Final chapter y'all - I hope 16 pages makes up for it being the end?

'Oh my god you moron will you say SOMETHING she is waiting –'

Inuyasha felt his jaw fall open, but nothing would come out. Not even a high-pitched whine. Even that would have been better than what he was doing right now. Kagome was looking at him with concern, probably wondering if he'd had a stroke.

He didn't smell toast, so that was something.

"Uh…"

Goddammit he really was the epitome of that "no thoughts, head empty" meme.

"Inuyasha? Can I…do something?"

'Don't answer that. Don't answer that. Don't answer that.' He cleared his throat, only for it to come out like some kind of groan that sounded all kinds of suggestive to his ears. Or maybe it was because he kept seeing that picture she'd taken that was doing it. Shit, couldn't think of that – he'd pop a boner for sure. It was bad enough she'd heard him pawing himself over the phone to it, but if he just sprung it on her at her door she'd think he was some kind of lunatic. Especially since he still hadn't said anything.

Kagome leaned against her door, and he could tell she was trying not to bust into giggles. How was she so patient? "Is this you coming to tell me that you want to take dinner off the table?"

"Depends on if it'll hold one of us up –" Gods above what was wrong with him? His immediate thought should not have been that. "Uh – fuck that's not what I meant. I… uh… you look really pretty today."

She was blushing, but she hadn't slammed the door in his face, so something was going right. "Thank you," she murmured. "You want to come inside?" Then her expression went to surprised and flushed. "I-I mean t-to talk!"

Dammit she was cute, and now they were both bumbling messes of awkward.

Inuyasha nodded, afraid to let himself speak for fear that he'd make things worse. But…if things were worse, then why was she letting him inside her apartment? The door shut behind him, and his ears picked up on the lock being set again. He was glad that she felt comfortable enough to do that with someone that was basically a stranger in her personal space. Did they still qualify as strangers? They had spoken so extensively for months that it felt like they were on other sides of the planet, and his arrival was them meeting back up after so long.

Then he recalled what she'd asked him about dinner. "You thought I was going to take back what I said?"

Kagome shrugged. "I didn't know," she explained. "You never gave a specific date, and with everything… I assumed that you wanted to take it back, and you came by to tell me instead of calling."

Really, what was she supposed to say to that? It had been the first time they'd talked in days since…well…the accidental phone call. It wasn't that she was accusing him or anything. With the awkward air that hung over them, she simply thought that he wanted to take a rain check.

"Well, I did want to call you about setting a date…" he rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't want to set it up over a text, and things have been…"

"Busy?"

"Yeah."

Kagome nodded, understanding. "Yeah, I can imagine. You've certainly had your hands full from the sounds of it."

"Oh fuck me," he laughed, "You've been waiting to use that, haven't you?"

"You made it too easy!" she grinned.

"No – you made it too easy," he countered. "I don't think I've ever gotten so hard so fast –"

Oh…oh my. Kagome felt her face get hot, and it probably looked as red as his did. There was something about that blunt honesty that just…she didn't know how to describe what it did to her…what? Self-confidence? Lady bits? Both would be blabbering idiots if they were people, and likely to try to jump him. The messed up thing is that she couldn't decide which would get to him first…

"That – shit. I wanna say that came out wrong, but…can we start again?" Inuyasha was looking so embarrassed. "I can even go if you'd rather –"

"No! No, don't. It's okay," she assured him, reaching out to take his hand. Where the hell had Bold Betty come from? That day that he'd winked at her in the diner she couldn't make tracks quick enough. Now she was inviting him in her apartment, grabbing his hand… "We wouldn't be us if anything happened normally, would we?"

That made Inuyasha laugh. "I suppose not." He glanced around her apartment. "You know I was so distracted by our phone call it never registered that I came in the wrong building? The setup is the exact same in my building."

"Is it really? I guess he knew a good thing with the first building?"

"Guess so."

Oh god. It had gone quiet, and not the comfortable silence either. Kagome didn't like it. She had a feeling that she could enjoy the silence with Inuyasha, but there was too much hanging between them that needed to be cleared. The problem was she didn't know how to begin.

Inuyasha was willing to give it a shot. "Can I…give you a hug?"

She'd be a damn fool if she said no to that. She didn't even care why he'd asked, all she cared about was that he had because sweet baby ducks the man could give a hug! His arms wrapped around her, holding her close and secure, and Kagome idly noticed that his chin just brushed against the top of her head. He was so warm too. If he hadn't started to speak she might've fallen asleep easily.

"Kagome, I'm really sorry about everything," Inuyasha spoke softly. "About your blind date, the…that phone call…being a complete moron…"

When his hand started to rub circles into her back, Kagome may have squeezed her arms around him tighter. Just a little. She blinked, trying to make sense of his words. "Why are you apologizing? I don't think you're a moron."

"What do you call someone who only has the guts to ask a woman out after she's been stood up by a complete stranger, who then goes on to get off to a picture said woman sent him, calling her in the middle of it?"

"I'd say you had a run of bad luck but got lucky in the end?"

"I mean, yeah. But also…that was not one of my best moments."

