InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ An unexpected request ❯ One-Shot

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

Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.


========================






A/N:

This story takes place between manga chapters 519 and 520, just before Kagome leaves for her time to study for ten days before taking her high school entrance exam. The closing dialog between Kagome and Inuyasha from pages sixteen and seventeen from chapter 519 has been included at the beginning of this one-shot. It is not my intention to plagiarize Takahashi and I give all credit where credit is due. For anyone familiar with the manga, you will recognize where my recap of Takahashi’s dialog ends and my own extension of the scene begins.






It was a deceptively peaceful night, despite the dread coursing through her veins from the discovery that Magatsuhi was sealing her miko powers. How was she supposed to help her friends? How was she supposed to fight? She couldn’t even purify Kohaku’s jewel shard.

A rustling beside her caught Kagome’s attention as somebody joined her solitude, perching himself atop the fence she was leaning against. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. Just being there was enough.

“I’m sorry, Inuyasha.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize about, Kagome.” he answered immediately, and that made her feel a little bit better. A little bit.

“I…”

It was so hard to form words with the Shikon-sized lump in her throat.

“It hurts.” she told him then. “That I can’t do anything.”

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment, before finally answering in as nonchalant a tone of voice that he could muster, “Don’t worry about it.”

The truth was, he was worried enough for the both of them, but not because Kagome was powerless. Not because he feared he wouldn’t be able to protect her while she temporarily couldn’t protect herself. He was worried because of why her powers had been sealed, not because they had been.

“Besides…” he added then, telling her what he knew she needed to hear. “The fact that he went to the trouble of sealing your power means that to Naraku and Magatsuhi, you’re a force to be feared.”

What he feared was what their fear might drive them to do. On the other hand, with her powers currently sealed away like they were, maybe Naraku and Magatsuhi both thought they had neutralized her as a threat? If that were the case, then it would mean that she wasn’t as much of a target to them now, and that thought had him relaxing just the tiniest bit.

Kagome, meanwhile, was lost in her own thoughts from Inuyasha’s words.

I’m…that powerful? she questioned herself in wonder.

Was it true? But it had to be true, didn’t it? Because otherwise, why would Magatsuhi have sealed her powers in the first place? And according to Hitomiko, her powers had always been sealed, at least to some degree. If she had still somehow managed to do everything that she had accomplished up to that point with a seal already in place, then just how powerful was she?

Remaining silent for a time, Kagome found herself lost in thought, a slow smile forming on her lips as she secretly enjoyed Inuyasha’s company, as he remained perched silently on the fence beside her. He knew her so well. She needed quiet for the time being, but that didn’t mean she needed to be alone. Finally, after perhaps another twenty minutes of gazing unseeing up into the calm night sky, Kagome turned to glance Inuyasha’s way.

“Thanks…” she mumbled sincerely, and he nodded.

Pulling away from the fence as she decided to go for a little walk, Kagome was glad when Inuyasha fell into step beside her, his arms folded in front of him with his hands tucked into his sleeves.

“You going back home for a while?” he asked her conversationally when they came to a stop at the Goshinboku.

“I really need to.” she admitted, gazing up at the sacred tree for a moment before turning to meet Inuyasha’s eyes with her own. “The high school entrance exam is in ten days, and I should really use the time between now and then to study as much as I can so that I can pass the exam.” she explained.

“I don’t really get what’s so important,” he admitted, “but if it is, then it is. You do what you gotta do.”

“Thank you, Inuyasha.” Kagome replied with warmth in her eyes.

“Keh.” he answered, turning his head so she wouldn’t see his blush. “Come on, you should get inside. Get some sleep.”

I don’t think I can sleep after everything that’s happened…

“What about you?”

“I’m gonna stay out here for a while and keep watch.”

“Sounds like fun.” she muttered sarcastically, hating how dangerous their lives had become. They never used to fear an attack at Kaede’s village, but with the final battle brewing on the horizon – and everyone could sense that it would be upon them before too much longer – she couldn’t blame Inuyasha for feeling uncomfortable even in such familiar surroundings.

Doing as she was told, Kagome headed back to Kaede’s hut then, passing one last glance over her shoulder in Inuyasha’s direction before ducking inside. She was immediately overcome with guilt at the sight of Kohaku’s unconscious body, at her inability to purify his jewel shard, but at least they had managed to save him. There was still hope. As long as they were alive, there was still hope. Passing a few pleasant words back and forth between herself and her friends, Kagome then tucked herself into her sleeping bag, knowing full well that sleep wouldn’t find her. She supposed insomnia was a side effect from having just recently been knocked unconscious, herself. And what had she dreamt of while lying suspended in that Magatsuhi-induced coma? Some stupid nightmare about not passing her high school entrance exam. While it was true that she really did need to pass that exam, when you stepped back to look at the grand scale of things, her graduating middle school with a passing grade wasn’t anywhere near as important as what they were currently facing back in the past.

Inuyasha has sworn he will protect me with his life, but does he even realize how deeply that thought worries me? What if he does end up dying because of me? I don’t think I could stand it. And…despite knowing that he’ll definitely do whatever is necessary to keep me safe, even die…what if…what if…

It wasn’t that Kagome lacked faith in Inuyasha’s ability to protect her; it wasn’t truly as if she was worried about a ‘failure’ on his part, as if she could ever find it within herself to place such blame on his shoulders, especially not with knowing how horribly he would already blame himself, but what if something did happen to her that was simply beyond anyone’s control? Was it all right to be worried over the fact that she might die? Was it shallow of her to fear for her own life when the lives of so many others were at stake? Was she just supposed to sacrifice herself, if the moment called for it? She would, too. Kagome knew deep in her heart that she would give her life to save any of her friends’ lives, and she would give her life to defeat Naraku, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid to die.

