#i had this idea and had to make it before inukag week rolled around

[heikeee]

he's a dog alright

[kstewdeux]

@inukag-week

June 12th, 2022 - Domestic

Summary: Some demons make Inuyasha have an existential crisis which screws up his plans.

Disclaimer: I misunderstood the assignment but it’s too late now.

“Would ya look ah that! Bastard really is domesticated! Look how he came runnin’ when she called!” the spindly ogre cackled and his companions cackled with him, “It gets bettah! He’s got a collar!”

Nostrils flaring, Inuyasha tried his best not to let these weak bastards into his head. They had very clearly drugged Kagome who was groaning in a corner and the bottle of jewel shards was being tossed between the ugliest ogre’s hands. Besides, it wasn’t like they were saying things that weren’t true. No point getting offended.

“I’ll give you one more chance to hand over those shards,” Inuyasha growled out - his hand over his sword and the cackles only grew louder in response, “We can do this the easy way or you can go down hard.”

“Nah. Don’t think so,” a greenish goblin snickered as he held up his palm and the ogre tossed the bottle over, “We ain’t scared of you lil’ half-breed. Heard all about yaso go ahead. Pull out that little sword of yours. See what happens.”

For the first time, Inuyasha had some concerns about the situation and saw the need to tread carefully. If they really had heard of him, if they really knew what he could do, they might’ve taken precautions. Traps even. Maybe Kagome…

“My bitch is gunna kick all your asses,” a third puss-riddled ogre mocked gleefully, “Got a big sword ‘cause he ain’t got no claws. You touch his woman and you’ll be sorry.”

Another demon joined in the general mocking grunts which consisted of variations of the same three points.

Nodding to himself, Inuyasha had to admit her assessment -although not accurately portrayed - was fair but it also left out how thoroughly he was going to destroy these evil gremlins. They didn’t actually know what he could do. They were assuming he’d swing his average sized sword around and hope to hit something.

He smirked.

“Oh-go! Doggy got bite! I like it,” the first and arguably biggest ogre taunted before looking at the drugged miko and gesturing for her to get up, “Come get your bitch girlie. Put him in his place!”

“That does it,” Inuyasha huffed as straightened up and cracked his knuckles, “You chose the hard way.”

“Oh please. You’re so domestic I bet if she said ‘sit boy’ down you’d go,” the first ugly bastard cackled and Inuyasha’s barely perceptible wince was very unfortunately noticed.

“Hit a nerve there, huh, half-breed? I bet she uses that collar to…”

Whatever disturbingly astute observation the demon was about to make was cut off short by five expert claws and a good amount of panicked screams. Was he soaked in blood? Yes. Did Inuyasha care that he exacted vengeance? Yes but only because it was satisfying and he enjoyed doing it.

“Stupid bastards. What do you know?” Inuyasha sniffed hatefully as he wiped the gelatinous blood off his face with one hand and flicked it onto the floor. Sadly, Inuyasha would admit they knew quite a lot given the small amount of time they’d known of his existence. Pretty much pinned down their dynamic for one. Servant and master. Kagome called all the shots and they both knew it. That putrid ogre was right in other ways too. All she had to say was sit and he’d grovel at her feet without a choice in the matter and…

Letting out a shuddering sigh, Inuyasha rolled his shoulders and turned to collect the irritating woman. A woman who honestly wasn’t all that irritating. Truth be told, he liked when someone else was in control. She fed him and took care of his injuries and controlled the schedule. Sure…there were elements of their relationship that would make outside observers think he was a pet but…

Clearing his throat, Inuyasha tried to dismiss that thought as quickly as it came. Kagome did not see him as a pet and if she did, she had very strange ideas about what people did with pets. Yeah, people…people loved on their pets but they weren’t in love with them. Not that Kagome was in love with him or anything but she did find him attractive if her scent was any indication. One thing he did know was that most people did not want to fuck their dogs.

Or did they? They… didn’t, right? No. No they didn’t. He was being stupid. Letting those assholes get inside his head.

Wrinkling his nose at the highly disturbing thought, Inuyasha knelt down and scooped up the clearly drugged miko. That was the thing. He didn’t used to be domesticated. Even before mother had died, he’d held his own and only held back because he was a good son - something that he was secretly very proud of being. Point being, it didn’t matter that his mother had been human. He was strong and arguably one of the most powerful demons alive today. He lived on his own most of his life. Ate mud and tree bark and anything he could get his hands on when times got rough. He slept outside in the rain. Killed more than a few humans and demons in his day. When it came to survival, he could run circles around those whiny bastards.

But…he didn’t like it. Those years of survival felt shameful to the point where he never mentioned it and he’d be the first to admit the lifestyle was miserable. He liked that Kagome took care of him and loved on him. He liked that she brought him treats and cleaned up his injuries. Sleeping indoors by a fire was heavenly. Taking baths regularly made all the difference in the world. Those times she brushed his hair nearly made him purr and holding her against him was the best part of his day. It was just…truth was that he liked…

Being domesticated.

Inuyasha’s ears wilted as he walked towards a small clearing where he could better inspect her for injury.

Even if there were conditions, being with people was better than a being alone. Sure, “bad” behavior was punished but that wasn’t just a pet thing. Humans got punished for doing bad things too. Like going to see Kikyo. Eating what he shouldn’t. Speaking his mind. All of those could earn him a sit or some very disappointed glares but, by that same token, Miroku couldn’t grope women without getting slapped. If you wanted to live in society, there were rules. Living by rules was literally the golden rule.

That was just how things were.

“Hey. I’m gunna set you down, alright?” Inuyasha whispered quietly - earning a soft groan as Kagome tried to melt into his hold, “It’s okay. I’m right here. I just gotta check you out. Make sure you’re not hurt.”

A weak nod and a tired sigh. The examination started easily enough. Kagome was so wiped by whatever they did that she didn’t fight to preserve her modesty - despite the fact that they’d both seen what each had to offer - and so the inspection went by relatively quickly. Now came the hard part. Getting her to form words. Inuyasha could tell by scent alone that she hadn’t been poisoned, merely doped, but how the substance was introduced was still a mystery. Drinking seemed most likely since there wasn’t an injection point and no residue on her clothes but how did they managed to force such a thing down her throat?

“They called you domestic,” Kagome mumbled drunkenly as her eyes fluttered but failed to open, “‘Cause I called for you. S’weird.”

“They just mean I stay with humans. That’s all,” Inuyasha soothed while gently stroking her hair - figuring a half-truth was better than no truth, “Its way more weird for you to bring that up. Now. What did they give you?”

“Hm?”

Inuyasha smiled at the way she wiggled to give him better access and leaned into his touch.

“You like that, huh?”

A faint nod and content sigh. Letting out a shuddering sigh, Inuyasha continued gently running his fingers through her hair - his eyes glazing over for a moment as he allowed himself to dream.

“Did they make you drink anything?” he asked finally as he sat down crossed legged and gently pulled her head into his lap, “Water? Tea?”

Licking her lips, Kagome made a face that he supposed signaled that she didn’t remember. He ran the back of his fingers down her flushed cheek and any anxiety in her expression melted away into bliss.

“Made a lot of dog puns,” Kagome slurred randomly - rolling onto her side and burying her face into his knee, “Uncool.”

“Yeah, yeah but I need you to try and remember what they gave you,” Inuyasha laughed softly- his claws playing with tendrils of her hair, “Anything at all that you can remember.”

“Fuzzy. Tied me down,” she offered as she curled her arm around his leg and amber eyes flicked towards the rope burns with a scowl, “Wine maybe? Bitter grape juice taste.”

“Okay. That’s good. Anything else?” he asked quietly before realizing that the miko had passed out and he was now trapped. There had been very few times she’d fallen asleep on him and the experience had always been one he cherished. There was something about someone trusting you enough to be that vulnerable. I mean, sure, she was drunk but she’d fallen asleep on him plenty of times when she wasn’t…

Her fingers twitched across his thigh and Inuyasha let out a content hum. Here was the thing. Yeah, maybe she saw him as her pet or even a friend but he’d rather live like this than spend another second alone. In fact, he probably wouldn’t even survive if he was forced back into that lifestyle. In only good ways, Kagome had broken him.

And he loved her for that.

The woman in question suddenly reached up to tug on his sleeve and began trying to inch worm her way up his lap.

“What’re you trying to do?” Inuyasha snickered which made the miko pout.

“I want cuddles.”

At the extremely random and unusual statement, Inuyasha snorted but didn’t otherwise react. Her pout deepened.

“Inuyasha…”

Inuyasha didn’t miss a beat as he smirked and teased back.

“Kagome…”

“I’ll give you kisses,” she mumbled tiredly as she once again tugged on his sleeve. Any amusement Inuyasha found in the situation evaporated.

“You don’t have to do that,” Inuyasha muttered as rested his chin in his palm and glared into the distance, “You’re drunk. Just rest.”

“But I wanna give you kisses,” she whined - her nose diving into his hip making him jump in surprise. He hadn’t even realized she’d gotten that high up and were she in right mind, she’d be mortified.

“W-what else did they say to you, h-huh?” the poor half-demon desperately tried to change the subject and adjust certain parts of him out of the line of fire, “They got f-friends? Plans? A-anything?”

Burying her nose into the much safer ground that was his thigh, Kagome groaned and rolled onto her stomach. Both arms moving to wrap around his waist as she failed to answer his half-assessed questions. Instead…

“Love you,” she breathed as her muscles began to relax. Despite knowing she’d forget - or perhaps because she would-  Inuyasha took a deep calming breath and decided to repeat the sentiment. One set of claws lightly massaging her scalp while he rested his chin in his free hand.

“Love you too woman. Love you too.”

‘Twas Shippo who put the pieces together a few days later after Kagome gave Sango a run down of what she could remember while the girls bathed. Inuyasha had been acting a little more subdued than normal. A little more cooperative. Avoided talking to Kagome if he could help it despite the miko going out of her way to get him alone. All of these things were subtle, naturally, and fell beneath almost everyone’s notice but after Inuyasha didn’t take the opportunity to knock him upside the head over a well-timed insult, Shippo knew something was wrong.

Being domesticated was the ultimate insult a demon could throw at another demon. Period. It was probably something Inuyasha had to overcome given that he was raised by humans during his formative years and very likely must have taken him a few years to get into the demon swing of things. That being said, Inuyasha tried very hard to make everyone forget he even had a human half and it wasn’t a secret that he hated that part of himself. Most of the time anyway. Sure, there were times when he didn’t seem to mind mentions of it and once or twice, he’d actually cited his humanity as the reason he never gave up…

After insulting humanity by calling them greedy, selfish bastards but that was beside the point.

That whole…thing wasn’t what bothered Shippo though. What bothered him was that Inuyasha must have heard the insults and made some kind of warped decision about the his life.  He was leaning into the idea that he was just a servant or a pet or something which was so insane  Shippo had a hard time believing this was real life. Since when did Inuyasha actually take insults so seriously?

Unless, of course, something else had happened on that fateful day and Inuyasha stupidly decided to give up for some unfathomable reason. Anyone with eyes could tell he loved Kagome. The only rational conclusion that Shippo could imagine was that Inuyasha realized he was domesticated and being domesticated meant he couldn’t return to his former life of roughing it. Because of that, he didn’t want to risk getting rejected. Maybe?

So it was that the little fox kit sauntered over – hands clasped behind his back.

“Ya know, demons call me domesticated too but I don’t care,” Shippo offered casually and Inuyasha immediately reacted. Setting his jaw, the half-demon gave the little demon a withering glare and rolled his eyes.

“What made you bring that up?” Inuyasha huffed knowingly, “Spying again, are we?”

“You’d only know that’s where I got it from if you were spying and heard Kagome talking,” Shippo pointed out and amber eyes narrowed while a faint blush bloomed across his nose.

“What’s your point?”

“I think they’re jealous. The demons who say that,” Shippo continued – lifting one tiny hand to inspect his nails, “We can go anywhere we want. Do anything we want. No consequences.”

Wrinkling his nose, Inuyasha scoffed and shook his head.

“Where’d you get that…”

“I’m serious. Even when Papa was alive, I couldn’t go into villages. Couldn’t go near humans,” the little kit continued, “It was dangerous. Now we get paid by humans. Fed by humans. Housed by humans. All the time. It’s a much easier life.”

“And the demons who say that are…jealous of that?”

“Who wouldn’t want an easier life?”

Chewing the inside of his lip, Inuyasha considered this point of view before wilting and shaking his head.

“There are some things that are still off the table,” Inuyasha mumbled quietly as his eyes subconsciously flicked towards the miko, “Things we can’t do.”

Knowing full well where Inuyasha was going, Shippo rolled his eyes and folded his tiny arms across his chest.

“Tell that to every human girl I’ve courted. Didn’t stop me,” Shippo hummed knowingly, “The only person stopping you from that is you.”

Realizing that Shippo knew exactly what he was talking about, Inuyasha shifted his weight and cleared his throat.

“She…She said she loved me,” the half-demon admitted and Shippo’s little eyebrows shot up into his bangs. Was Inuyasha confiding in him? Of all people?

Aside from this mind blowing turn of events, the world suddenly made sense again. Inuyasha was afraid to rock the boat because he thought Kagome might have meant it and he didn’t want her to change her mind. Or he was avoiding her so she couldn’t say it again. Insecure and stupid as ever, this grown ass man was trying to…

What was he doing? By all accounts, this didn’t make sense and no amount of mental gymnastics seemed to line up with any theory. It’d be one thing if Inuyasha was acting like he normally did after something even mildly romantic happened. Not acknowledging it and pretending it didn’t happen was his go to move. But this time, he was being just plain weird. Could be that he was acknowledging what happened in his own way. Being a ‘good boy’ thinking that would let Kagome know he reciprocated her feelings without having to say it outright. That might be what was happening. His avoidance of Kagome could be his attempt to avoid voicing feelings because god knows this poor man was not good at that.

Or maybe-

Maybe Inuyasha hadn’t realized how ‘domesticated’ he’d become and that was his problem. It was an open secret that Inuyasha had been orphaned and abandoned when he was about five. Had lived in constant survival mode with no stability. That he’d jumped at the chance to throw his strength away and live a normal life. Without a second thought by the sound of things. A lot of his unseemly behavior could be characterized as a trauma response. That explanation didn’t hold water though since the crux of the matter seemed to be Kagome’s love.

What was happening here?

Shippo cleared his throat.

“What did you say? To her? What did you say to her?”

Inuyasha’s blush grew darker and he shrugged. Although Shippo was the last person he’d ever consider, there was only one verbal demon in their group that might understand where he was coming from. It didn’t matter if she loved him or not. While nice to hear, being with her wasn’t worth the risk for so many reasons.

First off, the whole Kikyo thing was very much still a thing which meant Kagome could get fed up with him over a situation he prayed every day would just end. After almost a year of uncomfortable encounters and daily fear, he was tired. He was so tired of having to keep track of someone who wasn’t even around. He was tired of subjecting himself to insults and injuries from someone who supposedly loved him at one point. He was tired of having to go and having to stay true to his word where the salvation of the undead miko was involved. But he had nothing to offer anyone except his strength, honor and loyalty. And her rebirth was his fault. If he hadn’t said her name…

Anyway. Moving on.

The second reason his feelings was moot was because he’d fucked up. There were so many agonizing moments burned into his skull that left him internally screaming whenever they raised their ugly heads. Proclaiming he’d chosen Kikyo all those months ago and defending the zombie woman when she did very clearly bad -arguably evil - things. Like almost killing Kagome. Several times in fact. Despite this, there his dumbass always went running after Kikyo and putting everyone’s lives at risk. An insane impulse and a deranged one seeing as how it was increasingly more obvious that Kikyo didn’t care what happened. Hate and love seemed related but the opposite of love wasn’t hate. It was indifference and everything anymore pointed to Kikyo being indifferent towards him. But there was no way out. He was ruining his own life for someone who didn’t care whether he lived or died.

Well. She wasn’t always indifferent. She did love hurting him and, at first, he lived in some fantasy world where Kikyo could do no wrong. Even if she was completely honest about what had happened. Example after example of how shitty and delusional he’d been played out every night before bed. Like asking Kagome if Kikyo hurt her that fateful day with the creepy vines. That had to be the most intentionally ignorant thing he’d ever done. Kagome had vine shaped welts on her neck and legs. Kikyo straight up admitted she’d tried to kill her competition. And what did he do after hearing the confession and seeing the evidence?

‘DiD sHe HuRt YoU?’

What a joke…

Those damning strikes aside, the problem with Kagome was that she was from five hundred years in the future. It was inevitable that the well would close and she’d be on the other side. The slayer and the monk would have an obscene number of babies while rebuilding the demon slayer’s village. Kaede was old as shit and would die any day now. Shippo had the fox demon temple and wasn’t going to stick around just to be Inuyasha’s plus one. Which meant he’d be alone all over again and after living a life of luxury, his chances of survival were slim to none. He’d been domesticated without even realizing it’d happened and now he was screwed.

“She didn’t really mean it,” Inuyasha sighed then, “Was the booze talk-“

“I bet you…” Shippo quickly looked around searching for something enticing before seemingly giving up, “I bet you all my candy that if you went up and told her you loved her…Or even just say that she was pretty or something overly nice, she’d say it again.”

Inuyasha snorted.

“You’re full of shit.”

A second passed then two.

“Fine then.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened as he realized what was going to happen a second too late.

“Imma tell her,” Shippo blurted before turning on his tail and running as fast as he could towards the miko. A miko who turned to the sight of a very amused kit and a horrified half-demon scrambling after him.

“What are you two doing?”

“Inuyasha said he loves-” Shippo started before a large clawed hand slapped across his mouth. Fairly certain that she understood what that word was supposed to be and not able to think of a single other reason Inuyasha would be this panicked, Kagome smiled. She might’ve been high as balls a few days ago but she’d been fairly certain she’d heard the half-demon confess something that sounded quite a lot like ‘I love you.’ These past several days she’d tried to look for signs that he’d said something of that nature. Tried to create situations that would allow him a private moment to get his thoughts together. Which…had kind of had the effect she wanted? Inuyasha had been unusually pleasant since the kidnapping incident and more than once, she’d caught him looking at her with a warm melting look that he quickly masked upon his gaze being discovered. The only weird thing was that he’d been avoiding her. And that he’d apparently turned to Shippo to voice his concerns? Had confessing his love broken him somehow?

“Inuyasha… loves…what?”

“Ramen. I love ramen. Make some,” Inuyasha blurted before rushing off with the restrained kit in tow. Much to Inuyasha’s sheer panic, Kagome followed behind.

“Go away bitch!”

“No,” Kagome hummed – purposefully ignoring the insult and continuing to follow after Inuyasha’s uncharacteristically clumsy form.

“This doesn’t involve you!”

“I think it does,” she countered knowingly and Inuyasha went rigid. Slowly, so slowly he turned to face her with the bemused kit still captured against his stomach.

“Doesn’t…”

“I think I might’ve just heard what you love. So why don’t you let Shippo go so you and I can talk,” she offered sweetly and Inuyasha looked like he hoped someone would kill him.

“No.”

Kagome wrinkled her nose and gave the terrified half-demon an affectionate yet stern look, “Yes.”

An awkwardly long period of time passed before Shippo has enough of the awkwardness and bit Inuyasha’s fingers with all his tiny might.

“OH YOU LITTLE SHIT!” Inuyasha hissed as he shook his bleeding hand and tried to get the kit to release , “THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?”

Letting go, Shippo wiped the blood off his mouth before gracefully landing and scurrying away before Inuyasha could catch him. That wasn’t to say that Inuyasha remained standing before Kagome ike a man at an executioner’s block nor did he use the excellent opportunity to chase the kit as a reason to return to camp.

Nope. He turned tail and ran like a fugitive who just escaped from jail. Tried being the operative word because, as the ogre had guessed so accurately, all it took was one ‘sit boy’ to bring him down.

“Why are you running?”

Pushing himself up onto all fours, Inuyasha desperately fought against the spell in his terror induced desire to not have this conversation. For so many reasons. She knew. And he knew she knew and…and…

Fuck. She knew.

“Go away.”

“But I have a secret,” Kagome hummed and with a heavy sigh, Inuyasha seemingly gave up on escaping and allowed the spell to slam him to the ground. With irritating levels of casualness, Kagome sauntered up to where Inuyasha lay face down in the dirt trying to steel himself against the incoming bad news. She knelt down and gently scratched the base of one ear, “Can I tell you?”

“N-no.”

“I’m going to tell you anyway,” Kagome informed him and despite the positivity in her tone, Inuyasha flinched. Letting out a weary sigh at the reaction, the miko cleared her throat and went ahead, “I love you. Do with that what you will.”

The world around them went still and quiet. Even the crickets forgot to chirp and the birds refrained from singing. Or, at least, that’s how Inuyasha with his normally heightened senses perceived existence to be. All he could hear was Kagome’s steady heart rate which proved she wasn’t lying. All he could feel was her fingers gently stroking his ear.

“I wasn’t that drunk,” she added suddenly for good measure, “I know you love me too. Don’t deny it.”

A second went by then two before Inuyasha made the most miserable sound she had ever heard in her life before he used the second.

“Doesn’t matter.”

As Inuyasha pulled his arms and legs up with his forehead still planted on the ground, Kagome’s eyelids fluttered slightly at the unexpected response.

“Wha-“

“It. Doesn’t. Matter.”

“What are you talking about? Of course it does,” Kagome teased and Inuyasha’s hands balled into fists that he curled around his neck.

“No. It doesn’t.”

“I disa-“

“Don’t you get it? They’ll kill you. Dead. Gone. You think I go to Kikyo ‘cause I’m that pathetic?” Inuyasha snapped hoarsely, “You think t-that I just forgot the times you’ve k-kissed me? That I d-didn’t want-“

Paling slightly at his ardent explanation, Kagome’s mind caught up just in time to interrupt his outburst.

“Inu-“

“No. Just shut up and g-go.”

“Why don’t you want to talk about this?”

“Do you not understand what ‘go’ means?”

“We need to talk about this.”

“No.”

“Well I’m going to stay right-“

“I’m not s-strong enough, okay? I’m not so drop it,” he finally mumbled – his voice thick and hoarse while his chest shuddered, “I u-used to be but not anymore. Those b-bastards were right. I’m weak now. I c-can’t go back.”

Biting her cheek, Kagome rolled her eyes.

“That’s not tru-“

“I didn’t think you’d remember it!” he hissed almost hatefully, “Forget what I said. Didn’t mean shit.”

Kagome sighed heavily and tried a different tactic that didn’t go as planned.

“Inuyasha, you are plenty strong-“

The half-demon uncharacteristically whined and shook his head.

“No I’m not! I c-can’t lose you. I can’t go back t-to how thing used to be f-for me,” he offered barely above a whisper – the arms curled around his head tightening, “S-so it doesn’t matter. I c-can’t…”

Sighing heavily at this defeatist attitude, Kagome did the only logical thing she could think to do. She laid down next to him and tried to coax him to look at her.

“You aren’t going to lose me,” she reassured him – her fingers gently rubbing his downy ear. Inuyasha shivered slightly at the touch.

“The well could c-close. Naraku w-wants us all dead. Kikyo nearly m-murdered you,” he listed off the various points he was trying to make in between heaving breaths, “What’ll happen if she finds out, huh? If Naraku finds out…”

“You and our friends will prevent anything from happening. You won’t be doing the whole protection thing alone. Besides, I’m way stronger than I used to be. I’m a big girl. I can handle myself,” Kagome whispered and finally, finally he turned his head to look at her. Those expressive amber eyes wavered before he plopped onto his side and suddenly pulled her into his chest. With her head tucked securely under his chin, she could feel the fierce pounding of his heart and see his adam’s apple bob as he swallowed to control his emotions.

“D-don’t tell anyone I cried,” he instructed hoarsely and making a face, Kagome had to admit she wouldn’t’ve known had he not told her. Nodding slowly, Kagome draped one arm over his waist and gave him a light squeeze.

“Y-you gotta promise me that…that if it gets too dangerous, you won’t fight for this,” he continued shakily – his arms pulling her impossibly closer, “You go home and forget me, okay?”

If she gave him the response he clearly wanted, it would be a lie. Even if she did promise now, she was self-aware enough to know that she’d break that promise. Inuyasha chuckled softly almost like he was reading her mind.

“F-fine. Don’t die. Don’t leave. Can you promise that?” he amended with weary amusement and to that, Kagome nodded her consent to those terms. A long painful moment went by as Inuyasha buried his nose in her hair and clearly tried to get ahold of himself.

“Good,” he breathed as he gave her body a light squeeze and stretched his arm out under her neck, “This…this wasn’t how I wanted this to go, ya know?”

“You didn’t want me to know ever so I imagine not,” Kagome cooed and Inuyasha chuckled softly at being called out.

“Went about how I thought it’d go though,” he admitted with a long defeated exhale, “You were gunna figure it out eventually.”

“So…you’re saying you knew I’d win you over…”

“I’m your dog. You know I’ll roll over for ya,” Inuyasha muttered playfully before stretching out and leaning his cheek atop her forehead.

Kagome cringed at the poor joke but didn’t comment. Several deep inhales and a knee forcing its way in between her legs later, Inuyasha let out a little hum before his breathing officially evened out.

"Wanna do this more. S’nice,” he cooed happily - completely oblivious to the three pairs of eyes glancing out from behind a bush courtesy of his congested nose and the blood still pounding in his ears. Maybe Shippo was right. Being domesticated definitely had its perks. Right now, he had everything he’d ever wanted in life. A home. Friends. A future. A real future where he could live a normal extremely boring life. A wife and kids and maybe even a garden.

Letting out a tired groan, Inuyasha pressed his torso against the warm inviting body in his arms as his mind began to drift. Being tangled up in her arms was the weirdest thing. Sure, being near her usually calmed him and made him happy but being laying here with her literally made every fear he had melt out of him. For once, everything seemed right in the world. For once, he felt…safe.

And being safe made him extremely tired for some reason. Like he’d never had a proper rest and desperately needed one. Weird. Accurate but weird.

“Thought we weren’t letting people know we’re a couple,” Kagome teased as she snuggled closer and she could almost envision the way his lips twitched upwards.

“Who said that?”

“You did,” Kagome huffed – no real irritation underlying her tone, “Literally just now.”

Inuyasha let out a contented yawn and she felt his muscles fully relax. His hand going slack as he strangely seemed to be dozing off.

“S’not what I said wo-“

“In all fairness, that is not, in fact, the point Inuyasha conveyed,” a far too amused male voice offered as Miroku made the very dangerous decision to make his presence (and the fact he’d been spying) known. The reaction was immediate and Miroku had exactly five seconds to run away while cackling madly. Those five seconds were a gift really. Inuyasha was groggy thus making his usual instant response time delayed. After a good hard bump was delivered, the half-demon returned with a deep blush and a foul mood.

“The monk is getting us a room,” Inuyasha announced gruffly as he reached down and pulled a semi-embarrassed Kagome to her feet, “Anyone says shit and they deal with me.”

“There isn’t a village-“ the slayer began hesistantly before biting her lip and shying away from Inuyasha’s irate glare.

“He’s gunna find one,” Inuyasha snarled before seeming to realize what he was implying given the uncomfortable reactions he was receiving from everyone. Of all the asinine things to think. Like he’d actually risk doing that. Mainly this punishment was demanded because he was tired and wanted to sleep undisturbed indoors with Kagome in his arms. What had started as a despairing thought was now one he was very willing to accept. Since he was domesticated whether he liked it or not, he was going to lean into that hard. Unless absolutely necessary, there was gunna be no more making do with uncomfortable situations or acting put out for stopping at inns. Food better be good and cooked and plentiful if at all possible at all times. Everyone could bathe whenever they needed to do so. It wasn’t lazy. It was glorious and a privilege he’d been ignoring far too long.

Also a happy wife meant a happy life and the second the quest was over, he was gunna wife the shit out of his miko. Until then, he was hellbent on making Kagome the hap-hap-happiest woman this side of the well and fully intended on riding the luxury train alongside her.

Sango was the first to speak after his announcement.

“Uh…a room? As in one?”

Setting his jaw, Inuyasha gave the slayer a withering glare.

“We, as a group, will be staying at an inn. For everyone to sleep in. What the hell is wrong with you? Bunch of perverts,” he huffed before making a face and casting a somewhat approving look at Kagome’s red face.

There was something in her scent that had his little male heart swelling with pride. Her thoughts had gone the same place as the others and she was clearly embarrassed but there was an undertone that told him she wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to whatever it was she was thinking. In fact, she smelled a little thrilled at her ideas.

