Chapter Five:
Cloud Nine Revisited
"All right, that's the plan, got it?" The other four assembled in the woods nodded, "Good! Now go out there and make me proud!"
The four smiled and left, leaving Lunia to think of more ways to get Kagome and Inu-Yasha together in case this 'Plan A' backfired. She's been behind a tree when Kagome and Tora had come back, vowing right then and there to make it her number one priority to get them together.
Her plan also involved Tora, Sango, Miroku, and Kaede. Soon, Lunia intended on bringing Venita and Kouga into it as well, but that was only if Venita and Kouga came. Couldn't very well have a plan without soldiers and minions to do your dirty work while you did the dirtier work.
Lunia smiled as she thought about her plan, knowing that if something didn't go right, something else would be sure to take its place and make it right.
Have you ever looked at the ground? Seriously just looked at the ground? It's very interesting, you should try it some time.
That was all Kagome could do at the moment, for there were no thick trees or bushes to hide behind as they undressed. Kouga had already sat down in the warm spring, his eyes closed as he leaned his head on the ground. His dark hair was down, the reason being that he knew Venita liked it that way. He often found her running a strand or two between her fingers, not even noticing she was doing it unless he pointed it out to her.
But who would be fool enough to tell her?
"Venia-chan?"
"Hm?" Venita asked, pulling on the tie in her hair, causing the soft white strands to fall over her shoulders.
"Could you help me?"
Venita blinked, not knowing what Kagome meant. That was when she saw Kagome's nervous glances towards the spring.
Smiling, Venita winked and watched as a wall of fire separated Kagome from anyone's view. A little while afterward, Kagome's voice could be heard and Venita lowered the flaming wall.
"What's with the bathing suit, K-chan?" Venita asked, curious as to why her friend would wish to hide herself. If anyone had anything to hide, Venita did with all the scars she'd gotten.
"I don't know, I'm just used to wearing it."
Venita's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "You're not uncomfortable bathing with Kouga-kun and I, are you?"
"No, no! Not at all, Venia-chan. I'm just used to wearing it because of Miroku-sama. He and some of the others are out in the woods somewhere."
Not able to stop a chuckle, Venita nodded understandingly, "Oh I know all about Miroku's eyes and traveling hands. But you don't have to worry about him, K-chan. Kouga-kun won't let anyone near here. He doesn't even let Ginta and Hakkaku be in the same room as me."
Kagome's eyes widened. Hakkaku and Ginta were Kouga's best friends, and also the last members of his pack, that followed him everywhere.
"Why?"
Venita shrugged, "Instinct, that's all. But Kouga-kun will protect us. Isn't that right?"
"Hai." Kouga said from his place in the hot spring, his eyes still closed and a smile on his face.
"There, see? We're safe from any wandering eyes."
"Except mine."
Venita smiled as she reached behind her for the clasp on the black sports bra, "Yes well, you can be caught."
Kouga's smile widened when he heard the annoying black cloth hit the ground. It had hidden his mate from his view for a while now, and he'd wanted nothing more than to force her to run around naked, but she'd never give in to him for some odd reason. He heard her pants fall to the ground as well, listening to the sounds of his wife folding her clothes and setting them down on the ground.
Kagome was a bit startled when Venita had begun getting undressed. She didn't know how her friend could just take off her clothes as nonchalantly as she did. That's when she gave herself a mental smack. Of course Venita could take off her clothes and not worry; she was a wolf demon, she knew how to manipulate fire, and to top it all off, she had a very protective husband that would kill off anyone that so much as said her name wrong.
"I wish Inu-Yasha would be just a little more protective of me," Kagome thought, remembering when he'd put his hands on her shoulders for strength, "he never did answer my question back then. Back when I'd asked him if after seeing Venia-chan's demon form if he still wanted to become a demon when the Shikon Jewel was finished. I'll have to get the answer from him one of these days."
"You all right, K-chan?" Venita asked, slipping into the water next to her chosen man.
