Author's Note: First things first... I have been waiting for this moment for so long! And finally, we're here (below in bold). Second, this is going to be a long chapter... grab your tea/coffee, get comfortable, get ready. The last chapter was short, this one is longer than usual because... I just couldn't help myself :) The last 4th of this chapter will be the star of the show. I also wanted to say that I got a lot of people reviewing that this engagement party was a weekend event - it's not. It's a weekday event that started Monday night with the group sleeping over (last chapter), and rolling into Tuesday which will be the main day (this chapter) where everyone needs to show up for the engagement party night. So it's not a weekend event because Kags works weekends and Izayoi asked Inu when would be the best time for Kags to be free to attend the party. Kags leaves tomorrow night (next chapter- Wednesday) to work on Thursday - she works Thursdays through Sundays, weekends are busier and she's one of the top girls needed.

I just want to say that I'm grateful to everyone who encouraged me by understanding the rut that I was in, and still am in but am pushing through. This pandemic is taking its toll on everyone but glad to hear/feel support instead of bashing. Also wanted to say that I'm still shooting to update at least once a month, but with holidays drawing near and work getting busier before people take holiday vacations, it might be a little hectic. But I'm excited because things are going to be happening with everyone: the group, Blue Lightning, Kikyo, Koga... so much! So I'm excited to write more, which hopefully means on-time updates. Anyways, I won't stall any longer. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Read at your own discretion- violence, child rape, abuse, sex. *Lemon*

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R2R

hive-chan: Thanks for your review. I'm glad you enjoyed that fluff. And the *cold* night ;) Yes, I'm glad Kags has the women in her life, all thanks to Inu: from Sango to Rin and Izayoi. She's got good women in her life, and so does Inu. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

susu-anon: I found your side note interesting and very understandable from Kags POV. I get your frustration in Kag needing to grow up and stop thinking that Inu doesn't want her. It's a deep seated belief she's had that has been reinforced by all the childhood trauma, and that's something that will take her time to go through and heal. But I think Inu will be a big help in that, especially after this chapter ;) I also find it interesting and I want to see how Kags plays it out... but how Kags might use her sex appeal when jealousy arrives or when there's a threat and her protectiveness kicks in. Haha! I'm glad you remember what happened at RUSH because that will come out next chapter when Inu is more open about his "relationships" with women. He's only had sex with one but has had oral and foreplay with many. Kags definitely has a sex appeal and knows it, using it to her advantage at times, but not in a flaunting or prideful way. For her, she sees her beauty as a liability, as something that got her raped and that can lead to her being attacked by men again who just want her for her looks. Not sure if we'll get a flashback of when Jinenji got into a fight to protect Kags, but that would be interesting to think about. Anyway... thanks for your review. I hope you like this one :)

vanessa: Thanks for your review. Yeah, I really don't have anything against Koga, I just thought that it would be a good twist for his love to be dark and twisted, and so came this story. No offense against Koga lovers. Haha, yes jealous Kags is a thing that she's now starting to realize. She's used to Koga being jealous and protective of her, now it's switched around. It might be hard for her to come to terms with how jealous she can be, because of her past, but she will definitely have some jealous moments later. So will Inu, of course. As to your question about smelling Sai on Kags= no, Inu can't smell him because scent clings to clothing and is in the air, and yes skin, but Kags bathes before she ever sees Inu. But don't worry... Inu will smell something... sometime :) - - - I can't figure out if this next review was from you or from val-rommel because there's both names in the review... but I appreciate both reviews. I appreciate the push to get this story on Archive of Our Own. I haven't done much research in that or ever heard of it until after I used Fanfiction, so I'm not familiar with that site. As for your comment about Starlite and going on dates... yes, there will be a Starlite date but I won't say who will be going there :) Thanks for the reviews!

Rosie B: Thanks for your review. Yes, Inu/Kag will still be Blue Lightning, still be doing their duets (even finishing Rewrite the Stars- which will come out later). They have a new opportunity that I briefly mention in this chapter but Inu will speak about it more later. This will be an interesting, long day (chapter). I hope you enjoy :)

anime-geek: Haha, thanks for your review. Yes, who doesn't love protective Inu! Dreamy! As overbearing as he can be, it comes from a place of love, so it's good to be loved that fiercely where someone goes ballistic over you. Oh don't worry, Kags sex kitten will be released, and so will Inu's dominant. Both of them can exude dominance and control, so they both need to meet each other, give and take. But it's all fun and games :) Fun fun fun. I won't say much more if you notice the bold letters above. Anyway... enjoy this one :)

Inufangirl29: LoL awww thanks for your review. I love your emotion and passion in your review, how you want to choke Koga out lol. Yes, there will come a reckoning. Inu will be smelling for blood in this chapter and plotting for it. I hope you enjoy this one. Our couple will be in for it ;)

xsophiex: Thanks for your review. Kags couldn't bring her coworkers/friends because it was a sleepover week, and it was a small friends and family event that Izayoi hosted. Maybe for the wedding she can bring guests. I hope you're not too disappointed with how the engagement party goes (after reading your excitement for it) :( And I'm not sure how more of a "flashback" I'm going to do with Izayoi/Inuyasha/Kiyomi fight thing... but when Kiyomi comes in, I'm sure things will happen. Thanks again. Enjoy this chapter!

MinxieXCX: Thanks for your review. I just want to be clear... Onigumo didn't have sex with Kags. I'm sure you know (hopefully lol) but yeah, they never had sex together. But the scenes they had together was definitely borderline sexual assault. I'm excited to see what happens when Kags goes back to work in a couple of days and how Oni will react. Yes, Sai is another factor that is sorely going to have to be figured out, poor Sai. Oh DWTS. No, I don't watch that anymore, but I did see the viral clips because of the fall. No, Kags/Sango aren't going to dance together, not for tonight's engagement dinner. But thanks again for the review. Enjoy this one!

inu-sitter: Thanks for your review! Yes, we'll see Midnite in the next chapter when Kags goes back home but the others stay out in the Fujimoto's home. That should be interesting. Hope you enjoy this one.

val-rommel: Again, I can't tell if you had recently posted the review above vanessa's review because it had both of your names on it, or if that was the both of you talking to one another lol. Whatever the case, thanks for your review(s). I'm not sure if or when Inu/Kag will go on a double date, but I do see it happening. Just not sure when :) Enjoy this chapter.

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Everyone was chatting away at the kitchen table as the help brought over more and more plates full of food. Breakfast was served and Izayoi had planned out everything for the entire day. Sango chatted with Kagome, so excited that the girl's mood had changed and she was now engaged with everyone. Sango knew it had something to do with what happened this morning. She had gone to Kagome's room to talk because she had been so worried about Kagome all day yesterday. But when she had knocked on Kagome's door, she hadn't expected to see Inuyasha come out wearing nothing but his underwear. That was totally unexpected and it left her with her mouth hanging wide open. It took her a moment to realize that Kagome was calling her name from inside the room before she snapped out of it and walked in. They had a good chat this morning and she, of course, had to ask Kagome what happened between her and Inuyasha last night. According to Kagome, everything was better now. To Kagome, it seemed like they were back together again and that they were slowly working things out. Kagome did open up to her that she had been open and vulnerable with Rin and Inuyasha, and that she promised to fill Sango in some other time. Right now, she was too raw to go into it again, and Sango didn't push her. She was just glad that things were getting better. She hated seeing Inuyasha the way he was over the weekend after she heard from Miroku that he and Kagome had broken up. And Kagome hadn't reached out to her to want to talk about it, so she had tried to give Kagome some time.

"I'm so excited for today," Sango said, taking a bite out of her pancake. "Gosh this food is so good."

Kagome giggled, moaning at the taste of the miso soup. "Mmmhmmm... I think I could die a happy girl now," she said, taking another sip.

"No one's dying," Inuyasha said at Kagome's side. She turned to smile at him and placed a hand on his, giving it a quick squeeze.

"You probably will with all that ramen you're eating," Kagome teased, shaking her head as she stared at his two bowls in disbelief. "Are you still going to have an appetite for breakfast after that?"

"This is my breakfast. And yes, I'll still have a big appetite," he said, taking another bite out of his ramen. He turned to look at her with his mouth full, giving her a smile. Kagome giggled and shook her head at him, going back to eating her miso soup. She felt so relieved that they had talked last night. It felt like they were closer now, like they trusted each other more and they could be themselves around the other person. It was a strange feeling for her because no one knew about her past the way Inuyasha does. And yet he still loved her.

"Kagome..." She turned to face Mizuki sitting across of her. The fox youkai sported a spunky look today with a black, sleeveless, button-up collared shirt tucked into a white and black plaid skirt. She looked so cute and chic with her hair up in a ponytail, sitting next to Shippo. "Do you always eat miso soup for breakfast?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Kagome smiled and nodded. "I try. I love miso soup. When I was young, I used to eat this all the time because it was like poor man's food. Eventually, I fell in love with it and now I try to eat at least a small bowl before my meals."

Inuyasha squeezed her hand, catching her attention as she turned to look at him. He gave her a knowing look and the love she saw on his face tugged at her heart. He knew. He knows. And he's here for her. She never had someone who was there for her, who knew what she meant when she said 'poor man's food'. He smiled reassuringly at her and she smiled back, squeezing his hand to show him how much she appreciated him, and the two let the other go while they continued eating.

"Well, everyone..." Izayoi started, catching all of their attention as she sat at the front of the table with her mate at the head. "I'm so excited for today's events. I have so much planned for us and we need to get started right after everyone is finished with breakfast."

"Mother... I hope this isn't over the top," Inuyasha grumbled, putting his second empty ramen bowl down. He leaned back in his chair and eyed her warily, seeing her eyes squint at him.

"Oh hush. I have a lot planned because Kagome's leaving tomorrow and Kikyo is supposed to be coming around noon. Since I have all of you here for at least twenty-four hours, I want to make the most of it," Izayoi said.

Inuyasha shook his head just as one of the help came by to take his two empty bowls, freeing up the space in front of him. He reached forward to grab a plate and began to pile it with a little bit of everything.

"After breakfast, the women are going to the sunroom outside and the men are going to the study. We'll meet outside for lunch and then we'll come back in and we'll all go to the game room. After that, I wanted everyone to take a break and maybe a nap if you need. Dinner will be at seven so I want everyone ready and outside of the great hall by six. We'll have drinks and appetizers before we sit for dinner. There's a band coming at five-thirty, we'll have some music and dancing after dinner, and that should be our whole day." Izayoi clapped her hands together, her excitement radiating off her. The others caught on to her excitement and looked at one another with wonder and curiosity, ready to have a good time together.

"She can be over the top sometimes," Inuyasha said to Kagome as everyone began talking amongst each other again.

Kagome smiled with a shrug. "Your mother is so cute. She puts her heart into everything she does and she truly wants to see others have a good time and make them happy. She's a great host and a great party planner." Inuyasha nodded his head while rolling her eyes, making Kagome nudge him with her elbow. He smiled at her and nudged her back, enjoying each other's affection.

"Hey, Inuyasha. Is Kikyo really coming today?" Miroku asked, leaning forward to look past Sango and Kagome at him. "Did she call you?"

"She texted me to let me know she was going to be here around noon. She's coming with Naraku and might stay the night."

Miroku nodded his understanding. "I saw she was all over social media this morning. Guess there's some news she going to tell us today."

"Yeah, I saw that too," Sango chimed in. "Some sources were saying that Kikyo might have an upcoming concert soon along with her new album."

Inuyasha arched an eyebrow, irritated. "First time I heard of a concert." Kagome looked at him, wondering why he seemed mad. She hadn't heard about it either and could tell that no one had. She wondered why Kikyo hadn't told any of them that she was planning a concert soon. At least the dancers needed to know before the fans. Mai began to talk to them about Sango's wedding dress and what she envisioned Sango would look like, erasing all thought about Kikyo's upcoming concert.

After breakfast, Izayoi announced that Inutaisho would take the men to the study while the women were to remain at the table until the men left. All the men began to rise and Kagome smiled as Inuyasha stood, saying goodbye to her. He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, and she couldn't help but notice all the stares she got from the others. She told him to 'have fun' and then watched all the men leave the women alone at the table. Izayoi then announced happily that it was now 'girl time' and that they were all to follow her. All eleven of the women stood and everyone followed Izayoi out of the kitchen while the help busied themselves with clearing the table now that everyone left. Sango linked her arm with Kagome's and the two of them talked about today's events cheerfully, fully expecting Izayoi to have an awesome day planned out for all of them. Izayoi took them to the double doors leading outside from the kitchen. Everyone followed behind her to the back of the house and immediately couldn't miss the sunroom that Izayoi had mentioned earlier. It was like a separate room that was apparent to have been built after the main house was. The style and the material of the room was more modern and chic than the rest of the house, which made it a nice contrast against the age of the main home. Most of the walls of the sunroom were made of glass so you could see into every part of the room, which was a half hexagon. There were two double doors on the side furthest from the house, so they followed Izayoi along the stone path to get to the double doors, looking in as they passed the glass walls. The doors were left open and they all walked in with amazement on their faces.

The sunroom went a little over halfway up the main home, meaning it was a little higher than the second floor, which by this house's standard was high. The walls were all made of glass with steel beams. The beams went from the floor up to the height of the second story of the home, and then it angled to a point a little higher against the main home. The design was beautiful and inside was truly a garden paradise. There were potted plants scattered everywhere along the sides of the room against the glass, and there were hanging potted plants on the beams above that criss-crossed overhead. There were strings of lights wrapped around those beams too, which only meant this sunroom turned into a stargazing room at night. There were six lounge chairs with brown cushions on either side of the hexagon walls, and then there was an oval table with six chairs closer to the wall against the house.

"Wow... this place is beautiful..." Shiori said, her eyes looking at everything that they could take in. The other women agreed and praised Izayoi on the room.

"Thank you girls," Izayoi said, ushering them to the middle of the room. "My mate built this for me a couple of centuries after he built our home. So it looks more modern than the rest of the home. But I feel like it could hold its own."

"It does. I think it blends and stands apart," Sango said with a smile. "It has it's own personality that's different from the main house." Kagome agreed as the two of them unlocked arms and Izayoi thanked Sango.

"Well... I wanted us to relax and talk if it's all right with all of you?" She looked at all the smiling faces and saw their approved nods. "Everyone pick a chair and we'll get some drinks soon."

Some of the girls immediately scattered like a game of musical chairs. Mai and Kokoro both ran to the lounge chairs, laughing as they both claimed one chair each. Kagome laughed as some of the others went to claim a lounge chair while she and Sango took a more laid back approach and watched them race to get the chair they wanted.

"Here," Izayoi said, going to grab a chair from the table at the back of the room. "Let's bring these chairs closer and sit in a circle." The lounge chairs were all turned inwards to face each other so they could all talk with one another, which made it easier to bring five extra chairs, two on either side of the room, to complete the circle. Kagome and Sango sat together on the chairs, propping their legs up on the edge of someone's lounge chair. Kagome looked up and saw two women come in with their beverage. One woman had a tray of water glasses and the other had a tray of pink drinks.

"It's spiked pink lemonade," Izayoi explained as she grabbed both drinks for herself off the trays. "Everyone help yourselves." They all took one of each and were content with alcohol and girls all around. Kagome's eyes caught Rin's and the two of them stared at one another briefly before Kagome smiled warmly at Rin, seeing the worry disappear from Rin's face. She looked at Izayoi as the woman began to speak.

