Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Paradox ❯ Kouga ( Chapter 9 )

Title: Paradox

Author: Somnambulicious

Rating: NC-17

Disclaimer:
I don't own either
Inuyasha or YuYu;
Somebody else does.

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Chapter 9: Kouga

The hut was completely silent when Kagome finished telling them what had happened to her in the past two weeks. She'd left out certain details, as she had when telling her mother, and she hadn't told them about Sesshoumaru yet, but they had enough information to process for the time being.

Kaede sat cross-legged near the fire, a basket full of fresh herbs at her side. She pulled the leaves from the stems, placing them in a neat pile, as she thought over what Kagome had told them. That Naraku was alive and well in Kagome's era was troubling, but not entirely surprising. The evil hanyou had already proven himself to be devious and persistent, and she would not put it past him to spend five hundred years planning his victory. But what was more troubling were the implications...

She looked up to try and gauge Miroku's reaction. He was sitting in silence, leaning up against the wall, but she could see that his eyes were cast downward, staring at his right hand. The kazaana...

Sango appeared to be fighting back tears. Kaede thought she was handling the news rather well, considering that she'd just learned that her brother, her only living relative, would serve their enemy and her family's murderer for the next half-millennium. Kirara sat in the taijiya's lap, purring as Sango stroked her fur.

The strange, dark youkai stood near the doorway, staring impassively at the fire. Kagome had not told them what kind of youkai he was, or how old he was, or anything else about him, other than the fact that his name was Hiei and he was employed by Reikai, serving currently as her protector in the modern era. Kaede sensed great conflict in that one, and great power as well. She hoped that Kagome knew what she was doing in trusting him. If he could be turned against her, he would be a formidable foe indeed.

Inuyasha lounged on his side near the fire, his head propped up on one hand. Kaede could see from his facial expressions that he wasn't happy about Kagome's alliance with Reikai and these strange youkai, not happy at all. If he and the girl did not come to an agreement soon, there would be trouble.

Shippou was curled up in Kagome's lap, clinging to her blouse as if it were a lifeline. Kaede sighed and turned back to her herbs. The poor kit...to be alone once more...

"But there's more," Kagome said quietly, breaking the stony silence. "Koenma has agreed to allow the three of you to come through the well and join us in the modern era to hunt down Naraku. I have rosaries for each of you, and Kirara too, if that is what you want to do."

Miroku frowned, staring down at his hand. What Kagome had told them was a death sentence for him, but if he joined them in the future, he would have a chance to live to a ripe, old age. He would have to remain there, though, because Naraku was still alive in the past. He looked over at Sango and took a deep breath. The tears were streaming down her cheeks now, but she didn't make a sound in her grief. Going to a new and different world...it would be difficult, if not impossible, for him to ever fully adjust, and if his own premature death was the only reason for him to go, he would probably refuse. But Sango...

Sango would need him. There was little hope for Kohaku now. Five hundred years of serving Naraku must have eaten away at what little soul the boy had left, and now he might only find peace in death. Miroku wanted to be there to comfort her and give her the strength to do what needed to be done. He would be lying to himself if he didn't admit the other reason he wanted to be by her side, though...

She is a special girl to me...more important than any other.

Sango had made up her mind the moment Kagome had made her offer. She was a warrior, born, bred, and raised. Her honor, the honor of her family, demanded that Naraku pay in blood for his crimes, and she would follow him to the ends of the earth, to other worlds, to the end of time itself to exact her revenge. And Kohaku...Kohaku must find honor in death, as well, and the chance for another, better life to come.

Shippou could hardly contain his excitement. His selfish kitsune nature was crying out for joy that Kagome wouldn't be leaving him, that he could stay with her forever. There had always been the fear, in the back of his mind, that once the jewel was complete, Kagome would leave them and return to her time forever. He snuggled closer to her and yawned.

Inuyasha, of course, would go. There was never any question in his mind. Where Naraku and the shards were, he'd be close behind. He had to avenge Kikyo's death, if it was the last thing he did...

