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Warnings: This chapter contains sex. So there. Message me if you want details to skip it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.
How to Kill Me
Chapter Thirty-Six: Voodoo Child
"But I believe the world is burning to the ground. Oh well, I guess we're going to find out. Let's see how far we've come. Let's see how far we've come. Well I believe the world is coming to an end. Oh well, I guess we're going to pretend. Let's see how far we've come. Let's see how far we've come."
-How Far We've Come, Matchbox 20
INUYASHA
Inuyasha was not remotely convinced that Kagome was well enough to drive. If he'd been able to figure out what the hell cars did, he would've driven them back to Shippo's place himself. As it was, Kagome merely sniffled in the driver's seat, having calmed down enough to not cry anymore.
He didn't know what to do.
He wanted to reach over there and touch her, do something to make her realize that she wasn't alone in this mess. He wanted her to figure out that Inuyasha wasn't planning on going anywhere, not anymore. Even if he had the Shikon no Tama in his hands, he wouldn't leave her. They would be side by side like they were now.
Another sniffle drew his attention and Inuyasha didn't fight it this time when his left hand twitched before resting it palm upwards on her thigh. It was an invitation of sorts, although he wasn't entirely sure what he was inviting. Kagome merely gave him a smile, dropping her hand from the steering wheel to grip his, squeeze his, and Inuyasha thought maybe he should fight his impulses less.
The lights were on at Shippo's house when they returned later, the sky completely dark with only the waxing moon for light. The snow was thicker on the ground here than in Bridgeport, making Inuyasha cringe at the sound of snow under his boots. It was nothing compared to the feeling that clutched at his chest when Kagome let out a shaky breath. Inuyasha didn't know what to say, mostly because he'd already said it all. He wanted to help her and to fix her, but tonight wasn't it. Right now she needed sleep and rest to let it all go. Tomorrow they could talk about it and maybe Inuyasha could tell her how Souta looked when he talked about her, and how much he regretted not knowing her. He could connect her with her brother as much as possible, to the best of his ability. He didn't have a way with words, and he always felt actions were far better, but right now Inuyasha didn't have a clue.
When they walked into the house, Shippo was right there staring. It took only a moment before green eyes examined Kagome's red-rimmed and glassy ones. Instantly Shippo hugged her, pulling Kagome to his chest while he glared at Inuyasha. "What the hell did you do?"
"Me?" Inuyasha looked at the kid with shock because he knew the redhead was at least partially involved in the case. Kagome should have told him that he was out protecting Souta. Why was this his fault? "Where do you get off–?"
"Her brother was shot when you were supposed to protect him!" Shippo snapped, holding Kagome tighter. "Of everything that–"
"Shut up!" Kagome yelled, pushing at Shippo's chest until he let her go. Inuyasha could only see the back of her head, but if Shippo's expression was anything to go by, she wasn't pleased. "Souta is alive and fine, thank you for your concern. I'm not crying because of Inuyasha! Is it really so hard to figure out the real reason?"
She didn't wait for an answer, brushing past the redhead to escape into the guest bedroom. Shippo gave one desperate, almost apologetic look at the half-demon before running behind her, calling out her name.
Inuyasha closed his eyes. He would be lucky to even survive the next day. Walking into the kitchen, he tried to ignore the sounds coming from the guest bedroom. He could hear them talking, hear words and apologies and some stilted acceptances. Inuyasha tried his best to let it roll off his back, even when the door opened and shut again and the redhead stepped back into the hall. Shippo's green eyes were downcast but he was tense. Inuyasha could see it in the way he moved, as the redhead approached the small island in the kitchen.
"I'm sorry," Shippo said finally, looking at the half-demon. "You didn't deserve that."
Inuyasha shrugged, not really sure what he deserved. "How is she?"
"Going to bed, but probably not," Shippo replied, learning forwards heavily on the counter. "What happened out there?"
"I thought you'd already figured it out," the half-demon stated, unable to keep the sneer out of his voice. Shippo was annoying, a brat, and then there were times when he wasn't so bad. Inuyasha didn't like people who were all over the place. Kagome seemed to have ruined him for others. When Shippo merely looked a little lost and a lot regretful, the half-demon sighed. "Her brother did get shot but he was wearing a vest. I had jumped the bad guy but the bullet missed me by a mile. Do you really think I'd still be around if I got Souta dead?"
Shippo's face became more and more sheepish. "Not unless you were a dead body."
"Exactly." Inuyasha rolled his eyes at Shippo's grin. The kid was seriously all over the place. "Souta's married with a baby girl and her name is Kagome."
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh."
"I already said I was sorry," Shippo murmured. "I won't make that mistake again."
There was a long moment of silence, where Inuyasha decided that ransacking the cupboards for a glass was suddenly important. It wasn't until he was four cupboards in that Shippo pointed him in the right direction, making finding the glass easier. He quickly filled it with water and had a sip.
He hated water, but whatever.
"What are you guys going to do now?" Shippo asked quietly, green eyes searching for the answer in the air.
"I don't know. Whatever she needs to do, I guess."
"Even if it ends up costing her?" Shippo raised a brow. "You'd let her kill herself slowly but surely? She shouldn't just get back to hunting demons and not deal with this."
"I thought we were done with this bullshit?" Inuyasha asked, trying to keep his voice light. It didn't work at all. "I would never let her do that, I'd distract her first. Get her out of the way. Get her to focus on something else. I've done it before."
The redhead nodded at that, taking a deep breath before going to another cupboard that Inuyasha hadn't gotten to. Shippo bent over and reached into the far back, making a huff before his hand reappeared with whiskey. Two more glasses came from another cupboard and Shippo didn't hesitate before pouring them each a glass.
"You're seventeen," Inuyasha pointed out with raised eyebrows. "You shouldn't be drinking."
"There's a liquor store a few miles from here," Shippo replied with instead. "It's sketchy and shady and the guy behind the counter doesn't ask questions. Here."
