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 26

"Kagome? Honey? The sleeping bag is dry! Where do you want me to put it?"

Kagome paused in packing her own bag to furrow her brow in confusion.

Sleeping bag? Singular?

"What do you mean by sleeping bag?" she called back down the stairs, moving to stand just in the entrance to her room, cocking her head to the side and tilting it out of the doorframe.

"You asked for a sleeping bag," her mother replied, and Kagome sighed.

No...She had asked for two sleeping bags. Not one. Two. Plural. Multiple.

She quickly trotted down the stairs to see what her mother was talking about and hoped that maybe she was just getting her wires crossed. When she saw her mother standing at the foot of them holding one rather large sleeping bag...Her heart started pounding a little in her throat.

"Mama? Why do you have the double sleeping bag out?"

Because she definitely had not asked for that…

"I went to wash two singles from storage, and they must have gotten wet at some point. They were covered in mold - it wasn't even worth trying to save them. This one was still fine though," she explained casually. Perhaps too casually...It almost felt like her mother was up to something, but she didn't have enough - or any - proof to call her on it.

"Oh good...What am I going to tell Inuyasha…"

"That you two are just going to share is all, unless you want him to find his own at the last minute," she shrugged dismissively, handing the bag to Kagome. She leaned it against the wall by the front door and tried to not panic. Her mother had no idea what had literally just happened between them hours before...and she herself might be reading too much into this because of what happened.

"Assuming you want to tell him, that is."

Alright. Maybe her mom really wasn't as innocent as she was making herself out to be.

"Mama!"

"It's not a crime to share a sleeping bag with him, Kagome! Besides - having two never stopped you two from doing it in the past anyway. You're both adults now. I can't tell you not to."

"Mama…" she groaned, rubbing her hands over her eyes in mortification.

They thought that they were being sneaky...Then again, Souta probably had a big mouth, and her parents knew they couldn't do anything with him in the tent anyway.

"I just want you to have fun, Dear. What you do...It's up to you. You two have been getting closer again since you've been home, and I know he's stopped by at night before," she confessed, shooting her daughter a knowing look. "Truth be told...I'm glad you two are working your differences out. I haven't seen ya this happy in...A long time."

Kagome chewed the inside of her lip.

Her mother was giving her an opportunity, and they both knew it. The ball was in her court now. She was just...scared about what to do with it, especially after that kiss from earlier.

That kiss…

Her lips were still singing, and she was sure she was going to burst into flames if she kept thinking about it.

"Thanks, Mama," she smiled weakly instead. It was nice having her mother's support of...whatever was going on between them. She knew they wouldn't be getting Izayoi's anytime soon...But...She still didn't know what this was either. Maybe she needed something else to add a little padding to the situation?

A little something to make it seem like they didn't have to share a sleeping bag? But they could if they wanted to?

"Do you know where that air mattress is? The one we got Gramps so he could still come camping with us and not hurt his back?"

"I think it's in the shed with all of our camping things...You need it Kagome?"

Need? Probably not.

Suddenly strongly desire for a plethora of reasons? Yes. Yes she did.

"It might be smart to take it with us...Since there's only one sleeping bag, we could unzip it like a comforter and have more room. And it's drier. It couldn't hurt after that downpour today, right?"

If her mother had any additional comments about that - and given the sleeping bag conversation, she probably did - she blessedly kept them to herself.

"I can come and help you look. It's been a while - it might take the two of us searching to find it."

"Thanks," Kagome beamed, following her mother out to the shed.

She couldn't help but replay their conversation over and over again, and internally debate if this was the right thing to do. Not tell Inuyasha, about the lone sleeping bag, that is. But...it...felt like the right thing to do? Even if it was a bit sneaky of her...But really, her mother was the mastermind of the whole thing! And she could honestly claim innocence in it all and not lie about it.

Because it was all her mother.

She swore that her mom knew what had happened between them...But that was impossible, right? Because there was no way that her mother knew that she had just made out with Inuyasha a few hours before.