"So... Sango. Tell us about your dreams."

Sango laughed as everyone else giggled. "My dreams? Like what?"

Izayoi waved a hand as she left her drinks on the ground behind her lounge chair. "You know... what are your dreams? What dreams do you have personally? Or with Miroku? Do you have any dreams of a family or a home or any destinations you have in mind you want to travel to? Just tell us what your dreams are," she said with a sweet smile, truly interested.

"Why does it have to be my dreams?" Sango whined, a little uncomfortable at the attention.

"Hello... it's your engagement party," Kimiko said, taking a sip of her lemonade as she ran her hand through her short hair.

Sango sighed and thought about it for a moment, holding her pink lemonade in hand. "Well... I'm definitely taking it one step at a time. I think right now I'm thinking about what the future is for me and Miroku. And of course, the main thing I'm focused on right now is the wedding and planning that out. But just thinking about it... makes me overwhelmed."

"And that's perfectly normal," Izayoi said, her eyes full of compassion. "That's why you have all of us. It is overwhelming to plan a wedding and all the little details. But that's why you need a support system and you need to delegate tasks to others so that you're not doing everything all on your own."

"You do have us," Rin said, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "We have been alive for a while and between Izayoi and I, we have a lot of ideas and experiences when it comes to weddings."

Sango smiled at Rin, grateful for everyone here. "Thank you. All of you. Yes, I did feel thankful that I had a lot of friends who could help me. But again... just thinking of what I need to delegate is stressing me out."

"Well... let me and Rin help you with that, and then maybe you can decide who you want to task what to when we get all of the tasks on paper," Izayoi suggested. Sango nodded her head, relaxing back in her chair, staring down at her propped up feet.

"I am excited though," she said smiling. "Miroku and I have known each other for over five years. I knew when I first met him that he was going to be the one that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I knew at that charity event." Sango paused, replaying that time in her life when she met Miroku for the first time, remembering how sexy and handsome he was in that suit and tie. She had fallen head over heels for a man she didn't know and had just met, and she was still madly in love with him to this day. "I loved him then... and I love him now."

Aiko swirled the straw around in her drink. "You've got that dreamy look on your face," she teased. Sango stuck her tongue out at Aiko, laughing.

"Whatever. You're just jealous."

"Of course!" she said, throwing her hands in the air. "Who wouldn't be? Nowadays, there's no such thing as love at first sight," Aiko complained, placing her drink on the ground next to her chair. She crossed her legs with a pout. "I wish I had that."

Sango smiled apologetically at Aiko across from her. "It's real, Aiko. There's still such a thing as 'love at first sight'. Ask Kagome."

Kagome blinked, shocked as she looked at Sango. The girl turned to smile at her, giving her a knowing look. She looked at everyone else and saw them all staring at her. "What?" she asked, wondering how she suddenly became the topic of conversation.

"You and Inuyasha, Kagome," Emi said. She fixed her white dress so that she could lie on her belly facing the others, kicking her legs up in the air. "You two are back together I see." The others all agreed with Emi, some of them even looking at Izayoi who was quietly sipping her lemonade. But Izayoi said nothing. She kept her knowing eyes on her drink, trying to contain her excitement behind her knowing smile. A mother's intuition.

"I... I guess," Kagome said, shrugging. "I'm not sure if we even broke up," she wondered.

"I don't think so," Sango said, blowing out air. "You and Inuyasha can't break up. The two of you were made for each other. Like I said... love at first sight still exists."

Kagome giggled, looking down at the ground. "I don't believe in love at first sight."

The others frowned, shocked. "What? Why?" Kokoro asked. "It's so beautiful and dreamy!"

"Yeah... it's like a fairytale. Like anime but only real..." Shiori said dreamily.

Kagome smiled sadly at them, shrugging. "Fairytales don't exist."

Sango frowned, hearing the sadness in Kagome's voice. She turned in her chair so that she was facing Kagome a little more. "There are some good guys in this world, Kagome, who treat their women like queens. Not everyone is bad. And sometimes... love really does conquer all," she said, quoting what most of them hear in fairytales.

"I know..." Kagome said with a smile, looking at the others, hoping to cheer up the mood. "Inuyasha's a good guy," she said, looking at Izayoi to see the woman was looking at her worriedly. "He's too good for me." Izayoi frowned, shaking her head at Kagome's statement, disagreeing. "It's just... the way I grew up... there's no such thing as fairytales and good men. So I've never believed in 'love at first sight'. I never even gave myself the chance to entertain the idea of having a boyfriend. It never crossed my mind to have one."

"Awww man... you're too beautiful to die lonely," Kimiko said with a pout. "We need to change that thinking of yours." The others giggled and agreed, planning on helping Kagome change her outlook on life not being like a fairytale.

Kagome looked at Rin who stared at her with a knowing look, smiling comfortingly when their eyes met. Kagome looked away, giving Sango a glare. "So... how did this conversation get to me? This is your day," she complained, hoping they could change the topic.

Sango laughed, shrugging. "I was talking about 'love at first sight' and you and Inuyasha are a prime example of that. You might not see it... but you two are." With that, she waved her hand in the air, taking the pressure off Kagome. "Well... I'm just glad that I have all of you. I appreciate every one of you for wanting to help us and for making our lives so much happier and fuller. I gotta say, Izayoi, that if it hadn't been for your charity event that night, I wouldn't have met Inuyasha, Miroku and Kikyo. I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for that night."

Izayoi smiled with a nod. "It must have been fate." She looked at Kagome, seeing the girl's blue eyes, making Izayoi smile at her beauty. "Kagome... my son loves you very much." Kagome blushed, getting all the attention again, as Izayoi tilted her head at Kagome's innocence. "Inuyasha has lived for almost two hundred and fifty years. He's been through a lot, has seen a lot and has changed a lot. The only thing I can say for sure, Kagome, is that he loves you. He never loved anyone as much as he loves you. That... is a mother's instinct. And with my son being a hanyou, yes, there is such thing as 'love at first sight'... or maybe first sniff," she said with a giggle. Rin shook her head and giggled while the others tried to find the humor in Inuyasha's demon gifts.

Kagome thought about what Izayoi said and what Inuyasha told her this morning about Kiyomi. That woman was going to be a hard topic for her, this woman who once had Inuyasha's heart. But Inuyasha said that he's never felt for Kiyomi the way he felt for her. Even his mother knew that Kiyomi wasn't Inuyasha's mate. The whole mating thing was something that they would have to talk about later. Looking at Izayoi and Rin, she began to wonder how is it the two of them looked so young when they were probably anything but. They seemed to age like a demon, like Inuyasha. That would be a question she'd have to bring up to him.

"Oh! That reminds me!" Sango squealed, looking at Izayoi. "Inuyasha's birthday is in two months. What are you planning to do, Izayoi? I want to help."

Izayoi laughed, hearing the other girls squeal in delight of throwing him a party. "Wait... we're supposed to be talking about your wedding and planning that, along with your bachelorette party."

Sango waved her hand dismissively. "The wedding won't be until after his birthday so let's plan his birthday first."

Rin's eyes widened. "Have you guys picked a date?"

Sango shrugged. "Not really. But I want a winter wedding. So we're thinking either December or January. We need to talk to our parents first and see what they think and what they want to help with."

"We'll help too," Izayoi said. "You two are like family to us. Inutaisho and I will help in any way we can. Money isn't an issue in this wedding," she said with a wink. The others agreed, knowing full well how well-off the Fujimotos are and how dancing for an international pop star had its financial benefits too. Yes, some of them still took side jobs to keep busy and make more money. But most of them lived off what they made with Kikyo and kept themselves open and available to whenever Kikyo called and needed them.

"So what's the plan for Inuyasha's birthday?!" Sango asked excitedly, wanting to make it special for her friend, especially since he finally had someone in his life who he could share his life with. She was happy that Inuyasha had someone like she had with Miroku. It was a wonderful feeling to have that kind of person.

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"Did you two discuss dates yet?" Inutaisho asked, lounging back in his leather chair. The six men all sat together on the couch and on the chairs in the middle of the study. The room was very masculine and dark with mahogany wood floors and wooden bookshelves on both sides of the room, displaying the many books the Fujimotos collected over centuries. The wall opposite of the door was stone and it gave the place a natural look with both wood and stone. The bookshelves went high up to the top of the ceiling of the room while around the bookshelves and even on the stone wall there were hanging lights and picture frames of warriors and landscapes. The lighting was moodier in here, a soft orange glow to set the relaxing mood.

"Sango wants a winter wedding," Miroku said, smiling. He swirled the tumbler in his hand, watching the ice move around in the clear liquid. "We still need to talk with our parents and get their consent. I'm sure my parents are going to want to help." He and Sango didn't really need their help financially, though it was tradition for the parents to pay for certain parts of the ceremony. It was a tradition that the two of them agreed to follow, for their parents' sake.

Inutaisho nodded, taking a sip of his amber liquid. "Izayoi and I are willing to help as well. The two of you are like family to us. And you know Izayoi would love to help plan the entire wedding."

"Gosh... Father, I hope you don't let Mother do it," Inuyasha said with a roll of his eyes. He sat in one of the leather chairs with his legs crossed on the ottoman. "She's going to make it so over the top that it might not be what the two of them wants."

Inutaisho smirked. "You know your mother. There's no reining her in sometimes."

"Exactly my point," Inuyasha said. He grabbed his drink from the side table near him and took a sip of the sake. It was nice to relax in here with the guys, have a drink or two and just chat about anything and everything. Such a guy thing to do.

"A winter wedding should be fun," Shippo said with his left arm resting on the arm of the couch. Itsuki sat in the middle of the couch while Miroku sat at the other end. The three of them had their legs propped up on the low, glass table in front of the couch. Inutaisho, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had their own chairs, all of them facing each other in a circle in the middle of the room. Inutaisho also had a work desk in one part of the room with another sitting area with a table and chairs. The study was huge enough to hold a small party in, and cozy enough to make it more intimate.

"Where are you guys thinking?" Itsuki asked, brushing his hair to the side behind his ear. "You wanted to do a city wedding? Or go out in the country with the snow?"

Miroku shrugged, thinking about it. "We've talked about that. She wants the second option because she wants that fairytale winter wonderland wedding."

Inuyasha sighed, shaking his head while closing his eyes. "Sango's always into those things."

Miroku chuckled. "That's what I love about her. She has such a romantic soul. And she has these ideas and dreams that inspires me to dream bigger. Sometimes she tells me things she sees for the two of us and places she wants us to go... and it intimidates me," he confessed, frowning. "Sometimes I feel like I just can't keep up with her. She's always running ahead of me, sort of like a child running ahead in the snow, not knowing that they could injure themselves. And I get so worried for her. I want to protect her, you know?"

Sesshomaru smirked, listening to everyone and everything even though his eyes remained closed the whole time. "It is the curse of a male. All we know is to protect and provide for our mates. It is an instinct as easy as breathing. There is nothing wrong with you worrying over Sango. It is natural for a male to worry for his female."

Inuyasha nodded. "The three of us probably have it worse than you because our youkai nature demands us to protect and provide for our mates on a degree higher than humans," he tried to explain. Since he had both in him, he could understand what Sesshomaru was talking about, but to the degree that Miroku and Itsuki might never understand. "Most demons only have one mate for life. Most species would rather die with their mate than to live in this world without them. While some species will remarry or live their long lives alone. It depends on the species. Our species mate for life, and so does Shippo's." The fox demon nodded his head, taking a sip of his liquor. "While humans might go through three or four marriages throughout their short lives, we, demons, live much longer than humans and might have only one or two for our entire life."

Miroku nodded his understanding. "I can't see myself living without Sango. Or remarrying if we ever separated. She's the only one for me."

"And that's the way it should be," Inutaisho said, his deep voice calling Miroku and Itsuki's attention. "I know you two don't know much about the demon world and mating... but for us, it's very different from humans. Like Inuyasha said, we only have one who completes the other half of our soul. And in our long lives, we can be looking for her for forever. Our demon knows her scent, it knows the call and the pull of the other half of our soul before our brain even comprehends that she's ours." He spared a glance at Sesshomaru, seeing his oldest relaxing in his chair quietly. "When Sesshomaru's mother died in battle, I wanted nothing more but to die with her. I was gravely injured at the time in a war against the humans, and after I slaughtered them all in my rage, I only thought of taking my life and joining her. But then... I remembered our newborn son." Sesshomaru slowly opened his eyes, turning to look at his father in between him and his brother. Inutaisho smiled at him. "I couldn't leave my son in this world with no parents. I knew that it wasn't his mother's wish for Sesshomaru to be alone. So I lived. For Sesshomaru."

"Wow..." Itsuki whispered. He never heard much about the Fujimoto's past, or about the nature of demons. He knew they were inuyoukai and that they've lived for centuries, but he just never heard much about the wars and the things they've been through. It was cool to know someone who could be so old and at the same time so strange to know things, people, like that existed.

"It wasn't until a hundred and fifty years later did I meet Izayoi," Inutaisho said, turning to look at his youngest son now. "And I knew the moment I saw her and the moment that I smelled her scent, that she was the 'one'. I didn't think it could be possible because I was still mourning Sesshomaru's mother. But I immediately knew that Izayoi was my mate and I loved her. Even though I didn't know her, even though I still loved Sesshomaru's mother, I immediately loved Izayoi the moment I laid eyes on her." He kept his eyes on Inuyasha, who only had eyes for his drink. Inuyasha was thinking deeply on what his father was saying and stared into his glass, thinking about his situation with Kagome and how he first met her. Comparing that with Kiyomi. "We demons have more of an animalistic and primitive nature, more beastly than anything, while humans are more sophisticated and civilized."

"We feel more deeply towards our mates, which is why there is only one," Sesshomaru said. "To my Father's experience, it is possible for us to find another mate after one dies, if we are alive and open to it."

Shippo nodded his head, looking over at Miroku. "My species is the same way. Fox youkai mate for life, and my parents have been together for centuries now. Over time, the love grows stronger, whereas I've seen many a human's love grow weaker to the point of divorce or complacency. It's almost like humans marry because they don't want to be alone or they stay unhappily married because they don't want to die alone. Demons are different. Maybe it's because we can live for so long, but we don't look to mate because we don't want to be alone or die alone. We mate because it is our demon's need to reconnect with the missing half of its soul. A need and a want are two different things."

Miroku nodded his head, understanding them all. "I get it. I agree that humans and demons are very different, much of which I will never fully understand because I can't be both and experience it for myself. But I do think that for some humans, there are some of us out there who are more noble and honorable than the rest."

"Yes," Inutaisho interrupted. "That I agree. I have met many humans over my lifetime who have proven their loyalty and their honor through and through. They were noble men who lived by honor and died with honor. Their family and their honor was all they needed to survive and they died for both. I have seen many humans die for their shogun or protecting their family, and I have seen many deeply devoted to their wives and children. Humans have their flaws, but I guess so do demons in other areas."

