InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ B & B ❯ Overcoming Challenges, Accepting Happiness ( Chapter 5 )

[ 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.


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






Chapter 5 – Overcoming Challenges, Accepting Happiness






Inuyasha said nothing. Unmoving, he stared deep into Kagome’s eyes, his expression clearly stating that the next move was hers to make. He thought a relationship between them was a bad idea, and for all intents and purposes, Kagome supposed that at least logically, he was right. But what right did logic have to dictate matters of the heart? The miko could also read in Inuyasha’s eyes that while he thought it was a bad idea, the truth was he wanted it just as badly as she did, and she also got the distinct impression in that moment that if she continued to insist she wanted him, he would no longer fight her on it. He would allow her to damn herself. After all, being with him would ruin her life, not his. If he were to be brutally honest with himself, a relationship with Kagome would make him the happiest hanyou on the planet. Hell, for all Inuyasha knew, he could currently be the only hanyou on the planet, but that was really neither here nor there. Society made no special exceptions for hanyou in this one particular instance. Being with him…it wouldn’t be worse for Kagome that he was a hanyou rather than a full-blooded youkai, but it wouldn’t be better, either. The fact that he was half human was completely irrelevant, in that one regard. The reason people were extra racist towards him personally if they learned what he was was because his mixed blood symbolized the type of union that they loathed, the bond between a human and a non-human. In the ningen world, not ‘fully’ human equated to not human, simple as that, and Kagome being with him would be just as disgusting and just as wrong as being with a purebred. His mother had been a traitor to her own kind in her willingness to breed with a beast, and that title would befall Kagome as well.

Though…technically, I am fully human at this precise moment in time…Inuyasha attempted to reason weakly, his facial expression giving no hint to his inner turmoil. The challenge had been issued, it was up to Kagome to accept or decline.

After what seemed like several small eternities, the miko spoke.

“I’ve made my decision.” she stated with finality, as if he had actually verbally told her that such a decision was hers to make. He hadn’t needed to. She could read it in his eyes even now, as he seemed to hold his breath in anticipation of her next sentence.

“Society can fuck itself.” she declared with a smile and nod of conviction. Inuyasha’s eyes widened in surprise of her language, though before he could muscle up the courage to say anything Kagome was already yanking him forward by his forelocks, her lips pressed against his own once more.  

Contradictively, Inuyasha felt both eager and reluctant to return her kiss, but eventually allowing himself to relax against her, it wasn’t too long at all before the temporarily human man that he was found himself melting against her, allowing her to dominate their joining. True, she hadn’t been with anyone in over seven years, but his dry spell had been much longer. He wasn’t a virgin, but in that moment he felt like he might as well have been, as he awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, unsure of how to hold her or what he was allowed to touch. Was this only a make out session, or did she plan on going even further? And if so, how far? While he gathered that they were officially ‘together’ now, in heart and mind, that didn’t necessarily mean she was ready to go from zero to sixty in a single sitting.

His uncertainties were assuaged when Kagome, perhaps sensing his hesitation, grabbed a hold of his right hand and placed it over her left breast. Massaging the soft flesh through the fabric of her nightshirt, Inuyasha moaned into their kiss when Kagome cut right to the chase and reached for the rapidly developing bulge in his jeans. Usually going commando when sporting his denim, he was not wearing his fundoshi at the moment, and so nothing was binding his erection as it grew within his right pant leg. It wasn’t long before the pair shimmied themselves down into lying positions on the bed, Kagome’s left hand building up a delicious friction for the hanyou as he ground himself against her palm while simultaneously reaching down between her legs. Removing his right hand from her breast it didn’t take him long to find the source of her heat, the sweatpants she was currently wearing allowing for easy manipulation of her womanhood as he began rubbing his fingers against her in steady circles. Jerking her hips forward, it was suddenly Kagome’s turn to moan into the kiss, as they each laid there on their sides, both grinding against their partner’s hand.

For several moments their actions continued, until a sudden and rather intense jolt of pleasure running through Inuyasha’s body had him pulling away from her touch, unwilling to risk ruining their first union. After all, while in his human form, he only had a human’s stamina. It was definitely a good thing he was currently human, though, he decided then, when he took advantage of his clawless fingers to press down even harder against Kagome’s core through her clothing, causing the miko to disregard the fact that he had pulled away from her own touch as her left hand rose to clutch the fabric of his shirt. Some things really were like riding a bicycle, and his few brief encounters with his former love assured the hanyou in that moment that he knew what he was doing as his new love writhed against him. Maybe the act didn’t seem tedious because he was completely enraptured by her ever changing expressions, but it felt like no time at all before Kagome’s eyes suddenly burst wide open as she shrieked, her body convulsing madly.

Pulling his hand away only when the faintest, desperate whisper of “No more…” reached his ears, Inuyasha propped himself up slightly on his elbow, turning to lean over the miko who had flopped onto her back in the afterglow of her orgasm. Gazing down lovingly into her eyes, Inuyasha was just about to try and think of some tactful way to ask whether or not she still wanted to continue, when Kagome’s euphoric expression suddenly turned into a wicked smirk, as she gazed back up at him knowingly before once again reaching for his cock.

“Mmm…” he moaned then, his hips rocking forward lazily. “That’s gonna take more than your hand.” he purred seductively, lying through his teeth. He was quite convinced that if Kagome kept at it, he would be staining his jeans before too much longer. The look she shot him in that moment revealed that Kagome knew the truth, as well, though she was more than happy to oblige nonetheless as she pulled her hand away again. Sitting up enough to pull her t-shirt up and over her head, she tossed it to the floor below, displaying her willingness to progress things further…among other things. Inuyasha groaned appreciatively at the sight of her breasts bared before him, and leaning forward, he captured her right nipple in his mouth, earning a hiss of pleasure from the girl who lied back down below him.

As he leaned slightly over her, teasing the beaded flesh that he rolled lazily with his tongue, Kagome’s hands found their way to the back of his head, tangling in his hair. Suddenly, she was torn, because while she knew that she wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the pleasure he’d just recently given her were he in his hanyou form, she also found in that moment as she ran her fingers through his raven locks that she desperately longed for his canine ears.

