Award Winning Fiction: 3rd Place Best One-Shot 2005 from Inuyasha Fanguild.

By: Yabou

One-Shot

Prologue – What's Inevitable

Life is, at times, severed by random acts of violence, lust, or pure stupidity. One can never question the outcome of a travesty of life; it simply is. The victim is left buried six feet under, and the ones left behind to mourn pull as they can to continue on with their own burdens.

Circumstances can never be considered easy when dealing with such a matter; there are no exceptions. This is the way it is meant to be. No differences. No variations. The implementation of death is inevitable. So, why does one still try to escape its clutches? Why does a creature stare wide-eyed into the horizon of death and still tuck tail and run?

Instinct.

Pure, simple, natural.

This finally brings us to a point. Instinct controls all whims when pushed to the edge. On the brink, reason and common sense have no holding. These things simply are as they will be, and no matter how one may try to change such things, it will be.

Section One – Blood Stains

Natural. Raw. A power unlike any other surged through welcoming veins and forced itself into a bloodied target. The feeling of such justice at his hands was both elation and a secret fear. The pure demonic joy that was forced into his being during a kill was one that had yet to be equaled by any other course of action, and the lapses between each one left him with a hollow sensation.

This is where the fear came into play. His fingers itched, at times, to rip through a delicate layer of skin and coat his vicious claws with the sweet liquid of an innocent.

An innocent. It was a classification given to him by the human mindset he held. To one of his halves, there was no wrong or right. There simply was what there was. But, a curse had been placed on his body. The curse of a life with conscious and the ability to ignore it…only to have it take a nice bite out of his ass in the end.

For these reasons, he held in the feelings that left him with a dangerous wanting for the caressing blood of a young woman in his mouth. One young woman in particular. Sure, there were others at times. Some who passed through their village, or ones they met along the way. They were able to incense the curiosity of his demonic side to some point or another, but this woman eluded him to every degree.

His mind reeled at the simple thought of her wrist or neck exposed to his torture. He clenched his fists closed against the thought. The actions were barbaric and animalistic and he would ignore them for all he was worth. She certainly did not deserve to be thought of in such a way. The idea of posing such a question wasn't even possible.

But, still he contemplated every waking hour about what she would taste like.

Section Two – Preying Eyes

His mouth watered as he watched her move through the water, washing the last clinging suds away from her body in the freezing waters. Amber eyes followed the subtle ripples created by each one of her movements.

She sighed.

So did he.

He could tell that she was avoiding leaving the water for fear of the onslaught of cold air upon her dripping personage. He smiled at her pouting frowns and waited. Patience was, sometimes, one of his greatest virtues.

Her arms wrapped tightly around her upper torso as she wadded into the shallow banks. A shudder ran down her spine when she stepped completely out of the safety of the river and onto the shore.

She dried as quickly as possible and quickly donned her clothes. She could feel prying eyes from somewhere along the shoreline, and she knew who it was.

He had been watching her every time she walked away from the camp religiously for nearly a year now. At first, she had thought it was all because of the accident, but his tendencies around her had changed and led her hopeful mind to think otherwise. But, as always, she was unsure, and therefore would not be the one to make the first move.

Still, every once in a while, she would walk away from the campsite just to feel the tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach. It always came when he followed her. It was her own secret game, and he was her lead character.

She could make him do anything she wanted without even letting him know. Sure, she got a guilty conscious now and then, but the extra attention was far too precious to be thrown away.

Brushing some sand away from her thigh, she smiled and repacked the things she had used for her bath. The game would continue today. They had nowhere to go and were staying in the village until a new shard was heard of.

She threw the pack down by a small sapling and began walking farther away from familiar places.

Inuyasha smirked at her back from the tree. He enjoyed it when she went for walks; it was almost like a wonderful game of chase. The first shot of adrenaline into his veins brought out the sudden rush of silently stalking his prey.

Kagome giggled as the first wisps of wind brought a strand of her ebony hair across her face to tickle her nose. Tucking it back, she twirled a step and continued down and unknown path. She could feel Inuyasha getting closer in the trees and knew that he wasn't really paying attention to where he was going anymore.

A seeded dandelion temporarily stopped her dance as she plucked it and carefully blew the gentle stems into the wind. They floated away on a high breeze, and she continued on her way.

Humming to herself, she smiled. She was almost too far out of Inuyasha's domain. Soon enough, he would drop down out of the trees and "capture" her. 'Soon enough.'

Section Three – When You're Wrong

Inuyasha watched her lay, unaware, in a small field of lavender. They were on the outskirts of the village, and he knew it was nearly time to turn back for the evening meal. The others would come looking if they didn't.

