InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Silver-Haired Beauty ❯ Learning Curve ( Chapter 3 )

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Present

Kagome stared down at where Inuyasha was splayed across the bed, snoring intermittedly. Hands on her hips, she cocked her head at the dilemma before her. Waking him up was proving to be harder than she thought. Sunlight, tickles and full blown punches hadn't managed to rouse him from his deep slumber.

"Maybe if I scream for help he'll get up." In place of the sour musing, she tried another tactic. Giggling naughtily, she leaned down and licked his ear. It got her a reaction, just not the one she was expecting. Strong arms swept her down against his broad, warm chest.

"Eep!"

The lightning quick action made her involuntarily freeze. 'Is he awake?' Still not moving, she waited to see if her ruse had worked. Gentle breath tickled her hair and was followed by another slight snore that signaled a failure. Kagome knew she should move, but she found herself relaxing against the familiar body instead.

Closing her eyes, she relished the smell of her beloved. Woodsy and wild, he smelled like the air in a forest after a thunderstorm. Fresh, but charged with hidden power. A faint and delectable aroma swam just beneath it, uniquely marking him as Inuyasha. Without thinking, she ran her tongue slowly across his bare skin, wanting to taste that comforting power. His breathing, which had been deep and even, stopped with a hitch.

"Kagome..." the way he said her name, guttural but so full of yearning that it made a familiar heat start to spread in her stomach. Kagome tipped back her head to stare at him as beautiful amber eyes that were filled with love shone back at her. Cupping his face tenderly, she thanked the heavens for the hundredth time for being pulled down the well.

"Damn it woman! Don't start shit you can't finish!" Inuyasha barked as he sat up. Blinking dumbly, Kagome stared at him in shock before walloping him hard over the head with a pillow.

"Jerk!!" she screamed and stomped out of the room, wishing for the thousandth time that he wasn't such an ass somedays. Inuyasha smiled from behind the very pillow he'd been assaulted with. It was fun knowing just how to push her buttons.

Scooting out of the low wooden box bed he'd built for her, he shook and stretched himself leisurely after tossing the fluffy weapon of choice aside. He'd deserved that. Jumping out the window, he made his way to the nearby stream for a quick bath. It wasn't that he enjoyed pissing her off really. Shaking himself dry after a rapid emersion, he amended that last thought. Okay, he did like pissing her off, but that was only because she looked so cute when she was angry.

Walking back to the house and dressing as he went, Inuyasha wasn't worried. He always apologized, even if it wasn't exactly with words. Pulling on his haori, he hopped back in through the window and walked into the next room. Kagome ignored him and Shippo was with Kaede. Ignoring his mate ignoring him, Inuyasha sat down and started eating as if nothing had happened. From the occasional huffs and scathing looks sent his way, he knew Kagome wasn't in a forgiving mood at the moment.

That was fine. This way, at least they'd make it to where they needed to be today. If things had continued...

Looking at the vision of loveliness beside him through half lidded eyes, he smiled. A wave of love and fierce possessiveness flooded over him as he watched her. She was his mate, his friend, his world and no amount of spats would change that. It was the emotions that followed so closely behind that first heated flash that had made him irritate her before.

Need.

Sharp and white hot, it made every breath that carried her scent seem as decadently intoxicating as it was arousing. His nostrils flared as he breathed deeply, allowing himself the guilty pleasure, secure in the knowledge that tonight he could satiate his carnal urges at leisure.

Feeling his gaze on her, Kagome frowned at him. The blatant desire he knew was written on his features caused her to blush prettily and look back at her meal. Now her smell was flavored with her own arousal, bringing a pleased purr from him. Yeah, he could satisfy them both.

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Week One

Day Two

Sir Keiichi Takanaka was widely revered and honored as both a master calligrapher and a teacher. His students had included future emperors, kings, Lords, sons of almost grossly wealthy merchants and more than a few youkai nobles. Master Takanaka was known to have the patience of a monk and the fortitude of the mountain roots. The perfect teacher for any student.

At the moment, he was yelling his head off.

