Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters associated with it. This story is rated for a mature audience.
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oOOOo
Fresh snow billowed out in a massive cloud before Kagome as she slid to a stop. Taking a few deep breaths to slow her breathing, she glanced back the way she came. This particular slope was one of the most difficult on the resort. Double black diamond. Steep and basically untouched by the groomers. You had to be extra careful here. A slip up and you could be facing a long climb up to recover your gear. Fortunately, the snow had stopped for the moment. At her current spot, it was flat enough to stop and catch your breath. Taking a lungful of chill air, she lifted her goggles from her eyes to enjoy the view of the valley. Snow covered evergreens and lifeless trees dotted the landscape. The surrounding mountains were still untouched by man – minus the one a few over. That was a rival resort. If you looked close enough, you could see the while trails snaking down the side of it.
There was a loud scraping noise as Sango cut through the snow and stopped beside her. She let out a 'phew' as she lifted her own goggles up. "One hellova view," she said softly. Kagome nodded, her breathing finally normal. "You okay?" her friend asked, rubbing her gloved hands together as if it would somehow warm her hands.
"I'm fine. Just a little sore today." It had been a day since she spent the afternoon with Inuyasha and Miroku and her butt was still sore. The tough trail wasn't helping things either.
"You poor baby," Sango said mockingly. "I feel so bad for you." Grinning, Kagome gave her a quick flash of her tongue. With a loud sniff, Sango looked off at the valley. "So uh. How did you get Miroku to agree to it? That doesn't sound like something he would do willingly."
Kagome raised an eyebrow. "What's this? Interested in trying it yourself?"
Sango just rolled her eyes. "Fine, keep it to yourself."
Letting out a long breath, she watched it cloud in front of her before disappearing into the surrounding air. "I just promised to give him what he's been asking for."
Sango's head turned to face her. "R-really?"
Kagome scratched her glove against her exposed cheek. "Yeah. Is that going to be a problem? I figure we've teased him enough. It's not like we haven't done it with the other guys."
"I suppose…" she said, looking away.
"Something wrong?"
"Have you decided on the other girl?" Kagome shook her head. "Then can I be it?"
Kagome wasn't that surprised that Sango was volunteering. She had actually planned to ask her first but Sango had beat her to it. "Sure. It'll be fun."
Sango grinned. "Well let's discuss this after we finish this run. It's dangerous just standing here."
"Right," Kagome said, getting her goggles back into place. Sango mimicked her and together they continued on.
oOOOo
Inuyasha felt sorry for the hotel staff that had to come in to replace the bedding. Kagome made sure it was replaced after every time a bed was used – and they were using them fairly often. Well, the others were. Sango and Kagome had gone off to tackle some of the expert trails. Kouga and Ayame had gone off on their own too. While they weren't at the level Kagome and Sango were, they could enjoy the intermediate trails. As for Inuyasha, he was still with the damn children. He was fairly confident he could move on to a beginner trail, but wanted to wait for Kagome before moving on. She could spot any mistakes and help correct his form.
Excuses. You just want to spend time with her. That was certainly true. While she always seemed to find a way to cross his mind before, after yesterday, she was all he could think about. I can't believe I fucked her with Miroku. There was something about yesterday he couldn't shake. It wasn't that she slept with Miroku. She had done that before. Whatever it was, he couldn't put his finger on it. The situation was a lot like having something stuck between the teeth. No matter how much you worked at it, it just wouldn't budge.
One thing Inuyasha noticed was that things were starting to heat up – for lack of a better phrase. The first two days, everyone was too excited exploring and getting outside. Everyone would wake up early and come back late, exhausted. That wasn't the case any longer. It seemed like the others were finally starting to get comfortable around each other. This morning, Inuyasha had woken from his spot on the floor to find Hojo and Kikyo having sex a few feet away from him. He had tried to pretend to still be asleep and wait for them to finish, but Kikyo caught him with his eyes open. She never said anything. She just lifted up her shirt to expose her breasts to him and continued on, never breaking eye contact. Kikyo was always a weird one. Hell, they were all weird. But getting off when someone was watching? And yet you watched anyways. Mostly. Okay, maybe the last half… He sighed. Shit. Am I becoming a pervert too?
