Deceitful Time
Chapter Seventeen: Truth
"Hello?" Kagome called out as she wiggled her brown loafers off and set her backpack down below the table within the entrance that was used for discarded junk mail, keys, and extra change. Just like every other day she took off her brown jacket and hung it up in the closet. It had become ritualistic, every bit of it. Four weeks ago they shared their first kiss of the year and only five days later her school started up again. Every day since then she arrived at his at four o'clock promptly.
"Hey," was barely audible from the living room. When she walked in to check on him her smile faded into a frown. He sat upon the couch with his head resting on the back of it, one hand in his lap and the other holding his half filled cup of brown liquid against his forehead. That tired façade of his had regrettably become a ritual, too.
"Can't sleep?" She assumed as she walked over to sit upon the couch next to him, it was only then that he opened his eyes and set the cup upon his knee.
"It's not that," he didn't need her to feel guilty over it like she was so prone to do. It wasn't her fault that he couldn't find peace with the inky, starry, sky that taunted him each night she left him. She couldn't understand the depth of it, anyway. The scene of her tattered body upon the barren land wasn't all that crept into his dreams, it was not her burden to carry, it was his, it always would be…
So often he almost dared himself to the point of confessing his sin to her as she lingered at his late into the night yet he could never bring himself to do that. He could not bear the thought of her ceasing to come and bring him all the comfort he did not deserve to have, particularly from her. It was selfish, he knew it, but couldn't bring himself to care enough to stop.
"Then what is it?" She whispered while she took his hand that resided within his lap into both of hers and rested her head upon his shoulder. How could she help but to feel a twinge of guilt each time she saw him so distraughtly tired? It was her deepest fear when she knew she could not stay the night with him, not allow him the soundless sleep he deserved. Only twice since school started could she do that and she almost got caught the second time, too but it still killed her a bit... To know while she prepped for sleep on the nights she returned home he would not be, that the scene of her death still tormented him so. It was most likely her fault entirely, after all. What if she only died because she refused to listen to him? She highly doubted that if the battle was so dangerous Inuyasha would have asked for her assistance, on the contrary, he would have told her to stay away and out of it but… she couldn't help but join in if someone she cared for was in peril. What if she died in order to protect someone she cherished? Then her death would have been worth it, to her at least, but she doubted that Inuyasha would have found any solace in that… particularly if she had perished while protecting him.
"Nothing, don't worry your pretty head over it," he muttered the same nonsense he always did as he rested his head upon hers and relaxed into the cushions. That was how they spent a good amount of their time in his silent condo, hands interlaced, one of hers tracing the outline of his, the scent of her orange-mint shampoo striking at his senses, and the best part was that they needn't spare any effort to really talk because they'd have plenty of time for that later. For that moment, they could just enjoy the others peaceful company and nothing more.
Secretly, though, she had another habit that had become as necessary to her as the one she cherished to share with Inuyasha each day. One that possessed her morning, one that made her need to leave her home fifteen minutes early each day to make sure she'd arrived to school before the first bell chimed out to summon all the late students to rush for it. If a day went by without it a strange pang would beat at her heart all day long. To satisfy that pang, she always went to the hut that held the well to linger before it for a few minutes too many. No longer did she bother to reach out to the chains she could never touch, within the past week she didn't even bother to walk down the stairs any longer. It was enough to simply stand and stare at it. Questions she only managed to bury deep within her fog of a mind came out then.
Was Miroku's wind tunnel doing well? Was it too large? Would he soon…? Was the pervert still groping at any young thing's bottom and asking her that ridiculous question? … had someone bothered to say 'yes'?
Was Shippou finding a way to cope without her? Did he miss her like she did him? Was he crying this very moment over her absence?
Had Sango found her most precious little brother? Had she freed home? Had she finally told the lecherous monk that she loved him?
There were far too many questions concerning Inuyasha that her mind barely ever tried to process them. Just one rang out above all others—did he understand that she hadn't abandoned him like so many before her? Did he somehow know that the situation was out of her hand?
After she had thoroughly managed to depress herself she would often sigh and head out for whatever the day was to bring her. It took everyone by shock that she had managed to attend school every day since winter break had ended. Her teachers were pleasantly surprised to see how her grades were gradually improving, her classmates were relieved to see her doing better, and her friends were overjoyed to have her back as a main member of their group. They, too, had stopped teasing and taunting her over 'Shiro' since they had been steadily dating for a month—to their dismay, though, without sex. Still, they reassured her each chance they got that they were there for her if she ever needed advice on what to do once she was faced with the beast.
