A/N: Well, I'm back after a ton of break time and even more piles of homework. I had this chapter three-fourths of the way finished but my computer had a crash/meltdown (thanks to my brother so at least aim the pitchforks at him, please) so whatever I had written was absolutely wiped out. I managed to rewrite it and I hope it's up to par with all of you what you have been waiting for. This is mostly a fluffy chapter because I don't seem to have enough of those in this story. So enjoy it, oh wonderful fans you.
Thank You: As of now, the list has simply become much too long for me to continue listing all of the names of my loyal, absolutely FANTASTIC readers that have stuck by me through and through, even with my erratic updates and my endless whining about pre-medical school life. Hehe. ^^ Isn't that just a hoot? Well, this is my special thanks to all of those that keep faving and commenting when it's been months and months since I lasted updated or you have all heard a word from me in news.
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless."
-Mother Theresa
Dedication: I am going to dedicate this chapter to a very special lady - Raining Haven! She has put up with my constant complaints over this story, and how much I want to put up the next chapter (which is this one). So this is for her because she has been absolutely wonderful. This story, however, is still dedicated to my adopted little sister Ria-chan. She was the first one to edit it, and, without her, this story might not have been posted in the first place. Thanks, honey!
Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. I bet that's all you readers hear and read when you see these disclaimers. They're the same every time – especially since I copy and paste this on each chapter... Inuyasha and the characters affiliated with him do not, in any way, belong to me. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, Shogakuken, etc.
"We who have the final word can speak softly or angrily. We can seek to challenge and annoy, as we need not stay to docile and quiet."
-William Orville Douglas
Chapter 17: Lifting, Tasting…
"Are you alright?"
How many times had she heard that through these passing weeks? She had never truly regarded herself as very fragile but, with this training, she was beginning to doubt even that knowledge. Every single nerve ending in her skin screamed and protested the movements she made, whatever insanity had possessed her to agree to training beneath demons.
She let the ground settle at her back with unyielding cruelty.
She lay there regardless of the fast footsteps approaching her from the left. Kagome must have heard that question at least five hundred times over the past few weeks. She was definitely tired of it, she decided silently to herself, even as the familiar and very handsome face hovered over hers. Maybe too close for comfort.
"Are you even listening to me, little one?"
Irritation rippled across Kagome's beautiful face and she glared at the pair of emerald green eyes staring back at her. They danced in amusement, a pure male satisfaction at her predicament.
"I'm fine," she snapped. Kouga's laughter seemed to warm her to her very toes when it filled the air. He was not the least intimidated by her display.
His eyes roamed her features for a long time. He liked to look at her, to put it plainly. The words were always lost to him. Kagome was a treasure – she had become an essential part of his life. His ego had been satisfied when the king had asked him to train Kagome further in the way of speed. She had much to learn. Naraku's attack on her person and the ball had been a fair warning that all of them should have seen coming from the very beginning. The Maiden was a force to be reckoned with. Naraku could have very well gotten his hands on her that day.
Training Kagome satisfied his need for a challenge. The mortal girl was quick to learn, eager to prove herself to anyone that doubted her. Kouga had to admit that he had from time to time.
"Yes, you look great lying there on the floor like that. You look better than fine – you look thoroughly defeated," the wolf demon pointed out. His smirk was very much in evidence upon his face.
Kagome pushed herself up suddenly so that his nose wasn't inches from hers but feet apart. Kouga's arrogance was enough to set her teeth on edge but she found she had to be flustered when he placed himself so close. His clean and masculine scent enveloped her completely; Kagome almost swayed toward him. She pulled away in horror and rose to her feet without so much as glancing at the helping hand that he held out for her. She was not about to touch his skin. That was suicide! She might just launch herself at him in frustration. She didn't know what part of that frightened her more…
Kouga watched with increasing fascination and amusement. Kagome was trying her hardest to ignore the rising intensity between them. They gravitated toward each other for a reason unknown to both of them. He could care less what sort of sense or logic there was in that. Being with Kagome satisfied some deeper meaning in his being.