"It's not wrong for you to want to protect Sango, Miroku," Inuyasha said, his eyes deep in thought as he stared at his drink. "Even I have someone I want to protect. And I will kill anyone who hurts her." The men all stared at him, quiet, wondering why Inuyasha's mood suddenly changed. Inutaisho stared at his son, feeling Inuyasha's aura, sensing his rage beneath the surface. "It might seem like you might be overbearing and overprotective, but it's only because you love her so much that you're doing those things to keep her safe."

Miroku stared at his friend, feeling for the guy. He still wanted to have a conversation with Inuyasha when they were alone on what happened between him and Kagome. Now wasn't the time. But it was obvious that Inuyasha never once stopped loving Kagome, even though he tried to put on a front that he broke up with her and didn't care. "Thanks, Inuyasha. Thanks, everyone. It's helpful knowing that I'm not the only one who feels this way. I just hope Sango understands that when I am too much... it's only because I love her."

Inutaisho looked at Miroku and nodded his head. "I'm sure she will. You just need to be open and talk with her about it. A healthy relationship is an open relationship. In order for her to understand why you do the things you do, you need to talk to her and explain to her why. Don't just assume that she knows why and will accept it. If you tell her how you feel and explain to her why you do it, then she'll understand and be more acceptive instead of being irritated because she doesn't understand."

Miroku smiled and nodded his head. "Right."

The six of them began to talk more about the wedding, changing the conversation to what food they wanted at the wedding and who the entertainment was going to be. Miroku didn't want Kikyo to perform for several reasons, but he mostly wanted a band that could do more alternative and relaxing music for the wedding instead of just pop songs. Shippo offered Mizuki to be their DJ, which Miroku had already admitted he was hoping Mizuki and Suikotsu would be able to DJ for the dancing part of the night. They also talked about having an open bar and an all-you-can-eat dinner style, which was all Inuyasha's idea. The six of them laughed and enjoyed each other's ideas and company until lunch was ready.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

"Wow, Izayoi! This looks amazing!" Sango exclaimed, squeezing Miroku's hand with both of hers. The two of them stood with the others, gazing at the tables that had been setup outside on the side of the house, below the balcony of the great hall. There were four tables pushed together with light green table cloths, fully setup for each guest. There were enough chairs for eighteen of them, with Inutaisho sitting at the head of one side of the table and an empty chair left for Kikyo. Izayoi ushered everyone to take a seat so they could start eating. Since their family only had youkai as the help, they were all able to take the much faster route from the table to the kitchen, and that was by leaping from the balcony.

"Guess it's easy," Kagome mumbled, watching as the boy from yesterday morning hopped down from over ten feet like he was jumping over a root on one leg. Inuyasha pulled out her chair and she sat, her eyes glued on the four help that were bringing jugs of different colors of drinks to them. And what excited her was how they did not spill one drop on their landing. 'That's so cool!' That kind of abilities would've saved her a ton of grief if she could jump and land like that from great heights. She could've even saved herself from falling that night in Koga's house.

"What's easy?" Inuyasha's voice broke her out of her thoughts and she turned to smile at him, remembering that he could do the same. She shook her head and watched as he pulled out his chair next to his mother's and took his seat.

"Just watching the help jump up and down like that. I wish I could do that. It's so cool."

"Isn't it?" Sango asked by her side. Kagome turned to smile at her and the two of them nodded their heads enthusiastically, wishing they had powers like that. "Man, I wouldn't even bother with crowded escalators and elevators. I would just jump straight up to our apartment if I could jump that high."

Inuyasha laughed, his ears twitching. "Well, it's not that simple. You don't want to jump onto the wrong floor and freak out someone else. And you don't want the world to know you exist."

Sango frowned, turning to look over the table at Inuyasha. "It's crazy how the world still doesn't know."

"We don't want them to," Shippo said firmly, speaking up for all the youkai at the table. Everyone looked to him, wondering what Shippo was talking about since he seemed so passionate about something. Shippo shrugged as Mizuki kissed his cheek, making him smile tenderly at her. "It's easier to live in secrecy than to live exposed. I remember my parents telling me how youkai used to be exploited for their powers. They were taken advantage of and used ruthlessly in wars or in construction, all because of our strength and speed. At least, my species was. For me, I'd rather keep living like this than to be used like a weapon."

"It's also to avoid the criticism," Inutaisho said, making everyone look at him standing at the head of the table. "Some will get thrown into a mental ward for claiming to read minds or control water. It's just the nature of the world now. People either believe or they don't. Sometimes you can have all the proof in the world and people will still have their doubts. But enough of that... that's a conversation for another day."

Izayoi nodded her head and looked down the table at everyone seated, standing next to her mate. "Thank you, everyone, for coming and making today special for Sango and Miroku. I know that it means a lot to them and it means a lot to us, since Inutaisho and I feel like adopted parents to them," she said, looking up to see his nod as he spoke.

"Miroku and Sango, the two of you have been together for years now and we're quite certain that you will have many more together. We want today to be a special day for the both of you as we celebrate how far you've come as a couple and how far you will go together. Here's to you both."

Everyone clapped as Miroku and Sango looked at each other, their eyes and faces so full of love. Miroku kissed Sango tenderly and the help moved in, leaving the glass jugs in the middle of the table.

"We have all sorts of drinks. Two of them are strawberry margaritas, one of them is Sapporo beer, one is junmai sake and the clear one is just water for those who don't want to drink," Izayoi said. Inutaisho moved behind her to pull out her chair for her and the two sat as the others began to pass around the jugs. With drinks in their glasses they all toasted to Miroku and Sango.

"Kanpai!"

Just as they drank, the help jumped down with dishes of food and served them at the table once again, making everyone look around at the six plates left in the middle of the table, with more still coming.

"Mmmm, sushi," Kagome said with a smile, wanting something fresh and light. Inuyasha smiled and reached for his chopsticks.

"How much do you want?"

"Four please," she said with a smile. She watched as he placed four pieces of a sushi roll onto her plate. "And four salmon nigiri," she said sweetly. She turned to look at him as he served her, making her smile. She felt a warmth in her stomach as to how grateful she was to have him in her life, and to have him as hers. He treated her better than she deserved, better than she's ever had before, and she didn't know what she did to deserve him. She obviously was staring too long because he was looking at her with a knowing smirk.

"Like something you see?" he asked, passing the sushi to his mother as the plates of food were being passed around the table.

Kagome nearly blushed and shook her head. "Nope." Inuyasha chuckled and gave her a kiss on the cheek, again giving her butterflies. Sango slapped her thigh under the table, making her jump. She turned to look at the woman who had a huge grin on her face, making Kagome giggle.

"Ah, there's Kikyo and Naraku," Inutaisho announced as he noticed the two make their way along the side of the house from the front. Kikyo was dressed in a nice blue dress, formal, yet flirty as it flared out down to her calves to reveal her white sandals. Naraku was also dressed formally in a black dress shirt with black slacks and black shoes. Everyone turned to greet them as they arrived, waving at them as they stood at the opposite end of the table. Inutaisho waved one of the help down and asked for one more chair. The help nodded and jumped up onto the balcony only to come back with a chair for Naraku.

"Where did you guys come from?" Emi asked, sitting at the end of the table closest to the two.

Kikyo smiled at everyone, looking fresh and excited about something. "I've got some big news, guys! I know this party isn't about me, but it involves everyone!" she squealed, unable to keep the secret any longer. She was bouncing with excitement.

"Kikyo... how about we have lunch first since we haven't eaten anything all day," Naraku said, moving as a young boy came with a chair, placing it next to Emi. Emi scooted her chair over so that Kikyo could sit next to her while Naraku took the head of the table.

"Well, now I want to know," Shiori said with a pout as she watched the both of them take their seats. "You can't just tease us like that and then not tell us what the big news is."

Kikyo smiled at Shiori and looked down the table at everyone, seeing their expectant looks and smiles. "Okay. So... I was just in a meeting with the record label. And..." she drawled, trying to prolong the hype. "I was offered a weekend slot to perform at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas!"

There was a quiet silence at the table as everyone stared at Kikyo, shocked. "Come on guys! This is Las Vegas!" she said excitedly.

Suddenly Mai squealed, cutting the silence of the table. "Oh my gosh! Las Vegas?! Kikyo that's amazing!"

"Wow..." Miroku said, truly at a loss for words. "Kikyo... this... this is big."

Kikyo's eyes widened with a huge grin on her face. "Right?! I mean... it's Las Vegas! And it's Caesar's Palace. Only the best of the best perform here. People like Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Cher, I mean, even performed there. This is the biggest thing I've ever done. Bigger than Hawai'i!"

"Wow, Kikyo," Kimiko said, talking so fast with all the excitement and adrenaline she was feeling. "This is huge. This is like... going to be another milestone for you. I think only big, accomplished stars get to perform at Caesar's Palace, so this is huge for you. It's letting the world know that you're up there with the other American singers. And this is Vegas. Lots of people from all over the world go to Vegas. And your picture will be up on billboards and everything! This is amazing!"

Kikyo giggled, bouncing her head as she agreed with everything Kimiko said. The excitement was felt throughout the whole table, even as the older adults watched and listened to everyone's excitement of this next milestone for all of them, not just Kikyo.

"When is this?" Inuyasha asked, his voice more calm and collected, always the one for details. As her partner, he and Kikyo worked close together to get everything ready for a concert. From planning the date, to the song lists, to the costumes, everything has to be meticulously thought out and planned for up to the last minute before the performance. It was crucial that he and Kikyo ironed out all of the kinks and talked about everything along the way. She made the deadlines and the dates while he organized and prepped for everything up until the lights hit her.

Kikyo looked at him, her eyes going to Kagome for a quick glance, noticing the two of them sitting together. "November. After your birthday. It'll be Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. And it'll be after my new album is released this month so we'll have new songs plus the old album's hits."

Inuyasha held in his groan, staring at her in disbelief. "So your album drops in a couple weeks, and we have about a month to learn new choreographies to the new songs and put together a whole weekend's worth of shows, on top of making new outfits for the new songs," he stated rather than asked. Everyone looked at him, now realizing how much needed to be done within a short amount of time.

Kikyo smiled, her eyes sparkling at him. "That's why I hired you as my choreographer." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, overwhelmed and getting a bit frustrated. Kagome turned to smile comfortingly at him and placed her hand on his, giving his a tight squeeze. "Besides... you, Miroku and Sango are my leaders. The three of you always help to get things done quickly and efficiently."

"Everyone," Izayoi interrupted. "I don't mean to interrupt, because I am interested in all this, but I just wanted to say that we should start eating before the food gets cold and the flies eat it all." The others nodded and continued to pass around the plates, each of them taking a little from each. As they were passing around the plates, they continued to plan and talk things out.

"This month is already busy for me and Kagome," Inuyasha said, passing the plate with chicken to his mother. "Akari said there was a business deal that was too good to pass up for me and Kagome. Something about private dancing classes for the month."

Kagome turned to look at him, confused as this was the first time she was hearing about it. He read her expression. "I was going to tell you later." After all the things that happened between them over the weekend and then last night, she understood why it slipped his mind to tell her about it. Kagome nodded with a smile, taking some of the rice into her rice bowl.

Kikyo nodded her head. "Akari told me. I thought it would be good for the both of you to take up that offer. I also think that if anyone else wanted to join, it would be a good publicity outreach for you, just to get your faces out there more within the dance world," she said, looking around the table at everyone.

"Next month is Inuyasha's birthday," Izayoi reminded everyone with a smile.

"And it's a big one," Rin teased from across the table. Inuyasha glared at her.

"Yeah well, I won't be planning for any of that, so that won't be on my plate," he said, turning to look at his mother.

Izayoi shook her head. "I'll take care of everything, honey. But I will be calling you a lot to approve some of my ideas." Inuyasha nodded his understanding, hoping his mother wouldn't call him as much as he thought she would.

"My party will probably be on a weekend. Is Las Vegas the next weekend after my birthday?"

Kikyo sheepishly nodded. "Yeah." Inuyasha glared at her. "Well... they only gave me three weekends to choose from. One was the Labor Thanksgiving Day weekend and one was your birthday weekend so I chose to be safe and I picked the middle weekend. I know it's a busy month, but those were the only options I had," she tried to reason with him. Inuyasha sighed, not mad at her because he knew she couldn't help it. He was just thinking of how busy it was going to be for him, for all of them.

"Sango and I will be busy with wedding preparations," Miroku reminded, placing his chopsticks down. He passed a plate to Sango and turned to look at Kikyo. "We were thinking of having a winter wedding, maybe in December or January. But we have to talk to our parents about it first. So we have two to three months to plan everything."

"And with helping Inuyasha make the choreographies, the lineups, the song lists and the transitions..." Sango said, giving the plate to Kagome next. "It's going to be a long month and a half." The others were just starting to realize how busy this month and next was going to be for them, especially for their leaders. All of this was riding on Kikyo and her three dance leaders to help her put everything together in a short amount of time, while teaching the whole team new routines within the month. But that's why Inuyasha chose them and why they never hired anyone else unless they really needed to, like with Kagome. They were a tight-knit family group, but they were also the best of the best. They all had phenomenal dance skills and there was no doubt that they could learn everything quick and easy. The only problem was 'how quick' and 'how easy' with the amount of time they had and the amount of workload that was already on their leaders.

"Well..." Izayoi said, speaking up. "Remember that you guys still have my help. And Rin's," she said, looking across at the woman who nodded her head. "We can help you along with your parents in getting the wedding preparations done," she said, looking down her side of the table at Miroku and Sango. "I'm sure I can talk to Chiharu and Sachi and the four of us women can start working together and then come to you two when we need approval of things."

Rin nodded. "Honestly, you don't need to find things and do all the research. We can do all that and just give you our ideas to approve. Let us do the hard work and you two can just be there when we need you two to look at something or to approve something."

Miroku and Sango looked at each other, shocked as to how easy that sounded. They had thought that they would have to research venues and food caterers and get price quotes for everything and anything, making endless calls to endless companies. But to hear that Izayoi and Rin, of course along with their parents, would help them get all of that hard stuff done like hiring a wedding planner... especially after hearing what their workload was going to be like for the next month or two.

"Thanks Izayoi and Rin," Sango said, smiling at the two. "We appreciate you both." Miroku nodded his head, truly thankful.

"Let's just celebrate this moment," Izayoi said, looking around the table as everyone now had food on their plates. "Congratulations to Kikyo for her success and to all of you for now being able to perform at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. And congratulations to Miroku and Sango."

"Itadakimasu!" everyone said and they all began to eat with more talk about their excitement on going to the States, to visit Las Vegas for the first time, and what that would be like for them. The table was full of chatter as everyone's excitement for both their next performance and for Miroku and Sango's engagement filled the entire lunch hour. The smell of the flowers from the garden lightened their mood and was pleasing to the eye as they ate, talked and looked out over at the land that the Fujimotos owned.

After lunch, Izayoi ushered everyone back into the house for a couple of hours of fun in the game room. As they entered through the front door, Inutaisho and Izayoi led them to the right, down the hall where the downstairs bathrooms were. Rin excused herself and told the others she would see them again at tonight's dinner, feeling tired and needing to feed Kumi. Everyone else continued down the hall where the light shone through the tall windows on the right, noticing three doors.

"What's over here?" Kagome asked next to Inuyasha. Kikyo followed at his opposite side, taking in the sights outside.

"The first door is the game room. The second is the study and my parents' room is at the end," he informed her while everyone else listened with his voice echoing in the hall. Kagome stared ahead as Izayoi turned to look over her shoulder with a smile.

