I'm glad everyone's liking everything so far! And yes, everyone agrees with me about the racism thing! GOOD!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the associated content. I just post disclaimers and hope that in my dreams it may be mine . . .
Warning: Sexual content within this chapter. If you don't like it, don't read it.
Chapter eleven
"Hmm . . . hmmmm . . . hmmmmmm . . ." Totosai was poking at the thulium, inspecting it from every angle, and Inuyasha was tapping his claws against Tetsusaiga's hilt, obviously growing impatient.
"What's the problem?" Inuyasha finally demanded.
"Oh, nothing. It's great. You actually managed to get it." Totosai replied, nodding his head, as if in approval. "And it also seems that Tetsusaiga has accepted you as its master."
Inuyasha was surprised. "You can tell?"
"Of course I can. I made the blade, after all." Totosai replied matter-of-factly. "I'll admit, I didn't think it was possible, that Tetsusaiga would ever accept you in a million years, but it turns out I was wrong."
"Hmph. Well of course you were." Inuyasha said arrogantly, ears flicking petulantly. "Now that that's done, I guess it would be time to break that red orb with the Tetsusaiga." Inuyasha looked to Miroku, who rummaged around in our pack until he found it. He pulled the red orb out, and Totosai took it from him, setting it down on the large stone where he forged his weapons.
"Well, even Tetsusaiga will probably have some trouble breaking this orb. But it's not impossible. This orb certainly has strong demonic powers." Totosai commented.
"This should be no problem." Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga out and immediately the blade transformed, golden sparks flying everywhere. The blade really suited him, and even I could see that.
Inuyasha brought Tetsusaiga up over his head and swung it down, and there was a large clang as it hit the orb, and when he pulled the sword away, there was nothing more than a tiny crack in the orb.
"I hope you didn't think it was just going to shatter." Totosai commented. "It's going to take more than just one swing to break it."
"Hmph! I'll hit it as many times as it takes!" Inuyasha struck the orb again, and there was a bigger crack when he pulled the sword away this time.
"At least it's doing something." I said, from my spot where I sat by Sango and Miroku.
"ARGH! STUPID DAMN ORB!" Inuyasha backed up, and I watched with amusement as he took a running start, leapt into the air, and struck the orb with all his might.
When he hit it the last time, the orb cracked straight down the middle, and cracked into two halves. "Hah!" Inuyasha grinned as he settled Tetsusaiga over his shoulder.
I watched with amazement as the orb began to melt into a red liquid. "Inuyasha, press Tetsusaiga into that liquid!" Totosai instructed, and Inuyasha did so. The red liquid traveled all along the blade, bathing it like blood, and when it stopped, the blade began to glow red, before it flashed and then changed back to silver.
"Now the Tetsusaiga possesses the power to break through barriers." Totosai stated. "The Tetsusaiga will turn red when it has the power to take down a demonic barrier."
"Then there's no sense in us lazin' around here. We need to get out there and track down Hakudoushi and end this once and for all." Inuyasha announced, sheathing his blade.
"Inuyasha." Totosai stopped the hanyou as he and the rest of us began to leave. "Tetsusaiga may have transformed, and it may have accepted you as its master, but the blade has far more power than what you've unleashed. I will tell you this, to give you a clue. The blade has a technique, an ultimate technique, one that can kill a hundred demons in one sweep. The technique is called the wind scar."
"The wind scar, huh?" Inuyasha glanced at Totosai over his shoulder. "You can't give me anymore hints?"
"Of course not. If I did that, Tetsusaiga wouldn't be your sword." Totosai replied simply. "That's all I'll say on it. You'd better get going."
After we left Totosai's cave, we all agreed it would be better to return to Kaede's village for now, so that we could gather our wits before we headed after Hakudoushi. We had been traveling for a while, so we needed to be at full strength before we went after him.
We reached Kaede's village a late in the afternoon, and there was still light left, but not much. The villagers seemed surprised at our return, but accepted us well enough, for the most part.
Kaede emerged from her hut and greeted us warmly enough, and Rin raced from Kaede's hut and tackled Sango's legs in a hug. "Mama! You're back!" Rin cried.
