Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/6275830.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Major_Character_Death, Rape/Non-Con,
      Underage
  Category:
      F/M
  Fandom:
      InuYasha_-_A_Feudal_Fairy_Tale
  Relationship:
      Higurashi_Kagome/InuYasha
  Character:
      InuYasha_(InuYasha), Sesshoumaru_(InuYasha), Rin_(InuYasha), Higurashi
      Kagome, Kikyou_(InuYasha), Sango_(InuYasha), Miroku_(InuYasha), Hojo_
      (InuYasha)
  Stats:
      Published: 2014-02-17 Completed: 2014-07-11 Chapters: 42/42 Words: 135229
****** Strictly Taboo ******
by TheMondayChild
Summary
     An old love comes back into Inuyasha's life with a strange request.
Notes
     AUTHOR'S NOTE: There are a few things you need to know before you
     read this. 1) Myoga is person-sized in this. Also, I don't know how
     the business world works and that is painfully obvious. 2) This story
     is a festival of clichés. It is not a songfic, I just got bored and
     added some songs I thought went with each chapter as I was rereading
     what I wrote. 3) As soon as I started writing it, I wanted to finish
     it. By that, I mean I got so bored with it straight away that I
     couldn't flippin' wait for it to be over with. I could have just
     abandoned it, but I finish what I start. Abandoning a story is a
     mortal sin as far as I'm concerned (talking to you, Shrine Prostitute
     and Movie House Hanyou. SERIOUSLY?! ENDING ON A CLIFF HANGER AND THEN
     DISCONTINUING?! WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?!). So I just rushed through it as
     fast as I could, no character development or editing or real thinking
     or anything. But I've noticed those three normally essential
     components to any written work are not required when writing fan
     fiction, as long as you make up for it with butt sex or something. 4)
     There are so many sex scenes here that I got bored with sex scenes.
     5) I do not hate Kikyo, but she was the only one I could think of to
     play the part. I could have created an OC, but no one gives a shit
     about OC's. I know I hate them. 6) This story makes me want to
     apologize to my family about a thousand times just because I actually
     fucking created this plot, which is really just a cross between
     Belinda and Lolita and some other stuff. 7) I will not demand
     reviews. Ever. That's incredibly fuckin' lame. 8) Feel free to
     "flame" me. I personally don't feel offended when someone is not
     happy with my work. If some 12-year-old kid thinks naked people are
     gross and kissing is yucky and I'm a gross yucky bitch whore cunt
     dyke for writing this, then whatevs. It's the internet, you can do
     what you want. 9) It's pretty perverted and badly written, so if
     numbers 1-8 did not convince you, pleasepleaseplease listen to me now
     and don't read it. I'm only posting this because it could hit the
     spot for some, but this definitely will not appeal to most people and
     you probably shouldn't read any further than this incredibly long
     note which you have all just skipped over. Well, I warned you.
***** I'd Do Anything for You, Dear *****
Inuyasha Taisho sat at his large wooden desk, thumbing through the random files
fanned out on its surface, attempting to kill time before his next meeting. He
toyed with the idea of stalking through the lower floors, terrorizing the
employees with his mere presence. He decided against it, not having enough time
to intimidate the poor men and women who worked for him to his satisfaction.
The half-demon went back to his files, seeing the words without reading them,
when the phone rang and he jumped. Usually all calls went to his secretary, as
he did not hand out his personal office number to anyone. That narrowed it down
to about three people, and at this time of day it could be only one. He sighed
and picked up the phone on the third ring, suppressing a roll of his eyes.
"What now, Jaken?"
There was the sound of heavy mouth breathing and then, "How did you know it was
me, half-breed?"
"You're one of three people who have this number and the other two know not to
bother me. Plus you call every other week at the same fucking time, you idiot.
Just get the rant over with."
"Hmmph. I just thought you should know that Tenseiga Corp. is now the third
most profitable weapons manufacturer in the world. A half-demon like you could
never understand the dedication and care a great demon like Lord Sesshomaru
possesses to—"
"Yeah, uh-huh, that's wonderful. Riddle me this, toad midget, if Tenseiga is so
great, why does my oh-so-amazing half-brother keep trying to take control of
Tetsusaiga International?"
"You—you do not understand the complex workings of Lord Sesshomaru's mind! As
the eldest son, the only legitimate son, Tetsusaiga was his by rights and he is
generously allowing you to expand it until he feels like taking his rightful
place as head of both companies—"
"And ruler of the world, yeah, yeah, I got you. Same time next week, alright?"
Inuyasha hung up on Jaken's shrieks, smirking at the phone. He looked at his
desk clock and sighed. He still had another half-hour to kill before his
meeting, the purpose of which he forgot to verify with his secretary, Myoga. It
was hardly a rare occurrence.
He heard the familiar sputtering of his perpetually nervous secretary and
suddenly the door to his office opened and was quickly shut, locking the little
man out. His anger at being interrupted from doing nothing quickly faded into
shock when he saw the woman standing in his office, leaning her palm against
the door.
Kikyo.
Kikyo Higurashi. She was the only woman he had ever loved in all his long, long
life. He had proposed to her early on in their courtship, despite her family's
objections, and they had even gone so far as to set a date before she decided
to break his heart. She had left him on New Year's Day nearly two decades ago
and he had lived his life alone ever since.
They stared at each other, neither of them speaking, just studying. Kikyo was
forty now, he did the math in his head as he took in her appearance. She looked
like a youthful thirty, her skin smooth and her hair still long and lush. She
was still beautiful and somehow that upset him.
"You don't look a day over twenty, Inuyasha. Exactly the same. Somehow, I
thought…" she trailed off and turned her eyes to the floor. He could feel her
sorrow radiating from her.
"What do you want, Kikyo?" His words came out rougher than he intended and he
flinched.
"Not much, maybe just the ability to stop time." She gave him a small smile
which he did not return. Sighing, she got down to business.
"The meeting you're about to attend is with a representative from my company. I
know you're going to turn down his offer of acquiring Shikon, so I came to make
you a different one. Marry me, Inuyasha." Her serious eyes bored into him,
through him, confusing him.
"If you're just going to talk nonsense then you can get the fuck out," he
hissed, remembering old wounds.
"I'm not talking about love, Inuyasha, although I never did manage to get over
you completely," she confessed in a quiet, steady voice. "I'm talking about
something more important. My business, Shikon Medical Equipment, is failing. I
believe someone is sabotaging it, stealing our contracts and leaking our
designs. I don't have much time left and I have a young daughter. You are the
only one I trust anymore, Inuyasha, and Tetsusaiga is too big to fail."
"Kikyo… What do you mean that—that you don't have much time left?" His anger
had faded steadily through her speech and all he wanted now was to heal the
pain he glimpsed in her large, beautifully-shaped gray eyes.
"I have breast cancer. I've been told it is inoperable. I was given fourteen
months to live a little over half a year ago. I need you to save my business
and take care of my daughter when I'm gone. Please, Inuyasha," she begged, "I
have no one else."
"What about Onigumo?" he asked, somewhat sullenly. Kikyo had left him for some
guy named Onigumo, telling him some bullshit story about her loving him but not
being willing to spend her life with anyone of demonic descent. Most
priestesses were like that, prejudiced against his kind, but he had thought her
to be different.
"I was getting to that," she sighed yet again and sat down at the large leather
chair in front of his desk, somehow sinking into it silently when with anyone
else it made the most outrageous, embarrassing noises. "Shortly after I left
you for him, he started to keep company with a bad crowd, all demons. They
somehow turned him into a half-demon; he never told me why or the process
involved. We fought and he became violent, and I left him. I am now committed
to a man, Suikotsu, and we were going to marry but his brothers objected.
Suikotsu is gentle and sweet, but he is weak when it concerns his brothers and
they are a terrible bunch. I don't want Kagome mixed up in all that. Sorry for
getting off-track, but I want you to understand what my life is like now."
He nodded. "And who is Kagome again?"
"My daughter. She's still so young and I don't want her to suffer with any of
this knowledge of the failing business or my impending death. I want our
remaining time together to be natural, not sad and forced."
He wanted to take her hand and murmur soothing things, something, anything.
Instead he stared at the messy surface of his desk, silent, feeling her eyes on
him.
"Have you arrived at an answer yet or would you like some time to think it
over? I know this is a great lot to ask, but please be aware I would not
request this of you if I did not believe it to be the best way," she said in a
gravely urgent voice.
Kikyo. The only woman he could neither comprehend nor forget. Although he did
not feel the way he once did, he would always be fond of her. She held a
special place in his heart above all others, nearly equaling his mother in
terms of his affection. He didn't even need to think about it, he simply
answered, "Yes. I will do this for you, Kikyo."
"Oh, Inuyasha," she said softly, eyes glittering. "Thank you, truly. You do not
know how good you are."
"It's okay, Kikyo," he muttered, wishing he had more profound and meaningful
words.
She stood, graceful as always, and said, "I don't need to tell you not to let
anyone, even my company's representative, know about what we discussed today,
do I, Inuyasha?"
"Of course not, Kikyo. Let me walk you out."
She gave him a small smile and he took her arm, leading her toward the door
where his secretary was still yelling and hammering.
***** Want It Back *****
Chapter Notes
     AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just to let you know, this story has already been
     completed. I'll be updating every Monday and Friday. Also, this is
     gonna get hecka nasty super soon, so if you're young and/or you are a
     moral and/or ethical person, you're gonna wanna jump ship. The
     chapters are super short because I was supposed to head back and
     expand them, but yeah that's never going to happen so enjoy.
     *Song for the chapter: Want It Back by Amanda Palmer and the Grand
     Theft Orchestra*
Inuyasha accepted the offer from Shikon's representative, not even allowing the
bald little man time enough to finish the proposal. There was a surprised look
on the executive's face and he bowed many times, offering to go over the
particulars with him while trying and failing to hide his smile with his hands,
like some sort of absurdly wrinkled child. Inuyasha directed the old man to one
of his nameless employees and took his leave of them, mind full with thoughts
of Kikyo. Heading back to his office for his briefcase, he ignored all
greetings and friendly nods, grunting in annoyance whenever someone walked in
front of him or too close.
"Sir, Mrs. Higurashi left her contact information here for you," Myoga said,
obviously perturbed. He had known Inuyasha all his life and had never liked
Kikyo, resenting the importance he placed on her. Inuyasha flinched; he had
forgotten to ask Kikyo for her number. Thankfully, she always remembered what
he didn't.
"She's not a missus, Myoga," he muttered sullenly. Not yet, anyway, he thought.
He entered his office, clutching the thick, expensive smelling piece of paper
with Kikyo's writing on it. She had given only one number, her home one.
Scanning the paper, he saw that it was the same one she had been using during
their engagement. Stuffing the sheet into his briefcase, he resolved to focus
on the present and helping Kikyo. She needed him, and he would be there for
her. Once again, she was his purpose.
All he could think about on the drive home was her. The good memories, the bad
memories, the former now taking precedence in his mind, although they were few.
They had met when she was just twenty-one, a recently orphaned girl suddenly in
charge of a large family business. She had been somewhat sheltered growing up,
almost spoiled, but she quickly learned the ways of her trade and ruled the
company with an iron fist, taking it from national to international. It was
this strength and determination that had first attracted him to her. They ran
in the same circles, although up until her inheritance she had not gotten out
much.
It took quite a while to win her over, as she came from a family of traditional
priestesses and priests, her aunts and uncles disapproving of his presence and
commanding her to cease associating with him. However, this only fueled their
desire to be together, and they were together all the time. Kikyo was a
mystery, incomprehensible to him. She was quiet, something about her always
untouchable, like she was always holding a part of herself back, even when they
made love. This, of course, drove him absolutely crazy and made him want her
all the more.
He had proposed to her a month after her twenty-fourth birthday, in the middle
of June, taking her out into the woods on some property he owned. He led her to
the Goshinboku, the oldest tree in the country. She loved it there. They had
sat in silence together, embracing, content with just each other's presence for
hours. Then came New Year's Eve. Or Day. He wasn't quite sure, as she had ended
it right as the countdown was at "one" and he leaned in for a kiss. She had
turned her face to the side and murmured, "I'm in love with someone else",
effectively breaking his heart and their engagement with just those few words.
Life was not the same after that. He couldn't even return to how he had been
before he had met her. Even after she had broken down into tears and confessed
that she still loved him soon after their break-up, the damage had been done.
He would not take her back. He made sure she could never contact him after
that, and eventually she stopped trying.
Inuyasha thought back to the business he had just acquired, again stopping
himself from reliving the past. Kikyo's family was full of powerful priestesses
and priests, their focus being on healing. A hundred years ago, they started
channeling their spiritual powers into medical equipment and their business
expanded rapidly, making the Higurashi family quite wealthy in just one
generation.
Testsusaiga International, on the other hand, had begun in the 16th century,
trading silk and precious metals and spices with Europeans. His father had
started it after realizing that the world was expanding and changing and demons
had better get with it or face dying out. Toga had left the business to him
when he was just ten years old, knowing he was dying from wounds sustained
while battling a rival in demonic trade. His mother followed a few years later
and he took care of himself from then on, eventually becoming known as a
ruthless businessman. Needless to say, he had quite a bit more money than the
average human, even the average demon, but he hardly touched it, only
continuing with his work to keep some part of his parents alive.
Tetsusaiga still dealt with shipping, but he also owned restaurants and
construction companies and airlines and markets. And that was still just the
parent company. There were many subsidiaries for all sorts of different things
that even he couldn't name off the top of his head.
His brother, Sesshomaru, had always resented that Inuyasha inherited anything
at all from their father and continually made attempts on his life from the day
his mother died. He had learned to fight and guard himself. Life had taught him
how to outsmart his competition and be two steps ahead of them, usually
succeeding in everything he tried because demons underestimated half-demons and
humans feared them.
In recent years, however, half-demons had become somewhat more prevalent, a
couple becoming actors, a few politicians here and there, and even one Nobel
Prize winner. It was for literature, but still, it counted. Prejudice against
half-demons was hardly even heard of anymore, except among certain demon
communities like the one his brother Sesshomaru belonged to. It was even
something of a preferred race now, with humans admiring their life-span and
athleticism and demons appreciating their softer sensibilities and willingness
to be a bridge between two extremes. He could now walk the street in the
daylight and be jostled along with the rest of the crowd like any ordinary Joe.
He both marveled at it and detested it.
A month after Kikyo had left him, he decided to move on and start seeing other
people. While he couldn't bring himself to do that just yet, he thought it
would be a good idea to build himself a family home, a place he could carry his
future bride over the threshold and raise their children. Plus, he was tired of
paying rent. He had more than enough money, but he forgot half the time and
landlords were always at his door.
He cleared a part of his forest himself, mostly the area around the Goshinboku.
He toyed with the idea of tearing that down as well, it holding so many
bittersweet memories, but he liked the tree and would not give Kikyo that kind
of power over his choices. Using wood from the trees he had felled with his
bare claws, he built a large, open house. Well, he didn't actually build the
house, that kind of labor being beyond his skills, but he did design it and
furnish the materials so it was mostly his creation.
The years went by and he didn't encounter anyone who made him feel even a
fraction of the way Kikyo had. Inuyasha gradually came to the conclusion that a
family was just not something he could have, and without noticing it swore off
relationships and threw himself into his work with an energy he had not
possessed since right after his mother passed. He still had sex; oral sex,
anyway. Women all seemed like manipulative, traitorous shrews to him now, and
he hardly wanted to be near them let alone inside one. He did have needs,
however, and there was no shortage of office sluts willing to suck off the
boss.
He arrived at the long driveway belonging to his home, the memories flying from
his head as though they hadn't even been there in the first place. Clutching
his briefcase, he jogged to the front door, wondering whether to call Kikyo now
or later. Giddiness rose up in him. Now that he had something new, he didn't
quite know how to act or feel. Inuyasha was incredibly sad that Kikyo was
dying, but he had learned that humans tended to do that so he was not as
shocked or grief-filled as another human would be. He didn't want to appear
eager, as though he was still in love with her, but he did really want to know
about the wedding arrangements and how to help her business and, eventually,
the details of her last will and testament.
That last thought stopped him in his tracks and he practically ripped open his
briefcase, grabbing the piece of paper with her phone number on it. Time seemed
so limited now. He dialed it quickly into his cellphone, one hand clenching and
unclenching. Finally, she picked up on the third ring.
"Inuyasha. Did everything go well during the meeting with my Shikon
representative?"
"Yes, Kikyo, I accepted and everything."
"That's good."
Silence was Kikyo's way of asking what he had called for. Inuyasha tried to
think of how to put his feelings into words, to communicate what he wanted her
to know.
"Why don't you join me for dinner tonight?"
Surprised, although he knew he shouldn't be, he didn't answer at first. Kikyo
had never invited him anywhere before. She would dictate where they went on
dates, almost demanding he take her where she wanted to go, but her tone was
always so soft he did not mind.
"Uh, sure. What time?"
"We dine at seven. It's the same old house, you remember where it is. I'm
looking forward to talking to you some more, Inuyasha. Goodbye."
He murmured a farewell and hung up. Seven. He had about an hour to get ready
and go. Remembering how Kikyo liked things just so, he traveled to his room and
opened the closet, pushing back the disorganized mass of clothes until he got
to the very back, where he kept the suits he had worn while courting her. He
sighed and shook the dust off her favorite. His life was about to get a whole
lot more difficult. The thought made him grin.
***** Scream of the Butterfly *****
Chapter Notes
     *Song for the chapter: Scream of the Butterfly by Acid Bath*
The sun was just beginning to set when he arrived at the sprawling, three-story
mansion. It needed a new coat of paint and the wood was rotting in several
places, its overall appearance a far cry from what it had been when he had
visited before. Inuyasha stood at the front door, combing his hair back with
his claws, trying to get it to stay flat in front. He began to put his hair up
in a knot, remembering how much Kikyo liked neat appearances, but stopped
himself. The old suit and the hairstyle she preferred put together would be too
much. They were no longer a real couple. It would be good if he reminded
himself of that as often as he could to avoid slipping into old habits.
As he reached out to ring the bell, the door flung open. He jumped back a step,
startled, and out from the house came a young Kikyo, younger even than when he
had known her. She wore some sort of school uniform and he stared at her,
stunned, not quite believing his eyes.
"You're him! We've been waiting for you. I'm so excited!" The girl smiled
brightly and took his hand, shaking it gently yet enthusiastically. He was now
positive this was not some sort of Kikyo clone standing before him, as this
girl's voice was slightly higher than his former lover's and possessed a happy,
musical quality to it. The mystery girl continued to hold his hand, dragging
him inside the house and right into the parlor.
"Mother, your fiancée has arrived!" she sang out happily, her eyes never
leaving his.
"Kagome, what have I told you about intercepting guests? I apologize, Inuyasha.
She was told to wait upstairs. But she always was a willful child."
The girl dropped his hand quickly and looked guiltily in the direction of the
floor, shoulders slumped. Inuyasha took a closer look at her. When Kikyo had
mentioned she had a daughter, he had imagined a child, someone under the age of
ten. This girl was in her mid-to-late teens but did have this sort of naïve air
about her, appearing child-like but not childish. He had heard that raising
teenagers was a terrible, terrible nightmare and he felt the beginnings of
panic set in, trying to remember centuries back when he had been her age and
coming up with nothing he could relate to her with, as he had already been head
of a huge business and an accomplished warrior. What did teen girls like now?
Crayons? Fishing? Sewing? All this flashed through his mind in about a second.
Kikyo came out of the hallway, breaking his reverie. She wore a flowing red
dress and looked absolutely regal, her long, dark hair braided around her head
like a crown. No jewelry decorated her body, but she had never really needed
any to appear spectacular. The mere force of her presence was more than enough.
"Uh, it's no problem, Kikyo." The way she spoke to her daughter was making him
feel uncomfortable.
"Nonsense. Apologize, Kagome," she said sternly, her gaze piercing as she
looked at the young girl.
"I am very sorry, Father," she murmured with her head bowed. He could smell the
tears starting.
"It's, um, it's really alright. Thank you for showing me inside, Kagome." He
didn't know if he liked being called "father", but what the hell, he was going
to be stuck as her guardian for a few more years so might as well.
"You are welcome, Father," the girl said gravely. He missed the refreshing
exuberance she had possessed before. Now she appeared to be attempting to
imitate Kikyo, and with her looking the way she did it really started to creep
him out. One ice queen was enough. He could already tell she was a naturally
happy, energetic girl.
"You are excused, Kagome."
Kagome shuffled toward the wide staircase, glancing back at him over her
shoulder.
Inuyasha cleared his throat and asked, "Isn't your daughter going to be joining
us?" The girl had been so happy. He hated to see her head off looking so
defeated like some sort of beaten dog.
Kikyo turned her icy gaze on him. "It is Kagome's study time. She will have her
supper after we are finished."
He leaned in close to whisper, "I think now would be a good time for the two of
us to start getting used to each other, don't you?"
She appeared to be considering it and gave a small frown. "I suppose you're
right. Kagome, go to your room and change into the dress you wear for company.
You may join us after you have washed your face. Remember, no one wants to see
a woman cry."
The girl made a sort of happy squeak sound and bolted up the stairs, slipping a
bit with her socks on the thick wood floor, her excitement back full force
despite the harshness of her mother's tone and words. Inuyasha stared after
her, surprised at the interaction he had already observed between mother and
daughter. He didn't care for Kikyo's stern manner with Kagome and wondered how
the girl had managed to continue to be so naturally sweet when Kikyo seemed to
be attempting to squash it out of her at every turn.
He felt a hand at his harm and turned to see his fiancée with a small smile on
her face. She silently led him to the dining room, which was just as splendid
as he had remembered it. It was a high-ceilinged room with Renaissance-style
murals on the wall and a giant, solid wood table in the middle. The chandelier
was missing a few bulbs but it didn't detract too much from the overall feel of
the place. It was something that belonged in a museum, and a look at the dust
settling over everything but the table made it seem as though it was in some
sort of forgotten back room of one.
"Kagome does not know about Suikotsu and I would prefer to keep it that way,
Inuyasha. I have been telling her about you all her life and she thinks of us
as some couple in a fairy tale, reuniting after so long apart. And really, is
that view so far off?"
He hummed and asked, "Why do you not want her to know about Suikotsu? 'Cause of
his brothers?"
"Yes and no. Suikotsu was Kagome's first pediatrician and she developed this
strange, unreasonable fear of him. That girl has always been difficult. She was
so afraid of getting her vaccination shots that she created a story about him
having some kind of other personality that enjoyed hurting children. She would
throw these frightful tantrums before every check-up that no amount of
punishment would stop and finally I gave in and took her to a different
physician. She took to that one and Kaede still treats her to this day. I
thought to re-introduce them earlier this year, but she still has nightmares
about him. I just don't understand it," she complained, shaking her head
sorrowfully.
"How long have the two of you been together, anyway?" he asked, mentally filing
away the story she had told him.
"We've been exclusive for about seven years now. I do wish Kagome would get
over her childish hysteria. It is so difficult having to meet in secret."
"She seems like a good girl, I'm sure things will work out," he said, trying to
be helpful without taking sides.
"That really all depends on how you define 'good'. She is disobedient and lazy
and does not even attempt to try and achieve scholastically. However, she is my
daughter, and I will stop at nothing to make her a success," she said firmly,
her eyes flashing.
"That's certainly… admirable," Inuyasha murmured, feeling awkward again. That
girl did not seem like any of the things she had described her as, but really,
who was he to say? He had met Kagome briefly not even five minutes before and
Kikyo was her mother. She had carried her in her womb for nine months, raised
her for years. How old was that child, anyway? He suddenly wanted to know
exactly.
"Just so you are aware, Kagome decided to call you 'father' all on her own. I
informed her you were to be addressed as Mr. Taisho, but she has always wanted
a father in her life more than anything. I do apologize."
"Not at all. Er, so Kagome has never met her father?" Kikyo nodded and he
continued, "Who…who is he?"
Her mouth curled upward in a small, humorless smile. "To be perfectly honest
with you, I do not know. I was attempting to be rebellious and spent a wild
winter in Europe, and then Kagome showed up in August. She was a couple months
early, so rude and not even able to speak yet."
Inuyasha nodded, not believing her for a second. The father was Onigumo, she
just didn't want to upset him and risk him terminating their deal. A wild
winter in Europe? Please. Kikyo had never had a wild anything in her life.
Kagome didn't look a thing like Onigumo, but then again she didn't really look
like anyone but Kikyo.
"I'm finished, Mother!"
They both turned towards Kagome's voice, him guiltily and Kikyo as calm as
ever. Kagome was in a dainty white dress, eyelets on the short puffed sleeves
and edge of the skirt. The bright light from the vacated parlor shone behind
her, highlighting the inky darkness of her hair and reflecting off like a halo.
Inuyasha thought to himself that she looked like one of those Christmas angels
you placed on top of the tree, the crowning ornament. She smiled a soft,
genuine smile at him and his heart skipped a beat and then went very fast,
almost like it was trying to make up for it.
"Kagome," Kikyo began, voice steely, "you know how to announce yourself when
you enter a room. Now go out and do it again."
Some of the light left her eyes and his heart twinged as she left the room and
reentered, saying softly, "Present, Mother. Present, Father."
"You are to call my guest Mr. Taisho. I went over and over this with you, why
can't—"
"Actually, Kagome, you can call me anything you want." He had never before
interrupted Kikyo, but the crestfallen look on Kagome's face just did something
to his insides. He knew what it was like to long for a father.
Kagome glanced at him before looking to her mother as though asking permission.
Kikyo's lips were pursed together tightly and Inuyasha feared he had
overstepped his bounds, but then she waved her hand in a dismissive gesture and
said, "You heard Inuyasha, Kagome. He is an adult and can do as he pleases."
Kagome glanced back at him and he saw that light shining in her eyes once
again. He let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, shoulders
relaxing slightly as he did so. He knew Kikyo was a very proud woman and in the
short time he had been at her home he had seen how strict she was with her
daughter. Inuyasha knew contradicting her would not be the best of ideas, but
he honestly did not approve of her parenting tactics. They were going to be
married and that meant he had an equal part in bringing up Kagome. Right? Maybe
a ready-made family wasn't quite what the doctor ordered. He shrugged mentally.
He had nothing else going on and company would be nice.
Kikyo sat down stiffly at the head of the table and Inuyasha and Kagome
followed, him sitting at her right and her daughter at her left. The table had
been set with beautifully painted china dishes depicting different flowers, and
he was sure the silverware was actually real, solid silver. He sat as rigidly
as Kikyo, suddenly feeling like a peasant in the court of a queen. She had
never made him this uncomfortable while they were dating. Kagome, however,
could hardly hide her smile. He imagined her feet swinging back and forth
carelessly under the table and his heart warmed, making him feel somewhat more
at ease. Kikyo took her spoon and rapped sharply on Kagome's plate twice
without even looking at her, the sound startling him, and Kagome immediately
straightened, folded her hands in her lap, and turned her eyes downward to gaze
at her empty plate.
"Urasue!" Kikyo called out icily, then turned to Inuyasha, saying softly, "I
have foregone the salad course this evening. I remember how much you hate
those."
Double doors at the far end of the room swung open and out shuffled an ancient
woman, bent over with age. She rolled a cart in front of her, muttering
unintelligibly. Her bugged out eyes rolled around in her head and Inuyasha
suddenly lost his appetite, a truly rare occurrence.
The elderly servant pulled a lid off a large metal pot on the cart and somehow
produced a ladle and three bowls from thin air. She served Kikyo first, her
handling of the steaming hot bowl surprisingly quick and steady. Inuyasha was
next and he gazed into the bowl at the soup. It was some sort of clear broth
and had a single leafy thing floating around in it, probably spinach. He
grimaced and set to work, wishing he could hold his nose so he wouldn't be able
to taste it. He glanced up at Kikyo and saw her still sitting rigidly straight,
bringing the spoon to her lips and consuming the liquid silently. Her eating
habits had always unnerved him. It was like watching some sort of trick that
belonged in a sideshow; the thing was just not natural. He suppressed a shudder
and turned his eyes to Kagome. Unlike her mother, she ate with gusto, almost
like she hadn't seen food in a week. He wondered how anyone could enjoy the
bland yet disgusting soup so much, but then again Kagome seemed the type to
either love or hate things with everything in her.
The meal continued in silence, Inuyasha feeling self-conscious and more
embarrassed with every accidental slurp he made, Kikyo stoically gazing at the
contents of her bowl and Kagome giving him a reassuring smile from time to
time. Finally they were finished and the old hag came to collect their empty
bowls. He moved to stand but Kikyo laid a hand on his wrist, eyes still on the
table.
"It is time for the fish course, Inuyasha."
The words gave him a mini anxiety attack but he pushed it down, scooting his
chair back closer to the table, wincing when it made a loud screech across the
wood floor. Kagome giggled and he shot her an unamused glare, the half-smile on
his face softening his eyes. Her happiness was contagious.
The doors slammed open again and Urasue wheeled out the same cart. She placed a
cut of salmon in front of Kikyo and one in front of Inuyasha. It was garnished
with a thin slice of lemon and a sprig of parsley. He sighed at how boring it
all was. The old woman shuffled out, the doors closing behind her. He took a
fork, hoping it was the right one, and dug into the fish. He placed the bite in
his mouth and glanced up, noticing Kagome again sitting with her eyes cast down
and her hands folded in her lap, no salmon dish in front of her. Inuyasha
cleared his throat and broke the silence, saying, "Kikyo, your, uh, maid forgot
Kagome's serving."
Kikyo slowly finished chewing and placed her fork down on the edge of her
plate. "Kagome has been placed on a diet. She gained six pounds quite rapidly
in this past month and her caloric intake has been cut."
Kagome's head bowed lower and he could practically feel the heat of her blush.
He looked back and forth from Kikyo to the slim girl, vaguely wondering if this
was some kind of dumb joke.
"She looks fine to me."
Kagome shot him a quick, grateful smile and his heart did that strange
skipping-then-speeding-up thing again. Kikyo chuckled. "Inuyasha, you are too
kind. You're going to give her a big head. With her height, Kagome needs to be
exactly one-hundred pounds in order to be at her fittest and become captain of
the archery team this year."
"I… I guess. Weren't you captain of the archery team when you went to school?"
He was hoping to change the subject from this very awkward, very personal one
to something safe.
"I'm surprised you remember," Kikyo said, obviously pleased. "Yes, we won every
one of our competitions when I was captain. I led the team all four years of
high school, the youngest captain in the school's history. No one's beat my
record yet. I was hoping Kagome could have at least done the same, but
unfortunately she has clumsy fingers, poor aim, and she detests practice."
Inuyasha nodded and took a large gulp of water while Kikyo went back to her
food. He had completely lost his appetite and no longer wanted to eat even to
be polite. His eyes fell on Kagome's hands which were still clasped in her lap.
They were folded so tightly they were strikingly white, except for the pads of
her first two fingers on each hand, which were bright red with the beginnings
of blisters. He noticed her hands trembling even as she tried to hold them
still. Inuyasha knew Kikyo only wanted the best for Kagome and wanted to make
her outstanding to ensure her success in life, but Kagome was a delicate girl.
It was already obvious to him that she would never be exactly what Kikyo wanted
and she was very aware of it, that knowledge not stopping her from trying but
still tearing her apart inside.
"How old are you, Kagome?"
"I turned fifteen in August," she spoke quietly, sounding slightly surprised at
being addressed directly. She was a new fifteen since it was now early October.
So young, he thought, his heart twinging again.
"And what do you want to be when you grow up?"
The girl glanced quickly at her mother who was still silently eating, and she
whispered her response so quietly that he almost couldn't hear her even in the
muted room. "A nurse."
Kikyo snorted, somehow a delicate sound when coming from her. "Kagome is to
take my place as President and CEO of Shikon. She is well aware of that, and
wanting to play nurse is just another one of her childish whims."
"But mother—"
Kikyo silenced her daughter with nothing more than a firm look.
Inuyasha felt guilty. He had thought it a safe question. He tried again, "Well,
uh, what's your favorite subject in school?" There was no way something like
that could cause tension.
Before Kagome could answer, Kikyo butted in. "It's best not to discuss school
with Kagome. She's been doing worse than usual this year and that's really
saying something when you know her history."
Not wanting to turn the evening into a hurt-the-little-girl's-feelings party,
Inuyasha said, "That's odd. I've just met you, Kagome, but I can already tell
you are an exceptionally bright girl." He smiled apologetically at her. He
wasn't used to dealing with kids and was unsure of how to act towards her. All
he knew was that focusing on her in such a negative way couldn't be good.
"That's it, though, you've only just met her," Kikyo said with a smirk.
"My teachers all say I'm doing well," Kagome said quietly, somewhat unsure of
herself now. He could hear the hurt in her voice and he knew it ran deep.
"A B-minus in geometry is not 'doing well', Kagome. What are these teachers
thinking? Perhaps it's time to switch schools again."
"Mother, please! I was just starting to make friends!" The anxiety in her voice
was present in her face as well.
"I had hoped you would finish at my alma mater, but it appears as though that
was not meant to be," Kikyo said as though she had not heard her daughter's
anguished words, cutting her remaining salmon into bite-sized pieces and then
cutting them in half.
"I'll bring my grade up in geometry and study four more hours every day and all
weekend," Kagome said, the tears she had been holding back since the evening
started now beginning to make their way down her face. Inuyasha felt invisible
and helpless, wanting to help but not sure of his place yet.
"It has already been decided, Kagome." Kikyo's voice was a few degrees cooler
than it had been and even Inuyasha shivered.
"Mother!" Kagome stood up so fast her chair fell over backwards, her hands
shaking as they gripped the edge of the table.
"You are excused. You may go to your room and study."
A sob wrenched out from Kagome's throat and she turned and ran, footsteps
echoing loudly. He heard a door slam.
Kikyo chuckled. "I hope that little display of hers did not change your mind,
Inuyasha. Teenagers are like little bundles of insanity."
He sat still, eyes on where Kagome had been sitting. Were things always like
this between the two of them?
"What the fuck, Kikyo!"
"Excuse me?" She raised her eyebrows very slightly in a cool, aristocratic
manner. She didn't even look surprised by his outburst, she just seemed like
she was waiting for him to apologize.
"What the hell was all that with Kagome? Are things always like this?"
"I warned you she was willful," she sighed. "If you don't want to do this
anymore, I could always go with my back-up plan and send her to boarding school
and try to hold on as long as I can."
Inuyasha's mouth dropped open in consternation. Did Kikyo not realize that what
she was doing to her daughter was horrid? Or… was this because of the disease?
He knew people dealt with death in different ways, some becoming peaceful and
resigned, others lashing out at everyone around them. Kikyo fell into the
latter category, he guessed.
"Move in with me."
"Excuse me?" she said again, eyes widening slightly. So that's what shock
looked like on her.
"I want you and Kagome to move in with me before the wedding." Maybe with his
company Kikyo would start to lay off of Kagome. At the very least, he could get
Kagome some decent food.
"This is far too sudden, Inuyasha! I only just proposed our arrangement this
morning. You haven't thought—"
"I have. I have thought this through," he lied, thinking quickly to make up for
it. "I have six extra bedrooms just collecting dust and there's a good private
school nearby where all my colleagues send their kids. Please move in with me,
Kikyo. Let me make your last days comfortable. Shutting yourself up in this
scary old place isn't good for you," he pleaded. It was really selfish of him
and he knew it. Just having someone to talk to would make him content, he
realized in surprise. He had not known how lonely he truly was.
Her eyes softened a tad. "Very well. I'll have you know that I do not intend to
stop working and will be in the office or away on business quite a bit. My
spiritual powers keep the majority of the pain at bay so I can keep up
appearances. Every weekend I am home will be spent at Suikotsu's."
"Of course. I will not interfere with your routine."
Was this how she and her daughter lived? Was Kagome neglected and then
controlled, over and over again?
"How do you think Kagome will feel about this?" he asked, not wanting to cause
the girl more anguish. She obviously wanted to stay at her current school, but
Kikyo's mind seemed made up. He would do what he could for her.
Kikyo laughed. "She'll be delighted. Kagome has always hated this place despite
not ever having lived anywhere else."
Inuyasha nodded. A girl like her did not belong in this dark place, overcrowded
with expensive, ancient objects that themselves seemed condescending. He could
already picture her in his home, doing her schoolwork in the bright sunshine
that always came in particularly nicely through the kitchen window, sitting at
the small table where he drank his coffee every morning. He smiled at the
thought.
"Thanks for dinner, Kikyo. I better get going."
"Didn't you have something you wanted to discuss?"
He had completely forgotten. "We can do all that when you move in."
"I want this wedding as soon as possible," she stated, placing her hand on his,
eyes boring into his with intent.
"Well then, move in as soon as possible."
Kikyo sighed, sounding somewhat exasperated. "You are beginning to remind me of
Kagome. So willful and stubborn. But alright. Urasue will give you the
remainder of your meal to take home with you. I remember your horrid dietary
habits."
He started to refuse out of loyalty to his precious ramen, but then remembered
Kagome.
"Sure," he nodded.
No sooner than he had spoken, the double doors banged open and out shuffled
Mother Time herself, holding several Tupperware containers. He took them from
her and nodded his head goodbye.
"Call me, Kikyo. I'll find my way out, don't trouble yourself."
He walked to the door quickly, not waiting for a reply, anxious to find Kagome
and then be on his way. He closed the heavy wooden front door as quietly as he
could and trotted around to the back of the large, crumbling house, intent on
finding Kagome's room. He knew from past experience that all the bedrooms were
in the back of the second floor and all had balconies. Inuyasha had spent many
nights lurking around here while courting Kikyo. Only one room had a dim light
coming from it, a little one all the way at the end. He smiled up at the glow.
He could feel her.
Bending down, he used his strong eyesight to locate a handful of tiny pebbles.
He flung them up at the glass and was pleased when Kagome appeared immediately.
It took her a few seconds to spot him, but when she did she opened the French
doors and slid out onto the balcony. His smile grew and, balancing the stack of
Tupperware on his hip, he jumped up and landed next to her.
"Woah…" Kagome breathed, eyes wide and glowing softly with a child-like wonder.
He chuckled at her expression. His heart was beating very fast and he briefly
wondered why, as he had not exerted himself at all.
"Why are you here, Father?"
He ignored her question and looked beyond her, into her room. It was small and
plain, containing only a narrow bed with a sheet on it, a desk with spindly
legs, a chair in front of it that looked like it was about to fall apart, and a
closet. The door to her closet was open and he saw few articles of clothing
inside, one being the uniform she had been wearing when he entered. There was a
shapeless flannel nightgown laid out on the bed and he wondered if anything was
less fitting for her.
Shaking himself from his thoughts, he held out the Tupperware to her.
"Here. You should eat."
"But this belongs to you, Father," she said, even as she took it from him.
Inuyasha chuckled again. Something about her just made him feel lighter
somehow.
"I'm giving it to you, Kagome."
She bowed her head slightly. "I am very grateful."
He reached out a hand and ruffled her hair, lingering to savor the surprisingly
silky texture of her waves.
"No need to be so formal. It doesn't become you."
The girl stared at him, silent, and just as he was about to excuse himself and
leave, she dropped the Tupperware and threw her arms around him in a fierce
embrace. He was startled but quickly returned it, cradling her head against his
shoulder, inhaling her happy scent.
"May I call you… Papa?"
"Huh? Uh, sure. Whatever you want…" he murmured, distracted by her softness.
She was a bit old to be calling him that, but he remembered what Kikyo had told
him about her wish for a father. She'd probably grow out of it after it stopped
being a novelty and then they would become friends.
"Papa Yasha. I like it," she said, followed by a sunshiney giggle.
She left his arms and he suddenly felt very cold, much colder than he had been
before their hug, as he watched her pick up the scattered Tupperware, which
thankfully had stayed lidded.
"See you soon, Papa Yasha," she whispered, closing the door behind her and
drawing a curtain.
"See you, Kagome," he whispered to no one, staring at the French doors for a
short while before jumping off the balcony and to his car.
Kagome placed the Tupperware on her desk and dug in, eating with her fingers.
There was filet mignon (Kagome was not allowed to have beef), garlic mashed
potatoes (also forbidden, potatoes were unhealthy) and a rich, fudgey cake
(sweets were allowed in small portions on birthdays and Christmas). She ate
quickly, enjoying it immensely, savoring the delicacies and thinking of her new
father all the while.
Kikyo had told her stories about Inuyasha ever since she was a little girl. Her
mother's eyes would soften and glow when she spoke of him in a way they never
did at any other time. Kagome had always wanted to meet the man her mother
obviously loved, imagining him to be strong and kind and gentle, worthy of her
mother.
She had been surprised when she opened the door and saw Inuyasha standing there
so nervously, but had tried not to show it. The guy looked hardly older than
her! Kikyo had mentioned that he was a half-demon and she knew people with
demonic ancestry aged differently, but she had still expected someone older and
more mature looking, someone like her mother. Shrugging it off as opposites
attracting, she had easily regained her enthusiasm and tugged him inside.
Kagome could definitely see what her mother saw in him. He was very, very
handsome, so much more attractive than what she had imagined when Kikyo
described him. She knew he was kind, he had demonstrated so repeatedly
throughout the evening. Yet still, there seemed to be a wildness in him that
could not, would not be tamed. She shivered just thinking about it. And those
puppy ears! They sang a sort of siren's song to her, like they were begging to
be touched. They just looked so soft and twitched so unexpectedly in such an
interesting way. But her mother would have scolded her even worse than usual if
she had given in.
Kagome usually took her mother's rebukes in stride. She was used to that kind
of treatment and corrected her behavior almost without thought. However,
Inuyasha witnessing her verbal punishments embarrassed her and she reacted much
more emotionally than she would have under normal circumstances. She had
desperately wanted to make a good impression. She had been praying for a father
all her life, after all. Kagome used to pray for a sibling as well, but one day
Kikyo overheard her litany of secret wishes and laughed, saying one pregnancy
was enough for a lifetime and adoption was out of the question with a child so
prone to misbehaving already her responsibility. So at the age of six she gave
up all hope for a little brother or sister and instead doubled her prayers for
a father. She just hadn't expected to get such a young, good-looking one.
Blushing, she pushed those thoughts far, far away from her mind, instead
pondering what to do with the now empty and licked clean Tupperware. Kagome
knelt down and pried up a loose floorboard carefully, going slow so as to be
quiet, and slid the containers inside. She would wash them while Kikyo was at
work and Urasue took her usual drunken nap.
Sighing, she rose to her feet and slipped out of her company dress and tugged
it onto a hanger, wishing she could wear it more often. She only owned that,
her school uniform, and two casual outfits consisting of plain white blouses, a
black skirt, and a pair of khaki pants. Her mother said that if she had more
clothes her head would get bigger and she would become vain, materialistic and
worthless. Kagome changed into her nightgown and went to her small bed, turning
the desk lamp off on the way. She climbed under the single, thin sheet and
closed her eyes, thanking heaven for the gift of Inuyasha, the new member of
her family. He would make her mother happy and that would make Kagome happy.
She drifted off with a smile on her face and dreamt of white dresses and whiter
puppy dogs.
***** Koreaboo *****
Chapter Notes
     Author's Note: You guys ever have an idea, and you're like "I don't
     know what I'm doing, but I'm fucking doing it"? That's what this is.
     *Song for the chapter: Everything is Embarrassing by Sky Ferreira*
Inuyasha woke up two hours later than usual, having drifted off near sunrise,
not able to get the picture of Kagome glowing with her angel's smile, even
after all she had been through, out of his head. He couldn't quite remember
what he had dreamt, but he was sure Kagome had been present. Something about
her just stuck with him, he could not quite put his finger on it. It went
beyond just witnessing how Kikyo treated her, or knowing what the future held
for her once her mother died and she would be left with him as her guardian. He
would let her be a nurse or whatever she wanted to be and he would run the
company for her, for Kikyo's memory. He would make sure Kagome lived a
fulfilling life.
Skipping breakfast, he rushed to the office, spending the entire day yelling at
interns and dumping tedious, mind-numbing work on his hapless employees. He
vowed to go to bed early, aware of his irritability and hating himself for it.
One good thing that came from his irrational anger was that it fueled him and
enabled him to finish all his day's work well ahead of time. Inuyasha sat in
his office, three hours before the end of the workday, wondering what to do. He
could just go home, but he'd only feel the same, and all the employees
witnessing his early departure would hate him more than he was comfortable
with.
Without his permission, his mind went back to Kagome and Kikyo. If the way she
treated her daughter was any indication of her personality as a whole, Kikyo
had certainly changed, and not for the better. Or had she? Had he been too
blinded by his love for her that he had failed to see her for what she was,
failed to discern what she was capable of? The thought shocked him. She had
always been cold, anyone could see that, and very proud. Kikyo held herself to
a very high standard and demanded the same from everyone else. He remembered
how she'd always comb his hair for him before they went out together,
continuing even after he told her it made him feel emasculated, like a little
boy. She would insist on picking out his clothes, even going so far as to
forbid him from wearing things she thought were not "fitting for a man of his
station". Of course she'd be even harder on Kagome, her own flesh and blood.
And they looked so much alike! It still boggled his mind. He had spent the
entire dinner studying Kagome and Kikyo, and had begun to notice differences,
slight though they were. Kagome's eyes were several shades lighter than her
mother's, Kikyo's reminding him of lead and Kagome's of an overcast day with
the sun begging to come out. Kagome's hair was wavy and slightly finer, looking
untamed although he had a feeling she was one of those girls who agonized over
its appearance. Kikyo's hair was stick straight and flowed naturally down her
back like a waterfall, graceful. Kikyo's mouth was wider, her lips thinner and
darker. Her face was a narrow oval and a shade paler, her cheekbones standing
out in a way that made her look dramatic. Kagome's face was just sweet, somehow
open in a way he had never seen before. And even though Kagome was young, she
already had a fuller figure than her mother. Inuyasha told himself he hadn't
been checking his future step-daughter out, it was just that he couldn't help
but notice that her dress had been a little tight in a few interesting areas.
He really had only been looking at her in the first place to see how she
differed from Kikyo, and he had hugged her back so enthusiastically only
because he hated to see a woman cry. He was not one to rob the cradle, although
technically speaking the oldest human alive would be like an infant when
compared to his years.
The phone rang shrill and he jumped. Jaken wouldn't call for at least another
week. He narrowed his eyes at the shrieking piece of technology, imagining ways
he would verbally torment what was sure to be a caller with the wrong number.
"Yeah," he barked into the phone, anger already blazing. He needed to blow off
some steam and anyone would do.
"Inuyasha," Kikyo said in that soft, intimate voice that had always been just
for him.
"Kikyo," he breathed. Just getting a phone call from her was surreal.
"I need to know when you would like me to move in," she said pleasantly.
"Hmmm," he hadn't given much thought to it. "What time does Kagome get out of
school?"
She paused briefly. "Do you not remember my decision to withdraw her?"
"I do, I do," he assured her. "I just figured what with the move and all that
you'd keep her enrolled until she got settled here. It's only like a twenty-
five minute drive from your place."
"Kagome will be tutored by Urasue until she is enrolled at the school you
recommended."
He shuddered, imagining the old hag torturing the girl with facts and figures,
forcing her to recite pages upon pages of dry poetry until late into the night.
"Move in right now!" He hadn't intended to raise his voice, but his thoughts
had drawn an image that left him feeling anxious.
"You're joking. I am not prepared, I could not possibly—"
"Just bring yourselves and whatever you'll need tonight. I'll send someone for
your things first thing in the morning."
Kikyo chuckled. "So eager for company. You have not changed a bit, Inuyasha.
I'm glad. Very well, my daughter and I will drive to your home immediately. I
suppose Urasue can look after the estate…"
Inuyasha stopped listening. They were coming. The spare rooms were furnished,
although plainly. He would let Kagome have first choice, since she would be
staying with him longer. Feeling a dull ache in his gut, he thought of Kikyo's
impending death. Would she suffer? Was she suffering now? She had to be, she
was dying. Still working, somehow. That was so very her. How would Kagome react
to her passing? She will flourish,his mind answered, and he immediately felt
terrible and wished he could unthink it.
"Inuyasha?"
He coughed guiltily. "Uh, yes. What were we talking about?"
"I asked for your address," Kikyo answered, her tone informing him she was
somewhat peeved. He told her, giving her directions since it was somewhat hard
to find, and they said their goodbyes. Immediately after hanging up, he rushed
out of his office with inhuman speed, barely remembering to grab his briefcase.
He sped home, breaking all sorts of traffic laws, not caring about getting
pulled over. He burst into his house and immediately started tidying up all
evidence of his bachelor lifestyle. Rushing around, he threw away random junk,
tossed dirty laundry in the hamper, neatly stacked the magazines that had been
littered around the coffee table and sofa, ripping the ones of a not-so-
innocent nature into shreds with his claws and throwing them in the trash. He
made a mental note to stop those subscriptions. It was the twenty-first
century, after all, and porno mags were a relic of an ancient past. Plus,
having a young ward would severely impact his masturbation time. He made
another mental note to buy a membership to one of those internet sites his
perverted accountant was always urging him to try.
Finishing with the first floor, he ran up to the second to do a quick once-over
of the spare rooms. Opening up the windows to get rid of the stale smell, he
checked the blankets on the beds for dust, going from room to room until he
heard the doorbell ring.
He quickly made his way down the stairs and toward the door, stumbling over his
feet in his eagerness, checking his appearance in the mirror on the wall before
opening the door. He had been alone for so long, without even guests. Anyone
coming over was exciting, but coming to stay… That was truly something.
Kikyo and Kagome stood on his doorstep, the girl behind her mother carrying two
overnight bags, one in each hand. Kikyo breezed past him and into the living
room, Kagome following and smiling at him, even more excited than he was. With
a nod at her daughter to behave, Kikyo sat down on the sofa and Kagome
continued standing, looking at her surroundings curiously, eyes lit up.
Inuyasha tried seeing it from her point of view, wondering what made her seem
so delighted, but couldn't. His home was large and plain, with little
furnishing and almost no decoration. He used to keep a photo of him and Kikyo
over the fireplace as a reminder that he had once been normal, but that had
gone in the trash years ago. The only thing on the wall was the mirror he
placed by the door to ensure he at least looked semi-presentable on his way
out. He had only a sofa, a small coffee table, and a television in the living
room and this was probably the only room he had put any thought into beside his
bedroom. He had never been one for material objects, anyway.
"I love your home. It's so open and bright," Kagome said, her voice echoing in
the near-empty room.
He laughed, surprised even though he had seen her thoughts on her expressive
face. "Well, that's one way to put it. It's pretty much empty."
"It's simple. There are no distractions. Perfect." She smiled at him again and
he suddenly felt nervous, not knowing why. She liked it, didn't she?
"Have you given any thought to where our rooms will be?" Kikyo asked, bored
with their short conversation but still achingly polite.
"Er, I thought I would just let you two pick."
"Aren't you guys going to be together?" Kagome asked, blushing.
Inuyasha winced visibly. Kagome did not know this marriage was just a charade.
He had to think of something to say before Kikyo started giving him The Look.
The Look was something he had feared most during their relationship, always
right there whenever he managed to slip up in the littlest way.
"Uh, well—"
"Inuyasha is very old-fashioned. He and I will be sleeping separately until the
wedding." Kikyo gave him a slightly milder version of The Look and he relaxed.
She always had things covered.
"Oh, that's so romantic!" Kagome squealed, clapping her hands and dropping
their bags in the process. Kikyo rolled her eyes and the girl immediately
flushed and looked down. She bent down to pick the bags up again and he did as
well, taking them from her and brushing her fingers in the process. Kagome
didn't seem to notice, but he certainly did. Shivers ran up and down his spine,
and he wondered at how such slight contact could make him feel like that. She
thanked him with another one of her angel smiles and he told himself he had
just been alone for too, too long.
"Why don't you ladies follow me upstairs and we can pick out rooms?"
Kagome hurried toward the stairs, almost skipping, but feeling Kikyo's glare
between her shoulder blades, she slowed down and stepped gracefully, pausing at
the bannister to wait for them. Inuyasha lead the way, followed by Kikyo, and
he placed their bags at the head of the stairs.
"Go ahead, Kagome. Pick one."
Kagome stared at the rows of doors he had gestured to, one down the hall to
their left and one down the hall to their right. Suddenly turning shy, she
said, "Um, Mother should pick first."
Before Kikyo could speak, he said, "Nope, I'm the man of the house and I say
you get first pick. Now go ahead. Look inside the rooms, too. You can't pick
properly if you don't know what they look like."
She glanced at him and then away again quickly. "Whichever's smallest."
Sighing in a playfully exasperated manner, he pointed to the one closest to
them. It was actually the largest after his own, the one he had wanted her to
have. "That one, then. Open the door and check it out."
Tentatively, she placed her hand on the door knob and turned, entering the room
slowly. She gasped and the sound delighted him. The room was very plain, with
white walls, wood floors, a twin bed and a good-sized closet. Its one special
feature was a large bay window with a window seat. It had a good view of the
Goshinboku and the sunlight came in strong. He watched her take in her
surroundings, her happy gray eyes darting about every which way.
"You like it?" he asked lazily, leaning against the doorway and feeling proud.
"I love it!" She skipped back to the door and threw her arms around him. "Thank
you, Papa Yasha," she murmured into his chest. He stroked her hair again, one
arm wrapped around her with a hold as tight as hers. Inuyasha sniffed her hair,
completely conscious of the creepiness but too drawn in by her scent to care
much about it. What was it? What was so very attractive about it?
"'Papa Yasha'? When did that happen?" Kikyo asked, amused. He stiffened
guiltily. He had completely forgotten she was there.
Kagome pushed away from him and explained quietly, gaze stuck on the floor, "He
said I could call him anything I wanted and Papa Yasha just felt right."
"I'm going to take a room in the other hall," Kikyo said with an air of
distraction about her, wandering off as she spoke.
"My room's right down the hall from yours, Kagome, okay?"
"Can I see it?"
He immediately blushed, cursing himself for his reaction to her innocent words.
"Uh, sure. This way."
He led her to the end of the hall, his door already open. She skipped inside
ahead of him then stopped so abruptly he bumped into her. He was about to
apologize when she said, "Wow! Your room is socool!"
Nodding, he again tried to see his home through her eyes. Usually he hardly
noticed his surroundings, but with Kagome there everything was just so much
clearer. His bedroom was red, black, and gold with a splash of white here and
there. His walls were total black, and the bed was large, beyond king-sized, a
Victorian-style four poster with a heavily embroidered gold bedspread and red
satin sheets. He normally was not one for such extravagance, but he enjoyed his
sleep and had splurged on this one thing. The single window of the room was
large but covered with a heavy, deep red velvet curtain with gold tassels. The
thick, soft carpet was pure black, the intricately carved chest of drawers
white. Bookshelves took up an entire wall from top to bottom, all but the space
where an arch led to his personal bathroom, the floor of which had a white and
red mosaic of the sun.
A light laugh and the creak of bedsprings startled him from his observation and
he looked to see Kagome on her back on his bed. She spread out her arms and
smiled, her dark hair fanned out gloriously over the shining covers. He felt an
odd tightening in his chest as he looked at her, a nervous anticipation. He
wanted to reach out and—he knew not what.
"Can you jump on it?"
"Er, I never really tried."
She sat up and bounced a little and his eyes could not help but follow her
movements. Something, everything about her was just so appealing. Seeing her on
his bed brought odd feelings that he was not willing to decipher. He felt a
wave of guilt wash over him and he shrugged his shoulders, dismissing it. He
had done nothing wrong.
"Let's see which room your mom picked."
The girl nodded and scrambled off the bed, hurrying out his door and down the
hall they had come. He took a deep breath and followed, noticing that her scent
was now in his room for better or for worse.
Quickly, he caught up to Kagome, gesturing to the door beside hers that was
going to be her private bathroom from now on. She peeked inside. It was small
but had all the necessary items. Kikyo was standing outside the room at the end
of the other hall. For some reason, Inuyasha felt glad she was as far away from
him as could be. He cared deeply for her, but this reunion had him drawing new
conclusions about her and he couldn't say they were good ones. She had already
taken her bag and unpacked the few things she had brought with her.
"All settled in?" he asked.
"Yes, thank you. I must get going, though I would love to stay and catch up.
We've hardly had any time to talk."
"W-wait, what?" She was going to leave him alone with Kagome? A teenage girl?
He visibly paled. He didn't know the first thing about teenagers, especially
modern ones.
"I know, but it's urgent. We're developing a new line of glucometers and those
incompetent idiots I employ need my oversight on every little thing, especially
now."
"Can I come?" Kagome asked, perhaps a little too brightly. He sensed she was
nervous, and the fact that she was as uncomfortable as he was in this new
situation soothed him a bit. Perhaps they could find common ground somewhere.
"Of course you'd only show interest in your future right when it's
inconvenient," Kikyo muttered. "I'm in a rush. I'm going to have to drive out
to the factory so I probably won't be back tonight."
"Okay," he squeaked, his anxiety reaching new heights. Kikyo kissed him on the
cheek and rushed downstairs and out the door, but he hardly noticed. His heart
was beating so loudly he was sure even the little human girl could hear it.
"So…" Kagome said. He could tell from the start that she was not one who was
content with simple silence, but even she seemed at a loss for words. They had
been alone together once before, but Kikyo had been nearby. Now it was like
they were meeting for the first time.
"Uh…yeah." He flinched at how stupid he must sound to her. She was looking at
him with her big, gray eyes and seemed so unsure. He remembered she had not had
a male presence in her life and reasoned with himself that he was as new to her
as she was to him. They were on equal ground.
"Have you read all your books?"
"Most of them." He could not think of anything to say beyond that. Words were
gone. He knew seventeen different languages yet he could not even manage a
complete sentence in front of this girl.
"I love to read."
"If—If you want, you can borrow a book. Or two. Or twelve. Any of them. Any
time. Just ask me. Or not. It's okay. Some of them are really old though, so
you'll have to be careful. They're mostly history books, a few novels. Nothing
really brand new. Well, brand new meaning the last fifty or so years." The word
vomit was worse than silence. He wanted to punch himself.
"Thank you," she smiled sweetly, lessening his embarrassment.
"Yeah. Do you need any help unpacking? Or do you need me to get you anything?"
"No thanks, I brought everything with me."
"Everything?" He raised an eyebrow. Those overnight bags were small and only
one of them was hers. "Are you sure? Who knows when Kikyo will be back. Don't
you need toothpaste or shampoo or a change of clothes?"
"No, I've got it all. I packed all my things when we left. I didn't want to go
back," she confessed.
"All your things? Seriously?"
"Yes. Mother says a spartan upbringing ensures a greater drive for success
later in life."
Inuyasha was speechless. He himself wasn't very materialistic, but he sure as
hell would not limit himself to a single bag of possessions. He knew enough
about teenage girls and females in general to know that they were supposed to
have things. Women liked things. Kagome didn't have enough. An idea took root
in his mind and he smiled. He had found a way to bond with her.
"We're going shopping."
"Alright. What would you like me to make for dinner?"
He laughed outright. "No, Kagome. We're going shopping for clothes. Clothes for
you."
"Oh." Her eyes widened and she seemed very surprised. Patting himself on the
back for remembering something about the fairer sex, he eyed her clothing. A
plain, white blouse that looked exactly like what she had worn for her school
uniform and a knee-length, shapeless black skirt. He assumed her other clothes
would be much the same, boring and not suited to her.
"Come on. We're going to one of the Tetsusaiga stores."
"R-right now?"
"That's what I said." He spoke in his more casual, somewhat rough tone. Now
that he had a purpose he was no longer nervous, no longer unsure. Kagome
followed behind him and they exited the house, not even bothering to lock the
door. He never did. Hardly anybody knew where he lived, the road leading to his
home was ten miles of dirt and hard to find unless you knew where it was. Add
in the chain-link fence with barbed wire going all around his forest, and you
have a pretty secure homestead.
Inuyasha slid into his favorite car, the sleek white one he had spent a large,
forgotten amount of money on. He heard the door close and started the engine.
"Front seat, Kagome. You're not a child," he smirked.
He heard her belt unbuckle and she slid into the front seat gracefully, legs
first. Catching himself just as he began to admire the long, creamy appendages,
he backed up and sped out of the driveway. Now he was presented with a series
of new problems. Did she want to make conversation? Or would she prefer music?
But what kind of music? Maybe even talk radio? And what about when they got to
the shop? He knew nothing of her preferences and she seemed to not know much
more about what she'd like herself, apparently having never been allowed a
choice in her life.
"So, um, you own Tetsusaiga?"
"Yes," he almost sighed in relief. She was talking about his business! He could
go on about the subject for hours even in his sleep.
"I've never been to any one of the stores, but I've heard they're everywhere."
"Yeah. We're like Wal-Mart, only not cheap and shitty." His eyes widened when
he realized he had cursed in front of Kikyo's daughter. Fuck, if this got back
to her he'd be in trouble.
But Kagome just giggled. "I've never been to a Wal-Mart, either."
"Have you ever been anywhere?" he asked jokingly.
She sighed. "Not really. I've honestly only ever been shuttled from whatever
school to home and back again. But sometimes Urasue lets me watch television so
I don't feel like I'm missing out on too much."
Almost getting into a car accident from gaping at her, he quickly righted the
vehicle and kept his eyes on the road. "Seriously?! You've never been anywhere
but that dusty old place and whatever snobby school Kikyo picked?"
"Well, I've been to other people's houses. I'm not a complete loser," she
muttered.
He blanched. He hadn't been trying to insinuate that there was something wrong
with her. "I'll just have to take you out and show you around then. Organize
your grand debut. We'll go shopping and then to a restaurant and a movie or
something. You've seen movies, right?"
Kagome snorted, obviously taking offense at his words. "I might have never been
to a theater, but I've seen a ton of movies."
"Alright, don't get pissy with me, angel. I'm just trying to show you a good
time." The nickname he had been calling her in his mind just slipped out and it
felt too right to take back.
He glanced at her and she was smiling at him. "Thank you, Papa Yasha."
He flinched at the name, hoping his reaction wasn't obvious. Being a father was
not something he had ever seriously thought about, and to have a young woman
call him that made him feel like some sort of pimp. Vowing to get used to it,
he pulled into the parking lot of Tetsusaiga department store, managing to snag
a spot close to the front.
Inuyasha practically jogged to the front of the store, Kagome running to keep
up with him. He wanted to give to her, but he hated shopping. The people, the
searching, the waiting. He constantly thanked whatever deity came first to his
mind for the creation of the internet. Now he could just get whatever he wanted
from his home and he didn't even have to talk to anyone to do it. But Kagome
needed clothes now and she deserved the experience.
"Pick what you like. I'll go over and wait by—"
She grabbed his wrist so suddenly it stunned him, then released him just as
quickly. "S-sorry. It's just… I haven't been alone before. I don't know what to
do," she whispered, glancing at all the people around them with wide eyes.
"Sure. Uh, let's head to the women's section."
They wandered the short distance to where women's clothes were kept, Inuyasha
leading the way. Kagome stared at everything, her eyes constantly moving from
item to item, person to person. She jumped when an announcement came from the
speakers in the ceiling, interrupting the boring elevator music with a pre-
recorded message reminding them that Halloween was just three weeks away and
Tetsusaiga had a variety of women's costumes that would make your friends
"scream in jealousy at how boo-tiful" you look.
"So… You're afraid of Count Chocula," he teased as soon as the goofy voice
ended and the jazz came back on.
She smacked his arm that she had been gripping not two seconds before. "It
surprised me! After the music, it was very loud and just—Ugh. And that stupid
laugh!"
"Do you want me to tell them to turn it down?"
"No, no. Let's just keep going." She marched ahead of him, determined, and he
stared after her a few seconds before following, wondering why he liked her so
much so soon.
"So," she said, stopping in front of a rack of skirts. He waited for her to
continue, but she did not. Kagome was holding a skirt in one hand and fiddling
with the tag.
"Just get what you want, Kagome," he said. "You'll pay me back by ending your
hermitage."
She glared up at him with a soft pout and he smirked at her expression. "I
didn't stay at home because I wanted to, you know."
"I know. Now get what you like before Count Chocula comes back on and you start
screaming for help and embarrass us."
She stomped away angrily towards a row of dresses and he followed her with his
eyes, leaning against the rack of skirts she had been touching. Realizing she
was probably going to buy a lot of expensive things now that he had ticked her
off, he sighed and tried to calculate how much she would cost him over the next
six years (at least). The numbers didn't matter much to him, but it was
something to do. Girls were much more expensive than boys, he concluded. He
would probably keep Kagome until she was 21, which was when she would inherit
the company, although in name only since he would be the one officially running
it. She would begin to receive a sizeable income from Shikon and would probably
want to move out, unless she had already moved into the dorms of whatever
college she ended up going to, or moved in with a friend or boyfriend. Inuyasha
made a face at the last thought. He just could not, would not imagine Kagome
with a boyfriend. Some stupid kid hanging around her constantly. She was
attractive, more than attractive. There would be no shortage of boys offering
themselves to her. He just had to make sure one of them was good enough.
"Papa Yasha?"
Shaking himself from his musings, he saw Kagome standing in front of him
holding a bundle of clothing.
"I'm done."
"That's it?" He eyed the clothes in her hands skeptically. There was no way
that was all she was getting. There was hardly anything there. "You're gonna
need some more things."
"But my new school has a uniform, so—"
"So you're gonna need some more things. Are you planning on just wearing your
uniform all the time? Who does that? I'll hold these, you go back out there and
get whatever. Some casual things, some dressy things. We'll head over to shoes
next."
She opened her mouth to protest but shook her head, handing him the clothes and
heading back into the jungle of upper-end yet still reasonably priced
(considering the quality) clothing. Bored, he held up the items she gave to him
to hold. Two dresses, a blouse, and a skirt. The dresses were plain and seemed
two sizes too large for her. The blouse was functional and exactly like the one
she was wearing. The skirt he didn't object to, although he did think it was a
little too short.
"Okay, I think I'm done for real now," she said, holding another dress and a
pair of pants.
He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah," she chirped brightly.
"No."
"What?" Her smile faltered and she looked confused.
"I just don't think these clothes you've picked suit you."
"What do you mean?"
He sighed, exasperated. "You're dressing like a cat lady and you're barely
fifteen."
"What?!" she growled between clenched teeth, obviously offended. "I don't
criticize your taste in clothing. Speaking of which, what makes you think you
can talk? You dress like a homeless guy from the 80's. When was the last time
anyone wore a turtleneck with a blazer and jeans?! Let's not forget the
Birkenstocks. I don't think that look has ever been popular."
Obviously, she was describing the outfit he had worn to Kikyo's house for the
dinner. "Your mother picked that out for me."
"In this century?" she asked sarcastically.
He was going to shoot back with something just as sarcastic when he realized
that it had, in fact, been an outfit purchased in the 90's and therefore a part
of the last century.
"Whatever. Just get some new clothes. This isn't Little House on the Prairie."
"Fine. But you do the same." She had a stubborn look on her face and he rolled
his eyes.
"Fine."
Smiling, she took the clothes from him and hung them back up. "Thank you, Papa
Yasha," she said in a sing-song voice, skipping away. Sighing, he followed her
with his eyes again, hoping she would choose something acceptable this time. He
grabbed the short skirt she had picked earlier from where she had hung it up
after his objections. He would include it in their purchases. Bored again, he
decided to just enroll Kagome in school before Kikyo could change her mind.
Dialing practically the only person he used the phone for, he impatiently
waited for two whole rings before he got an answer.
"Myoga, enroll Kagome in that private school everyone sends their kids to."
"Who, sir?"
"Kagome."
"Uh, yes, but who is that?"
"Kikyo's daughter," he said, quickly losing his temper due to his subordinate's
incompetence.
"Why would you be involved with that woman's daughter?"
"I'm marrying her."
There was a brief pause, and then Myoga practically yelled, "You're marrying
Kikyo's daughter?!"
"No, you idiot, Kikyo! Now just get it done."
"But sir, I don't—"
"Do it."
He hung up on his secretary and silenced his phone, not wanting to deal with
his complaints today.
"Was that Mother?" Kagome stood before him, arms burdened with a humongous pile
of clothes. He blanched. Perhaps he should not have encouraged her so much.
"No, I was just seeing about getting you enrolled in school."
"Oh. Well, shall we go look for your stuff?"
"Have you tried those on?" He gestured to the mountain in her arms.
"Do… Do I have to?" She fidgeted nervously, nearly dropping her bundle but
regaining her hold at the last moment.
"It's kind of standard procedure. Just make sure everything looks alright."
Sighing wearily, she trudged toward the entrance to the fitting rooms. He went
to sit in the chairs placed near the entrance she had gone through, those
rickety seats chosen especially for the use of bored, suffering males. Inuyasha
contemplated getting up and grabbing a few shirts to satisfy Kagome's "misery
loves company" urge, but ultimately decided to wait until she finished. The
minutes passed and he stared off into space, plunging into a depth of boredom
so intense he was almost certain he was having an out of body experience.
"Done."
He shot up quickly, eager to move on and end this portion of the outing as soon
as possible. His gaze landed on Kagome standing next to him and everything just
stopped. Her face was turned away from him, she was looking around the store to
see where to go next. She was wearing a yellow sundress with daisies
embroidered on the hem, stopping inches above her knees. Her hair was the same
as before but somehow appeared better to him, fuller and shinier. Kagome
coughed and he realized he was gawking at her, so he quickly looked away and
said, "What… What happened to the clothes you had on?"
She blushed and fidgeted, again almost dropping the pile of clothes she
clutched. "The fitting room attendant took them and put them in the trash. She
said I had wronged fashion and the only way to make recompense was to never
wear anything like that again."
"…I see. You look—" He stopped there, not knowing what he was going to say and
wishing he had never begun to say it.
"What? I look what?" She asked anxiously.
"Weird," he blurted out. He wanted to punch himself when he saw the stunned,
hurt look on her face. "I mean, uh, not bad weird. Just… I'm gonna shut up now.
It's a change, that's what it is. A change. And it's good. You look… good."
"Really?" she asked shyly, looking up at him from beneath her lashes.
"Yeah. Definitely. For sure. Uh, let's find some shoes and then we'll head over
to furniture."
"Why furniture?"
"Your room has nothing in it."
"I think it's nice the way it is."
"That's sweet, but no. We're gonna turn it from a guest room to your room." It
would make her more comfortable, plus it was a way to kill time until Kikyo got
back and made things less awkward. Furniture shopping was more fun than clothes
shopping, anyway, and it might distract her from wanting to update his
wardrobe.
"Thank you, Papa Yasha," she smiled. A woman with two young children passed by
and glared at them. He mentally rolled his eyes. That name really did make him
sound like a pimp, and with how young Kagome was, he must look like a monster.
"Yeah, let's get going."
He watched Kagome try on shoes for the next half hour, marveling at all the
many selections women had to choose from. He had only two pairs of shoes, one
for work and one for not work. He preferred to go barefoot around the house,
and if he could he would go barefoot everywhere. When she finally declared she
was finished, he was burdened with the pile of her clothes and eight boxes of
shoes stacked precariously atop it.
"Um, Kagome, I think I'm just gonna leave your stuff here at the shoe desk so I
can see. We'll come back for it all when we're done."
Barely taking the time to nod, she was already skipping off toward furniture,
her first timer's anxiety gone, and he hurriedly dropped his own name and
shoved the pile of goods toward the masculine woman manning the shoe
department, running after his soon-to-be step-daughter.
Kagome stopped suddenly and he literally ran into her, but quickly grabbed her
upper arms to ensure she would not fall. "What'd you stop—Oh."
The lingerie section. Sure, those items were essential, especially for a
teenage girl who was still in the process of maturing. But certainly she would
prefer to go with her mother? However, Kikyo had mentioned she would be gone a
lot, so who knew when she'd actually have time to spend with her daughter.
"You, uh… You need, um, those things?" He gestured vaguely to a rack of bras,
not even looking at them or at her. Inuyasha cursed his awkwardness, wondering
why this situation was so different. He had bought women lingerie before, no
problem. But he had always seen them in those purchases soon afterward.
Shopping for Kagome, though, made his palms sweat. Even if he just stood around
doing nothing, not even entering the section, just knowing his money was what
got her those things made him feel… well, weird. Nervous.
Distracted, she responded, "Yeah, I'll just grab a few things and I'll be done.
I'll ask them to keep it here for us, okay?"
"Uh, do you need help?" he choked out, hoping he wasn't blushing even as he
felt the heat rise to his face.
She laughed, and although he knew she wasn't laughing at himexactly, he still
felt his face heat up further. "No, I'll be fine on my own. It won't take too
long."
"Get some pajamas, too." He remembered the nightgown he had glimpsed before,
recalling its drab flannel look.
"Yeah, whatever," she muttered, already heading into the jungle of women's
underwear. He exhaled and pulled out his phone to check the time, ignoring the
fifteen missed calls from Myoga. Five o'clock. If they finished soon, they'd
still have time for dinner and a movie. The nervousness came back full-force
and he felt almost queasy. It was Friday night, a lot of people would be out
and about, so it wasn't like he'd be alone with her, although he didn't know
why he felt that was such an issue. Inuyasha nearly slapped himself when he
realized he was thinking of this as a date instead of just getting to know his
fiancée's daughter. It was true he liked her and thought she was pretty and he
enjoyed spending time with her and he had been alone for a very long time, but
she was so off-limits and he didn't even want to go there anyway, so he just
stopped thinking and concentrated on getting the bored out of body experience
back in order to feel semi-normal again and not like a raging pervert.
"Okay, let's go," she sang out, grabbing his wrist and pulling him from his
thoughts and towards the furniture department. He found himself wondering what
she had chosen and felt almost physically sick when he saw the direction his
mind was taking. This was too fast, too wrong, too crazy. He would need to gain
a great amount of self-discipline in order to take charge of his thoughts and
prevent them from going down the path they seemed so focused on.
"What… What do we do?" Kagome asked, looking around at all the beds and chairs
and sofas and tables. Nobody else was around, so she could not watch them and
learn. Inuyasha chuckled at her anxious, confused face.
"Just take a look around and tell me what you like."
"I… don't know. I don't know what I like."
He sighed once again. "Whatever catches your eye."
"Can you pick for me?" she asked, pleading with him with her big, gray eyes.
"Why?" he asked, pretending he was bored. He didn't want her to catch on to how
flustered she made him.
"It's just—you have such good taste," he flinched at her choice of words and
she continued without noticing, "and I'm so new to this. Can you pick for me?"
"We can always come back later, you know, when you figure yourself out."
"I'll only ask the same thing. Please, Papa Yasha?"
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to clear his mind, knowing it would
make him appear exasperated and impatient. "Fine. But be honest if you don't
like it, okay?"
She nodded enthusiastically and he resisted the urge to pat her on the head
like a dog. He was sure she wouldn't appreciate it, and honestly he just wanted
to touch her and that creeped him out. Turning to survey his options, he
immediately spotted the perfect bed. It was a canopied bed, with almost
transparent white curtains going around it. At its foot, the curtains were tied
back to the posts, and he thought of a theater stage. Everything was white and
puffy and it reminded him of a cloud. Since he thought of Kagome as an angel, a
cloud would be fitting.
"That one," he pointed at the bed with a smirk.
Her brow furrowed and she glared up at him. "Did you just pick the first thing
you saw?"
"No, I just happened to see that one first and I knew it was perfect for you."
Taking his wrist, she walked towards it, intent on examining the quality. He
hoped she could not feel his pulse hammering away.
"Well, it is nice," she murmured. She flopped down on it and extended a hand,
beckoning to him. "Test it with me."
Inuyasha's mouth went dry and he felt his upper lip tremble. Kagome's dress had
made its way up her thighs and now her legs were almost completely bare to his
eyes, something which he both appreciated and cursed. "Um, well, we're just
going to buy a different mattress anyway, so—"
"Get over here," she said impatiently.
He obeyed without thought and lay beside her on the bed. "You've got a nice
view of the, um, rest of the bed here," he said, staring at the curtain going
over the top.
"It feels too big for just me. Do you think it comes in a smaller size, like
maybe full at least? This one seems as big as yours," she complained.
He knew it wasn't as big as his, this was queen-sized and his was custom-made.
"Big beds are nice. Lots of room for sleeping or whatever."
"Well, there won't be any whatever in my bed," she joked quietly, blushing and
wrinkling her nose. He forgot how to breathe for a second and reached out and
tapped her nose, putting a stop to the wrinkling, cute though it was.
"Let's see if we can find a—"
"Can I help you folks?"
"—sales associate," he muttered.
Kagome sat up quickly and he admired the way her hair fell in messy yet pretty
waves down her back and over her shoulders, one strap of the dress sliding down
in a way that was not yet immodest. "Yes, we were wondering if this bed was
available in a smaller size?" she asked pleasantly.
"We currently only have it in queen and twin, but we're getting a new shipment
on—"
"We'll take it. Throw in the bedding, too, and get a soft mattress. Know what?
We'll take the entire bedroom set," he said, rising to his feet and smoothing
his shirt out.
"Sir, you're going to have to take care of that yours—"
Inuyasha flashed his business card and the clerk's smile perked up and his
transformation into kiss-ass was nearly complete.
"Certainly, sir, and would you like it delivered and set up as well?"
"Yeah, sure. Get it done by nine tonight." He scribbled down a number on the
back of his business card which contained only his name and title and handed it
to the scarily chipper young man. "Call Myoga at this number, he'll give you
the details. Let's go, Kagome."
Setting a brisk pace as he walked away, he heard her stutter out a thank you
and scamper after him. He didn't slow down until they got outside the store and
Kagome grabbed his wrist, again setting off that weird reaction he had to her,
making his heart cease beating and then speed up. He stopped suddenly with his
back to her, feeling ashamed when he heard how out of breath she was.
"Aren't we going to pay?"
Whipping his head around to look at her, he flinched in embarrassment. Being in
the bed with her had made him so nervous he had defaulted into what he
privately called Scary Boss Man mode, where he was abrupt to the point of
rudeness, unquestionably in charge, and so alpha other males either avoided him
completely or fought to be of service to him. He had concentrated so hard on
being Mr. Taisho, President and CEO, that he had totally forgotten his purpose
at the store. What's worse was that he wasn't sure if he was acting in charge
simply because he was nervous or because he wanted to show off in front of the
teenage daughter of his fiancée.
"Uh, yeah, I forgot. Guess I'm getting old…" he muttered, trailing off. Kagome
giggled and he somehow felt elated and even more embarrassed all at once. "Tell
you what, my assistant is going to be coming down here to get the bed already,
so I'll just text him and have him take care of the clothes and everything
else. It'll all be in your room by the time we're done."
"Thank you, Papa Yasha," she smiled, leaning in to give him a hug he was only
too eager to receive. "You're so nice," she whispered.
"You smell nice," he whispered back, lost in her scent.
"What?" she pulled away quickly, an odd look on her face, and he realized what
he had said.
"Um, I said you are nice. You're nice, too." Inuyasha wished they were by a
mirror so he could casually check how badly he was blushing. He couldn't
remember ever having been so awkward in his life.
"Oh," she laughed, relieved. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I heard
something else."
He laughed uneasily, promising himself some sort of punishment later, such as
no ramen for a week or something. They walked back to the car in silence,
Kagome content and him wanting to get away from her and eager to spend more
time with her all at once.
"This is like something out of a K-drama," she said excitedly as she buckled
her seatbelt.
"A what?"
