Kagome stood at the bottom of the shrine steps nervously bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her grandfather was due home in a few moments, and she wasn't sure exactly how to explain to him the sudden change in her spiritual energy. It was something that he would undoubtedly notice, even with his limited spiritual ability.
Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hand and squeezed gently. "Stop fidgeting. It's going to be fine. His reaction can't be worse than Sesshomaru's."
Kagome frowned. "Sure, it's going to be a lovely conversation. 'Hey Grandpa, how was your trip? By the way, Inuyasha is now my mate, and our souls are now bound together. How, you ask? Well, I accidentally fused our souls together while Inuyasha was giving me a screaming orgasm.' Yeah, that's going to go over well." Kagome answered dryly.
"You could leave out the screaming orgasm bit. I don't think we'll win him over with that little detail. Although, I don't remember you complaining." Inuyasha teased, kissing Kagome's temple through a grin.
Kagome tried not to laugh. In her experience, though admittedly limited, Inuyasha was an exceptional lover- a fact that he seemed perfectly aware of- considering his ability to make her climax multiple times. "Ha ha. I just don't want my family to start disliking you. I mean, they all go out of town, and I go and lose my virginity to you in my childhood bedroom on my first night alone."
"If your family gets upset, I would understand. You're their only little girl. If we have a daughter, she won't be allowed within ten feet of a penis until she's thirty. Although, in my defense, the case could be made that I lost my virginity to you in your childhood bedroom."
"If we have a daughter? Aren't you jumping the gun there?" Kagome asked, completely ignoring Inuyasha's joke about his own loss of 'virtue'.
"Hey, I'm talking about someday waaaaaayyyy in the future. Besides, I can only get you pregnant two nights a month anyway, and that has to fall on a time when your body clock is exactly right. It's not exactly easy for hanyou to procreate." Inuyasha admitted.
Although Kagome wasn't sure she was ready to become a mother just yet, the news that when they did finally decide to start a family it would be incredibly difficult made her sad. If anyone deserved a family it was someone who had grown up without his own. "Inu, I'm sorry."
"It is what it is." Inuyasha shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."
Kagome smiled and nodded. Yes they would, and in the meantime they would work on crossing this particular bridge.
Grandpa's taxi finally pulled up to the curb and stopped. Kagome stepped forward and opened the door for her grandfather. "Hello Grandpa. How was your trip?" Kagome greeted him cheerfully.
"It was pleasant enough. My good friend Jiro isn't in the greatest health these days, so a few other buddies decided that we'd all go to a health resort. I saw a masseuse about my back, and I feel almost fifty again." Gramps answered as he finagled his way out of the taxi.
"I'm glad you had such a nice time. Mama and Sota went to visit Aunt Suki and Granny. They won't be back for a few weeks." Kagome said. "Do you need any help with your bags?"
"I feel so rejuvenated, I could skip up the stairs!" Grandpa chuckled.
"Why don't you let me handle your luggage?" Inuyasha suggested as he pulled the two large suitcases from the taxi. He set the trunks on the curb, leaned through the passenger window and handed the cabbie money for the fare.
"Thank you, sir. Have a nice day." The cabbie said with a bow of is head before he drove away.
"How have you been my dear?" Grandpa asked. "I hope you weren't too lonely in that old house."
Kagome laughed, and linked arms with her grandfather as they headed up the steps to the house. "It wasn't too bad. Inuyasha has been around to keep me company."
"Then I want to thank you, Inuyasha, for taking care of my grand daughter while I was away." Grandpa added sincerely.
"It was no trouble at all Higurashi San." If only you knew how well I took care of her. Inuyasha hefted the two cases up the stairs like they were a couple of feather pillows. He had to hide his grin behind a fake sneeze, but Kagome hadn't missed it, and she cut him a look from over her shoulder that let him know that she knew exactly what he had been thinking, and she wasn't pleased. Inuyasha averted his gaze, his ears pressed ruefully against his head- if he'd had a tail it would have been between his legs.
Kagome might not know much about youkai behaviors, but she recognized a submissive posture when she saw it, having grown up with a dog as a child- the postures were uncannily similar. She knew that Inuyasha wouldn't appreciate the comparison, but in all fairness, he was half Inu yokai. She nodded her head approvingly, then turned her attention back to her Grandfather.
00
Back at the house, Inuyasha put Grandpa's luggage in his room while Kagome took him to the kitchen for a cup of tea. He found them chatting in the kitchen when he returned, and Kagome offered him a steaming cup.
"So, when were you two going to tell me the news?" Grandpa asked casually between sips of tea. Inuyasha almost spit his tea out, but managed to swallow. Kagome blanched, but did her best to hide her surprise.