He smirked at his woman which only made her scent flare that much hotter.

“ All of you.”

[mrfeenysmustache]

Patina

An InuKag ficlet

Summary: How does a demon age? Or a Hanyo? Are they ageless and immortal, unchanged through all eternity? Do they walk through time more slowly? Or are they just like us but stronger and more beautiful in their existence? Kagome watches Inuyasha as he lives through middle age with her; grown children, aching bones and graying hair- hers and his.

For @softcoreinukag, who’s Old InuKag commission felt like confirmation from the universe for this little idea I’d been cooking up.

————————-

“Oooooohhhhh FUCK. That feels incredible.”

Kagome giggled and dug the heels of her hands deeper into the muscles of Inuyasha’s lower back, biting her lip to stifle more laughter as he once more groaned long and low in relief.

“Do that again, just like- YESSSSSSS right there. That’s where it hurts the worst.”

She bore down with all her weight, kneading at the knot she found just left of his spine until all the tension keeping his frame tight slowly unwound and he was boneless on their bed.

“Gods. Thank you. That’s so much better.”

She stood and brushed out the wrinkles in her Hakama.

“Maybe you should think twice about lifting boulders out of Horoshi’s fields.”

“Yeah I told him I’d have to send Kenji next time.”

“Can Kenji lift that much?”

“He’s gonna have to, I can’t keep doing this much longer.”

Kagome watched him stand with all the lithe grace he’d always possessed, moving fluidly from one position to the next, the bones and brawn of a predator that hadn’t changed since the first time she’d laid eyes on him.

But he was slower now, and once on his feet he stretched out his shoulders and back until they cracked loudly, the skin around his eyes crinkling with his wince of pain.

Inuyasha was older.

A lot older.

He rolled his shoulders, and she appreciated the way his muscle still coiled under the surface of his sun bronzed skin. He grinned at her, the tell-tale shift of her scent unmistakeable after so many years together, and once again the skin around his eyes crinkled, just like his forehead as his brows lifted in mock alarm.

“You’re still as shameless today as you were on our wedding night.”

“Oi! Is it my fault my husband is otherworldly?”

“Well kinda, you agreed to marry me.”

She scoffed and moved to her soup pot still bubbling on over the fire, picking up her ladle to stir it around for even cooking.

“Speaking of Kenji, when is he expected back home?”

“Dunno. Miroku said this job could be two days or two weeks depending on how strong the oni stomping crops and cattle is. You know he’ll be fine though, he’s got enough of me in him to be safe.”

“Still, he’s always been a little more cautious than you are.”

As a quarter demon, Kenji looked much more human than his father did, even his other siblings who’d all taken on silver hair or doggy ears, but he’d inherited much more of Inuyasha’s yoki, and even less of his bravado.

“You just need to hope no one needs anymore rocks or buildings moved before he gets back, or my back is all you’re gonna get to touch for a while.”

“Oh, my poor old man, getting old and grey like the rest of us feeble mortals.”

He laughed out loud, and though it was a much more common occurrence now than it might have been in their youth, it still never failed to make her heart race.

He wrapped his arms around her and stared down into her eyes, gold on blue, their shades and intensity untouched by time.

“If I’m getting old and grey with you, then I have nothing to complain about.”

She smiled tremulously, a dizzying mix of guilt and elation swirling together and freezing in her heart.

She’d once secretly mourned the idea of growing old with her chosen spouse, a romantic dream that had been hard to let go of.

It was impossible, after all. She’d chosen life as a demon’s wife and they lived on bright and vibrant as everything else around them grew old and withered away.

She would grow old with him, but he would continue on as beautiful and fair as the day they’d met.

Imagine her shamefully pleasant surprise when their faces wrinkled together, when just a few years after her back protested sitting or standing or laying too long, his did the same, when they suddenly needed more sleep to get through a typical day… when Inuyasha’s hair started turning gray.

Like a ring someone tossed in a drawer and forgot, Inuyasha’s hair began to lose its shine, streaks of darker grey dulling its metallic edges staring at his temples and the tips of his ears.

It matched hers, and Sango’s, and Miroku’s even if the color hid it a little better.

Apparently half demon’s just didn’t age like full demon’s, and she was surprised by how much that grieved her, as if she’d wished it on him with her own fear and sadness.

Even Sesshomaru didn’t look the same. She could see signs of age on him as well, he looked much closer to about 30 than when she’d come back through the well the first time, though it was hard to tell. Now that Rin was grown and raising her own family he didn’t come back to visit quite so often as her children tended to cling to him.

She wasn’t sure how old Sesshomaru was, and Inuyasha could only say that he’d been around since before he was sealed, and that’s all he knew.

‘Seems all demon’s age a lot faster than I imagined they would. Maybe that’s why there are none in my time. Maybe they all… just died off naturally after all.’

“Oi Kagome, you coming?”

“Wait what?” Kagome asked, snapping out of her spiral of thoughts and turning toward the sound of Inuyasha’s voice at their door.

“Sango wanted us over for dinner, remember? And you say I don’t listen. Hurry up woman or it’ll be dark before we can get there!”

Rolling her eyes, she slipped on her sandals and hurried along, snuggling up to Inuyasha’s side when he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

He was so comfortable in his affections now, so relaxed as he touched and smiled and even spoke of things he thought or felt.

He’d raised their children with loving hands and she’d never once doubted his feelings for her, age had made his heart soft if not his strength.

And her own heart burst to know she’d get to see him in all his stages, even if he didn’t deserve to know body aches and sagging skin. And maybe it was useless to feel guilty that she was happy he wouldn’t be alone for centuries without her.

“You’re just as beautiful now as you ever were, you know that?” He said, the golden light of the setting sun making him glow, and all at once they are 15 again and she is bowled over by how ethereal someone can be.

Age has made him sore. Age has made him soft. Age has made him slower.

But age has made him smarter and sweeter and all the more lovely.

“So are you Inuyasha, so are you.”

[lavendertwilight89]

InuKag Week 2022--Day 5: Parenting/ Moroha

Day 5!!! We are just going here on @inukag-week​

Rated T for language

READ HERE ON AO3

Moroha splashed the water around her, giggling and screaming in an almost deafening screech of joy from her fun in the hot spring. How it didn’t bother her sensitive dog ears, Inuyasha had no idea.

“Do you like that Moroha?” Kagome laughed, holding their six month old baby under her arms to keep her shoulders up above the water, while she was turning her face away to try and shield herself from the flying water their daughter was flinging everywhere. 

“Dadadadadadada!!” Moroha babbled, leaning forward away from Kagome as if she was about to just jump out of her mother’s hold, straight into the steaming water.

“No, it’s ‘Mama,’” Inuyasha tried to correct, offering his fingers for Moroha to take, which she did with a loud piercing squeal of excitement, trying to pull herself closer to him, away from Kagome.

“Dadadadadada!!!” Moroha said again in full giggles.

“It’s easier for her to say ‘Dada’ first,” Kagome explained, her face soft, loving, and beautiful. The way she looked at their daughter–the way she looked at him with her sparkling gray eyes made his heart race. 

Never before Kagome had entered his life, had he thought he would not only be accepted, but that acceptance included a family. Friends. A home. A village that actually enjoyed him being around–a village that actually blessed his marriage to a miko, and then brought gifts to celebrate the birth of their daughter.

It was a strange feeling–a strange life in comparison to what he had been living…

A dream really.

Sometimes he wondered if he had ever woken up from when Kikyo shot him.

Or if he died on Kagome’s lap the first night he shared his secret with her.

Or if he died from heartbreak from their separation.

But then moments like these, moments alone with his wife–Inuyasha knew he could imagine shit, but damn. Even on their worst days, he could never have imagined being as happy as he was with Kagome and their beautiful shihanyou baby girl. 

“You sure she don’t just like me better?” Inuyasha teased, taking Moroha from her, his initial smirk on his face spreading into a face splitting grin as their daughter cooed and kept up her jabbering as if she was telling him all about her long day of sleeping, eating, napping, and then eating some more.

“Mmmm, could be that too,” Kagome hummed, completely unaffected by his teasing as she moved to lean her head against his shoulder.

“I was just kiddin’, Kagome,” Inuyasha said gently, trying to comfort her even though he noticed she wasn’t phased in the slightest, but bringing their baby girl against his chest, splaying her hand against her belly to hold her up as she continued to play, he brought his other arm around his wife to have her in his embrace as well.

“Oh, I know,” Kagome replied, lifting her head so he could see the mischief in her eyes. “Unless your breasts make milk, I’m pretty sure we know exactly who her favorite person is at meal time.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but leaned down to kiss his mate sweetly, earning him a very approving hum. “I’ll let you keep that skill.”

“Figures,” Kagome huffed, a smile still etched on her face as she turned her attention back to Moroha. “Should we wash your hair, baby?”

“Dadadadadada!!!” Moroha squealed happily, making Kagome laugh at her antics as she began to rinse her hair with water, cupping her hands to draw water into them and then dropping it over Moroha’s head. Their baby girl yipped and howled in laughter, shaking her hair and her fluffy ears to get some of the water off, and then began to pull to get into her mother’s hold again.

“Well, hold on now!” Inuyasha warned, trying to keep her still so Kagome could wash her up with the soaps and oils she’d made. “After she’s done, kiddo! Hold still,” Inuyasha pleaded as she chuckled from their wild child's struggles to claw her way back to Kagome. His wife wasn’t phased in the least, and kept washing her as if she could predict exactly where their daughter would flail her arms next.

After returning to the past, Kagome had really taken to studying with Kaede and Sango more about this world and finding her place within it,

Although, Inuyasha made it clear her place was by his side, just like his was by her.

It didn’t take them long to be married, but they’d waited a while before talking about kids. Inuyasha felt a little selfish, just wanting Kagome all to himself, soaking in her presence again after she had been ripped away from him for years… But his wonderful wife and mate wanted to wait, as well. 

Even after they did decide to try, Inuyasha found he was a little nervous about being a father–he was such a dick to Shippo, it was Kagome’s natural mothering skills that made up for his shittiness. Shippo didn’t really hold it against him as he had just joined a make-shift-forced-family when everyone was suffering with the hands they had been dealt. 

Kagome had reassured him every step of the way, comforting him about Shippo and making him realize he did well and that Shippo loved them as a son would his parents. And when they finally succeeded in trying, a baby finally growing in her body, Kagome talked him through her pregnancy, even when he was a nervous goddamn wreck. Shippo was also oddly very supportive, excited for the new pup to spoil and pass down some of his he’d gotten from Kagome, and someone to play with who hopefully wouldn’t pull on his tail.

The birth of their daughter was probably the worst out of everything; typically men weren’t present during that time, but he demanded to be, and thankfully, his wife was alright and more than happy with his presence, pleading him to be there for her even with Kaede’s disagreements. There was just so much blood, and Kagome had been so strong, but he could smell her pain and she was just so weak after.

But the happiness that radiated from his wife, and the wonder that filled him, the love that was instantaneous the moment his infant daughter was placed in his arms–the perfect blend of him and his wife–black hair like her mother, black dog ears, amber eyes like him, and then youki and reiki from the both of them. Her name came so naturally–Moroha. Double-edged. 

Inuyasha had vowed he would be there every step of the way for Kagome and Moroha: in the middle of the night when she cried and needed comfort, in the day when Kagome needed a moment to herself, during the evening so Kagome could cook dinner if she wanted a break, or even just emotional and physical support when she breast-fed their daughter, letting her lean back on him as he held them close and savored the moment as a family. 

“Come here, Moroha,” Kagome cooed, holding her hands out for their freshly cleaned and lathered baby. Inuyasha let her go once Kagome had their girl in her grasp and Moroha giggled, making Kagome laugh as well, her gray eyes sparkling with joy looking at their baby girl. “You love baths, don’t you?”

“Just like her mother,” Inuyasha chuckled, sinking down into the water a little further, keeping his arm draped around his girls, bringing them closer to him.

“I think you like baths more now that we bathe together.”

“Fuck yeah I do, I get to see my mate naked and dripping wet with water,” Inuyasha joked and half-expected a slap from Kagome but she merely sighed happily and rubbed her head against his chest as Moroha continued to splash in the water.

“I have to admit, visiting hot springs after we got married definitely got better. I actually already thought that was the best treat the Feudal era had to offer, but you proved me wrong, husband.” Her words lingered and he wanted to steal another taste of her lips, but Moroha’s incessant babbling made her turn her head downward to see what their daughter was trying to say and sighed, realizing it was dinner time and that it was time to go. “One day you’ll let us enjoy this a little longer–you’ll appreciate the water for allllllll that it is, right, Moroha?”

“Come on, let’s get you girls home,” Inuyasha said, lifting them from the water and then taking Moroha so Kagome could dress. Once she was clothed, she took Moroha and dressed her as Inuyasha threw on his hakama and kosode, leaving his haori off and draping it over his wife to cover her and their daughter, shielding them from the chill the evening brought. The hanyou lifted his family in his arms and carried them home, walking in a slower pace initially, letting Kagome feed their baby girl. Moroha finished her hunger off quickly, and then began to murmur tiredly. Inuyasha moved quicker, so he and Kagome could lay their daughter down and snuggle her to sleep and let sleep take them as well, so when Moroha woke in the middle of the night, Inuyasha could take the first watch and feed her with the soft foods she was starting to try, and then Kagome could take the second and let her feed from her breast.

Parenting was hard, tiring, but shit, it was the best fucking adventure Inuyasha had ever taken, and it was even fucking better with Kagome by his side, supporting him and their baby girl every step and misstep along the way.

[xoxopandapanda]

InuKag Week 2021: Day 7

Day 7: Marriage

@inukag-week

He had never explicitly asked her to marry him. He had just sort of told people they were getting married.

Sango was the one to tell her that she was getting married on nice summer day as she held the new baby.

“Kaede wants to know when you want the wedding. Miroku wants to officiate it, but Kaede said she has dibs because she was there when you first met.” Sango was mending one of the girls’ kimono sleeve that had torn in a tussle match.

Kagome looked up surprised. “When I want the wedding?”

“Inuyasha said it was up to you. He’s too busy building the house.”

“Inuyasha is building a house?”

Sango wasn’t catching on to Kagome’s confusion in the least. She nodded. “Miroku is getting ideas from him about what to add to our house, so I suppose I’ve got you to thank for that.”

Kagome blinked rapidly and tried to process the information her best friend had just laid out. She instinctively bounced the baby in her arms when he began to fuss.

Sango continued, moving to grab a different color thread to match the pattern of the kimono better – and to hopefully hide the mending she was doing. “I personally think you should just have two ceremonies because I don’t want to hear from Kaede or Miroku about how disappointed they are if they don’t get to officiate it. I mean, they are two different ceremonies, so it shouldn’t matter. Besides, the village could use two weddings, even if it’s the same people getting married.”

Kagome finally sputtered out, “I’m sorry, but who told you I was getting married?”

Sango looked up, her face showing confusion as well. “Inuyasha did. He’s been having Miroku barter for fabric to make you a wedding kimono.”

“Inuyasha told you I’m getting married? To him?”

“Well, I’d presume so. Unless there’s another man no one but Inuyasha knows about.”

Kagome didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry from the absurdity of it all. “Inuyasha told you we were getting married without even asking me to marry him? That man, I swear.”

Sango’s face went white as she realized what her friend was saying. Her tone was low and quiet. “He hasn’t asked you to marry him?”

Kagome shook her head no, finally laughing.

“Oh my god. I’m going to have my husband beat some sense into him.” Sango put down her sewing and stood up. “What an absolute moron! He’s been telling everyone you two are getting married for weeks!”

That got Kagome’s attention. “What do you mean everyone?”

“He told all the men in the village when they were rebuilding the roof to the shrine last month. We’ve all been getting ready for it, and you had no idea.”

Kagome took Sango’s hand as she went to leave. “It’s fine, Sango. It’s honestly fine.”

“You’re going to marry him?”

Kagome nodded. “Yeah, I think I’ll marry him. He, after all, did the hard work of informing everyone for me.”

“He forgot to inform you. The bride.”

Kagome shrugged. “I mean, Miroku just asked you to have his babies. Can’t say either of us got very romantic proposals.”

Sango sat back down with a huff. “I suppose.”

“Besides,” Kagome settled back to rock the baby boy to sleep, “we’ve got great stories to tease them with when the kids are old enough.”

“My daughters will not know how Miroku got me to agree to marry him. They will not think that a man can just roll up and ask them that question.”

Kagome smiled softly. “Fair enough. We’ll have to tease them with Inuyasha’s proposal story only then.”

Sango smiled back. “I can agree to that.”

“Good. Now, seriously, I need you to help me figure out what I’m supposed to do for a wedding. What do I need to plan, and does Inuyasha know two people want to officiate it?”

The women settled into a jovial conversation about wedding planning, wedding kimono sewing (Sango had not had a special one made for her wedding, but wanted to help Kagome make one), and what kind of food needed to be prepared for it.

When the sun fell low into the sky, Inuyasha came back from working in the forest. Kagome hadn’t known what he had been doing the last few weeks, but now she was suspicious he was building the home Sango had mentioned.

Miroku also returned with Inuyasha, eager to see his babies again after a long day of being without them. He scooped them up in his arms and kissed his girls’ cheeks. They squealed and chittered at him about their adventurous day of collecting rocks and bugs.

Kagome watched Miroku scoop up his baby boy while still giving his twins his attention. Sango waved her and Inuyasha off as they began to walk toward Kaede’s hut – where Kagome had been staying for the time being.

“Have you ever thought about having babies, Inuyasha?” The sight of Miroku with his children burned the question into her mind, and since they were apparently getting married, she felt bold enough to ask him.

Inuyasha’s arms went up quickly and crossed tightly over his chest. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I have.”

“You have?”

“Sure,” Kagome slipped an arm around his bicep, pulling him closer to her. “I’ve always wanted some babies of my own.”

Inuyasha relaxed enough for his arms to loosen for her pull him closer to her and rest her head on his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She responded. “I think we should get married first though.”

“Miroku says fall harvest time will be the best time to get married.”

Kagome’s brain stopped for a moment. She thought that he would ask her if she prompted him. But no. He breezed past that part and went to talking about the wedding as if it was a sure thing.

Okay, maybe it was a sure thing. She wanted to marry him and spend the rest of her life with him, but still. She kind of wanted to be asked.

Kagome was struck by the realization that if she wanted there to be a proposal, she was going to have to give it.

She stopped in her tracks, causing Inuyasha to jerk to a stop and look at her confused. “I told him that if you wanted a spring wedding, we could wait a year.”

Kagome ignored his comment, but it wasn’t lost on her that he was willing to wait until next spring if she wanted. He could really be a sweet guy.

But she was more focused on the idea of a proposal to comment on it.

Kagome dropped on one knee, taking Inuyasha’s left hand in hers. “Inuyasha,” she started.

“What are you doing? Got a bum ankle or something.” Kagome resisted rolling her eyes at him. He was good a ruining a moment, but she wasn’t going to let him ruin this.

“Inuyasha,” she started again – only to be cut off again.

“That’s my name. Glad to know you’ve finally got it down.”

Kagome’s head dropped as she sighed, composing herself. He wasn’t going to deter her from her mission of having a proposal. She looked up and made eye contact with him again.

And nearly burst out laughing at how confused and scared his expression was. He was clearly uncomfortable and trying to figure out what she was up to. His ears were pinned down against his head, and his mouth twisted into a grimace.

“Inuyasha, willyoumarryme?” Kagome spit it out so quickly that the words blurred together, just so he wouldn’t interrupt her again.

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. Horror flashed across his face. Kagome asked again, this time carefully and clearly. “Will you marry me?”

Inuyasha’s face was such a mixture of thinking, confusion, fright, and shock that Kagome snorted out a laugh that she couldn’t contain.

“The guy’s supposed to do that, isn’t he?”

Kagome shrugged. “Don’t think it matters at this point. But it’s a yes or no question. Will you marry me?”

Inuyasha’s hand began to feel clammy in hers. She had frazzled his nerves big time.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Answer the question.” Kagome couldn’t stop the annoyance from crossing her face.

Inuyasha recognized that he might be getting into hot water with not answering, so he gave the only response he had ever given Kagome before. “Keh.”

“I’m going to take that as a yes.” Kagome dropped his hand and stood up, brushing off her knee. She was going to take his arm again, but this time he grabbed her hand and dropped to his knee. He tenderly kissed her knuckles, before looking up at her and whispering in an uncertain voice. “Will you marry me?”

Kagome’s heart began to race. She had just asked him herself, but there was something so magical being on the other side of the question. She started to tear up, causing Inuyasha to look panicked, before she yelled at the top of her lungs.

“YES!”

She pulled him up to his feet and kissed him firmly on the mouth. She had never felt so happy in her entire life, nor ever so in love.

The next day, she told everyone who walked past her that she and Inuyasha were getting married. Even though they gave her rather confused looks, as they had known for much longer than she did, she couldn’t care less.

It wasn’t the most romantic way to get engaged, but it sure set the tone for their future together.

[ruddcatha]

Circus AU and Dystopian AU+ InuKag for thr trope mashup 😎

ooohhh another circus prompt!! (I swear I will do the one I came up with last time at SOME POINT.... maybe... someday...)

hmmmm...... what to do what to dooo...

The last world war nearly destroyed all society as we know it. The world leaders were all taken out, and the world plunged into chaos. From the chaos leaders began to emerge, individuals who managed to keep their people alive, and begin to survive.

In the 30 years since the war ended, very little had changed. People fought to survive, to make their way and find a way to make the day a little less bleak.

There was one week that every region looked forward to, the visit from the circus. A traveling group that grew each time it came into the towns, driven by the stories of old of the bright tents and ornate displays. A series of misfits who found a home with each other, building their own way of life, always on the road, but always full of laughter and joy.

It was a life that Kagome desperately wanted.

The bright colors of the costumes, the performances. A far cry from the work in the fields and undyed cloth she wore, threadbare from use and fabric being repurposed and resewn when the seams give out.

The day the circus came in that year though was one Kagome would never forget. She had marked the days on the small precious calendar she had saved for months to buy, the day marked with a circle to help keep her sane from the monotony.

She was unusual, 21 and still unmarried, an anomaly in her area, but she just... the idea of following in the footsteps of the other women in the area filled her with dread. The expectations, the limitations, tasked with helping rebuild the population... she had heard all of it before, faced the disappointment in the faces of those around her, the heartbreak and barely veiled anger in Hojo and Bankotsu's faces who had both tried to court her.

She was just glad her mother had protected her, refusing to give in to pressure to arrange a marriage for Kagome.

But that day... the moment the rare truck rolled into town, Kagome's life changed forever. She watched as what seemed to be hundreds of people came pouring out of the caravan, the largest she had ever seen. The red of the tent, the brown coats of the horses as they were led to grass, the long silver hair of their handler blowing in the breeze.

Her breath caught as the handler turned and she saw his profile.

He was...

He was beautiful. She could see the power in his movements as he carefully checked each horse, running a hand down their backs and flank as they happily grazed. One of the horses bumped him as it scrambled to eat, causing his rich laughter to dance through the air.

She took a step forward, unable to stop her feet from moving, only to cry out as the soil of the hill she stood on crumbled beneath her. Her eyes closed in terror as she waited for the inevitable landing, bracing herself for an impact that never came. Two strong arms caught her as she fell, pulling her against a hard body and she felt her savior hit the ground in her stead. Her ear rested over the heart of the one who held her, the pulse fast and erratic, the decidedly male chest heaving beneath her. He smelled...

He smelled of sweat and hay and evergreen, every day smells that seemed so much... more suddenly.

"You idiot, why didn't you look where you were going?"

Kagome's fantasy was shattered at the gruff words, her eyes snapping open in anger as her temper flared.

All her heat fled as her gaze was captured by the richest gold she had ever seen. A small movement drew her attention up to the silver ears atop his head, one flicking madly from the mud that had splattered onto it.

"Hey... seriously, are you ok?" His voice gentled as his grip loosened, sitting them both upright as those golden eyes scanned over her, looking for an injury.

"Y... yeah," she whispered, dazed.

That's about as far as i got...

Sorry lol

Thank you my dear @mrfeenysmustache!!!!

[lavaffair]

Tongue Tied

Inukag Fluff Week Prompt: Secret/Stolen Kisses

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33168943

Miroku stared at the half demon with raised eyebrows as he growled impatiently.

“How long does it take for two women to get ready?” It sounded more like a complaint than a question, and the raven-haired man chuckled.

“Inuyasha, this happens every time, why do you seem to forget this?”

Inuyasha huffed in frustration. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”

An annoyed, muffled voice interrupted the men in the living room. “Inuyasha, shut up! Miroku, baby, we’re almost done!” His girlfriend, Sango, called from behind the door. She and Kagome were getting ready for their night out.

A dumb grin immediately appeared on Miroku’s face at the pet name Sango called him. His girlfriend of four years, they have been in this successfully established relationship for a long time. Inuyasha had no idea he would have ever seen his best friend be so loyal to one woman. He was happy for them, no doubt about that, and he was glad there was someone in the world that made Miroku happy.

Miroku was such a huge playboy back in college, and it was not until they both met the girls that Miroku’s main focus turned to Sango. It was an overnight change, a switch that had gone off in his head at the sight of her. Suddenly no other girl mattered, with pointless one-night stands and aimless flirting meaning nothing to the guy.

Back then, Miroku’s mission was to somehow get Sango to agree to go on one date with him, and she would refuse every single time. It was entertaining honestly, and he and Kagome would place bets on the sidelines to see what would happen. The winner would treat the other to a meal of their choice, and the stakes only got higher as Sango’s feelings started to get more obvious.

Eventually, she cracked and agreed to go on a date with the persistent man. They were casual for a while, with Sango being not very confident in how true Miroku was with his feelings. Though, he proved himself every time. And as they spent more time alone together, Inuyasha and Kagome’s friendship only became stronger.

For Inuyasha, it was a big deal, although he would never admit it. He was never great with women, and he was stuck around Miroku most of the time watching him flirt with a random girl every night. He was not the best influence, and Inuyasha was not going to take dating advice from a guy who never took dating seriously.

Kagome was his friend and an incredible one at that. She was always there for him, and he found it really easy for him to talk to her about things he had never told Miroku. At first it scared him; being so open and honest to a person was new to him, but Kagome calmed him. She brought him reassurance and safety, and it engulfed him in a warm aura that he had not felt since his mother was alive. She meant a lot to him, and he was grateful for the events that happened in order for their friendship to grow stronger.

Which, of course, had led them to secretly dating each other for the last month and a half now.

“Aw, baby, they’re almost done.” Inuyasha teased with a shit-eating grin.

Miroku laughed, “You’re just jealous you don’t have a beautiful woman calling you baby my friend.”

Inuyasha chose to ignore the jab and smirked in return. “So I can get whipped like you? I’ll pass.”

The bedroom door clicked open, revealing the two girls who had been hidden behind it dressed to the nines. Sango looked great dressed in dark blue pants that shimmered every time she moved and a halter top with the same color. The top had a crossing design that wrapped around her waist and went underneath her bust. Although, it was the girl beside her that grabbed all of Inuyasha’s attention, and it was incredibly difficult not to make it obvious.

Kagome took his breath away with every second that passed, her wavy raven hair cascading downward and framing her face as if she was a painting. The dress she had on had his body temperature rising at a steady rate. The way the satin material melted into her curves had his heart skipping a beat. It was olive in color, and Inuyasha made a mental note to buy her more clothes in green.

He felt like he was going to die, and he could not do a thing about it except stand here pretending like he was not staring at the most beautiful person in the room. Kagome was having a hard time restraining herself as well, seeing Inuyasha dressed up a little more than usual while still staying true to his comfort and fashion had her mouth-watering.

They had to control themselves. This was not the time. They both agreed to keep this a secret for now, only because they wanted to test out the waters before announcing it to their best friends. As nosy as they were most of the time, it was a miracle that they had yet to find out. The new couple wanted to enjoy their private time together. Besides, it made things a lot more fun. Miroku and Sango would l find out eventually, with it probably being a lot sooner than later since Inuyasha and Kagome were realizing that they definitely could not go back to strictly being friends.

The attraction was there, deeply welled into the ground with no chance of coming loose. Their friendship had blossomed into something they both had not expected, and it took a long time for Inuyasha to come to terms with it before he came clean to Kagome. He was a nervous wreck that day, but so was she, and when he had laid out his heart to her she was right there with him. It was surreal for the two of them, which is why they decided to keep it a secret for the time being. Everything was very new to the pair, as they had not planned on ever falling for each other in the first place.

