It'd been a week since the incident between Inuyasha and Kagome's would be rapists. Inuyasha had stayed by her side the entire time, and surprisingly this didn't annoy her. She'd discovered a secret. As long as he was touching her, he wouldn't get bored or antsy. He was especially silent and well behaved when she was studying, and his head was in her lap so she could absentmindedly play with his ears while she worked.
He didn't mind being tender and affectionate anymore, as long as it was in private. While this was progress, Kagome was worried. Something seemed to have finally broken in Inuyasha. He didn't lash out or get mad at anyone at all the whole week. Even when Shippo stole food right out of his hands he didn't say anything. Shippo was so surprised he almost dropped it.
Kagome figured what'd happened was that he was upset that tetsaiga hadn't kept his demon in check. When he'd first transformed and lost control, he was told immediately after that that he needed tetsaiga to control him, and so he relied on it. Now that it'd let him down, he had to face the reality that he had turned into an uncontrollable monster, unstoppable.
She wanted to help him desperately but had no idea how. She hated to see him suffer. She turned another page of her empty exercise, softly stroking Inuyasha's left ear as she continued to think. She knew that doing this put him in almost a trance, unable to really think, only able to feel. She had decided that since they both enjoyed it she'd help him find a release without losing his pride.
That night at sundown when they got to camp Sango informed Kagome that she'd found a spring "do you want to go bathe?" Kagome looked at Inuyasha who nodded "here" he called to her, holding out tetsaiga's sheath.
She blushed "thank you" she held it to her chest and walked to the springs with Sango.
As soon as they were out of earshot Inuyasha turned to Miroku "we need to talk" he muttered and sat down with the monk "what is it?" Miroku asked "it's about Kagome" he sighed, looking up at the stars that were coming out "every time I transform, I lose more of myself, I'm wilder and more out of control. One day I'll end up attacking even you guys, and...eventually, Kagome"
Miroku just listened "there will come a time when Kagome's sit commands won't work, when tetsaiga won't bring me back. On that day, I want you to suck me into the wind tunnel" miroku's jaw dropped "Inuyasha I can't..." "Please" Inuyasha begged, his golden eyes pleading "Kagome...doesn't have the emotional strength to purify me. I need to know she'll be protected. Its either this or I cut myself down right now" he looked down at tetsaiga, feeling its sorrowful cry at that notion.
Miroku stuttered "c-can you give me a couple of days to figure out my answer?" Inuyasha nodded and stood up, hopping into a tree and waiting for the girls to get back.
When Sango and Kagome got back, they realized Kagome was out of "ninja food" and so Inuyasha decided to go hunting. When Kagome screwed up her face at the thought, he sighed and ordered Sango and Miroku to watch over her.
After he disappeared into the forest, Miroku immediately turned to Kagome. "lady Kagome" he began solemnly "I have to talk with you about something serious" "oh Miroku give it up you know she's not going to bear your children" Sango rolled her eyes "it's not that, it's about Inuyasha" Sango stopped and eyed him.
Seeing something was up the two girls sat next to him "while you were bathing, Inuyasha gave me an ultimatum. He said he wanted me to promise to suck him into the wind tunnel when his demon got too out of control, to the point where he couldn't be brought back. It was either my promise or..." he couldn't finish.
"Or what?" Kagome whispered, horrified "or he'd kill himself"Miroku murmured, and both girls gasped, Kagome's eyes filling with tears "he gave me a couple of days to think about it" he assured her glumly.
They sat in silence until Kagome suddenly said "we have to see Totosai and Myoga to see if they know another way we can seal his blood. A stronger way. "That's a good idea" Sango said "but what about Inuyasha? How do we do it without him knowing" "leave that to me" Kagome said, determined and already forming a plan.
The next morning after breakfast Kagome sat in front of Inuyasha "what?" he asked, looking surprised "I'm going to see Totosai" she stated
"what?! Why?!" he growled "what the hell is going on?" "Calm down. Listen. I'm going with or without you. Sango already agreed to take me if you give me a hard time. You can take me and protect me on two conditions: you don't ask why I'm going, and you let me have a conversation alone with Totosai when we get there" she informed him and he just sat there, shocked that she was giving him this ultimatum.
