Crossover Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Journey to the City of Endless Night ❯ Chapter Fourty-Four ( Chapter 44 )

Warnings: Lemon...Lime.....Citrus fruit. You get the idea. There's no Coca Cola involved, though. Sorry.

Chapter Forty-Four

Sango felt the bark of the tree root behind her against her back as Miroku eased them into it. Her mind was whirling and she still couldn't explain what had possessed her to allow his advances. His soft lips brushed hers again before his tongue slid into her mouth. Sango laced her fingers through his hair. It still puzzled her as to why Miroku hadn't attempted to grope her by now. Surely the lecher hadn't gained control over his wandering hands that easily. Yet, he was kissing her so gently. It felt good and a warmth filled her body. His cursed hand ran through her hair and he leaned her further into the tree root. He broke away from her, smiling.

Sango bit her lip, blushing furiously. Had she just kissed Miroku? It wasn't like the dance where she had felt overwhelmed by the enchantments of court life. Deep inside she knew she should have been shocked by her own behavior. Yet, another side of her, one she had suppressed, didn't care. It had felt good to have his warm mouth on hers, his tongue delving inside and exploring. It had also felt right. She looked up into his dark eyes, noticing the desire swirling in their depths. This only inflamed her cheeks further. His fingers slid through her hair and Miroku stole another kiss.

Sango couldn't explain why she was letting him do this. She accepted his mouth on hers, dueling with his tongue. Each kiss they shared increased in bravery and subsequently passion. He thrust his tongue a little faster into her mouth and Sango couldn't help the soft moan that escaped. Sango reached up, twirling her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer. He licked into her mouth, exploring as much as he could. Certainly she had to be dreaming, right? This couldn't possibly be happening for real. If it had been, by now Miroku would have grabbed at her bottom, squeezing it. He wouldn't have kissed her as tenderly or hungrily as this Miroku was. It had to be a dream.

She tensed up as she felt Miroku's hand trail down her side. It, however, didn't drift down to her backside. He made gentle circles with his fingers, his mouth leaving hers as he trailed down to her chin before kissing her neck. Sango involuntarily tilted her head to one side, giving him access. If this was a dream, it certainly felt very good. His hand remained on her side, the fingers brushing her. His other hand rested against her cheek, his thumb running along her jawline. Sango gripped his hair in her hands, letting the soft groan pass her lips. As much as she knew she should have put a stop to his attentions, Sango didn't want it to end. It felt wonderful to have him kiss her skin. If it was a dream, she didn't want to wake, and if it was real, she didn't want him to ruin it with his lecherous hands.

Miroku lifted his head, a sly smile on his lips. His dark eyes locked on hers. Miroku whispered, “That was rather nice.” He brushed his lips against hers again, pushing his tongue into her surprised mouth. Sango let her eyes flutter shut as he continued to kiss her, his hands on either side of her head. He fisted her hair into his cursed hand, running his tongue against hers. Sango knew she had never been kissed like this before. It was new to her. If this was a dream, it certainly felt better than the ones she had imagined in the past.

A twig snapped not far from where they perched in the tree. Miroku snapped away from her, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. It was a gesture that indicated to her that he was nervous. His voice called out, “Who's there?”

Into the soft filter of moonlight through the leaves of the trees surrounding them bounded Shippo. The young fox child looked from one to the other, rubbing a tired eye. He asked, “What are you two doing out here?”

Sango felt disappointed at the interruption. She then felt heat cross her cheeks as she realized everything that had happened was real after all. Mixed feelings filled her at that realization. If it had been a dream, she could have dismissed the monk's advances as pure fantasy. Now that she knew that they had been real, Sango felt confusion. A strange satisfaction also flooded her. Finally the monk hadn't tried to grope her. Yet, the mood had been broken and she wanted to hit Shippo for ruining it. She asked, controlling her voice to keep it from cracking in embarrassment, “Aren't you supposed to be asleep, Shippo?”

Shippo yawned wide. “I was asleep and then I woke up to find no one. I tried to find Kagome but I couldn't so I followed your scents instead.”

Miroku clenched his hands into fists at his sides. His teeth were clenched. Sango heard him mutter, “Must not succumb to violence. He is but a child. He would not understand.” He turned his back on both of them, his cursed hand raised to his lips in prayer. “Resist the temptation.” Apparently Shippo's interruption had upset Miroku greatly.

Sango said, “You should go back to camp and get some sleep. It's been a long day and it'll probably be a long day tomorrow. We'll be there very shortly, okay?” She smiled weakly at the little boy.

Shippo glanced from Sango to Miroku. He cocked his head to one side, his green eyes flicking back and forth between the pair. He sniffed the air. “Sango, how come you smell---” The child never got the sentence out as Miroku struck his fist into the child's head. Shippo wailed, holding the small lump left from the strike.

Sango blushed. She slipped down from the tree, clutching her hands in front of her. She looked over towards the now irate monk and then back towards the hurt child. She said, “What did you do that for, monk?”

Miroku glared down at Shippo. He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths. He turned his back on the pair again, refusing to answer. She could hear him chant again, trying to resist. He stopped, looking over his shoulder. “Shippo, just go back to the tent. Sango and I will be there very shortly.”

Shippo stuck his lip out into a pout. He crossed his arms. “Alright. Just don't hit me again, please?”

