#inukag ficlet

[mamabearcatfanart]

"Inuyasha, I'm cold."

"I'm not fuckin' surprised", he snarled, trying to move her closer to his body. Any closer and she'd actually be sitting in his lap, which normally he'd be feeling some mighty strong feelings about, but right now his strong feelings weren't the happy kind. He'd already removed her sodden shoes and socks, but before she could get changed into some drier clothes they needed the fire going.

Shippo and Kirara were doing their best with damp kindling and an even damper cave, while Sango sorted through Kagome's backpack for dry clothes and medical supplies. Thankfully, no one else had been injured during their battle against the boar youkai.

Just Kagome.

For once, Miroku was keeping his trap shut, understanding that now was not the time for teasing. After one glare from Inuyasha as he had pulled the shivering Kagome close to his body, he had busied himself by walking further down into the cave to make sure it contained no more unwanted surprises with pointed teeth and a large appetite for shikon shards. Thank goodness for small mercies.

"You're angry at me, aren't you", Kagome whispered. It didn't sound like a question.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" he muttered, rubbing her back gently as she shivered against him.

"Oh, I don't know. The growling maybe. Your shoulders feel like rocks you're so tense."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"I'm not angry at you, I'm angry near you. There's a difference."

"It doesn't feel like a difference", she said in a small voice. "Why won't look at me?"

Inuyasha pointedly kept his face turned aside and she sighed, tugging on his sleeve.

"Hey. I didn't know that bit of hill was going to give way."

That earned another growl. He almost looked at her, then turned his face away again.

"Why do you think I put you and Shippou over near the trees Kagome! You're the one who's meant to be smart with all that reading you do. Even you should have been able to tell it was unstable with all this rain!"

She tugged on his sleeve again.

"I couldn't get a good shot from where I was, so I moved to a better spot. And I took him out too! Before I fell I mean. But I helped! And we got another shikon shard!"

"For fuck's sake Kagome, you could of been really hurt!"

"But I wasn't."

"You've taken half the skin off your face! And your leg and your arm!"

"It'll grow back. Sango'll help bandage it up and it'll be good as new in a week or two - you won't even be able to tell it was there at all. And because I ended up in the river, it's washed all the dirt away, see? I'm just a bit cold, but I'll warm up. Inuyasha? Please? I don't know why you're so upset."

He growled again; she could see him biting the inside of his cheek as he stared out into the heavy rain outside the cave.

"Inuyasha, look at me. Please?"

Grudgingly he turned his head. She could see the concern in his eyes, the worry, the self blame, even though none of her injuries were remotely his fault. She tried to smile, but had another attack of the shivers.

He sighed, rubbing her back again. He tucked a long dripping lock of her hair behind her ear.

"You look like a sad wet cat."

"I kinda feel like one", she smiled, and then hissed, because smiling actually hurt quite a lot right now.

"A sad wet stupid cat with mush for brains", he sighed again, using his palm to turn her head gently so her uninjured cheek rested on his chest. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"Help keep me warm?" she shivered, wrapping her cold arms tight around his chest.

He rested his cheek on the top of her head, and she smiled, even though it hurt, and then giggled. She could feel his grumbles rumbling against her body as he pressed her even tighter against him.

"I guess I can do that. But you're grounded."

"What? How do you even know what that means?"

"I know plenty. And you're grounded. No more stupid heroics from you, or I'm taking away your keeping warm privileges."

"You wouldn't!"

"Watch me."

[petri808]

25 for inukag 😉, but it's okay if you don't wanna do it. This is a purely random suggestion from me haha

“Sharing an umbrella at a bus stop as it snows.” Here’s a silly short Inukag ficlet :)

Inuyasha peers around the corner of the bookshelf, checking to see if anyone is paying attention to him. When he sees no one is, he strolls over to a certain section of the shoujo mangas acting all nonchalant, taking his time as if not there for anything in particular. He scans the titles gingerly, and when another shopper turns their back, he makes a move, quickly reaching out without looking at the one he wants. But instead of the hard spine of a book, his hand hits something warm. Eh? His head immediately turns to look and there standing next to him is a young woman around his age, also with her hand on the last volume.

Instantly, he retracts his hand and ears turn back. “Sorry, I um… it’s not for me, it’s for a friend who um loves this series… f-for her birthday.”

“Oh,” the woman responds as she finishes pulling the book from the shelf. She takes a look at it, then hands it to him. “Here, I can wait for them to restock.”

Inuyasha’s head tips slightly in confusion. “Are you sure?” Isn’t this woman going to say anything else or tease?

“Yeah,” she smiles again. “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”

Figuring he should just accept it. “T-thanks,” he mumbles, then rushes to the cashier, leaving behind the bewildered woman.

As soon as he gets out of the store, Inuyasha rushes away with the bag clutched to his chest. Oh, why the hell did he have to get involved with this stupid story! It’s all Miroku’s fault for making him read it! Okay, it was Miroku’s fault at first, but now all he has is himself to blame. But it’s a good story! He’s always thought these shoujo stories are sappy romance crap for women, but who knew they could be interesting. Like take this one. It’s about a princess, yes, but she’s no shrinking violet. When her father is killed, she runs away along with her bodyguard and they set out in search of help to take back the kingdom. There’s dragons and battles, adventures and more battles! Sure, there’s a love story woven in, but the fighting is badass! So, every two months or so when a new volume is released, Inuyasha battles the shoujo manga aisles to grab a copy, always making sure not to get caught by anyone— until now.

And it’s just his luck, that when he arrives at the bookstore two months later for the new volume, guess who he spies in the aisle? It’s her! This becomes the new routine for the next several months! Why all of a sudden is he running into her? Sometimes she gets there before him and he has to wait, and sometimes he gets there first only to see her walking in as he’s leaving. Of course, he pretends not to see her, but he’s sure, based on the funny looks she’s shot his way that he’s been busted. Kami must be playing a prank on him for sure. He’s thought about going to another bookstore, but the closest is two more stops away on the train and not worth the additional 20 minutes.

Truthfully, that’s all a lie. It’s not about the time, but it’s because Inuyasha’s become intrigued with the woman. The times she beats him to the aisle, he hides around the corner and watches. Sometimes she’s with a friend or chatting on the phone and he can hear some of the conversations. That’s how he’s learned her name is Kagome or that she’s from the nearby Higurashi shrine, and that she also goes to the local university. She’s got this pretty jet black hair that has a bit of wave to it instead of completely straight, and brown, almond-shaped eyes. Fair white skin with rarely any blemishes despite not wearing makeup on a toned figure. A beauty like is her is probably taken if that mousy brown-haired nerd that’s sometimes around her is any indication. Inuyasha’s never seen anything to suggest they’re in a relationship, well, in her eyes they’re not based on the distance she keeps from him, but he’s definitely hopeful.

It’s a new year as January has brought along a wintery white blanket over Tokyo. They rarely get so much snow in the city, but today is an exception. As a hanyo, Inuyasha luckily doesn’t get cold as quickly as humans so he thought it would be fine to just head out in a coat. Run out, grab the new volume and get back home. To bad for him, he didn’t expect that she would brave this weather too. He manages to slip in and out with his purchase before she sees him, then heads to the bus stop.

He looks at his watch. “Damn, it is cold,” Inuyasha mumbles as he pulls the coat closer around his neck. Where is the bus? Is it late because of the snow? Ugh, they really should put a covered bus stop here for times like this! If anymore snow coats his long white hair it’s going to become a mess when it starts to defrost. Suddenly, a shadow falls over Inuyasha and a voice that prickles the hair on his nape.

“Oh, hello again!” Kagome greets while holding her umbrella over their heads. “Stopped in for the new release?”

“Tch, no! I told you, that was just once for a gift!” Inuyasha retorts. “Why would I buy a girly manga?”

“Because you buy one every two months,” she quips back with a teasing tone.

“I said it’s not for me, it’s for a friend.” Inuyasha states plainly trying not to let her rile him up.

“Mmhmm,” Kagome hums. “The same friend or do you have different friends each month with a birthday?”

“Tch!” he’s totally busted! “Fine! Okay, so I like this story.” Inuyasha crosses his arms and turns away. “Is it so bad for a guy to like this stuff sometimes?”

“Nope,” she replies. “I think it’s cute.”

The chill around Inuyasha has quickly grown warm as blood floods his cheeks.

“By the way,” she continues, “my name is Kagome. What’s yours?”

“Inuyasha,” he mumbles. “And I know. You’re with the Higurashi shrine.”

Kagome pokes him. “Eh, are you stalking me?”

“Stalking you! You must be stalking me by the way we always meet here!”

She shrugs, “maybe a little.”

Inuyasha gasps and steps out from under the umbrella ready to run if necessary. “What??”

“I’m kidding!” Kagome laughs and pulls his arm to drag him back. “Relax and get back under here idiot. The snows getting heavier, so, let’s start over, hmm? We at least have the manga in common, so how about we go wait in that cafe,” she points as she talks, “and grab something warm to drink since the bus is so late.”