Next time… she told herself, content with the knowledge that there would in fact be a next time. This was most certainly not a one-time thing, nor would it be a once-a-month thing. If Inuyasha thought either that she wouldn’t be interested in his hanyou form or that he could somehow avoid her at all other times of the month he had another think coming. For the time being, though, he was owed something else ‘coming’ than merely a second thought.

Reaching down and grabbing at the bottom hem of his shirt, Kagome began tugging upward, eventually forcing the hanyou-turned-human to relinquish his claim of her breast in order to back up and allow her to pull his shirt up and off. Tossing it to the floor below, Kagome then proceeded to surprise Inuyasha by sitting up until she was the one towering over him, pressing him back into the bedding with a gentle hand on his chest. Smirking, he complied, gazing up at his…lover? girlfriend? wife?…with adoration and arousal. Reaching down towards his jeans once more, this time Kagome’s destination was the button-fly, something she was thankfully familiar with since some of her jeans were the same way. Giving a skilled and playful tug at just the right angle, every button popped loose one right after the other as if she had merely ripped his jeans open, earning a chuckle from the hanyou while revealing a thick patch of raven curls and the beginnings of a shaft that disappeared out of sight down his pant leg.

As she began tugging Inuyasha immediately assisted Kagome, reaching down as well and shimmying himself out of his jeans, his erection springing to life once freed from its confines. Unabashed, Kagome stared at his nude body wantonly, the flickering light from the muted and forgotten television set providing her with more than enough light to see by in the otherwise darkened room. Aware of her gaze upon him, Inuyasha was unashamed, silently allowing her to take in the sight of his naked form with something akin to wonder shining in his eyes. Wonder that this was really happening, that she really wanted him.

Did she ever.

Reaching forward with her right hand, Kagome wrapped her fingers around his staff and smirked to herself when his breathing hitched. She could finish him with her hand so easily, she was sure, but she knew he didn’t want that, and honestly, neither did she. Still, she couldn’t resist teasing him with a few languid strokes, causing his hips to roll upward and a low moan to escape his throat.

“Kami, Kagome…you don’t know how long it’s been.” he panted, even the sensation of somebody else’s hand touching him sending signals of pleasure through his body that he hadn’t felt since…

“I’m guessing about a hundred and fifty years, at least since there was a second person involved.” the miko spoke softly, earning nothing but another moan of pleasure in response as his hips rose once more.  

When he had originally confessed about his failed relationship with Kikyou he hadn’t gone into too many details, but over the months he’d spent with Kagome prior to moving out for her busy season they had both eventually ended up sharing several more details about themselves with each other. He also knew that Kagome wasn’t a virgin, she and her high school boyfriend Hojo having gone all the way more than once. Their relationship had ended abruptly after the accident when Kagome had been forced to leave Tokyo, though his inability to even try to make the long distance relationship work, especially after the temporary fear of losing her when her condition in the hospital had been touch and go, had told the miko that he wasn’t the one for her, anyway, and so she’d moved on relatively easily. As for the hanyou currently writhing below her, Kagome knew through his own admittance that he’d never loved anyone else, or even really allowed himself any true friendships, since leaving the taijiya village. Of course, she supposed it was always possible that he had randomly, at least on his human nights, occasionally acquired himself a whore, but she had never insulted him with the question. While it was possible, it wasn’t really feasible. Not with what she knew of Inuyasha’s personality, at least. And he more or less confirmed her belief in that moment by reaching down to still her hand, murmuring through a heavy breath, “So quit tempting fate, woman.” He in no way attempted to deny or correct her estimate.

Chuckling quietly, she released him in full agreement. Pulling back, Kagome hooked her thumbs into the elastic waistband of her sweatpants and tugged, giving her hips a little raise as she pulled her pants down and off, tossing them down with the rest of their discarded clothing. Unlike Inuyasha, Kagome was in fact wearing underwear, though she displayed no hesitation with making herself as equally naked as the man beside her as she immediately reached for the waist of her panties and pulled those down as well. Inuyasha stared, transfixed, as Kagome unabashedly revealed her nude form to his hungry gaze.

I’m going to fucking explode the minute I sink inside her…

Inuyasha was surprised when instead of either presenting herself or perhaps climbing towards him if she wanted to be in charge, Kagome turned away from him for a moment, reaching for the nightstand on her side of the bed and sliding open the drawer in front. His confusion was short lived when she turned back his way with the object she had retrieved gripped between her fingers, though he couldn’t help shooting her a playfully accusative glare.

“What?” she replied sheepishly, nervously twiddling with the unopened condom.

“I’m going to assume that you don’t keep a supply of condoms on hand just on the off chance one of your male clients can’t pay with money.”

She blushed at the dig, not truly insulted because they both knew such a scenario was absurd. They also both knew that she was thoroughly busted in her womanly, hopeful, ‘just in case’ planning ahead with regard to the one house guest who didn’t need to pay with money.

“I, uh…that is…” she started, ducking her head when he laughed, though his tone was mirthful and she was truly not that embarrassed.

“You’re going to have to put it on me.” he told her then, adding, “While I keep up with the times enough to know what most modern things are, most of the stuff out there I’ve never actually used myself or know how it works.”

“Of course.” she replied understandingly, tearing open the wrapper and gently sliding the lubricated latex over his member.

They both knew that there was absolutely no chance in Hell of him having any kind of a disease that he could possibly infect her with, so her only concern was obviously pregnancy, and Inuyasha was actually relieved to realize that Kagome at least wasn’t being quite as reckless as he’d originally feared. Of course, truth be told, the miko wasn’t the only reckless one. Once they’d gotten lost in the heat of the moment, the possibility of an accidental pregnancy hadn’t even been on his mind. He was more than a little ashamed to realize he’d so thoroughly lost himself that he’d momentarily zoned out on such an important concern, though he was equally just as proud of Kagome to know that she had kept her wits about her the whole time. Now, as he gazed into her eyes lovingly, Inuyasha found that he was glad for the brief pause in passion to momentarily say hello to reality. It was with a clear head and willingness to face the inevitable challenges of maintaining a relationship with Kagome that the transformed hanyou lifted himself up to crawl over her waiting body, the miko shimmying herself down to lie flat on her back beneath him.

