Disclaimer: I do not own 'Inuyasha' or any of its characters.
A/N: This chapter is about their honeymoon so there's gonna be some adult content. The unabridged version is available on AO3.
Lots of love and fluff too!
Chapter Thirty-Two: The Honeymoon
They arrived in Kyoto very late and when they reached the Ryokan they didn't have the time to admire the structure, at least Kagome. Inuyasha still had better eyesight than most humans at night and he could clearly see how this establishment resembled the ones they could found in his era, only more developed and furnished; not even noble men could build something like this but in the future world, they even had structures for travellers.
Kagome had then explained to him that this kind of building would be born in a couple of centuries circa and even then, it was far from this result, obviously. However, Inuyasha appreciated Rin and Sesshomaru's choice; he felt more at ease there than in any of the buildings he had seen in the modern era. It was obvious they had had him in mind when they had booked the place.
When they reached their room, he was again surprised by the size; it was like three times the one where they slept at home. Sniffing the air, he noticed that one of the doors led to a private onsen; he told Kagome and she promptly forgot the suitcases, the bags, everything else she had in her hands and flew away with supersonic speed. 'Wasn't she tired?' Inuyasha wondered rhetorically.
He approached her in time to see Kagome letting her jeans fall and her naked firm bottom stand proud in front of him; her blue-black hair reached her waist, the ends caressed teasingly her buttocks. He wanted to move them aside, to enjoy the sight completely, cherish her form and grip them fiercely. She looked over her shoulder and saw him staring hungrily at her behind and swayed purposely her hips, pushing her ass up a little more on purpose; she stayed like that for another couple of seconds and then jumped in the water.
She had been standing there and, then, she was gone. A splash was heard, drops of water went flying everywhere and he could see her jumping in the onsen, squealing happily and encouraging him to reach her there, teasing him and winking.
[...]
When they both recovered, Inuyasha fell against her and kissed her between the shoulder blades. "Are you okay, koi? Was I too rough?" he asked, concerned at her lack of movement.
"Mmm... so nice," she replied, still motionless.
Inuyasha chuckled. "Yes, but now let's get you cleaned up, okay?" He quickly took her in his arms; she snuggled against him and waited while he settled her on a wooden bench next to the edge of the onsen. "I'll go get a towel and we'll clean up before we go to bed, okay?"
"Mmm," she replied again. When Inuyasha returned to her, Kagome had still to return to the world of the living.
The morning after Kagome organized for them a tight schedule that included as much as they could visit in two days; she wanted to show Inuyasha as much as possible. Kyoto was still the capital in his era and was considered one of the most flourished and organized cities according to their standards, even if it was still suffering from the Onin war if her calculations were correct.
However her mate had probably seen the city more than once and it would have been nice for him to see how much it had developed throughout the centuries, pointing out sites that were still there and safeguarded. Kagome had explained to him that Kyoto had been the Japanese capital until the end of the 19th century, after that it had been moved to Tokyo, whose name in the past was still Edo. Kyoto, unlike other cities in modern Japan, had been spared during the humans' last big war and that's why they could still found a lot of historical sites like the ones she had pointed out to him on their map and during their tour.
Inuyasha hadn't much experience being a tourist and, to tell the truth, he had yet to clearly grasp the concept. He didn't understand how people could find time and resources to travel around the country just for fun. In the end, he had shrugged and told himself that it was one of the many things of the modern era that he couldn't completely understand. He decided to enjoy their little trip as much as he could and please Kagome, who instead seemed much more excited. It was fun to watch her squealing about those little things they encounter or putting so much effort into trying to explain to him what they were visiting with such patience and in a way that ensured his understanding.
It took them more time to visit the Nijo Castle, which was still to be built in the past, and symbolized wealth and power. Inuyasha had declared that whoever had built the palace clearly had wanted to show off and that probably while they were living in ease and abundance they were also starving their subjects. Not that such a thing wasn't already popular among the shogun since Japan still worked that way where he came from; he had seen the difference between the two sides of the coinage, having lived with his mother in one of those wealthy mansions and then saw the kind of life men led on in a poor village.
The first afternoon they reserved some time to take part in the Hanami, a typical Japanese tradition during spring that consisted of admiring the sakura trees blossom and enjoying the beauty of their flowers. One of the most visited parks in the whole of Japan during such time was the Maruyama Park in Kyoto. People arrived very early to make sure of having a perfect spot for the celebration; they came armed with blankets, food, tea and all around them stalls were arranged to sell typical dishes. Kagome made sure Inuyasha tasted both Dango and Sakura mochi, but he didn't like the last one so much. The parties usually went on until night because people liked to admire the flowers under the night lights, other parties started only at that time and in those cases, the name of the celebration changed from Hanami to Yozakura.
