InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ After The End: New Beginnings ❯ Wrapped in your arms is where I want to be ( Chapter 21 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 21 – Wrapped in your arms is where I want to be






The rest of the night passed by as a blur for hanyou and miko. A happy, satisfying blur.

It hadn't taken Inuyasha that long to catch them two decent sized fish. In favor of going quickly, and not wanting to get his robes soaking wet, he'd stripped naked at the riverbank, much to Kagome's enjoyment. Despite her teasing words and his pleasant laughter at her teasing, though, they'd ended up not fooling around on the river's edge. He was pretty much over his aversion to 'taking her' in the wild at that point, especially since now that they'd had their first time within the warmth and security of Kaede's house he was completely out of excuses, and he'd even told her to her face that if she honestly tried to seduce him in that moment he knew he wouldn't be able to resist her, but then he'd politely asked her not to at least right there at the river because it wasn't the most private of locations. This was true, Kagome knew, from the fact that it had been in that same spot where their first tender moment on her first night back had been interrupted by nosy neighbors who'd seen and followed them. Neither of them wanted to risk possibly getting caught. He'd promised her they'd still have their hot spring rendezvous in the not too distant future, and she'd been satisfied with that.

Besides, it wasn't as if she had thought their time together in Kaede's hut had come to an end. There was her promise of 'dessert', after all, and neither of them had forgotten that as Kagome had held the fish whilst Inuyasha redressed. The cold water had taken care of his...she'd call it a chubby...revealing to her that half youkai or no, he wasn't impervious to the natural effect of cold water on the male physique, but she knew that would be a matter easily rectified, after they ate.

Stirring the embers in the firepit back to life, it hadn't taken long to roast the scaled and gutted fish. It was just like back in the old days, except back during the shard quest Inuyasha and Kagome hadn't continually made googly eyes at each other all throughout their evening meals.

Once dinner was over, the fire banked for the night, Kagome had headed back over into their corner of the room, playfully beckoning her husband to follow her, and Inuyasha had immediately complied, like a dog obeying his master's call. That analogy had actually popped into Inuyasha's mind, not Kagome's, but he knew it was true and it didn't bother him in the slightest.

Neither did her hands on him as she'd quickly divested him of his clothing before rendering herself equally nude. Still not quite ready to use her mouth yet, she didn't know if the thought had even crossed his mind but even if it had, he'd certainly had no complaints at the way she'd worked him with her hands. Lying flat on his back at her request, she'd had him standing at attention again in no time, and then she'd carefully, very carefully, crawled over him and lowered herself on top of him. It was still a little uncomfortable, and she was actually a little sore from their first joining, but the expressions on his face had been enough to keep her moving in and of themselves. She hadn't gotten to see his face the first time around; not throughout the whole thing, at least, as he'd buried his face in the junction of her neck. Not for their second time. With her sitting up on top of him, he'd been unable to hide his 'O face' from her, and with her tightening her inner muscles around him even as he'd breathlessly begged her not to, as he'd held her hips still, it hadn't taken her long at all to see it.

Then Kagome was the one on her back again, Inuyasha 'cleaning up the mess he'd made' as he'd jokingly called it, giving them a final tally of two orgasms for him and three for her before they'd redressed and decided to call it a night. Not a bad first time, in either of their options. They were both definitely going to have to thank Kaede in the morning.

oooooooooo

Waking in Inuyasha's arms the next morning, Kagome slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a mass of silver hair. She smiled softly. They had fallen asleep facing each other, her on her left and Inuyasha on his right, instead of her turned around and spooned into his embrace. Within the confines of her zipped up sleeping bag she was snuggled into his chest, her arms tucked up against herself, his arms wrapped protectively around her, his chin resting on the top of her head. Her head was pillowed on his right arm near his shoulder, the length of his right arm underneath and around her with his hand up and on her right shoulder, his left arm draped over her with his left hand pressed against her lower back. How he could hold her so tightly, even in his sleep, was a mystery to Kagome until it dawned on the miko that he probably wasn't asleep at all. Training your muscles to stay balanced up on a tree branch as you dozed was one thing, but since he simply wasn't used to holding anybody or anything as he slept one could not so easily blame it on trained muscle instinct alone. Although consciously or otherwise, the fact that he clearly felt she was so precious to him truly meant a lot to her.