Is that what you'd call that? Making out? Yeah, she had done it before...but it just...It felt like so much more than that. It felt like…

UGH.

She shouldn't be reading into it. They hadn't exactly talked about it. They'd just...broken apart and kind of...accepted that they had just done that, and before they could talk about it, his hearing had caught a break in the rain, and so they had made a run for it. After that…

They had gone their separate ways. It had just been so awkward…

She hoped it was just because they needed to process it…

...But she also hoped that they would talk about it on the trip. He hadn't said that he wanted to call it off...So as far as she knew, awkwardness aside, it was still on. So that meant that they were going to have to talk about it this weekend.

If she were being honest, she was terrified of where that conversation would lead.

She had said that if she could have a second chance at them, she would grab it. And she meant it. But there was something pretty big standing in their way still. Well...she supposed lots of somethings, including but not limited to his mother...But she was specifically thinking of her career.

She didn't even know what this meant and she-

Her mother opening the storage shed drew her out of her spiraling thoughts, back into the here and now, and Kagome felt her heart leap into her throat. She hadn't been out here in...years. Not since her father had died.

She swallowed hard as the memory of the last time surfaced. She had been aimlessly walking around the ranch and she found herself in here, staring at his fishing poles. That weekend they were supposed to go on their annual father-daughter fishing trip and...She remembered just standing there. Seeing them but not.

She had all of this anger that was slowly building inside her, gaining pressure within her chest, and then when Inuyasha showed up to check on her…

That's when she blew.

He had tried to comfort her. Do whatever he could to fix it and make it right...But...She hadn't wanted her boyfriend then. She had just wanted her father. When he offered to go on that fishing trip with her, she...well...She hadn't been kind, that was for sure. She had pushed him away again and again…

And the worst part of it all?

She hadn't even seen his own pain.

He had loved her father too, but everything had become about her and her pain because she was the only one who had lost someone, right? What he was feeling and experiencing hadn't mattered and…

...Oh god…

She had been a real bitch, hadn't she?

Inuyasha had loved her so deeply, had tried to do everything for her, and she…

She pushed him away, told him to go to hell, and disregarded him.

Her mother stepped inside the shed, making her way into the back where they kept the camping gear, and Kagome couldn't make her feet move. It was like they were led. Completely obstinate.

"Let's see," her mother mused, looking through the different boxes, and Kagome swallowed, watching her work from outside the shed. "I think I saw it back here somewhere…Oh! There's that table you wanted to take. Kagome, would you give me a hand with it?"

"Y-yeah."

She took a deep breath and somehow lifted her foot, taking a step forward. Then another. Then another...She tried to keep herself from turning to look at where the fishing poles were stored. Or where they used to be stored. She didn't want to see them...And yet, she turned all the same, drawn to them like a moth to a flame.

She was slammed with memories of her past, and the second her eyes connected with them. She felt her heart clench and twist in her chest, a thick lump forming and making it hard to swallow and breathe.

"Hey! I have an idea! Why don't we go on that fishing trip anyway? In his memory! He'd want you to go have some fun!"

"Yeah, great idea Yash."

"Wait, Kags! I'm sorry...I didn't mean to upset ya...I just thought…"

"You thought wrong! I don't want to go on a fishing trip with you, Inuyasha. I don't want to go on a fishing trip with anyone!"

No. She wasn't going to relive that day again. Dwelling on it wasn't going to help. That didn't stop her from needing to touch the poles. She didn't know why but she just...She needed to feel the weight of them in her palms again. Her feet shuffled forward, and she reached out, running her fingers along the length of the handle.

"He's a good guy, Inuyasha. I'm glad you have him in your life, Kagome. I always have been. I think he's good for you...And I think you're good for him too. You're a match. You make each other better, and I couldn't ask for more for you."

She closed her eyes, trying to push the memory of the last time she had gone fishing with her father out of her mind.

Inuyasha had been good for her. So fucking good.