"A Korean drama. They're basically soap operas. But the guy always takes the
girl out to buy her all these clothes and stuff and usually he owns the store
they're at or whatever," she giggled. "The main guy is always a complete jerk,
so you're more like the nice guy character. The nice guy never gets the girl,
though."
He laughed with her, while a darker part of his mind he thought died centuries
ago proposed he could stop the car and show her exactly how nice he wasn't. His
brief consideration appalled him and he almost didn't stop in time for a red
light, their quick halt making Kagome squeal in a way he was certain he could
hear again if he used his tongue and hands instead of brakes. Inuyasha clenched
his teeth and almost slapped himself. He was a modern man, with a normal
routine and normal desires. He was not some feral monster fantasizing about
fucking the girl next to him, willing or not. Their relationship would be
friendly, but nothing more. If something were to develop, it would be only the
feelings a father would have toward his daughter and vice-versa. Yes, she was
pretty and yes, he was attracted to her, but nothing would ever come of it.
Repeating the mantra several times, he let out a breath he did not know he was
holding. He had most certainly been alone for far, far too long.
"So, uh, what kind of movie do you want to see?" he asked as they neared his
favorite theater.
"Hmmm," she pondered for a moment with a cute, concentrated look on her face
and he nearly got into another accident as he stared at her. Driving with
Kagome would be dangerous. "I don't know. I usually like romantic movies, but
you're a guy so you don't want to see that."
"Just pick whatever you want, Kagome, don't worry about me," he said, both
loving and hating that she was so considerate. Kikyo had always picked without
even asking him and it had ruffled his feathers, although of course he endured
in silence. He shook his head, promising he would not compare the two any
longer.
"We could see a funny movie, I guess. I don't even know what's out now," she
mumbled. "Can you—"
"You better not be asking me to pick for you again," he interrupted.
"Please?"
"No. You need to start making your own decisions," he said sternly, trying to
channel the fathers he had seen on old sitcoms.
"I do make my own decisions and I'm deciding to let you pick," she said
cheekily.
"Why?" He was sincerely wondering.
"You would know better than me. And it feels weird when you let me choose
everything. It feels—"
"Like a date?" he said flatly, trying to mask his hopeful tone.
She turned to look at him, shocked. "No! Oh, no no no. It—it feels like… like
you're bored and you don't really want to be here and you're just carting me
around to keep me occupied. You've been super nice, but that's just how it
feels," she finished with a sigh.
Inuyasha pulled into the parking lot in a stunned silence. Had he overdone the
standoffishness? Really, all he had been trying to do was not scare her with
how much he liked her. It was already scaring him. A lot. He knew she wanted to
be friends, and he did too, but how could he let her innocently befriend him
when he could not stop himself from having the thoughts that had been running
through his head since her arrival?
"I'm sorry," he said honestly. "I just—I want you to have a good time. I'm not
used to being, well, nice. But I want to be nice to you," he said awkwardly,
cursing his current inability to not sound like some sort of weirdo.
"Don't feel bad," she said urgently, placing a hand on his knee in a gentle way
that made him break out in a nervous sweat. This girl really had no sense of
personal space. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable," he almost laughed out
loud, "I just want us to be friends. Mother loves you and I want to see what
she sees so I can love you too."
The sincerity in her eyes nearly overwhelmed him and he suddenly wanted to tell
her the truth, the whole truth. About how her mother did not love him and he
did not love her, that her mother was dying and had requested he care for her
at least until she turned twenty-one and inherited Shikon. That even though she
was fifteen and he was so old he had stopped counting the years, he wanted her
with an intensity that was so strong and so sudden that he didn't trust himself
around her. That even though he would hate himself if he ruined her innocence,
that wouldn't stop him from staying by her side.
Instead, he said, "Thank you, Kagome. I think we've had enough serious talk,
how about some popcorn?"
She smiled and nodded, removing her small hand from his knee and exiting the
car. He sagged over the steering wheel in relief. His little crush on her was
going to have to stop, and soon. Getting out, he caught up to Kagome who was
already halfway to the theater, obviously excited enough to forget her
timidity. He scanned the list of available movies as they waited in line,
picking one with a title that seemed interesting enough. The ticket seller gave
him an odd look, glancing between him and Kagome. He assumed it was because of
the visible age difference (which only appeared to be about five years) and
fought the urge to needlessly explain that she was his future step-daughter and
they were definitely not on a date or anything. Inuyasha was grateful when they
made it into the building without any of Kagome's sweet "Thank you, Papa
Yasha"s. He bought her a soda, popcorn and some chocolate she had been staring
at, and she was so in awe of the people, sights, smells, and sounds that she
didn't even notice. Loading up on food for himself, he carried everything to
the theater, almost becoming cross with Kagome when she followed slowly,
looking at every poster and cardboard set-up.
He sat directly in the middle, waiting for her to catch up, hoping she would
find him in the dim lighting. When she didn't show up in the next couple of
minutes, he became worried and twisted around, hoping she was wandering the
theater. What he saw made him go completely rigid. Kagome stood by the
entrance, talking to a group of boys. Boys her age. They seemed clean cut and
friendly enough, smiling at her and saying things he couldn't hear that made
her laugh. She chatted back innocently, and he narrowed his eyes at her. She
didn't know how boys thought, not like he did. They shared the same thoughts
regarding her, it was obvious, but he was not going to touch her so she was
better off in his company. She blushed at something the leader of the group
said, smiling her angel smile and turning her face away, scanning the crowd for
him without success. She looked beautiful, he thought angrily, and he wasn't
the only one who noticed.
Inuyasha stood up suddenly, marching over to where she was unknowingly flirting
with boys whose intentions were not pure, not pure like she was. He grabbed her
wrist while glaring at the group of boys, who of course weren't man enough to
stop him or even attempt to glare back. Kagome waved and gave them an oblivious
goodbye, and he almost wanted to shake her. He settled with roughly dropping
her snacks in her lap once she sat down next to him. As if on cue, the lights
dimmed and the previews started.
"What were you thinking?!" he hissed in her ear, unable to keep silent.
"What do you mean?" She turned to face him and they were nose to nose. He could
feel her breath on his chin and he shivered.
"You were talking to those boys," he spat the word out like it was something
filthy.
"What's wrong with that? I need to make friends," she mumbled.
"It's just—I didn't want you to miss the movie," he finished lamely, unable to
put his feelings into words or even want to.
"Well, I'm here," she smiled gently at him and he almost wanted to turn around
and smirk in triumph at the idiots who approached her. Kagome was here and she
was with him.
She shivered next to him and he leaned down to whisper again.
"You cold?"
She was in that little dress without a sweater, and they really cranked up the
A/C in theaters these days. She nodded and he put the arm rest/cup holder up,
first grabbing his soda in order to not splash some unlucky person behind them.
He scooted a few inches closer until their sides were touching. He wanted to
put his arm around her or give her his jacket, but unfortunately he was her
future step-father and he had not thought to bring any kind of coat. She seemed
satisfied with just his nearness and snuggled into him while munching on her
popcorn, eyes intent on the screen. Inuyasha smiled down at her, proud he could
make her so happy in just a couple hours. Every day with him would be a day
she'd never forget, he vowed.
Finally, the movie started, and immediately he knew he had made a bad choice.
It opened with a man and woman furiously going at it in a way that looked much
too real to his eyes. He glanced at Kagome, feeling guilty when he saw her
mouth open, unmasticated popcorn in it, eyes wide and horrified. Quickly, he
placed a hand over her eyes, muttering, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so
sorry," over and over again in her ear, his tone desperately apologetic. "This
was supposed to be a comedy!"
He felt her hand on his wrist, her delicate fingers gently pulling his hand
from her eyes. "It's okay, Papa Yasha. It's just a movie," she said in her
sweet voice, although it trembled slightly from nervousness. He allowed her to
remove his hand, accidentally brushing her cheek and feeling the heat from her
blush. He cursed himself. This was probably the first time she had ever seen
anything like that. He knew she was a virgin, she had to be, she was just so
completely virginal. Had she had sex ed? Had Kikyo explained the birds and the
bees to her? Would—his eyes widened in terror—would he have to explain now that
he'd opened that door? What if she told Kikyo? He'd definitely be in for it
then.
The movie went on and although there were no more bouts of impropriety, he
could not laugh with Kagome and the rest of the audience due to the degree of
his anxiety. He kept glancing at her, just to see if she was uncomfortable. It
seemed as though she had gotten over it completely, even glancing back at him
and able to make eye contact much more comfortably than he was, moving even
closer to him to steal more of his warmth so very casually.
Finally, it was over, and they were the first ones out of the theater even
though Kagome had said she wanted to read the credits. Inuyasha couldn't stand
being in that place any longer, what with the bad experience of the boys
flirting with her and then accidentally popping her sex scene viewing cherry.
He was doing his best to not think about it but it replayed in his head over
and over and he was ashamed that he had chipped away at her perfect innocence.
She would always be an angel to him, though.
"How'd you like the movie?" she chirped, unaware of his anxiety, only wanting
to fill the silence.
"It was… alright."
She laughed. "You didn't seem like you were paying attention. You were staring
at me the entire time," her eyes twinkled as he gaped at her. "Don't worry, I
won't tell Mother. It'll be our secret." She said the last part in a low voice
that he found very appealing and he turned away in order not to let her read
his thoughts in his eyes.
"What do you want for dinner? And don't tell me to pick," he said, smoothly
changing the subject as he pushed open the double doors of the exit.
"I wasn't going to," she said testily. "Mother told me about your taste in food
and I don't like noodles very much. Let's get burgers!"
He drove to a nearby burger place, ordering through the drive-thru. He had seen
a lot of young kids Kagome's age inside and did not want a repeat of earlier.
She did deserve to make friends, but he didn't think she should be having male
friends any time soon.
They chatted over their greasy dinner about anything and everything. He found
out it was Kagome's first time having a burger from a fast food joint and he
promised to take her more often. The more she opened up to him, the more he
liked her, even as he tried to find things to dislike about her. She was quick
to anger, stubborn, occasionally obnoxious, sometimes childish. But she was so
nice, and funny, and smart, and pretty, and beautiful, and adorable and that's
when he stopped making a list.
"You said you wanted to be a nurse, right?" he asked, sipping on his milkshake.
Their food was long gone and they had been talking for the past hour, mostly
about her, but that was how he directed the conversation.
Her eyes lowered and she sighed. "Yes, but Mother would never let me. You saw
how she was." She blushed, probably thinking about their last meeting when she
had gotten upset and cried in front of him.
"I would let you."
"I know Mother loves you, but I don't think even you could change her mind on
this subject."
"I'll find a way. Trust me," he smiled at her and she looked up at him,
trusting him but afraid to hope. It made his heart melt. "What made you want to
be a nurse in the first place?"
Kagome leaned her head back on the seat, staring through the foggy windshield
into the recesses of her memory. "Mother Teresa. She was so loving and without
a thought for herself, so strong. Everything I'm not. I wanted to be like her
ever since we saw a documentary on her when I was seven."
"So you want to be a nun?" he teased.
"No," she laughed, playfully slapping his arm. "I just want to help people. I
want to help them die," she flinched. "That sounds morbid. I want to make
people as comfortable as they can be, give them the understanding and care
their loved ones can't." She stared at him sadly as she finished, not seeing
him but something in her mind. He had a terrible urge to kiss her at that
moment and so he looked down at his milkshake, fiddling with the straw.
"You really are an angel," he murmured and she smiled at him. "You're going to
be whatever you want to be. I'll run Shikon for you when Kikyo—when she decides
to hand it over to you. You'll get a paycheck and everything, just go be what
you want to be."
"Thank you," she whispered.
They sat in silence after that. Kagome had been trying to get him to talk about
himself, but got the picture after he answered her questions with more
questions and didn't press him. He wanted to tell her everything, to have this
be a real getting-to-know-one-another thing rather than just what felt to him
like an interview. But he had lived a long time and done a great many things,
most of them things he didn't want her to know about. And that's what made him
feel the worst, that he had only ever felt this way once before and it had
taken quite a bit more time for him to feel it. Only with Kikyo, his first real
girlfriend, had he ever felt so attached.
Inuyasha blew bubbles into his milkshake, listening to Kagome's soft giggle at
his actions. He was in love with his teenage step-daughter.
***** It Only Takes a Moment *****
Chapter Notes
     *Song for the chapter: I Wanna Be Loved By You by Helen Kane*
The drive home was quiet, with Kagome dozing off and him too stunned by the
revelation that he had fallen in love with a girl after only meeting her twice
to attempt conversation. He knew demons fell pretty damn fast, but how could it
be love? Yet he was positive it was. It hadn't been this fast with Kikyo,
although the strong attraction he had felt towards her had been immediate. He
had heard of love at first sight before, but had always dismissed it as
romantic bullshit. And honestly, when he first saw her he thought he was seeing
Kikyo, a drastically younger Kikyo, but still Kikyo. Was that why? Did he feel
this way because she looked so much like her mother? He shook his head
violently. No, she was nothing like her. Kagome was small and soft and happy
where Kikyo was tall and rigid and somber. He had loved her once, but that was
a long time ago. What he felt for Kagome… it was as strong as what he once felt
for Kikyo, but completely different. With Kikyo, he had been amazed someone
actually wanted to get to know him instead of just fuck. She had seen him as a
person, and he could never forget that. But Kagome made him feel, well, young.
Not in years, but in spirit. He was happy being with her. But he could never
really be with her, and that thought depressed him so much he almost missed the
turn to enter the forest that surrounded his home.
He stared at the slumbering girl next to him as he took his keys out of the
ignition. Inuyasha wanted to carry her, to let her continue sleeping, but that
would be weird. Gently, he nudged her shoulder with the tips of his fingers,
watching her slowly come awake and open her brilliant eyes to look at him. She
smiled and stretched, and he concentrated hard on the window instead of staring
at the way she arched her back and how her breasts strained against the cotton
of her dress.
"We're home?"
He smiled, happy she had referred to his place as her home. "Yeah. Your new
stuff should be up in your room. Did you… Did you have a good time?" he asked
uncertainly, even though he had been so sure of her happiness earlier in the
evening.
"Definitely," she sighed as she opened the door. "Thank you for being so kind,
Papa Yasha. You're the most wonderful man I've ever known." She stared into his
eyes seriously, a small smile on her lips, and he nearly melted into a puddle
at her feet but decided that would be too awkward. Instead, he rushed out of
the car and opened the door before she even approached the steps leading up to
the porch.
Running to his room in order to not get pulled into another conversation with
Kagome that would make him feel even more for her than he already did, he
pounced through his door just as he heard her call out a soft "Good night". He
felt incredibly guilty, but not guilty enough to go back out. Kikyo still
wasn't back yet and Kagome would be all alone in a new house, all alone with
only him there…
Inuyasha flopped face down on the bed, determined not to think anymore, just to
get to sleep and stay asleep. He would not leave his room, he would not offer
to help Kagome put her things away, he would not pretend to innocently slink
back to his room and instead stay outside until he heard her breathing slow,
and he most certainly wouldnot use her as the star in his nightly ritual before
he went off to sleep and ended up dreaming about her, which he would do because
he wanted to and even if he didn't, his mind had a way of doing just what he
told it not to so she'd probably be showing up in his dreams regardless. His
thoughts in a jumble, he eventually drifted off to sleep, clutching a pillow to
his chest that still had her scent on it.
He awoke earlier than he usually did on a Saturday, the sun having barely come
up minutes before. Inuyasha assumed a sound had awoken him, so he trudged
downstairs to check on what it was, eyes still blurry from sleep. He almost
screamed when he saw Kagome bustling about his kitchen, wearing a very tight
tank top and some shorts that would have been called underwear just a few years
ago. He had forgotten about his new roommates.
"Making yourself at home, I see," he joked. She jumped, startled, and turned to
look at him. All the cabinets were open as well as the fridge and freezer
doors. She smiled apologetically.
"I was just checking to see what to make for breakfast, but there's literally
nothing edible in here, just a few drinks," she said.
"You hungry?" he asked, yawning. He was not his best in the morning.
She nodded. "Are you?"
"Let's order a pizza, then."
"But… it's six AM."
"There's a place that delivers 24/7, don't worry about it."
"But… it's breakfast time."
"Do you want something else?" he questioned, suddenly feeling anxious. "I think
there's a Chinese place that delivers at this time. Or we could go out again—"
"No, pizza's good. I'm just used to a more, um, regular routine."
"Alright. I've got my computer in my room, come up with me." He could have
brought his laptop down, but he wanted her scent to fill his room once again.
He lumbered back up the stairs, Kagome bouncing beside him.
"I think that every day with you is going to be filled with new things," she
said happily.
He grinned. "I hope so."
He sat down on his bed, patting the space beside him, hoping she wouldn't gain
a sense of propriety now. He wanted to be able to smell her on his sheets as
well. She jumped onto the bed, no awkwardness, just innocence, and he smirked.
Pulling out his laptop from under the bed, it was a quick few seconds before he
was at the website he wanted.
"Since I eat a lot, we'll get two separate pizzas, alright? What do you want on
yours?"
"Um, maybe, can you—"
"If you make me pick, I'll give you anchovies."
She scowled at him and grabbed his laptop, clicking a few times. "There."
"Pepperoni and onions? What?" He wrinkled his nose, imagining the taste on his
sensitive tongue.
"You told me to pick. Now hurry up, I'm hungry," she said playfully.
"Whatever," he finished with the order and put his computer to the side. "It's
Saturday. Do you want to stay in and be lazy or go out and do things?"
"Staying in and being lazy would be a new thing. I don't have any lessons
today."
"You want to watch a movie? Or TV or something?" He couldn't really think of
much else.
"Do you have any board games?" she asked.
"Board games? I don't think I've even played board games…" he trailed off.
"Me neither. But they always look so fun in commercials and stuff."
He nodded, agreeing with her. Inuyasha had never had anyone to play board games
with, and even though he now had someone else who was interested in the
mysterious world of Scrabble and Parcheesi, he didn't have a single one.
"I could call Myoga and he could bring us some," he suggested.
"Myoga is your assistant?" He nodded. "I don't think it would be good to wake
him up so early."
He hadn't even thought of it being inconvenient for Myoga. They lapsed into
silence again. Truthfully, he would be happy just hearing her talk, but if she
wanted some entertainment then he would think of something.
"I know!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "Do you have any pictures of you and
Mother, like a photo album or something? I would love to see some of you
together. Mother only had a few. You can tell me all about how you met and fell
in love and all that," she smiled.
His ears drooped and he laid his head down on the pillow. What would he say to
her? He didn't have any photos of him and Kikyo left, they had been tossed out
long ago. He had no desire to relive the past, either. Their courtship had been
very normal, the things he remembered most being the proposal and the break-up.
And the sex, but of course she wouldn't want to know about that.
"Is Kikyo back yet?"
Kagome sighed. "Mother is still gone. I was hoping she'd be back by breakfast
so we could eat together like a real family."
The doorbell rang, startling both of them, and he jumped up. "Can you hand me
my wallet?" She reached for the black leather on the nightstand and her top
rode up, exposing her stomach, which he admired with greedy eyes before she
quickly tossed the wallet onto his lap.
"You should probably put some pants on or something before you answer the
door," she said, eyes sparkling mischievously as she slid off the bed and
exited the room.
He looked down to see himself only in his boxers. "Fuck," he mumbled, angry
with his lack of modesty.
Again, they did nothing but talk about anything and everything, mostly about
Kagome and her dreams and plans. Inuyasha tried to keep the information about
himself to a bare minimum, only telling Kagome his age to see if it would
disgust her. Instead, she was enthralled, and not like he was a curiosity or
something. She wanted to know all about him, how he remembered certain
significant historical events, where he was, what he was doing. He answered
only enough to barely satisfy her curiosity, trying not to outright lie which
was becoming harder and harder.
They spent all weekend alone with each other, ordering delivery and watching
movies, but mostly just talking. He couldn't remember the last time he had been
so happy. All good things come to an end, of course, and this good thing ended
on Sunday evening with a call from Myoga.
"Sir, the Higurashi girl—"
"Kagome," he interrupted moodily.
"Kagome will be attending Saint Angelus's High School tomorrow. I've emailed
you her schedule. Her uniform should be arriving now."
The doorbell rang and he answered it, taking the plastic-draped clothes without
even looking at the deliverer.
"So soon?" he asked, trying not to sound as disappointed as he felt.
"You told me to enroll her and I did so."
"Yes, but—Never mind, good work."
He ended the call, leaning against the door.
"Was that the Indian food?"
Kagome walked out to where he was, faltering a bit when she saw his slumped
posture and sensed the general air of misery about him. He straightened, trying
to recapture the mood they had shared all weekend. It was stupid of him to
think he could keep her all to himself.
"That was just Myoga. Your new uniform is here."
She smiled, but he could feel her sadness and his heart soared. He tried to
reason with himself that it wasn't because she wanted to stay with him, that
she had enjoyed their time together so much she had begun to see him as himself
and not just something attached to Kikyo.
"Oh… I-I'm scared," she whispered, eyes filling with tears.
This was definitely not what he had been expecting. Going to her, he gathered
her in his arms, trying to make the hug feel friendly. They were friends,
right? And it was just a hug, nothing wrong with that.
"What are you scared of?" he whispered soothingly.
"I just… I don't like being alone," she choked out. "People can be so mean, and
being with you was so nice I almost forgot what it was like before."
"They'll love you," he protested. A mad urge came upon him suddenly. He wanted
to tell her how he felt. But it was just so wrong and in any case far, far too
soon. And he needed her friendship, he realized. If he lost her, the wound her
absence would leave behind would be too great.
"I'm being stupid," she muttered, trying to smile but not succeeding due to the
trembling of her lips.
"No," he said firmly. "No. Just be yourself."
"Will you—Never mind," she whispered, pushing away from him and turning to go
upstairs.
"Will I what?" he asked urgently.
"Will you, um, drop me off? And maybe pick me up? It's just… I don't know
anyone and you make me feel comfortable. I'd be a lot less scared if you saw me
off the first time."
He had been planning on assigning her a driver, but he liked the idea of
spending more time with Kagome, brief though it would be. It would take some
rearranging of his schedule, but work no longer seemed so important. He smiled.
"Sure. I'll be your chauffer for as long as you want."
She answered his grin with another one of her angel smiles. "Thank you, Papa
Yasha. I'm going to go try on my uniform and see how it fits."
"Cool. Come down and show me after," he mentally slapped himself for how creepy
that sounded, but she only nodded and skipped up to her room, coming back down
mere minutes later in one of the worst excuses for a schoolgirl outfit he had
ever seen. Clearly, the people in charge of her school were perverts. The skirt
was short and pleated and green, barely reaching her thighs. The top was white
and partially see-through, riding up when she put a hand on the bannister. The
red tie drew attention to her breasts and the knee-socks she wore made the
entire thing seem like a fetish costume. Or maybe the clothes were just fine
and hewas the pervert.
"How do I look?" she asked, biting her lip worriedly.
Inuyasha could do nothing but stare, words gone. His body begged for action,
but he still retained enough brain power to refuse it. How long had it been
since he'd been with a woman, really been with one? Not since… Kikyo. The
thought of her was enough to calm him down and let him breathe again.
"Uh, it's, uh—"
He thanked every god he could think of when the doorbell rang again. Grabbing
the plastic bags, he thrust all the money in his wallet at the delivery boy,
happy enough to kiss the kid's pathetic attempt at a moustache off. The guy
looked down at the money in his hands, looked at the dazed expression on
Inuyasha's face, and promptly took off, waving good night. He had gotten fifty
dollars extra and morals be damned, he didn't want to give it back.
The few seconds he had spent at the door had been enough time to compose his
features into a mask of reserved, polite, friendly, fatherly interest,
hopefully one that would not make Kagome feel bad.
"It's too small," she muttered to herself, tugging on the hem of her shirt,
making it even tighter around the breasts. His mouth went dry and he lost the
words he was about to give her.
"You're beautiful," he blurted. And it was true. Those clothes didn't make her
look beautiful, but she was in spite of them.
She looked up, surprised. "Th-thank you," she stuttered out. "No one's ever
said that to me before," she said quietly, an awkward blush beginning to steal
across her cheeks. It was so light it almost looked like a sun burn and he
wanted to cup her face and feel exactly how warm she was.
"I can guarantee you'll be hearing it a lot more often," he said fondly. Then
it occurred to him: she probably would be hearing it more often. Kagome had
told him she had only ever gone to all-girl's schools before. Now she would be
around boys, and she was sure to attract a lot of attention. Jealousy rose up
in him and he had to stop himself from calling Myoga and have him pull her out.
Going to this school meant a lot to her and he didn't want to be like Kikyo.
"I'll go change back into my other clothes," she said, drawing nearer to him.
She reached out and pulled him into a hug, which he returned as best he could.
"You change my life for the better every day. I'm so glad you're my father."
She ran back up to her room without another look at him and he dropped the
food, hearing a styrofoam box or two break at the impact. It was hopeless. For
once, he wanted something he couldn't have and he wanted it so badly he felt
like screaming. It was just like him to fall into such a fucked up situation.
And poor Kagome was ignorant of his feelings, the pure ones and the not so pure
ones. He had not touched himself or sought out company since he met her, and
although that was less than a week ago he was already almost foaming at the
mouth with need. But he just couldn't do it. He could not dishonor her that way
in his mind, and he could not dishonor her by being with someone else. He was
stuck.
He didn't sleep at all that night. Kagome had chattered away happily during
dinner, even giving him a kiss on the cheek when she went up to bed, which
would have made him ecstatic under other circumstances. All he could do as he
lay in bed that night was imagine her next to him, not daring to go farther
than that. Being with her just felt so good and right. He was happy. But they
could never be together. She didn't even want to be together.
He knocked on Kagome's door at exactly seven, knowing she was an early riser.
He made a mental note to buy her an alarm clock or something before she got
back from school. She declined his offer of breakfast, which just would have
been microwaved leftovers anyway, and they set off, her anxious and excited and
him pensive. The school was close by, only about fifteen miles from their home.
They made it there in as many minutes. He pulled right up to the entrance,
ignoring the angry looks from the students and adults he almost ran over when
Kagome placed a hand on his knee.
"I'm so nervous," she confided. "I feel like I'm going to throw up."
"You don't have to go today," he said. "You can wait until you're more
comfortable with the idea. I know it was sudden."
"No," she shook her head. "I'm definitely going. Wish me luck," she said with a
smile. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek while he wondered whether or
not it would be weird if he kissed her the same way.
"If you feel sick or need anything, just call me on my cell."
"I don't have a phone," she said, distracted. She was attempting to unbuckle
her seat belt but it was caught on her backpack. He helped untangle her,
indulging himself and reaching out to smooth her unruly bangs affectionately.
"I'll just put it on the list of things to buy so you can be normal," he
teased.
Kagome shot him a playful glare and slid out of the car. "I'll be out at
three," she called out.
He waved sadly at her, watching her bounce up the steps in that energetic
manner only she had. Deciding to take off work, he sat in bed all day surfing
the internet, trying not to worry about Kagome or wonder what she was doing. He
called Kikyo as he had several times in the past couple of days, but her phone
was still off and he was not very surprised to find he didn't care. He called
Myoga and had him pick out a phone and computer and laptop for Kagome. After a
nap, he saw it was almost time to pick Kagome up and he left, the anticipation
of seeing her making him feel better than he had all day.
She was standing right where he had dropped her off, and he smiled at her
although of course she couldn't see through the tinted windows. She jumped into
the car, telling him in a happy tone all about her day. Without really
listening to the words, he concentrated on her voice, feeling himself almost
melt into the sound. Just a few hours without her after only knowing her for a
few days and he was this affected.
"—and I made a friend. His name is Hojo and he's going to tutor me in geometry.
He's really nice and—"
"Woah, wait. What?" he said, trying to sound calm.
"I made a friend," she repeated, smiling at him brightly. "His name's Hojo and
he's going to tutor me."
"He."
"Yes. What's wrong?" she asked, confused.
"It's just—boys at this age are difficult to be friends with. When you're a
girl, anyway."
She laughed. "Don't worry about Hojo. I've never met anyone nicer. He even gave
me a present when he offered to be my tutor."
"A present?" he repeated, grinding his teeth. She had said hewas nice just
yesterday. Did she just go around handing out compliments like that? "What kind
of present?"
"A boring one," she replied, sounding disappointed. "But it's still nice. It's
a book on foods that will help your brain work faster or whatever. I only read
like half of the back cover."
Inuyasha relaxed somewhat. It wasn't flowers or chocolates or anything to be
worried about. This kid was either an idiot or gay.
"So, did you have fun?"
"Mmhmm! It was nice. I almost never had friends before, especially when it was
so late in the semester. But after Hojo started talking to me it seems like
everybody wanted to be friends. I even got invited to a couple parties."
"That's wonderful," he muttered. There would be no more blissful weekends like
the one they had just spent.
"I said no to all that, though. Mother would be angry. Besides, I would much
rather hang out with you instead. You're more fun than all of them. I missed
you today," she said right as they arrived at the house.
He looked at her, taking the keys out of the ignition. She was looking at him
still and the silence filled the car. Time always seems to slow down when
you're staring into another person's eyes. Kagome still had a small smile on
her face and he wanted to take her into his arms and really welcome her home.
She broke the spell by blushing and stammering out something about homework,
leaving him alone in the car with nothing but her scent and that stupid book
the kid had given her left on her seat. The fact she had forgotten about it so
quickly made his heart leap in his chest. He would be able to be around her and
not be with her as long as she wasn't with anyone. Grabbing the book, he
stepped out of the car and threw it as far as he could, which was pretty damn
far. Smiling to himself, he walked into the house, wondering what to order for
dinner.
***** Til the Sunrise *****
*Song for the chapter: Sunship Balloons by The Flaming Lips*
A week went by and they fell into a rhythm. Kagome now had a cell phone, which
she used only as an alarm and an Inuyasha summoning device. Sometimes she
called Kikyo, but she rarely ever answered. Since Inuyasha's ears were so
sensitive, the alarm always woke him too. They would have microwaved leftovers
for breakfast and then he would drop her off and wait around until it was time
to pick her up again. They'd talk about her day over dinner and she'd kiss him
good night on the cheek, sometimes on the forehead, and he would always hold
absolutely still and close his eyes as she did so, which made her laugh. And
then Kikyo came back.
It was right after he had picked Kagome up from school. He was perusing the
take-out menus, debating the pros and cons of pizza versus sandwiches, when the
door opened. Kagome was doing her homework out by the Goshinboku as usual, and
she always used the back door so he knew it wasn't her. Confused, he stepped
out to the entrance, wondering if it was Myoga or something. When he saw Kikyo,
his heart felt like it was going to burst. There stood the first woman he had
ever loved. He suddenly felt all the guilt over his desire for her daughter
that he had so far managed to repress. How could he? How could he do such a
thing to Kikyo?
She greeted him pleasantly, unaware of his internal struggle. "Ah, Inuyasha.
Aren't you supposed to be at work? It's only four."
"I took off early," he muttered. In truth, he had not been to work the entire
time Kagome had been living with him. He had dealt with everything over the
phone and so far nothing bad seemed to have happened.
"Where is Kagome?" Kikyo asked, distracted. She had something on her mind.
"Out by the tree doing her homework. I enrolled her in—"
"That's nice. Are you busy?"
"I was just about to—"
Kikyo threw her arms around him and brought her face to his. Immediately, he
saw Kagome with her Christmas angel smile and pushed Kikyo away, rougher than
he had intended. She stumbled back, shock on her face. Quickly, she regained
her bearing, becoming even more rigid than before.
"I want this to be a real marriage, Inuyasha."
He rolled his eyes. "You had your chance at a real marriage with me, Kikyo."
"Perhaps… Perhaps this was not the right choice."
"What do you mean?" he asked, eyes narrowed.
"I mean," she hissed, "maybe it would be better if I just left. It's been a
week already and you have made no progress with finding out who is after my
company."
He winced. He had completely forgotten about that. "I'm sorry, Kikyo. Just give
me a little more time—"
"I don't have more time!" she screamed. "I am dying. I can barely manage to
keep myself going with what little powers I have left. You were my last hope,
but now I see I was foolish and regressing to the idiocy of my youth. I should
just take Kagome and go back home. Suikotsu could convince his brothers to help
me. He's a man who gets things done."
Inuyasha felt like he was going to have a panic attack. She wanted to take
Kagome away. That couldn't happen. He couldn't go back to the way things were.
"Kikyo, I—"
"Save it," she said severely, turning her back to him. "I don't know if I'll be
back tonight."
She went out the door and he sank into his favorite armchair. He looked down.
The menu was torn to shreds in his hands, damp with the sweat from his palms. A
need arose in him, a need to see Kagome, to reassure himself that she was still
there. Running with inhuman speed, he made his way to the Goshinboku, Kagome's
favorite spot. She was sitting peacefully, a look of concentration on her face,
and he could breathe again. The dark sunlight from the sunset was on her hair,
and if he squinted it looked like a halo.
Sensing him somehow, she looked up. "Papa Yasha!" she said, surprised and
pleased. The expression on her face soothed him and he sat beside her. He
usually never bothered her when she did her homework, even though he really
wanted to, but this was different. He needed her.
"Kagome," he breathed, reaching a hand out to stroke her hair. He desperately
wanted to feel her skin, to see if it was cool from the breeze or warm from the
setting sun. He wanted to know exactly how soft she was.
"What brings you out here?" she chirped happily, closing her book.
"I—" He stopped himself.
"You what?"
"I… I proposed to your mother under this tree," he murmured, turning away from
her to look up into the leaves.
"I know. That's why I like it here so much." He could hear the smile in her
voice.
"I don't love her. I don't love her, Kagome," he said in a rough whisper. He
could no longer keep it to himself.
She was silent for a few beats. "That's—No, that's not true. You're getting
married!"
"She doesn't love me either."
She shook her head and he could smell the tears starting. "That's not true!"
she yelled, scrambling to her feet.
"Yes, it is," he said as he stood up and grabbed her by the shoulders, giving
her a mild shake. He didn't know why, but he was suddenly angry at her, at
himself, at Kikyo.
"Then we're going to leave? We're going to go back?" she whispered, the tears
finally spilling over onto her face.
"No, Kagome," he murmured soothingly. "I'll never send you away."
"So you're still getting married?"
He hesitated, then made up his mind. "Yes."
"But—but why? If you don't… And Mother doesn't…" Her tears began to fall
faster.
"Kagome," he breathed again. He had somehow become so close to her he could see
himself reflected in her watery, brilliant eyes. For the first time, he noticed
the flecks of violet-blue in them. Without thinking, he closed the distance
between them, pressing his wanting, seeking lips to her trembling ones. He saw
her eyes go wide and then he closed his own, lost in the feeling of finally
having her soft lips on his. Tentatively, he licked her lower lip, only coming
back to his senses when he heard a soft sob come from his companion.
He pulled away quickly, hands still on her shoulders. Kagome's eyes were big
and unblinking, and although her tears had stopped she was still breathing as
though she were crying. A delicate hand came up and she touched her plump lower
lip with a single finger.
"Is—is it because… I look like Mother?" she questioned softly. Without waiting
for an answer, she wrenched away from him and took off, running madly toward
the house.
Snapping himself out of his daze, he started after her. "No, Kagome wait!"
Cursing his thoughtlessness, he ran into the house, wondering why he was so
slow. He should have been able to beat her there. Hearing her door slam, he
hastened his pace, tugging on the door knob only to discover it was locked.
"Kagome! Kagome, I'm sorry. Open the door, we need to talk!" He knocked, but
there was no response. Inuyasha began to worry. Did she hate him now? Would she
tell Kikyo? Frantically, he turned the knob and knocked again. "Kagome, open
the door or I will break it down!"
Nothing. Silence.
"I'm really going to do it!" he threatened. Still nothing. Taking a deep,
agitated breath, he backed up and rushed the door. Right as his shoulder made
contact with the wood, he felt a rush come over him and he realized: it was the
night of the new moon. He was human now. And the doors were very solid.
"Fuck!" he yelled. His shoulder throbbed painfully and he knew he'd have a
nasty bruise there until he regained his demonic healing abilities.
"P-Papa Yasha? Are you okay?" he heard Kagome say from behind the door.
Finally, she turned the knob, her worried expression changing into one of fear
as soon as she saw him. Screaming, she slammed the door in his face.
"Wait, it's me! Kagome, it's me. Inuyasha."
The door opened again, slowly this time. She was holding her phone in one hand,
a lamp in the other, and dropped them to the ground with a loud bump as she
stared at him. "Is it… really you?" she whispered. He nodded.
"What happened to you?" She reached a hand out toward him and stopped, quickly
bringing it back to her side.
"All half-demons have their night of weakness. A night where they turn human,"
he sighed. "Only you, your mom, and Myoga know about this. It's a secret, okay?
Don't tell anyone."
"I miss your eyes," she whispered suddenly.
He looked at her in surprise. "I—thank you. About earlier—"
"Don't worry, I won't say anything to Mother."
"No, that's not it," he insisted. "I want to apologize. I'm so, so incredibly
sorry. I don't know what came over me," he lied. He really wasn't sorry. How
could he be sorry for something he'd wanted so badly? If he was sorry about
anything, it was her reaction.
"That… was my first kiss." She touched a finger to her lip again, looking
bewildered. Her eyes met his, confusion still in them. "It was nice. Thank
you?"
He covered up his glee with a laugh, saying, "You're welcome. And I'm sorry
about trying to break your door down like some kind of freak. I always get kind
of emotional on my human nights. So… what do you say we order pizza?"
Her lips slowly formed a smile and nodded, telling him to pick whatever and
going back into her room. Kagome was obviously still confused about the whole
situation and unsure of him now, but he could not for the life of him let
himself feel bad. He had finally kissed her, and it was perfect. Well, not
perfect, since she had kind of just been standing there shocked and
unresponsive, but it was sweet and nice. And it had been her first kiss. You
never forget your first kiss. Inuyasha smirked to himself.
Dialing Kikyo's number, he made his way downstairs to his favorite chair. He
hadn't expected her to answer, but she did. He almost hung up, not having a
speech prepared.
"Er, um, hey Kikyo!"
"I assume you've called to apologize," she said icily.
"Uh, yeah. It's just… things are moving really quickly between the two of us.
You… you really hurt me, Kikyo. I can't just pick up where we left off. I need
time," he murmured, trying to sound sincere.
Kikyo sighed. "I understand. But I really want this to work, Inuyasha. I need
this to work. I want to make things right. Let's have our wedding on January
first."
He froze, his tongue feeling like a rock in his mouth. That was only a few
months away. "Sure. I've got to go now. Bye."
She murmured her farewell and he hung up, feeling numb. It was late October.
January first? The day she left him? But if he married her, he could keep
Kagome. He would do anything to keep Kagome, especially now.
He ordered their usual and the pizza arrived quickly, as it always did.
Inuyasha suspected he was their main client. He rarely went out and never
cooked. Kagome quietly made her way downstairs, obviously having heard the
doorbell. She was dressed in her pajamas although it was still early.
"I, uh, got the usual thing," he muttered.
"Thanks."
"I really don't want us to be awkward," he said desperately, his voice sounding
too loud in the echoing, empty room.
"It's not," she said quickly. Too quickly. He gave her a look and her shoulders
slumped. "Okay, it is," she took a deep breath and looked him in the eye.
"You're my best friend. I'm not going to let anything ruin that."
The emotions rushed through him so fast he didn't even have time to identify
them. "You're my best friend, too."
They stood just looking at each other, both wondering what to do and how to
act. Finally, Kagome broke the silence. "Let's eat!"
He nodded and turned on the TV, flipping it to a cartoon he found entertaining
for some reason. Kagome sat on the couch next to him, closer than she ever had
before, obviously determined not to feel awkward. They ate in silence, both
pretending to be watching the goings-on of the poorly drawn characters.
"I'm uh, going to go to bed," she announced, standing up. "Will you be up much
longer?"
"I never sleep on my human night," he muttered, mouth full of pizza.
"Oh. Do you…want me to stay up? Keep you company? It's Friday so it won't be a
problem."
Glancing up at her, he saw her shy sincerity. "It's okay. I'm used to going it
alone."
She huffed and plopped back down next to him. "Saying something like that just
ensures I'll stay by your side."
Surprised, he put down his pizza and was about to protest when she gave him a
stubborn look and he knew anything he said would be useless. "Thank you," he
said quietly, placing his clawless hand on one of hers.
She stared at him, a look of wonder on her face. "You… Wow, everything's so
different but still the same."
"How so?" he asked, genuinely curious. He had never really bothered to examine
himself during this time, being angry it existed in the first place. Usually he
did everything he could to forget he was experiencing it.
Kagome blushed. "Your eyes. The shape is the same and I can still see you in
there, your soul, but the color... I just associated the color gold with you so
much that it's shocking. But the color you have now is still so beautiful. It's
black and gray and purple, even."
"Go on," he smirked, enjoying her innocent fascination.
Giggling, she ran her fingers through a lock of his hair that was now as dark
as hers. "I loved the way your hair was before, but this is nice, too. I never
noticed before, but your hair is so weird. I think we have almost the same
haircut. Your bangs are so like mine. They're kind of all over the place. Did
you cut it yourself after seeing a Zooey Deschanel movie too?"
They both laughed, their previous awkwardness forgotten, the experience only
bringing them closer. Suddenly, she grabbed his hand, and he became self-
conscious, worrying that he had grease on his fingers or sauce under his nails.
He wasn't the neatest eater.
"Are your claws really, really sharp?" she murmured, the pad of her thumb
running over the edge of his now flat pinky nail.
"Sharp enough," he said hoarsely. The gentle way she cradled his hand made him
ache, body and soul, for her.
"Sharp enough to what?" she asked, eyes meeting his.
"To kill," he confessed in a whisper.
Kagome smiled. "Now you're just trying to scare me. I don't believe what some
people do. I don't think you're a killer just because you're built like one."
Inuyasha said nothing, and eventually she drifted off to sleep, her head on his
shoulder. He stroked her hair in the dark, forcing himself to remember the face
of every life he'd ended in order to remind himself of why he wasn't good
enough for her and never would be. He ran through them and wasn't even half-way
done when the sun came up.
***** Shame *****
Chapter Notes
     Note: You guys are so stingy with reviews. I am a delicate flower,
     and if I am not showered with compliments, I shall wither and die. Do
     you really want that on your conscience?
     *Song for the chapter: Shame by PJ Harvey*
Kagome led her guest into the house, holding his hand since he was walking
slowly, distracted by everything. Hojo had promised to tutor her today. She had
told Inuyasha that morning that she would be getting a ride home with a friend
today, and although he looked disappointed she knew he had been wanting to get
back to work and put in a full day for a while. Hojo had his own car, and while
it wasn't the flashiest thing on the block, it was still nice. Kind of like its
owner, Kagome mused to herself, immediately feeling guilty.
"Would you like anything to drink, Hojo?" she asked, remembering her manners.
The brown-haired boy smiled vaguely at her and grinned.
"Whatever you have is fine with me, Higurashi," he said pleasantly. She smiled
at him while wondering if he even knew her first name.
"Let's see," she said, peering into the refrigerator. There were a few cans of
beer, a now flat half-empty bottle of soda, and what appeared to be a pitcher
of something. "We've got, um, iced tea?"
She grabbed the pitcher and placed it on the counter, reaching into the cabinet
below to pull out two glasses. Pouring a generous amount into each glass, she
handed one to Hojo and took the other for herself. He took a sip, immediately
grimacing.
"Th-this isn't iced tea," he choked out.
Kagome sipped from her own glass, confused, her expression soon matching his
own. It had sure looked like iced tea. But it tasted like something else. It
was gross and it burned her throat. She put her glass down and wiped her mouth,
sticking her tongue out and making a gagging noise. Hojo laughed and she took
his hand again.
"Let's go up to my room," she said, followed by a giggle. Suddenly everything
seemed hilarious.
"Sure, Kagurashi."
Inuyasha left the building an hour early, speeding back home. Work seemed so
boring and tedious now. He knew it was because of Kagome. He regretted allowing
her to get a ride home without even knowing who her friend was. And he missed
her. He preferred sitting around and waiting to go see her again to sitting
around and barking out orders while pretending to go over paperwork.
There was an unfamiliar car in his driveway and he considered "accidentally"
scratching it with his keys, but then decided not to take his frustration out
on some poor kid's shitty property. It wasn't their fault he was in love and in
a hopeless situation. Feeling generous, he pushed open the door, immediately
bounding up the stairs when he heard Kagome moan loudly from her room. Was she
hurt?
Wrenching open the door to her room, Inuyasha walked in on the last thing he
expected to see. Kagome was on her back on her cloud-like angel bed, legs
hanging off the edge, her nearly sheer uniform blouse unbuttoned all the way
and falling off her shoulders. There was a mousy-haired boy in between her
breasts, muttering something about love and iced tea. Neither of them even
noticed his presence until he roared, "What the fucking fuck?!"
The boy turned around and Inuyasha wasted no time, immediately punching him in
the face, barely remembering to hold back at the last second lest he kill him.
The kid didn't even attempt to fight back, so he took pity and grabbed him by
the collar, dragging him out of the room and down the stairs, tossing him out
the door.
"If I ever catch you around Kagome again, I will rip your fucking throat out,"
he growled. The boy, obviously getting the message, struggled to his feet and
weaved back to his car.
Spitting on the ground to express his disgust in a crude habit he had not
indulged in decades, he ran with inhuman speed back to Kagome. His anger fled
when he saw the dazed look on her face, as though she had been drugged or—
"Kagome, what did you do?" he whispered with concern, sniffing around her, his
nose answering his question. She had found his "demon juice". It was a special
alcohol made for demons by demons since regular alcohol didn't do the trick
with their metabolism. Kagome, not knowing what it was, had consumed it and now
she was drunk off her ass. This was all his fault.
"He asked to kiss me, Inuyasha," she murmured lazily. His eyes shot to hers,
shocked she had used his actual name. Kagome was still half-naked and not at
all concerned about that, leaning back on her elbows and looking down at where
he knelt before her. "You didn't ask. I like your way better."
"Kagome," he whispered. He felt incredibly guilty for again tarnishing her
perfect innocence. Actual foreplay was so much worse than just glimpsing a sex
scene in a theater. What would Kikyo say? His gaze traveled down to her
breasts, where the boy's saliva still glistened. Intending only to remove every
trace of him, Inuyasha reached out with both hands and, without thinking, ran
his thumbs over her nipples, wiping the clear substance off. She moaned and
arched her back, whispering his name. Glancing back up at her, shocked, he
stared into her darkened eyes. They demanded something from him, something he
knew a lot about and she didn't. Entranced, he repeated the movement of his
thumbs, this time slower and with a longer stroke, caressing her. She bit her
lip and urged him on with her gaze.
Unable to fight his own desires any longer, he rose up and pressed his lips to
hers, kissing her the way he really wanted to. She was sloppy and inexperienced
but he didn't care. The only thing that mattered was that she was responding.
Her arms circled his neck and he pressed his entire body into her, running his
hands up her thighs and sides, memorizing her smoothness.
"Inuyasha," Kagome moaned, kissing along his cheek and jaw. There was a fire in
her eyes now, one that matched his own, and he pressed his clothed erection
into her, delighting in her surprised gasp. Kissing and licking his way down
her body, he soon arrived at her breasts and introduced them to his tongue. She
arched her back into his mouth and pressed down on his head, begging him
without words. Placing a gentle kiss on the nipple he was currently toying
with, he sucked hard several times, ears twitching when she practically
screamed at the new sensations, then he switched to the other. Her hips sought
what he had to offer and she brought them up repeatedly, rubbing against him.
He felt her hand trail down his side, pausing to sneak under his shirt and
lightly touch his abdominal muscles before she shocked him and boldly ventured
into his pants, grabbing his cock and touching it just so. His surprise at her
actions brought him back to reality and he yanked himself off of her, disgusted
at the way he had eagerly almost raped his step-daughter. A part of himself
whispered that she had wanted this, whispered to him that all he had to do was
look at her and take a deep breath to reassure himself, but he shook his head.
She was young, she was intoxicated, she didn't know what she was doing whereas
he did.
"Um, Kagome, I'm going to get you some water and let you take a nap, alright?"
She rose up onto her elbows again, the peaks of her breasts this time shining
with his saliva, something he took a sick pride in. He was standing just at the
edge of her bed, in between her spread legs which were still hanging off the
bed, her feet almost touching the floor.
"No," she said stubbornly, almost yelling. "You kissed me before and you
touched me today and kissed me. You can't just run away after that."
"You're drunk," he said urgently, continuing when she shook her head. "You had
some of my special liquor. It's really, really, really strong and even a sip
would make a human completely inebriated."
"I am not drunk and you shouldn't use such big words," she said, wrapping her
legs loosely around him.
He knew he should untangle himself from this mess, but the way she was looking
at him turned him to stone. Kagome kept eye contact with him as she reached
down, slowly, and lifted up her skirt. His gaze followed her movements and he
watched, fascinated and more aroused than he could ever remember being, as her
slender fingers pushed the tiny scrap of white cotton that was her underwear to
the side and fluttered down along her slit, coming back up to rub her clit.
"I want you to keep doing what you were doing," she said.
He nodded, hypnotized by the sight of her touching herself in front of him. He
fell to his knees, pushed her hand out of the way, ripped off her panties, and
took a long, slow lick from bottom to top. As expected, she tasted divine. She
shivered and he licked her again and again, driving his tongue into her while
rubbing her clit with a clawed finger, then he switched and stuck his fingers
into her hole and licked and sucked her clit. Kagome squirmed and moaned,
panting his name. When she was close, he withdrew his tongue from her and rose
up to kiss her, his fingers still at work. He pushed her down from her elbows
to her back as he shoved her shredded panties into his pocket, the force with
which he did so making her eyes open. Leaning on his own elbow, he stared into
her eyes, his free hand coming up to toy with her nipple, pinching and tugging
on the rosy little nub.
"Cum for me, Kagome," he said in a low, hoarse voice, barely holding back a
growl, not wanting to scare her.
She obeyed with a loud cry, clenching around his fingers rapidly, covering them
in her cum. He watched her face, studying its every detail. Her eyes were shut
tight and her nose was wrinkled, the few light freckles she had, which he was
positive no one else besides the two of them noticed, now nowhere to be seen.
Her upper lip trembled and a tear released from each eye, running down her
temples and into her midnight hair. The face she made when lost to pleasure
fascinated him and he wanted to see it again and again and again. Shuddering
almost violently, she reached and held his hand that had been playing with her
breast, twining their fingers together, her eyes opening and the look on her
face confused, pleased, and startled. Inuyasha kissed her deeply, mentally
rejoicing in his success. Not only had he given Kagome her first kiss, he had
given her her first orgasm as well. She had been so tight around his fingers
and had always behaved in such a way that he now knew for certain she was a
super virgin. She had never even touched herself.
Their kiss became more gentle and soft as he tried to communicate his feelings
of love to her using only his lips. He took his fingers from her, amazed she
was still experiencing aftershocks, and broke the kiss, intending to tell her
everything.
"Kagome," he whispered, staring into her still dazed eyes. "I—have to go."
He was up and out the door before she could say anything, closing it silently
behind him as he sped toward his room. Slamming the door, he fell to his knees
with his back still against it. What had he just done? There was no way that
things could stay the same after this. He was a terrible person.
He continued berating himself as he reached down and unzipped his pants,
pulling out his throbbing cock and stroking it, remembering how Kagome's hand
had felt in the brief instant she had touched him there. Licking his lips, he
tasted her juices, growling as he recalled what he had just done. He fumbled
around in his pocket until he grasped the small piece of cloth he had stored
there just minutes before. He pressed it to his nose and inhaled deeply, then
brought it to his mouth and licked the crotch more savagely than he had Kagome.
Switching hands, he sucked on his still wet fingers, letting out a groan that
almost sounded pained as he came, hard, shuddering just as Kagome had. He
looked at the mess in front of him, fingers still in his mouth. He had never
cum so hard or so soon just from masturbating. Tucking his now flaccid cock
back into his pants, he collapsed on the bed face down, too unsure of himself
to even move, her ruined panties beside him.
***** Poison *****
Chapter Notes
     Note: Thanks for all the reviews! I urge you to keep it up. They make
     me super happy, and I like to know what you're thinking when you
     read. It's a huge help and your encouragement means absolutely
     everything. This story's a bit of an embarrassment, and all the kind
     words make me want to come back and post another after this one is
     done. =]
     *Song for the chapter: Poison by Meg Myers*
Inuyasha was still afraid the next morning, trying not to remember what he had
done to Kagome yesterday as it only made him more anxious and aroused. He
wondered if she'd even remember. Not remembering would be worse than
remembering, and the thought almost made him hyperventilate. The worst part was
that he didn't really regret it. She hadn't been truly present and
participating, he knew that, but that experience with her was more than he had
allowed himself to dream of and he would take the memory to his grave, one
brief moment of… he didn't know what to call it, but he knew he'd think about
it every day until he either died or went crazy.
He waited until he heard the front door close, signaling that Kagome had called
a car and left for school. Cursing his cowardliness, he slipped out of his room
only to come face to face with the very one he was trying to avoid. How the
heck did she do that? They stared at each other, and despite his guilt and
previous attempt at avoiding her, he was glad to see her. Not daring to take
his eyes from hers, he leaned back on the opposite side of the door he had
masturbated against the night before, allowing her to make the first move.
"We need to talk, Papa Yasha," she said.
He flinched. So they were back to that. At least she didn't sound mad. Kagome
broke eye contact and walked downstairs, expecting him to follow. She led him
to the sitting room and gestured toward his arm chair, taking a seat on the
sofa for herself. It was all so formal he almost wanted to laugh, but decided
it was best not to under the circumstances.
"I believe we can both agree that what happened last night was a mistake," she
said primly, doing her best impression of Kikyo. He rolled his eyes.
"Cut the shit and be yourself, Kagome," he spat out, suddenly upset. A mistake?
Maybe for her, but she had enjoyed herself regardless.
She glared at him, tears forming in her eyes. "Don't act like you know me," she
hissed. "We've hardly met and we've already—already—"
"Look, please don't cry," he pleaded. "I'm sorry, and I know that's not enough,
it can never be enough."
"What will Mother say?" she whispered, horrified.
"Nothing. Because we're not going to tell her, okay? Neither of us wants that,"
he said urgently.
"But how—Alright," she nodded, following with a sigh. "I'm sorry, too. This
never would have happened if I weren't so stupid."
"You're not stupid. This was all my fault! I should have thrown that drink out
before you moved in."
"What did you do to Hojo?"
"Is that the boy you… you were with?"
Kagome blushed. "Yes. I need to apologize to him, too. This is all so
terrible."
"I showed him the door, then I went back to take care of you," he muttered, his
poor choice of words making him blush as well.
Kagome fidgeted nervously in her seat, biting her lip like she had before until
she noticed how his eyes were drawn to it. "Um, I'm late for school, so I'll
just…"
"I'll take you."
"No, it's fine," she insisted, not looking at him.
He sighed. "I'll drop you off just this last time, okay? I'll get a car for you
from now on. I think it's best if maybe we stopped hanging out so much. I've
been… attracted to you ever since I first saw you," he finally confessed,
feeling his heart twist in his chest as she turned her face away and appeared
to be trying not to listen. "I'm sorry I took advantage of your vulnerability
like that and I understand if you don't want to be friends."
"You're still my best friend," she said, eyes on her feet. "I just think we
need to, like you said, not hang out so much. We spent a lot of time together
and it was obviously unhealthy and we formed attachments we shouldn't have. I
don't want you to feel so bad about yesterday because," she closed her eyes,
"because I liked what you did to me even though I knew it shouldn't have
happened. I—I think you are very nice and handsome and just great and when
you—when you touched me like that…" she stopped, absentmindedly pressing her
thighs closer together and touching her lips. "I'm sorry. I just like you so
much," she finished in a whisper.
"We should probably get going," he said hoarsely.
Kagome nodded and grabbed her school bag, awkwardly brushing past him to the
door. They spent the entire ride in silence, each going over the words the
other had said and storing them away in their hearts. He dropped her off
without a goodbye and immediately went into work, an hour early and completely
furious. Inuyasha had just lost the one bit of goodness in his life and
although it seemed like she reciprocated his feelings to at least some degree,
there was no way she would allow them to be together. And he could understand,
really. If anyone else knew about what they had done they'd think it was
disgusting, but knowing and feeling are two very different things.
Apparently, to Kagome "we shouldn't hang out so much" meant "we should never
ever ever talk again ever for the rest of forever". It had been days and he had
barely seen her. She had even bought groceries, instructing her driver to take
her to a store after school one day and using the card he had given her for
emergencies. He guessed this could be seen as an emergency from her point of
view, but now he didn't even have the excuse of asking her what she wanted for
dinner in order to see her, hear her. Inuyasha now moped about whenever he was
at home, wanting to just sit next to her and listen to her voice but not able
to even have that much. She would cook dinner, leave him a plate, and take her
food up to her room immediately. He considered hiding all the food so she'd
have to talk to him, but he knew she was stubborn and would probably starve
before knocking on his door.
He kept the underwear he had taken from her in a plastic Ziploc bag in his
briefcase, sometimes pulling it out at work and sniffing it, other times just
staring at it. He had stuffed it in his mouth so many times that it smelled
more like him than her, and he now regretted all his enthusiastic jacking off
sessions, although that didn't stop him. He hadn't slept since what happened
with Kagome, and it was beginning to wear at him. As a half-demon, he could
survive without sleep for much longer than an ordinary man, but the way things
were going he was thinking of getting some demon-strength sleeping pills.
What helped keep him up at night was the knowledge of what Kagome did right
before she went to sleep. He had stumbled upon it a couple nights after what
happened. Stopping before her door on the way to his, he lingered, imagining
her tucked away in her cloud bed, dreaming of whatever angels dream of. That
was when he heard a small sigh, one that immediately tipped him off to what she
was doing. Mourning his inability to see through walls, he jammed his ear
against the door to better hear her gasping breaths and sweet moans. Reaching
into his pants, he jerked himself quickly, trying to catch up with her. It was
just a few seconds later that he heard her climax, saying his actual name, not
that stupid nickname, in a loud whisper. He came as well, answering her by
whispering her name into the door as quietly as he could.
Kikyo came back from wherever it was she had gone. She always said she was at
work, but he smelled sex on her and knew she had been with a man, most likely
that Sui-whatever guy she had told him about. Again, she tried to engage him in
a battle of tongues, but he refused her, gently this time, reiterating his lies
about being hurt and needing time to heal when really he was just not the kind
of man to kiss a woman after his mouth had been on her daughter's pussy. Kikyo
was vain enough to believe it and happily went about working and her not so
secret rendezvous with that doctor guy. She was hardly ever home and he doubted
she had ever even slept in the twin bed he hadn't bothered replacing.
On one of her visits, which always seemed to be when Kagome was not around, he
asked her what he'd been wondering for some time.
"Uh, Kikyo, is Kagome on, er, birth control?"
Kikyo looked at him sharply, suspicious. "Why do you ask?"
"It's just that she has this boy hanging around her all the time now and I was
thinking that they might, uh, do stuff," he muttered, the words tasting bad in
his mouth.
She laughed. "Kagome? With a boy? They haven't shown any interest in her, so
I'm surprised. Thank you for telling me, Inuyasha, but you don't have to worry.
I put her on birth control immediately when she started her first period. She
complained of her cramps so much that it was nearly unbearable for Urasue, so
we thought it best to just reduce the amount of times per year we'd have to
suffer through that."
"Wow, um, okay." He filed the information away for later, trying to suppress
his disgust at Kikyo's actions.
And then Kagome broke the routine, as he had been hoping she would, although it
was not in the way he wanted. She brought home a boy, the same one that had
been on top of her, the one that had been spending time with her since the
first day of school. Hojo. He smelled him as soon as they entered, his fangs
baring and a growl making its way out of his throat. Inuyasha had stayed home
from work that day, hoping for a glimpse of Kagome before she shut herself up
in her room for the night. He usually got back too late to see her cook and do
whatever else she did. Kikyo had not been back since yesterday and he assumed
she was actually working since she had seemed quite occupied and had not even
wanted to chat.
Immediately he was before them, his posture and gestures saying "welcoming,
benevolent host" but his face screaming murder. He glared back and forth
between them, his gaze softening somewhat as he looked Kagome up and down,
taking in the sight of her and enjoying it immensely.
"Hojo is tutoring me," she explained calmly. "I told him what happened."
When his eyes widened, she quickly sputtered out, "N-no! What happened with the
drink! Why he and I were acting that way!"
Inuyasha relaxed and Hojo looked at him, confused by the conversation and
scared. There was still a bruise on his face and Inuyasha smiled, proud of his
work. The boy knew what he was capable of. He wouldn't overstep his boundaries.
It looked like Kagome had dragged him there almost against his will, anyway.
The kid hadn't said a word and his hands were shaking. He was too afraid to
even look at Kagome. Even though he observed all this, it didn't stop him from
feeling insanely, incredibly, intensely jealous. He still wanted to rip the
kid's throat out.
"Fine," he nodded, seeing the look on Kagome's face. "But stay at the kitchen
table. And tutor her for real this time," he added with a growl.
"Y-yes, sir!" Hojo yelped.
Sitting down in his chair, he heard Kagome offer him refreshments and Hojo
decline rather loudly. They launched into the tutoring session and soon he was
bored with eavesdropping as they were only talking about math. He kept one ear
trained for any unusual sounds and went back to his laptop, reading over some
messages from Myoga involving Shikon. Every sabotage had been performed so
skillfully that it was nearly impossible to figure out who had done it, but
Inuyasha believed Kikyo when she said it was Onigumo. Destroying him was even
more important now that Kagome was in his life. He didn't ever want her
learning what her father was like or even that she had a father. He would be
the only man she needed, in whatever capacity she required.
Finally, he heard Hojo stammer out a goodbye and Kagome walk him to the door,
shutting it with a sigh. She made her way to where Inuyasha was now pretending
to work, heart beating in anticipation of actually talking to her for the first
time in days. He was torn between disappointment and excitement when she bent
over in front of where he was sitting, attempting to get a schoolbook of hers
that was under his feet on the coffee table. She stumbled over her own feet and
fell, palms smacking the surface of the table. Her skirt rode up a bit too high
and what he saw made him choke. She was wearing a tiny, little thong. Had she
dressed for Hojo? Had she counted on Inuyasha not being there? Had he ruined
her plans?
Those thoughts coupled with his jealousy and lack of sleep made him so angry he
growled, coming to a sudden decision. "Come here, Kagome," he said in a low
voice, shutting his laptop and tossing it on the floor to the side of his
chair, not caring if it broke.
Startled at the sound of his voice, she turned to him, obeying without thought.
He was pleased. If she had ignored him, things would have become much, much
worse. Kagome stood at his side and he could feel her curiosity and reluctance.
He said nothing and just as she turned to leave, he grabbed her wrist, dragging
her face-down across his lap.
"What the fuck is this, Kagome?" he hissed, bringing a hand up to her rear and
stroking the skin around the thong. She responded immediately, pushing back
into his hand, her wetness making the underwear damp. However, she said
nothing, and actions weren't enough this time.
"I asked you a question," he said calmly, bringing his hand down on her
perfectly round, lily-white bottom with a loud slap.
"Ow!" she yelled, trying to turn her head and look at him. "That hurt! What are
you—"
He slapped her again on the other cheek, this time squeezing her afterward.
"Just answer the question, Kagome," he whispered, running his claws gently down
the line of her thong.
She shivered and said, "I don't—"
Two slaps.
"Fine! I picked it out when we went shopping that one time. I liked it so I got
it," she muttered into the armrest.
He slapped her again, hitting both cheeks at once, enjoying the way her flesh
jiggled and changed colors to a very becoming red. "Why'd you wear it today?"
"I just felt like it."
He slapped her again.
"Ow! What was that for? I answered the question!"
"I just felt like it," he smirked.
Kagome tried to turn over but he kept her down across him, her struggles
stimulating his erection. She stopped trying to get away when he began to run a
finger down along her thong, ripping it off with a claw and quickly stuffing it
in his shirt pocket. He ran his hand over Kagome's cheeks, hearing her
breathing quicken and become heavier, the sensations she felt on her sensitized
skin completely new. Her wetness dripped onto his pants and he stuck a finger
in her, both of them moaning at the feeling.
"So good," she whispered. Inuyasha nodded even though he knew she couldn't see.
He withdrew from her, ignoring her cry, and flipped her onto her back on the
coffee table. Leaning over her, he kissed her lips tenderly, apologizing, then
allowed himself to be dragged into her much more frantic and impassioned
response.
"I want to be with you, Kagome," he whispered into her hair. "Really be with
you. I don't want to be friends or your step-dad or anything else."
"Me too. Or me neither. You know what I mean," she whispered back, grabbing him
by the hair to give him another kiss with her already swollen lips. He broke
apart with an abrupt movement and stared down at her lustily.
"I'll 'tutor' you, Kagome. I'll teach you things you only dreamt about. So
ditch the kid and leave your schooling to me."
She bit her lip and nodded eagerly, not really paying attention to his words,
wanting him to continue. Smiling, he kissed his way down her body, nipping at
her breasts and swirling around her nipples with his tongue until she begged
him to go lower. He complied, using his fingers and tongue to bring her to
orgasm, her hands fisted in his hair as she humped his face. When she calmed
down, he kissed her again, slowly and lovingly, supporting her head with one
hand and caressing her breast with the other, trying to ignore his own burning
need as he sought to arouse her again. She wasn't ready for all of him yet, but
he'd work on her until she was. He sealed the promise to himself by giving
Kagome a hard kiss and gently biting her lower lip while pinching her nipple,
making her moan and arch into him.
He could wait.
***** Tear Us Apart *****
Chapter Notes
     Note: Thanks for all the reviews! You guys are the Nutella to my
     graham crackalackas.
     *Song for the chapter: Never Tear Us Apart by INXS*
Inuyasha and Kagome established a routine. He would "tutor" her, with faux
punishments for little things, such as dropping several cartons of take-out on
the floor and not cleaning up the mess (which only happened because he was
sucking on her neck with his hands squeezing her breasts from behind) or being
what he deemed too clumsy, frequently tripping up the stairs but never down,
thankfully. The punishments, which were always followed by him either licking
her or fingering her to an intense orgasm, consisted of love bites and more
spankings, and Inuyasha began to suspect she would slip up on purpose just to
get his hands on her, which he would love if it were true. Her little mistakes
were just made so naturally that he could never be sure if it really was her
way of instigating one of their tutoring sessions.
One evening, as he was bringing her to another shuddering release on the floor
of his room, she reached down and grabbed him through his pants. He tore his
lips from hers and withdrew his fingers, looking her in the eye with something
akin to shock. Sure, she had touched him that first time, but since then she
had not made a move toward his lower region. Flinching, he looked down on her
apologetically, seeing the curious look in her eyes. He had thought she wasn't
ready for him, but he wasn't ready for her.
Kagome reached down again and he grabbed her wrist, stopping her. He moved away
and looked down, but not soon enough to avoid witnessing the hurt look in her
eyes.
"Y-you don't want me to touch you?" she whispered. "I thought…"
"It's not that," he muttered, scooting away. "I just—Fuck, it's one thing for
me to do these things to you and another for you to do them to me."
"What do you mean?" Anger and confusion mixed in her tone and he looked up at
her, his eyes pleading for her to understand the words he wasn't sure he could
get right.
"You're so young," he said, wincing when his voice came out louder than he had
intended.
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Have you just realized that? Come on," she murmured,
crawling on her knees toward him, suddenly seductive. "Let me touch you back. I
want to feel you."
She kissed him and he let her, but stopped her hand when it again drifted
toward the obvious bulge in his pants. It was so very difficult for him, but he
could endure. Even if it was true he was so aroused these past few days with
her that he had cum in his pants multiple times already and jerked himself off
even more. Inuyasha was nearly constantly aroused, but he couldn't let Kagome
take care of that for him. Like he had told her, it was one thing for him to
bring her pleasure, but a completely different thing for her to pleasure him.
He would feel as though he were defiling her in some way. Although he did want
to "defile" her in the worst way, he thought it best to wait awhile at least,
to give her time to change her mind.
"Just let me take care of you, okay, Kagome?"
He could tell she wanted to refuse by the stubborn set of her jaw and the glare
she was giving him, but he was touching her in all the right places and she had
been so close before the interruption. Nodding once, she rose to her knees in
front of him, hands on his shoulders as he sucked on a nipple greedily and
plunged his fingers in and out of her, soon feeling her clench around him as
she brought his lips up to hers for a kiss. The kiss was deep and forceful on
her end, like she was telling him that this wasn't the end and she'd get her
way sooner or later. He sighed and carried her to his bed, plopping her on it
and turning off the lamp, silencing her complaints about homework with a kiss
and a growl.
Kagome continued to beg to reciprocate and he continued to deny her, each time
being harder than the last (both figuratively and literally). She pouted and
got angry, but he was firm and attempted to distract her with his talents.
Inuyasha was secretly pleased that she wanted him so badly, almost as badly as
he wanted her. He couldn't imagine what it would be like if the situation was
reversed, but he guessed he probably would have forced his way much more
violently than she was attempting to do. All in all, it just made him love her
more.
Things continued like this and the self-imposed chaste frustration was driving
him crazy. They were in the parking lot of Kagome's school, and even though
they had left early she was now going to be late. She was grinding against him
in his lap in the driver's seat and kissing him passionately, whimpering and
drenching the front of his pants. His hands were roaming her ass and he felt
her lack of panties, something that made him buck up and press her down onto
him.
"Fuck, Kagome, you're not going in to school like this."
She gasped and rolled off of him. "You're right! I better get going. I can't
afford another tardy."
Stunned, he watched as she grabbed her garish yellow backpack and exited the
car, forgetting to shut the door in her haste. Inuyasha cursed himself for
speaking. He had meant that he wasn't going to let her go inside without
undergarments, not that she should hurry up. Resigned, he leaned over to shut
the door when his eye caught a flash of yellow in the space between her seat
and the door. It was Kagome's lunch bag, the one that matched her backpack. He
didn't know why she insisted on making lunch when every morning he offered her
money to buy a meal. An idea popped into his head and he smiled, grabbing her
bag and following after her.
He burst through the double doors and started tracking her by scent when he was
stopped by a burly woman with an angry glare. Self-consciously, he tugged his
shirt down, hoping it was long enough to cover the wetness Kagome had left on
his pants but not daring to look and possibly draw her gaze to it.
"Sir, only parents or guardians are allowed beyond this point, and only then
after checking in at the main office."
Inuyasha shot her a glare of equal vehemence and won, the woman looking away
uncomfortably. "I'm a parent, or uh, guardian. My step-daughter," the word
tasted bad in his mouth, "forgot her lunch." He held up her bag as proof.
She looked him up and down doubtfully. "You can leave that in the main office
along with her name and we'll make sure she gets it."
"It's fine, I can give it to her."
"You're still going to have to sign in at the main office, sir," she said
testily, her glare creeping back.
He sighed in frustration. "I'm a busy man and I just want to give my step-
daughter her lunch, okay? I won't even be five minutes."
"I cannot disobey school rules—"
"Then can you point me in the direction of the main office?" he growled
angrily.
She nodded and turned, giving him directions complete with unnecessary hand
gestures. "Go right back out those doors and head left…"
Inuyasha used his demonic speed and made his way further into the school,
sniffing out Kagome. Her trail ended before a door and he looked in through the
small window, seeing her rapidly take notes as her teacher droned on and on
about whatever and her classmates whispered to each other or slept. He tapped a
claw on the glass and she looked up, the only one to do so. Smiling, he held up
her bag and she looked at him gratefully, mouthing a thank you. She raised her
hand and Inuyasha heard her ask to use the restroom. Her teacher rolled her
eyes and told her she didn't have to ask in a way that suggested they had
already been over this a few times before. Kagome bounced out the door and over
to him, reaching out for her bag only to have him raise it above his head and
far out of her reach.
"You left your lunch in the car. Being forgetful is a very bad thing and I
don't want you to make a habit out of it, Kagome," he said in the tone he
always used when "punishing" her.
He watched her gulp, the lust-crazed girl who had been grinding her bare pussy
into his denim-covered erection just moments before now replaced by a shy,
blushing schoolgirl.
"Not here," she whispered, her eyes searching the hallway for anyone who might
have heard.
Inuyasha smirked and ran his claws through her hair, rubbing the back of her
neck. "I heard you ask your teacher to use the restroom. Lying's bad, too."
She shivered and closed her eyes, and when she opened them he saw the girl who
was his lover looking back at him. "We don't have a lot of time. Come on."
Kagome grabbed his hand and tugged him towards a flight of stairs, running up
them and then down a quiet, unlit hallway to a lonely corner of her school. She
turned abruptly and opened a door even he had not seen that was sandwiched
between two trophy cases. Her lips were on his and he nearly fell backwards
into the handicapped stall, accidentally biting her lip and making her moan
loudly into his mouth. The sound echoed in the room and they both quieted,
their heavy breathing continuing as neither of them could do anything to stop
that.
Inuyasha pushed her up against a wall while he pulled off her school blouse,
flinging it to the side. Yanking down her bra, he broke away from her mouth to
watch her breasts bounce from the violence of his actions. Kissing her once
more, he turned his attention to her breasts, pinching her nipples, licking
them, biting down gently and then finally sucking them hard, the way she liked.
She arched her back against him and could not hold back her cry of his name.
"Inuyasha!"
Although hearing his real name from her lips always made his heart leap, he
kissed her mouth roughly to remind her of their location. Kagome moaned quietly
in apology and wrapped her arms around his neck. Deciding it would be best if
he kept his mouth on hers, he instead tugged at her nipples with one hand and
with the other stroked the outsides of her thighs around his waist. Drawing
back from her and dropping her to her feet, he kissed her once gently and then
grabbed her hand, placing it over her mouth. Inuyasha knelt before her and
spread her legs a little further, cupping her mound and teasing her with the
palm of his hand while the tips of his fingers rubbed her entrance. He looked
up at Kagome to see her with her clenched fist in her mouth, biting down on her
knuckles, her rosy nipples glistening in the fluorescent light. Deciding to
make it quick and forego the spanking so he could get her back to class on time
and hurry back to the car in order to temporarily relieve the almost ever-
present ache he possessed, he devoured her pussy, growling low so the
vibrations would speed up the process. He grabbed her knee and placed it over
his shoulder, changing the angle and making her squirm against his face more
actively. Cupping her ass, he pressed her into his face and sucked on her clit,
finally feeling the gush of wetness that signaled her release and drinking it
down. Panting, Kagome slid to the floor, her legs twitching beneath her.
Inuyasha licked his lips and stood as he looked at her, memorizing the sight in
order to recall it in perfect detail back in the car.
"Please, Inuyasha, let me touch you," she whispered, rising to her knees.
"Fuck, Kagome, not again," he said, despairing when it came out like a whine.
Her small hands gripped both his front pockets and she brushed her lips across
his jean-covered erection. "But I've been bad, Papa Yasha. So bad. You're going
to have to punish me."
"Er, it's okay. No need," he squeaked. What was making her act like this? Her
voice was low and throaty, not at all like it normally was, although it turned
him on just as much. His eyes went wide. The laptop. Kagome had never used a
computer before and he had taught her the basics, introduced her to the
internet. She had been spending most of her free time online lately. Had she
discovered porn? Is that why she had been begging lately?
"But I didn't wear any panties," she murmured, rubbing her fingers lightly over
his crotch. "And I was late and forgetful. I deserve a big punishment."
Lulled by the sound of her voice, he didn't react immediately when she quickly
undid his jeans and roughly yanked his cock out, making him choke on a gasp and
then moan. Growling, he pulled back on her hair, trying to force her to look
him in the eye and stop what she was doing. All he managed to do was make her
whimper and gently lick the pre-cum off the tip.
"Please, please fuck my mouth, Papa Yasha," she said shakily in a voice that
was more like hers. Normally when she said that name and reminded him of their
other relationship, their step-daughter and step-father one, all his excitement
vanished, but the way she said it now evoked a dark lust and had him trembling.
He could hear and smell her desire. She wanted this almost as badly as he did.
Inuyasha had always been kind of meh when it came to dirty talk with previous
partners, sometimes feeling nothing, sometimes feeling awkward, sometimes being
turned off completely. But when the dirty words came from Kagome's mouth, his
cock reacted strongly, and he bucked his hips into her waiting mouth without
thought.
"Fuck, Kagome," he hissed. Even though he could feel her gag and struggle to
take him in and her teeth grazed him more often than he would like, the
knowledge that it was his cock in Kagome's mouth had him nearly cumming, and
when her tongue swirled around the head twice, he did. Her eyes went wide and
she pulled her head back and up, looking on dazedly as he continued to cum
uncontrollably on her breasts, licking the semen from her lips and swallowing.
When it was finally over, he fell to his knees in front of her and kissed her
softly in thanks and apology.
"That… You were wonderful, angel."
She looked up at him shyly, a pretty blush on her cheeks. "It wasn't bad? I
didn't hurt you or gross you out?"
He chuckled, "Nah, you were great. And I should be asking you that. Sorry that
I, uh, made a mess…on you," he finished lamely, gesturing toward her chest.
Kagome blushed darker. "I meant to swallow it all but I got so surprised. I
didn't think it would be so soon."
Now he was blushing as well. "Um, normally it isn't. Not for me, anyway. I
can't speak for other guys. I was just really, well, you know. After these past
couple weeks with you…"
She kissed him on the cheek and smirked. "I know."
"Let's get you cleaned up."
He walked out of the stall first and peeped out into the hallway, checking to
see if the coast was clear. Pressing his back against the door, he whispered,
"Now."
Kagome rushed out to the sink and hurriedly splashed herself with cold water,
shivering from the temperature. Inuyasha bit his lip and tried to look away
from her pebbled nipples, knowing they didn't have enough time to get him off
again. After rinsing her mouth a few times, she grabbed a handful of paper
towels, quickly and efficiently drying her chest off and tugging her blouse
back on, fixing her wavy mess of hair and smoothing her skirt.
"How do I look?" she asked, coming over to where he was and placing her hands
on his chest.
Inuyasha stared at her seriously, taking in her charmingly mussed hair and
flushed cheeks, swollen lips and bright eyes. In that moment, he wanted to tell
her that he loved her, but he knew humans moved slower and he didn't want to
scare her off.
"Like you just let a guy eat you out in the bathroom," he said huskily, hoping
his adoration didn't show in his eyes and tip her off.
Kagome smiled and gasped, swatting his chest playfully. Reaching her hands up,
she placed one on each side of his face and jumped up to kiss him.
"I wish we had longer, but class is almost over and I have to go."
He ran his fingers through her hair like he had done earlier, marveling at its
softness. "No worries. I'll pick you up same time, same place. Okay?"
She kissed him on the cheek in agreement and went straight out the door, this
time remembering her lunch.
On the walk back to his car, he licked his lips over and over, tasting Kagome
and wondering if she was doing the same thing and thinking of him. He felt his
cock stir again and he almost groaned aloud when there was a touch on his
shoulder. Immediately, he froze, fearing the wrath of the main office lady he
had ditched earlier. Turning, he was confronted instead with a short, burly man
in coveralls.
"Um, yes?"
"You're that Taisho guy, right? The rich business one?"
