InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Gods' Opinion ❯ Chocolate Sauce ( Chapter 22 )

The Gods' Opinion

 

Disclaimer: Almost all characters belong to Takahashi Rumiko.

 

Warning: This is a mature story and I mean that in more than this story only containing sexual situations and bad language. It contains adult themes.

 

Summary: Kagome is trying hard to have a baby. But when things don't work out, she visits the best fertility doctor in the world. She finds her feelings and beliefs challenged as she struggles to hold onto her dreams.

 

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Chapter Twenty and Two Chocolate Sauce

 

“I feel a bit foolish.”

 

“Why?”

 

Sango sighed as she stabbed at a slice of avocado. She picked it up and stared at it, twirling it around on her fork. “Because…I, out of every one of you, should know better. There are always at least three sides to every story and…I ignored all but one.”

 

“So what if you did? You're Kagome's friend first, right? It's hard to be unbiased around friends. We want to do anything and everything we can to help them.”

 

“Still, Inuyasha is my friend and I…I let him down. I shouldn't have done that. What if he thinks I hate him?”

 

“Don't be ridiculous Sango. Helping Kagome sort through her insecurities is not high on his list of reasons to hate you. In fact, I think he's okay with the fact that we're all friends with Kagome and that we accept her and him together.”

 

“I feel like I need to apologize to him.”

 

“Then do so. We both know how he is. He'll shrug it off, but somewhere in his heart he'll be touched by it.” Miroku plucked off a baby tomato and chewed on it. Both had settled on salads for lunch at KenSen. They normally didn't attend the restaurant during their lunch hour because it was quite a distance away from the clinic, but they had a good reason to be there.

 

“How is everything?”

 

“Wonderful, as it always is,” Sango replied as she wiped dribbles of dressing from the corners of her lips.

 

“Very delicious Kagome. Was the food the only reason for the invite?”

 

“No, actually…” Kagome pulled a chair over from a nearby empty table and sat down. “I actually called you both here to apologize.”

 

“Apologize?” Miroku questioned as he slid his empty plate away from him.

 

“What for?” Sango asked as she found herself not sure what was going on, or what had happened.

 

“I know that if Inuyasha and I continue to see each other, the two of you will be in the middle and I hate being in the middle. Even now, I always get put in the middle of Kouga's and Ayame's little spats. So, I apologize if that happened. And I'm sure it could happen later.”

 

“Kagome, you don't need to apologize,” Sango began, “We are all at fault. I might have allowed myself to get a bit carried away.” She chuckled at herself for the obvious stumble in judgment she made.

 

“Kagome, Sango and I want to always be there for the both of you. And that will always come with risks. You were in the middle of things when Sango and I were working on our relationship.”

 

“What about Inuyasha?”

 

Miroku laughed out loud before quieting himself due to the stern look Sango threw his way. Clearing his throat, Miroku calmly answered, “You have a lot to learn about our dear hanyou.”

 

“Eh, what do you mean?” Kagome was worried. She knew she didn't know everything about Inuyasha, but she thought she had him somewhat figured out.

 

“Don't worry Kagome. Inuyasha has his own way of dealing with things that you'll learn about, in time. That's just the type of person he is.”

 

Kagome nodded. She was learning about just who Inuyasha was. He was so confusing. Men may think simple things, but they were complicated to figure out. She knew she wasn't an easy translation, either. Men and women really did speak different languages. The same words were being used, but ones that carried slightly different meanings. This was why communication was going to be so important for them.

 

“Well, I have to go. Oh, next week, we're sampling five specialty desserts, one each night of the week. There's a brochure here that you can take with you. I hope you can make it to one.”

 

Sango picked up the brochure and started to drool over the glossy pictures. “Oh Kagome. These look delicious.”

 

“Sango I told you I had a copy of Kagome's TV segments where she created a few of them.”

 

“Oh right. I forgot.”

 

Miroku sighed. Everyone had communication roadblocks, even some like Sango, who were trained to read people, or someone like himself, a person that liked to talk. He listened, too. They were both people person-types, and still…

 

“I'll see you two next week then.” Kagome bounced off back to her work.

 

Miroku waited until Kagome had disappeared around the corner before saying anything. “They must've discussed their current situation.”

 

“You make everything sound like some kind of strategy.”

 

“Dating is about strategy.”

 

“What?” Sango blurted out. “How can you-“

 

“Think about it. We present ourselves as the best we think we can be—perfect hair, the right clothes, smiles, timed touches…it's a game plan.”

 

“Well, yeah, I suppose that's true…” Sango reluctantly agreed as she thought back to not only her dates, but her discussions about relationships with her patients.

 

“And knowing our friends, they both kept quiet about many of the things that were bothering them, but they couldn't bring it up because it's too soon in their relationship and they don't want to frighten the other. It is all about strategy.”

 

“So, is it a part of your strategy to pay for lunch and leave a good tip?”

 

“Of course it is, Sango.”

 

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

 

“Sorry, I'm late.”

 

Inuyasha just shrugged his shoulders, however, the moment he scented her presence, all of his senses were fixed on her. Hard gold eyes followed her every move as she sat down at their table. He was so protective of her already and most of that time, they were just sitting. Luckily, he didn't have to worry so much about random demon attacks as much anymore—that was so five hundred years ago.

 

“Had a bit of a mishap in the kitchen,” Kagome explained as she set a large stack of papers onto the table. “Someone got careless and ended up burning their hand. Nothing too serious though.”

