#the first time Kagome cries for him is the first time Inuyasha believes anyone cares about his life | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lavaffair · 2 years

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Begin Again - Rated T

Chapter Five

you can read it on AO3!

Chapter 4 on tumblr here.

(please remember it isn't beta read. I check for errors as best as I can *cries*)

___

Inuyasha was regretting his decision.

It’s not because Kagome and her friends seemed like bad company, on the contrary, they seemed like a great company. No, Inuyasha was nervous that he was going to be bad company. He struggles in social settings because he doesn’t know what to do, and he becomes hyper aware of the things he says. When he was younger he was always excluded from certain things because of his hanyou blood which led to his social awkwardness. He tries his best, but he never seems to get it right, and it only makes him irritable as the night goes on.

That’s why he only hangs out with Shippo.

He admits that it’s lame but can anyone blame him for that? Being teased for his half-demon blood and appearance was normal for him, and although it’s toned down a bit now that he’s older there are still plenty of things being said about him.

People think that he can’t hear their hushed comments, but if someone’s going to talk shit about his ears, it should be common knowledge that he’s going to have superhuman hearing.

Inuyasha is very aware that Kagome likes his ears, and he’s sure that her friends don’t care about his lineage. She isn’t a shitty person; therefore, she wouldn’t surround herself with shitty people either. He’s nervous that his awkwardness will ruin their night, and possibly turn away Kagome.

Looking back into his bathroom mirror Inuyasha checks himself out, making sure his clothes looked somewhat presentable. After a few seconds of poking and prodding, he scowled back at his reflection.

“Tch. Why do I care so much? It’s just Kagome and her friends.”

In truth, Kagome wasn’t just Kagome, she was the girl next door who had his heart beating quicker than normal, his cheeks flaring up no matter what she said or did, and she had him questioning his every move.

He was nervous, and nobody could blame him for that. This is the first time in a while that he was hanging out with people besides Shippo, and one of those people was his extremely attractive neighbor, the neighbor he was beginning to feel something for that was beyond the friendship category. Of course, he didn’t want to actually admit that he liked her. No, his plan was to completely ignore his feelings and keep Kagome as his friend. He had no idea if she liked him back because playfully flirting with each other could mean anything, even though for Inuyasha it definitely meant something.

He didn’t want to get hurt again or get the wrong idea. He doesn’t believe Kagome would intentionally hurt him, but with his past, he always wanted to be a bit more reserved on the matter.

Inuyasha checked the time on his phone and blew out a gust of air. It was time for the group to meet up for the night. He was fully aware that Kagome’s friends had already arrived at her apartment around 20 minutes ago and Inuyasha was just stalling. Unfortunately for him, time waited for no one.

He clapped his hands together as he made his way to his door. "Now or never.”

Laughter and the sound of familiar giggles seemed to come directly toward him as he was locking his front door, and as he was placing his key in his pocket he met her kind, chocolate brown eyes that he’d grown fond of staring back at him.

“Hey, you.” She shyly greeted him.

“Yo.” He replied, the slight crack in his voice giving away how stunned he was to see her.

Kagome always looked good. It never mattered how she looked or what she was wearing in front of him because he didn’t care about that shit at all. Although, with her hair tied up in a ponytail and her green top complimenting her perfectly Inuyasha was having trouble focusing on anything that wasn’t Kagome.

“You-“ He cleared his throat. “You look good.”

That earned him a few giggles and it made his embarrassment fade off just a little bit. “Thanks,” She replied. “You look good too.”

He laughed. “No oil marks all over my arms this time.” He awkwardly ran his hands over his forearms to show off that they were clean.

“Aw, but they complete the look.” She pouted.

“Damn. Let me go take apart the car real quick, should only take an hour, and then I’ll be ready to go.” He pretended to walk back to his apartment door and fish out his keys in his pocket.

“If you do that Sango’s gonna have both of our heads.” She leaned her head on the doorframe as she stared at him with flushed cheeks. “Just for tonight, keep those arms car oil-free.”

Inuyasha pretended to weigh out his options with his hands. “Eh, I guess I can make an exception. But just for you.” He pointed at her.

She hugged herself tightly, suddenly shy and very aware of just how handsome Inuyasha looked tonight. He was wearing something casual and comfortable while his denim jacket hung limply in his grasp. “That sounds like a deal.”

Brisk footsteps and laughter echoed from Kagome’s apartment inside which caught the two neighbors' attention. Miroku appeared out of the door first, with Sango following close behind him as they seemed to be laughing about something.

“Inuyasha!” Sango greeted the half-demon warmly. “You made it!”

“I mean, I do live right next door.” Inuyasha awkwardly laughed.

“Details details.” She replied, swatting at the air between them. “You could have just stayed inside and ignored us.”

“Tch.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze shifting from Sango to Kagome. “Probably not.”

It didn’t go unnoticed by the couple, but they chose to say nothing of it, knowing exactly what he meant.

“We’re really loud.” Kagome chimed in, completely oblivious to Inuyasha’s attention. “You definitely can’t ignore us!”

“You mean, Sango’s loud.” Miroku added.

“Hey!” Sango yelled. “I just get excited!” She crossed her arms across her chest and pouted.

Kagome laughed at her friend and hugged her. “It’s not a bad thing! Your excitement keeps me pumped for whatever it is you have planned.”

“Good. Because tonight we’re going to the Carousel Club.”

Inuyasha suppressed his smile when Kagome squealed out of excitement. He figured she already knew where they were all going, but if her friends had planned to do something to celebrate her 2 months of living at their apartment, they probably had planned not to tell her until now. “The what?”

Kagome looked at him with bright, excited eyes. “The Carousel Club! I’ve been wanting to go for months since it opened, but with how crazy everything’s been I haven’t had the time! It’s this giant, outdoor, opened spaced bar and lounge with a working Carousel right in the middle of the space.”

He chuckled at her and looked at her friends. “Yeah. I’ve never heard of it. Guess I don’t get out much.” 'Or at all.' He thought.

Miroku nodded at him. “I just go whatever she tells me to go and I find out what it is when we get there.”

Sango scoffed. “You guys are the same. But I swear, you’re gonna like it! They have good food and drinks. The carousel is the main showcase, but they’ve got a bunch of other things you can do too.”

Inuyasha shrugged. “Guess we’ll have to see when we get there.” He really had no idea just what this place was, and how busy it would be. Whenever he goes drinking with Shippo, it’s a local bar where they know all of the workers by name, and it isn’t crazy busy. This is a new level of socializing, and he’s definitely nervous about it.

Kagome poked his arm, the action completely grabbing his attention. “It’ll be fun, Inuyasha. You’ll see.”

The shy, gentle smile that was directed toward him had his insides warming up, and he had to fight back a blush. “Tch. What are ya waitin’ for then? Let’s go already.”

Sango and Miroku shared a look with each other that Inuyasha and Kagome couldn’t read and it made them uneasy. They led the way to the car, where Miroku was the designated driver for the night, and Kagome and Inuyasha had to sit together in the backseat.

The car ride couldn’t be more awkward, and Inuyasha was already overthinking his every move. Kagome and her friends were engaging in a random conversation that Inuyasha couldn’t focus on while a pop hit was playing smoothly on the car radio. He was staring at his hands and bouncing his leg unintentionally in his seat.

Was he going to be able to talk to them normally? They’re already such good friends, and he only just met Sango and Miroku, what if they think he’s not the person that Kagome’s said he is? On top of that, he has no idea what she’s even told them, has she told them good things? He hopes it was all good things, but; he also hopes she hasn’t over-exaggerated anything about him so they don’t get their hopes up.

Quickly, he glanced over at Kagome as she was giggling at something her friends said, and he started to wonder about what she thought about him. If she didn’t like him as a person, obviously she wouldn’t even give him a chance to talk to her, and she wouldn’t have introduced him to her friends. Shit, he wouldn’t even be hanging out with them tonight if Kagome didn’t like him. Regardless, Inuyasha couldn’t help but wonder about all of these things at a time like this.

He was very aware of the things she made him feel, although he had to remind himself not to dive too deep into those thoughts because he had no clue if she might feel the same way about him. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin something that was still growing.

Inuyasha thinks Kagome is an untouchable person, someone who deserves to experience a life filled with beautiful things. When she cried in front of him after her encounter with her ex, something inside of him woke up, and ever since then all he’s ever thought about was her well-being. After getting to know her more, that feeling has only grown stronger. He wants to protect Kagome, not just from her ex-boyfriend; but from everything that raises a hand against her. He doesn’t have a reason for any of this, but he shouldn’t have a reason to protect something that embodies sunlight.

“Inuyasha?”

Kagome’s voice, gentle and shy, pulled him out of his mind and back into the present. He stared back at her with wide eyes as if he had been caught doing something wrong.

“Are you okay?” She asked him. “You’ve been quiet since we got in the car.”

He looked at the driver's seat of the car and noticed that Miroku and Sango weren’t inside with them. “Yeah, m’sorry. Just got a headache.”

She scooted a bit closer to him and his heart almost stopped. “Are you sick? Do you wanna go back home?” Her warm hand touched his cold forehead and his skin immediately tingled.

“Tch!” He gently pushed off her hand. “I’m fine, it’s a little one.”

Kagome pulled her hand back, “I know we haven’t known each other for too long, but I know when you’re lying, Yash.”

Inuyasha put his hands up to his face and groaned in embarrassment. He really did it this time. Everything he’s been worrying about since yesterday is coming to bite him in the ass. “It’s nothin’. I swear.”

She knew it definitely wasn't just 'nothing', but she didn’t want to keep pushing him any further. Maybe if she gave him some space, he would talk to her about it later.

“Okay then, well. We’re here.” She grabbed her purse and opened the car door. “Sango and Miroku already made their way inside, so I’ll wait for you out here.”

Gently, she closed the door and Inuyasha was left alone inside. He felt stupid. He wanted to run home, and yet he also wanted to stay and see how the night would go.

He sighed defeatedly, knowing already that he wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity like this to get closer to Kagome. The girl was going to give him a heart attack no matter what she did, but he wanted to chase after that feeling.

Quickly he climbed out of the car and closed the door, the lights automatically blinking twice once it shut. Confused, he looked at the girl standing on the other side as she jiggled the keys and smiled. “He left us the keys. Gotta make sure we lock his baby, or we won’t hear the end of it.”

He didn’t reply, instead; he nodded at her and walked beside her in silence. There was a weird feeling in the air surrounding them, making it tense and awkward. Inuyasha was drowning in his thoughts, while Kagome was staying silent as she calculated what could be going on inside of his head. Ever since they met, it was never this quiet between them and neither of them knew what to do to fix the situation. The walk from the car to the bar felt like a long journey as if the road had stretched out for miles. The duo finally spotted Miroku and Sango waiting patiently by the tall, golden gates that seemed to be the entrance to the lounge. Although as the two neighbors neared, the couple could feel the awkward tension in the air, so thick it could be cut with a knife.

“Remember to lock her up?” Miroku asked Kagome teasingly. He hoped whatever the hell was going on between them would settle soon.

Kagome tossed the keys gently into his empty hand. “After you talked my ear off the first and last time I forgot to lock your car, I made sure I hit the button four times just in case.”

Miroku threw up a finger gun towards her while his keys jingled in his grasp. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

Sango rolled her eyes and moved towards Inuyasha and Kagome, handing them each a bright yellow wristband. “We gotta enter with these bad boys in order to get unlimited drinks, so make sure you put it on correctly!”

“Unlimited drinks?” Kagome asked wide-eyed. “You guys didn’t?!”

“We did.” Miroku grinned.

“It’s your 2monthaversary! We want to celebrate this milestone, so the wristbands are on us.” Sango added.

Inuyasha sputtered in reaction. “Wait, no way. I can pay ya back.”

Sango raised her hand at him, a kind smile on her face. “Nope! The best way to pay us both back is for you guys to enjoy the night. The wristband includes all the games too. This place doesn’t close until 4 AM anyway, so we have plenty of time!”

“Holy shit.” Inuyasha whispered to himself. He looked at Kagome, who seemed just as surprised; as she ran towards her friends to hug and thank them for their generosity.

Miroku noticed the shock on his face and nodded his head at him in understanding. “No need to thank us, but if we stay out here any longer we’re not going to enjoy anything.”

Sango grinned and looped her arm around Miroku’s, giggling excitedly. “Let’s go in! I want to ride the carousel!”

Inuyasha and Kagome quietly followed after them, the two neighbors continuing to not exchange any words with each other. They watched as Sango and Miroku talked and laughed with each other, and it only made the space between them more uneasy. The Carousel Club was filled with people all dressed up and having fun, eating food, and playing different yard games. The lighting wasn’t harsh on the eyes thanks to the fairy lights hung up above, and the twinkling lights from the carousel added a carnival-themed feeling to the place. There were booths offering different kinds of foods and drinks, and the main bar was right in front of the spinning carousel.

Everything looked��so fun and exciting, and yet Kagome couldn’t fully appreciate it because of the longing she felt with Inuyasha not speaking to her. He still looked off his game, even with the fluorescent lighting coloring his face, and it seemed like he was in between wanting to stay or go home. She felt bad for him, and all she wanted to do was help him, but if he wouldn’t talk to her she couldn’t do anything about it.

“Kagome, let’s go ride the carousel!” Sango pulled her away from the sulking half-demon and towards the giant ride. “The guys will catch up!”

Miroku nudged Inuyasha gently, a grin plastered on his face. “Wanna get motion sickness with me while we sit behind the girls?”

Inuyasha swallowed back his nerves and smirked at him. “You get motion sickness? C’mon man.”

Miroku shrugged. “Things that spin are my biggest enemy.”

“Tch. I’ll go on with ya as long as ya don’t fuckin’ puke on me.” Inuyasha replied before following after the giggling girls.

Miroku laughed. “I can’t promise you anything!”

The area around the ride was very loud and extremely crowded. Inuyasha’s ears were twitching reflexively at the loud noises coming from all around him, but even though it was loud, he was still hyper aware of Kagome and her infectious laughter.

“You guys coming with?” Sango finally asked them.

“Only because you’ll drag us onto it if we don't.” Miroku replied.

Inuyasha said nothing as he looked at all of the people currently on the ride, whether they were sober or buzzed, everyone seemed to be having a good time. Something Inuyasha knew he was currently lacking, and prayed to any higher power that existed that it wasn’t ruining the rest of the group's moods. Sango and Miroku looked like they were having a good time, and on the surface, it would appear that Kagome was too. But he knew better than to assume that for her. She hadn’t said a word to him since they were alone in the car, not that he was helping; and it was starting to make him feel like a giant piece of shit.

He could see that she was sparing quick, little glances at him, and whenever she turned her attention to her friends or something else, he’d go back to looking at her too.

Soon after, it was time for them to get on the slow spinning contraption, and while the girls sat on horses that were next to each other Miroku and Inuyasha sat on their marching horses as well. The ride was as boring and uneventful as any other carousel, but what made the ride entertaining was watching Kagome giggle and cheer with her friend beside her. Right now, she looked happy, and it made Inuyasha’s heartbeat pound roughly in his chest. She was acting like her usual self while strapped onto her pink horse as if what was going on between her and Inuyasha was blissfully forgotten while they spun around in circles.

It made Inuyasha want to bang his head against a wall.

He missed talking to her even though it hasn’t even been a full hour since they left their apartment, and he was beginning to feel stupid for another reason that wasn’t his anxiety talking.

If he was afraid of ruining the night for Kagome and her friends, he was definitely already doing it by giving them all the awkward, silent treatment. None of them deserved any of it. He was sulking over something that hasn’t even happened yet, but if he continued to act like this, it was going to happen for sure. They had included him in their plans on the same day they met, and while he was drowning in his own thoughts they had continued to talk to him and include him in their endeavors.

The only person not doing any of that was the person he wanted to speak to the most.

“Bro.” Miroku spoke, the desperation in his voice catching Inuyasha off guard. “I’m not gonna make it.”

The hairs on Inuyasha’s neck stood up. “What the hell do ya mean by that?!”

“Babe!” Sango squealed in worry from in front of them. “It’s almost over! Hold on!”

Miroku laid his hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder and squeezed it, all while holding tightly to the bar that was connected to his horse with his eyes shut tight.

“Breathe through the nose and out the mouth!” Kagome shouted at him in worry.

He did just as he was told while the carousel slowly spun to a stop. Miroku dared not move, the grip on Inuyasha’s shoulder so tight it would actually hurt him if it wasn’t for him being a half-demon. Brisk footsteps echoed against the metal floor as the girls ran in his direction.

“Baby, come on.” Sango softly spoke to him. “Let’s get you water.”

“Good idea.” Miroku managed to choke out as he ungraciously got off the porcelain horse.

“We’ll be right back!” Sango called out to them with her fiancé slumped over her small frame.

Inuyasha and Kagome made their way towards the exit of the ride and waited patiently for their friends to come back. The tense energy in the air coming back in between them reminded Inuyasha of what he had been thinking while on the ride.

He cleared his throat, the sound immediately getting the raven-haired beauty's attention. “Is he gonna be okay?”

She sucked air between her teeth and ran a hand through her bangs. “I’m sure he told you that he gets motion sickness, but yeah, he’s gonna be fine eventually. He just needs some water and a nausea pill. I think in our excitement, Sango forgot to give him one.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah.”

Another wave of silence washed between them, and as Inuyasha stared at her as she worriedly bit her bottom lip while she stared at anything else that wasn’t him, he realized it was now or never.

“Can we talk?” He asked her. His voice sounded strained as his chest swelled up in nerves.

Brown eyes met his molten gold and she nodded in reply. “Of course, we can.”

Inuyasha looked around them as they were surrounded by people, none of them were paying any attention to the pair, but he couldn’t help but feel watched. “Uh, let’s go over there.”

In his bubbling nerves, he took Kagome’s hand in his and gently dragged her to an area with an empty booth.

He looked nervous and uncomfortable, and all Kagome wanted to do was to make him stop feeling that way. “What did you want to talk about, Inuyasha?”

“I just-“ He stopped midway as he noticed their hands and a bright, red blush colored his cheeks.

“Oh, I-“ Kagome responded once she noticed as well, the color on her cheeks matching his.

Quickly they let go of each other’s hands and stared at their feet. This was getting them nowhere, and as time went on Inuyasha became more flustered at the situation and irritated with himself.

“I’m sorry.” He blurted.

Her chocolate brown eyes lifted from the ground and back onto his golden ones. “What? Why?”

Inuyasha leaned onto the wall of the booth and released a big puff of hair. “I’m not… I’m just…” He groaned. “I miss talking to ya.“

Kagome blushed. “I missed talking to you, too.”

“I’m not used to goin’ out like this. With people. I only hang out with my coworker who’s a runt, but he’s a good kid, and he doesn’t give a shit about me bein’ a half-demon even though he’s a full demon and I got worried that I was gonna ruin the night because I suck ass at socializing and I just met yer friends and I don’t wanna look like a fuckin’ idiot in front of ‘em or you.”

He was blabbering and out of breath, his entire face was a shade of bright red. He really did it now, completely looking like a fool in front of the girl that was making his heart race and not think straight.

She smiled up at him, shy and kind, and she stepped closer to him. “Inuyasha, it’s okay.”

On the outside, Kagome was doing her best to seem cool and collected; even if her flushed face was failing her. Although, on the inside, Kagome was a flustered disaster. Inuyasha made her feel things she hadn’t felt for anyone since her ex, and it scared her. But she couldn’t keep denying it anymore, as much as she wished she could.

When he didn’t respond to her, she leaned on the wall beside him and continued. “I had no idea that was what you were worried about. I knew something was wrong but when you told me you were fine I didn’t want to pry. I know how it feels to be stuck in a corner where you’re scared to come out, and I didn’t want to force you to talk if you weren’t comfortable.”

“I don’t go out much. I work all the time, and I don’t know that many people who aren’t my coworkers. I was worried I wasn’t gonna be good enough for yer friends.” He hesitated. “Or you.”

Her cheeks couldn’t turn anymore red, and yet somehow they did. “Y-you don’t have to worry about that, Inuyasha. Miroku and Sango think you’re cool, and they want to include you in our group because they want to get to know you better.”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “And you don’t have to worry about me either.”

He turned to look at her with an intense gaze in his eyes. “And why is that?”

She hugged herself as she met his eyes, the deep look he was giving her only making her more rattled. “B-because I already think you’re enough. You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

He stared at her eyes before his gaze flickered to her lips and back up again. Kagome was so frazzled that she caught his stare and did the same thing in return.

Between them now there was a new feeling, not one of awkward tension or frustration but of a deep wanting and longing. Although they both wanted to set the fire ablaze and give in to this desire, they were still hesitant.

“Um!” Kagome breathed, “Let’s go check if Miroku and Sango are back?”

Inuyasha blinked at her, half wanting to just pull her in closer and continue talking to her while the other half wanted to run away from what just happened along with her.

“Alright.”

The pair of neighbors pushed off from their secluded booth and made their way back to the carousel. Once they arrived they found Sango rubbing Miroku’s back while he slowly drank a bottle of water.

“Feeling better?” Kagome chirped.

“Yeah. The nausea pill is kicking in. I’ll be back to it in a few minutes.” Miroku explained.

“I didn’t think yer motion sickness would be so bad.” Inuyasha spoke up.

“Yeah, me too.” Sango laughed. “Imagine how I felt when we went to the carnival together for the first time. Long story short, I have to throw out my jacket in the nearest trash can.”

Inuyasha held his head between his hands and laughed. “Oh, no, dude!”

Miroku chuckled along with him. “Hey, I wanted to impress her. I just ended up barfing on her instead.”

Kagome patted his shoulder. “And yet here you are, engaged and planning your wedding.”

Miroku shrugged before standing up and throwing his water bottle away. “Well now, if we’re done laughing at my expense, I say we play a game of giant beer pong. I’m definitely not drinking tonight after all of that, but go ahead and get what you guys want while I set up the giant cups.”

As Sango, Inuyasha and Kagome went to the bar to get their first drinks of the night, Miroku went ahead to set the giant red-painted cans together. The game was just like regular beer pong, but with trash can-sized cups and volleyballs as ping pong balls. The same rules applied to this game, except Miroku will be drinking shots of juice instead of alcohol.

The game went on for a few rounds before the group decided to play a different game. It turns out that Inuyasha is just as competitive as the rest of the group, which led to an intense round every single time. After a few rounds of table tennis, bean bag toss, giant connect 4 and bowling the group had tired themselves out. Besides Miroku, everyone else was buzzed thanks to the alcohol. Inuyasha wasn’t as bad as the girls were, since his tolerance for liquor is much higher since he’s a half-demon, he was still a bit tipsy and he was enjoying himself. The girls were giggling, happy messes that wouldn’t stop trying to one-up each other with every game they played.

Sango was getting hungry and she wouldn’t stop telling Miroku about it for the last 10 minutes. They had snacked on finger foods while they switched from game to game, but it wasn’t cutting it for her anymore.

“I’m gonna go buy her something to eat. You guys wanna come with?” Miroku asked.

Kagome shook her head and smiled. “Nope! Not hungry yet. I’ll go if Inuyasha goes.”

Inuyasha shook his head. “I’m good for now, too.”

“Alright, we’ll be at the main booth if you change your minds!”

They were left alone, this time in very different circumstances than earlier, both feeling giddy and warm from the amount of alcohol they had.

“Wanna come with me to the bar?” Kagome asked the half-demon. She felt fine and knew she could handle another drink.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her. “You sure you’re good?”

“Mhm!” She giggled. Feeling brave, she tugged him alongside her by the hand until they arrived at the bar. There were a bunch of people crowded around the area, but they managed to squeeze through and sit on two empty stools that two patrons had just gotten off from.

“Heya there, I’m Vick! What are you guys feeling tonight?” The bartender greeted them with an infectious grin and kind eyes.

“I want something fruity.” Kagome giggled. “What about you?” She poked Inuyasha’s arm playfully to get his attention.

Inuyasha cleared his throat to calm himself down. “I’ll have a beer.”

Their friendly bartender left them to prepare their drinks, and the bar only got busier and more crowded as the second passed. Inuyasha was a little overwhelmed by the number of people, so he kept most of his focus on the girl in front of him. They were sitting with their knees facing each other, one arm close to the bar while the other was left idle on the other side.

“Why beer?” She asked him. “Be more fun!”

Inuyasha laughed. “I’m not drinkin’ any of the fruity shit yer getting.”

Her lips pouted at him, and he couldn’t stop himself from staring at them. “Aw, why not!”

He shook his head. “There’s enough alcohol in there to kill me. Sure, my tolerance is high, but once it’s mixed up in all of that extra shit I’m gonna turn out like you.”

“What’s wrong with that?” She leaned into him.

“W-well, nothin’, actually. But someone’s gotta watch over ya when yer like this” His cheeks were flushed, and it wasn’t because of the beers he’s had in the last few hours they’ve been here.

Kagome pondered over what he said for a few seconds before she nodded in agreement. “You’re right! Usually, it’s Miroku who’s watching Sango and me, but they’re not here.”

She scooted a little closer to him, somehow without losing her balance, and laid her head on his shoulder. “It’s just you and me.”

He prayed to whatever god there was out there that she was too out of it to hear how fast his heart was beating against his chest. “Y-yeah. Just us. Alone.”

“With a bunch of strangers around us, but yeah.” She added.

“You’re still a smartass when yer drunk, huh.” He deadpanned.

“What can I say?” She lifted her head and their faces were closer than before. “You can take the smartass out of the girl, but you can’t take the girl out of the smartass.”

“I think… you said that wrong.” He replied.

Two glasses loudly clanking onto the wood grabbed their attention as their bartender Vick arrived with their drinks. “A malibu sunset for the lady, and a beer for the dude. Let me know when ya want anything else.”

Kagome took a sip of her drink and her eyes went wide. “Yash, come on! Try my drink!“

He swallowed some of his beer and shook his head. “Hell no.”

“Please.”

“No.”

“Pretty please?”

“Kagome-“

“Pretty please with a cherry on top?” She batted her eyes at him, full lashes and puppy dog eyes getting the better of him.

He groaned. “Fine, whatever. Stop doin’ that!”

She giggled happily and leaned into him to give him some of her drink, carefully holding the cup in one hand and the straw in the other. Inuyasha didn’t stop her as she slowly placed the thin straw into his mouth, and they didn’t break eye contact as he took a long sip of her beverage.

“Like it?” She whispered.

Inuyasha continued to stare at her. Her eyes, her hair, her little nose, the pink shade on her cheeks, and her lips. He looked at every part of her and wondered how someone as beautiful as Kagome could have stumbled into his life.

“Yeah. I like it a lot.” He simply replied cheeks tinged pink.

Kagome flashed him a smile before placing the straw into her mouth and biting it. “See, I told you.”

In comfortable silence they continued to drink their desired beverages, looking around at all of the people around them who were having a good time. Many of whom were absolute, beyond drunk. Kagome chose to watch this group of friends dance around in a little circle and cheer for each other whenever they made a new dance move, and every single time they did something funny she would giggle, and it was infectious.

“Up for more drinks?” Their bartender, Vick, abruptly asked.

“Yes!” Kagome squealed as she placed her empty cup back on the counter. “Another one of those, please.”

“I knew you’d like it, it’s a popular one.” Vick grinned at her, and then looked at Inuyasha. “Another beer for you?”

Inuyasha shook his head, lifting up his barely empty bottle of beer. “Not done yet.”

Playfully, Vick knocked on the wooden counter and smiled. “Gotta make sure you take advantage of that wristband!” She left them alone again to walk to the other side to prepare Kagome’s drink.

“Inuyashaaa, you have to chug that beer!”

The half-demon snorted, “What are we, at a frat? Why do ya want me to chug it so bad?”

“Because why not?” She retorted.

“A+ explanation, Kagome. But I need more convincing.”

“What if I challenged you to a chug off?” She challenged him, knowing well that it may be what gets the game started.

“A challenge huh? Fine, but what are we waging?” He smirked at her with an empty bottle of beer in his hand.

Hook, line, and sinker.

“Winner has to buy the other food from their favorite restaurant.”

He chuckled. “Wow, that’s pretty tame. You sure yer not hungry?”

“One hundred percent!” Kagome exclaimed as she threw up her arms in the air for added measure. “I didn’t wanna be too risky.”

