InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Suffer The Fray ❯ Playtime's Over ( Chapter 30 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I hold no claim to the characters of InuYasha...Rumiko Takahashi does. I only claim ownership of Shunsoke, and I make zero profit from writing this.


A/N: I would to thank everyone that’s left a review. They inspire me to stick with this story and I appreciate that more than I can say. I am overjoyed that this fic has gotten over 200 reviews! It blows my mind and I hope that I continue to entertain you all in the future. I would also like to mention that Suffer the Fray won First Place in the Drama category for the final term of 2011 with the Feudal Association! I was completely floored! Oh, and on top of that, Suffer the Fray was also nominated for Best Drama and Best Romance- Inuyasha/Kagome for the 3rd Quarter of 2011 with the Inuyasha Fanguild. Needless to say, my mind was blown. I can’t thank those who nominated and voted for this story enough. I’m truly touched. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.


The air was dank around him as he hesitated on the porch of the shrouded house, and the dim light of the flickering torches on either side of the entrance doing little to ease the ominous sensation of the surrounding darkness. There was a sour odor lingering about the doorway as he edged closer, a tremor seizing his hand as he gripped the slider. Inhaling deeply to steady himself, he pulled the door aside.


The pungent smell was stronger now; a queer stale smell that reminded him of a corpse. It did little to ease his nerves as he took a few tentative steps into the shadowed room. The wooden floor creaked under his small feet and he froze when his toes pressed into something wet and cold.


He blinked owlishly down at his foot when he realized that he had stepped in a dollop of dark blood; fresh enough to still be wet, but old enough to be thick in its viscosity. A knot of anxiety lodged in his throat as he returned his eyes to the black threshold to the next room, and he instinctively feared the being he knew to be hiding in the depths of the gloom-saturated air.


Akago willed his fear away- Naraku abhorred displays of weakness - and it would not do well for him to express just how much he dreaded facing the creature that could end his life as easily as he had created it.


I must tread cautiously. He brushed his consciousness against Naraku’s and shuddered at the emptiness he felt. He is not normal.


Bolstering false bravado, Akago strode into the black cloud of Naraku’s aura and came to a halt when he found the patchwork youkai sitting cross-legged in the center of the room. The young youkai stared at the back of his master and swallowed. “Father, I have returned.”


His voice sounded fragile as he spoke, and he waited for the rebuke but none came. Akago couldn‘t tell for sure, but it appeared as thought Naraku wasn‘t even breathing.  “Father?”


Still denied a response, his curiosity was momentarily perked, and he eased quietly up on Naraku’s left side. His singed lavender locks drooped when he tipped his head in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the youkai’s face. A jagged knife of panic snaked down his spine when he caught sight of Naraku’s blank, staring eyes.


The youkai’s wavy hair hung in a tangle about his shoulders, and Akago suddenly knew the source of the nauseating smell the permeated the air. Garish stripes of rust colored blood painted Naraku’s pale visage and coated the hands clawing into the stained tatami mats. A closer inspection revealed that his navy blue haori was also soaked in the life-giving fluid of whatever victim the youkai had left in his wake.


A bead of sweat slid down the seared flesh of Akago’s temple; an uncommon sight on the usually calm and collected youkai-child’s face. His small chest rose and fell faster in time with his nervous breathing; his small hand reaching for the tiny katana at his hip and cursing when he remembered it was lost.


“Father?”


Akago caught the sound of tearing cloth over the pounding in his ears, but it did little to help him when he discovered himself suddenly suspended in the air. Pain bloomed throughout his middle and his disbelieving eyes drifted downward to find the razor-edged limb of a spider thrust into his abdomen. His shock dulled his comprehension of the situation until he opened his mouth in response and a torrent of rich, red blood poured from his lips to splash onto the floor.


I’m dead.


Akago’s eyes blazed wide at the sight, jerking to the face of his attacker when he was dragged in front of the youkai, but Naraku’s eyes didn’t move from the spot on the floor where they had been stationed since the boy entered the room. Akago suddenly realized that the youkai’s mouth was moving, but whatever he was saying was too quiet for him to hear over the thunder in his ears.


“Fa…ther…?”


Narak u’s mouth stilled and horror filled Akago as he witnessed seven more spider legs erupt from his captor’s back.  This can’t… Naraku raised himself up on his new legs and dragged his prey closer, leaving Akago helpless as he watched the youkai’s eyes blaze red. This can’t be happening to me!


“She’s gone.”


Akago’s bleary eyes focused on Naraku’s mouth again at the sound of his ragged voice. “What?”


Naraku continued to transform into his true form as he leaned closer to the boy’s face. “She’s gone.”


His jaw jerked wide as a pair of fangs sprouted from his mouth, and those horrible dark red eyes multiplied, his skin darkening until there was no longer anything remotely human about the youkai known as Naraku.