 

Inuyasha took several deep calming breaths. As soon as she said `mishap,' he feared that maybe something had happened to her. The piece of broken mug stuck in her foot really did a number on him. The rusty scent of her blood made his mind dizzy and he let loose a little of his inner demon in order to keep his inner human from panicking too much.

 

“Work okay for you?” Inuyasha just nodded, unable to reply until his blood cooled down. “That's good.”

 

Shippo appeared with the night's dinner special. He remained silent as he carefully placed the dishes down in front of Kagome first and then Inuyasha. Shippo backed away, offering his `customers' a quick bow before heading off. The kitchen had to be cleaned from the lunch hours as they also readied for the dinner hours.

 

Inuyasha sniffed the food, wrinkling his nose at the flavors he could name and at those he couldn't. He looked up at her, his gaze asking the question he always asked at this time of the lunch.

 

“It's chicken with preserved lemon sauce.”

 

“Why is yours different than mine?”

 

“Huh? It is?” Kagome leaned over to examine Inuyasha's food. “Well…maybe it's the capers…Shippo knows that I'm not a huge fan of them, so I think he spared me from too many of them.”

 

“Are they gross?”

 

Kagome burst out laughing. “No. Just strong. Go ahead and try it. If you don't like them, then just scrap them off.”

 

“I can do that?”

 

“Yes. What? Did you eat something you didn't like because…because you thought it might offend me?”

 

“No,” he quickly answered.

 

“I didn't think so. I don't expect everyone to like everything that we serve here. However, I'm a huge garlic lover, so there's lots of garlic in many of my recipes.”

 

“Keh,” Inuyasha said before cutting into the chicken breast and eating his lunch. He was always hungry by lunch time. Lunch was late in the day and breakfast was just too damn early.

 

Kagome neatly ate her meal, keeping an eye on Inuyasha to see if there was any indication that something about the meal didn't taste right to him. Glancing down at her lemon-glazed chicken, she let out a long sigh.

 

“Inuyasha, what are you doing next week?”

 

“Working,” he muttered with a mouth half-full of food.

 

Kagome rolled her eyes. “I know that much. I mean afterwards.”

 

Inuyasha froze, his mouth hanging open as he looked up at her. “After work?”

 

“Yeah.” Kagome looked down at her food, cutting up the chicken and swirling the piece of white meat around in the lemon sauce. “I was wondering if maybe…if you could…if you have time, that maybe, uh, that maybe you wouldn't mind coming here. I mean, we have that dessert promotion, and normally we don't get to eat dessert, so I thought maybe you'd be interested in something like that, something different.”

 

Inuyasha chewed up the rest of the food in his mouth, swallowing it as he stared at Kagome. She hadn't looked up at him at all, concentrating mostly on her food. “Lunch here and what…dessert?”

 

“No, um, we can not meet for lunch and, instead, have dinner and dessert. I know that it'll be different…”

 

“Different as in there'll be people here?”

 

“The restaurant would be open then, yes.” Kagome's eyes flicked up at Inuyasha before turning back to her plate. “It'd only be one night, not all five. And it can be any day that works best for you-”

 

“Sure. I'll have to check my schedule.”

 

“Oh, of course. That's…uh, that's why I said something now. You know, so you could do the schedule check-thing. And, uh, if you'd feel more comfortable, I think Sango and Miroku might make an appearance.”

 

“Sango and Miroku? When did you talk to them?”

 

“They were in today, for lunch. We have brochures for the dessert promotion on all of the tables. I gave them one.” Kagome handed Inuyasha one of the brochures. “I don't know what kind of sweets you like. Maybe this can help you pick a day.”

 

Inuyasha took the brochure and without looking at it set it on top of his stack of files he planned to work on. He returned to his plate to finish off what he had left of the lemony chicken.

 

Lunch continued on like it normally did. They ate; Kagome talked some more while Inuyasha did some work before it was time for them to really return back to their jobs.

 

Kagome returned to her office as soon as Inuyasha had left the restaurant. She had Shippo come into the office so they could talk about the dinner. Kagome's only advice was to go easy on the capers. The lemon and vinegar combo could really pack a pucker.

 

It had been so hard to ask Inuyasha to come to her restaurant so he could try on of the desserts. She felt like an idiot and no doubt sounded like a bumbling baka. Her nerves just went all haywire around him. Was it because she was trying to ask him something that went beyond their friendship? She wanted to try a few more dates with him. That he already knew. And she really wanted to know what kind of desserts he liked as she hadn't made anything sweet for him to eat.

 

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

 

Inuyasha picked Friday. He had wanted to avoid the weekend nights, but he couldn't help himself. The dessert for Friday night actually looked good and it was something he was willing to try. Choosing Friday worked out for him well. He planned the day to be packed with appointments and procedures, trying to make the most of the day. The busy day also kept him safe from Saori and Miroku, both of whom were curious as to why Inuyasha didn't have his normal lunch date with Kagome. No matter what he did, whatever it was, it always got those two gossiping like school girls.

 

After he was finally done with work, and after he was safely able to sneak past his nosy secretary, Inuyasha hurried home to shower and change. He wasn't sure what to expect tonight. Was it a date? Even if it was at her restaurant? It did seem odd for them to call this a date if she was actually working. Still, whether it was a date or not, he didn't care because he was still able to spend some time with her. He didn't want to spend the evening dining alone at a table while she went about smiling and laughing with the other customers. Inuyasha wouldn't stay for that. She personally invited him and she better damn well pay him some attention.