Quickly, Inuyasha played it off and groaned, “Finally! You guys took forever.”

“Thanks! You look great too. You dress up nice.” Kagome fired back, but he could tell it was just a gimmick.

Sango, on the other hand, rolled her eyes. “It must be so nice to put on a pair of pants and a shirt and call it a day. Maybe even cologne if we’re so lucky.” She smirked, “Kagome and I, on the other hand, love to go all out. We’re hot already, so we don’t have to, but we want to.”

“Yeah, we all agreed we’d go out dressed up for once! We never do this as a group, and it’s going to be fun!” Kagome chimed in. Her smile was contagious, and it was taking everything within him to not launch himself at her and kiss her.

Miroku cleared his throat, “Well unlike someone over here, I think you both look wonderful.” He walked over to Sango and slowly slid his hand down to her bottom, “I think your butt looks great in these pants.” That earned him a slap to the hand.

“Ever the charmer.” Inuyasha retaliated.

“Let me praise my woman in peace.” He said as he feathered his girlfriend's cheek with kisses.

Kagome stuck out her tongue in mock disgust, “Ugh, Inuyasha, let’s go before they decide to bail on us.” She grabbed her bag and walked out in front of him, secretly allowing his eyes to look at her as he followed her out.

Their friends were quick on their tail, and out of the door, finally making their way to Miroku’s car. When they had all sat down inside, Kagome felt around for her phone and realized she had left it inside.

“Wait! I gotta go back for my phone. I left it on the bed!” She yelled.

“Ugh.” Inuyasha complained, “You’re so forgetful. I’ll go with you.” He unclicked his seatbelt to get out of the car, “We can give these two some alone time.”

Kagome giggled and wiggled her eyebrows at Sango, “Have fun. We won’t be long!” She scurried out of the car.

The journey back to the apartment felt endless as the couple felt the tension build between them. As soon as they were both out of sight, their hands met and entangled with one another. They walked in silence, the air felt too heavy between them to spare even one word to one another.

When Kagome turned the key to let them both back into the apartment, Inuyasha's hands were on her quicker than the flash, his lips crashing into hers before she could even get the door closed.

“You little liar.” He whispered into her mouth. “You left your phone on purpose.”

She kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his neck in an attempt to bring him closer. They were both smiling into the kiss as they savored finally being alone together.

“Did I?” She kissed his nose, “What if I actually left it here? You did say I’m forgetful.”

Inuyasha looked at her with awestruck eyes, taking her in completely before kissing her again. “I don’t believe you.” He kissed her face all over, leaving no inch of skin without a touch from his lips.

He left her in a fit of giggles while he continuously kissed her all over, making sure to leave some around the ticklish spot on her neck. “ They're gonna get- haha suspicious if we-“ More giggles, “-Take too long!” She let out.

The half-demon slowed down, kissing her forehead and nose before withdrawing. “It’s not my fault you look so good in this dress.”

“Hmm. If I remember correctly, you didn’t say that when I first walked out.” She teased, “But I do remember hearing you tell Miroku that he’s whipped.” She raised her brow.

Losing the battle, he pressed his lips against her plush ones once again. “Well, he is.”

She laughed, and he took in the beautiful sound. “You sure you’re not talking about yourself?”

He could not take his eyes off her lips, pink and a little swollen from their shared kisses, her big brown eyes, and the freckles that danced on her nose. “Oh no, definitely not.” He lied.

That earned him another giggle from her, and he wanted to keep kissing her so that he could get her to keep laughing. “I wonder who’s the liar now.” She tapped his nose with her finger, earning a little nose scrunch from him. “Now if you excuse me, I need to go get my phone. Sango’s probably spammed texted me by now!”

With one last kiss, Inuyasha let her go into her bedroom to find her cellphone. It was exactly where it was, right on the bed with five texts from her best friend. Although, that will not be the story she tells when they get back into the car.

***

The bar and lounge were packed as any normal bar would be on a Friday night. There were people sitting on the stools right by the bar, as well as the tables and couches that were spaced throughout the room.

The group of four were lucky enough to find a couch with a table and claimed it as theirs before someone else could take it. The music was blaring loudly in the building as the group of friends were figuring out food and drinks for the night. They had agreed on a bar and lounge because clubs are rowdy, don’t have any food, and Inuyasha cannot handle them whatsoever. However, he can definitely handle a bar and lounge. It was a plus that they also sold food along with their drinks.

Inuyasha and Kagome, seated side by side, did their best to fight the urge to hold hands. Unfortunately, they were not seated at a table where they could get away with it. Their hands were on full display, and therefore, could not interact the way they wished they could. Their best friends, on the other hand, were already showcasing their relationship to everybody in the room.

“Alright, what are we getting to eat?” Kagome spoke up, a slight jump coming to her the more she got excited about their orders.

Just as much as he loved to eat, so did his girl, and every time she was able to eat he noticed that she did a little dance in her chair from excitement. She never noticed how often she did that, and he quickly realized how cute it was that she did.

Sango looked through the menu with her best friend, “We have to get wings. I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them, and wings are part of tonight’s menu.”

Miroku laughed, “Babe, get whatever you want. Kagome, the same goes for you. We’ll pay for the tab.”

Kagome scoffed, “You guys always pay! Let us do it for once.”

Inuyasha nudged at her, hoping no one noticed how he poked at her thigh. “Not a chance. It’s not up for debate.”

“Agreed.” Miroku continued, “All you ladies need to do is sit there and enjoy your night.”

Sango rolled her eyes, “We’re paying next time! No excuses.”

Kagome flexed her arm to show off her strength, “We’ll arm wrestle next time and the winner pays! Meaning, Sango and I will pay.” She smirked.

Inuyasha raised his eyebrow, “Did you forget I’m stronger than all of you?”

“Mmm, you wouldn’t dare beat me.” His girlfriend struck back, a playful smile present on her face. All he wanted to do at that moment was kiss it away.

“Haha!” Miroku laughed, “She’s got a point.”

While the girls continued to check out the menu, Inuyasha let his hand linger closer to Kagome’s exposed thigh. It was not much, but to him it was something. This allowed him to remind himself that she was all his and vice versa. They could not be openly affectionate yet, but it was getting harder and harder to hold back.

Once the girls put in their food orders along with everyone’s desired drinks, there was nothing else they could do but wait. The night was still young, and normally the little dance floor in the middle of the room did not get packed until people were drunk. If the girls chose to dance, they would have to wait.

“Alright, so, what are we doing after this?” Sango asked, her voice rising an octave higher to attempt to speak over the music.

“What?” Inuyasha asked, “We’re already at the spot we planned to come to, and you wanna go somewhere else?”

“Inuyashaaaaa,” Kagome dragged on. “Don’t be such a party pooper.” She smacked his cheek playfully, a low growl immediately vibrated deeply in his chest. His girlfriend could not hear it, but oh boy could she feel it, and she was reveling in the effect she had on him.

It was not fair, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to take her away and kiss her senseless again, he wanted to bask in her warmth and in the comforting sound of her giggles.

He already wanted to go home.

He relaxed and raised an eyebrow at her and put on his best-annoyed face. “I’m not a party pooper, Kagome.”

“Au contraire! My friend, you never want to stay out past 2 AM because you’re tired.” Miroku laughed.

“Face it, dog boy, you can’t hang.” Sango teased.

Kagome watched him pout, his annoyance extremely clear on his face, and all she could do was giggle at him. She understood why he hated staying out so late, seeing as how he worked so hard at the shop and knew he was very tired from his job. She knew he knew that they were just teasing him, but he was still going to complain about it.

“Tch. I’m gonna go get the drinks, maybe you guys will get tired after a few shots.” He stood up and made his way towards the bar, his broad back on full display for Kagome to see. She really could not believe how lucky she was, scoring someone so handsome and attentive like him.

Would she admit that it drove her a bit mad that other girls had their eyes glued to him when he walked to the bar too? No, not unless he asked her to. But it did bother her.

Quickly, she shot out of her seat, alarming her friends from her sudden burst. Sango looked at her concerned, and a little confused.

“I’m just gonna go help him out.” She lied. “Four drinks isn’t easy to carry back.”

“Don’t get lost.” Sango called back to her, but it went straight through one ear and out the other.

Kagome sauntered towards the bar, her brown eyes directly on her white-haired target, and smoothly positioned herself right beside him. He was standing beside the long table with no drinks in sight, casually waiting for the bartender with a pout still on his face.

“Baby,” Kagome chimed. “I was just kidding. You’re not a party pooper.”

He did not look at her and decided to keep staring at the fluorescent bottle displayed in front of him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She wrapped her hands around his arm and nuzzled into him, selfishly hoping the women at the other tables were watching. “You look cute when you pout.”

A blush crawled into his cheeks, staining his face red while he tried his best to look like the compliment did nothing to him. “I’m not pouting.”

She laughed again, and it sounded breathless and full of admiration all at the same time. “Do you want me to kiss it away?”

He looked at her eyes, and then at her lips, and back up at her eyes again. Those full, plush, soft lips that he could kiss all day long, for the rest of his life, enticing him to follow through.

“You’re okay with Thing 1 and Thing 2 knowing about us now?” He looked straight into her eyes, making sure to catch any hesitation or discomfort at the question.

“No,” she bit her lip to suppress the grin she had on her face. “Kissing you in secret is always fun, and we can do that anywhere, but I don’t want to hide us anymore from our friends.” She squeezed his arm for emphasis.

“If you’re okay with telling them now, so am I.”

Inuyasha looked down at her, a beautiful pink colored her cheeks at her revelation, and he could not help but smile at her. He kissed her forehead, careful not to smudge her makeup, and grinned. “Babe, get ready to be shown off to everyone. Because after this, everyone’s gonna know about my hot, annoying, and sweet girlfriend.”

She wrinkled her nose at him, “You gonna keep the annoying part in there?”

The half-demon laughed and patted her head. “That’s the part of you that made me fall for you so hard.”

“Drinks for Inuyasha.” the bartender interrupted.

It was Kagome’s turn to pout as the couple made their way back to their friends. With two drinks in each hand, they carefully placed them down on the table and sat back down.

“Inuyasha..” Sango asked, her voice coming off more threatening than usual. “What did you do to Kagome?”

His girlfriend's plush lips were still in a cute little pout, and he could tell immediately that she was trying to get back at him for calling her annoying. They were both messing around with each other as they normally do, but looking at her soft lips and with their previous conversation still fresh in his mind, Inuyasha knew what to do.

“He called me annoying.” Kagome answered, “So, I’m giving him the silent treatment.”

He could not stop his eyes from rolling at her, a humongous grin showing on his face. “Oh, relax, you know I didn’t mean it.”

Kagome’s brown eyes narrowed at him, but instead of looking angry, she looked like she was challenging him. “Hmm, remind me of what you said back at the bar then.”

That was it, the urge to kiss her again was too strong, seeing her so playfully riled up at his antics. She looked so good in this green dress, with her wavy hair cascading down her arms and face, her blushing cheeks that makeup could never compare to, and her challenging eyes that were staring right into his.

It was an instant pull, like a magnet, that led him to immediately latch his lips onto hers. Inuyasha felt her body give a little jolt in surprise, but she quickly molded her lips right against his, the feeling of kissing him was too addicting. She fisted her dainty hands onto his leather jacket and latched on for support while her body turned into putty because all she could think about was kissing him back. One of his large hands lay firmly on the small of her back while the other was caressing her cheek.

If they had a choice they would do this forever with one another and never go back to reality again. But half-demon or not, they both needed to pull apart to get some air. Their chests heaved dramatically while they stared at each other, both of their faces the reddest they have ever been.

“Finally.” Miroku snorted, “I was wondering when you two were going to crack.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. “W-what?”

“You guys aren’t exactly the best at keeping secrets, you know.” Sango added.

“Yeah, especially when you guys look like you will jump each other at any second,” Miroku smirked, his eyes flicking back and forth from the couple in front of him.

Kagome huffed, “I figured this would happen.” She could not help but laugh. “Why didn’t you guys just say anything?”

“You placed bets, didn't you?” The half-demon glared. He, too, had his suspicions that their best friends had figured it out a while back, but for Kagome’s sake, he continued with their agreement on staying a secret until later on.

“‘Course we did, we wouldn’t be your best friends if we didn’t place bets.” Miroku’s violet eyes looked into Sango’s, and he smirked. “Also, we both liked to watch you two pretend like you weren’t into each other. It was fun.”

“Keh. Assholes.” Inuyasha scoffed.

“Never mind that,” Sango pulled Kagome in for a hug. “I’m so happy! This couldn't have gone more perfect!”

Kagome was in a fit of giggles all over again, and immediately she was pulled off from her best friend and into her boyfriend's arms.

“Well, guess we couldn’t keep it a secret after all.” The half-demon smirked.

A bright smile that Kagome could not hold back appeared on her face. “Nope, I guess not.”

They kissed each other again, and again, and again. By the time the group of friends all left the lounge, Inuyasha and Kagome looked spent, with swollen kissed lips and a drunken look in their eyes.

[keichanz]

Rest

saw this post and the idea wouldn’t leave my brain until i wrote it. so enjoy the random Inukag and moroha family fluff i guess.

yep i totally forgot to tag everyone sorry my bad

@lavendertwilight89 @born-for-eachother @mandirox89 @arcprz @bluejay785 @malditamigs @xfangheartx @bluehawaiicat @zelink-inukag @clearwillow @wenchster @anabananaxq @superpixie42 @midnightsilver16830 @heathersmusings @theinuyashareader @danycontreras90 @liz8080 @blairex @lordofthechips @itzatakahashi @sailorbabydoll92 @raisinraven @sticky-llama-perfection @dangerouspompadour @digital-art-monster @joaniemae @boostyourmind-blog @anxietyaardvark @simply-zerah @nsr0716 @caribmiko @witchygirl99 @mamabearcat @redflamesofpassion @tuxedochevaleresse @umacaking @hnn-wnchstr @juliatheanimelover7 @lemonlushff @eringobroke @youarenotmyhomelandanymore @hikaruwrites @horriblehowl @lady-dark-69 @sssuperbartola @eternalnight8806-3 @morganashimi83 @shnuggletea @pinkpigeonstudio @memusicmuse @cyncyn981 @yurawiththegoodhair @kagometaishostory @chickpow @ladyphoenix0711 @the-rebel-alchemist @nartista @soliska @cammysansstuff @karina-inuphantom

“C’mon, Moroha, I really don’t want to do this tonight...”

With a heavy sigh, Kagome swept aside the reed mat to her home and wasn’t at all surprised to find it empty aside from her lightly dozing husband. He sat against the wall in his usual fashion, legs crossed, arms tucked into his opposite sleeves, and he stared at her with curious, but tired eyes.

Kagome huffed and crossed her arms. “Where’d she go?”

“She?”

She gave him a look. “I know I saw her run in here. Did she climb out the window again?”

A slow blink. “My eyes were closed, wench. I didn’t see anything.”

Kagome wrinkled her nose and tried not to pout because as much as she wanted to believe otherwise, she knew her husband spoke the truth. He and Miroku had just gotten back an hour prior from a week long demon slaying trip and a single glance as he’d dragged himself inside their little hut had told her of his bone-deep exhaustion. He’d shaken his head at her inquisitive look and she hadn’t pried, figuring he’d explain all that had happened tomorrow morning after he’d gotten some well deserved rest and they had a little time to themselves while Moroha slept for another hour or so. So she’d merely smiled, kissed his cheek, and left him to rest while she wrangled up their hyper-active toddler to get ready for her bath.

But of course, true to form, Moroha was anything but compliant, the resulting happiness from her father’s return making her energized, hyper, and consequently turning everything into a game. 

Ergo, why Kagome was now searching for her hyper-active daughter after the child had darted away with mischievous giggles, evidently deciding that a game of Hide and Seek sounded like a great idea.

Kagome disagreed.

Heaving a long-suffering sigh, Kagome jutted her hip to the side and pinned her half-demon with a look of weary tolerance. Inuyasha likened it to fond exasperation.

“You’re lucky I love you.” Dark eyes glinted impishly at him and the corners of her lips twitched.

He fought a grin. “And here I thought you only married me for my ears.”

The look she gave him that time was coy and her smile was even more so.

“Among other things,” she said leadingly and had the audacity to drop her gaze somewhere lower than his face. 

Inuyasha’s lids lowered and he beckoned her over to him with a jerk of his head. “C’mere.”

Kagome bit her lip and took a single step forward before halting herself and narrowing her eyes at him.

“No.”

Black brows rose into silver bangs. “No?”

“Yeah. No, because I know that look, you need to rest, and I need to find your kid so I can give her the bath she’s avoiding.” 

“My kid, huh?”

“Yes, your kid. Because no child of mine would ever be this stubborn and hyper-active and suddenly think bath time would be a great time for Hide and Seek.”

“Really.”

She suppressed another smile. “Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?”

“Ain’t that what we’re gonna be doing in a couple hours, anyway? Sleep?” Inuyasha rejoined, quirking a brow.

Kagome rose both her eyebrows at him and tipped him a small smile that spoke volumes.

He couldn’t do it. He grinned at her. “Keh.”

Kagome snickered and tossed him a little wink. “Get some rest, dogboy. You’re gonna need it.”

“Cheeky.”

“Only for you.” She smiled, blew him a kiss, and ducked out the door, calling for their wayward daughter once again. 

Chuckling, Inuyasha shook his head and released a yawn. 

A few minutes passed and then suddenly a little nose poked out from behind the curtain of his suikan sleeves, sniffing once, twice, three times. Inuyasha watched, amused, as his daughter tentatively peeked out from behind the large draping sleeves that hid her from view and surveyed their home for her mother. Finding the room empty, Moroha giggled in triumph and slithered out from her father’s lap to land on the floor in a wriggling heap, relishing in her victory. 

Inuyasha gave her a deadpan stare.  “You’re gonna get me in trouble.”

 Moroha grinned at him. “Nooo, Papa help me!”

“You used me, runt.”

“Noooo!” she giggled and got to her feet.

“You gonna let Mama give you a bath?”

“Nooooo.” Vehement head-shaking followed.

“Will you let Papa give you a bath?”

“Noo!” More giggling as she stomped around in circles.

“You ever gonna stop answering everything with ‘no’?”

The devil-child grinned at him. “Nooo.”

Inuyasha’s ear flicked and he nodded sagely. “I see. So then you don’t want the gift that Papa got for you while he was away.”

Moroha’s eyes widened. “N--” She stopped. Blinked. Furrowed her brow as she thought hard for a moment before her eyes brightened. 

Nodding her head rather enthusiastically, she said, “No.”

Inuyasha balked. Blinked. Then narrowed his eyes. “You brat, that’s cheating.”

The toddler smashed her hands against her mouth to hide the obvious grin as she danced in place, bouncing up and down in her excitement.

“Noooo,” she denied amid her giggles, apparently having far too much fun with this particular “game.”

Cheeky. Just like her mother. Keh.

Inuyasha tried to keep the stern look on his face as he shifted his position, moving as if he was getting ready to get to his feet and being deliberately slow about it.

“Alright, runt, you have three seconds to make yourself scarce before you learn how to swim like your old man did and not how your mom wants you to.”

Even at such a young age, Moroha knew it was an empty threat but she acted like it wasn’t anyway, releasing a high-pitched squeal of laughter before turning around and darting through the doorway with more giggles.

Inuyasha sank back down with a grunt and released another yawn as his ears picked up the sound of a gasp, small feet scrambling in the dirt, and then a triumphant “Gotcha, you little sneak!”

Seconds later he heard the melodic sound of his little girl’s laughter as she was “punished” by way of The Tickle Monster, aka, her mother. Softer, throatier laughter joined in before the woman herself stepped through the doorway once more, their daughter tucked beneath her arm like a sack of rice with her little dirty feet kicking merrily in the air.

Placing her free hand on her hip, Kagome arched a brow at him and said dryly, “Didn’t see anything, huh?”

“I was an unwilling accomplice. I’m innocent.”

Kagome snorted her opinion of that. Moroha echoed the sentiment.

Inuyasha frowned at the little backside wiggling in the air at him. “Traitor.”

Said wee traitor giggled, clearly unrepentant.

Kagome couldn’t hold back a smile. “Where was she?”

He stared at her for a minute before resuming his earlier position. Crossing his legs, he stuffed his hands into his sleeves again and cocked a single brow at his wife. 

Kagome gaped at him. Then at their daughter. 

“You sneaky little demon!”

Moroha giggled and squirmed in her mother’s grasp. “Sneaky!”

Inuyasha chuckled.

Kagome pointed at him. “You’re in trouble.”

He grinned.

She narrowed her eyes. “Stop that.”

He stopped.

Rolling her eyes, though unable to keep her lips from twitching upward, Kagome flapped a hand at him as if in dismissal.

“Go to sleep. You’re annoying me.”

“Excuse you, you’re the one who barged in here and disturbed my beauty sleep.”

“Inuyasha, no amount of beauty sleep in the world will--”

“Finish that sentence, wench, and you’ll find the runt and yourself taking a nice little evening swim in the cold river.”

Kagome promptly sealed her lips and smiled as she batted her eyes at him. 

Inuyasha snorted and stuck his nose in the air, closing his eyes. “Beat it. I need my rest and you two are loud.”

Finally giving in with a soft laugh, Kagome shook her head then knelt down to set their daughter on the floor. She whispered something to the toddler and with a bright smile, Moroha obediently scampered on over to her father.

Inuyasha waited until she’d reached his side before dipping his head. He received a soft kiss to his cheek with a soft, “G’night, Papa,” and small arms wrapping around his neck. He hugged his little girl back, wrapping an arm around her tiny body and dropping a kiss to her head. 

“Night, babygirl,” he murmured. He was rewarded with a bright smile - her mother’s smile - before his daughter turned and toddled back to his wife.

Kagome hoisted their toddler up into her arms, bestowed her husband with a soft, loving smile, then turned and left their home to finally give their daughter her long-overdue bath.

When Inuyasha woke, it was fully dark out and a small hand - a familiar hand - was lazily stroking his ear. Said ear flicked, there was a brief pause, then the gentle massage continued. One by one his sense came back online; the smoke and burning wood from the fire pit was the first thing to register. Next was the soothing sounds of two heartbeats, one slow and steady with the rhythm of slumber, and the other calm and nearby. Lastly was the feeling of something warm and soft leaning against his bare back, skin against skin, warm lips pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

He sighed, deciding he was content enough for the moment to relish in the warmth, the feeling of his wife’s body against his own, her forever intoxicating sent surrounding him as she stoked his ear. But then she started kissing his neck and he abruptly decided nope time to move.

A shift, a tug, and then he had her under him, bare and beautiful and smiling. Her hands pressed against his chest and he leaned down, kissed her nose, her jaw, her chin.

“Miss me?” he murmured and laid his forehead against hers, eyes twin pools of heated amber gold. 

“Yes.” No hesitation, no pause; just open honesty, genuine love in those dark eyes. Hands curled around the back of his neck as she tilted her face up, a silent request.

“Show me,” he whispered against her mouth before claiming it in a slow, languid kiss that had he been aching to give her for days. 

His wife, the mother of his child, his beloved Kagome happily returned it, her passion soft but urgent, heady but contained, hot but maddeningly slow. She whispered his name, kissed him one more time, then promptly rolled him onto his back so she could do as he bade and show him how much she’d missed him.

[petri808]

@inukag-week Marriage prompt this idea ended up longer then intended so I’m breaking it up into chapters 😅

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

As Kagome rounded a corner of the castle hallway near her parent’s bedroom, she overheard something that sent a chill right down her spine. Knowing this could be her fate and accepting it were two different things, and maybe… just maybe she’d hoped they wouldn’t have subjected their precious daughter to such a medieval concept. Her back fell against the wall as her hands covered up the scream bubbling up in her throat. This wasn’t fair! It wasn’t right! How could they do this to her? All her life she’d played the dutiful role of Princess, never once giving into her whims, but oh how she longed for something more than these walls— And now it appeared she may never experience anything more than a royal obligation.

Unless she did something about it.

“Marriage in one year’s time as part of the alliance…” Kagome heard her father say.

“He is a good man and fine suitor. I pray Kagome will take to him well…” added her mother.

That was all Kagome could bear to hear.

She slipped away back to her room and gathered up only what would fit in a carry sack. The plainest attire she had, toiletries, precious personal items, and some money she had tucked away. It was a dangerous gamble Kagome was about to take and one she couldn’t even fathom the consequences for her parents. But in that moment, the thought of being sent away to some random Prince was akin to being sold like a slave and that was something she just couldn’t bear. They didn’t even confer with her on this! If they loved her, wouldn’t they have talked to her about this?! And yet at dinner they were still silent, never bringing up their plans for their daughter. Any doubts of running died away by the end of the meal and her mind was set.

Under the cover of darkness, Kagome donned her riding outfit cloaked by a hooded cape and stole away to the stables. She knew the stable boy would be away for his meal in the servants quarters, so as quietly as possible, she packed her horse for the journey. Buyo was a fine stead and waited patiently as Kagome loaded him up with a bed roll and her bag, making sure to use a worn harness rather than any of the royal gear. The last thing a lone woman traveler needed to do was bring attention to themselves. Finally with a bow and arrow strapped to her back, she lead the horse out of the castle walls to the world that awaited her.

It was imperative that Kagome got as far away as quickly as she could to avoid being tracked. Her parents would no doubt send out search parties once they found her letter in the morning. So, where should she go? For starters, she stayed away from the well-traveled roads within the cover of the forest. Using a map she’d stolen from her father’s war room, she surmised it would take about three days to reach the border between her country and the next one over. It was a start. Maybe get to their capital city where it would be easier to blend into a larger population.

Princess or not, Kagome was no shrinking violet when it came to getting her hands dirty. Most of the castle staff treated Kagome like a delicate flower— but not Sango. Her attendant had come from a well-respected noble house of warriors, and she was the one who taught Kagome to use a weapon, ride a horse, and other things not associated with a ‘proper’ princess. Oh, those were some of her fondest memories! And if there was one thing, she’ll miss is having Sango around to talk to. She’d thought about telling the woman but realized it would only put her in jeopardy to have such information. Maybe once she’d settled down somewhere she’ll send an unsigned letter so the woman would know she was okay.

Kagome stopped in small villages along the way only long enough to purchase food. She could have paid for lodging too, but that may have roused suspicions for a lone traveling woman. During the day she rode through worn earthen roads and at night searched out hidden caves or groves for shelter off the beaten path. Bandits were still a problem so she needed to be cautious since a pretty young girl could fetch a decent price in the slave markets. It was a lonely journey, her only solace the one book she brought to read by firelight in her makeshift camps. A favorite of hers. An ancient fable of a warrior priestess who fell in love with the very creature she was tasked to destroy. It was a sad tale, but Kagome fell in love with the idea of finding love in the most unexpected way.

“Not like being given away as property,” Kagome mumbled to herself. “I wanna love and be loved, is that too much to ask for?” Not because she was a Princess, and it certainly didn’t need to be a real Prince as long as they wanted her for her. She could be happy just living in a small cottage where she’d tend to a farm and raise their children. A simple lifestyle not full of obligations and surrounded by fake personalities just trying to gain a royals favor.

It took four days to reach the Inu kingdom and another two to the capital city. Kagome had only heard stories of it, so to see it with her own eyes it was quite a surprise. Not only was it bigger, but there was a larger mix of human and demons living amongst each other. Perhaps because it was ruled by a demon? Sango had told her the Inutaisho lord was a very powerful one but had an affinity for humans not always shared in their world. So much so in fact that he took a human Princess as one of his queens. That was certainly different to Kagome, because while concubines were still a thing in royal houses, having two Queens was not. Such a situation could cause territorial in-fighting and has brought down Houses before. It was a fascinating idea, and she had to admit there was a bit of curiosity as to what they looked like.

She boarded Buyo at a stable, then decided to wander around the marketplace to find something to eat, maybe clothing more suited to the commoner look she needed to portray. So, she wove her long hair up into a braided halo wrap style, strapped a small dagger to her waist, and set off into the crowded streets. This must be a major trading station, Kagome realized, because the market had a large variety of goods, some very exotic looking indeed. So much food, clothing, beautiful fabrics and accessories, weapons, really anything you could think of. The Princess in her ogled a few of the gorgeous dresses, but alas, that wasn’t her anymore.

‘Oh, what’s that…’ Her nose turned up to a sweet scent wafting over from a few stalls away. Something smelled decadently delicious.

