Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

Suggested Listening: Untravelled Road by Thousand Foot Krutch

Dedicated to Zenobia

Of Pride and Honor

Chapter Thirty One: Meaning of Love

"What is love?"

Azure eyes slid towards him with a calculative glance.

"Love?" A feminine sneer caused his shoulders to twitch. The woman cast him a scathing look, "Why do you ask such a ridiculous thing?"

"Shiraishi-san said that it was important." He tried not to quiver at the sharp rise of youki around them.

"Shiraishi is an enigmatic fool who thrives on the confusion of others." A pale thigh became exposed as the woman crossed one leg over her knee. "Remember this boy, love is not a real emotion."

"But okaa-san believed in it too!" He fought the urge to clap a hand to his mouth. The air shifted as her eyes narrowed at him dangerously.

"Need I remind you about what happened to that precious mother of yours?" A glassy claw tapped against the pock marks of the boulder she'd claimed as her throne. "Her flesh is little more than nourishment for the grass beneath your feet. Yet here you are invoking her memory as if she's something more than that." The female tilted her chin up, "How filthy."

He held firm. His hands balled into tiny fists at his sides.

"Don't you insult her!" He wouldn't allow it! A growl rose at the back of his throat. It was wild and animalistic—something far more feral than he'd ever heard before.

The woman cocked her head to the side, "Don't you raise your voice to me child. I'm the reason you're still alive." She hardly bat a lash at his aggressive stance. "But if you really want an answer to your question then fine, I'll give you one."

She turned her chin towards the crystal-colored sky above, "It's absolute domination over another being."

He stopped.

Domination?

"Love is merely a mask for possession. It's catching someone and then making them need you on such a level that they cannot live without you." She twirled her finger within the dark tresses of her hair. "In essence you make your claim over another person and then dominate every aspect of their existence. Eventually they'll no longer be an individual but rather the extension of your own power. They become truly yours to own and do with as you wish."

He stared at her contented expression. It sounded so crazy. Possession? Domination? What did that even mean?

Her lips quirked up at his confused look, "Seems as if that went over your head." She leapt off of the boulder in a single, graceful movement. "You'll get it one day. When you do, you'll find that person you'll want for yourself. At that point all you'll have to do is reach out and take it."

He woke to his arm stretched high into the air. His fingers curled into a fist as his surroundings slowly came into view. How long had it been since he'd last dreamed of her? His teeth gnashed together in frustration.

He didn't have the time to be dealing with this shit. He had his own priorities to look after now.

Heavy feet thundered down the engawa outside of his room. He laid his head back. Just great, that was the last person he wanted to deal with right now.

"Omoikiri, get your ass up!" A rough voice growled from the other side of the shoji screen. "We'll need you out there today."

He snorted.

Right. 'Omoikiri' was the name he'd taken for this era. He'd gone through so many by this point. Yamamoto, Gin, Takeda, and even claimed Shiraishi as a name at one point. It was a useless endeavor but at least he didn't have to keep inventing new 'backstories'. His standoffish nature was enough to prevent even the most curious of idiots from prying. Probably a natural instinct.

There was only one exception to that general rule.

"Fuck off Shiranui."

The other male snorted at his response.

"Nice try but you ain't getting out of this one." He snapped the door open with a quick flick of his wrist. "Now crawl your ass outta bed before I drag you out by your feet."

Shiranui was not like the others. He didn't back away from his aggressive attitude. In fact it only seemed to piss him off more.

Omoikiri glowered at the other male.

He didn't have time for this.

"Go fuck yourself," He shot back once more. That time he rose to his feet. He rarely slept in anything other than his normal clothing just in case of a surprise attack. His palm fell to the frayed hilt of his blade.

He didn't need anything else to fight.

Just his strength and his sword. Nothing more.

Shiranui threw him a sharp glance, "The higher ups are gettin' pissed that their investment is going to shit. So I suggest you get off your ass and show 'em that you're worth keepin' around."

He heard the click of the revolver's chamber rotating to the next bullet.