All around them, Inuyasha observed gatherings of families and friends enjoying themselves, singing, eating and drinking a lot of sake. He didn't like crowds, that much was true, but he realized that he liked the concept at the base of this feast and told Kagome that. "We could organize something like this in the village next time Sakura trees blossom there. There won't be so many as here, but we could still have a picnic between just us, Miroku, Sango, the baba and Rin; I'm sure they'd like it. Besides, you women like this stuff a lot; you freak out as soon as you see pretty pink things. You could cook this Dango too," he explained.
She laughed and praised him. "It would be really nice, Inuyasha. You had a wonderful idea." She showed him her appreciation with a kiss.
"I'm sure Muteki and the twins would love to jump on piles of flowers like the ones that surround us right now too," he added.
"Better that than puddles of mud for sure. It would save us the trouble of having to clean irreparably stained clothes or remove mud from the most absurd places," she commented. "You should have more ideas like this, koi."
His cheeks reddened and Kagome thought that even though he had come a long way and public displays of affection no longer embarrassed him, at the same time he still blushed when she praised him for something in particular. Even though he loved to say he was a strong and tough demon, deep down he would always preserve his soft side; Kagome loved that. As always his response was a soft-spoken "keh" that made Kagome laugh more and earned him another kiss.
That night they made love again, more tenderly and at a slower pace. Inuyasha basking in the warmth her embrace offered him, the way her arms encircled him while she was lost in pleasure and she gripped his shoulders fearing he would let her go. The half-demon kept bathing his mate in kisses and love bites to assure her he wasn't going anywhere. He was hers for eternity.
Every time he thrust into her it was like coming home again; every time he swore he would never let anything happen to them.
After that, when Kagome was snuggled next to him and already fast asleep, he reminded her how much he was grateful for her presence in his life. He stayed awake for some time, enjoying the sight of his woman safe and happy in his arms.
On the second and last day, since the following morning they were scheduled to leave, they took their time to try as many typical dishes as they could, much to Inuyasha's delight. In fact, Kagome told him, Kyoto was also worldwide famous for its cuisine rich in variety and particularly elegant. The half-demon had remarked that it didn't matter if his food was fancy or shit like this, as long as it was good and he appreciated everything she made him try; it could have been said that the morning was for the most part dedicated to a long culinary tour. They also visited the most ancient restaurant in the city, Honke Owariya, founded in 1465, which was famous for its soba and, before the tour ended, Kagome made sure to stop at one of the many tea houses Kyoto offered.
While they were calmly strolling through the several food stalls in Nishiki Market, they were stopped by a seemingly older couple, but they later discovered the two were a pair of still very young fox demons. Apparently, the kitsune had felt the clear strong aura both Inuyasha and Kagome emanated and were curious about why Inuyasha didn't conceal himself with a charm.
The hanyou had grunted annoyed at the nosy tricksters, but when Kagome explained to them that they come from a little secluded village where concealment still works the old way they quieted and accepted their explanation. Inuyasha and Kagome discovered the foxes were quite funny and amiable when they were invited to share other food with them – the half-demon had initially accepted just for that; Kagome shared with them some stories about the pranks Shippo used to play on strangers fooled by his cute little face. The pair told them other pranks they could suggest to him but when they finally separated Inuyasha told Kagome that there was no way he was sharing that piece of knowledge with the runt; he would likely test everything on him as usual. Kagome had laughed wholeheartedly but then had agreed, she didn't want to risk either.
Shortly after midday, they tried to visit many karesansui, a particular type of garden that was very popular in Kyoto and offered the ideal place to meditate, and some famous Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. That part didn't interest Inuyasha much but he had to admit that some of them were quite spectacular and offered the peace that couldn't be found in modern and loud cities.
"This is something I could never get used to," Inuyasha commented.
"What?" Kagome asked, momentarily distracted.
"This," he explained, waving his hands towards the tall buildings that surrounded them, the people gathered and referring to their loud voices. "There's no peace, people are always fretting about something, running from someplace to another, they never seem to stop even if their lives are much easier than before in many aspects. It's nothing like living in the village and they taint everything good nature offered them."
"You're right. People have forgotten everything we hadn't before this," she agreed. "We are too used to comforts and fast goodies, to the point we prefer to sacrifice what nature has gifted us with; things we found in your era are taken for granted here. It's how we are raised, how the progress raised us," she tried to explain.
"Keh, if it's like that then I much prefer to work for what I need and then enjoy the fruit of my labour," he scoffed.
"I know, koi," she took his hand and intertwined their fingers, leading him towards a more secluded area. "I love this part of you and I realized some time ago that I also prefer the way people live in your era, even if sometimes it's difficult."
