AN: Seriously, I am in need of a mega dose of fluff. As I am sure everyone is. Because fluff rocks. This chapter has it in spades. We hope you enjoy it! We go to a whole new playing field here... Muhahaha! What will happen? How will this change everything? And who has the Sake? Enjoy!
Chapter Nine: Puppies Should Use Their Noses
Kagome's mouth gaped open at him, and her cheeks turned an even brighter pink. "YOU CAD!" Kagome yelled and jumped him. Smacking his forehead and pounding his chest with her fights.
Laughing, he easily stood up and seized her by her shoulders, holding her away from him. Remembering what she had done the last time he held her like that, Inuyasha changed his mind and stood beside her, slipping her into a headlock. "Why are you calling me a cad, Kagome?" he asked, sounding perfectly hurt. It was odd, playing the victim when he was wondering where she was ticklish.
Kagome's glare only intensified. "Why you-" She never finished her description. Her leg pulled back and released itself with a vengeful fury against Inuyasha's shin. The impact alone got her released, but seeing him hopping on one leg around the porch in circles gave her pleasure. Smiling smugly, Kagome couldn't help giving him a little clap for rhythm. If he was going to jump, he might as well jump to some music, was her logic.
"To grab a lady, such as myself, in a headlock, is to be a cad. Such as yourself," Kagome answered with such proper stuffiness, she almost gagged. "But more then that—you don't tell a girl she looks cute when she blushes! I mean, it's nice and I enjoy it, but all the same, I don't like admitting to myself that I'm blushing. So having someone throwing it in my face…"
Kagome's voice trailed off, and her lashes came halfway over her eyes. "You are smirking again. Want another kick?" she warned, pulling up her pant leg to her knee, exposing fine porcelain colored skin, with wonderful muscle texture underneath. "You want it! Don't you? Admit it!" she yelled and then heard a startling voice that almost made her fall flat on her face.
"Ah! See Sango? I told you we would only interrupt a lover's quarrel." Miroku's laughing voice came over the wind as he and Sango emerged side by side from the thick undergrowth of the pathway leading up to the house from the main road by the rice fields below. "You know, these types of things would really be better to do indoors," Miroku pointed out, his Buddha staff titling in the direction of the house. "Aw, you two look so cute when you're blushing!" Miroku smirked, turning blue eyes to Sango, which danced like stars over water. "Remind you of anyone?"
"If you're trying to say that they should remind me of us, I think you're sorely mistaken. For one thing, I don't blush when I hit you," Sango explained, crossing her arms and eyeing Inuyasha as he rubbed his shin better, glaring at Miroku. "I turn red with anger. Secondly, you don't look pissed off at all, you look quite happy that you received a moment of my attention and proud that you could get a response out of me. And lastly, you never blush."
Her brown eyes turned to look at Miroku, and though her expression was severe, there was a hint of laughter in her eyes. "So I don't know who they remind you of."
"Oh, I'm sure you will begin to see it in the fullness of time, my dear," Miroku winked, his hand dodging out of view to come up from behind her and rub her butt. Ooooo! It felt goood!
"You pervert!" she cried, turning around and slapping his cheek. Sango glared at him and then, furious, she stomped her way over to stand near Kagome and greet her friend.
Inuyasha felt better now that he wasn't the only one who was injured. He leaned on the railing of the porch, smiling smugly. "You know," he told the monk, keeping an eye on the staff incase Miroku tried to hit him again, "I think I see why she doesn't reciprocate your feelings."
"Use your nose, Puppy," Miroku muttered, with a proud and satisfied grin. She might play it hard to get, but he got some after all. "Come on, Puppy. Let's go chop wood or something, leave the two women to themselves."
Inuyasha growled, his ears standing up on end. "What did you call me?" he roared.
Sango sighed, glancing at them over her shoulder. "My God. I've never seen two men behave so much like children."
Kagome blinked rapidly with a slight doe eyed expression at the boys. "I have to admit, you are right," she said, watching them fighting with staff and fists. "You know, I suppose it's a good way for them to release tensions," Kagome commented and shrugged, turning on her heel to go back inside. "Come on, Sango we'll get towels."
Miroku paused mid-defense and stared at Kagome and Sango. "Kagome-sama...?" He asked in shock. Where did she come off knowing about frustrations? "Puppy..."
Inuyasha reached out and grabbed the front of Miroku's clothes, lifting the other man so that his feet were off the ground. This was, of course, only after the girls had left. He didn't need any comments from either one of them about his reaction. His teeth bared, his voice was a literal growl. "Don't ever call me that again," he warned.
"See, a man who pays more attention to the nick-name then to the underline shot at him not knowing how to satisfy a woman..." Miroku sighed and undid Inuyasha's fist, landing back down on his feet and brushing his rubs. Inuyasha had wrinkled them. "That's why I like you."
