InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Lucky Ones ❯ Chapter Twenty-One ( Chapter 21 )

The Lucky Ones

By Terri Botta

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Sole copyright belongs to Viz and Rumiko Takashi. I'm poor so don't sue.

 

Rating: R for later chapters.

 

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome, Miroku/Sango

 

Summary: Sometimes Fate hands you a gift you never thought you'd ever get, and it's up to you to accept it for what it is.

 

Email feedback to: tci100@psu.edu

 

Webpage: http://www.wordsmiths.net/Botta

 

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Chapter Twenty-One

 

One. Two. Three. The oni bellowed and fell with an earth-shaking thud, the body twitching spasmodically.

“Hah! Take that!” Inuyasha enthused, flushed with victory from the battle and pouring with sweat from the hot summer sun.

“Is it dead?” Kagome asked hopefully.

The hanyou gave the monstrous head a good kick, and they heard the sound of bones breaking as the skull twisted around and the neck snapped.

“If it wasn't before, it is now,” he replied. “Do you see its shard?”

She nodded, gulping. “It's… it's up its nose.”

There was a long pause, then Inuyasha blinked at her.

“Well?”

“Well what?” she stammered.

“Are you going to get the damn shard or not? We don't have all day and we still have to get Shippou and the pup.”

Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she knelt down and moved to stick her hand up the dead oni's bulbous nose.

“This is so grooooossssssss,” she whined, turning pleading eyes his way.

Rolling his eyes, he severed the nose from the skull and split the thing down its middle.

“There. Now you don't have to stick your hand up its nose,” he told her.

Kagome closed her eyes and quickly picked out the exposed shard. It came out with a sickeningly wet pop and she pulled her hand back, trying not to heave at her green goo-covered fingers.

“I need a bath or boiling water or an antiseptic cloth! This is so gross!”

“Bah! Just wipe your hand off with one of your napkins and be done with it, woman. For someone who has no trouble changing a dirty diaper, you're very squeamish,” Inuyasha scoffed, snorting, but his eyes were twinkling with amusement.

“That's different,” she complained, holding her hand as far away from herself as possible.

“Keh!”

They walked together side-by-side until Kagome reached out to take his hand in her clean one. He smiled at her and stole a quick kiss. She smiled back.

“Oh, it's so hot. I can't wait to get back to the village. I'm going to swim in the river and spend the rest of my time in the den. It stays nice and cool in there,” she sighed.

“Not to mention no one's there to see you naked but me,” he added, giving her a sly smile.

She slapped his arm lightly. “You're still a letch.”

“And it's still your fault.”

They came to a stream and Kagome went for it.

“I'm going to wash off my hands,” she said.

He nodded. “I'll go get Shippou and the pup.”

“Okay. Meet me back here.”

He gave a grunt of agreement and bounded off, leaping through the forest until he found the old tree he was looking for. A large rock had been wedged between two of the roots, and this he grabbed and pulled away.

“Oi…” he said, reaching into the hollow under the tree's roots.

“Kitsune-bi!” came a loud shout just as foxfire flashed in his face.

“Oi! What the fuck did you do that for!?” he yelled, rubbing his stinging eyes.

“Inuyasha! What are you doing?! Don't just pull the rock back and try to grab us without saying who you are!?” the kitsune kit scolded, popping up out of the makeshift hiding place.

“Who the hell else knows you're in there?” the adult hanyou countered.

The kit scowled at him. “I don't know! I'm supposed to protect Yukio. If someone opens the den and I don't know who it is, I'm gonna attack!”

Kirara gave a little mew of agreement as she hopped out of the hollow, her tails flicking. Ever since the incident with Kouga, the firecat had come along on every shard hunt.

“You could use your nose! No one else smells like me,” Inuyasha scowled, still angry.

Shippou wrinkled his nose and sneezed. “You smell like dead Oni.”

He was about to argue when a third figure began to rise from the hole, puppy ears perked up and golden eyes wide. One little pudgy hand grabbed a root for balance as the pup lifted himself out, his small body dressed in a gray hakama gathered at the ankles like his father's and his red `Big Dog' shirt which was almost too small for him now.

“'Tou!” Yukio burbled, and Inuyasha's anger melted.

He knelt down and opened his arms as the pup plopped into them when he lost his balance.

“Hey, pup,” he said fondly.

:Leader-male.: “'Tou,” Yukio said in both inu-youkai and spoken words.

Inuyasha, in an attempt to encourage Yukio to speak, had started to respond only when he tried to use words so now the pup used both almost simultaneously.

`Smart little whelp,' he thought proudly.

True to his prediction, the pup- now eight months old but looking like a human 12-month old- had started walking and talking about two weeks ago or rather toddling and gibbering. They still had no translations for some of the sounds he made.

Picking Yukio up, he balanced him against his side and rubbed his ears. The pup smiled, revealing a full set of teeth- razor sharp fangs included- and one little hand grabbed his haori while the other clutched a headless teddy bear. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

`Another one. That's the fifth one so far. Kagome and her mother are going to be angry when they see he's done it again.'

Kagome and her mother had been trying to give the pup toys to play with, most of which were completely unsuitable for a hanyou infant. Instead of taking his advice and giving the pup rocks and wooden sticks and things too big for him to fit into his mouth, they gave him things like rattles and `mobiles' and stuffed animals. Yukio smashed the rattles, ignored the mobiles, and decapitated the stuffed animals.

`He's a fucking hanyou, idiots! He's ten times as strong as one of your human whelps!'