“Ah, yeah?” He leaned closer to her, the scent of alcohol enveloping her frame. “What were ya thinkin’ about?”

“I- uh…” She took a quick glance at his lips and licked hers in reaction.

Inuyasha noticed her behavior and fought to turn away from her, thoroughly enjoying the way she looked so flustered and frazzled. “You uhhh…?” He teased.

“Nothing!” She puffed her cheeks in frustration. Kagome was currently feeling a lot of things right now, one of them being the strong urge to get incredibly close to her half-demon neighbor. The magnetic pull she had for him was very strong tonight, and she had to stop herself from holding his hand or wrapping herself around his arm. She wanted to do it so badly, but something inside of her knew she needed to stay in control.

But she really wanted to kiss him just now, and if it wasn’t for him being his usual, annoying self she would have done it before he could stop her.

And she really hoped that if she had kissed him that he wouldn’t stop her.

She had it bad for Inuyasha, and drunk Kagome could proudly admit it to herself. However, sober Kagome would be freaking out right now at the realization and acceptance.

She’ll deal with sober Kagome later.

“Why do you do thaaaaat.” She whined.

Inuyasha placed his empty bottle onto the wooden counter without taking his eyes off of her. “Do what?”

“That!” She lightly pushed his shoulder.

He smirked at her. “I like making ya mad. It’s fun.”

“You’re such a tease.” She crossed her arms across her chest and pouted at him.

Maybe it was the alcohol finally getting into his system, or it was the fact that she looked very cute while she pouted, but Inuyasha couldn’t stop himself from getting close to her face with a grin. “Do you wanna find out how big of a tease I can be, Ka-go-me?”

Her eyes went wide like saucers, the pout replaced by a pink flush while her arms went limp around her chest. “W-what?”

Inuyasha’s eyes matched hers in surprise at what he said and he immediately backed away from her to give them space. “I mean, you know, with the chug off!” He lied.

Kagome looked at him with a squint on her face and hummed in suspicion. He was acting weird enough that even she could see it while being under the influence of alcohol. She caught the way he looked at her lips after she had looked at his, and the way he got so close to her face made her skin tingle. “Alright Yash, let’s see it then.”

She banged the wooden table in her drunk attempt to call over their bartender and it didn’t work in her favor, because Vick was busy talking to people across the bar and laughing along with them.

Inuyasha raised his eyebrow and grinned at her as she pouted, and he decided to take matters into his own hands and wave at the bartender to get her attention. When Vick noticed him she strut right over with a huge smile on her face.

“Pick your poison guys, what can I get you?”

“Another beer for me and whatever the hell she’s been drinkin’ for her.” He answered.

“Perfect answers. Be right back!”

Kagome danced excitedly in her seat in anticipation of what was to come, because she really wanted another burger from her favorite diner, and beating Inuyasha was also another bonus. Vick returned with their drinks and was made aware of the random game they decided to play.

“On the count of three!” Vick yelled.

“Ready to lose?” Kagome bit her lip.

“You wish.” Inuyasha challenged.

The countdown was called, and the neighbors started strong on their drinks. Inuyasha had not come up for air at all, and Kagome was already beginning to falter because of the strong liquor in her cup. However, Kagome wasn’t a quitter, and she was going to make sure she could rub her win in his face. She threw her straw onto the counter and placed her lips around the rim of the cup and chugged, evening out the playing field while Inuyasha drank from his bottle.

In a blink, Kagome roughly slammed her cup down onto the counter a split second before Inuyasha did and cheered in victory.

“I would like a burger, fries, and milkshake from the diner down the street from our apartment.” She said triumphantly.

Inuyasha sighed. “Thank god, I thought you were going to make me buy ya a fuckin’ lobster or somethin’.”

She shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him. “Don’t make me change my mind, Inuyasha.”

“Damn!” Vick boosted as she grabbed the cup and beer bottle, “Your girlfriend can drink dude!”

The neighbors laughed in embarrassment, both too shy to tell her that they weren’t dating, and yet also thinking that the idea didn’t sound too bad. The thought of being something lingered in their heads as they stared at her each other in silence. It was clear that they couldn’t deny what they felt for one another, and these feelings that they couldn’t understand were suddenly crystal clear to them.

It was exciting and terrifying, and yet neither Inuyasha nor Kagome knew if these for each other were mutual.

Kagome laughed at their bartender's compliment “Thank you!”

Inuyasha playfully pushed her empty cup back to their bartender. “That’s enough drinks for her tonight.”

“Aw, no!”

“Kagome, you’re slurring your words.”

She pointed a wiggling finger at him, “Who woke up and made you the word police?”

The half-demon stood up from the barstool and laid out his hand for her to take. “The word king, now let’s go find Miroku and Sango.”

Kagome took his hand and jumped from her seat and the movement had her tripping over her feet from the dizziness she felt. She stumbled into his chest from the fall and immediately felt Inuyasha’s hands wrap around her arms to steady her.

“Holy shit, Kagome! Watch where yer goin’!” Inuyasha yelled in concern. His distress seemed to have gotten ignored as Kagome started laughing noisily, the sound of her joy being muffled from her face in his shirt.

“Inuyasha! You’re so muscley and hard!” She giggled some more, and she was too drunk to notice the red blush on his cheeks. “But, it’s also so soft. It doesn’t make any sense. How is your chest hard and soft at the same time?”

He ignored her questions as his face continued to turn redder. Carefully, he pushed her off of his chest and took her hand in his. “Yeah, you need to go to bed. Let’s get ya home.”

As they started to walk towards the main booth of the club where Miroku and Sango said they would be, Inuyasha could feel Kagome staggering as he dragged her along the way. He could hear her giggling as he lead the way over something that he couldn’t comprehend and continued to push forward. The quicker and safer they got to the rest of their group, the quicker they could take both girls home and get them to their beds.

“Inuyashaaa… can you carry me?” She quietly asked him from behind. Her voice sounded small and hushed, and if it hadn’t been for his enhanced hearing he would have missed it..

He stopped walking and sighed in defeat, knowing damn well he couldn't deny anything from her. “Alright, climb on my back.”

He bent down in front of her, low enough that would allow her to latch on to him easily in her state. Once he felt her legs slide around his side he eased her up the rest of the way and lifted her into a much more comfortable position on his back. His arms wrapped around the bottom of her thighs to support her as she rested on him. “Hold on tight.”

Kagome snuggled into the crook of Inuyasha’s neck and smiled. “Thank you, Inuyasha.”

The way she said it sent shivers down his spine, it was a light whisper, and the puff of air tickled his skin. As he continued to tread towards the main booth he could feel Kagome getting heavier on his back, and the arms around his neck were beginning to loosen. As soon as he found Miroku and Sango, she had fallen fast asleep while clung to him.

“Looks like you two had fun.” Miroku laughed once he spotted them.

Inuyasha looked at Sango, who was sitting at the table with her head hung in her hands. “Seems like you guys did too. Ready to take ‘em home?”

Miroku deadpanned. “Beyond ready.”

The two men were cautious and slow when they brought the girls to the car, both completely blacked out of their right minds, and they were glad the girls were deep in sleep enough that the bumpy walk from the club to the car didn’t wake them up. Once everyone was strapped in, with Sango in the passenger seat and Kagome in the back with Inuyasha, Miroku started the short drive back to Kagome and Inuyasha’s apartment.

Inuyasha kept an eye on the sleeping girl beside him who had fallen limp against her seatbelt. He couldn’t help but laugh at her still form as he unblocked his seatbelt and moved closer to try to fix her position.

“Mmm?” She stirred in her sleep.

Inuyasha froze. “Kagome? M’sorry, I was just-”

She snuggled into his chest and let out a big breath of air before falling back into her deep sleep. “Better.”

Inuyasha's face was red, and he couldn’t stop himself from stuttering as quietly as possible at the sleeping girl. Although, as flustered and confused as he was that she chose to cuddle up next to him; he also felt closer to her in this position, as if he could still protect her even though they were in the safety of Miroku’s car.

He wrapped his arm around her middle to keep her from moving around too much as they continued the quiet drive back to their homes, and Inuyasha selfishly indulged in the feeling of being Kagome’s chosen pillow for the ride.

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mythicamagic · 4 years

Note

19 for spots to kiss?

19: a kiss on the side of the neck.

This is a continuation of prompt 29 which you can find here: link

Rated too hawt for tumblr bc smut so again, it’s under the read more line.

Kagome eyed him with confusion. Since when had the mighty Lord Sesshoumaru deigned to proposition her with anything? She'd had scattered conversations with him since returning from her era but they weren't exactly 'friends.'

Still, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued.

"I'm listening."

His lips twitched. "Clearly you are dissatisfied with your first sexual experience. I, therefore, extend the offer to bed you."

Kagome choked on her own spit. "E-excuse me?!"

"You are excused."

"No, I mean- why would you ever offer me that?"

He looked rather magnanimous, sipping his saké with relaxed features. "No reason. I desire company tonight. If you are not averse to it, then accept."

He said it so simply. As if he extended such offers every day. Maybe he did. He had the looks and status to do so.

Sesshoumaru's mouth turned down. "This one does not offer such things easily."

Kagome jolted, wondering if he was a mind reader. "O-of course not," she took a moment to steady herself, considering. "But don't you hate humans? I mean, I know you don't hate all of us, since you care about Rin and Kohaku. This is another thing entirely though."

Sesshoumaru inspected perfect nails boredly. "By no means will I ever revere humans as a whole. However, 'hate' is a strong word. Putting that aside, my business is not with the human race tonight, it is with you," his attention slid back to her. "And past interaction between us hints to me that we would be...compatible in the bedroom."

Kagome felt faint. Like those swooning women in period piece movies. Except she wasn't swooning from any crush, more like her corset was too tight.

"Oh really?" she said thinly. "What tipped you off? The arrow I sent to your face?"

"Partly."

"HUH?"

His brow rose as he gave an indulgent chuckle, "power calls to power. You were a brat- but so was this one, to an extent. I desire strength, beauty and will. Are these not qualities you possess?"

Heat bloomed upon her cheeks and Kagome reeled. She couldn't believe she was seriously considering it. Inuyasha would be hurt if he found out. Kagome frowned and curled her hands resting upon her knees into fists. 'It's not as though he has any say in this.'

There was one thing still bothering her though. "If I agree to this, would it happen just once?"

Golden eyes visibly darkened as a foreign expression tightened his jaw, muscles becoming tense. Kagome almost thought she'd angered him before a velvety tone revealed his true emotion; "this agreement may happen as many times as we wish. Over a period of time. Weeks, months if need be."

He was hungry. She realised. Into it. Into her? "S-slow down! We don't even know if we'll enjoy it enough to do it again yet!" she squeaked. "Besides...a secret fling, no strings attached…" Kagome had never thought she'd be the type. "Using you for pleasure, is that really fair to you?" she murmured.

Sesshoumaru let out a noise of frustration, and she found her vision swallowed by silver as her back hit plush furs, sinking into their cloud-like softness as he bent close. His body had never been so near. She could practically feel the heat radiating off him.

"Must you be so vexing?" dark tones purred, a nose grazing hers. "This arrangement is mutually beneficial. We both take. Moreover-" claws skimmed Kagome's waist- her damp sweater clinging to her frame. She shivered violently, heart stuttering. "I am a demon. There is no danger of wounding me emotionally- for I am beyond your reach. So be selfish. Greedy. Be every ugly thing you have repressed, miko- for it can exist here without repercussions. That is what it means to indulge baser urges."

Inexplicably, tears pricked Kagome's eyes again. It was the strangest thing anyone had ever said to her. But wonderfully attractive. She wanted it. She wanted to massage her wounded ego with wicked lips and all the licentious attention he could offer.

Carefully, as though raising a tentative hand to a wild animal, Kagome lifted her palm. Touching his striped cheek and feeling its warm smoothness, the contours of his handsome face- she exhaled in a rush, acknowledging the true weight of the action. "So it's...it's just casual?"

Pale, long lashes slid half shut. Sesshoumaru leaned a little closer but ultimately waited for her to make the first move. "Just casual."

Kagome nodded slowly and brought another hand to his shoulder, feeling the muscle there, before hesitantly pressing a kiss to the side of his neck.

She felt him swallow against her lips. Those claws at her waist bit in through the thick material. Lifting her head- Kagome accepted his heated kiss, falling deeper into the mass of endless furs.

They were not gentle nor sweet that first time. Rather, there had been an endless blur of fangs scraping, sinking into flesh- nails dragging and lips colliding in desperate fervour.

Kagome's legs locked around his waist, back arched and chest bared when she surfaced a moment from their lust ridden haze to note the bizarreness of watching Sesshoumaru lick and suckle at her nipple. She tangled shaking hands in sublime hair and rocked her hips needily against his.

"Do it now- don't mess around," she grit out, soaked from a few ministrations of his fingers. Kagome never thought the day would come when she'd dismiss foreplay. But the demon tortuously undid her, cruelly denying her by coaxing desire higher and higher- her thighs were hitched up over broad shoulders as a sinuous tongue lapped and roved and played inside her.

Kagome choked and sobbed her rapture, trembling beneath him as she came against his mouth.

Blue eyes flashed then and the miko yanked her legs away, squirming and righting herself. Sesshoumaru blinked- before he was shoved back. Kagome stood with him, placing a hand on his chest.

"You said I could be selfish," she grit out, red-faced. "Why didn't you just take me as I asked?"

His lips- covered in a faint sheen of her juices- curved up at the edges. He licked them slowly, slit pupils dilated. "This one also said our symbiotic relationship would benefit me as well. I am also allowed to be selfish."

Growling, Kagome grabbed his shoulders for leverage, dragging him down to her mouth and kissing him hard. She bit his bottom lip and sucked, tasting herself lewdly. Sesshoumaru shuddered and panted, cock straining against her.

The miko pushed herself up on her tiptoes and wrapped both legs around his waist, forcing him to stagger back just as the carriage lurched mid-air from a harsh gust of wind. This resulted in them careening back- Sesshoumaru landing against the shutter that burst open, letting cool night air swamp their rutting bodies. Hands scrambled and pushed clothing aside- the demon sinking inside her with some difficulty despite how slick she'd been rendered.

Twin groans were stifled in each other's necks. Kagome had never once been so overcome with lust that she disregarded everything- didn't pause to shut away the chilly draft, didn't wait to ask permission to begin- her hips greedily moved of their own accord. She sank herself down on him and let out a keening noise, mouth falling open.

"C-call my name," she blushed, gritting her teeth. "Please say my name."

His hands locked beneath her thighs to keep her in place, back against the partially open shutter. Sesshoumaru hissed and snarled, his own hips undulating with hers.

Cruel lips pressed against the hollow of her throat. "Kagome," he breathed and kept on repeating it like a mantra.

Something wounded and fragile unfurled within her heart.

It wasn't like how it had been with her ex. In fact, Kagome wagered the powerful thrusts and erotic graze of sharp teeth had ruined human men for her forever. Only demons would likely satisfy her now unless she wanted a life of paltry blunt canines and smooth nails with no dark aura to latch onto. His youki practically drowned her, seeping down her throat and causing her to choke and push out holy powers.

Hands scarred with marks from archery slid over his chest, leaving trails of steam. Sesshoumaru groaned- gaze flashing red, and their harsh, frantic movements combined with lusty cries reached a crescendo. He pushed her down to the floor and slammed inside her to the hilt. Kagome threw her head back, screaming.

The rest was mildly difficult to remember. She was fairly certain, however, that golden eyes had been surprisingly gentle when he'd caught her glazed blue gaze once more. It was only later, when he dropped her off at the edge of Inuyasha Forest, that Kagome pointed out his missing earring.

Sesshoumaru had hummed, removing his remaining pale one and handing it over to her.

Kagome understood what it meant. An agreement, a promise that this was theirs; and theirs alone.

#sesskag #Sesshoumaru x Kagome #prompts #At this point I'm just having Sess worship Kagome bc clearly someone needs to. Friggin sequel.

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nocturne-inuyasha-ff · 3 years

Text

Chapter Twenty Four: Vindication

Author's Notes: Thank you for your patience! Apologies for the long hiatus. Who knows what I was doing, but thank you to those who have taken the time to read and leave words of inspiration. Muchos Gracias!

Nocturne - Chapter Twenty Four: Vindication

Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to violence, and coarse language)

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Sango had worry eating away at her. Yesterday was very troubling, and she knew that danger was on the horizon. She had no idea when Miroku would return, and it was unsettling to have her family split when they were all utterly unprepared for what was to come.

So much time had passed since the first altercation years ago that Sango had grown complacent. The entire village had.

It was a thankful thing that her brother had brought the clan of taijiya to the village, bolstering a new age of demon hunters. If any group of people stood a chance against an army of demon spawn, it was the taijiya clan, her clan.

She was proud of the progress they'd made in a few short years. Granted, the new clan was not as skilled or experienced as the village of her birth, but they made up for what they lacked in enthusiasm and numbers.

Sango's original taijiya clan had been small and exclusive. Their numbers had waned over the years due to their work's reclusive nature, and, ultimately, the village - consisting of elders and children - was eliminated while they were unprotected.

She took in a deep breath and released it slowly, reflecting on the travesty and praying there was not a repeat. No, Sango thought. Her brother, Kohaku, had done his best to ensure there was not.

No longer was the profession of demon-slaying an exclusive venture. While her husband, Miroku, traveled, he spread the prospering village's news and its peculiar inhabitants. People would flock from all over, searching for people who had experienced loss or pain at the hands of troublesome yokai. These people had come by choice and learned to protect all they held dear from a mightier force.

Sango prayed that the enthusiasm held by her new people was enough to combat the oncoming horde.

It had been a couple of days since Kagome had come to visit, and she remained faithful to her word, staying at hand until the birth of Rin and Kohaku's first child. As Miroku was still away with the twins, Kagome and her daughter Setsuna stayed with Sango and her two boys.

Although Kagome had initially come to put distance between herself and Sesshomaru, the daiyokai had followed her after the village was attacked. He was right in doing so since it was likely due to his presence that they weren't accosted anymore. That in its self was A testament to his solitary strength.

Lord Sesshomaru had not left either, remaining close if danger were to rear its ugly head. As much as Sango did not want to admit it, the daiyokai lord was rather unsettling. His cold manner and piercing gaze was enough to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

Sango wasn't sure what Kagome saw in his unyielding character, but maybe it was the way he looked at her. His eyes passed over everyone like they were not worthy of his time or recognition, but when they settled on Kagome, there was something profound. The daiyokai would be remiss in knowing that his covert and subtle mannerisms had been discovered and by a human no less.

Sango cleared her head, tidying up her home and readying a quick breakfast for her children. She felt rushed to finish these mundane chores and get out for some strategic planning, but they couldn't live in constant fear. That would defeat the purpose of living, yet it could not be helped at the moment.

The entire village was on standby, but most village elders did not believe an attack would come since the spies had been flushed out. However, Sango vehemently disagreed. Her brother, Kohaku, also felt accordingly. It was better to prepare for an attack, especially when the enemy had shown their hand.

A tapping from outside could be heard, breaking Sango from her inner musings. She wondered who could be at the door. Anyone else would just walk in.

Sango looked around the room, chewing her bottom lip. The boys were still asleep in the other room since it was still relatively early in the morning, but they should be up very soon. Kagome and her daughter, Setsuna, had left at first light to make some morning rounds, so it could not be them. She quickly picked up a small kitchen dagger and tucked it up her sleeve, just in case.

She walked to the door and pulled the sudare up to greet the guest at the door. Sango's eyes bulged, and her mouth dropped open. She allowed the knife to fall from her sleeve and brandished it expertly before her. There was no time for words when an enemy was upon your doorstep, and Sango was not about to allow a treacherous snake to roam free.

"Wait! Please," the woman on Sango's doorstep pleaded.

Sango ignored the plea and threw the knife at the woman, knowing it would likely be dodged but giving her time to retrieve her bone boomerang. She cursed herself under her breath for not grabbing it on the way to the door. Before she could get half a step, her arm was snapped up in a vice-like grip and forcefully twisted around.

Sango was compelled to look at the woman straight in her golden eyes. "I said….wait. I don't want to hurt you," the woman said in a calm, urgent tone.

o ~ o ~ o ~ o ~ o

Kagome had taken Setsuna with her to check on Rin. The stress from the unknown was causing early contractions in the young woman, and Kagome had ordered Rin to strict bed rest. Rin would never admit that she was feeling under the weather. She was the type to always downplay everything, even at the expense of her health. Fortunately, Kagome had learned a thing or two about pregnancy and baby birthing from Kaede before her untimely passing.

Kagome walked from Rin's home with a sigh. Setsuna had elected to remain behind to keep Rin company while Kohaku was out and about. The young man could not stay with his pregnant wife and command the taijiya at the same time. Kohaku was reluctant to leave Rin's side but was appeased to know that she would be under Kagome's care.

Her hands felt sweaty with apprehension, and she wiped them on her skirts. Kagome reassured herself, adjusting the bowstring strapped over her shoulder. She'd procured a new bow shortly after ruining the last one and now carried it with her everywhere.

It wasn't as if she'd truly need it. She was not wholly defenseless despite being human. Her spiritual powers granted her unique offensive and defensive skills; however, they were mostly unhoned.

Kagome was able to channel her powers into an arrow, something she'd mastered early on. Still, she'd never trained on other skills, mainly relying on instinct and her body's self-defense mechanisms. She found comfort in knowing the weapon was there, though, with so many allies around, and she would have little need for it.

She closed her eyes as she walked and drew upon her seldom-used power. She allowed her senses to broaden and pick up the aura of those near. Kagome could feel people around her, in houses and hurrying to and fro. Each person's aura held a unique sensation that evoked a feeling, and she "saw" the colors spiking and swirling about.

There was comfort in using her power this way, but it took great effort and concentration. She scolded herself for not honing her skills more, especially now that they would become useful when a time presented itself. Well, there was no need to wallow in despair for what was in the past now.

A warm, vibrant yellow aura approached, and Kagome knew precisely who it was, and her eyes opened slowly. Any villager out and about gave him a wide berth, hurrying to be out of his path.

Sesshomaru kept his eyes on his quarry while he strolled almost casually forward. From the set of his eyes, Kagome could tell his entrance was anything but casual.

Once he reached her, he looked over her head. "Setsuna?" He questioned.

"With Rin," Kagome responded. She saw his jaw clench, causing his cheek to twitch. "What's wrong?"

His silence was telling, but it was his first question that piqued Kagome's apprehension. Sesshomaru would not have asked where their daughter if he was not worried. Something was going on that he did not want the girl to be a part of.

Sesshomaru pushed a loose strand of hair behind his ear and closed his eyes briefly. "A guest is waiting at the taijiya's residence."

Kagome sped off without another word, knowing that Sesshomaru was close behind. She couldn't imagine who the guest would be but silently hoped it was a friend. It had been years since anyone had heard from Shippo, his training had taken him out of touch with his family and friends, but Kagome knew it was for a good reason.

It could have been him, though, why his appearance would unsettle Sesshomaru was unknown. Perhaps her young friend was now formidable and came home. That would be a shock, for sure, and Kagome did miss him. She shook the thoughts from her head and made her way to Sango's home, where she could hear voices carrying from inside.

"Please, they are coming!" a woman's desperate voice called.

Kagome's heart dropped when she entered the house, laying eyes on an all-too-familiar face. One that haunted her dreams unbidden.

"Tsering," Kagome hissed derisively, the name like acid on her tongue.

The woman turned at the sound of her name, her visage just as pleading as her trembling voice. Despite her disheveled, sallow appearance, she was still resplendent in her silks and long, silver hair.

Kagome swallowed and did her best to keep her back straight, but not rigid, entering and moving to stand beside Sango who's arms were crossed beneath her chest.

"You have to listen; it won't be long," Tsering cried.

"This we know," Sesshomaru's voice spoke clearly into the room, his baritone resounding throughout.

Tears began to run freely down the woman's cheeks. It was quite an unusual sight to witness a yokai cry. Kagome doubted they were capable, but here one was elegantly sobbing before them.

"You don't understand," Tsering lamented pitifully. "They are here….they have been here. It is a miracle they have not attacked now!"

As if on queue, Inuyasha dashed into the house, his nose in the air and Tessaiga at the ready. "I fucking knew I smelled something pathetic wafting from this house."

Tsering's tears shored up upon Inuyasha's arrival, and she gave him a deadpan look, though her yellow eyes wavered. "I implore you all to listen to reason."

"Fuck, it's a trick. Kill that bitch!" Inuyasha demanded and leveled Tessaiga with one hand towards the woman's exposed throat.

Her eyes grew large, the whites exposed in fear. "No! I beg of you. I am a victim of my brother's madness. I-I can help. Please allow me to assist." Tsering's fists were curled into tiny balls, the skin drawn taut over her knuckles.

Sesshomaru sneered at the woman. "You cannot help."

Tsering threw herself down at Sesshomaru's feet and grappled at his clothes, but he stepped quickly out of reach. "I can!" She assured. "I know my brother! He would not kill me; he is afraid to do so!" She shuffled on her knees towards Sesshomaru, her hands now clasped before her. "Please…"

She looked worn and defeated.

"What of the DaiOzuko?" Sesshomaru asked suspiciously. "They would never permit such a heinous act to occur." He seemed to know more of the yokai clan than he had ever let on, which perturbed Kagome to consider.

"They do not know that my brother has such capricious tastes," Tsering advised. She looked around the room, pausing to look at each person for effect.

Kagome held little pity for this woman. Why would she throw herself at their feet now? Wouldn't it be safer to ride this out on the same side as her brother? This all seemed too easy.

She looked down her nose, crossing her arms. "You knew, and you did nothing to stop it. Why do you care now?"

Tsering dithered, ashamed to speak, but did so nonetheless. "I was foolish and naive. I am no longer those things. My eyes are opened to my treachery, and I throw myself at your feet for forgiveness."

"Keh," Inuyasha interjected. "It's not us you should be throwing yourself at." He still held Tessaiga in a threatening fashion, ready to slice the woman in two should she make a wrong move. Sesshomaru held up a warning hand to his brother, which Inuyasha sneered at openly.

Tsering dawdled for a moment, struggling to understand whom Inuyasha was referencing. She looked Inuyasha up and down and lit up when it hit her. "Keyuri! My most valued attendant! I had never allowed her to suffer under my hands!"

Sango had heard enough, finally adding to the conversation. "The woman cannot speak, yet you dare to assert you had no hand in this?"

"I confess that I treated her as a servant, but no more. She was treated well in my care, if not a little coldly." Tsering postulated desperately. She rose and picked at her many-layered robes.

Inuyasha scoffed. "She trembles at the sight of you, bitch!" He was not convinced and gripped his sword with white knuckles.

Tsering nodded, closing her eyes and furrowing her brow. "As Keyuri should, for I bear the likeness to the one who created her and maimed her." She was referring to her brother, Fan, they all knew.

Inuyasha growled, planting the tip of Tessaiga in the ground. "Her name is Shizuka, and she is your own flesh and blood, but you sent her on a suicide mission years ago. Now you are here begging for mercy." He sneered, a lip pulling up to expose fangs. "You won't fucking find it here." He took a step forward; his left hand clawed menacingly before him. His voice dropped in into a threatening low pitch. "Fuck off before I change my mind and end you."

Tsering kneeled in disbelief, looking about at the people surrounding her for any kind of support...albeit in vain. "Y-you cannot send me out there alone and unprotected. My brother may not kill me, but those...those things may."

Sesshomaru adopted a similar sneer, though his was far less feral, yet far more threatening. "Have some respect for yourself, woman. You are daiyokai. What fear should you have of hanyo scum." He didn't phrase it as a question, letting the words roll out like the insult it was.

The yokai woman stood with trembling knees, her brow knitting together again in fear. "Please! You don't understand! They...they are all very powerful. Fan does not create usual offspring."

Sango scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, spare us your moaning."

The woman's countenance was pallid and her eyes wide with fear. As much as it pained her to admit, Kagome felt there was weight to Tsering's words that could not go unheeded. "Wait. Hear her out."

She took a brief moment to compile herself. Tsering sucked in a ragged breath in an attempt to keep any hysterics from creeping into her words. "He has a sick mind. He only dreams of creating the perfect specimen." She paused to moisten her lips, searching for the words. "He searches out rumors of women who possess powers or are descendants of those with such powers to..to copulate with."