Time. It was a terrible hindrance in his life. Time had taken away his mother. Time had taken away Kikyo. Time had taken away fifty years of his own life, and Time would bring about his own end.

He stalked closer to his intended target and pulled the scowling look back onto his face. "Oi."

She smiled up at him. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Yes?"

"What are you doing out here?" His eyes narrowed in accusation. "I thought you were going to bathe."

"I did."

"And?"

She shrugged. "Isn't it beautiful out here?"

He snorted. "Woman, that's the kind of attitude that will get you killed."

Giving him a bland look, she turned back to the picturesque view. "What attitude?"

"That one." He pointed at her and threw his arms across his chest. "You can't just run off wherever the hell you want whenever you think it's pretty. You'll get killed."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Right."

"Oi!" He plopped down in front of her, effectively blocking one view and giving her another one.

She gritted her teeth. "Yes?"

"Are you listening to me?"

She frowned. "I'm trying my best not to."

He growled.

"Oh, Inuyasha. Stop it." She exacerbated. "You always take care of me, don't you?"

"That's got nothing to do with it." The pointing finger was back in her face.

"Of course it does!" Her hands flew up and landed in the dirt.

"No," he shook his head. "It doesn't! How do you know that I'm always going to be there?"

She frowned. The game wasn't so fun anymore. "I don't." Her voice lost some of its original vibrato.

"See." He sat back and stared at her. "You don't."

She bit her lip and nodded.

It was his turn to frown. "What's wrong now!"

"Nothing."

"Yes, there is. What is it? What the hell'd I do this time?" He rolled smoothly up onto his haunches.

"No."

He growled. "Tell me!"

"No!"

"Yes, damn it!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!" Her hands flew forward to push him away from her face, but he managed to grab her wrists and push her back into a sitting position. "NO! NO! NO!"

"Grrrr! Damn you, bitch! What the fuck is wrong with you!"

"When are you leaving, then?" She hissed at him.

"Leaving? Where the hell am I going?" His grip tightened.

She looked at the pristine plant life surrounding them and mumbled, "You said that I didn't know that you'd always be here. So, when are you leaving?"

"Ready to be rid of me, bitch?" His blood was heated beyond the point of being reasonable, and he could either push or pull. He didn't necessarily think she'd speak to him if he did the second.

"No." She squeaked at his low growl.

"Right. I know who you're after, wench." A venom filled his voice that she had never heard before…well, never directed at her.

"W-What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Kagome." Somehow, her name sounded worse than any of the other insults he had pummeled her with.

"Play? What?" Her eyes widened with confusion.

"You've always wanted him. I know it." The demon blood pushed him forward. It made him say the hurtful things that he had never dared to confront her with before. It made him rip out the answers he didn't want to hear. He knew how she had felt about everything after the "accident." 'Accident.' His mind sneered at her name for it. He knew better.

One doesn't lie when on the brink of death. Especially not a miko.

Section Four – Real and Make Believe

She stood before him – a picture of the perfect corpse. Her face had been covered with a heavy white make up, and her lips had been painted the most seductive shade of red. Her hair stood mangled into some complex knot on top of her head. For once, she stood in one of the traditional kimonos from his own time. She stood ready and waiting…for him.

She had gagged on her own blood and fallen to the floor. She writhed and a sweat broke out on her forehead as she fought the deadly poison injected into her system by a demon that lay dead several feet from them.

She spoke to him softly and caressed the tears falling down his cheek. "Inuyasha," she gasped.

He had wished her silent, but she continued.

"My heart has always belonged to one man, and no one has every changed it. Ever." She let her hand fall to the ground.

He prayed that she spoke of him and gently ran one clawed hand of her pale wrist, hoping that he could save her. Pressing the skin gently, he lifted it to his mouth and prepared to let her blood flow into his mouth.

She froze. "No, Inuyasha. You can't…"

He looked at her in pure confusion. She didn't want him to save her. She wanted him to leave her? "Why not?"

She coughed violently. "Don't…" Her words faltered and her body fell limp.

Kouga stood in the doorway behind them. "You heard her, cur. Move aside. I can help her. She wants me."

Inuyasha growled. That couldn't be what she had meant. "No."

The wolf demon frowned. "You want her to die just because you can't see the truth?"

"She doesn't want you."

"Really?" Kouga stepped forward and Kagome shifted toward him.

Inuyasha stilled. 'This can't be true. Why would she want him?'

"Move, dog." Kouga ripped her from his side and began to feed her some medicinal plants. "Stupid fool."

