2011
"Oh, honey, your old school friends called over to see if you were coming to visit soon. It has been nearly a year since you came back. Perhaps it's time to see them." Hitomi tells her daughter over Skype while she makes dinner and Kagome works through a set of katas for her tantos.
"Yeah, maybe." Kagome pants lightly, having been at it for hours now, only pausing to answer the Skype call from her mother and returning to it. "Did they say anything about coming to the shrine again?"
"I may have implied that you would be coming back in the next couple of months, and they asked that I let them know when. I hope that was alright."
Stopping, Kagome let's her arms hang limp at her sides, sighing heavily. "Yeah, that's fine. It gives me a timeframe to do it, so I can't keep putting it off forever. I'd have Sess and Kouga nagging at me anyways, so this is definitely better. I'll check the general time tables for when the universities are off and plan around that to try and guarantee that I can see them all at once."
"I should probably also tell you... they had Hojo with them."
"Ugh! Why? Why would anyone want a wet noodle like him?" Kagome lets herself fall to the floor, groaning and whining.
"Well, he's a very nice boy, and very smart."
"And dull as a bag of spoons, Mom."
"Well, that may be, and obviously, even if you weren't mated, he would be a bad match for you, but plenty of others will think him quite a catch." Hitomi replies lightly, silently laughing at her daughter.
"Yeah, boring people. I blame you for my inability to see him as a catch. My life would've been a lot simpler."
"And how is this my fault?"
"You married Daddy."
Hitomi is quiet for a moment. "I suppose that is fair. He was hardly a 'wet noodle'."
"No, he was exciting, well, as exciting as you can get as a human without magic and youkai." Kagome giggles.
"Indeed, a volunteer firefighter and EMT, it is rather exciting, without being too dangerous, all things considered."
"Yep. Well, I guess I better go let Sess and Kouga know about my deadline, I'll want them both there. Maybe InuYasha, too, since they met him once upon a time." The miko sighs loudly, sitting up.
"Very well, dear. Oh, and please bring Airi and Koto with you when you come."
"Sure thing, Mama."
"You sure I gotta be here?" Kouga asks her again, holding Koto on his hip as they stand in the backyard.
"Yes, because I need you." Kagome snaps harshly, before sighing loudly. "Sorry, I'm stressed."
"S'fine. I get it. From what you've told me, they're pretty clueless, even without accounting for all this."
"Yeah." she says simply, wanting this day over with.
"Hey, Kags, do I have-" InuYasha starts.
"Yes, everyone here has to be here, except the kids. I'm not saying it again." She scowls, before hanging her head back and breathing hard. "I'm sorry, I'm not mad at you guys, I'm just frustrated, cuz I know the days gunna be fu- udging long." Kagome catches herself remembering her kids are in the vacinity.
"S'alright, Kags." Kouga reiterates, InuYasha nodding next to him. Sesshoumaru steps up to her and tucks her under his chin, rubbing small circles on her back.
"It will be fine, koi. We are all here for you, as is your family. Do not stress, enjoy the day with your friends." He murmurs, his chin resting on the top of her head as her arms snake around his waist and she presses her cheek against his chest.
"Kagome?" a voice calls from the corner of the house.
"Well, here goes." she mutters against his shirt, pulling back slowly to turn, plastering a smile on her face and greets her high school friends. "Hey, guys! It's been so long!"
"Yeah, it has... who... InuYasha?!" Ayume exclaims.
"Hey, girls. Been a while." he answers with a small wave from his seat on a bench, wearing a black T-shirt and dark jeans, with black boots, a charm hiding his ears but maintaining his silver hair, still long and currently tied up in a high tail, as well as his golden eyes.
"What the hell are you doing here, and who the hell are these guys?" Yuka snaps out, making Koto whimper against Kouga and press his face to the wolfs blue T-shirt, then turn and look at Kagome, with a soft cry of "Mama."
Kagome slips from her mates hold to collect her upset son and soothe him.
"Kagome? What's going on?" Eri hesitates, seeing the three males now looking very irate after Yuka's outburst, and the kid now upset.
"What has Mama told you so far?" Kagome queries, fighting to keep her voice calm as she walks back to her mate.
"Um, that you went to stay in the country for a while and have been there for a year and half, you know, for your health." Eri replies, now confused at all the snorts coming from the males.
"Yep, that's the gist of it. InuYasha is here because he's a friend, and my husband's brother. Kouga's here because he's my best friend."
"Yo." Kouga mock salutes.
"Who's the little guy?" Ayume takes a step closer, seeing the golden eyes that match the man next to her old friend. "Is he his son?" pointing to Sesshoumaru.
"He is. His name is Koto." Kagome tells them, hating having to lie, but knowing it's inevitable in order to keep their secrets. "He's Sess' son, but he's mine now, too."
