so real that he could feel the moisture of his own tears falling down his cheeks.
Waking up neither soothed the pain in his heart nor distance the memories. He felt Kikyo's death just as sharply as if it had happened yesterday. The loneliness deep within his heart stung him horribly offering no hope of ease. Cool fingers touched his wet cheeks brushing away his tears with painful tenderness. Inu Yasha's eyes locked with Kagome's. She was sitting up in bed watching him, her eyes filled with empathy. Without any words or encouragement, Kagome took him into her arms and held his head to her chest. Inu Yasha wrapped his arms tightly around her waist finding solace in her warm embrace.
"It's okay." She whispered into the gentle blackness of the night. "Everything will be okay." Under the cloak of night where pride is sheltered by the blessed darkness, Inu Yasha was able to indulge in his weakness and allow her comfort and soft words. In that hushed world where there was only the quiet glow of stars Inu Yasha could shed long held tears and mumble old heartaches. Kagome held him close rocking him back and forth able to do nothing more for his pain.
It did not take long for the sadness of his dream to fade and Inu Yasha swiftly mastered himself although the effort of regaining control of his faltering emotions left him weakened. His body still demanded rest but his mind feared dreams too much to allow himself any respite yet. As his body sagged with weariness, Kagome eased him down so that his head rested on her lap. Unsure of what to say or do to alleviate his wounded heart Kagome remained silent for a while. One hand found its way to his soft ears and began to absently rub one much as she would do for CAT. Inu Yasha smiled grabbed her other hand with both of his then brought it down to his chest holding it there.
"What is it with you people always wanted to rub my ears?" He mused.
"You don't like it?" Her fingers stilled.
"I do actually," he admitted, "just not when strangers do it." Kagome chuckled then fell silent again, her thoughts turning back to the reason why both of them were awake. Inu Yasha absently stared at the ceiling while Kagome gently rubbed his ears. Both of his hands clutched her one free hand holding it to his chest. Kagome's fingers soon moved on combing lightly through his long white locks. Inu Yasha's eyelids half closed in contentment.
"What did you dream?" Her fingers drifted to his forehead where she smoothed back his bangs.
"It doesn't matter." His voice was distant.
"You called out Kikyo's name." Inu Yasha opened his eyes fully. "Did you dream about her?" Her voice held no anger or hurt, just a patient gentleness. Inu Yasha remained silent for a long stretch of time contemplating the shadows drifting aimlessly on the walls.
"Yes." His reply was almost inaudible.
"What did you dream?" She prompted.
"It doesn't matter."
"It does to me if it's enough to make you so sad." Inu Yasha returned his gaze to the face looking down so lovingly on him, her sweet eyes worried. "Please tell me, I want to help." She implored and her eyes almost had him convinced that he could tell her anything and fear no repercussion. Kagome always had that effect on him, somehow she always made him feel so comfortable around her. She had often confused him in the past when she got so happy about him opening up to her. He wanted to make her happy but the idea of showing any vulnerability to anyone, even Kagome, invoked a deep fear in his heart. All of his life he had been taught that to show weakness was to invite death or worse.
Sorrow filled her expression as Kagome saw Inu Yasha's eyes become distant; saw him emotionally pull away from her concealing his emotions with a sturdy mask of indifference.
"Inu Yasha, you made me promise you that I would never leave you." Inu Yasha nodded slowly. "Please, make me the same promise. Promise me that you'll never leave me."
"Kagome...I..." He looked up imploringly at her. Kagome's heart wrenched, she knew how dangerous such a question could be. She knew that he would never intentionally hurt her, but his dream that night reminded her of the power Kikyo still held over him. Now that she knew how wonderful is was to have her love returned, to have the man she loved so close, she didn't know if she could stand to lose him. In the last week her love had burst into a bright fire that Kagome never knew she was capable of. Without Inu Yasha, she worried that the loss of this awaked fire would kill her. Ignorance is bliss; before she would have been able to let him walk away and still hold some feeble hope of rebuilding her heart. Now...now she wasn't so sure that that was possible anymore.
Tears stung her eyes at Inu Yasha's silence, at his hesitation over a question to which he wasn't sure of the answer and was too honest to lie.
"I do love you." He said with all the passion of his heart.
"I know." Both of their hearts were held in limbo awaiting Inu Yasha's next encounter with Kikyo. An encounter that would inevitably change both their lives forever.
____________________________________________________ ____________________
Okay, a bit depressing at the end but it's a good set up for Inu Yasha's confrontation with Kikyo and the very hard choices that he will have to face.
The next chapter is going to take a while to get out because this one will have to be handled very carefully so that it will be honest and true to the natures of all the characters. I'll make it up in length, I promise you. Dealing with a situation with that much emotion will take a lot of writing!
Thank you all for being patient and sending positive reviews to help improve this story; I welcome all suggestions and comments. I know I take a long time to get chapters out but rest assured I'm always working on them trying to make them as good as possible.
Lady Eclipse
P.S. Sorry for the cliche's but they're all so much damn fun!!
Written by: Lady Eclipse
Kagome parked her bike next to the Bone Eater's Well and eased her backpack onto her shoulder. Reluctantly, she faced her friends who had escorted her thus far to see her off, everyone but Inu Yasha. That morning Inu Yasha had wandered off to go investigate something and he had yet to return. Kagome sighed checking her watch; she couldn't wait much longer to say good-bye. She had just remembered that morning that she had a big math test the next day so she had decided to return home to do some frantic studying. Kagome had waited as long as she could with the test looming in her mind until she could no longer ignore the pressing need to study. So now, as the afternoon was waning, she offered her farewells to her patient friends silently regretting that Inu Yasha was not there.
"Can't I come with you?" Shippo pleaded tugging on her hand.
