Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hentai Bets ❯ Too Much Love ( Chapter 16 )

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

You faithful readers and reviewers are the salt of the earth -- you know that, right?

Kawaii-KeKe-Chan - I’m glad I’ve been hitting the mix right -- I worry about it sometimes. It’s a shame we can’t find a school that offers a major in fan fiction, isn’t it? Then we’d study all the time!
HalfBlackWolfDemon - Do you think it was Musou? (Yeah, it was him.)
Todavialoca - Where IS that darn necklace? Hmmm. I think Kagome will be a very happy girl when she finds out Hiei and Kurama aren’t lovers. The question is: how will
THEY feel when they find out she thought they were? Ha!
Purplebabe - More Kag/Kur? This one’s for you! Got questions? Ask away!
Loveinuyasha911 - Oh! So you DON’T want her to be with Hojo? Why didn’t you say so? (Just kidding!) Quick -- toss Hiei to her for a quick fix before we all go into withdrawal!
Michael45 - Thanks so much for the compliments! I’m just glad you like it! Yeah, there IS something about that pairing that just seems right, isn’t there?
LmKiTsUnE - Poor Kagome -- she doesn’t want to be the kind of woman to break up a happy home. Naraku definitely charged that pelt to Reikai, and had it flown in special delivery. The piercing? His are REALLY made out of steel to sit though that.
Mysterious Tears - Yeah, most of my chapter endings are pretty evil -- my kids say that’s just the way I am. Heh heh.
Underwater963 - If you’re going to take the time to review my story, the least I can do is reply and say “Thanks!!” Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Inuangeldemon - I’m glad this story caught your eye -- hope you keep enjoying it!
Butterfly AlChEmIsT - Thank you! Here’s the latest!
Jem89 - I’m glad you think it’s funny -- it’s been fun writing it so far!

talking
mental/telepathic conversations - “Youko” “Kurama” “Hiei”
(thoughts to self)

DISCLAIMER: “Inuyasha” and “Yu Yu Hakusho”: Not Mine. And I don’t get diddlysquat for playing around with the characters -- just bone-deep satisfaction.

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Last time:

A few hours later, a heavy fog settled in and around the clearing. The moist air seemed to seep into the lungs of the assembled detectives, slowing their breathing and dragging every eye closed -- including the ones who perched in nearby trees. A few minutes later, a tall, broad-shouldered figure walked out of the trees and came to a stop by the sleeping woman. He knelt down and gazed at her with hungry eyes. Lifting a handful of her hair, he watched, fascinated, as he let it spill through his fingers back down onto her shoulder and across her chest. Then he leaned down and kissed her, ever so gently.

Softly, he whispered, “Soon, Miko, I will have what I have always wanted, and you will be mine forever.”

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Hiei shook his head and blinked his eyes. (I fell asleep? I wasn’t tired.) He sat up and focused his senses. The last remnants of a thin mist seemed to be rapidly lifting from the area. Frowning slightly as he leaped from the tree, he thought back over the last few minutes he remembered before waking. A heavy fog had rolled into the clearing. (Something about that fog just wasn’t right -- there was a feeling of youki in it.) As he quickly looked around the campsite, he couldn’t see anything out of place.

Kurama came to stand beside him. “What is it, Hiei?” He spoke softly, so as not to disturb the others. He took in the tense posture of his friend and expanded his own senses to see what had the fire demon so on guard. But, he couldn’t detect any potential danger around them.

Hiei walked over to where Kagome lay sleeping, and gazed down at her. Kurama followed.

“I know you didn’t get up just to come over and look at her -- no matter how enticing she is. Did you sense something coming this way?”

“Hn. I fell asleep.”

“Excuse me? I don’t think I heard you right.”

“There’s nothing wrong with your hearing. I fell asleep. I wasn’t tired, and I was keeping watch, and I fell asleep.”

A little alarmed by that statement, Kurama scanned the campsite again. He walked over to the tree Hiei had been perched in, and put a hand to it. There, inside the leaves and the smaller, more delicate branches was a trace amount of youki. It was dissipating, but it was there.

“There is a faint, but unmistakable, trace of youki lingering in the trees here.”

“The last thing I remember before waking was a fog drifting in. Obviously, a demon infused some of his youki in it to put us to sleep. The question is: why? Nothing seems to be missing and no one is injured.” Hiei looked over at Kagome again. Then his eyes met Kurama’s. He knew they were both thinking the same thing. There was no way this had anything to do with anything except Kagome. Whatever had happened involved her.

“We should wake the others.”

Before they even moved, Kouga had joined them, and they saw Naraku leap down from the tree he had settled into for the night. Kouga’s eyes narrowed as he looked at them. “Something is wrong here.”

“Everyone needs to get up. Someone or something was here. We need to check everything out thoroughly,” Kurama told them. They nodded and started waking the others. Kurama bent down over Kagome and gently touched her shoulder. When her eyes fluttered open, he smiled at her and said softly, “I’m sorry to have to wake you, darling, but something just happened and we all need to get up.” Then he leaned over and placed a warm kiss on her lips. Smiling broader now, he sat back and offered her his hand. Blinking her eyes a couple of times, she let him help her up. Seeing a beautiful, long-stemmed, red rose lying next to her pillow, she was about to thank him when a fearful cry met her ears.

“AAuuggghhh! AAAuuugghhh! No! No! Somebody help!!”

Kagome jumped at the sound, but Kurama just chuckled to himself. Having already checked the layout of the camp, he knew what had caused that terrified outburst.

“So the baka is finally awake,” Hiei said in a bored tone, but Kurama recognized the glimmer of amusement underneath the words.

“It would appear so.”

“What is it? What has Kuwabara screaming like a schoolgirl?” Having just woken up himself, Youko wondered what the racket was all about.

“Help! I was saving myself for my sweet Yukina!”

All eyes focused on the spot where Kuwabara had laid out his sleeping bag. He was a virtual prisoner in it -- trying desperately to reach the zipper so he could escape. It was hard for him to move around much, though, because in there with him, with his arms wrapped around Kuwabara’s waist was a smiling Jakotsu.

“Oh, don’t fuss so, muscleman. I was just cuddling -- it’s a little chilly out tonight.”

Yusuke rolled around on the ground, howling with laughter. “Not so funny now, is it, apeman?”

“Shut the hell up, Urameshi!”

“Monk, I’ll expect payment when we return to the hotel,” Naraku said.

“How do you always seem to know when Jakotsu will strike?” Miroku asked suspiciously.

“It’s all in his eyes. Plus, he can only go so many days before he has to at least make a move on someone. It’s a compulsion,” he explained.

“Jakotsu! Let go of him and unzip that sleeping bag. I thought you were going to behave yourself on this trip.” Kagome walked over and scolded him.

