"Which one is this one?" the black-haired wolf demon asked, looking down at the portaledge below them.
"Number 25, Kōga," Inuyasha grumbled. "Dumb girl number 25."
"She looks cute," Kōga smirked.
"The cute ones are always the most trouble," Inuyasha answered, "but I got her."
"You gonna be able to get to her and get down fast enough?" Kōga looked back down the rock, then toward the north where a set of cumulonimbus clouds were closing in fast, then to Inuyasha.
"It'll be fine. #25 is not gonna be like #13, or #22. It's a pretty straightforward rappel and pop, with one easy free-climb," Inuyasha said, then started to hook into his harness.
The summer rock-climbing season was almost over at Yosemite, and Inuyasha would be able to enjoy El Capitan without the worries about which dudebro was getting drunk and not properly fastening himself into his gear, or which hot dog was going to force himself up a route that was too challenging. Or… which dumb girl who was climbing because 'she loved her rock climbing gym so much!' without a single goddamned clue how different it was going up natural rock faces got stuck halfway up.
Cue: Dumb Girl #25.
Hopefully she was the last for the rock climbing division of Yosemite Search and Rescue, nicknamed the 'rescue rangers,' that season. Because while Inuyasha did adore climbing, he'd been puked on, screamed at, cried on, and even pissed on more than he could fucking believe. But, as he looked down the rock face and plotted his route, Kōga wasn't wrong: she did look cute.
She was pretty far from their position, but she had black hair that caught the sunlight just right (with a green bandana maybe?), and a tight little figure. Yup, definitely one of the rock climbing gym bunnies.
And it was not uncommon for Inuyasha to be lavished with gratitude, specifically by the dumb girl crowd. Though not a single one of them had any use for him after one night. Half-demons, after all, were not exactly boyfriend material. He didn't let it get to him much, because he was getting laid after all, and… well… he didn't need to think about loneliness right now. Not when there was a free climb coming, and he needed to get #25 and himself off of El Cap in one piece, before the storm hit.
"Alright #25," Inuyasha fist-bumped Kōga, "time to get rescued."
Try real climbing, they said. It'll be more fun than these dumb artificial walls you love so much, they said.
Kagome would never ever listen to 'they' again. Ever. Because it turned out that El Capitan was the type of climb that one did not easily conquer solely from practicing on a goddamn rock-climbing wall. Because El Capitan was a half mile of rock climbing walls stacked end-to-end. And unfortunately, by the time Kagome figured out that she'd gone all wrong, she'd put herself in a spot she couldn't get down from; she was both too high to free-rappel without a belay and too low to have someone throw her a rope from the top.
"Fucking great." Kagome sat pathetically on the portaledge she was so very grateful she'd splurged on. The one that was extra-light, the one that proclaimed 'I know what I'm doing!' when she picked it up from her gym. The one that celebrated her getting the job offer in San Francisco!
Yeah.
Now she got to watch people point at her, and call out to ask if she needed help. Yeah, she did. But having to keep telling people over and over "just got myself into a spot where I can't go up or down" was starting to make her feel like she was one of those kittens stuck in a tree waiting for the fire department to show up and bail her out.
Cue: the rescue rangers.
She could see them start to gather on the ledge, looking down at her. The dot with black hair even called to her and waved; she waved back (yes, hi, this is me, the idiot stuck on your big rock).
She wondered what sort of names they were calling her. Probably something like rock climbing Barbie. But dammit, she could scale the 5.13 at her gym! She could do over 100 pull-ups and hang for 5 minutes on finger strength alone! She definitely had the brawn to do this fucking climb.
But apparently not the brains. Because she'd failed to look at the whole fucking rock. She'd approached the entire thing like it was rock climbing walls.
She'd not respected El Capitan.
And she was never going to live that down.
Suddenly, a rumbling off to the north caught Kagome's attention.
"Fuck." There was a storm coming. Toward them. Toward her little portaledge that was impossible to escape.