 

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

 

Inuyasha entered the overstuffed restaurant and was already starting to regret choosing a Friday night to come here. The noise, the smells of all of the different customers, the privacy he lost…He let out a long sigh. There was no way he could leave. Not now, he was already here. And he was anxious to see her.

 

“Hi Inuyasha,” Rin greeted him as soon as she spotted him. She stuffed a few menus into the front-waitress booth. “You can head up to the bar. Kagome is taking care of something and she'll be with you in a moment.”

 

Inuyasha made a beeline for the stairs, ignoring everyone he passed. Making his way up the stairs, he groaned at the louder-than-loud noise that greeted him up on the second level. He flattened his ears against his head to protect them. They'll be ringing all night, he thought to himself. Weaving his way through the crowd, he finally found the bar and snuggled between two patrons as he waited for Kagome.

 

Inuyasha tapped his claws against the glass bar as he continued to wait for Kagome. He took a step back so he had the room he needed to take off his coat. Without a table to sit at, he had to hold onto his coat. It was so inconvenient. He tried to squeeze his way back into his seat, but found that it was already gone.

 

Pushing assholes…

 

Inuyasha scanned the room to see if there was some other place he could park it until Kagome was done. The only problem of finding a nice, secluded corner was that Kagome would have trouble finding him. And with all of the noise and stank of sweat and the overuse of perfumes, he could have his own problems picking her out of the crowd. Why couldn't she just serve him the dessert at lunch?

 

He hated this not-knowing-what-to-do feeling he had. A part of him wanted to leave, while the other part told him he should stay. Kagome was his reason to stay. The waiting, the crowds, those were his reasons to go. The dessert had to be important to him because it was important to Kagome. She asked him and he said yes. That was basically a promise.

 

Wandering around in the sea of annoyance, he found some space at the bar where he could plant himself. Only problem was that it was near the jukebox. Still, if he could find a spot at the bar, he'd have better luck of being spotted by Kagome.

 

And so, again, he tapped his claws against the glowing glass, his impatience apparent to anyone who looked at him. He didn't know how long he would have to wait, but he'd already waited longer than he ever would have. This had to be a statement about his feelings for this girl. In a way, those six months during which he had no idea about where she was or what she was doing, he may have been waiting.

 

“Inuyasha? Is…is that you?”

 

Inuyasha spun around to find Kagome standing behind him. His golden eyes examined her appearance. She looked casual, but classy, for work. A sheer, ruffled, silk blouse with the top two buttons undone was tucked into a high-waist, blood-red sateen skirt that fell just above her knees. A black patent leather belt was wrapped around her tiny waist. Her dainty feet here neatly tucked into classic black leather pumps, and around her left wrist was a thick leather band.

 

What he loved most was that her tousled hair was left down. The jet-black locks framed her face, but they could never frame her eyes. Nothing could contain what those eyes held in them.

 

“What do you mean `is it me'? I ain't seen anyone else here with these.” He pointed to the appendages on his head that were still trying to hide from the noise.

 

Kagome giggled. “I know. You look good.”

 

Inuyasha glanced down at his outfit. He didn't think it was anything that spectacular. He wore a pair of dark-wash boot cut jeans and a red, short-sleeve polo shirt. It was simple and it was clean. The spring weather was already here despite the deep freeze they were experiencing just two weeks ago.

 

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she quickly said. Her mother had mentioned something about his patience. Like the fact that he had none. “I hope you're hungry.”

 

“A little I guess.” A lie. He was starving. He ate breakfast and skipped lunch because he didn't have his usual lunch date with Kagome. But he wasn't going to tell her that.

 

“Good, follow me then.” Kagome reached out and took his hand in hers as she led him through the crowd. He hated canine analogies, but sometimes, it honestly described the situation. Yes, he was following her like an eager puppy with its tail happily wagging, except without the tail. He didn't get one of those.

 

Kagome just stopped. Inuyasha rear-ended her.

 

“Sorry,” he said.

 

“Actually…um, you want something to drink?” She looked up at him, still clinging onto his hand.

 

“Sure.”

 

“Okay, what then?”

 

“I don't care.”

 

Kagome sighed. Sometimes… “Sure you do. I don't think you'd like it if I got you something spicy or frilly.”

 

He frowned at the idea of trying to drink something spicy. Glancing down at her, he found a hint of jest twinkling in her eye. “Keh, give me a beer then.”

 

She smiled up at him, dropping his hand. “Okie-dokie then. Um, could you wait by those doors? I'll quickly head over to the bar and get our drinks.”

 

Kagome quickly ran off, her short form disappearing in the crowd. He didn't want her to go off alone. He kept his eyes on her until he couldn't and that was when he reluctantly made his way over to the set of doors she had pointed out to him.

 

What lay beyond the doors was a mystery to him. She didn't give him the grand tour of the place or anything. But what plans did she have for him? He didn't know. He hoped there were plans…

 

He didn't have to wait long to find her trying her best to hurry through the pillars of people in her way while she juggled the four, chilled bottles of beer in her arms. She was having a difficult time due to the condensation covering the glass, making them slippery. He left his spot by the door, pushing his way through the crowd over to where she was trying to get around a boisterous bunch.

 

“Here,” he said, pushing some of the people out of her way to give her the space she needed. “Hand me those.”

 

“It's okay,” she stammered out as they slowly moved through the crowded bar.