"You're making running away a habit," Kouga said in that leisurely tone he knew she hated so much. Inuyasha hated it too. Kouga was hoping the dog demon was somewhere nearby so that he would hear it once again.
"Just shut up," Kagome said rudely, in desperation. Her slender arms went up into the air in exasperation before she was glaring at the wolf demon standing behind her. "You know, you're very annoying. Did anyone ever tell you that? And arrogant, insanely arrogant! You strut around like some superior peacock. It makes me want to hurl."
Kouga laughed softly at her words, throwing back his head and letting the pure rush of feeling invade his body. "Your colloquialisms are very colorful, Kagome. Is that the way you speak back in your world? It must be very interesting."
His voice could drop a woman at twenty paces! Kagome closed her eyes for a moment just to compose herself once again. "That's so you," she muttered almost to herself. Kouga's superior hearing caught every single word of it. His grin just enlarged and he seemed to draw arrogance back to the surface of his skin. So she found him arrogant? That just meant she found him likeable as well, much more than the cur she insisted on hanging about. They had butted heads on more than one occasion. Had Kouga been as uptight as Inuyasha, he would have snapped a long time ago, would have launched himself at the half-demon.
But he was not so interested in fighting with the dog demon as he was in spending time with Kagome. Her presence made him… Was there even a word for it? Even his arrogance did not set her to swooning. What a concept!
"Come now, little one, you are not going to stay mad at me forever," Kouga told her with a small smile.
"Oh?" Kagome turned about to look at him, her eyes almost lighting softly in amusement. "And how do you know that?" She did not want to admit that she did not have a mean bone in her body or that she was fast losing any notion of being angry with him. Kouga seemed to somehow steal every angry and frustrated thought from her and bring her peace. What was this phenomenon, she did not know. But she was more than grateful for the reprieve from such intense emotions. She brushed a hand through the heavy fall of her hair, gazing at it for a few moments to see the bluish-black highlights that the lights set into it. As shiny as a raven's wing…
Kouga closed the distance between them slowly. His long, lean body towered over Kagome's by an entire head. The knowledge that she could be so small yet hold such power over her body fascinated him. She was small-boned but curvy and light. The little dimple at the side of her mouth had his gaze riveted, his body clenching.
Kagome swallowed nervously and took a step back from that intense gaze. "W-What?" she asked softly.
Instantly the look faded from Kouga's eyes to be replaced by amusement – the same infuriating male humor that had Kagome wanting to slap him. "Little rabbit," Kouga teased her. She looked like a prey caught in the eyes of the predator but he did not want to frighten this little creature. He wanted to hold her.
Kagome's hands rested at her hips so that she could tilt her head up to pin him with another glare. Her oceanic eyes sparked at him, swirled into midnight blue wisps that put the sea to great, great shame. "I just don't get you," she admitted softly. Her lashes came down to veil her confusion. "You say all of these outrageous things and I don't know how to respond to them, Kouga. I'm tired right now and I can't think straight. When I'm rested, I'll figure everything out. You won't like it when I find you out though so this is your warning." She really did feel tired. There was a curious buzzing sensation in her all of a sudden. Her limbs were sore from the exercising. Kouga could teach her speed, teach her technique that would help in her battle. But all of that meant that he could not go easy on her because the enemy never would.
Concern shined from the wolf demon's face. He cupped her elbow, dragging her beneath his shoulder. "We can go beg the kitchen for food if you might like. You are most likely hungry after the ordeal I put you through."
"That won't be necessary, wolf. Get your fucking hands off her."
If it were possible for Kagome to feel any more tired, then it happened. Inuyasha's energy pushed out the gentle peace in the atmosphere and replaced it with some red cloud of… passion? Anger? It had to be anger. And possibly jealousy. A sigh heaved from her throat, contracted her lungs and left her craving more air. But despite the thoughts racing across her mind, the emotions on her face told of a different story.
Her eyes lit up the moment that Inuyasha stepped into the room. They enveloped him completely, narrowed her world until it was just Inuyasha that she saw. He always came to pick her up when she spent too much time in Kouga's presence which was happening a lot lately. The king had ordered her to be trained and what she needed was something neither Inuyasha nor Miroku could provide. They dealt with her strength and with the control of her magic. Kouga could deal in technique and speed.
