This was done on Wednesday night, but the story uploads portion of ff.net hasn't been letting me in! From now on, unless I explicitly say I'm not posting, you can expect a chapter a day. If I don't post, it's not me losing interest, just technical difficulties.

I decided there will be lime in this story. No lemon, though, since NC-17 isn't allowed on ff.net. For those of you who have problems with sexual situations, I'll warn you in advance but you won't have to read it to enjoy the story. Kinda like the cherry on a sundae -- good but not required :-) Personally I find it hard to believe that two people in love would be completely content to keep their hands off each other, especially when one is part demon, and to neglect that part of their interaction seems wrong. So if you prefer, you can skip it but I figure, why?

This one has minimal lime after Shippou is sent away (though it may be tame enough to call fluff). I was planning to bring the little kitsune back all along, so hopefully Amber and my other Shippou-loving readers will be happy with this chapter. On we go…

Chapter Thirteen

"Kagome!"

The young woman felt all the air rush from her lungs as the orange ball of fluff pounced on her chest, clinging so tight it was as though he were trying to meld with her.

"Shippou-chan!" She hugged the little kitsune to herself, nuzzling his cheek to her own. Looking up from her little bundle of love, Kagome glanced around the archery range. "How long have you been back?"

"Just got here," he answered her, giving her another squeeze before sliding down to stand on the ground. "Sango said she'd come to talk to you later. Something about… girl stuff?" At Kagome's light laughter, he raised an eyebrow and crossed his little arms. "Everyone sure is acting all strange and happy lately," he announced. "Why couldn't I come along sooner? Are you really going to be Inuyasha's mate?"

Nodding emphatically, Kagome knelt down before the little kitsune, wondering just what his own parents had explained to him about 'mating.' Truth be told, she knew very little herself about the specifics of the ritual. The last three days had kept Inuyasha quite busy with his new lordly duties and he seemed to be purposely keeping a safe distance from her.

"Hai, I will be Inuyasha's mate in two more days," she spoke.

A frightening idea popped into the fox demon's head. "Does that mean Inuyasha will be my new father?"

Kagome smiled. "I suppose it does, although I thought you already saw him that way?"

He grunted, acknowledging that despite their frequent scuffles, he did look up to the hanyou much as he had his own father. "Just don't tell him that," he agreed with a snort. Then he smiled brightly again. "That means I get to be at the ceremony!"

"Huh?"

Shippou was dancing around in glee, singing a happy tune to himself. "Only family gets to go to the wedding, right? So if you're my okaa-san and Inuyasha is my otou-san, then I get to go too!"

She hadn't considered that. Kagome loved the little kitsune, but Shippou was not the quietest of children. She had a feeling Sesshoumaru would be incensed if she attempted to bring Shippou to what promised to be a very solemn ceremony. He'd already made it clear that Sango and Miroku were not welcome, even though she saw the young woman as a sister.

"I'm afraid that's not going to be possible, Shippou," she finally answered him, putting a frown on his face.

"Why not?"

"Did you go to your parents' wedding?"

"I wasn't even born yet!"

She opened her arms for the little kitsune to jump into again, and stroked his hair when he came to her. "I'm sorry, but this is a ceremony for adults only, Shippou. Besides, who's going to protect Sango from Miroku if Inuyasha and I aren't around?"

He pouted. "That's not fair."

"You can come to the reception, Shippou. That's why I asked Sango to go get you."

He seemed to cheer up a little at that, finally relaxing his pout and almost purring at the way she tousled his hair. "I still don't understand why you left me behind. I missed you guys."

"Inuyasha didn't think it would be safe," she explained carefully. "I had to beg him as it is to let you come for the reception." She closed her eyes, remembering the argument they'd had on the evening of their engagement.

"No way."

"Inuyasha…"

"That little runt is just going to be clinging to you the whole time, getting in the way of everything." He kept his arms folded in defiance, daring her to challenge him.

Kagome turned on the waterworks. "But -- but he's like my son!" Sniffle. "How can I leave him out of my wedding!" Sob. She peered at him through heavy lashes, fighting back a smile at the horror on his face that always preceded his caving in to her demands.

"Fine," he grunted. "But we can't put off the ceremony much longer, so if you want him there he's got to be here in five days."

"Hai!" Suddenly happy, she lauched herself at him, nearly knocking over her bowl of oden and placing a sloppy wet kiss on his cheek.

Kagome felt herself grow warm as she recalled the look that kiss had put in Inuyasha's eyes. It was… dangerous; but in a good way. She blushed at the memory and pushed it aside for a more private moment.

Shippou detected her discomfort, finding the tension and scent coming off of Kagome vaguely familiar. Yes, his own okaa-san had that scent sometimes, right before she and father would run off for a night or two.

He wasn't the only demon recognizing her arousal.

"Kagome."

The miko turned to see Inuyasha striding toward her, his hands fisted into the sleeves of his old red haori. "Shippou, you're here," he acknowledged the little fox. Inclining his head in a jerk toward the back door, he continued to stare at Shippou. "Sango's going to take you to your room."

"I want to stay with Kagome!"

The hanyou growled.