Reaching down between them to grab a hold of his shaft and align himself at her entrance, Inuyasha briefly found himself wondering just how on Earth he’d come to be in such a position. Hadn’t he sworn to himself that nothing would ever happen between them? Hadn’t he been a firm believer in the fact that, for Kagome’s own sake, he could never permit himself to defile her? But as he slowly sank himself within her warm, inviting body, the hanyou-turned-human realized in that moment that Kagome had been absolutely right; she was a gift from the kami, and one he had very nearly and stupidly thrown away.

To Inuyasha’s immense relief, the condom nullified just enough of the sensation washing through him to prevent him from exploding on contact. He was glad for the slight numbing effect, since it meant he could now prolong his joining with Kagome. Sheathing himself to the hilt within her core, he searched her eyes for any hint of pain. She was incredibly tight, which was to be expected, but as he gazed down into her shimmering orbs of blue-gray velvet he saw absolutely no trace of discomfort reflected back at him.

Rolling her hips, Kagome murmured seductively, “What are you waiting for?” and that was all the encouragement he needed. Retracting himself before slowly pushing back in, Inuyasha took his time refamiliarizing himself with the feel of being one with a woman. It was a sensation he had honestly thought he would never feel again for the rest of his life. Kagome was perfect. There was simply no other way to describe her. And her body wasn’t bad to look at, either. Yes, she was sexy as all get out, truth be told, the way her large – but not too large – breasts bounced up and down in time with his thrusts, her smooth yet soft stomach glistening with beads of sweat as she worked herself up gyrating below him in time with his rhythm. But her hot little body wasn’t why she was so perfect. Neither was it the way she retracted her legs, encouraging him to raise himself up on outstretched arms as she hooked her legs over his shoulders. Kagome was perfect because…

“I love you.” she panted below him, her bangs sticking to her forehead.

She loved him. She honest and truly loved him, for who he was. Smiling drunkenly, Inuyasha leaned down, almost folding the poor girl in half though she didn’t seem to mind, especially not when he lightly touched his lips to hers before murmuring a softly spoken, “I love you, too.”

Pulling back, Inuyasha propped himself up on his knees, encouraging Kagome to lower her legs from his shoulders to instead lock them around his waist. Gripping her hips with both hands, he lifted the petite miko’s backside into the air, tilting her at a slightly upside-down angle, not that she was complaining. Biting her lip to keep from crying out loud enough for the kitsune to hear from their den in the woods, it was only a shout of pure bliss that was struggling to burst forth from the girl as she repeated her lover’s name in quick gasps like a mantra.

She had almost forgotten what it felt like to be joined with a man. Inuyasha was hitting all the right places, and as she tightened her fists in the sheet at her sides, her head tilted back with her face scrunched tight in pure ecstasy, the last thing on Kagome’s mind was how the man currently loving her wasn’t technically a man at all. She had meant it when she’d said that society could fuck itself. So long as Inuyasha kept doing what he was doing, she didn’t care what the rest of the world thought of her. Feeling that tightly wound coil getting ready to snap, she opened her eyes with a start, staring down the length of her body up into Inuyasha’s sweat-drenched face, his eyes instantly locking with hers.

