Lest the Past Haunts Me

by mauigurl808

The past can be a haunting memory or a terrifying reality. For Kagome, she just wanted to pursue her love for dancing while trying to hide from her past finding her. Inuyasha, Kikyo's choreographer, would be the only one who would break down her walls and find his way into her heart. But would it be too late? Can anyone run from their past?

35. C34- A Lifespan of Haunting Nightmares

Author's Note: Wow, I know it's been a long time. A lot has been happening in my life with trying to find housing for my family and now I'm in the process of building my new home. A very long and slow process, but it's moving one slow step forward at a time.

On that note, I have been writing this chapter for a long time. Bits and pieces here and there. And it grew long. I knew where I wanted the story to end, but getting there came slowly and with lots of different side notes. All good, though. Just be prepared for a long chapter lol. And as I was proofreading it, I couldn't believe how bad my grammar was lol. I think it was because I kept writing here and there for so long that I obviously didn't know how to form my thoughts clearly. I had to delete a lot that didn't flow or make sense lol.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Read at your own discretion - rape, sex.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

R2R

Talathewolfgirl: Haha... your review made me laugh. Oh to have quite the libido as those two lol. Thanks for your review. Enjoy this one!

susu-anon: I know it's been a long time, sorry. I couldn't quite get to the ending I wanted to get to. As to your reviews: (1) I love the idea of Kags/Koga getting into a little confrontation about how much stronger she is as she stands up to him, all thanks to the courage and strength Inu gives her. Only time will tell what she does if she ever meets Koga again ;P (2) I haven't thought much about their wedding because I didn't think it would come so soon. Mir/San's wedding needs to come first. But after this chapter... I think I might have to start thinking about it lol (3) Haha! Babies? One step at a time. Don't forget the "impossibility" of hanyous having babies. So... you'll never know. But I love how you see Inu/Kags and their personalities and their love for each other. Thanks for your reviews! Don't ever feel like you cannot review :) Enjoy this next one!

hive-chan: Oh wow! I'm glad you liked the last chapter and it was the best one yet. It is always so interesting to get my fan's perception of things. I loved your review and your attention to details. Yes, to all you said about Onigumo. He definitely is a douche and he definitely isn't gone yet. Who knows when or how he'll be gone. And Inuyasha really is a man we all need. I believe this chapter is also a testament to how much he loves Kags. Thanks for your review and enjoy this next one!

anime-geek: Awww thank you for your review and compliment. I love writing. Have since I was in high school. I found it's a way for me to get my emotions out, even though writing doesn't help me process my feelings, it does help to express my emotions in my writing and let my thoughts and imagination run wild. With Kag's ring, I definitely wanted it to represent all of Inuyasha - his favorite color and his eyes - so that whenever she saw it on her hand, she would remember him. I know the engagement was an unexpected shocker. I don't know when or how that's going to workout with everything else that is happening. And with Sai... I'm not sure when he's coming back in, but he will. Thank you for your review and enjoy this one!

MinxieXCX: Oooo... talking about Kag's insecurities being annoying... you might not like this chapter lol! I understand it's annoying, and I believe she recognizes it too and sometimes uses it to her advantage. But sometimes it just comes out and she can't help believing the lies that she's believed all her life thanks to her parents. So it'll take time for her to rewrite that script. Some good sessions with Rin is much needed. I do agree with you and their different personalities. It'll just take time. I feel like they just met and now they're getting married. Thanks for your review and enjoy this one!

Rosie B: Haha! Yeah, it would be funny if they eloped. I haven't thought about what they would do. But yeah with wedding bells in the future, I wonder how they're going to pull that off and what their style would be, coming from different backgrounds and experiences. Thanks for your review. Enjoy this chapter!

val-rommel: Yes to the photos! I didn't want to draw that scene out again since I did one with the group for the Yanmar concert. But you'll get to "see" some of the final products in this chapter ;) And wedding? Well... we'll see. Mir/San still has theirs. What was Inu thinking?! Haha. Thanks for your review and enjoy this next one!

vanessa: Awww thanks for your review and I'm glad you love the story so much! Yes, Vegas, here we come! Enjoy this chapter!

My Mind and Me: Thanks for your review. Yes, I have insecurities too, as I'm sure many do. But I also believe in introspection and therapy. So to your point about Rin's sessions, yes that will happen soon. It has to, especially after this chapter. This was a doozy to write. Enjoy! lol

xsophiex: Ah, sorry I kept you waiting for so long. This chapter is long so hopefully that makes up for it. And I LOVE Kag's sex appeal, even though it can be used against her. But with Inu's protection and love, I'm sure Kags will bloom, strong and confidently in her own skin thanks to him. Enjoy this chapter!

amyreads: Thank you for your reviews and sorry to keep you waiting. As to Onigumo, yeah that guy is definitely a trip. Not sure what's in store for him and what Inu will do to him if he keeps up his vendetta. Enjoy this chapter!

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

---

"Wooowwww..."

Everyone 'ooohed' and 'aaahed' at the city of Las Vegas. Arriving at the airport was nice because it seemed like they had a seven hour flight difference since they left Japan at twelve in the morning and arrived at seven in the morning. Even though Las Vegas was a whole day behind Japan. They also had business class seats which meant they were able to sleep well and be ready to get to work once they landed. Kikyo and her team planned everything so well, as usual. The hustle and bustle at the airport with the luggage and the cars weren't that stressful thanks to hired hands that helped with the baggage. Now, the two limos were headed to the Caesar's Palace hotel on The Strip, and everyone was looking around at all the interesting buildings that didn't look like they went together, but stood alone as if to speak for itself.

"I can't wait 'til nighttime," Kikyo said with a big smile. "The lights must be so pretty at night."

"Mmmhmmm," Sango said, looking at one of the hotels they passed with a huge Eiffel Tower. "Wow. I wonder if this Eiffel Tower is the same size as the one in France."

"We'll find out one day," Miroku promised.

She turned to smile at him. "Is that going to be our honeymoon?"

He shrugged. "Maybe." The two giggled and went back to looking around as the car turned into their resort.

The Caesars Palace had a few tall, white towers where the rooms were located. The theme was obvious as they drove up, passing Roman statues and pillars.

"The property is Roman themed, hence why we're performing at the Colosseum. There's lots of Roman statues, the structures are Roman-like and the rooms are named after Caesars," Naraku explained. "They have a huge sports center in their casino. And their casino is big, so I read."

"We check in, then meet the managers and walk over to the Colosseum, right?" Inuyasha asked, looking at Kikyo. Kagome relaxed against him with his arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah."

The limos pulled in and stopped right in front of the front doors. The SUV in front of their limo held Kikyo's bodyguards: Ben, Mike, Brady and Jinenji. They immediately jumped out and walked towards their limo, wearing jean pants and casual shirts. Luckily, there were no paparazzi that found out about Kikyo's flight and arrival, or where she was staying. Yet. Naraku nodded at all of them and opened the door, leading the way out. Kikyo followed behind him and her bodyguards stayed closed to her as they immediately went straight inside. The longer Kikyo remained out in the open, the more chances she would get recognized.

Inuyasha got out next and Kagome followed him, with Miroku, Sango and Emi following suit. The second limo pulled up next to them and the others were making their way out. Another SUV behind them stopped behind Kikyo's limo and six men got out, all wearing casual outfits. They stayed close enough to the group but not too close as to call too much attention. The attention, however, was already there as people waiting outside looked at them, wondering who they were and why so many people were arriving at once. Some of the security broke off from the others to start taking the baggage out of the limos.

"Let's go," Inuyasha said, grabbing Kagome's hand and leading the way. The others pulled up the rear as they got out of the limo and headed into the lobby.

Kagome looked around in awe, grinning like a child on Christmas. The sounds of machines and people talking immediately hit them as they walked in. A Roman statue fountain was in the middle of the entrance with the walls, ceilings and decor tailored to the theme. She could imagine that this was like what Rome might have been like, in a modern society. Kikyo and Naraku stood by the fountain talking to two men dressed in suits and one woman dressed in slacks and a blouse.

"Ah, welcome, everyone, to Caesars Palace! My name is Candace. This is Michael and John," the woman said, introducing each of them. "We spoke with some of you on the phone."

"I remember your voice," Inuyasha said. Candace extended her hand towards him and he shook her hand but kept his other in Kagome's. "This is the rest of our team," Inuyasha said towards the others as they brought up the rear.

"Welcome, everyone. It's nice to finally meet you all in person. I hope your flight was okay."

"It was,"Naraku assured her. "Do we need to do anything for check-in?"

John shook his head. "No, sir. Your rooms are ready. We will have the bellmen take your luggages up to your rooms."

Naraku nodded, looking at Akari. "Akari, you and two of the security stay back to situate the bags."

"I'll stay back with them and bring them to the Colosseum when that is done," Michael proposed.

Candace smiled. "Okay. Let's get going."

Candace and John led the way while Kikyo and Naraku followed right behind, and the others brought up the rear. The security walked on the outside of the group or behind them, keeping their eyes open and staying on alert. They were already getting stares as they walked through the casino. The casino was massive in the sense of it seemed to be never-ending. Kikyo and Candace chatted as they walked, all the while oblivious to the stares and occasional phones that snapped a photo.

"Do you think they recognized Kikyo already?" Kagome asked Inuyasha. She saw a couple of younger people look at her and beamed, three of the girls looking excited as if they knew her.

"I'm sure we stick out like a sore thumb. We're a group of Japanese people. It's either we're a tour group or we're something important. And if people took in the white men surrounding us and really looked at us... I would think something was up." This was why he was so adamant to not have any security detail. For Kikyo, sure. But for all of them meant more security. And numbers called attention. Right now, he could hear the conversations around them, and he knew that some people recognized them. He heard people saying Kikyo's name in hushes, he watched as some took out their phones to record or take photos, and he heard some of them recognize Blue Lightning.

"I think people know you from your hair," he said, looking at Kagome. She looked up at him and shrugged after thinking about it.

"Well... I guess that's to be expected. Maybe I should've worn a wig."

Sango laughed beside her. "Now that would be funny."

Kagome snickered at her and then looked back at Inuyasha. "Do you think they see your silver hair? You would stand out more than me. Especially those cute dog ears," she said, squeezing his hand.

He scowled at her, making her laugh. "I don't know what others see of me until they tell me. Most of the time, humans see what I look like on my human night. So it's your fault we're getting recognized," he teased. She bumped against him and sobered.

Thankfully, they only got stopped twice by a couple of die-hard fans who needed a photo with Kikyo. The fans also wanted a photo with Blue Lightning, and pointed out to them that they looked so hot together and their photos were amazing. Everyone's were.

"Speaking of photos," Miroku said as they continued along again, trying to stay on the walkways between gambling machines as they kept following Candace and John. "Did Haru finish the photos?"

"Yeah," Naraku said, turning a bit while walking so they could hear him. "Haru finished them last night. I picked up the prints from him and Akari sent over the digitals to Candace. They were supposed to have put it up this morning. It seems like people already saw the photos."

"They're there," Candace confirmed, hearing their conversation. "I can show you later or you can just walk out onto the street. The outdoor screens in front of our property are displaying OneRepublic's and Kikyo's concerts."

The others looked to each other with excitement, wanting to see their photo on a huge billboard-like screen. Kagome thought that over, having her photo up on a screen on the side of a road. Before, she would've been appalled, frightened, and begging for them to take it down. Now... she tightened her hold on Inuyasha's hand. Now, she was proud that her photo was up there with the others. It was time for to be noticed for her skills and her passion. She didn't want to hide anymore. And standing next to Inuyasha reminded her that he was her source of strength.

The walk across the property to where the Colosseum was took them about fifteen minutes, dodging people and stopping when asked for photos. They noticed the signs along the way that pointed to the different things in different directions. Once they got to the Colosseum's steps, it was hard not to be amazed. There were a couple levels with steps and the outside of the Colosseum was grand. You couldn't miss it. The dark purple walls went high up at the front with four double doors to allow the crowds to enter and exit as fast as possible.

Candace led them up the sets of stairs and to a set of doors, unlocking it. She turned to them with a smile, handing Naraku the key.

"This is your copy. You can enter through the front doors for your practices, but please keep it locked at all times." Naraku nodded and tucked the key away into his pocket.

They followed Candace and John into the Colosseum, marveling at the interior now. They walked into the lobby and bypassed the stairs on either sides of the entrance that probably led up to the different balconies of the theater. They went through another set of doors that led into the main theater that was huge.

Kagome gripped Inuyasha's hand, awestruck, as they walked down the stairs heading for the stage. The rows and rows of chairs went around in a half circle and the floor above their heads signaled the balcony of chairs above. She couldn't wait to get to the stage so she could take it all in from there.

"We've had many residencies here," Candace said, her voice echoing in the empty theater. "Now that we're in the interim, we've be able to book other artists and showcase their talent. OneRepublic is performing tonight and tomorrow, and we've seen a boom in sales. With your concert coming up next weekend, we've also seen a sold out in tickets for all three nights."