"I don't think you'd have very much fun. I'll be studying the whole time so I won't be able to play with you." Sadness filled his childish face, his eyes becoming watery. Kagome smiled sympathetically plucking up the young fox and gave him a light hug. "I'll be back in a few days so just take this time to relax, okay?" Shippo pouted but nodded sadly and gave her a big hug before he leapt from her arms.
"I hope you do well with your test. We'll be waiting at the village for your return." Sango said.
"Thanks. Well, I'd better go; I'll need to study as much as possible. Take care!"
"Are you not going to wait for Inu Yasha?" Miroku asked raising an eyebrow.
"I'd like to, but I really can't wait any longer." She said with a sigh. "Please tell Inu Yasha good-bye for me." Kagome turned back to the well hesitating, she hated to just leave without saying good-bye to Inu Yasha but if she didn't pass this test she could fail the class. Kagome had already wasted a lot of potential studying time waiting thus far. She steeled her resolve reminding herself that it was only for a few days and leapt into the well without looking back.
********
Later that night, after a hasty dinner, Kagome sat amidst a pile of notebooks and books scattered on her desk frantically looking through them to study for a test in another class she hadn't even been in for weeks. It was times like this that she seriously considered home schooling; the stress just wasn't worth it. Shuffling her papers a bit, Kagome managed to clear a small space in order to work on a math problem that she had yet to master. Buyo entered the room announcing himself with a loud meow. When Kagome failed to respond, he strode over to her legs and rubbed up against them imploringly.
"Not now, Buyo, I have to study." Buyo peered up at her for a few minutes hopefully but Kagome's head was bent upon her task too busy to notice him. Grunting with frustration, she set her eraser to her paper and erased vigorously. The shaking motion of her erasing made the corner of a paper smashed between two books flutter enticingly. This, needless to say, quickly caught Buyo's attention. With feline grace he leapt up upon the desk silent as night stalking the dangerous sheet of paper.
"Not now." Kagome chided Buyo without looking up oblivious to the impending danger. Buyo ignored her and crouched down preparing to attack the unsuspecting paper. Just as Kagome was at the pinnacle of solving the troublesome math problem, Buyo unceremoniously tackled the largest stack of books that happened to house the loose sheet of paper. There was a long moment of stillness as Kagome held her breath watching the stack wobble drunkenly while Buyo had his claws gripped into the paper clinging for dear life. Just as her hands stretched out to steady it, the stack promptly fell down scattering everything all over the floor with a great cacophony. Buyo managed to fall on his feet (as most cats do) yowling in fright. Once he recovered from his scare, he made a mad dash out the door knowing that discretion is the better part of valor. All Kagome had managed to catch in all the chaos was the single sheet of paper that she now clutched in a state of shock.
"Kagome, is everything all right up there?" Her mother's voice drifted up from downstairs.
"Yea, Buyo just knocked over all my books." She yelled back still staring at the mess in dismay.
"I'm going to bed now, don't stay up too late, okay?"
"Sure, Mom." She replied absently although she knew that this would be an all-nighter for sure especially after Buyo's accident. To distract herself from the grueling effort of reorganizing everything, she looked down at the paper she was clutching. The paper was the problem she had been working on and to add insult to injury she realized that she had been doing it wrong. With a frustrated growl she crumbled it up and tossed it over her shoulder not caring where it landed.
"Hey!" Someone cried in an indignant voice from behind her. Kagome whirled around, her heart in her throat from fear and surprise, to face her intruder. She was very relieved to discover Inu Yasha standing a few feet from her window holding the paper ball inches from his face where he had caught it. Kagome let out the breath that she had been holding and held a hand to her racing heart.
"Do you mind? You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Next time watch where you throw things." He countered tossing the ball into the garbage can. "Is this how you always study?" He asked in amusement glancing at the mountain of debris and books littering the floor around her desk.
"Of course not. Buyo knocked over all my books." Kagome wearily sat down on the edge of her bed as she contemplated the mess, "This is going to take forever to clean up." She mumbled gloomily to herself. Inu Yasha crouched down studying one of the open textbooks.
"Why do you need to know this stuff anyways? It doesn't look very important."
"I just do. They say it helps with problem solving." Realization of whom she was talking to suddenly sparked in her brain, "Wait, why are you here? Is there something wrong, is someone hurt?"
"No." Inu Yasha sat down next to her on the bed and nervously stuck his hands into his sleeves. "You left me behind." He continued in a quiet voice, there was almost a pout to his tone.
"Huh? But, I had to come back to take the test. I wanted to say good-bye but you went off somewhere and I didn't get a chance. I'll be back in two days so I didn't think it was too major." Inu Yasha sighed in exasperation,
"You promised that you wouldn't leave me."
"But I didn't leave you...not really."
"Yes, you did. I wasn't far, you could have waited a little bit." Kagome frowned in confusion,
"I couldn't find you. Besides, it's just for a few days, I didn't think it would be a big deal not saying good-bye."
"Yes, but-"
"I've left to take tests before lots of times I don't see why this should upset you." She went on not heeding his attempt to elaborate. Inu Yasha pulled his hands from his sleeves and held them to her cheeks to get her full attention.
"I didn't want to just say good-bye...I wanted to come with you. I'm mad because you left without me."
"But I thought that you didn't like it here." She grasped his wrists lightly.
"I don't, but I'm going wherever you go. Unless," he looked down suddenly shy, "you don't want me to." Her heart melted in her chest,
"Of course I do." She leaned forward and smiled up into his serious, amber eyes. "I just didn't think that you'd have much fun hanging around here with nothing to do while I study." Inu Yasha grinned impishly at her.
