Ton Up
By: The Hatter Theory
Chapter 9
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha
Blinking against the light, she groaned and burrowed deeper into the warmth surrounding her, feeling slightly chilled and too sleepy to confront the day.
"Morning," A sleepy voice mumbled near her ear. Kagome's eyes fluttered open, immediately focusing on the expanse of tan flesh right in front of her face. Quickly taking stock of her position, she realized that at some point in the night she and Kouga had moved to their sides and he was holding her, a careless, clawed hand resting on her lower back, claws grazing her bare skin lightly. One leg was between his, his leg thrown carelessly over hers and curled, tangling and keeping her close.
"It's bright," She groaned, turning her head back down to look at his chest and trying to block out the morning sun. The pervasive chill she had felt was morning dew that had settled on them, and she shivered once, wishing she had gone to bed wearing more than her bathing suit.
Kouga nodded, pulling the blanket up over their heads, effectively leaving them in darkness.
"Everyone is still asleep," He commented, the words almost lost in a yawn as he stretched, his body straining around her.
Taking the time to spend a few private moments with him, she tilted her head up and kissed his chin, a muffled squeak lost when he moved to kiss her fully on the lips, a satisfied smirk not lost on her when he pulled away.
"There's a morning swim or the option to go grab breakfast," He offered, body relaxing and pulling her closer.
"We'd have to get up," She pointed out, trying to point out that he didn't seem ready to move in the least. She wasn't entirely opposed to just laying there either, if she were being honest with herself. But Kouga seemed to take her comment in a different manner, grabbing her as he rolled onto his back.
"This option's nice too," He said, a smile stretching his lips wide. She giggled, leaning down to kiss him and smiling as she pulled away. Even if she hadn't known him long, kissing him felt, in an odd way, liberating. That he kissed back gently, pressing for nothing, warmed a previously ignored part of herself. She'd never been overly affectionate on dates, and though she'd kissed before, his kisses felt different. Unsure if it was because she was older or because there were no specters or pressure hovering over them, she leaned down and kissed him again.
The blanket fell away, exposing them to light, not that she noticed as she moved her lips against his. He allowed her to lead the kiss, and she experimented, flicking her tongue against his lip before nipping it lightly. Clawed fingers tangled in her hair. When she pulled away to gasp for breath he shifted, sitting up. His hand settled on her hip and held her close as he kissed her again, beginning to coax her into a deeper kiss, one that wracked her body with an involuntary shudder. It was when she shuddered that he pulled away, face buried in the crook of her neck.
"Maybe now is a good time to stop," He murmured quietly.
"Stop?" She asked, dazed. His breath puffing out against her neck made her shiver again, and she hugged his neck more tightly, seeking more of the sensation.
"I'm still male Kagome," He sighed against her skin.
It took a moment for his words to register, and instead of being mortified or embarrassed, she hugged him, smiling lightly.
"I like kissing you," She admitted.
"Good, I like kissing you," He chuckled, arms wrapping around her waist.
She had no idea how long they stayed that way, but she savored the warmth of his body against hers and the solid, quiet support of his embrace as he moved back to lay down. His legs cradled hers and she buried her nose in the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply.
When she heard her friends calling out from the cabin, she looked up to him, surprised to see that he looked as chagrined as she felt.
"Breakfast it is," She giggled when he pulled the blanket back over them. He growled something playfully, the words lost in the rumble of syllables. A moment later he stilled completely.
"I can hear you guys standing over us," He muttered.
"And yet you're not doing anything," Ginta's voice laughed.
"He's got his hands full," Hakkaku retorted.
Kagome peeked out from under the blanket, blinking against the light when it fell back.
"There's no such thing as privacy with you guys, is there?" She asked.
"You should know the answer," Ginta snorted.
"By now at least," Hakkaku added.
Kagome heard Kouga mutter something unintelligible as she got up and stretched. Ignoring the three youkai, she walked back to the cabin and was assaulted the moment she stepped in.
"Did you two have fun last night?" Yuka asked, brows raised.
