Kagome awoke to the distinctly uncomfortable sensation of sore muscles and rapidly drying liquid on her thighs. She blinked, confused for a moment at the tanned skin and hard muscle inches from her face, and then realized it was Inuyasha she was staring at. The very naked, very close chest of her hanyou friend. Lover. Mate. That brought on rapidly growing embarrassment as she realized why exactly she was so sore, and what the dried substance that made her skin itch was. She eased her leg off of his hip, wincing as her muscles protested the movement. Tensing, she placed her palms against his warm skin and prepared to push. An irritated wuff puffed against her hair and Inuyasha's arms tightened around her. Kagome frowned. She tilted her chin up and noticed the slant of the sunshine through the trees. She really needed to wash up, she kind of had to pee, she was thirsty, she desperately didn't want to have to discuss that with the hanyou before she had a chance to put something on and…the tilt of the sunshine…
Her eyes widened. Kagome struggled to remember when work in the fields would be completed at that particular time of year. "A, kamis," she murmured. It was late into the afternoon. Soon, the men from the village would be coming to the springs in groups of two or three to bathe before returning to their huts for dinner. It might be only a few minutes… "Inuyasha, wake up!" She winced at her own shrill voice as the hanyou growled and shifted against her.
"What the fuck?" His voice was low and rumbly, and it started something low and warm in her belly, despite his foul language. Kagome gave herself a good shake and ignored her growing blush. They didn't have time for that.
"We fell asleep, baka," she managed to lower her pitch. "If we don't get out of here soon, the men-" Inuyasha interrupted her by sitting up, pulling her with him and into his lap. She was able to get her first look at his face since they, since she had… Kagome blushed, but she couldn't help but feel a tenderness as his ears swiveled, searching for anyone who might be about to interrupt them. His nostrils flared, taking in scents that she could only imagine. His hair was silky and clean, tossed over his shoulders casually to reveal his strong chest and the pillar of his throat. Kagome's eyes widened. At the base of his neck, just where it joined his shoulder, was a dark red crescent. Exactly the size and shape of her teeth. The bite she had made had already healed, but rather than the smooth flesh that normally appeared when his youkai healed an injury, a scar remained behind. Equal parts horrified, over having left such an injury, and strangely satisfied for the same reason, Kagome reached out one hand to trace lightly over the half-moon scar.
Inuyasha's arms instantly tightened around her and his half-lidded gaze met hers. "Don't wench." His lips parted and when his hot breath fell on her skin she shivered. "Not if you want to leave anytime soon."
"I didn't...is that-?" A single fingertip followed the scar again, of it's own volition. The second time she felt a throb of heat in her own chest answering the pull that she knew Inuyasha felt. "Oh!" Her surprised gasp was cut off by his mouth. She sank into the searing kiss for a moment before the sensation of water on her legs brought her back to reality. "Inuyasha?" He had carried her into the spring and smoothly set her on her feet.
"If you are gonna wash, be quick." In the blink of an eye Inuyasha sank beneath the water and then burst forth again, droplets of moisture clinging to his lashes and hair. He strode from the spring, heedless of his nudity, towards the crumpled pile of clothing left in the grass. Kagome couldn't tear her eyes away from the musculature of his thighs...and his backside. He shook, a great deal like the dog he was, and cast a smirk over his shoulder. "If you don't want to wash, that's fine." He drew in a deep breath and let his eyes wander over her naked body. Kagome only stood knee-deep in the water, and his inspection left a trail of delicious fire and an awkward blush in his wake. "I like my scent on you." His own cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, but his voice was low and husky. Kagome couldn't even manage to cover herself under his obviously pleased scrutiny. "I like it in you, bitch."
A flare of anger at what Inuyasha considered a term of endearment pulled her out of a lust-induced trance. She opened her mouth to use the subjugation spell, but the quick twitch of his attention towards the path that led to the village reminded her they could be interrupted at any moment. Kagome sank down into the water, washing as quickly and gently as she was able. "Call me bitch again, baka," she muttered, "and I'll S-I-T you all the way to America. I don't care if it damages your naked bits."
Inuyasha couldn't help the grin that kept escaping him as he bounded through the trees, circling the village so that they could approach from the far side, closest to Kaede's hut. Kagome was his. Finally. His. She told him she loved him, she accepted his mark. Fuck, she had marked him. The toothy smile broke out again with a surge of pride in his woman. She had not only bitten him, just as she was supposed to, but she managed to use her reiki as well. It had worked even better than Sesshomaru had guessed it would. Even as he dropped to the forest floor and continued running, he could feel her holy energy circulating in him. It did not blend with his youkai, but the two were twined together. Like a twisted ladder, the opposite forms of power were pulled together, supporting and holding one another so firmly that nothing could pull them apart.