The household staff had very little to look forward to in the completion of their day to day tasks, save the occasional kind word from Lord Yamatsu or tongue lashing by the young Lord Sesshomaru. Today was proving delightfully different. A loose crowd stood listening to the tirade spilling forth like poison froth from the room Master Takanaka and the future Lady Kuroi occupied. At a particularly colorful phrase, a low guffaw rippled through some of them, only to be shushed by the rest. The staff was having a very good time.

"Why of all the pig headed, arrogant, presumptuous things I have seen in my life, madam you take the prize!" Servants scattered like butterflies as the door panel practically flew into the hall and Takanaka stormed out. Pausing at the corner, he shouted out, "I don't know who you think you are, but I swear, you are no lady!!!" Arms loaded down with hastily gathered scrolls, ink blocks and brushes, Takanaka thundered unknowingly past his audience and out the mansion. Still cursing, he made a beeline for the front gate and the stables beside them.

Halfway to his goal, a suave figure garbed in royal blue and white floated down from the sky to stand before him. "Master Takanaka." Even in the simmering depths of his wrath, the teacher recognized death wrapped in a velvet voice.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru! Um, good day to you sir." Snatching at an escaping scroll, Takanaka tried to compose himself enough to bow properly. "I was just on my way out sir."

A flat yellow gaze took in his appearance and the bundles in his hands. "Why? I was under the impression that the lesson would require more time. Was I mistaken, Master Takanaka?"

Takanaka was a smart man. Not because of his costly education and his vast amounts of learned wisdom, but because he actually listened whenever his inner voice would scream something damned useful. "I am not abandoning the student milord." Bringing his already frayed temper in check as well as dampening the sarcasm seeking purchase in his words, he pulled together the load in his arms as well as he could. "I am leaving because there is nothing for me to teach," and his throat caught on the next line, "Lady Kuroi."

Long silver hair rippled in the breeze, the only visible movement made by any part of the youkai Lord. Takanaka swore he hadn't even blinked yet.

"Nothing to teach her? She is common born and human besides. Outside of the rudimentary training she might have accidentally gleaned from service in the Lord Yamatsu's army, I do not see how you can judge her to be beyond the need of your services." Delivered in a smooth monotone, the words still managed to imply failure in everyone around him to do their job properly without his supervision.

Takanaka understood the message implied by the level voice. 'You had better have a life altering reason to justify trying to skip out on me.' Little brown eyes narrowed with affronted dignity. Sometimes, the inner voice needed to be bitch slapped. Flinging down the ink and brushes, the calligrapher unfurled a particularly large roll as he replied hotly.

"Lady Kuroi excels in math, art, history, economics and even court intrigues! Somehow, that woman has information the emperor would kill to know about. She can arrange flowers with one hand and sew intricate embroideries with the other, at nearly the same time!" Taking a breath, he continued.

"Her skills with the tea ceremony nearly made me weep. The way she skewered a fly from across the room with a pearl hairpin actually made me scream. As for her writing skills," he pointed to line after line of beautifully flowing script, "she proceeded to write in Katakana, Hiragana, Kanji, alone and in Furigana as well as ten different dialects and languages that I don't recognize, but am reasonably sure say the same thing as the ones I do, the lovely phrase 'Go fuck yourself!'. She may, as you say, be common born, but she is far from ignorant!"

He was tempted to ask had Sesshomaru even talked to the girl, but the inner voice bitch slapped him back before he could formulate the question. For some reason, he felt more alive having not asked.

Tossing the scroll on the ground along with his other tools, Takanaka signaled for a groom to bring his horse. "My Lord, if I might offer my humble advice on the subject of Lady Kuroi? Either marry her quickly or kill her." Two snowy brows rose marginally at the blunt words. Bowing to his employer, the master sighed deeply, "The lady is sharp and deadly as a sword, but as rash as a child. She is brilliant, but rough. I fear I am not up to the task of polishing her." Looking at the youkai critically, he added, "I honestly hope that you are my Lord." Bowing again, he mounted and rode away.

Sesshomaru didn't bother to watch him leave. He was busy scanning the papers flung across the dirt. 'He is correct, she does write beautifully.' A gesture brought forth servants who gathered the discarded materials and bore them away to the young Lord's room for further study. Suddenly, Sesshomaru was very intrigued by his new bride to be.