Inuyasha considers it… something warm to drink does sound nice… “yeah, sure.” He responds and takes the umbrella from her to hold. Hell if he’s not gonna be a gentleman even if his grumpy tone says otherwise. “I’ll treat since you’re sharing your umbrella with me.”

Kagome smiles and weaves her arm through the crook of his to stay close underneath as they walk. “I’ll be the princess and you can be my bodyguard.”

That makes Inuyasha snort a laugh. “And what kingdom are we taking back?”

“Mm,” she taps her chin, “How about just going on a new adventure?”

[i-belong-in-a-retirement-home]

First Rut

A little ficlet from the a/b/o inukag fic I am writing!! This particular portion was written at 1 am while I was hyped up on caffine. Enjoy, because I barely remember writing it.

The story lays out a little backstory, about InuYasha and his first rut. It is just under 400 words

CONTENT WARNING: strong language, and references to sex

He remembered that day well. Back during freshman year, Koga had managed to get on his nerves. Though, it was one of the first times they fought. That was another first too.

As Koga sat on top of InuYasha, throwing punch after punch. It didn't matter, he could just get Koga back on another day. But the fight was interrupted, not by a teacher, or admin, but another student, a young lady.

InuYasha hadn't known her then. Kagome had been furious with Koga. She dragged him off InuYasha and shouted at him for the fight. Even in her fury, Kagome had looked glorious. And that was the first. That was the day he had experienced her scent, her pheromones.

The first time the cherries and honey overwhelmed his mind, intoxicating him. A sudden shock blew through him and left him breathless. He felt a terrible yearning in his center. An arousal he hadn't felt before. All he could think of, was, well, fucking. His hips bucked uncontrollably, as his body begged for another. Ashamed of how he was behaving, InuYasha had struggled to his feet and ran away. He fumbled to hide himself as his body refused to listen to him.

A bathroom stall had been his hideaway. He was found sweaty, breathless, and deeply afraid. There was very little he remembered aout the situation. Even to this day, InuYasha didn't know how he had gotten home.

But once he had managed through his first rut, he was given a very awkward lecture from his parents. They informed him that this one would be the worst of them all. It hit him so hard because his brain wasn't used to the hormones brought on by rut. He would learn to control himself.

And even as he did control his body, his mind refused to behave. As he phased back into school, he was mostly fine. But there was still one little issue, Kagome. Everytime he passed her in the hall, or managed to find himself next to her, he lost his shit.

Her scent wreaked havoc, just like it did the first time. He couldn't really move, he couldn't focus. Hell, he could hardly even think.

Is it really that bad? Even as I think about it now… I want to be upset at her.. But she has no control over the situation.

[mustardyellowsunshine]

I’m in person at my work’s staff development day, but it’s a hybrid event, so there are cameras everywhere to film/livestream for remote workers to participate. Camera people keep circling the main auditorium and popping up randomly at the break out sessions.

And there is a camera guy walking around who is so incredibly hot it’s actually kind of annoying, because I am trying to zone out in peace. Like sir, have some r e s p e c t.

[xoxopandapanda]

Inukag Week 2023: Day 2: Possession

@inukag-week

Day 1  Day 2  Day 3  Day 4  Day 5  Day 6  Day 7

AO3

Fanfiction

It wasn’t until Kagome had met and spent a lot of time with Inuyasha that she realized how lucky she was growing up. Sure, she had known she had a good homelife, a loving family, and a future to look forward to.

Inuyasha had nothing but the clothes on his back and the chips on his shoulder.

The first time Inuyasha curled up and fell asleep on her bed, Kagome wanted to let him stay there forever. He seemed to just melt into the soft comforter, his face relaxing off the harshness that normally sat there. He seemed to just be a normal teenage boy in that moment, rather than the harsh and difficult half-demon he was when he was awake.

If Kagome could have given him that peace for the rest of his life, she would have in a heartbeat.

But as with everything, it came to an end that he was sleeping peacefully and quietly on that bed and the real world came knocking and demanded they return to the quest that engulfed their every moment.

The desire to give him everything didn’t disappear with the morning sun, however.

At some point, Inuyasha had become very comfortable with seizing anything and everything of hers and using to his own means. Sleeping bag? Now his for sitting on when camping outside until she made him get off for her to sleep. Books? A source of entertainment (sometimes kindling) for when he wanted to annoy her. Clothes? Those worked great for drying off or wiping sweat off his face, even if they were still on her body and he was just flat out rubbing his forehead on her. Shoes? Ah, perfect for throwing at the crows that gathered on Kaede’s roof. Fifty-fifty if he got them down without her having to ask him.

Kagome found herself specifically looking for things they could share. He had a favorite pair of chopsticks that once were hers, so she got another set. His long hair required softer elastic band on hair ties, so she got scrunchies and clips for them to use when bathing. He preferred open-mouth water bottles to straws, so she got rid of her original one to get a big one they could share.

There was a time when she would have been mortified at the thought of sharing every single thing in her life, but just like how Inuyasha had melded into her bed that night, they blended together.

What was hers was his, and vice versa.

It was so natural after a while, that not even having it pointed out to them would cause them to blush or deny it.

“Less to carry if we share more.” Kagome had said once to Kaede as Inuyasha chugged the entirety of the very large water jug. “It just makes sense.”

Shippo had all of his own things, so it perhaps didn’t actually make sense. She carried a special water bottle, utensils, pillow, soap, crayons, and just about anything else for the little boy. It was the same for Miroku and Sango, who each had their own designated items in her pack.

It was just Inuyasha that she shared everything with.

Soon physical possessions weren’t just the only thing the two teens shared. Inuyasha started to share her successes at school and joined in on studying with her, despite not finding much use for it. It helped her a lot to have another person to talk to, even if it was just grunting red clad boy who knew nothing about theoretical math.

Miroku had tried to help her study, and he was great for history and religious topics, however laying on her stomach next to a lounging half-demon seemed to be the best way for her to work through math equations.

Tapping his shoulder, Kagome commanded his attention to her homework. “Is that a three or eight?” The dim lighting from the fire prevented her from being able to fully make it out. She could if she scooted closer, but it was more convenient to take advantage of Inuyasha’s better eyesight. He drew an eight in the air with his finger.

“To the power of eight?!” Kagome collapsed onto her arm in exasperation. “How am I supposed to figure that out?”

“Write it out.” Inuyasha had no idea what a power of eight was, but he knew what he was supposed to say when the numbers came out. Mama Higurashi had taught him.

Sighing loudly, Kagome rearranged herself onto her elbows and started writing out the equation. Inuyasha felt a surge of pride at being helpful to her, even if he had no idea how it all worked. He didn’t quite get why she was so certain she needed school, but if it was important to her, it was important to him to.

After all, they shared everything.

Including hopes and dreams, he realized one day when in a heated spat with Miroku over Kagome. He had pressed about their future together, insinuating that they should just hurry up and get married. He and Sango had to wait after all, until the curse was lifted, but no such restrictions were on Kagome and Inuyasha.

Inuyasha had huffed and snarled out, “She wants to go to high school. It’s important to her to graduate.”

Miroku had a blank look cross his face. “What does that mean, exactly?” the monk asked.

Inuyasha felt a sense of embarrassment overcome him. He didn’t know exactly what it meant to graduate. “It means…” he scrambled for words. “…she’s finished her school.”

“What’s next for her?”

Inuyasha wanted to strangle the man walking alongside him to fetch water for Kaede. “She wants to finish school and…” his jaw worked hard as he processed if he wanted to tell Miroku what he knew or what. For some reason, the thought that it might deter further questions. “Have a career and raise dogs. Maybe get married but that’s not important to her.”

Miroku nodded as if he understood. Clearly, he did not. “What is a career?”

“Something you do until you’re old.” Souta’s basic explanation was all he knew of the topic.

“Like being a priestess?” Miroku’s eyes wandered over to look at Inuyasha’s profile. It was bright red.

Inuyasha huffed loudly. Miroku took that as a yes, so he continued to prod. “What’s this about dogs?”

“Dogs are her favorite animal and she wants to have a bunch when she’s older.” Inuyasha answered without thinking. “It’s not common to have a lot of dogs, but with the shrine grounds, she can, so she wants to rescue them from living on the street or bad homes.”

Miroku paused for a moment, calculating his next question. “Like how she rescued you?”

Inuyasha stopped walking suddenly, causing the monk to get just a few paces ahead. Miroku tried to gauge if he had gone a step too far. Inuyasha seemed frozen eyes straight ahead for what felt like forever, and Miroku was just about to tell Inuyasha to forget his comment and change topics when Inuyasha spoke.

“Yeah.”

Miroku finally turned his body to look at his friend and see a softness cross his features. He started walking again forward, quietly whispering, “Except this time, we’re going to do the rescuing together.”

Because, after all, they shared far more than just possessions.

