Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Inuyasha universe or any of the popular name brand apps, products, services, etc. The rest is mine.

Chapter 23

Everything was dark. She could see, but it was hard. She was in a room - a bar. She could smell the alcohol. Hear the murmur of people around her. Details slowly came into focus...A steer's head on the wall, a pool table in the corner...Little things that told someone who had been there before that they were in the Rust Bucket.

A drink was before her on the wooden table. A beer with little beads of condensation rolling down the sides. Sango was beside her, but her words weren't important. What was important was the anticipation she felt in the pit of her stomach. The excitement.

Suddenly, a spotlight from the ceiling lit, focusing on the stage, and she saw Inuyasha beside the mechanical bull. He wore nothing more than an open vest, his cowboy hat, a pair of jeans, and some boots. His black hair hung loosely around his shoulders and back and...His chest…

God.

He had oiled his chest, and every rise and dip in his body gleamed in the spotlight...and his body was perfect. She could wash her delicates on that body. She wanted to do a lot more than that though...

His taupe eyes caught hers in the crowd, and he gave her a little devious grin as the music began to play, and a part of her wanted to laugh. Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) echoed off the walls as women began catcalling him. Telling him to lose the vest. The pants.

He just smirked at them and ran his hands down his body, pulling at the belt buckle as his body rolled. He was enjoying the attention...but his eyes were locked on her. They were staring at her, looking her straight in the eye.

He knew she wanted him.

And he was showing her just what could be hers.

His eyes told her that all she had to do was say the word, but the words were dry in her throat. It was like she didn't know how to speak anymore as he thumbed his belt buckle again, raising a brow at her.

She swallowed.

He removed it, tossing it off to the side.

She nearly melted in her seat.

God.

She wondered what kind of oil he had put on his body, and if she would get sick if she licked it off of him. She didn't think she cared. It would be worth it.

She swallowed again, just imagining what it would be like to feel his smooth, slick skin under her hands. What it would be like to feel her lips trailing up from that delicious, chiseled V to his navel...his pectorals...what it would be like to scrap her teeth against his nipple…

He smirked at her and hopped onto the mechanical bull beside him, and it roared to life. He leaned backward on it, grabbing his vest and giving it a nice shake as the bull began to move. It rocked him forwards and backwards. He handled it like a pro, his body rolling with each and every move it made. The muscles of his abdomen alone were seducing her...and when she looked into those taupe eyes…

He ran his hands back up his body, hooking his fingers under the armholes of his vest. It slipped down his shoulders and he swung it around over his head before tossing it into the crowd.

Was he…

Fuck, was he going to completely strip on that bull?

She was watching him with bated breath, hoping he would take off more, and praying that he would leave his jeans on all at the same time.

Some things, a woman just wanted to do herself, and with the way he was moving on that bull…

God. She really wanted to do it herself.

The music came to an end and he hopped off the bull, his molten eyes locked on her as he jumped over the flimsy barrier roping off the bull from the rest of the bar. Never once did his gaze falter. Never once did she doubt that he was coming over to her. Never once did she doubt with the intensity of that smolder in his eyes...that sheer, raw, desire...That when he got to her, he was going to kiss her.

Deeply.

Passionately.

And she was going to welcome it.

When he was standing before her, she stood meeting his gaze head-on, and when he did nothing, she raised her eyebrow, as if to silently say, "Well?"

He just smirked and swept all of the bottles off the table, they scattered and clattered against the floor, but no one gave a damn. Didn't give it a second thought as he leaned her backward onto the table, his lips latching onto hers. The move knocked the wind from her lungs for a moment, but she couldn't find a fuck to give. Not when this felt so damn good. Not when he was kissing her in a way she hadn't realized she had missed until she had it again, and fuck was it good having this again. He tasted how she remembered, but the passion...The desperation for more…

The fucking hunger she could taste dripping from his lips with every movement…

Fuck, she thought she was going to die. His hand splayed across her bare abdomen, inching its way up her ribs and she felt him shift the weight of his body off of hers, his fingers pulling the tie of her shirt open so he could expose her lacy bra to his searching fingers.