Kikyo smiled, filling with pride and appreciation. "I love my fans. I'm grateful they come to see me and support me."

Candace nodded, heading to the front of the stage where it was free of seats. "This open-floor area in the front is the VIP-standing section. Those are sold out."

Everyone followed her to the side and up the stairs to get onto the stage. Only then were they able to take it all in. Kagome held Inuyasha's hand with both hands now as she was able to see the theater from the stage. She couldn't believe she was standing her, with him, living our her dream. The Colosseum wasn't as big and as grand as Yanmar, but it was still a huge theatre. Very modern and sleek, with all the fixings and trimmings of a concert within a building. There were long, floor-to-ceiling screens on either sides of the stage.

Inuyasha squeezed her hand, catching her attention. He was smiling at her with love in his eyes. He bent to capture her lips, kissing her sweetly.

"As you can see, OneRepublic has setup their equipment," Candace said as everyone looked around the stage to see the band's equipment setup everywhere. There was tape all over the stage as well, something only the group would know the significance of.

"Some of the stage crew is here setting up for tonight's performance," John said, hearing movement backstage. "The band is supposed to be here two hours before the performance."

"Are they staying on property?" Mizuki asked, grasping Shippo's arm with excitement.

John smiled with a shake of his head. "No. Not sure where they're staying."

Mizuki pouted and Shippo pat her hand with his. "It's okay, love. You can oogle them on social media."

"You'll be able to use the Colosseum to setup your things and practice on stage on Monday. Will your UHaul trucks with your equipment be parked out back over the weekend?"

Naraku nodded as he looked at Candace. "Yes. Can we look around?"

"Of course. We can take you to the back rooms when you're ready."

The group began to walk around the stage and behind, staying out of the way of the other band's stage crew. Kagome noticed that security had disappeared. Only Jinenji stood at the bottom of the stage with his back to them.

"There's a lot of room back there so we can setup our stations like normal," Kikyo said as she came out from backstage.

"Where's the control booth?" Naraku asked, looking out at the seats.

Candace pointed straight ahead. "That's the control booth behind the glass." They glanced at the booth under the balcony, at the top of the seats. Directly below the booth, and below the set of rows, was another box that looked like a control center. "That," Candace pointed out, "is another control box. It's out in the open. That is where most of the lighting, screenplay and visual effects are controlled. The booth is where most of the sound is controlled. Both talk to each other to work together."

Naraku nodded his understanding, liking the setup. "Can you show us the back?"

"Of course."

The group migrated behind the stage and through the set of doors into the concert halls.

"This," Candace said, pointing to her right where the hall curved much like the design of the building, "goes around the back of the stage. There's a set of doors on the other side that goes outside to the back lot and one that goes to the backstage, so you can easily load and unload your equipment."

"This way goes out to the hotel," John announced, pointing down the opposite hall that curved. "It'll take you towards the side of the Colosseum closest to the Forum Shops. It exits out into a tunnel that other businesses and janitors use."

Candace led them down the hall across of the stage where doors on either side lined the short hall. "You can choose which rooms you would like to use. We have six rooms backstage, all of which are fully equipped with a bathroom, couch, chairs and a table. There's another hall like this on the other side, by the back door."

"We'll use them for our dancers and for Kikyo, and we'll need one for the VIP guests," Naraku said. "We'll have some goodies and a meet-and-greet with Kikyo for them in that room."

Candace nodded her head. "Choose any and all that you'd like. I would recommend you leave the VIP room in this hall," she said, extending her hands out, "and put your personal changing rooms on the other side so that you're not mixing your guests with yourselves. That'll prevent any mishaps if your fans walk into your rooms uninvited. At least this way, you can have security block them from walking down the hall to the other set of rooms on the other side."

"I love that idea," Kikyo said with a nod.

"We can walk down the hall so you can see the other set of rooms, and then I'll show you the back doors that go out to the parking lot. I'll give you the key for that door, too. Then, we can head out through the tunnel to get back outside into the hotel." Everyone nodded and continued to follow Candace and John on their tour of the venue until they had seen everything that they had needed to see. An hour later and they were starving, standing outside of the Colosseum, near the entrance of the tunnel.

"This might come in handy for when we want to sneak out," Kikyo said, as the sounds of people talking and gambling machines filled the air once again.

"Sometimes," Candace warned. "You can also leave out the back where it's safer. If you want to use the tunnel or the front doors, I would suggest to have your security team and to do it when the crowds have died down."

The security mentioned had met them outside the tunnel thanks to Jinenji since he followed them around and kept the others in the loop of their whereabouts. No doubt everyone would have to familiarize themselves with the venue, especially the security. Michael and Akari also met them outside.

"Where's the fitness center?" Inuyasha asked. Kikyo shook her head with a smile, always him to get to work, which was why she valued him so much.

"It's back in the main hotel. We've already reserved and prepped the fitness room and covered the windows and moved all the equipment into storage. You'll have all the space and mirrors that you'll need," Michael said.

"How is it in there?" Akari asked, coming to stand next to Mizuki and Shippo.

"Big," Kikyo said with a smile. "Can't do much with OneRepublic in there. But it was good to see everything. We can figure out logistics once we get the place to ourselves."

"I'm starving," Shippo said, his stomach grumbling, and most of them agreed.

"Airplane food wasn't enough," Mizuki teased.

"It's about time for lunch," Inuyasha said. "Let's go get something to eat and we can go to our rooms and take a break before we get to work. So let's say an hour from now... twelve. Meet down in the lobby near the elevators and we can find the fitness center."

"If you need help, you can ask the front desk. But there's signs everywhere," Candace said.

With that, everyone headed back down the long walk through the casino and back into the main hotel lobby. Akari gave everyone their sleeve with two keycards inside, all of which had their names and room number written on the sleeve. Akari told them which elevator to use for what tower they were all staying in and where the restaurants were, most of which they passed by from the Colosseum.

"Let's go up to the room and order room service," Inuyasha told Kagome. She smiled at him and nodded as the other talked about food options.

The two headed for the elevators and thankfully it wasn't busy as they got in one with a couple other guests. He hit their floor button and relaxed at the back of the elevator, bringing Kagome in front of him. He held her against him, savoring the feel of her and the quiet sounds of the elevator beeping.

Inuyasha took a deep breath and sighed. "Peace and quiet."

Kagome giggled. "It is pretty loud here with all the machines and the people." She turned in his arms, hugging him around his waist, feeling the tension in him. "Are you okay?" She knew his ears were really sensitive. She looked at his rosary, smiling when she saw her sapphire magatama resting against his collarbone.

"I'm fine, thanks to that," he said, watching her look at his rosary. If it wasn't for that thing, he would be dying from all the loud sounds.

The elevator slowed and dinged and someone walked out, but they paid no attention.

"Ummm... excuse me." They looked to see a young woman with her friend, both of them staring at them with acknowledgement and excitement in their eyes. "Are you two Blue Lightning?"

Kagome smiled, straightening and loosening her hold on him. "Yes."

"Oh my gosh... oh my gosh!" the woman said, turning to look at her friend who wore the same bewildered expression. Both of them tried to contain themselves, acting as cool as they could. It was only the four of them in the elevator as it continued up.

"Can we please take a picture with you?"

"Sure," Kagome said, moving out of Inuyasha's embrace, but he kept one hand banded around her waist. She placed her left hand on his chest so she could wrap her arm around him as both of the girls went on either side of them. The one who asked for their picture held up her phone to take a selfie.

"Thank you so much!" they both said as the elevator dinged and the door opened.

"You're welcome," Inuyasha said, moving Kagome forward. She took the hint but watched as the women could do nothing but swoon over him as they walked by. She smiled, shaking her head. 'Don't worry, girls. I got it bad for him too,' she thought as Inuyasha placed his hand at the small of her back and led her down the hall he knew their room to be since he had the keys.

Once they found it, he used the key and opened the door. Kagome walked in and was immediately greeted by the bathroom.

"Wow, look at the size of that tub." There was a jet tub and a glass shower, but she knew the tub would be her best friend on this trip. "I'm gonna need those jets."

Inuyasha chuckled. "I could give you a massage if you want."

"Every night?" she asked him sweetly, walking into the room and seeing the huge king bed. It looked soft and fluffy, something to sink into. She gasped as he came up behind her, wrapping her in his arms. His breath came out hot against her ear, giving her the chills.

"Every night."

"Inuyasha..." she said, panting with need.

Last night had been the first time in five days, since she had been in the hospital, that he had touched her intimately. Inuyasha refused to sleep with her when he brought her to his home after being discharged. He didn't want to hurt her and after what Onigumo had done to her, he didn't want her to get any flashbacks. She loved him for it, at first. But then, she started to hunger, and then crave. She couldn't help it. Their sex life was... very active. She couldn't keep her hands off him just as much as he couldn't keep his off her. She also knew how much of a libido Inuyasha had. He was always ready and willing for her, even if she initiated it or not. But since he vowed to let her heal all week, she had been dying for him to touch her, to be inside of her. She needed the physical connection and comfort more than anything. And finally, last night, he had taken her.

"You were gentle last night," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck as she turned to face him. "I thought you were going to rip the dress right off me in the garden."

"I thought about it," he said, tightening his arms around her. "But I didn't want to scare you or hurt you."

That made her frown, changing her mood instantly. "Inuyasha... I'm not a porcelain doll. I'm okay. I've been through this before."

He growled, releasing her in an instant. "Don't remind me." His voice changed, darker, and he walked away from her, heading towards the floor-to-ceiling window opposite the door.

His reaction came out of nowhere and she steeled herself, preparing for a fight. How did it go from one topic to another, from lust to anger, in an instant?

"I'm not trying to remind you of my past. I'm saying that I'm okay. You don't have to treat me like I'm going to break."

He stood in front of the glass wall, looking out at the other buildings on the Strip and the cars below. He felt so far away from her, both physically and emotionally.

"Inuyasha..." He still refused to look at her or speak to her. So she went to him. It was always the other way around, she running away from him. But now, she needed to be the one to reassure him that everything was okay. Or maybe to reassure herself that they were okay. She went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, resting her cheek between his shoulder blades.

"Inuyasha... I'm okay."

"He could have killed you."

Kagome moved her head, but remained where she was. "But Jinenji was there."

"Koga could have killed you."

She took a breath, willing to face her past. There was nothing she could give him to excuse any of them: not Onigumo, not Koga and not her father. She just wanted Inuyasha not to be angry for her.

"Why were you gentle with me last night? Did you think I was in pain?"

"I didn't want to put you in any more pain. And don't change the subject," he said, turning his head to talk over his shoulder.

Kagome smiled, knowing that his anger was slowly fading away. "Inuyasha... do you know what your desire for me does to me?" She felt him take a deep breath, and she wasn't sure if that was because he felt her desire for him or because he needed to clear his mind. Or both. She closed her eyes to focus on just feeling him.

"I want you to desire me." She rubbed her cheek against him. "I need you to desire me. Your desire for me makes me feel like I'm wanted. You don't know how much I need to feel desired by you. It makes me feel like I'm the only person in the world who matters. Like nothing else matters to you but me... and I know that's selfish of me... but you're the only person in this world who really cares about me."

Inuyasha moved and she had to release him as he faced her. He cupped her face with both hands and kissed her, tenderly at first, and then the passion between them built. He kissed her like a starving man, something that she craved and loved when he did. It was almost like he couldn't get enough of her and needed her to breathe. He moved her backwards until the back of her knees hit the bed, and he pushed her onto the bed, never breaking their kiss. He held the back of her head so that she wouldn't bounce against him, and braced himself over her. It was so erotic when he took control like that. She never thought that she would want that, especially from a man. She never thought giving him control over her would turn her on so much considering what Koga had done to her.

She moaned as he broke the kiss. His golden eyes stared at her with such intensity, she saw his desire for her. She pressed her thighs together, feeling the building pressure between her legs. She grabbed his shirt, pushing it up his body so that she could run her fingers along his back, feeling every muscle.

"We can't, Kagome."

She saw his breathing change and knew that he was trying not to give in to her menstruations. She frowned. "You don't want me?" She used that as bait because she could see in the clench of his jaw and in his eyes that he did want her.

He gripped the back of her head, bringing his head down towards hers. "Foolish woman..." He took her mouth and she moaned, wrapping her legs around his hips, pulling him down onto her. He went willingly and she found what she wanted, his hard erection rubbing against her heat through their clothes. She moaned louder, turned on. She wanted him like this. Hot. Out of control. Wild for her. This power that she had over him... she craved it. Much like she did at Midnite. But he had power over her too, which none of those men ever had.

"Kagome... we can't start this now."

"Why not?" she groaned, reaching for him, scratching his back with her nails out of frustration as he pushed up off her.

