Stopping at the sight before her, she blinked at the latest addition to her home, a picket fence that now safe guarded her garden. It wasn't the first change to her small home, but they still managed to surprise her at how quickly they were done. Hearing rustling, her grip on her basket tightened, the looped handle digging almost painfully into her chest as she clutched it closer to her stomach.
He was tall, taller than anyone she's ever met in her life, and with his broad shoulders and slightly wild appearance he made for a very imposing person. Short choppy locks were slightly plastered to his brow, no doubt from working in putting up the fence.
"Ah, Mori!" smiling, she eased, she still always wondered why he continued to stick around. "Thank you, I really do appreciate it, though you didn't really need to."
Dark eyes slid from her to the new fence. "It was nothing." a grunt left him as he readjusted the fallen log, no doubt he would be turning it into firewood.
Sighing, she shook her head. No matter what she said, he continued to stick around and help out. "Well, when you're done, there's fresh bread. We also have jam and cheese too!"
He eyed the basket when she lifted her basket. "Ah."
"A man of few words." shaking her head, she patted him on the arm as she passed. "Still, help yourself when you're done!" she laughed as she entered her small cabin, immediately putting away the goods. No sooner, did she go to check her small drying room, checking on the herbs and flowers. It was a good business, her herbs were the main supply for medicine and teas, her cabin the perfect location as what she couldn't grow in her garden could be found in the woods.
Still, there were a few that thought her a witch for choosing to live outside the village, for making 'concoctions'. Chuckling, she remembered how some younger girls twittered and giggled at the idea of Mori being some sort of summons. Yes, he appeared suddenly out of nowhere, injured and seemed only too content to sticking around her and her home.
Seeing something from the corner of her eye, she paused at the sight of Mori chopping firewood. Humming, she froze when he paused and quickly shucked off his simple blue shirt. Eyes widened when he continued with the chore, hand crushing the herbs she had been inspecting, as she watched the shifting of muscles with every swing of the axe.
When he suddenly turned, lifting a cup of water from a table that sat just below the window, her cheeks flamed when he raised a brow at catching her watching him. "Eep!" she instinctively ripped the bundle from its hook, hissing as she fumbled in attempting to save the herbs.
Ducking down, she let out a pitiful moan and buried her face in the apron tied to her waist. Why? Why did he have to-! Whimpering, she cleaned up the now destroyed herbs, she would have to go back out into the woods for fresh ones. Throwing the destroyed herbs into a pail, she went back for her basket.
"Mori? I'm going to go gather some herbs, I shouldn't be too long." her cheeks warmed once again when she realized he was still shirtless, instead, she offered a quick wave and rushed past him. The sooner she got this done, the quicker she could return before night fell.
It didn't take long to get where she knew the herbs in question grew, but she had heard of a wild animal that had been stalking the woods near her home and the village, so she didn't want to be out longer than necessary. Gathering what she needed, and a little extra as a repeat of earlier she was sure would happen again sooner rather than later, she failed to realize the heavy rustling nearby.
That is, until a deep squealing roar sent her scrambling. Eyes wide, she searched for whatever creature it was, freezing when black eyes and glistening white were what she saw from the bushes before feet began pounding into the earth. Just as the creature jumped at her, another intercepted it, her heart pounding when both flew out of the clearing. All she could hear were the scuffling of the two fighting, rage filled roars and pain filled squeals, and then silence.
Trembling as she reached for her basket, an instinctive need to clutch onto something, she relaxed when Mori stepped back into the clearing. "Mori!" his form was broader, muscles more defined, fur covering most of his upper body, hands ending in claws, features touched by the wolf of his nature. A sort of partial transition.
Seeing the gash that rand down from shoulder to hip, no doubt from the tusks from the wild boar, she let out a gasp and rushed towards him. "You're injured!" hands frantic, she quickly removed her apron, dabbing at the gash. "Oh, let's return and clean you up."
"Ah, wait." his gaze was soft on her, the brush of his claws against her cheek even softer as he fixed her hair and tucked it behind her ear.
Kagome could only blink when he walked back through the bush, hands twisting the now soiled apron. Her posture relaxed when he returned, this time the defeated boar slung over his shoulder. With a shake of her head, she stuffed her apron into her basket, picked it up to free a hand that could grasp at Mori's free one. The fur didn't hinder the heat that seemed to roll off of him in waves, and made the tickling pricking of his claws a tantalizing contrast.
The walk back was quiet save for the last lingering song birds of the forest, Mori's presence offering silent protection and comfort. When they arrived, she jumped when he began to pull away. "What about your wound?"
He offered a smile, despite it being small, it was warm. "I'll clean the boar, you organize your herbs and apron."
Huffing that she wouldn't be able to see to his wound immediately, she nodded. Arguing with him was a useless endeavour, he could be quite stubborn. Then again, so could she. Though she could also use the extra time to gather everything she needed. "Alright. Nothing too strenuous though!" she left with a quick finger wagging before rushing into the cabin, cheeks warming when his chuckles followed after her.
Barely half an hour later, Mori was in the cabin, spitting the cleaned boar in the fireplace. "Hmm, that was fast. And it looks like we'll have a good supper!" she eyed him, more so his wound, there were signs that the quickness of his work agitated the wound. "Well, come on."
The moment he was seated, she stood between his knees, cleaning the blood. Despite his werewolf nature accelerating his healing, the wound was still the largest she'd on him, and him working on the boar had agitated enough to hinder the healing. She was also gentle in cleaning close to the wound, sighing in relief when she could see that he was finally healing.
Standing her full height, she watched for a few more moments before cleaning her hands. "Well, that's better. But we both know you'll be tender there for at least a day or two." smiling, she froze when his hands cupped her cheeks, hands large enough that his fingers could begin to tangle in her hair. "M-mori?"
Instead of an answer, he pulled her to him, face nuzzling into her own, his nose brushing against her neck and temple with a rumbling echoing around them. "I was scared when I sensed you in danger." his lips brushed against her skin, breath teasing enough that she shivered.
"Y-you... scared?" her heart began to flutter, this was a little unusual from Mori. Yes, he had moments where he hovered, but she always assumed it was his silent way of gaining her attention or warning those less scruple to back off. This open physical affection was something she had only hoped for the longer he stuck around.
"Hmm." slightly sharp teeth nipped at her thrashing pulse, his chuckle an answer to her surprised squeak. "From now on, you'll wait until I can accompany you so late in the woods." his hands shifted, sweeping slowly along her form that sent heat rushing through her only to be followed by a wave of goosebumps, until she was seated in his lap. "I will not allow harm come to you."
A few more surprised noises escaped her until she finally giggled. "You know, a woman usually likes to hear the words more often." deeming his clinging affection the sign she had been waiting for, she wrapped her arms around his neck and mimicked his earlier actions and nuzzled her nose against his cheek and neck. His hold on her tightened, claws careful in pricking her waist as a pleased rumbled vibrated from his chest against her. "But I can work with this!"
His amused chuckle had her giggling, even when his lips claimed hers and her cheeks immediately exploded in a heated blush. Those were the very same words she had said when she first helped heal him near a year ago. And she hadn't been wrong thus far!
