AN: Okay all y'all that have been like "OMG Inu just talk to her" you're about to find out why. If you e read me before then IDK why you guys doubt my version of Inu. He's not a total dumbass lol. Buuut he is pretty thick headed at times. I hope you all enjoy! This is for all who reviewed asking for more!! Thank you!

It took a lot of scrubbing but the water finally ran clear when Kagome wrung out her hair. It was the same for her clothes; her priestess top still a slight tint of pink.

Even exhausted, she didn't stop until she found a hot spring. At least they weren't too uncommon in this era, or for a price. Kagome walked right into the warm waters and no one stopped her. All that was said was that they would make camp and walked away.

That had been over an hour ago and even though her fingers and toes were pruny; she couldn't make herself leave. The water helped her aches and distracted her mind.

Her hair done, she piled it on top of her head and ideally scrubbed the rest of herself, pausing to play with bubbles every now and then. She wished she brought a back scrubber. She could feel the sticky blood still on her skin but couldn't reach it.

The sound of another jumping into the pool and walking her way made her pause and start to hide. When she saw Inuyasha, stripping his blood coated robes as he walked, she still wasn't sure if she should hide or not. Kagome didn't have the time to decide.

Releasing his robes to float, she watched as they swirled in the current until they met the surrounding rock walls holding the water in.

Not a word said to ask or question; Inuyasha took the hard lofa she'd brought with her and scrubbed the cursed spot Kagome couldn't hope to reach on her own. She pulled her knees into her chest while he finished. Then his fingers grazed the mark at the bottom of her neck.

"The first one?" He asked while somehow knowing already. She nodded in response and his touch left. Sitting a few inches from her, she felt him scrutinize her body from behind. "I thought you lost weight. But that wasn't it. You gained it. All in one spot; making you look thinner."

She curled into herself more and he let out a long sigh.

"Can you… help me with my hair again?"

She waited a beat to calm herself, then grabbed her shampoo. It was just like before, sitting on the rocks behind Inuyash's head and scrubbing until his hair was the right color again. The only real difference was Kagome was naked… and carrying his child.

Close to finished and about to dunk him, Inuyasha suddenly grabbed her knee and twisted her leg slightly. Kagome hadn't given much notice to her cuts and bruises but the one Inuyasha was inspecting was a claw mark from where she was held down by demons tonight.

"They didn't just want to kill you tonight," he started in and she pulled her leg free, "Naraku wants to do worse than just kill you because of what you mean to me."

"Guess you can just tell him it was all a big mistake."

"Goddammit," he grabbed her, pulled her off the rock and into the water with him. Kagome was sputtering when she surfaced and Inuyasha was washed clean, pulling her up out of the water and into his arms. "You're so thick headed. Do you ever listen to anything I say?!"

"Yeah, I do. And all you've said is how much of a mistake Mating with me was!!!"

"I've never said that!!"

"Not those words exactly. But you've implied it!!"

Gently scraping along her scalp, Inuyasha kept one arm around her waist while the other grabbed her head. He slapped their mouths together with such force, their teeth knocked. It was a match though. A match over gas soaked logs because Kagome wrapped all of herself around him and deepened the kiss. Inuyasha had to tug on her hard to get his release.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I love you, you needy wench?"

She sucked in a harsh breath but still managed to speak. "You've never told me."

"This from the woman that says 'you're the demon and the human, all of them are you'?" He replied, lifting a dark brow at her.

"You made me tell your human half like it made a difference!"

Inuyasha was laughing at her and Kagome didn't find it funny. But when she tried to get away it only resulted in getting twisted. Her back against his chest, he sat them down in a shallow spot, wrapping his legs around her hips.

All Kagome's determination to leave melted away when he placed both hands on her lower belly. His thumbs brushed up and down over the small swell; reminding her she couldn't afford to be so selfish.

Relaxing, Kagome laid her head back on Inuyasha's shoulder and looked up at the stars. It wasn't long until he started running his fingers along each of her marks, counting them.

