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inukag-week · 5 months ago

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The Forbidden Outfit

Fandom: Inuyasha

Pairing: Inukag

Inukag week 2024: Day 3 Bickering

Rating: T

Belated Inukag week submission. I haven’t written anything in forever but I was reading some of the entry’s and seeing the prompt was inspired. @inukag-week

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Thud

The dull sound of the impact from Sango’s leg connecting with her forearms that were locked in a defensive block position may have been quiet, but the force behind it wasn’t. The strength behind the kick forced Kagome’s right foot to fall back slightly in order to brace herself and keep her balance. This may only be a sparring match, but it certainly didn’t mean the demon slayer was going easy on her. Kagome brought her foot forward to regain her stance, remembering to keep more of her weight on the balls of her feet to allow for quick movements. The priestess barely had a chance to recover before Sango came at her again, this time aiming calculated punches towards her midsection.

Kagome had seen her friend’s eyes shift lower to her intended target and was able to side step away from the attack. Now slightly beside her, the black haired woman was able to counter attack with jab of her own. Sango grunted at the blow to her ribs and darted back, opening space between them. Her confidence rising at getting a hit in on the highly trained slayer, Kagome took a risk and dashed forward. She planted one foot on the ground to anchor herself in preparation to aim a high kick when suddenly the air rushed out of her lungs and she found herself staring up at the clouds lazily floating across the light blue sky.

Kagome coughed before sucking in a breath after having the wind knocked out of her. It took her a moment to process what had happened since it was so fast. Sango had taken the opportunity to sweep out her legs from underneath her when she had shifted her balance. The brunette’s reflexes were cat like and lightening quick, a deadly combination. Soon enough, an outstretched hand obscured her vision of the sky. Kagome lifted her arm and took a hold of Sango’s hand, allowing her friend to help her to her feet. Her friend wore an apologetic look on her face as she watched the priestess dust herself off.

“That was much better, Kagome! You were able to anticipate my next attacks better by watching my body language,” the demon slayer praised genuinely, a smile lighting up her face. Her cheeks were flushed a beautiful shade of rosy pink and her chocolate colored bangs were sticking to her forehead from sweat. It was midsummer and the heat had been rough for everyone this season. That was why Sango had suggested that they train earlier in the morning before the heat became unbearable.

“You’re just saying that,” Kagome laughed breathlessly and walked over to where her small jug of water was. She took a few long sips of the wonderfully delicious cold water before speaking again. “I hardly lasted more than a minute before landing flat on my back.”

Sango merely chuckled and brushed off her friends words. “The time is irrelevant. I told you that today the focus was recognizing your opponents body language and cues they give off that can help you figure out what their next move is and you did that.” The look she gave her was one that told her to give herself some credit.

Deciding to take the compliment, Kagome aimed a small smile at the young mother and sat on one of the old moss covered logs nearby. She really appreciated Sango taking the time to help her train when she already had three children to care for. Although, she likely appreciated the time away from the young ones and leaving them in Miroku’s care so she could have a break. While adorable, they were a handful especially the twins who were always looking for trouble.

Her thoughts flitted from Sango’s kids to her own daughter. Kagome wondered how she was behaving for Inuyasha, but frankly she behaved better for him than she did for her. That little girl had herself wrapped around Inuyasha’s finger, but the toddler was just as enamored by her father in return. Inuyasha and Hikari were more alike than she could have ever anticipated from inheriting his deep, golden eye color to copying his mannerisms. She may have the same black hair as her mother, but the rest was Inuyasha. Hikari was only two, but it was already showing more and more as her personality developed the older she got. The baby would let out the most adorable squeals of excitement whenever she watched Inuyasha train with Tensaiga, as if adding in her own battle cries.

Hikari was truly a blessing and she couldn’t be more thankful, however she was the reason behind these sparring matches. After giving birth nearly two years ago, Kagome didn’t feel the same in her body. She didn’t have the same stamina or speed she used to before she had the baby. Not to mention, spending her days raising Hikari and there being less demon attacks since Naraku’s defeat led the priestess to have taken a backseat in fighting. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago when Inuyasha was going on a job to slay some demons wrecking havoc on a village a few towns south of them did she realize it. Miroku wasn’t able to come with because the twins had come down with a cold and he didn’t want to leave Sango alone to care for them by herself. Kagome had offered to go with him instead and her husband had hesitated and looked less than thrilled with the idea.

“You ready to go again?” Sango called from the center of their makeshift training ground, one of her arms behind her head as she stretched her muscles. “You might want to put your hair up it’s getting hotter out here.”

“Yeah, good idea,” Kagome agreed and dug through her small pouch of belongings to find a ribbon to hold her hair up in a high pony tail similar to Sango’s. That wasn’t the only thing making them look more alike today. Her long robed Miko garments made doing this kind of training difficult and impeded her movement. Kagome had gotten frustrated by the amount of times she almost tripped on the hem of her pants or smacked herself in the face with her sleeves. Sango wasn’t just teaching her how to fight, she also was doing strength training and other demon slayer training exercises to help Kagome get stronger.

That was why today she had abandoned her normal robes and sported one of Sango’s old demon slayer outfits. The black tight fitting material wasn’t anything she was used to wearing, and she was surprised to find it light and breathable and not constricting like she assumed it would be. With this on, it made going through the exercises much easier. Also, the shielding on parts of her body like her elbows, shoulders and knees made any impact with the ground less painful. Sango told her that it would make learning the steps easier and that way when she had a better handle on it they could transition back to her normal red and white priestess robes she wore everyday since realistically, that is what she would be wearing during a fight. Once her hair was up, Kagome joined her friend to continue on with the rest of their lesson.

After another half hour of grueling sparring, the two women were sweaty and breathless with proud smiles on their faces. Kagome was elated to have managed to get in a few hits on Sango, a few even managing to surprise the expert fighter.

It had been an hour and just like every other time before this, the black haired woman spotted Inuyasha down the road heading her way, their daughter balanced in his one arm while the other rested loosely on the handle of his sword. He always arrived right on the dot to walk her back home without fail. She had told him countless times that he didn’t have to go out of his way to do so, but he insisted.

“Thanks again for today, Sango. I’ll wash this tonight and give it back to you tomorrow,” Kagome promised as she picked up her small bag she carried with her. Unlike the modern era, she didn’t need to carry around a lot here in the feudal era. There were no cell phones, school IDs, wallets or anything of the sort. Now, her small pouch just held some extra coins in case she needed some money, a few common herbs, and any memorabilia she liked to travel with.

Sango sent a smile her way. “Don’t bother giving it back to me. You can use it for next time. That’s an old one anyways I couldn’t tell you the last time I wore it,” she waved her hand in dismissal.

“Oi, Kagome! You just about finished?” The hanyou’s loud voice interrupted them as he and Hikari approached. “If you guys need more time I-“ Inuyasha suddenly stopped speaking, causing Kagome to turn towards him as she picked up her water to see what made him stop talking. A dark brow rose as she looked at him questioningly. The look on his face was not one she recognized, and she’d memorized pretty much all of them by now.