She moaned into him, begging him for more, and he gave it to her as his lips moved down to her jaw, licking and nipping her skin.

"Kags," he moaned, thrusting his pelvis against her, and she could feel the familiar stiffness of his erection straining against the denim of his jeans.

"Yash," she responded in kind, grabbing fistfuls of his hair and pulling him closer as his teeth scraped along the column of her neck. Her voice was so raspy it almost sounded foreign to her ears.

He moaned against her skin, moving his talented lips further south, and her breath caught in her throat as he neared her clavicle - his thumb and forefinger coming to the tip of her breast to roll her nipple between them over the lace of her bra.

"Yash," she begged again, and he laughed throatily against her skin.

"I like it when you say my name like that. Do it again, Kags," he demanded, looking up at her. "Do it, and I'll give ya what you want."

"And what do I want?" she rasped, and he smirked at her, thrusting his hips into her, letting her feel the full extent of his erection.

"My cock."

"Maybe that's not what I want," she smirked back, and the baffled look he gave her was everything. It was almost enough to make her laugh. "...Maybe I want your mouth first."

His befuddled expression melted into a smirk, and her legs wrapped around his waist.

"Call my name again, and I'll give ya whatever ya damn well please."

She bit her lip, squaring her shoulders and making sure she was looking him straight in the eye as she throatily called out, "Yash."

He ripped her bra open with the inhuman strength she missed, and his lips descended on her breast, his hand cupping the other as he brushed his finger against her nipple. He placed gentle nips against her skin and her fingers found themselves buried in his hair again as she tried to guide and direct him.

He didn't need much directing, however.

God, he was good. Perfect. He was making her whole body ache and quiver for more, and she was begging him for it. His name dripped from her lips like a prayer, and it goaded him on.

His lips left her breasts, pressing hot, wet kisses in a trail down her sternum to above the waist of her jeans. He paused there, looking up at her with a delicious wickedness in his eye as he worked the button through the hole, then pulled the zipper down.

"Yash," she breathed, and he smirked in return, pulling her pants and panties down her hips in one move, his face burying itself between her thighs.

Kagome startled awake, her heart racing so hard she could hear it in her ears.

What…

WHAT?!

She threw an arm over her face, groaning in annoyance. Had she really just...had a sex dream about Inuyasha?! What was she...17 again?! What the hell was wrong with her?!

She ran her hands down her face, groaning again as images of her dream floated past her mind's eye. Images of him removing his shirt. His chiseled abdomen. His smirk. His black hair…

Huh.

Why the hell was he human?

That was a strange, subconscious image to have...He always used to be his grumpy, silver-haired, half-demon self. Maybe that wasn't the question to be asking herself right now. Or maybe it was...Or...Ugh. She didn't even know anymore.

Her body was hot and unfulfilled and now she was just a grumpy, irritated mess.

She rolled over in bed and grabbed her phone, waking it up to glance at the time. It was a quarter till five. She could stand to get up. Make him some coffee. Clear her mind.

Not that her mind was willing to be cleared.

A mechanical bull? Really?

Must have been because of ladies' night last week. It was the only explanation for it. And...maybe she should look at a calendar. It had almost been a month since she had spent the night with Inuyasha.

Wow.

A month, huh?

Her life sure had changed a lot in that month. They had gone from hardly even being able to spend time together in the same room to…

Sex dreams. Really, really, really hot sex dreams.

She really hated herself sometimes.

She groaned and rolled out of bed slinking over to the bathroom to wash her face with cold water. Maybe that would help calm her nerves and her still very heated blood. She could almost feel his hands on her bare shoulders, toying with the spaghetti straps of her tank top. Could almost feel his claws slice through the material, his lips kissing her neck—

—What the actual fuck Kagome?!

She was horny. Only explanation for it. The only reason she would be stooping so low as to check out her ex-fiance. Not that he wasn't attractive. God...if that midnight swim had proven anything to her, it was that he was, and would probably always be, a very attractive man. When he had stripped down to his boxer briefs...Slipped into the water with her…

She could still see each and every hard ridge of his body in her mind. Could feel the beads of water on his skin as she touched him. Feel his lips on hers as she kissed him...