Inuyasha wasn't one for alcohol. It didn't do anything to him, not like it did to humans. His last outing with Kagome at that bar so long ago had been eye-opening, and now he kind of wished that Shippo hadn't done this. Surely it wouldn't be good. Ignoring the burn, Inuyasha gulped the whole thing down, barely flinching when he asked for more. If Shippo was going to torture him with human antics, he might as well drink as much as possible.
"Can you get drunk?" Shippo suddenly asked, the question dawning on him.
"Probably if I drank a whole liquor store," Inuyasha muttered, watching the amber liquid slide into his glass. He took the second one a lot slower.
"I said before that you cared about her," Shippo started, making Inuyasha wince. The guy wasn't even drunk yet and they were getting into dangerous territory. "And clearly you're very protective of her."
Inuyasha eyed the whiskey disdainfully. There couldn't be enough in the world for this conversation. "Someone needs to do it."
"No, that's wrong," Shippo pointed out, leaving the kitchen without so much as a glance back. Inuyasha watched the redhead, knowing what the kid was doing. It was a tactic to draw him out, back into the living room where Shippo was currently headed towards. It was where serious conversations were going to be had, and didn't they already have one a couple days back?
But how was he wrong? Someone needed to protect Kagome because she damn well couldn't do it herself. He'd seen it happen, watched as the black-haired demon slayer downed alcohol and did stupid things and left herself completely vulnerable.
Against his own wishes, Inuyasha walked into the living room. "Alright," the half-demon said tiredly, "what do you mean I'm wrong?" Humming a little, Shippo just took another small sip. It was infuriating. "Come on!" Inuyasha protested. "You can't seriously be this difficult to deal with. Kagome's not even here so you don't need to do that little song and dance show you were performing earlier. It's just you and me now."
"It's not just someone that needs to protect her," Shippo whispered, voice a bit rough from the alcohol. "It's you that has to protect her."
"Right," he spat sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Anyone could do the job just fine."
"You really think that?" the redhead asked seriously. "Then why did you hate me so much at first?"
Inuyasha chuckled. "Let's see: one, you're a brat; two, you're a child; three, you're annoying–"
"That's not the real reason and you know it," Shippo sighed, hesitating only a second in his speech to take another sip of whiskey. "No one else can protect her but you. No one else would do as good of a job, according to you."
"That's not true."
"So if Kagome decided she only needed me to protect her and not you, you'd be fine with that?"
Inuyasha frowned. "Well obviously not, have you seen you? You might as well paint a target on your back, freckles."
"And I'm the child," Shippo muttered under his breath. "What about Miroku and Sango?"
"They obviously can't hold their own either," Inuyasha stated. "Astaroth destroyed them."
"You're talking about a duke of Hell, here, you know. He's not exactly easy to kill," Shippo said.
"But Kagome has a duke of Hell for an admirer so whoever takes care of her needs to be able to deal with that."
"And who can deal with that, Inuyasha?"
Me. Inuyasha kept his mouth shut, ignoring the grinding of his teeth. He didn't want anymore of this stupid conversation. If Shippo hadn't been such a moron in the first place by yelling at Inuyasha, he wouldn't have felt the need to have this heart-to-heart.
"Kagome loves you, you know," Shippo murmured, sighing. "And you love her too, so I don't get why you two haven't worked it all out yet."
Balking, Inuyasha reacted a second too slow before he decided to down the rest of the whiskey. He looked back at the empty glass, realizing that it was pointless. Alcohol wasn't going to do anything for him, obviously. It was futile to even try.
"Did I hurt your ears or something?" Shippo asked dryly, rolling his green eyes.
"No," Inuyasha replied, although his voice sounded funny, strangled almost. "No, I got your message loud and clear."
Shippo leaned forward, putting his barely-finished glass on the floor so he could directly his attention fully to the half-demon. "Did you?"
"Yeah."
Standing up, Shippo picked up his glass and then wandered back into the kitchen. Inuyasha let him go, not wanting to be in the general vicinity of the redhead anyways. He was a kid, he didn't know anything. Whatever had just come out of his mouth was an incorrect observation. Kagome didn't love him and he didn't…
"Goodnight Inuyasha," Shippo said. "Sorry about the couch."
Inuyasha nodded absentmindedly. He waited for long, agonizing minutes as he listened to Shippo get ready for bed. There was the creaking of a headboard, barely audible except to his ears. The kid was finally going to sleep.
The half-demon didn't move.
He didn't think about the words just spoken because… Well, it wasn't necessary. He already knew what was going on in his head, even if he didn't want to put a title to it. So what if he…cared about her? He was there, and that was what mattered.
But did Kagome love him? Was Shippo right? Inuyasha tried his best to force himself into thinking of other things, but it didn't work. Not even the thought of the jewel, or Naraku, could pull his mind away from the madness that Shippo had just created. Kagome couldn't love him, not after what happened. Maybe she could have, before the mess?
Inuyasha growled, deciding that sitting on the damn, uncomfortable couch would do nothing to get rid of the thoughts. For the second time that night, his body moved on its own accord, leading him down the hallway towards the only guest bedroom. Kagome was in there, she was there, so Inuyasha opened the door without thinking, his only objective was to get to her. It was pitch black in the room but her silhouette was still clear to his eyes. He quietly walked over, listening to the steady sound of her breathing. Sitting on the mattress, Inuyasha didn't know…what to do. Why was he even in here?
The half-demon blinked, looking back at the door to her room before turning to the woman on the bed, peacefully resting. It went completely against his judgement to lean down, to press his forehead gently against hers. He could feel her puffs of breath and it took a second for him to realize it was no longer steady, that Kagome was awake. But she didn't make a move, didn't sigh or yell or complain about him being there so Inuyasha let the moment continue, let the seconds pass as they breathed each other's air.
Slowly, Inuyasha leaned up to brush dry lips across her forehead – not a kiss, just a touch – before turning and leaving.
He thought that the couch he slept on would be a rude awakening back to reality. Inuyasha realized he was wrong when he heard Kagome's bedroom door click shut as he closed it, the sound alone jarring him back.
Fuck.