Kikyo...

Inuyasha hadn't seen the undead miko in months. He would have to find her, to tell her before he left with Kagome.

Sango was the first to speak. "I will go with you. Naraku cannot hide from me, in time or space. I will not be denied my revenge." Kagome gave her friend a gentle smile.

"I will go as well," said Miroku. "I will not be long for this world if I stay, and Naraku must be made to pay for his crimes." Kagome didn't miss the meaningful look the houshi gave Sango. He really does love her.

"And Shippou? What about you?" Kagome asked with a wistful smile. She already knew his answer, of course.

"What? Of course I'm going with you! Dog-breath isn't going to get rid of me that easily!" he said, sticking his tongue out at the inu-hanyou. Kagome skillfully whisked Shippou out of the way when Inuyasha made a not-so-playful swipe at him.

"We can't breathe a word of this to anyone," said Kagome. "We can't risk Naraku finding out, even here in the past." She took a deep breath before continuing. "And there's more," she said, looking down at her hands in her lap. This is not going to be good...

Two minutes later...

"WHAT???"

A flock of birds that had roosted for the night in a nearby tree suddenly roused and took to the skies, startled by Inuyasha's shout.

Inside Kaede's hut, said hanyou was standing now, his hackles raised, pointing an accusing claw at Kagome.

"You...you told them I would do what?"

"That you'd be indebted to Reikai, so Sesshoumaru wouldn't be pressured to kill you," she mumbled, still refusing to look at him.

"You can't just-- just go and make those kinds of decisions for me, wench! I don't need your meddling! I can handle Sesshoumaru just fine on my own!"

"We need his help, Inuyasha. Naraku is stronger now that--"

"--idiot brother is going to allow me to live? That bastard is--"

"--can't just throw away a powerful ally like him, even if he is--"

"--sharpen my claws on his fucking skull, that's what I'll do, and then--"

"--ridiculous, letting your sibling rivalry get in the way when we--"

"--tear out his goddamn heart and eat it raw, or maybe with some ramen, and then--"

"Inuyasha..."

"--piss on his corpse, and do the same to that fucking Jaken, too, and then--"

"Inuyasha!"

"--fucking toad, always groveling at that bastard's feet, I'll bet the little shit takes it up the--"

"Sit!"

BAM!

"Ow! Wench! What the hell was that for?" yelled Inuyasha from his place on the floor.

"You shouldn't use that kind of language around Shippou! You're setting a bad example for him!" Kagome said, shaking a finger at him.

"Yeah, dog-breath! I'm impressionable!" said Shippou, imitating Kagome's finger wagging.

"Keh! I still say we don't need my stupid brother's help! Or his either, for that matter!" Inuyasha yelled, pointing at Hiei now.

"Ch."

Miroku stood next to Inuyasha and placed a placating hand on his shoulder. "Now, Inuyasha, I haven't met Kagome's new allies, but I believe it would be unwise to dismiss them without--"

"What the hell do you know?" spat Inuyasha, shaking off Miroku's hand. "This all started with him. It's his fault we're in this mess to begin with." He turned his glare from Hiei to Kagome. "And she's been lying, too, you know. She brought him through the well with her last time, and she didn't tell us about it! He was probably spying on us the whole time! I've had enough of this!" With that, Inuyasha stalked out of the hut and launched himself into a nearby tree, proceeding to carve his frustration into the bark.

"Is what he says true, Kagome?" Miroku asked quietly. It was so unlike her to deceive them.

Kagome nodded, too ashamed to look the houshi in the eyes. "Is it okay if we talk about it later? I really need to talk to Inuyasha right now."

"Of course it is, Kagome. We trust your judgement." It didn't escape Kagome's notice that Sango was strangely silent on the matter, but she didn't want to press the subject, so she left the hut in silence. Hiei disappeared as soon as she was gone.

Miroku sighed deeply and sat down next to Sango. "What do you think of all this?"

"I don't know what to think anymore. I don't want to think anymore," she replied quietly.

