{.x.o.} | Throes of Passion | {.o.x.}
{x}| Chapter 10: Traces of the Truth |{x}
Her delicate hands smoothed out the bandages that she had just placed over his almost healed burn marks and single stab wound before they slipped off of the clothe to his warm skin. A subtle smile slipped up her lips at the simple touch, just as one crossed his as he turned his golden gaze to her. Since their arrival in the large town—one a fair enough distance from the castle she almost never escaped from—they had been spending almost every moment together, for a multitude of reasons.
He felt the need to guard her in case her faux father decided to send soldiers out to get him while she wanted to heal the harm done to him that wouldn't have come if not for her. Both just wanted to stay near the other, it felt right and eased away any worry either held about the future. For a while, they'd just live in the now.
It was he who leaned in to press his lips to hers for just a moment before pulling away to see her smile in return. Whatever grievance she had about his mixed blood heritage was gone, on multiple occasions she commented on how she preferred his golden gaze over the auburn one.
She loved the real him—there was nothing that he was more grateful for than that.
"Are you feeling better?" she questioned as she watched him shrug his shirt back on.
He nodded, "I am. You're hands work wonders, Kagome."
She bit back a smile, knowing full well that he meant more than just her helping his healing process. She could tell from the way his stare roamed over her that his mind was thinking of far more intimate moments they had shared within that very room.
"Do you think," she slowly started, "that he'll come after me? It's been a while and no sign so maybe… maybe he doesn't care?"
"I don't know," he honestly answered, "I hope he doesn't, it would be purely out of spite if he did and what's the point of that? After all the ceremony didn't work so he's surely got more important matters to deal with."
That was a sore subject, something they had yet to fully touch on. Somehow, it didn't work but he hadn't asked how and she hadn't been forthright with the information. He wasn't even sure what it was supposed to entail so for all he knew it could have been a traumatizing satanic ritual that left his woman with a scar on her ever so vivid soul.
Still, he finally asked, "What… happened, Kagome?"
She took a deep breath in through her nostrils before letting it go in a puff from her mouth, "I haven't a clue. It happened so quickly. They were chanting something, a bunch of priest around me, and then I felt weird… and I knew my spiritual power was being invoked. I remember looking up to the stars and thinking of you," she paused briefly to smile at him, "then I collapsed. My fa… Shimizu said that it didn't work, slapped me, and sent me away. I thought I would simply have to wait to be excruciated at dawn but then you and Sango showed up to free me and we went to get Miroku-sama."
Her hand reached out for his. He promptly squeezed it before saying, "That's good. I had all these weird scenarios worked out in my mind."
"That's frightening," she laughed lightly as she leaned her head upon his shoulder, "I could only imagine what horrible things you've worked out in that head of yours."
"Yeah," he murmured back as he nuzzled his cheek against her ebony waves, inhaling her sweet scent in all the while. "I wish… things could be like this, easy, simple, and us here together."
"I like this, too," she admitted with a nod. The main reason they had picked the town to hide out in was the size. There were so many people already there that even if the soldiers came in search for her they'd have quite the trouble finding her in the overpopulated place. It was a rather large change for her as well since she had never been to such an enormous place.
Most likely, it could be a cold and lonely location to live. Plenty of people were probably hiding out from their past just like them and she doubted that there was any sort of "get to know your neighbor" type situation there like in a small town. After all, they'd been there for more than two weeks and all they knew was the room rented to the side of them belonged to Sango and Miroku. They hadn't met a single new person and no one made an effort to know them. For the time being, that was for the best.
And though their inn wasn't the nicest around, it was one of the cheapest. It wasn't like they had unlimited funds, just what Sango had grabbed before making her escape and what Miroku was about to scam off of people throughout their time there.
"I hope Miroku-sama's doing better," she whispered as she shut her eyes.
"Sango's tending to him, he's liking that a lot," Inuyasha said with a grin, "that pervy monk grabs a feel at her every chance he gets and since he's injured she never hits him back."
"She should slap him," Kagome insisted, "or else he'll never stop."
"Oh well," he murmured as he wrapped his arms around her to tug her closer, lightly jerking her head to the side so he could plant a kiss upon his neck, "their pervy behavior isn't any of our business."