Her body seized, a silent scream turning less silent by the second as she pinched her eyes shut once more, the evidence of her pleasure ripped from her throat as her internal muscles contracted around him so tightly, Inuyasha was thrust into oblivion right after her, his climax hitting him without warning. A scratchy combination of a groan and grunt escaped him as he peaked, reminiscent of the sound someone would make when attempting to lift something much too heavy. Releasing his hold on her hips, then, he allowed the miko’s backside to drop to the mattress, her legs disentangling themselves from around his waist while he gripped himself at the base to ensure the used condom stayed on. All he wanted to do was collapse against her, but first he had a little matter to attend to. Catching sight of his condition, Kagome pulled herself from her stupor to sit up and assist him as he remained kneeling before her, helping him to remove the condom without making a mess. Tossing it into the lined wastebasket at the side of the bed, she then proceeded to flop back down in the remains of her afterglow, Inuyasha immediately following suit as he allowed himself to collapse half against her, half on the mattress to her left, taking up what was originally her side of the bed. They were both far too tired to worry about switching positions, as if it truly mattered. A lazy smile lifted one edge of his lips when he felt Kagome wrap her arms around him. Resting his left leg between her own, his arm draped across her body lying directly against her breasts, it was with a feeling of pure and utter contentment that Inuyasha unconsciously allowed sleep to find him for the first time on his human night since his mother’s death.

```
Inuyasha awoke with a start, his motion as well as the pulses of youki rushing through him immediately rousing the girl at his side as Kagome bolted awake beside him on reflex before quickly relaxing again once she realized it was merely the return of his powers. Settling herself back down to snuggle against him once more, the miko was instantly concerned at the way she felt him stiffen at the contact, his entire being seemingly on high alert.

Oh no…no…tell me he isn’t regretting…

“So…it wasn’t a dream.” he whispered softly once his transformation was complete. His muscles were wound tight, as if he were prepared to leap from her bed at any given second, though so far he hadn’t actually made a move to escape, and Kagome found a tiny bit of comfort in that fact.

Too afraid to dare a peak at his face, terrified she would find a look of disgust in his eyes, whether directed at her or at himself it wouldn’t matter, Kagome instead tightened her grip on his chest where her right arm was slung across him, a clear signal to anyone with a brain that the girl was afraid he was about to leave her.

“No, it was a dream come true.” she murmured finally, and to Kagome’s immense relief, she felt some of the tension melt out of him as he raised a shaky hand to awkwardly pat at the arm across his chest.

Moving to sit up, then, Kagome didn’t panic when something told her Inuyasha only wanted to talk face to face. Reluctantly releasing her hold on him, she complied with his silent request as she sat up beside him on his right, deciding at the last moment to not hold the blanket up around her chest, instead allowing him the visual reminder of their shared nudity. She didn’t miss the way his eyes drifted down over her chest before he almost seemed to force his gaze back up to eye level, and she found herself mentally chuckling at how he was very much like any normal man in that moment, when surely he was about to try to convince her that he was anything but.

“Kagome…” he started, releasing a tired breath as he raised his left hand to rub at the back of his head.

Quickly reaching out with her left hand, Kagome latched onto his right, giving it a light squeeze when she felt his body tense again.

“Nothing has changed.” she assured him quickly. “I know you’re more emotional in your human form, so if you’re about to tell me how last night wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the new moon, save your breath. But here’s the bottom line, last night did happen, and I don’t regret a second of it.”

He just stared at her, his golden eyes glistening more brightly than usual with an unmistakable sheen. Not knowing what else to say, and realizing that this was probably one of those moments where there weren’t any good words to use, anyway, the miko moved forward in that moment, practically throwing herself into his embrace. To Kagome’s utter relief and joy, she felt Inuyasha wrap his arms around her in return, the restored inu-hanyou holding her to him tightly, as if he were suddenly afraid that she was the one about to leave.

“I…meant everything I said last night.” he nearly whispered after a moment of silence had passed. Kagome recognized it for the confession of love that it was, and responded by snaking her right hand up into his silvery tresses, finally, tenderly latching onto his left ear. He stiffened again at the contact, though she could tell this time that it was only in surprise.

“So did I…” she assured him softly, continuing to massage his ear between her fingers, relishing in the feel of the soft, fuzzy skin.

“Damn, woman…” he grumbled low in his chest, gently reaching up to grasp her wrist as he pulled back from their embrace. “Quit that.” he joked good-naturedly while prying her talented fingers from his tingling ear, adding, “I can’t scold you on how last night was a mistake when you’re makin’ me wanna jump you again.”

Kagome burst into laughter at his unexpected statement, the hanyou grinning lopsidedly as his eyes sparkled with mirth. His morning excitement was prominently displayed with the way the blanket suddenly tented in his lap, and all of a sudden, the miko found that she was the one whose eyes were having difficulty remaining locked on the gaze of her partner. He couldn’t help chuckling a bit himself at the sight of her oh-so-obvious appreciation.

“Last night was a mistake,” he insisted after a moment, his tone of voice surprisingly nonchalant given the topic. With a shrug he added, “But it’s one that I will gladly do over and over…” He dropped his voice an octave, “…and over...” he emphasized, causing her to shudder in delight as she glanced down at the bulge in his lap once more.

“I just want to know one thing…” Kagome purred then, her fingers teasing the flesh of his stomach near the edge of the blanket. He raised an eyebrow, a fang poking out with his smirk. “Yeah?”

She yanked the blanket down, revealing the lower half of their naked bodies and his raging morning hard-on nestled in a patch of white curls.

“I knew it!” she laughed in triumph, causing him to chuckle as well.

Besides his ‘down there’ hair being white, he was also a fair bit larger in his hanyou form, which didn’t take Kagome too long to realize as her eyes widened in surprise. He laughed openly at her expression while she ducked her head, her bangs hiding her eyes as a faint blush dusted her cheeks.

“I hope you bought different sizes…” he commented playfully in the face of her embarrassment over gawking at his increased length, leaning over to reach for the drawer of the nightstand he was currently closer to, his eyes never leaving her form.

“Wait!” Kagome suddenly cried in panic as he blindly pulled the drawer open to reach inside without looking.

He smirked, thinking he was about to find something embarrassing, like a vibrator. He was not prepared for the mind-numbing pain that suddenly ripped through his body as he pulled his hand back as though he’d been burned, only to realize with horror that he was being burned, one of Kagome’s purifying ofuda stuck to the palm of his hand.

“Ahhh! Get it off!” he cried even as he flailed, making the act impossible for the miko who screamed while desperately trying and failing to grab a hold of his wrist.

“No!” she shouted through her tears as she felt his youki leave him, that ofuda having been made at deadly levels.

As quickly as it’d come, the pain was over, and as Inuyasha blinked in surprise to realize he was still alive, it took him a moment to comprehend the horror-struck expression of the sobbing miko kneeling naked before him.

“Kagome, what…?” He paused, his eyes opening wide in terror as he recognized the improper timber of his voice. Looking down at the sutra still stuck to his hand, it wasn’t the pink, burnt skin of his palm that concerned him so much as it was the human nails adorning his fingertips.

“Oh kami…” he whispered in shock, glancing sideways to catch the sight of black hair falling over his shoulders.

Kagome was inconsolable, crying hysterically as if she’d just witnessed a murder, and immediately forgetting about his own predicament, he moved to embrace the girl. She flinched away from his touch, though it wasn’t because she was afraid of him. She couldn’t believe that he wasn’t afraid of her. She’d just…she’d just…

“I-I’m s-so s-sorr-ryy…” she sobbed into her hands.

“It…it’s not your fault.” he tried to assure her.

It wasn’t her fault. He knew she was a miko, of course, and she’d told him before that she kept a supply of ofuda on hand, ready to go in case of emergencies. Sure, she’d never told him where they were, but what business did he have just reaching into random drawers in her bedroom? And she had tried to stop him. If he’d only taken her command to stop seriously…

He reached for her again, the paper of the sutra crinkling as he flexed his fingers, reminding him that the cursed thing was still stuck to his hand. Ripping it off in disgust, he gasped in surprise as a pulse of youki immediately surged through him, just like the sensation at sunrise after the moonless night. Kagome felt it the same time he did, and he glanced her way to see her red and puffy eyes staring back at him with hope and relief. Painlessly, his demonic aura surged back to life, immediately healing the burnt flesh of his palm in the process. His morning excitement gone, his one and only thought was making certain he was still whole as he leapt from her bed but didn’t head far, walking over to her full-length mirror. Giving no thought of his nudity, all sexual awkwardness was completely erased from his psyche. One benefit to momentarily thinking you were about to die, he supposed, was that all the little negatives of life no longer mattered. Glancing back Kagome’s way, he was neither embarrassed nor overly aroused by the sight of her own nudity, feeling completely comfortable in her presence as if they’d been married for years as she stood at the foot of the bed, her hand suspended somewhere between her heart and her mouth as if she was afraid to say anything, afraid to dare hoping…

“I’m fine.” he assured her, and he could feel the tension whoosh out of her even from across the room.

He approached Kagome then, relieved when she didn’t flinch away from him a second time. Pulling her into a tight embrace, they stood together in silence for several minutes until the faintest, whispered repeat of “I’m fine…” brushed against her ear. Then a thought occurred to him, and the miko felt him stiffen, though it was with a huge grin that he repeated, “I’m fine!” before he stepped away from her to where he’d flung the ofuda.

“What…what are you doing?” she asked with a shaky breath as he stared down at the innocent looking strip of paper on the floor.

“Does this thing still have any power?” he asked her, “Or was it a one-time-only thing?”

“Why?”

“I want to try something.”

Picking it up with an expression that was not unlike handling a dead rat, Kagome crinkled her nose in disgust as she responded, “It’s still good.”

“Put it on me.”

Eyes opening wide, she snapped her gaze to his.

“What?!”

“Just do it, please…”

Having a pretty good idea why he wanted her to do it and not liking the idea one bit, Kagome nonetheless complied, closing her eyes and sighing shakily. The writing on that particular ofuda was to purify and eliminate any and all demonic auras, so there was not much she could do in the way of altering the spell with her preconceptions of good and evil. It was what it was.

She paused.

“But you were in so much pain.” she tried to reason, holding the paper two inches from his chest.

“No pain no gain, besides, I’ve had worse. It was the surprise that freaked me out the most, not to mention I thought it just might kill me.”

Reluctantly conceding to the fact that they both now knew that it at least wouldn’t kill him, though whether or not his youkai side could suffer any permanent damage was another story, Kagome begrudgingly pressed the ofuda against his chest. Prepared for it this time, Inuyasha braced himself against the pain, his face bunching as he grunted under his breath though he otherwise endured it in silence. Just like the first time, the pain only lasted a moment, and when it was over, he was human.

He was human.

During the day.

Laughing excitedly, he caught the miko off guard as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace yet again. “Do you know what this means?!” he asked with all the passion of a man who’d just won the lottery. It was an extremely accurate description.

Distraught as she was by the lingering stress of that morning’s unexpected turn of events, Kagome found that Inuyasha’s mirthful outlook was contagious, and despite herself, she found herself laughing along with him before too long.

“It means I’ll have to return the Magnum XLs?” she teased, finding her bravado.

He gaped at her, then glancing down over himself as if only finally realizing in that moment that they were both still naked, he smirked as he ripped the ofuda from his chest.

“That’s what you think!” he growled playfully as he lunged, Kagome’s laughter echoing loudly throughout the room as she landed on her back on the bed with him above her, his hanyou features not the only things restored on his body as he showered her with kisses.

