InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Basic Instinct 2 ❯ Love’s True Form ( Chapter 3 )

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

Blanket Disclaimer:

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


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Chapter 3 – Love’s True Form






Having decided that it would be too inconvenient, and also potentially risky, to continue on with their mission while Inuyasha was in his current state, unable to properly communicate with them or utilize the strength of Tetsusaiga, the inu-tachi took advantage of the break in activity to get some other neglected responsibilities out of the way. Miroku decided to pay his old master Mushin a visit and make sure the aging monk was still in relative health, while Sango headed for her old home village to perform some much needed maintenance on Hiraikotsu, and also to stock up on other supplies, such as those very useful stink pellets.

Kaede vowed to do whatever was in her power to see if there was a way to discover the key, as she spent the next several days going over ancient scrolls she hadn’t read in years, looking for anything and everything she could find with regard to this particular type of magic. Hopefully it would turn out that there was either a spell that would counteract this one despite its lock, or perhaps at least a spell that would then divulge what all the unlocking key consisted of. Worst case scenario, Kaede was also searching for a spell that could be used to force Kikyou to tell the truth, which would be tricky given the undead miko’s false nature, meaning that no natural herbs that must be consumed could be used in the potion. But Kaede was not without hope that something could be done for their canine companion, even if hunting Kikyou down and forcing her to reveal the key turned out to be the only way.

Through it all, Kagome refused to leave Inuyasha’s side, although she did spend the time catching up on her reading, thankful that she’d had her schoolbooks with her on that side of the well. While it was true that she would ultimately be spending her life in the past with Inuyasha, they had agreed that for her family’s sake, she would continue to stay in school until graduation. Since graduation was the ultimate goal, it meant that she still had to watch her grades, which meant that any time spent studying was time well spent, and at least it gave her something to do so that she didn’t feel quite so useless while Kaede did her research, which she was sure was how Inuyasha was feeling at the moment, as he currently laid a few feet away from her on his stomach, head level with the ground, eyes gazing up towards the sky.

Unable to take the silence between them any longer, Kagome closed her book before setting it aside. His ears flicked in her direction for a moment, but he otherwise remained motionless.

“Inuyasha…” Kagome called quietly, smiling a little when he finally lifted his head before turning it to look in her direction.

Kagome… he thought, his ears lowering. How could I have so selfishly ruined your life?

He never should have marked her. He should have insisted that she wasn’t thinking clearly, that he wanted to give her more time to make sure she was really sure before just up and deciding to do something so permanent. He should have insisted that their mating wait until after the Kikyou issue was fully resolved, until after the undead miko was guaranteed to no longer be a threat to them. Now what were they supposed to do? They hadn’t even told her family of their mating yet, and he seriously doubted they would accept him in his present form, even if Kagome herself did. There was also still the very real issue of not knowing what might happen if they were separated by the well, but he didn’t even know if the well would let him through in his current form. That basically meant that Kagome was not only stuck with him as he was, but she was also stuck in his time, unable or at least unwilling to try returning to her own world until after they found a way to change him back. But how long would that take? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? And yet she spent the time studying, as if she truly believed she’d be able to return to school soon enough for it to make a difference with her grades. Was she truly that naïve, or was she just in denial? Or, perhaps, was she deliberately putting up a front, for his sake?

Turning to face her fully, Inuyasha sat up some, though his head remained submissively lowered, as he whimpered in the back of his throat. Kagome immediately recognized the sound, having heard it the morning he’d marked her.

“Don’t.” she told him immediately, her eyes loving yet firm. “There’s nothing for you to apologize for. This isn’t your fault.”

He woofed his disagreement to her statement, which Kagome could understand easily enough, but choosing not to argue in that moment, she changed the subject as she asked him something that had been nagging at her for the last several hours, questioning with all seriousness “Is it bad?”

He cocked his head to the side, so she elaborated.

“I…I mean, being a dog. Is it really that bad, for you? This isn’t like a regular human being turned into some kind of random animal. You were already half inu-youkai, so…what I’m trying to say is that I just hope you aren’t suffering too badly. That you don’t feel too uncomfortable in your own skin. Of course we’re going to do whatever it takes to change you back, but I hate the idea of you being so miserable until then.”

Inuyasha gazed into her eyes with a look of loving and longing, before suddenly turning his head in the direction of the village and yipping something very loudly. It didn’t take the miko long to realize he’d called for Shippou when the kitsune child came running from the direction of Kaede’s hut, the boy having previously stayed behind because he’d wanted to let Kagome and Inuyasha have some time alone together.

Wordlessly, Shippou came to a stop before Inuyasha and seemed to wait for the inu-hanyou to make the next move, which Inuyasha did without delay, barking and yipping a whole slew of things that had the kit occasionally nodding his head.

Finally, Shippou turned to Kagome and said “He wants me to translate for him, but he’s worried you don’t want me hearing some of the stuff he needs to say. He wants me to let you know that just ‘cause I’m a kid, I already know all about adult stuff, so I won’t be hearing anything I shouldn’t, not really.” Taking a deep breath, Shippou continued, speaking for himself as he said “Kagome…he really needs to talk to you, so please don’t be embarrassed that I have to help. There’s no other way.”

The miko couldn’t help the slight tint of pink that stained her cheeks at the thought of just what, exactly, Inuyasha wanted to discuss with her that would have her so concerned over the notion of using Shippou as a translator, but Kagome also understood that there were no other options, and that she and Inuyasha did need to talk.

“All right, Shippou. I guess you’re a big boy, after all, so let’s get this conversation underway.”

Immediately, Inuyasha began barking again, his eyes never leaving Kagome’s as Shippou nodded his understanding off to the side. Then, the kitsune spoke up with “He says it really isn’t that bad, in some ways, being a dog, and that the worst thing about it is definitely because he can’t get close to you.”

“Oh, Inuyasha…” Kagome sighed, scooting herself over until she was sitting right next to him, hooking an arm around his back. “I know it’s you in there, I promise I don’t think of you any differently.”

The large white dogged barked some more.

“He says…that’s not really true. That he doesn’t think you’re lying, but just that you don’t really know what you’re saying.”

Getting a little miffed, Kagome scooted herself around until she was kneeling directly in front of him. They were eye-to-eye as she boldly declared “That’s not true. You’re my mate, and I do know what that means. We’re bonded for eternity, no matter what.”

Narrowing his eyes, Inuyasha growled out something that had Shippou blanching, but knowing that it was his duty to translate, he cleared his throat before stating “Uh…he said, ‘So you would really be willing to…uh, mate… some dog?’”

Kagome gaped, appalled not at Shippou, but at Inuyasha. While it was obviously a topic that couldn’t be ignored forever, she couldn’t believe he’d just blurted it out so crudely. She had a sinking suspicion that he hadn’t used the word ‘mate’, either, though she was appreciative of Shippou heeding her previous request that he not necessarily quote the hanyou word-for-word.

Squaring her shoulders, Kagome narrowed her own eyes as she met her mate’s calculating gaze head on.

“First of all, no, I would not be willing to ‘fuck some dog’…” she started, earning herself Inuyasha’s eyes widening in surprise at her own use of language, even as his ears folded back at her words.

Noting his instant change in demeanor, Kagome took a moment to think about it…to truly think about what had happened to him, and the level of love she knew she still felt for him in her heart despite what Kikyou had done. What if he was stuck like that for the next several years? Or even worse? Reaching forward and placing a hand on his shoulder, she continued then, her voice much softer, even as she stressed a few words to get her point across.