For the exclusion of the fact that her boyfriend was a dog demon her life had returned to being overly ordinary and she… was thankful almost for that. She enjoyed it, was that wrong of her? School had never been fun and it had yet to become so but she was grateful to be able to attend it like all other seventeen year olds and glad to see her mother's joy when she told her of the B+ she got on her last math exam. It was nice to be able to go to Souta's soccer games, to listen to the lie filled legends her grandpa liked to spot to her nightly, to texted her friends throughout the day and to see the latest movies with them. It was almost as if the well had never opened…
"I should make dinner," she whispered when a grand amount of time had passed by. Another part of her now predictable life was once the clock struck five she'd say that, sometimes he'd aid her but his 'aid' only consisted of him heading down to the Chinese restaurant he adored so much at the end of his street and getting take-out—rarely did they ever go out to eat.
"Mm," sleep was about to take him, she knew that was why he couldn't bother with an actual word. It was the least she could to wait there a bit longer until his breath became a steady, slow, deep lullaby to her. With care she raised his hand up to her lip and kissed the back of it, briefly, before capturing his head in her grasp and lowering him into a strange yet sure to be comfortable pose upon the couch.
'Sleep tight,' was what she always wanted to say with a smile but if she did say something then he would have woken up, probably. Instead, silently she exited the room and moved across the entrance to the kitchen and closed the door so the noise she was sure to make would hopefully not wake him. Happily she set down the plastic bag she had taken out of her backpack. She was going to make ramen for him tonight. Hopefully, he still liked that. It was going to be a good almost gourmet type, too, one that was a family recipe her friend Eri had given her that morning. She had stopped by a store on her way over and bought the proper supplies, with the credit card Inuyasha had given her for such occasions.
Really, she enjoyed this a great deal… each and every day of the mundane yet marvelous practice that had become her life.
{xoxoxoxoxo}
"You're quite the cook, huh?" He inquired as he picked up his empty bowl and hers as well before heading over to the sink. It was the unspoken agreement that they shared, if she cooked then he'd do the dishes, if he got take-out she'd clean up whatever mess was leftover.
"I'm glad you liked it so much," she laughed lightly. Obviously, he had to enjoy it since he had three helpings. She took a moment to be grateful for the fact that she doubled the recipe that Eri told her would be enough for two. "I was worried you didn't enjoy ramen anymore."
"I loved the stuff when it first came out but got so sick of it that I couldn't touch it anymore. After a few hundred years of not eating it that feeling wore off," he shrugged lightly. It was odd for both of them how easy it was for him to say something like that now. How she had grown to accept it. At first, it was mind-boggling to hear him talk about a 'few hundred years' like she would a year or two but now she came to terms with it just being a part of his life and, thus, hers, too.
"You are awful at this," she sighed as she bumped him away from the sink to work on the dishes with less effort and more precision than him. "It's almost as if you've never cooked or cleaned for yourself before!" The more time passed, the surer he was of that he just had take-out every day and hired a maid services to do his bidding.
A grin graced his lips as he watched her at work, "it's almost as if you are already my housewife."
Already, she stilled to a surreal silence at that moment. Nothing but the faint popping of the bubbles as they floated off the dishes and into the water echoed about them, her wide hazels locked upon the silver, modern, handle before her. Already, as if it was planned to happen, as if they were sure to end up like that… married. Were they?
Did she… want that?
It wasn't until then that he considered with he said, "sorry?"
"No, it's fine," she assured before she pulled the plug so the sink could drain. Then again, really, if she stopped to think why… wouldn't they? After everything they had been through together—if she were never to return to the past, too—then what would really cause them to split? Cheating, she supposed, but she hadn't any inclination to do that and she was sure he'd never betray her trust in him.
"You sure?" he inquired before taking a step away from her and glancing to the doorway of the kitchen.
"Yeah, of course," the chipper tone in her voice was enough to assure him before he headed towards the front door before a knock echoed about.
"Chi, I knew it was you," he grinned as he opened it to lean against. The fine, female, figurine floated by him, much against his will. He closed his door quietly before turning around to see her violets glancing around the place before she bothered to reply.
"I knew it was you, too," her tranquil tone sang out while she turned to look at him.
"I live here," he whispered back in a voice that only her fair hearing could pick up on, that was when she noticed the presence of a human not too far away, a delicate smile trailed up her pink lips. "What are you doing here?"
"I am here to fulfill the favor you wished for," she kept her tone as low as his.
"What?" he held back a snicker; it was irksome to deal with her choice of words at times, a great majority of time it was almost like talking to a puzzle piece. Too long had passed so that he had forgot the code one needed to understand all that she said. Then it clicked, "my memories?"