Standing at the bottom of the hill, he lifted his eyes to the top. He didn't feel like practicing anymore today, yet he had nowhere to go. He couldn't go back to the room. One of the reasons he was out here was because Hojo, Kikyo, Miroku, and Kirara were using it. He was definitely staying out of that one. Even if there were two beds… He shook his head, trying not to think about it.
With a sigh, he pushed himself towards the rope tow. Well, a few more times embarrassing myself should clear the thoughts from my head…
oOOOo
One thing Inuyasha absolutely loved about this place was the night sky. They were miles away from civilization and it was apparent. The sky was awash with stars. It was truly amazing how different the sky was from the city.
It was the end of the fourth night. Most of the group had passed out after another day on the slopes. Inuyasha had the misfortune of not falling asleep fast enough. After hearing a few minutes of Ayame's quiet squeals and giggles, Inuyasha fled the room. It wasn't all bad. He finally got to try out the outdoor hot tub. When he had been packing for the trip, Kagome insisted he bring his swimsuit. It seemed odd, but he was thankful he took it as it was wonderfully relaxing. There was something about having your neck down in hot water while leaving your head exposed to near zero temperatures. The best part was how his hair was frozen. Literally. He had been playing with it since he discovered it. A quick dip into the water to melt the ice and then he would style it into something ridiculous and wait for it to freeze again. It never took long. Then, he would dip his head in again and repeat. It helped that he was the only one stupid enough to be in a hot tub in freezing temperatures.
"Cold, cold, cold, cold, cold!" a familiar voice said. Looking out from the cloud of steam that constantly rose from the water's surface, Inuyasha found a figure quickly dip into the water before him. Kagome's head rose from the water a few seconds later. "Hey," she said, smiling. "Mind if I join you?"
Inuyasha shook of his momentary shock. "I thought you were asleep."
She rolled her eyes. "I would have been, but Ayame got a bit loud…" Her smile widened. "I just can't believe Kouga has the energy to go after spending all day on the slopes."
"Perks of being a demon I guess."
"Indeed." She floated over to him. "You okay?"
"Hmm?"
"I feel like I'm always asking you that. Whenever things start to get crazy with the group, I go and ask if you're okay."
"To be honest, I would be lying if I said I'm perfectly fine, but I'm adapting."
Kagome was keeping everything below her chin underwater. Her eyes looked up at him as she floated in the middle of the tub. "Is it about the other day?"
He shook his head. "Surprising as it was, I've come to terms with it." He wrinkled his nose. "But I would prefer to never have to see Miroku's naked ass again, thank you."
Kagome giggled. "I rather like his ass. Very shapely." He noticed that she had gotten closer. "But I think you have the more complete package."
He forced himself to frown. "Dick reference. Nice to know I'm appreciated."
She slapped his knee under the water. It was slow, even for the water slowing it down. "Not that. Well, sure that's part of it." Her hands popped briefly out of the water to give a curving outline of a human body. "I mean the whole. You have a nice body Inuyasha. You're attractive, nice, have a sense of humor. Any girl would be lucky to have you to herself." She grinned. "Or share. Sharing is nice too."
Inuyasha felt his face heat – and it wasn't just from the water. "What's with the compliments?"
From his sitting position, Kagome straddled him. He could feel her butt against the top of his legs as she reached around to wrap her arms around his neck. Her face was so close, he could feel her breath against his face. Even more, he could see the top of her shapely breasts against the water, covered by her white bikini top. Her brown eyes bore into his. "Inuyasha." His attention snapped to her. "Why did you ask me on a date?"
He blinked. "As I said—"
"We both know that's not true." Inuyasha felt a lump in his throat as he remained speechless, lost in the brown depths of her eyes. Closing her eyes, she sighed. Opening them, he noticed a subtle shift in them. "Inuyasha, I really like you, but I'm not ready for a relationship."
"I just—" She pressed her fingers against his lips, silencing him.