Kagome waved at the rescue rangers again, this time a little more animatedly. When the silver-haired dot waved back, she wondered if they'd been paying attention to the storm too.
"Heyyyy," the silver-haired dot bellowed, loud enough to boom through the valley (a demon maybe?), "We're comin', so sit tight #25!"
Kagome had a feeling she knew what #25 meant. Though honestly? If it was "dumb Barbie bimbo #25 who also was not dead because she was rescued from her own stupidity?", she'd take it. Because the storm looked mean, and she really truly was not going anywhere on her own.
When the silver-haired dot actually popped down the rock and began rappelling, Kagome tried not to cry. Whoever demon man was, he was coming to get her. And maybe, just maybe, she'd be allowed to die of embarrassment instead of… well, being dead.
"You have about 20 minutes, dog," Kōga called as Inuyasha started to descend. "Any longer than that and we're going to be lightning rods up here."
"I got it," Inuyasha growled.
#25 was on a northern part of the face, in a vein that led to an overhang. It wasn't the least accessible place on El Cap, but it certainly could give a dumb human some problems if they weren't paying attention.
Which clearly, #25 wasn't.
As Inuyasha came closer and closer to the little rectangle in the sky cut by the woman's portaledge, he started to make out more details of her. She was definitely well-muscled, with defined biceps and shoulders. Her breasts were plump and pronounced, jutting out from her chest like some of the rock formations in Yosemite (half-domes indeed). Her hair cascaded down her back, tied with a green bandana to keep it out of her eyes. Her eyes were big and Bambi-like (including their color, which was a soulful brown), and her heart-shaped face had bright rosy apple cheeks and full pinklips.
And even though his demon eyes made out her details long before she could do the same for him, the way she assessed him was… well, it was not entirely unpleasant. Yes, he thought, if #25 wants to show her gratitude, I would not say no.
Sure, Inuyasha wanted more than that, but a night of hot animal sex with a woman high on the rescue adrenaline was nothing to shrug off, especially as it had been a while since the last one. (Damn wolf had game, and sometimes got the girl after Inuyasha fucking rescued her.)
"Hey down there," Inuyasha called to #25. Now was a good time to start flirting—uh—conversing. "What's your name?"
"Kagome," Kagome called back. He was no more than a hundred feet from her now. "What's yours?"
"Inuyasha," the man called back, now only 90 feet away.
She was stupid—she felt stupid—but watching the dot grow to a figure then grow to a man had been, well… distracting. Had there ever been someone as hot as the silver-haired demon coming to rescue her in her life?
Sure, it was probably partially the adrenaline talking, but, damn. The man had two full scoops of ice cream for an ass (which she could see as he was belaying down to her.) And she was certain she caught a glint of gold when they'd made eye contact. Finally, that glowing silver hair of his was pulled into a loose bun, and—the best part—he had triangular ears on the top of his head, which moved. Dog ears, silver hair, gold eyes.
Yup. Kagome liked this rescue ranger, this Inuyasha. It made her wonder how often these guys were 'thanked' for their services by idiots like her. Or whether a man as blisteringly hot as this one had not one, but two girlfriends (and probably a boyfriend for good measure) waiting for him at home.
"What does #25 mean?" Kagome needed to sate her curiosity.
Inuyasha had halved the remaining distance between them, but was now to the overhanging wall section. He'd had to slow down just a bit, and was now grabbing impossible hand holds (damn, to have demon hands…) and working his way over to her spot.
"Dumb girl #25," Inuyasha chuckled as he found the footing he was looking for, stepping carefully around the overhang, his belay rope now slack.
"Serves me right I guess…" Kagome sighed. "This is not like—"
"Not like the climbing gym?" Inuyasha cut her off. And damn, if he must not have heard the same damn thing day in and day out to take the words right out of her mouth. Shit was that a fang?
"Twenty-four before me," Kagome deadpanned. "Any of them die?"