She nodded slightly, letting her loosely held silver strands bob upon her head.
"Thank you," he smiled as he relaxed against the door.
"Anything for you, anata," she relished with innocence the way he cringed at her words.
"Right, let—" but right then he saw Kagome poke half of her body out of the kitchen to see what had been keeping him. Really, he had been planning on taking care of this outside his door in the hallway. Kagome got so odd when he associated himself with pretty women, he didn't want that to happen again but, apparently, he failed there…
"Ah, the enchantress," Chiyoko chimed with a small bow of the head, "good evening."
"Uh, hello," Kagome replied with a nod.
"An—" Chiyoko wasn't allowed another word before Inuyasha grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the living room.
"Demon stuff," Inuyasha assured Kagome, "don't worry about it."
"Would you like something to drink?" he inquired as he closed the door to the living room.
"I see you still stock up on inhibiters," she hummed, "my usual."
He still remembered what that was, scotch malt with two cubs of ice, he could go for that himself so he got two glasses and walked over to hand one to her. The windowed wall had caught her attention, it seemed, as her violets ventured about.
"Do you remember the old days, anata?" She reminisced with a whimsical whisk of a smile upon her lips as she raised the crystal cup to her lips, only taking a small sip from it, "when the sky still sparked, when the air was crisp and clean, when the buildings were half as high, when the moon charted the passage of time?"
"I do," he murmured back, downing his glass in one sip.
"Do you ever wonder what it would have been like if we did not just pretend?" She mused while her violets altered from focusing upon the nighttime scene outside the window to the demon that stood beside hers reflection in the shinning glass. "If we gave air to the fire that had begun to fester in the days that have passed instead of blowing it out?"
"Sometimes, now can we get on with this already?" He grunted before shaking the empty glass in his hand.
She leaned a bit closer to him so that her silk, spring colored, kimono almost brushed against his shirt, "anything, anata."
"Chi," he warned as he turned his face to look at hers, that was ever so close, it was then that she handed him her glass and took a step away.
"The couch, Inuyasha, it is best if you are lying down for this."
He did as he was told, setting the glasses down on the coffee table along the way before he rested his head on the arm of the chair and folded his arms upon his chest, "so this'll work?"
She titled her head side to side as she loomed above him, her violets linked to his amber-auburn gaze, "perhaps, I do not often try to retrieve lost memories. It's been a hundred years, I suppose, since I last did such a feat."
"Wait, then—" but he hadn't the time to reason before her gentle touch upon his forehead sent a wave of electricity through his mind to shut him up.
"We deserve to know," a stern voice beckoned, it sparked him to turn his head to look up at the violet eyed man with black hair held in a rat-tail who wore a monk outfit, he knew him… what was that man's name? Who was he… he was…?
"Miroku," he grunted back before turning his head away and scoffing again.
"We deserve to know why Lady Kagome has left," he stated as he closed the space between them and sat down beside the squatting demi-demon, "you know, don't you? Two moon cycles have passed since she left without as much as a goodbye. Shippou is beside himself, even Sango has shed a few tears, I will not lie, I miss her as well."
"Keh, whatever," he muttered back before he received a stern whack in the head by the man's trusted staff.
"You think we have noticed how you have changed? You barely speak anymore—not that we are complaining, mind you," he joked briefly before returning to his condor tinted seriousness, "you barely seem to care for the search for the shikon shards, you find any excuse for us to return here so that you can be near the well… you no longer react when Shippou tries to trigger a fight with you, do you even care to find Naraku any longer?"
"Of course!" He growled only to turn to see an almost… apologetic look upon the monk's face. That only fueled the fire that had built up in his chest, "fuck off."
"Inuyasha, what happened? Why have you not gone after Lady Kagome when that is all you seem to care about?"
"Fuck off, now, Miroku!"
"Inuyasha," he sighed before shaking his head lightly, "please, tell me what is the matter. It is as if you have given up on everything here…"
He was about to bark back another curse but instead the words got lodged in his throat and he sighed before turning away to stare at the full moon before him… the object in the sky that caught Kagome's fascination so desperately in the sky. "Kagome's with… child."
The monk gawked at the confession before he took a deep breath and looked away briefly, "is that so? Congratulation is in order then, hm?"
"No," he clenched his fists upon the ground, his claws dug deep into the ground, "no… I told her… that I…"
Apparently, he didn't need to say anything more, his friend understood with a nod, "and that is why Lady Kagome has left… is that how you truly feel?"
