A/N: A birthday gift for FawnEyedGirl. All the best wishes to you, dear!
Summary: Can one terrible mistake turn into something good or is Inuyasha doomed?
Beta: Ruddcatha
Hanyou's Horrendous Harem
The purple smoke cleared slowly. Inuyasha waved his hands in front of his face to help it disperse. It wasn't like normal smoke - aside from the color, it also didn't sting his eyes and smelled rather... pretty. 'Pretty' wasn't a word that often graced Inuyasha's vocabulary, but it was the right word to describe that scent.
Inuyasha staggered out of the smoke and into the clean, crisp air, flailing his arms. The shattered vial on the ground seemed to run out of the purple stuff and soon the cloud dissipated, revealing a witch.
The witch was a short, plump woman reminding him of Kaede, but wearing purple and with both eyes that now frowned at him from wrinkled face. She rested her hands on the wooden table from which he'd knocked the vial off. The table stood in front of a small hut deep in his forest, pretty far from Kaede's village.
"Look what you have done, you careless hanyou!" she pointed a finger at the vial. "This took me a decade to brew!"
"Ugh, sorry?" Inuyasha's ears laid back. The witch was free of usual prejudice against hanyou, but was very touchy about her merchandise. She didn't mind doing some trading with Inuyasha from time to time, but he doubted any amount of rabbit skins could make it up for the foul potion.
"Oh, you shall get real sorry soon enough, sheepish dog!"
"Fuck off, I apologized! Are you threatening me over some stupid potion, old hag?" Inuyasha glared, his ears laying back. The woman shook her head and flailed her hands between them, almost knocking one of the remaining bottles from the table.
"You foolish boy!" she screeched. "I don't waste my breath on empty threats! Just go and..." she glanced at the pile of pelts he'd brought to her. "For these, an advice. If you have a sweetheart, make sure she knows your feelings. If you don't have," she paused to wave his sputtering denials away. "Find one. Fast."
"Keh!" blushing and hating that he was embarrassed so easily by a brainless witch, Inuyasha turned around and left the grumbling woman. He stomped down a forest path for a long while, just to feel better, then he broke in a jog - Kagome wasn't due to be back for almost a day, so there was no need for rushing.
.
He noticed something was off when the gang gathered around a fire near to the village to eat dinner. Sango gave him an extra big portion of food, which happened only after a battle in which she thought he'd done well. He glanced up at her and saw her looking away with a... was that a blush?
"What was that for?" he asked, pointing a claw to his overflowing bowl. He wasn't complaining, of course, but he hadn't done anything recently to get in her favor.
"It's just food. Eat it before it gets cold ba-baka!" she snapped and turned away. Inuyasha bristled, only Kagome could call him that, but he decided to let it slide for once. After all, she'd just given him extra food.
He reached to his side to pick up his chopsticks and froze when he felt warm fingers under his. He glanced down and saw a hand wrapped in cloth and beads. He followed up from the hand to arm and then focused on Miroku's face. He expected the monk to joke and lean back, but not this time. Miroku offered him a small smile and wiggled his fingers under his hand.
"I could give you my food," he offered. Inuyasha's ears perked in confused interest. "For a kiss."
"What? A k-kiss?" Inuyasha managed before an empty cup came crashing on top of his head.
"You! How dare you offer such stuff!" Sango growled. For some reason she glared at the wrong male. Inuyasha rubbed his poor head.
"Oi! I didn't offer to kiss him!" he barked.
"Ah, Sango," Miroku intoned. "I know we're engaged, buy you can't fault me for wishing to bargain a kiss from these pearly lips."
"But, but, but..." Inuyasha sputtered. Sang glared at them both.
"Oh, come one, I'm not opposed to sharing,," Miroku said with a bright smile. "It will be a..."
"Shut up!" Inuyasha screamed and put his hands over his ears. "I'm not into dudes!"
"Oh, Inuyasha," Miroku leaned in, a playful twinkle in his eyes. "I can get effeminate, if that's what you want."
The bewildered and pretty much freaked out hanyou leaped to his feet and by accident caught a claw in the obi of approaching Sango, tugging her to crash against his chest. With a curse he jumped away fro the girl and ran away.
"As if I cared if you kissed him! You baka!" she yelled after him and a bowl flew nearly missing him, spilling its contents as it whizzed past his head.
.
Half an hour later Lady Kaede lifted her gaze to peer into the rafters of her tiny hut. A pair of glowing yellow eyes peered back down at her, wide and full of trepidation. Wisps of silver hair hung from the beam on which Inuyasha hid, swaying like cobwebs in the wind when he shifted uneasily.
The miko kept to herself her observation on how much Inuyasha looked like a bewildered dog at that moment. Something told her he wouldn't approve the comparison.
"Would you tell me what made you hide there?" she asked, raising a brow.
"They're mad!" Inuyasha's voice drifted down like dust dislodged from the ancient rafters of her house. Kaede sighed and stood up to peer through a small window to where her garden was, tidy rows of vegetables and herbs under a few fruit trees. Under one of the trees was a bench Kaede liked to sit on when she worked in her garden.
Now Sango and Miroku sat there, observed by curious Kirara sprawled on one of the tree limbs. The aged miko blinked her good eye to make sure it wasn't failing her.
"Is the monk...?" she uttered in disbelief.
"I have no idea from where he got that rogue!" Inuyasha informed her from his spot under the roof. "And for the record, yes, Sango is trying to stick some throwing knives in that bun. And wanna know what she's saying? It's practical. It's not like I'm doing it to look pretty for someone."
"The monk seems not to be interested..." the miko mused.
"It's because she ain't mean him!" Inuyasha whined. Kaede looked back to where a darker shadow indicated his presence.. "He wanted to kiss me and she got jealous! It's all that witch's fault!"
"A witch?" Kaede frowned. "Explain, what happened?"
So Inuyasha did just that and even jumped down to the floor to be examined by the miko - after her solemn promise she wouldn't get crazy. He was a bit surprised and a lot relieved to learn that Kaede remained the same kind, strict self he knew.
"I see," Kaede finally said with a not very miko chuckle and waved at the scowling hanyou with one hand. "You are in quite a predicament, Inuyasha, but if all is as you say there is a cure."
"Then tell me!" he demanded gruffly and winced when he saw the priestess looking up to the roof.
"Oh, the rainy season is fast approaching. What is this frail, old miko to do, how is she to survive the weather, when the roof of her humble abode is leaking in several places?" she said, the tone of her voice not really conveying the emotions that the words would have suggested. Inuyasha knew that tone of voice.
"Damn, I'll patch it up, just tell me what to do!" he promised. The old bag always made him do work in exchange for favors.. Was she even aware that she didn't have to do that shit, he'd help her with stuff she couldn't handle. Of course he'd complain about it, but he had to, just to keep up his image. He was no one's lap dog.