"Did those bastards leave me any skin to put my mark?!"

She watched him trace the one on the inside of her breasts. "What are you talking about, they're all your marks?"

"Kagome," he pressed his lips into her shell and moved under the water. His hard cock now pressed into her butt. "Do you want me? Accept me? Love me?"

Every inch of her shook with want and he started to stroke the inside of her thighs, paying special attention to her mark. "I...I already told you…"

"Say it now. Say it to me."

Inuyasha was pleading with her, begging her like he did as a human. Hanyou Inuyasha was just as needy. But did Kagome want him? Accept him? If she truly loved him then she had to, right?

Inuyasha dragged the pad of his finger across the jagged halfmoon inside her thigh; his thumb brushed her folds intentionally as he did. He was making a path with his mouth from the nape of her neck, down her shoulder, and back again up the column of her neck. Something told Kagome he was figuring out where to put another mark. It made her shiver in the warm water.

"I… more than anything, I want you Inuyasha… I want to accept you.. accept you into my body the way I have into my soul. Because I love you."

His lips curled against her skin and he grabbed the outside of her thighs, lifting her up and dropping her onto his cock. Her head threw itself back, Inuyasha filling her so suddenly and quickly. Already, her hips moved without her control and Inuyasha growled, grabbing her chin to hold her head back against his shoulder. The arm he had around her ribs was careful, holding her down to grind up into her but making sure not to crush her ribs or put any pressure on the small bump just below it.

Shifting, he lifted her with his hips, pushing deeper into her while putting them both on their knees. Their hips out of the water now, the friction was more intense. Kagome wanted to fall over onto her hands and let him buck into her hard but he held her up with his arm around her ribs still.

His raspy breaths and heavy pants were right in her ear, causing another shiver down her spine. "You feel… so good Kagome…. so tight… I wanted you for so long…"

She didn't know if he meant before or after they had fucked in her bed all those months ago; not that the Hanyou knew what the Demon and her did. Kagome was starting to wonder though, because the Hanyou was hitting the spot she really liked with his tip and reaching down to stroke her clit while he did. Her orgasm was close and she was holding back so they could come together. Inuyasha was sucking the spot where her neck met her shoulder, choosing his spot to mark her so he was going to come soon too.

When Inuyasha groaned and sunk his teeth in, Kagome let go; her mind swirling and her body convulsing. The hormones raging in her body made her pussy twitch so hard it hurt a little when it was over. Inuyasha stroked her walls a few more times after they were done for good measure before pulling out. He still held her tightly to him, her head flopping back on his shoulder to look up at the stars while he sat them back down in the water. She let nature do the work, the water swishing in and out of her, a white cloud swirling out that was his sperm getting washed away.

Inuyasha licked her a few times on the bloodied spot on her neck from his bite before his focus went back to her belly. Both with his hands and his mind. "You need to eat, don't you?"

If he wasn't holding Kagome's naked body to his and stroking the skin over his baby in her belly, it would have been just like any other day the way he spoke to her. Slowly, Kagome pulled away from his hold, getting out of the bath. "Yeah. I should eat something."

Especially after losing all her nurishment a few hours ago. Her stomach grumbled softly but, of course, Inuyasha heard it and chuckled while she turned pink. A hand on her lower back, he helped her to dry land. Taking their clothes, he spun each piece quickly over his head like a helicopter. With his speed, she wondered humorously if he could take flight like that.

Dry (but not warm like they would be from a dryer back home) she pulled on her cleaner robes. It was the middle of autumn in this era and the air was far from warm. In just his pants and hadagi, he placed his suikan over her shoulders, wrapping it around her. Whether for warmth or protection, she didn't know as Inuyasha smiled softly down at her, wrapping her in his armor. Then he picked her up, an arm at her back and under her legs to carry her bridal style to the camp. She would have complained but she was tired and he was warm.

"Keh. You really have gained weight."