The next morning wasn't terrible but it was mostly silent, and I really didn't care to make it any better. Inuyasha wouldn't speak and anything I asked was answered with mostly a grunt or a raised eyebrow. Something was clearly on his mind, his golden eyes guarded and downcast every time I tried to catch a glance. I decided that it probably wasn't even worth it, not right now when I had so much other damn shit going on. I didn't need to deal with his emotional angst; I had my own, fuck you very much.
Shippo wasn't not talking, he was just choosing to be quiet. Lunch was probably the most awkward the three of us have been, and considering how the two of them acted before? This was bad. If Shippo's landline hadn't rung shrill and loud in the otherwise silent home, I probably would've started yelling at them just to ease the tension. It only put pressure on the part of me that wanted to run, that wanted to run last night. I have been here far too long, in the same place that the walls were almost looking familiar. I needed distance and difference and complete isolation at this point. I wanted to run.
Refusing to think about things I'd be leaving behind, I tapped Inuyasha's hand from where it rested on the table. Shippo was in the other room, speaking in a low tone to whoever was on the other end the line. If Inuyasha's problem was with the redhead, then certainly he'd open up now. "We should leave in the next hour or so, okay?"
Inuyasha nodded absentmindedly, making a noise that wasn't quite a grunt but also wasn't a hum of agreement. Moping son of a bitch, that's what he is.
"What's the matter?" I asked, cutting through the bullshit. I did not have the emotional capacity to deal with his PMS too. "You're acting strange."
"Sorry." The half-demon let out a breath, raking his hands through his black hair. The silver roots were starting to take hold again and before we went back out in public I'd need to fix them. Those were always fun times for the two of us. Surely that would raise his spirits. Not. "I'm good for whenever you want to go."
I nodded, leaning back in my chair just as Shippo arrived. The kid grinned at me, green eyes bright with something I didn't know of yet.
"I think I've got your problem fixed," Shippo said, taking his chair back and sitting in it. He leaned forward on the table eagerly. "I reached out to a friend of a friend who's good with cars for…certain careers. He told me the other day he'd be willing to hook me up but I just got confirmation now. If you want a car, it'll be here in the next hour."
"Really?" I cracked a small smile, unable to help myself. "What colour is it?"
Laughing, Shippo shook his head. "I don't have a clue but it'll be better than that crap I have here. So what did you want to do today?"
I could see it, right in his eyes that he was expecting something grand. He wanted to spend time, to talk, to do all the things I wanted to but couldn't. I had to leave now. I had to be mostly on my own, even though Inuyasha was like that constant dark shadow always looming. Somehow, he was never a part of the isolating process. He just came and was.
"I've got to go," I said, trying to be as sad as possible. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea that I didn't want to spend time with him. It was hard to explain, how I could never just be in one place. Sango and Miroku had long ago stopped questioning it, even though they tried for years. They always asked me to stay, always told me to visit them or to come back whenever I called, but it didn't matter. I couldn't. I had unfinished business and staying stationary would do shit all for my cause.
Shippo's expression fell into something eerily similar to Sango's whenever I told her the same thing. Their faces remained stoic but their eyes softened, hurt. "Where are you going?"
"To the next job," I answered. I didn't tell him that I didn't have one and he certainly didn't ask. It was smarter that way, less painful that I didn't have to give the truth.
The next hour was spent trying to get things organized. Our belongings weren't scattered but Shippo kept trying to force things on me, giving me little bits of things that could be useful if the situation called for it.
"Here."
Turning around, I came face to face with Shippo's red face and owlish gaze. That alone should have gotten me worried but it wasn't until I looked at what was in his hands that I nearly choked. "Why would I need those? Why do you have those?"
The owlish expression soon became stubborn, the set of his brow suggesting that I was playing dumb. I wasn't.
Or, I didn't think I was.
"Take them."
I growled. "Shippo, you are seventeen. You are not going to give me a pack of– of those." For god's sake, now I was acting like a teenager. I could even say the damn words.
"Condoms?" The redhead laughed and then dumped them in my bag anyways, despite my protests. "Please, I can sense the unresolved sexual tension from here. If you love him, don't be so stupid like you normally are about relationships."
"What relationships have I ever had?" I demanded, keeping my voice low. Surely if Inuyasha put his mind to it, he could overhear our conversation. He was going in and out of the house, transporting some of the luggage to the front for when the car arrived. "The last relationship I had ended very badly." My boyfriend had been fucking possessed, damn it, and I'd never known.
"First of all, I was speaking in a broad sense," Shippo replied, ticking it off his fingers. "Your relationships with friends were more the direction I was heading in. You can't seem to let go of them but you like to keep them at a distance the more serious it gets. Sango and Miroku are a prime example. I still remember your conversations, even from all the way back then."
I kept silent. This was old news but not something I heard often.
"Second, don't you think it's interesting the only thing you argued out of my entire statement was the fact about how you are in relationships and not about, say, that you love him?"
"I don't."
Shippo shrugged. "That's okay then. I smell the crap from here, but you can stay in denial."
I wasn't going to win this one. "I don't want to talk about this," I muttered, ignoring the redhead to add the toiletries he'd been bugging me about. I had put my foot down on them up until this point, but right now I just wanted to escape. He'd shut up potentially if I just let him win the little things. I sure as hell wasn't going to let him win the big one.
When the car arrived exactly thirty-seven minutes later, I tried not to let the relief bleed into my posture. I was tempted to just grab the keys and run. Shippo seemed to sense this at least because he didn't make any more of those unhappy faces. He smiled at me, hugging me tight for a long moment.
"Take care of yourself," he said quietly. "And call me, even if it's just to leave a voicemail."
"I will," I whispered right back, actually meaning it. "Thank you for all of your help."
I turned towards the vehicle while Inuyasha and Shippo said their own goodbyes. I could hear Inuyasha groan even as I touched my hand to the sleek paint. It wasn't a Corvette, but I guessed the Acura wasn't so bad. It was the new one at least, all curvy lines and a rumbling engine. The guy that brought it over simply gave a wave, standing around Shippo's garage while everything was said and done. I couldn't be bothered to make an effort and thank the guy. I simply opened the car door, stomped on the brake and pressed the start button. Inuyasha hopped into the passenger side a few seconds later but Shippo was already tapping at my window. Smiling at him, I rolled it down. "Miss me already?"