She picked up two of the fishing rods, ignoring the look her mother gave her as she took them out of the shed and leaned them against the siding.

She wanted to right the past. She didn't know exactly what that would look like...but she wanted to start with this, at least.

Inuyasha stared at himself in the full-length mirror, in his bedroom. The black towel around his waist was slowly slipping off it, threatening to fall altogether and pool in a wrinkled puddle of damp fabric around his feet. He had just gotten out of the shower, and he should have been putting more effort into drying himself, but...It was like he was caught in a daze.

He was still trying to process what had just happened, and he raised his fingertips to his lips.

If he closed his eyes, he could still taste her on his tongue. Feel her lips pressed against his. Feel the heat of her hands on his chest and shoulders.

It...It felt like he was dreaming, in a way. It felt so hard to believe that he had just made out with Kagome like that, and yet...that's exactly what had just happened. But, what did it mean? He had asked her if she wanted a second chance, and she had said yes. He wanted one too…

But...What the hell was that going to look like?

He let out a shaky breath and his hand dropped from his lips. He watched a water droplet trail down his neck, descending across his chest and the V of his lower abdomen before disappearing into the towel. He ran his hand across his body, examining himself. He stuck out his stomach and sucked it back in, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

The "Grandma Goodies" hadn't fattened him up too much, but he definitely looked like he had gained a few. He should have let Sesshomaru eat all of it. Let that ass get fat instead.

Sesshomaru didn't have anyone he was trying to impress...But...At the same time, neither did he. He didn't think. Maybe?

He felt like tearing his hair out! He knew that Kagome was going to see him shirtless this weekend. They were going to go swimming. She had bought a damn swimsuit just so they could! But was that all she was going to see?

He swallowed at the thought and hooked his fingers into the hem of the towel, encouraging it to fall with a slight push. He was left standing naked in front of the mirror, looking at his entire body. He seriously didn't think he had ever felt more self-conscious than he did now. Would she like what she saw, if she saw it? And what about…

Maintenance.

Things weren't exactly...maintained at the moment. It was wild and bushy and needed a weed whacker. It felt too presumptuous to think that she would be seeing anything, and yet...What if she did? He would be kicking himself in the ass if he didn't take a moment to clean up.

But then she would see that he had trimmed, and then that would make her think that he had been expecting something all along when all they had done was kiss!

But what if she just thought that he liked to keep it trim for himself? And it wasn't like he hadn't just gotten out of a...something with Kikyo too.

He sighed, frustrated with himself. He was making way too big a deal over all of this, wasn't he? He was acting like they were going to be making love every damn second they were out there.

Yeah. Making love.

He said it.

He could be a fucking romantic too.

And really, he knew he did need to think about these things now. They were leaving tomorrow. He had to pack tonight. She was in charge of the camping gear and her stuff. He was in charge of the food and his shit.

Pubic hair fell under the category of 'his shit'. And yeah. It was a stupid little dumb thing to be fretting over - especially since it weren't like she hadn't seen his dick sporting every kind of haircut before - but it felt important to him even if it was dumb.

On the off chance that something happened with Kagome...whatever that something was...whatever level of something that might be...he...Aw hell…

He just...He wanted her to like what she saw.

Was that really so bad? To want her to like what he looked like? He had changed so much over the last seven years. His body was totally different and yeah, he thought it looked better...Hell his nose had even told him before that she liked it too...But...what if he had been wrong she didn't like all of everything?

It was stupid. It was irrational.

It was driving him crazy.

He should just trim up the shrubbery. Not go full-on hardwood floors (because that was fucking itchy), but a little trim just to make it cleaner...That was ok.

He felt a little better about his decision and stepped away from the mirror to slide on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He'd trim after everyone went to sleep. He didn't want people awake to hear him with the trimmers.

Maybe he should clean up his face too while he was at it? He rubbed his fingers across his cheek, feeling the length of the stubble that had grown over the last few days, and decided that it couldn't hurt.

