The bright light of the moon kept the courtyard and the gardens visible. Inuyasha dashed outside yet again to see if Tsukuyomi had visited. Kagome clenched her fists against her chest while another wave of sorrow roiled her emotions. It was not helped by her massive headache. Years of repressed loss curdled her insides. She could not even call her mother! Inuyasha understood. He missed his mother even though she had died decades ago.
The dream, memory, whatever it was – she had a solid concept of her dad. Not a stranger in a photo, not just a toast on his birthday, a ceremonial donation on Christmas to charity. Blue eyes and dark, dark hair. Tall and slender. So handsome! No wonder all of the teachers at her school had liked him. Mama would light up when they were in the kitchen together, flirting, his hands on her hips when she made dinner. Setting the table. A nice voice but a terrible singer. Bedtime stories. Dad would tuck her in every night while Mama cleaned up her bath.
"Kagome? Eh, wife. Here." Strong arms wrapped around her.
"What is happening to me? It hurts."
"You miss him. Course it hurts. Just because it happened a long time ago doesn't stop that. It's fucking terrible but that is how it is."
"It never gets any better?"
"The sharpness dulls with time but you will always miss him. Why wouldn't you? It was your dad." Kagome thought carefully. There was experience and sadness in her husband's softly spoken words. "How long has it been since you visited his grave?"
"I don't remember. Years?"
"Whenever I am in the area, I take flowers to my mother's grave. It's not much, but maybe it soothes her soul in the other world, to know someone misses her. I told the headstone we were engaged to be wed, asked her blessing to take her hair pin...stupid stuff. It is a quiet place to think. Maybe that's what you need."
"What I need are answers! If I could see you as a little girl, how could I forget? Mom cannot seem to answer specific questions about my father. Souta is too young to know anything. Where are the pictures of Dad? She doesn't even have a photo of their wedding day. It is like she completely erased him from the house. Why would she do that? How did no one notice?"
"Yeah! Your mother loves pictures."
Kagome closed her eyes as another headache rippled through her head. Painful. She groaned into Inuyasha's chest while the world spun. Bile rose in her throat. Another memory of her father. This time he banished a flower creature from their backyard. A creature that had attacked her while building mud pies, a demon with green vines for arms and a sunflower head had rushed at her from the bushes. Refusing to sleep in her bedroom because of the crawly, possessed insect glowing on her ceiling. The thing at the grocers that had followed them home in the rain while Mama pushed her stroller.
Grandpa had tried to stop the Noh mask but Mama still believed the attack nothing more than a simple fire! Souta had seen the demon fight Inuyasha in the office building under construction downtown. Mama had smiled but reacted strangely little at hearing both of her children had nearly been killed by a monster. The woman had barely blinked at meeting her half-demon friend with dog ears! Was she actually that calm about the supernatural or under a spell?
"Kagome? What can I do?"
Her hands gripped his shirt. Focusing on Inuyasha's powerful, red aura distracted her from the battle in her head. Vibrant, alive, Inuyasha. The boy she had loved practically her entire life without even realizing! Miroku had given her lessons over the years on mediation and concentration. Several skills that Kaede and Miroku intended to teach her depended on her total intent. She smiled when she felt his aura flare and bend around her. Without realizing what he was doing, his concern was directing that energy towards helping her, lending her strength. Being close to Inuyasha always made her feel safe.
"Oi, what are you staring at, creep?" Inuyasha barked. A white fox sat on the platform outside. Its head cocked inquisitively. The red bib around its neck made her gasp.
"It's an Inari fox!"
"I didn't sense a demon." His strong shoulders didn't budge when she used him for leverage. Once on her feet she ran to the cute little fox. Its tail lifted optimistically while it wove round her legs. Chattering in the strange language of foxes, it definitely seemed to like her! She clapped her hands when the albino creature nuzzled her calf.
"Inuyasha, she's so cute!" Kagome ignored his muttering when she kneeled down. The fox rested its front paws on her legs to provide scratching access. She happily acquiesced to running her blunt nails through her luscious fur. The chattering fox servant lifted her chin for love. Kagome squealed happily and wrapped her arms round its stomach for a squeeze. Divine energy brushed against her aura. A clean, pure spirit.
"Like I said, she is an Inari fox! They bring good luck." Kagome held the little creature in her arms when she rose. The fox seemed happy to let her hold it. Inuyasha crossed his arms when it yipped. Its tail whipped against her elbow.
"All I see is a fox. You had better not be a pervert!"
"Inuyasha, no! She is a divine servant, a messenger of Inari. It is an honor to be visited by one! It must have been at one of the shrines. Is that it, sweetie? Did you come here to answer my prayer?" Kagome scratched its triangular ears. The searching black nose investigated her. "Do not mind Inuyasha. I am glad you are here. Such a pretty fox! Would you like something to eat? Do we have those granola bars we were saving for breakfast?"