Miroku nodded sagely. "Sometimes it is best not to think, but instead to feel..."

Two seconds later, a sharp slap resounded in the hut, and then all was quiet.

*****************************************

Kagome sat down with her back against the tree that she knew Inuyasha was in.

"Inuyasha?"

Silence.

A sigh. "Inuyasha, I know you're really angry with me right now, and you probably have every right to be. But try to understand, I was only doing what I thought was best for everyone. Naraku is a strong enemy, and the more people we have to fight against him, the better chance we have to win and come out in one piece. If something happened to you or Sango or Miroku or Shippou... Even if we managed to beat him, but I lost one of you... I was only trying to protect you."

But I'm the one who's supposed to be protecting you, Kagome.

"I know I can't really expect you to trust Hiei and the others right now, but I wish you'd at least give them a chance. You and Hiei have more in common than you realize."

She knows something about him, something she's not telling me.

"You're my best friend, Inuyasha, and I'm sorry I deceived you. I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know what I can do to make it up to you."

I wish things could just be like they were before. I wish we didn't know, that Kagura had never told you.

"But I wish you would just trust me, Inuyasha. I know I probably don't deserve that right now, but please, we have to get past this and fight together, or else Naraku... Naraku..." Kagome's voice trailed off, and Inuyasha could hear a muffled sob.

A sigh. I never could stand to see you cry.

Kagome heard a soft thump next to her, and she looked up through tear-fogged eyes to see Inuyasha crouched next to her, staring off into the forest.

"Feh. Don't cry, wench. Makes your face all puffy, like Hachi."

Kagome giggled through her tears. Inuyasha, I hope you never change.

"I'll go along with this stupid plan of yours, but I'm not going to like it. And the moment those spirit guys or Sesshoumaru turn on us--"

Kagome interrupted his threat with a heartfelt hug. "Thank you, Inuyasha. I know that if we all work together, we can defeat him," she whispered.

At least, I hope we will...

*****************************************

Sango and Kagome didn't train that night. Instead, they agreed to go to bed early and train throughout the day on Saturday. Nobody said anything when Inuyasha took off into the forest. He'd stay close by -- he didn't fully trust Hiei yet -- but he had to find Kikyo.

Kaede and Shippou were already in a deep sleep, but Miroku, Sango, and Kagome all found sleep elusive. Each sat wide awake in the dark hut, lost in their own thoughts.

"Guys?" said Kagome. "I'm really sorry I didn't tell you about Hiei. He didn't come here to spy on us. I think he was just curious and wanted a bit of freedom that he doesn't have in my era. I really should have told you."

"I wish you had, Kagome, but we'll just have to move on now," said Miroku. None of them really had the right to question her judgement in accepting him. After all, she had accepted each of them without even demanding an apology for their previous actions against her.

Miroku's words were just what Kagome needed to hear, and she finally drifted off to sleep.

*****************************************

She couldn't see a thing. Everything was darkness, abyss, and then...

Moonlight filtered through rustling leaves. Stars shining brightly. A soft patch of grass tickling her bare legs...

Movement. Someone was above her. Flesh on flesh...

White hot heat: a fire that did not consume. Her partner nipped lightly at her neck, razor sharp fangs careful not to pierce the delicate, almost translucent skin.

Slowly, she gained awareness. With a gasp, she suddenly felt the blood coursing through her veins. Her senses were magnified, and she was aware of every inch of her body, from her soft hair splayed over the grass, to the dampness between her legs, to the soles of her feet, curling in anticipation.

The sounds of the night-shrouded forest: a cricket singing for his mate, a mouse shuffling through the underbrush, the scream of a grouse pierced by an owl's sharp talons. Her partner's breath on her ear, panting but not from exertion...

The heady scent of pollen and earth...a slight sweet smell that escaped identification...the scent of woodsmoke on snow...

Briefly, she wondered who he was. Usually it was Inuyasha's face that she conjured up in these dreams, but the long silver hair was conspicuously absent. His features were shrouded in shadow, but when she felt a gentle finger probing the depths of her most secret place, she found that she no longer cared.