He growled still, his sharp-looking teeth biting his bottom lip as he tried to keep from biting off Miroku's head. He turned away, stomping to go and chop some firewood. 'At times, he can be a bit of dick,' he thought to himself, trying to resist the urge to once again punch Miroku. Had he been in the demon world, he would have challenged Miroku to a duel for insulting his honor and they would have gone outside and fought each other in front of whomever wanted to watch.
He peeled off his shirt and threw it on the branch of a tree. He grabbed an axe and a piece of wood, setting it up on the chopping block. Then he passed the other axe Kagome owned to Miroku. He arched an eyebrow, and looked a little smug. There was more than one way to challenge a man, after all.
"Naaaaaaaah, I'm kinda tired. Don't wanna work up a sweat either. Why don't you chop and I'll..." Miroku paused and looked around, when he found just what he was looking for: a nice shady spot under a tree. "Sit there!" He pointed and took his seat. Leaning his staff over his shoulder, Miroku grinned. "Women problems any better of late my friend?"
Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha put the other axe away and began to chop the wood. "A little," he said, bringing down the axe with one hand. He chopped the piece of wood cleanly in half. He reset the chopping block. "I'm making progress with Kikyo, so I guess it's an improvement."
"Oh, I thought you it was Kagome you had been talking about the other day."
"You know, I'm using an axe with one hand… it could very fly out of control and land somewhere… particularly by a shady tree, if you get my drift."
"Of course I do. And I'll take that as an answer," Miroku said, leaning back and scratching his chin idly. "How is Kikyo-sama these days?"
He shrugged, setting up his fifth piece of wood. "She's busy. She's home very rarely, which I find odd. I thought that a Priestess would be home more, so as to take care of the shrine."
"Kikyo is what you would call... a fighting Priestess. She doesn't like sitting idly by. Not that Kagome-sama does. Kagome is just, perhaps, wiser in this case. You don't charge ahead with all of your swords drawn after all, do you?" Miroku posed the question.
Shaking his head, he looked at Miroku over his shoulder and admitted, "I'm not quite to sure what you're alluding to, Miroku."
"That it must be hard to be between two women who have so much in common and yet are so vastly different. I don't know how you do it. But then again, you don't have a choice I suppose." Miroku watched the clouds moving in the sky before looking back at the wood Inuyasha was chopping, slightly cringing when he sliced through it so violently. "Would you rather it had been your brother sent on this mission of wedlock?"
"Fuck, no!" Inuyasha laughed, actually appearing amused by the idea. He leaned on the axe, looking back at Miroku and grinning. "I wish my brother had gotten sent to another planet, or to the coldest place in the world! I would never have asked for him to have come here and be engaged to a human being. He would have treated them like shit. He should be sent somewhere uninhabited. But… I wish, a little, that I wasn't in the exact scenario, yes. How can I not? I'm being forced into marriage with someone I barely know, and for the good of my country, I agreed to it. I wish that there had been another way to arrange peace between our groups."
"Your father is pretty smart. I suppose he went through all the other options," Miroku said speaking from experience. He had spoken to the Inu-taisho once or twice in the past. "You don't know Kikyo? I mean, it hasn't moved beyond barely?"
"Not yet, no. I mean, in some ways, yes. But regarding specifics, no." He once again made with the chopping of the wood. "She won't tell me what her childhood was like." CHOP! "She won't tell me what interests her." CHOP! "She won't even tell me her favorite color."
"Did you ask?" Miroku asked matter-of-factly. "Some people need such information pried out of them. They don't offer it freely… you know, you are chopping enough wood for the whole village by now, right? And that you owe me Sake for this therapy session."
His ears trailed down a little bit. "Are you sure you don't want some firewood?"
"Nah, I am going back to a place that is permanently hot anyway." Miroku grinned. "Sake will do."
"Damn." Inuyasha put the axe away, muttering something about how he was never going to listen to the man again. He always found a way to cheat Inuyasha out of something, it seems. And Inuyasha was, of course, going to do it, because as much as Miroku was a pain in the ass as a friend, Inuyasha knew he'd be even worse as an enemy.
"So," he said, collecting the firewood. "You and Sango, huh?"
"I wouldn't have any idea what you are talking about," Miroku said calmly, then stood up brushing grass off of robes. "Nor would anyone else. So don't bother going around spreading word of mouth," Miroku warned, with as much subtlety as an elephant.
How come Miroku always managed to one up him? He growled at the other man. "Me? You were the one who was flaunting it!"
"To you. Because I got some and you are obviously aching for some," Miroku replied nonchalantly. He didn't have anything to hide. He got to share a beautiful woman's bed. Who would you flaunt it to, if not to a friend who was suffering from no sex at all?
