InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Blackout ❯ Growing Together ( Chapter 46 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure / Angst | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 07.28.2015 | Pages: 13 | Words: 8.5K | Visits: 1.2K | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure / Angst | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 07.28.2015 | Pages: 13 | Words: 8.5K | Visits: 1.2K | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known
characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from
Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this
story and any original characters I’ve created. I will
make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the
enjoyment of my readers.
Growing Together
Kagome lay on her bed, propped up against several pillows which were piled to make a comfortable backrest. Her eyes scanned the open pages of the book in her hands, but her mind did not truly process the words. She couldn’t quite suppress a smirk at the sound of Inuyasha stomping up the stairs.
He shoved open her door, then plodded over and flopped on the bed next to her in overly dramatic fashion, heaving an exhausted sigh. Kagome rolled her eyes, but Inuyasha didn’t see it with his arm resting across his forehead, as though attempting to block out the electric lighting so he could get some much-needed rest. He’d worn his modern-era clothing at her insistence, and the first thing he’d done upon entering her room was check to make sure that his fire-rat robes and Tetsusaiga were exactly where he’d left them. Kagome chuckled and shook her head, causing Inuyasha to lower his arm and glare up at her.
“What’s so funny, wench?” he demanded in a grumpy tone.
“Nothing,” she replied lightly. “Just thinking how nice it was of you to offer to walk my friends home.”
He snorted. “‘Offer,’ she says. More like I ‘was volunteered’ to be ambushed by your harpy friends. You planned that, didn’t you?”
She shrugged. “Well, I could tell that they wanted to talk to you alone. I figured you would be better off getting it over with. How did it go?”
“Keh. I don’t need your friends telling me how to be a good ‘boyfriend.’”
“I know you don’t,” Kagome replied honestly, “but it made them feel better about us being together. You were nice to them, right?”
He glared at her again. “I’m a man, aren’t I? I’m not going to yell at a bunch of girls who are only looking out for you.”
“I knew that too,” she answered with a sincere smile. “And I haven’t gotten any angry phone calls telling me to break up with you since you dropped them off, so I think we’re in the clear.”
“Keh. Nosy women can’t mind their own damn business…”
“Oh, don’t pout, Inuyasha. I really do appreciate you doing that for me.”
“I don’t pout, wench,” he retorted, though her words had seemingly taken the edge off of his previous irritation. It couldn’t have been easy for him, being interrogated and lectured by three teenage girls, but he’d put up with it for her sake and she was grateful. Maintaining the relationship she wanted with her friends meant their accepting that Inuyasha was back in her life, and in a more fully committed capacity. Good progress had been made on that front today, though she was sure they weren’t quite there yet. She had invited them over after school for an undisclosed reason, surprising them with Inuyasha’s presence. They’d listened to her semi-fictional explanation about where he’d been all this time, and had expressed happiness that the two of them were back together. But her friends had obviously been waiting impatiently for an opportunity to talk to Inuyasha alone, so she’d obliged. It was better to get everyone’s concerns out in the open right away, rather than letting them fester unaddressed. She trusted Inuyasha to determine how much to tell them, and to handle the situation like a mature adult. Well, mature enough, anyway. She was sure the hanyou had fired back a few times, but he’d apparently kept his temper in check and given her friends enough reassurance to accept their relationship, at least provisionally.
Amused by his denial to his very obvious pouting, Kagome reached down and started to massage his ear between her fingers the way he liked. He flicked the fuzzy appendage out of her grasp, but when she didn’t resume her ministrations he glanced up to her as if to ask why. In other circumstances she might play dumb, but here she decided to let him get away with his childish behavior. He had been a man when it counted, but she liked the innocent side of him too. She could sense the tension flowing out of him as she massaged his tender flesh, sometimes running her fingers through the hair at the top of his head. His eyes closed and his breathing became deep and regular; if she didn’t know him better, she might assume that he was asleep.
Rubbing his ears was therapeutic for her as well. It satisfied her desire for physical contact, a yearning which she knew Inuyasha felt as well. She could see it in his eyes, sense it through his fingertips when he rubbed her belly, or placed his ear against it for long periods of time, just listening to his child. It had been five days since his return, and they had yet to share anything more in terms of physical intimacy. They had not even embraced since the night of his return. Inuyasha still slept while sitting on the floor, his back resting against her nightstand.
It had initially surprised Kagome to realize that none of this worried her. She had nearly kissed him several times over the past couple days, or vice versa. The near misses left her feeling awkward and embarrassed, and perhaps somewhat distressed, but never overly concerned. Whatever held them back would pass, of that she was confident. Her feelings for Inuyasha had never changed, and he had given her no cause to doubt that he wanted everything she did. And though he had not said the words since the night of his return, she knew he still loved her.
So the fact that she and Inuyasha had not leapt right into each other’s arms did not cause Kagome to question the strength of their relationship. Said relationship was a work in progress, but it was coming along. In many ways, Inuyasha was still the scared young man who she had fallen in love with. But both of them had done a lot of growing up through their recent adventures. They were taking things slow, as adults. The place they were currently at was comfortable for both of them, though Kagome did feel the growing urge to take things to the next level, and she knew Inuyasha did too. When they were ready, they would go there together. In the meantime, she would continue to adjust to having him in her life again, after weeks of preparing to raise a child without him. It would take some time, but she was certainly warming up to the idea.
She would also continue to move forward with other aspects of her life. Well, some aspects. The Shikon no Tama was one subject on which she and Inuyasha had agreed to maintain the status quo for now. No one knew whether the bone eater’s well would continue to function once the power of the jewel vanished from this world, and she wanted her mother to meet her grandchild at least once before taking the risk of never seeing her again. Inuyasha had offered to live in the modern era with her instead, but she had refused. The feudal era was his home, and their child would have a better life there surrounded by people who accepted him for who he was, rather than constantly having to conceal his true nature from a world which did not even comprehend the existence of his kind. Besides, leaving her family from five hundred years in the past would be almost as hard as leaving the one she had grown up with. Kagome obviously hoped that the well would retain its temporal power, but if not, she had already chosen where she would make her home. She had not told Souta or Jii-chan yet, but her mother understood her reasons and accepted her decision.
The moment of truth in that regard was fast approaching. The baby would probably be born in three weeks or so, and more than ever she was looking forward to motherhood. After more than eight months, she was tired of being pregnant. She did her best to stay healthy and retain her independence, but doing much of anything made her tired these days and everyone around her was willing to help. Especially Inuyasha, who could come across as overbearing at times. Once she had snapped at him to leave her alone, then later atoned with a tearful apology. But the hanyou backed off just a little after that, and she had managed to avoid any further outbursts.
She had also been fairly cold to him on the second evening of their reunion. They had talked throughout the day about a variety of topics, and finally Inuyasha described in detail Kikyou’s final moments. It still bothered Kagome a little that he had kissed the older miko, but she knew it would pass. Feeling jealous was stupid, given that Inuyasha had chosen her. He had simply been trying to ease Kikyou’s suffering as best he could. Her final moments on Earth had been full of joy, in contrast to the rest of her existence. The kind, understanding part of Kagome was glad that Inuyasha had made it so, and she was sure the rest of her would catch up soon.
She was also in the process of making peace with Miroku and Sango’s decision to withhold Inuyasha’s statement concerning his choice. Initially it had been about convincing her to give priority to the baby’s health, as she suspected. Later, as their odds of ever seeing the hanyou again decreased, they confessed that they simply wanted to spare her any additional pain. Kagome understood that, and in fact they were probably right—knowing how Inuyasha felt would likely have made it more difficult for her to move on. Doing so had already proven a major challenge. Ultimately, she wished that her friends had been honest with her and allowed her to deal with the consequences. But they had done what they thought was best, and were motivated by their concern and affection for her, so she knew she would forgive them soon as well.
“Kagome?” Inuyasha called softly, pulling her from her musings.
“Yes?” She glanced down at him only to see him look away, a hint of a blush coloring his cheeks. Her eyes widened slightly, her heartbeat quickening as she pondered the reason for his nervousness.
“I, uh…do you want to go to a ‘moo-vee’ tomorrow?” he asked, the word sounding foreign on his tongue.
Kagome blinked in surprise. “Inuyasha, are you asking me out on a date?”
“W-w-well isn’t that what normal couples do in your time?!” he demanded defensively. “Unless…you don’t want to…”
“I’d love to,” she replied honestly, beaming from ear to ear. His nervousness was incredibly endearing, and she didn’t even care that this idea could not possibly have originated from him. She sensed her friends’ hands in this—or rather, Ayumi’s hand. The wavy-haired girl lived a little farther from Higurashi shrine than Eri or Yuki; it had probably just been Ayumi and Inuyasha walking together at the very end. And while Ayumi had been led to believe that she and Inuyasha had been officially going out for some time, she had probably suggested to the hanyou to essentially start over with their relationship and try to make things romantic. Kagome would make it a point to thank her later.