"Oh. And... Sess... is your husband?" Eri guesses.
"He is. We have a daughter as well, however she's asleep at the moment. She's only a couple months old." Koto grips tightly to Kagome's shirt, hiding his face in her hair, and grabbing a lock of his fathers to bring to his nose.
"He's cute." Ayume says with a smile. "I'd love to see your daughter when she wakes up. I guess congratulations are in order, both on your marriage and your daughter."
"Thanks, Ayume." Kagome finally smiles a real smile, though it still looks a little tired.
Koto looks up at his parents, then over at the new girls, then his uncles, then back to the house. He lifts a hand and points to the house. "Granny." He says.
"Sure, Koto. Go see Grandma." Kagome kisses his forehead before setting him down and watching him run to the house, only slightly faster than he should be.
"Wow, he's fast." Eri comments.
"His dad used to do cross country and marathons." Kagome fibs, shooting a look at Kouga when he snorts loudly again.
"I don't understand. What happened to Hojo?" Yuka demands.
"What about Hojo?" Kagome states flatly.
"You were dating him!"
"Was I?"
"Well... yes! You went out with him. He's been pursuing you for years, giving you gifts and doing things for you! You owe him, and now you're cheating on him?!"
"First off, Yuka, I was never dating Hojo. Ever. You pushed him on me, repeatedly, ignoring me every single time I tried to say no. I went to the movies with him once, and there were six other people with us, you three included. Second. Gifts require nothing in return. Acts of service done with the intent of payment in the form of sex and romance are not the foundation to a healthy relationship. Doing something kind for someone and expecting payment makes you an asshole, not romantic, certainly not sweet. Whether he feels he deserves it, I don't know, but the fact that you do tells me a lot about the kind of person you are, more than the rest of your behaviour. So, now that we've established that I was not and am not dating Hojo, and owe him nothing, you were saying?"
"You... but... well who the hell is this guy then?"
"He's my husband."
"So you said, but who is he really. You've known him, for what, a year? Two? You're a little young to be marrying a guy who already has a kid who looks likes he's seven. How old were you when he was born, 16? 17?" turning a scathing look to the inu lord, who is forcing down his own rage at the impudent girl.
"Yuka, that's enough." Kagome snaps, voice cold, making her friends gape. Ayume and Eri begin to edge away from Yuka, wary of the males who look very unhappy now.
"Why? Don't like the truth?" Yuka smirks, thinking she's touched a nerve.
"You want the truth? You're a snotty little bitch. I put up with you because I'd known you since we were six. But, you're a shitty person. You're bossy, you're judgmental, you're a fucking bully. You've been here for a total of ten minutes and not only have you called me a whore, you've insulted my friends, insulted my husband, our son and implied that he's a bad parent. Honestly, you know fuck all about me, and you haven't for years, and I will not stand here and listen to a pissy little girl yap at me like she knows better than I do about my life and what's good for me. Got it?" Kagome's eyes are blazing and she's fighting down her reiki, not wanting to expose her packs secret or hurt her former friends, even as angry as she is. She's stepped up to stand nose to nose with Yuka, who is now shaking, eyes wide, having never seen Kagome angry, or heard Kagome curse, let alone use such a vitriolic tone.
"Kags..." A hand grips her shoulder and gives her a small tug. Closing her eyes and clenching her fists, she steps back against Kouga. When she opens her eyes again, she glares at the shaking Yuka, then flicks her eyes at the other two.
"And you? Do you agree with her?" Kagome clips out to Ayume and Eri.
"No. We always thought she was too pushy with Hojo, but you never put your foot down, and were sick so often, we just let her be. It was easier than arguing with her. You know how she is- obviously." Ayume says, stepping towards Kagome. "I only care about three things."
"And what's that?"
"Are you happy. Are you healthy. Are you safe. If you say yes to all three, then I'm happy for you." She smiles warmly.
"What she said. We haven't been super close the last few years, but the only things that matter are those three. Everything else will work itself out, and if our lives diverge from here, that's okay. I've got pleasant memories, and hope you do as well." Eri chimes in.
"What?! First she cheats on Hojo with this lowlife two timer, and then she marries his brother and has a kid at 19?"
"Leave. Now. You are no longer welcome here." Sesshoumaru snaps, his patience gone.
"Who the fuck are you to tell me-" a ringing slap echoes the yard as her head snaps to the side, her eyes wide.
"Get the fuck off my property." Kagome seethes, her hand still raised from slapping Yuka, her eyes blazing, and her body shaking, both from her anger and from the effort it's taking to keep her reiki in check. "Get the fuck out and do not come back. Ever. You are no longer welcome here. If you try, I will have you arrested for trespassing. Now, leave." Kagome hisses out, then turns away, gripping Kouga's arm hard, her reiki slipping a bit at her fingers, making him suck in a breath.