"Fucking shit woman, don't say something like that at a time like this." Inuyasha had made it another few yards closer, but the path, clearly, was getting more difficult.
"I… I'm not good at responding appropriately to life and death situations," Kagome answered.
"No shit," Inuyasha rasped; he was now only 20 feet away from her. And yes, she confirmed it was indeed a fang she saw in his mouth.
Kagome couldn't resist continuing to take the details of Inuyasha in. Not only did his ass live up to its promises, but he was… well, well-muscled would be putting it lightly. The man was an anatomy lesson in perfection, with impossibly toned arms and a washboard visible through his shirt and pecs that were so well-defined that Kagome suspected that he was one of those guys who could bounce them up and down at will.
And she liked the hair and the ears and the eyes and (oh my god) the fangs. So much so that she hoped, just for that night, that maybe Inuyasha's two girlfriends and one boyfriend would accept her into the harem, just for a little while. Just for the fangs.
"Okay, Kagome, once I get to you, take my hand and I'll start hookin' you up to my gear," Inuyasha instructed, a little growl in his voice that was doing things to her.
"Gotcha," Kagome called back—yeah, the smile on her face was probably a bit bigger than it needed to be. It was an "I am absolutely ogling you right now" smile, but hey, he was rescuing her. She'd just pretend it was a 'yay I am not going to die anymore' smile. "And Inuyasha? Thanks."
Oh god. This one, Kagome, was a cute one. A really really cute one. Worse? As Inuyasha got closer, he could smell her. And, well, apparently dirty and sweaty Kagome smelled like goddamned ambrosia: a combination of cherry blossoms and fresh rain. (Somehow, even though he could smell the other rain coming, fresh rain was also distinctly Kagome).
If that smile on her face was as thirsty as it looked, Inuyasha was going to rescue Kagome to his bedroom as fast as his legs could carry them.
"Ya ready #25?" Inuyasha grinned, finally reaching her little portaledge. At her lips answering him by pursing, he held out his hand to her.
"Forcing me to acknowledge dumb girl status to get rescued," Kagome sneered. "That's pretty dirty."
"If you thought that was dirty," Inuyasha smirked, "Just—"
But Inuyasha didn't get to finish his sentence. Because the moment his hand touched Kagome's, something happened.
In a flash of white light, the world swirled around Inuyasha in a storm of saturated color.
He looked around to see a scene materialize: an infant with a wisp of black hair.
Let's call her Kagome.
A kind-eyed man was holding the hand of a little girl, who was stomping in puddles, splashing his pants.
You sure are lucky you're cute, you little monster, the man chuckled.
I know daddy, but the rain is so pretty! Puddles need to be splashed!
Inuyasha chuckled at the sparkling smile on the girl's face. Kagome's face.
Kagome was sitting in a hospital waiting room, holding her dad's hand.
You can come in now, and meet your little brother, Kagome!
A church. Everyone in black. The family in the front the only ones that stood out against the somber colors of the moment. Kagome, holding her mother's hand, and her brother, sobbing. An old man patting the brother on the head.
It's okay Sōta, Kagome. Grandpa and Mama will take care of you.
Kagome, with a cap and gown on walking across the stage, then waving at a soft-faced woman, an old man, and a teenage boy.
Kagome, sitting in her apartment, staring at the title of an email.
Dear Ms. Higurashi, we are excited to offer you this opportunity…
Then, in another flash, Inuyasha was on the face of El Capitan again.
"Inuyasha what the fuck is going on down there?!" Inuyasha knew that voice. Kōga's voice. "Did you have a fucking fit for the last 10 minutes?!"
But at that moment, there was only one thing—one person—that mattered.
"Kagome…" Inuyasha said, staring into her wide-eyes. "Did… did you—"
"Yeah," Kagome swallowed, and Inuyasha could smell the onset of tears. Salt laced into her fresh rain scent. "Yeah, I saw it too." Kagome leaned closer, pulling him in for an enormous hug. "We—we're soulmates."