She walked over to take a peak and found an array of different dessert type confections being sold. “So pretty,” Kagome mumbled as her mouth watered.

“Very and delicious too.” A voice spoke back.

Kagome turned to the female voice. “Oh, hello,” she smiled. “Have you tried these before?” She asked the young girl.

“Mmhmm,” the girl nodded.

The child looked about the age of 7 or 8, wearing an orange and pink colored fine silk dress. Her hair was styled, though was a bit of a mess as if she’d been running around. Certainly, this girl must be from a noble family, but as Kagome looked around and saw no one paying any attention to her, she wondered. “May I ask. Where are your attendants? A young one like you shouldn’t be walking around alone here.”

In an instant, the child’s small smile flipped into a quivering frown and moisture pooled in her eyes. “I-I got lost.”

“Oh dear.” Seeing the verge of tears ready to spill, Kagome kneeled down and hugged the girl. “It’s okay. I’ll help you find your servant.”

“I’m sorry!” The child whined and sobbed quietly. “I was bad and ran away because I just wanted a treat, but she told me no.”

“Shhh,” Kagome’s voice softened. “You’re gonna be okay. What’s your name?”

“Rin.”

“Rin, my name is Kagome.” She pulled back and wiped the child’s tears stained cheeks. “How about I get you a treat to cheer you up, hmm, would you like that?”

“Mmhmm,” the child sniffled and smile returning.

Kagome purchased a couple of the sweet cakes and handed one to the girl. “Now, do you know where your home is?”

Rin pointed towards the castle causing Kagome to flinch a bit. “You live in the castle?”

“Uh-huh.” The girl mumbled now happy with her treat.

Maybe Rin’s parents are nobles working for the King, Kagome surmised. It wasn’t uncommon for advisors or other higher ranking statesman to live in parts of the castle so they could be called upon at any time. And though she dreaded the chance of being caught so soon, this child couldn’t be left alone. “How about we wait a few more minutes just in case your attendant finds you? I’ll stay right here until then, okay?”

“Okay— Lady Kagome?”

“Yes?”

“Where are you from? How come you’re by yourself?”

Wow, this child was blunt, Kagome mused at her bright, inquisitive eyes. “Well, you see my parents are gone now, so it’s just me.”

“Awww! Me too, but I was adopted, and I love my new daddy! He’s mean to everyone else but spoils me,” she giggled. “What do you do? Are you married?”

Kagome was again taken aback at Rin’s questions, but she reminded herself that children are curious creatures and held no ill will towards it. She chuckled. “I’m not married and I um…” Crap! She forgot to come up with a cover story! “I’m a teacher, but since I left home, I guess it means I’m looking for a job. That’s why I came to the city.”

“Really?!” The child excitedly grabbed Kagome’s hands and started pulling. “We’ve waited long enough. Let’s go!”

“Wait! But your attendant?”

“She’s mean and I like you better.” Rin tugged harder. “Come on Kagome, take me home please! I wanna show you where I live.”

“O-Okay. Okay.” She wasn’t sure what got Rin excited all of a sudden, but she allowed the girl to pull her along.

While they made their way towards the castle, Kagome held onto the child’s hand. Rin appeared content now, happily pointing out different things as they passed by stalls or people and just behaving like a normal young kid on a stroll. Most of the noble children Kagome’s ever been around, were prim and proper whereas Rin had a feisty strength that reminded her of herself… when no one was around to see it. It must be nice to feel so free of restraint.

The entrance guards immediately waved them through once they saw Rin holding tightly to Kagome’s hand. The probably assumed she was just another one of the Princesses attendants or servants. It was a beautiful palace, sleeker than her own with gleaming white, alabaster walls, golden trimmed windowpane’s, surrounded by high-guarded walls. Once inside, Kagome was taken aback at the feudal decadence, but she couldn’t stop to really look closely because Rin was a girl on a mission. The child took them past surprised servants who bowed to the Princess with wary looks at this strange woman accompanying the girl. Down hallways, never deviating from her path into the heart of the palace.

Finally, Rin pulled Kagome into a room once she’d found who she was looking for.

“Papa!” The child squealed and ran towards a stately male with long white hair pulled back and a crown topping his head. “Papa Toga! I brought someone to meet you!”

[lostinfantasyworlds]

Teaser for Under the Northern Lights, Chapter 8: Stay

I CAN’T EVEN TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM TO SHARE THIS TEASER.

This is the moment for this story. 

As in, one of the very first moments I imagined when I first came up with the idea for UTNL. Basically, everything that has happened so far in the story was just a lead up to this one scene I had imagined months ago.

This is a long ass teaser (almost 2k words), but this is going to be one of those ridiculously long chapters again, so it’s still only a small snippet. I have a feeling you guys won’t mind the length for this one 😉 .

This is still subject to light editing later on, even though I spent 3+ hours editing this one small section today because I am a crazy person.

Taglist (let me know if you want on or off!): @aelianadawn​​ @alisanangel​​ @alysssa-inukag​​ @bluehawaiicat​​ @born-for-eachother​​  @deactivated2431545484​​ @goshinote​​ @gruviyasharuto​​ @inussunflower​​​ @julyzaa​​ @keks-creations​​ @ladyaerilla​​ @littleredwritinghat​​ @liz8080​​ @malditamigs​​ @neutronstarchild​​ @purplemys​​ @redflamesofpassion​​ @rocioanime4​​ @sailorlolo​​ @sangoslays​​ @sunsetskys​​ @superpixie42​​ @theinuyashareader​​ @zukkosbaby​

Inuyasha smiled before standing up and walking to the coat hooks by the door. With the fire roaring, it was finally warm inside the cabin, making the coat he was still wearing feel like overkill. 

Kagome watched as he shrugged off his jacket and hung it on one of the hooks, gasping when she saw what was underneath. Inuyasha’s sweater had been completely torn to shreds on his left side, dark red blood staining the frayed edges of the fabric.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome exclaimed, standing up abruptly. 

“What?” Inuyasha asked, alarmed by her tone. Why did it sound like he was being reprimanded all of the sudden? 

“You’ve been taking care of me this whole time when you have even worse injuries?!” 

Kagome pointed to his side where his shirt was torn, starting to walk around the back of the couch so she could inspect his wounds. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Inuyasha looked down at where she was pointing, vaguely surprised to find his sweater in bloody tatters. 

“Keh, this is nothing for someone like me. Just scratches,” he said nonchalantly, twisting a little as he inspected the wounds underneath. He brought his hands to his side to move the torn fabric out of the way, his mild surprise turning into annoyance. 

“Sucks that this sweater got ruined though, I just bought it a few days ago.” 

What a fuckin’ waste of money. Stupid wolves.

Inuyasha sighed a little, gripping the hem of the ruined sweater and pulling it off over his head. He walked around the breakfast counter to stand at the sink, balling up the sweater and throwing it in the trash along the way. Tearing a few paper towels from the roll on the counter, he wet them in the sink before starting to dab at the patches of blood on his torso.

All while Kagome stood transfixed, frozen in place, unable to stop her jaw from dropping. 

Not only were his wounds already closing up on their own, but Inuyasha was now standing shirtless in front of her.

The man she felt more attracted to than all of the other men she had been with, combined.

Half-naked. 

Right there.

And we’re completely alone…

It was a scenario she had envisioned since she first saw him in the daylight. Finding herself alone with him, getting to see the hidden planes of his body. It was something she had thought about in the shower in Denali, imagining his hands were the ones running across her body, instead of her own. 

She had produced quite the detailed fantasy in her mind of what he might look like underneath the layers of clothing he typically wore, and yet, it couldn’t compare to real life.

He was so hot.

So ridiculously fucking hot. 

She couldn’t even think of a more eloquent word to describe him, due to the fact that her brain had short circuited the moment his fingers slipped under the hem of his ruined sweater. It felt like she had been hit by a freight train of lust, rendering her utterly useless as she watched his large muscles rippling underneath his tawny skin. 

It didn’t help that the position he was in only accentuated the very features that had her heart racing faster by the second. As he wiped the blood from his skin, his forearms and biceps flexed subtly, his well-defined abs tensing from the twisted position. Every last ripple and bulge was an ode to his strength, the raw power that had kept her safe.

The way he had protected and cared for her over the last week tapped into a primal, instinctual desire that she wasn’t even aware she had. An attraction to his chivalry and brawn and that was deeply ingrained in her subconscious, and only made her want him that much more. 

She wanted to feel that smooth skin and solid muscle underneath her fingertips. To grip him as hard as she could while he surrounded her with that delicious body of his and she surrendered to him completely.  

Kagome had to stop herself from letting out an audible whine as she watched several drops of water slide down his side, trailing down until they met the belted cargo pants that hung low on his hips. 

She had to be in a movie. 

Or a porno. 

People don’t just look like that in real life. 

Men don’t just show up, with adorable dog ears and chiseled jaws, and steal your heart in a matter of days. They don’t just appear out of nowhere at the last minute to save you from being eaten by wolves. 

And they certainly don’t just casually undress in front of the person they had been flirting with for days like it was no big deal.

As if they hadn’t been about thirty seconds from fucking each other in the middle of a restaurant yesterday.

He seemed to have genuinely forgotten for the moment, not even looking in her direction as he inadvertently flaunted his body. Apparently, he had no inkling of the effect he was having on her. 

Finally managing to tear her eyes from him, she turned away so as not to get caught staring. Her mind raced a mile a minute as she stood awkwardly near the front door, unsure of what to do with herself. 

She knew he wanted her too, but where did they stand after everything that just happened in the last twenty-four hours?

He had just saved her life, risking his own in the process.

He had invited her into his home, something he claimed he had never done for anyone else before.

It was all so overwhelming that it felt wrong, in a way, to try and make a move on him right now. Especially when his mind was clearly not following the same train of thought at the moment. 

She already felt like a voyeur for staring at him unabashedly when he had only been trying to clean up his wounds. 

This was his home, a place where he probably felt safe and in control. He had to be the one to make the call. If he wasn’t thinking about finishing what had been set into motion two days ago, after everything that happened, then she couldn’t blame him. 

Unfortunately, Kagome was losing any semblance of self-control by the second. The freight train was now off the tracks and barreling towards Inuyasha with no way of stopping it. If she didn’t leave now, there was no telling what she might do.

Inuyasha finished wiping the blood off his torso, the deep scratches he had sustained from fighting off the wolves already mostly healed over. He threw the blood-soaked paper towels into the trash, and was just about to go grab another sweater, when he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes snapping to Kagome.

That scent...holy fuck.

He had caught whiffs of the delicious spicy-sweet addition to Kagome’s scent that indicated her arousal before. Most notably during the ending of that game of truth-or-dare, and last night when he spread her legs under the table at dinner.

It had been hard enough to keep himself in control those times, wanting nothing more than to give in to his desire and take her right there. 

But now?  

Her scent was stronger and smelled more delicious than any of those times before. He could already feel himself salivating in response, wanting to taste the sweetness of it on his tongue.

But what the hell had caused such a strong, sudden infusion of arousal into her scent? He looked around for clues, everything clicking into place as he realized that he was standing there half-naked, Kagome pointedly looking away from him. He could faintly hear her heart beating faster than usual, her cheeks flushed. 

Kagome was smelling like that...from him taking his shirt off? 

Well, that was certainly an ego boost. 

He had done it without thinking, completely distracted by his wounds and every other fucking thing that had happened that night. He had been in “protect” mode, focused solely on dealing with the situation and making sure Kagome was okay. There had been no room in his mind for thoughts of the current state of their relationship, only the overwhelming need to ensure her safety.

But now...it was as if a switch had been flipped in his mind. 

They were finally alone.

She was unharmed, and clearly wanted him.

She was...putting her boots back on like she was trying to leave?

Huh?

“Uh...Kagome? What’re you doing?”

Kagome still seemed unable to look at him as she picked up her camera bag.

“I should probably get going. I...want to check in on Miroku and Sango first thing tomorrow, and...you — you’ve already done so much for me, I don’t want to put you out any longer,” she said distractedly, fumbling over her words like she was trying to make up excuses as she went along.

Inuyasha stood dumbstruck and utterly confused, unable to come up with any kind of coherent response. 

“Uh…”

He watched her secure the strap of her camera bag across her shoulder, trying to make sense of the disconnect between what his nose was telling him and the way she was acting. Her scent had only grown more potent in the moments since he first smelled it, but now she was acting as though she couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

What the fuck was going on? 

Had he done something wrong?

Inuyasha walked around the breakfast bar, not sure what he was about to do, but needing to do something. He halted, standing in the middle of the cabin, when Kagome finally turned to look at him. 

She looked even more beautiful than usual with her cheeks flushed, her eyes burning bright with the same desire as her scent.

“Thank you, again, for everything, Inuyasha. I’ll see you tomorrow at noon.”

Her voice was quiet and sincere, if not a bit shaky. She smiled warmly at him, giving no indication that he had done anything wrong.

Every sign pointed to her wanting him.

But, if she wanted him, then why was she leaving? 

Unless she thought he had changed his mind since last night?

Inuyasha watched her turn towards the door and reach for the handle as if in slow motion, her long black hair sliding over her shoulders. She was wearing his sweatpants, and for some reason, it was the sexiest thing in the world.

And that fucking scent of hers was driving him absolutely wild.

There was no way he could let her walk out that door.

Gathering all the confidence he could muster, he spoke clearly and loudly enough to get her attention.

“Or…”

Kagome’s hand froze on the doorknob, turning her head slightly towards him in a clear indication that she was listening.

Inuyasha’s next words were quieter, his voice trembling a little despite his best attempt at confidence.

“...you could stay.”

[smmahamazing]

Rounding out your Valentine’s Day with one last fic for the @inudayoflove2021 !!!

Summary: It’s White Day. Inuyasha and Kagome have been dating for a month, and Inuyasha has planned a nice evening for the two of them. Except Inuyasha has something a little sweet prepared for Kagome in hopes of getting a little steamy with her. What happens when Kagome has a similar idea? Set in the Cowboy Blues Universe. Rated E for smut.

Let me tell you, this chapter has truly taken it out of me. This is my first foray into writing smut, and y’all that is hard. But in the end, it’s been worth all the trouble in the world. Next month exactly will be ONE YEAR since I started writing. And that’s kind of crazy to me. I have six posted stories with an entire google drive of wips that scream at me day in and day out LOL. All because of a little White Day one shot that grew into a 23k story, with another 8k of one-shots, all set in the same universe. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than with Inukag’s first time! Thank you so much to @clementinesgulag , who has also drawn a very sweet 😏😏😏piece of artwork for this chapter, and I’m so excited for y’all to see it!!! If you haven’t already, check out all the different fics with the Day of Love Collection on AO3!

Anyways, I’m dedicating this chapter to all you guys out there. This fandom has been an amazing part of my life this past year, and I’m so happy to be involved with such a great group of people. This past year has been crazy, but you guys have been worth it. I hope you all enjoy!!!

A special shoutout to @underwater0phelia for helping me with a few trouble sections! You're the greatest darling❤❤❤

Inuyasha loved routine. More specifically, he loved routine whenever his brain started to think too much about certain subjects.

Today was Mr. Tanaka's quarterly oil change. Mr. Tanaka had been a loyal customer dating back to the first week he had officially opened his doors for business. He told Inuyasha that he reminded him of a younger version of himself, and that he was happy to see a young man such as himself take a risk into opening his own business. Mr. Tanaka's kind words had really helped motivate Inuyasha through the good times and the bad times that first year, and so to thank him, Inuyasha gave the older gentleman a fair discount on any and all services, and let no one else service the vehicle.

Over the years, Inuyasha gained enough employees that he really didn't need to service any of the vehicles that came into the shop. He dealt with enough paperwork and general bureaucratic shit that, most days, he willingly let the boys take care of the line up.

But days like today were nice. Fantastic, really. Loud, heavy alternative rock blared through the speakers of a giant stereo as Inuyasha made quick work of the tiny honda. It was easy for Inuyasha to get all wrapped up in the monotony of his work. Today, Inuyasha had been more anxious than usual, so he decided to go ahead and perform a full diagnostic package on Mr. Tanaka's car. The extra work would help keep Inuyasha's mind focused.

The problem was that White Day was next week, and Inuyasha had absolutely no idea what to get Kagome. They had only been dating for about a month and Inuyasha was struggling with the decision of how grand of a gesture he wanted to make.

When he was growing up, the giving norm was usually either chocolate or candy, and sometimes flowers depending on the relationship of the giver towards the recipient. Given the short amount of time they had been together, chocolate seemed like a good direction to head towards, but Inuyasha had been overanalyzing the entire situation for several days now.

The main reason for his anxiety came from his already deep feelings for a girl he's only known for a month. Inuyasha truly enjoyed talking to and spending time with Kagome. They were constantly texting each other; asking a variety of questions about their lives and the things that they thought defined them. Random pictures broke up the mass of their text bubbles. Kagome had been given leeway from her boss to experiment with all different kinds of cakes, so practically everyday was an image of a new cake, decorated all cutesy for the romantic holiday.

The rational part of his brain told him to just get her a nice box of chocolates and flowers and enjoy a nice evening together. But Kagome deserved more effort than just purchasing a random box of chocolates. An ideal gift would be to make her something - she seemed like the type of girl to love homemade gifts - but to Inuyasha, the idea was….daunting, and a little embarrassing. Inuyasha knew enough about cooking and baking to just get him by, but he didn’t feel confident enough to make something for a woman whose career was based on cooking and baking. Not like Kagome would laugh at him or make fun of anything he made, but it was an insecurity Inuyasha couldn't seem to shake when put in front of his professional girlfriend.

It didn't help that the irrational part of his brain wanted to give her something more than just chocolate.

Despite being together for about a month, they hadn't had sex yet. Not because neither of them didn't want to, they just …never brought the subject up. The more they talked, the more Inuyasha began to realize how much he liked her, and he didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize the easy going relationship they had now.

In reality, he just didn't want to scare her off by demanding sex. Nor did he want to demand sex from her, he just wanted things to happen naturally. Before he knew it, a month had flown by.

Several hours passed before Inuyasha finally decided he couldn’t keep Mr. Tanaka's car in the shop any longer. He dragged his feet to the hand washing sink, taking his time to scrub the grease from his hands and the dirt off his forearms. 

Mr. Tanaka always came first thing in the morning before most people were functioning enough to stop by, so the waiting room had several more people in it then when he started working on the car.

"Mr. Tanaka," Inuyasha announced, grabbing a free computer at the front desk to pull up the service information. Mr. Tanaka stood with a smile on his face and walked up to him.

"She's all good I assume?"

"Yup, fit as a fiddle. Gave her a good once over, which is why it took a little longer than normal. On the house."

"Ahh, Inuyasha my boy, you're too good to me."

Inuyasha chuckled as the computer calculated the total, and he prompted Mr. Tanaka to insert his credit card into the card reader.

"So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Inuyasha asked. 

"Oh, I'm going to spend the afternoon with the grandchildren, maybe go out for a stroll and a banana split at the nice ice cream joint not far from my house. How about yourself?"

"Just take out for me and my girl tonight, nothing exciting,"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, " Mr. Tanaka said with a glint in his eyes.  "Every evening with your woman is special. "

Inuyasha snorted at his statement, grabbing the receipt that just finished printing and giving it to the older man. "Alright old man, I'll see you in another three months."

"Alright then, Inuyasha. Don't work too hard now!" Mr. Tanaka says with a sly look on his face. Inuyasha merely rolled his eyes at the joke the older gentleman made every time he brought his car in. Inuyasha always thought him a strange man; despite doing good business, not everyone wanted to stay and chat with a hanyou, but Inuyasha tried not to think about it too much. If his mother was alive, she'd say something about how "people can always surprise you" or "there's still good in the world, Inuyasha". He tried to think about those theoretical statements when he was faced with an actual nice person.

With Mr. Tanaka's car finished, Inuyasha walked back out to the garage to finish cleaning up his station. There was some paperwork to be done, but he was hoping today would be busy enough to justify him working on the floor instead.

'Maybe a little snack first,' Inuyasha thought as he held his hand up to his rumbling stomach. Now the only question was, sweet or savory? Mr. Tanaka and his grandkids were still on the edge of his brain, thinking maybe Kagome would be up for getting a carton of rocky road tonight to share.

That was when the idea hit him. It came in small bursts, just split second images his brain conjured up to give him an idea of what it would look like. It was something Inuyasha had never done before. Kikyo kept their sex life pretty...vanilla. Not that this idea was all that out there, but the whole thing would definitely feel a little odd to someone who really only used the missionary position in his last relationship.

It was definitely something Inuyasha would probably like - just the thought of it was already starting to wake up his lower brain - but would Kagome? Would she misconstrue the situation somehow? Would she be into that kind of thing?