“You awake?” she whispered ever so quietly then, hoping her words were soft enough that if he really was asleep, she wouldn't wake him.

She needn't have worried, as a softly murmured, “Yeah...” was his immediate response, even though aside from feeling his jaw move slightly against the top of her head as he spoke he didn't otherwise move a single muscle.

And neither did she, as she remained just as she was, held so tenderly in his embrace. Even when her body started whispering to her that she needed to use the bathroom she was reluctant to move. He was actually the one who broke the renewed silence first.

“Did you want to get up?” he asked quietly, figuring that had to have been why she'd been wondering if he was awake or not.

He hadn't actually gotten very much sleep last night, although what little of it he had gotten had felt the most peaceful he could recall in his entire life, even including the previous six nights of Kagome's presence in their world, even including the last three nights before last night where he'd held her in his arms. He had not shared with her his everything before bed those previous nights. He hadn't had the lingering taste of her on his tongue on those nights, and the scent of their joining had not been perfuming the air. He had drifted off to sleep more soundly last night than the formally ostracized hanyou would have ever thought possible, and then when he'd woken a few short hours later, well before morning light, the profound realization that it had not been a dream had caused him to tighten his sleep-loosened grip on her, refusing to let go.

At least until she woke on her own, that was. He obviously knew that he'd need to let go of her at some point.

“In a minute,” Kagome murmured in answer to his question, adding, “I just want to enjoy this for a little while longer.” She thought of something else and then added, “Unless you need to go on patrol.”

His nostrils flared at her statement, which she obviously couldn't see from her angle, although she did notice it as his grip on her seemed to tighten the tiniest bit more.

“I don't gotta patrol every morning.” It was clear he was just as reluctant to let her go as she was to be released. “We went pretty far yesterday so I'm sure everything's good. If you wanna stay like this I got no complaints. Take as much time as you want, I'll warn ya before Kaede and Rin get back.”

“No babaa?” she asked with a soft chuckle, in reference to his dropping of the unflattering suffix, something she knew he only did when he deemed the moment called for a higher level of respect.

“I better not, after last night. Even I ain't that rude.” He chuckled.

His response earned another quiet laugh from the miko as well, but then she was silent again, snuggling herself against him even further if that were possible. She stayed like that for she didn't know how long, completely losing track of time. She didn't fall back asleep, but she told her bodily needs to shove off, finding the utmost contentment in her current position. She probably would have eventually fallen back asleep, which would have been just fine with the hanyou, but it was the gradual increase of sounds of village life coming from outside the window that finally pulled Kagome out of her fantasy bubble and back into reality. It was only a matter of time before Kaede and Rin actually did return, she knew, and if the sounds of farmers getting a start on their morning work was anything to go by, it would be sooner rather than later, as she and Inuyasha had apparently missed the standard time for breakfast.

Finally murmuring that she supposed they'd better get up and eat something – and she really needed to use the latrine by that point – Kagome was changed out of her pajamas and back into her yukata (with modern panties, thank goodness) before Kaede and Rin got back home. When the elderly miko and her young ward did return Kagome was quick to exchange standard pleasantries of greeting with the duo. Inuyasha lost his tongue for a brief moment, and flushed crimson as soon as Kaede looked his way, her good eye sparkling knowingly, but to his credit he didn't say anything rude, merely muttering a quiet “Keh” in agreement after Kagome spoke up first and sincerely thanked Kaede for giving them a night to themselves.

