Disclaimer: I didn't when I posted this in June, I didn't when I posted two weeks ago, and I don't now---hell no, I don't own Inuyasha!
Author's Note: Er---warning. Miroku's perversion rate towards the end of this chapter is -erm- rather high...
The scent was spicy and musky, Kagome noted, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. Familiar yet not familiar, it piqued her sense of smell and caused her eyes to flutter open.
What she saw shocked the hell out of her.
The surrealness of it all immediately made her wish to faint. Spooned up to her was Inuyasha, snoring lightly and his arms completely enclosing her body. Not to mention the fact that they were both still undressed... She immediately blushed a deep shade of crimson. This was absolutely unreal, and the fact that she had actually enjoyed it was even more unreal. What she had learned of, um, relations beforehand must have been little and wildly inaccurate, because the misconception that she had had before about sex having to be endured and not enjoyed didn't seem to hold true.
Mate. She still couldn't quite believe it. Had they really done it last night, or was it another one of her twisted dreams that Inuyasha so often seemed to be involved in? Or perhaps he hadn't really meant it; he would wake up and pretend that nothing had happened, yes, that was it, last night must have just been a wisp of dream floating over into reality---
Her heart skipped several beats when his grip on her shoulder suddenly tightened and she hard him mutter behind her, "Geez, is it morning already?!"
She replied dryly, "The sun's up. If it is then I would assume so, grumpy!"
That seemed to break the spell. They both stared at each other dumbfoundedly, mutually self-conscious about the whole situation, as Kagome was completely in his arms and pressed against him; his long silvery hair cascaded down his shoulders in the front, brushing her breast. Predictably, they both reddened considerably at their newfound contact.
"Er---nice morning, isn't it?" she asked him quickly, turning her back on him.
"Yeah, very," he replied in a choked voice.
She never EVER quite knew how it happened anymore, but before she could say knife they were kissing each other again, still between the sheets and still wonderfully close together. She drew in her breath sharply as his strong lips trailed down her neck and chin, eventually making their way down to her breasts, where he nibbled gently. Her breath, however, was even more bated when his tongue slid down yet further, down to her navel, down past her navel, and down further still to her-
"Oh!" she shrieked, buckling over as his tongue hit an especially tender spot.
He quickly pulled away, his breath puffing damply onto her shoulder. "...Want to do it again?"
She nodded as he pressed his warm lips onto her collarbone, shuddering as his fangs lightly made contact with her vulnerable skin. "Don't make me wait." A ripple of anticipation coursed through her at the thought of experiencing it yet again...
A small moan passed her lips as he lay back and gently positioned her so that she straddled him precariously, his member hardened uncomfortably against her thigh. But just as they were about to begin---
An age-ridden voice suddenly cut into their interlude, the door having been opened slightly and without a sound. "Are ye two up and about? The others wish for both of you to---" Everyone looked at one another aghast, Kagome shrieking and hurdling on top of Inuyasha, Inuyasha leaning back and looking upside-down at the doorway, and even Old Kaede showing the faintest signs of pinkness in the cheek.
She was finally the first to speak. "Well, I suppose this situation is preferable to the two of you still bickering," she started, turning to leave. "Make haste and get dressed. This is no time for you to be without clothes." She left without another word, the door shutting with a neat click.
"Do you think she's gonna say anything to the others?" Kagome muttered anxiously into the pillow, all desire for doing anything suddenly out the window.
"I hope not," Inuyasha retorted, scowling. "The last thing I want is Miroku begging me for details."
#$&&&
They got underway fairly quickly that morning, saying farewell to Kaede near the Sacred Tree after a hasty breakfast. Kyoko was with her; she was still fairly excited due to the surprise visit by her parents the previous night, and she even attempted to bowl Inuyasha over by wrapping her stubby little arms around his legs.
"Agh, stoppit, you little brat!" He yelped as he nearly tripped over his own feet attempting to extricate her limbs from his. "You're cutting off the blood!" He rolled his eyes at Miroku as the little girl only succeeded in holding on more tightly. "I am NEVER having any of these, you can bet on that!"
"That is all well and good, Inuyasha," Miroku replied mildly, leaning in so that the others could not hear, "but you also must make sure that you do not impregnate anyone...is that not right?" The dog demon could only grit his teeth and turn away.
Meanwhile Kagome was having an equally embarrassing conversation with Kaede a few feet away. "I believe you will be needing this," the old priestess brought up lightly, handing her a small necklace made out of some unknown type of mineral.
