InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Gods' Opinion ❯ Sisters and Brothers ( Chapter 24 )

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

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 Four Sisters and Brothers

Darkness tickles…

Kagome moaned as she was enveloped in gentle warmth. Her back arched, but her movements were restricted. She tried reaching out, but she was caught. Not that she really wanted to escape from this filling feeling she was experiencing. Her lips parted and she moistened them just as she slowly exhaled. What was this?

Violet burns…

This feeling was new and needed. Was this a part of what she was searching for? She snuggled closer to it, whatever it was. It couldn't leave her. She wouldn't let it. Moving her body around, she had to see if she could touch it, feel the realness of it.

Soft skin…hard muscles…

Kagome's eyes popped open from two uncomfortable feelings, a burning sensation and a squeezing one. She looked down to see an arm, not hers, draped over her waist and snaked up her shift, and a hand - she gulped - also not hers, clutched onto her breast. Then there was the tell-tale burning of having to urinate. It was definitely morning.

Prying off his hand was impossible. It only put her in a tighter bind when owner of said hand wrapped a leg around hers. She wasn't going anywhere. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a head of black hair entangled with her own. He was still human. So, she still had a fighting chance. It was human versus human.

Carefully, and painfully slowly, she pulled her leg out, stuffing blankets into its place to try and fool her captor. The hard part was his hand. Kagome was pretty sure she couldn't substitute a pillow or blanket for that part of her body. She figured her only chance of getting out was to pry it off quickly and slip out quicker than he could latch back on. If nothing else, it was worth a shot.

Her cheeks flushed when she reached her own hand up her shirt and placed it on top of his. It was strange how she didn't mind it and was actually enjoying it, even though she was still embarrassed by it. She knew this kind of contact happened. Only now, it was happening to her and not someone else. Kagome pulled his hand up and, with all of the strength she could muster this early in the morning, she scooted away from him, dropping his hand once she was safe.

Scuttling across the carpeted floor, Kagome slipped into the guest bathroom to take care of her business. She fixed her messy hair up and washed her hands and face before crawling back into bed. Somehow, even in his human form, he sensed her presence for as soon as she lay down, he was spooning her tightly again, as if he would never let her go.

Kagome blushed again when his hand found the position it had taken up earlier. She couldn't believe him. Was this just male senses or something related to his demon ancestry? Inuyasha was still human though, so it totally had to be a guy thing. She might have to ask about it. Or not.

Closing her eyes, she yawned as sleep once again crept upon her. The only problem she had with going to sleep so soon was that Inuyasha wasn't going to be human for much longer. How would he react, in his hanyou form, to what his human form had done the night before? She would hate for something between them to change. He could easily change his mind, blaming his human half for everything he said or did. Snuggling up against him, Kagome figured it was best to sleep until they were both awake and then she could see what would happen.

Inuyasha took a deep breath, deeply inhaling Kagome's scent. It was the first time in a long time that he had slept like that on his human night. He now realized how much he needed Kagome in his life. She calmed him, comforted him, and gave him a sense of belonging. The comparison he could make with his mother couldn't ring truer, except he had a deeper, more mature and sexual attraction to Kagome as well.

Strands of black drifted over his shoulders. Not quite yet sunrise. But his skin was tingling. Soon. Soon he'd be back to what he considered to be normal. And he'd have his senses back. He almost couldn't wait. The whimper of the girl he was latched onto brought him out of his thoughts. She felt so good in his arms.

“Morning,” his still sleepy voice spoke.

“No,” Kagome mumbled. Turning around in his embrace, she buried her head in his chest trying to hide from the morning's wake-up call.

Chuckling at her, he wrapped his arms around her tighter, burying his face into the crook of her neck. Every morning, this is what he wanted to wake up to, Kagome in his arms and her scent all around him. Actually, he'd be happy with just lying all day with her in bed.

“You awake?”

“If I have to be,” Kagome muttered as she pulled away from him, looking up into his eyes. “Morning…” her voice trailed off as she witnessed Inuyasha's transformation back into his hanyou form. Starting at the roots, the original silver coloring came streaming down the black ink hair until it reached the ends. In a blink of his eyes, they went from purple to gold, like some alchemist's trick. She could feel the prickle of the claws on his hands. What she was most excited about was the shifting of his ears, from cartilage shells to velvety triangles.

“Oh, they're back,” she lightly cooed as her hand shot up for them.

“Not so fast,” Inuyasha said, grabbing her wrist gently. “Too early in the morning.”

She pouted as she pulled her hand back. “Fine.” A yawn escaped her lips as she rolled away from him, lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling. “Are you better now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you feel…I don't know how to describe it. Now that you are back in your hanyou form, are you okay now?”

“I guess,” he mumbled, staring up at the ceiling as well. “There's still the patient thing.”

“Yeah…Hey, you hungry?”

“Is it always food with you?”

Kagome laughed, clutching her sides as she rolled over to face him. “Most of the time. It is my job. And of course, you need food to survive. Not to mention that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

“Good luck finding something here to cook with.”

“Huh?”

“Sango's place, remember? Sango's not a cook, no food.”

“I never said I would cook. We could go out.”

“Whatever.”

“Great!” Kagome cheered as she sat up. She completely missed Inuyasha's groan. Breakfast, while a great idea, meant they would have to get out of bed. No snuggling and no more sleeping. Sliding off the bed, Kagome walked over to the door. “Hey, this is stuck.”

“You have to turn the knob.”

“I know that,” she shot back before turning around to stick her tongue out at him. She tried the door again. “I'm serious though.”

“Shit, let me do it.” He hopped out of bed and marched his way over to the door. Kagome stepped aside, giving Inuyasha plenty of room to open the door. He took a hold of the knob and turned, only to be met with incredible resistance. Jiggling the knob, he found it was locked.

Instead of banging on the door, he walked over to the wall and banged on that loudly a few times. “Oi, wake up or I'll make a new door right here!”

Kagome watched his ears twitch, most likely picking up sounds from the other side of the wall. She was fascinated by his abilities and sometimes wondered what it would be like to have all of her senses turned up like his. Kagome turned to the door as she heard the familiar clicking sound of the lock.

The door opened to reveal two very tired-looking people. Sango stood behind Miroku as she tried to control the mess that was her hair.

“Morning,” Miroku cheerfully greeted Inuyasha and Kagome as he ran a hand through his loose, shoulder-length hair.

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose at the couple as he stormed past them to the living room. “You said you two wouldn't fuck when I stayed over. And was the lock really necessary?”

Miroku nervously chuckled and Sango tried to hide behind him even more. Kagome stood there, frozen, mouth agape as she stared at the mortified couple. Miroku left Sango to go scold Inuyasha. Sango met Kagome's eyes and blushed.

“So…” Kagome sang out trying to get past this current moment of awkwardness.

“So…” Sango repeated. “Uh, you and Inuyasha, everything good now?”

“Sorta. He got through the whole `I have to be human for a whole night' thing, but he's still worried about this death. He didn't have to say it. I know how much his clinic means to him and his fear of losing it.” Kagome yawned as her stomach howled. “Are you and Miroku involved in this case at all?”

“I'm not; Miroku is. She was his patient originally. Miroku recommended that she and her husband visit with Inuyasha when conception complications arose. Miroku could be at fault as well since whatever it was that she was allergic to may have been something Miroku prescribed to her, or something. We don't know yet..”

“Eh? But he's taking it so well.”

“That's because he's confident that no one at the clinic did anything wrong.”

“I wish I could make Inuyasha feel that way.” Kagome's stomach roared louder this time, reminding her of its emptiness. “Right. Breakfast.”

“I have no food here.”

“I was thinking of going out. I know this great little café nearby that serves the best pancakes.”

“Oh, that sounds really good. But, maybe I should freshen up before we go,” Sango suggested.

“Okay,” Kagome replied as she headed out to the living room only to find Inuyasha and Miroku locked in some conversation. Sango must've heard it too, for she was standing next to Kagome trying to listen in.

“But I'm just as famished as you are,” they heard Miroku whine out.

“No,” Inuyasha barked out at the sleepy human.

“Why?”

“Because you reek,” Inuyasha grumbled as Kagome sat down on the couch across from Miroku.

“Do I always smell that bad?”

“Yep.”

Miroku shot an apologetic glance at Sango. “Apparently, I've covered you in my foul stench.”

Sango shrugged her shoulders. “Then let's share the shower, you know, to conserve water.”