"I don't know…before I hung up it sounded like it was." Kagome tightened her arms around him again, letting him know without words that she wasn't upset about it. "If we're talking about people being dumb, we need to talk about me. Too chicken to actually meet you face to face. I keep hiding behind white boards, and phones, and texts. Is it any wonder I'm hopeless?"

She felt Inuyasha shift, resting his chin on her head, tightening his hold. "You're not hopeless. If anything, you're cautious. You don't want to repeat bad experiences, so you test the water before you leap in. I get that. I've had a string of relationships back when I was fresh out of school that never lasted more than a month. I was fine with that. And then…I wasn't. I wanted more, so I became more selective…"

'This is it. This is when he tells me that he's changed his mind.'

"There's nothing wrong with that, Kagome," he continued, and she was glad that he couldn't see her face, because she wasn't sure if she was hiding the look of rejection she felt. "It just shows you that when someone that is more comes along, you know it."

"More what?" she mumbled. "Crazy?"

"More beautiful," he corrected. "There's something so beautiful about a woman that doesn't pretend to be someone she isn't. She may think she's crazy, but it takes some power to not contain that part of her. Why I remember this one time she gave a wonderful view of her backside in bright green panties as she took a dive I hadn't seen in sports in years…"

Kagome turned her face, pressing it into his chest, letting out a whine at the reminder. "You must be as crazy as I am then if that didn't scare you off."

"I prefer the term eccentric," he chuckled, and she could feel it vibrate against her. "Normal is overrated anyway."

"Normal is what people want."

"Keh, not me. I want crazy."

This time, when the silence fell over them, Kagome didn't feel as awkward as before. In their back and forth, Inuyasha had told her that her choices had been valid, and that…that was all she wanted her family to understand. Kikyo especially, though after that last phone call they'd shared, she felt that she had finally gotten through to her. But then he'd gone on to say other things, and it was making her question where they stood. He'd taken the bullet to break the silence the first time. She could do the same. She needed to know, no matter how much it hurt.

"Then is it crazy to send pictures back and forth to someone you hadn't met in person? Ones that you normally wouldn't send? Had never sent before?"

"Not crazy, bold. To step out of your comfort zone like that takes a lot of trust." She heard him swallow. "Is it crazy to get said picture and touch yourself while looking at it?"

"Given the state of the picture, no it's not crazy…the sender might have intended for it to have that effect."

A pause. "Did you?"

"That depends."

"On?"

Kagome shifted, needing to see his face as she asked her next question, terrified as she was of what the answer could be. "On if the interest was really there, that it wasn't just…convenient."

A look of surprise flashed across his face. Was he actually shocked that she'd think of it as a jack off gram? Some surprise content to rub one out without a need for a connection? The thought had occurred to her after the fact, and despite her gut telling her that wasn't the case, the worst part of her mind would chime in and sow the seeds of doubt with high quality fertilizer. "I would say there has been interest," he spoke slowly, reaching up to stroke her cheek. "I could say that there has always been interest, but…that depends."

"On?" Her voice had been so soft as she echoed his own question back. Kagome felt the clawed hand weave through her hair, tilting her head back gently as he leaned forward.

The first brush of his lips had felt like a dream. The second had been even better.

He wasn't taking more than she was ready for, and if she had to guess, he was as nervous as she was. Kagome wasn't going to hold it against him as he pulled back. She just wanted him to do it again. "On?" she tried again.

"On if the interest is mutual."

There it was. What she had been waiting on, because she had been too scared to ask months before. "What do you think?" she blurted out, wanting to kick herself the second the words left her lips. Of all the moments she could speak before thinking, she had to go and do it in that moment. She had wanted to say "Fuck yes there's interest my panties just hit the wall are you insane"…or something to that effect. But she had said –

"What do I think?" Inuyasha's lips quirked up in a smirk. "What do you think?"

"That dep –"

That third kiss had her moaning.

Kagome leaned into him again, wanting more. When Inuyasha pulled back this time, she did make it a point to pout. It wasn't even just the feel of his lips against hers, it was how tight he held onto her, how he cradled her in his arms.

"Don't look at me like that. Do you really want me all over you after working all day in the diner?" The words seemed to sink in and then the half demon was looking regretful. "I…realize that I've more or less been doing that already…sorry Kagome. I probably stink of sweat and grease…"

The opportunity was too good, and she took it. Giving Inuyasha a few exaggerated sniffs made him laugh a little. "You smell like fried food. How is that a problem?"

"I reek and am in need of a shower."

She didn't like how he kept looking at her door. "Why not shower here?"

"No clothes?" he countered like it was obvious.

Of course it was, but she could play at that game too. "And that's a problem because..?"

"You know for a woman who said she was too scared to speak to me like this, you've had a leap of courage this afternoon."

Kagome shrugged. "What can I say, I'm bold," she grinned, reaching up to pull him down for another kiss. The feel of his hands sliding down her back and coming to rest at her hips was nice. It could only be nicer on her bare skin. "I do think I have a pair of sweatpants that should fit," she told him. "If you want to wash your clothes here, that is?"

"You don't mind?"

"I don't mind if you want to walk around naked," she replied with a blush. "but you're the one that says you need clothes."

"You wouldn't be able to handle me walking around your apartment naked. You couldn't even look me in the eye as you said that."