She smacked his chest, knowing it wouldn't hurt but it still needed to be done.

"Hey! Isn't that a good thing right now??" He squealed in his offended tone.

But he was right, she should be and needed to be gaining weight right now. Her answer was to relax into him again, snuggling deep into his chest.

oOo

Kagome felt bad for Shippo, she really did. With Sango and Miroku distancing themselves from the camp and Inuyasha pulling her for some distance as well, Shippo was left alone with the fire. At least he had Kirara, the demon cat snuggling up to the little fox and comforting each other.

They didn't go that far, Inuyasha pulling out her bed roll for her. When he found her blushing heavily he looked at it and her and back again. "We had sex in this didn't we?"

Covering her face, Kagome hid from him. "Did he tell you??"

"My demon half? Yeah, the bastard was ever so kind as to let me see all after I sent you back home. The entire time you were gone."

"I'm surprised he didn't just come get me." She said, wistfully.

"Feh, that asshole agreed with me about sending you back, he just didn't agree with us not being with you. Or not finishing the bond first."

He got into her bed roll first and then held it open for her to join. "What are you talking about?"

On her side, Kagome looked up at him as Inuyasha held himself over her, propped up on an arm. With the back of his hand, he brushed her cheek, pushing stray strands away. "Are you tired?"

She was but Kagome didn't feel like sleeping. Not yet. It wasn't what her body wanted most at the moment. "No."

Grinning, Inuyasha pressed it to hers, their grins widening against each other's. Then deepening, running her tongue across his lip to gain access. Inuyasha ran his hand down from her cheek, slipping it inside his suikan to grab her breast over her thin t-shirt. She still didn't sleep in her robes or a bra but Inuyasha insisted she keep on his suikan. Kagome thought it was cute, trying to protect her even while she slept as if it would save her from all things; even nightmares

He was strumming her nipple, brushing his thumb back and forth to make it hard and spring back so Kagome reached a brave hand into his pants. He moaned loudly into her mouth when she wrapped her hand around his tip.

There was a flash of light against her closed eyes. Gone in a second, Kagome ignored it...until it happened again. Then Inuyasha stopped too, gently pulling away from her to search out the disturbance. The peeved look on his face surely matched Kagome's but it faded away when he caught sight of one of Kikyo's soul collectors circling.

Inuyasha stared at her, nothing but seriousness in his eyes and pulled her hand from his pants. "I have to go."

It was like a bullet to her heart. "You're not serious."

But she knew he was, he'd already made that clear with the look on his face. She made sure to give him her back as he got to his feet and fixed his belt. "Kagome… I'm sorry. Please understand, I have to go see her."

There wasn't a single fiber in Kagome that understood Inuyasha. Or rather, she didn't want to understand him. Because she was scared to death what it meant that he could make love to her and then leave to see another woman without missing a beat.

And there wasn't enough strength in her body or heart to watch him leave, her burning marks keeping her warm in the place of his warm skin.

oOo

It was nearly dawn and Inuyasha still hadn't returned. Kagome hadn't slept a wink, giving up when the sky lightened enough for her to see clearly. Even though it was a frosty morning, she couldn't bring herself to continue to wear Inuyasha's suikan, stripping it off in the middle of the night and leaving it folded in place of the bed roll they were supposed to share.

Instead, she put her top on over her pjs like a jacket and headed back to the camp. The fire was dwindling and the others were still fast asleep. When she returned, arms full of brush and limbs from the forest around them, Inuyasha stood next to the fire. His suikan was in his hands and a fire was in his eyes that had nothing to do with the lack of one in their camp.

She said nothing, going around him to set her load down in the embers. The movements made her bones ache but she would rather have the pain of rejecting the bond than be anywhere near Inuyasha.

"Kagome…" he practically growled her name but she still didn't give him her attention, "be..angry with me all you want but rejecting me? Rejecting the bond? Taking off the armor?! You're hurting yourself and the baby."

