There were few things in life more perfect to Inuyasha than being able to sleep in, curled up with the perfect woman, her scent surrounding him, and her body cradled close. With a contented hum he tightened his arm around her waist to draw her closer, letting his nose bury into her hair as he tried to keep reality out of the moment.
Unfortunately, his mind had other thoughts, as his worries from the past few days wormed their way back into his mind.
How could he give her up? But at the same time, how could he ask her to move to D.C. just to be with him?
"You're thinking too loud."
His lips curled into a smile at Kagome's murmured comment, her voice husky with sleep.
"Didn't know that was possible." He whispered before placing a gentle kiss on the curve of her neck.
"Hmm, neither did I, but I could hear you thinking." Kagome shifted, turning to face him, her brown eyes hooded as the last bits of slumber held her in their grasp. "What's wrong?"
"I…" Inuyasha started, but found his words fading as Kagome let out a small yawn and then nuzzled closer. "It's nothing."
"Hnnn, doesn't sound like 'nothing.'"
"Keh, I just want to lay here, like this, with the woman I love in my arms."
"We can do that too," he could feel Kagome's lips curve against his chest as her arm wrapped around his, her hand tangling in his hair. "But I can feel the tension in you, what's wrong?"
"I…" He began again before sighing, and burying his face against her hair. "Have you ever been torn between two things, feeling like you are stuck in the middle?"
"... yeah…" Kagome whispered, her smile failing as sleep surrendered its hold on her. "I do…"
"One thing you want more than any other in the world, that you want to wake up to every day, and one that you kinda can't say no to, even though part of you really wants to because it could cost you the first thing?"
"Inu… I'm sorry, I didn't think you knew, I was going to tell…"
"Wait what?" Inuyasha started and pulled himself away, his amber eyes meeting Kagome's in shock.
"That's what you were going to say, right? You knew about the offer?"
"What offer?"
Kagome bit her lip for a moment before responding. "The one from Jinenji's office, they want me to move to D.C. and take over as Communications Director, but I am not really sure I want t…"
Inuyasha's shocked expression gave way to laughter, a true, deep laughter as he dragged Kagome back against him, his arms banding around her to hold her close.
"I can't believe— this is too fucking perfect." He chuckled, making Kagome push back to meet his gaze again.
"Before I gave them a response I wanted to talk it over with you, I mean, my lease is ending, so I could move here, but I didn't want to move away from you without discussing it, and we could do long distance but I know that would be ha…"
Inuyasha's lips cut her off mid sentence in a stormy kiss that soon dragged Kagome's thoughts from her.
"Inu…yasha?" She whispered when he finally eased back.
"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that." He breathed, and Kagome's face dropped into puzzlement.
"But, why? Do you want me to move to another state?" She asked, a tone of hurt present in her voice.
"No, no no no baby, not at all." Inuyasha kissed her forehead before touching her nose with his. "I got an offer too, from President Totosai, he asked me to serve as Special Advisor to the President for Hanyo Relations, but it would mean I had to move to D.C. myself." He let out a sigh as the tension in him eased. "It is a position I couldn't say no to, but god I didn't want to have to move away from being near you."
"Wait, so you were offered a job in D.C. too?" Kagome gasped, her eyes flying to meet his.
"Yeah." He grinned, showing the tip of one fang as he ran his hand down her back.
"Are you going to take it? Because you really should, I think you would be amazing and do so much to help Hanyo's in the U.S." Kagome's eyes sparkled as her excitement grew, you could always tell how passionate Kagome was about something by her eyes.
"That depends." he chuckled.
"ON WHAT?" Kagome insisted, "Inuyasha, you can't turn this chance down."
"On whether you are accepting the job with Jinenji." He lifted his hand from her waist to boop her nose, joy filling him as she scrunched it in response. "And…"
He rolled to the side, one arm reaching out to grab the small box on the nightstand before turning back to Kagome.
