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Mates
By: Of Memories Past
Chapter 5: Healing is a Process
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"I think that I could get use to this," Kagome murmured. She closed her eyes in pure bliss as Inuyasha lightly ran his claws up and down her back while she lay stretched out on the bed. The sharp tips lightly raked over the material of her nightgown, providing the perfect relaxation for her tense muscles. The featherlike motion was more than gentle, and she did not even worry about her silky nightgown getting snagged.
Kagome giggled inwardly when she remembered the look on Inuyasha's face when she came out with the nightgown on. She had to remember to thank her mother for buying it for her. His jaw had literally dropped when she emerged from their bedroom in the glossy, ice blue gown. The thin-strapped nightdress came to rest just above her knees and scooped a bit lower than she had ever dared to wear before. But she figured since they were trying to make the relationship work, she could have a bit of fun and dress for her mate. After all, he had already put in some effort on his part. She had found it hard believe when he offered her a foot massage. But neither could she decline.
Sighing, Kagome snuggled her head against a pillow. Her feet felt great, and her back was in pure paradise.
Inuyasha smirked. He secretly thanked Miroku as he continued scratching Kagome's back. A sudden bout of confidence provoked him to take the back scratching up to the next level, and he slid his hand up the back of her gown to run his claws over her bare flesh.
"That feels wonderful," she giggled.
Yup, she liked that too.
Maybe the lecher knew a bit more than they all gave him credit for. Besides, his mate was happy. For the first time since they had joined together, Kagome was happy to be in his presence.
He loved it.
He loved how the old tension was gone—at least if only for the moment. Even that day, after their night of confession and understanding, they had run into a few rough spots. Kagome had grown angry when Inuyasha had refused to allow her to go home to visit, and he had been angered because she wanted to leave him again. Not to mention that she had flinched once when he tried to kiss her. Horrified at her own response, Kagome had tried to apologize right away, insisting that new affections would take some getting used to. But Inuyasha had been incensed, refusing to be consoled. He had tried and been brushed off. Unforgivable in his opinion. But an hour and a good ear rub later, he had finally forgiven his mate. Rough spots or not, they knew that later on that they were free to attempt making up.
And Inuyasha loved the making up part. Patching up quarrels from before only helped to strengthen their bond as they discovered new things about one another. He loathed the fact that they had not had this figured out sooner, but it was better late than never.
"You're beautiful," he whispered, leaning down to kiss the back of her neck.
Kagome rolled over onto her back and looked up at her mate with a smile on her face before pulling his face down to hers and lightly pressing her lips to his.
"You are too, you know."
"Feh." Inuyasha growled. He turned his face from her and glared at the wall a moment before moving off of the bed. He stomped over to a small trunk and began stripping off his yukata to change into those things that Kagome called "pajamas." They had been a gift from Mrs. Higurashi, and he admitted that the loose-fitting flannel pants were quite comfortable to sleep in.
Kagome heaved a sigh, blew her bangs out of her eyes, and sat up. Things had been going so well. One little compliment and he gets uncomfortable enough to go and blow it. Sometimes she thought that she would never understand him. She eyed him warily after he finished dressing and flopped down on the bed.
"I don't get you."
Inuyasha lay back, bracing himself on his arms. "What did I do?"
"Feh," Kagome mimicked and Inuyasha smirked.
"Good impression."
"It should be," she frowned. "You do it all the time." Getting a bit bolder, Kagome stretched out and rested her folded arms and upper body on his bare chest. "Why did you do that?"
It was Inuyasha's turn to frown, and he turned his face from her. "I don't know."
"Embarrassed?" Kagome prodded. The flush that suddenly stole into his cheeks gave away that she was right in her guess. She reached up and lightly ran her hand through the silver forelocks. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Inuyasha. You're just not use to the attention."
"No, I'm not," he growled. But he did not stop Kagome from playing with his hair.
Kagome smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. "Well, you're going to have to get use to it because I think you're gorgeous."
"Kagome, stop," he warned.
But she was not about to stop. She smiled again and reached up to scratch his ears. "I love your eyes and their unique color, I love it when you smile, you're adorable when you're asleep and aren't worrying about a thing, and you're ears are very cute." She scratched them a bit more before pulling back and looking at him. "And you have a great body." Please don't get mad at me.
Inuyasha was indeed a very deep shade of crimson after, but he had a small smile on his face as he looked at his mate out of the corner of his eye. "You think my ears are cute?"
Blinking with surprise, Kagome pulled herself into his lap, secretly pleased when he wrapped his arms around her. "You didn't know that?"
Inuyasha shook his head.