"I can think of plenty of things to do." His hands slid down her neck to her shoulders where he lightly massaged the skin there. His thumbs playfully slipped under her collar to brush along her collarbone. Without realizing it Kagome was already relaxing into the soothing massage, her head lolling slightly; the last few hours of studying had really cramped up back and caused a kink in her neck. She almost gave in but her eyes caught on the pile of study material and she knew that the studying had to be done. So, with a valiant effort, Kagome rallied her will power.
"I really do have to study." She said regretfully grabbing his hands and pulling them from her shoulders. Inu Yasha sighed, a martyred expression on his face. With a conciliatory smile she kissed his hands and held them to her heart. "I'll make it up to you, I promise." Inu Yasha leaned forward and kissed her softly, just enough for a small taste but not deep enough to rile his hungry demon blood. It was a long time before he released her simply enjoying the feel of her body against his.
"I'll hold you to that." He whispered against her lips sending shivers down her spine.
"I know you will you perverted old demon." She laughed.
"Miroku is the pervert, I'm only asking for what's mine." His voice became husky. Kagome pulled back a little to rest her forehead on his.
"Do you really mean that?"
"Yes." His grip became possessive.
"The same goes for you." She pressed her lips to his lightly then quickly eased away before he could reply. She smiled at the way his cocked is head in mild surprise as she returned to her desk to begin rebuilding her fortress of study material. Wordlessly, Inu Yasha rose from the bed and joined her. He helped pile the books back on the desk in even columns while Kagome got all of her papers together and back in order. Once order had been restored, Kagome sighed wearily and sat back down at her desk in front of her mountain of books. With a great deal of reluctance she opened the first book and continued the arduous process of memorizing its contents. Inu Yasha returned to the window and made himself comfortable on the windowsill. He spent a few moments watching her silent task then turned his attention to the moon looming heavily above through the thick webbing of the trees. As the hours quietly slipped by, he would shift his gaze to Kagome every now and then and watch her diligently study. Sometimes she would growl in frustration and paper would go flying. Inu Yasha smiled to himself as he watched her, she made him smile even when she was furious and glaring. There was something special about her that he just couldn't place, something that endeared her to him so deeply. Her spirit was as fiery as any demon he knew yet she was very gentle and sensitive. She wasn't afraid of being savagely killed by Naraku yet she was afraid of anyone around her getting hurt even if it was a stranger.
Inu Yasha watched the moon rise higher to its pinnacle into the star-laden sky occasionally obscured by a drifting cloud. When he looked up at the sky he could forget that he was watching it from behind a glass window illuminated by artificial lights. When he looked up at the sky, he could forget that he was in a time far different from his own. He briefly wondered if Kagome felt the same way when she looked up at the sky when she was in his time. That thought somehow comforted him; perhaps the large gap in time separating them wasn't too large to overcome if they shared common ground. Some things didn't change no matter the finicky tides of time. Somewhere in all the change brought by the long stretches of time, he and Kagome had found each other and recognized something familiar in each other. Inu Yasha pressed his fingertips to the frigid glass; he hoped that it would be enough.
The faint rustle of papers drew Inu Yasha from his thoughts and turned his attention to the desk. Exhausted, Kagome had fallen asleep over her books scattering a few papers. A warm smile found its way to his face crinkling the corners of his eyes. He agilely leapt from the windowsill and quietly made his way to the desk. Inu Yasha paused at the desk looking down at her prone form. Kagome was bathed in a small pool of bright light coming from the lamp on the desk. Her folded arms cradled her head, a pencil still securely held in her right hand in the middle of writing. The light from the lamp drew the color from her features making her seem pale and the circles under her eyes stand out more starkly. Inu Yasha considered waking her up so that she might continue her task, but the sight of her worn out body gave him resolve to do the opposite. Carefully he lifted her from her seat into his arms nestling her head into his shoulder. Kagome was so deeply asleep that she did not stir; the pencil in her hand slid from her grip and fell to the floor unnoticed.
"You really are weird, you know that?" He whispered smiling tenderly. He carried her to her bed and gently placed her on top of the soft comforter. With a small, sleepy sigh she rolled onto her side facing him. Inu Yasha stood for a moment studying her, that strange sensation of coming home rippling through him again. Unsure of what to do with the sensation, he followed the craving of the foreign emotion and crawled onto the bed slipping to her other side. Inu Yasha wrapped his arms securely around her arms and waist and rested his nose on the crook of her neck pulling her back against his body. He inhaled deeply basking in her scent and felt the ache in his heart intensify. He wasn't sure if it was painful or pleasurable; all he knew was that Kagome was both the cause and the remedy of that ache and for some bizarre reason he didn't want it to stop. Ever. Kagome, still asleep, snuggled into his embrace bringing her arms up to curl around his.
"I must be really weird too because I love you so much." He murmured as sleep and a deep sense of peace found him. Somehow, when he was with her, the nightmares didn't come and he never felt lonely. The only peace he had ever known, he had found in her arms.
********
Kagome was allowed a whole three seconds of the shrill beeping of her alarm clock before it was ungraciously smashed into pieces. The alarm didn't have much of an effect on waking her up but the shattering of plastic sure did. She bolted up reaching for the nearest weapon, which happened to be her pillow.
"What was that thing?" She heard Inu Yasha sleepily mutter. Memories of last night swept through her mind and with a relieved sigh she released her projectile. Inu Yasha was sitting up in bed as well rubbing his ears and casting a fierce glare at the pieces of her alarm clock. Kagome followed his gaze then, with a scowl, grabbed the pillow and hurled it at his head. It made contact with a satisfying 'whump.'
"Hey! What'd you do that for?"
"You just broke my alarm clock, you big jerk!" Inu Yasha considered tossing the pillow back at her but then thought it better that she didn't have any weapons for the time being.
"It was being very loud and what do you need this 'alarm clock' for anyway?"
