Sunday, December 26, 2004

   InuYasha 35
Shippo's hackles rose in instinctive response to the menace he felt vibrate through the air when Inuyasha's glowing eyes turned down to him. Everything about the hanyou right then told the kit he'd just made one of the worst mistakes of his life in interrupting whatever they'd been doing way up there. He could hear Kagome panting, but the funny thing was so was Inuyasha, and those weird sounds they'd been making before when he woke up kind of reminded him of his parents....

"Ah...Kagome, are you-? Are you okay?" he called up to them, shivering when he heard the hanyou start growling, low and threatening.

Kagome blinked at Inuyasha in surprise when he settled his hands on her waist and very carefully slid her off his lap. He rose to his knees, turning to sit her securely against the trunk, "Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha slid his finger lightly over her lips, his eyes darkening as he looked down at her, "Don't move. I'll be right back after I rip out Shippo's tail and hang him from a tree somewhere."

Shippo's eyes went huge when he heard the quiet whisper and he turned, shrieking in terror as he fled into the darkness of the woods. Inuyasha was after him in a flash, swearing and demanding the kit stop running away even as he was snarling out all sorts of violent retributions for his interruption.

Kagome stared after them, her chest still rising and falling quickly as she tried to shake off the tingling daze muddling her attempts to think. She gripped the wide branch more securely with her thighs as she righted her clothing mechanically, her eyes distant and unfocused as her mind replayed what had just happened over and over. It was the cool night breeze that restored a measure of lucidity, sending a shiver through her after the incredible heat she'd experienced in Inuyasha's intense embrace. She leaned back to deliberately breathe in long, slow gulps to clear her head and slow her racing heartbeat.

Her hand lifted as though with a will of its own, shaking as she pressed it to her aching breast where she swore she could still feel Inuyasha's mouth moving heatedly over the sensitive peak. The ache still throbbed through her, pulsing in time to the memory of each strong pull...

She shook her head quickly to dispel the images when she felt her heart start racing all over again, the sensations driving her crazy, unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Kagome fidgeted restlessly in the tree, trying to still the overwhelming longing bringing a dark flush to her cheeks.

Determined to get herself back under control, she bit her lip hard and purposefully leaned to one side to judge the distance between her position and the ground. Maybe she could get to her sleeping bag and try to get some sleep, as impossible as that sounded at the moment. It was the only thing she could think to try.

She scowled down below her, her frustration easily adding to her annoyance, 'Of course Inuyasha would leave me too high up to get down by myself.'

Kagome sat back, folding her arms over her breasts and pouting. Unless she wanted to risk breaking something, she'd have to wait for him to either get tired of chasing the kitsune, or catch him and come back for her.

He just had to leave her where she couldn't do anything but think of what they'd been doing before the baby youkai interrupted them, what she was certain they would have done. The feelings Inuyasha had evoked in her had been remarkable, but that wasn't why she would have given in to the desires rushing back and forth between them. It was the feeling that it had been so... so right.

Was that what scared her? What made her so nervous the longer she thought it through?

Everything she did with Inuyasha made her feel safe, loved... like she was really home for the first time in her life. But was it all her? If she was balancing herself with Inuyasha and reacting to his emotions, wasn't it possible that this was all his reaction? Did she only think it was right because he did?

Kagome's hand lowered to cover the tattoo at her hip as her brow furrowed in concentration. The voice had said something about that, hadn't it? Unbidden, the response swirled through her mind and made her eyes slide closed.

'I'd love to tell you yes, that it's all the hanyou, but actually, all his blood is doing is lowering your inhibitions. All your reactions are your own, but the youkai blood is making you act on your emotions rather than hold them in. Making them more intense...'

No. It wasn't just Inuyasha's reaction.

"Lowering my inhibitions and making my emotions more intense," she grumbled softly to herself, sighing deeply at the persistent ache that refused to fade away completely. "No shit."

Her internal struggle was disrupted when she heard heavy gasping down below her, her brows lifting curiously when she saw the little russet ball of fluff streak back into the clearing and race up the tree she was in. Shippo ran straight up her shirt, grabbing the hem and tucking himself up in a shaking ball against her stomach.

"Shippo-chan?" Kagome frowned in concern, trying without success to pull the fabric out of his hands and urge him down to her lap.

"Hide me!" he chirped quickly, bunching the shirt even tighter in his hands.

"Hide you?" she couldn't prevent the tiny smile that tugged at her lips at the panic in his voice. She grabbed the neckline of the shirt and pulled it out far enough to look down at the terrified youkai, "Why should I?"

"Inuyasha's going to kill me!" Shippo peeked up at her. "I barely got away!