"Ah, that's a relief," the woman smiled. "The potion was most likely a variety of love potion. It will not affect children and old people like me, but otherwise any who will lay their eyes on you, no matter the gender or race, will fall deeply in love with you."
Inuyasha felt a frosty chill run down his spine. That didn't sound good. He had enough problems with love life as it was,he didn't need more people in it. He wasn't exactly good at handling feelsy stuff.
"Is there any antidote?" he asked very quietly, not daring to hope.
"Not any of which I know," the old miko sighed and patted his shoulder when his ears drooped and face set in grim certainty that life was unfair. "But there is a way to end the potion's influence."
Inuyasha's ears perked back up as he stared at Kaede with the look of starved puppy at the sight of fresh meat.
"All you have to do to make everyone go back to normal is for you to confess your love to the one you truly love," Kaede said, raising a finger to make sure the hasty boy didn't start sputtering nonsense. "I do not care how and to whom you will confess, you have to make sure she understands the depth of your feelings. Only then you shall be free."
The aged miko almost laughed when she saw his gaze dart towards the window showing the forest named after him and hosing a certain well. Who did he thinking he was fooling? She'd known almost since the Yura incident that the boy was smitten and he was merely held back by his inexperience with people and his lingering feelings of obligation to her elder sister. Kaede was the first one who had told him that the Kikyou walking the world was nothing but a clay pot imprinted with the flame of her soul and feelings at death, but she understood that it was hard for him to work through his grief, mixed feelings, and blossoming affection for Kagome.
"Keh, it ain't easy!" Inuyasha crossed his arms, guessing that Kaede would interpret it as him not being able to pick who he felt more in love with. Most of his friends usually came to this conclusion when he said something like that. The truth of the matter was that it wasn't an issue of 'who', but how to approach the highly dangerous and scary talk about mushy stuff.
What Inuyasha had once had with her elder sister had been genuine, but oh so different from what he now was building with Kagome. It had been a shy, tentative feeling held by two that had been told for so long that love wasn't for them, two bound by prejudice and despair.
There was no denying the love he'd once felt for Kikyou, just as there was no way he could deny his feelings to Kagome - at least not to himself, in the safety of his own mind. A part of him worried that once he'd say the words aloud the world would do something nasty to the girl loved by a hanyou. He was not a moron, he knew Kagome cared for him, but he also was afraid that what she felt for him wasn't the same he felt for her. After all it was Kagome, the accepting, kind girl who took a wolf's flattery to be harmless teasing from a friend. He was a hanyou, of course he was scared of being rejected by the one he loved, so he procrastinated telling her. A part of him, the one that whispered to him during wee hours of new moon night, was also guilty of wanting more from Kagome. Being her friend and making new friends thanks to her help was way more than he deserved. He felt so desperately inadequate to ask for her to return his feelings and he wasn't able to change his behavior much to fit what a man worthy of her should be and act like.
And now Kaede just told him to go and tell Kagome he loved her.
As if that was as easy as shredding a lizard youkai.
A call from outside brought him back from his grumpy musings. He looked up just in time to see the headman's son barging in, calling Kaede. The miko's name died on his lips as he looked at Inuyasha and the hanyou cursed when he saw his eyes glaze over.
"Oh," the bulky young man, toughened by years of working in the fields, blushed and cast his eyes downwards. He anxiously brushed some dirt off of the front of his pants. "Lord Inuyasha... I didn't know you were here..."
And before Inuyasha could reply to that, the man spun on his heel and fled the hut. Kaede rose to her feet with a sigh.
"I'll better go see what is happening," she said. "And you don't dawdle. It is bound to get worse the more people see you."
With that said she left Inuyasha to ponder how to deal with his situation. There was little more she could do, it was his choice to battle his issues and go tell the girl he loved what he felt. It was bound to happen sooner or later and with the witch's potion it just had to happen sooner. Otherwise his very life and the well being of his friends was in peril.
An hour and a bunch of mistakes later Inuyasha was no longer pondering the pros and cons of telling Kagome he loved her. He was running through his forest, leaping between ravines and clusters of undergrowth. Kirara flew close behind him, carrying Sango (totally not staring at his butt) and Miroku (definitely staring at his butt)
"Quit ogling my ass!" he barked back as he ran across a stream, water splattering around him.
"I'm not staring!" Sango yelled, blushing hotly. "As if I'd be interested in you."
"But it's a fine piece of posterior, Inuyasha," Miroku pouted. Thee hanyou had explained about the curse to them , but it seemed they couldn't fight its effects even when they knew about it. "
Inuyasha skidded to a stop at the other side of the stream, his gaze fixed on the top of a small hill that was there.
"A-ha-ha-ha-ha- A-ha-ha-ha-ha-!" laughed Kouga, dust from his whirlwind settling down around his furry calves and feet. His eyes gleamed like rare blue diamonds. "You came to me, Inu-chan, your nimble feet carrying you so deftly to where I was waiting for you. Come, let's away, and go back to my pack. We need to begin rebuilding it!"
"Fuck off, flea bag!" Inuyasha took a step back. The shrill noise the wolf was making when he laughed was hurting his ears.
"Bad Inu, I will teach you how to act like royalty, so you fit in perfectly at my side! A-ha-ha-ha-ha-!" Kouga declared.
"No, I can handle sharing, but you can't take our precious Inuyasha!" Miroku objected. "We saw him first!"
"You have no claim to my future consort!" Kouga waved a hand at the hanyou. Inuyasha was about to yell at him and leap to punch his stupid face in, but before he could a gust of wind brushed past him and Kouga was knocked off his high ground by a well-aimed wind attack. The hanyou turned to look up at Kagura, floating on her feather a dozen meters away.
When she saw him looking at her, the wind sorceress blushed, bit her bottom lip and tucked her hand still holding her fan close to her chest, her gaze drifting shyly to the side.
"Um... I... I just..." she stuttered in a voice barely over a whisper.
Kouga had come to the village to 'protect his woman' from the approaching attack from Kagura. He'd sniffed out the sorceress heading that way and had run to warn the gang. He'd managed to barge in on sulking Inuyasha in Kaede's hut and his first burst of laughter had caused the hanyou to literally climb through the smoke hole to flee the little enclosed space - the windows were too small to squeeze through. They'd have enough time to leave the village - only around a half of the adults in the village were walking around with dazed looks on their faces and sighing at the memory of a passing incarnation of beauty with silver hair. Kouga had fallen over a few of them, had accidentally groped a fair amount of butt, once he'd ever managed to rip a kimono of a woman in two - luckily he'd closed his eyes before he'd seen anything, but judging by her indignant yells when he'd ran off she was expecting him to pay for it with his body. The whole experience had been a nerve-wrecking trial worse than being chased by an angry mob with pitchforks.