Sango smiled and bent down, hugging Rin tightly. "Yes, I'm back for now. Just for a little while though."
"All of ye must be very wary from your travels. Come to my hut and eat some supper, and ye can regale me with tales of your adventures so far." Kaede replied, and we all agreed.
"A sword, eh?" Kaede questioned, after we informed her of Inuyasha's new blade. "Well, it certainly suits you, Inuyasha. I heard many tales of your father, the great dog demon, especially when he ruled the lands of the west. Yes, he was a mighty and powerful demon, so it only figures he would leave ye such a powerful heirloom.
"Also, I find all of ye to be very wise in returning here to gather your strength." she added. I took the time then to tell her about Hakudoushi, and Kaede looked unsurprised to hear the news.
"I've heard of him, actually, now that you mention it. I never suspected he would have a connection to the great priestess Midoriko, though. He sounds like a terrifying foe." she went on.
"So how have things been here at the village, Lady Kaede? Have you been safe?" Miroku asked as he sipped his stew.
"We've been well enough. Demons have purposely avoided this village because Kagome has the sacred jewel in her possession, and there is no purpose in attacking such a small, humble village." She replied. "Rin has been well as well." She looked to the little girl, who was resting her head in Sango's lap, fast asleep. "I have been teaching her how to recognize many different herbs. It seems Rin shows interest in becoming a priestess."
"I think that would suit her well." Sango replied, looking proud. "I would be honored if you trained her to become a priestess, Lady Kaede."
Kaede chuckled. "Well, that's up to Rin to make the final decision. Kagome was even younger than Rin when she decided to become a priestess."
I smiled at the memory. I glanced over at Inuyasha, who had been quiet this entire time, leaning up against the wall and looking out the window, at the setting sun. He looked so beautiful, with the fading light touching his face, lighting up his golden eyes, making his long, dark black lashes look even longer. I felt a rush of love, and I sighed to myself, wondering how it was, that I'd been lucky enough to fall in love and have someone.
Inuyasha noticed the scrutiny, and when he noticed me staring at him, he scowled and his ears lowered slightly, but he blushed. "What are you starin' at?"
I blushed a little and looked away, back to Kaede. "Well, thank you for making us dinner. But since we're staying the night anyway, I think that I'm going to go take a bath in the hot springs. Do you want to join me, Sango?"
She looked up at me. "Actually, that sounds nice. I'd love to." Sango scooted Rin over gently into Miroku's lap, who accepted her happily, and luckily, Rin didn't wake. Sango and I stood up, and left the hut.
We had lived in the village for a while, so we had no trouble locating the hot springs. I stripped my miko robes off and slipped down into the hot water, and Sango joined me after stripping, and we both sighed as we relaxed down.
"So . . . are we going to tell Kaede that we're both engaged?" Sango questioned, after a moment.
"Hmm . . . probably not right now. I'd rather wait to tell her until after Hakudoushi is gone, so she can't try to talk me out of it. Not that she would be able to, but I don't want to be on bad terms with her." I replied.
"I see what you mean. But, I have a question." Sango hesitated, before she jumped right into it. "A while ago, when Miroku and I intruded on you and Inuyasha in the field, well . . ." I began to blush at the memory. "Have you two . . . lain together?"
I flushed so deep I thought I might match the temperature of the water. "Of . . . of course not! I mean . . . we've barely done anything like that."
"Didn't look like it when Miroku and I interrupted you in the field." Sango said slyly.
"That was the first time anything like that happened." I protested. "He barely ever kisses me. It's hardly as if we have the time, since we're traveling and doing things. That's why we're engaged. So we can focus on those things when Hakudoushi is gone."
"Well, do you want to lay together with him?" Sango questioned.
"Sango!" I exclaimed, mortified. "I can't believe you're asking me this! It's not like . . . it's not like I don't want to, but . . . with Hakudoushi . . ."
"Kagome, let me give you a tip of advice. Sometimes the best times to do those things are in times like these. Sometimes it's better to live in the moment rather than to plan it all out. Love isn't something you plan, and neither are the physical aspects of it." Sango said softly.
"Are you speaking from experience?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sango blushed a little. "I could be."