"How did you?" Kagome lifted one hand to rub his back soothingly through the shirt.

"Divide and... and run away," he held up a little leaf with a shaking hand. "With the way he was flattening my little copies I had to find somewhere safe!"

"I see...." she turned her head when she felt the tattoo throb, Inuyasha's distinctive presence filling her awareness as he burst into the grove.

He lifted his head, testing the wind until his head snapped to the tree and then up to where Kagome sat. His eyes narrowed sharply when he saw the rounded lump at her stomach, "You fucking coward. Quit hiding behind Kagome and get the hell down here!"

Inuyasha was rather abruptly flattened when the Hiraikotsu smashed against him from behind. Sango glared murderously at the hanyou when he pushed himself back to his feet, growling and rubbing his head as he glared right back.

"Some of us ARE trying to sleep, Inuyasha," Sango stalked over to him and took back the massive boomerang.

Miroku's staff jangled as he tapped it meaningfully back against the trunk he had been sleeping against, "It is very difficult with your yelling. We would be... upset if we had to get up again."

Shippo poked his head out from beneath Kagome's shirt to stick his tongue out at Inuyasha, "Yeah! Just go to bed already!"

Kagome heaved a deep sigh as she watched Sango and Miroku resettle themselves before she looked down at Inuyasha. He was looking up at her, his jaw clenched in obvious frustration and anger as tension hummed through his limbs. She didn't know how, but she knew exactly how to at least calm him for the moment.

Inuyasha's shoulders lost some of their tension when Kagome held out a hand to him and smiled gently. He continued to stare up at her for a moment, his eyes still frustrated, but filling with a slow warmth the longer he watched her. He let out a huff and leapt back up to the branch, growling at Shippo when he squeaked and shot back up Kagome's shirt.

"Leave him alone, Inuyasha," Kagome reached up, brushing her fingers over his cheek and startling him enough that the sound ceased.

Inuyasha reached out, reversing their positions so that he was again leaning back against the tree and turning her in his lap so he could pull her back to his chest. He wrapped one arm around her chest and the other below Shippo's hiding place before he bent down and caught her ear in his teeth.

Kagome sucked in a breath, but to his delight, she turned her head into the contact. He smiled against her temple and whispered, "Next time we won't get interrupted, koibito."

**

Inuyasha watched Shippo dig through Kagome's bag in search of more candy, his eyes narrowing as he waited for just the right moment. Kagome was bending over the bag, working around the kit to pull out her bathing supplies and a change of clothes.

Perfect.

"Oi, Sango."

Sango jumped in surprise, turning to Inuyasha with a frown, "Hai?"

"Go with Kagome," he ordered quietly, sitting back on his haunches and folding his arms in his sleeves.

Kagome's brows rose and she spun around, blinking in amazement, "Y-you mean you're not going to stare at me this time?"

Inuyasha shook his head, his expression carefully bland, "You'll be close enough to stay-"

"Dammit!" Kagome snarled as she hit the ground, her hands fisting in anger against her hips. "Inuyasha!!" her expression darkened.

He bit his lip in an effort to hide his amused smile even as he waved a hand in her direction, "Ahh, sorry, I didn't mean to say it!"

Sango shook her head as Kagome muttered under her breath, and Inuyasha's eyes filled with silent laughter, "You mean that the spring is close enough for Kagome-chan not to be out of your spirit range, right?"

"Aa," Inuyasha turned his attention to her, taking advantage of Kagome's inability to see him and letting his lips spread in a huge grin.

The exterminator nodded, moving to the immobile girl's side and bending down to collect her bath bag, "C'mon, Kagome-chan, no telling how long Inuyasha's planning on being generous."

Sango waited patiently until Kagome rose to her feet, rubbing her tailbone and scowling at the hanyou as she stalked past him. Inuyasha's hand snaked out and caught her wrist, giving her a tug that brought her off balance with a cry of irritation. No sooner had he caught her in his lap that he had brought her mouth to his, ignoring the slight sound of protest and their shocked audience to give her a long, lingering kiss.

When he released her and set her back on her feet, he smirked and gave her a nudge towards the gaping Sango, "Go on, Kagome. Sango's right, there's no telling how long I'll be generous."

Blushing darkly, she gave him a stiff nod and rushed off in the direction of the hot spring. Sango was right behind her, her eyes filled with curious questions, "Wait, Kagome-chan!"

Miroku was blinking in wide-eyed amazement at Inuyasha when the hanyou rolled to his feet, his golden eyes focused on the little tail barely visible as it wiggled at the top of Kagome's pack, "Inuyasha, have you actually-?"

