Disclaimer: -growl- Now's she just being stingy. Please, oh please give him to me. I promise to behave. (Not)
A/N: Lots of thanks to all my great reviews! Much love to you in this holiday season!
Chapter 4- I'll show you mine, if you show me yours
Kagome pulled the clothes from the shopping bags and set them on the bed beside the small duffle bag. Inu Yasha watched her with slight interest as she folded his clothes and placed them in sets inside the bag. Kagome looked around for a moment as if searching for something. "What are you looking for? We didn't take anything out of the bags."
"I was just wondering if you left your tux hanging somewhere where it wouldn't get wrinkled."
Inu Yasha smirked, realizing she was trying to get a peek at his tux. "I hung it up earlier in Sota's closet."
"What? What if you forget it in there? I'll go get it and bring it in here." Kagome turned to go to the door, but a pair of arms wrapped around her waist stopping her.
"Oh, no you don't. You said you could wait."
Kagome tried to pull away, protesting. "I wasn't going to look at it. I just didn't want to forget it."
"Oh, I won't. So, just leave it there."
Kagome pouted for a moment and then turned to face him, still wrapped in his embrace. "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours." She gave him a bright smile.
Inu Yasha smirked. 'So, that was what she was up to.' "No chance, wench." Kagome really pouted now, giving him her version of big puppy-dog eyes. He averted his gaze in order not to fall for her ploy. "That's not going to work. You're just going to have to wait."
"What about this?" Kagome slipped her arms around his neck in a sudden act of boldness. He looked back at her in time to meet her lips as she pressed them against his. Both shivered as the sensation traveled to their very cores. The mysterious tux as well as the world disappeared as Kagome drowned in his mouth. Inu Yasha's grip on her tightened and he lifted her off her feet to get a better angle on her lips. He ran his tongue along her lower lip and she graciously welcomed him in. When his tongue caressed hers it was like fire racing through their bodies. Kagome moaned and he moved them to the bed, where he sat her in his lap.
He gently cupped the back of her neck as he deepened the kiss. He had waited so long for this and he never wanted it to end. Eagerly Kagome explored his mouth. She had dreamed of kissing him like this, but the dreams were nothing in comparison to the real thing. His warm body and strong arms made her feel safe and secure, and at the same time sent waves of desire through her. His masculine musk filled her senses, making every movement and touch very clear and very real.
Footsteps in the hall caused both to pause and stare at the door in fear. When the footsteps passed without pausing at Kagome's door they turned back to each other with slight blushes. They were both breathing slightly hard and a small smile pulled at their lips. Inu Yasha was the first to speak. "Wow."
Kagome smiled wider and snuggled into his chest. "That's exactly what I was going to say."
Inu Yasha smiled as well and stroked a hand absently through her hair. "You should get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day, I'm sure."
She sighed softly. "I will in a minute. Just hold me a little longer."
He squeezed her warmly. "I'd hold you forever, if you asked." Kagome's only response was to snuggle deeper. He continued to stroke her hair and hold her tightly. After a few minutes her breathing evened out. Inu Yasha could sense that she'd fallen asleep and laid her gently beneath her warm covers. He gave her a soft kiss on the brow and then planted himself beside her bed to sleep. "I'll never let anything harm you, my Kagome."
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Kagome woke to the sound of voices downstairs. She sat up slowly rubbing the sleep from her eyes and was about to set her feet on the floor when she noticed a very cute hanyou curled up beside her bed. She smiled down at him. His ears twitched a little at her movements, but he didn't wake. She frowned a little. 'He looks kind of cold curled up like that.' She stepped over him and pulled her covers from the bed and laid them over him. Surprisingly, he still did not wake. She smiled again. 'He's so cute when he sleeps, so peaceful.'
Quietly she left the room and headed downstairs for breakfast. Gramps sat at the table stirring his tea absently with one hand while holding the paper with the other. Iki turned from the stove with a warm smile. "Kagome, good morning, dear. How'd you sleep? Are you ready for the trip?"
Kagome nodded, though she certainly wasn't thrilled at the prospect. "Yeah, we're all packed and ready to go."
"Where's Inu Yasha?"
"He's still sleeping."
"Usually he's the first at the table, when its time to eat."
Kagome chuckled. "I'm sure once he catches the scent of food, he'll be down."
Iki scooped the last egg from her pan onto Gramps' plate. "Kagome, I'd like to talk to you for a minute." She set the pan on a cold burner and turned to her daughter.
"Oh, okay." Kagome followed her mother from the kitchen into the living room.