“Gomen, sugar. I tried. But how do you expect me to resist all this yummy, manly sexiness. I mean, they’re with us every day, flexing their muscles and buttcheeks at me, and …”

“I NEVER flexed my buttcheeks at you!” Kuwabara yelled.

“Maybe not intentionally, but I’ve seen them twitch,” Jakotsu told him.

“Stop looking at my buttcheeks! Somebody get me out of this thing!”

After that exchange, Yusuke wasn’t the only one roaring with laughter. Shippou, Kouga , and Miroku were enjoying the show, too. Kagome unzipped the bag and Kuwabara scrambled out and hid behind her, clutching at her shoulders and making sure she was between him and Jakotsu.

“Get your hands off her, you baka! You’re twice her size and you’re trying to use her as a shield to fend off an overly-amorous hentai?-- You’re pathetic,” Hiei sneered at him.

“Yeah, well, you little shrimp, I’d like to see you …”

“Enough! I think we all need to calm down and sit down. Kurama said something happened, and I, for one, would like to know what. And Jakotsu? Cute nightie,” Kagome said with an appreciative smile.

With a grateful smile, and a little bit of pride, Jakotsu mouthed, “Arigato,” while running his hand down the front of his short, frilly, purple nightie, then looking down and playing with the lacey ruffle at the bottom which hit at the top of his thighs. The others looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and disgust on their faces until Kagome gave them a look to back off. After all, strange, flamboyant hentais have feelings, too.

Kurama filled everyone in on the mysterious fog and how it had put everyone into an unnatural sleep. “So, we’re not sure if someone actually came into the camp or not, or if this fog was just some kind of way of scouting our camp out. It doesn’t seem to have had any lingering effects on anyone, and I can’t sense it in anyone’s aura. Whatever the purpose of it was, we must assume that the demons now know we are in the woods. And that means that Musou knows you are here,” he said with a pointed look at Kagome. They all knew this meant a change of plans.

Kagome sighed. (Darn it! I was really looking forward to spending a few days out here. I’m not ready to go back to the hotel. I’m definitely not ready to talk to Hojo yet.) “That doesn’t mean we have to pack up and run back to the hotel. As a matter of fact, that’s probably what they would expect us to do. I say we stick to the plan, and just fortify our campsites better. I can throw up a barrier dome over ours when Shippou and I join you tonight -- it just covers considerably less space, and might be a little cramped to move about in. But as long as certain people behave themselves,” she gave Jakotsu a look, “ 8-10 people should be able to sleep comfortably.”

They were all staring at her like she’d lost her mind. Of course she was going back to the hotel. What was she thinking?

Hiei stalked over and leaned down, putting his face scarcely inches from hers. “Onna! You are going back to the hotel. Better yet, Kouga should just take you back to Reikai.” There was no way any soon-to-be mate of his was sticking around where some insane youkai was just waiting to grab her and take her as his mate.

Leaning forward so their faces were even closer, Kagome said quietly, “No. I am not going back to the hotel, and I am sure as hell not going to Reikai. All we need now is to find the Gem of Desire then we can take out these youkai if they refuse to return to Makai, and this mission is history. We just have to find out where the blasted Gem is. I appreciate your concern for my safety, -- really, I do, but I make the decisions for my team, and we’re following the plan we made.” And breaking eye contact with the angry apparition, she turned to look at Yusuke. “Yusuke? What is your team going to do?”

Before Yusuke could say a word, Hiei had picked Kagome up and turned as if to decide which way to go.

“Oh no you don’t! You are not running off somewhere with her,” Kurama said firmly. “You might not agree with her, but you have to respect her decision.”

Snarling viciously at him, Hiei spat out, “Fine. But we’re going to talk over there,” he inclined his head to the side. “Don’t interrupt.”

Several eyebrows raised as Kurama nodded once. Kagome’s teammates weren’t quite sure if they should protest the fire demon’s actions or not, and they looked to Shippou to see what his reaction was. Shippou’s eyes were narrowed, but he had a thoughtful expression on his face, and he didn’t move to stop them. Kouga stepped forward, but Miroku put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

Yusuke turned to the other team. “Are you guys okay with her staying out here?”

“Are you asking us if we’re comfortable with a woman we care about being in danger, or are you asking us if we trust our team’s leader to have enough faith in our abilities to be able to put personal concerns aside in the best interests of concluding this mission successfully?” Miroku asked in return.

“Well, … shit. Point taken. I think this is our best course of action, too, and I suppose it would be best if we are all out here. Because we sure as hell couldn’t leave her at the hotel by herself, could we? But, damn! This would be a lot easier if she wasn’t a woman,” Yusuke grumbled.

“No kidding!” Kuwabara agreed.

“And here I thought we were the ones from the unenlightened, paternalistic, ‘Onna! Where’s my dinner?’ era. Just how old are you all anyway? You don’t look like cavemen -- well, most of you don’t,” Naraku said, indicating Kuwabara with a nod of his head. “Apparently, your team hasn’t evolved enough to keep in touch with the modern attitudes yet,” he said with a smirk.

“Hey!” Yusuke and Kuwabara both yelled.

Miroku and Jakotsu started to laugh, but Kouga just heaved a big sigh. “Yeah. Those were the good old days. Women running around in the den -- barefoot and pregnant with that season‘s litter …” He had a faraway look in his eyes and a smile on his face. Shippou smacked him in the back of his head. “Ow! What was that for, runt?”

“I had to do it because kaa-san wasn’t over here to.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the clearing, Hiei was trying to get his point across to Kagome, and was getting more frustrated by the minute. She listened to him ranting and raving about her safety and her obliviousness to the danger around her, and nodded politely. But when he stopped for breath, she stubbornly insisted that this was her job and that she was going to do it. Watching from across the clearing, Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara all raised their eyebrows when they heard a loud, strangled sound of frustration and saw him turn his back on her and yank on his own hair. They couldn’t help but laugh when he turned back around and his hair was sticking straight out on the sides. And everybody could plainly hear his next words.

“Aarrgghh! You are the most stubborn, irritating, infuriating onna I have ever met! Will you just do what I say, damnit!?!”

To say the least, his teammates were stunned. To say the most, they were unbelievably amused. Lately, they had seen Hiei behaving in some very un-Hieilike ways: putting some smooth moves on a sexy woman, transforming and fighting with his best friend, attacking a ningen man out of jealousy, etc., etc. But this little display of frustrated anger really took the cake. They realized he couldn’t -- or wouldn’t -- do any of the things he normally did to someone who dared to defy him. And look at his hair! It was all just too damn hilarious for words!