Kagome scrutinized it curiously. "Erm---what is it?"
The old woman went on as if not hearing. "If I'm not mistaken you might be needing it so that you can possibly avoid...mishaps..."
"Erm---all right," Kagome replied, turning a bright shade of red (for about the fifth time so far today, to be exact) as she squeezed the charm within her palm. She had caught the subtle hint implying its purpose---and it made her really start to think. (Oh man, I should have thought about that last night! What if---what if I'm EXPECTING?!) Normally the mere thought of Inuyasha changing diapers and singing lullabies would have sent her into hysterical giggles, but it didn't even seem a tenth as funny right now. It WAS true that a lot of girls her age, even younger perhaps, were already married and with children in the Feudal Era, but still...
"As for you all," Kaede continued in a louder voice, catching the attention of everyone, "I again bid you good luck in this endeavor, as ye will sorely need it. Travel only by day and keep close at night, as direct sunlight often causes certain types of demons to quail. Naraku, I am sure, will have by now suspected that you all once again hold part of the Jewel, so I need not further add that ye must stay on your utmost guard at every second..." She trailed off, staring at them all rather gravely.
"Wait a second," Kagome butted in curiously, "what was that about Naraku knowing? He never was able to sense the Jewel Shards...how would he know if we have any?"
Kaede's mouth tightened into a grim line. 'I do not know, Kagome, but somehow Sesshomaru at the least would have had to know if he was out seeking Shikkon Jewel Shards. I do not know from whence he collects his information, but that just makes it all the more perilous." She turned an almost affectionate gaze onto the young girl, her eyes momentarily belying the worry and suffering that rarely seemed to surface even in the most dangerous of situations. "Just use caution and good sense. Naraku has shown an unusual interest in you by luring you into the well, and I am sure that nothing has changed." She sighed heavily, tugging at Kyoko's hand so that the little girl ceased in gluing herself to Inuyasha's legs. "There ARE things worse than death, Kagome, and I am sure that he would enslave you rather than allow you to die an honorable death... Do not allow it to come to that!" Without another word she picked up Kyoko and began to shuffle off, the only sounds in the entire group being Miroku and Sango's murmured goodbyes to their little daughter.
(Worse than death?) Kagome thought grimly, her eyes turning downward towards the rocky ground below them...
T&&&$$#
They made good headway after their slow and rather reluctant start, heading off straight north at a brisk march. Although Naraku's castle was still at the very least five or six days away, they hardly stopped at all as they spent the day traipsing through the forest, which would eventually again give way to plains and then to the towering mountains. No time was spent to stop for a bite to eat, nor was it wasted on the tranquil scenery surrounding them; the general mood was grim, permeating even Shippo's normally infallible spirit.
(It's almost like we're all marching to our own funerals,) Kagome thought meekly, trying to keep up with the pace at the rear of the group. (At the very least my own, anyway...)
Matters had done a complete turnaround in the past few days, but the worry could still not leave her mind. Just what would happen when they confronted Naraku? Would they all suffer slow and painful deaths, as he had promised long ago, or would they finally emerge victorious in this long, seemingly endless quest? Either way, she noted gloomily, things weren't looking good for her...
Last night had ranked as one of the best in her life. Gentle, passionate, and with an innocent side to him that made even her blush, Inuyasha had proven himself to be everything that the stereotypical half-demon was NOT, that demons could love, and moreover that sometimes their passions could run deeper than any human's. Why did he have to become a full-fledged demon in order to feel whole?! And the Sacred Jewel itself had certainly proven to be purely one with evil... It wouldn't be so bad if he became a regular demon, one who could keep his emotions in check and who would still retain his feelings for her, but even more likely he would be tainted by the evil of the jewel, becoming a powerful, twisted demon who could snap her neck like a fragile twig. How perverse and frightening, being killed by someone who had just days before made gentle love to you...
Speaking of that, she really REALLY could have used a bath right now. She had never before realized that sex could be so -er- messy, not to mention that every part of her body smelled heavily of Inuyasha. It was almost as if his scent had just permeated into her pores; did demons do that when they mated so that others would smell it and thus not touch her? (I hope Shippo can't smell me,) she thought anxiously, staring at the little fox demon walking ahead.
The sun brightly shined into the clearing that they were crossing, but Kagome could still not suppress the shudder wriggling its way up from the most remote recesses of her body.
What would be breaking first: her body when Inuyasha got to her, or her mind when she would finally be unable to endure the twisted fairy-tale she was living in?
