A Little Heated

Inuyasha lay on top of his wife, leaving harmless nips against her neck as she giggled. He pressed the flat of his tongue to her pulse as it started to dip down to a normal rate. He felt her squirm under him, trying to move away from him, but he pressed his chest against hers to trap her. He didn't want her to leave to clean up quite yet. He wanted her to stay with him, stay touching him for as long as possible. She smelled so wonderful right now.

"Inuyashaaa," she whined, but he heard laughter under her tone. He licked up the side of her neck to behind her ear. Kagome had noted that Inuyasha seemed really interested in tasting her skin that day, leaving uncomfortable trails of slobber across her skin. It wasn't too terrible, though. The temperature had warmed enough that they could bathe in the river pool again.

"Just wait a few minutes, and we can go again," he told her, resuming his work on her neck with licks and little love bites. The taste and smell of her made him want to do all sorts of things to her over and over again, now that he was finally allowed. He squeezed on her wrists, which he held over her head. She looked so sweet as he held her there. He wasn't squeezing to hurt or restrain her though. As she lifted her arms up, she barely tugged at her wrists before Inuyasha released them. No, he didn't want to ever restrict her movement for real. Not in this way, at least.

She laughed again, pushing his shoulders just far back enough to look at his face. She was smiling, but had one brow quirked curiously. She cupped Inuyasha's cheekbone in one hand and he leaned into the touch. Inuyasha squeaked in surprise (a manly sound, surely) when her other hand came up to pinch his tongue, which he had left hanging out of his mouth.

"Hey!" He complained. Kagome laughed. She was lucky he loved her...and he would rather stay on her good side so he could get another go at this baby-making thing.

It was obvious a little over a week later that she hadn't become pregnant. It was raining cats and dogs that morning. The night before Kagome felt that her cramps were definitely hard to ignore and waking that morning confirmed it. She looked down at her husband, his pouting face staring up at her from where he curled up on the floor beside her. She had he had been excited last night when she took his measurements and early that morning when she had started sewing a new underlayer for him. She was tired of patching the thing up, and the pits were threadbare anyway. It was long overdue when the thing resembled patched up swiss cheese more than it did clothing.

He was almost entirely focused on her cutting the fabric that morning and pinning it together but as the morning went on he was bored again, letting his mind wander, before muttering a few amusedly annoyed phrases about failing at his job. And making that silly pouty face.

"Inuyasha," Kagome sighed, putting down her needle.

"Did you really think that one month was a one hundred percent guarantee? Some. Couples try for a year before they can have a baby. It's not that terrible." She laughed with the last bit when she saw Inuyasha roll his eyes. She went back to her stitching, weaving the needle in and out of the two prices of soft linen as she worked on getting the front done.

"Then why was we being so careful before now?" He grumbled in return.

"There's always a chance..." She trailed off. The rain seemed to be lightening up some, although it wasn't quitting completely. She sewed to the end of the line, tied off the threat and bit off the end, stuffing the needle into its holder with the end of the white thread wrapped around the ball. She examined her work, noting that it just needed the sleeves and a few connecting stitches. She folded the unfinished piece over her arm and collected her materials, taking a glance at her husband, laying on his belly, watching her actions with an expression that made him look barely conscious, off somewhere in thought.

"Guess I'm going to hag to brave the rain after all, I really can't put off Kaede much longer."

Inuyasha huffed, chin still rested on his crossed arms as he watched his wife put away her sewing. He would lie if you asked him, but he didn't like going out in the rain any more than anyone else.

Kagome wouldn't volunteer that she and Inuyasha were actively trying for a baby, but she couldn't help but coo over every baby she saw as she and Kaede left the village in the following days to check on a few people in the neighboring village. She visited Ranko and her little one as she and Kaede had business in that village. Ranko's sister had come to visit, bringing two of her own children.

"Oh, support her head, dear," the sister instructed. Kagome held the chubby infant as she looked back up at her with scrunched brows. Kagome didn't know if babies this young could feel confusion, but if they did, this one was probably trying to figure out who Kagome was. As it happened, Ranko's sister looked almost exactly like the baby's mother. She found out from an overhead conversation that Ranko was actually the older of the two. When Kagome had regarded her age, 27, with surprise, Ranko had laughed, followed by her sister's teasing her for her baby face.

Kagome looked nothing like this baby's mother, aunt, or obviously the father. The baby girl had a full head of brown hair, and the chubbiest little cheeks, making her look like a sweet little doll. The sister shook her head, watching as Kagome brushed a fingertip over the baby's soft cheek.