Inuyasha nodded, confused. He was rarely recognized, and if he was it was
mostly by eager young businessmen at conventions or other half-demons who would
congratulate him on his work. He couldn't think of a reason why a middle-aged
man in coveralls would know who he was.
"Who are you?"
"I'm the janitor, but that's not important. Does everybody know you like to
fuck high school girls?"
Time seemed to stop as he stared at the smirking man, who pulled a tape
recorder from the front pocket of his outfit.
"Please, please fuck my mouth, Papa Yasha."
It was Kagome's voice, obviously, during that special, private moment they had
shared just minutes ago. And this fucking pervert had it all caught on tape.
"Nobody else has to know, Mr. Taisho. I can keep my mouth shut for a million."
Fear fled and was replaced by shock and outrage. This pudgy little fuck wanted
a million of his hard-earned dollars? Fuck no. He felt the rage build up in him
and he forcibly calmed himself down with breathing techniques he had learned
over the years. Sometimes his temper got the best of him, and if that happened
here he'd have hell to pay. And what about Kagome and her reputation? And,
ohfuck, Kikyo? What about her?
"Look, I'm a nice guy. I'll give you ten thousand, how about that?"
The man's smug smile dropped off his face and he scowled. "No fucking way am I
settling for a measly ten thou, you half-demon bastard. I know you're loaded,
stop being so goddamned fucking stingy!"
Inuyasha was finding it increasingly difficult to control his temper. "Alright
then, five. What were you doing with a tape recorder in the fucking girl's
bathroom, anyway? Pervert. And seriously, a taperecorder? What the fuck is
this, Watergate?! It's the twenty-first century, asshole."
"What I do is none of your goddamned business, scum. Especially when you're
fucking some teenage whore and making her call you 'Papa'. Calling me a
pervert? Fuckin' hypocrite. If this is Watergate, I'm definitely not Deep
Throat."
Something in him snapped when he heard the man call Kagome a whore. He knew
many people would see her that way, especially considering their relationship
and age difference, but as for him being her step-father, that was just
something he did out of obligation to his first love. As for the age-
difference, he had stopped aging at twenty-one, when he reached his peak, so
his real age wasn't apparent until he told people, which was usually when their
jaws would drop in horror and/or sick interest. So yes, their relationship was
pretty inappropriate, but he truly did love her and he was not using her like
some sort of fuck toy, so she was not a whore. Inuyasha's jaw clenched as he
remembered the names his mother was called by both humans and demons, even by
those among their own family. Kagome would not suffer the same way.
Plastering a smile on his face, Inuyasha said smoothly, "Fine. Why don't we
discuss this someplace I'd be more comfortable. What do you say to lunch?"
The man nodded eagerly and clapped him on the back, saying something that
Inuyasha laughed at but didn't hear. Leading the man to his car, which he had
parked in a far corner of the parking lot due to his and Kagome's earlier
activities, he looked around and sniffed for a presence, stopping when he was
satisfied there was no one.
"—and so that's why I was thinkin' maybe cheesesteak, 'cause I can never turn
down a fuckin' cheesesteak, but you know what I—"
His claws silently cut through his throat and he watched the janitor bleed out,
his eyes looking all around them, perhaps searching for help. Inuyasha felt
like laughing but decided to be more respectful, since this was the only
funeral the man would have. Quickly, Inuyasha searched through his coveralls
for the tape recorder and pocketed it, then grabbed his arms, ignoring his
pathetic twitching, and dragged the janitor over to a nearby manhole, lifting
it up with ease and then kicking the barely alive man inside. Only then did he
let the laugh out, and it was short and quiet. He laughed at his victory, at
the thought that this pathetic human among pathetic humans had thought to
blackmail him, at the fact that this janitor was now among the piss and shit
and vomit that had been his life and would now be his death. Replacing the
manhole, he walked back to his car, stopping at a planter to scoop up several
handfuls of dirt to cover the few spatterings of blood that had fallen to the
ground. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he sighed, wishing he could tell Kagome
about this act which proved his love for her as much as he wished he could tell
her of that love, but he knew she would be horrified at hearing either.
Inuyasha sighed and drove home, deciding to skip work and wait around for
Kagome instead.
***** Lasting Treasure *****
Chapter Notes
     Note: So yeah, this is moving super quickly, but again, I intended to
     go back and expand. This is just a rough rough draft. I got tired of
     this story really fast, and maybe I'll go back and work on it someday
     (not likely), but I don't want anything to do with it right now and
     I've always lacked attention to detail while also being very
     impatient with myself. There are probably some typos and
     inconsistencies. I can only go over it so many times (like, maybe
     one?) before it starts to all blur together and I don't notice
     mistakes.
     I'm currently writing another InuKag story and it's more toned down
     (for me, anyway). That's the reason why I only update on Monday and
     Friday, so I can work on the other story and have it ready hopefully
     as soon as this one is completely uploaded. Otherwise, I would have
     posted this all at once. I only read completed stories myself (unless
     they're super super good), and I think a lot of you are like me.
     Again, every review, even those that just say "good update soon plz"
     is something I treasure. I'd like to give a special thanks to Rochoa
     and Keichanz for reviewing so wonderfully over on Eternal Destiny.
     I've been a super big fan of them both since I discovered the world
     of InuKag fiction.
     Before I got into fanfiction, I never wrote anything over seven
     pages, and that was for school. I'm not even into anime, but I got a
     terrible ear infection last summer and couldn't even move my jaw and
     I was pretty much bedridden from the pain for weeks. I had Inuyasha
     downloaded on my laptop for a few years, and I finally decided to
     watch it when I ran out of movies, just for old time's sake and the
     fact that it had subtitles so I could mute it and still know what was
     going on without suffering, and I instantly became absolutely
     obsessed. When it ended without a big enough romantic pay-off, I was
     forced to read fanfiction, something I hadn't done since I was
     fifteen and reallyreallyreally into My Chemical Romance. I started
     writing the first chapter of Strictly Taboo in October, and then
     abandoned it until December.
     I don't know why I felt like putting this here, since it seems like
     something that should go with the last chapter, but I'm feeling
     chatty and I'm bored in the cafeteria so whatever, most of you guys
     don't read these because it's not a sex scene, which I am so tired
     of, by the way. I may or may not be giving away secret plot points in
     the songs. Just saying. I have been totally foreshadowing an event
     this entire time and so far nobody has commented on it. Either you
     really didn't pick up on it, or you are being polite to your fellow
     readers and don't want to spoil it, or you don't want to review, or
     you're being considerate and letting me think I'm a mastermind, and
     if the last one is the case, I would like to say thank you and ask
     you to be my new mom. Also, don't spoil the secret. Let the fact that
     you're a super sleuth on the level of Sherlock remain your little
     secret, you sly fox(es).
     Anyhoo, I've always had a bad habit of wanting to squish my male and
     female lead together and have them be happy right off the bat, which
     is a mistake a lot of authors make and one I'm not even going to
     attempt to avoid at this point in my "career". I know it makes
     absolutely no sense, but this is my stupid first full-length fanfic
     and they are going to bone when and where I tell them to bone because
     I am a lonely college student who has sworn off relationships until
     graduate school because real life boning makes me distracted and
     ruins my grades and isn't nearly as fun as imaginary boning. That
     said, there will be no boning in this chapter. Why do I keep saying
     bone? This note is almost longer than the chapter, yeesh. Anyway, we
     have quite a bit to go before we get to the end of Strictly Taboo,
     and I hope you guys stick around. =]
     *Song for the chapter: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by The
     Shirelles*
Kikyo was back more and more and Inuyasha was quickly losing his patience.
Kagome never wanted to be intimate with him when her mother was in the house,
which was completely understandable, but it was torture for him to see her and
not be able to touch her. He didn't want to go to her school either, not after
what he had to do last time, but it had been so long since he had tasted her
and he was seriously considering it, damn the consequences.
"…And so now I only have the flowers left to worry about. Are you listening,
Inuyasha?" Kikyo said irritably.
He nodded absently and once again tried to pay attention to what Kikyo was
saying about their wedding. Christmas was only a few days away and that meant
their wedding was in almost a week. They would be getting married at the shrine
Kikyo's family owned but no longer inhabited and the honeymoon would be at
Inuyasha's old beach house, something he had bought on a whim in the seventies
and hardly bothered with since. He and Kikyo had spent an enjoyable weekend
there once, right before they broke up. He supposed that was why she wanted to
go back. He was less than thrilled about it, considering how their relationship
ended.
In fact, he was less than thrilled about the whole thing. He tried his hardest
to get at least a little excited for the wedding, but he just couldn't. Trying
to recapture his old feelings for the frigid woman just left him feeling sick
and longing for Kagome even more. Lately, she hadn't even been speaking to him
or her mother. She just stayed up in her room, doing homework or whatever, and
when he dropped her off and picked her up it was the same. She claimed she was
tired, so they couldn't fool around in the car either, also she was worried
about her mother noticing even a hair out of place. He shook his head angrily.
When had he gone from thinking of Kikyo as Kikyo and instead started thinking
of her as Kagome's mom? It was impossible for him to think of her as anything
else, even when he brought to mind their history. It was like another lifetime,
and he felt like a completely different person. All he felt towards her now was
a faint fondness and a desire to make her last days happy ones. And fuck, he
was marrying his kind-of-sort-of girlfriend's mother and it was kind-of-sort-of
freaking him out.
"Hey Kikyo," he said abruptly, cutting her off in the middle of whatever she
had been saying.
"Yes, Inuyasha?" she hissed, obviously upset.
"Let's bring Suikotsu on the honeymoon."
She stared at him, shocked into silence. "You want to—"
"No, not that," he said quickly, understanding what she had been thinking. "I
just meant, like, at least one of us should have fun on our honeymoon," he
muttered.
"That's nice of you, Inuyasha. I will consider it."
"And we could let Kagome come too," he said, trying to make it seem like an
afterthought when really it was the only thing he wanted. "She's gonna be out
of school anyway, we might as well take a family vacation."
Kikyo frowned. "I had planned on letting Urasue watch her. She's known Kagome
since birth and the girl probably misses her."
He almost laughed out loud, thinking of all the horror stories Kagome had told
her about the drunken old woman he had met only once. "I think a change of
scenery would be nice for her."
"I suppose you're right. The two of you have been spending a lot of time
together, after all."
Inuyasha chuckled nervously. "Yeah, we're pretty good pals. It's important for
me to study the younger generation and observe trends and things like that."
And study he did.
Kikyo nodded reluctantly. "The two of you could keep each other company while
Suikotsu and I catch up. We haven't had much contact these last few months."
His brow furrowed. "Haven't you been spending the weekends at his place, at
least?" He had assumed she'd been living there. She had only spent a handful of
nights in his house.
"I've been planning our wedding, Inuyasha," she spat out. "I did not have much
time to spend with a man who does not want it to even occur."
"I-I'm sorry, Kikyo." He had given very little thought to what her life was
like, even going so far as to forget about her for hours at a time. Guilt
flooded through him and he watched as she held back tears, something he had
never even associated with her.
"Good," she grumbled. "One of us should be."
Christmas came and he wrote Kikyo a check for five thousand dollars, certain
her tastes had changed and not knowing what she'd like. She wasn't there to
receive it as she was spending the holiday with her boyfriend, making Inuyasha
swear again that he would not tell Kagome about it. He was puzzled as it seemed
she only really cared about Kagome when it came to secrets or accomplishments.
Inside, he was glad they had not married all those years ago and had children,
as it would be them he'd see suffering now. Seeing Kagome quietly accept that
her mother would not be there to celebrate her favorite holiday tore at his
heart, too, but still, he was glad he had dodged a bullet. A bullet which was
more like a boomerang, when he thought about it.
Since Kagome was very much into Christmas and she had reminded him of a
Christmas angel the first time he had seen her and now thought of it as her
day, he decorated the house in an over the top fashion. It was covered in
lights even though they were in the middle of the woods and nobody else could
see them, but to him and Kagome that just added to the beauty of it. It was
theirs. They had a pine tree inside the house, which he and Kagome had
decorated extensively with lights and newly purchased mismatched ornaments and
candy canes and even strings of popcorn which he had never seen anyone actually
do outside of old cartoons. The pile of gifts he placed under it towered to
nearly its middle, and he worried he had overdone it and that it would scare
her off, so he took away half and saved them in his closet for her birthday,
painstakingly rewrapping them in different paper since originally they had been
covered in little pine trees and snow men.
Kagome was off from school for a long while, until the second week of January,
and he was so happy he sometimes forgot to breathe. She was still somewhat
standoffish even after Kikyo left again, although she did allow him to kiss her
and touch her over her clothes under the tree a few times. On Christmas Eve,
she had agreed to once again sleep in his bed beside him and he thought their
activities would extend beyond a simple goodnight kiss, but no such luck.
Still, he was happy to hold her and smell her and love her.
The morning of the holiday, Kagome woke him up with a deep kiss, completely
taking him by surprise as he always woke up before her when they slept
together. She straddled his stomach and her hands were tracing the edges of his
ears lovingly.
"Come on, Papa Yasha," she whispered. "Presents!"
He groaned and dragged her back down to his lips, kissing her slow and sweet,
just enjoying the dull minty taste of her mouth and the feel of it. "What time
is it?"
"Almost six!" she chirped happily, kissing him along his brows.
"Ugh, fine," he mumbled grumpily and sat up, inwardly eagerly anticipating the
look on her face when she opened his gifts.
Suddenly, she flung her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his
shoulder. "I didn't get you anything," she whispered regretfully, giving him
light kisses along his collar bone.
"That's alright, Kagome," he soothed, embracing her. "I didn't expect you to,
anyway. It's not like you have a job or anything, and I'm pretty much your only
mode of transportation. Besides, you can be my present," he finished with a
grin that could be heard in his voice. He was enjoying all the kisses she was
giving him after so much time with hardly anything.
She laughed and playfully bit the side of his neck. "I am, then."
They ran down the stairs hand in hand, laughing like young children did, until
Kagome nearly tripped and he decided to carry her, tossing her over his
shoulder like a bag of potatoes and ignoring her happy shrieks, bouncing her a
few times and squeezing her bottom as she laughed until she was gasping for
breath.
He plopped down in front of the tree and settled her in his lap, not even
bothering to hide his erection. Kagome, of course, noticed and sent him a
heated look before grabbing the box closest to her and opening it. She shook it
and her brow furrowed when it didn't make a sound.
"What is it?" she asked.
Inuyasha laughed. "It's right in front of you, Kagome, just open it. And hurry
up, there's a ton of these things."
She looked at him, confused. "You want me to open all of them?"
"Well, yeah. They're all for you."
She gasped and her eyes widened. "All these?" she squeaked.
He nodded. "We're pretty much the only people here. Who else would they be
for?"
"I-I thought maybe for Mother, or your work friends, or maybe even decoration,
but not all for me…"
"Everybody else has their gift, now hurry up and open yours," he muttered,
kissing her directly behind her ear and inhaling her scent.
"Alright," she said, still unsure. Carefully, she slowly opened the package,
being sure not to tear the paper. Amused, but quickly becoming impatient, he
grabbed her hands and brought them up to his face, placing a kiss on the back
of each of them.
"I like that you're sweet and gentle, but it's just paper. Rip it apart!"
"But, the memories—"
"You're not going to save pieces of paper, Kagome. I don't want us to end up on
Hoarders," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Fine," she said sharply, ripping into the box. Stunned, she pulled out her
gift. "Is this—"
She held up the nearly completely transparent pair of panties, her mouth open
and gaping. "There's a hole in it…" she muttered.
"They're supposed to be that way. These're crotchless panties," he whispered
into her ear, running his claws up and down her arms until she shuddered.
"But…why?"
He shrugged. "I always thought they were hot."
"Are all my gifts lingerie?" she asked, her voice rising. He flinched.
"Not all of them. I got you other stuff. I just thought it would be nice if—"
"You don't think I'm pretty enough already?" she said, her voice trembling.
Crap.
"Fuck, no—You're beautiful! I think you're the most beautiful girl in the
world," he said sincerely. "I think about you all the time, and sometimes I
think about what things like this would look like on you, not what you would
look like in them." She stared at him, confused, so he continued. "What I mean
is that you make them look good, not the other way around."
"It's... a little much right now. But thank you for thinking of me."
Inuyasha felt worse with each present Kagome opened. True, not all of them were
sex-oriented but a good deal were. He had also bought her some stuffed animals,
since she had once mentioned she always dreamed of having a big bed full of
them. There were some earrings and bracelets and other girly stuff, too. But it
seemed as though every other box contained something she'd rather not be
touching. There were cupless bras, dirty dice, a copy of the Kama Sutra, a sex
bingo game he had found online, hand cuffs, corsets, garter belts with lacy
garters, and a door jamb sex swing. So okay, maybe he had gone a little
overboard. Her face turned redder with each gift she opened and by the time she
was done, he felt like a complete asshole. He didn't want to rush her or
anything. In fact, it was mostly his hesitation that prevented them from going
"all the way".
They sat in front of the fading fire, surrounded by mountains of cheery printed
paper and enough items to stock their own sex shop. Cautiously, Inuyasha took
Kagome's hand, pulling her up without a word. Ignoring her questions of where
he was taking her, he led her outside, directly in front of the Goshinboku.
"I can't see a thing out here in the dark," Kagome huffed irritably. The sun
had only just risen and the thick foliage all around them prevented the little
light there was from filtering through.
"Let me fix that for you," he murmured, letting go of her hand and reaching
down to plug an extension cord into a power strip. The ancient tree lit up, and
Kagome gasped in awe and delight, seeking out his hand and gripping it tightly.
"Oh, it's so beautiful!"
"Yeah," he whispered, bending down to kiss her cheek. "Kagome… The wedding is
on the first. That's coming up really quickly."
She glared at him, as if upset he had ruined the moment. "I know! You don't
have to remind me all the time."
"Well, do you know that I don't really want to do this?" he said roughly. "I
wish I could live every day alone with you and not have to care about anything
else."
"You don't have to!" she yelled, grabbing him by the front of his shirt. "We
could be together! Let's just run away. I'm tired of all this."
He was stunned. He had not even considered that thought, and it was quite an
appealing one. But if they ran away tonight, would she still feel as
passionately for him in the morning? Or would she grow resentful and put all
the blame on him, pushing him away until there was nothing left to save? And
what about Kikyo?
"I want to be with you," he said softly, placing his hands on hers on his
chest. "But you and I both care about your mother too much to do that to her."
There were tears in her eyes and although she made a valiant effort at holding
them back, they spilled over onto her face. "So you'll sneak around with her
daughter behind her back and that's alright, but you can't have a legitimate
relationship with me because that would hurt her? Doesn't that just make
everyone miserable but you?"
Inuyasha flinched. "It's not like that. I just don't want you to end up hating
me."
She scoffed and turned to leave, but he caught her by the hand, not letting go
even when she tried to wrench away from him so hard he thought her wrist would
break. Ceasing her struggles, she allowed him to pull her into his chest and
wrap his arms around her.
"Are you serious about me?" He almost didn't hear, what with how quietly she
spoke and the fact that her words were muffled by his chest.
"You're the most important person in my life," he whispered back.
"How can I believe that? We only met a couple of months ago, for one. And then
there's everything else…" she trailed off, not wanting to list the many details
that made their being together so very inappropriate.
"Things go faster with demons. I don't need to know every detail about someone
to know whether or not I like them. I just know."
"When did you know that you…liked me?"
"Within the first ten seconds of meeting you," he said truthfully. "It was
never that fast with anyone before. Not with me, at least. When did… When did
you start to like me?"
He felt her smile into his chest and that made him smile as well. "Right away.
I was pretty obvious about it. But I didn't like you like you until you kissed
me. It was such a short moment, but I started to feel all these things and my
heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest…"
She brought her head up and looked into his eyes dreamily. Her gaze was so
tender that he couldn't not kiss her, slow and soft and sweet.
"I have one more gift for you, angel."
Kagome smiled and narrowed her eyes at him playfully. "Another weird sex
thing?"
"No," he said seriously, suddenly nervous. He reached inside his pocket and
felt around for the small object he had not bothered to put in a box. "This was
my mother's ring, one that my father gave to her. It's one of the only things I
have left that belonged to her."
Inuyasha slipped it on her left ring finger quickly, not giving her time to
refuse it, although the look on her face didn't seem to be one of rejection.
"Oh god, Inuyasha, it's beautiful," she said, her voice full of emotion. She
examined it on her finger, admiring the gold band studded with jade and tiny
pearls. "So delicate. Are… Are you sure you want me to have this?"
He rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm sure. My mother told me to give it to the
woman I cherished above all others. Who else would I give it to?" She gave him
a pointed look and he flinched. "Not her. I never even showed this to her."
"Why not?" she asked, genuinely curious.
He shrugged. Honestly, it had never occurred to him to give it to anyone before
now. He was very careful with the few possessions he had that belonged to his
parents and just giving them away, even to someone he cared deeply for, seemed
almost sacrilegious. But with Kagome, it just felt right. It was a way for his
mother to watch over the woman her son had chosen, to guide her and tell the
world she belonged to someone.
"Accepting this ring comes with a promise, Kagome," he said, staring into her
eyes. "You're promising not to leave me and I'm promising not to leave you,
okay?"
She nodded. "I promise. But how? You're getting married in just a few days!"
"I'm committing myself to Kikyo in order to commit myself to you. Think about
it, Kagome. What happens if I turn her down? She'll leave and take you with her
and we won't be able to see each other. If there was another way, I'd do it."
"Don't you feel guilty?"
"Do you?" He avoided the question, since he had a feeling that there was no
right answer.
A few more tears fell and she laid her head on his chest again. "Only when I
see her. But she's never around anymore."
"This is going to work, Kagome. We're going to make it work." Inuyasha kissed
her and they looked at the lit up Goshinboku one more time before heading back
to the house, hand in hand.
***** Body and Soul *****
*Song for the Chapter: Body and Soul by Billie Holiday*
The night before the wedding, Inuyasha didn't sleep at all. He kept his arm
extended to the side, wishing he could have the soft warmth of Kagome next to
him instead of the cold nothing that had made its place by his side for far too
long. Kikyo had dressed like she was going out that night, which got his hopes
up, but it turned out she just wanted to have a quiet night in, effectively
preventing any kind of intimacy between him and his chosen love and confusing
the hell out of him, because who wears an evening gown to read a book on the
couch? Kagome went to bed early, kissing her mother on the cheek and avoiding
him completely. He and his too-soon-to-be wife had chatted about nothing half-
heartedly, with her revealing that she was trying on her wedding dress and
making sure he liked it, until he flipped on the television and she sighed and
went up to bed. They didn't even make it to the count down this time.
Kikyo drove with Kagome to the Shrine early, telling him the night before not
to see them off because glimpsing the bride before the wedding was bad luck. He
knew she just didn't want him to see her without her make-up on, but he agreed
anyway, even though he desperately wanted to give Kagome one last kiss as a
free man before they began their descent into adultery.
Arriving at the Shrine nearly a half-hour before he was to be married, he took
a look around at the guests who had already arrived. Kikyo had gathered the
bare minimum of people she thought suitable, inviting only those above them
(and they were truly few) and those at their own level. No subordinates or real
friends or anything. It also appeared as though he was the only one of demonic
heritage in attendance, a fact that made him roll his eyes and sigh heavily. A
great amount of important business was done with demons. Kikyo and he would
have to deal with a lot of pissed off colleagues and clients.
He lurked around for a bit, listening in on snippets of conversation, quickly
becoming bored out of his mind. Why couldn't they have just gone to a damn
courthouse and filled out a form? This was just completely unnecessary. When he
saw everyone begin to head into the shrine building, he followed, strolling
casually down the aisle, not even seeing the rich decorations or smelling the
beautiful rare flowers, ignoring the stares and whispers of how unconcerned he
seemed. The whole ceremony would be sloppy, since they hadn't had a rehearsal
and he didn't even have a best man or anything, but he figured he could get by.
Kikyo had concentrated more on the reception, claiming the party would be what
really mattered, what everyone would remember.
No sooner had he stopped before the priest did the music begin to play and
everybody stood, heads turned toward where the bride would enter. Kikyo was
dressed in a slim, elegant ivory gown that she had worn the night before. It
flowed to her feet and trailed behind her. She had chosen to forgo the veil,
instead decorating her pinned-up hair with pearls and fresh jasmine flowers.
Everybody murmured about how beautiful she looked, but all Inuyasha could see
was the small figure behind her, carrying her train and scattering about
jasmine flowers like the ones Kikyo wore in her hair. Kagome's hair was loose
and waved down her back, the glorious mass just as untamed as it always was yet
still looking absolutely beautiful. Her dress was long and pale gold and the
way it outlined her thighs made his fingers itch to touch her. She was
unsmiling and looking at the ground, and as she neared where he stood, his
erratic heart beat seemed to be the only thing he could hear. On a fine gold
chain around her neck was the ring he had given her, resting just between her
breasts.
Giving her a meaningful look, he was disappointed when she kept her eyes on the
ground and then suddenly Kikyo was next to him and the priest was saying
something and he knew he had to respond appropriately and repeat the words like
a goddamn parrot. So he did. He smiled and played the part of the loving
bridegroom until it came to the end. When he said "I do", he looked not at
Kikyo but at the one he was really committing himself to, somehow not surprised
to see her looking directly at him. He said the words as he stared into her
eyes and the moment seemed to last far longer than it should have, and then he
quickly kissed his bride on the lips, took her hand, and they were gone, him
dragging Kikyo behind him, not even glancing at the blur of human faces along
either side of them.
Everyone flooded from the shrine building into the courtyard behind them,
attempting to catch up to the newly married couple, but Inuyasha's pace was too
fast for them. He walked straight into the reception building and then stopped
abruptly, flinging Kikyo's hand from him, feeling like acid was making its way
up his esophagus begging to be expelled. Nothing felt right. Nothing looked
right. Even though he was smiling and shaking hands with people he should know,
he was imploding. And then the small hands he knew so well grasped one of his
in between them and made the chaos fade into nothing.
"Congratulations, Papa Yasha," Kagome whispered, the storms that were her eyes
raining down on her cheeks.
Inuyasha couldn't think of anything to say so he just nodded and watched her
walk away, wishing it was all over and done with. He glanced at Kikyo and saw
her laughing and play flirting with some ancient foreign dignitary. It seemed
as though she could handle herself, so he retreated from the sea of humanity,
looking around for drinks or hors d'oeuvres or something that could occupy his
hands and keep him from touching the girl who was now officially his step-
daughter. There was a tower of filled champagne flutes and he took one from the
bottom, half of him wishing it would crash to the ground and ruin the party,
the other half praying the structure would stand so he wouldn't draw attention
to himself and have the guests descend on him like a swarm of snobby locusts.
Then the music started and since he was expected to dance with Kikyo, he did.
She had taught him to dance years back when they were actually dating, and he
was surprised to see that his feet still remembered all the steps and didn't
stomp on her once. They did the "leave room for Jesus" thing and didn't press
against each other, him because he didn't want to and Kikyo because she
preferred the more elegant, straight-backed way of dancing. Her posture was
impeccable and he caught himself straightening up without realizing several
times before their brief lifetime of a dance ended. Inuyasha wondered if her
spine even had the natural S-shaped curve anymore.
They held hands and bowed laughingly to applause before separating. Others
flooded onto the dance floor and Kikyo was once more surrounded by well-
wishers. He was looking for an escape route when he saw Kagome in a corner,
chatting with somebody's son. Her slim fingers were plucking at the necklace
she wore as she smiled and laughed at whatever the barely post-pubescent grease
ball of a boy was saying to her. Without hesitation, he strode towards the
girl, pushing and shoving to get there faster.
"Care to dance with me, Kagome?" he said, his lips pressed in a tight smile he
knew must be fearsome, judging by the look on the boy's face.
Her eyes lit up and she extended her hand to him. "Sure, Papa Yasha!"
He let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, relieved she had
accepted. He didn't know what he would have done had she told him no.
Forgetting about the boy she had been giving her attention to, he led her out
on the floor, again pushing and shoving until they were at the corner that was
the least crowded. Laughing at his roughness, Kagome placed a hand on his
shoulder and began to sway with him.
"So what were you talking about with that walking zit back there?" he
whispered, now glad there were no demons present since the likelihood of their
conversation being overheard was low with just humans around.
"That's mean," she giggled. "It was just about school and movies and stuff.
Nothing interesting."
"Can't even flirt right, the idiot," he scoffed. "What was he, like fifteen or
something?"
She glared at him. "I'm fifteen, Inuyasha."
He blushed and looked away. "I, uh, sometimes I forget…"
Her eyes softened and she smiled. "Me too. Sometimes."
Lowering his head so he was closer to her, he whispered the softest he could,
"I wish it had been just you and me up there."
Kagome's eyes shone with a new set of tears. "I wish I could kiss you right
now."
Inuyasha eyes drifted half-way shut and he almost closed the distance between
them and made her wish come true, but at that moment it was as if glass
shattered and he realized the severity of the situation. Their faces were
almost touching, there wasn't even an inch between their bodies, Kagome's arms
had found their way up and were now looped around his neck, and his hands were
much too low on her back. Looking around, he saw several people glancing at
them and he thought he could read suspicion in their gazes. Abruptly releasing
and stepping away from the girl he loved, he gave her a small, awkward wave,
trying to ignore the look of stunned hurt on her face.
"Want something to drink?" he asked casually, his eyes begging her to
understand.
She shook her head and stormed off toward the head table. He followed, wanting
to grab her hand and explain that he was now doing this for the two of them,
not only because it was what Kikyo wanted.
"Inuyasha," Kikyo murmured happily, having snuck up behind him. "The meal is
going to be served right away. Let's get seated."
He let her drag him to the long table that was facing everyone else's. There
were only three chairs, two throne-like seats for the bride and groom and one
little one for Kagome, their only family. These seats were the only ones
without nametags and Inuyasha thanked whatever god was listening for that.
Kagome was already there, sitting on the chair to the far left, and before
Kikyo could, he took the seat next to her. She was surprised, he could tell,
and probably more than a little angry. She must have expected Kikyo to take
that seat. Plopping down in the center chair, he reached under the table with
its long, embroidered tablecloth and held her hand, squeezing it slightly and
caressing the back of it with his thumb. He hardly even felt his wife sit down
next to him.
"Stop being so obvious!" she hissed, eyes on her empty plate.
He ignored her and stared at his own plate without seeing it, concentrating on
the feeling of her hand in his, wishing he could stare at her without anyone
thinking it was odd. She looked so lovely in that dress, especially with the
ring he had given her hanging just so. It complimented and enhanced her look.
Sighing, he didn't even find himself hungry when the food was placed in front
of him, even though the steak was expensive-smelling and cooked just to his
liking. He wanted to tell that to Kagome, wanting to hear her laugh and say how
that would be impossible with his appetite, wrinkling her nose as she teased
him, the same way she did when she came. And then he'd reply, saying how he
wanted to eat something else—
"I am so glad I chose these delightful little tarts instead of the more
traditional wedding cake, Inuyasha, aren't you? Cake's been done. This is the
age of the tart, mark my words."
Grunting in reply, he poked at the chocolate and caramel tart on his plate with
a claw, not caring what Kikyo thought about him using his hands to eat. It was
basically just a cookie with ice cream toppings resting on it and one of those
swirly chocolate straw things, nothing brilliant. It did smell good, so he took
a bite, chewing half-heartedly. He still held Kagome's hand, even though it was
hard to eat with only his left hand. Inuyasha couldn't wait to get out of there
and tried to communicate that to her by gently swinging their hands back and
forth. She squeezed back lightly, as if telling him to be patient. He smiled
and obeyed.
All their guests came up to their table and he felt awkward sitting there like
some sort of king, waiting for the lesser nobles to come up and kiss his ring
if they dared to be so bold. He felt like a peasant, but Kikyo was definitely a
queen, nodding and smiling without showing her teeth, kissing the air beside
faces, giving equal time to all so nobody felt special or snubbed. And Kagome?
She was out of this world, he thought dreamily. An angel. Nobody else would
love him enough to go through this with him, for him. And she didn't even know
all the details. He frowned. That's right, Kagome didn't know her mother was
dying. Inuyasha kept assuring her they would be together, but he knew his
relationship with Kikyo wouldn't last long, that the end was soon and
inevitable. They wouldn't even have to hurt her. But Kagome didn't know what he
did. She thought her mother was healthy and marrying him for money or
something. He wanted to tell her but he settled for lacing his fingers with
hers.
Kikyo's words came drifting to him through the noise of chatter and silverware.
"…been wonderful, but I'm afraid my husband and I will have to take our leave.
We'd like to thank you, our dearest friends, for coming to witness our somewhat
delayed," there was a spattering of laughter, "nuptials. Please, continue to
enjoy the food and drink. Have a wonderful evening!"
Everyone called out their goodbyes and some made ancient innuendoes, and he and
Kikyo laughed and rose. At the last moment, he withdrew his hand from Kagome's
and switched to his wife's, only to keep up appearances. He repressed a
shudder; his fingers felt cold and small without hers to complete them. Once
they were outside, he dropped Kikyo's hand, absently wiping his off on his pant
leg.
"Darling! I was wondering when they'd release you," said a tall, pleasant-
looking man who seemed to emerge straight from the shadows.
Kikyo smiled in a way he had never seen her do before. "Suikotsu! I thought we
agreed to meet at the house. What are you doing here?"
The man, Suikotsu, enveloped her in his arms, nuzzling the top of her head with
his nose. "I couldn't wait to see you."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the romantic display. It was all just so cliché.
Now he and Kagome had something different, he thought with pride, something
special the likes of which the world had seldom seen before. He looked around
for her, remembering that she had followed quietly behind them when they exited
the hellhole of a reception hall. Not seeing her immediately, he began to panic
and walked back to the building, wondering if she had been intercepted by that
kid who had been chatting her up earlier. There was a flash of pale gold in his
peripheral and he turned. There she was, huddled by some old, run down well
house. He jogged over to her.
"What are you doing all the way over here, angel?" he murmured. It was odd that
she was crouching close to the ground in an expensive evening gown, but odder
still was the expression on her face. It struck him to his core and he nearly
fell to the ground himself in his concern for her. It was a look of pure fear.
"I-I need to get away," she said in a high, shaky voice. "I can't be here. I
can't be where he is."
"Who? Who are you talking about, Kagome?" He knelt beside her and gently
stroked her shoulder even though she was scaring him so much he felt like
shaking her and taking her into his arms all at once.
"That man," she said with a sob. "The one who's touching Mother! We have to get
her away from him."
"Kagome, that's just Suikotsu. Your mom's been dating him for quite a while
now," he said, then immediately remembered Kikyo had sworn him to secrecy about
that little fact. Oh well. They had been the ones all over each other in front
of her, they spilled the beans themselves. At least now there was one less
thing he had to keep from Kagome.
"They—They—" Her eyes went wide and her mouth was open in horror. She shook her
head rapidly from side to side in denial. "No! How? No."
"Hey, calm down. Why are you acting like this? He seems like an okay guy. A bit
of a wimp, but okay."
Kagome turned her pale face to him. "He's evil, Inuyasha. He's—He's—"
He rubbed her back soothingly. "I know you don't like him, angel. Your mom told
me you used to have nightmares about him when you were little. But he's going
on the honeymoon with us. He's going to keep her occupied so we can have time
to ourselves."
He could feel her shaking, trembling. "He's…coming with us?" she whispered.
Inuyasha nodded. "They're gonna be locked up in their room on one side of the
house and we'll be locked up in ours. Don't worry, I'll protect you," he
promised, seriously doubting that this was much more than a childhood fear of
the doctor she had managed to hold onto.
"Stay with me, Inuyasha," she said, leaning against him as he helped her to her
feet. "I don't want to talk to him, I don't want him to see me. Let's go to
your other house before they do, okay?"
He frowned, looking at her much more frail-seeming form. Her hands were
clenched and her knuckles were white. The color had drained from her face, only
the pink lipstick on her mouth was bright. Slowly, he nodded. She needed him
right now. "Wait here, let me tell your mom."
Jogging back over to where Kikyo and Suikotsu stood close together, he coughed
and got their attention.
"So, uh, I was thinking maybe the two of you could drive up together and I
could take Kagome. She's really tired and she wants to rest."
"That seems reasonable," said Kikyo. "My keys are in the car. I'll leave my
baggage in the trunk and Kagome can bring it in once you arrive."
He nodded and went back to Kagome. He offered to carry her but she shook her
head and slipped off her small heeled shoes, taking off at a run to Kikyo's
car. Worried, he followed her. She had never reacted this extreme to anything
before. What was going on?
The drive was long and silent. It was five hours away, too short to bother with
the hassle of flying yet too long to be borne patiently if driving. Kagome was
curled up next to him, her arms wrapped around her knees, eyes staring
sightlessly out the window. He glanced at her almost every couple of minutes,
becoming more worried each time he did. She just seemed so scared, so blank,
and he was starting to panic in response to her emotions.
He cleared his throat. "If you want, you can curl up in back and sleep before
we get there."
Kagome shook her head. "No, thank you. I like being up here with you."
Her quiet words brought a small smile to his face and he felt calmer. "Do you
want some music?"
She shook her head again.
"Can you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" she said, feigning ignorance.
"Why you're so scared of him."
She sighed. "Promise you'll believe me?"
"I know you're not a liar, Kagome. Angels can't lie," he said teasingly,
wanting to break the sudden walls down.
"Okay," she started, taking a deep breath. "Well, we first started seeing Dr.
Shichi when I was really little, I don't remember how young. I really liked him
at first. He was nice and gentle and funny and he gave me candy and let me pick
my own band-aid and everything. We saw him for a while, and then…"
Inuyasha's blood ran cold. He was starting to get a feel for where this was
going. "He—He didn't touch you, did he?"
"No!" she cried, waving her hands to show how opposed she was to the very idea.
"Not that. Thankfully. But one day, when Urasue was on one of her few
vacations, we went to Dr. Shichi's and Mother said it wasn't for me, it was for
her. I was confused since Mother told me he was a doctor only for children, but
she had been sick with the flu lately so it wasn't too surprising. I stayed in
the waiting room for as long as I could. It felt like hours. The receptionist
left and turned almost all the lights off. I was the only one there and Mother
still hadn't come back. So finally, I worked up the courage to go and try to
find her. I was so scared, I thought she had left me forever. I—," her lower
lip began to tremble and the child in her face was never more apparent to him.
"I opened a door, and there was Mother and that man. There was…blood. On the
floor. Not a lot, but enough. And in a small cardboard box right in front of
me, there was this small little bloody thing. I didn't know what it was at
first, it just looked like a little piece of meat. But then I saw the tiniest
little arms…twitching. And a face. But Mother... She was on her knees in front
of him. I don't have to tell you what they were doing. I was too scared to
scream. And he looked at me. He looked at me and smiled and that's when—that's
when he…released into Mother's—"
Kagome began to shake and sob so violently he was afraid she was going to hurt
herself, but as suddenly as it started, she calmed down and dried her eyes with
the back of her hand.
"I didn't know what I had seen until years later, although on some level I
think I always did. I named the baby Souta. I never told Mother. She must have
been around twenty weeks pregnant. It must have been his, Dr. Shichi's. What I
don't understand is how could she, after all that, do what she did?" Her eyes
were big and she turned to him as though he could give her an answer. "She must
have been in so much pain from the abortion. She was bleeding. How? I keep
trying not to judge her, but I can still see Souta. He was moving and she was
just... I-I begged for a brother or sister. I—" She pressed her hand to her
lips, stopping her sobs and words.
Inuyasha wanted to cry with her, to hold her, to kill Suikotsu and those who
caused her pain. But he found himself overwhelmingly grateful that it hadn't
been Kagome in the box, that Kikyo had kept the girl that was now traumatized
and shaking by his side. And he wasn't surprised. Kikyo had more than a few
kinks, pain and domination being one of them. She didn't let anybody boss her
around in the real world, but in the bedroom she was anyone's slave.
"Fucking hell. I'm so sorry, Kagome. I don't know what to say," he said,
pulling into the garage of his seldom used beach house.
"Nobody does," she whispered. "That's because there's nothing to say to that."
She let him carry her into the house and he savored the warmth, the realness of
her. Several times he almost tripped over the stepping stones, concentrating on
her scent and the softness of her skin more than on where he was going. They
made it in alive and he traveled to the second floor, entering through a set of
double doors and then setting Kagome on her feet. Pulling a key out of his
pocket, he locked the doors behind them.
"This is our side of the house," he explained. "Your mother and, um, her friend
are going to be way on the other side on the first floor. We're going to take
the room at the very end of the hall so there's no way anyone can hear
anything, neither us nor the two of them. My fake room will be two doors down
from ours." He didn't think his new bride and her companion would be leaving
their room. From what Kikyo had told him, they had not seen each other in a
while, and knowing her, they wouldn't be leaving their room much. He and his
own companion would be safe at the opposite end of the house.
Kagome nodded and slipped her hand into his, smiling up at him. It didn't have
the radiance her smiles normally did, but it was still beautiful. He leaned
down and kissed her, tipping her back like they did in old movies.
"I needed that," he whispered against her lips, making her giggle.
They ran to the room, hand in hand, both suddenly giddy, the anticipation that
had been building ever since they first saw each other finally coming to a
head. The room was large, his favorite one, the one he always used when he came
here. It was the one he and Kikyo had stayed in the entire weekend they were
here, and that was part of the reason why he now wanted to share it with
Kagome. He needed to replace the memories he had with Kikyo, with every other
woman, with Kagome. She was it. He wanted and needed to give her everything.
When they got into the room, all they did was stare at one other in the soft
light. The décor was almost entirely dark blue and gold, Kagome's dress fitting
in perfectly. He looked at her eyes, which were still slightly swollen, at the
wetness that seemed to be present on her face at least once a day since they
had started this. Twirling her hair around his hand, he pulled back and ran his
tongue down her throat, knowing she was biting her lip but not seeing it. He
smelled her hair, having long lost his self-consciousness about that particular
urge. Kagome smelled so good, so sweet. He had never just wanted to smell
someone before he met her. Idly, he wondered if it was possible to manufacture
a scented candle or air freshener in her scent so he could fill his office or
the house with it while she was at school.
Kagome pulled his head up and kissed him. It was soft and dreamy and timid and
insistent all at once. He moaned and walked her to the bed, pushing her down on
it, taking a second to memorize the way she looked with her hair fanned out on
the bedspread, her lipstick messed up, her breasts almost completely coming out
of her dress. And the ring. The chain had pooled at her neck and his mother's
most precious material possession rested on her throat. He kissed it, stroking
her shoulder, then made his way down. They both knew this night was different,
that it had to be. They either had to grow closer or allow themselves to be
torn apart, and neither one of them was willing for the latter to happen.
He was gentler than he had ever been, even during his previous times with
Kagome. She was shaking and covered in a fine sweat and he hadn't even touched
any of her most sensitive areas yet. Feeling the time was right, he shed his
shirt and jacket, almost getting strangled by his tie when he forgot he was
wearing one. Kagome laughed and it took away some of the intensity of the
moment, but it was not missed. This was real. This was them.
"You look so beautiful tonight, Kagome," he said, kissing her left temple, then
along her cheekbone, then her lips, tasting the still creamy lipstick and
finding it divine since it was flavored with both their saliva. "You were the
most beautiful woman there. No one else came close."
She tugged on a lock of his hair, twirling it around her finger, still not used
to his compliments. "I wanted to be pretty for you," she confessed. "I wanted
you to look at me."
"It worked," he smirked, feeling a thrill go up his spine. "Even if you had
shown up in baggy sweatpants and a raggedy old shirt, I still would have only
had eyes for you."
She laughed and kissed him, rapidly recreating the serious mood they had before
with the little licks and flicks of her tongue. Becoming impatient, Inuyasha
rose up and searched along her side, finding the zipper to her beautiful dress
and yanking it down, slipping it off of her and flinging it behind him. He
actually salivated when he saw she was wearing nothing underneath.
"This entire time," he said wonderingly, circling a nipple with the back of his
claw.
"I was wondering if you had realized," she said, proud she had managed to
fluster him.
"Fuck, if I had known earlier we would have done it in the goddamn shrine."
Without warning, he latched onto her breast, sucking and gently biting the
nipple, bringing his head up and then rubbing the shining nub with his thumb,
teasing her to the point of gasping. He switched to the other one, pinching the
tip of the breast he had vacated. His heart had told him to be gentle on this
special night, but he knew Kagome liked a little rough treatment when it came
to her breasts so he gave her what she wanted. Kissing his way down her
abdomen, he placed himself in front of the area his mouth and hands knew very
well. Holding her thighs apart, he licked her clit and stopped when she bucked
her hips up, a smile on his face. Caressing the skin below her belly button, he
licked again, slowly, then plunged his tongue into her, burying his face in her
hot heat. He sucked on the heated little bump, and just as she was about to
cum, he stopped and licked his way back up her body, grasping a breast in each
hand and massaging them.
"Why—why did you stop?" she asked, out of breath, panting for his tongue.
He kissed her. "I'm going to make you cum another way tonight."
Her eyes widened, partly in fear and partly in surprise, even though he knew
she had been thinking the same things he had. That was the real reason why they
had never gone further before. It was because they needed something special,
something strong to bind them together on this night. Kagome nodded, and
suddenly the gentleness was back in his touch. He kissed her, slow and soft and
deep, his thumbs brushing across her nipples. He didn't warn her and penetrated
her quickly, swallowing her cry of pain, surprised when he was out of breath
himself at the sensation. He enjoyed the feeling of her tearing around him,
because even though it had hurt her, it meant he was the only one, the first
and the last. She would never know another, he would make sure of that. Vowing
to use all his experience (which could probably fill an entire series of
books), he waited until he felt her relax around him to thrust again, making
sure it was shallow. Reaching down between them, he found her clit and began
rubbing it, surprised and pleased when she bucked up into him just as she had
before. Kagome was so strong when she wanted to be, when he needed her to be. A
little pain and blood weren't going to deter her from getting what they both
wanted. He nibbled on her lip and thrust again, deeper and harder, and when she
only pushed back he let himself love her without restrictions, rubbing her and
peppering her face with kisses. The feeling of being inside her was unlike any
other experience he'd ever had. He almost wanted to stop and just lay there
with her in his arms, make the moment last forever, but that was impossible,
especially with how close they both were.
"Inuyasha," she sighed in a trembling voice. He knew she was close, closer than
he. She brought her arms up around his neck and kissed him, their teeth banging
together from the force, but she didn't seem to mind. He pushed her down and
gently tweaked a nipple, wanting to see the face she made when she came. It was
the only O-face he had seen that was absolutely beautiful, not savage like so
many were, like he knew his own was. When she lost control, she did so
adorably, in a way he found to be ideal. He thrust, deeper than ever, hitting a
spot that made her cry out in ecstasy, and felt her ripple around him. He
continued his thrusting, more to please her than to find his own release.
Inuyasha was more concerned with concentrating on her features, watching the
wrinkling of the nose, the tiny furrow of her brow, the trembling of her upper
lip that was so slight he always almost missed it, and then finally, the single
tear from each eye. Without realizing its approach, he orgasmed, filling her
with his seed.
They couldn't be apart, he knew that for certain now. This last surrender had
rendered him incapable of ever truly wanting another. He was drawn to her from
the start, and the more time he spent with her, the more he couldn't bear even
the idea of not being with her. Was that not fate? It was meant to be.
Inuyasha rolled to the side, taking Kagome with him, not separating from her.
He wanted to savor this. Looking up into her bright eyes, he smiled. Gently, he
kissed her face, once for each light, little freckle she had on her nose.
Nineteen. She had more freckles on that tiny strip of skin than she had years.
The thought made him hold her closer, tighter.
"You are the best thing that has ever entered into my life," she whispered,
kissing him between the eyes.
"I love you." Now was the time to say it.
Her mouth dropped open. "Since—since when?"
"Since before either of us were born," he answered. What they had was fate.
Destiny.
"Why now, then? Why tell me now?"
He laughed. "At first I didn't want to scare you off, and then I didn't want
you to think I was saying it just to get you into bed."
"I…love you, too, Inuyasha," she whispered. "I never thought this could happen
to me, not with someone like you. You're so wonderful," she said, gently
cupping his cheek. Kagome looked at him as if her were the entire world, and in
that moment, he felt truly loved, more loved than he had felt in several
lifetimes. The warmth ran through him and he had to hold back tears, not
wanting to shed them in front of Kagome even though she had done so in his
presence numerous times.
"You're wonderful," he choked out, turning his head to kiss her palm.
"Am… Am I bad?" she asked in a quiet voice. "Am I bad for loving you?"
"No, Kagome," he said forcefully. "Love can never be bad. You're a good, good
girl. The best girl. You're an angel."
The words seemed to stop another flood of her tears and he smiled at her,
wanting her to be happy tonight, on their night.
"Here," he said, unclasping the necklace. Taking the ring from it, he put it on
her left ring finger again. "Wear it there from now on, okay? This night,
everything that happened, means we're committed. We're together, just us,
forever."
She nodded and rolled off of him and to his side, nuzzling into him. "You
didn't give Mother a ring. Why?"
He sighed. He hadn't wanted to think about Kikyo or the wedding or anything
while with Kagome. "A ring means something, Kagome. You're the only one who's
ever going to get a ring from me."
That answer seemed to satisfy her and she quickly fell asleep, leaving him
awake and in a slight daze, part of him not believing what had just happened.
He drifted off shortly after, holding her to his chest, lulled by their
combined scents.
***** The One That You Like Best *****
Chapter Notes
     Note: So, I was just wondering. Does anyone not like Inuyasha and
     Kagome being together right now? Do you think they should wait or
     something? Let's be honest, if we heard about this in real life we'd
     be all like "Omg ewwww I hate humanity", but it's the interwebz so we
     cream our jeans over it all. Problems? Questions? Complaints? Ballads
     composed to honor my beauty and brains and talent and grace?
     *Song for the chapter: Wishful Thinking by The Ditty Bops*
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Inuyasha woke before Kagome, as he almost always did, and lay in the dim room
just staring at her. Happiness, confusion, anger, but most of all he felt love.
He only felt love for her, happiness at being around her. The rest of his
emotions were in reaction to their situation, which was going to be almost
hopeless for a long time. Their stolen moments were always sweet, but how long
would it be before the novelty of something forbidden would fade for her?
Humans were different. They were a whole chemistry set of emotions. And their
feelings weren't permanent. It was very hard for someone with demonic blood to
move on from a love relationship. He knew that first-hand. But Kikyo and Kagome
were different. He would not be able to forget Kagome. If she left, it would
destroy him.
"What's on your mind?" Kagome questioned softly, climbing on him, resting chest
to chest.
He forced a smile and stroked her hair. "You."
He got a kiss on the lips for that. His hands decided to snake down to her
backside and squeeze.
"Ouch," Kagome hissed. "Sorry, I'm kinda sore in that entire, uh, lower area."
"Sorry," he murmured, kissing her cheekbone reverently.
"It had to be done."
"Are you hungry?" It was an abrupt change of subject, but a necessary one. For
him, anyway.
She laughed. "I take it that means you're starving. How long were you awake
before I got up?"
He shrugged as best as he could in his position. "A few hours."
"You could have gone out for something. I wouldn't have minded," she said
softly, tracing his lips with her pinky finger, smirking when he playfully
nipped at her.
"We'll go down for something together, come on. The caretaker should have
something in the cabinets," he said, gently disentangling himself from her and
leaping out of bed. He didn't want to leave the sanctuary of the room, but he
had not eaten properly at the reception and he was absolutely ravenous.
She frowned. "Shouldn't you go down first? I'll follow in like ten minutes."
"Why?" he asked, pulling on a pair of jeans.
"Because of Mother…"
Oh. He had nearly forgotten that they were sharing the house with the other
couple.
"I guess that's sensible," he muttered, reality setting in and making him feel
down. Sighing heavily, he went out the door, closing it behind him to see
Kagome already beginning to change into a pair of modest pajamas, humming
happily, not even glancing at him.
Inuyasha drifted down the stairs, the dreamy high he had been consumed by ever
since last night now slowly starting to dissipate. His ears twitched, picking
up noises from where he was headed, but his mind didn't register it, too intent
on the girl he had left upstairs. That was why he was surprised into jumping
back a bit when he saw his wife laughing and chatting with her boyfriend, who
was shirtless and busily flipping pancakes and reciting some sort of funny
medical anecdote.
Kikyo's attention turned to him when he entered and her smile widened. "Did you
sleep well, Inuyasha?"
"Uh, yeah," he said nervously, glancing at Suikotsu. Even though he believed
Kagome had been telling the truth about him, seeing him as he was now made it
difficult to process. How could this laughing, domestic-looking pediatrician
have terminated his lover's pregnancy, a pregnancy that was the fruit of their
union? And then after… He shuddered, not wanting to think about it. Inuyasha
wasn't sure whether to kill him where he stood or wait until after he had
finished making the pancakes. He decided on the latter and sat down across the
table from Kikyo.
"When did you two get in?" he asked, hoping they would carry on the
conversation themselves now that he had contributed a few words.
"Only a few hours ago," Kikyo said, turning to smile at Suikotsu. "We were out
on the beach to watch the sunrise. We're going to go cliff diving after
breakfast."
He nodded. It seemed as though both he and his wife had had a fulfilling,
romantic first night of their honeymoon, even though it was with different
people. Though she had said before that she wanted a "real marriage", she
seemed to be perfectly content with the way things were at present. Unless she
wanted them both, which was quite likely, considering the woman had always
wanted everything and more.
"Juice, Inuyasha?" Suikotsu asked politely, his voice cheerful. Inuyasha
grunted in the affirmative and it appeared in front of him almost immediately.
It was really, really hard to dislike the guy, even if they were eskimo
brothers and he was apparently some sort of insane psychopathic creepy fucker.
"Ah, Kagome, nice to see you up!" the doctor said happily.
Inuyasha turned quickly and saw Kagome standing in the doorway, her eyes wide
and her hands twiddling with the bottom of her top. Their eyes met and he tried
to smile at her, hoping to calm her down. It seemed to work and she shuffled
over to the table, quietly sitting down next to him. He was surprised at her
actions; he had assumed she would be even more paranoid than ever now that he
was officially married, but he was glad she was by his side. He wondered how
Kikyo was going to explain her relationship with the man her daughter had
feared for so long, but quickly came to the conclusion from her detached
expression that his wife was not going to make any attempt at explaining
herself. He sneered, mentally calling her a coward.
"Here, Kagome, have my juice," he said, trying to keep the tenderness out of
his voice. Suddenly, he wanted to be the one flipping pancakes and telling
stupid stories only she would find interesting. He wanted to give everything to
her because that was what she deserved.
"Thank you, Inuyasha," she whispered, taking a small sip.
Kikyo somehow managed to giggle in a completely mature fashion. "What happened
to Papa Yasha?"
Kagome immediately blushed and he knew his face was looking a similar shade of
red.
"Papa what?" Suikotsu asked, coming back over to the table while the bacon and
sausages cooked.
"Papa Yasha," Kikyo continued. "Kagome gave him the most childish little
nickname. 'Papa Yasha'. And Papa here just loved it," she explained.
The two of them laughed and he felt his earlier anger return, the anger and
hopelessness that was just a hairsbreadth away from depression. He wished there
was a table cloth on this table so he could hold her hand in secret again,
provide her some small measure of comfort.
"In all seriousness, Inuyasha, thank you for babysitting my daughter so much.
I'm sorry I've been gone so long, but honestly I never meant to just dump her
on you like that," Kikyo said casually, sipping her coffee.
"You know what, Kikyo?" he said from between clenched teeth. He could
practically feel the burning in Kagome's throat from trying to hold her tears
back, as well as smell the salt from her sadness as it attempted to fight its
way out onto her cheeks. "I think you and your boyfriend can enjoy this
vacation alone. I want to go back to work and I'm sure Kagome would rather
prepare for the rest of the school year than listen to you."
Kikyo rolled her eyes and Kagome looked up at him, surprised he was actually
sticking up for her like that.
"You were the one who insisted we bring Suikotsu and Kagome along, Inuyasha.
Now's not the time to get jealous," she huffed.
Inuyasha was the one to roll his eyes this time as he stood up and reached into
the pocket of his jeans to toss the keys on the table. "There. Lock the house
up when you're done. I'm gonna take your car back."
He turned and left without another glance, hoping Kagome would follow behind
him so he wouldn't have to go back to get her and ruin his exit. He heard her
shuffling behind him and he breathed easier, opening the door of the car and
slamming it behind him as he entered, Kagome following suit. He sped out of the
driveway the minute she put her seatbelt on, the tires squealing as he drove.
"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" she asked, sounding as though she were gently
scolding an unreasonable child. All it did was manage to further ruffle his
feathers.
"You've got to fucking stick up for yourself, goddammit!" he yelled, pressing
the accelerator to the floor.
"I know," Kagome muttered. "Thank you for saying something. But really, think
about it. We left all our clothes and luggage in the room," she said.
He froze. Their clothes were scattered helter skelter all over the room they
had shared. What if Kikyo went in, curious to see how the room they had spent a
couple nice nights in so many years ago had changed? She would see her
daughter's dress crumpled in a corner, her husband's wedding garments in
various spots around the room. It would be obvious.
"Don't worry," she soothed, "I packed everything away and put my suitcase in
another room."
Inuyasha relaxed, easing his foot off the pedal little by little. "You think of
everything," he breathed in relief.
"I just wish it didn't have to be this way."
He murmured in agreement, thinking about how many wishes they'd made since they
started this whole thing. How many were yet to come?
"So, are you ever going to call me Papa Yasha again?" he asked teasingly,
hoping his clumsy change of subject would lift the heaviness from the air.
Kagome laughed lightly. "I think we've come too far for me to still be calling
you 'papa'. It was getting weird."
Although Inuyasha was happy to finally be rid of the hated title, part of him
would miss it. It was something only they had, a part of their short history.
The drive was silent after that, with him deep in thought and Kagome catching
up on the sleep she'd missed due to last night's activities. They reached their
home a little after two in the afternoon, and he picked her up, failing in his
attempts at not waking her, and laughingly carried her over the threshold,
kissing her once they were fully inside.
He made to put her down when she yanked a lock of his hair and blushingly
whispered, "There's one more threshold I think you should carry me over."
Inuyasha barked out a short laugh and ran clumsily up the stairs with her. They
barely made it into his room before she was all over him, laying hot kisses on
his throat and the small part of his chest that was not covered by his shirt,
rubbing the nape of his neck with just the tips of her fingers. Plopping her on
the bed, he practically ripped his shirt off before stopping half-way and
panting out, "I really, really hope you're not so sore now."
She responded by slowly pulling down her pajama pants and shrugging out of her
loose top. Nearly tripping over his not quite undone jeans, he growled as he
made his way over her, dragging his hands up her body and caressing her in a
few sensitive areas. Her cheeks were flushed by the time his lips met hers
again and they both became lost in each other. Inuyasha entered Kagome without
a warning and she tensed up, still tender, relaxing only when he leaned down to
kiss and suck at her breasts. When she began mewling he moved again, thrusting
into her and feeling as though he were drowning in her scent and sounds. She
came as he kissed her lips and he followed soon after, not once tearing his
lips from hers. Sighing contentedly, he rolled onto his back and took her into
his arms, kissing the top of her head when she snuggled into his chest.
"I really love you, Inuyasha," she whispered near his collarbone.
"I love you too, angel."
Somehow, they both fell asleep again, having been tired out from the drive and
the brief honeymoon. When Inuyasha awoke again, it was dark and he was still
somewhat sleepy. Sniffing around, he tried to search with his nose for what
could have woken him before he was ready. Nothing came to him and he relaxed,
stroking the ends of Kagome's hair near her hip. She moaned and rubbed her face
against where she still lay on his chest.
"Inuyasha, what are—"
He sensed it, his ears, nose and eyes for once failing to protect him. Moving
faster than he ever had, he tossed Kagome to the side and flung the sheets and
blankets onto her, hoping they would offer some sort of protection if worse
came to worst. Standing above him was a man holding a knife, and judging by the
fact he had not managed to pick up on his presence until the last possible
second, he was a skilled assassin. Not quite skilled enough, though, Inuyasha
thought, smirking to himself as he noiselessly cut into him with his claws,
catching the man in the throat and chest. The would-be assassin fell to the
floor with a loud thump and he breathed a sigh of relief. Looking to where he
had placed Kagome, he saw her staring at him with wide eyes, mouth open in a
silent scream.
"I-Inuyasha…" she whispered, and he moved to hold her in his arms but she
pushed him away. Frowning, he looked down at his hands. He had forgotten about
the blood and gore under his nails and on his skin up to beyond his wrist.
"I'm sorry you had to see that, Kagome," he said sheepishly.
She said nothing, only moved to turn on the lamp at the nightstand beside her.
"What happened?!" she said in a loud, strained voice.
He shook his head. "It was my goddamn brother. That bastard probably considered
it a wedding gift."
"You…You have a brother? Why wasn't he at the wedding?"
"We don't get along," he said, gesturing to where the dead man lay. "He tries
to exterminate me every so often."
The tears started and she surprised him by throwing herself at him, embracing
him tightly. "You could have died!"
He kissed the side of her head and rubbed her back with his clean hand. "Shhh,
it's okay. It's happened before and we're both alright. If he was really
serious, he wouldn't have sent a human."
Kagome shuddered. "I was so scared."
He breathed in the scent of her hair, remembering all the details that made it
so hard to be in a relationship with someone. He hadn't lived with Kikyo and
Sesshomaru never went after those close to him unless they were literally close
in proximity.
Holding the shocked girl against him with one hand, he took his stained one and
reached for where he had left his cell phone on his own nightstand. Quickly, he
dialed Myoga, the only one he really ever contacted.
Without waiting for an answer, he growled out, "I need you here to clean up a
gift of Sesshomaru's, the usual kind. And pull up a list of skilled female
bodyguards. Narrow it down and schedule interviews."
Murmuring soothing words, he led Kagome to her room, leaving her for a brief
moment to wash the blood that was mostly on his right hand but also splattered
on his chest and face. He climbed into bed next to her, for the first time in
years genuinely angry at his brother. It was one thing to do that to him when
he was alone, but now Kagome was deeply scarred. Rearranging their bodies so
that they were reclining as they had before, he kissed the top of her head and
slowly allowed himself to drift off, trusting Myoga to enter silently, do his
job, and leave just as silently. Myoga loved doing the clean-up himself even
though he had untold amounts of minions. Inuyasha always made a huge mess with
the blood and it pooled in a delightful way the flea demon found quite
irresistible. Inuyasha could probably get away with paying him in blood alone,
but that would quickly become a larger ordeal than he was willing to handle.
The majority of his salary was in plain cash, with more than double the amount
of time off he gave to his employees. He never asked questions when his
secretary went on "vacation", but he had a few good guesses that he hoped would
not ever become certainties.
 
Chapter End Notes
     Note: Haha, Kikyo. Cliffs. Cliff diving. Ha.
***** I Am the Armor *****
*Song for the chapter: I Am Your Skin by The Bravery*
An entire week passed during which they enjoyed each other on nearly every
surface in the house. Kagome was having trouble sleeping, and while it worried
him to the point of pain, it did give them more time to be together and he
cherished every moment. Finally, the day came when she had to go back to
school. Inuyasha tried to convince her to stay for just one more day, but she
was adamant, insisting that her studies were necessary if she were to survive
in the real world. He relented, but only because he knew she was still scared
from what happened that night and probably needed to be outside more.
On the morning she was to go back to school, he woke her up early and carried
her to the Goshinboku. He loved her passionately, looking into her stormy eyes
with his intense ones, making a last-ditch effort to keep her with him, even
though he knew it wouldn't work. She came twice before he allowed himself to
finish, and he acknowledged privately to himself that it was one of the most
difficult things he had ever done.
As they lay in the morning sunlight together, Kagome smiled at him in a knowing
way. "It's not going to work, Inuyasha. You did make me want to come back
early, though. I'm going to be thinking about this all day," she said, laying a
lingering kiss on his temple.
He growled and chased her back into the house, both laughing breathlessly the
entire time, then waited downstairs for her to dress since she argued that if
he went with her they might never leave. He dropped her off, feeling somewhat
better when she lost track of time while kissing him and was almost late. After
the last glimpse of the green material of her skirt swished through the door,
he sighed and drove to work.
He rode the elevator to his floor, muttering his salutations to people he
didn't even bother to look at. When he finally got to his office, he stopped at
the sight of a huge crowd in and around it. Pushing and shoving his way through
them, receiving a multitude of glares, he arrived at Myoga's desk.
"Who the fuck are all these people, Myoga?!" he roared over the noise of the
chattering, sweaty crowd.
His long-suffering secretary/assistant gave him a look that let Inuyasha know
he was struggling not to roll his eyes. "The bodyguard candidates for your
step-daughter, sir. As you requested."
Realization dawning, Inuyasha looked around at all the crew cuts and broad
shoulders. "I thought I said female bodyguards," he grumbled. He did not want
Kagome in the company of some strange man for eight hours a day. The youngest
ones among them looked twice her age. Who knew what they'd try on her? Fuckin'
perverts.
Myoga coughed and glanced around at the packed office. "Er, they arewomen, sir.
Your accountant friend has already verified that."
Myoga gestured to where his personal accountant and maybe friend, Miroku
Houshi, lay sprawled on the couch, knocked out. He wore a huge, gaping grin and
the entire right side of his face was swollen red and already starting to
bruise, his glasses askew and cracked.
"Who did this?" Inuyasha asked, amazed.
"I did it. That pervert groped me," came a low yet slightly nasally voice from
somewhere in the middle of the crowd. A woman stepped forward, one that
actually looked like a female although she was still somewhat too handsome
according to his tastes.
He whistled, staring at the handprint on the unconscious man's face. "Just from
one slap? You're hired. What's your name?"
The woman followed him as he walked into his office and shut the door. "Sango.
Sango Taijiya."
He sat down behind his desk and gestured for her to sit down at the one chair
on the other side. "Good. Kagome is busy right now so I'll get you two
acquainted when she comes back. You will guard her at all times that I am not
with her, which will be from about 7:30 in the morning to three in the
afternoon." That was when Kagome was in school, and since he would be driving
her there and picking her up there would be no reason to have Sango stay longer
than that.
The woman across from him nodded once. "We were not told the details of this
position, Mr. Taisho. Why do you feel she needs to be guarded so closely?"
He raised an eyebrow. The fact that he was wealthy was reason enough for a
bodyguard and he felt like making a sarcastic remark, but then he decided to be
more open with her. It could possibly help her defend Kagome better should
something ever happen. He sighed.
"Kagome is naïve and delicate, somewhat child-like. We were attacked last week
in our home, and while I am used to it and acted quickly, she was frightened.
She was quite shaken and could not sleep well for days, hardly eating. I don't
want to see her like that again," he said with an internal shudder. Just
thinking about the couple of days after the event made him feel physically ill.
She had clung to him like a little girl, just to make sure he was still alive
and well and solid. He had caught her eyes examining his claws from time to
time, but he hadn't glimpsed any fear in the grey pools he so loved. That, at
least, consoled him and sustained him through the long nights when she lay
silently, awake and unmoving, her head on his shoulder, one palm over his
heart.
A small smile appeared on Sango's face and she said, "You obviously love your
wife very much, Mr. Taisho. It's nice to see."
Inuyasha coughed nervously. "She's, uh, she isn't—Kagome is my step-daughter.
But I love her very much. She's, um, she's like my own daughter," he finished,
grossing himself out with his own words.
"Oh. My mistake."
"Ha, uh, no problem." He took out a pen and piece of paper from one of his desk
drawers and started writing on it. "Here are directions to my home from this
office and my personal cell phone number. Please arrive at my home by seven
this evening. We can go over the contract and you can meet Kagome over dinner."
Inuyasha normally would not have invited anyone who wasn't a delivery person to
his home, but Kagome didn't like crowded restaurants and was most relaxed in
the familiar surroundings of their house, their shelter, their love nest. It
would be easier for her to warm up to a stranger in a place she already felt
comfortable. It would also be less of an effort on his part. Getting dressed
nice and going out was just too much of a hassle and he'd rather be in a place
where he could smell the lingering traces of his and Kagome's coupling.
Sango nodded again, only once, in that same sure and succinct fashion. "Thank
you for the opportunity, Mr. Taisho."
He waved her out dismissively, his mind already on other things, mostly naked
Kagome-related things. Inuyasha hoped that she would get along with the woman
he chose to guard her. She would have objected strongly to any kind of extra
supervision before, but after she saw him tear into a man who had been intent
on killing one or both of them, the girl would probably be more open to the
idea. Hell, he'd follow her himself if he could. He had thought about it, even
began to make plans so that he could work over the phone and hide himself so
she wouldn't see, since he knew she would definitely rebel if he were the one
doing the protecting, but it would be difficult to explain his absence to Myoga
and Kikyo, should either of them find out. Plus, as much as he'd love to follow
her around all day, he did have other responsibilities. Inuyasha had neglected
Tetsusaiga, and he was loath to completely abandon something he had worked so
hard on, even for someone as precious as his teenage step-daughter.
The body guard was just a precaution, anyway. His asshole of a brother had been
gradually sending people to attack him less and less, and it was unlikely he'd
strike again, unless he was feeling particularly bored or had been dwelling on
his various less than stellar accomplishments, which he always brushed off and
pretended he had meant for everything to go that certain way, and in that case
he would only attack the both of them if Inuyasha were present as well. Their
fraternal battles to the death had always ended in his own victory, with
Sesshomaru running away and pretending he had gotten bored and that the "half-
breed abomination" was no longer worth wasting his precious time. They had not
fought in a good century and a half, when Inuyasha had finally figured out that
fighting his brother had been a waste of his time. But so help him, if that
bastard did anything to Kagome or in front of Kagome again, he'd be one dead,
racist demon, family bonds or no.
***** That's the Way It Goes *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
*Song for the Chapter: Everybody Knows by Concrete Blonde*
Inuyasha was nearly humming as he pulled into the school parking lot and saw
Kagome run towards the car. Now that he had had her all to himself for a week
straight, it was even harder to let her go for the few hours she had to attend
high school. Just as she was about to reach the safety of the vehicle, she was
stopped by the same brown-haired boy that had been attempting to violate her
several months ago. His hands gripped the steering wheel so hard he thought
he'd crush it, but thankfully Kagome disentangled herself from the conversation
and dove through the open car door. Without looking at her, he began to speed
away.
"I thought I told you not to see that boy anymore, Kagome," he said angrily.
Laughing, she leaned over and kissed him on the side of his mouth. "Be careful!
You're really starting to sound like a father now."
He flinched and she laughed again at his reaction and began to touch his thigh,
idly caressing him up and down. When he shivered and tensed, she began to place
small kisses on the side of his face, the hand on his leg climbing higher and
higher.
"You keep that up and we're going to get in an accident," he said roughly.
"You better hurry home, then," she murmured, squeezing him gently through his
pants. Breathing hard, he nearly doubled his speed and was inside her the
minute they entered the house, their moans and cries echoing in the sparsely
furnished living room. Afterward, as he lay calm and sated on the sofa with
Kagome panting on his chest, he remembered their dinner plans.
"I found a woman who seems like she'd be a good personal guard for you," he
said, playing with her sweaty bangs.
"A what?" she asked tiredly, gently swatting his hand away as he was now
tickling her forehead with the wet locks in a somewhat annoying fashion.
"A bodyguard. I thought that after what happened you'd feel safer."
She turned her concerned eyes on him. "Do you really think I need one? Am I in
any danger?"
"No, no, no," he said quickly. "At least I don't think so." Her eyes widened
and he winced. "Look, Sesshomaru might try and scare you, but I don't think
he'd hurt you. It would be bad for business. A bodyguard would be a deterrent
against any of his stupid attempts at making me angry."
"Oh," she said, unconvinced. "Then he knows? About… About you and me?"
Inuyasha froze. "Wow. I, uh, guess he does, then. Maybe he thought you were
Kikyo? But no, he always does his research."
They held each other in silence, separately processing the fact that there was
a person who knew about their relationship, a person who wasn't on the best of
terms with one of them.
"If I have a bodyguard," Kagome said slowly, "when are you going to find the
time to bring me my lunch when I forget it?"
Inuyasha laughed and smacked her bare bottom just hard enough to leave a pale
pink handprint and make her squeak. "We're just going to have to spend more
time together at home, that's all."
She kissed him deeply and he moved his hands to cup her breasts when she
stopped him. "We have a guest in a couple hours, Inuyasha. We should shower and
look presentable."
He growled in disappointment and she rolled her eyes, sliding off of him. He
watched her hips sway as she went up the stairs and then followed, restraining
himself from barging into the bathroom and taking her over and over again.
"Welcome, Sango!" Kagome said cheerfully, ducking under his arm which was
holding the door open. The excited girl grabbed the tough older woman's hand
and drew her inside, pushing past Inuyasha with hardly a glance. Inuyasha
sighed. He had forgotten how hyper Kagome could get when meeting new people,
even though he had experienced it first-hand not so long ago. The memory made
him smile and he followed the two women into the living room, settling down in
his favorite chair.
"So how'd you get into this line of work, Sango? I like your name, by the way,"
Kagome chirped.
"My father trained me."
Inuyasha empathized with Sango. She was obviously not a chatty person. He had
always had trouble talking to people, even Kikyo, but with Kagome he was able
to be more himself.
"Oh, so it's the family business? How neat!"
Sango nodded and the conversation ceased. Kagome looked at him for help but he
gave her a slight shrug, not able to think of any small talk. She laughed
nervously and turned back to Sango.
"I hope you like chicken divan. When Inuyasha invited you for dinner, he forgot
about the actual dinner part so I had to just put together whatever I could on
such short notice," she said, glaring at him.
"Anything you provide is alright with me, Miss Higurashi."
Kagome giggled. "Please, call me Kagome. Anything else is just weird."
"We should probably get to the table before the food gets cold," Inuyasha said,
not wanting to see Kagome suffer through a mostly one-sided conversation any
longer.
Dinner went well, with Sango opening up more to Kagome about her family,
telling her about how she had lost both her parents several years ago and was
now taking care of her younger brother. Kagome was more than appropriately
saddened by this news and grabbed one of Sango's hands, telling her that she
would never be alone again in a way Inuyasha thought was somewhat too dramatic,
but judging by the tender expression on the woman's face was just right. When
they were done and Kagome had somehow talked him into eating his broccoli, an
hour had passed and she shrieked when she noticed the time.
"Oh, gosh! I have a test tomorrow, so I'd better go study." She rose from her
chair and gently pushed it back in. "I'll say good night now, Sango. I hope
we'll become even better friends. And good night, Inuyasha," she said, smiling
at him innocently, knowing he'd recognize the far from pure look in her eyes.
All he wanted to do now was get Sango to sign the contract he'd had Myoga draw
up and then give Kagome what she was asking for, damn her studying and tests.
He and Sango both followed Kagome with their eyes as she walked away, then
turned to each other as soon as she was out of sight.
"I had my assistant draw up a contract for you," he said, sliding the stapled
stack of papers over to her. "It's mostly just a bunch of legal crap, the usual
stuff. You already discussed your salary with Myoga and he approved it, so we
don't need to go over that. The one thing I think is most important is that you
never, under any circumstances, even if it's just between friends or something,
discuss your employment here or anything pertaining to it."
"Like the fact you are fucking your teenage step-daughter?" she asked casually.
Inuyasha spit out the water he had been in the process of drinking, choking on
part of it and gagging uncontrollably. When he finally got a hold of himself,
he sputtered out, "How dare you! I-I love m-my wife."
Sango nodded casually. "Yes, sure you do. Where is she? Not here after her only
child and husband were almost murdered. You were only married a week ago, you
had no honeymoon, and she is nowhere to be seen, leaving her beautiful young
daughter alone with you."
"My wife is very ill," he stressed, "and we are both quite busy with work."
Sango snorted in disgust. "Stop pretending. It's really none of my business. I
like Kagome and I will protect her with my life if necessary, even if the one I
should be protecting her from is you. However, you're the one paying me so I
answer to you."
They glared at each other in silence. "How… How could you tell?" Inuyasha had
been so careful to appear normal, restraining himself to the point where he
thought he'd scream with the frustration of it all.
She laughed. "I knew in your office that you were in love with her and I could
tell that she loves you just as much right when I saw her. And you two stare
and touch much too often, and then there are times when you look at each other
as though you know exactly what's under the other's clothes and you're just
waiting for me to leave before you can pounce. Now, as disgusting as I believe
it is with her being fifteen and you being like, five-hundred or something, she
is old enough to make her own decisions. Also, since her mother isn't even
present at such a crucial time, I am assuming she is not worthy of a daughter
like her and that your marriage is not one of love."
Inuyasha sat, stunned. This was not the reaction he had expected from someone
who knew about his affair with Kagome. In all his nightmares, they had
separated them and persecuted him for daring to touch something so pure. He
flushed with guilt. He had not even told Kikyo about the attacker, even after
he had told Kagome he would. He had not wanted to have his time with her
interrupted on the off chance that Kikyo would suddenly develop maternal
concern for her offspring. Pushing his thoughts aside, he summoned all his
confidence and looked at her with what he hoped was an intimidating glare.
Since Kagome really liked her, he couldn't take care of this problem in his
usual manner. He'd have to do things in a way the girl would appreciate, one
that wouldn't leave her asking any questions.
"Do you swear never to tell anyone of this?"
"I swear. I would never ruin that sweet girl's life."
He nodded, far from satisfied, but it was the best he could do under the
circumstances. He could always do things his way if she broke her word and
violated her contract.
"Very well, Ms. Taijiya. You're hired."
She signed the contract in various places and he showed her to the door, hardly
paying attention to the situation, lost in his thoughts. If things were so
obvious, should he and Kagome tone it down? Was what they did okay just because
they loved each other? There were others to consider, even if when they were
together they felt like the only two people in the world. He had nearly three
million employees worldwide, and if his relationship with Kagome got out, their
lives may very well be ruined in addition to his own. He walked up the stairs
to his room. He would have to discuss things with Kagome and formulate a plan
to keep their feelings concealed if they were to continue, and of course they
would.
Opening his door, he stopped in his tracks at the sight before him. Kagome lay
on his bed, completely naked. She was touching herself and so close she was
already beginning to shudder. Inuyasha nearly slammed the door, and she raised
her head to look at him.
"You were taking so long," she said breathlessly. "I didn't mean to start
without you, but it just kind of happened."
Nearly ripping his clothes off in his hurry, previous troubles gone out of his
mind forever, he pounced, just as Sango had said earlier. He plunged into her,
not bothering with foreplay since she had done all that herself, and they moved
together as one, with him allowing himself to quickly reach the point she was
at and finishing with her almost simultaneously. He rolled onto his back and
pulled her onto his chest, the way he always did, and she kissed him all over
his face and neck, making him smile from the ticklish sensations and her
fervent actions.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for choosing Sango," she said in
between kisses. "She's like a big sister. She's so nice and she's had such a
hard time so it's good that we're going to be together from now on."
Bringing up her bodyguard had soured his mood. "Kagome… Sango knows," he said
gravely. He had not planned on telling her but now he felt he had to.
"Knows what?"
"About this," he said.
She gasped in understanding. "Did you tell her?!"
"Fuck no, of course not!" he snapped. "She figured it out herself."
"…I guess this is a good thing," she whispered into his neck. "She was probably
going to find out eventually. Better at the beginning so it's not such a
shock."