He smirked, knowing what she wanted. "Easy, baby." He kissed her again, sweetly. "We still have hours of work to get through. I can't wear you out before we finish work."

She pouted, and he found her lower lip too much to resist. He bent and captured it between his teeth, tugging it free. When she opened her mouth to protest, he took the opportunity to plunge his tongue in, using his tongue in her mouth the same way he'd use it between her legs. She immediately got wet, rubbing herself against his erection shamelessly.

Inuyasha was the first to pull away, his self-control maddening. "You need to eat. We need to eat and then meet the others soon."

He was immediately off her and she suddenly felt bereft. She lost her appetite.

"I'm not hungry." She tried to calm her heart, feeling too heated and too flushed to calm down, let alone to eat.

"Kagome, you need to eat something. We haven't eaten since the breakfast on the plane and that was hours ago. You need to eat."

He offered her his hand but she sat up on her own, not wanting his touch right now. She refused to look at him. How was it that Onigumo and Koga could still get in between them, when they were miles away? She hated them for it.

"Kagome..."

She didn't want to fight with him. "I'll have whatever you're having." She moved to stand but he wouldn't move back to give her space. She huffed and looked up at him, seeing his hard stare.

"I'm trying to get a handle on your mood swings."

"Well don't. Please move."

"What do you want, Kagome?"

She scooted over on the bed and stood, avoiding him. "Whatever you're getting." She went to walk behind him but he grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"What do you want, Kagome?"

She sighed, tired. "I don't know what you mean, Inuyasha."

"I want you to tell me what's going on. What do you want from me? One minute you're all over me... the next you can't get away from me fast enough."

"I'm the enigma?" she asked him as if he'd lost his mind. "Let go of me. I need to use the bathroom."

"No." He stood in front of her, making her look at him. "Tell me what's wrong."

"You!" she said, pushing at his chest to get him to move but he didn't budge. At. All. "You won't touch me or sleep with me for days..."

"Because you just came out of the hospital after a brutal sexual assault," he finished, just as hot-tempered as she was, but she kept going.

"Then, when you do, you go from rough to gentle. First you're like a crazed man who needs me, then you get subdued and gentle, like you're afraid I might break. What is it? You either want me or you don't."

"And I can't have you both rough and gentle?" he asked, his eyes blazing fire as he crossed his arms. His phone began to ring in his pocket but he ignored it, staring at her and waiting for her to answer.

"I just don't understand you. I'm not broken, Inuyasha."

"I never said you were. Don't put words in my mouth."

"Then don't treat me like I am."

"I'm treating you like I would something precious, because that's what you are to me. Something precious that just got sexually assaulted and almost killed. How else would you like me to treat you?"

"Like I'm not dead or broken. I'm standing right here, wanting you with every breath I take."

"And you think I don't want you the same way?" By the look on his face, she knew he was angry, but she didn't care. She was sexually frustrated. She opened her mouth to speak but he spoke first.

"Be careful what you say next, Kagome."

The threat was there: in his voice, in his eyes, in his body language. His eyes stared at her like a predator watching its prey, waiting for it to make its next move.

"Why don't you want me the same way I want you, Inuyasha?" she asked, starting to lose her resolve and sounding like a child. He was right. She was hangry. She was moody. She was horny and cock-blocked by the person who shouldn't be blocking his own cock. She was highly aroused, sexually frustrated, confused, hurt and hungry. All of which was a deadly combination of a huge explosion and a huge fight that might turn ugly. And it was their first day in Vegas. She didn't want to ruin it.

"Kagome... I don't know what I did to make you think that I don't want you the same way you want me... but you need to stop thinking and believing that. I can't stop myself from wanting you even if I tried."

"Then why are you doing it now? Why did you last night?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, wondering why she kept bringing that up. Then memories of what happened last night, of Kiyomi, came back to him and he held his growl. Kiyomi. Did she say something to Kagome? Or was it just Kagome's insecurities that got her doubting his desire for her?

Kagome ran her hands up his chest, searching. "I want you to want me with the same passion I have for you."

"I do."

"You hold yourself back," she pointed out.

"I have to."

That confession made her pause. The truth was harder to hear. "Because I was assaulted?"

"Yes and no." He could tell by her tone that she was starting to change her mood and see reason, so he brushed her hair back with both hands, needing the physical touch now that they both were calming down. "I can't lose control with you."

Her eyes widened and she was at a loss for words, so he tried to explain it to her. "I'm a demon, Kagome. My desires are... demonic... in nature. I crave. Everything is heightened for me. When it comes to me and you... I crave you like a drug. I need you. I can't survive without you. When it comes to mating with you... my desires are all-consuming. I can think of nothing but your submission, the feel of your body submitting beneath mine, the feel of that soft skin being touched everywhere by me. I want nothing more than to be rough with you, trust me..."

"Then be rough with me," she whispered, her fingers feather-like as they traveled up to his neck, clasping together behind his neck.

"I can't. Your trust in me means everything to me, Kagome. You trust me with your body, and that is something I won't misuse. I won't break your trust. I can't. It would kill me... if you looked at me with fear."

She heard the pain in his voice and saw the sadness in his eyes. His reason and deepest regret is that he couldn't give her what she wanted because he didn't trust himself around her. But she had total trust in him.

"Inuyasha... I trust you. You know I do. And I trust that you know my body and when to stop."

"Not if my demon gets the better of me," he warned. "It's happened before, Kagome."

She nodded, knowing the times when Inuyasha let his demon out during sex because he couldn't cage it in. But she loved him all the more for showing her that part of him. She loved the way his eyes changed to a blood red and the way the purple lightning marks showed on his cheeks and the way his nails lengthened like claws. In every way, he became as much of a beast when he was making love to her. And that was the power she had over him. But nothing bad ever happened to the point of him hurting her.

"Kagome... please don't think that I want you any less. I'm just... I'm trying to protect you. I don't want to hurt you. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you."

She went to her toes and kissed him briefly, silencing him. "You won't hurt me. You love me too much." He closed his eyes and brought his forehead against hers.

"I do."

She smiled, feeling herself settle. They had gone around in circles, but at least they were back to where they started. Was that what being in love was? Fights that seem to go nowhere but to bring up insecurities and fears that was never a part of the original fight to begin with? If that brought them deeper and closer together, then it had to be worth it.

"We should talk to Rin," he suggested.

Kagome brought her head back, making him look at her. "I'm open to it if you are," she said with a smile. She trusted Rin, and she liked Rin. The last time Rin helped her to get her thoughts straight. Maybe this time around, Rin could help again since her thoughts and emotions seemed to be all over the place.

Inuyasha's phone rang again and he kissed her forehead before he fished his phone out of his pocket while she went to use the bathroom to freshen up after the long plane ride. She also noticed their suitcases and bags were left next to the entertainment center.

"Yeah? Sure. We didn't have time to call. Yeah get us a cheeseburger. Sure. We'll meet you down there. Thanks."

Kagome called from inside the bathroom. "Miroku?"

"Yeah. Room service will take too long. Some of them went to Gordon Ramsey's burger restaurant and are sitting at the bar. Miroku just ordered us a burger with fries. Let's get ready and leave so we can get something in our stomachs."

"Okay."

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Sango sat with a huff, her hair clinging to her face that was dripping with sweat. "Dang... I'm wiped."

Kagome nodded, looking down at Sango. "Me too." She looked around at everyone.

Inuyasha had called it a day after four hours of dancing. The studio room in the fitness center was big enough for them to dance comfortably and have a lot of space. It wasn't as big as what they had back at the Dance Academy, but it was suitable for what they needed this weekend. Everyone was tired from the travel day, even though there wasn't much of a time change to cause jet lag. The stress of traveling and the excitement of being here in Vegas took it out of them.

Miroku and Inuyasha came to stand next to them, the both of them drenched in their tank tops and sweat pants.

"Sucks for you, Kagome. You two gotta practice your number," he said, looking at Inuyasha for confirmation.

"Yeah. We'll probably be another hour."

She pouted but then shrugged, trying not to let it sour her mood. "I just wanna get that done and go back to our room and soak in that big tub."

"Ooooo that sounds sooo good right now," Sango said, stretching out her legs. "Let's go, honey, so these two can finish their number."

Miroku helped her up as Kikyo walked up to them, wiping the sweat from her face with one of the fitness center towels. "I'm going to head back to my room. Do you guys need anything?"

"No. Go eat and get some rest. Are you going out tonight?" Inuyasha asked.

Kikyo shook her head. "Maybe tomorrow. It's still the weekend so it'll be nice to go out and see the town while there's the weekend crowd. We won't have time next weekend with the concert."

"From what I understand, Vegas is always busy and it never sleeps," Miroku said.

Kikyo smiled. "I hope so. We're still young. We should be out there."

Sango laughed. "Tell that to my tired body." Kikyo giggled and started for the door, saying her goodbyes to everyone. She grabbed her bag and opened the door, knowing that her three bodyguards were waiting outside for her.

Kikyo wanted Inuyasha and Kagome to have at least one bodyguard since they were the most known and famous of the dancers, so she gave them Jinenji because of his connection to Kagome. The rest of the security team they hired for the event were on standby for when they made more of a public appearance out on the streets. In the hotel, it wasn't too bad since the hotel had it's own security and cameras, being a little bit of a controlled environment.

"We're out too. We'll see you guys tomorrow morning," Miroku said, grabbing Sango's hand. The two said their goodbyes as the others slowly began to leave too.

All that was left was Inuyasha and Kagome. Kagome went to head for her water but Inuyasha quickly grabbed her, startling her as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, making a face.

"Mmmm, you're all sweaty," she said, acting like she didn't like it. He tightened his hold with a gleam in his eyes, smiling.

"Tell me we're good."

She blinked, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Then, she remembered about their fight earlier and she sobered, feeling both sad and happy.

"Inuyasha... there's a lot that we should talk about and work through. But like you said, Rin could help us with that."

"But she's not here. It's just you and me, Kagome. It'll always be just you and me. And I want us to work it out and be good without anyone's help. I need you with me."

"I'm right here," she assured him, kissing him. "We're good. We'll talk about it and work through it later. Let's get this done and then go back to the room. Maybe we can talk while we soak our muscles in the tub."

He smiled and shook his head. "Trying to get me naked, huh?"

She wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Someone's gotta. You should have one of those statues in the hotel made after your naked body."

He burst out laughing and she laughed with him. "You've got it bad for me."

Kagome moaned, kissing him again. She poured all her love for him into the kiss and he responded, tilting her back and deepening the kiss, making her toes curl. She wanted him so bad. She wanted him wild, sweaty, just like this. But she also wanted him sweet and tender. Not just sexually, but on a deeper level, intimately. How could she have fallen so hard in love with him?

"Alright, let's get this done so I can get you naked," he said with a final kiss. He released her and headed closer to the mirrors in front of them as she followed.

"Kikyo said she got two singers to make a cover for 'Rewrite the Stars'. It's a little slower than the original, but Kikyo liked their rendition of the song."

Kagome nodded her understanding. Koji had made the final itinerary and it had the full details of everything: from all the days planned out to the times for the concert and when to expect every little thing in production. Their chosen song would be sung by upcoming artists, giving them an opportunity to get their names and voices known in the world. And while they had to change a little bit of their routine, slowing things down just a little and adding a few additions here and there for fluff, she and Inuyasha had it down. But Inuyasha always wanted to practice to make it perfect.

"Ready?" he asked as she came to stand next to him with a smile.

"Ready."

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

"Where are you?"

Koga tapped his foot, reclining back in his chair in his office. His eyes took in the photos on his computer, something that enraged him and made his blood boil.

"We're at Caesar's Palace, sitting at one of the machines."

The sound of the casino was loud through the phone, but he could make out Ginta's voice clearly.

"Where is she?"

"She's in the fitness room with the hanyou. Everyone else left for the day."

"Are they going out?"

"I'm not sure. Kikyo and her bodyguards are gone. But the hanyou and Kagome have one bodyguard hanging around. He's a hanyou too."

Koga stared dispassionately at Inuyasha on his computer. The photo that taunted him was obviously just taken recently, and being passed around social media like a virus. Inuyasha and Kagome stood in what looked like an elevator. The two were awfully close and Kagome's hand rested on Inuyasha's chest, the red diamond ring catching the world's attention. The caption read 'Blue Lightning getting married?!' And there was currently over two-hundred-thousand views after being posted five hours ago. He sat up, bringing the chair back to its normal position.

"Bring her back to me," he said softly, his eyes staring at Kagome with the promise of retaliation.

"Yes, Koga. We'll have eyes on her the entire time. Our biggest problem is going to be these two hanyous."

Koga growled. "They're half-breeds. Take care of them. Where's Hanako?"

"She's in the suite."

"Make sure she stays there and out of sight until she's needed."

"Yes. We'll only bring her out if we need her."

Koga nodded his head and ended the call, tossing his phone onto his desk. Kagome looked back at him in the photo. She looked really happy. But with the wrong person.