[somekndofnature]

No Other Way #22

Another for the domaystic2022. I’m going to get there before the end of the year guys. I just know it! Parts of this are taken directly from arguments I've had with my partner at the grocery store (if slightly exaggerated for humors sake). Sorry to those of you who love pork rinds but I just can't stand them. 😝 I really enjoyed writing this more playful side of Inuyasha. I hope it makes you laugh. I'm not entirely satisfied with it (there are times when I feel like he strays too far OOC) but I think maybe I'm just in a bad mood right now. Who knows? This story is non-explicit, SFW.  

Day 22: In the Wrong Aisle\

Fandom: Inuyasha Modern MMA AU

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome

Rating: G

AO3

'Cause It's Out the Same Door That It Came, Well It's Leaving, Leaving

Inuyasha meandered through the sparsely populated store aisle, letting the rickety metal cart take the brunt of his weight. He yawned loud and long, earning a tsking sound from an old woman ahead of him but ignored it. 

Where the hell was Kagome? She took off squealing about how she had forgotten something but that was over five minutes ago. Inuyasha turned down the next aisle and, seeing that it was empty, sucked in a deep breath.

“Kagome!” he shouted. 

Several gasps and grumbles answered him from other aisles but none in the correct tenor. 

“Kagome!”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, stopping short when he passed an entire section dedicated to prepackaged bowls of ramen. He pursed his lips, looking up and down the empty lane before reaching an arm in and sweeping an entire shelf of delicious food into the cart. He whistled innocently to himself as he turned down the next row.  

“Kagome!” he called once again. No one answered him. 

He walked through the next three aisles without so much as a tingle of interest, intermittently shouting his girlfriend’s name at the top of his lungs. When he turned down the final one, Inuyasha grinned, eyes sparkling at the shelves full of different colored bags of snacks and potato chips. He pulled down several of his favorites and filled the cart to the brim, making sure to also grab a couple ‘healthy’–she was lying to herself–bags of popcorn Kagome liked in the process.

Satisfied with his selections, Inuyasha continued down the lane. “KA-GO–” 

“Inuyasha!” came a furious hiss from behind him.  

He whipped around, grinning when he spotted a red-faced Kagome walking towards him with her arms full. He could already smell the spicy scent of her annoyance as she approached, jeans clinging to her swishing hips like a second skin. She blew an errant curl off her cheek that had escaped the dark ponytail clipped over one shoulder, exposing the long column of a slender neck he had been tempted to nibble on all day. Damn, he was a lucky hanyou.  

“Hey, there you are.” 

“Yes, here I am,” she snapped, eyes narrowed. “Why are you hollering like that?”

“Because I couldn’t find you.” 

“So you need to alert the entire store? Couldn’t you just use your nose?”  

“Around all this food? My nose gets distracted. Besides,” he shrugged, “what’s the big deal?” 

“You’re gonna get us kicked out, Inuyasha, and this is my favorite market,” she said, circling him to drop her items in the cart when her eyes widened. “What is all this?!”

“Food.” He maintained an innocent expression.  

“It’s junk!” she said, making room for her produce and straightening her dark red sweater. She stilled and frowned, snatching up a bag of pork rinds. “What are these?” 

“Fucking delicious is what they are,” he replied with a grin, making a hasty grab for them. 

Kagome jumped back just in time and Inuyasha raised a surprised brow. Her reflexes were getting better. 

“These smell like butt.” She emphasized each word with a shake of the bag. 

He rolled his eyes. “Come on, ‘Gome. Just say ‘ass’ like the rest of us.”  

“Fine. They smell like ass. Better?” 

Inuyasha let his mouth fall open in mock outrage, unable to keep his lips from turning upward with amusement. “You said a naughty word.”  

“Stop it.” Kagome fought a smile. 

“You know what happens to bad girls that say naughty words,” he said with a fanged smirk, sliding closer to her. “They get spankings.” 

She giggled and pressed a hand against his chest. “Down boy.”

“You’re right” he leaned in to whisper. “You’d just like it.” 

“Inuyasha!” she gasped, color spreading down to her neck.

He pounced, grabbing the bag from her hands and holding it up triumphantly. “Ha! Too slow.” 

Kagome pouted as he held them away from her reaching hands before finally giving up and crossing them over her chest. “Fine, but if you get those, you’re eating them on the balcony.” 

“What? Why?”

“Because you’ll make the entire apartment smell.” 

He spent only a few seconds contemplating before tossing the bag back in the cart. “Fine, I agree to your terms.” 

“Really?” she asked in a dry tone. “You’re gonna eat pork rinds outside…in February.” 

“They’re worth it.”  

Kagome imitated a dreamy sigh. “Oh, to be worth it.” 

“I mean,” he said with a shrug. “I’d offer to eat you out on the balcony in February but—” 

She slapped her hand over his mouth, fighting to maintain a serious expression but he could hear the laughter in her tone. “Inuyasha! What is up with you today?” 

He waggled his eyebrows and licked her palm to accentuate his proposition.  

“Gross!” Kagome squealed and pulled away, wiping her hand on her jeans. “Seriously, have you been spending too much time with Miroku or something? You used to be such a prude.”

“Keh, everyone’s prude when compared to that hentai. Besides,” he said, sidling up next to her. “You can’t really blame me. Have you looked in a mirror today?”  

“When we left,” she replied, touching her head. “Why? Is something in my hair?” 

Inuyasha laughed and slid an arm around her waist. “No, you’re fuckin’ gorgeous. Can’t keep my hands off you.” 

“I can feel that,” she said with a coy smile and a hint of reproach, moving one of said sneaky hands back up to the small of her back from where it had been resting on her butt.

He frowned. “What’s wrong?” 

“We’re in public,” she said, flushing. 

“”Gome, there’s no one around us,” he whispered, curling his knuckle under her chin.

Inuyasha leaned down, brushing a kiss against her soft cheek. When he pulled away, the thick fan of her dark lashes fluttered open, revealing stormy blue eyes. He rubbed the pad of his thumb along her bottom lip and smiled when her mouth parted around an aroused breath, tongue flicking out to taste his skin. His brows drew together as a spike of heat shot straight to his groin. He inched forward, intent on kissing her breathless, when the sound of approaching footsteps made his ears twitch.  

Inuyasha cursed and stepped away amid her whimpered protest just as their illusion of privacy was shattered. The old woman from before turned down the aisle, her widened eyes indicating that she had caught at least a glimpse of their intimate moment. She froze and leveled a glare at Inuyasha before quickening her pace. 

It seemed to take Kagome a moment to shake herself back into awareness, face going beet red when she noticed they were no longer alone. She spun around, suddenly absorbed in scanning the shelves as the woman passed them, mumbling under her breath about improper behavior. It took forever for the old bat to shuffle her way to the other end of the row, leaving them in peace. 

Inuyasha sniggered as she turned the corner. “You should see your face.” 

“Inu-yasha,” Kagome seethed, whipping around to throw several rapid punches into his shoulder.  

“Ow! Quit hittin’ me,” he said, trying to affect a pitiful tone but his intermittent laughter made it impossible. 

“Yeah right, like I could hurt you.” She rolled her eyes. 

Inuyasha sulked. “You’re stronger than you look, woman.”

“Oh you poor baby,” Kagome said, tone thick with sarcasm as she stroked his arm and stood on tiptoe to press a kiss against his jaw. “Better?” 

“Keh,” he muttered, turning her back to face the cart. “Come on, I'm ready to get you home.” 

“You still have to put some of this stuff back.” 

“What? And here I thought I made you forget.” 

“Nice try,” she said with a wry grin. “But we just don’t have the space for all this.” 

“Fine,” Inuyasha grumbled, grabbing up one of the bags of popcorn only to be stopped short by a sharp tug. 

Kagome was glaring at him, mouth tight with a stubborn frown. “Not these! Don’t start with my stuff.” 

“Oh I see,” Inuyasha replied with his brow raised. “My junk food is unhealthy and disgusting but yours is just fine.” 

She huffed in irritation. “Well, it isn’t pork skin drowned in hot oil, so yeah.” 

“Let’s see about that, shall we?” He worked the package out of her clenched hands and turned it around, reading through the nutrition label. “There’s that many calories per serving?”

“Okay, Inu.” She rested a hand on her cocked hip, the picture of feminine pique.

“And there’s how many servings per container?” His eyes widened in feigned shock. “I’ve seen you eat an entire bag in one sitting, ‘Gome.” 

Her brow twitched as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You’ve made your point!” 

“And look at the salt content. Isn’t that what you’re always nagging me about?” 

“Argh, fine!” Kagome threw her hands up in the air. “We can keep everything. Just shut up and stop ruining my favorite snack.” 

She whipped around, grabbing a hold of the cart handle and stomping down the aisle. He followed after her, brows furrowing in genuine confusion as he continued to read. 

“Why the fuck is there that much sugar in popcorn?” 

“That’s enough, Inuyasha!” 

[arisukingdom]

Kagome hummed a melody, enjoying the warmth from the evening summer sun as she sorted through the remainder of her herbs. I wonder where Inuyasha has been all day? He's been acting so weird lately. As if her thoughts summoned him, she stared as he stomped his way towards her, his left hand clutching a bouquet of wildflowers. She patiently waited until he stopped in front of her, knowing she wouldn't have to wait long with her hanyou.