"We cuddled," Kagome laughed, feeling too cheerful to be annoyed by her friend's antics.
"Just cuddled?" Eri asked, looking disbelieving.
"And kissed."
"I'm glad you two finally figured it out."
"We've only been like this for a week," Kagome chuckled, changing out of her bathing suit and pulling on her underwear.
"It feels like forever," Ayumi giggled, pulling on a shirt.
"So what's the plan for today?" Yuka asked.
"No idea," Kagome admitted as she pulled on a shirt and tossed her bathing suit in her bag. "Kouga mentioned breakfast."
"Breakfast sounds good. Maybe the beach."
Kagome listened absentmindedly as her friends discussed possible plans, tying her shoes and grabbing her jacket and helmet. By the time they walked out the youkai outside had already changed and were joking quietly amongst themselves, Kouga looking less than pleased with whatever his friends were saying.
The three quieted by the time they got to the bikes, and Kagome looked from one to the next, brow arched in question. Something was obviously going on, but she had no idea what it was.
"I was thinking about calling the guys to meet us at the beach," Yuka said, tossing her bag into the trunk of her car.
"Sounds like a plan," Ginta responded. Kagome noticed Kouga's mouth opened to say something, then he shook his head and shrugged, throwing a leg over his bike to straddle it. Kagome pulled herself up behind him, pulling on her helmet as he did.
The trip felt shorter than it had the day before, and she almost groaned when they pulled into the hotel. There was no shortage of people staring at them as they walked to the elevator, and Kagome felt self conscious, as if she were being judged for wearing the riding jacket and the helmet in her hand. No one else seemed to notice it, and she shuffled to press closer to Kouga, who draped an arm over her shoulder.
Once they were back in the room, Kouga seemed to withdraw, becoming more quiet as the others looked over the room service menu, finally settling on ordering two of everything as Yuka and Eri called their 'summer flings' as they had dubbed the two males.
"Is everything alright?" Kagome finally asked, settling down into the couch next to Kouga. He nodded, although he seemed to have barely heard her.
"I was heading back to Tokyo tonight to finish the order," He finally admitted. "The ferry leaves this afternoon."
"Oh."
Kagome admitted, if only to herself, that she didn't want him to leave yet, and felt selfish because his work meant more to him than she could fathom.
"He's too scared of looking desperate to ask you to go with him," Ginta snorted, rolling his eyes. Kouga made a disgruntled, offended sound, glaring at the other youkai that sat on the couch across from them.
"I wouldn't want to get in the way of his work," Kagome said, hoping to diffuse the sudden tension. Ginta laughed and Hakkaku tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"You're going to be learning to ride though, right?" He asked aloud, looking at the ceiling.
"Yeah," She admitted slowly, noticing Kouga tensing next to her. The room had quieted and she shrank back from Kouga, afraid she had given the wrong answer somehow.
"Seems to me you'd need proper gear, especially a better fitting helmet and some boots. Those would be easier to find in Tokyo. It's only a few days after all, and I don't think you'd get in the way. He said it was just some minor details," Ginta added, a smug smile on his face.
"Cheaper in Tokyo too, especially if you guys go to Taki's," Hakkaku said, his smile mirroring the other youkai's.
"I think we could do without for a couple of days, Kagome needs to be safe," Yuka said with a sly smile, sitting on the arm of the couch.
"Guys, Kouga has to work," Kagome tried.
"It'll be fine, just, I don't want you to get bored or anything, I'll be in the shop for a few hours."
"Let her watch. She wants to learn how to ride, let her know about the machine. At least she'll have a better idea than half the morons that are out there," Hakkaku laughed.
Kagome finally chanced a quick glance at Kouga's face, surprised to see the anxiety there. He looked honestly afraid that she wouldn't like to go. Hoping she wasn't projecting her own hopes onto him, she nodded slowly.
"I'd like to learn more," She admitted. "What I've read in magazines doesn't cover a lot, and some of it's confusing."
"That's settled then," Ginta said, voice decisive. "You're going to take the truck, right?" He asked. Kouga nodded.
