AN: Wow… Author's notes from PoF, as Emmie's on vacation. I apologize for the long wait and the short chapter. However, I hope that these promises will make it up to you. I will update again when I get back from next vacation, and it will be an Miroku-Sango lime, for all of you who are into that pairing, or those things. Until then, you'll have to make do with pure and simply fluff… as well as first kisses.

Hoshi-chan: Sorry… I wish it had been soothed by a sooner update! Hopefulyl fluff will make it up!

Drake220: Inuyasha is pretty in red. Why can I picture Miroku in modern day clothes, but never Inuyasha?

Yoursolastsummer: I haven't talked to Emmie in awhile, but when she left she was feeling better. Now she's probably suffering fromwithdrawl!

Thanks for all the reviews!

Enjoy!

Chapter Six

Entering the kitchen, he began to clean up the stingers on the floor, carefully throwing them out.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kagome said softly, looking sad.

He shrugged, and finished cleaning up. Inuyasha stood in the kitchen, feeling useless. "Kagome…you didn't like the idea, did you?"

"Which one?" Kagome asked washing out the bowl which had the medicine and left over herbs in it.

"The one about kissing." Inuyasha took the dishtowel that hung from the wooden rack by the sink and began drying the dishes. "I mean, we should be prepared for it, in case something happens, shouldn't we? If for some reason we have to kiss in public and we both grimace and act evasive, it might tell Naraku that something's off." He paused, asking where the dish went. He put it away for her before grabbing another dish and continuing. "Don't be afraid to speak out. I won't be insulted. Frankly, I don't really want to kiss you. A kiss is so intimate…"

"Well, of course it would be a sacrifice on both our parts... But I'm willing to give it a try if you are," Kagome said, handing him the last dish and smiling softly. "Thanks for your help. What type of kisses did you have in mind?"

He put the bowl away before looking down at her and finding himself suddenly very close to her. "Um… the innocent ones? You know, the kind that are just… friendly rather than those ones that look like we're trying to swallow each other."

"I don't know the difference..." Kagome paused and then decided to be daring. "Can you show me?"

A tiny sound of nervousness escaped from his throat. Inuyasha looked away from her, tracing the curve of her arm. He reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders, bringing her forward as he took a small closer to her as well. Inuyasha felt like he was in a daze. He swallowed and leaned down, his eyes on hers as his mouth met with Kagome's. His eyes drifted shut, finding her breath was warm and wonderful. His mouth covered hers, but just barely, the smallest part in his lips. His lips drew across her gently, and then again. He was amazed at the softness of her lips, at their delicacy. It was like kissing a flower. It left him speechless. He pulled away from her, his eyes still closed and his lips still parted slightly. He didn't want to open his eyes and wake from this dream. The world felt like someone had turned it upside down.

Kagome found herself drowning and lost in the sweetest experience she had ever had. She was completely light and warm floating in his arms somewhere between earth and bliss. She followed his actions to a tea, mimicking every move of his, until she decided to wing it a bit on her own. This play acting wasn't that bad. She slipped her tongue between their crushing lips and licked his tongue. He tasted good.

Inuyasha jumped, startled at her boldness. It was a pleasant surprise, but he felt a little guilty. No, he felt very guilty, not only for Kikyo, but for his own enjoyment in the kiss and a sudden, desperate feeling that he was drawing Kagome into something which would only leave her being hurt. His hands tightened their grip on her shoulder and he had to pull her away as much as he did push himself from her. His breathing, for one agonizing breath, felt like a shudder. "This goes too far. I only wanted… wanted… well, I don't think I'll need to worry about kissing you."

Kagome was flushed, but she understood him. "You know, I'm not supposed to be selfish and thoughtless... But, can I ask for a favor?" Kagome asked catching her breath, and very forcefully trying to pull her eyes away from his lips.

He nodded, and gave her a friendly smile, forcing himself to make sure it was only a friendly smile and not one that was stupid and giddy and reminded him of courtiers who had just been toyed with by a pretty courtier. "If there is a chance that it is within my power, it's surely yours," he promised her, scarcely believing what he had said. Since when did he like all the pretty talk that the aristocrats used? Inuyasha tried to be straight forward, the "me man, you woman" approach.