Quickly deciding to change the subject after a brief reassurance that it'd been no trouble at all on her part, the elderly miko asked her young apprentice what she and her husband had on their agenda for that day, and if she wanted more lessons or if she'd like to take the day off. Kaede suspected the latter from Kagome's choice of dress, and soon learned she'd been correct, as the future-born miko politely told her sensei that she'd just like to spend her time with Inuyasha that day. They should touch base with the builders again, especially since the itinerant carpenters would be arriving soon, and then besides that, she thought she might like to go for a quiet walk for a while out in the forest.

This was news to Inuyasha, although he did a good job not acting either surprised or anxious. Kaede correctly assumed they weren't going far as Kagome opted not to arm herself or bring any supplies. With her and Inuyasha's dishes from breakfast cleaned up and a quiet promise that they'd take care of their own lunch but would be back in time for dinner, hanyou and miko were out the door.

Checking in with the builders didn't take long at all, the men already hard at work. Inuyasha promised to check in with them regularly to see if anybody needed anything, and then he and Kagome headed further into the forest, disappearing past what would be their backyard once their house was built. Once he knew they were out of sight Inuyasha was actually the one who reached over and grabbed Kagome's hand in his, surprising the miko, but gazing her husband's way, Kagome gladly threaded her fingers with his as the two of them walked slowly without a destination in mind, merely enjoying each other's company. Their topic of conversation varied greatly as they walked, discussing everything from more of their sexual fantasies throughout the years to Kagome saying she'd learn how to make noodles so that she could simulate ramen. That earned a laugh from her husband, and while the talk of their fantasies temporarily got him a little excited they didn't detour from their casual stroll. He did however decide that they needed to go to the hot spring the following day, first thing in the morning, which earned a laugh from Kagome that time. They also discussed what, if anything, they needed to get on the upcoming Market Day besides her quiver and fletching, and she said they could start buying a few of the smaller necessities they'd ultimately need for their house so that it wouldn't be such an all-consuming chore to buy everything once the house was actually built and needed to be made move-in ready.

“I should probably also see if I can make a deal with one or more of the peddlers, get a trade going so that I'll have a more steady source of income than just occasional youkai slaying,” Inuyasha said, “and unlike the bouzu, I won't cheat nobody.”

“That's a very good idea.” Kagome readily agreed.

As early afternoon rolled around they decided to set up a quick campsite for a late lunch, Kagome in charge of the fire while Inuyasha tracked down and caught a rabbit. Although she hadn't brought her bow she had her leather pouch with her flint and fire steel and Kagome was rightfully proud of herself that by the time her husband came back with his catch already skinned and gutted she had the campfire made and waiting.

Lunch was peaceful, and then deciding they'd better get back to the village before it got too much later they turned and headed back the way they came, with one brief detour when Kagome said she could sense a very faint lingering essence of darkness off in the distance. Puzzled, Inuyasha agreed to let her lead the way, especially since she said it didn't feel like either jyaki or shouki. He could smell youkai much more easily than he could actually sense them with his demonic sixth sense, the two senses usually linked into one in his mind whenever dealing with a threat, but he trusted Kagome's miko senses without question and so when she told him she sensed no demonic auras in the area outside of his own he believed and trusted her fully, unconcerned as he followed her lead despite the fact that they were headed downwind.

They were both surprised when it dawned on them that their destination was that old abandoned Buddhist temple.

Carefully walking through the dilapidated structure, Kagome realized Inuyasha hadn't been kidding when he'd told her before that the place was literally falling apart. It didn't take her long to realize the lingering darkness she could feel was coming from the troubled spirits of the three dead bandits. They reminded her of Mayu-chan, except these ghosts were not powerful enough to manifest themselves visually.

“Can you help them?” Inuyasha asked after she explained what she was feeling, and his tone of voice, and the fact that he didn't sound put out in the slightest and instead actually sounded optimistic, in no way insinuating that she shouldn't bother trying to help them, really meant a lot to Kagome.

“I think so.”