Fat tears leaked from the corners of Akago’s eyes as he watched Naraku lower his arachnid mouth to latch onto his right foot. It wasn’t supposed to be this way… I thought I was your favorite… When those powerful jaws crushed down onto his leg and began eating him alive, Akago could to nothing to quench the fountain of inhuman screams that poured from his dying lips.


“Is the bandage really that necessary?”


Miroku watched his wife’s vivid violet eyes roll with her lack of amusement.


A cheeky smirk spread across his face at the sight. “I assure you, my love. I feel great.”


Sango narrowed her eyes at him and pulled tight on the cloth she was wrapping about his head, eliciting a small yelp from her husband. “Quiet.”


Miroku gently prodded the finished product of her ministrations and sighed. “Oh, well. It was worth a shot.” He turned his attention to his wife. “How is you shoulder?”


“Better.” She softly felt around the swollen joint. “I’ll probably have to wear this sling for another day or two, but I still won’t be able to use this arm for awhile.”


The monk sighed. “We need time to recuperate, but that’s time we don’t have.” He glanced through the early morning haze to where his young brother-in-law sat, quietly eating strips of dried meat. “Kohaku, what do you know of Naraku’s plans?”


The boy’s methodical chewing stopped and he lifted his gaze from the low-burning fire. “I’m sorry, but I don’t really know.” He glanced between his sister and the monk. “Naraku just gave me orders to follow.” A shy grin crossed his face and disappeared just as fast as it came. “He didn’t exactly trust me.”


“Is there anything that might help us find him?” Miroku glanced to where Shippo was dejectedly picking at his food. “Or the others?”


Kohaku followed his gaze and watched the kitsune visibly perk up at the mention of Kagome and Inuyasha before sliding his soft brown eyes back to the Houshi. “I wasn’t privy to what Naraku had planned to do himself, but I do know that he had Hakudoshi posted in the Western Lands of Inu no Taisho to bait Lord Sesshomaru into confrontation. Once Akago had sprung his trap for all of you in that village, he was to bring Kagome with him when he joined Hakudoshi.”


Shippo’s voice was trembling with expectation. “What about Inuyasha?”


The young youkai-taijiya lowered his eyes from the hopefully expressions of all around him. “I’m sorry. I do not know what has become of Inuyasha. The last time I saw him he defeated me in battle and went after Kagome.”


The fox kit’s ears drooped with dismay. “This isn’t fair.”


Miroku was pained that there was nothing he could do for the distraught youth. “Don’t worry, Shippo. I’m sure Inuyasha and Kagome are just fine.”


The russet tuft of hair on Shippo’s head bobbed as he nodded. “I hope so.” Kirara mewed and nudged her way under the saddened kit’s arm, rubbing her head against his chest in comfort.


Miroku glanced back at Kohaku. “Do you know where Naraku could possibly be hiding?”


The boy opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. “I don’t think-”


“Hey!” Everyone around the small campfire jumped at the rough voice, all eyes landing on the deadly expression on Koga’s face as he stood with his arms crossed. “If you know where to find that asshole, you better speak up.”


Kohaku’s eyes narrowed as he glared at the wolf. “If you insist,” He took a deep breath as if to calm himself. “Naraku is utilizing a cavern in the mountains to the east of here as a base, but I have no idea if he’ll actually be there since he seems hell bent on finding my jewel shard.”


Miroku watched Kohaku closely but had trouble deciding whether it was actually him or remnants of Kagura that fueled the snarled response. He recalled Sango telling him that Kohaku had said some scathing remarks to her before he joined with the wind witch. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that his time as Naraku’s slave had changed him permanently. As of yet, he was unable to determine if Kagura was to blame for any of his rougher attributes.


The Houshi shifted his attention to the over-bearing wolf. He observed the arrogant tilt of Koga’s chin and knew that while the ookami-youkai had recently been dealt a painful blow by Naraku, it was apparent that he had already recovered. “What do you plan to do, Koga?”


His piercing blue eyes cut to the monk. “I’m going to find that bastard and kill him.”


Miroku held back his rebuke as Ayame sauntered up beside Koga, her silver, quadruped companion at her heels. “And you, Ayame?”


“I go where Koga goes.” Her emerald eyes were just as ironclad as Koga’s. “If that is in pursuit of Naraku, so be it.”


Miroku had thought that he could possibly persuade Ayame to alter their plans, but the pack instinct in her identified Koga as her leader, and she would follow no one but the brash wolf. He wasn’t about to waste his breath even trying to dissuade Koga. The feat itself was impossible.


Sighing, Miroku turned his eyes to the one person that had remained silent throughout the entire exchange. “Sango?”


