DISCLOSURE STATEMENT: This author has no financial or non-financial relation nor do they possess any right to "Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale" franchise. Full ownership of all characters is the sole intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Wherever You Will Go
Sniffing once and shifting on the most comfortable futon he'd ever had the luxury of using, Inuyasha lazily opened his amber eyes. The small wooden ceiling fan whooshed quietly above him illuminated by the early light of dawn that filtered in through the window. For once in his life, he felt completely at ease upon waking instead of immediately and instinctively scanning his surroundings for incoming threats. It was perfect and all things good and yet...and yet...
Sniffing once more, he lolled his head towards the softly snoring woman next to him and sighed.
Why was it whenever he was left alone with his own thoughts the world seemed so much darker? His mind starting to wander down a path he honestly didn't want to go down. She had all but said she forgave him but did she though? He had been serious about needing to talk things through. There had been too many misunderstandings in the past. Too many fights that came about due to pent up frustration until neither of them even knew what they had been fighting about in the first place. Too many half-baked thoughts flickering through his mind that he tried not to listen to but he couldn't quite shake. Thoughts only she had the answers to. Letting out a calming breath, he rolled onto his side and rested his cheek atop the back of one hand.
He needed to be better than he had been. Than he was now. She had built this life with him in mind. Had worked so hard to make sure he would be happy. The truth was he didn't feel like he deserved any of it. That he didn't deserve her.
"I'm sorry," he whispered quietly even though she was still asleep and he inhaled her scent deeply before closing his eyes. It was true. He still felt guilty he hadn't been trying and the woman was too stubborn when she was awake to accept his apology. She didn't want his apology. The nasty little voice in his head whispered that she rejected his apology. Rejected it because his failures were unforgivable. Luckily, he knew to ignore the voice on that particular issue. Kagome was many things and being endlessly forgiving was one of them. If only that forgiveness could make him forget the mistakes he made.
Breathing in her scent, he snuggled deeper under the covers and sighed. Why wasn't he happy though? Not that he was unhappy but the cloud that had followed him around for the past year should've gone away now that they were reunited and it was only serving to make him feel like he was slowly drowning. This was everything he dreamed about for the past six years and more besides but still he was left feeling...left feeling...
Sighing dejectedly, he gently reached out and rolled Kagome onto her other side before drawing her small form against him. He could tell by how her heart rate increased that the maneuver had woken her up but instead of getting upset she merely snuggled into him and cooed. Pressing his nose into her neck, he focused on that scent that never failed to help him block out the ugly things of the world. That had often helped to keep the dark thoughts at bay during their quest. His lips twitched upwards as it began working just as it always had. Slowly but surely the dark cloud was pushed into the recesses of his mind.
"I missed you," he murmured affectionately against her shoulder as he tightened the arm around her waist.
Kagome hummed happily in reply before reaching up to lightly scratch the base of his ear before her nimble fingers froze and she began retracting her hand.
"Sorry," she whispered and he furrowed his brow in confusion.
"For what?" he asked as he nuzzled her neck and placed a kiss beneath her ear.
"You don't like people touching you ears," she yawned as she stretched out her stiff muscles before snuggling back into him. Laughing once despite himself, he gently propped himself up to look down at her face.
"Who told you that?" he asked with thinly veiled amusement. Opening her mouth slightly, Kagome cocked her head to the side before giggling, "You know. I'm not sure. I just...I just always assumed because the times I tried to touch them you glared at me."
Smirking, Inuyasha leaned down and gently tugged at her earlobe with his lips earning a soft groan before her sapphire eyes opened in realization.
"Distracting, isn't it?" he teased before he did it again and she groaned again before batting him away.
"Stop," she protested good-naturedly as she smiled lazily up at him, "It's too early for that."
"I didn't mean to glare," he admitted softly as he kissed her nose before adjusting himself so he spooned her once more, "They're just sensitive. Like your ears. I...I...well I didn't want you to know."
"If you had just told..." Kagome began playfully before trailing off and sighing when she felt him tense behind her, "I didn't mean..."
"No, no I should've," InuYasha cut her off as neutrally as he could as he moved to bury his nose in her neck, "I should've said a lot of things."
Inhaling softly, he began to relax again and let her scent wrap around his bruised heart.
"Why didn't you want me to know?" Kagome asked curiously and he sighed.
"Because I loved you," he admitted quietly, "I loved you for a long time. I thought saying...I was worried saying that I got...turned on when you touched them would...well it would've been awkward. Especially when I wasn't sure how you felt."