"Are you going to be cliché and tell me that I should be staying away from her if I knew what was good for me?" Kouga drawled behind a faked yawn. "And then you will threaten me in the usual manner in which I would reply to you in not-so-kind words."
Inuyasha growled at him. How no one was frightened over that Kagome would never figure out. Her heart leapt into her throat every time that she heard them make that sound, especially coming from Inuyasha. He might be arrogant and ill-tempered but he seemed to be transforming into more and more of his animal counterpart. Fear dried her throat momentarily, making the air thick and hard to breathe. Inuyasha… Inuyash was dangerous; he posed a great threat. She was choking for a long moment before finally settling down. She used the two demons' words to help her calm down. She followed the conversation and was not surprised when she focused more and more on Inuyasha's voice, found herself watching the way his amber eyes darkened when he was angry.
Kagome had come to rely a great deal on Inuyasha. Every now and then he seemed to have softened after the injuries he received. Her heart often lightened at the knowledge. He was a little more controlling of his temper now; one look at Kouga, however, had him growling and beating at his chest like some great caveman. The thought suddenly made her laugh behind her hand. At the musical laughter sending shock waves down both of their spines, the males looked back to her.
The dog demon moved forward and carefully but firmly plucked Kagome from Kouga's hands and placed her behind him. "I'm going to be cliché and tell you to stay the fuck away from her if you want to keep yourself intact," snapped the half-demon. He was not up to any of the wolf's antics today. His fingers knotted at his sides.
Kouga managed to look bored as well as superior. Kagome was going to have to ask him about that one of these days. It would be a great look to give Inuyasha when he was giving her a hard time as well. But before she could open her mouth, there was already a reply following the rather crude remark from earlier.
"As though a mutt like you could possibly maim me," Kouga scoffed, his emerald gaze sliding through Inuyasha as though he were paper. "I was the one called upon to train the Lady Kagome because you lack any technique whatsoever in fighting. What exactly can you do? Yield that giant toothpick back and forth like a dolt. Yes, that helped in protecting the rest of the guests when Naraku attacked!"
The trembling in Inuyasha's body built and built like a storm. The ensuing growl rumbled deep into his chest then found its way past his throat and reverberated through Kagome's body. She looked up to Inuyasha's profile, knowing that the barb hurt him. Her hand reached out quickly and tangled over his wrist, winding no more than halfway. It was a tiny deterrent to the violence surfacing more and more in the face of his rival. His amber eyes swept down to her briefly. Kagome seemed to draw his roiling, colliding emotions into her own body and her touch was more than just a healing balm for him.
The torrents in his mind reduced themselves to mere trickles. Inuyasha breathed in deeply through his nose and swept his arm around her waist. Kagome tried to ignore how much possession he placed into that gesture.
"Thank you, Kouga," the little woman said, turning sapphire blue eyes to the other man, "but I promised Inuyasha I would have a snack with him." She mouthed 'maybe next time' to him over her shoulder as Inuyasha all but tugged her toward the door.
Inuyasha snorted down at her. "Not likely," he said even louder so that Kouga would hear. "I'm not bringing her back."
The door slammed shut in Kouga's face before anyone could even make a comment or tell Inuyasha to back-off.
"Stupid bastard," the hanyou muttered to himself, his silvery hair jounced with his rough movements. He was practically dragging Kagome along and she was getting tired of it.
She planted her feet firmly on the ground and tried to act as heavy as the rocks she had been breaking through in her training. She visualized the feel of them and the weight against her powers when they moaned and protested about being destroyed. Suddenly, her powers flared up and her weight seemed to double. It was something that Inuyasha did not fail to miss. He frowned, and then turned his eyes back to her.
Kagome stood resolutely. The stubborn set of her jaw made the situation more humorous, though not by much. Her chin lifted just a fraction higher – Inuyasha could not help but smile at her now.
"Now what are you angry at me for, sweetling?" Inuyasha asked. "I didn't do anything this time to warrant that steely glint in your eye."