"Well, I think that they are really cute." She giggled when he bent his head down so that she could rub them. Of course, Kagome was more than happy to oblige. "You really like this, don't you?"
His purr was a good enough response for her, and she smiled widely. Maybe things would be alright after all.
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"You're not going anywhere, wench."
Kagome's eyes flashed dangerously. Her fiery orbs locked onto the obstacle in front of her: Inuyasha. He stood stubbornly in the doorway, refusing to let her pass. But asking permission, appealing to him, and pleading were all things of the past now. She was going whether he liked it or not.
"I haven't been home for weeks, Inuyasha. I'm going now."
If her low tone was any warning at all to the hanyou, he gave no sign of heeding it. Inuyasha planted his feet firmly into the ground and fixed his eyes on his mate's. "You are not going home right now, Kagome, and you can stand there all day if you want to. I'm not moving."
Tears of frustration and anger burned in her eyes as she marched up to him and looked up into his face. She stood furiously searching his molten eyes that stared back at her with the same intensity. But she saw the same thing there that she knew her own held: an unyielding will. Suddenly, his eyes slid from hers, practically shouting out that he had no more to say. All was said and done and set in stone.
Kagome refused to let the tears fall from her eyes and roughly let out a shout of frustration as she harshly snatched up the front of his hakama. "Look at me, Inuyasha!"
Inuyasha looked his angry mate right in the eye.
"Do you see my frustration?" she screamed. Her hands pulled violently against the white material she clutched in her hands. "Do you see my hurt? You can't feel the sorrow that I feel from missing my family! I need to see them, and I need to see them now!"
"No." Simple as that. He turned his gaze from her. Going home was not an option. He could not let her go until she was able to show her family that he had made her happy. If she returned now, they would only see that she was miserable with him and that he had failed. He wanted to make her happy and make her family secure in the fact that he could care for her. But if she went now, all of that would be ruined.
And, he did not know if he could trust her not to have the well sealed. After all, their life together had not exactly been marital bliss as of yet. What if she became frustrated and decided to never come back? He swallowed. No, he could not allow that to happen.
No. Kagome stepped back, disbelief etched on her delicate features. Her dark brows knitted together closely as she dropped her hands to her side and unknowingly clenched her fists. He had said no? Just like that? No, he could not have. After all of this time asking over and over again, he could not say no again that easily. Even his conscience had to be nagging at him.
"What did you say?" The tears that she had fought to suppress welled up, burning to be released.
Inuyasha growled and shut his eyes tightly in annoyance. "What part about no do you not you understand, little girl? Now shut up about it and go on with whatever you were doing!"
A sharp blow with an angry hand to his cheek snapped his head to the side. His skin felt as if it had been lit on fire from the sudden, harsh impact, and he slowly brought his hand up to the throbbing red mark before turning his face back to look at Kagome.
She was livid.
And, she hit hard.
"I don't care, Inuyasha! I'm going whether you like it or not!" Kagome marched forward determined to pass him and walk straight to the well even if it meant fighting him for it.
Inuyasha reached forward and firmly grasped her arm before she could pass him and pulled her to his side. Lowering his lips to her ear, he whispered dangerously. "If you go near that well, I'll destroy it before you ever reach it."
"You wouldn't."
"Try me, wench." Inuyasha released her arm and stepped aside. "I'm going to cook dinner since you're obviously in no mood to do so." He snorted when his eyes glanced to the fire in the middle of the room and casually made his way over to it. It was pitiful. "Go ahead and try to get to that well. It will be kindling in no time flat." You can't leave me yet, Kagome. Inuyasha ignored the smell of tears that reached his nose and turned his attention to the waning fire that had been dying in the fire pit since the beginning of their argument.
Anger, frustration, and now sorrow festered inside of Kagome. She sadly turned her angry eyes to her mate and frowned. He just did not get it. How could she have thought only the night before that things were going to be better? She shook her head. Again, she had been a fool.
"I'm not even going to s-word you," she spat out. "You don't even deserve that." She crossed to their bedroom and stopped in the doorway. "Cook for only yourself. I'm going to sleep."
"Goodnight," he said tersely. His eyes never left the fire that he carefully poked at.
Kagome swallowed the urge to cry at his indifference and turned around.
"Night."
A/N: Well, I'm going to dream happy, fluffy things tonight. NOT! Don't worry, things will be better soon. Sorry it's taken so long to post. I got home from college and started working. I need $! But I am still working on stories. I just ask for patience because I have a LOT to do. I hope that you enjoyed and please review. If I don't get another chance to post, have a happy holiday everyone. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and happy anything else there may be! God Bless! ~ Of Memories Past
