Koigokoro

by Sweet-Kioku

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha.

A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers!!! I know that many people said that Kagome should be free from Koga if Koga was killed. Here's how it works in my story: once two people are mated, they are mated forever, even in death they are still bound to each other. I found another way to free Kagome in the last chapter, using Naraku's dark magic. Okay, once again, thanks to all the reviewers and now, without further ado, on with the story!!

CHAPTER III: Attacked and Mated

After walking hand in hand back to camp that night, Kagome and Inuyasha were naturally in a good mood the next morning. To them, their cheerful moods were perfectly fine. To everyone else, it was unusual.

"Kagome, you seem awfully happy this morning..." Sango said as they walked to the next village.

"I know. Isn't it great?" Kagome asked, smiling.

Sango just raised an eyebrow and kept walking.

Miroku just enjoyed their cheerfulness instead of questioning it, until Shippo insulted Inuyasha and Inuyasha did not beat the kitsune over the head. Then Miroku had to ask.

"Why are you two acting so strange? Inuyasha, if you were acting normal you would have squashed Shippo by now, and Kagome, if you were acting normal you would have already gotten into a fight with Inuyasha. What is going on?" Miroku asked, looking at both Inuyasha and Kagome suspiciously.

Kagome and Inuyasha looked at each other. Their eyes met, and Kagome broke into a fit of giggles while Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Can I know what's funny, too, Kagome??" Shippo asked, watching Kagome double over giggling.

"There's nothing funny!" Inuyasha said, sighing and blushing slightly.

"There must be if Kagome's laughing so hard!" Shippo argued.

Inuyasha blushed deeper.

Miroku and Sango were just watching this whole scenario with a mixture of confusion and suspicion.

To give you a better idea of what was going on: Kagome was continually nervously giggling, Shippo was begging to know what was funny, Inuyasha's face had turned scarlet, and Miroku was groping Sango. And then he was being beaten over the head with the hirakotsu (sp?) while Sango screamed the word "hentai" repeatedly.

Finally, Kagome's giggles subsided and Miroku regained consciousness.

"Well?" Sango asked, looking at Kagome expectantly.

Everyone, except Inuyasha, also looked at Kagome expectantly.

It was Kagome's turn to blush.

"Ummm.....Inuyasha and I—" Kagome started. But she didn't get a chance to finish before a demon appeared. Saved, she thought.

But she was exactly the opposite of saved.

The demon was black, and almost looked like the shadow of a tiger. It had sharp, long white fangs and red eyes. No one was worried. They knew Inuyasha could just slice it in half with the tetsusaiga.

And then Kagome remembered that Inuyasha did not have the tetsusaiga.

"Uh-oh....." Kagome whispered, looking at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha reached for the hilt of the tetsusaiga, only to discover that it was gone. Shit! he thought, growling.

"Inuyasha, what happened to your tetsusaiga!!?" Sango cried in a panicky voice.

"Long story," Inuyasha growled as he tried to attack the demon with his claws. The demon swiped him out of the way like a rag doll; shredding his haori.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out to him. Inuyasha was lying on the ground. He seemed to be shaking.

"Inu....yasha?" Kagome said, softer this time. She took a few steps closer to him.

"Kagome, get away from him. Right now," Miroku said in a stern tone.

"But, Miroku, he's hurt!" Kagome cried desperately as she walked closer to the shaking hanyou. He suddenly began growling, louder than before.

"Kagome, get back!!!" Miroku barked. "Inuyasha's not hurt!"

"Then what's wrong with him!!??" Kagome cried. Then she saw the look on Sango's face.

"He's turning into a demon," Sango told Kagome fearfully just as Inuyasha shot up from the ground and continued attacking the tiger demon.

"Kagome, get as far away from here as you can, alright?" Miroku told her seriously. So Kagome started to run.

Why didn't we think of this before!? Kagome wondered as she ran. Inuyasha, that baka! He should have realized that breaking the tetsusaiga would mean that his demon instincts would take over!

Kagome continued running, but was stopped short by a figure a few feet in front of her.

It was Naraku.

"Going somewhere, miko?" Naraku asked, smirking beneath his mask.

Kagome just stared at him. Should I fire an arrow or see what he says?..... she wondered.

"Inuyasha just killed the demon. Now he's coming after you," Naraku said darkly before disappearing.

Kagome just stared at the place where Naraku had once stood. He.....he was kidding right? Inuyasha loves me.....he would never hurt me.....Kagome thought.

But no matter how hard she tried to convince herself of this, her heart raced when she heard running footsteps coming towards her—fast.

She turned to see Inuyasha, a full youkai, racing toward her with breathtaking speed. Inuyasha leapt at her, claws outstretched, ready to pounce on her and take her life.

Without thinking Kagome lowered herself to the ground as quickly as possible. Inuyasha flew over her and landed a few feet away, with all the grace of a full-blooded demon. Growling in agitation, Inuyasha began to race towards her once again, with the green pupils of his crimson eyes glaring at her.

Kagome did the only thing she could think of:

Run.

With tears in her eyes, she ran, pushing herself as hard as she could, even though she knew that Inuyasha would catch up sooner or later.