Miroku sighed. “I'm sorry I struck you, Shippo. I apologize for my lapse in self-control.” His shoulders slumped and he turned back around, a small, shy smile on his lips. Sango wondered what Shippo was going to say but thought it prudent not to ask with Miroku near. He seemed to be struggling against his temper. It was a rare sight for her. Miroku was often calm and light-hearted. And he had never physically struck the child or raised his voice to him like that before.

Shippo turned, fleeing the way he had come. Once they were both alone again, Sango kept her eyes fixed on the black earth beneath their feet. Everything had seemed so surreal when they had kissed. It still didn't seem real. Yet, she knew it had to have been. She reached her fingers up to her lips, running the tips over them. They felt swollen from the attention Miroku had given them. Sango hid a satisfied smile behind her hand as she looked up towards Miroku. He was staring up towards the stars, biting his lip. Sango stepped closer, taking his hand into hers.

Miroku jumped, looking down at her with surprised eyes. “Sango---”

Sango squeezed his hand. She felt brave suddenly, in an area that often intimidated her. She leaned closer to him. “You were right. That was nice. Maybe we should do it again sometime soon.” She let go of his hand, turning her back on him. Slowly she made her way back up the path they had taken to reach the tiny clearing. She kept her eyes focused on the terrain in front of her. She felt her toe catch again on an unseen root. Before she could flail wildly and land face first in the dirt, she felt arms go around her waist, pulling her back. Glancing over her shoulder, Sango gazed into Miroku's eyes. She blushed. He didn't let go.

Miroku whispered in her ear, “You should be more careful.” He placed his hands onto her stomach, steadying her. “It seems that the forest has deemed you a target.”

Sango felt her face flush. She felt like such a klutz. Normally she would have no problem walking in a tiny grove such as this one. Yet, she had tripped three times. Sango sighed. She didn't resist the warmth of Miroku's body behind her. Sango leaned her head back onto his shoulder, trying to process the events that had taken place since he had requested that she accompany him on a late night walk. The longer she resided in his arms, the less she wanted him to let go and fear curled in the pit of her stomach. Normally by now she would have slapped him away, reprimanding him for touching her. Tonight she had willingly let him explore her mouth, trace his hands over her body, and now encircle her in his arms. Maybe when she had asked him if he was ill, she should have asked herself that question.

Miroku chuckled low in his throat. He sighed, his warm breath blowing hair away from her ear. He whispered, “I guess we better return to camp before Shippo comes looking for us again. Or worse, goes searching for Kagome.” Sango felt Miroku ease his arms away from her, reluctance in his actions.

Sango felt disappointment at the feel of the cool breeze brush against her skin. It had felt much better to rest in his arms. She nodded her reply. Sango's eyes grew wide as she felt him take her hand into his own again. “Monk, now what are you up to?”

Miroku smiled shyly at her. He said, “I don't think you want to make a habit of tripping, do you? It's dark.” He squeezed her hand before leading her back towards the small camp fire left up for the night. Sango bowed her head, following. So many different emotions flooded her: fear, want, desire, satisfaction, and all of them congealed into a mass of confusion. Why had she let him get away with what he had tonight?

As they entered into the clearing the camp resided in, Sango noticed that much of the camp had retired for the night. Silence filled it, all except for the soft crackle of the fire as wood popped. The only people not resting in their tents as far as Sango could tell, was the dark haired sorceress, Polgara, and her husband. They sat around another small fire, idly talking. Polgara's husband was holding up Sesshomaru's armor plate, examining the damage done to it. He every so often would touch the dents made in it before assessing other repairs that had to be made. Polgara sat sipping some tea, watching him work. Everyone else had turned in after the long, grueling day. Sango blushed as Polgara's gray eyes connected with hers. A secret, satisfied smile crossed the woman's lips.

Sango quickly broke contact, glancing over towards the tent she and Miroku would share with Shippo. Shippo's face peeked out momentarily at them. Confusion filled his green eyes, though he didn't raise his voice to ask the questions she knew had to be waiting on his tongue. She followed Miroku to the tent, easing inside. The flap rustled and Miroku followed. As soon as the flap had fallen, blocking the view of the fire, the tent grew dark. Sango pulled herself to the bedroll she had vacated some half an hour earlier. She turned to rest on her side, facing in towards the center of the tent. Even though Miroku hadn't tried anything, she wasn't willing to trust him completely, especially if she was going to get any sleep.

Miroku collapsed into his own bedroll, facing her. His dark eyes fastened on hers and she blushed at the swirling want that lingered in them. Miroku was acting strange. He hadn't groped her. Instead he had kissed her---and she had let him. He placed his cursed hand onto his hip, stretching out to rest on the mat. None of this made any sense to her. Why was he looking at her like that and what did he want? He still hadn't pulled his usual lecherous behavior and that unnerved her. She hoped he wasn't ill. Miroku closed his eyes. He whispered, “Good night. Sleep well.”

Sango scrunched her nose. She looked from him towards Shippo. The little fox child shrugged. He was just as lost as she. The behavior of the monk had been different, and not all together unpleasant, actually. Shippo flopped back down onto his mat, curling up under the blanket. He fell fast asleep again. Sango sighed. She felt Kirara curl up against her chest and Sango stroked the cat's ears. She whispered into her friend's ear, “Kirara, something is going on with that monk. I just know it.” Kirara's answer was a soft meow. “I hear you.”