His wife tightly clasped her hands in her lap and took a moment to collect her thoughts before she spoke. “While I have no doubt that Koga is a strong adversary,” she gave the wolf a subtle nod in respect, “I also believe that Kagome’s miko power will be vital in vanquishing Naraku. It would be prudent for us to find both Kagome and Inuyasha and regroup.” She lifted a weary gaze to her husband. “We are wounded and too weak at present to be any threat to Naraku with a nearly complete Shikon no Tama.”


Miroku nearly smiled at how alike they were in mind. She had ascertained their current situation much as he had and he found he had nothing to add to her decision. “I am in agreement with my wife. We must find Kagome and Inuyasha.”


Koga grunted at that. “And what about you, Kohaku? Do you think the mutt is that important?”


Kohaku seemed to weigh his words carefully. “I was led to believe that Kagome held the most importance because she is a priestess. I won’t deny that Inuyasha’s strength in battle is invaluable, but I was also under the impression that you can’t have one without the other.”


“Ain’t that the truth?” Koga huffed and dropped his arms to his sides. “Well, you can do what you please. I’m going after Naraku to end this bullshit.”


Miroku studied Koga closely and noted that while he had always seemed determined to kill Naraku, there was a new found vein of finality within his claim. He glanced at the wolf’s female companion and how her brilliant green eyes never seemed to stray far from his person. Ayame’s devotion to Koga had been apparent from the moment he had first met her, and it seemed that it had only grown since she had been reunited with him the day before.


I have no doubt that she is behind this sudden development. A knowing grin spread across his face as his gray eyes moved to the slight shoulders of his wife. I’m sure Koga can resist her about as much as I am able to resist Sango. The grin increased in its wattage. Even if he doesn’t know it yet.


Pushing his musings about the pair of wolves aside, Miroku got to his feet with his Shakujou in tow. “It has been decided then. I will take Sango, Shippo, and Kirara to the Western Lands of Inu no Taisho in hopes of finding Inuyasha and Kagome. I will leave finding Naraku up to you, Koga.”


The roguish wolf nodded and turned toward the east with Ayame following diligently to the edge of the clearing. Before either could take a single step into the thick foliage of the surrounding forest, Kohaku slipped in front of them without a sound. The silver wolf at Ayame’s side snarled menacingly in time with the irritation that  rumbled through Koga’s aura. “Get out of my way, boy.”


Kohaku remained unmoving. “I will only advise you this, Koga. Naraku is more powerful than ever and if you do not take caution, you will die a wretched death.”


Koga raised his arm to shove Kohaku aside. “Try telling me something I don’t know, brat.”


Swift as a lightning strike, Kohaku caught the ookami-youkai’s wrist. “Should trouble befall you, speak to the wind and I will hear your call.”


Miroku viewed the scene with bated breath, waiting for the scuffle that was sure to follow. He was left blinking with disbelief when Koga ceased growling.


“I don’t need your help.” Koga’s voice was cold when he pulled his arm away roughly and disappeared into the woods.


Ayame laid a soothing hand onto the broad head of her companion, quieting the beast‘s thunderous threat. “While I cannot say that I speak for Koga,” she smiled softly, “I will heed your warning and call for aid in the event the situation becomes dire.”


Kohaku met her warm gaze and tightly grasped his shirt above his beating heart. “I fear he still hasn’t completely forgiven Kagura and her participation in Naraku’s insidious plot against his pack members.”


“We ookami-youkai value the pack above everything else.” She rested a hand on his shoulder as she strode past him. “His ire will ease only with time,” she gave him a reassuring squeeze before releasing him, “and Naraku’s death.”


With a kind wave, Ayame and her silver partner melted into the woods in silence.


Miroku helped Sango snuff out the campfire as Kohaku drifted back toward them. “I figured you would have gone with them.”


The boy shook his head negatively. “I know the exact path to Naraku’s lair, but Koga does not desire my assistance. I have no doubt that they will find the way with their superior senses of smell. Whether or not they find Naraku, is entirely up in the air.” He sighed. “I have no idea if he will actually be there.”


Miroku shrugged. “Well, I have no doubt that Koga will stir up something anyway.”


Kohaku strode over to where he’d laid his weapons for the night, coiling the chain to his kusari-gama after tucking the blade into his belt. “I’ll be of much better use leading you to Inuyasha and Kagome.”


“How so?”


“A gift from Kagura.” He lifted the armored cap on his left shoulder and revealed a single, white feather. “I can listen to the wind.”


The brisk morning air felt enormously good buffering pleasantly against her face as she threaded between the trees. The chill was refreshing, lifting her spirits almost as much as chasing down Koga. The sun had yet to reach a point in the sky where its light illuminated the forest through the thick branches of the trees, but she could still see the dark swirl of Koga’s hair ahead of her in the dimly lit woodlands.