She rinsed her face off and patted it dry with a soft, terry cloth towel.

She was so fucked, wasn't she?

The man didn't want her anymore, and she stood zero chance in hell...And yet. Here she was. Imagining him as hers. Dreaming about him taking her. And on a bar table. In front of other people. When did she get so...so…

She heard the door to her mother's room open and Kagome popped her head out of the bathroom.

"Mama?"

"Kagome," she yawned, and Kagome couldn't help but smile.

"Mama, go back to sleep. I'm already up - there's no reason for you to be too. I'll make coffee and breakfast."

"What?" she blinked, Kagome's words slowly making their way through her head. "Oh! Sweetheart, no...that's ok...I wouldn't feel ri—"

"—It's ok Mama, really. I've got it."

"I…" her mother began, her eyes gradually clearing, and a small smile slowly spread across her lips. "Ok then, Sweetie. Tell Inuyasha I'll see him before he leaves."

"I will Mama," she promised, ducking back into the bathroom.

"You two have fun," her mother called as she turned around to go back to bed, and Kagome was determined to not let her face turn bright red. Nope. Instead, she was going to pick up her hairbrush, try to tame the mess that was her hair, and go make coffee.

She quickly gave up trying to make it look anywhere near nice, and decided to just pull it into a long, thick, fishtail braid. It...it actually looked pretty good. Huh. Well, since that already looked good, couldn't hurt to just put on a little bit of lip gloss, right? Just a little. Something in a light pink to match her lips. Nothing too fancy.

She picked up her makeup bag and picked out one of her favorite tubes and quickly swiped it across her lips.

There.

That was nice. Yeah. She looked nice. And maybe she could curl her lashes. No mascara. Just...a light zhuzh. There was nothing wrong with wanting to give herself a light zhuzh. And. To be clear. She was doing it for her. Not...Not the half-demon who was going to be walking through the front door any minute.

Her.

She nodded, pleased with herself as she gave herself another once over, smoothing her hands over her tank top and the particularly short sleep shorts. Yeah. She looked good. She was pleased. Kagome flicked the light off in the bathroom and bounded down the stairs, wanting to get a start on that coffee before he showed up.

That took time, and he loved her coffee.

The thought brought a smile to her lips, and she filled the coffee maker with water before placing a new filter inside. She had just filled it and hit the start button when she saw a pair of headlights, and her heart jumped into her throat.

He was early.

She swallowed, suddenly nervous. It was a weird nervousness too. Like she used to get around him when she was thirteen. Before they started dating. Like she was…

Her eyes widened in terror as her front door opened.

Oh my god.

She knew that a part of her wanted him again, but she was fucking crushing on him! Oh, fuck her.

It was because of the last few weeks, wasn't it? Ever since that trip to look at lights with him, there had been something building between them. For her, at least. And she swore that it...might...maybe...possibly not be one-sided?

But that was just wishful thinking, right?

The bigger issue was that she had a crush on him. She couldn't have a crush on him. Couldn't want him again. Couldn't...she was leaving! They had broken up!

She knew that she loved him...but...She had just assumed that she always would, and she had begun to make peace with that. But this...This she...

She just couldn't. It was going to end in a burning ball of fire.

"Mornin," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes with his palms, and she turned around to look at him as he greeted her.

Soft grey henley t-shirt that seemed to somehow accentuate every muscle in his upper body despite not clinging to him...Worn jeans. Boots. Hair pulled up into a bun on the top of his head.

She wanted to throw him down on the table and ride him until they both screamed.

Her eyes widened and her cheeks went bright red.

Yup.

She was horny alright.

And that was all she was allowed to be. Nothing else.

"Morning," she greeted, her voice perhaps a little too chipper. "Just started the coffee, so it will be a minute. How are you?"

