The Call: Ripples in the snow
~ Kitty
Part II: When the night falls...
The sheets were cool and silky against his legs and back and still he burned hot and parched. Her fingers traced dizzying, swirling designs all across his skin, branding his arms, his cheeks, his chest. The heaving of his lungs no longer sustained him with enough air, his heart railed against the confines of his ribs, thumping a beat as though to pound itself right out of his chest. His brain struggled to keep up, and he found himself only capable of riding the wave of sensation her hands, her legs, her lips elicited from him as they shamelessly conquered his body.
"Kagome…"
It was the only word his lips could form and it escaped his mouth as a harsh, moaning whisper.
"Inuyasha," her voice responded, sweet and melodic in his ear. The sound of his name on her lips made him groan.
"Kagome…"
Even in this state, he could hear how pathetically desperate his voice sounded and a part of him was silently horrified by the fever pitch level his need for her had reached. And it wasn't simply a bodily need to scratch the itch of evolutionary instincts. He needed her, her presence, her comfort, her fire. His lonely soul was calling out to her, begging her to accept him in her embrace. And as she came in close, pressing the soft, warm curves of her body against the hard planes of his, he felt her creep up to his ear, her breath tingling against it as she exhaled into him.
"I love you…"
…
The incessant buzzing near his head brought him to consciousness slowly, and the light was bright and disorienting as he blinked while staring at the phone screen.
The moment his brain recalled the skill of reading, he snatched the little device from the nightstand, juggling the phone as it hopped around, before frantically unlocking it to answer the message.
"Rise and shine sleepy head!" Her message said, "Good luck shopping today! And can you review my speech one more time?"
"I'm up," he responded, before scratching his head, scrambling for something witty to say, "Why would I need luck shopping? And I'm sure your speech is fine."
Well, he wasn't a Shakespeare. Snorting at himself, he flicked to his emails to skim the latest edit of her maid of honor speech, noting the changes but, honestly, it was fine, besides, who was he to be helping with a speech?
The phone buzzed in his hand and he rolled his eyes when her reply flashed on screen.
"Just read the damn thing and let me know what you think."
After sending a suitable retort, he glanced up at his reflection in the closet mirror, surprised by the dopey grin decorating his face and quickly corrected the uncharacteristic expression. With a sigh, he flung the phone down against the bedsheets before swinging his legs around to rise out of bed. Frowning, his glared down at the last indications of the rather steamy dream he'd been enjoying before deflating with a sigh.
Looks like it would be a cold, cold shower for him this morning.
…
Kagome giggled to herself privately as she set down her phone. She toyed a flyaway hair, sighed, twisted her head this way and that to loosen the stress building in her neck and stood to return to the rest of the girls. Sango glanced up as she returned.
"How's our favorite hermit?"
"He's buying a suit," Kagome said shrugging. Sango huffed a laugh before returning her attention to the mirror, critically examining how the look was coming together. Kagome edged closer, reaching up to poke her friend in between the eyebrows.
"Stop frowning," she teased, "You're scaring Yura."
"Oh don't worry about me, honey," Yura said carelessly, "Sango's hair will be my best work of art yet!"
"Just don't turn it into an abstract modern like you did at Yuka's wedding."
"What was I supposed to do with so little hair and so many demands?" Yura complained.
"Now, Kagome, I need to know more about this Inuyasha fella!" She said, switching gears, "Do you think he'd let me do his hair?"
Sango snorted. "I think he'd only let you over his dead body."
Yura pouted. "Aww, that's no fun."
Kagome giggled cheerfully at the light banter, but her eyes caught Sango's nervous fidgeting and she moved to retrieve a glass of champagne.
"Just this one," Kagome said teasingly, "Can't let you get all wobbly during the ceremony."
Sango smiled gratefully, accepting the tall, champagne flute, gazing at the tiny bubbles rising inside before taking a sip. Quietly, she confided in her best friend when Yura stepped away to ruffle through her bag of hair products.
"I can't believe this is finally happening," she whispered, "Could you double check that Miroku hasn't lost anything else since we last talked?"
Kagome laughed, patting Sango's back gently.
"Sure," she said, "I'm sure everything's going fine, but I'll call and double check."