"Now you want to feed it my breakfast? What are we supposed to eat?"
"Don't be selfish! A divine messenger follows us all the way up here and you - " Kagome watched Inuyasha tense. She turned in time to watch the light of the moon disappear overhead. Her husband cursed and pulled her inside. An old man in white sat at the shrine. The moon had disappeared from the sky! Kagome set down the Inari fox to comfort her husband.
"A human thief and a dog. Now the fox." Old, faded blue eyes investigated the offering. Pale fingers lifted a portion to sniff. Inuyasha glared when the old man deigned to take a small bite. Kagome cautioned patience while he slowly chewed. When Tsukuyomi finally swallowed, her human husband was ready to fight. "I did not expect to see you here this eve. What have you to say on the matter?"
"Listen, you - "
"The human and her mate prayed at our shrine. We were interested." The fox's voice was female. As she darted across the courtyard, her shadow changed. Kagome blinked. The white fox grew larger and larger until she stood above them, as tall as a horse. Thirteen tails fanned out behind her in a display of power. The courtyard was visible in the light of her color. The fox bounded from lantern to lantern until they all glowed white.
"I-Inari Okami!" Kagome sank to her knees. The beautiful creature filled the area with power. Weightless as she moved, the white muzzle lowered to sniff her hair. She kept her head bowed reverently. The smell of a warm summer's day brightened her mood. A tongue licked her.
"Hey, don't lick my wife!" Inari twirled her tails before bouncing off. He yelped when her paws pushed him gently to the ground. There was more protesting when she proceeded to lick him too. Kagome giggled at his frustrated state. "Get this rabid fox off me!"
"The fox does as it pleases." Tsukuyomi grumbled. Another portion of rice mochi disappeared. The fox deity dashed towards her again. Full of boundless energy, the fox moved behind her, tails glowing in the dark. The energy infused her with hope and improved her mood. Kagome's headache disappeared in her radiance. Inuyasha might not appreciate being visited by one of the Lucky Seven but Shippo would! A spirit of earthly prosperity and harvest.
"Newly married! A lovely match." The voice proclaimed. Kagome turned but the fox was already gone. Inuyasha yowled when the spirit coiled around him again. Her light seemed to grow brighter. "Strength and purity. Courage and innocence! His heart yearns to please her. She is the protecting spirit."
"Inari is fascinated by the pairings of mortal kind." Tsukuyomi answered her thoughts.
"Tsukuyomi is one of the heavenly spirits. Inari is of the earth," Kagome recited. Her grandfather had spent many hours teaching her of the differences. Inuyasha turned to face Inari but the fox was too quick. Her tails flowed behind her as she completed the symbol. Light flared on the ground. Kagome stepped closer to her husband when the symbol shrank. Golden light illuminated them both. The moon god paused before consuming the next mochi.
Kagome squeezed Inuyasha's hand as her eyes traced the edges of the symbol – a flower. The flower shifted as it bloomed against the courtyard, blinding them in its brilliance. Inuyasha pulled her close for protection but it was not necessary. The pulse of energy was pure. Kagome closed her eyes as the light became too much to bear. Power washed over them in a wave as the flower reached its zenith.
Inuyasha startled awake when Kagome shifted. The beautiful naked girl moaned quietly when he moved. Long white hair was strewn over his wife's breasts where his head had lain. The courtyard beyond their room showed the last vestiges of the moon in the sky. His shirt was bundled under Kagome's head for comfort. The robe of the fire-rat covered their hips. The smell of sex filled his nose.
"Sleep, sweet girl." The girl was all tousled hair and relaxed limbs. Inuyasha relaxed when he confirmed Tetsusaiga beside the futon. His wife stretched before turning onto her side. His heritage left him perfectly awake but he could still enjoy the intimacy. Kagome's hair was soft against his cheek. The stretch between dreaming and awakening was hazy like a stormy day, restful like a kitten with its paws in the air. Every breath lifted Kagome's belly and his hand. Even her permanently cold toes could not disturb his peace. My wife will have to wear tabi during the winter to protect her feet. Humans have to be so delicate!
There was a sudden flare of light under the haori. He pushed the cloth back. Golden power in the form of his hand marked Kagome's abdomen. It subsided until it glowed in the layer under her skin. The girl mumbled in her sleep but did not rise. Curses flew from his mouth when he sensed her aura flare to life. She was quite content hugging his shirt. Before he could wake her, it faded. Inuyasha fell back.
What the fuck was that? Was that a reaction to my touch? Did that fox put a spell on Kagome?
