"Act Two"
~E. Marie
E-mail: [email protected]
January 15, 2004: This is my third attempt at Inuyasha fanfiction, and I refuse to let this story go unfinished! Unfortunately, this resolution comes with my solid decision to forgo continuing "The Other Wife" and "One Sick Puppy", but I feel beginning anew is for the best. "Act Two" is a quasi-continuation, beginning at no definite point, later in the series. Please, feel free to point out any blatant errors! Even fanfic authors are wrong!
Chapter One: And the Curtain Falls...
The water of the hot spring licked at Kagome's ankles, and she more than willingly gave into its allure. Glancing about, she tossed the towel she had been wearing toward the pile of her clothes and dove into the water in a single motion, a practice that she had perfected after years of traveling with a perverted monk. At this point in her travels, however, she had very little to worry about when it came to peeping toms. Even though Miroku had asked for Sango to be his wife after the battles with Naraku were over, their precarious engagement was made even more rocky by village women appearing out of the wood work, proclaiming that he had long ago asked them to bear his children and were now ready for the task. Needless to say, Miroku had experienced more ear-blistering lectures and beatings about the head than any mere human could have possibly endured. With a sigh, Kagome allowed herself to slip further below the surface of the water, her head pillowed against a nearby rock, thinking aloud, "Even though they seem to be arguing more than ever this days, I think they just want an excuse to make up...or make out." "Now, that sounds like someone I know!" cried a voice from the shore.
With an embarrassed squeal, Kagome dove into the middle of the spring, hiding her body under the dark, murky water and shot a glare at the hanyou who had just stumbled in on her private musings.
"INUYASHA!!! I am this close to saying 'the word'! How dare you interrupt me, when I'm bathing and..."
"And what? When you were talking to yourself, like a moron?" asked the half-demon, with a smirk stretching across his handsome face. "That must be what has you in a twit, because I ain't heard you complain about me interrupting your bath in weeks!"
Kagome felt her cheeks burning and knew that it wasn't just the hot water of the springs that was causing the sensation. Inuyasha had removed the outer layers of his fire rat clothing and was already loosening the ties that held his lower clothing in place. When he noticed that she was looking, he stopped what he was doing and winked at her. Her blush deepening, Kagome took a quick swim to the opposite edge of the hot spring and back, to fight off the hentai sensations that were assailing her mind. Upon her return, she breathed a sigh of relief to see that Inuyasha was in the hot spring, resting nonchalantly against a smooth stone, the less-than crystalline water obscuring his sculpted, naked body.
'Sculpted? Naked? Where is this coming from?!?! Think of something else! Talk! Stop staring!'
"Inuyasha, haven't you noticed how close Sango and Miroku have become? I was just saying that it doesn't seem necessary for them to fight when-"
Opening one eye, Inuyasha's brow furrowed in confusion. "What, when they're so much in love? You know, the whole thing reminded me of you!"