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Night

Kuroi was bored out of her skull.

She'd been there, what, less than two days and already had a screaming match with her fiancée over the tutor. "Technically, I screamed. That cold bloody fish just glared." muttering sourly, she rolled onto her stomach and looked out the window at the stars and sliver of moon.

"Shine on me, comfort and guide me to your side. Beneath you I am but a speck. A blink in your vast eye is my life lived and gone." Closing her eyes, she smiled languidly. "Bless me with the beauty of your light that I might reside beside you." A familiar snort opened them again.

"That's so sweet I might choke to death." Swinging into the room, Inuyasha strutted over and smirked down at her. When she sat up and stuck her tongue out at him, he chuckled. Flopping down beside her, he cocked his head, "Since when did you become so poetic Kuroi?"

"Since my best friend got himself nailed to a tree by a crazy woman!" With a happy cry, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh god it's so good to see you again Koinu!"

Groaning in disbelief, he rolled his eyes dramatically, "Not the 'Puppy' thing again! Shit, I'd almost forgotten about that." Despite his harsh tone, he returned the hug warmly. Holding her close, Inuyasha felt something tight inside him start to unfurl, softening and lowering his words, "Hi Cuckoo." Closing his eyes, he simply held her, wanting the goodness of being with her to last just a bit longer. When she squirmed slightly, he reluctantly let her go.

If she noticed the reluctance, she gave no sign. Cutely wrinkling her nose at the name, she went to a bag that was sitting unpacked in a corner. "Truce." she called happily. Reaching in the sack, she pulled out a bulging knotted bundle. From the way his mouth watered at the smell, Inuyasha knew it had to contain some of her mother's sweet cakes.

The teasing smile Kuroi gave him confirmed his suspicions. Waving them in a tantalizing arc, she came back and sat beside him, laying the goodies on the bed between their legs. Her eyes danced in the lamplight.

"I won't use Koinu if you don't use Cuckoo. Okay?" The infectious smile she gave him lit her face and made him grin. "Okay Kuroi. No more Cuckoo, no more Koinu." Taking a cake, he did something he'd dreamt of for the fifty years he was imprisoned on the tree. He scooted in front of her and laid his head in her lap.

For one second, he was afraid he'd gone too far, that she might have changed more over the years than she seemed to have stayed the same. 'Is she going to yell at me?' Icy fingers of dread crawled across his heart, 'Please don't hate me, please.' Then the moment passed. He felt her fingers in his hair stroking the base of his ears, soothing half remembered nightmares away. The breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding fled in a rush. 'Thank you.'

He would have been content to stay like that all night, but Kuroi needed to know something first. "Have you told Kagome?" Barely above a whisper, her words still reached him. Guilt flashed across his face, and he curled up slightly to hide it.

"No, not yet."

The fingers stilled, but then resumed. "She has a right to know. Besides, it's not like we're doing anything wrong." She scratched lightly behind one ear, bringing a low purr out of him. "You should tell her tonight."

"No!" Inuyasha jerked away and stared at her with wide eyes. Unsure of the cause of his sudden outburst, but knowing he wasn't ready to reveal this part of himself to the girl he loved, he hid his face behind his pale bangs. Kuroi had seen enough of his face to read the expression, her mouth formed a sad but understanding smile. 'He's still so unsure of people he loves. Poor Koinu.' She guided his head back down to her lap and leaned against the wall, absently letting her hands follow an almost forgotten pattern. Ears, scalp, nape and back again.

Inuyasha closed his eyes, losing himself in the comforting touch. He curled an arm under the leg in front of him, cradling her thigh as she cradled his head. Kuroi closed her eyes and while her beloved hanyou purred against her leg, she hummed a wordless song. The melody made Inuyasha twitch an ear to catch it, "That's nice Kuroi." he whispered.

As the lamps burned out, the tune continued to caress his thoughts. While light and happy, it filled him with a strange sadness. 'The songs sounds familiar, but I can't remember it.' Frowning in the shadows of the room, he asked more to himself than to her, "Where do I know that from?"

