A/N: Ah, the last (and probably longest, I think) chapter. Also, the
hardest to write. Inuyasha and Kagome getting together in one scene is a
very delicate situation, so bear with me if things don't go satiny
smoothly. In all honesty, this is not how I would picture them getting
together (as opposed to Sango and Miroku who I think are better off being
helped a bit), but I did promise myself I would do this, so here it is.
The final chapter of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' I hope you are enjoyed,
enraptured and all that other good stuff.
A southern wind ruffled a hanyous hair.
The wind shifted the empty containers of ramen around him and he shifted, awake.
Leaning back and stretching against the tree he had fallen asleep on, Inuyasha took in a deep breath of midsummer air and nearly choked. 'No way,' he thought. 'No fucking way.'
He stood up silently, subconsciously not wanting to wake the others. Quickly, he did a head count.
Two missing. 'Two missing, two missing, two missing,' the thought danced round Inuyashas head. 'Oh dear gods, please don't let that be what I think that is," he thought, panicky.
Tentatively, he sniffed the air again. There was simply no way to deny it. And Inuyasha was a pro at denial. The smell was too fresh, too strong for him to doubt or deny it. It lingered in the air, plain as black and white.
'So,' he thought. 'I see Miroku and Sango have had a good romp.'
Wincing at the very thought, Inuyasha returned to his sleeping place to think. What did this mean exactly?
Most obviously, Miroku and Sango were mates now. Pure and simple. But how would this change things? Would they abandon Inuyasha and his cause? Inuyasha tried to push the doubt from his mind. 'Not now,' he thought. 'I'll deal with it when they come back.'
Forcing his mind onto other things, Inuyasha looked over at Kagome. Fighting the desire to move closer to her sleeping form, he absently thought 'I wonder what it would be like to be inside of her..."
Blushing deeply, he shook the thought away. 'Think about the shards of the Shikon Jewel,' he commanded himself. 'Think of killing Naraku. Anything but Miroku and Sango and especially Kagome!'
While Inuyasha was fighting between his thoughts of abandonment, and his hentai thoughts Sango and Miroku were stirring in the clearing.
Yawning, Sango stretched and sat up. "Wake up Miroku," she said.
Miroku, grumbling, turned over and tried to pull Sango back down to bed. Smiling, Sango leaned down and kissed him lightly under one ear. "Get up Miroku, we have to get back to Inuyasha and the others."
"No, I don wanna," he garbled, trying to pull her down again.
"Well you can sleep, I'm leaving."
"Aagh," he protested, sitting up and muttering obscenities under his breath. "I'm up," he growled.
"Congratulations," Sango said sarcastically, already half dressed.
Fumbling with his own clothes Miroku paused at several intervals to kiss Sango and to try to lure her back to bed. Resisting his advances, pleasurable though they were, at every turn, Sango rose to her feet and waited for him to be completely prepared.
Drawing his hair back into a ponytail, Miroku asked, "What are we going to tell the others?"
Sango sighed. "I don't know. Inuyasha may know already."
"How—Oh, he can smell that can he?" After an assenting nod from Sango, Miroku imagined what it might be like to smell the aftereffects of sex. Grinning at the mere thought he followed Sango back to the other seekers of the sacred jewel.
Entering the other clearing to find a very stressed out Inuyasha, Miroku greeted him jovially. "Good morning Inuyasha!"
"It don't suppose it was as good as the night was it?" Inuyasha growled.
Pink appeared around Sango's face. Miroku's smile broadened. "Well, no," he agreed.
Inuyasha turned completely to face them. "So now what?" He asked, his voice still irritable. "You staying or what? Shall Sango become the mother of your children and shall you become a monogamous good person who practices only with the purest of intentions?"
Miroku arched an eyebrow. "Inuyasha, I hardly think sleeping with Sango is going to have any effect on how I practice my, erm, work."
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "So you're still going to be a con man eh?"
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
Inuyasha sputtered to his feet, shooting out incoherent words, in the process waking up Kagome, Sota, Shippo and Myoga.
Gathering around Inuyasha, the others yawned, three of them pretending they didn't know what had happened between Sango and Miroku.
"Whatcha screaming about Inuyasha?" Kagome asked through a yawn.
Inuyasha pointed a clawed finger. "They—He—When—"
Kagome arched an eyebrow. "What are you so upset about?"
Lowering his voice, he hissed, "They're ~lovers~ now."
Kagome blinked, then turned slowly to Miroku and Sango. "Ah—"
Turning back to Inuyasha Kagome asked, "So what's the problem?"
"The problem! The problem! They're leaving!"
"You're leaving?" Kagome asked Miroku and Sango.
"We never said that Inuyasha," Sango assured.
Narrowing her eyes Kagome growled, "You've jumped to conclusions again haven't you?"
Inuyasha scrunched up his face, angry, his face painfully red. He mumbled, "Most lovers leave their pack..."
Kagome felt a pang of guilt for reacting so sharply. He associated this sort of movement with his demon side. Shifting the awkward subject Kagome asked, "Where are we heading to today?"
"Higher in the mountains," Inuyasha growled as he turned to gather his sword from where he'd left it.
As Sango, Miroku and Kagome headed to gather their respective belongings Shippo, Sota and Myoga shot congratulatory grins at each other.
Again, their search was a bare one. There was not a trace of the sacred jewel in the mountains and by midday, feeling moody and dispirited Inuyasha abruptly set up camp and set out into the surrounding wood to work off his anger.
The others were nevertheless to say, surprised. Inuyasha never gave up the hunt for the sacred jewel until well after dusk, unless there had been battles and everyone needed rest.
The area he had left them in was a beautiful one. Lush plants surrounded them and there was a small waterfall they had noted as they were walking shortly away from them.
Kagome, feeling downtrodden herself, settled down to work on some schoolwork. Shippo came up to her and they sat in companionable silence.
Miroku, eager to have an opportunity to make love to Sango again, worked on moving her to another area, away from the others. Sango, however, resisted his advances.