Inuyasha grinned hesitantly in relief, then closed his eyes and wiggled his ears expectantly. Kagome rolled her eyes at his cheekiness, but nevertheless complied with his silent request. On the bright side, settling back into the ear massage alleviated what might otherwise have been a fairly awkward few minutes. She felt a little foolish at being so excited over such a simple thing. But it was thrilling, the prospect of behaving like a normal couple for a change. Our first date. She had to chuckle at that. We seem to do things backward, Inuyasha and I.
As long as they eventually reached the place where both of them wanted to be, then she supposed it didn’t really matter how they got there.
They were stupid, the whole judgmental lot of them. She hadn’t gone out much since her condition became impossible to conceal, mostly just on outings with her mother. During said outings she tried to ignore the hundreds or thousands of strangers around her, most passing within the blink of an eye. But even that miniscule amount of time was enough to read facial expressions. Initial, almost instinctual reactions were often very revealing of a person’s true feelings, before learned politeness behavior kicked in.
Kagome was tired of being reacted to. Some strangers looked upon her with pity, shaking their heads and turning to whisper to their companions about the poor, knocked-up teenager. Others glared at her with annoyance or contempt, as if her very presence offended their delicate sensibilities. Young people were the worst. Boys smirked, probably thinking how easy it was to get in her pants, while girls skirted around her as if she had the plague. At times Kagome felt like a walking campaign ad for abstinence, as though she had a giant sign around her neck. ‘See girls!’ it read. ‘This is what happens when you screw around!’
Some or even most of this was in her head, of course. She was sure that many of the people she saw on the street or at the pregnancy group weren’t even paying attention to her, or had something else on their minds as they looked in her general direction. Some of it also likely stemmed from those lovely little pregnancy hormones she had been reading about. But she was equally sure that some of it was real. And since it was nearly impossible to separate the legitimate from the imagined, her poor overwhelmed brain tended to read every little glance or facial expression as a judgment on her condition. It was maddening, and sometimes only a tight grip on her mother’s hand enabled her to keep her emotions in check. Her mother understood and was always ready to support her, but remained firm in her belief that her daughter needed to get out of the house. For her part, Kagome also wished to avoid becoming a shut-in, so she had borne the silent opinions of others without complaint.
Until today. If the status quo had continued, then it probably wouldn’t have bothered her too much. But Inuyasha’s presence had changed things for the better, which counterintuitively annoyed the hell out of Kagome. Her hanyou had dressed formally for their date—though ‘formal’ for Inuyasha meant a nicer set of jeans and short-sleeved shirt—and appeared to be a perfectly well-adjusted, if somewhat eccentric, young man. His presence magically transformed Kagome from ‘knocked-up slut’ to ‘young pregnant woman’ in the eyes of the ignorant masses. Perhaps the two of them were engaged or even married already, and had made the unusual but certainly acceptable choice to start a family young. Or perhaps the pregnancy was an accident, but the man responsible was sticking by her instead of running off. It was pretty ridiculous that the man’s actions should determine how the world looked at her, the woman, but that certainly appeared to be the case.
Hence the reason the people were all stupid.
“Kagome? Are you okay?”
She blinked, then glanced over at Inuyasha to find him frowning down at her, his eyes colored by rising concern. Oh, damn. Snap out of it, Kagome! You’re making Inuyasha feel insecure.
“I’m fine, Inuyasha.” He didn’t look like he believed her, so she reached over and grasped his hand, willing her irritation to melt away. “It’s nothing, really,” she tried again, managing a sincere smile.
“Okay,” he muttered, obviously still uncomfortable.
Kagome sighed. “If you really want to know what’s bothering me, I’ll tell you later. I promise it’s nothing you did, okay?”
Inuyasha relaxed visibly, probably as much at her willingness to confide in him as her assurance that he hadn’t done anything wrong. Reuniting during her final month of pregnancy had proven to be trying for both of them, so it was no surprise that he spent much of his time walking on eggshells. Kagome did not want him to have to do that today. This was about taking a step forward in their relationship, even a very minor one.
At last they arrived at the movie theater, though the phrase ‘at last’ could be considered out of place. The theater was only a few blocks from the shrine, after all, though the distance felt like a few kilometers to Kagome. She knew she would feel fatigue in her bones tonight, but she refused to allow her condition to interfere with her and Inuyasha’s day. The theater itself was small, with only two or three screens as opposed to one of those dozen-screen monstrosities. It was less crowded as a result, which Kagome certainly appreciated. Inuyasha paid for the tickets using currency her mother had given him, money ostensibly from the same ‘college fund’ which had covered a lot of baby-related expenses over the past several months. He then located the correct theater and led them toward it as if he’d done this a hundred times before. Kagome might have been impressed, if she hadn’t been concentrating so hard on ignoring the den of evil situated off to her right. Ignore the snack counter, Kagome. You need to eat healthy. You’re going to have a nice dinner later with Inuyasha, so you shouldn’t be eating junk food. Resist the temptation. Resist the—
“Want something to eat, Kagome?”
And just like that, game over. Temptation 1, Kagome 0.
“Some iwashi senbei, please,” she muttered shamefully, knowing she was going to hate herself with every sweet, succulent bite. Inuyasha was only too eager to run off and fill her diabolical craving. She couldn’t blame him for it; he was just trying to make her happy. And he was! Her stomach especially was going to be very happy when he returned.
Somehow she managed to make it to her seat before devouring the snack. The previews were just starting, so she had some time to catch her breath—in between bites of dried fish—before the movie began. Inuyasha had taken her to the one which Ayumi recommended, a romantic number which was supposed to make girls swoon and even men shed a tear or two. Halfway through the film, Kagome was far from swooning. It all seemed so…artificial. Boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl experience some angst—if you could call it that—and though she hadn’t seen the ending, Kagome would assume it involved boy and girl making up and living happily ever after.
Before her fifteenth birthday, such a movie might have appealed to Kagome. But she had come to appreciate the difference between fantasy and reality. Some might consider her adventures in the feudal era to be fantasy, but it was also real, as was the love which had been forged through real adversity and real heartache. What she saw on the screen was the embodiment of an artificial romance which could never exist in the real world. And she was no longer interested in such a thing. Glancing over to gauge her companion’s opinion, Kagome nearly burst out laughing. The only tears Inuyasha seemed likely to shed were of boredom. He was trying so hard to pretend that he didn’t absolutely loathe this movie, but couldn’t quite pull it off.
“Do you want to leave, Inuyasha?”
He shook his head vigorously, a man attempting to resist the most seductive of temptations. “No, it’s…fine.”
“Are you sure?” she asked amusedly. “I don’t really like it myself…”
“Then I fucking hate it!” he swore aloud, drawing the glares of several nearby patrons. “You don’t mind?” he asked in a much softer tone.
“Definitely not. Come on, there’s another movie showing here that might be more your style.”
If that didn’t turn out to be the understatement of the year, Kagome didn’t know what was. Their second selection was an action movie import from the United States. She made sure it was a dubbed version because she was pretty sure that Inuyasha would not appreciate strange modern words flashing by him. She initially wondered if he would pepper her with questions, but that concern proved unfounded. The feudal era hanyou quickly became completely engrossed in his first high-budget, over-the-top Hollywood action movie. He practically leapt from his chair at the first spectacular car explosion, and when the bad guy finally met his end in a fiery inferno of ridiculous proportions, Inuyasha could be heard cheering. Kagome derived much of her enjoyment from watching him, but the movie wasn’t bad either. Thin plot? Yes. An insane amount of violence and an irresponsible number of explosions? Yes. More entertaining than that dumb romance movie? Hell yes.
The entertainment did not stop with the credits. Inuyasha was a bundle of energy as they made their way down the sidewalk afterward, jabbering on like a little kid intent on reliving every moment. Kagome’s head started to spin as she tried to keep up with him, but she had seldom seen him this excited before and was genuinely enjoying it.
“And remember when the guy drove the car into that thing with the spinner on top?”
“The helicopter.”
“Yeah, and the guy flying it gets blown through the air and sucked into that other thing with the wings?”
“The jet plane.”
“And then all of it explodes like crazy? That was fuckin’ awesome!”
“Yeah, that was pretty—ugh!”
All it took was a small grunt of discomfort from her to completely derail Inuyasha’s action movie adoration train.
“What’s wrong, Kagome? Are you okay?” he demanded, looping his arm around her shoulders for support.