Besides.

He was going to have everything out and all. And that way if someone did hear something, they would just assume it was that. Even if it was odd for him to shave at night…

No. He wasn't gonna stress about this. He was just gonna do it and call it a night.

And. Speaking of trimming...What the fuck was he gonna do about his claws? If he got rid of them, that was going to be a dead giveaway that something was up. But...He wanted to get rid of them. If - on the extreme off chance - something happened between them, he wanted to enjoy it to the...fullest.

As a teen, he hadn't really done that. He had been all mouth, which...he had absolutely enjoyed. Sucking her. Eating her out. All of it. He still preferred it too. But...As an adult, he had learned the joys of...multitasking. Bluntly, he liked eating a woman out while also playing with her breasts. Or playing with a woman's breasts while fingering her pussy.

He couldn't really touch her with claws. They'd tried in the past and discovered that it was a no go. It was too risky. Her body could start moving of its own accord while his fingers were still doing whatever it was he wanted to do, and then the next second "Oh hey! I hope you wanted a piercing there."

And he'd be lucky if it was just a piercing.

So yeah. If he wanted to really enjoy...whatever happened to the fullest, he was going to have to clip and file.

And typically, his family was used to him only doing that when he was working on a new acrylic project. So he didn't nic anything.

He could just lie...but then his father and brother would know something was up. And he didn't want them to know something was up. He was lucky it had been pouring rain earlier, or else they would have smelled horny Kagome all over him...and while he didn't know what was going on with them yet, he did know one thing:

His family couldn't know about it. Not right now at least.

So that meant that he needed to think of a better excuse than a new order.

Maybe he didn't want to accidentally slice open the tent when they were setting it up? That could be feasible, and that was something to ponder...Along with how to hide certain smells since he was out of fur-breeze. Maybe he could cover those up with some old spice body spray? On both of them? It would just need to be for a few days. That wasn't unheard of…

He opened his desk drawer and took out an old, faded pad of paper and a pen before sitting cross-legged on his bed. He tapped the pen against the paper, trying to gather his thoughts so he could make a damn list.

Alright.

So what had he decided so far?

Trim.

Nails.

Old spice.

What else did he need to think about?

C-condoms?

He blushed bright red at the thought and glanced over at his sock drawer. He knew he had some still...But...did he dare bring them? All they had done was kiss! But if he didn't and things got to that point, he didn't wanna say no neither! And he weren't exactly a fan of the pull out and pray method too.

Not that he would be opposed to a mishap there.

Fuck! No. What the hell was he thinking! Yes, he was opposed to a mishap! He couldn't afford a mishap with her! Things needed to be right, so…

Condoms.

Did he dare bring 'em, or was it better to leave them behind?

Shit.

He didn't care what women said. Being a guy was pretty damn hard too.

He opened the drawer and rifled through it until he found his Altoids tin in the back and opened it. The golden foil packets stared innocently back at him and Inuyasha picked the accordion strand up, counting them.

Yeah. He had enough, that was for sure. It had been a while since he'd had sex last, and he had been working off of a fresh box that last time. He placed the condoms back inside and chewed the inside of his cheek, snapping the lid shut.

Shit.

Why hadn't they talked about this before they had parted?

Because trying to define what they were right now was terrifying, that's why. He knew it would be so much easier ta talk about this stuff tomorrow when he was human...but...fuck!

It made this that much harder.

He palmed the tin, taking a deep breath before sighing. He was making this too big a deal. He should take them. It was better to be safe than sorry, and who is to say that he hadn't forgotten to unpack them from a different trip once? And if they got to that point...Hell - she might even be impressed that he was trying to be cautious!

He shakily slipped the condoms into the front pocket of his backpack and tried to push his nerves off to the side.

He had a list of things to get through before tomorrow.

"Hey Mrs. H!" Kagome heard Inuyasha greet, and she quickly logged off of her work computer, closing the top and standing from her desk.