"Fine," he mumbled, coming to stand behind her as he pulled two mugs down from the cabinet. She could feel her face burn bright again - the feeling of his body behind hers nearly overwhelming her. He smelled of him and old spice, and she wanted to turn around and hug him. Feel how soft his shirt was under her hands...and how hard his back felt. "Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you…"

He pulled away from her, holding the coffee mugs, and she could see his eyes slowly awakening as his nose began twitching. She could feel her heart sink more and more with every little movement his nostrils made.

A smirk slowly spread across his face, and she stepped away from him, opening the fridge.

"So...Anything on your mind this wonderful morning, Kags?"

"Nope," she blushed harder, finding the eggs and pulling them out of the fridge.

"Really now?" he grinned cheekily, and she shoved the eggs into his chest.

"Yup," she confirmed, turning back around and poking her head into the fridge again to find some bacon.

"Liar," he snorted, and she ground her teeth together.

"I am not," she replied sharply, and his tongue kissed his teeth before he let out an all-knowing, "Uh-huh," peeving her to no end.

"Ya can tell me if something is...bothering you, you know."

"Nothing is bothering me!" she replied in exasperation.

"Kagome...I have a nose…"

"Well keep it to yourself!"

"No way. Ma always told us kids to share...Why don't ya share what's been on your mind?"

"Listen you ass hat," she ground out, not delighting in the way his eyes were dancing in amusement. Not even a little. "Do I make fun of you when you pop erections?"

"Ya used to!"

"Until I helped you out with them! You volunteering something buddy?" He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off before he could say it. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. "Yeah. Didn't think so. So what are you planning on working on today?"

"Guess 'you' ain't the right answer?"

She smacked his chest before she put a pan on the stove turning it on.

"Watch it, or I'm making you fend for your own breakfast!"

"Sorry! Sorry...Couldn't help it," he grinned sheepishly. "Are you...good, though?"

"Oh my god...Inuyasha…"

"I'm just checking!"

"Stop checking!"

"Ok! Ok! I'll stop! I'll behave!"

"That's what you said last time," she grumbled, placing a strip of bacon into the pan.

"I'm dropping it, I swear. Scouts honor?"

"You were never a scout," she glared, and he sighed, dropping down into a chair at the table.

"Fine. I'm still dropping it though. I...Actually wanted ta talk ta ya about something? Well...guess it's a couple a somethings…"

"You did?" she pressed, raising her brow.

"Yeah...I…" he paused, sighing and she turned to look at him.

"Inuyasha? Is...everything...ok?"

"Yeah! Yeah. I...Just wanted to know if you would help me move the herd. Grass is starting to look pretty worn out where they are now. I'd appreciate the help and all, is all."

"Of course. God, you made it sound like it was a bigger thing than that," she smiled, her heart calming a little in her chest before his words clicked in her brain. "Wait - a couple of things? What's the rest?"

"I…" He paused, and she turned away from the pan to look at him.

"Yash?"

"I just...I…" he sighed, looking like whatever it was he was going to tell her...he couldn't do it. "The new moon is in a few days," he said, and she was under the impression that whatever was wrong...he wasn't ready to tell her yet.

Strange, but she wasn't going to push it…

That...also might have explained her dream.

Oh my god, what if it was a vision of the future?!

No...that would be crazy talk.

They were never having sex in a public place in a crowded room.

Her eyes widened at the thought she had just had...because it hadn't been a "we will never have sex" thought. Which is what it should have been, and she felt her cheeks burn bright red again.

"New moon, huh?" she said instead, grabbing one of the coffee cups as the coffee maker beeped and pulling the pot out. "You wouldn't be interested in some company for that, would you?" she teased - tried to tease - as she filled the first coffee cup.

The idea left her heart pounding in her throat.

Them. Alone. At their spot.

God, she really was horny.

Not that they both hadn't established this already. Several times too many.

"Yeah...well...if you...wouldn't...mind?"

"Of course not, Yash," she smiled, placing his cup down in front of him. "It sounds nice! Why don't we make a thing of it? Go camping at our spot for a few days? You're looking stressed and tired, and I know I wouldn't mind getting away for a spell. What do you say?"

"Camping huh," he mused, raising his cup to his lips, taking a small sip. "Just the two of us out at the cliffs for the weekend?"