One thing was for certain; Inuyasha needed to continue this line of thought in his private office, not amongst all his employees. He found his assistant manager and confirmed their current appointments for the next several hours before locking himself in the office to come up with ways to make this little "idea" of his work.

~~~

It was just starting to get dark when Kagome pulled up to her normal spot at Inuyasha's apartment. She killed the engine as soon as she put the car in park, but didn't make a move yet to open the door and make her way over to his apartment. This way, Kagome wouldn't be able to chicken out or drive away. Eventually, the cooler air outside would make its way in and lower the temperature in the car, prompting her that her time to sit around has come to an end. 

Kagome didn't even know what she was so nervous about anyway. It was going to be just another date night with Inuyasha, perfectly normal and entertaining.

‘Oh yeah, because showing up at your boyfriend’’s house in nothing but lingerie is definitely normal,’ Kagome thought, shifting around in her seat a little and making herself much more aware of exactly what she was wearing and why.

She had been dating Inuyasha for just about a month now, and they had yet to “do the deed”. Which, if she was honest, Kagome wasn’t sure if that was odd or normal for a relationship. Her past relationships had been so varied, ranging from sex on the first date to no sex at all, or even pretty much only sex with little to no substance.

Kagome didn’t think it was because he didn’t want to. They had been texting back and forth practically everyday since their first date at that ramen shop. Inuyasha even made it a point to come to the diner for lunch just so they could see each other - which totally didn’t make her heart flutter, no siree. They just hadn’t really had the...opportunity to express their interest for each other in that way yet.

The plan for tonight was to just have a simple dinner at Inuyasha’s, and maybe pop in a movie during dessert. Very relaxed and extremely intimate. It was actually Kagome’s idea of a perfect date. Sure, going out to eat together is always nice, and spending the day out and about can create a lot of great memories, but she craved the closeness one could get when you were comfortable in your own home.

Kagome had some slight alterations to go with their evening plans  It was simple: walk inside, seduce her hot boyfriend, and fuck him into next week. She still wasn’t sure where dinner and a movie fell between it all; she was just going to have to wing it. Earlier in the week, Kagome had made a stop at the mall and purchased a most alluring piece of lingerie.

It was a fairly simple garment, which was good because Kagome couldn’t even begin to wonder how she’d get into some of the lingerie she looked at. She was pretty sure some of them could double as their own sex toys. In the end, she chose two different colors of a two piece bra and panty set - one in red, which she was currently wearing, and one in green, her favorite color. It was made from a soft silk with floral lace borders around the edges of the cup of the bra and the elastic of the panties. Overall, it was a very comfortable fit, which is what greatly prompted Kagome to purchase two.

However, the real stars of the show were the crotchless panties and the cupless bra.

Despite its simplicity, it was the raunchiest piece of lingerie that Kagome had ever purchased.

It was still chilly outside, requiring her to wear her purple peacoat to and from the car, but the only other piece of clothing Kagome wore was a random slip dress she found buried deep in one of her dresser drawers. She was actually pretty sure it was meant to go over your bathing suit when visiting the local swimming pool or beach, but with only three buttons and a waist tie, the garment was perfect for easy removal. She rounded out the whole outfit with the most expensive pair of black stiletto heels she owned, and hoped that Inuyasha didn't question its...quirkiness.

Well, she was wearing an old pair of boyshorts over the crotchless panties, but Kagome just felt too awkward driving without a proper pair of underwear on.

'Alright Kagome, time to get your butt in gear,' she thought, giving her cheeks a few good slaps to motivate her. With a deep inhale, she carefully shimmied out of the boyshorts and tossed them into the backseat before grabbing her purse and stepping out of the car to walk towards Inuyasha's apartment.

She knocked on the door, running her hands through her hair to fix any errant strands the wind may have moved. After about thirty seconds, she could hear Inuyasha's muffled reply to ‘come on in’, like he was on the opposite side of the apartment. It was unusual of him - he never failed to greet her at the door the few times she had been over - but she reminded herself they had only been dating for a month. Plus, he was probably still getting things ready. No big deal.

He must have anticipated not being quite ready for her arrival, seeing as the door was already unlocked. She quickly stepped in and locked the door behind her, taking off her coat and hanging it, along with her purse, on one of the hooks beside the door. She forewent taking her shoes off though, since they were a part of the whole 'fuck me' look she was attempting to pull off.

Looking into the living room, there were a few extra blankets and pillows stacked on the ottoman, but nothing looked particularly different. The apartment was always pretty clean due to Inuyasha's sensitive nose - he had a hard time dealing with dust - although it looked like he did a quick wipe down throughout the room not that long ago.

Inuyasha didn't have a space set up for a dining table since he normally ate by himself , but he had taken the time to set up a couple of placemats for them at the bar that separated the kitchen and living room. Each spot had its own dinner plate, salad bowl, utensils, and wine glass all ready to be filled. Placed on either side of them and in front of them were three long candlesticks in their own respective holder.

The whole scene put a soft smile on her face as she tenderly touched each piece. She had yet to see Inuyasha, but tonight was already turning out to be the perfect date. It was obvious to see the work he put into making this dinner special for them. The plates looked like they came from his own cupboard, but she was pretty sure he went out to buy candles to set the mood.

Kagome was beginning to get a little anxious to find Inuyasha, but the smells coming from the kitchen were strong enough to tear her away from her search. There were a couple of pots on the stove over a low flame. Nothing smelled like it was burning, but what kind of cook would Kagome be if she didn't take a quick peek at some unattended pots?

That's what she told herself, anyways, as she slowly lifted the lid to the pot on the right hand burner. The pleasant aroma of tomatoes and garlic filled the immediate area, and Kagome inhaled it deeply. Inside the pot was what looked to be meatballs, simmering in a homemade tomato sauce. Kagome took hold of the spoon being used to stir the sauce and snuck a quick taste.

She closed her eyes, groaning slightly in satisfaction. The sauce was tangy and savory, a hint of sweetness found in the aftertaste. Kagome might have been the professional chef between them, but Inuyasha never gave himself enough credit when it came to his own cooking. Growing up as a hanyou, he always had to be careful with foods that could possibly be too spicy or over seasoned, and he learned that it was sometimes better to just cook your own food.

Not to mention the fact that there were few things more attractive than your boyfriend cooking a meal for you.

Kagome set the lid back on the pot to go looking for the hanyou in question. She hadn't seen Inuyasha since she came in, and a quick peek behind the balcony curtains told her he wasn't outside either, which left the bathroom and bedroom.

There were three doors down in the back hallway. The first door on the left - which was left open and clearly empty - was the bathroom, with a small storage closet directly across from it. Kagome walked right past both doors in favor of the closed bedroom door; the storage closet was small and cramped, not big enough to fit even the small built Kagome inside with the door closed, and so, inconsequential to Kagome's mind.

She stood in front of the bedroom door, suddenly nervous now that the sight of cooked food couldn't distract her. She still had no idea how tonight was going to pan out, or how Inuyasha would react to her advances. Kagome took another deep breath to relax her shoulders, making herself stand just a little bit taller. 

She was a Higurashi after all, dammit! Known for their stubbornness and determination, there was no obstacle they couldn't climb. In fact, there was nothing for her to be nervous about at all. She was an attractive woman, he was an attractive man. This was just the natural next step that many people took in their relationships, and damn it all, she was gonna seduce the hell out of him.

Yet, she wasn't expecting the sight that laid before her as she opened the door. At all.

Her breath hitched as wide eyes landed on Inuyasha sprawled out on the bed.

Completely naked.

Well, was he considered completely naked if his dick was just barely covered? It was an errant thought that crossed her mind, despite how unnecessary it was at the moment.

Kagome didn't think she'd ever seen a sight as glorious as Inuyasha, propped up by a couple of pillows, one arm bent behind his head, the other laying across his stomach. She had yet to see Inuyasha without a shirt on, and found she couldn't tear her eyes away from the bulging muscles in his arms, or the rippling six-pack he sported. He looked like he could have been carved by Michaelangelo himself, an Adonis covered in whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and caramel, topped with a bright red maraschino cherry on top.

Kagome was sure she was about to develop a sweet tooth of her own.

She took a quick second to notice the overall look of the room. He had the same long stemmed candles placed strategically around the room, offering the only source of light. Beside him on the bedside table was all the fixings - the chocolate sauce, caramel, whipped cream, even a jar of strawberry jam.

'Oh my God, is this what he meant by having banana splits for dessert?' she thought, remembering the text conversation they had as she was getting ready earlier. Inuyasha hadn't told her what he was making for dinner, but he had asked her if she liked banana splits. Which she had replied to him that of course she did, who didn't?

Well, one thing for sure was that she'd never look at a banana split the same way again.

Neither of them knew how long she had been standing there for, but Inuyasha was getting more nervous by the second. She hadn't said anything when she entered the room, just stood there staring at him with this weird look in her eyes.

The last five minutes had been stressful for him, to say the least. Inuyasha hadn't wanted to put the whipped cream on too soon and have it start melting on him, so he waited until he could hear her soft knocking at the front door before getting himself all set up.

He had no idea how long it would take Kagome to make her way to the bedroom. She was far too curious for her own good to just sit out there waiting for him, but how many things would distract her on her way to the bedroom was the real question. Still, as soon as he heard the front door close, he got to work, covering his very erect penis with the whipped cream - just the thought of what her mouth would be doing to him soon was enough to get him going - and using deft hands to flourish it with the chocolate and caramel. He saved the cherry for the moment right before she opened the door, not wanting it to slide off and ruin the masterpiece he had concocted.

Surprisingly, he wasn't all that nervous as he was getting ready. It was when she finally came in and just stared that set his nerves on fire. What was she thinking? Did she like the view or was she trying to figure out how to get out of the situation entirely? He didn't really know what her scent smelled of when she was aroused, so he felt like he was walking into the fire blind.

He couldn't take it anymore. The silence was killing him, he was sure of it. He didn't know what he was going to say to her, but anything was better than nothing.

"Kagome,"

Hearing her name must have startled her from her own thoughts. She looked at him now - really looked at him - and what he saw in her eyes was pure determination.

Inuyasha didn't think he had ever been so terrified in his life. It was at this moment he realized that he really didn't know all that much about Kagome. Sure, they had been talking back and forth, constantly texting about their favorite movies or the places they like to frequent or comparing allergies, but that was just the small stuff. He had no idea what this look in her eyes meant.

And then, she showed him.

If he was worried about what she thought about his "gift" to her, her next actions put those thoughts to bed.

She slowly unbuttoned the dress she was wearing, sensually untying the waist tie until it opened and floated to the floor, bearing herself to him.

Inuyasha had to stifle the urge to whine. He had never seen a sight as alluring as Kagome, standing before him with her hair down over her shoulders in a bright red lingerie set. This wasn't like any lingerie set Inuyasha had ever seen. The cups to the bra covered the tops of her breasts more than most bras might, but he had a clear view of her dusky pink nipples poking through a set of holes in each cup.

The candlelight put the most tantalizing shadows against the muscles in her arms down to her toned calves, which was exaggerated even more by the black high heels she wore. And as his eyes wandered up and down her body, he was pretty sure they were crotchless, judging by the shape of the panties.

His first thought was that she looked like a snack, but he'd be lying - she was a whole goddamn meal.

"Is this for me?" she asked, walking up to the end of the bed, jutting her hips out with each step.

It sort of felt like an out of body experience, like she had control of her body but also not at the same time? Every step to the bed was fueled by a slowly rising arousal. Her mouth was beginning to water; she hadn't expected to do dessert before dinner, but she supposed she could break the rules just this once. After all, it would be rude to not immediately accept this most generous...gift.

"Ye - yeah," Inuyasha answered, trying to sound suave instead of like some virginal teenager. He wasn't so sure he was succeeding, but Kagome didn't seem to mind as she continued to get closer to him, bending down to lean her hands against the bed, giving him a fantastic view of her chest.

He couldn't control the twitch in his cock as she began to fully lift herself onto the bed. Kagome didn't miss it either, giving him a devilish smirk as she crawled her way to him. It made him feel like prey being stalked by a predator, which was a weird change in his bedroom dynamics. He had always been the more dominant party when he was with Kikyo, but he was finding that he didn't mind the change all that much.

Not when a beautiful woman like Kagome was looking like she was going to devour him.

And that was exactly what she planned to do.

Kagome gingerly put her hands on his calves, causing Inuyasha to take in a sharp inhale. He hadn't been expecting her touch, and it made him take in a sharp inhale. He expected her to dive straight in, but she leaned over to the right side of the bed instead, bringing her bare nipples dangerously close to his face. 

Inuyasha turned his head away slightly and closed his eyes, not sure if he could stand to look at her much longer before losing his patience and having his way with her. The bed shifted back to normal a second later, and Inuyasha opened his eyes to find she had grabbed the chocolate sauce and the jar of caramel.

Kagome desperately wanted a taste of him, but she also wanted to make this whole experience last. She wanted to tease and torture him until he couldn't take it anymore and took her instead.

"Do you mind getting a little sticky?"

Inuyasha's eyes started to darken as her plans for him slowly became clear. So she wanted to tease him a little, huh? That was fine by him. He was sure he'd let her do whatever she wanted.

"I'm your blank canvas Kagome,"

'Smooth'

Inuyasha watched her face flush at his words and he subconsciously opened his chest up in pride at being the one to cause it. She looked so cute flustered, and he couldn't wait to see it again when she was underneath him.

Kagome took his words to heart and opened the top to the chocolate sauce. Moving over to his left side for a better angle, she started at his face, taking the bottle and carefully squeezing it over his skin - over his lips, on the apple of his cheeks, on his nose, sculpting the jaw.

And then she started moving downward, dotting all down his neck, not wanting it to run too much given the angle. When she reached his chest, she began drawing intricate lace designs over his pecs. Inuyasha could see the absolute focus in her eyes as she drew, almost as if she had done this before. She worked in a restaurant, and Inuyasha was pretty sure he remembered her saying she even did some baking, so she most likely had done this before. On a cake at least.

When she was done with the chocolate, she grabbed the jar of caramel and began painting him with that as well. Inuyasha had taken the honey dipper from his mother's old honey jar to make it easier to decorate with, and Kagome used it to accent the major chocolate work on his skin. She took extra care covering his nipples and belly button.

Kagome was about to get to work when she looked up and realized she had forgotten to take the strawberry jam. She went all out on covering his chest, so that was a no go. She scrunched her face up a little, thinking about what she could do with it, when suddenly the idea hit her.

"Hand me the strawberry jam?" she asked, innocently batting her eyelashes at him.

He did as she asked, going as far as opening the jar before handing it to her. She tossed him a sweet smile before taking hold of his left hand and dipping each finger into the jam. She gestured for him to take the jar back, watching him grab it with his free hand. She wanted until right before the jar was going to hit the table, and took his thumb into her mouth.

Just as she thought would happen, the jar clattered onto the table, the strange sensation of Kagome sucking on his fingers taking away all brain functions.

Inuyasha had never had someone suck on his fingers before, and if you had asked him prior to tonight if that was something he'd be into, Inuyasha would have probably answered with a scrunched face and a "hard no". Now though? He could see the pros.

She thoroughly cleaned his fingers, wrapping her tongue languidly around each digit and sucking hard enough to feel the blood flow temporarily stop. Inuyasha couldn't keep in the low moan as he imagined her using that tongue in the same way on his cock.

She gave him a break by starting with the chocolate on his face next. She pressed the flat of her tongue against each cheek, using the tip to sensually lick the chocolate off his nose and along his jaw, ending her explorations of his face with a sweet kiss. It was slow and wistful, sweet from of the chocolate.

Inuyasha parted his mouth to let her tongue in when she began licking across the seam. He used his right hand to thread through her hair, deepening the kiss. Gods, did she taste absolutely fucking divine, like chocolate covered cherries. 

Far too soon, she pulled away from him, nipping his bottom lip for attempting to pull her back in. Kagome used her own hand to run through his hair, tipping his head back enough so she could run her tongue up and down the skin, licking up all the chocolate dots she had placed there.

Her tongue was so warm, and soft. It left him in a daze as she moved lower to tackle his chest. From the way she licked, starting from one side to the other and slowly making her way south, she must have drawn an elaborate maze. Her tongue deftly moved with precision; she knew exactly where to go.

Inuyasha moaned, his eyes half mast in pleasure, as Kagome sucked at his nipples. She took her time there, giving each one an equal amount of attention, erasing all signs of the caramel that covered them before moving on.

It was the most pleasurable torture Inuyasha had ever endured. She was getting closer and closer to the whipped cream tower that covered him, but it was obvious that Kagome was going to savor the taste of him before digging in. No amount of skin was forgotten as she traced lines of fire down his chest, dipping her tongue into his caramel filled belly button. Sometime during her travels downward, Inuyasha had grabbed a hold of her hair, helping keep it pinned back so she didn't get any chocolate or whipped cream in it. It was also an exercise in control, being careful that he didn't pull her hair too hard to cause her any pain.

Truth be told, Kagome was excited to get to the whipped cream portion of her dessert hanyou, although not entirely for what lay underneath. She had been eyeing that cherry since she walked in on him. It was the best part of a dessert after all. 

She licked a line from the base of the tower to the tip, careful to not get too close to the skin of his shaft, picking up the cherry with the tip of her tongue and placing it between her teeth with the stem pointing out toward Inuyasha. Her gut reaction was to bite into the cherry and satiate her desire for the small fruit, but looking up at Inuyasha she had a better idea.

Leaning in towards him, she stuck out the stem towards his lips, offering him one last taste of her before she finally got a taste of him. Inuyasha greedily took the stem in his mouth, moving his lips generously over hers as she bit into the cherry, sharing the juice between the two of them for a moment before pulling apart.

Inuyasha wished he knew how to tie cherry stems with his tongue. He wanted to show her just what he could do with that tongue of his. Instead, he spit it out over the edge of the bed, far more concerned with what Kagome was about to do next.

Kagome had already moved to nestle herself between his legs, laying on her chest with her legs propped up at the knees, ankles crossed. Every time Kagome moved to another position, Inuyasha didn't think she could get any sexier, only to be proven wrong just a moment later. She gave him one last sultry look, placing her hands on his thighs to gently massage them, before taking the flat of her tongue from the base of his balls to the tip of his dick, all the way down to the skin.

Inuyasha pulled a low growl from deep in his chest at the feel of her tongue running up and down his hardened length. She felt even more amazing than he imagined she would, and he wasn't sure whether it was because he had been dry for so long or because Kagome just had a lot of practice.

They had been honest with each other from the beginning about their past sexual experiences. While Inuyasha wasn't a stranger to the act, Kagome had been with far more partners than himself, and with the way she licked his dick like her favourite ice cream cone was proof of that. Gods, when was the last time he received a blowjob anyways? Not since Kikyo, and that was years ago.

He played with the idea of threading his hand through her hair again, wanting to constantly be touching her, to feel her shiver as his claws lightly grazed her scalp. But as she finished licking off all the whipped cream, she fully engulfed his dick in her mouth, relaxing her jaw to fit as much of him in as she could. Inuyasha put holes into the bedsheets from gripping them so hard, and he was grateful he had stayed his hand from her head.

Inuyasha's head was spinning at the wet sounds of Kagome's mouth salivating around his dick. He didn't know how much more of this he could take before blowing his load early, and he much rather preferred the thought of cumming inside her undoubtedly wet pussy instead of her mouth.

"K-Kagome,"

She didn't slow down, didn't even look up at him as the hand that was squeezing towards the base tightened and the movements of her mouth went a little faster and deeper.

"Nng….Kags…."

Kagome could feel his balls tighten and knew he couldn't hold it much longer. The act of licking food off Inuyasha's body aroused her far more than she would have expected, and there was one aspect of the "banana split" that Inuyasha was missing: the garnish of chopped nuts. The chocolate and caramel she poured all over him and the whipped cream left her with a wonderfully sweet taste in her mouth, but she wanted to know how the salty taste of his cum would mix with it.

She ran a finger from her other hand along his perineum and moaned as she gave him one last hard suck. The vibrations from the skin to skin contact of her lips caused Inuyasha to let out a pitched whine as he filled her mouth with his cum. She held him fast in her mouth, keeping some controlled movement of her hand on his shaft as she swallowed every last drop of him.

Salty and sweet. Kagome was sure this was the ultimate way to give a blowjob, and she hoped by the panting she could hear from Inuyasha that he'd let her do it again sometime.

After cleaning up every last drop of his cum, she gave one last, chaste kiss to the tip of his cock and started lifting herself up by the arms when she was suddenly grabbed by the forearms and hauled up towards his face. He smashed his lips against her, clinking their teeth together as he pushed his tongue into her mouth, groaning at the taste of himself on her. He wanted to tell her how much he enjoyed what she gave him, but words seemed immaterial and not enough, so he decided to show her instead.

In fact, he loved it so much, he knew he had to return the favor. Besides, Kagome got to have her fun, so it was only fair that Inuyasha should as well.

He wrapped his arms around Kagome and flipped them so he was top, not once severing their connection at the lips. Kagome didn't seem to mind the change as her hands roamed his body, tracing the muscles up his arms and in his shoulders. When the need for air became too great, Inuyasha moved down to line open mouthed kisses to the pulsepoint in her neck, nipping the jaw on his way there.

It took a considerable amount of restraint to not move himself even lower. She looked absolutely delectable laying under him, her nipples already pebbled and hard from her aroused state. She had a soft expression in her eyes, but there was still a light held in there that waited for Inuyasha's next move.

Just as she had done, he reached over her to grab the chocolate sauce and caramel and carefully spread it all over the tops of her breasts and stomach, saving the caramel for her exposed nipples. It was not nearly as intricate as Kagome's designs had been; despite his desire to give back the love she gave him, he was slowly becoming impatient. It had been so long since he made love to a woman, and the imagined feeling of her warm heat clutching him as he pumped into her made him grow harder by the second.

He also didn't have nearly as much space as she did. Inuyasha didn't want to get chocolate syrup on her lingerie, which he guessed probably cost a good deal.

Inuyasha set the toppings down on the nightstand, bringing his nose to the silk material of her bra and gently rubbed his nose against it. The silk was so soft against his skin and smelled strongly of her natural scent, intoxicating him.

His original plan was to slowly work his way down her body, but he couldn't fight the instinct to lay his tongue flat against her right nipple, licking up all the caramel in one swoop. Her body twitched, not quite anticipating his touch there yet, and she let out a sharp gasp as he curled his tongue around her nipple and completely enveloped it into his mouth.

Kagome's body was already beginning to tremble, not used to the feeling of someone's hot breath against her skin. She arched her chest upwards towards his face, desperate to keep that connection intact. Every lick and suck was sending jolts of pleasure down to her core, setting her body ablaze in passion. When he started nibbling with his teeth, Kagome trailed her hands up around his head, gently grasping the base of his ears and massaging them.

Inuyasha growled at the sensation, her soft touch sending shivers down his spine. Despite how good it felt, Inuyasha let her nipple go with a loud pop! and with almost lightening speed, grabbed her wrists and trapped them together above her head. This time was for Kagome; Inuyasha was determined to make her feel just as good as he did - if not more - and currently, that didn't include him. Not in the same way.

Until he could bury himself in her, the only thing he wanted from her was to hear her moaning in pleasure.

"Ah ah, no touching yet baby," he told her, keeping himself lifted off her just enough to take her in. Kagome moaned at the absence of his lips, arching her back just a little bit more to tempt him to come back for more. Inuyasha wished he could keep her in this position. He loved the way her chest opened up to him from this angle, but he fully planned on giving both nipples this undivided attention. Unfortunately he couldn't grow a third arm.

"Tell you what," he said, placing open mouth kisses down her neck. "If you can keep your hands up here, I'll make it worth your while,"

Kagome rolled her hands into fists, trying her hardest to break free as he gently pulled on her earlobe, snaking his tongue up the sides. She wasn't sure she could keep still while he lapped at her skin. She wanted something to do with her hands, and his ears were a perfect distraction.

But he was giving her a challenge, and Kagome had no plans to back down anytime soon.

"Then show me what you got," she replied, relaxing her hands and lowered her body back down into the bed.

Inuyasha released her wrists slowly, making sure they stayed where he put them. His hand slowly lowered down, caressing her cheek and trailing a line down her neck straight to her breast. He cupped the underside of her left breast, lifting it right to his mouth.

Kagome sighed as his other hand came up to the other breast, pulling and twisting the nipple. She managed to keep her wrists where they were, but couldn't help flexing her hands. 

When he was convinced her breasts had been worshipped long enough, he slowly worked his way down her body, licking the chocolate off as he went. Her skin was soft, arguably softer than even the lingerie she wore. Inuyasha had to control himself from marking her all over her stomach, settling for quick nips that only turned the skin red for a few moments.

Inuyasha couldn't wait any longer. He was so close to getting to taste her, and he was salivating at the prospect. Her belly button was the last place he focused on - swirling his tongue around it - before gripping her left thigh in his hand and lifting it so it sat on his shoulder. He used his other hand to spread her right leg, opening herself up to him fully.

Without thinking about it, he brought his nose against her dark curls and inhaled, letting out a deep groan. She smelled absolutely exquisite, a spicy scent reminiscent of ginger surrounding him. The image of her panting underneath him, pussy already glistening from how wet she was for him, was more perfect than he could have ever imagined.

He dove in, licking a long swipe from slit to clit. She was sweet and salty at the same time, something uniquely Kagome, and he’d never get enough. He worked his tongue in overtime, starting at the ever quickly hardening nub. He flicked his tongue back and forth, bracing his hands against her thighs as she twitched with each flick, before moving down a little lower. He used his right hand to gently push apart her folds, each swipe of the tongue imitating a soft caress to her sensitive nerves.

Kagome moaned at the feeling, jolts of pleasure shooting through her body like electricity. She had given up on his challenge, moving her hands down from above her head and threading her fingers through his hair, gently scraping his scalp with her nails.

She could feel her eyes roll towards the back of her head as he plunged his tongue inside her. There was something about receiving oral that just sent her over the edge. The feel of his tongue swirling inside her, hitting her innermost walls as she tried to keep him in, had her gasping and squirming.

Despite the overwhelming feeling, she made sure to keep her hands clear of his ears, not wanting to accidentally pull or pinch them. She tried lifting her pelvis off the bed, but her trembling body was no match for the pure strength of his arms as he held her down. Instead, she pushed his head further forward, making his nose bump her clit, sending jolts of pleasure straight to her core.

Inuyasha had to grind his pelvis into the bed to find a bit of relief from the sensory overload. He was drunk on the taste of her, but his impatience was beginning to get the best of him. He wanted to know how she felt wrapped around his dick, sucking him in and milking him dry.

He relished in the small whines Kagome made as he nuzzled his nose against her nub. He could feel her legs begin to shake as he slowly made his way upward, taking his time to generously lick around her folds before turning his tongue's attention to her swollen pearl.

It felt like the breath was being squeezed from Kagome's chest. Every inhale was followed by a shallow, barely present exhale. His tongue was working in overdrive. Every flick, every swirl had her entire body trembling under the force of her well awaited orgasm just starting to break over the horizon.

Inuyasha, in an effort to end their collective misery, took her swollen nub between his lips and sucked, letting out a contented growl, the vibrations finally sending her over the edge. Kagome let out an almost shrill whine and arched her back, her thighs tense with the desire to capture Inuyasha's head between them. Her eyes clouded, unable to focus on anything but the explosive orgasm running throughout body.

Inuyasha stayed right where he was, lapping up every drop of her essence that spilled from her. His ears stood at attention as he listened to her mewling, a soft rumbling spreading throughout his chest at the thought that he made her feel this way. 

Inuyasha kept at her folds, slowly licking her clean, until the tremors stopped racing through her body. He pushed himself up so he could get a better image of the woman under him. Her face was flushed red, small tendrils of hair already beginning to stick to her neck, and her chest was heaving, taking in large gulps of air. When her breath was starting to go back to normal, she finally focused her gaze on Inuyasha, eyes filled with lust.

Inuyasha found it difficult to keep her strong gaze, his confidence from before slowly wavering now that there was nothing to distract either of them. Inuyasha wiped his chin on his upper arm, suddenly embarrassed about the mess he had made despite his best attempt at licking her clean.

Kagome let out a short puff of air, not wanting to fully chuckle at the man on top of her. She wasn't trying to laugh at him, he just looked so adorable. His eyes tried not to land on her face, but he didn't shy away from running them up and down her body. He was looking at her with what Kagome could only describe as reverence, yet just a tinge of uncertainty lingered.

Kagome leaned up, tugging one of his forelocks gently to bring his face to hers so they could share a kiss. It was slow and determined all at the same time; Kagome tried to pour her heart into it, to try and let him know that it was okay. They were okay, and Kagome wanted nothing more than to be with him like this for the rest of the night.

Kagome could taste herself on his tongue, and it only helped fuel the fire that had settled slightly after her body wracking orgasm. She wound her hands behind his neck, grazing the back of his neck with her fingernails, causing a deep groan to emit from Inuyasha's chest.

"Inuyasha, I want you," Kagome purred, running a finger lightly over the outlines of his ears while the other hand ran lines up and down his chest.

"Kagome…"

Inuyasha tried to keep his actions calm and smooth - leaning over to the bedside table to grab a condom from the drawer - a feat that proved to be difficult as Kagome continued to run her hands across whatever body part of his she could reach. His hands shook as he slowly rolled it onto his dick. When he was ready, he lowered himself down to lay on top of her, being careful not to put his weight on her, and instead into his arms that framed her face. She opened herself up to him, allowing him to nestle his stiff erection in between her legs.