Kagome let out what sounded like a squeak as her cheeks flared up. Her wide eyes darted down to the ground as she inspected the grain of the wood flooring.

Miroku nodded and chuckled at the look of disgust on Inuyasha's face. “I'd much rather bathe in your scent,” he said as he stumbled past Kagome and followed Sango into the bathroom.

The door to the bathroom slammed closed, followed by the sound of running water. Kagome remained standing where she was at, a little stunned by the morning's recent events.

“Let's go.”

“Where?”

“Breakfast.”

“But…” Kagome turned pointing to the source of the running water, “what about them?”

“They're not going to make it.”

“Wh-…oh…you mean….oh…”

Inuyasha shook his head at her. A little innocence never hurt anyone. He walked over to her and took a gentle grip of her arm, tugging her along. Once Kagome snapped out of her little trance, she remembered to grab her purse as they left the other couple to their shower.

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Kagome sighed heavily as she went over proposals for the upcoming hanami festival that would have the whole country in a fervor within a matter of weeks. There were so many ideas for the restaurant that, for the first time, she really didn't know what to do.

She was confident about a few things, starting with the patio. It would be open and ready by the second week of April when the sakura trees on the patio would be ready. Due to the cold weather snap they had in March, the sakura were blooming later this year. She also wanted the restaurant to somehow sponsor the traditional activities that families and groups partake in during the hanami festival.

Students from the senior-level classes at the school contributed menus for Kagome's consideration. Some were traditional and others were not, but all of them had really good ideas, and it was nearly impossible to settle on just a few. She tossed the files down onto the large stack that was taking over her table. There had to be an easier way to do this.

“Shit. And I thought I was busy.”

“Hey,” Kagome said. “Oh, let me get this out of your way.” Kagome pulled the files into a tight messy pile so Inuyasha had room for the stack of work stuff he normally brought with him. Inuyasha took his seat across from her, setting his leather bag on the floor. “Okay day?”

Inuyasha remained eerily silent as he shrugged his shoulders. He pulled out some files and immediately starting working on them.

“Not okay day?” Kagome asked to Inuyasha's silent response. She learned forward, reaching out with her hand, placing it on his arm to still his writing. “Did Sesshoumaru say anything to you?”

“No. Bastard hasn't said one fucking word. I haven't seen the asshole since last week.”

“Is he working that hard on this case?”

“Fuck if I know.”

“He still comes here for lunch, but he eats so silently that I sometimes forget he's here. Oh, hey, let me ask him.”

“No.”

“Why not? I know he's quiet and all, but-“

“I said no. He's a punk who's not talking to me because he's trying to fuck with me.”

“Still, someone needs to tell him that what he's doing to you is wrong, he is your brother after all. Even if you two don't always get along. He's the only one you've got.” Kagome sighed as the brother talk started to get heavy. “This clinic, this job, it's your life and it's so important to you. And he also has an investment in it as well.”

“Like he fuckin' cares about what happens to the clinic. The clinic, me…it's all a reminder to him that our dad left his mother for mine.” Inuyasha gritted his teeth as they talked about his relationship with Sesshoumaru and what the clinic meant to his brother versus what it meant to him. But he didn't want to get angry at Kagome.

“Oh, uh, I…I didn't know. Is she still alive?”

“I guess. She hates me even more than he does. At least Sesshoumaru recognizes my existence, even if he does it in a shitty way.”

“But he wouldn't work so hard for you and the clinic if a part of him didn't care.”

“It's all for himself.”

“Someone must be working on it, as I've read little about it in the papers.”

“Like the hospital wants this splashed in the front pages.”

Kagome realized that the conversation wasn't going anywhere. If Inuyasha hadn't been told anything about the case from his brother, then there wasn't anything for him to talk about. But she hated the awkward silence that she knew was going to fall fast if she didn't think of something else to talk about. Brothers and his work were not topics to consider. “Did I tell you…I'm not working Saturdays anymore.”

“How come?”

“The higher ups at the school are worried that I'm overloading myself. I've basically been working six days a week, fourteen to eighteen hours a day. They only want me to work the mornings and into the early evening. Also, they're shifting my duties around as well. I'm still in the restaurant, but they want me to recruit students, adopt menu changes and to appoint section supervisors whose duty it will be to oversee basic day-to-day operations of their stations.”

“Are you going to be able to let it go?”

“I don't know.” Kagome glanced down at her lap, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her shirt. It felt like the school was asking her to give up too much. “It's probably a good thing. This way I con focus on other things. Speaking of which, hanami…As part of the application process, students are preparing things for customers to try at a stand that we're hosting at Ueno Park. You...you should come.” There, she asked him. It was so nerve-wracking to ask him to do things and she just didn't understand why. Her eyes darted up to meet his before moving away to stare at something neutral. It was easy to hear his answer if she wasn't looking at him, in case he said no.

“What?”

“In two weeks, that weekend, Ueno Park will be having an all-day festival to celebrate hanami. I'm saying you should come. It's outdoors…lots of food….drinks…casual setting…” If she didn't sound nervous before, she was sure she did this time as her voice trailed off as she rattled off all of the reasons she could think of.

Casual setting? What a stupid thing to say. Smooth Kagome.

“Are you going to be working or not?” He crossed his arms along his chest and leaned back in his chair as he watched her. He had the same problem. With so much invested in his job, it was hard to not work when you feel like you should. Kagome was the same way. He knew she wouldn't be able to let it go so easily.

“I don't know. I'm supposed to check on them, but it's really their project. Perhaps it's for them to impress me and the graduation committee in selecting those that will be hired at the restaurant.”

“I'll go as long as you don't work.” He pointed a clawed finger at her to make sure she got the point.

“Really?” she said, beaming. She had half expected him to say no, or that he would have to check his schedule first. “I was thinking of preparing a bento box just in case. I haven't really eaten any of their food and I don't think I'll get any samples beforehand.”

“Whatever.” Like he was going to let her see how excited he really was. Hanami was a family affair and he didn't think she would ask him to attend something like that with her so soon.

Shippo arrived with Tuesday's dinner special. Inuyasha moved his work to the side to allow more room for the meal. He didn't pay much attention to the food. Normally he didn't. He learned to eat what was put in front of him. And he ate when he was hungry. It wasn't so much about what he was actually eating, it was about the company he kept while eating: the old man, Sango, Miroku, Kagome…people he trusted, friends.

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Inuyasha growled loudly. He hated crowds. Crowds were just a bunch of smelly, annoying beings that only served to get in his way. He forgot about the amount of people he'd have to deal with when he agreed to meet Kagome here. The crowds also meant he'd have a much harder time picking up her scent.

She did, however, give him a probable location as to where he could find her. Kagome had been told that she had to be at the restaurant and schools' booth early in the morning to explain what the students had to accomplish for the day and to make sure all of the ingredients and equipment that were requested had arrived. There was really nothing he could do about any of it and he didn't want to sit around, watching her work, waiting.

Following her directions, he entered the vendor's area. Food, drinks, and gifts to commemorate this year's hanami. It was still early enough in the day so that the walkway between the booths weren't too crowded, allowing him to search for the right booth. And he was glad he didn't have to search for long.

He caught her scent, followed by her cute laugh. A few steps more and he finally saw her. It looked like she was giving advice to the students, telling them to remain calm, happy, have fun, and that every customer needed to leave feeling the same.

It was a beautiful spring day out. The sky was blue, cloudless, and the gentlest of breezes rustled through the trees, shaking the delicate pink and white blossoms. Inuyasha was dressed casually in jeans, a red T-shirt, and tennis shoes. Kagome, of course, looked radiant.

Her voluminous hair hung down, dancing freely with the breeze. She wore a simple yellow dress that hugged her upper body and twirled out from her waist down to just above her knees. Her long, slender legs were bare and she wore flat sandals that wrapped around her ankles. She was so natural and beautiful looking. Inuyasha felt his breath hitch in his throat until she caught him leering. Waving at him, she said her goodbyes to the students and hurried over to him.

They way she moved was hypnotic. Her body moved in sensual synchronization, her hips, long legs, and her chest…her shiny locks flying behind her, and then there was that warm, welcoming smile.

“You made it,” she said happily, stopping just a few feet in front of him, tucking stray strands of hair behind her ear.

“I said I would,” he replied back in his normal tone.

“You're a little early.”

“And…”

“I'm not…well,” Kagome reached out and took his hand, “come with me for a moment.” She pulled him over to the KenSen cooking booth, which was nestled in between some of the students' booths. About a minute later, she emerged with a basket in her hands and a large blanket draped over her other arm.