"What do you think is faster, your speed or this piece of silver?"

Omoikiri held firm.

This was no ordinary man. Youki wrapped around his form like a second skin. It was powerful but it wouldn't be enough to stop him. The only real issue was his damn healing ability. It was faster than most youkai.

Then again oni had always been a pain in the ass to deal with. Shiranui was no different.

"Hn," He snorted through his nose. "Go ahead and try it. Besides I was heading out there anyways."

A sharp smirk pulled at his lips.

"I've still got a few things to do myself." His fingers curled inward to make a tight fist.

He had to find her.

He had to find the one he really wanted. She was nearby. Every now and then he would catch the faint trace of her scent upon the wind.

Before this month was out he would find her and take her.

His gaze slid towards the quaint scenery of the courtyard beyond his room.

His job was only just beginning.

Okita jolted. A cold feeling shuttered down his spine as he struggled to regain his breath. What in the hell was that? It hadn't been a nightmare, so what else? He stopped at the feeling of a tiny paw pressing against his cheek. He blinked once then twice before scarlet eyes came into view. He blew a breath of laughter through his lips.

"Nice to see you too Kirara." His gaze slid towards the feline's tiny form next to his head. "You hungry?"

Kirara mewled loudly in response. Figures as much. The cat rarely pawed at him unless it was feeding time. He'd worry about that strange feeling later. For now he had other things to focus on.

Kagome nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck. He felt her arm glide over his chest as she slowly began to wake up.

"Rise and shine, love." Okita pressed his lips against her temple. "I think it's time for round six."

His wife groaned in protest. She threw one leg over his bare hip as she buried herself even deeper into him.

"Shut it," Her voice came as a low mumble. "Too sore."

He laughed even louder. It'd been nearly two weeks since they first started trying. Kagome had suggested that they keep things to every other day rather than every day, that way they wouldn't tire out too easily. He wasn't exactly keen on that but it was still better than being put on the "sex diet", as he liked to call it, during that time.

"Then did you want to sleep in today? I'm off duty." He knew how she'd answer.

Kagome cracked an eye open, "Yes." With that she promptly fell back to sleep. Okita tangled his hand into her hair. The pads of his fingers found the space behind her ear. As expected, she mewled quietly and slipped back into unconsciousness.

Kirara could wait.

Right now he just wanted to spend some time with his wife. Even if it was in their sleep, that was still better than nothing. His lips curved upwards at the thought.

How he missed these simple days.

Spring had flown by them so quickly. With May's end barreling towards them, he knew that it was only a matter of time before they'd get their answer. Two straight weeks of trying to conceive and Kagome was bound to start showing signs soon as to whether they'd been successful or not.

Thus far her main complaint had been a lower backache that never seemed to go away. It didn't bother her too much most days but there had been a few nights where she'd toss and turn relentlessly. More than once he'd found himself forcibly pushed out of their futon by her feet.

Okita closed his eyes.

It wouldn't be much longer now.

When next he woke the sun had fully risen and Kagome was straddling his hips.

"Hey," His wife prodded his cheek with her index finger. "I'm hungry. Feed me."

He cracked an eye open at that. A smile curled at his lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Is that so?" He spun them so that she was sprawled beneath him once more. "I'm hungry too." The ronin leaned down to take the lobe of her ear between his teeth.

Kagome writhed against his hold, "Not that kind of hungry!" Her voice went up a few notches. "I need food!" As if summoned by the slight squeal she'd emitted, her stomach began to give off a low rumble.

Okita laughed heartily. It'd been some time since he'd last seen her this playful. He wanted to encourage it more. It was a nice change from the melancholic image she used to have.

"How hungry are you?" He chose to continue the charade of teasing her.

"Enough to eat an entire cow on my own." Right after she spoke her stomach growled again; this time even louder than before. She pointed towards her abdomen, "See? Feed the beast!"

He pressed his face against her temple, "You might be eating for two at this rate."

Kagome tilted her chin up, "Then I guess that means that it's even more important that I eat now." She cast him a playful look, "You don't want to starve the possible baby, do you?"