:Mother-female.: “Kaa?”

“Don't worry, Kaa-san is close. I'm taking you to her now,” he replied.

Still looking at Yukio, Inuyasha extended his other arm in invitation and Shippou hopped into it, wrapping his legs around Inuyasha's hip, then Kirara mewed and jumped onto his shoulder.

“Where's Kagome?” Shippou asked as Inuyasha began to walk in the direction of Kagome.

“Washing her hands. She got Oni nose guts on them,” he replied.

“Oni nose guts?”

“The shard was in the damn thing's nose. I guess it didn't have the brains to put it anywhere else.”

“Was it hard to kill?” the kit asked.

“Keh! Are you kidding? I didn't even draw Tessaiga.”

“I'm glad. After that spider-youkai we fought last time, I'm glad this one was easy.”

Shippou was referring to their last shard hunt, which had them battling against a spider demon very much like the one they had defeated two years ago. This one had proven to be quite a challenge and both Kagome and Inuyasha had been injured. Kagome, to Inuyasha's horror, had been bitten on the leg. Thankfully, stabbing herself with her own purifying arrow had prevented the poison from spreading. After the demon was dead, Inuyasha had ripped open the wound and sucked the poison out himself, then Kagome treated it with an intensive infusion of herbs and her own modern anti-venom medicine.

Fear of residual poison had caused her to not nurse Yukio for several days; something the pup loudly protested even though he did fine on rice and fish, and when he was finally allowed to nurse again, he'd almost torn her open with his teeth. Kagome was trying to wean him, but had been unsuccessful so far. Inuyasha had told her to just stop giving in when he threw his tantrums, but Kagome just couldn't stand to see her baby cry. In truth, he could understand the pup's reluctance to give up his teat, and he'd told Kagome so.

“You're warm, smell familiar, and the milk tastes good. He gets cuddled, petted and loved when he feeds. Now you're telling him he won't have those things anymore. I wouldn't want to be weaned either,” he'd explained one afternoon when she was bemoaning her problem.

She'd given him a sly look and replied, “What makes you think you are?”

She, of course, was referring to his fondness for her breasts when they were making love. He'd stammered, then blushed, then called her bluff and tackled her. They didn't discuss Yukio's weaning problem for the rest of the afternoon.

He cleared the trees, carrying his precious cargo and Kagome turned to see them approaching. Her eyes widened and then she covered her mouth to hold back a laugh. He paused, confused and irritated.

“What?” he demanded. `What's that look for, wench?'

“I... I saw you coming out of the woods carrying Yukio, Shippou and Kirara, and for a moment you... you looked like Jizo,” she snickered.

“Eh?”

He took a moment to consider his situation. In one arm he held his pup. In the other he held the kitsune kit, balanced on his hip. The firecat in her kitten form was clinging to his shoulder, her fur tickling the side of his neck. He did look like Jizo.

`What the Hell? I'm going soft!'

Giggling, Shippou jumped down, as did Kirara.

“Argh! Get off me!” he yelled as he quickly shoved Yukio into his mother's arms.

“Inuyasha as the patron saint of small children? I don't think so. He's too small-minded of a guy,” Shippou teased.

“Oi!”

“Inuyasha,” Kagome scolded gently, preventing him from thumping the kit on the head.

“You're making it sound like I'm some kind of sentimental wimp!” he complained.

She batted her eyes at him and gave him the look that always made his heart beat faster and his stomach flutter, and other parts of him grow hot and heavy. One finger tickled his throat as she leaned close.

“But you are sentimental...” she whispered in his ear, taking extra care to blow softly into it.

He growled under his breath, feeling frustrated because he knew there'd be no relief until they got back to the village, and he'd already gone without for the three days they'd been traveling. Kagome refused to make love with Kirara and Shippou present so he hadn't even bothered to ask, but he was really starting to itch and if he didn't get scratched soon…

She gave him a wry smile and a hooded look.

`Wench knows it too. She knows what she does to me,' he thought dourly, then brightened a bit. `But she knows what I do to her and I intend to make her suffer... and beg... and...'

His thoughts of revenge did nothing to quell his arousal and he growled again. Shippou gave him a knowing look and Yukio blinked his way.

`Maybe I can steal her for a few minutes when we make camp tonight... The cat can pup-sit for a bit, right? I'll bribe her with some nice fish...'

“Ah, jeeze, are you two at it again?” Shippou teased. “There are little kids present, you know.”

“Keh!” he scoffed. `As if that's ever stopped me. Kagome would blush to know how many times Yukio's watched us when she thought he was sleeping.'

He gave Kagome a heated look and she flushed a little, dropping her eyes.

`That's my Kagome. Wild tennyo of lovemaking by night, but shy, blushing virgin by day. Heh, she'd call me insatiable sex-fiend by night and impossible letch by day, but I just can't help it. She breathes in my ear and I want her. Or the sunlight catches in her hair. Or she smiles at me. Or she plays with Yukio and I hear her laugh. Everything. Everything about her excites me. Is that normal? Is this how that letch monk feels? No wonder he propositioned every girl in sight. Not that I'd ever be with anyone who wasn't Kagome. Kagome's the only one for me. She's the only one who's ever loved me for me. Not even Kikyou did that.'

Kikyou. No one had seen or heard anything of Kikyou for months, and he often wondered where the undead miko was located. Not that he was eager to see his former love, but it was worrisome.

`I hope nothing has happened to her. With Naraku dead, are there any enemies out there powerful enough to hurt her?'