"Kags, ow." he whispers, prying her fingers off, and passing her to Sesshoumaru, who wraps her arms around his waist before looping his own around hers.
"Yuka." comes a voice from the house, a voice that is now unchracteristically very cold. The girl turns and finds Kagome's mother trembling. "You were asked to leave. Do so. And heed what Kagome has said. We have cameras on our property." InuYasha, having stood from the bench to stand behind Kagome, moves to stand next to Hitomi, draping an arm over her shoulders.
"You're all pathetic losers." Yuka spits, making Ayame and Eri gasp. Of all the horrid things she had said that day, that was the worst. That wasn't out of some misguided attempt to protect a friend, that was said purely to be cruel.
"Leave, Yuka." Ayame snaps, moving to stand next to Kagome.
"Go. You're toxic 'friendship' isn't wanted anymore." Eri adds, standing next to Kouga. Yuka looks at them all, aghast, glaring, before spinning on a heel and storming off.
"Oh, Kagome, we're so sorry. We knew she was difficult but... we didn't think she would that bad." Eri almost whimpers.
Kagome inhales deeply, letting the scent of her mate, his solidness and the feel of the bond ground and calm her. "It's okay." She turns in Sesshoumaru's arms to face her remaining friends. "Well, it's not okay, but it's not your fault. And yes. I am happy, healthy and safe. Do you guys want to come in for tea? When my daughter wakes up, you can meet her." She offers a small smile, utterly exhausted now. I just want a nap. Or a good fuck. Or both.
"Later, I will be happy to accommodate both, koi."
Good, I need it.
Sesshoumaru smirks and squeezes her gently, leading her to the house, the others trailing behind.
2012
"Kags… can I talk to you?"
"Sure, Yash. What's up?" Kagome turns to see the hanyou rubbing the back of his neck, brows furrowed as he stares hard at the ground.
"I... fuck... I think my youkai side chose someone. But... they're human..." he grunts out, fists clenching at his sides as his eyes squeeze shut.
"Ah. That... would be difficult." Kagome says slowly, nodding her understanding.
"Sesshoumaru says hanyous are able to mate the same way as full youkai and it would extend their lifespans." he blurts out, cheeks colouring slightly.
"Okay, so the problem is just telling them, without them freaking out and thinking you're crazy, or that they've gone crazy."
"Yeah… there's more…" he mumbles.
"What more?" she hedges, not sure if she's going to like his answer.
"Um... it's someone you know…"
She stares at him for a few minutes, her mind furiously going through all the humans she knows who she's interacted with in the past few years.
"It's Ayume." he says quickly before sucking in a breath and crossing his arms tightly.
"Oh… oh..." She stares dumbly, her mind refusing to work.
"Um. Sesshoumaru said it might be possible to erase her memory if she reacts badly."
"Oh." she breathes out the sound quietly, mind now whirling. "Um. I've never tried it. In theory, yes, in practice, possibly. You're sure?"
"I talked to both Sesshoumaru and Kouga and compared notes as to how it feels, and we all think that's what this is. It... it feels like how it did with Kikyo." he whispers, ears pinning flat in his hair.
"Um. Well. Before we decide to go spilling the beans, we should figure out if she's even interested. Cuz if she's not, there's no point."
"Right, 'course. I... I was going to ask her on a date. If she says yes, I wanna try to court her for a while, see where it goes, and if it seems serious, then I'll tell her."
"That sounds like a good plan, Yash. I hope, for your sake, she is interested, and that this all works out."
"Thanks, Kags. That... it means a lot. And thanks for talking with me about it."
"Anytime, Yash. Now, go ask your girl out." Kagome giggles.
"Kagome! You'll never guess what happened!" Ayume squeals when she sees the miko.
"What? Everything okay?" Kagome asks, startled.
"It's better than okay! InuYasha asked me out! On a date."
"Really? That's great! Right? That is good?" Kagome's brows pinch slightly as she looks at her friend.
"Uh, yeah, it's amazing! The only thing I was worried about was the whole two timing thing, but since you explained what happened, it's a non issue. He's hot, he's funny, little bit of a bad boy." Ayume waggles her brows before her face settles into a soft and warm smile. "He's kind. Even though he hides it." she murmurs.
"He's all that and more." Kagome giggles at her bubbly friend drooling over the hanyou.
"Gods, I can't wait! You gotta help me pick out an outfit!" The girl bounces in her chair.
"Where's he taking you?" Kagome queries, leaning back in her seat.
"He said formal wear for a fancy restaurant."
"Ah, I think I know where you're going, and yes, very formal wear. If you need, you can borrow something of mine, I've got way too many fancy dresses."
"Oh? Anything in particular you're thinking of lending?"
"Um… I've got a couple Valentino's, or a McQueen comes to mind. Honestly, Sess gives me so many, I don't even know half of what's in my closet now."