Increasing her pace, she drew up beside him and nearly giggled at the severe expression on his face. “Oh, Koga, do relax!”


He shot her a glare. “I have to get to the eastern range. I don’t have time for games, Ayame.”


“You do realize that mountain range is a few days away even for us wolves, right?”


His answer was a growl as he darted farther ahead. Ayame watched his back a moment before glancing down to meet the grinning eyes of her shadow. “I think our friend needs an attitude adjustment. What do you think, Tokkan?”


The silvered wolf gave her chirping bark in reply, his tail waving to and fro.


Ayame couldn’t stop the flood of excitement that bubbled through her body as she conjured her leaf shuriken. Eyeing the subject of her game, Ayame raised her arm as she yelled. “Hey, Koga!”


He hardly had time to glance back at her when the razor-sharp leaves sent him darting side-to-side to avoid being cut to ribbons. He gave her an incredulous look as he came to stand still. “What the hell, Ayame?!”


The she-wolf breezed to a halt in front of him with more of her bladed leaves in hand. “Ah, Koga.” She smiled devilishly at his blazing blue eyes. “I just wanted to have a little fun.”


To punctuate her point, she shot a couple more at his head. Her aim was true and Koga was forced to draw his rarely used katana in order to knock them aside. He eyed where the leaves had embedded themselves in the ground on either side of him before returning his gaze to Ayame once more. “You’re pushing it.”


Tokkan woofed his amusement as she laughed. It was a full-bodied peal of exuberance. “You should see the look on your face! It’s priceless!”


He slid the katana back into its scabbard with a stiff movement. “Enough with the games, Ayame. I won’t tell you again.”


Ayame blinked at the blatant threat, a frown marring her bright features. “Ah, that’s no fun, Koga.”


“I’m not out here to have fun.” He crossed his arms over his lean chest. “I have a job to do.”


He really is serious.


Ayame narrowed her eyes at him at she weighed her options. She could either comply and suffer his overbearing attitude, or continue her little game in the hope he would just relax and live a little. She glanced at Tokkan and found him grinning back at her with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. It was all the reassurance she needed.


Hopefully this doesn’t come back to bite me.


Koga had remained silent during her scrutiny, but interrupted her thoughts with a gruff bark. “Well?”


Ayame regarded him calmly and flicked her leaf shuriken away into nothingness. Clasping her hands behind her back, she sidled up in front of Koga and met his harsh stare from lash-veiled eyes. She didn’t speak at first and he seemed to grow steadily unsure the longer she remained so quiet and close. A sly smirk pulled her full lips as she leaned into his space, pleased when he rigidly caught himself from backing off, and stopped with her mouth inches from his right ear.


She could smell the confusion in his scent and congratulated herself. “I’ll stop,” she smirked wider when her breath on his neck stirred a tremor in his frame, “if you can catch me.”


Koga blinked as an explosion of swirling leaves danced away from him, swift as the very wind itself. A snarl erupted from his throat as Tokkan yowled and took off after her. He darted in pursuit, his irritated aura a tornado of soft blue air as he tore after her.


Sneaky brat, she should know there isn’t a wolf alive that’s faster than me!


“Ayame!” His bellowing call incited a burst of colorful laughter from her lips as she grinned from over her shoulder ahead of him. “You messed with the wrong wolf!”


His threats did little to deter her as she wove her way through the trees, using every possible obstacle - logs, ditches, and streams- to slow down his hunt; resorting to her bladed leaves when he refused to relent. Koga quickly discovered that Ayame was possibly the only wolf that could give him a run for his money when it came to pure speed.  While he still held the upper hand in an outright sprint, Ayame had an agility he couldn’t even begin to match. The combined use of her leaf shuriken and zigzagging path was enough to keep a small distance between them.


All the while, her laughter continued to fill the otherwise muted forest, and he found that he loved the sound of it. Koga all too soon was enjoying their morning chase as much as she; his natural hunting instinct singing as he followed her across the terrain. Tapping into such primal urges heightened his senses, and he could easily lock on to her enticing scent despite the myriad of other smells filling the area as they ran. The sweet, feminine aroma was driving him insane after only a few miles, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle the torture of chasing her much longer.


A feral grin broke out on his face as he ceased to simply play along and pulled on every drop of speed his body could produce. He was alongside her in a split second, immensely pleased when her eyes shot wide with surprise. “Miss me?”


“K-Koga!” She sputtered in disbelief, suddenly distracted from where she had been running by the arresting attraction she felt for him in that instant. That was all it took for her to miss the abrupt decline that sent her pitching forward as she lost her footing.


His satisfied male grin vanished from his face when he realized she was falling, and his hand lashed out to grasp her arm and avert her fall. “Ayame!”