Sango and Kagome made disgusted faces in unison. Inuyasha looked incredulous while Sesshomaru held his typical expression of stoicism. The man didn't even raise a brow. What Tsering had told them was perturbing, but none denied her words, knowing they held the truth. Kagome recalled what she had seen at Fan's palace...the heavily expectant mortal woman pacing a room lined with hungry-looking yokai. She shivered at the thought of whatever became of that woman and dreamed about her unexpected fate often.

Sesshomaru's voice broke her from the unpleasant memory. "How did you know the truth of which you speak if you have only just learned of their existence." He had to have known, suspected at least, the inner workings of Fan's retinue. Perhaps his question was designed to delve into Tsering's complicity.

Tsering dithered, wringing her hands. "I overheard and pieced it together before I fled."

He remained unconvinced and waved her explanation away. "You claim otherwise, but you are still a fool. You only heard what you were allowed to hear. Just as you were allowed to arrive so easily." Sesshomaru had heard enough, turning to cut a brief look to Kagome. The look was an unspoken bidding, and Kagome nodded her understanding.

Tsering took an affronted step back. She hadn't expected to be dismissed so easily. This was probably a first for her, at least the first in several lifetimes.

Sesshomaru strode outside with his eyes forward and ignoring the mewling woman. Tsering ducked out of his way, and Kagome followed, eyeing the yokai woman studiously as she passed. Tsering's eyes were wide and pleading, much as her story had been, but it wasn't enough to draw pity from anyone here.

Once outside, Kagome continued after Sesshomaru for a few yards before he stopped, holding a hand up to gesture she stop as well. His head turned slightly, his hand still raised, and Kagome felt her breath catch. His keen senses had picked up some sound. She looked around, seeing nothing, hearing nothing. She steadied her breathing; she needed to be calm to focus and search for an unknown aura. It was tiny at first; her eyes snapped open with realization. "I feel it," she exclaimed aloud.

"Where?" Sesshomaru questioned.

Her eyes scanned through the houses, trying to see beyond with no success. "Not far. The outskirts of the village...Close to the Goshinboku tree. I-I think I can feel it moving in waves."

He took a step, ready to move, but was stopped by the scream of a woman from the village's opposite side. Kagome swiveled towards the sound. Another scream erupted from the north and then the south until sounds of discord came from every direction.

"We're too late," Kagome lamented quietly. Despite having years to prepare, it still did not feel like enough time. Decades did not seem long enough for mortals to combat yokai; even the hanyo they would face may significantly exceed the abilities of highly trained taijiya.

Sesshomaru moved beside her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "The taijiya has trained his people well." It was the only reassurance he would afford, and Kagome knew it was one of the highest praises a human could receive. "Is it still emanating from the same area?" he asked, referring to the aura she felt.

"Yes, traces of it." Her miko skills were relatively unhoned, and while she was powerful in ability, raw power paled in comparison to honed skills.

"They have us surrounded!" Inuyasha bellowed as he ran towards them with Tetsusaiga in hand. His eyes momentarily fell upon Sesshomaru's hand on her shoulder, but his gaze quickly tore away, almost embarrassed to see the display.

A slight feathering of his jaw was the only amount of tension that Sesshomaru displayed. His golden gaze remained stoic despite the precariousness of the situation. "Rally the taijiya. The head of this snake must be cut off swiftly." He swept away as soon as the words left his mouth, up and away towards the Goshinboku tree.

Inuyasha gripped Testsusaiga tightly, his knuckles white against the strain. "Shizuka," he whispered faintly and tore into a sprint in the same direction as his brother. The house he once shared with Kagome lay near the old tree that dwelled in the vicinity. Shizuka was likely at the house, unprotected, and Inuyasha feared for her safety. He disappeared quickly, leaving Kagome alone to rush the news to Kohaku.

Without a second thought, Kagome ran. The village had grown quite exponentially in the past few years. New houses needed to be erected to accommodate the growing number of people that had moved to swell the taijiya ranks. She ran to the outskirt post where Kohaku was giving out orders to the ranks of slayers. Screams could be heard everywhere, indicating that the attack was coming from all sides, likely to disorient and confuse.

Kagome could feel a hitch in her chest by the time she'd reached a post of slayers gathered in unison, prepared for battle. They all had weapons at the ready and eyed her with apprehension. Most were young and untried, with only a few older battle-worn slayers amongst the ranks. Hopefully, it would be enough.

She glanced around desperately to find Kohaku. He had to know that the enemy was upon them, but it was still her duty to report and see how she could help. Afterward, she had to find and ensure that Setsuna was still safe with Rin. The thought of her daughter out with the commotion going on made her breath catch. With an exhalation of breath, she cleared her mind to focus on the task at hand.

Kagome pushed through the ranks of nervous taijiya until she finally spotted Kohaku. He had his weapon in hand and a hardened look set upon his face. His words were curt and succinct because there was no time to mollify the unseasoned ranks.

"Look for the weak spot!" He barked. "There is always one to be had. They already know yours!". He turned quickly to address another set of young players when he spotted her. His face became worried, and she trotted over. "Lady Kagome?"

Without hesitation, Kagome advised what she'd seen. "I can feel his presence near the southern border of the village. There may be others as well."

Kohaku nodded his understanding. "He's sending out scouts to distract us on all sides. I will send contingent parties to each of the village borders."

"Where shall I go," she cut in.

He grimaced and looked around. "Honestly, your power can be best utilized guarding the women and children."

Kagome figured as much and was thankful to be assigned where Setsuna may also be. However, Kohaku had likely forgotten that his wife was now in active labor and could not be moved. "And Rin?" She asked quietly.

"Setsuna is with her?" He asked through a clenched jaw.

She nodded an affirmative, and Kohaku narrowed his eyes in thought. "We must hope that they go unnoticed," he advised after a few seconds of thought. "Setsuna, I know, despite her age, is capable of handling a threat."

"I hope so, too," Kagome said aloud. Her tone betrayed the assurance she had intended to belay. There would be no time now to go and check on Setsuna. Kagome would need to rely on the girl's training and heritage and push her mother's worry down for the time being.

Kohaku finished rallying this group of slayers, pointing them in various directions. He'd quickly appointed three of his more experienced taijiya to accompany Kagome. Two young men and one woman, all dressed in varying armors that had been pieced together from slain demons, gathered in front of her with their weapons. Despite the relative experience the three young slayers shared, they all looked equally nervous.

A roar bellowed in the sky above them, and one of the men jerked in response, his jaw slack as he peered up in the sky. Twin lines of flame followed the large body of a nekomata as it descended with a rider wielding a mighty boomerang. It seemed Sango had quickly changed and beckoned Kirara to hitch a ride. Sango dropped off the sizeable imposing nekomata before the cat landed and looked around at the three slayers who stared in awe.

"Sango!" Kohaku called.

Sango nodded and thrust her weapon into the ground with minimal effort. "Brother. Everything is in place." She looked over to Kagome with pleading eyes that asked an unspoken question.

"Hachiro, Etsu, and Shig will go with Lady Kagome. Their skills are honed." Kohaku vaulted onto Kirara's back, looking down on them all.

Sango nodded and looked them up and down quickly, quietly reassuring herself. These three were all that could be spared from the assault of countless hanyo whose powers likely far exceeded any of the taijiya. The plan now was to funnel the vulnerable villagers, elders, women, and children to a heavily defended area inside the village - homes that had recently been fortified - and had a select team guard them. The heavy truth was that the vulnerable citizens were sitting ducks if an enemy decided to go after them. There were only four, including herself, to protect dozens of people; they would be spread thin. With any luck, Sesshomaru would be able to dispose of Fan Tsenpo and his bastard army with the help of Inuyasha and Kohaku's taijiya.

Sango plucked up her weapon like it was but a twig and jumped behind her brother. "Please take care of them," she said resolutely, forcing the words out. Her children were being guarded with the other vulnerable, too young to fight. Her words reverberated through Kagome. She gave a short nod, and Kirara jumped up into the air carrying the siblings off towards the Goshinboku tree.

Kagome looked at taijiya, who remained with her, biting the inside of her cheek to fight a grimace. "Let's move quickly."

The trio fanned out and made separate paths towards the village's inner perimeter, where the citizens were waiting the battle out. Able-bodied villagers from all over were frantically rushing around. Though many were not trained for slaying, they would not let their village be tormented without putting up a fight. Pitchforks and other rudimentary farming tools were brought to arms and carried to fill in the ranks of the taijiya. Kagome could feel their auras, mixed with fear and determination, passing by as they hurried to their posts. The entire village had been prepped for this day, and they'd had six years to do so, yet even a detailed plan can crumble apart in the throes of a real battle at their feet.

Kagome hurried along a path that took her to the outskirts of the village. It wasn't a direct route to where the elderly, women, and children would bunker down; she couldn't convince herself to go straight there without checking on Setsuna and Rin. She prayed that Rin wouldn't have the baby just yet. Now was not the best time, and to do it without any help or guidance was nearly a death sentence for a woman and infant in these times. Setsuna was with her, but the girl was wholly unprepared and ignorant of these things.

The house could be viewed in the distance, nestled within the village itself several dwellings in. It was more diminutive and unassuming, hopefully, commonplace enough to prevent any yokai or hanyou from being drawn to the place. Kagome slowed down, trying to catch her breath. No smoke or screams were coming from the direction she was headed, which was a relief, but the sounds of battle could be heard in the distance. She whipped her head around, seeing empty pathways in front of her except for the odd person dashing by to make for cover. Looking over her shoulder, she saw nothing but felt a bizarre prickling sensation on the back of her neck.

The clearing before the forest looked serene. Kagome reached out to feel if there were any hanyo lurking out of sight. She could feel nothing but cold. 'Perhaps they had been held off on the other side of the village?' she wondered. It was entirely possible with what the bastards were up against. Sesshomaru would show no mercy.

She continued until the clattering of metal and grunts of exasperation became clear from behind her. A taijiya woman rolled into view with a small blade that she brought up to her face just in time to block the strike of a pair of sickle blades. The wielder of the sickle blades was a short-haired hanyo with black streaks up the sides. It was difficult to discern their gender from where she stood, but it was clear that the taijiya was struggling. The woman was sent back several feet upon the impact to her blade, obviously not her primary weapon, and rolled again to avoid the twin sickles that struck the ground with deadly force.

Kagome turned and ran towards the embattled pair, pulling her bow from her shoulder and notching an arrow without breaking stride. The young taijiya moved to stand, only able to place one foot under herself before her heel was swept up and out by a sweeping kick from the hanyo. She was thrown onto her back with a loud thud, knocking the air from her lungs and causing a strangled gasp. The hanyo casually knocked the blade from her hands and placed a foot on her chest to hold her in place.

The hanyo smirked, raising one sickle up to make a killing blow. Kagome began to channel spirit energy into the arrow. What once came effortlessly now felt a struggle. The holy power kept slipping from her grasp every time she managed to grab hold of a thread. The hanyo's sickle began to lower when Kagome realized she had no time, losing the arrow devoid of divine energy to knock the sickle from its grasp.

He looked up with golden eyes; surprise and annoyance flickered across his face. "Bitch!" he called out with a male tenor. "You'll die next!"

Kagome had already pulled another arrow and attempted to channel the energy again. "Like hell, I will!" She shouted defiantly and with internal frustration that she was unable to focus the power into the arrow.

The hanyo's brow rose in recognition. He practically ignored the slayer beneath him, who vainly struggled against the foot that kept her pinned down. "You! Miko-bitch."

The arrow Kagome aimed at his face was quickly deflected by the remaining sickle-blade he wielded. He grunted in annoyance as if he had swatted away a fly. "I doubt I will get in much trouble for roughing you up." He sneered with arrogance built into him from countless years of unmatched aggression. How long had Fan Tsenpo kept his bastards cooped up? This one seemed mad with unspent energy that was disastrous for most he would encounter.

"You'd die," Kagome replied. Her tone was resolute and firm. Either by her hand or another's, this hanyou would die if he so much as touched her. She reached for another arrow behind her back but stopped when the hanyou feinted with his sickle blade towards the taijiya beneath him. The woman - young girl, Kagome realized - had dirty tear tracks down her cheeks, but she did not cry out. The hanyo glanced down at his prey and back up at her in a manner that suggested a dilemma. She also realized the dilemma was hers; he could kill the girl first, and her hesitation made that fact known. His threat was clear, and he would kill the girl if Kagome fired her arrow.

She did not have to think long before a loud, keeling cry pierced through the sky. It was unlike anything ever heard before. The sound carried like a shockwave reverberating with anguish and rage—quite a cacophony of sounds that caught everyone off guard, drawing their gazes away. Something awful had happened, she knew, but her attention snapped back to the brute who had also been momentarily distracted.

The spirit energy finally seemed corporeal enough to grab, and she channeled that energy into the arrow even after it began its flight. Twin tails of white light trailed off the arrow as it spiraled towards its target. Even if the hanyo was able to deflect the shot, he would still be consumed. He tried to deflect the shot, but his attempt was in vain. The arrow struck him in the chest with a grotesque thud, the force of the blow throwing him back and off the taijiya.

Kagome sprinted forward and leaned over the woman, whose eyes were wide with shock. She trembled beneath Kagome's gentle hands. "It's alright" - she cut her neck to ensure the yokai wouldn't get back up. Interestingly, his body sizzled - trails of smoke rose as if he'd been roasted over an open flame, and while his face was no longer visible, his silver hair was now inky black. Kagome shook her head in disbelief. That was something she would have to wrap her mind around later.

"He's dead. You did well holding him off." The young woman trembled and blinked below her, still working through the shock once her battle adrenaline had subsided.

"Let's get you up." Kagome went to move her right hand but found it would not respond. The young girl's eyes which had been wide before, now bulged, and Kagome noticed dark liquid blooming beneath a jagged silver ornament adorning the girl's neck. Realization dawned, much too late. The girl, whose name Kagome did not know, gurgled, bloody foam peeking from her mouth as she made a vain attempt at speech.

The jagged silver ornament, really a jagged, serrated blade, twisted in the girl's throat and was pulled out. An agonizing pain ripped through Kagome's shoulder when the sword that had pierced it from behind was removed. The blade had been sharpened to perfection, sliding like butter through her skin, muscle, and tendons to the point where she hadn't even noticed.

Once the blade had been twisted and yanked through, Kagome screamed and fell backward. Her attempt to catch herself was met with a low insidious chuckle. "What's wrong, little miko?"

Kagome felt the blood drain from her face; probably to seep from her now open wound. She clutched at the hole near her chest and inhaled a sob from the pain. Hot, sticky blood poured over her fingers and continued down her arm. Over her head, a familiar figure stepped and leaned down with a smug smirk on a scarred face. "F-Fah," she sputtered.

"Are those tears for me?" His foot pushed her back and then toed her wound, causing her to gasp in pain. "Aghh!" She cried out.

With a flamboyant roll of his eyes, the daiyokai Fan Tsenpo kneeled to regard her. "Your tears," he reached down a hand and wiped the wet track from her cheek, "intrigue me so."

#Chapter Twenty Four #Nocturne #Nocturne Fanfic #Sesskag #Sesshome #Sesshomaru #Kagome #Fanfic #Inuyasha #Sesshomaru x Kagome

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timingmatters · 4 years

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People who disregard Inuyasha’s love for Kagome piss me off so much because no, had Kikyo not died he wouldn’t have chosen her over Kagome. Was it not close to Kikyo’s death that Inuyasha was carrying her, and Koga offered to go get Kagome yet he refused? He gave Kikyo to Koga in a fragile state because HE wanted to be there for Kagome. Was it not Inuyasha the one who disregarded Kikyo and transcended fucking time to get Kagome when Kikyo closed the well???

Like people have to understand the importance between Kikyo and Inuyasha was not their love. It was that they treated each other like teens for the first time. Kikyo was a CHILD a 15 year old girl who all adults depended on. A whole town. And Inuyasha was another CHILD who had always been neglected.

Was it not Kagome, the only reason Inuyasha refused to die the episodes after Kikyo’s death?? Kikyo and Inuyasha were not a true love. Their relationship wasn’t cute either. The nature of their relationship highlighted how lonely they both were. Kikyo didn’t want a future with Inuyasha as a half demon. She wanted a future with him as a human. Kikyo is a very tragic character. But honestly romanticizing her relationship with Inuyasha and dismissing Kagome is literally.... dismissing the whole damn point of the show.

Kagome was the person to accept Inuyasha JUST like he was. The person who believed in him for the first time as a half demon. The person to introduced him to others and who got him to trust, not just in her, but in himself and others. SHE was the person who did all that. Not Kikyo. There are so many frustrating moments when Inuyasha leaves Kagome to aid Kikyo, but never was Kagome in danger during those moments. Kikyo WAS important for Inuyasha, but their relationship wasn’t cute. Their relationship was born out of loneliness, not love. Their relationship didn’t allow them to grow, it aided them to follow a path they didn’t want.

The one time Kikyo really needed him, as she was dying, he chose to go for Kagome even without knowing she was in danger (she was but he didn’t know that). Koga offered to go get here. Koga could have perfectly saved her. Instead, Inuyasha gave Kikyo to Koga, in a very fragile state, to go CHECK on Kagome. Instead, when Kikyo offered to stay with Inuyasha, it was Kagome who made him realise he didn’t truly wanna die. It was Kagome’s absence (multiple times) the thing that made Inuyasha literally transcend fucking time (not using the well) to go get her. He admits this to himself.

Had Kikyo lived, he wouldn’t have chosen her. And Kikyo honestly just wanted to live a normal life. She didn’t necessarily love Inuyasha, people forget they didn’t get to know each other that well. They had a month tops together. Kikyo wanted the normal life she could have had with Inuyasha. She wanted to be a teenage girl, and fall in love, and not worry about life vs death of a whole population of people. That’s what she wanted. Not Inuyasha. And for Inu, he wanted someone to not fear him or be disgusted of him. He wanted someone there. She was that for him for the first time. She was the first safe space he ever had, but she still didn’t want the whole package. She wanted him as human. Because that’s what SHE wanted. A simole human life. She wanted a part of him. They were fucking kids who didn’t have anyone else.

Inuyasha and Kagome had a YEAR of living together to first get to know each other, obviously the first 50eps he was still in love with Kikyo, bc that was his safe space and he didn’t know this girl. They got to know each other. Kagome, unlike Kikyo, didn’t just want him to be human. She saw all of him. Force him to accept it. The demon and the human side. Force him to interact with others the way he was. Inuyasha’s whole character arc development is because of Kagome. Romantizing a relationship (kikyo and inuyasha) where they were kids who barely knew each other and had literally no one else is so sad. They literally both had no friends. None. They didn’t have anyone else. Is almost like forcing them to the first person that was nice to them. Inuyasha and Kagome are the main couple of the show for a reason, they make each other better. Is sad Kikyo never had that. Is sad she never got to have friends her age. But don’t throw the point of the show, or Inuyasha’s character arc, just bc u liked that couple better.

Don’t say Inuyasha would have chosen her, when he did ultimately chose Kagome over her at various moments on the whole show before Kikyo died. Including when Kikyo was delicate, Inuyasha chose to go get Kagome. He chose her. He still loved Kikyo. That’s a first love. But it was a first love born out of loneliness. Born out of not having anyone else.

And i’m amazed is 2020 and people hate Kagome’s character because of this???? Is not her fault Kikyo had a hard life. In fact, is due to her Kikyo’s soul found peace i might add. Is also due to her that Inuyasha got friends, and even improved his relationship with his brother, and got to terms with who he was and his past. That’s all Kagome. And she wasn’t inmature either. She loved Kikyo too. She cried for her and once almost died trying to save her (and then Kikyo tried to fucking kill her!!) and still Kagome never resented her. Because Kagome, even though she loved Inuyasha, didn’t need him to love herself. She loved him, and wanted go stay by his side. But was learning to be okay if he never reciprocated. And that’s what’s awesome about her character and her relationship with Inuyasha. They don’t need each other they way Kikyo and Inuyasha did because Kagome has people apart from Inuyasha, and she introduced people Inuyasha has that would have his back without Kagome. They didn’t need each other. They chose each other. And in real life that’s the success to relationships. You should never depend just on your partner. You should have people you care for outside your romantic relationship. You should know who you are and love yourself outside your romantic relationship. Your partner should be someone you chose, not need because you have no one else, and you should be able to love yourself within your relationship and mature and learn things. Not change who you are to please them nor maintain your mindset forever. You need to grow. Inuyasha made Kagome stronger, and Kagome taught him actual healthy love.

Kikyo is a tragic character because of this. Because her love was born out of loneliness and not having anyone else. Because she just wanted to be a girl, and a criminal took this from her. But to oversee this and say “yeh her and Inuyasha were the true love” literally fucking dismisses her issues. Not it wasn’t. Her tragic story is based on the fact that, she never had it easy. She never found ultimate peace until the very end. That’s the sad part of it.

To be 2020, most inuyasha fans (like me) are grown. To hate on Kagome bc of a ship, when she’s the main female character, and one of the few anime female STRONG characters, is just fucking sad. To dismiss Inuyasha’s feelings that he himself express (i was born to meet Kagome) is literally insane.

#inuyasha #kikyo #inukag #inukik

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dawnrider · 4 years

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So for Reunion day of @inukag-week, you could go read Return to Me, since it hits all the buttons for the canon reunion. However, here I will share a WIP that is a Modern AU no one is surprised with slightly angstier vibes. I don’t really have a name for it yet.

CW: Major character is Deaf, Discussion/descriptions of an assault, Recall/memory/flashbacks

Italics - thoughts ‘Words’ - Signed “Words” - Spoken aloud

Part 1 | Part 2 |

A whisper of cloth and the near silent squeak of a sneaker on the tile floor. They sounded loud in his ears, echoing almost mockingly, an ingrained twitch in his body at the thought that they might wake her. But that wasn't going to happen. She couldn't hear them. Never would.

Crouching beside her bed, the sight of her bruised face a reminder of what he hadn't been there to protect her from, he tried to find a way to swallow his anger. No one touched her like that. No one. But I wasn't there to stop him. Trying to breathe through his intense emotions, he set each one in its own invisible box. Guilt, fear, anger, sadness and regret. He tried to deal with the guilt first. He'd known about this guy, the one following her around. Showing up at her job, following her home, trying to take her out. Too busy, too busy to see her and too busy to keep this from happening. Fool. There was the anger. Put it back in its box to be dealt with in time. Her hands were even bruised and scraped from where she'd tried to protect herself.

Nose twitching, he took in her scent and tried to find the light happy fragrance he knew. It was overlaid with antiseptic, gauze, bleach, medicine, pain. He hated hospitals. Closing his eyes to take another calming breath, Inuyasha opened them again only to find at least one of a pair of deep brown eyes staring at him. The other was swollen shut and could barely flutter let alone open. A confused frown crinkled her brow as a groan left her. Rolling her head away from him, she seemed to dismiss his presence. Waiting for her to either go back to sleep, or realize he was in fact there was agonizing. The nurse had told him before he came in that she was on relatively high doses of pain medication so the likelihood of her thinking he was a figment of her imagination was fairly high.

A moment later, his heart jumped in his chest when her gaze, less confused, returned to him. He flinched when her right hand, bandaged and bruised, lifted weakly in an attempt to make the name sign she'd given him years ago. His mouth in a thin line, he nodded. I'm here. I'm here now. He couldn't move his hands in the way he needed to in order to tell her what he wanted to say. Nothing could come close to the apology she deserved. They twitched almost uselessly in front of him, her name sign the only thing they seemed certain of. “Kagome. I'm... I should have... How are you feeling?” The corner of his mouth lifted in a tiny grin when she frowned at him, a frustrated hand raising to his lips to cover them. He had a bad habit of speaking while he signed when he was upset, a pet peeve of hers. Kagome had explained to him it was disconcerting, reading signs and reading lips at the same time. Especially when they didn't match.

'Why are you here?' The movement of her hands was slow, pained, overly careful. Again Inuyasha felt that tightness in his chest. Not just at her question, nor the lack of the usual freedom of her communication, but that she had every right to ask it. Months had gone by since he'd seen her for more than a few minutes, or at a large event where they didn't get time to talk to one another.

'I came to make sure you were alright.' A rough breath left her. Flinching at the heavy sound of it, Inuyasha tried to keep himself together. 'I should have run that...'

'Stop. Nothing can be done about it now.' But that was what made him so angry. He couldn't just kill the asshole, couldn't hurt him even after what he'd done to Kagome. The legal system, even as it tried to nail his ass for the crime, protected him from retribution. 'You saw me. You don't have to stay.' Her gaze skittered away from his when he tried to determine if that was really what she wanted.

Shaking his head at her, he gently touched her arm to get her attention. 'I'm not running away anymore. You... you have always been my friend. Just because things changed...' Kagome sucked in a breath, the scent of tears in her eyes. Inuyasha felt the weight of all they had been denying and inflicting on one another swamp him once more. He'd spent months trying to pretend none of it had happened, that he didn't need her around. She had tried to do the same. 'Your answer was fair. I was hurt and I overreacted,' he slowly explained. Her one good eye watched his hands, her gaze barely acknowledging his face. 'I'm not asking anything. I just want to be near you.' The scent of her tears grew stronger, but he could feel her relief. Whether that was relief that he wasn't pressuring her, or that he wanted to stay by her, he didn't know. Her hand, fragile and bruised, gripped his suddenly. Looking up at her he could see the grateful tilt to her mouth and the slight quiver of insecurity in her chin. She wanted to trust that he meant what he said, but feared it as well. 'I'm here as long as you want me here,' he told her with his free hand. She nodded, her grip loosening slightly as her eyes drifted shut once more. Watching her sleep, more peacefully than before, Inuyasha was caught up in remembering.

***

“You can't just leave, Kikyou. We made vows.” She glared at him, her eyes colder than he ever remembered. “You just going to take those back like they're nothing?”

Her stance straightened and she tried to stare him down. “I thought I could make this work between us. But you aren't willing to make compromises.”

Inuyasha balked at her audacity. “Compromises? Me becoming a human somehow is not a compromise Kikyou! You married me like this, promised to love and keep me like this!”

Her eyes barely betrayed her hesitation. She wanted to keep believing that what she was asking made sense, that what she wanted him to do was completely fair. But being reminded of the vows they had made to one another almost five years before made her resolve falter. “I thought things would be different,” she said quietly. “I thought you would come around.” He snorted, turning away from her. He looked down at his hands, staring at the ring on his finger. He snarled at it, ripping it off of his hand and throwing it at her feet.

“Get out. You obviously don't want to be here anymore. Here's your chance.” She didn't move for a long time, staring at the wide band that lay at her feet. He couldn't imagine what was running through her head, but he could guess that she didn't like having the argument turned around on her. “Goodbye, Kikyou.” The door slammed a moment later and he heard the thud of her feet on the stairs and her suitcases clunking into the walls as she went.

It had taken him weeks to even consider speaking of it to anyone and the first person he had gone to was Kagome. She had been his best friend from the time they were in college on. He'd always known he could tell her anything and she would lend a sympathetic eye, or tell him he was being ridiculous if he was. 'That bitch!' The sign had been harsh enough that he worried she'd bruise her chin. 'The nerve of that woman, thinking...' Inuyasha had lost most of the following rant since Kagome had been pacing and signing so furiously that he couldn't pick out more than a few signs at a time. When her eyes finally returned to him he was impressed, as usual, by the fire that lit them.

There had been times in the past when people had thought Kagome and Kikyou were sisters, even twins. They were distantly related, second cousins twice removed or something, but the resemblance was completely off-set by the difference in their eyes. He used to think Kikyou's eyes were pretty. Sharp and intelligent. But now he saw them for the edges and ice that lay at the depths.

Kagome's, on the other hand, were warm and soft. He'd never met anyone with eyes as expressive as hers. At times when she was furious, like now, they danced like flames with her anger. They could melt him when she smiled, draw him in when she cried... 'It doesn't matter now.' She looked back at him in disbelief. He chuckled a little. 'Don't get me wrong, I'm upset. There's nothing I can do. Nothing I want to do. I signed papers last week.'

'Fast,' she replied, a puff of air leaving her lips. She sat on the edge of the couch in front of him, staring at him hard. 'Sure you'll be alright?'

He was able to see the concern in her eyes and it warmed him. He nodded resolutely. With friends like his, he'd be just fine. With a friend like Kagome, he would make it through.