Ayume's jaw is hanging open. "Valentino?" she squeaks. "Uh, yeah, I'm raiding your closet. Tomorrow. The dates in three days, and I have off tomorrow to pick out the dress."
"Sounds good, I'll text you the address. I'll be home all day, so whenever you want to come over works."
"Kagome, I think I love him. We've been dating for six months now, and… I don't know, there's this weird magnetism, and I just... Kami... I feel like I shouldn't feel like this, like this is codependency territory." Ayume flops back on Kagome's couch.
"Explain it to me then, I'll let you know if it's bad." Kagome encourages, knowing it's almost time to share the secret with her friend.
"It's. When I'm near him, I'm... better? I can think clearly, I feel better, like a huge weight's been lifted from my shoulders. When I'm away from him, I feel ansty and itchy almost, my mind gets all scattered. Is that crazy?"
"No, I don't think so. It's how I was with Sess." Kagome smiles. Yes, it is definitely time to tell her.
Sess, you're with Yash, right?
"Yes, why?"
Ask him if he's okay with me telling Ayume.
"He says it is okay, he is worried she will refuse to believe it, and I do not think he will be able to handle it."
Agreed.
"Hey, Ayume. Random question. What do you think about youkai and magic?" Kagome poses nonchalantly, looking at her friend over the lip of her tea cup. Ayume looks at her suddenly, almost startled, piquing the miko's curiosity.
"Um. They're myths. Why? What's that got to do with anything?" Her eyes narrow slightly.
"And if they're not?" Ayume freezes, her eyes widening, before she very slowly sits up on the couch.
"There is no such thing as youkai or magic." she says slowly, evenly. Definitely hiding something. Her bond flickers with curiosity.
"And if I did this?" Kagome lets her hand glow, and watches her friend flinch briefly, before her eyes turn scared.
"Miko..." she whispers, staring at Kagome's hand and then pinning her eyes to Kagome's before she's suddenly behind the couch.
"Ayume, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."
"You're a miko..."
"I am. I'm the Shikon Miko. And my mate is a daiyoukai. The Western Lord."
"What?! No. No, those guys are myths, they don't exist. It's not the feudal era, there are no lords, and the jewel is a bedtime story!"
"Ayume, please, calm down. I promise you, no harm will come to you, from me or my pack. You are safe in my home." Kagome holds up her hands palms out, extinguishing the glow.
Slowly, Ayume relaxes slightly and comes around the couch to sit on the very edge of the seat, ready to bolt again. "Who are you?"
"I'm still me, Ayume. But I am the Shikon Miko. It's a very long story, and I will tell it another time. For now, the important question is what are you, and how much do you know of youkai?"
Ayume stares at her for a long time, before sighing and looking around. "I'm quarter youkai, my grandmother was a neko."
Kagome suddenly erupts, guffawing loudly, clutching her stomach. "I'm sorry! I'm not... laughing... at you… just... the situation…"
"And what situation is that…"
"Inu… Yasha... it's in… his name..."
Ayume pales before closing her eyes and leaning back into the couch. "He's youkai isn't he. An inu."
Kagome starts to collect herself, gasping lungfuls of air, nodding vigorously. "He's an inu hanyou . His brother, my mate, really is the sort of former Western Lord."
"Oh good Kami."
"Kami is right. Jeez. Only they could have orchestrated all of this. This is fantastic. Oh and he was so worried about telling you our secret, that you'd think we or you or both were crazy."
"Well, I'm not entirely convinced you're not crazy, but not about youkai." Ayume giggles.
The front door opens and the brothers step through, one smirking, one very wary. Jumping up, Kagome launches herself at her mate, who catches her easily and kisses her. "Hey, babe." she greets.
"Hello. Going well?"
"Mhm. You'll never guess..."
"You're a hanyou?" Ayume blurts, and InuYasha freezes, staring at the girl he loves, before nodding slowly. Then Ayume smiles brightly.
"It's so rare to meet others." She giggles, clasping her hands behind her back, grinning, with her head tilted.
"O-others?"
"Other youkai, or fraction youkai. I'm quarter neko." A sudden deep baritone laugh erupts near the door, accompanied by tinkling giggles.
"What…" InuYasha turns slightly before focusing on Ayume again. "Wait, so you know about youkai already?!"
"Mhm. Though, Kagome scared the crap out of me with her reiki. And her story about her being the Shikon Miko." Ayume rolls her eyes lightly, smirking before seeing the serious look on the hanyous face, her smile falling and she pales a bit. "She is joking right?" He shakes his head. "And that man... western... oh kami…" Ayume falls back against the couch. "My best friend is the most powerful being on the planet, and her mate is the second most powerful being on the planet." she whispers, eyes wide as she presses a hand to her forehead.