The smooth words were fazing her. Kagome would have fallen into the velvet roughness simply because she loved to hear him speak. She shook the seduction away, so that she could be reminded that Inuyasha was not innocent at all in this little game he seemed to be playing. Again, she tugged at her hand to get it back from his steely grip. "I am not going to fall for that this time, Inuyasha. Every time you use that voice on me, things get crazy!"
At the hastily spoken words, Inuyasha grinned. This was a confession he had not heard before, and the thought of Kagome being flustered around him made him more than pleased. He glided closer to her until she was crowded backwards, having to step away from him. That was fine with Inuyasha because her back pressed against one of the many columns behind her. Alarm swept through her, but that just as quickly disappeared with Inuyasha's proximity. He bent closer to her, and now all she could possibly think of was the sensual smile lighting his features.
Heart pounding in utter horror, Kagome watched the hanyou come closer and closer. All she could stare at was his lips now. She remembered their texture, their bruising tenderness.
Inuyasha's groan was what drew Kagome back to the present world. How long had she been zoning out? Her confusion must have showed on her face. "Don't look at me that way," was all that he gave her.
"What… way?"
Inuyasha placed his hand on her waist, drew her flush against his body. He strained, aching for a taste of her lips, but for some reason, he was torturing himself. He should take what he thought was rightfully his. After all, no one else was going to have Kagome. "Like I'm one of your damn ice cream cones," he whispered haggardly.
The reference to that day they spent together had a fleeting smile turning the corners of Kagome's lips up. For that one moment, Inuyasha realized this ache he felt for her was absolutely worth every moment.
Kagome nearly fell for that smile – her stupid knees even went weak! This was ridiculous! He could do that with his eyes, and right then they were doing some sort of melting that was going to be very dangerous to her dignity.
"Inuyasha, get the hell away from me," Kagome shoved at his chest with her small hand. It was only a small deterrent to the incredible strength of his form, but she was going to try anyway. The biting edge to her words was ruined by that same smile playing on her lips.
"You have not told me what I did to make you angry this time." Inuyasha wanted to know. He also wanted to stay this close to her. He had decided that information was best left unsaid for now, especially when he saw the way her eyes were sparking. She was not someone that would take lightly to his attitude.
She would tell him, damn it, and then he would stay away from her. No matter what world he was in, Inuyasha was going to be a bad boy.
"You are trying to put me on a shelf, Inuyasha. Kouga was just being a gentleman, which you forgot how to do more often than not," she accused, hoping to cut at his ego. "I'm getting insanely tired of your attitude. He happens to be very nice to me." When he wasn't teasing her into deep blushes…"What if I wanted to go and grab something to eat with him? You have no right to decide who I'm going to be hanging out with. You're an arrogant pig."
She ended the tirade and glared at him in what she hoped was a very intimidating manner. Inuyasha was just staring thoughtfully at her, however. There was not a single sign of a fight on his features. In fact, he looked… amused with her. Like he was humoring her. Kagome's teeth gnashed together silently.
"You… want to spend time with that wolf?" he wondered, raising his eyebrows. "Come on, sweetling, you do not expect me to believe that." His hands tried to catch about her waist to draw her closer. Kagome sidestepped him, ducking beneath his arm, and she whirled around to face him.
Kagome's hands balled into fists. When she spoke, all of her words were enunciated, as though she could not possibly stand to speak to him. "I do expect you to believe it! Stop patronizing me, Inuyasha. You're getting annoying. I can do whatever I want with whomever I want. You do not have a claim over me."
The amusement was finally gone from Inuyasha's face. The expression that was left remained tight, bordering on losing his carefully-constructed patience. Unwillingly, Kagome took a slight step back. She was going to hate herself for that later on. His expression… she had never seen this look to him before, and she did not like it at all. Inuyasha was calculating something in his head; she just did not know what it was. Nor did she like the look of it.
"It's nice to see you finally speechless," Kagome snapped. Inuyasha's hard face was worrisome, but he had not said a word to her yet. "Now if you will excuse me, I am going to go find someone a lot saner to be with for lunch."