Fuck. He had her there. It was all she could do to keep from generating her own blood mask right then. "What if I said I had a neck cramp and looking up at you hurts?" she countered.

His response…dear gods his response. "I'd say that we'd have a problem later." The words were innocent enough, but his tone was so possessive that she'd have given herself a crick in the neck if he asked her to. Or demanded. Either way she wouldn't argue if he was suggesting what she was pretty sure he was suggesting.

He thought he could best her? She hadn't meant to go dirty with her question, but since he was taking it that way… "What makes you think I'd be looking up at you?" Kagome wasn't going to acknowledge that technically she was already.

Inuyasha pulled her close again, pressing her tight against his chest. He tilted his head down right as she was looking up, nearly bumping noses with how close they were. "Oh I assure you," he purred, "When I'm done you'll be so exhausted you won't have the energy to do anything but look up and follow direction."

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

There was no hiding how fast her heart was beating, or was that his? She couldn't tell. Even if it was hers, she was almost certain that he could hear it. He was a half demon after all, and she'd heard that senses were…heightened…oh holy hell –

Kagome swallowed. "I thought you were being selective? Not jumping into anything?" They came out in a whisper, like she was afraid to speak louder and break the spell.

"I am being selective," he whispered in return. "I think we've been dancing around this long enough, don't you Kagome?"

All she could manage was a hum in agreement. "Just so we're on the same page," her voice cracked, and the smile on his lips wasn't helping. "we're talking about this happening tonight, right?"

"Only if this is what you want. We don't have to do anything until we're both ready, but I want to know that this is for the long haul."

Kagome wiggled in his grasp as she went up on her toes to peck his lips. "If you want me, Inuyasha, you have me. Tonight," she blushed, "if you want even. But if you don't go take that shower soon I'm not going to care if you smell like fried chicken."

There have been mornings that Inuyasha had woken up late, dipping in and out of the shower so he could be at the diner on time. This shower was possibly the fastest he'd ever scrubbed every crevice. The flowery scented body wash didn't even bother him. Kagome had told him to use whatever he needed, that she didn't mind. She'd ducked into the bathroom long enough to lay the folded sweatpants on the counter, one hand covering her eyes.

He'd been pulling off his shirt and caught her backing out the door, and he couldn't help the laugh as she asked why she wasn't looking. Her response? She hadn't wanted to spoil the surprise.

Now he stood there, toweling off and hoping that he'd been thorough enough as he washed. Kagome had explicitly said that she wanted to be with him. Told him that she was willing for…for…fuck. Not the best expression, and it got the point across, but he was struck with the horrifying realization that he had nothing.

As ready as he was, he wasn't as ready as he thought, and the idea of going out there and telling Kagome that he had no condom on him sucked. Underwear he could do without; wouldn't need those. Inuyasha pulled on the sweatpants, thinking about how he could best start the apology. Somehow, "Kagome, I can't suit up before I go down" wasn't the best way to say it but goddammit it was stuck in his head and…

"What the shit?"

Kagome hadn't left a shirt. He didn't mind, it wasn't needed, and even her biggest one wouldn't fit. But these sweatpants… The half demon gave his hair one final rubdown with the towel before hanging it on the edge of the hamper to dry. He brushed his hair out of his eyes as he stepped out of the bedroom, finding Kagome sitting at her desk. When she saw him appear, that appreciative look she gave him did things. That little lip bite…fuck he needed to speak, and that wasn't helping!

"You wanna explain?" he turned, displaying the large typeface that ran across the ass of the sweatpants. It was like some god in the heavens was granting his sarcastic wish from days before, because his ass was currently emblazoned with the word "PINK" in white letters.

The giggling his ears were picking up wasn't helpful. "To be fair," she tried as he turned back around to face her, "At least the letters aren't pink…"

"A bit hypocritical of Victoria, ain't it? Or is she just fucking with people?" Oh he knew what that brand was from, and deep down the thought was there to ask if that black lace he'd glimpsed from the photo was also from the same store. "Uh…look, Kagome. I've…got a problem."

The light expression she had fell instantly and his ears started to droop. "Did…you change your mind?"

"What? No! No no – I…uh… I don't… I don't have condoms on me," he admitted.

"Not for nothing, but I am on the pill. And you know I haven't been with anyone, so…"

"I haven't either," Inuyasha told her. "You know. But I don't want to risk you getting more out of this than you expected."

"Oh."

Oh? Just an oh? Why was she not looking at him? "Kagome?" She shook her head, and he could feel her closing off on him. Inuyasha dropped down into a squat before her desk chair, placing his hands on her knees and leaning forward, hoping he could see her face. "Talk to me, Kagome. What's wrong?"

"If this is just going to be sex, you can say it Inuyasha. I'm a big girl. You don't have to word it like me getting pregnant is a bad thing –"

His ears flicked back. Did she really think… oh shit. Inuyasha played what he'd said over in his mind, wincing at how she took it. "That's not what I meant, Kagome. I don't just want sex with you, I want everything with you."

"But you said –"

"It hasn't even been a year since you moved to town. I don't want you to have to worry about pregnancy when you haven't even settled into a life here, or with me," he soothed, reaching up to brush his thumb across her cheek. "I don't know about you, but if there's gonna be that kind of surprise, I'd rather it was later and not after the first time."