“But you are not ‘some dog’, Inuyasha. You are my mate, and this…” she gestured to his current appearance, “is not your true form. I refuse to be so quick to believe that we will not be able to find a way to change you back, but just assuming for the time being that it turns out you really are stuck like that for eternity…well, if what you really meant to ask me is ‘Would I really be willing to make love to my husband, regardless of whatever evil spells have him trapped away in a false body that is not truly his own’…” Pausing, Kagome took a deep breath, and stated softly “Then the answer is yes.”

It was Inuyasha’s turn to gape at Kagome, as he stared at her with wide, unbelieving eyes. He would never, could never defile her in such a way; he refused. But he’d said it to make a point, to make her see. She couldn’t possibly truly still think of him the same way as before… He hadn’t expected her to take his words and use them to make a point of her own. Even though he would never hold her to it, to simply hear her say such a thing meant more to him than even he had realized prior to actually hearing her say it. Was there truly no end to this woman’s love for him? He had no idea what he’d done to deserve her, but the bottom line was that she was his mate. He would make sure she never regretted that fact, even if ‘mating’ was never a part of their relationship.

Seemingly reading his mind, Kagome pulled Inuyasha from his thoughts in that moment as she reached her right hand up and gently brushed it across his head a few times, lovingly scratching an ear that perked under her touch.

“But I know you don’t want that…” she added after a moment, in reference to her previous statement. “And I refuse to believe we won’t be able to change you back.”

He woofed softly in that moment, in a manner that Kagome seemed to understand meant “What if…” even without Shippou needing to translate it for her.  

“In my time…” she began sagely, “There is an ancient legend called ‘The Dog and his Wife.’”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened in surprise as Kagome continued.

With a shrug of her shoulders, she stated nonchalantly “Maybe it’s about us.” before proceeding to tell him the entire story as she remembered it.

“If we can’t find a way to change you back,” Kagome added after she was done with her tale, “I would gladly live with you in a small hut in the middle of the forest, tucked away from the world, just you and me, just like in the legend.”

Turning her head to glance Shippou’s way, she ruffled the boy’s hair before amending “Of course, our translator would have to stay with us, too.”

Shippou puffed his chest in importance while sending Kagome a playful smile, which quickly turned back into a serious expression as he glanced Inuyasha’s way again. Kagome instantly took note of this, and meeting Inuyasha’s gaze herself once more, she added with a loving tone…

“But remember, Kaede said that there is a way to change you back. There has to be, because that’s how the spell works. It might take us a while to figure out what it is, but we know there is a way. So there’s no need to be so pessimistic, all right? It’s only been a few days, after all. We shouldn’t give up hope too easily that Kaede might be able to figure out how to reverse the spell by herself, but even if she can’t, then we’ll just go hunt Kikyou down and force her to do it. We will turn you back, Inuyasha. I promise.”

Encouraged by her words, the hanyou leaned himself forward and licked Kagome across the lips, figuring that such a small gesture shouldn’t be pushing things too far. He wanted to assure her that he understood, that he still loved her – kami did he ever – and that he was willing to wait for however long it took to change him back.  

Smiling at his show of affection, Kagome leaned herself forward after he pulled away, and wrapping her arms around Inuyasha in a tight hug, the miko whispered into his ear “I will always love you, no matter what.”

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After doing as much research as was possible, searching within every scroll she possessed containing information regarding magic spells of any kind, Kaede finally had to inform the young couple after a week’s time that, regretfully, she still had no information as far as how to reverse the spell. To make matters worse, that night was the night of the new moon, and nobody knew what to expect; they could only guess. Given the nature of the spell, it was highly unlikely that Inuyasha would still turn human, though just as a precaution for modesty’s sake, the hanyou had agreed to crawl into Kagome’s sleeping bag prior to sunset. If he did turn back into a human, he would be turning into a naked one, and he had no desire to do that outside, or to give Kaede an eyeful.

As the sun slipped passed the horizon, however, it turned out that the elderly miko’s hypothesis was correct. Because the spell was linked to his human half, it was truly his human-self that had been turned into a dog in the first place, which meant that during the nights of the new moon, when he lost his youkai powers, he therefore became a mortal dog. Inuyasha whimpered despite himself as the transformation rippled through him, his silvery white fur bleeding into black, the strength of his youkai blood ripped away from him. Fortunately, he still maintained his higher consciousness, because there again, that was the nature of the spell, to turn humans into animals that were fully aware of the fact that they were actually humans.

For that, the younger miko was eternally grateful. Kagome hadn’t wanted to see her mate reduced to nothing more than the mind of a dog…not again, and certainly not while he had the body to go with it. One or the other was hard enough to deal with independently.

As Inuyasha crawled out from Kagome’s sleeping bag, he cast his mate a sympathetic gaze. For the first time in his life, he had actually been looking forward to turning human. Much more so than when he had agreed to use the jewel to turn human for Kikyou. That had been a means to an end, specifically the end of his loneliness. But now, he already never had to worry about being lonely ever again, and he didn’t have to turn human in order to earn his mate’s love. He had hoped that turning human would grant them the ability to express their love, but apparently, it simply wasn’t meant to be. While only having one night of intimacy a month would’ve been a horrible prospect in and of itself to have to endure for the rest their lives, it would’ve still been a thousand times better than what they were now faced with instead.

Now what was he supposed to do? He was completely useless! He couldn’t protect Kagome like this!

Oh sure, he knew they were safe for that particular night, but the wheels of his mind were already turning to months…years down the road. With Kaede unable to reverse the spell, the only chance he had was getting Kikyou to do it, and they still had to find her, first. Worst-case scenario, Inuyasha knew, despite Kagome’s protests, that the possibility was great that he would be stuck like that for the rest of his life. Temporarily ignoring how deeply that prospect sucked in all other areas, it also spelled disaster for future new moons. Sure, he had better senses than he did when trapped in his human body, but how was he supposed to fight? Without his sword, all he had left to rely on were his youkai abilities.

Okay, so he might be able to protect her from a human attacker with his teeth, but against even the lowest of youkai he’d be dead meat as he currently was.

Though granted, she was getting better with her miko powers, and would probably be able to master the art of barriers before too much longer…but that wasn’t the point! He was supposed to protect her, damn it.

As if reading his thoughts, Kagome immediately tried to cheer her mate up, as she gazed across the room lovingly at the black dog he had become, and stated “Well, look on the bright side. At least you haven’t lost your senses like you do when you turn human. They might not be as strong as normal, but I know a dog’s sense of smell and hearing are both way better than a human’s, and I’m sure your night vision is much better than a human’s, too.”

He woofed out something clipped and abrupt as he gazed her way for just a moment, that had Shippou over in the corner of the room pipe up with “He said ‘So what?’”

Kagome didn’t really know what to say to that, so she remained quiet, as Inuyasha turned away from her, her sad eyes following his movements until he finally plopped down by the fire, apparently deciding that since he was useless as a protector in that form anyway, that he might as well get some sleep. Kagome wanted to cry, for his sake, but she feared he would still be able to smell it, and so with a shaky breath, she bit back her tears, forcing her eyes to obey her command as she made her way over to her sleeping bag. They were safe, at least for this moonless night, so she may as well get some sleep, too.