"You're not mad?"
"No. Sango's our friend. I trust her."
Inuyasha nodded and reached over to turn off the lamp, ignoring Kagome's
protests that she still had to study. If Kagome trusted Sango, then he would
trust Sango. Maybe not as much, but enough.
 
Chapter End Notes
     Note: Please vote in my poll! =D I am interested in what you guys
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***** Into Your Eyes *****
*Song for the chapter: Touched by VAST*
Note: It's the middle of the night and I'm bored and can't sleep. It's
technically Monday, so here ya go.
Kikyo came back a week after he hired Sango, and again, Kagome did not let him
touch her at all. They barely even spoke and it was driving him insane. He did
not feel truly at ease, at home unless she allowed him to love her openly.
Inuyasha didn't tell Kikyo anything about the attacker, and he doubted Kagome
would bring it up since her mother never stayed around long enough to have a
proper conversation. Trying to calm his anger at present circumstances and the
cruelty of fate, he played along with Kagome and hardly looked at her, barely
speaking when he drove her to and from school, mostly out of spite. Kikyo would
be returning to work soon enough, and then they'd be together again. He could
defy his own nature and be patient.
On the fifth night of Kikyo's constant presence, he was getting fed up. Kagome
was locking herself in her room nightly without even dinner, and since she was
the only one who cooked, he was again living off of greasy delivery. Kikyo
never cooked and always refused when he offered to order her something, so he
supposed she was surviving on photosynthesis or something. As much as he
complained about Kagome's cooking, the truth was he loved it. It made him feel
like they were a newlywed couple, just the two of them, the way it was supposed
to be. Quietly, he got up from his seat in front of the television, which he
had turned on full volume in spite of the fact that Kikyo had been there
reading a book for some time before he arrived with his totally unappetizing
food. He stretched and started up the stairs, resigned to an early, lonely
night.
"My room has been quite chilly, Inuyasha," Kikyo announced, stopping him in his
tracks.
"Do you need some more blankets?" he asked worriedly, suddenly remembering that
she was dying. It was so easy to forget sometimes. If her scent wasn't tinged
with that bit of sickness, he'd think she was faking.
"No, thank you," she said agreeably. "However, I would like some company this
evening. You seem like you'd enjoy some company as well."
Realization slowly dawned on him and he nearly grimaced in disgust. "The best I
can give you is another blanket, Kikyo."
"Are you cold, Mother?" Kagome's voice came from the top of the stairs. "I have
a few too many blankets, I can give you some if you'd like."
Inuyasha's head turned in her direction so fast he thought he'd strained his
neck. There she was, in her nightgown, one he had bought her. It was cotton and
had rose buds all over it, ending demurely at mid-calf. She wore much more
mature things when they were alone with each other, but had this gown for
appearances when Kikyo was home. This was the most he had heard her speak in
days and he almost choked on the feelings rising in his throat.
"You know," Kikyo said, ignoring her daughter, "I remember when you were very
eager for my company. It was all I could do to get you to leave me alone for a
few minutes. So wild, yet so sweet. The ideal lover."
"Stop it, Kikyo," he growled, not wanting her to talk about their past in front
of Kagome. He glanced at the girl and saw her gripping the bannister, knuckles
white. Her eyes were blazing with an emotion he couldn't quite pinpoint, but it
was obvious she was feeling whatever it was strongly.
"You used to buy me so many, many things. Whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted
it and more. But even if you hadn't, I would have been happy. I was content
with just you and your passions. Your love."
Kagome cleared her throat. "I guess I'll keep the blankets for tonight, then.
You're welcome to them, Mother."
For possibly the first time since she had been back, Kikyo addressed her
daughter directly. "When are you going to start dating, Kagome? Have you even
been asked? I had my first marriage proposal at your age. I was hoping for you
to have similar success. God knows we'll need a strong partner if Shikon hopes
to survive after you inherit it."
Kagome flushed and glared at both of them, stomping away to her room. Inuyasha
heard her lock the door. He moved to follow her and apologize, but the tone of
Kikyo's voice stopped him.
"Have you made any progress with Shikon?"
He sighed. "We don't know exactly how they were sabotaging you, since they
didn't seem to have had any help from inside, but all funny business stopped
the moment Tetsusaiga took ownership."
"I won't be happy until we have undeniable evidence that it was Onigumo and put
him behind bars for the rest of his pathetic life," she snarled, suddenly
vicious. "I have another conference to attend. Some feminist nonsense about
women in business. Suikotsu's on his way, I should go wait for him."
She grabbed the bag he had not noticed at her feet and walked out the door
without another word, something he was more than grateful for, and he heard her
boyfriend's car arrive mere seconds later. Inuyasha stood still and stared at
the empty room. He'd have to bring Onigumo to justice if Kikyo were to ever
rest in peace. Hell, maybe she'd start her rest the sooner he ended what seemed
to be her only reason for living. If Onigumo was put in jail and Kikyo felt
herself able to die, then he could keep Kagome all to himself. Shocked at his
dark thoughts, he exhaled loudly. Also, what was up with Kikyo trying to get
him into bed and then running off with her boyfriend? If he ever called her
bluff, what would she do? Did she even expect anything from him, or was she
just bored? He heard the shower turn on and he started, remembering how Kagome
always bathed when she was unhappy. It comforted her, but recently he had taken
on that job of soothing her unease for himself.
He ran to her bathroom and turned the knob, surprised she left it open even if
she did frequently forget since they never locked doors when they were alone.
Entering the steamy room, he yanked open the mirrored shower door. She turned
to him, unsurprised, and he could tell she was crying even though the stream of
water was pouring on her face. Without a thought, he climbed in with her, still
fully clothed, and put his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. Kagome
sobbed against him, finally letting it out, and he stroked her back, putting
all his feeling into every touch.
Inuyasha hadn't been planning to ravish her, but she changed those plans when
she grabbed his face, kissing him roughly, and placed his hand on her breast.
He squeezed and caressed and she frantically unzipped his pants, still
sniffling, pulling down the wet fabric until it was at his feet. They locked
eyes and he saw her pain, its intensity driving him to love her more tenderly
than he ever had before. She kissed him slowly, and he ran his hands over her
body, reveling in the different satin slick feel of her.
Kagome broke away and stared at his chest, which was defined by the shirt
sticking to his skin. Placing her hands under it but not taking it off, she
stroked his abdomen and looked him in the eye, begging for what they both
wanted. He grunted and grabbed her hips before sheathing his cock inside her.
Her hands had dragged his shirt up and she was rubbing his nipples, stroking
his collarbone. Moaning, he leaned forward and sucked on her neck, his now wet
hair flattening against his eyes and impairing his vision. Desperately trying
to keep his balance, he was strengthened by the feel of her hands gripping him
and only him, not the shower door or anything, trusting him completely. When
she cried out and arched into him, he followed, only just managing to not fall
to his knees. Silently, he rinsed her off, still holding her. When he was done,
Inuyasha turned off the water and stumbled out of the shower, setting Kagome
down on the sink counter. He grabbed the towel she had set out and gently dried
her off.
"Inuyasha?" she asked timidly. He looked at her in question and wrapped the
fluffy pink towel around her. "Are… Are you my boyfriend?" she whispered.
"No," he said, shaking his head, cursing his bluntness when he saw the hurt
look in her eyes return tenfold. "We're more than that. So much more," he said,
raising a hand up to her face and running his thumb along her cheekbone.
"Then what are we?"
He exhaled loudly. "I… I don't know. I know I love you and only you. There will
never be anyone else for me," he explained, taking out another towel to dry her
hair. "You're different from her. I could never get over you." Kagome stared at
him and said nothing, so he continued, grabbing her shoulders and looking her
in the eye. "When all this is over and done with, Kagome, I'm going to marry
you."
She laughed and it sounded sad. "When all what is over, Inuyasha? I could never
hurt Mother like that. You said it yourself at Christmas, remember?"
He shook her slightly. "Don't worry about it. We're going to be together for
real, officially, I promise."
Shaking her head, she said, "I don't know what I was thinking," she whispered.
"I should never have… I shouldn't have."
Inuyasha began to panic. He could not lose her, no matter what. "Just wait,
Kagome. I swear. Just a few more months."
He kissed her forcefully and she began to respond. "Alright. I don't know what
else I can do," she murmured against his lips. It was good enough for him. He
could live in any world where Kagome was by his side.
"Inuyasha?" she whispered after a while.
"Yeah?"
"Do you promise you don't have any feelings for Mother?"
Inuyasha groaned internally. In truth, he had expected this question long
before, but Kagome had been much too timid and unsure to ask. "Kagome, I will
always feel something for Kikyo. But I loveyou."
She looked away, and then back again, her eyes hard. "It's okay if you love her
too, Inuyasha, just as long as you love me more."
"I do," he assured her gently, kissing her cheek. "I do."
"Good."
***** Love in the Aftermath *****
*Song for the chapter: Holy Roller by Thao & The Get Down Stay Down*
A few days later, Kikyo came back unannounced. Kagome was more than happy to
see her return, her previous anger and hurt forgotten, but Inuyasha was still
fuming. Fortunately, she did not address him, but instead smiled down distantly
at her daughter, no teeth showing.
"Kagome, how would you like to come down to the closest Shikon factory with me
this weekend?"
The girl's eyes shone and she glanced at Inuyasha, silently asking him if this
was actually happening. He nodded at her, happy that she was happy, and she
clapped her hands together, making Kikyo flinch at the sudden noise.
"I would love to, Mother! Should I go pack now?" Without waiting for an answer,
she started humming and turned to run up the stairs.
"Wait!" Kikyo said, slightly annoyed but mostly amused at her eagerness, as if
her daughter, so starved for her attention, were a small dog chasing its own
tail as it urinated on the carpet. "Pack some nice things. I'm going to
introduce you to a few executives, give you a tour of the factory, acquaint you
with its processes, and then we'll have you attempt to channel your spiritual
energy into some new products."
Kagome paled. "I-I've never had any training, Mother. I don't know how to do
that."
"It's easy. You're a Higurashi, after all."
She started fidgeting and tugging on the bottom of her blouse, those signs
letting Inuyasha know she was incredibly nervous, and that meant he had to be
with her.
"I'll come along, too," he announced. Kagome beamed at him gratefully and he
smiled at her.
"Absolutely not, Inuyasha," Kikyo said. "I can't have you distracting her.
Plus, this is a factory full of spiritual energy, my spiritual energy. You know
how strong I am."
Inuyasha began to feel sick. He had been around Kikyo once when she had been
imbuing products with her powers and the purity was so strong he had vomited
blood on the spot. He turned to tell Kagome he wouldn't go, but her big gray
eyes were pleading with him in such a precious way that he could not refuse.
"I'm going to go no matter what, since I technically own it until Kagome turns
twenty-one," he said, for the first time reminding Kikyo of their deal.
She scowled at him and Kagome smiled. The suffering would be worth it.
"Very well, Inuyasha. But don't complain when you have to be taken away in an
ambulance," Kikyo said coldly. "You better pack now, Kagome. I intend to leave
early tomorrow morning."
She glided past them and up the stairs to her room, reminding him eerily of the
queen from Disney's Snow White.
Kagome turned to him and asked, "What was she talking about? An ambulance?"
"Nothing, she's just being a bitch," he said softly, tucking a strand of her
hair behind her ear, ignoring her flinch at the bad word. "And nothing's going
to keep me from being with you."
She placed her hand on his where it rested on her cheek, one of the few times
she had shown him any affection when Kikyo was in the house, and he shivered,
slight though the touch was. "Thank you, Inuyasha."
O/\o/\O
The building was as hard and gray as Kikyo's eyes, the polluting smoke making
the sky look roughly the same. Inuyasha felt the spiritual power like a punch
to the gut, but he followed the women in anyway, steeling himself for Kagome's
sake. They were met by a bunch of men in suits, and he shook hands with all of
them, ignoring their surprised stares. He was probably the only one of demonic
heritage to even come near the place.
"Is this the Little Miss?" asked a particularly condescending man in a Stetson.
Of course, he had a Texas accent, which Inuyasha thought he purposely
exaggerated.
Kagome beamed at him and Kikyo nodded. "Yes, this is my daughter and future
heir to the Shikon throne, Kagome. Kagome, this is our Vice President, Mr.
Walker."
"And who is this, er, fella?" asked the same man, discreetly tipping his hat in
Inuyasha's direction. Apparently, he was the spokesman for the entire group.
"This is my husband, Inuyasha Taisho."
Everybody nodded and glanced at each other in response to his name. Since they
traveled in the same circles, they had all at least heard of him. He rolled his
eyes openly; they should have known who he was the minute they laid eyes on
him. Not many half-demons of his looks were married to Kikyo Higurashi. And
hadn't some of them been at the wedding?
"Nice to be formally introduced to y'all," boomed Walker. "Our guide should be
arriving any minute, and he can educate the Little Miss on the goings-on of
Shikon's first and most productive factory."
The guide arrived as if on cue, a scrawny, malnourished man with a mustache
that made Inuyasha want to yank Kagome away from him and call the police. He
droned on and on in a nasally voice and Inuyasha tuned him out the entire time,
instead keeping his eyes on Kagome, who had produced a notepad and pen from out
of nowhere and was frantically jotting down the information in her cramped yet
large handwriting. The pure energy of the place was getting to him and he began
to sweat and take big gulps of air, struggling not to faint. What felt like
hours later, the guide departed and he breathed a sigh of relief, only to be
shown to a small room with the rest of the group. The walls were plain
concrete, like the rest of the factory, and in the center was a simple round
wooden table with a glucometer placed on top.
Kikyo held out her arm grandly towards the table, her perfectly manicured nails
like arrowheads. "Concentrate on the light inside your soul and let it flow out
your hands and into the product, Kagome."
The girl glanced around at everyone in the room nervously, and Inuyasha smiled
weakly at her, feeling half his strength restored when she smiled back. Setting
her notebook and pen aside, Kagome closed her eyes and placed both hands
hovering over the glucometer. Her brow furrowed more and more as the seconds
ticked by and nothing happened.
"Um, perhaps it would be better if you came back another weekend with your
daughter. She seems to be underprepared," said a nameless executive who
reminded Inuyasha of a bald weasel. He glared at the man and was satisfied to
see him begin to visibly sweat.
Kikyo nodded, staring at Kagome who was now shaking with effort and
humiliation. "Perhaps you are right. I had hoped she would be able to do this
instinctively, but I see now I expected too much. Come away from there, Kagome,
we've wasted our time."
Kagome's shoulders slumped, defeated, and already some of the group was leaving
the room. Conquering his pounding head and slightly fuzzy vision, Inuyasha
stumbled over to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder, coming as close to
her as he dared in public.
"I think you can do it," he said softly, his thumb caressing her bare shoulder,
taking a second to admire her figure in the sundress she wore. "You're my
angel, and angels can do anything they set their minds to," he whispered, even
quieter, confident the others would not hear him over their loud chatter.
She looked up at him, her lips parted, and the emotion in her eyes made him
want to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless. Suddenly, there was a
bright pink light and he was flung backwards, hitting the opposite wall.
Everything was chaos: the Texas guy was slapping his hat on his knee like some
cartoon character, the other executives were looking at each other in awe and
openly calculating figures together, Kikyo was standing stock still with a hand
pressed to her lips and Kagome was crying loudly over bits of the exploded
glucometer.
"Oh my god, I murdered Inuyasha!" she wailed, clumsily running towards him. She
laid her head on his chest and sobbed, her arms encircling his torso and
pressing him to her tightly. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew
Kagome had no reason to cry like that.
"I-I'm not d-dead," he coughed out, bringing up a hand to stroke her hair. Her
head shot up and she launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck
and nearly strangling him. He chuckled and hugged her close, kissing the side
of her head before he remembered there were others around and he couldn't get
too caught up in the moment.
"What the fuck happened?" he barked at the nameless lesser executives, Kagome's
tears sending him into an instant rage.
"That, my dear, was the most impressive display I have ever seen," Walker
nearly shouted. "Your power, although obviously untrained, is greater than even
your mother's, and she is the most powerful priestess I have ever heard of."
Kikyo stormed out, eyes blank and jaw set. No one commented on her exit and for
once Kagome seemed not to notice, too intent on Inuyasha. She was practically
in his lap now and he wanted to leave as soon as possible in order to not tip
anyone off as well as to get her out of her dress.
"Are you really okay, Inuyasha?" she asked worriedly, touching the side of his
face with the tips of her fingers.
He made an assessment of his body, placing Kagome more to the side so he could
have a proper look at himself. There was no visible damage and even the
sickness he had been feeling before was completely gone. But how? Had he not
just been blasted by her? He should be dead, at the very least badly burned and
at the point of death. He grasped her hand and took in the swollen redness
around her eyes, which only served to emphasize the color of her orbs and make
them appear that much more beautiful. It must have been the strength of her
love that kept him unharmed. Inuyasha sat up, pulling Kagome with him.
"If you'll excuse us, we must be going. I think we've had enough of this
place," he said, speaking civilly to Kikyo's yes men for the first time. He and
Kagome walked out together, the applause of what would in a few years be
Kagome's employees following them almost until they left the building. They
walked to their car without speaking, knowing they would say everything they
wanted to say the minute they could be alone again and both willing to wait.
Kikyo was in the passenger seat and Inuyasha almost voiced his displeasure. She
had insisted on being the one to drive them there and Kagome had sat up with
her, leaving him alone in the backseat and feeling emasculated and lonely for
Kagome. Now he had to drive them to the hotel and Kikyo would be sitting next
to him, and judging by the icy look on her face it would not be a pleasant
trip. He sighed in frustration and glanced at the girl next to him, who looked
around before blowing him a small kiss and climbing in the vehicle. Smiling, he
entered and started up the engine, racing out of the parking lot and toward the
small hotel Kikyo had pointed out to them on the way there.
The trip was silent, with his wife stewing over something with a fearsome look
on her face and his love looking out the window but not seeing anything,
probably thinking about what had just transpired in the plain little factory
room. Inuyasha was too afraid to turn on the radio, even though he craved some
sort of distraction from the recent developments that were sure to change his
life in ways he may not appreciate.
Kikyo nearly jumped out of the car the minute he pulled into the hotel lot,
leaving him and Kagome alone to park it. Before he could make a move to kiss
her or touch her or say something, she also left, absent-mindedly following her
mother into the small but classy establishment they would spend the night in.
Slamming his hands against the steering wheel, he took a deep breath and got
out of the car, grabbing all their overnight bags in one hand and setting off
after the two women.
When he got inside, Kikyo and Kagome were already at the front desk. They
turned to him immediately as he entered, as though sensing his presence, and he
gave them both a questioning smile, wondering where he could toss the bags for
the night.
"Come over, Inuyasha. I've got the keys and we can head up to our rooms. Kagome
has done enough damage at the factory for now, so instead of staying all
weekend, we will just spend the night here and go home in the morning," she
said, handing a key card to her daughter and keeping the other.
"Um, where's mine?" he asked, looking pointedly at the key card in her hand.
"We are to share a room. It is only natural, and there are no more rooms
available."
He raised an eyebrow skeptically, but glancing at the clerk who was nodding
along with what Kikyo was saying made him grunt in frustration.
"Then you bunk with Kagome and I'll take a room to myself," he said.
"Absolutely not," Kikyo said with a sniff. "Kagome snores terribly loud and I
would never get to sleep."
Inuyasha barked out a laugh. "That's not even true! She's a nearly fucking
silent sleeper," he growled out, his eyes locking with Kagome's and widening
with hers, realizing he had slipped up.
Kikyo glared at him. "How would you know anything about that?" she hissed.
"I—uh," he sputtered, beginning to panic. "Ears! Demonic hearing. I hear pretty
much everything that goes on in that house," he said desperately.
His wife nodded and her shoulders relaxed, making both him and Kagome relax as
well. They hadn't been caught, but if he wasn't more careful then it was only a
matter of time. Kagome stepped to his side and gently grabbed her bag from his
hand.
"It's nice of you to worry about me, Inuyasha," she said sweetly, "but I'm okay
with sleeping alone. I'm a big girl."
He nodded in resignation and followed them up the staircase to the second floor
where both their rooms were. Kagome's was across the hall from his and Kikyo's
and she slipped through the door without another glance at them. He threw the
bags to the side and they landed on the floor instead of the chair he had been
aiming for. Collapsing on the chair, he immediately began to drift off to
sleep, not really caring where he was or what time it was after the stressful
day.
"You're welcome to share the bed with me, Inuyasha," Kikyo said softly,
enticingly. That tone used to be all it took to get him hard, but now he just
felt nervous and slightly skittish.
"No thanks, I'm good here," he said shortly.
"Are you sure?" she practically purred, making him open his eyes. Kikyo, still
beautiful although now twice the age he appeared, was slowly unbuttoning her
blue blouse. Her bra was of black, nearly transparent lace, and he could see
the mood she was in by the stiffness of her brown nipples. The small, purplish
lump was grotesque in itself, but somehow did not detract much from the
perfection of her breasts. He wondered how she had managed to preserve the
shape of them after giving birth. That in itself was a miracle.
Shutting his eyes, he squeaked, "You know what? I'm just going to sleep in the
car. I'll be fine in the car."
Still with his eyes closed, he felt for his bag, ignoring her humph in response
to his rejection, and went to the door, shutting it behind him. He waited, five
minutes and then ten, slowing down his breathing. When he heard the light
switch flick off and the bedsprings creak, he tiptoed over to the door across
from theirs and knocked as quietly as he could. The door swung back soon after
and there stood Kagome, bleary-eyed and surprised to see him.
Craning her neck to check behind him, she whispered, "What are you doing?! What
about—"
Inuyasha silenced her with a desperate kiss and pushed her back into the room
using his body and kicked the door shut behind him. Soon she was clinging to
his shirt in the darkness, clawing at it to get it off of him. Yanking her
nightgown over her head, he threw it to the side, quickly divesting himself of
his own clothes immediately afterward. Remembering she could not see him well
in the dark room, he smiled and licked his way from her feet to her knees,
nibbling every so often. He went back down and kissed every one of her toes,
making her giggle and urge him to move on. Stroking her sides, he brought his
face up to hers and just stayed there, staring at her mostly unseeing eyes. He
knew she could see his own eyes, as they literally glowed in the dark, but not
much else. No one else would see her like this, and he let out a small laugh in
exaltation, quickly covering it up by kissing her lips and turning it into a
moan. He could not get enough of her taste, no matter how many times his tongue
danced with hers.
Turning her face to the side, Kagome gasped out, "Can we? Right now? Mother is
just—"
"Kagome," he said seriously, trying to sound stern, "when I am with you, I
forget about everyone and everything else. Just this once, can you do that for
me? Please?" His voice cracked at the end and betrayed his own turbulent
emotions.
"I love you, Inuyasha," she whispered after a pause. "I love you and only you."
Murmuring again and again how much he loved her, he plunged into her, kissing
the place where her neck and shoulder met, reveling in her softness and scent.
Someday, he would bite down on this very spot and they would be together
forever, the way it was supposed to be. Her climax was gentle, as was his,
something that they were not able to experience very often due to the secrecy
of their relationship, the fact that they could be discovered and separated at
any time.
As he cradled her on his chest after the act, she reached out to turn on the
light, allowing her to see him properly for the first time since he had closed
the door.
"Are you sure I didn't hurt you today?"
He laughed and kissed her temple. "Forget about it, you could never hurt me."
"But that's strange, isn't it? With a blast that powerful, you should not have
survived. What happened?"
He shrugged, then told her his thoughts from earlier. "Maybe it was our love,
yours and mine. It was strong enough to save me from death."
Kagome's eyes misted slightly and she said, "You're a closet romantic, huh?" He
nodded and kissed her lips. After a pause, she said, "Mother never told me she
loved me. You were the first person to ever say that to me."
Inuyasha was saddened and angry but not at all surprised by this point. He had
seen them interact and their relationship left a lot to be desired. He probably
would have fought against his attraction to Kagome if Kikyo had been at all
caring towards her daughter.
"When I think of how she's treated you, I just… Ugh, I don't know," he said
miserably.
"I know," she said, kissing the tip of his nose.
"I've been thinking. I should give you a tour of Tetsusaiga someday soon."
"Why?" she asked, surprised and confused.
"Well, technically, you are my heir. For now, anyway. The company will
eventually go to one of our children once I'm ready to retire, but that won't
be for a long while yet."
Her lips parted in a gasp that never came and she said, "You…want to have kids?
With me?"
Chuckling, he drew her closer. "Well, I said I was going to marry you. That's
kind of implied."
"Oh, Inuyasha, I love you so much," she said, kissing his chest. He thought it
would end there, but when her tongue found his nipple he knew he was going to
be in for a pleasantly long night.
O/\o/\O
Kagome was so tired in the morning that it made Inuyasha beam with pride. She
even let him dress her, something he did carefully and lovingly, treating her
like a porcelain doll. If he had been watching someone do this instead of being
the one to do it, he would have laughed at his careful maneuverings of her
half-asleep body and gentle caresses and fumblings. It was almost as though he
were a servant. It would have disgusted him if he had been treating anyone but
Kagome this way, but this was her and she was all his. He could do anything
with her and it would be alright.
He kissed her until she was awake, laughing as she tried to talk into his mouth
without quite realizing what was going on. Grabbing her hands, he pulled her to
her feet, Kagome complaining sleepily all the while, her voice thick. He wanted
to stay in bed as badly as she did, but he had made the mistake of sleeping in
her room overnight and now they had to sneak down and wait in the lobby for
Kikyo in order to not look suspicious. Finally, Kagome woke up a bit more and
grabbed her bag herself, opening the door while asking Inuyasha to stop for
coffee. He was about to tease her for developing a caffeine addiction, but
then, at the same time, they both saw Kikyo, hand poised ready to knock at
Kagome's door.
"Inuyasha? Why are you in Kagome's room?" asked his wife, glancing between the
two of them.
"I was up getting a soda from the vending machine earlier when I ran into
Inuyasha. He looked bored and said he didn't want to wake you, so I invited him
to come to my room and watch TV," Kagome said.
Inuyasha nearly sighed in relief. He didn't know whether or not the fact she
was a much better liar than himself was good or not, but he knew from the look
on Kikyo's face that she had just saved both their asses for another day.
"Alright, then. If it's not too much trouble, please drive us again, Inuyasha.
My legs are sore from all that walking about in the factory yesterday."
Kikyo turned and left, obviously expecting them to follow. Kagome glanced slyly
at Inuyasha and kissed his cheek, skipping off after her mother. He hurried
after her, the grin he sported tipping off every male he passed to what he had
been doing last night.
***** Can't Hide *****
*Song for the chapter: Undenied by Portishead*
Valentine's Day was quickly approaching and Inuyasha was panicking, thinking up
romantic plans and wondering what to give Kagome. She acted like she didn't
even know the holiday was coming up, but, after intense hours of studying her
every move and facial expression until she screamed at him to leave her alone
and stop being creepy, he could tell she would like something although she was
not expecting anything. Racking his brain, he finally came up with something
that was the best he could do without any outside help, and quickly set to work
on it.
The first step would be getting rid of Kikyo.
"Kikyo!" Inuyasha called cheerfully, bounding down the stairs on the special
day. She hadn't even left to go to work since they toured the factory and he
was tired of being ignored by Kagome. Tired enough to resort to dirty tricks.
"Yes?" she said pleasantly, putting down her cup of tea. Her gray eyes were
questioning and soft. Soft for something that looked so much like gunmetal,
anyway.
"I feel bad that I've been taking up so much of your time lately," he said
gently, trying to put a husbandly look into his eyes and feel in his voice. "So
for Valentine's Day, I got you and Suikotsu a trip to Paris for an entire
week!" He beamed at her as though it were the greatest thing ever. Truth be
told, he had wanted to send them away for the rest of the month, but knowing
her, she'd just put up a fight, so a week it was. He'd like to get rid of her
forever, but her body was already doing that for him. A bit too slow for his
liking, but there would be no need to dirty his hands with her blood. A muscle
in his jaw jumped in guilt and he realized what he had been thinking.
Kikyo had a surprised look on her face, and it was not a pleasant one. "Oh.
Thank you, Inuyasha, but I'm afraid—"
"Suikotsu's on his way over and I already packed your bags," he said, feeling
like a game show host. "Don't worry, just go and have a good time."
Before she could protest any more, Inuyasha took her hands and led her to the
door, where he had placed her suitcases just that morning, hiding them under a
sheet, although he knew that would just bring attention to it. Luckily for him,
Kikyo had not ventured in that direction. The doorbell rang, followed by a
knock that somehow even sounded friendly, and he opened the door to see
Suikotsu, who was beaming past him at Kikyo. Shoving her bags in the other
man's arms, he stepped to the side and watched his somewhat dazed wife walk out
the door without even a goodbye. Exhaling loudly, he leaned against the shut
door and called Sango, dismissing her a few hours ahead of time, hanging up on
her negative grumble of a reply.
Now for part two. He smiled and nearly began to hum as he ran to the car.
When he arrived at Kagome's school, he headed straight for the courts outside
the gym. He knew her schedule, and the period right before lunch was PE. She
had told him excitedly as he drove her to school that morning that her class
would be playing volleyball, something she had always wanted to try but hadn't
been able to due to her archery commitments. Parking close to the building that
seemed much too large for just a high school gym, he jogged around to the back
until he came to the chain-link fence that kept her from him.
Kagome was standing with her back to him, in an outfit he thought was much too
revealing. Whoever was in charge of the girls' uniforms was most definitely a
pervert. Those "shorts" were what regular women's underwear were just ten years
ago! Looking around, he noticed the boys were doing what boys do, just standing
around and checking out the girls, and the girl most of them had their eyes on
was Kagome. He gripped the fence, barely stopping himself from twisting the
entire structure into some sort of stupid modern sculpture type thing for
idiots to gawk at and pay the national budget to own. The girls were standing
together and whispering, glancing back at the boys while acting nonchalant. All
but Kagome, who was actually trying to play the game. It brought a smile to his
face, and he wolf whistled, his eyes zeroing in on her half-exposed ass and
watching it bounce with each movement she made. She turned around immediately,
missing the ball which would have been a sure hit for her, and broke out in a
grin when she saw him. She ran over to him, the eyes of all the boys and some
of the girls following her movements as though she were doing the slow motion
run from Baywatch.
"Inuyasha! What brings you here?" Her eyes were glowing with her excitement and
hopeful anticipation. It was the day for lovers, after all.
"I pulled you out early," he said cheerily, her mood affecting his. He had
called the school the week before and scheduled to pull her out for a
"dentist's appointment". She seemed conflicted, glancing back at the volleyball
game with a wistful expression on her face, but looked back at him with love in
her eyes, her choice clear. He almost kissed her through the fence but settled
for reaching a finger through a link and stroking the back of her hand which
gripped the barrier. "Grab your bag and let's get going."
She nodded and scampered off to the side of the court, grabbing her yellow bag
and running into the building and out again, right to his side. Taking her hand
in full view of her classmates, he led her to the parked car, feeling somewhat
relieved when she only blushed and did not protest. He could barely contain his
excitement when once they were in the vehicle she noticed the amount of red
roses littering the back. He had made sure to get real heirloom roses, not the
kind they sold in every florist shop that smelled like grass. Inuyasha was
beginning to regret it now that the scent was nearly overpowering, but the look
on Kagome's face was worth everything.
"What's all this?" she asked, as though some part of her thought this couldn't
be all for her, just like the pile of presents at Christmas.
He laughed and began heading to their destination. "One rose for every day
we've known each other," he whispered, suddenly feeling solemn in the moment.
"One hundred and twenty-nine."
Inuyasha risked looking at her, and tears were pooling in Kagome's eyes.
Suddenly, she laughed and jumped in the back, sweeping most of the roses off
the seat with one hand.
"You're so cheesy, Inuyasha."
He snorted. "What'd you go back there for?"
"Pull over and find out," she said slyly, her voice soft and smooth, almost
like she was introducing the next jazz song she'd be singing.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw Kagome taking off her tiny shorts along
with her underwear, leaving her somewhat baggy sweatshirt on. Inuyasha swerved
off the freeway into a glade of trees by the shoulder, barely missing the trunk
of one, glad they had the option of this privacy. He had wanted today to be
more about their relationship and romance, worried they were losing some of the
emotional intimacy to the physical, but if she wanted to fuck then who was he
to stop her?
He tried to jump into the backseat but was prevented by the seatbelt he was
wearing. Cursing at the sound of Kagome's giggles, he clawed at the thing until
it somehow unbuckled, leaving him free to lunge at her. Remembering the
occasion, he kissed her lips tenderly, sweetly, before giving in to her
insistent tongue and turning passionate, nipping at her lips until he tasted a
faint trace of her incomparable blood. Deciding that was enough, he moved down
to her neck, his hands caressing her ribs through the shirt. She giggled and
squirmed, that area being one of her most ticklish spots. Somehow, she
maneuvered the two of them so that he was sitting upright and she was in his
lap straddling him. Pushing his back to the seat, she slowly brought her face
to his, never breaking eye contact. Her tongue briefly flitted out to trace her
lips and then she was kissing him, slow and intense, all while unbuttoning his
shirt. Once that was done, she ran her hands up and down his chest and abdomen,
smiling when she felt him shudder. Lowering her head, she kissed his nipples, a
part of him she had recently become fascinated with. Kagome had not known male
nipples were also sensitive, and she was obsessed with touching him there like
he touched her. Inuyasha himself hadn't realized how strongly he'd react when
stimulated in that fashion. Other women had tried what she was doing before and
he hadn't been all that into it, but he guessed it was the fact that it was
Kagome plucking at his chest that drove him so wild. He began to buck his hips
into her, trying to signal that he had had enough foreplay and was ready to
roll. Understanding, as she always did, she placed one last kiss on his solar
plexus and removed her top, allowing him to undo her bra, throw it to the side,
and tease her breasts. She unzipped his pants, her small hand fondling and
stroking, then gripping as she lowered herself onto him. It was slow,
agonizingly slow, but so, so sweet. Times like this were too rare. They were
always rushing to fulfillment, afraid that this would be their last time. He
kept eye contact as she rode him, occasionally placing kisses on her lips,
cheeks, throat. She did the same to him. His orgasm triggered hers, and she
threw her arms around his neck, collapsing against him, out of breath.
"I love you so much," she panted against his neck.
"I lo—"
There was a bright flash through the windshield. Startled and angry, he shoved
Kagome to the side and snarled as he punched through the glass and dragged the
man with the camera inside. Kagome was screaming and attempting to cover her
naked body with their discarded clothes. Hearing her reminded him of what
happened the last time he had killed in front of her, and he hesitated, looking
the man over. He was a scrawny thing, someone who had never really grown up all
the way. His hair was thinning and he wore plaid cargo shorts with a dirty
white shirt, both probably from Wal-Mart or some equally disgustingly cheap
store. The scraggly beard he possessed did nothing to enhance his appearance.
His rage slightly diminished by the study of the pathetic creature in front of
him, Inuyasha shook the man violently enough to nearly snap his neck.
"Who the fuck are you?!" he growled. "Paparazzi?"
"N-no!" the man stuttered, cowering with eyes closed.
"A PI, then?" Had Kikyo hired someone to follow him?
The man shook his head from side to side so fast one of his tears flew off his
face and hit Inuyasha's, making him wince in slight disgust.
"Then what. The fuck. Are you," he said quietly, past the point of impatience.
"Just a guy with a camera, man."
"A random pervert?" he questioned, glancing at Kagome, who was covering herself
with her sweatshirt, obviously already having given up on finding her shorts.
She was curled as far away as she could get and staring at the two of them with
wide eyes.
"Uh, not exactly—"
Inuyasha again shook him by the collar. "Then what?!"
When the man didn't respond, Inuyasha allowed his claws to curl into his neck,
just the littlest bit, enough to scare him. It worked, and soon the creep was
talking.
"Some guy came to me last night and told me to follow that girl and take
pictures of her. He gave me three fuckin' thou, man. I guess I accidentally
left the flash on this time."
"Describe him."
"I c-can't even fucking remember, I don't know why, I remembered right up until
you asked me, just please please please don't hurt me, I didn't know—"
Taking a deep breath through his nose, Inuyasha attempted to calm himself down
and slowly tried again. "Did he say why?"
"Nuh-uh, he didn't tell me why or his name or anything. He just said he'd be
seeing me soon."
Inuyasha yanked the camera off from where it hung around the man's neck,
smashing it against the window closest to him until it was in pieces and the
glass was cracked. Bringing his now free hand back to the man who still looked
as though he were about to shit his pants, he roughly patted him down, checking
for other items. When he found nothing, he flung the man from him like trash,
right back out the broken windshield. He watched the disgusting human run away
into the sparse wilderness, limping and bleeding from where shards of glass had
pierced his flesh.
Sighing, he turned back to Kagome. Wordlessly, he held out his arms to her, and
she crashed into them, sobbing and shaking against his chest. After she cried
herself out and he thought he must have permanently matted her hair to her
skull from how many times he stroked it, she pulled away from him and he began
to dress her, hooking her bra on and tugging the sweatshirt over her head,
finding her shorts from where he had been unknowingly sitting on them and
gently pulling them up her long legs. When she was looking as presentable as he
could make her, he buttoned up his own shirt and fixed his pants, becoming
embarrassed when he realized he had terrified and interrogated a man with his
cock hanging out and rose petals sticking to his naked skin.
"This car is ruined now," he muttered, trying to fill the silence. "I'm gonna
call Myoga to send us another one and clean this mess up."
They climbed out of the car and back to the side of the road, Kagome rubbing
her thighs in the chilly air while Inuyasha barked orders at Myoga. When that
was done, he opened the trunk, taking out the picnic basket he had packed with
all of Kagome's favorites, buying what he couldn't make and making what he
could since he knew she would appreciate it. He wanted to get the roses, but
decided against it. They had fucked on them and they were probably all sorts of
nasty now, having done their job. He was glad he had paid the extra money to
get the thorns removed or else their rendezvous would have been far more
painful. Going over to where his lady love was, Inuyasha set the basket down
and sat next to her on the somewhat damp grass, trailing his fingers up and
down her leg.
"Thank you, Inuyasha," she said in that sweet, soft voice she always had after
she'd been doing a lot of thinking. "I'm sorry the day was ruined. What else
were you planning?"
He put his arm around her shoulders, laying his head on hers when she leaned
into him. "I know it's not very romantic, but I was gonna take you to my
mother's grave and introduce you. She would have loved you."
Again, he smelled her tears, and she turned to him, the stubbornness of her
chin showing him she was determined not to let them fall. Saying nothing and
everything, she put both arms around him and kissed him softly, communicating
her love with the touches of her lips. Inuyasha wondered if her stalker was
still around, hoping for Kagome's sake that he wasn't. The man would die, just
not today. Today was about Kagome and him, him and Kagome. Everything else
could and would wait; all problems would be set aside and solved another day.
All too soon, a horn honked and they jumped apart, blushing and lumbering into
the town car that awaited them.
***** Heart Heart Head *****
*Song for the chapter: Heart Heart Head by Meg Myers*
Note: I admit it, this entire fanfic was a conspiracy to get people to listen
to Meg Myers. Please review and vote in the poll! =]
They ate the now cold and soggy picnic in Inuyasha's bed. The meal was awkward,
with both of them pretending the ordeal with the camera guy and the car hadn't
happened. Neither of them wanted to discuss it, naturally being people who
avoided problems until they absolutely had to be dealt with. Instead, they
traded distracted kisses and half-heartedly tried to feed each other, losing
interest in games about half-way through the basket. The evening was ruined,
and no amount of forced playfulness was going to bring the mood back. Finally,
Inuyasha decided to call it a night, ignoring Kagome's weak protests.
"One last thing," he said, hoping this at least could bring the spark back to
her eyes. "Your gift. Here," he said gruffly, suddenly shy. Pulling a long gold
chain from under his pillow, he handed her the necklace. Her curiosity showed
on her face and made him smirk. She took it from him, her fingers carefully
opening the locket that swung from the delicate chain. Inside was a small oil
painting of him and one of her. It had taken a lot of money and threats, but he
managed to get it done by the best painter he knew of in only six days. He had
heard the poor man had developed a cocaine habit due to his demands. Oh well,
that wasn't important. He smiled softly at how tenderly she handled it.
"I have one, too," he said quietly, pulling his out from under his shirt. His
chain was silver and it sparkled in the dull light. "Yours is the color of my
eyes and mine is the color of yours."
"It's my second favorite piece of jewelry in the world," she said softly,
stroking the ring she wore. Biting her lip and smiling, she jumped up from the
bed. "I got something for you, too. Well, I made something," she said
sheepishly. "It's in my room, let me go and fetch it."
Inuyasha lay back on the bed and relaxed, watching Kagome's shapely retreating
figure. He had not been expecting anything from her, but anything she gave was
wonderful, especially if made by her own hands. Sure, he teased her about tons
of things regarding her abilities, but he did love to know she cared for him.
Something made by hand was infinitely more precious than something bought. If
he could, he would made the locket on his own, but it would have been much less
impressive. Badly drawn crayon figures weren't something women enjoyed
receiving from grown men. A scream interrupted his train of thought and wiped
the dreamy smile off his face. Kagome was hurt. He ran faster than he thought
possible, skidding to a stop in front of her room. The sight that met his eyes
was something he'd never forget.
Hearts, actual, real hearts were scattered across her room. There must have
been dozens. Blood was splattered across the walls, her furniture, the floor.
He sniffed and nearly gagged. They were doghearts. He recognized them by the
smell and size. The words "bitch", "whore", and "slut" were scrawled across her
wall in fairly neat writing, something he was vaguely surprised by. In horror
movies, it was always smeared and dripping, sloppy and careless. Taking a step
into the room to comfort the terrified girl, his bare foot encountered
something smooth, and he glanced down and picked it up. It was a photo of him
and Kagome. They were in his bed and he was over her, staring into her eyes
with an intensity he could feel just looking at the picture. They were naked
and his form was slightly blurred; he must have been thrusting hard and fast,
close to completion. Judging by the angle, it was taken from inside the house,
probably from the very doorway of his room. How? He would have sensed it.
But there were more. Momentarily putting off soothing Kagome, he picked them
up. It was easy since they nearly carpeted the floor. Tons of different
pictures, all of them extremely incriminating. Him and Kagome on the dining
room table, him and Kagome in the car in her school's parking lot, him and
Kagome on the stairs, that time under the Goshinboku, at a restaurant, on the
porch.
"I can't do this," came Kagome's strained voice. Inuyasha looked over at her.
She was on her knees and clutching several photographs in her shaking hands. "I
c-can't do this."
The tears started, and with them came big, hiccoughing breaths. He began to
worry she was going to have a panic attack. He moved to her side. "Calm down,
Kagome, shhh, calm down," he said as gently as he possibly could, feeling like
a kindergarten teacher. "Everything will be okay. I'll find who did this and
they'll never bother us again."
Her sobs gathered volume. "But I'll still be a bad person. Mother will never
love me now," she said loudly, the words distorted by her emotion.
Inuyasha immediately felt a deep guilt. "It'll be okay. I'll pick up all the
pictures and call a clean-up crew and get people started on finding this
psycho."
"Call the police," she yelled, clutching the photos in her hands so tightly
that they crumpled.
"No, Kagome. I'm going to do this my own way," he said, firm but still gentle.
Police would just complicate things, and if they actually managed to somehow
stumble onto who did it, then it would be impossible to deal with the
perpetrator in the way they deserved. In addition to that, cops would ask too
many questions, probably get Kikyo involved, and generally ruin any time he had
to spend with Kagome.
She glared up at him. "Call the police!"
"No. I've been alive a long time. I can do better than a bunch of idiot humans
with a violent streak that didn't make it past high school."
"I'm going to call them, then."
"No."
Kagome rose to her feet and they glared at each other, the tenseness of the
moment nearly tangible. She made a sudden movement to try to get past him and
he grabbed her, pulling her into his arms and embracing her, trapping her limbs
with his own. Muffling her screams by holding her face to his chest, he lifted
her up and hurried back to his room, leaving her in it and barricading the door
with a table he kept in the hallway. He was determined not to look at her and
succeeded, afraid the betrayal in her eyes would sway him and complicate
matters unnecessarily.
He pulled out his cell phone, wincing each time he heard Kagome hit or kick the
door, screaming for him to let her out. There was an edge of panic and
desperation to her tone and he tried to tune her out as he informed Myoga of
the situation and gave directions on a few things, leaving the rest up to him.
He nearly gagged thinking about the ball the flea demon would have in the blood
saturated room.
Hurrying to her room as soon as he ended the call, Inuyasha quickly snapped up
every picture that littered the place, breathing through his mouth so as not to
be overwhelmed by the stench, although that just made him taste it faintly. The
pictures were on absolutely every surface, some of them sprinkled with blood
drops, whether intentionally done or not he didn't know. Thinking quickly,
knowing Myoga always managed to arrive sooner than expected, he ran downstairs
and shoved all the privacy violating photos into his briefcase, determined to
deal with them later.
The bell rang just as he was closing the case and he sighed in relief and
annoyance. He opened the door to about half a dozen men and his assistant.
Ignoring their questioning looks, he said, "There was a suspicious man we
caught taking photos of us earlier today, go and find him."
He gave them the photographer's description and the location where they had
encountered him and immediately two of the men left to go and search.
The portly flea demon raised a brow and his moustache twitched. "You caught a
'suspicious' man taking pictures of you and your step-daughter and you just let
him go?" he asked, barely suppressing his anger.
"He was just a human," Inuyasha scoffed.
"'Just' a human?!" Myoga roared, surprising them all. "Humans are capable of
'just' anything! How could you let him get away? You had him in your grasp.
You've only made things more complicated for everyone, including yourself."
Inuyasha glared at him, for once seriously and not playfully. His employee got
the picture and sighed, his head drooping wearily. Myoga led the other men
upstairs, leaving Inuyasha to sit down and have a drink, something small but
just enough to steady his nerves. He could still hear Kagome sobbing and
knocking things over in his room. Myoga knew well enough not to pry and that
was his only consolation. Sitting in his favorite chair and staring into space,
he listened to his lover's sobs and screams and kicks gradually fade into
nothing, knowing that she was wearing herself out. It was easier that way.
About an hour after he had let the team in, they came back downstairs. Myoga
coughed to get his attention.
"Er, there were no finger prints, sir. Or any other kinds of DNA. No signs of
forced entry and nothing appears to be missing or moved or even touched.
Whoever it was hates the Higurashi girl, that's for sure."
Inuyasha nodded slowly, feeling drained and wanting to withdraw. "Take
everything and have it replaced exactly," he murmured, thinking about the white
room that was now mostly red. His angel's heaven had been turned into hell.
"Yes, sir."
He heard a couple of Myoga's lackeys tramp back upstairs a few times, bringing
Kagome's carpets and furniture and bedding down and out the door. Inuyasha
smirked, trying to find something good in all that mess. She would have to
sleep with him for sure now. Sometimes she became unnecessarily (or, as he was
just finding out, necessarily) paranoid and went back to her room to sleep,
leaving him cold and more alone than he'd ever been.
Finally, they left, muttering their apologies and goodbyes. He sighed and
stretched, not looking forward to his coming confrontation with Kagome. He
hoped she'd be asleep. She hadn't been making any noise for a while and that
both calmed and unnerved him. Inuyasha made his way upstairs and to his room as
slowly and quietly as he was able to, using long-forgotten techniques he had
employed only when hunting in the vast forests that no longer were. Moving the
table he had used to barricade the door back to its proper place, he entered
the dimly lit room. Kagome was crying, had been crying. The scent choked him.
She was curled up on her side on the bed, her knees against her chest, hair
covering her face.
Inuyasha approached her slowly, his heart beating so loud and so strong he was
afraid it would burst. Sitting down next to her on the bed, he moved the inky
tendrils of hair that hid her expression from him to the side with his claws.
Her face was pale, except for around the eyes where her skin was red and angry-
looking. He whimpered almost soundlessly and gathered her to himself, ignoring
when she pushed against him and hit his chest. Her feeble blows only made him
hold her tighter, which in turn made her cry harder.
"I hate you, Inuyasha," she said miserably.
Something in him snapped at the words and he felt his skin tingle with the rage
that was rising up from deep in his gut, rage that existed before but had been
dormant for a long time. Taking her chin, he sharply turned her head, forcing
her to face him, to look him in the eye.
"Repeat that, Kagome," he said, his voice dangerously low. "You what?"
Her eyes filled with new tears. "I hate you," she said, stronger now. "You made
me…" she sobbed, trailing off. "You're terrible."
Letting go of her chin, he pressed her face into his shoulder, smashing the
delicate features into his much harder flesh. She gasped and tried to pull
away, but he wouldn't let her. Her tears wet his shirt and their warmth made
him feel sick.
"Hate me, huh?" he muttered, mostly to himself.
With a sudden strong movement, he pushed her down onto the bed. She was wearing
no bra beneath the loose t-shirt she wore of his and her breasts bounced from
the force. Too stunned to get up, she simply stared at him.
"You're the one who started this, Kagome," he said menacingly, his fingers
going straight to her nipples and pinching them harder than he had ever dared
in the past, making her cry out. "I guess that means you think you can end it."
"I didn't start anything!" she screamed, trying to move away. He pinned her
with the anger in his gaze and she stopped moving, instead going completely
rigid.
"Really?" he said, amused, still plucking at a nipple with one hand while the
other teased her uncovered core. "It wasn't you begging me to fuck you all
those times? Touching yourself every night, whispering my name. Trying to make
me jealous with that stupid boy, then parading about in slutty short skirts."
Her eyes went wide. Kagome had never told him about her solo sessions and he
smirked at her tortured, embarrassed expression.
"You bastard!" she hissed.
Inuyasha moved his fingers faster, the knowledge that she was responding to his
unloving touch against her will sending dark flames throughout him.
"You hate me now, right? Even after everything I've done for you," he said
dangerously, his anger building the more he spoke, his touch becoming rougher
with each word. "I bought you everything, took you to school and back every
fucking day, touched you just how you liked it before you even knew how you
liked it. And you hate me? I guess you really are a whore, then."
He withdrew his fingers from her, just as she was on the verge of what was sure
to have been a fabulous climax.
"No, no!" she screamed wildly, shaking her head, whether in opposition to his
words or the absence of his touch, he didn't know.
"I'm going for a run," he said with a grunt, noticing somewhat absently that
his hands were trembling just the littlest bit.
"No! D-don't leave. Please don't leave me," she sobbed, still flushed and on
her back, legs spread.
Inuyasha knew he had gone too far and he hated himself for what he had done to
the frightened girl below him. It had taken him by surprise how much her words
had hurt him, and for the first time he had touched her without gentleness,
without devotion, without love. Turning his back to her and preparing to leave,
he felt Kagome press her naked chest to him. Glancing at the end of the bed, he
saw the t-shirt she had been wearing looking crumpled and sad where she had
thrown it. Her arms wrapped around his middle and her face was pressed to the
back of his neck. He could feel her nipples poking through the curtain of hair
that ran down his back. Her tears dampened his mane and touched his skin,
making him shiver.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Don't leave me alone here. Not after everything.
Please, Inuyasha."
Placing one hand on both of hers that were clasped around his abdomen as though
trying to prevent him from getting up, he turned to her.
"Kagome," he said gently, finally seeing how miserable she looked. "Don't cry.
I-I'm sorry I said those things to you. It's just—the look on your face when
you said that, it just made me feel… Ugh," he sighed in disgust, not for the
first time cursing his lack of verbal communication skills. "It feels like it's
much easier for you to hurt me than it is for me to hurt you. It's never been
like that before for me. I'm sorry."
Inuyasha wiped her tears and kissed her, wondering how she cried all the time
yet never needed tissues. He never heard her sucking in snot, either. She was
really his own delicate little angel.
Throwing her arms around him, she said firmly, "I need you in me."
Her demand took him by surprise. Was it because he had built her up only to
leave her unfinished? He knew he'd be practically forcing himself on her if she
had dared do the same to him.
All the same, he said, "No, Kagome. You've had a very shocking night. It's time
for sleep."
She hit him lightly on his chest with one of her fists. "No! Inuyasha, I love
you," she said seriously, almost gravely. "And you're the only person who's
ever loved me. I need to be with you in that way to feel alright again. I won't
be able to stop thinking about everything and wondering if you still want me
unless you take me right now."
"Kagome," he breathed, defenseless as always when she told him she loved him.
Holding out her arms to him, she whispered his name and he found himself laying
her down across the bed, entering her already prepared body. "I love you," he
moaned, over and over until he couldn't say the words anymore, only feel them.
Afterward, they lay together, her drowsing on his chest as always. Inuyasha
always placed Kagome right above his heart, as he was something of a romantic
although he never vocalized his poetic thoughts or drew attention to his few
sappy actions.
"Oh! Before I forget…" Kagome mumbled sleepily, reaching out and rooting around
under the pillow on what she called her side of the bed even though she never
slept there.
"Here!" she said, handing him a necklace. The beads were made of glass, blue
and white. She placed it over his head, careful of his ears, and he immediately
shuddered from the not entirely unpleasant cold feeling of it around his neck.
"What's this?" he asked lazily.
"Your gift," she said, kissing one bead. "I'm taking glass blowing as an
elective and I made this necklace for you. It took me months."
Suddenly, the piece seemed much more interesting to him and he picked it up
between two fingers, examining it. "These are very well done," he said,
resolving to praise her more when her face lit up. "They look professional."
That earned him a kiss. "I've been practicing for months. I think I made enough
beads to carpet the ocean floor."
"I love it," he said, sincerely. "And I love you."
"I love you, too," she said with a laugh. Their fight was long forgotten now,
the shocking scene in her bedroom a disturbing but distant memory. "Thank you
for the best day ever."
***** Commitment *****
Chapter Notes
     *Song for the Chapter: Dominant by Emilie Autumn*
     Response to Chapter 18's "Guest" and "Fan and Critic": Thank you for
     your reviews! They were honest and you addressed your concerns
     without being mean, and that's admirable. I am not going to pretend
     that what they share here is a happy, healthy relationship, and I
     will not portray it that way. I really hope the other readers realize
     this but want to see things become right while also realizing that
     may well never happen. I don't want people to think I am glorifying
     an abusive relationship, because I'm not (at least, that wasn't my
     intention). Your reaction was exactly what I wanted to inspire with
     this, with a few tweaks. I want you to root for them even though what
     they have is far from perfect or good. They are both damaged people,
     and when damaged people come together, it's disastrous.
     This version of Kagome doesn't respect herself. She has been
     neglected and controlled in turns her entire life, and she has never
     had a father, which, contrary to the popular belief of the day, does
     fuck a person up. This version of Inuyasha is a spoiled brat that
     never had a properly formed conscience. I agree, he shouldbe begging
     for her forgiveness and she shouldn't be throwing herself at him. But
     like I said, they're damaged, and damaged people react differently to
     things. Kagome wasn't so much "turned on" after he said all those
     terrible things to her as she was hurt, and when this Kagome is hurt,
     she wants to feel wanted again by the one who hurt her. Inuyasha
     wants to feel wanted as well after he did something horrible and the
     only sane thing for her to do is reject him and run. That wasn't some
     poor attempt at a fluffy make-up scene, that was me trying to show
     everybody that they have very real, very serious problems.
     This story will only continue to get darker, since I wanted to do
     something dark and all sorts of messed up, and I would like you to
     stay until its conclusion, but I understand if it's too much. Hell, I
     reread what I wrote and I think it's too much. Some people might have
     thought I was exaggerating my warning in chapter one, but I don't
     think I did. I wanted this to be wrong, and for everyone to see that
     it's wrong except for Inuyasha and Kagome. That was my goal, and your
     reviews tell me I'm reaching it. This isn't one of those mushy gushy
     lovey dovey stories. It's not slightly taboo, it's strictly taboo
     (it's that line from Witchcraft by Frank Sinatra, I freakin' love the
     way he sings the word "taboo", just omg), and it is hecka weird and
     gross. It's basically porn with some super messed up themes and
     messed up players putting themselves in messed up situations. I would
     like to apologize for totally ruining these characters, though.
     Thank you for telling me your thoughts. I truly value feedback of the
     kind you've provided and I would love to hear more from you both and
     anyone else who has something to say that goes beyond the regular
     "good update soon plz", but even that's cool too. =]
     General Note: Sorry for writing an essay at the beginning of every
     other chapter, peeps, but I like to reply to reviews, especially
     interesting ones like these. Anyway, enjoy the update and try not to
     hate me too much! Heh.
Their week of bliss ended when Kikyo came back from her romantic getaway with
Suikotsu. Inuyasha and Kagome went back to awkwardly pretending they were
barely friends. The tension was so great he felt as though he would implode or
explode, whatever, whichever. Kikyo was conducting almost all her business over
the phone, staying at home even more often than he was. He actually went back
to work just to get away from her. Things with the company were going fine; he
had managed it in such a way for so long that it could practically run itself
for at least the next couple of years if he felt like it. They really only
needed him there to sign off on things. The highlight of his day was seeing
Kagome. He dropped her off and picked her up as usual, and even though she was
almost completely silent during those times and then barricaded herself in her
room immediately when they arrived at home, he cherished those moments. Just
looking at her made him feel at peace, drinking in her scent, remembering all
their hidden moments. And then they'd arrive at the house and that peace would
fly out the window the minute she ran off and he was left alone with his wife.
It was a night like any other when all the unspoken tension reached a head. He
knew Kikyo was confused about why he was being so distant, and her confusion
made her angry. He was already angry, so that was a recipe for disaster. Kagome
was in her room sleeping, forgoing dinner as she had so many times before. Her
behavior worried him and he would have liked nothing more than to go upstairs
and forcibly make her eat one or two things. Unfortunately, she was dead set on
depriving him of her company and had made sure to lock her door and windows (he
had checked them, repeatedly). With nothing better to do, he decided to
actually talk to Kikyo, which would hopefully calm her down and make her stop
being so snappy with him and Kagome and whatever unlucky bastards she conducted
business with over the phone and Skype.
Inuyasha was leaning against the counter across from the refrigerator while his
wife looked through the machine's contents for something suitable to eat. His
grouchiness returned full-force. If Kagome were the one looking through the
fridge, she'd prepare something from whatever they had and it would be great
and she wouldn't complain about his intermittent shopping.
"You should really start to train Kagome, Kikyo."
Without stopping what she was doing, she grumbled, "To do what? Archery?"
"No, with her priestess powers crap," he said irritably. It should have been
obvious.
Kikyo stood straight up and closed the fridge door in one fluid motion. She
glared at him and snorted. "If she's so powerful then she doesn't need any help
from me. She can just train herself."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Why are you so jealous of her? She's your daughter,
your only child. You should be fucking proud."
"The girl may look like me, but that is the only proof she is mine. She is lazy
and rebellious and without all the work I've done with her upbringing she would
have ended up as just another whore on some street corner by now. Why should I
be jealous of something like that?"
Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was hearing. His hands gripped the marble
counter so tight he thought he'd break it. "Something? Kagome? She is not a
thing. Do you even know her at all?" he spat out, enraged. "At least tell me
you love her, in your own cold and twisted way. You do, right? You have to."
She laughed and the sound made goose bumps appear on his flesh. "I have to do
no such thing. She is my only heir, unfortunately, and I have provided for her.
That is as far as my maternal feelings extend."
He remembered what Kagome had told him about the baby in the box. He didn't
fault Kikyo for her decision, it was her right after all, but that could have
so easily been Kagome, his reason for living. What had made Kikyo keep her
first child, he did not know, but he was grateful.
"You— How can you? How can you hate her?"
One side of her mouth lifted up in what he thought was deranged amusement. "The
fact that she looks like a product of asexual reproduction helps greatly. She
was so greedy, even before coming into the world, stealing my appearance. She
will steal my company after my death, death by the misery and strain she caused
with all her selfish, willful ways." Her brows furrowed and her eyes blazed and
she seemed very far away. "Tormenting me night and day with her idiocies,
always demanding more, more, more. More food, more attention, more blood and
sweat and tears."
"Stop!" he broke in, shaking his head. He was begging now, he did not want her
to change the way he saw her. "You don't mean it, Kikyo, please stop."
That seemed to get through to her and her eyes lifted to his, slowly focusing,
just barely. "And now she's stealing you," she whispered in a high voice that
was so unlike hers.
He froze. Oh God, she knows. "I-I'm not— She—"
"You are her father now. She is stealing you away from your work, your life,
your very sanity. And you allow it because you pity her. She is a curse. Your
company will fail like Shikon and then she will absorb even your existence just
as she has absorbed mine," the naked hatred in her eyes and voice dissipated
somewhat. "I know you are fond of her and think of her as your own child, but
just because she wears my face does not mean she is like me at all. She ruins
everything she touches."
She didn't know. His relief was so overwhelming it left him dizzy, leaving him
grateful enough to be generous with her.
"Kikyo," he said after taking a deep, calming breath. "I know that everything
seems terribly difficult right now, but don't say those things. That's just the
despair of your situation talking. I'm going to find you a doctor, a
psychologist. Then you can work out these thoughts you've been having. Just
imagine how bad you'd feel if Kagome had overheard you."
She laughed, short and cruel. "My body is in decay, not my mind. You think she
doesn't know these things? I've been telling her all her life. Things like her
need to know their place in this world. Just because she's inheriting a top
company and prestigious position doesn't mean she's any less of a monster."
That was it. He grit his teeth together and approached her, grabbing her
shoulders and shaking her as hard as he dared.
"Stop it! You don't know what you're saying!" he hissed, wanting to yell but
being considerate of the girl upstairs.
She smiled brokenly and reached out a hand to touch his face, caressing him as
gently as he had shaken her roughly. "Oh, I do, my love. She ruins everything.
She destroyed my life and took even the broken pieces that were left over. She
is killing me every day. I should have terminated the pregnancy right when I
found out, had her ripped apart before she overwhelmed me, but I—"
Inuyasha slapped her, without even meaning to. Her head flew to the side and he
stared at his hand. Kikyo tried to turn her head forward again and he slapped
her once more, this time fully aware of his actions. He knew it was wrong and
he hated himself, but he hated her more. There was a dark, itching feeling
inside of him and he wanted her gone, out of his life and Kagome's. He felt
like hitting her again even as his mind protested, and he raised his hand.
"Inuyasha, no!" screamed the subject of their conversation.
His head shot up and he saw her in the doorway, tears running down her face.
How long had she been standing there? He had been so consumed by this new,
powerful hatred for Kikyo that he had not noticed her arrival. Letting go of
the hold he had on his wife's collar, he watched dazedly as she fell hard to
the floor, silent and unmoving but still conscious.
"Mother!" Kagome sobbed, running past him without even bothering to glance in
his direction. She knelt and flung her arms around Kikyo's neck, holding her to
herself and shaking with the force of her tears. Kikyo looked at him over her
daughter's shoulder, that same deranged amusement from earlier back in her
eyes.
"See, Inuyasha? Do you see how she cries for attention even when she is grown
and I have been struck down?"
He clenched his fists and fought the urge to rip Kagome from this beast and
take her away, far away until all of their problems and obstacles faded into
nothing.
"Mother, you can stay with me in my room tonight. I won't let him hurt you
again."
His heart felt like it had been put in a very slow blender with very dull yet
determined blades. Inuyasha longed to reach out and hold Kagome, explain to her
why he did what he did, cradle her in his arms as she was now cradling her
mother, but he could not even speak let alone move. The fear of having their
secret discovered and the fear of her rejection were too great.
"Get off of me, Kagome. Inuyasha has hurt me far less than you have."
Kagome's sobs stopped from the coldness of her mother's voice and Kikyo roughly
pushed her away, hard enough so that the girl fell backwards. Inuyasha caught
her before her head hit the tile, holding her firmly and protectively in what
he hoped appeared to be a fatherly way. Kagome did not protest his touch and he
doubted she even felt him there. Kikyo stood over them, looking very thin and
very tall and very sharp and very cold. Her features twisted in a sneer and she
looked like she might spit at her daughter, but of course she didn't. No matter
her emotions, Kikyo was never one for such blatant acts of indelicacy.
"I will be going to Suikotsu's," she announced, straightening her already
straight black cardigan. "While I am gone, try and examine your actions to see
how they led to the events of this night, Kagome. I will not have you blaming
anyone but yourself for this."
She turned and glided out the door, shutting it noiselessly behind her. This
seemed to bring Kagome out of her trance and she attempted to scramble out of
Inuyasha's grasp, screaming, "Mother! Don't go. Wait for me, Mother!"
Kagome tried and tried to squirm her way out of his arms but Inuyasha would not
give. He held her tight, drawing her back to his chest and embracing her. Her
movements became more frantic and she took great sobbing breaths.
"Let me go!" she screeched. "Don't touch me. I need to go with Mother. Mother!"
Her legs kicked uselessly in front of her and he began to rock her gently in an
attempt to calm her down, murmuring how much he loved her and how sorry he was
into her now sweaty hair, knowing that she could not hear him over her panicked
shrieks. She lunged backward, trying to knock him over, and when that didn't
work she slammed the back of her skull into his face, actually managing to draw
blood from where a fang pierced his lip. He cursed and shook her, not too hard,
nothing like how he had shaken Kikyo, not allowing his grip to loosen, letting
out a low growl. That seemed to do the trick and she gradually stilled,
allowing him to turn her around and press her face into the crook of his neck.
She cried for nearly twenty minutes, sobbing hard and nearly choking a couple
of times, calming down as he stroked her back and nuzzled her hair with his
cheek. He wondered at how one so young could possess so many tears. He had
lived for several brutal centuries and he knew for certain that the pain she
was experiencing in this moment exceeded the total amount of emotional
suffering he had endured in his lifetime. His parents had loved him, and that
love had carried over even after death, making him confident and secure. What
was Kagome feeling? He couldn't even imagine.
The small girl in his arms stopped crying and only sniffled from time to time,
her arms limp at her sides, legs curled around him. He continued rocking her
and stroking her back as comfortingly as he was able and finally she brought
her head up, her watery eyes boring into his.
"Why did you hurt Mother?" she whispered, her voice scratchy and slightly
lower.
Inuyasha blanched. He had completely forgotten about that. He felt guilty for
not feeling guilty about it, and he felt guilty that Kagome had witnessed his
first (and hopefully last) act of domestic violence, but that was as bad as he
could make himself feel about the whole thing, and that wasn't very much.
However, his shame magnified a hundred times under her heartbroken gaze.
"How much did you hear?"
"…Everything," she whispered, a tear falling from each eye and migrating their
way down her cheeks, racing each other to her neck.
He had hoped she had only arrived to see what he was now calling Kikyo's
punishment. Knowing that she had heard everything the woman had said made him
feel sick to his stomach.
"I'm so, so sorry, Kagome. I-I don't know what made her say those things."
"She's right, though. Look at me," she said, letting out a miserable laugh.
"I'm evil. I did steal you." The tears were beginning to fall faster and he
panicked, not wanting to again see her as broken as she had been just moments
before. "All I ever wanted was for her to love me."
"Look at me, Kagome," he said sternly. "You did not steal me from anyone or
anything. I gave myself to you from the moment we met. I was born for you and
you for me. You are good. You are pure. Not even I can take that away from
you."
She kissed him, gently, lovingly, right on the spot where his fang had pierced
his lip. It had already healed, but he could feel the bit of dried blood still
there.
"I'm sorry I hurt you," she said, quiet and ashamed.
"It's nothing. I love you. So, so much." He kissed her on the corner of her
mouth, feeling it tremble.
"Why?"
"Hmmm?" he said, distracted. In his mind he was mapping out the kisses and
touches he would give her, recalling the different places and pressures that
made her smile.
"Why do you love me?" she croaked, voice still rough from crying. "Is it
because I look like Mother? Or do you just prefer young girls?"
"Wha— Hey!" Now she had gotten his full attention. "I'm not some heartless
pervert. I wouldn't—"
"Do you even really love me?" she asked tremulously, her big eyes searching his
face. "I can't believe this is the first time I'm questioning this. I'm so
stupid. Why would someone like you love me? I'm nothing. Worse than nothing.
It's just like Mother said—"
Inuyasha kissed her, holding her by the hair and tilting her head back,
furiously probing her mouth. Kagome was working herself up into a frenzy,
Kikyo's words nearly undoing all the work he had done on her heart. Pulling
away, he glared at her as she tried to catch her breath.
"You are everything," he said hoarsely, his heart aching at her lost
expression. "What do I need to do to prove it to you? I'll marry you tonight.
Take you away somewhere far off. I can live with the disgrace. I can live
without the money or anything else. You are everything to me. But am I
everything to you?"
Her eyes were wide, tears no longer falling but instead frozen on her face,
clinging to her impossibly long and thick lashes. Her mouth dropped open in a
shocked gasp. "I-Inuyasha, we can't—"
Untangling his hand from her hair, he muttered, "That's what I thought."
"Inuyasha—"
"It's okay, Kagome. You're young and I've lived a long, long time. You don't
know what you want and I do. That's just the way it is. I just wanted you to
know you're not the one who should be insecure. I'm yours forever." He tried to
sound cavalier about it and failed miserably, his voice breaking towards the
end and his ears drooping.
"I… I love you. But I'm scared. I want us both to be happy and not have to
hide, but I don't know if we can ever have that. You and Mother are both
subject to a lot of public scrutiny and she does love you. I don't know—"
"Your mother is sick, Kagome," he interrupted, not wanting to lie to her any
longer. All loyalty to Kikyo had shriveled and died in him.
"I know she said some hurtful things, but that's no reason to call her that."
"No. Your mother is sick, she's ill."
"W-what? She's— What's wrong with her?" Her eyes had gone wide again and he
could hear her heart beat speed up. Part of him regretted telling her, but now
that he had let it slip he just kept going.
"Breast cancer. Inoperable. She only married me to make her company profitable
again and protect it until you took over."
"No," she said, shaking her head. "No. That's— You're lying." Kagome had a wild
look in her eyes and he mentally cursed Kikyo for everything she had ever done
to the precious girl-child in his lap.
"I wouldn't lie about this, about anything," he insisted. "I hated keeping the
truth from you and after tonight I had no reason not to tell you everything."
"But why didn't she tell me?!"
"She said something about wanting your last days together to be natural. If
this is natural," he ranted, "then I have no idea why—"
Kagome started crying again, quietly this time, and he quickly grabbed her,
putting her in the same position as before and comforting her yet again. She
wound down after a few minutes and he idly wondered what time it was. He would
keep her home from school tomorrow so she could rest.
"You know, Mother never comforted me like this. Not even when I was a baby."
He was surprised at how steady her voice sounded, and how empty. She seemed so
calm and that scared him.
"Urasue told me that Mother used to leave me in my crib for days, only allowing
her in my nursery once every five hours to check on me." Her gaze was dull and
Inuyasha stroked her hair, only just holding back from demanding she come back
to him from wherever she had drifted away to. "She said she snuck in once,
worried because I had stopped crying, and she saw Mother standing over me with
a pillow on my face. I never believed her, she was always kind of crazy and a
drunk, but I don't know now."
"Kagome," he whispered, horrified. He didn't know what to say so he just held
her tighter.
"Mother used to tell me stories about you. That was the only time I would ever
see love in her eyes when she looked at me, but even when I was little I knew
it wasn't for me, but for you. And I loved you too, because she did. I've loved
you all my life."
Inuyasha murmured how much he loved her and tried to bring her head up so he
could kiss her some more, then hopefully change the subject so he would not
hear things that would make him want to murder his dying wife. Instead of
complying with his wishes, Kagome burrowed her face into his neck and clung to
the front of his shirt, the feel of her little fists grasping him so
desperately making him melt inside from a thousand different feelings which
when put together equal love.
"When she'd get angry," she continued, "she'd tell me about my father, about
how I was her on the outside and the worst parts of him on the inside."
"Your father?" So Kikyo had lied to him about that "wild winter in Europe"
shit, just as he'd thought.
"They were together for years before he broke it off right before the wedding.
On New Year's Day, too. What a bastard," she said bitterly.
Everything in him came to a stop and all he could say was, "W-what?"
"He left her on New Year's. She was already pregnant with me and tried to tell
him, but he wouldn't listen. He refused to speak to her."
"And when…when was this?" he asked shakily.
"Sixteen years ago. I told you, she was already pregnant with me." Kagome
nuzzled her face closer into his shoulder and he stroked her hair robotically.
He had not done the math before; why, how had he not done the math before? But
that was impossible! Even with the stories Kikyo told her daughter, it couldn't
be true. There was always Onigumo. She had been with them both around the same
time.
"How did your parents meet, Kagome?" he croaked out.
She sighed heavily. "Some dumb party for wealthy business people where everyone
networks instead of having fun. You know the kind. She told me how she noticed
him right away because he was wearing a bright red shirt and practically raping
the hors d'oeuvres table, ignoring everyone who tried to speak to him or shake
his hand. I really hope I'm not as alike him as she said."
Inuyasha couldn't breathe. He remembered that party. He had been slightly
rougher before Kikyo had entered his life and tamed him, teaching him how to
behave, her lessons remaining long after she had fled. It was a real Beauty and
the Beast moment, he could almost see their montage now. Of course there was
never any wild winter in Europe. That was so out of character, not that he had
ever believed it. And she had once said how he reminded her of Kagome with his
stubbornness. And on his first human night with her, when Kagome had mentioned
how their hair was similar, and the violet-blue flecks in her eyes that matched
the flecks in his…
But that couldn't be. It just wasn't true. But, then again, was it so hard to
believe? The dates matched up and everything Kikyo had told Kagome seemed to
indicate that— But no! He had not sensed or smelled any demonic blood in her.
It was impossible. He had been drawn to her at first sight, drawn in a way
unlike any other he had ever experienced. But was that love at first sight, as
he had thought, or had he on some level recognized her as kin? No. If that were
true, then he had taken her virginity in the same bed she was conceived in.
It couldn't be. The universe was not that cruel.
He heard Kagome gasp and he opened his eyes, not knowing when he had closed
them.
"Inuyasha, you're bleeding!"
She touched her delicate fingers to his lips and he flinched, not out of pain
but because of that small contact with her. He had bitten his tongue, hard, and
his mouth was full of blood, some leaking out the corner from between his lips,
which was what she had noticed.
"I'm sorry for complaining so much and for hurting you," she whispered
lovingly, fingers tracing his lips. He felt bile rise up and he fought it down,
turning his face from her and taking deep breaths through his nose. It was not
true. It could not be true.
Kagome rocked her hips against his groin, startling him, and softly kissed his
cheek, trailing her way down his jaw. He swallowed hard and nearly choked on
all the blood he had forgotten he carried in his mouth, fighting the urge to
look at her. Shifting slightly in his lap, he saw her remove her silky peach
nightgown over her head and toss it behind her. She was completely naked now
and his body was responding while his mind was close to bursting.
"Don't feel bad or sad or guilty about everything that happened tonight. I love
you so much, I can't be mad at you. I understand why you do the things you do.
Please look at me," she said softly.
His head turned without his permission and he saw all of her beauty. The lust
and love he always felt when seeing her bare before him now made him nauseous.
Her face leaned closer to his and he could not move, trapped by her gentle
intensity and his own warring feelings. Closing her eyes, she kissed him
sensually, somehow luring his tongue out into her mouth and sucking on it,
slowly taking his blood into herself. Inuyasha moaned, guilty and disgusted
with himself, and his hands drifted to her soft, naked rear.
"Take me now, Inuyasha. I want you so bad I can't wait for you to carry me to
your bed. Do it as hard as you like, I'm so wet already."
"Ka—go—me—," he panted, beginning to forget why he was resisting her. She had
been stepping up the dirty talk, knowing how it drove him wild to hear her say
naughty things in her sweet, clear voice. Kagome was still a little shy, and
although he knew she enjoyed him getting a little rough with her, she always
acted like she was doing it just for him, not because she wanted it. It was
always better when she got like this, and he could tell that after the fight
earlier and their talk she was in a wilder mood, willing to do things she
usually only blushed about when he brought them up. Sometimes, she showed her
gratitude with sex, something he would never complain about.
Her hands tugged at the hem of his t-shirt, practically ripping it off of him
in her hurry, and she licked her way down his front with her clever tongue,
kissing his nipples teasingly and running her slim fingers up and down his
abdomen. Noticing his lack of participation, which was obvious as he was
usually on her and in control long before now, she doubled her efforts, sucking
at the spot on his neck that always drove him crazy. When that only made him
clench his fists, she smiled and placed a hand on his crotch, rubbing him
through the rough material of his jeans. She pressed her lips to his, sucking
on his lower lip and biting hungrily. He whimpered and wrapped his arms around
her, not able to take it anymore.
She couldn't be, he couldn't be.
And, the dark part of his mind whispered, so what if she is? Nobody would know
but him. Kikyo would be dead soon enough, and she didn't know what he and
Kagome did together. He already loved her, wanted her, needed her too much to
let her go, even with the knowledge of something like this. That was it, they
were already too steeped in their sin that stopping wouldn't make much of a
difference. He could handle knowing as long as he had her by his side, and he
would never tell Kagome. She wouldn't stay with him if she ever found out that
he was really her father. She loved him, but not like he loved her. The
knowledge would destroy her.
Growling savagely, he pushed her to the ground, this time not catching her
before she hit it. She moaned in pleasure at his rough treatment of her and he
pinched her nipples, turning it into an excited scream. Inuyasha bent down and
sucked hard on the pink peaks, hearing her frenzied moans and gasps and humming
a moan against her breast in return, every sound she made turning him on
further, increasing his dark lust. He danced his fingers around her clit,
teasing her and making her squirm.
"Beg for it, Kagome."
Her face scrunched up and she whined, "P-please!"
"You'll need to be more specific, my angel," he said gruffly, his mouth
watering in anticipation yet leaving his throat dry, his fingers pinching her
clit just to hear her squeal.
"Fuck me hard, Inuyasha!" she cried out, her face flushing beautifully,
probably more in embarrassment than anything else, but he'd take what he could
get. "Harder than ever before," she added in a humiliated whisper, turning her
red face away from him and pushing her hips up.
"Yes," he hissed, sliding into her slowly and kissing her cheek. "Such a good
girl, Kagome. My good girl."
He had said the words to her before, but now they took on another meaning and
he snarled at his thoughts, pushing them away.
"I've always been yours," she whispered, brushing his bangs from her eyes.
His lust was cut through with a love so tender it nearly made him weep. Staring
adoringly into her eyes, he kissed her gently on her perfectly plump lips. It
couldn't be true. He would forget about it. And if it somehow was? That was
okay, too. This girl was sent to save him and he was sent to save her.
It was difficult to fuck her roughly with such thoughts in his head, but he
managed, holding her legs as far apart as they could easily go and then some.
Her breasts bounced with each thrust and she kept eye contact with him, which
she knew he preferred, although her gaze was cloudy with lust and her eyes shut
with every particularly swift hit of their flesh. He groaned and panted loudly,
watching the sweat collect at her temples. He wanted to taste it, so he did.
Kagome was close, and that always meant that he was too. Inuyasha thrust into
her wildly and her moans and sighs and gasps rose to a higher pitch, finally
becoming a desperate, beautiful wail as she clenched around him tightly and
squeezed his own orgasm from him. Collapsing, he laid his head on her breast,
breathing hard onto a nipple. She shivered and he kissed the nub before
withdrawing from her and rolling over onto his back on the cold, hard tile. He
sat up, uncomfortable. How had Kagome been able to lay down there for so long?
