This chapter is named after the song "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls!

Chapter 11: Iris

"Inuyasha, you did it."

Inuyasha looked around, trying to find the source of the familiar voice.

He found his mother smiling at him with his father at her side.

"I'm proud of you, my son," Toga said. "You've grown to be a fine man."

"And you've avenged our deaths," Izayoi added. "Naraku is gone."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as a smile broke out onto his face at the sight of his parents.

"You made incredible sacrifices," Izayoi continued. "And you achieved your goal. Thank you, my darling son."

Before Inuyasha could reply, the word "sacrifices" echoed in his head.

"What sacrifices are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked.

Izayoi and Toga turned their attention behind him.

Inuyasha turned around, his eyes widening when he caught sight of Kagome lying on the ground.

"Kagome!" he shouted as he ran over and dropped to his knees next to her. "Kagome, can you hear me?"

Her face was pale, her lips bluer than her eyes, and the scent of chocolate and cherries was being overpowered by the stench of death.

Inuyasha's throat tightened as he looked down at her before turning back to his parents.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"Kagome's life was a sacrifice you made," Toga explained. "You successfully lured Naraku out with her, but he killed her before you could slay him."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "No...I didn't want her to…I didn't think she..." His attention moved back to Kagome's lifeless body.

He stared down at her before reaching out to touch her.

Before he could, her body disappeared, going up in smoke and dissipating.

Inuyasha's eyes burned with the threat of tears.

"Kagome is dead," he murmured. "The woman I love is dead ...and it's my fault? This...I never meant for this to happen. I never wanted this to happen."

He looked back at his parents to find them gone. Inuyasha was alone.

"Kagome!"

Inuyasha jolted awake, sweat dripping down his body as he shot up in the bed.

His sudden movements woke Kagome.

"Inuyasha?" she asked, groggy but attentive. "Are you okay?"

He looked at her, seeing that she was alive and safe and still lying next to him.

She's alive...it was just a nightmare.

Relief flooded him as he quickly pulled her into his arms and hauled her up into his lap to hug her tightly.

"What—um…" Kagome's voice was sleepy and groggy, and he immediately felt bad for waking her up.

"Sorry," he said as he started to pull away. "Just...bad dream."

Before he could help lay her back down, Kagome shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck, blinking away her sleepiness and looking at him in concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "Do you want to talk about your dream?"

When Inuyasha shook his head, Kagome nodded and kissed his forehead.

"Come here," she murmured.

Inuyasha allowed her to pull him into a tighter embrace; she hugged him close before she lay them down again.

Inuyasha's head was on her chest, her heartbeat soothing him, so different from the lack of it in his nightmare.

He turned his head to bury his face in her neck, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

Kagome ran her hands through his sweat-dampened hair, combing through the knots as her other hand gently rubbed one of his ears.

"I'm here," she said softly. "Nothing will hurt you."

Inuyasha hugged her tighter, trying to keep all thoughts out of his mind except for her.

"Inuyasha," she murmured. "You're squeezing the life out of me."

Inuyasha slightly loosened his arms around her. "I'm sorry."

Kagome placed a kiss on the top of his head. "It's okay. Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

Inuyasha shook his head. Kagome resumed running her hand through his hair. He took a deep breath, trying to fill his senses with her.

"Better?" she asked softly. Inuyasha nodded, his face still tucked against her neck.

Kagome hummed and settled her arms around him, hugging him close.

"Try to go back to sleep. I'll stay up with you until you do, okay?"

Inuyasha nodded again, keeping his grip on her waist.

They were awake long into the night until Inuyasha finally fell asleep.

o.O.o

The next morning, Inuyasha woke up with his arms still wrapped tightly around Kagome. The nightmare he'd had was still heavy in his thoughts, but feeling Kagome against him, alive, her warmth permeating his skin, helped.

He lay there quietly for a few moments before gently untangling himself from her and silently leaving the room.

He had a few things to get.

O.o.O.o.O

For the first time since meeting Inuyasha, Kagome woke up alone.

She rolled over to drape an arm over him, surprised that his arms weren't already wrapped around her.

But his side of the bed was empty.

Kagome opened her eyes and sat up, looking around the room.

"Inuyasha?"

She ran a hand through her hair, smoothing it a bit before getting up and padding into the bathroom.

He'll be back eventually, she mused as she closed the door. I hope he's okay. That nightmare seemed to really spook him...I'll ask him about it when he gets back.

