Day of Days, Night of Nights

The Night of Nights

Just as Rin had promised, Inuyasha and Kagome came to a fork in the river. Glittering in the moonlight was a single white granite stone covered with tiny crystals that sparkled prettily, and they turned left and made their way upstream.

Presently, they found their way blocked by a thicket of willow branches, suspended over the river, extending from trees on either bank. "This can't be the end, Inuyasha," Kagome said. "Rin must mean for us to go through them." Inuyasha grasped the branches firmly, expecting to have to wrestle his way through; but they billowed gently as he moved them, and he found that he could press through them as easily as through a silk curtain.

When they had made their way through the hanging branches, they entered a clearing, and the sight of it made them both gasp in amazement. Rin had indeed prepared a place for them: and a very special place it was.

Flowering vines stretched from tree to tree, and white garlands hung from them like the paper streamers that fluttered at the Higurashi temple. The river flowed slowly and gently through the clearing, making a joyful but quiet sound as it passed over the smooth river rocks. At one side of the clearing, thick tendrils of steam rose from a gently bubbling pool that was deep, hot, and luxurious. The spring was surrounded by magical lights, hovering like low-flying firefiles, sparkling and glowing like tiny stars; their delicate gleam danced on each ripple as it sped across the water. Majestic young trees spread a gentle canopy of leaves over much of the clearing, but the moon and stars could be seen clearly through a circular opening that was directly over a low and smooth carpet of soft, lush grass. On the far side of the clearing was a rocky outcropping, into which a shallow cave had been carved by some mysterious force that had left the walls and floor smooth and slightly warm to the touch; it was not so hot as to be uncomfortable, but no matter how cool the nights might become, its gentle warmth would be perfect to banish any nighttime chills. A fire had been prepared but not started, and a healthy supply of wood for several nights' fires was stacked close at hand.

Everywhere were scattered white and lavender flower petals, and in the cave was a small pyramid of sweet fruit. Under the fruit was a scrap of parchment, on which was scrawled a picture of a heart and the word "Rin," written in the childlike hand that Kagome recognized immediately from having taught Rin to write her name, many years ago.

Kagome jumped lightly down from Inuyasha and walked slowly into the clearing, taking it all in. "Inuyasha...it's so beautiful...is it really for us?"

Inuyasha handed her the scrap of parchment and nodded; even he was dumbstruck at the beauty of their little clearing.

Kagome looked around once more, then threw her arms around Inuyasha. "We're home!" she squealed with delight, and she threw off her kimono, gleefully ran naked across the clearing, and slipped happily into the hot spring with a tremendous sigh of relief. "Oh yes!" she cried happily, "Now this is the proper way to end your wedding day!" She dived under the water briefly, then popped her head above the surface and sighed happily. "Inuyasha," she laughed as she wiped the water from her face, "do we have to go through this again? Get in here this instant!"

Inuyasha looked furtively around the clearing, twitching his ears and sniffing. "No rampaging youkai this time?" Kagome asked playfully.

"No rampaging youkai," Inuyasha finally said, and sighing with relief, he grinned sheepishly, and (without blushing quite as much) threw off his clothes and joined her in the hot spring.

After they had both enjoyed a good long soak and a good laugh (both of which, after the tribulations of the day, they sorely needed), they sat on the grass and dried themselves off. Kagome put on Inuyasha's kimono again ("My clothes are still too wet," she explained), then she unrolled the new two-person sleeping bag that her mother had given them. Fortunately, it was designed to be waterproof, and it had been unaffected by the knapsack's plunge into the lake.

Digging gingerly through the muddy knapsack, Kagome fished out a tightly wrapped package, and sighed with relief. "I was afraid that this might have been broken this afternoon...thank goodness it's still in one piece." She unwrapped it to reveal a small bottle, which she uncorked and from which she poured something into two beautiful ceramic cups, which were decorated with cherry blossoms and cranes. "To toast our new life together," she said, handing one cup to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha sniffed suspiciously at it. "You know I don't like this stuff," he said glumly.

"I think you'll like this. I know all about your sensitive tongue, and I worked very hard to find this. You have no idea how many perverted comments I had to endure from Miroku to get my hands on this," she laughed. "Please, Inuyasha, just try it...for me?"

He took a sip. He of course first noticed the taste of the alcohol, something that he had always loathed, but then something else crept over his palate, something of nearly indescribable complexity: it had the fragrance of plum blossoms, the coolness of a mountain stream, the billowy softness of a cloud—and many more tastes that he had never imagined could exist. When he swallowed it, he felt a delicious warmth that seemed to perfuse through his very soul.