"You're mine, Kagome..." he said to her in the photo. "Don't forget that." He reached out to shut his laptop and stood, heading home for the day and waiting for the news he longed to hear.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

The covers moved and a familiar weight settled over her, stirring her awake. She felt little kisses on her cheek and then down to her neck, making her moan. She moved so that she could lie on her back, letting him continue his menstruations. His hands roamed down her naked body, shaping her curves. She moaned and arched into him, wrapping her arms around his neck as his hair fell onto her face. She gasped as he bit her neck gently, moaning as she got wetter for him. He could smell it as he inhaled deeply, sucking on her neck, leaving his mark there. His need and lust for her spurred on her own. He knee'd her legs open and settled his erection against the lips of her sex.

"I love you, Inuyasha..." she whispered. His sucking stopped and he reared his head back to look down at her.

She opened her eyes and froze.

Koga stared down at her, his dark hair framing his face, that familiar lust and love in his eyes stared at her hungrily.

"I love you, Kagome..."

Her heart raced and her instincts kicked in. She went to push him away but he grabbed both of her hands and pinned them onto the mattress above her head. Her breasts thrust up towards him and he groaned, grinding his cock against her slick entrance.

"I've missed you..." He brought his head down and took a nipple into his mouth, sucking hard. The feel of his lips gave her pleasure and disgust. How could it be that she wanted him so much and hated him so much at the same time? How twisted could she be? She was disgusted at herself.

She fought him, but he was simply too strong. He always was. He held her wrists down together with one hand and she couldn't buck him off her or twist under him. She never could. She was helpless to him. And damn her body for reacting to his touch! She hated herself all the more for it.

She felt him steady his cock at her entrance and then he was in her, hard and swift, burying himself to the hilt. The sensation was painful and erotic, turning her on even more. Tears sprung to her eyes, her body betraying her as he began to thrust into her like a starved man. Her breasts bounced with every thrust. He was hard and rough, growling and groaning as he sucked and licked her breasts noisily.

"Koga... please stop..." she whispered, begged. But her body betrayed her. Turned on as he made her, pleasure mixing with pain, she felt her orgasm coming. And he knew it. He knew her body so well, this lover of hers.

"You said you wanted me to desire you, Kagome," Koga said, looking down at her. Sweat dripped from his forehead down to hers. "My desire for you makes you feel wanted. I make you feel like you're the only person in the world who matters."

Kagome shook her head side to side, but she wasn't sure if that was because she was feeling so good or if that was because she was denying his every word.

"I... I didn't say that to you," she groaned, pleasure rippling through her body. She wrapped her legs around his hips and the sound of his balls slapping against her cheeks nearly set her off. She was an animal now, needing the orgasm more than needing him to get off her. "I said it to Inuyasha..."

"You want me to want you with the same passion that you have for me," he growled, stopping his thrusting to grind his pelvis against her clit. She gasped, the sensation coiling in her belly tighter and tighter. He always knew how to get her on the edge. Still, she didn't want this. She wanted him off her. But damn her body for wanting him to keep going. She felt the tears fall but she didn't realize she was crying through it all.

"You want me to be rough with you." Koga braced his hand on the mattress next to her and pounded into her, hitting that spot he knew well.

"You trust me. You told me you trust me. You trust that I know your body," he said, panting as he felt her sex spasm. Every word he spoke was thrown back at her, the very words she spoke to Inuyasha.

He smirked, looking down at her with that knowing look. "I've got you, Kagome. I do know your body. Your body was made for me. Milk my cock like you always do. So greedy. Your cunt is so greedy for me."

The sound of his words and the pace he set threw her over the edge. She shut her eyes as her orgasm exploded through her, tightening her thighs against his hips and screaming out in pleasure. He was rough. Pinning her down the way he always did. Driving through her orgasm and at the same time, she felt him cum, heard him over the pounding in her ears. She felt him retreat and he released her, his semen leaking out into her butt crack and onto the bed beneath her.

Kagome brought her hands to her chest, trying to cover herself while also feeling numb. What was wrong with her? She opened her eyes but couldn't see with all the tears that clouded her vision. Was she crying? When did she start crying?

"Your body was made for me, Kagome."

She blinked away the tears and looked up at him, the devil in a wolf's disguise. Self-hatred and shame flooded her, as it always did after he raped her. He remained sitting back on his knees between her legs, staring down at her body hungrily. Again. She remembered what it was like with him. His lust for her was insatiable. He would either eat her out, or finger her with his claws and draw blood that he would lap at, or have anal sex with her. Either way, her body would betray her, but in her mind... in her mind she would huddle into the far recesses of her mind where no one could get her. She would retreat far away from this shame and this pain and let him have her body. There was nothing she could do to stop him.

Kagome turned her head and her eyes widened in fear. Onigumo stood next to the bed, completely naked, stroking his cock with one hand while looking at her with that same hatred and lust in his eyes on the night he attacked her. She felt her heart stop and complete terror washed over her as her father walked out from behind Onigumo, naked as well. Her body went still, frozen in fear.

"Kagome..." her father said, walking towards her. She screamed, but nothing came out of her mouth. She realized she was silently screaming in her head, begging for this nightmare to end, or for her life to end. Either one would put her out of this misery. "Be Daddy's good little girl."

He stood next to the bed, in front of Onigumo, and brushed her hair out of her face. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch any of them do to her what she knew they were going to do. "Daddy loves you, Kagome."

She felt someone get on the bed and switch spots with Koga, settling between her legs. Another cock notched between the lips of her sex, glistening with Koga's semen.

"I love you too, Daddy," she whispered.

Her body came alive again as her father plunged into her, his weight settling on top of her. The sounds of his moaning drowned out as if she was far away from it all, huddled into the recesses of her mind, separated from what was happening to her body. Koga was right. Her body was made for him. Her body was made for her father. Her body was made for Onigumo. Rough. Raped. Her body was made to be raped...

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

"Kagome! Kagome! Dammit, wake up!"

She jolted awake as Inuyasha shook her by her shoulders. The bedside lights were on and he was anxiously looking down at her, worry etched into his beautiful face. 'A dream...' she thought, trying to get her bearings. Her eyes looked everywhere but saw nothing. The dream was still too fresh, her skin still crawled. She could feel her body on fire, heavily aroused, flushed with sweat. 'A dream...' she thought again.

Inuyasha's mouth was moving, and his voice sounded like it was in a tunnel. She couldn't hear or understand what he was saying. There was ringing in her ears, louder than Inuyasha's voice. 'A dream...' It felt so real. She could still feel Koga's and her father's cock inside of her. She curled into a ball, not wanting to be around Inuyasha right now. He was the last person she wanted to see.

"Kagome! Talk to me! Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked her again. He could tell that she couldn't hear him. Her eyes were wild with fear and she seemed disoriented. But she wasn't responding to anything he was saying. And then she curled into herself, much like a child, and he felt even more helpless.

He pulled the covers back, trying to control his demon and his raging erection. The smell of Kagome's arousal inflamed him. But his emotions were just as out of control as hers were. He woke to the sound of her groaning, and the feel of her body moving so much. When she tossed her head and arched her back, calling out Koga's name, he knew she was dreaming. But what he didn't expect was for her to get aroused. It hit him hard. On the one hand, he was furious that she would call out Koga's name and get aroused, and on the other hand her arousal only set him off. He realized would always react to her desire.

"Kagome... talk to me, love," he said, slowly moving closer to her so that she wouldn't get triggered. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she shuddered.

"Please don't touch me," she whispered.

Inuyasha frowned. "I'm sorry, love. I can't do that. You're hurting. And I need to help you." He moved his hand to her head, pushing back the hair from her face. She was shaking, her eyes wide with fear.

"Don't touch me..."

He grabbed her, thankful that she didn't fight him or push away, and pulled her with him as he sat with the pillows at his back against the headboard. Her shirt felt damp with sweat. She tried to huddle into herself but he kept her against him, holding her at his side and draping her legs over him.

"Talk to me, Kagome. You were having a nightmare. What happened?"

She shook her head against his side. "No."

"Love... I need to know what happened. How can I help you? You have to let me in, Kagome."

She started to cry and it broke his heart. "Kagome..." He tried for her but she tightened her hold on her face, keeping her body as small as possible and not wanting to him to see her. He took a breath, trying to be patient with her. He remembered the time in Hawai'i when he found her on the floor.

"Kagome..."

"Please... don't..."

He paused. She moved her legs off him, once again curling into a ball against his side. He kept her in his arms but didn't try to move her. He wanted to give her time but he also didn't want her to shut him out.

After a few minutes, she suddenly moved. He released her as she sat up on her knees, her blue eyes haunted by her nightmare. It broke his heart to see her like that, eyes red from crying, her face haunted with fear. She moved into him and kissed him, shocking him for a second. She was suddenly on him, straddling his waist and deepening the kiss. He let her take the lead, bringing his hands to her waist, hoping that he didn't trigger her to shut down. He wanted to stop her and let her continue at the same time. He knew she just came out of a really bad nightmare, one that had her screaming in terror and writhing in arousal at the same time. This could go from bad to worse.

He broke the kiss, but she grabbed his face with her hands and tried to kiss him again. "Kagome. Slow down." Since she couldn't get his lips she went for his neck, kissing and sucking his skin. She was aggressive. He groaned, his erection painful in his boxer-briefs. And she sat on him, grinding herself against his erection, making his control harder to bear.

"Kagome..."

"Make love to me, Inuyasha..." she said against his skin, moving to the other side of his neck to kiss and suck. He tightened his hold on her waist, warning her.

"Not like this, Kagome."

"Yes, like this." She got off him and quickly took her shorts and underwear off, but kept her shirt on. He had half the heart to stop her because he wanted her just as bad as she wanted him. He wanted to help her chase the demons away, and if this was something she needed, then he would give that to her. Also, her arousal had hit him in his sleep, his demon had smelled her and his body had reacted while he slept, even when he woke to her night terrors. And even now, he still wanted her.

She straddled him again and reached for him beneath his boxer-briefs, freeing him. He didn't stop her but decided to watch her warily, gauging her reaction. Her eyes were hooded and he saw her need and desperation in the lines of her face. She brought her head to his neck again, resting her forehead against his shoulder, and he grabbed her hips just as she positioned him right at her entrance. And then she slammed herself down on him and he cursed, his fingers tightening and digging into her skin.

"Dammit, Kagome!" He hit his head back against the headboard, the feel of her tight sheath gripping him in a death grip came too fast. He heard her scream in pain and pleasure, and his demon was rising fast. He felt the change come over him quickly. And just as quickly, she was riding his cock with a fevered demand that her body take her pleasure from his.

Kagome moaned and screamed out, both in pleasure and pain. He gripped her hips and stopped her, holding her above him, the head of his penis the only thing in her. He was breathing hard and so was she. She brought her head up and looked at him with desperation, panting heavily.

"What's wrong?" she asked, gripping his shoulders. "Don't you want me?" She kissed his cheek where he knew his demon markings would be. She was testing his patience, and she was winning. He was trying hard to hold back, to slow things down because he knew that she wasn't in the right state of mind. If they weren't careful, her lust would call to his demon's lust and that would be a deadly combination in the state she was in.

"You know I want you, Kagome," he said, his voice deep and strained.

"Then why are you stopping me?" She tried to move her hips but he was far stronger than she was. She growled in frustration at him. "Don't you want this?" She looked at him and her eyes were wild, pleading with him, her eyes filled with anger and fear. That was enough to call sanity back into his brain and he felt his demon blood subside in worry and concern for his mate's safety.

"Not like this, Kagome..." he said softly, her fear bringing him back to sanity.

She looked at him for a moment, shocked by his words. But as his words sunk in and the only thing that could be heard was their breathing, then shame hit her hard and she started to cry. He released her hips so that he could hold her face and she settled herself back down again, making him moan as he was buried once again within her.

"Kagome... I want you. But not like this. You're only like this because of your nightmare. If you want me to make love to you, then let me make love to you."

He kissed her, feeling her lips tremble as tears leaked against his face. He slowly deepened the kiss, earning a moan from her, coaxing her. She started moving again, as if she was unable to stop her body from feeling the pleasure that he was giving her. He moaned, licking into her mouth and dueling with her tongue while his hands roamed up her back, feeling her soft skin and marveling at how beautiful she was.

He broke the kiss and held her against him with one arm while he flipped them over, still buried within her, and started a new rhythm. This time, he wanted to take it slow. She gazed up at him, her eyes still haunted and filled with tears, and it broke his heart to see her like this. She wrapped her legs around his waist, not letting him go.

"Mmmm... Inuyasha..." she said, arching her back.

"Yes..." he moaned, feeling her tighten on him. He came down on her so that he rested on his forearms but their chests rubbed against each other's. He needed the contact just as much as she did.