"Miroku," she said as he gently kissed her neck. "I'm worried about Kagome and Inuyasha, we should stay."
"Oh they'll be fine," Miroku breathed onto her neck.
Sighing and moving further away from Miroku, Sango stayed firm. "Not now Miroku."
Dejected, Miroku relaxed against a tree. "Why do you think Inu---"
Sota and Myoga had moved to join Miroku and Sango.
"Hello Sota, Myoga," Sango greeted.
"Hello," Sota bowed his head at each of them.
"Sango, Miroku I wanted to ask---"
"Yes, I have something to ask as well," Miroku said. "Did you orchestrate," he waved his hand, searching for the right word. "The ah, activity, last night?"
"Everything but the bugs," Sota proudly said, before Myoga could get a word in edgewise.
"Not mad are you?" Myoga asked, prepared to spring away. Noticing this, Sota turned to his shoulder. "You really are a coward aren't you?"
Myoga burnt red. Miroku laughed. "No and I'll thank you for your assistance, but don't ever do anything like that again. Like we're not perfectly capable---"Stopping short, Miroku considered himself. "Never mind."
Sango laughed. "What brings you two over here?" she asked.
"We were wondering," Myoga started, clearing his throat and trying to save face. "If you would help us in another matchmaking."
"Another matchmaking?" Sango raised an eyebrow.
"Inuyasha and Kagome you mean," said Miroku.
"Correct," Myoga intoned, his feet bouncing on and off Sota's shoulder. "Will you help us?"
Sango and Miroku looked at each other for a brief second, then turned back to Sota and the nearly invisible Myoga. "We'll help," Sango agreed.
"Great!" Sota exclaimed, ecstatic.
"Now here's what we need you to do..."
~*~
Several hours later, the group of Sango, Miroku, and Myoga met again. Shippo and Sota had taken to their duty of entertaining Kagome quite nicely.
"Found him," Miroku said in a whisper. "About an hour ago. He didn't go very far. He's by that waterfall we saw when we were coming up."
"That place will look lovely by moonlight. We couldn't have picked a better location," said Sango.
"Yes, I was hoping to lure him there regardless," Myoga put in. "Okay, while you," he indicated Sango, "Talk to Kagome, Miroku will place these," he held up several long stems, "Around the waterfall. And don't forget to light them!"
Miroku took the stems. "These are the sensory enhancers right?"
"Yep, one whiff perks up all a demons senses. So you'll only need to make sure he gets in on good breath. Stand there for about a minute."
"Got it," and Miroku headed off to complete his task.
"Go to it Sango," Myoga said quietly. He hopped from her shoulder to a tree branch, where he could see the entirety of the clearing.
Perfectly to plan, Shippo changed into a huge butterfly. "Ooh," Sota gushed, perhaps overly dramatic, Sango thought. "What else can you turn into?"
Seemingly delighted at the attention Shippo skipped about, changing into an assortment of different things. Sango smiled at Kagome and they exchanged a knowing glance. Sango sat beside Kagome, both of them grinning absently at the two children.
"Inuyasha," Sango began and Kagome flinched. "He's been acting strangely."
"Mm," Kagome said absently.
Sango let her eyes drift to Kagome. "He's by the waterfall, if you want to see him."
"Why would I want to see that arrogant---"She paused. No use in denying it.
Kagome sighed deeply. "I love him, and yet I hate him for hurting me."
"I understand."
Kagome looked at Sango blankly. Sango used to understand. She didn't anymore. She had gotten Miroku. Now Kagome was alone in her plight.
Sango smiled. "You should go to him. Say what it is you need to say, or say nothing at all. But you should go to him."
Kagome pulled at the fabric of her short skirt. "Do you really think I should?"
"Yes," Sango said softly, insistently. "He needs your love, your attention. Whether he wants it or not."
Kagome smiled at that and rose to her feet, drifting out of the clearing, not really thinking of anything but Inuyasha by moonlight. It was really a pity that she would never make it more than ten steps into the woods between the clearing and the waterfall.
~*~
Jaken, in the spirit of Lord Sesshomaru, had beaten a great ugly brute demon into submission. Then, he had ordered the demon to do his biding. Feeling quite proud of himself, Jaken had hummed a happy little song, quite enjoying the new power.
'Mayhap I should be promoted from servant to master,' Jaken thought arrogantly. Of course he would never dare it. The repercussions would be immediate death, which allowed Jaken his fantasies, but never the right to take action of them.
The demon had sized that wretched human girl swiftly and silently. Perfectly. Which meant of course that the demon was going to screw up later. So, Jaken terminated him. Swiftly, silently and perfectly. That should have clued him in that his plan was about to fall apart.
He had only taken her a short way from the waterfall and the clearing, waiting for the other demon he had under his control to do its part of the job. Its job, was to let that fool Inuyasha know that Kagome had been captured. And that calling on anyone else for help would result in her immediate death. Jaken had really liked the sound of that when he had thought it up.
The plan was doomed to fail before it was even completely formulated. After all, Jaken was a lackey. And if his masters attempts to thwart Inuyasha were unsuccessful what were the odds for Jaken?
Still, he persisted in baiting Inuyasha with the one thing that could make him loose his control. Perhaps Jaken thought that in Inuyasha's rage he'd be able to get a few good shots in, a few verbal jabs here and there.
Alas, Jaken was sadly mistaken. For he forgot to take yet another thing into account: Kagome.
The second the demon informed Inuyasha of Kagome's predicament, Inuyasha slashed the demon in two then raced off to rescue Kagome. But, as it turned out, Kagome was in no need of rescue.
As Jaken had killed the demon who had captured her, Kagome took the opportunity to grab a rather large, hefty tree branch, and begin to beat Jaken senseless. Jaken was in the middle of begging for mercy when Inuyasha arrived.
