I am sorry this story is so short and jumps chunks of time frequently, but I only intended on this to be a short story that I would write while in a road block with my other story. I hope everyone is enjoying so far!
What is your opinion so far of the story? Let me know in a review, please?

I do not own Inuyasha, but I do own this story.


The Countdown

Chapter 2

9: Could this be our Forever?

You asked me on our first official date, set exactly nine months after our first meeting at the park. You invited me to your beach house, a luxury which you had rarely if ever used. I asked you how this was appropriate to your 'courting' rules and you growled at me. It was invigorating and that itself slightly scared me. I packed for a weekend, unsure what our time together would hold. Every encounter we had made the world change around me. My peaceful autumn day nine months ago turned into a capricious joyful day full of colors I had never noticed before. The winter day was not as cold as I had remembered and our spring lunches drew out the sunshine during the rain.

Since our lunch and your first courting gift a month ago we had only met once. It seemed to always return to my bench in the park. No matter how many times we exchanged words and prattled after work at night, you never did ask me out. I learned over all that time that you were so much more than your façade. You had worn it well, pushing many people away in the process and leaving you alone and away from the chance of getting hurt. It was during a talk at the end of June that you finally asked me. We sat in our own homes by the windows, watching the rain hit outside, when I wished to spend time at the beach. Before I could retract my statement, you proclaimed that the beach in July would be perfect for our first date. You said thinking of me sitting on a towel at the beach was like me sitting on my bench; thoughtful and eloquent.

I spent the next two weeks packing, so unsure of myself. There were shorts, sarongs, dresses, and three different bathing suits on top of my hygiene products and tennis shoes. I wore my flip-flops, a pair of shorts, and modest decorated tee-shirt. You called me beautiful the moment I opened my apartment door to you. I even received a light kiss on the cheek before you stole my bag away for the trunk of your car.

The uneasiness of the situation was catching up to me. I had never told you at that point that I was still pure and had never truly dated outside of one guy in high school. Is that why you gave me the jewel? Did you already know? Youkai always knew more from their senses than they let on, but at the time I had not a single thought of it.

My anxiety calmed which each solid step I took on the carpet covered concrete of the stairs. The door had locked behind me and my cat had his automatic feeders for the weekend. The cold steel of the door shook me from my day dreams and back to the reality of my jitters. You had told me many times there was nothing to fret over, but I did anyway. You even took my elbow and guided me to the car, opening and closing my door for me. I had never seen such gentlemanly behaviors before.

The weekend passed too quickly. I barely remember it beyond the small chuckles we shared and your walls beginning to break down and your understanding patience. We shared ice cream and a towel against the hot sand of the beach. You were right as you had been many times before, this was very similar to my bench. I was able to watch the lives of those around us, this one moment a break from their monotony. We watched together and you asked me to tell you what I saw. The heat rolling in waves up from the sand and sucked into the humidity of the air. The blue exertive water foaming and crashing on the shore line. The groups of children running from the foam, afraid it will be too cold to touch. The parents laughing at the antics of the children. The cloudless sky giving way to a blazing sun.

You listened so intently and quietly I had almost forgotten you were there. I had not even realized I had closed my eyes until you scared me. Your fingers were on my chin, tilting my head upwards with you straddling my lap. My face ignited in a rush of cherry red; you had embarrassed me. You did not care about any of it; not about the people staring or about my rapidly color changing face. You pressed your lips down on mine and I was lost.

You tasted of the forest, as if you had been running through it all of your life in the most beautiful parts. I could taste the mountain air, clean and pure, and the water from the streams where you would have bathed years ago. It was as if every moment you had described in feudal japan was pouring into me from your lips.

In a moment we were back inside of your beach house. I vaguely remember the pale blues of the walls and silver in the decorations. You paused a moment, as if asking permission, and I stopped you. This was not how our first moment of affection was going to be. I was determined that we would not rush. I watched your eyes change color; when had they gained a hue of red? You kissed my cheek and laid me down on the bed. The sheets were silk against my sun tanned skin, slightly tingly and even more erotic. Your stare continued to ask the question and I felt my control slipping. I wanted you so badly, but I had to make you take your time with me. I had known before our courtship began that you were playing the field and had always wondered if you would be loyal when the time came? That moment had to be as good as any to ask.

"I cannot rush things, Sesshomaru." I had needed that talk more than you would ever know and more than I would ever tell you. "Are you seeing anyone else?"

You almost looked defeated, like I had hurt you, but you quickly hardened back up. "I have chosen to only court you, Kagome, even though our worlds are divided and there will be hardship. Will you continue our courtship?"

I had almost found it funny for you to ask for something that you obviously had. It was even funnier because you were asking for me all at the same time. You were not use to being told no at that point, a word you would learn quickly was one I liked. I remember kissing you this time, half off the bed, and pushing everything I had into you. Could you taste my life as I tasted yours? Did you finally feel how I felt sitting on my park bench?

You returned my kiss and pushed me further to the bed. I remember my heart beating fifty miles a second and wondering if this was what a heart attack felt like. Then I tasted power, magic even, and knew your youki was slipping through from your beast. You always told me you had perfect control yet that particular moment I was thrilled to see if you would lose it.

My sarong had found the floor and you hid us under the thin silver duvet. I touched your face lightly and I felt as if you sensed my fear. You did not rush any longer, you kissed me gently. This kiss was flowers and morning dew, delicate against my skin and sweet to my tongue. Your glamour completely faded under that blanket and you let me see you fully for the first but not last time. Your magenta lines were beautiful but I was captivated by your crescent moon. Curious, I removed your shirt to find more lines on your sides. I kissed them and it made you shiver.

Your fingers massaged my neck, slowly moving down to my bathing suit top. You played with the straps almost as if you had never touched any before. You were treating me like an exotic flower, savoring my essences but longing for more than I currently had to give. There was no fruit to harvest, not yet for us. You tickled my nipple and I arched into you. Your chuckled was deep, reverberating through my soul. I kissed you roughly, unsure exactly how to proceed or if I should just follow your lead. It did not last long. You took your hand away and only continued kissing me, telling me that the sweetest fruit was the one which was waited to harvest. You took the high road and was continued to show me how much of my knight you were. At the time, I never knew I needed saving.

My heart was yours and you did not even know it. Most men would have taken advantage of the situation, but you only took the chance to hold me and learn more about me. The rest of the time there was spent in the water, you chasing behind me as I tested how far I could go out. You kept telling me the current was going to pull me out to see but I could not find the need to stop. You gave me the courage and power to do anything.

We returned that following Monday afternoon. You escorted me to my apartment, waited for me to unpack and then took me to lunch and then dinner following a gift. You had considered it small but it was magnamorous to me. A brand new custom to my fit silk kimono. It was purple blue and silver, flowers and tree branches crawling over the sleeves. The trunk of the tree was settling on the front right side. You surprised me even more with a small shrine festival celebrating the coming of summer. It was a beautiful beginning to an even more beautiful relationship.

The days that followed brought more conversation than I was use to. Every moment was a surprise with you. You introduced me to your most kept secret; that you would actually want a female child first and she would be named after your ward from the feudal era. I thought it was more pure than you realized. You thought it was selfish. I had always hoped that one day I would show you just how kind and pure of heart you were, even for a youkai.