Sango responded gratefully before returning her attention to the mirror and the rest of the bridesmaids circled around to aid with the nails and make up. Kagome turned away, searching through her contacts before landing on the best man.
The phone only rang twice before it was answered.
"Hey beautiful, are you missing me?"
Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Hi Kouga," she said, "Sango wanted me to check in on Miroku."
There was a brief pause on the other end, during which she distinctly heard Miroku's voice whisper something in hushed tones.
"She'd find out anyway and besides, maybe she can help…" she heard Kouga say, clearly not to her.
"What's going on?"
There was a sigh on the other end.
"Well, the hair gel exploded on the plane and got all over the boutonnières. We're trying to figure out how to get replacements right now…"
"I'm on it," Kagome said quickly, "What brand of hair gel?"
"You're a doll, Kagome, I could kiss you," Kouga said. Kagome rolled her eyes.
"Try to restrain yourself."
Hanging up, she spied Sango's worried eyes in the mirror and flashed a reassuring smile. Stepping into another room in their hotel suite, she quickly punched in a well memorized number.
"Your last draft was fine, you'll do great," he said without so much as a hello. Kagome couldn't help but laugh even as she tried to retort.
"Hey!" She said, "You'd be nervous too if you had to give a speech."
"That's why I'm not giving one."
"Hmm, is that another gem of wisdom you gain by living in the mountains?"
She heard him snort before asking her why she called.
"Miroku needs hair gel and a full set of boutonnieres," she said.
"Booty-whatta?"
"Those flower things you pin to men's suits? I'm gonna place a rush order for them, do you think you could swing by to pick them up? And grab some hair gel from the convenience store?"
Grunt. "I'm Miroku's errand boy now?"
"I'd owe you," she said, dropping her voice low and suggestive. There was a pause on the line before he stuttered a response.
"S-sure," he said, "I guess I could."
Kagome laughed, smiling wide to herself. "How's the shopping?" She asked, changing the topic.
"Everything's damned expensive," was his curt reply, "I'm almost done. Text me the address for the flowers and shit."
"Thanks, Inuyasha," she said, truly meaning it, "You're the best."
…
He hung up and huffed a sigh, waiting for the cashier to finish ringing him up. The suit was indeed 'damned expensive', he couldn't recall spending so much on clothing in nearly a decade. A couple shirts and accessories later, he felt he could confidently enter the wedding venue without being immediately thrown out. The phone pinged and he glanced down to find the address for a nearby flower shop and the name of the hair gel he'd been commissioned to retrieve.
'Jesus Christ,' he thought to himself, 'The idiot still uses that stupid brand!'
The flower shop was in a corner of the same mall and an old, wrinkled face glanced up when he walked in. Inuyasha didn't notice the quiet, old presence, instead immediately taken aback by the scent of fresh cut stems, smelling green and alive, despite their shorn stalks. He stood still and took a long deep breath, absorbing the scent of florals and water and finding it soothing. And then he noticed the old man as the bent figure toddled toward him.
"Morning, young man," the shopkeeper said, "Are you looking for a bouquet? Roses perhaps?"
"Uh…," Inuyasha faffled for a moment, "I'm picking up a bunch of booty… things. Kagome placed an order?"
Sagging wrinkled eyes blinked at him, perplexed.
"For a wedding," Inuyasha stammered, "Those things you pin to suits?"
The old man stared at him for a moment longer before letting out a snort that sounded like a horse and toddled back to his desk.
"Do you have an order number?"
Inuyasha frantically searched Kagome's messages, finally landing on the number. The shopkeeper snorted again and told him he ought to have just started with that, shuffling to the back of the store to retrieve the order, grumbling over the hassles of scrambling together the boutonnieres in such a short time.
While he waited, Inuyasha let his gaze wander the racks and racks of flowers. Reds and violets, white, blue, yellow. Colors of every shade, petals of every shape. And then his eyes landed on a large pink flower, its many petals unfurled like it was exploding with color. It was a stunning blossom, with an innocent sort of unawareness of its own radiance. It reminded him of someone. So when the shopkeeper finally emerged with five boutonnières in tow, the wide pink camellia was also packaged up and exited the shop carefully cradled in his arms.
His next stop was quick. How many times had Miroku sent him to find this exact hair gel? Inuyasha's feet nearly moved on autopilot once inside the store, locating the aisle quickly. As he rushed toward the cashier however, a package caught his eye and stopped him up short.