 

“Just hand me the damn bottles.”

 

“I can…manage,” she said just as one of the bottles almost slipped out of her grasp.

 

Inuyasha ignored her as he plucked a couple of bottles out of her arms. She pouted, but said nothing as they continued to make their way to that door that led somewhere. He hoped it was quiet and less crowded. He was not comfortable in the bar. Kagome sighed as they approached the door. Who knew he would be so touchy about beer?

 

Upon reaching the door, Kagome stealthily glanced around, checking for something. Inuyasha didn't ask any questions about it. Kagome pushed on the heavy door, it creaked open enough for the two of them to slip through without anyone trying to follow. And then the door quickly closed again.

 

Inuyasha felt the immediate change in environment: from hot, muggy loudness to a cool, quiet, and fresh calm. And it was completely dark. It didn't take long for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he noticed the chairs and tables set up around him. It had to be another part of the restaurant. Maybe a banquet room?

 

“Now where is it?” Kagome whispered to herself as she fumbled around in the dark looking for something. “Ah, here we go.”

 

Inuyasha's eyes reacted to the sudden illumination of the room. No, it wasn't exactly a room either, but a really large space. Bare trees were swathed in tiny twinkling lights and a soft hum filled Inuyasha's ears.

 

Beaming, Kagome joined Inuyasha. “This way,” she instructed him as she led him past several tables with their chairs stacked neatly on top of them.

 

“Where are we?” he asked as he felt the air getting warmer, but still fresh.

 

“Here,” she proudly stated, pointing to a table with a wide, half-circle padded bench around it. The hum and warm air were coming from those outdoor heaters he had heard about. Taking another glance around the room, he realized that they weren't inside a room at all, but outside on a patio. That explained the fresh air and the outdoor heaters. He didn't think that they would need the outdoor heaters, but it was her decision. Kagome set the bottles of beer she held in her hands onto the table. She then grabbed the bottles out of Inuyasha's arms and also placed them on the table.

 

“Sit,” she said.

 

Inuyasha glared at her. Maybe she didn't get it, but he did. “Keh, that's not nice.”

 

“Huh?” Kagome asked. She looked at him, trying to figure out what else she did wrong. “Inu…” she started to say when she got sight of his ears. Instead of apologizing, she just giggled. “I get it now.”

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he sat down on the softly padded bench. “Fine, don't apologize.”

 

“Oh, it really hurt your feelings?” she asked as she took the spot next to him. “I thought it was cute, but…” Kagome felt really bad for actually hurting his feelings. She really liked his ears and the other canine traits she was becoming aware of. She should've realized, especially after that rude man the other day, Inuyasha was sensitive about the things that really made him stand out.

 

Inuyasha let out a frustrated sigh. He hadn't meant to upset Kagome like that. Those that were interested in his more unusual attributes were only curious about them until they got bored. Too often, he was teased, taunted, and tortured, so he had a problem believing that anyone could truly accept them as a part of him.

 

Yes, Kagome accepted him, yet he had those lingering doubts. Kagome would find his response reasonable if he explained it to her. Though he didn't know if he could. He always had a difficult time trying to put his feelings into words. Fighting was more his style, the way he communicated his feelings. All those detentions and suspensions counted for something.

 

“Nevermind,” Inuyasha muttered as he couldn't find the right way to express himself in front of her. Maybe he should've paid more attention to Miroku. He knew how to speak to women properly.

 

“Okay,” Kagome said, deciding it might be safer to drop it now. It might be one of those topics that was too early for either of them to address. “Here.” She handed him one of the bottles of beer they had brought out with them.

 

“So, what's for dinner?”

 

“You'll see.”

 

“Why can't you tell me?”

 

“Because I want it to be a surprise.”

 

“Your food is always a surprise.”

 

“What?” she screeched out ready to hit him in the arm when she noticed the faint smile he tried to hide behind the neck of the bottle of beer. “Why you…” she playfully started to say, slapping him lightly on the arm. “That's not nice. My cooking can't be that bad.”

 

“I'm a dog, so I'll eat just about anything.”

 

Kagome gasped, frozen as the words hit. She couldn't tell if he was joking with her or not. And after the previous dog joke she had just accidentally made, she couldn't be sure about him. “Ah…” But she didn't know what to say.

 

To keep herself from saying anything, Kagome looked away as she took a long gulp of her beer. How was she supposed to tell him that while she had to recognize him as part dog demon, she didn't see it as something to be made fun of? She didn't think cutesy teasing was harmful, though.

 

Inuyasha set his bottle down onto the table harshly, causing beer suds to jump up from inside the bottle. He'd already messed up. Kagome was uncomfortable and eerily quiet. He knew only he could fix it. Turning toward her, he noticed just how uncomfortable she really was; half of her beer was already gone.

 

“Look…sorry. I…I'm not used to someone being able to joke about me without malicious intent.” Even after saying that, she hadn't eased up at all. He reached out to her, gripping onto her arms and turning her so she faced him. “Your food is fine. I've told you that before.”

 

“I know…”

 

“Then what the fuck is wrong?”

 

“The food isn't here yet,” her soft voice answered.

 

“What?”

 

“Dinner. I told them to have it out here by a certain time. I already made you wait once. I didn't want it to happen again.”

 

Inuyasha pulled away from her, reaching for his beer. “You're weird.”

 

“I am not. I just wanted this night to be nice.”

 

“Don't worry so much about it.”