Most girls my age spend their nights worrying over stupid stuff, like clothes and makeup and hair, or whether or not the boy they like feels the same way…

She snorted quietly to herself at that thought. She’d gotten over that mental hurdle long ago; she was no longer worried about Inuyasha’s feelings for her. Kagome knew where she rested in his heart, and she knew where Kikyou’s memory would forever rest in his heart, and she was okay with that. But thinking about it in that moment, thinking about her feelings for Inuyasha, and how unfair it was to be faced with worries such as whether or not she would survive to see her sixteenth birthday when other girls her age were worrying over whether or not they’d get asked to a dance, Kagome pulled herself back from her thoughts as one realization struck her above all others.

I…I want to be a normal girl again…at least one last time.

Was that how Kikyou had felt, longing to be an ordinary woman? Kagome knew she had a responsibility that was hers and hers alone. She would defeat Naraku and purify the jewel, she would. She couldn’t go fluttering off on holiday pretending to be a normal teen. Even though she’d be taking the next ten days off, they were hardly ‘days off’ when she planned on spending every waking hour cramming for her high school entrance exam. That was important, and it was also something a normal girl her age worried about, but that hardly seemed fair.

I get to be a normal girl when I worry about my grades, oh goodie…

Thinking of her school friends, Kagome remembered a time, not all that long ago but yet still a whole other world away, when they had all sat around the table at WacDonald’s compiling one of those heartfelt yet silly ‘Things to do before I die’ lists. There were all sorts of crazy, far off things on her list, such as travel to America, spend a week in the lap of luxury in one of Japan’s most expensive hotels, pass high school at the top of her class and get into the best university that existed… That last one seemed especially farfetched these days.

Sighing quietly to herself, Kagome wondered if it was morbid to think about making a new list, a more realistic one. After all, even though she most certainly hoped not, the possibility remained that she could die during the next fight against Naraku, so her ‘Things to do before I die’ list would have to consist solely of things that she could accomplish in the next few days. Was there anything that she really wanted to do before she died? Thinking about it for a moment…there wasn’t really anything she could think of. There wasn’t really anything that she just had to do, except pass her high school entrance exam, of course. And Inuyasha was going to let her take the next ten days off so that she could have a real chance of passing.

Inuyasha…

Thoughts of the doggie-eared man in red had Kagome’s heart warming. She could still remember, with vivid clarity, how cruel he used to be towards her. She hadn’t exactly been an angel herself, of course, but nobody was perfect. Now that she’d known him for nearly a year, now that they’d faced challenges together and learned to trust one another, she realized that her biggest regret if she died during the final fight against Naraku would be never telling him of her feelings. She knew he knew how she felt about him, but simply knowing and actually hearing the words were two different things. The longer she thought about it, the more Kagome realized that she’d give almost anything to hear him say the words to her, at least once, though with as reserved as she knew he was, she also knew that even if she said them to him first, it was unlikely that he would repeat them back to her. She wasn’t going to ask him to say them, if he didn’t; that just seemed too shallow. Even so, hearing her say them to him would probably mean more to him than anything, and in that moment, Kagome realized that she did have one thing she wanted to do before she died: tell Inuyasha that she loved him.

I’d actually like to do a whole lot more than just tell him…

And that thought had her eyes opening wide in surprise; surprise at herself for thinking such a thing, and surprise over the wonder of why she’d never thought of such a thing before now.

It wouldn’t be an unreasonable request, would it?

Chewing her lower lip, Kagome remained lying in bed for another good twenty minutes, weighing the pros and cons. On the one hand, approaching him with such a request could theoretically shatter their friendship, but on the other hand, she really didn’t think that that would happen. Even if he told her no, it would be with good reason, and he would probably be touched beyond words that she’d even suggested such a thing in the first place. If he told her no, he would do so apologetically, and she would sigh before telling him that he was right, that she hadn’t been thinking clearly, and that it was hopefully something they could look forward to sharing after Naraku was defeated.

Provided we both live that long…

Sighing again, Kagome knew that even if nothing happened to her, something could happen to him during the final battle, so her idea was as much for him as it was for herself, and besides, she also knew that she would never want anyone else for her first time. Mind made up, the future-born miko shimmied herself out of her sleeping bag, careful not to wake her companions as she slipped her shoes back on before making her way outside. If he told her no she wouldn’t push the issue, but now that the thought had entered her mind she simply couldn’t ignore it. Voicing this suggestion had unexpectedly yet firmly placed itself on her new ‘Things to do before I die’ list, and if she remained silent she knew she would regret it forever, or at least for the rest of her life.

It wasn’t hard to find Inuyasha. Even without her miko powers enabling her to sense his youki, she had a fairly good idea of where he probably was. She found him sitting on one of the lower branches of the Goshinboku, leaning against the trunk of the ancient tree as he gazed up at the stars. He didn’t acknowledge her, at first, though a quick shift of his ear told her that he was aware of her presence. For a few minutes she just stood there, silently watching him silently watch the sky. He was finally the first one to speak.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

“Too many thoughts running around in my head.” she confessed quietly.

“I know how that goes…” he responded with a sigh. “I know I don’t look like it, but I actually spend a lot of time thinking.”

The edges of her lips curled up into the smallest of smiles.

“I know you’ve been accused of being simple, but I think you’re one of the most complex people I know, Inuyasha.” Kagome told him softly.

Shifting his gaze to glance down her way, he offered her his own small smile before jumping out of the tree, landing on the grass beside her without a sound. How he could accomplish such a thing she’d never understand.