“Kaa,” Yukio burbled, drawing his attention back to his present company.

Kagome nuzzled the pup and addressed him in words and in inu-youkai. Her grasp of the demon language amazed him. In such a short time she had learned most of the sounds she could make with her human throat, and understood a good deal more than that.

“How's my little big dog?” she said, bouncing Yukio on her hip.

“Kaa!” the pup enthused, eyes bright and happy, one hand waving the headless bear.

Kagome saw the decapitated toy, rolled her eyes and sighed. “Did it again, huh?”

He shrugged. “I told you he would. You and your mother should just give up and do as I say, and only get him toys made of stone and wood.”

“Oh like the rocks you gave him to teethe on.”

He snorted. “They worked didn't they? And he didn't break them like he did your plaass-taaccckkk teething things. How many did he eat? Six? Seven? They were a waste of money. At least rocks and sticks are free.”

She gave him a dour look but didn't answer. Instead she turned her attention to Shippou.

“Did you have any problems in your hiding place, Shippou?” she asked the kit.

“No. Not until someone pulled the rock away without telling us who he was,” Shippou replied, giving him an angry look. He glared back and huffed.

“Keh! Brat should have known it was me!”

“How was I supposed to know it was you when you stink of dead Oni? Why don't you take a bath?”

`I'd love to. Preferably a warm one with Kagome. But then we wouldn't get clean. At least not right away. Damn, I have got to bribe the cat…'

“Why you…!” he growled.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome warned and he cringed.

`At least she warns me now before she sits me. I'm not getting sat nearly as much as I used to.'

It was true. Kagome hadn't used the s-word on him for almost a month. The last time she had made him eat dirt was the day Miroku and Sango's daughter was born. He had been waiting outside the hut with the nervous houshi, watching the man fret and pace while Kagome was in with Kaede and Sango. The birth was taking a long time and Miroku had been frightened. Human births were very dangerous, and both women and pups died during it all the time, so the man had good reason to be worried about the health and safety of his wife and unborn child. He'd decided that day to make sure Kagome gave birth to their pups in her world where medicine and doctors were much better, and women and pups didn't die nearly as often.

At one point he'd considered knocking the agitated man out just so he would stop pacing and fussing. He was upsetting Yukio with his actions and the pup wouldn't settle down. Besides, pacing and worrying were useless. The pup and Sango were in the hands of the women, and they were doing something women had been helping other women do for centuries. In truth he wasn't that worried himself because he knew Kagome had brought some of her modern medicine to help make sure both mother and pup would be okay after the birth, and he had complete confidence in her and Kaede's abilities.

Finally, after a very long time, and after several disturbing cries from Sango and shouts of encouragement from Kagome as she `coached' Sango through the birth, the noxious smell of blood mixed with something else hit his nose. It was overwhelming and both he and Shippou had turned slightly green. Then the unmistakable cry of a newborn had split the air, and Miroku's face had frozen in shock before he rushed up to the reed door. Kagome had met him at the entrance, her face flushed and sweaty as if she had been the one bringing a pup into the world. She had smiled at the new father and told him he had a baby girl. Miroku had smiled the widest smile any of them had ever seen on his face and ran in to see his wife and daughter. Kagome had given him and Shippou looks that said it was okay for them to come in too.

He'd gone in, still a little dizzy from the smell, but not wanting to seem unsupportive, and taken in the sight of the exhausted but oddly beatific taijiya and her tiny pup. Really, the pup wasn't even half the size Yukio had been when the pup was only two months old. It was this red-faced, squirming, bald thing about the size of a boar piglet. He'd stared at it, scratching his head, and innocently asked if all human pups were born looking like beet-faced piglets.

He hadn't even had time to realize what he'd said was wrong before his face hit the hut floor and he was kicked out for being `an insensitive, stupid jerk.' His only vindication was that Shippou had whispered that he'd been secretly wondering the same thing.

“At least kitsune kits are born with hair,” the fox had said.

He'd grunted in agreement but wisely kept his mouth shut.

Ever since, Kagome had been spending most of her time helping Sango handle the responsibilities of being a new, first-time mother. Human pups were much more fragile than inu-youkai or hanyou pups, and every little thing was a potential hazard. Seeing what went into keeping a human pup alive, he wondered how any of them ever lived to adulthood; yet no one could deny that humans were breeding like crazy, and he knew from his time in the future that their `weak' species had taken over the world.

He was jealous of the time Kagome spent with the taijiya because it cut into the time she normally spent with him, and he didn't like sharing her to begin with. But Kagome wouldn't say no to Sango when the woman asked for help, so he had to deal with her absence as best he could. Shard hunts were even more welcome than usual because it meant they'd be getting out of the village. Even though Shippou and Kirara came with them, and they had Yukio, it still meant that he would have Kagome pretty much to himself until they returned. Because of that, he didn't care how much feeding and changing Yukio slowed them down when they were traveling. It just meant that the trips would take longer and he was fine with that.

`Keh, I don't even mind `helping people' if it drags out the trip some. And if I can get the cat to pup and kit-sit, that's even better.'

“Feh, let's make camp,” he said.

“But it's not even getting dark,” Shippou replied.

“This is the only decent fishing stream within walking distance. If we stay here and head for the village in the morning, we'll be better off than heading home tonight and having to camp somewhere where there's no food or water.

Shippou gave him a look that said, `You just want to be alone with Kagome.' He shrugged and sent back a look that replied, `Yeah. What of it?' The kit dropped his gaze and looked elsewhere. He smiled with victory.