 

Inuyasha's ears twitched to the sound of one of those doors opening. Kagome spun around in her spot to find Rin walking towards them with her tray in hand. Now Kagome relaxed. Rin quietly approached the table and proceeded to serve them the night's dinner special. As soon as the plates were on the table, Rin disappeared, leaving the two to enjoy their meal in private.

 

“Shrimp,” Inuyasha guessed as he continued to sniff the food. “More beer and udon.”

 

Kagome clapped her hands together. “Yep. I hope you like it. I wanted something not so…overwhelming because this week is really all about the desserts.”

 

Inuyasha plucked up a piece of shrimp and popped it into his mouth. Shaking her head and smiling, Kagome turned to her meal, using chopsticks this time to eat the seafood and noodle meal.

 

Just like with their lunches, Kagome did most of the talking while he kept quiet to eat. Kagome explained the meal, its history, including the several different types of beer she used to get the taste just right. He didn't mind. Her soft voice was nice on his ears and it calmed him to not only hear it, but to know that she could talk to him like this so freely without making it sound forced.

 

Kagome pushed a three-quarters eaten plate away and Inuyasha quickly snagged it away, finishing it off without even asking. She really didn't think much of it. Her mother's voice could be heard in the back of her head saying something about males and their healthy appetites. All she could do was smile.

 

Reaching for her beer, she took smaller sips now that the uncomfortable vibe had stilled. She relaxed back into the padded back of the bench, feeling satisfied with the meal and the light conversation they shared. Talking about nothing was just one way they could become closer.

 

“I know it wasn't ramen, but it wasn't too extravagant for you, was it?”

 

“Nah, it was closer to some of the meals I eat when I don't eat ramen.”

 

Kagome loudly gasped. “What? You mean there is a time when you don't eat ramen?”

 

“Only when I have to,” he retorted catching onto her tease. He liked teasing with her. She would smile and then she'd blush this really soft pink color. It was a good color on her.

 

“What about dessert?”

 

“Well, until you make a sweet ramen, then I'll just have to manage with what you have.”

 

“A sweet ramen? That's a great idea. I'll have to work on that. But until then, we'll have to make do.”

 

And somehow, right on cue, Inuyasha's ears flicked to that same door opening once again. Just a few moments later Rin appeared with her tray in her hands. Kagome neatly stacked up the dirty dinner dishes so that they had a place for the dessert dish. Rin set down one plate with the night's dessert special on it. Rin packed up the dirty dishes, bowed, and quickly disappeared back inside the noisy bar.

 

Inuyasha glanced down at the dessert before casting a quizzical glance at Kagome. “Only one…you not eating?”

 

“I, uh…I thought we could share. I mean, unless you don't want to. I could never eat it all by myself anyways and I've had some-“

 

“Sure,” he interjected to keep her from rambling off with her nervous nonsense. Knowing how she was about her cooking, he quietly grabbed the spoon and dug into the dessert. The only thing he really knew about the dessert was what he saw in the picture. He was glad that what was served to him actually did look like the picture and that they didn't use any fancy cheats or computer techniques to make it look better than what it really was.

 

“It's chocolate praline tart with a caramel-chocolate sauce and vanilla bean ice cream, all made from scratch. This is really a versatile dish and I like to use chocolate mints with it, taking out the cara-” Kagome had a spoonful of homemade vanilla ice cream with caramel-chocolate sauce stuffed into her mouth. She shot a wide-eyed glare at Inuyasha. He had a proud smirk on his face. As much as he enjoyed her voice, there was a time when she just needed to shut her trap and enjoy the silence.

 

Once she had swallowed the bite, she opened her mouth ready to protest. “What was that for?”

 

“You talk too much. Keep quiet and eat.”

 

She wanted to keep arguing, but decided that after all, he might be right. The silence did feel a little weird and she thought that she needed to fill it. Reaching for her spoon, she picked it up and plunged the metallic object into the crunchy mix. She savored the way the flavors and textures swirled about in her mouth before swallowing. Catching a sneak peek at Inuyasha, she wondered if with his overly sensitive tastes, if the experience of eating good food was somehow heightened. Sometimes she wished she had that ability. It might make her a better chef.

 

In the still of the city night, they dug at the dessert, picking it away until their spoons clanked against the bottom of the dish. Kagome had eaten more that she figured she would. It was a good thing she made the portion size larger. Not only because she had planned to share, but because Inuyasha's appetite was that much larger.

 

“Wa-” she started to speak when a clawed finger tried to quiet her. Once again, he was demanding silence. And once again, she wanted to give him a piece of her mind. What right did he have to tell her that she wasn't allowed to talk?

 

“Bu-” she tried again. Inuyasha pressed his finger more firmly against her lips, hoping she'd get the hint. Kagome sent him a glare hoping he'd get her hint that she wasn't enjoying this. She was dying to ask him about the dessert. He just shook his head at her.

 

A strange thought suddenly popped into her head and, in a way, it scared her. Did she have the nerves to actually do it? Maybe, considering it might allow her to finally speak. It wouldn't hurt anyone. At least from her point of view. At least no one in the vicinity would be. So many times in her life, when a thought like this appeared, she ignored it. And what did ignoring it get her? Nothing. A big, fat nothing. Kagome wanted more than the usual nothing.

