2 weeks later...
Kagome generally had no problem being in the forest. The fresh air was pleasant on the long afternoons she'd spent hunting for plants among the trees. But waiting for Inuyasha back at home- that made her uneasy. Since their fight with the spider demons two weeks ago, where she'd collapsed from exhaustion after taking the barrier down, Inuyasha had insisted she take things easy. She'd woken in the comfort of their cave, snuggled under the blankets. He'd yelled at her quite a bit, but Kagome knew it was more from fear than anger. They figured she'd exhausted herself using so much power for so long. She'd been taking it easy since then, double checking the supplies and making a list of things they would need. Since then, he'd been a leech stuck to her side if she so much looked outside the clearing that was their home. He'd taken her foraging again, but refused to leave her alone until she swore she wouldn't so much as step foot outside of the clearing without him. Inuyasha had warned her that the forest was big, and there were a lot of demons. Many of which wouldn't hesitate to pick off a human woman wandering alone. Inuyasha had a fairly nice size territory he'd claimed for himself, but it still wasn't completely safe for Kagome to wander alone.
Thus, the ex priestess was alone in their little sanctuary while her demon was out hunting for something to trade at one of the local villages.
She'd kept herself busy working on the kimono she'd found. It was much too big, but with some work it could be resized as a good backup, she thought. That was how Inuyasha found her several hours later, hunched under a tree working diligently. He dropped the two large deer he'd hunted and waited to see how long it took her to notice him.
Far too long, he decided minutes later when his woman finally looked up from her kimono and noticed him standing there.
"Oh good, you're back!" She dropped the kimono in the grass and came to greet him, admiring the catch he'd brought back.
"All that for some vegetables?" She remarked, looking disappointed.
And she was disappointed in a way. But not with Inuyasha, never with him. He'd been far kinder and better to her than her own people. No, she was disappointed in humans. That Inuyasha was forced to work harder, fight more for so little in return. Seeing him standing in front of her, looking nervous as he waited for her to judge his catch, Kagome made herself a vow. No one would ever talk down to him again, not while she was there. She kneeled down to inspect the catch, a genuine, warm smile spreading across her face when she saw how careful he'd been in his hunting- the catch was clean, very clean.
"This is perfect Inuyasha." she praised warmly, "the villagers couldn't ask for better meat if it dropped down in front of them. I'm almost jealous of them."
"I can get more." He replied instantly, ever the provider. It baffled Kagome how anyone could shun him. He was so eager to please, so kind and thoughtful even when she had nothing to offer him in return. Myoga's words about food as gifts of courting passed through her mind, making her wonder if his hunting instincts were really him trying to impress her.
"That sounds lovely. But maybe in a couple days, m'kay? We don't need it right now." She beamed at him, and he offered her a clawed hand almost cautiously to help her stand. She took it without hesitation, letting him haul her to her feet.
"How far is this village?" She asked, watching him haul the enormous catch over his shoulder like it was nothing. "Walking? Couple of hours. Running? An hour or two." he said in a nonchalant way, waiting for her as she ran to put the kimono away and fetch her bag to bring back their trade.
"That isn't so bad." she remarked when she was back at his side, increasing her pace slightly to keep up with his broad strides as he walked. His ears kept twitching back and forth, catching Kagome's attention. She loved those cute ears and had been dying to touch them, but was certain he wouldn't let her anywhere near them. So for a long time Kagome simply studied him in silence. She'd noticed he was handsome of course, with a strong jaw and a straight nose. His body was thin but strong, that much was certain. His shoulders were broad, hands rough and of course tipped with those sharp claws. Kagome had never really seen those claws up close, but she knew they held great power in how he used them. She couldn't forget his hair either, long and silver and silky like a spider's web. And of course, those eyes. Kagome was certain she had never seen such beautiful eyes before. They were a golden mix of color unlike anything the ex priestess had ever seen.
She couldn't help but wonder what kind of demon he was, considering his strange coloring and good looks. She knew he was part demon, but was the other part human? Myoga had mentioned his father, was he the demon? If so, where were his parents? How long had he been alone? Kagome pondered all this in silence, wishing she had the courage to bring it up to him.
"Oi, you ok wench?" Kagome jumped slightly at the sound of Inuyasha's voice, so busy she was with her internal thoughts. She blushed brightly, which only caused one of Inuyasha's eyebrows to rise in curiosity.
"I was just… wondering, Inuyasha." She took a deep breath. "What kind of demon are you? I mean, I know you're half and all but half what?" He went rigid at her words, his features flashing with fear before his face became a smooth mask of indifference.
"I know it's none of my business." Kagome blurted out quickly. "I was just wondering. I don't know a lot about half demons or most demons in general. Most of the demons I saw were a lot like animals, and their auras…" she shook her head, "their auras were foul, like poison. But yours…" she abruptly stopped walking, turning to study him. He stopped too, still rigid but slightly mesmerized by the way her blue eyes studied him.