Thinking about it, he growled. He couldn't let his curiosity put her life in danger. "Fine, get on, we're going" he muttered, and she climbed onto his back.
Once there, Inuyasha was ordered to stay outside and she went it "afternoon Totosai" she greeted cheerfully "afternoon Kagome" he nodded "what's this about?" "I needed to talk to you and Myoga about Inuyasha"
"how'd you know I was here?" asked the flea, and Kagome smiled "just a hunch. Anyway, recently I was attacked by some men, and Inuyasha lost control of his demon and slaughtered them. He had tetsaiga attached to his hip." she waited for shocked reactions that didn't happen.
"Was bound to happen eventually" Totosai said and Myoga nodded "what do you mean?" Kagome was appalled "well you see dear you're Inuyasha's soul mate, in the demon sense. Dog demon's only take one mate. There's someone who they're born for, and their soul cries out for that mate when they see them. Inuyasha doesn't really understand what's happening but you are connected to his very soul. His demon was not about to stand aside and let his mate be injured.
That's why even tetsaiga couldn't hold it in. because his demon didn't want to just kill, it overwhelmingly just wanted to protect you. That's what tetsaiga is already meant to do anyway, protect humans. The only way for Inuyasha to completely gain control of his demon side is to take you, a miko, as his mate, and then your powers will keep his demon side in check."
"Ohhhh" her eyes were filled with understanding "well you guys need to explain it all to Inuyasha because he's in a bad place right now" she looked out of the cave at the red dot just out of hearing range.
"He's trying to make Miroku promise to kill him if he gets out of control" her heart ached at the thought, and Totosai said "what an idiot" "indeed" agreed Myoga "will I get him to talk to you two?" Kagome asked. They both nodded so she went outside to get Inuyasha.
She walked over to him, and by the way he didn't notice her and had that same self-hatred on his face, she knew he was thinking about the incident again. "Inuyasha" she fell to her knees in front of him, tears dripping down her cheeks
"stop...please...just stop" she reached up and stroked his ears, gasping when he suddenly pulled her into a fierce hug "k-Kagome..."his voice was so full of pain, and she knew he was so broken now, all he wanted was for his self-inflicted pain to stop, to be comforted by her, and so she wrapped her arms around him as though she was never going to let him go, and let him stay that way until he was okay again.
Once he was back to normal he quickly realized what he was doing and pulled away "I, umm..." choosing to just ignore this and spare his pride, she simply said "Totosai and Myoga need to see you. It's about what happened" his panicked eyes met hers "it's okay Inuyasha" she murmured quietly, urging him towards the cave.
After a half hour of sitting and waiting, he emerged with a new aura,one that was mostly nervousness. She knew it was just because of the whole mating thing, and so she waited until he was close to look into his eyes. Seeing them ablaze with his usual fire, she burst into tears and ran to him, crying into his shoulder
"Kagome?" he asked softly, worried "I'm so glad, Inuyasha. The fire is finally back in you" she calmed herself down, looking into those beautifully alive yet confused golden eyes. "I was so worried about you Inuyasha, you seemed so broken. That's why I insisted on coming here"
"I didn't think Totosai could help me" he murmured. "And I guess in a way, I was right. only you can help me now" "you fucking idiot" she suddenly whispered, gritting her teeth "how DARE you ask Miroku to take you away from me" she clenched his shirt.
Inuyasha, instead of just backing down like he usually would when she was this mad, let his emotions take over "do you think I would let myself kill you?!" he growled fiercely, rage easily showing
"I will NEVER risk you're life! I'd rather be burned alive, tortured for all eternity, pinned to a tree for 1000 years, and sucked into the fucking wind tunnel all at the same time than even take a chance with your life like that! If I killed you-" he abruptly cut off, and she looked up at him, shocked and worried.