"Let me finish. I'm saying this because I value you as a friend. I see where this is going, and I want to put the brakes on before we both do something stupid." Both? He had no time to process that as she continued. "You are a wonderful guy and will make a special girl extremely happy – but that girl isn't me." She smiled, but that happy gleam wasn't in her eyes. "I'll always be your friend and I hope we can continue our current relationship for a long time but I want you to understand that there won't be anything more than what we have now."
"I… don't understand." He understood what she was saying, but he couldn't understand why. Sure, there might be some feelings for her forming, but he wasn't dumb enough to think it would actually go anywhere.
"I don't want you to involve yourself in things you aren't comfortable with just because you want to make me happy."
He knew she was referencing the threesome. "I did enjoy it."
She smiled. "Well, I'm glad. But you are still a fringe member – and I don't mean that in a bad way. I love having you a part of the group, and I know the other girls do too. I also know you are still uncomfortable with how… free… things are." Her smile tightened. "And don't try to deny it. You ran into subzero temperatures in a bathing suit just to get away from a loving couple having sex."
"I guess that was pretty stupid on my part."
She chuckled softly. "And here I was. Stupid enough to follow you out." Locking her eyes to his, her smiled faded. "I just want you to know, you don't have to chase after us or do things because the rest of us are. We will be friends regardless if you sleep with us or not. So if you do find a girl, don't hold back on our account. I'll support you with all I can."
"I appreciate it, but I'm fine."
She grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that." Without another word, she finally closed the distance between them and clasped her lips against his. At the same moment, he felt her arms tighten around his neck. The following moments were a haze of steam and passionate kissing. Eventually, he ended with his trunks around his ankles with Kagome's top and bottom floating freely in the tub. Kagome moaned softly as she rocked against him. This was unlike anything before. There was raw passion involved here. Deeper than the casual sex they had been practicing before.
Burying his lips against her neck, she clutched at the back of his head, moaning as they cradled the line between freezing cold and scalding hot.
The passion was abruptly interrupted by a second couple entering the tub. Both froze in panic. Kagome glanced over her shoulder, clutching Inuyasha tightly to cover her bare breasts. Fortunately, the steam was thick. The other couple didn't even notice them until they had settled down at the far side of the tub.
"Oh my!" the woman said, seeing them through the fog. "I didn't even see you two! I hope we're not interrupting…" she said, completely missing the compromising situation the two were in.
"N-not at all," Kagome said with a nervous laugh, lifting her arm up to adjust her frozen bangs. "Just a bit surprised is all."
Inuyasha's heart thudded in his ears, blocking out everything. He wasn't sure if it was because of the water or being caught in the act by strangers that had him on the edge of fainting. Impressively, Kagome managed to hold a conversation with the chatty woman like nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Casually, she managed to dismount herself from his now flaccid member and spin herself around. With his arms around her, it merely appeared that she was sitting on his lap. A good thing too, because s gentle breeze swept over the pool area and cleared out the steam enough for the two couples to get a good look at each other. Inuyasha was surprised to find the woman with a demon. The woman looked equally shocked by the revelation.
"Oh my!" she said, eyes wide. "I had no idea you were with a demon also!"
"Half," she corrected.
"What a coincidence! Samuel is too!" she exclaimed gleefully. The woman seemed overly excited for the situation.
"May I ask what?" Kagome asked politely.
"Raccoon," the man identified as Samuel said. He had a rather light voice for someone on the larger side. He was a bit on the hefty side with rounded cheeks and a matching body. It also sounded to Inuyasha as if he was disgusted by it.
The woman waved away his tone. "He's just angry that he's in his winter phase." She sighed. "No matter how much he works out, he can't win against genetics. When winter comes, he gains weight. I keep telling him its fine and he loses it instantly in the spring but…"
"Honey, they don't care."
"What? Oh! I'm sorry…"
Kagome laughed. "I didn't know raccoon demons uh…"
"Got fat?" the man offered.
Blushing, Kagome continued as if she was going to say something else in place of that. "In the winter." Inuyasha couldn't get over the round little ears the man had on his head. The poor guy also had dark bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days. Maybe he hasn't. He certainly looks and sounds exhausted.
