I'm not usually one for over-written pairings but for some reason, the muse hit me. Enjoy, InuxKag all the way.

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Love Taps

Black hair shuffled in the wind, her palms pressed against the damp rocks as she rested nearby the river. The slight trickling of the water passing by lulled her into peaceful meditation. The leaves shook in the trees above her and the shade calmed the burn from the sun hovering in the sky.

It was an ordinary day. It had been an ordinary day for some time now. It was almost as if, all that had happened was all but a dream. Falling into the well, awakening a hanyou from cursed slumber, battling yokai and Naraku for the notorious Shikon shards, it was all nothing but a figment of a long forgotten past.

Sweet memories as well as painful nightmares, sifted through her mind on a day-to-day basis. It saddened her in a way that so much had changed. Yes, the world would now be at peace, both hers and his. There would be no more fighting, or at least not as severely since Naraku's demise. She could easily go on with her modern day life although for the most part, she had chosen otherwise.

She turned her large sepia eyes to a patch of grass nearby. It was where he would often sit when the days of death and tragedy were over. He would sit there for a while, in disbelief that it had really come to an end. He would stare blankly, at his Tessaiga glistening in the sunlight, without a word to her.

She never pressured him. She knew him enough. She would give him time to adjust, time to ponder new decisions now that evil was no longer in his way.

She told herself that if she just left him alone, that if she let him be, he would eventually come upon a decision. A tint of hope in her heart made her believe that he would finally think about his future, think about them. Unfortunately it was not as pleasant and as simple as that.

In time, he had finally seemed to grow out of Kikyo. With her death, it didn't offer him much choice. At least he had acted that way. He stopped mentioning Kikyo while in her presence, slowly wiping away her existence and replacing it with hers. Once again Kikyo had passed on, and this time she was sure he knew that she wouldn't return.

He still acted like himself, rambunctious, arrogant and always eager to start a fight, but as some years passed by, that loud charisma of his seemed to whither away. There was no longer a reason for him to lift his sword, to protect anyone, to fight anyone, or excel in anything. It was as if peaceful times had stolen his pride, his very reason for existing. Her eyes burned as she stared at the vacant spot in which he once sat.

Now that Miroku's Kazana was forever cured, he stood true to his word on bearing children with Sango. They had stood with the group for a while before they decided to settle in the same village where Miroku was raised. Now they were living happily with one another and Kirara, stopping by for an occasional visit from time to time.

Shippou had begun to age, blooming into what seemed like pre-teen years and found an interest in exploring the land and taking an interest in young girls. He still stood very attached to Kagome so he made sure to depart on traveling adventures for less than a week before he'd find her and Inuyasha again.

Even Sesshoumaru had moved on, putting the rivalry between him and his half brother behind him. Accompanied by a blossoming Rin, Jaken, Kohaku, and his two-headed youkai Ah-Un, he had continued across the lands, on a mission to complete a goal that was still unknown to others.

She had many days and nights alone with Inuyasha now, and although she had longed for such time, it was different from what her fifteen-year-old heart had fantasized.

Now that she was older, she understood things differently. All her previous experiences had helped her to grow and see the world through new eyes. That's why when she thought of Inuyasha, it pained her.

Kagome stood up from the ground. The sun was setting beyond the horizon, casting a deep violet hue on the land. She brushed the blades of grass from her skirt and tied her long hair back. She had tried not to let it grow too long since she shared such a resemblance to Kikyo but whenever she spent this much time in the Sengoku period, a pair of scissors and finely trained hands were scarce.

"What am I gonna do with you?" she mumbled to herself as she trotted down the hill carelessly. Honestly, she was growing tired of this never-ending dilemma with Inuyasha. It was like plucking a flower with endless petals of 'he loves me not' chants. She was already twenty-one years old, high school was over and she wanted to know where she was going in life. She had waited long enough. She couldn't wait forever, or at least that is what she told herself.

Hojo had keenly attempted in asking for her hand in marriage. It was a shock for her being that she had never really noticed the overflowing feelings he had attached to her all these years. With a doubtful but still loving heart, she kindly turned him down. Her mother understood. She couldn't help the way she felt about Inuyasha, despite the changes he was enduring lately.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of his shadow, standing atop a hill nearby a wooden shack in which they were staying. The moonlight was blue on his face, softening the features that had transformed from mischievous to masculine as time drew on. His shoulders had grown broader and much to his dismay, he was beginning to show some resemblance to Sesshoumaru. Of course she'd never tell him that. His long white hair draped over his shoulders as he looked beyond the skies, looking for something she wished she understood. It was difficult to understand him, without an argument being sparked or awkwardly changing the subject. Still, she never gave up and she still hadn't.