“Something on your mind?” he asked her then, his brows furrowing as he took in her nervous expression and posture. “You seem troubled.”

“I…I need to ask you something.” Kagome began, shifting back and forth a little bit in her anxiety.

“What is it? You know you can talk to me about anything.”

The sincerity in his voice, in his eyes, it reminded her of the time not too long ago when they almost kissed in her bedroom, before Souta had to go and ruin the moment.

Thanks Souta… she thought sarcastically, exhaling once before deciding to get on with it.

“I’ve been thinking a lot. It feels like the final battle is going to happen soon.” she started vaguely, and nodding silently for her to continue, Inuyasha observed her behavior with worried eyes as Kagome closed her own before exhaling once more.

“I know you have sworn to protect me, and I don’t doubt that you will, but I still can’t help worrying…I mean…anything could happen…to either of us, and I don’t-”

“Stop right there…” Inuyasha murmured gently, believing he could sense where her troubled thoughts were taking her. “I already told you before that if you wanted to stay in your own time until after Naraku was defeated, I would let you. Though I want you by my side, I want you to be safe more than anything.”

Kagome lost some of her nervousness at his tone, his love for her clear in the words he was saying.

“I can see how you can say that, because my time is safe, compared to here, and now that my powers are sealed away, what good am I in battle anyway, right?”

He opened his mouth to protest, not having meant to imply that she was useless, but Kagome raised a hand to silence him.

“I know you didn’t mean anything as an insult, and I didn’t take it like one, but I made a promise to Kikyou, so I can’t just hide out in my time. Besides, my powers will return as soon as Sesshoumaru kills Magatsuhi, and you’re right, for him to want to seal me in the first place must mean that he fears me. If he fears me, then that means I’m really a threat to him. I have to do this, even if it kills me.”

“I won’t let you die.” Inuyasha insisted then, even as a painful and untimely flashback of Kikyou’s final moments played out before his eyes, causing him to grimace slightly and turn his head away, averting his gaze.

Kagome could immediately sense the change in him, though she wisely chose to leave that subject untouched. But good intentions aside, no one could guarantee with 100% certainty what would be the outcome of their final showdown against Naraku and Magatsuhi. It was enough for Kagome to know that Inuyasha had finally consented to that understanding, as well, even if only silently to himself.

“There’s something…” Kagome started anxiously then, the mild spike of fear in her scent enough to grab his full attention, “…that I’ve decided I want, no, that I need to do before I die, kami forbid my next battle against Naraku be my last.”

Cringing a bit at her words, Inuyasha chose not to correct Kagome again in that he would protect her from death, even at the cost of his own life. It was a foolish scenario, if one truly thought about it. Taking a deathblow for Kagome’s sake would only really work if it were the last attack of the battle. If he gave his life to save Kagome but Naraku himself still lived, then who would be there to continue protecting Kagome after his death? So okay, Sango and Miroku were skilled fighters, but they were also human. If an enemy of theirs proved strong enough to take him out, then none of the others would probably stand much of a chance. Even though Inuyasha had long ago made the promise to himself that if Kagome died, it would be because he himself was already dead, the morbid fact still remained that he couldn’t truly promise her the protection that he wanted to. Not unless she stayed safely in her own time, which she stubbornly refused to do, though he understood and wouldn’t dispute her reasons. If ever there was someone else who understood the need to keep a promise made to Kikyou, it would be him, and Kagome had promised the now deceased miko that she would defeat Naraku in her place. That was a lot of responsibility Kagome had piled up onto her own shoulders, especially considering the extra stress of still having to deal with whatever the hell was so important with that school thing of hers back in her own world, but if anyone could handle it, Kagome could. Of that he was certain. So once it dawned on him that she was nervously beating around the bush regarding something she wanted to do before…entering the final battle against Naraku…Inuyasha knew that he would grant her anything within reason. She deserved at least that much after everything she had been forced to sacrifice.

“What is it that you need to do?” he asked her then, surprised when the scent of her nervousness immediately grew ten times stronger.

“I…uh, that is…oh boy…”

Flushing hotly, Kagome averted her gaze, suddenly finding her shoes incredibly fascinating. It was too late to chicken out now. If she were going to do that then she should’ve done so before saying anything at all. Now if she tried to say ‘never mind’ he probably wouldn’t let her get away with it, harping for her to tell him and wondering why she was afraid to. The last thing she wanted to do was inadvertently have him thinking she didn’t trust the fact that she could tell him anything, as he had just assured her she could.

“I’ve missed a lot of… ‘growing up’ in my time, thanks to my mission here…” she managed to begin after a moment. “…and I don’t want to risk…I don’t want to die never knowing…”

“Whatever it is, Kagome, just say it.” Inuyasha asked of her as she hesitated yet again, his tone of voice understanding and not demanding. Her nervousness was making him nervous, but for once he understood that yelling at her to just ‘spit it out’ probably wouldn’t be the best course of action.

“I don’t want to die a virgin.” she blurted suddenly, pinching her eyes shut in a grimace as she realized just how crude that statement had sounded.

Inuyasha, meanwhile, was thoroughly stunned speechless, at least for the first ten seconds.

“Oh no. No way, no how…” he began immediately, causing Kagome to slump into herself even further, not that he took notice.

He was too busy trying not to lose his temper. All he wanted to do was yell at the girl, but he supposed deep down inside, he could understand where she was coming from. That understanding alone kept his temper in check, just barely, though that didn’t mean he was about to agree to something so unreasonable.

“I’m sorry Kagome, but you can just forget about it.” he continued then, harsher than she had anticipated. “There’s no way I’m letting you go back to your world for…for that. You need to do studying for your test, fine, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting some random guy put his filthy hands all over you, let alone-”

“Inuyasha.” Kagome interrupted then, her nervousness gone and her grimace replaced with a knowing smile.