Closing her eyes, Kagome concentrated until she could feel them. Her lips quirked up in amusement.

“What?”

“They're afraid of me.” she answered, a hint of humor in her voice.

“Feh, as well they should be.” Inuyasha muttered, although his tone still did not imply he thought she should leave them to their limbo.

Kagome shook her head, eyes still closed, trying not to smile as she concentrated. After all, these men had captured her, but they hadn't known at the time that their leader was dead, a puppet for the shibugarasu, and they hadn't personally tried to kill her. A lesser person might hold a grudge, but she was not that person.

As a bright purplish glow suddenly appeared around her Inuyasha didn't even have time to react before he realized he was within her aura, her light delicately dancing off his body as he stood protectively by her side, but because the energy she was emitting was focused on calming unsettled ghosts it offered him no harm. He stared at her, eyes open in awe, as she began speaking in soothing, quiet words to the invisible spirits, begging them to forgive themselves and to let themselves move on peacefully. The show only lasted a moment, and then her light retracted and she opened her eyes to meet Inuyasha's gaze with a huge grin showing her teeth. He didn't need to ask her if she'd been successful.

That little show gave them a whole new topic of conversation during the rest of their walk back to the village. Inuyasha first asked Kagome just how powerful she really was, to which she shrugged and stated honestly that she didn't know, although she snorted and wholeheartedly disagreed when he told her she was probably the most powerful miko of all time. She was sure she wasn't near as powerful as Midoriko, she argued, and he relented to that but then immediately told her that she was definitely more powerful than Kikyou, and those words really meant a lot to her. The whole Kikyou thing was water under the bridge for both of them, as far as where his feelings lied, but despite all that Kikyou had been a very powerful miko, she knew, and to hear him so assuredly reaffirm his belief that she was now more powerful made her feel pride in herself. She imagined it was like how Inuyasha had felt when he'd mastered Tetsusaiga and surpassed his father in power. She didn't care whether or no there were other miko out there more powerful than her, just as there were surely some daiyoukai out there more powerful than Inuyasha (although she'd bet he was evenly matched with Sesshoumaru those days), but the fact that she was more powerful than Kikyou, her own previous past-life, meant that her soul was growing and improving, and surely everyone wanted to believe that they were progressing positively through life with each new lifetime they lived.

The rest of the walk back was spent discussing the various things she should start learning how to do with Kaede and Miroku as far as focusing her powers even more. Even though she was a natural, there were a few things she didn't know how to do, like make solid barriers. They both imagined that with a little practice, she could master that ability just as easily as her purifying arrows. Kagome didn't think she was strong enough to actually conjure up a true solid barrier, capable of keeping everything out, even non-demonic things, but learning how to make barriers that could at least deflect demonic attacks instead of automatically purifying them was a very good idea, indeed.

Finally making it back, they stopped at their future home site again for a moment, and as Inuyasha spoke with the woodworker he agreed to bring a few large, sturdy trees to use as beams in preparation for the frame builders. Heading back to Kaede's, then, Kagome was given a couple of hours to herself as Inuyasha said he'd go take care of those trees and then bring them back a couple of nice fish in time for dinner. She smirked at him, not saying a word, and chuckling, he leaned in and promised in a quiet whisper that he would just catch the fish. He winked and she giggled, and then he was out the door.

Kaede gave Kagome an amused, questioning look, but she waved off the unasked question and the elderly miko knew better than to pry into what was clearly a private joke. Rin was sewing in the corner, not paying the two miko that much attention, but that changed in that moment as Kagome scooted herself over and asked Rin to show her what she was doing, explaining to the child that she didn't know how to sew and was going to need to learn. Rin blinked in surprise at the request but then smiled, and handed her sewing over to Kagome. It was just some more repair work on her old yukata, since she'd gotten another tear; it was the perfect thing for Kagome to practice on because Rin told her she didn't mind it if the stitches weren't perfect, admitting that sometimes her own stitches weren't perfect, either.