"We like to be left alone and away from all the other guest rooms." Inutaisho nodded his agreement as they reached the first door and he opened it, walking in.

"This is our game room," Izayoi announced as she followed behind her mate. Everyone else came in and took in the sight with gasps of excitement. It was a huge room, much like the size of the study. As soon as they stepped in, to the left there was a small bar with four stools to sit at, fully stocked and lit up with bottles and glasses behind the bar. To the right of the door was a small lounge area with two big cushioned chairs and a round table facing the main room. The first thing that greeted them was a pool table in the middle of the room with two grey, round, ottoman-like chairs on either side of the table. A beautiful chandelier hung over the pool table, creating a soft orange glow for the players. Much like the study, the game room was softly lit, since some of the lighting would come from the television and the bar.

"We have a bar. Please help yourself if you want any drinks," Izayoi said with her arm extended to the bar, leading them further into the room. "The men love to play pool," she said, passing by the table as she ran her hand along the side, feeling the smooth wood. "But I'm not that great at it. So I usually just watch them from these ottomans." Inutaisho and Sesshomaru went to the bar to help themselves, making noise with the ice being scooped into their glasses. "We have every console you might want," Izayoi said with a giggle as they went into the open area at the back of the game room. "We love playing games together, especially racing games."

The space was big at the back of the room. On the wall to the right was a huge television mounted on the wall. "Woah!" Itsuki said, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "How big is that TV?"

"One hundred ten inches," Inutaisho said from the bar.

"Oh... my gosh..." Itsuki said slowly, his eyes glued to the massive television that looked like it took up most of the wall. Much like the entire house, the walls were carved of stone and the television looked like a beautiful modern display piece against the natural feel of the wall. "You guys play video games with this thing?" he asked, walking closer to it to open his arms out to try and gauge the width of the thing. His fingers didn't even come close to reaching either end.

"We mostly watch movies," Inuyasha said, turning around so that everyone would look at all the couches and cushioned chairs lined against the wall to the left and to the back of the game room. "It's also our theater room when we wanna have family night." There were enough chairs and couches to seat about twenty people.

The entertainment center beneath the television was made of wood and it held all the video game consoles they knew of- XBOX, Playstation 5, Wii, Nintendo Switch, even a few of the older models of consoles. There was a huge speaker bar with two additional stand-up speakers on the side of the bar. It definitely was an entertainment center. To the left of it, towards the corner of the back of the room, was a dart board with the darts resting on the entertainment center.

"Can I live here?" Itsuki asked, his face still in awe and wonder, nearly shedding a tear. The others laughed as Izayoi came up to him to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Only if you promise to take a shower at least once a day." They all laughed as Sesshomaru and Inutaisho came back to the group with their drinks in hand.

"Please, help yourselves to a drink and everyone just relax. Anyone up for a game of pool?" he asked, his eyes going immediately to his youngest. Inuyasha smirked and shrugged.

"Sure." It was always their tradition to play pool when the family all came home. It wasn't very often that all of his sons, especially the grandkids, would be together at once. Inutaisho and Izayoi cherished every minute they had with their family, whether it be individually or all together like this.

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hand and pulled her with him to the bar. "Want something to drink?"

Kagome giggled. "I think your mother is trying to get us drunk before the end of the night." The others were all talking with Izayoi and Inutaisho about the room and how they loved it. Emi and Kokoro were both eyeing the entertainment console while Shippo began to turn on the television and they all excitedly fought about what they wanted to play first.

"She just wants us to let loose and have a good time today," he said, knowing his mother. "If you get drunk then that's your fault," he teased, stealing a look at her.

Kagome arched her eyebrow at him. "You're the one feeding it to me."

"Then maybe I want you to get drunk... maybe there's a good advantage to this," he said, releasing her hand as he left her at the barstool and walked around to make them a drink.

Kagome giggled, her eyes taking him in. "Your walking on thin ice if you get me drunk." He smirked as he took two tumblers and opened the small ice chest, scooping out ice in both glasses. "I do come from a family of addicts."

Inuyasha set the glasses on the marble countertop, a little too roughly than he meant. Kagome noticed it too. His golden eyes were focused on the glass and she could tell that he didn't take her joke all that well. She made her way around the counter, realizing that he still needed to come to terms with how she was raised. To her, her life, her past, who she was, it was all a matter-of-fact. But she could tell that it was a sore topic for Inuyasha, especially since he just found everything out less than twenty-four hours ago.

"Hey," she whispered, wrapping one arm around his waist and one hand went to his left arm, running her hand along his arm comfortingly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." She pressed herself against him as she squeezed him tighter, trying to get him to look at her. "Look at me." He did. Inuyasha turned to look at her and his eyes immediately lightened, almost as if looking at her chased away those ugly thoughts.

"Sorry," Inuyasha said, releasing the glasses and turning, bringing his arms over her to wrap his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him as he held her. The smell of him and his fragrance, whether that was his deodorant or cologne, it was all man and all Inuyasha. And she loved being here, right in his arms.

"You two okay?"

Inuyasha looked up to see his brother coming their way, going to stand across the bar. He nodded at Sesshomaru and turned to see his father was staring at him while he was applying chalk to the end of his cue stick. "We're good." He kissed Kagome on the forehead and the two released each other. He got back to making them drinks.

"What do want, Kagome?"

"Bailey's on the rocks, please." He smiled and nodded, turning around to grab the bottle of Baileys from one of the shelves and he grabbed a bottle of bourbon for him.

"Make me one," Miroku said as he and Sango joined the three of them at the bar.

"Make it yourself," Inuyasha said, pouring Kagome's glass first. Miroku frowned, giving Inuyasha a pouty lip.

"But it's my engagement party." Sango and Kagome laughed at his attempt to get sympathy from Inuyasha.

"So? Doesn't make you incompetent."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded, though she couldn't stop laughing. "Don't be so mean."

"What?! Don't encourage him!" He began to pour his own drink and then sealed both of the bottles back up, putting them back on the shelves.

"Fine. Leave the bourbon out," Miroku said, going grab the bottle of bourbon from Inuyasha's hand. "What do you want, Sango?" She went to the other side of Sesshomaru and gave her order to him while Inuyasha grabbed his and Kagome's drink, handing it to her. Some of the others were heading their way, wanting a drink before they started playing, while some of the others were excited to just play.

"I can't believe your parents have a game room, Inuyasha," Shiori said as she, Kikyo, Naraku, Aiko and Mizuki came over to the bar. The five of them stood behind Sesshomaru and Sango on the other side of the bar, watching Miroku make two drinks.

Inuyasha shrugged as he and Kagome took a sip of theirs. "Kikyo, Sango and Miroku have been here before."

Sango nodded as she watched Miroku. "We've known each other for so long that we've hung out here a lot, even with our parents. We've been here a few times thanks to Izayoi inviting us over for lunch or dinner."

"This is actually where we all discovered how good our dancing talents were," Kikyo said with a giggle. "I remember we played the Just Dance game and we all realized how fast we were able to memorize the choreography and how good we looked dancing. It was second nature to us, well, mostly to the three of them," she said with a smile. "They're better at dancing than I am, but I caught on easy enough."

"The rest is history, I guess," Sango said with a smile as she turned to Kikyo. Kikyo nodded and Miroku asked the others what he could make for them as he slid Sango her drink.

For the next couple of hours, everyone relaxed and played. Some of them played pool. Kagome laid on her belly on one of the big ottoman chairs while watching the Fujimoto men, Naraku, Shippo and Mizuki play pool. Izayoi sat with Kagome and the two chatted for a bit, watching the others play. On the other side of the room, Kokoro, Aiko, Itsuki and Mai were in a heated Mario Kart race on the Nintendo Switch. Itsuki was a little bit too animated as he stood up and turned the controller back and forth as if he was actually driving a car. The rest sat on the chairs and couches laughing and talking as they cheered for the racers.

After a couple of hours, Izayoi suggested to everyone to get some rest, if they wanted to. It was already four in the afternoon and she wanted everyone to be dressed and downstairs by six. The band was supposed to be showing up at five-thirty to setup. The appetizers and drinks would be served at six while everyone should be arriving from Tokyo. And then after an hour of chatting, dinner was to be served at seven. Izayoi just wanted everyone to be rested before tonight if they needed to get some rest. Some of them took her up on her suggestion and announced they were going to head upstairs to rest while some wanted to play a little longer.

"I'm going to head upstairs and take a nap," Kagome said, moving to sit up. She sat up from Inuyasha's lap and grabbed her empty glass from the ground. They had all been watching the Mario Kart action for the past hour and she wanted to get some rest after yesterday's events.

"I'll go with you."

Kagome turned to watch Inuyasha stand, wondering why he wanted to go up with her, but not getting the chance to ask him as he walked away with their empty glasses.

"Have a good rest, Kagome," Sango said, her head resting on Miroku's lap. Kagome turned to look at her and the two smiled knowingly, since they had talked a little this morning about what happened last night. Sango watched as Kagome headed to follow Inuyasha towards the bar while some of the other women followed behind her.

"I think I'm going to get some sleep too," Kokoro said with a yawn.

"All that liquor from lunch and now is getting to me," Emi said, fixing her dress as she followed behind Kokoro.

Kagome giggled. "And there's more tonight." The two moaned groggily as some of the others followed behind them.

Inuyasha came around the bar and reached out his hand to Kagome and took hers with a smile. The two of them walked out, hand in hand, as the small group made their way out of the game room, through the great room and up the staircase. They all parted at their own rooms until it was only Kagome and Inuyasha left, heading to the end of the hall.

"Sleep with me," Inuyasha said, keeping a tight hold on her hand as he led her past her door.

Kagome turned to stare at her door, a little curious as to why he'd want her with him in his room. "Why?" She looked at him and immediately regretted asking. His cute, golden eyes told her why.

"Because I want you to."

She saw his love for her in his eyes and she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed at her own emotions for him. Kagome smiled, squeezing his hand. "Okay." How could she deny him? And if she was honest, she wanted to be with him too. She knew she was having too much of a dependency on him, more than she had ever had with a man before. She was always independent and on her own, before Onigumo had taken her in and cared for her. But even with Onigumo, she wasn't as dependent on him as she was on Inuyasha. Onigumo was her boss, her savior. It was different with Inuyasha. It was like she was falling deeper and deeper in love with him, and the more she loved him, the more she depended on him. She needed his smiles, his look of affection, his hand holding hers and his kisses. She needed him. She never needed anyone.

Inuyasha opened his room and walked in but Kagome was immediately shocked by the difference of his room compared to hers. She stopped in the doorway and he stopped when he felt her resistance. He turned to take in her wandering eyes and he smiled. "What's wrong?"

"Is this the room you've had since you were young?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah. Of course, it didn't look like this when I was younger," he snickered. She smiled at him and shook her head, her eyes going everywhere as she walked in, releasing his hand. Inuyasha closed the door behind her and stayed quiet, watching as she took in his room. He felt an odd calm wash over him, as if this was a moment he had been waiting for, as if this image of her in his room for the first time would be forever etched in his memory. Yes, she had already been in his apartment room, but that was different. This was his home, the home he grew up in, the room he grew up in where he made countless memories. He wanted her to know every part of him and he wanted her in every space and inch of his life. He even had the inclination to ask her to move in with him, but he knew that might freak her out a bit. To him, he needed Kagome. It was that simple. She was his and he was hers, and he wanted her with him every moment of every day, especially at night when he could hold her and know that she was safe in his arms. But to ask her to move in with him, and Miroku and Sango, would be a huge decision and he wasn't sure if she was ready for something like that yet. She and him were still raw after all that was talked about last night, so maybe now was not the time.

"This is different from your apartment," Kagome said, taking in the huge king size bed to her right that had a dark red comforter with matching dark red and light grey pillows. It was obvious that this was Inuyasha's room compared to the other guest rooms. There was a small coffee table against the wall opposite of the bed on her left with a television mounted on the wall above an entertainment center to the left of the table. There were paintings and portraits on the wall that showed a lot of Inuyasha as a child, with his family, and random paintings of landscapes. "Wow..."

She walked in, letting go of his hand, heading to one of the paintings on her left, next to the television. "Is this you?" She turned around to see his nod while he remained standing near the door. She smiled and walked up to the painting, staring at the little boy who looked back at her. When she got to the painting, she found the artist's signature at the bottom right of the canvas written in kanji. She stared at the little boy, his golden eyes so striking in the painting, along with his short silver hair and the red hakama and haori that he wore. The little boy had his arms crossed and his face was adorably smiling. "How old were you?" she asked, feeling her heart melt at the sight of him.

"I was three."

"You look older than three," she commented, yet as much as he has grown from then, he still looked so much like his little self. It warmed her heart to see him like this, to know something so special and so intimate about him. She never had any photos of herself when she was younger so she couldn't relate, but it was nice to see what Inuyasha might've looked like when he was younger. "When was this drawn?" She jumped, feeling his arms wrap around her. She immediately relaxed into him with a smile as his face came down to her neck, planting kisses as her head lolled back against his shoulder.

"Over two centuries ago," he whispered, giving her one last kiss. He needed to kiss her. While she was here, in his room, looking at his childhood and his memories, he wanted to make her a part of his memories, his most precious one.

Inuyasha turned her around and stared at her blue eyes. It almost looked like her blue eyes were growing darker, a swirling blue turning into a midnight sky. "I love you," he said, bringing his lips to hers. Kagome responded and met him halfway. He felt her hands clench at his shirt on his sides, tugging him against her, the feel of her excitement fueling his own. Inuyasha walked her back until she was against the wall. He held her waist against him, arching her back into him and plunging his tongue into her mouth, earning him a moan. He could hear her heartbeat quicken and her hands ran up his body to wrap around his neck, arching her breasts into him. Inuyasha growled, breaking the kiss to kiss his way down to her neck. Her most sensitive spot was her neck, and he knew where to lick, suck and bite on her neck to earn the response he wanted. Kagome moaned when he bit her neck, her breathing quickening.

"Inuyasha..." she panted. Kagome loved everything he was doing to her. His touch, his kiss, was so much more gentler and yet urgent, as if he needed her. He didn't take from her, which was what she always knew, but instead he gave to her what she didn't know she needed. "I love you... more than you know..."

"I would have to disagree," he said with a chuckle. He kissed her one last time and then released his tight hold on her, kissing her forehead. "We should get some rest."

"You're tired?" she asked, curious after that little makeout session. Her body was on fire for him and she wanted more. She couldn't imagine sleeping after he had awaken her need for him. She let her hands slip from his neck as he gave her a tolerant look with an arched eyebrow.

"I feel the same way you do," he said, as if he knew what her body was going through. She opened her mouth to speak but then he grabbed her hand and led her to the bed, making her follow him. "But like I said... I don't want to move too fast. I can't have you afraid of me."

'Afraid?' She wondered what he meant. Why would he think she was afraid of him when she was so turned on? Did she give off any signs that she was afraid? Was she not as aggressive as she was supposed to be?

"I... don't understand..."

Inuyasha turned as he sat on his bed, smiling at her. He patted the bed and she sat, staring at his golden eyes in confusion. "If I was to make love to you, would you see me as your ex or your father?"