From her place on the other side of the fire pit, Kaede observed the young couple whose lives her sister had ruined with a wave of genuine sympathy. The elderly miko tried hard in that moment to put herself in Kikyou’s place, to try and deduce logically what the unresting spirit that was her deceased sister may have chosen as the unlocking key. But it truly made no sense to her that she would have cast such a spell in the first place, so trying to think of things from a point of logic proved nearly impossible after a moment. Kikyou was mad, and there was no telling what her warped mind had concocted in her moment of vengeance. All they had told her she’d said to them before hand had been insinuations of what was to come, Kikyou challenging Kagome with the fact that Inuyasha would not be hers for much longer, and that the young miko would be left to deal with the ‘dog’ that he truly was. They had been warned, tauntingly, but there was nothing to indicate that Kikyou had actually given them any hints of how to undo it. Kagome had said that it was like Kikyou was challenging her love for him, but Kaede had no trouble seeing that the young miko’s love for her mate had not truly lessened in any way, so if that wasn’t the key, then what was? Unless…

Shaking her head, Kaede tended to the fire a moment longer before preparing her own bedding for the night. She was fairly certain that was not it. She could not see her sister, even considering what Kikyou had become, doing something like that. Granted, it would be unwise to dismiss the possibility in its entirety, but it was much too soon to make such rash hypotheses.





Two hours later, Inuyasha was roused from his light doze by the scent of tears; Kagome was crying in her sleep. He found morbid humor in the fact that he couldn’t talk at the moment, because at least that meant he couldn’t put his foot in his mouth. No words were needed in this situation, anyway. Silently getting up from his spot on the hard wood and making his way over to Kagome while remaining careful not to wake either Kaede or Shippou, Inuyasha gazed forlornly at his mate’s tear-streaked visage for a moment before gently leaning forward to lick the marks from her face. Kagome’s eyes fluttered open to be met by the loving gaze of warm brown eyes surrounded by black fur. There was no hesitation before she was pulling back the unzipped flap of her sleeping bag, which she had left open with the secret hope of him deciding to join her at some point in the night. Crawling into her sleeping bag, Inuyasha laid down on his side with his back to Kagome, mentally smiling at the feel of the girl snuggling herself up against him even closer than usual, as she practically spooned him, wrapping both an arm and a leg over his body. It was as if she wanted to make sure he couldn’t get away from her, at least not without waking her up. But he had no intention of going anywhere, and doing his best to tell her so, he tilted his head to lick the hand of the arm wrapped around him. Her response was to kiss the back of his head. Together, the pair drifted off to pleasant dreams of a time when the spell was removed and they were living together happily in a hut of their own.

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Kagome was reluctantly pulled from a rather vivid dream by the sounds of the village, people working, children playing…and groggily opening her eyes, she was met by the sight of a white, furry triangle. Not yet fully awake, she smirked, remembering her dream well. She always had loved Inuyasha’s ears, and she also knew from personal experience that he didn’t hate her messing with them like he used to pretend he did. Stretching her neck forward, she captured her prize, her lips sensually closing around his fuzzy ear. He immediately jerked in surprise at the contact, and it was then that Kagome snapped into full wakefulness, realizing that it wasn’t a dog-eared man she was cuddling against, but rather, that he was still locked away from her in his false full-canine body.

The ears are the same… she thought with a mild blush as she quickly pulled away.

Inuyasha immediately turned his head around to gaze at her from a semi-upside-down angle, his eyes wide with shock. Blushing darker, Kagome mumbled “Uh…good morning.”

The miko wanted to chuckle as she got the distinct impression that he would be blushing, himself, were he able. Crawling out of her sleeping bag and standing up on all fours, Inuyasha gazed hesitantly in Kagome’s direction. It was easy for her to read the emotions in his eyes; he was worried she was going to be disgusted with herself for what she’d unthinkingly done while still half asleep. Refusing to let the new day start off on such a sour note, she sat up and scooted herself closer to his position, before reaching forward and capturing the same ear she’d just mouthed with her fingers. It was still damp.

“There’s nothing to feel weird about, you know. It’s not like these guys are because of the spell. You’ve always had dog ears, and I’ve never had a problem with them.”

His eyes instantly relaxed at her words, as he tilted his head into her touch. They were alone for the moment, and by kami, he needed Kagome’s touch. Any touch. Just simple physical contact helped the strain he felt tremendously. The unfinished mate-bond was really starting to get to him. Last night had been a reprieve, of sorts, since with the absence of his youkai blood it also meant that the pull of their bond was temporarily muted, although he would’ve much rather turned human.

At dawn, with the return of his youkai blood, Inuyasha had refused to move, feeling more than content to remain in Kagome’s arms for however long the girl remained asleep. Even as Kaede and Shippou roused and went about getting up for the day, he’d stayed put, sending them both a silent look that had clearly articulated his desire for them to let Kagome sleep in. It was with silent nods of understanding that the elderly miko and kitsune had quietly vacated the hut. Kaede had plenty of morning duties to attend to elsewhere, anyway, and Shippou could keep himself busy easily enough.

Inuyasha had remained like that for over an hour, simply enjoying the presence of the girl snuggled against him, until finally picking up on the telltale signs of wakefulness that had told him Kagome wouldn’t be asleep for much longer. Still, he had silently vowed to not move from his spot until she moved first, just on the off chance that she too would’ve chosen to remain lying peacefully for a few moments longer. He had not been expecting to feel her shifting against him, only to suddenly find one of his sensitive ears encased by moist warmth. The sensation triggered an instant reaction further south, which was why he was currently standing on all fours rather than sitting on his haunches, until he could get that ‘reaction’ back under control and out of sight. It was a miracle Kagome wasn’t yet disgusted by him, and he wanted to keep it that way.

Closing his eyes in contentment as his body calmed down while she continued to rub his ear, he missed it, at first, when his mate began speaking softly.

“…before Sango and Miroku get back.” she finished, giggling at the confused look in his eyes as he pulled his head away from her touch before shaking it as if to clear his mind.

He didn’t hear a word I said, Kagome smiled to herself, secretly pleased that she had such an effect on him.

“I said…” she repeated herself gently, chuckling a bit at his sheepish glance. “I think I would like to have a bath before Sango and Miroku get back.”

Blinking, it took Inuyasha a minute to realize just how long it’d been since Kagome had bathed. For the miko who at times almost seemed to have an obsession with water, this had to be a world record. But there weren’t any hot springs within walking distance of the village, and he seriously doubted she was all that interested with the river, which she had always complained was too cold to bathe in. She only ever washed up in cold water when she had no other choice, when hot water wasn’t available and she was covered in youkai guts. Kagome wasn’t that filthy, so the river was definitely out, but there was also no way she’d suddenly decided to chance going through the well. That could only mean…

She…she wants me to take her to a hot spring.

Getting away from the village for a day sounded wonderful. There was nothing Kaede could do for him at that point, and he was tired of overhearing all of the concerned whispers from the rest of the village. It wasn’t as if their words were cruel, they genuinely felt sorry for him, but then again, the villagers also had no idea that he and Kagome were mated. When they’d shared that little tidbit with the elderly miko she had agreed to keep that news private until a more opportune time to officially celebrate their union could be arranged. Inuyasha was already mildly concerned regarding how the villagers would take the news that their holy priestess incarnate was joined to a hanyou, so there was no reason to fuel the fire by having it become publicly known that she was actually joined to a dog. One hurdle at a time. Of course, Kaede had taken the news rather well, so that was a comfort, knowing that the majority of the villagers would most likely concede to her judgment. But still, there was no point in causing more problems than were necessary.

It was with that last thought in mind that Inuyasha knew they’d better tell Kaede where they were going to be heading off to, lest she mistakenly think that they had decided to track Kikyou down on their own. There was no telling how long it would take to locate the undead miko. Miroku and Sango would both be returning from their respective trips within another day or two, tops, so they would wait until their group was back together again before taking off on their latest quest.

