InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ She Who the Prophecy Foretold ❯ Busy Afternoon ( Chapter 72 )

Chapter 72 - Busy afternoon

 

 

Kagome's three friends gave her odd looks as she and Sesshoumaru approached where they waited next to the fountain. “Hey guys! Sorry to keep you waiting. I had to rinse out my hair. I swear there was milkshake everywhere!” Sesshoumaru had yet to release her from his hold, instead walking at her side, her small body held firmly against his larger one.

 

“I've never seen you wear your hair like that, Kagome,” Yuka said suspiciously.

 

Kagome blushed a bit and shot a glare up at Sesshoumaru. “It's kinda necessary.” Kagome leaned in and whispered, “I had to take off my bra and I don't want everyone to know.” All three girls burst into giggles at their friend's expense. “Gee, thanks for caring,” she muttered under her breath.

 

It was Ayumi who noticed Kagome's less than pleased look. “Oh, Kagome, I'm sorry. We're sorry. It must have been embarrassing, slipping and falling and being covered with milkshake. You're lucky you didn't break an arm or leg. Does your head hurt?” the girl asked compassionately, thoroughly regretting laughing at her friend. Yuka and Eri caught on quickly and offered their apologies as well.

 

“Nah, it's just a bump. Come on now, let's go. I wanna pick out something for Sesshoumaru to wear before Mom shows up.” The others agreed and after handing over Kagome's bags, which Sesshoumaru insisted on carrying, the group was on its way as if nothing had happened at all.

 

When they reached their destination Sesshoumaru's eyes widened, taking in the racks of clothing. Did she intend for him to wear something from this store? The pants he could see were much different than the jeans or the cargos he'd worn.

 

Kagome caught the look in his eyes and grinned. Walking up and wrapping her arms around him, pressing her breasts against his firm chest, she looked up into his eyes as he looked down into hers. “I'm going with the whole bad boy look. I really want to see you in some of these,” she said while reaching out one hand and brushing her fingertips across the odd looking pants hanging from the rack to her right.

 

He was about to protest, ready to refuse to wear such things, when the scent of her arousal hit his nose. `The very thought of this Sesshoumaru in clothing like these arouses you, my little miko?' She blushed and nodded slightly before starting to pull away. His arm wrapped around her waist to hold her close to him and prevent any escape. `Then I suppose it would be acceptable. But you will have to help this Sesshoumaru if you expect me to try anything on here.'

 

She smirked up at him. `I was planning on it,' was all she said before slipping from his grasp to start picking through the racks in search of the perfect thing. Kagome's friends soon joined her in the hunt. Finally she returned to where he stood, still trying to understand the point to all the things hanging off the pants; chains and straps hung from everywhere but seemed to serve no purpose. He found himself thinking that humans were quite strange. He was completely lost in his thoughts and failed to notice Kagome at his side.

 

“Sesshoumaru,” she said in a teasingly erotic voice. “Are you ready to try some things on for me?” she asked him.

 

He turned and looked over the three things she held, trying to hide his surprise that she'd been able to sneak up on him. Really, he was letting his guard down much too easily. He wanted to sigh but held it back. If she really wanted him to try these strange things on then he would. Besides, it would give him a reason to be alone with her in one of those little rooms, where he really was supposed to remove him clothing, not just wanted to. He gave a short nod and allowed her to take hold of his hand and drag him along behind her. Her friends followed, apparently also quite interested to see him in Kagome's choices. When she reached their destination, Kagome opened the door and motioned for him to enter, following behind him and closing and locking the door. They could both hear her friends surprised whispers, each wondering why Kagome had gone in with him.

 

He stopped listening to the three human girls and turned his attention to Kagome once more, only to find that she'd already unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. They now hung precariously from his hips, ready to drop to the floor with the slightest movement. She was pulling a pair of black `pants', if they could even be called by that name, that had red stitching, multiple chains and black straps hanging from everywhere, and zippers in places he didn't understand. When she looked up at him impatiently he merely tilted his hips to the side, allowing his current pants to fall to the ground. He casually stepped out of them and Kagome handed him the confusing item. He slid them on and watched as she zipped and buttoned.

 

“I knew it,” she whispered.

 

“What is it that you knew?” he asked while inspecting himself in the mirror. It wasn't all that bad. He noted that they were incredibly baggy and hung all the way to the ground around his shoes, pretty much guaranteeing that the bottoms would be destroyed by any amount of walking around in them. The black with red stitching went well with the dark red shirt that he wore, and the dark colors seemed to make his hair glow.