"We are equal in power. She is not more powerful than I." Sesshoumaru scoffs, immediately having collected himself from his uncharacteristic laughing fit.
"Hey! I might be." Kagome smirks. "I can't believe he fell for a cat." she giggles.
"Oi! Shuddap you two. And go away, we gotta talk."
"This is my house, but sure. We got things to do anyways."
"Keep it down, or use a barrier please. I don't want to have to shatter my eardrums to deafen myself again."
"Oh, we were not that loud."
"Yes, you were." her mate interjects.
"Well, you could've put up a barrier, too, and it's your fault I forgot. First time in 400 years, too..." Kagome shakes her head as she heads up the stairs to her room, her mate trailing behind her.
"Fuckin' rabbits..." InuYasha mutters before he turns back to Ayame. "So. Neko."
"Mhm. Inu."
"Yeah. Um. Well, first thing, I wanna court you, proper, youkai proper." he blurts.
"Well, I'm not sure what the difference is, but I'm open to learning. Yes, I'd like that."
"Kami, I can't believe she's a neko."
"I thought it did not matter if she was, is that not what you told the wolf?" Sesshoumaru teases.
"It doesn't, but it's still funny. Freaking out cuz we thought she was human, and she's part neko. It's cosmic, I swear."
"It does seem extremely unlikely that your friend would be part youkai. How old were you when you met?"
"Uh… a year before the well.. and I always thought she looked a little older than us... damn... whoda thought." Kagome flops back onto her bed, staring at the ceiling as she feels her mate crawl up her body on the bed until his face fills her vision.
"Barrier, koi." he murmurs as he dips his head to nip down her throat and collarbone, his hands sliding up her sides, gathering her shirt before he pulls back to pull it off of her. Her reiki flares around the edges of the room lightly.
"Kimonos are still easier to get into, but modern lingerie... it is worth the few extra steps to disrobing." Sesshoumaru confides to her huskily, before he bites the tops of her breasts, making her gasp.
"Sess, wait..." Kagome breathes, sitting up. He pulls back to look at her for a moment before smirking. He begins to remove his clothes as she finishes with her own before she shoves him down on the bed on his back. She straddles his legs, dragging her nails down the inu's chest and stomach before leaning forward and trailing her tongue up the shaft of his aching member, earning a low moan.
Her hand moves to stroke him gently, thumb swirling over his head at each pass before she takes him in her mouth, and swallowing him down in one go, making him arch and gasp in surprise, his hands flying to her head. Making her throat swallow and hum around him, his moans become more strained very quickly.
"Don't stop, Kagome, Kami don't stop." He all but growls out before a snarl rips through the air and his hips slam upwards as he climaxes. She sucks softly, making sure to swallow every drop, then letting him slip free and crawling up his body, leaving bites and licks the entire way. He reaches up and cups her head when she is above him, kissing her soundly. His hands slide down her sides, before she's suddenly on her back looking up at him, barely having time to blink before he thrusts himself into her.
A fast, steady pace is set as they nip, kiss, lick, scratch and moan their way towards a mutual climax. When his thrusts become jagged and her walls tighten almost painfully, they reach for the other and bite into their marks simultaneously, spiralling in their shared explosions.
They lay panting for several minutes before Sesshoumaru rolls to his side and tugs Kagome to press her back flat against his chest and begins to rumble, his eyes closed as he rubs small circles against her skin.
"How do you think they're doing?" she queries quietly,
"Unless he is a bigger idiot than we though, I imagine well enough."
"Oh, I should give her a ring. I gave one to Yash, but I'm not entirely sure that it's as foolproof for males as it is females. And the last thing I want for them is an unplanned pregnancy forcing choices on them."
"Hn, it is a good idea. You will have to speak to her soon about who you are at any rate, as she is still skeptical."
"Mm, yeah. For now, though, I'm going to sleep. Aishiteru, Sess."
"As I, you, koi."
"Kagome! I won! I can't believe it!" Souta yells as he sprints towards his sister and her mate, holding his golden trophy.
"Hey, squirt! Congrats!" She grunts when he slams into her, falling back into Sesshoumaru's chest, who steadies them both.
"Very well done, Souta. You have progressed admirably." the inu offers with a nod and a small smile.
"Hell yeah I have! Now, you guys promised you'd let me watch you guys spar if I won, so when's that happening?" Souta steps back, smiling widely as he looks back and forth between the pair.
Kagome turns to look at her mate before smirking and turning back. "We've got the dojo closed next week-we've got contractor coming to repair some things. May as well do the spar before hand so anything that's destroyed can get done then."
"You're serious?" Souta's mouth falls open in excitement for a moment before closing, his brow furrowing. "Wait, what do you mean destroyed?" earning a bright giggle from his sister, and a wicked look from Sesshoumaru.