"Your aura is different from the others I've seen." She breathed, "It's warm and comfortable, like a fire almost."
"Yours is like that too." he blurted out after a few beats of silence. "Warm, I mean." she smiled at him and continued walking, slightly embarrassed with herself for blabbing so much.
"My old man was a dog demon." Inuyasha randomly spoke several moments later after they'd continued walking in a comfortable silence. Kagome looked at him in shock, after her pouncing on him for information like she had, she'd never expected him to open up.
"Mother… She was human."
"So… you're half dog demon, half human?" he nodded tensely, looking like he still half expected her to bolt into the trees. Idiot, didn't he remember their bond?
"Well, that explains the unfair sense of smell." she teased very gently, testing the waters a little. His cheeks reddened slightly, and he whipped his head away so she wouldn't see, Kami above, he was actually blushing!
"Does this mean you can turn into a dog?" she pushed a little further, seeing his blush as a good sign. He shot her an annoyed look.
"No, why would I do that?" Kagome shrugged, acting as casual as she could when she was doing everything possible not to burst out laughing. She pretended to gasp dramatically, grabbing him on the arm and making him tense slightly. "You don't have a tail do you?" He managed to disguise the laugh as a snort, but not quickly enough for Kagome to miss it. The ex priestess burst into laughter as Inuyasha's expression changed into an annoyed one.
"You… should have seen… your face!" She managed to gasp out between laughs, clutching her stomach. Inuyasha pretended to look annoyed, his face still in a firm expression, but his eyes were light and Kagome knew he wasn't mad in the slightest.
"Did you actually want vegetables or you just gonna stand there and laugh like a crazy person all day?" Kagome swiped the few tears from laughing away and patted his bicep gently before continuing to walk, still snickering to herself as she went.
"Women." The half demon rolled his eyes and continued after his companion.
-0-
The closer they got to the village, the tenser Inuyasha became. By the time they stepped out of the trees and onto the road, he was practically vibrating with nerves. Kagome focused on keeping herself calm, hoping it would help him do the same. But as they approached the village, some of the women near the well looked startled and began to panic.
"Demon! A demon! Quick, someone help!" The yelling caused a commotion, and very quickly Inuyasha and Kagome found themselves surrounded by men carrying a variety of weapons, from spears to farming tools.
"No! Wait!" Kagome tried to calm the situation, but without the priestess robes that signaled her status, her protests fell on deaf ears. Inuyasha abandoned the meat he had been carrying and wrapped an arm around Kagome's waist, pulling her to his side with a growl low in his throat. He flashed his canines and flexed the claws of his free hand, giving the men a good eye for what they were up against if they attacked.
"The demon has captured a maiden! Quick, we must free her!" At the words of one of the villagers, Inuyasha's growl deepened into a full on snarl, sounding so animalistic even Kagome would have been afraid if she knew he wasn't defending her.
"Wait please! He hasn't captured me!" Again, her protests fell on deaf ears as one of the men foolishly stepped forward with a hand outstretched, as if to reach for Kagome in a misguided attempt to 'save' her. Inuyasha snarled again, flexing his claws in a warning.
"Back off! She's mine!" His voice sounded deeper, and was it Kagome's imagination or were his eyes turning red?
"Where's the lady priestess?"
"She left to help another village!"
"Should we call a priest?"
"He's going to slay us all!"
The voices debating what to do and how to get Kagome away from him were causing Inuyasha's instincts to go haywire. His entire being was screaming at him to protect her, that she was in danger here. If the humans took her from him, there would be blood.
Kagome could feel how tense and rigid Inuyasha was. She was no demon and only human, but she could feel how quickly he'd tensed and see how negatively he'd reacted to the villagers trying to take her from him. Myoga's words about his protective instincts were coming true right before her eyes. Her mind began to scramble for what to do, how to solve this without bloodshed…
The choice was made for her when a man approached, carrying a ring of beads Kagome recognized as prayer beads. The man carried a very, very faint spiritual power, but the beads he carried glowed so brightly with power Kagome almost felt the need to shield her eyes. The man began to chant a prayer, and Kagome began to panic despite the measly power the man held. If she had to guess, he was nothing more than an aid who'd decided to take matters into his own hand. The man raised a piece of paper with writing on it, an Ofuda, and threw it at Inuyasha, who was still holding her and snarling terribly.
"No!" Kagome screamed, reaching a hand out as if she could stop it. To her surprise, the necklace around Inuyasha's neck, the one she had placed there, began to glow, erecting a pink barrier around the two of them. The ofuda sizzled and disintegrated when it hit the barrier, shocking not just the villagers, but the couple it protected.