"Would you kiss me again the way you just did?" Kagome asked shocked at her own boldness and at her lack of modesty. Any female should have at least that, and here she was being so demanding. She was shocked and appalled at herself. "Because, see I might still jump a bit, I'm not use to kissing." Kagome excused. It was the truth and she knew it, but it wasn't the real reason she wanted him to kiss her again. The real reason behind that, she kept locked up, not admitting it to herself.

She'd landed her request smack dab between his two major duties. On the one hand, he had Kikyo, and on the other hand, he had the war. Frankly, Inuyasha felt like a wuss for not being out there on the front lines with his family, and instead he had been handed over like a piece of property to protect Kikyo. Protecting Kagome and acting like he held Kagome's heart in his hands was just the way to fight the war in his own way while still protecting his charge… er, fiancée. But to kiss Kagome again… damn it all. Why in the world had his father ever agreed to this asinine idea in the first place?

"I'll kiss you again," he promised her. "But not right now. Okay?" He started telling himself to think unsexy thoughts.

Kagome felt disappointed, but tried to hide it with a smile. "Alright," she said a bit too cheerfully. "Um, you probably miss Kikyo..." Kagome said swallowing the lump that had arisen in her throat. "And it's getting late..." She added looking out the window at the still bright sky that wasn't even close to turning twilight yet.

"I missed our lesson," he corrected.

"Oh... Yeah... I forgot all about it," Kagome said flustered, not sure she had even heard him correctly. She was busy trying to hide her blush. "Um, I have some books here about field work. Does that help? I didn't prepare the lesson for today," Kagome apologized meekly.

Shrugging, he sat down in a chair, relaxing. "Don't worry about it. Lesson plans make things so formal. Things shouldn't be that formal between us, now should they? I mean, we are friends. Right?"

"Best of friends," Kagome replied, taking seat opposite of Inuyasha. "You know, you're my first real friend... That hasn't, you know, been thankful or felt they had to be nice to me because of well, my powers," Kagome admitted shyly.

This time his smile was brilliant. "And you're the first person that didn't pity me for being half human, or look at me like I was some contagious disease for being half demon, so I guess we're even then." His face faltered when he thought of the necklace. He glared at, laying there on the table as if it was completely innocent. "Which is why it hurt when you put that thing on me."

"I didn't mean for it to hurt you like that. I could never fear you. Just what the two of us..." Kagome let her voice trail off, deciding it better to shut up about it.

"...could do together, I know. I mean, I know now, anyway. We could tear apart an alliance..."

"No!" Kagome jumped up, then calmed down and sat back down, however fidgeting nervously. "We can't," Kagome said flatly. "We.." Kagome looked at him, with a plain simple gaze. "Is this so strong that it could do that?"

He shrugged, picking up the beads and playing with them absentmindedly. "It doesn't have to be strong. It just has to be one night, with anybody, and I could screw it all up. I'm betrothed. I'm supposed to be faithful to her, even if we aren't married yet. Let's face it. Kikyo and I are both being treated like a product here, shipped off to be together, and as much as we may hate it, we have to do it."

"You can make it better," Kagome suggested softly. "I think you could be a good couple."

He was silent, and then he leaned in a little, suddenly looking very much like a little kid who was faced with a dilemma he couldn't solve. His ears were lowered. "Do you guys really lose your powers if you… you know… mate?"

"I can't tell you that." Kagome said and leaned in close, cupping her hand around her mouth as she whispered in Inuyasha's ear, loving how it twitched when her breath touched it. "Besides, I wouldn't know. I haven't done it. Remember?"

He sighed. Inuyasha reached over and lifted Kagome from her seat, setting her on his lap and leaning his head against her shoulder. His hands once again slipped under clothes, laying harmlessly on her stomach. He closed his eyes. "Let me stay like this for a little while," he said. "Then I'll go and make sure there aren't anymore spies hanging around, and I'll get back to the shrine."