Yusuke was rubbing his hands together in anticipation of getting back at him for all the nasty things he’d said about how Keiko had him whipped and how a male didn’t let a female run their relationship. (Oh, yes! The shoe’s on the other foot now -- now he can see what it feels like! Heh heh! The superior little twerp! The rotten little bastard! ) Taking another look at how red in the face he was, and recognizing the beginning signs of defeat in the slight slumping of his shoulders, Yusuke’s glee gave way to a feeling of shared brotherhood and pity. (Aw hell. The poor little devil. I’m taking him out for a beer when we get back.)

Kagome stood up and put her hands on Hiei’s shoulders. “I’m sorry that this upsets you, but I have to do what I think is best for the mission. And hey! I trust you guys to have my back. Don’t worry -- it’ll all work out fine.” And she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Then, with a giggle, she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair in an attempt to smooth it back into its normal, upswept, flame-shaped style. “Come on,” she said as she took his hand and led him back to the others, ignoring his mutterings about ‘damned ningen females who won’t listen to reason.’

When they reached the spot where everyone else was either sitting or standing, and Hiei caught the various looks of amusement and sympathy on the faces of the other detectives, he dropped her hand and stalked a short distance away to lean on a tree. There was no way he was going to put up with that kind of crap from any of them. (Damn stubborn onna.)

He was surprised the fox wasn’t taunting him about the whole situation, but when he found out why he wasn’t, he was even more irritated. Kurama was patting the ground beside him, motioning for Kagome to join him. And she did. (Damn opportunistic kitsune.) Then he proceeded to infuse some of his ki into the ground, causing the grass to grow just enough to provide more cushion for her. To top it off, he surrounded her with moonflowers and handed her one, causing her to smile at him. (Damn unnatural flower-producing youki.) Catching Hiei’s eye, Kurama grinned as he moved so he was sitting behind Kagome with his legs bent at the knees on either side of her. Then pulled her back so she could lean against his chest. When she turned to look over her shoulder at him, he smiled and winked and asked if she was comfortable. She smiled at him again and whispered her thanks and settled back to continue talking with the others. (Oh, HELL no!) Hiei pulled at his hair again and turned his back to them. They were really lucky he was able to control himself so well. He nodded to himself, -- his eyes mere slits of flame and his hair sticking out at odd angles.
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Early the next morning, they gathered their packs and prepared to head off in the directions they had agreed upon, though some grumblings were still heard -- especially from a very grouchy fire apparition. While everyone with youkai blood had stayed awake the rest of the night, the ningens had all gone back to sleep eventually. Kagome had fallen asleep right there in Kurama’s lap, much to his gratification and Hiei’s displeasure.

The avatar had made a point of leaning his face into her hair and inhaling deeply of her uniquely enticing scent, while clasping his hands in front of her and resting them just below her breasts. Hiei refused to look to see that they remained there instead of skimming upwards. (They damn well better not move an inch or I’ll cut them off at the elbow.) Instead, he focused on Shippou to make sure he was keeping an eye on the other kitsune. When he caught him looking his way instead, Hiei gave him an exasperated look and indicated that Kurama was the one he should be watching. It annoyed him no end when Shippou quirked a brow at him and then smiled at Kurama. (I should have known the damn foxes would stick together. He’ll encourage her to choose Kurama. No-good, rotten, traitorous adopted son -- leaving his mother in the arms of a seducing scoundrel of a kitsune. Maybe I’ll go steal Lord Sesshoumaru’s Tenseiga before his mating challenge for his daughter.)

“I think Reikai would frown on you stealing from the Taiyoukai of the West.”

“Shut up.”

“Very well. I’ll just concentrate on other things right now -- like how delightfully smooth her skin feels under our fingers, and the perfection of her figure in the curve of her hips, and how even in her sleep her breath hitches when we run our tongue over her neck, and …”

“Youko, I know you’re having fun taunting Hiei, but you do realize you’re getting us all worked up, too, don’t you?”

“Yeeesssss. That’s half the fun.”

And as the faint scent of his arousal drifted over to Hiei, he growled softly. “In the morning, 3 of us are going to Musou’s camp, -- I wonder how many will be returning?”

“You know, this bet has been the most fun I’ve had in ages. Spending time seducing and getting to know an incredible, gorgeous woman, AND getting to see Mr. I-Don’t-Care-About-Anything-Or-Anyone there slowly turn into a writhing mass of raging hormones and jealousy. Well, I’ve just got to say, even I didn’t know I would get this much enjoyment out of it. Of course, when we’re between her legs and she is all slick and hot and moaning our name …”

“You can stop now, Youko. He’s gone. I imagine there won’t be anything left alive within 3 miles of us.”

“Ha! It really is a lot more fun pushing his buttons now. Now, just move our hands UP a couple of inches so we can work on her buttons.”

As his fingers began to graze the edges of her breasts, a cold, angry voice drew his attention to the fact that there were still others present. “If you think I’m going to sit here and let you molest my Okaa-san in her sleep, you’re seriously mistaken.”

And so the rest of the night had passed without incident. As the three groups began to go their separate ways, Kagome picked up the rose that had been lying where she had slept earlier. She turned to Kurama and smiled as she held it in one hand. “Arigato!” she called out as she and Shippou walked off into the trees.

“What’s she thanking you for?” Kouga asked.

“I suppose for seeing to her comfort as she slept after last night’s disturbance,” he answered with a shrug.

Kagome stopped to adjust the straps on her backpack. They were a little too loose and kept sliding down her shoulders onto her arm, and apparently it was rubbing a sore spot low on her left shoulder. With the backpack fixed to her satisfaction, she walked along beside Shippou, both of them enjoying the peace and freedom of being outdoors. From time to time, she absently rubbed that spot on her shoulder, where unknown to her, two small puncture wounds marred her creamy flesh.
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That evening, Kagome and Shippou made their way silently to the new campsite where the others, minus Hiei, Kurama, and Kouga, were waiting. None of the executives from the hotel had ventured anywhere near the forest, nor had they detected any demonic auras in the area. And while Kagome had enjoyed the uneventful day with her son, she had hoped to find out who had the necklace today. But, sometimes, you just had to wait for the enemy to make his move.

Naraku was going to spend the night closer to the demon’s camp to make sure none of them left to meet with anyone during the night. Yusuke told Kagome that the number of demons there had almost doubled. They wondered whether the two camps were joining together at one location or if there were that many more demons who had come to follow Musou. They would find out tomorrow when they met up with the other 3. As Shippou started cooking the evening’s meal, Kagome went to the nearby stream to clean up. Funny how with Hiei gone, no one argued very much with her over it.

Near the other demon camp, Hiei approached the area where Kouga was keeping watch. They weren’t bothering to set up a campsite -- the three of them were going to spend the night on surveillance from three different directions. Since nothing had happened for the last several hours, Hiei had decided to check in with the others.