I shook my head. "I don't even want to know. Well, either way . . . neither me or Inuyasha have ever even done anything like that before. So . . . I'm nervous about it." I admitted. "I know how it happens, the act itself, but . . . I don't know every little detail."
"It's a great experience, when you love someone and they love you." Sango replied. "Don't be nervous. You trust Inuyasha, don't you?"
"With my life." I said immediately.
"Then you have nothing to worry about." Sango assured me.
The rest of the time we spent mainly in silence as we bathed, and after a while, Sango dismissed herself, to head back and to go to bed, but I said I was going to linger a bit longer and relax some more.
I was indeed relaxing, after she left, and there was nothing but the crickets chirping or other animals making noise to disturb me. I looked up at the sky, seeing the deep midnight blue, as night had fallen now, and the tiny, clear white stars. I gazed up at them and smiled, thinking how beautiful the sky looked. I had my head leaning back against the bank, the forest behind me, and nothing but the sky above me.
"You look awfully sentimental, ya know." suddenly Inuyasha's face appeared above mine, upside down, and my eyes widened.
"You're going to have to stop doing that!" I fussed, standing up and covering myself as I turned to face him.
"Well, you were takin' forever out here, so I was wonderin' if somethin' had happened to you." He replied, glancing up at the stars to give me some respect.
I thought about what Sango had said to me while she'd been in here, and blushed a little. I . . . I do want to do that with Inuyasha. I want to show him that I love him. But . . . what if . . . he hasn't even thought about that? Everytime we kiss or something like that happens . . . he gets so embarrassed, and so do I.
"Inuyasha, can I ask you something?" I asked softly.
He was busy looking at the trees now, trying not to look at me. "What is it?"
"Inuyasha, do you ever think of . . . being with me?"
His brow furrowed in confusion. "Kagome, what are you talking about? I am with you."
"Not like that. I mean . . . being with me." I repeated, blushing a little. I moved a step toward him, the water rippling with my movement.
He made a sound of embarrassment and flushed at my question when he realized what I meant. "I . . . I . . . what kinda question is that anyway!"
I bit my lower lip. "Inuyasha . . . do you not want to be with me?"
His ears lowered as he heard my sad tone. "No, Kagome, of course I do. It's just . . . I don't want to . . . I haven't ever . . ."
"I haven't either." I interrupted, knowing what he meant. "So, you'd be first. And I'd be first with you."
"Kagome . . ." he was still blushing, looking down at the ground, ears lowered slightly.
"Inuyasha . . . look at me." I ordered softly. I let my arms down, letting them float in the water by my sides.
He did so, after a moment, and when he laid eyes on me, the blush on his face increased, and his eyes traveled down, to my breasts, then farther down. I let him look, because I wanted him to look. I wanted him to enjoy the sight. I wanted him to want me.
"Come into the water." I said softly, when he finally looked back up into my eyes.
He hesitated, before he reached up, and gripped his shirt, and began to pull it aside. He looked into my eyes, as he pulled his arms out of the sleeves, and then let his shirt flutter to the ground. There was something so intimate about it, watching him undress, and my heart was pounding. I felt nothing but love and desire as I looked at him, and I knew then, again, that I wouldn't love anyone else, as long as I loved Inuyasha.
His claws touched the hem of his pants after he untied his belt, and hesitated again. He flushed again with embarrassment, and his ears lowered slightly. I moved through the water, before I climbed out, and I saw him take in a sharp breath at the full sight of my naked body. I reached him, and held his eyes, as I touched the hem of his pants, and hooked my thumbs inside, and began to push them down. I never once looked away from his gaze.
When we were both completely naked, I took his hands, and pulled him down, into the water with me. We stood facing each other, until I tilted my head back, and slid my arms around his neck, and let my eyes close as I kissed him. He responded with passion and patience, and I knew he was scared of the act. I was scared too. But I loved him, and I knew that he loved me. We were together, and we could get through it together.
His hands were so slow and gentle as they ran along my waist, and when they finally slid over my breasts, I leaned my head back, and let him breathe in the scent of my neck as he fondled my breasts. He was exploring me the way a man explored a woman for the first time, because it was his first time. He was hesitant but eager, and despite his inexperience and my own, his touch made me gasp, aroused sensations within me, and between my thighs, that I'd never experienced for anyone else before.