“We finished,” Kagome said when he didn’t start speaking again and simply stared at her, lips pressed into a thin line. “Were you going to say something?” She prodded.

Inuyasha continued staring her down, his thick, dark brows narrowing at her and he almost looked…annoyed? She hadn’t the faintest idea why he would be. He had been in a fine mood when she left. Hikari on the other hand was clinging to her father’s haori contently and trying to shove his subjugation beads into her mouth. She was going to ask him what was wrong when he beat her to speaking.

“What the hell are you wearing?” He asked flatly. Definitely annoyance.

“One of Sango’s old demon slayer outfits. She let me borrow it so it was easier to train since my robes were making it harder,” Kagome explained, watching him stare her down like a hawk. Crossing her arms over her chest she met his stare back evenly.

His eye flickered towards her chest where she had crossed her arms, his nostrils flaring slightly. “Your normal robes are just fine,” he grunted, shifting Hikari to his other arm more comfortably.

“Sure, my robes are fine but these are easier to spar in,” Kagome reiterated, not liking his tone.

“I’m going to go check on the kids now. Bye you two,” Sango quickly cut in with her departing words as she sensed the tension grow by tenfold from the couple. Now that they were married, Inuyasha and Kagome didn’t bicker nearly as much as they did when they were traveling on their journey to defeat Naraku, but they still had their moments and it was best for any bystanders to leave them to it to avoid being hit in the crossfire.

The moment Sango had slipped away and was out of earshot, Inuyasha looked at Kagome seriously and said, “I don’t like you wearing that,” in a flat voice.

Her temper may be more subdued than it was as a teenager, but Inuyasha still had the wonderful ability to be able to push all the right buttons to make her mad. What did he mean he didn’t like her wearing that? Did he think she didn’t look cute enough in this compared to her more reserved priestess garments? Well, Kagome was no modern miko and she would wear whatever the hell she wanted to! “You don’t get to tell me what I can or can’t wear,” she growled. The only thing saving him from her sending his face flying into the ground with a command was their daughter in his arms.

“I never said that,” Inuyasha grunted in retort, unable to help himself but to argue back.

“You just did.”

His jaw clenched. “I said I don’t want you wearing that specifically. I never said anything about any other clothing.”

“You’re unbelievable,” Kagome snapped back and marched up to him, promptly collecting Hikari from him. She took a deep breath to calm herself as she reminded herself to keep her cool since Hikari was there and didn’t need to be upset by them arguing.

“Kagome,” the white haired half demon started, but his wife would have none of it. She promptly spun on her heel and stormed off in the direction of their home. His golden eyes followed her retreating form for only a few seconds before running after her. “Kagome, you know that’s not what I meant,” he growled, trying to get her attention as she obviously tried to ignore him. “You can wear whatever you want. If you don’t want to wear the priestess robes you don’t have to. No one is forcing you to,” he tried.

His wife simply remained silent as she weaved through the dirt road through the village, passing by a small group of men who seemed were trying to negotiate a trade of some sort. “Oh, so I have your permission? Wow, thanks,” she drawled sarcastically, her eyes focused on the road ahead. Hikari oblivious to her parents argument simply babbled happily, her little black dog ears swiveling at all the different sounds from the town.

Inuyasha let out a strangled groan. “Kagome, just listen to me.”

“I think I’ve heard enough,” the young mother quipped without glancing back at him, picking up her pace slightly to put distance between them.

“If you would just let me explain-“

“Explain what? That you don’t find me attractive in these clothes? That they look too masculine? Well, too bad! I’m wearing them when I train and that’s that,” Kagome snapped, whipping her head over her shoulder to cast him a stormy glare. Inuyasha shrank away from her daggered glare slightly, but recovered quickly. He opened his mouth to defend himself but she didn’t want to hear any of it. “I’ll wear whatever I like, regardless if you think it makes me less desirable to you,” she faced forward once again, her fingers rubbing up and down Hikari’s back to help keep the baby calm despite their argument. “You may be my husband, but that doesn’t give you the right to-“ she stopped speaking abruptly as she felt fabric over shoulders.

Craning her neck around, Kagome stopped walking as she realized he had draped his fire rat over her shoulders to cover her shoulders and back, leaving him standing in his cream colored kosode. Furrowing her brows in confusion, she opened her mouth to berate him for this, but the look on his face brought her to pause.

“You never let me finish,” Inuyasha grumbled, and it was then that she noticed a light pink dusting his cheeks. “I meant I don’t like you wearing it cuz I don’t want other men to see you in it,” he explained himself finally, avoiding her gaze.

Kagome blinked, her anger dissolving into confusion. “Why don’t you want other people to see me in this?”

The hanyou groaned, rubbing his hand down his face. “Because I don’t like it when other men stare at you,” he managed to get out. Words never came easily to him, or eloquently.

“What are you talking about? No one is staring at me.”

“Not anymore,” he jutted his chin towards his robe that covered her. “That whole group of men we just passed couldn’t keep their filthy eyes off of you.” His fingers flexed at his side, as if the mere memory made his body itch for a fight.

The dark haired woman stared at him, trying to follow his jumbled thought process. It was then that she realized his gaze kept dropping to the curves of her hips and chest that were more pronounced in the tight fitting clothes. Her mouth shaped a small “oh” as the puzzle pieces clicked together. “You’re jealous,” she stated, realizing that it wasn’t that he didn’t like how she looked in the clothes, but rather that it was more revealing than her normal outfit and he didn’t appreciate other men greedily eyeing his wife.

“I ain’t jealous!” The hanyou retorted, his blush deepening as he struggled to find the words. At least she didn’t seem ready to ‘sit’ him anymore. “I just don’t want other men looking at you like that. It pisses me off,” he huffed, moving to shove his hands into his sleeves but remembering he wasn’t wearing his fire rat and settled for crossing his arms haughtily instead.

“So it’s not that you don’t like how I look in this?” Kagome affirmed, shifting her weight to her other leg as her daughter wiggled slightly in her arms.

“I like it too much, that’s the problem!” Inuyasha realized what he said out loud and blushed further in embarrassment, turning his nose away from her to stubbornly glare at the trees to his right where the forest began.

Kagome felt her own cheeks heat up from his statement. He didn’t like that others could see her figure in this uniform and were likely staring at her hips and thighs that were now on display. “Oh…” was all she managed to say, trying to process everything. Shoving aside the feelings of her heart racing, the miko began to walk again, knowing he would follow. They continued in silence down the path to their home that was just outside the village. By it being more secluded it allowed for a bit more privacy. The only sound for the next few minutes was the soft taps of their footsteps on the ground and the occasional baby noise from their daughter.

Once they were out of the village completely, Kagome spoke up. “So you’re okay if I wear this just around you then?” She asked. He cast a wary glance at her, wondering if this was a trick question.

“Well yeah,” he answered as if it were obvious. “It looks good on you, that’s the problem. It’s hard for me to keep my hands off of you when you’re wearing that.”