He looked down at her. She was still flushed and gasping, their mixed juices
leaking out from between her thighs. Grabbing his discarded shirt, he cleaned
her and the floor, making sure no trace of their passion remained.
Later, after he had carried her limp form up the stairs and situated them in
their usual sleeping position, he said, "Hey. Are you still awake?"
"Mmmm," she frowned, eyes still closed.
"Do you, um, ever want to find your real dad?"
"No," she said sleepily. "Anyway, you're my dad."
"W-w-what?" he sputtered.
Kagome opened her eyes and tapped his nose playfully with the tip of her
finger. "You know what I mean, Papa Yasha. You protect me and love me like a
father should and also how a lover should. You're my everything too, Inuyasha."
He relaxed and kissed her softly. "Yeah. I love you so much, Kagome. Never
leave me, no matter what."
"I don't think I could even if I wanted to," she murmured, drifting further
into dreamland. Inuyasha lay awake all night, never taking his eyes off her. He
would protect what was his and he would never, ever lose her.
No matter what.
***** Wicked Games *****
*Song for the Chapter: Wicked Games by Coeur de Pirate*
"For the last time, Inuyasha, I am going to school!" Kagome huffed, irritable
and adorable. He had wanted to keep her home today after their rather late
night but she refused, going on about tests and studying and other stuff that
he didn't care about in the least.
"Kagome," he whined playfully, dragging out the last syllable of her name.
Getting angry would only cement her desire to leave. "We could have a lot of
fun at home," he said suggestively, raking his eyes over her body with a
purpose.
She raised an eyebrow, unaffected. "We had 'fun' all night and you woke me up
with 'fun'. I'm all funned out for now. I've got important things to do today."
Inuyasha cursed his rather enthusiastic waking of Kagome that took place just
minutes before. Seeing her curled up on him like that so innocently, feeling
her naked body against his had just excited him to the point where he had
forgotten his plans and ravished her. "Whatever, just let me drive you. Sure
you're not tired?"
Holding back a yawn, she nodded and left to go get dressed, leaving him to
lament his actions and pull on his discarded pair of jeans from the night
before and a shirt he found hiding half under the bed. That done, he ran
downstairs, not at all surprised to see Kagome already waiting for him. She was
always quick in the morning, regardless of her level of energy. Seeing the
sunlight in her hair brought out a tenderness in him, and he took her hand,
surprising her, and didn't let go until they arrived at her school, kissing the
tip of each finger before he let her leave. Just that was enough to make her
blush and she hurried away, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before she
disappeared into the sea of hormonal humanity that filled and surrounded the
ostentatious building.
Deciding to go home rather than to work, he drove as slowly as he could,
provoking many a driver to honk their horns and flip him off. One enraged
commuter even threw a cup of coffee at his car, but he hardly noticed. All he
could think about was Kagome. Didn't she see how terrible he felt when she left
him for her stupid education? She was smart enough already. She didn't need
strangers telling her what to think. He knew she still wanted to be a nurse,
but that didn't mean she had to attend school every damn day. He had brought up
homeschooling her but she was horrified, saying how she'd never get any work
done and he would never let her go outside again. As true as that statement
might be, he didn't want her to see him as another Kikyo, someone who would
confine and repress her, thus his lack of an attempt to really convince her to
stay that morning.
Pushing through the door he had left open, Inuyasha resigned himself to another
day of staring at the door and waiting for her to return. Suddenly, hands
gripped his face and turned it to the side. Kikyo had come back, he realized
belatedly, her unwelcome scent invaded his sensitive nostrils. She pressed her
lips to his, trying to force her tongue in his mouth. He gripped her wrists,
his lingering traces of guilt being the only reason why he had not flung her
from him immediately. He needed to respect her, in spite of everything. She had
raised their child alone, after all. Even if he did not approve of how she had
gone about bringing her up, Kagome was a good girl and he had to give her
mother something for that, and that something might as well be feigned kindness
covering up his barely restrained fury. He twisted away from her, trying to
keep his face blank.
"Don't push me away, Inuyasha. I know you still want me."
"What the fuck gave you that idea?!" he growled, exasperated.
"You hit me. You stopped me. You didn't want to see me like that and you did
what you had to in order to snap me out of it," she said eagerly, her eyes
shining with energy and life in a way he had not seen since before they broke
up. "Now I'm giving myself to you. I won't hold back like I did before."
"Get away," he said, keeping his voice low and steady, adding in an ounce of a
threat for good measure. He dropped her hands. "I'm in love with—someone else,"
he finished, catching himself just in time.
Kikyo's eyes narrowed dangerously. "It's that bodyguard of Kagome's, isn't it?
I was wondering why you'd choose a woman to do a man's job."
He had not realized she knew about Kagome's bodyguard. He himself forgot about
her frequently. "No, Kikyo, it's not Sango. You don't know her." Technically,
he wasn't lying. She really didn't know shit about her own daughter.
She said nothing, her glare filling the silence. "I see," she said quietly,
breaking the long pause. "Then you would prefer that I leave?"
Inuyasha nodded, not looking at her. She had expertly covered the bruise he had
given her with thick make-up, but he could still see it. Others would see it.
Childishly, he wanted to ask her to hit him back, as hard as she wanted, as
many times as she wanted, but he knew it wouldn't make either of them feel
better and she would probably just end up hurting herself.
Kikyo left without another word, but he could smell her tears and almost feel
her pain.
O/\o/\O
After spending about eight hours dicking around doing nothing, he was excited
to see Kagome again. Inuyasha knew it probably wasn't healthy to just wait
around for her all day, but he couldn't help it. He was in love, and it was
better than ever. Nearly humming the entire car trip, he finally arrived at
Kagome's school after an agonizing fifteen minute drive. She ran to the car as
soon as he entered, which was their usual routine, but this time she did not
have a smile on her face.
"Hey, did you tell Sango to leave?" she questioned, without even giving him a
proper greeting.
His brow furrowed. "No, she was supposed to be with you all day today like
normal."
"That's strange," she said, sounding concerned. "I was in line for lunch and
asked her to get me a seat and she just disappeared. I thought you had called
her away or she had an emergency or something. I looked all over and called her
like a billion times but she never answered."
Inuyasha was now as concerned as Kagome was. Kikyo's face flashed in his mind,
their conversation from earlier where she had detailed her suspicions coming
back to him. He had thought nothing of it at the time. She was jealous, and
that was too bad, but they were no longer really together so she'd just have to
suck it up and deal. But he'd seen the way she'd treated Kagome, her own flesh
and blood. What would she do to someone she had no obligations to, someone she
thought threatened her position, what she'd worked to achieve regarding him?
Kikyo was not as passive as everyone seemed to believe. Her emotions ran deep
and strong. She was as capable of murder as he was, only she would justify it
whereas he never even bothered to do that anymore. In his eyes, that made her
much more dangerous. If she came up with what she believed to be a good reason
for doing something horrendous, the deed was as good as done and she'd have
that holier than thou attitude of triumph that made him want to roll his eyes
and pretend to gag.
"I think we should go look for her. Let me park and show me where you last saw
her."
She nodded and stepped out of the car, glancing around her worriedly. When he
jogged back to her, she led him into the high school, which was empty but for a
few depressed teachers and some lonely kids whose parents had not yet shown up.
His nose was working overtime trying to pick up the bodyguard's barely
remembered scent, but all he could smell was grease and perfume and sweat and
sexual tension and stress and all those things that fill your average building
full of teens.
"Sango!" Kagome called out desperately. "Sango, where are you?!"
Inuyasha wanted to tell her to shush but stopped himself, knowing it would hurt
her feelings and she just wanted to feel useful. So he joined her, but in a
much lower voice.
"Sango! I don't fuckin' pay you to run off!" he yelled, his fear for the fate
of the young woman he had barely met yet been so impressed by increasing by the
minute.
They went around and around the building, checking every classroom, even the
gym. They asked a few burned-out looking teachers if they had seen the young
woman but they just shook their heads and continued grading papers, irritated
at being interrupted but so dead inside they couldn't even snap at the couple
that broke their concentration. Inuyasha began feeling like he was in The
Shining, expecting to see those creepy twin girls every time he turned into yet
another hallway with flickering overhead lights, or that bloody bathtub lady
whenever he opened a door. Kagome seemed unperturbed by the obvious horror
movie potential of the building she spent all her days in, so he took the
backseat for a while and let her lead him around.
Finally, the girl gave up, and he was somewhat relieved although he immediately
felt guilty for feeling that way. She pushed through the double doors at the
end of the building's first floor angrily, trotting down the stairs and onto
the concrete sidewalk of the alley behind the school. Frustrated and close to
tears, she threw up her hands.
"Where is she? SANGO?!" she screamed, louder than ever before, loud enough to
make him wish she had given him a warning so he could have covered his
sensitive ears.
He heard a slight rustling somewhere near them and he froze, putting a finger
to his lips and motioning for Kagome to stay still. She got the picture and
kept her position, hands still in the air, eyes wide and scared. They waited,
but the sound didn't come again. Instead, his nose picked up a faint whiff of a
vaguely familiar scent, something he had smelled in person twice and after that
only barely clinging to Kagome when she returned from school.
"Over here!" he called out, excited yet still apprehensive.
Kagome broke out into a grin, her mind not jumping to the worst conclusions
like his was. He envied her innocence and loved it, vowing to keep her that
way, to preserve everything that she was to the best of his ability. Inuyasha
smiled at her gently, and held up a hand to stop her from coming closer. The
smell of Sango, her bodyguard and friend, was heavy with fear and nearly
covered up by blood and trash.
She was in the dumpster.
He carefully, quietly made his way over to the dumpster at the end of the
alley. Its lid was down, which was strange since those monstrosities were
usually open for the sake of convenience unless it was collection day, which
judging by the relative lack of ripeness coming from the canister was certainly
not today. He flipped up the lid with the edge of his claws, not wanting to
leave fingerprints that would confuse his team. There she was, as he knew she'd
be. She looked so broken and pained that he nearly grimaced and cursed at her
fate, only holding back when he remembered Kagome, whom he would rather not tip
off to the state of what he was pretty sure was her best friend. The
attractive, muscular woman was not dead, but she might as well be. She was
covered in bruises and her own blood, barely recognizable. Inuyasha could tell
that both arms and legs were horrifically broken, the bone protruding through
the skin and visible. A few of her teeth looked to be knocked out as well and
he'd bet money on the fact that her spine and ribs were broken too. It was
cruelty that whoever had done this had kept her alive, and he knew only a few
people capable of that kind of cruelty who had a motive.
"Did you find her?" asked Kagome anxiously. Quickly, he slammed the lid shut
again, flinching at the loud noise it made. He didn't want Kagome to see Sango
like that.
"Uh, yeah," he said awkwardly. He stopped Kagome when she hurried to check on
her friend, grabbing her around the waist. "Don't look. Just… don't look."
"Oh God," Kagome gasped, her tears already streaming. "Is she—"
"No."
Inuyasha held her to him and let her sob.
"This is my fault. Myfault."
Making soothing sounds and rocking her from side to side by swaying, he reached
into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He had become quite good at consoling
Kagome since her tears were almost always his fault.
"Myoga, send a team and an ambulance. Kagome's body guard, um, ran into some
trouble." He hung up without waiting for a response, just as he always did,
knowing his servant would jump at the task with all his hundreds of years of
experience. Silently, he picked up Kagome like one would a sleeping child and
walked back to his car, feeling her fragile form with a clarity like never
before, not even when they were one. She looked up at him from her cradle in
his arms and he felt as fragile inside as she looked.
"Who could have done this, Inuyasha?" she whispered. "How could anyone be so
terrible?"
He sighed. "Don't think that this is your fault, Kagome. If anything, it's
mine. Your mother and I had a misunderstanding this morning and I think that
this was the result."
Immediately, fire came into her eyes and Kagome came to Kikyo's defense.
"Mother would never—"
"Your mother is capable of everything but goodness," he said shortly, growing
tired with Kagome's hero worship of such a despicable person. "She's changed.
She thought I was in love with Sango and then this conveniently happened."
Her lower lip began to tremble and her mouth turned down at the corners.
"But—But we—"
"She'll never know about us," he promised vehemently. "I'll protect the secret.
This will never happen to you."
That seemed to be all the girl could take and she said nothing as he placed her
in the car and buckled her in. Kagome stayed unresponsive even as he kissed her
lips, which he did only to test the waters. Obviously she was not in a mood for
such activities and he dejectedly made his way to the driver's side, wondering
if Kagome was completely disillusioned with her mother now or if it would take
more effort.
***** Offspring of Your Might *****
Chapter Notes
     *Song for the chapter: Feral Love by Chelsea Wolfe*
     Note: Surprise, surprise, I've certainly lost a lot of readers after
     last week's developments. Apparently incest (even unproven incest) is
     only acceptable when it's two dudes. Anyway, it's just us dedicated
     perverts now. We are exactly at the half-way mark! Love you guys and
     thanks for sticking around! =D
Kagome insisted on sleeping alone in her room and Inuyasha listened to her cry
herself to sleep, not going in to hold her because he knew she would reject him
even though he had nothing to do with the way Sango had ended up. Did she feel
guilty that her friend was on the verge of death in the hospital and she was in
a warm bed? He didn't know because she didn't feel like taking for once. Time
both flew and dragged as he crouched outside her door, vaguely drifting in and
out of sleep and his own jumbled thoughts.
What had happened to Kikyo? He shook his head, remembering when he had first
seen her at that party all those years ago. She was wearing one of those little
black dresses all women had but she made it look exceptional, simple though it
was. He had dismissed her as a spoiled little rich girl at first, but she had
turned out to be so much more. There was a lot of pain in her heart, pain at
being shaped into something she had no desire to be yet had all the
qualifications for. They were going to get married and he would have gradually
taken on her responsibilities, leaving her to be free and normal, whatever she
wanted to be, sacrificing his own wants for her happiness, which was also his
own. Anything that had made her happy made him happy.
Sango's attack was most certainly her doing. The conversation they had
preceding it could not be mere coincidence. Even after everything, it surprised
him that he still reacted to Kikyo's pain. Inuyasha thought himself long immune
to her emotions, which she had so rarely allowed him to glimpse. When she had
walked out of his life she had made him hate her with a painful, sluggish
intensity that he didn't think he was capable of. But now that she had come
back, he found he hated her still, yet with none of that sick longing that used
to accompany it. And then there was Kagome. He hated Kikyo because Kagome did
not. He hated her because she had left with his child and never bothered to let
him know. Sure, she had shown up to his office almost non-stop for a while a
couple months after their break-up, but she obviously hadn't tried very hard
because look at where they were. She could have just called or written or told
Myoga or tried to find his new address. Waiting for over ten years and then
guilting him into marrying her was the least efficient way of getting him to
spend time with their daughter, although he did spend a lot of time with her,
just not in the way Kikyo had probably been expecting.
Thinking of his relationship with Kagome left him feeling vaguely numb and
sick, but not in an entirely bad way. It was as though he were just some doll
stuffed plump with cotton candy. Light and airy but still solid in a nearly
unreal way. He tried not to dwell on it too much, afraid of the small thrills
he'd get which were worse than his initial terror and disgust. There was no
part of her that wasn't his. None. If Kagome would let him, he'd like to fling
their relationship in Kikyo's face, just show her what she had brought about. A
small, only barely significant part of him had participated in his affair
(sometimes there was just no other word) with Kagome because of how much Kikyo
had hurt him. It was a twisted revenge, but he never would have gone beyond
dreaming about it had he not genuinely cared for Kagome and felt sure she felt
the same. Although sometimes he wondered about what was in it for her. She
loved her mother with a fierce devotion, that was obvious, so what was she
doing with him? He recalled their past conversations, when she had told him he
was the only one who loved her. Was that all it was, all it took? All the
unhappiness in her life was because of him. If he had maybe just let Kikyo in
one of those times she had showed up at his office, they would have reconciled
and he would have been there for Kagome as her father. He would not have let
Kikyo be so severe with her and she would not have felt the need to be, not
with him there balancing her out and making her more mellow. He would never
have begun to love Kagome in the way he did now, a wrong way, even though some
people (himself included, once or twice) said love could never be wrong. And
she would have never loved him. The thought made his throat burn and he coughed
quietly, trying not to wake the sleeping girl separated from him by only one
door and loads of conflict.
The rising sun shining angrily in his eyes interrupted his train of thought and
he squinted back at it, confused. He had somehow brooded over his relationship
troubles the entire night like some kind of teenage girl. Inuyasha sighed.
Kagome was rubbing off on him. Figuring it was safe to approach her now that
she had cried herself out and Kikyo wasn't home, probably hiding in fear of him
figuring out what she had done, he turned the knob of Kagome's bedroom door,
trying to be as quiet as he could, grateful that it didn't squeak as so many
other doors in the house did.
The sunlight was dimmer in her room and it still looked like it was barely
dawn, the blue-gray light nothing more than a glow. She had kicked her covers
off sometime during the night and was sprawled on her back, her nightgown
hitched up around her thighs. The light turned her skin so pale and Inuyasha
couldn't help but to reach out and gently run a finger up one slender limb,
following the path of a ghostly vein. Kagome didn't even stir, too worn out
from the roller coaster of stress and emotions yesterday. He grabbed her
blanket and sheet off the floor, dragging them up over her body and climbing in
next to her. Starting out with the barest of butterfly kisses, he pressed his
lips to her skin, over and over again, just wanting to touch her. She was so
soft, and a little chilly. He put an arm around her and pressed her to his
chest, warming her with his body. She awoke slowly, snuggling into him and then
realizing by degrees that pillows were not so solid or so warm. Even half-
asleep, though, she knew it was him and murmured his name into his collarbone,
her chapped lips brushing across his skin and making him shiver. And then full
consciousness hit her.
"I-Inuyasha?! What time is it? Am I late? How's Sango? You've heard from the
hospital, right? She's okay, right?" Her still sleepy gray eyes were darting
around, searching his face, and her voice was scratchy and frantic.
"No word from them yet," he said calmly, which he could tell annoyed her. It
wasn't like he had spent every day with Sango like she had, she was just a
stranger to him. "It's about seven. Sorry I woke you."
She yawned. "It's okay, I've got to get ready for school, anyway."
He wanted to hit something in his anger but settled for just staring at her in
disbelief. "You're kidding me. Please, please don't be serious."
"What? I have a test today."
"I don't give a fuck!" he yelled, surprising her and making her jump in his
tightening embrace. "You're not protected. If you really want to go, I'll go
with you."
Her eyes narrowed in a glare. "You will do no such thing. We're already around
each other every second once I'm out of school, can't you just let me have a
few hours to myself?!"
They stared at each other. He broke eye contact first. "So you're sick of me.
Is that it?"
Kagome opened her mouth to speak but his cell phone chose that moment to ring.
Mumbling a curse, he dug it out of his pocket.
"What?" he spat out, glaring at Kagome who at least had the decency to look
mildly repentant.
"Good morning, sir," Myoga said pleasantly.
"The fuck do you want."
"You haven't been to the office in quite some time."
"Tell me something I don't know," he mumbled distractedly, watching Kagome put
on her uniform.
"Well, your employees are getting a bit… out of hand."
"How so?" he asked, now slightly interested.
"There are rumors that the business is on the verge of a collapse. That Ms.
Higurashi only married you to help it survive a few more years."
Inuyasha laughed at that, not bothering to correct his assistant on Kikyo's new
surname and Myoga continued. "Some of our most valuable employees seem to have
been swayed by this nonsense and are jumping ship. It would be best if you were
to show up at least once a week to boost morale and put their fears to rest. I
would suggest coming in today before this whole thing gets out of hand."
He rolled his eyes, hearing his most trusted employee's urgency in his voice.
"Deal with it yourself."
Myoga lowered his voice. "Sir, I suspect there might be more to this than meets
the eye. Ms. Higurashi's representatives from Shikon said that before there was
anything wrong with the company, there were rumors. It started off small.
Nobody knew who spread them and nobody could remember where they heard them.
They lost a quarter of their workforce within a month. It was as though these
people were brainwashed and they thought they had to leave the company or it
would mean their death. It was mass hysteria and that only ended when you took
over. Now it's starting here."
He suddenly remembered Kikyo and his promise to her. Now that his company was
experiencing the same thing in the main office and most likely other ones as
well, he'd have a chance to get a better idea of the situation and maybe nip it
in the bud. But then again, Kagome needed him, even if she thought she didn't.
Inuyasha was in a quandary. He had hurt Kikyo, physically and emotionally. He
was hurting her without her even knowing it. If she knew what he did with
her—their—daughter, she'd die. All he did was hurt her lately and he had
promised to help. It was clear. He had to put his own petty feelings of anger
and hatred aside and fight his wife's last battle, the only thing she had ever
really asked of him.
"Fine. See you there." He hung up without another word.
Turning to Kagome, who was trying to appear as though she wasn't listening, he
said, "I'm gonna have to take you to work with me today."
"Mother would know. She'd figure it out and everything would be over," the girl
grumbled, rapidly running a brush through her hair and avoiding eye contact
with him in her mirror.
"I have to go to work today and I'm not leaving you alone," he said, trying not
to beg. He didn't think anything would actually happen to her, but he'd rather
be safe than sorry.
"Just let me go to school, Inuyasha!"
"No! Not after what happened to Sango."
Kagome sighed in exasperation. "There are a lot of people there. Teachers and
students. I'll be fine."
"Sango was there under those very same circumstances," he pointed out.
"Sango stayed away from people. I won't. Not today."
Abruptly, she pulled the brush from her hair, wincing when it snagged on a
knot. Kagome walked back to the bed where he was now sitting up, pleading with
her with his eyes. Her expression softened and she placed a hand on each
shoulder, leaning in to give him one of her trademark gentle yet intense
kisses.
"I'll be alright," she murmured against his lips, brushing her fingers across
the front of his jeans.
His mind was going into that deliciously hazy place her kisses always sent him,
but he tried to fight back. "If you got hurt, I'd never forgive myself. I'd
never forgive you," he said insistently, giving in to his desire to kiss her
again even as he realized he was being manipulated.
"I've got big lungs," she giggled. "I'll scream like crazy for help, and if
nobody comes then I'll just start singing or something and eventually they'll
run away in pain."
"This is serious," he scolded.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I know. But school is serious, too. You
promised you'd let me be whatever I wanted to be, remember?" He nodded, feeling
trapped. "Well, how can I be the nurse I want to be if you stop me from getting
into a proper college? I've got tests in almost every class today. I can't
miss."
Inuyasha touched his forehead to hers and held it there. He knew she didn't
need to get into freaking Harvard to be a nurse. People even went to trade
schools for that sort of thing. There were ads on the radio for it. A degree in
six months or your money back! But this was important to her. "Okay. I'll drop
you off and pick you up like usual. Just… be careful, alright?"
"Duh," she said with a smirk, an expression that reminded him so much of
himself that he was left dizzy. He didn't even notice she was kissing him until
she pulled away and ran down the stairs, smelling like triumph and sunshine.
His doubts about leaving her alone magnified the entire car ride, but now that
he had given his word he did not want to break it and risk crushing her growing
confidence. Before Kagome could jump out of the car, he grabbed her wrist,
gently yanking her back towards him.
"Call me immediately if anyone even looks at you funny."
She rolled her eyes and leaned over, giving him one of her kisses that usually
signified things were about to get hot and heavy. When she broke away, he
stared at her in a daze, feeling slightly light-headed.
"Not that I mind or anything, but what was that for?"
She smirked and said, "I want you to miss me." She ran off without another
look. Inuyasha watched her until he couldn't anymore, then sighed and started
on his way to work.
"I already do," he muttered to himself.
O/\o/\O
The minute he walked through the door of Tetsusaiga's main office, he knew
something was wrong. There were always at least a few people standing there to
greet him. Now there was just Myoga. The entire aura of the place felt off, as
if it was being pulled apart in a hundred different directions, and it was
nearly silent even though he could hear people walking about, doing their daily
chores. Where was the usual chatter? The laughter, the noises?
"How long has this been going on?" Inuyasha asked, his voice echoing.
"Around three days," Myoga answered gravely.
"There's a weird smell." He sniffed the air several more times, trying to
figure out exactly what it was and where it was coming from. "It's fucking
everywhere."
"Do you think that could be the source of our problem?"
"Probably. It's the only thing that's changed that I've noticed so far."
Myoga nodded. "I see. Then do you think you are able to find it or should we
bring in the dogs?"
Inuyasha glared at him. "Dogs? Really?"
Shoulders slumped, sensing that his boss fully intended to do all the work
himself, Myoga sighed, accepting that it would now take much longer to get to
the bottom of the strange happenings.
"Alright. Then should I bring in some others, those we can trust? That would
surely be more useful than just wandering about by ourselves."
"We're not gonna wander," Inuyasha scoffed, already starting out down the hall.
"I can find where it's coming from."
His long-time servant rushed after him, wishing he hadn't told Inuyasha a
thing.
O/\o/\O
"We've been walking for hours, Master Inuyasha! Don't you think it's time we
took a break? Perhaps stopped for lunch?"
His words went unheeded as Inuyasha stalked the basement corridor. This was a
section of the building that was rarely ever used for anything except storage,
and then only once every few years. Cursing himself for not checking there
first, as it was the ideal place for any funny business, he soldiered on,
trying to concentrate on the strange smell which he was convinced was growing
stronger. Finally, they came to the end of the hall, where the scent was
strongest.
"You got the key to this place?"
Myoga nodded and pulled out a ring that had dozens of keys on it, all for the
basement floor. How he knew exactly which one to use without even trying any of
the others blew Inuyasha's mind, but then again the man knew the building
better than anyone else, being that he'd spent almost every day in it for about
eighty years. Turning the key slowly, so as not to make any noise, his hard
work was ruined when his boss became impatient and literally kicked the door
open, causing it to slam hard against the wall and almost all the way closed
again.
The bare, cement room was lit with candles, tons of candles, the shadows they
created surrounding a dark, hooded figure that appeared to be saying something
quietly in a deep, dark voice, almost chanting, the ominous-sounding words in
an unfamiliar tongue.
Inuyasha sniffed. Was that… cinnamon? Vanilla? Scented candles?
"What the fuck is this and who the fuck are you?" he yelled. The hooded figure
turned, startled out of his trance that was apparently immune to doors being
kicked open loudly but not a voice, and Inuyasha immediately recognized his
homely features. "The camera guy! Fucking shit, I knew you were more than just
a perv."
Shrieking like a child, the little man in the baggy hoodie took a step forward
and nearly tripped, the glass jar he was holding falling from his hands and
breaking on the ground. A dark mist escaped from the fragments and formed a
cloud. It seemed almost sentient, moving close to Inuyasha, who growled at it
and took a swipe with his claws, then to Myoga who cowered by Inuyasha, then
finally to the cowering human across the room. It shot over to him and promptly
invaded his nose and mouth, disappearing instantly. The strange feeling and
smell immediately disappeared. The man sank to his knees and coughed weakly
before slumping over completely.
After a decent interval of shocked silence had passed, Inuyasha said, "Is
anyone going to tell me what the fuck just happened?"
"It's a poison spell," croaked the man on the ground. "I'm trippin' out, bro.
Ah god, man, this wasn't fucking worth it. I can't feel my knees. Those fucking
roller skates I bought are useless now. Shit, I hope this wears off by
tomorrow."
"No one gives a fuck, nerd," Inuyasha sneered, grabbing him by the collar.
"Myoga, turn the goddamn lights on. These candles are giving me a headache."
His servant did as asked and Inuyasha threw the nameless man into the wall,
pushing on his shoulder and grinding it into the hard surface until he howled
in pain.
"Now tell me what the fuck you were just doing and who told you to do it and
why."
"I don't know. But I remember the guy this time," he muttered, his eyes shut
tight.
"Get talkin'," Inuyasha said sharply as Myoga began blowing out all the
candles.
"The guy showed up at my apartment like an hour after I first, uh, made your
acquaintance. He asked if I had my camera, but it was like he already knew I
didn't. He asked for his money back. I had already, um, invested it all. When I
told him, he broke all the fingers on my right hand." The man held up his hand
and showed Inuyasha his cast. "Then he called me a few days later and told me
to come here. He kinda looked like a chick. Long black hair in a braid, tan
skin, pretty mouth. Had a tattoo on his face, right on his fucking forehead. It
was a purple cross. Fucker's hardcore, dude."
Myoga, already out of breath from blowing out nearly a third of the candles,
gasped. "That is none other than Bankotsu!"
"And who the fuck is that?" Inuyasha asked exasperatedly, wanting to get out of
there as soon as possible if only so he could stop touching the guy.
"The leader of a group of sadistic, evil men who work for Onigumo. They act as
guards publicly, but their true purpose is to carry out his dirty work,
including bribery and murder."
"O-Onigumo?" Inuyasha was stunned.
"Heavy on the murder."
"Hitmen? After Kagome? What the fuck does that bastard want with her?!" he
yelled, shaking the limp man while directing his question toward Myoga.
"It's well-known that he still bears a humongous grudge against Kikyo for
rejecting him. He has an insane obsession with destroying her. That must have
only amplified after the two of you reunited and then extended to both you and
her daughter. We cannot prove it yet, but he has hinted to various sources that
he was the one behind the near-destruction of Shikon. He backed off because of
Tetsusaiga, but now he's back at it. We thwarted his attempt at sabotage before
it got too bad, thank goodness."
Inuyasha nodded, then turned back to the man who appeared to be almost asleep,
his eyes crossing and uncrossing. "You. Why and how did you put those pictures
and dog hearts in Kagome's room?"
"What the fu— I mean, uh, what are you talking about?" the exhausted man said,
apparently trying to correct his behavior into a more acceptable form since his
life was in a very irate man's claws.
"You weren't the one who trashed Kagome's room?" Inuyasha asked.
"I didn't do shit, man, I don't know where you fucking live. I just followed
you that one time and you caught me and I've been here for a couple days with
nothing but that creepy fucking jar and bottled water and lunchables to eat and
I had to pee in the goddamn empty bottles and you caught me again."
Inuyasha leaned in and looked the man in the eyes, trying to intimidate him and
succeeding. The man rambled on.
"Fuck, dude, I don't wanna be involved in you crazy bastards' business anymore.
I've got a fucking cat to take care of, I can't do this shit. Let me go, you
sick fuck!" the man yelled, becoming more agitated with each word he spoke. He
began to thrash about, but it was no use.
Inuyasha barked out a short, humorless laugh. "I'm the sick fuck?! You're the
one stalking a teenage girl."
The man stopped struggling and glared at him. "At least I'm not fucking her,
you fucking pervert!"
He grabbed the small man by the throat. "Give me your phone, the one you used
to contact Bankotsu. Do it and I'll let you live." He sunk a claw into his
neck, enough to draw a fat drop of dirty blood.
"Whatever, man. It's in my right pocket. We're cool, right? Right?" he laughed
uneasily, shutting his eyes again. Inuyasha could smell the tears he was
holding back. He didn't let go, afraid that if he moved he really would take
the man's life. The smell of him, of whatever that black cloud was, was
infecting his mind and making his head ache. Everything about this man
irritated him. Oblivious to all this, the man continued.
"Sorry for what I said about you being a pervert," the man tittered nervously.
"She's pretty hot. Sure, she might be a teenager, but that body ain't fifteen.
And it's not like you're her real fath—"
Inuyasha twisted his neck and broke it with one hand while the other reached
into the man's pocket and relieved him of his cellphone. Blood spurted from the
man's nose and dripped onto his hand, its path slowed by the thick mucus it was
coupled with. Inuyasha wiped it on the man's hoodie in disgust then dropped his
body on the floor.
Tossing the phone to Myoga, he said, "Check all the numbers in there and get
rid of the body. Call me if anything new or significant happens."
"Yes, sir. But…"
"What?" Inuyasha growled. He didn't have time for this.
"Are you any of the things he said?" the flea demon blurted out.
He smirked. "You mean am I fucking my wife's daughter who may or may not also
be mine?" Myoga nodded hesitantly, glancing at the body lying crumpled against
the wall. "Fuck off," he said with a sneer, walking out the door.
The sky was gray and it was pouring, although the sun was managing to shine
through here and there. Inuyasha smiled, thinking of Kagome's eyes.
"Fuck," he cursed to himself, fumbling for his phone. It was five. He was two
hours late to pick her up. He'd never been this late before. Hell, he'd never
been late. She was his number one priority. He ran to his car and sped away
from the building, arriving at the very congested freeway. The rain had caused
several accidents. He hit his head against the steering wheel in punishment,
hoping she had the sense to stay in the library and wait. After an hour of
jockeying with other cars, screaming at other drivers with a level of road rage
he had never experienced before in his life, even denting the bumper of his car
on another and speeding off without a word before he finally arrived at
Kagome's school. Her deserted school.
He ran, the rain splashing his face and getting in his nose, his eyes.
Apologizing to Kagome in his head, he darted into the separate building that
was the high school library. Literally into it. He had not expected the doors
to be locked, but they were. Rubbing his hurt nose angrily, he ran back to the
front of the school, panicking when he couldn't pick up her scent. He checked
all the doors of the school, even the gym. Every single one was locked.
Kagome was nowhere to be found.
***** Do It Again *****
*Song for the chapter: Mexico by The Staves*
The rain had taken Kagome's scent away with it, eliminating his primary means
of finding her. Where was she? Inuyasha knew he should calm down, but he had
called her cell a billion times and she hadn't answered and he was convinced
that meant she was kidnapped, by Bankotsu or another one of Onigumo's henchmen.
It was all he could do to take deep, even breaths. He had never had a panic
attack before, but he somehow knew he was on the verge of one.
A shuffling alerted him to the presence of another, and before he even saw who
it was, he slammed them face-first against the building's wall. "Where the fuck
is Kagome?!" he asked dangerously, his voice low and filled with frantic rage.
The man he had pinned was wearing coveralls identical to those of the janitor
he had killed what felt like forever ago. He was short and overweight and
carrying a rake which he did not even attempt to use to defend himself.
Inuyasha sniffed in disgust. Normally, he would have killed the guy, but he was
already pushing his luck and natural selection would probably take care of him
sooner or later.
"I-I-I d-don't know who that is! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, just let me go!" the man
wailed in fear. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at the high-pitched voice.
"A girl. Long black hair. Pale skin. Gray eyes. She's a student." She sounded
so plain when he described her like that. As he had frequently throughout his
life, he wished for the gift of words, even though none could do her justice.
They couldn't illustrate the image he had of her in his mind, that time he had
kissed her under the tree, the delicate, girlish shock that had only made him
want her more. Her scent that was now a part of his life, invading his dreams
and every waking thought. The feelings she inspired in him without even doing
anything.
"Oh gosh, I think maybe, uh, maybe I saw her a couple hours ago. She was with
some brown-haired kid and then they got into a fight and everybody was looking
at them and I guess she got embarrassed and left. I'm not sure if that was the
girl you're looking for, though. Just please let me go!"
Inuyasha wasn't sure whether he was relieved that someone had seen her or even
more frantic now that he knew for certain she was gone and they weren't just
playing some crazy game of hide and seek. "Did you see where she went? Can you
remember?!"
"Fuck, I can't remember anything like this!" the man said in his high, strained
voice. He was sweating and Inuyasha rolled his eyes and threw him to the
ground, the man never once seeing his face. He cursed aloud the entire way back
to the car, praying to someone, something, that his gut would lead him to her.
That the connection they had through their love and blood would bring her to
him. As he sat down in the driver's seat, he leaned his head back, trying to
clear his mind. If he were Kagome, what would he do? Ask a friend for a ride
home? Yeah, that seemed reasonable. He hoped the real Kagome was as reasonable
as that.
Inuyasha stumbled through his front door minutes later, her scent hitting him
immediately and wrapping around him, relaxing him. Once the fear he had stored
in every bone was gone, he began to get angry. Just because he was a little (or
a lot) late didn't mean she should have just run off without telling him,
making him worry and rush around like a madman, nearly killing another fucking
janitor just because she didn't wait in the fucking library like anybody else
would have fucking done. He stomped up the stairs as loud as he could, putting
his anger into each step, following her scent to his room.
"Kagome, why the fuck weren't you—"
The lights were off and there was a lump that could only be Kagome swaddled in
blankets on his bed. Something about the scene made him feel a sense of dread
and all the anger disappeared in only a moment. He approached the bed, suddenly
feeling very small.
"K-Kagome? Angel?"
"Inuyasha?" came a faint voice from the cocoon of blankets. Kagome's little
face burrowed out just barely and he noticed she was paler than ever and soaked
through.
"Why are you all wet, baby?" he asked, feeling almost maternal. He walked over
to the bed and sat on the edge.
"I-it was raining," she said, her chattering teeth making it difficult for her
to elaborate. Now that he was closer he could see that the entire bundle of
blankets was shivering with her.
"Did you walk all the way here?" he asked, dumbfounded. They lived ten miles
from her high school, the last three or so being on unpaved road.
Kagome covered her face back up with the blankets, more to hide from his
interrogation than for warmth.
"Answer me," he commanded sternly.
"Y-yes. I'm sorry." Her fingers were visible where they gripped the blankets to
herself and he saw that there was a purplish tint to the digits.
"Don't be sorry, angel. Christ, you're cold."
"Then warm m-me." Throwing the blanket off herself, Inuyasha was able to see
her state more clearly. She still wore her soaked skimpy school uniform, and
the white shirt was see-through and sticking to her skin in ways that wouldn't
be half bad if the situation were not so serious. She was still shivering and
her skin was almost translucent-looking. Kagome placed a small hand on his
large, clawed one and he felt just how freezing cold she actually was. "I n-
need you to warm me up. Only you."
"Kagome," he whispered, feeling sad and scared and strangely helpless. She was
just so, so cold. He knew she was going to be sick. Placing a hand on her
forehead, he felt her lack of warmth again. "No. you need a hot bath, a change
of clothes, some tea, and maybe even more blankets. I'll hold you until you
fall asleep and then I'll call Myoga for some meds."
"No, I need you!" she whined childishly. "Are you not touching me because
you're mad?" she whispered, sounding ten years younger.
"I'm not mad at you, I'm just worried," he explained gently.
"But you were yelling!" she cried, tears beginning to streak down her face.
"I-I-I—" he stuttered, beginning to panic. "Don't cry, please don't cry. I just
want you to be well."
"Then touch me," she commanded, grabbing his hand and placing it on her breast.
Inuyasha's palm and fingers squeezed automatically and she moaned, her already
stiff nipple hardening even more and poking the flesh somewhere along his
lifeline. "Please? I know what my body needs. I need you to make me better,
only you. You're all I need." Kagome brought their clasped hands up and kissed
each one of his fingers, her cold lips trembling as she did so. "Share your
warmth with me, Inuyasha. Burn me."
Inuyasha could not deny her, not when she was like this, when she begged and
needed him this much. And, truth be told, he needed her as well. The shock from
not seeing her immediately, the worry and panic and guilt, had worked
themselves into a frenzy of feeling inside him and he needed her in order to
calm down. He resolved to have this short interlude with her to give them what
they both wanted and then he'd care for her. Drawing her into a gentle kiss, he
flicked his tongue against her lips to warm them. Her tongue darted out to meet
his and he shuddered; even that was cold. His poor girl. Kagome still trembled
in his arms, from both cold and exhaustion. He was amazed she wanted him at
all.
He broke away from her and pulled off her soaking wet clothes, tossing them to
the side where they fell to the floor with a loud splat, and just looked at
her. They were both kneeling on the bed across from each other and she seemed
to shiver harder the longer he stared. He could see the purple veins beneath
her pale skin running all along her delicate body. Removing his own clothes
quickly, he embraced her, pressing her to him hard so she could absorb his body
heat all the faster. Kagome murmured a protest and tried to push away from him,
wanting more than just an intense hug. He shushed her, but she started licking
along his jugular with little flicks of her tongue. Now he was trembling as
well, and not from the cold. She knew him too well. With quick movements, he
rubbed his hands along her arms and legs, trying to use friction to warm her up
beyond corpse temperature. Reaching out a hand, she began to touch him as well,
much more sensually than he was doing, trailing her fingers along his ribcage
and making him shudder. Inuyasha grabbed her hands and rubbed them between his
own until they were a light pink. Satisfied that she was recovering, he put his
arms around her and kissed his way down her body, lowering her to the bed and
straightening her legs out for her.
He played with her already stiff nipples, tweaking and rubbing them, careful
not to be too rough. Kneading and caressing, he warmed her breasts with his
large hands. Soon she was trembling more from his tender ministrations than any
cold she might still feel. Slowly, he lowered himself down to her and licked at
a nipple skillfully, keeping a hand on her other breast. He sucked gently and
plucked at it with his lips, breathing a hot puff of air on it before switching
to the other one and repeating his actions. She squirmed beneath him and mewled
like a kitten, her short nails running along his scalp and down through his
wild mane of hair.
"Enough, Inuyasha," she groaned. "I've never ached like this. Please just do it
now."
As commanded, he plunged into her and she grunted, a sound he could not
remember hearing her make before, then thrust back against him, biting her lip
and clawing at his back. Inuyasha was surprised by her wild eagerness and sped
up, ravishing her as she seemed to want. Kagome came with a scream, remembering
his sensitive ears at the last moment and putting her hands over them.
Following her, he emptied himself then pulled out of her, rolling to the side
and bringing her with him, placing her head on his chest in what had become
their traditional position. Inuyasha pulled the blankets over the both of them,
relieved that she was at a normal temperature now and that her hair was nearly
dry.
"You really aren't mad?"
"How could I be mad after that?" he teased.
"Why didn't you come for me?"
The dreaded question. He had almost forgotten. "I lost track of time," he
sighed. "I called you a ton of times, you know. Fuck, why didn't you just wait
for me?" Some of his earlier anger had returned and he felt like spanking her
like he used to do.
"I left my phone at home. I waited and waited but you didn't show up. I thought
you forgot about me," she whispered. He could feel her eyelashes flutter
against his chest and knew she was blinking back tears.
"Don't be stupid, I could never forget about you," he said, kissing her still
damp hair and vowing to actually start wearing a watch.
"I wouldn't have left, but Hojo came and started talking to me. He gave me
another present and even though I didn't want to hurt his feelings, I refused
it. He asked me out and I told him not to talk to me again, like you said. He
got mad and started yelling at me, saying I led him on and used him. Everyone
who was still at school was staring at us and I just ran away. I didn't stop
until I was half-way home, and then when I realized, I just kept going."
He growled. So it was that idiot kid's fault that Kagome had walked all that
way in the rain. That bastard would pay for her every step.
Sensing his mood, Kagome kissed his chest. "Don't be mad at him, Inuyasha, it's
all true. I used him for free tutoring and to make you jealous."
He smiled. "Well, it worked. I suppose I should actually thank him. If it
weren't for him, we wouldn't have done this until much, much later."
She giggled and kissed his chest again, eyes sparkling. "Good night, Inuyasha."
"Aw, come on! It's only seven. The night is young and so are we. Well, you." He
stroked her hair and she giggled again before clutching the blankets closer to
her and burrowing into him. Kagome went to sleep almost immediately and
Inuyasha followed, lulled by her scent and the beat of her pure heart.
***** A Glacier Moving Through You *****
Chapter Notes
     *Song for the chapter: Glacier by John Grant*
     Author's Note: I freaking hate it when people write modern day fics
     and have Kaede say "ye". Stop doing that, please, it's incredibly
     cringe-worthy. Also, like nine times out of ten, they don't use the
     word properly and then I want to just scream.
Inuyasha woke up hours later, feeling an unbearable warmth covering him.
Kagome. He opened his eyes to see that she was still on top of him and burning
up. Gently, he rolled her to the side onto her back. Her cheeks were flushed
and her hair was damp again but this time with sweat instead of rain water.
There was a light furrow in her brow and her breath came in irregular little
puffs. He began to panic and pat the side of her face several times in quick
succession.
"Kagome, wake up! Wake up, come on!"
She moaned and turned her head so that her cheek rested on the pillow. "I don't
feel good. I'm so cold."
Pressing his lips to her forehead to check her temperature, just as his mother
used to do for him so long ago, he felt just how burning hot she actually was
and became even more frantic. Kagome began to shiver again and grabbed for the
blankets, wrapping them around herself, cocooned as she had been earlier.
"I'm gonna take you to the hospital," he said, mostly to himself.
He was surprised when she answered. "No! I need to stay here." Her voice was
strained and she sounded as though she were about to cry. He was at a loss as
to what to do.
"Kagome, I'm going to call my doctor for you then, alright? Okay?" he said in a
loud voice, not wanting to succumb to the feeling of helplessness and do
something terrible. This was starting to bring back terrible memories and he
felt time looming over them like an evil god. His doctor only treated people of
demonic descent, but that didn't occur to him at the moment.
"No," Kagome whined. "I want Kaede. Call Kaede."
Remembering that Kikyo had mentioned a Kaede a while ago, he grabbed for his
discarded pants, fetching his cell phone to call Myoga, who picked up on the
first ring. "Quick! I need you to call a doctor named Kaede. Tell her Kagome
Higurashi is deathly ill and won't let anyone else treat her." He ended the
call, not even bothering to wonder how Myoga would do as he asked with so
little information. The flea demon always came through with what he wanted
somehow, some way.
Inuyasha knelt with one knee on the bed and leaned over the cocooned girl,
trying to pry the blankets off so he could dress her. She wouldn't give and he
didn't want to hurt her or make her uneasy. She clutched the blankets tighter,
muttering something about Christmas and being cold.
"Where is Mother? I need Mother."
The words sent an arrow through his heart, partially because she was basically
saying his presence was not good enough and partially because Kikyo was never
there when her daughter needed her. He felt tears prick his eyes and he fought
them back.
"Shhh, I'm here, I love you, it's alright," he murmured, cradling her in his
arms the best he could in her bundled state. "I need to take the blankets off
so you can get dressed, okay? You don't want the doctor to see you nude."
"No, I need Mother!" she said, her dry throat making it come out like a croak.
Inuyasha could smell her tears and he heard her make a small whining sound. He
held her cocoon tighter and tried to keep her still, her shaking having
increased as soon as she asked for her mother. She cried like a child in his
arms and he reached and pulled the blankets from her face, stroking her cheek
and kissing her forehead again, his panic increasing when she was much hotter
than before.
The doorbell rang and he jumped to his feet. "Finally," he muttered, although
it had been less than half an hour since he had called Myoga. "I'll be right
back, baby girl. Kaede will make you better," he said loudly, hating how his
voice sounded like he was just talking to himself.
He took the stairs two at a time, his heart beating wildly in fear. Yanking
open the front door, he was about to yell at the doctor for taking so long but
stopped, her appearance confusing him. He had expected the doctor Kikyo had
picked for Kagome to be someone more like Kikyo, professional, sleek, and
commanding, but instead he was faced with a short, stocky elderly woman wearing
an eye patch. Her long hair was almost as silver as his own, but lacked the
healthy glow his possessed. Was he really going to let an old crone with one
working eye treat Kagome?
Inuyasha was brought out of his brief musings by the disapproving look on the
doctor's face. Her one eye pointedly looked him up and down and obviously did
not like what it saw. He looked down at himself and scowled, cursing his
stupidity, seeing that he forgot to put something on other than his boxers.
This was gonna be a rough night.
Clearing his throat, he searched for his most polite voice. "Please, come in—"
She barged right in, not bothering with pleasantries, just ignoring him. "Where
is Kagome?"
"U-upstairs," he stuttered, shocked by her energy.
Kaede was already stomping her way up the stairs and he hurried, going up ahead
of her to show her the way. Kagome was still cocooned and on her back, her
panting breaths louder.
"Inuyasha, where did you go?" she asked tremulously.
He rushed to her side. "I brought Doctor Kaede to you. Don't worry, you'll feel
all better soon." Her big eyes were glazed yet brimming with trust and love,
and he couldn't resist caressing the side of her face with his trembling
fingers.
A dry, obviously forced cough came from the other side of the room and he
glared at Kaede. Her eye was moving about the room, taking everything in. It
lingered on the wet pile of Kagome's clothes still on the floor by the bed.
Inuyasha tried to see the scene as she did and flinched. It was obviously a
man's room, his room, his bed. Kagome was naked, he was in his boxers, Kikyo
was nowhere to be seen. Everything was obvious. The stout woman glared at him
and he knew she would kill him if she could. He refused to feel bad and stayed
by Kagome, knowing that on some level she took comfort from his nearness.
"I would prefer to examine the patient alone," Kaede said, her voice brimming
with hostility.
"No," he returned firmly. He would not leave her, never. A tense moment passed
where they did nothing but glare at one another.
"Fine. Kagome," she said, her voice suddenly tender, "what happened, dear? Why
are you sick?"
"K-Kaede? What're you doing here?" she mumbled. Inuyasha stroked her hair,
ignoring the glare Kaede sent his way.
"I'm here to see what's wrong and give you some medicine. Your stepfather," she
emphasized, "called me all the way here in the middle of the night just to make
you better."
Inuyasha tensed, resenting the way the doctor spoke to Kagome as though she was
just a child.
"Inuyasha is so good. He does everything for me," she said softly, a small
smile on her face. He smiled back at her even though her eyes were now closed
and she could not see him. Kaede glanced at him, a questioning frown on her
face, and he gave her his best glare, willing her to hurry the hell up.
"I see. Open your mouth, Kagome. Let me take your temperature." The girl obeyed
and they waited a bit until the thermometer beeped. "101.6! How did this
happen?" she asked, her voice full of concern, repeating her earlier question.
Kagome struggled to open her eyes and finally succeeded, only just barely. "I
was out in the rain."
"And where is Kikyo? Where is your mother?"
"Mother," Kagome whispered, her face scrunching up as though she was about to
cry again. "Mother is never around."
"That explains a lot," Kaede muttered.
"Just do your job, Captain Wrinklebeard," Inuyasha growled.
Kaede ignored him. "I'm going to take your blankets off and listen to your
heartbeat, alright, dear?" she said gently. Kagome allowed her to unwrap her,
and the woman paused when she saw the girl's nudity, gasping when she noticed
the dried semen between her thighs. She took out her stethoscope with shaking
hands. "I-I'm going to need you to sit up, Kagome."
Kagome complied, her hand seeking out Inuyasha for help, which he gave by
pulling her up most of the way and steadying her. Kaede placed the stethoscope
on her back, pulling it away when Kagome jerked. "Stop it, it's too cold!"
Inuyasha sat down across from Kagome and pulled her into his lap, soothing her
with a kiss to the brow. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head
on his shoulder, their naked chests pressed together. He could feel Kaede's
shock, perhaps not at the situation, which she had already figured out, but at
the fact they were behaving in such a way in front of her. It's over, he
thought, his heart mourning their separation before it even began. But he
couldn't pretend to be normal when Kagome was like this.
Quickly recovering, Kaede again pressed the cold metal device to Kagome's back,
this time receiving no complaints. She told the girl to take a deep breath,
which she did, and then repeated the process several times at different points
on her back. Kagome shivered in his arms and he kissed her forehead again,
rubbing his thumb across the nape of her neck. Finally, Kaede finished and put
the stethoscope back in her bag. Inuyasha felt Kagome immediately relax and
begin to doze in his arms.
"Here," the doctor said roughly, tossing a cardboard box at him. "Have her take
these, follow the directions on the box. Keep her well hydrated and have her
refrain from, er, physical activities."
He looked at the box in his hand. Children's Tylenol meltaways in bubblegum
burst flavor. "That's it? Just some fuckin' Tylenol?"
Kaede rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mr. Taisho. These illnesses are common occurrences
in childhood."
"She is not a child," he said sharply. "Stop treating her like one."
Her glare returned with much more force. "She is still very much a child, sir,
more so than other girls her age, in spite or perhaps because of her mother's
treatment of her."
"You know how Kikyo's been treating her?! And you never fucking did anything
about it?" Kagome murmured his name and he quieted, shifting her in his arms
and embracing her more securely.
"What could I have done? Taken her from the mother she adores and placed her in
a foster home? You and I both know she would not survive in such a place. But
looking at you now I'm starting to think I should have."
"I love her," he hissed, wondering why he was even having this conversation.
"Love?" Kaede laughed. "She was wandering out in the rain for what seems like
hours and as soon as you see her you force yourself on her. Is that love?"
"You don't know what happened, you don't know how we are. I would never harm
her. She needs me and I need her!"
Kaede's shoulders slumped and she sighed, her energy momentarily disappearing
and leaving her nothing but a sad-looking, worn out old woman. "I can see that.
Don't worry, no one will know of this. Although the way you two interact makes
me wonder if you were even trying to hide it. Kikyo must be blind. But, as you
said, Kagome does need you. Take care not to hurt her, half-demon, or I will
hunt you down and make it so they will never find the body," she said calmly,
letting her spiritual powers swell until they brushed against him, giving him a
light shock. He had no doubt that she would be true to her word.
"Whatever," he huffed, trying to play it cool. "I'll mail you your payment."
"No need. Kagome is like my own granddaughter, I appreciate being in her life."
"I guess you can see yourself out, then," he said impatiently, wanting to be
alone with Kagome so he could take care of her properly.
"Such a rude boy," she muttered, shuffling out of the room. "A girl like her
deserves better."
Inuyasha waited until he heard the front door shut and then opened the box of
chewable Tylenol tablets, carefully rearranging Kagome so that she lay straight
on the bed, her hair fanned out on the pillow in waves with little ringlets
here and there. Stopping a moment just to stare at her, his heart swelled with
love, beating strong in his chest. She was so beautiful, the light pink of the
fever on her cheeks enhancing her delicate features and contrasting prettily
with her pale skin and dark hair. Her lips were parted slightly, her breathing
sounding like the softest sighs, something only he could hear. Gently, he
caressed her cheekbone with his knuckles and she opened her eyes. He wordlessly
handed her one of the tablets and the bottle of water he always kept by his
bed, sure she would want to wash what must be a terrible taste out of her
mouth. She chewed the pill, grimacing all the while, and immediately drifted
off again after guzzling half the bottle.
He lay on his side next to her, watching the way her eyelids twitched the
slightest bit. So, this illness was normal in humans. It was no longer
something to be feared. A distant memory came to him, of his mother shivering
in a maid's arms, sweating until the bed was visibly damp and then going
completely still. He pushed the scene away, resolving to stay in the here and
now. Kagome made it easier when she rolled over and embraced him in her sleep,
her face pressed against his chest just like he arranged her every night.
Already, he could feel her temperature dropping. He chuckled at his earlier
panic. He had acted just like a new parent. The thought wiped the smile off his
face and he brought the blankets back over the two of them, wanting to both
hold Kagome in his arms the way he always did and run far away until his mind
ceased its torture of his soul. He was hers and she was his. Even if he wanted
to, he couldn't change that.
***** The Heart Wants What it Wants *****
*Song for the Chapter: Possum Kingdom by The Toadies*
Kagome's fever had abated completely by the time the sun decided to shine
through the window, waking her and ending his silent perusal of her face. They
stared at each other without speaking, him in relief and Kagome in he knew not
what. Feeling somehow awkward, he smoothed her hair away from where it had
fallen across her cheek and kissed where his fingers had touched.
"I'm going to call and tell Kikyo about Kaede's visit, then I'm going to call
your school so I can keep you here until you're better."
She blinked and he took that as a response. Dialing her number he had on a
scrap of paper since he hadn't yet put it in his phone, he waited for Kikyo to
pick up, which she did right before it would have gone to voicemail.
"Inuyasha!" she said pleasantly, sounding surprised.
"Hey," he said with distraction. "Just calling to say that Kagome had a fever
and we called Kaede over to treat her. Thought you should know. She has a cold,
too." He had made that last assessment on his own. She had been sniffling
during her sleep, cuddling up to him and sounding so pitiful that he did not
rest at all.
"What?!" Kikyo said, getting as close to a shriek as he had ever heard her.
Inuyasha felt his heart flutter, wondering if she was beginning to show concern
for her child. "That is absolutely unacceptable. I cannot return to a place
that has such a contagious illness present. In my condition, that would be all
it took to finally kill me!" She was taking great, heaving breaths and he was
concerned that she was on the verge of an anxiety attack.
"It's okay, Kikyo, it's nothing to worry about." She had cancer, not whatever
that bubble boy thing was. The air Kagome breathed wasn't going to destroy her.
He rolled his eyes at her.
His wife cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "You are right. However, I
will not be able to return until she is healthy again and the house has been
professionally cleaned. In the meantime, keep her quarantined in her room to
avoid spreading the germs."
"I understand," he murmured gently, trying to hide his giddiness.
"Make sure she is taken care of and does not neglect her archery practice, even
if she feels as though she is straining herself. It is a necessary skill for
her to have as a Higurashi."
"Why don't you just tell her that yourself?" he said, his temper slipping
through. Kagome hadn't even touched a bow since she had moved in, something he
had suggested and encouraged.
"I think you're more than capable of the task, Inuyasha." He heard a voice in
the background and Kikyo sighed. "That was Walker, I've got to go. Don't let
her keep you from finding out about Onigumo and what happened to Shikon. Until
I've had my revenge, I cannot rest."
Kikyo ended the call and he rolled his eyes at her dramatic goodbye. There were
no longer any problems with Shikon now that he owned it, and he had stopped the
mischief at Tetsusaiga, even recovering most of his employees who had fled in
fits of irrational fear. What did it matter anymore? He wanted to help Kikyo,
he really did, but she seemed too hung up on things that were no longer of any
concern. Would she only be happy if he brought her Onigumo's head on a platter?
The thought appealed to him and he chuckled, absent-mindedly calling Kagome's
school and explaining the reason for her absence, hinting that she might be out
for a few more days. When that was taken care of, he exhaled exaggeratedly and
flopped down on the bed, carelessly tossing his phone on the floor. Kagome had
felt a bit warm when he had touched her skin, but it wasn't too bad, almost
normal even.
"What do you want to do, angel?" he asked, knowing she was awake even though
her eyes were closed. They popped open, greeting him with that clear gray he
loved.
"What is there to do?" she asked innocently. Smirking, he reached a hand
beneath the covers and ran it up her bare thigh. "Not that!" she laughed,
squirming away from him.
"We can do anything you want. It's your day."
"Hmmm…" she said, deep in thought. "Well, I've always kind of wanted to build a
pillow fort."
"That's it?" he asked, surprised she wanted something so simple.
"Yep!" she nodded happily, rising but keeping the blanket to her chest. "Then
we can order pizza and I'll bake brownies so we can have brownie sundaes and we
can have a movie marathon!"
Inuyasha snorted. "You want to have a sleepover?"
"Please? I've never been to one and they look so fun," she pleaded.
Recalling her lack of friends growing up, he nodded and leaned in for a kiss,
hoping he wouldn't feel too emasculated by the time she felt like going back to
school. If she asked to braid his hair, that would be the end of it, he
decided. He could maybe handle a few girly movies, but actually engaging in the
traditional slumber party activities would make him nauseous. Unless she wanted
to "experiment", then he was all up for that. He grinned into the kiss and she
lightly smacked his arm, as if knowing just what he was thinking.
"Whatever you want, just go easy on me," he said laughingly, breaking away from
her lips.
O/\o/\O
Kagome built the fort without any help from Inuyasha, discovering early on that
his claws and impatience would cost them several pillows and sheets and
blankets if she let him continue. So instead, he ordered pizza and took out all
the ingredients for brownies like she requested, keeping an eye on her to make
sure she wasn't overworking herself. She was blasting some annoying pop music
and bouncing around happily, making sure their fort was stable and secure,
flashing him a grin every so often as if to tell him to stop watching her like
a creep and buzz off.
When she finished constructing the lop-sided fort, they switched places, with
her going into the kitchen to make the brownies which would eventually be
placed into sundaes and him attempting to inconspicuously improve her rather
sad-looking piece of architecture. The doorbell rang just as he finally got the
stack of pillows that served as a column to stand straight and he jogged over
to it, throwing some bills at the delivery boy and slamming the door. Inuyasha
always wondered how the delivery guys managed to get to his house every time,
what with him living in a pretty secluded place with no lights. Even though he
gave directions to every place the first time he ordered from there, it still
never ceased to surprise him when they actually showed up. Chuckling to
himself, he wondered just how many kids had thought this to be their last job,
since obviously only psychopaths who wear suits made out of people lived this
far from another person in what was normally a densely populated area.
"PIZZA!" Kagome bellowed, leaping over to him and wrenching the boxes away,
giving him a distracted kiss on the cheek before hurrying over to the pillow
fort in front of the TV.
Rolling his eyes, he followed after her, gazing longingly at the brownies
cooling on the counter and then determinedly opening the box of pizza Kagome
wasn't already digging into and settling next to her in the fort. She already
had the television turned to a movie, and he noted disinterestedly that it was
the beginning of Big. He remembered seeing it when it came out and even then he
hadn't been fond of it. He thought the entire idea was just ridiculous. Who
would ever want to be older? He snorted. As soon as humans reach adulthood,
they want to go back to being children. Inuyasha was quite satisfied with his
own aging. He would never look older than he was now and he would never want
to. Some demons changed their appearances to that of elderly versions of
themselves. He had always thought they were kind of crazy. The only way to
survive in the world was to be young, but not too young. Smirking to himself
with a definite, comfortable feeling of superiority, he leaned back and put an
arm around Kagome, his other hand fishing around in the box for another slice.
"I feel like I'm living my own version of this movie," Kagome whispered, most
of her concentration still on the screen.
"How so?"
Taking a deep breath, she explained, "Before you, I was just another girl. I
know I was more, well, naïve than most people my age and that made everyone
think I was even younger. But then my wish came true and my childhood is over
and now I'm living this awesome adult life with you," she finished in a rush.
"I'm your Zoltar?" he laughed, drawing her in for a chaste kiss, if anything
between the two of them could be called chaste. "Just promise me you won't take
back your wish."
Kagome's smile was more of a baring of her teeth than a reflection of
happiness. "There's no magic in my movie. I can never go back."
The mood was suddenly somber and he felt agitated, not knowing what had
happened to change it. He stared at Tom Hanks as he jumped across the ground
keyboard like an idiot, waiting for Kagome to say something. Just as he was
about to crack and ask her what exactly she meant by that comment, she broke
the silence.
"I'm going back to school tomorrow."
He whipped his head to the side to look at her. "No, you're still sick. You can
go back the day after."
She wasn't really sick and he knew that. She had healed remarkably fast, and
when he thought about it, he came to the conclusion that somehow the demon
blood of his that he could neither sense nor smell in her had been what had
healed her. Instead of disgust or self-hatred, he now felt nothing but pride.
Pride in her for being so good and perfect, pride in himself for having
contributed to her existence, and even a little pride in Kikyo.
Kagome shook her head quickly, successfully blinking back tears. She'd been
having a lot of practice at controlling her crying ever since she had come to
live with him. The thought made his heart ache.
"No," she said firmly. "If I have one more day like this, I'll want what I
can't have even more and it will tear me apart."
"You have me," he said in a strained voice. Inuyasha reached out his hand and
tried to touch her but she jerked away, scooting the short distance to the
other side of the fort.
Drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, she sighed.
"I think we need to face reality, just for a moment. You are married to my
mother, someone you used to be madly in love with. I'm a millennial and you are
over half a millennium old. You are a half-demon and I have what seems to be
super demon killing powers which for some reason didn't work on you, but that
doesn't mean they won't. Even if Mother… If Mother dies," she choked out, "the
odds are against us. And being together, even after all that, it still won't be
right. I'm your step-daughter. People will talk. Your business would fail at
worst, suffer a significant loss at best." She took another deep breath and
turned her watery eyes to him, for once letting him see just how much she was
suffering. "I love you. Ilove you. I want to be with you, but I don't want us
to end up hating each other because of circumstances we could have seen coming.
Where does that leave us? A fling. A taboo fling. Always unfulfilled, always
wanting."
Gaining back his ability to speak, something her words had taken away, he rose
to his knees, hitting the top of the pillow fort and making half of it
collapse. "No!" he yelled, desperate, his heart beating faster than he could
ever remember. "That's not going to happen to us. What I feel for you cannot be
ignored or forgotten. Believe me, I've tried. Not very hard, but I did try.
There's a way."
She shook her head, her tears falling freely. "No, Inuyasha, no. There's
nothing. We need to face facts."
Inuyasha grabbed her by the shoulders and shook as hard as he dared. "There
fucking is," he hissed, angry that she was so determined to end everything, her
lack of faith in him the most emasculating thing he had ever experienced. "We
will become two halves of one whole. I will mark you."
He was breathing hard and she was staring up at him, her eyes wide, obviously
shocked by his declaration. He had been planning on marking her ever since he
realized the depth of his love for her, around the time he had killed the
janitor. A mark was forever and would prove his devotion and, more importantly,
prevent her from ever really leaving him. He started to become nervous when she
didn't respond and just continued to stare at him as though waiting for him to
continue. He glared at her, his eyes asking what more do you fucking want?
"Uh, you'll what me?" she asked in a confused whisper.
Stunned, he released her shoulders and sat back on the balls of his feet. "You
don't know what a demon's mark is?" he asked incredulously.
Kagome shook her head and he sighed, once again both cursing and blessing Kikyo
for keeping her so sheltered. He could explain mating to her without having to
deal with whatever pop culture was currently saying about it. All humans were
obsessed with mating marks, not understanding anything beyond that it made one
young forever. There were magazine articles in Cosmo and Seventeen, tips on how
to get a demon to make you his own. People sold potions to make one
"irresistible" to demons, which never worked for the intended purpose, usually
getting the idiot eaten by some minor being that barely qualified as demonic.
Humans all longed to preserve their youth and had since the dawn of their
existence, and a demon's mating mark was the only way they could. And here was
Kagome, accomplishing what nearly the entirety of her race desired, and she
didn't even know what it was.
"It binds us," he explained. "Our souls. I give you part of mine and you give
me part of yours. We will always be able to vaguely experience one another's
emotions. You will also share my lifespan, unless I die before my predetermined
time, in which case you will revert back to your human lifespan, right where
you left off. The age I mark you is the age you will look for the rest of your
life with me."
She blinked rapidly, absorbing the new information. "How… What—"
"When you turn twenty-one, whether your mother still lives or not, I'm going to
make you mine completely," he promised.
"Inuyasha," she whispered, her love and awe shining out at him from her eyes.
Feeling safe again, his heart beat calmed and he leaned over to kiss her
forehead.
"The humans will talk once it's known, but that will die down quickly. Everyone
both covets and respects a mating mark, especially one of a wealthy, powerful
demon. Or half-demon," he finished with a smirk.
"Braggart," she said with a laugh. Then, turning serious, "And what about
Mother?"
Inuyasha sighed. "Telling her would be awkward but unavoidable. Remember,
though, she has Suikotsu. I will build her company back up for her, well, for
you, really, and pay her a large allowance until her death. There will be a
brief scandal, but it's not as though something like this has never happened
before."
"But Mother… Mother loves you," she whispered.
"I'm sure she doesn't," he scoffed. "Don't keep telling yourself that. I want
you and I will have only you, no matter what," he swore, more to himself than
to her.
"And I want you, more than anything!" she said earnestly.
"Then say yes." He ran his fingers through her hair and caressed the nape of
her neck.
"Yes. Yes. Yes." Kagome gave him a light kiss in between each "yes" and his
heart soared. Everything would be alright. "So, can I go to school tomorrow?"
"Sure," he breathed, his eyes half-lidded, still slightly dazed from the
passion of her last kiss. Kagome smiled and snuggled into him and they turned
back to the movie, ignoring their collapsed pillow fort.
***** A Little Unsteady *****
Chapter Notes
     *Song for the chapter: Untouchable Face by Ani DiFranco*
     Note: We have reached 100 reviews! Yay! Thank you, Princess Inume,
     for being lucky number 100. Have I mentioned that I really, really
     like reviews? They keep the tears at bay when the brutality of life
     on this earth threatens to overwhelm me. Like, why is McDonald's so
     strict about breakfast hours? Freaking fascists. Reviews also help
     motivate me. Although this fic has been completed for months, I'm
     writing another one, which is much shorter and doesn't deal with such
     controversial subject matter. I'm about half-way through and I hope
     to be finished with it as soon as Strictly Taboo is all uploaded. So
     please, tell me what you think of every chapter. If I could crawl in
     your brain and slurp your thoughts up myself I totally would, but
     unfortunately we do not yet have that technology, so writing it out
     is the best course of action here. Thanks for reading! I love you! =D
For the next week, the new intensity of emotions their conversation brought up
lingered, although they never mentioned their promises after that. Inuyasha
knew that it was on Kagome's mind just as much as it was on his own, but they
had said all they needed to say for now and there was no use going over it
again. It would just make the wait that much harder and the guilt (for her,
anyway, since he was long past such things) that much worse.
It was just a boring, regular Tuesday when he had dropped Kagome off at school
and realized he had forgotten his briefcase back at home. He had been kind of
loopy ever since she had promised to be his mate and could only hope it would
not last the nearly six years he had to wait before they'd be together
completely. Almost kicking open the front door in his sudden frustration, he
ran smack into Kikyo, who was in the middle of putting her coat back on and
heading out. Inuyasha frowned, wondering if the change in his relationship
could be seen in his face.
Clearing her throat, Kikyo said, "Is Kagome still sick?"
Inuyasha stared at her with a raised brow. They both knew she had already gone
through the house and found it empty. If she would just say what she wanted to
say and then go wherever she went every day, they'd be good. "I just dropped
her off at school," he said, attempting to be polite.
"Good." Kikyo slipped her coat off and began to, once again, unbutton her
blouse.
Sighing in exasperation, he grabbed her wrists and stopped her before she made
herself too indecent. "Stop it, Kikyo, it's not going to happen."
"I don't want to die, Inuyasha!" Kikyo screamed, her cold façade cracking and
nearly breaking his heart. No matter what had happened in the past, he didn't
want to see her in pain.
Taking her into his arms, he stroked her back soothingly and whispered, "Nobody
wants to die."
Her shoulders were shaking and she couldn't control her breathing. Pulling
away, he buttoned her shirt back up, stopping when she grabbed his hands.
"But I don't have to die. You have the power to save me."
"W-what do you mean?" he stuttered, already knowing what she was going to say
and dreading it.
"Mark me," she said in a raspy voice that suggested she had been crying before
this last outburst. "Then we can live together, just you and me. Forever."
Flinging her hands from his, he looked at her in a mixture of pity and anger.
"So that's what this was all about. It had nothing to do with Shikon. You're
more than capable of handling that yourself. You just want to live forever."
The corners of her mouth turned down in a sneer and he was appalled at how un-
Kikyo she was at the moment. "Are you going to deny me life? You are just going
to sit there and watch me die, sit there and force Kagome to watch her mother
die?!"
Her screamed, anguished words rang in his ears and Inuyasha flinched. "Kikyo,
it's not natural. It's only for two people who are deeply in love."
"But don't you love me?" she said with a sob. "I still love you. I never
stopped," she cried. He could see the truth in her eyes and it made him feel
dizzy.
"That was a long time ago," he said gently, feeling helpless. "You left me
because of my demonic blood, remember? Don't come crawling back because of it.
I've moved on."
They stared at each other, and eventually Kikyo straightened and put her mask
of propriety back on. "So that's it, then? You're sure? You're condemning me to
death."
Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he nodded cautiously. "Yes. I'm sure."
"I'm going to change your mind," she murmured so low that he could hardly hear
her, clenching her fists. "I'll find a way. I won't let you do this to me."
Coughing nervously, he said, "I'm going to pretend this conversation never
happened, alright? I've, uh, got to go to work now. I'll tell Kagome you
stopped by when I pick her up. Is there anything you want to say?" he asked,
moving past her to fetch his briefcase that he could see waiting for him on the
couch.
"You've become quite the devoted father, Inuyasha. Just what she wanted," Kikyo
said bitterly.
"Don't like it? Well, you started it," he said, always angry when she brought
up Kagome.
"Do you want me to end it?" she asked, quiet and intense.
He glanced at her and shuddered. She seemed so much like a ghost, some vengeful
spirit with her inky black hair and pale skin, that he wanted to run in
childish fear. All resemblance to Kagome was gone; he couldn't see it even when
he tried. He wasn't sure if it was her illness changing her or the time he
spent with Kagome, but she seemed like a completely different person, and it
was more than a little bit unsettling. Without a word or a glance, he walked
out the door and rushed to work, pushing the strange moment out of his mind and
concentrating on bland documents and irritating people.
Finally, it was time to pick up Kagome and he left happily, feeling like
whistling. He didn't, of course, but the feeling was enough. The drive was
longer than usual due to his impatience, and when he finally got there, he
pulled in front, not bothering to honk the horn since she always waited just as
impatiently for him and sometimes even hopped in the car before it came to a
full stop. Watching the other students wait in groups and leave in pairs, he
waited and waited, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tighter with each
passing minute. Trying to calm himself, he just recited a list of things she
could be doing. Helping one of her teachers, making new friends, going to the
bathroom. Just because she wasn't there like she always was didn't mean she was
gone.
That word brought up memories of the last time he couldn't find her and he
began to panic. Kagome had convinced him she didn't need a bodyguard, and her
school had promised constant supervision. Inuyasha knew it was a bad idea,
especially after what happened to Sango, but Kagome had been so insistent,
telling him having a tag-along prevented her from making friends. She had been
so upset that he finally gave in, not wanting to make her feel like he was just
another Kikyo when all he wanted to do was keep her with him, to shut her away
even more than her mother had. Letting her go out there on her own, even if it
was just high school, and make her own decisions was one of the hardest things
he had ever done, but she needed to live her life her way or else he knew she
wouldn't let him live it with her.
After fifteen minutes, he parked and forced himself not to run to the entrance,
her name like a mantra in his head. He kept telling himself that she was okay,
that nothing was wrong, but that didn't stop everything from feeling so out of
order, as though he was in an early surrealist movie and this was just the
beginning of his nightmare. A slit eyeball was a lot less scary than a missing
Kagome, and he promised himself that he would hire a guard without her
knowledge as soon as he found her, even if she was completely safe and sound.
He picked up a scent that was vaguely familiar and veered toward it. Bent over
a water fountain stood the brown-haired boy that had been so infatuated with
Kagome. Inuyasha sneered and stood behind him, patting him on the back a little
harder than necessary in order to gain his attention. The boy whipped around,
confused, the look on his face melting into comical terror as soon as he saw
who had approached him. Trying to compose his facial expression into one of
disinterested politeness, Inuyasha cleared his throat, absently noting that his
hands were shaking.
"Where is Kagome?" he asked, no preamble wasted on the detestable sweat-covered
human child.
"I-I-I-I s-saw her in geometry and in the halls, b-but we don't talk anym-
more," the boy stuttered.
Inuyasha was both pleased and frustrated that Kagome had stopped allowing the
idiot to hang around her. "Do you know where any of her other friends are,
then?"
The boy's expression changed into something like pity. "Higurashi doesn't have
any friends."
Inuyasha snorted. "Of course she has friends. Why the fuck wouldn't she?" Who
wouldn't want to be friends with Kagome? She was perfect.
Then the pitying look was directed at him, something that made him want to run
his claws down the boy's blandly handsome face. "She came late in the school
year, for one, and that's hard even for freshmen. Then there was her
overprotective guard and all her absences. Finally, she and I entered into
something of a disagreement in front of nearly the entire school, and she ran
off." He took a deep breath and shook his head. "I like Higurashi. A lot. But
everyone thinks she's stuck up. I get along with mostly everybody, and even
though I tried to tell people what she was really like, they wouldn't hear it.
After the misunderstanding, it was like everyone's beliefs about her were
confirmed. Not even I can change their minds anymore."
"That's fucking bullshit," Inuyasha growled, punching the wall next to the
boy's head, satisfied when his entire body flinched. "Kagome is… She's…"
"Amazing," the boy finished. "I hope you find her. I'd help look, but I'm late
for volunteering at the hospital as it is. Good luck!"
Inuyasha watched the boy jog off to his shiny BMW as he leaned against the
wall. So, Kagome didn't have any friends. How had he never noticed? Come to
think of it, she never really went anywhere but home and school. He had never
even seen her talk to anyone but that nerd, and he had put a stop to that
eventually. He had known that Sango was like an older sister, and perhaps her
best friend, and maybe her only real friend, but he had always thought she'd
have others around her. Others that wanted to be a part of her life but were
denied entry. Did no one else see the gem that she was? Was this all his fault?
He had kept her home more than a normal parent would, but there were good
reasons. Shaking his head, he began to walk, trying to pick apart the various
scents in the air for Kagome's special one. He had never had any friends, and
he was perfectly fine. Kagome would get over her need to socialize once it
ceased to be a novelty. They didn't need anyone but each other.
Suddenly, the salty and sweet scent that was hers drifted to him and he rushed
in the direction. The scent was more or less fresh, and he laughed aloud at
himself for being an idiot and thinking she had left him. Darting behind the
school, he stopped. Her scent was coming from the area where they had found
Sango. Kagome had been so shaken up after the incident that she told him she
was having trouble even going near the back of the school building. Why would
she be right where her guardian had been dumped so cruelly?
Confused, he walked to toward the dumpster that had held Sango's battered body,
stumbling over something on the way. He looked down and his eyes widened. There
was a red scarf and a brown shoe, just lying there in the middle of the path
right next to a broken pile of glass and plastic. He told himself not to panic.
The school had a uniform. Just because Kagome's scent led there and she was
nowhere to be seen didn't mean—
Crouching down like a dog, he grabbed the shoe and sniffed desperately, not
caring if anyone would see and think him to be some sort of crazy homeless meth
addict with an odd fetish. Confirming his fears, he clutched onto the shoe and
scarf, his stomach aching with loss, the smashed cell phone making everything
so much worse.
Kagome was gone.
Her scent was only on those things she had been wearing. It was as though she
had been plucked out of thin air and magicked off to nowhere. There was no way
to track her, and he couldn't smell another person, just garbage. All sorts of
thoughts ran through his head. Was she dead, killed? Was she raped and
abandoned, hiding somewhere and still hurting? Was there some legitimate, non-
terrifying reason she had discarded a single shoe and her scarf? Had she been
kidnapped?
Falling to his knees and bowing over the articles of her clothing he held, his
emotions threatened to overwhelm him and he fought for control, his inner demon
seeing his current weakness as a prime opportunity to break free and rampage
like it had centuries ago. His claws lengthened and he carefully ran one over
her red cloth, wondering if smelling the material she wore around her neck
would make it better or worse. Pressing it to his face and inhaling, he felt
the blood rush and change throughout his body. It was both better and worse. He
and his demon became one, no longer at war, snarling their rage and howling at
the setting sun, her absence magnifying the intensity and her scent clearing
his mind, giving him a purpose, something to hold on for. Inuyasha was
completely in control of his inner beast for the first time ever, the murderous
rage that was its only emotion now his own, and his emotions its own.
Rising to his feet, Inuyasha walked steadily back to the parking lot, looking
deceptively calm. He vowed to himself that if she was unharmed after all this,
she would never leave again. At least not until every threat was eliminated,
and that could very well take years. A part of him was already grieving for her
but not acknowledging the darkest possibilities. He sighed and collapsed in the
metal sanctuary that was his car. He could do it all himself, and he would like
to, but that would take far too long. He needed to bring in Myoga. Pressing
call, he heard the familiar, gruff voice on the first ring.
"Kagome's gone," he said, shuddering from chills now that he had said it aloud.
"What do you mean, Master Inuyasha?"
"I mean she's fuckinggone, you fucking idiot!" he yelled, feeling better at the
small release of tension. "Her shoe and tie were left behind the school and
she's not here. Her phone was smashed."