Section Five – Asking Isn't Easy

"Inuyasha?" Kagome noticed the glazed fury in his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you want me to remember it that badly? Why do you have to fucking rub it in?" He pushed her hands away.

"Remember what? The accident? Inuyasha that wasn't your fault." She tried to comfort him but was forced back.

"I know it wasn't my fucking fault, but you…he… You could have told me."

"He who?" she managed to scoot forward a few inches when he retreated.

"Kouga." He sneered.

"What did Kouga have to do with the accident?" She was only a few inches away from his face at this point, and he could still feel the familiar rush from earlier activities.

He paused, tracing the delicate curve of her main artery through her neck with his eyes. The need was terribly overwhelming. He could almost taste her blood flowing down his throat as he claimed all that she was.

"Inuyasha?" She laid a hand on his cheek.

"You're his, remember?" He stared into her eyes, willing her to see what she had missed before. Silently telling her to see what she hadn't seen when she had chosen a wolf.

"I'm his…what? I don't belong to Kouga!" She began to prepare the normal speeches for why she didn't belong to Kouga, but noticed that there hadn't been one where Inuyasha had actually stated that she belonged to the wolf demon.

"Of course you do." He frowned. "You let him take care of you!"

"What?"

"You stopped me. Damn it. You wouldn't let me help you after the accident, but you let him! You belong to him, and you never even told me!"

"Kouga helped me after the accident?" She looked away. 'What happened after I passed out?'

"Yes, he fucking helped you! You told me not to, but your body turned to him. You don't lie when you're dying, Kagome. You didn't want me, but all of you wanted him!" She could feel his hot breath on her face and see the flames dancing in his amber eyes.

"What!" She nearly screamed. "How dare you think that! All of this crap is because I moved in my sleep!"

"Instincts don't lie, Kagome." He growled.

"I don't believe this." She rubbed her eyes and leaned back against a rock. "Inuyasha, I don't love Kouga."

"Really." He snorted. "Why wouldn't you let me help you then?"

Sighing, she moved to sit on her knees and gave him a sincere look. "Did you know what that poison was when we were in that room?"

"No."

"Well, neither did I. I didn't know if it was strong enough to kill me…or even strong enough to kill you." Tears began to pool in her eyes. "I couldn't do that to you, Inuyasha. I couldn't allow you to try and save me when it might have killed us both."

"What?" He seemed befuddled.

"I didn't want you to die saving me!" She looked away. "It wouldn't be worth it."

"What?"

"It wouldn't be worth it to live…when you died." A blush stained her face, prettily.

"W-What?" he croaked.

Her blush brightened. "I'm not saying it again."

Placing a finger beneath her chin, he lifted her face. "Right."

"Right?" She felt tears in her eyes. "I…I mean…you don't have to…I need to go." She began to flee but was quickly stopped.

"Hold it. I meant…I understand." He gave her a weak smile in return, and she felt the world brighten.

"What about 'instincts,' Inuyasha?" She giggled at his dull look.

"So you were sleeping on a rock and you moved." He pulled her a little closer.

"Right." She laughed and playfully kissed him on the tip of the nose.

The laughter caught in her throat, and a small smile danced across his lips. The world took a collective pause as he gently placed a light kiss on her lips. She sighed and allowed her eyes to fall closed.

One small kiss was followed by two, then three. A longer one followed, and soon they were both panting lightly. He pulled back for a quick breath of air and didn't manage to close his mouth fully before he made contact with hers, causing one of his fangs to slide across her lower lip.

She gasped and wound her arms tighter around his neck. He growled at the feeling of her body perfectly in line with his own.

Carefully, he began to bite her swollen lower lip and then used his tongue to sooth the nips. He didn't understand the form of teasing he was lavishing on her; he only did what instinct called for.

Instinct.

One particular caress of his tongue managed to break into her mouth, and he felt her tongue's friction against his. The sensation was astonishing. He placed one hand against her face and used the other to brace their bodies against a tree. He turned her face against his palm, slowly exploring every sweet taste her mouth had to offer.

A sudden rustle in the nearby bushes caused them to nervously jump apart. She could see the bright flush of his skin and knew her own was far more colorful.

She felt jitters in the pit of her stomach and turned away. "Why didn't you just ask me, Inuyasha?"

He frowned at her back. "Asking ain't easy, Kagome."

Section Six – There's No Such Thing As Love

(Two months later)

"Happy Birthday, Kagome!" Sango hugged her friend tightly one last time before she crawled over to Kirara and lain down for the night.

Kagome smiled back. 'Twenty. I'm not a teenager anymore.' She looked up at the "sleeping" hanyou and bit back another smile. "I'm going to take a walk."