 

“That you would look amazing in these,” she said while giving one of the hanging chains a small tug. “Come on. Let's show the girls. Just a warning though. It's gonna be loud.” With that said, Kagome swung open the door and stepped out, her demon lord following obediently.

 

“Oh… My… God!!!” Eri nearly screeched. “Look at him!”

 

Yuka and Ayumi, who had been discussing a long skirt that was adorned in a similar fashion to what he was wearing, turned around and gasped. “He's gorgeous,” Yuka breathed out, Ayumi making a small sound of approval, her throat having frozen at the sight of him.

 

Kagome pulled him towards the larger mirrors. “Put your hands in the pockets,” she directed. Looking down carefully to ensure he didn't slice the fabric, Sesshoumaru did as he was asked. “They're perfect!”

 

“You have chosen then?” he asked.

 

“Nope. You have to try on the other two.” She giggled as his shoulders dropped. “Don't feel too bad. Most guys hate trying things on. Just the two, I promise. And maybe a couple of shirts.” Sesshoumaru walked silently back into the changing room, Kagome following once more. A minute later they exited again. This time Sesshoumaru was wearing a pair of pants very similar to the first except that in addition to red stitching, the hanging straps were red as well. The process was repeated one last time, the third pair being red with black straps and black mesh pockets. Kagome had decided that she loved them all.

 

By the time they returned to the dressing room to put Sesshoumaru's own pants back on, the scent of his miko's arousal was overwhelming. Kagome quickly found herself pressed against the locked door, her lips being attacked by little nips and passionate kisses that continued their way down her throat. She felt his warm hands slip under her shirt, his claws barely touching her, leaving goosebumps in their wake, until they found her unrestrained breasts, nipples already standing at attention before he'd even touched her. “You, my sweet little miko, smell delicious,” he purred into the curve of her neck. “What is it about these pants that excite you so?”

 

Kagome gasped as he rolled her left nipple between his thumb and fingers. “I… I don't know,” she managed to breathe out before her shirt was lifted over her breasts and his mouth was firmly attached to the right. “You… Mmmmmm… You just look… so… hot,” she murmured. “We can't… do this… here either,” she managed to get out between her stifled moans as she tried to stay quiet.

 

“This Sesshoumaru desires a taste of that delicious aroma,” he said softly before dropping to his knees and kissing the pale skin of her abdomen. “Open them for me,” he ordered, and Kagome found herself obeying automatically, opening the zipper and button of her jeans. She shivered as he slid them down past her knees, taking her panties with them. In an instant she found her knees over his shoulders, her jeans still on her lower legs behind his head, and his face buried in her short, neatly trimmed black curls. Her head fell back to rest on the wall as she allowed him to have his way. She didn't really want to stop him anyways.

 

He knew he didn't have a lot of time. Her friends would wonder what was taking so long and more than likely start knocking on the door. He had to make this quick, but he was going to make sure she still thoroughly enjoyed herself. He allowed his tongue to slip between her incredibly slick folds, tasting the proof of her arousal. He was once again filled with male pride as he thought that it took nothing but her looking at him to make her so very wet. His hands cupped her soft ass, holding her to him as he flicked the tip of his tongue across her clit before sliding it into her passage as far as he could reach, which was pretty far thanks to his inhuman tongue.

 

He listened to her soft moans as her hands once again found their way into his hair. She was pulling even harder this time, probably because of the great effort she was making to stay quiet. During one extra hard tug of his silver strand he found himself giving her ass a squeeze in response. His incredibly sensitive hearing picked up her friends talking on the other side of the door, whispering to one another, wondering if everything was alright. Knowing he was almost out of time he trailed his tongue the full length of her folds before wrapping his lips around her clit and sucking hard while flicking his tongue over the very tip. As her hands tightened in his hair again he squeezed her ass and flicked his tongue faster. It took less than a minute for him to push her over the edge, drinking in all the ambrosia she released for him.