 

Quickly, she stuck her tongue out and licked that finger that kept her quiet. It was a defiant act she had used against her brother many times. If Souta wanted the last cookie, she licked it. If Souta wanted the last bottle of juice, she opened it, licked the rim, and screwed the lid back on without taking a single sip. Sure it was childish, but it worked. Souta would never eat or drink anything tainted by his sister's germs. `Girl cooties' he called them. Eventually, his perception of girls changed.

 

But licking was different among adults. It could be playful, but between two adults highly attracted to each other…

 

He tastes like chocolate…

 

And it was different for those with canine instincts.

 

…and something else…

 

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, wanting to gauge his reaction to her little attack. He had yet to move his finger, but she could always take advantage of a grossed-out hanyou to finally say something. But she didn't exactly find a disgusted hanyou, but something quite the opposite; a look that excited her.

 

Stretching her mouth open a bit wider, she slowly engulfed the sweet digit into her mouth, gently sucking the remnants of the chocolate sauce off. She was fascinated by the way Inuyasha's eye lids fluttered as a deep feral moan escaped from his slightly parted mouth. Never had she heard anything so abandoned before, and by something she had done. Kagome leisurely pulled back, releasing his finger from her mouth with a tiny `popping' sound.

 

Inuyasha brushed that hand across her left check, lightly scratching his claws into her soft, thick hair. His thumb stroked the apple of her cheek as his eyes dove into hers. He quickly moved towards her, taking over her lips with his own in a fiery kiss fueled by chocolate-tasting desires.

 

Kagome leaned into him, her back arching as her hands reached out for him, landing on the inward curve of his waist, just above his hips. She gripped onto his shirt tightly as her body started on a journey she'd never taken before.

 

He tastes better than chocolate…

 

Inuyasha brought his other hand up to cup her head and to show her that he was in control. He tipped her head enough to deepen their kiss. There was a tremor warming up inside of him, a great need to taste much more of her. A tiny jolt of her head caused her to gasp and allowed him entrance into her sweet mouth.

 

Kagome told herself not to think so much about her kissing technique. This was something you learned by just going with the flow. All of those times she practiced kissing the mirror or the back of her hand never prepared her for the real thing. Really, all she had to do was mimic what he was doing, right? Go with the flow…

 

It started out that simple. His tongue lapped at hers and so she lapped back. Was this why chocolate was called an aphrodisiac? He tasted so delicious. She tasted so sweet. They both knew they wanted more. And here's where things lose their simplicity and really start to heat up.

 

Kagome wanted to take her time to explore him and his various tastes, breaking them down as a sommelier would do with a fine wine. But Inuyasha had other ideas. He didn't want to rush. Rushing could make the kiss sloppy and one thing he knew about women was that they hated rushed, sloppy kisses.

 

But it wasn't just about the kiss for Inuyasha. And without scaring Kagome even more with his bold advances, he was already establishing dominance. Yes, a part of this was about him being alpha male. He didn't always agree with it, especially in domestic abuse cases, but he couldn't avoid it because it was a part of him. Another part of his heritage that he hadn't explained to her yet.

 

Inuyasha broke away from her lips to explore other fleshy parts of her that were accessible to his tongue…lips…teeth…Using his hands that were still cradling her head, he tipped her to the right side, exposing supple neck skin. He dragged his lips across her cheek, playfully nibbling on her jaw before attacking her neck and ear. His soft touch tickled and teased her skin in the most pleasing manner. Her head titled back more, allowing him a free pass as long as he wouldn't stop. A soft moan danced out, inviting Inuyasha to continue with his tender play.

 

Kagome refused to idly sit there like some rag doll. Maybe that had been her problem with Hojo; she didn't take any initiative early on. Her fingers were itching to explore him just as she was letting Inuyasha taste her. His body…she saw it once at the Shrine last spring and now she didn't have to keep herself from actually touching.

 

Tugging on the hem of his cotton polo shirt, she reached up, underneath the cloth to touch hot skin. His soft flesh covered hard muscles that just felt so good. She pressed her hands against his abdomen and slid upwards, causing his skin to ripple and twitch. For Inuyasha, it burned oh so good. Kagome snaked her hands around his back until something caught her eye.

 

Slipping one hand out, she slid it up along the length of his torso as he licked the length of her neck causing her hand to descend back down. Why did she have to wait so long to feel this good? Her mind was able to produce one clear word that reminded her of what she was aiming for before she was so distracted.

 

Ears. Those adorable ears were also very sexy. She was being as gentle as she could as she stroked the velvety appendage a few times before settling at the base to give it a good, languid scratch. Inuyasha quickly found himself getting lost in desire. Her taste…her touch…it was starting to numb a part of him that he needed to stay in control. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against him before lying her down softly onto their padded bench seat.

 

He hovered over her, brushing away the hair from her face and taking deep inhales followed by slow exhales. Her floral scent was blossoming into something bolder, more exotic, as he gazed into her eyes. He could get lost in all of her; her scent, those eyes, her touch…and he thought he could be satisfied if he never found his way back. Her musky floral scent tugged him along to a place he'd never been before, but was searching for at the same time, a place that he could be comfortable at.

 

Nothing needed to be said now. Bending down, he kissed her with force, nibbling on her bottom lip before pulling away to once again look at her. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was. And what he thought about her was all that mattered.

 

Again, he went back down to recapture her lips in another searing kiss that started to leave them both breathless. His right hand slid down the length of her body, slipping underneath the small crevice made by the tiny curve at the small of her back. He continued his explorations of her body by continuing downward, sliding along the curve of her shapely and firm ass, giving it a good squeeze before resuming his trek south.

