Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Freak Show ❯ Epilogue ( Chapter 25 )

Epilogue

"I'm not so sure about this."

"Sure you are! It's going to be great, I promise."

Kurama gave his mate a skeptical look. "I think we could find much better activities to occupy ourselves doing." He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms tight around her waist and drew her so that her body molded against his front. "Don't you think this is a much better activity?" He asked as he began to kiss her neck.

Roughly, Kagome pulled herself out of his tempting hold. He had tried that maneuver too many times for her to be so easily swayed now. She whirled to lock eyes with his emerald orbs. "I promised Keiko that we'd go," she chastised him.

Kurama took her hand in his and began to lead the way; they were already in the parking lot, what was a little bit further going to hurt? At least he had gotten to drive. He wasn't happy with losing this little contest of wills with Kagome, but he knew that if he relented now, in the end he'd be the real winner. A ghost of a smile flickered across his lips. He'd much prefer to be victorious in the bedroom than to win a trivial battle like this one.

Kagome failed to notice that mischievous grin on Kurama's face and guilt began to plague her heart. Naturally, she locked their fingers together and reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek once they reached the ticket gate.

Curious green eyes looked down upon her. "I'm sorry Kurama, I know this is hard for you."

He almost laughed aloud right then and there. She was crumbling like a cookie, just as he anticipated. Instead of laughing, his lips curled down into a barely noticeable frown. "This is difficult," he confessed. His playful nature got a real rise out of being able to manipulate his mate.

"I promise to make it up to you." Kagome vowed, biting her lower lip in worry for her love.

Kurama used his free hand to release that lip from the abuse, then tilted her chin up to massage that poor lip between his own. Once he was fully satisfied that he had stolen her breath away he released her. Grinning down, he moved his hand away from her chin and pulled out a few crisp bills and paid the ticket booth attendant.

The young woman took the money and handed him his tickets. Then Kurama led Kagome through the metal detectors and the front gates. He scanned the area, he didn't actually have any anxiety about the environment, but as long as Kagome felt guilty he would milk it for all it was worth.

`You know Fox, she's not going to be too happy when she discovers you're pulling her strings for a fool,' Hiei interrupted his thoughts. The small demon was standing inside the gates with his younger sister Yukina and with Keiko.

`What do you know you little sparkler? Kagome is perfectly content hanging on my arm with promises of what tonight shall bring." Kurama replied mentally with a flippant attitude.

Kagome cleared her throat and pulled her hand out of Kurama's. She then used her free hand to pull on his red forelock roughly so that he was down at her level. "You realize I can hear you too."

Hiei snickered at the reprimand as the other two females watched in confusion as they were left out of the conversation.

Kurama smiled easily and gently pried her fingers from his hair. "Of course love, don't doubt my sincerity. I did have a rather traumatic experience at a place like this, remember?"

The familiar look of guilt darkened Kagome's expressive eyes and she nodded, releasing her torturing hold of Kurama's hair. "You're right, let's go find Yusuke now."

"He should be over there," Keiko pointed towards an area where a large number of children were accumulated and photographs were being taken. The quintet walked over towards the crowd to see a large cartoon character, similar to Bugs Bunny being clobbered by the young mob.

The friends patiently waited for the crowd to disperse. The large bunny turned to glare at them, hands on hips. "What the hell are you doing here?" The large bunny demanded the giant carrot in his mouth wobbling up and down.

Kurama placed his hands together in imitation of a prayer, the way he had seen Miroku do numerous times on his and Kagome's visits with him and Sango in Kaede's village. "Yusuke-sama, we have come to pay our humble respects to you at your place of business."

"Shut the hell up flower boy," Yusuke grumbled. He had taken a liking to Inuyasha's nickname for his all too perfect friend.

"Hn, so this is what you use your high school education for?" Hiei inquired as he flicked the large cottontail of Yusuke's rabbit costume.

"Perhaps if he hadn't missed so much school he would have had a better career opportunity," Kagome offered as Kurama looped his arm around her shoulder. She winked at Yusuke when he turned his disturbing rabbit glare towards her. "Of course, I missed my fair share of school, but then I married the smartest guy around."

"Shut the hell up Kagome, or I'll, I'll, I'll purify Kurama!" Yusuke declared as he tried to cross his arms in front of his chest, but failed to do so when the costume wouldn't allow such actions.

"Right," Kurama shook his head and began to lead Kagome away from their friends as Keiko and Yukina tried to defend the merits of Yusuke's temporary job to Hiei.

The two were silent as Kurama led the way through the different rides of the theme park. He vowed never to step foot near a carnival, but venturing to this theme park as part of his and Kagome's anniversary seemed a harmless idea.

He gazed down at the woman at his side. Five years had passed since the completion of the Shikon no Tama. He and Kagome had decided to live in the Feudal Era. Kurama had intended on setting their home in the Demon Realm but Sesshoumaru had made them an offer he couldn't refuse.

Permanent residence in the palace of the Western Lands was a pretty sweet deal. Sesshoumaru had also made the two his royal advisors. Of course, if Kagome so much as hinted at it, Kurama would take over one of the other provinces, but she seemed happy just living in close contact to her friends. Her relationship with Inuyasha was still remarkably close, if somewhat strained for obvious reasons.

When the time in the future, from the past's point of view, came that demons and humans no longer lived in the same realm Kurama, his mate, and their other youkai friends would permanently move to the demon realm.

For now though, they came to the modern era occasionally to visit family. Mrs. Minamino never would acknowledge that Kurama was in fact a reborn Kitsune sharing the body with her son. But, since the spirits of Youko and Shuuichi merged completely, perhaps that didn't really matter.

Kurama's eyes lit up brightly as his thoughts drifted towards his children. He and Kagome had adopted Shippo, but had two children, twins in fact, for their mother's to fawn over. His mother and Mrs. Higurashi were both a bit scary when it came to their grandchildren.

"You okay?" Kagome asked concerned. Her eyes were searching his for any hints of reluctance to enter the park. "We can leave if you want."

Kurama stopped walking, his mind cleared of all it's rampart thoughts. He turned to his beloved and cupped her face within his hands and kissed her as if it were for the first time, pouring all his love for her into that searing moment of passion.

When he finally pulled back he smiled at her and then hugged her close. "I'm fine, I was just thinking about life." He pulled back and took her hand into his again. "We better hurry, I don't want to miss seeing the Chinese Acrobats."

"What about the others?" Kagome hesitated not moving and holding him rooted to the spot with her.

Kurama released her hand and stood toe to toe with her. "They can manage without us," he declared as he picked her up bridal style and took off at inhuman speed towards the acrobatic show. With Kagome in his arms, even terrible memories of serving in the Freak Show and all their ordeals involving the cursed jewel seemed a minor thing.

End