```

“And what would you like for breakfast?” Kagome asked, pen poised over pad as she took down her guests’ orders.

“A traditional breakfast will be fine, Higurashi-san.” Mr. Taguchi answered on behalf of himself and his wife.

Nodding, Kagome went over a mental checklist of which ingredients she was beginning to run low on. She would need to make another trip to the market by the end of the week. Bidding her guests goodnight for the evening, the miko headed into the kitchen to clean up the mess from dinner, only to find that somebody had already beaten her too it. Again.

“How many times do I have to tell you that washing the dishes is my job?” Kagome scolded playfully, the faux heat of her words giving way for the genuine gratitude she felt for his assistance, and presence.

“And how many times do I have to tell you, ‘Kagome-chan’, that helping you with your chores around the house is the least I can do?”

Smiling at the raven-haired hanyou standing in her kitchen, clawless hands submerged in a sink of sudsy water, Kagome thought it logical to point out that, technically, the ‘least’ he could do would be nothing, but chuckling to himself, Inuyasha merely shook his head in amusement before sending her a look over his shoulder that plainly said ‘You know what I mean.’

After discovering that, with the assistance of Kagome’s purifying ofuda, he really could turn himself human at will, it had been a whole new ballgame as far as the hanyou was concerned, in regard to his ‘secret’ relationship with the miko. Now, still going by the alias of ‘Yoshi’, he was openly Kagome’s partner, both in business and in life. No longer did he run and hide when other guests arrived at the inn. Through several trial runs during the dead months of summer, they had discovered that regardless of how long her ofuda remained attached to his skin, his youkai powers always returned the very instant it was removed. It was as if the purifying aura of her sutra merely forced his powers into hibernation like on the moonless night, rather than actually hurting them in any way. Yes, applying the ofuda was painful, but it was momentary, and something he would gladly endure over and over again for the newfound freedom her sutra provided him. Business was already starting to pick up again, the chilly days of autumn giving way to the downright freezing temperatures of winter as a thick layer of snow clouds blanketed the evening sky, and he had absolutely no plans of going anywhere. Instead, he planned on remaining human indefinitely throughout her busy season until the last of her guests departed in late spring after the fall of the sakura blossoms. Kagome had been shocked, at first, when he’d originally voiced his plans, amazed and humbled that he was willing to sacrifice his superior youkai senses for so long simply in order to remain in her presence, especially with knowing how badly he hated turning human even for one night a month, but with the way Inuyasha had explained it, it was a no-brainer. Why would he want to cling to the differences that made his relationship with Kagome forbidden? Why would he want to reject the godsend that was his love’s miko powers? Truly destiny at work, everything had been the kami’s will from the moment he’d decided to head into that region of Japan. The other lodges turning him down, Yumi giving him the directions to Kagome’s establishment, the twenty-six-year-old’s miko powers that outted him as a youkai and his own subsequent confession of being hanyou…everything had happened as it was meant to. Kagome was supposed to have invited him to move in with her, they were supposed to have fallen in love with each other, he was supposed to have finally caved during that one moonless night when they had come together as one for the first time, and he was supposed to have stumbled upon her purifying ofuda the following morning to learn that instead of killing him, because of his human half, they acted more like a concealment charm than anything else. With the kitsune’s assistance, offering their scrutiny, Inuyasha had passed inspection, Shippou’s father and the other elders all confirming the same thing…with the ofuda in place there was absolutely no trace of his demonic half. He didn’t just look like a human, or smell like a human, or feel like a human to their youki…with the ofuda in place, he was human.