Kagome perked up a little, but she wasn't as bubbly as before. It was progress, at least. "You're expecting a second time?" she asked with a small smile.

"And a third," he grinned. "I could keep going but let's just say infinitely." Inuyasha squeezed Kagome's knee gently. "I'm sorry I made you think that. If you couldn't guess, I can completely fuck up saying something, but I mean well."

"It's okay. I'm not any better; I misread the situation sometimes. But I am glad that I decided to respond to your sign that night."

Inuyasha smiled. "Me too. I'll be even happier when I get that box in my nightstand –" As he rose to his feet, Kagome quirked an eyebrow at his statement. "You really think you'll be satisfied with once?"

He could feel Kagome following behind him to the balcony. "For someone that hasn't gotten any in so long, there ought to be a good layer of dust. Are you…really going to jump? I have your keys right here, Inuyasha. You could just go out the front door."

"Nope. This is quicker." Inuyasha plucked the keys from her open palm, dropping a kiss to the inside of her wrist in return. "And for your information, they're not that old. The last time I thought I was getting somewhere, I bought them. Never been opened."

With the doors wide open, and the open space that allowed for him to get a running start, he knew this was going to be easier than the time he came over to deliver the flowers. That had been a fucking nightmare. He's soaked his shirt, nearly dropped the cake, and came very close to leaving a smushed half demon face print on the glass doors. Kagome stood off to the side watching, and the one word she uttered as he started to run nearly had him flipping over the railing.

"Yet."

That woman was gonna be the death of him.

Kagome knew she was gonna get it when Inuyasha returned. She'd seen that stumble as he launched himself onto the railing. He hadn't turned around, but she knew he'd heard her. She hadn't even meant to say that!

What should she do? She knew she only had minutes before he returned. He'd probably grab a change of clothes, maybe his phone charger. That wouldn't buy her a lot of time. Did she smell okay? She felt like she smelled okay, but she lifted up her shirt collar over her nose and sniffed. She hadn't been doing anything active since her morning shower, so she supposed she was fine?

Should she wait for him in her room? He hadn't said where he wanted her.

The couch? Kagome wrinkled her nose. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to sleep on, even.

The kitchen table...? She gulped, looking at the piece of furniture. Would it even support them? She knew he was teasing, but… now that the thought was there…

A loud thump jerked her from her thoughts, and she turned back around to see Inuyasha rising from his landing. A small duffel bag sat on the floor by his feet, but he wasn't paying it any mind. He'd turned to shut and lock the balcony doors, but then he was coming for her. "Helluva lot easier when the door's opened," he mumbled, pulling her against his bare chest. She heard the keys plonk onto her desk but couldn't look away from the amber eyes that were watching her like a hawk. "Now…where were we?"

Kagome let out a squeak as she felt large hands grab her by the backs of her thighs, hoisting her up in the air. Her back bumped into the wall behind her, and she threw her arms around Inuyasha's shoulders for something to hang onto. She knew he wouldn't let her fall. Especially not when he was pressed so deliciously against her. "I don't know," she replied. "Before you nearly belly-flopped off my balcony, you mean?"

"Ah yes," he purred, nipping at her jawline. "I owe you…"

Kagome gulped when she felt his fingers flex against the underside of her thighs. How he was holding her up, legs spread open to let him get as close as possible, the hem of her dress had ridden up. Inuyasha's hands had moved the fabric up further when he picked her up, and she could feel each digit and claw knead and tickle the sensitive skin. His fingers splayed out, and one claw had really gone the distance to make her squeal and squirm against him. Or rather, attempted to. It wasn't his body that was keeping her from moving, it was his hold on her thighs. He wasn't letting her wiggle away from him, making her feel every ridge of him through those sweatpants.

"Is this –" Kagome gasped when his hips rocked forward. "Is this payback? For the sweatpants?"

The vibrations of his laugh against her chest were doing some wonderful things and it wasn't fair at all. "Here I thought you were going to apologize for nearly killing me."

It took a minute to register he meant the balcony jump and not that he was wearing women's pants. "You could've gone out the front door!"

"Too long a walk," he grunted, leaning in to kiss her.

She wasn't going to argue that, tilting her head so she could deepen the kiss. If he was going to tease her through her clothes, she wanted to get something out of this. Each time he rocked against her, her moans were lost to his kisses. Those hands kept squeezing and kneading her thighs, and the combination all came together in one moment and left her so overwhelmed she jerked back, forgetting that she was pressed against the wall.

The cracking sound had Inuyasha looking at her worriedly. "Shit, are you okay?"

"Y-yes," Kagome breathed. She wasn't seeing two of him, so that was a good sign. "T-too…much…" Her heart was pounding, and she wasn't totally sure if Inuyasha's kisses or his touch had stolen the breath from her. Sex against the wall was probably a bad idea, she decided. "Were you…were you serious about the kitchen table?"

Inuyasha looked surprised that she asked, and there it was – the feeling that she'd just asked something so stupid and – "Not the first time. Let me look closer at it over breakfast? If I can make you knock your head against the wall I don't want to get you on the table and it collapse."