“Anything?”

“Nope. Looks like a couple of good card games going on, but other than that, this group of losers is about as interesting as watching an inu scratch his fleas,” Kouga said with a grin.

“Hn. And Musou is still in the big tent?”

“Yeah. Haven’t seen hide nor hair of him since he went in there early this afternoon.”

As Hiei turned to leave, Kouga asked, “Where are you going?”

“To check with Kurama.”

“He isn’t over there.”

Hiei stopped and stared at him. “Where is he?”

With another grin, Kouga told him, “He went to check and see how good a barrier dome Kagome sets up. He said he’d be back in a couple of hours.” He couldn’t contain a short bark of laughter at the murderous look on the small demon’s face.

As Kurama approached the stream where he felt Kagome’s aura, he smiled in anticipation. He had debated with himself about whether or not he should leave the other camp to come to her tonight. In the end, he had reasoned that if he was with her, he didn’t have to worry about whether or not Musou was coming after her. And he knew he could count on Hiei to keep his eyes open for any ningens coming to met with the demons. So, here he was. And there she was.

Quickly shedding his clothes, he stepped forward to join her in the stream, but before he could get within 25 feet of her, he felt the presence of a barrier. Reaching out gingerly, he discovered she had thrown up a dome that spanned her little part of the stream and the bank on the near side where her clothes lie in a neat pile. Revising his plan, he waited until she stepped out of the water and knelt down to pick up her clothes. With his own hand to the ground, he sent his ki underneath the barrier through various plant and grass roots until it reached the spot where she knelt. Suddenly, thin, but strong roots erupted from the grass and wrapped around her ankles, causing her to cry out in surprise. Then, as if blown by a strong wind, the blades of grass moved her clothing out of her reach in a wave of motion. “What the…?!!?”

“Having trouble, darling? Drop your barrier and I’ll help you.” Recognizing Kurama’s voice, Kagome let her barrier drop. Then she looked up to see the smiling avatar walking towards her, completely nude and smiling wickedly. Blushing a vibrant shade of red, she leaned forward to make sure her hair was helping to cover her own nakedness. “Kurama! Did you do this?” she asked, indicating the roots holding her in place as she now sat on her knees.

He stopped a few feet away and stroked his chin as if in thought. “Hmmm. It’s possible some of my ki escaped into the ground as I was disrobing. Gomen nasai. I’ll have to see about fixing it.”

Kagome’s blush deepened. She knew he had no intention of letting her go yet. He was naked, for Kami’s sake! (Now that is one good-looking hunk of yummy, manly sexiness. Wonder if he’d turn around and flex his buttcheeks if I asked him to?) She smacked herself in the forehead. (I did not just think that!) She let out an agonized groan.

“I would give half my treasures to know what she was thinking just now.”

Kurama chuckled. “So would I. From the expression on her face, it had to be really embarrassing.”

“Ummm. Where’s Hiei?”

“Don’t worry about him -- he‘s with Kouga.”

“Oh. OH!” (Well, … I guess at least one of them thinks Kouga is his type. But Kurama doesn’t want to do the threesome thing, huh? And, … he’s here. And he’s naked. Maybe he’s decided he really is bisexual, but Hiei still prefers males.) For some reason, that thought really depressed her. (Did they make up or are they still fighting? Because … I don‘t want to get in the middle of some jealousy ploy.) “Did you come here just to irritate him? I don’t want you two fighting because of me.”

“I definitely didn’t come here just to irritate him, and don’t worry about us fighting, okay? We’ll be fine.” He dropped down on his haunches in front of her and ran the backs of his fingers along her cheek. “So beautiful,” he murmured. Looking into her eyes, he could see her hesitation and doubt. It was obvious she was undecided about what she wanted, and even though he knew he could overwhelm her senses with his skill, he also knew she might regret it. “We won’t do anything you’re not ready for, Kagome,” he assured her, “but I want to be with you right now. I’ve been thinking about you all day -- the smell of your hair, the way you felt in my arms last night …” And his words trailed off as he moved forward to caress her lips softly with his.

Cupping her face in both hands as he kissed her, he sat up a little more, causing her to sit up all the way, too. When her hands came up to touch the sides of his face, he wrapped an arm around her and pressed her torso up against his. As her warm, still damp skin slid against his chest, her nipples tightened in response and she let out a small moan. Supporting her back with his arm, he pressed forward against her more, forcing her off her knees and onto her bottom until he lay her whole body back onto the grassy bank of the stream.

Now, as he knelt over her on his hands and knees, he continued to plunder her mouth for a moment as he gently cupped a firm, warm breast, palming it lightly before running the pad of his thumb over the sensitive tip and sending a shiver through her body. The delicate, but invigorating scent of oranges and lemons became stronger, and he inhaled the tangy-sweet smell deeply, feeling as though he was cleansing his sensual palate in preparation for a feast. He trailed kisses down the right side of her neck, pausing briefly at her collarbone, before continuing on. He smiled to himself when he heard her gasp as his tongue brushed over her swollen nipple. Circling it gently for a moment, he slowly drew it into his mouth and suckled lightly.

At that moment, all Kagome could sense or feel was his warm mouth on her breast and his soft hair as it slid through her fingers. As the drawing sensation at her breast started to cause waves of an intense yearning for something to cascade down her body, she fisted her hands in his hair to pull him closer, while simultaneously arching her back. She was vaguely aware of his knee prying her legs apart and had the brief thought that he must have released her ankles from the roots.

Lifting his head and moving back up to kiss her lips again, Kurama coaxed a small plant to sprout right at the apex of her thighs. When he sat back to supervise his efforts, Kagome caught her breath and looked at him, suddenly unsure and wondering if she had done something wrong. To her surprise, she felt a whisper-soft movement against the moist folds of her womanhood as a white chrysanthemum bud slowly bloomed and opened right against her. With another wicked grin, Kurama reached down and plucked the flower and ran the soft, full petals over her, teasing her inner thighs with the almost ticklish touch. Unable to resist, he let his tongue follow along everywhere the flower touched, pausing to taste of her essence deeply before once again moving up her body to tease her nipples with feathery touches of the delicate petals.

Kissing her lips once more, he shuddered at his own heightened state of arousal. “As beautiful and fragrant as this flower is, you are even more so,” he told her in a low, husky tone. And shivers ran down his spine when he felt her hands caress and explore his chest, sides, and back, making their way down until she tentatively touched his long, hard length. As lightly as he had trailed the flower up her body, her fingers now danced along the sides of his shaft, making him jump slightly at the tantalizing sensation. When she wrapped her fingers around him and squeezed gently, he moved and stretched out beside her, with his body partially over hers. As she began to slide her hand up and down his length slowly, he kissed her heatedly and sent his own fingers in search of the entrance to her core between her legs. Sliding a finger through the slick folds, he felt his way inside and began to mimic the rhythm of her hand on him, while lightly rubbing the tight bundle of nerves he uncovered with the pad of his thumb.