Inuyasha would be content to remain human permanently if it were what Kagome wanted, though thankfully, he knew she loved his hanyou-self too much to ever truly be satisfied with him as a human twelve months out of the year. Why she loved his ears so much, or his white hair, or golden eyes, he would never understand, though he always enjoyed making her blush when he playfully accused her of liking his hanyou form better for other reasons. It was true, though, that they both loved running through the forest, and during the slow months when it was only just the two of them, he felt better being able to do parameter sweeps in his hanyou form to check the area for rouge youkai. Not to mention the fact that he still hunted or fished for her on occasion, which was something else he needed his youkai powers for. Honestly, while Inuyasha would choose being human over hanyou if he had to make up his mind once and for all, especially when being human gave him the freedom to be with and around Kagome without putting her at risk, he was actually very grateful for the fact that he could switch back and forth at will. Of course, since turning hanyou again immediately repaired any damage incurred to his body during his human transformation, including cellular degradation otherwise known as aging, it meant that even being human six months out of the year for fifty years wouldn’t age the boy fifty, or even twenty-five years, but he and Kagome had both openly decided to worry about that in the future. He didn’t care that Kagome would age faster than him, and he had every intention of sharing his life with her for the rest of her life. Shippou had already promised them both that he would start working on an illusionary spell that, over time, would give Inuyasha the guise of an older man. While it was beyond a kitsune’s capabilities to create a human illusion that actually masked the presence of youki, meaning that if he had tried to have Shippou come up with a way to hide his hanyou features he would’ve still been exposed to a spiritualist who could sense his aura, now that Kagome’s sutra successfully nullified his demonic aura even to the point where the miko herself couldn’t sense him, a kitsune illusion designed merely to fake aging was actually possible, so that to the public’s eye he could appear to grow old along side his wife. And for all intents and purposes, Kagome was his wife. He still didn’t have any papers, which meant that a legally binding ceremony would never be possible, but he had still proposed to the girl, in his own way, that first morning after discovering he could use her sutra to turn himself human at will. After spending over half the morning making love in his hanyou form, Inuyasha had more or less blurted out during lunch that their discovery meant that he never had to worry about anyone ever finding out what he was. That he could stay with her forever and it would never be a problem. Kagome had more or less nodded absentmindedly at his assessment of the situation, still in the blissful afterglows of experiencing his hanyou stamina, when he had gotten her attention by scooting back in his chair to come around the kitchen table and kneel before her. She had gasped as he’d asked her if she would allow that, if she would allow him to stay with her forever, if she would have him for the rest of her days. Crying tears of joy Kagome had sobbed her ‘yes’ before pulling him into a passionate kiss.

Now, as the miko came up behind him and snaked her arms around his abdomen, ‘Yoshi’ found himself having difficulty concentrating on the glass he was currently washing.

“That can wait until tomorrow…” she purred seductively, causing goosebumps to rise on his skin. He accidentally dropped the glass with a splash when her right hand dipped lower, cupping his groin.

“Damn, woman.”