“Rin hasn't needed to learn how to cut and sew a new yukata because Sesshoumaru-sama gives Rin new clothing whenever I need it, but I will show you what I know.” she said, in her cute way of talking that made Kagome smile. It was an informative lesson.

True to his word, Inuyasha was back with the fish in time for dinner. With Rin's sewing completed she and Kagome had been assisting Kaede with the beginnings of dinner preparation when he walked in the door with the fish already scaled and gutted. Dinner conversation consisted mostly of Kagome asking him how many trees he'd brought to the build site and her expressing her anticipation to see the framework and roof beams start to go up, so that it'll actually start looking like a house rather than just a massive patch of cleaned and hard packed earth. Inuyasha immediately agreed, and said from experience that he knew the builders would probably benefit from his assistance, although he then added that they were going to have to be on their own for tomorrow, at least, because he and Kagome had plans to be gone all day.

Instead of blushing at his brazen comment, said right in front of Kaede and Rin, Kagome smoothly played along to keep the topic of conversation seemingly innocent, even though she figured Rin probably knew exactly what they were talking about. Agreeing with him nonetheless that they had that very large 'perimeter check' to do the following day – nudge nudge wink wink – it wasn't long after dinner when Inuyasha suggested Kagome get ready for bed, because he planned on getting her up early.

Going to bed that night, it was a reprisal of the first three nights of their marriage, hanyou and miko doing nothing more than a tender kiss goodnight despite the privacy screen that visually concealed them from the other occupants of the room. Rolling over, Kagome again lied spooned in Inuyasha's embrace, her back to his chest. She was very comfortable, but found it hard to fall asleep from a sense of anticipation. She was looking forward to tomorrow. She knew that logically the sooner she fell asleep, the sooner it would be tomorrow, but knowing that didn't stop her mind from racing, the possibilities virtually endless.

It was over an hour later, with Kaede and Rin both sound asleep, that Inuyasha murmured in her ear, just a quiet whisper, “Get some sleep, wench. I'm not kidding about us leaving early.”

“I know,” she whispered back, explaining, “I can't help it. I'm too excited.”

This earned a quiet chuckle from the hanyou, the vibration in his chest giving Kagome an idea. More accurately, it reminded her of one of her earliest daydreams.

“I don't suppose you can make some kind of a steady, low growling vibration in your chest that would lull me to sleep?”

He quirked a brow at the back of her head.

“The fuck? Like a purr?” he asked incredulously. “I'm a dog, remember? I don't purr.” He chuckled again. “Where'd you get such a weird idea?”

He'd wanted to call it a stupid idea, but proving again that he had indeed matured over the years he'd thought better of it and managed to censor himself before putting his foot in his mouth.

Kagome could tell from his tone what he'd actually been thinking, of course, but instead of getting offended or too embarrassed, she merely chuckled as well and shrugged her shoulders helplessly. Had she been facing him, she would have given him a sheepish smile.

“I dunno...it's one of my first fantasies about you, from back when I was barely fifteen. The sexual fantasies came a few months later, but in the beginning, before I regularly had more adult things on the mind, I used to daydream of you just holding me in your arms all night long, up in a tree, making some kind of weird growling...okay yeah a purring sound, but it was an inu-youkai thing, you'd said, and it was soothing and it'd put me to sleep. I guess it's 'cause Buyo used to sleep on my chest a lot and his purring always put me to sleep, so I was transposing it onto you.”

He snorted, amused, and tightened his arms around her a little bit.

“The up all night in a tree part ain't a problem. I can growl if you want me to, but it'll sound like a growl, not a purr.”

“I've heard you growl.” she acknowledged. Her voice, as quiet as it was so as not to wake the others, took on a naughty edge, and she added, “I've heard you howl.”

He chuckled again.

“Tomorrow, you can hear both, but first you need to sleep.”

“I'll try.”