Their tongues danced with each other slowly for a few minutes, before parting as Kurama sought out the sensitive area of her neck just under her ear. As she increased the pressure and speed of her movement on his rapidly tightening shaft, he inserted a second finger into her wet, heated flesh. Their breathing sounded harsh to his ears, and he closed his eyes as he listened to the pounding of her heartbeat. The soft cries escaping from her throat were music to his ears and he was concentrating on her reactions so intently that he was scarcely aware of the low moaning that left his own lips.

Kagome couldn’t hear anything over the sound of her own blood rushing through her veins. The sensation of ever-tightening nerves in her abdomen reminded of her of nothing so much as the over-winding of a clock, and she felt that the alarm must surely go off soon or it would break. As his hips began to move involuntarily, Kurama knew he couldn’t hold on much longer. Nipping at her neck, then sucking on it forcefully, he pressed his thumb down on her firmly, and as her hips bucked violently, he let himself go with her.

They lay there for a minute, their breathing ragged, and their bodies still feeling the after-effects of release. Then Kurama picked her up and rolled to his back with her lying on top of him. He lifted his head to capture her lips and savored the taste of her. “Kagome …”

“OW! My eyes! My eyes! Okaa-san! For Kami’s sake, cover up! I’m going to be in therapy for years. Why, there’s no telling how seeing something like that will affect my impressionable young mind -- I could turn out to be some kind of hentai.”

“Oh, Kami!” Kagome scrambled for her clothing, quickly throwing on an over-sized t-shirt while turning an almost impossible shade of red. “Shippou, what are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? I think the question is what are you doing here? Because the last time I checked, you needed to get in the water to take a bath. And I don’t remember you bringing a kitsune along to use as a washcloth, though I’m sure he was most helpful for those hard-to-reach places.” He ducked as a bar of soap went whizzing past his head. “Hey!”

Kurama, who was leaning back on his elbows, studied Shippou as he teased his mother mercilessly. There was no doubt he was amused at catching her in such a situation, but Kurama was pretty sure he could hear the underlying concern in his voice. Standing up, he stepped behind Kagome and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Why don’t you head on back to your camp and let her clean up and get dressed.”

Shippou turned his attention to him. “I suggest you do the same. Your friend might be wondering where you are.” And he turned and left, disappearing back into the trees.

When Kagome turned to face him, Kurama kissed her again, molding her body to his. She sighed and leaned her forehead against his chest for a moment. Then she looked up and said, “You really should get back.”

He hesitated, then nodded. “Yes, I suppose I should, … though I’d much rather stay here with you.”

“Okaa-san!” Shippou’s voice called to her from a little ways away. Apparently, he was waiting to walk her back.

“Fine! I’m co …. I’ll be right there!” Then she muttered under her breath as she quickly splashed back into the stream for a quick rinse off. “Nosey, pesky hentai kitsune -- can’t even say certain words anymore …” She continued to mutter to herself a little more before suddenly saying, “Kurama, do me a favor -- leave me my underwear, okay? I only packed a few pairs.”

Kurama chuckled as he dressed, and when Kagome stepped back out of the water, he placed one final kiss on her lips before melting away into the forest.

As Kagome reached the place where Shippou was waiting for her, he looked at her slyly. “Enjoy your bath?”

“I’m just glad you weren’t twins.”
********************************************************* ***************


When Kurama reached the area he had stationed himself at earlier, a furious fire demon was waiting for him. “Hello, Hiei. Anything exciting happen?” he asked nonchalantly as he leaned back against a tree and casually crossed his arms in front of him.

“You! What the hell do you think you were doing?”

“Oh, I think you know very well what I was doing. Then again, I doubt your imagination was anywhere near as satisfying as the real thing.”

A quick sniff confirmed what Kurama’s cocky grin was telling him. Hiei closed his eyes and inwardly seethed. He had to turn his back and take a few quick steps away because he wasn’t sure he wasn’t about to gut his friend right where he stood. Taking a deep breath, his voice dark with malice and determination, he said, “Regardless of whether you end up winning this ill-fated bet that I was insane enough to enter into, I will not give her up to you or anyone else.”

“Spoken like a truly obsessed stalker -- I always knew you had it in you, but isn‘t that why we‘re here in the first place, staking out a twisted youkai who has wanted her for 500 years?” Youko teased him.

Feeling like he could erupt into flames any minute, Hiei left without another word.

“Youko, I really wish you’d stop playing fast and loose with my health and safety. I don‘t even want to think about the various ways he was just considering killing us.”

“Heh heh! He looked like he was going to explode! A sensual interlude with Kagome followed by fireworks -- it’s a twofer! Now, why don’t you grab a little sleep and leave the surveillance up to me?”

“All right, but you’ve got to promise to steer clear of Hiei for the rest of the night.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

“That’ll be the day …”

At the other camp, Kagome was also entertaining dark thoughts of death and dismemberment. Shippou had lost no time before telling everyone who he had found Kagome with and in what position.

“You’re lucky, sugar. It takes a very secure youkai to let the woman be on top. So, how was he?” Jakotsu had to ask.

“I wasn’t … we didn’t … oh, Kami. Where’s a horde of menacing demons when you need them?” she moaned as she sat down and covered her face with both hands.

“Still didn’t get any? Honestly, Yusuke, what is wrong with those teammates of yours? They’re just a couple of teases,” Jakotsu scolded.

“Now Jakotsu, you can’t place all of the blame on them. After all, kaa-san has a lot to consider these days, what with the mission, and the insanely obsessed youkai after her, not to mention the marriage proposal from the ningen. Why, it’s a miracle she has time to shed her clothes for one of the detectives, let alone two of them. At different times,” he added with a wink.

“I have two words for you, Shippou, -- actually, for Sesshoumaru: boar triplets.”

Paling considerably, Shippou gave a deep shudder. “You wouldn’t! How do you even know about that? You weren’t even back yet.”

“Do you remember when you tried to set me up with Yomi? He had pictures. Since they were no good to him, being blind and all, he thought I might like to have them. Seriously Shippou, I thought you had better taste than that. Just how much sake did you drink, anyway?”

“You went out with Yomi? Hmmm. Kurama might find that interesting. You have decided on Kurama now, right?” Yusuke asked hopefully.