His heart thumped nervously as he teetered in his decision. While his subconscious had a pretty good idea what he was hoping for, he hadn't fully come aware of exactly what it entailed. Now staring at the startling variety of packages on offer, Inuyasha gulped as his brain began to fry while debating whether or not to even hope for such a thing to occur. Ultimately, it was pure impulse that moved his hand to grab the box of condoms and race to the self checkout line. No way in freezing hell was he about to handle a human interaction while making this purchase.
It was a bit of a blur after that, and so when he finally arrived, blinking down at her, it took him several seconds to realize she'd asked him a question.
"Uh… huh?"
Kagome laughed at his inattentiveness, pulling the robe further around her shoulders. She wasn't fully put together yet, feeling a little bashful to have him witness her in this state. But while she was glancing away with embarrassment, she missed how his eyes sought furtive glances at her, her half done up hair and the way several loose strands dangled against the smooth skin of her neck… 'Dammit!' he chided himself, 'Focus, you idiot!'
"I said, how's Miroku and party doing?"
Inuyasha coughed a bit, to clear his throat, while struggling to find some way to answer.
"Uh… well… he might end up wearing two different socks, but he'll be there."
Her laughter was easy and immediate and soothed a part of him that was growing frazzled by the shopping and Miroku's attempts to add him as an impromptu member of his wedding party. Shifting to stand a bit straighter, feeling a bit of tension leave his shoulders, he shyly held out the wide, brightly blooming camellia. Words escaped him and so he stood mutely, nervously waiting for her to accept the offering.
The effect of her brightening eyes as they widened and smiled down at the plump, pink blossom startled him, his heart immediately pumping several times faster. He dropped his hands as quickly as he could when she reached out to hold the flower, and when he fisted them at his sides, he internally winced at how clammy and sweaty they'd become. Voices inside the bridal suite called to her and she turned her head to respond before returning her eyes to him.
"Thank you," she said softly, coyly, the curl of her lips indicating just how pleased she was with the gift. He watched to bite her lip, looking up at him from a ducked chin that made her eyes seem twice as wide. And then she leaned toward him, a hand pressing against his chest, and as he stood frozen straight down to his toes, she lifted up on hers to bring her lips against his in a chaste little peck.
"I'll see you tonight?"
'Words! Think of some damned words!'
"Uh… yeah," Inuyasha managed to say, "See you tonight."
She closed the door quietly and he stood there for several more seconds, enough to memorize the pattern in the wood grain of the door before shaking himself. Right, tonight, he ought to get dressed for tonight.
Swiveling on his heel with enough force to throw him off balance, he managed to take himself back to the elevator and up to his room. And then he glanced at the bags of clothes and shoes, Kagome's spell finally fading, and he resigned himself to the confusing and intricate task of making himself presentable for the night.
…
"Ooh! A flower!" Eri teased Kagome as she returned from the door, "So who is this mysterious stranger and when do we get to meet him?"
"Kagome, is Miroku going to be ready?" Sango's nervous, concerned voice called from deeper in the suite. Kagome smiled and rolled her eyes at Eri as she passed, moving to soothe her friend's fraying nerves.
"Inuyasha says he might end up with mismatched socks, but he'll be ready."
Sango shook her head, groaning. "At this point," she said, "I'll be happy if he manages to just show up on time."
Kagome smiled, laughing to herself. Outwardly, however, she carefully brought her arms around Sango's shoulders, avoiding the carefully constructed updo and veil.
"Everything's going to be fine," she affirmed for her friend, "You look gorgeous, Miroku will be handsome, and tonight will be perfect."
Sango sighed and closed her eyes.
"Thanks Kagome," she said gratefully, briefly leaning her head against her friend. Righting herself again, she glanced at Kagome's hands and lifted an eyebrow.
"Where'd that come from?" she asked, pointing to the flower. Kagome felt herself flush, trying to dampen the smile that was trying to stretch from ear to ear.
"Inuyasha," she said, "Guess the flower shop was doing a giveaway or something."
Sango gave her a funny look, eyes narrowing slightly.
"What…?" Kagome asked.
"I don't think he realizes it, but pink camellias symbolize longing. It's like saying he misses you or wants you."