Grabbing him hard, she pulled them a little distance from the sleeping Shippo and Kirara. And then whispered angrily. "I don't want to be mated to someone who can leave me and his child especially right after making love to me!"

"I had to see her, Kagome. I had to tell her… explain."

"But you can't explain it to me?! Why even bother telling her; it was just a mistake that your stupid demon half made, right? Or did you hope she had a way to break the bond??"

"God, you're so DENSE!!"

"ME?!!"

"My demon half didn't make a mistake Kagome. He followed the ritual to a T."

She felt like a goldfish, her mouth opening and closing without sound for the longest time until she finally got out a, "What?"

"Every demon mates differently but it's completely different for a Hanyou. You had to accept my demon half first, then my human, and then me. If it happened any other way then the bond would have been tainted and failed. The last thing I wanted was that but I wanted you. I wanted you so bad for years now, Kagome."

"But… you said your demon made a mistake?"

He reached out for her and she didn't pull away. "I said, I told him to wait. Wait until Naraku was dead and Kikyo was… peaceful. I promised her revenge, a resolution and I didn't think it was fair for me to have you before she had that. I'm sorry, Kagome."

"So… you were waiting… for Kikyo…"

He released her to pace, pulling at his hair in frustration. "I was waiting for it to be right! First, I had to wait until you were of age. Once you hit twenty, shit it was a struggle. And I knew you were dreaming of me, I heard you one night when I snuck over to your era. Which only made things worse because it just meant you were my mate and that we would be on a whole other level…" he was so busy ranting, he missed her nearly hit the floor when he admitted to not only watching her sleep but also that he knew about her dirty dreams, "but my demon. He ain't patient about anything and when he had enough, he waited until I was asleep and went to you to start the mating. I didn't know for sure until I saw your mark from me but then I had to get out, get away from you."

"Because you were upset?"

He stopped and glared at her. "No, because I wanted you for years and there you were with a big sign that said 'fuck me, I'm yours'!!!"

"So why didn't you?!"

He gripped his strands again but didn't pace this time. "Because that's not how it works! You have to accept my darkest side first, then my weakest, and then my true self or the bond wouldn't be complete. And I couldn't tell you any of this because it would sway your choices. You had to decide on your own without anything affecting you."

His darkest side, the demon. His weakest side, the human. Then, and only then, could the Hanyou mate with her and finish the bond. "Why did you wait? After the human bond was complete and I was safe, why did you wait?!"

"I thought the bond was killing you. Such a strong miko like you mating with a Hanyou? My soul is nothing compared to yours; beautiful, bright and strong. When you got weak and sick, I thought mating with me was the cause. So I wasn't going to complete it and hoped that you didn't suffer anymore because of me."

"I told you it wasn't the bond."

"You didn't tell me you were pregnant."

"You would have left me again!!"

In a blink, she was in his arms, his hands holding her face tenderly. "I would have stayed with you."

"But… Naraku?"

"You're more important to me. Kagome… I've loved two women in my life, my mother and Kikyo, and I had to watch both of them die right before my eyes. I barely survived it and I… need you more than both of them. I love you more."

It was like when his demon told her he loved her, the first night of their mating, as tears fell endlessly down her cheeks. "Inuyasha…"

"I had to tell Kikyo. To her face. That's why I went last night because I didn't know when the next chance would be."

He was stroking her cheeks, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. "What did you tell her?"

"Everything. That you were my mate and that we were having a baby and promised her I would help her rest. That I would end Naraku but not at the risk of you or your health. Or the baby's."

Up on her toes, Kagome pressed a quick but meaningful kiss to his lips. When she fell back to her heels, Inuyasha stepped away gingerly, holding up his suikan and not saying a word. Kagome rolled her eyes and proceeded to strip off her top to trade. Inuyasha's ears flicked and his smile dropped. Whatever movements he made to get to her were too little too late as an arrow sunk deep into Kagome's chest.

AN: I mean are you really that surprised? That there's a cliffhanger, not about the arrow.