Heading over by the door of the hut, Inuyasha turned his head and woofed softly in Kagome’s direction, letting her know that he understood and was ready to head out whenever she was. Demonstrating that she still possessed her uncanny ability to understand him in dog form, Kagome smiled brightly before going about preparing her backpack with the accessories she’d need for the outing. She wasn’t really that dirty, just dusty, though her hair could certainly use a good washing, but more than anything, she too simply wanted to get away for a day. While her hearing still wasn’t quite as acute as Inuyasha’s, it was much better than it used to be. Kagome could easily hear the whispers of the villagers, herself, and it was getting harder and harder to remain optimistic when everyone around them kept on muttering about how horrible it would be if he were stuck like that forever.

They don’t even know the half of it…

Gathering up her bag over her shoulder as she finished munching on the granola bar that would function well enough as breakfast for the time being, Kagome headed for the door, murmuring “We need to find Shippou before heading out.”

Inuyasha woofed softly in acknowledgment. It only made sense that she’d want to bring the boy along.

They found Kaede and Shippou together only a few minutes later, as the elderly miko had the kitsune assisting her with pulling weeds out of the herb garden.

“Good morning, you two.” Kaede greeted with a smile, an expression that soon faded as her thoughts drifted at the sight before her.

Kagome’s aura had always screamed of spiritual powers to Kaede, and with Inuyasha standing protectively beside her as he currently was, the sight whispered of a powerful priestess and her inugami. But Inuyasha was not an inugami, and it saddened her deep inside to know what the young couple was suffering through. Quickly shaking such negative thoughts free from her mind, Kaede forced her smile to reappear as she took note of Kagome’s backpack before asking in a friendly manner “And where might ye be heading off to?”

“Inuyasha’s going to take me to the closest hot spring.” Kagome answered, adding “We’ll be back in a few hours. I just wanted to get cleaned up before hitting the road again, and a nice soak in warm water sounded too inviting to ignore.”

Shifting her gaze to smile down at the young kitsune, Kagome added “So be a good boy and stay with Kaede until we get back, all right Shippou? I don’t want you wandering off while we’re not here to look after you.”

While it was rare, the occasional rouge youkai did continue to wander closer to the village than would be preferred, especially when they sensed Kagome’s jewel shards.

Shippou nodded his understanding with a murmured promise to be good, and to also let Miroku and Sango know where they had gone should one or both of them return during their absence. Kaede offered the couple pleasant wishes for their brief travel before getting back to her weeding, all the while Inuyasha was still trying to wrap his mind around what Kagome had just said.

She didn’t want Shippou to go with them? Not that there was really all that much to talk about, Inuyasha supposed, if the only reason she would’ve wanted the runt to tag alone was to function as their translator. The quiet was actually surprisingly nice. He was secretly amazed that Kagome hadn’t unconsciously started filling all of the silence between them with excessive jabbering on her own part, but apparently, the fact that they couldn’t have a legitimate two-way conversation prevented the miko from needing to think of one. Simply put, when you couldn’t talk about anything, it eliminated the need to find something to talk about. The fact that she hadn’t wanted Shippou to tag along simply for the sake of tagging along pulled at the edges of his lips, until a full-blown ‘dog’ smile was gracing his muzzle as he trotted with Kagome towards the edge of the forest. She wanted to be alone with him. Not that he was thinking anything perverted, of course, but a little alone time would be nice; genuine alone time, without the backdrop of discreet glances or whispered concerns.

As soon as they passed through the first layer of trees, shielding them from view of anyone who might happen to glance in their direction, Kagome looped a leg around Inuyasha’s back, and then they were gone. Picking up the pace beyond the mere loping he had done the only previous time she had ridden on his back in his current form, Inuyasha ran as fast as he dared, relieved to hear his mate’s playful cries of joy as they zipped through the trees as nothing more than a blur. Kagome was crouched forward, hugging herself to Inuyasha’s form like she was riding a Ninja motorcycle, and not one speck of fear was present in her scent as she took in the scenery flying by her. It was definitely different, to see the world rushing by her from a vantage point so close to the ground, and she definitely missed running with Inuyasha in his traditional form, leaping through the trees, flying above the world like nothing could touch them, but all things considered, she had no complaints. She got the distinct impression that the man-turned-dog below her was enjoying the moment of freedom, too, when he growled and yipped playfully as they zeroed in on their destination. Something told her he was telling her to hold on, and bracing for whatever was about to happen, Kagome was prepared when Inuyasha suddenly leapt up into the air, clearing the wall of rock and fallen logs to deposit them safely on the other side, within the secluded clearing of her favorite hot spring.

Dismounting without a word as soon as he came to a stop, Kagome wobbled a bit before regaining her balance, a worried Inuyasha rearing onto his hind legs and placing his front paws on her back to help stable her when it looked like her legs were about to collapse.

“I’m fine…” she replied as she steadied herself with a chuckle in her voice. “That was just…wow.”

Smirking, Inuyasha dropped back down to all fours, before getting serious and taking a moment to sniff around the hot spring to make sure there were no threats in the vicinity. Kagome observed his behavior with a keen eye, waiting until he gave her the all clear before proceeding. After a few minutes of sniffing the surrounding area, circling further and further around the spring’s perimeter, Inuyasha came back to Kagome’s position and woofed lightly.

“Is it safe?” she asked, just to be sure.

Though the movement was slightly awkward, for her sake, he nodded.

Sighing in relief, Kagome slipped her backpack from her shoulders before digging through it for her soaps and towel. She then reached up and began unfastening the buttons on her blouse, before pausing to cast an unsure glance in Inuyasha’s direction. What was the protocol in a situation like this?

Sensing her hesitation, Inuyasha gazed Kagome’s way reassuringly, woofing softly before turning and heading for the other side of the boulders. Yes, on the one hand they were already mates, but they still hadn’t completed the act, so he could understand Kagome’s shyness, and while he would’ve loved to have stayed to watch her undress, such an act would’ve honestly been nothing but torture for him. It was better this way

Remaining conscientious of the man currently on the other side of the boulders that separated the hot spring from view, Kagome quickly finished disrobing before settling herself down into the steamy water, sighing audibly as the soothing temperature immediately relaxed her tense muscles. She felt a little weird, actually, acting so silly about being nude in Inuyasha’s company. After all, they were mates now, and had it not been for Kikyou’s untimely interruption, then they would’ve done a whole lot more than just see each other naked by that point. As it was, though, they’d been bonded for two whole weeks and still hadn’t done any more than some heavy petting, and over the clothes, no less. That was something she really wished she could change, and were Inuyasha in his normal body, she would’ve shown her daring by inviting him to join her in the water. But that was just it. Inuyasha wasn’t in his normal body, and that was why she’d hesitated. Not really because the idea of his current form disgusted her, but more because she didn’t want to inadvertently come off as seeming cruel, taunting him with what he couldn’t have. That thought honestly hadn’t crossed her mind when she’d first asked him to bring her to the hot spring. She truly had wanted a bath, not to mention some alone time away from the villagers. But she’d wanted to spend that alone time with him, not spend it entirely alone all by herself. True, he would never actually leave her by herself while she was so vulnerable in the water; he would stay right on the other side of those boulders should a random youkai decide to show up and cause trouble, but that wasn’t the same.

Closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the raised bank behind her, Kagome tried to muscle up the courage to call out to Inuyasha, to tell him that he didn’t have to stay hidden over there if he didn’t want to, but no matter how many times she rehearsed the invitation in her mind, the words wouldn’t come. She didn’t want to risk him misunderstanding her, if he might think she was uncaring of how hard this whole situation really was on him. She just didn’t want him to feel like he had to stay isolated from her if he truly would prefer being closer. It was perfectly all right with her for him to stay on her side of the boulders while she bathed, even if that meant seeing her naked.