Now her blush ran rampant across her cheeks.
"Oh…," she managed to say, "Yeah, you're probably right, I doubt he knew that when he got it."
Sango cracked a sly smile, leaning toward her friend.
"Ahh, but you wish he did?"
Kagome scoffed and tried to look away.
"So tell me, why are you wearing such scandalous lingerie tonight? For Inuyasha? The man probably hasn't seen female flesh in years, you're going to give him a heart attack."
Kagome huffed, standing up in mock offence. "Maybe I'm wearing it for myself," she said sarcastically, the laughter in her eyes offsetting the exaggerated gestures of aggravation, "And if a certain someone happens to appreciate it, well good for him."
Sango laughed, rising and checking the time. "Just don't let the girls mention it in front of Kouga," she said, "You know he'll take it the wrong way."
Kagome groaned and sighed. "Yeah, I know."
Turning to face the mirror Sango had just vacated, she studied herself critically, wondering what Inuyasha would see. She turned her head this way and that, smirking wryly to herself as her eyes picked out every fault and blemish in the bright lighting. She touched up her foundation, covered up the developing sunspots on her cheeks, and gave more definition to her brows. She wasn't that young anymore and she worked to hide the fact with a sense of conflict. Pulling out a favorite shade, she added a deep red to her lips. Then she looked into her own eyes, the expression she wore. It was a practice she had every morning she readied herself in the mirror, a practice anyone with mirrors had as they prepared for the day. Loneliness was a difficult burden to carry, and though she was surrounded by friends and a filled schedule more often than not, there remained an empty aching corner of her heart that felt disconnected from her own life. Taking a bracing breath of air, she blinked, replacing the mask she wore, the brave face she used to face the world. Then she turned, rejoining her friends and putting the final preparations before they all bustled down to the country club that would be their venue for the evening.
…
Inuyasha fidgeted nervously in the back row of the carefully laid out seating. His collar was stiff and his shoes pinched. Having been years since tying a tie, it had turned out lopsided and the damn thing was strangling him. The new clothes bunched in odd places and he felt strangely naked in his seat. Trying to get comfortable, he huffed a sigh, flipping his braid over his shoulder to land heavily down his back. It was a nice place, with large windows to let in the natural light. He watched the clouds hang thick and heavy outside with just a few patches of sky poking through. Eyeing them warily as they bunched and morphed in the sky. Though the ceremony and reception would be indoors, he did sincerely hope the weather would hold for them. Nothing like an angry thunderstorm to put a damper on a wedding.
Guests of all sorts trickled in, familiar faces, strangers, young and old. Miroku was a friendly creature, Sango, a fiercely loyal friend, and it showed in the numbers that turned up for their wedding. Unbidden, the thought flashed in his mind that his would be a rather empty gathering. Who would he call on to celebrate the day?
Shaking himself, he sniffed and turned around in his seat to watch the entryway as the music began. Children were hushed, the chit chat dimmed, then fell to silence. A parade of faces he vaguely knew, and some he didn't, emerged and he didn't pay them much attention. Miroku appeared, the grin on his face wide and obviously extremely happy. Glancing down, Inuyasha huffed a poorly concealed snort when he spotted the two different colors peaking out from under the hem of his pants. The groom spotted him as he approached the seated audience smiled even more broadly, popping two thumbs up as he passed. Too late for Miroku to see, Inuyasha scoffed, rolling his eyes before refocusing on the entryway the procession emerged from. Next was the best man, that guy at the bar he vaguely remembered to be Kouga strutting down the aisle, followed by a stream of vaguely familiar men.
And then Kagome appeared. Backlit by an aging sun so that she seemed to walk with a halo of orange and gold. The looming clouds turned out to be a blessing as the angled light scattered into a dazzling display of colors just when she stepped onto the aisle. The deep reds of her gown highlighted her skin and instantly drew his attention to the matching color on her lips. All hope was lost for him, his eyes were completely captivated and followed her and no one else as she continued down the aisle. Her smile was shy, embarrassed by the attention but radiant nonetheless. He absorbed the vision in a state of breathless awe, only slowly coming back to himself when she spotted him and sent him a wink, breaking the spell. Slightly more clear headed, he returned her gesture with a smirk of his own, blatantly eyeing her up and down before nodding his approval. Her cheeks flushed and she tried to contain her grin as she passed him. When he lost her gaze as she continued to move toward the elevated dais at the front, his eyes caught sight of a familiar pink blossom bobbing heavily under its own weight on her wrist. The impromptu corsage stuck out against the deep reds of the roses she carried and he felt a fluttery surge of emotion to see his gift proudly worn before the assembly.