Soulmates were rare, but not unheard of; only the luckiest were destined to meet in their lifetimes. It was said that when you touched your soulmate's hand, their life would flash before your eyes, as the two souls fused into one, creating an unbreakable bond of experience. And there was no doubt for him, because the moment he 'woke up,' he was complete: a person who shared two lives with another. Soulmated.
It was something Inuyasha never thought would happen to him—fuck, he didn't even know until that moment if half-demons could have soulmates. But, looking in Kagome's eyes, seeing the joyful reverence of the moment, he knew. She was his soulmate, and she was as fucking elated about it as he was.
"Inuyasha I swear to fuck. The storm is here. We can't rescue you." Kōga's words pulled them both back into the real world, back to the place that they had been moments before Inuyasha touched Kagome and ignited the soul bond.
"She's my soulmate, Kōga," Inuyasha called up the rock ledge.
"Fucking great; seriously, congratulations," Kōga howled down. "Now get your dumbass to a less exposed place or you're gonna die. Because the lightning is almost here and is gonna zap your soulmated asses dead."
"Oh." Inuyasha's brain finally caught up to Kōga's words. "Oh fuck."
Inuyasha standing there, bruised and battered, trying desperately to hold in his tears before finally breaking down and crawling into his mother's lap would be a moment that Kagome would never forget. Because her soulmate hurt so badly in that moment that it was all she could do not to reach out to the bright-eyed boy with the puppy ears and the human mother.
"Kagome. There's a little concave spot under the underhang that will give us a little more protection, but… we need to move." Inuyasha—her soulmate's—eyes were wide with worry. She wanted to hug away his pain and tell him everything was going to be alright.
But also, they were hanging off of El Capitan when a storm was coming, because her dumbass thought a giant monolith was the same as the fruity pebble colored grips of a gym.
"O—oh…" Kagome didn't want to let go; she didn't want to do anything except talk about what she saw and comfort Inuyasha and kiss him and…
"We're—we're gonna be okay. We'll get outta this," Inuyasha reassured. "I—I'm not gonna find my soulmate just to die with her three minutes later. So, I need you to do exactly what I say."
"Anything," Kagome answered, trying not to think about experiencing the way a teenage Inuyasha nearly died of spider demon poison on his human night in her soulmate flash.
"Hold onto me," Inuyasha said, and Kagome obliged with all her strength. She felt his hands come around her belt, and listened as he rapidly hooked and unhooked carabiners. "Good, now you're hooked to me. And…" Inuyasha looked up and pointed. "I'm gonna get us up there. Any chance you have a hammer and a petzl chair?"
"I do," Kagome exclaimed, pointing to the pack of supplies.
"Okay," Inuyasha said, then took a deep breath. "Hold onto me with all you've got. We're gonna need to free-climb."
"I trust you," Kagome said, and she leaned into him, bringing as much of her body into contact with as much of his as she could.
Inuyasha set to work, unzipping her bag and pulling out spikes, her hammer, and the petzl chair. Then, both their bodies started moving upward. The grace with which he moved, despite currently having to carry her, made it clear why he had the job he did. Elite rock climber was a term that could not touch Inuyasha. Because before she knew it, she heard her hammer tapping into the rock, and then suddenly, Inuyasha's arms went slack.
"Fastest I've ever secured somethin' like this, but… I think it'll do," Inuyasha chuckled nervously. "We have about 5 minutes until that fucking thing hits us. And, then maybe 20 minutes of rain and lightning. If we survive that, I can get ya down."
"So… 25 minutes," Kagome said. "Here's hoping 25 is a lucky number."
Inuyasha let out a bellowing guffaw at her words. And soon, even as his hands were around her to steady her, he'd started moving his fingers, testing her skin, testing the touch of his soulmate.
"Guess I should be grateful," Inuyasha mused, "that you decided to be dumb girl #25. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met ya."