Sango stretched out on her mat. She yawned wide. The day had been entirely too long indeed. Between the grueling horse ride that day, the battle with the demon, the frantic search for Rin before Sesshomaru could bleed to death, and now Miroku's strange behavior, she felt exhaustion claim her tired bones. Sango let heavy lidded eyes rest on Miroku. Somehow she knew he wasn't asleep. Something about the rigid pose of his body betrayed him. If he had been asleep, he would have been breathing easy, his face relaxed. Sango let a small smile cross her lips. She had often watched him sleep when he wasn't aware of it. If she hadn't known him, Sango would have thought he was one of the most innocent of people when he slept. His face would take on an odd boyish cast. It almost made up for all the times he had copped a feel without her permission.

Miroku's face now, however, was tense. His teeth were clenched and his nose crinkled. Sango noticed that his eyebrows were furrowed as well. His hand was curled into a tight fist on his hip and he was tense. He may have said good night and feigned sleep but she knew otherwise. Sango sat up, letting Kirara slip into her lap. She hissed, “I know you're awake, monk. You can't lie to me.”

Miroku let one eye crack open. He looked from her to Shippo's sleeping form. Miroku sat up, keeping his eyes averted from her. She noticed the small blush on his face. Miroku asked, “How did you know?”

Sango sighed. She whispered, “You weren't doing a very good job of hiding it. You really need to take lessons from Sesshomaru on hiding facial expressions.” She hid a smile behind her hand as she saw him roll his eyes and glare. She set Kirara back down onto her mat, scooting forward. Sango asked, feeling dread grow in the pit of her stomach when he hadn't made a witty comment back, “Is something wrong, Miroku?” She knew she was gambling. He could turn on her any moment and make a pass at her rump. She tentatively rested a hand onto his.

Miroku didn't look at her. He sighed. “Nothing is wrong, my dear Sango.” He shifted as if uncomfortable. The blush on his cheeks flared further. “Just get some sleep. We all need rest before we must return to the road tomorrow.” He was about to pull his hand away but Sango refused, gripping it tightly.

“You've been acting very strange since last night. What is it?” Sango glanced down at the beads tightly wrapped around his hand. Maybe he was nearing his demise. Anything to understand the change in Miroku. “Is it—-” She left it dangle, tilting her head towards the Wind Tunnel. Sango couldn't say it. She may not have trusted him when it came to his advances on her person, but she couldn't imagine the horrible finality of Naraku's curse claiming him, either. That thought haunted her almost as much as Sango was sure it haunted Miroku. His end could come at any time and she couldn't imagine it actually coming to pass. It was just too much.

Miroku looked up, his eyes wide. He shook his head, attempting to recover. “No, it's not that.” He looked back down, taking another deep breath. He repositioned himself again, a soft grunt escaping him. He tried to pull his hand away again. “If it was that I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't want to endanger everyone.”

“Then what is it?” She felt frustrated at the way he was eluding her questions. “It has to be something. You're not acting like yourself.”

Miroku pushed his hair away from his face with his cursed hand. He sighed audibly. “It's nothing, honestly. It's not something that can be fixed.” He managed to get his hand away from her. Miroku looked up again, his eyes churning with an intense emotion Sango couldn't quite describe. As soon as he had looked directly into her eyes, he looked away again. He whispered, “I'm sorry for my transgressions earlier this evening. I'll understand if you are angry with me. I should have been able to control myself better.”

Sango gasped. Had he meant the kisses they had shared in the clearing? She moved closer to him, sitting side by side with him. Her knees were raised to her chest. Sango glanced back down to Shippo, checking to make sure that the little fox boy was still asleep. While they were not doing anything scandalous, she did not want the boy asking questions about the conversation she and Miroku were having. She didn't even have the answers to those questions herself.

She looked down at the tent floor, trying to formulate a response to his apology. Under normal circumstances she would have agreed with him, but the kisses had been pleasant and an experience she wouldn't mind repeating. Looking up again, she noticed that he was glaring ahead, his hands clenched at his side. He looked as if he was waiting for the inevitable: her palm connecting with his cheek. Instead, Sango, in another act of bravery, leaned over and kissed it instead. Miroku tensed up, as if waiting for the blow that would never come. As her lips brushed against his cheek, his eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open in shock. Sango whispered, “There is no need to apologize, monk.”

He looked at her, confusion in his dark eyes. He tried to recover by clearing his throat. A small, demure smile tinged his lips and he raised his hand to his cheek in bliss as if she had struck him. It was a pose she had often seen him relish in. Sango laughed softly and Miroku looked towards her again. He lowered his hand from the cheek she had kissed, blushing. “My dear Sango, I did not expect that at all.”

“Someone has to keep you on your toes, lecher.” Sango returned his smile. A massive yawn escaped her.

Miroku sighed. “We must retire or we'll fall out of our saddles tomorrow.” A similar yawn tore from his mouth and he stretched. He nonchalantly lowered his hand down towards her backside and Sango twitched an eyebrow. He raised it back up, glaring at the offending appendage. He shook a finger at it with his other hand, scolding it with a firm, “No. You must behave. You must resist.” Sango hid a small laugh behind her hand. She had to admit, he could be rather endearing, even when he was trying to grope her.