“F-fine,” she managed, wincing in pain. “My feet are just getting a little sore.”
“Let’s go home.”
“No! We’re almost to the restaurant,” she declared, pointing to the sign on the building just up ahead. “I’ll feel better after I eat.”
Inuyasha shot her a dubious look, but he helped her the rest of the way to the restaurant without further incident. Kagome heaved a relieved sigh as she plopped down in her chair. Her feet were more than a ‘little’ sore, and she had a feeling that Inuyasha knew it. She wasn’t sure she would be able to walk home after dinner, but that was a worry for later. Right now she was fully intent on enjoying her meal. She had taken Inuyasha to a teppanyaki restaurant. This particular one was popular with foreign tourists, so the hanyou’s hair and eye color didn’t stand out so much. And she knew he would enjoy seeing the food cooked in front of him, rather than prepared back in the kitchen. Kagome thought he might accept when offered sake, but instead he asked for water and passed her a sheepish look, to their mutual amusement.
Overall, dinner went very well. Inuyasha used his nose to avoid the few dishes which were too spicy for his liking, but the bulk of the cuisine was at least somewhat familiar to him and he certainly ate his fill. As did Kagome, though she could at least blame her appetite on the little one growing inside of her. Inuyasha was just a glutton, an observation he in no way denied when she put it to him. When she asked him if it was better than ramen, however, he never gave her a straight answer.
As Kagome feared, her feet were still painfully sore after the meal. Instead of heading directly home, however, she led Inuyasha toward a new destination.
“Where are we going, Kagome? Your house is in the other direction.”
“We’re going to the taxi stand, Inuyasha. You remember those cars I told you about that take people where they need to go?”
“Yeah, but—oh, your feet still hurt bad, don’t they?” he asked, his ears lowering.
“Only a little,” she lied. “I just don’t want to overdo it.”
Inuyasha snorted, and in the next instant Kagome found herself scooped up in his arms and carried off into the nearest alley.
“Inuyasha! What are you doing?!”
“Keh. Relax, nobody saw me do that…I think.”
“Inuyasha,” she growled warningly.
“You’re not takin’ another step on those feet, Kagome,” he stated firmly.
“I’m fine, Inu—”
“No, you’re not. Besides,” he declared with a smirk, “what the hell do you need a ‘taxi’ for when you’ve got me?”
Kagome’s eyes widened as she realized what he had in mind. “Inuyasha, we can’t—”
“Why not? It’s dark out. Without those lights in the street you humans wouldn’t be able to see shit. And there aren’t any lights up where we’re going.”
“B-but,” she stuttered, struggling to come up with a reason to continue arguing her point. “Um…”
“Don’t you trust me, Kagome?”
Those drooping ears, those pleading eyes, and that dejected tone sealed it for Kagome. Since she couldn’t come up with a logical reason to refuse him, said refusal would necessarily have to stem from lack of trust. That was simply not an issue, and she did not wish to give Inuyasha any reason to think otherwise. It would wound him deeply for no good reason. If he trusted himself to carry her and their child back home, then she trusted him as well.
“Okay, but—kyaa!”
Kagome’s heart dropped somewhere next to her stomach as her bearer pulled a sudden, gravity-defying leap to the top of the adjacent building.
“You were saying, wench?” he teased, grinning roguishly. She bit back an ‘osuwari’—the rosary no longer worked, but Inuyasha still cringed in the most satisfying way when she uttered the spell. Instead she fixed him with a stern glare.
“I was going to tell you not to go too faaaaaaaaaaaaaaast!!!”
By the time her lungs emptied, Kagome’s scream had turned to laughter. Kami, I never realized how much I missed this! It was not exactly the same as it used to be, since she could only ‘ride’ Inuyasha bridal-style and the trees and grass of his home world had been replaced by concrete and tar. But still Kagome loved every moment of it. There was something exhilarating about letting go, releasing any semblance of control and leaving everything to Inuyasha. She reveled in the almost natural trust, the absolute knowledge that despite their high-speed maneuvering, she was as safe at this moment as she had ever been in her entire life. She had not enjoyed herself so much, or felt so carefree, in a long time.
Inuyasha deliberately took longer than necessary to reach the shrine; he was likely relishing this as much as she was. He did not release her once his feet touched down on the deserted grounds, instead continuing to hold her tightly as he gazed down at her. His lungs contracted rapidly with moderately heavy breathing, which Kagome sensed was caused by more than physical exertion. Her smile faded as she gazed up into his bright golden eyes, both sets of orbs widening as they comprehended the precipice they stood upon. The intimacy which both of them desired was finally within their reach. It quickened heartbeats and frayed nerves, but neither of them shied away.
Inuyasha leaned in, hesitantly at first, then more confidently as Kagome’s fingers cupped the back of his head, drawing him down to meet her. They sighed in unison as their lips connected, hearts swelling as they rejoiced in newfound closeness, healing wounds old and new. For those seconds of blissful utopia, they were one. When their lips finally parted, they leaned their foreheads together, neither able to restrain the contented smiles which tugged at the corners of their mouths. And they were content, despite the mutual desire to engage in more than a chaste kiss. But taking things slowly was working, and more importantly, ‘merely’ kissing made both of them extremely happy. It was enough, at least for tonight.
The magic ended as soon as Inuyasha set Kagome on her feet, at the miko’s insistence. Just as quickly she found herself back in his arms, this time with no thoughts of protesting being carried inside the house. If the throbbing pain in her lower extremities was any indication, she would need crutches to walk to her room from here. Inuyasha now wore the scowl of a man simultaneously annoyed at his beloved for overdoing it, and blaming himself for allowing her to do so. Kagome grinned sheepishly up at him as her hand snuck to the top of his head and latched onto an ear. Said appendage flicked away in irritation, but only briefly.
“Tadaima!” she called softly as Inuyasha stepped gingerly through the doorway. Jii-chan could very well be asleep by now, and Souta was probably in his room playing a computer game or finishing his homework. Sure enough, only her mother’s voice drifted in from the living room, the only room downstairs which was not dark.
“Welcome home, dear. How was your date?”
“Great, Mama! We had a blast.”
“Well, that’s goo—Kami, Kagome, are you okay?” Mrs. Higurashi asked upon seeing her daughter’s mode of transportation.
“Fine, Mama. My feet are just a little sore.”
“A ‘little sore,’ my ass,” Inuyasha muttered under his breath. Mrs. Higurashi also looked like she wanted to say something, but perhaps it was the happiness she could see radiating off of Kagome which stilled her tongue. As Inuyasha carried her daughter up the stairs, she shrugged and resumed reading her book. She would certainly check on Kagome later, but her daughter seemed to believe that the soreness in her feet was normal, so for now she would give her the benefit of the doubt. After such a long and trying road, it warmed her heart to see Kagome so happy, despite any lingering reservations she might still hold concerning the person who made her that way. If happiness was the dominant emotion which Inuyasha inspired in her daughter going forward, then the two of them would have no problems.
At Kagome’s request, Inuyasha set her down inside of the bathroom. She desperately needed a bath for both hygienic and relaxation purposes. She didn’t draw the water as hot as she used to, but a warm bath would soothe her tired muscles and allow her to elevate her feet. She also found that soaking her feet in cooler water with minerals after the bath helped to alleviate soreness. And emotionally, the bath would allow her to unwind after a very satisfying, yet exhausting day out.
“Do you need help getting in the bath?” Inuyasha asked, sounding as though he couldn’t decide whether to be excited or terrified by the prospect.
“No, I can take it from here,” Kagome replied, playfully shooing him out of the room. As a result, she missed the determined look which lit up the hanyou’s features just before she closed the door.
By the time Kagome emerged from the bathroom almost an hour later, wrapped in a thick fuzzy bathrobe with her hair dried and combed, she felt a hundred percent better. She still walked gingerly on tender feet and ankles, and cringed a little as she did so. She would definitely not argue when both Inuyasha and her mother inevitably demanded that she take it easy tomorrow. She was sure the former was about to make said demand as soon as she entered her room, but she would not begrudge his concern for her. And if he still felt guilty, she would just have to tell him—or better yet, show him—that she didn’t mind a little discomfort in the name of romance. Just because they apparently weren’t going to move beyond kissing this evening didn’t mean they couldn’t kiss more than once…
She found Inuyasha in her room as expected, but the hanyou seemed surprisingly tense for some unknown reason. He rolled to his feet with almost feline grace when he saw her, his eyes glowing with determination. A shudder of anticipation passed through her.
“Lie down on the bed, Kagome,” he ordered gently.