His hands tightened on her thighs. Like us, he thought and another wave of content happiness washed over him. He had been feeling a lot of those since he woke to find Kagome looking up at him. He shifted his grip, allowing his palms to slid further up that he ever had before. Where months ago he would have held onto her knees, now he felt confident in his right to smooth his claws along her thighs, to cup her bottom. She drew in a sharp breath as he did exactly that, and he was forcibly reminded that she wasn't wearing any undergarments. Both of those items had not dried as quickly as his haori. Rather than let the damp fabric chafe against her skin, she had tucked them into the sleeves of the fire rat before she tied the belt at her waist. He squeezed gently and grinned again at her exhale and the punch she landed on his shoulder.
The scent of anger flared again and Inuyasha breathed deeply of the hot ginger. He loved it. Loved every aspect of her scent. Loved her. She had been anxious, smelled uncertain at the springs, so he had purposefully infuriated her. It hadn't occurred to him that she might 'sit' him, even though they had just been - done that, and he was naked; apparently she disliked 'bitch' more than he thought. He sighed, but there wasn't any real irritation behind it. He would have to tell he what he knew about inuyoukai as soon as they had a chance, not that he knew as much as he should, or he'd no doubt end up doing something on instinct that had her shrieking and throwing a fit. He enjoyed her anger, but since he had taken the opportunity to taste her other emotions, he planned on experiencing those scents in a much more intimate way than a 'sit'.
She had one hand on his shoulder and the other fisted in his hair. Her thumb brushed against the base of his ear and he stifled a groan. Her voice tugged at his need. "Please, Inuyasha," her words were low and throaty, "stop." Feeling her lips against his hair made him - stop? His ears drooped. She doesn't want my touch? Certainly, he knew Kagome was mad. Hell, he could smell the anger coming off her in waves. He hadn't thought that meant...Kagome got made all the time, she always forgave him and came back to him. They had mated, so she couldn't leave. No matter how mad she got, no matter how stupid or stubborn he was, she couldn't leave him. He wouldn't let her. His hands tightened reflexively and she let out another gasp.
Inuyasha stopped running abruptly, forcing Kagome to clutch at his shoulders and hips or risk whiplash. He dropped her and spun in one fluid motion, catching her arms and pulling her close so that they were face to face. She had mated him. He told her how serious that was...forever, eternity serious. She knew. She said she loved him. She didn't get to change her mind. He growled. "You're mine, Kag-o-me." Her eyes widened and a trace of anxiety entered her scent. Somewhere deep inside Inuyasha felt a twinge of guilt for frightening her, but his own fear of rejection and pain pushed it aside. "I touch what is mine. You will carry my scent, always, and you won't leave me. You can't leave me." He could feel a whimper trying to escape, but he quashed it. "Just 'cause I pissed you off, you can't leave. I wouldn't let you even if a mate bond could be-"
"What are you talking about?" Kagome's blue eyes were wide and confused. Inuyasha stopped, mid-tirade, and frowned. He sniffed. She still smelled angry, but also worried and uncertain.
"You - you said to stop, but I-" He shook himself. What the fuck do I got to be guilty about! She's the one who did the...thing...with her reiki! I wasn't at the spring makin' myself harder than Tessaiga. She can't do that and then act like she doesn't want me! "There's nobody here to see, so I'll grab your ass if-"
"Inuyasha," she said firmly. The hanyou paused. That was the tone she used before a sitting. He braced himself, feeling undeserving and more than a little hurt that she would want to subjugate him when they were already joined by their blood and their power. She sighed. "You baka. I wanted you to stop running so we could talk before we get to Kaede's." She lightly slapped the side of his head. "Although, since you brought it up, no, you don't get to grab my-" she blushed, "-bottom whenever you want just because we mated."
"We are mated," he stressed in a quiet voice. He searched her face, looking for any sign that she was trying to leave him. She looked irritated. Hell, she smelled irritated, but not really angry - the ginger wasn't hot enough. And she hadn't 'sat' him. "Why?"
""What! Well, because- I-" she sputtered. "It's perverted and-"
"Why did you want to talk?"