She scrambled back towards her side of the tent, pulling the blanket over herself. She looked at him as he settled down onto the mat, pulling his blanket over his body. Sango said, “Good night, monk. Keep your hands to yourself.”

Miroku's dark eyes snapped with mischief. “I'll try, but remember, they have a mind of their own! I can't be blamed for any possible trespass they might inflict upon your beautiful, lush body.”

Sango rolled her eyes. “Good night monk. Remember, my weapons have a mind of their own, too. I can't be blamed if they crack your lecherous skull open or cut off your hands.” Kirara curled up against her, falling asleep.

Miroku sputtered before yawning again. He pulled his own blanket over his body. He whispered, “I'll keep that in mind.”


Inuyasha made his way through the small grove, mulling over in his head what the old sorcerer had told him. He didn't really know Polgara's mate all that well. He was quiet and plain faced. They had barely said more than two words to one another, excluding the incident on the river banks when they had fished. From what he could gather about him, Durnik was rather gentle and reserved. In every battle they had ever fought since arriving in the valley, Inuyasha had noticed that Durnik had used only blunt weapons such as clubs. He didn't fight with a sword or even a small knife. It puzzled him as to how this quiet man would find himself in a situation to be slain by a sorcerer. Why did that other sorcerer, Zedar, kill him anyways? Inuyasha sighed. It certainly made a lot of his perceptions of the people they traveled with shift.

As he continued through the trees, Inuyasha realized that Durnik had something in common with Rin. They both had been brought back from the dead. Perhaps the two packs weren't all that different after all. Inuyasha shook his head as he walked. Not only did Durnik and Rin share something in common by being revived, Inuyasha noticed how Durnik acted much around Polgara as Rin did with his brother. Durnik never seemed to raise his voice to his mate. Respect resonated from every action the broad shouldered man took around Polgara. Inuyasha sighed. It just didn't make sense to him as to why or how such a man would find himself in such a dangerous situation.

The way both Polgara and Durnik had worked to care for Sesshomaru had puzzled him. Neither of them were part of his pack. Yet, both Polgara and Durnik had set out to aid his injured brother. The man had muttered endlessly about fixing Sesshomaru's armor to be stronger and better than it had been and Polgara had been determined to stop the bleeding and set the bone. Durnik had helped her with everything alongside his mate. In fact, throughout the entire process, Durnik had apologized to his brother's unconscious form for any pain their care might cause. Inuyasha had found that to be rather strange that he would do such a thing as they set the bone. It still didn't make sense to Inuyasha as to why these people were so insistent on helping him and those of his pack. After all, Inuyasha knew that they could be at a severe disadvantage if they had been left alone in this new strange world.

He slammed his back into a tree, sliding down the trunk. Inuyasha drew circles in the dirt with a claw. The old man had displayed traits he wasn't all that unfamiliar himself. Belgarath did the things he did to protect his own pack. The sorcerer may be human but his actions were very much like Inuyasha's own. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that they called him Old Wolf all the time. The old man had shifted into that shape several times since they had met him, after all. He may not have liked wolves, but Belgarath didn't act at all like Koga. Koga was brash and impulsive. He was rash and had no respect from Inuyasha. Belgarath, on the other hand, was calculating and decisive. Each decision the old man had made so far had been in some way to protect his pack. Inuyasha knocked his head against the tree behind him as he thought.

When Belgarath had said they would have to form one large pack, it had set off some alarm bells in Inuyasha's head. It had taken him a considerable amount of time to accept his own brother into the small pack he had. He wasn't certain how long it might take for him to accept the old man and his daughter, let alone the rest of the group as pack members. Inuyasha wasn't certain how long they might be in this strange world. They could wake up tomorrow and everything could have been a dream or they could never return to his forest and the well. Inuyasha couldn't say. He held his feet in his cupped clawed hands. All of this would take time for him to understand.

Inuyasha sighed. Kagome hadn't yielded to his plea for her to withhold information about her time. It bothered him and he couldn't quite understand why she would insist on ignoring his instincts. Perhaps he would have been willing for her to talk about it after they knew much more about these people. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He wasn't mad at Kagome. It was clear in her scent when she had told the sorcerers what she had that she was nervous and had felt cornered. He just wished she would have understood that he meant to protect her no matter what. It had angered him that she felt trapped. Yet, as Inuyasha continued to rest against the tree, he thought again about what the old man had admitted. Naraku had brought back a murderer of one of Belgarath's pack members. Naraku had brought back this enemy merely out of spite. Inuyasha was certain of it.

The thought of Naraku made his eyes narrow in fury. Hadn't he tormented enough people with his manipulating ways? He had pitted Kikyo against him causing her to pin him to a tree. Naraku had forced her to believe that he had been the one to cut her down. Naraku had cursed the monk with a terrible fate. He had slaughtered Sango's village and then used her brother as a puppet to tug on her emotions just to see her suffer. Now he had brought back Belgarath's ancient enemy, an enemy who just happened to be the sorcerer's former brother. Inuyasha wasn't certain if he would ever be able to trust the old sorcerer, but he understood the anger he was feeling at the revival of a man who had killed a member of his pack.