Somewhat surprised at the situation Inuyasha came to a sharp stop in front of Kagome and Jaken. He had been completely prepared to rip Jaken limb from limb, but now, seeing him being tortured by a human girl, Inuyasha let pity wash over him and ended the fray by kicked Jaken into the distant woods and yelling "Don't ever pull some stupid stunt like that again you mangy little shit!"
Anxiously, he looked over Kagome. Just because she had gotten the upper hand, didn't mean she couldn't be hurt. "Are you okay?" He asked gruffly.
Kagome nodded, dazed somewhat. "Why didn't the others help you?" She heard Inuyasha ask. "Are they—"
"No," Kagome said. "I was going to see you. That big demon got me from behind and dragged me away. When Jaken was killing it I got this," she held up the tree branch. "And just started hitting him with it."
Inuyasha couldn't help but smile. The glimmering thought of Kagome doing the same thing to Sesshomaru only broadened it. A quick reflection on Kagome's words though, had the smile fall and brought Inuyasha to ask, "You wanted to see me?"
Kagome looked at her shoes sheepishly. "Yeah, I wanted to, erm, talk to you."
Inuyasha put his hands on his hips. "About what?" He growled.
"Can we talk back by the waterfall? It's creepy in here," she rubbed her arm lightly as she talked.
"Yeah sure," Inuyasha turned sharply, Kagome falling in behind him. "Wait," he said suddenly, slowing down as the waterfall came into sight. "How did you know I was here before?"
Kagome smiled. "You just told me."
Inuyasha scowled and sat cross-legged on the grassy bank near where the short waterfall streamed its water. "What is it you want?"
Kagome sighed. Just as she was about to say some lame excuse, the truth poured out of her. "I want to talk about us."
"What about us?" Another irritated tone.
Kagome sat next to Inuyasha. "I," she said softly. "Um, I..."
Inuyasha turned to her, his face blank of all emotion. "Get out with it!"
Flustered Kagome said angrily, "I'm in love with you, you idiot!"
Inuyasha blanched. "WHAT?"
Taking a breath to calm herself, Kagome said more softly, "I'm in love with you."
Inuyasha turned away again. After a long pause he asked, "What do you want with me?"
"Whatever you're willing to give me of yourself."
Inuyasha was silent for a long while after Kagome's declaration. The rush of the waterfall, the chirping of the crickets and the sounds of the early night were the only sounds that pervaded the area.
Inuyasha's mind however, was noisy with thought. Immediately he doubted Kagome's love, and with that doubt came the rejection of it, of her. But there was that darker nagging side to him that pushed him to admit to her that he did love her, that he would give all of himself to her.
And then there was the constant, nagging buzz of his nose, telling him how good she smelled. Her scent seemed to have intensified which made Inuyasha suspicious. Immediately he felt there had been foul play. Was it Jaken's doing? No, this was more Myoga's style. Internally, he twisted in rage. Why did the whole world have to get on his case?
To his chagrin, he realized that all of his other senses seemed to have been enhanced as well. For a while he stewed in his rage and then a great and powerful feeling overtook him and he faced Kagome once more.
She only caught a glimmer of his silver hair before he moved to her and in a swift and fleeting motion, captured his lips with hers.
"Inu—Inuyasha," she stammered, touching her fingers to her lips.
Now free from the emotion that had possessed him, Inuyasha flushed. Finding no words to explain himself, Inuyasha drew his gaze to the ground. 'Why in the hell did I do a fool thing like that? Now she's going to think I like her...But that's the problem isn't it? You don't like her, you love her. Not because she is a substitute to Kikyo, but because she makes you happy, and despite what you say, you like being happy. And she loves you. So what is the problem? Hm? Coward.'
Inuyasha had had it. It was bad enough that he was talking to himself, but being called a coward, by anyone, even himself, set him on edge. And of course there was that nagging push of those three little words that threatened to spill out of him whenever he saw her. It was too much for him to take.
"I will give you all of me."
"Wh-what?" Kagome stammered.
Inuyasha looked deep into her eyes and repeated himself, "To what you said before. I will give you all of me."
Kagome's eyes widened in shock and wonderful understanding. Happily she embraced him and murmured, "Oh Inuyasha I love you!"
"I," he gasped to get the words out. "I—I—Iloveyou," he said it very quickly, praying to every god he had ever heard of that she understood.
She pulled away from him, her eyes filled with tears, her face alight with happiness.
He groaned. "Now don't cry!"
She laughed and wiped at the rims of her eyes. "Sorry, it's just that I always hoped to hear that from you," Kagome beamed at him.
He blushed and turned away only to feel her lips on his again, only this time, it was she who had initiated the contact. Wanting to take his time, he kissed her back slowly, daring to push the envelope further by probing his tongue into her mouth. She received this quite well, and brought her hands into his hair. Cautiously, Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome's waits and pulled her slightly closer to him. Soon, they were making out passionately, with no other thoughts but each other.
After a while, Kagome shifted herself even closer to Inuyasha, so she was on his lap. When she settled down she felt the hardness of his erection. He pushed her away automatically, breathing heavily.
"Are we...do you?" He couldn't phrase himself right. His entire body was alive with sensations. He longed to rid himself of his cumbersome clothing. Her clothing was becoming a nuisance as well.
Kagome could only nod. She wanted this as badly as Inuyasha did.
Nerves fluttered through Inuyasha. He was a virgin after all. And the greater bit of pressure ~did~ fall to him. Anxiously, trying to recall everything he'd heard Miroku say about what pleased women he slowly pulled her school blouse off. She shivered as the air brushed across her skin. Inuyasha paused to scowl at her bra. He tugged upward on it, but this caused Kagome to let out a noise of pain. Loosing his confidence in that noise, he backed away, ashamed. But Kagome simply smiled and undid the bra for him, and let it fall to the side.
Inuyasha felt his breath catch in his throat. Heat rose rapidly in his face and without thinking he moved to touch her. He drew the pads of his fingers across her sensitive flesh. Kagome let out a shivering sound.