***

A rustle made his head pop up and he realized he'd fallen asleep next to Kagome's bed. She looked at him guiltily while he glanced around, trying to determine what was happening. Kagome's covers were slipped off of her and one foot was hanging off the bed. 'Where are you going?' he asked her, narrowing his golden eyes at her. 'You aren't supposed to be out of bed, are you?' In spite of the damage to her face, Kagome's signature stubborn look was in place.

'I have to go to the bathroom, Inuyasha.'

'Ask for help, stupid, don't try it on your own.' Sighing, he stood up and went around the bed to help her to her feet. Once she was standing, it was obvious there was no way she would have made it by herself. She was off balance, her legs were weak and she could barely see. “Keh, no way you could have done this on your own,” he mumbled at the side of her head. It was on her bad side and so she didn't see him chastising her.

***

The idea had been tearing his mind apart for weeks. What if it was right? What if Kagome really was the one? She was loving, faithful, intelligent... beautiful. All the things he had thought he'd had in Kikyou. Kagome accepted him, liked him just how he was. Why had it never occurred to him before? But now that it had, it wouldn't leave him alone. Every time he saw her, it chewed at the back of his thoughts making him awkward and bumbling around her. She teased him, telling him that he'd lost his touch with women when she encouraged him to flirt with girls at the bar. None of them compared to her, and even if they had, his heart was already elsewhere. She's it, she's perfect. He sat nervously, trying to rehearse his carefully chosen words to make her understand.

Kagome stepped into the gazebo, wondering why Inuyasha had asked her to meet him here of all places. They often walked by it, as it was the central feature of the park near her apartment, but they'd never actually been in it. Knowing that they were supposed to be going out to dinner, she had dressed up a little, but she was startled to see Inuyasha in a suit. He hated wearing suits, especially since he had to wear one to work everyday. 'You look nice,' she told him. The almost royal blue shirt looked very sharp under his black suit jacket, the top few buttons left open for a slightly more casual look. He smirked at her, but there was a nervous edge to his mouth and the way he was standing. 'Why did you want to meet here?' she finally asked him, opening the table for whatever he seemed to have on his mind. Is Kikyou back in the picture? She wondered. No, he wouldn't ask me to dinner to tell me that. What are you up to Inuyasha? He motioned for her to sit on the bench beside him, finally sitting down when she was comfortable.

Taking several deep breaths, Inuyasha was finally able to get his mind organized enough to move his hands in the right way. 'We have been friends a long time. You have been my most honest and most giving friend, when I needed it most.' Kagome's eyes, expressive as always, grew concerned. 'You have kept me from doing some pretty stupid things in the last ten years and I hope you can keep guiding me through the rest of my life. Kagome,' he paused, taking a gentle hold of her hands for a moment before releasing them to continue, 'would you allow me to court you, to become my mate?' Her face froze.

Her eyes were confused, unsure, and sad. She wanted to say yes, he could see it, but something made her hesitate. He waited impatiently for her to respond in some way until her gaze lowered to his hands, her delicate fingers brushing the stripe on his left ring finger that had just regained its proper coloring a few weeks before. He held his breath, waiting for her to do or say something more. 'I couldn't keep you from all the mistakes.'

'No, but I've learned from this one.'

Breathing out a sigh, Kagome looked up at him and then back at his hand. 'Five years is a long time, and you've only been divorced from her for a few months. Weren't you already mated?'

The bitter pain swelled in him for a moment but he managed to swallow it. He had a new chance, a better opportunity for that. One he had never thought open to him before. 'No. She didn't want that.' He ducked his head to get her to look him in the eye. 'I always had this... Feeling. In the back of my mind. I felt things going wrong with Kikyou and how often I was thinking about you didn't help. I thought it was just because you treated me so well while she was so angry all the time. I know better now.'

'Know what better?'

'That I was never meant to be with Kikyou. She couldn't love me as I am. And now I understand, it wasn't fair to her to try to force her to either.' Her bottom lip quivered in a way too familiar to him. 'What's wrong?'

She looked away a moment to gather her wits. Was he asking her this very important question because he really wanted her, or because he was hurt and lost and needed someone to come home to? She couldn't be sure, and it was too soon for him to be sure either. Turning herself back to him she finally found herself able to look him in the eye. 'Inuyasha, you know I love you dearly, I have almost since the day I met you.' She was crushed by the hopeful look in his eyes. He wanted her to say yes, she wanted to say yes... 'But it is too soon. You need to take some time to think about what you really want in life. You have a long one ahead of you.' The disappointment was almost more than she could take, the anger that replaced it even worse.

“No. You can't be serious.” She didn't respond, having read his lips, but she gave him a pleading look. “It took a lot for me to ask you that, Kagome!” She stared at him helplessly when she missed most of his words because he was angry and not forming his words properly. 'I took a big risk,' he finally signed to her, his movements jerky and furious.

'I know that. I am honored that you would ask me.' She took a deep breath. 'The day you married her hurt me too Inuyasha.' Her signs were small and careful. 'I wanted to speak up in the church and stop the whole thing. No one would have heard me,' she said with a wry, pained smile. 'I couldn't ruin things for you when you were so happy. No matter how much it hurt.' Inuyasha's eyes dropped, remembering how happy they had been, how withdrawn Kagome had been through the whole process. When they rose, Kagome continued. 'I am really flattered that you would ask me something so important. Until I know you don't think of her when you look at me, I can't take that risk.'

“Kagome,” he protested. She stood, shaking her head. 'Fine,' he snapped, the claw on his thumb jamming him in the chest. 'Forget dinner. Forget everything.' Kagome's eyes showed her hurt. All Inuyasha could think about was how she didn't deserve to feel hurt, not after rejecting him. 'Maybe I'll see you around.' He turned to leave. Feeling her small hand on his shoulder, he paused. He could not turn, kept his eyes closed...

“Yasha!” she called softly in her nasalized accent. He turned despite his determination not to, unable to ignore her when she actually spoke to him, a rarity to be sure. 'I still care about you,' she explained. 'More than I should,' she admitted, tears in her eyes. 'That's why now isn't the right time. You need to heal before we can... Anything can happen.' He scoffed and she frowned painfully. 'I will always be here for you.'

***

That having been one of the last things she said to him before he pushed her out of his life made the sting of seeing her injured even worse. She had told him that she would always be there if he needed her, had done so all through the marriage that pained her so much to sit by and watch happen. And he hadn't been there to protect her when she needed him more than ever before. Inuyasha sighed, his head hanging in his hands while Kagome slept again. Their trip to the bathroom had been difficult and frustrating for both of them. He wanted to help her, now that he was done being a selfish idiot, and she wanted to trust him to help her... The bathroom was not the place to do that. He'd ended up having to call the nurse in to help Kagome in the bathroom itself, then took over again when she was done.

“She will likely sleep for another few hours, why don't you take a break?” Sango's face was tense as she stood in the doorway, trying to look relaxed and failing. Inuyasha had a hunch that she wasn't thrilled to see him, but knew that there wasn't anywhere else he would be once she'd told him Kagome was in the hospital. “You look like you need the rest.”

Fighting the urge to growl at her and cling childishly to the side of the bed, he shook his head, looking down at its occupant. “I'm not going anywhere.”

The scoff he heard was the only warning he got. “You have no right, Inuyasha. She gave everything to you and you disappeared!” Sango knew that raising her voice wouldn't likely affect Kagome, but she kept it at a low hiss anyway. “She cried for days after you canceled that dinner and now you want to sit here and tell me you're not going anywhere?” Sango's growl was nearly inhuman. “You don't deserve it.”

He tried his hardest to keep his temper under control. Any fluctuation in his aura would likely wake Kagome. “You're right, I don't deserve it. But I'm not leaving her side. I made a mistake, and I'm going to make up for it.” Unsure if he should, he paused a moment before explaining what he now knew Kagome had never told Sango. “That night I called off dinner, I asked Kagome let me start courting her to be my mate.” He fought a smirk at the surprised gasp that came from the woman by the door. “Kagome turned me down, told me it was too soon. She was right, but at the time I was too hurt by her rejection to see it. That is why I disappeared. Because I was selfish and hurt.” Sango's stance settled into an actually relaxed pose.

“That's not an excuse,” she replied halfheartedly.

“No, but now you know why we haven't been seeing each other as much.”

Sango's eyes dropped to the floor as she contemplated what he'd told her. He was sincere, there was no doubt in her mind of that. She had sat with Kagome that night and for several nights afterward, trying to soothe her upset and not sure how to do it. Kagome had never said a bad thing about Inuyasha, but she also hadn't told her what had really happened. Knowing what she did now, she couldn't be as angry with Inuyasha. He had been making a bold move, one that had backfired. Kagome had loved him too long to allow a few months or even years waiting for him to heal from his broken marriage keep them from being together eventually. She knew that her friend had been thinking only of what was best for Inuyasha at the time and had assumed, naively, that he would appreciate that. The last few months had proven that he'd been more hurt by her rejection than he had seemed to be by his wife leaving him. “She was thinking of what was best for you,” she sighed softly. “She always does.” Inuyasha made a small grunt of acknowledgment.

Kagome had been looking out for him from the moment he'd met her at the front of a math class in a giant lecture hall their freshman year of college. She'd been staring intently at her interpreter, who also happened to be her best friend Sango, laughing at something she'd just signed to her. He, trying to find an empty spot to sit in the overly crowded lower section, had nearly bowled over the tall dark-haired translator. Kagome had jumped up, grabbing onto his arm just before the collision happened. Sango had looked just as startled as he had before looking him up and down. “There's a spot next to me,” she spoke without blinking and he had been so confused until he realized she was voicing for the girl who held onto him. He glanced at her, then back at Sango before nodding dumbly.

Watching the two young women in avid fascination through the whole class meant he'd learned only a few things they were signing and absolutely nothing about the matrices the professor had been trying to instruct them on that day. He'd been forced over the next few weeks to ask for Kagome's meticulous notes and her tutelage until he had caught up and felt comfortable in the class. Alongside his math lessons, she and Sango were teaching him to sign and he had clearly picked it up more quickly than either of the girls had expected. Soon enough he and Kagome were able to go anywhere without Sango's presence as a go-between and they were practically inseparable after that. She made him laugh more each day than he had in the twelve years since his mother had died. She understood his bouts of darkness and managed to pull him out of them. She had never pushed him to tell her about his family, his heritage, his insecurities, but they had come out of him anyway in long flowing strands on his fingertips. She cried for him, but never made him feel pitied.

Until the day Kikyou had sat next to him in a sophomore level history class, batting her eyes at him and passing him surreptitious glances, a tiny little flicker that told him he was in love with Kagome had lurked in the back of his mind. But she had never pursued him, certainly not like Kikyou had and he'd been so drawn in by Kikyou's beauty and her intelligence that the flicker had been ignored. Now, eight years later, he fully understood that the flicker had slowly become a roaring fire in the time that he had been married and now in the months since his divorce. He loved Kagome with all that he was and he fully intended to make her understand that there was no room in his heart for anyone else. He had forgiven Kikyou for expecting him to change and himself for expecting the same of her. Kagome had only ever offered her steadfast friendship, indomitable spirit and her quiet love. And while it was already more than he could ever ask for, he wanted more. He wanted the rest of her. Body, mind, spirit, heart and soul. He knew it was in her to love him like he knew he loved her. She had stood by him, talked him down from many an angry precipice during his marriage, comforted him when it was falling apart without breathing a word of the love he now knew she held for him. For his part, he wished he could claim the same selfless kind of love. He knew himself well enough to know that he had to have her as his own or he would lose it completely.

The reasoning behind her rejection of him, now that he was able to look back on it with a clearer head, proved that Kagome only wanted what would make him happy and healthy, even at the cost of her own happiness. She had been afraid he was going to make another mistake, making her his mate, when in fact it had been his mistake to have ever allowed another woman to come between the growing adoration that had been lingering in the back of his heart.

@lemonlushff , @fantastiqueparfait , @heavenin--hell, @clearwillow , @mamabearcat , @thunderpo , @keichanz , @meggz0rz , @disgruntledbeast , @sarah-writes-stories , @zelink-inukag , @cammysansstuff , @mcornilliac , @redflamesofpassion , @superpixie42 , @underwater0phelia , @cstorm86 , @noviceotakus-blog , @lavendertwilight89 , @hinezumi , @wenchster , @hnnwnchstr , @lady-dark-69 , @itzatakahashi , @juliatheanimelover7 , @kazeinori , @theinuyashareader , @inupotter , @eternalnight8806-3 , @smmahamazing , @willowandfog , @gaysonthefloor , @sistasecbhere , @jennybean91 , @alerialblu, @laurenintheskyy

#Dawnrider Fanfiction #Modern AU #Inukag-Week #Reunion #Part 1

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shirokodomo · 3 years

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real name: hakudoshi / 白童子 / はくどうし

single or taken: verse dependent | taken in post-rebirth and white assassin (yakuza) verses

abilities or powers: as a demon born from naraku’s flesh, hakudoshi has several abilities and some of them are quite similar to those of his creator’s. he is capable of creating a powerful barrier which cannot be destroyed by inuyasha’s red tessaiga, using said barrier he is also capable of absorbing his opponent’s yoki based attacks and then redirect it back to them. like naraku, hakudoshi is capable of creating his own shoki (miasma) and of quickly regenerating his body right after it was destroyed, this is due to hakudoshi’s heart not being inside of his body therefore he could not die no matter how many times it was destroyed.

another of hakudoshi’s abilities is the telepathy, meaning that he is capable of reading other people’s minds like an open book; this can be prevented if someone with high spiritual power places a mental barrier around their mind. aside from this, he is also capable of telekinesis, with which he is able to move objects with his mind but he is not capable of doing that with really heavy things (demon heads, boulders, etc); hakudoshi can teleport himself and others to several places through the use of portals.

hakudoshi possesses a naginata as a weapon but it does not have any special abilities; despite it being taller than himself, hakudoshi mastered the use of this weapon with ease and often uses it to behead his targets.

after being reborn into a new body, hakudoshi retained most of these abilities aside from the shoki and the instant regeneration, as a demon he is still able to heal himself but it takes hours or even days depending on the size of the wound like other demons. the color of his barrier also changes, instead of being purple in color it is now blue and is not as powerful as the ones he used to be able to create, meaning that this barrier can be destroyed by inuyasha’s red tessaiga.

eye colour: violet

hair colour: rose white

family members: verse dependent

canon verse | naraku (creator/progenitor); kanna (“eldest sister”); kagura (“older sister”); goshinki (“eldest brother”); juromaru (“older brother”); kageromaru (“older brother”); muso (“older brother”); the infant (counterpart/brother); byakuya (“younger brother”). ps.: this hakudoshi does not view the incarnations as his true siblings, aside from the infant, nor views naraku as his father.

modern verse | naraku (father); kikyo (mother)

son of the phoenix verse | hua mulan (adoptive mother); hua zhou (adoptive grandfather); hua li (adoptive grandmother); hua xiu (adoptive aunt)

post-rebirth verse | kohaku (lover); rin (lover); uri (“son”); nadeshiko (“daughter”); shinju (“son”); sumire (biological daughter); mizuki (adopted son)

white assassin verse | kaori makai (mother); shintaro makai (father); akago makai (younger brother); umeko fukuhara (maternal aunt)

pets: not really a pet but entei, a horse demon, is his companion for quite sometime

something they don’t like: being compared to kagura (canon verse)

hobbies/activities: none

ever hurt anyone before: yes, both physically and mentally. physically he has hurt and even killed many, it was part of his job and never felt regret about it; mentally he has hurt people like kagome and kagura with his mind games and playing with the darkness in their hearts.

animal that represents them: fox, because of his cunning and trickster nature. when he is brought back to life, fox demon flesh is used to construct his main body.

worst habits: mocking those he believes are inferior to him but in reality are not. hakudoshi has got a really big ego and believes himself to be invincible because he cannot die (through physical attacks), this ended up being his literal death making him careless about any other possibilities that could actually kill him. When he is brought back to life and after recovering his memories, he becomes more conscious of this habit and tries to change it, he doesn’t become humble but he no longer believes himself to be far superior to others.

role models: verse dependent

canon verse | hakudoshi has no role models, he believes himself to be his own master and therefore he is his “own” role model.

son of the phoenix verse | his role model is without a single doubt his adoptive mother, he respects, loves and wishes to be just like her.

demon mage verse | though he won’t admit it out loud, his role model is erza scarlet, the way she led the rebellion inside the tower of heaven and the way she now leads fairy tail are forever imprinted in his mind.

white assassin verse | koga is his role model in this verse, he taught him everything he knows. koga treats hakudoshi like his protegee and even as his son to some degree, hakudoshi sees koga as his mentor and despite everything they through, he doesn’t mind looking after him and kagura; they are the closest he has to a real family.

sexual orientation: demiromantic

thoughts on marriage/kids: verse dependent.

canon verse | said things are trivial to him, he doesn’t care or spares his thoughts on it.

son of the phoenix verse | it’s not something he thinks very often but as he grows, he finds himself thinking if there is anyone out there that might come to love him the same way his adoptive grandparents and adoptive parents love each other.

post-rebirth verse | despite having been given a second chance in life, one that he promptly grabbed with all his strength to the point of changing most of the way he used to be, hakudoshi never thought he would actually find what humans like to call ‘love’, let alone thinking of children of his own (the only organ he has inside his body is a heart, therefore he cannot reproduce the ‘normal way’). that changed when his interactions with both kohaku and rin slowly intensified; initially he didn’t think a relationship between a demon and humans could actually work until they proved him wrong. through demon ways (mating) he is married to both but when referring them to others he will only refer the term ‘husband’, ‘wife’ or even ‘lover’ to those who know about their relationship; otherwise it is just ‘kohaku’ or ‘rin’, this is mostly to protect them. regarding children, he is extremely awkward with them especially when they are babies (he internally panics if a crying baby is placed in his arms, he is not capable of reading a baby’s thoughts). He cares about kohaku’s and rin’s children but doesn’t have them calling him ‘father’ or any other fatherly terms, though he also doesn’t correct them if they do so. when sumire was born (she was conceived via linking his demonic energy with rin’s human energy), he actually cried for the first time in his entire life though at first he wasn’t even aware of that.

modern days verse | hakudoshi has quite negative thoughts of both marriage and children born inside said marriage. because of what he saw happen with his parents, it made him view marriage as something unhappy and therefore any children born from it is automatically unhappy as well. he doesn’t think happiness can be achieved through marriage or any relationship in general.

white assassin verse | as a small child, hakudoshi witnessed the love and respect his parents held for one another and the way they acted with him and his little brother but even so it never really made him think of wanting something similar. after the death of his parents and the abuses he went through at the hands of his maternal aunt, hakudoshi very much stopped thinking of love in general, it stopped existing for him. That changed when his relationship with rin began growing into something different, at first he couldn’t explain why but he knew he viewed her differently from the other women he had been with (though he had only been with them in a physical way); he found comfort in her the same way she did in him. he wants to give her everything she desires. marrying her is a wish for the future that he is unsure they will have. children is a maybe but he doesn’t want them in this kind of life.

style preferences: in several verses, hakudoshi’s favorite color is without a doubt white and he very much prefers rich fabrics, he won’t wear just anything; he likes to wear practical clothing that doesn’t hold him back in his missions. funny enough, in his modern verses, hakudoshi wears dark clothing.

approach to friendships: he is never the one to approach nor is he easy to approach in that regard, he doesn’t really give the friendly vibe not even after being reborn. he slowly comes to care about those who are closer to him though chances are he won’t say it out loud; in his modern verse he doesn’t easily trust others so friendships with hakudoshi are even harder to happen.

thoughts on pie: he never tried pie before.

favourite drink: mostly tea.

favourite place to spend time at: mountains, forest or the training camps.

swim in the lake or in the ocean: lake.

their type: he doesn’t really put much thought in what his type is especially when his mind isn’t focused in that kind of stuff; he is more for the strong bond or connection first before those kind of feelings even start to develop, he doesn’t actively seeks for that bond.

camping or indoors: no preference.

tagged by: @senpujin (ty emma! <3)

#dash games #About Muse #About Hakudoshi

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sinjata · 4 years

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Inuyasha / Kagome Fanfic : When Your Heart Makes a Wish - Chapter 1 - After all these years

Hello everyone!

This is my very first Inuyasha fanfic, so please, be nice! ^^ I discovered Inuyasha in March-April 2020 and I fell in love with it completely. If you can find any mistakes etc. from my fanfic, please, be kind and tell me, so I can fix those! My English skills are not as good as I would like them to be, so sorry about that! I just don’t have anyone, who could read through and check my texts for me. But hopefully you readers get my point from it and can follow the story! Wonderful Rumiko Takahashi owns the characters/story, whose life I continued with my own, special color pen. Enjoy!

When Your Heart Makes a Wish

Old, hidden well. It is waiting, hearing the wish of the heart. Remembering. When there is only memories left. Those memories, that only someone special can share with you. Regardless of time or place. Another wish has been made too, hesitantly. Without daring to hope for, what the heart wants most. But that's enough. The well is not alone - someone is running towards it. Fast, like it is about life or death. Opens the doors, runs down the stairs, stops and jumps without hesitating at all. Wishing…

“I need to see him. Please, let me go to him!”

The light flow glows from the depths of the well. But something is not right there. That old well knows the wishes, without knowing theirs destiny.

Chapter 1 - After all these years

Kagome is enchanted while she is looking at the night sky at her home yard on temple square. Wondering, how the stars are shining so brightly there. They had never appeared like this in her time before, because the light pollution too skillfully concealing its beauty. But now they shine as if the lights of the whole city had gone out.

“A shooting star... Second one, and third!” a young woman breathes in enchantment.

Stars are falling above her, like little diamonds. The sight is so dumbfounded, that Kagome does not even notice to make a wish. But the sight also makes her remember, how she loved falling asleep under the stars. If only I could share this sight... With him. She finds herself thinking.

Suddenly she hears it; the voice she heard coming from the sanctuary building, was so familiar, that it could not be mistaken. She had not heard it in years. Kagome runs as fast as she can, her long black hair fluttering and hearing how blood rushed in her ears. She opens the doors with hurry, runs down the stairs and jumps into the embrace of the old well. Kagome falls, but unexpectedly into someone’s arms at the bottom of the well. After surviving of the fright, Kagome bursts into a wide smile.

“Inuyasha, you got here! How this is possible??”, Kagome's happy voice echoes from the walls of the well.

She drops down from Inuyasha's arms and snaps herself around his neck, hugging firmly. Inuyasha hesitates for a little moment, then hugs back gently, until he hugs her harder than ever before. Kagome is very surprised, but at the same time rejoices, when Inuyasha hugs her so. You really are here... I can't believe this! Kagome feels overwhelmed with happiness.

“I guess, you also missed me for a little bit?”, she asks, gently touching the other soft silver-white dog ear above Inuyasha's head.

“Kagome...”, he only gets answered quietly.

“I-is everything alright?”, Kagome asks, when he is pretty quiet, just hugging her.

“I wanted to see you. You smell nice, I don't want to let go of you...”, Inuyasha slurs into Kagome's hair, sounding like he is half asleep.

“Then don't...”, Kagome responds happily.

“Hey... I would like to be like this with you, no matter how long, but let's go up. I want to show you something!”, Kagome says after a while, remembering the starry sky.

“No, I didn't come to stay. I decided... I made my choice; I’m going to protect Kikyo. I choose hell, as she hopes for our destiny. I owe my life to her...”, Inuyasha says coldly.

Kagome blinks her eyes in disbelief and rips herself away from the hug. Something is not right...Kagome wonders.

“What on earth are you telling me? But she's not -”, Kagome asks, examining Inuyasha's calm face, him suddenly interrupting her.

“You stay here. I'm not going to see you again. Sorry...”, he mutters.

Kagome begins to get anxious without understanding, what Inuyasha is talking about. He still wants to follow Kikyo, even after everything we have gone through together? But Kikyo's soul found peace years ago, she's not in hell. What has happened in his time, while I have been here? She wonders feverishly, unable to stop the tears from coming anymore.

“I have missed you for years down to my heart roots, and now when you are finally here, you are only abandoning me, huh?!”, Inuyasha's glazed gaze becomes frustrated as she looks at the upset woman.

“Stop that whining! I also needed these -”, Inuyasha says and shows a small glass jar in his hand, Shikon shards inside of it.

Kagome instinctively tries out the pocket of her green skirt, which really is empty.

“You scamp, did you hug me like that, just to get the Shikon shards from me?!”, she yells furiously at him, until she realizes something.

Wait a minute - Shikon jewel was intact and destroyed, then why did I still have those shards?Kagome is now even more confused.

“No, I didn't... I really meant what I said, when I hugged you. I need to say goodbye to you, I don’t want to hurt you anymore. But I really don't want you to hate me...”, Inuyasha speaks again, but softer, the expression on his face turning softer too.

“No... You can't go, you don't belong there!”, Kagome sticks in horror at Inuyasha's red kimono, shaking this.

“How can you choose Kikyo? S-she tried to kill you - and me too! Don't you care at all??”, she cries, like there is no end to her tears.

“Kikyo would never have done that to you, why are you fabricating such lies? This is already hard enough...”, Inuyasha replies little bit angrily.

He doesn't believe me... Why can't you believe me?! Kagome feels like she can't breathe.

“It’s not love, if you take your beloved one with you to hell! You need to live, Inuyasha! You have friends here, who really care about you! And I... I love you!”, she tries to talk, but it is getting more difficult to do, so she buries her face in Inuyasha's kimono, sobbing.

“S-stop it already! I had to choose! She needs me, my life belongs to her... You’ll be safe here - from me too!”, Inuyasha shouts, when his eyes and voice are now full of pain now, while his tears are falling from his cheeks into Kagome's hair.

Inuyasha seems struggling to get his words said. He pushes the opposing Kagome further away from himself. Inuyasha begins to tremble slightly, while his hands are clenching into fists. Kagome is looking at him feeling a little fear in her, that a half demon would turn into a full demon at any moment. To her horror, his tears are turning red, blood.

Tears of blood, has the Flower Prince demon come back to life? Are you under his spell? Kagome wonders in panic, when she remembers the creepy encounter with the demon and how Inuyasha almost ended up following Kikyo through his sleep to the afterlife. She tries to wipe the blood off from Inuyasha's face with the sleeves of her shirt, but the tears of blood won't stop coming.

“We need you too here, you idiot! I won’t let her take you away! Don’t do this, please!”, Kagome begs, she didn't want to lose Inuyasha again.

Inuyasha finally calms down. His long, silver-white hair is starting to turn black and his golden yellow eyes brown, as he becomes human. Like his fangs, long nails and dog ears disappearing as well. Inuyasha pushes shocked Kagome to her knees to the ground, takes off his kimono and swings it around Kagome, kneeling in front of her.

“Let it protect you, I failed at it. I hope you can forgive me someday. Goodbye, my beloved Kagome...”, he smiles sadly at Kagome while touching her cheek, gets up closing his eyes and disappears into the flames.

”INUYASHAA!”, Kagome screams his name in her distress, as much she is capable from crying, but in vain.

She feels how the flames are burning her too in a horrible way, she had never felt before. Kagome hears Kikyo's laughter, the wicked one she had heard once before. In panic, Kagome beats the ground at the bottom of the well so violently, that the skin comes off her hands and blood begins to flow. She doesn’t care, she just lost Inuyasha again. And she will never see him again.

Kagome does not even realize, what forces make herself climb up the ladder up the well and the stairs of the sanctuary up to the empty home yard. She stops in the middle of the yard looking at the night sky, which is now completely black - starless. Tears well up in her eyes again. She is trudging to the Holy Tree and leans against it, like she would be praying for help from it in her pain. While she touches the bark of the tree, the blood of both of them sticks to it from her hands. Kagome sinks on the ground at the base of the tree, with her arms around her, closing her eyes. Hearing Inuyasha's voice, his goodbyes echoing in her ears.

You said you will always be with me, Inuyasha... But I can't feel you anymore.

The stars in Kagome's sky had disappeared.

A New Day

Kagome wakes up in her own bed sweaty, gasping for breath and crying. Buyo the cat rolls off from her stomach to the floor, habitually jumps back and wraps himself around to the end of the bed, next to her feet. It has slept every night next to Kagome since her returning back home, as if he would be guardinging her sleep.