"Of course not!" He sprung to his feet as he took a few steps ahead of them, "no, not at all. I want to be with her. I want her here with me right now so I knew she's safe, so our…" he choked on his words, he could feel the familiar burn in his eyes as he turned his face away from the monk that had gotten to his feet, too, to follow his friend. "She's really safe at her home. Everything's better there, herbal treatments, medicine, Kagome's always telling me that and her family's there… if I told her how I really…" he shook his head lightly, "she would have stayed no matter what."
"I see," Miroku mused before he took another step forward, "I am not in your situation, I cannot judge you, if Sango were to by chance become with child… I would want her as far away from here as possible as well. I would never be able to find peace knowing Naraku could get at her in her weakened condition… perhaps you did the right thing by Lady Kagome… then let's find Naraku soon. Let's kill him, rid the world of his malice, and then you can jump down the well and go find her. You can tell her all of this, your child needn't grow up without a father like the two of us had to."
"But… what if…" he couldn't even say it.
"Lady Kagome will forgive you," the monk swore with sincerity, "she has a good heart, I cannot imagine there is anything she would want more than to share in the joy of having a child that is yours than with you. She would not think twice about it after you tell her what you told me."
"Are… you sure?" Inuyasha inquired meekly, glancing over to the monk out of the corner of his eyes, "I didn't want to hurt her…"
"I know, and once you tell her that she will too," his 'holy' friend replied with a smile, "Lady Kagome will forgive you. She loves you, even now, I am sure. Somehow, she must know that you still cherish her."
Just like that, he could feel the cocky pull of his lips into a smirk, "then what the hell are we waiting for? Let's find Naraku already."
{xoxoxoxoxo}
"What happened, will he be alright?" Kagome sped as she hovered about the couch, "is he just asleep?"
"I believe so," Chiyoko spoke with her usual melody of a voice as she swayed about, "he asked for this."
"What did you do?"
"Hush, hush, little one, do not get so aggressive," she retorted, "he requested that I try and bring back lost memories. It is common for this to happen, he should be waking up at any moment now."
"Wait… what?" Kagome murmured as she knelt down by the unconscious Inuyasha.
"Many years back when we lived together—"
"Lived together?" She turned slightly to look up at Chiyoko who nodded, her pretty, subtle, smile never left.
"Do not fret, we were not," she paused for a bit of time as she tried to figure out what term was in current use, "an item. We were merely partners."
Partners… the only thing Kagome could figure out that meaning was sexual partners, perverted Inuyasha, she snickered to herself as she poked at his cheek, he would do such a thing. She didn't even try to keep the sizzling jealousy that built up within her at bay as she pouted.
"When we lived together, " Chiyoko picked up as if Kagome had never interrupted her, "he had a grave problem with sleeping. One time…" did Kagome hear a crack in the porcelain doll's lullaby voice? She had to turn around to look up at the nostalgic look upon her face, "six months passed and he hadn't slept a wink. It was awful. Even for a demon that was too much time. He really needed to find peace with whatever was wrong. It took me that entire time to wiggle out of him it was something from his past…" her violets ventured to meet Kagome's hazels, "something about you. It took me a month until I was able to convince him to let me erase the pain. Often, though, one forgets even ever having the memories erased. It was not until we chanced upon each other at the summit that he recalled what happened. It is hard to bring back what was once forgotten. I do not know why he would want something so awful plaguing him once more."
"What was it…?" Kagome whispered as she looked back at Inuyasha, brushing a few strands of his black bangs out of his face.
"He never told me."
"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered as he grasped the hand that she let slide down his face. It took a little bit longer for his eyes to flicker open. Her brows furrowed right away… his eyes; they were pure gold like they once were.
"How are you?" She hummed as she leaned in a bit more towards him, "are you OK?"
"I am," he assured before he managed to sit up and place his hands upon his forehead, "Chi, thanks, I think…"
"Do you feel groggy and have a headache?" Chiyoko inquired. "Remember, if this worked then whatever memories that may return will only do so gradually. It is best that you do not strain yourself, allow things to come to you naturally."
"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled.
"Here," she murmured as she picked up the crystal cup of scotch malt, "this will help, anata."
He nodded weakly as he downed the liquid then held the cold cup to his head.
"I will be leaving," she sang as she motioned towards the door, "mortal, would you care to show me out?"
"Alright…" Kagome replied with a meek mumbled as she stood up, was it a sign that Chiyoko thought of her as a servant that she had to do that? And what was with that whole 'anata' nonsense?