Tentatively, Inuyasha began to stroke Kagome's breast. Pleased with the happy sounds resonating from Kagome Inuyasha decided to push his luck. In a swift move he brought his mouth down to the tip of her breast and flicked the nub with his tongue.
Kagome moaned deeply. Inuyasha moved back to evaluate her. She had her head thrown back and her face was pink with pleasure. Inuyasha felt a sort of pride in having done this to her. Moving back down, Inuyasha toyed with her breasts. Each moan and whimper made him smile slyly against her skin.
Eventually, he pulled away and started pulling at her skirt. It came off easily, revealing another layer beneath it. Growling in annoyance, he removed the second layer as well.
Nerves fluttered through his body as he laid her down and spread her legs. There was a pause of movement, where Kagome almost felt alone. Wondering at the sensation, she lifted her head only to throw it back down again as Inuyashas tongue fluttered between her legs.
Moaning deeply Kagome settled into the sensation of Inuyasha carefully moving his tongue in her. He licked and nipped at her most sensitive area, eliciting high pitch moans from Kagome.
She bucked against his head as Inuyasha thoroughly enjoyed the combined sensory pleasure of her smell, her taste, the sounds of her moans, the feel of her silky thighs around him and sight of her writhing under what ~he~ was doing.
Kagome came thrashing against him. He watched her as her breathing evened out, wondering how he'd been able to wait so long to admit his love to her.
Without warning, she grabbed his hips and pulled him against her, kissing him deeply, expressing every deep felt emotion, that before this moment, they had been too afraid to say.
With little difficulty Kagome removed Inuyashas clothing. Blushing at the exposure of his form, Kagome let her fingers dance over his strong skin. Inuyasha's voice trebled in a deep, pleasurable way as Kagome's fingers dragged over his chest, brushing against his nipples. He let out a gasping moan as Kagome's hands fell from his stomach to his manhood. He bucked involuntarily at the touch.
Kagome paused and Inuyasha moved for her, pinning her to the ground. Breathing heavily, he looked into her eyes. Without needing any sort of communication, Kagome opened her legs for Inuyasha.
He straddled her hips and assessed her features nervously, his heart beating rapidly in the hollow of his chest. Kagome smiled reassuringly and with only a seconds hesitation, he pushed himself inside of her.
Kagome clenched her hands into fists and let out a gasp of pain. Startled, Inuyasha looked at her, afraid for her and ashamed at having caused her pain. "Kagome," he said, an edge of panic to his voice. "Kagome!"
"I'm fine Inuyasha," Kagome said between breaths.
"But—"
"I'm ~fine~ Inuyasha."
He moved his mouth soundlessly, unable to articulate. Kagome, had shifted her hips to show that she was fine, and in doing so, had sent a shockwave of pleasure through Inuyasha.
Inuyasha leaned further over Kagome, noticing how every shift of their bodies sent a sort of quivering heat through him. He breathed in her scent deeply, kissing her neck as he started to thrust.
Kagome gasped in the pleasure of being under him, of being with him. Inuyasha moaned blissfully, his mind lost to the feeling of being inside of her. With one final pushing motion, he buried himself inside of her and came.
Inuyasha then moved from on top of her, feeling weak legged and pulled her into his arms. She snuggled into him feeling quite elated.
Running random thoughts through his mind, Inuyasha found a sort of wrinkle in the fabric of his mind. With a start he said, "That's what they were talking about!"
"Hm?" Kagome asked, absently kissing Inuyasha's neck.
"I heard your brother, Shippo and Myoga whispering about something a few nights ago. They planned us getting together. Probably Sango and Miroku getting together too! And Sango and Miroku were in it!"
"You think?"
"I know it! Those lousy good for nothing—"
Kagome smiled. "Hey, it wasn't an entirely bad thing was it? I mean, we're together now."
Inuyasha paused. "So I don't get to say anything?"
Kagome laughed. "Only if you really want to. But don't be mean."
"I won't," he grumbled, already half-resigned to not saying anything at all. He looked at Kagome, ready to fall asleep against his chest, and smiled brightly.
Nope. He wasn't going to say anything.
~*~
Jaken grumbled through all matter of forest to a hot spring. Stumbling into it he let the warm water soothe his broken body. "Stupid humans, stupid hanyous, stupid girls," he mumbled, not feeling quite as superior as he had a while ago. This revenge business was tough.
Blankly, he started up at the moon. "Oh that I would marry a moon maid," he sighed. Resigned to his mundane time off, and to his hopeless whispers about moon maidens, Jaken glanced around the hot spring.
These things really were convenient.
~*~
"THE JEWEL SHARD IS IN HIS HAND!"
Smirking, Inuyasha severed the demons hand from its body and pulled a jewel shard from the mass of flesh. Then he delivered the final blow, clutching the jewel shard tight.
Things were back to normal, well as normal as you can get for the seekers of the sacred jewel. The day Inuyasha and Kagome had rejoined the group as lovers, Sota, Shippo and Myoga had a triumphant look about them, but did nothing to voice said triumph.
Sota was back in the present, and Myoga had scampered off to parts unknown. The rest of the group had settled back into their equilibrium, the only minor change being that most of them were now lovers.
There were no words spoken about the nights in which the love was first consummated. Nor was anything said when a few people disappeared for a few hours in the night.
But Inuyasha, perhaps because time went more quickly for him, felt it wouldn't be that far down the road before four people would sit around a midsummer fire and whisper and plot.
They would come up with one crazy scheme after another, before settling on one that would have the possibility of working. They would set it into motion and it wouldn't go according to plan, but the result would be the desired one. Inuyasha supposed that's how love was going to be admitted if you belonged in his pack.
Smiling, he thought of the look on Shippo's face when that actually happened. The smile would intensify when he thought of Kagome and the midsummer magic (and plotting!) that had brought them together. It seemed like a dream now.
For reflected in the love of Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango, would always be, a midsummer night's dream.