Iki sat on the couch and patted the cushion beside her. Kagome sat beside her hesitantly. Her mother slipped an arm around her and Kagome leaned into her mother's embrace. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. You're nearly eighteen and pretty much an adult now. There's not much I can do to stop you from doing something that I don't agree with. But I also realized that I trust you and so I trust your decisions as well."
"Mom, what are you getting at? Have I done something wrong?"
"No, dear, you haven't done anything." She paused and smiled down at her daughter with that I'm-a-mother-therefore-I-know-everything smile. "I'm not blind Kagome. Do you love him, Kagome?" Kagome blinked and then nodded. "And does he love you?" Again Kagome nodded. Iki leaned forward and kissed her daughter's brow. "Then be happy, that's all I want."
Kagome grinned and hugged her mother fiercely. "Thanks mom. I love you."
Iki returned the embrace with a little chuckle. "I love you too. Now do you want to help me finish breakfast?"
"Yeah! I can make some of my yummy omelets!" As they re-enter the kitchen, a very drowsy hanyou appeared in the doorway. Kagome gave him a warm smile. "I thought you were still asleep."
He yawned broadly, showing his long white fangs, and gave her a slightly grumpy frown. "I was, but someone was being kind of loud."
Kagome clamped a hand over her mouth. "Oh, sorry." She gave him a guilty frown. 'I didn't mean to wake him up. He sleeps so peacefully when he's here, not like he does in the feudal era.'
"Hey." She looked up at him. "It's okay. I needed to get up anyways."
"Yeah, but you don't get to rest as much in your time as you do here."
"Feh, I don't need as much sleep as you weak humans do." He pulled out a chair and sat at the table.
'Sure you don't.' She gave the back of his head a short smile, before hurrying over to help her mom. Kagome began to prepare her yummy egg omelets. Inu Yasha watched her with interest as she prepared his meal while licking his lips a little. Piling two big omelets on his plate and a side of bacon, she poured him big glass of milk and another of water. She smiled as she watched him devour every bite. Then she made herself and the rest of her family each an omelet as well.
Sota groggily appeared in the doorway. His hair was muffed from sleep and he still wore his pajamas. "Mmm, sis that smells good."
"It tastes good too!" Inu Yasha responded with a mouthful, never bothering to look up at the boy.
Kagome giggled slightly at his remark and smiled at Sota. "You better eat yours before Inu Yasha decides you're not going to."
True to form, Inu Yasha was already eyeing the lone omelet with greedy eyes. Sota quickly snatched it up as he plopped down in a chair. "Kagome this looks great! Thanks! And Mom thanks for all the other goodies. They look great too!"
Iki merely smiled and took her own seat. "Eat up, Sota, we have a long day ahead of us."
Kagome had eaten a little over half of her huge omelet and was beginning to get full when she noticed a certain hanyou looking at omelet longingly. She sighed inwardly. 'I'm not really all that hungry anyways. I think the anxiety is getting to me.' She smiled and slid her plate over to him. He responded with a toothy grin and began to eat the remainders of her omelet.
Iki looked at her with slight concern. "Anything wrong Kagome?"
The young miko shook her head. "No, just not very hungry is all. I'm going to take a shower." She rose and headed up stairs.
Everyone finished their breakfast and headed back upstairs to finish getting dressed or packed. Iki, however, remained in the kitchen packing a cooler full of food.
Inu Yasha waited for his turn at the shower from his sprawled position on Kagome's bed. He drowned in the scent of her that surrounded him and was about to drift to sleep again, when he heard the bathroom door open.
Kagome appeared a moment later, dressed in a pair of short blue jean shorts and small baby blue t-shirt. 'Gods she looks good.'
She flashed him a smile as she went to her dresser and began to brush her hair. "You better go grab the shower before Sota does." He grunted his acknowledgement and snatched up his modern clothes. "You do remember how to work the shower, don't you?"
"Yeah, that is unless you want to come show me again." He smirked when he saw her blush in the mirror.
She chuckled nervously. "Uh, no. If you need help ask Sota."
He smirked again. "Yeah, yeah."
While Inu Yasha took his shower, Kagome took the opportunity to double check all her things and sneak her dress for the wedding out to the car. 'He'll have to wait for sure now.' She grinned evilly to herself. 'Hey, wait! I can take a peek at his while he's in the shower.' Kagome darted back up the stairs. She paused at Sota's door before opening it. 'I wonder why he's hiding it from me?'
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Kagome spun to find herself nose to bare chest with a very annoyed hanyou. She blushed deeply, finding it very hard to remove her eyes from his bare chest to his annoyed face. "I…I…I was going to take your tux to the car."