"I get the feeling that you are suddenly more interested in ours," she whispered with a smile as she felt one of his hands roam up her side to grope her breast, "are you sure you are healed enough to—?"
"That hasn't stopped me yet," he grinned as he began to hike up her dress.
Tentatively their lips touched once more until the desire they shared took dominance over the kiss. Passion brewed inside both of them as it enflamed within to make both ever so hot. She didn't miss the dress that he undid so she could wiggle out of it and feel the gentle breeze against her bare skin. When she saw a small cringe from him as he forced off his pants, she helped him remove his shirt.
A lopsided smirk was her reward for that before he grasped her to plant her back upon the bed.
"Inuyasha," she began but couldn't finish her thought before his lips collided upon hers, his elevated position allowed him an ability to explore the wet cavern of her mouth all the better. He wasn't a gentle man, his tongue was almost rough and provided actions that equaled it but she could tell from the small noises he'd make—a moan in her mouth, the curve of his lips—that he loved every moment of it as much as she did.
That he loved her—for her, not because of her powers or that he wanted something from her. He was in it for her, and that made her love him all the more.
Nothing felt as good as their warm skin pressed against the other and for a moment she couldn't help but let her thoughts wander the clothe she also felt. He had subtle scars across his skin here and there, always had even when he was passing off for a mortal, but now… thanks to her, he'd have more.
Somehow, he knew her mind wasn't in it anymore and pulled away to look down at her. When he saw the hint of sadness in her eyes he figured what she was thinking so he shook his head slightly and bent down to kiss her neck.
"I love you," he murmured, "so stop thinking whatever nonsense you're lamenting over."
"Okay," she whispered, just to prove that she could push such thoughts aside she spread her legs to offer herself to him—being with him was always the best remedy to anything that bothered her. The haughty smile that he gave her for the gesture won hers back.
First he slid his hand up her inner thighs to check if she was really ready for him, his nose already told him she was aroused but it was only when he felt the wet confirmation that he aligned himself with her entrance. She lifted her arms up to wrap them around his neck and pull him back down so their lips would meet before he plunged in. Her back rose off the bed at the sudden intake of pleasure as he started to thrust into her. It took no time for her to begin to meet his movements with her own.
The rhythm they found together was brilliant—something that they had grown accustom to over their time together. Something they yearned for when they were apart.
"Kagome," he groaned when their lips finally parted, a sliver of saliva linked their tongues momentarily before breaking. Her name was what he'd moan and she loved it—it never sounded better than then.
She gasped in as she shut her eyes when he struck a favorite spot of hers. They were forced opened once more when she heard his need in a grunt, "Kagome."
He liked her looking up to him, he had told her that many times before and she, too, loved seeing the flashes of pleasure and longing look he gave her while they thrashed together.
"Inu… yasha," she moaned back, his name always broke apart before leaving her lips when they were so far into it. Neither seemed to mind, he still loved to hear his names mingled in all her little noises.
Her muscles within twitched, she knew she was already at the verge of the mind boggling feeling only he had ever given her. He groaned from the way she internally squeezed around him, it was almost too much. Her tightness had always been blissful for him, but when she was about to reach her limits… the way she wrapped around him made it mind-numbing good.
Another of his groan infused moans left his lips as she shut her eyes tightly. He gave a few more jerky thrusts before releasing himself within her. He grasped the sheets around her as he took in a couple deep breaths, trying to keep himself from collapsing upon her.
She could feel their mixed fluids inside of her; they even trickled out some as they were still connected. It was a wonderful feeling for her and a moment of pride for him.
"Inu…" she started as she regained herself but no more would come out, instead she just took another breath as she reached up to pull him down to her. Holding him close as he buried his head beside her neck, finally he pulled out of her—a pang of regret pulsed through both for a short while.
Neither really had to say a word, they already knew what the other was thinking.
|-{x}{o}{x}-|
"You needn't make the face," Miroku pointed out to win her dull mahogany stare up to meet his violet one, "honestly, what I wouldn't give to see you smile."