He arched an eyebrow at the basket. “I thought we were going to eat the crap they sell here.”

“We are,” Kagome said as she walked over to Inuyasha. “Let's find a good spot before they are all taken.

The couple remained silent as they strolled through the park, scouting out for the best location to lay out the blanket. Already, families and groups had staked out their spots, and the sake poured before lunch even started.

“I don't care where we sit,” Kagome spoke as she glanced around the area. The longer they searched, the fewer number of choices they would have.

“Come on then,” he said, taking a hold of her arm and pulling her away from the crowds. Inuyasha had seen a good, somewhat secluded spot that was partially enclosed by some shrubbery. When reaching their destination, Inuyasha took the blanket from her and snapped it open before laying it down on the grass.

“Oh wow, this is…amazing,” she softly said as she set the basket down onto the corner of the blanker. She spun around as she took in their semi-private view. Fragments of sunlight shone though the thick blossom-covered trees.

Inuyasha plopped down onto the blanket, flipping his shoes off to the side. Kagome slipped out of her sandals and sat down next to him on the blanket, her legs tucked neatly and conservatively to the side.

“So, do you have any hanami traditions?” Kagome asked as she watched some of the silky petals float down to the ground, only to be cradled by the tips of the grass blades.

“Why? Do you?” he asked, eyes closed as he took deep breaths of the lightly perfumed air.

“Yeah, from when I was younger.” Kagome glanced up at the trees. “Souta and I believed that the fallen petals held a magical power in them. We'd race to see who could collect the most petals. The catch was that we had to gather them all before they fell onto the ground. If they touched the ground, the magic would disappear. So, Souta and I would run around trying to catch the petals as the wind shook them out of the trees. Then, Mama would take us over to the bride. We'd close our eyes, make our wish, and then throw them into the air, letting the wind carry them down to the water.

“Mama would make all kinds of goodies for us to eat. We had some traditional dishes, and then she would try to add something different each year in order to mark that year as special.”

Kagome sighed as she recalled some of her most precious memories. Unfortunately, age brought the wisdom and knowledge that such wishes with the sakura blossoms could not come true anymore. Catching cherry blossoms today would only give her a handful of tainted petals that would quickly wilt.

“Do you have any?”

Inuyasha sighed as he somewhat felt like he had to share something because she did, but another part of him was okay with letting her know more about him. “My mother would take me out to the country, a place of meadows, sakura trees, and wide open skies. I could run around freely for hours. My mother would sit underneath one of the trees, reading or doing some needlework. She'd call me in for food, let me eat, and then let me run around again until the stars shone brightly. Then we'd pack up and leave.”

“That sounds really nice.”

“Yeah, well, that place is gone now. Development.”

“Sorry.”

“Keh. Nothing can be done about it now.”

“Of course there is. We can get our food.” Kagome stood up and slipped back into her sandals. She picked up the picnic basket she had brought with her. “It's empty so we can fill it up.”

Inuyasha popped an eye open and took a gander at her. She truly was an amazing person. So much more than he thought he could ever find, more than he ever deserved. He sat up and slipped his shoes back on. She had a good idea. Get the food before the crowds rushed in.

Taking her hand in his, they silently made their way back over to the booths. Already, the amount of visitors had increased dramatically. Inuyasha pulled Kagome close to him as they wove their way through the crowd. Kagome took a hold of his arm, pressing herself against him as he led her to the first booth.

There was so much food to choose from. There were traditional dishes such as yakitori, natto, sushi of all styles, noodle dishes ranging from udon to soba, sashimi, and the list went on and on. There were several restaurants sponsoring booths that were offering meals from their menus as a form of advertisement. Kagome didn't know where to begin or what she would have to settle on as there was too much for her to choose from.

“Where do you want to start?” Kagome asked as her eyes darted around, searching for what looked the most appealing.

“The beginning,” he teased.

“Right. You'll be able to eat something from everything here. Okay, well…oh…that…” [Author ID1: at Tue Jul 17 21:04:00 2007 ]Kagome said, pointing to a booth before running over to it.

Inuyasha tried to make his way over, but as his luck would have it, his path was blocked by the crowd. He growled at them, low enough to keep them from staring at him. Trying to be as calm as possible, he slowly made his way over to where Kagome was at.

And when he finally arrived, she was already at the next booth, ordering something else. He started to make his way over to her when something caused his ear to twitch. He spun the appendage around towards the noise and listened carefully.

“…did you check out her goods?”

“Looks like her cherry blossoms are in full bloom.”

Inuyasha caught who it was that was saying these things and caught who it was they were looking at, specifically his Kagome. He was just about to teach them a hard lesson when Kagome suddenly appeared in front of him.

“Sorry. I didn't know they were selling kuri fukume ni, or some variety of it. I haven't tried this one yet.” Kagome took a hold of his hand and yanked him down towards the other delicious sights and smells. He clung onto her a little tighter.

Inuyasha's ears stayed on alert for anyone else who dared to whisper so openly about Kagome. He didn't need to hear that kind of bullshit. While he would never admit it, at this moment, he was very fragile and ready to break at the drop of a hat. If anyone provoked him enough, even he was afraid of what could happen.

This time, Inuyasha made sure to pay for the food. He was so caught up in the whispers about Kagome that he forgot about what manners he did have.

“Oh, wait here. There's something I want to get as a surprise for you,” Kagome happily said before quickly darting off into some direction.

Inuyasha watched her closely, guarding her from afar. Yeah, so she wanted to surprise him, but he couldn't let her. She needed to be watched. He stayed behind, to make her think she was off some place he didn't know about so she could surprise him. Did she really believe anything she could cook or give him could be a surprise?

Kagome glanced at the boxes of colorful candies, many pink and in the shape of popular flowers to celebrate hanami. Now she just had to decide on only a few of them. She was sure Inuyasha would enjoy these. They were a part of her family tradition that she wanted to share with him.

“Hey Kagome.”

Kagome looked up to see some familiar faces. “Ah, Sango. Miroku. I didn't know you guys were coming.”

“We weren't. I was actually going to make a bento box, but Miroku said that your restaurant was doing a booth at the park, so we decided to try that instead,” Sango explained.

“Oh,” Kagome quickly blurted out.

“Are you here with Inuyasha?” Miroku asked as he searched for the silver-haired hanyou.

“Yeah. I left him over on the other side while I picked out some of these.”

Miroku bid a temporary adieu to the ladies as he made his way across the crowd to find his friend.

“So, he didn't want to eat your cooking?” Kagome asked as she picked up the octagonal box full of candies. It was the box that they were selling this year to commemorate the Emperor's grandson's first hanami. She didn't want that as she wasn't here to celebrate that. There were other things to celebrate.

“Basically,” Sango snorted as she picked up one of the smaller boxes of candies. “At least he was nice about it.”

“That's good,” Kagome replied as she continued to scour the dozens of varieties available.

“You and Inuyasha having a good time so far?”

“I think so. I know I am. I think he'd be better if there weren't so many people around. We're just getting our food now before heading back to our spot. Beat the rush.”

“Excuse me, ladies.”

Kagome and Sango turned to see a strange man smiling at them. The girls looked at each other, startled and confused by this man. They didn't know him. Did he know them?

“I was wondering if you could help me.”

“Uh, sure,” Kagome said, putting her candy-choosing task aside for the moment.

“Ah, that's great. I'm here with my mother and want to pick out something very special for her to have. This…this will probably be her last hanami and…yeah…”

“Oh, that's so sad. Well,” Kagome started, her chef skills kicking on, “can you tell us about her tastes, likes, dislikes…?”

“These are her favorite candies. I just…I just don't know enough about them to pick something out.”

“Uh, it's not that difficult actually. Right now, the flower-shaped, pastel-colored ones are the best as they depict the season.”

“These flowered ones here?”

“Yeah, those are the flowers that are in bloom now. Those would be fine.”

“Not as fine of a flower as you are.”

“Uh…”

Sango's mouthed dropped open at the man's direct comment towards Kagome. Kagome's face burned with embarrassment. She didn't know what to say. It was completely unexpected. Did this guy really want to buy candies for his mother?

“Sorry,” the man quickly apologized, chuckling. “You just remind me of my mother when she was younger. She loved flowers.”

“Oh, uh…thanks then.” Kagome picked up a box with about a dozen candies packed in tightly. “Try this one then.”