"The truck?"
"It's the trailer, we brought the bikes here in it," Kouga explained. "Since Hayate has 'em now, I can take it back."
Kagome nodded in understanding, grateful that the issue had been solved. Nervous excitement quickly followed the revelation when she realized that she would have time alone with Kouga, time to get to know him better and time where her friends would be making their own guesses, but not within hearing distance.
Breakfast arrived along with Heiken and Ken, both of who greeted her friends warmly and offered the three youkai brotherly greetings. Kagome didn't miss Kouga rolling his eyes and tried not to snicker when he looked vaguely repulsed.
"You know, at least they're not following us back to Tokyo," She pointed out quietly.
"There are gods after all," He snorted, standing to go grab a plate of food. She said nothing, watching him with a lazy smile and leaning against the arm of the couch, taking his spot and stretching across the length of the furniture. When he came back, he didn't even protest or try to get her to move.
He just sat on her legs, earning an angry yelp. He raised a brow as she scrambled to pull her legs from under him with a glare.
"Here I was, nice and got us both food, and you had to hog to couch. Oh well," He sighed, leaning back and tossing her the extra set of chopsticks. Their own personal squabbling was lost as the others made plans, and she only gave half an ear to the suggestions the others made since she wouldn't be a part of them while trying to snatch food of of Kouga's plate.
"You could ask nicely," He pointed out, not even looking at her as he took a bite from an apple and used his chopsticks to block her own from the plate in his lap.
"Where's the fun in that?" She muttered.
"Women always make things so difficult," He sighed, taking another bite and chewing thoughtfully.
"You're the one refusing to let me eat."
"You won't ask nicely or get your own plate. It's rude."
She knew he was joking, because he couldn't be serious. At least she hoped not. With that thought firmly in mind, she looked from the plate to him, and giving a huff, leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek with her nose. He stilled immediately, and she darted forward, mouth open, and sank her teeth into the apple he had hovering next to his mouth, pulling away and taking the apple with her.
"That's a dirty trick," He muttered as she grabbed the apple, taking a loud, crunching bite from the crisp flesh.
"Don't make me resort to them then," She laughed.
He opened his mouth to say something, and she promptly shoved the apple in it before grabbing the plate from his lap. Laughter burst out around them and she looked across to the other couch where Ginta and Hakkaku were seated, clutching their bellies as they cackled.
Unlike Kouga, she willingly shared when he reached for food with his chopsticks, and their breakfast resumed in peace, or relative peace. The others quibbled over staying at the beach, visiting a spring, or seeing a movie. Karaoke was brought up and all four males involved groaned loudly until Yuka mentioned a karaoke bar, where they would be allowed to drink, which made the two youkai and Ayumi groan.
"I need to go get the truck, you want to ride along?"
"I was going to pack a bag," She told him. "I've got a couple with me and I don't want to lug everything along."
He nodded, standing and giving a short goodbye. The moment the door closed behind him, she looked to her friends, surprised that they didn't descend on her again. Grateful they had their own distractions, she went to her room and began packing, turning when the door opened.
Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi all filed in. The room, while spacious for a hotel room, felt claustrophobic suddenly, and she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"So, a few days alone with him."
"Don't you guys have your own guys to deal with?" Kagome groaned.
"They're eating, they can deal without us for a few minutes," Eri giggled, opening the doors to the wardrobe and going through the clothes there.
"Guys, it's just a few days, and it's not a big deal."
"Are you going to be sleeping at your mom's or his place?" Yuka asked slyly. Kagome blinked. She hadn't even thought of that. If she stayed at her mom's, her mother would know she was back in Tokyo, and why. The first was fine, the latter, the latter would take some explaining, which she wasn't sure she had really prepared herself for. The idea of riding was one thing, but admitting it to her mother was another. While she hadn't even considered riding outside of her trip to Hokkaido, living near Kouga and learning more meant she would probably be riding in Tokyo, might even get her own bike eventually.
Which her mother might be less than pleased about.
"I don't know," She admitted.