Inuyasha knew very little about human reiki. Long ago, Kikyo had taught him a little in response to his questions as part of their friendship. He had never met a holy power that had not tried to purify him before Kikyo and Kaede. Monks like Master Ungai would try to imprison him with spells or shoot him dead. D-E-A-D dead! Even in their early days, Kagome had never once threatened to hurt him. He knew even less about kami. Villages did not tolerate curious half demon boys leaving offerings at their shrines, even ones that had lost their mother. Men would crush his hard-won food underfoot just to punish him, mocking the dirty half breed and his contaminated food. From a young age he had learned to avoid shrines, villages, demons – anybody, really. There was no place for him at festivals or harvests. Kagome's mother had mandated that he participate in family festivals and celebrations.
If some wolf deity thinks she can keep me away from Kagome, I'll have her head!
Inuyasha pulled on his hakama and grabbed the Tetsusaiga, leaving Kagome with the sword's sheath and the robe of the fire-rat covering her. Add the holy aura covering her skin and she was bundled with protections! He pushed past the barrier surrounding the temple to growl at the enormous fox prancing around the garden, tormenting the servants of Tsukuyomi. Her tails flared dramatically when another rabbit fled between his legs.
"Oi, fox!"
Inari darted past him in a flash. Another burgeoning rabbit turned into stone before she could reach her prey. Tails floated weightlessly as she turned to sniff at the ground, following more trails. The spirit's white fur was a dead giveaway to her hiding spot. Inuyasha grumbled as she turned in the tall grass.
"I am talking to you, fox! What have you done to my wife?"
"Rabbit, rabbit!" Her dark nose twitched. Another stone rabbit bounded out of the grass. The distracted deity forgot about him instantly to chase the creature around a large tree. Tails flailed out behind her while she tried to pounce. Utterly pointless – the servant of Tsukuyomi turned to stone when she almost caught him.
Inuyasha grabbed hold of her lush white tail before she could speed off again.
"Answer me! What kind of spell did you put on Kagome? Hey!" Thirteen tails took hold of his sword arm. The deity turned on him pointedly, growing larger and taller. Tetsusaiga clattered to the ground when her tails forced his hand. He snarled at the blatant attack. "I knew you were just a demon! What do you want?"
"My mother died this year. Please keep her safe. I brought some food!"
The memory caused him pain. The fresh, ragged reminder of his mother's death made him blink. The fox tilted her muzzle. He refused to tear up because some demon could read his mind! Even Goshinki could read his thoughts.
"The little prince-ling whose mother fed strays, even fox-kin in disguise."
"H-hey! Don't change the subject. You put a spell on Kagome!" Inuyasha managed. It did not sound nearly as formidable as he hoped. The tails had a firm hold on his arms. The creature had a good opportunity to bite his head clean off, leaving his naked wife vulnerable! Like hell! I won't go down so easy.
"He asked for Inari's blessing, many years ago."
"W-what? As if!"
Despite the clear moonlit night, Inuyasha could feel rain. Drenched from the tip of his human head to his feet. A typhoon had flooded villages across the province and ruined crops. Rice spoiled after being washed away. The shrine at the edge of a village had been forgotten in the humans' desperation to escape. Days without food had left him weak. All of the local wildlife had fled. There had been rice and heated sake when he crawled into the shrine.
"Does he not love his mate?"
"I love Kagome! That's not the issue!"
"Hearth, home, kin. That is what he wished! Now he is happy." Inari circled. Her tails elongated to keep hold. The long, thin body squeezed him.
"Kagome's powers are acting strangely. Was that you?" Inuyasha flexed his arms. The ring of fur crushing his torso reminded him of Mushin's rosary. It might be possible to burst through but the effort would be painful. "Are you trying to manipulate her powers to separate us?"
"The marriage bond supersedes the father's protection."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"The bond will grow stronger, she will remember. A lotus flower is rare. Many will seek her life. Prince-ling must protect her." Inari stopped. Where her paws met the earth, flowers bent towards her, attracted to her power. Inuyasha struggled. "The marriage will prosper. Her first child will be burdensome."
Inuyasha had no response to that!
"Prince-ling is now head of his own household. Raise a shrine to honor his ancestors. Even the spirit of a mortal princess seeks to bless her son's happiness. A great and terrible father listens." The words made him pause. The absence of a familial representative at his marriage had worried him even if it wasn't his fault! Kagome was the daughter of generations of priests. Surely they would only approve of giving their heir to a man with family to support her?
"My parents...they know about Kagome?"
" Seisha wo mamori engo suru shisha , protecting spirits."
"I...I don't know how to build a shrine. I have never had any roots, only my mother's grave." It was a thoroughly foreign concept. Honoring his human mother in his own house! Honoring his dead father who had given him the means to protect himself from his demon blood and defend Kagome. "If Sesshomaru – my half-brother – heard that I had a shrine to our old man, it would piss him off. He hates being reminded."