That only earned a grander frown from her, "Houshi-sama…"
"No one is upset with you anymore," he inserted; no one had been in a long, long while. He had forgiven her the first night in the abandon hut, Kagome before that, and Inuyasha let go his grudge upon arrival at the town they had been resting at. That didn't seem to be enough, though, since she had yet to forgive herself. It was apparent to him when her thoughts drifted to guilt, to the burden of blame she had placed upon herself for his injuries. Her brows would lightly furrow together, her lips would form in a line, and her stare would be locked on nothing in particular.
It was eerily similar to the expression she made when she worried about her brother's well being.
"If I had only done things differently then…" she don't even know all that could follow, but the most important was that he wouldn't be hurt.
"I'm almost completely healed," he asserted as he wiggled his injured arm, "it's just bones take time to heal. Thanks to you, we were able to set it in enough time that it should not be a problem in the future."
"Yeah, thanks to me," she mocked, "your abdomen wound is still concerning."
"It'll heal," he assured with a smile, "you've been taking very good care of me, my dear. I'm a very lucky man."
"Yes, lucky," she grumbled, "wounded severely from a night of torture but lucky. I do not understand your way of looking at the world, Houshi-sama."
"I prefer to see the good," he shrugged as he leaned slightly towards her, "and you the bad. I hope we can change that."
The sincerity in his eyes earned a softer expression from her until she felt his hand grab her rear. Her brow twitched before she raised a hand up to smack across his face, leaving a sore red mark in its wake.
"Ouch," he winced, "just a moment ago you were speaking of my sever wounds and now you are smacking me?"
"Don't grope me," she countered, "you are such a pervert. Even with all your wounds you'd jump in bed with a woman, regardless of what damage is done because of it."
"No," he corrected with a small shake of his head, "that's not true at all."
"Oh?" she dryly questioned with a cocked brow.
"I would jump into bed with a woman, as you say," he acknowledged with a smile, "but not with any, just with you."
"Houshi-sama," she sighed with a roll of her eyes, "you are such a fool."
"You care for me," he stated rather than asked, "or else you wouldn't tend to me like you have been. What's foolish about me holding feelings for you as well?"
Generally, when he was trying to woo a woman with his warm words a soft smile would take their lips as they made bedroom eyes at him but not with her… his words seemed to only hurt her since her brows lightly bent together as she looked at him with a sweet sadness.
"I don't know how to help you," he admitted, "I want to—more than anything. Yet, everything I say only seems to deepen the guilt you are smothering yourself with."
"You want to help me?" she asked with a raised brow, "Houshi-sama, it should be the other way around."
"No it shouldn't, when one loves another their task is to help that person whenever they need it. And right now, you need it."
"You," she choked, "you love… me?"
"Yes," he said with complete resolve.
She bit her bottom lip as she glanced away, did she feel the same way? Honestly, she didn't know. For so long she had been pretending this and that to try and get her brother back that… she couldn't tell if the way he warmed her heart was real or just another illusion. She did know, however, that she felt the need to please him. To repent for her sins against him however she could.
She returned her attention to him to see he was still waiting for her response and since she hadn't a clue what to say in return she leaned in and closed her eyes to let their lips meet. It was soft and sweet; catching him off guard at first but after a moment he shut his eyes too and pressed back.
He didn't care if she meant merely to use him further, the way she made him feel was worth it. He had decided he'd simply be happy when she was there and sad when she left. He wouldn't worry while they were together, he wouldn't regret when they weren't.
He lifted his hand up to cup her cheek as their lips parted so that he could insert his tongue into her mouth. He had tangled with many, explored plenty of woman's wet caves, but none made his chest feel like it was on fire more so than his loins. Usually, only the latter region registered a response with a woman but when it came to Sango… his beating chamber worked so hard that he felt it could explode.
"Houshi-sama," she whispered after she broke the kiss, not opening her eyes or removing her face from his gentle grasp.
"My dear?" he asked once she hadn't spoken away.
"Lie down," she requested as she opened her eyes to meet his curious gaze, "please."
He held back a sigh as he obeyed, thinking that meant the end of their moment. That she wanted him to rest once more—which, he felt he had already done plenty of. His eyes widened when she moved from the chair beside the bed to join him on it. A knee on each side of his while her hands reached out to undo the knot that kept his robe together. He barely dared to breathe, let alone stop whatever she had planned. All he did was rise up on his elbows so that he could watch.