"Kagome." He gruffed, his tone held no heat.

"Yes, Inuyasha?" She blinked up at him, surprised to find his cheeks flushed and had to hold back her amusing smile.

"You've been back for two seasons now and we're practically together."

"Yes, I would assume so since we share a hut together."

"Will you, I mean, could we.... never mind, this is stupid." Oh my, is he embarrassed?

"Inuyasha," She giggled, "Take a breath, then tell me whatever it is you wanted to tell me." She watched as he did just that, his clench on the flowers growing tighter. Taking one final breath, she saw her hanyou square his shoulders, look her straight in the eyes and say two words she did not expect to hear.

"Marry me."

Gaping, Kagome knew her cheeks rivaled his own now. Seconds ticked by and she realized he was waiting for her answer, one she knew in heart from the day she returned to the feudal era. I would marry this man in a million lifetimes.

"Okay."

"Really?" He questioned, almost as if his hanyou hearing didn't catch her words.

"Yes, I'll marry you." She laughed, holding her hands up and in he immediately swept her in his arms. He twirled around, both of their laughter filling the field where the Goshinboku sat.

"So," she spoke after a breathless moment, "Are those flowers for me?"

"Like I would give anybody else flowers, cheeky wench." He chuckled, bringing her close and capturing her lips with his own as the sun disappeared from the sky.

A huge shout out to @heavenin--hell with this amazing art work of my fav OTP. I about squealed when I saw the finished piece. Ain't they so freaking talented?💕

[feudalconnection]

Term 2 2024 Winners!!

As always, us mods here at FeudalConnection want to give a huge thank you to everyone who participated in the Second Term 2024 Inuyasha Fandom Awards! Your participation and support for this fandom is simply incredible!

As a reminder, the winners have evolved into First, Second, and Third place awards. We are allowing ties for first place winners, rather than go into a run off period.

- For categories with up to four nominations, a First place banner will be awarded to the winner.

- For categories which received five to six nominations, First and Second place banners will be awarded to the winners.

- For categories which received up to seven to ten nominations, First, Second, and Third place banners will be awarded to the winners.

And now, without further delay, here we are!

Winners for Term 2 2024 Inuyasha Fandom Awards, hosted by FeudalConnection!

Best Action/Adventure Fiction

First Place: "How Does Your Garden Grow?" by @dawnrider Second Place: "Spring will come" by @mitsiepitsie-blog / Mitsje (AO3)

Best Alternate Universe/Reality Fiction

First Place: "Behind the Silk Screen" by @eien-no-basho / Eiennobasho (AO3) Second Place: "Intensive Care" by @elkonigin Third Place: "Uninvited" by @sagemcmae

Best Canon Universe Fiction

First Place: "Ad Astra Per Aspera" by UnderwaterOphelia (AO3) Second Place: "I Can Hear You" by @ladydanitar

Best Angst Fiction

First Place: "Hate Me" by @theladymagnolia & @ruddcatha Second Place: "Petals Painted With Blood" by @alannada

Best Dark Fiction

First Place: "Lethe" by @elkonigin Second Place: "Legacy" by @fandomobsessions016 Third Place: "Gilded Cage" by @k9plus1 / Wickedsnonprofitwhoreganization (AO3)

Best Drama Fiction

First Place: "How Does Your Garden Grow?" by @dawnrider Second Place (tie): "Front Piece" by @inuyashamybeloved / InuScarlett (AO3) Second Place (tie): "Dear Sesshomaru" by @ladydanitar

Best Humor/Parody Fiction

First Place: "Intensive Care" by @elkonigin Second Place: "A Wolf in Dog's Clothing" by @sereia1313 / Sereia13 (AO3) Third Place: "A Most Beneficial Arrangement" by @neutronstarchild / NeutrInu (AO3)

Best NSFW Fiction

First Place (tie): "Of Ice and Butt Paste" by @jeremymarsh First Place (tie): "Hate Me" by @theladymagnolia & @ruddcatha Second Place: "The Fifth Wheel" by @inuyashamybeloved / InuScarlett (AO3)

Best Oneshot

First Place: "Truly Home" by @ruddcatha Second Place: "The Fifth Wheel" by @inuyashamybeloved / InuScarlett (AO3) Third Place: "Could we be more?" by @cat-zchen / Catzchen (AO3)

Best Character Portrayal Fiction

First Place: "Lethe" (Inuyasha) by @elkonigin Second Place: "Legacy" (Inuyasha) by @fandomobsessions016

Best InuKag Romance Fiction

First Place: "Cross the Tracks" by @mrfeenysmustache / AshMish111 (AO3) Second Place: "Here With You" by @somekndofnature

Best SessKag Romance Fiction

First Place: "Only If For A Night" by @mynightshining

Best Inuparents Romance Fiction

First Place: "Unchain My Heart" by @dawnrider

Best Romance Fiction

First Place: "Clandestine" by @skyelara & @violetasteria Second Place (tie): "What do you remember about your mother?" by @sereia1313 / Sereia13 (AO3) Second Place (tie): "Connect the Dots" by @mrfeenysmustache / AshMish111 (AO3)

Best Fluff Fiction

First Place: "Like Salt to Sugar" by Chiaztolite (AO3) Second Place: "Here With You" by @somekndofnature Third Place: "The Cat Came Back" by @fawn-eyed-girl

Best Serial Fiction

First Place: "IKIGAI" by @anyara

Best Ficlet

First Place: "Reach for Me" by @shinidamachu Second Place: "Joys of Music" by @classysassy9791 / ClassySassy (AO3)

Best Rising Author

First Place: "Front Piece" by @inuyashamybeloved / InuScarlett (AO3) Second Place: "KOTODAMA" by @anyara Third Place: "What Happens in Vegas" by @rainandyarn

Best Completed Fiction

First Place: "A Most Beneficial Arrangement" by @neutronstarchild / NeutrInu (AO3) Second Place: "Hack" by @timetravellingpaperbag

Best Action/Adventure Fanart

First Place: "The OG enemies to lovers" by @istehlurvz

Best Alternate Universe/Reality Fanart

First Place: "Double Nature" by LenBarboza (X) Second Place: "Weeds & Wildflowers" by @valuvi

Best Canon Fanart

First Place: "Safe" by @katballesteros Second Place: "Chibi SessKag" by @valuvi

Best Angst Fanart

First Place (tie): "Untitled" by @brain-rot-hour First Place (tie): "If only" by @ririie

Best Dark Fanart

First Place: "Taming" by @xtaisanax / _taisana_ (X)

Best Humor/Parody Fanart

First Place: "Untitled" by @clearwillow / BrigidTheFae (AO3) Second Place: "Drunk Inu jumps after butterflies" by @angel-kagomex

Best Kiss Fanart

First Place: "Kiss in the Rain" by @xtaisanax / _taisana_ (X) Second Place: "Beast in the Basement, Ch. 14" by @kalcia

Best Character Fanart

First Place: "Kagome Higurashi: the girl who overcame time.." by @dulcealuf Second Place: "Untitled" by @kalcia Third Place: "Inuyasha" by @alasxeart / alasxegalei (X)

Best Duo/Pairing Fanart

First Place: "~ますように。" by LenBarboza (X) Second Place: "'Tired already?'" by @katballesteros Third Place: "what is baby lookin at?" by @erakubi

Best Doujinshi

First Place: "AKR (After Kagome's Return)" by HulloYokai (X) Second Place: "Moonlight Lovers" by @julytheartist

Best Redraw Fanart

First Place: "~ますように。" by LenBarboza (X) Second Place: "Another Manga Redraw" by @julytheartist

Best NSFW Fanart

First Place: "Double Nature" by LenBarboza (X) Second Place: "The Way to Her Heart" by @otaku-108 / Otaku108 (X)

Best InuKag Romance Fanart

First Place: "Kiss in the Rain" by @xtaisanax / _taisana_ (X) Second Place: "happy with you. always." by @sarahblueskyyyy

Best SessKag Romance Fanart

First Place: "Untitled" by @clearwillow / BrigidTheFae (AO3)

Best Inuparents Romance Fanart

First Place: "Unchain My Heart" by @heavenin--hell / @ad-melioraart

Best Romance Fanart

First Place: "Reunion" by @eliza-faust-diary

Best Group Depiction

First Place: "Untitled" by @hycopank Second Place: "New Redraw" by HulloYokai (X)

Best Underappreciated Fanart

First Place: "It's All Downhill From Here" by @eliza-faust-diary Second Place: "más vale tarde que nunca” by NanaEspin (FB) Third Place (tie): "Untitled" by @rhies Third Place (tie): "Sesshomaru and Kagome as children" by @iviid

Best Overall Fanart

First Place: "Reflection on the Jewel" by @nartistadigital Second Place: "Inuyasha & Kagome" by @pachworldx-1

Congratulations to all the winners! Your awards will be ready soon, so please send one of the mods or this blog your preferred email address so we can send them to you!

Please note, the winner ban only applies to the first place winner(s) in each division; second and third place winners will be eligible to be nominated again in the next term.