"O-oh," she said, wishing she could get the images out of her head. "At least if you're over me it'll be a fun ride down?"

The groan that came out of him then… "Yep. Alright. Can't do this. I can't take this much longer. Fucking hell woman I'm about to bust and you're putting all these thoughts in my head…"

Kagome felt him pull her away from the wall and tightened her hold on his shoulders as he turned and started…well…she wasn't sure where he was going. All she could focus on was how she bounced against him and how she could feel him move against her as he ran from room to room. "If you're looking for my bedroom it's on the right," she laughed.

The smack on her ass that followed her statement just made her laugh harder.

Once she was sure they had passed through her bedroom doorway – it really was a different experience seeing your own apartment going backwards through it – Kagome felt ambitious enough to reach up to touch one of his fuzzy ears. The fine hairs were so soft, and she'd barely touched him when he dropped her on the bed with an inaudible noise. "Sorry," she muttered. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Inuyasha shook his head. Kagome didn't push; the little slack those sweatpants she'd loaned him was gone, straining with the hard bulge of his cock. She'd done that, so if he couldn't speak, it was clear why. The half demon slipped his hands underneath the hem of her dress, tugging it up her thighs. He made it to her hips before he looked at her, silently asking her if she wanted him to continue. Kagome raised her hips and helped to pull it up over her head. The only thing that would stop her this night was if he decided that he wanted to stop.

His breathy "sweet fucking gods" as he took in her lace bra and panty set told her he wanted to keep going.

Kagome didn't even know why she had chosen it for the day. She hadn't planned to go anywhere. Hadn't intended to take another sexy photo. Something told her that morning as she picked out her outfit for the day to just go for it. That even though she was living alone and had no prospects of love, she could still feel pretty for herself.

Either fate or dumb luck was looking out for her that morning, and she wasn't going to question it. "Don't get excited," she laughed, "Not all of my underwear matches."

That hungry gaze drifted up to hers, and Kagome felt a shiver pass over her. It made her want to cover herself, like a draft had blown in, but she'd have rather had Inuyasha to warm her instead. "I'll be the judge of that."

As he started to reach for her again, Kagome put a hand against his chest. His very…firm…chest. "Shouldn't it be my turn?"

"You already had your turn."

"When?"

Inuyasha turned around, reminding her that his ass was printed with "PINK" in collegiate typeface. "You got me to use your shower, so you got to undress me."

"I call for a do over. I didn't get to see what I was doing!" She knew it was ridiculous to be arguing half naked and she didn't care. Kagome was determined that she was going to get a peek at least. Trying to reach for the waistband as he turned back around was met with his hands grabbing her wrists, pulling them away.

"Can you see how hard you have me, Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice was thick with want, making her own body ache. "I want this with you so much that I can't stand it."

What he wasn't saying wasn't difficult to figure out. He felt he'd cum too soon, that he'd disappoint her. Kagome tugged against his grip, dropping her hands on his chest when he let go. She didn't make any quick movements, simply traced the dips and curves of each muscle. "You know…" she started, "you did say that later you'd have me looking up at you… and it is later…"

Was it so quiet in the apartment that his gulp echoed? Not really, but if it felt like it to her, Kagome could only imagine what Inuyasha was feeling. "I…I did, but… Kagome, if I can't –"

Her hands smoothed down the planes of his stomach, delighting in how the muscle flexed beneath her palms. "We've got all night," she smiled, starting to slowly push down on the waistband. She could hear him sigh when she leaned forward to kiss his skin. Each kiss met with another careful tug on the material. When Kagome began to see the base appear under the elastic, she leaned back to focus on getting the waistband past his cock.

Inuyasha hadn't been lying as it sprung upwards. She hadn't even touched it yet and could see just how hard he'd become. With a small bead of precum at the tip, a part of her wanted to dive in and wrap her lips around that swollen head. Suck him like a treat and find out what kinds of sounds he could make as she did it. The other part of her wanted to draw this out for him, just in case he couldn't get it up again. She could satisfy both urges.

Her soft exhale made his cock twitch as she leaned forward again, pushing the sweatpants down past his knees. Kagome kissed the curve of the muscle at his hip bones as Inuyasha wobbled to kick the pants out from around his ankles. The motions made his cock bump against the side of her neck, and she had to tamp down the urge to ask if he was getting impatient. The moment that he got still, she threw her patience out the window, reaching up and taking him in her hands, stroking from base to tip with one long, slow pull.

Fuck she was gonna kill him. Between that black lace making its reappearance and her featherlight touches on his heated skin, he was going to cum all over himself before she even touched him. The devious woman was scraping her blunted nails along the back of his thighs as she kissed his stomach, and he could feel himself leaking. When she had kissed his hip bone, he had felt her lick a small line along the cut of muscle.

Then he'd tried to get the pants off and had smacked her in the side of her neck with his dick. This was not going at all like he'd imagined.

In his fantasies, he had seen himself as this glorified sex deity that could keep himself reigned in until she had gotten satisfied multiple times over. Yet here he was, in her bedroom at last, naked and throbbing…and he was going to make a puddle before her bra had even come off.