 

Kagome gasped and her body responded by arching and pressing into his. His hand slipped behind her knees, pulling it up so that her skirt rose as he wrapped her leg around his own, allowing another scent to mingle with the one she was already radiated from her hot body. Kagome wrapped her arms around him, hugging him as close to her as she could. Inuyasha kissed down her chin, advancing once again to her neck.

 

There was a bit of flesh at the bend of her neck to her shoulder that he found interesting…and tasty. He nibbled and suckled at that junction, hearing the acceleration of her blood flow as her heart pounded faster and faster with each kiss. Kagome found one of his ears again and both were at the same peak of the intense sensations they were causing each other.

 

Taste. Kagome remember that she was once curious about how this fine hanyou specimen would taste. Now, she had her chance to find out. With the way her head was tilted and his, all she had to do…She poked out her tongue and pressed it flat against the patch of skin where his jaw met the place where his ears would be, if he were human. Drawing her wet appendage along his throat, she pulled back to savor its flavor. He tasted like an exotic mix of man, musk, and salt…a unique taste of Inuyasha that she was sure she would need to sample again and again.

 

Inuyasha couldn't stifle the groan that he let out into her neck, causing tiny vibrations to tickle her wet, sensitive skin. He tightly gripped onto her thigh as he fought to find some control. How did she know how to do these things to him? The ears, the licking…his senses were already sensitive enough.

 

He pulled his mouth away from that spot, showering kisses along her collar bone until he reached the tiny dip at the base of her swan-like throat. Warning bells started to go off in his head. How far would she let him go? How far did he want to go with her tonight? Since neither had brought up the issue of sex, he knew that wasn't on tonight's menu. And they were at a public place, her restaurant. But, he didn't want to completely stop either.

 

He shifted down just a bit as he continued to kiss her skin, leaving invisible trail marks along the opening of her blouse. She was the one that left so many buttons undone. Bared flesh was fair game. And if she wanted to argue about it with him, she'd have to wait until he was done.

 

Kagome had never felt this good before. She felt so free. There was no making out with Hojo. This, this was new and wonderful, and Inuyasha just somehow knew what to do to make her brain lose track of reason, but gain pleasure. She again arched her body against his, trying to somehow maximize these feelings.

 

He couldn't help himself. Her action prompted an immediate and arguably equivalent reaction as he cupped her breast with his left hand, giving it a gently squeeze and causing the flesh to spill out of her bra, allowing him a taste of the top part of her fleshy mound. Kagome let out a throaty moan and bent her left knee up in response. Her leg slid along a hard part of Inuyasha that was requiring a bit of energy to stay under control and that little stunt of Kagome's woke him up to just how heavy things were really getting.

 

He kissed her lips gently as he removed his hand from her chest. Opening her eyes, she looked at him, her mind reeling around, trying to figure out what was going on, why he stopped. He chuckled at the confused look on her face. Sitting up, he pulled her up with him and rested her up against his chest, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He deeply inhaled and exhaled a few times as this gave him a chance to regain control and allow his body to cool down, despite the temptation of her intoxicating scent.

 

“Too much ear fondling?” Kagome quietly spoke out. Oh, so now she could speak.

 

“Keh, something like that.”

 

“W-why stop?”

 

“You think I want our first time to be on the balcony of a public restaurant?”

 

Kagome mouthed an `oh' before pressing her lips together. She snuggled closer to him, resting a hand on his leg as she took the time to let her body cool down. “Point taken.”

 

He was glad that was taken care of quickly. It's not like he had their first time planned out, but this wasn't his ideal. And before there was a first time, they would have to talk. Not now, but maybe next time. He'd let her pick the pace, but he didn't know how long he could wait.

 

Kagome reached over and grabbed a fresh bottle of beer. Twisting the cap off, she took a quick sip, letting the beverage run down her throat. Who knew making out was so exhausting? Inuyasha took the bottle from her and took a long gulp. Kagome watched with some fascination at how his Adam's apple bobbed up and down with each swallow.

 

They sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying being in the embrace of the other. Kagome couldn't stop smiling. A part of her wanted to jump up and down, screaming silly with happiness. But that could wait until she got with her friends. She wasn't one to kiss and tell, but she wanted to let them all know how wonderful she felt.

 

The other part of her was content to sit right there in his arms, all night if they could. This was happiness. This is what one searched for in life, moments like these. She couldn't wait for the next moment. But this one would have to end first.

 

“We're out of beer.”

 

Kagome sighed. That was one way to end a good moment. “Would you like another?”

 

“I'm driving.”

 

She nodded her head. “Okay then, water or…” the last part she didn't want to say, though it was inevitable.

 

He knew what she didn't say. And he'd have to be the bad guy. Technically, she was still at work and he needed to get home before it got too late. “I better,” he quietly replied, though he didn't move right away.

 

“I'll walk you out.” And she stood up, pulling him up with her. He took her hand and followed her to a different set of doors. She opened them up and, as they walked into the bar, he noticed two things: that there were more people and that they were closer to the stairs that took them down to the restaurant level. They didn't have to walk through the huge crowd to get out.

 

Once they were down the stairs, he continued to follow her towards the main exit. The restaurant was still busy, even as it neared closing time. He was proud of Kagome and the success of her work. He was surprised when she led him outside and they continued together down the sidewalk toward the parking garage, hand in hand.