 

Once he had cleaned her sufficiently, though he would have loved to do a much more thorough job, he lifted her off his shoulders and settled her in his lap, enjoying the pressure and heat of her body pressed against his own painful arousal. The scent of her blood caught his attention and his eyes searched her face, thinking that somehow her wound had returned, but her cheek wasn't the source of her blood. As she climaxed she bit hard into her lower lip in a desperate attempt to keep from crying out. There was now a small trail of blood running down onto her chin, not that she noticed as she was still trying to catch her breath. He leaned down and licked the trail from her chin and then pulled her bottom lip between his own. He sucked on the injured bit of flesh for a few moments, enjoying the taste of her blood mixing with the lingering taste of her pleasure. Sesshoumaru gave the cut a few small licks, reluctantly closing the wound.

 

Lifting her body with his, he set her on her feet, making sure to keep a firm hold on her waist, just in case her legs weren't quite ready to support her. When he was certain she would be alright he helped her redress herself before she assisted him in removing the red pants and putting on his own once again. She smiled at him, her eyes still slightly glazed, as he ran his claws through his hair, removing the tangles caused by her tugging.

 

When they both looked sufficiently normal they exited the dressing room. Seeing the looks on her friends' faces, Kagome made a quick excuse. “We were trying to decide which we liked the best. Couldn't do it, so we're gonna get all three.” She ignored their suspicious glances and, still clutching the three pairs of pants she was going to buy for Sesshoumaru, started looking through the women's racks, deciding she wanted something similar for herself. She selected a pair in black with green stitching and accents, one with purple, and something they called one legged pants. Not wanting to try them on at the moment, Kagome trusted that they were baggy enough to begin with that they would fit just fine. After a bit of poking around in the tops and not finding anything she liked, Kagome headed to the cashier.

 

 

\-\-\--/-/-/

\-\-\-\-SWtPF-/-/-/-/

\-\-\--/-/-/

 

 

They'd finished everything, and with very little time to spare. Just how long Sango's powder would keep Kouga asleep varied from demon to demon so they'd decided on making sure they were done by the shortest possible duration. They cleared out of the empty wolf campsite, removing any and all traces of their presence. Then, stopping to pick up Rin and Shippo, and Jaken too since he insisted to be brought along, the group returned to the cave where Kouga laid unconscious. Inuyasha tossed the furs near the entrance while Miroku peeled off his sutras, removing the barrier. Then all that was left to do was wait. They decided that Rin didn't need to keep them hidden until there was some sign of movement in the darkness where Kouga was hidden from their eyes.

 

After a while everyone got bored with just sitting and waiting, so they ended up practicing their miko powers while they waited. None of them wanted Kagome to be disappointed that they hadn't advanced as much as she'd hoped because they were too busy playing pranks to take lessons and practice. Only Inuyasha knew for sure she wouldn't be disappointed, though she may still disapprove of their choice for passing the time. So Rin took over the role of teacher, describing just what she did and how it felt so the others could replicate it. Every now and then Akihiro would tell her of a technique he'd read about in the library scrolls about mikos and she would try and see if she could do it. Sometimes she succeeded and others she failed, but they all had fun trying. They were so enthralled with their powers that they almost missed the groan that echoed through the deep cave. Kouga was waking up.

 

 

\-\-\--/-/-/

\-\-\-\-SWtPF-/-/-/-/

\-\-\--/-/-/

 

 

Kouga awoke to find himself in darkness. As his demon eyes adjusted he noted the light coming only from one direction. `I'm in a cave or a tunnel or something,' he thought to himself. Taking in his surroundings he saw a bottle of water and a bag of what Kagome had told him were called `potato chips' sitting off to one side. He found that he was sitting on a blanket. Then he noticed it. He was naked. His chest plate was lying nearby but his furs were nowhere in sight. “What the fuck?” he said aloud, wincing as his voice echoed loudly off the stone walls of the cave. His head hurt. It felt like someone had smashed his head in with a boulder. Making sure not to speak loudly again, Kouga sniffed his surroundings carefully, trying to figure out how he had gotten there and why he couldn't remember, but found no scents that could explain his odd situation.

 

Deciding that thinking too hard was only making his head hurt worse, he reached for the bottle of water and bag of snacks. Kagome had shown him how to open a bottle like this one a long time ago, and he'd learned after a few mishaps how to open the bags of chips she had given him and his men every now and then when they ran into each other. His mouth was dry. Hell, it felt like he'd been trying to drink sand. Opening the bottle thankfully, he poured nearly half of the cool, clear liquid down his throat in one giant gulp. Now that his mouth didn't feel like a desert, he carefully recapped the bottle and moved on to the chips.