"It's supposed to be loud so it can wake me up to go to school." She paused as her own words sank in. "School! I'm going to be late for my test!" Kagome sprang from the bed and became a whirlwind of clothes and paper as she tried to dress and study at the same time. Not sure whether to be amused or confused, Inu Yasha watched her get ready from the comfort of her bed.
"If you ever moved this fast to find Shikon shards then we would have the entire jewel in a week." He commented with a sly grin. Kagome paused her actions, her eyes narrowing dangerously. She contemplated the book in her hand for a very long moment but her mother calling from downstairs to announce that breakfast was ready spared Inu Yasha's head from the attack.
"I have to go. Please promise me that you'll behave and leave my other electronics alone." Inu Yasha hopped off the bed and cautiously approached her eyeing the book she was still holding.
"What are 'electronics'?" Kagome looked down at her watch and realized that the long and very drawn out explanation (one he probably wouldn't listen to for more than five seconds anyway) would take too much time.
"Just don't destroy anything, okay?"
"Whatever." He shrugged but before she could scurry away he grabbed her shoulders and stole a quick kiss that efficiently stilled her frantic motions. "Now go take that stupid test of yours, the sooner you go the sooner you can come back." He said pulling away. "And the sooner you can fulfill that promise you made to me last night." Kagome blinked and felt her cheeks redden but there was no more time for shyness or bantering. She could only manage a nod and was out the door in a heartbeat. Once downstairs Kagome grabbed a piece of toast, said good-bye to her mother, and was out the door munching the toast as she went.
********
Kagome read the same question for the fifth time trying desperately to pin her attention to the test before her. The test was not as bad as she had feared and all of her late night studying had paid off. However, the test took far longer than it should have because she could not get her mind off of Inu Yasha or the fact that he was waiting for her in her bedroom. Kagome tried to suppress the blush at the thought of her promise and the very attractive half-demon she had made it to. Somehow, even though they had already been intimate once, she was feeling very shy and virginal. Perhaps it was because that night had been unplanned and in the midst of emotional turmoil. It could also have been the fact that the feudal era still seemed so unreal to her. Back in that time there were demons, goddesses, and all kinds of strange things. Now, back in her own world, there were no such things and reality came crashing back down around her. Now, in her own time, her demon lover was waiting for her and there was no doubt what he was waiting for. It left her mind reeling with the implications.
"Class, you have fifteen more minutes." Her teacher called from the front of the room. With a start, Kagome looked up and realized that she was one of the only people still working on her test. Kagome plied herself to the test once again and her panic temporarily drove Inu Yasha from her mind. She worked through the problems with hasty speed and managed to finish her test with thirty seconds to spare. Seconds after she turned in her test, the bell rang and she was nearly swept away by a virtual sea of students rushing out the door eager to begin their weekend.
Kagome lingered at her desk slowly putting her things away, her nervousness returning a hundred fold. Once her book bag was neatly filled and her desk devoid of any object, Kagome made her way out of the classroom and started the long walk home. As she walked her mind filled with worries such as what would she tell her mother about Inu Yasha's presence or if she should even tell her mother about the sudden change in her sexual status. She broke out in a cold sweat at the thought of it and wondered if she should ask Inu Yasha to abstain until they returned to the feudal era.
By the time she reached the shrine Kagome's stomach had started to knot up from nervousness. As she climbed the stairs she tried to decide whether she should talk to her mother or ask Inu Yasha to keep their secret. Neither option sounded easy or pleasant. Kagome slowed her steps as she neared the ancient tree wanting to prolong any confrontation for as long as possible. She leaned up against the sturdy tree and let her thoughts wander.
"It's about time." Came a gruff voice from overhead. Kagome had become so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed the splash of red amongst the lush green leaves. Startled, Kagome peered up through the branches and saw Inu Yasha casually resting in the upper branches. As she saw his face, her worries faded, dulled by the love she felt for him. At that moment she knew that she'd do whatever was necessary and decided not to worry about the trivial details. Inu Yasha gracefully descended from the tree landing a few feet away from her. "How'd it go?"
"Good." She smiled, "I think I even managed to get a decent grade on it too."
"What are 'grades'?"
"Grades are how our work is rated. There are a hundred points possible and the closer to a hundred you are the better it is. You lose points when you answer a question wrong." Inu Yasha stared at her as if a she were a lunatic spouting idiotic dribble.
"What's that look for?" Kagome glared at Inu Yasha.
"Are you sure this is a more advanced civilization? Did you really just go through all of that worry and studying just to get a hundred of those 'point' thingies?" Kagome's eyebrow twitched dangerously. "Hmm, or maybe it's just you. Do any of your classmates act so weird about- Ow!" Kagome had taken two fistfuls of hair and pulled down so that they were face to face.
"I am NOT crazy!! Everyone goes through this and just because you don't understand the importance-" Inu Yasha, although wincing from the mistreatment of his hair, snaked a hand around her back and started delicately brushing his fingertips at the back of her neck. "...of...of grades..." Kagome faltered, Inu Yasha's rogue fingers distracting her. "...doesn't...um..." Kagome sighed in frustration, "You know that's really not fair." She gave his hair a light tug.
"Demons don't play fair." He replied as his other hand lightly caressed a trail up her neck to lazily trace her jaw line. Kagome released his hair resting her hands on his shoulders,
"You know, if my Grandpa saw us like this you'd be covered in wards and I'd be grounded for a month." She said changing the subject.
"That old geezer's scrolls working on me? That's a laugh." The hand that had been wreaking havoc on the skin on the back of her neck moved to her side where he grazed his fingertips along the sensitive area.
"A month? Try a year!" Came a youthful voice from not too far away. Blushing furiously, Kagome jumped away from Inu Yasha babbling excuses.