Inuyasha moved quickly, too much so for Kagome to have noticed it. Hand closing over her wrist, he felt a sudden, incomprehensible thing: Kagome used the momentum of his movement to propel herself behind him. His arm yanked around his body, turning him in a complete circle, before the slight weight of Kagome's body slammed into his back. He stumbled forward, mostly because he was caught off guard by her nimble form. There was not a single nerve in him that felt any pain from what she did. It was just his face contorting so devoutly with alarm and something else entirely.
He turned disbelieving eyes to his back where Kagome still clung to his back and shoulders. Instead of anger, there was a fierce sense of triumph to her that he had never seen before. What? Was he missing out on some sort of joke? He had not seen anyone attempt to propel her into the air, or make it seem like she was a warrior seasoned in battle. He was tempted to scan the room for any other faces that might be smirking at him, but he held himself in check. Instead, Inuyasha kept his gaze level with the beautiful woman across from him.
Kagome had never felt so good in her life as she did at that moment. She had made Inuyasha stumble! She leaped back from him, landing on bended knee. "Training," she answered to his own unspoken question. She could easily read it in his eyes as he looked at her features for what he wanted to know.
"Training?" he repeated dumbly. It was the first time that Kagome had ever seen him look that way. The thrill in her chest swelled even more. "You mean with Kouga?"
She nodded as she straightened up. "Yes, he's helped me a great deal, Inuyasha. I was going to show you sooner or later, but you just helped me in the exact way I wanted to do it."
The exact way? "Against me, you mean." Inuyasha did not know how to react to that. He did not move from place, or try to come near her. He just stood there in shock. In the smallness of her muscles, her bones, he had never anticipated that Kagome would have such strength. She had not caused him pain, but she had caused him to be uprooted from the spot he had stood in. No one had ever been able to do that to him before. The absurdity of it all made him really look at her now. Kagome… was a force to be reckoned with. A small smile barely lifted the corner of his mouth, played about the edges of his mind. His heart.
"Your hurt me, Kagome. Right here." Inuyasha tapped the place where his heart lay beating so strongly. His features folded over into such a believable pout that Kagome broke into a fit of laughter. Her arms wrapped around her middle. She doubled over, her sweet laughter ringing as perfection through the air. What was he thinking using that face?!
Inuyasha had to smile once again – he could not remember the last time that he had used those muscles so much. She looked so beautiful to him, her cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling in her face. He knew he had memorized it now from looking for her wherever he went.
"Stop laughing, it really does hurt! You could have done some serious damage to my heart, and then were would-"
It was Kagome this time that stumbled forward because she was unable to draw a single breath in. There was so much oxygen around there, and not a single drop of it was going to her lungs. Her sides ached, feeling like they were splitting into two pieces. She clutched at herself harder, nearly tipping over. Inuyasha, laughing as well now, scrambled across the floor to catch her. Both of them went down in a tangle of arms and legs, Kagome trapped in his arms. Skeins of midnight-raven hair fell before her eyes as she stooped forward to accommodate her aching stomach.
Inuyasha cradled her close; he laughed alongside of her. Each haggard breath she tried to draw, he felt it in his chest. Somehow that, and her silken tresses tangling about his arms, wove them together. The action was surprisingly intimate. Inuyasha paused over the thought for a brief moment, his amber eyes staring off into nothing, ignoring the sleek columns of marble, or even the exquisite set of paintings to his left. Suddenly his eyes warmed into pools of light and gold all wrapped into one, dropping to the top of Kagome's head for just one moment. The laughter had ceased, so that she now tried to gulp in great amounts of air, as though surfacing from some deep river. The small of her back pressed against the inside of his thigh. Inuyasha swallowed heavily at this realization of just how… close Kagome was at that time. That very moment… He could lean in and kiss her if he wanted to. That is… if he was not so afraid of her reaction. It was this thought that struck Inuyasha as… odd.
The girl in his arms did not move for long moments; it somehow made this easier for him to deal with his rampant thoughts and his body. If he could just stay like this for a little longer, he could memorize the feel of her. Maybe that was all that he needed. That would carry him to-
The trail of thoughts suddenly ran into each other in an endless pileup. Kagome moved forward – it was just a light brush of her slenderness, however it shook him to the very core.