"Inuyasha, hello Sweetheart," she heard her mother reply as she opened her door. "One of these days you're going to need to start calling me Sara."

She saw Inuyasha open his mouth to reply, but he stopped when he saw Kagome at the top of the stairs.

"Hey Kags," he smiled shyly, and she found herself greeting him in kind.

He had been nervous about seeing her today. There was so much left to say still, but now that he saw her there...slowly coming down the stairs with that beautiful shy grin on her face…

Well…

He was still nervous, but it felt like now that he was looking at her, everything would be ok. They'd figure it out. Together. Whatever they decided they would look like...They were in it together.

"You shaved," she mused, crossing her arms over her chest, and he ran his fingers against his cheeks. She was talking about his face, but if only she knew what all he had shaved...

"Yeah...Figured it would be easier to do it at home and not worry about it this weekend."

"Makes sense," she replied, the action of him rubbing his cheek drawing her attention to his fingers.

H-he...His claws!

Why were those gone?!

He never clipped and filed his claws. Or at least, he hadn't since she had been back? She knew that he used to when he was playing his guitar so he wouldn't slice through the strings. There had to be a reason for it, and she was more than a little curious as to what it was.

She decided she wasn't going to comment on it now though. Not with her mother standing there watching them. She already had certain suspicions.

"Can you help me load everything into the truck?"

"Yeah! Course," he nodded jerkily, scratching the back of his head. "Where'd ya leave it all?"

She couldn't help but smile wryly at him and tilt her head to the side, towards the pile of stuff leaning against the wall next to the front door.

"Right," he blushed, scratching the back of his neck. The move raised his shirt a little, and she tried to not notice the sliver of tan skin it exposed.

It was really, really hard though.

"Welp. May as well get started then? We should probably get that tent set up as soon as possible," he commented, trailing off when he saw the fishing poles leaning against the wall.

He hadn't seen those in...

...Years.

"You wanted to go fishing," he whispered softly, coming to stand in front of the pile of gear. Kagome watched as he lifted his hand, slowly drawing his declawed fingertips down the metal of one of the poles.

"If...you would like to?" she replied gently, and he swallowed hard. He still remembered the day he had asked her to go on the fishing trip with him since she no longer could with her father. It had been his first step towards their demise. The first time he had pushed her. He released a shaky breath, trying to push all of the heartache down and away as her harsh words echoed through his mind.

"For fucksake Inuyasha! I don't want to go with my boyfriend! I wanted to go with my father! Just...Leave me the hell alone!"

"But...Kags, I think this will be really good for you! I think going is what you need! Just...Just let me talk to my folks about it and we can-"

"-Just fucking leave! I don't want you here! Can't you get that through your thick skull? You can't fix this! Stop acting like you can!"

"...Ok. I...I guess I'll just...Leave then…"

No.

That was the past. He was done living there. He didn't want to live there. Not when she was standing before him, nervously chewing on her lip, trying to make things right. She wanted to make amends and fix what she could...And if yesterday was any indicator, she wanted to give him a part of herself again.

The poles were further proof that she wanted to continue to make amends and fix them.

She was offering him yet another olive branch, and he was gonna grab it firmly with both hands. He wanted to correct everything as much as she did, and this felt like a good sign. A really good sign. One that only the two of them would understand and comprehend the significance of.

So did he wanna go fishing with her?

Abso-fucking-lutely.

"Yeah. I'd like that, Kags. I'd like it a lot."

"Me too," she replied, relieved by his response. "Why don't we grab those last and start with the heavier stuff though?"

"Already ahead of you," he replied, grabbing the tent and the table and Kagome's bag.

"Do you kids need anything, or do you have it?" Sara asked as Kagome grabbed the folding chairs.

"Nah - I got it. Thanks Mrs. H," Inuyasha smiled, and Sara just shook her head as she opened the door so he could head out to his father's truck.

"Men," Kagome sighed. "It's like they're incapable of making more than one trip."