 

He had almost finished the bag when it dawned on him that the water and chips could have only come from Kagome. Had she brought him here? He sniffed again, this time lowering his nose to the blanket he sat on. It was faint, but there was a definite hint of Kagome on the fabric. `Why would Kagome bring me here and leave me alone? And why the hell am I naked and where are my fucking clothes?' Kouga was getting frustrated as his mind became clearer but no memories returned. Deciding that sitting here was getting him nowhere he quickly finished off the salty snack and chugged the rest of the water before leaving both empty items on the ground. He put on his chest plate, feeling rather odd to be wearing armor but no clothes, and wrapped the blanket around his waist. He picked up his sword, not sure why he bothered to carry the thing around since he never used it, and held it since he didn't have anything on the lower half of his body to hook it to.

 

 

\-\-\--/-/-/

\-\-\-\-SWtPF-/-/-/-/

\-\-\--/-/-/

 

 

In the bushes they were ready. Rin had erected her barrier, effectively hiding their presence. Miroku had the camera ready, trained on the entrance to the cave where any minute now a naked and disoriented Kouga was appear. Sango finally realized just what they were most likely going to see and reluctantly turned around. She didn't want to miss his face, but she didn't want to see the rest of him. She turned Rin around as well, making sure not to break the little girl's concentration. They boys she didn't worry about. They all had the same things anyway and they'd seen other males naked as well so there was nothing to hide from them. No, it was just her virgin eyes and little Rin's. Inuyasha noticed her movement first and snorted as he tried to hold back a laugh before poking Miroku so he could see as well.

 

Miroku had a grin on his face as he turned to the love of his life. “Sango, my dear,” he whispered. “Are you so afraid of the male form that you are willing to miss such an entertaining moment?”

 

“Shut up, monk,” she hissed back, so ready to smack him. She still couldn't get the image of a naked and aroused Kouga lying flat on his back and completely unconscious. `Damn that monk,' she thought to herself. `I don't need to be thinking about that! Sure, Kouga's cute and all, but I so did not need to know how big it was! I can't believe he looked in the first place, let alone tell me!'

 

Miroku raised his hands in defeat before returning his attention to the quickly approaching show. He raised the camera so he could see the little screen, zooming in to get the first shot possible of the wolf prince's exit.

 

 

\-\-\--/-/-/

\-\-\-\-SWtPF-/-/-/-/

\-\-\--/-/-/

 

 

As he walked towards the opening of the cave, Kouga extended his senses. He really didn't need anyone around to see him like this. It was embarrassing, and it was only made worse by the fact that he had no idea how he got this way! He didn't sense anyone, causing him to let out a sigh of relief. He walked out into the bright sunshine, eyes darting around in an attempt to determine where exactly he was. Taking a sniff of the breeze for added information, he caught his own scent and Kagome's mixed together and looked down to find the source. At his feet were his furs. Glancing around, Kouga bent quickly and snatched up his furs before retreating into the darkness of the cave to put them on.

 

He tossed the blanket to the ground where he'd awoken and, sword now secured at his side, and then walked back towards the light, feeling much more comfortable and confident now that he was dressed. The sweet scent of Kagome clung to his clothing, helping to keep him calm but also confusing him further. His body didn't smell like Kagome. If they had mated the whole cave would have been filled with the scents of their activities. So how did her scent get on his clothes so strongly but not on him? Did she take his clothes? `No,' he told himself. `My Kagome would never leave me naked and vulnerable.'

 

Stepping out of the cave, this time in his usual arrogant swagger, he examined his surroundings, realizing that he wasn't that far away from the mutt's pack and his own group's camp. Turning towards his camp, Kouga took off, leaving behind nothing but a swirling cloud of dust.

 

 

\-\-\--/-/-/

\-\-\-\-SWtPF-/-/-/-/

\-\-\--/-/-/

 

 

Miroku was once again sent into the cave, this time to retrieve the blanket, which he slipped into another plastic zipper bag, and the empty bottle and foil bag. Kagome had explained to them the importance of never leaving any of the items she brought from her time to be found by others. They always cleaned up after themselves carefully, burning empty wrappers and other trash, making sure they burned completely before leaving the area. With his task complete, Miroku came back out of the cave and they all separated into their groups, moving as quickly as possible to the empty but very rigged wolf campsite. They didn't want to miss any of the fun.