Of course, the simple idea of Inuyasha seeing her naked in the hot spring quickly had the miko’s mind wandering to other occasions, other baths, other times Inuyasha was just on the other side of those boulders. What if he’d spied on her in the past, just like Miroku always tried to do with Sango? For some reason, that thought didn’t anger her any longer. Quite the opposite, in fact. Keeping her eyes closed, Kagome began imagining that Inuyasha was in that very moment creeping his head around the corner, sighing silently to himself in relief to note her closed eyes, so that he could believe he was getting away with something she didn’t know about. Perhaps it would be better that way, if she silently let him look without actually telling him that it was okay. It made things more exciting.

Daring to peak an eye open after five minutes, however, revealed that there was no voyeur secretly enjoying her bath time, at least that she could see, and Kagome confused herself even further by finding that she was unsure of how she felt about that. Was she relieved that Inuyasha was apparently respecting her privacy, or disappointed? She also realized in that moment that she had to try and think of things from Inuyasha’s point of view. If his desire to be with her was truly as strong as her desire was to be with him, then it would probably just be torture for him to know that he could look but he couldn’t touch. How was that fair? Not that this whole damn thing was fair in any way. She wanted her mate back!

Sighing, Kagome leaned forward and reached for her shampoo, starting the process of getting clean. That was the main reason why she’d wanted to come out here, right? May as well get it over with, so that then maybe she and Inuyasha could enjoy some alone time afterwards by taking longer to head back to the village. Smirking momentarily, just on the off chance that he was spying, Kagome deliberately arched her back further than was necessary to wash the suds out of her hair, pushing her breasts up and out of the water, her nipples instantly hardening as the cool morning air hit them. Maybe it was a little sneaky, but if he was being a sneak himself, then fair was fair…in this world of unfair they currently found themselves stuck in. She honestly didn’t think he was looking, but it wouldn’t hurt to pretend, right? And if he was watching of his own volition without her having actually asked him to step around the boulders, then that meant she wasn’t being cruel. She was just having her bath, unaware of her audience. She smiled.

As Kagome rose from the water to begin soaping her body next, she began the process a bit more slowly than was necessary, again just on the off chance that he was secretly watching her, but before she knew it, the miko was caught up in her own game, the sensitive peaks on her breasts begging for attention that no one could give…except herself. Losing herself to the rhythm of her scrubbing, just for a moment, Kagome began pinching and rolling her hardened nipples, until a telltale tingling down below suddenly had her coming back to herself with the thought of What am I doing?

Lowering herself back down into the water, allowing the suds to flow free from her body, Kagome trailed her hand lazily across her stomach under the water, realizing belatedly that the heated pool would offer no comfort to soothe the warmth she felt in her blood. She needed physical contact. She needed to be touched. What she really needed was Inuyasha’s touch, but if all she had in the mean time was her own…

I’ll be quick…she reasoned with herself then. If he’s really not looking then he’ll never know…

Dipping her hand down between her legs, Kagome kept her eyes glued to the boulders on the other side of the clearing, prepared to jerk her hand away at the slightest sign of movement. She knew she could keep from moaning out loud, and any sloshing sounds he might pick up should just be shrugged off due to her washing. Of course, logic and reason quickly took a backseat once the miko really started getting into it, rubbing at her clit under the water with the flats of her index and middle fingers. Her movements were slow, at first, as she massaged her most sensitive flesh in languid circles, before picking up the pace to rub herself in more rapid up and down strokes. Even as her eyes stayed focused on the wall of rock before her, her mind began to wander, picturing images of how her inu-hanyou used to be. She remembered the time she’d seen him naked when he’d burst into her room after Souta had prepared too hot of a bath for him. Too bad she’d been such a squealy little girl back then, though granted that was over two years ago. Then there was also the time when Jaken had nearly stolen the Tetsusaiga, when Inuyasha had toppled over in that hot spring thanks to the head rush of standing too quickly. She’d gotten quite the eyeful that time, and comparing mental notes between that image, and what she had felt through his hakama only recently, Kagome realized that her Inuyasha was what they called a shower and a grower.

Unaware of the nearly inaudible moan that slipped passed her defenses to vibrate in her throat as her lips remained sealed, Kagome unconsciously leaned herself backward, once again tipping her head back to rest against the raised bank at the rear of the hot spring as her eyes drifted shut, thoughts of what she would like to do with a certain part of Inuyasha’s anatomy instantly heightening the sensations rushing through her as she imagined it was no longer her own fingers bringing her pleasure. Suddenly, Inuyasha was before her, towering over her, his own hand between her legs as he expertly parted her flesh to sink first one, then two fingers inside of her, stretching her, preparing her for what was to come. Her left hand became his right, reaching forward to grab her left breast, pinching her nipple before he leaned forward to gently capture the beaded flesh between his teeth. Baring her own teeth to bite down on her lower lip, Kagome’s efforts doubled as she imagined he had taken a hold of his shaft, rubbing the head of his penis against her clit teasingly. Kami, how she wanted him.

Unconsciously thrusting her hips in time with her movements, his movements, Kagome’s awareness of the world around her dropped to zero. She knew nothing but the pleasure stemming from between her legs to rocket throughout the rest of her body. Almost there…almost there…

Meanwhile, on the other side of the boulders, Inuyasha could no longer ignore what was happening.

When he had first headed around the rock face to grant Kagome her privacy, he had had absolutely no intention of peeking in on her, no matter how badly a certain part of him had really wanted to. That part of him had no business offering up opinions for the time being. Just listening to her splash around in the water as she bathed had been troublesome enough; watching her would have been absolute torture. So it was with that mindset that he continued to let his mate have her bath in private, even as his masochistic subconscious decided to start sharing with him its best guesses as to what she currently looked like, scrubbing the dirt from her skin as she stood up in the water wearing nothing but soap. He had seen her naked on several occasions over the years, though always in fleeting glimpses that lasted no longer than a second or two, but those still frames were permanently imbedded in his memory, and were more than enough for him to construct an artificial peep show in his mind. He imagined her rubbing her hands all over her own body, and suddenly, he had to shift his position, lying on his side instead of his stomach.

Damn it…I really fucking miss having hands…he mentally groaned as the ache he felt in a slightly higher place than normal only continued to worsen.

Turning his head to glance down at himself, he was met by the striking contrast of vibrant red flesh standing proudly against white fur. The tip wasn’t just peaking out like earlier back at the hut for a moment, he had a full-blown erection.

Fuck… he groaned again, plopping his head back down.

He needed a soak in some cold water, and pronto, but there was no way he was leaving Kagome unattended to, especially since he had belatedly realized they’d neglected to bring her bow and arrows. Granted, from the perspective of how fast he could run, they were only a few minutes away from the village, but the village wasn’t really that close by. If Kagome were forced to make her way back there by herself for whatever unforeseeable reason, it would take her a few hours. So far though, fortunately, he continued to sense no threats in the immediate area. In an attempt to take his mind off of certain…unfortunate circumstances…Inuyasha stood up in that moment, taking a deep breath through his nose in an attempt to reaffirm the continued safety of their surroundings…and promptly found himself sputtering and gasping for air.

What the fuck?!

He smelled Kagome’s arousal, wafting towards him casually on the steamy air like a heady bouquet of temptation. Snapping his jaw shut, he turned to glare at the rocks behind him as though they were directly to blame, his ears trained forward to note the subtle yet rhythmic sloshing coming from the other side. Then she moaned. It was very faint, and had he not already been listening intently then he may have missed it. She was clearly trying her best to be quiet. His ears lowered at the thought.