Shippou wailed. "Kagome!"

"Shippou," Kagome pulled the kitsune from her chest and put him on the ground, patting him toward Sango's direction. "Do as your otou-san says."

Throwing a look of surprise at Kagome and then one of anger at Inuyasha, he dropped his head and walked off toward the taijiya in defeat. "I don't like the way things are going," he was mumbling under his breath.

"Otou-san?" Inuyasha was just as surprised as Shippou had been. She actually took his side for once?

Kagome smiled at her hanyou, shyly reaching for his arm. "He sees me as his mother, right? What do you think that makes you?"

"You didn't give in to him."

"He's going to have to get used to it eventually, right?" she explained. "Unless you want him sleeping with us every night, that is."

Shaking his head fervently, Inuyasha's eyes grew wide. Then he processed her words. Sleeping with us. Yes, in two more nights they'd be sharing a bed. Kami, he was going to need another cup of that potion soon, and he'd just drank one before coming here!

"Inuyasha?" Kagome noticed he'd gone rigid, and moved to stand right in front of him, taking in the glassy vacant stare in his eyes. "Daijouka?"

He pulled her closer to himself by sheer instinct, and Kagome thought she could detect a growl rumbling from deep inside his chest. "Koibito…"

She froze. He'd never used an endearment with her before. Her emotions were battling between elation and concern. "Dai--"

"I'm fine," he finally answered, coming to himself while simultaneously pushing her back. "Just needed to hold you for a moment."

Smiling warmly, she raised a hand to rub his ears, remembering the purr he'd tried to hide from her when she discovered his secret pleasure last night. "Anytime, Koi. All you have to do is ask." Her face fell when he lifted a hand to stop her massage and backed away.

"I have to go back now."

He was lying and she could tell. Was he really having such difficulty? "Inuyasha?"

"Hai?" He took a hesitant step back toward her, hearing the uncertainty in her voice.

"Is it really that bad to be around me?"

His heart ached at the rejected look in her eyes. Oh how he longed to take that sadness away! Inuyasha fought the pounding of blood in his ears to take her hand again and drop a kiss onto her palm. "Two more days and then I won't have to hold back anymore," he answered her. "Please, just give me some space before then. I don't want to hurt you."

Two days really wasn't asking for much, Kagome knew. Still, now that their feelings were out in the open, each moment felt like torture. Almost not realizing what she was saying, she stepped even closer to him, "I'm not afraid."

Did the wench know what she was saying?! Inuyasha searched her expression quickly, finding her open to his gaze and awaiting his response. "Kagome, I can barely control myself as it is. Please don't tease me."

"I'm not teasing." She reached out to lay a hand on his chest, feeling his heart racing beneath the fire-rat haori that was his armor. Her fingers walked up to the enchanted rosary, toying with the beads in her hand before wrapping around them and pulling him down to her lips.

It was a very stunned half-demon who finally melted into her impassioned kiss, allowing a small bit of his restraint to slip away. He reached out for her again, roughly pulling her into his chest and growling his need into her mouth. He sought entrance with his tongue and was met with eager acceptance.

In the back of her mind Kagome knew she was being, by her standards anyway, a very bad girl. Still, this man was to be her husband, was he not? Surely she was entitled to satisfy a few of her more carnal desires. Besides, one of the things she'd noticed in this era was the lack of taboos against premarital sex. Infidelity, now THAT was a crime. Screw her conscience; she wanted this man. Badly.

"Kuso!" Inuyasha ripped himself away from her, desperately trying to ignore the whimpering pleas from the girl he grasped firmly under his claws. "We can't do this yet."

"Why not?" She leaned forward again, trying to recapture his lips. He pushed her back as gently as he could, closing his eyes against the vision of her rosy, swollen lips.

"I've controlled myself for months now, Kagome. I'm not going to give in, not like this. Two more days, that's all we have left." He opened his eyes again and looked down at her, beseeching. "Please help me wait until then."

Kagome reigned in her emotions and waited for her breathing to slow to normal before stepping out from his grasp and nodding her agreement. "Two more days, Inuyasha. After that you're mine."

The promise in her voice stoked the fire inside him. When had his sweet little Kagome become this insatiable vixen? Was this behavior of hers caused by him? Whatever the cause, Inuyasha liked it. He leapt forward, pressing a chaste but affectionate kiss to her forehead, then raced back to the castle. "And you'll be mine," he shot back at her, grinning like a madman.

Coming to a stop just inside the castle, he slumped against the wall and forced his breath to even out. As maddening as it had been to pull away from their kiss -- their first kiss -- he knew he'd made the right decision. His first time with Kagome wasn't going to be some random tumble in the castle courtyard. He was going to make it something special for the girl who'd healed his heart.

Another cup of medicinal herbs was definitely in order, though Inuyasha was bewildered by the underlying calm he felt. Could it be that their kiss had cooled some of the heat inside? Around her, he felt it boil like rage, and his control slipped the more he gave in; but up to a certain point, it seemed that submitting to the passion settled him.

Dinner would be in a few hours. Perhaps he could surprise his miko with a test of this new theory. First, though, some tea.