He raked his fangs lightly over the soft flesh of her breast, teasing the pebbled nipple with his tongue. She felt something tighten in her belly, a coil of white fire in her mind's eye. He began a maddeningly slow pace, languidly easing his finger into her, and then lingering before pulling out again. The pad of his thumb brushed against the bundle of nerves nestled in her folds, and she gasped at the sensation, her legs twitching when he repeated the action with more pressure.

She shifted, parting her legs further to grant him better access. He answered her unspoken appeal with a quicker pace, and she felt a growing need for something, something she couldn't put into words, something primal and absolutely essential. She choked out a wordless plea, arching her back and grasping at the earth beneath her fingers. She felt rather than heard his answering growl, and she let out a growl of her own when he removed his hand from her.

Her pulse quickened when he shifted to lie directly on top of her. She felt something nudge at her, rigid flesh, smooth as silk and hard as steel. Tilting her hips, she rose to meet his eager thrust with equal enthusiasm, shuddering at the conflicting sensations of pleasure and pain. He paused for a moment, allowing her body time to stretch and ease itself around his intrusion, and then he slid out, only to slip into her again, with less resistance this time.

She found herself writhing beneath him, one hand curled into his hair, the other clutching at the flesh of his back. He buried himself in her again and again, setting a rhythm that grew more and more frenzied with each thrust. She started to quiver when the heat in her belly concentrated to a single point, and when she felt herself on the edge of imminent release, she pulled her lover's head down to hers. She had to know who it was, who had the power to make her burn with a passion she'd never felt before, and just as she was about to achieve the sweet peak of ecstasy, she saw those eyes, those unmistakable red eyes, and gasped...

"Hiei?"

Kagome sat bolt upright in the sleeping bag, panting for air, shuddering at the unfulfilled passion that throbbed between her legs. She quickly looked down at Shippou, who was curled up at her side, and was glad to see that he wasn't awake. Dawn's light had yet to pierce the sky, so she lay back down and puzzled over the dream.

Hiei...I don't find him attractive...do I? Now that she thought about it, he was intriguing in that dark, brooding sort of way. And those almond-shaped crimson eyes, the hard, smooth flesh of his back...

Kagome let out a groan of frustration. At this rate, she'd never get back to sleep.

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Hiei had been hunting in the forest when he passed Inuyasha, who was headed deeper into the woods. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Hiei nodded in understanding, turning back to the village.

He was a bit miffed that he had to babysit for the humans instead of killing something, but the comforting scent of Kagome in the nearby hut almost made up for the inconvenience. So he sat in a tree and closed his eyes, keeping his senses sharp to detect any trouble that might be headed their way.

Something started to bother him, a whisper at the back of his mind, and at first he ignored it. His brow furrowed when the scent grew stronger -- for that's what it was, a scent, wafting up to him from the hut below. But he couldn't ignore it any longer when he realized what it was.

It was the girl. And she was aroused. Very, very aroused.

He shifted on the branch of the tree, suddenly finding himself very uncomfortable. Why did this have to happen now, when he couldn't run off into the forest and kill a few low-level youkai to take the edge off his frustration? And what was she doing in there?

He attuned all of his senses to the humans below, wondering if perhaps the houshi had something to do with this. But no, he could hear the rhythmic breathing of each of them. They were all asleep.

Ah...so she's dreaming.

He couldn't stop himself from wondering what it was she was dreaming about. Inuyasha, perhaps, or Kurama. After all, he'd caught her nearly kissing the damn fox yesterday. He found that he didn't like the thought of her dreaming about anyone like that.

Unbidden, his mind supplied an image of her from memory, drenched in the blood of the bandit, shaking and panting from exertion with a sword in her hands. He groaned and shifted again. Gods...that is not helping.

He had just made up his mind to go and take his disguntlement out on a few of the village chickens when her scent suddenly spiked and he heard her muffled gasp.

"Hiei?"

That stopped him in his tracks. Was she... Had she really been...