"I see," his long-time servant mumbled, sounding grave. "I'll have a team find
her, dead or alive."
The phrase echoed in his head and he felt like screaming wordlessly, maybe
destroying the school. "She's not fucking dead," he hissed, his throat tight.
He didn't quite believe himself.
"Of course, sir. I will update you on any progress made."
Inuyasha hung up, flinging the phone onto the passenger seat, not wanting to
even look at it without Kagome sitting there. Almost getting into several
accidents along the way, he finally made it home, going to the backyard instead
of straight inside. He collapsed on his back beneath the Goshinboku, staring up
at the sky through its branches, most of it night with just a little day left
over. He was having a hard time controlling his breathing. Memories were
flitting through his head, one after another. The first time he saw her, how
happy she was. Then when he really saw her, in that white dress, looking like a
Christmas angel. When he first kissed her. When he first touched her. When he
first took her. Her kisses when she agreed to be bonded to him and wear his
mark. Inuyasha felt like screaming again, like killing something, someone.
Deciding it was time to go in, he stumbled up to his room and crawled on the
bed, facedown, smelling their united scent on the sheets. To his surprise, he
was fighting back tears. He felt helpless and he hated himself. Why had he been
so afraid of losing her that he allowed her to have her way and actually ended
up literally losing her? He should have at least gotten her another bodyguard.
Then it hit him, the whole reason why he had given her a guard in the first
place.
Sesshomaru.
Inuyasha couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before, but the shock of her
being gone was just too much at the beginning. He leapt up, clutching her red
scarf, the beginnings of a roar in his throat. He would go straight to his
bastard brother's home and tear him apart piece by piece until he told him what
he had done with Kagome. Then he'd kill him once and for all, ending the stupid
game they had been playing for far too long. He would even take Tenseiga, not
because he wanted it but because he could, because fuck Sesshomaru. He would
fucking pay.
"Inuyasha?" Kikyo's voice drifted through his door, sounding gentle, like she
had been before. Inuyasha was startled. He hadn't even heard her coming.
Opening his door without permission, she came inside. "What's wrong? Your eyes
are red."
"You're here again?" he asked angrily, his voice scratchier and deeper than
normal.
"I never left."
"She's gone. Kagome is gone," he croaked, wishing they had a more normal
relationship so they could be sad for their child together and look to one
another for support.
"What do you mean my daughter is gone?" she asked sharply.
"He took her!" he yelled, wanting her to understand without making him say it,
just like Kagome did.
"You are not making sense. Where is Kagome?" she asked with a glare.
"How can you be so fucking calm?! My brother took her just to fuck with me. I'm
losing my fucking mind, and you're just cool and collected. Fuck!" he cursed,
wishing he hadn't even told her.
"Someone has to be. Shall we call the police, then?"
"No," he growled. "They would ruin the hunt with their laws. I will kill him
and bring her back myself."
She nodded after a long pause. "Very well, then. I leave it in your hands.
Until then, we should make use of this rare chance to be alone. We haven't had
a chance to speak much lately. Some good may come of this."
He took a step towards her, becoming angrier when she didn't even flinch. "What
the fuck are you saying? I don't know how this still surprises me. You are not
the woman you were. You only get in the way."
Kikyo chuckled, but there was no warmth to it. "No wonder Kagome has such a
crush on you with the way you're always running to her rescue. I know your
intentions are pure, but it's cruel to lead her on like this."
Inuyasha was tempted to tell her everything, throw the whole truth in her face,
tell her how much he loved Kagome and how often. It took a great amount of will
to stop himself, Kagome's face flashing in his mind. She wouldn't want it to be
like this. He needed to find her before he did something stupid. He couldn't be
wasting his time allowing Kikyo to drag him into her evil arguments. Pushing
past her, he rushed down the stairs and out the door, paying no heed to her
calls for him to come back.
***** Suspension Without Suspense *****
*Song for the chapter: Suspension Without Suspense by No Doubt*
Inuyasha ran on foot, not caring that he was barefoot or that anyone could see
him and recognize him and potentially embarrass him in the future when he was
saner and not so frantic. He knew exactly where Sesshomaru lived. The demon was
not fond of change and had resided in the same place for the last three-hundred
years or so, a vast mansion in the middle of nowhere. Before that, he had
wandered around the country, neither eating nor sleeping, caught up in his
whole "daddy didn't love me" spoiled brat existential crisis. Occasionally, he
would track him down and attempt to kill him, pulling away at the last minute
and leaving. Inuyasha suspected that Sesshomaru didn't have the balls to kill
anyone. The bastard had the coldest mask he had ever seen, even colder than
Kikyo's, but underneath that he was just a preening primadonna bitch who should
have been disciplined more harshly as a kid. A good whack on the head or three
a day would have cured his insufferable arrogance early on.
His anger building with each leap and bound, he eventually arrived at the
property that was only slightly less isolated than his own. Sesshomaru had
actual neighbors within a five mile distance. All demon neighbors, though.
Inuyasha could smell it. Even the goddamn servants were demon; he knew how this
crowd was. The only humans were perhaps gardeners or outdoor workers, which
would account for the faint little whiff of human he picked up.
Breaking through the heavy oak door with a single kick, Inuyasha roared out his
brother's name. "SESSHOMARU!"
He had always hated his brother, but now he had gone too far. Trying to kill
him was one thing, but taking Kagome, the only sweetness in his life? Now he
would actually try and kill him instead of just dancing around his attacks. A
blur came towards him and he suddenly found himself pinned to the wall by his
neck next to the shattered remnants of the door frame.
"What do you want, bastard? You should be killed just for daring to set foot on
my territory, never mind the destruction."
Inuyasha glared at his brother, who still looked the same as he had the last
time he had seen him, what must have been sixty years ago.
"Where is she, you fucking candy-assed son of a whore?!" he screamed, keeping
still, intending to strike once he had the information he came for.
Sesshomaru tightened his grip, his claws piercing Inuyasha's neck ever so
slightly. "Where is who? This Sesshomaru has no time for your idiocies."
He growled, beginning to tense. The bastard knew who Kagome was. Inuyasha knew
his brother kept tabs on him, hoping for any weakness he could exploit. He
probably knew Kagome was his daughter before he did, doing nothing to stop it
even when they were obviously lovers. But blackmail wasn't Sesshomaru's style.
Neither was exposing a terrible secret and dragging their long dead father's
name through the mud. Having a half-demon for a brother was shame enough, and
Sesshomaru would do anything to keep Inuyasha's darker transgressions quiet,
something which might have led him to dispose of Kagome.
"Kagome! What the fuck did you do with Kagome! I'll fucking kill you for
touching her."
Sesshomaru smiled in a way that was not quite a smile, something he had
perfected long ago. "You are in no position to be making threats, bastard. This
Sesshomaru knows nothing of the whereabouts of this woman, but I would be as
big a fool as you are if I let pass this opportunity."
Momentarily shocked by Sesshomaru's use of the word "I", Inuyasha did not begin
to struggle until his brother's energy whip had already formed and he had
raised his hand. He steeled himself, waiting for the blow in order to dodge it,
already planning a counter-attack.
"What is Sesshomaru-sama doing?"
Inuyasha fell to the floor with a thump, bruising his tailbone and narrowly
missing a jagged stake of wood that would have surely impaled him in a most
unpleasant fashion. He gasped for breath, able to breathe freely now that he
didn't have an enraged demon woken from his beauty sleep at his throat. On the
staircase just beyond the doorway stood a little girl, one fist rubbing the
sleep from an eye and the other holding on to a stuffed white dog. In shock, he
observed that she was wearing a man's nightshirt that had slid off her left
shoulder, exposing a series of light bite marks, if a bite that left a mark
could be called light.
"Rin, you must sleep. Go back to your room."
The little girl skipped over, completely ignoring the giant hole in the wall
where the door used to be. "But Rin wants to stay with you! Who's that man with
the puppy ears?"
"Go to your room, Rin. We will speak in the morning," Sesshomaru said, glancing
back at Inuyasha as though embarrassed at the revelation of his domestic life,
yet not at all ashamed. He swallowed back his disgust.
"Rin can't sleep without a story!" she said, pouting adorably in a stubborn
manner that reminded him of Kagome and made his heart ache. What if he had been
around to care for her when she was little? Would he have loved her as he did
now? Would she feel anything towards him? "Tell me another one about the
genocide of the Birds of Paradise," Rin continued, stumbling over the big word.
"You always tell me a story after—"
"Go to your room and this Sesshomaru will be up shortly."
The little girl beamed up at him and he smoothed her hair in an
uncharacteristically gentle manner, kissing the worst bite mark before tugging
the neck of her nightshirt back in place. She nodded goodbye at Inuyasha and
skipped back up the stairs, not looking back once. Sesshomaru watched her until
she disappeared and then turned to glare at him. They were silent, both
thinking their private thoughts.
"What the fuck was that all about?" Inuyasha rasped, his throat still healing
and his stomach roiling. "Is this some sort of oddly specific mental asylum for
people who speak in the third-person?" Making a joke was the only way he could
regain some sense of normalcy after what he had just witnessed. He should have
known. It was always bastards like his brother that had the worst desires.
"That is none of your concern," Sesshomaru said with narrowed eyes. "Now leave
before I kill you."
"You're harboring a human," he said with a grin, an idea occurring to him as he
rose to his feet. "A little human girl. Here in your house, miles away from
anyone. Sounds like it should be CPS's business. It's at least enough to get
you kicked out of your fucking country club."
"What I do with her is none of your concern." Sesshomaru sighed, for once
looking weary instead of stoic and cold. "You must have noticed that Jaken has
ceased his calls."
Inuyasha hadn't, too wrapped up in romancing Kagome to remember what life had
been like before her. But what did his annoying and more than likely homosexual
frog-slave-thing have to do with anything? Before the little girl showed up, he
had assumed his older brother had some very strange amphibian fetishes. In
comparison, a kid was almost normal. The older demon answered his unspoken
question.
"For hundreds of years, I have been trying to take Tetsusaiga. It is only
recently that this Sesshomaru began to question why. I no longer care. I am
going to sell Tenseiga and retire. Perhaps in a century or so I will start my
own business, but I am no longer a slave to envy and dreams of a dead man's
pride. I will live how I want for once, even if it brings harm to others. Sound
familiar?"
Inuyasha stayed silent, absorbing the information. So his brother hadn't taken
Kagome. But maybe his sudden visit wouldn't go to waste. "I will buy Tenseiga."
Sesshomaru glared at him. "One such as you is not worthy to—"
"Stuff it. If I bought Tenseiga, it would continue on for as long as I am
alive. I wouldn't change it drastically or anything. Father's legacy would
continue."
Sesshomaru looked at him, really looked at him for the first time he could
remember. Slowly, he began to nod. "I see the sense, yes. This Sesshomaru will
charge you the full amount and then half of it again. Do you want it that
badly?"
"That depends," Inuyasha drawled, trying not to sound desperate, although he
supposed that was a lost cause since he had literally come bashing through the
door in a complete rage. "You know people, right? You have to. You sell to
mercenaries and big gangs and secret government agencies and stuff."
"I know many of that sort, yes."
"Help find Kagome, and I will buy Tenseiga."
"What is this woman to you?" Sesshomaru asked, hardly curious.
"Everything," Inuyasha said solemnly.
"Then I refuse."
Inuyasha sneered, barely suppressing a threatening growl. "Then your little
human girl will become a household name. 'Rinlita Scandal'. I can see it now.
They'll take her away from you and stick her in a foster home where some
overweight, greasy man can do to her what you do only without a fucking story
afterward, just a black eye."
"Are you trying to blackmail me, half-demon?" Sesshomaru asked, having the gall
to look slightly amused. "If you continue, I just might laugh."
"Impossible. Anyway, you've gotten in tight with a bunch of powerful demons,
but you have completely neglected humans, and like it or not, they run the
world. Now I, on the other hand, am half-human and have many human allies. Let
that sink in. I can do you so much public damage that even your fucking demon
brown-nosers won't stick around."
"I see," Sesshomaru said with a nod. "You are definitely the type to follow
through on that. Very well. This Sesshomaru grows tired of your ramblings. If
it will get your filthy self out of my house, I will send men to find the girl,
provided you purchase Tenseiga."
Inuyasha grunted in response, a thought then occurring to him. "You could have
just killed me once she left."
"I can still kill you. But Rin is waiting and I do not wish to hear her whine
about the smell of blood. She is a gentle child."
Inuyasha snickered. "Humans can't fucking smell blood unless they're right next
to it," he pointed out, the look of undisguised surprise on Sesshomaru's face
making him wish he had a camera. "Are you… What is the little girl to you?"
Sesshomaru actually smiled, and it was slightly frightening. "You've taken your
teenage daughter as your mistress without telling her the truth about the two
of you, and yet you judge me? For what reason does a man keep a female of any
kind around, Inuyasha? Although I do wonder from time to time which of us is
worse."
Inuyasha's throat went dry and he changed the subject, hoping that Sesshomaru
was at least gentle with the child. She had seemed innocent and carefree and
normal enough despite everything, and it wasn't like he could take the girl
somewhere safe if he still wanted his brother's help. "Please. Just find her. I
will never ask you for anything again."
"You better not. Now get out of my house."
Inuyasha complied, staying lost in his thoughts the entire trek home. He felt
broken. It was a small victory over his brother, certainly not his first and
probably not his last. But was it even a victory? That child, what would become
of her? Those marks weren't of the mating variety, but something about them
signaled intent, he wasn't sure how he knew, but he did. He only hoped he would
wait at least until after the girl began to menstruate, but looking at her that
would be quite far off in the future. In a way, it reminded him of Kagome and
what he did with her, to her, for her. Seeing their relationship exaggerated in
such a grotesque mirror had disturbed him down to his very bones. Shaking his
head, he resolved to put that problem out of his mind. Kagome was all that
mattered, all that would ever matter, and he repeated that to himself until he
pictured the wrinkles and folds of his brain rearranging themselves to spell it
out. Once he was home, he was glad to find Kikyo was in her room and sleeping
quietly, her slow, even breathing tipping him off to the fact. He didn't know
what he would do if she was awake to pester him. Collapsing onto his bed, he
fished Kagome's red silk scarf from his pocket and inhaled, her faint scent
bringing tears to his eyes instead of comforting him like it used to.
***** A Million Miles Away *****
*Song for the chapter: The Moon Song by Karen O*
Five days. It had been five entire days since he had last seen her, touched
her, kissed her goodbye. Inuyasha hardly slept now, always waiting for Myoga or
Jaken to call and tell him something, anything. Hopefully something hopeful.
Even bad news, as long as he knew for certain what had happened. Then he could
concentrate on revenge and leave the limbo Kagome had left him in. Alone. In
agony.
Most of all, he wanted to drink. He had been in the habit of drinking quite a
bit before Kikyo had reentered his life, dragging her (their, he reminded
himself) precious daughter behind her. But he was afraid that if he drank he'd
pass out and miss the call that would change everything, dead to the world. And
what if she came back somehow and found him on the floor in a puddle of his own
vomit instead of waiting? That would be unforgivable. Kagome would hate him,
and rightfully so.
Inuyasha called Myoga every hour, even though he knew it wasn't making a
difference. The old flea demon was being quite kind to him, considering the
fact that Inuyasha was perpetually angry and it only got worse with every call.
He accepted the verbal abuse and the threats of physical harm and only gave
back a calm answer, noticeably laced with pity. It was always the same.
"Nothing new yet, Master Inuyasha."
Letting out a strained growl, he hung up and raised his arm to throw the phone
across the room, stopping himself at the last minute. Really, he wanted to be
out there looking for her himself, but he wanted to be home in case she found
her way back. She would be scared and she would need him to hold her, love her,
tell her she was safe. Although he naturally excelled at tracking, he and
Sesshomaru had employed full-demons who were trained in that as well as
detective work and he could admit to himself (privately) that they stood a much
better chance of finding her than one sad old half-demon.
He mostly stayed in his room all day in bed, the way they both had when his
wife was gone and she didn't have school. Kagome's scent had almost completely
disappeared, covered up by his own reeking sadness. Her room smelled even less
like her. Inuyasha almost pulled out the old Ziploc bag of her panties that he
kept in his briefcase back before they had gone all the way, but he denied
himself. It wouldn't feel right, what with the possibility of her laying in a
ditch somewhere, alone and cold and—
"Inuyasha? Do you remember what day it is today?"
He blinked in confusion at Kikyo's hazy form. He hadn't even noticed her
entrance. She coughed nervously and continued.
"It's my birthday. Would you like to go out for a bit? You've been cooped up in
here for so long. I thought you might want a little fresh air. It would do you
good."
Inuyasha glared at her, trying to telepathically communicate that he wanted her
to leave. She had been sneaking up on him every day, bringing him food which he
never touched and launching pathetic attempts at cheering him up. She seemed so
sure they'd get Kagome back unharmed, as though her daughter was just off
missing nearly a week at some kind of tea party and they had no reason to worry
about her. He wondered how she could be so unconcerned when he couldn't close
his eyes without seeing all the most gruesome possibilities displayed there,
over and over in his mind. His sweet little girl. What had become of her? Would
he ever get her back? If the worst had in fact happened, he would only stay
alive long enough to completely avenge her and then some before joining her
again. The world without her was like meat without salt.
His ring tone blasted out, an annoying rap song that Kagome had picked out as a
joke that never failed to make him cringe with its chorus of "blahblahblah Big
Poppa blah". Inuyasha's hands shook. This was the first time Myoga had actually
called him since Kagome went missing. The news could be good or bad. The best
or the worst. Life or… not life.
"H-hello?"
Myoga was breathing hard and he could feel his excitement. "Sir, we're outside
the location where we are largely certain she is being held. Your brother's
people traced the kidnappers to this address. I'll text it to you now. We're
going to ambush them. Come quickly." This time, Myoga hung up on him.
Immediately, the text came and he pulled up directions quicker than quick.
"Who was it?" Kikyo asked, only mildly curious. He looked up from his cell in
distaste, only just remembering that Kagome was her daughter too and she
deserved to know.
"They found her," he said, letting his excitement show. "Maybe. They found who
took her, anyway."
"Are you leaving?"
He was already out the door. Inuyasha ran on foot, jumping over buildings and
trees and cars, not caring about anything but finding Kagome. All this time he
had been stressing and despairing and agonizing and she had only been five
miles into town.
The sun was setting when he arrived at the scene. The neighborhood was small
and middle middle-class. He picked up his assistant's scent in a copse of trees
and made a bee-line for it, careful to stay out of plain sight in case anyone
should see. Myoga was with several professional-looking people and some men who
were geared up like a SWAT team. For once, he thanked the heavens for his
brother. They were all looking at a small house on the opposite side of the
street. It was squat and yellow, looking like it was inhabited by someone's
grandma. There was gravel instead of grass and no shrubbery whatsoever.
"It's the Band of Seven," Myoga whispered to him.
"Then Onigumo is behind this?" Inuyasha asked, clenching his fists. He was
gonna deal with that fucker once and for all as soon as he got Kagome back. The
slimy man was hard to find, but he'd do it. For Kagome, he'd do anything.
His assistant nodded. "More than likely. They could be acting on their own, but
I doubt it. Whatever you do, don't just rush in there—"
Again, he was already gone. Inuyasha kicked down the cheap white door of the
one-story house, not bothering with stealth. A confused, effeminate face
appeared before him and he saw red. The scent of her blood was in the air,
along with her tears and the semen of many different men. He clawed the man
down and he died without even a scream. Face after face, seven in all, room
after room. Inuyasha moved faster than he thought possible, some part of him
aware of everything and enjoying their blood on him, the feeling of their flesh
being rent apart by his strong hands. Seven, dead in under a minute. These were
Onigumo's elite? Laughable.
Kagome.
He smelled her, still, even through the thick, cloying scent of blood.
Following the trail, he found her in a small room in the back of the house. It
looked like it had originally been a closet but then someone had expanded it.
The door was wide open and there she was, chained to an uncomfortable-looking
bare cot, naked and blind-folded and even gagged, caked in blood and cum,
obviously having been unwashed since her capture. She wasn't moving, and he
felt like screaming and killing them all over again, slower so that they would
suffer. He had only been thinking of getting to Kagome, not bringing justice.
Stepping closer to her, he saw that she was covered in bruises, some in the
shape of entire handprints. They had cut thin lines into her, shallow enough so
that she would bleed while not retaining a permanent scar, yet she would still
have a physical reminder of the nightmare for over a month. There was a name
carved as well. Bankotsu. Over and over, on her arms and stomach and legs and
neck and breasts. The streaks of semen seemed to be aimed at those morbid
signatures, some hitting them dead center, whiting out the k and o, and others
way off the mark, as evidenced by the amount of the substance in her hair.
Inuyasha broke her chains, surprised he could do anything with how badly his
hands were shaking. She was alive, at least. He wanted to hold her and bathe
her and never let go. He broke the chains on her ankles next, then gently
removed her gag. Feeling the air get knocked out of him, he flinched back in
surprise to see Kagome kicking out at him.
"No more! Don't show me anymore!" she screamed, her voice hoarse and dry.
Desperately, he clawed off her blindfold, wanting to speak and soothe her but
not having the words to do so, his voice long gone down his tightened, burning
throat. The cloth that had blinded her was soaked with tears. Kagome's eyes
squinted as they adjusted to the dim light and she blinked rapidly.
"Inuyasha? Are you really here?"
He pressed her to him, not caring about the filth that covered her body. She
still smelled like her, underneath all the mess. She was real. She was there.
No one would take Kagome from him again. Shrugging off his coat, he helped her
into it and lifted her up, cradling her against his chest. Silent tears were
streaming down her face.
"Don't cry, Kagome," he whispered. "You won't ever need to cry again. Let's go
home."
Inuyasha exited the room, nearly slipping on the blood that pooled on the wood
floor. The girl in his arms stared at the collection of mangled corpses, her
eyes hard. Inuyasha hated to see that. She had lost her innocence, part of the
essential Kagome make-up. Would she ever get it back? Was that even possible?
"I'm sorry," he whispered to her. "I'm so, so sorry." Sorry that he had allowed
her to be taken, sorry that he hadn't found her immediately, sorry that he
hadn't drawn out their deaths, sorry that she had to see the bodies.
She said nothing.
He made his way carefully out of the house of death, brushing past Myoga and
his people who were now crowded outside the house. Holding Kagome tighter in
his arms, he picked up the pace, not wanting anyone to see her this way.
"She needs to see a doctor, Master Inuyasha."
He froze and turned around. Yes, she needed her wounds treated, needed her
abused parts seen to.
"I will not have anyone touching me," she said, her voice rising almost
hysterically.
Inuyasha rocked her gently, trying to calm her. "It'll be alright, Kagome. I'll
call Kaede, okay? Will you let Kaede help you?"
She looked up at him, her eyes big and watery and showing him that she felt
betrayed. "No! You said you'd take me home. I need to go home!" She was
outright screaming now, her tears falling faster.
Myoga stepped in. "Miss Kagome, a doctor is necessary. The Band of Seven are,
er, were not known for being gentle and you may have sustained permanent
physical damage in addition to the glaringly obvious psychological damage," he
droned, ignoring Inuyasha's venomous glare.
"They didn't rape me," she said, quiet and angry. "They touched me and grabbed
me and cut me, but they didn't rape me. Now let me go home."
"Are you quite sure? You might have blocked it out—"
"I swear!" she shrieked. "If they raped me, I would say something. Now just
take me home before I break completely."
Something about the way she said the last part convinced Inuyasha and he nodded
at Myoga. A woman came forward and he sat down at the curb, imprisoning Kagome
on his lap and in his arms. She trembled, defeated, but did not struggle. The
woman examined her, probing her, taking swabs and bandaging the deepest cuts,
disinfecting, and finally arrived at the place only he had seen before the
entire ordeal, shining a flashlight into her and coolly observing. The girl
shook harder in his arms, now openly sobbing. He felt numb, the knife in his
gut and the knife in his heart temporarily absent.
"There are no signs of forced vaginal entry or otherwise," the doctor murmured,
mostly to herself before rising up and pulling off her gloves. Inuyasha nearly
fell backwards in relief.
"I told you," Kagome muttered hatefully between clenched teeth. "Now let me go
home."
Inuyasha looked to the doctor for permission, rising when she nodded and took
her clipboard of notes back to the direction of the car she had arrived in.
"I want to walk."
"Huh?" he asked, surprised at the girl's tone. Was she mad at him?
"Put. Me. Down," she hissed. She was so angry, her voice so insistent, that he
reluctantly did as she asked, incredibly confused.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, Kagome pushed away from him, stumbling
as she did so. He could see her legs tremble; her muscles were fatigued and she
likely had not stood since she had been taken. He reached out to help her but
Myoga got there first, gently laying a hand on her arm and leading her away to
a car.
"This way, Miss Kagome." His assistant looked back at him and shook his head in
apology. Inuyasha began to follow them, but Kagome, sensing his movements,
turned her head toward him and shot him a glare that nearly made him fall to
his knees. She looked heartbroken and enraged. She hated him now. But why?
Inuyasha opened his mouth to ask her, but nothing came out, and then she was in
the car and being driven away from him.
***** Beware of Young Girls *****
*Song for the chapter: Beware of Young Girls by Dory Previn*
Inuyasha ran, his heart thundering in his chest as he breathed to a panicked
beat through his open mouth, heedless of the bugs that tried to make their way
inside. What had they done to her? Had they brainwashed her? Why? What was the
whole thing really about? Surely not over Kikyo, this was going too far for
something like that, even for some stupid bastard like Onigumo. Just when he
had gotten Kagome back, she was taken from him again, this time of her own free
will and by her own self. He almost laughed aloud at how cruel life
consistently was to him.
He arrived at home several hours after Kagome's rescue, having wandered about
in a heartbroken daze for the majority of the time, not even knowing where he
had been and what he had done. If she did not want him, where could he go? What
could he do? The look she had given him haunted him and made him feel sick. His
gut and solar plexus ached like she had beaten him. Still, he came back home,
knowing she was there. They would get through this ordeal. They had to. No
matter what, they were tied through blood and that meant they belonged
together.
He walked in to see Kagome curled up on the couch, sobbing loudly, her head in
Kikyo's lap. It was the most affectionate he had ever seen the pair, but Kikyo
was still only just tolerating her daughter, one pale hand hovering above her
head, not quite touching the damp, recently washed mass of hair to soothe like
any other mother would.
"Kagome," he breathed. Just seeing her there was unbelievable. He knew his love
and longing showed in both his face and voice but did not care who saw anymore.
She was safe. She was with him. She would never go away again. Kagome made a
choking noise when she heard his voice and her sobs ceased. Slowly, she raised
her upper body from Kikyo's lap, and he felt a cold dread in the pit of his
stomach. Did she really hate him?
"I don't want him here!" the girl cried. Her cheeks were pink, her nose was
running, and her eyes were puffy and red, but she was still so incredibly,
preciously beautiful. She had changed into her old nightgown, the only one she
had owned before the move and marriage, despite the fact that she had
passionately told him she never wanted to wear the ugly thing again.
Being too stunned to think up a response, he just stood there and let Kikyo
jump at the opportunity.
"Why, Kagome! That's quite rude. Your step-father was looking for you this
entire time. It was he who found you."
"I don't care!" she said, her voice rising and sounding strangled. "I don't
want him around me ever again!"
"Why?" he finally asked. "What did they do to make you hate me?" Inuyasha was
passed hurt now. He could only feel rage, a dark kind he had never experienced
before. He wanted Kikyo gone, and he wanted to grab Kagome by the throat and
shake her until she remembered they belonged to one another.
"They showed me what you are, what you really are. You're a monster," she said,
her voice cracking.
Her words infected the atmosphere of the room, mingling with every bit of
matter. He didn't know whether he'd be able to breathe in that room again
without tasting her hatred. Collapsing into the chair across from where she
was, he restrained himself from getting up and forcing her to see things his
way. He had not been called a monster in nearly a century, and then he had just
laughed it off. But this hurt, far more than the taunts from his youth. Kagome
and time had healed those, but who would heal the wounds she gave?
The girl pushed away from Kikyo and ran upstairs to her room, her previous
unsteadiness seemingly all gone. She had him and his genes to thank for that.
Inuyasha watched her go, not capable of doing much else. Kikyo did not go after
her, but he wished she would. He needed solitude to recover enough so that he
could pretend to be normal.
"What did they do to her?" he asked the room, surprised he had spoken.
"She refuses to speak of it," Kikyo murmured, standing and smoothing her fitted
skirt.
"She hates me."
His wife sighed and turned to him with sad eyes. "I know you were fond of her,
but think. This terrible thing might have something good come out of it. Her
hero-worship of you had begun to turn into a pathetic infatuation that would
have brought us all quite the headache."
Inuyasha did not respond; she did not deserve it. Eventually, Kikyo left the
room, drifting he cared not where to do he cared not what. He stayed in the
chair all night, not going upstairs to his room because he would have to pass
hers and he did not trust himself to simply walk straight to his destination
without confronting Kagome in what would certainly be a violent, tear-filled
battle.
He stayed in his semi-meditative state, thoughts bouncing off the walls of his
skull, few lingering long enough for him to fully comprehend. Inuyasha was not
completely sure that he remembered how to live without her. He found himself
hoping this hatred would leave her with time, but deep in his heart he felt it
would not. An emptiness was growing in him, a lack of feeling manifesting so
strongly that it was in itself a feeling. The emptiness ate away at him
throughout the night. This grief, if that's what it was, was different from the
anger he felt at his father's demise and the sorrow he felt at his mother's
death. He now mourned Kagome's love, and his grief was so strong that he could
only feel it in bits and pieces.
It was morning before he knew it, and suddenly Kagome appeared before him on
the stairs, dressed in her school uniform. She was trying her best to pretend
not to notice him, but her hands were shaking and he could see the unshed tears
glittering in her eyes.
"What are you doing?" he croaked, almost afraid to speak to her.
"Going to school," she answered after a beat, doing her best Kikyo impression.
He felt the dark rage return and replace the emptiness. Perhaps that was the
true form of the emptiness.
"The fuck you are."
"I called Myoga. A car is waiting outside."
"Where's your Mother?" he asked as he rose. She flinched at his movement.
"She left for work. Didn't you see her go?" she sneered, going from ice
princess to bitch just like that.
"Good."
Inuyasha stepped in front of the door before she could blink, blocking the
exit. Avoiding eye contact with him, she turned to leave and go out the back
way, but he shook his head and she got the message. She would not be leaving
today. Kagome huffed irritably and stomped over to the couch, then sat down.
"Good," he said again, slowly stalking towards her. He stopped his somewhat
menacing approach when she loudly burst into tears.
"What? What did they do to you?! I need to know everything."
"Just stay away from me!" she sobbed. He was at her side in an instant.
"Kagome," he murmured soothingly, taking her into his arms, relaxing when he
smelled pure her and nothing else.
"Don't touch me!" she screamed, violently pushing him away from her and quickly
moving to the other end of the couch.
"Why?!" This time he was the one doing the screaming.
"Because you're a monster."
That word again. Inuyasha was shocked into breathlessness. Did she really
believe that? Had they lied to her, or, even more horrific, told her truths
about his past? Worst of all, had they figured it out? Did they know that
Kagome was his daughter? Had they told her? The questions swirled around into
one blurred feeling and then melted away again into the rage.
"I can and I have been a monster. But what does that make you?" he said, quiet
and bitter.
Her sobs stopped. "What?"
"What. Does. That. Make. You." Inuyasha leaned in and whispered the last part,
breathing the word onto her lips. "I'll tell you, little girl. You're just the
monster's whore, and that makes you a monster as well. Maybe even a worse
monster than I am."
"No," Kagome cried, clutching her blouse over her heart. He found the gesture
overly dramatic and smirked.
"Think of all the things you let me do to you," he whispered, trailing a finger
down her cheek. She turned her face away and shut her eyes but moved no
further. "And all the things you did to me."
"Stop it! Leave me alone," she whimpered miserably. She faced him again and he
could feel her hot breath, taste her panic.
"We've come too far for that, angel. I'm in this for the long haul. I've
invested too much in you to just let you go."
"I don't want this." Tears were again swimming in her gray eyes. He could see
himself in them.
"Too bad." Inuyasha leaned in half an inch and pressed his lips to hers. It was
like their first kiss in the way that he felt so much and she did not even
respond. Licking at her bottom lip, he bit down when she didn't open, his fang
nicking her. Kagome gasped and his tongue entered her mouth. She bit down hard
and he grunted in pain as she shoved him away and shot to her feet.
"I just want to be normal!" she screamed, her face going red with the force of
it. "I wish I had never met you. This never happened, okay?" she said, her
voice shaking with the last word. "We never happened."
"Fuck you," he whispered, wiping the mixture of their blood from his lips. "
Fuck. You."
"Your words can't hurt me anymore," she said childishly. "Only people I love
can hurt me."
Inuyasha rose slowly and licked his lips, smearing them with the last bit of
blood from his tongue. "I can hurt you with these." He held up his hands, the
morning sunlight glinting off his sharp claws. "I can tear you apart. You'll be
on the floor in pieces before you can scream." Kagome was visibly trembling,
and as broken and angry as he felt, his heart softened and bled for her. "But I
could never do that, Kagome. Not to you. I could do itfor you, a thousand times
a day, but never toyou." She did not respond and he gave a short, humorless
laugh. "I just wish you would let me know why."
"This fucked up situation is enough for me to do what I'm doing," she said
harshly.
Flinching, he realized he had never once heard her curse before, apart from
their sex play, and that was only on especially heated occasions and with a lot
of encouragement.
"You've broken my heart," he choked out, ashamed at this sign of his weakness.
Kagome looked him straight in the eyes and he could see no love there, not
anymore. "You have no heart." She turned to leave.
"Kagome!" he called, his voice uncomfortably loud and pleading.
"What?" she spat out, back turned to him.
"Don't. Don't leave me."
He knew she would be back when school was over, but they both knew what he
meant. She stood still and he hoped against hope that she would turn and run
into his arms and tell him everything, but then her shoulders slumped and she
walked to the door.
"I'm staying late today. I'll be home in time for dinner. Let Mother know."
And then she was gone.
His heart began beating faster and faster and he frantically wondered if a
half-demon could have a heart attack.
"Fuck!" Inuyasha screamed wordlessly and threw the end table into the
television without even noticing what he was doing.
"Fuckfuckfuck!" he punched the wall beside the broken TV with each word,
breaking a hole and making it wider and wider.
"Fuck," he whispered, turning his back to the wall. He slid down until he was
sitting on the floor and then the tears started.
"Fuck."
***** Do You Remember When *****
*Song for the chapter: Boyfriend by Schoolyard Heroes*
Note: Holy shizz, you guys, I actually uploaded this in the morning like I
usually do but I forgot to post it. I only figured it out just now so SORRY and
I LOVE YOU.
Kagome was around less and less and Kikyo was around more and more after hiring
multiple guards to shadow Kagome at all times and leaving Walker temporarily in
charge of Shikon. Inuyasha got nothing but glares from Kagome and it was
wearing him out quickly. Being around Kikyo was refreshing in comparison. He
let her hang around him at first only because he hoped it would upset Kagome
and bring her to her senses, maybe even make her jealous, but she wasn't around
enough to see or notice. Eventually, he began to purposefully seek Kikyo out
and talk to her, enjoying her quiet company and soothing presence. His wife no
longer tried to throw herself at him and he was grateful. He really didn't
think he could handle actions like that at this point. It was… nice. She still
hinted at wanting to consummate their marriage, and as the days went by he
began to want that too, and not just to hurt Kagome or rub it in her face.
Inuyasha wanted to make Kikyo happy. She had a lot of time on her hands now
that she had broken it off with Suikotsu, apparently through a text that he
never replied to.
Whenever Kagome was home, she was never alone. He knew she did that on purpose
in order to avoid him, and it pissed him off to no end. That besotted idiot and
that hive-mind of three girls he could barely tell apart were always with her,
the latter frequently spending the night. They were always cooped up in her
room, studying and laughing, watching movies, being young. Every time he caught
himself listening, he looked around for Kikyo and they would talk of the old
days or their businesses. Normal, comfortable things.
And then came the announcement.
It was one of those rare dinners where they were all together, actually at the
dining room table, just the three of them. The very picture of a happy family.
Kagome had made a not completely disgusting casserole that was some kind of
chicken and mushroom thing covered in cheddar. Only the sound of forks and
knives were heard, the constant tension of late between him and Kagome reaching
even Kikyo and making the atmosphere one of nervousness. Inuyasha was looking
everywhere but at her, shoveling the food down in order to escape to his room
and desperately try not to think about her for the rest of the night.
"Hojo asked me to be his girlfriend today!" Kagome chirped suddenly in her
sunshineyest voice.
His fork fell with a clatter and his hands were trembling. Inuyasha quickly
stuck them under the table to avoid having them noticed.
"The doctor's son?" Kikyo asked, oblivious to his dilemma. She had mellowed out
a lot towards Kagome since he had stopped spending all his time with her, and
their mother-daughter relationship was almost normal.
Kagome nodded. "His father is a surgeon and his mother is an attorney who's
considering entering into politics. I said yes."
"If it were anyone else, I would refuse, but he's a good catch. His parents
come from money, too. Try and hold onto this one."
Inuyasha looked back and forth between them. Kagome was smiling pleasantly at
her plate and Kikyo had begun to eat again. He glared at Kagome, willing her to
look at him, but she simply asked to be excused and rose at her mother's
assent, taking her plate still full of food and dumping it in the sink while
humming what sounded like half of the Winnie the Pooh theme song. That was when
he made his decision.
He waited until Kikyo announced she was tired and got up to go to her room. It
took her by surprise when he kissed her on the cheek, and she actually gasped.
His wife blushed, actually blushed, something he had never seen her do even
when they had first been going out, and slowly went to her room, glancing at
him before shutting the door. Immediately after he heard her switch the light
off and settle into bed, he ran down the hall to Kagome's room and quietly
picked the lock with his claw. Opening the door noiselessly, he slid inside,
taking a big whiff of pure Kagome. The lights were off and he could tell by her
breathing that she was asleep.
Inuyasha walked over to the bed, the one he had chosen for her, the one he had
given her, the one identical to the other that had become ruined with blood
stains and replaced. Parting the sheer, floaty curtains, he gazed down at her.
The love was still there, vibrating in his solar plexus, never to leave him,
but it now went hand in hand with that dark rage. With a sudden movement, he
yanked the covers back and stared at her nearly nude body. She was just wearing
a pair of simple white panties, nothing else. A lust rose in him so strong that
he almost forced himself on her. Inuyasha knelt beside her still form on the
mattress, devouring her with his eyes. Before he could stop himself, he placed
a hand on her breast and squeezed. Kagome continued to sleep, but sighed
softly. He repositioned himself, placing one knee on either side of her thighs.
Slowly, reverently, he brought his head down and kissed her left nipple. She
did not stir. He began to gently lick and suck, just like old times. He
continued playing with her breasts and trailed his fingers down her body,
rubbing at her entrance slowly, tracing her clit with his thumb.
"Inuyasha, I don't wanna go to school yet," the girl murmured groggily, causing
him to still. She jerked, realization setting it. "I-Inuyasha?!" she screeched,
and he quickly covered her mouth.
"Be quiet," he hissed sharply. When he was fairly sure she would obey, he
removed his hand.
"What are you doing in here?" she whispered angrily.
"Well, I did want to make you scream, just a little later," he teased, wiggling
his finger that was still inside her.
She gasped and he gathered her into his arms. When she pushed him away, he
cupped her ass in his hands and pressed his erection into her, grinding himself
into her heat.
"Let me finish what I started, angel."
She grit her teeth against the pleasure he knew he was inspiring in her. "No.
I'm with Hojo now."
"Do you even know that idiot's first name?" he whispered with a smirk,
breathing the taunting words into her ear and deftly teasing the shell with the
tip of his tongue.
"Everyone just calls him Hojo and it's too awkward to ask at this point. Now
get off of me before I scream."
Inuyasha placed a kiss at the base of her throat and brought a hand up to play
with her nipple again. "Does he touch you like I do? Can he fuck you like I do?
Will he love you like I do?"
"I just want to be normal," Kagome grunted, arching her back as he took a
nipple into his mouth. "Normal…"
He snorted and pulled away from her with a wet pop. "You're better than normal.
We are better than normal." He reached down and began to undo his zipper when
her eyes widened.
"No! Never again!" She shoved him hard and he let her. Removing himself from
her, he flopped to her side and sighed.
"That's what I thought. I just want you to know that I'm always going to love
you. I'll wait forever if you ask."
"I won't," she said with a glare, the hatred that had begun to fade the past
few days now coming back in strides.
Inuyasha shrugged, trying to appear casual, not wanting a repeat of the
pathetic, emasculating scene the morning after her rescue. "Then I won't. Like
I said, I'll always love you, Kagome. But that doesn't mean I can't love anyone
else, not when you don't want me. I'm going to work things out and make my
marriage legitimate."
"You… and Mother."
"Yeah. If things go well, I might mark her, but I'm not sure at this point," he
confessed.
"You and… Mother."
He looked at her and she looked at him and his heart broke into even tinier
pieces. She was stubborn. She had Hojo. They would never be together again.
"Goodbye, Kagome."
"I—" she said loudly, then shook her head, her gaze becoming stony. "Okay."
Inuyasha left her room as silently as he had entered it, not looking back. He
wondered if he had succeeded in getting her so worked up that she would touch
herself, maybe even think of him. That had been the most he had hoped for. He
really just wanted to let her know what he planned for his marriage so she
would not be surprised. Later, as he lay in bed, he for the first time actually
tried to move on from Kagome to Kikyo. It wouldn't be great, but it would be
nice. He had loved Kikyo deeply, and perhaps they could recapture the feeling.
He made up his mind. As a belated birthday present to her, he would officially
take Kikyo as his once again. Her rescheduled party was in two weeks. They
would consummate their marriage that evening and he would definitely not think
of Kagome while they did so.
That night, for the first time since she had come into his life, he did not
dream of his daughter.
***** I'm Not Yours Anymore *****
*Song for the chapter: I'm Not Yours by Angus and Julia Stone*
Kikyo's belated birthday party came around quicker than he was ready for.
Inuyasha had spent the brief amount of time from his resolution to the day of
days by forcing himself to be comfortable with Kikyo's body again, admiring her
hair and the beauty of her face and skin. She seemed much more girlish now,
certainly in part due to his attentions, less the cold, matronly queen she had
been ever since their fateful reunion. Her personality had softened to the
degree it had been at the height of their relationship, when he had asked her
to marry him. Eventually, fantasizing about her was no longer difficult. He had
done it often enough years ago. It made it that much easier to ignore Kagome.
The girl was always with Hojo, and they were so lovey-dovey that it made him
absolutely sick. Their scents were nearly indistinguishable, and she had gotten
permission from Kikyo and his parents to sleep over at his house on occasion.
Each time she left for his place, Inuyasha shut himself in his room, ignoring
Kikyo even though he knew she was confused and hurt. It was just that he knew
what they were doing together and he couldn't help but be unhappy. He still
loved her. Images plagued him at night. The two kids were obviously attracted
to each other. He remembered that first day, the day his relationship with
Kagome had changed forever. It was because he found that idiot on top of her,
and her just lying there and loving it. The boy was probably a virgin. Kagome
would be the one to teach him, seduce him. She would ride him like she had
Inuyasha and tell him how to please her just right, something he himself had
known instinctually when it came to her. But that bastard was likely all too
eager to learn, and with such a willing pupil, Kagome would certainly be happy.
He shook his head, ignoring his straining erection. Now, he always forced
himself to think of Kikyo while he masturbated, even though it took longer. But
it was Kagome that got him going, and Kagome he would think of as he finished.
Inuyasha had tried to change that and failed, time and time again. He hoped it
would change after tonight.
Fixing his ridiculous bow-tie as best he could, he glanced at himself once more
in the mirror before deciding good was good enough. He was nervous, like he was
taking a girl to the prom or something. He certainly looked like he was, that
was for sure. Inuyasha had fished out an old tuxedo for the occasion. He and
Kikyo were going to the most expensive restaurant he could find, some French
place with a long name that he couldn't pronounce and had already forgotten.
She had already had a small celebration earlier in the afternoon. A couple co-
workers had come by to wish her well, dropping off gifts he could tell she
didn't really like but appreciated because of their monetary value. Same old
Kikyo.
"Are you ready?"
His wife stood in his open doorway, looking lovely and elegant in a dark blue
evening gown with matching satin gloves. Inuyasha frowned. He had told her they
were only going to dinner, but she was dressed as though they'd be attending a
show as well. Nodding at her, he quickly fished out his phone and texted Myoga
to somehow find two tickets to whatever theater show he thought Kikyo would
like. Taking her hand in his, he silently led her out of his room and down the
hall. Kagome was nowhere to be seen, not that he cared, he thought petulantly.
He could hear her in her room, playing her stupid music, alone for once.
Before he could object, Kikyo tapped on her daughter's bedroom door with the
side of her clutch. "Kagome, we're going out! Come and say good night."
Inuyasha could practically hear the reluctance in her footsteps, and it
comforted him somewhat. The door opened slowly, showing Kagome clad only in
some oversized varsity crew team shirt. He wanted to rip it off her and burn it
and bury the ashes in a desert.
"Good night, Mother," she said mechanically, leaning in to kiss the air beside
Kikyo's face. "Good night, Inuyasha."
Kagome turned to go back to her studies, but he couldn't help himself and
grabbed her into a fierce hug, ignoring her and his wife's sharp intake of
breath at his actions. Inhaling her scent until he separated the boy's from
what was just hers, he laid a soft, secret kiss on the top of her head. It was
their goodbye kiss, the very last one.
"Good night, Kagome," he said as he pulled away.
She looked at him with wide eyes and he could tell she finally understood what
he had been trying to communicate. This was the end of them and the beginning
of something both old and new. Inuyasha thought she'd tell him to wait or give
him a sign of some sort, but then her expression hardened and she slammed the
door in his face.
"Inuyasha, you really shouldn't be so physical with her," Kikyo chided gently.
"She just survived a traumatic experience at the hands of a group of men, and
she might be afraid of men now. You can't force her to act like before."
He frowned, not having thought of that. It would explain a lot. "But she seemed
to find herself a boyfriend pretty quick after all that," he grumbled, now
doubly hurt.
Kikyo laughed. "Yes, a boyfriend. Hojo is as young at heart as Kagome used to
be before all this. He hardly acts his age and his innocence shows in his face.
He's not at all threatening and that's just what Kagome needs right now." His
wife patted his arm sympathetically as they went down the stairs. "Kagome was
your first real friend, wasn't she? That's why you're so attached?"
He looked at Kikyo in surprise, wondering when she had become so observant.
"Well… Yeah," he admitted. "You were my first love, but she…"
She made him happy.
"I understand." Kikyo obviously didn't want to dwell on the subject, her
temporary generosity now exhausted.
Inuyasha wanted to laugh. She understood? She could never. It would break her
heart and drive her mad, and he couldn't do that to her. Not anymore.
They arrived at the restaurant after what seemed like an eternity spent in
traffic, him sitting silent and fuming while Kikyo tinkered with the radio,
only stopping when she found a station playing some instrumental weird African
tribal shit. Her taste in music was even worse than Kagome's. At least the
songs Kagome liked were under half a freaking hour and weren't all pounding
drums and screeching pipes. Once they entered the ostentatious establishment,
he noted that the people, even the goddamn waiters, were snooty as hell and
dressed better than he was. Inuyasha tried to make conversation and act like he
was having fun, all the while secretly hating the small portions and the
subdued feeling of the place. It was also way too dark. Being half-demon, he
didn't need too much light to see, but he swore there was only like one lamp on
in the entire place and that was just overdoing it. He liked to see his food as
he ate. All the same, it was worth it to see Kikyo glow with happiness. Making
her happy made him feel serene.
After the dinner, he followed the directions in Myoga's text and they wound up
at some super artsy theater with ugly modern architecture that made him want to
roll his eyes and punch the designer in the face. Say what you want about the
so-called "Dark Ages", but they knew how to build a goddamn beautiful building.
His wife was excited by the surprise and he smiled at her, knowing she had been
hoping for this and would have been completely let down and upset had he not
organized it. His assistant had managed to procure two second row seats for
them, dead center. He didn't like being in the front row, and he hoped Kikyo
wouldn't mind. It was some dumb musical about cats, of all things, and he was
suddenly less than grateful to Myoga, interpreting his choice of show as an
insult. Kikyo seemed riveted on the sight, though, and that was enough for him.
Her hands were clasped and her lips were parted slightly, and she stayed so
still it began to make him nervous, but then it was over and they were driving
home and he reallybegan to feel nervous.
He said nothing the entire ride back, and she took the hint and stayed silent
as well, unlike Kagome who by this time would have been rambling nervously and
then begging him to tell her what was on his mind. He shook his head; now was
not the time to think of her. His heart beat faster as he walked Kikyo to her
room, what had become a nightly routine for them.
"Thank you for the lovely evening, Inuyasha. Good night," she said in a low
voice before kissing him on the cheek.
He coughed, and then just decided to go for it. Inuyasha kissed his wife on the
lips, for the first time in years. Willingly, anyway. Kikyo gasped in shock and
he panicked and thrust his tongue in her mouth, hoping she wouldn't reject him
when he had been practicing this in his mind for so long. Reaching behind her
back, he boldly opened the door to her room and walked her inside, stopping
only when she hit the bed and fell back on it.
"Inuyasha," she whispered, touching a hand to her lips.
Her eyes were glistening with tears and she was dearer to him in that moment
than in any other previous, although not in the same way. She touched his
heart, but did not excite it. Too many negative things had happened between
them for him to ever love her with that blind fervor he once had. Now he knew
her too well to ever want her in the same way. But still, he would love her. He
had to.
Inuyasha nodded at her and she stripped out of her dress, leaving the gloves
and her heels on, adding that extra dash of the erotic to the scene that he
needed. He kissed her neck, then her breasts, seeing for the second time the
frighteningly discolored small lump near her right nipple, then plunged into
her, remembering she liked less foreplay and more roughness. Her gasp told him
he was right, and an idea entered into his head. He would be loud and he would
make her be loud, and then Kagome would know what she had done and regret it.
He smirked and thrust into his wife as hard as he could, then stopped. It would
be disrespectful to Kikyo if he made this all about Kagome. And it wouldn't
help him stop feeling so much. So he covered her mouth and bit his own lip,
bringing her to orgasm as he quickly as he could, panicking when he was nowhere
near close and he just wanted it to be over. He closed his eyes and tried to
forget about Kikyo, about Kagome, about himself, and just concentrated on the
sensations. It worked after a while, during which time he made his wife come
yet again, and he collapsed next to her.
It was nice.
It was pleasant.
It was lacking.
"I love you, Kikyo," he whispered into her ear, only realizing after he said it
that he meant it. He didn't have to force himself to work on his feelings
because he did love Kikyo. He had likely never stopped. It had just lain
dormant within him. It wasn't the obsessive, possessive, overwhelming love he
felt for Kagome, that twisted combination of a father's love, a lover's
passion, and his most animalistic urges, but it was a deep tenderness and he
could not deny its existence.
Kikyo might not have his heart, but she had him.
"Oh, Inuyasha. I had given up all hope of you loving me again," she whispered,
and she turned to cry in his arms. "Thank you, thank you. I love you so much."
Tipping her chin up, he kissed her on the lips and rolled out of bed.
"Where are you going?"
He sighed. He knew he was being heartless and he hated it. "I'm sorry, Kikyo. I
love you and everything, but I'm just not ready to sleep all night with you. I
still need a little space. Nothing's the matter, I just need to sleep alone."
She nodded, the look of hurt on her face making him sick. "It's alright,
Inuyasha. Go ahead. I'll win you over yet."
He smiled at her in thanks and left the room for his own at the other end of
the long hall. She shouldn't have had a problem with him leaving to sleep by
himself. They had always done so before. She had told him again and again that
she could not sleep when another person was in the same bed. When he passed by
Kagome's room, Inuyasha almost stopped and entered. He got as far as his hand
on the door knob before he shook his head and rushed to his own bed. What
difference would rubbing it in her face make now? She was the one to reject
him. He was done with being pathetic.
All the same, in the three hours it took him to fall into a restless, sweaty
sleep, it was only those secret, stolen moments with Kagome that he could think
about.
***** You've Had Your Fun *****
Chapter Notes
     *Song for the chapter: I Want You by Elvis Costello*
     Note: It's reached a point where I feel that I have to address this.
     I keep getting complaints about Inuyasha and Kagome's break up and
     various other details. Jfc, have you people never heard of conflict?
     The stories where the relationship is one smooth ride from start to
     finish (usually ending at the prom or their wedding) are absolute
     shit. I am not a teenager, and I am not writing for teenagers.
     Bitching about something not going your way in a story that's not
     yours is as futile as it is stupid. Yes, I like to hear your
     thoughts, and I don't want to be harsh, but telling me what I should
     and should not do is not acceptable.
     That said, I'd like to thank you all for sticking with the story to
     this point and for your encouraging and critical reviews. This
     chapter has not been edited as I am short on time. Feel free to point
     out any errors.
Time flew by and then it was summer. Inuyasha and Kikyo were a real couple
again, with her picking out his clothes and forcing him to attend boring
parties and him picking out what underwear she wore and making her late for
work every morning. He was content. The only problem was Kagome. Now that it
was summer and school had let out, she was around all the time, with her stupid
boyfriend more often than not. They never spoke unless it was some petty
argument over how much she was out, how much she stayed in, the clothes she
wore, and even over passing the salt when forced to sit down to a family
dinner. Kikyo always took her side, and Inuyasha was left fuming by himself.
It wouldn't be so bad if the two teens weren't so obviously insanely happy with
each other. Hojo showered her with gifts, some of them pretty weird, like a t-
shirt with a giant picture of his face on it, a thirty-pound gummy snake, a jar
of sand so that she could make sandcastles at home, and a fucking real live cat
which Kagome named Buyo and promptly began to overfeed. His only consolation
was that she never gave him anything back, but then the thought occurred to him
that they were having sex and that was a more than acceptable gift. From then
on, Inuyasha made a point of loudly stomping to Kikyo's room for sex every
night, just to let Kagome know he wasn't pining away for her, and then silently
slinking back into his own room for sleep.
Then came August, and if he wasn't already stressing out enough from the
unbearable heat, Kagome's sweet sixteen was approaching. She got Kikyo's
permission to have a huge bash at home and she had invited the entire school.
She had apparently become quite popular since the whole kidnapping incident.
Kikyo had insisted that the two of them should stay and monitor activities in
case the kids managed to sneak in alcohol and end up burning the house down. He
reluctantly agreed after she explained that some of the kids would probably end
up working with or for him in the future and it was best to intimidate them a
little now rather than later.
And that was how he wound up in a stuffy house full of sweaty teenagers bumping
and grinding to some Miley Cyrus song that made him wish time travel was
possible so he could convince her parents to terminate the pregnancy. The song
finally ended, only to have its place taken by the eye-roll inducing stylings
of Kesha. He verbally excused himself even though no one was paying attention
to him and went outside, watching the party through the window.
Kagome was the belle of the ball, and rightly so. Even if it had not been her
own party, people still would have congregated around her. She was laughing and
dancing and looking so beautiful that his heart ached. The dress was white with
lace and ribbons, making her look like a bride. It was long and sleeveless and
her bare shoulders begged for sweet kisses. With her dark hair up in a
complicated-looking bun and make-up skillfully applied by her hive-mind slave
trio, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Everyone wanted to
talk to her and only her, but she brushed them off and stuck with her lame
boyfriend, who looked as captivated by her as Inuyasha felt.
They sat, stood, and danced together all night, whispering back and forth and
giggling and exchanging small kisses. At one point, Inuyasha just couldn't take
it anymore and smashed his flute of Martinelli under his foot, stomping on it
until he felt marginally better. He had thought Kikyo would help him forget. He
had planned on marking her if she survived the winter. But how could he when,
try as he might, all he could think of was Kagome? And she had changed, too.
She was acting like a little Kikyo and it made him sick. One Kikyo was fine,
but two? No. They were spending a lot of time together, going off on mother-
daughter trips to the mall and stuff. At first, he had been amazed at the
change in Kikyo and glad that Kagome finally had the chance to experience what
a real mother was like. But then, whether subconsciously or not, Kagome became
more and more materialistic and haughty, the coldness she tried to imitate
ending up coming out like rudeness. It was unbelievable and he just wanted
everything to go back to the way it was. Maybe not exactly, since their
situation was never ideal, but he wanted his sweet little girl back.
Inuyasha looked back in the window to see Kagome finally getting up from where
she had been seated on Hojo's lap for the past twenty or more minutes. She gave
him a very wet-looking kiss and sauntered off, swinging her hips. A path
cleared for her, and where it didn't she just lightly shoved people out of her
way. He wouldn't be surprised if they thanked her for having deigned to touch
them. A plan forming in his mind, he checked to see that his wife was still
animatedly talking to one of the caterers and slipped back inside.
"Hojo, there you are!" he boomed, sneaking up behind the boy and clapping him
on the back. The teen flinched and turned around.
"Oh, M-Mr. Taisho, h-h-how—"
"Good to see you, too," Inuyasha lied, wondering at the failure of natural
selection in front of him. "I was hoping we could have a little man-to-man
chat."
Hojo was surprised and terrified, as he should be, since Inuyasha had never
been anything but rude to him. "O-oh, well…"
"Perfect! Right this way."
Inuyasha led him down the hall, making small talk all the while, and right when
Hojo began to relax the littlest bit, he shoved him in a closet and locked the
door, wondering if it would be too much to stand there and cackle like an old-
timey villain. He didn't know what purpose a closet with an outside lock
served, but he was damned glad he had it. Whistling, he jogged in the direction
he had seen Kagome go, up the stairs and to her bathroom. Picking the lock with
his claw, he checked if the coast was clear and then hurried inside, shutting
the door behind him and locking it.
"What are you doing?!" Kagome shrieked, looking at him in the mirror. She had
obviously been in the middle of fixing her hair. Part of the bun was down and a
lock of hair fell past her shoulder. He eyed her hungrily before the rage came
back and he glared.
"What am I doing? What the fuck do you think you're doing? You're acting like a
spoiled brat."
He shoved her shoulder more roughly than he intended and she fell backwards,
grabbing the open shower door but falling into the dry tub anyway, her knees
hanging over the side in the most undignified manner. She looked delicious.
"A goddamn spoiled brat," he said hoarsely.
Leaning over her, he turned the shower on, the cold water blasting her and
making her yelp. Inuyasha could see her nipples hardening through the now see-
through dress. He turned off the shower, everything suddenly feeling sluggish
and dream-like. He yanked down the tight bodice of Kagome's dress, hearing it
rip. He no longer cared about her reaction, he just wanted to taste her. The
one loose, wet tendril of black hair snaked its way down her shoulder and chest
and curled its way around a nipple. Breathing heavily through his nose, he took
the cold, stiff nipple into his mouth, warming it up and playing with it with
his tongue, using the lock of hair to tease it, the combined taste and texture
driving him wild. Instead of immediately trying to push him off, like he
expected, he heard her moan. She placed a hand on the back of his head and
grabbed his hair, pulling him up and kissing him. Kagome seemed just as wildly
lustful as he was, and he scrambled into the tub. Somehow, she ended up on top
of him with both his hands on her breasts, pinching and pulling and rubbing.
Grinding into him, her darkened eyes told him that she wanted to go further,
and he shredded the dress off of her, nicking her in a few places in the
process. She didn't seem to notice, so he stopped caring and let her take his
cock out of his pants and lower herself onto him. She bounced on him, her
breasts doing the same, and he thrust up as best he could, one hand holding the
side of the tub so as not to slip around and the other squeezing Kagome's plump
ass. Her breasts and bottom had become a bit larger in the time they'd been
apart, her torso longer and stomach smaller, more toned. She had lost that bit
of adorable plumpness and now looked completely like a woman. His perusal of
her was interrupted by her orgasm and then again by his.
Kagome collapsed onto his chest, breathing hard and fast, not separating from
him. "You ruined my dress," she gasped.
"I'll buy you another one," he said with a small smile, feeling confident
enough to kiss her on the lips. "You… You wanted to do this, right, Kagome?"
She laughed and lightly slapped his arm. "Inuyasha, I came so hard my stomach
hurts. And I was the one riding you, or did you forget already?"
He laughed and lay there, playing with her wet hair, completely sated for the
first time in months.
"Inuyasha," she whispered after a few minutes, "I want you back."
His hand stilled, as did his heart. That had been all he wanted to hear for
months. But what about Kikyo? He couldn't just abandon her after everything.
Sex meant certain things in a marriage. It was a physical promise that she was
the only one. And she had been, for a while, anyway.
"Do… Do you not want me?" she asked quaveringly.
"No, I do," he reassured her quickly. "I just feel so fucking easy."
She laughed in relief and kissed his chin. "I love you, Inuyasha. Forever."
"I love you, too."
Kagome kissed a line down his throat and then to his chest, her tongue darting
out and flicking his nipples the way she had made him like.
"Round two already? What, your boyfriend can't satisfy you?" he joked, still
jealous but feeling triumphant.
She stopped her ministrations and turned her face up to look at him, all
serious. "Inuyasha, Hojo and I haven't done anything but kiss. The furthest we
ever got was that first time when you stopped us."
His eyes went wide and he choked on his own gasp. This entire time, he had
thought that they were physically intimate. That had been one of the main
motivations for him being with Kikyo. Now that he thought about it, Kagome had
been pretty tight. Of course they hadn't been together. They only smelled like
each other because of those weird gifts and the fact that he was always making
her wear his clothes. It brought a smile to his face.
"You don't know how happy I am to hear that," he said truthfully, wrapping his
arms around her and squeezing gently.
Earnestly, she looked into his eyes. "You were just pretending too, right? You
and Mother never did that, right?"
She looked so worried and hopeful that he just kissed her and said, "No,
Kagome, you're the only one for me. My greatest love."
At least that last part was true.
Her smile was so big and sunny that his guilt faded. She began to kiss his
chest again, rubbing her lower anatomy against his.
"I want thing to be the way they were," she said in between kisses and licks.
"But I think we were too obvious. We would have been caught. I'm going to keep
Hojo around as cover. Plus, Mother likes him."
Inuyasha scowled. He had hoped that idiot was out of their lives for good. "Do
we have to? We could just be more careful."
"We're going to be more careful andhave cover. You keep up appearances with
Mother and I'll do the same with Hojo. They're happy and we're happy."
He stroked her cheek, wondering if she was really clever or really devious. "I
won't be truly happy until we completely belong to each other. Will you still
be my mate?"
"If you want me to be."
"I do," he assured her, punctuating it with a kiss. "I just want to know. Why?"
Kagome immediately burrowed her face into his chest to avoid making eye contact
with him, knowing exactly what he was talking about. He could feel her
eyelashes flutter against his skin and her tears ran down his ribs and into the
tub.
"I'm so sorry. I just couldn't tell you. It hurt too, too much."
His arms tightened around her. "What did they do to you?"
After a deep shuddering breath, she said, "They told me about you."
He froze. Did she know what he knew?
"They showed me pictures and even a few paintings," she continued in a mournful
tone. "There were so many women, Inuyasha. And all of them… they were all
pretty like Mother."
"Wait, what are you talking about?"
"They showed me all these women you had been with. All the ones they knew
about. They said it was only a fraction of the true amount."
Inuyasha felt the blood drain from his face. Who knew that much about his past
relationships and why would they be cruel enough to show Kagome?
"So many of them. And then they took me out and showed me their graves, the
local ones, anyway. Just those would have been enough to fill their own
cemetery. And the dates! I know how old you are, but it never hit me until I
saw the dates. One-hundred, two-hundred, even three-hundred years old." She
began to cry again, and he wasn't sure how to comfort her so he did nothing.
"And they brought in these women to talk to me. They were all little old
ladies, some in wheelchairs and walkers, and they told me about how bad you
are. How you seduced them when they were young and then threw them away like
nothing. How you had a group of men threaten them if they said anything about
your relationships to anyone. And then they showed me pictures from when they
were young and they were all like Mother," she sobbed, quickly becoming
hysterical.
He wished he could kill those bastards again. It was true that he had a type.
Once he found something he liked, he stuck with it. It was just the way he was.
He liked tall, leggy, brunette human women who were around his apparent age.
Although Kagome looked considerably like Kikyo, the archetype of his kind of
woman, she did not possess the body type he had always preferred and she was
about five years younger than his usual choices. Kagome was the only one who
didn't fit the mould.
She sniffed and continued, calming herself. "And you were married before,
Inuyasha. How could you not have told me? So many times."
Now he was impressed with the Band of Seven. It must have taken a lot of money
and time and research to come up with that information. It was true, he had
been married a total of thirty-one times, all over a century ago, before proper
records were kept. Sometimes, that had been the only way to get a girl he had
had his eye on, and he had been far more callous and unscrupulous in his
younger days. Always, he left them after the first night or two. Inuyasha
hadn't thought about any of them in years, and now he felt a shadow of guilt
rise up in him and he apologized to their spirits. It was very likely that he
had ruined their lives. With no virginity to offer a man and a reputation for
having been tricked, what would they have done? Spent the rest of their lives
alone, starved, become whores. There weren't so many options back then. He felt
like crying with Kagome, even though their faces all blended together and he
would have been fine had this girl in his arms remained unaware of his past.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't think back then."
"They told me about my father, too."
He stilled. This was it. Recalling their position, he realized that if she
knew, then that meant she was just like him. She didn't care what anyone else
said. Love was enough. "Are… Are you mad?" he asked, hesitant.
Kagome sighed. "No. I hate him, but I'm not mad. Onigumo was the one who
ordered the entire thing. He knows about us and said I had to suffer and be
punished before I could really be his daughter."
"Onigumo?!" No, anyone but Onigumo. Even him before Onigumo. Inuyasha knew it
was sick, but he was angry at Onigumo for being Kagome's father instead of him.
If he was, anyway. Inuyasha still had a chance. He had seen pictures of the
man, and Kagome didn't look a thing like him. Kagome looked almost only like
Kikyo, but he felt there was a vague resemblance between his human half and
her. Having Kagome as all his had made him feel unbelievably complete. Losing
that extra connection with her would be a blow to his inner warmth, his soul.
"Yeah, he and Mother were together for a long time before she left him. Why did
she leave him because he was like you and then just went ahead and married
you?" she asked curiously, not expecting an answer. Laying a cheek down on his
chest, she continued. "They told me how you were just using me and that you'd
treat me like all the others soon enough. That hurt me so badly that I thought
I'd die. I wanted to die."
"I'm never going to let you go, Kagome," he said passionately, raising his
voice. "I promised you'd be my mate and I meant it. I mean it."
"I tried to hate you all this time, but it just didn't stick. So when you came
in here, I decided that even if it's all true, I can't not love you. Even," she
took a shaky breath, "even if you will throw me away, I will continue to love
you."
Inuyasha was both touched by her devotion in what she believed to be a
temporary fling and angered by her lack of faith in him.
"You're not like the others," he said firmly, grasping her hand for emphasis.
"I know I've been a bad guy, but I'll only be good to you."
"Why?" she scream-whispered. "Why am I different?"
He paused. He had felt how different she was to him immediately, how right she
was. He knew now that though he could not smell her blood that came from him,
he could feel it. It had made them feel close to each other and they had
misinterpreted that family bond for something else, love, which was now true.
But he couldn't tell her that. So he only told her part of the truth.
"Because we're soul mates. I'm it for you and you're it for me."
She scooted up and they kissed again, slow and sweet. Kagome hummed and broke
away from him.
"How am I going to go back out to my party without clothes?"
Inuyasha hadn't thought of that. "Lock the door and I'll go to your room and
grab another dress. I'll knock twice, pause, and then one time when I come
back," he said, disentangling from her and hopping out of the tub.
Hand on the door knob, he glanced back at her, taking in her still wet hair and
glowing skin glistening with cool sweat, wearing only that smile of pure joy he
had not seen on her in so long. He knew his own grin was much the same. Blowing
her a kiss like the lovesick idiot he was, he slipped out the door and made his
way toward her room. His ears picked out the sound of Hojo yelling for help
from that closet, something no one else could hear over the pounding music that
never ceased. In Kagome's room, he rifled through her clothes until he came
upon the yellow sundress she had worn on what he now considered their first
date.
"So here's where you got to. What are you doing with that? Where's Kagome?"
Kikyo asked distractedly, glancing at the dress he held in his hand.
"Uh, she spilled some Martinelli on her dress and was too embarrassed to come
up here herself so she asked me."
Kikyo shook her head. "And that dress was so expensive, too. I knew she wasn't
ready for such nice things," she mumbled. "I can give that to her, you go back
downstairs and watch those children. They're doing body shots with Capri Sun."
"Er, that's okay. I think she'd be even more embarrassed if she knew you knew."
"I'm her Mother, that's ridiculous." A crash came from downstairs and Kikyo
turned around in panic. "But alright, I guess it is her birthday after all. You
give it to her and make sure she knows to be more careful with her clothing."
Relieved, he waited until she hurried down the stairs and then went back to the
bathroom, quickly performing the agreed upon knock. Kagome opened the door and
he decided not to tell her about Kikyo seeing him with the dress since it was
the first time she had ever let him have her while her mother was in the house,
and he certainly wanted to do that again. He helped her put on the dress,
stroking her bare skin until she giggled and told him to stop. When she was
done, they kissed, and she pulled away just as he was about to suggest they go
for another round.
"We'll be careful this time, Kagome," he promised, referring to their
relationship. "Really careful. This is going to work no matter what."
"I know," she smiled at him. "You come first in my life from now on and
forever."
He nodded happily. "Same here. Alright, so I'll go out first and you wait a few
minutes and then follow."
Immediately upon leaving the bathroom, he went right to the closet where he had
placed Hojo, hoping no one had freed him. Opening the door, he grabbed the
frightened boy by the collar and threw him against the wall.
"If I ever see you touching Kagome again, I will rip your fucking face off.
There's your man-to-man talk, now get the fuck back to the party."
The poor boy stumbled away, tears on his face. Inuyasha laughed quietly to
himself and followed, going directly to his wife's side and glaring at the
teenagers in order to keep them in line. He spent the rest of the party
pretending to listen to Kikyo while staring at Kagome, who was sitting next to
a catatonic Hojo and blushing whenever she glanced his way. When it was all
over, they left the staff to clean up and went upstairs, Kagome to her own room
with an inviting glance at him. Inuyasha made plans to follow later and turned
to go to his room when he felt a pair of thin arms wrap around his middle.
"Mmmm, those kids were so annoying. I can't believe I really used to be that
age."
"Mmmhmm. Anyway, uh, I'm feeling pretty beat so I think I'm just gonna head to
bed. See you tomorrow," he said in a rush, pulling away from Kikyo and giving
her a lame salute as he walked to his room.
Kikyo's disappointment showed on her face and he felt bad, remembering that she
had broken it off with Suikotsu in order to be with him. But he couldn't live a
lie, especially when the woman he loved was just down the hall, waiting for him
to sneak into her window and torture her with his lips and tongue and hands and
other parts until the sun came up. He smirked to himself. Their reunion would
be one to remember.
***** Something Beautiful *****
*Song for the chapter: Monster by Meg Myers*
Note: Only ten more chapters to go!
Inuyasha nuzzled Kagome's hair in the early dawn light. She was usually an
early riser, and he wanted to get a bit of playtime in before she started to
ready herself for school. There was a slight bit of darkness under her eyes,
courtesy of their reunion(s) the night before. He felt a little bad knowing
she'd be sore as well as tired all day, but she was the one who insisted on
having her party the day before she went back to school, so part of the blame
rested on her shoulders as well. Last night had been an attempt at convincing
her to stay in sick, but the girl had refused, claiming that it was the first
day of her junior year and she didn't want to miss it and anger her mother.
"Ugh, Inuyasha, what time is it?" she whispered, turning on her side so he
wouldn't be able to continue nibbling her throat.
He glanced out the window to see the position of the sun. "Looks like it's
about six or so," he whispered back, running his hands up and down her thighs
under the blanket.
She laughed quietly into her pillow. "I have a clock, use it."
"Well then, why ask me when you have such advanced technology at your
disposal?"
"I don' wanna open my eyesss…"
She began to drift off again and he smirked, sliding under the covers and
gently turning her on her back. Already dreaming, she didn't even notice.
Inuyasha kissed her stomach, her thighs, her calves, her feet and toes. Already
the last few months seemed like nothing more than a nightmare. Trailing his
claws over her skin as he made his way back up, he shoved the end of her short
cotton nightgown out of the way and ran his tongue over her lower lips,
somewhat miffed when she let out a snore. Doubling his efforts, he used two
fingers to spread her and unfurled his tongue inside the hot entrance. Finally,
a choked gasp came from the girl and her thighs pressed against either side of
his head.
"Mmmf! I-Inuyasha!"
He shushed her and continued working, suckling her clit and running a fang down
one of her outer lips. He glanced up to see her hands pinching her breasts
through the nightgown, under the pile of blankets and sheets she piled on
herself nightly. The sight, coupled with her erotically heavy panting and
little squeaks, drove him wild and he added two fingers, his tongue teasing her
outside and then around her clitoris. Just as he was going to go for the big
finish, he picked up on footsteps too late and the door swung open before he
could move.
"Kagome!" his wife's voice rang out, more than a little cross. "Just because I
allowed you to stay up late last night does not mean you can shirk your duties
today. Make yourself presentable and go to school."
Still and terrified, he lay on his stomach between Kagome's legs, for once
thankful for the girl's obsession with fluffy blankets and stuffed animals and
multiple pillows. One more lump wouldn't be something noticeable. All the same,
he stopped breathing entirely, unconsciously pressing himself into the mattress
and gripping Kagome's bottom tighter, causing the girl to squirm.
"Oh, uh, yes, s-sorry, Mother. I-I'll be right up."
Kikyo left the room without another word and Kagome fell back to the bed with a
sigh of relief. Inuyasha waited until he heard Kikyo go down the stairs, and
only then did he breathe again. Nervously, he caressed Kagome's hips, wondering
if she would ever again let him touch her while Kikyo was home. His fears
vanished when she wiggled in his grasp and reached down to give one of his ears
a teasing yank.
"You heard her, Inuyasha, I've got to hurry. What are you waiting for?"
Snorting a laugh, he dove back in, one of his arms leaving her hips to play
with her breasts, switching from one to another as he tongued her tight
passage. After just a minute, Kagome grunted her satisfaction into her pillow
and scooted down to where he was beneath the blankets, pulling him into a
heated kiss.
"Boy, it's stuffy down here!" she gasped.
"You get used to it." Grinning widely, he caressed her bottom, giving her a
small slap. "You better get going."
She exaggerated a pout and threw her arms around him. "But what about you? I
still owe you one. I could skip breakfast and just…" she trailed off, her
fingers teasing and tickling his skin.
As appealing as the offer was, he shook his head. "Let's not tempt fate,
angel."
She sighed in disappointment. "Fine."
"Hey!" he exclaimed in excitement. "I could take you to school and we could
fool around in the parking lot like old times."
Kagome bit her lip and looked away. "I want to, it's just that Hojo picks me up
now and if I were to abruptly go back to the way things were before, it'd seem
suspicious."
"Ah." The old bitterness was back and had made its way into his voice. Inuyasha
hated that he felt this way when Kagome was giving it her all and taking on the
role of the sane, responsible one, but he couldn't help but want more.
She rubbed his arm consolingly. "I'm all yours, Inuyasha. All yours. I love you
so much that I can't breathe when I think about it. Remember that and trust
me."
He smiled at her in apology and gave her a quick, chaste kiss. "Same here. Now
hurry up and leave so you can come back."
Laughing, she rolled out of bed and he jumped out her window, running on the
grass still wet with dew until he came to his own. With a great leap, he was
suddenly in his room. Opening his closet, he decided that today he was actually
going to go to work dressed for work. Pulling out a suit that hadn't seen the
light of day since before Kagome was born, he shook out the dust and hoped
moths hadn't eaten holes in it.
Today was going to be good.
O/\o/\O
When Inuyasha arrived home after a long day of not doing anything but staring
at one or more of the four walls of his office and ignoring Myoga's joyful
rants about Tetsusaiga's increased productivity, Kikyo was in her room video
chatting with several of her executives and Kagome was on the couch, appearing
as though she was doing homework when he could tell she had just been doodling
and waiting for him. It warmed his heart and he greeted her with a kiss, making
a mental note to keep an ear out so they would have no repeats of earlier that
day. Getting caught and getting away with it was thrilling, but when it was
actually happening it was completely terrifying and it would be prudent of him
to stay alert. She sighed into his mouth and they parted, still embracing.
"Come on, I wanna show you something," he said with a smile, taking her by the
hand. Inuyasha could barely contain his excitement. Walking away from the
living room, they arrived in a little used back room, the purpose of which he
had long forgotten. He supposed he originally intended it to be a guest room,
but he hadn't had a single guest yet so it was just bare and dusty. Opening the
room's closet, he ignored Kagome's confused look and bent down, prying up a
square of the floor.
"The basement," he explained, gesturing to the darkness that was most likely
brimming with cobwebs.
"We have a basement?" the girl murmured, glancing from him and back to the
square black hole again.
Inuyasha nodded and began their descent, making sure to go in front of Kagome
in case she tripped or there were rodents or something. Once they reached the
bottom, going slowly and carefully the entire way for her benefit, he ran his
hand along the wall, searching for the light switch. Finding it after a few
fumblings and curses, he prayed for it to work and flipped it, bathing the room
in a fluorescent glow.
"Wow!" Kagome gasped, and he moved her in front of him, hugging her from
behind, a proud smile on his face. She looked around with wide eyes, taking in
the new sight that had been just below everyone's feet the entire time.
"Yeah. I made myself a man cave about ten years back. Never really used it."
"Why not?"
Inuyasha shrugged, embarrassed. "Never had anyone to play with," he muttered,
gesturing to the pool and foosball tables, old arcade games, and various other
grown-up toys.
Kagome smiled, the warmth of it melting away his sudden awkwardness. "Well, you
have me now." She grabbed his hand and he squeezed in gratitude. "So," she
continued, "did you bring me down here for a game of air hockey?"
He shook his head. "We can do that later. I want to show you something."
He led her over to the other side of the room and let go of her hand, grunting
as he moved the heavy foosball table out of the way to reveal a small door,
about half the height of a regular one. Taking a tiny, antique-looking brass
key out of his shirt pocket, he unlocked the door and swung it open, crawling
in a very undignified manner through the space, knowing Kagome would follow.
The room was almost as large as his bedroom and had one small window near the
ceiling about the size of a notebook. Kagome stared at the bare room, a
quizzical expression on her face.
"Well? What do you think?" he asked, proud of his resourcefulness.
"Er, what do I think about what, exactly?"
"The room."
She paused. "I… think that it could use some decorating. You'll definitely have
a hard time getting any of your toys in here, though."
"No, it's not gonna be another game room," he said, exasperated. "It's going to
be our room."
"What do you mean?"
"I was thinking while I was at work, and it came to me that this would be the
perfect place for us to go to from now on when we want to be ourselves by
ourselves." Kagome only looked at him dubiously, so he continued. "It's
soundproof down here. She doesn't know about it. Only you and I will have the
key," he said excitedly as he handed her a brass key identical to his own.
