Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.

**This chapter contains an explicit lemon.**

Updated 20/03/2020: Minor stuff here and there that makes it a little better, I think. The basic story is the same.

...

Reconciliation

Chapter 3 – Black and Gold

"Sango, I don't think I can do this. The whole village is up there. I can hear them from here!" Kagome fluttered around Sango's house nervously, wringing her hands and pacing in a circle. "Coming back here and being together was one thing but marriage is a whole other… thing!"

Her friend laughed loudly at her then, clutching her stomach for support. Sango wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and squared her friend in front of her, stopping her pacing and her wringing. Kagome looked beautiful in the white kosode so much like the one Sango had worn herself at her own wedding. The gold kimono and red obi she wore underneath were light and perfect for the summer warmth. Kagome hadn't settled into wearing traditional clothing quite so easily but the young priestess was glowing today, both from excitement and the heat of the mid-summer night.

She was scrubbed clean this morning at the bath, skin fresh and smooth and smelling lightly of crushed lilies from the field nearby. Her slim arms, toned from training and archery these past weeks, were on display as Kagome reached up to fuss with her bangs and the sleeves of the kimono slid up to her elbow. Her small feet were tucked neatly into new sandals. The two women had managed to tame Kagome's wild, ebony waves into straight, flowing tresses; pinned back at the sides with small shell combs to expose Kagome's graceful neck and delicate features. Her hair fell in a cascade down her back to the curve of her waist.

"Shall I go tell Inuyasha you've changed your mind then?"

Kagome's mouth snapped open and color lit her cheeks in frustration.

"No! I mean… no. It's just- I just need- If it was just a little- Ugh!" she was defeated. Kagome let out a lung full of air. "Thanks, Sango. I can do this."

"Are you convincing me or yourself?" she laughed behind her hand. "Come on, let's get going."

Sango led her nervous friend out of the house with a gentle hand at the small of her back. It was still twilight but the bonfires at the shrine was already glowing brightly, casting the shadows of the torii arch and the gathering crowd down the hill. The village was quiet save for the raucous conversations that could be heard at the shrine. It was mid-summer now and the fields were green with leafy crops and the thin stalks of growing rice. The fireflies over the fields heralded the late evening.

"Ok, very funny. Were you not nervous on your wedding day? Miroku talks big but wasn't he nervous too?" Kagome asked as they padded down the road toward the shrine.

"I actually never asked. He was so happy though, so excited. It was wonderful. You won't remember this part of the night or the nervousness you feel now. Just wait until you see him. It will all be alright, Kagome-chan." she said as she patted Kagome's shoulder. Sango had a pleasant, wistful look in her eyes as she recalled her own wedding.

Kagome's eyes softened at the sight of Sango so happy and in love. Now she was feeling more excited herself. This was the inevitable conclusion of her feudal life. All roads led to this moment. It was a convoluted, twisting, at times-heartbreaking road, granted, but they were meant to end up here. Together.

Kagome's steps picked up speed and Sango glanced knowingly at her friend. The young miko would be fine.

They approached the shrine steps and that was the moment Kagome realized she would be climbing steps… in a white kosode and sandals… in the dark. She swallowed nervously and stared up at the never-ending stairs.

"Sango, please don't let me fall."

"Of course, Kagome. You should have asked that so many other times, too, you know." she laughed. "But yes, take my arm and we'll be just fine."

Sango ignored the withering look Kagome sent her way. Shippo was waiting at the bottom of the steps and his eyes lit up as he took in his adopted mother.

"Wow, Kagome. You look pretty… and like a grown up!" he beamed.

"Thank you, Shippou-chan. But what are you doing down here?"

"AH! I'm supposed to let them know when you arrive! See you at the top!" he shouted as he scampered back up the hill.

"Up we go, I guess." Kagome looked at her friend and sighed nervously.

At the top of the hill, Kagome peeked over the last step and saw… well, everyone. Throngs of husbands and wives, kids and grandparents, all huddled together around the shrine to celebrate the impending marriage. Kagome was sure they were more than a little curious in particular about the wedding of a hanyou and a priestess, but she didn't really care. Weddings were rare and cause for village-wide celebration. This one would be no different.

The full moon was already visible over the treetops behind the shrine. It was hanging over the prayer room like a pearlescent lantern, beckoning her forward. Kaede had chosen a beautiful night.