The why still eluded Inuyasha. Just what did Naraku have against the old man? Why would he do this? For every other person that Naraku had manipulated, Inuyasha could find a cause or reason that the evil hanyou might have. Kikyo had possessed the Shikon no Tama. Miroku's grandfather had directly opposed Naraku and gained the curse because of it, passing it through the generations. Sango was a demon slayer and Naraku had to destroy her home village to prevent their threat from harming him. It also had been the birth place of the jewel. As for himself, although Inuyasha hadn't felt that way in ages, he had been in love with Kikyo and therefore had been a rival to the bandit Onigumo for the affections of the miko. What had the old man done to bring Naraku's wrath upon him? Did it have something to do with the Orb that rested upon Garion's sword?

Inuyasha thought about how furious Belgarath had looked when he had fought with Zedar. Their immortal struggle had disturbed him. The old sorcerer's inhuman anger at a man he had called brother at one time startled him. Now that Inuyasha had some of the background information as to why Belgarath hated Zedar he understood why the old man would be furious with Naraku. It was as if the bastard had brought back this other sorcerer just to taunt the old man. Naraku must have enjoyed the massive battle that the two old men had had in the grove on their way to Mal Zeth. Inuyasha was certain he had seen everything that had happened one way or another. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he thought about it. He stood, intending to continue on his way.

He continued on through the forest, coming across a small cave. It was large enough to make camp in for two people perhaps. It smelled dry. Perhaps it would suit Inuyasha's purposes. He entered slowly, investigating to see if anything resided within it. It was uninhabited. Poking his head back outside of the cave, Inuyasha noticed it was quite a distance from the camp. Even with his enhanced senses he could only pick up on snippets of the movements in camp. A smile crossed his face. This would do. Finally he might actually get to make it up to his mate for the awful things he had done the night before.

Stepping back out into the forest, Inuyasha surveyed his surroundings to make sure he could keep a mental note on the location of the cave. This was better than trying to convince Kagome to uproot their tent and stake it some distance away from everyone else. Inuyasha continued back the way he had come, lingering on the path. He had a funny feeling that Miroku might be entangled with Sesshomaru for quite some time so he didn't need to rush back to the tree line. If anything, his brother's firm insistence on honor and truth might curb some of the monk's nefarious habits. He glanced up, noticing a faint hint of the stars in the sky. A small smile crossed his face.

All that remained in his way was the possibility of Shippo. The kit had been whining lately about not having any time with Kagome. Inuyasha blew hair out of his eyes. As a fox demon, the child should have understood the change in their relationship immediately. Inuyasha was Kagome's mate and she was his. Hopefully the monk would have luck keeping the child away from him and Kagome for the night. The things he had in mind did not involve the embarrassment of explaining mating to a young fox child. In fact, Inuyasha hoped to never sit down and discuss that with Shippo, ever.

As Inuyasha finally reached the tree line, he noticed Kagome pacing a little in front of him. She looked nervous as she crumpled in her hands the scarf Inuyasha had told the monk to return to his brother. Sesshomaru must have told Miroku to return it to Kagome. He shrugged. That didn't matter to him. Inuyasha hid himself behind a tree as he watched her. She glanced back at the camp before staring into the trees. Her nose wrinkled in confusion as she looked around for him. She leaned closer to peer into the trees and a soft whisper reached Inuyasha's ears, “Inuyasha, are you here?”

Inuyasha silently moved to another tree, not replying to his mate. A wicked smile touched his lips. This might be fun. He soundlessly jumped into one of the trees, staring down at her. Kagome neared the tree he had been hiding behind a moment ago, looking into the dimness of the small grove. It was so tempting to jump down and take her back to the cave he had found, but he wondered what his mate might do next. She stepped into the trees, glancing around. Kagome squeezed her hand into a fist around the scarf. She whispered, “Inuyasha, this isn't funny. Are you here?”

Inuyasha deliberately rustled the tree branches he rested on before noiselessly jumping into another tree. Kagome's head snapped up to glance at the tree he had been in a brief moment before. She said, her voice becoming dangerous, “I'll say 'it.”

On soundless feet, Inuyasha landed behind her. Kagome continued to stare up into the tree he had vacated. She started to count, indicating she was about to sit him. Heading that off, Inuyasha pulled her towards his chest tightly, wrapping his arms around her waist. Inuyasha rasped into her ear, “Gotcha.”

Kagome tensed up in his arms before she rested her head against his shoulder. “Inuyasha! You scared me nearly to death.”

Inuyasha nuzzled his nose onto her neck before lapping out at her mark. He circled it a few times with his tongue. She tilted her head to the side, letting him graze his fangs against her skin. A low growl escaped his lips as he caught her scent. She smelled clean as always, the slight touch of sweat covering her scent. The strange smell of apples permeated her hair. It had to be some of the modern soap she used to wash it with. She also smelled of him. He whispered, “Climb on my back.”

Kagome twisted in his arms to look at him. “Where are we going, Inuyasha?”

He let go and turned around, his hands behind his back. “Just climb on my back.” Inuyasha smiled in satisfaction when she did as he asked, her thighs gripping his sides. How he had missed this. Nothing felt nearly as good as having her on his back. He jumped into the trees, running with her. She gripped his shoulders in her hands. Inuyasha shot up above the trees letting them coast through the air. A soft gasp reached his ears and Kagome buried her face into the crook of his neck. He smiled. “Oi, wench, are you scared?”