He said it so matter of factually she almost choked. She felt her face heat up and wondered if the color matched his robes she wore. Her teeth caught on her lower lip, glancing over at him. Despite being married and having a child together he still managed to fluster her.

Kagome cleared her throat. “Well, Sango said I don’t have to return this to her anytime soon,” she told him, feigning casualty and ignoring her racing heart.

Inuyasha followed her thought process with this, and his expression morphed into a cocky grin. “Oh?”

“I don’t see why I can’t wear it for you at home every once in a while,” the black haired woman feigned innocence, blinking her doe brown eyes at him.

“Keh, it won’t last long on you when you’re with me,” the half demon grinned slyly and snaked his arm around her waist underneath his robe. His hand rested on her hip as he pulled her closer to his side as they continued walking home, their small hut just around the bend.

The priestess matched his grin. If it wasn’t for Hikari she would have said screw it and have him race her home the rest of the way to get started. However, the duty of being parents would force them to wait until later tonight whenever their daughter went to bed. “I’ll hold you to that,” she purred, pressing closer against him. As much as she didn’t want to ruin the moment that they had mended, Kagome still had to address something. “It really is easier for me to learn what Sango’s teaching me with this on. Once I get the moves down she’s teaching me I’ll switch back to my priestess robes. That was the plan all along,” she explained once again to him.

Inuyasha slid his eyes over to her, seeming to think over his next words. At least he got better at that over the years instead of blurting out the first thing that came to his mind. “Fine, but I wanna be around when you’re training with Sango then,” he said in compromise. “That way I can pummel anyone who tries to creep on you.”

Kagome let out a light laugh as they entered their home. “I suppose that’s fair.” Hikari had been lulled to sleep by the swaying of her walk so she laid the toddler down in her bedding. Straightening, she waltzed over to her husband, letting her hips sway more than normal with the movement and watched as his eyes trained on her. “You know, I could wear this when we spar too,” she smiled. Sango wasn’t the only one who had been helping her get back into fighting shape. Inuyasha had also been working with her at her request and they both enjoyed sparring with one another when Hikari was napping.

Inuyasha’s eyes twinkled in mischief. “I guess it will be a training session for me too.”

“Training in what?”

Inuyasha fully grinned, his fangs on full display. “Restraint,” he said and leaned down to kiss her firmly on the lips. She immediately melded into him, her hands moving to grip his robes.

They kissed like that for a while, Inuyasha switching from kissing her lips to moving down towards her neck. Before things could get more heated, soft cries could be heard from the bedding as Hikari woke up from her all too short nap. Inuyasha pulled away from her slightly with a sigh, giving her neck one last playful nip before releasing his wife and allowing her to tend to their little girl. As Kagome scooped up Hikari to soothe her she caught Inuyasha watching her with a smile and all she could think was that she couldn’t wait for their next sparing match.

#day 3: bickering #2024 #fanfic

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inukag-week · 6 months ago

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sacrifice.

@inukag-week

The stench of blood is in the air.

It’s a bitter stench, lingering, but he knows it is a sign of the battle yet to be won.

They stand side by side, him and his comrades, ready to finish this fight with Naraku before it goes on any longer. Each one of them had their own reasons to defeat him, to end things once and for all, and they would not rest until it was finished. “Kagome!” He looks to his right, where sure enough she stands, a fierce determination in her dark blue eyes. “Where’s the shards?” Those same eyes widen ever so slightly and then she’s turning away, looking up at Naraku now, seeing for the first time the glow of the Shikon no Tama.

“There! In his chest!” She points upward, where she alone can see the faint glow of the jewel he holds, nearly completed, but not quite. Instinctively her hand grasps the little bottle she wears around her own neck, which inside sits two shards, some of the final ones of those lost all those months ago when her arrow shattered the jewel. Those piercing red eyes turn her way then, Naraku’s scowl sending chills down her spine as their gazes meet. But she would not show her fear, not now, not ever!

“It’s over Naraku!” Inuyasha shouts, leaping into the air with his sword swinging- of course, as he expects, the barrier erects around him, preventing him from hitting his mark. But that’s not his only trick. A squeeze of Tessaiga’s handle and it glows red, the power flowing through the steel as he swings again. This time, the barrier shatters and below his comrades are ready to intervene. Sango’s hiraikotsu comes barreling through, but Naraku vanishes into thin air a moment before it can strike.

Falling back to the ground, he lands into place beside Kagome, glancing her way a moment before Naraku appears once more, his swarm of miasma and saimyosho preventing Miroku from unleashing his wind tunnel. “Careful guys,” Kagome says, clutching her bow closely, watching above as Naraku begins to laugh. She alone can feel the sting of the poisoned Shikon No Tama, the once lilac light growing ever darker. It wounds her soul in a way nothing else ever has, in a way she can’t put to words, not even in her own mind. She has to find a way to purify it and fast… The miasma that seeps out from the tainted jewel only serves as a power booster for Naraku and she knows it wouldn’t be long before his power would overwhelm them.

Inuyasha is flying forward once more, Tessaiga swinging. “Wind Scar!” He bellows, unleashing his attack, soaring back towards the ground as the Wind Scar hits the mark- but just as he suspects, Naraku’s barrier has returned, protecting him from harm. Again he swings, the red blade returning, but before he can strike, Naraku’s arm shoots forward, turned back into the twisted tentacle that aims for Inuyasha. Cursing, he darts out of the way just in the nick of time, landing a short distance away from Kagome and the others. “Cheap trick. Naraku. Scared I’ll cut off your head if I get too close?” Inuyasha smirks, though Naraku’s smile is a malicious one as he looks down upon the hayou. “Try this!” He leaps back as the blade becomes less like steel and more like diamond. “Adamant Barrage!” The shards from the sword fly forward, crashing through the barrier and once more taking it down. Before anyone can move, Inuyasha is on the move, ready to attack before Naraku ever has the chance to recover the barrier. “Wind Scar!” he shouts again and unleashes the attack with every ounce of fury he has inside of him.

This time it hits and something about the moment feels off.

Kagome watches as Inuyasha comes back down to where they stand, his triumphant look telling her he doesn’t feel the same vibes that she does. “Inuyasha…!” She calls out, uncertainty in her eyes as he turns to face her, Tessaiga resting against his shoulder. But there is no time for the hanyou before Naraku appears behind him, his red eyes gleaming in the darkness of night. “Look out!” She screams, fear coursing through her, but there was no time to react, not even for Inuyasha, for just as he spins around, Naraku attacks.

The hanyou is pierced through his chest with one of Naraku’s twisted tentacles, the spray of blood shocking her as she can do nothing but watch. Black lightning begins to crackle and then it surrounds Inuyasha, enveloping him until he’s out of sight, lost among the darkness of the attack. Her heart pounding, she doesn’t think, she doesn’t even hesitate- somehow, her body just knows what to do. Despite the shouts from her comrades, she’s rushing forward, drawing an arrow from her quiver and squaring her shoulders. “I don’t think so Kagome,” Naraku’s voice booms, another tentacle coming her way, knocking her off her feet before she can aim. And though she stumbles, she gets back up onto her feet, putting her arrow to her bow. She takes aim and with a single deep breath, she lets it fly.

