InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Windows on the West ❯ The Little Intimacies Part I ( Chapter 55 )

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

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

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Hands on her hips, Kagome looked around at everything that the group had spent the last two days working on, and sighed, nodding to herself in approval.

It was a good place for the inuyoukai that they'd retrieved from Kyushu to settle.  

Her gaze swung across the face of the cliff before her, a smile tilting her lips as she giggled a bit – dens, indeed.  Every time she thought of what the inuyoukai called these caves, she wanted to giggle, though she'd maintained her facade, not wanting to insult anyone.

It was just so... so... inu.  Dens.

In reality, they were caves, a lot of caves riddling this long escarpment that cut across the eastern edge of the Western Lands, and she had to admit – they were perfect.  Apparently, this had once been Shun's home – his and his peoples, and he had simply returned to them now that Sesshoumaru had extended the invitation for the last group of inuyoukai living to return to the safety of the West.

And they would be much, much easier to defend from the hawk youkai than huts, should the birds decide to seek to escalate the violence, having to travel so far notwithstanding.  Kagome wrinkled her nose at that thought – Sesshoumaru was positive that the offending tribe would, indeed, be attacking – soon, and that was why they were sticking around.  

He wanted to be ready for the birds.

She sighed again, then turned and looked to the small camp Sesshoumaru had made for them – Inuyasha joining them, as he did not wish to hang around Shun and his charges.  It was a bit too uncomfortable, what with the inu's past history with their father.

Her eyes searched for red fire rat, but was unable to spot any sign of it or its wearer, and she turned to head back to the camp, perfectly content to spend the rest of the evening sitting around the campfire with her betrothed – and with no interruptions.

They hadn't had much time to just spend together the last few days, what with everything that had been happening, and she was feeling the stress.  She could only imagine that Sesshoumaru was even worse, though of course he'd never say anything if he were where anyone else could hear.

Her face softened into a loving smile as she thought about the stoic daiyoukai that she'd come to love more than life itself, and she chuckled inwardly, knowing that while Inuyasha was around, he would never come to her requesting any 'intimacies' -  grooming, or even simply curling up together.  After all, inu enjoyed sleeping together in close proximity to those they protected, those they cared for, and Sesshoumaru, reserved or not, enjoyed the same.

He would never show such a thing, however, to anyone outside of his very limited pack.  She, herself, Rin, Shippo, and his retainer Jaken.  Anyone else was an outsider, and he would never lower his shields around an outsider.

But with Inuyasha nowhere in sight, and Satori actually sleeping within one of the dens while spending time getting to know Shun again, maybe she could get in a little time with her own inuyoukai.

Smiling demurely as she stepped into the confines of the camp and caught Sesshoumaru's eye, she decided to at least try after she'd finished making dinner for him, and his special tea.

He would be in a good mood, so chances were excellent for some together time.

No offense, Inuyasha, but I hope you kinda forget to come back for a while, she thought, her smile widening just a bit at Sesshoumaru's faintly softened gaze as it landed on her.

A long while.

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Sesshoumaru watched Kagome as she pattered around the fire making dinner; a tender haunch of deer that he had obtained earlier was roasting over the flames quite nicely, and the scent was more than agreeable.  While he did prefer to hunt and eat his kills raw most of the time, he did, occasionally, enjoy a cooked bit of meat – the taste was different, but almost as good as raw.  Almost.

For the first time in days, he was actually relaxed.  His mother and her – unofficial, as of yet – suitor were occupied with getting his people settled, and Inuyasha had taken himself off, and was nowhere near.  Sesshoumaru was quite pleased with his brother's sudden-seeming understanding; for the first time, he was showing maturity, having understood without having to actually be told that his brother and Kagome needed some alone time.  It was a level of tact he had never shown before.

Perhaps it was because he, himself, was now married, and understood things better.  Whatever the reason, Sesshoumaru could only be glad that there was no one around to interrupt his time with Kagome.  He needed the peace that could only be found when spending time with ones other half.

Watching her prepare their meal – one just for them – was something that most would ignore as nothing more than duty, yet to him, it was something intimate.  Seeing the care she put into making sure the meat was done to perfection, seasoned and roasted until the mouth was watering at the scent.

And the tea as well.  She had already proven her care of him when, on her return, he'd found that she'd remembered his particular love of the tea bags from her time, and had experimented and found a way to duplicate them with the things available in his time.