Inuyasha gathered the last piece of wood, and shook his head, heading into the house. "I hope she castrates you," he mumbled under his breath.
Several weeks later, Kagome once again had Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku over for lunch. They stayed late into the evening, drinking, eating, laughing and sharing stories until Sango had declared it tome for her to go. The war had been quiet, or at least as quiet as wars could be. The fighting had steadied down a trickle, and Sango was on her way out to the very front lines in the morning. She knew, they all knew, that Naraku was planning something, and the longer it was until it was revealed, the deadlier it would be.
Even Miroku didn't know what was going on.
Inuyasha stayed later, helping Kagome clean up. The sounds of laughter—her laughter—was still ringing in his ears. He was in a good mood, and he was certain that it wasn't just the wine they'd had with the meal that made his head feel fuzzy.
The thought was a little distressing. Inuyasha walked into the kitchen, dusting off his hands and standing there, watching her. Finally, he said, "Shippo's in bed."
"He was out like a light. He eats so much and then collapses. It really is rather cute when you think about it," Kagome ranted out, finishing up the last of the dishes and laughing. "Tonight was fun, eh? Wasn't it, Inuyasha?"
"It was," he agreed, smiling at her and passing her the dishtowel. "It was… warm," he finished, that being the only word he could think of to describe the evening. He gestured over his shoulder to Shippo's bedroom. "Have his nightmares about bees stopped?"
"Yeah, now he fears girls..." Kagome shook her head and began giggling all over again, the fleeting thoughts of the story causing her to breakout in laughter. Controlling her breathing, Kagome shook her hand and towel at him. "You don't want to know," Kagome promised.
She walked over to the bedroom and slid the door shut. "I'm glad you enjoyed. I did too. I almost made me forget about the war and everything, it was just a lovely evening with family and friends," Kagome purred contently.
In the time that Inuyasha had met Kagome, he still hadn't gotten to see her bedroom. Now that he was, he liked it, he liked it a lot. It was simple, but the few decorations she had up were tasteful and pretty. Somehow, they brought a feeling of life to the room. Inuyasha breathed in deeply. The room was practically saturated in her wonderful scent. It made him feel all warm in his stomach, as if he had been hitting the sake a bit too hard.
He took a seat in the one chair in the room, leaving the bed for Kagome. He wanted to sit on the bed, oh how he did! But he dare not. Inuyasha's smile turned a little sad. "One day the war will stop," he promised her.
"I know. And then everyone will be smiling and laughing, and birds will come back to the woods," Kagome dreamt, her eyes closed as though if she squeezed them tight enough, she was able to see it. "Hey, you can sit here if you want instead of on the other side of the room." Kagome patted the bed beside her.
Silent a moment, he eventually moved to sit beside her on the bed. Her scent was fresher and concentrated in this spot. Inuyasha wanted to reach out and touch her… and why shouldn't he? After all, wasn't he supposed to be intimate with her? It was… it was his duty to touch her! Slowly, he lifted his hand and began brushing her black hair. It was so nice and soft!
"You already are smiling and laughing," he pointed out to her in a smooth voice.
"I am. But inside I'm sad. Besides, the rest of the world isn't. And that's what matters," she said turning to look at him, enjoying the way his fingers wove through her hair.
He smiled at her, leaning in a little closer. "You don't look sad to me from here, Kagome."
"That's because I'm happy," Kagome replied softly, her lashes falling low over her eyes.
Her skin was giving off intense heat. Inuyasha could feel it warm him all the way down to his bones. His voice deepened a little, his other hand reaching over and covering hers. His skin felt like electricity was running between their connected hands. "I want to make you happy, Kagome," he purred, letting his lips drift over hers.
Kagome allowed thoughts and sweet words to drift out of her mind, and allow her senses to take over. And right now, they were overloading her brain. How soft his lips tasted, how his breath was warm and nice, the way his tongue moved over her lips and danced with hers. Leaning forward, Kagome dared to place her hand on his leg, seeking balance. Her eyes shut, afraid to open them and find this a dream, she smiled against his kissing lips. "You do."
He smiled… kissing and smiling was a little difficult at the same time. He turned his head, reaching over and smelling her hair, the tip of his nose trailing down her neck, sniffing her here and there, absorbing her warmth. "Not happy enough, not yet," he said into her neck, letting the tip of his tongue dart out to taste her skin. His body almost shuddered from pleasure.
Kagome's eyes remained shut, but not because she was afraid it was a dream. She realized it wasn't a phantom who would disappear as soon as she laid eyes on him. Yelping in surprise, Kagome licked her dry lips, her hands running up his arms, her fingers tracing up the nape of his neck into his hair, brushing through it and playing with the long strands. "Be happy with me," Kagome whispered softly, reaching out to bring his face to hers, now with her eyes open she met his, the smile showing in her eyes briefly before she closed them and kissed him.