The old priestess had counseled them both on the details of the wedding and what would be expected of them. Kagome was familiar with the ceremony, given her previous life in Tokyo, but Inuyasha had listened with surprisingly rapt attention. He was absorbing everything. She was sure he would've taken notes if he could've and she had giggled at the mental image of him with glasses, a notebook, and a pencil, sitting at a desk in a uniform.

The twin bonfires on either side of the shrine were blazing away already and the smell of a roasting meat immediately hit her nose. She suddenly remembered how hungry she was. Had she eaten lunch? Maybe breakfast before going to Sango's house but-

The thought was abruptly ended when a clearing throat brought her gaze up from her feet.

Inuyasha was suddenly there, filling her gaze and blocking all else from view. Kagome's breath caught in her throat and she forgot how to speak. All of the blood pumping through her body was suddenly stolen by her blushing face. He took her hand gently from her companion's and raised it to his lips, kissing it gently.

He was drinking her in before he ever turned from the bachelors conversation to claim her. Her nervousness. Crisp yuzu. Her excitement. Juniper. Her modest arousal after seeing him. An ocean breeze. He swallowed the growl that nearly escaped.

"Hey... Kagome."

She remembered to breathe and took him in. He was staring right into her clear, blue eyes with his own. Honey. Amber. Sunrise. Heat. He was holding her gaze and waiting for her to speak. She vaguely noted that he was wearing all black haori with silver-striped black hakama and it suited him. No shoes. He never did wear shoes. His lightly tanned skin stood out against the dark colored clothing and the exposed forearm reaching for her rippled as he rubbed circles with his thumb on her hand. His silver hair was combed but still left long and free. His silhouette was catching the firelight, giving him an aura of deep amber to match his beautiful eyes. His ears stood straight on his head and were trained in her direction.

He was dressed for the ceremony and he had apparently taken great care to be presentable. He was gorgeous.

His claws brushed against the underside of her hand as he moved to stand beside her. He was deadly.

He looped her arm through his and never broke his gaze. He was hers.

"Good evening, Inuyasha." Her mouth was strangely dry and hot.

"Are you ready?" he asked hesitantly, never losing her eyes.

"Yes." she whispered, face breaking into a hopeful smile.

The couple turned together to face the shrine. Kagome wondered when Sango had left her to stand near the door with the children. Inuyasha cleared his throat to her left, breaking the spell their meeting had cast. They reached the shrine doors and saw Miroku and Kaede standing at the back of the room, waiting patiently for them. These were important steps. The last steps they would take before becoming husband and wife.

Kagome tread carefully as they ascended to the shrine. She looked over at Sango surrounded by the children and smiled. Shippou was happily sitting on Sango's shoulder and Kagome reached out to touch his face before leaning forward and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Inuyasha nodded to them beside her and then turned toward the altar at the back of the shrine. He blushed furiously when Miroku winked at him from way back there, shaking his head and clicking his tongue.

'This is tough enough, Miroku. Damn.' Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

Refocusing through the doors, the incense burners lined the walkway to the small altar. No one else was inside as neither one of them had parents or other family who could or would attend.

Incense drifted hazily up into the rafters and settled along the floor before slinking out through the open screens to the left and right of the altar. Kagome glanced at her future husband to see how he was taking the strong perfume of the incense but he only wrinkled his nose ever so slightly before tilting his head to look at her. His eyes softened and he knew her concern and appreciated it.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. At least the party's outside though…" he smirked.

"Okay." She smiled back, squeezing his arm slightly.

The villagers had moved in from the yard to watch the ceremony from outside under the overhang. Hushed discussions could be heard but most were attempting to be interested without causing disruption. Kids pushed to see at the front, while others stood close to their loved ones and shared in the love rekindled by the wedding.

Kagome and Inuyasha didn't notice any of the others present. As they reached Miroku and the elderly priestess, they turned to look at each other and were lost to the ceremony. Minutes passed as attention was called, rites were read, and vows were taken. There were no unnecessary words tonight. Miroku's gentle timbre was the steady accompaniment to their promises during the ceremony.

With each touch and declaration, they were bound tighter, brought closer, and made into one. Hands clasped and were wrapped together. Sake was shared. Time seemed to stand still for the couple, dutifully completing each phase of the ceremony carefully and reverently.

When the time came for gifts, Kagome was first. She had come back to the past with nothing and hers wasn't so much a gift as a promise of trust. She reached forward and entangled her fingers in his haori. His eyes widened at her touch. Not his haori. The kotodama.