"Oh no, you don't." A voice grumbled from the tree. "Not alone."

She gave one good huff and covered a giggle. "Fine."

They walked silently for nearly a half hour, hoping that no one had dared to follow.

"Inuyasha," Kagome entangled his hand with her own.

"What?" His voice was gruff, but she could here the playful edge.

"Aren't you going to wish me a happy birthday?" She smiled sweetly.

He paused to look up at the night sky and sat down on the ground. "Of course I am."

She sat down at his side and joined him in watching the twinkling stars. "Well?"

He looked at her with a smirk. "Happy birthday."

She gave a human growl and batted his arm. "Not nice. Give me my present."

"Present?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh come on," she pushed. "You had to get me a present."

"I did?"

"Inuyasha!" she began to whine, but was hit by a sudden stroke of genius. "Fine then," she smiled. "I'll find it."

Her hands began to run over his personage, searching for any unnatural lumps.

"What are you doing?" He tried to hold the angry sound of his voice, but couldn't managed when she pushed him back onto the grass and began to tear at his haori.

"Looking for my present." She stated with resolve.

"Oh." He remained still, enjoying the attention.

After a few minutes, she leaned forward, keeping her face only an inch above his. "I can't find it!"

He smirked. "Of course you can't."

"Meanie." She pouted.

"Bitch." He threw back.

She frowned. "That's not nice."

"I'm not nice."

She sighed. Her hands found occupancy playing with the beads strung around his neck. She ran her fingertips over the skin of his neck and soon forgot about her present search.

She felt the low hum in his chest of his "happy growl" as she continued her ministrations. Placing a chaste kiss on his lips, she began threading her hands through his hair; loving its silky texture against her slightly calloused palms.

"Inuyasha?" She sighed as she placed another kiss on his lips.

"Hmmm?" He managed between contented growls.

"What did you get me for my birthday?"

He cracked one eye opened to look up at her. "Are you trying to bribe me or something?"

"No." She paused. "Inuyasha?"

"What?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"What happened after I passed out after the accident?"

"Nothing." He snapped. "Why?"

"Well, I mean…what did you do, when I passed out?" She had always been curious as to the events. The others had been very secretive as to his actions following her attack.

He sighed and sat up next to her. "I didn't do anything. I watched Kouga force those medicines down your throat because I thought that you didn't want me to touch you."

"No," she placed a comforting hand on his. "That's not what I meant. What did you do for the three days that I slept?"

"I stayed." He shrugged.

"You stayed?"

"I stayed with you."

She looked at him in amazement. "You didn't leave me for three whole days?"

"No." His voice became defensive.

"Oh." She smiled. "Even though you thought I didn't want you, you stayed with me?"

He frowned. "Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because that's instinct, Kagome. You don't ask questions sometimes. You just do it because you know you have to. You do things like that when you almost die."

"Die? You didn't almost die, Inuyasha." She moved closer to his side.

"Of course I did, bitch." He frowned at her, as if she were a child who needed to be explained to. "If you had died, I would have too. What else would I have been here for?"

"Inuyasha." She gasped. "You would've died for me?"

He paused. "Not for you really. Because of you. Kagome, that's instinct. I can't explain how it works. It just is. It's the inevitable. It's the thing you're gonna do no matter what."

She smiled. "Inuyasha?"

He rolled his eyes. "What now?"

"Do you love me?"

He shook his head. "Kagome, no demon "loves" anyone."

She pulled away. "O-oh."

"Love is too easy, Kagome. Don't you see that? It's human, Kagome. Love is a human emotion. It's simple and limited." He held palm against hers. "What I feel is…unconditional, complicated, and eternal. It's instinct, Kagome."

She laughed lightly and wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling on the verge of tears. "I "instinct" you too, Inuyasha."

He smiled at her. "I know."

"How?" She questioned as he repositioned their bodies.

He shook his head. "Didn't you hear anything, bitch? It's instinct."

Section Seven – What You Can't Hide

They laid into the grass until all of the stars were shining with a midnight blaze. Their hands gently caressed the other's body in soft touches.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome began to prepare for another volley of questions; especially since her hanyou was feeling so malleable at the moment.

He sighed heavily. "Kagome, you talk to much." He rolled onto his side and quickly pulled her body flush against his own. His lips covered hers hungrily in a searing dance that she had denied him earlier with her playful nips. He rolled back carefully, pulling her on top of him, making sure not to break the kiss. His hands lay at her waist, gently caressing the skin revealed by her short sweater.

Her neck was revealed to his lips as she played with the shining strands of his hair. Her hands quickly made their way up to his ears and began to explore the furry appendages. He growled low in the back of his throat at the sight of her pulsing jugular.