 

 

\-\-\--/-/-/

\-\-\-\-SWtPF-/-/-/-/

\-\-\--/-/-/

 

 

With all their purchases made and having visited all the stores they had hoped to, along with a couple extra, the group was now merely wandering around the mall, gazing through windows to kill time until Kagome's mother arrived to take them home. Kagome found herself feeling slightly guilty for spending so much money. She didn't know how her mother intended to pay the credit card bill. Money had always been a bit tight, not having the additional income a father would have brought to the family. Her mother had always made sure she had everything she needed, but every now and then, no matter how they tried to hide it, she would hear her mother and grandfather talking about money, and it always sounded like they didn't have enough. Of course neither her mother nor grandfather had ever told her or Souta that times were tough or money tight. They'd figured it out on their own. But then her mother had told her to buy whatever she wanted or needed, and Kagome was enjoying spending money on something other than bandages and ramen.

 

Every couple of store windows caused one of her friends to squeal in excitement and rush inside to check out just `how cute' something was or check out the price in hopes of having enough money left. Yuka ended up with a new belt to go with her outfit for the party. Eri bought a pair of earrings, and Ayumi picked out shoes. With her three friends now out of money, it was just her and Sesshoumaru really paying attention to the window displays, with Kagome pulling out her phone every now and then to check the time. They were heading in the right direction at least, so they would be close to where they were supposed to be picked up at the right time. Kagome had no desire to make a mad dash across the giant mall so her mother wouldn't have to wait long.

 

Kagome noticed that Sesshoumaru would slow every now and then as he took in something in a display. When she asked if he wanted something or wanted to look inside he always said no, so she didn't know what exactly he kept noticing. They were passing a Barnes and Nobles book store when Kagome thought of something else she wanted to look at while she was here. She'd wanted to look at the toy stores but figured now wasn't the time. She wouldn't be able to explain to her friends who she needed all the toys for and they really didn't have a place for toys on their journey. Maybe when they were going to be heading to the Palace Moon she could get some things to bring along and leave at the palace when they continued on. Shaking the thought of toys from her head she called to her friends and gave Sesshoumaru's hand a tug before entering the giant bookstore.

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes were wide as he took in the sheer number of books. As he walked beside Kagome, who apparently knew her destination, he read the titles of the books they passed and the names of the sections posted on the shelves. It was when they were passing the history section that he stopped; causing Kagome to jerk to a stop as his hand still held hers but no longer followed her movement.

 

“Damn it, Sesshoumaru,” she hissed out. Sure, it wasn't a library but it was still full of books, which gave the whole place a `Be Quiet or Get Out' kind of feel. “You could have warned me.”

 

The taiyoukai failed to answer as he skimmed over the titles. After a moment he released her hand to pick up one that seemed interesting. Kagome watched in silence with a smile on her face as he picked up a few more. She noticed that he was interested not only in the time between his era and hers but also in what had happened before the Feudal era.

 

She glanced around, seeing that they had lost her friends a while ago to the rack of magazines she'd barely spared a glance. She didn't find the articles and quizzes in the magazines aimed at teenagers interesting in the least. Seeing that no one was around to hear her, she spoke. “Don't you know all about Japan during this time?” she asked while pointing to one of his selections.

 

“This Sesshoumaru desires to see how it has been recorded. Many things in your history book are grossly inaccurate, and I desire to know just what is said about the events I have witnessed personally.” He smirked at her as her eyes widened and traveled from the dates on the book to his face and back. He hadn't told her just how old he was yet and now she had a timeframe at the very least. She knew now that he had lived through at least some of the events covered during that time period and he had been right in his assumptions on how she would react. She was definitely shocked. But he had also been wrong, he realized, as a bright smile returned to her face. She apparently wasn't bothered by it. Did nothing faze this beautiful young woman?

 

“I get it,” she said, the smile never leaving her face. “But you are going to have to tell me some day just how old you are.” She received the expected `Hn' and once he'd picked up the books he desired the couple continued their progression to the section Kagome had intended to visit all along.

 

Sesshoumaru found himself surrounded by bright colored books of all shapes and sizes. Finding a sign he determined that they were in the children's section. Looking around further he noticed small tables and toys spread around the area. He couldn't help the small smile that graced his lips. It was just like Kagome to want to get books for the children. Of course she would want them to continue to learn while traveling. He wanted to sweep her into his arms and kiss her senseless but his arms were a bit full, all the bags hanging off one arm, which was also loaded down with a stack of heavy looking books.