“This looks nice,” the man said as he looked over the contents of the box. Green, pink, yellow, white, and purple flowers in different shapes were placed in the square box, five of each, a row of each color.

“These ones will have a sweet almond taste to them.”

“Are you a cook or something?”

“I am.”

“I'd be interested in trying anything you had to offer.”

“Hands off the girlfriend.”

Kagome was a little surprised to find Inuyasha right behind her, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist as he snarled at the strange man hitting on her. She looked over at Sango only to see Miroku standing next to her in practically the same manner as Inuyasha.

“I was just…”

“I know exactly what you were doing, asshole.”

“Inuyasha…”

“Get your candies and let's go.”

“I was only trying to help him.”

“He doesn't want your help. He has no mother from what I can smell on him, other than deceit and cheap perfume.”

Having been caught, the man hurried on out of there, disappearing into the crowd. Inuyasha paid for the big box of light colored candies and pulled her quickly away. They had enough food for now and could come back later if needed. Kagome looked over at Sango and Miroku. Sango had a worried look on her face while Miroku was smiling and waving goodbye to the couple.

Kagome remained quiet as she followed Inuyasha back to their secluded spot under the giant sakura tree. It was here that he finally let go of her arm, but he didn't attempt to move away from her. Kagome looked up at him, she reached up with her free hand and cupped his cheek.

“I'm sorry,” she softly apologized.

“Keh, it's not your damn fault you're too nice and trusting.” Her hand was soft, her touch warm. Inuyasha couldn't help but to lean into it, his eyelids falling shut. “Let's eat.”

Kagome nodded, a large smile gracing her soft face. Kicking off her sandals, she sat down on the blanket, setting the filled basket down next to her. Inuyasha took off his shoes as well, and sat down closely next to her, knees touching.

Upon opening the basket, Kagome pulled out the goodies she had picked out for them to feast upon. She pulled out two boxes of white rice, and a set of disposable bamboo chopsticks. Next, she pulled out a few skewers of yakitori. Kagome couldn't resist the easy to eat finger food.

“Here,” she said, handing him a skewer with several bite-sized pieces of something on it.

Inuyasha took it and sniffed it. “It's some part of a chicken.”

Kagome studied the glazed covered meat. “I'm not sure either. I just pointed at it. Here…” Kagome bit off the top piece and slowly chewed it, dissecting its salty, thick taste. “Oh, this is sunagime.”

“Suna-what?”

“Sunagime. Or it's also called zuri.”

“Gizzards.”

“Yeah. They sure are good. What? You've never had them?”

“I don't know.”

“Go ahead. They won't kill you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she said, giggling. Males could be the biggest babies.

Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders as he dipped the meat into some taru sauce Kagome had just served to him and then plucked off two gizzards with his fangs. He chewed on the tough pieces and then swallowed before shoving the rest of them in his mouth.

“I'm guessing you approve of them?”

“It was okay,” he replied as he tossed the emptied skewer stick back into the basket while reaching for another yakitori skewer. He took the beverage Kagome offered him.

Kagome ate her yakitori slower than Inuyasha ate his. After all those lunches they had shared, she knew his eating habits pretty well. He ate anything and more of it. The hanyou had never turned away any food she presented to him.

After a few bites of rice, it was time for some tempura. The two of them had chosen what they had wanted and the chef quickly prepared it for them. Kagome settled on some shrimp, scallion, ginger, and carrot pieces. Inuyasha chose shrimp, ten pieces in all.

“What's that one again?” Inuyasha asked, watching Kagome eat a smaller piece.

“Carrot. Here.” Inuyasha stared at her as she held up the fried and battered vegetable in her chopsticks. He hesitated to take a bit from her chopsticks. “Is there something wrong? Do you not like carrots?”

“I eat carrots…”

“Then, what's stopping you?”

Inuyasha's eyes turned away from her as a faint pink color spotted his cheeks. Did she not realize how intimate of an act this really was? There was physical intimacy, something he really had no problems with. And then this, an emotional, almost spiritual intimacy.

“Did you mean it?” Kagome asked, her serious tone snapping Inuyasha's attention back to her.

“Mean what?”

“The…with that guy…the girlfriend thing?” she asked, the words tumbling over each other as she had a difficult time actually voicing it.

“Yeah, I did.”

“Then I'll ask you again, what's stopping you?”

Nothing, really. Just a little bit of fear, some doubt, but it wasn't that much. She pushed the carrot tempura closer to him and he quickly snatched it out of the chopsticks with his fangs. He was warmed by the bright smile on her face by his act.

“Good?”

Inuyasha nodded. The two of them finished eating the other foods Kagome had mostly picked out for their lunch under the pink and white canopy. They took turns feeding each other, Kagome giggling and Inuyasha trying hard to suppress his laughs. However, he didn't try to cover up the ones that did escape.

Once the food was finished, Inuyasha rested against the thick trunk of one of the trees and closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths of fresh air and scented sakura petals, and, of course, Kagome. He cracked an eye open just in time to see Kagome crawl over to him. His throat rumbled with approval when she sat down next to him, leaning her body up against his. He wrapped a possessive arm around her shoulders and she gently placed her hand on his chest, just over his heart. Kagome slowed her breathing down, finding her heart beat matching his.

Kagome opened her eyes, lifting her head up to feel the rush of a cool breeze caress her warm cheeks. A tiny yawn escaped her mouth as she glanced around. She was still at the park, and from the laughter, the crowd was much larger than it was earlier. How long was she asleep for, she didn't know. Looking down at the lump of warm flesh beneath her, she smiled at the calm, peaceful look on his face.

Her lips curved into a sinister smile as an idea that she had earlier popped into her head. It was something she just had to do and now was the perfect moment. Slipping out of his grasp, she crawled away from him slowly, her eyes narrowed at him as she watched for any signs of movement or awareness on his part. Once she was off the blanket, she stood up and quickly ran. She'd have to hurry before he woke up and realized she was gone.

Soon, it was Inuyasha's turn to wake up, stretching his stiff muscles as his senses were flooded with the sights, sounds, and smells of everything and everyone around him, everyone but Kagome. Right away, he noticed that she was missing. Her sandals were still on the grass next to the blanket. Scrambling to stand up, he sniffed around trying to catch the direction of her scent. He found it. Looking up, he saw that she had headed back toward the booths.

Didn't she get enough to eat?

And so he went on his pursuit. The amount of people, especially drunk people eating, hindered his search as their scents covered Kagome's track. He growled at everything. Not being able to find Kagome disturbed him greatly. His breathing quickened, leaving him panting as he ran around the picnics to find his girlfriend.

He suddenly stopped, balancing on one bare foot as his ears twitched about, then turned toward his left. A sound, a giggle…Kagome. There was no doubt about it. It was her. He made his way over to that comforting sound, ready to haul her ass back to their blanket before telling her never to sneak off again like that, scaring him.

But watching a strange man hug her, tightly, and having her hug him back threw his original plan right out the window. Knuckles cracking, claws and fangs elongating, he saw Kagome, his eyes blood red, with a male that was about to get his head headed to him on one of Kagome's lacquered trays.

Kagome didn't even know what happened when she felt herself being pulled back and then suddenly encased in hard arms. She barely was able to let out an `eep' when her face was smashed up against something else hard. Drawing in a breath, this scent belonged to Inuyasha. What was he doing?

Inuyasha said nothing, but only growled. Kagome tried pushing herself away, but Inuyasha wouldn't let up. “Inuyasha,” she softly said. She could tell that he was upset. Maybe she should've told him where she was going. Too late for that now.

The strange man just stared at the shocked woman and the angry animal that had his dirty paws wrapped around her. He chuckled as he lifted up his claws, crackling his knuckles as well, egging the hanyou on.

Inuyasha's rational side knew he shouldn't be acting like this in public, but his instincts went on auto-pilot, immediately taking over. Plus, he felt that he was scaring Kagome. He didn't want her to be afraid of him. But, he had no choice in the matter, he was quickly losing control.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome said his name again, hoping to reach him, get his attention, and explain some things to him.

His only response was another deep growl. He bared his fangs again, challenging the strange man for the woman in his arms. Inuyasha inhaled again, his nostrils flaring with rage. Then he realized it, he knew this smell. It was a scent that had bugged him before, a scent that agitated his most feral emotions. The strange man smirked as he flashed his pearly white fangs back at the hanyou.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome tried again. “Inuyasha this is a friend of mine, Kouga…”

“Wolf-shit,” Inuyasha snarled, the only thing he could vocalize.