~*~
Aw, how lovely dovey was that? Well folks it's over now. It only took me five months to write this damn thing. Again, hoping you enjoyed it, the ride is over, please take your belongings with you exit the area. ^_~ Bon voyage. But I'll be back...mwahahahahaha!
It's the last chapter, this is your last chance to make me happy: READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!!!
A southern wind ruffled a hanyous hair.
The wind shifted the empty containers of ramen around him and he shifted, awake.
Leaning back and stretching against the tree he had fallen asleep on, Inuyasha took in a deep breath of midsummer air and nearly choked. 'No way,' he thought. 'No fucking way.'
He stood up silently, subconsciously not wanting to wake the others. Quickly, he did a head count.
Two missing. 'Two missing, two missing, two missing,' the thought danced round Inuyashas head. 'Oh dear gods, please don't let that be what I think that is," he thought, panicky.
Tentatively, he sniffed the air again. There was simply no way to deny it. And Inuyasha was a pro at denial. The smell was too fresh, too strong for him to doubt or deny it. It lingered in the air, plain as black and white.
'So,' he thought. 'I see Miroku and Sango have had a good romp.'
Wincing at the very thought, Inuyasha returned to his sleeping place to think. What did this mean exactly?
Most obviously, Miroku and Sango were mates now. Pure and simple. But how would this change things? Would they abandon Inuyasha and his cause? Inuyasha tried to push the doubt from his mind. 'Not now,' he thought. 'I'll deal with it when they come back.'
Forcing his mind onto other things, Inuyasha looked over at Kagome. Fighting the desire to move closer to her sleeping form, he absently thought 'I wonder what it would be like to be inside of her..."
Blushing deeply, he shook the thought away. 'Think about the shards of the Shikon Jewel,' he commanded himself. 'Think of killing Naraku. Anything but Miroku and Sango and especially Kagome!'
While Inuyasha was fighting between his thoughts of abandonment, and his hentai thoughts Sango and Miroku were stirring in the clearing.
Yawning, Sango stretched and sat up. "Wake up Miroku," she said.
Miroku, grumbling, turned over and tried to pull Sango back down to bed. Smiling, Sango leaned down and kissed him lightly under one ear. "Get up Miroku, we have to get back to Inuyasha and the others."
"No, I don wanna," he garbled, trying to pull her down again.
"Well you can sleep, I'm leaving."
"Aagh," he protested, sitting up and muttering obscenities under his breath. "I'm up," he growled.
"Congratulations," Sango said sarcastically, already half dressed.
Fumbling with his own clothes Miroku paused at several intervals to kiss Sango and to try to lure her back to bed. Resisting his advances, pleasurable though they were, at every turn, Sango rose to her feet and waited for him to be completely prepared.
Drawing his hair back into a ponytail, Miroku asked, "What are we going to tell the others?"
Sango sighed. "I don't know. Inuyasha may know already."
"How—Oh, he can smell that can he?" After an assenting nod from Sango, Miroku imagined what it might be like to smell the aftereffects of sex. Grinning at the mere thought he followed Sango back to the other seekers of the sacred jewel.
Entering the other clearing to find a very stressed out Inuyasha, Miroku greeted him jovially. "Good morning Inuyasha!"
"It don't suppose it was as good as the night was it?" Inuyasha growled.
Pink appeared around Sango's face. Miroku's smile broadened. "Well, no," he agreed.
Inuyasha turned completely to face them. "So now what?" He asked, his voice still irritable. "You staying or what? Shall Sango become the mother of your children and shall you become a monogamous good person who practices only with the purest of intentions?"
Miroku arched an eyebrow. "Inuyasha, I hardly think sleeping with Sango is going to have any effect on how I practice my, erm, work."
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "So you're still going to be a con man eh?"
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
Inuyasha sputtered to his feet, shooting out incoherent words, in the process waking up Kagome, Sota, Shippo and Myoga.
Gathering around Inuyasha, the others yawned, three of them pretending they didn't know what had happened between Sango and Miroku.
"Whatcha screaming about Inuyasha?" Kagome asked through a yawn.
Inuyasha pointed a clawed finger. "They—He—When—"
Kagome arched an eyebrow. "What are you so upset about?"
Lowering his voice, he hissed, "They're ~lovers~ now."
Kagome blinked, then turned slowly to Miroku and Sango. "Ah—"
Turning back to Inuyasha Kagome asked, "So what's the problem?"
"The problem! The problem! They're leaving!"
"You're leaving?" Kagome asked Miroku and Sango.
"We never said that Inuyasha," Sango assured.
Narrowing her eyes Kagome growled, "You've jumped to conclusions again haven't you?"
Inuyasha scrunched up his face, angry, his face painfully red. He mumbled, "Most lovers leave their pack..."
Kagome felt a pang of guilt for reacting so sharply. He associated this sort of movement with his demon side. Shifting the awkward subject Kagome asked, "Where are we heading to today?"
"Higher in the mountains," Inuyasha growled as he turned to gather his sword from where he'd left it.
As Sango, Miroku and Kagome headed to gather their respective belongings Shippo, Sota and Myoga shot congratulatory grins at each other.
Again, their search was a bare one. There was not a trace of the sacred jewel in the mountains and by midday, feeling moody and dispirited Inuyasha abruptly set up camp and set out into the surrounding wood to work off his anger.
The others were nevertheless to say, surprised. Inuyasha never gave up the hunt for the sacred jewel until well after dusk, unless there had been battles and everyone needed rest.
The area he had left them in was a beautiful one. Lush plants surrounded them and there was a small waterfall they had noted as they were walking shortly away from them.
Kagome, feeling downtrodden herself, settled down to work on some schoolwork. Shippo came up to her and they sat in companionable silence.
Miroku, eager to have an opportunity to make love to Sango again, worked on moving her to another area, away from the others. Sango, however, resisted his advances.
"Miroku," she said as he gently kissed her neck. "I'm worried about Kagome and Inuyasha, we should stay."
"Oh they'll be fine," Miroku breathed onto her neck.