 

“I thought that since the kids will be missing their lessons while we're traveling maybe I could take over. I don't want to be the reason they are behind in their education.”

 

“They would very much enjoy having you as their teacher,” he said in a lower tone. “You make a wonderful mother Kagome.”

 

She turned and looked into his eyes, seeing that he was being completely sincere. Blushing at the compliment, as well as the sudden image of herself pregnant with his pups, she turned away and looked over the books, trying to find the section she was looking for. By the time Kagome was finished she held an armload and Sesshoumaru had quite a few added to his stack as well. She'd picked out books on science, math, and more. There were some advanced books especially for Akihiro and some books more suited for girls for Rin. No one was left out as she found special choices for each child. She even picked a few more storybooks, filled with fairytales and fables as well as some of the more modern classics.

 

Sure, they were going to be heavy, but Sesshoumaru had assured her that Ah Un could carry them easily, that the weight would be nothing more than if a fly landed on his back. She decided that he would be the one to know and if he said it would be alright then it would, and allowed her self to pick all she desired. She walked past her friends, still at the magazine racks, giggling and talking lowly about which ever cute movie star was the new teen obsession. She called out to them and they reluctantly put back the magazines and left the store to wait outside. By the time Kagome was leaving the store it was almost time to meet her mother and the group made their way to the correct exit, thankful to find an empty bench in the shade.

 

Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi sat down on the bench, while Kagome and Sesshoumaru merely put down their bags. Glancing over to see why their friend hadn't joined them they all `Aww'ed, making Kagome blush. Sesshoumaru stood with his back leaned against a column and Kagome stood right in front of him, leaning against his muscled chest, his right arm wrapped around her waist and right hand resting near her left hip. It was an obviously possessive hold and Kagome looked perfectly comfortable, like she was right where she belonged.

 

 

\-\-\--/-/-/

\-\-\-\-SWtPF-/-/-/-/

\-\-\--/-/-/

 

 

Kouga easily found his way back to camp, but once he arrived he wasn't so sure he was in the right place. His small pack was gone. There wasn't even the slightest hint that they'd been there. All the supplies were gone. The small pile of wood they'd collected was gone. Their scent has completely disappeared. All that remained to show that anyone had ever camped there was the remains of a campfire. He looked around in confusion. “Where the fuck is everyone?” he asked himself aloud. They wouldn't just leave, not without him or his permission. What the hell was going on around here today? Had the whole world gone crazy?

 

He slowly walked towards the remnants of the campfire, finding it completely cold. Checking the position of the sun he knew it hadn't been that long since he'd been sitting around this very fire pit with his pack. That was the last thing he remembered, breakfast with the others. The fire should still be smoldering at the very least, but instead it looked like it had been out for days. Was it possible that he'd been in that cave for days? Maybe they left because they thought he'd left them behind? He was certain they would never assume him dead if he was missing for a few days so maybe they thought he'd moved on. But why would he have moved on? He was planning on staying right here until Kagome returned and damn it, that's what he was going to do, pack or no pack.

 

Deciding he was still hungry, Kouga got up from where he had knelt near the old fire and began walking towards the deeper parts of the forest named after the hanyou mutt. He scoffed to himself at the thought. `A forest named after that worthless half-breed? It's ridiculous, that's what it is.' He'd almost reached the tree line when he suddenly found himself on his ass. “What the fuck?” he practically yelled, forgetting that his head still ached in his anger. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath as he rubbed his temples. Now his head hurt worse, not only from his exclamation but also because of the cause of it. It felt like he'd walked face first into a stone wall. Realizing just how impossible that was, Kouga looked in front of him, trying to find what he could have walked into. Finding absolutely nothing, he reached his hand out, finding nothing again. Now he was sure he was losing his mind. He took a few steps forward while waving his arms in front of him as if he were blind.

 

 

\-\-\--/-/-/

\-\-\-\-SWtPF-/-/-/-/

\-\-\--/-/-/

 

 

They had arrived just in time to see Kouga's confusion as he knelt by the fire they'd smothered to make it appear to have been out for days. When he rose, Akihiro took the reigns while Rin continued to keep them hidden. He erected an invisible barrier in the wolf prince's path. When Kouga walked right into it and landed on his not so princely ass in the dirt they were biting their own hands to stifle their laughter. As soon as he'd hit it, Akihiro dropped the invisible wall. Miroku had been looking over the features of the camera, having remembered something Kagome had mentioned once. While the others had been preparing for their other pranks he had sat and played with it for a while until he figured out how to make it work. The digital camera had the capability to take short video clips, a few minutes tops but it was enough. He had zoomed in on Kouga and captured the fall perfectly. He continued to record as Kouga searched in front of him, searching for something that wasn't there. If Kagome had been there she would have said he looked like a mime. It was hilarious.