“Mutt-face,” Kouga chimed, enjoying the instant rivalry between them. It had been a long time since his instincts felt this alive.

Kagome could feel it all, the tension, the conflict, the silent acknowledgment of some alpha-male challenge being called forth. Kouga was known as the super-duper alpha male and she was learning that Inuyasha wasn't much different. She didn't need the two of them fighting. There was only one force in this world that could stop Kouga.

“Ayame!” Kagome desperately cried out as the two males stared down one another.

Ayame came running over at the sounds of Kagome's frightened voice. She gasped at the sight that was presented to her. Kagome was clutched protectively against the snarling hanyou's chest…no…demon. What? He was supposed to be hanyou. Then she saw her mate with a sly grin on his face, enjoying the prelude to some showdown between the two males. Ayame embarrassingly chuckled at the onlookers, trying to downplay the situation so that they didn't frighten anyone, especially the humans. She didn't need them calling the police.

“Kouga,” she snarled loudly at him, placing her hands on her hips as her emerald eyes narrowed to tiny slits at him.

Kouga spun around to see his very pissed-off mate glaring at him. He gulped at her darkening and overpowering aura. Oh boy was he in deep, deep trouble.

“Boys,” Ayame called out just over her shoulder. Five males, three younger-aged children and two grown males, came running over, stopping to stand behind their sister, mother, and alpha female. “Tie him up.”

“Ayame…wait…” Kouga begged as the five males quickly descended upon him in a whirlwind before he could escape, dragging him over to one of the sakura trees with a thicker trunk. “No, honey, you don't have to do this to daddy, too,” he said to his little girl when his daughter Moriko came running over with ribbons in her hands to help the boys tie daddy up.

“Kagome, I'll deal with Kouga, just get him calmed down before his aura starts pissing off every other demon in the area,” Ayame instructed the girl.

Kagome nodded, understanding what it was that she had to do. She turned her head so she could look up at Inuyasha, gasping at the faint purple zig-zags along his cheeks. She couldn't worry about that now.

“Hurry Kagome-neesan,” Ginta, Kouga's brother told the stunned girl.

“Inuyasha,” she started out, her voice soft. She missed his ear twitching at the sound of her voice. “Get me out of here, please.”

The sound of her voice, its context, it struck a chord in him. He quickly picked her up, cradling her in his arms and then whooshed away toward their blanket. He did realize that the strange wolf demon was being detained by his pack as some kind of peace offering, allowing him to take Kagome safely away and sparing them from a deathly fight.

Ayame sighed. She was thankful that the problem was averted. It wasn't over with, though. Marching her way over to the boys, she almost wanted to laugh at the scene. Hakkaku and Ginta held onto Kouga's arms, wrapping them around the tree trunk while two of her sons, the two eldest, Hideki and Hiromasa, had curled themselves around their father's legs. Her youngest boy, Taketarou, was clinging onto Kouga's neck, wrapped around him like a koala in a eucalyptus tree. Moriko was running around the boys and the tree, waving her ribbons and singing `captured daddy' over and over.

She stood in front of her pack, Moriko silencing at the presence of her mother. “Take Miroku to Kagome's booth and get her a popsicle.”

All five boys nodded at their order. Miroku went back to waving her ribbons around, singing `popsicle' over and over. Kouga whined when the boys left him alone with his very angry wife.

“Ayame, look-” he started right away to calmly and logically explain himself.

“Stop. I don't want to hear it. I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention. That is Kagome's new man. She is happy for the first time in a very long time. I know you know that. You will respect her decision to date whomever it is she chooses.”

“But, he's a fuckin' mutt.”

“So? What's that got to do with anything? Kagome chose him. Got it? He was her decision. And you will support her decision for as long as she keeps it. Clear?”

“And if he hurts her?”

“Well, once I and the other girls are through with him, you and the boys can play with the scraps. We clear now?”

“Crystal, babe.”

“Good.” Ayame walked up to her mate, narrowing her eyes at him once again. “Ribbons and trees do give me an idea.”

Kouga's toothy grin at her innuendo caused her to laugh, her eyes softening as they enjoyed the rest of the festival together.

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

He sat down on their blanket, gripping onto her as if he let her go, she'd disappear. Kagome remained silent, breathing slowly, as she felt his heart rate slow, a sign he was calming down. She planned on remaining still until he said or did something. Kagome wasn't sure what was going on, but she figured she had a pretty good idea of what set him off like this. After what had happened this morning at the candy stand, him seeing her hug a man he didn't know angered him.

Should I apologize? Maybe if I apologize, he'll say something.

But as she opened her mouth to say something, there was nothing there to say, so she stopped. Instead, she closed her eyes and hugged him tighter, her only way to say something to him. Maybe he would understand. She hoped he could.

Inuyasha tucked Kagome under his chin, inhaling her calming scent as his hand rubbed up and down the length of her back. He fucked up. He knew he did. His demon side got out over something stupid. Even his own mother had warned him to keep his temper and most of his feelings in check. She never mentioned his demon side, probably didn't even know about it.

Once he felt stable and had more control of his thoughts and emotions did he finally loosen his hold on Kagome. She was surprised by this.

“Inuyasha,” she breathed his name out, afraid that it might disrupt the moment.

“I-”

“I'm sorry,” Kagome snuggled her check up against his chest as she still hugged him. “I should've woken you up and told you where I was going. And as for Kouga-” she stopped when she felt the violent rumble of his growl. “I take it you don't like him.”

“You fuckin' got that right.”

“He's a good guy. He's helped me out when I've needed it.”

“Like helping you move?”

“Yes, among other things. He helped me get a good deal on that restaurant. He runs Northern Lands Real Estate.”

Inuyasha visibly relaxed, his body slouching from the loosening of his muscles. From what he was hearing, that wolf-shit was really nothing more than a friend. And that wolf-crap's mate, she was frightening as well.

“I'm a godmother to his children, but, there was a time when he tried to date me, but even back then, ew…no…I knew Ayame liked him and I felt like they were a good match.”

“I still don't like him.”

“I guess that'll be okay. You two will just have to play nice next time though.”

“Keh.”

“Eh? Don't `keh' me, mister. I'm serious. They're a part of my family.”

“Fine, but if he starts any shit…”

“I know, I know.”

They both paused at the sounds of people talking getting louder. Their secluded spot had been found by a large group of drunk, boisterous people. Inuyasha sighed as the group set down their blankets and bento boxes for their meals.

“Let's get out of here,” he suggested.

“Okay,” Kagome said, easily agreeing with him. “But, where are we going to find a secluded place and still enjoy hanami?”

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

“Oh.”

“Does this work?”

“Yeah. You really like it here, don't you?” Kagome laid the blanket down on the small patch of grass available.

“It's private, quiet, fresh…”

“My mother could be around.”

“She's not.”

“Huh, really? I wonder where she went.” Kagome plopped down onto the blanket. “Have a seat,” she offered, patting her hand down on the spot next to her. Inuyasha sat down, kicking his shoes off. He hated those damn things anyway. “It really is quiet here.”

“It'd be quieter if ya quit your yappin'.”

“Hey,” she cried out, playfully slapping him across the arm.

Inuyasha grabbed her wrist, pulling her down on top of him. His claws snaked up her sides, causing fits of her beautiful laughter to fill his ears.

“…Please…no….no more…I…I can't…” she laughed out, trying to fight her way out. It was no use, and she knew that, but it was fun. It had felt like it had been so long since she'd laughed so freely.

Inuyasha was enjoying her smile, the way her cheeks pinked and the way her body was rubbing up against his. He suddenly stopped tickling her, watching as she panted heavily, staring into his eyes. He wrapped one hand around her waist and his other cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing across her moist lips.

Kagome fisted her hands into his clothing, pulling herself closer to him. She settled herself just off to the side of his body, her legs falling around one of his. She quickly unfisted her hands, splaying them along the muscles of his chest, feeling the ripples of hard and soft underneath her fingertips.

And the kissing began.

Kagome was hesitant to be the initiator; however, now that they were alone, she found the courage to take this first bold step. He felt her hesitation, but did nothing, afraid that she'd never kiss him first ever again if he tried anything.

Her first kiss was soft, gentle, and seeking. He watched her for a moment before closing his eyes. But he couldn't continue this for long. Snaking a hand up her back, he deepened the kiss, licking her lips as he demanded a taste. Their tongues worked in harmony, tasting, licking, learning, memorizing…

It just wasn't enough. They both wanted more, seeking some way to deepen the kiss, intensify the physical connection, angling their heads this way and that way until they were forced to part, taking in several gasps of vital air.