The lilac glow is like a beacon in the night, the arrow flying forward, aimed not for Naraku himself, but for the limb that still is piercing Inuyasha’s chest. Her arrow does the trick, severing the tentacle and at once the lightning ceases, allowing for the hanyou’s body to tumble back to the ground. Naraku growls, knowing he had to do something about that damned woman and soon, but… he recalls the need to use her eyes, her mystic power to find the remaining Shikon no Tama shards, and his anger cools. At least just a little.

Red eyes flicker back to the hanyou there on the ground, finally in a way that could result in his end. It had to be now. “This is the end for you, Inuyasha,” Naraku calls, raising his hand, a gathering of energy swirling in his palm. He would kill Inuyasha and take Kagome and finally complete his desires.

This would be it.

Kagome watches as the power Naraku gathers in his hands grows, the wind swirling around him, the black lightning crackling. She knows almost at once what he intends to do as her eyes dart back to the fallen hanyou- who is squirming now on the ground, unable to rise, unable to protect himself from what was about to happen. And even him, the strong, the seemingly unbeatable Inuyasha, couldn’t withstand a powerful blast such as this one in his condition. She thinks of every moment that’s led them to this one- each moment that Inuyasha has thrown himself into battle at her expense, that he’s protected her, shielded her, caught her. He’d been there for her in every way possible… perhaps now…

Perhaps now it was her turn.

She isn’t sure what she can do, but she knows she has to try. Rushing forward, she throws herself down onto the ground at his side, his weak voice crying out her name as he realizes what she intends to do. Instead, she glances his way and smiles, as if she somehow knows everything would be just fine. And then, holding tight to her bow, she turns back to face the attack that is now hurtling towards them.

When it strikes, she feels the sharp sting of the lightning, but the bow she holds does something miraculous. The light surrounds both her and Inuyasha, bright and beautiful, forming something like a barrier of her own making, shielding them from the brunt of the attack. When the light dies away, they are left mostly uninjured, save for the few burns she’s endured to her arms. “It’s over for you, Naraku,” she spits, an arrow to her bow, blue eyes narrowing as she focuses, poised to strike him down once and for all.

Surprised by this outcome, Naraku takes a step back before he vanishes, reappearing in the sky high above them, out of her arrow’s trajectory. He hadn’t been prepared for a new show of that spiritual power of hers… But it only serves as more of a reason to make her his. If he couldn’t have Kikyo, this would be the next best. “Oh, but it isn’t over yet,” he says, red eyes finding blue, before he’s gone in a storm of swirling miasma.

With Naraku gone, she’s turning to face the battered Inuyasha, who is now pushing his elbow to the dirt, forcing himself upright. “Kagome… Are you crazy?” He asks as she puts her arm around him, helping him up into a sitting position. He’s badly injured, that she can see, but he must be feeling well enough if he can admonish her in such a way. “You could have been killed!” He cannot bear such a thought- and even now, recalling how weak he’d been in the moment, unable to protect himself, let alone her, made him sick. He was supposed to keep her safe and she could have died in that moment, all because she’d put herself in front of him.

“You always do it for me,” she says with a shrug, lips curving in a smile.

Inuyasha blinks, surprised by her words, but then his gaze softens, his heart turning over as he slides his hand into place over hers. “Just don’t do it again,” he sighs and she laughs, tears filling her eyes as she leans in to embrace him, uncaring of the blood that will stain her clothes. Despite his injured frame, he holds onto her, breathing her in; despite it all, he’s thankful for her desire to protect him, to keep him safe.

There weren't that many people in the world so willing, after all.

#day 6: sacrifice #2024 #fanfic

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inukag-week · 6 months ago

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personal space.

@inukag-week

The thunder rolls overhead, its rumble deafening, but he doesn’t budge.

At least not right away.

The moment it ends, a gasp comes from across the room, as his companion awakens from her slumber with a start. “Thunder!” Her blue eyes are wide and frightened, far more frightened than he’s seen them before. Even when facing an enemy.

Was Kagome… Was she afraid of storms?

Lightning lights up the single room, the jagged light casting eerie shadows along the wall as it fades away. He sighs, shaking his head, thinking to himself he would go back to sleep- it was very often that he actually slept, as it was. But the thunder booms once more as the rain lashes out against the roof they sit beneath, proof of the storm that had hit. He was thankful they’d found this hut to stay in, because sleeping out in the rain certainly didn’t sound that appealing.

Just as he begins to drift off again, he hears the soft shuffle of feet, feels the brushing of her shoulder against his own. He opens an eye, casting a sidelong glance, only to find she’s seated there beside him, closer than she’s been in days. Closer than she’s almost ever been before… Almost. “What are you doing?” He asks bluntly, turning golden eyes onto her blue.

“I’m afraid,” she admits, a blush staining her cheeks.

He doesn’t have the chance to reply before the thunder growls, louder than ever, and she lets out a little scream, turning inwardly to face him. And before he realizes it, he’s reaching an arm around her, as if he means to shield her from what is causing her fears. His arm around her shoulders, she peeks up at him from her fringe of dark hair, murmuring her thanks before she goes back to burying her face into his shoulder.

And so there they stay, the only sound that of the storm that rages outside their four walls. Well, that and the steady beating of her heart that he can hear above everything else. They are rarely this close, but somehow it feels right to have his arm around her, to feel the weight of her head resting against his shoulder. They rarely get along, but somehow her close proximity is giving him a sense of comfort he’s never felt before.

The next rumble of thunder seems further away and this time, she does not gasp, in fact, she doesn’t even budge. Inuyasha glances down at where she sits only to find she’s fallen back asleep, seemingly unafraid now that she sits beside him. Inuyasha cannot help but to smile as he leans back, navigating her so her head lays in his lap, as his had once done just a few short weeks ago. And there she sleeps, his arm draped over her, his sleeve offering her the blanket she needed, his lap the pillow.

Then he closes his eyes and he too drifts off to sleep.

#day 5: personal space #2024 #fanfic

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inukag-week · 6 months ago

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seasons.

@inukag-week

She returns to the past in the heart of summer.

They spend lazy days on the shore of the river, staring up at the beautiful blue skies above, their fingers intertwined.

They spend sunsets on the edge of their favorite hill, just outside of the village, his arm around her waist, talking over the day and their hopes for the next.

They spend nights beneath the stars, sometimes inside the small hut that’s become theirs, but more often than not they spend it outside, just as they always have.

They spend sunrises wrapped in one another’s arms, nuzzled together, happy to wake another day beside the other.

[ x x x ]

As the golden red leaves fall from the trees that first fall, they travel the land in a way they’d never got to do before.

They stop in small villages, so she might offer her healing touch and beautiful smile. Oftentimes by the time they arrive in a new one, they’ve already heard word of her- no longer does she live in Kikyo’s shadow.