That question startled her. She immediately pulled her hand from his as if he burned her. She went to stand but he stopped her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back on the bed. As soon as she fell back, Inuyasha mounted her, his legs going on either side of her body. She stared up at him, her heart skipping a beat. He pinned her arms above her head and her body immediately reacted. She realized then, that he was right. Her body grew hot, her heart rate accelerated. She was both turned on and terrified at the same time. His hands pinned her wrists to the bed above her head and he brought his head down to the crook of her neck, licking at the spot that had turned her on earlier but now her arousal mixed with fear and panic. She froze, the fear nearly paralyzing her.

"I'm an inuhanyou, Kagome. I can smell your fear and I can sense how terrified you are, right now, of me. I'm also a predator by nature. I'm possessive and dominating, especially when it comes to what is mine." He kissed her neck, going to the other side to give it the same treatment. He could feel her pulse beat faster but he couldn't tell if that was because she was turned on or because she was afraid of him. He could smell both. No matter how much he tried to soothe her by kissing, licking and sucking, all the things he did just moments ago that turned her on, nothing helped to erase the fear that took control of her mind and body. She was lost to him. "I can be... controlling in bed. More than anything, I want your pleasure for my own, and I'll take it anyway that I can. Whether that be from me eating you out or from my cock inside of you. I'll have you as many times as I want, but it's only because your pleasure is mine to give, and I take pleasure in giving you pleasure." Inuyasha sighed, moving back to look down at Kagome. Her eyes were wide in fear, those beautiful blue eyes that were now clouded. "What I don't want... is your fear."

Inuyasha moved off her, standing up to pull the covers back from the pillows at the head of the bed. Kagome blinked several times, bringing her hands to her chest now that he released her and wasn't on top of her anymore. It took her a moment, a few breaths, to bring logic back into her brain. And before she could say a word, Inuyasha walked away. She moved her head to see him going to the bathroom to the left, turning the light on and closing the door. Still in a daze as to what had happened, Kagome slowly sat up, running her hand through her hair. 'Inuyasha...' She never would've thought she would have ever been afraid of him. But she was. 'No. I'm not.' Maybe she wasn't afraid of him mentally, but subconsciously, her mind and body was. As much as she was turned on by how aggressive he was with her, she was also so used to experiencing pleasure with pain that her body froze in fear. It was just like before with Koga and her father. No matter how afraid she was of them, her body still was aroused. 'What's wrong with me?' This realization only made her hate herself more. She didn't know how long she sat in her own thoughts, but she wanted to go back to her room and be alone. Just as she was about to stand, the door opened and Inuyasha came back out without his shirt on and only the jeans he was wearing today.

"I'm going back to my room," she said, moving to stand as he came towards her.

"No." She froze, surprised. Inuyasha looked down at her as he blocked her. "No running. Not from this. We face this together. Whatever you're feeling and needing to process, talk to me about it. Don't run from me and don't run from us."

Kagome bit her bottom lip, trying not to cry. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha." She felt like a such a failure. Maybe she wasn't cut out to being 'girlfriend-material' after all. Maybe she could only be a gentlemen's girl, needing to have control over men. There may never come a time when she would be completely free of her father and ex. What they did to her will forever be a part of her.

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Inuyasha said, grabbing her and making her stand. He held her in his arms while she stood there with her hands hanging at her sides, but at least she didn't push away from him. He needed to have patience with her. "Give Kagome some time." He wanted to believe that what Rin said could be true for this part of their relationship, that time would heal her wounds of being raped repeatedly, and that one day Kagome would be able to have a normal sex life. He erased the thought from his mind, not wanting to get into his emotions right now. "Come. Let's take a nap." He urged her to where he had pulled back the sheets and the comforter, waiting as she climbed into bed. "My mother's going to have our heads if we fall asleep at the dinner table," he said as he got in after her.

Kagome tried to settle as she watched Inuyasha settle back against the pillows, bringing her into his arms. "Inuyasha?"

"Hmmm..." he said, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath, taking in her scent, letting it wash over him. Kagome's scent could take away all his stress and worries, and replace it with just her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Izayoi clapped her hands together, satisfied with the way everything looked. "Perfect!" She smiled at Chibi as he moved by her in a flurry, taking two large saucers with plates on them over to the appetizer table. The band was already setup and they were playing soothing music to start off. There was a female singer who would sing for some of the songs and then most of the songs would be instrumental, per Izayoi's request since she was sure the night would have a lot of talking.

There was going to be a few more people tonight than last night's family dinner. This time, Sesshomaru's sons would finally be able to make it since they didn't make last night's dinner due to something coming up at work. The parents of Kikyo, Miroku and Sango were coming as well. That made twenty-seven adults and one infant. Izayoi smiled, thrilled to have everyone coming to her home to have a wonderful time together.

The main dinner table had thirty chairs set up, and the table was fully dressed and ready before the guests arrived. She had chosen a simple white tablecloth and simple tableware, with everything being white or clear. What she wanted to be the main center point and color on the table were the centerpieces. She had ordered these beautiful red and pink rose bouquets that had baby's breath, green foliage and lavender wax flowers. They were beautifully big, calling attention to the three centerpieces in the middle of the long table. Izayoi smiled to herself, walking around the main table towards the two appetizer tables set up on the side of the balcony where the band was. The round tables were dressed in white tablecloths that went down to the floor. One table had the chocolate fountain and fondue machine while the other was full of appetizers from sushi, onigiri, gyoza, tofu and edamame. The chocolate fountain had all sorts of fruits to dip while the cheese fondue had bread and sliced steak to dip.

"As usual, my love, you have gone overboard."

Izayoi smiled and turned to see her mate come up towards her with a twinkle in his golden eyes. She whacked his chest with the back of her hand. "You know me, darling. I love to put on a good party." She tilted her head up because he wanted to kiss her. She moaned, taking in his scent and light cologne that she loved so much. "You look so handsome." Her mate always looked so handsome in a suit and tie, much like her sons since they looked so much like their father.

Inutaisho wore a black suit with a white dress shirt and a purple tie. His hair was up in a ponytail and it flowed down to his lower back. "You look lovely, my love," he said, kissing her cheek at her compliment. Izayoi had decided to wear a long dress since they would be outside tonight on the balcony, in the cool, country air. She wore a silver dress that had purple sakura flower accents at the bottom. It was a short sleeve dress that exposed her chest and arms, so she wore a light purple, silk shawl to help keep her warm. Since the sun had just set a half hour ago, the temperature was now starting to drop. And since it was October, it was in the mid-sixties right now, which made it a nice, cool temperature. She kept her hair down to help with keeping her warm too.

"Thank you, honey." Izayoi touched his arm before turning around to look back at the two tables with all the food. "With twenty-seven of us, I just wanted there to be enough food. You know I don't like to run out of food at an event."

Inutaisho smiled and nodded his head. "Yes, I know."

"Father. Mother."

The two turned around to see Sesshomaru and Rin walk out onto the balcony with Kumi in Sesshomaru's arms. Izayoi beamed. She loved seeing her eldest holding his little girl in his arms. It was so endearing and cute to see Sesshomaru, who she knew as an inuyoukai, hold his daughter so gently and tenderly. Izayoi met them and hugged Rin, taking in the woman's dress. Rin chose to compliment her mate as she wore a black, strapless dress with a white, furry shawl. She kept her hair up in a messy bun with some hair coming down to her shoulders and her drop diamond earrings finished her simple look. Sesshomaru looked much like his father, except he had a black dress shirt with a white tie and his hair was down.

"Where's the boys?" Inutaisho asked.

"They texted that they just arrived. They're parking out front," Rin said with a smile.

Some of the others could be heard as their voices echoed in the great hall as they made their way out to the balcony. Everyone greeted each other and took in the wonderful setup that Izayoi had made for tonight's engagement party dinner. Miroku's parents were the next to arrive and they were greeted with cheers and congratulations for their son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Drinks were served and passed around while everyone was encouraged to eat.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku and Sango were the last to show up out of the group as they made their way out onto the balcony. Izayoi squealed as she saw her son and Kagome walk out together, complimenting one another. Inuyasha dressed much like his father, except his tie was red, and he had his hair down like his brother. Kagome was dressed in a red, strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline, that hugged her torso to her waist and easily draped down her body to the floor. She had a white, silk shawl draped over her elbows as she held Inuyasha's arm while he escorted her out.

"Oh honey. You and Kagome look beautiful together." She was so happy to see her youngest happy, finally. She was so happy to see him with someone, and to have finally found his one, true mate. She didn't want to make a mess of her makeup and ruin Miroku and Sango's night, so she kept it together as she felt her mate's hand rest on her shoulder.

"Kagome... you look beautiful," Inutaisho said with a slight bow. Kagome flushed and bowed back, unsure of the formalities. Inuyasha smiled and patted her hand, assuring her.

"You two look as gorgeous as ever," Izayoi said as she turned to Miroku and Sango at their side. Both were dressed to match each other as well. Miroku had a black suit with a dark purple dress shirt and a black tie, while Sango had a dark purple, spaghetti strap dress with a matching silk shawl. All the women were advised of the outside venue and encouraged to wear long gowns with a covering in case they got cold.

"Thank you, Izayoi," Sango said with a smile. Her eyes caught Hirohito's and Sachi's eyes as they waved at them from where they were talking with Kikyo and Naraku. "Excuse us. Come, Miroku. Let's go see your parents." Miroku nodded and excused themselves as they made their way to see his parents.

"Kagome, you haven't met Kaito and Minato yet. Let me introduce you to them," Izayoi said as she stole Kagome from Inuyasha with a smile and the two women left to talk with Sesshomaru's two sons.

Inutaisho watched his mate walk away with his son's mate in her arms, obviously caught up in the joys of tonight. "I see the two of you are making amends."

Inuyasha shrugged as one of the help came by to bring him and his father a glass of red wine. Inuyasha thanked the man and took a sip. "I think we just needed some space this weekend."

"I thought you two broke up," he said, though he knew it was impossible.

"No," Inuyasha said. "I know that's what I said, but in my heart I didn't mean it. I just needed space and time to figure things out."

"What is it that you had to figure out?"

Inuyasha sighed, thinking about what happened earlier. "I need to give her time to trust me. It's not going as fast as I would like, but it's okay. And I think that our little break was what Kagome needed to realize how much I meant to her and how much she means to me. It was good for the both of us to step back and reevaluate. She got open with me last night and that changed the dynamics of our relationship."

Inutaisho nodded his head, looking at all his guests chatting away in small groups, conversations floating in the air. "A relationship takes time and communication."

"Both of which we desperately need right now."

Inutaisho looked at his son curiously. "How so?"

Inuyasha sighed. "Kagome told me some things last night... things she told Rin yesterday morning."

"Ah... that was why she was acting so unlike herself."

"You noticed?" Inuyasha asked, though he knew he shouldn't have to. His father was keen on everything, especially things within his own home.

"Of course. She is your mate, son. She is a part of the family. And I always take care of my family."

Inuyasha smiled, nodding his head. "Yeah." He took a sip of his wine, looking up at the clear sky and all the starry lights. There was a half moon tonight, making him think about his demon blood. "There's a lot I still haven't told her yet, and I still feel like there's a lot she still hasn't told me. But last night... we had a good conversation and she told me a lot. I even told her about Kiyomi this morning."

"How did Kagome take that?"

"As good as she could, I guess. She was quiet and just listening as I told her about my past with Kiyomi. I could sense her anger at certain parts but she didn't say much. She comforted me when I told her Kiyomi left me and why."

"Hmmm... I expect nothing else from Kagome. She seems like such a tender soul."

Inuyasha's eyes darkened and his aura changed, immediately catching Inutaisho's attention. "The things she told me last night, Father... I fear losing control. But I fear losing Kagome more."

Just then, Sesshomaru made his way towards the two of them, holding his daughter in one hand while sipping his wine in the other. "What are you two talking about?" he asked, having sensed his brother's aura and wanting to see what the cause was. Inutaisho gave Sesshomaru a look and the two of them waited for Inuyasha to speak, watching him control himself.

"I need the both of you to help me track down a demon. Kagome's ex. I want him hunted. I want him found. And I want his head."

Sesshomaru stoically looked at his brother even though the threat was real. Something had happened, which he assumed had something to do with Kagome since that was the only thing that would change his brother's mood so drastically like this. It made sense with what had been happening between his mate and Kagome since yesterday morning. It seemed like something had been discovered about Kagome and now his brother was itching for blood. And the only reason why his brother would be after blood is if someone hurt Kagome.

"Something I should know about?" Inutaisho asked, his curiosity only fed by his demon's need to avenge and protect what was his. His family was everything to him. He taught that to his children and them to theirs. If someone threatened or hurt his family, he was to know about it and there would be no mercy. Everyone knew of his name and his reputation, both good and bad.

"I'll tell the both of you later. But I want your men to start finding out who her ex is," Inuyasha said, his eyes going to his brother. To the others, they would see the three as simply having a normal conversation, as their body language and facial expressions gave nothing away. "He's a demon. He lives on Shikoku Island and apparently has a lot of power, probably wealth too."

"That narrows it down substantially," Sesshomaru commented, looking down at his daughter who was making cooing noises as her eyes stared up at her father.

"Start at the hospitals. Kagome was in the hospital for a week or so, going through multiple surgeries after her ex pushed her over the second floor railing. Maybe there's a file on record or something to help find out who he is. She said he tried to keep her hidden from the world and from most of the hospital staff so I'm sure he might've used aliases or wiped the hospital records clean. But it's worth taking a look."

"Pushed her over the stairs?" Inutaisho asked slowly, tasting each word on his tongue.

"I'll have my men go through the hospitals and interrogate them. They have their ways of getting information," Sesshomaru assured his brother, his eyes going to Kagome who was laughing at something his eldest, Kaito, said.

"If it's a demon, I will know him," Inutaisho stated matter-of-factly. He knew all the demons in Japan, especially if they were alive during the Edo period. During the feudal era, it was vital to know the names and places from which a person came from to know who was friend or foe. And he knew everyone at demon court, maybe not personally, but he could find them if he wanted to. "Perhaps we can also find him at the demon court next year."

"I'm hoping to find him before then," Inuyasha said, seeing his mother wave them over, cutting off their conversation. Izayoi lifted her glass up and motioned eating with her hand, which meant they were about to start tonight's event. Kagome turned to look at him and all he wanted to do was be at her side. "I trust your men, Sesshomaru."

"They're loyal to me," he assured his brother, the two of them giving the other a look that spoke of the trust they had in the other. "And they're loyal to our family. They'll find something," Sesshomaru promised. With that, the three of them went to stand next to their mates.

Izayoi called everyone's attention and began to start the night with a quick speech. Since she and her mate had shared for most of the day and the previous, she wanted to leave the floor open for the parents. Sango's parents shared first with Chiharu crying most of the time and Toshiro having to console his wife while also expressing his love for his daughter and his soon-to-be son-in-law. Miroku's parents shared next. Hirohito shared a lot of funny things about his son, much to Miroku's enjoyment and embarrassment, while Sachi could only share endearing things of her son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Both families had been friends for a long time and both couples looked forward to being official in-laws.