Kagome frowned even as her cheeks colored and her heart leapt within her chest. His words could certainly be interpreted to carry an overtly sexual connotation, but she just wasn’t getting that vibe from him. He had something planned for sure, something which was obviously outside of his comfort zone, but Kagome found herself moving to comply with his request after the barest of hesitations. Both curiosity and excitement drove her to lay on the bed on her right side facing him, but it would never have happened without deep trust.
For a few moments Inuyasha simply gazed down at her, his eyes silently expressing awe. Then without a word, he sat at the end of the bed and pulled her feet into his lap. And when he separated her right foot from her left and grasped it gently in both of his hands, Kagome finally understood what he was up to.
“W-wait, Inuyasha, you don’t have to—oh…oh, my…”
Her moan of appreciation quickly shifted into a hiss of discomfort as Inuyasha’s inexperienced fingers stroked a sore spot in exactly the wrong way. The hanyou nearly lost his nerve at that, and would perhaps have bolted from the room had Kagome not hurriedly reached out to him with her hand. It had taken only a few moments of pleasure for her to realize that asking Inuyasha to cease his ministrations was a very stupid idea. If it felt this nice when he obviously had little idea what he was doing, how good would it feel as he gained confidence and experience? Besides, she could tell that this was going to be as therapeutic for his emotional state as it was for her feet. It had obviously taken quite a bit of effort to muster up the nerve to do this, and it said a lot about how much he cared for her. Smiling reassuringly, Kagome overcame her embarrassment and mumbled a simple suggestion for how to improve his technique, and Inuyasha resumed his tentative massage.
It was trial and error at first, as she knew it would be. But Inuyasha was a quick study, and was determined to learn her preferences. As the minutes passed, Kagome’s instructions became fewer and farther in between. By the time he set her right foot down in his lap and grasped her left in his hands, she was nearing a state of complete incoherency. It took several moments of pleasure deprivation and Inuyasha calling her name for Kagome to rouse her lulled consciousness.
“Wh-What is it, Inuyasha?” she murmured sleepily. She opened her eyes to gaze at him, and immediately experienced a jolt of adrenaline. His golden orbs smoldered with emotion, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. Seeing that he had her full attention, Inuyasha glanced away and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
“Kagome…I wanted to ask you something. I know that we’re still learning how to…be together, but you should know what I want for…us, even if it’s not right away. That is…will you be my wife?”
Kagome couldn’t help but smile wryly. A fantasy proposal it was not. She was lying on her bed, and Inuyasha literally had her foot in his hands. And yet, she couldn’t detect even an iota of disappointment within herself. What was there to be disappointed about? The man she loved wanted to marry her. His eyes revealed how deeply he loved her in return, as his words had already done. It felt like a dream, even though she never in a million years would have imagined this scenario for a proposal. That didn’t make it any less special. As her lower lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears, she opened her arms in silent invitation. Inuyasha grinned in relief as he moved to accept.
Kagome must have caught him off guard with how tightly she embraced him, and by the way her lips pressed urgently against his own. She felt him gasp as she parted her lips and used her tongue to tease him, but soon enough he responded in kind and Kagome found herself slipping into a different kind of euphoria. But they maintained control of their passions, and pulled away breathlessly after an indulgence which both felt was far too short. There would come a time when they would finally surrender to their passions and experience all of the intimacy that a committed relationship had to offer. But not tonight. Tonight was perfect already, and neither wanted to risk ruining it by doing something they weren’t quite ready for yet, to say nothing of how Kagome’s condition might complicate further intimacy.
“Of course I’ll be your wife, baka,” Kagome told him. She didn’t think it was possible for Inuyasha to look any happier than he did in that moment, as he leaned in and kissed her temple. Then his smile turned to a smirk, and he vanished from her field of vision. She sensed him settle in his previous position, and realized with a delightful shiver that her foot massage was not yet over.
Shifting her body into a more comfortable position, Kagome closed her eyes and vowed to enjoy her new fiancé’s attentions to the fullest.
“How is she?”
Mrs. Higurashi’s voice snapped him out of his reverie, and he realized that he’d reached his destination.
“She’s fine. Sleeping like a log.”
“Ah, so the foot massage was a success then?”
Inuyasha nodded. “Thanks again for suggesting it.”
“Don’t mention it. Kagome never liked for me to rub her feet very often, but it helped when they were really sore. Do you think it was just normal soreness?”
“Yeah, I think so. I’ll make her take it easy tomorrow and we’ll see how she feels.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Mrs. Higurashi declared, covering a yawn. Obviously she had only stayed up to make sure her daughter was all right. “I’m off to bed.”
“There was something else,” Inuyasha stated, the seriousness of his tone drawing his companion’s full attention. “I…I asked Kagome to marry me.” His future mother-in-law studied him for a moment, her expression neutral.
“And she said ‘yes?’”
At Inuyasha’s nod, Mrs. Higurashi sighed. It was heavy, borne of frustration and conflicting emotions. Inuyasha could understand that. He was sure that Kagome’s mother was happy for them on some level, but the memory of her daughter’s struggles was still too fresh for her to fully embrace their relationship. That she was willing to try so hard to accept them spoke volumes to Inuyasha. And eventually he knew that if he continued to make Kagome happy, her mother would fully embrace him as a son.
“Well, you have my blessing, of course,” she stated sincerely. “Just please…don’t break her heart again.”
“I won’t,” he responded firmly. “I never did thank you…for taking care of Kagome while I was gone.”
“What choice did I have?” Mrs. Higurashi retorted, her tone slightly bitter. “My daughter was in pain, and I did the best I could to help her, but it was never enough. You were the only one who could truly heal her, and that is why I’m glad you’ve returned. You say you love Kagome and that you’re here to stay…and with each passing day, I become more convinced that you’re telling the truth.”
“I am. I’ll prove it.”
“I believe you,” she answered honestly. After a somewhat awkward silence, she changed the subject. “So when do you think you’ll hold the ceremony?”
“Uh, I dunno. We didn’t talk about it. But I think Kagome might want her family to see her get married before we…purify the Shikon no Tama.”
“I think she would like that too,” Mrs. Higurashi agreed, knowing full well what purifying the jewel potentially meant. “I would like that,” she added after a moment’s hesitation.
“I’m glad. I’ll let her know.”
“Thank you,” she said, rising to her feet. “And on that note, this time I really am going to bed. Good night, Inuyasha.”
“Good night.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” she stated as she climbed the stairs. “Make sure you talk to Kagome’s grandfather tomorrow.”
Inuyasha grimaced. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
“Oh, don’t worry about him,” she replied with a grin. “You’ll get a lecture, probably a long one at that, but secretly he’s been hoping you’d marry Kagome for some time.”
“Keh. Tell me about it,” Inuyasha snorted, recalling what had transpired when he and Kagome first informed her family of her pregnancy. Damn jijii and his stupid sense of honor. But he sensed that the elderly priest was also concerned with his grandaughter’s happiness. He would just have to remember that while he was getting lectured tomorrow. That would not be fun, but he would put up with much worse for Kagome’s sake. It couldn’t be any more irritating than the lecture he’d received from her three harpy friends, could it?
Either way, the next few weeks promised to be eventful. A pregnancy nearing its end, a potential wedding to plan, a relationship on the mend and who knew what else? He would have to work hard to make sure Kagome didn’t overdo it, especially since he wanted to go out with her again. Her description of the date as ‘a blast’ had been spot on. And if she did overdo it, he could always massage her feet. Hell, he planned on doing that even if she sat on the couch all day.
He held up his hand and studied it, from the hard, calloused palm to the vicious-looking claws crowning each finger. I used to think these hands were only meant for killing. Yet another preconceived notion which Kagome had disproved. Soon he would hold a baby, his baby, with these hands. Hands which had slain thousands of enemies during his lifetime, yet now seemed perfectly capable of the gentlest of acts. And when both of them were ready, he would learn how to please a woman with these hands as well. Before tonight, he had wondered deep down whether he was capable of giving pleasure to another person with any part of his body. His one previous sexual experience had caused Kagome only pain. But seeing her turn to putty under his hands tonight had resurrected his faith in himself. He would learn how to satisfy Kagome sexually, just as he had learned how to massage her feet. And as tonight had revealed, he was a quick study. When they were ready, he would show her that he could learn other skills just as swiftly.
In the meantime, he would continue to focus on growing closer to her, and making the last few weeks of her pregnancy as comfortable as possible. They had quite a ways to go to reach the place where they both wanted to be, but after today, the promised land didn’t seem so far off.
Paradise had never been so close.
Growing Together
Kagome lay on her bed, propped up against several pillows which were piled to make a comfortable backrest. Her eyes scanned the open pages of the book in her hands, but her mind did not truly process the words. She couldn’t quite suppress a smirk at the sound of Inuyasha stomping up the stairs.