But she took it even further than just using thin silk to make his teabags.  She used each square of silk many times over, but she only used each square with the same leaves, over and over, washing the squares in between, so that they never bled over in taste.  She was always most careful to steep it just so long, and hand it over to him only when it was at just the right temperature.

She made certain to use the wild honey he provided only in the tea he took in the mornings, and always made sure that she added only the perfect amount, not wanting to give him something that wasn't how he preferred it.  It had always made him feel so special – she never took quite so much care with anyone elses food or tea – though she was never sloppy in her care of others, she always put just a bit more love and time into whatever she did for him.

When she groomed him... she would sit for hours if he wanted her to and just run the comb through his hair.  He had learned at her hands of the enjoyment to be had in a massage – she could reduce him to a pile of goo with her skilled hands.  She got so much happiness out of just touching him that sometimes he wondered if she didn't have some inuyoukai in her somewhere.

Shifting slightly against his tree, he watched her look up from her work with a happy smile just for him, and his eyes softened even more – he was quite looking forward to after dinner...

He wondered what little intimate things she had in mind for this evening, and a shiver of expectation ran down his spine as he thought of the possibilities.

Hnn...

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Kagome sat back with a satisfied sigh – the roast that Sesshoumaru had provided had been delicious with the herbs and wild mushrooms she'd found, and she was feeling very full and very content.

Now for the rest of the evening...

She blushed slightly as she thought over what she had planned, and hoped that her inuyoukai would not deny her.  She'd been speaking with Satori earlier, and the female inu had let on that inuyoukai enjoyed all types of grooming with their significant others – including bathing, and that it was considered the height of intimacy between betrothed or married persons.  Sure, she had blushed at the thought of a naked Sesshoumaru, but she was going to be his mate – there would be many, many times she would be in his presence in the nude over the centuries they would be together, so she decided not to let her shyness stop her.

Also, she had given Kagome the information that Sesshoumaru would quite enjoy it if she asked him to take on his true form, so that she could caress and massage him in that form, as well.  For an inu to take on their true form for such a thing showed immense trust and great emotional ties.

She was hoping she could convince him to do both things this evening.

With that in mind, she cleaned up the detritus left from dinner rapidly, and then moved to kneel in seiza before her betrothed.

When his eyes met hers, she smiled diffidently, and then bowed her head to him.  “Sesshoumaru?  Would you allow me to bathe you?”  she asked hesitantly, a slight blush washing over her cheeks as she waited for his answer, her breath held in anticipation.

Sesshoumaru was quite shocked at her question.  Not at the idea itself, because for inu, it was a normal behavior between those who were either courting, or already married.  But for humans, it wasn't a normal behavior - at least, not until marriage.

But then again... Kagome was definitely not a normal ningen.  However, he was curious... “Where did you hear of such things, Kagome?”

“Your honorable mother told me some things earlier when we spoke.  I asked her what things were normal behavior between betrothed couples, and she gave me some ideas.”  She looked at him then, almost pleadingly.  “I want to please you, and it would please me to be so close to you.  So... will you allow me?”  she asked once more.

He studied her face; it appeared that she meant what she said, despite some lingering embarrassment.  Finally, once he was certain that she wasn't just feeling constrained to do such things, he nodded, anticipation swelling up inside him.  Would she also show such affections to his true form?  Oh, he hoped so...

“Only if you allow me to bathe you in return, Kagome.  It is, after all, supposed to be a mutual preoccupation,”  he returned, his eyes gentle.

Blush deepening just a bit, Kagome nodded, a smile in her own eyes as she looked at him.  “As my lord wishes,”  she replied, her pleasure only growing at the pleased look on his face.

Inclining his head in acceptance, he stood and waited for her to gather the bathing supplies; he was surprised when she simply picked up a small tied satchel, and then he realized that she had prepared for this evenings events ahead of time with the hope that he would agree.  Reassured in that moment that this was something she truly wanted to do, he turned and headed for the small group of hotsprings just behind their small camp.

It looked like the evenings activities would, indeed, go just as he would wish – and he couldn't help but hope again that she would also want to enjoy grooming his true form, as well...

Another shiver ran up his spine at the thought...

This one a great deal stronger than the earlier one.

Soon, he decided.  Soon, I will take her as mine.  Perhaps once this duty to the other inu is finished and we return to Inuyasha's village, I will have him watch over my pack while I take Kagome away for a few days.

Yes... it is time.

I have waited long enough.

~*~*~

A/N:  Part two of The Little Intimacies will be coming soon... and yes, Windows on the West will be winding down soon – there'll be about ten more chapters or so.

Amber


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