Kagome nodded and found herself wrapping her arms around his form and burying her face in his hair, her fingers playing through loose strands that fluttered down his back. "I like this," she whispered curling closer to him.

He hugged her tighter. "So do I, Kagome."

Even though she knew it may ruin the mood, she had to take the chance. Curling her legs up onto the edge of his chair, so that they were mostly relying on him, like a baby curled up Kagome breathed deeply. "Do you do this with Kikyo?"

"No," he said drowsily. "But I probably should, shouldn't I? I should probably kiss her too… I haven't even kissed her yet."

Kagome cupped his cheek and pressed a soft kiss to his face. Kagome didn't know how to answer that, and she knew more then that, that she didn't want to speak aloud what she was thinking. It was a shame Inuyasha's father picked Kikyo. Kagome wouldn't mind having more of this, being more with him.

When Inuyasha got home—it was strange, he always thought, how he liked being with Kagome but thought of Kikyo's house as being home—he found that Kikyo was already there, doing the dishes. Once again, Inuyasha found himself picking up a dry towel and helping her. Despite the somber ambiance of Kikyo's shrine, unlike Kagome's where the water from the sacred waterfall sounded like falling laughter, Inuyasha remained in a good mood. He had held Kagome for a long time, gotten to talk a bit with Shippo when the kitsune had woken up, and he hadn't found a trace of any spies near Kagome's house, so she was safe. "How was your day, Kikyo?"

"I tended to Sango's soliders," Kikyo replied shortly. The best way to describe her day was by what she did. And it was simple. She had tended to them. She had done so all day and then made them soup and changed their bandages. Handing Inuyasha the next plate, Kikyo turned her far seeing eyes upon him.

She had to make small talk. He was. She might as well try. "You?"

"Checked Kagome's shrine for spies. The wasps were visiting her. I wouldn't be surprised if they showed up around here as well…" He felt awkward, and he put the plate away, Kikyo never leaving his sight. Picking up another dish, he sighed. He might as well be honest. Maybe honesty could earn him some points. "You don't like me much, do you, Kikyo?"

"It is not my place to like or not," Kikyo replied logically. "Nor does it matter. We are contracted to be together," Kikyo said simply, thinking over all the logical reasons, before allowing the faintest of phantom smiles, which meant her lips barely visibly twitched. "I like you."

He smiled earnestly. "Good." His eyes filled with relief. "If you hated me, we'd be pretty much doomed, but if you like me, then I suppose that there's hope we won't end up trying to kill each other one day."

Kikyo didn't get the humor in that and handed him another bowl instead. "Do you... approve?"

"Approve of what? You?"

"Yes," Kikyo answered, her lashes lowered to conceal her eyes and what showed in them.

Ah, flattery. That was something Inuyasha could do. Any idiot could do it, after all, but Inuyasha had learned by watching Sesshomaru, and his elder brother had a wicked tongue no matter which side of it you were on. Sesshomaru was well known for making his enemies and fellow aristocrats feel at ease with honeyed words before he ripped them mentally and socially to shreds.

"What's not to approve of?" he asked, smiling at her. "You're smart, and beautiful, and you help people. Those are all things I like. I just wish you would smile more, though I'm hardly one to talk."

"I don't want this to have to be more of a burden then it is," Kikyo tried to comfort. "I am sure we can live to be comfortable with one another. Friends. And perhaps from there lovers. After this war is over, we can both be normal people. I won't have such responsibilities. I could be a lower grade Priestess and you won't have the entire honor and weight of your people on your shoulders," Kikyo explained with an almost dream like expression that seemed more statuesque then anything else.

She painted a pretty picture. He nodded, silently agreeing with her, and then he opened his mouth and inserted his foot. "Unless you don't want to, I mean. After the war is over, we might be able to find a way out of this, unless we were mutually agreed to staying into it. But if weren't able, then that's the way I pictured it too, and I'm glad we seem to be thinking along the same lines."