Together they made camp and prepared to settle in for the night. On his way to catch that evening's dinner, he motioned for Kirara to join him. The firecat mewed and followed.

“Okay, if I catch you a nice fish all your own, will you pup-sit for a while tonight?”

The cat gave him a look that was all smug feline and mewed what amounted to `two fish.'

“Two?”

Kirara nodded.

“Deal.”

He put out his hand and Kirara placed her paw in it, sealing the pact.

`Okay, now for the fish…'

He could be a damn good hunter and fisher when sufficiently motivated, and the promise of being alone with Kagome without the interruption of the pups was incentive enough. He caught two mid-size carp for Kirara and presented them to her for inspection. When she approved, he returned to the stream to catch dinner for the rest of them and nabbed five more fish. Kagome seasoned them and put them on spits to roast, and they ate it with rice and some legumes and berries that Shippou had gathered.

Towards the middle of the meal, he sidled up to Kagome and blew a soft puff of air against the nape of her neck and nuzzled her left earlobe. It was his little gesture that meant he wanted her and asked for her attentions. She could respond one of three ways: leaning back into his warmth which meant `Yes.' and he could expect her to join him shortly; leaning back into his warmth but with a touch on his wrist which meant `Yes, but later.' and he would have to wait until she was ready; or she could not lean back at all which meant `No, not tonight.'

In all the times he had asked to make love, she'd told him `later' only a handful of times and she'd never said no. Tonight she looked in askance at him.

“Kirara's gonna pup-sit for us,” he whispered, answering her unspoken question.

“Ah, so that's why she has two fish and looks like a cat that got into the cream,” she answered, leaning back into him. “Good. You've been getting cranky.”

`She said yes. Oh yeah, she said yes…' Her hand touched his wrist and his elation dimmed a little. `Yes but later. Damn. Well, I suppose it is a bit early…'

“I have to feed Yukio, and change him, and get him ready for the night. Then we can go have our time. I know it's been three days for you, but just wait a little longer. Okay?” she explained.

He sighed. “Okay.”

She gave him a kiss that held a good deal of promise and he contented himself with that for the time being.

:Leader-male.: “'Tou!” Yukio said, toddling over to him and plopping down into his lap.

“Whaddya want, pup?” he asked, settling his son on his knee.

The pup smiled widely at him and opened his arms, letting his little body fall against his father's chest, big eyes sparkling up at him. He smiled back and rubbed Yukio's back.

“'Tou.” :Leader-male, new den?:

He shook his head. :No. Pack rests then moves.:

:Where pack?: the pup asked, causing Inuyasha to smile.

`He knows some pack members are missing.'

:Home at den.:

:We home too?:

:When light comes, pack moves.:

Yukio nodded and looked around the camp from his place in his father's lap, big eyes casting about. He caught sight of Shippou and grinned.

“Ip-po.”

Shippou, hearing Yukio's name for him, came over and sat on Inuyasha's other knee.

“Hey Yukio.”

Yukio gurgled and pushed himself towards the kit, half falling into Shippou's arms.

“Ip-po.” :Pack-brother.:

The kitsune hugged the pup and the adult hanyou put loose arms around them both. Shippou had become the closest thing to a brother the pup had and he took his responsibility of protecting Yukio very seriously.

`He didn't hesitate to blast me with fox fire today. If I'd been an enemy, he'd have bought Kirara enough time to transform and attack.'

It helped that Yukio recognized and adored the fox kit. Actually, Yukio loved just about everyone. He was the most open and affectionate pup Inuyasha had ever known.

`Heh, that's your mother's influence there, pup.'

Yukio was hugs, kisses, nuzzles and little growls of welcome. He was rarely cranky or moody unless you woke him up or interrupted him while he was eating. Mostly he was a well-fed, happy, bubbly pup who brightened the mood of anyone he was around.

Inuyasha patted the heads of both pups in his lap and smiled at Shippou.

“You did good today, Shippou,” he said, praising the kit. “If I had been a real enemy, you would have given Kirara enough time to get out and fight.”

Shippou blinked in surprise then smiled. It didn't take a genius to know that the kit saw him and Kagome as his adoptive family. He'd been with them even before Miroku and Sango had joined the group, and even though they loved to mutually torment each other, he and the kit were also fiercely protective of each other as well.

He remembered a night in a time that seemed so very long ago. It had been shortly after Shippou had joined them, and he had teased the kit mercilessly about when he was `going to go home.' Kagome had gotten angry at his taunts and sat him a couple of times, shutting him up. Late that night, however, he was awakened by Shippou's whimpering cries and he realized that the kit was having a nightmare. He'd heard the words `Otou' and `Hiten' and little sobbing pleas of fear and grief. He'd crept over to where the kit had curled up on top of Kagome's `sleeping bag' and gently woke him. When the kit opened his eyes, he'd taken Shippou into his lap and soothed him.

“Manten and Hiten. I dreamed…” Shippou had sniffled, clutching his haori in his fists.

“They're dead now,” he'd assured him. “They can't hurt you ever again.”

“You killed them. Thank you. You avenged my father. I… I was too small and weak.”

“Feh, you did what you could, but you're just a pup. Someday you'll be bigger and you'll be able to protect yourself.”

Shippou had nodded. “But until then I'm alone and I have nowhere to go.”

“What do you mean?” he'd asked. “You're with us now.”

“I can stay with you? But I thought…”

“Keh! It will never be said that I left a child helpless and abandoned. Besides, Kagome can use someone other than me around. I'm not much company for her most days.”