She looked at the object in her hand and then back at him. "I—Wow, I don't know
what to say."
"Say yes," Inuyasha commanded, softening his harsh tone with a kiss to the
cheek.
"Okay, then. I trust you."
They smiled at each other and he just basked in the moment, committing it to
memory, the way her face lit up with its own light in the dim room.
"I'll get some furniture and set it up piece by piece. I'm gonna spend all my
time on it, so it should be done by this weekend," he finished suggestively,
reaching out to play with a lock of her hair that waved a bit more than the
rest.
"Oh. Okay," she said again, and he wondered at her tone.
"Is something wrong, angel?"
"No, not at all!" she said quickly. "Well, it's mine and Hojo's two month
anniversary this Saturday."
"Oh," he said stunned, withdrawing his hand from her hair.
"That doesn't mean I won't have time for you!" she said anxiously, clasping his
hand. "I'll come home early, I promise."
Inuyasha nodded, trying and failing to appear unaffected as he stooped to make
his way out the door. Feeling a tug on his pants leg, he stopped and craned his
neck in order to get a good look at the girl kneeling behind him. Her eyes were
soft and loving and he felt the burning pain in his throat ease the littlest
bit.
"He's just a friend who doesn't know it, Inuyasha. I'm not going to do anything
with him. I'm all yours, remember?" she said with an unsure smile.
"I know that," he grumbled irritably and left the room. He had planned on
collecting this morning's debt in the room, but that was out the window now.
Nothing went the way he wanted it to anymore. Inuyasha glanced sullenly back at
Kagome, who bit her lip to keep the tears at bay as she walked up the stairs.
He was sorry for hurting her, but if she was to be prancing about all over town
with that drooling child, then as far as he was concerned she deserved a bit of
emotional pain as well. Sighing once they were back in the closet, he kissed
the top of her head and wordlessly went to his room, feeling weary.
***** Simple Man *****
*Song for the Chapter: Sometimes (I Wish) by City and Colour*
"How do I look?" Kagome asked, giving a small twirl to show off her baby pink
dress. The ring Inuyasha had given her was once again present on her finger,
but that was little consolation.
"Too eager," he grumbled, not even glancing at her. It was bad enough knowing
she was going to be spending most of the night with her boyfriend. The least
she could do was not look so attractive while she was doing it. Would it kill
her to wear sweatpants?
"You look like a young lady," Kikyo said. It was a gentle compliment that
simply sounded like a regular observation and served no purpose.
Inuyasha snorted. For some reason he could not comprehend, his wife was
involving herself in this. She had explained to him that Kagome's future was
Shikon's future, but he still didn't think that Kikyo belonged there,
encouraging her daughter like a real mother would. Kagome beamed at the both of
them and grabbed her sweater from where it was flung across the back of a
chair, ready to go.
"One moment!" Kikyo exclaimed, gliding over to her shuffling, impatient
daughter. "No sweater. You're in a relationship, Kagome, you have no need to
hide. Let him see your shoulders."
"B-but it's cold—"
"Would you rather suffer a chill or have him lose interest?" she said
mercilessly, one eyebrow raised. She almost sounded like she was actually
asking.
The girl's gray eyes were big and uncertain. "Um, I guess I—"
The doorbell rang, effectively ending all conversation. Inuyasha was at the
door before the women could blink, anger and jealousy fueling his steps. He had
heard the car and smelled its fumes before Kagome had even come downstairs.
Part of him had been hoping the boy would get in an accident along the way, but
fate was cruel to him yet again. Practically ripping open the door, Inuyasha
glared at the tall, well-built young man he had warned time and time again to
stay away from Kagome. This one just didn't learn.
Hojo coughed and self-consciously rustled the bouquet of flowers he had brought
with him. "Uh, may I come in?"
Inuyasha sneered. "No."
At the same time, Kikyo and Kagome chimed, "Yes!"
He had been overruled. Defeated and certainly not pleased about it, he loudly
retreated back to his chair and glared at them with his arms crossed. Whatever,
he wouldn't make this easy for them.
"Have a seat, Hojo," Kikyo said, extending her arm toward the sofa.
The boy smiled at her and shyly took Kagome's hand, settling down with a number
of alarming noises coming from the leather couch, sitting a mere half-inch away
from his girlfriend. Now Inuyasha wished he had sat on the sofa so he could
have maneuvered between them.
Kikyo smiled at the two of them and Inuyasha could just see the dollar signs
floating in her eyes as she bustled off to the kitchen to make drinks. The kid
was wealthy; he knew that because his wife knew that. Kikyo had done her
research. An only child, he would inherit the entirety of his family's fortune
upon the death of his father, and his mother was in the middle of transitioning
from the regular legal field into politics. Given their family history, it
certainly would not be surprising if they were sitting across from the son of
the future president of the nation. He glared unabashedly at him and, to his
surprise, the boy glared back, defiantly lacing his fingers with Kagome's.
"Now," Kikyo said, smoothly sliding a tray of cold drinks on the coffee table,
"how did you meet my daughter? Tell me everything. I want to know just what it
was about her that captivated you so thoroughly."
Inuyasha snorted. The merry housewife image she was trying to project grated on
his nerves. Sometimes he wondered if she was sick at all. If everything was a
lie, it certainly had to be some incredibly elaborate ruse to have fooled both
his eyes and his nose.
Hojo glanced at Kagome and slid his arm around her, obviously more comfortable
now that he knew he had support. "Well, I saw this scared little girl standing
in the hall, clutching a print-out of the school grounds and I just had to help
her," he said with a chuckle, smiling fondly down at the girl who was now
beaming up at him. "It turns out she had geometry next and was in my class. I
liked her from the start, and when I saw her struggling with the material, I
offered to tutor her. She said yes and I gave her a book on brain food.
Whatever happened to that, by the way?"
Kagome glanced at Inuyasha, who smirked, and then back at Hojo. "Uh, I think
maybe I loaned it to Ayumi. I don't remember."
"No worries."
They were plunged into silence again, everyone awkwardly sipping on their
lemonade. Kikyo was staring at Kagome and widening her eyes, telling Kagome
without words to start the conversation back up again and be a good little
hostess. Tired of everyone concentrating on Hojo, Inuyasha leaned forward with
his elbows on his knees and took a loud, slurping drink of his beverage.
"So, Hojo, how many girls did you get with before Kagome?"
His wife looked appalled at his choice of words, as did the boy. Kagome merely
smiled prettily while using her eyes to promise him pain.
"Er, well, I never really had a girlfriend before."
Inuyasha nodded. "That explains a lot."
He could see the boy begin to sweat and was hard pressed not to openly laugh.
Hojo turned to Kagome and fiercely, desperately grabbed her hands. "K-K-Kagome,
if I have ever fallen below your standards before, if I have ever disappointed
you, please tell me and I will make it up to you. As long as we are honest with
each other, nothing will stand in our way."
Uh-oh. Kagome's guilt was like a fifth presence in the room and he suddenly
felt like complete shit.
"Oh, Hojo," she sighed, her eyes glittering. "Don't worry about anything silly
like that. You're perfect."
The boy looked like he was going to cry in relief, but he just wrapped his arms
around her and buried his face in her hair, apparently forgetting her parents
were present.
"You're the perfect one, Kagome! I promise I will never ever make you anything
less than happy. If you ever cry, I will consider that a personal failure and I
won't rest until you're so happy again that you can't even remember what you
were sad about."
Even Kikyo seemed touched by his words, and Inuyasha himself was suddenly
feeling very small and very bad. How could a human boy with the intelligence of
a mentally challenged cow make Kagome look at him like that? Like he was some
kind of heavenly being? It suddenly occurred to him that that was probably how
he himself looked at Kagome and he narrowed his eyes. Was she hiding something
from him? Was he the one being duped? His fears became facts in his mind when
Hojo gently brushed a few strands of hair away from the corner of Kagome's
mouth and kissed her lips.
She was aroused.
The sound of his claws puncturing the leather chair's arm rests broke their
kiss and both teenagers looked at him, Hojo blushingly and Kagome in a daze.
Kikyo appeared to have been studying him for a while, and the frown she wore
told him he'd have to explain his way out of this now or answer a lot of
awkward questions later.
"Please respect my daughter, my wife, and myself by not ever doing that again."
"Y-yes, sir, I was wrong. Forgive me, but your comment made me think I was
something less than she deserved and I couldn't help myself."
Inuyasha suddenly felt his age. This boy, for all his sweetly earnest words,
was not good enough for her. He himself wasn't good enough for her, no matter
how he wished it was not so. Now feeling both angry and depressed, he leaned
back in his chair and closed his eyes. He was done with the interrogation.
"Hojo, please join us for dinner tomorrow evening. If my husband hasn't scared
you off, that is. I know we'd all love to have you."
Hojo chuckled and nodded his assent. "Certainly, Mrs. Taisho. Well, we have to
leave now if we're to make our reservation. Goodbye, Mrs. Taisho! Er, goodbye
Mr. Taisho."
Kagome murmured her own goodbyes and allowed Hojo to nearly drag her out the
door by the hand. He didn't blame the kid for wanting to run out of there.
Kikyo waved at their departing car and Inuyasha wished he had any alcohol at
all, even the human kind. It was a special night for the two high school
students. How far would Kagome go to keep him? She was obviously fond of the
boy, fonder of him than she had led Inuyasha to believe. Her arousal still
lingered in his senses and the dark rage returned. Was he a game to her? Did
she plan on stringing him along, laughing all the way and then dropping him
like she had before? If it was about money, then she was poorly informed,
because Inuyasha had more than the Hojo family and he could prove it. He
thought about leaving a bank statement from just one of his accounts out to see
if she'd suddenly decide that they no longer needed a "cover". Was she truly
just another Kikyo? If she continued down this path, she'd be an even worse
version. The empty glass of lemonade he had forgotten he held broke in his
hand, splintered by his rage-induced muscle spasm.
His wife rushed over to him, startled and concerned by the sharp noise. Kikyo
knelt by his shaking hand, which was already beginning to heal with shards of
glass still inside.
"Oh, Inuyasha! Why are you being this way?! I will go and get the tweezers,
keep the wound open," she commanded sternly.
He watched her hurry away and numbly began to slice at his palm with his claws.
At least Kikyo was faithful. This time, anyway. Were all the Higurashi women
whores? They probably didn't even have dinner reservations. They were in a
hotel room somewhere, and she'd let him do whatever he wanted and then she'd
take a shower and come back to him and think everything was going to be
alright. He'd make sure he'd sniff her extra carefully this time. He'd confront
her.
Kikyo came back with a wad of cotton balls, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and a
pair of tweezers. Gently, she cradled his palm in hers and quickly, expertly
removed the tiny shards of glass. She then quickly doused his hand in the
alcohol and blotted away the blood with the cotton balls. He was healed in
about thirty seconds.
"Thanks," he muttered sullenly.
His wife sighed and placed a hand on his knee. "She's growing up, Inuyasha. You
can still be friends, but there's going to be a distance there. It's
inevitable."
Inuyasha refused to look at her. Why was she always this understanding and
helpful when he needed it most? Maybe she was right. It was wrong of him to
hope. But it was even worse that Kagome had made him hope. The dark rage
returned.
"You know," Kikyo started, eyes lighting up, "we'll have the house to ourselves
for a good few hours." Her fingers stroked his thigh with a purpose and he
hardened despite himself. He and Kikyo were compatible, there was no doubt
about that. And if Kagome was out enjoying herself, should he not do the same?
His wife unzipped him and he pushed her back and away, making her fall to the
floor with a loud, unladylike grunt. He couldn't do that to Kagome. Not now,
not after they had both promised.
"So it's going to be one of those nights, then?" Kikyo said, her eyes
sharpening. "I love it when you get rough with me. Come and show me how strong
you are."
Her husky voice coupled with his rage and depression had him on her before she
could take another breath. She wanted to see how strong he was? He'd show her.
She got off on being dominated, and to be completely truthful, Inuyasha liked
to dominate. It was how their relationship had survived so long after so many
red flags for the both of them. He could never treat Kagome like this. The
times he had tried had ended in her tears. He could never just thrust into her
as hard as he could without a care for her own pleasure, whispering insults and
dirty words. Kikyo took pleasure from that. And so did he.
Maybe that was why he kept ending up with her instead of Kagome.
Inuyasha finished in Kikyo without letting her orgasm. He withdrew immediately,
already slipping back into old routine. Kikyo bit her lip until she drew blood
and looked pleadingly at him to finish her off. He shook his head and forced a
sadistic grin, all part of the game. Tears running out of the corners of her
eyes and down her temples, she began to touch herself. Spreading her legs open
when she tried to close them in a false attempt at modesty, he kept them there
and forced her to touch herself as he watched, using his semen as an extra
lubricant. She came mere seconds later and licked the mess of her fingers, one
by one. Zipping up his pants, he returned to his chair, kicking aside the
broken glass in front of it.
"That was better than usual," she said breathlessly, clothed chest still
heaving.
"Clean yourself up," he muttered, too disgusted with himself and his partner to
even look at her.
She ignored him and stayed on the floor. "Inuyasha?"
He grunted, not in the mood for pillow talk.
"What if… I became pregnant?"
The word echoed in his ears and the shaking returned to his hands. Pregnant?
With his child? Again? He had assumed she had gotten her tubes tied or at least
took birth control after the horror story Kagome had told him. He knew she was
still physically capable of having children, but he had never thought she'd
want one with him. And then there was Kagome. Kagome had always wanted a
sibling, but he doubted she'd want one with his blood and her mother's
combined.
"Don't," he said, his voice going hard.
"But what if I was? Would you mark me?"
Inuyasha snorted. So that was what this was about. "I'd tell you to get rid of
it," he said, purposefully not addressing her second question.
"You don't want a baby with me?" she asked, her usual seriousness returning.
Her frown was almost childish.
"Is that so hard to believe?"
She crawled towards him. "I want another baby. It's your responsibility as my
husband to give me one."
"I don't have to do shit, Kikyo," he growled. If he had a baby with her, then
Kagome would leave him for sure and he'd end up marking his wife just to avoid
more loneliness. All thoughts of Kagome's tryst with Hojo had left his head,
their public kiss temporarily forgotten.
"Are you still in love with someone else? Even now?"
Inuyasha knew it was cruel, but he couldn't stop himself. "Fuck, I never
stopped."
His wife crumpled before him and he stepped over her to go wait by the door for
Kagome.
"How can you be this way?" she whispered tremulously. "After everything? I've
done so much just because I love you. Why can't I have a little of your love in
return?"
He thought it was best if he didn't answer her, so he didn't. Eventually, she
went to her room, where she stayed the rest of the night.
O/\o/\O
Inuyasha waited for over half an hour, keeping his arms crossed and his posture
intimidating, staying completely still as he did not know when they would be
back. Deciding to wash the feel of Kikyo off of his skin, he did so, going to
the kitchen sink and making sure his manhood was clean again. Then he went back
to the door and waited another two hours. After a while, his neck ached and his
leg began to fall asleep, but he didn't budge. If they walked in and caught him
shaking out the pins and needles, it would completely ruin the effect and take
a bite out of his pride.
Thankfully, Kagome returned sans Hojo just before eleven, brushing off his
glare and growl and plopping down on the couch across from him. She groaned as
she slid off her shoes, not used to high heels. The girl was silent and
relaxed, and although he hadn't gotten even the faintest whiff of sex, he was
still suspicious. Her arousal had been instantaneous and strong. What was it
about the boy that had made her react like that? Should he ask?
"So," she sighed, leaning on the arm rest and bringing her legs up to rest on
the cushions.
"So," Inuyasha echoed, waiting for her to make a move.
"You're not yelling at me."
He snorted. "Obviously not."
"Does that mean you're not jealous?" Her eyes were big and questioning.
"Obviously not," he said again, clenching his fists. If she saw through him so
easily, he'd just end up being manipulated like her goddamn puppet.
"I was hoping you would be."
His mouth dropped open in consternation. "Why?"
She shrugged, the spaghetti strap of her dress falling down her left shoulder.
"I like it when you get jealous. It makes me feel… all sorts of things." She
shivered attractively and his mouth went dry.
Recovering himself, he stood and turned his back to her so that he could form
words. "If you like me so much, why were you so turned on when that boy kissed
you?"
Kagome laughed and he heard the fabric of her dress rustle, and then she was
embracing him from behind. "Is that why you're like this? Again, Inuyasha, I
like it when you're jealous. I was imagining how you'd be when I got back. All
mad and tearing at my clothes, trying to claim me for yourself."
Her whispered words gave him goose bumps and she stood on her tiptoes to kiss
his neck. "Not here," he groaned softly, his eyes darting to the ground and
realizing they stood on the very spot where he had taken Kikyo just earlier.
"To the room."
The girl slipped away from him and was gone in a flash. Eagerly, he hurried
after her. She didn't stumble once on the dark staircase and he mentally
congratulated her. He flicked the lights on when she didn't find it and ran to
push aside the game table, unlocking the door with practiced ease. She crawled
between his legs to get inside and he laughed, swatting her bottom.
"Woah, how long did this take?" she asked, still on her knees.
"A couple days," he said proudly, standing at her side. The bed was only a
full, and he had bought it himself at Ikea and put it together over the course
of eight hours, with many breaks and bursts of frustration included. He was a
little unsure as to whether or not the bed would hold the two of them as he had
a few parts leftover and it rocked from side to side when he crawled on it, but
there was no time to fix it now.
"Thank you," she murmured, kissing his thigh through his jeans. "I like the
bedspread."
"It reminded me of you," he admitted with a slight blush, feeling somehow
effeminate. The blanket was a light gray and embroidered with little silver and
white rosebuds.
"Thank you," she said again, rising to her feet. Her lips touched his face
softly, over and over, everywhere. "I love you so much."
The guilt came, even though he tried to rationalize his actions and forget. He
had washed himself after what he had done with Kikyo, but that wouldn't be
enough. He could never make it up to her. Why did she have to make things so
confusing all the time? He frowned as Kagome kissed the corner of his mouth. It
was so sweet and she was trying so hard. He should just be happy, forget it
all, and make sure she'd never find out, the latter being his number one
priority.
Kagome went to the bed and lay down on it, miraculously not making it creak or
rock. Slowly, she slipped out of her dress, looking at him like he was crazy
for not being on her already. Telling himself that not touching her would tip
her off that something was wrong, he crawled over her, allowing her to remove
his shirt while he unzipped his pants with one hand, kicking them off to the
side. The mood suddenly seemed very serious and he knew she felt it too. He
wanted to make it up to her, have her screaming and writhing and pleading while
he tortured her with his mouth. But that just felt so wrong. And he didn't
deserve the pleasure of seeing her like that.
She stroked him and he kissed her forehead, an apology and a promise that she
was ignorant of. They moved slow, and her climax was gentle, the look on her
face pleased but troubled. He had tried to lose himself in her and failed. That
had never happened before. She lay on his chest, staring at him as he stared at
the ceiling, and, to his alarm, burst into tears.
"I'm sorry," she whispered before he had even said anything. "I just love you
so much and I hate that we can't really be together normally. But I'm willing
to wait."
He sneered and sat up, not understanding his own anger. "If you were willing to
wait then you'd just ditch your stupid boyfriend."
"You know I can't do that!"
"Are you in love with him?"
Finally, he had said it. He had been afraid of something like that from the
start. After all, why wouldn't she love the boy? He was rich, attractive,
athletic, book smart, devoted to her, young, and human. And what did Inuyasha
have? Money, anger issues, and a wife who happened to be her mother.
Kagome screamed in frustration and slapped his thigh. "God, don't be an idiot!"
Drying her eyes with the back of her hands, she sniffled and attempted to
regain her composure. "Inuyasha, I love Mother but I am sleeping with you
because I love you so much more, more than anything and anyone, even myself. Do
you know what it's like for me to talk to her, look at her, be in the same room
with her and act like everything's okay? Sometimes…" She took a big, shuddering
breath and a few more tears escaped. "Sometimes I get so jealous that I don't
even recognize myself and I wish that she would justdie. Do you know what it's
like to be such a terrible person?"
Her big gray eyes were full of misery she had never before allowed him to see.
Her face, neck, and chest were bathed in her tears and he felt like the worst
being in existence. Taking her in his arms, he stroked his claws up and down
her back.
"Fuck, I'm so sorry. I never… I'm an ass."
Kagome removed herself from his arms and grabbed her dress from where it lay on
the floor. Dressing with her back to him, she stayed silent. Her shoulders were
high and tense and he was afraid to touch her.
"Just… Don't give up on me. Please, angel."
She said nothing and left the room, leaving him alone and naked with no company
save for the furniture and his discarded clothes.
Why was everything always so wrong?
***** It's Not Love, But It's Still a Feeling *****
*Song for the chapter: Because It's Not Love (But It's Still a Feeling) by The
Pipettes*
Note: It's like 10:30 PM on Friday where I am as I'm writing this, so I'm sorry
a lot of you won't read this on Friday where you are. I'm helping my Mom empty
out her old house, and there's no electricity or water or air conditioning or
internet or ANYTHING. D= She promised she'd have me back home at 4 in the
afternoon, then 4 turned into 6, then that turned into 8, and we only left the
house sometime after 9 PM. Just so you know, I posted this before showering.
You're welcome.
"Please, please, pleasepleasepleasePLEASE be nice, Inuyasha."
Said half-demon crossed his arms and harrumphed, turning his head away from
her. Kagome's eyes were doing that thing where they got all shiny and big and
pleading, and if he stared for too long, she'd get what she wanted, and that
was not going to happen this time. The girl sighed and straightened the collar
of his shirt, brushing off imaginary dust with the tips of her pale fingers.
"Whatever you do, don't start a fight. I need this night to go well."
He rolled his eyes. "I didn't even want to eat with that idiot. You're the one
who made me dress up and come down and now you want to change my personality?
No."
"It's just one dinner!" Kagome begged, placing one hand on either side of his
face and forcing him to look at her. "Please. Mother was the one who invited
him. Just please make it go smoothly."
He sighed. "I can't stand him. I can't stand knowing that he thinks you're
his."
She nodded in understanding and opened her mouth to say something when they
heard the tell-tale clickety-clack of Kikyo's high heels coming down the
stairs. Giving him a quick kiss before scurrying away, she walked to the
kitchen to take her spiral glazed ham out of the oven. Kagome had spent the
entire day cooking the meat and side dishes, something that was almost as bad
as seeing her kiss her stupid boyfriend. She never cooked like that for
Inuyasha. True, he preferred quantity over quality and she knew that and always
surpassed his expectations, but he would have liked an entire ham to himself
once in a while.
His wife sidled up to him and put her arm through his. He let her, even though
he hated when she would just act like nothing had happened and everything was
normal. Hearing the car in the drive-way, Inuyasha growled and bounded to the
door, not caring that Kikyo was looking at him like he was an animal. Truth be
told, he felt like one. An intruder was approaching, an enemy, someone who
wanted to take away what was rightfully his. If Kagome was not so attached to
the boy, he would have handled him like he had handled countless other rivals
in the old days: decapitation. Perhaps disembowelment. Definitely castration.
Kagome deserved more effort.
He yanked open the door just as Hojo was getting ready to ring the bell with
his shoulder. The boy was holding two bouquets, one of pink roses and baby's
breath and one of pure white calla lilies. Inuyasha sneered and was about to
comment on his unoriginality but then remembered he had also gotten Kagome
roses. There just weren't so many choices when you want to wow a girl. Glaring
at him determinedly, his chin stubbornly dimpled, the boy shouldered past him
and into the living room. Not wanting to make a scene this early in the
evening, Inuyasha let it go. After all, he had not only given Kagome roses, he
had fucked her on them. Smiling, he studied the boy's interactions with Kikyo.
Now that he knew he had someone gunning for him, he was becoming bold, and that
would be a problem.
"These are for you, Mrs. Taisho," Hojo said sweetly, his voice ringing with
schoolboy clarity as he handed Kikyo the lilies.
"Why, how nice of you, Hojo!" Kikyo said, delighted. "Kagome is a lucky girl.
Inuyasha hasn't gotten me flowers in over ten years."
Wisely, the boy chose not to comment on that and instead turned his attention
to his girlfriend, who was just now entering the room.
"Kagome, please accept this gift of my heart."
Blushingly, she did so, holding the roses close to her face and sniffing them.
"They're lovely, Hojo. Thank you." She turned to the adults and beckoned them
with the bouquet. "The food's all ready and the table is set, so we should go
eat while it's still hot."
Inuyasha glared at her, guessing correctly that she had hurried up the meal in
order to spend as little time as possible on conversation. She was probably
hoping he would be more amiable once he had food in him, but he was determined
to at least make the boy profoundly uncomfortable.
The group traveled to the kitchen and sat in their places at the round table,
Inuyasha making sure to sit right next to Hojo who was already next to Kikyo.
Meanwhile, Kagome took out a glass vase he didn't even know they had and filled
it with water, plunking the roses in. Arranging them to her liking, she smelled
them again, the soft color of the flowers complimenting her face and making her
skin glow entrancingly.
Inuyasha couldn't help himself. "I thought you prefer red roses, Kagome. Lots
and lots of red ones." The girl pointedly avoided looking at him and turned as
red as the flowers he had gotten her. He leaned back in his seat, somewhat
satisfied. "I'm hungry now. You promised us food, so where is it?"
Her hands gripping the dish hard until her knuckles turned white, Kagome set
the platter of ham down in the center of a table just a little more forceful
than necessary. She followed it with a bowl of mashed potatoes, a basket of
home-made yeast rolls, a bowl of peas and grilled onions, and a lidded gravy
boat full of the thick substance. Placing the crystal butter dish in the center
of the table along with the serving utensils, Kagome finally took her place at
the only seat left, the one in between Inuyasha and her mother.
Salivating at the feast laid before him, Inuyasha dunked a serving spoon into
the potatoes and piled them on his plate, followed by more than generous
portions of each available dish. He poured gravy over it all and began to cram
the food in his mouth indiscriminately. Soon, he realized that the only sounds
that could be heard were his own rather rude smacking noises, so he stilled his
movements and glanced around at the table's other occupants. Kagome was glaring
at him, Hojo had his head bowed and his hands folded, and Kikyo was staring at
the boy like he was tiny dog and she was a Beverly Hills socialite.
"Grace?" he sneered, careless of the gravy dribbling off his plate and onto the
white lace table cloth. "People still do that?"
The boy kept his head bowed for a few more moments, then raised it and crossed
himself, opening his eyes and looking at Inuyasha as though he were nothing
more than a particularly troublesome child that had the audacity to not even be
cute.
""This food is wonderful, Kagome!" the boy chirped, not even having touched it
yet. "I wish I could have your cooking every day of my life."
Kikyo and Kagome laughed, the former laying a hand on his shoulder. "Keep up
that behavior and you definitely might! You're a keeper, Hojo."
The teen laughed and spooned some peas into his mouth. "I certainly hope your
daughter feels the same way, ma'am."
The girl said nothing, instead picking at the potatoes on her plate with a look
of concentration. Inuyasha felt like reaching out and smacking the boy next to
him. He was practically proposing!
"I certainly hope she has some sense," Inuyasha mumbled.
The fork fell from Hojo's hands with a clatter and he whipped around to face
him, long repressed anger visible in his face, cheeks pink with frustration.
"Sir, I have been nothing but respectful and polite to you and your family, but
I can no longer tolerate this treatment. What is your problem with me? Tell me
so I can try and fix whatever it is."
Inuyasha glared at him, not liking being confronted in front of the women. "You
wanna know my problem? You're annoying. You're ridiculous. You're a fucking
idiot and you are not good enough for Kagome."
Silence reigned at the table and all eyes were on him. Finally, the boy
replied. "You have no say in what Kagome can or cannot do. You don't even know
her! You're not her real father. Heck, you weren't even in her life until not
even a year ago, and—"
Inuyasha was on his feet, holding Hojo by the throat with one hand. He
squeezed, relishing in the look of pure shock and fear on the boy's face.
"How dare you," he growled, bringing their faces close enough so that the boy
would breathe the air from his words. "How dare you come into my house and try
and tell me what to do." Inuyasha shook his prey, squeezing harder so the red
of his face turned almost purple. He heard his wife screaming and brushed it
aside. That didn't matter. Justice mattered. Punishment. The boy had had it
coming for far too long. He should have done this the minute he saw the idiot
on top of her all those months ago.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome's voice called out to him desperately and he felt her arms
around his waist, her face and body pressed against his back. There was
wetness: her tears were soaking through. He stopped squeezing but continued to
hold him. He didn't want her to cry. "Please put Hojo down, Inuyasha. Please.
I'm sorry. Please don't hurt him."
Dazedly, he did as she asked, her voice the only thing he could hear, her touch
all that he could feel. Couldn't she see that he just wanted her safe? That the
one who wasn't supposed to touch her had to be done away with in order to
restore her honor? Shaking his head, he dismissed the archaic thoughts, forcing
himself to step away from the gasping boy. Hojo was on his knees, his eyes
watering and his throat wheezing. His hand was on his forehead and he laughed,
the sound hoarse.
"I see how it is," he said, looking from Inuyasha to Kagome. "I see now."
He got up and stumbled out of the room.
"Hojo, wait!" screamed Kagome, her arms still around Inuyasha. She separated
and darted after him.
Inuyasha moved to follow her but was stopped by his angry wife. Kikyo slapped
him across the face, hissing in pain at the contact.
"You bastard," she hissed, her eyes filled with tears.
"Kikyo, I didn't…" he started, not sure how to explain what was now so obvious.
How would someone tell their wife they were in a relationship with her
daughter?
"I have never been so embarrassed in my life!" she shrieked.
"…What?"
"Hojo is a child of very important people, and as such he himself will become a
very important person. We're lucky he's interested in Kagome. With someone like
him in the family, Shikon would never fail."
Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did she not notice the intimate
way he and Kagome had been pressed against each other, that she had been the
only one to stop him from killing?
"Kikyo, you're a fucking idiot."
"If I'm an idiot, then there's no word for what you are," she said spitefully,
stomping up the stairs to her room like an angry pre-teen.
He ran outside. Hojo was standing with one hand on his open car door and Kagome
was holding the other, crying and apologizing. Spotting Inuyasha, the boy
yanked his hand away in disgust.
"Don't even touch me you-you-you—" Hojo shook his head, and anger turned to
tears. "How could you do this to me, Kagome? To your mother? I loved you!"
Kagome glanced at Inuyasha, unsure of how to respond. He stood by her side and
glared stonily at the boy. With what he knew, he might actually have to follow
through and kill him, no matter how much pain it would cause Kagome. He was
uncomfortable letting him live as it was.
Hojo gestured wildly between the two of them. "How could I not have seen it?! I
should have known. With the way he acted around you, about you. The way you
looked whenever you said his name. How? How could you?" His voice cracked at
the end.
Kagome was full on sobbing now, taking large, gasping breaths. She flung
herself at Hojo and threw her arms around him. The boy just stood there.
Inuyasha growled and pulled Kagome back to him, holding her in a backwards
embrace when she tried to struggle away. Giving up, she went slack and leaned
back into him and he savored the warm contact, especially in front of the other
teen.
"Hojo, I started to fall for Inuyasha before you and I even met. Every day is a
day I fall deeper in love with him. I tried to make it work with you, and I do
love you, just in a very different way. But I can't be who you want me to be,"
she said in a strained voice.
Hojo shook his head sadly, defeated. "I just wanted you to be you, Kagome." He
looked at her with a small smile, new tears glistening in his eyes. "But I
guess the person you really are belongs to someone else. I have to say this,
though. I am incredibly disappointed in you as a friend. You were the last
person I'd expect something like this from."
"We don't give a shit what you think, dirt bag. Now get the fuck off my
property," Inuyasha growled, no longer able to keep himself from getting
involved. The way Kagome had slumped in his arms when he had told her he was
disappointed in her had hurt him down to his very soul.
Hojo just sighed. "Take good care of her."
"Hojo, wait!"
The boy stopped halfway from closing his car door. Inuyasha wondered why Kagome
felt a need to delay the idiot's departure.
"You… You're not going to tell anyone, right?" Inuyasha couldn't see her face,
but he knew she was doing that thing with her eyes. If Hojo was any kind of man
at all, he'd be a puddle at her feet.
His face went hard, but he shook his head. "You're the one the truth needs to
come from, not me. That responsibility is on your shoulders."
And then he drove off.
Kagome turned in his arms and cried into his chest, big hiccupping sobs racking
her body and making him hold her tighter, afraid she was hurting herself
somehow. Gently, he rocked her back and forth, the movement feeling natural. He
may have missed out on most of her life, but he could be her father now. He
could be her everything.
"Did he leave?"
Inuyasha went still, as did Kagome. How had Kikyo come outside without him
hearing?
He turned to face her, keeping Kagome's face pressed into his chest since she
still needed comfort. Kikyo's face was concerned, but not for her daughter. She
was squinting into the darkness of the driveway, looking for some sign of Hojo.
"Do you think he'll sue?" she whispered, dread showing on her face.
He rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Kikyo."
He walked past his wife's stunned form, his arm around Kagome, who was shaking
lightly. Silently, he took her to her room, his concern magnifying when she
walked in a daze, her swollen eyes staring at nothing. He wanted to kiss her
and make her feel better, but Kikyo had followed him and was standing in the
doorway. Gently, he sat Kagome down on her bed, trying his utmost to treat her
like the delicate being she was in order to make up for what he had done.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, ghosting a kiss across her forehead.
"No you're not," she sighed wearily, a few more tears escaping.
He kissed her forehead again and left, closing her door softly behind him.
There was nothing more he could do with Kikyo standing right there, witnessing
everything. Hardly was his hand off the doorknob than his wife started in on
him.
"How dare you tell me to shut up!" she hissed, apparently trying to keep her
voice down.
"Shut up, Kikyo," he said again. It was fun to say, and he couldn't believe he
hadn't done it more often.
"This is not the way a man treats the woman he loves!"
Inuyasha laughed. "You're damn fucking right." Kikyo's mouth dropped open in
shock and he continued. "You're always so fucking concerned about yourself, and
that's okay up to a point, but your daughter is suffering, Kikyo. If you won't
pay attention to her, then I will."
Kikyo's eyes narrowed and the corners of her mouth turned down. "I don't like
you spending so much time with Kagome."
So she had noticed something was off. "I don't give a fuck, Kikyo, so fuck off.
Just because you look like you could be my mother doesn't mean you can act like
you are."
The tears were instant and Kikyo gasped, turning and fleeing to her room with
the back of her hand pressed to her mouth, keeping in her sobs. Inuyasha
retreated to his room and slammed the door. He wanted to go and be with Kagome,
but how could he be in her presence when he felt like the world's biggest
failure?
***** Too True to Be Good *****
*Song for the Chapter: Too True to Be Good by the Dum Dum Girls*
The next morning, Kikyo refused to come out of her room, even when he knocked
tentatively, so unlike his usual way, not saying anything. Kagome refused to
even look at him, even though he was in her room with the door open and laying
on the bed, something she would have completely freaked out about and yelled at
him for just yesterday due to the fact that her mother was around. She brushed
her hair in quick strokes, angrily yanking on it and not making eye contact
with him in the mirror.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.
"What are you so mad about, anyway?" he asked, startled when she let out a
scream of frustration and threw the hairbrush at his head.
"I know that you never really had friends, Inuyasha, and I get that, I really
do. But I thought that even you could understand how important they are to a
person! Hojo was my first friend," she explained with restraint, clenching her
fists.
Inuyasha matched her glare. "I thought I was your first friend. Your best
friend."
She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."
Sitting up, he stretched and popped his neck. "Since that boy won't be picking
you up anymore, I should take you."
Kagome laughed miserably and threw her hands up in exasperation. "Fine! You
know what, if you're so desperate to get caught, let's do it. Who cares
anymore."
Inuyasha didn't like her tone, but she was already running out of the room and
down the stairs, so he just groaned and followed her. He was not in the mood
for any of her whining when he was still feeling like shit for what he had said
to Kikyo. At least one problem was out of his way. Now that Kagome didn't have
that idiot hanging around her all the time, she'd be at home more often and the
guilt wouldn't weigh down her shoulders. She was getting more irritable every
day since they had gotten back together, and he couldn't understand it. Didn't
she love him?
When he got outside, Kagome was seated in the passenger seat, angrily tapping
her fingers on her knee. Smiling, he sat beside her. He'd make sure she
wouldn't dwell too long on the night before. Eventually, she'd even forget the
boy's name and Inuyasha would be the only name that held any meaning for her.
The ride was short, with him speeding so they could get there early. Arriving
twenty minutes before the bell, he stopped Kagome as she tried to leave and
pulled her into his lap, giving her a deep, heated kiss. After a few seconds,
she stopped trying to push him away and clung to his shoulders, making those
little sounds he loved so very much. An idea formed in his head and he quickly
pulled a lever and the back of the seat went down, surprising Kagome and making
her squeak. Now laying almost flat, Inuyasha caressed her ass and grabbed it,
pulling her from his lap and up his chest until she was kneeling somewhat
uncomfortably over his face.
"No!" Kagome pleaded, trying to squirm away unsuccessfully.
Inuyasha had been trying to get her into this position for quite a while, but
she always blushed, embarrassed, and told him it was weird. He suspected she
was afraid of his fangs, although why only in this position he didn't know. If
that was the case, it didn't bother him, since it would finally be a sign of
her showing some sense when it came to something dangerous. Spanking her once,
hard, she obeyed and stopped squirming, groaning a bit in a sort of dread as he
pushed the crotch of her panties aside and brought her down on him.
"Oh god, Inuyasha, why? You can't possibly enjoy this," she moaned, his hands
moving her hips in small circles as he darted his tongue inside her.
Raising her so he could speak, he said hoarsely, "Play with your tits, Kagome.
I just want to see you feel good."
She hesitated, but when he gently kissed her clit, she let out a cry and nearly
tore the front of her school blouse open in her haste, pulling down the cups of
her bra and pinching her nipples until they were as red as cherries. The view
from below was exquisite, and Inuyasha moaned into her. Soon, he was just
caressing her globes and she was riding his face all on her own, panting and
gasping as they worked together to make her cum. When he was so hard he
couldn't take it anymore, he gave one hard lick and she wailed her release,
holding him by the hair and keeping him close to her, so close he couldn't
breathe for a time. When she calmed down, he pulled her back into his lap and
she licked her essence from his face, lazily flicking her tongue against his as
he did the same. When his face was shining more with saliva than the evidence
of her orgasm, she turned their tongue dance into a hard kiss and ground
herself into him. The crotch of her panties was soaked through and he could
feel her moistness on his pants as her hard nipples poked into his chest.
"Ride me again," he commanded, and she nodded, happily freeing his erection
from his pants and lowering herself right on it. He palmed her breasts in his
hands and rolled her nipples and Kagome leaned down so he could take one in his
mouth as he was dying to do. They were gentle at first, just rocking together
as he contentedly suckled at her breasts, but the pressure built up in both of
them and soon Kagome sat straight up and began to bounce furiously, her brow
furrowed in concentration and her cloud soft tits moving in tandem. Inuyasha
wondered why this time felt so different from all the others. What had changed?
Was she still mad?
With that thought in his mind, he grabbed her hips and prevented her from
moving. He was suffering, but he could outlast her. She opened her eyes and
glared at him angrily, trying to force movement, squeezing him with her inner
muscles. He tried to keep his face from showing how absolutely crazy she was
making him.
"Forgive me," he demanded.
He was not expecting the slap to his face and especially not his subsequent
jolt in arousal.
"Fuck you!" she screamed, her eyes filling with angry tears. Inuyasha's mouth
dropped open at her use of the f-word. She was genuinely angry, this wasn't any
kind of sex game. Again, she tried to force her hips to move, and he responded
by pinching her bottom sharply. It was certainly going to leave a bruise.
"Forgive me!" Now he was angry as well.
"You don't even know what you did wrong, do you?!" she said bitterly.
"All I know is that this doesn't feel right when you're mad. So get over
yourself and forgive me," he repeated.
A few tears trekked down her cheeks and she let out a sob. "Alright, Inuyasha,
fine. I can't fight you anymore. I have no one else but you."
He briefly wondered why she sounded so forlorn about the last part, but let it
go. She began to move again and he let her. It still didn't feel right, and the
tears that rapidly coursed down her cheeks confused him, but she was almost
there and he felt like he was going to explode. She sped up and he raised a
hand to grab at her breast, tweaking it just so and then she came hard around
him and he shouted out his orgasm. Kagome collapsed down onto him and he held
her, trailing his claws up and down her back.
"You're so immature," she murmured, her breath barely stirring his hair. "Why
can't you just say sorry?"
"Didn't stop you from finishing," he grumbled back sleepily. "And I'm not
sorry. I don't like to lie to you."
"Do you ever feel guilty?" she asked, raising herself so that they were eye to
eye.
"'Bout what?"
"Fucking your step-daughter."
"Stop cursing," he said sharply.
"Then answer the question."
He rolled his eyes. "No. At the beginning, yeah, but not anymore. I only care
what you think, what you feel. No one else matters. If they get hurt, if they
get mad, that's their problem and I don't care."
Kagome sighed and looked away, one of the sides of her mouth quirking up in a
smirk that reminded him so strongly of himself for a moment that he nearly
mentioned it.
"I wish I could be like you."
"You're more like me than you think," he joked uneasily, his eyes roaming her
face and naked body in search of more similarities.
"I'm ten minutes late," she complained, making no move to leave.
"Better absent than tardy," he said, laughing when she glared at him weakly.
"How am I going to clean up?"
"Don't. Stay here with me," he said softly, drifting off.
"You want to just stay in the school parking lot all day?" she asked, amused,
yanking his ear so he'd wake up.
"Ow! And yeah. Or not. We could go anywhere. How about a hotel?"
She seemed to consider it, then slowly shook her head. "No, I have to go to
school. We can't just lose sight of everything, Inuyasha. Appearing in public
together, at a hotel no less, would ruin everything. I don't want to ruin your
life."
He sighed, disappointed even though he had been expecting just that reaction.
"Fine. Use your underwear and clean up then drop it in a bush or something. Or
give it to me."
She laughed. He had told Kagome ages ago that he kept certain pairs of her
underwear in plastic bags to sniff when he got lonely. "That is still so
incredibly creepy. And do you expect me to just go commando all day? This skirt
is super short."
The thought of Kagome walking around pantyless aroused him, but the thought of
a sudden breeze exposing her to every male and arousing them and perhaps
embarrassing her made him angry. He was conflicted.
"How about we just run back to the house and you can change and stuff?"
"That'll take too much time!"
"You got a better idea?"
She sighed and shook her head. "Let's hurry, then."
They kissed and she abandoned his lap for the passenger seat. When they got to
the house, there was a car he did not recognize in the driveway. Kagome noticed
it too and looked at him questioningly. He shrugged in response.
"I'll go in and get you some fresh clothes. Be right back," he said, giving her
a peck on the lips.
He heard Kikyo talking to a man before he went inside and he walked quickly,
wondering if she had gotten back with Suikotsu. Instead, he was enraged to see
Onigumo himself sitting in his own favorite chair in the living room, chatting
pleasantly with his wife, who looked up at him triumphantly. He looked just as
he had all those years ago, only his skin was pale and his eyes were red. He
wore expensive clothing, had the same effeminate mannerisms which shockingly
offset the aura of power that had only grown, and looked to be in his late
thirties. Inuyasha stood in shock, gaping at the scene. He was startled out of
his stupor when Onigumo raised a hand and chuckled.
"Wait, Inuyasha. I know you want to kill me where I stand, er, sit, but I was
formally invited here by your lovely wife."
Inuyasha glared at Kikyo, her betrayal coming back full-force. It was even
worse now, especially after what that bastard did to Kagome.
"Kikyo, what the fuck?!"
Onigumo continued as though he hadn't said anything, his voice flat and
pleasant. "It's about time, too. I was doing all I could to lure you out, but
you've been ignoring me. What exactly is it that's so interesting you can't
spare even a second of your time for an old rival?" he asked with a knowing
glint in his red eyes.
Inuyasha was still angry at Kikyo and continued to glare at her. He decided it
would be best if he took a seat. If Onigumo was in his house, there was
probably a reason.
"Will somebody tell me what the fuck this is all about?" he said, making no
attempts at sounding polite.
Kikyo coughed daintily and fixed her eyes on him. "Onigumo, wanting to keep
both our names out of a media scandal, has been trying to gain custody of
Kagome for years, but I refused to even see him. His latest attempt was the
near sabotage of Shikon and that bit of mischief with Tetsusaiga."
Inuyasha crossed his arms to avoid sinking his claws into her flesh. "So he had
a gang fucking kidnap Kagome and torture her? And why the fuck does he even
want custody?!"
Onigumo rolled his eyes and Kikyo seemed to be suppressing the same urge.
"Because I'm her father, you nitwit. And I knew nothing of her kidnapping. Even
if I did, you murdered your only evidence."
Shooting to his feet, Inuyasha slammed both hands down on the coffee table,
feeling somewhat satisfied when they both flinched.
"No you're fucking not. She looks nothing like you! She's not even close to
being like you," he growled, something in him struggling to get out and fight.
Onigumo merely raised an eyebrow and uncrossed his legs. "Oh, did you think she
was yours, then?"
His face flushed and he broke eye contact. "No," he mumbled, just in case
Onigumo had told Kikyo what he knew about her husband and her daughter.
"Well, I'm completely certain she's mine. She has my mother's chin. And
besides, Kikyo and I never used condoms, did we babe?" he said with a smile,
looking at Kikyo who smiled back. His eyes turned back to Inuyasha. "Kikyo has
not only agreed to let me see Kagome, but I'll be getting full custody from now
on. Your wife has informed me of her current, er, situation, with the cancer
and the dying and all, and she says she wants to spend her last days with you
and right her wrongs concerning Kagome and I."
The speech was similar to what Kikyo had told him that first day in his office.
His knees felt weak.
"And what about Kagome?" he croaked. "What about what she wants, huh? Does she
even get a say in this?"
"No," Kikyo and Onigumo said as one.
"Kagome's essentials have already been packed," Kikyo said quietly, looking
down at her hands with a small smile on her face. "I was going to tell the two
of you this morning, but you had already left."
Feeling desperate, Inuyasha shouted, "And what about me?! What if I want Kagome
here?"
Onigumo snorted. "You have as much say as Kagome does. This decision was made
by adults. A child and an old man in the body of a child have no say in this."
The front door opened and Kagome entered, flanked by two large men in suits.
She looked questioningly at him and then at Kikyo.
"What's going on?" she asked, her brow furrowing and her eyes blinking prettily
in her confusion. Inuyasha wanted to grab her and run.
Kikyo, without looking at her daughter, gestured vaguely to the man next to
her.
"This is Onigumo."
The formidable man rose to his feet at the same time Kagome gasped and tried to
dart away, prevented by the broad shoulders of what he now knew were Onigumo's
paid guards. Slowly, he approached her, seeming to take pleasure in her wide-
eyed trembling fear, and embraced her, clasping her to his chest in a mockery
of a parental embrace, patting her back.
"This isn't exactly how I pictured our first meeting, Kagome, but I'm glad to
finally see you in the flesh, daughter."
Kagome rose to her tiptoes in order to glance pleadingly over Onigumo's
shoulder at Kikyo and Inuyasha, her arms imprisoned against her sides.
"Your father and I have decided that late is better than never. You'll be
living with him for a while," Kikyo explained, something in her voice grating
on Inuyasha's nerves and bringing tears to Kagome's eyes.
Kagome's tears were like a knife to his gut. With frantic movements, she
disentangled herself from the long-lasting embrace and ran toward their side of
the room.
"Please, please, no. No! Inuyasha, don't let them do this to me, please! Don't
let them take me!"
Inuyasha moved to go toward her, his body reacting to the urgings of his soul,
but Kikyo grabbed his sleeve and tugged him hard enough to let him know that
would not be acceptable.
"Inuyasha has no say in this. Now say goodbye, Kagome. Stop crying, no one
wants to see a woman cry."
Kagome flung herself at Inuyasha, ignoring her mother's attempts to pull them
apart. She held him tighter than she ever had before, even when they were one,
and he held her just as tight, part of him still in disbelief.
"Don't let them take me away," she sobbed, her hands tangling in his hair and
her face jammed between his shoulder and neck. She was crying like a little
child and there was nothing he could do.
"We'll see each other again," he whispered, hoping she could hear him over the
sound of her tears.
She looked up in shock at the sound of his defeated voice. He saw everything in
her eyes. Kagome had truly believed he could do anything, that he was her hero,
and he had let her down. The sound of her heart breaking was almost audible.
"That's enough," Onigumo said in a bored voice, gesturing to one of his guards.
The tall, square-ish man plucked a now hysterical Kagome out of Inuyasha's
arms, and he himself gently disentangled her fingers from his hair, feeling
like he was sending a lamb off to slaughter. It was hard for him to keep his
eyes dry and he knew he was going to have a hell of a time as long as she was
gone. Even breathing felt weird when she wasn't sharing the air.
"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed his name until she was shoved in a car
and he couldn't see her anymore.
Kikyo walked past him and stood beside the car, waving in a more chipper
fashion than he had ever seen from her before, like she had just won a beauty
pageant in a small town and was now in a parade going up and down main street
in a goddamn pick-up truck.
Onigumo smiled wide and stuck his hand in Inuyasha's face, forcing him to meet
his eyes. Inuyasha just glared, imagining all the ways he'd make him pay for
taking Kagome away from him. Onigumo just laughed at his expression and put his
hand down.
"It was a good thing you didn't actually try to keep her here, dog. What, tired
of her already? You even try and get her back and Kikyo will get all those nice
pics of you and our precious little girl. Of course, every tabloid and news
agency will as well. I am a thorough man, after all."
Inuyasha growled, barely stopping himself from tearing the red-eyed man apart
limb from limb. If he were not so powerful, he would have without even a shred
of remorse. But he had certainly made arrangements in the case of his untimely
demise by Inuyasha's hand, and the thought of what would happen to Kagome in
that case made his stomach lurch.
"Why?" he asked, wincing when his desperation showed. "Why do you want Kagome
so badly?"
Onigumo shrugged, somewhat surprised at the question.
"She's my kid and I'm bored. It doesn't sit well with me when someone takes
something of mine, even if that something is half theirs. I told that to Kikyo
at the very beginning, but she insisted on being a bitch about the whole thing.
Well, bye, old friend. Been a real pleasure. Enjoy your dying wife! Haha, boy,
did I dodge a bullet there."
Onigumo left his house with a loud laugh and went outside, taking his aviators
from where they rested on his collar and putting them back on. He gave Kikyo a
kiss on the cheek and a pat on the back and entered the luxury vehicle,
allowing Inuyasha to hear Kagome sob his name one last time before the door
slammed and they were gone.
***** Wasn't It a Strange Way Down *****
*Song for the chapter: Dress Rehearsal Rag by Leonard Cohen*
Inuyasha sat at his desk, staring at the blurred image of its surface. Was it
tears this time or just exhaustion? He wasn't sure. Sleeping was done fitfully,
and he hadn't had any for the past week. It had been three months in total
since Onigumo had taken Kagome away. Every day without her just made it all so
much worse. At first, he had gotten over the blow of sadness life had dealt him
and hired several men to track Kagome down and find Onigumo's home. None of
them came back. Inuyasha wished he had just gone after her as soon as she had
been taken, followed the car, stealthily hiding in the woods and eventually
taking them by surprise. But he was smart enough to know that Onigumo hadn't
come unprepared. Just because he hadn't seen any specific weapons made to
target demons didn't mean the bodyguards didn't have any. In all likelihood, he
had avoided a trap. He hadn't spoken to Kikyo since, and she had given up
trying to get through to him after the first few weeks. His arm felt like lead
as he pressed the red button that paged his secretary and assistant into his
office.
Myoga sighed wearily as he entered the room.
"Yes, Master Inuyasha?"
"Reconsider," was all he said, bitterly glaring at the flea demon with all the
energy he had left in him.
"I already told you no, sir."
"Then you're fired!" he shouted, throwing a stack of papers at him and missing
by about a foot. Grief and exhaustion were making him sloppy.
His assistant just sighed again and bent down to gather up the important
documents.
"Master Inuyasha, I have explained this to you. I serve not only you, but your
family line. The Higurashi girl is too much trouble. Onigumo is a very powerful
man. It would be best to just forgive this and live happily with the woman you
already have. What is it the humans say? If you can't love the one you want,
love the one you're with?"
Inuyasha laughed harshly between clenched teeth, his claws digging into the
wood of his expensive desk that he had used for over two-hundred years.
"If you serve my bloodline, then you serve Kagome as well, flea. She is my
daughter."
"That is not possible, Master Inuyasha," Myoga said sadly, shaking his head. "I
would have smelled it. You would have sensed it andsmelled it. And Onigumo
would know if she wasn't his. He is a half-demon as well."
"An artificially made one," Inuyasha pointed out. "His senses wouldn't be like
a genuine half-demon's. And I can feel that Kagome is mine. She's mine in every
way. She even bears a resemblance to my human form!"
"Wishful thinking."
"What kind of sick bastard would I be if I wished the love of my life was my
daughter?!" Inuyasha cried, admitting only to himself that it was true.
Myoga finished with the papers and set them in a nice stack on Inuyasha's
otherwise messy desk.
"I'm sorry, Master Inuyasha, but I cannot allow myself to assist you on your
journey towards self-destruction." Myoga bowed his way out.
Inuyasha hit his head on the desk so hard he left a crack in it. There was no
way to get her back if he was alone. He possessed enough self-awareness to know
that. There had always been someone to do something for him, someone to pay to
make the bad guys go away when he couldn't do it himself. He lacked the
necessary planning, patience, intelligence, and coolness to carry out the
operation successfully. He needed a partner.
"Hey, Mr. Taisho. Myoga let me in. You've been ignoring my calls for almost a
year now, so I decided to drop by and discuss your financial—"
"Miroku!" Inuyasha shouted, interrupting and startling his pervert accountant.
It was like a light bulb went on over his head. Miroku Houshi was closest thing
he had to an actual friend. Granted, he ignored him most of the time, but
still. He was of the old school belief that a boss shouldn't be a pal to his
employees. Then they'd just get all soft and feely and want dental benefits and
crap. He didn't get rich by handing out healthcare willy-nilly like some kind
of bleeding heart idiot. Miroku was an accountant, so he had to be smart, and
during his interview he had childishly tried to impress Inuyasha by telling him
he was a black belt in some kind of martial art, he'd even gotten up and
demonstrated a few moves for him, so Inuyasha knew he'd be a good fighter.
"Er, sir, why are you staring at me like that?" Miroku asked uneasily, glancing
back at the door before looking back at him.
Inuyasha smiled, feeling the happiest he had since he had last been with
Kagome.
"Miroku, how'd you like to hang out tonight? Just you and me?"
The look on Miroku's face almost made him want to take it back. The nerd's
expression lit up and he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose
excitedly, probably salivating as he thought about all the Star Trek episodes
he could force Inuyasha to sit through.
"Definitely! But I think you should know, that although I do not and never will
judge you and your preferences, I am strictly women only, so don't be expecting
too much of me."
"That's not what I mean, you fucking pervert," Inuyasha barked as he got to his
feet. "I need your help."
"With what?"
O/\o/\O
"Inuyasha, I really don't think this is a good idea," Miroku whispered, pushing
his glasses up the bridge of his nose again, the beads of sweat that covered it
immediately making them slide down again.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Just this one time, couldn't he have worn fucking
contacts? He glanced over at his "partner" and fought the urge to punch him in
the face. Miroku was wearing what appeared to be a leather jumpsuit made for a
woman. Why he owned that, Inuyasha didn't want to know.
"Shut the fuck up," he hissed as he used his claws to carefully cut a hole in
the window large enough for him to pass through. He felt like goddamned Cat
Woman. At least he wasn't in a leather jumpsuit. Black jeans and a black t-
shirt were good enough for him.
"It's just, what makes you think Onigumo will be keeping what he took from you
in his office? What about his home?"
"I can't find his home," Inuyasha growled, sweating with restraint. It was all
he could do to not just punch through the window, but that would certainly set
off some sort of alarm and he didn't need that. "So I started thinking. What if
he doesn't have one?"
After a small pause, Miroku said, "Inuyasha, with all respect, that's
incredibly fucking stupid."
"You don't understand. Nobody has ever seen him leave the building for anything
other than meetings at other businesses and meals. I've had people watching him
for months. It was only when I told them to try and get close that they didn't
come back."
"That just sounds like he has a private exit and entrance somewhere. I mean,
the guy's a multi-billionaire, he's gotta have at least a couple homes in
swanky locations."
"Once again," Inuyasha said as he delicately used the tips of his claws to get
the severed pane of glass away from the window and outside, "shut the fuck up.
Hurry and get inside, and keep your fucking ski mask on."
Miroku kept the mask pushed up on the top of his head and Inuyasha didn't
insist again. If he wanted to go to prison, that was his right. As for him,
he'd make sure he was never affiliated with his nerd accountant. If they were
caught, he'd bust out and all records of Miroku's employment would vanish. He'd
even applied a temporary tattoo so that the cops who looked at the surveillance
footage would be searching for someone with a barbed wire design on their left
arm.
Inuyasha immediately knew he was on to something when he smelled her, sensed
her. She was here, or had been recently. Kagome was close. He turned to tell
Miroku, but was shocked to see someone he hadn't ever expected to see again
standing next to his partner in crime.
"Sango?!"
***** The Killing Type *****
*Song for the chapter: The Killing Type by Amanda Palmer and The Grand Theft
Orchestra*
Sango smirked at him and tossed a gun to his accountant, who caught it with
hardly a fumble and moved confidently to her side. The athletic woman flashed
the reedy man a grin and blew him a kiss.
"Good job, Miroku."
"Anything for you, lover."
Inuyasha could not process what had just occurred. He had not even thought of
Sango after he had sent her that last check while she was recovering in the
hospital. It seemed as though everyone knew what was going on in his life but
him, and that was definitely unacceptable.
"What the fuck is going on?!" he finally asked.
His daughter's former bodyguard turned to glare at him, pulling the trigger of
her weapon and shooting him right in the kneecap. Due to the shock and surprise
of the moment, he was not able to withhold his cry of pain.
"Revenge, Mr. Taisho," she said in her low yet slightly nasally voice, smiling
cruelly.
He grit his teeth against the pain. "You're working for Onigumo, aren't you?"
Sango smirked and twirled her gun flashily. "From the very beginning."
"You fucker! You fucking cunt! What have you done with Kagome?! I know the
bastard's not treating her right."
"He's treating her better than you did. At least she's not being raped on a
daily basis."
"It wasn't like that!" he screamed, beginning to feel woozy. Why couldn't he
move? Slowly, he turned to Miroku. "And what the fuck do you have to do with
this?"
His employee shrugged and smiled dreamily. "Sorry, boss. I'm in love."
Inuyasha tried to laugh, but it came out more like a grunt. "You really think
she gives a shit about you, you dumbass? She's using you."
Miroku scowled, raising his gun to shoot, and before Inuyasha could react, he
felt a searing pain in his shoulder.
"You don't know anything."
He clenched his teeth in pain. "Then fuckingexplain."
Sango walked right up to him and clapped him hard on his wounded shoulder.
"I suppose I could tell you on the way to Onigumo," she said cheerily.
Inuyasha fell to his knees, pretending to be weaker than he really was,
although he was feeling incredibly drained. It wasn't from mere blood loss, as
he had lost much more blood before and had not been bothered by it. He deduced
that the bullets had been treated with some kind of poison. There was still
some energy left in him, but his body was hard to control and he was sweating
like a college mascot at half-time. His vision was beginning to dim around the
edges and the only thing keeping him conscious was the knowledge that Kagome
was near. If he could just make it until he saw her, everything would be
alright. Everything.
Sango grabbed one of his arms and Miroku the other, neither of them attempting
to be gentle. The tall woman was practically skipping along in her eagerness.
"Well, Mr. Taisho, this all started when my little brother, Kohaku, went
missing," she began, her fingers squeezing his blood-covered arm harder and her
voice becoming tight. "I was absolutely devastated and the police were no help,
of course. You know how they are. My father had trained us at an early age, and
my skills helped me find a trail, which led to the infamous Band of Seven.
Imagine my surprise when I found out my baby brother was being used as some
pedophilic, gender-confused assassin's whore. And you know what the kicker was?
He didn't want to leave. He told me he had fallen in love with that bastard
Jakotsu. Those evil fucks tortured him and brainwashed him. He was barely
thirteen," she sighed, her tough persona faltering for just a second before
coming back full-force. "I fought as best as I could, but they were too much
for me. They took me to the man who paid the bills, apparently because they
were impressed by my skills, and Onigumo told me that if I worked for him for a
year, I would get my brother back and he would never be around those bastards
again. Of course, I accepted."
Sango shouldered open a metal door and dropped him inside, kicking him harshly
when he didn't fall the way she wanted him to. His vision was completely
blurred and dimmed and his body felt like it was floating. Only his hearing was
virtually unimpaired.
Sango wiped her bloody hands on her black jeans and looked down at him with an
air of detached disgust. "He told me to interview for a bodyguard position at
Tetsusaiga. Something like that would have been a dream job before what
happened to Kohaku happened. I knew I had to make a good first impression, and
when the pervert copped a feel, I saw my chance and took it."
"You… lied. Kagome. She—liked you," he gasped from the floor, his chest feeling
heavy.
Sango kicked him again, this time in the gut. He could barely feel it and that
frightened him more than anything he had experienced thus far in the evening.
"Kagome reminded me of Kohaku, and knowing she was going through that same
torture every day made protecting her much easier. Monsters like you swoop in
and destroy every bit of innocence you see. I love her like a sister,
especially now that she's all I have left," she said, her voice rising steadily
in volume until she stopped suddenly. He could not smell it, but he knew she
was crying.
"After I was injured," she continued, her voice thick, "Onigumo took me out of
commission. I had failed. Now I could never get Kohaku back. All because of
your jealous fucking wife. Then Onigumo finally took my advice and decided he
shouldn't leave his daughter with a robot and a rapist. The only mistake he
made was using the Band of Seven to take her. And then you found her, your
precious little girl, and you killed all seven men in the house." Sango leaned
down and grabbed him by the hair, forcing him to look at the dark blur that was
her. He could barely make out the fuzziest outline of her face, but somehow her
rage-filled eyes were clear. "Or should I say six men and one boy. Suikotsu,
the middle brother, left because his married girlfriend was lonely and wanted
some hot birthday sex. He was the only one who made it out alive. My brother
was there, and you killed him. You decapitated an innocent, tortured child in
order to get back the innocent child you loved to torture. Can you even
comprehend how fucking sick you are?!" she finished with a shrill scream,
kneeing him in the face. He heard but did not feel his nose break. "And now
you're going to die. Onigumo has finally come to the conclusion that what you
did to his daughter was unforgivable. My only regret is that he gets to do the
honors himself."
There was moisture on his face and he knew she had spit on him. He gasped for
breath, his throat feeling tight.
"Kagome," he croaked to the blur above him. "Where…Kagome…"
"Your princess is in another castle, moron," she sneered. "The king, however,
should be arriving any time now."
Despite his best efforts, he flickered in and out of consciousness, not knowing
if he was dreaming or hallucinating or dead. Inuyasha only began to feel his
strength return, just a bit, when he heard Miroku open the door and murmur a
respectful greeting. Inuyasha tried to force his eyes to open wider and blinked
rapidly, wanting to see. It worked, although everything was still blurry.
Kagome's scent was fresh. She had been in or around the building less than
fifteen minutes ago. Sango was either lying or Onigumo had someone work some
kind of magic just to fool him. The more he thought, the more hopeless he felt.
Onigumo cracked his knuckles and sighed with faux weariness. "I wanted to do
this the human way, but the brat is waiting in the car so I've got to make this
quick."
Tentacles, seemingly formed from the shadows in the room, grew from Onigumo's
body and shot towards Inuyasha where he lay on the floor, defenseless. Time
seemed to slow. Kagome was in a car, just right outside the building. She would
never know what had happened to him, how he had only wanted to get her back. If
he could just get to the car, get to her, everything would be alright. But he
couldn't get to her. He was going to die. Suddenly, he felt his heart beat, he
could even hearit, a harder pump than ever before, and he could move. But his
thoughts… they were different. He wanted blood. Sango and Miroku were no longer
people, but walking, talking meat-stuffed skin bags. His fingers itched to
burrow into their flesh and rip muscle from bone. He would paint the walls with
their blood. But first, he needed to eliminate the main threat, the half-demon
with the tentacles of darkness. Inuyasha had never wanted anything more in his
life than he wanted to kill that man.
So he did.
He pounced, and the surprise in Onigumo's expression was short-lived. His face
was the first to go, landing in shreds on the richly carpeted floor. Inuyasha
made small but deep cuts on the rest of his body, ignoring the annoying screams
coming from his current prey and the two that would be next. He felt small,
fiery bites of pain in his back but ignored those as well. The kill was more
important. His victim made a last ditch effort to save himself and plunged his
tentacles into Inuyasha's chest. Unfortunately for Onigumo, he missed his
enemy's heart. It was probably difficult to hit the target without having eyes
to see. Growing bored, Inuyasha decided to stop playing and ripped the last of
the man's skin off and plunged his hand into his ribcage, removing the other
half-demon's heart and squeezing it, puncturing the still-beating organ with
his claws. He dropped it and licked the blood and stringy flesh from his hands.
Now on to the other two.
The man and woman had not attempted to escape, nor could they have as he was
blocking the door, instead cowering together on the floor, the most primitive
part of their minds telling them to curl up and will it all away. Slowly and
menacingly, he stepped towards them, relishing in their fear as he tried to
think of fun ways to disembowel them. The woman scrambled into the man's lap
and pressed her lips fiercely to his, their tears mingling and becoming one.
The scene made him sneer at their ridiculous emotions, but then a face came to
mind. He had held a woman like that once. There had been no attacker, but they
too spent each moment as though it would be their last. Who was she? The woman,
still on the man's lap, opened her mouth and said something. The only word that
made any sense to him in her short, panicked sentence was "Kagome".
Kagome. The name went with the face. The lust for lifeblood cleared and he
could think again. Whatever had happened had healed him somewhat, and he could
at least see more or less clearly and walk on his own.
"Take me to her," he said, surprised at his scratchy, deeper voice.
Mutely, Sango nodded, rising to her feet cautiously. She helped Miroku up, who
was looking at him as though he'd never seen him before.
"Walk in front of me."
Miroku started to protest, but Sango cut him off with a look, obediently
stepping over the scattered remains of her employer and going out the door. Her
boy toy followed hurriedly, not wanting to be close to Inuyasha. He sighed and
tagged along. The trip was relatively short, considering that the parking
garage was right next to the building. Sango walked straight ahead, shoulders
straight, and Miroku kept glancing back at him. It annoyed him so much that the
next time he did it, he bared his teeth, holding back a laugh when his former
employee stumbled straight into his girlfriend, nearly knocking her over. The
proud, frustrated woman slapped him in retribution.
The door to a sleek black car opened and out popped Kagome, alive and well. She
squinted at him, as though she thought her eyes were deceiving her, and then
ran the few feet to him, flinging herself into his arms. Apparently he was
weaker than he thought, and he went down like a ton of bricks, but that didn't
matter. All that mattered was the girl who was crying into his shoulder.
"Oh, Inuyasha, I thought I'd never see you again! He said I never would."
"Well, then he lied. You should have known I wouldn't let you get away from me,
Kagome," he murmured, so full of feeling he could barely move.
Her gray eyes bored into his and he couldn't breathe.
"I waited for months and you never showed up. I thought… I thought you didn't
love me anymore," she finished in a whisper, looking down and away from him in
shame.
He was about to show her exactly how much he did love and want her when
movement caught his eye.
"If you two try to run, then I think I'll find time for an encore." He
carefully kept his language vague, not wanting the delicate girl on top of him
to know about what happened to the man who had been acting as her father for
months now. Once Sango and Miroku were standing as still as mannequins, he
continued, "Kagome, you got the keys?" She nodded. "Good. Now, you two get in
the car and drive us home."
Slowly, carefully, he rose to his feet, Kagome sliding off and helping him when
she realized he was not at prime performance. He saw the questions in her eyes
and willed her to delay the asking of them. Thankfully, she picked up on his
mood and helped him to the car, never once breaking physical contact with him,
for which he rubbed the soft inside of her elbow in thanks. Once they were all
settled, he leaned back and closed his eyes almost all the way.
"Miroku, you drive." He didn't trust Sango to merely chauffeur them to their
destination peacefully. She'd try something. Miroku, on the other hand,
wouldn't know what to do and would probably just end up obeying commands out of
habit.
"Sango?" Kagome questioned, puzzled. It seemed like the girl hadn't realized
her friend was present. "Sango, what are you doing here? Dad said you were
celebrating New Year's with your boyfriend. Is this him?"
Sango nodded, her face pale and lips hardly more than a thin line.
Kagome's brow furrowed and she glanced between the older woman and Inuyasha.
"Why are you covered in blood? Inuyasha too… what happened?" she asked
confusedly, beginning to sound scared.
"I'll explain later," Inuyasha said quietly.
"Where's Dad?"
Inuyasha growled and clenched his fists. The evening was becoming too much.
"He's not your fucking father. Miroku, drive now. Sango will give you
directions."
Sango turned around and looked at Kagome with gentle eyes.
"Onigumo said he noticed you've been unhappy lately and he thought it would be
in your best interest to send you back to your mother."
"But why so suddenly? He said we were going to a party. And Inuyasha, why are
you here and covered in blood?"
Her voice was rising and Inuyasha could tell she knew what had happened and
just needed confirmation before she had a full-on breakdown. He was still
healing and had to concentrate all his energy on that, so he merely glared at
Sango in an attempt to shut her up.
Ignoring him, Sango said, "Your father and your step-father got into a fight.
It was over old stuff."
Kagome seemed a little calmer now, but something still bothered her.
"But… there's so much blood. Inuyasha's soaked in it."
"Well, those with demonic ancestry can bleed a lot more than humans and not
suffer any long-term effects."
Inuyasha was glad that the former bodyguard seemed to want to protect Kagome's
innocence as well. The girl's heart was no longer beating so fast and he took
comfort in her calmness. Slowly, he laid his head on her lap and just basked in
the feel of her. It took some effort to speak, but he managed.
"How was it?"
Kagome immediately knew what he was referring to and just shrugged.
"Pretty normal. Kind of boring. He mostly just ignored me. I had private tutors
and Sango always ate with me and that was it, every day. Today, though, we were
going to go to a New Year's Eve party."
Inuyasha glanced at the dress she was wearing, now somewhat sorry he had
dirtied it with his blood. He hadn't even had time to notice how beautiful she
looked. The dress was all layers of sheer green silk and she looked like a
fairy princess. There were even real flowers in her hair. He wondered if
Onigumo had taken her shopping or just had her measured and sent for it.
Whatever it was, she looked breathtaking. He breathed in her scent mixed with
the flowers and felt himself relax even more. Whatever he had unleashed inside
himself was trying to get out again. Only Kagome seemed to keep the violence at
bay.
The amount of time they'd been in the car coupled with the twists and turns
told him that they were now in the long drive-way of his home. He gingerly sat
himself up again, Kagome's concerned hands helping him even when he brushed
them away.
He tried his best to look imposing, and said, "Sango, you know what to do with
the office. I don't have to tell you what will happen if this gets out, do I?"
Sango nodded, facing forward. Kagome's brow furrowed at his vague language and
he smiled at her to put her at ease again before continuing.
"Miroku, if your girlfriend does what she does best and I'm happy with it, you
just might have a job again on Monday," he lied. There was no way he was
letting a traitor back into the fold. Since Inuyasha felt sorry for him and he
had what he wanted, he might give him his last check with a little bonus, but
there would be no more business between the two of them.
The car pulled to a stop and he got out, Kagome holding his arm. Before they
could pull away, he tapped on the passenger window and Sango rolled it down.
Leaning in close, he whispered, "I want it all clean and any camera footage
gone, understand me? I'm a forgiving man. You do this right and you two get
your own place together and Sango gets a job recommendation. It's time you stop
thinking of the past and focus on your future."
The woman glared at him with tears in her eyes but he knew she'd do as he
asked. They were the type who followed orders. Miroku sped out of there like a
bat out of hell and Inuyasha began to walk to his front door, careful not to
lean on Kagome too much.
"Do you think mother will be mad?"
Inuyasha snorted. Kikyo has been spending all her time with Suikotsu after his
last rejection of her. He could hear the two of them upstairs in her room even
now, several yards from the porch. Kikyo both disappointed and disgusted him
now that he knew she was involved with one of the Band of Seven.
"She's busy tonight, Kagome, so I'm just gonna tell her in the morning. Come
on, I've got a surprise for you."
He led her into the house, his hands over her ears so she wouldn't hear what
her mother was doing. A plan formed in his mind and he felt more energized with
every step he took, the violent thing within him now in agreement. It had been
too long and he had to be with Kagome, to feel her, to drown in her. She no
longer smelled like his and he needed that little bit of reassurance that he
was her only one. He could feel her smile, knowing where he was taking her. He
had been a little unsure if she'd want this as well, thinking she'd rather talk
first and maybe just cuddle or kiss instead of picking up right where they left
off.
Their trek to the basement seemed slow and he felt jittery the entire way. He
hadn't even entered their room once since she had gone to live with Onigumo.
They had only ever used their secret room once and he intended to make up for
lost time tonight. Once they got to the stairs, he got so impatient he removed
his hands from her ears and picked her up and ran, making her squeak and laugh.
Kicking the foosball table out of the way, he gently placed Kagome on its
covered surface and fumbled with the key which he still wore around his neck.
Shoving open the door, he grabbed her wrist and brought her in with him. The
room was stuffy and dusty so he opened the window, the little bit of relief
making a huge difference. Kicking the door shut, he picked her up again briefly
only to plop her down on the bed and kiss her lips for the first time in
months. She tasted like toothpaste and candy and Kagome and he moaned. He had
dreamt of this for so long, her absence like a missing limb without the
maddening comfort of that whole phantom thing. He wanted to make this last, but
they could do that the second time around.
"God, angel, take off your dress before I rip it off."
Her dress was already ruined, stained with his blood, but it had looked so nice
on her that he'd like another one made, maybe in blue or white. The heavily
breathing girl obeyed, her own frantic actions ripping a hole in a seam before
she flung it aside. Wasting no time, he fastened his lips onto her breast,
sucking hard, forcing himself to be gentle after her muffled cry was more
pained than pleased.
"Be loud, Kagome, be as loud as you want. I need to hear you, baby."
Kagome removed the pillow from her face and he continued to suck, loving every
moan and cry that fell from her lips, even if he felt she was exaggerating them
a little for his benefit. She reached for him and tugged off his shirt, her
hand brushing against his shoulder.
"Inuyasha, there's something hard there," she said worriedly.
"You don't say," he said with a groan as he slowly entered her.
She gasped genuinely, no more exaggerations.
"No, in your shoulder. What is it?"
Inuyasha frowned, remembering the bullets. His skin must have healed over them.
"Don't worry about that," he whispered, kissing her softly. After the evening's
events, he was kind of tired, and scrunched down so he could lay his head on
her chest and listen to her heart beat as he pumped into her, kissing her
breast and mouthing her name onto her skin. She was clinging to him, her hands
buried in his hair. They were so close he could almost really believe they were
one being, just him and her. The look on her face told him she was almost there
and he was glad, not knowing how he had held on so long.
"Fuck, Kagome, I fucking love you. Only you," he said, making the sentence long
and drawn out with a moan shaping his voice, distorting it in a pleasant way.
"Oh god, yes, I love you so much," she whispered, having a hard time forming a
coherent sentence. Her face was flushed and he leaned down to kiss her, feeling
her clench hard around him the moment their lips touched. Her eyes had rolled
back in her head and her lip was trembling. This was the face he had missed so
much, the thing he needed to see to feel right again. He released and gathered
her into his arms, her insides still clasping and imprisoning him. It was
beautiful and he had never felt so loved and willing to love.
"Happy anniversary, baby," he murmured, leaning up and pulling out. A loud
noise and a fiery pain sent him back onto her. He felt the blood trickle out
and bathe his skin.
His heart.
The bullet had pierced his heart.
***** Honesty *****
*Song for the chapter: Honesty by Billy Joel*
"No! Inuyasha, no!" Kagome screamed, holding him to her and sitting up,
shielding him as best she could with her arms. "Don't go, don't die."
Inuyasha could barely hear her, but he didn't like the fact that she was
crying. A pain even worse than the first flooded him and he screamed, or
thought he did, he couldn't be sure in the darkness. Feeling came back little
by little and then he could open his eyes again. Kagome had her cheek pressed
to his and was rocking him, a bright white light emanating from her and
covering the both of them. He tightened his arms around her and she moved to
look at him, her tears still on her face.
"You're… you're okay," she breathed, her eyes big and rainy.
"Why the fuck wouldn't I be?" he grumbled, confused.
"That holy bullet should have finished you off, husband mine. I didn't think
our little abomination was capable of expelling pure power, though. My
mistake," Kikyo said.
Inuyasha whipped his head around to look at her and growled, positioning
himself in front of Kagome, covering her nudity and shame with his own and
protecting her.
His wife looked at them both with distaste and continued, "I knew something
wasn't right, but I didn't think it had come this far." The furious miko was
wearing nothing but an open robe, her lover, a now malicious-looking Suikotsu,
standing behind her wearing only a pair of boxers and a sick smirk. "Exactly
when did this start?"
"From the very fucking beginning, bitch." There was no need to hide, and he
certainly wasn't going to try and let her down easy after she had shot him like
that.
Kikyo raised the gun back to shoulder height and smiled. "So you never even
wanted me? You wanted her?"
He nodded warily, his eyes narrowing. Kagome was scared and crying, filled with
guilt and shame. Her trembling form was distracting him and he couldn't focus.
Kikyo sneered and craned her neck to try and see her daughter. "Stop hiding
behind your white knight and face me, Kagome."
"Don't talk to her. You deal with me."
Kikyo ignored him, her eyes hard and bright. "How does your little incestuous
tryst feel now?"
Inuyasha stopped breathing. He wanted to cover Kagome's ears like he had
earlier and run away. The window was too small for a person to fit through and
he'd have to kill Kikyo and Suikotsu to get away uninjured, and there was no
way that Kagome would allow that. The only thing he could do was try to talk
her out of it.
"You know damn good and well Kagome never really saw me as a father figure," he
said, purposefully acting as though he had misunderstood her.
She just rolled her eyes, her gun staying raised. "Don't give me that,
Inuyasha. You know as well as I do that she's yours. I was lucky Onigumo was
stupid enough to believe me and a weak half-demon as well, with practically no
enhanced sense of smell, but you knew the entire time, didn't you? That's why
you were always with her."
Inuyasha turned to glance at Kagome, who was staring at him in horror.
Merciless, Kikyo continued on. "Remember when I told you that you were just
like your father, Kagome? Well, now you know why you and Papa Yasha here got
along so well right from the start. Demons can instinctively recognize their
kin using scent and their powers. You aren't entirely blameless, Kagome. Their
spawn feel drawn towards their sire as well. The two of you wouldn't have been
able to fight being with each other even if the idea had occurred to your
inferior minds. You did take it a step or two too far, though, I must say."