She closed her eyes as he hit her spot, gasping in pleasure. Her arms came up and grabbed his shoulders, digging her nails into him. He grunted at the pain of her nails as she scraped them down his arms, but it mixed with the pleasure he gave and took from her. He could feel her gripping him tighter and knew she was close.

"You said you wanted me to desire you," he said, purposeful with his thrusts. "You said my desire for you makes you feel wanted, like you're the only person in the world who matters to me."

Kagome cried, shutting her eyes. Could this be her nightmare again? No, it couldn't be. But those words... Koga just spoke those words to her in her dream.

"Can you feel it, Kagome? Can you feel my desire for you? Only you." He lifted her shirt so that her breast was exposed to him, and took her nipple into his mouth. She gasped and arched into his mouth while her hands tangled in his hair, holding him. He sucked hard, once, twice. Her hands went to his back and she dragged her nails down his sides, feeling the bloodlust hit him hard. His demon woke with a new hunger, one that was laced with his mate's dark need. The smell of his blood only intensified his demon's desire for her, its need for its mate.

Inuyasha roared as he let his demon enjoy its mate. His tempo increased, but he kept their bodies close together, rubbing his chest against her breasts, sensitizing her more. His growls became more guttural. His hearing heightened, the smells of their sex stronger, fueling the need to climax and the need to bring his mate pleasure. He knew that with his senses heightened, it meant that his demon was surfacing, threatening to take control. He couldn't let that happen, wouldn't let it. But Kagome was rising to meet his demon. She was wild beneath him, tossing her head back and forth, arching against his chest, tightening her thighs against his waist and scraping her nails down his back. He didn't even register the pain anymore but knew that she had drawn blood. She was wild. She was just what his demon needed.

"Kagome..." he groaned, feeling her grasp his cock. She was close and he would get them both there. But then, she brought her hands up to his face and started scratching at him, as if she was attacking him. He avoided her hands a few times, but there were times when she did get him and scratched his cheeks and down his neck.

"Kagome, stop." She couldn't hear him, which meant that she wasn't there with him. Her mind was somewhere else. He slowed his tempo, controlling his demon and reigning his lust back in. He needed her back with him.

"Kagome..." He grabbed both her hands with one and pinned her hands over her head, effectively stopping her. The sudden move and control made her open her eyes wide in shock and fear.

"Kagome. You're killing me, love. Come back to me..."

He watched as her chest rose and fell, her eyes searching his, still lost as if she was living in a nightmare. So he gave her a minute, all the while his cock pulsed within her, begging to spill his seed in her. They were both so wound up that if he started moving again, he was sure they would both go over.

"Inu... yasha?"

Awareness and realization hit her and he smiled at her. "Come back to me, Kagome." He saw her look at him and her eyes widened in horror.

"Did I... did I do that to you?" she whispered. Inuyasha's face bled from the scratch marks she made on his cheeks down to his neck.

He smiled, bringing his lips down to hers, kissing her tenderly. She didn't kiss him back, but she also didn't pull away. "I'm not Koga, Kagome. It's me... do you see me?"

She started crying, nodding her head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she chanted, feeling even more shame and regret. He quieted her by kissing her.

"I'm going to give us what we both need and then I'm going to hold you and you're going to tell me what really happened in your dream. Are you ready?"

She didn't say anything. She simply bit her bottom lip and gazed up at him. He saw trust in her eyes and knew that it was the only answer he would get.

He moved then, thrusting deep into her body once. "Ah... that's it." She arched her back and her whole body shook. "Take my cock, Kagome. Come for me, love." He brought his head down to her neck, his hand squeezing her wrists as he pinned her arms down and licked under her chin, feeling his balls tighten. "Come with me..." he panted.

Kagome cried out as she came, hard, her arms fighting to be free as her orgasm shot through her. Her body shook and milked his cock, taking him with her as he emptied his seed with each thrust into her. He grunted, sated and satisfied, slowly releasing her wrists and withdrawing from her. He was focused on her, wrapping her in his arms as he held her so that he spooned her from behind. He wanted to have as much of their bodies touching as possible so that she was aware of only him, but also for her to feel safe and protected. She seemed to curl up into a ball a lot when she felt fear so he would curl up with her in his arms.

The sound of her crying pulled at his heart. "My love... what's wrong?" he asked, moving her hair back to see her. He kissed her temple but her eyes were closed.

"I'm so sorry, Inuyasha. I didn't mean to." She opened her eyes to look at him and she looked at all the marks she left on his face. "What did I do?" she asked, bringing a hand up to his cheek only to pull it back. He saw coagulated blood on her finger and licked it off.

"I'll be fine, Kagome. These are just scratches. They'll close by morning." Even though he tried to reassure her, it wasn't working. "Kagome, listen to me. Tell me what happened in your dream."

"I can't," she said, turning her head from him again.

"I'm not asking, Kagome," he said, his voice firm. He would have her talk to him now or later, but he wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

Her silence made him wonder what she was hiding. "When we had sex just now, were you thinking about Koga or me?"

She shook her head and he heard the sob in her voice. "You."

He inwardly sighed, feeling the tension run out of his body. He knew he was jealous, and her answer meant a lot more than he thought. "In your dream, was he raping you?"

She curled her knees up to her chest and he followed her, keeping his thighs against the back of hers, wanting to give her as much comfort and support as he could.

"Yes..." she whispered, tightening her hold on his arms around her. "All of them..."

If he wasn't a hanyou, he wouldn't have heard her last statement. "Who's 'all of them'?"

"Koga... my father... Onigumo..."

He inwardly cursed and furrowed his eyebrows. "Have you had dreams like that before?"

"No." Her voice got softer but firm, as if talking about the dream helped her to come to terms with it, or maybe she was just distancing herself from the dream.

"I know it's painful for you, but you need to tell me about this dream. It's not real, Kagome. None of them can hurt you now." He tried to reassure her with his words and by tightening his hold on her, but he would have to show her in time. He waited. They simply breathed in and out and he waited.

"Koga told me everything that I told you today," she said softly. "That I wanted him to desire me. That I wanted him to want me with the same passion that I have for you. That I wanted him to be rough with me. That I trust him with my body. But I don't. I don't feel any of that towards him. That was all for you, Inuyasha."

"I know that," he reassured her, kissing the back of her head. "I remember what you told me."

"After Koga came, then I saw Onigumo standing next to the bed, stroking himself. And... my father... he told me what he's always told me. To 'be Daddy's good little girl' and that he loved me. He was next to..."

Inuyasha kissed the top of her head again as she grew silent. "Onigumo?" He hated the man even more. He not only terrorized Kagome physically and sexually assaulted her in real life, but now he was terrorizing her dreams. He wanted to kill the man even more, feel the life leave Onigumo's body. That's how much he loathed Onigumo.

Kagome shook her head. "I woke up. You woke me up."

He moved to kiss her temple. "I love you, Kagome. I love you more than my life. I won't let any of them hurt you. Your father's dead. I want nothing more than to kill Onigumo myself. And Koga... I'm dealing with him."

"He was right..." she said softly with a shake of her head.

"Who was?"

"Koga."

"About what?"

"Koga said that my body was made for him. He was right." She stayed silent and he wasn't sure if she was going to explain what she meant. "You don't get it, Inuyasha. My body was on fire. I was turned on by him raping me," she said when a sob escaped. "Why? I hated every second of it and I fought him as hard as I could. But my body... I couldn't stop my body from craving him. How sick is that?" she chuckled, feeling her tears. "He was right. My body was made to be raped."

Inuyasha growled, rage giving him adrenaline. He drew her back so that she was on her back, looking up at him with sadness and trepidation. "Don't ever say that, Kagome. Don't ever think that. Your body was not made to be raped. Your body was made for me. I know your body. And your body knows mine."

"So did Koga..." she said, tears leaking out of her eyes.

Inuyasha held himself up on his forearm and ran his other hand down her stomach to the junction between her legs. He felt her stiffen but her eyes turned a deep blue, drowsy and sexy. "Tell me otherwise." He ran his middle finger against her clit, running little circles there. She moaned, her eyes showing him all he needed to know. "Tell me whose body this is. Who do you belong to, Kagome?"

She bit her bottom lip as he slid his finger into her. He watched her as he pumped her, priming her for him again. His erection was evident against her side, but he focused on her. The way her chest rose and fell, the way her breasts lifted towards him in invitation, one that he wasn't going to deny. He bent his head and took a nipple into his mouth, earning him another moan. She flexed her fingers into his hair and held his head against her, all while she moaned and he entered another finger into her.

"Tell me, Kagome..." he said against her breast. "Tell me who you belong to."

"You, Inuyasha..." she said in ragged breathing. "I belong to you. My body belongs to you."

"Yes..." he said, coming over her and kneeing her legs apart so he could settle between them. He placed himself at her entrance and slowly entered her. They both moaned, feeling the connection searing through them. She reached up and ran her hands over his chest, her eyes looking up at him with love and trust.

"You trust me. You give your body to me. I don't take it from you. I don't break your trust. Your trust and your love is a precious gift to me, Kagome."

Tears pooled in her eyes as she grabbed his head and pulled him down to kiss her. The two of them reaffirmed their love for each other as their bodies came together. He made love to her again, showing her how much he loved her and how much he knew her body. He worshipped her body, taking his time to show her that he knew how to get her so close, but then stop to make her beg, to make her tell him that her body was made for him. He wanted her to know it. To believe it. He wanted her to know for the rest of her life that no one would worship and take care of her body any more than him. He would spend his life doing it. And as he gave her the release that she needed and begged for, he still held himself back. This wasn't about him. This was about her. That she knew with all her heart, body, mind and soul that she belonged to him. That he could bring her to such high and amazing places. That it wasn't about what his body wanted to get from hers. It was about what their bodies would do together.

"Inuyasha... I love you..." she whispered as she wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him deeper.

He groaned. "I love you more than you know, Kagome."

"Take me with you again..." she said seductively, trailing a hand down to her clit. He growled, letting himself enjoy her body, and took her with him. He rolled off her and they lay on their sides facing each other, one of her legs wrapped over him.

They both fell asleep with the lights on and with their bodies entwined.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Her body was deliciously sore as she woke. She felt warm and enveloped in someone's arms. Kagome opened her eyes and had to squint. The lights were on but the sunlight also came in through the curtains, making her wonder what time it was. She registered that Inuyasha had her back against him, curled from behind her and holding her in his arms. She replayed what happened last night. The nightmare made her skin crawl and she felt like she needed a bath. Something under her skin felt dirty, oily, like a disease that she couldn't get rid of.

She moved, hoping to sit up without waking Inuyasha, but his arms tightened around her and she froze.

"Good morning, love."

She smiled sadly and closed her eyes. His words cut her deep and broke her heart.

"Good morning."

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice groggy and sexy as hell.

"Sore. But in a good way."

"Mmmm... we should probably start moving... but I don't want to let you go."

She smiled, squeezing his forearms. "I love you, Inuyasha."

He took a deep breath and sighed, nuzzling his nose into her hair. "I love you more."

She closed her eyes, letting herself enjoy being in his arms. But her mind couldn't stop from remembering her dream. Koga. Her father. Onigumo. She immediately felt shame. She remembered how aroused she was in her dream, but not just her dream. She felt disgusted, ashamed, and didn't want to be in Inuyasha's arms. She remembered how she took him last night, rough, punishing her body. She was so angry at herself, so ashamed. But even in her shame, Inuyasha made sure she felt his love and his acceptance of her.

Suddenly, she gasped and moved out of his arms so quickly that Inuyasha was alert and watchful.

"I'm so sorry, Inuyasha. I hurt you." But as she scanned his face, she didn't see any evidence of her scratches. She remembered how angry she was while they had sex. She was angry at Koga, her father and Onigumo, for hurting her, then and now. She was angry at herself for allowing them to, angry at her body for betraying her, and for betraying Inuyasha. And she took it out on him.

Inuyasha's wary eyes watched her but his face only showed concern. "I'm fine, Kagome. I told you they would heal by morning." He was right. There were no scratches on his face and as she moved to lean over him and look at his back, there was nothing there. But the evidence of what had been there was on the white sheets. There were little droplets of blood and some smears, reminding her that she had hurt him.

"Kagome, look at me."

She refused and sat up instead, keeping her back to him as she draped her legs over the side of the bed. "I didn't mean to..."

"Look at me, Kagome."

He sounded firm, and she really didn't want to look at him. She felt too dirty and she didn't want to see the love in his eyes. She didn't deserve it. But when she did look at him, she wasn't surprised to see him lying on his side, looking up at her with love in his golden eyes.

"You need to know that I love you more than my own life, Kagome. I would do anything to protect you. I would do anything to make you happy." He reached for her hand and squeezed it. "How often do you have those dreams?"

She bit her bottom lip and broke eye contact. "I haven't had them in a while."

"And Koga is always hurting you?" There was no anger in his voice, just curiosity.