He shoved open her door, then plodded over and flopped on the bed next to her in overly dramatic fashion, heaving an exhausted sigh. Kagome rolled her eyes, but Inuyasha didn’t see it with his arm resting across his forehead, as though attempting to block out the electric lighting so he could get some much-needed rest. He’d worn his modern-era clothing at her insistence, and the first thing he’d done upon entering her room was check to make sure that his fire-rat robes and Tetsusaiga were exactly where he’d left them. Kagome chuckled and shook her head, causing Inuyasha to lower his arm and glare up at her.
“What’s so funny, wench?” he demanded in a grumpy tone.
“Nothing,” she replied lightly. “Just thinking how nice it was of you to offer to walk my friends home.”
He snorted. “‘Offer,’ she says. More like I ‘was volunteered’ to be ambushed by your harpy friends. You planned that, didn’t you?”
She shrugged. “Well, I could tell that they wanted to talk to you alone. I figured you would be better off getting it over with. How did it go?”
“Keh. I don’t need your friends telling me how to be a good ‘boyfriend.’”
“I know you don’t,” Kagome replied honestly, “but it made them feel better about us being together. You were nice to them, right?”
He glared at her again. “I’m a man, aren’t I? I’m not going to yell at a bunch of girls who are only looking out for you.”
“I knew that too,” she answered with a sincere smile. “And I haven’t gotten any angry phone calls telling me to break up with you since you dropped them off, so I think we’re in the clear.”
“Keh. Nosy women can’t mind their own damn business…”
“Oh, don’t pout, Inuyasha. I really do appreciate you doing that for me.”
“I don’t pout, wench,” he retorted, though her words had seemingly taken the edge off of his previous irritation. It couldn’t have been easy for him, being interrogated and lectured by three teenage girls, but he’d put up with it for her sake and she was grateful. Maintaining the relationship she wanted with her friends meant their accepting that Inuyasha was back in her life, and in a more fully committed capacity. Good progress had been made on that front today, though she was sure they weren’t quite there yet. She had invited them over after school for an undisclosed reason, surprising them with Inuyasha’s presence. They’d listened to her semi-fictional explanation about where he’d been all this time, and had expressed happiness that the two of them were back together. But her friends had obviously been waiting impatiently for an opportunity to talk to Inuyasha alone, so she’d obliged. It was better to get everyone’s concerns out in the open right away, rather than letting them fester unaddressed. She trusted Inuyasha to determine how much to tell them, and to handle the situation like a mature adult. Well, mature enough, anyway. She was sure the hanyou had fired back a few times, but he’d apparently kept his temper in check and given her friends enough reassurance to accept their relationship, at least provisionally.
Amused by his denial to his very obvious pouting, Kagome reached down and started to massage his ear between her fingers the way he liked. He flicked the fuzzy appendage out of her grasp, but when she didn’t resume her ministrations he glanced up to her as if to ask why. In other circumstances she might play dumb, but here she decided to let him get away with his childish behavior. He had been a man when it counted, but she liked the innocent side of him too. She could sense the tension flowing out of him as she massaged his tender flesh, sometimes running her fingers through the hair at the top of his head. His eyes closed and his breathing became deep and regular; if she didn’t know him better, she might assume that he was asleep.
Rubbing his ears was therapeutic for her as well. It satisfied her desire for physical contact, a yearning which she knew Inuyasha felt as well. She could see it in his eyes, sense it through his fingertips when he rubbed her belly, or placed his ear against it for long periods of time, just listening to his child. It had been five days since his return, and they had yet to share anything more in terms of physical intimacy. They had not even embraced since the night of his return. Inuyasha still slept while sitting on the floor, his back resting against her nightstand.
It had initially surprised Kagome to realize that none of this worried her. She had nearly kissed him several times over the past couple days, or vice versa. The near misses left her feeling awkward and embarrassed, and perhaps somewhat distressed, but never overly concerned. Whatever held them back would pass, of that she was confident. Her feelings for Inuyasha had never changed, and he had given her no cause to doubt that he wanted everything she did. And though he had not said the words since the night of his return, she knew he still loved her.
So the fact that she and Inuyasha had not leapt right into each other’s arms did not cause Kagome to question the strength of their relationship. Said relationship was a work in progress, but it was coming along. In many ways, Inuyasha was still the scared young man who she had fallen in love with. But both of them had done a lot of growing up through their recent adventures. They were taking things slow, as adults. The place they were currently at was comfortable for both of them, though Kagome did feel the growing urge to take things to the next level, and she knew Inuyasha did too. When they were ready, they would go there together. In the meantime, she would continue to adjust to having him in her life again, after weeks of preparing to raise a child without him. It would take some time, but she was certainly warming up to the idea.
She would also continue to move forward with other aspects of her life. Well, some aspects. The Shikon no Tama was one subject on which she and Inuyasha had agreed to maintain the status quo for now. No one knew whether the bone eater’s well would continue to function once the power of the jewel vanished from this world, and she wanted her mother to meet her grandchild at least once before taking the risk of never seeing her again. Inuyasha had offered to live in the modern era with her instead, but she had refused. The feudal era was his home, and their child would have a better life there surrounded by people who accepted him for who he was, rather than constantly having to conceal his true nature from a world which did not even comprehend the existence of his kind. Besides, leaving her family from five hundred years in the past would be almost as hard as leaving the one she had grown up with. Kagome obviously hoped that the well would retain its temporal power, but if not, she had already chosen where she would make her home. She had not told Souta or Jii-chan yet, but her mother understood her reasons and accepted her decision.
The moment of truth in that regard was fast approaching. The baby would probably be born in three weeks or so, and more than ever she was looking forward to motherhood. After more than eight months, she was tired of being pregnant. She did her best to stay healthy and retain her independence, but doing much of anything made her tired these days and everyone around her was willing to help. Especially Inuyasha, who could come across as overbearing at times. Once she had snapped at him to leave her alone, then later atoned with a tearful apology. But the hanyou backed off just a little after that, and she had managed to avoid any further outbursts.
She had also been fairly cold to him on the second evening of their reunion. They had talked throughout the day about a variety of topics, and finally Inuyasha described in detail Kikyou’s final moments. It still bothered Kagome a little that he had kissed the older miko, but she knew it would pass. Feeling jealous was stupid, given that Inuyasha had chosen her. He had simply been trying to ease Kikyou’s suffering as best he could. Her final moments on Earth had been full of joy, in contrast to the rest of her existence. The kind, understanding part of Kagome was glad that Inuyasha had made it so, and she was sure the rest of her would catch up soon.
She was also in the process of making peace with Miroku and Sango’s decision to withhold Inuyasha’s statement concerning his choice. Initially it had been about convincing her to give priority to the baby’s health, as she suspected. Later, as their odds of ever seeing the hanyou again decreased, they confessed that they simply wanted to spare her any additional pain. Kagome understood that, and in fact they were probably right—knowing how Inuyasha felt would likely have made it more difficult for her to move on. Doing so had already proven a major challenge. Ultimately, she wished that her friends had been honest with her and allowed her to deal with the consequences. But they had done what they thought was best, and were motivated by their concern and affection for her, so she knew she would forgive them soon as well.
“Kagome?” Inuyasha called softly, pulling her from her musings.
“Yes?” She glanced down at him only to see him look away, a hint of a blush coloring his cheeks. Her eyes widened slightly, her heartbeat quickening as she pondered the reason for his nervousness.
“I, uh…do you want to go to a ‘moo-vee’ tomorrow?” he asked, the word sounding foreign on his tongue.
Kagome blinked in surprise. “Inuyasha, are you asking me out on a date?”
“W-w-well isn’t that what normal couples do in your time?!” he demanded defensively. “Unless…you don’t want to…”
“I’d love to,” she replied honestly, beaming from ear to ear. His nervousness was incredibly endearing, and she didn’t even care that this idea could not possibly have originated from him. She sensed her friends’ hands in this—or rather, Ayumi’s hand. The wavy-haired girl lived a little farther from Higurashi shrine than Eri or Yuki; it had probably just been Ayumi and Inuyasha walking together at the very end. And while Ayumi had been led to believe that she and Inuyasha had been officially going out for some time, she had probably suggested to the hanyou to essentially start over with their relationship and try to make things romantic. Kagome would make it a point to thank her later.
Inuyasha grinned hesitantly in relief, then closed his eyes and wiggled his ears expectantly. Kagome rolled her eyes at his cheekiness, but nevertheless complied with his silent request. On the bright side, settling back into the ear massage alleviated what might otherwise have been a fairly awkward few minutes. She felt a little foolish at being so excited over such a simple thing. But it was thrilling, the prospect of behaving like a normal couple for a change. Our first date. She had to chuckle at that. We seem to do things backward, Inuyasha and I.