Damn it all…

Inuyasha was lost in a sea of emotions. He felt guilty over the fact that his mate was unsatisfied, forced to resort to pleasuring herself to make up for what he couldn’t give her. He both shared and understood her frustrations. Then, despite his own discomfort, a large part of him was even more turned on by the carnal imagery his subconscious was now providing him with. Torture or no, he was tempted to peek around the edge of the rocks to watch her erotic display. At the same time, he was also angry, not with Kagome directly, but at the whole gods damned situation. He was angry that he wanted her but couldn’t have her, and he was jealous that she at least got to get off while he was stuck humping air. Masturbating while fantasying about Kagome was nothing new to him, and if he were capable then that would at least be something, but as it was…

It took a lot of mental discipline to get his hips to stop thrusting forward, as he shook his head, determined to maintain control over himself despite his raging hormones. If he had known that taking Kagome to have a bath was going to leave him with a painful hard-on he could do nothing about, he would have seriously reconsidered the idea, or at the very least, he would’ve insisted that Shippou come along with them, which would have thoroughly killed ‘the mood’ for both of them. Too late for that now. He would live and learn, he supposed, provided that he didn’t die of blue balls first. Inuyasha briefly considered the one option he did have to relieve the throbbing pressure he felt down below, but before he could truly start thinking too deeply on the age-old male dilemma of whether or not self-gratification by mouth would be acceptable, she moaned again, and in a tone that sounded suspiciously like his name. All rhyme or reason left him as he headed around the boulders on autopilot, not even realizing he had moved until his eyes widened at the sight suddenly before him.

Kagome was writhing against the raised bank at the back of the hot spring, her sweat-glistened breasts heaving as she panted heavily. Her left arm was presently outstretched onto the soil behind her, her fingers clinching the earth most likely in an attempt to keep herself anchored in place so that she didn’t accidentally slip forward to sink below the surface. As she sat only waist-deep in the water, it was beyond obvious what her right hand was doing, though the ripples from her frantic movements obstructed his view.

Maybe he let out a tiny whine without realizing it, or maybe Kagome could merely sense her audience, but either way, it was in that moment that she opened her eyes, her head snapping up to stare forward, her gaze instantly locking onto his own. Feeling as though every inch of his body was on fire, Inuyasha panted heavily, unable to register anything other than the passion and desire he felt coursing through his veins. He was unfazed at having been caught staring, and when the fire he felt raging through him suddenly mirrored itself in her eyes, as she continued to stare hungrily back without making any move to conceal her breasts from view, or to relocate the position of her right hand, he found himself stepping closer to the water’s edge.

As for Kagome, her current frame of mind wasn’t much better off, as she stilled all movements while leaving her hand in place. She was too far gone to be embarrassed; by that point, his presence had merely startled her. As Kagome gazed across the width of the pool to where her mate was currently standing, she paid little attention to his overall appearance, focusing suddenly and mainly on his long, flapping tongue, as he panted. The miko remembered well the feel of that tongue of his as he trailed it across her throat, and she suddenly found herself wondering what it would feel like if he trailed it across other parts of her body. He would certainly be allowed to do so in his normal form, so why should his current appearance make any difference? A tongue was a tongue, right? Her idle hand slowly began moving again at the imagery, as she imagined him lapping at her most intimate flesh.

The sight of Kagome resuming her activities despite his presence had the hanyou-turned-canine fully entranced, as he continued to slowly approach her position. When his left front paw encountered water, however, it was enough of a surprise to pull him back into himself, as he nearly fell into the spring before backpedaling to regain his balance. Feeling lightheaded, he sat down on his butt as he mentally berated himself for being so weak, though feelings of humiliation never came. He still wanted Kagome in that moment more than he’d ever wanted anything else in his entire life, that single desire coursing through him paralleled only by his desire to destroy the surrounding forest in his aggravation over being denied what he wanted.

As for Kagome, she too finally snapped out of the spell her actions had cast upon them both at the sight of him nearly falling into the water in his desire to reach her, and she too immediately began mentally berating herself for what her lack of control had allowed to happen. Burning desire or no, she would not ask Inuyasha to fulfill her most recent fantasy, especially when she could see for herself just how miserable her own arousal had made him. With the way he was currently sitting, she had an unobstructed view of his erection, which was surprisingly similar in size and shape to a human’s, she realized in that moment, before immediately chastising herself for the thought. But if a tongue was a tongue, regardless of its current form, then wouldn’t logic stand to reason that the same comparison would also be true for other things besides his tongue?

Maybe we could…pleasure each other… Kagome thought after a moment, easily willing to return a favor for a favor, at least by hand. Besides, professional dog breeders did that all the time, for the purposes of artificial insemination, and if that wasn’t considered sick or wrong, then why should pleasuring her husband be forbidden?

As those types of thoughts continued to flitter through her mind, Kagome remembered the conversation they’d had with Shippou’s assistance, of how, if it truly turned out he was going to be stuck like that forever, she would be willing to be with him in that form as opposed to their relationship forever remaining sexless. He had seemed adamantly against the idea, at the time, not that she truly wanted her first time to be with a dog, either, but you didn’t always get what you wanted in life. Over 90% of her initial optimism that they would be able to change him back had been from placing her faith in Kaede’s ability to reverse the spell by herself. While Kagome refused to give up hope entirely, especially with the revealed knowledge that there was something that would reverse the spell, she was far more reserved to the fact that he might be stuck like that for several, several months, if the only way to change him back was to first locate Kikyou, whom Kagome was fairly certain had no intention of being found. Then, after they achieved the first miracle of actually finding and cornering the undead miko, they would have to get her to tell them what the unlocking key was, a secret the vengeful specter would probably rather carry with her into Hell than share with them.

A muffled grunt pulled Kagome from her thoughts in that moment, as her eyes focused to recognize what Inuyasha was doing from his place by the water’s edge, his head bent down between his legs. With her cheeks flushed a dark red from a combination of arousal and anger-driven determination, Kagome’s mind was suddenly made up as she sloshed forward, climbing fully out of the spring before he even noticed her movement.  

Hard to the point of actual pain, Inuyasha simply hadn’t been able to take it any more. He’d realized quickly enough what Kagome was staring at, as she’d pulled her hand away from herself to stare at him when he’d sat down after almost tumbling into the spring, and glaring down at his own erection angrily, he’d almost contemplated biting it off before realizing there was a much less painful, and only slightly more humiliating solution to his immediate problem. Of course, it quickly turned out that using his tongue only added fuel to the fire, since the strokes were more teasing than genuinely fulfilling, and he seriously doubted he would be able to reach completion that way. But much like scratching at a horribly itchy spider bite, it felt too good to stop, even though he knew he should.

He was genuinely startled when Kagome suddenly placed a wet hand on his shoulder, his head snapping up and away from himself to stare at her with wide, panicked eyes. But before he could decide if he was afraid because he believed Kagome was going to be angry with him, or if he was afraid because he knew damn well what it was she had planned, he felt her hand wrap around him and tug, and suddenly, there wasn’t enough blood left in his brain to be afraid of anything.

With hooded eyes, he leaned his head forward and began lapping the water droplets off her breasts. They tasted just as he had always imagined they would. She arched herself into his touch, a moan escaping her lips as he gently teased her hardened nipples with his teeth, careful not to cause her any harm. Suddenly, Kagome was leaning away from him, though before he could misinterpret and think that the action meant she didn’t want him touching her in return, he quickly realized that was not the case when she merely lied down before him, her legs spreading wide as she continued to tug gently on his throbbing erection.

“Join with me…” she whispered pleadingly, his eyes going wide again at her words.

Wh-what?! he panicked, his leg muscles tightening to make a run for it, which she sensed as she tightened her hold on him there to keep him in place.