"Oh, right," she glanced away, and Inuyasha had to grab her chin to force her to meet his gaze. He truly did not understand her. He loved her. He was certain he would die without her. But figuring her out was far beyond his capabilities. He hated to admit it, but he might have to actually ask her things and listen if he wanted to know what she thought. "I just...before the others find out that we...I wanted to ask about, you know, what happens next." He stared at her for a few long moments. What the fuck? They were mated. Next they would have more of the best thing he had ever done, and he hoped that the incredible pleasure of being inside Kagome didn't kill him, have pups and live together forever. Obviously. "I mean...is there like a ceremony or anything? Do we get married? Can we get married? Where will we, ah, sleep while we are hunting for shards? What happens if I get pregnant before we find them all? Are you going to be more crazy than usual if I am pregnant and we are chased by a youkai? Would birth control even work on hanyou sperm? Can I call Sesshomaru ani? Will he kill me for that? Is it weird that he isn't as scary now that I know he talked to you about this? Can you keep Miroku from being - well, himself - without killing him? What about Mama? Will you-"
Inuyasha had to clamp one palm over her mouth to stop her chatter. It seemed once she got started, like so many things with Kagome, she couldn't stop. Fuck, women worry about a lot of shit. Her eyes were still wide, and her nostrils were flaring. She was no doubt trying to catch her breath after all those questions. He would acknowledge that some of those things they should probably talk about, a couple he hadn't really considered. She was worried about their future. Their future. Together. That meant she didn't want to leave.
"I built a house."
Silence. Inuyasha waited for Kagome to understand what he meant. The house was for her and their future pups. It was, of course, near the well and Goshinboku. Actually, he was pretty sure he had built it right where her Grandpa's guest house for visiting priests was in the future. They would stay there, rather than at Kaede's, whenever they weren't hunting shards. Inuyasha figured they only had a few more to get before the jewel was whole again, considering how hard he had been working while she was gone. If she got pupped before they were done - he felt a surge of lust, pride, and a tiny bit of fear at the thought that he would be happy to try as many times as possible - then she could stay in the village with Kaede and Miroku, wait, not with the lecher's fuckin' hand, with Kaede and Sango while he and Miroku finished the quest. He figured she might want to do one of the human marriage things. He had even thought to bury a yuino gift for Mrs. Higurashi under the Goshinboku, rather than carrying it through the well, to ensure that the coins and other items inside would pass the kar-bon dating test that Kagome had told him about.
"Okay?"
Inuyasha frowned. She didn't look okay. She looked confused. Kagome always needed so many words. Everything had to be explained as if she couldn't just look around and see what was going on. He sighed. "We'll sleep in a tree, or on the ground if you want - when we're hunting shards." He narrowed his eyes. "But that kit ain't sleepin' with us." Kagome just stared at him, and Inuyasha was nearly overwhelmed with a mounting sense of frustration. He built the house. They. Were. Mated. There wasn't much else to talk about. He watched her carefully until she finally closed her eyes and heaved a ridiculously long sigh.
"Is the house for us?"
"Yeah."
"Will you go back to the future with me to tell Mama?"
"Yeah."
"And we'll be married?"
"Keh. If you want."
"Inuyasha-" Kagome broke off with a strangled sound that slowly morphed into a chuckle. "I think all this time-travel has damaged my brain cells. How on earth did I fall in love with someone who can't carry on a conversation unless he is trying to get into my pants?"
"You aren't wearing pants," Inuyasha said in confusion. He immediately clicked his mouth shut when she glared at him.
"That isn't the point," she snapped. "Listen up, baka, because I am going to speak very clearly and I don't want any confusion." He nodded, doing his best to suppress the shiver of fear her glare inspired. "I do not know anything about mating, or youkai sex, or how inu treat their wives, mates, whatever. You will have to tell me - exactly tell me what to expect. If we need to talk to someone else, Myouga, Bokuseno, or even," she shuddered, "your brother." He opened his mouth to automatically correct her to say 'half-brother' but was cut off. "We will do what it takes to make this work, because I love you. I mated you because I wanted to, and I would do it again, even if you do act like a baka. I will never leave you, Inuyasha. I might not always agree with you. I might not always want to do...that… I might not understand why you do things sometimes. But I will always love you."
Inuyasha digested that for a few moments. She loved him. He knew that, and he supposed he couldn't blame her for not knowing all that mating entailed. Hell, he hadn't really known until Sesshomaru tried to humiliate him to death. He considered her serious expression and her scent. Maybe he had overreacted, but they really did need to talk about the ass grabbing. That was not up for negotiation.
Sango considered Miroku with a narrow gaze. The monk was up to something. He had been watching her since he returned from the tree where she...she… Sango shook her head to clear away the blush that was gathering. Miroku was an extremely intelligent man. It was one of the most attractive things about him. Unfortunately, he usually put it to the most devious uses. All afternoon he had been staring at her, staring and, well...smiling. Miroku was a good-natured man, he often smiled but this...there was something about the way his lips parted when he caught her gaze, the way his eyes glowed with...something.