"I was planning to ask you this after the inauguration ball, but then with everything that happened with Totosai, and then how fucking gorgeous you looked I didn't get a chance to."
"Inuyasha, wait I love you but it's a little too…"
"It's not an engagement ring." He chuckled as he placed the box in her hand. "Well, not yet." His lips curved into a smile as she eyed the box like a viper before she shook it, her brow furrowing at the rattle she heard inside it.
Kagome pushed herself upright, not noticing that the sheet fell to her waist, temporarily short circuiting Inuyasha's train of thought. Her hand shook as she opened the box and stared mutely at the key that it held inside.
"Inu…"
"I know some may think it's too soon…" Inuyasha murmured as he tore his gaze from Kagome's bared torso, "but I've never wanted anyone else to share my home, until I met you."
He took a deep breath before continuing. "Even before we started dating, I knew you were one of the most passionate and caring people I had ever met, and you amazed me daily. In the two months we have been together, I have learned that you complete me, and we are better together than we are apart. I have waited 97 years to meet someone like you, and I want to be able to share everything with you. The good days, the bad days, the ups, the downs, I want to know you will be there when I get home, and for me to be there for you when you get home."
He took the box from Kagome's numb fingers and withdrew the key from it, placing it in his palm. "This is a key to my townhouse, I wanted to ask you if you would consider moving in with me when your lease ended. I love you, I truly do, and I can think of no greater honor than to wake up with you every day."
"But… we won't be in New York City anymore…" Kagome whispered, her eyes locked on the key in his hand.
"Then we find a new apartment or townhome near here, a place that we find together that becomes ours, New York will be waiting in four years and…"
"Eight." She whispered, and he smiled at her correction.
"Eight years, and it can be a place we go to escape from D.C. and the craziness of Washington for a weekend."
"And what if I need to stay in Washington after Totosai's term is over?" Kagome finally lifted her eyes to meet his.
"Then we commute between D.C. and New York, it's only 3 hours by train, hour and a half by air. We will make it work, because we work." Inuyasha rested his other hand over hers while he held out his palm to her. "Move in with me Kagome, let's build a home together, here, New York, wherever we are, as long as you are there we will be good."
Kagome sat silent as her eyes drifted back to the key he offered, and her teeth began to worry her lip. Inuyasha made himself stay still, not wanting to influence her decision, while at the same time wanting to hold her close and not let her go even if she said no.
After what felt like several hours, but Inuyasha knew it realistically could have only been a handful of seconds, she reached out to take the key from his palm, holding it up as she considered it carefully. When her eyes turned to meet his, he let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding as a broad smile crossed her face. She clutched the key in her hand and brought it to her chest, her joy shining through the room.
"I would love to move in with you." She whispered, the sound increasing to a mild shriek as he lunged forward to tackle her back against the bed, his lips crushed against hers as he wrapped her in his tight embrace.
"Thank fuck." Kagome laughed at his words as she wrapped her arms around his neck to draw him back for another kiss.
"So I guess we are apartment hunting this weekend?" She giggled, her hand shifting to rest on his cheek.
"Later." Inuyasha growled, his hand sliding up her curves to tease her nipple with his claws, causing her to let out a moan.
"Later.." She repeated, gasping at the heat of his mouth as he nibbled his way down her torso, pausing to lavish attention on her stomach before trailing further down.
The sweep of his tongue against her clit had her back arching as she let out a cry. With a growl Inuyasha lifted one of her legs over his shoulder as he descended on her, teasing her and making her writhe with just the soft pressure of his tongue.
"You taste so fucking good." He groaned as she pressed her hips closer to him, her breath breaking as he carefully pushed two fingers inside of her, bending his fingers to brush against the spot he had found that drove her insane.
"Gah… INUYASHA…" Kagome cried as her orgasm crashed over her, and he shifted to catch as much of it on his tongue as he could.