There wasn't much of the ceremony that he could remember. His eyes and a vast majority of his attention were all on Kagome, little else seemed to matter. Something about how they met and grew together, what an idiot Miroku was, and still is in his opinion. It wasn't until they moved into the vows when Inuyasha was even able to process the words being said over the speakers.
"... for richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. To honor, love, and cherish, forsaking all others and to be forever his from this day forward?"
They were the standard phrases, words he'd seen in movies, heard in conversation. Mocked and quoted and read on all manner of cards and banners. But somehow, here and now, looking up from his seat at her, a joyous smile on her as she watched her friend lean in to kiss the lucky idiot, the loose curls of her hair lined in golden highlights from the lighting and the colors of the setting sun, he had to admit a strange twinge of loneliness wrapping around his heart. Distance and time, he'd wasted so much of both, condemning himself to a cold, frozen exile, disallowing himself to move forward, to grow. Here he was, watching a the only person who'd forcefully kept in contact with him getting married, surrounded by friends and family he couldn't recall or identify. The impact of his self imposed isolation hit him hard and he gasped his next intake of air as he grappled with it.
Suddenly, everyone around him was on their feet, cheering and clapping as the bride and groom officially transformed to husband and wife. He clapped along dutifully, trying to be happy for them as the smiling, laughing pair made their way back down the aisle, hands clasped together. Seeing the best man, the Kouga fellow, escort Kagome out next was a blow to his heart. Even the rational logic of it simply being the rehearsed exit recessional didn't ease the knife in his chest. Kagome smiled at something Kouga whispered to her and a flame of jealousy consumed him. And then they were gone.
Inuyasha blinked, noting the rising hum of background chatter and shifting bodies milling around to socialize and make small talk. Deciding he absolutely wasn't about to make any friends in this state, he quickly located the nearest restroom to escape into.
It took him some time to figure out what was happening next. A glass of champagne was thrust into his hands and he was ushered along to the dining area. After several minutes of standing around like a dope, an aging waiter took pity on him and helped find his seat. A glare or two scared off his tablemates and by the time the food was being served, the evening festivities were well underway, thankfully with him hovering only in the background.
Noise and chatter. Though not as deafening as the bar last night, Inuyasha felt he was submerged in chaos up to his ears and it was an uncomfortable state to be in. Periodically, some maniac would start clanging their metal knife against their fragile glassware, starting up a racket that ended in raucous hoots and cheers when Sango and Miroku kissed for the umpteenth time. He found himself hardly touching the meal, delicious as it looked, out of sheer discomfort. At least now at dinner, he could shrug out of the restrictive suit jacket and feel a little more at ease in his own skin. Perhaps there was a time when he didn't feel so out of his depth in a social setting, perhaps he'd been away from civilization for too long. Either way, he managed to hold it together as the speeches started up, only really caring when Kagome stepped up to the microphone.
"How's everyone doing tonight?"
Cheers answered her and for once, he felt prompted to join in. He saw her pinch her lips together and toy with the camilia until they met eyes from across the room. Their gazes held for a moment and a slow smile spread across her face and into her eyes, making his breath catch. Taking a breath, she wet her lips and got started.
"So Sango has been my best friend since forever…"
It was a good speech, funny in the right places, emphasizing Sango's and Miroku's strengths while poking gentle fun at their quirks. Inuyasha couldn't help himself and a smirk managed to creep onto his face several times.
Her speech was the last and after her closing, the music began the pick up and the lights began to darken. Inuyasha groaned to himself as the energy in the room began to rise. For lack of anything else to do, he tried to reach the bar without encountering anyone. No such luck for him as a pair of chatting men spotted him with looks of recognition.
"Inuyasha!"
"Oh my god, it can't be!"
Inuyasha struggled to tamp down his initial reaction to scowl, reluctantly turning to face them as they all lined up for a drink.
"Remember us?" One of them asked.