Instead of a sharp gust of wind and a grueling battle what had met them at the edge of the forest had been a longing sigh and meek stuttering. That was almost as terrible as the constant laughing and nagging of Kouga.
"A-ha-ha-ha-ha-!" Kouga came back into view, broken twigs adorning his tail and hair. "I, Prince Kouga, accept your challenge, Kagura! Let's do battle and see who is worthy of having Inuyasha! Don't blame me when I carry him off to be forever mine!"
"Um... I'll d-do my b-best," Kagura clenched her fingers tighter on her fan.
"Wait a minute!" Sango leaped off of Kirara's back and Miroku followed her, both brandishing their weapons.
"No one takes Inuyasha from us,right, Sango?" Miroku glanced to the slayer, who gave a grim nod.
"He is part of our team, I guess," she said.
"Wait a minute!" Inuyasha ran his claws through his hair, dislodging an array of leaves and twigs from his previous mad dash. "You lot honestly plan to fight over me?!"
"Of course," Miroku smiled comfortingly, the effect pretty bizarre with his face painted as if he was a geisha..
"I can't let my man be abducted by a wind witch," Kouga nodded. Kagura glared at him with an expression akin to what could be written on the face of a lamb determined to kick and struggle when attacked by a pack of wolves.
It was official, the situation was way out of hand.
"What is the meaning of this? There is a strange aura lingering in the village and it led me... Oh."
"Crap," Inuyasha didn't have to turn and look. There was no mistaking this melodious, soothing, but also cool voice. There was no mistaking the scent of graveyard and the soft nose the soul collectors made.
"Ah, the peasant priestess," Kouga lifted his hand to his mouth and laughed his shrill laugh again. "Are you here to challenge me too?"
Inuyasha's blood froze. Kikyou was not someone you talked down to. And most definitely not a person you smiled at like Kouga did just now.
"We're fighting over Inuyasha. Not that I'm interested, I just can't let Kouga or Kagura take him away," Sango added in lieu of explaining herself.
"He got a curse on him," Miroku added helpful. "He has to confess his love to the one of us he loves to be free. I don't mind the curse, but Kouga and Kagura want to take him away and I can't have that."
"But..." started Kagura and was ignored.
"I see." Kikyou said. The fine hair on the back of his neck and tips of his ears stood on the end - the tone of her voice was actually bemused and calm. "It is a fortunate thing that I decided to come here, then."
"What do you mean?" Sango asked suspiciously.
""Inuyasha just has to tell me what he feels for me and it will all be solved in no time," Kikyou explained cheerfully. The hanyou gathered his courage and turned to look at her.
"But..." started Kagura, her next words fading in the heavy atmosphere of everyone tensing and focusing on the poor hanyou. Inuyasha stared at the dead miko, motionless and mute. His body felt numb as he watched her wide smile and bright eyes. He swallowed when a tiny frown appeared on her face. The silence hung in the air like a cloud of miasma.
"Inuyasha, do you love me?" she asked. Her voice was not as cheerful now, it was ringing like steel. It sent a shiver of panic down his spine and made his throat dry.
They had it all sorted out at last when they'd met the last time. After Kagome had helped her with purifying her wound Kikyou had been different, no longer driven by desire to screw up his life, obsessing instead about destroying the jewel. He couldn't handle her guilt tripping him in confessing what he no longer felt again.
The miko reached for her bow and arrow and took aim, calm and collected as ever.
"Do you love me, Inuyasha?" she asked.
Okay, so this time she wasn't going to guilt trip him. She was going to just threaten him into the ghost of their past relationship.
"Hey, you can't do that!" Miroku argued.
"Everyone knows he doesn't love you anymore," Kouga added. "He has a more fine taste in partners now"
"Inuyasha, if you love one of them I shall slay you," Kikyou stated plainly.
"What? No! I don't love them!" Inuyasha yelled.
Kagura let loose a mournful sigh as her feather gently flew to the ground.
"Will you... Will you maybe... L-love me..." she uttered. "If... If I told you... I was s-sent here to dis-distract you w-while N-Naraku battled your br-brother nearby?" she whispered. Only the fact that no one else spoke at that time made it audible enough to catch everyone's attention.
"Naraku!" Inuyasha cried out. His foe was in his forest. Battling the bastard! That carried some semblance of normality, a battle of fists, youki and claws was what he was born for, what he understood. No curse shit, no people looking at him as if he was some kind of prize. It was what they all should focus on instead of running after him. There was a battle to win, a spider to smash, there was no time for this crazy shit. He needed some normality before his frayed nerves gave in and he succumbed to insanity.
"What?" Kikyou asked sharply, her eyes shining with new light. " Are you interested in Naraku? How dare you choose him over me!"
Only decades of flirting with death and training his reflexes saved Inuyasha. He somersaulted away from the path of glowing, whistling arrow and fled the area before Kikyou could fire another one.
Various cries of lovesick idiots followed him, echoing through the forest as he ran.
A strange thought came to him just before he could find and challenge the two men he really wanted to kick. Kikyou, even with her strong reiki, was being affected by the curse. There was no telling what would happen if Sesshomaru or Naraku saw him. He needed to figure out what he should do, maybe he should try a hood?
Before he could decide, Kouga and Kirara caught up to him.
"I will bring you Naraku;s head on a silver platter!" Kouga promised and sped off in a whirlwind. "A-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
"No, Naraku is mine!" Inuyasha called after him, but all he got in return was a face full of dry leaves kicked up by Kouga's passing.
"Ah, I see. There are certainly benefits of having a shape shifter in our bedroom," Miroku mused aloud. "Right, Sango?"
"Stupid," Sango grumbled. "As if I cared who he claims as his."
"Shut up!" Inuyasha screamed and made a point not to run towards the sounds and smells of a fierce battle despite how much he wanted to. He needed to find Kagome and try to fix this. He wasn't sure if he could survive and, well the remedy to the curse didn't look as scary as the alternative. He still could hear Kikyou calling after him
.
Soon Inuyasha truly and deeply regretted not stopping soon as the wolf found Naraku and Sesshomaru exchanging blows and insults, he declared, with his usual boldness and bluntness, that he, Prince Kouga, was going to take off Naraku's head and give it to his beloved soon-to-be mate Inuyasha.
Of course upon hearing that declaration, Naraku simply had to wipe the forest floor with the poor wolf prince. Then, naturally, he had to grab the groaning royalty in a tentacle and go find Inuyasha to gloat and to taunt him about harming another person the inu hanyou cared for.
Sesshomaru, already miffed by Kouga's rude interruption on his and Naraku's fight, glared after the disappearing spider wrapped in a baboon as he disappeared deep in the forest, cackling to himself and dragging the struggling wolf behind. How did he dare insult Lord Sesshomaru by just leaving him there in the middle of a battle? Was their mutual hatred nothing to him when taunting Inuyasha was involved? How could he choose dealing with that weak half-breed over a quality battle with a fierce daiyoukai?