"Kagome," he whispered, nuzzling his nose against her skin, starting from one cheek to the next. "Are you sure?"

Kagome brought her lips up against his one more time, teasing him with her tongue, swiping it along his lips, lightly caressing his own tongue in the process. She gently nipped his bottom lip when pulling back for air. She leaned up towards the top of his head, her breath ghosting the fine hairs of his ears.

"Take me, Inuyasha,"

Inuyasha had never heard words so sweet.

He slowly sank into her, nearly wincing at the pressure he felt. God she was tight! Already her walls were clenching and pulsing around his cock, her warmth seeping into him all the way up to his chest. Kagome moaned when Inuyasha was buried in her as far as he could be, basking in the fullness of having him inside her. For a minute, neither of them moved, each of them getting used to being so intimately joined.

Inuyasha kissed all along her jaw and neck - internally rejoicing when Kagome tilted her head back enough to bare more of her neck to him, a sign of submission to an Inu youkai.

Once Kagome was used to the added girth inside her, she rocked her hips up, letting him know she was ready for him to start moving.

He started slow, pulling out till just the tip remained before sliding back in. Inuyasha was the one to moan this time, Kagome letting out an erotic sigh as her body shivered under his touch. Every thrust sent a wave of pleasure through his body, the smell of their activities slowly beginning to permeate the air around them, creating a natural musk that was absolutely intoxicating.

Inuyasha raised himself up onto his arms just enough to look at her face as he continued to thrust into her. Kagome’s eyes were only halfway open, seeing but not seeing as she let her body be taken over by the pleasure of having him be not just inside of her, but to actively give her what her body desired. Her mouth was parted open, and Inuyasha could hear every little breathy moan she made as he tilted his hips back and forth, torturing her slowly. 

Kagome hooked her ankles behind his legs in an effort to keep him as deep inside her as possible. One hand was gripping his bicep, the other was sinking into the supple flesh of one of his buttcheeks.

“Inuyasha....I….I need…”

“What do you need, baby?”

“I need more,”

“More of what?” he teased, slowing down his thrusts so he could circle his hips into her. Kagome let out a small cry at the sensation.

“I need it harder….faster…”

Inuyasha let out a low growl, and, with the precision only one with youkai ancestry could pull off, he fully raised himself up onto his knees, keeping himself inside of her. He grabbed both of her legs, hooking her ankles behind his head and gave her exactly what she asked for.

He began pounding into her with the fervor of a crazed man. Kagome became far more vocal, gasping and moaning at the force and speed with which he was fucking her with. Her head tilted back into the pillow, forcing her chest open to his eyed. Her breasts were bouncing violently against his movements.

“Touch yourself, Kagome,” he ordered, his tone leaving no room for disobeyment. She instantly grabbed her breasts, molding each of them to her hands before pinching and rolling her nipples between deft fingers.

Kagome was on fire, the heat radiating from her core and spreading all over her body. Once again, the ability to exhale was quickly becoming lost to her, the holding of her breath only making the heat in her groin feel more pronounced. Her legs were beginning to ache, but she could barely feel the tension as he continued to pound into her, using the force and dexterity only a youkai could give her.

Inuyasha could feel he was close to the end, the feel of her wet pussy clenching around his hardened length bringing him closer and closer. He could hear every gasp and hitch of her breath, knowing that she was getting close herself. He wanted to give her one more orgasm before his own. Being mindful of his claws, he snaked his right hand down and began rubbing her clit, his rough, calloused fingers inducing the right amount of friction for Kagome’s legs to tremble.

“Nn..ahhh...Inuyasha...”

“Come on baby. Cum for me, Kagome,”

All it took were those four words to send Kagome over the edge. She let out a high pitched whine, white spots blurred her vision as a tidal wave of pleasure crashed over her body. Inuyasha let out his own yelp, unprepared for the pressure that came when her walls clenched around his cock, feeling as if she was cutting off blood flow. He erratically drove into her a couple more times before shooting his seed into the condom he wore.

Inuyasha slowly lowered Kagome’s legs to the bed before falling forward, catching himself on his arms so he wouldn’t crush her. He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck as Kagome wrapped her arms around his shoulders, absentmindedly grazing her fingers on the nape of his neck. They simply laid there, basking in the glowing aftermath of their orgasm, as they took a few deep breaths.

Inuyasha could have laid there all night, taking in the sweet scent of sex and sweat that had spread throughout the room. There was absolutely no way he was washing these sheets anytime soon. In fact, he might have to research how to bottle this scent, maybe put it in a candle, so that he could relive this moment at any time.

Of course, given the soft humming coming from the woman underneath him, he might be able to reenact this night in the very near future.

Not wanting to crush her any longer, Inuyasha finally pulled out - Kagome letting out a small grunt at the loss of him inside her - carefully taking hold of the now filled condom, tying up the end and throwing it in the small trash can beside his bed.

"I'll be right back," he told her, giving her a quick kiss before walking out of the room towards the bathroom, not giving a damn that he was walking around completely naked. He was still high on all that is Kagome to care about something as silly as that. He came back barely a minute later, after quickly wiping himself clean, with a warm, damp washcloth for Kagome.

He chuckled at the sight before him. Kagome had already cocooned herself under the sheets, a warm smile on her face as she brought the pillow she was holding up towards her face and took a deep breath. She looked so happy, and content, and satisfied. The youkai that slept deep within Inuyasha rumbled with joy at the thought that he was the one to make her feel that way.

She opened her eyes as soon as he reached the bed, her smile brightening just a bit more at the sight of him. Maybe it had just been a while, but Kagome was pretty sure that was some of the best sex she's ever had. Her heart melted a little at seeing the washcloth in his hands. She had always took care of her own needs afterwards, having never really stayed the night at a man's house after sex before. She had to admit, it was….nice, and made her feel more loved than even during the act itself.

She thanked him with another kiss, finding that it was hard to keep her hands off him for more than a minute. He must have felt the same, running his tapered claws through her mussed up hair as she took care of cleaning herself. The feel of the warm washcloth along her thighs mixed with his soft touches could have put her to sleep.

When she was finished, he took the washcloth from her and threw it in the corner of the room where his laundry basket sat. He grabbed the sheets to cover them with, wrapping his arms around her body, pulling her close to him so that her back was flush with his chest

"You know what the best thing about being an adult is?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha gave her an unintelligible reply, muffled by her own hair that he had buried his face into. She giggled from the hair that tickled her neck because of his breath.

"I don't know, you tell me" He repeated, now resting his head on her shoulder.

"Well, we were able to choose to eat dessert before dinner," she said with a laugh.

Inuyasha chuckled at her joke.  "Dessert before dinner, that’s the dream,"

"Well, dessert has made me hungry for dinner," she said, playfully pushing him off her. She could feel that delicious ache between her thighs as she stood up, faltering a little on her first step. Inuyasha was ready to jump up if she fell, but Kagome shooed him away and walked to his closet to pull out a shirt of his to wear.

Inuyasha didn't think Kagome could be any more perfect than in that moment, wearing one of his favorite black long sleeved shirts. She looked beautiful when she dressed up in one of her floral dresses or high waisted skirts, and if all her lingerie looked like tonight's, then Inuyasha could count himself a lucky man. But there was something about seeing her in his clothes that riled up something primal in him.

Inuyasha had never really shown his more youkai tendencies to Kikyo when they were together. He had never suppressed them for her, but Kikyo generally ignored the topic, while Inuyasha's youkai side laid dormant and unimpressed with the woman Inuyasha had loved for so long.

Inuyasha had never experienced his youkai instincts feeling so active before. There was something about Kagome that fueled every fiber of his being, which was a little terrifying. He had only known Kagome for a month, how could he feel this strongly about her already? He certainly didn't want to scare her away because of it.

"Dinner can wait a few minutes, come back to bed," he said, rubbing the empty side of the bed

"Inuyasha, you can't let your apartment burn down because of unattended food! You promised me dinner and a movie. Besides," She exclaimed, a grin lighting up her face. “Who said we were done for the night,”

Kagome shot him a sly wink before stepping out of the room to go check on their dinner. The last thing Inuyasha wanted to do was get up after the mind blowing sex they just had - in fact, Inuyasha could fall asleep right where he laid - but a sudden gurgle of his stomach put thoughts of slumber on the back burner as hunger crept to the forefront. Another plus side to getting up was watching Kagome work in his kitchen, in nothing but his shirt.

Inuyasha thought there could be worse things to happen.

And so he flipped over the sheets, sauntering out into the kitchen, not bothering to cover himself. He would let her fiddle with his marinara sauce, and woo her with the fancy bottle of wine he bought for her to go with the meal. They’d then snuggle up together on the couch and put in a movie. The genre wasn’t important, it wasn’t as if they were going to watch it.

Like Kagome said, they weren’t done for the night, and he was looking forward to claiming her in every room of that damn apartment.

[shnuggletea]

A Long Night (A MirSan Birthday Fic)

Happy Belated Birthday @sapphirestarxx​. 

Although, I did give you this the other night. But the banner is new as is the playlist. This sweet girl is a lover of MirSan (as we all are) so this is my first for her. Sapphire was one of the first people to friend me in the Inu fandom and one of the things she lamented the most was the lack of MirSan fics. 

So who’s ready for some Miroku x Sango romance with a side of InuKag established relationship? In this “we’re not setting you two up” fic Miroku and Sango have one wild night that hopefully ends well for both of them. This is also me playing with 3rd person omniscient again. I hope that doesn’t bother you Sapphire!!

I was going to do a one shot but for those of you who know me, my one shots aren’t really one shots... expect the next chapter soon!! Working on it today hopefully. 

Playlist is here!

Tags!

@underwater0phelia​ @lavendertwilight89​ @mamabearcat​ @nartista​ @nopenname22​ @echobows​ @superpixie42​ @smmahamazing​ @redflamesofpassion​ @jme-chan​ @cstorm86​ @cicleydark-light​ @ruddcatha​ @lavaffair​ @kirrtash​ @sistasecbhere​ @obsessandfangirl​ @britonell​ @lordofthechips​ @mcornilliac​ @faolenwolf​ @keichanz​ @phoenix-before-the-flame​ @artisticloveexpressitsall​ @lamuertadehambre​ @noyourenotreal​ @mitty-san​ @thenoammonster​ @little-deeluna​ @royaltrashpanda​ @sailorbabydoll92​ @storyweaver2017​ @malditamigs​ @adorabubblesblog​ @lilms-obsessed @petri808​ @anniehcresta​ @fan-dumpp​ @itzatakahashi​ @utakuprincess​ @theschultinator​ @all-too-ale​ @little-inukag-obsessed​ @theseagullqueen​ @queenofthesquirps​ @jolinaaa00​ @knowall7k​ @neutronstarchild​ @fawn-eyed-girl​ @eringobroke​ @sapphirestarxx​ @clearwillow​ @dangerouspompadour​ @misspepperpottss @kagometaishostory​​ @egosolivagant​​ @fandompromptsandfun​​ @fandomartlover​​ @fanficnewbiee​

Chapter One

8:24 pm

“You promise this isn’t a setup?”

“For the hundredth time, yes. We are just meeting up with some people. That’s all!” Kagome called out from the bathroom as she finished lining her eyes. Sango paced in the living room, already in a bad mood. “You need to relax!”

“I’ll relax when this night is over and I’m back in my bed. Alone!”

Kagome emerged, light sundress and heels next to Sango’s jeans, tank, and tennis shoes made them look like they were going to different places that night. “At least wear your hair down?”

Sango rolled her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to go out tonight. The week had been rough enough as it was. Nothing but bratty debutants for clients and with no one calling for a guard this weekend, she had to worry where her next paycheck was coming from. Her roommate, Kagome, was the only real reprieve she got from the paranoid, ‘so rich they choke on their money’, assholes she had to deal with on the daily. So she tugged the elastic out of her hair and let it fall around her shoulders.

“Better?”

“Much.”

Their door shook from the knock someone did on from the outside. Kagome’s boyfriend was here! Due to him being such a stand-up citizen that could clearly take care of (and cared for) Kagome, Sango tolerated him. Actually, she really liked Inuyasha. He was the only ‘down-to-earth’ rich prick she had ever met. She was pretty sure that had to do with the fact that he was the illegitimate child of a CEO and his secretary. He had money now but he didn’t grow up rich.

Neither did Sango or Kagome. And their apartment reflected that; comfortable but cheap along with all the furniture inside it. Sango knew Inuyasha was a good guy when he came over for the first time and didn’t so much as flinch.

“Hey, Baby.” He leaned in and kissed Kagome before entering.

Sango looked away (never comfortable with PDA) but could still hear them whispering. It was sweet, however, it grained on Sango’s nerves. Especially tonight.

“Where are we going tonight?” She had asked Kagome but the doe-eyed look her roommate gave made Sango give up quickly. 

“Out,” Inuyasha answered gruffly.

Sango was pretty sure Inuyasha was only sweet and soft towards Kagome. “That’s been made clear. Got a location in mind? Or are we wandering the streets like hookers tonight?”

Inuyasha grinned, he liked Sango. She was clever and snappish. She never took shit which was why he was sure his buddy was so enraptured. Not his word, fucking Miroku’s (of course). “If you’re into that, I’m not going to stop you.”

“Screw you.”

“No thanks. I’m good.” Inuyasha grabbed Kagome by the waist and pulled her in tight to his side. 

Kagome giggled and Inuyasha smiled brightly down at her. It made Sango’s heart ache. She would never admit it but she really wanted something like the two of them had. Comfort, stability, and love.

She grabbed her cropped leather jacket and pushed around the pair. “Whatever. Let’s just get this over with.”

“There’s the spirit!” Kagome cheered sarcastically.

Inuyasha kept his arm around his girlfriend and leaned in close to whisper. Sango wasn’t that far from them but he figured, with the intimacy, she wouldn’t listen. “Did you tell her anything?”

“No, and it wasn’t easy.”

“Nothing about you is easy, Baby.”

She gave his ribs a playful smack; taking in his appearance in full. Her favorite part about her boyfriend? His long hair. It was pulled into a ponytail at the top of his spine right now but tonight it would splash with hers; a pool of silky black hair that neither could tell who was who’s. Sango walked ahead of them and sat up front in the cab. The beauty of tonight was that Inuyasha and Kagome didn’t know where they were going. They only had an address.

Which was why Kagome squealed, Inuyasha groaned, and Sango cursed when they pulled to a stop. “What the hell?”

“Goddammit, I’m going to kill Miroku.”

“Dancing!!!”

It was a dance club, already bursting at the seams with bodies going in and out. A long line (that had Sango hopeful) and a bouncer stood between them and a night full of scantily dressed men and women and overpriced drinks.

Kagome was already swaying to the beat on the sidewalk (yes, it was that loud) and Inuyasha wrapped an arm around his girl’s shoulders before she danced away. “We’re not exactly dressed for this. Maybe they won’t let us in?”

He said, consoling the hope he and Sango had. Neither of them wanted to go inside. But then Kagome turned to face both of them, hitting Inuyasha the hardest with her puppy dog eyes. “But… it looks like fun!”

“If you wanna dance then you can do it at my place. I’ll let you go nuts.” Sango chuckled as Kagome pouted. No way they were getting out of this now, Kagome wanted to dance. “Goddammit,” Inuyasha growled and threw a hand through his bangs, messing up the black mop that fell on his brow.

Sango knew where this was going as Inuyasha stepped up to the bouncer. Truth be told, Sango probably could get them in too; she recognized the bouncer from a work outing a year ago. Times were tough; good bodyguards had to moonlight as bouncers. Maybe she should ask if this place was hiring while they were here?

A few hushed words, some money slipped between them, and they were walking unimpeded into the den of demons. The place was actually called Hengoku (which meant Limbo). It seemed fitting, bodies undulating all over the place as if listless. 

Kagome was trying to go to the dancefloor but Inuyasha kept a tight hold on her; guiding them all to a set of stairs towards the back. He didn’t know where Miroku was, but if he was here he’d be in the rooftop club for ‘high rollers’. And if he wasn’t there yet… then Miroku would be there eventually. 

Grabbing her from his hold, Sango hissed loudly in Kagome’s ear. “You told me this wasn’t a setup?!”

“It’s not! We’re just meeting up with Miroku too! So we can all hang out?!”

Taking a look around, Sango didn’t see Miroku from the stairwell they were on (a clear view over the entire club). “Where are we going now?”

“No clue.”

Kagome caught back up to her beau and Sango caught on to the name of the rooftop bar. Tengoku. Seriously? Was the basement called hell? The roof was Heaven, the middle Limbo, and the bottom was probably a tattoo parlor. Sango couldn’t imagine anything worse than being drunk and near a place to permanently mark yourself.

The music changed; hard beat with the singers talking about Karaoke. At least they weren’t doing that tonight. And she seriously hoped the song didn’t give Kagome ideas. The roof wasn’t as crowded and Inuyasha had to pay their way into it as well. She couldn’t decide if Inuyasha being loaded was a good thing tonight. Because it was clear neither Sango nor Inuyasha wanted to be here. But it did make Kagome happy so they both went with it.

That is until Miroku stood and waved them over. 

Inuyasha broke away from Kagome, rushing up to his friend and punching him in the gut. Miroku groaned and fell back to the booth he had for them, taking several breaths before struggling to speak. “Good to see you too…”

“A fucking dance club? Seriously?!”

Miroku recovered and smirked. “I knew once Kagome saw it, she’d make you guys come play.” The clever bastard considered his soul clean and turned to Sango. “Sango, my dear, so glad you could make it.”

“Drop dead.”

“I just might. You look exceptionally well tonight. I love your hair like that.”

Turning towards the crowd, she hid her blush as best she could. “Whatever.”

Miroku got to his feet again and allowed Sango to sit. She continued to scoot around, though, until she was mostly in the middle. Kagome sat on the other side of her and Inuyasha closed them in, keeping Kagome from escaping to dance. Miroku didn’t sit back down, looking over the group of fine (albeit mostly agitated) friends he had out with him tonight. He let his eyes linger on Sango and didn’t care if she noticed. 

“First round’s on me.”

Inuyasha huffed. “You mean all rounds are on you. And I ain’t a cheap date. You owe us drinkssssss tonight!”

Miroku just held up his hands. “As you wish; Inuyasha, beer and whisky; Kagome, strawberry daiquiri; and Sango…” he paused to think but also to look her over again, “Jack and Coke?” 

“How did you do that?!” Kagome asked, amazed.

Miroku shrugged with a grin. “Special talent of mine.”

He left to get the drinks and Sango turned to Inuyasha hotly. “If this is you guys trying to punish me for something, I promise I’m sorry.”

Kagome hugged Sango sympathetically. Then continued to dance in her seat. That wasn’t going to last long, Inuyasha was going to have to set the bird free. Miroku set drinks down and sat closer than Sango liked next to her. But with Kagome trying to get Inuyasha to stop pouting, Miroku was the only person she had to talk to at the moment.

“Want to make a wager?” Miroku said, a curl of a smile on his lips.

Her eyes danced from his mouth to his eyes and found she couldn’t resist smiling in return. “Yeah?”

“I bet you a dance that Inuyasha dances tonight.”

Sango huffed and glanced back at her friends. Inuyasha had one arm slung over the back of the booth, pretending to watch the crowd on the dance floor. But really he was watching Kagome as she shifted in her seat. Any second now she was going to spring free and leave them behind. Because no way Inuyasha was ever going to dance. 

“You’re on.” Miroku held out a hand to shake and she took it. But then he held on, shaking slow and steady. Sango sucked in a deep breath; Miroku’s eyes were locked on her and made it hard to swallow. But she found the will soon enough. “If he doesn’t, then you have to do something super embarrassing.”

“I’ll gladly strip for you, Sango, but that won’t be embarrassing in the least.”

There was a twinkle in his eyes that both fascinated and terrified Sango. Miroku was just another trust fund baby. He didn’t have to work but he did. Miroku worked hard at the advertising firm and was now the owner. She could see it; someone like Miroku would be a natural at selling shit no matter how useless.

His finger snaked out and started rubbing her palm. That was when she yanked away. Miroku wasn’t deterred in the slightest. He never was as far as she could tell. But the truth was, Sango was the only one that made him feel unworthy. 

After their second round, Kagome got free to dance. It looked like a combination of begging and promises that included some kissing that made Sango uncomfortable to no end. She stayed at the edge of the crowd insight and Inuyasha’s attention was almost completely on Kagome. Save for the small fraction he gave to Miroku.

“I fucking hate you, dude.”

Miroku balked. “Why?!”

“You never said anything about a damn dance club. You know I hate this shit.”

The glance Miroku sent Sango’s way had her worried. “I know. But Kagome doesn’t, clearly. She loves it. And just think how much love she’ll be giving you later tonight? Or how much she would be giving you right now if she wasn’t alone on that dance floor?”

All three of them turned back; Kagome was floating around on a high, twisting to the music without a care. Inuyasha suddenly didn’t give a shit about anything else and left his friends behind. He was welcomed warmly by his girlfriend while Sango grimaced back at Miroku.

“Someone owes me a spin on the dancefloor.”

She rolled her eyes and quickly slung back the rest of her second drink, hoping it would help her. Miroku waited for her at the edge of the booth, taking her hand to pull her to her feet. She ignored the skip her heart did and he enjoyed the rough feel of her skin. Sango had calluses on her hands from all the training she did. It was so different from all the other women he had touched… he probably shouldn’t put it like that but he did do a lot of handshaking.

The song was a little slower but still heavy and suggestive. A woman sang about ‘feeling good’. Miroku felt Sango made him feel good whenever she blessed him with her presence. It was clear she had been hurt, but he desperately wanted to be the one to silence that.

Kagome was curled into Inuyasha; the two oblivious to the pair that now joined them. Sango looked away when Inuyasha grabbed Kagome’s ass to get her closer. Miroku tried to do the same to Sango and she pushed his hand away hard. “Don’t push it!”

He chuckled and grabbed her elbow instead. Miroku put a hand on her hip as well, but she couldn’t bring herself to push him away; his eyes were on hers and she really liked that. They were swaying together; not really dancing together like the other couples were. But then again, Sango wasn’t trying to screw Miroku. But she was enjoying this, being close to Miroku while he was being decent for once. He wasn’t groping her or someone else. And he was silent so she didn’t have to hear his ridiculous promises of devotion. 

Sango liked hearing them, she just didn’t believe the man whore for a second.

The song changed but neither made any indication of caring. Miroku pushed his luck and kept dancing, pulling Sango a little closer. His hand on the small of her back, he pressed his cheek against hers; it sent his hot breath down her neck to her shoulder. She was far from cold but it made her shiver.

Slowly, Miroku pulled and turned, brushing his nose along her skin. Sango knew what he was doing but couldn’t find the want to pull away as he lined his lips up with hers. Now his hot breath puffed across her mouth and cheeks; causing her to shiver again.

“Walk away.”

She snapped out of it just as Miroku did; a loud and angry voice making it over the other noise. And it belonged to Inuyasha.

The couple had drifted away; the distance made by either Sango and Miroku or Inuyasha and Kagome but now there were bodies between the friends. Miroku held Sango’s hand as he pushed his way back to their friends. Inuyasha was squared up to some guy and Miroku cursed loudly. 

“What?” She yelled to him over the music.

He pointed. “That’s Koga. And he has always hated Inuyasha.”

“Why?”

“No clue. Jealousy? Inuyasha was a poor kid until a few years ago when his father found him. Koga has his own money and hates the status Inuyasha received with his money or something like that. Some people just want to hate on others. And Koga… he likes to mess with Inuyasha any chance he gets.”

Miroku said nothing more, pulling her along with him the rest of the way until they stood next to Inuyasha. Kagome was behind Inuyasha, holding tight to the back of his polo and stretching it out. But she was scared. Scared Inuyasha would get hurt and it didn’t seem worth it. The guy came out of nowhere and pulled her out of Inuyasha’s hold. Then tried to force her to dance with him! Inuyasha got back to her fast enough and now Miroku and Sango were with them. So it would be okay, right?

“Koga! How nice to see you again!” Miroku had his ‘seller’ voice on.

“Fuck you, Miroku.” Koga spat.

Two other guys stepped up and Sango glanced Miroku’s way. She felt a little pulse in her heart and thighs when the Letch didn’t back down in the slightest at the new threat. It was… hot. 

Koga stuck out a finger and started ‘adding’. “Half, half,” and when he pointed at Sango, “zero. One against three doesn’t seem all that fair. How about, I get a dance from the girl and we call it even.”

Inuyasha growled and shoved Koga back. “What the hell is wrong with you? She’s not a thing!”

“She’s making my thing ding; far too pretty for you, Tashio.”

Miroku glided between the two alphas with his hands next to his face. “Why don’t we all act like grown men and walk away?”

Sango rolled her eyes at that; it was a nice idea and certainly the grown-up thing to do. However, nothing said or done so far was the actions of an adult. 

The one in front of Sango reached out for her and put a hand on her arm. “Don’t you wanna go dance, Sweetheart?”

Miroku and Inuyasha both lurched; going to help her. It was unnecessary as Sango grabbed the guy’s hand and twisted it back. His arm was now a pretzel and she held tight. “Look, don’t touch asshole.”

“Okay, okay, okay, I’m sorry. Let go!”

Miroku chuckled and she glared his way for a second. “You didn’t say the magic word!”

“PLEASE!!”

She released the prick and he scampered back to ‘his side’. The three of them took a step back now. Miroku still stood between Inuyasha and Koga, putting two men between the creep and Kagome. 

“Enjoy the rest of your night, half-breed,” Koga called out as he walked away.

Inuyasha turned on his heel, grabbed Kagome, and made for the exit. Kagome didn’t fight him on it either and Miroku continued to stand still as he watched the threesome disappear in the crowd. Sango had to stand on top of him and speak in his ear. 

“Are we leaving now?”

He blinked at her; a slow grin spreading on his face before he nodded. Then he tested out a theory, wrapping an arm around Sango’s waist to guide her away. “It might be best.”

Kagome was still trying to calm Inuyasha down while they waited for Miroku to pay the tab. More PDA, Sango turned and took up watch for their remaining friend. The relief she felt at the sight of him was only because Kagome had started giggling behind her. That was the only reason: nothing else. 

Miroku returned his hand to Sango’s hip, his arm wrapped around her. She allowed it but only so she didn’t feel like an odd wheel with Kagome now on Inuyasha’s back. The only good thing about Koga’s appearance was how eager Kagome was to calm Inuyasha (in his book). Not that Inuyasha expected anything else from her; she would have ‘calmed’ him down with a simple ask from him. But he never had to ask and it was one of the things he loved about Kagome.

“How did you know he would dance?” Sango’s question broke the silence between them and it took Miroku a second to follow. She had thought she understood Miroku but now, Sango wasn’t so sure. “How did you know Inuyasha would dance?”

“Maybe I just wanted to get naked for you?” He said with a chuckle but she wasn’t buying it. So he sighed and pointed to the couple before them. “You didn’t know Inuyasha before Kagome but he wasn’t like this.”

“Like what?”

“Happy.”

She looked at the couple again -closely- but it was impossible to imagine with the shit-eating grin on Inuyasha’s face. One he always seemed to have. Save for a moment ago in the club. The guy was prickly yet caved to Kagome’s every wish like it was nothing. Sango should have known the fucker would have danced for Kagome.

“I have to say, I was impressed with how you stood by him in there.”

Sango was giving him a coy look and it nearly stopped his heart. “Oh, come on! Like I’m going to run and hide?”

“I don’t know,” Sango smirked to the sky above, “you strike me as the flight instead of fight type.”

“I am a lover not a fighter, Sango dear.” He whispered, leaning into her ear.

She kept shivering, every time his hot breath touched her skin. It was why she didn’t like Miroku, he was always getting the better of her. Like now. “Miroku… get your hand off my ass.”

“What if I said ‘please’?” Her answer was to glare up at him. Miroku laughed and pulled his hand back to rest on her hip. “Too bad. It’s a very nice ass.”

“Look, don’t touch.” She growled.

“Happily… for now.”

She glared at him again but he was tipped back, looking straight at her ass as she walked. “Miroku!!!”

He straightened and laughed; Inuyasha and Kagome had stopped and turned to face them. Kagome’s head hung over Inuyasha’s shoulder to look down at them. “What are we doing now?”

“Going home?” Sango hoped.

“Mine or yours?” Miroku begged.

“Awe, come on guys! It’s early!” Kagome cried.

“This one’s drunk already.” Inuyasha groaned.

They were silent for a moment save for Kagome’s whimpering (sounding like a puppy). Inuyasha caved quickly and started carrying his load towards a bar or something. Kagome was cheering and rubbing his shoulders like a deep massage so Inuyasha decided to be happy with the choice. Sango looked to Miroku who hadn’t moved at her side. 

“Shall we then?”

His dark brow twisted upward suggestively and she groaned. “It’s going to be a long fucking night.”

“Oh… I really hope so. Especially the fucking part.”

Sango really hoped he didn’t feel her shiver again. At least he couldn’t hear her heart as it danced in her chest. “Keep dreaming, Letch.”

[sapphirestarxx]

My Gift Is You

Find it on Ao3!

SUMMARY: Christmas is coming up and Kagome is determined to make it home in time. Inuyasha doesn't want her to go. She has a surprise for him but doesn't want to ruin it...will their misunderstandings ruin the holiday or will they make up in time to spend it together?

oneshot!

****

This was written for @thelovelysinner​ (also known as totaku) for the IYFF BC’s 2020 Secret Santa!! She requested InuKag + canon, and I did my best to deliver~ Enjoy!

Tag Wall:   @lavendertwilight89 @hnn-wnchstr @cstormsinukagblog @cstorm86 @ruddcatha @fawn-eyed-girl @neutronstarchild @kagometaishostory @liz8080 @itzatakahashi @karina-inuphantom @anxietyaardvark @bluejay785 @ladyphoenix0711 @witchygirl99 @omgitscharlie @11volleyballcaro @ravisk @caribmiko​

****

It was going to be Christmas in two weeks and Kagome was determined to make it back to her side of the well for it. She understood that certain sacrifices had to be made in the hunt for Naraku and recovering the jewel shards, but she had already missed two Christmases. She was not going to miss a third. It was difficult to find a way to bring the topic up, but with time running out, she decided to mention it that night when they made camp.

“There’s a very important holiday coming up in my time that I don’t want to miss; so we have to be near Kaede’s village again in two weeks or I won’t make it back in time.”

“Hell no. You belong here,” Inuyasha said in immediate refusal.

“He means you belong here with him-- Ow!!” Shippo clutched his head where Inuyasha’s fist had connected. 

Kagome rolled her eyes. “I go back all the time for things. Why is this any different?” 

“Exactly! You go back all the time. Why can’t you just fuckin’ stay for once?”

“Because it's Christmas!”

“Christmas? What’s that?” Sango spoke up. Kirara lay in her lap and happily purred as the slayer stroked her fur.

Of course, Christmas wasn’t a thing in feudal Japan, and Kagome had been anticipating such a question. She eagerly began explaining the history of it and the modern-day sentiment behind it for most people. How it was a day to give back to your loved ones and cherish your family, or even show your love to someone special. And all the traditions that were practiced, like the tree, the stockings, the exchanging of presents, and (the part Kagome had been most eager to share) mistletoe.

“So if two people happen to find themselves underneath some mistletoe, they must kiss?” Miroku sounded very interested, and Kagome didn’t miss the sideways glance he gave to Sango, who blushed. “Where does one obtain such a thing?”

“Well, you don’t have to. But it’s tradition. And if you have feelings for someone, it’s a good way to find an excuse to kiss them. I don’t know where any would be found in this era, though.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“More like a relief,” Sango said dryly. Miroku sighed and Kagome bit back a smile. Like her and Inuyasha, those two were closer than they wanted to admit.

Inuyasha had been quiet up until that point and Kagome looked at him expectantly. He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Family? Loved ones? Were they not good enough for her to share it with? Was he not? She talked about the importance of spending it with people you cared about but then wanted to leave them behind to go celebrate it with others. And okay, sure, those others were her actual family, but that didn't make it sting any less. Whatever.

“I think it’s stupid,” he finally said, causing Kagome to glare.

They argued, with her swearing she would make it back. Inuyasha had other ideas, making sure she knew she would be staying. He wasn’t very happy when she told him flat-out that she would sit him six feet into the ground if he tried to stop her. What he didn’t realize was that as much as she wanted to spend Christmas with her family, Kagome really wanted to spend it with him , too. But she hadn’t even managed to get that far before Inuyasha was turning his nose up at the idea of Christmas altogether!