It was just a dream, a good, bad dream... Kagome thinks and feels somehow angry. She has seen very oppressive dreams of another time again recently, but this dream was definitely the one of the worst for a long time. Kagome gets up to sit on the edge of the bed, trying to calm herself down. She had not cried in her sleep for a long time either, probably for a couple of years. It is a disgusting way for her to wake up, but that was what had started to happen, when the well closed permanently.

“Happy birthday to you...”, Kagome mutters, wipes away the tears and starts to examine her hands.

She would not have been surprised, even if she had seen wounds in them. It was as real as a dream can be, like her hands were really on fire because of the pain. Suddenly Kagome startled while remembering a moment, when Inuyasha held her hand in the same room and almost kissed her.

“Where did that come from...?”, she wonders.

The longing that creeps into her mind, seems to grow into a big tsunami after a long time, which would drown her in an instant moment, if she gave the power to it. Kagome closes her eyes tightly for a moment and notices, that she is shaking. She glances at the alarm clock. It's only five in the morning, but I know I won't get any sleep now, even I would try. Kagome thinks.

Judging by the silence her mother, grandfather and little brother Sota are still in deep sleep. She gets up gently on her trembling legs and wears a warm, long pink coat. The cold open air greets her, as she opens the window of her room. Kagome's gaze hits the dusty traces on the windowsill. She has not wanted to clean them out, although she has seriously considered it in her weak moments. However, she wants to keep at least something - a small piece of him. That guest with dusty toes, won't come to visit us anymore... Without her notice, Kagome's shoulders fall slightly lower.

She closes the window and decides to already make her bed. Then she goes quietly into the bathroom and stops in front of the mirror. Black fluffy hair seemed desperately need a tamer. Hair tresses can be seen here and there, sticking to her sweaty skin. Somewhat sad, crying-smeared blue eyes are looking back in the mirror. The sight makes Kagome feel even more miserable.

This will definitely be one of those days, when I should have just stayed under warm cover. Fortunately, these days have been really rare, then before... Kagome wonders. She washes her face with as cold water as possible and looks at her reflection in the mirror again. How on earth do I get the corners of my mouth turned up today, with tape maybe? She sighs deeply.

“Happy face, Kagome. Happy thoughts... Birthday. It’s something happy, isn’t it?”, she sees her reflection smiling and tries to trick herself into a better mood.

Everything's fine, right? A smile will reach my eyes too, hopefully later. Kagome dries her face and decides to go down to the kitchen to make some tea. I could go enjoy it outdoors, fresh air would definitely do good for me... As the water boils, Kagome picks up her shoes from the hallway and thinks about her dream. Why are my dreams so real again, so damn distressing?

It has been three years since she returned home, permanently to her own time. The early days had been awful for her, like downright hell. It felt like the longing became more physical day by day. And even though she had felt many kinds of pain during her life, she had not even been able to prepare for such like it was. Like a poisonous miasma had left to gnaw in her veins.

She could not properly accept, that Inuyasha would no longer come to meet her, would lean against the doorstep of the sanctuary and greet her in his typical, sometimes rough way. With a smile, which had almost begun to take Kagome out of her feet, without her noticing. That dangerous thought of losing him, almost paralyzed her for a very long time. She could suddenly fall to her knees on the ground in the middle of the chores, without getting up by herself. Kagome wanted to yell his name, but in the end could no longer do so either. Somehow, she felt as if there were no longer stars in her night sky, only darkness remaining.

Dreams made sure, she would not forget Inuyasha even while sleeping. Thanks to her subconscious, where the memories also seemed to have etched. Nightmares turned into sleep paralysis in the worst of times. Sometimes Kagome saw Naraku beside her planning to suffocate her with a pillow, when on other nights Kikyo was threatening her life with an arrow, while Kagome was unable to defend herself in any way. She began to learn to wake herself from those, but the nightmares continued through the night and she just had to endure them.

Kagome has felt as if part of her had stayed at another time. She wondered if she would ever get it back, or if she would feel this way even decades from now. Family, friends, and a focus on school helped her go on with her life, as normally as she could. Still, something held Kagome in its grip and did not let her forget, even if it had been easier. She just was not feeling like herself anymore. She had to try to get her life back on track. To be brisk, to survive even somehow. Kagome began to push aside her memories of the past from her mind; of her friends - almost everything. She was unable to look at her suffering loved ones anymore, who were constantly terribly worried about her well-being. She really did not want to worry them indefinitely. Kagome prayed for strength from his father, both for herself and her loved ones, so that they could cope with her in those difficult times.

Kagome grabs her favorite tea mug from the closet’s shelf. She adds some honey to the tea and mixes it, while Buyo appears next to her and pushes gently her feet.

“Good morning, my chubby one. You better stay inside, it's still pretty chilly outside”, Kagome squats to rub Buyo’s ears, sinking into her thoughts as the memory of happy Inuyasha playing on the floor with the cat surprises her.

“Just the person I was waiting for! Oi, Kagome!”

Kagome's heart misses a beat. What - his voice... She shakes her head desperately, trying to get her thoughts back on track. Gosh... He did it again, sneaked into my thoughts, like stealth...

“Do you miss him too?”, Kagome asks from Buyo, who just stares at her, then winking his right eye.

Kagome gets up on her feet, slips the shoes to her feet and takes the tea mug with her. She steps out the door and inhales the peppermint-smelling steam, which is rising from her mug. The sun has already risen, the home yard is quiet except for the birds singing.

“Seems to be way too beautiful day coming, compared to my mood. On days like this, it should just pouring rain like crazy, with big water drops. And frogs...”, Kagome murmurs and closes the door behind her.

She wonders, if she really dares to be in such silence with her thoughts alone right now. Kagome nods, as if encouraging herself, and walks slowly forward across the home yard, as if only her feet were deciding where to go. She pauses for a moment her way and glances at the sanctuary, still clearly remembering her nightmare. Kagome now remembers after a long time that painful moment, when Inuyasha disappeared back into the well after their return. She had felt an almost similar wave of pain back then, when she realized, that the well would probably no longer work in either direction, because the Shikon jewel was destroyed, as she felt in her nightmare when Inuyasha disappeared into the flames.

So much was left unsaid... The swish of the leaves of the great Holy Tree, awakens her from her deep thoughts, while a little whirlwind sweeps Kagome’s hair on her face. She sits on a bench next to a tree, pulls her coat’s hood over her head and focuses on her tea, before it would be cold. Or at least she tries her best.

...To be continued...

Thank you for reading! This was just the beginning of their story. Leave a review, what's on your mind. Thank you and stay safe! :) -Sinjata

#inuyasha #kagome #inukag #inukago #fanfic #timetravelling #travellingintime #anime #manga #romance #drama #love #fanfiction #inuyashafanfic #inuyashafanfiction #kagomehigurashi

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keichanz · 5 years

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Move Your Body || pt. 1

Hi, friends. First off, I want to say that I really wanted to finish and post this before Sunday, but obviously that didn’t happen, so I decided to go ahead and post the first part of my new AU because...well. Just continue reading. :)

Secondly, some of you may know this, some may not, but today, the 28th, is also my birthday. Yep, I turned the big 3-0 today, and lemme tell you I am not thrilled about it lmao.

Some of you may also know that recently I created a Ko-fi and that I’ve been struggling a bit financially wise.

This fic is a great, big, fat thank you to all of you who have supported me through Ko-fi and also for those of you who didn’t, but were there for me anyway with your encouragement, kind words, and emotional support. I can’t begin to tell how how much it meant to me that you guys didn’t hesitate to donate, and I am not lying when I say it literally brought me to tears. I cried from your generosity, and I cannot thank you enough for helping me out. This month has been a bit rougher than most, and I am eternally grateful to every single one of you. I wanted to give you something in return, and I thought, why not post this AU early. It’s small, and I know a lot of you are looking forward to the next chapter of You Rescued Me (it’s in the works!), but I hope this will suffice.

Having all of you as friends, as followers and readers, is the best birthday gift I could have ever asked for. I’m so damn blessed and grateful to have all of you in my life and i hope you all know that I appreciate and love you all from the very bottom of my heart.

So thank you again for being there for me. You can all bet your asses I’ll be the first one to jump on the chance in helping in any way that I can if ever one of you need support. Because you have mine, guaranteed.

Note: I know fuck all about choreography or being a producer, so for the sake of this story, pretend everything in factual and accurate lmao.

Inuyasha was lounging in his office and puffing idly on a cigarette while poring over some of his old routines in hopes of sparking some inspiration when he heard the music.

Normally he wouldn’t care and would just ignore it, the probability that it was one of his instructors coming in for the midnight lessons his studio offered more than likely. Less likely it was one of their students wanting to get in some late night practice, but still possible. They needed express permission from himself in order to do that, and since neither Sango nor Miroku had run it by him to get that authorization, Inuyasha doubted any of his instructors’ students actually had the balls to sneak in without consent. So that ruled that out.

Inuyasha frowned and looked up from his desk, pinching the cig between two fingers and exhaling. He cocked his head, ears twitching as he tried to determine where exactly it was coming from, and when he did his eyebrows shot up in surprise. The music was not coming from the first or second floor, suggesting it was either one of his friends or a student, but instead the soft notes of a vaguely familiar hip-hop song were drifting up from directly below him.

The Taisho Studios building was made up of five floors, with the ground floor being the first. That one was Sango’s studio where she held her lessons, teaching those interested in how to dance in various styles and offering kick-boxing lessons as well. Miroku instructed his clientele on the second floor, where he offered various unique exercise regimes that was basically Zumba but with his own personal flare.

The third floor, however, was reserved for his use only, the top dog’s private studio where only a select few ever saw the inside, and those usually consisted of celebrities looking for the best of the best for their music videos. Inuyasha instructed those lessons himself and charged top dollar for his services. Everyone knew it was off limits and he kept the door locked. The fourth floor consisted of his spacious office and gym, also available to Miroku and Sango whenever they wanted since they weren’t just his instructors, but also his valued friends. It was conveniently located right below his top floor condo so whenever Inuyasha was working late, he could just drag his ass upstairs and bam, he was home.

Wondering who had the balls big enough to use his private studio without his permission, Inuyasha abandoned his work and strode to the door, cracking it open and sticking his head out into the hall. The music got louder and Inuyasha surmised whoever it was must have left the doors wide open so as far as he was concerned that was an open invitation to go see who it was and then kick them the hell out.

Glancing over his shoulder and eyeing the desk littered with paperwork and his open lap top, Inuyasha snorted, shrugged, and promptly decided he needed a break. His deadline wasn’t for another month and he wasn’t being very productive tonight anyway so Sesshomaru can just kiss his merrily dancing ass and deal with it.

Sticking his cig back between his lips, Inuyasha forwent using the elevator and instead wandered casually down the hall, going into the stairwell and then abruptly vaulting over the railing and dropping to the third floor. The entrance to his studio was right across from the elevators and staircase, so when he opened the door he found himself staring directly into it—and the person brave enough to utilize the spacious room without his knowledge.

For the second time that night Inuyasha’s eyebrows rose in surprise and without even being aware of it he padded across the hallway. His footsteps were masked by the music coming out of the Bluetooth speakers and they were facing away from them. Curious despite himself, Inuyasha leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms, golden eyes silent observing as a little smirk quirked his lips.

Kagome released an undignified squawk as she stumbled forward for the nth time that night, the toe of her shoe catching on the hardwood floor and throwing off her balance. Windmilling her arms, she managed to catch herself before she face-planted onto the hard floor and resisted the urge to stamp her foot like a child and scream her vexation into the empty studio.

Dammit, why couldn’t she get this? Sango had made it look so easy when she’d shown her earlier, and after a couple of tries with her instructor’s guidance, Kagome had been able to more or less command her body to execute a smooth hip roll without looking like a twerking imbecile. Now for some reason she was unable to smoothly transition into the dance move she wanted without nearly falling over and needless to say she was getting frustrated.

Grumbling under her breath and wishing she had her friend’s tall and slender physique, Kagome stomped over to the table where her phone sat and paused the song in order to once more bring up the choreography. She hit play for the hundredth time, studied closely the two men and one woman flawlessly busting out move after move without fault and she promptly scowled before tossing her phone back on the table with a rough exhale.

Closing her eyes and tilting her head back, Kagome frowned and allowed her mind to wander, vaguely noting the faint smell of cigarette smoke that had been present earlier had suddenly gotten stronger. What was she even doing, anyway? She’d never been the most coordinated of people and was oftentimes called a klutz. She wasn’t graceful and she wasn’t even athletic, so really, this was a waste of time. She knew if she carried this out she would only end up making a fool of herself so why go through the trouble?

“Because,” Kagome answered herself with a deep sigh, shoulders slumping in defeat, “I’m too damn stubborn and my stupid pride won’t let me quit.”

“You make it sound like that’s a bad thing.”

Kagome gasped and spun around, hand over her pounding heart and blue eyes wide with a combination of surprise and embarrassment. Her gaze landed on the lounging figure in the doorway, casually puffing away on a cigarette as he regarded her silently.

Well, that explains the odor of cigarette smoke, Kagome mused while aloud she said, “Jeez, you scared me. I didn’t know anyone else was here.” She paused and then frowned when his words registered. “What?”

The man said nothing and just continued to stare at her, cig tucked between his lips, expression unreadable. He was...damn, he was attractive, Kagome secretly admitted, feeling a blush creep up to color her cheeks a soft pink. Donned in loose fitting black jeans that rode low on his hips and a plain white t-shirt that contoured very nicely to a toned chest and stomach, a backwards ballcap was pulled on top of a head of short, shaggy silver hair. His eyes looked to be a stunning golden color and when he lifted a hand to pinch the cig between two fingers, Kagome noticed two things: the talons tipping each finger, instantly giving away what he was, and the black tattoo starting at his wrist that crawled up his arm to disappear into his shirt sleeve.

Kagome’s breath hitched and her heart skipped a beat. No wonder he’s so attractive, she thought dazedly, glimpsing a flash of fang as he parted his lips and tendrils of smoke drifted up toward the ceiling. He’s not human.

What was that saying? The most beautiful things in life are often the most dangerous, or something to that effect. Kagome was inclined to believe it, suddenly feeling very flushed and where was her water bottle?

“Tenacity and pride,” the man continued, studying the fag between his fingers with an air of boredom. “By themselves they don’t do much good and more often than not just get you into trouble, but put them together and success is pretty much guaranteed in the performing arts industry.

“So I guess you could say,” he said and took a drag of his cig, “they’re requirements in our world. Stipulations if you wanna get anywhere in life.”

Kagome shook her head. “Um, our world?” she repeated, utterly lost.

The look he gave her was deadpan. “Dancing, babydoll.”

Ocean eyes widened in understanding and her flush darkened as she sheepishly averted her gaze, fidgeting where she stood.

“Oh, I, um,” Kagome faltered, clearing her throat and for some reason suddenly feeling like a child in front of a grown up about to confess to being naughty. “I’m...not a dancer,” she finished lamely and winced, twisting the fabric of her shirt with her fingers in a nervous habit.

Inuyasha raised a dubious brow at that declaration. “Alright,” he allowed, nodding slowly. “So suppose you tell me what the hell you’re doing in my private studio then, playing music and dressed like that?”

Kagome blanched and jerked her head up to stare at him with wide-eyes. “P-private?” she squeaked and looked so terrified Inuyasha briefly regretted telling her that. “Oh god—I’m so sorry, I didn’t know! Er, my dance instructor Sango told me I could use her studio tonight to get some practice in, but when I got here it was locked and I...found this one and it was unlocked...”

Looking very uncomfortable with a red face and shifting nervously from foot to foot, Inuyasha felt his face soften slightly as he watched her and he released a quiet sigh around the cig in his mouth. It had been unlocked since he was in here an hour before trying out some moves for the new routine he was working on and he’d planned on locking back up before he went upstairs.

So ultimately it was his fault since he’d left the doors unlocked, and as such it wouldn’t exactly be fair to be angry at her. It also appeared she didn’t know who he was, which admittedly was a bit surprising. Everyone knew everything above the second floor was off limits unless given permission and it led him to believe she was a fairly new student of Sango’s.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized again and gave an awkward half-bow, biting down on her lip as she finally met his eyes. “I’ll, um, leave if you want me to. I really didn’t know...”

Inuyasha considered her for a moment and then shook his head. What was the point if she was already here? “Nah, don’t worry about,” he muttered and took another drag on his cig, watching as she visibly relaxed and offered him a timid smile.

Cute little thing, ain’t she? he mused idly and racked his gaze down her lithe form. She says she’s not a dancer, but she certainly had the body to be one. That damn shirt hid most of his view, but from what he could see of her legs—

“Are you an instructor?” she asked him, tilting her head. “I haven’t seen you around before.”

Inuyasha fought against the urge to grin. She really didn’t have any idea who he was.

“You can say that,” he finally said at length, finding himself not wanting to give away his identity just yet. This could prove to be interesting, and who knows; maybe it would spark some inspiration and he’d finally be able to get some results so Sesshomaru would stop jumping down his damn throat with his demands and deadlines.

“Still waiting for an explanation, babydoll,” Inuyasha reminded her and took another drag. Technically there was no smoking allowed in his building, but he owned it and could do whatever the hell he damn well pleased, so whatever.

She blinked. “For what?”

He cocked a brow at her and carelessly flicked some ashes onto the floor; maintenance would clean it up tomorrow morning anyway. “Why you’re here. You said you ain’t a dancer, which is all fine and dandy, but you got me curious.” He shrugged and let the cig dangle from his lips as he crossed his arms again.

Kagome winced and then wrinkled her nose, her face warming up at the true reason for her being here.

“It’s stupid...” she mumbled, staring down at the floor and hunching her shoulders a little.

Inuyasha frowned. “I doubt that,” he told her and had an insane, unexplainable urge to cross the room and wrap her up in his arms. She just looked so small and fragile and he wanted to...protect her? What the—from what?

Kagome looked like she didn’t believe but she took a breath and told him anyway, figuring he had a right to know since this was his private studio. Or at least that’s what he told her, however Kagome figured he was telling the truth because why else would he be here?

“It really is stupid,” she repeated with a sigh and a fleeting grimace crossed her features. “My college was holding an event the other day out in the courtyard in front of the student activities building, and since my friends and I had nothing better to do, we decided to go and see what it was all about. Turns out it was a DDR competition and they were using a giant white board as a screen and extension cords to hook the game up. Anyone was welcome to play a round and enter some friendly competition, and even though I’ve never played before in my life, I gave it a try.”

She paused and crossed her arms, her nose scrunching slightly in a little pout that he found completely too adorable. “Of course I failed miserably at it, but I laughed it off because it was just for fun anyway. But then this extremely rude and universally not liked rich bitch laughed way too hard about it and snarked that I would never win any contest with those moves.”

Inuyasha cocked a brow at her, his tone disbelieving as he drawled, “You’re here because of a game of DDR?”

She scowled at him and had the good grace to blush. “No. If you let me continue, I was going to say the purpose of the entire event was to promote an actual dance competition where you have to come up with a new dance to a song of your choosing. It has to be at least one minute long, an entry can have up to four people, and all of the moves have to be completely original.”

“Sounds fair,” he commented.

Kagome nodded. “So after humiliating me in front of dozens of people, this bitch flips her hair, pops her chest out so everybody notices her fake boobs, and loudly declares that it’ll be a piece of cake winning the competition since ‘nobody worth while’ has entered. And oh my god, I got so heated, and just to spite the cocky bitch, I stared her right in the eye as I entered despite the fact that I cannot dance worth a good goddamn.

“And so now,” Kagome shrugged and held up her hands helplessly. “Here I am, sneaking into private studios at midnight and pretending like I know what the hell I’m doing.” She offered a wavering smile, her face still red but her blue eyes were bright.

Inuyasha nodded again and whistled low. “I see,” he murmured. “Good on you though, for not letting her cow you like that. I take it this isn’t the first time she’s given you grief.”

Kagome sighed and pinched her nose. “Since I started college three years ago. We’re in the same major.”

“Which is?”

“Nursing.”

He looked surprised. “So this bitch walking about like her shit don’t stink wants a career that dedicates all of her time taking care of and thinking about someone else other than herself? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“I know,” Kagome said drolly, her expression one of dry exasperation. “Trust me, the irony is not lost on me.”

“Damn,” Inuyasha muttered in bewilderment, shaking his head.

Kagome grunted in agreement, wrinkling her nose.

He bit back a chuckle. “Alright. Now lemme ask you this, babydoll,” Inuyasha suddenly said, flicking more ashes onto the floor and when her inquisitive blue eyes met his, he continued. “You said earlier that your stubbornness and pride won’t let you back down. Is that still true?”

Kagome blinked in confusion, brow furrowing slightly. “What...?”

“Is it?”

Amber eyes bore into her own and Kagome shivered. “I...yes,” she answered, barely above a whisper.

He nodded. “One more thing.” Pinching the nearly gone cancer stick between two fingers and lowering it from his lips, Inuyasha looked directly into her eyes and exhaled smoothly.

“Do you want it?”

Kagome opened her mouth. Closed it. Looked adorably confused. “Do I...do I want what?”

Inuyasha was silent for a moment as he studied her, and then he answered roughly, “You have to want it, babydoll. Spite is a great motivator, but it’s not enough if you want real results. If you don’t want it bad enough, if this is all just a game to get back at some snotty bitch with fake tits, then you’re wasting your time and might as well leave right now. I don’t give my time to quitters.”

Kagome gasped and shook her head, her heart pounding at what he was implying. “What do you—”

“Do you want it?”

The intensity in which he’d asked that single question gave Kagome pause and suddenly she knew exactly what he was referring to, what he wanted to hear her say. And it was amazing because she did want it; she wanted it with a desperation that surprised her because when she’d changed into her workout clothes and left her apartment at 11:30 at night to practice dancing in an empty studio, she hadn’t truly thought that she would get anywhere and thought for sure she’d end up giving in and backing down.

But then suddenly this man appears out of nowhere, starts asking her questions about pride and tenacity, somehow wheedles out the real reason why she’s here and her ambition roars back to life. No, it wasn’t just spite that made her agree. True, she wanted to prove that bitch wrong, but she wanted to prove to herself even more that she could do this and do it so well she’d leave everyone wondering if she was the same clumsy Kagome that tripped over air and fell up the stairs.

“Yes,” Kagome answered honestly, squaring her shoulders and straightening her back. Nodding, she repeated herself, her voice strong and ringing with resolve.

“Yes, I want it. I want it.”

Inuyasha’s eyes flashed and he nodded once. “Good.”

Then with that he started toward her, his strides purposeful and Kagome watched him as he approached the table behind her and stabbed out his cigarette in the ash tray she’d failed to notice before now.

Then he turned to her, crossed his arms, and leaned back against the table.

“Let’s see it.”

Kagome balked. “What?”

“Show me what you got, babydoll. Dance for me.”

Kagome blushed and swallowed thickly, her mouth suddenly feeling dry as her heart kick started in her chest.

“Why?” she whispered although she suspected she already knew why.

Instead of answering, Inuyasha grabbed her phone and woke up the screen, ignoring her protest. “What song?”

Kagome made a half-hearted swipe for her mobile and huffed in aggravation when he held it away from her. “Song?”

He cut his eyes to her with an annoyed frown. “What song are you going to be dancing to?”

She blinked. “Oh. Well, I was thinking maybe Girls like You by Maroon—”

“No.”

“...Excuse me?”

“No,” Inuyasha repeated and scrolled through the songs on her music app. “It’s not a bad choice, but it’s too...soft for what you need. If you wanna win this competition you’re gonna want something with a real shock factor, something totally unexpected that’ll knock their fucking socks off and have men and women alike panting and wanting a piece of that.”

Kagome made a face and muttered, “I don’t really care if I win this thing. I just want Kamlyn to eat her words and maybe get her to stop harassing me every goddamned day.”

Inuyasha shrugged. “Then consider it a bonus because when I’m through with you it’ll be guaranteed. Now,” he said and browsed her music again with a contemplative frown. “From what you’ve told me about this Kamlyn wench, it’s safe to assume her dance is not going to be kid friendly. That means you’re gonna hafta knock her performance outta the park with something sexier.”

Kagome blanched. Sexier? Oh god. She was anything but sexy and she really didn’t think she liked where he was going with this...

“You’re taste in music sucks,” he commented idly when still he saw nothing after a few more minutes of scrolling. She must have had over five hundred songs on the damn thing and yet none of the titles he glimpsed were appropriate for what he had in mind. He uselessly scrolled for another minute, gave up, and decided he’d have better luck with YouTube. They’d have to discuss what song she’ll use at a later time, but for now he’d just use a random bop with a suitable rhythm and he searched for the first one that came to mind.

“It does not,” Kagome fired back petulantly and crossed her arms again. “If you’re gonna insult my music then you can just—”

Inuyasha tapped the screen and seconds later the rest of her words were abruptly cut off by a steady, thrumming beat pumping from the speakers around them. The music ebbed and flowed, giving off a suggestive and sultry energy that can often be found in strip clubs. The lyrics followed shortly thereafter, soft, sexy, and alluring.

Kagome’s heart stopped and for the second time in as many minutes the color drained from her face. Oh no. Nooooo no no no no he couldn’t possibly want her to dance to…to something like that?

As the crooning lyrics abruptly turned into obscene moaning sounds, Inuyasha set her phone on the table and crossed his arms before nodding his head behind her, a wordless gesture to get on with it.

Oh good lord he did. Fervently Kagome shook her head, her eyes pleading with him to choose another song while inwardly cursing every perverted songwriter that decided it would be a good idea to create something like that. It was too embarrassing, too…too suggestive, something she wouldn’t even do in the privacy of her own room, let alone in front of a very attractive man!

Inuyasha frowned at her adamant refusal and explained, “I need to see what I’m working with here, babydoll, and in order for me to do that, you need to show me. This is just to give me an idea on where to start, so just pretend I’m not here and let the music take over. Close your eyes if you need to and let everything else just fade away.”

Blushing furiously, Kagome bit her lip and hesitated, dropping her gaze to stare down at the floor and clutched the hem of her shirt, wringing the fabric in an obviously nervous gesture. She knew without a doubt that even if she did close her eyes she would still be aware of his presence. Even now she could feel the weight of his gaze, staring at her unwaveringly and it made her stomach do not so unpleasant flip-flops as her heart accelerated in her chest.

Didn’t he realize what he was asking of her? Kagome had never considered herself sexy; hell, she wouldn’t even call herself pretty. She was average. She didn’t turn heads, never attracted attention, and she could count on one hand the number of times a guy had flirted with her. (Once, and it was her ex-boyfriend.) Kagome was awkward, clumsy; she knew she was no prize and her confidence level was drastically low.

Simply put, she wasn’t Kamlyn, who, despite being completely fake, was considered one of the hottest people on campus and she wasn’t afraid to flaunt what she had. How could he possibly ask her to dance to a song like this when she had nothing to flaunt?

When the song transitioned into the first chorus and all she did was continue to stand there looking very uncomfortable while avoiding his gaze, it became glaringly obvious that her hesitation went beyond mere shyness so with a sigh Inuyasha swiped up her phone and hit pause. Her shoulders hunched as the music was abruptly cut off and she peeked up at him, biting her lip and looking like she was about to be scolded.

His expression softened, however the confusion was evident on his face as he regarded her thoughtfully. Was this truly so difficult for her?

“Okay,” he murmured. “What’s the matter?” The patient softness of his voice surprised even him and judging by the look that crossed her face, it surprised her too.

She recovered quickly, though, and once more ducked her head, shifting her weight and feeling a flush of embarrassment color her face a soft pink. She really didn’t want to confide in a virtual stranger all of her self-image issues, even if he was trying to help her. Maybe if she gave him just a brief display of her awkwardness and incoordination he would see for himself that the song definitely wasn’t the best choice.

Dearly hoping she wouldn’t regret this, Kagome swallowed thickly and said just loud enough for him to hear, “Um, s-start the song over, please.”

Inuyasha frowned at her unexpected request and he eyed her for a moment, expression contemplative, before wordlessly reaching over to wake up the screen and did as he bade him. A single tap of a clawed finger and the song was starting over, the beginning notes echoing throughout the studio.

Steeling herself, unable to stop her nervous shaking, Kagome took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and started moving.