"What news, grandpa?" She asked, feigning innocence. The old man shot her a knowing glance.
"I may not be as spiritually gifted as you and your mother, but you didn't think you could hide the fact that your energies are unmistakably fused. I know enough about yokai rituals to recognize a pair bonding when I see one."
Both Kagome and Inuyasha were speechless. Inuyasha smiled sheepishly. He shrugged his shoulders, not exactly sure how to respond. Kagome took a sip of tea while she contemplated her answer.
"I'm sorry Grandpa. I hadn't intended to keep it from you, we were just waiting until Mama and Sota got home to break the news." She explained. And in part, that was true. She had been hoping to keep this whole thing in the box until her mother returned home from her trip.
Grandpa put his tea cup down and stood from his chair. He eyed both Inuyasha and Kagome for a moment with a look neither of them could read, then burst out laughing. He pulled them both into a large hug.
"Congratulations! Your mother is going to be so happy." He laughed jovially. "She's been talking about having grand babies with 'those adorable ears' since you two started dating." Grandpa finally let go, and returned to his seat. "I wouldn't mind a few great grand kids myself, but I say there's no rush. You're still young."
Kagome blushed, a little embarrassed by the conversation topic, but at least he wasn't unhappy with them.
"I think we'll wait a bit before having our own pups." Inuyasha answered.
"Well, in any case I'm happy for you. Do you have any plans for this evening?" Grandpa asked curiously.
"Actually, Inuyasha's brother is putting on a large dinner party for some of his affiliates, and we are expected to attend." Kagome chimed in. "We should probably head back to our place soon so we can get ready."
"Our place? You mean the loft?" Inuyasha asked.
"Yeah. I'll just have to grab my bag before we go."
"Is it a black tie affair?" Grandpa wondered.
"Yes."
"You know, your mother has a nice cocktail dress up in her closet that she wore to dinner parties with your dad before you were born. I don't think she'd mind if you borrowed it."
"You mean that little black dress she never wears? I always wondered about that. You really don't think she'll mind?" Kagome asked.
"I think she'd be happy to know it's being put to good use."
"Alright, I'll go grab my things." Kagome sighed as she left the kitchen with Inuyasha following closely behind.
00
Inuyasha watched in silence for a moment as Kagome grabbed the few pieces of clothing she'd brought with her, as well as her makeup bag and other toiletries.
"You said 'our place'. Does that mean you want to live with me?" He asked suddenly.
Kagome stopped packing and looked up at him questioningly. "Of course. I hope I wasn't being too presumptive. We are mated now, so I thought. But, I suppose I could stay here for a while if you'd rather I…" She was cut off by Inuyasha's finger gently placed over her mouth.
"Let's go home." He said with a smile.
00
Inuyasha hated attending council events. Most of the council members ignored his existence, but a few seemed to enjoy treating him like crap. As second son to the late Daiyokai of the west, and younger brother of the current one, it was his obligation by birth to attend these events, no matter how miserable it might be. At least this time he wouldn't be alone. Kagome would be right by his side the entire night.
Things had the potential to get dicey once the council got wind of his new mate -with which he shared a soul bond; the mate they'd explicitly forbade him from binding himself to.
Inuyasha tugged on his deep red silk vest, and pulled on his black suit coat. Another thing he disliked about these events was wearing such restrictive clothing. He preferred clothing that allowed him to move freely, the exact opposite of his current attire.
"Are you almost ready to go?" He called up the stairs.
"Just about." Kagome answered. A moment later she stepped through the blue curtains, and Inuyasha's jaw about hit the floor. The black sheath dress she'd borrowed from her mother looked as if we're made for her.
The collar was cut just below the collarbone, showcasing the mate mark emblazoned on her creamy skin. It was sleeveless, and the hem cut off just above Kagome's knees. She wore her hair back in an elegant twist. He loved the way she kept her makeup simple, letting her natural beauty steal the show. She carried a pair of red pumps in her hand as she made her way down the steps.
"How do I look?" She asked.
"Perfect." Inuyasha answered, barely able to contain his urge to take her upstairs and undress her right then. "But I think you're missing something." He added, pulling a black velvet box from inside his coat.
Opening it up, he revealed a pearl and diamond necklace, and a matching set of earrings. Kagome gasped, covering her mouth in surprise. Inuyasha removed the necklace from the box, and gently placed it around her neck from behind.
"These were my mother's. My father gave her the pearls and diamonds as a gift when they were first mated. She had them made into this set before I was born. She was saving them for my mate."
"Inuyasha, they're beautiful."
"I hoped you would like them." He said, gently kissing the back of her neck as he did the clasp of the necklace.
''Thank you Inu. I wish your mother were here now. I would have liked to have known her." Kagome smiled.