"It's all I remember of him. I just remember... the sex... the pain... and the pleasure..."

Inuyasha sat up and moved so that he held her in his arms, draping his legs on either side of her off the bed. His phone started to ring but he ignored it, as his whole attention was on her.

"And that's what this is about," he said, realizing why she was so distraught and distant from him. "Do you think that I'm angry at you or disgusted because your body reacted to the pleasure?"

Kagome frowned and rested her temple back against his as he held her tightly, his breath hot against her cheek.

"Kagome... you told me before about your father raping you and how your body reacted in pleasure. You expected me to be disgusted. Was I?"

She shook her head slightly. "No."

"Even with Koga... with all the pain he put you through and the way your body responded to him... was I ever mad or disgusted by you?"

"No."

"Then why do you think I would be now? After everything... there's nothing you can do to push me away, Kagome. Well... that is... if you don't want me anymore, then I can't change how you feel."

"Inuyasha..." she said, turning so that she could see his eyes, just as his phone went quiet. "I want you more than anything. I just... don't understand why you would want me..."

"Then that's something that we need to work through. I won't have you doubting me, Kagome. You can't doubt my love for you. I would never leave you or cheat on you. But if you think that I could just leave you because you got off on being raped... we should probably talk to Rin about this. We need to overcome this... together."

She smiled and nodded her head. "Okay."

His phone suddenly began to ring again and this time, the two started to slowly come apart.

"I need to get that," he said. She nodded and he released her and rolled over to his side of the bed where his phone charged. "Yeah? What time is it? I know, I know. Yeah. Okay. If I'm not there, just start from the top. No, we're fine. We just had a rough night. Shut up, Miroku. We're gonna get ready and grab something to eat while we walk to the fitness center. See you soon."

Kagome was collecting her clothes off the bed and the floor, heading for the bathroom just as Inuyasha finished the call. "Are we late?"

"Yeah. The others are going to breakfast now and then head to the fitness center. Miroku will take charge until I get there."

"I really need a shower... I can meet you there if you don't want to wait for me," she said apologetically at the doorway.

"No. We'll shower together and then head out to get something to eat."

Kagome nodded as he got off the bed. She took in the sight of him, the way his body was purely male, so hard and perfectly sculpted. She watched as he grabbed his clothes and walked over to the closet where they had their dirty clothes and tossed it in there. He turned back to her, smiling when he noticed she was staring at him.

"Like something you see?" he teased.

"Not really," she said, holding in her giggle as she walked into the bathroom. Inuyasha captured her in his arms, lifting her off her feet as she laughed while he walked them into the shower.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Kagome sighed, smiling as she stepped outside into the fresh air. The casino became suffocating at times, not just from the sounds of all the machines but also from the smell since people could smoke cigarettes on the casino floor. She could only imagine what Inuyasha was going through with his sensitive senses, though she hoped his rosary was helping him. She clasped her fingers in front of her and walked towards the edge of the walkway, knowing the others were still inside the lobby area, waiting for the rest. Tonight, the group decided to split up. Some went to do their shopping inside of Caesars at the Forums while some wanted to walk the town and sightsee. Kagome was one of the sightseers. She's never been to Vegas and wanted to see The Strip at night since she's heard so much about the nightlife and the lights.

She turned around when she heard footsteps behind her. Jinenji came up to her and she smiled, truly happy that he was here. She had worried for him at first, considering that he lost his job at Midnite and now was newly working for Kikyo in another country. She hoped that he was adjusting well to all these changes. He was like a brother to her and she was worried and protective of him.

"Hey," she said, tilting her head at him with a smile. "How are you doing?"

Jinenji didn't smile, but his eyes held a knowing look. "I should be asking you."

It took a moment before she realized what he meant and she lost her smile. She looked behind him to see that the others were still inside.

"You can tell?"

"I know you, Kagome," he said, coming up to stand beside her, both of them looking out at the street with their backs to the door. "I've been with you for almost ten years. I know that haunted look in your eyes and the change in your body language after you had an episode."

She smiled sadly, folding her arms to hug herself. "You know me so well."

"And I know you well enough to know that you won't talk about it, so I won't ask. The only thing I'll ask is: are you okay?" He turned to look at her, his green eyes showing his concern when his face gave nothing away.

She bit her lip and gripped her arms tighter. "Thank you, Jinenji. I... I'm okay. Inuyasha has helped. He helped pull me out of it."

"The episode?"

She shook her head. "More like a terrible nightmare," she whispered.

"You haven't had those in a while," he commented, remembering the times she did have them that he could count on one hand.

"I know..." she said, looking out at the street again. "Inuyasha and I... we got into a fight. Maybe more like a disagreement yesterday. And the things I said to Inuyasha... were exactly what... he said to me in my dreams. Maybe it was my subconscious..." she said, turning when she heard her name being called out by Kokoro. Finally, their little group was ready to head out onto the streets and take in the sights as they started to file out of the hotel. "Or maybe... he's just going to haunt me for the rest of me life," she said, catching Jinenji off guard as he heard the sadness in her voice. Most would've never noticed the pain behind that beautiful smile she plastered on as she greeted the others. But he knew.

They all began to make their way off the property, heading for the main street. Inuyasha grabbed her hand, giving her a look, while Jinenji followed behind the group, giving them their space. Miroku and Sango walked alongside Inuyasha and Kagome while the others were in front of them, oogling at all the lights and the amount of people.

"Is everything okay, Kagome?"

She turned to look at Sango, noting the woman's concern. Everyone on the streets walked by as if in their own world. But Inuyasha squeezed her hand to acknowledge that he was listening, even though he wasn't looking at them.

"Everything's okay, Sango."

Sango looked at her for a moment, and she wasn't sure what her friend saw, but Sango decided not to press the issue. "You know that you can tell me anything."

Kagome smiled. "I know." This wasn't the time or the place. "Thank you."

"Look guys!" Kokoro screamed, causing everyone in the street to stop and turn at her outburst. "Look!"

They all looked up at the Caesar Palace's outdoor screens high above and none other than Kikyo and the dance group's photos displayed brightly for everyone to see. Everyone gawked and was shocked as their photos flashed through with words that said the dates of Kikyo's concert, that her concert nights were 'sold out' and finally, Blue Lightning appeared as Kikyo's opener.

Kagome's mouth dropped when she saw their photos. Since they just took the photos two days ago, she didn't see the final pictures in the traveling chaos. Now... the ones Kikyo chose with her and Inuyasha were absolutely... hot. They wore the second outfit, which for her showed off a lot of skin and for him, he was covered from neck to toe. She wore a red crop top with white shorts and he wore a red pant and suspenders with a black long-sleeve shirt. The colors on him made his silver hair stand out more. But it wasn't so much what they wore that drew her attention. It was the pose they were in. Inuyasha held her knee up, spreading his legs to support her as he dipped her back, and he brought his head to her breasts, kissing her there. She, on the other hand, had her head back while he held the back of her head, and she held his head against her breasts. Just as she was starting to gawk at the photo, it disappeared and another came up. The next one took her breath away even more. They faced each other but off to their sides. Inuyasha's right hand came in front of her to hold her waist while her hand went in front of him to press against his chest. Her left hand came up behind him to rest on his right shoulder while his left hand held her chin. Their faces were close, as if he was holding her for a kiss. But it was the look in their eyes that made the photo so intimate and hot.

"Damn, girl!" Mai exclaimed, bouncing as she turned around to look at Kagome. "Talk about sex in a shot!"

Kagome blinked away her shock at Mai's words. "What? Mai!"

Inuyasha laughed as his arms came around her, whispering in her ear. "I love that photo. I think I'm going to have that framed."

The people around them that were drawn to Kokoro's screaming were suddenly starting to put two and two together now that they saw the photos on the billboard screen. As if on que, some people came up to them to ask if they were the ones in those photos and the conversations started as some people who didn't know of them began to ask them who they were, and those who did know them began to ask for photos with them. Jinenji was always nearby but gave them their own space, keeping his eyes on the crowd to make sure nothing went past him.

After the photos stopped and the fans began to disperse, they were finally able to continue walking the Strip, talking about those photos and how much everyone loved the final products. They walked halfway down one side of the street and then crossed over to the other, stopping in some casinos and stores just to look around for a bit. After a couple of hours, they were back at the hotel and went to their rooms to call it a night.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

It's been five days since they've been in Vegas and tensions were high. Especially since the concert started in two days.

Kikyo walked around on stage with her hands animatedly in the air, demanding the stage crew to do something that she wanted tweaked or to fix something that she didn't like. Naraku and Akari sat in the front row below with papers scattered at their feet and on their laps, watching everyone and everything. There was a lot of tension in the air as they were in a time crunch and things still had to be adjusted to Kikyo's liking, but also within the capabilities of the venue.

John spoke into his headpiece and then walked out to where Kikyo was at the front of the stage. "We can do the projection of the butterflies," he told her, confirming with the visual crew ahead in the control booth. "Is that during the time you come up from under the stage?"

"Yeah," Kikyo said, putting her hair up in a ponytail. She turned to look at her dancers who were talking amongst themselves. "We're done for today, guys. I'm gonna stay and talk with John."

Everyone nodded and began to get their things to leave and head back to their rooms. Sango walked up to Kagome as she made her way to her duffle bag.

"What's the plan for tonight?"

Kagome smiled. "Inuyasha's taking me out to dinner."

Sango's eyes widened. "Really? Ugh... now I'm jealous."

Kagome wrapped an arm around Sango's shoulders and laughed, both of them drenched in sweat. "You guys should go have dinner."

Sango made a face and shrugged. "Nah. I think I wanna do some shopping. Maybe eat a heavy carb meal and then knock out for the night."

"Yeah... it's been a long five days."

"But fun," Sango said with a smile and both of them made it to their belongings and began packing up. Miroku and Inuyasha came over with Shippo and Mai.

"What are you guys doing tonight?" Mai asked.

"We're going to dinner," Kagome said, looking at Inuyasha with a smile. He caught her eyes and went straight towards her, grabbing her waist to hold her against him.

"Where you guys going?" Miroku asked as Sango stood with her duffle bag.

"It's a secret," Inuyasha said, his eyes on Kagome in his arms.

Kagome smiled up at him before looking at Miroku with curiosity. "All he told me was that there's going to be steak. Wherever there's meat... I'm there!"

Miroku laughed. "Gotta love a girl who loves her meat." Sango bumped her shoulder against him and he looked at her, reaching to grab her but she shuffled out of his reach with a laugh.

"Come on, honey. Let's get out of this sweaty clothes. I wanna go shopping." Kagome left Inuyasha's arms to grab her bag and follow Sango. The four of them made their way out of the Colosseum and out into the hustle of the casino floor. They talked as they walked all the way back to the main hotel, stopping as fans asked for their picture. With the four of them together, especially with Inuyasha and Kagome, everyone knew who they were and wanted to get pictures with them. The concert was in two days and more and more fans were now flooding the city.

Kikyo's security team were more strict now compared to when they first came to Vegas. With more people flooding the city in preparation for Kikyo's concert, security has been tight for Kikyo. Not so much for the dancers, although Jinenji and two other men usually escorted them to and from the Colosseum. When they were off work, the security team still tended to follow them, but in casual clothes and from a distance. With Kikyo, they were like a barrier for her around the clock.

The four of them made their way to the elevator and got inside with Jinenji behind them. The doors closed and everyone relaxed.

"Man... I wonder how Kikyo's doing with all this," Sango said exasperated. "I'm sweaty and tired and people still want to take pictures with us."

Kagome shrugged. "Kikyo must be used to it."

"She is," Inuyasha confirmed, leaning against the wall. "It's what she's wanted. She's used to the fame and the fans."

Kagome nodded and looked at Jinenji standing close to the door. "Have you been helping with Kikyo much, Jinenji?"

He turned to look at her, shaking his head. "Naraku assigned me to you and Inuyasha, considering my history with you. He thought it would be better to have someone you felt comfortable with as your security, so I've mostly been sticking close to you."

"Oh. I didn't know we needed security on us," she said, looking at Inuyasha. Most of the time, she honestly never noticed Jinenji around. He truly was like a ghost if he was following them and not being seen, at least not by her.

"That's what I said at the meeting..." Inuyasha said, annoyed. "But Naraku wanted us to have security anyway."

Kagome looked at Sango. "Do you two have your own security?"

"No," she said, smiling knowingly. "We're not as big as you two, Kagome."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You two are opening for Kikyo," Miroku explained. "Plus, you two have been sensational in the past months. Everyone knows who Inuyasha is, the son of Inutaisho Fujimoto, a famous family name that many humans don't fully understand. He's also been an eligible bachelor before you, so now that you're dating, and now that you two are a dance couple, the world is interested in the girl that captured Inuyasha's heart."

Inuyasha arched an eyebrow. "You sound like you're writing a novel..."

Miroku smirked. "It is quite the love story, don't you agree?"