Her lips parted, ready to call for him but only silence fell from them. Sighing in defeat, she walked into the shack and sat beside the fire. Rubbing her hands together for warmth, she covered her hair with a nearby blanket.

Why are you like this? Why do you avoid me and treat me like a stranger? Is there no place for me? Am I just tugging your tail and pulling you down?

'There comes a time, when a boy becomes a man. His mind changes as well as his body, and without someone to guide him, he cannot understand himself. He is in a struggle with the times as well as the effects it has on him'.

These were the words that her grandfather bestowed on her. It was surprising but it seemed that Inuyasha's solemn expression had caught his attention one afternoon, and provoked him to offer her advice because of it. She held onto those words. They were the only answers she had.

Her brows creased in frustration. Her nails dug into her palms with resolve.

No more! I can't take anymore!

Just as she was about to turn and confront the love of her life, he appeared at the doorway. With a gentle smile, he acknowledged the fish over the fire prepared for them and nodded gratefully. His smile faded at the sight of her expression.

"What's eating you?" He gave her a sideways look, baffled by her display. He always did this, acted as if there was nothing wrong. Regrettably for him, she could no longer pretend.

Without another word, Kagome rushed up to him. A sharp slap across his cheek sent his face jolting to the side. His palm rose to cup his throbbing face, jaw agape in shock.

"What the hell was that for?" Inuyasha demanded with a clenched fist shaking between them.

Kagome looked away, her hands trembled at her sides. Her heart pumped ferociously in her chest, sweat beaded across her forehead.

The silence dragged on and just as he was about to yell at her again, she spoke.

"Why do you hate me?"

His eyes widened, then narrowed in a mixture of concern and pain. He was lost for words. After all this time, she had every reason to feel that way. He had shut himself off from her for so long. Wearing a mask when he was with her and using the other time he had to go on walks and lose himself in his thoughts, he hadn't given her the attention she had deserved.

It was hard. He knew she only meant well for him but no matter how much she tried, he still felt lost. The world he once knew was gone, the ways he once lived by were changing, and the people he once knew were living on elsewhere. How could he make decisions on a future when he felt like time had stopped? He was trapped.

"Kagome - I'm sorry," his shallow words had no effect on her. She had heard this before. Apologies, promises, requests for more time. It wasn't enough.

Pursing her lips in obvious dissatisfaction, Kagome turned back to the fire and sat quietly. Inuyasha couldn't move. Watching her sit there by the orange light, flickering on her hair, knowing her eyes were so full of question, he felt too guilty to sit by her.

Palm on his forehead in defeat, he trudged back outside. Hearing the vague, weak cries from her as he walked away tore him apart. He ran, trying to drown out her pain with the passing wind gushing through his ears.

Meanwhile, Kagome tried her best to contain her cries. She let a few whimpers escape but soon enough, she straightened up and leaned forward to grab a fish. It was decided. Tomorrow she would leave. It was clear that there was no purpose in staying. Suddenly Hojo's marriage proposal seemed a bit more intriguing. Maybe at least then, she'd get the love she had craved for so long, even though she wasn't sure if she'd be able to return it.

Bringing the salty fish to her lips, she took a bite. Warm tears streamed down her cheeks silently. After her meal, she had effortlessly fallen asleep.

'A man needs purpose to survive. Some men die when life takes away from them too quickly, when it moves too fast for them. I've seen it happen all too often and I'm afraid, I see it in him'.

Miroku had also shared some words with her about Inuyasha's changes. Even though Miroku's father had died when he was a child, he was still raised and brought up by another fatherly figure. All Inuyasha had was a vague memory of his mother and nothing else. He didn't know how to be a man. There were no footsteps for him to follow.

She was in a deep sleep when she heard the thunder roar through the skies. Heavy rain slapped against the wooden porch outside. Lightning flashed by the windows. With the loud thunderbolt, she abruptly sat up with a startled gasp.

For some reason, the other presence in the room brought fear to her. It was as if it were someone she didn't know. She felt his glare, shadowing over her as her back faced him.

Spinning around quickly in her sleeping bag, she met the golden eyes of the stranger. Her heart beat wildly upon meeting his gaze. His eyes flared with a fire she had never seen before, a determination that was new to her. His body stood tall and stiff, towering over her as he locked eyes with her. His white locks of hair stuck to his skin, rain dripping down his face and his bare chiseled chest. He looked almost mad, but somehow, although this was something she'd never seen before, she wasn't afraid.

