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Fundamenta Inconcussa

The morning after the celebration, Kouga wakes from a light doze and wraps his arms around the now-familiar shape sleeping beside him. Kagome doesn't turn or wake, just snuggles closer to him and rubs her cheek against the fur beneath her. He strokes her hair, softly, gently; he doesn't want to wake her but he can't help but touch her.

Kagome. He rubs a few long tendrils of her hair against his cheek, thinks about how beautiful she is, how free – nothing like any human he's ever seen before, nothing like any miko. Brilliant, her power...and her nature wild, untamed, unwilling to be imprisoned by expectations, good or bad. Powerful, and beautiful, she has accepted his pack and his pack has accepted her.

The image of her in the dances flashes in front of his eyes; the way she had moved to mirror him, reading his body, his face, responding to his mischief, backing away from nothing, laughing, always laughing -

He rubs his cheeks against her shoulders, her back, the soft spread of her hair – scent marks, even though they're no longer necessary; his scent is a living part of her skin, now. It comes from sleeping beside her every night, even if only a few hours; it comes from the way she follows him, learning, a little shy...

Kagome.

Somehow, without him noticing, the feeling of his desire to possess this woman for his own has grown. Is still, in fact, growing. Kouga comes to the realization that he would rather lose everything else he possesses than continue to possess it and live by himself – live alone – without her.

So I love her. I do – I do love her. Kagome, my woman – beautiful shikon woman.

"Mmph...Kouga? Kouga...oh...good."

While he is lost in thought Kagome wakes fully and turns in the circle of his arms to face him, wiggling until she's gained the position she wants. He looks down at her with unusual warmth in his blue eyes, and Kagome flushes. She remembers the dancing just as well as he does – the euphoria, the adrenaline rush, the feeling of wildness transmitted to her through the howling, spinning wildness of the pack in their celebration.

She remembers his kiss, most of all his kiss – the heat of it, no softness, many promises – his kiss. She licks her lips, and her eyes focus on his mouth as the left corner quirks upward.

"Good, Kagome?"

She nods, and rubs her face against his chest.

"Yes, good. It's nice when you're still here when I wake up."

She is gaining wolfish habits. It pleases him, and at first she did it for that reason, learning a little at a time how to say thank you his way. Now it is natural to her, just like sleeping beside him is natural. It had been hard at first, awkward, but despite the fact that she thinks he desires her, there is nothing lustful about the way he curls himself around her, a protective, living blanket of wolf fur.

Some mornings he is gone before she wakes, and she misses him then – the little bit of cuddling she gets before he leaves her to dress, the early morning conversation, the way he likes to rub against her. She knows it's just marking, but she still likes it – likes it more because of that, likes the thought of his, and how he can claim her while still letting her do as she pleases.

This morning, her face is flushed, her scent warm with memory. Kouga likes it; he likes everything that implies her feelings for him are growing. His fingers wander down her sides, tickling the exposed skin between bandeau and skirt. Her skin is pale, her summer tan faded after her weeks recovering in the den; he traces odd shapes here and there where the shikon shards left scars as they hid in their flesh. His fingers stop at her hip, tracing a crescent there.

Odd.

Again and again, his fingers move over the same spot until Kagome pushes herself up on her elbow and looks down her side at where he's touching her.

"Is there something there, Kouga?"

"Huh? Oh – one of those shikon scars. From when I found you. But I could've sworn..."

He moves his fingers away and points.

"That crescent there, I could've sworn there were three crescent marks, one over the other, sort of...overlapping a bit. There's only one now; I don't...huh. I must've seen it wrong or something the first time and just thought there were three."

Kagome blinks at him.

"Oh. Well, that's alright then. It's not like the shards are going anywhere, it'd probably hurt if they were moving around inside me or something."

She looks vaguely queasy at the thought, and rolls over and swings her legs over the edge of the ledge.

"What are we doing today, Kouga?"

He grins at her.

"Well, we won our battle – there's no trouble here...you want to come hunting with me, Kagome? Either that or I bet Ginta and Hakkaku will track you down again -"

Kagome hurries to stand and stretch, as if to prove how active and ready she is.

"Oh, yes! Hunting! Sure!"

She casts an apologetic glance Kouga's way.

"Not that I'm not grateful, but I really don't want any lessons today."

He laughs.

"You'll be safe with me, Kagome."

He crosses the room with smooth, swift steps. He has her in his arms in the next instant, his claws a prickle of danger against her back.

"Though you might not be safe from me."

His eyes flash blue and gold and scatter the light. Kagome shivers, but she is brave and stubborn and she likes him – trusts him – she does not look away.

"That's okay."

There is half a step between them, and then she moves forward and there is none.

"I trust you, Kouga."

She leans up on her tiptoes, and lays a hand on either side of his face, and then kisses him softly, a mere brush of the lips.

Her heart pounds furiously; a dark, crimson blush paints her cheeks.

"I trust you."

It comes out as barely a whisper; the most beautiful whisper he's ever heard.

A/N: And the flood begins anew! This chapter's title, "Fundamenta Inconcussa" translates to "unshakeable foundation". Many thanks to all those who have reviewed; come onward with me as we dive forward into the first great mysteries of the plot!

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