"None of your business, bouzu," he gave him a warning glare before silently moving across the camp to grab the kitsune's tail and lift him to eye level. "And now you," he smiled with dark promise when Shippo's gasped in alarm.

"O-oi! I didn't do anything!" Shippo squirmed around, trying to sink either claws or teeth into the strong hand holding him aloft. "You can't kill me! Kagome said so!"

"She'll get over it," Inuyasha shot Miroku a scowl that told the monk quite clearly to make himself scarce.

Miroku sent one back that just as easily said he wasn't going anywhere. He knew Inuyasha wouldn't leave for fear of inadvertently moving Kagome out of his range of spirit and this promised to be a highly entertaining moment.

Inuyasha swore angrily, but turned back to the kit, "What the hell possessed you to interrupt when Kagome and I were...trying to have a... a serious conversation."

Shippo blinked owlishly, his mouth forming an "o" of surprise as he looked from Inuyasha's tense face to the monk trying to smother his sudden laughter behind his hand, "I... I thought you were sleeping!"

Miroku had quite easily made the connection between the faint color on the hanyou's cheeks and his halting explanation with his anger at the kit, "In a tree?"

Inuyasha growled, flexing his claws and giving the monk a look filled with warning, "Shut the fuck up or you're next."

Miroku raised his hands to show his agreement to that suggestion, but his shoulders still shook severely with his laughter and his eyes were bright, "I won't say a thing."

The hanyou turned back to Shippo, shaking him as he snapped out, "Can you not sleep by yourself for one damn night, you annoying little brat!? I ought to-"

"Wait! Wait!" Shippo waved his hands frantically.

"Why should I?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "I'd love nothing more than to rip you up over this one."

"I...ah...well..." he chewed on his lip, debating with himself about the best way to keep himself alive.

"That's what I thought," the hanyou lifted his other hand and smirked down at the kitsune.

"I know a secret!" Shippo shrieked out, curling up as best he could with his hands fisted over his face and his eyes clamped shut.

Inuyasha stopped, blinking several times as he stared down at the kit in surprise and then speculation, "What?"

"I know a secret," the kitsune repeated, peeking up at Inuyasha with one eye and hoping he wasn't about to trade a pissed off hanyou for a pissed off miko.

"Why the hell should that stop me?" one brow arched high in question.

"It's about Kagome," he blushed, tapping his knuckles together nervously and refusing to meet his gaze. "You wanted to know why she was giving me so much candy, ne?" Shippo's brows rose hopefully.

Inuyasha's grip tightened and he brought Shippo up to growl right in his face, "This had better be a damn good secret."

**

"It was just a kiss, Sango," Kagome blushed under the older woman's knowing stare.

"And that?" Sango pointed, one brow arched high.

The "that" in question happened to be the faint bruise Kagome had known she had until she took off her clothes and noticed Sango staring at her chest, her mouth open in shock. Kagome was going to have to talk with Inuyasha about leaving his "marks."

She knew she was blushing as she ducked to rinse her hair, but Sango was still giving her that look, "Ah... well..."

"Are you and Inuyasha-?" Sango's eyes were wide as the thought struck her.

"No!" Kagome's cheeks flamed and she shook her head, refusing to look her way. "We were just... I... Ah, hell!"

The exterminator's lips twitched as she rose to her feet and stepped out of the spring, "Does this have anything to do with Inuyasha trying to kill Shippo last night?"

"Shippo-chan...kinda interrupted," Kagome sank down lower in the water and answered quietly.

Sango shook her head, oddly feeling sorry for the hanyou, "No wonder he's been scowling all day."

She coughed lightly, Inuyasha had been scowling, just not at her. The looks he'd been giving her had set her blood tingling all over, and from the way he would smirk at her, he knew it too. "He hasn't been in the best mood," she agreed, glad she had her back turned.

Sango finished tying on her kimono, looking up when she heard a faint rustle in front of her. Her brows lifted when she saw Inuyasha standing on the small path back to camp, him arms folded and giving her a gesture with his head for her to leave.

She glanced back at Kagome's back with a small smile and then nodded and walked up to Inuyasha, grabbing his hair and giving it a sharp yank to bring his ear down closer to her mouth and whisper, "Be careful. It hurts the first time for a human."

Inuyasha reared back, his eyes wide in surprise and cheeks slightly pink.

Sango gave him a serious look, "She's the best thing for you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha turned to look at the girl in the spring as she slid under the surface with a sigh, his eyes softening as he gave Sango a nod, "Arigato."

"Just remember that we'll kill you if you hurt her," she reminded calmly and left him alone.


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