"We've got all night" echoed in his head, but it wasn't doing anything to cool his urges. It wasn't making him feel better that he wasn't going to last, and she could tell. Kagome didn't want him to feel bad, he knew that, but dammit he wanted –

"Oh fuck –!" Inuyasha hadn't expected Kagome to make a grab like she had, or the agonizingly slow stroke of her small hands wrapped around his cock. He was kind of glad that she'd given up teasing him, but feeling her touch him finally was just as maddening. He looked down, just in time to see Kagome look up at him as she wrapped her lips around his head, and it was possibly the hottest thing he'd seen in fuck all knows when.

There was no way she could take all of him, and he knew it. He damn sure wasn't going to force her. It was more than enough to see her watching him as she bobbed her head forward just that small bit. Her hands were squeezing the base, kneading the pads of her thumbs along the underside, while her tongue swirled around the ridge. Kagome pulled back with an audible pop, and he thought she needed to take a breath, but she'd asked, "You okay?"

Okay? Was he okay? The muscles in his thighs were clenching almost as much as his ass because he was trying to stave off his release. Each touch from her hands was making those delightful sensations pick back up, and her mouth… "Not gonna last," he choked out, letting a whine escape when her tongue reached out to swipe at the weeping head. "You don't…" The words died on his lips when she took him back in her mouth. He wanted to tell her that she didn't have to keep going; he didn't expect her to swallow, and she certainly didn't have to keep sucking him if she didn't want to.

As far gone as he was, the sight of Kagome taking her bra off could've made him cum.

Inuyasha was not ashamed of the sounds he was making. If it meant that he wasn't thrusting forward, he'd make whale noises so loud the neighbors heard. He'd reached out and grasped Kagome's shoulders, trying to steady himself as he felt the tingle of his orgasm approaching. His voice came out broken to his ears as he told Kagome he couldn't stop it, and her only response was a soft hum.

She'd heard, and she didn't care. He did.

His grip had tightened on her shoulders as he filled her mouth, nearly bowing over her as she continued to suck. It felt so good, even better than what his fantasies had been, but the smothered cough had him pulling out. His legs were pretty much useless as he all but stumbled over his own feet to reach for the box of tissues that sat on her nightstand. Inuyasha dropped to the floor with a thump as he plucked a couple from the box and started to swipe under Kagome's chin. "Sorry, I –"

"It's okay," she soothed. "I should be asking if you're alright. You hit the floor pretty hard…"

Inuyasha let out a breathy laugh as his head dropped against her leg. "Half demon. If I hurt myself I'll heal fast. My reputation won't, not after that."

Kagome could only stare at the head of shaggy hair that had made a pillow of her leg. She wasn't sure what she could say to that that wouldn't rub it in that it had been a while. "Then I have good news for you, we'll both finish fast?" The snort she heard meant she got the desired effect. She really didn't mind. It had been quick, yes…but they had all the time now to fix that.

The claws that were toying with the edge of her panties seemed keen to work on it already.

"Your turn," Inuyasha said huskily, reaching up for the straps of her bra. Kagome reached behind her to unhook it, before he could even ask. "We're gonna find out just how quick you can cum, Ka-Go-Me."

If he kept talking like that, not long at all.

Inuyasha slipped his thumbs under the straps and pulled the bra away, and Kagome found herself biting her lip nervously. He wasn't saying anything, just looking at her in wonder. "I know it's been a while, but do I really look that strange?" Cause yes, her leftie was slightly bigger than the right, but she'd been told that it was normal that they weren't in proportion –

"You look perfect."

That shut her thoughts up. The sincerity in his words made tears start to form in her eyes. She hadn't been told she was perfect before. Always "good enough", or "fine". Kagome blinked them away, because she was not going to cry over that, not when those large hands of his slid upwards to cup them. Feeling his thumbs brush over the pebbled nipples pushed away the thoughts of the past and reminded her that she had better, right there in front of her.

"I want so badly to tear these off of you," he murmured, dragging a claw across the skin of her thigh. "but I don't want to ruin them. You may not get upset but I will, cause I want to see you in this again and again."

Kagome wasn't going to comment on that, because she very much would be upset. Victoria's Secret wasn't cheap when your paychecks were going towards furnishing your new apartment, so those had been a treat to get. That Inuyasha liked them enough to be honest? That she could get behind. And over. And under. And wherever else he wanted.

When he started to pull at the waistband, she lifted her hips off the bed so he could slide the panties down her legs. Where they ended up, she had no idea. As soon as Inuyasha flung them over his shoulder, he'd spread her thighs open again and tipped her backwards onto the bed. Kagome didn't get a chance to be surprised that she was looking up at her ceiling, because Inuyasha had moved past all manner of teasing and dove in headfirst.

The first flick of his tongue had her bucking upwards and squirming against his hold. The pricks of his claws on her inner thighs were only adding to the sensations, making her wetter. That deep groan when his mouth settled over her clit was – oh god. The teasing as he held her against the wall hadn't been payback; this was him paying her back. Whether it was the picture she sent him, the teasing before they'd even gotten started, or her sucking him off, she had no idea. All she knew – what little her brain was functioning – was that he was giving it back in spades. And that she may have to toss out her favorite vibrator now, because Inuyasha was dead set on making her cum as fast as possible.

