God, I spoil my readers, don't I!? Two updates in a day!? And you've got chapter four nearly complete, too!? *takes a bow* Yes, yes. I am awesome. And I type really, really fast, too. So! If you want me to update again in the next 24, I suggest that you hit the back button and take 10 seconds of your time to drop me a review for chapter 2! Please and thank you very much!
Usagi would have liked to have said that she was surprised by Koga showing up out of nowhere and knocking on her door the next morning, but as she answered the door in a thin, nearly see-through white robe, she glowered at him and slammed the door in his face at the very sight of a bouquet of flowers. "It's too early!" She informed him. "I get up at the crack of noon, wolf!"
"I brought food!" He offered from the other side. "And word has it that you can't cook to save your life, Usagi!"
Her stomach answered her internal debate for her and she opened the door again to glare at him. "One meal. That's it. Then you leave."
Grinning broadly, Koga sauntered past her confidently and easily got her fire going. "You say that now, my lovely little healer, but I'm sure you'll be singing another tune by this evening! I have a whole planned for us and—" Koga sighed when she shot him a withering look. "Come on, give me some hope, beautiful!"
"Not only do I not even know you, I'm definitely not to type to just swoon over a stunningly good-looking man showing up with food and flowers." Not anymore, she added silently. Those days were centuries behind her. "And definitely not at eight in the fucking morning," she added with a grumble as she stomped to her bedroom, slammed the door, and simply waved her hand to change her clothing.
She waited a few minutes before coming back out and found him looking sad as he dished out breakfast. "I'm sorry," she managed crankily. "I've had three hours of sleep, Koga. I'm not interested in you at all, but I should have been a little nicer about it."
"Why were you up so late? Did something happen in the village?" He hadn't heard anything, but maybe someone had gotten sick on the outskirts on the east side.
"No, I was picking a certain type of lily that only blooms at night," she replied smoothly. "I crush the blooms to make a serum that soothes coughs. I saw you at the lake with the goddess last night, but since it looked like you two were about to get busy, I decided not to disturb you," she added with a little smirk. "Let me guess, you thought that fucking her would bring you luck? Or do you just like to court two women at once?"
Koga paled at that and vigorously shook his head. "Oh gods, no! You've got it wrong, Usagi! I only got a kiss from Serenity, we just happened to be naked at the time because we'd been in the lake! The kiss was for luck; wolves mate for life!"
She smiled at how he was babbling his reason for kissing her other form and took a bowl that he'd filled with steaming food. "Don't worry, I believe you. But I'm really not interested in letting anyone court me. So… how is it that you're up all bright and chipper after so little sleep?"
"Heh… all youkai need very little sleep to function. Even Inuyasha doesn't sleep as much as you'd think; a lot of nights he lies awake for a few hours and reads after Kagome's dozed off. I sleep maybe a couple times a week, and only for about four hours. Everyone's different; I've never even seen Sesshomaru sleep, for example. But I'm sure he does, just not when any of us can see him do it," he added with a chuckle.
"Fucking jackass," Usagi mumbled around a mouthful of rice. "He ran off all the mikos, and now poor Serenity is heartbroken. The only thing she wants is friendship. I'd spend time with her, but I'm typically hunting at night, either for food or for plants that only bloom during certain times."
"What kind of food do you hunt?" Koga asked curiously.
"Deer, mostly. I share the extra or trade it for rice and other things in the village. Why?" She asked suspiciously.
"Oh, well… I was thinking if you maybe wanted to go hunting with me sometime…? I'd even carry your kills for you," he added hopefully. "Skin them and dress them too," he continued, praying that she'd just deign to spend some time with him. Hopefully she'd get to know him better and friendship could grow into something more.
"No," Usagi said after a moment of mulling it over. "I would be taking advantage of you, Koga. You like me, and I'm not the type of girl to ever lead a man on like that. Ever."
"Wait a second… either you're being courted by someone else, you like women, or your heart's been broken so badly that you've sworn off men. Which is it?"
Usagi's lips twitched as she thought of Haruka and Michiru, and she chewed and swallowed before answering. "All three. So forget the idea of courting me, Koga. I'm being courted by the beautiful, manly woman that takes me to the heights of ecstasy every night with her tongue."
"Damn, you've got a mouth on you, woman. Too bad it's not on me," he added with a wink.
"And never will be," Usagi snorted.
"I was serious about hunting with you," Koga said after a long while of quiet, punctuated by the sounds of bellies filling with good food. "And I won't consider it being taken advantage of, either. It must be difficult for one woman living alone to provide meat, plus a surplus to sell and your work as a healer on top of it all. I'd be happy to be of assistance to you, Usagi, if only for us to get to know each other a little better."