Sighing and moving further away from Miroku, Sango stayed firm. "Not now Miroku."
Dejected, Miroku relaxed against a tree. "Why do you think Inu---"
Sota and Myoga had moved to join Miroku and Sango.
"Hello Sota, Myoga," Sango greeted.
"Hello," Sota bowed his head at each of them.
"Sango, Miroku I wanted to ask---"
"Yes, I have something to ask as well," Miroku said. "Did you orchestrate," he waved his hand, searching for the right word. "The ah, activity, last night?"
"Everything but the bugs," Sota proudly said, before Myoga could get a word in edgewise.
"Not mad are you?" Myoga asked, prepared to spring away. Noticing this, Sota turned to his shoulder. "You really are a coward aren't you?"
Myoga burnt red. Miroku laughed. "No and I'll thank you for your assistance, but don't ever do anything like that again. Like we're not perfectly capable---"Stopping short, Miroku considered himself. "Never mind."
Sango laughed. "What brings you two over here?" she asked.
"We were wondering," Myoga started, clearing his throat and trying to save face. "If you would help us in another matchmaking."
"Another matchmaking?" Sango raised an eyebrow.
"Inuyasha and Kagome you mean," said Miroku.
"Correct," Myoga intoned, his feet bouncing on and off Sota's shoulder. "Will you help us?"
Sango and Miroku looked at each other for a brief second, then turned back to Sota and the nearly invisible Myoga. "We'll help," Sango agreed.
"Great!" Sota exclaimed, ecstatic.
"Now here's what we need you to do..."
~*~
Several hours later, the group of Sango, Miroku, and Myoga met again. Shippo and Sota had taken to their duty of entertaining Kagome quite nicely.
"Found him," Miroku said in a whisper. "About an hour ago. He didn't go very far. He's by that waterfall we saw when we were coming up."
"That place will look lovely by moonlight. We couldn't have picked a better location," said Sango.
"Yes, I was hoping to lure him there regardless," Myoga put in. "Okay, while you," he indicated Sango, "Talk to Kagome, Miroku will place these," he held up several long stems, "Around the waterfall. And don't forget to light them!"
Miroku took the stems. "These are the sensory enhancers right?"
"Yep, one whiff perks up all a demons senses. So you'll only need to make sure he gets in on good breath. Stand there for about a minute."
"Got it," and Miroku headed off to complete his task.
"Go to it Sango," Myoga said quietly. He hopped from her shoulder to a tree branch, where he could see the entirety of the clearing.
Perfectly to plan, Shippo changed into a huge butterfly. "Ooh," Sota gushed, perhaps overly dramatic, Sango thought. "What else can you turn into?"
Seemingly delighted at the attention Shippo skipped about, changing into an assortment of different things. Sango smiled at Kagome and they exchanged a knowing glance. Sango sat beside Kagome, both of them grinning absently at the two children.
"Inuyasha," Sango began and Kagome flinched. "He's been acting strangely."
"Mm," Kagome said absently.
Sango let her eyes drift to Kagome. "He's by the waterfall, if you want to see him."
"Why would I want to see that arrogant---"She paused. No use in denying it.
Kagome sighed deeply. "I love him, and yet I hate him for hurting me."
"I understand."
Kagome looked at Sango blankly. Sango used to understand. She didn't anymore. She had gotten Miroku. Now Kagome was alone in her plight.
Sango smiled. "You should go to him. Say what it is you need to say, or say nothing at all. But you should go to him."
Kagome pulled at the fabric of her short skirt. "Do you really think I should?"
"Yes," Sango said softly, insistently. "He needs your love, your attention. Whether he wants it or not."
Kagome smiled at that and rose to her feet, drifting out of the clearing, not really thinking of anything but Inuyasha by moonlight. It was really a pity that she would never make it more than ten steps into the woods between the clearing and the waterfall.
~*~
Jaken, in the spirit of Lord Sesshomaru, had beaten a great ugly brute demon into submission. Then, he had ordered the demon to do his biding. Feeling quite proud of himself, Jaken had hummed a happy little song, quite enjoying the new power.
'Mayhap I should be promoted from servant to master,' Jaken thought arrogantly. Of course he would never dare it. The repercussions would be immediate death, which allowed Jaken his fantasies, but never the right to take action of them.
The demon had sized that wretched human girl swiftly and silently. Perfectly. Which meant of course that the demon was going to screw up later. So, Jaken terminated him. Swiftly, silently and perfectly. That should have clued him in that his plan was about to fall apart.
He had only taken her a short way from the waterfall and the clearing, waiting for the other demon he had under his control to do its part of the job. Its job, was to let that fool Inuyasha know that Kagome had been captured. And that calling on anyone else for help would result in her immediate death. Jaken had really liked the sound of that when he had thought it up.
The plan was doomed to fail before it was even completely formulated. After all, Jaken was a lackey. And if his masters attempts to thwart Inuyasha were unsuccessful what were the odds for Jaken?
Still, he persisted in baiting Inuyasha with the one thing that could make him loose his control. Perhaps Jaken thought that in Inuyasha's rage he'd be able to get a few good shots in, a few verbal jabs here and there.
Alas, Jaken was sadly mistaken. For he forgot to take yet another thing into account: Kagome.
The second the demon informed Inuyasha of Kagome's predicament, Inuyasha slashed the demon in two then raced off to rescue Kagome. But, as it turned out, Kagome was in no need of rescue.
As Jaken had killed the demon who had captured her, Kagome took the opportunity to grab a rather large, hefty tree branch, and begin to beat Jaken senseless. Jaken was in the middle of begging for mercy when Inuyasha arrived.
Somewhat surprised at the situation Inuyasha came to a sharp stop in front of Kagome and Jaken. He had been completely prepared to rip Jaken limb from limb, but now, seeing him being tortured by a human girl, Inuyasha let pity wash over him and ended the fray by kicked Jaken into the distant woods and yelling "Don't ever pull some stupid stunt like that again you mangy little shit!"