Kagome squeezed his sides with her legs. “Of course not!” There was a slight tremor in her voice and Inuyasha landed on the top of another tree before leaping above them again. She gasped again, her arms wrapping around his chest. Inuyasha gripped her by her thighs. “Where are we going?”

“You'll see, wench.” Inuyasha jumped from tree to tree, taking her in a direction away from the cave he had found. He wanted to run with her on his back for awhile longer. It felt good to have the wind in his ears and hair and her soft body against him, completely trusting him not to drop her. The night sky was lit up with stars and a crescent moon hung high in the sky. Inuyasha circled back around, heading towards the cave he had picked out already. He had wanted to run with his mate on his back, but Inuyasha also hoped that the trail would keep Shippo from finding them. If the monk should fail to keep the kit away he wanted to make sure Shippo had no chance to find them. He landed, crouching to let Kagome slide to the ground.

Kagome shivered in delight. Her gold speckled eyes reflected the moonlight and a wide smile graced her face. She said, “Inuyasha, that was fun.”

“You were scared for most of it. What are you talking about?” He let one fang show at the corner of his mouth as he smirked at her. He pulled her into his embrace, sniffing her hair. Slipping his clawed hand into hers, he gently led her into the cave. Once inside, Inuyasha slipped out of his fire rat, laying it down onto the ground to serve as a blanket. He sat down, pulling Kagome to rest in his lap. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her tightly, feeling himself relax as she nestled against him. She hugged him back, her arms circling him. She rested her head onto his shoulder. It felt good to sit with just his mate.

Kagome curled up in his lap, fingering his beads absently. She nuzzled her nose against his neck. Kagome pulled the scarf from her fist, examining it. “I was not scared. You startled me. There is a difference. I trust you not to drop me.”

“Feh.” He leaned her over to rest on his fire rat and blanketed her with his own body. Inuyasha trailed his hand over her legs up her hips. He nuzzled his nose against her mark before kissing her neck. A soft moan reached his ears and he grazed his fangs against her soft skin. Inuyasha lifted his head, looking into her eyes. He whispered, “I don't deserve you.”

Kagome looked back at him before casting her eyes away from him. “You're wrong. I don't deserve you, Inuyasha.” She ran a hand through his hair. A small, regretful smile crossed her lips. “I'm not good enough for you.”

Inuyasha flattened his ears to his head. What did she mean by that? He raised himself up on his palms. “What are you talking about? Kagome, I hurt you last night. What do you mean you're not good enough for me?”

Kagome let her hand fall to rest on the ground by her head. “You didn't want me to talk about my era with Belgarath and I did it anyways. All you do is love and protect me and I didn't let you do that. I fought against you to do it.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “I'm sorry.”

Inuyasha crushed his mouth to hers. He hissed, “Don't be sorry.”

“But you were trying to protect me and I fought you every step of the way.” Kagome turned her head away from him. “Sometimes I forget that things are different in your time than my own era. You're not doing the things you do because you think of me as a weak woman. You do them because it's what you do for your mate.” She looked back at him. “I should have asked you first what was okay to say. I didn't because I'm too stubborn and thought I could handle it on my own.”

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. He pinned her body to the cavern floor. He looked at the fading bruises on her neck before Inuyasha glanced into her gold flecked eyes. “Kagome--”

“No, Inuyasha, it's true. I felt cornered and I was confused about what to do. Everything happened so fast and instead of waiting to talk it out with you like I should have, I rushed in without thinking. I figured the problem was my own and I had to fix it by myself. I had made the mess so I believed it was up to me to clean it up. I didn't stop to consider your feelings or reservations. Instead of looking to you to protect me, I fought against you.” Kagome bit her lip. “I realized that after it was already too late. I kept digging myself deeper into a hole, unsure of how I could fix it.” She looked away as a tear escaped down her cheek. “Can you forgive me for being a poor mate?”

Inuyasha ran a hand over her hair, pulling it out of her face. He nuzzled her neck. He sat up, pulling her to rest against his chest. “You, a poor mate. You're wrong.” He kissed her forehead. Kagome wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his shoulder. Inuyasha rubbed her back, his claws making soft circles over the wool of her gray dress. “Don't you talk like that.”

Kagome tucked herself into his lap. She whispered, “But I didn't listen to you. I didn't understand when you told me that I was your responsibility last night. I got offended because I thought that's all you saw. A burden. The weak human girl you have to keep from getting killed cause she can't do anything on her own.” The scent of fresh tears falling down her cheeks reached his nose. “I'm sorry.”

Inuyasha sighed. He pulled her close to his chest. “You are my responsibility. But it's not because you're a weak human girl. You're my mate. What type of mate would I be if I didn't do everything I could to protect you? Don't you understand?” He felt her arms go around his neck.

“If you didn't do all those things you'd be a bad mate. I can see that now.” She nuzzled her nose under his chin, actively showing him her submissive position. Kagome rested her head onto his shoulder. “I just didn't know what to do out there. Shippo was hurt so badly and I just wanted us to get out of that grove so we could help him. They wouldn't let us go until I said something and I couldn't think of anything so I blurted it out. It's no excuse. I should have let you handle it and I didn't. After I blurted it out, I felt like I had to clean it up on my own. I should have trusted you completely to deal with it. We should have faced it together.”