His eyes were so fixated upon her hands that he didn't notice the pang of pain that flickered upon her face at the sight of his tightly wrapped stomach that had been cut constantly during his time of punishment.
Her delicate hands hovered above the bandages before touching the skin of his lower stomach. She slowly, agonizingly slowly slid them down to his long untouched length. One of her hands ran all the way from top to bottom as the other stopped at the top to begin to lightly massage his sac.
"Oh," he gasped as his eyelids lowered while she worked, one hand gently tugging while the other kept his sac from tightening too much from delight. He let his lids shut fully while he muffled a moan, but a gasp left his lips when he felt something warm and wet wrap around his staff.
"S-Sango," he stuttered before he gave up on allowing his elbows to keep him up. The sensation that she sparked by sucking around him while her hand still kept messaging him made him forget about every ache he had ever felt. He reached his hand attached to his only good arm down and grabbed her hair to guide her bobbing.
"Ah," he cried out as she sucked harder around him. He meant to warn her how close he was but all that left his mouth was deep throat moan. She could already tell from his pre-release excitement that he was close so she pulled away, leaving him hanging.
Now that was cruel.
"Sango?" he murmured as he looked down to her, she seemed to be struggling with some internal conflict before her eyes lifted to him. Their eyes were locked as she slid her clothes off, rising higher on her knees to slid down her panties.
"Yes," he choked on his anticipation; he knew what she was trying to decide—if he was well enough to go all the way. Honestly, he didn't care if he was or not. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" she questioned as her hands slid over her chest, his eyes following it completely.
"So sure," he asserted with an eager nod.
"Remember you said that," she stated before she positioned his hardened staff, they both took a breath in before she slid down on him. Her mouth could work wonders, that he was sure of, but he preferred her straddling him so much more.
He would have tried to meet each of her jerks with a thrust of his own if he wasn't certain that would open all the closed wounds upon his stomach—even so, he heavily considered the option. His good hand grasped her luscious thighs as he watched her breasts bounce.
He was already wound up and would soon give into the bliss that threatened to take him. That was intentional on her part. She knew it would be better on his injuries if it was that way. A groan got hitched in his throat as his eyes almost rolled back in his head. His fingers clenching her thighs as she gave only a couple more thrusts before he released, crying out a fumbled version of her name in the process.
Gently, she fell down beside him. She smiled as she watched him come down from his high. It took him no time after that to look over to him, a smile on his lips.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Never better," he assured.
|-{x}{o}{x}-|
With a hat upon his head the hanyou strolled through the crowded town, the slayer by his side all the while. They thought it best that two were always together and since Kagome was best with herbal remedies she was left behind to check on Miroku's wounds.
"How much longer until the monk'll be okay?" Inuyasha inquired while his golden gaze kept surveillance around their surroundings.
"A little longer, Inuyasha," Sango sighed as she looked up to him, "he's only human."
"Once he can travel safe we've got to go, okay? It'll take too long if we wait around for that arm of his to heal. We've already stayed here too long."
"I agree," she stated before grabbing his wrist and yanking him down an alleyway. He considered asking what the hell before he caught sight of what she was avoiding—a couple of soldiers. "Can you hear what they're saying, Inuyasha?"
"Yeah," he whispered back, "they're talking about Kagome... There is a bounty on her head, Shimizu wants her back."
"Why?"
"Don't know but that bounty is," he paused as he clenched his hands, "dead or alive."
"That's even worse," she muttered, "it means anyone that is looking to make money will be searching for her."
"We'll just have to be more careful," he sighed as he nodded for them to head out the other side of the alleyway. "I could use a drink, what about you?"
"A quick one," Sango nodded before she followed the hanyou into the first bar they found. Neither Kagome nor Miroku drank but both always saw the brighter side of the world while they… they could see the darkness. They had experienced it firsthand.
"Fucking monster!" Caught their attention as the sake shots were set in front of them, they looked to one another before turning to see the crowd of dirty men.
"There was nothing we could do," the other muttered as he took a swig of his liquor, "not a damn thing… fucking demons. I thought they were all suppose to be dead by now, when will they hold that damn ceremony?"