As long as they eventually reached the place where both of them wanted to be, then she supposed it didn’t really matter how they got there.
* * *
“Stupid people,” Kagome muttered under her breath.
They were stupid, the whole judgmental lot of them. She hadn’t gone out much since her condition became impossible to conceal, mostly just on outings with her mother. During said outings she tried to ignore the hundreds or thousands of strangers around her, most passing within the blink of an eye. But even that miniscule amount of time was enough to read facial expressions. Initial, almost instinctual reactions were often very revealing of a person’s true feelings, before learned politeness behavior kicked in.
Kagome was tired of being reacted to. Some strangers looked upon her with pity, shaking their heads and turning to whisper to their companions about the poor, knocked-up teenager. Others glared at her with annoyance or contempt, as if her very presence offended their delicate sensibilities. Young people were the worst. Boys smirked, probably thinking how easy it was to get in her pants, while girls skirted around her as if she had the plague. At times Kagome felt like a walking campaign ad for abstinence, as though she had a giant sign around her neck. ‘See girls!’ it read. ‘This is what happens when you screw around!’
Some or even most of this was in her head, of course. She was sure that many of the people she saw on the street or at the pregnancy group weren’t even paying attention to her, or had something else on their minds as they looked in her general direction. Some of it also likely stemmed from those lovely little pregnancy hormones she had been reading about. But she was equally sure that some of it was real. And since it was nearly impossible to separate the legitimate from the imagined, her poor overwhelmed brain tended to read every little glance or facial expression as a judgment on her condition. It was maddening, and sometimes only a tight grip on her mother’s hand enabled her to keep her emotions in check. Her mother understood and was always ready to support her, but remained firm in her belief that her daughter needed to get out of the house. For her part, Kagome also wished to avoid becoming a shut-in, so she had borne the silent opinions of others without complaint.
Until today. If the status quo had continued, then it probably wouldn’t have bothered her too much. But Inuyasha’s presence had changed things for the better, which counterintuitively annoyed the hell out of Kagome. Her hanyou had dressed formally for their date—though ‘formal’ for Inuyasha meant a nicer set of jeans and short-sleeved shirt—and appeared to be a perfectly well-adjusted, if somewhat eccentric, young man. His presence magically transformed Kagome from ‘knocked-up slut’ to ‘young pregnant woman’ in the eyes of the ignorant masses. Perhaps the two of them were engaged or even married already, and had made the unusual but certainly acceptable choice to start a family young. Or perhaps the pregnancy was an accident, but the man responsible was sticking by her instead of running off. It was pretty ridiculous that the man’s actions should determine how the world looked at her, the woman, but that certainly appeared to be the case.
Hence the reason the people were all stupid.
“Kagome? Are you okay?”
She blinked, then glanced over at Inuyasha to find him frowning down at her, his eyes colored by rising concern. Oh, damn. Snap out of it, Kagome! You’re making Inuyasha feel insecure.
“I’m fine, Inuyasha.” He didn’t look like he believed her, so she reached over and grasped his hand, willing her irritation to melt away. “It’s nothing, really,” she tried again, managing a sincere smile.
“Okay,” he muttered, obviously still uncomfortable.
Kagome sighed. “If you really want to know what’s bothering me, I’ll tell you later. I promise it’s nothing you did, okay?”
Inuyasha relaxed visibly, probably as much at her willingness to confide in him as her assurance that he hadn’t done anything wrong. Reuniting during her final month of pregnancy had proven to be trying for both of them, so it was no surprise that he spent much of his time walking on eggshells. Kagome did not want him to have to do that today. This was about taking a step forward in their relationship, even a very minor one.
At last they arrived at the movie theater, though the phrase ‘at last’ could be considered out of place. The theater was only a few blocks from the shrine, after all, though the distance felt like a few kilometers to Kagome. She knew she would feel fatigue in her bones tonight, but she refused to allow her condition to interfere with her and Inuyasha’s day. The theater itself was small, with only two or three screens as opposed to one of those dozen-screen monstrosities. It was less crowded as a result, which Kagome certainly appreciated. Inuyasha paid for the tickets using currency her mother had given him, money ostensibly from the same ‘college fund’ which had covered a lot of baby-related expenses over the past several months. He then located the correct theater and led them toward it as if he’d done this a hundred times before. Kagome might have been impressed, if she hadn’t been concentrating so hard on ignoring the den of evil situated off to her right. Ignore the snack counter, Kagome. You need to eat healthy. You’re going to have a nice dinner later with Inuyasha, so you shouldn’t be eating junk food. Resist the temptation. Resist the—
“Want something to eat, Kagome?”
And just like that, game over. Temptation 1, Kagome 0.
“Some iwashi senbei, please,” she muttered shamefully, knowing she was going to hate herself with every sweet, succulent bite. Inuyasha was only too eager to run off and fill her diabolical craving. She couldn’t blame him for it; he was just trying to make her happy. And he was! Her stomach especially was going to be very happy when he returned.
Somehow she managed to make it to her seat before devouring the snack. The previews were just starting, so she had some time to catch her breath—in between bites of dried fish—before the movie began. Inuyasha had taken her to the one which Ayumi recommended, a romantic number which was supposed to make girls swoon and even men shed a tear or two. Halfway through the film, Kagome was far from swooning. It all seemed so…artificial. Boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl experience some angst—if you could call it that—and though she hadn’t seen the ending, Kagome would assume it involved boy and girl making up and living happily ever after.
Before her fifteenth birthday, such a movie might have appealed to Kagome. But she had come to appreciate the difference between fantasy and reality. Some might consider her adventures in the feudal era to be fantasy, but it was also real, as was the love which had been forged through real adversity and real heartache. What she saw on the screen was the embodiment of an artificial romance which could never exist in the real world. And she was no longer interested in such a thing. Glancing over to gauge her companion’s opinion, Kagome nearly burst out laughing. The only tears Inuyasha seemed likely to shed were of boredom. He was trying so hard to pretend that he didn’t absolutely loathe this movie, but couldn’t quite pull it off.
“Do you want to leave, Inuyasha?”
He shook his head vigorously, a man attempting to resist the most seductive of temptations. “No, it’s…fine.”
“Are you sure?” she asked amusedly. “I don’t really like it myself…”
“Then I fucking hate it!” he swore aloud, drawing the glares of several nearby patrons. “You don’t mind?” he asked in a much softer tone.
“Definitely not. Come on, there’s another movie showing here that might be more your style.”
If that didn’t turn out to be the understatement of the year, Kagome didn’t know what was. Their second selection was an action movie import from the United States. She made sure it was a dubbed version because she was pretty sure that Inuyasha would not appreciate strange modern words flashing by him. She initially wondered if he would pepper her with questions, but that concern proved unfounded. The feudal era hanyou quickly became completely engrossed in his first high-budget, over-the-top Hollywood action movie. He practically leapt from his chair at the first spectacular car explosion, and when the bad guy finally met his end in a fiery inferno of ridiculous proportions, Inuyasha could be heard cheering. Kagome derived much of her enjoyment from watching him, but the movie wasn’t bad either. Thin plot? Yes. An insane amount of violence and an irresponsible number of explosions? Yes. More entertaining than that dumb romance movie? Hell yes.
The entertainment did not stop with the credits. Inuyasha was a bundle of energy as they made their way down the sidewalk afterward, jabbering on like a little kid intent on reliving every moment. Kagome’s head started to spin as she tried to keep up with him, but she had seldom seen him this excited before and was genuinely enjoying it.
“And remember when the guy drove the car into that thing with the spinner on top?”
“The helicopter.”
“Yeah, and the guy flying it gets blown through the air and sucked into that other thing with the wings?”
“The jet plane.”
“And then all of it explodes like crazy? That was fuckin’ awesome!”
“Yeah, that was pretty—ugh!”
All it took was a small grunt of discomfort from her to completely derail Inuyasha’s action movie adoration train.
“What’s wrong, Kagome? Are you okay?” he demanded, looping his arm around her shoulders for support.
“F-fine,” she managed, wincing in pain. “My feet are just getting a little sore.”
“Let’s go home.”
“No! We’re almost to the restaurant,” she declared, pointing to the sign on the building just up ahead. “I’ll feel better after I eat.”
Inuyasha shot her a dubious look, but he helped her the rest of the way to the restaurant without further incident. Kagome heaved a relieved sigh as she plopped down in her chair. Her feet were more than a ‘little’ sore, and she had a feeling that Inuyasha knew it. She wasn’t sure she would be able to walk home after dinner, but that was a worry for later. Right now she was fully intent on enjoying her meal. She had taken Inuyasha to a teppanyaki restaurant. This particular one was popular with foreign tourists, so the hanyou’s hair and eye color didn’t stand out so much. And she knew he would enjoy seeing the food cooked in front of him, rather than prepared back in the kitchen. Kagome thought he might accept when offered sake, but instead he asked for water and passed her a sheepish look, to their mutual amusement.