"Aren't those cheeks just the most precious thing? This little girl's so chubby."

"Yeah, I delivered a big ol' bear by weight, and felt every bit of it. This is the last one I'm having," Ranko laughed.

"She's so sweet," Kagome cooed, more to the baby than the mother, "I love babies."

"You say that now, but a month's worth of dirty diapers will be quick to change your mind." The sister paused after that statement, considering her words, but shrugging them off. The baby started squirming at that point and Kagome handed the baby to her aunt. The Miko raised a brow, but shrugged as well, preparing to duck out to find Kaede and make a trip around checking on a few people.

Kagome returned to find Inuyasha with Miroku, Sango and the brood. It had been raining a lot as of late and it looked like the family of five was using their one sunny day to power through as much laundry as possible, roping Inuyasha into helping string it up. Sango was stringing with one arm, the other holding Ichiro to her hip. Inuyasha had both girls holding onto his shoulders, chattering at each other, him not fairing a whole lot better. Those little girls must have the grip of koalas not to be shaken off by their weird uncle's moving around. Already strong, like their mother.

Upon further inspection, there were several families stringing lines for backed up laundry as she looked around. That was certainly not something Kagome looked forward to in the future, but Inuyasha looked right at home helping the family with their laundry. Would he let their children crawl all over him like that? Their children would have demon blood, and would definitely be strong enough to act as baby koalas.

As she approached, Inuyasha waved without looking at her, likely having heard or smelled her from a ways off. She wished Kaede well and went up to greet everyone and help with laundry as Sango was taking another basket towards the river. Before she could follow Sango, Inuyasha turned to her and pried one of the twins off and handed her to his wife.

"Since you like kids so much," he tried to grumble, but was unable to keep the grin off his face. Kagome chuckled, taking the little girl down to the river to babysit. As she joined Inuyasha and Miroku back at the clothesline, she heard Inuyasha's usually very accurate weather prediction. Clouds would be rolling back in soon enough, but not until after sunset.

When Kagome heard "clouds" she expected rain. Not unbearable humidity and heat.

"Guh. Get away from me." Kagome pushed her husband away with her foot from where they lay in their bed. His body heat was far too much in such close proximity.

"Any more 'away' and I'll be sleeping on the floor," Inuyasha griped from his position on the very edge of the bedding.

"And take your clothes off, just looking at you is making me hot," she complained. She knew his robes protected him from heat, but honestly, it must be approaching forty Celsius and if she had to suffer, so did he. She had managed to survive the entire day, sweating by the buckets even after changing into her yukata instead of full Miko garb, but now that she was trying to sleep, it was impossible to ignore.

"If it would just pucker up and rain it wouldn't be so bad." So, even the humidity was getting to Inuyasha. He sat up suddenly, getting an idea.

"Let's head to the river for a dip," Inuyasha suggested. There was a shallow pool of it near the house, hidden by the trees and normally too chilly for bathing, but it would work fine for cooling off.

"That's the most wonderful thing you've ever said to me," Kagome chuckled, accepting the suggestion.

"What about 'I love you?' 'I want you to have my baby?' Those don't count?" Inuyasha asked, wearing a smirk of playful amusement.

"Smartass."

Kagome couldn't disrobe fast enough when they got to the icy pool, sitting just out of the water and splashing it up onto her overheated skin to get used to the temperature before stepping in to sit in the water and shiver. It felt good though. Inuyasha followed suit and they both sat in the water with goosebumps for all of thirty seconds.

"Okay, well, I'm cold now." Kagome said, removing herself from the water. Inuyasha made a point of staying in the water as he chuckled in his wife's direction.

"What's so funny?"

Inuyasha shrugged.

"You know, if you got your hair wet you'd probably stay cool longer."

Kagome huffed.

"You'll get sick if you sleep with wet hair," she replied.

"In this heat?"

"Not taking chances. Now get out of the water Mr. Tough Guy."

Inuyasha scooted back onto the bank beside his pretty little wife. His eyes were drawn to her breast, where he had left a mark the last time he had seen his wife naked.

"It's gone already," he said, making Kagome jump when he touched the spot it had been.

"What's...oh yeah." She slapped her hands to her chest.

"It's been a few weeks, humans heal a little faster than that from hickies, you know." She suddenly didn't like the smirk that appeared on her husband's face as he leaned in closer.

"I wanna give you another," Inuyasha said, trying to sound seductive, but given his wife's exasperated sigh, failing miserably.

"I wish you wouldn't do that."