'Ignore it.' He forced his body to focus on the way she was molding herself against him. She straddled his waist and had her legs dangling on either side of his. With each movement of her arms, he saw the stretch of her shoulders against her neck. The gentle tug that sent blood racing up into her flushed face.

He captured her lips again, hoping to bury the throbbing in her mouth. She sighed contently against him, and he attempted to bite his own tongue to hold back his urge.

She whimpered into his mouth; her tongue pushing a few precious drops of blood into his mouth. Without thought, he coddled the tongue with his own, pulling the red liquid down his throat.

She gasped at his care and pulled away. "Inuyasha?" She heard him panting heavily.

He had shamed himself. He had taken what he dared not to ask for, and he knew that she would see him as a monster now.

"Inuyasha?"

"You can leave." He whispered.

"What?" Her eyes widened. "Why would I leave? What's wrong?"

"I can't control it, Kagome. I really tried, but I can't. It's too strong."

She was shocked at the frenzied heat in his eyes. "Can't control what?"

"I…I want to taste your blood."

She gasped. "What?"

"My demon wants to taste your blood." He nearly cried out at the feeling of her sweet liquid still coating his tongue.

"Why?"

"Why?" He looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "That's just the way it is, Kagome. Remember-"

"Instinct." She finished for him. Laying back down beside him, she closed her eyes and opened her mouth, "All right."

"What?" Inuyasha nearly laughed at the obsurdity of it all. "What are you doing?"

"You can take my blood, Inuyasha."

He frowned. "You don't understand."

"Yes," she whispered. "I do. I'll give you anything you want, Inuyasha. Anything. I'm yours."

The world was spinning beneath his body. She had said it. She belonged to him. She was willing to sacrifice her supply of life for him. Leaning over her body, he grasped her wrist and brought it to his lips. He felt the blood pulsing steadily through her fragile skin.

Sinking into her flesh, he felt the rush of ambrosia into his mouth. But, just as quickly as it was in his mouth, he felt that it was enough. His claws ran over the marks, creating a delicate pattern that he didn't recognize. The blood still oozed after he was done, and he began to lap at the wound, willing it to heal.

Kagome gasped at the feelings of his mouth at her wrist. A warmth spread slowly through her body. She felt as if he were injecting her with his own aura through her hand. Her heart raced at the feeling of completeness as he lapped at the remains of a wound on her hand.

She pushed herself into a sitting position when he released her hand. Looking to her wrist, she quirked an eyebrow. "Inuyasha?"

"What?"

She showed him the altered wrist. "You just wrote your name in my arm." A bewildered look came over her face.

He smiled. "I knew I recognized that."

"Why?"

He sighed. "Kagome, you do know. You feel it inside of you, don't you?"

She closed her eyes and let the truth come. "It's…Inuyasha! You…you …connected us?"

"Well," he sighed again. "You almost got it right. Kagome, you belong to me now."

She stared at him. "I belong to you?"

"Of course you do. You said so yourself." He frowned. "It's supposed to be this way, Kagome."

"It is?" She questioned.

"Of course it is, bitch. It's instinct." He smirked and laid back down into the grass.

"Inuyasha?"

He rolled onto his side and looked at her blandly. "What?"

"Why do you act as if it's all so simple? You…you just mated me, didn't you?" She pointed a finger at the name on her wrist.

"Kagome." He pulled her down to the ground. "It is simple. It's instinct."

She paused. "Inuyasha…you didn't answer my other question."

"What question?" He smirked again.

"Did you…um…mate me?"

"What do your instincts tell you, Kagome? Don't ask so many questions."

"I think they say yes."

"Good, now…" His hands roamed through the grass and over her body.

Kagome squeaked. "What are you doing?"

"Well, mating's not that easy, Kagome." He began kissing his way down her neck.

"Oh?"

"No." he growled. "It'd be no fun that way."

"Oh!" Her face turned a bright crimson. "Inuyasha, I…I've never…um…"

He rolled his eyes and gave her a light kiss. "I know, Kagome."

"Well, then what do I…"

"Kagome…shhhh. Do you love me?" He smiled and pushed a strand of hair out of her face.

She smiled back at him. "It's so much more than love, Inuyasha."

"Right." He kissed her again. "So what are you going to do about it, then?"

Her smiled brightened as she kissed him back. "Follow my instincts."

A/N: Weird? I know…no clue what made me want to write this…oh well! I was going to post this in chapters, but none of the sections turned out really long, so I figured it'd make a good one shot.

Yabou

Would You Ask Me to Bleed