The half-demon spread his arms out above the water. "And that's how we got the wonderful stereotype of being fat little tubs of lard. Did you know I actually have a six pack? I worked my ass off for those and bam! Winter comes and they're instantly gone."
"Dear… they are always there in the spring," she said, patting his arm supportively. He grumbled something under his breath but said nothing more. The woman turned her attention back to them. "Are you two here celebrating anything special?"
For the first time since they joined them, Inuyasha found his voice. "We're actually not—"
"Celebrating anything," Kagome cut in. "Just enjoying some time off." Frowning, Inuyasha looked at Kagome, but she was facing away from him. He was at a loss. There wasn't any reason for her to cut him off. "How about you?"
"Second year anniversary," she said happily.
"Oh? Congratulations!"
The woman beamed proudly. "I'm actually glad to find another human-demon couple. They are so rare these days…" Kagome nodded enthusiastically.
"I know exactly what you mean!"
It was at this point where Kagome's bikini top drifted over to the woman. The woman plucked it from the water. "What's this here?"
"Ah. That's… uh… mine," Kagome said. Inuyasha could see the wheels turn in the woman's face as she finally realized what the two had walked in on.
"Oh. Oh! Oh dear! I am so, so sorry!" She quickly dropped the top as Kagome sunk deeper into the water. Sliding away from him, Kagome made her way across the tub to the couple to retrieve her top. Unexpectedly, she didn't come back. Inuyasha took the moment to pull up his trunks, feeling far better about the situation now that he was properly covered now.
He heard laughter coming from the other side where Kagome was talking lightly with the couple. It was a bit hard seeing what was going on with the steam coming and going, but he did notice Kagome still wasn't wearing her top. With the three talking in low voices, he decided to move closer. Hoping he wasn't obvious, he repositioned to the halfway point to hear Kagome's voice.
"… he's surprisingly big."
Well I certainly came into this conversation at the right time. He held down a laugh at the out of context phrase.
The woman giggled, holding her hands over her lower face. "God, I can't believe I am seeing this."
"Sorry, if this is too much—"
"No! Not at all! Please continue. I'm actually enjoying this. I can't believe I said that…" She looked up at her husband. "Are you?" He merely nodded.
Inuyasha frowned. This is a bit much. What the hell are they talking about?
"Then… mind if I…?"
"Are you sure? What about your—"
"We do it all the time."
"R-really? I can't believe… God, I want to see it…"
Kagome glanced over at him for the first time, then flashed him a smile. What… Eyes wide, he watched as she mimicked the positon she was in earlier with him – only this time, it was Samuel she was straddling. One arm dipped below the water as her body slowly sank lower. Is she… is she seriously…?
"How is it?" the woman asked, breathless.
"Amazing," Kagome gasped.
"And you?" she asked, looking up at her husband.
"She's… really tight," he grunted. There was no mistaking it now. In just a few minutes, Kagome had managed to talk her way into having sex with the half-demon.
The water rippled around Kagome as she bounced up and down, cooing softly. Kagome surprised the other woman by leaning over and giving her a kiss. She seemed unsure, but didn't move away from Kagome. The three stayed like this for the rest of the time. Kagome supported by the other half-demon as she rode him all while making out with his wife. Inuyasha never moved from his position, not sure whether to leave or continue watching. Once more, Kagome was dragging him out of his comfort zone. Yet it was strangely erotic. On one of him more adventurous days, he might have watching something like this on the internet. But this was much more intense. This wasn't some unknown actress he would never meet. It was Kagome.
As suddenly as it began, it ended. The three exchanged a few quiet words and Kagome retrieved her bikini pieces and rejoined Inuyasha. "Shall we go?" she casually asked, tying her top back into place. Inuyasha merely nodded and followed her out of the pool. Out of the hot water, they quickly scampered back to the building before the freezing air got to them. Once inside, they grabbed the large white hotel towels and began to dry off.
"I didn't mean for that to happen," Kagome said softly, her back turned to him. "I… have a bit of a thing for demons."