His gaze met hers, and releasing him, she smiled.

“I mean it, Koibito. I just don’t care any more. I can’t take not being one with you any longer. You’re my mate, I love you, I want you, please…”

Any thoughts of how degrading, how defiling this act was were instantly banished from his mind at her words. What kind of a husband would he be if he denied his loving wife? Maybe that legend from her time really was about them. He could certainly see Kagome being kindhearted enough to want to aid any lost traveler who happened upon their home in the forest, and he already knew he would cave if she gave him the look, much like she was giving him in that moment. Of course, should any such traveler, after their show of mercy, happen to gather after some time a ‘rescue’ party in an attempt to steal Kagome away from him, then he would most certainly slaughter every last one of them, too, just like in the legend.

Shaking such thoughts free from his mind, Inuyasha mentally promised his mate that they would not give up in their search for a way to change him back, even as he conceded to her request in that moment, as he slowly crawled himself over her body, settling himself into position. It was the wrong angle for him to be able to finalize the act by himself, at least without any hands, so the ultimate final step was definitely Kagome’s to make. If she moved forward with this, he would not stop her.

When he felt her hand once again grab a hold of him from between their bodies, he knew he had her answer, as he lifted himself up only enough to give her more room to maneuver. When he felt the tip of his shaft come into direct contact with her heat, he somehow managed to resist the urge to start thrusting madly, knowing that for her sake, he needed to handle this as much like a human male as was possible, despite his thundering instincts. With that last, lingering thought, he pushed forward slowly and steadily, his eyes trained to Kagome’s face as she grunted and hissed at his intrusion.

Suddenly, though, after only entering her partway, he froze, as an unexpected, painful yet familiar sensation quickly overwhelmed him.

Immediately pulling himself out, up and away from her, Inuyasha threw himself to the side before he began writhing in total agony, his jaw snapping as snarls sounded from deep in his throat as his body was literally ripped apart and put back together again. Having sat up in shocked confusion the moment she’d first felt him pulling away from her, Kagome stared wide-eyed in that moment, having quickly realized what was happening and feeling horribly powerless to do anything to ease his pain, even as she silently rejoiced, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight of his transformation. Unlike his monthly change from hanyou to human and back again during the nights and dawns of the new moon, the changes currently rippling through him were nearly as agonizing for her to watch as they were for him to endure. His various joints all appeared to snap, dislocating before realigning themselves in different positions. His tail wilted and rotted away to disappear within the base of his spine like an infant’s umbilical cord, even as his legs and arms grew in density, body fat and muscular changes giving him buttocks and meatier thighs and biceps. The white fur that had previously covered his entire body retracted within the pores of his flesh while the fur on his head grew longer and thicker, his face warping and rippling as countless micro fractures reconstructed the shape of his jaw, while the black flesh of his nose faded back into peach. Truly, the only part of his body that remained unchanged, was the only part that had remained unchanged the first time around, as his ears danced frantically upon his head in an instinctive search for possible threats while he remained lying otherwise motionless on the forest floor.

Holding her breath, Kagome was afraid to move, afraid to speak. The transformation was over, as Inuyasha lied naked in his hanyou form before her, his back to her in his current position. Was he all right? It hadn’t appeared to hurt him quite that badly when he’d first changed into the dog, but then again, maybe his anger over the situation had overruled everything else as he’d wanted to immediately give chase of his attacker before she’d had a chance to get away. This time, Kagome was certain the dominant emotion he probably felt was relief, knowing that that was how she felt, herself. Still, though, right after relief was concern, especially when she noticed the way his shoulders were suddenly shaking.

“Inuyasha…?” she dared whisper quietly, though she got no response.

Scooting herself around to the other side of him so that she could see his face, Kagome was shocked to realize that he was actually laughing.

“Inuyasha?” she asked again, louder that time.

He opened his eyes to greet her confused ones with a genuine smile.

“Do you realize…” he began between chortles, “…what this means?”

“You mean, besides our lives not being ruined, after all?” she asked with a smile.

Sitting up and paying no attention to his nakedness, though his excitement had fled during the torment he had temporarily been forced to endure, Inuyasha grinned stupidly at his mate before explaining “It also means that Kikyou’s got a bit of a hentai in her, to have set that as the key.”

Understanding dawned as Kagome’s eyes widened comically before a deep blush stained her cheeks.

I guess she really had been challenging my love for him, after all, she thought with her own growing amusement. I guess I passed the test.

Gazing happily across at his mate, Inuyasha couldn’t stop going over the last few minutes in his mind, over and over again. Who would have thought? Now he was very glad Kagome had managed to convince him to give in to his desires, rather than sticking to his original refusal to subject her to such at act. Of course, the more he thought about it, the more desire he felt quickly return, until suddenly, his body was eager to pick up where they’d left off.

Kagome, noticing the sudden change in his demeanor, thought to ask him what was the matter as his face went blank and his eyes clouded over, but all she got out was “Inuya-” before he pounced, pinning her on her back as he captured her mouth with his own, his renewed erection poking her hip demandingly.

“Where were we?” he breathed as he pulled away for only a moment before lowering his mouth to hers once again.

It had only taken Kagome a second before melting under his touch, as she hungrily returned his kisses while winding her arms up and around his body, holding him to her as though she were afraid to let go. Shifting her legs to slide open in blatant invitation, Inuyasha easily maneuvered himself to rest between them, his manhood nestled comfortably against her nether lips as he languidly began grinding himself against her.

In no time, Kagome was dripping, and they each easily noticed her slickness as he continued to tease them both with his movements, until she took initiative to reach down between them, grabbing his shaft just like before as she broke free from their persistent kissing to murmur “I think we were right…here.” in answer to his question as she realigned his staff with her entrance.

“I think you’re right.” he replied gently, holding himself up slightly with his hands pressed against the ground on either side of her head so that he could gaze into her eyes as he slowly, carefully, began pressing himself inside of her.

This time, there was no sudden, stabbing pain of magic like electricity rippling through his entire body. This time, the only discomfort he felt came from having to go so slowly, as he continued to enter his mate, stretching her, pressing himself inside a place that no one but himself would ever be allowed to enter. Finally, as Inuyasha found himself seated fully within her, his hips and thighs coming to rest against her own, he once again had to fight his instincts as he ignored his desire to start thrusting in favor of allowing the girl below him time to adjust.

Blinking back tears of happiness, Kagome breathed deeply a few times before quietly murmuring “Okay…”, wincing only slightly when Inuyasha slowly pulled out only to push himself back in again.

“Are you okay?” he asked her cautiously at the sight of her pinched eyes and furrowed brow.

“It’s just new and different, I’m fine.” she assured him, “Keep going.” she added when he didn’t pull out right away.

Gradually picking up the pace, Inuyasha did his best to keep his strokes smooth and steady, even as the near overwhelming waves of pleasure washing over him had his muscles twitching at random. It was far more intense than anything he had ever experienced before, and he couldn’t stop the whimper that sounded in the back of his throat, as he suddenly had to stop his movements to keep from finishing too soon.

“H-holy shit…” he breathed, collapsing himself against her for a moment to just relish in the sensation of flesh against flesh, until he felt he could move again without exploding.

“You don’t need to hold yourself back, Koi…” the girl below him whispered lovingly, causing Inuyasha’s eyes to lock with hers.

“Kagome…” he murmured, leaning in for another kiss as he resumed his gradual pumping. “I…I can’t take it, Aisai, you feel too good.” he confessed, stilling his movements once more. “But I’m not going anywhere without you.” he added playfully, as he once against raised his body up and slightly away from her own, to give her room. “Touch yourself.”