The subjugation necklace had saved her life in the beginning. It had saved his life later. But the time for that was over. There was peace between them and conflict in small measure in their little corner of Japan. Marriage was about balance and they couldn't start a life together while Kagome felt she had power over him.

"After today you are my husband. I will never forget our history but these don't belong in our future. I should have removed them before now, Inuyasha, and I'm sorry but I want you to feel how much I love and trust you from this day forward and these only stand to remind us of a time when I did not."

She lifted them gently from under his haori and up his neck before he conscientiously bent down so she could lift them all the way over his head. She fingered them for a second, memorizing their weight and smoothness, before handing them over to Kaede, who took them with a small bow and tucked them in her sleeve. He grinned when their eyes met again, love shining in his just for her. He might actually miss them. The weight of them and their presence had reminded him of Kagome every day while she was absent.

Miroku cleared his throat and produced a small package from his sleeve then. Inuyasha reached out and took it gently from the monk's hand. He stared down at it for a second before squaring his shoulders to Kagome again.

"When things got really bad, you trapped… at home and me trapped here, the sacred tree connected us anyway. I'm still not sure how but it's been an important place for us in the past and since we're starting our life together here, it'll probably be important to us in the future too. It's not much but… I want to give you this: a reminder of our special place."

He unwrapped the cloth in his hand and nervously held out his gift to her. She spied the silver hair comb and was immediately thrilled.

"Oh, Inuyasha, thank you! It's beautiful…"

In his palm laid a silver hair comb inlaid with small, white blossoms cresting in a mound over delicate tines. The blossoms did indeed look like those rare flowers of the Goshinboku. She was reminded of the day he had asked her to marry him and she had so fondly touched the tree that was such a big part of their lives.

Inuyasha picked up the comb and tucked the cloth away in his sleeve. He reached forward and tucked the comb neatly in her hair on the right and appraised its placement before stepping back. She had kept her hands to herself, folded neatly in front of her despite the almost overwhelming urge to hug his neck.

As Miroku finished the rites, they looked hopefully at one another.

"And now you are bound to each other, eternally, as husband and wife. May you have many long and fruitful years, and may the blessings of the kami shine down upon your marriage. Congratulations, my dear friends." he smiled warmly then and grasped each of their shoulders with a warm hand.

Finally, with warm cheeks, hands, and hearts, they embraced each other and shared their first kiss as husband and wife. It was chaste in comparison to some of their stolen kisses but Kagome wanted to remember this as a kiss that bound them together neatly, not lustily. Inuyasha was too overwhelmed to notice how their lips met and their marriage was sealed.

Miroku was the first to break the silence. "And now to celebrate the couple, everyone, please join us for a feast in celebration!" He gestured to the crowd who was now modestly clapping and cheering. Having witnessed such a heartfelt ceremony and seeing the exemplary normality the odd couple displayed, the villagers wouldn't hesitate as much to think of the newlyweds as some of their own.

Kagome would reflect later on the detriments of drinking sake and missing a midday meal but for now, she was pleasantly tingly and warm and looking forward to the feast outside. Inuyasha was faring better having been hunting only hours before, for himself and the feast, with nothing else much to do and no preening to worry over.

Kaede began cleaning up the altar as Inuyasha and Kagome stood there accepting congratulations from the village headman and his wife and a few others they were familiar with. Sango came to join Miroku with the children and hugged Kagome and Inuyasha in turn. He looked decidedly more sheepish about the hug but accepted it with a smile.

Shippou tugged on the hem of her kimono shyly and she bent down to pick him up. He hugged her neck and patted Inuyasha on the shoulder.

"Congratulations, you two! Glad Inuyasha finally got some sense in his head and married you, Kagome." Shippou closed his eyes and adopted a convincing look of superiority.

"I'm too happy tonight to smack you for that one, kid. You're right, actually." Inuyasha offered.

Shippou couldn't believe he was hearing something so… rational come from Inuyasha. Kagome was beaming next to him and Shippou suddenly became worried about his place in their lives now that things were changing.

"What's with the long face, Shippou-chan?" Kagome asked.

"Well, now that you're married, what am I gonna do?"

"What do you mean, runt? You wanna move out?" Inuyasha folded his arms.

"No, I don't want to but aren't you gonna want me to?" Shippou suddenly became interested in the hem of his coat.