His expression dropped, "You would go there."

She grinned again, "Then feed me!" The young woman snapped her jaws together playfully.

Okita smirked, "Alright lay back. I've got something to feed you with."

Catching his sultry expression, Kagome stuck her tongue at him.

"You wanna get bit? Cause that's how you get bit."

The ronin slanted his mouth over hers. His tongue pushed at the seam of her lips. Still feeling playful, his wife clenched her teeth and refused him entrance.

Okita sat back, "Can't let me win, can you?"

She smiled in return, "Never."

They got up shortly thereafter. Kagome's raging stomach forced them both out of bed and towards the Common Room. Nagakura, Heisuke and Chizuru were already eating however Saito remained still. His eyes were closed as he folded his hands over his lap. Had he decided to wait for them?

Cobalt eyes glanced in their direction, "Good morning."

Kagome settled into a spot between himself and the other male. She shot him a brief yet bright grin.

"And a good morning to you too Saito!" She gave him a rough pat on his shoulder, "Thanks for waiting on us!"

Saito nodded. He kept his head turned towards his food but Okita spied the slight reddening along the tips of his ears. The man had no idea of how to respond to women.

"About time! I was fixing to sick the commander after you two!" Nagakura snatched up a bowl of rice from Heisuke's tray.

Kagone rolled her eyes, "As if he'd barge in like that. At least Hijikata-san has manners unlike other people we know." Her tone was playful but Harada and Heisuke laughed at Nagakura's expense all the same. They slapped his back jovially as they jostled with one another.

"Hey now, if you two weren't getting it on every damn chance you had then maybe people wouldn't walk in on you like that." His companion tried to defend himself.

Okita took a quick shot at him as well, "Shin, just because you're jealous that you don't get laid half as much as us doesn't mean you get to be pissed when we do fuck each other."

"Souji!" Kagome's reprimand cane from a place of embarrassment. Her face flushed a bright scarlet as Chizuru clapped her palms to her ears from beside him.

"What? It's not like it's some big secret. Anyways, you need to eat." He looked between the girls. "Both of you."

Kagome settled beside him. She'd partaken in quite a bit of the daily ribbing the guys would give each other. There was just one exception to that rule.

The woman froze as her chopsticks collided with another's. A piece of freshly seared mackerel hung delicately between the two pairs of utensils. Azure eyes thinned into a fierce glare.

Nagakura paused. He pulled on the fish a littler harder but Kagome jerked the food back towards herself.

Okita narrowed his eyes at the other male. He lifted his own pair and pressed the tips against the man's throat aggressively.

"Let it go, Shin." His voice brooked for no dissent.

He would not let any of the guys steal food from her. No matter their intention, he could not allow them to run her over when it came to this.

The possibility of her being pregnant also came to the fore front of his mind. She would need all the nutrition she could get her hands on. Nagakura could cook his own damn meals if he was just going to try taking it from her.

The other captain released the fish. His expression soured into a pout. Kagome on the other hand happily downed it within a matter of seconds. He had to admit that she was definitely eating quite a bit more than usual.

"Whoo, you were lucky he didn't gut you." Harada blew a laugh through his lips. "Don't imagine any man would be willing to let someone steal food from their wife. Right, Saito?"

Saito nodded once. He didn't speak but there was a slight edge in the way he was sitting. His shoulders were pulled tight as his typical frown turned into something much more severe. Evidently he wasn't enthused by Nagakura's antics either.

"Hey, don't look at me like that!" He tried to defend himself. "It was an accident!"

Things swiftly devolved into one of their usual arguments. Okita sat back and watched as Harada and Nagakura engaged in a mock battle. Saito sighed to himself repeatedly as Kagome tried more than once to get the man to bet with her on who'd win. However he was just as uninterested in the fight as he was annoyed by it. Chizuru on the other hand had buried her face into her palms and gone a deep shade of scarlet.

Okita quietly nudged Kagome's arm. He tilted his head towards the door in a silent request. She nodded then stood to her feet. He rose right after her.