Anxiously, he looked over Kagome. Just because she had gotten the upper hand, didn't mean she couldn't be hurt. "Are you okay?" He asked gruffly.
Kagome nodded, dazed somewhat. "Why didn't the others help you?" She heard Inuyasha ask. "Are they—"
"No," Kagome said. "I was going to see you. That big demon got me from behind and dragged me away. When Jaken was killing it I got this," she held up the tree branch. "And just started hitting him with it."
Inuyasha couldn't help but smile. The glimmering thought of Kagome doing the same thing to Sesshomaru only broadened it. A quick reflection on Kagome's words though, had the smile fall and brought Inuyasha to ask, "You wanted to see me?"
Kagome looked at her shoes sheepishly. "Yeah, I wanted to, erm, talk to you."
Inuyasha put his hands on his hips. "About what?" He growled.
"Can we talk back by the waterfall? It's creepy in here," she rubbed her arm lightly as she talked.
"Yeah sure," Inuyasha turned sharply, Kagome falling in behind him. "Wait," he said suddenly, slowing down as the waterfall came into sight. "How did you know I was here before?"
Kagome smiled. "You just told me."
Inuyasha scowled and sat cross-legged on the grassy bank near where the short waterfall streamed its water. "What is it you want?"
Kagome sighed. Just as she was about to say some lame excuse, the truth poured out of her. "I want to talk about us."
"What about us?" Another irritated tone.
Kagome sat next to Inuyasha. "I," she said softly. "Um, I..."
Inuyasha turned to her, his face blank of all emotion. "Get out with it!"
Flustered Kagome said angrily, "I'm in love with you, you idiot!"
Inuyasha blanched. "WHAT?"
Taking a breath to calm herself, Kagome said more softly, "I'm in love with you."
Inuyasha turned away again. After a long pause he asked, "What do you want with me?"
"Whatever you're willing to give me of yourself."
Inuyasha was silent for a long while after Kagome's declaration. The rush of the waterfall, the chirping of the crickets and the sounds of the early night were the only sounds that pervaded the area.
Inuyasha's mind however, was noisy with thought. Immediately he doubted Kagome's love, and with that doubt came the rejection of it, of her. But there was that darker nagging side to him that pushed him to admit to her that he did love her, that he would give all of himself to her.
And then there was the constant, nagging buzz of his nose, telling him how good she smelled. Her scent seemed to have intensified which made Inuyasha suspicious. Immediately he felt there had been foul play. Was it Jaken's doing? No, this was more Myoga's style. Internally, he twisted in rage. Why did the whole world have to get on his case?
To his chagrin, he realized that all of his other senses seemed to have been enhanced as well. For a while he stewed in his rage and then a great and powerful feeling overtook him and he faced Kagome once more.
She only caught a glimmer of his silver hair before he moved to her and in a swift and fleeting motion, captured his lips with hers.
"Inu—Inuyasha," she stammered, touching her fingers to her lips.
Now free from the emotion that had possessed him, Inuyasha flushed. Finding no words to explain himself, Inuyasha drew his gaze to the ground. 'Why in the hell did I do a fool thing like that? Now she's going to think I like her...But that's the problem isn't it? You don't like her, you love her. Not because she is a substitute to Kikyo, but because she makes you happy, and despite what you say, you like being happy. And she loves you. So what is the problem? Hm? Coward.'
Inuyasha had had it. It was bad enough that he was talking to himself, but being called a coward, by anyone, even himself, set him on edge. And of course there was that nagging push of those three little words that threatened to spill out of him whenever he saw her. It was too much for him to take.
"I will give you all of me."
"Wh-what?" Kagome stammered.
Inuyasha looked deep into her eyes and repeated himself, "To what you said before. I will give you all of me."
Kagome's eyes widened in shock and wonderful understanding. Happily she embraced him and murmured, "Oh Inuyasha I love you!"
"I," he gasped to get the words out. "I—I—Iloveyou," he said it very quickly, praying to every god he had ever heard of that she understood.
She pulled away from him, her eyes filled with tears, her face alight with happiness.
He groaned. "Now don't cry!"
She laughed and wiped at the rims of her eyes. "Sorry, it's just that I always hoped to hear that from you," Kagome beamed at him.
He blushed and turned away only to feel her lips on his again, only this time, it was she who had initiated the contact. Wanting to take his time, he kissed her back slowly, daring to push the envelope further by probing his tongue into her mouth. She received this quite well, and brought her hands into his hair. Cautiously, Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome's waits and pulled her slightly closer to him. Soon, they were making out passionately, with no other thoughts but each other.
After a while, Kagome shifted herself even closer to Inuyasha, so she was on his lap. When she settled down she felt the hardness of his erection. He pushed her away automatically, breathing heavily.
"Are we...do you?" He couldn't phrase himself right. His entire body was alive with sensations. He longed to rid himself of his cumbersome clothing. Her clothing was becoming a nuisance as well.
Kagome could only nod. She wanted this as badly as Inuyasha did.
Nerves fluttered through Inuyasha. He was a virgin after all. And the greater bit of pressure ~did~ fall to him. Anxiously, trying to recall everything he'd heard Miroku say about what pleased women he slowly pulled her school blouse off. She shivered as the air brushed across her skin. Inuyasha paused to scowl at her bra. He tugged upward on it, but this caused Kagome to let out a noise of pain. Loosing his confidence in that noise, he backed away, ashamed. But Kagome simply smiled and undid the bra for him, and let it fall to the side.
Inuyasha felt his breath catch in his throat. Heat rose rapidly in his face and without thinking he moved to touch her. He drew the pads of his fingers across her sensitive flesh. Kagome let out a shivering sound.
Tentatively, Inuyasha began to stroke Kagome's breast. Pleased with the happy sounds resonating from Kagome Inuyasha decided to push his luck. In a swift move he brought his mouth down to the tip of her breast and flicked the nub with his tongue.