"Don't worry, you'll be safe. And, the building won't collapse, but the floor will probably take a beating. Last time we had to rip it all up and replace it completely." Kagome flaps a hand dismissively. "It's fine, really. So, Saturday morning?" She turns to her mate, "We should probably tell the pack… Kouga will kill us if we don't invite him. Though, we could probably only tell him and let him do the inviting for us. Yeah, I'm calling him now." Kagome pulls out her phone and walks off to the side, leaving Sesshoumaru to shake his head lightly and Souta to gape.
"She's not serious, is she? You're not really gunna cause that much damage, right?" Souta looks at the inu, paling slightly when he sees the smirk. "Kami…"
"Everyone, shut up! And, sit down. I'm trapping you in a barrier before we start, just in case." Kagome calls out, waiting for everyone to get comfortable on the set of small bleachers in the back of the dojo main floor.
"You guys have seen them do this before?" Souta turns to the group sitting around him, his mother casting a wary glance around her as well.
"Oh yeah, loads of times. It's been a few years though since they've done a big blow out brawl, though." Kouga says with a wolfish grin.
"Only ones here who haven't seen Mom and Dad spar is you guys and Ayume." Daichi chimes in, stealing a bowl of popcorn from Rin.
"K, last call for bathroom breaks! Once the barrier goes up, you're stuck til we're done. Daichi, you're in charge of keeping track of the time, don't let us go too long." Kagome announces. "Everyone good then? Okay, here goes." She steps back and a shimmering pink barrier goes up around the group, as another envelopes the room, preventing anyone from accidentally coming into the dojo while they're sparring.
"Right!" Kagome smiles widely, padding backwards towards the middle of the room, rolling her shoulders lightly. "Weapons or just us?" she asks her mate.
"I am not opposed to using katanas or your throwing blades, though it may provide a better show for your family with just our innate abilities." Sesshoumaru replies easily, removing his shirt, socks, shoes and handing them through the barrier to Sayua. Kagome, already having stripped down to a pair of black shorts and a dark blue workout tank top, ties her hair up into a high tail. Sesshoumaru, now only clad in a pair of loose gray sweatpants, follows suit while he waits for his mate to decide.
"Hey, Kags, if you wanna give us a show, no weapons." Kouga tosses out.
"Yeah, you're right. Alright then, lemme know when you're ready, babe." Kagome bounces lightly on her feet before planting them and letting her body relax, tilting her head a bit. Sesshoumaru looks at her, settling into his own stance several feet away from her, turned a bit away from her, before nodding once.
Kagome vanishes, causing several whoops and cheers from her pack and gasps from the humans and quarter neko. Almost too fast for anyone to see, a crack is heard as Kagome sends Sesshoumaru flying towards a wall, with her now standing where he was just a split second ago, her eyes glowing, her smile having become predatory. Sesshoumaru twists himself in midair to land on his feet, before lunging back, pivoting a few feet from the miko and swinging his legs up, aiming for her shoulders. A rolling duck dodges his feet, but a quick rotation on his part sends his fist into her ribs, rocketing her into the nearby wall.
With a sharp grunt, Kagome shakes her head before crouching and jumping up, flipping herself end over end, and reaching out a hand as she hits the zenith of her arc above her mate, pooling reiki in her hand and cuffing his shoulder roughly, knocking him down to the floor. She lands on her feet, twirling to face him as he lands hard on his hands, rolling forward to kick his feet out at her, barely missing as she darts back.
"Holy shit! This is insane! Amazing, but insane!" Souta breathes, barely able to keep up with sparring pair, his head snapping back and forth between the two.
Sesshoumaru and Kagome stand in the middle of the room facing each other again, before Sesshoumaru's whip lashes out, smashing against a barrier as Kagome giggles and vanishes again. A thick pink fog rises up from the floor, followed almost immediately by a golden mist. Crackles of power skitter across the whirls of the auras as Sesshoumaru closes his eyes, arms loose at his side, before his right hand shoots out to the side, grabbing something that reveals itself to be an ankle before he swings Kagome out towards a wall. A muttered 'fuck' and a quick twist finds Kagome landing feet first against the wall, then launching back towards her mate, aiming low. Flipping at the last second, her hand lands on the floor before she shoves off of it and into the air, rotating tightly for a moment, then snapping out a knee that collides with Sesshoumaru's sternum, sending him sliding back several feet.
Catching himself in a crouch, hand out in front of him to steady himself, he throws his weight forward and springs off the hand, twisting mid flip and slamming the flat of his foot into Kagome's stomach. Flicking out her whip, she catches his ankle, using the momentum of her newly airborne status to swing herself around and land on his back, causing him to stumble to a crouch. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she throws her weight back and flips him over with her, kicking him at the last second to shove him towards a wall.