"Yea, I was just..." Kagome thought for a moment, trying to make up an excuse, "thinking about where Shippo-chan went."
"Oh Shippo-chan? I don't know where he went." Venita said, smacking Kouga's shoulder with what she considered a light 'tap'. Kouga rubbed his shoulder, narrowing his eyes in mock anger.
"Here I am!" Shippo announced, his small naked form suddenly jumping from a tree branch into the water with a large splash.
Once the splash had subsided, Venita moved the now-soaked strands of her hair out of her way and behind her ears. Kouga had already moved his own hair, wishing he'd grabbed Venita's hair tie before she'd looped it on a small branch on a bush.
Kagome walked over to the spring, lowering herself in carefully before sitting down comfortably. She smiled at the two wolf demons and just had to laugh as young Shippo attempted to catch a frog.
"So, what'd you have to talk to us about, K-chan?" Venita asked, moving close enough to Kouga so she could drape her right arm about his shoulders.
Kagome turned red, and both wolves could tell that it wasn't because of the heat in the spring, "Well, you see...it's about Inu-Yasha and I."
Venita's face lit up like the fluorescent lights they used at school, hence why most people called school 'hell with fluorescent lights', "What about you and Inu-san?"
Turning a deeper shade of red, Kagome fumbled with her response, "Do you remember when you told me I needed to take that leap of faith to see whether I'd soar or fall?"
Eyes narrowing, Venita looked to her friend, her voice clear and cautious, "Yes... what about that?"
"I don't know what to do with him, Venia-chan! He barely speaks to me, and when he does, it's to insult me! I took that leap, Venia-chan, I really did; but he won't!"
Venita sighed, having known this would pop into Kagome's mind eventually, she'd already devised a plan, "You needn't concern yourself with that, K-chan. I'm sure he'll come to his senses eventually. Just don't worry about it. All you have to do is be yourself, and he'll fall in love with you for who you are, not for who you were."
"Are you sure about that?" Kagome asked, her eyes softening to look like melted chocolate.
A sly smile tugged at Venita's lips, but she had to soften it so Kagome wouldn't think she was up to something, even though she was, "I told you not to worry about it. Soon, he won't be seeing Kikyo in you; he'll be seeing you in Kikyo. You'll see."
Kagome liked hearing the confidence in Venita's voice, it was so reassuring to her frayed nerves.
"Anyway," Kagome began, hoping to lighten the mood as she smiled, directing Shippo to leave just as she splashed Venita, "up for a little game?"
Venita smiled slyly, watching the kit leave in the direction of the village, "You sure you don't mind playing with a naked man?"
Ten shades of red passed over Kagome's face, but her voice portrayed no nervousness, "As long as you don't mind."
"Heh, that's something about we wolves you have to learn, Kagome," Venita said as she stood on a small ridge in her naked glory, "we don't mind a little nudity. It's you humans that find it so... 'evil'."
"I don't mind, Venia-chan."
"I'm getting out of here before I get beat," Kouga said, knowing that Venita wasn't going to play a very clean game, he got out carefully before wrapping a towel Kagome had brought about his midsection, choosing to sit by a tree and smile at them, "enjoy yourselves."
Venita sent him a smile, "We will."
"Hai, of course we will." Kagome said, watching her friend for any sudden movements as their eyes locked.
The blue of Venita's eyes had a glint of mischief in them, "You had better be glad I gave my bracelet to Kagura-san, or else there would be a tsunami this day."
With that said, both girls launched into a full-scale attack on one another, splashing and dunking for the next hour and a half.
Kouga watched them through half-closed eyes, enjoying the view his mate allowed him from time-to-time of herself while covering Kagome.
Life was good.
A/N: Please tell me what you all think! Reviews are my diamonds! ::hands out candy:: how about an incentive?? :-)
I have no idea what the next chapter is gonna be about, so please just be patient with me…. ::pouts::…. any of you out there got any ideas??? Care to share??? :P