The Lord of the West felt compelled to follow Naraku and the yapping wolf. He was all but sulking as he pondered the new information. Was his little brother that tasteless? His previous love interest was a human, but at least she was pretty. The wolf positively stank of at best mediocre power and looks, to put it bluntly, like something a neko would spit in a ditch. He, Sesshomaru, had to do something about his little brother's poor judgment in matters of the heart before the fool decided to bring forth a litter of foul looking weaklings.
Naraku quickly grew tired of Kouga's outraged demands to let him go and die so he could take his head to Inuyasha, knocking the wolf out by bashing his head against a tree trunk - just a little. He wanted Inuyasha to watch him rip the wolf apart, still alive and screaming.
He located the inu hanyou pretty easily, it looked as if Kagura had attacked his group not that far from where he himself had ambushed Sesshomaru. Yet, for some reason, even though he was no longer battling the wind sorceress, Inuyasha seemed to be moving away from the spot where Naraku had fought his elder brother.
Naraku chuckled darkly and hastened his pace.
"I never took you for a coward, Inuyasha," he said, remembering all the times the dog had charged at him without a second thought or an elaborate plan of action. It was quite new, and somewhat disturbing, to be the one chasing after Inuyasha for once.
Finally, Naraku found his target, along with the monk and the slayer, standing around in a spacious meadow. Was it all a part of his strategy maybe? To lure Naraku to an open space, so he couldn't lurk between trees? Oh, this would do Inuyasha no good, it just meant he was going to have a splendid view of him, Naraku, killing his wolf lover.
Naraku didn't wait to eavesdrop on the group, too eager to actually see the looks on their faces. Well, it wouldn't change a thing if he'd done that.
What he'd have heard if he'd waited for a moment would be a bit of dialogue that went:
"I swear, Sango, I didn't plan this! Hell, I didn't want this!" Inuyasha sounded flustered as he addressed the girl, who glared at him and swung a fist at his head. But a stroke of miracle he managed to dodge, but in the process he sidestepped right into the monk, who'd been watching them with interest.
The two men fell over, causing Inuyasha to curse.
"Hey, you can lay on top of me any time you want," Miroku offered to the poor hanyou who scrambled off of him with speed rivaling Sesshomaru's movements.
"You two..." Sango started but that was when Naraku stepped into the meadow.
"Kukuku, Inuyasha. I, Naraku..." his mirthful malicious monologue stopped there and never continued. Red eyes met golden and the unthinkable happened. The world Naraku saw took on a pearly purple sheen with a hint of glitter.
"Kaze no Kizu!" in an instant Inuyasha whipped out Tessaiga and swung it with way too much force at Naraku.
Naraku fled.
"Damn it!" Inuyasha barked as the Wind Scar subsided, narrowly missing the pride of the wolf youkai clan who lay discarded in the nettles.
It was just like many other encounters the two hanyou had.
And yet, Inuyasha knew, this one was vastly different.
The inu hanyou still stood there, frozen, as a new realization hit him. He didn't sheathe the katana in his hand, he didn't utter another curse, he didn't even turn to look at his friends. He stood there, motionless, as if under a freezing spell. As the Wind Scar dissipated, the scent of the attack was replaced by another canine scent he knew. A solid block of cold dread formed in his gut and for once instead of fight or flee his body responded with a freeze. 'Kagome,' whispered a part of him, chanting her name as if this was the only thing that held the world together, that could save him. 'Kagome, Kagome.'
"You know," Miroku said as he picked himself from the ground. "You look stunning with a sword in hand, Inuyasha."
"Ugh, he missed him," Sango shrugged. Inuyasha ignored them both and after a second the slayer stepped closer to him. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Inuyasha pointed a finger.
In a gap between the trees stood Sesshomaru.
.
In mounting trepidation Inuyasha watched his elder brother approach them in his usual unhurried step. His gaze drifted from Inuyasha only to briefly land on groaning still unconscious Kouga in the nettles.
"Is the wolf your intended mate, little brother?" the daiyoukai asked. To Inuyasha's relief the tone of his voice was natural - which meant it was cool and aloof.
"Nah," he said, relaxing a big deal. Sesshomaru acted just like he always did, reserved and collected. He figured out that if there was someone able to withstand the curse it had to be the bastard. He was, as much as Inuyasha wouldn't ever admit to accepting that, the strongest being Inuyasha knew. He sheathed Tessaiga.
'...Kagome...' a part of him prayed that it was true.
"Good," Sesshomaru gave a curt nod and stopped about ten meters away from him and his friends. "Has he tried to force you in a relationship?"
...Okay, that was a bit odd.
"Feh, as if he could force me to do anything!" Inuyasha crossed his arms in front of him, his ears laying back. Was Sesshomaru trying to insult him in a new way? Yeah, this had to be that. He must have grown tired of always insulting his heritage, that's all.
"That's fortunate." The daiyoukai tilted his head to look at Miroku and Sango, who observed him curiously. "Does either of you hold this one's little brother's heart?"
'...Kagome...'
"As if I wanted that!" Sango looked away.
"Oh, sadly, not, Lord Sesshomaru. We love him very much, but he insists on remaining just friends," Miroku told the daiyoukai with a sigh of a rejected man.
"What do you care anyway, asshole?" Inuyasha growled in annoyance and with a ton of panic looming over him and waiting to tip over and squeeze him under itself. His ears twitched and that motion caught Sesshomaru's gaze.
"This is easy, little brother. It is in this one's understanding that no one should hold a spot in your life and heart other than your family. This one is your elder brother and long enough he'd denied you his affection and care. From now on you shall be spoiled and protected as the beloved little brother of this lord."
'KAGOME!' Inuyasha screamed internally as he took a few steps back, eyes wide and his ears laying back. But Sesshomaru was not done speaking yet.
"This one shall feed you and groom you, and bathe you before he dresses you in the finest of clothing," he said with a gleam in his eye. "Only this Sesshomaru will be allowed to touch your adorable ears and console you in fright."
"You..." Inuyasha choked out, his voice coming out as a faint hiss instead of indignant roar. The realization that even Sesshomaru had fallen prey to the curse was beyond terrifying. Seeing his elder brother standing there in front of him, spewing some weird nonsense, but still smelling and sounding normal was like a thing from a nightmare, a nightmare he'd never dreamed before and didn't know how to handle.
It wasn't like Sesshomaru really cared for him and wanted to fulfill the duty of older brother - not that Inuyasha wanted him to act like this towards him, not anymore - he was just under the shitty curse. And it felt off, as if every word the daiyoukai spoke had a hidden meaning Inuyasha could only suspect and never know. It was as if Sesshomaru had some plans for him and Inuyasha couldn't plan a counter strategy because he had no idea what was now spinning in his older brother's head.