He plucks apples from their branches and watches in awe as she makes them into drinks, into sauces, into things he never thought possible, delighting him each and every time. They sleep less often beneath the stars as the cold settles in, but every night she sleeps tucked up against him, fitting against him like a puzzle piece.

They return home just as the kabocha are ready for their harvest- she had promised the children of the village that she would show them something incredible with the kabocha that they had planted that spring before her arrival.

So he watches as one night she sits with the dozen or so children gathered around her, using a small blade to carefully cut a face into the side of the kabocha and place a small candle inside the hollowed out inside, promising that when night fell, they would see something special. She helps each child that night carve their own faces into their hollow kabocha and when the last one finishes, they build a fire to roast the seeds they’d harvested, waiting for the fall of night so the children can see her final surprise.

When it is dark that night, she lights each and every candle inside the kabocha, and the children squeal and clap and laugh as the faces they’ve carved glow in the dark. Each child carries their kabocha home and that night as they retire to their own home, they follow a path of glowing faces at the doors to every hut.

[ x x x ]

When the first snowflakes fall, they’re standing on their favorite hillside, watching the sunset.

She catches it in her palm, a smile curving on her lips, murmuring something about the coming of winter. He slips his arm around her waist and they return home, where he will build the fire that will keep her warm, the fire that she will make their dinner upon.

As the days pass, they walk the forest, the snow crunching beneath their feet, watching for the flash of an orange fox through the trees. They spend their winter days in a way he’s never done before: carefree.

Some nights they find themselves stargazing, their breath coming in white clouds. She points out the constellations, laughing when he squints, claiming he doesn’t understand how those six stars make up the shape of anything at all. He brings her a woven scarf of red wool that she wears religiously all season long,

But they spend more time than not, tucked beneath the warmth of their covers, holding onto one another. Mornings where they once might have woken early, they spend in bed, making up for so much lost time. Some days it isn’t until someone knocks upon their door that they get up, because the warmth of each other far outweighs the cold of the winter days.

[ x x x ]

Spring dawns with a burst of sunlight, catching them all by surprise.

The birds are singing each morning as they wake and the first steps outside often lead them to watching the pale pink sunrise streak the sky.

She plants seeds with the village children and he watches from his perch on his favorite branch, one which allows him to overlook everything. She’s teaching them about each seed they’re planting, flowers and herbs and even kabocha seeds she’d saved from the fall. The children listen intently as she talks and he feels his heart swell.

As the days pass, they grow warmer and warmer, the sky often blue and bright, rain falling every now and again. The land blooms with life and he brings her bundles of sweet smelling flowers that she arranges into beautiful bouquets. They watch mother deer bring out their newborn fawn and more than once, she alone is trusted to reach out a hand and touch the babies soft heads.

They spend each day in a new way, finding joy in each moment they have together.

As their first spring comes to a close and the heat of summer begins again, they realize it was the start of their second year together.

Just like that, the cycle of seasons had come and gone, just to begin again.

#day 4: seasons #2024 #fanfic

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inukag-week · 6 months ago

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Inukag week day 5: Sacrifice

#day 6: sacrifice #2024 #fanart

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inukag-week · 6 months ago

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his happiness

Fandom: Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

Pairing: Inukag

Rating: T

Inukag Week 2024 - Day 6: Sacrifice

Summary: (Sequel to day 5) Sango spies a suspicious mark on Kagome's neck, and conversations get a little uncomfortable after that.

Read on AO3

Read below the cut

Kagome released a pent-up sigh at the sensation of the warm water caressing her skin up to her neck. Sango, a few feet away, made a similar noise, and the two women giggled at their synchronized relaxation.

“This is nice,” the older woman said. “How long has it been—a month? I was getting tired of the chilly river.”

Kagome hummed. She felt a little guilty about it, as she’d benefited from the luxury of her own bathtub about two weeks prior—but her sentiment was still just as strong.

It was a little place tucked away from any roads or villages, about a stone’s throw from their last shard-related battle. It wasn’t too difficult of a fight, but it was a salamander demon who’d alternated between spitting fire and throwing mud at them. No one got terribly dirty, but it was bad enough to warrant a good, relaxing soak. While the sun was still up, the spring was theirs; the boys would take it after nightfall.

Kagome reclined her head against the stone behind them, recalling something Inuyasha had mumbled to her before they’d left.

Go get that wolf’s scent off of you. I can still smell it from yesterday.

Well, he had certainly seemed a little different since the previous evening—not that today had been the most advantageous for any sort of… rediscussion. At the very least, he’d taken a couple of liberties that made it very clear he was going to honor her request.

Don’t be such a stranger from now on.

Well, as for the first thing he did that morning in obedience to her request, he’d planted himself right behind her during breakfast and sprawled a leg out to corral her petite frame. Her back was all but pressed to his front, and, to her relief, the others kept their observations to themselves.

The second thing came soon after they broke camp; when it was time to set out, Inuyasha gripped the undersides of her thighs a little more… blatantly than he ever had; typically, he turned his hands so that his palms pointed outward and linked his fingers together to support her weight with minimal invasiveness. But this time, his palms and fingers came flush with her skin, right on the meat of her hamstrings. He must have heard her heart rate take up a violent pace, as he tilted his head to inspect her for any sign of concern. Their eyes met, and a shadow of self-consciousness began to invade his eyes—so she did the first thing that came to mind to reassure him: she tightened her hold around his neck, buried her face in his back, and muttered, “Hurry up, or we’ll get left behind.”

Sango interrupted Kagome’s musings: “Say, what’s that on your neck?”

She hoped Sango would interpret the immediate flush to her cheeks as only a result of the hot water.

And that brought her to the third liberty he’d taken: around lunch, when they’d stopped to eat at the place that would not ten minutes later turn into a battleground, Inuyasha had offered to scope out the area (he’d sensed there might have been a demon nearby). Before he left, and as Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were busy building a quick fire and throwing together a meal, Inuyasha took full advantage of the ponytail that was keeping Kagome’s hair off her neck, and gave her a not-so-gentle kiss there. He’d known to simultaneously smother her mouth with his hand—as she did emit quite the squeak at the sensation. It started as a kiss, then morphed into a firm suck, and then ended in one sharp nip.

She wasn’t sure if he’d meant to draw a little blood—in fact, if she had to guess, his immediate wince and encore of another soft kiss was likely meant as an embarrassed apology. It hardly broke the skin, and it wasn’t bad enough to bleed any more than the initial puncture would draw to the surface, but it sealed her fate: there would be a mark. And it had all happened in less than ten seconds.

Well, Kagome couldn’t blame Sango for asking about it now; it was on full display due to her forgetfulness.

Nonetheless, her fingers shot up to cover it, and the panicked expression likely didn’t help her case, either.

Sanyo’s eyes grew wide.

“Is that—!”

“Shhh!” Kagome lunged to cover Sango’s mouth with both hands, as their camp was hardly over the tree line, and a shout would likely be heard by Inuyasha and Shippo, at least.

Sango seemed to remember this a second later, and when she spoke again, it was in a shrill whisper: “Is that from Inuyasha?”