"Obviously," Shippo responded, grinning. "Just to let you know, your compartment is the backseat. There's a latch under the middle seat's overhang. Test it out – you'll see."
Realizing that I probably wasn't going to see Shippo again for a while, I ruffled the mop of his orange hair before saying another goodbye. When I pulled out of the driveway and headed back towards the main road where the highway was, I didn't look back. There was no point, not when I was always running away. I had things to accomplish before I could fix anything head on and the only way I could do that was to defeat Naraku once and for all.
But where was he? Midoriko hadn't shown up and Astaroth had only been so helpful before. I couldn't rely on a demon, especially not when I couldn't even make a safe bet on the angel. Naraku was still in hiding, trying his damnedest to inhale one thousand demons without being noticed. Hopefully I could catch onto another lead or Astaroth would smell something out. The world was far too large for just one person to do all the tracking. A duke of Hell helped, but not all that much.
Eventually I turned up the music to some rock station that belted out loud, powerful songs. I happily sang along to most of them, if only because they seemed to fit my mood. I could feel everything stirring inside of me, a desperation crawling up my spine. I felt like breaking and bending over, letting the whole world crush me. Then again, I'd felt like that for most of my life. Now wasn't the time to get all pitiful.
I spared a single glance Inuyasha's way, wondering what he was all about. There was something heavy hanging over top of him; I could see it in the tense posture of his broad shoulders. He looked out the passenger side window, obviously lost in thought. I didn't know what I would do to learn exactly what was running through his mind, but it would probably be considerably pricey. The half-demon was mysterious and dangerous and completely safe, despite all of the crap. He shouldn't be safe and I shouldn't trust him, but I couldn't help the way I gravitated towards him.
When Souta walked into his front door and never came back out, that was just it. He was gone and he hadn't even known I was there. Inuyasha had had the chance to meet my niece, something that I very well would never do. I had to survive first and then maybe…
What had Souta been doing all these years? How had he met his wife? Did they expect baby Kagome, did they plan for her or was she some beautiful little surprise that made Souta a little bug-eyed at the thought of being a dad?
I couldn't stop the assault of questions that popped into my mind, threatening to overload. My mood was shifting once more, getting deeper and heavier this time, something closer to what I had felt yesterday. It was hard to snap out of it, especially when there was nothing else happening but changes in the road. The scenery was more or less the same, more so when I pulled onto the highway and all there was to see was grass and the odd tree. Inuyasha wasn't talking and I didn't want to break this silence.
I would sit and sulk and if I stopped singing along? Well, Inuyasha sure as hell wasn't stopping me from doing anything different. There was no point in me even attempting to swing my mood another way.
Hours passed by. We had lunch before we left Shippo's and the more I thought about what I'd gained and lost over the years – mostly what I had lost – it became quickly apparent that the idea of food was almost revolting. I was nauseated, thinking about worst case scenarios and what if I had seen him, what would've happened? Maybe nothing. Most likely nothing, but could I take the chance that the demons would put two and two together? The reality was that demons could easily find out without me even glancing in Souta's direction, but they were lazy creatures that didn't like research. It was safer to ignore him, at least for now.
We had just made it into the miniscule town of Colver, Pennsylvania when suddenly Inuyasha growled deep, startling me from my daze of thoughts. "Pull over," he demanded. "Your lip is bleeding and this clearly isn't helping you any."
"What?" I licked my lips, realizing that I had actually chewed off enough skin on my lip to make tiny patches of blood burst to the surface. I'd been too busy thinking about other things – Souta, Naraku, my mother, the battle – that I hadn't noticed.
"Find the nearest place to stay and we'll spend the night. For fuck's sake, your mind is practically whirring with crazy shit. Let's just relax, okay?" Inuyasha turned his golden eyes on me then and unlike before, when they had been hidden and guarded, they were completely open. Soft around the edges, the half-demon looked so absolutely worried, almost horrified, by what I was doing to myself. It wasn't bad; I just couldn't help it. Sometimes my mind ran away from me.
I had to argue anyways, mostly for the sake of it. "I can drive at least another two hours."
"We've been on the road for seven already," Inuyasha snapped, getting irritated. "Find a place and then stop the car."
"Fine." I tried not to sulk.
It turned out that the nearest motel was three blocks away, further off the highway and closer to the heart of Colver. Inuyasha removed our duffle bags while I paid for a room, gesturing with my head to indicate where to go once I had the key in my hand. The room was clean enough so I grabbed my bag from Inuyasha, plopped it on the bed and then headed straight into the bathroom to run some cold water on my face. I wasn't tired – I hadn't lied to the half-demon – but I needed to snap out of my thoughts. There was a television in the room, maybe I could find something mindless to put on that would temporarily distract me. It wasn't like Inuyasha was going to be much entertainment, considering he was brooding as much as I was, if not more in his own silent-and-suffering way.
Thinking about it, we should probably touch up his roots. I had one more thing of it in my toiletry bag – we'd have to buy more later. I wiped my hands on the available towel and then opened the bathroom door. The first thing I spotted was Inuyasha, who was pacing somewhat jerkily along the floor by the bathroom. His black hair whipped around when he turned those golden eyes to look at me. I was about to open my mouth to ask what the hell he was so antsy about when all of a sudden he was there, in my space.
"Don't–" The half-demon cut himself off before shaking his head, closing the distance between us with one step. I felt his clawed hands snake around my waist, tugging me against him even as he lowered his head, eyes watching me for signs of…something. I was a bit distracted, flailing almost in the doorway of the bathroom as I was tugged into him.
"Inuyasha, what are you doing–"
"What the fuck do you think I'm doing?" I never got to answer him, not with the way his warm lips pressed against my own cold ones. Inuyasha tilted his head, changing the angle and driving me closer, making my hands instinctively wrapped around his shoulders and hold him there, as if he'd disappear at any moment. His lips were warm and welcoming, opening against my gentle licks and pleas against his mouth. I moaned when his hands slid lower on my waist, edging just over my butt as he turned and directed us somewhere – the bed, the wall, the table, something. Right now, I wasn't picky.