Then something happened that she never thought would ever happen in a million years. Inuyasha completely broke down and cried into her shoulder. 'He must have been thinking about this for a while for his pain to get so strong. He didn't even cry this much when Kikyo died. Maybe he...really does love me' "
Inuyasha" she whispered as he started to calm down "mmm?" "We should go somewhere better to talk" he wiped he eyes and picked her up bridal style, jumping up and heading deep into the forest. Eventually, he found the place he was looking for.
It was a beautiful water fall and spring, with a secret cave behind the waterfall. "Wow" Kagome's eyes were wide with amazement and happiness "its beautiful here" "yeah" Inuyasha smiled bitterly "I didn't have time to notice last time I was here." "What do you mean?" Kagome's curiosity spiked, and he sighed
"I was running for my life the last time I was here" he walked towards the waterfall "I can walk Inuyasha" she murmured "no you can't" he smirked and jumped over the water to near the waterfall, then went behind it, climbing into the cave there
"wow" she mumbled "how'd you even find this?" "By fluke. I was only 8 and I just couldn't run anymore... I was trying to hide my scent by going through the water and behind the waterfall. It worked, and then I had this place" "why'd you ever leave?" Kagome wondered aloud and the bitter smile returned "got caught in a village. I was too busy running to think of coming back to this place. And then I found a new temporary home."
she realized that his whole life had been like that "I'm so sorry Inuyasha" he laughed "it's not your fault! Besides, I'm much happier now" he held her hand absentmindedly.
"Kagome...I know...I haven't really talked to you about me much, and I know it bugs you. I'm not good with words but..." he picked her up and sat her on his lap so she was facing him "ask me whatever you want to know about me, right now, and I'll answer honestly and with as much detail as I can"
he had a determined expression on his face, which then slid into a sheepish grin "it might take a while, but I'll do it" Kagome was shocked. What an offer! A look into the mysterious life of Inuyasha. "How old are you?" "18" he looked uncomfortable 'already? But that shouldn't be such a hard question...'
"So you're like 68 then with the time on the tree" she thought aloud, and he shook his head "more like..."He looked up at her nervously "23" her jaw dropped and she quickly did the math "so, in human years, you're actually..." "180, or 230 with the years on the tree" she stared at him "you look so young"
"I'm a half demon" he smiled sadly "I'd really rather think of myself as 180, I don't remember those 50 years, and my body didn't age for that time" "still!" Kagome murmured "I know, I'm sorry I never told you" he ran his fingers through his hair, something he only did when he was stressed.
She examined his aura, which was full of fear of rejection. "You're still Inuyasha" she said, hugging him. "Besides, you're really only 18" "yeah" he smiled at her acceptance. "Okay next question" she murmured "umm did you and Sesshomaru EVER get along?" "No" he was very serious, and she quickly realized there was more to the story then she knew
"Sesshomaru always looked down on me, and as a kid I started to hate him for it. For being one more hateful person in a world that rejected me left and right. He was..." he sighed and was silent for a moment, reliving old memories "he was my brother! He was supposed to at least accept me, but...he didn't. Lucky for me he didn't try to kill me until I was 15. I couldn't do much against him, but I survived. I always got away before he killed me, because most of the time he only tried to kill me because I had gotten to close to him without realizing it. He just wanted me out of his sight. and so, that and the sword is why we fight so much"
"that's awful" Kagome protested and Inuyasha laughed "He was the friendliest interaction I had between my mother's death and when I met Kikyo" "what?! How?!" he rubbed her back a little to calm her down
"he eventually stopped chasing me, let me escape. The other demons, the humans...I had to keep running. I had to lose them, or find a place to hide, or I would've died" he smelled salt "don't you dare cry!" he demanded "you haven't even heard anything that bad!"
she was shocked by that, and the tears welled up faster "maybe this isn't a good idea" Inuyasha mumbled, thinking about how innocent and sweet Kagome was. "No, no, it's okay" she breathed deeply and realized, thinking about happier thoughts, like how he was safe in this cave with her now.