Kagome placed tiny kisses along his brow, raining tiny pecks along his jaw and adding a playful nibble on his chin, eliciting a rumble from this throat. She slid her hands up his chest, along his shoulders and into the silver mass of his hair. She continued her trail up along his face, trekking towards her destination.

Inuyasha used his hands to trace the counters of the curvy creature in his embrace. Her back, long and smooth dipped down into a nice swell before gently rising up. He gripped her buttocks tightly, pulling her as close to him as he could, mindful of his claws. The contact was instant, rough, and too much, causing him to growl.

Said growl quickly morphed into a whimper before reaching a growl of satisfaction as Kagome's mouth latched onto one of his ears. Her tongue swirled around the sensitive appendage before she took it between her teeth and gently sucked on it. Inuyasha was sure his toes curled.

Inuyasha licked and kissed exposed flesh, savoring that treat that was Kagome. Kagome shivered from his hot breath blowing down the neck of her dress. Other parts of her responded as well, bringing her to a new sensory level, more pleasure for her to experience. The thin cotton material of her dress rubbed against her hardened nipples, causing a tiny whimper to leave her swollen lips.

Kagome opened her eyes to find herself underneath her hanyou. She looked up into his eyes, finding his dark golden orbs hazed over with lust. He took her lips with his, bruising them in the most delightful way. Inuyasha found himself getting dizzy from her feminine aroma.

Reaching down to his slender waist, Kagome grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it up just enough so she could sneak her hands up underneath it in order to feel muscles rippling under warm skin. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her once again, kissing and licking her neck and collarbone. Kagome gasped, arching her back and tilting her head, giving him more access to her sensitive flesh.

Kagome missed the soft ripping sound of her dress as Inuyasha pulled it down one of her shoulders. Her body felt like it was being controlled by him, these feelings, the moans, whimpers, it was him, Inuyasha, that made her feel like this, so alive…real…

Inuyasha made himself as comfortable as he could lying on top of her fragile frame, settling his hips on hers. Kagome opened herself up to him, legs widening and her knees bending up alongside the outside of his legs. Inuyasha continued his oral assault on her salty skin.

Inuyasha's tongue hit a particularly sensitive spot, Kagome's immediate reaction caused her hips to jerk against his. He did his best to stifle a moan as one of his hands gripped onto her waist for control. If he wasn't careful, he'd lose it again, though for different reasons.

Kagome's eyes shot open as she became aware of his response to her. She sensed out her environment and her state of semi-dress, skirt up, neckline down to reveal the upper mounds of her breasts to him. And then there was the state of his dress, jeans pushed down dangerously low, as far as they could without unzipping or dealing with buttons, revealing a soft trail of silver hair, and his shirt had been pushed up, gathered just below his armpits.

“I-Inuyasha,” she breathed out.

He really like the way his name sounded when she said it like that. Again, he wanted to hear it again.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome spoke again.

Somehow, hearing her say his name again didn't quite have the affect he was hoping for. It was the way she said it. She didn't groan it out, but plainly said it, her voice raised. He stopped what his mouth was doing to her.

Kagome shifted underneath him, slipping away as she tried to pull her dress down. “I…I'm sorry, I'm…I'm not that ready yet, I guess.”

Inuyasha nodded as he carefully rolled off of her. Lying on his back, he pulled his shirt down and pulled his pants up. Taking in several deep breaths, he tried to calm himself back down.

Kagome sat up and looked down at the blanket and not really at him. “I didn't mean for it to get this far. Eh, oh no, not like that. I mean, I enjoyed myself, but I…oh, what's the word for it, uh…I feel like I might've lead you on. A part of me thinks I'm ready and another part of me feels like things are moving really fast and it's that part of me that's stopping us. You did give me control in this.”

“What?”

“Eh, you forgot about all of that?”

“No, I'm just wondering why you're still talking. I get the part where you said you weren't ready.”

“I'm just trying to communicate with you.”

“Whatever.”

“No, not `whatever.' I wanted to explain myself to you so you didn't think that I didn't want to have sex with you ever. I can tell you're already ready.”

Inuyasha blushed.

So she did feel it.

Not that he was trying to hide it. He wanted her to know what she did to him. Feeling calmed down enough, he stood up.

Kagome looked at him, afraid that she was pushing him away. “You leaving?”

“No. Stand up.” She did as obeyed. Inuyasha pushed her off the blanket and picked it up, draping it over his shoulder. “Come here.” Kagome walked over to him and softly gasped when he wrapped his arm around her. “Hold on,” he warned her as he leapt up onto the first branch in the giant Goshinboku.

Holding onto her, he brought her down so she could straddle the branch. He sat down, his back against the trunk, his legs hanging off either side of the branch. Kagome scooted back until she was resting up against him. Inuyasha laid the blanket over the both of them, wrapping his arms around her and the blanket.

“So pretty,” she whispered as parts of the setting sun where shown to her through the gaps and spaces between the leaves. What she enjoyed most about the view was sitting so close to the man behind her.

Inuyasha rested his chin on the top of her head, his senses making sure that the woman in his arms remained safe. He recalled the events of the day, his mind trying to wok on what happened and how he ended reacting to everything. His overzealous jealousy, the moment he lost control, how close he was to mating with Kagome…mating…

Oh fuck, he inwardly yelled out. It's fuckin' mating season!

Mating season came a little later for the hanyou due to the new moon. His demon blood grew in power and influence until its peak, the night of the full moon, and then his powers weakened until he lost them all on the dark night of the new moon. Right now, his demon blood was just waking up with spring in full bloom all around him.

Damn.

For even though his human counterpart gave her control when it came to having sex, during mating season he might have to go back on his word if the situation got to a point where he just lost himself to the youkai blood in him. Kagome didn't realize the danger he was putting both of them in.

“Kagome? Are you around?”

“Hi Mama. Up in the Goshinboku,” Kagome yelled back.

“Evening Inuyasha. Will you make sure that Kagome doesn't stay out here too late? It's supposed to get cold tonight. And I don't want either one of you catching a cold.”

“I will.”

“Did you two have a good hanami?”

“The days not over with yet, Mama.”

“It is for me dear. Once upon a time I could stay up all night under the sakura trees, drinking sake, and singing songs but…it's for your more youthful generation now.”

“Sure, Mama, if you say so.”

“Goodnight, dears. See you in the morning.”

“Night, Mama,” Kagome watched her mother disappear into the Shrine house. If she hadn't stopped Inuyasha when she did…Her face burned with a vicious blush. She felt like a teenager suddenly, trying to hide her indiscretions with the boy she was with from her mother.

“Inuyasha…”

“What?”

“Um, what do you think about Abe's stance with North Korea?”

“Eh?”

“I was trying to get your thoughts, your position on-”

“Why?”

“Why? I want to know more about you.”

“Why?”

“I just said-”

“Is knowing my stance on nuclear weapons and North Korea really going to change your mind about me?”

“Well, no. I wouldn't think so-”

“You talk too much, you know that?”

“Is it a bad thing? Not the talking bit, but the getting to know you part?”

“Don't you already know me?”

“Er…sometimes I think I do. There was the human night…and what happened today…I know that I can't know everything about you, that I can't, but I can try with what I can.”

“Keh, don't force yourself.”

“So, you're okay with not knowing about my stance on conserving traditional Japanese values versus becoming a more integrated member of the global society, the growing concerns of global warming, or-”

“Yup.”

“Doesn't that make me a…a…a stranger to you?”

“Nope.”

“Um, okay then.”

And in the silence of the evening, they watched as the sun slowly dipped into the buildings. Inuyasha looked down at the girl in his arms, smirking at her sleeping form. She was always falling asleep on him. He couldn't blame her, though. Today was a long day. And he kind of liked it.

Scooping her up in his arms without waking her and keeping the blanket wrapped around her, he landed soundlessly on the soft, dewy grass. Mama Higurashi was right; the night was going to be a cool one. His bare feet gently padded across the grounds until he reached the front door. He opened it, hoping to avoid any hinge squeaks. Once inside, he locked the door before bolting up the stairs towards Kagome's room.

Using a foot to push her door open, he walked into her dark room, setting the girl down onto her bed, tucking the blankets around her. He sighed as he gazed down upon her. She was a silly creature that he enjoyed being with.

“Stay,” she lightly mumbled, her hand loosely grabbing onto his wrist.

When did the wench wake up?

