Now, I gotta thank my manager *coughclosetfancough* Siggy for betaing this fic for me and for constantly annoy…erm…encouraging me to get the next part out. This one’s for you! ^_~ And you can’t say I didn’t add any waff! But I already know that you loved this chapter. *grins* Hopefully you’ll like the ending to it, too, now that I actually WROTE one. ^^;
Oh! Speaking of waff, there’s lots of it in this chapter.
^^; In fact, it does get a little citrusy there, so just to be on
the safe side, I’m rating this particular chapter a mild R. Read
at your own risk! Do not read while operating heavy machinery or
under the influence of...um…something. Or other. Yeah.
*sweatdrop* Just go read the story, darnit!
The moment Inuyasha touched the bottom of the well, he knew something had changed. Instead of the cool, clean scent of the forest, his senses were assaulted by the harsh, acrid odors of the huge, foreign city in which Kagome made her home. His ears twitched at the distant roar of passing cars and all the noises he’d come to associate with a big city, and when he looked up, rather than the patch of sky surrounded by the leafy boughs of ancient trees, the weathered roof of the well house greeted his disbelieving eyes. The smell of holy incense hung heavy in the air, even above the odors of pollution, thus assuring him that he was, in fact, at the shrine.
He was dreaming, wasn’t he? Inuyasha stood frozen in the bottom of the well, his senses taking in the strange-yet-familiar surroundings, while his mind tried its hardest to convince him that it was impossible. Hadn’t he tried to go down before, in his desperation to save Kagome? Hadn’t it locked him out for good? He shifted a bit, and his foot hit a heavy weight, causing him to look down. Kagome’s huge pack lay at his feet; the flap had opened and its contents were scattered, and he dazedly stooped to carefully pick up the precious books and other items and place them back inside again. Then, shouldering the pack, he braced himself and leapt easily the entire twenty feet from the bottom of the well, landing lightly on his feet on the wooden edge surrounding the shadowed pit.
He was back. As impossible as it seemed, his senses had never lied to him, and he couldn’t very well disbelieve what was before his very eyes. His uncertainty slowly gave way to relief, and then to joy as he realized that he hadn’t lost Kagome forever, after all. He allowed a huge grin to split his face, his fangs gleaming softly in the dim light of the well house, and he clenched his fist victoriously. Now all he had to do was go find Kagome and…
The grin abruptly faded as Inuyasha remembered the promise he’d made to Kagome those weeks ago, the promise of trusting her to come back on her own. He frowned, his brow furrowing a little. At the time he’d made it, he’d thought the well had sealed him out for good. There was no chance of him being able to go and fetch her, anyway. But…now that he realized he was once more free to come and go as he pleased…the temptation to go to her and drag her forcefully back, to have her beside him once again, was nearly overwhelming. He stepped to the door of the well house and peered cautiously outside; the light was fading, and the sky was lit with vibrant shades of red, pink, and violet in a spectacular sunset.
His eyes were then drawn to the second floor of the main house, toward Kagome’s bedroom window. It was lit from within; he could see a shadow moving around, and his heart sped up. He was torn, indecisive. More than anything, he wanted to see his Kagome again. But…but…what about his promise? If he showed up now, would she think that he’d decided not to trust her again? And how to explain his presence when he’d clearly told her that he wasn’t able to come for her anymore? What if she thought he’d been lying to her?
And, of course, what about the fact that three weeks had gone by already and she had yet to make an appearance in his world? To be perfectly honest, his pride was more than a little stung. After finally breaking down and admitting just how much she meant to him, Inuyasha had been fairly certain that the girl would come rushing back to him immediately, throw herself into his arms, and proclaim her own undying love. The fact that she hadn’t done that yet was a serious blow to his ego, not to mention to his self-esteem. What if he’d gone and scared her off? His ears flattened to his skull at the thought, his lips tightening into a thin line.
He wasn’t really angry anymore at the fact that she’d been gone for so long. Now, he was just worried as to the reason why she hadn’t come back again. What if he’d been wrong to confess his feelings to Kagome, after having been so horrible to her for…well…practically since they’d met? Did she even believe him? He was fairly certain that if he was in her shoes, he wouldn’t believe him. Then again, he wasn’t nearly so trusting as Kagome usually was, either. On the other hand, he’d practically crushed her heart under his feet for the past month, so why would she trust him?