"So..." Kagome hummed as she turned in his embrace with a wicked smile in an obvious but welcome attempt to lessen the tangible awkwardness he'd caused, "I can touch them now, right?"
Rolling his eyes, he nodded before jumping when she wasted no time and reached up to gently fondle the ear closest to her. Eyes fluttering shut, he let out a shaky breath and moaned. Every once in a while he twitched and writhed but for the most part stayed within the shuddering breath arena.
"I have the power," she teased in a breathy imitation of that recognizable cartoon from the 80s and he chuckled.
"That you do," he hummed as his warm amber eyes stared at her adoringly. She blushed under his intense gaze.
"I love you," he murmured with a content sigh before he closed his eyes and pressed his ear more firmly into her hand.
Kagome hummed happily as she drank in his expression and the fact that after so long he was here beside her, "I love you too."
"Do you..." he began tentatively after a few more minutes of this pleasurably torture had passed, "Do you really forgive me? You know, for not...for not trying the well I mean."
"There is nothing to forgive," Kagome replied with a small frown before adding when she noticed the subtle flash of insecurity that flickered through his half-lidded eyes, "But yes, of course I forgive you."
The soft sigh of relief wasn't missed by her either. There was something else going on here, she quickly deduced as continued gently fondling his ear. Something she needed to keep an eye on. He had been acting very subdued since he arrived and at first she chalked it up to maturity but now she wasn't quite so sure.
"Do you want to see my family today?" she tried to ask casually noting his slightly despondent sigh.
"If you want," he replied as he moved to bury his nose in her neck. The slight tension that she could visibly see melting as he slowly inhaled. Yes, she definitely needed to keep an eye on this.
"I'd honestly rather stay here," Kagome crooned as she released his ear and drew him to her. One arm wrapped around her as he scooted closer and melted into her embrace.
"I'd like that," he sighed contentedly as he nuzzled her chest, "I missed you."
She could definitely tell.
"What all did you miss about me?" she asked playfully before he groaned and chuckled darkly, "Rephrase the question."
"Name one thing you missed about me," Kagome amended as she gently ran her fingers through his hair. Inhaling deeply, he melted further into her embrace before exhaling, "Your scent. You smell nice."
"I thought you hated my scent," she teased lightly trying to lighten the mood and his lips twitched upwards as he played along, "I was lying."
A lazy chuckle escaped him as he nuzzled her nose, "So should I pretend to pass out now or..."
Kagome laughed and shrugged playfully.
"I mean, we don't need to relive all of it," she hummed as she blushed herself, "Although those words made my little teenage heart beat a little faster. Got me hot and bothered thinking about later."
"Oh so that's what you were thinking. I was so confused when the sun rose. Kept thinking I was crazy for weeks when I caught a whiff of the spike in your scent," InuYasha replied with no lack of amusement as he pulled back to get a better look at her pink tinged face, "Even back then you were into me?"
Kagome nodded and grinned inwardly when she saw the cocky confidence she remembered return to his gaze.
"Of course you were. I'm irresistible," he purred flirtatiously as he leaned forward and captured her ear. She groaned softly as a wicked grin bloomed on her lips.
"Ah yes. You had me at 'If you don't want to feel the pain of my claws hand over the jewel'," Kagome teased before pouting when he pulled back and snorted.
"Bullshit," he chuckled as he rolled his eyes and smirked, "That's like me saying you had me at 'sit boy'. Although technically I guess you kinda did. Still do."
A wave of relief washed over him that this line of conversation didn't bring any of his insecurities front and center. In fact it was strangely helping push it away. His lips twitched upwards as he saw her blush.
"I'll take them off," Kagome muttered good-naturedly before noting how his face fell, "Unless you want them."
"You...you can take them off," he muttered hesitantly as some of the dark cloud rushed forward. Why was he conflicted? Why did he have to feel like this? He was beginning to feel like himself again...and then...just dammit. He just didn't understand and he hated it.
"Well maybe later," Kagome continued as her cheeks turned a deep crimson, "There is something I want to try first."
Inuyasha furrowed his brow before her hand wormed between them and his eyes widened as those nimble fingers made him realize exactly what she meant. When she gently squeezed, his eyes nearly crossed and just like that the dark cloud mercifully peaced out.
"Woman don't you do it. Thats...thats a s-stupid i-idea," he chuckled shakily as he shifted his hips to press into her hold. Kagome merely grinned.