"Is that when the next new moon is?"

"Yeah. Friday. We...We could go out there that night? C-come back Sunday?"

Was he nervous?

He wouldn't meet her gaze, so he must have been a little...What did he have to be nervous about? Unless…

"Relax. I'm not going to jump your bones when we go if that's what you're freaking out over. I just...had a dream is all. I promise I won't molest you in your sleep or anything."

His eyes went wide and she filled the second cup of coffee for herself...and she swore she heard him mumble, "Wouldn't stop ya if ya did," but that would have been crazy. Insane. It had to have been her hearing.

"Did you say something?"

"Just...that I think sounds nice. Us going, I mean," he rushed to clarify. "Your mom still have that big ol' tent? The one that she and your dad slept in?"

"Yup! You wanna share?"

"No reason not to," he shrugged as she pulled the bacon from the pan, cracking the eggs into it. "Less to pack. You handled the camping stuff, and I can handle everything else. If that's fine?"

"Yeah...makes sense...Think we can borrow your dad's truck to get everything over there? Or do you think I'm better off asking Ma?"

"We will figure it out," he reassured her, and she glanced from the pan. Her breath caught in her throat to see him so...excited. It had been years since she had seen him this happy and excited and she just...

It made her smile despite herself.

"Why don't we move the herd on Thursday then? So we can go into the weekend without that looming over us?"

"Sounds good. There should be a storm on Wednesday, so they probably ain't gonna budge then - aw hell...Maybe camping isn't a good idea…"

His smile turned down a little at the thought, and she waved his concerns off.

"We can pick up some sturdy tarps from the hardware store. Didn't you say that you needed some stuff for the house too?"

She'd find a way to make it work. She was determined now that she saw that look on his face. She wanted to bring it back and make him happy again.

"Yeah," he nodded, running his fingers through his bangs as she plated the bacon and eggs onto two different plates. "That could work. Can stop off at the liquor store—"

"—And grocery store," she nodded.

"Yeah. Just...A giant shopping trip inta town. Would you...Do you wanna do that with me? Go shopping for all of that stuff?"

"Don't see why not," she shrugged, grabbing a fork and placing one plate in front of him, and the other across from him.

"Then...it's a date," he smiled gently, before his eyes widened and his back stiffened. "I—I mean...It's not...I—"

"—Relax Yash. It's fine," she reassured, ignoring the way that made her heart pound in her chest. A date with Inuyasha..."I know what you mean. Don't get your panties twisted. Do you want toast?"

"I...Yeah. Sure," he replied, grinning weakly as she plucked a piece from the bag, popping it into the toaster. "You look nice today, by the way."

She paused and ran her fingers down her braid.

He noticed…

Not that it was for him! She absolutely hadn't done it for him!

But...still...He noticed...

"Thanks, Yash."

A/N: I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THAT I HAVE A RANT ABOUT GOOGLE CALENDARS ON TUMBLR AND I'M SORRY THIS IS LATE AND I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO GO U ON WEDNESDAY AND NO I AM CRYING INSIDE.

BUT.

Anyways.

Before we murder me about WHY DIDN'T INUYASHA TELL KAGOME THAT HE BROKE UP WITH KIKYO.

It's because he was scared, and he's not ready too. What would she think? What would she say? Would she call him an idiot for it? Would she be happy for him? She knows how hard he was trying to make it all work. And…Then…After they made the plans for the camping trip, that's when he decided he was going to tell her. It's just them for the weekend. No running. No hiding. He has 48 hours to pick his moment.

I just wanted to say that since THESE chapters are in either HIS pov or HERS. There will be a shift eventually…And hopefully it won't be a shitty one since I'm so used to writing in a single person's POV that I feel like I'm FLOUNDERING with a two person one now. I hated the decision to write in one or the other's POV since the start, but it's almost been a year now…and now I'm not sure I KNOW how to write two anymore…

This will be a ride guys…

Chapter 24 and 25 are out elsewhere…and I'm posting 26 tomorrow. I think. Hopefully. Apparently I lie a lot.