His name had been hovering near the surface, brushing against her consciousness like butterfly wings, but it wasn't until it was finally uttered did his control snap.
Mindful of his armour, Kagome was pulled against his chest, his face buried against her neck. She bit back a whimper, and the urge to sink her hands into his hair.
He inhaled deeply, the hard edges of his ire melting away, unable to mask the underlying fear as "mate" was whispered against her skin.
Kagome shuddered. "That's cheating. I'm still mad at you."
"If you will indulge me a moment, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."
Her arms found their way around his neck. "You could've just said you're glad I'm alright."
A snort preceded his lips brushing the underside of her ear. "That is something I would confirm for myself." He pulled back enough to slide his cheek against hers, the apology not going unnoticed as a memory surfaced.
"You did that before," she murmured, content to keep him close now that he'd taken the first step. "Is it for the same reason?"
He dragged in another breath, then pressed their foreheads together. "That was for my initial deception. I did not wish to keep things from you but assumed it to be best with how close Naraku had struck."
"Sounds like a dumb idea to me, considering you needed my help to beat him," she chided. Shame deepened the stripes on his cheeks, and she followed the lines with her fingers. "From now on, we're a team. No more secrets, no more lies."
He nodded, then jerked as she placed her hand on his chest, trying to pull it away. "I do not deserve—" Kagome tugged on his collar, silencing his argument with a kiss.