LXIV

Punctum Saliens

The first argument of Kouga and Kagome comes in the form of their disagreement over future plans. Kagome wants to bring Kikyou and the Inu back with them, back to Kouga's den, back among his people, his pack…and that is the last thing in the world that Kouga wants.

He takes Kagome by the arm, away from Kikyou and the half-conscious hanyou to the corner of the room.

"Everything else you've asked me – anything else I could do, but not this, Kagome."

He fixes her with his eyes, wills her to understand.

"I cannot bring an Inu into my den – among my pack. It would never be forgiven."

Kagome stares into his face, and sees that he is completely in earnest. It is hurting him to deny her, and knowing what she knows of an Ookami courtship, she knows why. To please me. His whole purpose, his whole existence is that now. So much –

And as the thought fills her, she knows she has to drop her pursuit of this thing. If she pushes – if she pushes, despite what he says now, he will give in. He will give in, and something terrible will be the result.

"Kouga – never mind, then. You know best."

His whole body relaxes, and Kagome senses all her premonitions of horrible things fleeing into some other future.

"But Kouga, can you tell me – why? What's this feud between Ookami and Inu?"

He casts a dark look over his shoulder, then returns his gaze to her face.

"A long time ago there were no Inu in this world – only wolves. Wolves, howling together at the moon. But some gave into temptation – riches – females – power – weapons. And they were tamed, at the hands of the kami and some of the greatest among mortal men."

His eyes burn at her, blue-bright intensity the likes of which she has rarely seen.

"Tame wolves. Can you understand? Will you? What is a tame wolf, Kagome, if it is not Inu? And that is –"

"I understand."

She reaches up to touch his cheek, holds him still with the fire in her face, match to his own blaze.

"Inu. That goes against everything you are – that's…that's real heresy, isn't it?"

He nods, once, slowly. Her fingers slip from his cheek to his lips, and her face grows solemn.

"I will never try to tame you, Kouga. Don't – be afraid?"

She tests the word as if it might not carry the meaning she wants it to.

"And I will – I will try not to be."

For a moment he can only stare.

You, human – how do you understand? And then he smiles, all fangs, all for her, and holds himself in a moment of perfect stillness. No. What's wrong with me? I chose her for this – for this. How could I have expected her not to understand?

He crushes her against his body, and kisses her like their very first kiss all over.

#

The audience witnessing the argument that evolves into an enshrinement of love is broken by the scene. It is Kikyou who watches – Inuyasha can only hear. Still, that is more than enough. One hope has shattered in Inuyasha, and in the same instant another has come into being. The thought of Kikyou, a living woman once more – in the sound of Kagome's voice, in the soft admissions she makes with scent and tone, not even knowing it, he reads a devotion that no past connection will be able to deter.

At the same time, he cannot help but feel a certain warmth. The story is lost on him – who cares about the ancient past, the origins of Inu? He's only half, anyway – no, that isn't what concerns him. It is the woman herself, who is just a woman but still willing to love a monster – a beast of the wild forest, a demon, all fangs.

She is willing and she wants him, just as he is.

Could there be someone in the world, some living woman who might look at him that way? It is the first time in his life he has ever had such a thought, and suddenly he regrets a thousand times what he has done – that threat, that fatal endeavor.

Beside him, Kikyou senses his heart turning over and cannot smile, but neither can she bring herself to tears. There is a revelation for her in the scene before her, as much as there was for Inuyasha – something intensely personal, something she can feel changing inside her.

She has never been able to give up the dream of a normal human life. She has never been able to will herself to wholly love Inuyasha – not the way she can on the nights when he is human. The shudder that comes to her when his claws scratch her skin, the recoiling of her whole being when her tongue touches the fangs in his mouth – she has never, never been able to escape it, thought she has often wanted to.

In Kagome, she sees exactly that, her own missing pieces – she sees in the girl the want for the things she has tried to escape all her life.

You would never have tried to make Inuyasha human, would you, Kagome?

But she keeps the thought to herself, and turns away. Kagome is lost in her wolf lover – and isn't that a clue, all on its own? Your wolf lover, miko Kagome. Miko, who should have no power at all.

"Inuyasha. Inuyasha, can you stand?"

He allows her hands on him, gets to his feet and walks to the door, one hand pressed against the side of his broken face. For one moment, Kikyou looks at the pair before her, imprinting on her mind the image of what it is that is going to come.

I will be you one day, girl of the future, girl outside time. My soul will learn all the lessons it's been missing. I will be you one day.

I will become what you are becoming.

"Kouga-sama."

The wolf turns to her and the look on his face – it awakens a feeling in her, and she wonders if this is what the girl feels – if this is why she has given in.

"Kouga-sama, Inuyasha and I will return to Edo now. If you have need of us, call. And if there are rumors of the shikon no tama –"

"I'll send a messenger in spring. Save them until then."

She turns away without another word, takes Inuyasha's arm and leaves the two of them behind.

#

A/N: Look how not slow I am, look! This one is for Velvet, who inspired me with words and multiples of reviews. WOO! More soon, with all likelihood, and

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