He berated himself for that thought the moment it surfaced. Of course Kagome trusted him. He knew that; refused to allow himself to doubt it. After all, he’d given her the chance—had practically begged her to slip another spelled rosary over his neck—and she’d responded by tossing the beads away into the bushes. She’d been the one to tell him that she wanted to trust him on her own, and he was grateful to her for that. The least he could do was keep his promise to wait for her to come back again…even if she decided never to show up.
He nodded to himself. Yes, that’s what he’d do. He’d go back, and wait. Surely, for whatever reason she was delayed, Kagome would not be as heartless as to leave him waiting for her in agony for much longer. Even if she was paying him back for all the heartache he’d caused her, she was too kind to leave him to suffer forever, knowing how strongly he felt for her. He took a deep, calming breath, then bounded silently toward the main house and leapt up to the second story, perching on the lower roof beneath Kagome’s window so he could peer inside, hoping to catch a glimpse of her…just one more moment to keep in his heart. He didn’t know what he’d say if she saw him…but he just couldn’t leave again without seeing her at least one more time.
He was startled to see that her room was empty; he was certain that he’d seen someone moving around in here. Ah well, no matter. This was better for him. He used his claws to carefully pry open her window, stepping silently inside and then standing there as he let the heady scent of Kagome wash over him. He breathed deeply, eyes slipping closed as a long-missed peace slowly began to invade his soul, displacing the worry and hurt that had harbored there for nearly a month. How he had missed this scent! The image of Kagome’s smiling face came to his mind, and he smiled softly in return. His Kagome. How had he ever been able to let her go?
A sudden thump and faint voices drifting to him from the lower level made him freeze in alarm, eyes snapping open as he remembered that Kagome was probably somewhere inside the house. His ears swiveled in all directions as he listened hard for any hint of someone possibly coming, his nose lifting to delicately test his surroundings. He could detect the scent of freshly-cooked food lingering in the air, drifting in through the half-open door, and his mouth watered. It was probably dinnertime; he wished he could go down and join them. Kagome’s mother was such a great cook! He grinned and imagined the look on Kagome’s face should he head downstairs and throw open the door and seat himself at their table, as he had done on other days, like nothing had ever happened. He could practically see the shock in her expression, and it was enough to make him release a throaty chuckle.
Then his mind abruptly supplied him with the image of an extremely pissed-off Kagome attempting to beat the shit out of him for daring to interrupt her family meal, and the humorous expression faded as a scowl took its place. Keh! Stupid wench…
He sighed, unconsciously sinking onto Kagome’s soft bed as he began to think about what to do next. He wanted to see her, really he did. He missed her more than he’d ever imagined was possible. At the same time, he wasn’t sure that it was such a good idea. What if she did jump to the wrong conclusion and think he’d come to drag her back again, or worse, that he’d lied to her about not being able to go through the well anymore? The last thing he wanted to do was endanger the fragile bond between them that had finally begun to repair itself. If it broke this time, he had the feeling that they might never be able to fix it again.
A gleam from Kagome’s bedside table caught his eye, distracting him from his grim thoughts, and he turned to pick up a small, glass vial through which the shards of the jewel glimmered innocently at him. He sighed, gazing down at the pieces. They were yet another reason why Kagome needed to return, why she eventually would return, he thought insistently. She had a duty to complete, and her honor would not let her forget it, even if she for some reason wanted to forget him. He was shocked to discover that on his part, at least, the shards didn’t seem to be as important anymore, not half as important as Kagome was. When she’d shattered the jewel, accident or not, he’d been so pissed that he could have killed her for such carelessness. Now, he found that he was grateful for the accident, since it had given him the opportunity to spend so much time with her and get to know her for who she really was. No longer did he see her as the reincarnation of the miko he used to love, Kikyou. Now he saw her as simply Kagome. His Kagome. Kikyou might have held his heart in her hands at one time in his life, but now it was only Kagome whom he would trust with its keeping.
So wrapped up in his thoughts was he that he failed to take note of the approaching footsteps from outside the door. Only when Souta’s voice reached his ears did he startle out of his thoughts, and when Kagome’s low, soothing voice replied to her little brother’s comment, the hanyou abruptly began to panic. He let out a yip as he fumbled with the glass vial in his hands, nearly dropping it to the floor before he was able to set it carefully back on the nightstand. He stood frozen for a moment, like a trapped animal, while the footsteps grew ever closer to him, then suddenly turned to make a mad dash for the window. He leapt up to the ledge, preparing to launch himself into the darkness, but the sound of the door creaking fully open alerted him to the fact that it was already too late.