"Fine," she sighed. "But don't you dare assume for a moment that my acceptance of your help means that you can try and get into my panties."
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"Sure you wanna do this?" Usagi asked Koga when he appeared beside her just outside her door. She was outfitted for hunting, dressed in soft leather that she'd tanned herself from her own kills, her bag slung over one shoulder and her bow and a quiver over the other.
"Wow…" Koga sighed as he looked her up and down. "You look good enough to eat, Usagi."
She just rolled her eyes and started walking off into the woods with him hot on her trail. "If you're going to make comments like that, Koga, then just go home and forget helping me. I told you, I'm not interested."
"Sorry, beautiful, just the thought of hunting gets me drooling, and for wolves, hunger of the stomach and the loins go hand-in-hand," he chuckled, not missing her slight blush as she clambered through the undergrowth.
"Shut up or you'll scare away any game," she said softly.
"Oh, hell… you want to move quietly? Hang on," he ordered with a chuckle.
Usagi watched with wide eyes as he shifted into a massive wolf, and craned her neck to look up at him. Hell, his shoulder was as high as her head. "And how is that huge ass body going to be silent?" She huffed once she'd regained use of her tongue.
"Watch and see," he replied without moving his mouth, lying down so she could stand on a stump and climb up on his back. "Hang on tight, Usa, you're so damned light that I might not notice you're gone if you fall." He waited for her to scoot up and nestle herself comfortably into his fur, her fists hanging on to the soft, fluffy hair beneath her.
"Okay, I think I'm good, Koga… but are you sure you're ok with my riding—AAAAH!" She yelped when he suddenly took off so fast that everything around them was a blur; she hadn't travelled like that since she'd driven a car during her second life!
Within moments she was squealing in delight, though, laughing happily and enjoying the wind in her face as she hugged him close, and Koga was loving every second of it. "I thought you wanted to be quiet?" He chuckled after ten miles. When she stopped laughing, she chuckled. "And to answer your question, I'd love nothing more than for you to ride me all night, beautiful. On my back as a wolf!" He added when she thumped him. "Or yours," he added with a laugh after a few minutes of listening to her mutter about yanking his sensitive ears. "But then, that would be me riding you."
"Koga, if you don't stop it right now, I'm getting off—AH! Don't you dare comment on those last three words, demon! Understand me?"
"Aw, and I had such a good reply for you, too," he snickered. "But fine, I'll keep my wolfy thoughts of mating to myself… even though it's difficult when I'm in this form. You're going into heat, you know," he added conversationally. "Ah, not a come-on, I promise you. I just thought I'd let you know. I'll have to stay away when it hits… I'd give it maybe two days at the most."
"Oh, ok. Thanks, I guess, for letting me know?" Not like it would really matter, she had no immediate future plans to get near any sensitive-nosed demons in the future.
"Welcome." Koga slowed down then as he scented a herd of deer nearby and turned mid-stride. "Stay quiet, we're close," he whispered.
They rode in silence for another half-mile, noses into the wind, and Usagi nocked an arrow and held it at the ready after sticking a second between her teeth to use immediately after. If she was fast enough, she'd be able to fell two from the same herd and save a lot of time later on, since she planned on giving one to Koga at the end of the night. She sat upright and looked through the trees when he stopped at the edge of a clearing, and she surveyed the large herd with an experienced eye; this wasn't her first rodeo, not by a long shot, and she didn't want to make the mistake of felling a pregnant or nursing doe.
She took aim at the largest buck in the group, then eyed a second as she let the first arrow fly, not even bothering to see if she'd hit it as she nocked the second arrow, led her fleeing target, and took her shot.
It all happened in the span of less than two seconds, and Koga had to admit he was impressed. Few hunters that weren't demons could take down more than one deer that quickly. "Is that it, or do we need more?" He asked curiously, drooling at the scent of blood and all that meat just lying there. They were both clean kills, and he blinked to see that she'd actually shot them both right through the eye. "Nice shooting," he whistled.
"Why thank you!" Usagi giggled as she slipped down and landed in a crouch, drawing her knife.
"I'll clean them," Koga offered once he'd shifted back to his human form, drawing his own blade. "You just sit there and start a fire, and we'll both have a fresh venison steak," he chuckled.
"Huh, I thought you'd eat them raw," Usagi admitted.