Sleep did eventually claim the miko, and when Inuyasha roused her dark and early the next morning, even though she was groggy for that split second it took to remember what was going on, her anticipation immediately had her bouncing upright into a sitting position, wide awake, once she realized what day it was. He chuckled quietly at her eagerness, and then let her go about getting ready for their outing. It was going to be like a mini vacation, and she planned on treating it as such. Dressing in her miko robes, she grabbed her trusty yellow backpack, going through it and bringing the few supplies she figured they needed, leaving the other stuff in Kaede's storage chest for safe keeping. First and foremost, she rolled up and stuffed in her sleeping bag. This would definitely be an overnight trip. Besides that, since they were going to the hot spring she definitely figured she might as well bring her soap. It had been a few days since her bath at Sango and Miroku's house, and although she knew she'd eventually have to switch over to whatever was used for soap in that time period once her modern bar was depleted she figured it didn't hurt anything to enjoy using up the last of her modern soap while it lasted. She was looking forward to bathing her husband with it.

Staying as quiet as possible so as not to accidentally wake Kaede and Rin while she puttered around getting ready, they were just rousing on their own by the time Kagome was ready to go, and so she and Inuyasha bid them good morning and then immediately announced that they were heading out for a long patrol, and that they would be staying out overnight because of how far out they were going, so they shouldn't be expected back until some time after breakfast the following day. Kaede waved them off and told them to have a good time at the hot spring, not fooled for a second, and blushing and sputtering, Inuyasha said that they were doing a border patrol, first, but then he merely chuckled as Kagome laughed as well and left the hut with a final “See ya tomorrow.”

oooooooooo

“I'll get the fire ready while you hunt.” Kagome said as she immediately started preparing a spot in the earth for a campfire as soon as she slid off Inuyasha's back.

They had indeed gone on a genuine border patrol first and foremost, which had fortunately gone smoothly although Kagome was again armed with Kaede's borrowed arrows, just in case. Inuyasha felt he should try to do his perimeter checks at least every other day. Besides checking for any possible encroaching threat, it kept his scent strong at their borders, which would actually help to detour lower youkai in and of itself. Kagome didn't mind it. Until she had her own morning miko duties to keep herself occupied she would gladly accompany him on his patrols.

Their borders were thankfully free of threats that morning, and after the check was completed Inuyasha had made a beeline for the hot spring. While en route he'd promised Kagome he'd hunt them down something to eat, since they'd opted to leave Kaede's that morning before breakfast. She had no complaints. Their time alone together wasn't only about sex, after all. She just liked being alone with him, just generally speaking, and she was definitely hungry.

“Keh, look at you, becoming a fire master.” Inuyasha praised as he watched Kagome work for a moment. “Keep your bow ready.” he instructed then.

“Always.” she replied, her bow and arrows off her back along with her backpack but lying right beside her, well within reach.

In less than a week she'd have her own quiver and wouldn't need to borrow her sensei's any longer. She was looking forward to that. She hadn't taken all of Kaede's arrows, of course; the elderly miko kept more on hand at any given time than her quiver could actually hold, just in case, which Kagome found reassuring because at least she knew she hadn't rendered the poor woman defenseless in her absence, even though she also knew there were no rogue youkai anywhere within sensing range thanks to their patrol. It just didn't feel right, to her, having to borrow Kaede's quiver and arrows like that; she was definitely looking forward to having her own set. The bow from Mt. Azusa was unquestionably hers, and she could feel the bow hum happily against her aura every time they were near. It had definitely accepted her as its mistress. She was already powerful in her own right, as was Inuyasha, but having a bow with its own spiritual powers, she was like Inuyasha armed with Tetsusaiga; it made her that much more powerful and although she didn't really like to think about it from a self-centered way, it did relax her mind to know that she could definitely defend herself should trouble arise.