Inuyasha was losing himself in her kisses. He wondered when Kagome had gotten so good at kissing. He growled as he kissed her back, nipping at her playfully. His hands slipped from where they were, sliding around her body. One hand held her close, mingling with her hair, the other hand slipping between her clothes, carefully tracing the skin he could blindly feel. His body shuddered at touching her, at having her surround him.
Kagome sighed, and felt warm. She felt hot all over, and more then that, focused. Focused in a way she had never been before, completely and utterly concentrating on this man before her. Feeling his warmth, enjoying his touches, delighting in the growling sounds coming from the back of his throat.
And suddenly she was too hot. She was on fire, and she was like a match dancing to the flames, wanting to be consumed. Kagome tossed her long hair over her shoulder. It flew like an arch and glided softly down her back. Once the bangs were out of her eyes, she could look straight down into his eyes. Sitting on his lap, Kagome smiled a simple smile meant for him. "I'm shaking." She giggled nervously, watching her trembling fingers run through his hair, all the way up to his ears and massage their base.
He closed his eyes, relaxing. Her fingers were amazing. Sighing contentedly, he let her go, his hands beginning to undo her shirt. "Are you nervous?"
Kagome bit her lower lip nervously, then quickly licked it, then sucked the right corner in. Too nervous to even speak, she simply nodded and held her arms out, to help him remove the shirt.
Smiling at her, he removed the rest of her shirt, his lips kissing her arms as he slowly removed them from the sleeves of her shirt. "Don't be. It's nothing to be afraid of." He didn't ask what she was afraid of. In particular, he didn't ask if it was him she was afraid of. That was a stupid question, and he already knew the answer.
The shirt dropped on the floor. Inuyasha tried to be as gentlemanly as he could about the whole thing. He kept his eyes away from her body, keeping to darting glances that swallowed her. His lips trailed over her skin as he came up to her face, kissing her softly before he leaned her back on the bed. Her bindings covered her most personal areas, but Inuyasha kissed his way over the cotton cloth anyway, eagerly kissing her stomach. His pale hair fell over his shoulders, brushing against her sides, his hands tracing the outlines of muscle and of bone. Inuyasha could never remember being so happy, so eager, or so aroused. He growled deeply, smelling her as his hands peeled back at her pants slightly, planting reassuring kisses as he went.
Another growl of satisfaction escaped him. "If I wasn't worried about another man seeing you, I'd never want to see you wearing such unbecoming clothes again."
Kagome laughed aloud. Her chest was heaving, and her entire body trembling. Hips swinging from side to side, she gasped for air, a gasp which quickly turned into a deep moan. Suddenly her throat was dry and raw at the same time. She really wished she could growl like him. It was exactly what she felt like spoken aloud. Hands running up his chest, they moved under the opening of his haori, and pushed the jacket back off of his shoulders and down his back. Untying his shirt, Kagome found his chest, the same one she had marveled at for the past few times she'd seen it, but had shot down those thoughts, not allowing herself to enjoy them. Ffinally, Kagome got to run her hands over it and feel how warm he was, how soft and hard. It was like feeling up a sculpture, but one that breathed and pulsed with life.
"You're much nicer then all the other men I've seen..." Kagome whispered, tossing his shirt off to the side of the room.
Maybe it was the sake (she doubted it), but she felt floating. "Inuyasha..." Kagome moaned.
"Yeah?" he asked, hovering over her on all fours and breathing heavily. He gulped, and blinked, pausing, trying to think ahead. Ahead? There was just now, now, even now…
"I like the way you make me feel," Kagome whispered through kiss swollen lips, loosened by sake and freed by intimacy of the moment, and the dream-like state she was in. "I've never been happier. Are you happy?" she asked, hands framing his face, her brown eyes looking up at him like two huge pools, reflecting what she saw, which were gorgeous amber orbs, full of an amazing soul.
He kissed her softly, letting his lips run over hers soothingly. Forget about words. The tip of his nails gently grazed down her side. "Kagome," he panted, longing to touch her more, to see her more, to be the first one to ignite such passion within her and to show her just what he body could do. But the Prince in him was still at the reigns, still capable of bringing everything to a stop. "How far can I take this?"
Kagome didn't want her dream to shatter. Her subconscious refused to allow her to follow through on the answer, it would mean remembering the outside world and all the reasons why not. She knew she was about to do something unPriestess. She knew it wasn't pure, or right.
Right was what she felt inside, so now, for the first time, the unselfish Priestess was going to be selfish about the one thing she shouldn't be. Right, in her books, was right now being there, alone in her room with him, tickling her skin delicately with his nails, their hair mixing together over the mattress, embraced.
Kagome's only reply, was to arch up and kiss him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and pulling him down to her.