"Hey," Inuyasha said, his voice sounded wrecked. I didn't let him continue speaking, pulling at his hair and dragging him back down. I wanted to feel him. I wanted him surrounding me and making me forget. I wanted him there, just like he always was. If anyone could make me feel good, it was Inuyasha.
The bed bumped against my calves and I gracelessly fell down, making a high-pitched noise as I collapsed back. My legs were spread, Inuyasha standing between them with a smirk on his face. He was staring down at me, searching my body from head to toe as if he liked what he saw.
"Damn you," he whispered, bending over to crawl on top of my body. Watching him move, his tense muscles coiled and pronounced even under the thick sweater, I couldn't help but think the exact same thing. Desperately I tugged at the hem, wasting no time in ripping it up and over his head. There was another shirt under that, and I groaned unhappily while I tried to make that disappear too.
"You have too many layers," I stated, letting my words drift off once he was finally free of tops and all my fingers could touch was smooth, delicious skin. I gasped and arched my neck, letting the half-demon bite and kiss his way along the flesh while I had the pleasure of touching every inch of his upper body, the grooves of muscles and sensuous glide of hot, golden skin.
His one hand moved down my body, slowly teasing over the heavy fabric of the sweater before tugging at the zipper. There was only one way to describe what I was feeling, the impatience bubbling up in my veins and glaring at Inuyasha while he happily took his time. Golden eyes seemed to take notice and he smirked at me, hand stalling. I wanted to strangle him or kiss him; it was impossible to tell.
"Problem?" he whispered, bending down so that his breath was hot against my ear. Damn him, damn him.
"You're too slow."
"Why am I not surprised you're still trying to fight with me?" Inuyasha asked, laughing and stopping completely. He bent upwards so that he was just resting on his knees, perfectly upright. If he didn't come back down here I was going to bodily haul him back, his amusement be damned.
"This doesn't have to be a conversation!" I said, giving up on the half-demon and tugging the sweater off myself. I shifted until I managed to get the fabric off, falling back down on the bed with a huff. Inuyasha had my lower half pinned with his legs and the mattress was lumpy and difficult and why was he so far away? I tugged at the bottom of my shirt, squirming to get out of it when suddenly warm, clawed hands pressed down on my elbows, pinning me. I couldn't move and couldn't see, not with the dark fabric only partially off my body and covering my face entirely.
He probably planned it that way, the bastard.
"What are you doing?" Inuyasha asked softly, bending down. I could only see outlines – his face, eye sockets, the tousled hair – but no expression. If I went by the tone of his voice I'd be…confused, because Inuyasha didn't do soft and gentle and everything else he sounded like right now. This wasn't anywhere near chartered territory.
I sighed, trying to turn off my mind. It never did me any good anyways. "I thought that much was obvious."
Another puff of breath, but this one was nearer to laughter, though it wasn't even close. "Let me."
"Let you what?" I almost snapped. He was being weird – mushy and caring and, and, I didn't know what to do with that.
"Fix you," Inuyasha murmured, slowly lifting the rest of my shirt. The moment I could see, all that surrounded me was black and gold. Inuyasha's dyed hair was covering my face, blocking out most of the light from the barely-shuttered window. I couldn't look away, not when he was staring at me with such intent. Any words I planned on saying utterly disappeared, stuck behind this strange knot in my throat that refused to leave anytime soon. I didn't have to struggle against it for long because Inuyasha bent down, kissing me with something akin to tenderness – something I didn't have any concept of. His hands dragged the shirt the rest of the way off my body, his nails dragging against my skin, making me shiver.
His mouth was hot, demanding, pressing against mine as his tongue swept softly on my lips. I wouldn't deny him anything – not now, not tonight. I opened up for him completely, letting my now free hands pull him tighter to my body. Inuyasha rocked against me, the hard press of his cock insistent. There were still so many layers between us but despite my desperation it was Inuyasha who was taking control. I did nothing to push, to prod. I allowed Inuyasha to move me, to let his hands roam across my bare stomach, skimming along the edges of my bra. His teeth nipped near the top of my breast, forcing me to gasp and writhe as he licked everywhere around it.
"Sit up," Inuyasha said. His voice was wrecked, deep, husky and so fucking enticing that I didn't hesitate. The half-demon helped me up, held me with one hand while the other unsnapped my bra. His teeth grabbed the garment, dragging it away until it fell off with little prompting. My jeans were next – the buttons, the zipper, the slow drag of the heavy fabric down my legs. Inuyasha tossed it away carelessly, my socks joining seconds later. I was completely naked, lying on the bed and trying not to shiver. Inuyasha was eyeing me again, like he had all the time in the damn world.
"Why are you doing that?" I had to ask, breaking the silence.
Inuyasha smirked, hands falling to my hips. "What?"
"Staring." It came out in a bare whisper, the admittance sounding almost silly out loud. But he was, and Inuyasha was making something out of it. He was looking at me with expressions that were unfamiliar, something I wasn't used to seeing on him, on anyone.
"Stop talking, for once," Inuyasha replied instead, sitting down on the cover of the bed. The half-demon grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer. "Come here, Kagome."
Crawling on my knees, I hesitated only a moment before taking the leap. My hands reached out, touching his face, his hair, his shoulders as I crawled on his lap. Skirting down the warm flesh, I dragged the pads of my fingers alone the seam of his jeans, popping the button. The zipper fell away as I tugged on the fabric, the cotton of his boxers visible now. Watching his eyes, large and black with lust, I circled my hand over his cock, the thin cotton layer doing nothing to take away from the heat. Inuyasha was hard, straining, and the first roll of pressure from my palm had him groaning, head banging on the wall behind him.
"You're far too dressed," I commented lightly, pushing back his boxers so that I could slip my hand in between, feel the heavy weight of his cock in my palm. I tugged gently, the dry friction making Inuyasha twitch beneath me. I had an idea but it might change the score a bit.