"This Sesshomaru loves you, little brother," the daiyoukai spoke, his words strangely warm and soft. "Do you love him back, puppy? Come, let's go home together."
Once, decades ago, Inuyasha had longed to hear such words from his brother. He'd been lost and lonely, employing all the survival skills his mother had taught him, all the things he'd learned on his own just to survive. He no longer wanted to hear that, he no longer needed someone to protect and guide him, but a part of him not busy freaking out, remembered his crushed puppy hopes and his first meeting with Sesshomaru. Regret over what had never come to be and now what was mocked by the curse, twisted in something Inuyasha couldn't name, was drowned out by the panic at the realization that Sesshomaru wanted him to answer him. And that he wanted to take him to wherever his home was, away from the life Inuyasha started to build with his friends here.
He had to find Kagome, he had to fix this. He could almost handle his friends, Kagura and Kouga acting bats hit crazy, but he couldn't stand Sesshomaru giving him this earnest confession of brotherly love - which was certainly not real brotherly love and surely not healthy.
Inuyasha took a step back, a fateful step. Once again, not looking back lead to Inuyasha tripping over something and falling. A part of him was relieved that Miroku and Sango were a few paces away, so at least he wouldn't get a handful of flesh or land on either one of them for once. Strangely, hitting the solid ground was a nice thing today.
What he hit a fraction of a second later was certainly solid, but it wasn't the ground. Inuyasha tensed as an arm wrapped around his waist to support him. The side of his face was pressed against the fluff of the mokomoko, his body pressed sideways against the taller frame of his brother, clad in armor. A part of him noticed a pulse of joy from Tessaiga upon brushing against Tenseiga.
"Are you alright, little brother?" asked the concerned daiyoukai. "Were these humans mistreating you? This one shall..."
Inuyasha pushed himself away from Sesshomaru, thankful that the bastard had only one arm. He glared at him, crouching low and ready to fight.
"Don't you dare threaten my friends, you ass!" he barked.
"You have to mind your language, Inuyasha, or this one shall spank you," Sesshomaru warned.
"Oooo, spanking!" Miroku, totally unconcerned about the weight of the situation, cheered up. "We have to try it, Inuyasha!"
Inuyasha's cheeks went crimson hot in an instant when he for once realized what was being implied.
"Are you engaged in any sexual behaviors with the monk, little brother?" asked Sesshomaru, his voice sharp as he glared at the human male.
"What? Eww, no!" Inuyasha waved his hands in front of him, feeling as if the world was a rug pulled out from under his feet.
"Good. You are allowed to love only your big brother, Inuyasha," the daiyoukai informed the hanyou. Inuyasha opened his mouth to tell him where he could stick to his demands, but before he could do that, a twang could be heard, followed by a whistling noise and a cry.
"Love me or die, Inuyasha!" yelled Kikyou as she let loose an arrow aimed at him.
Before Inuyasha could dodge or even turn and see his approaching demise, Sesshomaru dashed past him and plucked the arrow from the air. He broke it in his fingers, glaring cold hatred at Kikyou.
"How dare you attack this one's admirable little brother?" he snapped at her. Inuyasha didn't wait to see what was going to happen or hear the two arguing over him. They were busy, so he had time to fle- find Kagome.
And so he fled. He fled as fast as he could, not looking behind and going straight for the well.
As he went through the forest he noticed a flash of white and green in between the trees. He turned that way and soon he came upon Kagome, obviously walking aimlessly and trying to find him. He briefly wondered what made her come back earlier, but he was not going to turn his back on the opportunity of having it all fixed sooner. And her being here meant he wouldn't get sat for coming to her time without warning.
"Oi, Kagome!" he greeted as he stopped before her. She smiled at him.
"Hey, you," she said. "I was looking for you."
"Great. We hafta talk. Now," the hanyou said, sensing Kirara' youki approaching. There was no telling how long it'd take Kikyou and Sesshomaru to just go after him and he didn't want Miroku and Sango to witness his confession.
"Oh, sure, sure," the miko shrugged. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Not here. The others will be here any minute now," he looked behind himself, ears laying back. Kagome took his hand.
"Okay, let's go somewhere where we can talk in peace," she said. "I passed a cave a moment ago," she pointed to a hillside rising nearby.
"Feh, let's go," he allowed her to take his hand in hers and lead him towards the shadowy mouth of a cave that showed itself to him after just a few paces.
"Kukuku," said Kagome as they entered the darkness under the hill.
"What?" asked Inuyasha, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one followed them.
"Oh, nothing," she replied sweetly.
.
Kirara hovered just above the trees, sedately flying towards the village. On her back Sango and Miroku sat, sighing from time to time.
Neither of the two spoke, not wanting to voice what they both knew.
They'd followed Inuyasha through the forest until they'd seen him meeting Kagome and walking holding hands with her. There was no doubt in their hearts that as much as they loved Inuyasha, their feelings were one-sided. They had seen the look of utter devotion, determination and hope on Inuyasha's face, the one that had never graced his visage when they were in front of him.
Sango did her best to hide how deeply her heart was hurt. She knew that Inuyasha and her would never have worked out, that was why she'd tried to keep him at a distance, show him how cool and not interested she was. Now she was nursing her heart, but at least she still had her pride.
Miroku sat behind her, lost in his own thoughts. He felt not as much heartbroken, as he felt regretful. He'd hoped for something fun for everyone, but it wasn't going to happen now. Kagome wasn't one to share what she felt was hers - and Inuyasha's heart was clearly hers now. He could just daydream about what would have been.
That was when they almost ran into Shippou, transformed into a big pink balloon form, carrying Kagome and a big yellow bag on his back. Kirara hovered in the air just in front of the kitsune, blinking at his cargo.
"Hey, guys!" Kagome waved a hand. "Why the long faces?
"Kagome..." Sango breathed out, staring at the miko.
"Kagome brought extra sweets!" Shippou declared cheerfully. "And lunch boxes for everyone! And since Inuyasha wasn't there to help her carry it all, I am doing that."
"And you will get a reward," Kagome patted him and giggled.
Miroku gripped Sango's shoulder.
"It's Kagome," he whispered.
"Yeah, I can see that," Sango uttered back, their exchange catching Kagome's attention and making her frown in confusion. "Then who was it with Inuyasha?"
"What's going on?" Kagome asked when Sango urged Kirara to turn around and go back to where they'd seen Inuyasha the last time.
"There's no time! We have to save Inuyasha!" Miroku called as he dug in his sleeves for sutras. "Come with us!"
Sango fisted her hands in Kirara's fur, angry at herself and worried for Inuyasha. He was in danger and needed her help, but she couldn't find any trace of him, no flash of red and white among the trees. She should have been able to see that there had been something amiss about that Kagome, she'd kept to the shadows... Damn, Sango was an exterminator, she should be able to tell that a doppelganger was pretending to be one of her closest friends.