Fine. If he wanted to act that way about it, then that was his choice. Maybe when the time drew closer, she could get him alone and approach him about it again; he was usually more honest with her when the others weren’t around. Or maybe he was just sulking. She didn’t know and frankly, she was too annoyed to care at the moment. Honestly, Kagome didn’t want to ruin the surprise she had for him on the other side of the well. It was what was making the communication that they had gotten better at over their three years of travel together so hard. The fact she had to be slightly secretive lest she reveal anything. Stupid pride.

Over the course of the next few days he moped, his ears drooping, but if anyone mentioned his sullen mood, he snapped. Kagome was torn between irritation and feeling bad about the whole situation, although she couldn’t quite figure out why. Inuyasha never liked it when she had to leave for her era but something felt different about it this time. What upset her further was she couldn’t fix it like usual.

Then, of course, on their way back to the village, stories of another jewel shard surfaced and Inuyasha insisted they go check it out. Miroku and Sango offered to go scout the area, just the two of them, so that Kagome could stay near the well. Inuyasha wouldn’t hear of it, and after some more arguing Kagome let herself be roped in. Once Inuyasha brought up that the jewel shards were her responsibility since she was technically the guardian of the jewel, she couldn’t erase the sense of obligation that weighed heavy on her. She was the one who had shattered the Shikon Jewel, after all.

However, if she had known how complicated the matter was going to end up being, and how long it would end up taking, she might have put more effort into saying no. By the time everything was taken care of, she was two days later than what she had promised her family. Despite being upset at this, Kagome had tried one last time to talk to Inuyasha about it, alone.

It hadn’t gone well.

“So...I’m going back now. To celebrate Christmas. If you--”

“Do whatever you want. Go celebrate your holiday with your loved ones .”

Kagome blinked, a little taken aback at the sneer he was giving her. “What? Why are you saying it like that?”

“Because it’s stupid.”

“Wha--? Listen, I’m only trying to--”

“Just go, already! You’ve been dying to leave for the past two weeks!”

So much for trying to invite him. She wanted to cry. Why did things always end up like this between them? They had grown so close over the course of their journey and yet it felt like they were back at square one. The fact he was being such an asshole--the fact he was using anger and hurtful words again to cover something up--! Augh!

If this was the first Christmas she was celebrating in three years she wanted him to be a part of it. Honestly, all of them were like family to her now, but Inuyasha was special. He always had been. There were a couple of things she had planned that she really wanted him there for...but he was too busy being an asshole, and she wasn’t going to allow him to ruin her favorite holiday. 

“Fine! If you’re going to be like that, then--I just--ugh!!! I give up! Goodbye, you jerk!”

And with those parting words, she’d jumped into the well. Inuyasha scowled at her departure. He didn’t understand this whole Christmas thing but she’d made it clear she wanted to spend it away from him. Kinda. Maybe… Then again, maybe he hadn’t tried very hard to understand. After being together for three years they were so much better at communicating than they used to be, but sometimes, like now, they fell into old habits. And it was pretty much his fault. Dammit. He knew that too. He was the one who got petty and hateful. Kagome was only standing her ground, but he still couldn’t shake the idea she was hiding something from him.  

But Kagome was always honest with him. So, even if she was hiding something, there must have been a good reason. Like trying to surprise him…? Fuck, he was a dumbass. After standing there for a while, lost in thought, he came to two conclusions. He had acted like an immature asshole, and he was going after her.

***

Emerging from the well, Kagome climbed the stairs and left the well-house, adjusting her backpack. It was so much colder here in her time than the feudal era she had just left behind. Flurries danced by her on the sudden burst of wind that stung her face. Looking at the expanse of white already blanketing the earth, Kagome smiled. It was going to be a white Christmas. She took off for her house in a sprint. The snow was already a few inches deep but she still managed to cross the grounds in record time.

Bursting through the front door, her face shone with excitement. She may have been a couple of days later than promised, but at least she had made it in time for Christmas Eve. Finally, for the first time in the last three years that she had been looking for the Shikon shards, she was going to be home for Christmas. Not even her argument with Inuyasha could dull her happiness at that.

However, she knew something was off the moment she entered the house. All the lights were off and everything was still and quiet. Too quiet. Her excitement slowly fizzled as she made her way to the kitchen, where she saw a note sitting on the kitchen table. Setting her backpack down, she walked over to the table and picked it up, beginning to read.

Dear Kagome, Your grandfather won an all expenses paid trip to an onsen. We tried to wait for you as long as we could before leaving, but the reservation was for the 23rd. I know you must have tried so hard to make it back and that you must be doing your best. Although we’ll miss your presence dearly, I understand there are some things more important. I’m leaving this note in case you make it back and find us all gone. Your gifts have been left under the tree.

Love, Mama

The letter dropped back to the table from Kagome’s limp fingers. Her family was gone and she had come back to an empty house. All because she was late getting back, something that was entirely Inuyasha’s fault. Frustration and self-pity filled her as she clenched her fists. She’d missed her opportunity to spend Christmas with her family, which meant that now she was going to be all alone for the next few days.

Just like that, all her happiness turned to ashes. In its place a leaden weight lay heavy in her chest, making it hard to breathe. Tears filled her eyes, threatening to spill over. This was just perfect ; the one time she had managed to make it back through the well for Christmas, and her family was gone. Christmas was her favorite holiday, and one she hadn’t been able to celebrate for literally years.

That particular thought was what broke the emotional dam; suddenly all her tears were falling down. Kagome sniffed, feeling a little pathetic but also unable to help herself. She’d been looking forward to it so much. Now, part of her secretly wished she had just remained behind in the feudal era. There was really nothing stopping her from going back, but she wasn’t ready to face that stubborn idiot again so soon. And it wasn't like he cared about Christmas, anyway.   He had made sure she was aware of that.

Or maybe I’m the one being stubborn, she thought with a sigh, giving in to her misery and letting herself just cry. There went her plans for Christmas dinner, listening to Christmas music, opening presents, and sitting in front of the glow of the fireplace. While she could technically do everything that she was looking forward to by herself...what was the point without any of her loved ones? Without the conversation and laughter and warm feelings? It would feel empty. Kind of like how she was currently feeling.

Wiping her eyes, she looked around at all the Christmas decorations, the sight of them just making her more depressed. When her gaze landed on the mistletoe she had hung at the bottom of the stairs she was overcome with the urge to tear it down. Stupid Inuyasha. She had been hoping to convince him to cross through the well with her, and then she would time it just right so that the both of them would be under the mistletoe at the same time. And then he would kiss her. 

But that obviously wasn’t happening. It had all just been a stupid romantic fantasy of hers. She hadn’t even gotten the invitation past her lips before he had been calling the whole thing dumb. Whatever.

Thinking of Inuyasha had her feeling even more lonely. Christmas was a time to be with those you loved, and...she loved Inuyasha. Sometimes, she thought the same could be said for him about her, but other times she wasn’t so sure. This whole debacle, for instance, was one of those times she honestly thought she was making it all up in her head. The mistletoe would have been a test of sorts, but it was just as well. As much as she couldn’t deny her desire to see him again right away, she needed some time to collect herself. Tomorrow she would swallow her pride and go back through the well.

For today, Kagome found herself drawn to the Sacred Tree. If she wasn’t going to see Inuyasha, then that was the next best thing. It was where it had all started for them, after all. When she had freed him and begun the whole chain of events that had led them to where they were now. And somehow, somewhere along the way, she had fallen in love with him. Deeply. Inescapably. And as much as it hurt sometimes, she couldn’t find it in her to regret it. 

Walking back outside into the cold and the snow, Kagome made her way to the Sacred Tree. Flurries drifted down from gray skies, landing gently on her cheeks and dusting her hair with white. It occurred to her that she probably should have grabbed a coat, but she couldn’t seem to find the energy or the will to go back inside. Instead, she stood there, staring and replaying all her memories of Inuyasha inside her head. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, her navy blazer doing little to protect her from the intense chill of the air. Time stretched as her mind replayed every moment, every touch, every word that had passed between them. She was a fool. A love-sick fool who should have been more honest and just yelled at the top of her lungs that she wanted him to come with her. But here she was: alone with her pride bruised. 

“What are ya doin’ out here in the cold, stupid?”

Kagome blinked, then shook her head. She was so lost in thought about Inuyasha that she was imagining his voice now. “I must be losing it,” she muttered.

“I’ll say. No other explanation for why you’re standin’ out here starin’ into space.”

Eyes widening, Kagome turned to see Inuyasha standing there, arms crossed over his chest. His golden eyes were a mix of concern and irritation. She felt all the breath leave her lungs in surprise. He never came after her so soon, especially not after an argument. She was always the one who ended up having to give in. But not this time, it appeared.

“Inuya--” Her voice broke off as a violent shudder gripped her while fresh tears sprang to her eyes. He was here. She wasn’t going to be alone on Christmas, after all.

“Put that on.”

In the next instant, she felt something heavy and warm being placed over her head, and she instinctively reached up to grab at it. Rapidly blinking to clear her blurred vision from all the unshed tears, she looked from Inuyasha’s haori in her hands to the hanyou standing in front of her. Hot warmth trailed down her cheek as a tear escaped and his ears instantly flattened in distress and agitation.

She didn't want to let him see the evidence of her pity party, though. Slipping the robe of the fire rat over her head and shoulders, Kagome turned away from him in a futile effort to hide her tear-stained face. Hunching her shoulders and clutching at the haori, she hastily wiped at her eyes.

“Why the hell are ya cryin’?”

Ugh. Of course, he had seen. Of course he had noticed. He could probably smell all her emotions; nothing ever got past him.

“I'm not crying. Why are you here?”

She still refused to look his way, and it was beginning to irk him. Inuyasha strode in front of her and she immediately turned around, walking a few steps away. He scowled.

“Ain't it obvious? And I can smell your tears, so don't lie."

"I got something in my eye."

"I just said not to lie."

"Please, it's nothing."

"Hey! Look at me when I'm talkin' to ya."

"I don't want to."

"Wha--? Alright, that's it."

Inuyasha grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. He didn’t know why she was being so cagey but the scent and sight of her tears were making a small part of him panic and he felt the undeniable need to check on her, make sure she was okay, and if not-- fix the issue. Even if, like he suspected, the issue was him. Why was he always such a fucking idiot? Especially when it came to her. His old habits always ended up screwing him over, even three years after she released him from his imprisonment. Inuyasha wasn’t even sure why he resorted to those old ways… Kagome never tried to harm him. Her words about coming back had merely thrown him into guarding his own potentially vulnerable heart.

It was such a typical Inuyasha move, to grab her and spin her around, and yet somehow it still surprised Kagome, so much so that she stumbled backwards and lost her footing. Tumbling back into the snow, she instinctively reached out, grabbing onto the front of his kosode to try and keep herself upright. She failed, and rather than righting herself, she only succeeded in pulling him down with her. A yelp escaped her as the cold snow cushioned her fall while freezing her to the bone. 

But she didn’t have any room in her head to think about how cold she suddenly was, not when Inuyasha was sprawled out in the snow with her. No, not with her. He was on top of her and his face was mere inches from hers. He had braced himself with his forearms on either side of her head, one of his legs between her own so he didn’t totally collapse onto her body. She could see her wide-eyed face reflected in his own amber hues amidst the surprise and something that looked a lot like longing swirling within them.

It stole her breath away. Her emotions were a mess, unable to settle on just one. They mixed and bled together until it was almost impossible to differentiate between them all. But everything seemed to just fade away into the background as she laid there, staring into his eyes. They were magnetic and she was completely ensnared. She never wanted to escape. The one feeling that managed to separate itself from all the others was a sharp longing that matched the look in Inuyasha’s own gaze. It pulsed through her, making her heart beat faster.

If it was longing--if she wasn’t mistaken. And she had never wanted to be right about something so badly in her life.

Inuyasha was frozen in place, and it wasn’t because of the chill air. He had been so irritated with Kagome and then in a matter of seconds he was suddenly laying on top of her in the snow with her warm body pressed against his in all the right places. It short-circuited his brain for a moment, and when he was capable of thought again all he could seem to think about was how much he wanted her. How perfect she was. How much of an idiot he was to have driven her away again.

She had the most enticing look of shock on her beautiful face, her long hair splayed all around her in the snow like black ink spilled onto white paper. Her warm brown eyes went half-lidded as she stared back at him wordlessly. All the earlier agitation he had been feeling disappeared and the only thing that mattered in that moment was Kagome.

After loving her for so long, maybe it was time to stop dancing around it and lay it all out in the open. 

Every time he had come close to saying anything, he either found a way to avoid it or they got interrupted. Which was just as well. It would have forced him to talk about his feelings, something that he avoided like the fucking plague. It was just easier, considering how often he ended up putting his foot in his mouth. Like now, for instance. But with her lips so close to his, and the scent she was beginning to throw off, she was almost impossible to resist.

Fuck it. He was going for it.

Kagome scarcely dared to breathe as one of his clawed hands came up to rest on her cheek. Was this actually happening? Maybe she had passed out from hypothermia and was hallucinating. But no, his face, only inches away, slowly came ever closer until she swore she could taste his hot breath on her lips.

He was going to kiss her and every part of her yearned for it.

Just as his lips were about to touch hers, a tremor ran through Kagome’s body that had nothing to do with her desire. It started small but that tiny shudder was the crack that broke the dam and suddenly she was shaking violently from how cold she was. The snow she was laying in had soaked through all her clothing and her teeth began to chatter. Not even Inuyasha’s body over her own nor his haori around her shoulders was enough to stave off the chill. Her body had had enough and demanded real warmth.

Immediately, Inuyasha pulled back, cursing himself. In seconds, he was on his feet again and Kagome was in his arms. She clung to him, her body wracked with shivers.

“You’re freezing. Dammit, woman.”

He held her tightly, mentally berating himself. The reason he had come after her was to make up with her and instead he’d almost let her freeze to death. Humans were so damn fragile. He should have forced her to go inside instantly but he’d let himself get carried away. Dumbass. And who knew how long she’d been standing out there in nothing but her school uniform?

Kagome would have responded if she was capable of speech, but her lips felt numb. Instead, she buried her face into his neck as he carried her back inside, out of the snow and cold. The warmth of her home washed over her like a caress and she sighed as the trembling of her body eased a bit. Inuyasha came to an abrupt halt and stood still just beyond the threshold of the front door. Once she could manage words again, Kagome raised her to head to see what had made him stop.

“Inuyasha? What’s wrong?”

Right away, the hanyou noticed how dark and quiet everything was inside her home. Going on alert, he scanned the place with his senses but found nothing amiss. There were also lots of new...decorations in red, green, and white everywhere. Literally everywhere. Those hadn’t been there the last time he’d been on this side of the well. The scent of pine and cinnamon was almost overwhelming, making him wrinkle his nose to hold back a sneeze.

“What’s goin’ on? What’s all this stuff? And that smell?” He would have covered his nose with a sleeve if he’d had a free hand, but he sure as hell wasn’t gonna let go of Kagome.

Kagome gave a laugh, but there was no real humor in it. “Those are Christmas decorations. We really like to go all out. Makes it feel more cheery.” Despite her words, her voice sounded anything but cheerful.

“Yeah? And your family?”

“Oh, them?” Kagome smiled and it was forced. “Apparently they left yesterday when I didn’t make it back home in time. My grandpa won a trip and they couldn’t wait for me. So it’s just little ole me right now.”

Shit. This was all his fault. He shouldn’t have been such a jackass. Even if he had been hurt at the thought of Kagome wanting to celebrate it without him...

“You’re blaming yourself, aren’t you?” Kagome said softly, looking up at him.

“I--wha--how did you know?” he sputtered.

“Because I know you. And you’re right, this is your fault.”

“Hey!”

“It’s your fault,” Kagome repeated, “but I’m glad you came after me. At least I get to spend Christmas with one person I care about, now.” She gave him a real smile this time, reaching up with a hand to rest it on his cheek in a loving gesture.

Inuyasha blushed; he didn’t know what to make of that. But one thing was clear-- Kagome was still far too cold. While her shivers had mostly subsided, her skin was icy to the touch. Clearing his throat in embarrassment, he shifted her in his arms and began to walk further into the house. 

“Of course I came after ya,” was all he could say.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, still smiling.

“Upstairs, obviously. You’re still freezin’. Idiot, standin’ outside in the cold like that. Gotta get you into some dry clothes, maybe make you take a hot bath.”

Kagome bit her lip to keep from giggling; this was one of the sides of Inuyasha she loved most. Despite his gruff exterior, he had a big heart. Most people would be turned off by his attitude, but she knew what lay underneath all that bluster. He was such a caretaker, and it was honestly so endearing. Of course he’d want to take her upstairs to...

The stairs. Right. An idea occurred to her.

“Wait,” she said just as he put his foot on the first step. He stopped. “Look up.”

The two of them raised their faces to look at the mistletoe hanging above them. For a long moment, neither of them said anything. He stared at it, and she studied his expression, trying to gauge his reaction. At first he looked confused, then slowly, his golden eyes widened as he connected the dots.

Outside in the snow, he had almost kissed her. He would have if she hadn’t started shaking so uncontrollably from the cold. She was sure of it. And that gave her a little boost of confidence. Patiently, she waited for his gaze to return to hers.

“It’s mistletoe,” she said quietly.

“That’s the plant people kiss under, right?” His voice was low.

“Yes.”

Inuyasha met her eyes again and the question in them melted into heat at whatever he saw in her expression. Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up until their faces were mere inches apart. Her heart was racing, and she could feel the slight shudder in each breath he took. This was it. It was happening.

“Then...you’re sayin’ to--”

Spurred on by that burst of confidence, Kagome leaned forward and kissed him, cutting off the rest of his sentence. He inhaled sharply at the firm press of her lips against his, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he leaned into her and she tilted her head up in response, her body humming happily. The kiss was soft and sweet, with an underlying current of need, and it ended way too soon.

The moment the kiss was over Inuyasha wanted to capture her lips again. And again. He would never get enough of the way her mouth tasted, or the way she smelled when his lips were on hers. It was irresistible and sent desire racing through his veins. The demonic half of him was clamoring for him to push her against the wall and keep going. He breathed harshly. 

Fuck. All that from a single kiss.

“Kagome…”

“Inuyasha...I really am glad you’re here.” 

She gazed at him, her expression soft and full of…love? God, he hoped so. Nothing could be as perfect as this moment. Except that wasn’t quite true-- there was still one little problem. She’d kissed him and held onto him and was looking at him like he hung the fucking moon in the sky...and yet she’d wanted to spend this oh-so-important holiday away from him. Then when he showed up, she told him that at least she was going to spend it with someone she cared about, that someone being him . It was confusing as fuck.

Words weren’t exactly his strong suit so this had the potential to be a disaster. It might ruin the moment they’d just shared, but dammit it needed to be said.

“I know I wasn't your first option but I'm here. I'll...I'll celebrate your holiday with ya.” There. That sounded okay, right?

“What do you mean 'not my first option?'" Kagome repeated in absolute confusion. The smile on her face dimmed.

"Look, you made it pretty clear this holiday was to be spent with people you care about, but then left me behind,” Inuyasha said defensively.

“Wha--?? I wanted to invite you but you called the whole thing dumb!!” She pulled away a little, giving him a frown. And there went the moment.

“I do think it’s dumb. But it’s obviously important to ya, which means that it matters to me, too. I would have said yes if you had just asked me.”

“Well, maybe if you weren’t such an ass about it; I couldn’t even get the words out!”

Shit. Okay, she had a point there. His ears flattened and he looked away, cheeks reddening a bit. “I know! I’m sorry! I was an idiot, alright? I just...you said you wanted to go home for Christmas but then talked about how it was supposed to be spent with people you cared about!”

“Obviously I wanted to spend it with you, too! I love you, you idiot!” Kagome yelled, smacking his chest with a fist.

Her words hung in the air between them and she gasped. He froze and she went very still. Slowly, he turned his gaze back to her and it was her turn to go completely red. Which she felt was honestly ridiculous. She had just kissed him! So why did this make her feel so much more vulnerable?

“You what?” he finally managed, sounding like he couldn’t quite believe it.

Kagome gathered her courage, becoming acutely aware of every place her body was pressed up against his as he held her close. “I...oh, you have to be the most dense person on the planet to not have noticed.”

“Huh??”

“I’m...I’m not saying it again,” she mumbled stubbornly.

“I just...you really do? A half breed like me?”

“Don’t call yourself that!” she instantly scolded. Then, more softly, “That doesn’t matter to me. That’s never mattered to me. I want you just the way you are, Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha felt something inside him melt at that. Being vulnerable, opening himself up, allowing someone to see the deepest parts of himself...it was unheard of. Until he met her. Gradually, through her loyalty and kindness, she had changed all that. She’d made him believe in trusting someone again. And that trust in her had become something so much bigger than he could have ever imagined. He loved her, dammit. He had for a long time. And she felt the same. It was more than he could have ever hoped for.

“I want you, too, Kagome,” he said. There was so much else he wanted to say but words weren’t one of his strengths, and that wasn’t gonna change any time soon. So he did what felt right.

He kissed her again. Her lips were so soft against his and the tiny sound she made drove him crazy. When they broke apart, he didn’t think any moment in his life had ever felt as perfect as this one right here and right now. 

“Um...what does this mean, then?” Kagome said after a long pause. “For us, I mean.”

“It means you’re mine,” he replied without hesitation. 

Kagome smiled, her face radiant with happiness. Who knew two words with such magnitude were all she ever wanted to hear. “Good.”

Then the moment was promptly ruined by a sneeze from her. Inuyasha frowned.

“Dry and warm clothes. Now.”

“Okay,” she agreed easily.

A little while later, she was dry and warm and curled up beside Inuyasha on the couch in the living room. They had spent a lot of time just talking. About Naraku, Kikyo, what this meant for them and so many other things. The lights were on, including those on the Christmas tree; they twinkled at her merrily. Maybe this wasn’t the holiday she had originally envisioned but that was okay. In a way it was better than what she had been hoping for. Sitting under the branches of the tree were all the presents, but she was only concerned with one in particular. 

Extricating herself from his arms, Kagome rose and went to grab the package in question. Inuyasha looked at her curiously.

“I think I explained this before, but another important tradition of Christmas is giving to those you care about. So...I got you a present.” She stopped in front of him, holding it out. “It’s not much, but here.”

Inuyasha took the gift cautiously, as if fearing it might disappear if he wasn’t careful. “You got somethin’ for me? Is this why you didn’t--this is what you were hiding?”

Sighing, she replied, “Of course you noticed… I’m not surprised. But yeah, this is why I wasn’t as forthcoming and clearly that was all a mistake. Both of us messed up. But, obviously I got you something, stupid. Well, go on. Open it.”

His claws made short work of the wrapping paper, revealing what lay inside. He lifted the long scrap of fabric with a complicated pattern woven into the red and white yarn, and something fell out into his lap.

“It’s a scarf. I had Mama teach me how to knit and made it for you. I know it’s not very practical, but I thought maybe even hanyous get cold. But I wasn’t sure about it, so I also got you the omamori. It’s a good luck charm,” Kagome explained a little nervously. She watched him, holding her breath a little. It was hard to tell what he thought about it.

“You...made this for me?”

“Yeah.”

“No one has ever really done anything like that for me, except my mother,” Inuyasha said, looking at her in surprise. She smiled and took the scarf from him, showing him how to wrap it around his neck. He picked up the omamori and gave a fanged smile, meeting her eyes. “Also, I don’t need this.”

Kagome’s heart sank a little bit at that. “Oh?”

“You’re the only good luck charm I need.”

And just like that her spirits were lifted again. She smiled back at him, happiness bubbling inside her. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I don’t know if I can accept this, though. I didn’t get you anything,” Inuyasha admitted, his ears flattening a bit in distress.

Still smiling, Kagome used her hold on the scarf to pull him in and leaned close, her lips a mere inch from his. “That’s okay. My gift is you.”

And then she kissed him again.

[xoxopandapanda]

InuKag Week 2021: Day 1

@inukag-week

Day 1: Battle Couple

It was a long and difficult day to say the least. The baby wouldn’t go down for anything, quickly becoming irate and angry at any attempt his parents made to help him settle down. Inuyasha’s shoulders and arms were of no comfort, and he didn’t want to nurse from Kagome. He cried and cried.

Soon his parents cried with him.

Inuyasha held it together for a while, taking the babe from Kagome when she started to choke up at his rejection of her breast. “Here,” his voice was soft, barely audible over the screaming child in Kagome’s arms. “Give him to me. You get some shut eye while we go out for a walk.”

Kagome had shaken her head at first but didn’t stop Inuyasha when he lifted the bundle out of her arms and tucked it into the crook of his neck. “I’m serious,” he told his wife sternly, “get some rest.”

Kagome felt the burn of tears down her face and saw through the waterworks Inuyasha’s shoulders fall slightly. But he turned on his heel and quickly left the hut they occupied, true to his word of taking the baby out for a walk. Kagome dropped her head into her hands, not bothering to even tidy or cover herself up before falling over to cry.

She felt like such a failure, of a mother and wife.

Kagome had gone nearly two days without a few hours rest, and exhaustion quickly crept on her. She was too tired and far too upset herself to remember that Inuyasha needed far less rest than her and could handle a fussy baby for a while. Once she was rested, she would probably blame baby brain for forgetting such a vital part of her husband’s characteristics, but that was for a rested Kagome to worry about.

Sleep came to her quickly, albeit restless sleep. She kept waking and searching for the other occupants of her home, before remembering they were out on a walk. She moved in and out of awareness, not having slept alone in what felt like eons, but realistically was only two years. Her bed felt cold and the room too quiet without her boys in it.

Sunlight finally peaked through the crevices of the walls. Inuyasha had promised her that he would fill in the gaps that the aging wood had created. But that was before the early labor and dramatic entrance of their first-born son just a few short months ago. Kagome half thought to remind him of the task, but then thought she couldn’t risk his attention been separated from her and the baby.

She wasn’t ready to be solely responsible yet.

Sure, reasonably she knew she could do it. It would probably just take him a few hours to gather the straw and mud to bulk up the walls, and with his speed and strength the longest part of it would be waiting for it to dry before adding more. He could help her out during those times, but the thought of even a moment where he wasn’t beside her with his full attention on their baby was too much to imagine.

Kagome started to choke up realizing she had left him to her own worst fear last night – solo parenting.

She rubbed her eyes, and the voice in the back of her head told her “Inuyasha is his father. He is just as capable of taking care of him for a few hours, if not more so.”

She threw that thought to the wind and continued to berate herself for leaving him alone with a very upset and very inconsolable baby for an entire night.

Kagome forced herself to sit up, stiff from having slept in the position she fell over in, rearranging her clothes. She winced at the soreness of her breasts and was sure to loosely cover herself.

“He should be hungry,” she said aloud to no one in particular. ‘Hopefully’ went unspoken.

As she dusted herself off and walked to the bucket of water in the corner to get a drink, Inuyasha’s head ducked in the room, eyes scanning for her.

When he saw her, he gave her a sheepish look. Kagome panicked for a moment – did he leave the baby with Sango and Miroku? What would they think of them as parents if they just dropped the kid off when he got fussy?

Her thoughts were interrupted when he stepped into the room, a whimpering lump on his chest alerting her to the baby’s presence.

Later she would realize her panicked thoughts were more of a manifestation of her own desire to ask her friends for help but wouldn’t out of an irrational fear of judgement. That was another thing she was going to have to work out.

“Sorry to wake you, but he’s suckling on me.”

Kagome blinked, her brain still foggy and slow. Oh. Inuyasha meant the baby was hungry.

She went to grab the baby from her husband, but then thought better of it. Wouldn’t be good to drop the kid in her exhaustion trying to get herself sorted to feed him.

She put down the ladle she was drinking from and sat back down on their futon, crumpled and unmade from the events of the night before. The smell of it made her speak. “We got to air this out today.”

“Once he’s fed, I’ll bring it out.” Inuyasha stepped up into the main room and crouched beside his wife, waiting for her to be ready for the baby – who was still whimpering, but had at least dried himself out of tears.

Kagome adjusted her clothes before holding her arms out for her son – her perfect, fussy, big, loud, demanding son. He quickly latched and took off suckling, eager to fill his stomach and rehydrate after the waterworks of the last few hours.

Kagome felt Inuyasha settled behind her, his arms coming around to hold up their son with her, so her arms didn’t have to hold up the weight. Sighing loudly, she leaned back into him, her head resting against his shoulder and his chin nuzzling into her opposite shoulder. Kagome closed her eyes and started to drift of.

Okay, maybe she did drift off.

Next thing she knew Inuyasha had switched their baby on her breasts and was rubbing his wet nose into her cheek. “Hey,” his voice in her ear was a nice change from the screaming of the night before, “I need you to lay down. I’ve got to burp the brat.”

Kagome nodded, slumping over on his arm, until he removed it and let her flop onto the futon. She could hear the shuffling of his feet walking and bouncing the baby up and down to help him release excess gas. The wet blech told her that more than likely the fire rat robe was going to need to be washed.

Groggily she called out, “He did drink pretty dang fast.”

“Yeah,” came the reply, “let’s just hope he kept enough down to keep him calm for a little bit.”

“Maybe he’ll go into a food coma, and we can rest to.”

Inuyasha snorted. “If there’s a god out there, then let’s pray it happens.”

Kagome knew she should help her husband. He was probably having to juggle a baby while getting out of his clothes and then having to clean both of them up. She knew she should just get up and even if it was to wipe off their son, at least do something. But she couldn’t even manage to open her eyes to watch what she was sure was quite the scene playing out in her house.

She could say she was surprised when she was lifted up and put onto some blankets, but she wouldn’t because she didn’t have it in her to even register what was going on. Managing just a little bit of strength, Kagome saw her son on his back next to her, his chest going up and down and a very light snore coming from his mouth that also caused his ears to twitch in rhythm. He was naked which Kagome knew was probably a bad idea but couldn’t even find it in her to care.