She did her usual morning routine before getting dressed. Once she was finished, she opened the bathroom door and walked out, only to feel arms wrap around her as soon as she entered the room.

"Happy birthday," Inuyasha murmured in her ear before he kissed her cheek.

Kagome smiled and turned around in his embrace, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Thanks," she replied. "Good morning." Inuyasha smiled and kissed her quickly before pulling away to take her hand.

"I have something for you," he said as he pulled her over to sit down on their bed. Kagome laughed at his eagerness as she sat.

He grabbed his bag and came to sit next to her.

"Close your eyes," he instructed. Kagome nodded and did as he said.

She heard him ruffle around in his bag for a moment before he took her hand.

He pressed something thin and hard into her palm before he told her she could open her eyes.

Upon opening her eyes, she looked down at the gift in her hand.

A small gasp escaped her as she took in the sight of a hair pin.

It was green with a purple flower on the top, one that she knew would be showcased nicely when she used the pin to put her hair up.

"It's lovely," she said as she looked up at him. Inuyasha smiled and reached out to touch the flower.

"It's an iris," he explained. "I remember you said your brother was born in the summer, which is the season for irises, right?"

Kagome's eyes filled with tears. "Yeah...that's right."

"And green is your favorite color," he added softly.

Kagome laughed, remembering that as one of the first things she'd told him upon meeting. Inuyasha wiped a tear that had started to slip down her cheek.

"This is so kind," she said. "Thank you, Inuyasha."

She ran her fingers over the iris on the pin before quickly putting her hair up with it.

Once it was up, she grinned. "Does it look okay?"

Inuyasha was on her less than a second later.

Kagome burst into laughter as he lunged at her, causing them to topple back on the bed.

He placed kisses to the parts of her neck that were now exposed from her hair being up, causing Kagome to sigh both in amusement and pleasure as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you so much," she said. She could feel Inuyasha smile against her skin as he moved his kisses up her neck until he reached her mouth.

"I love you, too," he murmured.

Kagome's eyes drifted closed as their lips touched, allowing herself to get lost in the feel of his mouth sliding against hers. His taste was extra sweet as it burst in her mouth when he brushed his tongue against hers as he deepened the kiss, and she wondered if he'd brought whatever treat he'd eaten back to share with her.

But for now, she resigned herself to staying lost in him.

When they finally parted, Inuyasha placed one last kiss on her forehead before sitting up and pulling her with him.

"You distracted me," he teased. "There's one more thing."

Sure enough, he grabbed a sweet bun from the small desk and handed it to her.

Kagome took a bite and smiled. "This is really good. Thank you." She leaned into him as he wrapped one of his arms around her, pulling her against his side.

They sat there quietly for a while until Kagome broke the silence.

"Oh, I meant to ask," Kagome began, "you were pretty spooked last night. Are you okay?"

Inuyasha tensed against her. "Yeah...it was just a nightmare. I'm fine now."

Kagome didn't believe him, but she didn't push for answers.

"Okay," she conceded. Inuyasha kissed her.

"Anyway," he said as he pulled away, "we're not gonna think about any bad stuff today. I heard about a hot spring not too far from here. Do you want to go?"

Kagome's eyes widened. "A hot spring? Wow, it's been forever since I've been to one of those. I would love that."

Inuyasha smiled and kissed her cheek. "Let's get going then."

o.O.o

Once they'd packed up their things, they checked out of the inn and set off hand-in-hand.

Kagome was practically buzzing with excitement.

It was only a thirty-minute walk, which was filled with them finishing the other treats Inuyasha had purchased.

When they reached the hot springs, Kagome's eyes widened.

It was a nice size and rather secluded, so they would have plenty of privacy as they enjoyed the warmth of the water...and perhaps the warmth of each other.

"This is amazing," Kagome said as she stripped down to her undergarments. "It's gonna feel so good."

It was warm outside since it was late spring, but she would never grow tired of the luxury of a hot springs.

Inuyasha chuckled at her eagerness as he undressed down to his undergarments as well before following her into the water.

She dove under the surface and stretched her limbs, loving the way the water bathed her in warmth.

When she breached the surface again, she found Inuyasha sitting on the edge with only his feet dipped in.

Her eyes widened a bit; it was the first time she'd ever seen his bare chest, and it was a sight she was thoroughly enjoying.