“What? Oh, no. I know this looks really bad, considering what just happened, but I really can’t be with either of them. It may be old-fashioned, but I’d prefer to be in a more serious, monogamous relationship before I, well, you know. I really wish they’d stop tempting me -- they’re both incredibly good at it for it to be their first time doing anything with a woman. But I think their decision to experiment with the opposite sex is going to cause serious problems for them. I think Kurama has decided he may be interested in both women and men, but Hiei is still more interested in men. I mean, he seems to be attracted to me, but I think he’s more afraid of losing Kurama.” She lowered her voice and leaned forward as if imparting something in confidence. “I think he was just with Kouga tonight because Kurama wanted to see me. They’re trying to make each other jealous. I hope he and Kurama can work things out. This mission has really strained their relationship.” She nodded sympathetically.

Yusuke and Kuwabara just sat there gaping like goldfish. Both of them were too stunned by what she had said to even begin to process it yet. When he finally recovered his ability to speak, Yusuke sputtered, “You think … Hiei and Kurama … why … Hiei and Kouga?!!?”

Not wanting them to spill the beans to his mother, Shippou hastened to turn her attention away from them. “Kaa-san, Yusuke and Kuwabara are probably not comfortable talking about their teammates’ relationship.” He gave them a pointed look.

“Their what?!!?” Kuwabara yelled, feeling a little hysterical by these revelations. First there was the whole Jakotsu thing. Was he going to have to worry about Hiei or Kurama crawling into his sleeping bag next? Because he wasn’t sure he could beat them off -- they were awfully powerful. Was it true? Kurama had all those girls chasing him all the time, but he’d never gone out with any of them that he knew about. And he had definitely never seen shorty with a girl. Maybe that was why Hiei didn’t want him to date Yukina -- maybe he wanted him for himself! He lowered his head into his hands and started shaking uncontrollably.

“Oh, gomen nasai! I didn’t realize you didn’t know. I shouldn’t have said anything,” Kagome apologized.

“Don’t worry, kaa-san. I’m sure Yusuke and Kuwabara won’t say a word about it to them. Will you?” Shippou gave Yusuke another look. He could tell the toushin was about to lose it.

“Riiigghtt. I mean, of course not. I think I’ll go get some more water before you set up the dome. Why don’t you help me, Shippou?” And grabbing up some canteens, he took off into the forest where he collapsed on the ground in a fit of laughter.

When Shippou joined him, he was still sitting on the ground, clutching his sides. When he calmed enough to talk, he asked, “You wanna tell me how she got the idea that they’re lovers? Did you have something to do with that?” He wouldn’t put it past the kitsune at all.

Chuckling heartily, Shippou shook his head. “I wish I could say I did, but she already thought that when I got here. I don’t know how they’ve been going about their attempts to seduce her, but she also thought they wanted to include her in a threesome, which scared the bejeezus out of her. Now, she seems to think they’ve had second thoughts about that because they’re afraid the other might decide he likes women more. Oh, and I guess you caught the fact that she thinks neither of them has ever been with a woman before, either. Honestly, I don’t think that speaks well for their seduction skills. Then again, she can’t seem to tell them ’no’ when one of them approaches her, either. Of course, poor kaa-san is the most naïve and sexually inexperienced adult woman I’ve ever met.”

Yusuke thought about all that. “So, you’re not going to tell her that she’s wrong about them?”

Shippou shook his head with a wide grin on his face. “And Naraku got Miroku and Jakotsu to agree not to tell them, either. He figures since they obviously fucked things up so badly, they deserve to have to work under the handicap, and frankly, I agree with him. If they really want kaa-san, -- I mean really want her, not just to win some childish bet, -- then they’ll have to make her believe it. She deserves that much.”

Yusuke was taken aback at the sadness he could see in the kitsune’s eyes. (He really does love her like a mother and wants the best for her.) “Well, if it’s any consolation to you, I think they’re both pretty serious. Sure it started out as a stupid bet, but I don’t think either of them is thinking of it as just a one-night stand or anything like that. Hell! If you knew what Hiei is usually like,… I’ve never seen him act like this. I mean, he’s got a quick temper and a mean attitude, but he never loses control like he’s been doing. Before this mission, I think I’ve only seen him transform twice in the 6 years I’ve known him -- and he’s done it twice this past week. Your kaa-san is driving him crazy,” he said with a grin.

“Just another reason not to tell them,” Shippou smiled. “It’s more fun this way.”
*********************************************************** ***********


After an uneventful night, Kagome and Shippou left the others to go back and keep watch near the resort again. Kagome seemed lost in thought, so they walked in silence most of the way. Finally, Shippou just had to ask what was on her mind.

“You know I was just teasing you, right? Because if you want to be with the avatar, it’s all right with me. Don’t let my mouth get in your way.”

She hugged him. “I know. Don’t worry about it. I meant what I said -- I really can’t see myself getting into a real relationship with either of them. It just wouldn’t work. You know better than anyone that I just can’t settle for the kind of thing they’re offering. I thought maybe I could just enjoy being with them for a while, but now I just feel guilty for taking advantage of them -- especially since their relationship is suffering because of it.” She sighed.

“Hey! Whatever is happening between them is not your fault, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. For all we know, they may have been having problems for a long time, and all this ‘experimenting’ may have been their last-ditch effort to fix things. So, if one of them continues to show real interest in you, and you’re interested in him, I say go for it.” He gave her a hearty slap on the shoulder right where the two puncture wounds were, causing her to wince slightly and rub it.

“Ow! You don’t know your own strength. Besides, before I worry too much about the possibility of having a relationship with a youkai who’s already in a relationship with another youkai, I need to decide what I want to do about Hojo’s proposal.”

Looking at her out of the corner of his eye, Shippou said, “You are seriously considering his proposal. Somehow, I didn’t expect that.”

“I know. Neither did I. But, then again, no one has ever offered me the things he is offering before. And, … he loves me. He’s a good man. He’s kind, successful, charming. We’ve been friends forever. I just, … I just have to seriously consider it.” As she stopped at the base of the tree she was planning to watch from, she turned to him and shrugged. “You know?”

He nodded at her. But when she turned away to scramble up the tree, he frowned. (Those damn youkai suitors of hers had better get their acts together -- soon.)
************************************************************ ************


When all 8 of their companions converged in the area at noon to discuss the current situation and future plans, there was no sign of Kagome or Shippou. They searched around for awhile before deciding to sit down and wait for them. Two hours later, the last two members of the group came sliding out of the shadows.

“Where the hell have you been?” Yusuke demanded.

“We’ve been trailing a small group of demons along the edge of the forest. They seemed to be looking for someone, but no one showed up, so they headed back. We followed long enough to be sure they were going back to their camp. It looked like they must have been with Musou’s group.” Kagome told them.