Kagome smiled and Inuyasha just shrugged after seeing the love in her eyes. "Whatever."

"I'm just saying," Miroku continued, just as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. "You two are big news and it's safer to have security on you two, just in case."

They all walked to their rooms and said their farewells. Inuyasha and Kagome both went to theirs and went straight to take a shower together. Inuyasha had made the reservation for an hour from now, so they had time to take a shower, get ready and walk over to the restaurant. Jinenji stayed outside the door and waited, knowing that they had plans to head out.

Once the two were ready, they left and headed out of the hotel and onto the street, hand in hand, with Jinenji disappearing again.

"Where are we going?" she asked Inuyasha, looking at all the people and the lights around them with a big smile.

"You keep asking and I still won't tell you."

"I know. But I still like asking you."

He turned his head to look at her, seeing the happiness in her eyes. His golden eyes were so bright yet intense. He wore black slacks with a belt and a red long-sleeve dress shirt. He kept one button open and she could see his rosary beneath his shirt. He kept his hair down and there was nothing feminine about him. In fact, she wanted to flirt with him tonight and see how far she could take him.

He had told her to dress up as the restaurant had a dress code, so she chose to wear her black heels with a black, asymmetric dress. One side of the dress ended at her knee while the other went down to her ankle. The fabric gathered at her waist on the higher side, creating a little ruching effect on the front. The dress was a scoop neck with no sleeves. She wore simple gold hoop earrings that Inuyasha bought her along with gold bangles. She loved his eyes and wanted to wear gold whenever she could just because it reminded her so much of his gorgeous eyes. She kept her hair down just like him and kept her makeup natural and light, concealing her stitches, and only choosing to wear red lipstick as a standout.

She smiled as she looked down, bringing her left hand up to look at the other red that she wore. The red diamond in the middle of the white diamonds brought a smile to her face every time she wore it. She didn't wear it while she worked but whenever she could, she chose to wear it with pride and, if she was honest to herself, a little boasting. She loved showing the world that she belonged to someone, that someone chose her to be his.

Inuyasha squeezed her right hand, making her look back up at him. "You look beautiful."

She beamed and squeezed his hand back. "You look very handsome. Maybe if you play your cards right, you might get lucky tonight."

"Might?" he asked, his voice holding no teasing. There was a confidence around him that he knew he would.

Kagome giggled, feeling butterflies in her belly when he looked at her like that. "Might."

"We'll see," he said with a smirk.

They took the overpass walkway from the Caesar's Palace to the Bellagio right next door. Once inside the Bellagio hotel, Kagome let Inuyasha lead them to the restaurant which was called PRIME Steakhouse. Her mouth started to water thinking about steak. She was starving after a long day of dancing, and Inuyasha had told her to save her biggest appetite for tonight so she had a light lunch.

They went to the front desk where a woman took Inuyasha's name and, after a few minutes, told them to follow her. The restaurant was bustling with guests and conversations. She took them through the dining area, straight ahead to where there was an outside patio area. Another waiter held the door open for them as they walked out and the hostess took them to their table, which was the closest to the water's edge.

"Please enjoy your evening. Your server will be right with you."

Kagome thanked the woman as she left and Inuyasha pulled out her chair. She still wasn't used to this kind of setting, one that demanded proper etiquette and dress. Although, Inuyasha fit right in because of his family's status. But for her, she's never been to places like these, or had her chair pulled out for her. The longer she dated Inuyasha and lived with him, she realized that he was very well raised beneath that rough exterior he sometimes put on.

Inuyasha sat and stared at her, their menus forgotten. "Damn, you're gorgeous."

Kagome blushed and giggled. "You're not so bad yourself." She looked past the railing to the lake next to them. "Is this the Bellagio fountains?" They had seen it with some of the others the other night when they were walking around. It was really neat how the music and the water were synced together, making it magical.

"Yeah. I remember you liked it. And I know you love steak. So two in one is a good deal to me."

Kagome giggled, looking at the hotels and buildings with their many lights. "It sure is beautiful here."

"Yes, it is."

She turned to see him staring at her. "Inuyasha..." She placed her hand on the table, opening it up to him. He smiled at her and grabbed her hand, twirling his ring. "I love you."

"I love you more," he said, his face serious.

"Good evening." A young man in a white shirt and black slacks stood at their table with a kind smile. "I hope you're evening is going well so far. Can I get you two started off with any drinks?"

Kagome smiled at the waiter and then looked at Inuyasha. "We'll take a bottle of your best red, your discretion," Inuyasha said, finally looking at the man.

"Yes, sir. I'll be back to take your order."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Food. I'm starving." She released Inuyasha's hand and grabbed the menu, looking it over in eagerness. "Wow. They have Japanese wagyu beef." Her eyes bugged. "The 12oz A5 is $720!"

"Is that what you want?"

She looked up above her menu. "Are you kidding?"

Inuyasha leaned back with a look, holding his menu. "Kagome, get whatever you want."

She flushed, looking back at the prices of the A5 beef. "Well... the 6oz looks more reasonable... I guess. It is A5."

"Have you ever had it before?"

She shook her head. "No. I've seen it once but I never knew they were that expensive."

"Maybe you should have it here in the States and then again back at home. See who cooks it better. Sometimes it's not so much the cut of meat but the way it's cooked that makes it worth its money."

She looked at him as he looked at the menu. He was so sexy and handsome sitting there in his red shirt that just fit his body. His broad shoulders always got to her. She looked at the other tables and saw some of the women looking their way, one woman catching her eye before bashfully looking away. She smiled, feeling powerful. She was the one they envied, the female that sat at the table of a very sexy male. Kagome caught the eyes of another woman as she looked at Inuyasha briefly, giving him a once over.

"Something caught your eye?" Inuyasha asked her, catching her attention.

She chuckled, looking back at her menu. "I think the women are wishing they were me right now."

It was Inuyasha's turn to chuckle. He leaned forward so only she could hear. "You see the women looking at me. What you don't see is the men looking at you."

She lost her smile, surprised by his statement. "What?"

"The men are looking at you with desire and longing. They stare a little too long for my liking, and when I catch their eyes, they wisely look away. But I know they're only looking at you because they want something that I have. They might only see you all dressed up and beautiful and envy me. But they don't know the real you like I do. They don't see you the way I do."

Inuyasha leaned back into his chair and watched as Kagome looked at him with love. He smiled and looked back at his menu as his ears twitched at the sound of the incoming waiter.

"Here you go," the waiter said, placing their glasses down and popping open a bottle of red. "What would you like to order?" he asked as he poured their drinks.

They both placed their order and the waiter thanked them and left them alone.

"You weren't kidding about being hungry," Inuyasha said teasingly.

Kagome arched her eyebrow. "You know I love food. And I can eat when I'm hungry."

"I know you can," he said, grabbing his glass and raising it towards her. "Cheers... to your beautiful appetite."

Kagome giggled and grabbed her glass, clinging it against his. "Cheers to you loving me," she said happily.

"Cheers to us," he said as he brought the glass to his lips. She watched him drink for a moment, enjoying the way he looked as he tested and tasted the wine.

"How are you liking everything so far?" Inuyasha asked, placing his drink down.

She eyed him curiously. "The concert?" He nodded and she shrugged after taking a sip of her wine. "It definitely feels different from Yanmar. It's not as big as Yanmar was, but it still feels big because it's the States and it's a big-deal venue."

Inuyasha nodded. "I agree. Kikyo's been making a name for herself here in the States. It's a good accomplishment for her. Being international will open up doors for her."

Kagome nodded. They talked a bit more about the concert and work and how everyone was adjusting. The waiter came back with a bread basket and then excused himself.

"Kagome..." His voice grew serious, which grabbed her attention. "I wanted to talk to you about our marriage and the mating ritual."

His forwardness made her pause. He had to have been thinking about this for some time for him to bring it up now, out of the blue. Technically, they just got engaged five days ago. But it sounded like this was on his mind for some time. And if she was honest, she had been thinking about it too, about what the mating ritual meant for inuyoukai. She just never found the right time or place to ask him.

"Okay." His golden eyes were intense as he looked at her.

"I want us to get married soon."

"How soon?"

"Within a couple months."

She tilted her head. "Why so sudden? What about Koga?"

Inuyasha took another sip, looking out at the lake. "Don't worry about Koga. I have a lot of power and connections in the youkai world." He looked back at her, watching her. "My family is going to settle this with Koga, but we need to do it the right way or else we could start a war."

"A war?" She couldn't believe that there could be a war in this day and age, especially not over a woman.

"Wars have been started over anything and everything in the past," Inuyasha said, as if reading her mind. "If Koga isn't willing to give you up, then we'll have to figure out a mutual acquisition in exchange."

"Like money?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Money. Land. Anything one can own."

Kagome remained quiet, looking at her drink, lost in thought. "And what if... what if he doesn't give me up?"

"The only hold Koga has on you is the marriage. And even that, I can get it annulled. My family has good lawyers and lots of sway in the courts, at least in the demon courts. But even then, a court is a court, and if we take this to a demon court, we can plead that you were underage when your parents promised you to him. You were forced to marry him for their benefit so that is considered coercion or we can plead blackmail or threatening. You also were abused after marriage so that will help the case. Whatever the case, this marriage isn't what I'm worried about."

That peaked her interest. "It isn't?"

Inuyasha shook his head, crossing his arms. "Marriage for us demons mean nothing to us. It is a human ceremony, and humans die much faster than demons do. For us, mating would be the equivalent to human marriage, but it's so much more than a simple 'I do' and some paperwork."

That made Kagome think about what else Koga had on her besides the marriage. What else did she have to be afraid of? If Inuyasha said the marriage is the easy part, then why wait this long to confront Koga and get a divorce? Kagome frowned, thinking of Koga and all that she knew about him. It dawned on her, thinking about demons and their longevity, and she looked up at Inuyasha with worry.

"You don't think Koga will ever give me up... even if the marriage is annulled." When she saw his nod, she felt her stomach drop and a deep sense of dread came over her.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, sensing her emotions. He reached his hand out on the table towards her, waiting until she placed her hand in his. He gave her a squeeze, a physical connection that he needed with her to comfort her, even in this loud and busy place. His entire attention was on her, tuning into her emotions, and he wanted nothing more than to hold her and promise her that he would protect her from that wolf.

"Demons can live for a long time. What I'm worried about is Koga never letting you go, always chasing after you and trying to take you back with him. I don't want him haunting you for the rest of your life. I'll always protect you from him, no matter how long I have to. But it's not a life I want for you... to always be looking over your shoulder." Inuyasha looked down at her hand in his, thumbing the engagement ring he gave her. "I'll kill him if it comes to it."

The way he talked was as if he had already thought all the possibilities through. She looked at him, watching the way his eyes looked at the ring on her finger. He looked immovable, invincible, so much so that she wanted to believe everything he said. The fact that he said he would kill someone, for her, should've scared anyone. But for her, she's been through enough and had seen enough death and suffering to know that death was just a part of her life.

Kagome started to understand why Inuyasha had put so much thought into this. He didn't want to start a war. If he killed Koga, then she could only imagine that Koga's' family would want revenge, a life for a life, and that would cause strife between the two families. If it came down to it, maybe even a full out war. She didn't see a way out. A war would be started with or without bloodshed if Koga didn't want to give in.

"You will probably have to see him again," Inuyasha suddenly said, looking up at her to see her shock. "But I will be there with you. You'll never be alone with him."

Kagome smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She took her hand back slowly, placing her hands in her lap as they began to tremble. "If Koga ever did find me and took me back... I don't think I could survive." She smiled at him apologetically. "I would rather die."

Inuyasha stood to lean over the table and reach for her, brushing his thumb across her cheek. Only then did she realize that she was crying and he was wiping away her tears.

"If Koga somehow did get his hands on you... you will wait for me, Kagome." She dabbed her cheeks and eyes with her napkin so he sat back down and waited until she settled. "Promise me that you will wait for me to come for you. I will move heaven and earth, Kagome. I will kill anyone who takes you from me. But you have to promise me that you won't give up, that you'll wait for me."

Kagome cried, feeling the weight of what he asked of her. Even with the noises of conversation and music and even the cars honking their horns on the streets, with all the chaos around her, Inuyasha's voice was the only sound that she heard. And he broke her heart. She loved him so much. It warmed her to hear what he was willing to do for her, but he didn't know what he was asking of her.

"Inuyasha..." she said, trying to get a hold of herself, wiping her tears. "You don't understand what you're asking me to do. I can't..."

"You will." His voice was sharp and stern, calling her attention. "If you were ever taken from me, you will wait for me. You must, Kagome. I can't live without you. You must live. No matter where you are... I'll find you. I promise. I'll find you and come for you."

She nodded because that was all she could give him. She couldn't promise him that she would wait for him. He really didn't know what he was asking of her, and she wasn't sure that she would be strong enough if that ever did happen. So she remained quiet, lost in her thoughts, as she made sure her tears were gone and her makeup was okay.