There was a moment of stunned silence behind him, and he cringed slightly and stepped back down to the floor as he waited for the outburst that was sure to follow. Instead of Kagome’s angry, accusing tone, however, it was Souta’s young voice that piped up. “Inuyasha!” the little boy exclaimed excitedly, breaking away from his sister’s side to throw himself at the hanyou and wrap his skinny arms around a leg tightly. “You came! You came! Kagome said that you wouldn’t come anymore!” he exclaimed eagerly, dark eyes sparkling with adoration up at his rather uncomfortable hero.
“Uh…” came the eloquent reply, as golden eyes flicked worriedly back and forth between brother and sister. Kagome’s face was expressionless, but her eyes held a strange look as she gazed steadily and silently back at him. He sweated a little, wanting to squirm beneath that gaze. “I…uh…” His eyes fell on Kagome’s pack, which he’d dropped near her bed, and he pounced on the excuse. “Y-you forgot that,” he stammered, looking at Kagome and pointing to the beat-up pack. “I was just…bringing it back to you, that’s all. Those dumb books are in it, after all. Thought you’d need ‘em back.” He shifted uncomfortably, shaking his leg a little in a subtle effort to dislodge the shaggy-haired barnacle that persisted in cutting off his circulation.
Kagome noticed the movement, and her eyes softened a little as a small grin touched her face. “Souta, do you think you could leave us alone for a bit?” she questioned softly. “Inuyasha and I need to talk, okay?”
“Awww…” He was clearly disappointed. “I wanted to show him my new video game you got me,” he pouted. He turned to Inuyasha again, his face lighting up. “It’s a fighting game called Tekken and there’s this really neat guy with a leopard head who can totally kick butt and…”
“Souta, please? It’s kind of important,” Kagome pleaded. “Just leave now.”
“I-I’ll come watch you play your game later, kid,” Inuyasha managed to add, hoping to appease the little boy. At the same time, he really didn’t want to be left alone with Kagome at the moment. She was acting too calm about seeing him there, and usually that meant an explosion was just around the corner. Souta finally released his leg, nodding so hard that Inuyasha was surprised the boy’s head didn’t snap off his neck, and turned to skip out of the room.
“Remember! You promised!” he called back, just before Kagome shut the door, locking the two of them in the room. She sighed, then turned back to face an increasingly nervous dog hanyou.
Seeing the look on his face, realizing that he was expecting her to yell at him, she completely surprised him by smiling instead. “I can’t say I’m not surprised to see you here,” she told him softly, “but…I’m really glad you came.”
He blinked at her, looking a little suspicious. “Y-you’re not mad?” he questioned cautiously.
She tilted her head to one side, looking a little confused. “Should I be?”
“Well…I told you that I couldn’t come here anymore,” he replied carefully.
“Yes. You did.”
“And yet here I am,” he elaborated.
“So you are,” she replied, settling herself down on the edge of her bed. “Thanks for bringing me those books back, by the way, although it’s a bit late. I already had to buy new ones to replace them. Oh well, it just means I can leave the others back in your time and that way I won’t have to drag them back and forth and can still get my studying in,” she mused.
He was growing agitated; she wasn’t reacting at all as he’d expected, and it was making him nervous. “Doesn’t it bother you at all that I’m here? Aren’t you wondering why?” he almost shouted, before wincing and lowering his voice a little. “Don’t you think I…lied to you, or something?”
She tilted her head to one side and looked at him. “Did you lie to me?” she asked quietly in return.
“No!” he yelped, straightening defensively. Then, sinking to his haunches to the floor he added, “Well…um…I didn’t mean to, anyway. Honest, Kagome. When I tried the well…that time…it didn’t let me through. I tried and tried, but it wouldn’t take me back. I just assumed that ‘cause the rosary got broken the connection to you got broken with it. It was just pure chance that I ended up in the well again and it let me through. I wasn’t trying to spy on you or drag you back again!”