Inuyasha smirked at her. "See something you like?"

Kagome laughed. "Maybe. Are you getting in?"

"It's hot," Inuyasha said.

"It's a hot spring," Kagome pointed out. Inuyasha chuckled.

"I will," he promised. "Just gotta get used to the temperature. You're quite a sight, though, so I'm still having fun."

Kagome blushed and sent a small splash of water his way, keeping it aimed at his feet so as not to get any more water on him before he was more used to the temperature.

"You flatter me too much," Kagome said lightly as she floated on her back in the water. "You're gonna make my head big."

"No such thing as too much flattery," Inuyasha replied. "At least...not with you."

Their eyes locked, and the slight blush on his cheeks clashed against the fierce intensity in his gaze; the heat in his eyes warmed her even more than the water. It was startling; she never imagined someone could look at her that way, could love her and want her as much as he so obviously did.

"Are you...ready to come in?" she asked breathlessly.

Without breaking eye contact, Inuyasha nodded and slid down into the water.

Kagome waded over to him, and he wasted no time in pulling her close and colliding his lips with hers.

Inuyasha tangled his fingers in her wet hair and pulled her onto his lap before trailing his kisses down to her neck.

The heat of their touches soon rivaled the warmth of the hot springs, and Kagome wondered how selfish it would be if she wished for them to just stay there forever, together, bodies close enough to be indistinguishable as individuals, passion growing between them by the second.

But...she couldn't forget that she still needed to get rid of the jewel.

If she wanted a life with Inuyasha, she couldn't let herself get too lost in the desire to just be alone with him.

Which reminded her...he still didn't know everything.

She pushed it from her mind, wanting to enjoy their time in the hot springs without any negative thoughts.

And Inuyasha did well to distract her.

When his heated touches to her body slowed into softer caresses, Kagome broke their kiss, leaning her head against him and trying to catch her breath.

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest as she lay her head against his neck.

They sat in silence for some time, hands gently touching, caressing, as they enjoyed the peace the hot springs offered.

Kagome hummed. "Thank you for finding this place."

"I figured you'd like it," he replied, gently running his claws up and down her back. "You struck me as a hot springs kind of a person."

Kagome laughed. "I definitely am."

She ran her hand up and down his chest, admiring the smooth skin of his torso. His strength and fearlessness was evident in the firm planes, juxtaposing the gentle way his arms held her so affectionately.

It only made her further appreciate the soft and quiet moments they shared.

She pulled away to smile up at him.

"I have to tell you something," Kagome admitted. "I should've told you sooner, probably, but...I don't know. Things were weird between us and then they weren't weird and now…"

Inuyasha frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Well, now that we're... more," Kagome began, "I think I should tell you about the person who's after me."

Inuyasha's eyes widened a bit; Kagome wondered if she'd caught him off-guard.

"You don't have to," he said. "I...it's fine."

Kagome frowned. "Inuyasha, I need to. If we're going to stay together, you need to know about this."

She couldn't quite get a read on his reaction. He looked away from her and pulled her back against his chest.

In that position, his face was hidden from her, and she wondered if he'd done that on purpose.

He's probably nervous, she mused. If someone were after him, I'd be nervous to hear about it, too.

"Okay," he finally said. "Tell me about it."

Kagome took a deep breath.

"His name is Naraku," she began. "And...he's evil. Pure evil. I told you about the jewel...he's trying to steal it from me. Sometimes he sends his underlings after me, but I haven't seen any of them since shortly before we started traveling together. He killed my family because he knew the jewel was in our care. It was a miracle I was able to get away."

She felt tears start to form, so she closed her eyes and tried to hold them back.

Inuyasha's hand ran up and down her arm. "I'm so sorry, Kagome. That's awful."

Kagome took a deep breath. "Yeah...but now I just do what I need to do. It's all I can do. Besides, I have you now. Everything is a lot better with you."

Inuyasha held her tighter, keeping her close to him.

"And you're happy?" he asked softly. "You're happy with me?" It was the same question he'd asked her the night before, and she wondered if he even realized he'd asked it again.

Kagome sat up to look at him.

There was a conflict in his eyes as they locked with hers. She reached up to cup his cheeks in her hands.

"I'm more than happy," she murmured sincerely. "You are worth every pain I've ever felt. And I mean that."

She kissed him then, and he wasted no time in kissing her back.

When they pulled away, his eyes remained closed.