"You should take him to meet your mom," Ayumi encouraged quietly as Eri pulled a dress from it's hanger and folded it neatly into Kagome's bag.
"Not yet. They need time to get to know each other first," Yuka argued as she went through a drawer and pulled out a pair of shorts that had been purchased only a few days before, and were not something Kagome would have picked for herself.
"Kagome knew him back in middle school," Eri pointed out pragmatically.
"But not as a couple. They need some time."
Kagome was more than willing to let them talk over her, because she didn't have to act on their advice in the least. Freed by that knowledge, she walked over to her wardrobe and packed a few shirts and grabbed some jeans from the dresser, as well as underthings and pajamas. Despite Yuka's pointed comment about the lack of sexiness concerning her sleep clothes, she zipped the bag up and grabbed her book, making a pointed comment about the others getting ready for their own day while going and lounging on a couch as the others scrambled to get ready.
Ginta and Hakkaku both looked like they wanted nothing more than to flee when she gave them a curious glance. Both sets of eyes flicked over to the two males sitting at the small dining table, and Kagome nodded in understanding before giving a light shrug.
"Hey Kagome, can I borrow that shirt I saw, the blue one?" Yuka asked.
"Sure," Kagome said, already opening her book. Ginta and Hakkaku groaned when Ayumi sat in between them and told them her friends were taking their time.
In another fifteen minutes Yuka and Eri walked out, looking no different than they had before save for the change of clothes.
"Let's go," Yuka called out.
And within seconds Kagome was alone in the suite, and she settled into her reading, enjoying the rare solitude. Halfway through the novel, she didn't notice the knocking at the door until a solid thump banged against it, and realizing she'd lost track of time, she hurried over to open it.
"You ready?" Kouga asked, looking vaguely amused.
"Sorry, I was reading," She admitted quietly. "Let me go grab my bag."
He waited patiently and she bolted to her room, flushing for being so absent minded as she grabbed her duffel and tried to slow her breathing. Reading had helped take her mind off of the options of where she would be staying and the possibility of having to explain to her mother that she had begun dating -something her mother would be thrilled to learn- and motorcycles -which would probably be less than thrilling-.
"You alright?" Kouga asked as they walked down the hallway to the elevators.
"Yeah," She chirruped brightly.
"You're lying."
"Probably."
"Care to share?"
"Not really."
"I could toss you off the ferry," he offered as they stepped in.
She stared at the silver doors as they closed and leaned against the back wall, unsure of how to broach the topic without seeming childish or clingy.
"I don't know how to explain to my mom that I'm back in Tokyo," She finally sighed, as the doors slid open and he stepped out.
"Do you have to?" He asked, head tilting to the side in askance.
"I don't have to, but I don't want to impose," She started. He made an impatient sound and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward out of the elevator when the doors threatened to close.
"It's fine. I honestly didn't think about it either. But if you're okay with it, you can crash with me," He offered. "I'll be on my best behavior."
She nodded, smiling brightly now that yet another small crisis had been adverted before it had really begun. The only other issue was the idea of crashing with him, not that she really felt it was an issue, because she'd slept next to him the night before. However, sleeping in a bed, with none of her friends there to harass her, was slightly more daunting than camping out under the stars.
The truck was bigger than she had thought it would be, a black trailer attached to the back, also bigger than she had thought it would be. As she hopped up into the cab, she tossed her bag in the back seat and turned, struck at the sight of him putting on his seat belt.
"This is weird," She admitted.
"How?" He asked, turning the key and looking in his side mirror.
"I've only seen you on a motorcycle."
"I prefer them," He told her, brow furrowed. "Cars feel too much like cages. I usually have the windows down when I drive. Beats out air conditioning to me."
"You did live before they invented it," She chuckled hitting the button to lower the window.
"Calling me old?"
"Possibly."
"Thanks," He muttered, although there was no anger in his tone as he pulled out of the parking lot. She watched the world pass by, chancing a glance in his direction every now and again, still vaguely discomfited by the picture he made as he drove. It was at odds with everything she knew about him, another adjustment she knew she would have to make, at least sometimes.