"That bastard, a real red eyed fucker," another cursed, "did you see its mark? After Minoru ripped the guys shirt with his attack? Like a spider on its back?"
"Naraku," Sango whispered as her eyes shifted to Inuyasha, "he has one like that."
"How do you know?" he questioned with a cocked brow.
"Trust me," she muttered before she drank the sake in one attempt. She pushed off the bar walked over to the dirty bunch, "hello, boys."
"Aren't you a fine thing?" one grinned as he glanced over her curves, "looking for a man, baby?"
"If I were I would be looking elsewhere," she asserted. That sparked a glare from him but a laugh from the others, "I overheard you boys talking about a demon with a spider scar on his back, is that true?"
"Fucker killed two good men," the eldest man grumbled, "what's it to you?"'
"Long wavy black hair?" she asked, waiting for them to nod, "red eyes? Purple eye make-up? Perhaps by the name of Naraku?"
"I heard one of his followers calling him that," the one closest to her said as he reached out to grab her ass. Before he got the chance a clawed hand grabbed his wrist to yank it away. "Hey! Who the hell are you?"
"The lady doesn't want to be touched by the likes of you," Inuyasha inserted, "we're looking for that demon, where'd you see him?"
"North of here, two towns or so, I'd warn against it, fella' we thought we could take it but..."
"We'll keep that in mind," he replied before the two turned around to leave. "So, how'd you know about the whole spider mark on his back, Sango?"
"Not important," she muttered with a nod, "I got to meet with one more person before we head back."
He withheld a sigh and simply shrugged before she led him through the crowd to a tea shop. She glanced around the people before sitting down with one of the men in particular, "hello, Iwamoto."
"Taijiya," he greeted while his brown gaze shifted up to see the man that lingered behind Sango, "friend of yours? Don't you trust me?"
"No," she replied with a smile, "got anything for me?"
"Weird request," he grumbled as he pulled out a piece of paper to slid it on the table to her, "you called in a hefty favor for this tidbit of information. It must be pretty important."
"Obviously," she rejoined as she picked it up and looked it over, "three?"
"One has to be right," he asserted.
"I suppose I owe you a thank you then," she stated as she folded the paper and placed it in her pocket. "Bye, oh, and don't tell anyone you saw me."
"Right, you little rebel," he shook his head before taking a sip of his tea.
Inuyasha bit his tongue until they were out to ask, "what was that about?"
"He used to work in the guards with me," she shrugged, "he got kicked out for bad behavior, owed me quite a few of favors, I heard he was living here and called them in."
"For?" he asked with a cocked brow.
"I knew Higurashi was the name of the family Kagome actually comes from," she explained, "he found three. One has to be hers… I figured it was the least I could. I didn't tell her, I'm not sure if she wants it, so I was thinking maybe you could probe that possibility? See if she wants to find her family?"
"A'right," he shrugged, "I'll ask. She's going to appreciate it, Sango."
|-{x}{o}{x}-|
"At least we have a lead," Kagome chimed as her hands worked out the knot in the hanyou's shoulders. He tilted his head to the side to allow her better access to a certain sore spot of his.
"One we can't follow," Sango stated as her eyes shifted to Miroku, "you're not well enough."
"We do need to wait for you to get better," added Kagome.
"By the time I am the lead will be cold," Miroku countered, "I am well enough to travel."
"But not to fight," Inuyasha interrupted, "and if we follow this thing we're bound to get into a brawl or two. I can go after the trace and see where it leads so we don't lose it."
"No," Kagome quickly declared as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "I don't like that idea. I would rather Naraku be out there alive and in a place we can't find instead of you dead and Naraku somewhere we can find."
"I think… we need to stay together," Sango replied with a small shake of her hand. "Kagome-chan's right, you can't face him alone and we can't go off leaving these two here alone. People are looking for Kagome; she needs you to keep her safe."
"Everything will work out," Miroku stated as he took her hand into his, "Sango, I promise you that. We'll get your brother home."
She smiled even if she didn't believe it since she knew he only meant to make her feel better. They all did... but she didn't believe in happily ever afters.
A/N: Yes, I finally updated this story. Hope you enjoyed.