&&$&&
The sun, if it could have been seen behind the endless layers of canopy and undergrowth, was now setting in an explosive ball of red as the exhausted group finally set down in a small, overgrown clearing to rest. The journey through unyielding forest, like the other two times before, had been fatiguing; even Inuyasha, as eager to press on as he usually was, called for an early halt when the sun's rays still glanced upon the lush forest canopy.
Completely weary to the bone, Kagome could only watch as the others proceeded to make the camp a little more hospitable; Inuyasha and Miroku worked to build and start a fire, while Shippo assisted Sango in making some kind of simian broth, its pungent herbal aroma piquing her nostrils slightly. She was too tired to help, too tired to even think at this point; the others, however, seemed to understand this as they continued to work on, considerate enough to not ask for her assistance. She just leaned against a tree wearily, her eyes tightly closed, waiting for the food and then a possible full night's sleep.
Meanwhile, while Inuyasha had temporarily gone off to pick up a few last stray branches for the campfire, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were having a secretive whispered conference out of Kagome's earshot, one of them glancing furtive looks in her direction every few seconds. They had discussed something and had come to an agreement about it, and now they were about to implement the second stage of their plan...
"Are you all sure that now is a good time?" Sango asked worriedly, looking around at her fellow conspirators. "Kagome seems quite tired, and Inuyasha is quieter than usual..."
Miroku brushed her worries off with a wave of his ring-laden hand. "Never mind that, Sango-chan! It's either now or we'll possibly never know! ...And I for one seem to find this quite -ahem- quite a development..." Both the former demonslayer and the little fox demon rolled their eyes pointedly as the amorous monk immediately launched into another "sage" diatribes. "Mmmm...this really brings me back..." He rubbed his chin with his bad hand, gazing dreamily off into the distance. "About when I was sixteen and I had just begun to travel...and when I first happened upon one of the provincial capitals. Ahhhh, I remember all that secret and intrigue...and my time with a group of geisha-"
"WHAT were you doing with a group of geisha?!" Sango cut in, her eyes flashing.
Miroku took the blatant hint. "Er---nothing, Sango-chan!" he laughed nervously, inching away so that he was out of swatting distance. "Did I say something? Not a thing!"
"Shut up, you guys!" Shippo hissed to the couple urgently. "Inuyasha just came back!"
They all stared over towards the fire, on which Inuyasha was piling on a few more branches. Ignoring them, he closed his eyes and sat cross-legged near it and across from Kagome, waiting for the broth heating over the flame to simmer.
"Oh, good!" Shippo whispered. "He didn't hear us!"
"What's all this secrecy for?" Sango piped up, standing. "I mean, the whole point of this is to ask---"
"Shhhhh!" Miroku cut in, delicately putting a finger to her lips. "We are treading on a delicate line! Spontaneity is the key here, and we all must-"
Shippo rolled his eyes and turned away. "What's with all the big words?! Say it plain, Miroku!"
The monk threw up his hands. "Let's just get this over with, then."
They all quietly walked across the clearing towards the fire, where Kagome and Inuyasha were still both resting. Miroku started off by somberly clearing his throat; watching carefully as they both opened their eyes. "Hello there, Inuyasha!" he started off pleasantly. "What a nice day it is, is it not?"
The half-demon scowled. "You walked all the way over here just to tell me THAT?!" He rolled his eyes impatiently. "Geez...you mother must have dropped you on your head harder than I first thought!"
"Of course," the monk went on, ignoring the pointed little barb, "a pleasant day is so much more -er- pleasant when one is in a good mood, do you not agree? And it seems to me that yours has actually been quite -er- pleasant..."
Inuyasha waved him on. "Get on with it, monk!"
He gulped visibly. "Yes -er- and we've all noticed your - your - nice change of mood. Just what has happened to -uh- bring this on, Inuyasha? Any idea?"
"Maybe it's because you haven't been asking me stupid questions up until now!" the half-demon shot back, only bothering to open one eye.
The group, however, still continued to press on, nonplussed. "We were all thinking that perhaps you and Kagome have finally gotten over your petty quarreling," Sango continued on casually, noting Kagome's obvious discomfort in the whole matter. "Nothing has been happening for at least ten days now. No name-calling...no avoiding one another...not even one bitter word has passed either of your lips since before we were separated."
"What would have brought this on, I wonder?" Miroku pressed on, slowly circling the half-demon, whose eyes were now twitching with agitation. "A reconciliation, perhaps?"