Inuyasha faltered. No, no he didn't, although they clearly did. Should he feign recollection? When in doubt, grunt.
"It's Ginta and Hakkaku!" Ginta said, pointing as he named himself and his friend.
Grunt.
"What have you been doing since graduation?"
Inuyasha balked at the question. True, he'd vaguely considered what he could possibly say in answer, but now put on the spot, he found he had no clue how to explain his disappearance.
"Tried a bunch of things," he said eventually, "In between jobs right now."
Hakkaku raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "Huh," he said, "I would have thought companies were begging you to join them."
"I'm taking a break," Inuyasha said quickly, turning to the bar to order a drink and racing away as quickly as he could reasonably speed walk.
"Hey stranger."
Her voice caught him mid stride and he nearly fell over himself as he swung around. She was a vision to behold, the deep, satiny material of the dress clinging to her curves. Kagome laughed while reaching out to stabilize his drink.
"Careful," she said, giggling, "The night's still young, hope you're not drunk already."
Her presence, softly beaming, was a soothing balm on fraying nerves. He couldn't trust himself to speak and so he again turned to his fallback grunt.
She laughed again, playfully batting his shoulder.
"Oh come on, you're back in the city now, this is no place for caveman talk."
Grunt.
Kagome rolled her eyes, pouting. How she managed to make her cheeks and lips look so round and soft was a mystery, and the pouty glare drew out a huff of laughter from him and he smiled for her.
"It's a bit of an adjustment to be here," he admitted. Kagome nodded in agreement, clinking her own glass against his.
"I hear you," she said, "A bit of an assault on the senses, huh?"
Out of seemingly nowhere, Kouga suddenly appeared beside her.
"Hey Kagome," he said, completely ignoring Inuyasha, "Wanna dance?"
The way Kouga placed a hand on her waist, posessively, riled up something inside of him. He stood too close to her, leaning in even while she leaned away, looming over her as a cobra may pose itself before a strike. Kagome glanced at Inuyasha over Kouga's shoulder, subtly shifting in an attempt to dislodge the trespassing hand.
"I'm gonna sit out the first few," she said, ultimately resorting to physically removing the unwanted contact. Moving to stand closer to Inuyasha, she suggested, "Why don't you ask Ayame?"
Kouga seemed to only half hear her, his eyes instead focusing on Inuyasha.
"Hey Yash," he said, his tone and posture significantly different from how it was moments ago, as well as a departure from his friendly demeanor last night. "Ginta tells me you're unemployed. What happened? Get fired for not being a team player?"
Inuyasha bristled, an instinct far, far down inside him recognizing the attack for what it was and not taking kindly to it. Kouga stood wide, his chest out, his head high so he could look down his nose and Inuyasha. It was like watching a stag in rut, but far more insidious. A stag would bugal and stamp and ultimately charge you head on. Human mating challenges were always far more backhanded.
"I was just promoted to director last year," Kouga continued, "If you're looking for work, I'm sure I could find something for you."
Kagome felt Inuyasha stiffen beside her and she glanced up at him with concern. The muscles in his cheeks shifted as he clenched his jaws. His eyes hardened and it made her shiver to see just how cold those hazel eyes could be.
"Not interested," he said, low and dark, nearly a growl.
Unconsciously, she raised a hand to his back, drawing his attention back down to her and was relieved to see his expression soften and relax. Hooking her arm around his, she gave a little tug.
"Come on!" she said, stepping away and pulling him with her, "Miroku wanted to get a picture of the four of us."
Turning to Kouga, she forced a smile. "We'll catch you later!"
He didn't even have time to respond, his expression darkening as he watched the pair depart. Hands clasped his shoulder and patted his back.
"Hey Kouga!" Hakkaku said, laughing, "Looks like she got away again…"
…
"Jeez that man's persistent," Kagome groaned with a sigh. Turning to Inuyasha, she smiled. "I'm glad you were there to be my excuse this time."
"Just tell him to fuck off," he replied, "The guy's an ass."
"Inuyasha!" she exclaimed mildly incredulous, "I can't do that!"
"Sure you can," he insisted, "And slap him for good measure."
Kagome just shook her head, distracting him as several loose sections of her hair fell to dance along her collarbone.