He immediately shut up at her unexpected tone, his eyes widening in confusion at the sight of her smile, her sudden lack of nerves making him even more nervous than her previous agitation had made him.

“Inuyasha, I don’t want to have sex with some random guy from my time, or anyone from my time, for that matter.”

“But…” he started slowly, his brain trying its best to catch up. “But you just said-”

“I want to have sex with you, Inuyasha.”

Suddenly doing a fairly convincing impersonation of a flycatcher, it took the inu-hanyou nearly a minute to finally realize that he’d actually heard her right, his ‘does not compute’ expression slowly morphing into one of shock, of utter and nearly debilitating disbelief.

How the fuck am I supposed to respond to something like that?!

What was he supposed to do? Miroku would probably say “Okay!” and start stripping if Sango approached him with such a request, but he wasn’t the pervert. Still, that wasn’t to say that he had no sexual desire whatsoever, and in fact the whole reason he had attempted to keep his cool with Kagome was because deep down inside, part of him had empathized with her request. Truth be told, he didn’t want to die without ever having known the pleasures of a woman, either, but that didn’t mean he’d actually thought that there was anything he could do about it. No woman would ever want to be with him like that, right?

Wrong…

Staring unblinkingly at Kagome with a look that was slowly taking on an edge of wonder amidst all the shock and disbelief, it took Inuyasha another full minute to find his voice, and by that time the miko before him had shied away in humiliation, her back to him as she gazed silently at the Goshinboku, unwilling to walk away without hearing his answer though she thoroughly regretted asking the question.

“Kagome…” he choked out finally, clearing his throat when his voice came out higher pitched than anticipated. “I…I don’t know what to say.” he admitted quietly.

“That’s all right…” she answered softly, a quiver in her voice as she fought to hold back tears. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have sprung such a thing on you like that.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to.” he confessed, heat rushing to his cheeks at the very thought.

Kagome turned to face him then, her sad smile turning more hopeful.

“It isn’t just about sex, so you know. I love you, Inuyasha. You are the only one I want to be with in that way, but if we cannot, I understand.”

Kami…

His heart literally ached in that moment with how much love he felt for her. Closing the gap between them, Inuyasha pulled a surprised Kagome into a fierce hug. It almost reminded her of the time he stole her jewel shards before shoving her down the well, and she was glad to not have her back against the well in that moment. But he had been hugging her goodbye at that time, believing he would never see her again before sending her away to where she’d be safe. This time, it had already been established that she would not be fleeing to the safety of her own time. She would stay and fight along side him, where it was dangerous.

“I…” he murmured, hesitating for only a moment before tightening his arms around her even further. “I love you, too, Kagome.” he managed after a moment, causing the girl in his arms to gasp softly.

Pulling back from the embrace, he found her right hand with his left, holding her hand against his chest as he gazed down into her eyes. They were sparkling with unshed tears, though he could no longer detect any sadness in her scent.

“Why so shocked?” he asked her gently. “You can’t tell me you didn’t know how I feel.”

“I just never expected to hear you say it.”

“Yeah, well…I never expected to hear what you just said.” he told her honestly. “I know I never talk about my feelings, but after revealing something like that, I’ll…I’ll try my best. I feel surprised, honored, embarrassed, aroused and scared. Part of me is screaming at me to deny your request, but at the same time, I want to accept. I want to tell you yes. I don’t know what to do.”

“Some could argue that it would be foolish, especially now.” Kagome admitted quietly. “But especially now, with how much more dangerous everything is steadily becoming, that’s why I feel like it’s got to be now or never.”

“You…you mean tonight? Right now?” His eyes were wide in surprise again, though he didn’t release his hold on her hand against his chest. She could feel how fiercely his heart was pounding.

“Will you?” she asked in turn. “Will you be mine, just for one night? Will you let me be yours?”

Chuckling softly, Inuyasha confessed, “I think…I think we’ve belonged to each other since the moment you freed me from this tree.”

Gesturing to the Goshinboku beside them, Inuyasha smiled at his memories since awakening. Truly, he and Kagome were meant for one another. He understood that now.

“Actually,” he spoke again after a moment, “tonight would be a good night, since it’s the wrong time in your cycle for you to conceive.”

Kagome flushed slightly at his bluntness, but responded with, “So that’s a yes?”

Nodding, he stated, “We need to go someplace secure.”

“My time would probably be best, then.”

“And risk your grandfather barging in on us? He’d find an ofuda that works and purify my ass, literally!” Inuyasha chuckled quietly.

“What do you suggest?” Kagome asked with a grin at his joke, willing to follow him anywhere.

Releasing her hand then, Inuyasha turned before crouching down in front of her, a softly spoken “Come on.” uttered in a more playful tone than she’d ever heard him use before.

Silently obeying, Kagome climbed upon Inuyasha’s back, and once he felt she was secure, he took off, racing them through the trees. Not wanting to venture too far away from the village, all things considered, he came to a stop moments later at an old, abandoned shrine. Setting Kagome on her feet outside of the familiar building, she raised an eyebrow at him, but he just shrugged in reply.

“Figured some place with a roof would be better than out in the open, and the closest cave near the village is where Naraku was born, so that’s definitely out. Don’t worry, I brought Miroku here a while back to take care of the bodies, the place is clean.”

“You’re so romantic.” she replied sarcastically, her giggle assuring him that she wasn’t upset.

“Feh.” he replied, though his voice was also playful. “I don’t know nothing ‘bout romance, and you know it. I’m just thinkin’ of security…and comfort.”