They snuck around the still arguing captains and slipped out onto the engawa.

He flashed her a bright grin, "Feel like going into town?"

She smiled back, "Would I ever!"

Omoikiri meandered through the heavy throng of people. Summer was approaching. They only had a few weeks left before the worst of it would hit.

Time was running short.

His eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar faces around him. He loathed crowds. They always brought violence and prejudice with them. He hardly bat a lash at the harsh screeching of a woman being harassed by passing ronin.

He didn't give a damn.

He only had one goal. He only had one thing he needed to do.

The man stopped in his tracks. Drifting on the wind was a delicate scent he had once been familiar with. His hands tightened into fists at his sides. He couldn't miss this opportunity!

Omoikiri sprinted. His legs pushed him through the crowd at an unnatural speed. Wind rushed past his ears, drowning out all sound except its dull roar. He'd learned over the years that humans were irredeemably stupid. If something wasn't in front of their face, they wouldn't notice it at all.

His abilities were rarely noted except when directly confronted. It was funny just how much people were able to ignore their surroundings until danger and death came upon them.

His lips curled back. The sharp point of his canines protruded past his bottom lip.

He was tired of waiting.

Omoikiri halted.

The scent had grown strong. He snapped his head from left to right frantically. Where was she? She had to be near!

His eyes landed on a woman a short distance away. She was dressed in a traditional houmongi. A smile was painted across her lips as she focused all of her attention onto the man beside her.

There was no mistake.

He could recognize that scent from anywhere.

The woman paused. Her head made a half turn in his direction. For a split second their eyes met.

Her face went pale as her scent became overpowered by the harsh twinge of fear.

Upon her lips was the name he'd long since forgotten.

Kagome trailed beside Okita. She kept one hand at the small of his back as they wandered further away from the compound than usual.

"Souji, where are we going?" She tugged on his haori playfully. "You didn't tell me anything before we left."

The heavy weight of her husband's arm draped over her shoulders in a welcoming embrace. It was a comforting feeling—one that left her completely secure.

"That's because it's a secret." She felt the heat of his breath beside her ear. "I wouldn't be much of a husband if I can't surprise you from time to time."

She shook her head and laughed, "You never change. You always liked doing this even back home." Her meaning wasn't lost on him.

His grin stretched even wider, "Oh you mean all those yukata I'd gotten you as a gift?" There was an edge of masculine pride in his voice; as if the very thought of providing for her was a worthwhile endeavor.

She ran her palm over the small of his back once more, "You didn't have to buy that much you know. I could've made do with the few I had and we could've gone from there." Truth be told she still felt guilty for all the money he'd burned on her.

He'd had quite the savings nest when they'd arrived in Kyoto. Now they were comfortable but they certainly didn't have as much as they used to.

Okita shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant dismissal, "It's fine, besides you still wear all of them." He flashed her a proud grin, "You gotta let me spoil you every now and then."

She merely laughed. That was just like him. No matter what she said, he'd always be stubborn about things like this. It was a great source of pride for a man like him.

A snap of power suddenly slammed against her senses. Her body froze as she felt her throat go dry. The feeling of claws digging into her back resurfaced in her mind. She knew that power all too well. It hadn't lost any of the viciousness attached to it in all of these years.

She cocked her head over her shoulder.

There, among the crowd was a man she could hardly recognize. His hair was dark and cut short and his build seemed far more imposing than when they'd lest met. Her fingers began to tremble. What really stood out were the eyes. They were violet and narrowed into thin, furious slits. Even now she could feel a chill of fear needle its way down her spine in response.

Inuyasha

She wasn't sure if she spoke his name but Okita was at her side in an instant. She felt his warm palms upon her face as he tried to force her to look at him. His words were little more than a muffled vibration in her ears. What should she do? What could she do.

Her eyes landed on Inuyasha's form. His eyes were ice cold and hard—a look she'd grown familiar with in her adolescence. He'd always given her that expression every time he raised his hand to her neck, her wrist, her ribs and her back.

Kagome froze.