"How old were you when you were first picked on for being half demon?" she asked softly, and his unexpected laughter made her eyes widen "you're making me laugh a lot today. You're pretty ignorant when it comes to prejudices, aren't you?" she shrugged and he held her hands "don't cry, okay?" she nodded
"I don't remember. It was always part of my life. Even in the palace where my mother lived, as a princess, the people still rejected me. I remember..." he stopped and she poked him "don't keep it from me" he sighed
"I remember the first time I was really...labeled, I suppose. There was a group of people playing a game with a ball. I asked to join, and they sent me to fetch the ball, calling me a name. When I returned with it, they had all turned and left. when I asked my mother what a half breed was, I saw her cry for the first time" "how old were you" came her horrified whisper "30" he said quickly "you were only 3?!"
the tears were back again "please...I can't stand to see you cry...it's all in the past now, remember? I'm here with you, and I'm safe, and I'm happy" he hugged her close 'I can't believe she cares so much. I never thought I'd have to comfort her over something like this' she managed to get control again and whispered "humans are cruel, and I'm sorry"
"they have a right to be. Demons attack humans all the time. they're just bitter." she nodded "what was the worst thing that ever happened to you in a human village because of prejudice" he was silent for a few minutes
"Kagome, I...I can't tell you about that" he gently stroked her cheek "I don't want you to cry" "I promise I wont" he bit his lip "fine" he took off his shirt and undershirt. She blushed "w-what are you doing?"
he laughed "showing you the worst thing that ever happened to me in a human village" he lifted his hair to show her an old scar on his upper back "what's that?" "
The one you can see clearly is where the miko of the village stabbed me with a purified knife. Its purpose is to rip out your soul and cast you into hell. Get you're light stick and shine it on my back and you'll be able to see the rest of the scars I got that night"
she took it out and gasped at the long white scars she hadn't been able to see in the darkness of the cave. "wh-what happened to you?" he pulled her back into his lap, hands on her waist, he looked her in the eye
"I was near a human village, waiting for it to be dark so I could steal some food" he blushed, feeling guilty because he thought Kagome would disapprove "Inuyasha you needed that food it's okay" she squeezed his arms reassuringly "I would never hold that against you" he smiled gratefully and continued
"the miko sensed me, and she came over, offering me food and a place to stay for the night. I was young at the time, about 8, and no one had been nice to me since my mother died. I was so happy, and so I accepted her offer of food. I didn't want to impose, so I thanked her and left.
When I turned to go out the door she stabbed me in the back with that stupid knife. It'd almost cut into my heart, I was extremely lucky. My demon instincts had kicked in and I moved just in time to save my life before killing her. She was the first human I ever killed.
The villagers, hearing her screams, came to help her, but they were too late. They found me standing over her in shock, and they grabbed me and tied me up." he paused to let Kagome calm down, who was having a hard time keeping her promise.
"they used this poison covered whip on me for hours, taking turns when they'd get tired, the knife was still in my back and every once in a while they'd hit it, and my soul would get jerked around.
Luckily, the spell had died with her, and the knife, while it was still affecting my soul, was unable to send me to hell. But I lost a lot of blood, and even though I could've used my claws to escape, I didn't...I...I thought, I deserved the punishment, for killing her."
Kagome whimpered and Inuyasha rubbed her collarbone with his thumb "relax" he whispered, his voice working wonders on her and the tension disappeared from her "eventually, I lost so much blood I passed out, and they thought I was dead.
When I woke up, a week had passed, and my wounds had just about healed, except for the knife that was still in my back. The poison hadn't been strong enough to kill me, so I reached behind me and pulled the knife out of my back.
The pain was almost unbearable but I knew I needed to get out of there, so I managed to find my way into the forest and climb a tree before I passed out again. The wound healed after about a month, but I never trusted humans again until I met you."
"Oh Inuyasha" she whispered "its fine I'm fine and there's no need to worry about it" he said firmly. She nodded, then suddenly took his shirts and laid them on the floor before pushing him down on his stomach "Ka-Kagome? What are you doing?"