"Please… please I need you." Kagome panted as Inuyasha prowled his way up her body, pausing to cover it with kisses before he captured her mouth again, his tongue dancing against hers as she wrapped her legs around his hips.
Twin groans sounded through the room as he slowly pushed into her, the heat of her body giving way to the thrust of his inside her.
"I love you." He whispered against her lips as he pulsed his body into hers, her soft cries and gasps music to his ears as she shuddered around him.
"I love you tooInuyasha, oh god, I love you." Kagome cried, her head arching back as a thrust of his cock hit the spot deep inside her. "Oh god, I'm almost there… please I'm almost there…"
"Let go baby," he rasped out as his hips began to move faster, and he was rewarded by feeling Kagome's body quiver against him in anticipation. "I've got you, I've always got you."
"INUYASHHAAAA." Kagome cried as she shattered, the pulsing of her against him milking his own orgasm out of him as he followed her.
Their ends had been quick, but Inuyasha felt a deep satisfaction course through him as he held himself above Kagome, gasping for air. To know you love and were loved, there was no feeling like it. He leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips, reluctant to leave the haven that was her body and the feeling of her against him.
She was it for him, his forever. There was no one else he would ever want as his partner, his mate, his wife, and one day, the box would hold an engagement ring to bind his life to hers.
Kagome's brown eyes lifted to meet his as her lips curved into a smile, her hands raising to cup his cheeks.
"I love you." She whispered.
"I love you too, Kagome, with everything I am." He whispered back.
With a groan he reluctantly withdrew from her and rolled to his back, drawing her up to rest against his chest as his arms wrapped around her.
They lay like that for several minutes, neither wanting to move away from the cocoon they had created for themselves.
Until Kagome's stomach grumbled, and Inuyasha burst out laughing.
"We should probably get food." Kagome's cheeks had pinked with embarrassment as she tried to bury her face against his chest, but his hands caught her and shifted her to his side.
"Yeah, let's go get food, and start looking at apartments while we eat." He chuckled.
"Oh my gosh, we will need to figure out if we are going to stay here in D.C., if we are going to Maryland, or Virginia, or…" A soft kiss cut Kagome's words off, and she smiled ruefully as he pulled away. "Sorry, I was getting carried away."
"Nope, not at all." Inuyasha made himself roll away from her to rise from the bed, stretching as he moved. "We can look at all of them while we eat."
He looked over his shoulder to Kagome, only to find her eyes focused on his body, a gleam in her eye.
Kagome started when a shirt hit her chest, and glanced at Inuyasha who stood, amusement clear on his face.
"Come on, don't get distracted, we need to get you fed." He teased as he crossed to his suitcase for clothing.
"Can you blame me though?" Kagome quirked back. "I mean, look at you."
"You can look as much as you want… AFTER we get back, we have the hotel for 2 more days, so let's try and find an apartment to apply for, then come back here and make the most of it together."
"Hmmm, and there are so many restaurants to try around here and…"
"If they don't deliver, forget it," Inuyasha growled as he drew on a pair of boxer briefs then crossed to Kagome's side, drawing her up for another heated kiss. "We will need both days to make up for the week apart."
"You know, I'm good with that." Kagome nodded as she returned his kiss. "But we do need to get food and do some apartment hunting, we don't want to be homeless."
In twenty minutes they stood hand in hand on the streets of Washington DC, coats wrapped against the cold as Inuyasha led Kagome to the bistro he had discovered near their hotel.
Inuyasha watched Kagome as she tried to figure out her order, his heart full. Her head tilted towards him as her face broke into a grin, and her giant smile dazzled him. It was the first thing that had drawn him to her, and he knew he would never grow tired of seeing that every day.
He stepped behind her to warp his arms around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder as she sighed happily and leaned back into him as she placed her order.
They say that love and politics don't mix, that they act as oil and water, but as he breathed in Kagome's scent and her hand raised to stroke his ear, he knew that the quote had it wrong. It had been politics that brought him the love of his life, and to him, love and politics would be one and the same.