"Did she just… she just use a wrestling move on him!" Souta exclaims.
"Ain't the first time she's done it. And, he always falls for it." InuYasha snorts.
Kagome stands straight again, giggling as she rolls her shoulders back, watching her mate climb to his feet from his hole in the wall. "Might need to close for another week for the repairs, at this rate."
"Indeed, little mate." Using her moment of distraction, he blurs behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist, jumping into the air, tossing her up, grabbing her ankle, and swinging her down to the ground. An 'oof' is heard when Kagome slams into the floor, before she rolls to the side quickly, narrowly avoiding her mate's 'superheo landing', complete with the fist.
"They always spar like this? Wouldn't that have seriously hurt her?" Hitomi gasps.
"First, Kagome can't die, let alone be seriously hurt. Second, Sesshoumaru wouldn't do anything that would take her more than a few minutes to heal from. That would've hurt like a mother fu-udger, but she'd've been fine. Few broken ribs at most, which would've been fixed in literally a few minutes. Watch, he'll stand and let her straighten. They'll take a 10 second break to make sure they're not hurt, and then they'll continue. Their aura's being so thick around them helps with their healing speeds as well." Kouga explains easily, seeing Hitomi's look of terror as they do exactly what Kouga said they would.
"I see. It's so brutal, though." she says as the mates launch towards each other again, Kagome's whip snapping around the inu's throat as she swings up and around to slam a knee into his spine.
Daichi shrugs, half turning to his grandmother. "You gotta remember, he's a daiyoukai, and she's literally invincible. The only reason she doesn't kick his ass every way from Sunday is because he's almost a millenia older than her and was learning from the time he could walk how to fight and defend himself. Nothing they're doing today is actually going to hurt either of them. And, hard to believe as it is, they are pulling their punches. Neither wants to actually do any damage, so they're really just love tapping each other over and over again. Notice no one's bled yet. If they were putting any real effort into it, this whole room would be covered in blood splatters."
"This is love tapping?!"
"Grandma, they're not human. Not even Mama. Not anymore." Sayua says softly, her hand reaching for Hitomi's. "From a human perspective, yeah, it's kinda scary, but if you had ever seen them actually fighting for real, you'd see that this is nothing. If anything, in actual combat, Mama's the one to be truly terrified of."
"Oh, without a doubt." Shippo chimes in, watching Sesshoumaru catch Kagome around the waist, interrupting another twirling kick, and slamming her down on the ground, hovering over her for a moment before jumping away to watch her. "I know it's hard to see it, cuz Mama still looks like the girl she was before, but when we tease her that she's our goddess of war, we're not actually joking. I won't go into details, but she earned the nickname. And, not just cuz she used to walk around with 50 some blades strapped to her person." he smirks widely.
"Mrs. H, I may not have known it was her and her mate, but I grew up hearing stories about the Western Lord and the Shikon Miko. Stories about them range from sweet and romantic to scary stories that give kids nightmares. They lived through the worst of Japan's history, and survived. There's a reason they're regarded as the most powerful beings on the entire planet." Ayume adds gently, leaning forward to place a hand on the older womans shoulder with a soft smile.
A crack echoes the room as both mates slam into the floor again before a bright peal of laughter is heard. The fog begins to recede and dust settles around the pair who are laying in a heap in the middle of the floor, laughing together before Sesshoumaru rolls off his little miko to close his eyes and pant on his back.
"We're calling it, Daichi." Kagome yells over to the group, not bothering to stand yet.
"I was about to tell you to call it in a few minutes anyways, Mom. Been two hours." he calls back.
"Man, I think I'm getting old or something, that last one really knocked the wind out of me." Kagome pants.
Sesshoumaru scoffs, rolling his eyes before sitting up and leaning back on his hands. "Little mate, you are hardly old."
"Mm, you're right. Help me up." she says, holding a hand up, which he grabs once he gets to his own feet, lifting her easily into his arms and kissing her gently. Kagome looks around the dojo and snorts, making him peruse the damage as well. "Hn. You may be correct. We will likely have to close for an additional week."
"Eh, if we do, we do." she replies, patting his arm before stepping back to drop the barriers. Some dust and bits of debris fall to the floor as she does. "Okay, yeah, we definitely will. I'll call the contractor tomorrow and let them know."
"Sis! That was insane!" Souta exclaims as he jogs out to the floor to stare at them.
"Thanks, squirt." The miko smirks, reaching out to ruffle his hair, earning a scowl.
"Mama's a little upset, by the way." Souta whispers, turning to look at his mother who is looking down at her lap, brows furrowed. "I don't think she'd really fully grasped that you're not really... Ya know, human anymore. I think she was expecting a normal spar, not something out of a movie that usually involves someone dying at the end of the brawl."
"Oh, fuck. I didn't think of that." Kagome murmurs.