As this term comes to a close, FeudalConnection will be taking a short hiatus. This time is always spent reviewing the process and seeing what can be revamped for next term.

An immense thank you to everyone who voted on next term's roulette categories!

Roulette Fanfiction Category for Term 3 2024 will be Best Friendship Portrayal. This is defined as: A story that has a primary relationship between two characters that have qualities of trust and intimacy. Revolves around a strong bond and mutual affection.

Roulette Fanart Category for Term 3 2024 will be Best Improved Artist. This is defined as: Two illustrations of the same artwork that showcase the improvement an artist has made. The most recent image of the set should be posted within the last three years, and it must be a redraw of one of the artist's older works.

Roulette Romance Category for Term 3 2024 will be Best MirSan Romance. This will be a category for both Fanart and Fanfiction.

For Fanfiction, it will be defined as: Stories that have developed a believable romance between Miroku and Sango. "Believable" is subjective, and it is up to those nominating/voting to draw their own line on that quantifier and vote their "Best". This includes canon universe and AU/AR settings.

For Fanart, it will be defined as: Any romantic depiction of Miroku and Sango.

Due to low participation, we will be removing the Best SessKag Romance categories for both Fanfiction and Fanart moving forward. However, SessKag will be introduced into the Romance Roulette category for future terms. The original Best Romance categories will remain, so all non-InuKag pairings, including LGBTQ+, can be nominated into that category. All other pairings will be up for voting again next term.

We will officially be back in full swing September 1st! We will still be around in case you have questions or concerns, but feel free to take this time to read new fanfiction and find new fanart. We strongly encourage everyone to review/comment/reblog so to spread the love of this fandom around. 

Want to stay immersed in the Inuyasha fandom? Head on over and join our Discord server! Or follow @inuyasha-events​ to stay up-to-date on all the current and upcoming fandom events!

We also want to give the biggest thank you to the beautiful and wonderful @elevenharbor for gifting us her time and talent with creating banners for the fandom over these last 6 terms. We have adored each piece she has created and were always blown away with what she came up with next. However, she's stepping down for now, and in her place we are welcoming a new banner creator for next term. Please give Eleven a big thank you for her many creations over the years and send her off with lots of love!

As the day gets closer to the start of the third term of 2024, we will be keeping everyone in the loop when it comes to changes and updates. Thank you all again for making this such a wonderful experience! See you soon!

- FeudalConnection

[justafewsmallsteps]

Another quick art and ficlet for @kagomes-hanakotobamatsuri ! This one focused on Week 3, Fertility and I used the Yellow Rose (new beginnings) as my inspiration flower. I started writing this while I was pregnant 2 years ago, but didn’t get around to finishing it until now.

Title: Potatoes Word Count: 1113 Rating: T Pairing: Inukag Warnings: Pregnancy

Try as she might, Kagome couldn’t help the uncontrollable (and unreasonable) flood of negative emotions that came with her unfulfilled pregnancy craving.

Wacdonald’s, of all things. Of course she was craving one of the most unobtainable foods possible in Sengoku and one of the easiest to find in her modern Tokyo. 

She didn’t really feel regret at leaving the modern world behind, not with Inuyasha and a life of friends and nature to surround her, and yet… 

Kagome found herself seething in angry tears. Angry at her body, angry at her attitude, angry at life. While she was always an emotional person, this hormone-induced storm was driving her crazy. She felt everything stronger, and no amount of logic or sleep was pulling her out of it because when she really really thought about it, it was all so unfair. She was raging at the world for making her choose between one family and another. The past was her future, and the future was now her past. But why did she have to choose? Why couldn’t she have a child with the love of her life and introduce her baby to her mother and grandfather and brother? Her righteous sorrow and her selfish cravings swirled into an indistinguishable mass of feelings. One second there was joy, another pain, the next irrepressible annoyance. She was guilty that she felt this way, upset as a tantruming toddler over a greasy burger and salty fried potatoes. 

And ultimately she was sad to be so far from her mother. 

Her thoughts turned to her poor husband. 

Inuyasha had been very sweet since she’d gotten back, and her pregnancy ramped up his doting completely. From warming her bath, to fetching her the ripest fruits, to building her the most comfortable approximation of a mattress possible, she felt spoiled and grateful. But her pregnancy-addled brain and hormonal body had her feeling so at odds with her heart. She loved being here. She loved her friends and the family they found in each other. She loved Inuyasha. 

Yet she longed for the crepes at the Shinjuku station mall, ice cream from a stand, steak from the grocery store cooked at home… her mouth was practically a waterfall at the thought. But by far the biggest craving was a Wacdonald’s cheeseburger with extra cheese and a side of fries dipped in ketchup. Make that two sides of fries. She could cry thinking about it, which she knew was stupid. 

It didn’t help that so many things made her feel nauseous. She’d helped out with pregnant mothers before, giving them herbs to help, learning from Kaede the rough timeline. She’d given reassurances and her best empathy, but in the throes of morning sickness Kagome wished to strangle her past naivety—and as much as she adored Kaede, the woman never actually had to go through pregnancy. 

Sango helped the most, understanding her anger, giving practical advice to give her the slightest relief. After all, carrying the twins had been an ordeal.

But Kagome was tired of ginger root and plain rice. 

She was tired in general. It has been such a joy to find out she was pregnant, and the first few weeks were a breeze. Then the morning sickness kicked in and subsequently kicked her ass. Morning sickness. God, it was unending sickness. Any time of the day sickness! She huddled under her blanket, willing the fatigue and nausea away. 

Then Inuyasha emerged from the door with her requested pile of potatoes. His look was apprehensive. He wanted to help her in any way he could, knowing that his wife often repressed cries for her mother. 

“I scrubbed ‘em already, and the pan’s good to go.” 

“Thank you, Inuyasha.” 

“I’ll cut ‘em too. It’s supposed to be like sticks, right?” 

She nodded. “Not too thin though.” Her husband was really good with a knife. She might be envious of his skills if he wasn’t such a good partner. 

Before he could start chopping, she stopped him. “Wait! Maybe cubes are better. They’ll move around the pan more easily.” 

“‘Kay,” he replied easily. 

Kagome stifled a groan as she slowly got up. Inuyasha had set the pan to heat already, so all she had to do was add the oil. 

“This look alright?” Inuyasha asked, checking in with her about the size. 

“Those look good.” 

Something about the sound of him chopping away triggered something. Everything triggered some emotion or another—but the domestic simplicity of their lives came at her full force as she heard the rhythmic sounds of their knife hitting their wooden chopping block. 

“It’s wonderful,” she whimpered, tears gathering in her eyes. 

“Woah, woah!” The hanyou turned around in concern, his hand immediately at her back to try to comfort her.  “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” she lifted her head and sobbed, unable to hold it back. “It’s just the hormones, but I do think you’re wonderful. I’m so lucky to have you!” she wailed. 

His entire being was on high alert since she got pregnant, and even though he knew emotional outbursts were bound to happen, he still went into overdrive trying to make sense of it and fix whatever he could. “T-thanks.” 

“Thank you for getting me potatoes so we could try making fries. I’m sorry I’m probably going to hate it or throw it up but it’s the closest thing I have to Wacdonald’s.” She wiped her face with her sleeve and sniffled. 

“I told you, woman, I’ll do anything I can. I’m sorry we don’t got wako’s or whatever here.” 

“I’m being unreasonable.”

“It’s normal. You know it is. I know it is. You shoulda seen Miroku while Sango was having her cravings. Damn near swindled every ingredient from every vendor in every town just to find something she couldn’t remember the name of.” 

Kagome gave a watery laugh. “That makes me feel better.” 

“We’ll make something good, and if you hate it and retch I’ll make you two something else.” 

‘Us two,’ Kagome thought in awe, placing her hand on her belly. “We appreciate you.” She sent him a smile and got on her tiptoes to kiss his jaw. 

“Yeah, yeah. If you’re done, I’m going to go finish cutting now,” he brushed off, trying to hide his blush as he turned around. 

“Okay, but we’re following you,” Kagome declared. As her husband resumed chopping the rest of the potatoes, she wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her cheek against his back. 

“I’m gonna be done in five seconds, you know.” 

“Go slower.” 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but the quick beat of the chopping slowed to a different, sweeter ballad, and Kagome hummed contentedly along.

[sailorstarr-chan4]

Sugar and Spice - an InuKag coffee shop AU

What's this? An InuKag oneshot that is NOT porn? It's been ages! This fic has been 4+ years in the making (aka, collecting dust until I finally finished it today), and now, at last, I'm sharing it. In honor of 6 years since I shared the coffee shop AU headcanon list, here at last is my first "true" coffee shop AU for this fandom.

This is also officially my 100th Inuyasha ficlet that goes into my oneshot collections! I hope y'all enjoy some silly fluff! ❤

Posted under my "Tied Together" collection: ff.net & AO3

Words: 2,662

Setting: coffee shop AU

Rated: K+

DISCLAIMER: Yes, I've worked in food service and customer service and am fully aware that all I wrote below is bullshit. Fiction is fiction lol ^^"

~*~*~*~

“Sugar and spice and everything nice. That’s what little girls are made of.” 