"You'd better get used to it."

"Why?"

"Because," she shrugged dismissively. "All men are like that. The good ones, at least."

Kagome's mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to figure out what to say...before deciding that perhaps it was better to just say nothing.

She just walked out to the truck, ignoring her mother's giggling, and watched as Inuyasha loaded everything into the flatbed.

"Here," she muttered, handing him a chair.

"Thanks - you ok?"

"Mothers," she grumbled, and he didn't ask more.

"Ah…Well...We'll be done soon and at the lake in no time?" he tried, his voice overly chipper, and suddenly she was reminded of the fact that it was going to be just the two of them. Alone. For the weekend. A fact that she had already known, but now that it was happening…

Her emotions were all over the place. Nervous twisting in the pit of her stomach, unbridled excitement, and nearly paralyzing fear were just a few. She couldn't believe that was real. It didn't seem like it could be...because for seven years, none of this would have been a possibility.

"Are...ya...You…" he tried, falling over his words. He could smell the nerves coming off of her, and that was adding to his own unease. He really wanted to do this with her, but if she was gonna be a wreck over it, he wouldn't force her neither. "Kags, if you don't wanna, we don't gotta go," he finally mumbled, unable to look her in the eye.

"Don't want to...Yash! Of course I do! I'm just...A bit...W-well...After y-yesterday…"

"M-me too," he blushed. "But I also...If...If we go," he tried again, steeling his nerves. "I think we should talk about it. We will have all weekend. Just us. No interruptions. No one else. No nothing. Just us. And I think that tonight will be good for us too," he confessed. "It's easier to talk about important shit like this when I'm human."

"I think you're right," she reassured him, reaching out to take his hand. "I think the timing of this was perfect, all things considered."

It really was, wasn't it?

"Yeah," he breathed. "You're sure though? I...I think going with me now," he swallowed, trying to get his thoughts in order. "Going with me tonight to do this, I think it means more than it did before. And I just...I wanna make sure you're good with that. That we...we ain't exactly going as friends no more. I dunno what this is neither, but...Going means you're ok not being just that. Unless...You...Yesterday you didn-"

"-I meant every word I said yesterday, Yash. I know what this means. I want this too. Whatever it is," she whispered, putting the last chair into the back of the truck. "I don't regret it."

She understood his trepidation. She did. Honestly, she couldn't blame him for it.

She had those same nerves, but she had never been more certain of a decision before in her life. He was right. The second they got everything loaded up and she sat down in that truck...They were crossing a bridge into uncharted territory. Or recharting old territory? Either way you looked at it, it was scary, but she wanted to do it. She wanted to chart those waters with him. Explore what they could be, and talk about what that was.

"Me neither," he breathed, relieved. He reached out and took her hand, running his thumb across her knuckles a few times before squeezing it and letting go.

She followed him back into the house, where her mother kindly pretended that she hadn't just witnessed the entire exchange out by the truck.

He was maybe almost as thankful as Kagome. He really didn't want their business advertised more than it needed to be. At the same time though...if there were one person he'd want ta know, it would be her mom. She would protect them as best she could.

He turned to grab more of the things by the door - deciding to leave the fishing poles to Kagome since they were light - and noticed for the first time that there was only one sleeping bag.

Huh.

One sleeping bag.

Interesting…

Very interesting.

And a very good sign, right? She coulda brought two singles but instead...The woman had grabbed one double.

He couldn't keep the smirk from spreading across his face even if he wanted to.

He grabbed it and the last few remaining items before heading back out to the truck, allowing her to bid her mother farewell.

"You two have lots of fun, ok?" she encouraged, and his smirk widened into a full smile.

Fun. Yeah. He was definitely open to lots of fun alright…If that's where everything took them, that is.

She squeaked out an embarrassed "Mama!" before hurrying away and clamoring into the passenger side of the truck.

He was next to her in minutes, turning on the radio and slowly peeling down their gravel driveway to head back towards their land.