Right off the bat Inuyasha knew with absolute certainty, or at the least very strongly suspected just why exactly she was so adamant about not using this particular song. It was heavy with sex appeal, the kind that made women grind and gyrate their hips as they sought to turn on every single man nearby, and this girl, this young woman had absolutely zero.

Her movements were stiff and awkward as she attempted to move her body to the music provided like she had no idea where to put her limbs. The look of intense concentration on her face suggested that might very well be the case and it was clear she’d never before used her hips or ass as a method of seduction. They didn’t roll so much as jerk and her knees weren’t at all relaxed but locked which accounted for all the stumbling she was doing. Of course with that damn shirt in the way it was hard to accurately guess, but altogether it was glaringly obvious how out of her element she was, her discomfort not only painted clear as day on her face, but in the stiff way she moved.

After another stumble that nearly sent her sprawling onto the floor, Inuyasha couldn’t take it anymore and he put a stop to her painful performance by pressing pause and he didn’t miss the unmistakable look of relief that crossed her features. Then she righted herself, sighed, and looked positively defeated as she stared at him, as if she already knew he was going to declare her a lost cause and change his mind about helping her.

If only she knew that watching her sorely lacking performance had the complete opposite and only solidified his decision to help her.

And besides, he always liked a challenge. It was only a bonus that he could use her routine – with her permission, of course – as new material and Sesshomaru would stop hounding him about the damn deadline in a month.

Which reminded him… “What’s your name, babydoll?” he asked as he scrolled through her songs and selected one that would be good practice for what he had in mind.

Kagome frowned at the unexpected question but answered, “Kagome.”

“How long you got until the competition, Kagome?” Setting her phone back on the table, Inuyasha took off his hat and carelessly tossed it onto the table as well before promptly reaching behind him and yanking off his shirt.

Kagome sputtered as her face flamed, eyes going very wide to suddenly be faced with a very attractive, bare chested man. Good god, but this man was a silver-haired Adonis, all sculpted muscle, tanned skin, and those ears were too damn cute. What really grabbed her attention, however, was the wicked looking tribal tattoo wrapped around his left arm that she was finally able to see in its entirety. The intricate design extended all the way up to his shoulder and upon closer inspection it appeared to be a dragon with the head on his left pectoral. It was beautifully done and Kagome was slightly jealous. She’d always wanted a tattoo...

“I—I—uh, a little over a month?” she said, completely distracted by the complete magnificently tattooed male...yumminess that he presented.

Without her permission her eyes tracked the line of silver hair that disappeared into his low-slung jeans. Her heart beat a little faster as the blush on her face intensified and oh my god, he had another tattoo in the delectable V of his right hip bone, what looked to be jagged red claw marks half-concealed by his jeans.

Kagome thought she might faint.

Inuyasha snorted in amusement. This was too perfect. “Good. Take it off.”

That jolted her right out of her avid admiration of his solid abs and she blinked, darting her gaze this with a puzzled frown. “What?”

He withheld a smirk. Checking him out, was she? Then it was only fair he got to do the same.

“Shirt. Off. Now. Unless you’d like me to do it for you?” He cocked a brow at her and had to grin when she squeaked and took a step away from him. “C’mon, we ain’t got all night.”

“But—what—” Kagome stuttered, utterly perplexed and she crossed her arms over her stomach as if that would be any defense to him divesting her of her shirt. “Why?” she finally managed.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and explained, “Because it’ll only get in the way and I need to be able to see.”

She eyed him suspiciously and narrowed her eyes. “See what?”

He scowled then, getting impatient. “To see why you move like an eighty year old woman with Parkinson’s, now would you stop questioning me and just take the fucking thing off already? You’re wearing a bra anyway and it ain’t like I’m asking so I can ogle your tits or some shit. Christ,” he muttered and rubbed his forehead. She certainly wasn’t kidding when she said she was stubborn.

Kagome flushed. Truth was, she had assumed part of the reason he was asking was so he could stare at her chest but now she felt ridiculous for even suspecting it. She didn’t even think he was that type of man anyway, she was just...nervous. She liked her oversized shirts; they were her security blanket, a shield to protect herself from anyone looking too closely. If she took it off, despite having a sports bra on underneath, she would feel too vulnerable, exposed in a way that had nothing to do with lack of clothing.

Here he was, standing in all his beautiful half-naked glory, sculpted abs, a hard chest, and arms thick with muscle and strength. Meanwhile here she was, plain, frumpy Kagome, with her small chest, soft stomach, and general awkwardness. Standing next to him, she felt like the ugly duckling that got hit with every branch on her way down the ugly tree and he expected her to reveal all of her could-stand-to-lose-a-few-pounds body to him?

Hell no.

Once more avoiding his gaze and shifting from foot to foot, Kagome’s hands clutched the dark gray fabric of her shirt and she shook her head, biting down on her lip.

“Um—I, uh, c-can’t I continue wearing it? Please?”

Even she could hear how pathetic she sounded pleading about something so trivial but she couldn’t help it. She was already feeling out of sorts with the song he was using; keeping her shirt was her last defense. Didn’t he know that?

Scowling, Inuyasha opened his mouth to once again demand she remove it, but then she peeked up at him from under dark, sooty lashes and when his eyes connected with hers realization hit him so hard his eyes widened and his mouth dropped. Kagome winced and immediately ducked her face again, flushing darkly.

...Well, fuck. It made so much sense now. Granted, this whole endeavor just became ten times more challenging, but it was too late to back out now. Besides, he couldn’t in good conscience allow her to continue thinking about herself like that when it was so obviously untrue.

Muttering a curse under his breath that had Kagome daring another glimpse at him, Inuyasha promptly stepped in close to her and ignored her quiet gasp of surprise before knocking her arms out of the way and hooking a claw in the collar of her shirt. Too late Kagome realized what he was going to do and before she could utter any sort of protest Inuyasha swiftly drew his hand down and sliced the garment right down the middle. Stunned and blushing up a storm, Kagome could do nothing as he yanked the shirt the rest of the way off and tossed it carelessly behind him onto the table.

While Kagome stood there with her arms over her chest and berated him for ruining her shirt, Inuyasha finally got his first good look at her and damn did he like what he saw. She was fucking perfect with a flat, trim belly that tapered into shapely hips and sender thighs encased in tight spandex shorts. Her skin was smooth and creamy and his hands suddenly itched to roam over her figure but he kept them to himself; he figured ignoring her wishes and destroying her only cover was pushing it enough as it was and he needed her to trust him.

From what he could see of her chest behind her arms, her breasts were small but that didn’t matter; a push-up bra or corset could do fucking wonders and before his mind had the chance to travel in a decidedly less than pure direction, Inuyasha said four words that promptly drew Kagome’s tirade to a screeching halt.

“Kagome, you’re fucking perfect,” he told her sincerely and perhaps a tad bit impatiently but she refused to hear it, adamantly shaking her head and denying his claim. Frowning he grabbed her hands kept her from hiding herself, tightening his grip when she tried to pull away.

“No, listen to me, I’m serious. You have absolutely fucking nothing to be ashamed of, Kagome. You’re stunning with a fucking rocking body and I’ll say it every goddamn day if I have to until you believe me, but what I see before me is nothing short of beautiful.”

When still she wouldn’t look at him and kept shaking her head, Inuyasha growled and gently grasped her chin in his fingers, tilting her face up and her sharp gasp went ignored as he continued, “Confidence is a key factor in this sort of thing, babydoll. You move the way you do because you don’t have any; you think you’re not sexy and that’s sorta the whole point I’m going for here. If you wanna do this, you’re gonna have to start believing you can and the first step is being confident and comfortable in your own skin.”

Inuyasha suddenly sighed and some of the vehemence left his tone as he said a bit more gently, “Look, you have the physical requirements for this; you’re fit and I’m willing to bet you’re flexible as hell. There’s really nothing stopping you but you and if you really do want this like you told me, then you need to stop this embarrassed shit and either tell me to fuck off and go home, or look me in the eye and fucking commit. I don’t half-ass things, Kagome; I’m gonna work you into the fucking ground until I think you’re ready and if you think you can’t do this, tell me now. Like I told you before: I don’t give my time to quitters.”

Kagome flinched and he grit his teeth but didn’t take his words back. He wanted to help her, he truly did, but she needed to help him by trusting what he said and doing what was necessary. He may have been a bit too harsh, but he couldn’t help it. Most of the people he dealt with on a daily basis were pretentious celebrities that liked to throw around large amounts of cash just because they could and it was required of him to be a hardass to get through their self-absorbed bubble of fame in order to get to the nitty gritty of things. Most of the time it was received well, but occasionally he’d get the bored up and coming rock star that got too comfortable in their lifestyle and became nothing more than a spoiled brat and they ended up bowing out before any of the real work began. It was a giant pain in the ass and a huge waste of his valuable time, which was why he was so strict on who he decided to take on as a client.

He was one of the most respected, successful, and coveted producers in the whole fucking country. He was allowed to be choosy, goddammit.

Gently sweeping his thumb across her chin, Inuyasha waited to see what she would do, not afraid to admit to himself that he hoped she wouldn’t back out. He didn’t understand his strong desire to help her, not to mention his very strange urge to protect her at all costs, but he didn’t dwell on it. Kagome was different than any of the other woman he’d ever met; she was soft, innocent, untouched by the harsh realities of the world and despite having some evident self-image issues, he suspected that she was utterly breathtaking when she flourished and he wanted so badly to witness that. He wanted to be there when she shined, when she made that bitch Kam-whatever eat her words and that was when Inuyasha decided he was going to do something he’d never done before in any of his client’s routines.

Of course he needed to get her to agree to it first, but he was confident he could wear her down even if she did disagree at first. She may be stubborn, but he was as bullheaded as they come and was oftentimes told he didn’t know when to give up. It was one of his best qualities that contributed to his popularity among producers and he wasn’t afraid to let anyone know.

Now if only Kagome had half that confidence...

Inuyasha was already cooking up a few ideas while he waited for her to make her decision when finally, finally, Kagome lifted her head, those beautiful ocean eyes locked with his, and the cautious hope in them was nearly his undoing. Without even realizing it his expression softened and he gave her that last push she needed to make her decision.

“Trust me, Kagome,” he murmured and daringly brushed his thumb across her bottom lip, watching the flush spread across her cheeks and hearing her breath hitch in her throat. “Just trust me and I promise you won’t regret it. Alright?”

Kagome’s eyes widened and she studied him quietly, her eyes searching his face, his eyes for what he hadn’t a clue, but apparently after another moment she found it because the corners of her mouth lifted up into a small, timid smile, she sucked in a breath, and then she gave a barely perceptible nod.

“Okay,” she breathed and officially sealed her fate.

Inuyasha grinned. “That’s my girl,” he said and had the insane urge to kiss her forehead. “Now let’s get this show on the road; it’s late, I have a meeting at 9 am, and I want to at least go over the basics before we call it a night. Sound good?”

Hardly believing she was actually going through with this, Kagome closed her eyes and nodded again. She could trust him. She could trust...wait a minute, what even was his name?

“What’s your name?” she blurted out as he restarted their practice song and golden eyes cut her way at the question.

He gave her a crooked grin and his eyes flashed wickedly. “It’s Inuyasha, babydoll, but I’m more commonly known as Sha.” He cocked a brow at her and watched Kagome’s face go from blank as she attempted to place his name to instant recognition, eyes going wide and mouth dropping in astonishment.

“Y...you’re...” she breathed, apparently having trouble articulating her thoughts, and Inuyasha chuckled. Usually it annoyed him when someone was so starstruck they could barely speak, but strangely with Kagome he found it completely endearing.

“Yeah,” he affirmed, raising his brows. “I admit, I’m a little surprised you didn’t recognize me. The ears usually give it away.” He wiggled them for emphasis and he caught her quiet giggle.

Her smile was equal parts sheepish and apologetic. “I don’t really watch TV and I’m not really invested in the entertainment world, either.” She shrugged.

Inuyasha stared at her. God, she was so pure he felt as if just standing next to her would somehow taint or blemish her. He’d done some shady shit in his past, and he was by no means innocent now, and for the first time in his life he felt inadequate and quite suddenly wanted to take a shower, as if that would help wash off his sins and dirty deeds.

“Well,” he drawled and reached back to wake her phone’s screen. “After tonight, babydoll, consider yourself invested.”

He hit play and the first notes of their practice song drifted out of the speakers.

Instantly Kagome recognized it and she frowned. “I thought we weren’t using this song.”

The silver-haired choreography shrugged and grabbed her hand to tug her a little closer. “We’re not, but it’s got a good enough melody to use as a practice song. We’ll start with something slow first that you’re comfortable with and then work our way up to faster paced songs that are similar to what you’re gonna use for the competition. Sound good?”

Releasing a steadying breath, Kagome briefly closed her eyes and then nodded, resolute. “Let’s do this.”

He smirked. “That’s what I like to hear. And now, lesson one.”

Without warning Inuyasha spun her around so he back was facing his chest and used his foot to nudge her legs a little farther apart. He slid his hand around to splay across her lower stomach and he felt her immediately tense up. Expected, which was why this was a good place to start.

“When I was watching you dance earlier,” he began and placed his other hand on her hip. “I noticed you were thinking way too hard on how to move, where to put your feet and all that. You need to relax. Let your body think for you, let it move on its own. You kept stumbling and tripping earlier because you were so tense and you were so busy trying to command your body to move the way you wanted it to that you ended up looking like a robot.”

He leaned his face down so his mouth hovered next to her ear. “So breathe, Kagome,” he said and smiled when she released the breath he was sure she wasn’t even aware she’d been holding. “Dancing is supposed to be fun. It ain’t rocket science.”

Reminding herself that she had to trust him – he did this for a living, after all – Kagome did as she was instructed and took a few moments to just breathe, closing her eyes and trying to clear her mind. She was highly aware of his hands on her hip and stomach but surprisingly enough the not so unpleasant sensation was easy to get used to. Her lips lifted into a slight smile as she slowly relaxed, listening to the music, allowing the smooth beat to ease the tension from her muscles.

“Thatta girl,” Inuyasha murmured behind her and squeezed her hip once in approval. “Alright, now listen to the beat...move with it...don’t think about it, Kagome, listen to the song and let it command you, not the other way around.”

“I am,” Kagome huffed, her brow furrowed slightly as she attempted to sync her hips with the beat of the music.

“No, you’re not,” Inuyasha insisted and closed the slight gap between them, stepping in close to press his chest flush against her back and yanking her ass into the cradle of his hips. She gasped, but he ignored it as he said, “You hear it, but you’re not listening.”

With his hands and his own body, Inuyasha moved her the way he wanted her to, guiding her hips from side to side as his own did the same, allowing her to feel and not merely hear what he was saying.

“See,” Inuyasha rumbled in her ear and Kagome shivered, willing her heartbeat to calm and the fierce blush on her face to recede as. “Don’t just listen with your ears, listen with your body. As cheesy as that sounds,” he added and smiled when she released a breathy laugh, gratified when she finally allowed herself to be taken by the beat and let the music command her.

With her eyes closed and so in tune with the melody wrapping around her body, letting it dictate her movements, Kagome was barely aware of Inuyasha stepping back, though he kept a light grip on her hips. She didn’t even understand how, but suddenly it was so easy to move with the rhythm of the beat and soon she lost herself to the notes of one of her favorite songs, smiling now as she danced without a care. It wasn’t a chore, it wasn’t something she felt she had to do at all costs, but a deep desire she hadn’t even been aware she’d harbored.

Standing a few feet away from her, arms crossed and a satisfied grin on his face, Inuyasha watched with half-lidded eyes as she danced like no one was watching, losing herself to the music and even singing along to the lyrics. It was obvious she’d forgotten he was even there, but that was okay. That’s what he’d wanted, for her to forget everything and just have fun, if only for a few minutes.

All right, so he could admit, this wasn’t really a lesson so much as a warm up. He’d caught a few brief glimpses of it earlier when he’d told her to show him what she had, but watching her now, taking in the graceful movements of her body and the smooth way she transitioned each step, it was obvious to him that Kagome was a natural. She knew what to do, or at least her body did; she just needed some fine-tuning, is all, an upgrade to an already seamlessly working piece of machinery. They still had a long way to go of course, but perhaps it wouldn’t be as challenging as he’d originally thought.

He was suddenly really looking forward to the next month or so.

The song ended a moment later and Kagome stood there, legs akimbo, chest popped and shoulders back and her face was beautifully flushed with a bright smile spread across her face. He was gratified to see she didn’t even seem to be that much out of breath either, a testament to her strength and agility, another thing that would make this easier for both of them.

The sound of clapping drew her attention and Kagome turned her head to find Inuyasha standing a little ways a way, a satisfied grin on his face as he clapped, obviously pleased with her performance. Suddenly giddy Kagome giggled and gave an exaggerated bow, sweeping her arms around behind her and she heard his amused chuckle.

“That was great, babydoll,” he praised and ambled toward her. “You’re a fucking natural and with a little guidance from yours truly, we’ll have both men and women drooling after you and you’re gonna show up that bitch Kam-what’s-her-face so good she won’t be able to show her face on campus for fucking weeks.”

With big blue eyes glinting with cautious hope, Kagome peered up at him with a hesitant smile as butterflies abruptly took flight in her belly.

“You really think so?” she asked, for the first time daring to believe that she could do something better than Kamlyn, daring to believe that she could be better, period.

Inuyasha stopped in front of her and smirked arrogantly.

“I know so. Alright, now I’m gonna show you a few basic moves and I want you to follow my lead...”

Part 2

#move your body #part 1 #inuyasha #kagome #inukag #keizfanfiction #fanfiction #i have no idea how long this is gonna be #the document is already 41 pages and im only about half way done lmao #anyway hope you like it!! <3 #also this entire fic stems from my very selfish and self-indulgent desire to write about inuyasha dancing #so there you have it hahahahaa

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akitokihojo · 6 years

Text

Fault

Y’ALL WANT SOME PAIN?

I hope so because this is the end of my fic spam and I’ve got nothing else for you for a while...

Note: This fic takes place between episodes 177 (Flowers Drenched in Sadness) and 178 ep 10 and 11 of Final Act. There’s some trauma discussed in that episode and my girl, Kagome, has her own feelings sort of left up to interpretation at the end, and since I’m over emotional and may have cried, this is my rendition of what should have happened.

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Inuyasha sat with his back against the wall of Kaede’s hut, legs crossed in front of him and ears giving little twitches as the quiet of the night set in, the only noises around being the deep breaths of air leaving the lungs of the sleeping members around him and the flickering flames of the dying fire in the center of the room. It was no surprise that he couldn’t sleep. His mind was riddled with questions that had been burning at his tongue just begging to be asked, and even with Kagome on her side of the well, he felt close to bursting.

Over the past week, he’d watched Kagome sit up in her sleeping bag, look around to check that everyone was sleeping, tuck Shippo into the padding of the bag so he was warm enough not to notice her absence, and saunter off into the darkness of the forest. Out of respect, he never followed, thinking she’d only ever venture off like that if she was using the restroom. But when she’d return, her cheeks would hold a hint of pink illuminated by the fire in the middle of their camp. Her eyes would be puffy, the embers creating harsh shadows beneath the swelling of her lower lids. And she would smell of salt.

The scent wasn’t overwhelming. In fact, if Inuyasha wasn’t paying attention he would have missed the bitter whiff of salt altogether. This happened every night. Kagome would get out of her sleeping bag, never once noticing Inuyasha watching from his place not too far from her, and come back with a dull, sad gaze. She’d crawl back into her bag, clutch the young fox kit who wouldn’t wake but would snuggle closer to her chest, and would shut her eyes until sleep eventually took her.

On night number three of this routine, he planned on asking her what was going on. His instincts were, at this point, screaming that something was wrong. How long had this been going on for? He had just barely become aware of the fact that Kagome was tremendously affected by something, and while he had the general idea, his gut told him there was more to it. Since he was coping with his own heartbreak for a while, he hardly noticed what the others did around him, only tuning in during bits and pieces of conversations and when asked a question. The realization that this could have been happening while he was always only a few feet away from Kagome, but never actually present, bruised him.

When she returned from her walk, Inuyasha sat up straighter, not missing the small sniffle from her nose or the way she tucked her head when she noticed him looking at her. He opened his mouth to ask, only able to get out her name before Kagome cut him off by mentioning how awful her allergies had been lately before sending a barely-believable grin his way.

She didn’t want to talk about it, that much was clear. As much as he wanted to hound her and ask what was going on over and over until she gave in and told him, he could tell this was a situation that needed to be handled delicately.

Inuyasha’s specialty.

He’d never seen Kagome like this before. Pissed, yeah. Jealous, sure. Sad, not often but it’s still happened. So distraught that she had to swallow it around her companions and sneak off alone in the middle of the night to let it out, not once.

This all started, or at least was brought to his attention, when they encountered the flower prince, Kao. The bastard got off on peoples’ sadness, making Inuyasha a prime target while he mourned Kikyo’s passing. Little did he know, Kagome was even worse off than he was. He never got clarification for it, though. Kao was elated to announce how Kagome’s sadness triumphed Inuyasha’s, making her all the more appealing to the demon, but stopped abruptly before preaching the cause behind it. Inuyasha didn’t realize it in the moment, but he didn’t want Kao to stop talking. He wanted -no, needed- to know what was tearing her apart inside. She’d mentioned that Kikyo’s death was hard on everyone, but that didn’t tell him anything. The others didn’t sneak off in the dead of night to cry. Kagome did.

The worry was spreading through him at an agonizing pace, causing his knee to bob up and down. It aggravated him that there was seemingly nothing he could do. She’d firmly stated to the invasive bastard that her emotions weren’t for anyone other than herself, so who was he to ask about them? Inuyasha felt that if she were going to open up about what she felt, she would have done so immediately following the incident while the door was open. But she didn’t. Instead, she took care of him and made sure he was okay. Something he should have been doing for her.

Now here he was a week and a half later, sitting up in the middle of the night while the group recouped at Kaede’s place. Kagome had decided to head home to gather more supplies and study for a test she’d fabricated on the spot. Inuyasha had become so attuned to her lately, paying attention to her every quirk and move, how she put in so much effort to appear fine in front of Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, noticing how her cheeks were paling more and more every day, and how her dark brown eyes looked exhausted and puffy. He could tell which smiles were fake now, when she wasn’t asleep, when she would lie about being “just tired” to explain her swollen lower eyelids and lack luster features, and he could tell when she lied to his face about her reason for going back to her time.

He told himself at first that it was best to give her space. Let her have a day, maybe two, at home and she’d come back refreshed and better than ever. She’d take a bath and return smelling of that wonderful, warm, sugary scent Inuyasha had grown to favor about her, and everything would be okay again. He wouldn’t have to worry about her. She’d sleep at night and wouldn’t cry anymore, and Inuyasha would be comforted just knowing that Kagome was happy once again.

That would be too easy, though, wouldn’t it? Something pushed and pulled painfully at him, screaming that Kagome needed him and, yet again, he wasn’t there for her.

Inuyasha curled his fingers into tight fists, his sharp claws biting into the flesh of his palms, the entirety of what was left of his resolve dissipating. As quietly as possible, he stood from his spot, stepped around the curled up, sleeping fox demon, and pushed his way through the hanging door mat and out into the cool night air. Quickly, he hastened his pace, sprinting towards the ancient bone eaters well and jumping straight through.

The cool air greeted Inuyasha as he slowly slid the shrine door open, looking around to assess his surroundings. Kagome’s time was much safer than his own, but he still preferred awareness over surprises. Even though it was the middle of the night, the quarter moon high in the night sky, the distant roads still sounded busy. Kagome had told him that sort of thing was common in her village -or city, he remembered her calling it. Her family’s shrine on the other hand, further away from most of the commotion, was quiet and peaceful. He soundlessly slid the door to the well shut behind him, looking at each window of Kagome’s home and noticing none of the lights on. As he approached the building, he took in the quiet of the house. He could usually hear her grandpa snoring or her younger brother watching shows on the television in the living room, but it was stone-still inside. Aside from Kagome’s room.

Small, weak whimpers emitted from the open, glass window caused his pointed ears to lay flat along his head as a heavy feeling settled into the cavity of Inuyasha’s chest. The half demon launched himself from the hard earth beneath his feet to the base of her window, balancing on the edge of the wood and analyzing the dark room.

The door across the way was open, the halls pitch black and hard for even him to see into. The floor around was a mess; books were scattered around and opened with their pages folded damagingly against the ground, the small lamp that usually sat on Kagome’s desk was broken on the opposite side of the room, clothes were strewn about, and even the chair was tipped over in the middle of the walking space. Inuyasha silently stepped in, peering at the girl sitting hunched over on her bed staring blankly at the comforter beneath her folded legs and holding her towel against her bare chest. Her black hair was wet, still dripping along the skin of her back, small goosebumps evident from the moonlight shining in through the window pane.

The half demon stood frozen in place from the scene in front of him. His initial thought was Kagome had to have been attacked, baring his claws before he realized he couldn’t smell anything or anyone foreign in her home. Only the usual scents lingered, along with the fresh and sweet aroma of the shampoo Kagome must have just used, still strong from her sodden locks. He didn’t sense any sort of immediate danger, so what the hell could have happened? The girl in front of him hardly moved, only trembling slightly as she continued to stare at the blanket along the length of her bed and brought the towel she held loosely in her fingers up to her mouth to cover the bottom lip she chewed on. The only bit of clothing she donned was black underwear, and while this wasn’t his first time seeing her undressed, it still created a tender feeling to swell and tighten in his abdomen at seeing her in such a raw and vulnerable state. He thought to cover her up somehow to protect her from feeling any further and unnecessary defenselessness, but he couldn’t find the will to move.

She took in a shaky breath, sniffling as a salty tear ran down the length of her nose and dripped onto her knee. Slowly, Kagome blinked and turned her head to face Inuyasha, a look of realization emerging on her pale cheeks, her shoulders broadening as she finally processed his presence. She whipped her torso away to face the back wall, clutching the white cloth to her chest with one hand and wiping her tear-stained face with the other.

“Kagome-“

“What are you doing here?” Kagome asked, her hoarse voice appearing harsh and direct. She continued to hide her face, and he could tell she was trying to compose herself by taking deep breaths and shaking her head as if to push the problem to the back of her mind.

“I came to check on you. What the hell happened, Kagome?!” Inuyasha fired, taking a step forward but stopping as her brown eyes darted back in his direction and pierced through him.

“Nothing.” Kagome answered resolutely.

“Don’t give me that! This doesn’t look like nothing to me!”

“Leave it alone, Inuyasha.” She demanded through gritted teeth, a red blemishing her face as she pushed herself further onto her bed and back against the white wall. He paused for a moment, taking in the shaking sight of her. She wasn’t afraid, he knew her better than that. She didn’t fear him, so he knew full and well that that wasn’t why she was backing away. This had everything to do with the pain Kao boasted about a week and a half ago. The pain she’d been dealing with for too long now. She’d had to swallow and contain it for over a week, maybe even longer considering Inuyasha wasn’t aware until recently, only letting bits and pieces of it out while she thought everyone slept. This was her inevitable mental breakdown from holding it back for as long as she did. The scattered and broken items on the floor were Kagome releasing the dark depths of it all.

Inuyasha took another small step forward, untying the knot at the front of his fire rat as he watched Kagome quickly wipe the tears that relentlessly continued to flow.

“Here, let me-“

“Go home!” Kagome snapped, forcing herself to appear as small against the wall as she could.

“No, I-“

“Leave me alone, Inuyasha!” She screamed, crumbling forward as she brought the dampened towel up to hide her face and squeezed her legs into her chest, her muffled sobs causing a lump to form in the half demon’s throat. Inuyasha stood there, mouth slightly agape as he tried to figure out what to do. He’d never seen her like this before. He’d never seen anyone like this before. Was he supposed to leave her to handle this alone? He figured that was a trash idea considering she was already left alone for a small fragment of time and this was what he showed up to, but then what? He wasn’t necessarily any good at handling crying people, let alone Kagome crying. It was no secret that Inuyasha wasn’t good with emotions, period. And this… This was a whole new level. Kagome’s front was disintegrating as she bawled and quivered in the ball she’d rolled herself into, begging him to leave between each heart-shattering cry.

The thought of leaving her alone like this, trembling and broken, made Inuyasha feel physically sick. He couldn’t leave her. He wouldn’t leave her. As much as he didn’t know what to do, he was fully aware that being away from Kagome right now was the worst possible solution.