All too quickly he found their combined momentum was too great to stop so fast and they began to fall down the slope in a tangle of limbs. The hill was steep and the ground rough, battering the two of them as tumbled. Ayame quickly lost any sense of direction as the world spun around her; the only sensation she was aware of was the scratch of the underbrush as she rolled.


The fall ended as swiftly as it had started, and Ayame soon found herself flat on her back, pinned beneath Koga’s surprisingly heavy body in a thatch of vibrant green grass. She groaned as her vision continued to swirl, her surroundings nothing but a blur of trees and sky. She tried to move after a moment only to discover her legs snared by Koga’s, effectively trapping her.


Great.


He had yet to stir by the time her sight had settled, and she felt an instant of panic at the thought that he had somehow lost consciousness. His head was resting against her left shoulder so close to her neck that she couldn’t see his face. She tentatively lifted her free hand and smoothed it along his inky, black hair. Briefly distracted by how silken his hair felt to touch, Ayame froze when she became aware of the fact she was being scented.


Her heart began an erratic staccato in her chest as Koga gently nuzzled against her neck, and her body registered that his hands were moving as well. A calloused palm grazed up along her right thigh, sneaking its way under her wolf pelt skirt. The other had brushed down the arm he was still pinning to slightly lift himself and his weight off of her and onto his shifted legs.


Ayame still found herself considerably pinned and knew she should have been a frenzied mess trying to get him off, but she couldn’t. Instead, her female will leapt forward, and she was making it far too easy for his rough hands to gain access to her rear by bending her leg. A purring growl vibrated through her chest when that hand squeezed gently and his burning tongue dipped into the hollow of her throat. As that searing tongue swathed a path up her neck to her jaw, she knew she had achieved so much more than her goal with her little game.


Koga’s icy blue eyes were unfocused when she finally caught a glimpse of them, and she knew the fog of their combined male and female proclivity was clouding both their judgment. Ayame found that she didn’t care; she had imagined this moment more times than she would ever honestly admit to.


His earthy, masculine scent was driving her mad. Her hands responded to his mirrored growl of contentment by simultaneously twining in the thickness of his tied back hair and caressing the flesh of his shoulders left exposed by his armor. He nipped at her ear in retaliation, his nose burying into her copper hair. Her back arched into him and he drew his left thigh up, brushed deliberately against her center and making her gasp.


“Koga.”


The wolf in question went still at the breathy sound of his name, and Ayame suddenly lost the heady euphoria dulling her senses. The rigid tension spreading throughout Koga’s body almost brought tears to her eyes.  So close…


“Shit.”


He uttered the word so quietly she could barely hear it, even with his mouth just inches from her ear. It took all of her will to swallow the petulant whine that threatening to leap from her parted lips, but she shoved it down, as well as her disappointment. “Koga-”


This time he bolted, using every once of that notorious speed to propel himself away from her body. “I…I…” His throat worked as he forced himself to swallow. “I didn’t…”


Ayame sat up and used a moment to settle herself before cleaning any debris from the fall from her clothes and hair. She chose her words carefully. “I’m not angry, Koga.” She slipped to her feet with as much dignity and grace as her noble blood could muster. “It happened in the heat of the moment.”


Her calm did little to ease the stricken look on his face. “But I-”


“I started the game with the intention of getting you to act like the wolf you are.” She forced a smile on her face. “It just worked better than I thought it would.”


Koga just stared at her a moment and spoke cautiously. “You’re really not upset?”


Ayame knew he could probably smell her dismay and shrugged. “It would have happened to any male and female wolf. Our instincts are all the same, so no harm done.”


He nodded and took a deep breath. “So, I guess we should keep moving?”


She smiled brilliantly at him as Tokkan appeared and rubbed against her legs. “Of course. There’s no more time to waste on games.”


Rin watched the sun rise for the third time since Sesshomaru left her humiliated in the dirt. The flaming sphere crested the tree line and bathed the small camp Kagome had set up days before with its warming light. It did little to chase the stalwart chill that clung to Inu no Taisho’s fortress and she turned toward the dying fire. Gathering a handful of kindling and twigs from the small pile Inuyasha had managed to collect the day before, Rin stoked the flames until the heat permeated the heavy blanket she wore. It was the only way she could tell that the fire offered anything to her camp mates who were nestled together on the other side of tiny blaze.


She couldn’t stop the pang of envy that struck her as she gazed on her sleeping companions. The sight of Inuyasha possessively anchoring Kagome against his chest in his sleep was almost more than she can bear in light of how roughly her own love had treated her days before.


And I do love him, no matter how powerful my anger.


Rin drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs, dropping her chin to rest on them. It had happened all so fast that she had spent the last couple days reviewing every bit over and over. She had reached the same conclusion every time: that Sesshomaru felt something toward her despite his harsh words. The fact he had responded to both of her pleas proved it to her.