"Me?!?!" Kagome cried incredulously, crossing her arms across her bare breasts. Inuyasha couldn't help but smile. Even sopping wet and put out, she looked gorgeous. Before she could push him away in mock annoyance, he seized her forearms with demon-speed and drew her flush against his chest. As Kagome sputtered in surprise, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Yes, you. You claim you love me, wench, but how many times have you 'sat' me today?" "Not enough," Kagome whispered huskily, as she leaned back and claimed his lips in a demanding kiss. Though shocked by her new-found boldness, Inuyasha was far from dismayed, and he returned her kiss, passion for passion. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Kagome allowed him to pin her to the stone as he deepened the kiss. His left hand kept her head from slamming against the rocky surface, as his right traced a path from her hip, up to her abdomen, lazily tracing the slight scar, where the Shikon no Tama had been ripped from Kagome's body so many years ago, before continuing another tender assault.... The sexual tension that had been building between the hanyou and the young miko for three years, since she was but a schoolgirl of fifteen, had finally come to fruition about a month before, after a particularly harrowing battle with another mutation of Naraku. Though the particulars of the battle were silently sworn to never be discussed among the members of the traveling band of warriors ever again, because of the sensitive matters involved, there was no avoiding the bright truth. In an instant when both were in danger, Inuyasha had chosen to save Kagome rather than Kikyou, at the sacrifice of the elder miko's life. Laying Kagome's unconscious form carefully on the ground, far enough from danger, he turned to see Kikyou struck through by one of the monster's poison-filled spikes. Her eyes turned to the heavens, empty, and the souls that had sustained her walking death burst forth from her form, before her body crumbled to the ground, like a shattered piece of pottery. The small piece of Kagome's soul that had remained within Kikyou in her second existence returned to her and jerked the young woman back to consciousness, fully aware of the decision Inuyasha had made. With the combined attack of her spirit arrow and the Tessaiga, the battle was swiftly won, but the cost had been too grave. Kagome returned to her era, and for the first time, Inuyasha made no attempt to stop her. He came to her a few days later, in her time, finding her in silent vigil by the ancient tree on the grounds of the Higurashi shrine, staring at the place where he had once been pinned for fifty years by the power of the dead priestess, Kikyou. Clutched in his hand were flowers from the Feudal Era, the product of accepting advice from the lecherous monk. Waiting on his tongue was a speech he had polished with Sango's help, a full outlining of the width, depth, and height of his feelings for the young woman who had freed his body three years ago and his heart every day since- -but in that moment, before she turned to him, before a word was uttered, his heart threw several years of deliberation and days of fierce planning out the window. Dropping the flowers at his feet, he scooped her up off the ground, and, before she could protest, brought his lips to hers in a chaste but sweet kiss. She didn't respond. Drawing back, he held her flush against his chest, sure that if held her to himself, she wouldn't risk squashing them both with the many "sits" he so rightfully deserved, but when nothing was uttered between them for several moments, he dared to look into her eyes, and what he saw there gave him the courage to repeat his indiscretion again and again. No questions were asked, and the name Kikyou was never uttered between them again. Neither of them questioned the certainty of their feelings; in the instant when Inuyasha failed to save Kikyou, when the purloined portion of Kagome's soul was finally returned to her, there had been an actualization of all that had been felt but not spoken of for years, and there was no trace of regret or doubt. Their love was immediate, their love was eternal, their love transcended time, and it was actualized when Inuyasha crushed his Kagome to his chest that night, leapt through the well, and returned to the deep forest where she had set him free, to claim her as his woman, his love, in a tradition older than time itself.
With a sigh, Kagome nestled her head against Inuyasha's chest as they rested on the grassy edge of the hot spring, his red haori fighting off the chill of the dusk air. For weeks now, they had been slipping away to hot springs, into the forests away from the others at night, always leaving separately, to keep their private affairs just that-private. There was nothing more entertaining to little Shippou and even Sango and Miroku than watching for tender moments between their friends, so Inuyasha and Kagome had put a little more effort into their bickering. Kagome couldn't help but giggle. Inuyasha was right; she had been 'sitting' him a lot more than he really deserved, but if he was going to take liberties- "How did you manage to slip away unnoticed?" she asked, shifting her position, so that her body was atop his, lightly pinning him to the ground. Even though her "trapping" him could have been easily ended, all Inuyasha did was raise an eyebrow at her pert line of question. "Feh, it was easy, wench. Sango and Miroku are busy having a "fight" of their own, and Shippou, well, let's just say I beat him at his own game." "Hmm?" she queried innocently, softly rubbing his furry ears, a move he couldn't resist. With a groan of pleasure, he nuzzled his ear shamelessly against her palm. "I used one of his little toys on him. I think he's been pinned under that giant top this whole time...." From where Shippou lay, pressed under the enormous weight of the spinning top, he could hear a resounding cry of "SIT!!!!!!" echo through the woods, followed by a large thump and more cursing than he had ever heard in his life. Giggling insanely, he knew that his wonderful Kagome was on the way to save him. Justice had been served once again. "Some things just never change!"
March 11, 2004: House keeping? Fluff your pillow? Just kidding! I decided to do some tidying up of the story as a whole, before I post Chapter Six. This is the "newly remastered" Chapter One, predominantly typo free. Enjoy!