"Don't lie to me. You were going to peek at it, weren't you?"
Kagome was flustered. 'Darn, caught red handed.' "No…no I wasn't…"
He smirked at her stutter and even chuckled. "Sorry, koi, but you'll just have to wait." (A/N: koi means love)
Kagome fumed and stomped off down the stairs. Inu Yasha watched her go with amusement. 'This is going to be fun, trying to keep her from seeing my tux thing for nearly two weeks.' He went back to Kagome's room to finish dressing. He slipped on the black t-shirt and smirked at himself in the mirror before getting his tux and heading downstairs with a baseball cap on. He was quickly employed as Iki's work mule as she had him help her carry the large cooler out to the car.
After loading the car with all the suitcases and the large cooler, they at last started on their way. Kagome sat in the middle of the backseat with Sota to one side and Inu Yasha to the other. She rested her head on Inu Yasha's shoulder. It was a three hour drive to the beach. She smiled to herself remembering what Inu Yasha had called her. 'He called me koi.' She sighed. 'He can be so sweet sometimes.' She cuddled closer to him and he slipped his arm tentatively around her, hoping he wasn't being too brazen in front of her mother. He knew the woman was watching them in the rearview mirror.
Iki smiled slightly as she watched the young man put his arm around her daughter and smile at the top of her head. He then turned his attention back to the window and watched the modern world go by with curious golden eyes.
The ride was pretty quiet as Sota played his game-boy and Kagome quietly snoozed in the warm embrace of her hanyou. The only ones that chatted were Iki and Gramps, and only infrequently because Gramps tended to gripe about Iki's driving and give directions that made no sense.
Inu Yasha had been a bit nervous riding in the strange contraption, but with Kagome so close and her scent filling his lungs, he began to relax. 'It feels so natural having her in my arms. I can't believe I never noticed before.' Slowly the scenery changed from tall buildings to small rural homes. Inu Yasha could catch glimpses of the ocean behind the buildings from time to time. He heard Kagome's mother announce that they were almost there. 'Too bad, I was really enjoying holding Kagome like this.'
"Inu Yasha, would you mind waking Kagome? We'll be there in about a minute."
"Sure." He nudged Kagome gently. "Hey, Kagome wake up. Your mom says we're almost there."
"Huh?" She looked up at him through the fuzz of sleep.
The face she made, made him want to laugh. He chuckled lightly. "Wake up, wench. We're there."
Kagome sat up and rubbed her eyes. She glanced out the window and nearly cheered. "We're at the beach! Yay! I can't wait to go for a swim."
Inu Yasha imagined Kagome wearing that tiny outfit she called a bathing suit. A slow grin crossed his features. 'I can't wait to see her in that again.' In a flash the grin faded to a frown. 'Hey wait! If I see her in it, everyone else will too!' A low growl vibrated in his throat.
"Inu Yasha is something wrong?"
He blinked at Kagome for a second, realizing that the car had stopped and everyone was getting out except for them. "Uh, no, nothing." He blushed slightly and moved out of the car offering her his hand once out.
Kagome scooted across the seat and took his hand to climb out. She admired his bare muscular arms with their perfectly tanned skin in the short sleeved shirt. 'He looks so handsome in those modern clothes, but I kind of miss fire rat kimono-just a little.' Inu Yasha smiled at her briefly before going to the trunk to take out the heavy cooler. Iki slung the hanging bags which contained their dress clothes over her shoulder. And Kagome took Inu Yasha's small duffle bag and hers as they headed inside the hotel.
The Blue Lagoon wasn't far from the beach. Small dunes were the only thing that separated it from the swelling ocean. Balconies stretched across every floor with sliding glass doors that led into the hotel-rooms.
Kagome could feel the anxiety growing in her as she neared the front entrance. Who would she see inside there? What would they say? Worst, what would they do? She walked behind Inu Yasha, staying very near. His presence was only thing keeping her from turning and running back out the door. The automatic doors swished open and cool breeze followed it. Inside they were met with an expensive looking lobby with wide open spaces and chandeliers.
Inu Yasha could not only scent the smell of fear and anxiety pouring off of Kagome, he could almost feel it. As Iki stopped at the desk to speak to the attendant, he set the cooler down and turned to her. "Kagome, you all right?" She nodded a bit shakily and he slipped an arm around her waist. "I swear, I won't let anything happen to you. Now, please calm down." He gave her a small kiss on the brow.
She attempted to give him a weak smile. "I know, I'll try."