The kit had nodded. “You are a meanie most of the time,” he'd commented, but he'd said it with a smile.

“So your job is to make Kagome happy, okay?”

“Okay.”

From that night on, no more was said about Shippou `going home' and it was tacitly agreed upon that he was now part of their group. He'd done his job well, regaling Kagome with stories and kitsune magic, and the girl had loved him. In time, Inuyasha had come to love him as well, and ever since Yukio had come into their lives, his paternal feelings had bled over to the kit even more. He didn't see Shippou as his own son, but he did see the kitsune as a pack pup who needed protection and guidance. Now the kit was returning the favor by looking after Yukio when his father had to fight.

Yukio giggled as Shippou used one of his kitsune tricks to mimic fireflies, causing tiny blinking lights to flash all around the pup's head. Yukio watched the flashing lights, smiling, and tried to catch them in his pudgy hands. Every time he managed to grab one it would disappear with a little `pop' and a shower of sparks. The display even made him laugh as he watched the two youngsters' antics.

“Okay little man, it's time for your dinner,” Kagome said, picking up Yukio.

“Kaa,” he burbled.

:Hungry?: she asked. It was a rhetorical question most of the time.

`Keh, pup would rather nurse than sleep or breathe,' he thought with amusement.

“Ya! Kaa! Oood.” :Hungry! Mother-female. Food!:

Kagome laughed at his baby talk and nuzzled him. Inuyasha took the opportunity to drape his haori over her shoulders. She didn't really need or use it anymore, but it was their little ritual and it kept the garment smelling of her. She pulled it over the top of her breasts as she gave the pup his nipple and cuddled him while he nursed.

`Yeah, I wouldn't want to be weaned if it meant I'd lose that either,' he mused, watching Kagome rock and sing softly to her son while he fed.

Of course he knew that weaning the pup wouldn't mean he would lose the cuddles or the songs or the lullabies or any of the other things Kagome did, but Yukio didn't understand that. And to be honest, nothing would ever replace the emotional satisfaction a baby got from nursing, from knowing his mother fed and cared for him.

When he was finished nursing, she fed him his solid food of cooked fish, rice and vegetables. It wasn't all that different from the gruel they had first fed him except that it didn't have to be as soft. Inuyasha had started giving him meat in small pieces as well when it was available. As a result of Yukio eating so much solid food, Kagome had begun to make less and less milk and nursed him less frequently.

`I almost feel bad for the whelp, but he has to be weaned sometime. He can't suckle forever. I'd give it another three months before he's off the teat completely.'

He waited while Kagome finished feeding and changing Yukio then they sat together by the fire. Kirara transformed into her full firecat form and acted as a comfortable, purring pillow for both the pup and the kitsune kit, and not long after snuggling into her soft fur both of them were sound asleep. Kagome covered them with a blanket and tucked her scarf in next to Yukio so he would have her scent close by. Then she gave him a come hither look and offered him her hand. He responded with a grin that soon turned into a sexy smile, and took her offering, standing up and pulling her to him.

His heart pounded in his chest as he kissed her passionately, his senses going into overload at the feel, smell and taste of her. Then he picked her up, gave Kirara a grateful nod and carried his lover bridal-style off to a more private location.

`Thanks, cat! I think this is the beginning of a beautiful arrangement.'

Morning found him one very happy and sated hanyou, and he once again thanked Kirara for her cooperation. The firecat gave him an agreeing mew. From her perspective it was probably easy work. She got extra fish and all she had to do was watch two sleeping youngsters for a couple of hours. She got something she wanted, he got something he really wanted, the pup and kit were supervised and protected, and everyone was happy- mainly him. From his point of view, it was perfect.

They ate breakfast, broke camp and headed for home as fast as Inuyasha could go. He wasn't really in a terrible hurry to get back to the village, but he just loved the rush of using his power and after his night with Kagome he was feeling very dominant. That and he loved how his seemingly reckless jumps made Kagome cling to him. Her secret places would brush up against his back and he could excite her if he arched his spine in just the right way. He often wondered if she knew he was doing it deliberately, but if she did she never said anything. However, she would be a very eager and willing partner after one of those rides.

“Ooof! Don't go so fast!” she cried as he leaped to the crown of another tree.

“What? I thought you wanted to get back to the village to `swim in the river and spend the rest of the time in the den'?” he answered.

“I want to get there in one piece!”

Yukio giggled at the wind in his ears from his place in the carrier on Kagome's back.

“Heh! Pup loves it! Don't be so nervous. I've never dropped you, have I?”

“N... no...” she stammered and gripped him more tightly.

He hitched his arms further under her thighs and pulled her tighter onto his back, loving the feel of her legs wrapped around his hips.

“Do you want to ride up here on Kirara with me Kagome?” Shippou asked as the firecat flew alongside them.

Inuyasha scowled and went faster. “Keh! You think I'll let her go whelp!?”

“Inu-ya-ah-sh-a-a-a!” she cried.

He just laughed and jumped into the open air.

They stopped for lunch and a rest. When it was time to leave, Kagome refused to ride him if he was going to run wild again so he promised to go a little slower. In truth, he had a particular destination in mind that he wanted to get to before nightfall: a lovely little spot near a hot spring, and his mad dash in the morning had brought them within walking distance, so he was happy to take it easy. Besides, he needed to take care of the evening's dinner and water supply because the hot spring had no fishing stream nearby.

“You want a bath?” he asked her as they traveled at a sedate pace. In a way he was glad they had slowed down because the summer sun had made it another hot, sweltering day.