"Can you explain more about motorcycles to me?" She asked, wanting to fill the silence as he pulled onto the highway.
"What do you want to know?"
"I noticed there's different classes, but I could never get what makes them different, aside from how they look."
"You mean like touring and sports?" He asked, eyes still on the road ahead of them.
"Yeah."
He began explaining the differences of different bikes to her, going into details about the engines and body design that she only halfway understood, leading her to ask more questions about the working parts themselves. Words that had been abstracts to her before, fairing, suspension, binders, chassis, fork, began to make sense as he explained what different pieces were, and how they came together and operated on the motorcycle.
Amazed at his knowledge and the passion he displayed for it, she let him talk on, as fascinated by the change in him as she was by the breadth of his knowledge. Bits and pieces of his history mingled with it, personal anecdotes that revealed more of how he had become who he was.
When they arrived at the ferry, he hopped out for a moment, breaking her from her trance as she watched him speak to one of the valets. He walked away, over to a small office, and she stared out at the water and the boat waiting to take them back to Tokyo.
Five minutes later he was getting back in, a frown pinching his features.
"What's wrong?"
"Had to fight them on parking myself. I don't trust these kids with the trailer."
Several valets watched as he drove carefully over the ramp and into the parking deck. There was limited space, and the attendant there seemed annoyed at the inclusion of the trailer and the space it was taking up even after Kouga muttered about paying for two parking spaces.
Kagome followed quietly, bag in hand, subdued by his frustration as they were shown back out and the obviously annoyed valet pointed silently at the stairs.
"Ignore them," She finally said, elbowing him lightly. He looked down at her, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips.
"My bike's in the back, I don't want them jostling it or something," He admitted.
"It'll be fine," She assured him quietly. "You parked the truck and it's not going anywhere until we get to port."
He nodded, walking through the hallways, duffel bag carelessly in hand and over his shoulder as he followed signs.
"They didn't have another room, but I can crash on the floor," He explained when he used a key card to open the door.
Kagome was about to agree when she saw the room.
It was tiny, and nothing like the suite she and her friends had shared on the ride over. There was a small door leading to what she assumed was a bathroom, and the door to the room itself almost hit it when opened. The bathroom door was narrow, and even still would probably hit the bed when opened.
"We can share the bed," She said decidedly.
"Kagome-"
"There isn't floorspace for me to crash on if I curled up into a ball, much less you," She pointed out, voice flat. He looked at the floor and then at her and sighed, nodding as he did.
"Fine."
The bed looked like it could fit both of them comfortably, which she was happy about. If it had been as small as the rest of the room was proportionally, she doubted even he would have been able to fit onto it. He opened his bag and pulled out a book, a heavy looking hardcover, the title of a thriller she had seen on shelves when she had gone looking for her own books to read.
Wordlessly they settled onto the bed, toeing off shoes and settling into it. Kagome wondered if the silence was because speaking would probably be more awkward, given the circumstances, and didn't want to test the theory by talking. Instead, she settled against the foot board, pillow propping her up as she opened her own book and began reading while Kouga leaned against the headboard, legs stretched out across the length of the bed.
Eventually she shuffled and got on her stomach, pillow under her chest and he began to slump down. The awkwardness passed, leaving a sense of intimacy in the quiet. Glancing over the top of her book, she saw that he was engrossed in the novel, and added that to her catalog of things that were slightly surreal.
He seemed to notice her staring, closing the book and sitting up, arms going over his head and tightening his shirt over his chest.
"How about some lunch?" He asked. Kagome glanced at her watch, surprised to see that it was already evening.
"Dinner?" She asked with a lopsided smile. Kouga nodded and threw his legs over the side of the bed, pulling on his boots and waiting patiently for her.
"So how's your book?" She asked as they walked down the corridors, moving with the slightly rocking of the boat.
"Predictable. The author's gone downhill lately," He admitted.
"I haven't read anything by him."