"What do you want, twerp?" Inu Yasha faced Souta unfazed.
"Woohoo, Kagome! I'm gonna tell Mom and boy will she be mad!" Souta baited.
"Knock off you little shrimp!"
"Kagome's got a boyfriend! Kagome's got a boyfriend! Kagome and Inu Yasha sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Souta chanted as he ran back to the house. Her temper frayed, Kagome took off after him yelling threats. All the noise soon had her mother coming out,
"Now, now, you two; what's all this yelling about?" Souta grinned evilly at Kagome,
"Kagome's just mad because-
"Because I didn't do as well as I'd hoped on my test!" Kagome frantically cut in covering Souta's mouth with her hands. Her mother eyed her thoughtfully clearly not buying her excuse as Kagome desperately tried to contain her squirming brother. However, after a moment of careful deliberation, her mother only shook her head and smiled a mother's smile.
"You should come home sooner next time to study more." Was all that she said. Her eyes then shifted to Inu Yasha who was watching from a distance. "Ah, Inu Yasha!" She greeted. "I haven't seen you in a while. Has everything been going okay?" Inu Yasha politely approached them,
"I guess so." He shrugged.
"That's good. Will you be staying for dinner?" Inu Yasha's ears perked up at that and his whole countenance brightened.
"You bet!"
"Great! Well, I'd better get back to preparing it. You two behave and stop fighting." She warned her children then beamed at Inu Yasha before she went back inside.
Dinner was in interesting situation to say the least. Inu Yasha, with the manners of a boar, eagerly slopped down his meal without so much as a single word to his gracious hosts. Meanwhile, Kagome barely ate spending most of her time glaring daggers at her brother who was thoroughly enjoying torturing Kagome with her secret. He would pipe into the conversation every now and then to drop hints about her and Inu Yasha's relationship. Grandpa eyed Inu Yasha the entire time with his hand suspiciously tucked inside his gi as if to unleash a flurry of wards at him at any second. Her mother, however, remained a rock smiling at everyone and initiating small chitchat.
Half way through the meal, Grandpa startled everyone by slapping his hand on the table and leaning forward toward Inu Yasha intently. Culinary leapt and rattled and some food sloshed onto the table.
"Will you be spending the night in this time?" He asked slowly and carefully as though it were some kind of meaningful test.
"I guess so." Inu Yasha replied nonchalantly.
"Then you shall be saying in my room." Grandpa declared a bit too loudly.
"I'd rather sleep outside." Inu Yasha's tone was sardonic.
"Oh, I'm sure there's no need for that when we have plenty of room here." Her mother cut in, neutral smile in place. "You can sleep on the couch tonight, it's a pull-out bed."
"Sure, whatever." He shrugged glancing at Kagome.
"Wonderful, now that that's settled, let's all finish our meals. You're all growing children who need to keep your strength up." Despite her best efforts though, the rest of the meal continued to be painfully strained and Grandpa still wouldn't let go of his concealed wards.
Later that evening, after everyone had said their goodnights, Kagome was further humiliated by her grandfather showing up at her door with handfuls of wards tightly gripped in his wrinkled fists. Accepting no refusals, he papered the entire door and added a few to the window for good measure.
"Grandpa, is this really necessary?" Kagome asked crossly when she couldn't stand his intrusion any more.
"I just want to keep you safe. We can't be too careful with a demon in the house." He stood back to inspect his handiwork.
"He's not going to kill us in our sleep you know, and why aren't you putting any wards on Souta's door?"
"Don't trouble your pretty little head with details my dear." He patted her head as though she were still six years old. "Just know that you will be safe and that's all that matters."
"Grandpa!" She tried to reason with him, but he was already out the door firmly sealing it shut with more wards. Kagome groaned at his eccentricity seriously tempted to rip all of the wards off after he left. She could only image how stupid her door must look right then and prayed no one she knew would ever see it. Kagome toyed with the notion of burning his stash of wards as she pulled off her school uniform and tossed it into her hamper. She laughed to herself imaging Grandpa's look of horror and shock at the crime. No doubt he would blame it on an evil spirit and spend weeks performing exorcisms on the house and tie charms to anything that didn't move.
Kagome soon had to discard her frivolous thoughts though deciding that it wouldn't be worth the fight. Grandpa was too stubborn to ever back down so she would never hear the end of it. She instead decided to talk to her mom who had had better luck in the past persuading her overly zealous grandfather in the past. Solution in mind, Kagome pulled out some comfortable pajamas sliding on the pants first. All thoughts of her grandfather's annoying quirks were thrust from her mind by a loud tearing sound at her door. Kagome yelped turning her back to the door clutching her nightshirt to her chest as the door opened.
"Souta, you little runt! I told you to knock first!" She yelled over her shoulder. When silence was her only reply, she tentatively glanced back. Inu Yasha was leaning against her closed door with his head cocked. Kagome's jaw dropped, she had forgotten about Inu Yasha. Now that he was there, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. It wasn't his casual body posture that held her attention, but the ravenous glint in his demon eyes. The raw desire in them sent a tremor through her body making her very aware of her state of undress.
"Inu Yasha." Pink tinged her cheeks. "I thought Grandpa put wards all over my door." She said lamely in all honesty at a complete lack of words. Inu Yasha withdrew his hand from behind his back and held up a fist full of shredded paper, a smug grin on his face.