The newlyweds shared a knowing look and Kagome hugged him tighter, tilting his chin up to look at her.

"Never, kiddo. You're mine and I love you, and he won't say it but he loves you too. You always have a place with us in our home. Don't ever worry about that, okay?"

Shippou was sniffling before she finished. "O- hic -kay, Kagome…" He nuzzled into her neck and stayed there quietly for a few minutes. She patted his back and let him hide until he was better.

As Kaede finished cleaning up, she set down the remnants of the alter table and slowly stepped over to the couple. Handshaking was halted as the elder miko commanded their attention with only her silence.

"Congratulations, Kagome-sama and Inuyasha. You have been married on a most auspicious night and amidst the love of friends. It is my wish ye'll be well and have a long and happy life together." She bowed her head and smiled at the couple.

Inuyasha shocked her by bowing right back just as low as Kaede.

"We owe you so much, Kaede-sama, and I thank you. I know I was… Well, we had a rough start and I hurt you but I'm glad you're still around. I'm glad you're helping Kagome and I'm glad you were here tonight."

Kaede was shocked but recovered and nodded her acknowledgment of his honest words.

"If it hadn't been for you, we might never have worked together at all. Kami, I might not even be alive! So, I thank you too, Kaede-sama, for your support and guidance now and in the past." Kagome bowed too. The old priestess was owed so much in return for her help over the years.

"You are both most welcome. Please, now go enjoy your feast!" Kaede nodded to Kagome, feeling awkward at the attention, then shuffled off to put the ceremonial items away.

Finally, the crowd inside the shrine began to dissipate and Kagome and Inuyasha were left mostly alone. Now that sake was flowing warmly through their veins, the conversation turned to one of honest relief. Shippou hugged Kagome's neck one more time and then caught sight of Rin and bounded out the door.

"Bye, mama!" he called easily and automatically. She froze and her heart melted. He hadn't even noticed he'd done it. He finally felt safe and loved. When he was out of sight, Kagome turned back to Inuyasha.

"Gah. I'm glad that's over…" Inuyasha sighed, gathering her in his arms and resting his head on top of hers.

"I am too! I was so nervous today, Sango had to talk me down." She turned her head up to kiss his jaw and he angled his face down to nuzzle her cheek. "I like this new, affectionate Inuyasha. Where's he been all this time?" She closed her eyes and breathed in his natural scent, plainly there even through the new clothes.

"He was right here, waiting for you to come back through the well, woman. But now you're here so get ready. It just feels right, touching you all the time. I like it. Gives me peace. That okay?" He threaded his fingers through her hair and moved his other hand down her back just a little lower than he had ever dared before.

"Mm hmm, especially when you do that." She nipped at his jaw then and he swore.

"Damn. Much more of that and we're gonna miss our own party. Come on, wife, let's go."

"If you say so, husband, and I definitely should eat something. I think I forgot to eat all day." Kagome said as she grabbed her stomach. "Nerves."

He laughed then. "Fine, food first then we skip out early, right?" He blushed a little at what he knew he was implying but he didn't care. Four years was long enough to wait right? Surely the gods wouldn't blame them for cutting a dinner a little short in light of the evils they had thwarted…

…

"Is Miroku drunk?" Kagome whispered into Sango's ear.

"Ha! No, he's just uninhibited with his children, you know that. At least, I haven't seen him drinking anyway." Sango put a thoughtful finger to her cheek.

Miroku was dancing animatedly with his daughters around one of the bonfires, now burning lower than before and tolerable to stand near. As he twirled them both around, they cackled with laughter and fell down to the ground when he released them, too dizzy to stand anymore.

Sango turned to her friend and smiled. Kagome had changed out of the white kosode and was now just wearing a three-quarter sleeve gold kimono and red obi, tenderly hugging Shippou in her arms as she watched Miroku's antics with his children. Inuyasha was standing behind her, one hand on her shoulder, looking stoic and but grinning at his friend.

"Kagome, I'm getting tired…" Shippou's admission was cut off by a fang-revealing yawn.

"I bet. I heard you were a big help starting early this morning and now it's time for bed, I think."

"Mm hmm…" he trailed off.

"Here, Kagome-chan, let me take him home. It's time for Komori to go to bed too. Past time." she gestured to the baby asleep over her shoulder and reached out her free arm to wiggle Shippou to rest on her other shoulder.