 

Once inside the parking garage, Inuyasha stopped her, but kept a tight lock on her hand. He tugged her over to him and wrapped another arm around her waist. They both stared at each other, slightly panting from the anticipation of what could happen.

 

“Did you enjoy everything?” she softly whispered.

 

“Yup,” he suggestively replied, causing her to blush.

 

“You're not going to have any strange reaction to the chocolate, are you?”

 

“Why are you asking me such a dumb question?”

 

“Well, I heard that dogs aren't supposed to be fed chocolate and-”

 

“Pussies.”

 

“What?”

 

“You heard me. Pussies.”

“But my friend's dog died-”

 

“Like I said, I'll be fine, okay?”

 

“Okay. I'm glad you came tonight.”

 

Inuyasha's answer was a sweet goodnight kiss that left Kagome's toes all tingly. She watched as he went to his truck. Making her way out of the parking garage, she stopped on the sidewalk to wait for him. As his truck came roaring out, she waved at him as he turned onto the street and made his way home.

 

Kagome returned to the restaurant with a goofy smile on her face. In her current state of mind, she thought it would be best to return to her office as she was in no condition to work.

 

“Hey Kagome,” Rin said as she quickly bussed a table.

 

“Oh Rin. Hey. Uh, I didn't clean up the balcony. Sorry.”

“That's okay. I'll get it later.” Kagome smiled and started back on her way to the office. “Um, Kagome, it looks like you got some chocolate on you.”

 

“Really? Oh, well, I'll go clean it off then.”

 

Once inside her office, door locked behind her, Kagome opened up the storage closet to check herself out in the mirror she kept on one of the walls. She didn't think she was that messy of an eater. Kagome examined her blouse, but found nothing. In her reflection, she checked her cheeks and chin, obvious places for missed chocolate sauce. Her hands felt around and still, nothing, until she tugged at the collar of her blouse.

 

“What?” she bellowed out at no one. She didn't know who she was going to kill first for this `chocolate' spot, Rin for pointing it out, or Inuyasha for giving it to her. Some marks just couldn't be washed off.

 

xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx

 

roshully's notes: I know, I know, long wait. I'm so very sorry. I have come down with something nasty. I'm normally never sick for this long. It's been a week since I woke up with a really sore throat that has since evolved into a cough that has kept me up for the last three nights.

 

translation:

baka - Japanese for idiot, stupid and anything along those lines as well as one of the most easily recognizable Japanese words from anime.

 

sommelier - those people that sniff wines before taking a gulp, swishing it around in their mouths a few times before spitting it out to test and rate the wine. They are hired at restaurants to pair wines with food.[Author ID1: at Sun Jun 3 17:53:00 2007 ]

 

Eh, no recipes this chapter because of formatting issues. Still want the recipes, check out my Livejournal which you can access through my homepage thingie. Instead of worrying about format, I just decided to ignore it by doing that. It's the easiest solution I can think of. That way, if you have any questions, you can address them on my LJ.

 

There shouldn't be as long as a wait for the next chapter unless I continue to stay ill and something else happens.

 

 

And now, the replies…

 

violet blossom - This one wasn't as long, but, I doubt you can complain other than not enough. I'm trying to do the best I can with characterization considering this is an AU/AR story. Yeah, Inuyasha has insecurities and I'm trying to take the ones he has in the anime/manga and use them here as well because they still apply despite the AU/AR. Does this chapter make you love him more and more?

 

rosalind - I'm glad that you are enjoying how different this story is. Just trying to keep it real, yo. According to others, mm.org has a hard time with formatting. I tried to fix it, but I just couldn't get it to work. So, as the note before the replies says, I've just decided to post them in my LiveJournal so that everyone gets a peek at the recipes. If you want the previous ones, let me know and I'll post them as well. I hope this remedy works for you, if not, let me know and I'll see what else I can try to do.

 

@__@ - I apologize for the wait. I got sick. Nothing I could do about it. The sucky part about it was that I knew exactly what I wanted to write, but couldn't because my brain decided to shut down on me. Stupid brain, it broke.

 

loulou4729 - Here's some sparklers before the real firework show. Communication is key, which they are learning about and are going to have to deal with. Of course, at least 90% of the way we communicate with each other is through body language ^-^.

 

InusGurl4 - You explode, you vibrate, almost makes me wonder what else you are capable of…

 

axel720 - I'm try to be such a logical person that I read something into everything and it keeps me from letting the moment take its course. But I think a lot of people are like that. Especially girls. It seems like we have so much to consider. I think a lot of girls can see a little of themselves in Kagome. I know how busy is, I have work, and more work. The good thing about work is no homework. At least not yet.

 

momoiam - The job keeps me out of the kitchen, but I try when I can. Sorry I'm not posting the recipes at the end of the chapters anymore and I hope you can access them on my LiveJournal. Let me know if you can't and I can try to accommodate you. I feel that the recipes are an important part of the story, and including them helps me and I'm sure you the readers to be more involved with the story.

 

rainydays - I don't know why girls are the way they are. I'm one and I can't explain it, but that's just the way we are. I'm not saying that girls are any less complex, but, we have our different ways of going about them. I think there are a few guys out there that can't speak girl. And there are girls out there that can't speak guy. It's that whole communication gap, and we have to learn the other's language.

 

make more - Here's some more. Can't say when the next one will be around, but it shouldn't take as long as this one took to update.

 

Thanks to everyone else for their readership support.

 

 

 

 

 

Have a great week and weekend.

 

roshully