It didn't take long for Inuyasha to return with their breakfast in hand. He apologized for being in such a hurry that morning that they hadn't stayed at Kaede's until getting a more decent meal inside their bellies, but she immediately waved off his concerns. It was fun, for Kagome, eating meat that she'd roasted over a campfire, no accompaniments like rice or vegetables needed. It was just like back during the quest days, or at least quest days when she'd ran out of instant ramen. Their pot of boiled drinking water was already cooling away from the fire as she set about cooking up the small animal Inuyasha had captured, and she assured him that it was plenty of food. Yes, on the grand scale of things she would become unhealthy on a diet of meat alone, but for just a couple of days while out camping it wouldn't hurt anything.

“You are a good provider, Inuyasha.” she assured him, meeting his eyes with a look of sincerity in her own.

He blushed and looked away, mumbling a quiet “Keh” under his breath while she cooked the meat.

Once it was done, and breakfast eaten, it was time to acknowledge the primary purpose for their little camping trip. The hot spring. Tossing her bones into the fire, Kagome stood, and slipped off her sandals. “I don't know about you,” she said, “but I could use a bath.”

Tossing the bones from his half of the critter into the fire as well, Inuyasha sat Tetsusaiga aside and rose to his feet, moving to stand directly in front of her. “Sounds like a good idea.” he agreed, as he reached forward and gently began untying the first knot on her miko robes.

Smirking, Kagome didn't object to his action, and instead merely reached forward and began unfastening his robes as well. She had his suikan tugged out of his hakama and opened at about the same time he did the same to her chihaya, and then they each took a moment to remove their own outer jackets and fold them properly with their obi, setting them aside on a fallen log where they wouldn't get dirty, the pair's leather sagemono pouches each going beside their outer robes. Kagome sat down on the same log for a moment to remove her tabi, then, setting them gently atop her sandals once they were off, and Inuyasha took advantage of the moment to squat down and unfasten the ties around his ankles. With his hakama legs billowing out around his feet like Kagome's, he ignored the odd sensation of not having them cinched as he closed the gap between himself and his miko bride and assisted her to stand back up before pulling her into a tender embrace.

Kagome returned the hug, but pulled back after a moment, offering him a sultry smile as she reached for the ties of her own hakama. He smiled tenderly back at her and reached out with his right hand, cupping hers and stilling her movements.

“Let me...” he whispered in her ear as he leaned forward, his warm breath making her shiver in delight as goosebumps erupted on her neck and arms, and then his hands replaced her own, slowly unfastening her pants, and she let her hands rest at her sides, allowing him to work unhindered.

It didn't take long for him to get her hakama undone, and he chuckled at the expression she gave him when he let them drop to her feet in a whoosh of material, one eyebrow raised in amusement. Shaking her head, she demurely stepped out of the puddled red fabric, picking her hakama up and shaking them out before folding them and setting them atop her chihaya. She knew better than to make a grab for the thin obi that held her kosode closed, and again stood still to allow Inuyasha to unfasten her under robe for her. Slowly, almost reverently, he untied her final belt, letting it drop to the grass as well as the sides of her kosode lazily fell open, revealing hints of her modern white bra and panties underneath. Reaching up, he tenderly brushed the sides of her kosode down her shoulders, and Kagome allowed the under robe to fall with a quiet swoosh onto the grass behind her.

He stared at her quietly for a moment, the look in his eyes definitely appreciative. Even after having already seen her completely naked, and in fact doing much more with her than just looking, she was still so very beautiful to his eyes, and there was certainly something to be said about the teasing way in which her futuristic undergarments revealed everything and yet concealed just enough. It was a tantalizing view that left him aching for more.

He reached up with both hands, mind set to cup her cotton covered breasts, but she raised her hands and stopped him in that moment, gently gripping both his wrists.

“My turn...” she murmured seductively, and he let his hands drop to his sides, then, nodding his compliance.