"Glad to be of service," Kagome said, but her usual sarcasm was beginning to fail her, both from the fear of the oncoming storm and because of the life she'd just experienced. "Inuyasha? What—what do you think our odds are? Are—are we going to make it out?"
"I… I don't think it's a good idea to try to put a number on it," Inuyasha replied. "Just… we're gonna make it down. And when we do, I am gonna ask you out."
"Won't your two girlfriends and boyfriend get mad?" Kagome teased. Humor was all she had right now, and apparently her fight-or-flight response included a "be funny as possible" setting.
"My what and what?" Inuyasha sounded more confused than amused. "Trust me, Kagome. I—I don't have… well shit, I've barely had one girlfriend in my life. Let alone several. Most people are not… not keen to have a half-demon around."
"Most people are clearly stupid," Kagome growled; remembering all the little and big hurts that Inuyasha experienced over something as innocent as being a child of two worlds made her blood boil and made her want to hold him and remind him that he was beautiful forever. "I don't think I'd ever want a soulmate who isn't you."
"Kagome…" Inuyasha leaned back enough to look in her eyes, seemingly searching for a lie in them.
"Let's promise each other that we'll get out of this, so we can actually experience being soulmates," Kagome purred. "Because, kissing you when we're nearly dying seems like bad form."
Inuyasha chuckled again, then turned his head toward the storm, whose thunder Kagome could now hear, whose rain Kagome could now smell.
"Wh—what if I still wanted to kiss you right now?" Inuyasha's ears literally drooped as he asked, as if he thought she might say no.
"Then kiss me," Kagome said, and she smiled, and she leaned her head to meet his.
She tasted like the salt of her sweat when he let his tongue press against her lips, asking for entry. It was delectable, and it made him want to taste more.
He really really didn't want to tell her that he thought that they had about a 50/50 chance of getting out of this jam alive. But at least if they plummeted toward the ground, Inuyasha could use his body to protect Kagome's from the impact.
He could protect his soulmate.
And that was all that mattered.
He could protect the little girl who had to grow up too fast.
He could protect the woman who got her dream job too.
Soon, the wind changed and the storm was on them. Inuyasha pressed Kagome into the granite, and he used his body to shield hers, reluctantly pulling away from the addictive kisses that were making him whine for more.
"Gotta—gotta pay attention now, Kagome…" Inuyasha murmured, all too aware that she was holding him so tightly that he had no worries about her falling.
"Just tell me what you need me to do, and I'll do it," Kagome replied, leaning her head to rest on Inuyasha's shoulders. "Do you want me to distract you with bad jokes? Maybe… dirty jokes?"
Oh, god; he desperately needed to get Kagome home so he could bathe in her scent and fuck her into his mattress. His soulmate. But he also needed to concentrate on his handholds, on the dubious hold of the petzl seat, on the carabiners that now connected them to each other, and to the spikes he'd hammered into the rock.
"Just… tell me stuff. I don't fucking care what, just… stuff," Inuyasha replied, resettling his straining fingers along a granite vein just big enough his claws were able to hold it.
"Want to hear about my new job?" Kagome offered, almost incredulously.
"Fuck yes I do; tell me everything about it," Inuyasha answered.
Kagome did tell Inuyasha about her new job, at a startup in San Francisco, doing web design. She talked about loving the Bay Area and sneaking up to Muir Woods on idle afternoons to just smell nature. She talked about climbing, and thinking that she was good (5.13 was actually pretty impressive) and how she wanted to tour the Sierras. As the storm smacked them and tried to separate them from that rock and from their chair, Kagome's words kept Inuyasha's handholds firm.
At times he felt electricity crackle around him, and the wind on more than one occasion nearly tore him loose, but he would let his bones snap and his hands fall off before he let go. Because Kagome was telling him about getting a digital camera and driving to see California poppy fields (and he fucking needed to know about the poppies).