Kagome’s expression became gentle as she looked at his bowed head. His tone was as defensive as she’d ever heard it, but his ears were drooping a little; a surefire sign that he was more worried than he wanted to let on. Hesitantly, she reached out to lay her hand against his hair, gliding her fingers through the long, silky strands, her thumb absently stroking the base of one ear, which flicked beneath her touch. Instead of grumbling at her as he normally did when she touched his ears, his head leaned unconsciously into her hand, encouraging more contact, and she smiled. “M-maybe you were wrong about the reason why you couldn’t go through?” she suggested hesitantly.
He frowned a little, his brow furrowing as he thought, trying to puzzle it out. “The shards?” he finally suggested, sounding a little doubtful. “The jewel was what brought you to m…to us…in the first place. Maybe since you were already there, and the jewel was with you, the well wouldn’t work?”
Kagome thought it over. “That’s actually a very smart suggestion,” she replied after a moment, stifling a giggle when he preened a bit. “But I don’t believe it’s quite right. I don’t think it was really the jewel that kept you out,” she continued carefully. “You got back here on your own without the use of a shard, after all. I’ve got them all with me.”
“Oh. Right.” He deflated a little, thinking it over some more, and another idea began to dawn in his mind…one which pleased him a great deal, if truth be told. “Well then,” he began slowly, raising his eyes to meet hers, “if it wasn’t the shards or the rosary that linked me to the well, I can’t help but wonder if it wasn’t something else, instead.”
“Something like what?” she asked curiously.
A golden gaze locked onto her with an almost unnerving intensity, and a small shiver traveled up her spine at the heat in those glowing eyes. “Something like you,” he replied in a low, intimate murmur that set her to stomach fluttering as though she’d just swallowed a flock of hyperactive starlings.
“M-me?”
She hated the way her voice cracked, but when Inuyasha abruptly rose to his feet to stand over her, his head lowered to keep his gaze locked onto her face, she quite forgot her irritation in the face of the burning heat she felt climbing into her cheeks. Never had he looked at her in quite that manner before. Even when he’d dropped her into the well, after his confession, he hadn’t looked so…intense. He reached out to draw her up until she stood directly before him, well within the space of their personal boundaries. But she was anything but uncomfortable at such close proximity. “You, Kagome,” he breathed, his warm breath ghosting softly across her face. His eyes were lidded, the golden depths had darkened to a rich, melted honey that made her want to melt all over. “You’re my connection. It was because you were already there with me that I couldn’t go through the well,” he continued, his voice a soft, velvet purr in her ears. “It wasn’t the rosary or the shards that allowed me to travel back and forth. It was always you, Kagome. You are my link to the future, as I’m your link to the past. It’s the bond between us. Even without the shards, or that rosary, I think you still would have been able to come back to find me. The jewel was only the means to an end.”
Her eyes widened in the face of this observation, and she had to admit that it made perfect sense. The bond. There was a bond, wasn’t there? She could feel it, a connection that flowed between them, like an electrical current. Inuyasha’s head dropped lower, his hands coming up to cradle her face gently between them, and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her again. Everything inside her screamed that she wanted him to…but instead, he rested his forehead gently against her own, his silver hair mingling with her ebony bangs and brushing softly against her face. “Why didn’t you come back right away?” he questioned, his voice very soft and unsure. “It’s been…three weeks, Kagome. Three very long weeks without you. Was…your studying very hard this time?”
Her breath caught at the hurt she heard in his tone that he failed to disguise. She could feel it and his uncertainty; no doubt he was wondering if she’d planned on ditching him for good. Suddenly she felt very guilty; she’d been so wrapped up in her own worries for the past weeks that she’d barely given any thought as to what she must have been putting him through. She’d been very selfish, hadn’t she?
“I’m sorry,” she breathed, her brown eyes expressing the regret she felt. She hesitantly reached up to caress his cheek gently. “I…I didn’t mean to keep you waiting for so long,” she added softly. “It was just…I was…I was a little scared,” she admitted.
“Scared?” His eyes widened slightly, and she hastened to reassure him.
“That it was all a joke or something,” she elaborated, smiling a little sheepishly. “I just…after everything…what I’d wanted to hear for so long, it all seemed too good to be true. Being back here…at first I was going to come back right away, but I guess I just let my doubts get the better of me.” She hung her head slightly. “I used studying as an excuse, but I really was just afraid to go back and find out that maybe you’d…changed your mind or something, or that you were still mad at me and I’d just made everything up to begin with, or…”
She was stopped by a warm thumb pressing against her lips, and Inuyasha’s smiling mouth moving closer to nuzzle at her cheek. “Idiot,” he whispered in her ear. “It wasn’t any dream.”