"I see…"
She shook her head, wrapping the towel around her body as she headed deeper into the hotel. Inuyasha followed her, expecting her to say something else. She seemed subdued as they rode up the elevator, her gaze towards the floor and wall rather than in front of her. She was clearly thinking about something, but what… he had no idea. Does she feel guilty? It did seem like a douchebag move to seduce a couple when they were celebrating their anniversary – but then again, they had gone along with it.
Still, something was bothering her and he had no idea what to say.
Unlocking the door, Kagome spoke for the first time. "I'm going to take a shower before bed. Goodnight."
He watched as she immediately headed for the bathroom.
"Goodnight," he said softly to the closed door.
oOOOo
Kagome was back to herself the next day. It was as if nothing had happened last night. Not the conversation they had, nor the couple they met. Inuyasha certainly wasn't going to bring it up, so he just left it where it was – in the past.
After a healthy breakfast of bacon, eggs, and pancakes, they hit the slopes. Sango and Miroku joined them as they slowly made their way down the easier of the beginner slopes. It was snowing again, but not nearly as hard as it had the first couple days they were here. Even better, Inuyasha seemed to be getting the hang of things. Unless he hit a patch of powdered snow, he could make it down the entire run without falling. He did have some trouble getting off the lifts. Twice, they had to stop them when he face planted at the bottom of the ramp.
The four had a late lunch, then Inuyasha went back to the room with Sango. His heartrate spiked when Sango asked him if he wanted to fool around for an hour or so. He had glanced over at Kagome before answering. She barely paid him any attention – merely telling them to have fun as Sango nearly dragged him back to the room.
After a shower, Inuyasha left the exhausted Sango naked on the bed as he hit the slopes again. They only had another full day left before he would have to pack up and he wanted to get the most out of the trip. He ran into Kouga and Ayame – almost literally. They joined him for a few runs before moving on to more challenging slopes.
Dinner was followed by a tumble with Kikyo. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing in the lounge area talking with Hojo and Miroku. Even exhausted from the day on the slopes and the energy spent with both Kikyo and Sango, Inuyasha couldn't help but find his thoughts drifting to Kagome. It was a bit painful how she had shut down any chance of a relationship. He hadn't even realized he wanted one until she brought it up. Sure, she was a nice girl, but dating her? She was too high level for him. He would get eaten alive. Still, something was bothering her and that bothered him. We're friends right? If Miroku was bothered by something, he would want to try and help in any way he could. It's what friends do…
And the fifth day ended.
oOOOo
Kagome was going to spend the last day with Sango on the expert slopes. Inuyasha didn't know what Hojo, Ayame, Kouga, and Kikyo were up to. For Miroku and him, they hit the spa. It took some convincing at first, but eventually… why the hell not? Thanks to Kagome's influence, it was free and the girls seemed to enjoy it. Besides, after so many days of skiing, Inuyasha was sure his limbs were about to just fall off. He hurt everywhere.
"Best. Day. Ever," Miroku groaned as the masseuse worked the muscles in his back. Inuyasha groaned an agreement. His personal masseuse was a big muscular guy who showed him no mercy. Still, the pain was outweighed by the relief of his muscles uncoiling.
Afterwards, they both sat in the sauna – towels covering their laps. They were both alone. Eyes closed, Inuyasha took a deep breath of the hot air.
"I needed this," Miroku said beside him. Opening an eye, Inuyasha glanced over at his friend. Like him, his eyes were closed. "I never would have gone myself. I'm glad I let you talk me into this." He rolled his head from side to side, cracking it softly. "Sango's training lessons on the snowboard were brutal. Next year, I'll try skiing."
"Think there will be a next year?"
Opening his eyes, Miroku looked over at him. "Sure. Why wouldn't there be? We all just started. We have at least a few more good years." He shrugged. "Hell, maybe the group will be bigger then."
"You want it to get bigger?"
"Eh, I wouldn't mind. Definitely couldn't argue to adding a few more chicks…"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I'm sure that would go over well with the girls. If anything, another guy will even things out."
"Bah. I don't want things to be even. If they were—"
"Less opportunity for threesomes?" Inuyasha added.
Miroku snapped his fingers. "Exactly." He grinned. "You know, I'm sure you could arrange one if you wanted to."