"Please keep in mind that his brain is very boggled right now," Chiyoko requested as she slide on her sandals and bowed her head lightly towards Kagome, "he will seem… drunk, I suppose, for a while until his mind readjusts. He will say things he does not mean, please forgive him for that, he will also be drowsy but please do not let him fall asleep until at least two or three in the morning."
"Is it like having a concussion?" Kagome guessed.
"Yes," Chiyoko mused, "yes, it is like that. Please take care of him, he cares a great deal about you. I have never seen him treat anyone like he does you, please keep that in mind."
"I will, thank you, Chiyoko," she replied with a bow of her own head before she watched her exit the place. "Inuyasha, she says that you cannot sleep for a while and she also says—"
"Ugh," he grunted before setting the cup upon the ground, "ex-wives always bring such trouble."
Her breath got caught in her throat just then, now that would explain 'anata'. Her wide hazels lingered upon him until he noticed, "what were you saying?"
"Ex-wife?" She coaxed out.
Just like that his eyes snapped open, "wait, did… I say that out loud?"
Her mouth was ajar as she nodded her head. She'd say something if she could will her vocal cords to function once more.
"Wait, Kagome, I can explain that," he sped as he stood up slowly to walk over to her but with each step he took she took another backwards. "It was only for a few years, way, way, way back. It wasn't out of love or anything, it was a political move. I swear it didn't mean what you think it did. I wasn't in love with her, we've never been in love, she doesn't love me."
"Did you have sex with her?" She sapt.
"Wel... Well," he cleared his throat, "she's a woman and I'm a man... that doesn't mean anything, really, it doesn't, I've had sex with a ton of people!"
"That doesn't make it any better!" She shrieked with a stomp of her feet. "And you two lived together, right?" Kagome jeered as she folded her arms and narrowed her hazels upon him, stopping him in his tracks. "That's what she said. Tell me exactly how long you two were married, don't lie, Inuyasha."
"Forty years and yes we lived together," he slowly said, "but only for half that time."
"Oh my lord!" She shrieked as she raised her hands to keep him at bay, "forty years is not a few years! Twenty years is a very freakin' long time to live with someone!"
"I love you!" He emphasized, "I really do! Forty years to me is like maybe two or three years to you! I wanted to become the ambassador to Japan and she has always been the advisor of section one since we developed this system! That is the only reason we did that! We've been friends for ages and then I mentioned to her how I wanted to become more active in the demonic community; she's the one that said we should get hitched for a while. It worked; two years after we wed I got the post I wanted. After a few years she moved out, for a majority of the time I was living with Akiko and her. It's not like we had a private little love nest and then when I was well established we ended it. Kagome, no one has ever meant anything to me like you do. I swear to, to," he struggled to find something of meaning, "my mother's goddamn grave that there's nothing between Chiyoko and me and there is nothing for you to be weary or jealous of!"
She snorted a complaint as she pressed her lips… "then why were you trying to hide her from me?"
"I wasn't! You always get so weird when I'm around any pretty woman that I didn't want you to have to worry! You don't trust me at all!" He shook his hands before he turned around and stormed over to his sanctuary full of intoxicates. "The past four weeks have been the best of truly the past five hundred years so why would I ever think to ruin that with someone that never even mattered to me!?"
"Inuyasha," she sighed before walking over to him, placing a hand upon his upper arm, "don't…" why did he always have to drink?
"Don't what?" he snickered back as he took off the crystal cap to a bottle.
"Don't," she repeated in a hush as she leaned her forehead against his arm, "I love you so… don't."
That struck him deeper than any liquid joy could, he let the cap drop back into place before he wiggled his arm free and turned to her, she wouldn't look up to him. "Kagome…" he whispered back before he pulled her into his gentle embrace, "I love you, too. I won't."
"Really?" She whispered as she leaned into his embrace, her arms resting upon his chest before she repeated once more, "I love you."
She did, it was true. It lifted a grand amount of weight off of her chest to finally be able to say those few words to him. A weight she hadn't known was tugging down her heart. She smiled as she pulled away from him to look into his golden eyes, "was it because of whatever Chiyoko did that your eyes weren't the right color…?"
"There are always odd side effects to what she does," he chuckled lightly before leaning down to press her lips to his, "let's go to bed."
"You are not supposed to sleep, Inuyasha," she teased with a poke on his nose, a smile lacing her precious lips, "Chiyoko told me to keep you up until three in the morning."
"You can't do that, you have school," he reminded her with a taunting smile.
"I've managed with less sleep, believe me," she laughed lightly before kissing him once more briefly, "how about we watch a movie or something instead?"