Behind her Miroku filled in Kagome and Shippou who did his best to keep up with Kirara.
"Kaede says that his curse can be broken only by approaching his beloved," Miroku finished. Kagome looked away and sighed.
"Oh. If Kikyou is around..." she started, sounding sad.
"Actually, she came to see us a while back," Miroku waved a hand cheerfully. "She wanted to kill him, because he doesn't love her. Luckily, Sesshomaru was there to save him."
"Sesshomaru?" Kagome looked stunned. "He saved Inuyasha from Kikyou?"
"Yeah, but he's a bad one too, he doesn't want to share. He wants to steal Inuyasha to some palace and keep him to himself," Miroku pouted.
"Oh," Kagome wasn't sure she liked that idea.
"Yeah. He and Kouga, and Kagura, all want to keep Inuyasha to themselves," the monk frowned in determination. "But we will not let them take our precious hanyou, right, Sango?"
"I bet it's Naraku," the slayer replied. "He shape shifted in to Kagome and now there's no trace of Inuyasha anywhere."
Kirara landed where they'd seen Inuyasha for the last time.
"That sneaky spider should suffer," Miroku stated as they started to look for the clues to Inuyasha's whereabouts on the ground. "I should have known he'd try something after he'd ran off without a word!"
"Inuyasha!" Kagome called, her heart beating faster as she followed a faint trail of Inuyasha's youki. She was confused, all the things that had happened today were so odd, but what she was sure of was that Inuyasha was in danger and she had to do what she could to help him.
A part of her was glad - and somewhat guilty for feeling glad - that apparently Inuyasha wasn't in love with Kikyou. Or maybe he just didn't want to confess his feelings in front of everyone.
Calling out to the hanyou she ran around the side of a hill covered in bamboo. She had to find him. She could help him to overcome the curse later, no matter if it meant watching him go away to be with someone else. She wanted him to be happy and she would encourage him to face his beloved. It'd hurt to watch him go be with another person, but he deserved way more than he'd gotten in his life. She still could be there for him, be his closest friend and share with him what he chose to share with her. She wasn't going to lose him, just because she lost the chance of being the most important person in his life. She told herself firmly that it would be fine. For now the priority wasn't her worries and definitely not thoughts of him having a life with someone else. Finding him and making sure he was safe was what mattered the most.
With Miroku and Sango, Kirara and Shippou hot on her heels, Kagome ran until they came upon a crack in the hillside. It was a cave entrance leading deep within the hill.
And it was blocked by a thick web.
"Inuyasha" Kagome yelled and attacked the barrier.
.
Inuyasha led Kagome into the cave. She probably couldn't see well inside after a few steps, but that was okay with hum. It'd be easier knowing she couldn't see his expression while he figured out the words to say to her. The miko didn't complain, letting him guide her and trusting in him not to lead her into a wall.
He was so relieved that Kagome seemed to act normal after seeing him. It was so good to have at least one person other than Kaede that didn't go nuts. Soon, he told himself, he was going to fix the rest, his friends and foes, so they'd act normal too. He hadn't thought up a nice speech for Kagome. His mind was trying to conjure something the future-born miko could like - he didn't want to just blurt it out, he wanted her to know exactly what he felt, he wanted her to...
He wanted her to love him back and like what he was about to tell her. He didn't want a fake love brought forth by the cure he wanted her to accept him as her life partner of her own choice. He wanted, despite all odds, to belong with her. He was more than scared of facing this, the possibility of rejection, but what waited in the forest was a bunch of people he definitely didn't want running after him with their misguided love.
Besides, Kagome deserved to know. She deserved to know how he felt towards her, how deeply he craved to be a part of her life, more than just a friend or just a protector. He knew he didn't deserve any of that, but he couldn't stop being drawn to this kind, affectionate, a bit crazy girl.
"Okay, what do you want to talk about, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked when they stopped near the end of the cave. She sat on the soft sand and Inuyasha crouched in front of her, still holding her hand. He didn't want to let go, afraid she'd run away upon hearing his confession.
A part of him wondered if she'd remember afterwards. If any of them would remember. It'd be actually quite amusing if the rest remembered how stupid they acted. And he really hoped Kagome would remember his confession too, especially if by some lucky star she accepted it.
"So..." he licked his lips, glad that in the dim light in the cave she couldn't see much more than the glow of hos hair. His ears laid back in stress. But, as much as he feared the rejection, the shift in their relationship, all the bad things that could happen, he was no coward. He knew that he had waited for way too long and this had to be said, curse or no curse. She deserved to know. He deserved to tell her, it was up to her to accept or reject him, but to do that he had to be clear about his feelings towards her first.
"Yes?" she asked, tilting her head and smiling this brilliant smile.
"I... You see..." he stuttered and gulped, forcing himself to man up. "I wanted to tell you this for a long time, Kagome, but... Yeah, I guess I'm telling you now. I love you. It's as simple as that. I love how you find it in yourself to accept everyone, even me. I love how you try to see good in everyone. I love how your temper sometimes gets the best of you. I love to bicker with you, I love making up with you."
"Oh," Kagome breathed out. Inuyasha clasped her hand in his tighter.
"Please, I know I'm a hanyou and have nothing to offer... I... I don't ask for you to return my feelings, just... Just acknowledge them. We can still be friends and it will be amazing," he added hastily. "I.. Kagome..."
He faltered, his voice fading into silence, he held his breath, waiting for her response. It wasn't a romantic confession full of pretty words but it was heartfelt and genuine. He was no Miroku to sway a woman's heart with a line or two. He lacked Sesshomaru's confidence. Heck he didn't even have Kouga's stupid arrogance and belief that he was the best thing since the wheel was invented. He was just himself and he hoped that that was enough.
Kagome shifted her grip on his hand, her stunned, dazed expression breaking into a big grin that somehow didn't reach her eyes in the way it usually did.
"Oh, you finally recognized my superiority and bent your will to bow to me. I shall graciously accept your confession of undying love and obedience," Kagome said smugly. Inuyasha blinked, his ears twitching.
"Huh?" That didn't sound like Kagome. She didn't speak this way. The only person that liked to use big words like this was...
His eyes widened as realization dawned on him. He tried to move back, but Kagome's grip on him was inhumanly strong.
"You... You're not Kagome!" he yelled, embarrassed and angered.
"Kukuku, I am not. But I accepted your confession, so now you're mine, Inuyasha," before Inuyasha could do anything, a blast of web from Kagome's other hand pinned him against a wall, sticky and restraining.
"Let me go!" Inuyasha struggled to get free. He wanted to fight, to make the wicked hanyou suffer. This confession wasn't for anyone else than the future-born miko. Before him the other rose, the shape shifting to reveal Naraku, clad in a dark kimono, his hair flowing in waves. Inuyasha managed to rip a hand free and readied his claws to strike that smirking face but Naraku just added more web to hold him against the wall. "Bloody hell" The web had to be infused with some miasma or other shit, because Inuyasha felt his body weakening as he was pinned under the off-white layers of spider shit.