Kagome’s eyes widened in surprise at his request, before her lids drooped seductively, a new kind of fire instantly ignited within her at his words. Unabashed, she maneuvered her hand into position between them, and immediately started rubbing at herself, just as she had done in the hot spring. It didn’t take the miko long at all to regain her own previous, unfulfilled excitement, and before she knew it, she was raising her hips in time with Inuyasha’s thrusts, moaning and gasping as her fingers worked quickly between their bodies before suddenly screaming out his name two seconds before his hips locked tightly against her own, trapping her hand between them as he cried out her own name as he emptied himself deep inside of her. They rode out their euphoria together, Inuyasha’s arms wrapped tightly around Kagome’s form, holding her to him, as her left arm locked around his back in return.

As soon as they could each breathe again without shuddering, Inuyasha lifted himself away from her on shaky arms, as she pulled her right hand free to grasp each side of his face with both hands, kissing him lovingly before allowing him to finish backing away from her.

“That was…wow.” Inuyasha panted after a moment, in a playful mirror of what his mate had said upon their initial arrival at the hot spring.

“You can say that again.” Kagome sighed, propping herself up slightly on her elbows as she remained otherwise in her same position, lying on the ground. She would definitely need another bath before they headed back to the village.

That thought had Kagome smirking over the realization that she would get to share the water with Inuyasha, after all, since he could certainly use a bath himself, before her eyes widened in horror at the sudden realization that he didn’t have any clothes.

“What?” he asked with a worried edge to his voice as his nose suddenly picked up on the hint of dread in her scent. Was she regretting their joining? But how could she?! They were already mates!

“I just realized…I didn’t bring your robes with us. You have nothing to wear!” she confessed, and he immediately relaxed at her words, even as a light dusting of pink splashed his cheeks.

“Feh…I’ll manage.” he assured her with a nonchalant wave of his hand before bringing her previous thoughts to life as he stated “First things first, you need another bath.”

The way he waggled his eyebrows at her had the miko giggling over the realization that her mate planned on getting dirty again before finally letting her get clean.




Two hours later, Kagome was beyond sated, the strain of the last two weeks more than made up for, as she wrapped her arms tighter across Inuyasha’s shoulders as he carried her back to the village. She now had firsthand knowledge of what it felt like to have his tongue trailed across the rest of her body, and Inuyasha had also learned that Kagome was far more talented with her mouth than he was when it came to his own anatomy. Having no choice but to head back to Kaede’s village in the buff, Inuyasha was traveling a little slower than normal, allowing himself extra time to scent his surroundings before anything or anyone had the opportunity to get the drop on them. Once they made it within visual range of the Goshinboku, he stood straight slowly to allow Kagome to slip from his back, the miko playfully giving his front a quick reach-around tug before fully stepping away. Fair was fair, considering his hands had not been idle as he’d held her inner thighs much, much higher than usual during their trip back.

Shooting his mate a playful glare, he held out his hand in expectation, and Kagome quickly grabbed the bag from her shoulders and opened it to retrieve her towel, handing it to him so that he would at least be covered by something while she retrieved his robes from Kaede’s hut.

She was praying the hut would be empty when she entered so that she could quickly grab his clothing and bring it back to him, but luck was not on her side when she walked in to find Kaede and Shippou sorting herbs. At least Miroku and Sango didn’t appear to be back yet.

“Kagome, welcome back.” Kaede stated merrily, not yet picking up on the girl’s anxiousness as she stated, “Lunch will be ready soon.” before gesturing to the pot of rice currently cooking over the fire pit.

“Good, er…yeah, um…”

Shippou immediately stopped what he was doing, lifting his head to gaze worriedly in Kagome’s direction. Sniffing to make sure she wasn’t injured, his eyes widened in surprise by what his nose told him.

“Is everything all right, child?” Kaede asked her, concerned by both the young miko as well as the kitsune’s reactions.

“Yes,” Kagome answered sincerely, resolving to get her embarrassment over with. “Everything’s more than all right. I, uh…need Inuyasha’s clothing.”

Kaede’s eyebrows rose at that, her one good eye sparkling with amusement as she suddenly realized what young Shippou’s nose had probably revealed.

“I see. Well, this is certainly good news, indeed. We must not keep the man waiting.”

With that said, Kagome bowed quickly, thanking Kaede for her understanding as she darted over to where she’d left the rest of her supplies when she’d gone through her backpack in preparation for the trip to the hot spring. With the promise that all would be explained as soon as she and Inuyasha both returned, she darted out the door, fire-rat in hand.

So… the elderly miko thought, shaking her head in amusement, Kikyou had it in her to do such a thing, after all. No matter, at least now all is well.

```````````````````````````````````````````

Mir oku and Sango both returned to the village around the same time later that evening, and each were quick to rejoice at the news that their hanyou companion had in fact turned back into a hanyou during their absence. Kagome didn’t know how much teasing she would be able to take if the monk became aware of precisely how Inuyasha had managed to change back, so openly, it was only stated during dinner that night that while Kaede had been unable to find any information in her scrolls, Kagome and Inuyasha had managed to figure it out on their own. Of course, the houshi was still able to get in several lecherous comments about how the hanyou and miko had most likely ‘celebrated’ his transformation, but honestly, they would’ve worried if he was sick if he hadn’t made any comments at all.

Before getting back to their mission of collecting jewel shards, there was a very important mission of another kind that needed to take place on the other side of the well, so the following morning, Inuyasha and Kagome made the leap together, literally, five hundred years into the future. Just as predicted, while Kagome’s grandfather was reluctant to hear the news, her mother and Souta were both overjoyed to officially welcome Inuyasha into the family. Her grandfather became mildly more accepting when they promised her family that Kagome would continue attending school as often as possible so that she could graduate with honor, and Inuyasha even agreed, for her family’s sake, to participate in a traditional Shinto wedding of their time. It wouldn’t really be legally binding, considering he had no ‘paperwork’, whatever that meant, but he understood the symbolic importance of the ceremony, and at least he didn’t have to worry about accidentally being purified, since Kagome’s grandfather would be performing the wedding, himself.

Because of how long Kagome had been away, Inuyasha agreed to let her stay in her time for a few days, catching up on her schoolwork so that they could make good on their promise to her family in that regard. Since he refused to leave her time while she was at school, Inuyasha spent his days assisting her family with mundane chores, or getting his ass kicked by Souta in some video game or another. He was gradually starting to understand how the controller worked, though. While he had no idea how the thing actually worked, he knew which buttons did what. Victory would be his…soon.

Once they were back out on the road in search of jewel shards back in the past, Sango pulled Kagome aside the first opportunity she could, and the miko was only slightly hesitant to confess to her friend the truth behind how she had managed to reverse Kikyou’s spell. Instead of the look of disgust she had been only partially expecting but truly dreading, Sango patted her shoulder reassuringly, and told Kagome she understood. Love was a powerful emotion.

While the women were gone, Miroku also took advantage of that same opportunity to grill Inuyasha. Thanks to the naturally perverted workings of his mind, Miroku had already guessed on his own what had reversed the spell. Even if he had only been kidding, he’d said it, and Inuyasha’s instant blush had immediately confirmed his suspicions. But Miroku also didn’t think badly of Kagome for what had happened, and it was truly necessary, anyway, since that had been what had reversed the spell in the end. Inuyasha made a deal with Miroku in that moment that he could tease him as much as he wanted without getting pounded, about this or anything else, whenever the girls weren’t around, so long as he kept his mouth shut about that topic in front of Kagome. The houshi easily agreed to his terms.

It really was true, Inuyasha realized later that day as he and Kagome walked hand in hand beside their friends, on their way to the next village up the road. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.