“I know that now,” she replied, and before she could think twice about it, her arms had come up to wrap themselves around his torso, pulling him into a tight embrace as her face lowered to bury against his chest. Inuyasha didn’t hesitate; his own arms came around her shoulders to hold her, one hand stroking softly up and down her back as the other moved to the nape of her neck and began a gentle massage. She sighed and relaxed into his arms, and he nuzzled his nose into her silken hair and inhaled the sweet fragrance that he’d missed so dearly.
“Will you come back with me?” he asked hesitantly. “I…I mean…unless you’re not done with your test things yet…”
She smiled and closed her eyes. “Those aren’t important anymore,” she replied, and he nearly fell over in shock. She laughed at his astounded expression. “Let’s just say that a very wise woman made me realize that sometimes what you think is important isn’t really as important as you think it is.” She stopped and blinked as she mulled that over in her mind, then wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “It sounded so much better when Mama said it,” she added with a laugh.
“Y-your mother told you that?” he replied with wide eyes. “D-does that mean she…?”
“She knows about us,” Kagome replied. “She…understands.”
“She does?” He looked doubtful. “It doesn’t bother her that a…youkai, even half of one, is…in love with her daughter?”
Her eyes went liquid at the inadvertent confession. In love with…? “Not when that youkai is responsible for making her daughter deliriously happy,” she replied softly. Then she wrinkled her nose again. “Deliriously? Oh, brother! I think I’ve watched a few too many cheesy romance movies lately…”
Inuyasha laughed softly. He knew what romance movies were; he’d caught her watching them more than once, and he absolutely agreed with her. They were cheesy. “Let’s go back right away,” he told her. “Get your supplies together and let your family know and then we can leave. Shippo’s been…really worried about you. He doesn’t eat or sleep the way he used to. I think he feels like you abandoned him.”
Her eyes widened. “Don’t tell me the great Inuyasha is actually worried for the little fox,” she taunted gently.
He snorted. “Keh! Of course I am. If the little brat pines away to his death for you, I’m probably the one who’ll get blamed for it,” he replied sulkily. “Besides…we need to get searching for more shards! You’ve wasted enough time as it is!”
Kagome wasn’t fooled; she grinned up at him. “You’re so sweet when you act all concerned,” she teased, and was delighted at the slow flush of dull red that crept into the hanyou’s face. Impulsively, she reached to press a soft kiss to his cheek, and he froze suddenly, his wide eyes flying to her face. Their gazes locked, and suddenly…things were serious again.
A long moment passed, and he seemed to whisper her name, and her eyes widened as she felt him lean closer to her. Out of nervousness, she stepped slightly away and her calf bumped into the edge of her bed, causing her to lose her balance and sit down. Her arms, which were still wound about his waist, instinctively clutched at him for balance, but the only result of this was that she ended up pulling him down with her, and he released her to brace himself to keep from crushing her under his weight.
The end result of this was somewhat uncomfortable—and quite a bit embarrassing—for the both of them. Kagome was half-sprawled across the mattress, propping herself up on her elbows, with Inuyasha’s forearms braced on either side of her upper torso as they stared at each other with wide eyes. He’d drawn one leg up to brace his knee beside her waist, in order to keep his full weight from crushing her, but his other leg was resting against the bed on her other side, trapping her beneath him. In effect, their upper bodies were pressed quite firmly together in a most interesting and intimate position, causing hot blushes to rise swiftly to their cheeks.
“Uh…whoops?” Kagome stammered sheepishly, blinking up at the heated gaze hovering just inches above her face. His hair had slipped over his shoulders and now fell all around them, shielding them in a bright, sliver mantle that blocked out the rest of the world. Strands of cool, heavy silk fell across her heated face and pooled over her chest where the low V-neck collar of her T-shirt had slipped downward. The scent of the forest and the wind and everything nature permeated the air; made it hard for her to think. “S-sorry about that…” she breathed, her voice barely more than a faint whisper.
His eyes narrowed a little, and a small, sly grin touched his lips. “So who’s complaining?” he replied, his voice little more than a low purr, and before the heated remark had time to register in her rather dazed mind, he closed the scant distance between them and sealed his mouth to hers.