First she quickly folded up her kosode with its obi, placing the undershirt on top of her other clothing. Then, mirroring his previous actions, she let his hakama fall once she had them unfastened, although instead of him putting them away she was the one who bent down to retrieve them as he stepped out of the rumpled fabric, folding them and setting them atop his suikan. She then made quick work of his kosode, taking the loosened obi and folding it up in her hands a few times instead of letting it drop to the ground as his opened undershirt revealed hints of bare chest and stomach. Changing things up, she stepped around him then, and he stood still where he was, allowing her to come up behind him. He felt her hands on his shoulders, and he shifted his arms just enough to assist her as she slid his kosode down his arms, draping the robe over her own arm as she removed it from his person, admiring her view of his backside. His back wasn't concealed for long as she swept his mass of silver mane over his shoulder, and after quickly folding and setting aside his kosode and its belt she returned, running both hands up and down the smooth, strong muscles of his back. Muscles she had felt the night before last but hadn't seen.

Feeling her hands roam all over his back, Inuyasha closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to keep his raging hormones under control. A part of him wanted to whirl around, grab her, rip her remaining clothes off and have his way with her, but he tamped those desires down to allow her this moment of quiet exploration. It was only fair, he knew, as he realized that she was just as mesmerized by his body as he was of hers. When he felt her hands slide further down and cup his bare ass cheeks, though, he chuckled and decided that he'd given her enough time to play. Now, it was his turn again.

Kagome was not surprised when Inuyasha turned around to face her shortly after she'd grabbed his ass. She couldn't help it! His fundoshi was wrapped so...perfectly. A Feudal era thong. He looked absolutely delicious in it.

Although he'd look even more delicious out of it, if that bulge in the front as he turned to face her was any indication.

Things were about to get interesting.

“Okay, now it's my turn again.” Inuyasha spoke up, his voice notably rougher than normal.

Kagome didn't stop him that time as he reached up and captured her bra covered breasts with both hands, palming and squeezing gently for a few brief moments. His patience was wearing thin.

“Okay, how does this thing come off?” he asked, giving it a few experimental tugs.

Kagome giggled, and reaching up to pull his hands away, she turned around, pulling her hair over her right shoulder before then reaching behind herself with both hands, unhooking the bra herself but slowly enough for him to see how the fastener worked. She then turned back around again, facing him, and held her arms raised a few inches out at her sides, her look expectant. Inuyasha immediately understood, and feeling emboldened, reached forward with both hands and slowly, delicately, brushed her bra straps down her arms. Exposing her breasts, he paused for a moment, mesmerized by the sight, but he quickly pulled her bra free the rest of the way and even managed to haphazardly fold it and place it gently on her pile of clothing rather than tossing it to the ground in his haste.

With him dressed only in his fundoshi, she wearing only her modern equivalent to the same garment, they stared deeply into each other's eyes. They were each aware of how excited the other person was, Kagome easily able to see the bulge of his arousal while hers was just as obvious to his powerful nose. It was a silent stalemate for a moment, neither moving forward, each waiting to see if the other person intended on making the next move. Finally, Kagome was actually the one who snapped into action first, in a way Inuyasha would never have suspected. After all her previous guilt over the rosary, and all the times he'd had to reassure her that he didn't mind it, it was in that moment that she reached up with her right hand and grabbed the beads tightly, using them to yank him down into a fierce kiss. He actually almost stumbled, she'd managed to catch him so thoroughly by surprise, but he quickly wrapped his arms around her and returned the kiss with equal vigor.

All worries about rosaries and subduing commands were the furthest thing from the miko's mind as her demonic husband kissed her passionately, and his hands did not remain in neutral territory, eagerly reacquainting himself with her bare flesh. Breaking apart for air after a moment, he gave her barely enough time to gulp in the much needed substance and then he was kissing her again, his hands slowly creeping down to work their way into the waistband of her panties, tugging them further down her hips. Her hands had similar ideas, as they slipped down and began fiddling with the folded over fabric of his loincloth. Things were just getting started.