And fuck if it wasn't working. She was pretty sure she saw stars as he pushed her over the edge.

"You okay?" was a little hard to answer when she could barely catch her breath, but Kagome could appreciate the teasing in his voice. Slowly, she pushed herself up on her elbows to see him grinning at her.

"From where I sit, it looks like you're doing better," she replied, unable to bring herself to look away from his cock, standing at attention once more.

Inuyasha shifted before her, tilting her head up to meet his eyes. He was blushing a little, and she was pretty sure she was, but fuck it. She had wanted to look. "Yeah that happens when you're getting to eat out a woman you care about."

The way that he froze, looking at her with wide eyes, told her that he hadn't meant to say that. Or maybe he was afraid it was too soon? She was touched he blurted it out at all, even if it was…well… she couldn't judge. Wouldn't judge him. Kagome reached out and gently ran her fingers along the side of a fuzzy ear, silently telling him that she understood. That he leaned into her touch, letting his eyes drift shut, she really hoped he knew what she was trying to say. "How about I show you how much I care and we put it to good use?"

Was it eloquent? Nope. Did it get his attention? Definitely. Kagome really wished she could say that they were both subjected to saying things stupidly because they were horny, but this…this was them. They'd been doing this dance since day one. As Inuyasha got to his feet to go get his duffel bag, bitching about why he didn't think to grab it, Kagome decided that the condoms as a backup were probably a good idea. They had a lot to get straightened out before the thought of babies could be entertained.

Like marriage, for starters. Inuyasha said "the long haul" but she didn't know if that meant rings or roommates. But more importantly, and currently, they really needed to get their shit organized. At least…at least he'd gotten the condoms in her apartment before they got naked…

"I swear to god I'm smart," Inuyasha said as he entered the bedroom again, cheeks pink. He was tearing open the box and removing a foil packet, not minding that Kagome took the box and set it on the nightstand.

Kagome nudged him to lay back on the bed the moment he had rolled the condom on, crawling over him. "You pushed to get them. I'd say that's smart." She settled over his lap, rocking along the hard ridge of his cock and grinning as his eyes rolled back. "You ready?"

He'd reached for her hips, holding her down as she shifted, telling her he didn't want to play anymore. "You have to ask?" He'd already cum once sooner than he wanted, and she had to agree.

Kagome let him guide her down on his cock slowly so she could adjust to the stretch. The collective moans that came from both of them at the same time was something she'd probably find hilarious later, but right then all she could think about was how well he fit. Beneath her, Inuyasha gave an experimental thrust, and then her eyes were rolling back.

"Good?" he asked, thrusting upwards again, making her gasp. "Ugh…oh fuck, Kagome…you really do take it so well…"

She couldn't respond outside of another gasp, not when his thumb had moved over her clit. This was supposed to be her chance to take the reigns, and she could barely say his name with each movement. The angle was so good, and how he would randomly circle his thumb like that had her squeezing him harder. She'd wanted to be on top, to be the one to make him turn to putty. Everything about it was fucking wonderful…except her legs were starting to ache.

"I…I can't, Inu…"

"C-close?" he whispered.

She was certainly gripping him tight enough, but no. "My…my legs…" she admitted, feeling embarrassed and out of shape. Inuyasha's expression shifted to one of understanding, because the next thing Kagome knew, she was being rolled over onto her back. He'd pulled her legs against his chest, draping one over each shoulder, burying himself deeper with the new position.

"Better?"

"Oh my god, Inu…"

"I'll take that moan as a yes," he chuckled, leaning down to kiss her.

With that next thrust, Kagome didn't care that she wasn't in control, so long as he kept hitting that sweet spot. Each one that followed was a little faster than the last, but fuck it was wonderful. Neither one was even trying to speak, too lost in the kisses and feeling of their release inching closer. The way his pelvis kept hitting her clit in just the right way with each push was doing a fine job of getting her there.

Her nails were digging into his back as her walls squeezed his cock, pulling Inuyasha down with her when she came. The rush hit her so hard that she bit down hard on his shoulder so she wouldn't scream. That he had bitten her neck at the same time was either an attempt to do the same, or maybe he was getting her back.

The only sounds in the bedroom were the pair of them struggling to catch their breath and the occasional moan of satisfaction. Inuyasha nuzzled her neck, laving at the spot he'd nipped. "Sorry, I…I got carried away. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Kagome shook her head, too focused on checking his own shoulder. "What about you? I bit you, Inuyasha! I've never bit anyone before!"

He let out a laugh as he turned over onto his back. "Hurt? Hell no, that's a turn on!" When Kagome wasn't laughing, he looked over at her. "Half demon, remember?"

"Yes I remember. I'm still disappointed you won't let me play with your ears. Does it hurt to have them touched?"

"What? No – I mean as long as you don't go yanking on them it doesn't hurt. It's uh…when I'm already hard, it's…"

Oh. OH. That explained why he was more keen to let her touch them after she'd… "So if I wanted to touch them now, I could?"

"You can touch them whenever, but when I'm about to cum don't be surprised if I blow before either of us is ready."