“Are you sure?” he asked, wondering if she was really awake or if this was some sleep babble.

She nodded her head against the pillow before heaving out a lazy `yes.'

Inuyasha turned to close the door shut. He knew her mother recognized them as adults, but she didn't have to see. He headed back to the bed and thought about taking off his shirt or not. Normally he slept with it off, but considering Kagome, he thought about leaving it on.

With shirt and pants tossed haphazardly on the flood, Inuyasha crawled into the bed with Kagome. In her sleepy state, she tossed the picnic blanket onto the floor followed by her dress. Inuyasha was once again surprised by her bold moves, leaving her in a one of those barely there tank tops and her panties.

He waited until she was comfortable before moving over to her, carefully not to startle her. Inuyasha quickly fell asleep with Kagome in his arms, her scent and her steady breathing lulling him to slumber land. Just as he was content to wake up with her in his arms, going to sleep with her was just as good.

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

“It's what?!” Kagome cried out as she bounced a baby on her knee surrounded by four other restless children and their two mothers. Kagome looked over at Ayame, who sat to her left, and then to Ayumi, who sat to her right at the dining room table in Ayame's house.

Ayame chuckled at the naïve girl. “It's mating season, dummy.”

“Mating season? As in the birds and…and fish?” Kagome questioned as she was trying to understand what was going on. She came over to ask Ayame about what had happened at hanami between Inuyasha and Kouga.

“Yes, like that. And for those of us influenced by demonic blood.” Ayame explained as she matched swaths of fabric to paint. Now that Moriko was old enough, Ayame was getting back into work.

“Eri would say that humans are mildly affected by it as well,” Ayumi added since Eri was their little expert on mating.

“That's one reason why Eri isn't here. She'd scare our Kagome.”

“She's also with her flavor of the month, flying around the world with some jetsetter,” Ayumi explained as to the other reason Eri couldn't be around to explain things to Kagome.

“And so this `mating season' is the reason why Inuyasha was that close to going after Kouga's throat?”

“Partially. He does like you. And that fondness of you extends to his demon side as well.”

“So, why hasn't he tried to hump my leg yet?”

Ayame had to laugh at that. She would have to share that with Kouga later. It was funny. “We're not animals, Kagome. We have control, well, some of us do. I can't speak for all youkai.”

“Some of you?” Ayumi asked as she calculated Ayame and Kouga's bills.

“It's the same for some humans. Rape. You hear a lot of demons claim that mating season as some kind of `Twinkie defense' in the rape of someone. It sickens me.”

“So, Inuyasha's feelings for me are just heightened then?”

“Not really. His feelings for you remain the same. It's just that his instincts are telling him to mate with you, so he'll be overly protective and really sweet. Anything to make you passive so he can make his move.”

“Isn't Kouga normally like that?”

“Oh Ayumi, you have no idea. Yeah, Kouga and I have a healthy sex life, but come mating season he can't get any work done. It's sex, mate, fuck' over and over until I'm pregnant.”

Kagome looked down at Misato, Ayumi's little girl. Mating season. Of course. It was about creating offspring. She groaned at the thought. But it wasn't so bad. They had only been seeing each other for a short time and not long enough to even think about the slightly possibility of children.

“How long does mating season last?” Kagome asked as she moved Misato onto a different leg.

“Oh, depends on the species. I come into heat four times a year. Kouga's ready whenever, but is on overdrive from late March to early June.”

“Spring.”

“Yup, pretty much,” Ayame tossed away a pattern that she felt was too busy. “I had to explain and re-explain your situation to Kouga. You know how dense he can be sometimes.”

“My situation? I didn't even realize I had one.”

“You haven't told Inuyasha about the relationship you have with Kouga, have you?”

Kagome gulped. “Well, no, not really, it just hasn't come up-”

“And why he found the two of you hugging? Or why Kouga is so protective of you from the start?”

“I did tell Inuyasha that I'm your children's godmother and that Kouga was interested in me waaaay back in the day.”

“That's surface crap, Kagome. Inuyasha could've figured that stuff out on his own.”

“Ayame, do I need to know why you or someone in your household bought what is listed here as a `love doll'?”

“Nope. Just ignore it or pretend it's something else.”

“Good.”

“He'll…I don't think he'll understand. It's obvious he doesn't like Kouga and that would just complicate matters more.”

“But if Inuyasha cares about you, he'll accept it, or at least pretend to.”

“I wonder if Hojo ever really accepted it…” Kagome mused as she placed Misato down on the ground to run around with Moriko.

Ayumi shrugged. “Like knowing that will help you out now. But, you'll want to be honest with him and it'll be easier to tell him now rather than later.”

“What are you afraid of?” Ayame suspiciously eyed Kagome, wondering if the girl was hiding something else.

“Other than him thinking badly of me, nothing.”

“Even if he hates Kouga, I doubt he wouldn't understand it.”

“Kagome, when will you see him again?” Ayumi asked, setting her pencil down on top of her stack of graphs.

“Tonight,” she replied. “Going out for a quick dinner and then maybe a walk.”

“Then tell him tonight. Get it over with. He might be able to handle Kouga and mating season a little easier.”

“I somehow doubt the Kouga part.”

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

“Inuyasha?”

“Hmm?”

“Remember our conversation last night? The one about me being a stranger because of topics we don't talk about?”

“Sure.”

“Well…after what happened between you and Kouga, what Ayame told me today, and all that…there's…there's something I do need to tell you.”

Inuyasha stopped, just for a moment, but then continued walking alongside Kagome as he watched her work on gathering the courage to tell him something. He had to admit, part of him was fearful of what she was going to say. He knew Ayame was the wolf demoness, meaning she might have explained something to Kagome about his demon side. He could be in serious trouble.

“I said that my relationship with Kouga was basically me being a godmother to his children and that's…that's not quite everything. To put it bluntly, it's much deeper than that.”

Inuyasha stopped again and just stared at her, dumbfounded by her confession. Was he hearing her correctly? Kagome stopped as well, though she didn't look at Inuyasha at all. She found a nearby bench and walked over to it, sitting down before letting out a troubled sigh.

“You didn't fuck him, did you?”

Kagome looked up at him, shock written all over her face, her body stiff from the crude question. “Ew, no…I already told you he wanted to have that kind of relationship with me, but…ew…that's just gross.”

“Then what?”

“Kouga…no, before that. I've known Ayame for almost seven years now. Weekends from college were sometimes spent at the Shrine where Mama would happily do all of our laundry for us and cook us homemade meals. When Ayame was in her second year, I introduced her to Kouga and they started dating. They hit it off immediately and soon they were inseparable. So, when weekends were spent at the Shrine, Kouga tagged along. My brother Souta hung out with Kouga while us girls did our girlie things. So, Souta sorta became a younger brother to Kouga and Kouga's brothers, Hakkaku and Ginta.

“When Souta died, Kouga really didn't know what to do, but he wasn't going to cry with everyone else. He came and saw me alone during my period of mourning and told me how much they all missed Souta; how important he'd become to their pack. He told me that after one of Souta's baseball games, they apparently inducted Souta into their pack as a brother. Kouga extended that relationship to me. He said having him and his pack as brothers could never replace Souta, but as Souta requested, they would look out for me and protect me, as well as Mama.

“Yesterday in the park, Kouga was startled by you and his defensive stance was for my protection as his pack sister. You'll have to prove yourself to him, just as you would have to have done if Souta were still around. It took Souta and Kouga more than a year to accept Hojo.”

Kagome stood up and walked over to Inuyasha, taking one of his hands in hers, holding it tightly. “I hope you can be okay with this. I didn't accept his offer at first, but I had to because it was what Souta wanted. Kouga, Hakkaku, Ginta…they are doing what they can to make sure that I am safe and happy.”

Inuyasha wiped some of the tears away from her cheek. He had to respect this honorable request of Kagome's brother. “I will protect you. Your brother, Souta, not the shitty wolf ones, can be sure of that.”

“Thank you.”

“Keh.”

Kagome squeezed Inuyasha in a bone crushing hug. She felt so much better about telling him about this part of her life. Inuyasha recognized just how important her brother was in her life, even though he was already gone. She wasn't completely wrong when it came to the talking in order to get to know someone. They both continued on their evening walk, close to one another.