"Yeah, she's... I think she'll be okay eventually, but she's overwhelmed right now. Your pack tried to explain things, but I don't know if it helped. It definitely drove home that you're very different now." He shrugs lightly, turning back to look between the inu and miko. "It's one thing to be told about all the changes, another to see it." Kagome looks over to her mother and sees her smile softly at her, and knows that even though her mother might be struggling a bit with marrying the two versions of her daughter, she'll be okay.
"Indeed. She will recover, koi. She will just need time to process." the inu rumbles, tucking the nodding miko to his side as the three of them begin to make their way to their pack.
"Kagome, that was really impressive!" Ayume blurts when they get close enough. "Forgive me if I'm still a little scared of you." she giggles.
"She's used to it, we're all scared of her." Kouga barks out a laugh, his arm draped around Mai.
"Oh hush up, you." Kagome snorts, shoving him gently. "Anyone heard from Kimiko about the pups?"
"Yeah, she just texted, actually. Pups are fine, she said Emica's given them McDonalds and milkshakes, and they're all napping now." Daichi answers.
"Oh, great... Pump 'em full of sugar and then give 'em back to us after." Kouga grumbles, Mai giggling softly into her hand.
"Hey, it's only yours that goes batshit at the smell of sugar." Shippo taunts, making Kouga splutter before scowling.
"Right, well, we should go collect them. By the time we get there, they'll be awake from their naps and Kimiko and Emica will want the break.
2013
"I can't believe I'm getting married. To the brother of the Western Lord... I'm gunna be sisters with the Shikon Miko…" Ayume is sitting in a chair facing a mirror as Sayua works on her hair.
"Yup! It's nearly time, are you guys almost done? InuYasha's starting to freak out that you've changed your mind." Kagome says as she steps into the room.
"Uh huh. Yeah..." Ayume breathes out.
"Ayume? Are you ready? You're not having second thoughts about mating him, right? Cuz it's not something you can take back, so if you are…" Kagome hedges, stepping up to her friend as Sayua sprays one last puff of hairspray to hold her beautiful and intricate sweeping braids in place.
"Oh Kami, no, I'm not questioning that. I've never felt so sure about anything before. I may not have much of a beast, but it's chosen. I've asked the others, and... Yeah. It's chosen. I'm just a little shellshocked, I guess, about the family I'm marrying, mating, into." Ayume turns in her seat and grabs Kagome's hands tightly.
"We're a bit of an odd one, yeah." the miko giggles.
"That's the understatement of the millenia, Kags." the quarter neko deadpans. "And, that's not even touching on the fact that your pack has several of the most powerful beings in the world in it. It's a little daunting"
"Mm, yeah, I can see that. But, on the flipside, you're about to become pack. Which means we're with and behind you. Most powerful beings all there to make sure you're happy and safe." Kagome smiles, tugging her friend to her feet to hug her. "Now, we gotta get going or my mate's going to knock yours unconscious."
"Oh, Kami. Yeah, let's go."
Kagome stands at the back of the room, watching the guests with a smile on her face. Warm steel slips around her waist from behind and she leans back against a broad chest. "Today's been a good day." she murmurs.
"Hn, indeed. InuYasha and Ayame have just slipped away in the limo, heading for the airport. Kouga and Mai have collected the children and taken them all to their home. Your family have retired to theirs, your mother bidding me tell you she will see you tomorrow for lunch."
"Mm, so we're in the clear to skip out if we want and will have the house to ourselves, is that what you're telling me?" she teases as he dips his nose to her mark, pressing soft kisses to her shoulder.
"Perhaps. Do you wish to stay?" he asks her quietly, nipping her mark.
"Not for much longer, no. Have you seen Daichi? He seems to have disappeared shortly after the ceremony." Her voice has become breathy as she turns in his arms, draping hers around his neck.
"He has been entertaining a female for most of the evening in the gardens."
"Entertaining…" she says slowly, prodding him to give her more information than that.
"Last I saw, they were talking. He seems particularly taken with her, though."
"Is she…"
"She is not human, no. It is the black kitsune with violet eyes."
"Oh, you mean Aina, the one with the purple streaks in her hair. Good, that's easy then. Well, I hope it works out. Now, we," she pauses as he kisses her, pressing her against him tightly, letting her feel just how ready to go home he is, "are definitely going home. Now." she declares, voice thick with desire.
"Hn, good choice, mate."
A/N: That's the end! I wrote this entire story in about four days. If I let myself, I could keep adding little vignettes to the story and never letting it end, but I'm pretty happy with where I cut it off. I think I wrapped up all the plot points and everyone's got their own person by the end. I hope everyone enjoys the story, it was fun to write and I love how the characters developed. Now that it's out of my system, I can focus on 'something happened to the miko' without feeling like an idea is nagging at me. Thanks for reading!