"I, Naraku, will take good care of you, Inuyasha. You shall be mine and mine alone. I knew when I saw you that I simply had to have you. So I went to find Kagura and learned that whoever will get your confession, will be your beloved forever."
"No! It's not like that!" Inuyasha fought to get free. He should have known that meeting Kagome earlier than she was due to be back was a too good thing to be true. How could he forget about Naraku seeing him? How... He remembered that Miroku and Sango had been following him.
Oi! Sango, Miroku!" he yelled, hoping against hope that they'd turn out to be any help in his situation. Naraku stood right in front of him, but he wasn't able to even move a finger. The dark hanyou laughed.
"Ha! I covered the cave entrance with a web, they will never hear or reach you! You shall remain mine, my own!" he informed him, leaning closer and reaching a hand to touch Inuyasha's jawline. The inu hanyou shook his head, which was about as much movement as he had, but Naraku shifted his hand to cup his cheek and hold his head still as he moved closer.
Wide golden eyes full of anger, hate, disgust and fear locked on the smug red ones glazed over by a transparent pinkish hue. Inuyasha's heart raced like crazy for a new reason now, his foe was about to do something that he had no right of doing. How could the world be so cruel to his hanyou ass?
"We will be so happy together." Naraku whispered, licking his lips as he moved to kiss his prey.
"No!" Inuyasha growled, straining his body to get free. He didn't want anything to do with Naraku, he wanted to be free and with Kagome.
A moment before Naraku's lips locked on his, Inuyasha saw a flash of green light. Then the body of the dark hanyou erupted with blood, his head flying to the side, hitting the wall and dropping to the floor with a splatter. Inuyasha was fairly used to seeing Naraku's form torn to pieces, but this one didn't change into a puppet. His real body, as Inuyasha realized, slumped forward and rested against the web holding the dog hanyou, before it slid down it, tinting the off-white spider silk pink.
As soon as Naraku fell dead at his feet, Inuyasha felt the web growing slack, the strands slowly dissolving. He started to struggle to free himself, but before he could do much, a figure appeared in front of him and clawed hands shredded his binding.
"Wh-what?" he breathed out, looking up to see who was now reaching to grab him in their arms. "Oh, gods, no."
"You're safe now, little brother." Sesshomaru said as he pinned Inuyasha's arms to his sides and picked him up, wrapped in his arms and mokomoko.
.
"Kagome!"
"Inuyasha!"
The twin calls that so often had been cried out in the past year or so, once again carried through the air. But this time it was a bit different. It was the hanyou, who was being kidnapped and the miko who was running after him
Inuyasha doubled his efforts to free himself from Sesshomaru's firm hold. He clawed at his sides and pelt, bits of fur flowing down to the ground, Inuyasha's claws doing little to the armor shielding his brother's torso. He couldn't believe that it had been the asshole who had cut through the wen covering the cave entrance and who had dispatched of Naraku with no effort at all.
And now he was holding him tightly to his chest, murmuring stuff that probably should be soothing, but was weirding him out. Ah, yes, and he was floating on a cloud of youki a good dozen meters above the ground, slowly ascending between the tree branches before he could zip towards his castle, taking Inuyasha with him.
"If the humans try anything, this one shall end their lives," the daiyoukai had told him plainly when he'd emerged with Inuyasha in his grip from the cave and had moved past the gathered friends. "You belong with this one.."
"Let go of me, you stinking ass!" Inuyasha barked. Miroku and Sango were on Kirara again, flying at a safe distance from them, ready to spring to action at any moment. Inuyasha had a bad feeling about it, Sesshomaru wasn't one who would hesitate to kill humans if they stood in his way.
His gaze drifted to Kagome, running on the ground, Shippou clutching to her shoulder. Her face was so pale, her eyes glued to him as she outstretched her hands, calling for him.
Gods, how much he wanted to grab these warm hands and tug her into his embrace...
Sesshomaru's grip on him shifted and Inuyasha squeaked when his elder brother gave a firm spank to his behind.
"Behave, little brother, or this one shall punish you. Be still, we shall soon reach our castle. This one shall find great pleasure in making your room comfortable for you," Sesshomaru assured him, his voice low and terribly affectionate.
"Let me go, I want to go back!" Inuyasha demanded, his cheeks red with embarrassment and anger. How dare the ass hit him on the ass?!
'Your foe is dead and you have no need to linger in the human lands,' Sesshomaru informed him plainly. They were clearing the tops of the trees and it was just a matter of time before they flew away. And Inuyasha still couldn't wrestle himself free from his iron grip. He growled in frustration.
How could the day go so much to hell? It hadn't been his fault the vial got broken - well, maybe it had been, but he'd apologized, damn it! - and the witch hadn't have a real reason to curse him. He had exerted patience with all the idiots, he'd done his best to keep away from trouble. He'd even got enough courage to tell Kagome he loved her - just to learn that he'd told it all to Naraku, of all people!
"They're my friends!" Inuyasha yelled at his dumb brother. "I want to be with my friends! You can't take me from them just like this!"
The daiyoukai - by power of some miracle - halted in his ascent and appeared to think this over.
"You will not be happy with your big brother if you don't say your goodbyes to the humans?" he asked. Inuyasha's ears perked up.
"Yes!" he nodded vigorously. "Let me tell my goodbyes, okay?"
To his amazement, Sesshomaru descended. He actually listened to him, but Inuyasha had no time to wonder at that. He watched Kagome running towards them, breathless and with twigs in her hair. He noticed Kirara landing nearby, Miroku and Sango approaching with grim looks on their faces. They knew as well as Inuyasha did, that Sesshomaru could kill them all easily if they tried to fight him. Sango reached towards her belt, unsure if she should at least try, but Inuyasha shook his head, stepping out of Sesshomaru's arms and onto the forest floor.
"Sango," Inuyasha laid his hands on her shoulders, aware of the keen eyes of Sesshomaru on himself. He was certain that the daiyoukai wouldn't let him do anything and Inuyasha didn't want to lose his one chance. "Thanks for everything."
"It's not like I did it because I like you," Sango started and gasped when Inuyasha leaned in and kissed her cheek. She blushed hotly and pushed him away. The hanyou turned to Miroku, who offered him a huge smile.
"Will I get a kiss too?" he asked hopefully.
"Nah, you can wrestle the one I gave Sango from her," Inuyasha snickered.
With that the hanyou turned to Kagome and grumbled a few foul words when Shippou leaped into his arms.
"You can't go, Inuyasha!" the kit yelled. "What's going on around here? Why are you going with Sesshomaru?"