He would never get tired of her.

```

With summer’s return came a new project for Inuyasha. Having officially been with Kagome for over a year and having lived with her for nearly two, they both knew that she didn’t need to come up with fake projects for him to do around the house in order to earn his keep, though this particular project wasn’t fake, and had actually been his idea. With Kagome making sure that all of the proper building permits were in place for such an undertaking, Inuyasha was working on expanding the Yukiyama Inn. More specifically, he was building a small, private living quarters for Kagome and himself set apart from the main building. It wasn’t because he was getting tired of having to put up with strangers in ‘their’ home. He’d long ago learned how to wait his turn for the washroom, or how to be quiet during their lovemaking so as not to embarrass Kagome when she would have to face their guests the following morning during breakfast. No, he was building a separate room for he and Kagome in the back for one, very simple reason, so that they could rent out all four rooms of the main house instead of only three.

It didn’t cost them very much money since he was doing all of the construction by himself, meaning it was mainly the cost of materials they had to worry about, and Inuyasha surprised Kagome by paying for most of those on his own, using up what was left of his ‘bank account’ before having to rely on any of the miko’s own savings. What did he need to hang onto that money for? He wasn’t going anywhere. Fortunately, he didn’t need to borrow very much money from Kagome’s savings account, the project not really costing all that much because it was a small, simple building. For all intents and purposes the Yukiyama Inn was still their home; it was more or less a detached master bedroom that he was building for them. It had water and gas and electricity all running to it, something he had used part of his money to pay professionals to do for him, but it only had a half bath, and no kitchen. Kagome still needed to go into the main house every morning to fix breakfast for their guests, after all, so what would be the point in putting a kitchenette in their new bedroom? Of course, one luxury they did have installed was another satellite receiver, and Kagome used a little of her own money to purchase some of the furnishings, including a new television set, but once season rolled back around and they were able to rent out all four rooms Kagome quickly made her money back, and then some. Even the new TV receiver so that they could still watch separate programming from any of the guests was easily affordable within the new budget with such a drastic increase of income. It was the tiniest bit inconvenient having to walk in the cold from the detached suite to the main house every morning to fix breakfast, though Kagome never had to trudge through the snow since Inuyasha offered her a piggyback ride every morning, and the brisk air certainly succeeded in waking her up so that she was bright eyed and bushy tailed by the time her guests started wandering out of their bedrooms. It was a small price to pay to watch the way her savings account continued to grow. Refusing to change anything in her primary routine, with the exception of the sixth television and the slight increase in their gas usage from the separate furnace, everything pulled from opening the fourth guestroom was pure profit. Renting it even one single night a month would more than pay for the raise in her TV and gas bills. At this rate, she and Inuyasha would be able to afford a vacation of their own, not that she imagined that was what he’d had in mind. When asked, the hanyou replied merely that he wanted Kagome to be comfortable, knowing that while she had been making it all right before, things had been a bit tight at times. Now she could relax, knowing there would always be enough money to pay the bills, as well as an emergency fund in case something overly expensive ever required repair work. Inuyasha could fix just about anything, but sometimes, some things just needed to be replaced, like a new furnace, or a new washer and dryer. Nothing had gone wrong with any of her equipment yet, but the hanyou was a stickler for planning ahead. She could hardly fault him for that one.

It was planning ahead that had led Kagome to that present moment in time, joining Inuyasha in their private suite after making sure their guests were taken care of for the evening. It was presently sakura season, and her property was an explosion of white and pink blossoms. Soon petals would cover the ground in their mimic of winter’s snow, but before that happened, the trees in all their blooming glory were more symbolic of new life rather than how fleeting life could be as a whole.

New life…

Shaking her head to clear it of wandering thoughts, Kagome was prepared to abide by her husband’s wishes. She did think of Inuyasha as her husband, and as such he definitely had equal say in the matter. If his answer was no then that would be the end of it. But just like with everything else in her life that had involved the inu-hanyou, Kagome knew it was up to her to make the first move.

“Phew…” said hanyou chuckled as he climbed into bed beside her. “I’m glad you speak English.” he joked, in reference to the American couple currently among their guests.

While it was true that living through the decades as he had meant that, in theory, he’d had plenty of time to learn a second language, his relatively brief intervals of interaction with other people prior to moving in with Kagome meant that he’d never really had an opportunity to learn how to speak the language. Especially since he usually tried to stick to elderly couples that at most times didn’t know the Western tongue, anyway. He could understand some of it in written form, having his ways to get a hold of literature whenever he needed to keep himself up to date with modern knowledge, but his accent was horrible, and their American guests had just about as much trouble understanding him as he did them.

“I can teach you.” Kagome offered with a smile, “It’s a lot easier than math.”

That earned a chuckle from the hanyou who thought it best not to tease his miko companion on her horrendous math skills. If she could budget her business properly then that was all that mattered in the end. You didn’t need to be able to comprehend complex formulas to know how much money you needed to keep aside for your monthly bills, that was just common sense.

Reaching for the remote, Inuyasha was delighted when Kagome clasped his hand in her own, her eyes sparkling with the look. Quickly discarding the remote, he no longer gave a shit about the TV. While they didn’t have sex every single night, they usually got together at least once a week, but he always left it up to Kagome. At least in his human form. As a hanyou his instincts got the better of him on occasion, not that she’d ever once complained about the times he’d suddenly jumped her while she’d been in the middle of her chores. He always kept his wits about him enough to carry her into the bedroom, where the necessary ‘supplies’ were located in order to complete the act. But that was as a hanyou; as a human he was much more timid, though Kagome had come to accept that side of him as well. All he needed was a sign of encouragement, and then he was capable of taking control, like in that moment as he took advantage of their joined hands to tug Kagome into him, reaching up to cup the side of her face with his free hand as he closed the gap between them, pulling her into a kiss.

Instantly melting against him, Kagome allowed herself to become lost in his love, hands dancing across each other’s bodies as articles of clothing were removed one by one. Careful not to displace the ofuda on his chest, Kagome relished in running her hands up and down his naked flesh, mewling underneath him as he repeated the favor, his talented fingers making her body tingle with delight and desire. His right hand slipped between her legs, discovering just how ready she was for him, though he refused to take his pleasure without first delivering hers. Showering her body with kisses, Inuyasha gently pumped her with two fingers as he captured a hardened nipple in his mouth, causing the miko to writhe and moan beneath him. Inching his way lower, he retracted his hand before settling himself into position. He always preferred pleasuring her in such a way in his hanyou form, but only because he couldn’t smell or taste her properly with his dulled human senses. Making Kagome wriggle and shriek was no less exciting.

Pinching her eyes closed and biting her lower lip, Kagome’s arms were bent up at the elbows, her fists clutching the pillow at either side of her head as Inuyasha’s wickedly talented tongue had her mind spiraling out of control. Doing the best she could to muffle her cries, she couldn’t stop the squeal that bubbled up from her chest as he pushed her over the edge, every nerve in her body singing its praises as she gasped for breath before finally reaching down to gently shove him back, indicating she’d had all she could take.

Smirking, Inuyasha made a show of licking his lips, chuckling at the cute blush that rose on Kagome’s cheeks at the sight. Crawling back up the length of her body on her right, his eager excitement was on proud display, pleasuring Kagome always being the only foreplay his body needed to get him ready to complete the act. As he turned and made a reach for the drawer of his own nightstand, Kagome forced her pleasure-hazed mind back into the here and now.