 

 

\-\-\--/-/-/

\-\-\-\-SWtPF-/-/-/-/

\-\-\--/-/-/

 

 

Finally Kouga decided he had to have imagined it and tripped or something just as unlikely. He had no other explanation and it was just too weird. Deciding to just forget about it, he lowered his hands to his sides and set off towards the forest for his hunt once again. He'd taken just a few steps before finding himself once again on his ass, his forehead and nose throbbing. “What the FUCK?!” he snarled loudly, no longer caring about his headache. Whatever the hell was happening was making it worse already. He was confused, in pain, and really fucking pissed off. He moved around, still on the ground, until he was sitting, legs crossed. He wasn't going to give it another chance to get him, no way in hell.

 

 

\-\-\--/-/-/

\-\-\-\-SWtPF-/-/-/-/

\-\-\--/-/-/

 

 

Miroku stopped the recording, seeing that the fun and games were over for a while. He snapped a few pictures of the fuming Kouga before everyone retreated, still fighting not to give their position away. Just to be safe they waited until they were all the way into their campsite before letting go. Inuyasha was on his back, howling with laughter, loving to see the wolf taken down a notch or two. Kouga had been a huge pain in his ass every since he'd first laid eyes on Kagome. Shippo wasn't any better, on his knees with his forehead to the ground as he laughed hysterically. Finally he was getting revenge on Kouga for kidnapping Kagome and trying to feed him to his wolves the first time they'd met. It wasn't quite enough yet, though, to make up for the wolf grabbing his ass this morning. Yoshi and Shin were a tad more dignified but not much, their laughter being fueled further by the sight their uncle was making.

 

Miroku was doubled over just thinking about the video he'd captured. Once everyone had calmed down he was going to show them all, which he was sure would start the laughter all over again. Sango was trying very hard not to laugh but she was losing the battle just light everyone else. Even Jaken was laughing. Only Rin didn't seem very amused. It had been funny, watching the wolf prince fall and wonder what he was walking into. She had been fighting to hold in her laughter just like the rest of them, until she's heard his snarling yell. Something about that sound made her blood run cold. Even now she shivered while holding Kazue tightly to her chest. The little black dog wasn't comfortable but she was worried. She called out to Kirara who immediately tried to get Sango's attention.

 

It took Sango a few moments to realize that Kirara was calling to her. When she heard the worried tone in the voice of her constant companion in her mind she immediately sobered. When Kirara told her what Kazue said about Rin her eyes snapped to the girl, taking in her frightened eyes and posture. Rin looked like she was trying to make herself invisible, her head down and shoulders pulled in. Her usually warm brown eyes were cold, terrified as she stared off into the distance, focused on nothing at all.

 

“Rin?” Sango called out as she rose. “Rin? Are you alright?” Within seconds she was at the little girl's side and everyone else's attention had been captured. Sango reached out to touch her shoulder but was surprised when she jerked back like she was afraid to be touched, like she thought the older woman would hurt her.

 

When Inuyasha saw Rin flinch away from Sango's hand he was up and at her other side in an instant. “Rin?” he said softly. “Rin, are you alright?” Now that he was closer he noticed that the sharp scent of fear covered her shivering form.

 

It took a few moments before Rin looked up, her eyes focusing on Inuyasha's face, before she leapt into his arms. As the hanyou's arms wrapped around her protectively she finally let the tears fall. “Rin… Rin is so scared!” she sobbed into his shoulder.

 

Everyone looked confused as Inuyasha asked her, “What are you afraid of, Rin? Nothing and no one is going to hurt you. You're safe with us.”

 

“The… the sound… the growl… it was the same. It sounded the same!”

 

“The same as what? Do you mean Kouga's growl? What did it sound like?”

 

“The wolf… the wolves… I… I… Rin ran. Rin ran to him, to Lord Sesshoumaru… but Rin didn't make it in time. It hurt. It hurt so much!”