Kagome cringed, bringing her hands to cradle her own crimson face.

“Surely it’s not from Kouga?!”

“No!” Kagome hissed in offense. “…It was Inuyasha.”

Sango proceeded to make a myriad of various conflicting expressions, some of shock, others of excitement, and still others of confusion and frustration.

Kagome sighed, urging her nerves to subside. “It was from earlier today.”

“When?!”

“Does it matter?” Kagome cried, wanting nothing more than for this conversation to shift somewhere else. “We—we’re just…”

“Keeping secrets, that’s what!” Sango scolded, utterly scandalized.

“No, we’re not! Sango, this just started—we haven’t even talked about it since everything happened yesterday…”

“Yesterday?!” she yelled, and Kagome smacked her hands back over Sango’s mouth.

She returned their tones to a whisper. “Yes, yesterday. But please don’t act any different—I don’t even understand what’s happening, and I really don’t think he wants anyone else involved…”

She scoffed. “Of course he doesn’t. The idiot…”

Kagome couldn’t help but giggle at her tone, which was increasingly growing to that of an older sister.

Sango cleared her throat in an effort to compose herself, then she continued: “So, what? Are you two together now? What about…” As she trailed off, her expression froze, and she gave Kagome a rueful look, as if apologizing for something she didn’t even say.

“What about what?” Kagome pressed fearfully.

“You know…” she tried, but Kagome’s persistent silence forced her to spit it out. “What about Kikyo?”

Kagome flinched at the name. Admittedly, she hadn’t even thought about the priestess since yesterday’s events—and she wondered how such an important thing could slip through the cracks of her mind.

“Um, well…” she began, wringing her hands under the warm water and staring at the ripples on the surface. “I don’t know.”

“I mean, doesn’t Inuyasha still plan on dying with her? He hasn’t said otherwise, has he?”

Kagome’s stomach clenched. “I don’t…”

“Or does he still plan on using the Shikon Jewel to make himself a full demon? I can never keep up…” she said with no small amount of agitation.

Sango realized after a moment that Kagome had fallen silent. Then, in a poor effort to take back the sour mood she’d just created, she brought her hands to Kagome’s shoulders.

“No, I’m sure it’s no problem at all, Kagome! I mean, none of us actually thinks he’ll leave us—leave you—when all this is over. Everyone knows he’s head over heels for you.”

Kagome offered a weak smile in return, but there was no mistaking it: there was now a distinct shadow over her demeanor that nothing Sango could say could fix. It was as if she’d pulled the curtain back during a nice little stage play to show that, no matter how kind the king had seemed, there was still a whole other person in a green box who was actually in control.

“It’s okay, Sango. You’re right.”

“Maybe you should just ask him about it...?”

“...Yeah.” Her voice was high, as if she was trying to appear cheerful, but it only sounded strained.

Well, thought Sango solemnly, maybe the only way out of this is to go through.

She scooted closer to Kagome and brought a comforting arm around her back. She was taller, even when sitting, so the position brought Kagome into the crook of her arm.

“Hey... you love him, don’t you?” she asked softly.

Kagome kept staring at the water, but her expression grew even more pained. “Like crazy,” she whispered.

“Well, then. When the time comes, and we’ve defeated Naraku and restored the jewel, what would you wish for, if you had the chance?”

Kagome took in the question one word at a time. “I’d want...”

She hesitated. Kagome’s first instinct was to say that she’d want to be able to be with Inuyasha forever—and this wouldn’t have been a lie. But was that really what she wanted to want the most? Would she be the kind of person she could approve of if she wished for something like that, when all other wishes were at her fingertips?

Kagome imagined herself as the best version of Kagome she could ever be. What would that version of her wish?

She’d be willing to sacrifice what she wanted. She’d want Inuyasha to be happy, more than anything. No matter what that meant.

Kagome’s lips formed into a sad smile. After a minute of thinking, she turned to Sango and said resolutely, “I’d wish for Inuyasha’s happiness.”

This wasn’t what Sango expected to hear her say, and she’d be lying if a part of her wasn’t bothered by it, but she forced her lips to perk upward. “Then I guess you’ll just have to trust that he knows what will make him the happiest.”

Dusk’s arrival grew imminent, and with it came the bleak prospect of a waning paradise that Kagome felt she’d gotten to cherish far too briefly.

When they left the spring and returned to the men, Inuyasha offered her a secret smile, and she did her best to return it. But she did not wait for their return before laying herself down to sleep.

As she drifted off, she wondered if the growing sound of the soul collectors’ singing was real or dreamed.

#day 6: sacrifice #2024 #fanfic

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inukag-week · 6 months ago

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softer

Fandom: Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

Pairing: Inukag

Rating: T

Inukag Week 2024 - Day 7: Contrast

Summary: (sequel to day 6) Inuyasha was never good at finding the right words. But during misunderstandings, a man had to do what a man had to do—even if it meant fumbling like hell while talking about his feelings.

Read on AO3

Read below the cut

Kagome awoke to the sensation of her head being gently lifted off the ground. Her eyes clenched tightly before opening, and she was surprised to find that it was still nighttime. Inuyasha was there, looking down at her. He’d placed her head in his lap, supposedly to make her more comfortable, and he’d accidentally woken her up in the process. She couldn’t tell what time it was.

“Hey,” she whispered, stretching languidly before adjusting for her own comfort.

“Hey. Sorry for waking you up,” he mumbled.

She blinked up at him and gave him a soft smile. “It’s alright. Couldn’t sleep?”

He brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “No more or less than usual.”

“Hmm.” A typical Inuyasha answer.

“Go back to sleep. It’s barely past midnight.”

“Will you?”

“I’ll do my best.”

Kagome wondered passively if something had happened. She was viewing him from upside down, but she could nonetheless see something timid in his furrowed brows, something somber in his gaze. His fingers were still in her hair.

“Is everything okay?” she mumbled, eyes growing heavy again.

“Yeah,” he said after a moment, as if he’d really thought about it. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her palm. “Promise.”

��

When Kagome stirred from the brightening sky, she found that Inuyasha had gone again, and her head had been returned to her sleeping bag’s cushion.

She sat up, popped her back, and found that the others were only just then stirring, too. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen.

Sango was repacking her things when she realized Kagome was awake. She greeted her with a smile, but she could tell there was still a hint of regret underneath it. “Morning, Kagome!” she chirped. “How’d you sleep?”

Kagome stood and began to roll up her sleeping bag. “Not bad. And you?”

“Just fine.”

Miroku was fully cognizant now, and he began by emptying his money bag counting up their current funds. “Morning, everyone,” he said groggily. “Where’s Inuyasha?” he asked.

Sango turned to look at Kagome expectantly.

“Don’t look at me," she defended. “I don’t know where he went.”

Sango’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “You don’t?”

Kagome slipped her a look of warning, indicating Miroku with her eyes. “No. Why would I know that?”

Sango mouthed an “Oh!” and covered her mouth with her hands.