“A bath?” she asked, and he could hear her interest.

`You and your hot baths,' he thought fondly. `But I fully plan to get in there with you so…'

“Yeah, remember that hot spring we passed on the way out here?”

“We're going there?” she asked eagerly.

“Yeah, why do you think I was going so fast? We'll make it before nightfall.”

She slid her arms around his shoulders and hugged him, making her breasts press against his back, and kissed his cheek happily.

“You are so sweet and wonderful. I love you.”

`I never get tired of hearing you say that.'

His body shivered in reaction to her closeness and in anticipation of taking a bath with her.

“Keh, as well you should,” he teased. “I'm far better to you than any other man has ever been.”

She hummed an agreement and hitched her legs higher on his hips, pressing her soft spot right against his spine.

“Yes, and I'm better to you than any other woman has ever been,” she whispered huskily.

Desire flooded through him, making his vision cloud for a moment, and he had to stop for a few seconds to get his body under control before he embarrassed himself.

“That goes without saying,” he answered breathlessly.

Her small chuckle tickled the back of his neck and she rubbed her secret place against his back deliberately. The scent of her arousal hit his nose mixed with the scent of her heat.

`Shit. She's coming into heat.'

This was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was a good thing in that her heat cycle increased her desire for him. Her body- ripe for a pup- made her want him and she would be much more likely to initiate lovemaking. In fact, her sexual desire during her heats was almost enough to wear him out, and some of their wildest joinings had happened when she was in heat. She was also coming into it more regularly as she nursed Yukio less and less, her body slowly returning to normal from its switch to lactating female.

The bad thing was that he had to wear the stupid artificial sheaths. Kagome didn't trust the herbs the old woman had given her to prevent her from getting pregnant so she made him wear the sheaths as an added precaution. She did promise, however, that he could stop wearing them once it didn't matter if the herbs didn't work and she got pregnant, which would be sometime after she turned nineteen and had graduated from high school. He very much looked forward to that time.

Even though she got the `thin' ones, the things still pinched and reduced the sensations he felt. Still, wearing them was better than not being able to have her at all, and if the reduced sensation caused him to last longer then that could be very pleasurable as well. He found that he could hold back through her climaxes, and then be able to make her build again without climaxing himself and having to pull out. It made for some very long love making sessions where he would bring her to her peak repeatedly and keep going after she'd stopped shuddering. The only trouble with them was that sometimes her natural wetness would dry up, but she had stuff from her world that could replace it until her body replenished itself.

`But did she bring the stuff with us?'

If there were no sheaths, they couldn't make love and he didn't like the thought of that.

“Do we have those sheaths with us?” he asked softly, not wanting Shippou to hear them.

“The condoms?” she answered just as softly.

“Yeah, those things.”

“Am I?...”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“I think we have a package in my bag.”

He practically sighed with relief. `Oh good…'

“Good.”

She giggled. “Why? Do you have plans that involve using them?”

“You keep rubbing against me and I'll use them right here under these trees, and I won't care if we have an audience.”

“Horny dog, and after last night too.”

“Keh, you think one night will sate me after not having you for three days?”

“You're never sated.”

“Heh, your fault.”

She snuggled into his shoulder. “I know.”

Smiling to himself, he picked up the pace a little. He took them to a place he hoped was full of small game. It was a clearing in the forest covered in tall grass and it looked like a perfect place to hunt rabbits and ground birds. He put Kagome and Yukio down and told her to fill up their water containers in a nearby stream, then he, Kirara and Shippou hunted in the meadow.

They caught four rabbits and two ground birds, and Shippou found a patch of flavorful mushrooms. Kagome could mix the meat and mushrooms with some of her instant food and make a nice stew. It could cook on the fire that evening while Kagome was taking her bath.

Dinner secured, Kagome got onto his back again and they headed for the hot springs. They arrived at dusk with plenty of time to set up camp and for Kagome to start dinner before it became full dark. Once the camp was ready, Kagome excused herself to bathe.

“And where do you think you're going?” he asked Shippou when the kit moved to follow Kagome to the spring.

“I'm gonna go take a bath with Kagome,” the kitsune answered.

“No you're not. I'm going to go take a bath with Kagome. You can go in after I come back.”

Shippou gave him a knowing look. “You're not going there to take a bath.”

Without Kagome there to stop him, he bopped the kit on the head. “Oi. Mind your own business.”

“Whaah! I'm telling Kagome!”

“Fine, go ahead. After I get back from the bath. In the meantime, watch Yukio and the stew.”

“You take too long and I'll eat it all without you and not save you any!” Shippou threatened.

He snorted and followed Kagome. He found her already naked and in the water, her hair put up in a messy bun on her head. Smiling, he stripped and slipped in, embracing her from behind and kissing her neck.

“Mmmm. I think I've caught a water tennyo. Legends say a man who catches a water tennyo is granted his every wish,” he purred in her ear.

“Mmmm-hmmmm,” she sighed, turning in his embrace and straddling him. “And what is your wish?”

He pulled her closer, growling softly. “You know what I wish.”

“Well, since you've caught me, your wish is my command,” she replied coyly.

He stroked her sides and licked the hollow of her throat. “Ooo, I like the sound of that.”

She laughed softly. “I'm sure you do.”

“Where's that damn sheath?”

“Over there,” she replied, pointing in the direction of her bathing supplies. A familiar little packet lay beside them. “But we don't need it right now, do we?”