"Enough of this talk... the bread is getting cold," she said with a sniffle, trying to change the conversation. "Is my makeup okay?" she asked with a giggle.

Inuyasha's tension bled away as he softened, sensing that she didn't want to talk about it anymore. "Your makeup's fine. You look beautiful."

"Says the guy who thinks his girl is beautiful when she cries." She grabbed a bread roll and spread some butter on it.

"Well, this guy thinks his girl is beautiful no matter what she looks like."

Kagome giggled as Inuyasha took a roll for himself and they both ate in silence. The waiter came back a couple minutes later with their appetizers. They ordered a caesar salad and bacon wrapped shrimp to share.

"Just so you two know, the Bellagio show will be starting in a couple minutes."

"Thank you," Kagome said. He nodded at them and left while her mouth watered looking at the plates.

Inuyasha chuckled. "Itadakimasu."

"Itadakimasu." She took a piece of the bacon wrapped shrimp and moaned, wiggling in her seat. "So good..."

At the top of the hour, the music around the Bellagio lake started up and the lights began to dim, signaling the show was about to begin. They both watched as the water jets began their dance with the music. The lights shone on the water, making everything seem so magical as Frank Sinatra's voice rang out while he sang 'Fly Me to the Moon'.

Kagome sneakily caught a glimpse of Inuyasha as he looked out at the water. They were close enough on one end of the lake to feel the mist from the water as the jets shot water into the air in time with the music. Watching Inuyasha enjoy himself and being in his presence in a place like this, she couldn't be happier. She wanted to make more memories like this with him. The water jets grew louder as the song came to an end and a final grand finale of jets blasted up water as high as it could before the music suddenly ended and the lights went out.

"Wow. That was cool."

Inuyasha nodded. "They must play different songs every night. Last time it was Bruno Mars."

They continued eating and finished their appetizers before Inuyasha spoke again.

"Kagome... I need to tell you about the mating ritual."

Kagome looked up, suddenly curious. Midoriko and Ayumi had both seemed reluctant to tell her about it. All they said was that Inuyasha should be the one to tell her since it was a serious matter. And she didn't know very much from Koga and Ayame's relationship since they mated before Koga found her.

"Okay..."

"Every demon species has their own mating ritual, like a marriage ceremony, and it's different for every species. For inuyoukai, our ceremony can be hard on humans... and it's binding."

"Binding?"

Inuyasha nodded, his face serious as he leaned onto the table. "Once the ceremony is complete, it cannot be undone."

Kagome took a moment to take in his words. She had a feeling that whatever he was going to say was serious. "Tell me. What is this ceremony?"

"The mating ceremony binds the two individuals into one where they are mated for life. If one was to die, the other would eventually die."

"What?" she brought her hand to her chest just as the waiter came to clear their table, asking about their appetizers. Inuyasha answered but all she could do was look at the table, thinking about his words. He and the waiter made small talk about their satisfaction with the drinks and the food and then the waiter excused himself.

"So every mated couple dies once one dies?" she asked, now truly concerned.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Not necessarily. It's different for every species and it's different for every couple. If the couple are demons, then it doesn't necessarily mean that one will die if the other does. Some do choose to end their life if their lover dies. That's how strong the bond is between mates. It's stronger than love. If a demon dies and the mate is a demon, that living mate can choose to continue living, and maybe mate again. Or they can choose to end their life. In my species, I knew of people who did both. Some chose to remain living and mate again while some chose to die with their mate. It all depends on the couple and the strength of their bond and their love."

Inuyasha gave Kagome a moment to think. He saw that she was listening and taking in everything he was saying seriously, which he was grateful for. The things he would say next and her choice will determine their future together.

Kagome looked around, taking in everything but not really seeing it, trying to look everywhere but in Inuyasha's eyes. He talked of two demons together. He still didn't talk of a scenario like theirs.

"You said this was for a demon couple. What about us? What about your parents and your brother?"

"If the couple is an inuyoukai and a human... then the cost changes."

"The cost?" she asked, now looking at him, her hand creeping up to her throat.

"The cost to the human." He watched her carefully. "The price the human pays... is their life." Kagome didn't flinch or move, but her eyes remained fixed on his, waiting for him to continue.

"When an inuyoukai mates a human, the ceremony is the same as it is between two inuyoukais. However, if the inuyoukai mate should die, then the human mate will inevitably die."

"How?"

"The ceremony."

The waiter came back to fill their waters and announce that their dinner was almost ready, then once again took his leave. It was as if he could sense they weren't one to small talk and were in a deep conversation.

"The ceremony involves blood from both individuals and two flowers. One flower is a white kiku. The kiku represents longevity, as it prolong's a person's life. The other flower is a red manjushage. I'm sure you've seen this in anime. It represents..."

"Death," Kagome answered for him. "I played around cemeteries as a child. I had no friends and it was quiet in a cemetery."

Inuyasha pressed his lips together and nodded. "There's a lot of folklore behind the manjushage. The bulbs of the plant are poisonous so people would plant them around cemeteries so that scavengers wouldn't dig up the bones. And everyone knows the folklore of the two lovers who were cursed to never meet again after the Sun Goddess Amaterasu forbade them to meet. They met and fell in love, disobeying the goddess. She punished them by cursing them to never meet again. That's why the flowers and the leaves never grow on the plant at the same time. The flowers only bloom during autumn for a couple weeks and when they die, then the leaves come out until it blooms again. But not many people know of the plant's other significance. In ancient times, the manjushage was known as the Resurrection Lily. It has the power to kill an animal from its poison but it also has the power to resurrect the dead and give new life."

"Our mating ceremony uses these two flowers to bind two individuals together. One flower for longevity and one flower for death and resurrection. Both flowers are crushed and mixed along with the blood from the couple. The manjushage kills the 'individual' and the kiku purifies and binds the two bloods together, giving both a 'shared lifespan'. The individual has died. The couple is now one."

"But you said that one person can die, and that doesn't mean the other will automatically die," Kagome said, trying to understand.

"Their lifespans are shared. It just means that they will live together for as long as they both shall live. For two demons, they both have longevity as individuals so sharing their lifespans means little."

"And for a demon with a human?"

"It's different. For a human, the manjushage will kill the 'human life' that withers away all too quickly. Some humans may physically feel the effects of the flower, sometimes getting sick or even passing out. The kiku with its longevity and the manjushage with its resurrection is what keeps the human from dying."

"And the blood?"

"That serves as the anchor. The flowers' effects are on the lifeblood. Once the two bloods and the two flowers are mixed together, both parties need to drink the mixture in order to complete the ceremony. The inuyoukai won't feel the effects because of their demon blood. But the human will. And once the ceremony is complete... the human cannot live without their mate whose lifespan they're now bonded to."

The waiter arrived with their dinner, jovial and happy to announce their meal. Kagome couldn't muster up a smile that rivaled the waiter's, but they listened as he happily announced their meals. They, or more like Kagome, had ordered the 12oz A5 Wagyu beef with mushroom risotto and the teriyaki salmon with rice and steamed veggies, both of which they'll share. After the waiter checked on them, he left them to enjoy their meal.

Even though her mouth was watering, Kagome still wanted to understand this mating ritual. Her stomach was in knots.

"So... your mother and Rin... they can't survive without their mates?"

Inuyasha shook his head, food forgotten until he knew that Kagome was okay and settled. "If my father dies, my mother will eventually die. I know their bond is so strong that she would choose to commit suicide. But if she chose to live, eventually, without my father's lifespan to supply my mother's life, she will die. Time will fast forward for her and she'll rapidly age. It's as if all the years that she should've aged as a human will catch up to her in months, maybe days, and she'll die of old age. The same goes for Rin and any other human that mates with an inuyoukai. A human literally cannot survive without their mate after a mating ritual. It's just... not possible."

"Your father's life supplies hers? Does that mean that your mother drinks his blood?" The thought didn't make her queasy, but it did make her wonder how much a couple must have to love each other and be devoted to each other in order to make this kind of a commitment.

"No. The blood exchange is only during the ceremony. The ceremony binds my mother's blood and lifespan to my father's, and vice versa. Both will be able to 'feel' the other. For an inuyoukai, we can always sense our mates and feel them from a distance. But for a human, my mother can feel my father's presence nearby, even if he's not in the room. Blood calls to blood. Both can sense the other's life."

Kagome nodded, looking down at the food and soaking everything in. Now she understood why Rin and Izayoi looked the way they did even though they were older than any normal human could live. And Inuyasha was asking her to make that choice.

Marriage? Sure. Like he said, marriage is a human ceremony. It isn't binding since you can always get a divorce. But a mating ritual? That was a demon ceremony that was much more supernatural and unexplainable. She would inevitably be giving up her life to Inuyasha. If he died, she died. She would forever be tied to him and dependent upon him, in the sense of her lifespan. She would no longer be 'just Kagome'.

"Has a human ever died during the mating ritual?" she asked, grabbing her napkin and utensils.

"Not that I've heard of. Nowadays, it's more common for demons and humans to mate since the demon race is becoming less and less. The only way demons can perpetuate their bloodlines is to mate with humans. Back then, I rarely heard of humans and demons mating. Hanyous were despised."

She gave him a tender look, understanding the loneliness of his childhood, something that she could relate to. The silence between them was more deafening than all the loud noises around them. But Inuyasha waited and watched her as she settled her napkin in her lap and readied her fork and knife.

"I'll do it."

Inuyasha exhaled all his air, leaning his weight on the table. He hadn't realized he'd been so tense all this time. "You will?"

Kagome looked at him expectantly, smiling. "Of course I will. I appreciate you telling me all the details and allowing me to think things through."

"I was giving you the option to say 'yes or no'."

She nodded. "I know. But what if I had said 'no'?"

Inuyasha shrugged, sitting up tall again. "Then I would've married you your way and then lived out my life with you while you grew old and gray. When you died, I would've died with you."

She looked shocked and horrified. "What?! No!"

"What do you mean 'no'? It's my choice, Kagome. Besides, what would you care? You'll be dead."

She rolled her eyes, snickering, even though they were talking about serious things. "That's not the point. I don't want you to end your life just because mines is over."

"I made my choice long before this conversation. If you said 'yes', then of course I'd be over the moon that you would be with me and live with my lifespan. But if you said 'no', then I would still be madly in love with you and live with you on your lifespan. I already made up my mind."

She took a deep breath, wanting to hug him and kiss him, but also wanting to eat now that all the tension had drained from her. She was sure about her choice, about him, just as he was about her.

"Let's eat."

Inuyasha burst out laughing at her timing to change topics.

"Itadakimasu!" she said and started on the wagyu steak, cutting it into a few pieces so they could both enjoy it. They were both sharing the steak and the salmon, and she couldn't wait since she had chosen them both.

"Mmmmm," she said, chewing on a piece of steak. "Oh my gosh... it melts in my mouth..." she said with a moan. "So good..." she said, wiggling side to side.

Inuyasha shook his head and took a piece she cut, popping it in his mouth. "Mmmm... wow. This is really good. Tastes almost as good as back home."

"How many wagyu steaks have you had?" she asked him suspiciously.

Inuyasha winked at her. "I've lived a long time."

"So you keep telling me..." she grinned, and tried some of the mushroom risotto. She moaned and moved onto the salmon. That too was mouth-watering delicious and she moaned at all the delicious food.

It just so happened that the waiter must've saw them eating and came by to ask how everything tasted. She happily reported everything was great and he was pleased, leaving them to enjoy their meal. Little talk was made as they both enjoyed their dinner and then their chocolate cheesecake dessert. By the end of the night, both of them were sated and full, and very much satisfied with the night overall.

On the walk back to the hotel, they held hands as they walked past the Bellagio water fountains again.

Inuyasha walked them to the balustrade next to the water and grabbed both her hands, looking deep into her eyes. "So you'll be mine? Forever?"

Kagome smiled, feeling so much love for him. "Yes."

"You don't wanna take some time to think about it? I am asking a lot from you."

She could tell that he was feeling guilty and she didn't want him to feel that way. "Inuyasha... you explained everything to me and you gave me the power of choice. I choose you. I choose to be with you. I don't have to think about it. I didn't really have much of a life before you. I didn't know love and joy and peace and happiness before you. Being with you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I will always choose you. I love you."

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply, uncaring about the people around them. He hoped that over time he could show her how much she means to him, that he could prove his love for her.

"I love you more than you know, Kagome," he said, kissing her one last time. "I promise you'll want for nothing. I'll give you the sun and the moon..."

"Just you," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck, staring up at him adoringly.

He smiled at her, feeling his chest tighten. "I can give you all of me."

Kagome smiled and they kissed just as the water show began another dance of music and lights.

---

I hope there wasn't too much grammatical errors I missed lol. How was that? A rollercoaster ride of emotions throughout the whole chapter. I hope you liked it. LMK :)