No. That wasn't possible. He was the Forbidden Child. She should be disgusted by him, repulsed and horrified just like everyone else was. She knew what he'd done in the past, knew his history of thievery and violence. And yet...

No.

Hiei turned and slammed his fist into the tree, burying his arm up to the elbow in the hardwood trunk.

He would not entertain such thoughts. The girl was human, a miko-taijiya, trained to hate and slaughter his kind. In any other circumstances, she would be his enemy. But that didn't dispel the heat gathering in his loins, or the hopeful nudge at the back of his traitorous mind.

*****************************************

Sango woke Kagome up at the crack of dawn. "Come on, Kagome. We've got a lot of training to make up for," Sango said firmly before she left the hut.

Kagome muttered a few obscenities she'd picked up from Inuyasha -- really, he was such a bad influence on her -- as she put on her taijiya uniform and stumbled outside.

They spent the morning -- the entire morning -- on swords, and by noontime Kagome thought her arm was going to fall off. Sango insisted that this would be great practice, because she wouldn't always be well-rested and full of energy during a fight. Kagome mumbled something along the lines of, "Maybe you should just stick a knife in my thigh, since I might have to fight like that," but she quickly shut up when Sango seemed to actually consider it.

Halfway through the morning, while she was demonstrating a technique for disarming an opponent, Sango suddenly brought up a subject Kagome had been dreading.

"Kagome, I'm only going to say this once, so listen well. I haven't met the rest of the people you made an alliance with in your era, so I'm going to reserve my judgement of them until later. But this Hiei..." She frowned. "I accepted Inuyasha because of his human blood. Kirara has been with my village since before I was born. Shippou is too young to be any real threat. But watch your back with Hiei. I don't trust him."

Kagome was silent. She did trust Hiei, but she couldn't tell Sango why. That would involve revealing things about Hiei that he probably didn't want anyone else to know.

"I'm going to trust your judgement on this, Kagome, but I'm telling you, you can't trust a full-blooded youkai with enough power to have a human form. He's very strong and very dangerous. I hope you know what you're doing."

"Thank you for trusting me. You'll see, once you've been around him for a while. He's quiet, and he can be ruthless, but I don't think he's evil. He hasn't tried to take the jewel shards, and I'm pretty sure he could have if he wanted to."

Sango gave Kagome a look that said she still didn't trust him, but dropped the subject.

Kagome had to force herself to eat a quick lunch; truth to tell, the onigiri didn't look appetizing after all that training, but she knew she needed the fuel (however little it was.) Sango allowed her an additional five minutes of rest after lunch before she stood and offered Kagome a hand up.

"Now it's time for archery," Sango said, and Kagome groaned. My arm is already killing me from this morning!

As it turned out, archery practice was interrupted, but Kagome wasn't too happy about it.

They were standing in an open field, Sango at Kagome's side, slightly correcting her form as she held the bow taut. Just when Kagome thought she was going to pass out, something flickered at the edge of her senses, and she dropped the bow with a groan.

"Shards."

Sango wasn't sure if that was a warning or a curse, but regardless, archery practice would have to wait. Seconds later, a whirlwind appeared on the horizon, and soon Kagome found herself on the receiving end of a very enthusiastic embrace.

"Hello, Kouga."

Kouga grinned down at her. He had her bent backwards over his arm, her hair brushing the ground.

"Kagome, my woman, did you miss--"

He didn't get a chance to finish that thought as Kagome was suddenly pulled from his arms, and he was stunned to find a katana pressing against his throat. He was even more surprised to see that it wasn't the mutt who had come to Kagome's rescue.

"Hey, Kagome, who's the runt?" Kouga asked, eyeing the short youkai warily. He was small, but something about his scent made the hackles rise on his neck.

"Hiei, you can put that down now. Kouga, this is my friend Hiei. Hiei, this is Kouga, the wolf Inuyasha was talking about," said Kagome, reluctantly disengaging herself from Hiei's hold on her arm. Being in such proximity to him, of course, brought back memories of her dream, and she blushed.