"She would have loved you." Inuyasha answered. Kagome turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I'll do my best to be worthy of that." She said, planting a kiss on Inuyasha's mouth. His hand cradled the back of her head, and he deepened the kiss.
Pulling away, Kagome breathed deeply. "I should finish getting ready, or we'll be late."
She carefully grabbed the earrings and put them on.
"I'd much rather stay here instead of going to this stupid dinner. We could curl up in bed together and have some fun of our own. I'm pretty sure Sesshoumaru will be too busy to notice we're missing." Inuyasha offered hopefully. Kagome smiled, and touching Inuyasha's cheek gently.
"As nice as that sounds, you did agree to be there tonight. What is it you told me on our second date?"
"That my word is my bond." Inuyasha groaned.
"I've come to bank on your word Mr. Taishio." Kagome said, straightening the wrinkles from the front of Inuyasha's coat with a gentle tug.
"I don't appreciate my own words being used against me." Inuyasha rumbled low in his chest, leaning so close their noses touched.
"I think your honesty is one of my favorite things about you."
"Fuck. I guess we should get going then." Inuyasha shrugged, taking Kagome by the hand.
00
They'd just spent the better part of an hour mingling with the other guests, most of them council members and their significant others.
It had been a bit exciting at first because Kagome was so eager for these people to like her. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to matter how kind or polite she was, they'd already made up their minds about her.
Not once did they include her in their conversations, or even attempt to be civil in any other way. She wasn't sure if it was being surrounded by all of these strangers, but something made her feel uneasy. After all of the introductions were finished, Kagome was glad to have Inuyasha to herself for the time being.
"Do you want anything to drink?" Inuyasha asked.
"I think I'll head to the ladies room for a moment. But I wouldn't say not to a water when I get back." She answered, kissing Inuyasha sweetly on the lips.
The hall was mostly deserted, for which Kagome was greatful. She really didn't feel much like being social at the moment. She found the restroom easily enough, and finished quickly before heading back toward the ballroom.
She felt a soft jolt of awareness from behind her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stick up. "Well, aren't you a sexy little morsel." A deep masculine voice hissed into her ear from behind, pinning her against the wall. Kagome stiffened out of instinct, but quickly realized that freezing would probably make it harder for her to defend herself should she need to. After a moment she relaxed, but never let her guard down.
"How about I pin you to this wall and show you how a real yokai mates." The stranger purred into her ear seductively.
"I would prefer you let me go." She answered defiantly, letting a small trickle of her energy snake its way toward her attacker. A moment later she heard him hiss in discomfort, and move away- to which she quickly used to her advantage and turned to face outward.
"Damn it woman, that fucking hurt!" Panther youkai snapped. "But I love a challenge. Breaking you in should be fun." He added, grabbing her by the back of her hair, exposing her neck to him as his other hand slowly snaked its way under her dress.
"Is everything alright?"
Kagome jumped in surprise as the newcomer, a female fox stood a little ways away studying the encounter warily. Kagome shook her head frantically, her eyes widening in a way she hoped conveyed that she wasn't in fact 'alright'.
"None of your business, little vixen." The panther growled, pressing his stiffening groin against Kagome's hip.
"It might not be my business Ichiro, but I do not think that our host would take kindly to you harassing his sister in law." The fox woman pointed out. Ichiro, growled his dissatisfaction, but decided that the vixen might have a valid point. As much as he'd love to defile the half breed's new mate, he had other things he would like to accomplish before reaching his demise. Without a word, he slunk back to the party.
Kagome let out an audible sigh of relief. "Thanks."
"No problem. I'm never too busy to help a girl out." The fox youkai answered with a friendly smile. "I'm Kikue. You wouldn't happen to be Inuyasha's new mate, now would you?" She asked curiously.
"I'm Kagome. And yes, Inuyasha is my mate." Kagome answered, feeling no ill intent from her new aquantence.
"Why don't we walk back to the party together. Safety in numbers and all." Kikue offered. Kagome smiled brightly, appreciating the gesture.
"Sure."
By the time Kagome and Kikue finally made it back to Inuyasha through the crowd, they'd become fast friends. Kikue was more than happy to accept Kagome, saying that the council needed to get off of it's high horse and keeps its nose out of people's love lives. Kikue had actually expressed congratulations to her new friend about her recent mating. Inuyasha Tahishio was quite the catch, she'd been told.
Inuyasha quirked his brow questioning at his mate as she approached accompanied by another female. Kagome smiled happily, and leaned into him so their arms touched. "Enjoying yourself?" He asked, handing her a glass of water. He took in her scent, hoping it would provide him with a sense of calm. Unfortunately, it did just the opposite. Laced with Kagome's delicious scent was that of another male. His scent was most concentrated on Kagome's back and her wrists as well as her inner thigh. It painted quite the picture in the protective hanyo's mind, and he growled.
