IZON SHŌ

Chapter XXXVI

Thirty sixth session

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The days after that moment, when Kagome had wanted to bring out the possessive female she had inside, were seemingly calm. She managed to dominate her temper thanks to a few drops of tolerance, some others of dignity, and a few of insecurity, more of the latter than she would have wanted though. InuYasha and she saw each other almost every day of that week, three out of five were slept in his apartment, and the other two in hers. The morning of that Sunday, InuYasha laid asleep under her body, and she had to admit that position had turned quickly into a habit.

She refused to open her eyes, despite already perceiving the light coming through the naked window. She was completely aware of the way in which the sensations that were warming up her heart, were quite far from the addiction she would usually wield almost like a battle flag; she told Kibou in the last session, which had been private. Her addiction was her defensive mechanism, she would use it every time she wanted to escape her own judgement, which happened so often it became a habit. When she heard herself reason it, that day, she understood it was something that she had been asked quite a few times during past, failed therapies; in that moment, tears began to flow from her eyes, unceasing.

Kagome took a deep breath, betraying her wish of not making a difference between being asleep or awake, so that InuYasha couldn't perceive her, woke up, and with that came back that tension of keeping a sort of façade over the imperfect girl that didn't feel insecure of vulnerable.

Fortunately, he laid asleep a bit more, and allowed her to think about what that wam sensation of peace was, filling her when he saw him wandering about her kitchen or sitting in the small couch she had, and that he would occupy fully. She had the subtle notion that such was the way Sango felt when she talked about Miroku, and she knew quite well that her friend was happy and lived in a bubble of love. She, also, knew that many times it was shaded by complains, yet they would never grow bigger than that background sensibility that linked her to her partner. Kagome was learning to understand that was what happened to her when InuYasha would leave the towel wrinkled, instead of extended, after taking a shower; or when he added more curry to the food than she thought was needed. There was some tiny room of tolerance which was becoming a bit of an accomplice to their moments together.

"Are you awake?" He whispered, as if fearing his own words to be premonitory.

She remained silent for a moment, enjoying his steps to be fully awake, the first to be a soft, slow movement of his neck, followed by a deep breath.

"I am." She muttered a reply, putting on again her mask of security and confidence that was surely becoming thinner, transparent.

"It's soon, isn't it?" He asked, his voice darkened by his half-asleep state, and Kagome felt her skin swell, the drowsiness of sleep working in a way of pleasure different from the one of rest.

"I don't know." She stirred softly over his body, allowing her chest to graze against InuYasha's, same as her legs when feeling his soft body hair. She heard him answer with a pleasant sound.

"I like it." he muttered next.

She liked it too, feeling as if everything was in its place when they shared this degree of intimacy. She lifted her head and kissed his neck, just beneath the jaw, then she was able to listen to how he let out a breath in the shape of a sigh. She also felt how he added intent to his hold on her.

In that way, the languid caresses began, slowly gaining in intent and restlessness. The futon became too small as they sought space and ways to touch each other. Kagome found herself wishing to wake up like this as many times as possible, yet she didn't dare to express such a thing in words; if anything, she did so through the moans provoked by the kisses she was receiving.

"This can't be normal." InuYasha laughed on her shoulder, once he rose from the caress she gave him between his legs.

"What?" She asked, tracing his hips, to then his belly and from there, down.

"This constant desire of being inside you." He admitted, managing to turn those words in an intense stimulus that bristled her skin.

"You are addicted to sex." She reminded him.

"Maybe." The answer reached her, vague, as if he weren't willing to discuss the topic.

Kagome felt the touch of his mouth over her nipple, and the humidity of his tongue as he stimulated it, everything happening along the search InuYasha kept doing with the erection between his legs, one that didn't stop until he sunk himself inside her.

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"You are free tonight, right?" Was the question Kagome asked, enveloped in a towel, as she took clothes out of the rack she had just outside of the bathroom.

"Yep, today I'm not needed." The truth was that it had been two weeks since the last time he asked for a Sunday shift, preferring to have complete freedom to share it with her instead.

"I have to go to a place, and I'd like you to come with me, although... "She staggered, and that was so obvious that she looked at him almost asking for help.

InuYasha wondered if, during this and many other times, Kagome was aware of how transparent she became when amidst her fears. It was impossible for him to know the truth behind them, yet he felt able to explore them with her if she so wanted.

"Although...?" He tried to be sweet in his tone.

He saw how her posture changed, from being completely sure and confident, at the start of her dialogue, to tensed, her shoulders forward during this part of the conversation.

"I want you to come with me, but I don't want to talk about this that we have." She gestured with her hand, going from him to her a few times.

"Oh." He tried to seem less surprised than he actually was. In truth, his relationship with her was that: with her. However, he couldn't avoid that sting of pain coming from his old wound, inflicted many years ago.