"Since when has his wards ever worked on me?" Kagome couldn't suppress a chuckle at that knowing her grandfather's ire should he ever find out how useless his wards were against Inu Yasha. "A few lousy spells aren't nearly enough to keep me out." He tossed them over his shoulder as he advanced upon her. Kagome hastily flung the shirt on and fumbled the buttons together. Inu Yasha had already reached her by the time she turned around, disappointment in his expression at seeing her shirt in place. Kagome tried her best to think of something intelligible to say but all that would come out of her mouth was stuttered babbling. Intelligent thought was impossible with him standing in front of her like that looking so damned sensual. A slow wave of lust washed over her body as her eyes ran over his beautiful face and well defined body hidden by his voluminous robes. Heated memories of that night in the clearing flooded her mind filling her body with fiery anticipation. The yearning of her body was seriously working against her inhibition tempting her sorely to indulge in the delights her deep primal instinct offered.
Up until that point, Inu Yasha had every intention of being a gentleman realizing that Kagome wasn't ready for her family to know about their relationship. It stung a little that she didn't want them to know raising a niggling doubt far back in the shadows of his mind that she was ashamed of him. Still, the love that she offered to patently in her eyes was sufficient to keep that doubt from consuming him. So, Inu Yasha curbed his raging hormones that so ardently cried out for her, and had decided to settle for chastely holding her in her sleep as he had the previous night.
His resolve had been strained when he had walked in on her with her naked back turned toward him, her hair tumbling down it with familiar abandon. Then, all of his good intentions went out the window when he caught sight of her standing before him with cheeks flushed with desire. Her glassy eyes were distant as though lost in thought; the delectable pheromones that filled the air around her betrayed where her thoughts drifted. His hand shot out of its own accord to grip her chin and angle it upward so he could delve into her eyes and fathom her thoughts. The warmth of her rising body temperature seeped into his fingers, her eyes told him everything he needed to know.
"You made a promise."
"I know." Inu Yasha smiled faintly wrapping an arm around her waist to bring her up against him.
"Good because I'm not a patient person. I don't think that I can wait any longer." He backed her up until the backs of her knees pressed against her mattress.
"That's an understatement!" Kagome laughed. Inu Yasha's hands lowered to her waist urging her onto the bed. Kagome accommodated by scooting backward then tucking her legs underneath her to have better stability never once breaking the tight embrace.
Inu Yasha licked her ear slowly, sensually; his demon senses reveling in the shiver he felt slide through her petite frame. His hands caressed the smooth column of her neck as he nibbled her delicate earlobe earning a hitch in Kagome's breathing. His hands then trailed down her shoulders and along her arms raking his claws lightly against her exposed, soft flesh. It wasn't enough to draw blood but it had every nerve in her arms painfully sensitized. Inu Yasha released her ear to turn his attention to her arms grasping her wrist he held it to his mouth and dragged his tongue along her forearm making her skin tingle. Kagome gasped at the subtle sensation and was rewarded with a soft kiss on the crook of her arm. Inu Yasha's hands shifted along her body returning to her neck where his thumbs angled her chin upward as his other fingers delved into her thick hair. He covered her mouth with his own in a consuming kiss. He licked her lips running his tongue upon their fullness then went further to message her tongue and slide against the roof of her mouth. All the while his hands were not still; he pulled them from her hair and slit them down the front of her body seeking the smooth buttons of her nightshirt. Upon finding his goal, his fingertips grazing the smooth, round surface of the first one, he undid them one by one with purposeful consideration. A bit overwhelmed by the intensity of his kiss, Kagome's fingers clenched the fabric of his gi tightly trying her best to return the kiss with equal fervor.
Inu Yasha finished with the buttons and easily slid the shirt from her shoulders and tossed it to the floor. He continued to ravish her mouth all the while without hesitation but Kagome was forced to break away with a stifled moan when his hands discovered her breasts. With an aching slowness he kneaded her supple mounds toying with her nipples with the balls of his thumbs. Kagome rested her forehead against his shoulder, her hands grasping his; already the heat between her thighs was almost unbearable. Inu Yasha's attention was soon diverted to her exposed neck resting so temptingly close to his mouth. Not one to deny himself the unwitting offer, he first kissed then gently nibbled her throat. As he pressed his lips to her pulse point he could feel her heart beating wildly and the warmth of her increased blood flow against his hungry mouth.
No longer being still, Kagome had gone into action, she pushed Inu Yasha away and worked on freeing him from his robe. Not the patient type himself, Inu Yasha helped her and it wasn't long until his clothes joined her shirt on the floor. Kagome's hands went to his chest where they traced his muscles and scars in a tantalizing dance that soon had his blood boiling. Inu Yasha pushed her back down on the mattress and continued where he had left off on her neck. He began to work down laving her collarbone then tasting the valley between her breasts where a fine sheen of sweat and begun to form. The amount of pheromones that her body was giving out at this point almost had him mad with desire and he could smell and taste them coming from every pore. The siren's song of her body strained his will tempting him to simply give in to his lust and just take her roughly right at that moment. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the love he felt for her, it helped him to restrain his libido and ensure that she enjoyed this just as much as he did. Besides, the sight of her writhing with heat and need for him was almost just as sweet as the actual act.
Pausing his erotic actions for a moment, he pulled back allowing his eyes so sweep over her glorious body. He followed the delicate slope of her shoulder that transformed into long, slender arms. His gaze moved over her flat stomach and up to the soft swell of her breasts. He stopped there as he caught sight of a small white scar above her right nipple; two pinpoints with brief hint of teeth in-between. A surge of male satisfaction welled up within him as memories of that scar rolled within his mind taking him back to that delicious night when he first tasted the delights of her body; the delights of her heart. He placed two fingers on the scar smoothing over the skin, a hint of awe and possessiveness flickering in his eyes. Despite how much he hated to hurt her, the thought that he had permanently marked her as his was intoxicating.