"So," he began casually as Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" softly played in the background. "Only one sleeping bag, huh?"

Shit.

He had noticed.

Fuck.

Well. To be fair. She knew he would eventually anyway, she just had thought that it wouldn't have been until later! She didn't think he would comment on it as soon as they started down the road!

"Yeah, sorry - Mama went to go look for the sleeping bags last night and wash them but the ones she found were moldy apparently. She said she couldn't save them, but the double was fine."

She watched his nostrils flare, and she knew he was trying to figure out if she was telling the truth or not.

HA!

She was repeating what her mother had said. So as far as they were both concerned, it was very much so the truth. What she didn't realize is that his heart fell a little. He'd thought that it was a sign. Her way of saying "I'm open to exploring a lot on this trip." But, if this had all been her mother's doing…Fuck, he weren't trying to read inta it or nothing but it was hard. He hadn't realized he'd let his hope get up that much.

"Oh. I see," he mumbled, trying to keep how crestfallen he felt from her.

He knew he shouldn't have gotten excited 'bout it...That was probably why they had the air mattress too. To give them a little more space when they went to sleep but fuck, if she had known last night why hadn't she…

...Wait.

Kagome had known last night that there was only one sleeping bag. Meaning she could have called him and told him to go look for his own, but had she?!

No.

She most certainly had not.

Caught! He'd fucking caught her after all!

"So...If you knew last night that there was only one sleeping bag...Why didn't you call me 'bout it, Higurashi?"

"I...well...What good would that have done!" She sputtered, crossing her arms over her middle. She was getting defensive. Maybe he should read inta it after all...

"I coulda found one of the ones we have," he smirked. "But...seems ta me...That maybe a certain someone wanted ta share anyways…"

"Well, as Mama pointed out, it wouldn't have been the first time."

"Oh she did, did she?"

"Mmm...I guess we weren't all that sneaky when we were kids."

"Hard to be sneaky when they force your brother in with us ta basically chaperone," he grumbled, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad…"

"He farts in his sleep! It's worse than what comes out of the cows' asses! Ain't exactly something anyone wants ta be copping a feel next to…"

"I guess...We...Can just make up for that tonight?" she suggested casually and he nearly choked on the fucking spit in his mouth.

She knew what she had said. And she'd meant it too. They needed to talk, yeah...but...After yesterday...She wanted to make it clear that she was...Open to things.

She'd already established, internally at least, that she was...Ahem...Ready for some...action. She'd literally had a sex dream about the man a few days before. And while she wasn't ready to admit to that, she felt like she could tell him that if he wanted to rev her engine, she wasn't going to say no.

"Well," he choked out, coughing a little, completely unprepared for her response. "I sure as hell won't say no ta that."

"I'd be disappointed if you did," she confessed, and he wanted to pinch himself. Disappointed if he did…

Meaning she wanted him to touch her on this trip? Right? That was what that meant, right?! He wasn't making that shit up?!

He tried to calm his racing heart a little as Sweet Home Alabama started playing on the radio, and Kagome leaned back in the seat, a soft smile on her face.

"Remember how I was obsessed with this movie for like...A whole year?"

"Remember? I think I have every damn line memorized at this point. We watched it anytime you could convince me to."

"Reese Witherspoon is great in it!"

"That ain't a reason to watch that movie a million times."

"You're right - Josh Lucas is why we watched it a million times."

He couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes even if he wanted to.

"Really? Josh Lucas?"

"Well...His character. Jake Perry. I'm a sucker for a hot country boy and a movie with a good plot."

"Oh yeah...Great plot. Marry your high school sweetheart, move away as soon as you can, and only come home so you can get a divorce and marry your new big city man. Great movie."

"It's about more than just that...It's about her going after her dreams and falling in love again."

"And then giving them all up just to come back to the country and be with him. Because that actually happens in real life."

She looked over at him, and saw his knuckles had turned white from gripping the steering wheel so hard.

"Yash? Should...we...Talk about yesterday now?"