“Perhaps we don’t have too much longer to wait, then, before they either meet with their spy or make an attempt to grab the necklace,” Kurama said, with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“I agree. That’s why I think we should stay out here for another couple of days.” Kagome sat down between Miroku and Jakotsu. “Have you all eaten yet?” Seeing a couple of heads shake, she smiled. “Lucky for you, I sent Shippou into the village. We got everyone a Bento box.” And the two of them took the boxes out of their backpacks and distributed them. “So, shall we camp in the same spots as last night just in case someone leaves one of the demon groups or tries to make their way there to meet with them? Or should we stay around here, a little closer to the village?”

Naraku spoke up, “I think most of you should stay around here. I would like to keep watch near Musou’s camp tonight. I am curious to see how his abilities may have developed over the last 500 years.”

“Good idea. You can go back there with Hiei and Kurama tonight and I’ll stay here with my woman,” Kouga said, winking at Kagome.

“She’s NOT Your woman!”

(Poor Kouga. All these years, putting on a front because he was afraid of being rejected or cast out just because of his sexual orientation.) Kagome smiled at him. (Maybe if Hiei and Kurama do split up, Hiei and Kouga can give it a try.) She frowned at the thought, but pushed aside the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was just hungry.

“Hn. We will go after the rest of you have settled in for the night. That way Kurama won’t feel the need to come back and ‘check the barrier’ as he did last night,” Hiei said, staring right at Kurama.

Yusuke nearly choked on his food. He glanced over at Kagome to see her reaction to his words. Now that he knew what she thought was going on, he couldn’t help but wonder if she was feeling embarrassed over the obvious reference to her activity with Kurama or worried that Hiei was jealous of her. Seeing the blush on her cheeks and her anxious glances from one to the other of them, he knew the answer: both. (They’re both going to die when they find out! I just hope I’m there when they do!)

After everyone had finished eating, they decided to split up in twos and spread out to keep watch at the forest’s edge for a few more hours before setting up camp. Hiei promptly stepped up by Kagome. “I will go with Kagome,” he told the others, then he turned to her and said quietly, “It will give us a chance to talk.”

Swallowing a bit nervously, she nodded. She was a little afraid of what he wanted to talk to her about. (He’s going to tell me to stay away from Kurama. I can’t blame him. I’m an awful person -- a home wrecker. Even though they kept saying it wasn’t going to be a problem, I knew it would. New rule, Kagome: don’t get involved with bisexual youkai. That makes it: no ningen men, no male youkai, no bisexual male youkai, -- heck! Who’s left? I’ve either got to consider lesbianism or demi-gods. Hmmm. That might be a tough choice to make. Then again, I can aspire to become an asexual being like Sesshoumaru. Maybe when I’m as old as he is. Darn shame about him, though. Still wonder which way those stripes run?)

Kagome and Hiei walked along silently, and she gradually started to feel more at ease. He had been aware of her tension, and was rather put out by it since she had always been comfortable with him before. So, he felt relieved when she finally looked over and smiled at him. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to her, but he hoped to at least regain the ground he felt he had lost. (That damn fox! I was so sure she was beginning to feel the same way about me, and now he’s muddied the waters. What the hell did the kitsunes ever do to deserve the Kamis giving them superior seduction skills? Hmph. They probably blackmailed them into it. It would serve the Kamis right if all their children grew up to have 4 tails and a bad case of furballs.)

When they finally found a place to stop, instead of taking 2 separate trees to perch in, Hiei grabbed her around the waist and quickly leapt up towards the top of one. Sitting down with his back against the trunk, he sat her down with her back against his chest, and her legs lengthwise on top of his on the branch. (Well, this seems familiar. I don’t think I’ve been in so many laps since I was a baby.) She giggled at the thought, causing Hiei to peer over her shoulder at her questioningly. She waved a hand, signifying it was nothing. Then she waited to see what he would say. When he finally spoke, she was completely unprepared for it.

“Why are your mental barriers so strong?”

She blinked. It took her a couple of minutes to formulate an answer to that. “Have you been trying to read my mind?”

“Hn. A couple of times,” he confessed.

“If there’s something you want to know, you could just ask me.”

“Hn.”

“I’ve worked hard to build and maintain strong mental barriers because I’ve been possessed before. And I refuse to let anyone else take over my mind and use me for their own purposes. Someone tried to make me kill … my friend.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No. I almost did, but I didn’t.”

Hiei ran his fingers lightly up and down her arms, causing tiny shivers to heighten her awareness of him until she felt like he was all around her. She crossed her arms and stilled his hands with her own, and then he held onto them.

He broke the silence with another question she wasn‘t prepared for. “Are you still considering the ningen’s proposal?”

“I … yes. I’m still thinking about it.”

He gave an annoyed-sounding snort. Then he rubbed his cheek in her hair. “Having a home, someone to come home to, children of your own, … those things are important to you.” He made it sound like a statement, but she could tell he was asking her to either confirm or deny it.

She chose to do neither, instead turning it around and posing the same question to him. “Don’t you think that sounds … pleasant?” Unaware that she was doing so, she began to gently rub her thumbs across his knuckles.

Time passed, and neither of them spoke until Kagome realized she was nodding off and woke herself with a slight jump. She heard him chuckle near her ear, and felt it rumble in his chest. It pleased and soothed him that she was so comfortable in his arms. And while that thought would have startled and alarmed him just a couple of weeks ago, now he simply accepted the fact that he craved her company -- that he liked having her near.

“Yes,” he said, so softly that she almost didn’t hear him.

And as she turned to look at him and ask him what he meant, she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye that pulled her attention away. There, at the edge of the village, was a group of 4 of the executives staying at the resort. And it looked like they were carrying camping supplies.

“Hiei! Is your Jagan strong enough to detect thoughts at this distance?”

“Yes.”

“See if you can find out anything about that group’s plans. If they’re coming into the woods, one of them is probably our man.”

Untying his bandanna, Hiei allowed the Jagan eye to open and focus upon the group of men Kagome had pointed out. Sure enough, they were planning an excursion into the woods. “They will be leaving the hotel in the morning to camp out for 3 days and 2 nights. It will only be the four of them. And Kagome? That man is one of them. He hopes to ‘bump into us’ out here.”

“Hojo?”

“Hn.”
“Well, I think we should gather up the others and let them know.”

Hiei looked at her, not wanting this peaceful time with her to end. “Kagome …”

She thought she knew what he was going to say. She had been anticipating it all afternoon. “This is about Kurama and me last night, isn’t it? I knew this would be a problem. You both kept saying it wouldn’t be, but it is. Gomen nasai. I don’t want to come between you two. I can‘t …”

Surprised at her bringing up the subject of his anger, irritation, and if he would admit it, his fear, Hiei looked at her cautiously. He didn’t like the resolution he saw in her eyes. (Shit! Naraku and Shippou both told us that if she knew we were fighting, she would probably back off and refuse to be with either of us. And that’s exactly what she’s about to say.) And it was pretty much what she was about to say. He couldn’t let that happen. “No. It’s not a problem. We’re fine.”