Shippo, always the last to rise, moaned sleepily from under his blanket. “I wonder if he came back at all last night.”

Hmm? What does he mean by that? Kagome wondered, slipping her skirt over her sleeping shorts before sliding the latter down her legs. She had a whole system by now for changing clothes without exposing herself.

“Did he go somewhere?” asked Sango.

“I dunno,” shrugged the kit. “I got up to eat a snack a little after we all went to bed, and he was gone.”

Kagome felt a rock forming in her stomach.

Miroku, surprisingly the voice of reason, said, “He’s probably just scouting the area. I doubt he’d go far.”

“Yeah,” affirmed Sango, who was watching Kagome warily. “It’s probably nothing.”

“Right,” Kagome affirmed, proud of how her voice didn’t shake even a little bit.

With that, they kept collecting their things—until Shippo’s stomach growled so loudly all three of the others could hear it.

“What do we have for leftovers?” asked Miroku.

Kagome, who was usually in charge of storing their food, shuffled through her bag. “Hmm. Not too much, just—”

Thud.

The sound of two heavy feet planting on the ground behind her cut her short, and she staggered to turn around.

“Inuyasha!”

Such an unnecessarily dramatic entrance, she thought, shaking her head at him. He had a spear-full of fish slung over his back.

“Sorry—took me longer than I thought. You alright?”

“Am I alright?” she sputtered, blushing at his rolled up sleeves despite herself. “You’re the one who went missing. Tell someone next time, will you?”

“Keh,” he grunted, turning away from her to prop the spear against the nearest tree and start a fire. “Good morning to you, too.”

Kagome bit her tongue. There had to be at least a dozen nice, fat trout—maybe it was wrong to jump right into criticizing him. She came to squat next to him.

“Sorry,” she said. “Thanks for fishing for us.”

His golden eyes reflected the growing embers he was nurturing, and he leaned down further to bring his lips close to their source and give it a soft blow. “No problem,” he said, brows furrowing in focus.

Well, that settled that, she supposed. Kagome still suspected something had happened the night before, but it was a relief to know that he’d only been at the river that morning.

The team ate their generous breakfast and began their trek forward.

It was hard to know what of his behavior could be considered normal, considering they’d grown closer in a rather specific way lately… but at the very least, she knew that yesterday he’d been more amorous than sweet—and today, it seemed the other way around.

Not ten minutes after their departure, he pulled her bag off of her back and slung it over his own shoulder. Later on in the day, he momentarily halted their journey to chase the smell of blueberries, which he knew were a favorite of hers. Finally, and perhaps most alarmingly, she found that he had at some point pulled a pink flower from a bush and tucked it in her skirt’s pocket. How he had done so without her notice, she couldn’t guess.

With each kindness he offered, her mood only grew more dour. Maybe that was why he kept doing such things; perhaps he sensed that she was upset. But with each failure to lift her mood, he, too, became agitated.

The others in the group noticed the growing tension, and when they stopped to set up camp for the night, they mostly kept to themselves.

When Inuyasha attempted to unroll and flatten her sleeping bag for her with a scowl plastered to his face, Kagome finally snapped.

“What’s with you today?”

He dropped the sleeping bag onto the dirt gracelessly and stood to glare at her. "Me? What’s with you?"

Sango, who understood better than Miroku and Shippo about the nature of this argument, decided it would be smart to usher them out of the way for now.

“Miroku, Shippo—let’s go buy some herbs in that town we passed by!” Her tone was awkward and entirely forced, but the two boys didn’t need to be told twice to get out of there. Before they took off on Kirara’s back, Sango met Kagome’s angry gaze and gave her a wary smile.

And then, they were alone.

Inuyasha, hardly noticing the others’ fleeing, stormed toward her and spat, “I’ve been breaking my back all day for you, and you’re pissed off about it?”

Kagome glowered at him, not quite ready to speak.

“I thought you wanted me to be more affectionate," he snarled, the final word tangibly unnatural on his tongue.

She almost lost her resolve right then and there. He looked genuinely lost—and she knew it’d be cruel to leave him in the dark any longer.

She raised her chin. “You saw her last night, didn’t you?”

Inuyasha’s expression answered for him. His mouth snapped closed, and his eyes widened. Then, he turned his hardened face from hers. “She summoned me.”

“...And that’s why you’ve been so nice to me today,” she stated absently, as if making an obvious observation about the weather. “Because you feel guilty about it.”

That seemed to liven him, at least. “N-No—! That’s not it at all!" he cried, bringing his hands to her shoulders.

She looked away, fighting the simultaneous urges to clench her fists, to shove him away from her, and to bury her face in his chest and cry.

“Kagome, please listen to me. It was reconnaissance—nothing happened," he insisted, voice hoarse.

“Reconnaissance. Right. At midnight?"

His eyebrow twitched in frustration. “I can’t control when she calls me.”

But you can control when you answer, she wanted to say. But she knew she’d only hate herself more for feeding such bitter thoughts—and she feared that he might hate her, too.

Kagome sucked in a mouthful of air and released it slowly. “I know…” she started, still not meeting his gaze. She cleared her tight throat and tried again. “I know it’s hard for you, traveling with me. You know, since I remind you of her…”

Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed at her words, and he realized in an instant what she was doing.

She was giving him an out.

“…I can’t blame you for feeling confused.”

“Kagome…” You’re wrong, he thought. He cursed his own weakness in finding the right words to say. She turned her back to him and lowered her gaze to the ground.

…

“Inuyasha.”

The voice was cool, and calm.

His own features became solemn, as they always did when he was with her.

“Kikyo.”

She extended her hand to him, but when he came to stand in front of her, he kept his own hands at his sides.

She didn’t say anything about it—only let her pale fingers fall like snow from the sky. “You’ve retrieved some shards since we last met,” she observed.

He nodded his head once. “We’re getting closer.”

“Indeed.”

A soul collector slithered a lap around her frail frame and delivered a small ball of light to her chest. It made him sick. With disgust, with sadness, with disappointment, with pity. It was almost too much—but he clenched his jaw and waited silently for her to speak again.

“Tell me…” she began, and he found that there was a seed of guilt within him that he feared she could sense. He straightened his spine.

There was no reason to feel guilty about how he was changing. If any part of her had ever truly loved any part of him, then surely— surely she would understand.

“Do you still intend…?”

She didn’t have to finish. Her eyes had grown sad, and he wondered how she’d found out, and when. Maybe she could sense it lingering on him—Kagome’s spiritual power. He wondered if it was on his clothes. On his tongue.

Or maybe, he realized, she had known for a long time already.

“I will avenge you,” he said firmly. “Don’t doubt that.”

Kikyo was becoming almost ghost-like, one day at a time. He knew she hated it, too—living only on the combined fuel of the lost life-force of the dead, a stolen shard of another soul, and a resurrected bloodlust for her own vengeance.

“I see,” she sighed. “Well, until next time, then.”

…

Kagome was there—right in front of him, unmoving—but she was slipping away.