Inu Yasha lowered his hand, his mouth taking his fingers place. He teased the skin with his tongue and reaffirmed the scar with a light nip. While his mouth continued to take in the sweet taste of Kagome's flesh nipping her breasts, his hands traveled lower dipping underneath the fabric of her pants. He lazily stroked the inside of her thighs then moved up to slowly trace the v of her groin with his claw. Kagome moaned harshly and gripped his shoulders tightly trying to keep her noise to an absolute minimum. Hearing the restraint in her voice, Inu Yasha looked up into her eyes and smiled wickedly, he suddenly had a perverse desire to make her cry out even if her entire household should hear. Perhaps it was a secret desire to let everyone in the world know that she was his, body and soul. Whatever the reason, he gave in to the desire and quickly pulled free Kagome's pants dragging her underwear down with them. Once that last article of clothing joined the collection on the floor, he began to torture Kagome. He captured her hands then held them pinned above her head with one hand, the other slowly trailed down her body taking some tome to tease her breast and circle her bellybutton. Then with artful skill, his finger slipped between her labia seeking her pleasure center. Kagome arched her back at the contact, her arms tugged against her restraint seeking liberation. Inu Yasha paid no heed to her struggle and soon found her nub. Inu Yasha turned his gaze to her eyes, hazy with desire and newfound pleasure. He worked her between his thumb and forefinger all the while locking his eyes with hers watching the heat built within her brown orbs. Inu Yasha kept his sped too slow to allow her climax but enough to give her an aching taste of it. Kagome's breathing became labored and she writhed against his grip trying to free herself of his torture.
"Inu...Inu Yasha." She pleaded softly, her voice no more than a shaky whisper.
"Don't hold back and I won't either." He pressed his body against hers.
"I can't. My family will hear." Kagome bit her lip hard to keep from crying out from the sweet agony.
"Let them hear." Their eyes locked and she saw his intent.
"You're a fiend, you know that?" She growled at him.
"That's right." He purred slowing his fingers slightly to draw out the sensation even more. The battle had officially begun and it all boiled down to how long Kagome could last is assault in silence. Fortunately, Kagome was never one to back down to a challenge and she'd rather die than have her entire household catch her in such a compromising position. Kagome's eyes skimmed over Inu Yasha's body seeking a way to free herself before her control was completely stripped away. Her eyes settled on his (think of a good word and description.) An idea sparked in her mind. In a sudden act of rebellion, Kagome raised her knee and began to rub against his member with exaggerated slowness. Inu Yasha had to bite back a cry of surprise and pleasure at her clever and daring move. He looked down upon his prey as he felt her arms breaking free using his distraction to her advantage. Inu Yasha grinned at her ingenuity; she could be wily when she got over her shyness. Once freed from his tortuous caresses, Kagome sought revenge by replacing her knee with her hand. At first she blushed from her daring but the heat of the moment had stripped her of her inhibitions. Inu Yasha groaned as her fingers explored him with uncertain curiosity. With a tormenting slowness her fingers trailed down from the head and along the shaft. In eminent danger of ending the session right then, Inu Yasha grasped her hand to still her motions,
"You're not playing fair." He whispered hoarsely.
"Demons aren't the only ones who don't play fair." She grinned enjoying the effect she was having on him. A mischievous light sparked within his amber eyes and a slight half smile toyed at the corner of his lips,
"As you wish." He swiftly shifted so that he was behind her, his arms wrapped around her torso firmly trapping her arms to her sides. He leaned forward pressing against her back and brushed his lips against her ear, "No more games." A tremor ran through her body and she gulped. Inu Yasha's devious smile widened and he shifted his embrace so that his hands had access to her breasts. He fondled them lightly then began feasting on the smooth slope of her shoulder. Kagome's hands curled around his arms as she desperately tried to remain quiet. As Inu Yasha used the edge of his teeth on her tender skin, Kagome was suddenly filled with curiosity about what the effect of biting might have on him. She had never tried it but he certainly seemed fond of marking her. Deciding that turn-about was fair play, Kagome used her grip on his arm to urge it up enough that her mouth had access to the soft area of his forearm. She lowered her head and pressed her lips to the skin there, Inu Yasha's motions slowed. Encouraged, she gingerly bit his arm then soothed the skin with her tongue tracing her mark with its velvety tip. Inu Yasha stilled, a violent wave of passion spread through his limbs and he became painfully aroused. The innocent bite shattered his frail restraint and the demon in him surfaced with greedy anticipation. His arms slid down her lithe body and grasped her hips jerking them upward bringing her to her knees. Kagome had only a moment to register the sudden change in his demeanor before he brought her down forcefully upon his erection. Kagome gasped digging her nails into his arms to keep her silence. Inu Yasha remained still for a long moment, his breathing ragged. Then his hands slid up her stomach and cupped her breasts. He slowly pulled out of her then thrust again exaggerating the movement. Kagome arched her back against him, a soft moan escaping her parted lips. He thrust again, harder this time, planting a kiss just below her ear. Inu Yasha soon picked up a rhythm moving faster but still retained deliberate control empasizing every moment. It almost seemed that each thrust moved in time with her frenzied heartbeat. She moved with him as best she could in her submissive position but soon found that she had to focus all her attention on holding back her moans of pleasure. Kagome used her labored breathing as an outlet expressing her ecstasy in ragged gasps and soundless cries. Inu Yasha pressed his lips to her shoulder releasing muffled grunts of his own. Kagome slid one hand upward to cup his cheek, her body trembled as she neared the cusp of rapture. Inu Yasha bit down hard on her tender shoulder as he reached his climax thrusting so hard that he raised her body a few inches higher. That final stroke accompanied by his warm fluid pushed her over the edge tumbling down with him in the momentary bliss of orgasm.
They remained in that position while riding out the after shocks letting their sweat-slicked bodies cool. When Inu Yasha became soft within her, Kagome lifted her hips to rearrange herself in a more comfortable position. Inu Yasha pulled himself out of her but before she could turn, the arms wrapped around her torso tightened.