 

Without even thinking about it, Inuyasha began to run his claws through her hair, rubbing her back every now and then, all the while rocking slightly where he sat. “Rin, you need to calm down. I can't understand what you mean,” he said soothingly. “But nothing and no one is going to hurt you. That wolf won't hurt you. There is nothing to be afraid of. We're all here to keep you safe, and you can defend yourself now too. You can protect yourself with a barrier. You can use your purifying energy. If you ever got separated from us, which we would never let happen, you could keep yourself safe until we found you. You're strong, Rin. Strong like Kagome.”

 

As his words sunk in Rin snuggled herself deeper into his chest, her sobs slowing until they stopped completely. She felt safe in his arms. He was like her Lord Sesshoumaru, like her Papa. He was her uncle now. A small smile graced her tearstained face as she drifted off to sleep. She had a whole family again.

 

 

\-\-\--/-/-/

\-\-\-\-SWtPF-/-/-/-/

\-\-\--/-/-/

 

 

When Hiromi pulled up to the curb she got out and unlocked the back hatch, smiling as she watched Sesshoumaru take hold of all of the bags, refusing to let Kagome help. The three other girls set their bags in the back first and then the great and powerful demon lord very carefully lined up Kagome's purchases in the remaining space. It was rather interesting to watch a being of such great strength carrying pink and purple bags, among the others. She caught sight of the two large pink bags he seemed to take the most care with. She'd seen that the other girls each had a small pink bag, but apparently Kagome had purchased a great deal more in that particular store. With a soft laugh she decided she would need to have a talk with her daughter about some things she probably should have said years ago.

 

Kagome glanced at her mother when she heard the small laugh before looking around to see just what she found so funny. When her eyes landed on the pink bags her mother was smiling at a fierce blush flared to life and she had to turn away. She was so stupid! She should have put her purchases from there in other bags! She was mortified of what her mother must have been thinking, seeing that. But then the laugh confused her. Why would her mother find her underage unwed daughter's purchase of lingerie funny? She probably thought they were having sex, which they pretty much were, well, almost. When all the bags had been loaded she heard her mother close the rear hatch and immediately scooted into her seat, refusing to look in her mother's direction. She felt Sesshoumaru slide in beside her and could feel his curiosity and slight worry at the feelings she was broadcasting through the mark.

 

`Kagome, what is wrong? Why are you embarrassed and worried?'

 

She let out a sigh and turned to look at him, her eyes snapping to her mother as the older woman laughed from the driver's seat, having heard the exasperated sound. She could see her mother sneaking peeks at her in the rearview mirror and had to look away again. She chose to look out the window on her right rather than the demon on her left as she answered. `My mother saw the Victoria Secret's bags! She knows I bought lingerie.'

 

`Lingerie?' he asked curiously.

 

`The things I bought, other than the bra and panty sets. The little black and red babydoll and all the other surprises! She's got to think we're having sex now! And she's laughing! I can't figure it out!'

 

`How did you expect her to react to our intimacy?'

 

`How is it that you can make everything sound so cold and clinical and yet so damn sexy at the same time?' she growled in his mind. `She's supposed to be upset, or angry, or disappointed, or something! But not laugh!'

 

`Why would she be any of those things?'

 

`Girls in my time don't get married for a couple more years, and we're not really supposed to have sex before marriage, though a lot of girls do anyway. But I grew up on a shrine. It is expected of me to be pure, at least until I'm married.'

 

`She allows this Sesshoumaru to sleep in your room, in your bed. She allows us privacy and knocks and waits for an invitation before entering or talks through the door. She does not hold the standards you expect. She understands how you are different from most girls your age in this time.'

 

Kagome sighed again. Why did he always have to be right? `We've never really had the whole sex talk thing. God, she's probably gonna want to do that now. I can't talk to her about sex! Hell, I can barely talk to you about sex!'

 

`Trust me, little miko. Everything will be fine.' She could feel as his arm slipped over her shoulder and her body was slid a little closer to his. Giving in, she turned to face him and rested her head on his shoulder. His other hand came up to run soothingly through her hair. With the combination of his warmth and soft touch and the gentle motion of the car, Kagome found herself drifting off. She'd had a busy morning and early afternoon, much more than most people would ever deal with, and she still had an afternoon full of studying to look forward to. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to rest her eyes for a few minutes, she gave in to the wave of comforting darkness, and the last thing she knew was the warmth of his breath on her cheek and his whispered words. “I love you my sweet Kagome. Sleep. I'll be here when you wake.”