Eyes softening, Kagome replied with, “You’re romantic in your own way, trust me. Thinking about my comfort is romantic. But besides that…you really brought Miroku-sama here to perform their last rights?” He nodded. “When was this?” she asked as she followed him inside, seeing for herself that the place did both look and smell purified.

Though it was in the middle of the night, enough moonlight shone in through the windows to allow her to see where she was going, as she slipped off her shoes, leaving them just inside the doorway before checking out the rest of the building with him.

“I dunno, few months back.” he replied in answer to her question. “You were in your time for a few days so we had time to kill. Figured it should be done.”

“You’ve changed…” she observed in wonder.

“You’ve changed me.” he countered, turning her to face him as he added, “The old me never would’ve given a shit about those bandits. But the old me didn’t really care for you, either.”

Ears lowering as he immediately wondered if that hadn’t been wise to confess, Kagome’s reassuring smile had a slow grin forming on his own lips.

“I didn’t much like you either, in the beginning, but it was only because of the way you acted. Not because of these…” she added, reaching up to tweak one of his ears. “I must admit, under the circumstances, you’re acting surprisingly calm.”

His ears flicked at her touch, his smile in place as he stated, “I’m doin’ my best, but you gotta realize I ain’t used to this kinda thing. It’s not really something that normally gets talked about all casual like, you know? Girls don’t just up and ask guys what you said to me, all logical without any passion clouding their judgment. My head’s still tryin’ to tell me this is a bad idea. Couldn’t you have just kissed me or something instead of havin’ me think about it?”

“Is that an invitation?”

“I’m yours, remember? You don’t need an invitation.”

At those words, something ignited behind Kagome’s eyes as she grabbed fistfuls of Inuyasha’s suikan before yanking him down to her level, not that he put up any resistance, his arms immediately snaking around her body to help raise her up in return. As soon as their lips made contact, Inuyasha found the ‘clouded judgment’ he’d been looking for, as any lingering traces of why this encounter might possible by a bad idea immediately fled his thoughts. He’d wanted to taste Kagome’s lips for months now, but it’d never seemed to be the right time, and then when it finally was the right time, the moment got ruined by her little brother. Not this time.

Kissing her slowly, tenderly, Inuyasha was in no hurry as he took his time exploring the taste of her, as her tongue danced with his own in a way that had tingles rushing through his body. One area in particular seemed especially stimulated, though the hanyou had every intention of savoring this encounter. Life was about the journey, not the destination. Kagome had taught him that.

With that last thought in mind, he pulled her flush against him, not so that she could feel what she did to him – though she most certainly could – but because he wanted to feel her, every inch of her. He wanted to feel. Feel the way her tongue dueled with his own, feel the way her bottom lip puffed the tiniest bit as he gently nibbled and suckled it, feel the way her hair flowed like silk through his fingers as he snaked his right hand up behind her head, feel the way she melted into him as his left hand dared to cup her bottom, pressing her even more intimately against him. Her breasts, soft and supple, were smashed against his chest, and he could feel through their connection just how rapidly her heart was pounding, as the sound thundered out to his sensitive ears. Ears that became even more sensitive when her right hand crept back up to find purchase of his left ear, rubbing the fuzzy skin smoothly and gently between her thumb and fingers, while her left hand wound itself up and around his neck, his silver mane falling around them like a curtain as he leaned over her.

Eventually dragging themselves away from each other enough to breathe, Inuyasha rested his forehead against Kagome’s, panting heavily, his hands lightly gripping her shoulders both to hold her close and to keep his balance. Suddenly feeling lightheaded, Inuyasha had never before noticed how hot and suffocating his fire-rat garments were. Kagome was in a similar situation, her uniform clinging to her skin uncomfortably.

Raising her hands to reach for Inuyasha’s on her shoulders, Kagome gently eased off his grip of her, stepping back slowly so that he had time to shift his balance and stand up straight. Questioning eyes of amber sought explanations that were immediately given when Kagome reached forward with sure yet shaky hands to pull the sheathed Tetsusaiga from his obi. He offered no resistance when those same hands next reached for the ties of his suikan, unfastening the garment with the accuracy of one who’d done so many times before. Only this time, she was not seeking wounds, and he was not half-unconscious to her attentions. Pulling the loosened robe free from where it was tucked within his hakama, Kagome then turned and crouched down, spreading the suikan out on the wooden floor beside them, like a blanket, Tetsusaiga safely resting close by.

Heat rushed to Inuyasha’s cheeks at the sight of her crouched before him, though only partially from embarrassment. It was weird, that they had so openly discussed what was about to take place, but yet, in that moment, Inuyasha could honestly say that he’d never felt happier, or hornier. His erection throbbed hungrily within the confines of his fundoshi as he watched Kagome on her hands and knees before him, her cotton panties flashing themselves a few times as she stretched forward to pull out the edges of his suikan as far open as it’d go. Turning to look over her shoulder in his direction, Kagome caught Inuyasha staring at her ass, but instead of getting upset, she found the heat of his gaze exhilarating, as his eyes shifted to lock with her own.

Standing back up, Kagome’s hands were no longer shaky as she next reached for the ties on his kosode. Tugging the loosened inner robe out from where it too was tucked within his hakama, exposing bare thighs through the slits in his trousers, she then pulled the garment down and off his arms, removing it completely until Inuyasha stood topless before her.

There was more than enough moonlight coming into the old building for Kagome to see what stood before her, and taking a moment to marvel at the sight of him, Kagome felt heat rush to her face when he smirked at her, quirking an eyebrow before asking in a confident tone, “Like what you see?”

Despite her blush, Kagome thought quickly on her feet as she replied with, “How can I not? I know you’ve most certainly enjoyed the view every time you’ve seen me topless.”