"I'm pretty sure he's given up on writing at this point," Kouga chuckled. "It's actually pretty bad."
"Oh?"
Listening to him explain how the situation itself was stupid and the characters beyond foolish, she laughed when he acted out a particular scene, even effecting different voices and making faces. By the time they got to the ferry's restaurant, she was doubled over with laughter, unable to stop when he imitated a woman's voice, making his own break from pitching it so high.
"What about yours?" He asked as they sat and waited for a waitress.
"Enjoyable."
"Might have to steal it then."
"I'm almost done. I can go by the magazine stand I saw when we rode over and pick up something not predictable," She added, rolling her eyes.
Most of the other diners were quiet, although she didn't notice, quickly being pulled into conversation about different authors. She admitted she preferred stories with a hint of romance but despising ones where it was the main focus, and he admitted he generally didn't like romance in his books at all, saying that it usually took over the plot. They compared different books they had read recently, and she was pleasantly surprised to find out that he enjoyed thrillers and supernatural mysteries, although he generally found them comedic, thus his enjoyment.
Food was eaten absentmindedly as he admitted to trying to write a novel once, about the things that had happened in the past, names changed and events switched around. Unable to help herself, she giggled when he made a face as he told her publishers had said it was too mundane for an action or supernatural story.
"Do you still have it lying around?" She asked as he slipped a card into the small bill wallet.
"I think I burned it for warmth," He joked, eyes flashing merrily when she gasped indignantly.
He was still bemoaning his fate as a mundane as they navigated the hallways in search of the magazine stand, getting turned around twice before finally finding it. Kagome scanned the few novels they had on the rack before pulling down a spy novel and paying for it. Getting back to their rooms was infinitely easier, Kouga pointing to his nose when she commented on his sure pace.
"I wish they had more to do on these things," He groaned, sitting on the bed and pulling off his shoes.
"Not happy with my charming company?" She quipped smartly.
"That's fine, this room's tiny though," He grumbled. "And I'm too cheap to get one of the first class suites," He added, rolling his eyes in obvious disdain.
"I'm sure you'll live. Besides, we'll be asleep for half of it."
"I wish I could hibernate, like bears," He muttered dourly.
"Because hibernating for a day would be useful," She retorted, opening her bag to go ahead and get ready for bed. As she shuffled through her clothing, she made an annoyed noise, setting most of it on the floor as she did, brow furrowed in confusion.
"You alright? Didn't grab the wrong bag did you?" He asked, peering over the side of the bed, braced on his elbows.
"It's the right bag, not everything I packed is in here, but there is some stuff I didn't," She muttered.
"What?"
"Yuka," She groaned, running a hand through her hair when she remembered that her friend had gone back into her room, unsupervised. "I wish she was a youkai so I could zap her."
"What'd she do?"
Kagome did not want to admit that her friend had removed all of her sleep clothes, leaving only regular clothes and underwear.
"She changed some of my clothes around."
"She's-"
"Got bad taste," Kagome groaned. "But most of my clothes are here."
"So what's the problem? You've got jeans at least, right?"
"Right."
"You sound angry."
"I don't have any sleep clothes. She pulled my pajamas out."
"Your friend seems pretty presumptuous," He muttered, eyes narrowing. Kagome prayed he had not seen the brightly colored box her friend had stashed in her bag, especially since seeing it had almost given her a heart attack. She promised retribution, if only mentally.
"She is, just, never mind. I can sleep in my jeans."
"You can borrow a pair of my shorts," He offered.
"That's okay-"
"They're clean," He muttered, looking vaguely offended.
"Thanks," She sighed, running a hand through her mussed hair again. "I'm really sorry about how she's been acting. It's just, I don't do this sort of thing, I mean, it's not like I haven't had dates, but I don't normally show interest," She stopped immediately realizing two things. One, that she had been babbling. The second thing she realized was that he was smirking at her.
"Something funny?"
"Yeah," He said, grabbing his bag from the floor and opening it.
"What?" She snipped.