She finally took took the mending she was doing for Kaede to a secluded spot in the garden, right at the edge of the forest, to get away from his gaze. She kept her back to a tree and paused in her work often to glance around her. It was taking three times as usual for her to finish the sewing, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Miroku was up to something. And when he got sneaky, it never boded well for her. She was so worried about some sort of ninja attack on her bottom, she was startled into nearly attacking Shippo when he popped out of a neat row of sweet peas.
"Whoa!" Shippo threw his hands over his head and rolled into a ball to avoid Sango's upraised arm.
"Oh, Shippo! I am so sorry, I thought you were- well," she blushed in embarrassment, "I thought you were someone else."
"Sheesh, Sango, you need to relax. Nothin' is going to attack us in the village, not with Inubaka out there." The kit rolled his eyes and dusted himself off. He thrust a bouquet of flowers into her lap. "These are for you." They were half crushed from the kitsune's fall, and a wide strip of paper circled the stems to keep them together. "The pervert said he's sorry." The kit snorted, "he didn't say what for and I don't want to know, okay? Anyway, he was worried you wouldn't take them from him."
"What did you get for this," Sango asked absently as she fingered the blooms.
"Ha-ha," his laugh was much darker than Sango had come to expect from the kit and she looked up to find an expression of evil glee on his face. "That is a secret, but don't walk too close to Inuyasha next time we leave the village."
"You think we'll all go together next time?"
" 'Course we will," Shippo answered confidently. "Kagome is back. She'll have him flat on the ground in no time and then she'll really give him a working over." He nodded in satisfaction and then turned to go. Over his shoulder he called, "Oh, and he wrote something on that paper. See ya later, Sango!" She waved absently and slowly unrolled the rice paper from the stems. An origami dove had been concealed between the two and fell onto her lap. Beautiful kanji had been inked onto the paper:
A bird flies sweetly
on paper wings. Telling all
of my love for you. *
Something inside Sango's chest warmed and softened. The sensation was only tempered by the little voice in the back of her mind, whispering, What is that lecher up to?
"So it's like, a - a good title?"
"Keh. That's what I been sayin'." Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her and offered her his hand to help her over a fallen log. "Ya don't hear me callin' just anybody bitch, do ya?"
"You do understand that is an extremely rude word in my time, right? And actually among humans here as well?"
"Pfft. We ain't in your time and I ain't human. You are my bitch." Inuyasha looked away and shoved his hands into his sleeves. "Unless ya don't...if you…" Kagome hid her smile behind her hand. His insecurity was adorable and terribly sad at the same time. She touched her hand into the crook of his elbow and leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked.
"I love you, Inuyasha." She could feel the tension in his muscles ease with her words. "Although I don't suppose I'll ever get used to it, I'll try not to get so mad when you call me - that." They walked in silence for a few minutes until Kaede's village came into view. Kagome's nerves suddenly returned. Inuyasha must have been able to tell, because he folded his hand over hers.
"They'll be happy for you, Kagome," he said softly.
"They'll be happy for both of us," Kagome responded. She stretched on her toes to press a kiss at the corner of his mouth. "Even if they weren't, it wouldn't matter, Inuyasha. You are mine now, and you know how stubborn I can be about something I want."
"Keh." He didn't answer, but tugged her to get moving again. Kagome could see the softness in his eyes and the twitch of his lips, however. Why didn't I say something sooner? All those years I could have been with him, but instead I was so caught up in the attitude he uses to protect-
"You're mine, bitch. So don't think you can get away with your antics anymore. My mate won't be -"
"Inuyasha." Kagome saw red, and she barely managed not to use the bead of subjugation. "I am trying really hard not to lose my temper with you, baka." His ears were lowered, no doubt in preparation for a 'sit'. Kagome caught sight of Sango sitting not too far away in Kaede's garden. Maybe I need to use less stick, too. She tugged her panties from the haori with a blush and dangled them in front of Inuyasha's nose. She didn't have to worry about losing his attention, although she tried not to think about what he could smell on the brief material to make him flare his nostrils and lean towards the scrap of cotton and lace with such an intent look. "As long as you want to keep the beads, I did promise I would try not to use them. But you need to remember, I have a few things you need to be in my good graces to get. So don't. Piss. Me. Off."
At his slow nod she smiled and moved to put away her underwear. In the blink of an eye they had disappeared from her hand and Inuyasha was tossing her onto his back to ride the last hundred feet to Kaede's. "Keh. Just so long as you remember who is in charge here." Kagome gave in and rolled her eyes, content that he couldn't see her. His claws slid up her legs, but stopped just shy of her bottom.
"Yeah, I'll try to remember that."
* Haiku is a beyond my skill set, so thanks to wikihow for Miroku's poem.