"do you trust me?" she asked, a deep fire burning in her eyes "yes, more than anything" he said softly, relaxing and letting her sit on his ass, straddling him in a way. She brushed his hair away from his back and fingered the scar gently, sensing the evil that had come from the blade
"its faint, but it's there. That knife had an evil aura on it" she explained "hold really still or this will hurt" she put her hands over it and focused her miko energy, precisely purifying the evil from the scar, and the poison from the other scars.
"Done" she said, pulling away "what did you do?" he asked curiously. She smiled at her work "purified your scars. They're gone" "wow" he was impressed "I had no idea you were so powerful. thank you" he got up "any more questions?" she hesitated, and Inuyasha smiled at how sweet she was "anything in the world Kagome" "...how...how old were you when you're mother died"
"57" sensing she wanted to know more, but didn't want to upset him, he answered her unspoken questions "when my father had mated with her, their bond was strong enough that she gained his lifespan. When he died, she was heartbroken, and was ill a lot. But she was still such a good mother...she died protecting me when bandits attacked the castle.
I tried so hard to make her let me go, but she was holding on so tight. I didn't want to break her arm just to get free of her. Looking back now, I wish I had. She would've been hurt, but she'd still be alive. I was...too young to understand though. She did. She made that choice because she didn't think they'd kill a human, but they wouldn't hesitate to kill a half breed.
I ran away when she died, and came back a few days later, when I'd seen them leave the castle. I buried my mother. I made her a tombstone myself, because I was the only one alive" he laughed "it took me ages, and my claws didn't grow back properly for months, but it was worth it"
"you've had so many hard ships in your life" she sighed, the weight of all this information getting to her "anything else?" she thought, long and hard "what was the best experience you had in a human village before you met Kikyo" he stared off into space for a few minutes
"I walked through one once, and a little girl gave me a piece of bread. I was starving, so I took it and ate it right away. I thanked her and asked her if there was anything I could do for her in return, like for her parents or something." he smiled "you know what she asked for?"
"What?" Kagome asked, curious as to what made him smile a true smile of happiness for the first time since they'd started talking. "she wanted to touch my ears" he smirked and she blushed "oh"
"I told her she had to get permission from her parents first, because I didn't want her to be beaten for consorting with a half demon. When she asked, I came along, and her parents were really wary at first, but they let her.
I sat down in front of her and she did what any child would do. She poked them, tugged on them, squeezed and hurt them. Her parents saw me wincing and gasped when she full on pinched one, but when I didn't move, it was like they trusted me enough not to hate me. The girl started petting one, so since she was playing nice, I made them twitch for her.
She was giggling for about ten minutes before she finally said 'thank you mister doggie!' and went back to her parents." "That's so cute!" Kagome smiled "I'm glad you at least have a good memory in there"
she rested her head on his shoulder. "How about you ask me some questions now?" she offered "it's only fair" he nodded and pondered this "why are all the clothes in your time so skimpy?" he asked "I have no idea. I guess skimpier clothes came when there was a lot of social rebelling going on, and girls wanted control over their lives.
I wear a lot of skirts because I like them, and longer skirts are for old women in my time." Inuyasha was puzzled "but, women only wear skirts. I don't understand why they'd judge you on its length..." "No one has self-respect in my time" Kagome mumbled "also, we're allowed to wear pants in my time. If you've never seen me in jeans, maybe I should do some shopping..."
"Good. Get some clothes that cover you properly" Inuyasha was pleased "do you hate the way I look that much?" Kagome was hurt "no! I..." Inuyasha took a deep breath "I wish you could smell like I do" "what?" she was confused "so often we go into villages and when the men see you dressed like that all I can smell is their arousal" he growled, disgusted "it's even worse when that stupid wolf comes around."