Kikyo and her parents were next to share as they had known Miroku and Sango just as long as Inuyasha and his family have. She shared a lot of their adventures together professionally, and all the fun things that go on behind the curtains, making everyone laugh. She retold funny stories like how Miroku had got his hair caught in one of the zippers of a jacket during a change and had to cut his hair to get it out right before he had to run out on stage, almost missing his cue. The others joined in on the sharing, wanting to congratulate Miroku and Sango, while also sharing some fond memories of their own. They all looked forward to the two's wedding and future children, which earned a few rowdy hoot calls from the boys.

After the sharing, it was time for dinner. Dinner was served as an array of dishes, including what had been available for appetizers along with much more for the main course. There was much chatter and laughter as everyone talked and caught up with each other. After dinner, the dessert was now ready on what was once the appetizer table and there were many mini dishes of all sorts of desserts, from cheesecakes to a matcha swiss roll and more. The band continued to play, but now that dinner was over and it was time for dancing and relaxing, the female singer came on. Her melodic voice floated in the air, blending perfectly with the relaxing night they were having.

"Dance with me," Inuyasha whispered in Kagome's ear, kissing her neck below her ear. She smiled at him as he moved to stand, waiting for her hand. She stood and let him lead her to the empty space on the balcony. He turned to face her and she draped her shawl over her inner elbows, walking into his arms. Inuyasha brought her up against him, placing one hand at the small of her back and taking her right hand in his. She placed her other hand on his shoulder and he started to dance, easily moving to the soft beat and the woman's voice.

"I thought we were only dance partners professionally," Kagome said, her eyes teasing him. Inuyasha smirked.

"You're stuck with me, woman."

Kagome chuckled. "Don't say that. I'm not 'stuck' with you. I choose to be with you."

Inuyasha smiled, leaning to give her a kiss. He couldn't get enough of her. He didn't care what others thought, if they were too affectionate and lovey dovey. He only cared about his feelings for Kagome and hers for him. He loved her, and he would show that to her as many times and as many ways as he wanted.

"I like your nephews," Kagome said, as they settled into an easy flow. Shippo and Mizuki had come to join them on their invisible dance floor and were wrapped up in each other's embrace. "They seem very formal and they remind me so much of their father."

"Don't talk so loud. My brother's head will get bigger." He didn't even spare a look up to see if Sesshomaru was listening, though he was sure that Sesshomaru had his hands full with the many conversations at the table.

Kagome laughed, her voice sounding more melodic than the singer's voice to him. "The two of you are so cute together. Your entire family is like the picture-perfect family you see in magazines."

Inuyasha's face went neutral as he stared at her, his eyes sympathetic, not sure what to say. Kagome brought her hand up to his neck to tug twice on his rosary necklace under his collar and tie. "Don't do that. Not tonight." She placed her head against his chest and let him lead her. She had taken his lead many times for the past several months that she has worked for him, and she would continue to take his lead. He was her rock. He held her together and he gave her life a new meaning. He was the reason for her to live now.

Throughout the night, everyone danced, drank, ate and laughed. They were all excited for Miroku and Sango's wedding day and for the group's next concert scheduled for Las Vegas. Kikyo promised that the news was supposed to come out tomorrow since the deal was just made, so everyone would be able to talk about it and see it on social media soon. They were the first to hear about it before the world did. And like all good parties, tonight had to come to an end. Those who drove from the city had to leave to drive back, which, thankfully, most of them had designated drivers. Kikyo's, Miroku's and Sango's parents all left after saying their congratulations and goodbyes. Kaito and Minato, Sesshomaru and Rin's sons, both took their leave as well since they were staying back in the city. Sesshomaru and Rin left to walk their sons out.

Those who were sleeping over stayed outside for an hour more. Everyone sat around the dinner table, now cleared of all dishes except for their drinks, and talked about the next concert. Kikyo, now a little tipsy, couldn't stop rambling about how fun Las Vegas was going to be and how they were going to shopping and gambling all over the Strip. Some of the girls talked about the Vegas shows that they were hoping they had time to watch. There was so much to do in such little time that they would be there that there was talk that maybe they should stay longer like they did in Osaka. Naraku told them that he would look into it and talk to the label about it when it came to planning the time schedule of their trip.

Soon everyone got tired after a long day, especially those who didn't take a nap. Izayoi encouraged everyone to get some rest as it was now ten and it was late. Slowly, they all took their last dances and sips of their drinks before they all thanked the band, and Izayoi and Inutaisho for the lovely evening. Sesshomaru and Rin had already gone to bed with their daughter so now it left everyone else to make their way back to their rooms upstairs while Inuyasha's parents stayed behind to thank the band.

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked, holding Kagome's hand as they walked up the stairs. Everyone was laughing about how drunk they were and how tired they felt, the two being a potent combination, as they made their way slowly up the stairs. The girls were all giggling and hiking their dresses up, being careful in their heels.

"I'm okay," Kagome said with a smile, taking her time up the stairs in her heels. "I only had two drinks." She thought about it for a minute as she put one foot in front of the other, following Inuyasha up. "Well... I'm sure I had more than two. The sun room, lunch, the game room and then dinner. But I took a nap so I should be fine," she said with a giggle, trying to remember how many drinks she had throughout the day.

Inuyasha arched his eyebrow at her and laughed. "My mother knows how to intoxicate her guests."

Kagome laughed at that. "No. Your mother knows how to have a good time. Honestly, Inuyasha. Today was a good day. I'm sure Miroku and Sango had a good time with everyone. It was nice to see all the parents again," she said, reminding herself of how she never had that kind of bond like they were fortunate enough to have with their parents.

She reached the top of the stairs and Inuyasha grabbed her around her waist, bringing her up against him as they walked down the hall. They said their goodnights to Itsuki, Mai and Shiori as they passed them. They could hear the others behind them come up the stairs and yell out their goodnights to the two. Inuyasha simply waved over his head without looking back as Kagome responded to them with her own goodnight. When they finally got to her door, Inuyasha didn't loosen his hold on her and took her to his door.

Kagome giggled. "Inuyasha... you passed my room."

"Did I? I thought you were sleeping in this room tonight."

She giggled again, shaking her head and trying to turn out of his hold but he simply brought his other arm around her and held her against his front, a prisoner. "No." She laughed as she looked up at his playful look, loving the way his golden eyes warmed with playfulness. "My room is back there."

"Sleep with me tonight."

"I already slept with you today," she said, placing her hands on his chest.

"Sleep with me again." Inuyasha brought his head down to kiss her temple, smelling her hair. "I can't be without you," he said, bringing his head down to her neck, taking in her scent. "Tell me you can't be without me," he demanded. Kagome chuckled, pushing him back to give him a sly look. She turned from him and went for his door, walking in. Inuyasha smiled to himself and followed her triumphantly, closing the door behind him.

Kagome sighed as she went towards his table, taking off her shawl. "I need to get my clothes so I can take a shower," she said, draping her shawl over the back of one of the chairs.

"You just took a shower before the party. You don't need another one." Kagome turned, arching her eyebrow at him. She watched him go to his dresser in the corner near the door, pulling out a black tank top. "You can wear this tonight."

She stared at him as he walked towards his bed and threw the shirt on top of the comforter. His bed was neatly made and she knew it wasn't from him because last she had been in here before they left for the party downstairs, Inuyasha hadn't made his bed. She was sure that the help had come in to make his bed because someone made hers too.

"Just a tank top? It's going to be cold."

"You'll be fine. You'll be in my arms."

Kagome smiled, though inwardly, her heart hurt. 'Is this what it's like to be in love?' She didn't know the feeling, or what to compare it to, but at that moment, Inuyasha made her feel like the most precious thing in the world, at least to him. She sighed, turning towards the balcony to step out for some fresh air. 'What am I doing?' She was fighting with herself too much for too long. What she needed to do was to just let herself be happy with him. She had been living alone for so long that she didn't know how to be with anyone.

"Hey." Inuyasha came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "What's wrong?" he asked, sensing her mood.

"You're too good for me," she admitted with a smile, knowing it to be true. His strong body pressed up behind her and his strong arms enveloped her in comfort and strength, making her feel small but beautiful, precious but powerful. She placed her arms over his, holding him to her.

Inuyasha chuckled, moving her hair aside with his chin as he went to her neck, loving the smell of her there, loving the way she responded when he gave her neck attention. "I'm not a saint, Kagome. I'm a demon." He kissed her neck, slowly, softly, breathing her in.

Kagome closed her eyes and let her head fall back against his shoulder, knowing in her heart that no matter what, Inuyasha was the only man in the world who would ever get to her heart like this. Ever. "You say that as if being a demon is a bad thing. I've seen many good demons in my life, on top of bad ones."

"Yeah, well, I have my moments." He kissed her one last time and brought his head up, looking out at the stars. "I've killed many people with these hands, both humans and demons. I've lived through a lot of wars. And a lot of those times, I've enjoyed the kill."

Kagome turned her head so that she could look up at him. His face was like a sketch of beauty, especially now with the stars above him. "You had to do what you had to do to survive. I understand. I'm a survivor too."

Inuyasha looked down at her and smiled, thinking of how much she really was a survivor after all she told him last night. He kissed her tenderly, tightening his hold around her waist. She was his survivor. She was strong-willed and determined, and she was right. Sometimes it didn't matter what you had to do, so long as you survived.

Kagome brought one hand up behind her to wrap around the back of his head, deepening the kiss. She moaned when his tongue explored her mouth, dueling with hers. She could taste the wine on his tongue, reminding her of how much she had to drink today. The alcohol was probably the one thing giving her so much courage to take what she wanted. She pulled back and turned in his arms to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you." She brought his head down to hers and kissed him passionately, wanting him with every breath. Today had been such a beautiful day and she felt so much closer to Inuyasha. He knew things about her, things that were horrible and shameful, and yet he was still here. He still loved her.

Inuyasha held Kagome tight against him, kissing her like a drunk man. She started the fire in his belly, the one that continued to burn for her. And if they weren't careful, they would be crossing into dangerous territory that she wouldn't be ready for. "Kagome..." he said, breaking their kiss. But her hands were in his hair, holding him to her.

"Don't think, Inuyasha." She tiptoed up in her heels and kissed him, silencing him, moving her body against him in need. He could smell the beginnings of her arousal, that sweet scent that he wanted more of, the sound of her moans the one thing he wanted to hear. He was intoxicated by her, by her sound, by her beauty, by her taste.

"Kagome..." He held himself back as she stared up him. Her lips were pink from their rough kissing, wet from his tongue. She looked up at him, her eyes full of lust and longing, making it harder for him to stay in control. "I don't want to scare you."

Kagome shook her head, hoping he'd understand. "I'm not afraid of you, Inuyasha. And I wasn't afraid of you earlier. It was just my body's reaction. Sometimes I can't even control it. I trust you." He waited a heartbeat, hearing the sincerity in her voice. The last thing he wanted was to traumatize her and for her to never be able to bear his touch again. That was why he wanted to take things slow. He couldn't jeopardize their relationship. He wouldn't. She was the most precious thing to him.

"I could never hurt you," he promised.

Kagome smiled, bringing her hands to his face. "I know." He stared at her, his golden eyes burning with desire but his body was rigid, as if he was holding himself back.

"I want you, Inuyasha," Kagome said, her blue eyes darkening. Her hands traveled down and her fingers found the buttons of his suit jacket, unbuttoning them one at a time, her eyes never leaving his golden ones. She watched his face turn hard, almost cruel, clenching his jaw. He was so male, so handsome, and he turned her on. She knew that she had him wrapped around her finger. As she shrugged his jacket over his broad shoulders, he released her so that his jacket slumped to the floor, but he never once took his eyes off hers.

"Don't you want me?" she whispered seductively. She saw it then, the change in him. It came quickly and she inwardly smiled, triumphantly.

Inuyasha moved and sealed his lips over hers, showing her how much he wanted her. She was like a temptress, his very own, and he willingly let himself be wrapped up in her spell. She was his. Tonight, he would make her his. The thought of being with Kagome aroused his demon's need to claim its mate. Kagome moaned at his aggressiveness, wrapping her arms around his neck to meet his desire with her own. She felt it too, the need to be with him, the only one she ever loved and ever will. His hands went to the back of her dress, finding the zipper. He felt her hands go to his chest and she began to unbutton his dress shirt as he unzipped her dress, both of them needing to get the other naked. He ran his hands along her spine, up and down her torso, feeling every inch of her smooth skin as he let the dress fall to her feet. She moaned as he memorized the shape of her and found the clasp of her strapless bra, easily undoing it and tossing it to the floor.

He ran his hands down to her butt, squeezing both cheeks with his hands as she fumbled at his shirt, her blood at a fevered pitch. Kagome couldn't believe how he was making her feel. Every nerve ending in her body was on fire, sensitive to his touch, even to the cool air. Once she got the last button of his shirt free, he lifted her and made her wrap her legs around him. She moaned, turned on by his strength and need for her, the way he ate at her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck to hang on to him as he walked forward.

Inuyasha put her on the stone balustrade and she gasped, breaking the kiss. The shock of the cold stone against her skin startled her, and she looked into Inuyasha's golden eyes. She watched him get out of his dress shirt, tossing the thing to the floor, his eyes totally fixed on hers. She brought her hands down to grasp the stone, her eyes checking out his finely toned body, from his muscular arms to his shoulders and to his well-defined abs. She licked her lips, watching his hands easily pull out and undo his tie, the action so sexy that it made her heart pound. The rosary necklace he always wore graced his neck, hiding beneath his suit and tie, now lying so beautifully against his skin. He smirked at her, knowing that she was checking him out, and his eyes immediately went to her breasts, licking his own lips. And for some strange reason, she felt immediately shy. It was a bit of a shock to her. She had never been shy about her body before, especially being in a room with women at Midnite, changing out in the open, even as the bodyguards and Onigumo occasionally came in. She was never one to cover her body around men. She knew how powerful her body was when it came to men and she reveled in that power she had over them. But here, exposing herself to Inuyasha, she felt so shy and self-conscious. She was about to cover herself with her hands when Inuyasha's eyes flicked to hers in warning.

"Don't."

That simple word made her stop. The look he was giving her made her fear herself more than him. She wanted him, wildly, badly, and the look he was giving her made her feel like she was about to receive intense pleasure, which brought on a wave of excitement. His eyes went back to her breasts and he stepped between her legs, making her core clench. Inuyasha brought his head down to her right breast, bending so that he could lick over the scar he knew was there. Kagome moaned and closed her eyes at his tenderness, surprised by how loved and turned on that one action made her feel. He licked her scar several times and she ran her hands up his arms and over his shoulders, hanging on to him.

Suddenly, Inuyasha brought his head up and took her nipple into his mouth, making her gasp and let out a cry, pleasure coursing through her body. In one easy motion, he lifted her from the balustrade, making her wrap her legs around him as she held his face to her breast, and made his way into his room. He suckled on her greedily, the noises he was making turning her on even more. Each suck and pull of his mouth made her moan, the feel of his tongue intensifying her need. Pleasure radiated through her body and straight to her core. She was wet and panting, her panty wet against his stomach. Inuyasha sucked and she could've sworn she felt it in her core, as if his mouth was there sucking on her. Her stomach dropped and the pain of wanting him was almost unbearable.

"Inuyasha..." she pleaded. He held her up as he brought her over to the bed, bringing a moment of awareness to her mind. She tried to reach for her heels but she couldn't get to it with Inuyasha's mouth on her.