"Come on, woman," he chided lightly. "We're getting too serious."

Kagome smiled and moved off of his lap to dive under the water.

When she came back up, Inuyasha was looking at her affectionately.

"Can you do a handstand underwater?" she asked. "Or would that be too hard even for you?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes good-naturedly and swam over to her.

"Keh," he scoffed. "Those are easy. Even you might be able to do it."

Kagome laughed, which evoked a wide smile from Inuyasha.

She couldn't remember a better beginning to a new year.

O.o.O.o.O

Later on, they were lying on the rocks by the hot springs.

The warmth of the rocks as well as the warmth of Kagome next to him were tempting him into a nap. He ran his hand up and down Kagome's arm, but each stroke became slower as he started to drift off.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome murmured from where she was curled up beside him.

"Hm?" he mumbled, nearly asleep.

Kagome paused. "Have you...have you ever been in love?"

"Before now, no," he replied.

He could feel her body warm slightly with a blush he knew was creeping onto her cheeks.

"I know you said you've never, um, felt...like this before," Kagome continued, "but I was still curious."

Inuyasha couldn't help but chuckle at the shyness in her voice; after the way they'd touched each other so many times, he thought it was funny that she still got embarrassed about some things.

"No," he confirmed. "Have you?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. I've been loved, but I'd never loved anyone else before you."

That woke him up.

"You've been loved?" he repeated, turning to look at her. "By who?"

Kagome shrugged. "A man I met in a town about two years ago. He proposed and everything."

Inuyasha frowned, an irrational flash of jealousy flowing through him. "What did you say?"

Kagome laughed and moved up onto her elbows to look at him. "What do you think? I said no, stupid. For a little while, I thought I loved him, too, so I almost said yes, but I was still in too much danger with the jewel. I wound up just turning down his proposal. But even if the jewel weren't a factor, I don't think I would've married him. Something just felt like it was...missing."

She brought her hand up to stroke Inuyasha's cheek. "Then I met a grumpy hanyo and realized that he was what was missing. What's always been missing."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he looked at her, his heartbeat picking up at her words.

"I'm...not good with words," Inuyasha replied. "But...me, too. I could always feel something missing, especially after losing my parents. Now I know it was you. Always you, Kagome."

He put his hand on the back of her neck and gently tugged her down, pressing his forehead against hers and letting his eyes drift shut.

"You love me better than any man ever has," Kagome murmured. "You'll always be the only one for me. I mean it."

"I feel the same," Inuyasha replied as he kissed her again.

Kagome's smile when he said that made his heart flip in ways he didn't know were possible.

o.O.o

After a final dip in the hot spring, Inuyasha built a fire to aid them in drying off.

Kagome had found some berries while he was lighting the fire, so they munched on them while sitting next to each other.

Kagome leaned her head on Inuyasha's shoulder, her wet hair tickling his skin.

He felt content and happy, but also guilty. Always guilty.

Kagome had told him about Naraku.

Obviously he'd known about it; he'd known since he first saw Kagome with Kagura in the forest the day they'd met.

I have to tell Kagome. I can't keep this from her anymore.

But with her gently stroking his hand as she clasped it in hers, as she occasionally grazed her lips against his shoulder in light kisses, he just…

He couldn't.

I've dug myself into a grave, he realized. How am I supposed to tell her I've been lying since we first met?

Inuyasha winced and figured he'd wait to tell her. There was no point in ruining a perfectly good day.

A perfectly perfect day.

"Thank you for everything, Inuyasha," Kagome said, breaking him from his thoughts. "Today was amazing."

Inuyasha smiled and wrapped his arm around her. "I'll have to figure out how to top it next year. And the next year...and the next...and the next…"

Kagome looked up at him, a blush on her cheeks.

"Every year," he murmured. "I want to be with you every year."

Kagome smiled. "Are you gonna be this sweet every year, too?"

Inuyasha chuckled. "I guess we'll see."

Kagome laughed and shook her head.

"Never a dull moment with you," Kagome teased.

Once they'd dried off and gotten dressed again, it was well into the night. Deciding to just remain there for the rest of the night, they got their things prepared for bed.

As they lay down before going to sleep, Inuyasha pulled Kagome against him, her back to his chest, as he buried his face in her hair.

She smelled like her and him and the fresh scent of the hot spring.

As she drifted off to sleep, Inuyasha held her closer and allowed peace to wash over him.

To be continued...