Overall, dinner went very well. Inuyasha used his nose to avoid the few dishes which were too spicy for his liking, but the bulk of the cuisine was at least somewhat familiar to him and he certainly ate his fill. As did Kagome, though she could at least blame her appetite on the little one growing inside of her. Inuyasha was just a glutton, an observation he in no way denied when she put it to him. When she asked him if it was better than ramen, however, he never gave her a straight answer.
As Kagome feared, her feet were still painfully sore after the meal. Instead of heading directly home, however, she led Inuyasha toward a new destination.
“Where are we going, Kagome? Your house is in the other direction.”
“We’re going to the taxi stand, Inuyasha. You remember those cars I told you about that take people where they need to go?”
“Yeah, but—oh, your feet still hurt bad, don’t they?” he asked, his ears lowering.
“Only a little,” she lied. “I just don’t want to overdo it.”
Inuyasha snorted, and in the next instant Kagome found herself scooped up in his arms and carried off into the nearest alley.
“Inuyasha! What are you doing?!”
“Keh. Relax, nobody saw me do that…I think.”
“Inuyasha,” she growled warningly.
“You’re not takin’ another step on those feet, Kagome,” he stated firmly.
“I’m fine, Inu—”
“No, you’re not. Besides,” he declared with a smirk, “what the hell do you need a ‘taxi’ for when you’ve got me?”
Kagome’s eyes widened as she realized what he had in mind. “Inuyasha, we can’t—”
“Why not? It’s dark out. Without those lights in the street you humans wouldn’t be able to see shit. And there aren’t any lights up where we’re going.”
“B-but,” she stuttered, struggling to come up with a reason to continue arguing her point. “Um…”
“Don’t you trust me, Kagome?”
Those drooping ears, those pleading eyes, and that dejected tone sealed it for Kagome. Since she couldn’t come up with a logical reason to refuse him, said refusal would necessarily have to stem from lack of trust. That was simply not an issue, and she did not wish to give Inuyasha any reason to think otherwise. It would wound him deeply for no good reason. If he trusted himself to carry her and their child back home, then she trusted him as well.
“Okay, but—kyaa!”
Kagome’s heart dropped somewhere next to her stomach as her bearer pulled a sudden, gravity-defying leap to the top of the adjacent building.
“You were saying, wench?” he teased, grinning roguishly. She bit back an ‘osuwari’—the rosary no longer worked, but Inuyasha still cringed in the most satisfying way when she uttered the spell. Instead she fixed him with a stern glare.
“I was going to tell you not to go too faaaaaaaaaaaaaaast!!!”
By the time her lungs emptied, Kagome’s scream had turned to laughter. Kami, I never realized how much I missed this! It was not exactly the same as it used to be, since she could only ‘ride’ Inuyasha bridal-style and the trees and grass of his home world had been replaced by concrete and tar. But still Kagome loved every moment of it. There was something exhilarating about letting go, releasing any semblance of control and leaving everything to Inuyasha. She reveled in the almost natural trust, the absolute knowledge that despite their high-speed maneuvering, she was as safe at this moment as she had ever been in her entire life. She had not enjoyed herself so much, or felt so carefree, in a long time.
Inuyasha deliberately took longer than necessary to reach the shrine; he was likely relishing this as much as she was. He did not release her once his feet touched down on the deserted grounds, instead continuing to hold her tightly as he gazed down at her. His lungs contracted rapidly with moderately heavy breathing, which Kagome sensed was caused by more than physical exertion. Her smile faded as she gazed up into his bright golden eyes, both sets of orbs widening as they comprehended the precipice they stood upon. The intimacy which both of them desired was finally within their reach. It quickened heartbeats and frayed nerves, but neither of them shied away.
Inuyasha leaned in, hesitantly at first, then more confidently as Kagome’s fingers cupped the back of his head, drawing him down to meet her. They sighed in unison as their lips connected, hearts swelling as they rejoiced in newfound closeness, healing wounds old and new. For those seconds of blissful utopia, they were one. When their lips finally parted, they leaned their foreheads together, neither able to restrain the contented smiles which tugged at the corners of their mouths. And they were content, despite the mutual desire to engage in more than a chaste kiss. But taking things slowly was working, and more importantly, ‘merely’ kissing made both of them extremely happy. It was enough, at least for tonight.
The magic ended as soon as Inuyasha set Kagome on her feet, at the miko’s insistence. Just as quickly she found herself back in his arms, this time with no thoughts of protesting being carried inside the house. If the throbbing pain in her lower extremities was any indication, she would need crutches to walk to her room from here. Inuyasha now wore the scowl of a man simultaneously annoyed at his beloved for overdoing it, and blaming himself for allowing her to do so. Kagome grinned sheepishly up at him as her hand snuck to the top of his head and latched onto an ear. Said appendage flicked away in irritation, but only briefly.
“Tadaima!” she called softly as Inuyasha stepped gingerly through the doorway. Jii-chan could very well be asleep by now, and Souta was probably in his room playing a computer game or finishing his homework. Sure enough, only her mother’s voice drifted in from the living room, the only room downstairs which was not dark.
“Welcome home, dear. How was your date?”
“Great, Mama! We had a blast.”
“Well, that’s goo—Kami, Kagome, are you okay?” Mrs. Higurashi asked upon seeing her daughter’s mode of transportation.
“Fine, Mama. My feet are just a little sore.”
“A ‘little sore,’ my ass,” Inuyasha muttered under his breath. Mrs. Higurashi also looked like she wanted to say something, but perhaps it was the happiness she could see radiating off of Kagome which stilled her tongue. As Inuyasha carried her daughter up the stairs, she shrugged and resumed reading her book. She would certainly check on Kagome later, but her daughter seemed to believe that the soreness in her feet was normal, so for now she would give her the benefit of the doubt. After such a long and trying road, it warmed her heart to see Kagome so happy, despite any lingering reservations she might still hold concerning the person who made her that way. If happiness was the dominant emotion which Inuyasha inspired in her daughter going forward, then the two of them would have no problems.
At Kagome’s request, Inuyasha set her down inside of the bathroom. She desperately needed a bath for both hygienic and relaxation purposes. She didn’t draw the water as hot as she used to, but a warm bath would soothe her tired muscles and allow her to elevate her feet. She also found that soaking her feet in cooler water with minerals after the bath helped to alleviate soreness. And emotionally, the bath would allow her to unwind after a very satisfying, yet exhausting day out.
“Do you need help getting in the bath?” Inuyasha asked, sounding as though he couldn’t decide whether to be excited or terrified by the prospect.
“No, I can take it from here,” Kagome replied, playfully shooing him out of the room. As a result, she missed the determined look which lit up the hanyou’s features just before she closed the door.
By the time Kagome emerged from the bathroom almost an hour later, wrapped in a thick fuzzy bathrobe with her hair dried and combed, she felt a hundred percent better. She still walked gingerly on tender feet and ankles, and cringed a little as she did so. She would definitely not argue when both Inuyasha and her mother inevitably demanded that she take it easy tomorrow. She was sure the former was about to make said demand as soon as she entered her room, but she would not begrudge his concern for her. And if he still felt guilty, she would just have to tell him—or better yet, show him—that she didn’t mind a little discomfort in the name of romance. Just because they apparently weren’t going to move beyond kissing this evening didn’t mean they couldn’t kiss more than once…
She found Inuyasha in her room as expected, but the hanyou seemed surprisingly tense for some unknown reason. He rolled to his feet with almost feline grace when he saw her, his eyes glowing with determination. A shudder of anticipation passed through her.
“Lie down on the bed, Kagome,” he ordered gently.
Kagome frowned even as her cheeks colored and her heart leapt within her chest. His words could certainly be interpreted to carry an overtly sexual connotation, but she just wasn’t getting that vibe from him. He had something planned for sure, something which was obviously outside of his comfort zone, but Kagome found herself moving to comply with his request after the barest of hesitations. Both curiosity and excitement drove her to lay on the bed on her right side facing him, but it would never have happened without deep trust.
For a few moments Inuyasha simply gazed down at her, his eyes silently expressing awe. Then without a word, he sat at the end of the bed and pulled her feet into his lap. And when he separated her right foot from her left and grasped it gently in both of his hands, Kagome finally understood what he was up to.