"I'm used to it," she said, "Comes with the territory when you're a woman in a man's industry."
At this, Inuyasha frowned. "Lots of guys are like that toward you?"
"Well, maybe not so overtly, but there are times where you just know they're not paying attention to what you're saying."
She watched him with amusement for a moment, the scowl cutting harsh lines into his face. Laughing a little, she tried to appease him.
"It's not like I'm in any danger, they're always professional about it," she said, "It's just how society is. I chose this career fully aware of that."
He jumped when she pressed her thumb against his brow.
"Stop frowning!" she teased, "Your face will freeze that way."
He caught her wrist with his hand to remove the prodding digit, bringing her arm down but not releasing it. Excitement burned through her chest to feel the heat of his skin against the inside of her wrist. He was looking down, analyzing the flower that still bloomed brightly on her arm, tied there by a silky ribbon. She felt his thumb run a teasing circle around her pulse point and she gasped, feeling a tingling rush sweep through her body, concentrating in a hot little ball in her lower abdomen.
Inuyasha glanced up when she gasped, worried, perhaps he'd done something wrong. The look on her face stopped him in his tracks. Her eyes were piercing as they stared into his. It was there again, a silent plea expressed in just her eyes. The world blurred around them and all he could be aware of was Kagome, her lips, and the space between them. She held his gaze as he moved close, held it through the brush of his fingers against her face. She only just started to close her eyes as his hand found a firmer grip, sliding around to the back of her neck.
"Kagome! Inuyasha! Picture time!" Miroku's voice came crashing in between them like a physical entity, causing them to leap apart, a red flush decorating each of their cheeks.
"Get over here!"
Kagome took one look at Inuyasha's face and burst out laughing, humored to no end by the look of pure murder in his eyes. His glowered lifted a little to hear her laugh and he whispered to her under her breath.
"Guess this is what I get for cock blocking him all the time in college…"
Her giggles were enough to even draw out a smile when the pictures were snapped. After photos were taken, Miroku, ever the enthusiastic host, set about making random introductions to parents and friends Inuyasha had no intention of remembering, like a child showing off a new toy. Kagome smirked on the sidelines, happy the events proceeded smoothly and glad to finally be out of the primary circle of attention.
"You better rescue him soon," Sango's voice spoke up beside her, "He looks like he's about had enough."
Kagome laughed, shoving her friend back good naturedly when Sango tried to push her forward. Finally acquiescing, she stepped up to Miroku and Inuyasha.
"... Yeah, and this guy right here had Sesshoumaru's systems in the palm of his hand! Their servers were his playground!"
Cutting in smoothly, Kagome slipped her hand under Inuyasha's arm.
"Don't mind me," she said, "Just stealing myself a dance partner."
Sango had to intervene when it looked like Miroku would protest.
"You wanted to get them together," she reminded him, "Now let them get together."
Miroku sighed as he watched Kagome drag his friend onto the dance floor, then, shifting his attention, turned to sneak an arm around his new wife.
"So," he said, pulling her against him, "When do we get together?"
…
He was a complete fish out of water and Kagome couldn't help but laugh as he stood awkwardly in front of her. The music was chaotic and bodies pressed in around them. His only life line was her hands holding his as she tried to encourage him to move and sway along with her. They stood apart from each other, at a distance that would have otherwise been ideal for admiring her up and down. Instead, every fighting instinct in his body screamed to get out of there and his hands were stiff as he tried to remember not to crush her fingers.
His salvation arrived when the beat shifted and a fast paced salsa began to play. Kagome was beginning to drop her arms, leaning in to say she didn't know how to salsa. To her surprise, his hands renewed their grip with a new confidence and when she pulled back to look into his face, a sly smirk had appeared on his lips, his eyes dancing with a kind of mischievous play. It was a look that could slay.
"Oh no," he said, low and next to her ear. An involuntary shiver raced up her spine and she gulped, wondering what she'd just gotten herself into. "You dragged me out here, now you suffer the consequences."
He was a good lead, subtly shifting his body, leaning in and pulling away naturally to bring out the correct steps from her feet, without her even consciously being aware of it. Instead, despite the flutter of the energetic dance and the closeness of his body, she tried to keep up with his sudden bout of banter.
