A/N: A Guest reviewer made me aware that there is going to be an OFFICIAL Inuyasha SPIN-OFF called Yashahime: The Half-Demon Princess. I am excited about the plot. Twins, time-traveling - check out my other story, Sesshomaru's Pup, while we wait for the real deal!
Also, TheySpellAlice, your reviews did spam me, but I enjoyed each and everyone.
Kagome leaned on the kitchen counter gazing out at the morning mist. The entire area was overcast with dark clouds. Thunder growled over their roof. Their prospects of exploring were limited. Lightning would occasionally strike across the sky. The television was tuned to the news predicting a day of rolling storms. Inuyasha was aptly listening to the little box predict the hourly forecast. The moving colors and wind illustrations were a novelty to him. His ears twitched free, swiveling to listen to the storm, turning back to listen to the newscaster.
For the first night in several nights, she had slept solidly. She had put on her good pajamas and crawled into bed exhausted. A full belly and an afternoon of exercise had left them both happy to get an early night's sleep. Inuyasha had slept solidly on top of the covers, back against the headboard. Her fingernails drummed against the counter while she thought. Inuyasha turned the channel to watch the other weather channel's interpretation of the weather, the time the sun would set, the weekly forecast, the morning commute.
"Kagome, look at this!" Inuyasha leaned forward. "A bird of paradise!"
"That's a helicopter. It's a flying machine." His childlike fascination with the weather made her giggle. At least there's one thing Inuyasha and Grandpa can share.
Kagome joined him on the couch. She dragged the blanket across her lap while Inuyasha stared at the remote. The television flashed again. He stared at the new channel on the screen. A pride of lions were chasing a herd over grasslands. The large cats tore the leg of the lame zebra and sent it to the ground. The dying zebra made a sound before it went quiet. A man's voice spoke in low tones as the camera focused on the cubs.
"It's the nature channel. They show different animals around the world."
The show changed subjects and focused on a giraffe. Kagome drew her legs up underneath the blanket while Inuyasha watched the images on the screen. Determined, she wrapped her hand around his forearm and ducked underneath. The blanket spilled onto his lap while she enjoyed his weight and warmth around her. Inuyasha jumped at the red-eyed 'hell-bird' that darted into view. She quietly told him that it was only an ostrich. He glared at the screen as the narrator continued to drone on about the animal's general statistics like height and weight.
Kagome rested her head on his shoulder. She had seen similar nature shows in the past. It acted as a nice background to the warm, growling boy beside her. He definitely did not like the ostrich. A hippo overturned a boat of people in a river. Kagome yelped when her body fell forward onto the couch. Inuyasha was crouched in front of the television staring at the slow-moving crocodile lingering in the water. She saw him flinch when it struck suddenly and dragged a gazelle into the water.
"It's a little dragon! You DO have youkai here!"
"We don't have crocodiles in Japan, Inuyasha. It's safe!"
Completely forgotten, Kagome straightened her body on the couch. She crossed her arms over the blanket. Inuyasha's back blocked the screen so she couldn't even see the animals too. Imagine how weird it would be to see new animals for the first time. Don't get mad at him. The nature show was nearing the end of its deadliest animals list so Kagome settled into the cushions while Inuyasha awed at the last animal. A small gathering of elephants moved across the sandy plains. Inuyasha's ears flickered when it bellowed through the speakers. Sharks moved in circles to devour a dead fish. Inuyasha's mouth opened when the camera moved beneath the surface to record footage of the shark's teeth closing on the body.
"How do they make the pictures underwater?"
"They make special cameras to study the ocean." Kagome remembered Inuyasha's reaction to the aquarium at the hotel. He's probably never seen fish swimming in their own environment. People in his era 'keep' fish to eat but they don't study them. "Would you like to go to a big aquarium? We have them in Tokyo. They're enormous buildings with tanks of water taller than my house. There's all types of fish and mammals and plant life. They put lights under the water. You walk around."
"Yeah! That sounds good." Inuyasha's eyes were bright.