"In-Inuyasha?"

Thunder roared again, making her jump as he approached her. That wild look still dancing in his eyes as he stopped in front of her. Looking down at her and breathing heavily, he shook his head.

"I was running…".

Kagoma blinked at him, confused and curious.

"I fell while I was running, I kept falling over the same damn rock in my way".

It finally dawned upon her that he wasn't really talking about himself running physically.

"S-so? What did you do eventually?" She was on her knees, eyes still locked on his as he slowly bent down in front of her. Now barely inches away, she could feel his animalistic breathe on her face.

"I picked it up. It's easier to run with it then to leave it there and keep falling over it".

"Is it?" Her eyes grew glassy, searching his eyes for an answer that was clearer. She saw it. Burning and growing now, something that had died long ago but was now revived and more than ever. Determination, ambition, and purpose.

Somehow in the middle of all this running he did, he became the man he never knew how to be.

Grabbing her face in his hands, he pulled her to him. Meeting her lips in a feverish kiss, he embraced her as if he knew that tonight was his last chance before Kagome had ever told him. Bringing his fingers back to her cheeks, his long, sharp nails stroked her milky skin. His hands sent tremors all over her body. Her blood boiled and raced through her veins.

All this time she had longed for him to love her and take her like any man would a woman, but now that he was, she couldn't help but be slightly afraid. It excited her as well as rattled her nerves but she didn't want to stop it. She wouldn't.

With every feel of his wet lips on hers, his fingers on the back of her neck, his grip on the small of her back, she shivered. Millions of insects crawled beneath her skin. Pins and needles pricked her hands and feet. Her heart beat out of her chest, loud enough for the world to hear.

It was happening so fast and in a quick moment, she felt a small, painful sting, slice across her cheek. She pulled back with a gasp, her hands reaching up to the fresh blood showing itself from her smooth skin. Her index finger pressed the source of the pain. It was a scratch. Her eyes met his guilty fingers, streaked with her blood on one nail.

Inuyasha stared at it, his once firm posture now quivering again. He felt like he had just stabbed her although it was only a scratch. He didn't mean it.

She interrupted his daze with a gentle touch on his hand. Tugging his finger onto her skirt, she wiped off the blood. Her head tilted sincerely, "It's not your fault. It's okay".

He didn't seem convinced enough yet. Realizing that he was still stumped and it was no different than talking to a wall, she reached up to seize his cheek. His eyes met hers with uncertainty, like a naïve child brand new to the world.

"If love like this comes with these little pains, I'd be more than happy to see my own blood more often," she offered him another mild grin.

He didn't like the way that sounded. After all the pain he had already put her through, why give her more, even if just a little? Looking into her eyes, he knew that was what she wanted. Deep within himself, he knew that was what he wanted too, little pains or not. He'd just have to make the best of those little pains.

Solemn again, he reached to cover her eyes with his palm. She obeyed as they stood sitting across from each other in silence. It made her nervous not being able to see what he was doing, what his eyes looked like, but at the same time, she didn't want to open them.

Her heart stopped the moment she felt his warmth near her, and damp velvet press against the small wound on her cheek. She gasped once again in surprise and he held her face to calm her. Strangely, as much as this was awkward, it was oddly pleasurable, sending tingling signals throughout her body.

It was the most intimate moment she had ever shared with him and yet, all he was doing was cleaning the blood with his tongue. Funny, just as any dog would do his master if he or she were injured. She wondered if Inuyasha had the same healing effects that canines had in their saliva or if he was simply doing it out of other reasons. She silently hoped it was for other reasons.

Inuyasha backed up with caution and took a quick glance into her eyes. Seeing that she smiled, his fears had melted and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself. Not after that.

Grabbing her face again gently, he pulled her into his lap. Now with new intentions, his lips grazed over hers, chancing one last look of permission into her eyes. Kagome lifted herself up to press against his lips as an answer and he accepted.

His long, sharp nails dug into her shoulders, slightly tearing holes into the material of her shirt. His fangs sometimes sent another sharp pang in her mouth but his tongue wrapped in hers would soften the pain. Within a few stings followed by the warm sweep of his tongue moments later, she decided that this was the most beautiful pain she had ever endured.

With an inviting ragged breath, she dug her own nails into his shoulder blades. "Never run again," she warned in his ear.

He nodded, stopping his lips over her neck for a moment to respond, "I won't".

With that, she ripped the Beads of Subjugation around his neck, sending the purple orbs to splatter noisily across the wooden floor. It was the last of what bound him to childish ways and a life in the past. He no longer needed it and neither did she. He was hers, and she didn't need a necklace to aid her.