This can't be the same Inuyasha that gave me my first tongue kiss just last night.......it can't be the same Inuyasha who told me that I was all he cared about......it can't be......Kagome thought with tears streaming down her face.

Inuyasha noticed that she was slowing down, so he pounced on her, knocking her flat on the ground. For several seconds Kagome could not breathe. She thought she was going to die right there.

But she finally regained her breath as Inuyasha flipped her over onto her back and slashed his long claws across her face. Kagome shrieked at the stinging pain of the cuts.

Inuyasha was preparing to slit Kagome's throat with one of his claws now.

"INUYASHA!!! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!" Kagome screamed with her eyes closed and tears still flowing freely down her cheeks.

Everything fell silent. With her eyes closed, Kagome could not see Inuyasha transforming back into his hanyou state.

"KAGOME!!!" screamed Shippo, Sango and Miroku in unison as they came running towards the source of Kagome's shrieks.

Kagome finally opened her eyes to find that Inuyasha was no longer near her. He was gone.

"Are you alright, Kagome!!??" Sango shouted, nearly crying as she helped Kagome to stand.

"I only have a few cuts on my cheek...." Kagome said weakly.

"Cuts!!? Kagome, those are gashes!!!" Sango yelled, now officially crying.

"Where has Inuyasha gone!? We need to catch him before he actually kills someone!!" Miroku cried urgently.

"I don't know," Kagome whispered, tears falling again as Sango examined the cuts.

-----------------------

After returning to Kaede's village and getting the wounds fixed, the sun began to set. The group decided to rest for now and find Inuyasha tomorrow.

Kagome waited until everyone was asleep. Then she left to find Inuyasha herself, like the stubborn girl she was.

-----------------------

Inuyasha sat in a tree, deep in the forest. He was furious with himself. He had wounded Kagome. And he had been only seconds away from killing her......

Inuyasha swallowed hard as a tear fell down his cheek at the thought of life without Kagome. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he ever killed her.

This couldn't happen ever again. If a demon came, he would have to stand down and let the others handle it. He knew that there wouldn't be many more close encounters before he actually killed her.

"Inuyasha?" whispered a quiet voice from below.

Inuyasha recognized the voice and the wonderful scent of ichigos and banira. It was Kagome.

He couldn't look at her. Not right now.

There was a silence until a soft, gentle breeze passed by. Then Inuyasha spoke.

"I'm sorry Kagome. It won't ever happen again," Inuyasha said. His voice shook terribly.

The sound of his voice hurt worse than the cuts on her cheek. "Inuyasha, I'm alrigh—"

"But next time you might not be!!" Inuyasha said loudly, cutting her off. "The only way I would be able to keep you safe as a demon is if we were mates!"

Another silence, but this one was a startled, thoughtful silence.

Kagome felt her cheeks tinge with pink. Inuyasha blushed slightly as well.

(A/N: CLIFFIE!!!! MUAHAHA!! No, I shouldn't do that, should I? Especially since I might not be able to update for a while b/c of Christmas and everything......ok, I shall be kind! No cliffie! Sorry to interrupt. Just wanted to scare you a little.)

"Inuyasha......you're saying that if we mated.....I'd be safe?" Kagome asked quietly, her chinks turning bright red.

"Y-yeah....." Inuyasha stuttered. His cheeks were scarlet, as they had been earlier that day.

The silence turned into an uncomfortable one. A nervous one.

The silence was broken when Inuyasha jumped down from his perch and slowly approached Kagome.

The moment was right. The stars were sparkling lovingly, and the moon's milky glow made Kagome's hair shine like the calm, dark water of a lake covered in moonlight.

Inuyasha's amber eyes seemed to glow in the dimness of the night, and his silvery hair moved gently with the wind.

The moment....was right.

"Kagome......because I love you, and because I want to keep you safe, I want....." Inuyasha paused, gazing into Kagome's glittering chocolate eyes.

"....I want you to be my mate. Will you?"

Kagome closed her eyes.

"Inuyasha......the real question is......." Kagome paused for dramatic affect as Inuyasha watched her, holding his very breath for fear it might make her say no.

Kagome smirked and said,

"........why wouldn't I want to be your mate?"

Inuyasha smiled so warmly that Kagome thought his smile could replace the sun. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist, and Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, and they engaged in a passionate, loving kiss that neither of them would ever forget.

Here they were, out in the moonlight, once again, kissing. But this time, Inuyasha wouldn't stop at kissing. Tonight, Inuyasha would make Kagome his in more ways than one.

A/N: Okay, now I gotta stop. Everyone whines in disappointment Oh, hush, all of you! Now listen, the next chapter WILL BE a lemon. However, I need to know if lemons are still allowed at fanfiction. I DO NOT want my lemon to be deleted!! Also, I will not be able to update for a while because of Christmas and New Years and everything else. I have MANY plans!! And how do you spell hirakotsu or whatever!? And give me info on whether or not lemons are allowed. Oh, BTW!

Japanese translations:

ichigos means strawberries
banira means vanilla

That is what Kagome smells like in my story, lol. Okay, gotta go! BYE!!