"He's so sweet. Such a good baby." Kagome said, stroking Komori's soft head with her fingers. She had a brief daydream of a baby with white hair and small, pointed ears atop a soft head-

'Nope, too soon! Down, girl…' she thought quickly.

Not quickly enough though before the thoughts affected her physically and her arousal drifted up to tease her husband. His hands moved down to the swell of her hips and squeezed roughly while Sango was distracted shuffling the children. He leaned forward, lips brushing her ear.

"Are you ready to leave?" The husky voice that asked that question did more wonderful things to her scent.

The proximity of his mouth to her ear made her pulse jump as she registered the pressure on her hips and the need it communicated.

"Mm hmm…" she mumbled. She leaned around her husband. "Sango, thanks for- um, for taking Shippou tonight. We'll come get him in the morning."

"Take your time, Kagome. The kids will sleep a little later than usual after a party like this." Sango waved them off with a knowing smirk.

"Thanks, and tell Miroku thanks again and good night. He seems to be having too good a time!"

Inuyasha released Kagome and stepped around to give Sango a one-armed hug.

"Thanks for today, and for setting her straight. You're a good friend, Sango." He said it quietly but it was heartfelt.

Sango nodded, bewildered. "Thanks, Inuyasha. Now go! Get out of here! We'll see you tomorrow." She winked at Kagome as Inuyasha turned the little priestess around and started towards the steps.

The couple walked hand in hand until they reached the steps when Inuyasha suddenly shifted, scooped her up in his arms, and leapt down the stairs in one smooth movement. He looked down at her, chest flush with the heat of the night and his surprise acrobatics, and he sent the question with his eyes. She nodded slowly and smiled at him, tightening her arms around his neck. No more time was wasted as he sprinted back to their house with his bride in his arms.

He didn't bother with the front door but bounded around to the side. To his bedroom. To their bedroom.

As he settled her on her feet, she smoothed her hair nervously and he stepped forward to hold the curtain open for her. She fidgeted with her obi for a second and took the first step forward into the house. He followed close behind her and let the screen fall behind them. There was no fire lit in the brazier so the room was dark except for the bright, full moonlight radiating in through the window.

Kagome removed her sandals and tabi, and spun on her heel to stare out the window at the field outside. She was aware of some rustling noise behind her Inuyasha was making but was entranced, truly, in the beauty of the night view. The fireflies were dancing among the tall grasses, lifted and lowered with the night breeze as it swept through. Her bangs fluttered with the breeze and the edges of her hair moved in wisps around her face and shoulders. She was still breathing in the cooler night air when large hands found their way to her hips from behind and slid up to frame her waist.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. It's so beautiful here, Inuyasha. Tonight was amazing. You were amazing." She spun in his arms to face him.

"I can behave when I have to." He shrugged. "Tonight was important. We've waited so long to be together that I wanted to make sure it was right. That you were happy." he said, unsure.

"Mmm, you were wonderful. I am happy. I imagine I'll be happy for a long time." She stood up on tiptoes to kiss him. Her hands found his haori and fisted her hands in it.

He deepened the kiss then, cupping her head with one hand and moving the other down to touch her backside. She gasped and pulled back to look at him, totally surprised at his sudden boldness. His eyes flashed with fear of her rejection but they were darker and half-lidded, warm with desire now that they were alone in the house he had built for them. She smiled back up at him, trying to stifle her virginal shyness, and moved her hands inside his haori. She shifted it away from his shoulders and he let her go to straighten his arms and allow it to fall to the floor.

"Gods, you smell so good. You always have but now…" He inhaled deeply at her neck.

His arms had grown thicker since finishing the house, more gathered with smooth muscle and more tanned with the work outside. She ran her hands up his exposed forearms and biceps. He shivered at her gentle touches on bare skin and let her explore. This was the first of many nights of exploration and he was determined to savor it. When her hands came up to touch his chest, she bent forward and kissed his breastbone, trailing kisses up to his neck. He groaned under her lips and reached around her to untie her obi. As it slid to the floor, she found his lips again. More needy, warmer, more breathless. While she was still entangled in his mouth, she parted her kimono and let it slide to the floor, the raspy sound of fabric on skin filling the room for a second and it was over.