"Really? Ok. It's a date." Kagome smiled back at him. He rejoined her on the couch with a dazzling smile. This time he settled against the back of the couch. The African animal program ended and began to run a new show about the Arctic. She clapped her hands together when she realized penguins were a large segment of the promo; explaining to Inuyasha about the North and South Poles took longer. Luckily the program featured a map of the world so she could point at Japan, then the continents. He nodded. The map in her bedroom at home fascinated him.
Inuyasha didn't protest when she arranged the blanket over them both. Despite the hint of cold drawn from the heavy rain outside, his natural warmth soaked through her clothes into her skin. She let her head settle against his shoulder. Sometime between the penguins and the polar bears Inuyasha changed the channel. An early morning network was playing a courtroom drama. Inuyasha wasn't interested in the arguments. Kagome reached for the device but he held it out of her reach. She slapped his shoulder lightly. She shifted onto her knees but he easily held onto the remote.
"You want to play, dog boy?"
"You think I'm scared of a human?" Inuyasha smirked.
"No – hey!" Kagome scrambled to untangle her legs from the blanket. Inuyasha had already launched himself over the couch. She kicked the blanket off but Inuyasha was already in the kitchen. She chased him around the island. Quickly she remembered her earlier strategy – to tackle him to the ground. Inuyasha was too strong for that maneuver. She could spend hours chasing after him and he would never tire. Kagome sprinted but he easily dodged her with a boyish grin. Her knees hit the carpet as she fell. She exaggerated her pout and clutched her knee.
"Kagome?"
"I fell." She blinked heavily. Inuyasha immediately came to her rescue. He left the remote on the floor to inspect her knee. Calloused hands ran over her skin looking for broken skin or a break. While he was distracted she stole the remote. Betrayal flashed across his eyes before he made a grab for her wrist. She threw her weight at him. Inuyasha fell to the carpet. He pretended to be pinned. Inuyasha could toss me aside in a flash but he would never hurt me.
"Got you."
"When did you learn to wrestle?"
"I have a little brother. Sometimes it's the only way to teach him a lesson." Kagome supported her weight on her elbows but let Inuyasha feel her. She grinned down at him. To ease the sting of her victory she kissed him chastely. I have to be careful. He can be such a sore loser with games and cards.
"Are wives supposed to wrestle their husbands to the ground? What would Kaede say?"
"Why not? If I ordered you to take off your clothes, you'd do it." The early memory still embarrassed her. Kaede and the children had found them in a similar position before she had understood Inuyasha's regenerative ability. She didn't regret it – her stubborn hanyou would rather bleed than be fussed over.
"Keh!" Inuyasha blinked but he seemed to be considering it. She giggled.
"Would you like that? If I was bossy?" Inuyasha's expression was thoughtful; he couldn't tell if she was kidding. She kissed his cheek gently. Inuyasha pushed himself into a sitting position; she settled in his lap. Gentle kisses covered his jaw. The square edge intrigued her. Wide hands settled on her knees. The skin of her husband's neck was soft and warm. Her lips closed over his pulse. There was a noticeable hitch in his breathing.
"Kagome..."
An instinct flooded her muscles. Before she had time to think about it, she bit him. Inuyasha jumped but didn't push her away. The tanned skin snapped back into place without a mark, no bruising. She remembered an article from a girl magazine. Her right hand touched the other side of his jaw to give her more room. Inuyasha went quiet while she explored. The response was definitive. It would be difficult to give Inuyasha a hickey with her human teeth. His skin was too strong. Instead she grasped onto his gorgeous hair to turn his head.
"Oi!" Inuyasha reared back with wide eyes. She swiveled to look for the threat. Strong hands gripped her wrists. Pink light danced on her fingertips.
"I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"
"You shocked the hell out of me." Inuyasha turned her wrist. While inconsistent, reiki shone on her hands. She took a shaky breath and closed her eyes. It was child's play to identify the aura of her half-human husband, something any human could be trained to do, given the proper mentor. There was no other immediate threat in the area, no creature, no youkai. Inuyasha's eyes reflected the pink light.