He was sharing his desire for her somehow… Kagome felt it burning in her being – pulsing and needing and wanting… Lusting even. Every place that she touched, she felt connected to this half-demon. Her powers seemed drawn to him somehow, but right then she did not care for an explanation, no matter how simple it was.
Kagome finally lifted oceanic eyes to Inuyasha's features – handsome, the line of his jaw powerful. Arrogance was stamped into those features so permanently that she had to lean closer. As though for a better look at what she was seeing… She wanted to be sure those eyes were as golden as they seemed, as… liquid and intense in their passions.
"Do not unless you really mean it," Inyasha blurted out.
When had he become the prey here? The thought remained as an unsettling sinking of his stomach through the floor, straight to the pits of hell where he just might be going if he kept this up. Kagome was his. Take her. Then Kouga would never dare to lay his disgusting wolf hands on her again.
"I mean it," Kagome whispered, but she did not kiss him. Instead, the pads of her fingers traced back and forth against Inuyasha's lips in a strange, hypnotic dance. His entire being seemed to still; with such a simple touch, this slip of a young woman anchored him. The lingering bouts of anger he felt from the encounter with Kouga left him in an instant, only to be absorbed within Kagome's body. The strange phenomenon escaped the half-demon's notice, so focused was he on the willing touch Kagome placed against him.
She had never… touched him like this before. No other woman had.
It was like petting a caged predator – not something that sane, normal people did. Kagome, however, no longer thought she was very sane. Inuyasha suddenly had her right where she knew he wanted her, but she did not dwell all too much of that little fact. His lips were soft, yet firm and warm like the arm tightening about her waist.
The pressure sent her blood to singing. She forced out an unsteady breath. Should she tell him to stop? Not that she wanted to in the first place. This… exploration tugged gently on her heartstrings. Inuyasha was actually leaning into her touch like it was the most beautiful thing he had ever felt. The complete adoration on his mouth stunned her like nothing else could. His white ears, usually up and alert in every time that she had seen him, were now flat against his head. Awaiting pleasure, or a punishment.
The thought chipped at her heart. Was it… that woman Kikyo that served him punishments? Her heart broke just a little further.
"If I kiss you, Inuyasha, what will that mean?" Kagome wondered when the silence stretched between them as galaxies separated stars. The distance was just too great.
No answer was heard at first. Kagome's heart remained the only sound in the room, a quiet echo screaming and cutting and jabbing through the thick brooding of the hanyou behind her.
"It means, my darling, I will be able to chew on any portion of your body I want."
Kagome rolled her eyes to the ceiling; she asked for patience from whoever was listening. "Way to kill the mood, dog boy," she muttered beneath her breath. Her hands, despite her tone, did not push him away. They worked their way from his strong jaw, up to his temples, and then…. His ears! Kagome nearly burst with joy when her fingers brushed along their velvety texture. "You know, I've always liked your ears, Inuyasha. They're so cute."
Inuyasha groaned loudly. His forehead fell against her shoulder as he held her closer to his body.
"What did I say?"
"Cute," Inuyasha's voice was muffled in her shoulder. "You do not call a man cute. Anything but that – handsome, debonair, or even brooding. But not cute."
Inuyasha's lips curled around the word with utter distaste, and Kagome had to laugh despite the growling in his tone. He sounded more like a little puppy. It occurred to her that she could tell him that, but it might hurt more and more of his pride if she did.
So, instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck. It felt oddly wonderful to be held like this. By him. Her cheek came to rest on the side of his neck ever so cautiously. She did not know what she was doing in the least, but she liked this closeness. She drew in his dark energy, replaced it with her light, the joy she felt at that moment being in his presence. When he was like this, Kagome liked to be around him, but how did she tell him something like that? She did not think she could. It was just… not something she would be able to tell Inuyasha just yet.
"You are far too arrogant," Kagome reprimanded him gently, humorously. She teased him shamelessly. "I was not calling you cute. Just your ears. Really, Inuyasha, I would never call you cute. Ever."