Inuyasha seemed to sense it, his hands stopping their bruising assault on my hips to let go. He groaned quietly as I moved away, bringing his jeans and boxers with me all at once. Now the playing field was even, Inuyasha just as naked as I was, just as helpless and desperate for this as I was. Turning around, I looked for my duffle bag and went rifling through it, ignoring Inuyasha's orders to come back. It took only a few seconds but it felt like forever, the box of condoms finally in my grasp. For a horrible moment, I wondered if Shippo and Inuyasha had planned this whole thing, but the act of tossing it at the half-demon's head made me reconsider. Inuyasha's golden eyes seemed a bit confused that I even had them, the expression melting away the closer I came, turning into something burning, lustful.
I crawled back onto the bed, taking in his eyes, the flushed tone of his skin, the hardness of his dick pressing against his stomach. My hands ran along his thighs, over the bumps of his knees, never stopping even as his hands raked through my hair, pulling me closer. I had other plans.
"Fuck," Inuyasha hissed through clenched teeth, grip almost unbearably tight as I went down on him all at once, lips straining along his girth. Sucking, hollowing out my cheeks and trying to wring out the best possible noises, I moved up and down with short bobs, tongue lapping at the pre-come. His hips thrust forwards, nearly choking me for a moment before I grabbed at him, holding him in place and opening my jaw, going deeper, pushing my limits as I swallowed him down. The filthy noises and promises Inuyasha made above me rang in my ears, the taunts of what was to come – I'm going to fuck you so good. Shit, Kagome. Please.
The slick sound of releasing him almost echoed in the damn room, everything so silent with the exception of Inuyasha's harsh pants above me, the words that spilled out of their own accord. I circled his cock with my hand, pumping easily with the lubrication, letting my fingers run from the base to the very tip of his cock.
I wanted him, so fucking badly it hurt. I'd been without this for so long and waiting for him for so long. The last time we even came close to this seemed like forever ago, even if it was just over a month. The way Inuyasha moaned didn't help, the way his hands tugged me at every part of my body until I was fitted exactly the way he wanted me – straddling him, close to him, foreheads touching to breathe the same air.
"Stay," Inuyasha whispered, absolutely wrecked and shaking with it. Before I could answer he was kissing me, pulling me in with filthy licks and moans and thrusts of his tongue, unmistakably planning out every second of what he wanted to do to me. Claws traced down my body idly, snaking slowly lower with scratches over my breasts, my sides, my belly button. The second his finger slid inside of me, hot and solid and completely unexpected, I made the most obscene noises that I would deny later when questioned. Inuyasha was doing this to me, making me lose my mind. The pad of his finger worked slowly, pressing against every angle, making me feel him completely. He curled the digit and my eyes slammed shut of their own accord, the pressure building inside of me already starting. Inuyasha smirked against my lips, swallowing my moan as he added another finger. The come-hither motions he played against my body created an endless stereo of pleas and gasps, Inuyasha's name falling from my lips over and over, more than I maybe would've liked.
"More," I whispered, grabbing at his shoulders and trying to gain some sort of leverage. My knees protested on the lumpy mattress but I didn't care, I was past the point of caring as I fucked myself on his fingers, my own hand tugging at his hair just to make him feel. His cock was so close, the slickness of it staining my pale legs with every push downwards. I could imagine it, how fucking amazing it would feel when he was finally inside of me, the warmth of his body on top of me, pinning me to the mattress and fucking me like he owned absolutely every inch of skin on my bones.
Inuyasha continued to pump his fingers, pushing me closer and closer to that edge. I was wet, so fucking wet, but I couldn't be grossed out by it, not with the way it all felt. His lips made a sloppy trail down my neck, teeth scraping but never coming out to play. It wasn't until his mouthed at my breast, licking the tip of a nipple before sucking it between his lips that the pressure wastoo much, too much–
Inuyasha. "Oh fuck," I whispered, or mouthed, not entirely sure if the sound made it past the moaning that wracked my body. There was a pounding in my head, the blood rushing, beeping – so much beeping – clouding my mind but never registering. Everything shut down, my body coiled like a spring, because this wasn't over, not yet and holy fuck–
"Mine," Inuyasha growled, low and rough, emphasized by the feel of teeth against my collarbone. I barely felt it, didn't sense the pricks of teeth as his fingers never stopped moving, never stopped pressing against the wall that had me seeing sparks, getting wet, getting completely ready for everything that was coming next.
In a flash it was all gone, fingers pulled out and dancing along the seams, rubbing sensuous circles along my clit, making everything feel so good again, too good–
Cardboard was ripping, his finger now gone to quicken the already torturously slow pace of getting the condom out, tearing open the wrapper and sliding it down his straining, neglected cock. He wrapped an arm around my waist, his free hand holding my head while he kissed me, capturing my lips and swallowing the noises of protest and desperation and longing for something I'd been missing and needing from him. There wasn't time to wait, wasn't time to take things slow because I couldn't do slow right now. I needed him, hard and fast and overwhelming just like every other part of our relationship.
Holding me in place and guiding me with his arm, Inuyasha bit my lower lip, tugging gently. I opened my eyes, staring at him as the golden orbs finally took notice and locked on me. There was something on his face, something I so desperately wanted to believe in, because I felt it. I could feel it in every inch of me that he touched, the inches that he left behind, the way everything changed because of him.
Damn him to fucking Hell, I loved him. It wasn't some big admission, not something I hadn't seen coming. It was obvious, so much so that my denial to Shippo was weak. My denial to myself was pathetic. And now I could see Inuyasha and the emotions running on his face. His eyes tracked every movement, every breath, every solitary part of me. It only occurred to me then that I didn't see every part of him and I needed it, had to have Inuyasha completely to myself, for this and this alone.
"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered, the mumble a dance across my lips before demanding more, not waiting, not holding back any longer. "Fuck, you're gorgeous like this." He thrust inside, his hard cock sheathed and wrapped in me. I couldn't breathe, couldn't speak; I was filled with nothing more than needwantplease echoing from my open, unmoving lips. His hold stopped me from pulling him closer, from having him as deep as I needed him. He thrust in and out, almost lazy in his pace if it wasn't purely a tease, just the tip of his cock sliding, pushing and pulling inside of me, making me almost scream with dizziness and want.