"I love you." He whispered, his voice strained.
"I love you too." His arms loosened enough for her to shift in his embrace to face him. His eyes were shadowed by his bangs.
"Thank you."
"For what?" He only shook his head, a faint glimmer in his eyes.
"Just...thank you."
********
That night he dreamed of Kikyo's death. He watched helplessly as the disguised Naraku slashed ruthlessly into her and gloated over her fallen body. He watched in anguish as Kikyo cursed him and her love for him. He saw her take in her last breath after pinning him to a tree with her enchanted arrow; dying without ever knowing the truth. The dream was so real that he could hear the cries of the men and felt the heat of the fire that threatened to consume the village. The dream was so real that he could feel the moisture of his own tears falling down his cheeks.
Waking up neither soothed the pain in his heart nor distance the memories. He felt Kikyo's death just as sharply as if it had happened yesterday. The loneliness deep within his heart stung him horribly offering no hope of ease. Cool fingers touched his wet cheeks brushing away his tears with painful tenderness. Inu Yasha's eyes locked with Kagome's. She was sitting up in bed watching him, her eyes filled with empathy. Without any words or encouragement, Kagome took him into her arms and held his head to her chest. Inu Yasha wrapped his arms tightly around her waist finding solace in her warm embrace.
"It's okay." She whispered into the gentle blackness of the night. "Everything will be okay." Under the cloak of night where pride is sheltered by the blessed darkness, Inu Yasha was able to indulge in his weakness and allow her comfort and soft words. In that hushed world where there was only the quiet glow of stars Inu Yasha could shed long held tears and mumble old heartaches. Kagome held him close rocking him back and forth able to do nothing more for his pain.
It did not take long for the sadness of his dream to fade and Inu Yasha swiftly mastered himself although the effort of regaining control of his faltering emotions left him weakened. His body still demanded rest but his mind feared dreams too much to allow himself any respite yet. As his body sagged with weariness, Kagome eased him down so that his head rested on her lap. Unsure of what to say or do to alleviate his wounded heart Kagome remained silent for a while. One hand found its way to his soft ears and began to absently rub one much as she would do for CAT. Inu Yasha smiled grabbed her other hand with both of his then brought it down to his chest holding it there.
"What is it with you people always wanted to rub my ears?" He mused.
"You don't like it?" Her fingers stilled.
"I do actually," he admitted, "just not when strangers do it." Kagome chuckled then fell silent again, her thoughts turning back to the reason why both of them were awake. Inu Yasha absently stared at the ceiling while Kagome gently rubbed his ears. Both of his hands clutched her one free hand holding it to his chest. Kagome's fingers soon moved on combing lightly through his long white locks. Inu Yasha's eyelids half closed in contentment.
"What did you dream?" Her fingers drifted to his forehead where she smoothed back his bangs.
"It doesn't matter." His voice was distant.
"You called out Kikyo's name." Inu Yasha opened his eyes fully. "Did you dream about her?" Her voice held no anger or hurt, just a patient gentleness. Inu Yasha remained silent for a long stretch of time contemplating the shadows drifting aimlessly on the walls.
"Yes." His reply was almost inaudible.
"What did you dream?" She prompted.
"It doesn't matter."
"It does to me if it's enough to make you so sad." Inu Yasha returned his gaze to the face looking down so lovingly on him, her sweet eyes worried. "Please tell me, I want to help." She implored and her eyes almost had him convinced that he could tell her anything and fear no repercussion. Kagome always had that effect on him, somehow she always made him feel so comfortable around her. She had often confused him in the past when she got so happy about him opening up to her. He wanted to make her happy but the idea of showing any vulnerability to anyone, even Kagome, invoked a deep fear in his heart. All of his life he had been taught that to show weakness was to invite death or worse.
Sorrow filled her expression as Kagome saw Inu Yasha's eyes become distant; saw him emotionally pull away from her concealing his emotions with a sturdy mask of indifference.
"Inu Yasha, you made me promise you that I would never leave you." Inu Yasha nodded slowly. "Please, make me the same promise. Promise me that you'll never leave me."
"Kagome...I..." He looked up imploringly at her. Kagome's heart wrenched, she knew how dangerous such a question could be. She knew that he would never intentionally hurt her, but his dream that night reminded her of the power Kikyo still held over him. Now that she knew how wonderful is was to have her love returned, to have the man she loved so close, she didn't know if she could stand to lose him. In the last week her love had burst into a bright fire that Kagome never knew she was capable of. Without Inu Yasha, she worried that the loss of this awaked fire would kill her. Ignorance is bliss; before she would have been able to let him walk away and still hold some feeble hope of rebuilding her heart. Now...now she wasn't so sure that that was possible anymore.
Tears stung her eyes at Inu Yasha's silence, at his hesitation over a question to which he wasn't sure of the answer and was too honest to lie.
"I do love you." He said with all the passion of his heart.
"I know." Both of their hearts were held in limbo awaiting Inu Yasha's next encounter with Kikyo. An encounter that would inevitably change both their lives forever.
____________________________________________________ ____________________
Okay, a bit depressing at the end but it's a good set up for Inu Yasha's confrontation with Kikyo and the very hard choices that he will have to face.
The next chapter is going to take a while to get out because this one will have to be handled very carefully so that it will be honest and true to the natures of all the characters. I'll make it up in length, I promise you. Dealing with a situation with that much emotion will take a lot of writing!
Thank you all for being patient and sending positive reviews to help improve this story; I welcome all suggestions and comments. I know I take a long time to get chapters out but rest assured I'm always working on them trying to make them as good as possible.
Lady Eclipse
P.S. Sorry for the cliche's but they're all so much damn fun!!