She knew better than anyone - Inuyasha as the only possible exception - how little Sesshomaru thought of mercy. The Dai-youkai always made good on his threats. The fact that both she and Inuyasha were still living were a testament to the notion he, at the very least, felt a semblance of respect toward them. She knew without a doubt that Sesshomaru respected Inuyasha for his strength However, she was at a loss as to what quality she possessed that could possibly earn her the same favor.


She was just a lowly human with no notable worth to anyone. Even Kagome had earned his respect because of her miko power, but what it was about her that had stayed his hand had left her terribly vexed.


The answer had come to her suddenly while she was retrieving water with Ah-Un. She had been sitting on the stream’s bank staring at her reflection in the water when the realization flitted through her brain. Sesshomaru respected her spirit, and the more she contemplated it, the more she was certain it was the one quality about her that led him to keep her with him all those years.


That one recognition sparked an epiphany, and Rin found she suddenly understood everything. She knew why he had cast her aside to remain in that village with that hellish old woman. She knew why he had endured the ravishing of the barrier to battle Moryomaru. She knew why he heard her call and returned to himself before he killed Inuyasha.


She also knew why he had so ruthlessly rejected her when she defied him.


It goes against all things youkai to love a human. He is desperately trying to sever our connection because he fears it. Rin snorted softly. He’s not the only one.


Movement caught her eye, and she looked up as Kagome shifted in her sleep, turning her body toward the warmth of the flames. A contented sigh escaped her as Inuyasha’s arm tightened about her middle.


Rin dropped her eyes from the endearing display, disgusted by her own jealousy. She knew she couldn’t consciously stop it from welling up within her, but it was practically constant with how affectionate her two companions had been over the past couple of days. Their love for one another was apparent in everything they did, even when Kagome had spent forever murmuring adoring words as she tended his many grave wounds.


The worst, though, had been a few hours after Inuyasha finally woke up from poison-induced unconsciousness and found Kagome polishing Kikyo’s broken bow.


Flashback-


“Kagome?” Inuyasha’s normally rough timbre was subdued as he spoke. “Are you alright?”


Kagome’s trembling hands seemed to still on the black wood of the bow, her deep brown eyes glittering with unshed tears. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”


“I don’t mind. I feel like I’ve been sleeping forever.” His amber gaze softened. “You know I hate it when you cry, Kagome.”


Her grip tightened on the bow until her knuckles went white. “It’s just… I couldn’t…” Her voice broke as a sob seized her throat. “I’m sorry, Inuyasha. I let Kikyo die.”


The hanyou was quiet for a few minutes before he reached out with the hand that wasn’t swathed in bandages to stop her hands from worrying the bow. “What happened?”


“She defended Rin and me from Moryomaru.” Kagome struggled to keep from breaking down into tears. “He broke her fragile body and I couldn’t do anything to save her. She said she was sorry for all the wrongs she had committed.”


Inuyasha absorbed that a moment and then nodded. “She left this world on her own terms. That sounds like Kikyo.”


Kagome bowed her head as the tears spilled unchecked from her eyes. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save her, Inuyasha.”


His arm grasped her shoulder and dragged her up against his chest. “Stop blaming yourself, Kagome. Kikyo’s life was a torment and now she’s at peace. I came to grips with the idea a long time ago that that was where she was supposed be and she wouldn’t want you to mourn her passing.” He tenderly brushed the tears from her cheeks. “Now stop crying, wench.”


-End Flashback


Rin had been able to hear their whispers from her pallet on the other side of the fire and quietly slipped away before she witnessed anymore. It had hurt to see them together and know that she would mostly likely never be comforted in such a way if she was to have Sesshomaru. The idea of him doing even the slightest affection gesture seemed like a downright impossibility.


Her honey eyes gazed across the crackling fire and wondered if Sesshomaru would ever hold her like that when they slept.


I doubt we would ever sleep beside one another like that to begin with.


The thought ignited the rage she had been quelling for days and Rin knew she needed to calm down. She was only mad at one particular Dai-youkai, and it wouldn’t do well for her to take it out on her innocent friends. She held no ill will toward Inuyasha and Kagome at all; she was immensely grateful for their aid. Despite how much she envied their relationship, she was happy for them. They deserved to experience love as much as anyone.


Rin got to her feet and tightened her blanket around her shoulders. I think a morning stroll with Ah-Un just might do the trick.


Kagome didn’t open her eyes until she heard Ah-Un’s muted bleating from through the wall. She had just barely cracked her eyes when she rolled toward the fire discovered Rin watching them. The awkwardness of the situation had led her to feign sleep until the girl vanished for her usual morning walk.


It wasn’t the first time she had caught the girl watching her with Inuyasha, a pained expression on her face. Rin usually caught herself when she was staring and blushed as she went about whatever it was she was doing at the time, but Kagome couldn’t miss the intense look of longing in her soft, honeyed eyes. At present, that look was either preceded or followed by an unguarded sneer of rage.