"Maybe a little more?"
"Maybe you've finally noticed how much you've missed Kagome!"
"Or maybe, just maybe you've finally noticed that she has an awfully nice pair of-"
A slap rang in the distance. "MIROKU!"
"OH, ALL RIGHT!" Inuyasha roared, whirling angrily upon the monk, who was rubbing his reddened cheek furiously. "I'VE NOTICED!! IN FACT, I NOTICED THREE YEARS AGO!! ARE YOU SATISFIED NOW?!"
The monk smirked. "My intuition is never wrong."
Sango had to roll her eyes at this one. "It sure seems to be whenever I try to avoid your advances."
He ignored her comment, instead becoming disturbingly excited at the newly-confirmed news. "So have you went down on her yet?" he blurted out at Inuyasha, who was still rather peeved. "I bet she'd enjoy it; Sango really does! And have you tried different positions?! Oh, I know! You're part dog demon, so that would mean the two of you would do it doggie sty-"
"MIROKU!!" Two separate voices rang out into the fray. Sango and Kagome were both furious at Miroku's shameless (but altogether expected) audacity. The monk, sensing that violence was nigh, backed off immediately, only to step right into Inuyasha, who was still sitting there with a confused look on his face.
"What's doggie style?" he asked the perverted young man perplexedly.
The tension was immediately eradicated. The entire group suddenly burst into unforced laughter, even Shippo, who (hopefully) had no idea what Miroku had meant. Even Kagome got a few chortles in, although her face was a blazing shade of red. When Sango knelt down and whispered into her ear "please tell me he's joking", she refused to answer.
Inuyasha, meanwhile, was turning an interesting shade of purple. "WHAT?!" he snapped, crossly looking from side-to-side. "What's so funny?!"
This only caused everyone to laugh even harder, their combined efforts so loud that they far drowned out Inuyasha's gasps of anger.
Miroku, however, decided to take a step further. "Well, Inuyasha," he began, clearing his throat, "doggie style, as they call it, is when you-"
He was immediately hit by a barrage of twigs and some really hard apples from Sango's foodsack, courtesy of the females of the group. Now even Inuyasha laughed, watching the distraught monk sputter as he dodged the dangerous missiles.
Kagome laughed along with the rest of him, a tinge of hope suddenly filling her heart as they all just sat there, full of mirth and temporarily forgetting the dark situation that lay on the horizon. It was good to just sit there and laugh; it had been a long time since she had truly laughed, and it had perhaps even been a longer time for the others.
Maybe---just maybe---everything could turn out all right in the end.
&(&(&#$#$##$
Draechaeli: -sweatdrop- A THREE minute lemon?! Guess she wasn't very satisfied...
Laura: Yeah, I definitely see why it would be argued that they're going too fast... In fact, I probably would have said the same thing if this fic would have been someone else's and I was the reader. XX When I wrote chapters 13-17 (during last J-Term, I might add, which explains why I cranked out as much as I did), it usually took me about a week to do a chapter. I might have lost perspective considering it took me that long, I dunno... And - Ita vero, Latinum habet. I might go on a trip this spring too, to Rome in March. That is, if I'm lucky. :)
earthshine-411: -snorts- Huge BOBBLERS?! Hehe, I can just imagine a lemon scene with that in it---Kagome shoved her huge bobblers into Inuyasha's face, knocking him to the ground and giving him a concussion. The End. I'm sorry, can't help you with the Kenshin and the Yu Yu Hakusho fics. While I have seen a little bit of both, I've never read fanfic. In fact, I'm ashamed to say that Dragonball Z is the only other anime/manga that I read fanfics for---in fact, I've even written a couple. If you want to know about those, I'm familiar with some really popular (AND good) fics there.
VB: Not quite yet, I'm saving that for later. :)
angelica incarnate: Choppy, yes, especially since I've looked back at it. I'm not planning a lemon for the fic I'm currently writing now, but I'm sure I will do one again at some point, so I'll store what I've learned for later. And yeah, I'm putting in some more fluff humor, like in this chapter. I can't really squeeze it in during the final battle chapters (and there's three or four of them), but it'll be there when it can. :)
Also thank you to twidget, inuyashas-chicky-13, ProudMuggleGirl, sibby4ever, evle, Angel6582, Crystal Twilight, ME, AnimeAngelz, Delothwethiel, and Brigurl for reviewing. You guys kick ass! :D