Inuyasha sighed. How to explain to the brat the effects of the bloody curse without confusing the shit out of him?
"Just trust me, okay?" the hanyou said and tossed the boy to Miroku.
"Hey!" Shippou was not too pleased to be treated in such a way, but Inuyasha didn't give a shit. Kagome stood in front of him, still breathing heavily from her run, her clothing and hair full of leaves and twigs.
Inuyasha looked in her face, adorned with a smudge of green on one cheek. He took in the sight of her, his feisty miko, his accepting friend, his... How could anyone think he'd just willingly say goodbye to her and walk away? How could someone think that he'd forget about the instinct to protect this insanely foolish, trusting and stubborn wench? She was lost without him. He was lost without her.
She was water to his ramen. She was sweet and pure and nothing about her was plain despite her not being a stunning beauty or charismatic leader. Somehow she was the most amazing creature he'd ever seen, her flaws making her even more fun to be around, her fiery spirit matching his.
He opened his mouth, wanting to tell her what he felt and...
...He hesitated.
"Inuyasha?" she prompted him softly, wringing her fingers and approaching a bit closer.
This was the moment. He stood in front of her, she was just there, looking at him with these brown eyes, a hand raised to clutch at the scarf around her neck. She deserved to know. He had to tell her. He had to make it alright - not only the bloody curse, but hopefully their lives. He wanted nothing more than to say the words.
But he couldn't. With mounting frustration he growled to himself, realizing that all the courage he'd amassed and put into his cave confession, he was now quite... Anxious to speak the words in the bright daylight. Doubts rose in his heart, vile doubts that always helped him in putting his foot in his mouth.
"We have to go, little brother," Sesshomaru's voice stopped the storm of annoyance and anxiety in him. He shook his head, he had to act fast and stop overthinking things, otherwise his asshole brother'd get suspicious and prevent what he wanted to do. Without much thought Inuyasha moved forward and wrapped his arms around Kagome, who gasped softly.
"Sit me," he demanded. One of his hands went up to cup the back of her head.
"Wh-what?" she blinked, but he merely growled at her. Behind him he could sense his brother moving towards them. The girl hesitated, but just then she felt a clawed hand on her behind. "Inuyasha, osuwari!"
Kagome groaned under him as the power of the beads dragged them both to the ground and all he could do was not to squish his love interest under him. He ended up sprawled on top of her, one hand pinned under the small of her back, the other cushioning her head, his own face pressed into the crook of her neck
"Are you alright, little brother? What kind of..." Sesshomaru inquired from just above him.
"I'm yours," Inuyasha breathed into Kagome's ear. "And you mine. I'm not going anywhere from you, unless you order me to. I love you. I love you so much that I will let you sit me forever if it means staying with you."
"Inuyasha..." Kagome breathed out, stunned and somewhat dazed from the sudden fall to the ground. The hanyou raised his head and pressed a kiss to her lips, praying that she'd just listen to him for once. He could feel Sesshomaru's hand on the back of his kimono, tugging him upwards. The spell 's hold was weakening and Inuyasha feared the worst.
"But..." Kagome started as soon as their lips parted.
"I love you, not Kikyou. Not anyone else. You," the hanyou desperately tried to will her into believing him. He kissed her again for good measure.
He couldn't live without her. He swore to himself he'd find a way back to her, even if it meant actually killing Sesshomaru. No one would stand in his way back to his miko.
"Inu..." Kagome started again. He shook his head, not noticing that the hand that had previously tugged at his robe, now dropped him back on top of the girl. He kissed her, not wanting to hear any word of denial from her, he wanted her to know what he felt. Even if she didn't feel this way. It was better than talking, he was never good with words.
Kagome hummed in the kiss and reached her hands up to tangle her fingers in his hair, returning his kiss. It felt so good to have her lips moving against his, her hands pulling him closer.
It was when he finally broke the kiss and looked down at the panting girl, her eyes dazed and misted over with hopefully happy tears, that Inuyasha's ears picked up a noise from above and behind him.
It was a snicker.
"Well," Sango said in a conversational tone. "That was something I pray never to relive."
"Oh, you say that now, but just a moment ago you were pouting" Miroku sounded amused. "Ah, but if you don't want that kiss, I'd gladly take it from your cheek or lips...""
"You will get a black eye if you try to kiss me right now," Sango growled.
Inuyasha looked back, still on top of Kagome. His friends were back to normal, seeing them interact was such a good look after a day of freaking out about their weird actions. He glanced to where Sesshomaru loomed over him.
Golden eyes, calm and distant, peered down at him.
"Hm."
"Keh."
With that being not said between the brothers, the daiyoukai turned on his heel and walked away.
"Well," Miroku said, grinning down at the pair still sprawled on the ground. "Shall we go and look for Naraku's shards, dear Sango?"
"What? Oh, uh, yes. Of course. And make sure the others are fine too," Sango uttered and called for Kirara.
"Have fun, guys!"
Inuyasha watched them go, flying off on the fire cat and taking the kitsune with them. Then he slumped down, finally allowing himself to relax. Everyone seemed to be back to normal. His stupid curse was gone and he didn't have to fear that a bunch of idiots would run after him and...
Kagome put a hand to his cheek, bringing him back from the sea of serenity to the brutal reality. Nothing was going to be back to normal. Kagome knew now what he felt. He'd told her and she now understood what he felt. Now he had to face the miko's rejection or acceptance. Holding his breath he didn't dare to hope.
"Inuyasha," Kagome's whisper made his ears quiver and tilt towards her face. He didn't dare to lift his head from where he tucked it in the side of her neck, inhaling the scent of her soap and body. "You silly hanyou, you didn't let me say a word."
"Feh, you don't have to say anything. You just had to hear it from me," he grumbled. "I... Ugh. sorry I told it to you like this. I didn't want the asshole to drag me away or hurt any of you. And I... Damn, I had this speech that wasn't half bad and it was Naraku that I told it to!"
Kagome pressed her face in his hair to hide her giggles.
"I envy him now," she confessed. "You will have to try and tell me all that later, okay? For now, just for the record I love you too."
"You... you do?" Inuyasha rose on his elbows to peer into her face, flushed pink, but with eyes full of affection and admiration.
"I don't make ramen with an extra egg for anyone else, do I?" the miko seemed to gain confidence from the awed look he gave her. "Do you want to try it?"
"Damn yeah I do!" Inuyasha smiled, a first real smile since the whole misadventure had started.
"Then we should be fast, Shippou has all the lunch boxes," the girl giggled when she was hauled off of the ground and dragged by a hand by an eager hanyou yelling for their friends to come back. She let him lead her back towards the small village and food.
There were many things to take care of, many steps for them to take as a couple, matters to discuss, but for now, for this moment, Inuyasha didn't care for the future and didn't feel dragged down by his past and heritage. For now the only thing binding him was the grip of bow-worn hands of a miko.