"A family should honor the ancestors. Let him piss off."
Inuyasha snorted. The fox deity nudged her muzzle against his shoulders before releasing him. He rotated his shoulders before bending down to collect Tetsusaiga. The blade's familiar power pulsed in his hands.
"Because of prince-ling's kindness to our kit, a second blessing is offered." Inari lifted her paw. A small bag was tied closed with plain string. "The prince-ling and his mate are not accustomed to a farmer's strife. We know how he worries about food."
"Y-yeah? Thank you." He waited for the fox to weave behind him before pocketing the gift. It was not a particularly heavy bag but any seed was welcome! When they returned, he and Kagome would have to hurry to plant vegetables for spring. It would likely be a poor harvest, breaking new ground. The farmers had already warned him that the first year would be hard if they were not accustomed to growing things. The home garden was a wife's authority but his bride was as green as himself! They might have to rely on her family's assistance and his hunting skills to eat comfortably through the next winter.
"Oi, wait! What was the first blessing?" Inuyasha turned. The fox deity had disappeared into the evening without a trace. He quietly panicked before shaking himself. The temple was still protected by Kagome's barrier but permitted him to pass. His beautiful wife still slept soundly under the robe of the fire-rat. She mumbled something unintelligible before yawning against his chest.
"In...sha..."
"Kagome?"
"Water?" Barely conscious, she yawned. In a flash he brought her a cup of water from the nearby bucket. The girl pushed herself onto her elbow to drink. Dark hair spiraled down her bare neck and tangled around her shoulders. He pushed it away to admire her beauty.
The pale skin around Kagome's navel was marred by something. She completely ignored his alarm to sink back onto the futon. He pulled the robe of the fire-rat away from her body for a better look. The girl protested and threatened to sit him! The mark was definitely there, using her belly button as its dark center. A small flower design in thin gold bands. He wet his thumb to clean off the paint.
"Shit!"
"No sex. Sleep!" Kagome whined. "It's late."
That fucking fox! I knew she did something to Kagome. My wife definitely did not have a tattoo yesterday.
"Kagome, your belly!" The stubborn girl glared before turning away from him. She used his shirt to cushion her head, grumbling about horny husbands. The posture of her body was a definite warning that he recognized. Kagome was tired from a day's travel and work and she was going to sleep. Or else. Inuyasha clenched his fist while he glared at the marking.
"Inari is one of the kami?"
"Inari Okami is a deity of foxes, yeah." The answer was quiet. Kagome kicked him lightly to get her covering back, pulling the robe over herself. A massive yawn wracked her body. "And rice. And sometimes swordsmiths. Depends who you ask."
"Nothing about flowers?"
"Mmh-hrm."
"Magical tattoos?"
"Sleep, baka!" Kagome's next word would command him. The irritable girl cursed at him. He was not some pervert! It was his job to be concerned about his wife's body! Inuyasha shifted closer to try again when she turned to glare. The girl pushed him down onto his back to loom overhead. A hand on either side of his shoulders. Dark hair swaying. Kagome is pissed!
"Kagome, wait!"
"Fine! But then we sleep." The fire blazing in her eyes left no room for argument! The aggravated girl did not ask before working on the knot to his hakama. Even with his limited understanding of social cues, he understood. He protested from fear - maybe it was worse than a sit! It would be just like his cranky wife to punch him in the balls. The kiss confused him. The normally gentle little hand gripping him made him groan. Firm, slow strokes.
"Ka-Kagome!" The grip tightened. Her half-angry, half-horny scent was shifting. Blue eyes.
"Can I try something?" It was the last words he was expecting! Inuyasha nodded reluctantly when it seemed like lust seemed to be winning. Kagome leaned down to kiss him softly, letting her lips linger. Nervous hands tucked her hair behind her ears. Gentle kisses to his pectorals. Teasing hands on his ribs, his abdomen. He tensed when she continued downward.
"Kagome, fuck! Kagome!" Inuyasha's fist hit the wood. Kagome's dark head bobbing between his legs made him call out. His hips thrust upwards of their own accord. The ring formed by her mouth tightened. A hand on his thigh. Soft, wet and tongue! The sensation was fucking intense! Too intense. Electricity pulsed through his muscles. He thrust gently with each spurt of his orgasm.
Inuyasha collapsed, breathing harshly.
"You really liked that!" The girl planted a hand on either side of his head. She was definitely laughing at him but he was too happy to care. Kagome and her perfect mouth could say anything she liked. Beautiful, sexy Kagome! The girl giggled again but laid on her side next to him.
"Oh, now he's asleep!"