This kiss was as aggressive as the last one had been gentle. Weeks…months…of pent-up longing were finally making themselves known as Inuyasha pressed himself as close to her as he could and devoured her lips, and all Kagome could do was hang on for dear life and enjoy the ride. Even through the thickness of his clothing, he could feel the soft press of her breasts, feel her heart pounding against him, and he responded by pushing his groin tightly to her curves, wanting to show her how much he desired her. She shivered at the feel of him pressed so intimately against her, a strange, heady heat rising in her body.
His arms slid around her waist and up her back, cradling her head in his hands, being cautious even in the midst of passion not to cut her with his claws. He angled his head to deepen the kiss even more, lapping gently at her lips until they parted beneath the warm pressure, then slipping inside to taste her. When her tongue rose to shyly meet his in a slow, languid dance, he felt his senses leave him as instinct began to take over. The scent of her arousal hung heavy in the air, making his own growing arousal ache with need; he sought to ease the pressure by grinding forcefully against her, a low growl rumbling in his chest, and she gasped into his mouth, startled at the sudden aggressiveness.
The small sound abruptly returned him to his senses, and he tore his mouth from hers, leaving the both of them gasping for breath as they stared at each other in wonder. “I-Inuyasha…” she breathed, stunned into near silence in the face of his passion. His eyes were burning; a thin ring of liquid, molten gold surrounded his pupils, which were so wide with arousal that they nearly drowned out the color. They were fixed with overwhelming intensity on her, and she suddenly realized that he no longer resembled a dog so much as a large and deadly tiger that had locked onto its prey and was preparing to spring. She breathed his name again, and slowly the fire in his eyes began to dim, the color returning as his gaze softened, a small, rather sheepish smile touching his swollen lips. “Kagome…” he murmured, stroking a thumb over her cheek and across her tender lips. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t scare you, did I?”
She grinned shyly at him. “Not exactly…” she admitted. He grinned back, looking smugly satisfied with the reply. He also looked like he wanted to pick right back up where he’d left off…and she wasn’t entirely sure that she’d mind if he did. She’d never been kissed like that before, not by anybody. Inuyasha was the only person she’d ever kissed…or who had ever kissed her. It was…the most incredible feeling she’d ever had in her life. Her eyes softened as she reached up to stroke a finger against his lips, and he sucked in a sharp breath at the contact. “There’s something I forgot to tell you,” she said, looking at him seriously.
“What?” His eyes were closed, nuzzling his face against her palm.
“That…I love you.”
His eyes flew open and he stared down at her with an expression that warred between disbelief, hope, and elation. Then his arms were around her again and he was pulling her up to seat her on his lap, turning her so that she straddled him and embracing her tightly as he lowered his head to take her lips in another soul-binding kiss. Kagome returned the gesture eagerly, and they began to once more sink into the blinding passion that flowed between them…
The door abruptly flew open, and a highly impatient voice called out, “Hey, Inuyasha! Are you done talking to…….eeeewwwww! That’s gross! Mooooom! Kagome and Inuyasha are being bad!”
“Souta! I’m gonna kill you!” Kagome squealed furiously, launching herself off Inuyasha’s lap to race after the hysterically laughing boy, leaving a bemused hanyou blinking in surprise. The mood was definitely broken now.
He took a moment to gather his thoughts, ears twitching as they picked up the sound of Kagome’s loud yells and Souta’s squeals of fright, and then he suddenly grinned and flopped back onto the bed, chuckling quietly. Now maybe she’d understand why he was always picking on Shippo. The little brat had an uncanny knack for interrupting at exactly the wrong moments. Ah, well. He stretched lazily and rose to his feet, shaking himself off and sauntering from the room with a smug grin on his face. A loud crash and a squawk greeted his ears, making the grin stretch from ear to ear. He supposed he’d better go and save Souta from Kagome’s wrath. After all, he couldn’t very well let him down, now could he? What kind of a hero would he be? Besides, he kinda liked Souta; the kid showed good sense. After all, anyone who would idolize him couldn’t be all that bad, right?
A flustered Mrs. Higurashi brushed by him, holding a basket piled with clothes in one arm and carrying a bag of trash in the other, looking concerned as she headed to see what all the racket was. She paused and looked back, giving him a motherly smile. “Why, hello, Inuyasha! So good to see you!” she exclaimed. “I believe Kagome is around here—”
“Kagome and Inuyasha, sittin’ in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-”
Thud! Crash! “Die, you little weasel!”