"You–" No words, no sentences, just broken thoughts. "Please, Inuyasha."
The half-demon didn't stop his slow assault but it was wearing on him, his chest rumbling with growls of more against my lips. He pulled away, buried his face in my neck and brought his hand down between us, the pads of his fingers relentlessly teasing my clit. There was nothing I could do to stop it, to keep it going, to pull him in deeper and harder and this wasn't enough, it would never be enough. I needed more and him and it wasn't enough and fuck, fuck–
The scream ripped its way out of my throat, hands grappling for something, anything to hold onto as I came. Instead of leverage I was falling, backwards and down onto the mattress, my legs wrapping around his waist. Inuyasha growled, scratched up my thighs with his claws until one hand hooked around my leg, pushing it up and higher, closer to my body. The first slam of his hips against mine had me sliding up the bed's cover, struggling to hold onto his gleaming shoulders as he drove into me, harder and faster and deeper and yes, thank god.
I threw my head back, revelled in the feeling of his cock pumping inside of me. With my leg at my chest I was spread wide, unable to move or meet him thrust for thrust, just forced to lie there and take it with nothing more than moans and profanity to urge him on. Inuyasha's growls grew worse, no words coming out of the deep, whiskey-rough noises that seemed to wrack out of his throat. The bed was creaking, noisy enough to hear but not enough to nearly drown out what we had between us, the need pulsing and alive between our bodies.
My hands slid down his back, palming his ass to shove him deeper inside of me, keeping him there, buried. I clenched around his cock, shifting in tiny circles – the only movement I was capable of – letting the sounds of my name spill from his lips drive me on. I needed him to be in me, so fucking deep that I would feel him in the morning, that he could brand me inside and out. I needed him, wanted Inuyasha so hopelessly and this was only the beginning. I loved him and the ending was nowhere in sight.
"Need you, Inuyasha, god," I whispered, mouth right against his ear. I felt something inside of him snap, his arms unwinding from their grip on me to plant on the bed. There was no more positioning, only the furious slap of skin on skin, his dick slamming inside of me and making me see white. I clung to him desperately, whispering his name over and over, sounding more and more desperate as his cock hit that same spot, driving me over the edge once more and clamping down around him. Inuyasha cried out, a string of profanities and my name mingled and mangled as he came, shuddering on top of me like he could no longer hold his weight.
The two of us collapsed on the bed, Inuyasha heavy on top of me. Neither of us planned on moving, and not even with my legs spread at an almost painful angle did I want this to change. The press of his thick body over me was delicious suffocation and I didn't want this to be over, didn't want to let him go.
Eyes half-lidded and full of sleep, I felt Inuyasha slowly pull out. His feet padded along the poorly carpeted flooring, moving around the room before the covers around me shifted. Warm, strong arms wrapped around me once more, shifting me to a spot under the blankets with my head on a pillow. When Inuyasha slid in seconds after, I abandoned the pillow for his shoulder, draping myself to his side.
After all of this, I didn't think I could stand for tomorrow to come. There were problems to solve, leads to chase and realizations to bring to light.
At least, for the time being, we wouldn't speak of love.
Not yet.
Consciousness was a slow drag, my mind refusing to fully wake. It wasn't until I rolled, arm thrown across cool sheets that I realized something was familiar – I was alone again. Eyes prying open, I blurrily checked the room. The bathroom door was open, leaving it unoccupied while the rest of the room remained empty. Where did Inuyasha go? The other bed was still untouched and my mind started to turn with black thoughts circling over my head.
The door kicking open certainly put an end to that. Inuyasha was there suddenly, growling and furious as he stormed his way to our bed.
Our bed.
Well, as 'our' as a motel bed could get, I guess.
"We need to go," Inuyasha said, golden eyes staring at the door like it would explode at any second.
"What the fuck is wrong?" I demanded, sitting up and tossing off the covers. As much as I didn't want to move and as much as I wanted to be shy about being stark naked, I had to let it go. Inuyasha wouldn't be acting like this if it wasn't serious. "The world better be ending."
"We had a visitor, sometime last night or this morning, it's hard to tell. The scent is getting weaker."
I paused, instantly thinking back to the beeping from last night that flitted in and out of my mind while I was vastly preoccupied with other things. Maybe that hadn't been just me after all. "Who, can you tell?"
"Yeah, I'd know that disgusting scent anywhere," the half-demon grouched. "It's wolf."
"A wolf," I repeated, letting the thought circle fully. "Can you–"
"It's him," Inuyasha interrupted, already knowing exactly what I was trying to get at. "It's Kouga."
I processed that, trying to pinpoint when I had heard the beeping last night and how loud it had been. It was all a jumble but it had to have been loud for me to have blended it with all of my other thoughts last night. Still, it had been indistinguishable amongst so many other things that I couldn't be certain.
"How did he find us?" I asked, throwing on clothes. I ran into the bathroom, closing the door and doing a quick brush of my teeth. Inuyasha could easily be heard through the hollow wood barrier. I'd have to freshened up later since now wasn't a good time to leave myself vulnerable. A shower was in desperate order, especially after last night. The room reeked of sex. I finished brushing, spitting out the paste before opening the door. "Inuyasha, how do you think?" The half-demon didn't get out a word edgewise when my cell phone started vibrating ominously on the nightstand, making the two of us stare at it before I gave in and answered. "Higurashi."
"Kagome?" The voice was still extremely familiar, considering I'd only last heard it twenty hours or so ago. "Where are you?"
"Somewhere in Pennsylvania," I answered, giving Inuyasha a wide-eyed stare. "Are you okay? What's happening Shippo?"
"I'm not sure but…" Shippo seemed to be struggling with something. "I found…stuff here. Well, Hiroshi found it – the mechanic, the one that brought your car. I didn't notice it until after he left, sometime around eleven. I don't know when it got there–"
"What is it?" I demanded, trying to cut through Shippo's rambling. He was scared, I could tell. He knew something bad was happening.