He picked her up and laid her down on the bank of the spring, his hips between her legs as he leaned over her, licking and caressing.

“Soon.”

She moaned and gave herself over to him, her arms coming up to stroke his back and tangle in his hair.

He could never get enough of her: her body, her scent, the sound of her voice, everything about her. Every time they made love he was humbled by her trust in him. Each time he asked to have her, he half expected her to refuse him. He kept waiting for her to come to her senses and realize that he was a lowly hanyou who was unworthy of her, but she always welcomed him into her bed and her body with joy and love. Even now when he fumbled in his need and haste, she only giggled and asked him what his hurry was.

`I still don't deserve you. I don't think I ever will. What half-breed deserves a woman like you? You are my tennyo. A tennyo of love who came to heal my broken heart. I do love you Kagome. I do. I love you so much. And someday I'll build you a house and live in it with you for as long as we both shall live.'

Their joining did take a little longer because of the sheath, but his urgency and need from being denied her for three days made up for it, and he reached his peak at the same time she did.

Afterwards, she took the sheath off of him, rinsed it out and put it in her bag. Anything that wouldn't rot in the ground, she always brought back to her world to dispose of so she wouldn't pollute his time. Looking at the sheath, he once again marveled at its effectiveness and the simplicity of the design.

Kagome had once bought a `variety pack' just for fun and showed him the different shapes the sheaths could come in. There was one with soft spikes while another had ridges and still another had little bumps all over it. She had explained that the shapes were meant to increase a woman's pleasure. He'd snorted and said it wasn't the woman who needed help to increase pleasure, but the man who was wearing the damn thing. Still, they'd tried the one with the spikes just to see what would happen. While he'd hated it because it was much thicker than their normal kind, her reaction had been… interesting. They'd never used them again because he couldn't climax while wearing them, but he often wished that their thin kind had come in the different shapes just to see her react that way again.

“I should wash and head back. Shippou wanted to bathe with you,” he said as they slipped back into the warm water.

“Mmmm, okay. I think I'll soak a bit.”

He kissed her, chuckling. “I knew you would.”

She gave him a sweet smile. “You know me so well. Thank you for remembering this place and bringing us here.”

He smiled back and nuzzled her. “Thank you for being with me.”

“I love being with you.”

`I love being with you too, my Kagome.' He sighed and kissed her again, before dunking his head under the water to wet his hair.

Kagome had `shampoo' covered hands when he came up and she scrubbed his hair, using the pads of her fingers to rub his scalp the way he liked. When his hair was clean he rinsed it and washed his body, refusing to let her do it because he knew they didn't really have time to make love again.

“What took you so long? Yukio almost went after you,” Shippou complained when he got back to camp.

Yukio was sitting next to Kirara in her full firecat form and looking rather put out.

“'Tou!” he cried when he saw his father.

“My hair takes a long time to wash,” he answered neutrally, staring the kit down.

“I'm going now,” Shippou said.

He nodded and sat down next to Kirara, pulling the pup into his lap.

“'Tou,” he sniffled, sucking his thumb. :Leader-male. You went away.:

“Pup,” he answered, rubbing Yukio's ears. :I always come back.:

“Kaa?” :Mother-female?:

“She'll be here soon. She is washing.”

The pup looked like he was going to start fussing so he decided to distract him.

“Here,” he said, giving the pup a rock he'd fished from the hot spring.

Yukio grabbed it with both hands and started gnawing on it happily. He smiled and shook his head.

`Rips up Kagome's toys but give him a rock and he's happy.'

Kagome returned with Shippou a short time later and they had dinner. Afterwards they settled down for the night and cuddled up in Kagome's large two-person sleeping bag with Yukio between them, Shippou sleeping at Kagome's head and Kirara curled at their feet.

In the morning they finished the trip back to the village and arrived by mid-afternoon. After checking in with Sango, Miroku and Kaede, and leaving Shippou with the miko so he could help her separate herbs, he and Kagome headed for the den. The day was proving to be another scorcher and they were eager to escape into the coolness of the forest.

He caught the unfamiliar yet familiar scent before they'd even reached the hillside, and all his senses went on full alert.

`I know this scent…'

He hadn't smelled it in almost a year, but he knew it right away.

“What is it?” Kagome asked him as she took his hand.

“We have a visitor,” he answered.

“Huh?”

They cleared a set of trees and the mound that held their den came into view. Sitting on top of it, playing with a bunch of picked flowers, was a little human girl they knew all too well. Kagome gasped and stopped in her tracks, but Rin saw her and offered a huge happy smile of welcome.

“Kagome-sama! Inuyasha-sama! Rin is so glad to see you. Sesshoumaru-sama said to wait right here for you and here you are!”

 

********

 

Author's Note:

To all those readers who say my Inuyasha is out of character, a rebuttal:

I've gotten a number of reviews that say my Inuyasha is way out of character. Although no one has actually listed WHY they think this, I can gander a few good guesses, the foremost being these reviewers are most likely restricted to the dubbed version of the anime on AdultSwim. *sigh* You poor sods.

Everything I have Inuyasha do, every way I have Inuyasha react is based on the canon of the Japanese anime and the manga.

To all of those who think Inuyasha can't read. He steals and reads Kagome's math book in manga chapter 25.