"Forget it, it's not a good idea." She attempted to end the conversation, returning to the rack of clothes, picking a dress and his jacket. She'd wear thick tights, seeing as the days were getting colder and colder.

InuYasha observed her dressing up with a certain modesty when showing her nakedness beneath the towel, taking note of it because of the shade of insecurity she was showing. He didn't want to be a secret anymore in any of the relationships he may have, yet now he was able to understand many things that back then he didn't know how to foresee, nor manage.

"We can be only acquaintances for today." He tried to relieve her.

Kagome was tying the hooks of her bra, and looked at him sideways. He had the feeling she didn't like the idea of disguising what they had either, and also felt she needed his company.

"Just for today." she accepted, as if setting a personal goal.

In that moment they both heard a soft sound coming from the window.

"It's the cat." Kagome mentioned, and he found it amazing that the animal could be outside a window on the seventh floor.

"Welcome." Said InuYasha, as he opened the way.

The cat jumped in, ignoring him completely as if he didn't even exist. However, once inside the apartment he sat on the tatami, very still, and looked at him, as if deliberating, and InuYasha couldn't but start laughing at the prospect.

"He likes you." Kagome explained.

"I don't think so." He continued to laugh.

"He likes you, or you'd have him leaving you a clawy reminder on your neck." She insisted. He didn't want to think about how she knew that.

"Well, I'm glad we can share an apartment, cat." His laugh subsided.

"Could you feed him?" She asked, while finishing intertwining a braid on her hair.

"Of course."

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Kagome led the way, first from her apartment to the train station, then from there to the many streets they began to walk as if taking a stroll. When reaching a shop that was right in a corner, she stopped to skim through what was being exposed, and it caught her attention the fact that everything was male clothing. She seemed to ponder for an instant.

"Want to take a look?" He wanted to join in the situation.

He had to admit the day so far had been quite particular. Since she had invited him to a place, the matter of where being still unknown to him, Kagome kept trying to behave as usual, yet he could notice the tension underneath the layers of normalcy.

"You could say that." She mentioned. "InuYasha, would you wear something like this?" She pointed at a set of pants, jacket, shirt and a gray-blue tie. It was so perfectly tidy that InuYasha imagined the stiffening sensation inside him.

"You want me to marry you?" He asked, and would have paid any price to take a picture of the surprise, with a dose of panic, that Kagome's features showed him. "It's for the only thing you'd manage to get me into that."

"You can be such an idiot sometimes." She showed him a smile, yet not the kind of confident smile he would usually see from her. "I was just asking to know if you could be the kind of person that could be comfortable in clothes like these."

"Not comfortable." He leaned a bit towards her so that she could hear him without having to rise his voice. "What I like is to wear nothing."

He heard her letting out a chuckle, and this one sounded much more like the smiles he'd usually hear from her.

"Alright, let's go." She mentioned, and touched his hand with the back of hers as a gesture of closeness, albeit next she crossed her arms and stepped forward, frustrating any chance of intertwining them.

They walked a bit more. The district began to change from commercial to half-residential. He had the feeling they were going to visit somebody, and that was filling him with an interesting expectative.

"Will you tell me where we are going?" He asked, trying to keep his tone happy." If you don't, this will start to turn into a kidnapping." He warned.

"It would be a kidnapping if you didn't know how to go back." She clarified, in the same nonchalant tone.

He laughed and placed himself in front of her, walking backwards.

"Next week, I'll kidnap you." Looking at her with enthusiasm, he thought about going with her to his own town. To visit his father's grave was something that saddened him, yet for this one time, he also felt relieved.

"I know." She stopped. It seemed she wanted to stroke his cheek, so he guessed given her attempted movement, however she just glanced at their surroundings and smiled. "Let's go, it's not far now."

They kept walking a bit more, InuYasha wanting to be understanding, for so he had promised to himself. Then, Kagome stopped in front of a cakeshop, and observed what was exposed.

"If you wanted sweets, you could have just told me." InuYasha pointed out. She smiled and entered.

There was a man with two kids who were being served by the woman that owned the shop. The smell of sweets and vanilla filled the air. Kagome waited while he went through the products being offered, albeit his attention was attracted to the voice of the woman, who greeted Kagome with evident warmth.

"You'll want to take these, right?" She asked, pointing to some puff pastry donuts with icing sugar on top.

"Yep, exactly those." She smiled.

The woman prepared her order, then asked how she was doing. In that way they began to chat a bit until Kagome received the donuts and paid for them.

"Your grandfather will be happy." The woman exposed.

"Certainly!" She replied, carefully moving the paper bag with the pastries.

InuYasha was present throughout the exchange, silent, just a spectator of that new experience for him.

"I'm sorry, did you want something?" The woman addressed him, just before moving to follow Kagome.

"Oh, he is with me." She clarified for him.

"Your boyfriend?" The woman seemed to become emotive. Kagome only gave her a smile that could be interpreted in many ways, as a reply.

"See you." She said next.