"I love 'em raw, but I thought I'd refrain from disgusting you with the way I wolf 'em down," he replied with a wink as she retrieved and cleaned her arrows. "They call it 'wolfing them down' for a reason, you know."
"I'd rather not find out why," she said warmly, already starting a fire. Once his back was turned, she just used her powers to get it going and soon had it hot and blazing. "Here, give me a haunch and I'll—"
"Nope! You said it yourself, woman, you can't cook to save your life! And while I'm not insanely great at it, one thing I can cook is meat on a campfire."
"Suit yourself," Usagi said with a shrug, moving to gut the second deer and clean it. It was a lot easier to do that than drag the whole damned thing back, and she was careful not to waste much as she piled the offal and other unusable bits at the edge of the clearing. Hopefully a bear or something would come along and eat them, she had no use for them even though she really hated being wasteful.
Koga was already cooking a couple juicy cuts of meat on a makeshift spit, and he wasn't the only one drooling when the scent hit her nose. "Oh my dear gods, I haven't had meat cooked like this in a long time. I usually wind up burning them black," she commented as she took a seat beside him.
"I don't suppose I could sneak a kiss in exchange for cooking your supper?" He asked softly, his green eyes sparkling with hope in the firelight.
Usagi was poised to tell him no when she suddenly felt his lips on hers, but when she expected one of the hard, raw kisses he'd given her as Serenity, she was surprised to merely feel his lips moving gently over hers. "Don't do that again," she whispered when he pulled away, her heart fluttering at how tender he'd been during those few seconds of contact. "Koga, I'm serious… please, please don't do that again. I like you, but not like that."
"Ok, fine," he growled. "Who is he? Tell me now and I'll just forget about it, I swear. But give me a name, Usagi."
"There really isn't anyone," she sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I just… it's difficult to explain, ok? Simply put, I'm done with men. I'm sorry if that sounds like it does, but it's true. I've been through too much to just stick my heart out there again, and I refuse to get it broken one more time. So please just don't, ok Koga? I'd really hate to have to leave the village because you won't take no for an answer."
"Alright," he sighed. Gods, she'd really go that far? If that was true, then he'd back off, and maybe he'd find the love he was searching for in one of those cute mikos. "Just friends, then. Good friends, though… ok? Not many would just accept a youkai for what he is like you do… why is that, anyway?"
"I don't judge by race or appearance," she said simply. "I judge by deeds. And so far you're not bad… for a wolf demon. Inuyasha seemed liked a nice guy, too," she added as she laid back and stared up at the moon, wishing she was in the lake and surrounded by her miko friends.
Koga noted that she seemed awfully sad and lonely and sighed internally, not wanting to comment on his observations and upset her. "Here. Yours is about done," he offered.
Usagi held out a bowl from her bag and sat back up to eat, her eyes closing in bliss at the first bite of steak. "Ermahgod," she said with her mouth full. "Ish pah-fuct!"
"Hahaha… you just said 'paw fucked…' It brings to mind so many different wolf jokes that I'm about to pee myself!" Koga laughed loudly. "It's similar to fisting!" He elaborated when she shot him a confused look.
Usagi choked a little on her food and her blue eyes widened at the thought. "Oh my fucking gods… but your claws!"
"A lot of lube," he joked as he started in on his own steak, enjoying the sound of her laughter. He took the first bite and groaned happily, but paused before taking a second when he saw her pull a jar out of her pack and sprinkle something on her food. "Wazzat?"
"Seasoning that I made myself. I can't cook, but I'm a healer that loves to eat, so I know what herbs are the best. Wanna try some? Here," she offered, handing him her bowl. "Take a bite and see if you like it or not."
Koga bent his head and nibbled on the edge, and his green eyes twinkled happily. He tasted salt, but the tangy, spicy blend added to it really sang on his tongue. "Oh hells yeah, Usa. Give me that jar." Within moments he was devouring the steak and marveling at how good that seasoning was, and once they were done eating, Usagi pulled a second sack out of the first and started loading up the usable parts of the deer, neatly folding the pelts and stowing them away in a third.
"You sure you're ok with carrying this much meat?" She asked. "I was hoping to take down a third deer, but I'm frankly getting tired. I guess I'll go back out tomorrow night."
"Three?" He asked. "Why three?"
"I was going to give you one for all your help," she admitted with a shrug.
"Fuck that, just take the two and give me a jar of that seasoning in exchange. That stuff is delicious." With that, he pecked her on the cheek and transformed, lying down so she could climb on. He ran at full speed just to hear her squealing with delight again, and when he slid to a stop in front of her house, he growled at the waiting inu daiyoukai. "What do you want, Sesshomaru? You've annoyed the healer enough, don't you think?"