He glanced away, inhaling sharply, as if gathering his courage. "But so far we've barely been able to hold hands, haven't we?"

"You haven't exactly spent a lot of time with me," Kikyo pointed out, keeping the rest of her emotions lucked up and shielded inside.

"Nor you with me," he responded, remembering the way she had avoided him completely the first few days. "In all honesty, sometimes the way you treat me makes me wonder if you even want me here at all."

Kikyo wiped her hands and cocked her head slightly to the side, her pony tail waving across her back as she did so. "I'm sorry. Of course I do. We signed upon it. I simply am not use to the company of men, let alone demons around my person." Kikyo tried her best to explain. "And my duties haven't gotten lighter. I can't ignore them. Not even for you. Not until after the war."

"Understandable. Ah," he began nervously, "I don't suppose that I would be able to maybe accompany you on some of your duties? I could possibly help."

"I tend to the soldiers mostly. I don't know..."

He looked the other way, and after a moment, he asked his second question. "Kikyo, do you think perhaps it might be easier to talk to each other, easier to maybe like each other more, if we kissed? I know that the idea is a bit radical, but I think it could work."

"Perhaps. Alright." Kikyo agreed to it half heartedly. Kikyo was slightly excited at the proposal, but her duties came first. "But not right now. I need to go back to the camp. Tomorrow? Say... Noon?"

'She's… she's planning a time to kiss?' Inuyasha was astounded. Where was Kikyo's sense of adventure? Of recklessness? She did have one, didn't she? "A kiss takes a second! I'm suggesting a kiss, not making out for an hour or something!"

"I know that." Kikyo spoke calmly and stood there with her hands clapped together over her lap. "Alright. One kiss."

Thinking that this was perhaps the most unromantic set up for a kiss that he had ever heard, Inuyasha took Kikyo into his arms, blushing slightly. He tried to remember how he had just kissed Kagome. It had been sweet and innocent and… and it had gone…
He leaned down and gently touched her lips with his, pressing them against hers lightly.

Kikyo watched him with eyes open as he leaned close, she continued staring when their lips touched. But after a moment, she closed her eyes and submitted herself to the moment, placing her hands on his shoulders.

His grip tightened on her and he kissed her with a little more vigor, running his lips along hers. His kisses came a little quicker, his tongue gently stroking her bottom lip as he tried to get her to respond to him, to kiss him back.

Kikyo kissed him back massaging her lips against his, she even opened her mouth when his tongue pried her lips apart, but when his tongue touched hers she jumped back, nearly biting her own tongue in the process.

"Um.." Kikyo cleared her throat and ran her hands over the wrinkles of her pants, panting and blushing. "That was... Nice." Kikyo smiled a small fey smile.

Inuyasha couldn't tell if she was being overly kind to him because she had hated it, or if she was actually telling the truth. He looked away. "I'm sorry that I took it so far. I… well, I wasn't sure if you were going to kiss me back for a minute there."

"I was... Well, in shock I suppose. Your breath is nice," she explained, trying to figure it out in her mind how she was to explain to him that she had expected it to reek of blood or meat. "It's alright. We are supposed to be close, like man and wife until the marriage. We might as well get use to kissing each other," Kikyo reasoned logically.

"Precisely," he agreed, still feeling very uncomfortable. It had been a good kiss, and there had been passion in it, yes, but before and afterwards still felt so odd… He coughed, trying to find something to say. "I'm sorry if I made you late," he said, trying to get her to remember her engagement.

"Oh... Yes. Well. I should go now." Kikyo collected her basket and blankets for the soldiers. "I'll be back later. I... Wouldn't mind seeing you later tonight. Inuyasha." Kikyo ended with a softer note as she left the house, leaving the space for him to roam.

Inuyasha sank down into a chair as soon as she had left. Why was everything so tasking with Kikyo? Everything they did seemed strained. Was it just because of the engagement, looming over their heads like some giant swinging axe? There were qualities they admired in each other, so why couldn't they start letting down their walls around each other and to start being more at ease? Inuyasha's head fell into his hands.

He hated this. Life was starting to hurt his head.