InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fang of the Father ❯ The Art of Yokai Mating ( Chapter 4 )

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

LES: My shortest chapter yet! OMG! Noooo!!

Inuyasha: Just get on with it. You're doing a mass update, so it doesn't really matter in the long run, does it?

LES: … No…

Chapter IV: The Art of Yokai Mating

Just as his fiancée requested, Miroku reported to Sango what Inuyasha said.

After laughing for a few good minutes, Sango finally agreed to go bring Kagome up to speed on Yokai mating rituals. No one could predict how Inuyasha was going to behave under the influence of his the Yokai Mating season, so it was better if Kagome was brought up to speed.

Sango found her friend in Kaede's hut, handing Shippo his usual supply of sweets from her era. “Shippo, could you leave us for a few minutes?” Sango asked. “I want to talk to Kagome alone.”

Shippo tried valiantly to speak around the lollipop in his mouth. “Whacha gon talk abo?”

“Something you won't find out about until you are older.” Sango said simply.

“Man! I hate these kind of talks!” Shippo said as he pulled out the lollipop. He gathered his sweets and made his way out of the hut.

“So… what's this about?” Kagome asked.

“Inuyasha. I have to explain his actions since he's probably too embarrassed to do it himself.” Sango said. “This is just a warning. For the next two months or so, don't be alarmed by any strange behavior.”

“What? Why?”

“Next month, Inuyasha will experience his first Mating season.” Sango said, trailing off at the look on Kagome's face, one of confusion. “Think of it like Yokai puberty.”

“Puberty? Now? But… isn't Inuyasha over two hundred years old?” Kagome asked.

“Yes. As Miroku said… he's a late bloomer.” Sango said, but was met by Kagome's confusion once again. “Yokai are long-lived. In fact, the most powerful ones are immortal without injury. So, Yokai mature a lot slower than humans do. Humans physically mature during their early pre-teen years, but a full-blood Yokai will go into its first heat on the spring of its one hundred and fifth year of life. Hanyous are usually given a five year grace period since they can mature slightly faster or slower. Inuyasha's a late bloomer. I believe, because of his time sealed to the Sacred Tree, it threw off his biological clock. It's one of the things that makes hanyous so feared.

“Why?” Kagome asked.

“Well, Mating season can be very violent. Yokai lose their minds and will attack or try to mate with every creature they encounter, depending on the gender. But it's very easy to time when a Yokai will be affected by Mating season, so the proper defenses can be made. But hanyous are a wild card. There's no way to predict. We're very lucky that Myoga recognized the signs in Inuyasha, or we would have had a very serious problem on our hands.”

“When you say… `mate'… does that mean what I think it means?” Kagome asked.

“Yes. I don't know the specifics, but Inu-Yokai will mark their chosen mate with a physical joining. Once the physical connection is established and the mating mark is left, it tells other Yokai that the particular individual is claimed and to back off, or else.”

“And… why are you telling me this?” Kagome asked.

“Because Inuyasha seems drawn to you. You can try to hide it, but we know. We know that you are in love with him.” Kagome blushed. So… they all remember the time that I screamed that I was in love with him and kissed him? “No need to be embarrassed. I'm just telling you that Inuyasha will see you as a possible mate, and will possibly come after you.”

Kagome didn't quite know what to think. The thought of finally being with Inuyasha after years of being madly in love with him was almost a dream come true. But she also wanted Inuyasha to be with her because he wanted to, not because of Mating season.

“Miroku and I could offer our protection to you if you wish.” Sango said.

“Why all this now?” Kagome asked. “Why has Myoga shown up now of all times?”

“Apparently, Inuyasha cannot claim his birth-right until he is fully mature. And in order to be fully mature, he has to claim his mate.” Sango said.

“So, Myoga came to encourage him to mate with someone during this Mating season?” Kagome asked. “But… how will mating make a difference?”

“I don't know. It's probably one of those obscure traditions of the Inu-Yokai tribe that they share with no one.” Sango said. “Out of all the species of Yokai, the Inu-Yokai is the ones we know the least about.”

Suddenly, Inuyasha came in and everyone went dead silent. “So… you guys were talking about me?” The hanyou asked. “Like I care.” He sat against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

Sango caught Kagome's attention and nodded incessantly in Inuyasha's direction. `Go talk to him.' Sango's eyes told her.