"She gave this one the impression that she was close to Serenity. This Sesshomaru thought to ask her about the false goddess's whereabouts. She is not at the lake."
"The fuck do you care where she is!?" Usagi snapped at him as she landed on the ground. "She hates your guts and you are a despicable creature! Get off my land this instant! You're a bad dog!" When he only snarled at her, she drew an arrow and it glowed softly with reiki. "You heard me, demon. Get out of here. You're not welcome."
"Sesshomaru, I think she's serious," Koga rumbled, keeping his demon form just in case the inu retaliated and Usagi needed him for backup. "You'd best go… hell, what do you want with Serenity anyway?"
"To see if she is prepared to fight me as we had planned… though this one suspects that she fled like a coward." Sesshomaru flinched when an arrow pierced his shoulder and the healer's reiki seared in his veins. He growled and drew Bakusaiga then, his eyes bleeding as red as his wound.
"The next one is through your black heart if you don't leave right now, demon," Usagi warned, nocking another arrow and charging it. This time it was fully powered and not just a warning shot. If she fired, she would not miss, and she would most definitely kill him. "Last one was a warning shot, mutt. The only thing that poor goddess wanted was friends! Just friends! She's without equal, the kindest and loneliest person I have ever met in my life, but you just had to make the mikos doubt her claims of godhood and drive them off. So… get off my land right now, and don't you dare show your face here again."
Sesshomaru felt his inner demon rising, but rather than urging him to bathe in her blood, it was telling him not to harm her, to back off and leave her be. Did his beast… want her, too? Like it did the goddess?
The daiyoukai was not a stupid man by any sense of the word, and he swiftly took a step back, sheathed his sword, and looked at her long and hard for a minute, studying her closely from head to toe. There was no way in hell that his demon would ever be attracted to two women at the same time… not like that, anyway. And the more he thought it over, the more he suspected that Usagi and Serenity were the exact same person.
But her scent, while alluring and delicious, was not the same as Serenity's. Not even close. Perhaps he could be attracted to two at the same time if their features were similar? "Tell Serenity that this Sesshomaru wishes to speak with her… if she is not too afraid of me, that is."
Usagi sneered at him nastily when he backed up a little further, but something overcame her when he moved to pull the arrow from his chest. "Stop," she ordered. "Snap it off from at the chest and pull out the shaft or you'll only cause more damage. Then get out and find a different healer. You're bleeding on my grass."
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"And then she fucking shot him!" Koga cackled as he doled out fresh meat onto plates for everyone, including Sesshomaru. After much nagging, he'd finally taken half a deer home with him, but only because Usagi had threatened to shoot him if he continued to be stubborn, and she'd given him a jar of that seasoning from her storage room as well.
"I'm amazed she's alive… wait. She is alive, right?" Kagome asked with a tinge of panic to her voice.
"For now," Sesshomaru growled, holding still so that Sango could finish bandaging his shoulder. "This one will deal with her another day." How he dealt with her, though, he didn't know. Not when he suspected why his beast was reacting to her so strongly. Just thinking about it made him even more furious, but he'd save it for the next day he saw her.
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That day wasn't going to be the next, though, or even the one after; unknown to everyone in Kagome's house, a rider was knocking at the healer's door urgently, holding a second steed by the reins. It was the fastest horse in his village, and he'd kept it fresh just for this journey.
"Yes?" Usagi asked as she opened the door, freshly bathed and dressed in a cotton kimono.
"There is a village three days east of here where an illness has broken out, and it is consuming man, woman and child alike. We need a healer desperately, Usagi-sama, please come with me, I'm begging you."
"Give me five minutes," she said quickly, leaving the door open as she rushed inside, grabbed her travelling healer's bag—which was also packed with clothing and preserved food—and rushed into the store room to use her powers over ice to keep the meat frozen for a month. "I'm ready," she said, walking past him and mounting the horse he was holding for her.
"Just go," he urged her. "Ride east to the next village. My horse is nearly dead from exhaustion and I'd never be able to keep up with you."
Leaning over in the seat, Usagi filled his horse with her light and nodded. "He is fully refreshed now. Let's go," she ordered before spurring her mount towards the rising moon.
For those of you that are asking, "holy shit, did she REALLY fucking shoot Sesshomaru and live to tell the tale?" YES AND YES! MWUHUHAHAHAHAHA! And for the sake of argument, Koga would have tried to take him for reals if he'd attacked Usa.