He is capable of expressing his emotions and has opened up to Kagome (Ep. 19, 31, Manga Ch 70 & 310) or tried to explain himself (Eps. 47, 48, 62, 89, 100, 126, 140.) We've seen him try to hide his tears (Ep. 107.) We get into his head and see that he does think sometimes (Ep. 31, 33, 38, 48, 52, 57, 58, 62, 100, 107, 126- and that's just the anime. There's many more in the manga)

It is unfortunate that many of the sweet, tender moments between Inuyasha and Kagome have been taken out of the anime (Ch 70, 77, 78, 140, 182 in the manga just for example). But then we also have episodes 87, 89, 90, 127 & 128 which show Inuyasha's softer side and his commitment to Kagome.

Inuyasha is not an illiterate, insensitive, violent bully. He is capable of higher thought, deep emotions and sensitivity. We see this repeatedly in his continual forgiveness of crimes committed against him: Sango, Kohaku, Miroku. All of these characters have wronged him and hurt him, yet he forgave Sango her betrayal (Ep. 24, 29, 30), refused to let her kill her brother (Ep. 29, 30), and considers Miroku a trusted friend even though he kidnapped Kagome, stole the Shikon shards and tried to suck him into his Kazaana (Ep. 16). He forgives Kagome practically before she can even get an apology out.

Inuyasha is a viciously protective and loyal being. We see this over and over. Especially with Kagome and there are too many examples of this to list, but his protection is also given to the others in his group. He and Shippou may fight and torment each other but when push comes to shove, no one threatens the kit and gets away with it. He has repeatedly risked his life to protect those he cares about. Even Kouga has been on the receiving end of his protection and willing self-sacrifice (Ep. 66, 67, 117.) He thinks of the welfare of his companions first and his own well-being second. This is not the behavior of an insensitive, violent bully.

Every time he has sensed trouble- even when it's been 'helping people again' he has done his best to save and protect others. We see this in his reaction to the scent of Kaede's blood when Urasue flew by (Ep. 14); in his return to the village Gatenmaru attacked (Ep. 51) when he smelled blood, and in his defense of the children orphaned by Goshinki (Ep. 43) With the sole exception of Ep. 52 when he was transformed into a full youkai, he has refused to take human life even if it meant his own life was endangered. He couldn't bring himself to kill Sesshoumaru with Tessaiga (manga ch 129), and he's never killed Kouga even when he's had the chance and has even saved him (Ep 66, 67, 116, 117, 123, 124).

I can list countless other examples of his noble heart. He has compassion for humans and a deep sense of justice. He protects children and those who are weak. He may talk big and gripe and complain and act tough, but he always does the right thing.

He has chosen Kagome over Kikyou, and raced to her aid while cursing himself when he realized he had put Kagome in danger (Ep. 23, 33, 126, manga ch 286, 310.) The line 'if that is to be our fate' regarding going to Hell with Kikyou is also in both the anime and the manga. He also tells the false Kikyou: 'maybe someday I'll be with you, however now is not that time!' in Chapter 123: Intent To Kill. Yes, I know he "chose" Kikyou in Ep 47 & 48, but remember he said "I chose to protect Kikyou." He says this repeatedly in different ways. He wants to protect her. He doesn't want anything bad to happen to her. He does still have feelings for her and why shouldn't he? She's his first love and you always have a soft spot for your first love. But he also cares deeply for Kagome and he doesn't want to give her up, hence why Kagome chooses to be with him even though he's "two-timing" her.

As for Inuyasha's sex drive. Rumiko has stated that Inuyasha is the equivalent of 15-16 yrs old but hinted that physically he is much older. What's that mean? It means he's just now really coming into sexual maturity and his engine's just getting warmed up. I feel badly for poor Kagome *snicker.* And Japanese boys do have sex. We hosted a 16-yr old Japanese kid for 10 months, and he was very frank about having to find girls to have sex with and that he'd been sexually active since he was 14.

Please do not forget that Lucky Ones takes place two years after Kagome's first trip to the Sengoku Jidai, and even in the manga and anime we are seeing all of the characters mature and grow. In the manga Kagome and Inuyasha are subtly growing closer and closer. We see this in the art and in the positioning of their bodies. It's happening in the anime as well, very clearly in episode 140 when after destroying Hoshiomi they are lightly holding each other. In Ep 23 Kaede tells Kikyou that Kagome is healing Inuyasha's heart. In manga ch 123, Inuyasha says he regained his lost heart when he met Kagome, and calls her his "home" in manga Ch 112. The relationship I write about is the development of a deep and lasting bond based on love, mutual respect and trust that has had two years to grow and mature.

I see Inuyasha as a deep complex character of strong emotion and the ability to forgive and love. However, he is a product of abuse and has many defense mechanisms to protect him. He is also immature in that he is only the equivalent of 15-16 years old, so he's not cognitively mature any more than Kagome is because she's only 15 (17 in Lucky Ones.) My Inuyasha is a healing Inuyasha who is still brash and easily ruffled and occasionally puts his foot in it, but he's learning and growing as all characters who are worth writing about do.

Of course I am sure numerous examples refuting my position could be cited. However, this is how I see Inuyasha and to me he isn't OCC at all. I do my best to back up my opinions with examples of why I think this, but any of you are free to disagree. It won't change how I write him, but a good discussion is always healthy.

I will admit, though, if there is one character who is OOC it is Mama. I openly admit this. Why? Because my little feminist heart can't stand a simpering woman who would basically say, "Oh, my only daughter is off to kill demons and almost die, I'll make her lunch." Besides, we know Mama can be serious. We've seen her wise, calm side in Ep. 48, so we know she is capable of it.

That's all I have to say. I'll go back to writing Lucky Ones and get off my soap box.

Take care all,

Terri