"Koga?!" her eyes darkened "maybe I was wrong to stop you from killing him" "I'm just trying to protect you, and then you sit me, and I get scared" she startled at that, looking into his worried expression "that spell puts me out of commission for a few minutes, and that's enough time for him to steal you away. with how fast he runs, he could easily take something from you and I wouldn't be able to stop him"
"take what from...you don't mean..." she was shocked, his expression was grim "every time you sit me, he gets another opportunity to rape you" his hands shook on her waist "Shh" she soothed, worrying about him. This was what made him transform before.
Her fear for his soul was rising quickly, and he groaned "you know what they say about dogs sensing fear?" she nodded "I can SMELL it Kagome. You need to...think about something happy, or I'm gonna lose it..."
she quickly thought of a peaceful field in midsummer, and her and Inuyasha lying there together on the grass. Her fear faded quickly, replaced by contentment "that's so much better" he sniffed her, holding her to his chest "I can start with the questions again, right?"
"Mhm" "why do you go to school?" Inuyasha had many questions on this matter. "If I don't go to school, people think my mother is a bad parent, she isn't taking care of me. The excuses she uses to cover for me will only work if I'm there for some of the time.
I need to do well so I can graduate and get out of there without getting my mother in trouble. If I fail, then I'll have to spend more time there in the long run"
"why do you learn the things you do at school? I...I've looked at some of your books. It doesn't seem like you even need to know those things" "jobs people have are very different for jobs people have here. You know how carpenters and blacksmiths have to be trained and apprentice to do their jobs?" he nodded
"school is like that. The school I go to is kind of general things you need to know for whatever job you decide on, then you can go and get more training in the specific thing you're doing. My world is so completely different.
The only reason why I can manage here is because my era is after yours, so we have lots of information on how you lived and the way things worked. That's what we learn in history, at school" Inuyasha's eyes widened
"so you're school thing, helped you? In this time?" she nodded "I don't really understand why a woman would need training like that though. It's not like you can become a carpenter, anyway"
he wasn't trying to be an ass, just trying to understand "oh but I can, in my time, men and women are equals. Anything a man can do, a woman can do. Most families, both the husband and wife go to work." "
What do they do with the children?" he asked "small ones are looked after by people who are paid to look after children, or by the child's relatives that aren't working, like a grandparent or aunt or something. the older ones go to school"
he nodded, starting to understand a little bit "in some families, the husband stays home while the wife goes to work" he looked a bit taken aback when she said that "that explains why you're so...strong willed. Fierce. The women in your time need to be that way..." she nodded
"but are you sure every job a man can do a woman can do?" he didn't believe that "yep, women even fight in wars in my time" his jaw dropped "there are wars in your time?!" "Yes. You know, I could get a few history books for you the next time I go home, so you can learn more about my time, if you want" he nodded
"Kagome?" "Yeah?" "I love you" he said simply "will you please be my mate?" she grinned "I love you too, and of course I will!" he leaned in and kissed her neck "now?" he mumbled and she nodded, touching his ears "no, stop!" he protested, and she let him go quickly. he took a deep breath and pulled away from her "we have to talk about mating first" "okay"
"so, mating, is a lot like marriage, except there's no one but us when it actually happens. To make you my mate, I bite into your neck to leave my mark. Since you're human, that will temporarily give you fangs so you can mark me back. Don't worry about knowing what to do, instinct will take over and you'll just know, okay?"
she nodded, absorbing it all "the mating mark is basically like the human's rings, to show that we're both taken. After we've mated, the marks will be really sensitive, permanently. Mating joins our souls together, and the more love we have for each other, the stronger the bond.
That's why arranged matings don't work out very well. Because we love each other, we'll be able to sense each other's emotions, and according to Myoga we'll be really attached to each other for the first month or so after mating. The stronger the bond the harder it will be to be away from each other.
The closer we are, in the physical sense, the happier we'll be. Oh! Your aging will slow down to match mine, so we'll live about the same amount of time. If we ever break up, it will be impossible for you to be with someone else, especially a demon." "I'm completely okay with all of that" she announced, kissing his cheek.
"You sure you want to do this now?" he asked again "yes" she replied instantly. "Okay just relax and remember to let your instincts control you" he reminded her. He brushed her hair from her neck, leant over her and gently as possible bit into her skin. She immediately grew fangs and bit him back, loving the feeling of his youkai washing through her body. When they released each other, they were exhausted, and they fell asleep in each other's arms.