He choked, sputtering in a flustered way that had the miko openly laughing. Though when he finally composed himself, his grin was firmly in place as he admitted, “Now, the old me would’ve immediately denied that, but I ain’t gonna lie to you any more, Kagome. I ain’t the letch, and I don’t think with my dick, but I am a man with a working set of eyes.”

It was Kagome’s turn to smirk as she lifted her hands up to the buttons on her blouse before replying with, “Well, then perhaps I should let you use them.”

Kagome’s hands were immediately stilled when a pair of larger, clawed ones gently gripped her own, and glancing back up to meet his gaze, Kagome’s heart melted at the sincerity she saw. The playfulness was still there, just under the surface, but he was completely serious as he told her “I want to use more than my eyes.” before moving to unfasten the buttons on her blouse, himself. Fair was fair, so Kagome offered no resistance as Inuyasha worked to undress her top half. Once her white blouse was unbuttoned, the red scarf around her neck untied, Kagome shrugged her uniform top down and off her arms herself, since the sleeves were too narrow to allow the shirt simply to drop as his robes had previously done. Standing before Inuyasha in her white cotton bra, Kagome thought about reaching behind herself to unfasten it herself when she saw the look of confused concentration that splashed across his face, but then after a moment, Kagome instead decided to turn around, pulling her hair to the side as she showed him where the support garment was fastened, verbally instructing him on how to unhook it.

Once Kagome was bare before him, Inuyasha could no longer control himself as he pulled her back into a fierce embrace, his left hand wrapped around her back and holding her to him firmly as he slammed his lips down against her own, while his right hand raised up to capture her left breast. Kagome moaned into the kiss, fire rushing through her veins at the feel of his talented fingers pinching and teasing her nipple. She could feel the physical evidence of his desire for her pressed up against her pelvic bone, and the sensation caused liquid heat to pool between her legs.

Breaking away from the kiss as if it took the last lingering ounce of willpower he possessed in order to tear himself away from her, Inuyasha’s gaze pierced Kagome’s very soul as he inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring noticeably.

“Damn, woman…” he rasped, panting for a moment until he caught his breath. “I don’t really want to rush things, but you’re making it hard.”

“So I noticed.” Kagome replied with a chortle, causing Inuyasha to bark out a short laugh before scooping her up in his arms and settling them both down on the floor on his spread out suikan.

Winding around each other, their legs interlocking as they rested their hands on each other’s cheeks, Kagome and Inuyasha continued to indulge in the taste of each other, their tongues now occasionally venturing beyond the borders of each other’s mouths to suckle and nip on chins or necks. Gradually, Inuyasha’s hips started thrusting against Kagome’s, though neither of them were initially aware of the movement on a conscious level. Moaning louder, hands began exploring as well, as Inuyasha reintroduced himself to Kagome’s breasts for only the second time, while the miko was the first to take things even further between them when her hand bravely ventured into an area still covered by cloth. Inuyasha gasped loudly when she began palming his erection through his pants, his hips jerkily thrusting forward of their own accord. Recovering after a moment, the hanyou hunched forward enough to pull a breast into his mouth, and Kagome hissed in pleasure at the sensation of him carefully running his teeth along her nipple, rolling his tongue around the aroused bead of flesh when it pebbled under his attentions. His free hand didn’t take long to find its way between her legs, and he groaned against her breast at the feel of how hot and damp her panties had become.

Kagome’s hands both flew to Inuyasha’s head, holding him to her breast as he began rhythmically rubbing her in slow circles through her panties, her hips shaking and thrusting without coordination as a mixture of gasps and moans escaped her lips. Rumbling deep in the back of his throat, Kagome whimpered at the added sensation traveling through her nipple, Inuyasha’s double-stimulation of her body causing the miko to lose her ability to do anything other than enjoy his blissful torture.

He pulled back after a moment, causing Kagome to blink up at him with hooded eyes, eyes that immediately grew wide at the sight of his hands reaching for the ties of his hakama. His hands froze as his peripheral vision picked up Kagome’s wide-eyed expression.

“Am…am I moving too fast?” he asked, his earlier uncertainties creeping up on him.

“No!” Kagome blurted, raising her hands to cup her cheeks in mild embarrassment as he chuckled at her flustered reaction.

“I mean…no, you’re not moving too fast at all. I want you. All of you.” she stated with a much steadier voice

“Fair is fair…” he commented seemingly offhandedly as he resumed untying the straps of his hakama.

Kagome wasn’t slow and immediately got the hint, though she was only all too happy to comply. After first pulling off and tossing aside her socks, she then pulled down the zipper on the side of her skirt. Kagome then lied back on their makeshift blanket and raised her hips into the air, tugging her skirt and panties down in one single motion. Inuyasha had his hakama off by that point, though he froze again as he reached for his fundoshi, this time because the lovely sight before him had him temporarily mesmerized. Kagome was lying on her back, completely nude, gazing up at him lovingly.

“That doesn’t look too comfortable.” she commented, gesturing with a wave of her hand to his bulging fundoshi.

“It’s not, actually.” he admitted sheepishly before getting back to work ridding himself of his last article of clothing.

Upon freeing his erection, it was Kagome’s turn to find herself completely transfixed, as she started at him without shame, her eyes holding an expression of wonder and longing.

“Quit it.” he teased good-naturedly, snapping her out of her trance as she raised her eyes to meet his own, a single brow lifted in question.

“You were staring at me like I was a god or something, it was weird.” he kidded.

Her eyes warmed with love and affection.

“You’re not a god, Inuyasha, but you are a god-send, or at least…you are to me. How could the kami not have played a part in you and I getting together?”