I slid my hands down his chest, feeling the hard muscles of a man, and then, further down, to where his excitement laid, erect and eager for my touch. I slid a hand around him, and his hands tightened on my back, and suddenly he was kissing me fiercely as I stroked my hand up and down erotically, his tongue sweeping in my mouth and taking hold of mine.
One of his hands slipped down, and he touched between my thighs briefly, withdrawing, before coming back with more confidence, and sinking a finger inside me. I gasped at the sudden intrusion, and kissed him harder, trying to urge him with my lips to be more forceful with his motions. He slipped a second finger inside me, and began to quicken his pace, and soon, I couldn't take the passion anymore, and I knew that he needed to make me his.
"Inuyasha . . . take me." I breathed, pulling back from his lips, and holding his eyes.
Instead of answering, he simply kissed me, and reached down, drawing my thighs up around his waist, lifting my bottom up out of the water, so the water couldn't wash away my wetness down below any further. We were both virgins, so we needed the lubrication to make it easier and less painful.
He pressed me back against the bank, and in a sudden motion, he pushed inside me, and I knew it was so the worst part would be over quickly. I cried out in pain at the shockwave of pain, and my thighs trembled around his waist. Inuyasha kissed my shoulder, arms tight around me, and held completely still.
"I'm sorry." he whispered, his voice rough with arousal and far too arousing in itself. I felt myself grow warmer and wetter just by his voice.
I knew for the pain to get better he needed to move. He needed to distract my body and me. I pulled my head off his chest, and pressed my forehead against his, and whispered, "Move. Take me."
He gripped my hips gently, and the first, tentative thrust had both of us taking in sharp breaths, for reasons other than pain. He was so hot inside of me, and the feeling of him within me was so overwhelming in itself. I could hardly believe this was happening.
He thrust again, a second time, and followed it up with a third thrust, and began a pace, once that was agonizingly slow and gentle. He was taking his time, not only for me, but for himself, because it was new to him as well, and I knew that it had to be as overwhelming for him as it was for me.
"Kagome . . . is it . . . is it ok?" he whispered, sounding like he was enjoying it, and wanting me to enjoy it too.
"It's more than ok." I assured him breathlessly. "Please, you can go faster."
At my request, he obliged, and his breath was coming out harsher and faster itself, and so was mine. He thrust very deeply up into me, and I gasped, a moan escaping my throat before I could stop it.
"I like that sound." he murmured in my ear, and I blushed, flushing even further with embarrassment as he repeated the action and forced the same sound from me a second time.
"Then you make it." I ordered, and began to move my hips with his. I kissed him wildly, tangling my fingers in his hair as our hips rocked, and within seconds, he was making the same noises, and they were far too arousing for me to bear. My stomach was tight, and I could feel my lower half clenching, and waves of pleasure were coursing through me. I knew it was coming close to an end. Inuyasha's hands tightened on my hips, and his thrusts were growing out of pace, out of synchronization, and my name was escaping his lips.
"I love you." I whispered to him, when our lips parted for a brief moment.
"I love you." He whispered back, for the first time, and my heart skipped a beat, and hearing him whisper that, accompanied with his thrusts, sent me over, and I cried out, cried out his name in passion, as the pressure released. I clutched onto him for dear life, and he released a few moments later with a gasp, his arms shaking as he clutched onto me in return. Our breathing was harsh, and we both flushed and sweaty, and I laid back against the bank, and he laid down on top of me after pulling out of my body, as we tried to calm down.
When we had calmed, Inuyasha sank down into the water, and I sank down with him, resting in his arms peacefully as his claws stroked up and down my arm, and through my wet hair. "Are you sure you love me?" I asked softly.
"Hmph. Do you even have to ask?" his own voice was soft, and surprisingly gentle.
"Inuyasha . . . when everything is over . . . with Hakudoushi . . . when we defeat him, I mean, where are we going to come live? You were alone for so long. And, I don't want to run into any villages like Ayame village." I said softly.