January 15, 2004: This is my third attempt at Inuyasha fanfiction, and I refuse to let this story go unfinished! Unfortunately, this resolution comes with my solid decision to forgo continuing "The Other Wife" and "One Sick Puppy", but I feel beginning anew is for the best. "Act Two" is a quasi-continuation, beginning at no definite point, later in the series. Please, feel free to point out any blatant errors! Even fanfic authors are wrong!
Chapter One: And the Curtain Falls...
The water of the hot spring licked at Kagome's ankles, and she more than willingly gave into its allure. Glancing about, she tossed the towel she had been wearing toward the pile of her clothes and dove into the water in a single motion, a practice that she had perfected after years of traveling with a perverted monk. At this point in her travels, however, she had very little to worry about when it came to peeping toms. Even though Miroku had asked for Sango to be his wife after the battles with Naraku were over, their precarious engagement was made even more rocky by village women appearing out of the wood work, proclaiming that he had long ago asked them to bear his children and were now ready for the task. Needless to say, Miroku had experienced more ear-blistering lectures and beatings about the head than any mere human could have possibly endured. With a sigh, Kagome allowed herself to slip further below the surface of the water, her head pillowed against a nearby rock, thinking aloud, "Even though they seem to be arguing more than ever this days, I think they just want an excuse to make up...or make out." "Now, that sounds like someone I know!" cried a voice from the shore.
With an embarrassed squeal, Kagome dove into the middle of the spring, hiding her body under the dark, murky water and shot a glare at the hanyou who had just stumbled in on her private musings.
"INUYASHA!!! I am this close to saying 'the word'! How dare you interrupt me, when I'm bathing and..."
"And what? When you were talking to yourself, like a moron?" asked the half-demon, with a smirk stretching across his handsome face. "That must be what has you in a twit, because I ain't heard you complain about me interrupting your bath in weeks!"
Kagome felt her cheeks burning and knew that it wasn't just the hot water of the springs that was causing the sensation. Inuyasha had removed the outer layers of his fire rat clothing and was already loosening the ties that held his lower clothing in place. When he noticed that she was looking, he stopped what he was doing and winked at her. Her blush deepening, Kagome took a quick swim to the opposite edge of the hot spring and back, to fight off the hentai sensations that were assailing her mind. Upon her return, she breathed a sigh of relief to see that Inuyasha was in the hot spring, resting nonchalantly against a smooth stone, the less-than crystalline water obscuring his sculpted, naked body.
'Sculpted? Naked? Where is this coming from?!?! Think of something else! Talk! Stop staring!'
"Inuyasha, haven't you noticed how close Sango and Miroku have become? I was just saying that it doesn't seem necessary for them to fight when-"
Opening one eye, Inuyasha's brow furrowed in confusion. "What, when they're so much in love? You know, the whole thing reminded me of you!"
"Me?!?!" Kagome cried incredulously, crossing her arms across her bare breasts. Inuyasha couldn't help but smile. Even sopping wet and put out, she looked gorgeous. Before she could push him away in mock annoyance, he seized her forearms with demon-speed and drew her flush against his chest. As Kagome sputtered in surprise, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Yes, you. You claim you love me, wench, but how many times have you 'sat' me today?" "Not enough," Kagome whispered huskily, as she leaned back and claimed his lips in a demanding kiss. Though shocked by her new-found boldness, Inuyasha was far from dismayed, and he returned her kiss, passion for passion. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Kagome allowed him to pin her to the stone as he deepened the kiss. His left hand kept her head from slamming against the rocky surface, as his right traced a path from her hip, up to her abdomen, lazily tracing the slight scar, where the Shikon no Tama had been ripped from Kagome's body so many years ago, before continuing another tender assault.... The sexual tension that had been building between the hanyou and the young miko for three years, since she was but a schoolgirl of fifteen, had finally come to fruition about a month before, after a particularly harrowing battle with another mutation of Naraku. Though the particulars of the battle were silently sworn to never be discussed among the members of the traveling band of warriors ever again, because of the sensitive matters involved, there was no avoiding the bright truth. In an