He broke the kiss then. "My turn." he said firmly. And his hands left her waist and found the ties of his hakama. As he slid them down and away, Kagome took the chance to settle her nerves and hang up her kimono too. It wouldn't do for the one heirloom she had obtained here to be ruined. She turned away from him and gathered the gold kimono from the floor, briefly fingering the fine fabric before hanging it up on one of the pegs placed inside the door. She placed a hand over her heart to steady its hammering rhythm. He had disappeared for a moment and she took the chance to bolster her confidence.

'You can do this, Kagome. He's your husband and you are not a coward.' She heard the brazier being lit and some more shuffling behind her.

She turned around to find him again and found him… all of him. Naked and standing in the middle of the room. He was combing his hair back with one hand, ears flat against his head. Her eyes quickly traveled south before she blinked and forced them upward. His shoulders bulged as his hands combed through his hair and a toned chest tightened and gathered up to his collarbone. His abs were visible but neatly flush with the rest of his torso. His hips were narrow, visible hipbones trimmed with muscled lines leading down to…

"Your turn." he said lowly, striding over to her. His face was flush with embarrassment like hers but he seemed to determined not to let her feel alone in it.

"O- Okay." was all she could get out. She removed her sash and let the under-kimono slide off her shoulders to crumple to the floor.

Kagome had worn the modern underwear she was used to under everything else as a matter of comfort. She knew they were modestly attractive and they reminded her of where she came from and how she'd gotten here. She was glad to have worn them now because it meant she wasn't entirely naked yet and the look in his eyes told her she'd chosen right. The desire written there was obvious and as the moment dragged on, she was less sure what to do. He removed her doubt.

Inuyasha reached out and pulled her into a kiss, deeply and surely, and she felt herself lifted from the floor and placed on his- their futon. She didn't remember seeing him laying it out but there it was, cradling them both. He laid her on her back and then hovered over her, caging her between his arms and kissing his way down her neck.

When he reached the swell of her breasts, he didn't pause. If his shy bride was going to hesitate, he would gladly take the initiative. His instincts told him to pay her luscious mounds special attention. Slipping one hand underneath the silky bra, he tested her response by gently squeezing and he was rewarded as she moaned and gasped, pushing herself forcefully into his hand. He pulled her free of the bra and took her into his mouth, feeling her nipple grow harder as he played with her. He teased her nipple with his teeth and was rewarded again as she groaned her desire for him to continue. Kagome reached behind her and unclasped the thin bra and when she was free of it, he lifted his head to take her in.

"Kagome… So beautiful."

He leaned back down and kissed over both breasts, teasing her nipples lightly as he passed over them. She was breathing harder now and looking at him almost pleadingly. None of him was in reach as he hovered over her so she grabbed his face and brought him back to her waiting mouth. She was crossing the threshold of shyness and finding her courage to explore him, too. He stayed as she grabbed his arms to hold him in place and started peppering his neck with light and uncertain kisses. He closed his eyes and groaned at the feeling of her moist lips trailing such a vulnerable spot. When she stalled, they locked eyes and he slid down her body, curiously watching her reaction to his movements.

He continued to move lower down her flat stomach, down past her navel, tracing the pale and jagged scar under her rib cage. When his mouth reached the waistline of her panties, he hooked a finger under them and began to drag them down. She accommodated him by lifting her hips off the floor and let him drag them torturously slowly down her legs before tossing them… somewhere. He sat up then, curiously and hungrily staring at her now her totally exposed body. Her arousal was thick in the air and every breath brought more to his sensitive nose. Her natural scent of rain water and camelias was layered thickly around her but added was the scent of sun-kissed ocean water. Heat and warmth and heady, dark scents of the ocean. It was intoxicating.

The brazier was warming the room now but that did nothing for the nervous shivers that wracked Kagome. Inuyasha laid down at her waist and trailed his lips over her hips, sending a questioning gaze up to her unsure sapphire eyes. She nodded with apprehension and he was instantly moving lower. Her small patch of dark curls was obstructing his view of her so he nudged her pale thighs apart with warm hands, kissing and nipping from her knee towards her sex. Her arousal was clouding his mind now. His time would come later, for now, he had a need to satisfy Kagome. Without questioning, he dove towards her slick folds, tongue laving her slowly as he tasted his wife for the first time.