A thick, callused hand stretched towards her. He tried to reach past Okita, attempting to grasp at her bicep and yank her towards him.

She hardly blinked before Okita spun around. The bright glimmer of his sword blinded her as he slashed at the other male in an instant.

The world around her was starting to come back into focus. This time the only thing she could see was the broad length of her husband's back.

"Keep your hands off her," Okita bit out in a hard snarl. She'd never heard him use such a tone before. Not even in practice with the other men of his Division.

Inuyasha leapt back. A trail of scarlet blood seeped down his neck and onto the frayed collar of his haori. Okita had managed to cut him but it'd been shallow. Had he gotten faster?

Her husband sank further down into an offensive position. He posed his blade over the back of his wrist. She caught her breath. He wasn't just going to fight him. Okita planned on killing Inuyasha.

Kagome stayed behind him. She pressed her hands at the space between his shoulder blades.

"Souji," She tried to speak.

"I know. It's him, right?" He lowered his voice so that only she could hear. "Don't worry," Okita continued to speak in a soothing tone. "He will not hurt you. I promise."

Two years ago she wouldn't have believed those words. They would've felt just as empty as all the other promises she'd been given. Yet when Okita said it, she knew that she could trust him. To a man like him, upholding his word meant the world to him. Protecting the very few people he viewed as his family was the only goal he had.

Okita was safe.

"I trust you," She dropped her hands to her side. For now, all she could do was watch. Her palm lowered to her abdomen. She wouldn't risk it.

Okita had known something was wrong the second she went silent. He'd never seen her make that face before. It was almost as if the world was crashing in on her.

"Kagome!" He tried to call her name. Azure eyes remained wide and unfocused—as if drawn to something beyond his field of vision. "Hey," He pressed his palms to her face, forcing her to look at him. "I'm right here."

The sound of someone approaching them quickly diverted his attention. A hand stretched towards Kagome from his peripheral. Okita allowed his instincts to take over.

He reactively gripped the hilt of his sword in the palm of his hand. The ronin shifted on his feet as he drew his blade. In the space of a breath, he cut a line across the place where the other man's neck should've been.

His eyes narrowed sharply.

The stranger crouched and sprung backwards with a force he could hardly keep up with. Yet it wasn't quite fast enough. He hadn't evaded him completely.

A thin line of scarlet carved its way down the man's neck.

He didn't have to guess who it was.

The sharp glare. The fierce aura of malice that poured off of him. Even the lightning fast reflexes. Those were all the things he needed to figure out who it was.

"Real shitty move you just pulled there. Tell me, anyone ever teach you to not put your hands on other people's wives?" He needed confirmation. At least that was what he originally thought. Okita glanced over his shoulder briefly towards Kagome. She was still pale. She'd gone a sickly shade of white as her body began to tremble violently.

He'd never seen her like this.

She was terrified.

He gripped his sword even harder. She wasn't the sort of woman who was intimidated easily. She'd gone against Saito and Daichi without flinching. If she was too scared to move right now, then that could only mean one thing. This man could only be Inuyasha.

He gnashed his teeth together at the thought.

"Keep your hands off her," The ronin bit out in a sharp warning. He didn't want anyone else to hurt her. She'd gone through hell once. He wouldn't put her through that a second time. Not when he had the chance to fight.

"Souji," His wife's voice was hardly a whisper but he heard it all the same. That was good. At least she was able to speak right now. The last thing he wanted was for her to be completely frozen in terror.

"I know. It's him right?" A wave of violent rage rose up within him. Just striking him wasn't going to be good enough. He'd need to kill this son of a bitch. He'd promised Souta after all. For the first time he was able to put a face to the name "Inuyasha".

The man was unimposing at first. He appeared to be in his mid to late forties and had a somewhat stocky build. The man had a vicious glare but that was about it. His maliciousness was the only thing he had going in his favor. Even then Okita was certain that he would surpass him.