That made her laugh. "I dunno, you are a half demon," she winked, watching him sit up to remove the condom. "I bet you have a quicker cool down period than a regular man."

"You looking to test that?"

Kagome got up from the bed, needing the bathroom. "I believe you were the one to say I wouldn't be happy with just the once tonight."

"I meant the regular man part," she heard him say from around the corner. "My…human night is coming up soon."

She'd heard things about half demons having a period of time where they became human, but she'd never gotten details, so this was interesting. Apparently not all half demons had the same schedule for this, or would divulge it to just anyone, so the fact that Inuyasha was telling her at all showed how much trust he had. "When is it?" she asked softly, coming back into the room.

"The new moon. I lose the claws, the ears, the markings. My senses and strength are human, my hair turns black," he explained. "From sundown to sunrise the next morning I am completely human. I didn't want to scare you when it happens, so I wanted to tell you now."

"I'm glad," Kagome replied, sitting next to him on the edge of the bed. "That you're comfortable enough to tell me. I know it's a secret and all. But…" She traced illegible patterns onto the top of his thigh. "I'm pretty sure you're still gonna have that same stamina, so I wouldn't worry."

Inuyasha grabbed her wrist, watching her fingers wiggle. "I confide in you and all you can think about is the sex?" he asked incredulously.

"Look – when the sex is so good you're considering tossing out your toys –"

"…you have toys?" Was that a curious tone? Oh no. No –

"Hypothetically speaking –"

"Wrong answer, Ka-Go-Me," Inuyasha grinned. "Time to play Show and Tell."

Four months later…

Kagome sighed, pushing the glasses up the bridge of her nose as she glared at the screen. There was something wrong with the coding, and she couldn't put her finger on it. Why the intern on her team was assigned to build it, she didn't understand. Gaining experience in the field was good and all, but not when they had a deadline that was closing in. She wished that she could reach through the screen and just…shake the shit out of whoever had written this. It wasn't tidy, it wasn't formatted with the commentary tags that they used, and either the guy didn't know to use them, or he didn't care.

For his sake, she hoped it was that he didn't know.

It was something she was going to put a pin in, sending a message to the other members of the team that she needed a fresh set of eyes to look over it. They wouldn't go in and mess with the coding, not after they had fucked up a previous project. Message sent, she chose to go through the remainder of her tasks before she called it a day.

The front door opened and closed, but she paid it no mind. Inuyasha had returned from work. She heard him moving around the apartment before finding her in her office. "You kill that intern yet?"

"Not yet, but if he doesn't learn how to format I may. How's Totosai's back? Any better?"

"Not good enough to cart out orders but apparently good enough to laugh about me getting another "pleasure pat" from Haraiya when I came back to the kitchen," he groaned.

Kagome laughed, knowing that the old woman didn't mean anything by it, especially now. "You have to admit, she has good taste."

"So do I," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her neck. "Missed you."

"Mm, missed you too." She let out a sigh as his kisses moved down across her shoulder. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Besides you, you mean?"

"Actual food, Inuyasha! You know that's not sustainable –"

"I stand by saying that it'd be one hell of a way to go," he countered, and she rolled her eyes. "Actually, I was thinking about going out to eat, if you want? There's this Italian place the next town over I heard about."

Kagome turned her chair to face Inuyasha. "The next town over? Isn't it kind of late to get dressed up though?" The idea was appealing, but it was getting close to six, and he'd just gotten home.

"It's nothing extremely fancy, if that's what you're worried about, and it's twenty minutes away. It's not as far off as it sounds, I promise." Inuyasha started to pull her up from the chair. "What do you say? We hop in the shower real quick, throw on some fresh clothes, and go wine, dine, and dance –"

"One, I need to shut off the computer. Two, our showers are never quick," she laughed. "And three, you told me it wasn't fancy!"

"Okay fine, they have a jukebox!" Inuyasha confessed. "It's a family restaurant. Now hop to, woman! You can't tell me that it doesn't sound good!"

He went back to their bedroom, and Kagome could hear him still going on about it, though now he was improvising the conversation for both sides. He was in an insanely good mood, and dammit it was infectious, because she found herself grinning as she saved and closed her work. He knew she could hear him, which was why he did it in the first place. It had become one of the more interesting quirks since he'd moved in with her.

Maybe moving in together four months ago had looked – no, it was quick, but she didn't regret it. Even when they had disagreements about things, she wouldn't have done it differently. She got to wake up each morning and see his golden eyes looking back at hers. Fell asleep each night listening to his heartbeat. Then there was the sex, which, the kitchen table had survived. Her bed, unfortunately, had not after a month of extensive use.

When Inuyasha appeared again, having chosen what he wanted her to wear, Kagome couldn't be annoyed. That boyish grin he wore as he ushered her to the bathroom had to mean something. He was too excited to just go out for dinner. No amount of teasing, even a handjob in the shower, could get him to tell her why he was being so pushy.

Kagome wouldn't find out what made him eager to go to dinner so badly until a couple hours later. Wearing the simple dark red dress that he'd picked out for her, she sighed in contentment with her head on his shoulder. As they swayed to the music in the restaurant, Inuyasha whispered "Marry me?" in her ear, like he knew her answer already.

Which, he did.

"Yes."