Inuyasha thought once again how, once the well would definitely close, they'd have to give up on all the comforts they usually brought from this side and for Kagome would be completely different from the way she had lived until now. Sure, she had got accustomed to the way of the village, but she still relied on small comforts here and there; he could see it comparing her ways with Sango's. Thinking about other things she would be deprived of because she had chosen to stay with him made him feel a little bit guilter.
"Will you be alright?" Inuyasha asked her concerned. She looked at him straight in the eyes and smile sincerely. "I'll be fine as long as I'll be with you. I know it can seem I'm making a sacrifice for you, but believe me, it'd be worse if I had to choose between living with you and this era. It doesn't matter to me if I won't have a washing machine or shower stalls; step by step I'll learn to live your way because I love you."
He crushed her in his arms and hold onto her tightly as if she was his lifeline, and in more than one way she was. "I'll do whatever I can to assure you have the kind of life you desire," he murmured in her hairs; she encircled his waist and hugged him back. "You already do, koi, you've always done it."
That evening they gave their final goodbye to the city by taking a walk through the most famous streets that at night showed themselves in a much different way. Besides, Kagome remarked, much like Tokyo, at night the city came to life and people could admire so many things that were instead hidden during the day. They even gave their goodbye to the private onsen in their chambers when they came back, trying to dirty the water as much as they could.
Inuyasha reasoned – just before he pounced on her and left her no way of escape – that they should take advantage of their free time. After all, when they were at home they always have to be quiet for Muteki's sake and he really missed her cries of pleasure. Kagome wholeheartedly complied and that night they barely slept, not caring who could hear them while they were lost in the throes of pleasure.
The following day they prepared themselves and left the Royakan for the train station, not really ready to come back home, where everyone was waiting for them. Rin had called them before they left and told them they would pick them up at Tokyo central station along with her family and Muteki.
Nonetheless, Kagome couldn't wait to see her son again; she still couldn't stand to be away from him for so much time. It had been hard to be a teenage mother and she still had her breakdowns when he threw one of his temper tantrums or when she thought she wasn't a good mother. Luckily, every time it happened, Inuyasha was there to assure her she was perfect and Muteki smiled at her warmly and told her he loved her.
As soon as they got off the train they intercepted their family, all gathered there to welcome them home. Muteki jumped in their arms, hugging both of them tightly, declaring that being without them had been torture and that Gramps had forced him to look at some ancient artefacts in the best way a toddler could recount something like that.
"We'll have to tell Grampa that he better stop, Muteki. He did that when Uncle Sota and I were little like you too; he will never learn," she replied to her son.
"Once an old geezer, always an old geezer," Inuyasha commented, earning a nudge in the ribs because of his choice of words. Kagome was trying to stop him from speaking like that in front of Muteki now that he had started picking up everything they said; she would like to avoid her son speaking that rude way, but it was really difficult most of the time. This kind of behaviour was very difficult for Inuyasha to lose.
"How was your honeymoon, dear?" Kaori asked her daughter.
"Great, Mom! Did you know there was also a private onsen in our room at the Ryokan? We tried to see as many things as possible and I organized a culinary tour for Inuyasha, too," she told all of them.
"The best thing of this honeymoon thing," Inuyasha commented but when Shippo raised his brow sceptically, he thought about it again; the fox demon remembered well how it was to live under the same roof with them. "Well, the second-best thing... yeah," he added a little bit flushed.
"The first day we also went to Maruyama Park for the Hanami, it was beautiful," Kagome went on recounting their trip to Kyoto, "and we stay until late at night."
"Well, I'm so happy you got to enjoy at least a couple of days away from the stress of village life," Rin clapped her hands and smiled giddily as her usual self.
"Yeah, I'm freshly recharged, I'm ready for everything," Kagome exclaimed.
"Even the finals?" her brother interjected.
All of her apparent enthusiasm suddenly deflated like a balloon and her shoulders slumped. "Did you have to ruin all the fun and remind me of that now, Sota?" she asked him.
He shrugged; she had so little time left for the big day anyway, whether he reminded her or not. "Did you bring me something, sis?" he inquired then.
"I did, but since you're no fun at all, I'm not giving you anything until we reach the shrine," she replied sticking out her tongue, heading towards the car with Muteki snuggled in her arms.
"But Kagome!" Sota cried, hastily following her.
Behind them, the others watching the scene unfold amused. "It's still difficult to think she is herself a mother sometimes when she acts like that," Kaori commented.
"And she says I'm the immature one," Inuyasha scoffed.
"That's because you are, Inuyasha," Shippo replied.
He thumped him in the head. "Shut up, runt!"
Everyone else shook their heads; they sure would miss that.