Finally, after all this time, he took her, in more ways than one.

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Never had she admired the sunlight like she had the next morning. Golden rays spilled into the wooden patches of the shack, illuminating them beneath their sleeping bags. Her porcelain skin, still slightly sore from the night before, seemed to warm up to the morning light. Her eyes fluttered open as she lifted herself up, grinding her tired eyes with her fists.

Goosebumps dotted along her bare arms from the small breezes coming from the entrance. It was then that she realized he wasn't next to her anymore.

With a startled gasp, she sat up completely. Her head spinning around frantically as if she thought he'd magically appear from beneath the thin covers or the wooden planks in the floor. A slight fear tugged at her heart.

Where had he gone off? Had he once again run off to resume his old ways? Was the night before nothing but another shallow apology? Another broken promise?

Her shoulders shivered and her knees buckled nervously. Before the pain could sink any deeper into her, she heard a heavy presence enter the doorway.

"Thought I was out running again didn't you?" Before he could call her an idiot or stupid or any other kind of usual insult that would result in another one of their arguments, her large eyes silenced him. He saw the relief in them. He was only humoring her with the comment but it seemed she had really thought he had gone off.

In seconds she seemed to step out of her stupefied daze and tilted her head at him with a gentle smile on her face. "Morning".

He had a bundle of fish wrapped in rope, clenched in his fist. He woke up early that morning to walk to the river and rinse his claws, still slightly crimson from when he'd accidentally scratch her smooth, flawless skin. Each time was like scratching on a plate. Agonizing and painful every time – at least to him.

Kagome stood up, blanket enclosed around the deep arches of her body, before she approached him. "I'll cook the fish-"

He grabbed her offered wrist, pulling her to him. Without a word, he dipped his head into the curve of her neck where the deepest scratch resided. He pressed his lips against it, almost as if trying to wash away the caked up blood from the night before.

"W-what are you doing?"

The half demon didn't respond. Instead he parted with a small devious smile, one she hadn't seen in ages. His fangs flared with mischief.

"Let's go for a walk before we eat".

It was the first time he had invited her along on one of his 'walks' since peaceful times began to tear sorrow into him. She lifted a suspicious brow, earning a flick of her fingers on his forehead.

"What the hell was that for?" He scolded with a palm on his forehead, apparently not appreciating the little love tap from the woman in his arms.

Instead she led him to the door, grabbing his top in the process that was currently not in use and concealed her naked flesh. She grinned as they passed the resting Tessaiga on the porch and observed that he made no attempt to bring it along. It was also the first time he had seemed so willing to leave it behind, being that the sword had served him company replacing her in recent times.

By the time they were stepping onto the moist, lush grass, Inuyasha had finally made the gesture to stop Kagome from dragging him any further.

"You still haven't answered me-" and before he could finish, she flicked him again.

He growled with frustration. "Kagooomee-"

"Love taps," she said quite simply.

He blinked in response. "Whaaaat?" It was clear that he didn't understand the modern term.

"Love taps. It's like when it hurts buuut it feels good at the same time – yeah, something like that," She tried explaining it to him but she wasn't sure herself how to put it into words. Her eyes rolled up in thought as she tapped her chin. His wide, baffled eyes bored into her, awaiting a better explanation.

Then, she finally flicked him again. Before he could respond harshly, she grabbed his raised fist and used it to pull herself to his lips for a kiss. He blinked again.

"You see? Just like that. It hurts but then it feels better," She smiled again, the small pink line still etched on her cheek from the very first time he had scratched her by accident. He finally understood where she was going with this. All the small little bruises she endured and even the big ones he had given her heart, she'd refer to them as love taps in hopes that he'd make them all better.

You live, you hurt and you love. As long as some of the hurt is out of love, then it's okay. And even if it isn't, it is the other's responsibility to make it better with time.

Inuyasha smirked, wiping her bangs away and leaning in for another well-earned peck. Just as her eyes almost fell into the moment, she felt the flick of his vengeful fingers on her forehead before he escaped into the trees.

"Oww!" She protested, now holding her forehead as he had.

All she heard was his loud, rambunctious laughter, echoing into the forest. She mirrored his own smirk on her face as she ran after him, a content sigh followed.

Love taps.

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I had written this a long time ago and decided to finish it. I was debating on whether or not to post it, and there was no beta for this, but in the end I posted it. There's no better opinion than those of the reviewers so I hope to hear what you, the readers, think of this piece.