“Good point.” he admitted, his own eyes shining with love as he gazed down at her. “My whole life, I’ve always been told, I’ve always known, that I was nothing, worthless; a stain upon my family’s name and even this very earth. Kikyou never said or did anything to change my beliefs about myself, she simply understood my position being an outcast herself. Hell, she wanted me to become human; she wanted to fix me. Yes, it was out of love, or so we believed at the time, but you…you’ve shown me what true love really is. You tell me I’m not nothing, I’m not worthless; you tell me you accept me as a hanyou. If you weren’t a gift from the kami, then Sesshoumaru’s my best friend.”

She giggled a little at his comparison, truly touched by his words, and as Inuyasha’s smiling visage leaned over her, coming in for a kiss, Kagome readily accepted, reaching her right hand up and around his neck to help pull him in. As he stretched himself out along side her on her right, their naked bodies touching, tingles of anticipation traveled through each of them, especially when Inuyasha’s penis brushed up against Kagome’s hip. Reaching across with her left hand, she wrapped her fingers around his shaft, and he had to pull away from their kiss, leaning his forehead against her right shoulder as his body shuddered under her touch. Sure, he had pleasured himself before on occasion, but nothing could compare to knowing that it was her hand that was touching him.

“I want to try something before we go all the way.” she whispered in that moment, her warm breath tickling his ear, which flicked a couple of times as he pulled his head away from her shoulder in order to meet her gaze.

“Whatever you want.” he answered her softly, admitting, “Obviously, I’ve never done this before, either, so I’m willing to try anything you are.”

“Lie down.” she told him then, and he complied, shifting himself to lie flatly on his back while she sat up, facing him from his left.

Shivers of delight traveled through him as she began exploring his body with her fingertips. When his nipples hardened under her touch, she leaned herself forward and snaked out her tongue, eliciting a low groan from his lips as she repeated his earlier actions, flicking her tongue across the beaded flesh before delicately closing in on it with her teeth. His hips unconsciously gyrated as a pulse traveled through him at the sensation, and then Kagome was pulling away, puckering her lips to blow cool air over his damp nipple before dragging her tongue across his abs. At the same time, she reached for him again with her left hand, and he moaned loudly, his hips rising and grinding slowly as she palmed him up and down. His muscles shivered as she dipped her tongue into his bellybutton, and then a loud gasp was wrenched from his throat at the sensation of wet heat enveloping his most sensitive region. Eyes snapping open, which he didn’t even remember closing, Inuyasha tilted his head down to stare, completely transfixed, as Kagome bobbed her head up and down over his shaft.

“F-fuck-k…” he stuttered, his hips raising up off the floor as his head fell backwards, landing with a thunk to stare up at the ceiling unseeingly.

Shifting herself a small bit, Kagome swapped hands, gripping the base of his shaft with her right, pumping him steadily as she worked the head with her mouth, swirling her tongue around him, while her left hand kept itself busy massaging his fury balls. It didn’t surprise her that his hair was white, even down below.

“K-Kagome…” he panted, reaching down with both hands to still her movements. “Fuck, ‘Gome…too good.” he rasped.

Pulling away from him with a smile, Kagome felt she’d never been more in love with this man than she was in that moment, watching the way he gazed up at her desperately, his dark and glistening erection pulsing visibly, even in the low lighting.

“I don’t trust myself…” he confessed quietly after a moment as he continued to lie on his back, his eyes locked onto hers. “I’ve heard that the first time can be painful for the girl, and I don’t want to hurt you, Kagome, so I’m going to stay right here and let you complete this at your own pace.”

“Oh, Inuyasha…” the miko cooed, even as she crawled herself on top of him, straddling his hips. A small chuckle escaped her lips, causing him to quirk an eyebrow at her.

“What?” he asked, a touch of amusement in his own voice.

“I was just remembering the time I’d crawled on top of you like this, yelling at you to undress, though it was ‘cause I’d wanted to check your wounds. That was before I knew just how quickly you healed.”

Smirking, Inuyasha raised his hands to Kagome’s hips, hissing as she ground herself against him, her slickness making his flesh even wetter than it already was from her mouth.

“Yeah, and Kaede-baba’s eyes grew wide, thinkin’ we were doing then what we’re doing now. Like I would’ve let you have your way with me out there in the open. It’s gotta be in private.”

“Oh? So I can have my way with you so long as nobody’s looking?” she teased.

“Huh…that doesn’t sound very fair, now that I think about it.” he replied, adding “Unless I get to have my way with you in return.” as he raised both hands to tweak her nipples.

“Always.” Kagome answered, reaching down to grip his shaft as she raised herself up enough to bring his tip to her entrance, rubbing herself with the head of his penis while they both closed their eyes at the sensation.

Gradually, bit-by-bit, Kagome worked on lowering herself over him, taking it slow to allow her body the time needed to stretch around him, accommodating his size without causing her any unnecessary pain. He held his breath as she descended slowly, her body engulfing him inch by delicious inch. Kagome felt a slight burning sting as her inner walls were forced to expand around his girth, but it was not truly painful, and the pleasure she felt simply over the knowledge of actually being one with him easily overrode any discomfort she might have felt.