When Kagome woke up she felt odd. Almost...empty. Then she remembered mating with Inuyasha and realized he wasn't in her arms anymore. When she opened her eyes, she was back at camp, she sighed, filling with disappointment and pain.
It'd all been a dream. She lay back down when she felt shocked. 'where'd that come from?' she opened her eyes again and squeaked when she saw Inuyasha right there "are you alright?" he asked, and she suddenly felt worried
"yeah I just had a dream" she sighed and he smirked and pushed his hair out of the way so she could see her mark on him "it was real!" she hugged him tight, his amusement and love washing over her. "Shh don't wake the others" she nodded and let go of him "I'm gonna get some food okay?" she nodded and he hopped off towards the forest.
As soon as he was out of her sight she gasped at the pain, physical pain of him leaving. Within seconds he was back by her side, murmuring "I'm sorry I thought I'd be able to go a lot further than that" quietly she got up and went in the woods to get dressed, and climbed onto Inuyasha's back. He hunted, and ordered her to look away when he killed a rabbit.
He cleaned it with her still on his back, face buried in his shirt, trying to think of other things. When they got back to camp Inuyasha began cooking it, Kagome sitting next to him, watching.
As the others woke up, Kagome was getting nervous. Sango and Miroku were up and about now, and she was wondering when they'd notice she and Inuyasha were together, when they'd notice the marks, and when the teasing would start "calm down Kagome" Inuyasha chuckled, and she nodded silently.
Sango looked at Inuyasha weirdly. Kagome had looked perfectly at peace. And oddly, Inuyasha looked like his usual self. Not depressed or worried like he'd been for the past week. 'Guess the visit to Totosai went well' "morning Sango!" Kagome said cheerfully, "we got back pretty late last night so I think I'm going to go take a bath okay?"
"What about breakfast?" Sango was surprised at her sudden exclamation. Kagome blanched "I can't eat that!" Sango stared at her while Inuyasha held back a snigger. 'Guess Kagome didn't follow my advice about closing her eyes' "Uhhh I'm not feeling well is all" she mumbled 'great now I'm using the same lie for my life here too!' "Okay well lets go then" Sango went to pick up her weapon
"don't bother" Inuyasha said "I'll go with her" Sango raised an eyebrow in Kagome's direction "it's okay, he's not a pervert like Miroku" she nodded and Inuyasha scoffed "I'm not interested in looking anyway!" Kagome lifted her hand as if to say 'point proven' they walked into the woods a few feet from each other, Inuyasha feeling guilty over Kagome, who was trying desperately to subdue the pain from Inuyasha's statement of disinterest.
As soon as they were far enough in Inuyasha grabbed her and kissed her deeply. Kagome relaxed into it and kissed back, enjoying them moment. When they pulled back, he whispered "you're beautiful, and I'd love to see you naked in a hot spring. I might not be as brazen as Miroku, and I'm definitely no womanizer, but I'm more perverted than I seem" she felt his hand slowly slide down her back, leaving her no doubts about what was going to happen.
When she leaned into him he grinned and held her ass happily. "then why did you...?" she trailed off "because I want to tell them when you're ready, not when they figure it out on their own" he kissed her nose "now go get clean. Find something to cover your mating mark. They won't think anything of mine, but they'll expect one on you"
Kagome looked unhappy "I don't really...want to cover it up. I'm not really ready to tell everyone yet, but covering it...just feels wrong" he held her tighter, whispering "it's okay Kagome, whatever you decide to do is fine with me" she nodded "okay, well, let's say if I have a scarf I'll cover it and if I don't, I wont. I don't remember if I grabbed one or not, so that leaves it to fate" he smiled "sounds good" "hey Inuyasha...since we're mates..."
Kagome giggled as she pulled on her panties and black skirt. "it's not funny wench" Inuyasha fumed as he wrung out his hair "you can borrow-" "no" he cut her off with a Sesshomaru level of coldness, but she sensed the playful pride underneath his facade.