Inuyasha wasn't someone he'd think of as intimidating. He was simple. Just a regular guy who didn't stand out much in the crowd. Okita sank into an offensive position. He couldn't get cocky. There was a reason why Kagome hadn't been able to defeat him before. In spite of his unimposing appearance, he knew that there was more to this enemy. Something that she hadn't had the strength to mention to him before.

He couldn't get careless.

The ronin directed his attention back to his wife, "He will not hurt you. I promise." It was vow not just to her but himself as well. This would be his first real test as her husband. The people she'd traveled with in the past had failed her. He would not become the fool who'd failed her as well. After all they had far too much at risk. Even without confirmation, there was still a possibility that she was pregnant. For now he'd fight. That was the only thing he could do to keep them both safe.

She nodded quietly but firmly, "I trust you."

The conviction in her voice boosted his confidence. That was all he needed.

Okita rushed forward. He sprung off of his foot as he pushed himself towards Inuyasha. The other male jumped back. Violet eyes narrowed at him as he continued to duck and weave away from his attacks.

"Funny, you were gonna go after her but as soon as someone stronger comes around you want to run like a little bitch." He hissed through his teeth. "What, you don't have the balls to fight someone your own size so you've got to knock her around?" He skidded to a halt when Inuyasha found his back pressed against the wall of a shop. The people around them screamed and ran, darting for safety anywhere they could. A few remained but watched the spectacle unfolding from a safe distance. Okita kept his focus on the man in front of him. He couldn't risk getting distracted. It'd only take an instant.

The male's lips pulled back into a wide smirk, "You don't know shit, do you?"

His lips thinned at that, "What, that you're a weak shit who has to hit a woman to make himself feel like a man?"

Okita held firm. He heard a faint gasp behind him, as if Kagome had physically flinched at the reminder. He grit his teeth together reactively. He needed to be more careful. He couldn't go all out—not with her right there. He needed her safe before he cut this bastard down.

Inuyasha rubbed the back of his hand against his mouth. He shifted on his feet, sinking into a lower position.

Okita darted forward. He thrusted the tip of his sword towards Inuyasha's throat. There wasn't any other choice right. He had to kill him. He had to destroy him before he had the chance to do any more harm.

He stopped the second his blade met the splintering of wood.

What the hell?

His gaze tipped upwards. Inuyasha stood on top of the building's roof. He glared down his nose at them before scoffing.

"She belongs to me," The conviction in Inuyasha's words caused his blood to boil violently. "Don't forget that."

In an instant he was gone.

"Damn it!" Okita cursed. He slammed his sword back into its sheath. The bastard had gotten away. He wasn't unscathed but he couldn't afford to go out searching for him as well.

Fury boiled beneath his flesh.

More than anything he wanted to hunt him down; to find him and skewer him alive. He wouldn't be satisfied until he watched the life leave Inuyasha's eyes.

However he had a more important duty to attend to.

The ronin shifted on the ball of his heel. He turned to face his wife. Kagome was still pale and trembling. She curled her hands towards her chest. Her eyes were still unfocused, as if she were completely drawn into her own thoughts.

He approached her calmly.

"Kagome," He tried calling her name. The young woman hardly responded. Her shoulder gave a faint twitch but that was all. This wasn't good. Okita stopped before her. Carefully, he folded his arms over her shoulders and waist—pulling her into his chest. He kept his grip light so that she wouldn't panic.

"It's alright," He tried to sooth her fears. "He's gone. You're safe."

He felt her arms wrap around his back as she buried herself against him. For the second time, he could only hold her as she cried.

Okita held her to him more firmly.

Inuyasha would return. This was only the first incident. He was damn certain of it. Next time he'd have to move faster. He couldn't let the bastard slip past him again. Her safety would depend on it.

His grip grew tight.

Never again.

A/N: Whoo so I saw the date today and decided to go ahead and update. It's a lot shorter than I'd like it to be but I am glad that I was able to get it out. Speaking of, it's officially been three years today since I started this endeavor. It's been a long, difficult journey but I'm so glad that I did. However out of everything, you guys have been the absolute best! So consider this update both an apology for the long wait and a thank you for being so supportive. You're all so amazing!