Disclaimer: Yup, I own nothing…except for my own sorry carcass that has had no sleep last night whatsoever. And I'm still typing more chapters! Yeah, I think I can now be classified as a moron, seeing that I really need sleep…

Mates

By: Of Memories Past

Chapter 2: Cruel Love

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     Inuyasha awoke the next morning as the sun rose, blithely flopping over on his back and stretching out his long limbs while he yawned. He sleepily blinked his amber eyes a couple times before allowing them to rest their gaze on the sleeping woman beside him. Staring curiously, he watched as she clutched her pillow tightly on her end of the bed. He frowned at that thought. When they had become mates they had unconsciously decided that he would sleep on the far left and she on the far right, both staying as for away from each other as possible. Unless of course they were together.

     Smirking, Inuyasha clamored from the bed, careful to tuck the warm blanket around his mate's small form before he left to hunt down breakfast. But even before leaving to hunt, the hanyou carefully coaxed the dying fires in their room and the main room back to life. Satisfied with his work, he donned the red haori and stepped out into the brisk morning and ignored the biting cold that sank into his bare feet as he stepped out into the snow. The snow was really quite helpful when it came to hunting, as long as it had stopped falling to the ground. It made it much easier to catch sight of the tracks of any early passers. That is, unless the snow still fell. Then it was nearly impossible to search for food by following prints, and he would have to resort to his keen sense of smell and sight to catch something.

     But luck was on his side that day. No sooner had he looked to the woods than he had seen the hoof prints of a rather large deer—more than likely a buck. Inuyasha smirked for the second time that morning and set out on the trail of the animal that would make many decent meals. He would not have to go hunting for a while if he managed to catch this beast.

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     Sango sighed as she tended to the morning fire, absently swatting away a hand that strayed towards her rear. She smiled inwardly when she heard Miroku's yelp. Cold weather always made things sting a bit more than usual. Setting a small caldron up over the flames, the demon huntress motioned for Shippo to bring over the vegetables and stop snacking on the carrots.

     The tiny kitsune dropped the bright, orange morsel that he readied to pop into his mouth and obediently brought Sango the food, perching on her shoulder to watch her work once the load was taken from him. He took one look at the plucked chickens that rested off to the side, and his mouth began to water. A quick glance to Sango proved that she was not looking. Shippo stretched out a small, clawed hand, determined to get at least one small sample of the fresh meat.

     "Don't even think about it, Shippo."

     "Awwwwwww, Sango," he whined, his bright, emerald eyes wide with begging, "I just want one little piece."

     "You've already been snacking on the vegetables," Sango returned. "I think that you've had enough to hold you over until it is finished." That said, she returned to chopping up the carrots that he had not consumed.

     Shippo pouted one last time before bouncing off her shoulder and over to the corner where Kirara slept. He thought for a moment of waking the slumbering fire-cat but thought better as a memory of Inuyasha doing the same thing was recalled to his mind. His baby laughter filled the air for a few moments while he pictured the hanyou trying to put out the fire that Kirara had intentionally set to the backside of his kimono. Poor Inuyasha had only succeeded in nursing the flame, and it had burst to life and spread up his back. The funniest part had been when Kagome had thrown the bucket of water that she had just brought back from the well for Kaede. What had initially been intended for cooking ended up dousing the unfortunate dog-demon that had accidentally stepped on both of a very tired fire-cat's tails as he went to wake her. Inuyasha had glared daggers at Kagome, his silver hair and clothes plastered to his body due to his unwelcome soak while the girl from the future simply smiled sheepishly.

     Kirara had stretched, and sauntered out of the hut to sunbathe, stopping on her way out to rub her body around her offender's legs.

     Needless to say, Inuyasha never offered to wake the tiny youkai again.

     "When are Inuyasha and Kagome going to come back?" Shippo asked, watching as Miroku tried yet again to grope Sango. He waited patiently for the demon huntress to pick up Hiraikotsu and knock him over the head. But instead she settled for a small skillet to his face and calmly went back to preparing breakfast. Shippo snickered.

     "They will be back when they are back, Shippo," Miroku finally answered. His hand came up to tentatively rub at his newly bruised face. That had been a pretty good hit. "Their home is elsewhere now, remember?"

     Shippo pouted and dug a tiny fox paw into the ground. "Yeah, but when do I get to move in?"

     "When they get settled, Shippo," Sango said quietly. She stirred the stew for a moment before turning her attention back to the kit. "Go out side and play with Kirara. I'll call you when it is finished."

     Kirara, having popped up when her mistress spoke her name, scrambled out the door with Shippo hot on her heels. A good-natured game of tag ensued.

     Miroku listened with an attentive ear to Shippo's laughter for a few minutes and then seated himself by Sango, wise to keep his hands to himself.

     "You mean if they work things out, don't you, Sango?" he whispered.

     Sango stopped stirring and faced the monk. The grave look on her face spoke more than her words could.

     "Yes, I mean if," she confirmed, a sad look crossing her features. "Kagome has come to me in tears time and time again since they were mated." She looked up at Miroku with tears in her eyes as she thought of her friend. "It's all a duty to Inuyasha, Miroku. We both know that he cares for Kagome, but he's too stubborn to show it. Or he doesn't know how. Who knows? It could even be both." Slouching, she went back to tending the stew that was slowly finishing.