He swallowed the hardened lump, feeling the thick, heavy ball travel down his esophagus and land in the pit of his already-aching stomach. He removed the suikan from his shoulders and made his way through the mess on the floor, avoiding the school books and the writing utensils littering the place, and stopped just before the edge of her mattress. He leaned over, wrapping the thick robe over her naked shoulders, respecting the space she needed at the moment and finding it might be more comfortable for the both of them if he averted his eyes for the time being.

“I won’t leave.” Inuyasha started, crossing his arms tightly over his chest and staring at the broken glass from the lamp at the edge of the room. He heard Kagome still slightly, small gasps continuing to escape her mouth, but the shaking muscles ceasing under the warmth of his fire rat. “I can wait with you.”

“N-no.” Kagome’s voice was weak and muffled, his sensitive ears hardly picking it up.

“I won’t leave.” He repeated firmly, briefly glancing back at her with his amber eyes but looking away again towards the closet doors.

“I n-never wa-wanted you t-to s-see me like th-this.” She sobbed, clutching her legs even tighter, burying her face further into her knees.

“Why, Kagome?!” He pushed, finding it impossible to look away from her any longer. “It’s just me!”

“Because it’s you!” Kagome finally looked up at him, the salt from her fresh, hot tears so pungent that he could taste it. Her hair was just beginning to dry, messy waves forming around her face and casting harsh shadows with the moonlight under her swollen eyes. The apples of her cheeks were stained pink and irritated from the constant wiping she did in an attempt to stop the scorching liquid that relentlessly leaked down.

Inuyasha took a small step back, the heel of his foot connecting with some of the spilled contents from her yellow backpack, his knuckles white from the fists he tightly clenched. His golden eyes were wide with shock at her statement, the anxiety already building within him causing his lungs to clench and ache. He didn’t understand what was going on. Over the time they’d spent with each other, through the battles and arguments, all the shit they’d been through at each other’s sides she still felt the need to hide her pain and it fucking killed him.

“You… don’t trust me.” He said more than asked, their gazes locking as she shook her head fervently.

“No! No, Inuyasha, it’s not that!” Kagome defended, dropping the towel to the side and crawling closer to the edge of her mattress, clutching the inside of the suikan closed with one hand while bracing herself with the other. “You’ve had to deal with so much already. I-I never wanted my own troubles to burden you.”

“Burden?” Inuyasha asked, trying to swallow the anger that suddenly built up. “Kagome, did you think I didn’t notice this shit earlier? Did you think I never noticed you leaving in the middle of the night to cry?!”

“There was only that one-“

“No, I saw you leave every-fucking-night!” He barked, throwing his arms out in front of him in emphasis. “You lying to me, sneaking off, pretending you’re fine, and hiding whatever you’re feeling is what’s burdening me! So why don’t you just spit it out?! I don’t care what I’ve had to “deal with!” I don’t care if the world is crumbling around me and I’m holding the weight of it up with my shoulders! I can handle anything you throw at me, Kagome, so stop bottling it up like an idiot and tell me what the hell is going through your head!”

Kagome’s bottom lip quivered, pouting outward as she shut her eyes and folded into herself, causing a horrible chill to painfully course through every vein in Inuyasha’s body, sending shocks to each nerve ending that nearly had him crumbling on the spot. He bent to his knees, crawling the short distance to reach the side of the bed and peered at her face through her untidy bangs, wondering if it was safe to touch her yet because it was getting harder and harder to keep his hands at his sides. Her sobs racked her whole body, the whimpers escaping her throat seeming small yet so raw it made him wish this were his human night so that his hearing wasn’t so keen.

“I didn’t know you saw me,” She whispered, shaking her head yet again. “I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry,” Inuyasha hushed, gently pressing his forehead to hers, his nails threading into her damp hair and holding her to him by the crook if her jaw. “Just tell me, Kagome. Please.”

She continued her quiet apologies, each one filling Inuyasha’s chest with a hollow ache. Seeing her like this, feeling her body’s small quakes and hiccups from the unceasing crying made him feel so helpless. So useless. He wanted to take everything she was feeling and make it his own. He wanted to absorb her sorrow and take every ounce of it away from her. Inuyasha didn’t care how much pain he’d be in afterwards. He’d do whatever it took to see the woman whose smile provided him with hope and comfort okay again.

“It’s my fault.” Kagome finally admitted, leaning back from him, a cold breeze brushing against the spot her hot forehead once leaned against. “It’s all my fault, Inuyasha. You trusted me, and I let you down.”

“What do you mean?“

“Kikyo.” She choked, clutching the robe around her shoulders even tighter, bringing it up towards her face to hide behind. “Only I could save her, and I messed up!”

Inuyasha took a moment, his hands falling to the bed spread, processing all the information she’d given him in just that one, short declaration. He could hear it in the hook her voice gave, expressing just how guilty and responsible she felt for the priestess’s death. There was no way in hell he imagined she had this hanging over her shoulders.

“This isn’t your fault.” The half demon acknowledged incredulously, shaking his head slowly as he tried to make sense of her guilt. “This isn’t even close to your fault!”

“Don’t you get it, Inuyasha?”

“Don’t you get it? I was the one that should have protected her!”

“You can’t be in two places at once!” Kagome argued. “I was there! I had to purify her with the bow from Mount Azusa; that was the one thing I was told to do!”

“You did that, Kagome!”

“No, you don’t understand! I hesitated when I faced the spirit of the mountain! I was unsure and if I didn’t have to take that moment to sort everything out, we could have gotten back to Kikyo sooner!”

“Stop!”

“If I were stronger, maybe I could have purified her soul with that arrow like I was supposed to!”

“She redirected it with the sacred jewel! That wasn’t-“

“If I were stronger, she would have lived!” Kagome cried, letting go of the fire rat altogether and slamming her hands against the firm mattress. “If I were stronger, you wouldn’t have lost Kikyo!”

The hanyou’s heart was pounding erratically against his ribcage, his fingers trembling from the sheer amount of unbridled emotion in their argument. As much as he felt to blame for Kikyo’s passing… As much as he felt it was his fault because he didn’t get to her side fast enough, deep in his gut he knew there was no stopping it. It was always easier to blame himself than to accept the fact that Kikyo had planned to sacrifice herself in order to defeat Naraku.

Kikyo was never meant to be at that battle in the first place. She was a specter, unwillingly walking this Earth once again, living off only a fragment of her own soul along with the continuously delivered souls of dead women, with the pure intention to defeat Naraku. What was her goal after the fight was over? What was she intending to do once Naraku was killed? Live a happy life alongside Inuyasha? No, that was never the plan for either of them.

Inuyasha swallowed thickly, climbing onto the bed next to Kagome, his legs curving around the sides of her body. He adjusted the loosely splayed, red garment around her bare shoulders, gently grabbing her arms to weave them through the sleeves and pulling her to look at him with the front of the open robes. Her brown eyes, clouded with sorrow and remorse, met his own gaze and caused every muscle in his abdomen to clench.

“Kagome, I want you to listen to me.” He insisted, his grip on the hem of his robe tightening.

“Inu-“

“Listen to me.” Kagome shut her mouth, the pink skin of her lips sealing as her eyebrows twitched together in response to his tone, then relaxed. “In no way do I blame you, do you understand? You fought with everything you had, and you did everything you could. Kikyo came up with a plan of her own, and I don’t know if it was something she’d come up with long beforehand or on the spot, but she sacrificed herself in an attempt to purify Naraku and no one can be held responsible for her decisions. I’d lost her years ago, Kagome, so this wasn’t entirely about me losing her. It was more about feeling like I’d let her down again. I didn’t save her and that’s why I blamed myself, but with all that you did and all that you overcame just to fight for Kikyo’s soul, I could never find fault in you. Ever.”

“You didn’t let her down, though!” Kagome whimpered, scooting her knees inward to fully face the half demon, her bottom lip pouting out again.

“I know that. And I also know how hard it is to convince yourself otherwise when you feel responsible for something. So, I want you to take your time with this. If I have to remind you every day of how strong I think you are, I’ll do it. If you need a reminder that you aren’t to blame for Kikyo’s death, I’ll give that to you. I’m here, Kagome. You don’t have to deal with this alone anymore.” Inuyasha threaded his fingers of one hand through her raven hair once more, being mindful of his claws while gently gripping the thick strands at the nape of her neck.

Kagome took a moment and Inuyasha could feel the tremors from her body just inches from his finally calm. Her thick, wet lashes blinked away a couple more tears that had lined the rim of her eyelids, the thumb of Inuyasha’s other hand leaving the hem of the fire rat and softly wiping the searing liquid away, cupping her cheek within his palm. She exhaled, and he could feel her muscles tense as she tried to quickly put up another façade, but it crumbled immediately, and she launched herself into the heat of his chest, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing into his kosode.

“I’m so sorry, Inuyasha! I’m so sorry!” Kagome repeated over and over, the apologies muffled by his thick shirt. His arms instinctively wrapped firmly around her while he supported her weight, feeling her hot breath on his skin, burning through his clothing and seeping through to his heart.

Inuyasha continued to hold her, her small frame nestled tightly against his torso, snug in between his legs while his fingers combed through her hair as it continued to dry completely, and he rested his chin on top of her head. He shushed her when necessary, but otherwise allowed her to cry until she couldn’t cry anymore. Her choppy breathing eventually calmed and then eventually deepened, the grip her fingers held along the back of his shirt loosening, and Inuyasha slowly leaned back against the comforter of the bed until his head sunk into Kagome’s pillow. She adjusted herself slightly but stayed pressed to his chest, her thin fingers playing with the extra cloth along the hanyou’s waist.

“You should get some rest, Kagome.” Inuyasha whispered, his palm stilling at the crown of her head as their lungs synchronized. “There’s nothing to worry about anymore. Not while I’m with you.”

He felt her nod, her eyelashes tickling the flesh at the base of his throat as they closed, her spent body growing heavier on top of him. His own eyes began drifting shut, and after weeks of fighting the exhaustion, he finally felt like he didn’t have to anymore. His own mind began to calm considerably, and with Kagome pressed up against him, her pure heart beating alongside his rib cage, it brought a deepening comfort he could hardly describe. A warmth began spreading throughout his veins, starting at where their skin touched and expanding to fill him with a sensation he’d grown familiar to feeling only with her. He hoped he could provide in return even a fraction of what Kagome unknowingly provided for him; the safety and serenity just her presence offered, let alone what the physical pressure of her body did. It was the feeling he bathed in whenever he was with Kagome that helped him get through the trials he’d faced since waking from his fifty-year sleep, and he could only hope to bring her the same sort of peace. If he was able to do that, he’d consider himself more than content. Kagome muttered a soft thank you to him, and he flexed his arms around her chest, refusing to let go of her even while he gave into sleep.

#Inuyasha #kagome #Kagome Higurashi #inukag #inuyasha fanfiction #inuyasha fanfic #inuyasha fic #inukag fanfiction #inukag fanfic #inukag fic #angst #my writing #kagomeinthepast

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xoxopandapanda · 6 years

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InuKag Week 2018: Day 7: Journey

Love is a journey, and you have to find someone to go it with you.

@inukag-week (Yay! I was able to complete all 7 days!)

“How did you know Mama was the one, Papa?” Inuyasha’s oldest girl, who was the ripe old age of eleven, asked him as he tried to teach her how to skin a rabbit. She was squirming away, much like her mother does when presented with the task and choosing instead to talk about her new favorite subject: her parent’s romance.

Inuyasha silently groaned in his head. Miroku’s twins were nearing 17, meaning they were all sorts of invested in finding a husband and the notion of being wooed. Since his oldest girl spent so much time with them, idolized them, and mimicked everything they did, he should have heeded Miroku’s warning and tried to get her to spend as much time with Kagome as possible, so that his wife could fodder the questions.

His ear twitched at her when she spoke, so he knew that she knew that he had heard her inquiry, which meant that he would most likely invoke an angry response if he didn’t respond.

“Suzume, ask your mother such questions. Papa doesn’t understand romance like she does.” He didn’t even look at the girl, who would know instantly that he was exasperated by the line of questioning.

Suzume, in all of her glory at Kagome’s daughter, was not deterred. Inuyasha should have foreseen as much. “Papa,” she cried out, slapping her hands dramatically on her thighs, causing the cruel thought of sticking the dead rabbit under one of those flailing hands to cross her father’s mind.

‘No,’ he told himself, ‘that’s something her brothers would do to her, not her ever loving father.’

She continued, oblivious to her father’s dastardly thoughts for her always washed hands, “You must have known at one-point Mama was the woman you were going to marry and have a family with! Besides, you were the one to court her! You could at least tell me how you asked Mama to marry you!”

Inuyasha snorted. “You know well that your mother and I met by happenstance. We married under the same circumstances.” He finished up skinning the rabbit and place the pelt to the side to dry it. Fully knowing his daughter had learned nothing but being far more concerned in escaping the awkward conversation he was having, Inuyasha moved to remove the meat from the bones for Kagome to cook for dinner.

“Papa, Uncle Miroku said that he knew Aunt Sango was the one for him when she said she would rather die than live without him! That was during the journey to find Naraku! Did you realize that Mama was the one.at the same time?”

Inuyasha finally looked over at his daughter, who had leaned forward to clasp his sleeve tightly. Her eyes were shining bright with curiosity, her face lit up with wonder, and her ears pushed forward to let him know she was listening to every word he had to share.

He looked at her for a long time, wondering how to answer her. He had never had a moment where he just looked at Kagome and thought, ‘This is it! She’s the one!’, he had not even really wooed her. He had simply built them a home, Kagome moved in, and a family was started a little over a year later. That family quickly grew, as did his love for Kagome.

How did he ask Kagome to marry him? How did he convince Kagome he would make a good husband and father?

He looked back at the rabbit and got busy so that his newest little one, a girl who had an appetite to put her older brothers to shame, could eat sooner than later.

“Suzume, you know your papa has gotten a bad memory in his old age. You should be grateful I remember your name, and not ask me to remember things from so long ago.” Inuyasha quickly cleaned the rabbit, put the meat on a small piece of parchment, and walked inside to give it to his wife.

Once again, Suzume took after her mother more than Inuyasha thought was healthy, barreling in after him. “Papa! I need to know! So that I know when a boy is trying to court me and if I should accept his advances.”

Kagome looked up from where she was pulling leaves off of herbs to put in the stew, at her knee the baby of the family also attempting to pull leaves off but being far more successful in squishing the herbs so her hands were warmly scented by them. “Why on earth at your age would any boy be courting you?” Kagome asked, her eyes narrowing. “You are eleven years old, young lady, far too young to be dealing with any of that. You tell your father if any boy so much as looks at you sideways, and he’ll take care of it.”

Suzume flailed her hands again, making Inuyasha secretly wish he had stuck the rabbit carcass under them earlier to deter the newly found action of defiance from continuing, but reminded himself again that he was more mature than his sons and should never purposefully tease his daughter.

“Mama!” she cried out, but not too loudly since her baby sister was in the room and had a tendency to squeal and squabble angrily at loud noises, “I want to know your love story and Papa’s being a butt about it.”

Kagome looked over at Inuyasha who was checking the stew to see if the water was hot enough to put the meat in. Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders before tossing the meat in.

“He says he’s too old to remember! Mama, can you believe him! Uncle Miroku told cousin Ayame and Akane without so much as a fight! Why can’t Papa tell me?” She slumped down in front of her mother, giving her the best puppy-dog-eyes she could manage. “Oh, Mama, won’t you tell Papa he has to tell me?”

Kagome snorted at the dramatic outburst from her oldest girl, silently thankful only her sister and father had also witnessed it. Suzume’s brothers certainly would have teased her over that outburst for weeks, had they seen it. “Two things honey: one, if your father is too old to remember, what makes you think I can remember either, and two, I’m sure Ayame and Akane worked at Uncle Miroku for weeks before he broke.”

Suzume’s ears dropped and she puckered her quivering lip at her mother. Inuyasha commented on that display with a sharp, “she has five kids, I think she’s pretty immune to that face, Suzume.”

Realizing her antics weren’t going to work the way she wanted, she chose to dramatically flop on the floor next to her mother’s lap and announce, “If Ayame and Akane could break Uncle Miroku, you best believe I can break you two as well.”

“Good luck, kiddo,” Inuyasha took the baby from Kagome’s knee to blow kisses at her and nuzzle her. The baby age was his favorite age to have around. “Just remember, your mother and I are too old to remember how we fell in love.”

Kagome snorted loudly in agreement with her husband’s comments and added the herbs to the stew.

And work at her parents for weeks was exactly what she did. Kagome and Inuyasha were used to each other’s personality, and their ability to out stubborn each other, meaning that Suzume had absolutely no chance on getting them to cave. They had trained each other to never cave.

So, being the ever thoughtful eleven-year-old she was, turned her sights on the next best person – Uncle Miroku.

“Uncle Miroku, how did my papa get my mama to marry him? How did they fall in love? How did they decide to have a family?” She didn’t bother to lead into her questions, hoping that by taking him by surprise would be more successful than not.

Miroku looked at the girl who was tall like her father and striking like her mother in horror. “Suzume dear, why do you ask me? Shouldn’t you ask your parents that?”

Suzume flailed her arms, a new habit Inuyasha was working hard to stop her from permanently developing and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I’ve asked them a thousand times and they keep saying their too old to remember. What a bunch of hogwash that is! If they are too old to remember their own love story, aren’t they too old to have more babies? I know for a fact that last night Papa said he wants another baby.”

Miroku’s eyebrows shot up as he heard more information about his dearest friends than he needed know, especially since he and Sango were pretty set on not having more children after the handful the last two have been, but wisely made no comment. She had a mouth like her mother’s; it was going to share information if you wanted it or not.

“Well,” he carefully chose his next words, realizing that there must have been a reason Kagome and Inuyasha didn’t want to share their journey with their daughter, “your father built your mother a home, and she moved into it. Your oldest brother was born a little over a year later.”

Suzume rolled her eyes, “I know that. But how did Papa ask her, how did he woo her, how did he tell her he loved her? I want the good details, not the bare bones!”

Miroku fought back a smile, knowing that being amused by the overreaction of the girl would only trigger her anger, but he shook his head anyways.

“What!?” Suzume stopped her foot in indignation. “It’s a valid question. They are my parents after all.”

Miroku nodded, replying, “Yes, dear, I understand why you want to know, but it’s not the story you are expecting to hear. Your parents, although they share the greatest love the whole world wide, they did not have a great love story like you imagine. It was riddled with heartbreak and teenage confusion. You do know that they fought more than anyone could ever imagine when they first met, don’t you?”

Suzume looked surprised at his answer. Miroku chose to elaborate. “Oh yes, Suzume, they could barely stand each other. They fought and said hurtful things all the time. It was clear to everyone but them that they deeply cared for one another, but they were so scared of losing one another they never said the words out loud.

“Sango was convinced for the first few weeks she had known them that they were either the most married people she knew, or they were plotting each other’s deaths. Sango was especially surprised to find out that there was a gentleman back in your mother’s home that was trying to court her. It was only after two months of knowing the two of them that she saw what they didn’t; they so wholly love each other that they were afraid of the thought of losing each other.

“I think your mother and father gradually fell in love. It wasn’t quick or painless, and it certainly was not romantic like you are imagining. They grew together as people, which is where their love sprung from. They didn’t have an easy time falling in love, nor was maintaining that love easy for them. They work hard every day for each other and their family.”

Suzume looked down at her feet and carefully thought about what her uncle had said to her. “So,” she quietly asked, “Mama and Papa didn’t have a perfect love story, like you and Auntie?”

Miroku laughed, risking the preteen’s anger. “Sango and I didn’t have a perfect love story either. We also had to work hard for our relationship and our family. Suzume,” he patted her should that was nearly as high as his, “love is a journey. Not a story you tell.”

Suzume departed from her uncle, feeling wiser and more confused that she had in her entire life. Her parents just seemed so in love at all times that she simply couldn’t imagine that there had been a time where they weren’t in love or together. Her mind swirled at the revelation that there was a different man who had tried to court her mother, that her parents had once fought and broke each other’s hearts, and that there ever was a chance her family wouldn’t have existed.

She entered their home as supper was being served, tossing off the goading comments from her brothers that she looked so sad, like a wet puppy dog, and the concerned looks her parents were giving her. She played the rest of the evening with her baby sister, suddenly so much more grateful for her family than she ever had been.

Once her brothers were sleeping, Suzume knocked quietly on the shoji of her parents’ room. Inuyasha slid the door open but didn’t look surprised to see who on the other side. He stepped to the side, indicating that she should come on in.

Kagome was trying to soothe her disgruntled baby, who was desperately pulling at her yukata, wanting the comfort of a suckle to fall asleep, although Kagome was working to wean her not-so-little-anymore baby. She looked up and offered the arm that wasn’t holding the baby up to her oldest daughter.

“Can I ask you something, Mama?” Suzume blurted before Kagome could ask if she was alright. Kagome dropped her arm and said, “Of course, sweetie. What is it?”

“Is it true you and Papa didn’t always get along? That there was a different boy who was trying to court you? That you and Papa haven’t always been together?” Suzume felt herself blush at revealing what had been eating her all day to her parents.

Inuyasha was the one who laughed at the questions. Before his daughter could get too upset he answered her. “Your mother and I used to fight worse than anything. Sometimes we still do.”

“Everyone argues sometimes, Suzume,” Kagome added. “It’s part of being human. What’s important is that you learn how to communicate better and work past what you are fighting about.”

“And if you’re referring to Hobo,” Inuyasha said, ignoring Kagome loudly correcting him with ‘HOJO, dear’, “he was just some stupid human who thought your mom was pretty, that’s all. He was too stupid to see that your mom is much more than a pretty face, which meant your mom shut him down real fast.”

Kagome rolled her eyes, lifting her baby to her neck to nuzzle close. “He was a gentle soul, Suzume, but he wasn’t the one for me.”

Inuyasha was on a roll, though, leaving no room for Suzume to ask her mother what she meant by the one, finishing his answer with a sharp, “And no, your mother and I haven’t always been together. But we made our way back to each other, and that’s what matters. Are you still all concerned about us, or is your curiosity satisfied?”

He walked forward and hugged his daughter. “Do you still worry about your future and ours, or are you able to see that we are in this together, because that’s what family does?”

Suzume returned her father’s hug, and sighed that she was fine, thanking him for telling her all of that. Eventually, her little sister’s pleas for comfort, because she was oh so tired and yet oh so not willing to sleep, caused her Suzume to let her father go and wish her parents good night.

Inuyasha patted her head before scooping his baby daughter up to try to ease her anger so she would fall asleep and wished his oldest daughter to sleep well.

Kagome rose to give her older daughter a kiss and a hug good night, whispering one last bit of information to her while her husband was occupied with soothing his youngest. “Your father once told me that he was born for me and I was born for him.”

Suzume looked at her mother in surprise, as this was the closest either of her parents had come to admitting that they loved each other in any sort of way to her since she had started her inquiry into the matter. Kagome smiled a small smile, pressing her index finger to her lips to indicate it was a mother-daughter secret.

Suzume smiled back, mimicking her mother’s motions to show she understood. She walked back to her room, her heart light and happy for she had learned the best lesson of all from her parents.

Love is a journey, and you have to find someone to go it with you.

#inukag #inukag fanfiction #inukag week #inukag week 2018 #inuyasha #inuyashaxkagome #inuyasha x kagome #panda writes #Day 7: Journey #lolololololololol @ me

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inuyashascomiclibrary · 6 years

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Anime vs Manga 5 - Spiderheads 3

Good morning! (in my land it is morning now - 07:48 A.M, specifically). Thanks for you guys whom asked for the continuation of this episode analysis.

Well, previously, Kagome just had saved Inuyasha from Oshou’s hands, but they were surrounded (in the manga, Shippo is nowhere around, but in the anime, he’s with them). They have no way but hiding in a small room, with Tessaiga on the door to keep Oshou from bursting in). Myoga makes himself useful by sucking the poison from Oshou’s bite...

... much for the girls’ disgust, in the manga. By his turn, manga Inuyasha is a little better, just enough to act as a jerk again. Jeez...

And manga Shippo finally shows up, with the shards.

I think that some of you’ll agree with me that these scenes, though they make sense in the manga to give details of the situation, weren’t exact necessary and didn’t add much, or not at all. Anyway, in spite of his previous jerky speech, Inuyasha makes the famous question:

By far, it is one of my top favorite Inukag moments. Without showing great displays of emotion, it is clear the turmoil going into Inuyasha’s head this moment. He truly cares about Kagome - this has become clear when he first used Tessaiga to hurt Sesshomaru, and during his fight with Thunder Brothers, when he thought Kagome was dead... but, until this moment, he never believed that she would really care about him, too. Remember that here he still thinks that Kikyou - the first woman Inuyasha fell in love with - had betrayed him. He’s scarred, bitter and determined to never get emotionally involved again. But, then, this girl not only risks her life for him, but also cries for his sake, something that only his mother had done, before. So he ventures himself to ask her lap, to feel more comfortable. He never asked anything before to anyone - he demanded, because asking nicely would give the others the pleasure to deny him. This time, however, Inuyasha knows that this girl, specifically, won’t tell him no just because he’s a half-breed. He’s so vulnerable now that he makes a point of confessing he actually likes her smell, after all those times he said he hated it.

(sorry, I was forced to make this gif smaller because otherwise it would be still in the post) But the troubles haven’t finished, of course. In the anime version, a few hours later, Oshou finally reaches the gang by ripping the temple’s roof. In the manga, however, he makes something worse - he manipulates Nazuna, appealing for her feelings. And that’s the part I consider that was better in the manga.

Gotta go now, but see ya soon, don’t worry!

To Continue Manga translation from manganelo.com.

#inuyasha #kagome #inukag #inuyasha manga

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baebychase · 6 years

Text

we are as forbidden as prayer

written for Katie ( @rizahawkaye ) for @inusecretsanta 2018!!

I hope you like it!

find it on ao3 here

i. beautiful

The only thing that keeps Sango from believing she is a walking corpse is the anger. It crackles in the pit of her stomach, like a fire in a hearth, and it’s all she can do to pull herself together and cage it within her bones.

She cannot be angry at Kagome, who is bright and kind. Kagome, who forgives so easily. Too easily. Standing next to her, Sango imagines herself the antithesis of the girl – comprised of shadows, crafted of sorrows. Sango stands beside her, fists silently clenched, jaw wired shut. She will not forgive, not ever. She is too empty.

It is too easy to be angry at Inuyasha, such that he makes being inflammatory his mission, but it holds no interest for Sango. She’s never preyed on an easy target: without any risk, there is no pleasure, and arguing with Inuyasha doesn’t incite any danger. His attitude is a defense mechanism – a shell – and she can sense his gruff remarks are more habitual than heartfelt.

But him. The monk. He always catches her when her guard slips, when she glares at the ground hoping it will snap its jaw around her and take her life, and he gives her a slight smile as if to say me too. He’s the sweetest of their group, the gentlest, and it sizzles in her joints when she looks at him. Every second of every day, she has to bite her tongue and avert her eyes and keep to herself, pretending she is anywhere near beautiful. Kagome rescued her, and Inuyasha forgave her, and she fell apart into a blubbering mess. She became sweet, grieving Sango. That’s who they forgave, but that girl has long since expired. All that remains anymore is the anger.

But every time she looks at that man, that effortlessly beautiful man, she can’t contain herself. She’s heard his stories, heard the implications behind the melancholy phrases that fall from his lips even when everyone is paying attention. It isn’t fair, she thinks. How can he be murkier on the inside, more hollow than me, and still find this all so easy?

Images flash through her mind of all the small things she knows he does just for her: the way he meets her eyes and gives her a peek of a smile when he pours her tea, the way his fingers will brush against hers as he walks past her, or the way he just watches her far more closely than anyone else. He infuriates her, and the more she thinks about it, the more it aches. The second their eyes meet, she wants to rip him to pieces. Every single time.

She wakes up from a nightmare, and crawls as quietly as she can to find refuge in the trees. When she gets far away enough from the campsite to take a ragged breath and choke on a sob, she collapses on her front and curls in on herself. The cool dirt pressing against her face is a comfort. It’s calling to her: Come back, Sango. You are supposed to be dead. You were supposed to stay with me. She can’t help but to agree with it.