"I don't see why here wouldn't be a good place." He replied back, as he lightly traced the curve of my breast with his claws. I felt my breath hitch, and he smiled at my reaction.
"Quit that." I swatted his hand away, but I was smiling too. "You would really live here? With me?"
"I already planned on that. I thought it would be obvious." He murmured back. "We can build a home. And we can live here, an ordinary couple, for the most part."
Inuyasha was silent for a moment. "Kagome, I've been thinking . . . thinking of something."
"And what's that?" I asked softly, tracing patterns on his chest.
"Well, Hakudoushi said that for Midoriko's soul to be truly put to rest, that the Shikon jewel has to vanish. We know we have to get rid of it because her soul is inside and constantly battling." he started, sounding hesitant. "Well, I was speaking with Kaede earlier, alone, and she said that when the jewel falls into the hands of the last person who will own it, they will have to make a wish on it. And when they make the correct wish, the Shikon jewel will disappear forever."
"Kaede told you that?" I asked, surprised. "She hasn't told me anything like that."
"She was going to." Inuyasha replied, but moved on. "The jewel, in order to disappear forever, needs to be completely purified. That's the reason it would disappear . . . and, it may not be the exact wish that's to be used to get rid of it, but, there's a wish . . . that should purify it, and make it disappear."
For some reason, I didn't like his tone, and I was growing anxious. "What wish?"
Instead of answering right away, Inuyasha said quietly, "Well . . . before, when we first met, I wanted the jewel. I wanted it to become stronger, so I couldn't be pushed around for being a half demon anymore. I wanted to use it to become all demon."
I waited for him to finish. "If I had used the jewel to become all demon, it would have been tainted, and probably almost impossible to purify. But . . . what if it was used in the opposite way?"
I felt my brow furrow. "What do you mean?"
"I'm half demon . . . but I'm also half human. What if the jewel was used . . . to turn me into a human?" Inuyasha looked me in the eyes as he said this, and I felt my eyes widen.
"Wha . . . what?" I whispered.
"It's completely possible, with the power of the jewel. If you made a wish . . . if you wished for me to become human . . . then the jewel would most likely be purified, and would cease to exist." Inuyasha went on, seriously.
"Where is this . . . why are you saying this?" I demanded, beginning to grow angry. Why was he saying this? Why would he think I would want him to do that?
Inuyasha's face became solemn, and he looked away, his tone rough as he said, "The villagers in Ayame village were only a small taste of what I've gone through my entire life. And if I marry you, no one is going to approve of it. No matter where we go, we're going to be shunned and treated that way because of what I am. I don't want to put you through that. I can't do that to you."
"Inuyasha, you're being ridiculous. You can't do that. You can't even say that." I said angrily. "Look at me. Look at me." I grabbed his chin, and forced him to hold my eyes. "You are a half demon. You were born that way. Your mother was human, and your father was demon. They loved each other, and were together. They didn't care what others thought, and you were created because of this. What makes us any different?"
"You shouldn't have to suffer for what I am!" he argued, ears flattening to his head.
"You were born as a half demon for a reason, Inuyasha!" I exclaimed. "You weren't born human; you weren't born demon. You were born half. If you were meant to be one way or the other, you would be. You are strong, brave, and kind. You helped those villagers even when they didn't deserve it. And you love me, a human, despite the fact that I'm of the exact race who hurts you and shuns you."
I cupped his cheek, and softened my gaze and my tone as I said, "I love you how you are. I don't want you to change. I want you to stay as a half demon. I want you to stay like this, with me. I fell in love with this half demon. I didn't fall in love with a human or a demon. I felt in love with that half."
Inuyasha's golden eyes softened. "Kagome . . ." he wrapped his arms around me and sighed, and he didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. He understood what I was saying, and I knew he was happy that I had said it. It was what he had needed to hear.
One day, you'll be proud of your half heritage, Inuyasha. Your demon appearance and mannerism are the very things that attracted me to you, and your human heart was what made me love you. You wouldn't be Inuyasha if you didn't have both of those things . . .
Woo-hoo! My third lemon! Hopefully, it was romantic like I hoped it would come across as . . . and also a bit STEAMY. Everyone let me know what you think. Please, be gentle. :P