"What...is this?" he asked amazedly.

"Do you like it?" Kagome asked.

"No..." Inuyasha said, at the initial taste of the alcohol; but then he took another sip, and another, and still another. "... Yes!"

"Oh, I'm so glad," Kagome sighed with relief. "Miroku and Mushin helped me find this. It's quite rare, and I really wanted something that you could enjoy with me, and I'm so happy that you like it!" And she showed him how they could drink with linked arms, and how to pour for each other, and how to lift the cup to each other's lips; and they laughed and drank together, savoring the simple pleasures of each other's presence and each other's delight.

The moon rose high, and its light was dappled as it shone through the canopy of sheltering trees; the fire had burned low, the magical lights around the hot spring were flickering sensuously, and the light in their little cave grew deliciously dim. Kagome sat in the center of the sleeping bag and looked expectantly at Inuyasha, but instead of joining her, he sat cross-legged against the cave's wall with Tessaiga over one shoulder, preparing to watch over her sleep as he had done nearly every night of their lives together.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome said gently, "You don't need to keep watch tonight. Rin has taken care of that. Tonight is just for us." She loosened the belt on her kimono, allowing it to slip slightly open, then patted the sleeping bag next to her. "My dearest husband...please come to bed with me."

Inuyasha carefully set Tessaiga down within easy reach, then sat on his heels next to Kagome. He was blushing fiercely, and his eyes couldn't meet hers; he sheepishly stared at the floor, and said nothing.

"What's the matter, Inuyasha?" she asked gently. "Don't you...want me?"

"Keh," he said, "It's not that at all." Inuyasha crossed his arms, and turned up his nose, trying his best to hide his embarrassment with bravado. "It's just that...it's not like I have any idea how you humans...what you...how..." His voice trailed off, and he his gaze fell to the floor.

"Oh, you poor dear," Kagome said kindly, "You really don't know anything about... tonight, do you?"

He whirled towards her and snapped defensively, "I mean, what was I supposed to do, ask Miroku for help? Yecch!" He shuddered with revulsion; then he turned away, and slumped dejectedly.

Kagome had expected that something like this might happen. Inuyasha had been her first and only true love, and despite the countless nights that they had spent in each other's company, their relationship had always been remarkably chaste; but as had become quite clear over the years, Inuyasha knew next to nothing regarding issues of an intimate nature. On the battlefield, Inuyasha was without peer; but in matters of the heart, it was always Kagome's gentle hand that guided them both. Therefore, she had prepared herself for this evening with the zeal of a student cramming for exams, expecting that she might need to help Inuyasha through any awkward moments (although she was careful not to let Inuyasha know about her research, both to spare him from embarassement and to save herself from his inevitable ribbing about "studying for their wedding night").

Despite her long hours of study, it was both fear and excitement that she felt fluttering warmly in her belly as she reached for Inuyasha; but when she spoke, her voice was calm and soothing. "Don't be ashamed, Inuyasha. This is all new and scary for me too, you know." She tenderly took his face in her hands and gently turned his face towards hers. "We're in this together, every step of the way. Lovers help each other...they teach each other...we'll learn together." She kissed him, then gently pressed his cheek to her bare chest. "Oh, my dear, sweet, precious Inuyasha," she whispered, burying her face in his long, silky hair. "I love you so very much."

And Inuyasha lifted his head and looked at his beloved Kagome, and he saw the tenderness beaming from her eyes, and his fear and shame melted away in the warmth of her smile. He kissed her gently, lovingly; and then suddenly, they rushed together, each hungrily devouring the tastes, the sounds, and the caresses of their beloved, touching and being touched, loving and being loved, tumbling in wave after wave of delicious sensation until they were swept away, coming together in the ancient, sacred dance of creation that is as old as life itself. And their bittersweet cries of ecstasy joined with the songs of the night-birds, gladdening the music of the sparkling summer night; and afterwards, they lay together, quietly thrilling to the dusky sounds of deep panting breaths slowly becoming calm and quiet, and the electric intimacy of warm skin, slippery-wet with shared sweat and tears of joy; and then together they floated, gently, into sweet timeless stillness, awash in the ineffable bliss of a lover's head resting gently on your chest as she is gently lulled to sleep by the soft beating of your own heart.