“Mooooommmmm!”
“—somewhere. Excuse me, please. There are some leftovers in the refrigerator; they should still be warm. I hope you like oden. Help yourself, dear!” And with that she was breezing down the hallway, laundry and trash balanced expertly in her hands.
Inuyasha stared after her, rather impressed. Mrs. Higurashi, he had to admit, really was an amazing mother, wasn’t she? Calm, cool, and always in control, kind and thoughtful, and obviously someone who cared about her children. Kagome would probably be the same way, he imagined, what with the way she always doted on Shippo. His smile turned a bit goofy (although he was unaware of it) as he thought of Kagome cradling her first…their first…baby in her arms. He imagined that he’d like a daughter. Or maybe a son. Or…well…why not both? Yeah…both would be good.
And, naturally…the process of making those pups would be even better, he thought with a smirk. He could hardly wait to get started.
Of course, it’d be better to wait awhile, he realized with a frown. There was still the matter of the shards to collect, which would be a lot harder to retrieve if Kagome was pregnant or taking care of pups. And once the jewel was completed, he didn’t know what would happen then. He no longer had the urge to wish on the jewel to become a demon…but he wasn’t sure that he wanted to become human, either. Besides…Kagome seemed to like him just the way he was, so who was he to change all that? At the moment, he didn’t really care what would happen with the jewel, just so long as they could be together.
A faint trace of food reached his nostrils as he neared the kitchen, and he stopped in his tracks and hungrily licked his lips. Oden, huh? Well, first things first, then. He’d leave Souta in Mrs. Higurashi’s capable hands while he partook of the most delicious-smelling food. Then, he’d track Kagome down and settle her down with a kiss. Or two. Or maybe a few dozen…and if that led to anything else…well…who was he to complain? Maybe they couldn’t have pups yet, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have fun practicing, he thought with a lecherous smirk.
His musings were abruptly interrupted when a screeching Souta suddenly appeared in the hall, nearly bowling Inuyasha over as he zipped by with a fuming Kagome hot on his heels. Inuyasha’s eyes widened in surprise when she suddenly screeched to a stop before him, then turned to give him a bright smile, gripped the front of his gi, and pulled him down to her level before planting her lips firmly on his in a heated kiss.
A few long, heady moments later, she released him, gave him a teasing grin…then abruptly turned and started pounding after Souta, who had stopped to gawk at the spectacle. The little boy promptly screeched and took off again, and they both left Inuyasha standing in a trail of dust, a silly grin plastered all over his face as he blinked after them.
Oh yeah. A guy could really get used to that…
Shaking himself out of his stupor, he straightened his clothes primly and stepped into the kitchen.
And now…to see about that oden…
~~Finis~~
(For REAL this time!) ^_~
It’s done it’s done it’s done! Woohooooo! *does a victory dance and promptly falls over* Thanks so so SO much to everyone who read and reviewed and loved my story! I can’t tell you how proud I am of it right now. I mean…getting up close to 600 reviews! I’m still in shock! ^^;
Anyway…in case anyone is thinking of asking “Will you write a lemony sequel next?” The answer is a loud and resounding NO! This story is over! You want a lemon, you’ll have to imagine it in your own minds ‘cause it ain’t gonna be written by me. That is to say, I might write an Inuyasha and Kagome lemon one of these days, but it won’t be a sequel and it won’t be for a long time. It also won’t be posted at fanfiction.net ‘cause…you know…that’d be against the rules and all. Not that THAT ever stops me… ^^;
Btw, a shameless plug on my part. If anybody here likes the manga Peach Girl (which I personally adore), I’m writing a Kiley(whom I especially adore) and Momo fanfic called Artistic License. The PG category isn’t very big, and I don’t think a lot of readers even bother with it, so I thought I’d give a heads up to anyone who likes PG that there ARE fanfics posted there and some of them ARE very good. I’d hope to think that mine is included in the “good” category. ^^;
Okay, okay, you’re asking, so if I read it, what’s in it for me? Well…hmmm…is description of a naked Kiley a good enough bribe for you? The fic is rated R, btw. *innocent smile*
Well…thanks again for putting up with my fanfic! It was a great time writing it, I have to say! All those reviews were so encouraging! So, I’ll see you in other stories.
Quickening
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