"Leave them on." Inuyasha released her breast and walked the last few feet to the bed, holding her against him with one hand as he pulled back the covers with the other. He climbed onto the bed until her head rested on the pillow. He let her body go as her legs unwound themselves from his hips, trying to be careful not to make a hole in his beddings with her heels.

"You're so beautiful," Inuyasha said in disbelief. He stared down at her, holding himself up, and his throat tightened. This woman was his. He had waited so long for her, two hundred and fifty years to be exact. And here she was. His mate. She was lying in his bed, her blue hair a halo around her head, a stark contrast against his light grey and dark red pillows and sheets. Her blue eyes were dark like the midnight sky, full of lust and desire for him. Her lips were parted, panting in her need, swollen from his kisses. And her legs were spread, only wearing her red panty and black heels, and bringing the smell of her sweet desire for him to his nostrils. He took a deep sniff, closing his eyes as his body reacted. He tried to control himself, to go slow because he knew she needed it. He took a moment to savor the sight of her, her beautiful breasts ready for his mouth, moving up and down with her breathing. He had never been a breast or butt man, though he appreciated them. But in that moment, he found himself loving breasts. Her breasts. The sight of her made his erection unbearably painful in his pants. "You're so beautiful, Kagome."

Kagome bit her bottom lip, frowning. She only felt beautiful because he saw her as beautiful. Lying there, exposed and self-conscious, she felt beautiful because he said so. She reached up with both hands, placing them on his cheeks with a smile. Inuyasha smiled down at her and brought his head down, kissing her tenderly. Their kiss soon turned passionate as they both were already burning up with need. Inuyasha lowered himself so that he was lying some of his weight on top of her. He immediately sensed her fear, though it was small, but he was that attuned to her.

"Feel me, Kagome." Inuyasha kissed his way down to her neck, lying on her left side to try and ease her fear, get her out of her mind and make her only feel this moment. He realized that every time he was on top of her, in a position that made her feel threatened or out of control, she got terrified. "Feel how much I love you."

Kagome nearly sobbed. Even though her desire and need for him was great, she couldn't break free of her instinctual fear of being mounted on and hurt by a man. Even if it was the love of her life mounting her, whom she trusted whole-heartedly. She was so frustrated with herself. She wanted to cry. She felt like she let him down.

"Love..." Inuyasha stopped what he was doing to look at her, sensing her emotions and listening to her racing heart. "Look at me." She immediately did. "It's just you and me. Feel how much I love you." He took her hand and placed it over his heart, letting her feel the way his heart beat for her. Kagome's eyes began to water and a small smile came over her lips.

"I love you, Inuyasha."

"More than you know..." Inuyasha finished with a smile, bringing his head down to her left breast closest to him, giving it the same treatment he gave the other. She cried out when his lips sealed over her nipple and sucked hard. Her hand over his heart caught his and intertwined together. He brought their hands down to the bed, pinning her hand there as he had his way with her body. He held himself up and hovered over her left side with his left leg between her legs. She thrashed beneath him, too turned on to feel anything else but the pleasure that he was giving her. And her arousal called to him, the need to feast on her and taste her made his mouth water as he licked at her breast coated with his saliva.

Inuyasha pulled back and kissed his way down to her belly button, licking her skin before pulling back to make his way lower. But Kagome's fear shot up again and she immediately clasped his hand tighter while her other hand pushed against his shoulder. He looked up at her and saw the fear in her eyes as clear as day.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wondering why she was so terrified.

"Don't, Yasha. Not that."

The sound of her voice made him worry and he released his hand from hers. She slowly let go of his as he rose up on all fours above her. "Why? Tell me." He wanted to know why she felt so adamant to stop him from having what was rightfully his.

Kagome frowned and averted her gaze from him in shame. "I told you... I have a lot of scars." She felt so embarrassed to tell him this as she lay beneath him with nearly nothing on, only a small piece of cotton protecting her scars from his eyes. "My ex used to hurt me down there. He would cut me and... he'd cut me on the inside too."

"How?" Inuyasha asked, his eyes darkening. The need to kill this man was strong, even if all he could think about was burying himself in her.

"His... claws."

"What kind of a demon is he?" he asked, his voice dark and deadly.

Kagome looked at him, afraid to tell him. She shook her head, seeing red streaks in his golden eyes. Inuyasha sighed, closing his eyes to get it together. He brought his head down to kiss her gently, coaxing her with his tongue. "Kagome... why won't you tell me who he is? He hurt you. He needs to be punished."

"No..." She couldn't tell him that Koga was looking for her. And if Inuyasha found Koga then it meant that Koga found her. And she wouldn't take the chance of him getting her, ever again.

Inuyasha sighed, not wanting to ruin the mood between them with a fight. Besides, he was going to show her that she belonged to him, and that he didn't take well to anyone who denied him what was his. Especially when it came to Kagome. He kissed her one last time and he moved back and down so that her hands fell onto her chest, staring at him with worry. He ran his hands down her sides and hooked his index fingers in her panty, pulling it down. She helped him as she lifted her butt up and he got the small clothing off her legs and tossed it over the side of the bed. Inuyasha moved so that he was in between her legs. She tried to hide herself from him as she brought her knees together, but he grabbed her knees and spread her legs apart.

"Don't, Kagome. Don't ever be ashamed of your body." Inuyasha grabbed her right calf and brought it to rest over his left shoulder, kissing the inside of her calf.

Kagome began to breathe hard, watching as Inuyasha kissed her calf tenderly, intimately. It was such an innocent gesture, but as he kept kissing his way up her leg, she grew deeper and deeper in love with him. Her body was on fire for him. This man who made her feel so beautiful and precious, who didn't see her past or her scars, but who simply loved her. In that moment, she felt such a deep calling to him that she couldn't explain. Every fiber in her being wanted, no, needed him. Kagome clutched at the sheets, watching his lips as they kissed and licked their way up her inner thigh, sucking and leaving little strawberries in his wake. The closer he got to her core, the faster her breathing got. She grew anxious because she knew what he would find and what he would see. She was wet for him, turned on and needing him more than anything. But he would also see her scars. She was sure she didn't look as beautiful as other women did down there, and he would see that too. She looked down, keeping her eyes on him and her body grew tense, watching as he brought his nose right to her sensitive bud, taking a long, deep breath. She felt her heart stutter, waiting for him to do something. And when his tongue did come, she was surprised by his tenderness. He licked at her clit as if he was tasting her, savoring her. She moaned, clenching at the sheets. He was slowly tasting her, kissing her bud and sucking softly, making her arch her back with a moan. And then he was eating her.

Kagome gasped and cried out as Inuyasha sucked noisily on her clit and plunged his tongue into her. She tossed her head back and forth at the pleasure of it. Her hips bucked up and he snaked his arms under her thighs to hold her hips down at the mercy of his mouth. She cried out his name, arching her back at the ferocity of his claim on her body. She was undeniably his. With every stroke and plunge of his tongue, with every moan and sucking noise he made, he was claiming her. Her body submitted to him and the fire in her grew stronger and stronger. She wanted more. She wanted his cock in her, chasing away all the evil that had been in her before him. She wanted Inuyasha to be her saving grace.

The smell of Kagome's tears reached his lust-filled senses. Inuyasha blinked several times, growling, trying to calm his demon. He had just reacted out of an instinctual need once he had tasted the sweet, rich taste of Kagome's arousal. He couldn't get enough of her and he knew for the rest of his life that he would always crave that taste of her. But now, he could smell her tears, and it broke him out of his lust.

"Kagome... what's wrong?" he asked, bringing his head up to look at her. She had her hands over her eyes and it worried him. He released his hold on her hips and lifted himself up to crawl up her body, moving her hands away from her face.

"I'm sorry... I just... got emotional..." she said with a half-hearted giggle. 'This isn't going well...' she thought. After watching so many people out on the streets when they had sex, she hadn't seen quite a scene like what was happening with Inuyasha right now. It was enough to make her cry and laugh at how comical they must look. "It's like you're chasing away all the evil in me with every stroke of your tongue. I just want you in me, Inuyasha," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Inuyasha smiled down at her, kissing her, satisfied that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. "There's nothing evil in you, my love." Kagome moaned, tasting her arousal on his lips as he kissed her. She wrapped her legs around his hips, careful not to hurt him with her heels. Inuyasha moved to the side, not breaking their kiss, as he started to unbutton his pants with one hand. She unwrapped her arms and helped him, unzipping him and hooking his pants and underwear in her thumbs as she slid it down. They both had to move around a bit but they did it without breaking their kiss. Inuyasha growled as he was set free, kicking his pants off impatiently.

He settled back over her and ran his hand down her stomach, using his fingers against her clit. Kagome moaned into his mouth and he plunged his tongue into her the same time he sank a finger into her. She gasped, her mouth wide as her eyes squinted tight. He smiled triumphantly, moving to suck on her neck as he pumped his finger into her slowly, testing out her readiness.

"You're so tight, Kagome..." he said against her neck, his body shaking at the thought of being in her. His blood roared in his ears, the need to mate strong, the smell of his mate and the sounds she was making was bringing him to a fevered pitch. Only Kagome could make him lose all sense with her smell, her taste and her moans. But he always had to be aware of every change in her, and to be sure to keep a leash on himself, not to lose all self-control. She needed him to be in control. "You're so wet." He breathed hard, sucking on her neck, wanting to make his claim all over her body so that the whole world would know that she was his. He kissed lower to her breasts, sucking at each one, taking his time, feeling her muscles clamp around his finger.

"Inuyasha... please... I need you." Kagome panted, tangling her fingers in his hair to hold him to her breast. Her legs trembled as they fell open to his mercy, gasping as he used another finger in her, stretching her out even more. "Inuyasha!" This was so different from what she was used to. He was worshipping her body, not abusing it. 'Inuyasha...' She bit her lip, her chest tightening at the emotions that he was making her feel, on top of the orgasm he was bringing her to. "Baby... you're making me come..." she moaned, arching her back into his mouth, feeling every pull of his mouth at her breast. Her core clenched hard, shutting her eyes at the dizziness sweeping through her.

Inuyasha grazed her breast with his teeth, feeling her get wetter with each stroke of his fingers. He pulled out of her and she immediately pulled at his hair, whimpering when she had been so close. He smiled as he looked up at her, seeing her look at him with a dazed, confused look. "I want to be in you when you come. I want to feel your tight cunt around my cock."

Kagome flushed, getting turned on even more at how brazen he spoke to her. She grabbed at his arm, trying to pull him up to her. "Then come in me," she said, desperately needing the release.

Inuyasha chuckled, smiling at her need of him. He brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked off all her juice from his fingers, seeing her watch him with hooded eyes. He licked his lips and brought his mouth to hers, stopping just inches from her mouth. She closed the distance, she deepened the kiss, and she tasted herself in his mouth. He growled, testing her desire for him. "Come." He lifted her head off the pillow and moved all the pillows back against the headboard so that he could sit with his back against the pillows. He grabbed his cock, slowly stroking himself, waiting for her to come to him.

Kagome turned over slowly, her body too wound up on the brink of an orgasm to function correctly. She turned on her side and looked up at Inuyasha, sitting cross-legged with his back against the pillows, stroking himself. Her eyes stared at his cock with his hand fisted around it, stroking up and down. He was big. Bigger than her father and a little bigger than Koga, from what she remembered. The flared head was pink, and as his fist stroked up, a small liquid pearl appeared at the top of his penis. She licked her lips, her body suddenly moving of its own accord as she went to her hands and knees to close the distance between them. Inuyasha knew what she was going to do, her whole attention was focused on his cock, and he didn't stop her.

Kagome licked her lips as she brought her head down over him. His hand went to the base of his cock as her tongue went to lick at the pearl. Inuyasha made a noise between a growl and a moan, encouraging her. "I've never done this before," she whispered, but taking cues from the way he reacted. Inuyasha didn't have a chance to say anything as she took him into her mouth.

"Ah!" Inuyasha's head fell back as pleasure shot through him, down to his toes. Her mouth was so tight, the sucking noises she was making vibrated all the way down to his balls. He moaned her name, bringing his other hand up into her hair. He swept her hair over to one side and bunched it away from her face so that he could see her go down on him. "Kagome... you make me feel so good..."

She felt warmth at his words. She was doing it right. She wanted to please him the same way he pleased her. And she wanted to taste him. He tasted salty and rich, a taste that was uniquely Inuyasha. She moaned when his hand fisted tighter in her hair, urging her to go a little faster. His other hand moved up to wrap tightly around hers.

"Squeeze," he insisted. She complied and squeezed his cock tighter. Inuyasha moaned and his head rolled back in pure ecstasy. "Ah... yes, Kagome. Just like that, love. You suck me so good." Her mouth was driving him insane. The longer her head bobbed, the louder his moans got, and the noisier her sucking grew as he could smell her desire building.

"Stop." Inuyasha pulled at her hair so that she reared back and he watched his cock slip out of her mouth. Her lips were parted and the way she looked, on her knees, wiping her mouth, with her breasts pink and swollen, took him to a place he's never been. "Come here."

Kagome obliged, excited by how deep his voice was. She crawled up and over him, settling onto his lap. She felt butterflies in her stomach, knowing what was to come and that she had been waiting for this. She had fantasized of him, dreamed of him taking her, and she had even masturbated to the thought of him. Now, she was finally able to have him. Inuyasha. He was hers.

"Why this way?" she asked softly, her nerves overruling her lust. "I've never done this before," she confessed, watching as Inuyasha held himself in front of her, making small strokes with his hand. Her eyes went to his and all she saw was love.

"Because you can't stand me over you. It reminds you of your past. And right now, I want you and I to make our own memories," he said, bringing both of his hands up to her face, kissing her softly. He felt her tears against his cheeks and he pulled back, seeing her sad smile. "We'll make our own memories, my love. Starting tonight."

Kagome nodded, smiling in happiness and wiping the tears from her face. She loved him so much. She moved forward so that her chest was up against his and he reached between them to grab himself, placing the head of his cock at her entrance. She gasped at the feel of him stretching her out as she settled down onto him. His hands went to her waist, spanning out and flexing, holding onto her.

"Go slow."

The sound of Inuyasha's voice made her feel a wave of pleasure. He sounded strained, as if it took a great effort to speak, his voice throaty and deep. The feel of his hands on her and the way he pushed into her, of him stretching her so slowly, was an overload on her senses. Kagome wrapped her hands around his neck, holding onto him as she slowly let her body accommodate the size of him, lowering down inch by slow inch. She moaned, the feel of him entering her so exquisite. It was a burning pleasure and pain, nothing that she had felt before. She gasped, her body stretched unbearably.

Inuyasha grasped her waist and pushed her back up a few inches, holding her there. He then pumped his hips up into her, making Kagome gasp and moan, the feel of him shooting through her like fire. He was slowly stretching her, waiting for her body to take all of him as he didn't push himself all the way into her, but just shallowly penetrating her. Her temperature grew to a fevered pitch as her body shook from the pleasure. She moaned and grabbed at his wrists, pulling at them so that he released her waist, giving her full control. She slid all the way down his cock and both of them moaned at the intense feeling of being taken. She opened her eyes and stared at him, feeling her heart squeeze in her chest. This position was so different from what she was used to. It was so... raw. Her chest was pressed against his, moving at the timing of their own breath coming out in pants. His face was so close to hers that she watched the way his eyes shut, his beautiful face etched in between pain and pleasure, a perfect male specimen. This one intimate moment would forever be etched in her mind, driving out all the past experiences she's ever had. This beautiful man was truly her saving grace.