"I'll gut that worthless son of a bitch." He added for good measure, but stopped when he felt the soft pressure of Kagome's hand on his own. He stopped and turned to face her.
"Inuyasha calm down. I'm fine. Kikue here managed to help me fend Ichiro off without drawing blood." Kagome said.
"It was Ichiro huh? Those damn cats all stink the same." Inuyasha rumbled, although he decided to catalogue the information away for a later date. He eyed the female fox with a look of gratitude for coming to his mate's aid when he had not been able to. "Thanks Kikue. I haven't seen you here in a while. Usually it's just Michio. Where is he tonight?" He asked casually.
"He's off somewhere sulking I suppose. He's been nothing but a bundle of nerves tonight. It's the first time we've gone out togeher since our boy was born." Kikue answered. Inuyasha chuckled, not sure he could picture Michio nervouse, since he was usually quite the joker.
"Well I suppose fatherhood does change a man." Inuyasha chuckled light heartedly.
"No kidding. Shippo is three now, and full of more energy than I know what to do with. Between taking care of him, and my job I was itching to get a night away. Michio doesn't understand how I can compartmentalize like that, but I say all work and no play makes Kikue a dull girl." Kikue ranted passionately.
Kagome nodded her head in agreement. She herself might not yet have a child, but she could imagine the cabin fever was something to contend with. Anyway, she was glad that her new friend had chosen toinght as her reentrance into society, otherwise it was likely that may never have met. At least now she knew that not every youkai hated her mate, and by extension herself.
"What do you do for a living?" Kagome asked.
"I'm a youkai children's advocate. I work with the 'shadow' youkai devision of Child Protective Services to make sure that the system treats all of it's wards with equal care and concern. Actually, I'm glad I bumped into you Inuyasha. I wanted to talk to you about a group home I'm investigating. Sakura Children's Home?"
"Sure, my mother started it with a friend of hers as a home for orphaned youkai and hanyou kids. Why are you investigating them?" Inuyasha asked.
"Well, I find it a little suspicious that every time I drop by for surprise inspection I haven't seen or smelled a single yokai or hanyo child. Since the council is giving them a sum for every yokai and hanyo in their care, wouldn't it be wise of us to know if their money was being wisely invested? I just can't prove that they're defrauding the council, since they've got proper documentation for every child at the facility. It's just frustrating." Kikue finished.
"That is odd. Our business is still generously funding Sakura Children's since it was my mother's charity. I suppose it's time I give them a visit of my own. I'll tell you what I dig up." Inuyasha offered.
00
Finally Sesshoumaru invited everyone to the dining room for the evening meal, and Kagome's rumbling stomach couldn't have been more happy to hear it. Inuyasha and Kagome followed everyone into the dining room, and took their seats up near Sesshoumaru who sat at the head of the table. Not only did Inuyasha's seat to Sesshoumaru's right make it clear that he held his brother in high regard, but also as Kagome sat at Inuyasha's right that he was openly showing his approval of their union.
Throughout the meal Kagome kept having the uncomfortable sensation in her gut that someone here meant harm. It was like a weight on her chest, and when the meal was getting closed to over she felt it squeeze her lungs like hot irons. She gasped audibly, unintentionally releasing a burst of miko energy to repel the strong malice.
The other guests were all on edge at the uncomfortable prickle of miko energy as it had grated against their own youki with more force than they'd anticipated from such an unimposing human woman. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hand and squeezed gently. "Are you alright?" He asked, his eyes full of concern.
"I don't feel well. Do you think it would be rude to leave now?" She answered quietly enough that she knew only her mate and his brother would hear. Inuyasha nodded his head, and shot a glance at Sesshoumaru. The taiyokai held up a finger, motioning to them that they should wait before departing.
Sesshoumaru stood from his chair, commanding silence from all in the room with his imposing presence. "Although many of you are already aware that my brother has indeed taken a mate, I wanted to quell any doubts about my position in the matter. Inuyasha is, as some of you may have noticed, now full yokai. His youki is easily as great as my own. This is a testament to the strength of our bloodline, as well as his mate's immense power. It is with great occation that I announce Inuyasha as second. He has chosen his mate well, and I am pleased to call such a woman my sister and ally."
Inuyasha bowed his head in thanks to his brother for publicly proclaiming his support of him and Kagome. It meant more to him than Sesshoumaru probably realized, although he wouldn't admit that to him any time soon. Sesshoumaru offered another nod, and without hesitation Inuyasha took Kagome by the hand and together they retired for the evening.