"Dreams Inu." Soft and low, her voice sounded too distant to be so close by, "It's from a dream that spanned a lifetime." Confused, he shifted to look up into her face and was shocked immobile by the wistful yearning on it.

"K-Kuroi?" Withdrawing slightly, he saw a sparkle as the weak moonlight highlighted her eyes. "Once a week for fifty years I came, and I sat beneath the tree singing that song to you." His nose twitched with the thick scent of salt. Now he did pull away, wanting so badly to scowl at her. He hated tears. They made him fell so helpless.

His scowl died before it was half formed, because she was smiling at him, even as she cried. "I didn't want you to be alone Inu. You were my best friend. Hell, you're my only friend!" Cupping his face, Kuroi leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his, still talking in that low voice. "I just...I just couldn't stand the thought of you being alone out there."

Why couldn't he breathe? 'My clothes, my hair, everything was clean when I woke up. I never thought about why.' The tightness within him unfurled further as he let himself feel her words. The hands holding his face fell away when she drew her knees to her chest and looked off into the deepest shadows of the room.

"That's how I even knew you'd been released. I went to the tree a few years ago." Tear-bright eyes locked onto his, misery stark within them, "You were gone."

At the admission, her tears finally broke through the flimsy restraint she'd tried to maintain. "I thought...I thought you had died!" Through the deep sobs wracking her body, she felt him pull her into his arms where she wept bitterly against his chest.

"I thought that damned spell had finally killed you! I searched the forest for months looking for you or your body so I could lay it to rest. I didn't know where you had gone! I didn't know if you were alive or dead, if you were happy or hurt." Trembling from the flood of memories, she babbled out the fear she'd felt for years, "All I knew everyday I looked for you, the only thing I was sure of that whole time, was that you weren't there anymore!" As she clutched him fiercely, a strangled cry ripped out of her, "I thought you had left me alone Inuyasha!!

The words stabbed him, making it hard to swallow and impossible to move. He'd left the tree by the well and never gave it any consideration except when Kagome went there. 'But all this time the two of us were hunting for the shards of the Shikon no Tama, Kuroi had been searching just as hard for me? Oh god...' He didn't think he could make it up to her if they both lived a thousand years.

"Oh no, oh gods I am so sorry Kuroi." Murmuring soothing nonsense to her, Inuyasha rubbed her back slowly. 'She believed I might have been dead? Shit, she must have been frantic.' Something bothered him, 'Why didn't I smell her at the tree if she's been there that often?' A shallow breeze brought her scent and his answer. Groaning, he held her tighter, 'Fuck! I forgot that she smells like peach blossoms! That part of the forest is lousy with peach tress. I'd have had better luck sniffing a fart in a tornado.'

By then, her crying had slowed to a mild case of hiccups. Drawing her fully across his lap, he covered them both with a blanket. "Kuroi, I promise I will never do that again." Though his words were roughened and thick, he drew a shuddery breath. "I won't scare you like that again, no matter what. I won't leave you alone like that." He freed a hand to cup her face, making her meet his eyes.

Limpid and filled with such sadness it hurt him more just to look at them, they closed as another tear fell. Using a clawed thumb, he tenderly brushed the drop away as he whispered passionately, "Never like that. I'm so sorry."

Leaning his face closer to hers, he hesitated before brushing his lips across her smooth brow. As his did so, he wondered if that simple act of comfort constituted a betrayal of Kagome's trust in him? Somehow, the question didn't bother him as much as he felt it should have.

Tucking Kuroi's head under his chin, he moaned again, "I didn't know."

Exhausted ad more secure that she'd felt in decades, Kuroi curled up against his chest and replied sleepily, "I know Inu. I know." After a tremulous breath, she mumbled plaintively before sleep claimed her, "I missed what we used to do together last night Koinu. I missed it a lot."

'The night of the new moon? Oh!' Old memories washed over him followed by a sudden exhaustion as the tightness fully released. Nearly lost in the silent darkness, he whispered as drowsiness stole over him, closing his eyes as well, "I missed it too Cuckoo. I missed it too."

They stayed that way until dawn.

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Sesshomaru flew away from his rooftop perch. He had heard all that he could stand.