Kagome stared at him, the betrayed look in her eyes making him nauseous. "Is it
true? Did you… did you know?"
He said nothing, but that was enough for her, and she turned to the side of the
bed and vomited, sobbing and choking. He held her hair and patted her back,
keeping an eye on his gun toting wife and her half-naked companion. Kagome
jerked away from his light touch and her sobs and gags gained volume. It
sounded like her soul was being torn apart.
"Looks like our little monster doesn't feel quite the same way about this as
you do, dear," Kikyo chirped. "But I'll make you a deal. If you mark me and
give me back Shikon, I'll leave Kagome in your care and you can do whatever you
want with her. I don't care as long as you stay alive. What say you?"
Inuyasha glared at her, trying to forget that his world was being destroyed
before his eyes in order to keep calm. "You've gone too fucking far, Kikyo. The
bond is sacred and only to be done with devotion and love, not with a gun to
your head."
Hey lips thinned. "Fine. You can explain why you clung to tradition so
stubbornly to your daughter in the afterlife," she said coldly, her finger
squeezing the trigger as if in slow motion.
He steeled himself for the bullet, realizing too late that she had not been
aiming for him. Moving as fast as he could, he shoved Kagome face first hard
onto the bed, her scream muffled but still grating against his ears and soul.
The bullet grazed her hip, going through the bed's headboard and settling in
the wall. The smell of Kagome's blood and her pain shook him to his very core
and the dark rage joined with the wild violence and overtook him. This time, he
didn't even think.
O/\o/\O
Kagome lifted her head from the bedspread, the taste of her vomit still thick
in her mouth, recent revelations making her head spin. Inuyasha had given a
bone-chilling roar and leapt off the bed and on to Kikyo, where he was now. His
hands were around her throat and he was bashing her head against the ground.
Suikotsu lay dead in the doorway, his throat slit and bleeding. Kikyo's face
was purple and her eyes were bulging, the gun forgotten beside her and her
hands weakly beating at her husband's forearms. Kagome didn't know how things
had gotten like that and part of her thought it was all some crazy dream and
she'd wake up and her math tutor Kagura would be waiting impatiently outside
her door, telling her that Onigumo was not pleased with her lack of progress.
Drawing her knees to herself, she wrapped her arms around her legs and tried to
stop shaking. A sharp crack made her wince and then her mother's brains spilled
out onto the floor, her blood mixing with Suikotsu's and making a puddle.
Inuyasha, his eyes blue and red and murderous, was straddling Kikyo's body and
wiping the blood on his hands off on her skin. Kagome's breathing quickened
uncontrollably and she was gasping, her chest heaving. Their eyes locked and he
was on her in an instant.
"No, Inuyasha, no! It's me," she sobbed, unintelligible even to her own ears
and knowing that even if he could understand her, it wouldn't make any
difference.
He ignored her and forced her onto her stomach. His much longer and sharper
claws pierced her hips as he gripped them and she screamed. She screamed in
fear and she screamed for him to help, only dimly realizing that the man she
was screaming for and the man who was hurting her were one and the same.
Without any kind of signal or warning, he plunged into her, not stopping when
he heard her screams increase in volume and become drenched in fright. It had
never been like that before. Inuyasha had always made love to her facing her,
telling her repeatedly how much he loved to see her expressions. He had always
started slow, only quickening at the end and never as fast as he was currently
going. He went deeper than ever before and it hurt.
Kagome groaned and choked on her sobs. "No, please, no."
That seemed to stop him and she sighed in relief, making the pain when he bit
into her neck that much more agonizing and unexpected. She tried to get away,
but he just clamped down harder and thrust hard again, his hands coming up and
grasping her breasts, squeezing until she thought they'd pop like balloons in
an old cartoon. She had been crying so hard and for so long that now a long
string of mucus hung from her nose, almost touching the bed. She didn't know
when or how she had managed to get to her knees or if Inuyasha had made her do
it. The pain got worse rather than better the longer it went on and soon it
felt like her entire body was on fire, but not in the nice way he had made her
experience so many times before. She just wanted to the pain to end, but it was
stubborn. She prayed for some god to take pity on her and end her suffering. To
her surprise, there was a response, and she felt a whisper in her heart. It was
hard to understand at first, but grew louder and clearer. Soon it was like a
scream, and even though it came from inside her it made her ears ring.
SUBMIT .
It commanded her, and although the majority of her wanted to reject it, it
called to some primal, secret part and she found herself going still and
relaxing her shoulders. The pain stopped and Inuyasha finished, rolling off her
and flopping bonelessly down on his back. Her knees shook and she collapsed,
half on top of him. She cowered, suddenly remembering how Inuyasha had
transformed into something very different, but when she tried to move
respectfully away from him, he lazily wrapped an arm around her and kept her
where she was. Kagome tentatively touched the heavy limb with the tips of her
fingers. He grunted, sounding like himself. She dared to look at him. His
golden eyes were half open and gazing at her languidly. She cried in relief,
quickly edging towards hysteria. She couldn't get enough air and she just
wanted to crawl to a dark place and be alone. Her lover's nose began to twitch
like mad and she knew the exact moment when he realized what he was smelling.
His eyes went wide and he stumbled off the bed, directly into the pool of
blood.
Inuyasha blinked rapidly and his eyes filled with tears. "Oh god. Oh Kikyo,
what have I done?!"
He was sobbing as he gathered her mother in his arms, pressing his lips to her
forehead and blue cheeks as if that would revive her. She wished he would close
her eyes. Her bulging, dull eyes still seemed to be full of hatred and disgust
which Kagome knew she deserved. She tried to move to get a better view than out
of the corner of her eye, but found that she couldn't. Whatever he had done
differently to her had rendered her almost incapable of moving anything but her
arms, which were currently feeling like limp noodles. Still, she crawled and
repositioned herself so that she was facing the gruesome scene. Witnessing it
was terrible, but not being able to see it was worse. Inuyasha was sobbing with
Kikyo in his arms, rocking back and forth, the drying blood making odd little
squelching noises. Kagome's throat was raw from screaming and crying and
vomiting, but she tried to say something, to tell him that she needed an
ambulance. She could feel blood trickling from her vagina and her neck wound,
and although it didn't hurt anymore, they were both bleeding steadily. A small
squeak managed to escape her lips, but Inuyasha did not hear, too absorbed in
his own grief. She began to cry again, for her mother and Inuyasha and herself,
and the darkness bled from the corners of her eyes and she gratefully collapsed
into nothingness.
***** But to Whom Do They Belong? *****
*Song for the chapter: Windmills of Your Mind by The Parenthetical Girls*
Inuyasha had woken up in a nightmare. The last thing he remembered was Kikyo
shooting at Kagome, and feeling so angry he thought he'd burst. Then suddenly
he was remarkably satisfied and relaxed, feeling as he had never felt, like
everything was finally good and right in the world. Which was precisely when he
smelled it. Blood. Kikyo's blood, and another person's. He picked her up,
forcing himself to touch her corpse. Somehow, he knew this was his doing. Kikyo
had never had a happy moment with him, and now he had ended her happiness
forever. He should have controlled himself, he should have been kinder.
He certainly should not have killed her.
Fragments of bone poked his arm and he shuddered with the realization that he
had bashed her head open. It all became too much, the smells, the sights, the
feelings. If he stayed in the room any longer, he was sure to vomit like Kagome
had.
Kagome.
His head whipped around and he saw her on the bed, face down with her arms
extended. Had he…? He shook his head. Demons were incapable of killing their
children or their sires. Still, she was covered in blood and hardly breathing.
She needed to go to a hospital, someplace where they wouldn't ask too many
questions. But where? He gathered her in his arms, carrying her like one would
a sleeping child, her head lolling on his shoulder. Fleeing the room of
horrors, slipping almost comically in the puddle of blood as he did so, he ran
to his car, realizing they were both naked. His dread of going back inside
overwhelmed his desire to clothe himself and the injured girl. Opening the
glove compartment, he fished around for the spare phone he kept in case of
emergencies, and this certainly qualified as one. Myoga needed an update.
Balancing Kagome in his lap, he dialed the number from memory, not having it
stored on this phone. The old man answered instantly, and the background noise
let him know he was in public, at some sort of party. It came to him again that
it was New Year's Eve. Or day. He wasn't sure.
"You have a lot of work to do, old man," Inuyasha said wearily, not taking his
eyes off of Kagome's still and bleeding form.
"Can't you just take holidays off from your shenanigans?"
Inuyasha shut his eyes in annoyance at his subordinate's flippant attitude.
"This isn't a fucking joke. Onigumo's dead in his office by my hand, and Kikyo
and her boyfriend are dead in my basement under the same circumstances. That's
what happens when you deny me your help."
The sound of the crowd on the other end diminished, signaling that Myoga had
retreated to a more private location.
"Oh, Master Inuyasha, this is not good. Definitely not good," the flea demon
fretted. "You just killed three very powerful people! This isn't going to just
go away."
Inuyasha struggled to keep his voice down. "I knowit's not. That's why I called
you. Now quick, give me that doctor Kaede's home address."
"What do you need a human healer for?"
"Kagome."
His servant paused briefly, a tense silence filling the line. "…You didn't—"
"I can't. And I wouldn't. She's my daughter, Myoga, and I can feel it even
though I can't smell it."
Myoga sighed and ended the call.
Inuyasha got a text with the address he had requested and immediately put it
into his car's GPS. Not willing to let go of the girl he loved, he drove with
her curled up in his lap, going as fast as he dared. When he arrived at a
quaint little brick house on the edge of a small neighborhood, he knew even
without his GPS telling him that he had arrived. There were a few people
outside in the street, talking too loudly and enjoying each other's company,
carrying red plastic cups and sometimes holding hands. He carried Kagome out,
ignoring the stares and joking wolf whistles. He pounded on the white door, the
blue television light from inside telling him that he had gambled correctly and
she was home. It took a while, during which time he did not stop his furious
knocking, but eventually the elderly woman came to the door. She glared at him
straightaway, and once she recognized him and his precious cargo, her glare
intensified. Without asking a single question, which he greatly appreciated,
she led him inside, entering a small guest room and pointing to the bed, where
he gently laid Kagome down. Kaede leaned over the girl and began her
examination, poking and prodding her and rolling her over halfway to check her
back.
Finally, the woman straightened and faced him. "Well, it doesn't take an idiot
to know what happened to her."
"What?" he asked urgently, his heart beating like a bad club song. "What's
wrong with her?"
The elderly woman glared at him with enough force for two eyes. "Don't act
innocent now, you filth. You can't tell me you don't remember marking the
girl!"
Inuyasha stilled. He had marked her? Pushing Kaede out of the way, he brushed
Kagome's hair aside, baring her throat. There, on the side, covered in dried
blood, was the mark. The fang punctures looked larger and deeper than his, but
the aura certainly belonged to him. There was no mistaking it. They were mates
now.
"And you forced yourself on her. Why you would bring a girl you brutalized to a
powerful priestess who cares for her boggles my mind, half-demon."
Inuyasha flinched but did not move from Kagome's side. He could feel the old
woman gathering her power, and he knew she was following through on the promise
she had made. She was going to kill him for hurting the girl they both loved.
He wouldn't object; he wanted to kill himself for hurting her. What had
possessed him to do these things and why couldn't he remember? If he was dead,
she could live a normal life, the one she wanted. Maybe Hojo would forgive her
and take her back. It was better this way. Leaning over Kagome, he pressed his
lips to hers, dimly hearing the countdown end on the television. He smiled.
He had finally gotten his new year's kiss.
With a yell that he could tell was a battle cry, the priestess behind him
released a blast of energy, and even though it was across the room he could
already feel his skin burn. Without warning, he was rolled over and pushed
down, Kagome's face looming above him, her eyes still closed. Kaede gasped and
Kagome absorbed the power, falling onto his chest.
"Kagome?!" the old woman cried, panicked. "Kagome, was the power too much for
you?"
"She was unconscious the entire time," he whispered, awed.
Kaede sneered and turned to bustle in a chest of drawers. "That's not
possible."
Inuyasha glared at her back. Kagome was sweating from absorbing that much
foreign power. Another thing she'd have to recover from.
"A demon's child will always protect its sire, no matter the circumstances."
Inuyasha remembered his father, and how he, even as young as he was at the
time, had a bad feeling about him going away that day. His father laughed and
just patted him on the head, explaining that it was just a routine trading
expedition and he would be back in a month. Three days later, Inuyasha woke up
in a cold sweat, a feeling of utter desolation and failure in his stomach. He
knew. A week later, his mother received a messenger telling her that his father
had been attacked and killed by a rival merchant. Inuyasha had sought out the
demon on his next birthday, killing him with his bare hands. His first kill.
Only then did he begin to regain some sense of normalcy again. It explained why
Kagome's priestess powers had never hurt him before, only healed him as they
would a human.
Kaede stopped rustling through the drawers. "Are you telling me what I think
you are telling me?"
Inuyasha ignored her hushed question. "What are you looking for?"
"Ammonia inhalants."
"Smelling salts?"
"I want to hear what happened from Kagome's mouth. I will deal with you later,
since apparently I can't kill you with her nearby."
Inuyasha smirked. "If you do kill me, she'll come after you. It's something we
feel we have to do. We can't go on living until we get our revenge."
Kaede disregarded his arrogant claim and broke open a small plastic tube,
waving it under Kagome's nose. She immediately started coughing and gasping for
breath, turning onto her side. Kaede handed her a glass of water, which she
swished around in her mouth and then swallowed. Inuyasha caressed her back,
wanting to hold her but not knowing how she'd react. She had looked at him as
though he were the vilest thing on the planet when Kikyo had dropped the bomb
of truth on her.
"Where am I?" she asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.
Kaede instantly shifted into grandmother mode, pulling a blanket from nowhere
and bundling her in it.
"You were hurt, so I brought you to Kaede's," he said softly.
"I had the strangest dream," she whispered, her voice sounding lost and vague.
Inuyasha could tell she remembered but did not want to confront the memories.
He had been hoping that maybe things had been so traumatic she had blocked them
out or something, not for any selfish reasons but because he didn't want her to
carry that pain.
Kagome looked at him with that same unsure gaze before turning to Kaede. "I
need to talk to him alone, please."
Kaede nodded, then he felt a quick, sharp pain in his upper arm.
"Ow, what the fuck!"
"Ouch! What was that?" Kagome said, rubbing her upper arm.
Kaede said, "I took a small blood sample from the both of you. You can stay
overnight and I should have your paternity test ready by tomorrow evening at
the earliest. I have a lab staffed by fellow priestess healers that owes me a
favor. They're the best when it comes to combining science with spiritual
powers, and we'll need their help if we're to discern whether or not the two of
you are related. Beings of demonic descent have a different make-up, so it's
quite difficult to compare and they have to use different methods regular
humans pay no attention to. In addition to your blood, they'll be comparing
your auras, which leave a trace in your blood cells. Have a good rest, Kagome,
dear."
And then she bustled out, leaving him with a crying Kagome. She sobbed into the
pillow, curling up into a small ball. Everything had finally caught up with
her. Inuyasha stared at her guiltily, every tear like a knife in his heart.
"I don't know what to say to you, angel. I don't know how to make it alright."
"You can't."
"I love—"
Kagome covered his mouth. "Just stop," she begged, her eyes big and watery.
"After everything, you don't get to say that anymore."
Inuyasha shook her hand off his face. "But I do. Listen, I know we were going
to wait to mark you, but I couldn't control myself, and—"
"You marked me?!"
"Yeah, I thought you knew."
Kagome was angry now, her tears still on her face. The blanket fell and
revealed her naked breasts, but she didn't seem to notice.
"Inuyasha, I didn't even know what it was for most of my life. When you held me
down and bit me, was that it? Was that a mating mark?"
He nodded.
Kagome placed her hand on his and entwined their fingers. "I thought you were
trying to kill me. You were so different and after seeing what you did to
Mother and him, I-I—" She started to cry again. Inuyasha took her in his arms,
his love sharper than before now that it was strengthened with the bond and
mixed with grief and guilt.
"I don't remember. I know what happened, but I don't remember," he said in a
tortured whisper.
"And then after you… you did that to them, you were on top of me and it hurt so
bad. When you were done, you didn't even look at me, you just went straight for
her and you held her and I couldn't even talk—"
Inuyasha kissed her head, rocking her back and forth. It was apparent that she
was about to start having some kind of panic attack.
"We can talk about it later," he said, trying to be soothing.
"No, we talk now. The mark… you said when you marked me, I'd stay that age
forever. Is that true?"
"Yes."
Kagome's head fell forward onto his shoulder despondently.
"It's not so bad, Kagome," he said reassuringly. "A lot of humans wish they
could go back or stay sixteen forever."
Her head whipped up again and her eyes were full of rage. "Not so bad?!" she
yelled. "Sixteen is 'not so bad'? Sixteen means always being self-conscious.
Always caring about things you know don't matter. Sixteen is acne in weird
places and crazy hormones. Sixteen means I can never have a real job, so I can
never be a nurse now. Sixteenmeans my bones haven't finished forming.
Sixteenmeans my brain has not matured to its full potential. Sixteen is
terrible," she finished, her voice cracking and the corners of her mouth
twitching downward.
Inuyasha rubbed her back. "Kagome, I've been twenty for a few hundred years.
It's not so bad. I'll be with you every step of the way."
She was silent for a long time, and he was just grateful that she was allowing
his hands to touch her after they had done so many terrible things in her
presence.
After a while, she said, "Was what Mother said true?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I'm talking about. Is it true?"
Inuyasha sighed. "I felt… close to you from the very beginning. I thought that
meant it was fate. It was only that night, where I… when Kikyo and I got into
that disagreement and you told me about your father in the kitchen that I
finally put two and two together. I didn't want it to be true, Kagome, but then
I didn't care."
She pushed away from him. "If it's true, then I want to die," she said,
shuddering in disgust.
He grabbed her by shoulders, shaking her desperately a couple times, as hard as
he dared. "Don't fucking say that! What does it matter? What difference does it
make if it's true or not?!" he yelled.
Kagome shook her head and laughed like someone five times her age. "It
makesallthe difference. How can you even say that?"
"I love you enough to not care," he said boldly, earnestly.
Kagome covered her face with her hands and he took the opportunity to embrace
her again.
"It can't be true," she murmured. "We would have known if it was true."
Inuyasha said nothing, thinking that telling her about protecting him even
while unconscious would just have to wait until she was ready to hear it.
She looked up at him, her eyes wide and bright. "It's not true, right? She was
just saying that to hurt me."
Inuyasha kissed her cheek, glad to see that she was no longer crying. "You
should rest, Kagome. We'll deal with it all in the morning."
"I can't! I keep thinking about Mother and what she said and what she looked
like when—when… Did you really not know what you were doing?"
He felt like slapping her for that comment, surprised at himself for his
reaction. Pointedly, he reminded himself that she had been through what was
probably the worst night of her entire life and she needed comfort, not anger.
"I really didn't. I can't remember anything after she tried to shoot you."
Kagome began to cry again, slow and tiredly. "I wish I didn't remember. I don't
want to remember it."
Inuyasha turned to shut off the lamp that was on the night stand. Gently, he
took Kagome in his arms and lay down with her.
"Just stop thinking about it. The details will fade away someday and then this
will seem more like a fact out of some textbook than something you actually
went through." He spoke from experience.
Kagome turned in his arms to face him. "I want to believe you."
"Then do it."
She closed the short distance between them and kissed him softly, sadly on the
mouth.
Inuyasha broke away, saying, "I'm not sure we—"
Kagome interrupted him with another kiss, and even though it felt good, he
remembered that she had thrown up not too long ago. He supposed it doesn't
matter too much since he couldn't taste it, but it was still kind of gross.
Breaking the kiss again, he whispered, "Just let me take care of you. I'll make
you feel better and worship every bit of your body until I'm the only thing you
can remember."
Kagome smiled. "Not in Kaede's house, Inuyasha." Giving him a chaste peck on
the lips that signaled there would be no arguing, she whispered, "It can't be
true, right? It's not true."
O/\o/\O
Kaede came into the guest room in the morning without bothering to knock,
bringing them both a change of clothes. She had gone out and bought Inuyasha
sweatpants and a bright purple shirt from Walmart or something, which pissed
him off. Kagome was wearing something much more upscale, a lilac summer dress
with brown sandals. At least the colors they wore matched. Sort of. Inuyasha's
phone rang as soon as they were finished dressing, and he went back into the
guest room and closed the door to answer.
"Sir, the official story is that Suikotsu killed Kikyo in a fit of rage after
she told him she was breaking it off with him. They had a secret room within
the very house, and were very diligent about meeting when you were not there so
you would neither hear nor smell them. We had to get the police involved since
they were both human and Kikyo was well-known, but you were interrogated
thoroughly and gave a satisfying alibi and have been cleared of all suspicion."
Inuyasha groaned. He didn't even want to know how much money he had just spent
on bribes. "And Onigumo?"
"The man had a lot of enemies. The official story will be that he has
disappeared, but it will be strongly hinted at that he was murdered by drug
dealers for an outstanding debt."
"Good. And what about Kagome?"
"As her only living relative, she's yours."
Inuyasha sighed in relief. Everything was going well. There was bound to be a
lot of talk, though. It was certainly sensational, when one thought about it
from a detached point of view. A wealthy heiress murdered by her lover on the
one-year anniversary of her marriage. It would become one of those things
people obsessed over, their morbid desire for details fueled by the media's
speculations, which would certainly involve him.
As an afterthought, he said, "Pay some news outlets as well for favorable
coverage. Make sure they don't start making rumors."
"Yes, sir."
He hung up, glad he had been stressing about nothing. Kagome, hearing the end
of the conversation, came through the door, wrapping her arms around him.
"Who was that?" she asked, not waiting for an answer before she gave him his
first kiss of the day, lazily exploring his mouth.
"Just Myoga. He's telling me about stuff. I think we should lay low for a
while."
Kagome nodded. Inuyasha marveled at her change. The broken girl from last night
was nowhere to be found. She was sunny and smiling, her hair pulled back in a
ponytail and her mark on display. He didn't know if he was relieved or
disturbed.
Smiling brightly, she said, "Kaede says she got the results back quicker than
expected. They made us a priority and worked on it overnight. She's got some
pretty impressive connections."
Inuyasha nodded and she kissed him, letting their tongues dance, sucking his
before pulling away. It was like she couldn't get enough of him and only her
respect for Kaede was keeping her from jumping him where he stood.
She moaned in regret as she pulled away. "I just know it's good news!"
Kagome skipped out of the room and he followed her, dread in the pit of his
stomach. What would happen when it wasn't the news she wanted to hear? He sat
down at the small round table in a corner of Kaede's kitchen. The old priestess
sat very still, her one eye scanning the document in her hands almost as if she
didn't believe what she was reading. He sat across from her, next to Kagome who
was shuffling her feet and tapping her fingers impatiently. Finally, the aged
priestess put down the paper and sighed.
"So?" Kagome said, almost angry in her hurry. "What is it?"
"Are we… am I her father?" Inuyasha asked awkwardly.
Kaede's mouth was set in a grim line, her eye avoiding both of them and staring
at the wall behind their backs. Her mouth opened and then closed, and she
stretched her neck and squared her shoulders, seemingly gathering her strength,
appearing very nervous. Whatever it was, one of them wouldn't like the answer.
Note: Cliff hanger. I don't do them as often as some, but I did here. Ha. Also,
Kikyo's finally dead, like for real, and it's final. Woohoo! And I didn't have
her fall off a goddamn cliff a dozen times and end up alive somehow like in the
actual series. Points to me.
***** Lose the Feeling *****
*Song for the chapter: Disorder by Joy Division*
Inuyasha, incredibly tense and impatient, finally let the words burst through
and sneered, "Out with it, you old bitch, am I her father or not?!"
Stiffly, her neck creaking as she did so, Kaede nodded.
Kagome let out a scream that turned into a sob and covered her mouth, her other
hand clenched into a fist on top of the table. Her eyes were closed, but a few
tears still escaped and rushed down her cheeks and neck. Inuyasha reached out
to touch her and she jerked away, stumbling to her feet.
"Sit back down, Kagome," Kaede said heavily. "That's not all."
She didn't seem to hear, so he stood and pressed down on her shoulders until
she finally wobbled and sat. The old woman's words had him curious and he was
now as impatient as Kagome had been at the start of things. Kaede cleared her
throat and continued, still not looking at either of them.
"There haven't been any recorded fruitful couplings of a priestess and a half-
demon in all of history," she explained, her voice dry and in a monotone, like
a professor discussing a topic they had grown bored with thirty years before.
"There were a couple priestesses and full demons who produced offspring, and
their cases were almost exactly the same. You see, from the moment the egg is
fertilized, the priestess's spiritual powers see it as a threat and attempt to
purify it. However, their instincts will not allow them to personally destroy
the life inside them. This leads to them only purifying the DNA of their demon
partner. When the child is born, she, and it is always a she, is an exact
replica of her mother, even down to the personality. All this is done without
the woman even realizing it."
"That doesn't make sense," Inuyasha protested. "Kagome isn't anything like
Kikyo."
"That is because Kagome was born prematurely. She was almost a full month
earlier than she was supposed to be. Had her mother carried her to term, Kagome
would both look and act differently. As it is, your DNA still remains in her."
"So am I her father or not?!"
Kagome looked catatonic, just staring ahead out the window, and they both
glanced worriedly at her.
"Technically, yes," Kaede said regretfully. "But not really."
"What in the fuck does that even mean?" If this continued, he was going to
snap.
"Well, if, for example, you had sired a child in your youth some five hundred
years ago or more, and that child had children and their children had children
and so on and so on into the modern day, that person would be more closely
genetically related to you than Kagome is."
"What the fuck?" He was now beyond confused.
Kaede sighed in exasperation. "Let me put it in simple terms for simple people.
Say you threw a snow ball at Kikyo. Kikyo then used part of the snow from that
snowball to build a snowman. Did you build the snowman?"
They stared at each other, and finally he answered, "Uh… no?"
The elderly priestess applauded sarcastically.
"So I'm her father, but I'm not?" He didn't know how he felt about that.
"Precisely."
Kagome abruptly got up and left the table. Inuyasha heard her vomiting in the
bathroom.
Kaede finally centered her eye on him with disgust. "Apparently, that's not
good enough for Kagome. Nor should it be. I must add, however, that if you two
have managed to conceive and she is with child, the fact that she still shares
a shred of your demonic DNA will prevent her spiritual powers from purifying
the child's non-human traits."
Not even considering that worthy of a reply, he ran to the bathroom door,
opening it in a hurry. Kagome was crying into the toilet, her fists pressed
hard against her eyes. Concerned, he wondered if she was hurting herself on
purpose. Inuyasha leaned against the door, wanting to go to her but afraid of
what she'd do or say.
"Fuck, angel, it's not so bad. Did you even hear what she said?"
She just turned and stared at him with hollow eyes. "You're my father. I
thought I knew for sure it wasn't true, but it is. You are."
"But not really," he said urgently, moving closer to her. "Like, we could have
a baby and there wouldn't be anything weird about it."
"I am not procreating with my fucking parent!" Kagome screamed as she rose to
her feet. Her face was pink from crying and anger.
Hurt, Inuyasha shouted back, "Oh, so it's okay to lie to yourself and hang all
over me, but the minute things get real it's over? What the fuck is wrong with
you?!"
"What's wrong with me? With me?! My mother tried to murder me last night and
then my," she spat out the word, having trouble saying it, "my father killed
her and her boyfriend. Now he's mad because I don't know what to do?! What the
fuck is wrong with you?!"
Kaede opened the door and entered, making Inuyasha wish he had thought ahead
and locked it or something. "I think it would be best if you left, Mr. Taisho."
Inuyasha growled at the intruder dangerously, warning her not to involve
herself. "There's no fucking way I'm leaving Kagome! I am her mate and her
legal guardian and yeah, I'm her dad. That's a little fucked up, but I've got
every law on my side."
"I need to be alone to think, Inuyasha. Just please, let me think. I can't
think when you're around," she begged in a high whisper that went straight to
his heart.
"…You want me to leave?"
Kagome nodded firmly. "Yes."
"N-now?"
"Yes," she sighed. "I have a lot to think about. You—you think of me like some
perfect little doll, like I'm your everything, and that's too much. I'm not
that great. I'm not that pretty, I'm not that good, I'm not that interesting.
It's like you don't know who I am, you just see what you want me to be. You put
me on a pedestal, and you're obsessed with this idea you've projected onto me,
and I can't take it anymore. Not now."
Inuyasha turned to go, his throat tight and burning. For her to say something
like that showed that she had been thinking for a while, even before last
night's events, mulling over the good and bad and finding him lacking. How
could he have missed that she wasn't as happy as he was? He paused in the
doorway, bitter and hurt when she didn't try to stop him.
"I'll be back in a week. That's enough time to think. After that, you're coming
back with me, no matter what. We'll put this behind us and start over," he
said, his tone brooking no argument.
"Just go," she whispered.
And he did.
O/\o/\O
A week passed by. A week of reporters crowding outside his house, yelling
things he tried to tune out, the name of his late wife always making him
flinch. He suspected the pizza boy of telling them where he lived and vowed he
would no longer continue to order from them. As it was, there was no food in
the house, apart from ramen, which he was beginning to detest. The clean-up
crew had done a good job. All of Kikyo's things were boxed away in her old room
and the door was locked. He couldn't even smell her now. The one time he had
found it in himself to go to the basement, a faint whiff of blood remained and
he hightailed it out of there, gagging along the way. Human blood always
lingered. He spent the days watching television and trying not to remain so
hurt by Kagome's words.
She had wanted him to leave. He loved her, so he did, even though it tore him
up inside. The fact that they were mates made it worse. Every cell in him
craved her, her scent, her nearness. He knew she could not feel the way he did,
her being almost 99.9999999% human and all, but sometimes he thought he heard
her crying, felt her pain. The pain of loss that he was feeling as well, all
for his mate.
The night before the week was up, he was busily preparing ramen and ignoring
the sounds of reporters outside his curtained windows when he felt a sharp pain
in his chest, spreading from his solar plexus to the ends of his body. It was
agony, like a thousand knives of purification in each pore. He collapsed, the
abrupt movement sending the pot of boiling water tumbling down onto him, though
he hardly felt it. Inuyasha couldn't breathe, could hardly see, and he wondered
if this was something like what Kikyo had felt before she died. It continued
for an eternity, until it abruptly stopped. Weak, he raised his wrist to eye
level. It had been about twenty minutes. There was only one explanation for the
pain, the pain he had only ever heard about.
Kagome, his mate, his one love, was fucking someone else.
Shakily, he got to his feet, determined to go back to the old woman's house and
kill whoever had caused their bond to be played with. They would pay in their
blood and flesh, and Kagome would come home with him. The old bitch would die
too. His eyes flashed red and he left, disregarding his car in favor of
running. He ignored the crowd of people surrounding him and flashing cameras.
Inuyasha let out a purely demonic roar as he left, and it was the scream of a
broken, violent man.
***** I'd Love to Kill You *****
*Song for the chapter: I'd Love to Kill You by Katie Melua*
Myoga sighed and squeezed into his usual booth in the diner, his girth almost
too large to fit in what he considered the ridiculously human-sized thing. He
had been frequenting the establishment for decades, and the waitresses were
always kind enough to mix a bit of their own blood in with his coffee in
exchange for a sizeable tip. The coffee itself was subpar, but the blood of a
woman struggling to survive was always tasty.
The young woman whose presence he had requested settled down across from him,
not looking him in the eye. Her mother had been the opposite, defiantly glaring
at him with her cold and always triumphant gaze. He much preferred her
daughter, but that didn't say much. She was also a dumb bitch who had
overstayed her welcome in the world.
Putting on a grandfatherly expression, he said kindly, "Well, Miss Higurashi,
I'm glad you got my message."
Kagome sneered. "It was written on my bed sheets in blood, how could I have
missed it?"
The flea demon chuckled, the sound thick and sounding clogged in his throat.
"True, true. I've come to explain a little something to you about mating and
bonding and marks and all that."
The girl stiffened. "That was three years ago. I don't need to hear it now."
"Oh, but you do. You see, mates share an unbreakable bond. And that means
unbreakable—"
"Tsubaki broke her bond," Kagome interrupted irritably.
Myoga waved a hand dismissively. "She merely overpowered and absorbed her mate.
The bond is still there. Anyway, a demon feels the bond differently than a
human does. A human hardly feels it at all. When the two are separated, even
for something normal like shopping or a party or what have you, the demon is
uneasy and paranoid. If the separation continues, the demon's feelings grow
stronger. And if you ever, er, engaged in certain activities with anyone who
was not your mate, the demon would be in great pain, greater than you can
imagine, and eventually go completely insane."
The look on the girl's face was horrified, and he almost smiled. Whatever guilt
the bitch was suffering was nothing compared to what his master endured.
"Why now? Why are you telling me this?"
"To be perfectly truthful with you, I have spent these past few years trying to
find a way to kill you without damaging Master Inuyasha," he explained calmly.
"You see, if Inuyasha died, you would feel nothing besides the normal sadness
at the passing of a spouse or lover. But if you died, the grief he would feel
would almost certainly plunge him straight into a depression so deep he would
take his own life. That is why demons do not mate with humans. It has nothing
to do with racism or feelings of superiority as humans are always insisting. It
is simply the fact that humans cannot experience what demons do and the chance
of betrayal multiplies a hundredfold with a human mate."
Kagome's brows came together in a way that reminded him strongly of Inuyasha.
He brushed the feeling off with a slight shiver. There was no way his master
was right about that. No way.
"If you knew where to find me all this time, why haven't you told him? He must
have sent you to look for me."
"That's the problem with Master Inuyasha. He underestimates my loyalty, always
has. I have been trying to get rid of you women from the start. I am grateful
that he trusts only me or this would have been much more difficult."
The girl's eyes narrowed and her face colored with anger. "You were the one who
covered my room with dog hearts and blood that day, weren't you? You were the
one who took all those pictures! And you told the Band of Seven about
Inuyasha's past just to hurt me."
Myoga nodded. He had honestly expected her to figure it out ages ago. Her
mother would have. She had been a smart cookie, taking his advice and exploring
the basement, finding the room without him having to go into detail, never
revealing his "accidental" mention of the place, not that she ever got the
chance, of course.
"I have the honor of being the only one able to sneak up on Master Inuyasha. I
wish I could say it was because of some skill of mine, but it is simply because
he disregards my presence after having been around me for so very long. I
mailed the photographs along with the information to Onigumo in secret, and he
never even questioned the source. I guess he was grateful, especially with the
photographer he hired through the Band of Seven being so incompetent. Master
Inuyasha will consistently underestimate my devotion to him. Everything I do is
for his gain."
"So what are you here for? It couldn't have been that five minute speech. Out
with it."
"Well, Master Inuyasha has… retreated from reality."
"He… he what?" she asked quaveringly, her eyes going big behind the ridiculous
heart-shaped sunglasses.
He continued as though he had not heard her. "I honestly did not expect him to
last this long, him being only a half-demon and you leaving him so soon after
the mating, but he did. He lasted longer than any other full-demon would have,"
he explained, his tone tinged with a brag.
"What am I supposed to do about it? I left him, remember?"
"You've heard about Shikon shutting down, correct?"
She nodded.
"That is because it has no spiritual power. I can give it to you and you will
take your rightful place at its head."
"That is not the life I wanted or want."
"What else will you do? You look sixteen, and once it gets out that you're
mated to your step-father whose wife was murdered under mysterious
circumstances, you won't be able to get a job anywhere."
"I don't need a job," the girl protested. "Tsubaki takes care of me."
"But for how long? You need something for yourself. And don't try to pretend
that you are happy. I know how she treats you."
Kagome looked away and they fell into silence.
"Miss Higurashi, you are still considered a missing person. I have kept the
world from finding you. Do not make me withdraw my protection."
She sighed. "What do you want me to do?"
"Just visit him. A visit from his mate will clear his mind. After he did not
find you at your old doctor's house three years ago, he tore up nearly all the
trees in a state park and then went home. He hasn't come out since. I go in
every week to bring him groceries and make sure he's alive. He won't allow me
to visit more often than that and he won't let me stay for more than five
minutes," he explained, his voice lowering. "Tetsusaiga is failing and that
means the entire world's economy will worsen. Just please, spend some time with
him."
Kagome took off her sunglasses and blotted the tears on her face with a napkin.
"Alright. I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you, Miss Higurashi."
They shook hands and she left. Myoga took a sip of his now cold coffee. He had
left out a lot of things in his conversation with the girl, the most important
of which being that Inuyasha now switched between a half-demon who mumbled
incoherently and saw visions of his dead wife to a demon who prowled the woods,
tearing apart small animals and devouring trespassers. Just the week before, he
had clawed up and consumed a teenage couple drinking on the very outskirts of
his woods. The only way for a demon to not suffer any terrible consequences
from the death of its mate was if they killed their mate themselves. Myoga had
saved this option for last, having already spent a fortune on dark priests and
priestesses who exhausted their knowledge of spells and potions. He had been
worried that since Inuyasha was half human, the murder of his mate by his own
hands would harm him in unforeseen ways, but as it was his only choice left, he
would use it.
Truthfully, his master's sanity had been slipping since before he met the
original Miss Higurashi. He'd lived fast and dangerously, and that kind of
lifestyle was not appropriate for an immortal. His bouts of madness were easily
covered up, and at first the Higurashi woman had seemed to help, but it just
got worse after she left him, and then worse when she came along with the girl.
He had turned into an obsessive, delusional shell of the man he had been
before, and he could only hope this would shock him back into sanity.
O/\o/\O
Kagome walked the short distance home, taking much longer than usual. It had
been difficult to sneak out of the house, and since she was not allowed out,
she lingered in the fresh air and savored the feeling of the setting sun on her
skin. Tsubaki thought she was out in the yard gardening, and hopefully she had
not left her room to check on her. Kagome sighed, wondering how the days had
been so long and the years so short.
Kaede had introduced the two girls the day Inuyasha had left, when she had
silently agreed that she'd go back with him in a week. She and Inuyasha
together was just inevitable. Kagome thought that might sound odd or depressing
to some people, that she didn't believe she had a choice, but she felt joy when
she thought of it that way. They were truly meant to be. She had intended to
keep her promise, knowing she just needed some time to get over the shock, but
Kaede had intervened, telling her she could do better, that she had a future,
that there were others like her out there. That had gotten her attention, and
the old priestess called her neighbor from down the street and told her to come
over and that it was an emergency. Kagome had barely exited the bathroom after
brushing her teeth when the doorbell rang, and she answered it at her doctor's
urging.
Standing at Kaede's porch was perhaps the most beautiful girl Kagome had ever
seen holding a tray of cupcakes that seemed too perfect to be home-made yet
undoubtedly were. With her incredibly long black hair, large blue eyes and
perfect skin, Kagome was beginning to feel short and clunky. But Tsubaki's kind
smile made her feel at ease and she smiled back.
Kaede came to the door and with a big smile introduced the two girls. "Kagome,
dear, this is Tsubaki. She's a priestess and also the victim of unwanted
mating."
She looked back at the older girl, who suddenly seemed much more interesting
now that she had a backstory. Tsubaki glided through the door, the way she
walked reminding Kagome of her mother and making her heart hurt, carefully
placing her tray of cupcakes down on the coffee table. Reaching up a slim hand,
she flipped her hair back, revealing a large bite on her neck.
"A hundred years ago," the beautiful girl said in a low, melodic voice, "a
demon I thought was my friend broke into my home and brutally raped me, marking
me in the process. Whether he intended that or not, I'll never know, as I
destroyed him in his slumber and freed myself. The mark remains, but my mate
does not. I do have his lifespan, however."
Kagome gasped. The girl looked to be about a year or two older than her at
most, and gentle as well. She reached out to touch the mark, which still
appeared bruised, and Tsubaki shuddered as her fingers ran across it. Kagome
herself felt something electric and drew her hand away, blushing and lowering
her gaze.
"I-I'm sorry I did that. It just… looked painful," she said in an embarrassed
whisper.
Tsubaki grasped her hand and smiled. "Don't worry, Kagome. A little curiosity
is a wonderful thing to have. I can already tell we're going to be great
friends."
Kagome smiled back, a bit of the weight on her heart lifting.
Motioning to her plastic-covered yellow sofa, Kaede said, "Sit down, girls.
Thank you for coming, Tsubaki. I thought it important that Kagome know there
are other victims out there."
"I don't feel like a victim," Kagome confessed.
The two other women stared at her and then at each other, a look of
understanding passing between them.
Kaede spoke first, her voice gentle and low, like she was talking to a
frightened animal. "I know you think you love him, but that was due to his
manipulations, child."
"It is true," Tsubaki chimed in. "Demons are clever and know how to turn on the
charm."
"But he's not charming!" Kagome protested in earnest, wanting them to
understand. "He's weird and goofy and kind of mean."
They didn't know what to say to that and just glanced at each other again.
"We have to make a plan, Kagome," Kaede said, grim and earnest.
"Plan for what?"
"Where to put you."
"Put me?"
"You'll need to be hidden."
"What for? Or from?"
Tsubaki laid a hand on her knee, her eyes sympathetic and understanding. "The
demon will come for you. He will not take no for an answer."
The way she said it sounded so foreboding and Kagome flashed back to the way
Inuyasha had taken her that night. From behind, like an animal, and rough. She
had let him touch her after that only because she was so relieved he was back
to himself, but every kiss had still hurt. It had felt good, but it had hurt.
Would he make it hurt again?
"Inuyasha knows where I live, so you will not be able to stay here, even though
I'd like you to," Kaede said. "Tsubaki is a powerful priestess, and her home
has many enchantments and wards and barriers."
Tsubaki smiled at Kagome with her perfectly straight, white teeth. "Would you
like to come with me? I'll make sure it's a never ending sleepover."
"But Inuyasha—"
"Once a demon has mated you, you are no longer you, you are merely their
property," Tsubaki said sorrowfully. "Please, just come spend the night and we
can figure this out together. I think you need to spend some time with normal,
healthy people. Maybe stay away from guys for a while. You've been through a
traumatic, horrific experience that I cannot even imagine, and you need
healing. Let me help you."
The girl's eyes were so pleading and big and beautiful, the blue nicer to look
at than the sky, that she found herself nodding, even feeling excited. After
all, it was only a few days.
True to her word, Tsubaki made the next six days like a constant sleepover. She
made pizza and went slow to show Kagome how, and they watched girly movies and
did each other's hair. On the last night, Tsubaki told her she had a beautiful
profile and taught her how to emphasize it with make-up, which she had hardly
ever worn and didn't really know how to use, and even gave her some of her own
jewelry. The older priestess insisted that Kagome dress up in negligee and
started to do the same. She called it a lingerie party and said women did it
all the time in the suburbs whenever they were bored. The item she picked out
for Kagome was a white bra and panty set with heavy embroidery on the cups. She
was embarrassed to wear it in front of Tsubaki, feeling exposed, and when the
other girl noticed, she gave her a sheer lace babydoll to fling over it. Kagome
put it on and suddenly felt giggly, fun, and incredibly alive. She wondered if
this was what regular young people felt like all the time. Eyeing the pretty
material clinging to her body, she wondered why a single woman like Tsubaki
would have so much lingerie, but then the door opened and there stood her new
best friend in a plain black balconette bra and a teeny tiny thong. Kagome
blushed and looked away, but Tsubaki just laughed.
"Don't get weird on me, Kagome. We're just doing it to feel pretty. Don't you
feel pretty?"
Kagome nodded. She actually did. The make-up and hairstyle Tsubaki had done for
her made her feel like another person, and she liked it. The jewelry she had
let her borrow looked like real gold and diamonds, but even still, she
preferred the ring Inuyasha gave her, which continued to hold its seat of honor
on her ring finger. She twiddled with it, suddenly feeling nervous. They'd see
each other again tomorrow. What would she say? Had he been taking care of Buyo?
Of himself? Tsubaki noticed the direction her thoughts were heading and
jokingly bonked her head.
"Remember, tonight is for fun!" she said happily. "Take the ring off, it
clashes."
Kagome almost didn't comply, but then she looked down at it and realized it
really did clash. She didn't need to wear it all the time, anyway. Once it was
off, Tsubaki pulled out a gold band with a huge rock on it, seemingly from
nowhere.
"Here, wear this. It matches."
Kagome did, the weight of it making her hand feel heavy.
Tsubaki smiled and hugged her. "You look like a bride on her wedding night."
She blushed. Nobody had ever complimented her as often as Tsubaki did. Smiling,
she teased, "And you look like a dominatrix."
Tsubaki's smile widened and she grabbed Kagome's hand, leading her back into
the master bedroom.
"Where's my sleeping bag?" she asked, looked around. They had both been
sleeping on her host's bedroom floor in Disney character sleeping bags that
Tsubaki had already had.
Her friend shrugged. "I felt bad for the bed. It wasn't being used. And my
back's hurting and I have a feeling yours is too."
Her back was fine, but she wouldn't turn down a bed. Tsubaki's was big and
comfy and covered in squishy heart-shaped pillows they had fought with on more
than one occasion. Kagome jumped on the bed and spread out her arms and legs
like she was making a snow angel, no longer at all self-conscious. Tsubaki
crawled over to her and smiled, laughing at her display of childishness.
Turning serious, she asked, "Do you still want to go back to your demon,
Kagome? Even after all this? If you stay here with me and let me protect you,
every day will be like this."
Kagome nodded. "Yes, I have to go back to him. You've made me very happy and
I'm glad I found someone like you, Tsubaki. You're the best friend I've ever
had, I think. Besides Inuyasha, anyway. So yeah, I'll come back and visit, but
I want to go back to him. I need to."
Tsubaki smirked and suddenly she was straddling her, their faces only a few
inches apart. "Wrong answer," she purred. "Let me rephrase that. Do you want to
leave me forever, Kagome?"
Kagome found herself getting lost in the blue and her mind began to cloud. "I,
well, no, I—"
Tsubaki closed the distance between them and kissed her hard on the mouth,
biting Kagome's lower lip and sucking in the blood, soothing the stinging
sensation with her tongue. She pulled away and stared down at the younger girl
beneath her, her gaze suddenly darkened and malicious.
"What… why…?" Kagome breathed, confused.
"I have your blood. Now you do what I want."
Kagome felt her arms stretch behind her head and grip the bed post without her
consent. Her legs spread and locked, leaving her wide open. Her friend just
stared, her tongue darting out and moistening her lips. Tsubaki took one finger
and ran it down the center of Kagome's neck, drawing it downward and splitting
open the thin fabric of the baby doll. For a second, it looked like she had
claws, and Kagome tried to struggle but found she couldn't. She didn't even
really want to.
"I never understood why beautiful girls would even temporarily tolerate a
male," Tsubaki whispered huskily. "All they do is possess and ruin, possess and
ruin, over and over. Demon males are the worst. Why, Kagome? Why pine for a man
when you have all the beauty you need right here?" she asked, unclipping her
own bra and releasing her gravity defying breasts.
Kagome almost rolled her eyes. The woman had no flaws, it was ridiculous. Her
friend leaned down and kissed the tip of Kagome's covered breast.
"I love the way you smell in my perfume. I love the way you look in my clothes,
in my jewelry," Tsubaki sighed. "You and I are just perfect for each other, my
little flower. I'm going to keep you safe and make you strong enough to be like
me."
The kiss was so gentle, so soft that Kagome inhaled sharply in surprise.
Inuyasha had never been like that. She wasn't quite sure if she totally liked
what was going on, but her body certainly did, whether from Tsubaki's clever
tongue work or her spell, she did not know. If she could form words, she'd ask
if Kaede had known what would happen. She didn't like to think the woman she
considered a grandmother had sold her out like this. However, Tsubaki's lips
were sweet and earnest and Kagome couldn't help but respond. Even though it was
the spell that was forcing her lips apart and making her tongue dance with the
other girl's, she still enjoyed it and that enjoyment was all hers, wasn't it?
Tsubaki moaned on top of her and kissed the corner of her mouth before grinning
at her and moving to her breasts, her perfectly manicured nails dragging down
the bra and leaving small pink lines on her pale flesh. Kagome shivered at the
sensation and bucked when teeth encountered her nipple and tugged, the dark
priestess's pink tongue darting out and licking the nub, making it stand tall
and proud on her chest.
Dazed, Kagome tried to remember why this was wrong, what she was fighting it
for. The more she thought about it, the worse it got. Why was she being so mean
to her only friend? Tsubaki was just being nice and making her feel good, that
was all. It was rude to refuse a gift. The blue-eyed girl pulled away from the
gray-eyed one's breast with a wet pop, her own saliva glistening on her lips.
"If you're ready to be a good girl, Kagome, I'll let you play."
Kagome whimpered in consent and suddenly her limbs were free. Tsubaki smoothed
her hair and pulled her into another kiss.
"Please, mistress, please continue," Kagome begged, panting.
Tsubaki's eyes twinkled. "I was hoping you'd say that. But first, you're going
to have to repay me for what I just did."
She nodded eagerly and Tsubaki lowered her breasts onto Kagome's face, sighing
in contented pleasure when the girl sucked like a newborn and pinched with just
the right amount of force. Kagome faded into her mistress, no longer completely
herself, and something told her it was a great honor. Tsubaki knew she had
chosen correctly this time. This one wouldn't leave like all the others, this
one would live and age like her. Tsubaki pulled her new slave off her by the
hair and noticed with satisfaction the dilated pupils and worshipful gaze.
Reaching for one of her pillows, she pulled her favorite toy out from the
pillow case and turned it on, rubbing the vibrator on her hard nipples and then
down her abdomen, ghosting it over her waiting lips, coating it in her fluids.
Without a warning, she shoved it in the other girl, kissing her on the lips
when she cried out. Ripping herself away, she pushed her down and crawled over
her.
"No doubt you've pleased your demon and he's pleased you, but pleasing a woman
is something very special, my flower."
Kagome nodded without listening, not understanding why her mistress was making
her wait to taste her. She was a woman too, she knew what women liked. Unable
to control herself in her eagerness, Kagome grabbed greedily for the other
girl, her hands finding her ass and pulling her onto her face. Her eyes closed
in rapture as she took the first lick, the echoes of Tsubaki's surprised,
pleased laugh still in her ears like the chorus of her favorite song. She went
slow and then fast, not sure how her mistress liked it, but then her mistress
took control and ground into her face and released. Kagome felt more pleasure
from Tsubaki's juices coating her lips, chin, and neck than she did from the
vibrator still going strong inside her.
"Mmm, that was good for a beginner. Now you get a turn."
Crawling down her body, Tsubaki's eyes flashed happily as she yanked the
vibrator out of Kagome and turned it off, flinging it to the side. Kagome began
pleading with her eyes only to have them roll back in her head when her friend
and mistress ripped her underwear off and took a long lick up her lips. The
other priestess attacked her slowly, building her up and letting her down again
and again until she finally let her cum. The orgasm was more than anything she
had ever felt, but when it passed, she could think again. Still shaking like a
leaf, she realized Tsubaki was holding her in her arms, staring at her face
with the littlest smile on her lips.
"Oh god, Tsubaki, what did you—"
"You mean what did we do," Tsubaki interrupted. "You were pretty eager there,
yourself."
Kagome shook her head in panicked denial. "No, that wasn't me, I wasn't—"
"I would never have been able to use your blood to control you had you not been
attracted to me in the slightest bit."
"But… but Inuyasha… "
"Do you really think he'd want you now that you've been with someone else?"
Tsubaki asked, one perfect brow raised like Vivien Leigh's as Scarlett O'Hara.
"A human male might let you get away with it as long as you did it again and
made him watch, but you're mated to a demon and they're different about that.
He's already felt your pleasure at another's touch through the bond. He won't
want you anymore."
Kagome was about to argue and then remembered when he had accused her of
wanting Hojo, how angry he had been, and those had just been vague suspicions.
What would he be like now that he knew for certain? Feeling hopeless, she began
to cry, and Tsubaki held her to her naked breast. Kagome was absurdly comforted
by the embrace, even though her best friend was nothing more than a rapist in
disguise.
"Shhh, my little flower, you will always have me. I will love you and we will
please each other," Tsubaki said soothingly. "Remember how much fun we had
while you were here? It will be like that every day." She punctuated the
sentence with a kiss to the lips.
Kagome said nothing and her mistress allowed her to cry herself to sleep.
O/\o/\O
Kagome opened the side door of the house she had been living in for the past
few years. It was just a house, never home. The sound of the television from
upstairs had her sighing in relief. Tsubaki was probably in the same position
she'd left her in, sprawled out in front of the television on her bed in her
room. Kagome now had her own room, something she had insisted on and Tsubaki
had reluctantly allowed her to have. She still spent most of her nights in
Tsubaki's room and in her arms. In order to sneak out again, she'd have to
really knock it out of the park tonight. A small smile, one of the first real
ones in years, made its way onto her face.
She was going to see him tonight. Tonight.
Not attempting to disguise her presence or muffle her footsteps, she bounded up
the stairs, stopping when she got to Tsubaki's room. The door was open and
there she was, naked, as usual, watching some dirty movie where a schoolmarm
was attacked by her class of busty blonde schoolgirls and taken on her desk. It
was one of her favorites. Sometimes she made Kagome dress up as a schoolgirl
and ravish her, other times she played a no nonsense teacher and made Kagome
into a student badly in need of discipline. One thing was always more or less
consistent: Kagome in a tacky school uniform she hated.
Sighing quietly in the doorway, she took off the expensive ripped designer
jeans and fashionably baggy shirt of Tsubaki's and dropped to her knees. The
dark priestess had not acknowledged her, but knew she was there. The fact that
she had not been touching herself before Kagome had entered was proof enough.
She waited with her head bowed, a plan of attack forming in her mind.
"You may enter," Tsubaki finally said.
Kagome stayed on her knees and crawled until she got to the bed and waited
again for instructions.
"You may proceed. But keep your head down and be quiet about it, I want to keep
watching." The older girl turned up the volume and soon the room was filled
with the sound of slurps and exaggerated moans.
"Yes, Mistress."
Going immediately to her breasts, Kagome licked and teased her exactly as she
liked as fast as she could. It was quickly becoming dark, and Inuyasha's house
was on the other side of town. She had no method of transportation, never
having learned how to drive.
Tsubaki shoved her head down and Kagome kissed along her abdomen until she got
to her mistress's textbook perfect lady parts. Using both tongue and fingers,
she went quickly, wishing she wore a watch. A sharp tug on her hair forced her
gaze up and she met the steamy eyes of her housemate.
"It suddenly occurred to me," Tsubaki murmured in her perfected sexy voice.
"Why watch a film when I have my own naughty schoolgirl right here?"
Kagome paled. Tsubaki's role play scenarios were always ridiculously long and
drawn out. She had tons of scripts she had written out and made Kagome
memorize. Stiffly, Kagome went to the closet and looked at her half, which
consisted purely of fetish costumes and lingerie. Anytime she needed anything
normal, which was rare, Tsubaki dressed her in something of hers.
"I think I want to see you in green plaid, tonight, my flower."
Kagome grimaced. That was her least favorite one. It reminded her of her real
schoolgirl uniform, which of course reminded her of her old life. All her
friends had graduated by now. Did they even remember her?
Kagome pulled the garment on, wondering for the thousandth time why she did
what Tsubaki said even though she hadn't been controlled since that first time.
Boredom? Fear? Or did she actually like it? It was true, she enjoyed the
physical sensations sometimes, and Tsubaki could be a good friend, but the
lifestyle just wasn't for her. Kagome stepped out of the closet, her outfit
making her the picture of slutty innocence, right down to her patent leather
mary janes.
Tsubaki eyed her hungrily. "I think it's been a while since we did script
number forty-three."
The gray-eyed girl instantly went into character and began to unbutton her
blouse, wondering why Tsubaki made her dress up just to get her undressed again
so soon. Naked from the waist up, she stepped lightly and jumped on the bed,
purposefully making her breasts jiggle.
"Miz Tsubaki," Kagome said with a slight lisp, "I've got an awfully strange
feeling."
"A strange feeling where, Britney?"
"In… in my… pussy, miss."
If only she could cringe. Kagome bit her lip and twirled one of her pigtails.
"Describe this feeling, Britney. Tell me what it's doing to you."
"Well, I'm all hot and wet and tingly." Kagome blushed. Tsubaki's writing was
just dreadful and it made her feel like an idiot. She always ended up blushing,
which always made Tsubaki even hornier. She thought it made her look innocent
and maidenly, just like a real schoolgirl.
"I think I can help you with that, my dear. Lie down and let me have a look."
Kagome did as she was told, now shyly covering her breasts. She didn't know
what Britney's deal was. One minute bouncing around all shameless like a
retarded puppy and the next coyly hiding herself. Tsubaki gently pried her arms
away from her chest and licked at a nipple while Kagome held her head.
"Mmm, does it get worse or better when I do this?"
"M-much, much worse, Miz Tsubaki."
"Well it'll have to get worse before it gets better, I'm afraid."
Tsubaki took her time with Kagome's breasts, palming and sucking and teasing
and biting until Kagome was no longer faking her pants and moans. She had
decided long ago that she might as well enjoy what the other girl did to her as
long as she was stuck with her. Kaede had moved away right before she and
Tsubaki had consummated their "relationship", leaving no forwarding address, so
it wasn't like she could just go and stay with her when she was having
problems. Tsubaki had said her leaving was out of fear of Inuyasha.
"Mmm, Britney, you taste so good!"
"Thank you, ma'am. Does this count as extra credit?"
Tsubaki laughed at her own joke and shook her head from side to side as she
licked Kagome's clit. She exploded and Tsubaki drank up the juices, holding her
bottom and caressing it until she calmed down completely.
"Ooh, Miz Tsubaki, that does feel better! Thanks! Is there anything I can do
for you?"
"Well, if you still want that extra credit, you're perfectly welcome to work
for it," she said, blue eyes flashing as she spread apart her lips.
What came next was what Kagome hated most about number forty-three. Shutting
her eyes, she willed away all emotion and dove in. If the regular licking and
sucking was all she had to do, she'd be fine, but Tsubaki always just had to
have more.
"Try a little lower, Britney."
Kagome complied, thankful that Tsubaki was always very clean. Flicking her
tongue in and then rimming around, Kagome spread the juices that had leaked
down her perineum into and around her other hole, teasing and making her
mistress whimper. Shoving four fingers inside the girl's cunt, she rammed them
in and out until she shuddered and came hard with a scream.
Instead of the next step, which was Britney and Miz Tsubaki in a sixty-nine
position, Kagome grabbed a paper she had hidden in her shoe and slammed it hard
onto Tsubaki's stomach. Immediately, the woman beneath her froze. Kagome smiled
and wiped her mouth, spitting onto the floor. Might as well do the other things
she wanted to do as long as she was heading down that road.
"I've sealed the demons inside you, Tsubaki. Since that's what keeps you going,
you can no longer move. If I left you here, you'd turn to bones by the time
morning came, but don't worry, I'll be back tonight."
With a quick kiss to the lips and a prayer that Tsubaki liked her enough not to
murder her, Kagome darted into the closet and changed into the lilac dress she
had been wearing when she had last seen him. Tsubaki had tried to throw it away
along with her ring, but she had rescued them both from the trash. Taking the
ring from the shoebox on the floor where she had hidden it away in a pair of
go-go boots, Kagome put it on her finger, admiring the way it looked as though
it belonged on her. Slipping on brown sandals, she hurried to the bathroom and
took some baby wipes to erase the evidence of her orgasm. Satisfied that she
was clean, she yanked the elastic bands out of her hair and left, but not
before visiting Tsubaki's purse and taking some money for a taxi. She smiled
all the way as she jogged to the main street and hailed a driver.
She was going to see him again. Even though it was just for a little while,
even though he didn't want her, she'd see him again.
***** What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
*Song for the chapter: What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life by Dusty
Springfield*
A comment before we continue: I thought it was kind of weird how a lesbian
scene made a few of you uncomfortable but not the whole incest thing… Just
sayin'.
The walk up the driveway was dark and scary, and she kept tripping over small
stones, the sandals she wore not exactly made for use in any place that was not
a mall or something similar. Kagome kept hearing rustling noises and she didn't
know if they were normal or not, not having ever walked the path at night. The
taxi driver had refused to take her down the road, saying it looked like
something out of a horror movie and there was no fucking way he'd be starring
in one. He was perfectly willing to leave her there though, even after she
explained it was miles of dirt road and she'd be all by herself. She had given
him a two dollar tip, which was as spiteful as she could be considering he had
been the one to take her back to the place she had dreamt about for years.
Along the way, it occurred to her that she had only spent about a year with
Inuyasha. That meant that she knew Tsubaki better than she knew him. But why
didn't it feel that way? She cursed herself for wearing the sandals. At the
time she had been dressing, she had felt very strongly that she not wear
anything coming from her new partner, for lack of a better word. But the things
were flimsy, although pretty. A pair of Tsubaki's workout sneakers would have
been more appropriate. But they wouldn't have gone with the dress! Another
flash of apprehension pulsed through her. What would he do? Say? Think? Feel?
Without a doubt, he would be angry. Very angry. As long as he wasn't so
violently angry like before, it would be alright. Even if he was, she
understood him, and she would welcome whatever biting words he'd fling her way.
And what about her? Would it be the same as it was before? Could it ever be?
Reminding herself she was just here to talk to him, not run away and get
married, she trudged on.
After nearly an hour of speed walking and spurts of running, she was finally at
the front door. The place hadn't changed a bit, but the feeling had. She no
longer felt welcome. She didn't think anybody did. Tentatively, she knocked.
All the lights were off and she was not expecting an answer. She couldn't
remember anyone ever knocking at the door, except for guests they knew were
arriving and delivery men. No solicitor or Jehovah's Witness would venture that
far. She waited a couple seconds, then knocked again, this time louder and
longer. Nothing. Again, she knocked, and finally the door opened and there he
was.
She gasped as the wind from the movement blew her bangs out of her face. Him.
Unchanged. Only the look in his eyes was different. Somehow childish. And then
Kagome remembered all of what Myoga had said. Had she really done this to him?
Had she made him crazy?
"Are you real?" he asked, his voice hoarse and grating.
She couldn't speak. Her feelings were coming back so strong and her mark was
pulsing on her neck, reminding her of everything she'd left behind. With a sob,
she flung herself into his arms and kissed his jaw, that strong curve she had
loved and admired from the very first moment she saw him.
She was home.
His house wasn't home, Tsubaki's house wasn't home, the dilapidated structure
she'd lived in with her mother wasn't home. Inuyasha was. He was her home. She
heard the door slam shut. Without her realizing it, he had dragged her inside.
Kagome didn't even care. All she wanted to do was cry in his arms.
"Please don't cry, angel. What's wrong? Are you hurt?" His voice was soft and
confused and it made her cry harder.
"No," she managed to squeak out. "I've just missed you. So, so much. Do you
hate me?"
Inuyasha at first said nothing, looking at her quizzically. "Are you sure
you're real? Your hair grew."
"Yes. Yes, I'm real. And it's the only thing that has." Kagome was still
somewhat bitter at her lack of development. She had always wanted to be as tall
and thin as her mother while still retaining her large (for her proportions)
breasts, the size of which would have only increased, she was sure of it.
"Where did you go? You haven't been home in months." His tone was somewhat
chiding, so unlike what it would have been.
She held back a forlorn cry by pursing her lips. "Years, Inuyasha, it's been
three whole years."
"Is that right?" he asked distractedly. He sat down in his chair and she sat
down on his lap, not wanting to be separated from him, kissing his forehead
when he didn't push her away like she almost expected him to do.
"I see you've been taking care of Buyo," she said, nodding toward the bowls of
cat food and water on the floor. She heard the jingling of the bell on his
collar, letting her know her obese cat was prowling around somewhere in the
house. "How have you been?" she whispered when he didn't respond.
"Oh, fine. Fine," he said, sounding like an old man. "Kikyo was here just
before you. She said that if I saw you I should tell you to practice your
archery."
Kagome froze. Myoga had not told her he'd been having hallucinations of Mother.
"Inuyasha, Mother is gone," she said carefully.
He nodded. "Yes, she just left."
Taking his face in her hands, she made him look at her. "No, Inuyasha, she's
dead. She'd been dead for three years."
Inuyasha just stared at her with a look that made her feel like the crazy one.
After a few moments of silence, his eyes crossed slightly, and he said, "Huh.
Maybe you're right."
She hugged him around the neck and he patted her back with slow, irregular
movements. "Do you remember anything about that night?" She had been aching to
know ever since they were separated.
"What night?"
"When Mother and Dr. Suikotsu died."
"When was that?"
"Three years ago."
"Where was I?"
Kagome said nothing, instead just stroking his hair like a mother would her
child's and softly running a nail along and tracing the outside of an ear,
which twitched in response. "Come with me."
She took his hand and made her way to their old room, the room that was
supposed to be theirs but had forever become Kikyo's and Suikotsu's. Maybe
seeing the place would jog his memory. She kicked open the trap door and
blindly walked down the stars, keeping her other hand on the cement wall for
balance and orientation. Inuyasha pulled back on her hand and she stumbled.
"You shouldn't be here. Let's go," he said.
Kagome pulled forward insistently. "No, Inuyasha! You need this and so do I."
She felt he was ready to bolt so she kept a firm grip, surprised when he
followed obediently down the stairs and into the basement. With seeking
fingers, she flicked on the light switch, only to scream once the room was
illuminated.
Two bodies. Two. Had he kept her mother and Suikotsu? His hands came up over
her eyes to cover them, reminding her of what was probably their first and only
date, when he had taken her shopping and to the movies, showing her a world she
had known of but not experienced.
"I told you. I knew you wouldn't like it."
Trying not to panic, she took his hands away, clinging to them in spite of
everything. He was the only other living thing there and she could not break
away from him. Kagome wondered why she didn't smell anything, but then realized
the state of the bodies. In the cool, dry place, they had been naturally
mummified. Inuyasha must have let the room air out from time to time, somehow
without letting in any flies or other bugs and rodents. The more she looked at
them, the more she realized something.
Kikyo had been wearing a robe and the doctor had been wearing only underwear.
Both corpses in front of her were fully clothed. The remaining hair that still
clung to their skulls was different as well, the female's shorter and lighter
than her mother's. She didn't want to look anymore, but she had to. She took a
step closer and recognized the shirt, now brown and splotchy with corpse fluids
and mold.
"Oh, Inuyasha, what have you done?" she questioned softly, still gripping his
hands. "Why? Why Sango and her boyfriend?" She turned around to face him and he
stared at her, unperturbed.
"Did I…? Oh." His eyes cleared a bit and focused. "That's right. I hired Sango
and Miroku to find you. They came back and said they knew where you were and
they were going to tell everyone if I didn't give them money, a lot of money.
More than they deserved. I don't remember anything after that. But I couldn't
let them say anything. I had to protect you. It wasn't right for them to know
and not me. Shoulda made them tell…"
Kagome was crying by the end of his brief tale. What had happened to him? Myoga
had said he was insane, but he had not mentioned anything like this. Was this
her fault? Her tears stilled on her face in her shock. Her fault.
Kagome looked back up at him. Inuyasha was still staring at the corpses with
his brow slightly furrowed, as though trying to puzzle something out. Reaching
up her hands, she smoothed the lines away, making him look at her.
"Don't worry, Inuyasha, it's alright. This wasn't your fault, this was mine.
Let's go upstairs."
He nodded and flicked the light off, and they turned their backs on the empty
shells that had once housed their friends. She sighed when they left the guest
room, shutting the door behind her and wishing she could shut a door on her
thoughts. Inuyasha was staring at her and she felt like he was going to ask her
if she was real again. She didn't think she could bear it if he did.
"Would you let me live with you again, Inuyasha?"
He nodded slowly. He seemed to be coming back to himself faster and faster.
"I'd like that, too. I just have to leave really quick and take care of
something and I'll be back. Do you think you can give me a ride?" She needed to
unseal Tsubaki and explain things to her. She wasn't sure she could beat her in
a battle of their powers, but now she had a reason to try.
Inuyasha shot out his arm and slapped her, leaving her stunned.
"W-why?" she whispered, too surprised to feel hurt.
"You just came back. You can't leave again. You only just came back," he said
matter-of-factly. His shoulders were shaking and his muscles were tensed,
clashing with the tone of his voice.
"Inuyasha, I have to go, but I promise I'll come back. I even said you could
come with me," she said, trying to make him understand.
"I don't trust you. Not after everything."
Even though his words were true, they hurt her deeply, more than any slap.
"Please, Inuyasha, please! I have to get back before morning. Tsubaki will die
if I don't!"
He shook his head and clamped his arm down on her wrist. "No. you've been away
long enough already."
She pleaded and cried with him as he dragged her up the stairs. She clung to
the bannister, but he just pried her fingers off it one by one and flipped her
over his shoulder.
"Mates don't leave their mates, Kagome. No matter what. You need to learn
that."
Kicking open his bedroom door, he threw her on the bed, not giving her time to
stop bouncing before he was on her, kissing her brutally and making her bleed,
his sharp teeth tearing into her delicate skin. Her hands beat at his shoulders
uselessly, and he finally got tired of her attempts at trying to get him off of
her and pinned her wrists to the bed. He frantically nipped her throat and she
found herself screaming. That only seemed to irritate him and he again placed
his lips on hers, effectively muffling her noise, his hands quickly coming to
her neck and squeezing, cutting off her air. Did he know what he was doing? Was
he trying to kill her? Getting rid of her the same way he'd done with her
mother. The thought made her eyes water anew and she pictured him carelessly
tossing her in the basement with Miroku and Sango, continuing on his
destructive path, living for an eternity as a true beast. And it would be her
fault.
Her mark was burning, and the inside voice was again commanding her to submit.
The pain of her mark overwhelmed all other sensation, becoming nearly
unbearable, and then she gave up, making herself limp and exchanging her
screams for small whimpers. Her mate released her neck and left her lips to
suck and bite at her breasts, rougher than he had ever been with her. She was
surprised to find herself enjoying it. His quick, almost desperate
ministrations made her feel desired, and not in the way Tsubaki did. Inuyasha
acted like he needed her to live, to breathe, to exist.
Accepting her submission, Inuyasha turned her over. The fear nearly choked her.
He was going to punish her. He wanted to punish her, to hurt her just as he had
that night that ruined it all. In a way, she wanted the same thing. It was what
she deserved. She had hurt him so much the past few years, even if it was
without her knowledge. He pressed her face down into the pillow and she turned
her head to the side, gasping for breath as he entered her. The mark hummed
along to the song her body sang as he touched her. The emotional pain and shame
that filled her was so great that it rivaled what she had felt on the last day
of her mother's life. She was so weak, always needing to be taken care of. She
didn't even care who did it, did she? But Inuyasha was better than the rest. He
was the best one.
"You need to be punished, but the highlight of this whole experience has always
been those little faces you make," he panted disjointedly, sounding almost
normal. Sliding out of her, he turned her on her back and plunged in again
right away. "I need to see you. I need to watch you when you cum. Please cum
for me, baby. Cum for me, angel. Kagome…"
The mingling of their breath when he spoke was more intimate than any kiss
they'd ever shared, and she took his words into her mouth and savored their
flavor. The beginnings of sanity in his eyes and the raw emotion of his words
had her gushing and clenching around him. He slammed his lips onto hers and
pumped once more before finally finishing. Cradling her in his arms, they
stayed joined until their bodies calmed, and then he pulled out, rolled to the
side and let her snuggle into his chest.
"I'm going to make you love me again, Kagome. Whatever it takes."
Her pain nearly doubled at hearing that. She had never stopped.
O/\o/\O
Kagome watched the sunrise through Inuyasha's big window, realizing Tsubaki was
more than likely dead. The knowledge hardly disturbed her afterglow. She and
her mate had come together again and again the previous night. He didn't leave
her alone long enough to think, and she was grateful. He had been tender and
rough and passionate and wild and loving in turns and it was just what she
needed. He could be anything for her, so she would be everything for him.
Even now, he ran his fingers down her arm suggestively. Giggling, she rolled
over and faced him. He cupped her face and gave her a slow, sweet kiss. Her
lips were sensitive, still cut and bruised from their earlier passions.
"Morning," he murmured, devotion in his voice and gaze.
"Morning," she smiled back.
Inuyasha's eyes lit up as he watched her stretch. "Let's go somewhere.
Anywhere. Let's run away and get married and travel the world for our
honeymoon."
Kagome felt like crying, so many emotions were shooting through her. But she
had to be strong. She could be strong now. Tsubaki had at least taught her
that, just as she'd promised. "We'll have to call Myoga first, though. We'll
need a press conference and stuff to let everyone know I'm no longer a missing
person. Besides that, I'd like to get Shikon up and running again, and you have
your duties with Tetsusaiga. And then we have to wait for everyone to stop
talking."
Inuyasha rolled over onto her and buried his face in her neck. "Fuck. There are
so many things to do. That'll take fucking forever. Fucking asshole Myoga."
Kagome had told him last night that his assistant was the one who had told her
to come and that he had been the one who had covered her room with dog hearts
like some kind of demented feng shui artist. Inuyasha had been about to run
naked to his house to kill his loyal servant when Kagome distracted him with
her lips and tongue. He wasn't so angry anymore, but he was still going to make
him take a very long unpaid vacation. The flea needed to learn about boundaries
and respect. Taking a deeper sniff of her, he froze. Something was different.
She rolled him over so that she was on top, and the look on her face plainly
stated that she was surprised he had actually let her.
"What's with the face, Inuyasha?"
"Uh, you wouldn't, uh, happen to still be on birth control, would you?"
Kagome shook her head. "Nope. Mother always did that for me, even when she sent
me to live with Onigumo. And then with Tsubaki I didn't even think of it." Her
face paled and she realized what he was saying. "Oh god, am I…?"
Inuyasha nodded. Goddamn supernaturally persistent demon sperm taking away time
he'd hoped to enjoy with just Kagome…
She glared at him suspiciously. "If you can smell pregnancy, how come I went
without a dad for the first fifteen years of my life?"
He rolled his eyes. "I think her whole purifying you in the womb thing
prevented me from smelling fertilization. The scent is usually incredibly
subtle, anyway, so I have to be pressed up against you," he explained, bucking
his morning erection onto her naked folds, pleased when she bit her lip and
groaned.
"Nothing subtle about that." She rose to her knees and guided him into her
slowly, gingerly. She was sore from all the play they had indulged in the
previous night, but she needed him more than she needed to be able to walk
normally. "Ooh, you're going to have to tell Myoga to clean up the basement,"
she groaned.
Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. "Never mention him while we're doing this ever
again, angel."
She laughed, loud and open, and they moved as one, his hands on her hips
keeping her steady. Briefly, Kagome wondered if this was insanity. Was she
insane for not caring that she was coupling with the man who had given her life
while the body of her first real female friend lay tossed in the basement? Was
it insanity that picturing her lover of the past three years helplessly turning
to dust made her ride Inuyasha faster? Was it insanity that when she orgasmed,
she wondered if and hoped that her mother's spirit could hear her, see her
happiness? Whatever it was, she collapsed onto her mate's chest and allowed him
to kiss her mark, sending shivers through her. It would be better this time,
wouldn't it? No more lies, no more secrets. It would be better because she knew
herself now, knew what she wanted. They would be equal now, not a little girl
and a monster, but a woman and a man, together by one another's side. Forever.
No take backs.
Buyo came out of nowhere and jumped on the bed, meowing loudly for breakfast.
They both ignored the unpleasant noise.
"I forgot to say I love you," she whispered against his lips.
"It's okay, I did too."
They kissed, and that one caress said everything that needed to be said. They
were each other's.
Chapter End Notes
     The end! I'm sorry it was so abrupt and anti-climactic and generally
     lame and didn't resolve some very important issues and that this long
     author's note maybe fooled some of you into thinking there was more
     story, but I just wanted this to be over so badly. There will not be
     a sequel, let's leave them while they're happy. And yeah, Kagome's
     not going to find out that Inuyasha and Kikyo were banging. Needless
     drama at this point.
     Originally, this was just supposed to be a one-shot about Inuyasha
     fucking his step-daughter, Kagome, on a kitchen counter after she
     returned from school and it would be all super hot and there would be
     dirty-talking and whatever (still might write that). And then I was
     like, what if her mother knew and approved as long as she got her
     money? And what if her mom was Kikyo! Gasp! And what if Inuyasha only
     married her because he wanted to fuck her daughter and was obsessed
     with her, a la Humbert Humbert? And then it changed again. In my
     outline, Onigumo was Kagome's father and he didn't know it and also
     believed Inuyasha was her father, and he kidnapped her and raped her
     to get revenge on Kikyo for leaving him and Inuyasha for existing or
     whatever and then the truth would be discovered later and Kikyo would
     die from the pain and shame of it all (so dramatic, ugh) and there
     would be this huge showdown and Inuyasha would kill him and Kagome
     would be all pissed that he killed her dad because of reasons (didn't
     get that far) and she'd run away from him, driving him mad with grief
     and run-on sentences. Then she'd show up a few years later with her
     boyfriend Koga, wanting her mom's stuff and to see her grave, and
     Inuyasha would kill Koga and torture Kagome but in a super sexy way
     and they'd somehow fall in love again 'cause that's how that happens
     and bam! The end. No Sango or Miroku in that one. Let's face it,
     their only purpose in the original series is to cock block, and cock
     blocking is not allowed in my stories, no ma'am.
     Also, I made a last minute change to Sesshomaru's scene the day
     before it was uploaded. Originally, he was just caring for Rin and
     not abusing her and Inuyasha threatened to tell everyone he was
     molesting her hoping it would force his brother into looking for
     Kagome. And then I started to lose a third of the readers and get
     complaints and like two reviews per chapter, and I thought, hell, why
     the fuck not? So now he's a pedophile, just like in the anime
     (because it wasn't the Sengoku Jidai's version of The Kid by Charlie
     Chaplin, nah, there was totally shit going on behind the scenes
     there). You're welcome, internet.
     So uh, how many of you are thinking I should have written it the
     other way? Just curious. This all got so out of hand, and I'm glad
     you stayed with me until the end. I have quite a few more ideas, some
     more revolting that this one, others fairly normal. I have a pretty
     wide range as far as porn is concerned. ;D A warning: I've discovered
     that I love making InuKag related. Stuff like that grosses me out to
     no end unless it's the two of them. Like seriously, I was forced to
     read Flowers in the Attic for school and I legitimately started
     gagging, not even exaggerating. I blame Shouraichan's "When Heaven's
     Light Turns to Hellfire" for converting me. Almost didn't read it,
     'cause like I said, incest is hella gross, but I did and here we are.
     Prepare for more if you're gonna read other stuff I write. I had a
     list of names I was going to include, thanking every frequent
     reviewer, but I decided not to because it might alienate some. Just
     know that I know who you are and you're what I think about when I
     shower. 3
     I'm thinking I'm gonna take a small break, no more than a few days to
     a week, and then I'll have a week of one-shots, where I'll post a
     single one-shot a day. I'm calling it Shot Week, mostly because I'm
     an idiot. After that, I'll begin to post my next story.
     Anyway, you guys are awesome and thank you for reading and reviewing!
     Especially reviewing! I like it when you review!
     HINTHINTHINTHINTHINTHINTHINT. Like, if you're reading this in the
     future because you're the kind of person who only reads completed
     stories (like me, most of the time), I'd like it if you would leave a
     review just to tell me what you generally thought of the thing.
     Thanks!
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