Inuyasha ran his hands over her back. He pulled away from her, looking into her eyes. His eyes cast down to the fading bruises on her neck. He said, “Look at what I did to you, Kagome. I nearly killed you.” He drooped his ears. “Fuck. I could have snapped your neck and you wouldn't have been able to stop me. I don't care if those weird Grolims or what ever they are, were forcing me to do the things I did. As your mate I should have been able to stop myself.” He ran a claw against her skin.

Kagome reached up, her hands on either side of his face. “Inuyasha, promise me you won't hate yourself for what happened. It wasn't your fault.”

“It sure feels that way.” Inuyasha rested one hand on her arm. He ran a thumb across her cheek. “I tried to kill you the first time we met. What's that say about me?” He looked down, letting his bangs hide his eyes.

Kagome brushed his hair out of his face. She looked up at him. “Promise me you won't hate yourself. I hate seeing you like this.” A few more tears streaked down her cheeks. “I let foolish pride get in the way of what matters. You. What we share. And it was so stupid of me. I know I hurt you when I didn't let you protect me.”

Inuyasha pulled her close to his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her. One hand ran over her hair. “I promise not to hate myself. You better promise me something, too, Kagome. Never ever think you're not worthy to be my mate. It's the other way around. Always. I'm just a lowly half-breed with nothing.”

Kagome said, “I promise. But you're wrong, Inuyasha. You have so much to offer.” She pulled away from him, kissing him. A tiny smile crossed her face.

Inuyasha nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck. He placed an open mouthed kiss on her pulse. “Kagome, promise me one more thing. Next time I feel that it's too dangerous for you to say or do certain things, you listen to me, okay? I promise to stop hating myself if you let me protect you.” He lifted his head up to look into her eyes.

Kagome nodded. She smiled shyly. “I promise to listen to you the next time you feel something is too dangerous. We'll face everything together and I promise to talk to you about any decisions we need to make. I don't want to shut you out ever again. Don't you shut me out, either.” She brushed her nose with his before resting her forehead against his. She whispered, “We make quite the sad pair, don't we?” She brushed a tear from her eyes.

Inuyasha leaned her back down onto his fire rat. He rested his chin onto her shoulder and whispered, “How did my plan to punish you for those damn shoes go so wrong?” Inuyasha pushed himself up by his palms and smiled shyly back at her. “It was going to be perfect.”

Kagome ran a hand over his hair, reaching for an ear. She pulled him down to her, kissing him. “I deserve it, you know.” A wicked smile crossed her lips. “You know, there's no rule that says you can't follow through.”

Inuyasha snorted. He ran his hand down to her bodice, untying the string. “Oi, wench, if you put it that way, perhaps I will punish you then. You did shove those shoes on my feet, after all. And you did sit me a lot.” He pulled the top of her dress open. Inuyasha lapped at her mark before gently sinking his fangs into her neck. Kagome's soft gasp reached his ears, encouraging him.

Kagome ran her hands over his hair, moaning softly. Her hips lifted to meet his and Inuyasha could smell the musk of her arousal. He lifted up, pulling her dress off her shoulders. As her skin was exposed, Inuyasha placed gentle, open mouthed kisses to its softness. This only earned him more moans from his mate. His hand slid down her shoulder to a breast and he cupped it through the accursed white garment she wore. He snarled against her shoulder, offended by the flimsy white material that always got in his way. Inuyasha still wondered what magic it was. Kagome laughed softly in his ear. She whispered, “Let me up a bit so I can get out of this bra.”

Inuyasha complied, watching her agile fingers work the clasp in the back. Once it was free, she tossed the offensive garment into a dim corner. Inuyasha palmed one soft mound while his tongue circled the nipple on the other. She arched flush against him, a soft mewl reaching his ears. He twitched them as he continued to painstakingly kiss all of her skin. It tasted sweet and he ran his tongue over it in small, fast circles. This only caused Kagome's eyes to flutter shut and her teeth to bite into her lip. The control he had over her thrilled him. Inuyasha slowly ran his claws over her skin, brushing it every so lightly. She threw her head back and a low groan erupted from her throat. So far his punishment was going rather well.

Sliding down her body, Inuyasha pulled the dress with him. It slid down to rest around her hips and he kissed her sides, letting his hair brush against her skin as well. His hands pinned her hips to the ground so she couldn't buck, although he felt her hips resist the hold he had on them. Inuyasha buried his nose into her navel before delving his tongue inside. His eyes cast up to see how this affected her. She gripped his head into her hands, his hair locked into her tiny fists. A broken rasp of his name reached Inuyasha's ears. She had asked for him to follow through with what he had planned and he fully intended on doing just that.

Inuyasha lifted up, pulling the rest of her dress away from her body. He left the other offending white garment there for the time being. He would remove that later. Skipping over the sensitive flesh he knew she wanted him to touch the most, Inuyasha nuzzled his nose against her inner thigh before kissing each one. He dragged his tongue against the softness of her skin and he had to grip her hips to keep Kagome from bucking. She gasped out something he couldn't quite understand, but Inuyasha didn't need to. It was clear that she was begging him to quit teasing her. Now that he had her alone and all to himself, Inuyasha wasn't going to let this opportunity pass him by.

He kissed further down her legs, rubbing her thighs with his hands. She groaned again, her head tossing from side to side. Her arousal continued to spike in his nose and he had to resist the temptation to simply rip the strange white object away from her hips and take her. Kagome bit her lip again, arching. He noticed that she had clenched her hands into fists at her sides. Inuyasha kissed all the way down to her feet, finding the shoes she wore. He growled, “Well, looks like all you have left are shoes.”