“W-wait, Inuyasha, you don’t have to—oh…oh, my…”
Her moan of appreciation quickly shifted into a hiss of discomfort as Inuyasha’s inexperienced fingers stroked a sore spot in exactly the wrong way. The hanyou nearly lost his nerve at that, and would perhaps have bolted from the room had Kagome not hurriedly reached out to him with her hand. It had taken only a few moments of pleasure for her to realize that asking Inuyasha to cease his ministrations was a very stupid idea. If it felt this nice when he obviously had little idea what he was doing, how good would it feel as he gained confidence and experience? Besides, she could tell that this was going to be as therapeutic for his emotional state as it was for her feet. It had obviously taken quite a bit of effort to muster up the nerve to do this, and it said a lot about how much he cared for her. Smiling reassuringly, Kagome overcame her embarrassment and mumbled a simple suggestion for how to improve his technique, and Inuyasha resumed his tentative massage.
It was trial and error at first, as she knew it would be. But Inuyasha was a quick study, and was determined to learn her preferences. As the minutes passed, Kagome’s instructions became fewer and farther in between. By the time he set her right foot down in his lap and grasped her left in his hands, she was nearing a state of complete incoherency. It took several moments of pleasure deprivation and Inuyasha calling her name for Kagome to rouse her lulled consciousness.
“Wh-What is it, Inuyasha?” she murmured sleepily. She opened her eyes to gaze at him, and immediately experienced a jolt of adrenaline. His golden orbs smoldered with emotion, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. Seeing that he had her full attention, Inuyasha glanced away and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
“Kagome…I wanted to ask you something. I know that we’re still learning how to…be together, but you should know what I want for…us, even if it’s not right away. That is…will you be my wife?”
Kagome couldn’t help but smile wryly. A fantasy proposal it was not. She was lying on her bed, and Inuyasha literally had her foot in his hands. And yet, she couldn’t detect even an iota of disappointment within herself. What was there to be disappointed about? The man she loved wanted to marry her. His eyes revealed how deeply he loved her in return, as his words had already done. It felt like a dream, even though she never in a million years would have imagined this scenario for a proposal. That didn’t make it any less special. As her lower lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears, she opened her arms in silent invitation. Inuyasha grinned in relief as he moved to accept.
Kagome must have caught him off guard with how tightly she embraced him, and by the way her lips pressed urgently against his own. She felt him gasp as she parted her lips and used her tongue to tease him, but soon enough he responded in kind and Kagome found herself slipping into a different kind of euphoria. But they maintained control of their passions, and pulled away breathlessly after an indulgence which both felt was far too short. There would come a time when they would finally surrender to their passions and experience all of the intimacy that a committed relationship had to offer. But not tonight. Tonight was perfect already, and neither wanted to risk ruining it by doing something they weren’t quite ready for yet, to say nothing of how Kagome’s condition might complicate further intimacy.
“Of course I’ll be your wife, baka,” Kagome told him. She didn’t think it was possible for Inuyasha to look any happier than he did in that moment, as he leaned in and kissed her temple. Then his smile turned to a smirk, and he vanished from her field of vision. She sensed him settle in his previous position, and realized with a delightful shiver that her foot massage was not yet over.
Shifting her body into a more comfortable position, Kagome closed her eyes and vowed to enjoy her new fiancé’s attentions to the fullest.
* * *
Inuyasha walked down the stairs in high spirits, with an easy smile
gracing his features. And if there was a little bit of a
saunter in his gait, who could blame him? Tonight had gone
well. Very well. Kagome had agreed to marry him,
and then he’d proceeded to massage her into a virtual coma.
He could have let her sleep right there, but the bathrobe
smelled a little damp and he didn’t want her spending all
night in it. So he found an oversized shirt and coaxed his
drowsy fiancée into changing. She was so out of it
that she stripped off the bathrobe without giving him a chance to
look away. He did of course look away…after a few
seconds. He had never seen a pregnant woman naked before, and
this was Kagome after all. She looked different…but
still undeniably beautiful in his eyes. And if tomorrow
morning she was embarrassed about the slip, he would simply tell
her that. Easier said than done perhaps, but if he could ask
her to marry him, then he could probably figure out how to say
anything. “How is she?”
Mrs. Higurashi’s voice snapped him out of his reverie, and he realized that he’d reached his destination.
“She’s fine. Sleeping like a log.”
“Ah, so the foot massage was a success then?”
Inuyasha nodded. “Thanks again for suggesting it.”
“Don’t mention it. Kagome never liked for me to rub her feet very often, but it helped when they were really sore. Do you think it was just normal soreness?”
“Yeah, I think so. I’ll make her take it easy tomorrow and we’ll see how she feels.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Mrs. Higurashi declared, covering a yawn. Obviously she had only stayed up to make sure her daughter was all right. “I’m off to bed.”
“There was something else,” Inuyasha stated, the seriousness of his tone drawing his companion’s full attention. “I…I asked Kagome to marry me.” His future mother-in-law studied him for a moment, her expression neutral.
“And she said ‘yes?’”
At Inuyasha’s nod, Mrs. Higurashi sighed. It was heavy, borne of frustration and conflicting emotions. Inuyasha could understand that. He was sure that Kagome’s mother was happy for them on some level, but the memory of her daughter’s struggles was still too fresh for her to fully embrace their relationship. That she was willing to try so hard to accept them spoke volumes to Inuyasha. And eventually he knew that if he continued to make Kagome happy, her mother would fully embrace him as a son.
“Well, you have my blessing, of course,” she stated sincerely. “Just please…don’t break her heart again.”
“I won’t,” he responded firmly. “I never did thank you…for taking care of Kagome while I was gone.”
“What choice did I have?” Mrs. Higurashi retorted, her tone slightly bitter. “My daughter was in pain, and I did the best I could to help her, but it was never enough. You were the only one who could truly heal her, and that is why I’m glad you’ve returned. You say you love Kagome and that you’re here to stay…and with each passing day, I become more convinced that you’re telling the truth.”
“I am. I’ll prove it.”
“I believe you,” she answered honestly. After a somewhat awkward silence, she changed the subject. “So when do you think you’ll hold the ceremony?”
“Uh, I dunno. We didn’t talk about it. But I think Kagome might want her family to see her get married before we…purify the Shikon no Tama.”
“I think she would like that too,” Mrs. Higurashi agreed, knowing full well what purifying the jewel potentially meant. “I would like that,” she added after a moment’s hesitation.
“I’m glad. I’ll let her know.”
“Thank you,” she said, rising to her feet. “And on that note, this time I really am going to bed. Good night, Inuyasha.”
“Good night.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” she stated as she climbed the stairs. “Make sure you talk to Kagome’s grandfather tomorrow.”
Inuyasha grimaced. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
“Oh, don’t worry about him,” she replied with a grin. “You’ll get a lecture, probably a long one at that, but secretly he’s been hoping you’d marry Kagome for some time.”
“Keh. Tell me about it,” Inuyasha snorted, recalling what had transpired when he and Kagome first informed her family of her pregnancy. Damn jijii and his stupid sense of honor. But he sensed that the elderly priest was also concerned with his grandaughter’s happiness. He would just have to remember that while he was getting lectured tomorrow. That would not be fun, but he would put up with much worse for Kagome’s sake. It couldn’t be any more irritating than the lecture he’d received from her three harpy friends, could it?
Either way, the next few weeks promised to be eventful. A pregnancy nearing its end, a potential wedding to plan, a relationship on the mend and who knew what else? He would have to work hard to make sure Kagome didn’t overdo it, especially since he wanted to go out with her again. Her description of the date as ‘a blast’ had been spot on. And if she did overdo it, he could always massage her feet. Hell, he planned on doing that even if she sat on the couch all day.
He held up his hand and studied it, from the hard, calloused palm to the vicious-looking claws crowning each finger. I used to think these hands were only meant for killing. Yet another preconceived notion which Kagome had disproved. Soon he would hold a baby, his baby, with these hands. Hands which had slain thousands of enemies during his lifetime, yet now seemed perfectly capable of the gentlest of acts. And when both of them were ready, he would learn how to please a woman with these hands as well. Before tonight, he had wondered deep down whether he was capable of giving pleasure to another person with any part of his body. His one previous sexual experience had caused Kagome only pain. But seeing her turn to putty under his hands tonight had resurrected his faith in himself. He would learn how to satisfy Kagome sexually, just as he had learned how to massage her feet. And as tonight had revealed, he was a quick study. When they were ready, he would show her that he could learn other skills just as swiftly.
In the meantime, he would continue to focus on growing closer to her, and making the last few weeks of her pregnancy as comfortable as possible. They had quite a ways to go to reach the place where they both wanted to be, but after today, the promised land didn’t seem so far off.
Paradise had never been so close.