instant when both were in danger, Inuyasha had chosen to save Kagome rather than Kikyou, at the sacrifice of the elder miko's life. Laying Kagome's unconscious form carefully on the ground, far enough from danger, he turned to see Kikyou struck through by one of the monster's poison-filled spikes. Her eyes turned to the heavens, empty, and the souls that had sustained her walking death burst forth from her form, before her body crumbled to the ground, like a shattered piece of pottery. The small piece of Kagome's soul that had remained within Kikyou in her second existence returned to her and jerked the young woman back to consciousness, fully aware of the decision Inuyasha had made. With the combined attack of her spirit arrow and the Tessaiga, the battle was swiftly won, but the cost had been too grave. Kagome returned to her era, and for the first time, Inuyasha made no attempt to stop her. He came to her a few days later, in her time, finding her in silent vigil by the ancient tree on the grounds of the Higurashi shrine, staring at the place where he had once been pinned for fifty years by the power of the dead priestess, Kikyou. Clutched in his hand were flowers from the Feudal Era, the product of accepting advice from the lecherous monk. Waiting on his tongue was a speech he had polished with Sango's help, a full outlining of the width, depth, and height of his feelings for the young woman who had freed his body three years ago and his heart every day since- -but in that moment, before she turned to him, before a word was uttered, his heart threw several years of deliberation and days of fierce planning out the window. Dropping the flowers at his feet, he scooped her up off the ground, and, before she could protest, brought his lips to hers in a chaste but sweet kiss. She didn't respond. Drawing back, he held her flush against his chest, sure that if held her to himself, she wouldn't risk squashing them both with the many "sits" he so rightfully deserved, but when nothing was uttered between them for several moments, he dared to look into her eyes, and what he saw there gave him the courage to repeat his indiscretion again and again. No questions were asked, and the name Kikyou was never uttered between them again. Neither of them questioned the certainty of their feelings; in the instant when Inuyasha failed to save Kikyou, when the purloined portion of Kagome's soul was finally returned to her, there had been an actualization of all that had been felt but not spoken of for years, and there was no trace of regret or doubt. Their love was immediate, their love was eternal, their love transcended time, and it was actualized when Inuyasha crushed his Kagome to his chest that night, leapt through the well, and returned to the deep forest where she had set him free, to claim her as his woman, his love, in a tradition older than time itself.
With a sigh, Kagome nestled her head against Inuyasha's chest as they rested on the grassy edge of the hot spring, his red haori fighting off the chill of the dusk air. For weeks now, they had been slipping away to hot springs, into the forests away from the others at night, always leaving separately, to keep their private affairs just that-private. There was nothing more entertaining to little Shippou and even Sango and Miroku than watching for tender moments between their friends, so Inuyasha and Kagome had put a little more effort into their bickering. Kagome couldn't help but giggle. Inuyasha was right; she had been 'sitting' him a lot more than he really deserved, but if he was going to take liberties- "How did you manage to slip away unnoticed?" she asked, shifting her position, so that her body was atop his, lightly pinning him to the ground. Even though her "trapping" him could have been easily ended, all Inuyasha did was raise an eyebrow at her pert line of question. "Feh, it was easy, wench. Sango and Miroku are busy having a "fight" of their own, and Shippou, well, let's just say I beat him at his own game." "Hmm?" she queried innocently, softly rubbing his furry ears, a move he couldn't resist. With a groan of pleasure, he nuzzled his ear shamelessly against her palm. "I used one of his little toys on him. I think he's been pinned under that giant top this whole time...." From where Shippou lay, pressed under the enormous weight of the spinning top, he could hear a resounding cry of "SIT!!!!!!" echo through the woods, followed by a large thump and more cursing than he had ever heard in his life. Giggling insanely, he knew that his wonderful Kagome was on the way to save him. Justice had been served once again. "Some things just never change!"
March 11, 2004: House keeping? Fluff your pillow? Just kidding! I decided to do some tidying up of the story as a whole, before I post Chapter Six. This is the "newly remastered" Chapter One, predominantly typo free. Enjoy!