It was unbearable, a message from his nerves pleading for him to give them a rest. Fuck no, his mind's retort. He sure as shit wasn't going to lose this woman, his soulmate, so soon after he'd found her. His muscles strained and threatened to buckle as he gripped the rock with everything he had, and the pain of the effort screamed at him to let go, but he fucking wouldn't. Kagome was more precious than pain.
"So… that's how I got my dumb ass here, on this rock," Kagome sighed, her voice finally louder than the waning wind. "By not paying attention to the big picture."
"Well, dumb girl #25, looks like you're gonna need all sorts of lessons if you want to try to tackle El Cap again," Inuyasha sighed. "I—I wouldn't mind teaching ya, if this whole 'close to dying because of a storm' thing didn't scare ya off."
"Are you kidding? This fucking asshole rock defeated me," Kagome scoffed. "I am not going to let it get away with that for long."
Inuyasha was already utterly in love with his soulmate.
"Hey dogbreath!" Inuyasha had never been as excited to hear the nickname he hated. "You still on the mountain and not dead?"
"Fuck you Kōga!" Inuyasha barked back, but he was ecstatic. "You know it's impossible to kill me."
"That soulmate of yours also in one piece?" Kōga called.
"Yeah. Now can we get off this fucking rock?" Inuyasha shouted back, and felt the belay line from the top pull taut.
"Rappel down, dogbreath. Keep her attached. We got you both." Inuyasha could even hear the chuckle in Kōga's voice.
"She's already attached!" Kagome called up, then turned to Inuyasha and gave him one more kiss. Not tentative this time, but deep and ravenous. Grateful. "Now. Let's get down so I can say a proper thank you to my rescue ranger."
"Fucking fuck, woman." Inuyasha tried to keep his concentration. "If you keep sayin' stuff like that I'm gonna lose concentration and we're gonna die. So stop." But before he could help himself, Inuyasha added, "for now."
"But I have so many ways I need to say thank you," Kagome teased, then she leaned into his ear again, "And… I want to make sure you understand just how excited I am that of all the people in this world my soulmate could be, it's you…" It was so earnest Inuyasha stopped moving. "Because I am, Inuyasha."
"I'm fucking over the moon it's you too, Kagome." Inuyasha answered, letting his grin bare his fangs. "Okay Kōga, we're ready!"
"Then get going!" Kōga barked back, and Inuyasha chuckled and pulled the rope taut, readying them both for the descent. "Some of us also want to get home sometime this century dogbreath!"
"Fuck you, Kōga!" Inuyasha barked back, but his bark had no bite. "You ready, soulmate?"
"Heck yeah!" Kagome squealed. "Get me back to the sweet sweet ground!"
So Inuyasha rappelled both of them down the side of El Capitan carefully, shouting at Kōga (who shouted back) as they went, his feet bouncing off the rock rhythmically, his arms firmly around Kagome, who gripped him as tightly as she had while they waited out the storm, until their feet were back on terra firma.
Inuyasha only barely contained the howl that wanted to escape him, because in all his thrill-seeking days, that was absolutely the closest he'd ever come to death. And, he knew, were he alone, he would have succumbed. But Kagome's sweet and calming voice mined reservoirs of strength that he didn't know he had, in addition to the simple fact that she had faith he would save them. And now, as his muscles uncramped and he regained the lost feeling in his fingers, all he could do was marvel. He found his soulmate and saved her life, as much she'd saved his by believing in him.
"So, Inuyasha," Kagome started, grabbing Inuyasha's hand. "Want to… take me back to your place so I can show you how grateful I am that you saved me?" She then leaned into Inuyasha's ear, her voice barely above a whisper. "Or how lucky I am to have found you, soulmate?"
"Fuck yes," Inuyasha breathed, unable to resist giving Kagome one more jubilant kiss.
He would be telling her, too, how grateful he was to be a half-demon soulmated to Kagome, the last dumb girl of the season for the 'rescue rangers.'
From that day forward, 25 would always be Inuyasha's lucky number.