"Of course." The woman accepted. "A pleasure, young man." She added as well.

She smiled at him as enigmatically as Kagome.

When reaching the next street, they found a hill right in the middle of the town. The vegetation on it was abundant, and by what InuYasha could glimpse, covered a great part of it.

"A park?" He asked.

"More or less." Kagome accepted, looking at both sides of the street before crossing.

Once they had covered fifty or so meters, they managed to see the first Torii marking the access to the ascend to the temple, many people climbing the stairs as Kagome took that road, without adding anything. He was beginning to feel strange in the middle of this silent not a kidnapping.

"I'm going to start thinking you do want to marry me. I think the traditional outfit would suit me better." He joked as she began to climb.

"I grew up in this temple." She said, a few steps up. "My family lives here; my grandpa, my mother and my brother. Today there is a small festival that my grandpa organizes."

He was beginning to understand her reticence and reserve about their relationship.

"You should have told me, maybe you would have felt more at ease coming here alone." He expressed his thought without filter. What he didn't say was his fear of becoming a secret.

"I want to be with you, it's just that... well... it's hard to explain." She tried. "I'm sorry, I should have thought that it may be too much for you.

InuYasha looked into her eyes for a long instant in which Kagome could barely hold that intensity.

"Let's go." He began to climb the stairs. "We'll say we met in the sessions of sex addiction therapy, everything very normal. Nobody will be surprised."

"Don't even think about mentioning the sessions." She warned, hurriedly keeping pace.

"And, how did we meet then? Cooking classes?" He smiled, trying not to feel his own discomfort.

"It's not a bad idea, everyone knows at home that I need to learn to cook." They seemed to want to ease the tension between them.

"Cooking classes then." He kept climbing.

The place was pleasant despite having only covered half the stairs. The forest was giving off a scent that seemed to intensify as they left behind the urban part of the town.

"And when going to school, did you have to climb these stairs every day?" InuYasha could guess there were about a hundred steps.

Kagome leaned a bit towards him, still two steps away from the end.

"That's how I got my legs." She muttered.

Through his mind came the distinct images involving those same legs, dressed or naked; on both sides of his hips, crossing behind him.

"Don't evoke such pictures in my mind if you want me to feign being someone from your cooking class." He pointed out, exaggerating the gesture of his hand pulling at the crotch of his pants.

"Understood." She seemed to understand she had to hold back a certain part of hers. InuYasha didn't know if her reappearing tension was a result of the character she needed to represent, or the fact that she had to represent it.

Even so, she invited her to follow.

"Let's go through here. I want to show you something."

They directed their steps through the left side of the place they had just reached. InuYasha managed to discern a central temple to their right in which there was movement, aside from persons wandering about the place. He heard a bell in the background, and observed the place a bit more.

"We'll go there later." Kagome explained.

"I don't think I'm dressed for the occasion. I left my temple tie at home." He kidded, although with a hint of truth given the people outfitted with traditional clothes, and others quite neatly wearing occidental garments.

"If you want, we have traditional clothes for guests." The offer sounded confident, and he became curious about Kagome in a kimono.

He simply smiled at her, and followed.

They came by a zone that limited the space for visitors with only three long stair steps, crowned by a stone lamp on each side.

"This is my home." She mentioned, and it was curious for him the analogy of her words. Every time she had to talk about the apartment they left a few hours ago, she'd say the apartment where I live. However, now they were in her home, it belonged to her, and there was clearly an emotional root.

"It must be pleasant to live here." He expressed, observing their surroundings, the respectful separation between the temple and the habitable zone, the forest's scent mixing with the incense and the calm.

"Yes, except when there is a festival, even if they are just local and small." She explained, observing the people wandering through the small pagodas and the major sanctuary.

They moved few steps towards the house's door. In that moment, Kagome opened, left the bag she'd been carrying at one side, greeted as she took her shoes off, announcing her arrival; the silence told them there was nobody inside. When InuYasha left his own shoes aside, he felt her holding her hand and pulling slightly towards her, and towards the stairs a few steps from them. They climbed in silence, Kagome leading the way, until they reached the second floor and stopped in front of a door with complete confidence.

"Come in." She invited him.

It wasn't hard for him to realize where they were. Despite seeing it during the daylight, the violet color of the walls was impossible to not recognize, same with the lamp that had kept her company nights ago, during their session of virtual sex.

"You were here that day." He mentioned his discovery.

"That's right." She accepted, and got close enough for their bodies to touch. "And I was caressing myself for you on that same bed."

The suggestion in her tone made him surround her waist, resting his hand on the curve of her back. From there, he pulled her closer, creating a soft sway of her body against his. He decided that he was going to kiss her, and if he could go a bit further, he'd do so too.

Kagome!

Was a shout heard from the floor below.

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To be continued.

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A/N

Thank you so much for keeping me company

Kisses,

Anyara

This text is possible thanks to the translation of: Dezart