Inu Yasha turned to gaze at Kagome's mother, who was about to jump over the desk. "What do you mean you don't have my room any more? I booked it over two months ago!"
The attendant, who was a squirrelly little man, sputtered an apology. "I'm sorry Mrs. Higurashi, but your room was double-booked and the other party arrived first."
Iki tapped her fingers against the polished counter in obvious irritation. "And what exactly do you plan to do about that?"
The man gulped. "Uh, well we have another room available with a kitchenette. But I'm afraid it is only a two bedroom suite."
"I booked a three bedroom. If you're going to make five of us stay in a smaller room, then you better give me something in exchange for what I'm giving up." Iki glared at the man, making sure he understood she meant business.
Another gulp from the attendant made Inu Yasha smirk. 'Kagome's mom is just as scary when she's made.'
"Will some complimentary meal tickets to our hotel's restaurant suit you ma'am?"
Iki thought about that for a moment. This hotel had quiet a reputation when it came to their restaurant. It was supposed to be the finest and fanciest in the area. "I suppose that will do."
"Yes, ma'am I'll get your keys and some tickets." The attendant quickly scurried into the back room.
"Aunt Iki! Sota!" A young man approached with a young woman about Kagome's age. The girl had blond highlights and way too much make up. She wore a skimpy little bathing suit that was nearly not there. A mesh bag hung from one arm with a towel and lotion in it. In her arms was something dark and furry. Kagome didn't really recognize the young man, but she almost immediately recognized the girl. She shivered and Inu Yasha's grip tightened around her waist.
Iki greeted them warmly. "Why, hello Gyou, Kado. How have you been? Are you two heading out to the beach already?"
"Yeah, might as well catch some rays." Kado tilted down her designer sunglasses to inspect Kagome. "Kagome? Is that you?"
Kagome nodded. "Yeah, long time no see Kado."
"Kagome? I hardly recognized you. You've grown since the last time I saw you. I hope everything is going good for you." Gyou nodded his greeting.
"Uh, yeah, fine." Kagome leaned deeper into Inu Yasha. Her knees felt weak. Childhood scares were the worst to overcome.
Sota stepped closer to Kado to inspect her little black bundle. "Hey, is that a dog? What kind is it?"
Kado looked down admiringly. "Puki's a rat-terrier. Isn't he just adorable! Daddy got him for my birthday. He's a very expensive dog from America."
"Really? America?" He reached out to pet the little innocent looking dog. Inu Yasha shot forward just in time to pull Sota away so he wouldn't be bitten. Kagome and Iki gasped.
Kado chuckled. "Now, now Puki." Inu Yasha growled at the dog. Kado shrieked as she felt something wet drizzle down her belly. She half dropped, half tossed the little dog to Gyou. She stared down at herself dripping in dog pee. She glared at Inu Yasha, who merely smirked back. "Who the hell are you?"
Iki flinched at the girl's sudden lack of manners. "He's Inu Yasha, isn't he cool!" Sota spouted. "You knew that dog was going to try to bite me, didn't you Inu Yahsa?"
Inu Yasha's smirk grew into a wicked grin. "Sure did kid."
Kado glared again and stomped off, declaring she was going for a swim. Gyou frowned after her and then looked down at the little dog with pity. "You'd better avoid her for a while. She might tear your little head off, no matter how much her 'daddy' spent on you." He turned his frown to Kagome and her family. "See ya." He turned and headed after the angry teenage princess that had just stomped off.
Inu Yasha stepped to Kagome's side. She was bright red and had a hand clasped tightly over her mouth. He realized she was holding her breath. "Kagome, you can breath now."
Kagome let out her breath and pressed both hands to her mouth to smother the laughter. "Oh, my god! Inu Yasha, you can't imagine what you just did to her ego!"
He smirked. "Yeah, I can."
"Kagome, that is not very nice. He probably just ruined her bathing-suit." Iki scolded.
Kagome stared at her mother in astonishment. "Mom! That little mutt almost bit Sota!"
"Yes, but that is no reason to make fun of your cousin. I expected better of you, Kagome."
Kagome lowered her head and held her breath. She could feel the laughter still trying to escape. Inu Yasha gave her a side ways smirk. He'd really made her feel better and that made him happy inside. The attendant appeared with the keys and some complimentary meal tickets. Inu Yasha took back up the large cooler with ease and they headed for their suite.
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A/N: LOL! Can't you just see her face! I wouldn't be able to stop laughing if I were Kagome! Inu Yasha and Kagome 1: Kado 0. LOL! Lots of thanks to Darking Queen for thelittle yapper idea!