"Are you upset with me, Kagome?"
"Of course not! It was an accident." She planted a swift kiss on his jaw. Her hands clenched to shield him.
"Are your powers fading? It happened at the reception, after we - "
"If it was a reaction to that it would happen more often. We've done it way more since then." Kagome shook her head.
"It only happens when you're scared, right?"
"I'm not scared!" Carefully, she moved her weight out of her husband's lap onto the tatami flooring. She examined her shimmering fingertips with awe. Kaede or Miroku would probably have insight into her current predicament but they were currently out of reach.
"Are your powers rejecting me?"
"No! If that was the case, wouldn't they have reacted a long time ago? We spend basically every day together." Kaede would have a better understanding. Her miko tutoring would begin immediately after they returned, if her powers remained. Everyone in the village had warned her that her powers would be gone after her wedding night, which didn't seem fair. Miroku still wielded his own spiritual authority to craft sutra and banish demons.
"Maybe it's a myth, you know? The rule that says I lose my powers. If Miroku can keep HIS powers, shouldn't I be able to keep mine?"
"Yeah, but you're a girl. It's different." Inuyasha leaned back on his palms. The sound of the rain intensified shortly as another crack of thunder broke the rhythm. Kagome clenched her fists tightly. The shimmering reiki was beginning to fade again.
"Why would it be different? We both have spiritual powers."
"Miko don't get married. There's lots of perverted priests out there." Inuyasha snorted. One hand lifted to lazily scratch his collarbone. Kagome crossed her arms at the unfairness of his statement. Miroku was a much bigger pervert than she could ever be, but none of her friends had ever expressed concern that he would lose his powers. No one had ever mentioned the subject during their many nights round a campfire.
"That's such a double standard!"
"A double what?"
"It refers to having one set of rules for men, another for women. Like a rule that monks can have sex but miko can't?"
"It's an old rule, Kagome! I didn't make it up. Kikyo was the one that told me miko couldn't marry."
"Oh, so Kikyo said it, that means it has to be true?"
"Remember, Kaede sat us down! She warned that you might lose your powers."
"No one sat down with Miroku and warned him not to get married! How is that fair?"
"I-what? Why are we talking about Miroku?"
Kagome leaned back and considered the unspoken rules she had ignored in the Feudal Era. She could afford to ignore the rules and the unfairness because it didn't affect her, a guest, rather than a permanent resident. There were any number of social norms the village would required her to follow. Inuyasha probably wouldn't be able to help – he had never lived in a village either. Miroku had been raised by a drunk bachelor.
"What will I wear when we go back?"
"What do you mean? You'll wear kimono!"
"Will the village see me as a miko or a married woman?"
"You're my wife." Inuyasha's ears flattened.
Kagome remembered her tone and inhaled sharply. She double-checked before she took his hand for a calming squeeze. "Married women wear full-length kimono. I don't have any clothes." During the many preparations they had made, clothing had fallen to the bottom of the list. She had a box of her modern clothes in their new house.
"We can get cloth from the market down the road. Miroku knows their schedule. It's summer now so the path will be clear. We can take the day, meet the traders, see what kind of goods they have."
"I don't know how to sew. I-I mean I can sew a button but I can't sew."
"Miroku knows how to do that kind of womanly stuff," Inuyasha grinned. Without a woman around, Miroku and Mushin had been forced to fend for themselves at the temple. The monk's stitches were decent but couldn't hold a candle to Sango's. Her taijiya friend had carefully mended her green skirt, her ripped shirt after Kohaku had attacked her, Inuyasha's white shirt after battles, even Miroku's robes. Dozens of careful little stitches in uniform fashion. Emotion surged in her chest as she remembered how lucky they were to have their friends. Without Sango, their group would have looked very ragged walking between towns. There was certainly no chance she would have let Miroku fix her green skirt!