"What sort of consequences?" She asked, an eyebrow raised, casting him a doubtful glance. She let out a surprised yelp when his arms spun her around, catching her before she could topple over. She huffed, trying to hide her delight with a teasing glare.
"Huh," she said, daring him with eyes flashing, "Is that the worst you can do?"
Inuyasha snorted, ducking his head so only she could see the full smile spreading across his face. "Cheeky wench," he teased.
Kagome's retort was caught in her throat as he spun her again. Before she could catch her breath, she felt him pull her in close, his body warm where it pressed against her.
"Get ready," he said.
"Ready for wh-," Kagome tried to ask before he spun her once more, this time leading her through an intricate series of steps and twirls. By now she was beginning to have trouble telling up from down but his hands always caught her and pulled her through to the next step.
These hands. She remembered these hands. They were the first form of support and comfort he'd offered her when they set out on their wild Alaskan journey. They were the first time she'd placed her trust and her well being in a grumpy mountain hermit that communicated in grunts and snorts. A lot can be learned of a person by how they hold your hand, and his carried the message that she was safe with him. Here, now, they were in a completely different setting than when they'd last encountered each other, far from the frigid glacial waters and thick, tangled alders. Instead the air was hot and dense with dancing bodies but his hands remained the same, a stable, welcoming support that she trusted almost instinctively as she surrendered her body to him in this dance. There was a fluidity in his movements, a natural flow that was easy to follow, unconscious, like breathing. He adapted to her missteps, caught her when she stumbled, a hand always in the right place at the right time to keep her upright. Knowing she could safely trust her dance partner, Kagome relaxed, her body loose and her smile wide. There was an exhilaration to letting go, a rush that flooded through her veins. And she was laughing, amazed how in sync they could be, a clumsy footed woman with the gruff mountain hermit.
The song hit its climax and slowly eased into a far slower melody. Kagome was panting as she leaned heavily against the arm that held her, perhaps the only force on earth keeping her upright at this moment. She stared up at him, his eyes blinking as though he were as dizzy as she was.
"That was fun!" She exclaimed, fascinated by how his eyes seemed to slowly come to focus and his gaze growing intense and heated. "Didn't think a caveman like you could salsa like that!"
His eyes narrowed at the good natured tease and he huffed a soft grunt in reply. And then something shifted as she recenetered herself back onto her own two feet. She felt his hands linger on her body, slowly shifting down from her shoulders, down the bare back of her dress. His hands were warm and lit a trail of fire across her skin, until they settled at her waist. Lifting her chin, she searched his face for a frozen moment, his lips parted as he slowly caught his breath. She felt the heaving of his chest against her hands where they'd slipped unconsciously. The light cascaded over the sharp angles of his face, seeming to shimmer in the thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. The jittery lights and gyrating bodies abated, replaced by slower, languid movements. But even if the pace hadn't changed, distractions in her periphery could not possibly shake the spell his eyes cast over her. Time stood still and she was sure she'd unravel under the intensity expressed in his gaze. When she started swaying in time with the music, she wasn't sure, his hands gently guiding her from side to side, as well as closer. Unconsciously, she brought her hands up to his shoulders, inching together until they rested carefully at the back of his neck.
The spell tightened around them slowly. Before she knew it, her hips were flush against him, pressed in close against his pelvis. Every step or shift of weight was translated into her and tightened a coil in that low secret spot inside of her. Gazing up at him, she had a brief moment of clarity, suddenly realizing what needed to be done as if it were the most natural, obvious thing in the world. The look of realization must have shown on her face because he blinked down at her, his own eyes coming into focus. Biting her lip as she fought through a few last vestigial inhibitions, Kagome leaned up against him, bringing a hand behind his head to pull his ear towards her. Her whispered breath brushed his neck and she felt him shiver, internally relishing the effect she had on him as she asked her question.
"Want to get out of here?"
A/N: jeeeeeeeeze… So my original plan for this extension/epilogue/sequel has apparently just been tossed out the window.
Sorry if this got a little cheesy. I'm still not really used to writing for Inuyasha to be fully human and in a realistic setting. It's also been weird cause I want to write him to be someone you'd realistically want to have a relationship with without any of the "flags" that inuyasha in the anime would have raised if he were in his late 20s/early 30's in the real world. Not entirely sure how successful I was but meh, it's done and i'm tired… :P