"Oh! Oh gods, Inuyasha… Yes…"

He was encouraged by her reaction and growled his approval. Testing her from top to bottom with a determined tongue, she gasped loudly as he neared the upper hood of her sex. He stilled there and flattened his tongue against her. She gasped and bucked against his mouth, reaching down to fist her hands in his hair. The tension and abuse of his hair was causing his control to loosen. He sped up the movements of his tongue. Torturous circles and shallow sucking were making her legs begin to quiver around him. She was slick now from his attention and her desire, and her hips began to twitch. He knew she was working up to something wonderful and grabbed her hips with both hands to still her. He dove back in with determination and she grew louder and louder.

"No, please don't stop! Gods, don't stop… Ahhh!"

And then suddenly her body stilled, breasts heaving. The taste of her lingered on his tongue and he was drunk with it. When Inuyasha looked up lazily from her thighs to see her face, he felt a swell of manly pride. Gods, she was beautiful. His wife's face was flushed and her eyes fluttered closed, mouth parted as she recovered her breath. Her breasts were blushing from his attention only minutes before. Small hands were laid on her stomach after being tangled roughly in his hair. It was only after he took in the beauty of his spent wife that he noticed his own need was becoming painful and demanded attention.

Inuyasha crawled up and kissed her. She lifted her hands up to tangle in his silver hair once more and warmly kissed him in return. She could taste herself on his lips and pulled away to meet his eyes. Amber pools reflected happiness and warmth back to her. He leaned down to nuzzle her cheek and breathe in the scent of her again.

Raising herself up to deepen the kiss this time, Kagome's hips shifted and her wet core brushed against him. He hissed at the contact. Her attention was drawn to his impressive length and she shyly reached between them, meeting his eyes. When her small hand closed around him, he growled at the foreign but euphoric feeling.

"Oh, sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"The last thing… that did… was hurt. Dammit, woman."

Encouraged by his reaction, she gripped him again and slid her hand up towards his stomach. His eyes closed and he groaned. She had a thought and brought her hand to her mouth. His eyes were still closed, guessing what she was doing, but when she closed her wet hand around his shaft and stroked him, they flew open and he moaned above her. The needy look in his eyes made her own need throb again and she squeezed her long legs together around his knees.

"Please? I need you…" she gasped.

She swallowed and relaxed after a second, loosening the angle of her thighs and leaned up to kiss him, letting him know it was what she wanted and she was ready. He nodded and buried his face in her neck as she scooted down under him.

"Me, too. Fuck, me too." he groaned. Exploration was one thing but he was dying.

He found her eyes and laid his hard length against her sex, stroking her slowly and allowing her to feel him for the first time. As his shaft brushed against her core, she moaned and grew slicker against him. He shifted his hips and pressed his head against her. She bit her lip in anticipation but kept his gaze as he pressed forward. Painfully slowly, he entered her and watched her, intent on not causing her more pain than necessary. When she loosed a 'hmm' of discomfort and knit her eyebrows together, he pulled back a little and searched her face.

"I'm okay… Don't stop." She stroked the side of his face and gazed lovingly up at him.

He lowered his lips to hers and languidly slipped his tongue into her mouth. She responded eagerly to the kiss and the connection. He drew himself back and then slowly pressed again. She didn't make any noises of discomfort as he pressed until he found resistance at her maidenhead. She dug her nails into his arms then but asked him to go on. He pressed again and swiftly finished sheathing himself inside her. She cried out then and breathed heavily for a second, eyes scrunched shut and biting her bottom lip. He was trapped between feeling horrible for hurting her and ecstasy at the feeling of filling her tight, wet core. He was stilled by the scent of her tears and blood, and the swift intake of her breath.

"I'm sorry, koibito." He kissed her eyes, licking at her tears and nuzzled her cheek and into her hair.

He kept kissing and caressing her until she shifted her hips under him. He gave a torturously slow, shallow thrust and she dug her nails into his arms at first. The more slow thrusts he made, the less she pinched her eyes and the more she relaxed around him. Gods, this was sweet torture. Instinct started to quicken his thrusts as she grew wetter for him, her fingers began to caress instead of abuse his arms, and she moved her hands to pull him down.

"Can you come closer? I want to hold you…" she requested, blinking rapidly and blushing deeper.

"Kagome…" He was shivering with the effort of holding back now. His brain was telling him to be gentle and slow but his member was demanding he fuck her now.

He came down to rest on his elbows, stomach lying flush with hers, her breasts pressed against his hard chest, hips never leaving contact with one another. She clasped her hands around his ribs, and up and around to cup his shoulders.