"You," He chuckled, pulling out a pair of plain black boxers and handing them to her. She huffed in annoyance and grabbed them without a word, taking her bag and walking into the tiny bathroom.
Changing was a pain in the cramped space, and in a moment of petty triumph she realized he would be far more uncomfortable in the small room. However, that triumph faded when she realized that, even though he was slim, she had a much smaller waist and that his shorts hung off of her, slipping down her hips. Feeling like she was wearing a balloon, she suppressed a groan and turned on the sink.
Brushing her teeth -holding up the waistband with one hand as she did- she glared at her reflection in the mirror. The fluorescent light washed out her complexion, made her slightly sunburned cheeks too pink, almost florid looking as she spat and rinsed.
Hesitant, she grabbed her bag and opened the door. Thankfully, Kouga was already reading her discarded novel, obviously amused by whatever it was he was reading.
"Thanks," She sighed, flopping onto the mattress and grabbing her new book.
"No problem," he said, flicking a glance in her direction before setting the book down and walking to the bathroom, bag in hand. She opened her book and was only halfway through the first page when she heard a bang and a loud, colorful curse.
"You okay?" She called out.
There was another crash that sent her scrambling out of the bed and to the bathroom door.
"Kouga?" She said, thumping her hand against the door.
"Don't open it," He muttered, the door thin enough for her to hear the echo in the bathroom. "Tiny fucking spaces."
She walked back to the bed, sitting on it, eyes on the door. When it finally opened, he looked ready to stomp out, stopping when he realized there wasn't enough room for his stride. Growling under his breath, he dropped his bag by the bed and sat down, rubbing his head.
"Let me see," Kagome demanded quietly.
"I'm fine," He sighed, flushing she she grabbed his face and looked at it. Blue eyes held notes of frustration, but the red tinge to his cheeks made her realize that he was more embarrassed someone had heard him than by the accident itself.
"What happened?" She asked quietly, rubbing the slightly swollen spot near his temple.
"I banged my head on the sink coming back up," He admitted.
"They didn't take giants into account when making the bathroom," She giggled, leaning forward to brush a kiss against the spot before leaning back. He gave her a lopsided grin and leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers.
Unsure if it was the freedom of her friends not being nearby to interrupt or if it was because they were growing more comfortable with one another, she followed him when he began to pull away. What awkwardness she had felt from inexperience before had also faded, and she couldn't stop the feeling of being daring as she straddled him.
Claws tickled her sides lightly under her shirt, palms warm as they settled on her hips. She cupped his face, gasped into his mouth when a fang glanced over her lip lightly. Heart pounding in her ears, she shivered when his hands traveled up her back and his fingers spread out, heat radiating from each digit as claws and calluses scraped against her skin.
He took over the kiss, demanding more than he had before. It felt hungry, almost possessive as his tongue slid against hers and a groan or growl, she wasn't sure which, thrummed in his chest and vibrated over her lips.
Heat, unfamiliar and heavy, pulsed and tingled beneath her skin, quieting any protest she might have had as he fell back onto the bed and his hands roamed over her back and down to cup her bottom. Her soft sounds, ones she wasn't fully aware of making, echoed and meshed with the rumblings and soft snarls he made as he turned, pinning her beneath him.
Her blood throbbed through her, electricity sparking where his lips touched as he pulled away and kissed along her jawline, his weight on his elbows while his hands rested against her sides, hot even through her shirt. Hot breaths puffed against her ear, over her neck before his lips brushed over the area, fangs glancing lightly off of her skin.
And then he was pulling away, eyes clenched shut as if afraid to look at her.
"Kouga," She started, dazed and tight, body thrumming and immediately missing the heat of his covering her.
"Not, not yet," He murmured, nose touching hers. "I'm trying to be noble."
She wanted to tell him not to be noble, because at that moment she didn't feel very noble. However, he looked almost pained, and she realized it was costing him as much, if not more, to stop their progress, and that he was doing it for himself as much as her.
"Alright," She murmured, cupping his face and touching his nose with the tip of her tongue lightly. The action seemed to calm him, and he shifted onto his side, pulling her close to him.