"What… What sorcery is this?" The aid cried out, dropping the beads in his shock. Inuyasha had had enough and dropped his arm from her waist to lunge, but Kagome stopped him, wrapping her arms around his bicep and sending a prayer to the kami that she could sort this out.
"Stop please! Leave him alone! He isn't a vile demon!"
"The demon has bewitched her!" Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes. She tightened her grip on Inuyasha's arm, standing firmly at his side to show her allegiance.
"We belong to each other." she said firmly, aware his golden eyes had turned to stare at her in amazement. "There is nothing you can do to remove me from his side." The villagers stared at them in alarm, before one of them leaned forward to spit on the ground at her feet.
"Vile wench! Taking up with a demon! Whore!" They all spit on the ground at the couple's feet, faces twisted with contempt. Kagome let her spiritual power flow through her, careful not to harm Inuyasha as her very skin began to glow.
"You should pray the kami show mercy for the hatred you have shown today." With her skin glowing, she looked terrifying. Kagome raised her arms to Inuyasha, and he happily complied, scooping her up quickly in his arms and taking off, bounding away back into the forest away from the hatred that had been shown to them.
It was there, in the privacy of the forest and in the comfort of Inuyasha's arms that the tears began to fall.
-0-
Inuyasha didn't hesitate to set Kagome down on a log, using a clawed hand to wipe at her cheeks.
"Come on Kagome, don't cry. I hate crying."
"But… They said the most awful things about us! They called you a vile demon!" She sobbed in between words as she spoke, wiping her eyes in an attempt to make the tears stop.
"They called you a demon's whore Kagome." He gently ran a clawed hand through her hair, enjoying the feel of the silky strands between his fingers.
"I meant what I said." she replied boldly, staring firmly at him. "There is nothing they can do that would convince me to leave you now. Not even calling me something so horrible. They don't know anything!" He chuckled at her conviction.
"It doesn't bother me anymore Kagome, I'm used to it. Being with me though… you'll hear that and a lot worse."
The ex priestess stuck out her chin stubbornly. "I don't care. I'm not going anywhere Inuyasha, not without you." He didn't hesitate to pull her into his arms at those words, feeling them like a balm over his soul. She pressed her cheek against his shoulder as he hugged her to him, pressing his nose in her hair and inhaling her natural scent. Very naturally floral and fragrant, he liked it.
"So um, please tell me that wasn't the usual village you go to."
This time, he wasn't quick enough to disguise his snort of laughter.
"No," he finally replied, "but I thought it might be better for you there. They don't have a priestess who might recognize you. I thought we could get in and out before the traveling priestess arrived."
"You must mean the priestess Yuki. She was priestess Kaede's apprentice and chose to be a traveling priestess instead of settling at Sunrise village." Kagome pulled back to look at Inuyasha's face.
"Either way, she hates demons and I wasn't keen to see how she'd react to you." He shrugged. "Obviously those humans didn't give a damn." Kagome didn't answer, choosing to tuck her head back against his chest.
"What do we do now?" She whispered after a moment of silence. The sun was beginning to go down, and it was getting chilly. Their initial plan was shot, fallen to pieces the moment they'd arrived.
"We can stay out here tonight. Maybe check out another village tomorrow if you're up for it." He kept one arm around Kagome and stood, sniffing the air with his ears perked and listening intently. Kagome was rather cozy snuggled against him. His heartbeat was firm and strong under her ear, his body warm against hers. He smelled like a mix of something musky and masculine and the woods. She shivered as a gust of air brushed over her neck, and his arm tightened around her unconsciously.
"You cold?" She nodded in response, one of her hands clutching the front of his haori, the other wrapped around his back.
"Stay close." He replied, his voice unintentionally low and husky. "I'll keep you warm."
"Mkay." She mumbled, her eyelids beginning to close of their own accord as a feeling of right washed over her.
"Cmon' Kagome." He nudged her gently after a moment, pulling away slightly. Kagome took a step and stumbled, hearing Inuyasha chuckle at her clumsiness. Before she could retort, she was scooped up by two arms, and found herself cuddled against her partner's chest. She tucked her arms in close and settled sleepily against him, her nose tucked against the fabric. She could feel the heavy steps he took as he walked them through the forest, leaping lightly over rocks and logs and stepping around branches on the forest floor.
"Hold on." Was the only warning she got before she suddenly felt his muscles bunch and he leaped, connecting with something solid that Kagome guessed was a tree branch. She opened her eyes to find that she was right. It was mostly dark now, but she could easily make out Inuyasha's silver hair and his glowing yellow eyes. Of course they glowed in the dark.
She felt him settle his back against the trunk of the tree, placing her in his lap and wrapping his arms around her form to keep her warm. He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply and pulling her just a little closer.
There, cuddled in his lap with his arms around her, Kagome had never felt more safe, more warm, or more loved.
"Goodnight," she whispered against his chest before falling into the deepest and best sleep of her life.