So she followed her friend's advice and moved over towards the hanyou, sitting next to him. “Inuyasha? Are you all right?”

“Feh. Sure I'm all right. It's not like I have to take over the Western Lands.” Inuyasha said. “All my life I have known nothing but hatred from the Inu-Yokai clan. And I'm sure they would never accept a hanyou as their Lord.”

“Well, then, all you have to do is avoid mating next month.” Kagome said.

Inuyasha blinked in surprise. “Miroku told you?”

“Um… Miroku told me and I told Kagome.” Sango said.

“It's not as simple as that.” Inuyasha said. “I won't have a single ounce of self-control… and I could end up doing something that I'll regret.”

“I have a suggestion then.” Sango said. “It is impossible to stop the Mating season from affecting you, but we could restrain you, if you wish. Miroku's sutras could keep you bound until the Mating season has passed.”

“You mean like lock him in a hut, stick a couple sutras on the door, and pray to the Gods that he doesn't break them?” Kagome asked.

Inuyasha sighed. “I would rather be caged than do something stupid.”

“Very well. Miroku and I will start preparations right away.” Sango said, leaving.

Several minutes of silence passed between Inuyasha and Kagome. Finally Inuyasha spoke. “Kagome? Miroku told me that… when I was transformed into a Yokai at Mirror Castle, you said that you loved me. Is that true?”

The moment he finished the question, Kagome's face flushed. Sure, she had never denied that she was in love with him, and she had said it out-loud many times, but he had never heard her. It's always harder to admit that you love someone when that person is within ear-shot.

Her heart was beating rapidly. Every beat seemed like her heart was going to burst out of her chest. She glanced at Inuyasha and noticed that his ears were trained her.

Crap! Crap! Crap! He can probably hear my heart beating out of my chest!

Finally, his senses disengaged and he looked away and sighed. “It seems I have my answer.” He stood up to leave.

“Wait, Inuyasha!” Kagome cried as she stood and flung herself into Inuyasha's chest.

“Kagome!” Inuyasha gasped.

“Don't worry about me right now, Inuyasha. I'm fine.” Kagome said. “You just concentrate on getting yourself through Mating season without doing something stupid.”

Inuyasha awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, pulling the young miko closer to his chest. “If I… come after you…”

“Then I'll `s'-word you until Sango and Miroku have you under control.” Kagome said, smiling into the warm fabric of his fire rat robe.

Inuyasha sighed as he calmly rested his chin against the top of her head. You really have no idea how amazing you are, Kagome.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome asked.

“What?” Inuyasha pulled away from her slightly so that he could look into her eyes.

“About what you asked…” Kagome paused, staring up into his amber eyes. “I—I love you. I do really love you.”

Inuyasha laughed. “I already knew that.” He started to walk away, leaving Kagome hurt and broken-hearted that he would treat her confession like that. He paused in the doorway. “I… probably shouldn't say this until after Mating season but… I love you too, Kagome.” With that, he left.

He didn't get far, because a sudden loud squeal from Kaede's hut assaulted his sensitive ears. He quickly pinned his ears to his head in an attempt to block out as much of the noise as possible. It hardly worked, and about half the village heard too and came to see what was wrong.

Inuyasha wheeled on the hut. “Damnit, Kagome, are you trying to make me…?”

But he was quickly cut off when the young woman leapt into his arms and pressed her lips against his. The kiss they shared at Mirror Castle had been little more than lip-touching. This kiss was a true lip-lock.

Unfortunately, the moment was destined to end almost as soon as it had begun. The two were suddenly aware that half the village just witnessed them kissing. Inuyasha and Kagome pulled away from each other simultaneously, blushing a ferocious red.

Some of the braver villagers began to actually applaud them before they were silenced by a glare from Inuyasha.

LES: Be happy about the ending of this chapter, because I debated with myself whether or not to have a kiss scene. I was just going to end the chapter with Inuyasha's confession and leave it at that. But, in the end, my romantic side won out. See, I was unsure about the pace of the romance. I've only ever written romances for characters who had known each other since childhood. So I'm used to writing what I would call a quick-paced romance.

Muse: Zack and Aerith (Final Fantasy VII) didn't know each other from childhood…

LES: Shut up!