That stupid nursery rhyme, thought Kagome furiously as she jabbed at the coffee machine, was the biggest load of bull! 

At the moment, this “little girl” was made of molten lava, bubbling under the surface of the falsely tranquil mountain of her Customer Service Persona, and any second now, she was going to blow her top. 

All because of him! 

The Asshole, with short silver hair, golden eyes, perpetual frown, and absurdly adorable dog ears, came into Kagome’s workplace every Friday morning. For the past four months. And not a single occasion had passed where he remotely acted like a decent person! 

He seemed to use Coffee for the Soul (the cafe where Kagome normally adored working) as an outlet for all his personal problems. Yeah, one of those customers. 

Kagome actually considered herself somewhat an expert of dealing with those sorts; she had an uncanny talent of letting their snippiness and rude manners roll off her back like water on a duck, and smiling so sweetly and behaving with such politeness that eventually even the angriest customer either slipped away shamefaced or let their anger temporarily melt away. 

But not with him. She had no patience with The Asshole. It was simply impossible! 

Still, Kagome had a rep at Coffee for the Soul for being “the sweet barista,” so every Friday was a test of her fortitude. At first, she took it head-on, with all the enthusiasm of any wide-eyed bushy-tailed newcomer, despite already being employed there for two years. 

But then, he had snatched the cup from the counter, glared at her, and spat out, “You smell funny.” And promptly left the premises! 

Fuming, Kagome had spent the rest of her shift off-kilter, with sharp movements and incoherent mutterings under her breath, causing her coworkers’ heads to turn in surprise. From then on, Fridays became a tense battlefield of wits: the Asshole Customer vs the Slowly-Losing-Her-Cool Barista. 

“Kagome, I can take over, if you want–” her coworker and friend Sango tried offering once, but Kagome refused point blank. 

“This. Is. War!” she had snarled, pushing the buttons and slamming down utensils with such ferocity that no one dared tried to argue. 

So, every week Kagome and The Asshole had their “face-off,” with tension one could cut with a knife until he left the premises. The only blessing of that infamous customer’s regularity was that his order was forever the same: black coffee, with a shot of espresso. 

After a month of his weekly visits, it was suggested that maybe, perhaps, the baristas could already prepare his drink ahead of time. Best case scenario, he leaves Coffee for the Soul all the earlier (and lessen the damaged mood of a certain stubborn employee). Worst case scenario, he changes his order and they cut their losses. 

Kagome shot down the suggestion with a righteous fury. 

“He can wait for his stupid order just like everyone else!” she hissed at Sango. “And he can go through my suggestions and sales-pitches, too!” 

(Sango chose not to say that Kagome normally avoided the sales pitch with other customers, preferring to take the “personable” approach that generally opened them up to trying new things without her input. It was a brilliant, psychological tactic that worked most of the time, so she really did not, in fact, have to do the Sales Pitch Spiel with The Asshole.) 

And thus, Fridays always ended up the same way: 

The Asshole enters the cafe. 

Kagome greets him with a beaming smile that fools absolutely no one. 

The Asshole begins to tell his usual order.

Kagome cuts him off with a long, cheerful spiel on all the various types of drinks, additives, and specials. 

The Asshole scowls. Mutters something along the lines of “you talk too much.” 

Kagome beams with the radiance of a thousand suns. 

The Asshole mutters, “Just black coffee, with a shot of espresso.” 

Kagome: “Would you also like that with a shot of caramel, vanilla, hazelnut, nutella, chocolate, mint, or strawberry?” 

The Asshole: “Plain. Nothing else.” 

Kagome, her smile almost unnaturally wide: “Very good, sir. And would you like whipped cream, soy or whole milk?” 

The Asshole, growling slightly: “No. Just black. And espresso. Like I said a million times already.” 

Kagome, positively overflowing with the Joy of Providing Good Customer Service: “Excellent choice, sir.” Gives the same exact total amount that The Asshole pays every week. Meticulously counts back his change, all the while smiling uncannily. 

The Asshole pockets his change. Sits down. Glares at Kagome’s back (according to witnesses) as she cheerfully, painstakingly, slowly prepares his coffee before personally coming around the bar and placing it on his table with a chirpy, “Here’s one black coffee, with espresso, and no additional flavors, cream, or any interesting whatsoever! Enjoy your drink, sir!” 

The Asshole furrows his brow, downs his coffee in one gulp while glaring into Kagome’s equally fiery eyes behind her fake smile, tosses the cup, and stomps outside without a word of gratitude, the door bell jingling in his wake. 

This exchange became famous. There were variations, of course, oftentimes on The Asshole’s end, where he’d cut Kagome off faster than usual and bark at her to “stop stalling and give me my fucking coffee already.” At which point, a venomously smiling Kagome would politely tell the customer that rude language was not appropriate at this establishment and if he did not comply, she would suggest he find business elsewhere. 

(He never did. Kagome seethed about it constantly.) 

At first, Kagome’s coworkers were scared she would get a “talk” from her higher-ups, but to everyone’s astonishment, no reprimand or discipline was issued. The supposed reason? “As inappropriate as we would generally find that behavior, the customer has never filed a complaint and continues to give us business. So, we’ll let it slide this time, but expect exemplary service with the rest of our patrons.” 

(That was the spoken reason, but Sango, Miroku, and Shippo, all eyeing their normally bubbly and genuine coworker turn into a terrifying fake, condescending queen when face-to-face with the source of her wrath, suspected that the managers found it, well, entertaining.) 

Miroku was the first one to make that observation after two months of “the war.” He noted that even the other customers were positively gleeful, watching Kagome and The Asshole rather like watching boxers in a ring. Newcomers would be quickly and quietly filled in on the scoop and they’d find themselves invested in the tense face-off as well. 

“I would not be surprised if our bosses have a betting ring going around or something,” Miroku confided in Sango and Shippo while Kagome was on break. 

“That’s so unprofessional!” Sango gasped. 

“Can you imagine how bored you’d have to be with your life,” Shippo piped up thoughtfully, “to be that invested in the love lives of total strangers? Talk about pathetic.” 

(Sango and Miroku were not fooled. Shippo eagerly watched “the show” every week just like everyone else.) 

Because regardless of the rage behind Kagome’s eyes, despite the rants and ravings she subjected her coworkers to about how abominable The Asshole was, there was no denying how she was obviously, hopelessly attracted to him. 

No one told Kagome this, of course. No one dared incur her wrath any further than necessary. But her cheeks always reddened when the telltale bell rang at 9 am and he entered the cafe. She always smirked when making his drink, and always watched him leave afterwards. 

The love-hate-tension between Barista and Customer was the greatest source of entertainment anyone could ask for. 

Until one day, when a change of the routine nearly threw everything into unmitigated chaos. 

The Asshole came inside, looking uncharacteristically nervous and twitchy. Kagome primed herself for another battle, barely registering the way his usual scowl was missing and in its place was a rather pleading, puppy-eyed look. 

“One black coffee and one pumpkin spice latte, please,” he said in one go before Kagome opened her mouth. 

The morning buzz around them fell deafeningly silent. Sango froze in place of handing a customer their drink, Miroku’s hand nearly burned on the oven, and Shippo all but literally choked on his drink of water. Every single person, customer and barista, were staring at the nameless customer and a rigid Kagome. 

Kagome opened her mouth a few times like a dying fish, shook herself, and croaked out, “Repeat that one more time, please?” There was no sign of her over-the-top Customer Service persona. 

“One black coffee and one pumpkin spice latte, please and thank you,” The Asshole repeated, blushing furiously, but his tone was sincere. 

Kagome blinked. There was a ringing in her ears. He never said “please” or “thank you.” And he certainly never ordered a second drink, let alone pumpkin spice! 

Come to think of it, he was also dressed nicely. Instead of his usual red leather jacket and dirty jeans, he cleaned up rather well, with a button-up shirt and slacks, and dress shoes. Dress shoes?! Kagome’s head swam. Was he on a date? Oh gods, he was definitely on a date! 

The silence in the cafe renewed its buzz, but this time with an uptick in excitement. Everyone was wondering the same as her, gossiping delightedly over who his date was going to be, and how their beloved barista was going to “take the heartbreak.” 

Well, they had no reason to fret or fuss. Because Kagome had nothing whatsoever to care about! The Asshole may be a thorn in her side, but plenty of women had bad taste and went for those types. So what if he had a date? So what if he cleaned up way too nicely and looked devastatingly handsome, but also adorable in how nervous and shy he clearly was? So what?! 

“Your, uh, your usual is different today, hehe,” Kagome awkwardly laughed, hating herself for losing the battle. “You on a — a date or something? Haha, just kidding, I—” 

“Yeah, um,” the Asshole ran his hand through his hair, grinning bashfully, “I’m hoping she’ll…. like the gesture.” 

And then, the volcano finally erupted. 

Without a shred of fake niceness in her voice, Kagome coldly gave the total amount to her regular customer and all but threw the change into his hand without counting. She stomped over to the latte machine and started to prepping the order, her vision going red. 