If he soiled the blankets, he soiled the blankets. They washed.

Besides, it wasn’t like she was exactly clean herself.

Rolling to her side, she gently tucked an arm under her head and the other coming down softly to rest on his chest. The movement of his breath quickly lulled his mother into a far more peaceful rest than before.

The sun had well slid its way across the sky by the time Kagome woke up. Inuyasha was sitting in the genkan, a shallow dish of water before him and the boy in his lap. The baby seemed very fascinated by the light dancing across the surface and was enchanted by the experience.

Kagome could tell that her husband was just as enchanted by watching their son experience the world for the first time.

“Some partner I am.” Her voice was rough and gravely from dehydration. Inuyasha’s ears moved before his head. He looked over his shoulder at her, bemusement in his eyes.

“Didn’t know I married a bear demon.”

Kagome rolled her eyes at his quip. Gods help her if her son developed his father’s sense of humor. “I’m sorry for leaving you to all the work. I’m not a very good wife, am I?”

Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed, whether in confusion or annoyance, she couldn’t tell. She was too far gone in her emotions to care. “What kind of mother am I, even? I just leave my boy alone and don’t comfort him?”

Inuyasha cut her off before she could continue down her path of self-deprecation. “No one could comfort him last night. Miroku told me that babies get that way sometimes, so we’ve just got to stick together and make sure he knows we’ll be there for him.”

Ah. He had gone to see Miroku and Sango last night. Kagome felt a sting of bitterness in her chest, worrying about judgement for no reason.

“But,” Inuyasha looked back at his son, stroking the top of his head and lifting his fine sliver baby hair, “we aren’t going to win the battle unless we rely on each other and have each other’s backs.”

Kagome nearly stopped him, wanting to know what battle before she realized Miroku had probably use an analogy to get through to his half-demon friend.

Inuyasha continued. “You had my back with Naraku, and when I got injured. I had your back when you had to fight off Hobo and the entrance examples. It’s no different now.”

Kagome opened her mouth to correct him like she had thousands of times before about Hojo’s name, but her heart had other plans. “You’re right,” she spoke softly, her eyes beginning to close again now that she was comforted. “We’ve got each other’s backs. Thanks for having mine last night.”

If she had kept her eyes open for a few more moments she would have seen the color light up across her husband’s face before he turned to look back down at their boy, who was now touching the water to refract light differently, although he didn’t understand the science of his actions.

If she had stayed awake for a second longer, she would have heard her husband say, “I’ll always have your back.”

[dawnrider]

Ok... So I know I said just one... But then I saw @foxchasingshadows's amazing short comic posted here.

Which just so happens to match up with the canon-divergent drabbledy thing I mentioned. Some of you might have read it before during one of @clearwillow's games.

For @inukag-week Desire

Your Kiss Well Dreamt

He wasn’t sure why, but he needed to see her tonight.  She had gone home earlier that day and despite only having been gone from his sight for a mere six hours, Inuyasha had to go and see her.  Waiting until tomorrow or until she got back was not an option.  Making sure no one was watching him, the hanyou bounded the last few steps to the well and threw himself in.  The blue light of the well and the mild chill that came with traveling through the time portal prickled the hairs on his arms but he brushed off the sensation just like every other time.  His nose was assaulted by the overwhelming scent of pollution and too many people packed into one place almost as soon as he was out of the well in Kagome’s time.  The remote feeling of the shrine did little to keep the rest of the city at bay for Inuyasha but, right now, it didn’t matter.

The window, his destination, was dark and a fleeting thought had the hanyou worrying that it would be locked, barring him entrance.  His stealthy approach rewarded him with not even the stirring of the leaves on the tree outside Kagome’s window.  Inuyasha quickly lighted upon the windowsill, balancing easily on the precarious ledge, and slipped his fingers under the edge of the window.  Much to his relief, the pane slid up easily and soundlessly.  Kagome had finally given in to his requests to clean and oiled the thing so that he could enter the house unheard.  Not a few times Kagome’s mother had approached him about being woken up when Inuyasha came to drag the occupant of the room back to the Sengoku Jidai just before dawn or when he had the urge to check on her at three in the morning.  She hadn't told her daughter, but had suggested that the window needed cleaning anyway.  Kagome’s main concern had been that Inuyasha would catch her changing but he had sworn up and down, rather colorfully, that he had no such desire to see her naked.  While still skeptical of the sincerity of her hanyou companion, the girl from the future grudgingly believed him.

As he had expected, Kagome was sound asleep in bed and hadn’t heard him come in at all.  With an inward smile the hanyou padded over to her bedside after closing the window once more and watched her sleep for a few moments.  She was breathing slowly and deeply as her eyes fluttered while she dreamed.  He wanted access to her dreams to be as easy as access to her room was, the simple sliding of a window.  What did she visualize while she slept?  Did he ever make an appearance in her dreams like she so often did in his?  The hanyou wondered if she had nightmares like Shippo or Sango, maybe rampant fantasies like the wayward monk.  He tried not think too hard about what his own fantasies usually entailed, but found that the images wouldn’t disappear now that his mind had brought them up.  Soft whimpers of his name, the gentle touch of her fingers down his sides, the feeling of her thighs around his hips brushed his consciousness like ghosts floating by.  Too many times he had imagined what it would be like, just to kiss her, to hold her through the night, to… to make love to her.

The hanyou shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts.  Things like that would get him sat faster than he could apologize.  Yet her body unknowingly continued to call to him, enticing him closer with the quiet sensuality she exuded.  What are you thinking baka?  Do you want to lose all the trust she’s placed in you?  Step away from her and go back to your time.  His conscience was right.  He had no right to even be here while she slept, let alone continue to think the heated thoughts that swam through his brain.  But he couldn’t make himself turn around and leave.  Kagome rolled over in her sleep, turning onto her back and muttering something unintelligible.  His curiosity piqued, the hanyou stepped closer and perked his ears in her direction.  Kagome smelled asleep, she sounded asleep and she sure as hell looked asleep.  It was safe to take another step closer, right?  Inuyasha nodded resolutely and moved back to the side of the bed.  

The slumbering miko let out a faint whimper, followed by a smile twitching her lips.  Inuyasha had never seen her so active in her sleep before and couldn’t help but wonder if she only slept this restlessly in her own time.  Another movement caught his attention too late as Kagome’s arm flopped to the side and her fingers caught hold of his suikan near his heart.  “Inuyasha,” she murmured.  The hanyou froze, terrified that he’d been caught staring at her.  But her heart rate, breathing, and scent told him she was still dead asleep.  Was she unconsciously reacting to his presence?  That had to be it, it was the only explanation.  Not daring to breathe, Inuyasha tried to extricate himself from Kagome’s grasp but found her grip was tighter than he’d anticipated.  He frowned, swallowing a growl and reaching up with his right hand to try and remove it a bit more forcibly.  But that wasn’t a good idea, now was it?  If he woke her now she’d know he had snuck into her room to watch her sleep and she’d probably sit him into the ground floor of the house.  Deliberating his options, Inuyasha finally decided on a somewhat smoother approach.  His right hand lifted again, this time to softly brush his knuckles against the soft inside of her wrist.  The slight smile on her face widened and she twitched.  Inuyasha dared not move for fear that she would wake up but she remained thankfully asleep.  Trying the movement again got better results, Kagome’s fingers loosening to rub the area that tickled against her chest.   Inuyasha watched in mute fascination, trying not to let his fantasies take hold of his brain again.

Inuyasha wanted to stay and just watch Kagome sleep all night but he knew he would get restless and probably do something stupid.  Stupid like let her catch him again.  He growled softly as he realized she had latched onto his kosode this time, the warm brush of her knuckles on his chest forcing a breath from his lungs.  Damn, damn, damn! he thought, frantic to get away from her without letting her know he'd ever been there.  He tried his previous tactic again, only to find she'd seemingly become immune to it, reaching out with her other hand and hitching him closer.

“Inuyasha,” she muttered again, her lips barely a breath away from his.  The inuhanyou swallowed thickly.  How was he going to get out of this?  She mumbled something he wasn't clear on, something about him not kissing her back.  Was she talking about when she'd tried to bring him back from his beast in Kaguya's castle?  “Don't... like me?”  The questioning tone in her voice turned to hurt and he flinched.  Her dream was turning into a nightmare.  She thought he hadn't kissed her back because he didn't want to, didn't want her.  Tears collected in the outer corner of her eye. Without another thought, he strove to drive the hurt from her scent.  His lips found hers slightly open to him, the taste of her nearly overwhelming.  He barely remembered what her lips had felt like before, but he knew that he wouldn't ever forget now.  She responded immediately, surprising him.

What surprised him more was that she still wasn't awake.  Her heartbeat had quickened slightly at his kiss but he could tell she still wasn't aware. And yet her lips moved with his as though she knew exactly what was happening. Her tongue even slipped out to meet his. Inuyasha sucked in a breath through his nose when her hand splayed flat against his chest, sliding up his neck to hold his nape. The weight of her hand pulled him deeper into her, his heart jumping at the contact. He was already too lost in the kiss to listen to the senses telling him something had changed.

A sharp inhalation followed by a squeak of surprise forced him back a bit. "In-Inuyasha?"

"Hmm?" he murmured, dazed. Then the scent of her confusion filtered into his nose. His golden eyes widened and he stumbled backward until he collided with the wall. The knick knacks on her dresser rattled. "Kuso! I…" His gaze darted to the window, cursing that he'd closed it behind him, effectively cutting off a quick exit. The fact that he wasn't face down in her carpet yet meant Kagome wasn't fully aware of what was going on. The inuhanyou tried to calculate the speed it would take him to get to the window, open it and try not to break it on his way out.

“Did… Did you kiss me?” came her voice, small with disbelief and the tiniest bit of hope.  He finally let his eyes meet hers in the dark, fear in his.  Why?  Why had he let himself do something so stupid?!  “Inuyasha, why…”

Unable to face her questions - questions she had every right to ask -  he darted for the window, slapping it upward and practically falling out of it.  He was flying to the well with the sound of her calling his name ringing in his ears, even as he dropped into the time portal.  His breathing remained heavy and his heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted over the tops of the trees, circling the well clearing.  Even in the midst of having a meltdown, he knew there was a very real risk that his little shard detector would pop through the well at any moment and attract all kinds of trouble in the middle of the night.

His heart nearly beat out of his chest when, sure enough, her scent wafted to him on the breeze and he heard her struggling up the inside of the well.  She was still in her pajamas with a light robe pulled tight around her frame.

“Inuyasha?” she called, keeping her voice down.  She knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t go far despite trying to run away from her.

“Go home, Kagome.”

She whipped around, thinking he was right behind her.  She couldn’t spot him anywhere in the clearing.  “Inu…”

“Go home!  J-Just go home.”  He sounded desperate.

“That isn’t fair, Inuyasha.  You can’t expect me to just ignore that…”

“You can fucking sit me to the other side of the world.  Tomorrow.  Just, please, go home where you’re safe tonight.”

Kagome took a deep breath.  “I’m not mad.  Confused.  But I’m not upset with you.”  Finally, he melted out of the shadows and into the clearing.  “I’m not going to use the word unless…”

“Unless what?” he breathed.

“Unless it was a joke, or you were just… blowing off steam.”

“What do you take me for? The letch?” he scowled.

“No.  The opposite.  That’s why I’m so confused.”  She screwed her eyes closed and shook her head.  “You never wanted anything to do with me before.”

“Th-That’s not true.”  Drawing on bravery he didn’t really feel, Inuyasha stepped in close enough that he could catch her hair in his fingers as a gust caught it.  She startled at the touch, brown eyes popping open.  “You know things have changed between us.”

“Not ‘kisses in the middle of the night’ changed,” she returned.  The breathless tone of her voice drew him in further.

“Seems it has.”  She flushed prettily in the moonlight.  “Kagome.”  Her eyes finally lifted to meet his and Inuyasha couldn’t help his hands dropping to her hips and pulling her into him.  Her hands were apparently drawn to his skin in much the same way, fingertips brushing his collarbones at the edge of his kosode.  “This isn’t right,” he muttered.  “Not with someone like me.”

Kagome growled under her breath.  Both of her hands rose to his neck and into his hair, pulling him roughly into her lips.  He was helpless to the power she exerted over him and the feel of her pressed against him.  “Don’t you dare try to say you’ve been holding back all this time because you think you’re not worthy.”  He opened his mouth to argue his point only to have his mouth covered by hers once more. He felt his body practically melt into hers as she seared him with her kiss. Hot gasps echoed between them as they broke for air only to return to each other's lips a breath later.

Kagome's little whimper, somewhere between pleasure and wanting, made Inuyasha growl with intent. Intent to have her. To make her his. To make him hers. "Kagome," he groaned when her hips pressed into his with clear purpose. "We're in the middle of the clearing," he murmured while nipping her neck. She let her head fall back so he could continue.

"Yes," she hissed. He doubted it was due to his statement. Inuyasha struggled to pull back enough to get her attention. "Yes. I know where we are, Inuyasha."

"We can't… we shouldn't…"

"I don't care," she breathed in his ear and a hard shiver rocked his body.

@lemonlushff , @fantastiqueparfait , @heavenin--hell, @clearwillow , @mamabearcat , @thunderpo , @keichanz , @meggz0rz , @disgruntledbeast , @sarah-writes-stories , @zelink-inukag , @rikareena , @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

[lavaffair]

Just Admit It

Inukag Fluff Week Prompts: Touch and Pining

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33211216

Having a crush on someone can be wonderful, but also incredibly unfair. The hours spent daydreaming about the person who gives your stomach butterflies seem to be more fun than having the actual crush. Experiencing this vulnerable feeling because of a person is actually quite terrifying and painful. Most of the time, crushes lead to heartbreak and letting go of the person who never gave you a chance.

Being in love with a person can be extremely intense, almost obsessive, and beautiful if done right. When someone’s feelings reach this level, it begins to cut deeper beyond the surface, into dangerous and uncharted territory. Especially if the person you are in love with has absolutely no idea of your true feelings towards them.

For Kagome Higurashi, her feelings towards her best friend Inuyasha Taisho went way beyond a crush. She was in love with her best friend, so in love that it hurt her, and she was too afraid to ever tell him about them.

The risk of ruining her lifelong friendship of 16 years was too scary to think about. Kagome could never think of her life without Inuyasha, he was always there to annoy her, get her angry, protect her, and support her whenever and wherever. When he yelled at the bigger kids for making fun of her name when they were five, or afterward when she pushed someone away from him when they pulled on his ears, they made a pack to back each other up. The friendship just blossomed after that.

Of course, they made more friends along the way, which included Sango and Miroku; whom they met in middle school, but their friendship never changed. They knew each other better than anyone else, and they have had the uncomfortable and awkward conversations that come up between teenagers, and so they have seen it all.

They have been there for each other when their hearts have been broken, when they had fights with others, and when they have personal issues. The bond between them was so strong that even the idea of it breaking caused Kagome a ton of stress. She could not do it and would not do it. At the end of the day, they will be in each other’s friend zone and they will die in the friend zone.

She was convinced that Inuyasha had zero feelings for her. He has seen her at her worst, and probably only looks at her like a sister. There was no way he could feel anything more for her.

This is why seeing him flustered and awkward about having to share a bed together did not raise any suspicions. It was obvious he was just a bit uncomfortable with the situation since it has been years since they have shared a bed with each other. They are both in their early twenties now, and sharing a bed was very intimate at this age compared to at 13.

“Yash, I could go downstairs right now and ask for another room. You look like you’re going to have a heart attack.” Kagome grinned at him, trying her best to suppress her shyness.

“Tch. We tried that already! That old hag wasn’t budgin’. This is the last time we let Miroku make hotel reservations.” He anxiously paced around the room.

“I can’t believe they don’t have any rooms with two beds. It’s not like it’s a special weekend or anything, it’s not even that busy this time of year.” She could not help but bite her bottom lip while watching him pace the room. His anxiety was getting to her.

“Well. We’re stuck here now, I tried all of my tricks but that lady wouldn't budge. We just gotta figure this out.”

He disappeared into the closet and pulled out an extra blanket provided by the hotel and placed it on the ground beside the huge bed. It was soft and fluffy enough to provide some comfort, but Kagome knew his back was going to hurt tomorrow and beyond that. They are staying at this hotel for the next few days, and until they can find a new room, they will have to make due.

“Inuyasha, we can just share the bed.” She tried speaking logic into him.

Inuyasha hoped she missed the way his body jolted at her offer because it was an intense one. Share a bed? With his best friend, whom he also harbored feelings for? Not a chance. Not when it was hard for him to even look at her without thinking about all the ways he could hold her.

He was down bad, he just refused to make it obvious. Instead, he played off his feelings for her by being extra rude sometimes. It helped mask his feelings and it was believable because he was naturally a huge jerk. Of course, he has gotten softer because of Kagome, but he turns it on when he needs it. Right now, he was too flustered to even pretend to act like a cocky bastard.

He and Kagome have not shared a bed since they were pre-teens, and that was before puberty kicked in. It took him a while to notice it at first, but when Inuyasha realized he had developed feelings for his best friend, he knew he had to shut it down immediately. He saw the changes she went through, and how she went from this annoying, loud, bossy little girl into this independent and beautiful woman. It was too much for him, and it happened overnight. He sucks at handling his feelings, he is not the best with women, and thus concludes him knowing he is not good for her.

Kagome deserved better, she deserved more than him. Some guy who can talk about his feelings and does not want to punch almost every frustrating person in the face. He was in love with her, so in love, he would sacrifice his chance of happiness just to see her happy with someone else. He will support her from the sidelines, like any good best friend, while his heart tears away at the idea of a love that did not get a chance.

Her friendship was enough for him. That is what he told himself every day.

“No.” He replied flatly. “You probably still kick in your sleep.”

“I do not kick!” He heard her shout.

He laughed, “Tell that to my legs. I think they’re still bruised.”

Of course, he did not miss the way she scoffed as she got the bed ready to sleep in. He could hear her breathing from across the room, her sweet, natural scent filling the space every time she moved around and it was intoxicating.

“Don’t be such a big baby!” She padded the pillows for extra fluff. “You’re a demon, my kicks don’t even hurt you.”

He poked his head out from the closet, looking for anything extra to put on his makeshift bed other than bath towels. “Half demon,” he corrected. “And yes they do.”

She blew out some air from her lungs and padded over towards him, her little feet tip-tapping on the carpet floor. “Inuyashaaaa,” she whined. “If I promise to not kick you, will you please sleep on the bed?”

He swallowed hard, his nerves getting the best of him as he cleared his throat. It took him a second to compose himself before exploding, and then he put on his best face. He raised an eyebrow at her, a smirk playing on his lips with a little fang poking out.

“So you admit that you do kick now. huh?”

Kagome rolled her eyes, immediately walking away from him with her arms crossed against her chest. “You’re impossible!”

After a few seconds of comfortable silence, he heard her zip and unzip her luggage and heave a sigh. “I’m going to change really quickly. I’ll be right back.”

He grunted in return and quickly changed into some sweats and a loose-fit tee shirt. His makeshift bed was as good as it was going to get, the fluffy comforter folded on the ground providing some back support. There were no more extra blankets, but Kagome always brought an extra for traveling, so he would just use hers to sleep in.

Little sounds were coming out from the bathroom and he knew she was doing her nightly routine of skincare and hair brushing. Out of all the women he has ever met, Kagome was the one always on top of her routines. He knew she had one in the morning and one at night, and the only reason why she was not taking her nightly shower was because of how tired she was after a long travel day.

The sound of clothes coming off and then rustling back on her skin was extremely distracting, so he decided to focus on the interesting floor lamp in the corner of the room. It had a rustic-colored body, with a cream-colored lampshade over the light bulb, and it was as boring as any other floor lamp in existence.

The door to the bathroom clicked open, and the sweet scent that was Kagome hit his nose instantly. It was never enough for him and he was so selfish he always wished for more. The citrusy scent mixed with vanilla was expected after she stayed in the bathroom for so long, but he did not expect his heart to skip a beat when he laid eyes on her in her pajamas. To anyone else, it would just be plain sleepwear, but seeing her in a pink tee-shirt and shorts set was driving him insane. There were little white stars decorating the entire ensemble, and Inuyasha could not believe Kagome could get any cuter.

“Nice PJs, what are you, five?” He teased, if only she knew he was dying inside.

She glared at him in return, “At least my pajamas are more fun. You’re in the same thing you always wear.”

“Kagome, you never see me when I’m going to bed.” He was trying really hard to stop himself from stuttering.

“You’re right, but I see you in the mornings when you’re a grump. You don’t change out of them unless you have somewhere to go.”

“I didn’t come here to get chastised for my taste in sweatpants, Kags.”

She giggled and it sent a jolt of electricity into his system. “That may be true, but when we get back home I’m buying you new pajamas. I’ll get some cute ones for you.”

The half-demon narrowed his amber eyes at her, “You’re gonna get matching onesies ain't ya?”

Shrugging her shoulders and shooting him a cheeky little smile, she skipped to her giant bed and left his question unanswered. Choosing to turn off the lights instead, and leaving the duo in the dark.

Cheeky wench he thought.

There was nothing else for either of them to do but get comfortable in bed to sleep. Everyone in the group had had a long day, and he was sure Sango and Miroku were already asleep in the room across from theirs. He was thankful the universe spared him from having to listen to anything that was not snoring.

“What time do you think we’ll all be up by tomorrow?” He heard Kagome ask from above him.

As he made himself comfortable on the floor with the fluffy pillow Kagome had given him he answered, “Hopefully not at noon. I’ll push you off the bed and bang on their door until yer all awake.”

She laughed, “You’ll get us kicked out if you do that.”

“Yeah?” Well, maybe we can find a hotel that has rooms with two beds.” He grumbled.

“Sharing a bed is not a big deal!” Kagome lied, because to her it would definitely be a big deal.

To the blushing half-demon sleeping on the ground, it was also a very big deal. “Goodnight Kagome.”

Kagome pouted, thankful that he could not see the disappointment on her face. “Fine, don’t be extra grumpy when your back hurts tomorrow.”

They flipped on their sides facing away from each other and attempted to sleep. Kagome was doing well, the giant bed was super comfortable and it would bring her to sleep in no time. Except, she could listen to Inuyasha shuffling over on the floor knowing he was trying to find a comfortable position.

A frustrated grunt had her fluttering her eyes open and groggy from sleep. She wondered how long she had been out, and she would ask Inuyasha but he was still tossing and turning on the floor. She rubbed her eyes and let out a tiny yawn before scooting over to the side to look at him.

At the moment, he was fighting with Kagome’s blanket and was one minute closer to taking the car keys and sleeping inside the car.

“Inuyasha?” he heard her ask. Her voice was soft and sounded small, she looked tired and in much need of sleep.

“Kags? Hey, sorry for waking you.” He said apologetically.

She shook her head with a little smile to show him she felt no animosity towards him. “Yash, you’re uncomfortable. Please come to bed.”

“You say that like it’s easy..” he muttered over his beating heart. She was so tired, and yet here she was still concerned over him and putting his needs before her own.

“It’s not easy.” She replied sleepily.

“What?” He sat up from his floor bed and looked at her. Her eyes were glossed over, and a little smile was painted on her face. “Kags, what do you mean?”

She shrugged awkwardly in her laying down position and yawned again. “I like you, so, it’s not easy for me to tell you that.. but you can’t sleep on the floor.”

Inuyasha’s face heated up instantly, a blush so red and deep that he could make tomatoes jealous of its color. There was no way she was telling him the truth. There was absolutely no way she was reciprocating his feelings right now, because this all seems too good to be true, and nothing this amazing ever happens to him. He was already lucky enough to call her his best friend, but for her to like him back when he had never told her was more than he could have asked for.

Her words processed rather quickly, and Kagome shot up from the bed. suddenly wide awake. There was absolutely no way she just said that to him. Every second that passed caused her to overthink everything, and she felt like her friendship with him was slipping out of her fingers the more time passed.

“I- I mean! Um.. no? Uh. I didn’t say that! Forget what I said!” She laughed nervously, “Haha funny joke!”

Her stuttering was going through one fluffy ear and out of the other because he was still trying to process what she said. He could see her better than she could see him, and her blushing face did not match the denial she was spewing at him.

“Would you laugh too if I told you I felt the same way?” His voice wavered during his confession while his stomach made flips.

“You…” Kagome paused and took a deep breath in a failed attempt to get herself to relax. “You like me too?”

“Yep.”

“..For how long?”

“Since I turned 13 and saw you in that one blue dress at the school dance.” There was no going back for him now.

She remembered that day pretty easily because it was one of her most cherished memories. It was the middle school dance, and everyone was super excited to find someone to go with. Naturally Kagome went with Inuyasha since they were so inseparable, and she wanted to surprise him and go in her new blue dress. That whole night Inuyasha was acting weirder than usual, but she thought it was because of the school dance, not because of her or her blue dress.

“What about you?” His question dragged her out of her thoughts.

“Around the same time as you, except it was after the dance. Yura cut off some of my hair because she was kinda obsessed with it, and mama had to even it out afterward. It was so short, and I hated it! But you came up to me when I was crying and told me I was pretty with my short hair, and then you yelled at Yura the next day.

“That’s when I sort of figured I liked you more than just as my best friend.” She admitted.

The two best friends stared at each other in bewilderment due to their confessions. The words they shared are still floating above them like small clouds. The fear of their feelings staying one-sided was nothing but a fluke now, because their feelings were reciprocated.

“Do you um..” Kagome coughed, “Wanna get off the floor and talk about it some more?” She padded the mattress for emphasis.

He was sure he looked like an idiot with how fast he got up from the carpet. Maybe she did not see it that way, but he sure did feel that way. He felt like he was floating even with his body now firmly on the large bed. He left a small space between them, on the off chance that he was reading into it too much.

It was quiet between them and sleep was still creeping onto them like a predator watching its prey.

“You know I expected my confession to you to be kinda dramatic.” Kagome laughed, “Like, we have a huge fight and we’re yelling at each other from across the room and then you say something stupid and I just kinda scream it out.”

The half-demon raised a brow at her in amusement. “You watch way too many movies, Kagome.”

She pushed on his shoulder in mock offense, “Don’t pretend like you don’t sit there and watch them with me!”

“That’s because you force me to watch them with you. How many times have we seen the Notebook? I lost count!”

“Okay, okay, first of all, we haven’t seen the Notebook since high school. I’ll admit we saw it too often, but not recently!”

“Yeah?” He grinned at her, his fang poking out only adding to the effect he has on her. “Doesn’t mean we haven’t seen similar movies.”

She huffed, “I’m a sucker for romance. You can’t blame me for that.”

Inuyasha watched as her lips turned out into a little pout and she puffed out her chest. Those same lips he has always caught himself staring too hard at, the ones he thought about kissing everyday but knew he never could. Well, here was his chance; and she was sitting right in front of him.

Before he could back out of it, he leaned in closer to her face and stared directly into her dark brown eyes. Her breath caught in her throat and the little gasp she let out echoed his ears. Her breath fawned over his lips as she realized how close they were to touching. Her eyes flicked from his golden ones to his lips, and then back to his eyes again.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked her breathlessly. He was totally enthralled by her and her full, parted lips.

She nodded in anticipation knowing that her voice would fail her if she tried to speak.

His lips were on hers instantly as he drank her in like water. They were as soft and plush as he expected them to be but they were also even more than that. Their lips molded against each other so easily it was strange to think about why he waited so long to do this in the first place. The kiss they shared was sweet and cautious but still electrifying. He did not want to scare her away in case she backed out of it, but little did he know she was savoring this moment between them.

Slowly, they parted ways as they tried to catch their breath. Inuyasha noted how cute she looked with pink-tinted cheeks, kiss swollen lips, and sparkling eyes as she looked at him. He could not stop the grin from showing up on his face after finally being able to kiss the girl of his dreams, the same girl that was a bit too far from him at the moment.

“Come ‘ere.” He slurred, his voice deep and rich with admiration. He extended his arms to her and beckoned her towards him with a blush still on his cheeks.

Without saying a word she crawled over to him and broke the remaining space they had between them. She fit into his lap so perfectly and she never wanted to live a life where she could not do this again. The butterflies in her stomach were eating her alive but she powered through the feeling and laid her head on his shoulder. His strong arms embraced her small figure and pressed her into him while he fought the nerves in his body to relax. This was still extremely new to the both of them, but suddenly they wanted to be as close to each other as possible.

They sat together like this for a few minutes until Inuyasha noticed that Kagome was starting to drift away into sleep again. Even the excitement of a love confession was not strong enough against the pull of sleep.

“Kags,” he whispered. “Let’s lay down. You need to sleep more comfortably.”

She protested, “But I’m comfy here.”

Before she could say anything more he quickly changed their position and laid down on the bed. With one arm still holding Kagome snuggly on him, he used the other to bring up the giant comforter to cover the both of them. He was glad they both decided to leave the lights off during the entire ordeal they had earlier so he did not have to get up and ruin her comfortable position.

Kagome was thankful for the lights staying off too because she was not going to let Inuyasha go even for a second. Miroku and Sango might be extremely confused tomorrow morning when they notice the change in dynamic but that will be tackled when they get to it. Right now, she is way more content with her head on his chest and his hand on her back.

Before she officially dozed off into slumber, she kissed his chin and snuggled into him. With her head on his chest, she could hear the erratic beating of his heart after her surprise kiss. He said nothing as he listened to her breathing steadily with every minute that passed until her grip on his arm went slack.

Inuyasha had not expected so much to happen between them in a span of a few hours. Their dynamic now changed forever. He was aware that they still had more to talk about, but for now, he was going to cherish this moment with her. He kissed her forehead one more time out of pure need and desire before settling in to catch some sleep.

He would never deny sharing the bed with her ever again.