"Who the hell are you to take my woman from me?" Kouga growled out.

"The girl is unmarked," Hiei replied.

"That's just a formality," Kouga said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I claimed her a long time ago. She's mine." He leaned forward and sniffed, smiling when Kagome's scent reaffirmed his suspicions. He crossed his arms and gave Hiei a cocky grin. "Besides, by her scent I'd say she's very happy to see me."

Hiei thought back to the previous night and smirked. "I don't believe that it's you she's happy to see."

Kouga nearly faltered when he said that, but held onto his overconfidence. "You think you can compete with me, short-stuff? Dog-shit never could, and you're even less of a male than he is."

Hiei merely sheathed his sword and turned his back to the wolf in a veiled insult. He had nothing to prove, and if this Kouga tried to make a move, he'd find out exactly who was inferior here.

Kagome, meanwhile, was ready to sink into the ground. Oh, gods, he knows. She was ready to drop dead, then and there. Where is Naraku when I need him?

Hiei's senses were attuned to the fuming wolf behind him, but his mind was on Kagome. He'd known the wolf wasn't a threat to her; his hold on her had been far from unfriendly. Hiei had made the comment about her scent just to insult the wolf, but the girl hadn't denied it. Instead, she seemed to be turning the color of a ripe tomato. His ego swelled with masculine pride, but he scowled nonetheless. He didn't need this kind of complication in his life right now.

"Kouga, why are you here?" Kagome said, finally finding her voice. Please don't give me the shards, please don't give me the shards...

"I came by a few days ago, but dog-shit said you were gone. I would have waited for you, but there was a rumor of Naraku in the south," Kouga replied.

"So...why did you come?" Gods, the wolf was dense sometimes. Couldn't he just answer a straight question?

Kouga frowned. "The northern tribe is under attack. A colony of the Harpies from the east is heading our way, swearing to avenge their fallen comrades. I wanted to see my woman before I went into battle."

Kagome rolled her eyes. Will he never learn? "Kouga, I've told you, I'm not your woman. It's nothing personal, it's just that--"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I should have marked you by now, but with Naraku and the shards and everything, I thought it would be best to wait until your quest was finished. If you were pupped before Naraku was defeated, you wouldn't be able to go shard hunting," Kouga said logically.

Kagome gaped at the wolf's assumption -- Pupped? -- but her attention was drawn to Hiei's still figure when she heard a low growl. That, of course, reminded her of the dream again, and the heat rose in her cheeks once more.

"Um...thanks for being so considerate, Kouga. I hope you do well against the Harpies. You will let us know how it goes, right?" Kagome asked, gently trying to end the whole conversation and send Kouga on his way.

"Of course! Once I'm victorious, I'll come back to claim you. We'll be careful not to get you pupped. Just once won't hurt."

Kagome cringed at the thought. He really doesn't get it. "Okay, well, then, goodbye now!" she said with false cheerfulness.

"Later, Kagome! Tell dog-shit I'm sorry I couldn't spare the time to bash his skull in!" Kouga yelled in parting as he sped off.

"Yeah, will do," Kagome mumbled under her breath. She looked over at Sango, who was doing a great impression of a goldfish.

"Kagome," she said slowly, "what did he mean by your scent--"

"I haven't the faintest idea," Kagome replied quickly. She picked her bow and arrow up off the ground. "Hey, weren't you saying something about my stance before we were interrupted?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. If you'll turn your right foot a bit this way, you'll find that..."

Kagome half-listened to Sango's instruction as she looked around the clearing for Hiei, but once again, he had disappeared.

*****************************************

Inuyasha did not return until late that night, after dinner was over and the group was preparing for bed. He didn't say a word, but instead took his customary position in the tree overlooking Kaede's hut.

He didn't miss Kagome's worried glances, but chose to ignore it. He didn't want to tell her what had occurred deep in the forest, what Kikyo had said to him...

"You have condemned me to death once again, Inuyasha. My hatred toward you is the only thing keeping me alive, and if you choose to leave forever, I will surely whither away and die..."