Inuyasha leaned back against the bench, his head resting against the wood wall. "That doesn't really interest me."
"All I know is Kagome better hold up her end of the deal. No way did I put myself through that for her to bail."
"I'm sure she will."
"You okay?" It seemed his tone was harsher than he intended it to be and Miroku picked up on it.
"I'm fine," Inuyasha said. "Just a bit tired."
"I'm just asking because you always seem to get a bit testy when the conversations about Kagome. Something going on there?"
"Absolutely nothing."
Miroku seemed to relax. "Good."
"Good?"
"Yeah. You've been puppy-dog eyeing her the past week. I was getting worried you might be getting attached."
Inuyasha crossed his arms, closing his eyes. God, did everyone but me know how I was feeling before I did? "Well you don't have to worry about that." He had to bury the memory of Kagome in the pool. Definitely don't have to worry… "Besides, what's wrong with that?"
Miroku sighed. "Look, Kagome's a great girl, but she's the type you have fun with – not take home. Right?"
"Pretty sure that was clear when she was smashed up between us."
"Ugh. Please don't remind me."
Inuyasha opened his eyes, glancing over at him. "What? Don't tell me I can stomach something you can't."
Miroku laughed. "If that's what you're into… I'll leave it all to you." With a deep breath, he stood up, holding his towel in place. "I'm going to head out and get something to eat," he said, rolling his shoulders.
"I'm going to stay in a few more minutes."
Shrugging, Miroku headed for the door. "Suit yourself."
oOOOo
Inuyasha hoisted the last of the luggage, pushing it into place atop the others. With a deep breath, he reached over and slammed both doors closed. Everyone else was clustered around the first van in animated conversation. It was hard to believe a week had passed already. So much happened. He patted his gloved hands together and started over to the group.
"That's everything," he said as he approached them.
"We were just going over who is going where," Hojo said, giving him a smile.
"Inuyasha's with me," Kagome said, coming out of the hotel to join then. "Everyone else can go in the first van with Kouga."
Inuyasha blinked in surprise, looking back at her. She gave no indication of why on her face.
"That's a little unfair, don't you think?" Miroku said, breath plumbing out in front of him. "He was in the second van on the way up."
Kagome turned to him. "Up to you."
"I'll… go with you," he said. He looked over at Miroku. "It's okay." His friend merely shrugged. Kagome exchanged a few words with Kouga as the rest piled into the first van. Inuyasha moved to the second one and climbed in. He pulled off his gloves and held his hands over the heat blasting from the vents. A few minutes later, Kagome climbed in beside him. There was a silence as she adjusted the seat and buckled her seatbelt. Pulling out after Kouga, they spent the next twenty minutes in silence.
"Thanks for inviting me," Inuyasha said, unable to take the silence anymore. "It was fun."
"No problem. I'm glad you enjoyed it." She glanced over at him. "Look, about what happened the other night—"
"Don't worry about it," he said, cutting her off.
"No, I—"
"Kagome," he said softly, looking out the window. "You don't have to explain yourself. Who you sleep with doesn't concern me."
Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw her wince. "It was still inconsiderate of me. There are times where I just don't understand myself and what I do…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
"Like I said, don't worry about it." He could tell she wanted to say more, but she remained silent. For himself, he was trying to figure out what the hell was going on. First she gives me this big speech about how there can be nothing between us, then she goes on like this… Of course, the thought had crossed his mind that he was just misunderstanding everything. It wasn't that farfetched. Until just recently, he had been a social hermit. He could be completely misreading the situation. Maybe she just feels guilty for leaving me halfway and finishing with a total stranger?
His eyes focused on the passing scenery as they headed down the mountain. He couldn't get Miroku's words out of his head. "Kagome's a great girl, but she's the type you have fun with – not take home." Inuyasha frowned at the passing trees. I know that… But even still, why did it hurt so much?
oOOOo
I has some other ideas for how this chapter would turn out, but went in another direction (namely the pool scene). My big debate now is how much I want to get into with the other characters or just skim over that in order to hit the final arc and finish the story.
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Until next time…