"Will you still love me when I'm wearing kimono?"
"You'll still have your legs, right?"
Kagome stuck her tongue out. Inuyasha grinned back at her.
The sound of the rain on the roof provided comfortable noise. Kagome was perfectly happy nestled in the crook of Inuyasha's arm. The dim chill of the moisture in the air couldn't penetrate the layers of bedding covering them both. Her beautiful, wild husband was naturally warm. There were no layers of clothing to interfere with the transference.
"Your feet are freezing."
"Deal with it." She pressed her soles flat against his calves. Despite his flinch, he merely grumbled about humans. The sharply defined lines of his chest rose and fell under her cheek. The slow, even pace of his heart fascinated her. Slower than any human heartbeat.
"Your hands too – is that a human thing?" A large male hand found hers resting on his stomach. Her chilled fingers immediately felt better.
"Maybe."
Like many traditional buildings, the inn lacked central heating, but their room lacked an irori. The spring storm had caused a sudden decrease in the temperature outside. The rain had reminded her of a relevant design choice in the Feudal era – glass windows transferred the cold. She made a mental note to come up with a covering for the deep winter. Inuyasha had procured their glass window at great expense, despite its impracticality.
"Our house will be warm." Inuyasha hugged her tighter.
"The irori is nice. The firewood latch was a brilliant idea." From the interior, a clever little latch had been built into the frame. The covered storage outside was protected from the elements but it could be accessed from the main room. It was one of the many unique features of her new home.
"Yeah?"
"And that roof? It's really nice."
"Keh – we'll see. We won't know for sure until the first bad storm or snowfall." Snow. Their little house covered in snow! The farming would be on hold until spring so there would be more visitations, more 'calling' by their neighbors. Kaede would probably schedule more training sessions for medicine. Inuyasha would still have to patrol the forest for dangers like youkai or bandits but he would also have less work. The firewood would be cut. The snowy forest path would be more difficult for humans to traverse.
"I think it'll be nice." Kagome leaned up on her elbow. She kissed her sweet husband. Endless snowy nights in their warm home, cuddling together, playing cards together, cooking together. Christmas with her family at the shrine, building snowmen in the front yard. She squeaked when Inuyasha flipped them. Inuyasha's warm spot on the bed soaked into her back. Gentle hands trapped her wrists to kiss her. She knew he would instantly release her if she objected.
"Will you still wear your nightclothes to bed?"
"My pink ones? They're warm."
"The other ones."
"I thought you said they were ridiculous? Not safe," she teased.
"You won't be wearing them very long, it won't matter." The slight growl to his voice made her giggle. She squirmed in protest when he kissed her neck. The pressure of a long kiss left her skin feeling sensitive. Inuyasha barely felt her playful smack.
"Did you just give me a hickey?"
"A what?"
"You bruised my neck with a kiss, didn't you?" Her poor husband blinked in confusion. She immediately regretted scolding him when his expression faltered. Regarding his strength, he took special care with his humans. Their hanyou even pulled his punches when reprimanding Miroku. "I'm not mad. It doesn't hurt, Inuyasha. I was teasing you. It was a joke."
Inuyasha made a noise. His head dipped down to kiss her collarbone.
"Don't scare me like that, wench."
"Sorry." Her toes curled when Inuyasha continued downwards. Chaste kisses to tease her. His mouth paused on her abdomen. The air rushed in to chill her skin when his hand cupped the soft skin behind her knee. Open-mouthed kisses made her squirm. It was hard to formulate another protest when his goal became clear. She held onto his hair under the onslaught of sensation.
"What about lunch? The dining room closes at two!"
"The ramen place will be open, won't it? Did you bring your parasol?"
"Yeah, I did - " Inuyasha exited the conversation swiftly. She arched her back. His attention left her breathless. The clock on the wall easily passed the hour. Her husband's preference for sex over food was a huge compliment that sent her ego soaring. With a little practice under their belt, Inuyasha had no problem with stamina. It was a fantastic bonus to his natural athleticism.