Who was she?! Who was the one who took her asshole away?! 

Wait…. What? 

“Kagome…” a concerned voice broke into her reverie. “Your hand’s shaking.” 

Sango gently but firmly removed the partially-made drink from Kagome and quietly suggested that she sit in the back to “take a moment.” 

Angry tears pricking her eyes, Kagome furiously splashed cold water on her face from the sanctity of the bathroom, before gazing at her reflection. What was the deal? Why did this bother her so much? She hated The Asshole! She dubbed him “The Asshole” for good reason! He insulted her! He was always such a jerk! 

But then again, how much of that was just a bad first impression?, whispered a treacherous voice in her mind. Has he ever actually been a jerk since that first day? 

And loath she was to admit it, Kagome could not think of a singular incident. Grumpy, to be sure, blunt and ungracious, certainly, but not really an outward “asshole.” If anything, her petty behavior over the past few months outweighed his terrible first impression. 

Shame washed over Kagome. Shame, jealousy, and sadness. Such a waste…. All this time, she could have employed her actual customer service skills and had gotten to know him. Instead, she lost her chance and now he was chatting away with some pretty young thing and would probably never order his usual black coffee with espresso ever again— 

“Hey, Kagome?” Sango’s tentative voice called out, knocking on the door. “You mind coming out?” 

“Just a second,” Kagome called out, rubbing her face clean. She stepped out into the kitchen, and was promptly seized by a pair of hands. 

Before she could ask what was needed, Sango had already untied Kagome’s apron. “Sango, wha–?” 

“No time! Here, take my hairbrush and tease your hair a bit — oh never mind, I’ll do it!” 

“Sango! Pft!” Kagome blew her hair out of her face, fumbling as Sango frantically worked around her. “What are you—ouch! That’s my hair tie! What’s going—” 

“It’s a shame you’re not wearing something cuter, but it can’t be helped. After all, if he was won over by that gross cold attitude you’ve been dishing out, I’m pretty sure he’d want you even in a potato sack…” 

“Who would want me? Sango, what are you talking about?!” 

Sango paused in her hairbrushing, and stared, stunned, at the bewildered Kagome. “You really don’t know? Oh, this is even better—!” 

“Better? Know what???” 

“Just head out and see!” 

“See? What are you—- ah!” 

And with that, Kagome was tossed unceremoniously from the back, and out onto the “floor,” or customer area of the cafe. Spluttering, she flipped her hair out of her face and looked around. The Asshole was standing nervously at his usual table, clutching his two drinks. Upon noticing her arrival, he walked over, looking for all the world like a lovestruck schoolboy about to ask out his crush. 

Kagome blinked, realizing he was not looking over her shoulder, but rather squarely at her, into her eyes. Heat rose on her face. “Wh-what…. Do you have something to say?” Or are you just going to be rude again and break my heart? The voice said, unbidden, in her mind. 

The Asshole reached out and offered one of his drinks. It was a pumpkin spice latte. 

“Let’s start over. My name is Inuyasha, I’ve liked you for months, and thought we’d have a chat over some coffee.” His face was burning red, and his ears lowered low on his head, but his eyes remained resolutely fixed on hers. 

Sharp inhales scattered around them. The entire cafe seemed to have collectively held their breath. 

Kagome stared blankly. Then blinked. “Come again?” 

Inuyasha took a shaky breath and began: “My name is Inuyasha—” 

“No, no, I heard you. I just…. I don’t believe it.” 

“Why doncha sit down and then maybe you'll listen to me instead of just assuming?” 

There it was. That was her beloved Asshole. Suddenly, Kagome grinned happily and took the proffered drink. 

“A pleasure to meet you, Inuyasha. My name is Kagome, and, um,” she blushed so hard she was fairly certain steam was coming off the top of her head, “I’ve… liked you for months, too.” 

“I FUCKING KNEW IT! Cough up, Shippo! You owe me $20!” 

Inuyasha and Kagome both jumped a foot in the air and spun around. Half of the cafe was applauding, the other half harassing each other for exchanges of —- 

“You placed bets on us?!” Kagome lamented to an excitable Sango who was counting her winnings to Miroku, while Shippo sulked. 

“Well, I thought it was awful at first,” Sango said nonchalantly, “but I confess, I couldn’t resist after today!” 

Kagome turned and looked Inuyasha in the eye. They both started laughing and sat down, trying to ignore the chaos around them. 

“Oh by the way,” Kagome said, taking a sip of her latte, “how did you know to order pumpkin spice?” 

“I can smell it on you. The day we met, you….. smelled so much like pumpkin and vanilla, it was overwhelming. I, er, thought you smelled rather nice.” 

“That’s not remotely what that sounded like,” Kagome said, raising an eyebrow. 

Inuyasha grinned, looking slightly abashed. “I have a bad habit of putting my foot in my mouth. And I can be awfully stubborn. Betcha you know what that’s like.” 

Kagome’s face burned even hotter and she sipped her drink. “Well, girls are made of sugar and spice, you know,” she said cheekily. 

[soliska]

Chapter 51 - Vulnerable

Bugs were crawling under his skin. At least that's what it felt like. 

Moonless nights always made him feel like a stranger in his own skin, but for some reason this go around was so much worse. 

CONTINUE

P.S. Hi! Sorry it's been years. I find it super hard to match the calibre of the previous ficlets in the collection. This newest one I'm still borderline on, but I figured I should perhaps not discard every new thing I write for Firsts...

Tags! @alerialblu @hopidoodle @redflamesofpassion @lavendertwilight89 @zelink-inukag @superpixie42 @four-letter-girl @anisaanisa @amethystablaze @lordofthechips @kawaiichan67 @born-for-eachother @dawnrider @holi-holy

Message if you want on/off the tag wall :)

[mamabearcatfanart]

"Am I forgiven yet?"

Her voice was soft and timid, and as much as he hated hearing that tone from her, he also felt vindicated. She knew. She knew she was in the wrong.

"I don't know, are you?", he huffed, glancing up at her. Her eyes were red and puffy, she smelt of salt and regret. But he was still too angry to soften his expression. "Don't seem to matter what I say Kagome, you'll just do what you want anyway."

Inuyasha returned his gaze to the long grass, angrily pulling up clumps of it by the roots. He stiffened as she sat down beside him, her small shoulder leaning into his, a soft hand moving down his sleeve to tentatively slide through his own. Her fingers squeezed his gently.

"I just wanted to help."

There was a brittle edge to her voice, and as much as he wanted to hold on to his anger, he knew he would have to let it go now, before it did more harm than good.

"Just, stay where I tell you next time, got it?"

"I'm sorry I frightened you, Inuyasha."

"Tch. Who said I was frightened, wench."

"I did. And you were. So was I."

Kagome snuggled in against him, and he gave a deep sigh, letting the stiffness in his shoulders drop. He felt a little better. But one of these days this girl was gonna make his heart stop.

[cannibalsforbreakfast]

FIC MASTERLIST

WIP Series - Stranger Things

Cruel Summer (AO3) The Eddie Munson speedway AU no one asked for. Enemies to friends to lovers. No Upside Down, no use of Y/N. Fast cars, fast times.

Tumblr Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Completed Series - Inuyasha

The Fifth Flavor Grumpy-sunshine photographer Inu, chef Kagome. Enemies to lovers. Ramen is made.

Entitled to You MirSan two-shot featuring books, misunderstandings, fake-dating. Disabled Miroku and wingman Jakotsu.

Just Another Day in the Life of Superheroes *group fic* Inu Gang, but it's the Incredibles. I wrote Chapter Four.

WIP Series - Inuyasha

I Love the Flaws You Try to Hide *WIP, hope to update soon* When Kagome Higurashi wakes up on the morning of her 21st birthday to find that she doesn't have a soulmate mark, she doesn't know what to do.

Kotodama *WIP, hope to update soon* A modern InuKag friends-to-lovers, high school AU with powers, gangsters, words that mean more than words, and a cross-class romance.

I Can Quit Anything, But I Can't Quit You *on hold* Inuyasha is a professional "quitting consultant" and Kagome can't find the perfect job.

One-shots - Inuyasha

Sing, My Little Bird An Inuyasha homage to Angela Carter's "The Erl-King."

Skeins and Schemes Kagome wants to make Inuyasha an extra special Christmas gift. Canon-compliant, sweet, sweet fluff.

You've Got a Read on Me InuKag coffee shop meet-cute with tarot cards.

Tasting Spoons Part of the TFF universe. A sweet-spicy one-shot complement, featuring licking and chocolate.

In My Pulse, There Is Only You Reverse Bang 2021 for Art Inu-spiration with @kirrtash. Mind control, angst, pining, ambiguous ending. My fav.

Constellation Consolations Since she's returned to the Feudal Era, Inuyasha notices that Kagome's always sleepy. A sweet little post-marriage InuKag story.

I Don't Need Perfection Friends to lovers InuKag. There's only one bed.

Lae's IY Ficlets *ongoing one-shots* Inuyasha drips and drabs.