"Thank you." His voice was ragged, and afraid she would sound just as ragged and breathy, she only nodded, allowing him to hold her as they both began to relax. What had been an almost charged awareness slowly faded into warm intimacy that demanded and pressed for nothing. Feeling more sure of herself, she cuddled into him, legs tangling in his as his breathing evened out.
"You're a really good guy," She finally said, hand moving to drape over his side as she pressed her ear to the spot above his heart.
"Thanks."
He didn't sound entirely pleased with the observation, and she couldn't stop the giggle that escaped as she pictured his expression. It would probably be frustrated, maybe even disgruntled.
"Tell me a story," She demanded quietly.
"About?"
"Have you ever crashed?"
"A few times," He admitted. "Not in a long time though."
"What happened?"
"A truck hit the back when it ran a red light last time."
Her gasp wasn't lost on him, and he slowly began to explain, almost automatically, what had happened. She listened as he explained how the truck had clipped the back of his bike, sending it on it's side, pinning his leg beneath it as traffic continued around him, how deafening the noise had been as another car had swerved to avoid him and crashed into another car, the ambulance that had insisted on looking at him despite the assurances that he was fine. The days of healing it had taken for his broken femur to knit itself back together.
When he stopped, she wasn't sure what to say. The experience seemed not to affect him in the least, except for the fact that he was so quiet, so apathetic sounding. Distant.
"I'm glad you're okay," She murmured against his chest.
"It's why you have to wear armor," He told her firmly. "You're not like us."
"I know I'm new," She began, startled when he pulled away and looked down at her, brows knit together in concern and blue eyes so intent he almost looked angry.
"I'll make sure you know what you're doing, and you'll be wonderful, but other people won't know what they're doing," He told her quietly. "People don't pay attention to people on bikes, not really."
She nodded, surprised by the vehemence in his tone, the utter conviction. The fear of learning to ride and having to deal with the amalgamate 'they' he referred to warred with the quiet pleasure that he had enough faith in her to say she'd be wonderful. She just hoped that she would be. After watching him on the track, she wasn't sure she'd ever be as good as he had proven to be.
"What if I'm awful?" She asked, not really mean to say the words aloud.
"You will be at first," He sighed, settling his chin on the top of her head. "Especially if you're as clumsy as I remember you being."
It was her turn to pull back and with an expert flick thump his nose lightly, making him twitch and wrinkle his nose as his eyes narrowed.
"Bad puppy," She snipped. "You're not allowed to use that against me."
"Pu-" He started, eyes widening comically before narrowing and a growl rumbled in his chest. "You want a puppy huh?" He growled, claws skittering over her skin as he exaggerated sniffing around her and nosing her, pushing against her face before his tongue slipped over her cheek.
"Kouga," She screeched when he found the ticklish spot on her ribs and focusing there. Any words after that were lost in laughter as she tried to push him away, only succeeding in pushing herself over the side of the bed.
He stared down at her, eyes bright with laughter as she glared up at him, although she couldn't force the grin on her face to go away.
"Okay, not a puppy then," She said, another giggle escaping. "Just an old wolf."
"Smart ass," He muttered, pulling her back up onto the bed and tugging her close before drawing the blankets over them.
"You live for it," She reminded him.
"Maybe," He chuckled, reaching over to switch off the light. "I could just be a masochist."
"Sounds about right."
She felt his teeth nipping at the tip of her nose lightly, a rebuke or a gesture of affection, she couldn't tell, but she darted forward in the dark, repeating the action, or trying to. She caught his chin instead, earning a half grunt half chuckle as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Go to bed," He said, the words fanning over her lips. She leaned forward and this time found her mark, kissing him lightly before playfully nipping his lip.
"I'm in bed," She reminded him, nuzzling her nose against his.
"Not if you keep doing that."
"What?" She asked, confused.
"I'm not above pushing you off again."
"Jerk."
"You live for it," He sighed, settling deeper into the covers.
"Maybe," She murmured, inhaling the scent of him and falling into the warmth he offered.