Kagome moaned deeply. Inuyasha moved back to evaluate her. She had her head thrown back and her face was pink with pleasure. Inuyasha felt a sort of pride in having done this to her. Moving back down, Inuyasha toyed with her breasts. Each moan and whimper made him smile slyly against her skin.
Eventually, he pulled away and started pulling at her skirt. It came off easily, revealing another layer beneath it. Growling in annoyance, he removed the second layer as well.
Nerves fluttered through his body as he laid her down and spread her legs. There was a pause of movement, where Kagome almost felt alone. Wondering at the sensation, she lifted her head only to throw it back down again as Inuyashas tongue fluttered between her legs.
Moaning deeply Kagome settled into the sensation of Inuyasha carefully moving his tongue in her. He licked and nipped at her most sensitive area, eliciting high pitch moans from Kagome.
She bucked against his head as Inuyasha thoroughly enjoyed the combined sensory pleasure of her smell, her taste, the sounds of her moans, the feel of her silky thighs around him and sight of her writhing under what ~he~ was doing.
Kagome came thrashing against him. He watched her as her breathing evened out, wondering how he'd been able to wait so long to admit his love to her.
Without warning, she grabbed his hips and pulled him against her, kissing him deeply, expressing every deep felt emotion, that before this moment, they had been too afraid to say.
With little difficulty Kagome removed Inuyashas clothing. Blushing at the exposure of his form, Kagome let her fingers dance over his strong skin. Inuyasha's voice trebled in a deep, pleasurable way as Kagome's fingers dragged over his chest, brushing against his nipples. He let out a gasping moan as Kagome's hands fell from his stomach to his manhood. He bucked involuntarily at the touch.
Kagome paused and Inuyasha moved for her, pinning her to the ground. Breathing heavily, he looked into her eyes. Without needing any sort of communication, Kagome opened her legs for Inuyasha.
He straddled her hips and assessed her features nervously, his heart beating rapidly in the hollow of his chest. Kagome smiled reassuringly and with only a seconds hesitation, he pushed himself inside of her.
Kagome clenched her hands into fists and let out a gasp of pain. Startled, Inuyasha looked at her, afraid for her and ashamed at having caused her pain. "Kagome," he said, an edge of panic to his voice. "Kagome!"
"I'm fine Inuyasha," Kagome said between breaths.
"But—"
"I'm ~fine~ Inuyasha."
He moved his mouth soundlessly, unable to articulate. Kagome, had shifted her hips to show that she was fine, and in doing so, had sent a shockwave of pleasure through Inuyasha.
Inuyasha leaned further over Kagome, noticing how every shift of their bodies sent a sort of quivering heat through him. He breathed in her scent deeply, kissing her neck as he started to thrust.
Kagome gasped in the pleasure of being under him, of being with him. Inuyasha moaned blissfully, his mind lost to the feeling of being inside of her. With one final pushing motion, he buried himself inside of her and came.
Inuyasha then moved from on top of her, feeling weak legged and pulled her into his arms. She snuggled into him feeling quite elated.
Running random thoughts through his mind, Inuyasha found a sort of wrinkle in the fabric of his mind. With a start he said, "That's what they were talking about!"
"Hm?" Kagome asked, absently kissing Inuyasha's neck.
"I heard your brother, Shippo and Myoga whispering about something a few nights ago. They planned us getting together. Probably Sango and Miroku getting together too! And Sango and Miroku were in it!"
"You think?"
"I know it! Those lousy good for nothing—"
Kagome smiled. "Hey, it wasn't an entirely bad thing was it? I mean, we're together now."
Inuyasha paused. "So I don't get to say anything?"
Kagome laughed. "Only if you really want to. But don't be mean."
"I won't," he grumbled, already half-resigned to not saying anything at all. He looked at Kagome, ready to fall asleep against his chest, and smiled brightly.
Nope. He wasn't going to say anything.
~*~
Jaken grumbled through all matter of forest to a hot spring. Stumbling into it he let the warm water soothe his broken body. "Stupid humans, stupid hanyous, stupid girls," he mumbled, not feeling quite as superior as he had a while ago. This revenge business was tough.
Blankly, he started up at the moon. "Oh that I would marry a moon maid," he sighed. Resigned to his mundane time off, and to his hopeless whispers about moon maidens, Jaken glanced around the hot spring.
These things really were convenient.
~*~
"THE JEWEL SHARD IS IN HIS HAND!"
Smirking, Inuyasha severed the demons hand from its body and pulled a jewel shard from the mass of flesh. Then he delivered the final blow, clutching the jewel shard tight.
Things were back to normal, well as normal as you can get for the seekers of the sacred jewel. The day Inuyasha and Kagome had rejoined the group as lovers, Sota, Shippo and Myoga had a triumphant look about them, but did nothing to voice said triumph.
Sota was back in the present, and Myoga had scampered off to parts unknown. The rest of the group had settled back into their equilibrium, the only minor change being that most of them were now lovers.
There were no words spoken about the nights in which the love was first consummated. Nor was anything said when a few people disappeared for a few hours in the night.
But Inuyasha, perhaps because time went more quickly for him, felt it wouldn't be that far down the road before four people would sit around a midsummer fire and whisper and plot.
They would come up with one crazy scheme after another, before settling on one that would have the possibility of working. They would set it into motion and it wouldn't go according to plan, but the result would be the desired one. Inuyasha supposed that's how love was going to be admitted if you belonged in his pack.
Smiling, he thought of the look on Shippo's face when that actually happened. The smile would intensify when he thought of Kagome and the midsummer magic (and plotting!) that had brought them together. It seemed like a dream now.
For reflected in the love of Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango, would always be, a midsummer night's dream.
~*~
Aw, how lovely dovey was that? Well folks it's over now. It only took me five months to write this damn thing. Again, hoping you enjoyed it, the ride is over, please take your belongings with you exit the area. ^_~ Bon voyage. But I'll be back...mwahahahahaha!
It's the last chapter, this is your last chance to make me happy: READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!!!