"Fur, for sure," the redhead replied. "I'm no expert but it's thick. Some sort of canine breed I think. Demon fur though, not animal. There's also a scrap of paper but I'm not one-hundred percent certain what the writing on it means. I can guess though." Putting the cell phone on speaker, even though Inuyasha was probably able to hear it anyways, I told Shippo to read out the message. "For Ayane – no, Ayame? – you'll pay. And then, on the back it spells Clairton."
Inuyasha growled recklessly deep, his anger boiling over as he stormed the room, grabbing duffle bags and throwing all of our belongings together. The half-demon ran out, holding everything in his hands as he went to pack the Acura. If I wasn't behind him shortly, something was going to blow up.
"Shippo, thank you. I know what the message means but I have to go now, okay? I'll call you, probably in a day or so, depending on when I stop next. I will call you though, I promise."
The kid on the other line didn't sound so convinced, but he made me promise twice more before finally hanging up. I did a quick check of the room before running out, Inuyasha tense by the car even as I got into the driver's side. Within seconds, we were off.
"He's tracking us," I stated obviously, trying to make a break for the highway. It was daylight and there were tons of humans around, so surely he wouldn't attack. It was only a matter of time though and we could only avoid him for so long.
"We need to get as far away as possible, into a big city or something," Inuyasha said, hands clenching in his lap. "I'm going to fucking kill him."
"He wrote Clairton on the back. That's a clue," I explained patiently, hoping to not notch up his frustration. "It's a city in Pennsylvania, maybe two hours away from here. Kouga wants us there."
Inuyasha glared at me incredulously. "So we don't go."
"There's a reason," I tried.
"Your death, you moron!" Inuyasha yelled, clearly getting more irritated. "Fuck wench, think this through."
"I am," I snapped. "Kouga needs to be taken care of and while I don't plan on walking into a trap, he's clearly got some vendetta going on. He's overconfident, playing a sick game among the humans. We can kill him, you and me, together. You're not turning human this time and it's two against one."
The half-demon's glare turned outside the window, spitting daggers at whatever happened to come into sight. "I'm still mad at you."
"I'm not surprised."
Clearly, there is no such thing as the Honeymoon Phase for us.
We'd driven about an hour out with no beeping signs on my internal radar. I saw a service centre exit and decided to turn off the highway briefly. Small towns equalled equally as small centres, so the place was nothing more than a gas station with an attached restaurant. I parked right at the front, turning off the engine before giving the half-demon a glance. "I'm going to be in the bathroom, I can't wait anymore. I'll sense Kouga before he comes – if he comes – but be on the lookout anyways, okay?"
Inuyasha levelled a very pointed look at me, clearly showing how little he needed the explanation and how little he'd forgiven me since we left Colver. "Don't take forever."
"Really? Thanks," I replied, rolling my eyes. The tilt to my lips was purely accidental because Inuyasha wasn't endearing when he was pissy as fuck, thank you very much. At least nothing had changed between us, even though everything had. Getting out of the Acura, I booked it for the restaurant door. I didn't sense anything but I remembered that Kouga was extremely fast – faster than Inuyasha. If the demon was coming for me, I wouldn't have much time.
There was only a single table occupied when I entered, a frail-looking, tired waitress at the register. She smiled at me, asking what I needed.
"A bathroom, please?" I asked, watching her grin grow wider.
"There is only one of those here," the woman responded, lifting her hand to point at a side door. "That leads to the gas station. Ask the guy in there; he'll give you a key."
It wasn't exactly the answer I wanted but I thanked her anyways. The guy behind the register barely looked twice, handing me the key that was attached to a large wood spoon. As if that would stop me from stealing it, if I so dared. "Back door, to the left," the guy murmured, and I nodded my thanks before following his directions.
The bathroom was actually located in another small building, not much better than a port-a-potty with proper plumbing. It was clean, at least, so I went inside and freshened up. The cold water was welcome to my face, the mirror showing a reflection I hadn't seen in a long time – tired, but not bone-deep haggard like I normally was,
Beep… Beep… Beep…
It was faint but certainly not comforting. How the hell had he found us to begin with? Then again, it could just be any demon passing by. It didn't necessary mean it was Kouga.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Faster – he was coming faster, gaining speed almost. I knew the demon was fast but that was nearly unbelievable, impossible for even demon standards. As the beeping grew faster, I reached down for my Kel-Tec P-32 in my ankle holster, going through the motions of checking it. So fast now – holy fuck, how fast was he running? I couldn't waste time. Running out of the bathroom, I grabbed the handle for the gas station door, jolting when I realized it was locked. Son of a–
"Fuck," I whispered, deciding to run around the building. It was less safe than inside with other humans but hopefully Inuyasha was looking and ready for anything.
Beep-beep-beep-beep-bee-bee-beeeeeeeeeeep.
I ran, just about to reach the front when I was slammed into the wall, head smashing into the brick. I cried out, hands going to my head. Wait, where was my gun, did I drop it? There was warm liquid – blood – and I looked up only in time to see hands wrapping around my skull, grabbing my face and then–
–nothing at all.
Comments to Acknowledge
MsikGirl: I WILL. I GET TO MEET DEAN. AJGFEKNGAEWNGAKWGNMEWKNGA. *dies* And thank you so much :D I hope you liked this one too!
NurNur: Well hopefully you were elated when you saw this one too. I know, I'll probably cry a little at the end, but it's all planned out so I'm very excited too. There are little things, you know? Thanks darling!
IrishIndy: IT SEEMS LIKE FOREVER. This story, I mean. The last chapter was kind of a taking-forever-long to rewrite, but I'm glad you liked it anyways :D I'm always worried it's not as good. Actually, that's how I always feel when I reread what I just rewrote. Bah humbug, it's annoying. BUT. I'm happy it made you happy :D
(): Thank you so much hun :) That truly means a lot. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Nepenthec: Well I love you too. It is sad. Truly. But I'll be happy too, once it's over. I'll probably write another one of those babbling author's notes that NO ONE READS but I can't care BECAUSE IT HAS ALL THE FEELS. *coughs* I enjoy spilling feels all over the place. Thanks darling :) !
See all the love in this chapter? Well, feedback is my love :D