“Kagome,” he said again, tone growing desperate. He shook her slightly with the hands that were still on her shoulders, and she finally—finally returned his gaze.

This was her biggest insecurity. They both knew that. Kagome hated it more than anything, but that didn’t make it go away. She felt tears prickling at the edges of her vision, and she dug her fingernails into her palms to dull the pain.

He was growing distressed—with her, with himself, with the whole damn situation. Still gripping her shoulders, he tugged them backwards until his back hit a tree. He pushed her down to sit with him, and he pulled her between his bent legs. She didn’t resist, but she didn’t fall into him, either. She sat there, on her knees, and kept her hands in her lap.

“It’s alright, Inuyasha,” she said. “I do understand.”

“No—you don't. Listen to me,” he urged. But he didn’t go on.

“…I am listening,” she affirmed, confused by his hesitation.

“…”

"Damn it! Why am I so bad at this?!” he swore at the sky. Then, he flashed his teeth at her before finally blurting out, “You think you remind me of her?”

Her eyes widened as she watched his face grow heated.

“You think I like you because you’re some kind of replacement?”

Well, she’d never actually use those words, but…

“You two are nothing alike! Yeah, I mistook you for her the first time we met, but I didn’t know you then. Everything about you is… ugh—! Why can’t I explain it?”

His display was growing increasingly pitiable, and she raised herself on her knees to place her soothing hands on his cheeks. “Inuyasha, calm down. Just breathe and talk to me. Don’t worry about saying the wrong thing, just—just speak.”

It felt so much better when she was looking at him. She was in reach again, and he leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. He filled his lungs with her scent, exhaled, and tried again:

“...Softer,” he grunted.

She blinked. “… Huh?”

But shockingly, Inuyasha seemed pleased with his word, and he grabbed her hands with excited fingers and held them to his chest.

“That’s it," he said, eyes twinkling in some twisted kind of relief. “Everything about you. You’re softer.”

Her color rose. “Um, Inuyasha… I don’t really know what you mean."

He shuffled his weight on his butt like an antsy child. “Kikyo, she’s—she’s always been so firm. Like a frozen lake. Beautiful, yeah—but if I touched it, I’d either break it or make it dirty. And you’re like… ah—" he growled, apparently at another impasse.

He went another direction. “You don’t even really look like her anymore, you know? Your faces are similar, but your bodies aren’t. You’re shorter. Your hair is curlier. You have more color to your skin, but in a good way. Her eyes…” he tossed some words around in his mind and continued, “…they’re like steel. Yours are…” he trailed off yet again, and his eyes flicked back and forth between hers, as if they would hold the answer. “Storm clouds.”

His hands squeezed her wrists, and Kagome’s fingers tangled into the red fabric at his chest. Her heart was pounding, and not just because of his proximity; his look had grown wild. She wanted to say something, anything, to get him to stop, but her mind was blank.

“I could never be happy with her,” he said finally, and it came off of his tongue like an epiphany, like he was learning it at the same time.

She found words, then. Even she was surprised by what they were. “When everything is over, and we’ve restored the jewel—what are you going to wish for?”

It was a terrible question; at least, it had always seemed like one. But it sounded so small now, so simple, and she was angry it took her so long to ask.

He pondered for a moment, then said, “When I was with her, I’d planned on using it to make myself fully human.”

Kagome listened with her entire heart. “Why?”

He tilted his head, as if surprised by her confusion. “I thought that was what I had to do to be with her.”

Kagome’s brows furrowed in pain, and she freed one of her hands to brush her fingers along his cheek.

He went on: “Then, after everything went to hell, I planned on using it to make myself a full demon. I wanted to be as far away from her as possible, and I thought that was the best way to do it.”

This had still been his plan when they met.

“And now?” she breathed.

His lips quirked into a half smile, and he let her question charge the air around them. “What would you want me to do?”

She tightened her grip on him, scooting closer to shout right in his face, “I’d want you to stay a half demon!”

He smiled fully with half-lidded eyes and rested his head against the tree trunk. “I know,” he said softly, pulling her into his arms. “And that is what makes you different. Not just from Kikyo—from everybody.”

Tears welled in her eyes, and she hid her face in his neck. “You promised her that you’d be together in the afterlife.”

He brought a hand to cradle the back of her head. “And the greatest gift she could give me would be to let me do that by being with you.”

Sometimes, he did find the right words.

“I’m sorry, Inuyasha,” she mumbled into his skin, trying not to blubber. “I didn’t know you felt that way.”

“Keh. Maybe because whenever you don’t have a stick up your ass, I’ve got a foot in my mouth.”

And sometimes, he didn’t.

Kagome pulled away to wack him on the shoulder. “Hey! Not nice.”

She was fully in his lap by now, and they both seemed to notice at the same time. That reminded her…

“I’ve got another bone to pick with you,” she scolded, wiping her silly tears.

He rolled his eyes, but his hands came to her hips. “What?” he drawled.

Kagome collected her hair into one hand and brought it to one side. “This,” she said, angling her head to show him where he’d bitten her. “Sango saw it.”

He closed his eyes in dismay. “That probably wasn’t fun to explain.”

“No, no it wasn’t.”

“I didn’t mean to, you know,” he defended. To punctuate his words, he brought his mouth to the spot and gave it a soft kiss. He kept his lips on her skin as he said, “It’s your own fault.”

“And how’s that?” she laughed.

Twisting to the side, he lowered them to the ground.

He let his left arm serve as her pillow and brought his right hand to her waist, beneath the fabric of her shirt, and groped at the curve there. “Like I said,” he muttered, lowering his lips to hers. “Soft.”

Her entire body felt like it was on fire. His thumb was tracing the skin of her ribs, and she sighed into his kiss. She tugged him down to lay on her fully, and she found his weight deliciously pleasant. His hand began to roam upward, and her heart was in her throat. Is he going to…

But at the last second, before his claws met her breast, he redirected his pointer finger to trace down her abdomen—

She flinched. And, simultaneously, she giggled. Their eyes met, and she saw him lift a brow. Kagome pleaded with him wordlessly, too afraid to make any sudden movements.

His fingers twitched.

“Please, don’t,” she whined.

But he had already made his decision. All too suddenly, he was tickling her sides and stomach, and she began to thrash and grab at his hands while shaking in laughter.

“S-Stop! Don’t make me say it!” she shrieked, hardly threatening, and he tore his fingers away from her skin. He braced his forearms on either side of her head and watched her catch her breath.

Inuyasha chuckled to himself. “And that’s another thing: only you let me bully you like this.”

“Oh, so you just like that I let you be mean to me, is that it?” she growled, panting.

Lowering his head, Inuyasha brought his lips to her ear. He traced his tongue along its curves before biting the lobe softly. “Does it really feel like I’m being mean to you right now?”

Though not quite calmed, Kagome’s eyes had fluttered closed, and her fingers dug into his back. “…I guess not.”

“I can bully you even harder, if that’s what you’re into.”

Inuyasha whimpered when she flicked him hard on the forehead with an unamused glare.

#day 7: contrast #2024 #fanfic

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