"That'd put me to sleep," he assured as he took her hands into his and pulled away just a bit to tug her towards his bedroom. Reluctantly she followed him into the room purely lit by the city lights that shined in through his wall of windows. He closed the door behind her. He could feel her eyes following him as he lied down upon his bed and patted for her to join him, her eyes narrowed as she meekly strolled over to kneel down upon the edge of it.
"What… is going on?"
"Don't worry," he winked as he grasped her arm and pulled her into his, so her back was to his chest and her legs were spewed across the bed, "I just want to talk."
"OK," she smiled lightly as she snuggled her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his, "what do you want to talk about? Memories, I'm guessing, huh? Inuyasha," she sped before he could interrupt her, "I'm sorry for everything. Chiyoko told me how hard it was for you to sleep for so long because of me—"
"Kagome," he muttered as he pressed his lips to the top of her head, "I… I don't know if I should tell you this or if… it would be better if you never knew but I can't… I can't keep this to myself anymore. If you hate me forever for it, I'm sorry, but I have to tell you."
"Inuyasha," she whispered but couldn't turn around like she wanted to because he squeezed her tighter.
"New Years Eve I remembered something," he began with a shaky breath, "you… well, not you-you but the you that... well, you know what I mean… were pregnant." He felt her tense up right away, "with my child, of course, and… I pushed you away, I told you I didn't want anything to do with it, I told you I wanted you to leave and never return. I told you I didn't want any children."
What…? She barely found air to fill her lungs, he could feel her tremble lightly. "T-That's… why you… that night… you… h-how could you…?"
"I love you," he assured, "I swear I do. It killed me for the past four weeks to know that I did that, that's why I have problems sleeping lately. It's not your fault."
"Inuyasha… I need to think," she tried to wiggle her way out of his grasp but he didn't allow it, "let me go!"
"Listen to me," he begged, "Chiyoko freed another memory of mine. One where I was talking to Miroku about what had happened; now I know why I did that! I knew I couldn't push you away like that, I knew I would never do something like that… I didn't think I was that big of a bastard in the past. I only told you that to keep you away, to make you stay in your time until I could kill Naraku, until I knew you would be safe if you ever choice to come back. Kagome… I know what I said was cruel but I thought if I told you how much I wanted to be with you… how much it all mattered to me, I couldn't. You wouldn't have stayed away. You would have worried too much about me… but... but, Kagome, you still came back." She felt his grip tighten around her as he dug his face into the back of her head, "you still came back... I don't know why, I'm sure it was to give me another chance, even after what I said... and you died."
It took time, a great deal of time at that, for her to settle down, it took an hour all in all until she relaxed into his embrace and placed her hands upon his again, "Inuyasha… do you remember how I died…?"
"Naraku killed you, I don't remember exactly when or where but… I was there, I couldn't protect you. I didn't see you, there was so much smoke and miasma everywhere… I just heard you call out my name, I heard you scream when he…"
"Sh," she whispered as she grasped his hand tighter, "it's alright, it'll be OK. We're together now… that hasn't happened, you saved me."
"Kagome," he whispered before he loosened his grip so she could relax against him, "remember… how you got mad at me a while ago for not thinking of you as a woman?"
"Inuyasha," she sighed, "not now."
"No, just… listen, I take that back, ever since New Years… it's like something turned on inside you, you've been so… great, so mature, so…" he smiled, "it's like the age of your soul is showing."
A smile lifted her lips as she unlocked his hands around her—he finally allowed it—and turned so she had a knee on either side of his lap, "do you mean that?"
"I do," he whispered as his golden gaze glanced about her before she kissed him.
"I love you," she hushed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her again before he could reply. His hands moved up the back of her thighs, under her green skirt, and then to her hips finally only to yank her body against his as she parted their lips so their tongues could mingle and trace the inside of the others.
"Kagome," he murmured, his hot breath brushed against her neck as his lips moved down to the nape of her neck.
"I want this," she mumbled back, "Inuyasha."
What once kept his desire at bay was a lie, the truth freed him so he could gently rearranged her to rest upon the bed with her back down. He hovered above her, working on the already exposed skin as his hands floated about up to her shirt. She arched her back up so he could take off it and fling it to the ground; he bit his bottom lip as he smiled down at her.
"What…?" she inquired with a meek grin. Was something wrong?
"You are adorable," he whispered with a small shake of his head, that won her confident smile back as she placed her hands upon his shirt, tugging at the end of it, she didn't need to worry, he yanked it off in no time and discarded it somewhere else. He was dying to know if her underwear matched her bra so he unzipped her skirt and pulled it off; again she arched her body to aid him.