He knew, deep in his heart, that it was a ploy to keep him from going, to entice him into her cold and fatal embrace. But that didn't take away his pain at her accusation, or the truth of her words.

"Kikyo, I pledged myself to you, but I also vowed to avenge your death. This doesn't have to be forever. Once Naraku is defeated, if I can come back to you--"

"You have given me too many false pledges, Inuyasha. I cannot bear to hear yet another."

He'd seen the Shinidama Chuu just before dawn, and the whole conversation had only taken a few minutes, but he spent the rest of the day hunting in the forest to ease the pain, forget the guilt. He'd brought back two deer carcasses and a brace of pheasant. The village would feast tomorrow on the proof of Inuyasha's inner turmoil.

Hiei had been on his way into the forest when Inuyasha passed him, but they hadn't spoken a word to each other. Inuyasha was relieved to find everything in place. He'd gone farther in his search for Kikyo than he had intended.

Inuyasha watched as Kagome brought out a steaming bowl of what smelled like ramen, setting it down next to the tree he was in and flashing him a smile before she retired for the evening. Inuyasha was glad she didn't push him to tell her.

Somehow, she always seemed to know what he needed.

*****************************************

Dawn's light startled Inuyasha out of a doze. Did I really fall asleep? He was supposed to be watching over the village, but the day's hunt must have worn him out.

Thankfully, once again everyone was safe, despite his slip-up. He entered the hut to find Kagome already awake, chewing on something she called a "protein bar."

"Good morning, Inuyasha. You want some breakfast?" Kagome said cheerfully, offering him one of her energy bars. Inuyasha's nose turned up in disgust.

"Not on your life! I'd rather eat Shippou!"

"Hey!" Shippou cried indignantly.

"I smelled that wimpy wolf when I came back last night. He turn over the shards yet?" Inuyasha asked, trying to dislodge the kitsune teeth that had suddenly become attached to his ear.

"No, he just came to see me before an upcoming battle. I didn't ask him for the shards."

"It's probably better that way," said Inuyasha, finally managing to remove Shippou from his ear, only to have the kitsune gnaw on his arm. "Gives us more time to see if we can trust these new so-called allies of yours."

"Shippou, I think that's enough," Kagome said sternly. "You know Inuyasha wouldn't really eat you." Shippou gave Inuyasha one last bite before dropping to the floor and scampering outside.

Kagome stared sadly at Inuyasha. Normally, he'd be threatening to kill Shippou. Something bad must have happened.

"Inuyasha? Are you okay?" Kagome asked, laying a gentle hand on his arm.

"Feh. You saying I'm weak?" he asked gruffly.

Kagome smiled. Always so defensive. "Of course not. Now let's find you something to eat."

*****************************************

The feast that night was a big occasion for the village. Kagome assisted the village women in preparing the venison, pheasant, and other foodstuffs all day long, preferring to slave over a hot cooking fire instead of slaving away in practice with Sango. Because Kagome had been spending so much time in the village over the past few months, a few of the braver girls had befriended her, and Kagome was happy to listen in on their chatter as they cooked.

Once the older women were out of earshot, Kagome found that the conversation took an abrupt turn, as usual.

"So Shina," said one of the girls in a whisper, "I heard Jiro paid a visit to you last night." Shina blushed, and the girls squealed.

"Was he good?"

"Did you try the thing with your tongue?"

"What did he say?"

"Shh, be quiet, they'll hear you," Shina said, glancing over at the older women. "I didn't get to try out the tongue thing. It was over before it really began," she said with a grimace. A couple of the girls groaned.

"I thought he was over that problem."

"It's not like he hasn't had enough practice."

"I'm not doing anything with him until he's got a lot more stamina, that's for sure."

Kagome remained silent, as she usually did when the conversations turned to boys and sex. She couldn't deny that the gossip was educational. These girls knew a whole lot more about sex than her friends in the modern era did, and from first-hand experience at that. She'd been in shock the first time she'd heard the village girls talk so openly about their sexual experiences, but by now she was used to it. She discreetly listened with interest as the girls discussed the specific tongue technique Shina was supposed to have tried, filing away the information for possible future use...someday...