As a woman, it wasn’t hard for Kagome to pinpoint the reason behind Rin’s anger. Once her deductions were finished, she had made a point of sparing the girl as much inadvertent hurt as she could. It was a harder task than she had anticipated with Inuyasha’s unanticipated appetite for her affections. She had thought he would be reserved in the company of others, as he had been when they had been traveling before, but he seemed to know exactly what he wanted with the maturity he’d gained while she was gone.


That’s beside the fact he’s a greedy bastard.


Kagome grinned as she gently pried herself loose from his tight hold, a soft growl of dismay drifting from his throat when she was free. Thankfully, he remained sleeping and she was spared his berating her about safety. She dropped a gentle kiss to his temple before wrapping the thick, winter kimono Rin had uncovered over her own freshly washed haori, and stood to start on her tasks.


The first few hours after Sesshomaru had gone were the hardest ones she’d faced, including the many spent fighting Naraku’s minions. It had taken nearly all her and Rin’s strength combined to lift Inuyasha onto Ah-Un’s back to carry him to where she had chosen to set up a camp. She had decided on a small alcove of a room off the main hall that lay in ruins. It appeared to be nothing more than a servant’s quarters with what looked to be at least a bed inside. Once she had pulled together enough fabric to make a makeshift pallet on the floor, she sent Rin to gather anything useful she could find while she tended to the hanyou’s broken body.


She had been overjoyed to discover her satchel, along with her bow, slung on the twin-headed dragon’s saddle. Since she had an antiseptic wash with which to clean Inuyasha‘s wounds, she hadn‘t needed to find water right away. She rationed her bandages for his worst wounds- the fang bite at his hip and the slashes to his chest and abdomen. The stab wound he’d received the day before was only weeping blood and on the mend so she just cleaned it as best she could. The poisoned scratches on his throat she left uncovered; she wanted them to drain the venom as his body healed them.


The most difficult part was figuring out what to do with his broken arm. The bones of his forearm were snapped cleanly in a multitude of places, and she had to force her nausea aside in order to set them as well as she could manage. She still wasn’t entirely sure they were healing right, but he had assured her that he’d be fine. She could only take him at his word with all the horrible injuries he’d suffered and she’d tended to through the years.


Rin had made two trips by the time she had finished with Inuyasha, and together they had set up a functioning camp. Ah-Un had graciously provided them with a fire, and Rin had procured enough cloth to provide bedding, fresh clothes, and clean bandages for Inuyasha’s wounds. Sesshomaru’s pet dragon proved to be an even greater asset when he brought them a catch of fish. With the couple of reserve water bottles tucked away in her satchel, they had been able to sleep fitfully through the night.


Kagome had quickly discovered her ankle was more injured than she’d originally thought; waking to a hugely swollen joint and ugly, mottled skin. After she had tended to Inuyasha, she had gone to stream where Ah-Un had caught the fish and sat for nearly an hour with her foot submerged in the icy water. Coupled with a few painkillers, she managed to hobble about to cook and boil clean water in the pan Rin had found in the wreckage.


Kagome sighed as she retrieved some left over fish from the night before and set to warming it over the fire. The young girl had been absolutely invaluable. Kagome knew she would be in a much worse situation if it weren’t for Rin’s help, and it bothered her that she could nothing to help the girl in return. In spite of that, Rin constantly thanked her and Inuyasha when he finally woke. No amount of reassurance would ease the girl’s need to express her gratitude.


A telling rustle of fabric told her that Inuyasha was finally stirring. Kagome grinned as she glanced back over her shoulder at him. “Morning.”


“Hmm…” His amber eyes slipped shut again as he scented the air. “Let me guess…fish?”


“Your powers of deduction are dazzling.”


His eyes narrowed at her accusingly. “Feh.”


“I don’t enjoy eating the same thing three days in a row either, you know.” She held out a piece of blackened fish to him.


He sat up gingerly and accepted the food without further comment, practically swallowing it whole. “Where’s Rin?”

Kagome limped back over to their bed and plopped down beside him, holding out more fish. “She went on her morning walk.”


“I don’t like the idea of her being out there alone.”


“She has Ah-Un with her.” Kagome nibbled on her own fish as she watched him swiftly down two more pieces. “Nothing’s happened, Inuyasha.”


The hanyou eyed her as she ate. “Yet. Ah-Un won’t put up much of a fight if Sesshomaru decides to show his fucking face.”


She shrugged as she finished her breakfast and reached for a bottle of water. She took a long draught before handing it to him, pleased when he finished it. “I’m not exactly sure it would be our place to interfere.”


“Oh, but its okay for that prick to stick his nose wherever he wants?”