     "It could be both," Miroku mused. He chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully and hungrily eyed the stew when its scent reached his nose. He was starved. Just a little taste would be satisfactory at the moment.

     Hmmm, if I can get her to smack my hand away on my right sight then I'll have time to reach around on the left and sneak a taste. Yes, that will work fine. I must be willing to sacrifice something for a bite, and I will be my hand not throbbing for and hour. Miroku paled for a moment. I hope it's my hand she hits. His plan in mind, the determined monk set out with his plan. His fingertips lightly brushed over Sango's right hip and as expected, the angry woman turned to attack it. Miroku smiled inwardly as his plan worked and was reaching out to steal a bit of food when another voice entered the hut.

     "Do not ye even think about it, Miroku."

     Kaede.

     The monk groaned at the old woman, having ruined his plan, and yelped again when Sango figured out what he was trying to accomplish. With a right hand that promised to be black and blue within the next five minutes and a bright, red slap mark across his left cheek, Miroku gave up his venture and left the hut mumbling.

     A low chuckling from the old woman brought a smile to Sango's face. "He is quite a handful, isn't he?" she smiled. "Almost as bad as the kit."

     "That, I would have to agree with," Kaede nodded. She walked across the hut and began putting away the different herbs that she had returned with to make medicine. "But he is fond of ye."

     Sango laughed and shook her head. "No, he is a lecher. He is fond of all women. He still sometimes reaches for Kagome even though she is taken. Remember the look on Inuyasha's face? He could not believe it."

     "At least some reaction was brought out of him," Kaede mumbled. "I passed by their hut on my return here."

     "Did you?" Sango asked. "Sound like things are getting better?"

     Kaede finished with her herbs before joining Sango by the fire. "Things at least sounded normal, dear. As I walked by I could hear them arguing about Inuyasha needing to clean the animals he catches outside of the hut." She shook her head. "Wish it were something different. But Kagome was mighty loud."

     Crinkling her nose at the thought of animals being cleaned in her home, Sango had a sneaking sympathy with Kagome. She would have yelled too.

     "He's impossible!"

     Startled, Kaede and Sango looked up to the hut's entrance with wide eyes to find a very emotional Kagome standing there. She was seething, crying, and laughing at the same time.

     "Kagome," Kaede said opening her arms to the distraught girl.

     Kagome immediately rushed into them, bursting into tears as she was enveloped in the grandmotherly embrace. "He hates me, Kaede. He just hates me, and that's all there is to it."

     "Don't be foolish, child," Kaede soothed. "He cares for ye more than ye know."

     "What did he do this time?" Sango asked, stroking her back relaxingly.

     "Tried to clean a deer in the hut and will not let me return home for a visit. Not even sit is holding him back now." Fresh tears streamed down her face, and she clung to Kaede even tighter. "I just want to go home."

     Kaede rocked the girl back and forth, praying that things would change for her sake. "It will all turn out, child. It will all turn out."

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     Kagome crawled under the thick, pelt blanket and sank down into the mattress stuffed with feathers and straw. Strangely, she found it more comfortable than her bed at home. She lightly tugged at the nightgown that had gotten tangled around her ankles before scooting over to her side of the bed. Her eyes closed, she flinched when she felt his weight settle onto the bed and slide under the covers. She unconsciously moved closer to the edge as a deep sadness filled her. That desire for closeness that had ripped a hole in her heart filled her once again as she felt alone with him right next to her. Carefully turning onto her right side, Kagome stared sadly at his back while she thought.

     The desire to go and wrap her arms around him was overwhelming. But that same fear of rejection held her still in her place. That fear had had more control over her lately than any other. She wanted to love him, but she also wanted for him to love her back.

     Not to mention that she did not know her place. It had been made explained to her by Kaede that youkai women never acted on their own accord unless in heat, so Kagome felt even more that she should not initiate anything. But at the same time, the old woman had told her that she could only keep trying to make things better. But she was only human and could not perform miracles, as she viewed it.

     A stubborn look set on her face, and she leaned up in bed while looking over at Inuyasha with determination. That's right. She was only human. But he was also half human. And, as a human, she was allowed to act on the desire to love her husband. Things were not going to get better if she did not try and even if he would not, she would. Deciding to take a risk, Kagome slowly crawled across the bed and over to the side where Inuyasha was sleeping.

     Or was supposedly sleeping.

     "What do you want, wench?" he asked, feeling her weight settle next to him. He kept his back to her, waiting for an answer.

     The color drained from Kagome's face as she froze and almost lost her courage at his tone. He did not sound like he wanted to be bothered by her.

     Inuyasha turned on his back when he did not receive an answer and fixed Kagome with a glare. What was she doing up like this? His glare turned questioning when she sat upright at his side. He could hear her heartbeat speed up and even in the dark see that her cheeks were flushed. What had gotten into her?

     "Kagome?" Inuyasha sat up and lean back, bracing himself against the back wall. He eyed the girl warily as she moved closer to him. "What is it that you want, wench?" He felt a strange chill run down his spine when she reached up to brush his bangs back and then lightly scratch his ears. Impatience was building stronger in him as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth and did not respond. "Kagome…"

     "I want to kiss you."

A/N: Cliffhanger? Sorry. But I hope that you enjoyed. Please review and God Bless! ~Of Memories Past