If I live that long...

"So Kagome," said one of the older girls, giving her a nudge, "tell us about Inuyasha."

Kagome nearly dropped a bowl full of boiling water in surprise. "Huh?" They can't think that-- She doesn't mean that-- They think that Inuyasha and I are--

"You know what I mean," said the girl, with a twinkle in her eyes. "You and the hanyou, off in the woods..."

"No!" Kagome squeaked. "No! It's not like that! We haven't-- I mean, we don't-- Inuyasha and I aren't like that!"

Most of the girls looked disappointed. They'd really wanted to hear about what sex with the son of a taiyoukai was like.

"Well, what about other boys? Perhaps you have some techniques from your country you could tell us about?" The rest of the girls nodded eagerly and leaned forward.

"Um, well, you see, I haven't-- That is, I don't--"

One of the girls gasped. "You don't mean to say you're a virgin?" Kagome nodded and blushed. "But you've got to be like eighteen years old!" Most of the girls in the group were a couple of years younger than Kagome.

"Don't embarrass her," admonished another girl. "Maybe she's taken a vow."

"Or she's just frigid," speculated a less friendly girl.

"It's not that," said Kagome. "I just-- Things are different in my country. Most girls wait until they're married." Or they're supposed to, anyway.

"So, have your parents chosen a man for you to marry yet?" asked Shina.

"Don't be stupid," said another girl. "She's a miko."

"Does that mean she doesn't get to have sex?"

"Of course not. My father said that when she was younger, Kaede--"

"Enough!" cried Kagome. She really didn't want to hear about the elderly miko's past sexual exploits. "Can't we talk about something else?"

One of the girls shrugged. "Sure. Hey, did you hear about the tanuki that was stealing pickled fish from old Hana? I heard she got so mad, she..."

Kagome turned back to the rice she was cooking, grateful for the change of subject. Things sure are different here, she thought. Western ideas of morality had affected Japan a lot in the future, and she couldn't help but wonder if the change was good or bad. These girls did seem to have a lot of fun...

Kagome stayed for the feast that night, thoroughly enjoying the venison provided by Inuyasha. Hiei had remained absent the entire day, but when as soon as she stepped under the cover of the trees on the path back to the well, he appeared at her side.

"Hello, Hiei," Kagome said with a smile, desperately trying to quash the sudden nervousness she felt in his presence. Stupid dream. "Did you find something nice to kill?"

Hiei rolled his eyes at her choice of words. Nice? But he felt a sudden urge to impress the girl, so he told her.

'A pack of wild dogs, two boars, and an oni.' It wasn't as much as last time, but he'd only had a day to hunt.

"That's nice," Kagome said absently, looking off into the trees, at the sky, anywhere but the youkai walking beside her.

Could he like me? she wondered. And how would I know if he did? Hojo brought her presents and asked her out on dates; Kouga gave her flowers and proclaimed his undying love. But she couldn't picture Hiei doing any of those things. She had a sudden mental image of him presenting her with the severed head of an enemy and giggled.

'Something funny?'

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a silly thought."

That night, as she lay in bed with Hiei at his usual post in her window, Kagome thought about another important question. Do I like him?

Oh, yes, she was attracted to him. She'd been rudely awakened to that fact last night. And she wanted his friendship desperately, the challenge of the conquest making it all that more appealing. But did she like him like him?

He was a thief and a killer. But he hasn't done any of that since he joined up with Reikai, and he showed remarkable restraint with Inuyasha and Kouga, considering his past. He was too quiet. But he showed me his story. He wasn't human. But neither is Inuyasha, and I love him all the same.

Kagome sighed and turned over, defeated. For some reason, she seemed to be looking for excuses to like him. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed herself to sleep.

Just as long as I don't have any more stupid dreams...

Edited 17 May 2005