“Inuyasha…” she called softly, the hanyou closing his eyes for a moment in the simple bliss of hearing his true name fall from her lips. All throughout season, while in the company of others, she referred to him as ‘Yoshi-kun’.

“Yeah?” he asked as he turned back to face her, unopened condom in hand.

Kagome reached over and cupped his hand in both of hers, gently taking the square package from his grasp.

“What if…we don’t use a condom?” she asked cautiously, unsure what his reaction was going to be.

He blinked at her in shock and confusion for a moment, before quietly clearing his throat.

“But you…you might…” He couldn’t finish the sentence, though Kagome knew what he was trying to say.

“Yes, I might. Especially tonight.”

His eyes opened wide at that, and he quickly did a little mental countdown, double-checking her monthly cycle. His mouth dropped open.

“You want to…” he stated in a shocked whisper, it wasn’t a question.

“Only if you do as well.”

Closing his mouth and his eyes, he shook his head, not in refusal, but merely in denial.

“But I’m-”

“Human.” she interrupted him. “With this on your chest,” she poked her finger against the ofuda, “you are human, and any children we conceived would be human as well.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to have one-quarter-youkai babies, but Kagome was a realist. Even assuming there was a possibility their kids could look human enough to get by in the world without suspicion, she knew Inuyasha would flat out refuse. He would refuse to take the chance. His youki was very strong, and the odds were that any child he sired while in his hanyou form would have at least one or two of his demonic characteristics, despite being three-quarters human. He refused to do that to Kagome, and knowing for a fact how the world viewed ‘non-humans’, Kagome refused to do that to her children. If it were up to her she would love nothing more than a litter of pups all with their dad’s hair, eyes and ears, but it wasn’t up to her. Of course, even being blessed with a human child wasn’t really up to her, not fully. If Inuyasha said no she would abide by his wishes. She wouldn’t do anything underhanded to get her way without his consent.

“How can you be certain my DNA has really changed?” he asked her then. “I mean, I know you can’t sense any youki from me, and the kits all said I smelled and felt human, but we know your ofuda is only suppressing my powers. What if my swimmers turn back to normal once they leave my body?”

“If that were the case, don’t you think I would feel it?” she asked him, proud that he had thought of something so smart and pleased that so far, he wasn’t necessarily turning down her request. “Yes, as a hanyou, even your sperm is demonic, and I can definitely tell the difference. I can feel the residual youki when we discard the condoms. But not when you’re human. There is no difference between you as you are now and during the moonless night. Remember when you accidentally cut yourself helping me with dinner that one time?”

Blushing, he grumbled something under his breath about having never used a carving knife before. It had been during the summer, and he had merely been ‘practicing’ being human in preparation for her busy season. Kagome had been worried about the severity of the cut on his hand and so he’d removed the ofuda to turn back into a hanyou, thus healing his injury. He had commented offhandedly how odd it was to smell his own human blood, since it smelled like him only not him, as he’d proceeded to clean up the few drops that had spilled on her countertop during his mishap. Drops of blood that had stayed human blood even after he had transformed back into a hanyou. Once bodily fluid created by his human-self left the body, it remained human bodily fluid, disconnected from him and unaffected by what the rest of his body did afterwards.

Realizing that Kagome was right, that while in human form he would sire a normal, human baby, it took Inuyasha a few minutes of staring off into space before it finally dawned on him that she was offering him a child. Her child. His child. He had never, ever thought that he could possibly become a father. Were they ready? Was he ready? True, on the one hand nobody was ever really ready for parenthood. It was just one of those things you had to learn by doing. But it was also true that their current financial situation would easily support the extra expenses.

“All right…” he told her then, turning his eyes to meet her gaze head on, a small grin slowly climbing its way up his lips.

Before Kagome could even dare to hope she’d heard him right, his hand was in the middle of her chest, gently pushing her back down into the bedding, the unopened condom still in her hands. Taking it from her grasp, he sat it down on the top of his nightstand before climbing over Kagome’s enticing form. Opening her legs in welcome invitation, her smile was contagious as he settled himself on top of her, grinning stupidly. Reaching down to align himself at her entrance, Inuyasha pushed forward slowly, relishing in the sensation of skin on skin contact in such an intimate way. Unlike their first joining, he wasn’t about to explode just from the feel of sinking inside of her. Their time together had thoroughly erased the awkward newness of the act, though there was definitely still a newness to be had in actually being one with her directly. He could certainly tell the difference, and biting his lower lip, he kept his movements slower than normal for the first few minutes, just in case.

“Kami…you feel so good…” he whispered, leaning down to gently kiss her lips.

“So do you…” she moaned in reply, rolling her hips upward to draw him in even further.

Gradually increasing his tempo, it wasn’t long at all before Inuyasha found a steady rhythm, hooking her right leg over his left shoulder as he pounded into her at a slightly crooked angle. While his inu side had a certain affinity for taking her from behind, while in his human form he definitely preferred being able to see her face as they made love, as he locked his eyes with hers in that moment, his gaze telling her everything he didn’t have words for. Kagome’s eyes shown back with a depth of love he had no chance of underestimating. He knew in that moment that he was her everything, as she was his, and while they were giving each other the world, they would also just as gladly give away their worlds simply in order to stay with each other. Although the words had never been said, Inuyasha knew in that moment that if he were ever discovered, if he were ever forced to make a run for it, unlike Kikyou, she would go with him. Kagome would give up everything to stay with him, and he would give up anything to stay with her, even half of himself. In that moment he equally debated both the prospect of leaving the ofuda on for the rest of his life, of allowing himself to grow old and die along side her, as well as ripping the cursed thing from his flesh and allowing himself to impregnate her with a one-quarter-youkai child, which he knew she really wanted. He wanted to be able to grant her that wish, but not only would it not be wise, it would be downright stupid. Still, he knew that even while in his hanyou form, he would have absolutely no trouble loving a pure human child, and he knew that with Kagome as their mother, their kids could be made aware of the fact that their father was really a hanyou, and nothing bad would come of it. They would understand that it had to be kept a secret, while at the same time not hating him or themselves because of it. With Kagome as their mother, their children would understand how all life was equally precious, and they would be aware of the prejudices of the world without turning bitter because of it.

The thought of ‘Kagome’ and ‘mother’ in the same sentence, especially with himself in the role of ‘father’, was enough to draw tears of happiness to the hanyou-turned-human’s eyes.

Seeing the way his chocolate orbs were shimmering above her, Kagome reached up with a tentative hand, gently wiping at the moisture on his cheek. Her eyes asked him What’s wrong? Inuyasha’s gaze in that moment told her I love you so badly it hurts.

Feeling the telltale tingling climb its way through his body, Inuyasha tightened his hold on Kagome’s leg, giving his thrusts more gusto as he reached down with his right hand and started rubbing at her clit in rapid strokes. He refused to fall over the edge until she was falling with him. With the added stimulation it didn’t take long at all before the miko was shrieking in delight, her inner muscles clamping down around him in a vice grip that felt so much better without a layer of latex between them. Immediately, it hit him, as he stilled above her, his left hand tightening on her leg as he turned his head slightly, resting his forehead against her calf as he bit his lower lip to keep from screaming. His white-hot seed shot in quick bursts into her loving, waiting body, her fertile womb eagerly accepting the gift he had just given her.

He had no regrets.

It was with a sated grin that Inuyasha slowly pulled himself away from her, allowing her leg to flop down to the mattress below as he collapsed half on top of her, pulling the miko into a fierce embrace. Drifting off to sleep in each other’s arms, neither Kagome nor Inuyasha had any worries about the future. They were fully prepared to deal with whatever life threw at them.