Footsteps follow gently behind her, and she knows without a doubt who is kneeling behind her.

“Sango…” he whispers. Not a question, but a statement of fact. He doesn’t need to know what’s wrong; he already knows it’s inevitable that something is.

“What are you doing here,” she says flatly, bits of earth finding their way into her mouth.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he says. “And I thought I should come see you.”

She sits up now, glaring at him. “You shouldn’t have.”

He sighs and nods. “Perhaps.”

“I hate you,” she says, voice trembling.

“I know,” he whispers. “Me too.”

She curls her hands tightly around the earth and unbidden, the tears start again. “I wish I were dead,” she confesses, a whisper carried by the breeze.

He takes her hand in his, the rosary beads pressed into her palm, and he wraps his other arm around her, clutching her tightly to him. “Me too,” he says again, lips pressed to her hair. She is covered in dirt and tears and sweat but he doesn’t care and neither does she. For the moment, they are two corpses wound around each other, and Sango feels for the first time in her life that she is beautiful. She is beautiful, just like him. “Me too,” he whispers over and over again, into her mouth, like prayer.

ii. promised

She doesn’t know where the anger stops and the reverence begins, really. It’s their own special game, one half combat and one half promenade, and she delights in it: it simultaneously keeps her dead and alive.

They’ve lost count of how many times she asked him to kill her, asked him to reach for her in the final, most peril moments of his life.

She loves the curse in his hand, loves the way he was born knowing that death walked toe to toe behind him, loves the way it kept him searching for someone who empathized with the feeling, who had a reaper over their shoulder too. Whenever they’re alone, rare moments of stealing away to far corners of villages or wandering to streams in the woods under moonlight, she tugs his hand away from him and presses it to her chest. The feel of the void nestled up against her heart amplifies the sound, and she never feels more connected to him, more alive.

The first time she’d done it, he yelped and snatched his hand away, whispering an incredulous, “What are you doing, Sango?”

“I’m not afraid,” she said, pulling it back toward her, easing his palm open over her breast.

“You should be.” Not a warning, just the truth.

“I know.” She smiled at him, big and wide. “But I want it to take me, too. When it pulls you in with it, I want to go too.”

“Sango…”

“Do you love me?” she whispered, holding his eyes steady in hers.

“I –” he gaped for a second, his face contorting into anger. “Angry” was her favorite incarnation of him, and she loved to draw it out. His mouth settled into a hard line and he admitted, “Of course. Always, more than anything.”

“Then don’t leave me alone. Take me with you,” she said.

“We’ll see,” he’d said.

“We’ll see,” he always says.

But she knows he spent his whole life searching for her, for someone who matches him, and she knows that he is selfish by nature. He loves her too much to kill her, but he’ll always love her too much to let her go.

She loves the curse in his hand, and loves the way the beads that contain it wrap around both of their throats.

You promise we’ll always be together? she asks them.

Always, they answer. Always, always, always.

iii. irresolvable

They didn’t die that day, when they ought to have. He hung up the beads and she hung up her blade and they settled into a life together. More often than not, she feels empty and calm, not angry. She doesn’t burn anymore, and the urge to bury herself in the earth subsides.

She wishes it felt like relief.

It doesn’t.

Their children grow too fast, and over hurried breakfasts and bath time, she meets his eyes. He gives her a slight smile as if to say, me too. She never thought that they’d make good parents, or that they’d get to be parents, or that they’d even elect to stay alive.

But he pulls their girls into their clothes and she hoists their boy onto her back, and when he kisses her, his breath is warm and his stubble is ticklish. She grins back at him, laughing a little as their daughters exclaim in protest: “Ewww!”

It only surfaces at night, when she lays with him beneath the moonlight. She remembers a night, decades ago it seems, that he pulled her out of the dirt and cried with her under the moon. “I love you,” she says. It’s the only part of her that feels the same as it used to, the only part of her that feels real anymore.

“I love you too,” he whispers, pressing his lips to her temple.

She wraps her arms tightly around him and nestles her face into the crook of his neck. “Do you remember that night? I never thought I’d survive. I never thought I could be happy.”

“I remember.”

She swallows, “Is this what happiness is? Is this … the end?”

He hesitates, stroking her hair as he contemplates his reply. “I … don’t know. Is there ever an end?”

She looks up at him, eyes brimming with a new wave of tears. “Miroku, I’m scared.”

“Me too,” he says, lips pressed to her hair. The desperation returns, the need to remember what they had done so beautifully together burning once again in her chest. “Me too,” he whispers over and over again, into her mouth, like a prayer.

#thequeenwillruletheboard #rizahawkaye #inuyasha secret santa 2018 #mirsan

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dawnrider · 4 years

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Ears of Fury - Inuvember Free Day

Don’t read too much into the title. XD The Inuyasha discord had a short convo about the first time Kagome touches Inuyasha in a gentle way and I remembered I had this sitting in my Drive, waiting for the right opportunity. Here is is on AO3 if anyone prefers that.

With a deep scowl on his face, he waited. Inuyasha sighed. It felt like he was always waiting nowadays. Waiting for her to come back from her time, waiting for her to take her stupid baths, waiting for rumors of the remaining jewel shards, waiting for the bouzu and tajiya to leave them alone… “Keh, this is stupid,” he grumbled. While he was incredibly tempted to go through the well, snatch her up and drag her back, he knew she’d probably sit him until his back broke. Well… not really, but he didn’t want to risk it. She was always in a better mood if he let her return on her own and there was usually more ramen in it for him if he waited rather than going after her to haul her ass back. Though she did seem to enjoy his presence if he just came to spend time with her and her family before bringing her through the well as opposed to lugging her over his shoulder without asking. “No, I told her I’d wait on this side and that’s what I’m going to do,” he told himself with conviction. His determination to follow his promise was hard and strong… for another hour. “What the hell is taking that woman so damn long?” he growled to himself, standing and looking for all intents and purposes like he planned to leap into the well.

As he set one foot on the wooden edge, a bright light shot from the well, signaling that the magic within was working. Startled by the suddenness and timing, Inuyasha stumbled away from the well and landed unceremoniously on his ass. The enticing and sweet scent of the girl he’d been waiting nearly three days for wafted out of the bottom of the well and he heard the sounds of her struggles with her pack. Rolling his eyes as she muttered something unladylike he crept to the edge and glanced down. Looks like her bag is heavier than usual, he thought with a smirk. “You could help me instead of treating me like a fish in a bowl,” she snapped in irritation without looking up at him. A frown knit his brow when he noticed she’d sensed him before he’d even said anything but he grunted his agreement and lowered himself down the ladder he’d built so he wouldn’t activate the well and send himself five hundred years into the future. Lifting Kagome’s backpack was a hell of a lot easier for him and he slung it over his shoulder effortlessly. His next goal was to get Kagome out too and so the hanyou looped his arm around her waist, launching the both of them out of the well. “Thank you,” she said softly when he’d set her on her feet in the grass surrounding the well.

Thinking she was reaching for her bag, Inuyasha turned away from her reach only to be startled when she gently touched the very tip of his right ear, a small smile on her lips. His golden eyes widened and he gasped. Dropping her backpack entirely, his hands flew up to mash his ears to his head, protecting them from further touching despite the discomfort this brought them. The poor hanyou was shocked and terrified by the innocent touch but even more by the reaction such a small caress had brought on. Without a word he shot off into the woods, leaving Kagome to stand in silent confusion by the well. He didn’t hear her cry out to him or smell her tears as he continued to tear his way into the forest.

She couldn’t believe the way he’d reacted. She’d touched his ears before… Well, maybe not while he was awake, now that she thought about it. Was he so offended by it that he’d run away from her? What if he didn’t come back? He could be skittish sometimes but he’d never taken off like that before. Inuyasha had looked so startled, so confused. Maybe she really had overstepped her bounds too many times and this time had been too much for him to handle. Kagome wanted desperately to run after him but knew that he was too far for her to catch up to at this point and trying to talk to him would probably only make it worse. With a deep breath, the young miko resigned herself to being ignored or yelled at for the next few days… provided Inuyasha came back to do either. She swallowed the lump in her throat, wiped her eyes and made her way to the village, her pack slung heavily over her shoulder. Shippo was the first to notice her return, leaping off the porch of Kaede’s hut and into her arms. Her backpack dropped into the dust near her feet as she caught the kitsune against her. “Kagome, you’re back!” he cried happily while nuzzling himself against her stomach.

“Hai Shippo-chan. How’ve you been?” she asked distractedly. Her mind seemed to have left with the hanyou into the forest and the insistent tugging on her shirt alerted her to the fact that her adopted son was trying to get her attention. “Hmm?”

“Where’s that baka Inuyasha?” he repeated, frowning at her easy distraction from him, the center of her life. “He chased me away from the well yesterday,” the fox stated with a pout. Kagome stifled a laugh at the surly expression on his little face and the distinct resemblance of the look to a certain inuhanyou. She ignored his question and moved toward the doorway of Kaede’s hut after lifting her bag in her hand and found her friends sitting on either side of the small fire while the old miko hunched over a pot of what smelled like some sort of medicine. Probably a powerful one if the strength of the scent was any indication. Miroku nodded his greeting while Sango rose to clasp her hands and smile her welcome. They all asked politely about her family and her era, inquiring into her time spent with friends there and the like. It took Kagome a lot to keep her happy exterior while her mind was elsewhere.

Hours later Miroku had nodded off while attempting to meditate in the corner and Sango was staring somewhat dreamily through the heat of the flames at him with Kirara beside her. Shippo had opted to curl up in the neko youkai’s tails and was contentedly snoozing away. Kagome sighed softly. The monk and demon slayer would be married someday soon, more than likely within a few months if their shard hunts continued to go well. With the wind tunnel closed and Sango’s family avenged, the two were free to pledge the rest of their lives to one another. It was a beautiful love story with tragic beginnings and she could only pray that it ended happily ever after for her friends’ sakes. They deserved it more than anyone else she knew. The tajiya noticed Kagome’s quiet and somber mood and, knowing Inuyasha had not yet returned, figured that the two must have fought. “Kagome-chan, is something wrong?” she asked in a whisper, not willing to wake the monk from his nap. When the younger girl shook her head to deny it, Sango stood and led her out of the hut with her hands folded behind her back. “Come on Kagome, you know you can tell me anything.”

Sighing, the young miko nodded and the two continued to walk through the darkening paths of the village. Most of the villagers were indoors already or were making preparations to do so, rounding up stray animals or children who refused to come inside. Both Kagome and her elder friend were completely oblivious to the shadow that silently stalked them from rooftop to rooftop. “He was waiting for me at the well. I didn’t expect him there,” she stated softly.

“He’s been there almost since you left. He’s very stubborn about waiting for you,” Sango replied when it seemed Kagome didn’t intend to say anything else. Something much more must have happened to get Kagome so down. “Did he say something rude to you?” While a man saying something rude to her would have appalled most other woman, Kagome was entirely used to it. Inuyasha was brusque and irrational sometimes and the demon slayer never quite understood how her friend put up with it all the time. The houshi might have been a womanizer and a letch but at least he was polite and never shouted at her. Kagome denied the question anyway.

“I… well I wanted to thank him for helping me out of the well since my bag was so heavy and I guess I offended him,” she explained. Tears welled up in her eyes as she recalled Inuyasha’s reaction, the way he’d looked at her, like she’d committed some atrocity. It didn’t make much sense to her. How could one little touch have been so awful as to earn her that look and the subsequent departure of the hanyou? Her friend took her arm and set it in the crook of her own as they walked, patting her hand comfortingly. “I just touched his ear a little. He ran off after looking at me like I’d… tried to cut them off or something!” She was only becoming more upset by the minute and Sango slowed them down so Kagome would have time to calm herself. The young girl wiped her eyes roughly and sniffed a few times. “I thought he was more comfortable with me after all this time.”

Sango wasn’t sure what to tell the poor young miko. It was obvious that Inuyasha had either been angered by the gesture or, more than likely, embarrassed. His ears had always been a strict area of shame for the inuhanyou since he equated them with a giant sign that read ‘HANYOU’ hanging around his neck. He seemed to forget that he used those ears to save their lives, his own life, and that they all appreciated their sensitivity. Sensitivity? The proverbial light bulb, though Sango wouldn’t have known what one was, clicked on in the tajiya’s head. That was it! They were sensitive to sound, what was to say they weren’t to touch as well? He was very careful not to let anyone touch them and often complained if flies landed on them. Obviously he could feel a touch that small. “Maybe he liked it,” she said with a small smile. Kagome stiffened and turned to look at her friend in absolute horror. Neither one heard the low growling of the shadow that continued to otherwise silently follow them through the village.

“Are you crazy? He was so angry with me!”

“Do you know that for sure?” the demon slayer questioned, slyly. She was delighting in being the one to tease her friend for once since it was usually her on the blushing end of the deal. “You’ve never touched them before so who’s to say one way or the other? Inuyasha was probably just startled and didn’t know how to deal with it.” Sango wasn’t anticipating her friend’s soft sob. “Kagome-chan?”

She had to suck in a deep breath to keep her tears at bay. “He must hate me! If they are sensitive like you say, he must think I’m horrible for trying to touch them, and without permission too!” Kagome had herself all worked up without much help from anyone. She was so sure that Inuyasha was never going to speak to her again, she nearly ran toward the well in hopes that she could make amends by never showing her face in the Sengoku Jidai again. The way Sango suggested her touch might have appeared to Inuyasha, she had more or less sexually assaulted the hanyou and there was almost nothing less forgivable than that in Kagome’s mind. Ripping herself from her friend’s side the young woman made her way toward the clearing where the well stood, nearly stumbling several times in her dash. Sango cried out to her but she didn’t turn. Nothing could stop her as she finally made it to the well and threw herself in. She only barely heard the panicked shout of a certain silver-haired, puppy-eared hanyou as the time warp stole her off to the future. Once on the other side she sat at the bottom of the well for a few moments to catch her breath before she had to haul herself out.

Her heartbeat continued to race and her breathing remained ragged even as she sat numbly on the stairs that lead up to the door of the well shrine. How could I have been so stupid? she thought with a shake of her head. I’ve ruined everything. There’s no way he’ll trust me anymore. Kagome bit back more tears and tried in vain to stop herself from panting for breath. She hadn’t known that something like this would happen, she’d just wanted to thank him for his help and scratching his ear had felt like a good plan at the time. Now she wished she’d never even thought of it. The young miko noticed the slight tingle in her skin before the well activated and a red-clad figure flung itself over the lip to land near her. Stifling a scream at his sudden appearance, Kagome cowered against the stairs and held in the sudden urge to run. “Kagome…” He sounded breathless and angry. Why had he chased her here? “What are you doing?” he bit out, obviously frustrated when she wouldn’t look at him. Kagome slowly uncurled and looked up at the beads that hung around his neck, unable to look him in the eye.

“I… I’m sorry Inuyasha. I didn’t mean to upset you,” she whispered. She didn’t know if Sango’s interpretation was correct but most of her hoped desperately that it wasn’t. The young woman was startled when he dropped into a crouch near her and frowned a little at her. It was only when she cried that he gave her that look. “I’ll stay here a while if that’s what you want.”

“Is that what you want?” he growled back. What was the crazy woman thinking? There was no way he was going to let her stay in her time now after she’d been gone three days already. He’d been completely lost without her, though he could hardly admit it to himself, and not having her near for another three days at the very least would chip away at his sanity. He’d heard what the slayer had told her and it was frightening how dead on she’d been. Woman’s been studying youkai too long, he grumbled mentally. Kagome’s touch had excited an often suppressed emotion in him that he rarely let himself explore. He couldn’t afford it when she was usually nearby and her scent was so enticing. Having her touch his ear, even the tiniest bit, had nearly brought him to his knees. “It ain’t how you think Kagome,” he muttered when she didn’t answer him. She looked confused but remained silent. “I’m not mad.”

“I shouldn’t have…”

“Keh. Doesn’t matter, onna. Let’s get back. We're leaving in the morning for that village east of the letch’s master’s temple and you gotta be rested ‘cause I’m not carrying your ass the whole way.” She sniffed a few times but said nothing in response. He could tell she still thought he was upset with her because she didn’t budge from the stairs nor look him in the eye. “Kagome, look at me.” When she wouldn’t, he reached out and hooked her chin with his forefinger. “I’m not mad,” he repeated. The fat tears in her eyes made it obvious that she didn’t believe him. While he wanted to make sure she knew he wasn’t angry with her about the ear thing, he couldn’t exactly tell her the truth. Sure thing… Kagome, try not to touch my ears too much ‘cause then I’ll probably try to jump you on the spot, he thought bitterly, that’d go over well. The hanyou scowled slightly, more at himself than anything. “Stop worrying about it,” he muttered, trying not to blush as he considered his real desires. Kagome would more than likely sit him to oblivion if she knew the depths of his imagination.

After several minutes he finally convinced her to come back through the well though she refused to let him carry her or help her out. Making their way back to the village in silence Inuyasha noticed how she put just enough distance between them to be polite without making it obvious that she was avoiding being too close. Brushing it off as her continued upset, upset he could do nothing about at the moment, he set off at a steady pace for Kaede’s hut. The inuhanyou didn’t realize until the next morning that the distance Kagome was placing between them was going to continue. Thinking she would calm down soon enough he said nothing about the change in behavior until nearly three days had gone by and she had yet to come near enough to him to do anything more than hand him a steaming cup of ramen. Inuyasha didn’t know how deeply it was affecting him until he found himself next to her sleeping form, softly sniffing her scent and restraining himself from touching her. Not in any dirty way of course, just have contact with her, feel her warmth against his skin. She touched him often on a regular basis and not having her near him was almost physically painful. Why had he never noticed how much he took her gentle touch for granted? Watching her sleep, he saw a tear slip down her cheek and into her hair. Kagome…

The fact that she was hurting over this, that she thought he was so angry with her, made his heart ache. He hated her tears more than anything and he hardly registered himself slowly lifting her out of her sleeping bag and pulling her into his arms. She snuggled closer unconsciously, her scent wrapping around him in its normal comforting manner. Without another thought he stood and smuggled his precious burden out of the campsite in silence. She barely stirred, completely trusting him to care for her, even in her sleep. Once they were out of earshot of the others, Inuyasha gently shook Kagome awake, stifling her startled yelp with a hand. “It’s just me,” he whispered.

“Inuyasha…” She struggled to pull from his arms, that same broken and fearful look in her eyes that he’d been silently loathing the last few days. He was having none of it. She couldn’t get away from him now, not when he was finally determined to tell her the truth about his ears. She had to stop this nonsense or it was going to drive him absolutely crazy! “What’s going on?” she questioned him when he very obviously wouldn’t let her out of his embrace. Her eyes had taken on a panicked look that he didn’t like in the least.

Slowly, so there was no question about what he intended, he lowered his head. Kagome gasped softly, choking on something close to a sob. He was offering her his ears. The young miko could hardly believe it. She’d been trying desperately to keep from touching him at all the last few days and giving her the opportunity to touch his ears like this… If Sango was correct, then he was more or less offering himself to her. Could she accept his offer knowing he might not mean it? Maybe Sango was wrong and he had just been upset about her touching his ears because he didn’t like them touched and she hadn’t asked. Practically against her will, one hand rose to softly touch the proffered and twitching ear. It was supple beneath her fingertips, light hairs lining the inside while soft fur covered the outside. Kagome couldn’t be sure but she thought she could feel the ear quivering beneath the pads of her fingers. Her feeling strengthened when Inuyasha leaned heavily against her, his nose nestling in the curve of her throat. Then she felt the most amazing thing in the world. A silent rumble vibrated through Inuyasha’s chest and tingled her skin wherever they touched. “Unh,” he groaned as his mouth opened just enough to release his panting breath against her shoulder.

Pulling her hand away from his ear, startled by his reaction, Kagome took a deep shuddering breath of her own. “Are you alright?” she whispered. He didn’t respond in words but tightened his arms around her. She was too shocked to try and fight his hold again. At length he nodded that he was fine and Kagome closed her eyes as his body seemed to become more relaxed against her. Warmth, comfort and security flooded her, her heart fluttering faintly. Was this what it was like to be loved by Inuyasha? His trust in her, something she’d thought she’d lost forever, was amazing to her. Something beautiful and precious. A man who had been mistreated his whole life, who had never trusted anyone after his mother died, trusted her with this softer side of him. The young miko also wanted his love but she wasn’t sure he felt could give it. Losing your mother when you had barely reached six years old and being chased and hunted almost every day since then. Losing your first love to death and betrayal, finding her reincarnated before you knew she was dead, and having her resurrected as a lifelike clay doll had to mess with a person emotionally. Inuyasha was all the stronger for not having done himself in years ago. Of course, Kagome knew all this and knew also that he cared for her in some small way. It may not have been the way she had hoped for, but if it was all she ever got she had long since resolved herself to be content with that. “You didn’t have to let me touch them if you didn’t want me to,” she finally murmured.

“You haven’t touched me in days,” he replied, his words muffled against her shoulder. Kagome frowned slightly but felt him take a deep breath as though to speak and remained silent. “I was starting to go crazy. Do you realize how often you normally touch me everyday?” he asked in a slightly awed tone, as if he hardly believed it himself. The young woman still clutched a little desperately in his arms stiffened in embarrassment. Now that she allowed herself to think about it, she did put them in contact quite a bit. Whether it was getting his attention, bandaging or checking a wound, waking him from a rare nap, handing him food, keeping him from going after Shippo, Miroku or a random villager, riding on his back, asking for help standing or letting him think she was asleep when he carried her... she touched Inuyasha a great deal more than she ever thought about. She had always been “touchy-feely” and so it only came naturally to Kagome to let him and the others know she cared about them all a great deal by touch. To her it wasn’t strange but she realized it had to be a bit much for all the others who weren’t used to it. Close contact, practically intimate on some levels, was not very welcome during that time period and she often forgot that.

“Sorry… I guess I do it without thinking. I’ll try to remember…”

“No! Don’t you get it Kagome?” he said in a loud whisper. Frowning at the faintly panicked look in his eyes, Kagome stared, waiting for him to continue. “When you don’t you’re usually mad at me. I hate that feeling more than anything, even more than being sat! I-I need you to…” He trailed off as though realizing for the first time what he was saying. The poor hanyou’s face became just a little paler and his amber eyes were wide in his face. Ears flipped back, Kagome knew he was shocked by the words that had come out of his mouth, as though someone else had had control of it for a moment. Suddenly his resolve hardened and he set his jaw. “Touch is nearly as important to inuyoukai as scent and when you don’t touch me it makes me feel twitchy,” he admitted. The young miko in his lap gaped at him, surprised by the honesty and the insight into the world he so rarely showed anyone.

It obviously shocked Kagome to hear the truth and while part of him wanted to take it back, the majority of his mind was made up to make sure she understood the full extent of her effect on him. Inuyasha was tired of holding back his own reactions to her when she did something unknowingly. “But I thought you hated it when I touched you. You always yell at me when I get too close,” she cried. He snorted softly and turned his eyes away for a moment to collect his thoughts.

“You don’t understand Kagome. Half the time you’re confusing me with different signals.” At her confused look he sighed. “Like this,” he mumbled, gently pulling her toward him where she naturally rested against his chest. He knew what would come next like he knew his own heartbeat. Hardly a moment later she relaxed and softly nuzzled her nose into his sternum. “See, right there.” Startled, Kagome sat back with a jerk and nearly slammed her head into Inuyasha’s chin. “What you did right there. An inuyoukai’s mate will do that when she’s… satisfied with him.” The widening of Kagome’s eyes was nearly comical, but Inuyasha wasn’t laughing. She had to understand everything or he was going to tear something apart. “You don’t realize that you do that when we’re traveling and I carry you or when you’re cold and I hold you. Maybe it’s not the same to you, but that’s what I think every time.” Tears welled in her eyes and the inuhanyou sighed. “It’s not a bad thought, it’s just not the way things are and that’s... confusing,” he explained.

“I’m so sorry. I never knew. I just…” Kagome sniffed and glanced away. “I like the way you smell, it makes me feel safe.”

“Exactly! Mates…” Seeing her flinch at the word, Inuyasha paused. Why did him saying that have such a strong effect on her? Perhaps the idea of being his mate repulsed her. But then she wouldn’t be so persistent in remaining close to him, she wouldn’t fight to show him being a hanyou was ok in her eyes and she would never have kissed him in Kaguya’s castle. Then what was it about the word that made her cringe and made tears fill her eyes? “Kagome?”

She sniffed several times, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. She felt like such a baby for crying. She had been so strong before and now she was reduced to a puddle of sorrow and pain. It twisted like a knife in her heart every time he mentioned her actions and the fact that only the mate of an inuhanyou or inuyoukai would act in such a way. Whether he knew it or not he was repeatedly reminding her that it was something she would never be a part of and certainly not with him. His choice had been made long before she ever even entered the picture and without him she had no intention of such a future. “Tell me when I do something like that. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.” Her head hung until her chin nearly touched her chest.

Was she just being stubborn or did she really not understand what he was trying to tell her? By the scent that hung around her it seemed that she didn’t understand much of anything at the moment. “Kagome, you’re not listening,” he grumbled.

“What is there to listen to? I’ve been coming onto you the last couple of years and I didn’t even know it and I practically tried to… to grope you or something the other day! I’m surprised you didn’t throw me down the well again and close it for good.” She was sobbing all out, her face turned away so she couldn’t see the pained look on her hanyou’s face.

“Is that what you’ve been thinking?” he asked incredulously. “That I thought you groped me like the letch?”

Kagome's form seemed to crumple further in on itself, confirming the answer to his question. “Obviously you don’t want that from me and I’ve always known that. I didn’t realize I was doing it, honest, and I won’t do it anymore, just don’t make me leave,” she whimpered while tucking her chin against her shoulder.

The gentle tug of a finger on her jaw had her turning toward Inuyasha, though her eyes remained closed in her anguish. A firm pressure was applied to her lips and it took her several seconds to understand that Inuyasha was kissing her. When it finally clicked she gasped slightly and pulled away just enough to breathe. “I would die.” She didn’t understand his words but his mouth was suddenly on her own once more, making her forget he’d even said anything. His lips were warm, perhaps a little dry at first, but firm. He seemed determined to make her kiss him back though she needed little encouragement. Inuyasha moved his lips in a slow rhythm against hers, gently persuading her lips open. Kagome complied without realizing it and was faintly startled when his tongue slipped from his mouth and carefully touched her lower lip. “Kagome,” he mumbled when he pulled away for a moment to suck in a deep breath through his nose. She realized he was scenting her and hoped that he didn’t notice the effect his kisses had on her. That would be just too embarrassing. A faintly feral grin slid onto his lips and Kagome realized that her hopes were already in jeopardy. A fierce blush rose on her cheeks and she glanced away slightly. “Look at me Kagome,” came the soft growl.

That she was embarrassed by her own body made a lot of what she’d said and done recently clear to him. Inuyasha smiled faintly. So naive, so beautiful, and so deliciously aroused by his kisses. If only she’d known how long he’d been fighting off the very same reaction to her. And all she had done was be herself. When she wouldn’t look at him Inuyasha caught her cheek in his hand and brought her eyes back up to his face. “Inu…”

“Shh… Just listen a second. I don’t want you to stop what you do because then you wouldn’t be you. That’s the last thing I want.” She took a shuddering breath but didn’t avert her eyes. “If this is all too much for you, if you don’t want to touch me anymore now that you know what it means, then you need to tell me now.” Brown eyes widened as they stared at him in shock. Did that mean he didn’t mind that she touched him like that, perhaps even wanted her to? Kagome felt her mind jumble with possibilities. Could Inuyasha really want her?

“Inuyasha…” she whispered in awe. “Does that mean you don’t mind?” Her voice was tiny and his ears flipped forward to catch her words properly. How could she doubt what he wanted? He’d offered her his ears, let her touch them, kissed her just like he’d always wanted to and finally explained to her how much he needed her to touch him every day. How could there be any question in her mind? But he hadn’t been this honest with her the last few years and so it made sense for her to doubt his sudden change of heart. Did she worry that he was simply humoring her, giving her what he thought she wanted? When he nodded resolutely she flung her arms around his neck and clung to him tightly as he laughed softly.

“Silly woman,” he murmured affectionately.

#Dawnrider Fanfiction #Inuvember #Inuyasha #Inukag #EARS

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