Finally, when the backs of her thighs again made contact with his hips, they each exhaled at the sensation of him being fully within her. Opening her eyes, she gazed down to meet his shimmering pools of amber staring back up at her, his expression a mixture of ecstasy and bewilderment. Neither of them had the proper words needed to express the amount of love they felt for each other. He was inside of her. It was impossible for any two separate beings to grow closer than they had become in that moment. Wordlessly, Kagome raised herself up slowly before sinking back down again, and Inuyasha’s eyes pinched closed at the sensation, his face contorting in what could have almost been mistaken for pain, though she knew better. His hips rose up to meet her descent, and it was Kagome’s turn to close her eyes in pleasure as he arched below her, stretching himself as deeply within her as he could go, the tip of him brushing up against something wonderful deep inside. A small noise that sounded like a cross between a whimper and a gasp escaped her at the sensation, and as she raised herself back up to lower herself once more, her head fell back in pleasure when he again shifted his own hips up to meet her on the down stroke. Before too long, Kagome was lying forward across his body, Inuyasha’s hands gripping her ass to help her scoot forward and back atop him, while he gyrated his own hips in time with her movements.

For the next ten minutes, the only sounds that could be heard in the otherwise quiet building were twin sets of heavy breathing augmented by the rhythm of slippery flesh sliding and joining. Kagome could tell when Inuyasha was getting close, when his movements became less steady, his coordination slipping as he tightened his grip on her backside, his hips jerking forward roughly. She was expecting to hear him grunt his completion at any moment when he suddenly stopped all movement, breathing deeply a few times before seeking her gaze with his own.

“Kagome, I can’t…I can’t go on. I can’t even move or I’ll lose it, I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize, koibito.” the miko answered, leaning forward to kiss his lips tenderly before pulling herself back up into an upright position, wrenching a gasp from his throat as she began moving herself up and down at a rapid pace.

Inuyasha lost it immediately, crying out in pleasurable agony as his hands tightened on her hips to the point where she couldn’t move, as he held her body firmly in place over his own, his back arched as he raised his hips up while pulling her down, shoving himself as far within her as he could go as he erupted, his hot seed shooting deeply within her core.

Finally coming down from his euphoric haze, he relaxed his grip to allow her to slip off of him, a light hiss escaping clinched teeth as his softening member pulled free from her warmth. Lolling his head to the side, he met her gaze with a silly smile that turned more serious after a moment when he asked her, “You didn’t?”

Wordlessly, she shook her head in the negative, though when she attempted to tell him that that was all right, Inuyasha raised a hand to silence her reassurances, pulling himself up into a sitting position.

“Lie down.” he instructed her then, and with a sense of déjà vu Kagome complied, turning to lie down flat on her back with Inuyasha sitting over her on her right.

He didn’t waste any time crouching over her, trailing his tongue across her nipples before working his way lower, dipping into her bellybutton just as she had done to him. He then shifted his position, maneuvering himself down between her legs, gently gripping her calves to have her bend her legs up at the knees, tucked out of the way. Gazing down at her, lying spread open before him, Inuyasha marveled at the scent of their joining, at how deeply and truly she trusted him, not just with her life, but with her very body, with her very soul.

When Kagome felt Inuyasha’s tongue make contact with her most intimate flesh, she immediately gasped at the unexpected sensation. While she had pleasured herself in the past, that was nothing compared to the feeling of a warm, wet tongue lapping at her sensitive nerves. Inuyasha took his time exploring every nook and cranny, stretching his tongue to reach deeply within her, tasting their combined essence, before retracting to rapidly flick its tip across her swollen clit, holding her hips in place as her body began thrusting randomly and violently below him. Closing his lips around her little bundle of nerves, he suckled it like he had done her nipples, rolling his tongue around in lazy circles, before suddenly pressing the flat of his tongue directly against her, shaking his head rapidly from side to side while growling like a dog. The shredded remains of Kagome’s coherent thought wanted to smile at his playfulness, amused that he was embracing his canine heritage in such a way, but the sensations rushing through her were far too severe for her to do anything in that moment other than latch onto twin fistfuls of hair, holding him in place as she screamed her completion.

Pulling away from her after a moment, Inuyasha allowed Kagome a few minutes of silence to come back down from her high. When her head drifted to the side, her hazy eyes glancing up in search of his own, Inuyasha smiled back down at her, reaching forward to tuck a stray bit of hair behind her ear.

“Thank you…” she murmured quietly after a moment, her eyes clearing. “For everything.”

“I should be the one telling you that.” was his reply, as he stretched himself back down alongside her once more, wrapping his left arm behind and around her as she crawled herself half on top of him, resting her head on his chest.

“Try to get some sleep.” he told her gently, reaching for his discarded kosode to spread over them like a blanket before also making sure Tetsusaiga was within his reach, just in case. “I’ll get you up before the village wakes so we’ll have time to wash before anyone misses us.”

“I love you…” she murmured sleepily. “Hopefully, if all goes well, this won’t have been a one-time thing.”

He paused at her words. While he knew she loved him, and she had even openly stated as much, part of him had still thought deep down that the only reason she had wanted to go forward with what they’d just done was because she had wanted the experience, just as she herself had stated. But to hear her so casually state that she would like to continue having a physical relationship with him after the defeat of Naraku…

“I would like that…very much.” he confessed quietly. “I love you more than words can say, and you know I ain’t no good with words anyway, but after we defeat Naraku, I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you just what you mean to me.”

He was greeted by silence, and for a moment he thought that Kagome had fallen asleep on him, until a slight shift in her position caught his attention as she turned her head enough to place a chaste kiss upon his bare chest. Smiling then, he leaned forward enough to kiss the top of her head. Now more than anything he wanted the final battle with Naraku to be over and done with, though he also prayed their enemy would hold off at least for the next ten days, for Kagome’s sake, not forgetting about the girl’s need to return home for school. It had to be so complicated living a double-life. But as her declaration that she hoped this encounter between them would not be a one-time thing continued to echo in his ears, Inuyasha couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his lips. She may have another world on the other side of the well, but she was now and would forever remain a part of his world, too. Of that he was certain.