He pulled out almost all the way this time and slowly fed himself into her again. She moaned at the penetration and he felt himself losing the will to go so slowly. He tried again and when she hooked her right leg over his hips and she whispered "Yes…," he let his instincts take over and thrust harder. She panted and closed her eyes. He tried again in rhythm and the sight of her breasts bouncing as their hips made contact was too much.

"Kagome, I can't hold back anymore…" he growled to punctuate the request.

"Don't. I want you… Please."

She hooked her left leg around his hips and pulled him down, deepening their contact. When he gasped at the feeling, she lifted her hips to meet him and he was undone. The feeling of her against him, under him, around him. The new angle let him penetrate deeper and deeper, and she met him time after time. He growled lower now, grunting with the effort not to dominate her as his instincts demanded he should.

Driving into her over and over, he could feel the tightening coil of his orgasm building. Turning his attention to Kagome, her head was thrown back, exposing her throat as she gasped at their lovemaking. He tucked his head into her neck and nipped her there over and over, satisfying some instinctual urge he didn't understand.

She yelled his name as he attacked her neck and he surged forward harder, arousal spiking at her cries of pleasure. Her screams became louder and more desperate. He was nearing his own end but was determined to bring her with him. He set a more bruising pace, flesh meeting flesh with wet and sultry sounds in the dark room, his grunts of control and her moaning. Finally, blissfully, she came apart beneath him, blunt nails digging into his back as she cried out.

He was nearly undone but hearing her and feeling her clench and spasm all around him, he abandoned the comfort of laying on top of her and kneeled on the futon instead, gazing possessively down at his Kagome. Grabbing her hips with both hands, he began to roughly pound into her at an even faster pace. She reached up and braced her hands against the wall to steady herself.

She was so wet, so tight still after coming for him that it wasn't long before his new position left him groaning towards his own end. Sheathing himself to the hilt, he cried out and growled through his orgasm, his claws prickling her sensitive skin and drawing tiny beads of blood where he held her.

As the spasm left him, he opened his eyes to see her smiling and limp below him. Her arms beckoned him to lay down with her. She gasped at the feeling of his erection leaving her and clenched shaking knees together. Between pants and shudders, he laid on her left side and she cradled him there, stroking his hair and kissing his head as he struggled to regain his breath.

"You… ok?" he managed. He glanced down to the claw marks on her hips. "Sorry about that…"

"It doesn't hurt that much. It's okay. Better than okay." She tilted his chin up from her shoulder and kissed him sweetly. "I love you so much."

"Mmm. That was worth the wait." he panted.

"That was… wonderful. How are we ever gonna leave this room?" she giggled.

"Well, we have to eat at some point but other than that…" he gave her a suggestive grin.

She giggled at him. "Enough of that. You'll end up like Miroku."

"You started it. That lecher had a lot to say this morning, let me tell you. I pity Sango now, honestly."

She gasped dramatically. "Stop that! That's my friend, thank you very much." She paused thoughtfully then added "But they do have three kids so I guess it can't be all bad."

"Now who's the lecher?" he quirked an eyebrow at her and laughed.

She giggled again and then broke it with a big yawn. "I'm so tired all of a sudden…" She closed her eyes and laid back against the futon.

"I bet you are. I am too, honestly." He let out a fanged yawn of his own. "And I bet Shippou will be here bright and early tomorrow no matter how much partying they did tonight."

"I never have thanked you for taking him in since the house was finished." She was combing his hair with her fingers but sighed contentedly. "It really means a lot to me. He's been left so many times in his life, I'm glad he'll always have a home to come back to." She stroked his hair some more and traced patterns across his chest with her free hand.

"Mmm, no kid should grow up without someone to look after them. He was lucky it was you that day."

"I do love you so much, you know?"

He stuttered a little. "I… I love you too, Kagome."

Embarrassed, Inuyasha rolled up and out of bed then and found his yukata and the quilt for the futon. He came back and handed her the modern underwear and the nagajuban to get dressed.

"I can't get dressed yet actually. I've gotta wash up a little first..." She grimaced a little as she sat up in the bed.

"Oh right, hold on. Sorry. I'll get something."

He left to find a towel and get some cool water. After washing herself and the futon, she redressed and they snuggled together, falling deep asleep together for the first time as husband and wife.

...

Author's Note: First lemon ever. I have some work to do but it gets the point across, right?