Fingers touched her long hair, tangled in the silken mass. And tugged. "Hellcat," Kagome heard Inuyasha mutter beneath his breath.
She laughed, her joy so infectious that Inuyasha had to follow along stride of her. This was the Kagome he wished to see – he had been waiting for her since those few days they spent in her world. She intrigued him more than any other woman had.
"You know it," Kagome finally said after she had controlled her breathing.
Her chest puffed against Inuyasha's, and his cooled desires fanned to life once again. He nearly doubled over onto her. Kagome, oblivious to anything rampant in his body, snuggled closer and sighed into the ensuing silence. If she was not careful, she could very well get used to all of this. Her lashes created thick crescents on her cheeks before they shot open in surprise.
Her stomach growled openly, curling and writhing between them. Oh yeah… She forgot she was hungry, and that they were supposed to be getting breakfast. Kagome pulled back from his arms to place a hand over it. She applied pressure to null the sound, a small frown between in her winged brows. "Shush."
Inuyasha lifted his eyebrows until they disappeared well behind his long bangs. "My lady, are you hungry, by any chance?" he solicited politely. His tone earned him a spark of her oceanic eyes.
"You think? I would have gotten something to eat by now if you hadn't gone all caveman on me."
The sweetness of her voice rivaled the greatest honey.
Inuyasha did not even bother to restrain himself. His lips fastened on hers in a heartbeat, and he was suddenly drinking of her breath, her life, replacing it with his own. Kagome yielded under him by wrapping her slender arms around his neck. She leaned as close as she could to Inuyasha, but he did not want her using her strength to get to him. He leaned in to her instead, pressing her partially into his legs and over the floor. The action tossed her midnight-raven hair everywhere like the darkest of seaweed, or skeins of shadows meant to trap him.
Kagome opened her mouth beneath his. Bursts of colors formed behind her eyelids, and splashed across her skin. Her toes curled, but the embarrassment for such a silly reaction was dusted away with her sigh of pleasure. Inuyasha's entire body tightened at her breathy admission, and he held her closer. Determined to show her that he had healed fully, he slanted his mouth further against her.
Neither the heavy breaths, nor the way that the hanyou's silver hair tickled across Kagome's neck made the two break apart. It was only the need for air. Their screaming lungs demanded it. This was good though. Kagome had not wanted to give in to the half-demon, even if her treacherous body was enjoying every second of his ministrations.
However, Inuyasha never relinquished Kagome's skin, throwing her stern thoughts every which way never to be collected. Little kisses from his lips blossomed against her jaw and her neck, much more tender than they had ever been. Kagome's heart turned over; where was this Inuyasha hidden away when they were together?
Another growl fell from Kagome's stomach as she lay acquiescent to the beautiful sensations tingling to her very fingertips. This felt… yummy. Better than any food she could want.
She rubbed at Inuyasha's ears anxiously. "Let me up," she managed, but the strong voice was more of a seduction. "Hungry…"
Kagome laughed softly at Inuyasha smiling against her skin. The way his lips would curve upward like that… Her mind allowed the thought to leave when Inuyasha pulled her upright, still pressed against him at the most vital spots. A shiver ran up her spine.
That very-male grin was back on his features once again.
"Since you showed me your interesting world, Kagome, what if I show Madrien to you properly? You have not had the best impression of this land thus far."
The guilt and regret and anger for himself were easy to read in Inuyasha's amber gaze. Kagome reached up to run her finger along the hard line of his mouth because he was turning her inside out. He could not possibly still feel guilt over how she had come here; it was not his fault. And it was not his fault that the slavery had happened to her. "I'd love to get out of this place for a little." Kagome smile for him, to reassure him.
Inuyasha stared down at her for a long moment, simply lost, before he allowed his expression to lighten. "Go get changed then into something that is plain; I will be doing the same. I'll meet you at the front doors. We'll get breakfast on the way."
A/N: Well, this is my attempt at a fluff chapter. I'm not sure if I'm very good at it, but I'll wait for your reviews and see what you guys have to say. :) I sort of like the way it came out actually. I tried not to make it too sappy, but alas I am a romantic at heart. Please leave a review! I would love to hear from all my lovely readers.