Kagome lifted her head up and the desire flooding her eyes was not missed by Inuyasha. She gasped. He had intended on kissing all the way down to her shoes before taking an agonizing period of time to remove them. Inuyasha pulled one lace as slowly as he could. While he was not familiar with them, he had seen her bend over to tie them often in the past that he had no trouble understanding how they worked.

The longer he took to untie her shoe, the more she panted and groaned. He pulled on the sides of the shoe on her left foot as slowly as he had pulled the laces, sliding it off her foot. A sock remained and he bent over, latching his fangs in the cuff. At this, a raspy version of his name reached his ears. He dragged the cloth off her foot with his teeth. Once it was off, Inuyasha kissed the top of her foot before gently sucking on each toe. He turned to the other shoe, following the same process, watching every reaction that crossed Kagome's face. It was flushed, her eyes squeezed shut, teeth sunk in her lip. Her hair billowed wildly, the midnight locks cascading to the cavern floor beneath her. It amazed Inuyasha how this plan of his worked out so well.

As he slipped the second shoe off, he repeated the process with the white sock on her foot and then kissed it. Inuyasha traveled back up her body, ignoring the throbbing ache between his own legs. There would be time for that. He kissed her inner thighs again, pinning her to the floor. He hooked one clawed finger into the waist band of that white garment that stood in his way. Kagome thrashed, panting. He lifted her hips and slid the offending material out of his way.

As soon as it was away from her body, Kagome spread her legs. Inuyasha looked down at her, noticing that the hair was slick. She was most certainly ready for him. He kissed her inner thighs, making his way towards the musky scent of her arousal. When he reached it, Inuyasha slipped his tongue out, lapping at her. She bucked against him, fisting his hair into her hands again. He smirked against her folds. She was taking her punishment very well. Inuyasha delved his tongue deep inside, tasting her. As good as Kagome smelled, she always tasted better. She tasted sweet, a slight spice interlaced with it. He thrust his tongue quickly, one finger rubbing the sensitive nerves at her opening. He was feeling dizzy with the scent invading his nose. Kagome bucked up towards him and he felt her body convulse around his tongue. Kagome groaned loudly, unable to form words, even his name, at this point.

As she came down from her climax, Kagome panted. Her eyes opened and a satisfied smile crossed her face. Inuyasha wasn't close to being finished with her, though. He pulled the strings on his undershirt, sliding out of it. He tossed it towards the pile of her clothes. Inuyasha smirked. He leaned over, kissing her. Inuyasha whispered, “Mate. Mine.” He tugged on the cords on his hakama before shucking them to the growing pile. A devilish smile crossed his lips. Inuyasha turned her over so she rested on her stomach. He straddled her hips. “Now you know how it feels.”

Kagome groaned. She looked over her shoulder at him, desire clouding her vision. Inuyasha draped himself over her back, trailing more kisses starting with her mark, down to her shoulder blades, and over the small of her back. He swirled his tongue slowly as he devoured her exposed flesh. Kagome pleaded with soft mewls, trying to end the torture he was putting her through. Inuyasha panted against her skin. He kneaded his hands on her shoulders, kissing her mark. He couldn't take much more of this, either.

Inuyasha lifted her hips up, positioning his aching arousal at her entrance. She pushed back at him, pleading for him to enter. Inuyasha pushed deep inside, not moving as he adjusted to the feeling of her heat around him in this position. It felt good. He dug his claws gently into her hips, pulling back out before thrusting back in hard. Kagome threw her head back, a moan escaping her throat. Inuyasha leaned over so his body covered hers as he drove himself deeper. He locked his fangs around her throat, holding her in place as he bucked against her. As much as he had enjoyed the reaction she had to his agonized tormenting of her earlier, now he needed to find his own release.

Kagome pushed against him, her voice breathless as she panted. Inuyasha groaned against her throat as he snapped his hips against hers. He felt her body tense up as she neared another climax and he reached one hand around to hold her by her stomach as he pushed himself deeper inside. Kagome groaned loudly and he felt her squeeze him. Inuyasha grunted as he bucked faster to reach his own release. As he felt it build within his body, Inuyasha let go of her throat, throwing his head back. He pushed inside her one last time, groaning as he felt himself spill in her body. He draped himself over her back, panting before turning over onto his side, pulling her with him. He slipped out of her body. Kagome turned to face him, cuddling up onto his chest. She sighed in contentment before yawning wide.

Inuyasha smiled as he ran a hand through her hair. He let his heart rate slow and he yawned as well. Kagome rested her head onto his shoulder. He pulled his arm around her, holding her close. He whispered, “Promise to never put shoes on me again, wench?”

Kagome lifted her head up. She cast her eyes up to the ceiling as she thought. “I suppose if you hate them that much I won't make you wear shoes ever again.” She kissed him before curling up onto his chest and falling fast asleep.

Inuyasha sighed. He pulled the fire rat robe over the two of them. He whispered, “Mate. Mine.” Closing his eyes, Inuyasha let sleep claim him. He'd worry tomorrow about getting back to camp. They wouldn't be missed if they didn't return right away, after all. Besides, it might be a long time before he could spend any time like this with his mate again, anyways.