They did, oh, he got a real kick out of that. She hadn't changed a thing even after they had gotten so close, knowing full well that after a month passed they might become intimate but did she dawn on sexy lingerer like most other girls? No, she kept on wearing what she would any other day. A white bra with light pink hearts floating around with blue stars, it was perfect.
After he was done admiring the sight he began to kiss her chest, moving down her flat stomach before he skipped over her nether region to her inner thigh, he inhaled deeply before letting his lips and licks mingle around her milky, soft, skin. She fidgeted some as his hands roamed above his head to the elastic band of her underwear.
"Inu… Inuyasha," she stuttered, "shouldn't you…?"
He grinned as he kneeled back up so he could see her face, her eyes moved down to his pants, so he did just as her eyes requested and removed his pants so he was in nothing but his boxers.
"Why am I not surprised you aren't a briefs type of guy?" She joked, actually wiggling a chuckle out of him before he kissed her stomach again.
"I can't sleep until three… right?"
"Yes," she replied breathlessly.
"Then we better make this last," he grinned upon her skin as he moved his hands behind her to undo her bra, he waited for a nod before he pulled it off to expose her chest fully to him. He kissed her lips once more before he moved down to focus on untouched breasts, one hand meshed and molded her right , letting his thumb fiddle around with her yet to be fully erected nub as his mouth encompassed her other, sucking and melting his warm mouth around it before letting his tongue roam across her pink tip. She let out her first moan then; he had never gotten such pulsing pleasure from below the belt from just that sound. He kept at what he was doing as her hands stroked his black strands as she wiggled below him.
It felt so good, it was a carnal pleasure she had never known until a few weeks ago when he snuck through her window. Then another beating gratification came to her nether region as he pressed his erection upon her. At first she contemplated pulling away but instead pressed back, apparently that encouraged him to start moving against her with a smooth, soft rhythm that made her melt against him more as his teeth nibbled at her nub.
"Inuyasha," she gasped as he paced himself a bit quicker against her, feeling a knot form in the pit of her stomach as he kept on. His mouth moved from her breast then up her neck until it smothered hers, his hand roaming down from her other to grasp her thigh and yank her closer to his thick need. She grasped her arms around his neck tighter as she began to move her hips about with his pace; it took her a few tries before they began to move along in sync.
Her excitement smelled so divine to him, it intoxicated his sense like nothing that was hidden in any of his cabinets could. It was then that he moved his other hand down to her panties and found the strength to pull himself only slightly away from her so he could slide his finger under her damp cloth and trace her region. Perfect.
She groaned into his mouth, he couldn't take it anymore so he broke his lips from hers to take a deep breath, "are you ready?"
"Yes," she nodded, lifting her hips up enough for him to slide her last fiber of clothes off. Too much excitement shook his body that he had to fiddle about more than someone as 'skilled' in this area should have to but the way her scent fumed around his head was far too much... Finally, he pulled off his boxers and prepared himself only to stop right away. His rigid body trembled as he held himself still, his eyes closed tightly.
"It's OK," she whispered, "really, Inuyasha."
"Hold on," he muttered before he pulled away just enough to fumble around the drawer to pull out protection and slide it on all too fast for her to fully notice, "ready?"
"Yes," she almost sounded annoyed with him. Again, he moved to her entrance but paused, "I swear, Inuyasha!"
"You really want this, huh?" He grinned only to receive the cruelest glare from her, "this… is going to not feel so pleasant at first."
"Inuyasha, I know," she grumbled.
"Now you're all tense," he shook his head lightly before letting his lips find the nape of her neck, "take a few breaths, I'll take good care of you."
She nodded lightly as she let her arms loosen around his neck some, he kept working on her neck with a nip here and there until she relaxed once more. With some hesitation he pushed into her for the first time, taking her virginity in one thrust, she bit her lips together, squeezed her eyes, and stiffed below him.
"Sorry," he whispered before with slow, tender, care he began to move around her stressed, tight, womanhood.
It felt awful; really, she felt a pang of pain with each time he trust in her even though it was slow and sweetly. A tear or two slid down her cheeks as she dug her nails into his shoulders. She wanted him to stop, to pull out and let her regain herself… just to make the ache cease but after a while longer it began to dull and another feeling took over. She felt him lick away another stray tear before his lips moved to hers.