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

roshully's note: The long awaited Chapter 24. You can probably expect to wait as long for Chapter 25 as you did for this. Work is going great. I'm not doing the stuff on my own, which I think is harder than training. I know many of you were disappointed that they didn't do it. Sorry, I had a bag of limes in my fridge that I need to use up before they go bad. Really, I do. No recipes like usual. At least nothing specific. The food that is mentioned is explained below. If you'd like a recipe for any of the mentioned foods, let me know and I'll crack open the books.

Thanks for the reviews and thanks for reading. Sorry to make you wait so long, but, I really am trying to put as much as I can into the chapters around work and my other adult duties. Thanks for bearing with me.

Translation Notes:

Hanami - from the Kanji hana meaning flower and mi meaning to see. It's the flower viewing festival that is celebrated in Japan. It was originally brought over to Japan from the Chinese, who would view plum trees. The Japanese did view plum trees as well until the time of the samurai when the samurai found a philosophy in the sakura (cherry) blossoms in which life was beautiful, but short. Japanese news stations make hanami predictions, when the cherry blossoms start to bloom in mid-March to the first of April. Most people celebrate hanami by going to a park and having a picnic underneath the blossoms, eating and drinking sake. Hanami parties can last well into the night.

Sakura - cherry blossoms

Ueno Park - a large public park in Tokyo that is a popular tourist destination. It contains three museums, a concert hall, and a zoo.

Food translations:

Yakitori - literally `grilled bird,' a Japanese type of skewered chicken made from several bite-sized pieces of chicken meat barbecued on a bamboo skewer.

Taru sauce - condiment dipping sauce made from mirin (a sweet sake-like liquid with lower alcohol content, used in teriyaki sauce), sweet sake, soy sauce, and sugar.

Natto - a traditional Japanese food of fermented soybeans.

Sushi - vinegared rice combined with fish (either raw or cooked), it can be rolled in nori (seaweed), or not.

Sashimi - Japanese delicacy consisting of thinly sliced seafood served with a dipping sauce.

Udon - thick wheat-based noodle usually served as a noodle soup in a mild flavored broth.

Soba - a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat that can be served chilled with a dipping sauce or in a hot broth as a noodle soup.

Tempura - classic Japanese deep-fried batter-dipped seafood and vegetables. The batter is basically made from ice cold water, flour, and eggs, stirred quickly with chopsticks.

Kuri fukume ni - roasted chestnuts

Bento - single-portion homemade meal or takeout. Traditionally, bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and a pickled or regular vegetable side dish.

Wagashi - this is the name of the confectionary candy that Kagome was looking at and helping that strange man out with. There are more than a dozen types of wagashi, including dango and manju.

Name Translations:

Hideki - excellent talent

Hiromasa - big brave

Taketarou - fierce son

Moriko - forest child

Misato - beautiful blessing

These names could have different meanings depending on the kanji used. In order to make the actual meaning of names clear, Japanese rely on business cards when presenting themselves to another.

Response to reviews

Reviews from mm.org for chp 24

Jessie Angel - I hope you found the recipe and had a chance to try it. Yeah, the last chapter was a bit dark, but, that's how these two are. Thanks for the review.

Inuyasha Baby bre - The lady who died is not Kagura. I can say that much. Yes, Sesshoumaru will be visiting Kagome's restaurant, in fact he still does, I just don't make much of a deal out of it. But, he will be making an appearance in Chapter 25. He does hold the key to the information about the patient who died. After this chapter, we can see that giving her control is harder than he thought it would be. It'll be interesting to see if he can hold out and remain true to his word. They have seen him, but Kagome's friends haven't exactly met him, been formally introduced to him, other than Sango. I don't know yet when that'll happen. Hopefully the beginning of this chapter explained, or clarified how the patient thing is affecting Inuyasha and thus their relationship. If not, more will be included in the next chapter. Thanks for your review.

violet blossom - I can see how she would come off whiny. Well, the reason why Sango and Miroku were there this time is because of Sesshoumaru's orders. So, it wasn't that they had to be there to fix it, but it was a coincidence. That and Inuyasha really sucks at verbal communication. Can't be helped. Also, when it comes to couples having issues, I will say that I don't know a whole lot about it, so drawing up from my own personal experience is hard. I do know that when my boyfriend gets angry, I tend to stay clear and let him calm down first before stepping in. That's what I wanted it to look like at first. That Kagome was just giving him some time to cool down. Oh well. No offense taken.

malitiadixie - Thanks for your review. The new job is going great and it seems that they are glad with their decision to place me there. I guess it's really hard and they don't normally just put a new person in there, so, yeah…it's going good. I hope this chapter doesn't make you too late for work.

axel720 - It was something they all had to go through sooner or later. That and everyone was wondering about human Inuyasha. I might have rushed going from human Inuyasha to demon Inuyasha, but, I think it works. This was another long chapter so I hope you enjoyed it to. I was close to writing a one-shot about what Sango and Miroku talked about and did while Inu and Kags were in the bedroom sorting their mess out. I still might. It wouldn't really reveal anything about the story, but just add more depth to the characters. Maybe later. I've gotta work on Chapter 25 for you all.

unistar - Glad you liked it. And as I said at the end of the story, expect to wait about another month for the next Chapter.

InusGurl4 - Neither can I. Vibrate or explode in any order you choose.

cwilllia - Being an adult is hard. I like some of the freedom, but the stupid responsibilities. Those can really suck. Children, don't grow up too fast. Bills and housework are not cool. Well, keeping your home clean is nice, but, trying to keep it clean is hard. Enjoy your youth wisely. There, I said that. I didn't want them to have a huge setback. And we can see that Kagome and Inu, Kagome especially, is learning about how this relationship is working. She is learning that Inu is not so good with the communication. She saw that he was angry and gave him time to cool, not realizing exactly what was the whole deal with him being angry. I think it's hard for people to step back and give someone the time they need to cool down because we are curious and helpful creatures. My opinion, but still…Allergies suck too.

@_@ - Fights don't necessarily take couples back to square one, well, new ones maybe. But think about all of the misunderstandings and miscommunications Inu and Kags have had in the anime/manga and they end up working it out. The last miscommunication, Kouga was the mediator. Sheesh. And he seems dense most of the time. Inuyasha is dense like that because he isn't used to dealing with it. He's learning and getting better. Thanks for the review.

u ignorant fools - Kagome probably does owe Hojo an explanation, but that doesn't mean he'll get it. It's true that they haven't spoken or seen each other since the day she left. And I think that if she did see him, the results wouldn't be good, I'd imagine. I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. Maybe I should. Glad you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for your review.

Autumn the Reviewer - Thanks for the glowing review. As for Naraku…I never saw him in the fic to begin with, and I'm not sure if he'll be in it or not. We'll both just have to wait and see. Thanks again for the review.

rainydays - I was all over the place with the emotions and stuff. And the deceased patient plotline continues as I hardly touched it much in this chapter, other than using it to get a glimpse at Inu and Sesshoumaru's relationship. Thanks for the review.

Chase 65 - The manga does it too, skips Inu's human night for a while and then one night he's human. Yeah, it goes to show how one adapts to the life they've been given and that problems happen. I think that if Kagome and Inu are to have a real relationship, then they have to deal with the things that happen at work and how it affects them. Plus, it was a moment where Inuyasha really put himself on the line to show Kagome that he does trust her, or wants to trust her. I guess that would be the theme of the chapter, trust, and not so much about communication. The new position is taking over my life for the meantime, as well as my legs. I'm on my feet all day and I have to get used to just standing there. Fun times.

Inuluvher151**** - She would like to get mad at him for it, but a part of her actually likes it, as long as only she can see it. Thanks.

Sunekai - Glad you like it. I work on it when I can, when I'm not tired and when I have stuff in my head to write. I do spend a lot of my time doing research on the chapters as well, so that also takes time.

Miss Marilyn69 - Yummy on so many levels.

kagomesdouble07 - All in one sitting? Wow. I'm flattered. Thanks. Here's another long chapter to add to that.

sweetkijo - Things are going great, thanks for the well wishes. I hope this can satiate you until I can roll the next chapter out.

OrlandoLover - mmmm, chocolate….Kags and Inu already played with chocolate and we learned that dog demons can have chocolate…

December Love 05 - Calm down. You'll have to read this slowly so it can last until I get the next one posted. Thanks though for your enthusiasm.

Sedona - Your wish will probably be granted. I think with the job and life and the research, the chapters will take a while to put together meaning slower updates, or at least longer periods of time between updates. There is a sense of accomplishment when finishing anything and then you look back and start to miss it. I totally understand how that feels. I could tweak it, but I probably won't. I am content with this being what it is, for now. Thanks.