Kagome sighed as she reached up and brushed his curtain of silver hair aside to check the scratches to his neck. “You know as well as I do that he won’t hurt her.” She swatted at his attempts to brush her hands away. “If he couldn’t do it when deliberately provoked, then he won’t when he isn’t.”


“I’m so glad you have so much faith in that piece of dog shit.”


She ignored his sarcasm as she noted that his swelling was going down and the cuts were no longer oozing. “These look much better.”


“Keh.” Inuyasha snorted. “As if that weakling’s poison could actually do anything to me.”


Kagome refrained from reminding him that he spent that first night in a feverish, sweating fit and moved her attention to the vicious slashes to his torso. Each one was a blaze of bright pink, healing skin, and she knew they would fade in color until his skin was once again flawless.


So not fair…


She sighed and pointed at the low slung waist of his pants. “Lie down.”


His ears flattened with irritation. “I’m not a fucking house pet.”


“Just do it, Inuyasha.” She shrugged off the heavy kimono to free up her arms.


“Fine.”


She shook her head in exasperation as she went about inspecting his injuries. The stab wound he’d gotten from Akago was almost fully healed with all but the most superficial flesh knitted. It would no longer need any care. The bite to his hip, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. The wound was still deep and bleeding, so she went about cleaning it and replacing the old bandage, noting each and every flicker of pain that crossed Inuyasha’s face.


She taped the bandage down. “Sorry. I’m done now.”


“I’ll live.” He sat up again and snagged her around the waist before she could move away. He hauled her against him, mindful of his wounds, and leaned against the wall behind him. “It’s cold.”


Kagome nodded into his shoulder, her left hand resting on his chest while her right slipped to down to wrap around his lower back. She tucked her legging-sheathed legs up underneath her and relaxed to the sound of his heart beating under her ear. A question that had been nagging at her the night before popped into her brain as she ran her fingers back and forth on the soft skin of his lean chest.


“What do you think happened to the others?”


Inuyasha sighed. “I don’t really know, but I think Miroku and Sango are resourceful enough to make it through anything.”


“I hope you’re right.” Her hand stilled. “Shippo and Kirara were with them.”


“They’re fine, Kagome.” The arm he’d wrapped around her shoulders squeezed. “Trust me.”


She took a deep breath and nodded. “Right. I can’t be second-guessing anything, but we have to find them before we go after Naraku.”


His claws dragged lazily along her hip. “Alright.”


“Rin told me she wants to come with us whenever we leave.”


“Really? When did she tell you that?”


Kagome nuzzled closer to him. “That first night. It was after she had gone out and found all those supplies in this place.”


“Huh, I figured she’d wanna stay close to my asshole brother.”


“You haven’t noticed it?” She turned her face up to look into his tawny eyes. “She’s so angry she’d probably try to strangle him if she saw him. I’ve never seen her so full of rage before.”


“Well, she hides it pretty damn well.”


“No, you just wouldn’t know unless you were looking for it.”


His brow furrowed as he gazed down at her. “Speaking from experience?”


Kagome gave a subtle shrug and looked away toward the fire. “I guess you could say that.” She watched the flames flicker for a moment before returning her umber eyes to meet his. “But I don’t want to dwell on what happened in the past. None of that matters anymore because I have you now.”


He regarded her cautiously, a fang peeking through his lips. “Tricky wench.”


“What? You don’t trust me?” The young miko couldn’t help the cheeky grin that spread across her face. “I think I’m insulted.”


The hanyou easily caught the playful gleam in her eyes. “Oh, yeah?”


“Yes.” She shifted so she was straddling his thigh and her hands were laced behind his neck. A lock of her dark hair fell from the knot on top of her head to frame the right side of her pouted face. “You can make it up to me, though.”


“Really?” Inuyasha’s arm slithered around her waist to bring the softness of her breasts against his steely chest, conscious of his battered body. “How?”


Kagome buried her hands into his thick mane of hair as he brought his lips down onto the exposed column of her throat. “Oh, I like that.” She reached up to rub the base of his ears, her body humming under his touch. “But I think I want a kiss too.”


His teeth grazed along her fragile skin, his hand slipping under the folds of her haori to caress the skin along her spine. “Greedy wench, too.”


“Who can blame me?” She shivered as his breath feathered along her shoulders, her eyes hooded when he pulled back to look at her. Her hands dropped from his ears to take hold on either side of his strong jaw. “I get to kiss you.”


She watched his tourmaline gaze sharpen on her enraptured expression, his chest matching hers as their breathing grew heavy. “That makes you a spoiled wench.”


Kagome couldn’t contain her haughty chuckle. “So be it.”


As Inuyasha proceeded to spoil her senseless, she really, really hoped Rin had taken the scenic route that morning.


A/N: Tokkan translates to ‘charge’ or ‘rush’.
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