The clearing at the well seemed extra clear this night. The moon wasn't full, but it shone blindingly against the black backdrop of space, aided by a billion sparkling stars. The grass was illuminated in an ethereal moonglow, and the wind blew softly through the trees. It was so beautiful, so serene, so living…
But all Kagome could think about as Kouga eased her down by the chilled stones of the old well was the panic in Inuyasha's face as they'd sped off. He'd been mortified. It confused her. He confused her, as though he could in good conscience stake a claim to Kagome when the only thing he ever saw in her was Kikyo's face.
"So this is where you slip in and out of our world," Kouga mused quietly, only slightly winded by their fast trek over. Being that close to him for that long, she'd learned that his skin was more hot than warm, and she felt abruptly cold when he'd released her.
"It is. Thank you for bringing me, Kouga-kun," she said, wondering if she'd be able to sleep at all tonight. Even if it was in her ever-comfortable bed.
His slanted gaze fixed on her - those fierce, cerulean irises shining even without the rays of the sun. He smiled, and again she was struck by how incredibly confident he was.
She blinked.
And cute.
Granted, he didn't make her heart race like Inuyasha, but from an objective viewpoint, Kouga was attractive. His deep moreno coloring was pretty, in a masculine sort of way. And she would have to be blind not to notice the swell of his chest muscles under his collarbone, or the strong sinewy strength in his biceps and forearms. And she'd never really looked at a guy's legs before, but his were pleasant to behold - defined and sturdy.
Then, of course, there was his charming face - like that of a little boy's, all grown up. Yeah. There was no doubt about it. Kouga was cute.
"You're finally looking at me," he said, his eyes crinkling in amusement. "You've never done that before." Without removing his stare, he leaned against the well, and crossed his arms casually.
"Oh," she felt the blood rush to her face and was grateful it was dark. "I, well…uh, I should be going-"
"Kagome," he said, and before she knew it he'd grabbed her hand and tugged her to him. "Relax. You can trust me."
"I…didn't say I couldn't," she stammered, flustered yet again by his advances. His fingers were still lightly clasped about her wrist, with his thumb rubbing little circles on her palm.
He sighed wistfully and tilted his head to the night sky. "After we defeat Naraku, I would have you lead our clan by my side."
She frowned, forgetting her earlier discomfort. "I'll do no such thing, Kouga. It doesn't work like that in my world."
He quirked a fine, black brow. "Then how does it work?"
"Well," she began, mentally going through a routine she had very little experience with. "First you have to ask the girl out. You know. On a date."
"A date?"
She nodded, relieved that he was finally listening to her. "Where you spend a few hours together having fun, and getting to know each other."
"Mating?"
She frowned. "Mate ?" she choked, suddenly understanding. "NO! Egads, Kouga. No. You really have a lot to learn."
A breathy chuckle. "Then what, love?"
Ah, the 'love' thing, she thought. That's a better place to start. "First of all, you don't love me."
"But I do," he said earnestly, and straightened.
She clicked her tongue. "You don't even know me, Kouga."
His eyes widened, a hint of playful accusation in his tone. "You've been false with me, then?"
"Well, no-"
"Then I know you," he said with all the cocky finality of someone who had won an arguement. "And I love you."
"Oi," she hung her head and shook it, laughing despite herself. Of course he didn't take rejection seriously. He was a demon prince. He was accustomed to his words being law. And here he was flirting with her as though going up against Naraku tomorrow were as insignificant as a trip to the cemetery.
"However," he breathed as he rested his hands on her hips. For some, strange reason, she let him. She felt his breath on her forehead and again the blood rushed to her face. "I'll abide by your rules, Kagome, and be patient until you can love me back."
He was so dang sweet about it, how could she refuse? Besides, how else was she going to get over Inuyasha? She couldn't shoot down every attempt someone made to court her. Even if their idea of 'courting' was to get hitched and live in the feudal era for the rest of her life, birthing little fanged hanyous instead of humans.
Kagome sighed and nodded. "Fine. Though I still haven't figured out what it is you see in me," she said, adding silently, but at least it's not a miko who died fifty years ago.
"Shall I list off the reasons?"
"No!" she laughed. "You've done enough for my ego tonight, Kouga-kun. And I need to get going, now."
"Very well, Kag-"
At his pause, she glanced back up at him, and something dark…annoyed crossed his expression right then. It was subtle - a crinkle of the nose, a narrowing of his eyes as they flicked back at the woods, the corners of his mouth lowering… Then he looked back at her, and there was almost a sense of urgency to his tone.
"Let me embrace you goodbye, Kagome."
She blinked. No one had ever asked her permission for a hug before. Subliminal alarms sounded in her head, but she couldn't come up with a good reason not to. It was just a hug. Shrugging, she obliged, and slid her hands up his shoulders as he curled an arm around her waist.
His body radiated warmth like a heat lamp, and he squeezed her once, and then did something so quick, she didn't even know what was happening until it was too late.