She watched as he opened his mouth to say something and then snapped it shut, closing his eyes for a second and sighing. He shook his head before briefly glancing at her.

"We need ta. Don't get me wrong...but...I think, all things considered, we outta wait. 'Till tonight still. It will be easier," he confessed softly, and she understood what he meant. When he was human, it was just easier for him to talk about some things, and this was going to be a conversation that they needed to be at their most open and vulnerable for.

They couldn't hold anything back. They needed to be honest and truthful and speak what was on their minds and what they wanted.

It was just easier for him when the demon in him was out of the picture for an evening.

"Ok," she whispered. "Tonight then. When you're ready."

She watched him give her a single nod that she returned before she reached forward and changed the radio station. They caught Weak by AJR right at the beginning of the song, and she squealed in delight.

"Oh I love this one!" she clapped her hands giddily as the chorus began, and he winced as she started singing along. She weren't even trying ta sound good. She was just belting it.

"BUT I'M WEAK, AND WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT? BOY, OH BOY I LOVE IT WHEN I FALL FOR THAT! I'M WEAK, AND WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT?"

Thank god they were gonna be at their spot in a second. He couldn't take much more of this. Especially when the howling started.

"OOOOAAAAAAAH EEEYAAAAAEEEEEYAAAAAA!"

"Oh fuck...Did you murder a cat?!"

"Hey!" she laughed, the smile on his face easing any sting she might have felt. "I sound like an angel, thank you!"

"A dying one," he smirked and she narrowed her eyes at him as their spot came into sight.

"ONE SIP, BAD FOR ME! ONE HIT, BAD FOR ME! ONE KISS, BAD FOR ME! BUT I GIVE IN SO EASILY! AND NO THANK YOU IS HOW IT SHOULD'VE GONE! I SHOULD STAY STROOOOOONG!"

"Oh my God! Make it stop! Please!"

"Make me!" she taunted as he cut the engine.

Make her huh?

He unbuckled himself as she opened her mouth to sing the next part and took her face in his hands, pulling her lips to his. He heard her breath hitch in her throat, the lyrics dying on her lips as his worked hers. It was soft. Sweet. Lingering. Just enough to make her forget all about the song in the background...and just about everything else at the same time.

She felt him pull her bottom lip between his, scraping his fangs across her delicate flesh before his tongue wormed its way into her mouth. She responded instantly, moving hers against his and she felt her arms wrap around his neck trying to pull him closer. He wasn't having it. He liked control too much, and after a moment of their tongue battling against each other, he pulled away from her, pleased to see the flush across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.

"Oh look. The song is over," he pointed out a little too innocently.

Wait. What?

Fuck!

He had distracted her to the point where she literally didn't hear the song end.

She knew she had told him to make her but...That felt far too sneaky. He knew what he could do to her! That wasn't fair!

"Cheater."

"How is that cheating?"

"Because you...You…"

"Kissed ya?"

"Yes!"

"And that's cheating how? Ya told me ta make ya!"

"I…"

He gave her an expectant look before his lips widened into another smirk.

"Good ta know that kissing ya makes ya stop functioning. Come on Higurashi - we got a tent ta set up before nightfall. Unless ya need a minute?"

Her indignant sputtering was worth it.

A/N: If you think that we're close to the end of this story...

Let me reassure you.

Things are just heating up.

And the smut is coming.

If you can't wait for it though...I'm posting chapter 29 elsewhere on Sunday, so you can read the FULL 50 PAGES OF SMUT EARLY! Check out my tumblr for deets!

And as always...THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE REVIEWS! I love you all and read ALL of them! Special shout out to: bluejay785, bukowcs003, LayLay lives, JessM21, , Shayeh923, starfireten, Reesexxoo, HammyJessa, LucyDEU, , Momo Neko Hitsugaya, RedViolet11. YOU'RE ALL AMAZING AND I LOVE YOU!

UNTIL NEXT TIME!

-LL