Unpublished WIPs - Titles

These will some day make it out of my brain.

Werewolf

Iscariot

Rural Shenanigans

Hello, Harbinger

[i-belong-in-a-retirement-home]

"I have already picked groups for your project."

HEY LOOK, I DECIDED TO ACTUALLY WRITE!!!

This is going to be the actual beginning for my omegaverse InuKag fic. I'm gonna call it "Just One Kiss" for future reference. Anything I post under this will be tagged as both "an a/b/o inuyasha fanfic" and "Just One Kiss Fanfic" Other ficlets I previously posted are already under the former tag! :)

This little ficlet sneak peak is roughly 450 words. Just some characterization and premise stuff. This scene is from InuYasha's perspective. Some mild language, idk

Class was too early for InuYasha to care. He had been up late dealing with his on and off girlfriend Kikyo. He had missed out on several hours of sleep, so he laid his head down to try and get a nap in before class started. Instead of sleeping though, his head spun around Kikyo.

I don't even know why she called me… could have been a broken nail, given all the dumb crap she apparently needs to tell me. I need to stop answering her late night calls.

Groaning to himself, InuYasha picked his head up off the desk as the bell rung. The teacher started with introductions, explained the goals of the class and such. About ten minutes in though, two girls came stumbling through the door.

"Oh! Sorry miss! The bell was broken! We didn't know where the class was!" they fumbled. The woman held up a hand to pause them and gestured to the empty desks.

The teacher said something about her late policy, but InuYasha heard none of it. Right next to him sat the prettiest girl he had ever seen, Kagome Higurashi. There was no getting close to her though, thanks to her jackass boyfriend Koga. The fool hated InuYasha, admittedly, InuYasha hated him too. But it had been so long that neither of them could even remember why. Since, Koga fought him on sight, InuYasha had watched from a far for close to four years.

She was the closest he had ever come to a goddess. The gentle curve of her lips, the flutter of her warm, caramel eyes, enthralled him. Worse of all though, her scent.

While it was slightly suffocated by Koga’s disgusting scent, it still ebbed off her like a tsunami. A mix of honey, and cherries, and a something he could never quite put a finger on. It was intoxicating, drowning him in the sweetness.

And now she's sitting next to me. How the hell am I supposed to focus?

He could already feel a knot building in his stomach. It begged him to shove his face into her for even more of her glorious scent. So instead of acting on the ridiculous thought, InuYasha tried to casually cover his nose and turn back to the teacher.

"The majority of you grade in the class will rely on a group project that you will work on throughout the semester. As this is a Government class, we will run a mock election. You will have to put forth a candidate from each group and run a mock campaign," she stated. "As I don't want to waste any time, I have already assigned groups. Once you are in your groups, the rest of the class period will be spent getting to know your group."

[superpixie42]

1. An InuKag Puppy Kisses ficlet

2. My ongoing InuKag demon summons AU

3. InuParents Day story, inspired by Moulin Rouge

4. My totally not abandoned, just tragically neglected, Halloween 2021 InuKag fake dating 😵‍💫

5. InuKagSan birthday smut

Thank you to everyone who tagged me - this is such a fun idea! But I am not gonna tag folks, just encourage anyone who wants to to participate :)

[xoxopandapanda]

InuKag Week 2023: Day 1: Love Language(s)

@inukag-week

Day 1  Day 2  Day 3  Day 4  Day 5  Day 6  Day 7

AO3 

Fanfiction

He hadn’t really dealt with other people in any other capacity than a hostile one for most of his life, so Inuyasha didn’t always know how to read another person in the way someone socialized when young could. He struggled with always feeling as if the people around him were just waiting on baited breath to show him their hostility, and often believed others to be a threat to him when they were perhaps tying to do the right thing by him.

He was quick to snarl and snap at anyone who presented even a mild inconvenience to him, his mind always looking for threats that were not always there.

Kagome had squeezed into his life (starting with being squeezed to him by the madame caterpillar), and was never actually put off by his behavior. He would cut her off, insult her left and right, accuse her of things she didn’t do, and yet she still stuck around.

“Jerk.” His quip about her having slow legs was apparently louder than he intended. “You’re just abnormally fast.” She tossed him a look over her shoulder. “Not everyone is as athletic as you.”

Intended as an insult most likely, her words hit him differently. She thought he was athletic. Not a freak, not an abomination.

Athletic. The word bounced around in his head for the rest of the day.

Souta had told him once that women liked athletic men. He hadn’t really understood what that word was (and honestly still didn’t), but Kagome had used it to describe him.

Did that mean Kagome liked him? Like liked him?

Inuyasha used whatever excuse he could to go see Souta and ask more about what it meant to be athletic, much to Kagome’s dismay.

The two of them had huffed loudly at each other for a few minutes before she ran off to ‘study’ with some friends that Inuyasha had a vague notion existed. He knew they knew he was important to Kagome and that was all that mattered. He had established himself as a part of Kagome’s life and they were friendly to him mostly.

“Souta.” He announced, sitting down next to the boy as he played on the ‘television’. Bright lights and bouncing shapes filled his peripheral, but his focus was on Kagome’s brother.

Souta didn’t look at him. “What’s up?”

“What is an athletic man?”

Souta froze. The bouncing shapes stopped and a descending noise of disappointment left the TV. Inuyasha knew that meant Souta had lost (although what he lost was still a mystery). “What do you mean?” Souta looked at him with the same bewildered look Kagome had given him hundreds of times.

Inuyasha huffed and leaned back, crossing his arms across his chest. “You told me women like athletic men. What is an athletic man?”

Souta’s face relaxed as he leaned back on his hands and shrugged. “It’s a guy who is good at sports.”

“Sports?” Inuyasha furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“Yeah, like running, jumping, hitting balls.” Inuyasha’s lean in and further crinkled face told Souta that his explanation was not working. “Using arrows to hit things? Swinging swords? Punching?”

“Fighting?”

Souta pondered for a second before saying, “Yeah, fighting without the killing part.”

Inuyasha nodded fiercely. “I’m good at that.”

Souta wondered if he meant fighting or not killing, but figured he didn’t really want an answer. “Athletic men have muscles and are good at sports.”

“I have muscles. And I’m good at sports.” Inuyasha’s chest puffed out as he sat ramrod straight. “I’m an athletic man.”

Inuyasha stood up abruptly and announced, fist pumping in the air. “I’m an athletic man, and Kagome must LIKE ME.”

Souta didn’t have time to react properly before Inuyasha had vanished from the house. Grandpa walked into the room, confusion drenched across his features. “What was that?” He asked his grandson.

Souta locked eyes with the older man. “I don’t know but I don’t know if it’s a good thing. Something tells me Kagome’s not going to be pleased with it.”

Kagome probably would not have been pleased with Inuyasha’s newly form conclusion that she was all but professing her love by calling him athletic. Instead, she was left in the dark as she, and by proxy the rest of the Inugumi, dealt with Inuyasha’s new found confidence and boldness.

Miroku had to leave Kaede’s hut when Kagome came back from her break in the future as to not insult his friend by accident.

Inuyasha had waited, not patiently but not anxiously either, for Kagome to walk in the door and loudly announce. “Kagome! You are athletic!”

Not expecting any sort of announcement of the kind from her half-demon friend, especially not a nice one, Kagome balked and rolled onto her heels from startlement. “Excuse me?”

“You are athletic!” Inuyasha repeated himself, his face becoming slightly flushed. “Am I athletic?” His voice dropped a bit with this question.

Miroku slunk past the priestess in training, covering his face and clenching his jaw. Whatever was going on was wild at best, and inappropriate at worst. Best to leave before it got worse and he had to mediate a solution.

Kagome moved to the side to the let the monk pass her in the door frame, her eyes still locked on Inuyasha, mind racing to figure out what was going on. If it was anyone else, she would have thought this was a prank happening. But Inuyasha was the most sincere and honest person she had ever met, so what was doing?

Kagome’s mouth opened and closed once, before she agreed. “Yeah, you’re athletic.”

“And that’s good, right?” Inuyasha’s voice was even smaller.

Kagome nodded, slipping her loafers off and stepping into the room. “Of course. It’s a great thing to be athletic.” She avoided making eye contact with anyone as she placed her backpack down and got settled in for the night. Whatever had sparked this outburst was not something she wanted to engage with, and she secretly hoped that by playing along with whatever had just happened would encourage Inuyasha to drop the fixation on being athletic.

Inuyasha let out a loud and pleased huff, squatting down to go through her backpack looking for snacks. Kagome took a chance to look over at Sango, who was sitting down, mouth agape, staring at Inuyasha’s back. At mentally connecting with Kagome, Sango shook her head and Kaede let out an audible snicker, causing Shippo to loudly ask, “What’s athletic?”

No one answered the child’s question, as no one wanted the experience to continue and he was easily distracted by candy.

Kagome would later learn what exactly was going on when Inuyasha told Koga off by shouting “Kagome likes me because I’m athletic! LIKE LIKES ME!”

Apparently, she had found a new love language with him.