As she pulled back, he hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face to his until their lips touched. She gasped, and froze, staring wide-eyed at his closed lids.
What's he doing? Her blood roared in her ears as the tangy heat of his mouth assaulted her senses. She might have pushed him away had his kiss been invasive, but it wasn't. It was light. Gentle. Almost not there, like a dream.
Then before her thoughts could collect in any shape or form, he pulled back and rubbed noses with her playfully, as though she were a puppy. And for one of the few times since she'd met him, he was blushing…almost giddy.
"You said embrace," she mouthed in residual shock, not much voice making it out with the words.
He grinned and eased her over to the edge of the well. "I did."
She twisted in his grasp to peg him with a flustered stare. "Well is that how your people embrace each other? Because-"
"No."
Her eyes narrowed to slits, "You sneaky, little-"
"Good night, Kagome," he laughed, looking for all the world like a cat who'd just gotten away with eating the canary. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She huffed, still undecided how she felt about the whole thing. "Well next time, you'd better ask permission, Kouga-kun."
He lifted a brow and smirked. "Next time?"
Throwing her hands up in exasperation, she shook her head and left him there, grinning like a maniac. As the well swallowed her up and spit her out on the other side, Kagome wished whole-heartedly that she could somehow leave Inuyasha, Kikyo, Naraku, and now Kouga, back in the feudal era. As it were, thoughts of all four were going to be ping-ponging in her head tonight, keeping her from her precious sleep.
Life had never been so complicated.
With his blood roaring in his ears, Inuyasha burst into the moonlit clearing of the well…
And came to a skidding halt. He got the distinct sensation of being dropped into a nightmare, and squinted through his wind-blurred vision to see…
The wolf prince? Alone? Hunched shoulders, bowed head, and…
No… Not alone…
…but curled around a smaller, more delicate body.
His breath hitched. Kagome…?
Their moonlit forms were blended so completely that he couldn't tell where the youkai's hair ended and hers began.
He took a trembling step forward, the denial on his lips. Can't be… He's forcing her. Kagome would never…
…rest her kind, giving hands encouragingly around the youkai's shoulders… Let him latch his disgusting face onto hers without pulling back…
Inuyasha suddenly felt very very sick.
With a hissing intake of breath, he spun around behind the nearest tree, and leaned heavily back against it, closing his eyes.
The hanyou clutched at his chest, claws digging into his skin, as a mind-numbing ache burned behind his ribs. Even the sturdiness of the timbre wasn't enough to keep him standing when the strength left his legs. He slid weakly down the bark, trembling.
His ears were filled with the sound of his own panting - great shuddering breaths as they rattled past the colossal lump in his throat, hissing in and out of his clenched teeth.
He tried to force the visual of their entwined forms out of his head, but it was branded there like some demented tattoo on the backs of his eyelids, seared in perfect detail at the forefront of his mind. He'd been too late, and was left with a excruciating sense of loss at a path not taken…an opportunity just barely missed.
There was one other time when he'd felt an emotion so poignantly deteriorating, he couldn't even describe it, but back then he'd had the merciful distraction of dodging a miko's arrows. Now he was faced with the raw, naked sentiment without adornment or apology.
And Hell, Inuyasha decided, would pale in comparison.
"Hanyou."
He flinched. That voice. Rude. Arrogant. Condescending.
With his face still creased in a grimace, Inuyasha peered up through his heavy bangs, blinking away the water standing in his eyes so he could better see…
him…
And Kouga was looking down at Inuyasha with his typical haughty aggravation, but mixed in with it was something even more disturbing, debilitating…demeaning.
Pity.
Inuyasha hissed at him, not trusting his vocal cords for much else. Reflex insisted that the wolf prince had gone too far this time - that nothing could save him from Tetsusaiga's wrath now. But there was one aspect of the scene Inuyasha had just witnessed that stayed his hand.
The embrace. It had been mutual. And it was Inuyasha himself that had practically driven her into the youkai's arms.
"Leave me," the hanyou spat in a strangled tone, and hung his head between his knees, still gripping at the pain in his chest as though to rip it out with his bare claws.
The youkai shifted weight from one leg to the other, but lingered. "You were an idiot to think that you could have them both." The words were surprisingly without malice.
"GO!"
A snort. "I'll leave," came the deep, forceful tone. "But she belongs with me, hanyou. Respect that."
Inuyasha spat and turned his head, the whirring of Kouga's departure doing little to erase the stench of his presence.
And the dog boy stayed there, crumpled at the base of the tree for hours, wondering how his body could go on living when it felt like his soul was dead.
At some point during the night, morbid acceptance touched Inuyasha's awareness - bitter and angry after so many hours of pondering the regrets of his life. In a dim remnant of his former self, Inuyasha latched onto the fleeting belligerence, and rose to his feet. Not knowing what drove him, and not caring to identify it, he staggered over to the well and dropped into it.
Kagome might be finished with him, but he was far from being finished with her.