"I love you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's eyes opened and his beautiful golden eyes stared at her, marking his claim on her as he caught his breath at her intense tightness. Kagome moved, needing to feel him. She thrusted her tongue into his mouth as she moved up and down on him, her body trembling at the feel of him in her. He felt so good. She squeezed her eyes at the sheer pleasure, moaning into his mouth. Her body couldn't help itself but to want to take him harder, faster. She was in total control.

Inuyasha grasped her waist hard, making her gasp as she reared back from the kiss. "Slow." His golden eyes were hard on her, making her stop. She felt totally his, and she wanted to submit to everything he said. In that moment, he owned her. Her body. Her heart. Her soul. She would do anything for him. Even give up her control for him.

Kagome moved slowly, excruciatingly slow, biting her bottom lip as her thighs trembled with every rise and fall on his cock. Her body broke out in a sweat, trying to control her speed to please him while also taking every wave of pleasure she felt that blew her mind. He felt so good, sending shooting waves of pleasure through her core every time he penetrated her. She watched him, the position so intimate. His hands splayed on both butt cheeks, helping her to rise and fall on him, squeezing and massaging her butt. The feeling was so erotic. His eyes were on her, watching her every move. Kagome gasped and moaned, throwing her head back as he hit her sweet spot. She moved her hands behind her onto his thighs, holding on as she leaned back and rode him. But every time she tried to speed up, his hands went to her waist and slowed her down.

"Inuyasha..." she whimpered, her release coming soon.

Inuyasha couldn't take his eyes off her. He wouldn't miss a single second of this. The position was so raw that he didn't need anymore proof that Kagome was his true mate. His heart ached, squeezing unbearably as she rode him, as her eyes locked with his and pleasure rippled through him. He could see it in her eyes too, see the recognition, that she felt the same way he did in that moment. She owned him. His body. His heart. His soul. And as she clenched around him tighter, throwing her head back and moaning, he couldn't take his eyes off the rise and fall of her chest. He looked down at where their bodies met and watched as she took all of him down to the base, their silver and black hairs meeting together until she rose off his cock again, and again, and again. He felt her body tremble and her hands squeezed his thighs behind her as she whimpered his name.

"I'm going to make you come, Kagome." He brought his hand down to her mound and rubbed his thumb over her clit. Kagome gasped, struggling to sit back up so that she could wrap her arms around his neck. Her eyes were glued on his, their faces nearly touching, lost to the sensations he was giving her. "Feel every inch of me in you. Know how much I love you."

"Come with me," Kagome whispered, panting. She felt her body break out in a sweat, still trying to stay in control of her speed. For him. She wanted to please him and she wanted to know that she was going to make him come. That she was the one who gave him the same pleasure he gave her.

"No. I'm going to watch you." Inuyasha kept playing with her clit, seeing her eyes glaze over and she let out a long moan, louder this time. He felt her now, felt the way her channel tightened up around him, the way her body shook.

"Inu... yasha... please... come with me..." she panted, trying to hold her orgasm back. Inuyasha smiled and leaned forward to kiss her neck, licking a drop of sweat off.

"This is for you, Kagome. I want you to remember who it is that's inside of you."

"I know... I know... it's you. Please... please..." Kagome squinted, her body getting tighter and tighter, trembling. She clutched at his shoulders, digging her nails into him as she began to ride him mindlessly, realizing that he let her set a faster pace.

Inuyasha suddenly turned them to his side, keeping his cock deep inside of her with his hand behind her lower back while he held himself up with his other hand. Kagome gasped as her world suddenly spun around, now staring up at him. He looked so beautiful with his silver hair falling around his face. His face, so etched with lust and desire that he looked beautifully cruel.

"Inuyasha..." She hooked her finger around his rosary and pulled him down to her, capturing his lips in a deep kiss. "Make me come," she whispered on his lips, and kissed him again.

Inuyasha growled, his demon rearing its head up at his mate's need. He grasped her waist with one hand and plunged his cock into her over and over, the sound of their moans and the sound of their bodies slapping together the only thing they could hear over their heavy breathing. They kissed each other greedily, moaning the other's name, lost in the feeling their bodies were giving one another. Kagome ran her hands down Inuyasha's back, feeling every muscle in his back as he thrusted his hips into her, reveling at how beautiful his body was. She stared up at him, grateful to be so in love with him. And he stared down at her, grateful to have found her, unwilling to let her go. Their bodies sang together with the sounds of their skin on skin.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome gasped, running her hands down to his butt, digging her nails into him, wanting him deeper. "Baby..."

"I know. I can feel you." She was coming, her body tightening around him, and he was right there with her. The sounds she was making and the way her hands caressed and scratched at his skin was a special kind of torture that fueled his own release. He held himself up with his forearm and ran his other hand down her thigh, hooking beneath it to wrap her leg around his hips. She brought her other leg up and around him too, bringing her hands up to his back to dig her nails in. Her moans grew louder, longer, and when he leaned a little to the side so that he could reach under her right butt cheek to angle her hips up, he hit her spot and she gasp, screaming out his name.

"Inuyasha... come with me," Kagome panted, squeezing her eyes shut. She couldn't hold it in any longer. He was so good. He knew exactly what her body needed, with every stroke of his cock and every angle he put them in, he knew what she needed. She clutched at him, digging her nails into his back as pleasure coursed through her and she felt like the room was spinning for a split second. "Inuyasha..."

Inuyasha growled, squeezing Kagome's butt in his hand while his hips relentlessly plunged into her. He picked up the pace, chasing after his own orgasm as he felt her walls tighten around him and her nails dug into his back. The sound of his name off her lips snapped something in him. His demon growled, clawing its way to the surface, and he let it happen. He reveled in this feeling that he had never felt before. He could feel himself transforming, but he felt in total control of himself. His mind was clear, filled with lust and pleasure, his entire focus on Kagome. He wasn't in a bloodlust haze as normally would come with his transformation. He was in total control, and he gave himself over to his demon. He knew what it wanted, what it needed. And he wanted it just as badly. To mate. To mark Kagome and claim her. But she didn't know what it meant to be a mate, and he wouldn't claim her without her knowing what she was sealing her fate to. He could only satisfy a part of his need.

"Inuyasha?"

He heard the question in her voice and he looked down at her in wonder, slowing his tempo. Her hands came to his face, her thumbs stroking over his cheeks as her eyes stared at them. "Your markings..."

Kagome looked up and saw Inuyasha changing above her. His purple lightning mark on each cheek slowly appeared, going from transparent to a dark purple right in front of her eyes. His eyes, those golden orbs, suddenly turned red from the center of his pupils, the red branching out like thick spider webs until his eyes were a blend of golden-red. He looked savagely beautiful with his golden-red eyes and purple lightning marks displaying his demon blood. She could feel the tips of his claws dig into her butt and she could see his fangs in his parted lips. She ran a thumb over his lip and then over the length of one of his fangs. He growled and her heart raced.

"I won't hurt you, Kagome," he said, his voice a little deeper, making her turned on even more. She remembered this voice. It had turned her on before and it was turning her on even more now. Kagome bit her bottom lip and shook her head, staring at him.

"I'm not afraid of you." She smiled reassuringly at him, wrapping her hands back over his back, grasping at him as the sight of him turned her on more than she thought. To know that she had made him change like that, to know that she had that power over him, gave her so much pleasure and satisfaction.

Inuyasha brought his head down to her right breast, licking around her nipple for a few strokes, feeling her breast bounce against his mouth with each thrust into her body. She moaned his name as she arched her back into his mouth. He took her nipple into his mouth and sucked once. That was it. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut as she cried out, her body tightening around him as she was swept away in a tidal wave, unable to hold back the intense orgasm. Kagome cried out his name, her orgasm bursting through her, making her toes curl and she saw stars behind her eyelids. Inuyasha growled, more animalistic, pumping into her tight sheath, letting her take him with her. He pierced his tongue with a fang, tasting blood, and then pierced her breast, hearing her gasp. Kagome's hands came around to clutch at his head as the pain and pleasure blended together, one orgasm rolling into another as she lost all sense.

"Inuyasha!"

He growled deeper and felt his balls tighten, the wave starting from his toes and washing over into his balls. He sucked where he had pierced over her breast and the moment he tasted her blood, he came hard. He squeezed her butt and angled her the way he wanted her, making her grip and milk every inch of him. He groaned and moaned, lifting his head as he emptied his seed into her, thrusting his hips hard into her as he looked down at her face. She was high on her orgasms, her eyes sealed shut as her hands gripped his shoulders. The taste of their blood in his mouth made him shudder as he kept coming. She took every drip from him.

"Kagome..." he breathed out once he could catch his breath, falling on top of her. He released her butt and wrapped his arm around her, holding her close against him. They were both shaking, their orgasms being more explosive than they had ever imagined. They both were catching their breath and bringing sense back into their mind. Inuyasha had never had anything like that before, not even with Kiyomi.

Kagome was the first to move, running her fingers into his hair to find his ears. She smiled down at the top of his head, watching his ears twitch once. She gently ran her thumb and index finger along the edge of one of his ears, hearing his soft growl, feeling it vibrate against her chest. She giggled. "You're so cute."

Inuyasha pushed himself up onto his forearms and she noticed that all of his demon markings were gone. His fangs were gone and his eyes were back to their golden hues. She smiled, placing her hands on his cheeks. Inuyasha smiled down at her as he gave her a kiss, lingering on her mouth for a long time. His body was slowly reacting to her again, his cock semi-hard inside of her just by kissing her.

"Mmmm... you're making me hard again," he said, looking at her with desire in his eyes. Kagome giggled, her hands going to his waist as she moved her legs, remembering she still had her heels on.

"You can't possibly do that again."

Inuyasha arched his eyebrow at her, smirking. "Wanna see?"

The twinkle in his eyes made her laugh, trusting that he probably could if he was that sure of himself. "No, thank you. I think I might be a little bruised after that."

Inuyasha's ears twitched, all sense of fun and laughter leaving him. "Why didn't you say so?!" She blinked at him, sensing his anger. Inuyasha looked at her breast to see a trail of blood going down the side. He moved to lap at the blood, licking it up and then spending time to lick the puncture in her skin. "My saliva has healing properties. You won't have a scar."

"Really?" she asked, amazed as she watched him lap above her nipple. All she remembered was Inuyasha at her breast and there was a moment where she felt like a piercing of pleasure-pain rip through her right breast and then straight down to her core, leading into another orgasm, or maybe it was just one really long one. "What did you do?"

Inuyasha smiled, choosing his words carefully. "I mated with you, but not fully."

"Mated? Isn't that sex?"

Inuyasha chuckled. "It can mean sex. But mating is something deeper than just sex and intimacy," he tried to explain, pushing up. He slowly pulled out of her and she moaned, her hands clutching at his waist. He looked down to see that he was still semi-hard and coated in both of their cum. He took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of their sex. He went to his hands and knees as she slowly rested her legs down on the bed.

"What is mating?" she asked, watching him between her legs. She still felt a little shy with him seeing her down there, but she wasn't ashamed any more.

Inuyasha grabbed her right ankle and sat back on his heels as he unbuckled her heel. "Every demon species has their own way of mating. For inuyoukai, our species mate for life. We have a mating ritual that binds both souls together, completing the one soul. One of the steps in the ritual is the blood bond." He took off her heel and dropped it over the side of the bed, going to her left ankle to do the same. "The blood bond is when we mix our bloods together and drink it." He looked up to see her facial expression. Most humans would be appalled at drinking blood. But Kagome didn't have any strong reactions to that information. She simply looked at him curiously.

"So... you drank my blood?" she brought both her knees up and made a face, feeling a lot of cum leaking out of her.

He nodded as he tossed her heel to the ground. "Does it sound gross?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, it's not that." She made another face as her womb clenched and she felt another gush come out. "It's just... I'm leaking."

Inuyasha looked down and saw his cum come out of her pussy, filling him with a sense of pride and satisfaction. "And?"

Kagome glared at him. "I don't want to ruin the sheets," she said, moving to roll over so she could run to the bathroom. Inuyasha placed a hand on her hip, stopping her.

"I don't care if you ruin my sheets."

"It's not that, Inuyasha. I just don't like the feeling. It feels... weird, like I'm having my period. And... I don't like lying in cum since that's what my ex used to make me do."

Inuyasha looked at her, struggling to contain his emotions. Hearing what her ex did to her always made him want to kill the man. He went to get off the bed and reached for his boxer-briefs bundled up in his pants. He came back to her on the bed and spread her legs, wiping up the cum that pooled onto the bed beneath her. Kagome blushed, never thinking that he was going to clean her like this. But he gently wiped her up, even between her butt cheeks, and inspected her. He placed his fingers on the lips of her pussy, pressing on either side of her entrance. Kagome frowned, placing her hands on her chest, wondering if he was looking at her scars.

"Does this hurt?" he asked, pressing with some pressure to test if he had hurt her. He didn't see a bruise, yet.

Kagome shook her head. "No. It's more... inside."

He brought his head down to her entrance, making her flush, and took a few sniffs. "You're bleeding," he said, moving back on his heels, his face turning to fear and horror.

Kagome frowned, moving to lean up onto her elbows and forearms. "Inuyasha... it's normal. I'm bleeding because I haven't had sex in years. It's normal for a woman to feel a little pain and bleed a bit after not having sex for a while."

"How do you know?" he asked, furious at himself. "How do you know I didn't do that to you?"

"Well... you did..." she said with a smile, though he didn't take the joke. She sighed, smiling to comfort him. "Inuyasha... I'm fine. It really is a normal thing. My friends tell me about it. A woman can bleed after not having sex for a long time. It's okay. I'll be fine."

"But you said I hurt you."

Kagome sighed, wishing he wouldn't ruin the mood between them. "Inuyasha... you didn't hurt me. Not like that. I thoroughly enjoyed the way you did hurt me."

Inuyasha glared at her. "This isn't funny, Kagome."

"Would you stop? You're ruining my perfectly good, orgasmic high..." she complained, falling back with a huff. "I'm fine. I might be a little sore tomorrow, maybe I won't be able to walk, but that's normal and I don't mind it at all." When he was about to say something else she started. "Will you please drop it and come hold me, my infuriating hanyou?"

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment, making her wonder when he would move. Then, he sighed and smiled at her, shaking his head. "I don't ever want to hurt you, Kagome." He crawled up next to her and fixed the pillows back into their places, moving to lie next to her on the pillows. He opened his arms to her and she willingly went into them, resting her head against his chest as her arm and leg draped over him. Her soft body pressed up against him as his arm came to rest over hers and his other hand rubbed back and forth along her thigh.

Kagome moaned, her body feeling heavy and content in his arms. "I know." She smiled against him, kissing his pec. "I love you, Inuyasha, more than you know."

Inuyasha smiled, bringing his nose to bury into her hair. "I love you too, my love." He kissed the top of her head, feeling content and full of joy as he held his mate against his chest, enveloping her in the deep love he felt for her.


Sorry, not sorry for this long chapter :) I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. I'm so glad the two finally got "together". LMK what you thought. So much is going to happen. I can't wait.