Finally, the pleasure outweighed the pain as he sped up a little bit and hit a spot within her that triggered an arched back and moan into their kiss. "Kagome," he murmured when their lips pated only enough for a piece of paper to slide between them. His head was spinning when her instincts kicked in and her hips moved along with his gentle thrusts. There was no reason for it to fill so divine for him, well, no physical reason. He had never been in love with the woman he mingled with... not for over five hundred years, at least. He had never been utterly head over heels for whoever it was; he had never got a surge of pleasure by just seeing her look up at him finally and moan his name.
They pressed together tightly, every bit of them, as if one was scared that if they gave the other just a little bit more room they'd fade from their grasp. Their chests were compressed to the others, her legs wrapped around him, their arms mingled. He could feel a building need in him as he picked up speed just for a moment, but since she didn't cringe from pain he returned to that pace. Their moans merged with the others the longer it lasted, the more in sync they truly became until he could feel her begin to tighten even more so around him.
It was fantastic to feel her like that, "gods, Kagome."
Her breath quickened as he beat into her, the tingling, taunting, knot that had built within her was so close to coming untangled that it only took twice more for her to cry out his name and meet a bliss she didn't even know existed.
Never before had bringing a woman to ecstasy take him so far over the edge until that very moment. It had been so long since he actually felt something with another woman that it was overwhelming to feel the high he got from her once more as he called out her name before collapsing beside her. Aftershocks took them both before he opened his arms for her and she crawled into them.
"Fuck, Kagome," he sighed with a relief that he hadn't known in ages, "who'd have thought missionary could be so goddamn great."
"I dont' know what that means," she laughed breathlessly as she snuggled up to his chest, "but that was… yeah…"
"Uh-huh," he nodded, "Kagome…"
"What," she murmured back before kissing his chest, "Inuyasha?"
He hated to but, "I'll take those chains off… the well tomorrow. If you want me to, I will."
There was some tension filled silence before she nodded her head, "please."
{xoxoxoxoxo}
"Opened," he said as if he were proclaiming 'ta-da!', all he had to do was take off the scrolls and remove a piece of metal she had never noticed was jammed in between the well on the left side and the ground.
She watched as he continued to avoid her eyes and took a few steps away from the well. He hadn't looked at her since she woke him up early that morning so they could go there a few hours before school, meaning, they only got three hours of sleep.
"I… love you," she meekly mumbled as she walked over and—finally—opened the lid and looked down the empty well.
"Mm-hm," he murmured.
"I…" she looked over to him with bent brows and bit her bottom lip before she took another deep, cleansing breath, "I'm going to go over there…"
"I know," he always knew she would… though; he had to admit it stung more than he could have imagined. He was as certain as he could be that she wouldn't want to anymore after they became intimate. After he showed her his heart so openly… after everything.
"Inuyasha," she sighed before looking back to the well, "I'm going to tell them I'm OK, that I love them all, but… that I have to stay here… I have to stay with my family, with you," she softly spoke as she looked up to see the shock upon his face.
"Really?" he awed in a hush.
"I'll be back in time to go to school, I promise," her smile assured him like nothing else could before he took a few steps closer to her, she extended her hand to him and he took it, squeezing it briefly before letting go.
"I'll wait here for you, then."
"OK," she nodded lightly before she leaped over the well like she had a thousand times before. For some reason, it seemed so right. Shouldn't her decision hurt her? Shouldn't it be hard?
Yet it wasn't… because the simple truth was she wanted to return to this Inuyasha, to her world, she wanted the ordinary life, she wanted her family, she wanted it all… and in her era, she could have it all.
{xoxoxoxoxo}
Patience is a virtue, isn't it? Hundreds of years had vanished before him so he was sure he possessed that virtue yet time ticked on and on, it seemed as if forever had passed and still she was not back. With a heavy sigh he stood up from the spot he had been sitting at and opened the door to the hut to see what he thought he would...
The moonless night had taken the sky. A day had disappeared... did that mean she had changed her mind? That his past self still enchanted her more than he could? That she wanted him instead?
Did that mean... she wasn't coming back to him?
Was she alright?
Did she...?
He clenched the sliding door before taking a deep breath and glancing back to the well that brought him such hell.
A/N: I almost didn't bother to update today. I had a true FML moment. I wrote up until the end of his flashback and then... FML! I lost the file. The worst part? It was my own fault, FML, again. I suppose that's what happens when you are screwing around at work, hm? Still, I couldn't help but whisper FML loud enough for a co-worker could hear, ops. Anyway, needless to say, it pissed me off enough that I almost didn't bother to write it again. Then I went out after work and loosened up so I wrote more... it's not as good as my first attempt, at least I don't feel it is. Oh, well. This is quiet the long chapter, huh?
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and please review.