"Fine, be wet, see if I care" she giggled again as she put on a hot pink t shirt. Rummaging around, she pulled out a deep turquoise blue scarf with black polka dots out of her bag, tying it around her neck. She caught him staring and blushed "what?" "That looks sexy" he said bluntly, smirking a bit.
She blushed more and started out with the dreaded word "si-" "ifyousaythatwordi'llshakelikeadogandsoakyou" he spat out quickly to stop her. She full on laughed at that and obediently nodded. She handed him a towel and he dried off before dressing in a pair of sweatpants
"I can't believe we had sex in the hot spring" Kagome commented. "I can't believe you initiated it" he chuckled, letting her feel how much that had aroused him. She blushed "let's just get back to camp" she said, hugging him. He gently hugged her back, smiling. Suddenly his eyes bulged. Kagome's hands had lightly trailed down his back and were now firmly squeezing and fondling his ass.
"Ka-Kagome, what are you doing?" "Grabbing your ass" she replied matter-of-factly. "y-you can't do that! I'm a guy!" she let go of him and walked away, bending over a bit and spanking her own ass so he had a full view "bite me, alpha!" he growled and appeared from behind her, a strange rumbling in his chest as he pressed her back against his chest, his hands on her breasts, his tongue lapping at her ear. "Kagome...you're gonna make us late"
After round two they finally made it back to camp. "You two were gone for a while" Sango commented "yeah, sorry, a demon attacked and got its guts all over Inuyasha. I made him get a bath." Kagome explained Inuyasha's pride at her ability to lie flowing through her. She gave him a strange look "I know it's odd but I can't help what I feel" he murmured. She just smiled and accepted it for what it was.
That night when Shippo had fallen asleep, Kagome poked Inuyasha "what wench?" he asked, not to be mean, but as a term of endearment, odd as that is. "I'm ready" she murmured, letting her calm confidence show "okay, whatever you say" his indifference was amazing to Kagome, but she supposed he wasn't as innocent as a school girl like her was.
They sat down across from Sango and Miroku "so, we went to Totosai's" Kagome said. They nodded "so what did he say" Miroku wondered "Myoga was there, and they were both expecting it to happen sooner or later" Kagome commented "what? Why?" he asked
"Kagome is my soul mate. My youkai needed to protect her. It didn't want blood, so tetsaiga let it out. But Myoga and Totosai explained there was a way for me to completely control my youkai. Take Kagome, who has miko powers to rival my own youkai, as my mate. Our souls would join, and the part of her inside me would subdue my demon, help me gain control."
"So are you going to do it?" Miroku asked, still too shocked to make pervert comments "no" Inuyasha said simply, and Kagome held in her amusement "why not?!" Sango demanded angrily "we already did" Kagome said, pulling off her scarf. They both gaped at the couple "did...did that hurt?" Sango asked, going into girl mode.
"Not at all" Kagome smiled "I was tired after though" Sango took a closer look at it and when she touched it, Kagome tensed and Inuyasha yelped. "Stop!" he growled at her, and Sango backed up, hands in the air. "Sorry! I didn't know it...was off limits" "it's fine, sorry for snapping" he apologized sheepishly.
"When other people touch your mate's mark, your own burns you. It's a sign your mate is in danger, my instincts were flaring up." "You're forgiven" Sango smiled "so what else happens with this ritual? What happens to Kagome now?" "Well, she's going to live the same amount of time as me.
She has the lifespan of a hanyou. We can read each other's emotions, and need to be near each other until the mating mark lets us move farther away." "How near?" asked Miroku, lecherous grin in place "about 30 feet" Inuyasha held Kagome closer, remembering the pain from their jaws dropped, really not expecting that. "Anyway, I'm tired" Kagome announced.
The others murmured their agreement and no one said a word when Inuyasha slept with his arms around Kagome. They could tell everything was going to be fine now, and the two of them would be in love for a long long time.
The end.