He could see she didn’t believe him, the doubt was written all over her face. So he did the only thing he could think of -- he kissed her. Not willing to let her tell him she couldn’t be with him anymore, he clutched her tightly around the waist with one arm, while he firmly tilted and held her head in place as his lips smashed fiercely on hers. He forced her mouth open and devoured her greedily, demanding her acceptance of him.

Shocked by the suddenness of his kiss, she sensed his desperate need for her to allow it. She didn’t know if it was prompted by jealousy over Kurama or curiosity about experiencing passion with a woman or if it was something else that was driving him. (I’ll think about it later.) What she did know was that it sparked an echo from somewhere deep within her. And even if this was all he wanted from her, she couldn’t push him away. Not right now.

“Okaa-san! I swear to the Kamis, I never thought I’d see the day when I would be the one trying to keep track of your lovers. Kitsunes, fire demons, ningen men, -- what next? I’m just glad the toushin already had a woman.”

Struggling to catch her breath, Kagome growled at the kitsune standing at the base of the tree with an amused expression on his face. Beside him, sporting an identical look, was Miroku.

“Have we come at an inopportune time, Kagome-sama?”

Shippou snorted loudly. “Of course we have -- she still has her clothes on. Ooomph!”

Kagome had launched herself off the branch directly at him, and knocked him flat. Hiei was right behind her, and he immediately picked her up off of Shippou’s prone body and started checking to make sure she was all right.

“Baka onna! You could have injured yourself,” he scolded her angrily.

“Nah, he cushioned my fall. And anyway, it would have been worth it,” she grinned.

“OOOooohhhh. Don’t anybody worry about me -- I’m the one who was hit with 95 pounds’ worth of angry woman launched from a dangerous height. I think you broke every bone in my body,” Shippou groaned.

“Let me see. Just a few cracked ribs. Hold still and I’ll fix them. Not that you deserve it, you rude, little brat.” After making sure he was completely healed, she asked him if he felt all right. When he said he did, she stood up and smacked him on the top of the head and stalked off. Giving him an evil smile, Hiei followed her. (Now that’s my kind of onna.) Miroku laughed as he helped him up and then they, too, headed deeper into the woods.
**************************************************************** ********


Following the same routine they had for the past couple of days, Kagome returned from the stream without incident, for once, just in time for dinner. She told them that although it was just a stream, evidently a hot spring fed into it at some point because the water was pleasantly warm. So, she encouraged the others to go take advantage of it before Hiei, Kurama, and Naraku left for Musou’s camp. The three of them would stop on their way.

“AAAAaaauuugghhh!”

“What now?” Kagome asked as the 4 of them ran to the stream.

Kuwabara was scrambling to climb on top of a rock in the middle of the slowly-moving water, while Miroku, Kouga, and Shippou struggled to keep their heads above water because they were laughing so hard they couldn’t stand up. Yusuke was holding up a limp Jakotsu under the arms as far away from his body as he could hold him while splashing towards the nearby bank muttering about ‘unbelievable hentais.’ As he tossed Jakotsu on the ground, he turned to Kuwabara and yelled, “You can get down from there now, you idiot, -- Kagome doesn’t want to see your naked, ugly ass!”

With an “eep!” of embarrassment, Kuwabara quickly plunged back down into the water. Kagome was staring, wide-eyed, at the scene before her. A blush began to creep slowly across her cheeks as it dawned on her that all of them were naked, but she couldn’t make herself look away. She couldn’t, for the life of her, even begin to figure out what had happened. So, Naraku asked.

“Would one of you mind telling us what is going on?”

Shippou snickered. “Jakotsu … Jakotsu … oh crap! My sides hurt!”

Kouga took over. “Jakotsu suggested a little contest to see who could hold his breath the longest.” Shippou fell over again laughing. “He claimed he was the champion of all three realms. So, he let Yusuke and Kuwabara go first while the rest of us timed them. Then it was his turn. Naturally, they were staying a good distance away from him -- I’m surprised they even got in the water with him here. Anyway, Jakotsu said he could hold his breath for 7 minutes. He went under and we started timing. Then Shippou asked Kuwabara if he could figure out why Jakotsu could hold his breath that long. About that time, he noticed a bunch of bubbles rising to the surface directly in front of him.” Here, Kouga, Shippou, and Miroku lost it again.

Yusuke, who had started snickering a little, too, finished the story. “Yeah, the perv was right in front of him, and when the idiot realized it, he panicked and floundered about, landing on him and knocking him out. Then he ran for the hills, and well, you guys showed up.

Kagome, hiding a smile, knelt down over Jakotsu to make sure he was okay. She said, “Gee, I hope he doesn’t need mouth-to-mouth, because as a registered miko, I’m not allowed to do that -- special purity code, you know. So, it would be up to you, Kazuma, since you knocked him out.”

“What?!!? I’m not gonna … no way! You’re not serious!” Kuwabara looked about wildly.

“Well, well. You learn something new every day. I never knew My Miko had such a wicked sense of humor,” Naraku said with amusement.

And while several of the others groaned and told him she wasn’t his miko, Hiei just smirked to himself. (Oh, yes. She is definitely my kind of onna.)
************************************************************ ************


A few hours after Hiei, Kurama, and Naraku left, the others were bedded down for the night. Shippou had volunteered to keep watch, and Kouga planned to help him after an hour or two of some shuteye. All was quiet and peaceful inside the barrier dome Kagome had set. Due to the restricted size of the dome, Shippou was sitting on the ground close by Kagome’s bedroll instead of up in a tree. So, when the fog rolled in low along the ground, the effects of it overtook him before he could warn the others.

Like before, the heavy, moist air seeped into their lungs, slowing their breathing and inducing an unnaturally heavy sleep. When everyone had succumbed completely, the same tall, broad-shouldered figure stepped up to the barrier and looked around. Spotting the object of his desire, he walked through the barrier without hindrance and knelt down beside her, drinking in the sight of her as if that by itself could quench his need to possess her. He laid a heavily-laden bag down on the ground to free his hands so he could touch her.

He gently traced the planes and curves of her face -- her brows, her jaw, her delicate cheekbones, and her soft, full lips. Then he kissed her tenderly, cupping her face with both hands, before letting them slide down to part the neckline of the button-up top she was wearing to sleep in. Raising his head to gaze at her beloved face, he bared her left shoulder. Then he leaned back over and sank his fangs deeply into her flesh.
**************************************************************** ********

End Chapter Sixteen