Inuyasha's ears twitched.

"Eh? Why not? I thought it didn't hurt none."

"Inuyasha," she started in another sigh, "it doesn't but it's just really...really embarrassing!" Kagome's cheeks turned a bit pink.

"Shippo saw one of the ones on my leg the last time we went fishing at the river. I don't want to explain how I got a bruise on my inner thigh!"

Inuyasha felt his own cheeks heat slightly.

"Well, it ain't like it's a secret that uh... I'll be careful not to do that anywhere 'nyone can see."

"You're missing the..." She trailed off, giving her husband and incredulous stare.

"Is this some sort of kink? A marking kink? I sure as hell know you have something of a breeding kink." Kagome's face flushed as she asked this of her similarly blushing husband.

"What the hell's a 'kink?"

Kagome swallowed thickly. He didn't know?

"I-it um. It means..." What exactly did it mean? "A fetish, kinda? Like, something you like outside of regular... Uh... You know."

Inuyasha's brows knit.

"Woah wait, I don't have either of those. Don't be stupid. I ain't that weird."

He paused.

"What do you mean by 'sure as hell'?"

"You slobbered all over me," Kagome replied, without missing a beat.

"You were kind of. I dunno, but you were acting weird from the second you thought you'd have the chance to get me pregnant." Kagome said, with a slight chuckle, drawing her knees to her chest.

"What the hell you talkin' about? I didn't fuckin' slobber."

Kagome laced her fingers over her knee.

"You totally did. I'm not saying anything bad, I thought it was...mn...not cute, but uh, nice, I guess. Really eager. But you licked my neck and chest more than you would kiss me."

Inuyasha made a sour face as he thought back to then. His face was flushed again.

"You've," he cleared his throat, "never complained about my tongue before. Got the impression you really enjoyed my tongue."

Kagome didn't miss the emphasis. Right he was.

"I said I didn't mean anything bad by it. I liked it. Trust me."

"Yeah? Well, uh. You know by me sayin' I wanted give you another hickey, that was my way of askin' if you wanted to do it, without coming right out."

Kagome snorted.

"Subtly is not your forte."

"Maybe you're just shit at pickin' up what I'm puttin' down." His tone was light, a smile on his face, not trying to start an argument with the prospect of sex still out there. Kagome laughed, leaning towards him to give him a kiss. Inuyasha took that as his go ahead, tangling his left hand in her hair, holding her to him as he kissed her back. Since they were naked anyway, might as well...

Inuyasha mumbled out that he wouldn't leave any kiss marks on her as he turned his attention to her neck. Kagome looked up to the clouds through the canopy above. It had taken so much coaxing to get him to do it in the woods with nothing to show for it, and now that it was spontaneous...

So much for doing it under the glittering stars...

Suddenly, Kagome remembered something, and with a groan, she reluctantly pushed Inuyasha away.

"I'm really sorry, Inuyasha. I forgot I was on my period."

"Eh?," Inuyasha blinked. "River's right here, we can just wash off when we're done."

Kagome groaned again.

"I'm really sorry, Inuyasha. I'm not really into it right now."

Inuyasha shrugged with a sigh.

"S'all right. Don't gotta be sorry." Another night. They were, after all, trying to have a baby, and that meant nearly a solid week of nights spent making love. Just to make sure. Not that it did a whole lot of good this past month, he'd just keep this up every month until they were both sick of it, or she was carrying his kid. His kid. He wondered how she'd look with her belly round, nine months out. He almost chuckled at the thought. It would probably make her look even shorter than she was. Pretty cute.

There was a moment of quiet, before he suggested one last dip before they headed back to the house, where the heat was still insufferable.

...

I'm alive. Look, I know it's been...a while...like 4 months...there's some things I should explain.

I'm not thrilled about my writing lately, and I'm hesitant to write anymore. I think I've been...off, not depressed, but off, since whenever my roommate moved out after her suicide attempt. Or maybe DumpTruck's election, which was the same time. I'm going to set up with a therapist/counselor this coming school year, so I can finally deal with some stuff I hadn't been ready to when I had therapy as a child.

As for this story, I would like to end it soon. The quality is going to take a dive right near the end, but maybe I'll rework it someday. Question, more shorter chapters (1500 words) with more frequent updates, or less longer chapters (2500 words) with less frequent updates?

I'm also going to cut a lot of scenes and probably add them as a separate piece with chapter titles like "35.1: A Promise Kept" that I can add to later, if I go with the second option with longer chapters. Otherwise, I can work these snippets into the shorter chapters in the first option