Day 2 of the 12 Days of Witchyness

Dedicated to redflamesofpassion who prompted this!

Warnings: sex. When they kiss it's starting and if you want to skip it, you can go to "It takes a minute."

Swallow

The bar is everything he thought it would be: dimly lit, with old furnishing and sticky floors. The entrance is thick with the smell of cigarettes and weed. It's not the kind of bar that just anyone can walk into. The Shrine was made as a haven for those in-the-know about the world around them. About the power play lurking in the background of every human or demon political play. About the shadows that are starting to grow larger, infecting humans and demons alike.

Something is coming. Something big.

Inuyasha Taisho honestly doesn't give a shit today.

The world is going to hell in a handbasket and all he's here to do is finish a job. Selling rare and cursed artifacts probably isn't what his mother wanted him to do when she imagined his future. Then again, she didn't really live long enough to give it that much thought.

There are four individuals sitting at the bar. Three men and a woman, all of them nursing some kind of drink. Two of them are talking quietly while the others are silent. It's almost maudlin. Inuyasha slides onto one of the stools and lets his eyes finally wander to where they've wanted to go since he entered The Shrine. The bartender is stunning, but it's a subtle kind of beauty. Her long black hair is tied up in a messy bun, pale skin a stark contrast to the bangs that frame her face. She's not wearing any makeup and her outfit is comfortable, jeans and a top with some kind of logo he doesn't recognize.

Kagome Higurashi, known only by her alias as the Miko.

And the current possessor of one pink jewel, known as the Shikon no Tama. Which he needs, desperately. Kind of life or death but that isn't the point.

Kagome saunters over to him, her bare forearms resting on the bar top as she takes him in. Her dark brown eyes are warm, as is the small smile on her face. She's friendly, soft. Inuyasha has no idea how the woman has managed to survive in this kind of world for so long. "You're new."

"I was in the area," Inuyasha answers, holding her gaze. The prolonged contact doesn't make her shy away though. If anything, her smile grows. "Told that the drinks here were cheap."

"Dirty liars, all of them." Kagome bit out a laugh and stood up. "What do you want?"

"Rye and coke."

Kagome hums but her kind amusement is still there. She prepares the drink in record time, hands smoothly flowing over the bottles and taps. One of the other patrons asks for a napkin and she doesn't hesitate, nor does she stop the flow of cola from entering his glass. It's a practiced dance and Inuyasha can't help but watch. When the finished drink is put in front of him, lime precariously balanced along the edge, he smirks.

"Straw?"

Kagome raises a brow. "We save the environment here," she murmurs, hip cocked as she studies him. "Unless you really do need one."

Banter. Easy as breathing, and just as relaxing as her stance before him. Inuyasha is almost smugly pleased that she hasn't flagged him yet. Taking the lime, he squeezes the juice in before dumping it, grabbing the glass next. His golden eyes never leave hers as he takes a long swallow, the fizz tingling down his throat. One gulp. Another.

It's practically done when he places it back down. Kagome raises an eyebrow and grins before turning away. "Pace yourself there, dog boy."

Inuyasha smirks at her back and does as she says.

He gets another drink twenty minutes later but Kagome is immediately distracted by yet another patron coming in, sitting to one of the stools on the far side. Some others have left though and as the afternoon sun lowers and dinner starts to approach, slowly but surely those sitting at the bar leave. Everyone but him, nursing his drinks as he watches the television. Some sports team but Inuyasha's never been one for sports either.

Weapons and running are kind of the only things in his life that actually matter.

It's on his final gulp of his fourth drink that Kagome comes back, leaning forward on the bar top to smile at him. "How are you doing?" she asks, brown eyes sparkling.

Inuyasha shrugs. "Better than before."

"That's what most people say." Kagome taps her index finger on the chipped wood of the countertop, the tick-tick-tick repetitive and ceaseless. Her smile remains shy, despite her body language – a captivating paradox. "But I have a feeling you're not most people."

This is it. This is his chance. Inuyasha leans in, so close that their faces are mere inches away. The drink sits between them, empty and cold, but neither of them pay any mind. Kagome simply watches him come with something akin to interest in her eyes. It's a beautiful thing to witness and Inuyasha can't help the way his eyes drop to her lips for a moment before focusing back on the target. "There's a rumour going around that you're the one to ask if someone needs to acquire rare and dangerous goods."

The shy smile turns wicked, a slow unveiling that has his golden eyes tracking her lips once more. Dangerous is right. Impossible as it initially seemed, she leans in even closer, enough to feel the gentle whoosh of her breath as she replies, "Mm, well. There's a rumour going around that you're an undercover cop."

She had flagged him the moment he stepped through those damn bar doors. Inuyasha's confused, tense and more than a little turned on. It's not a normal reaction, not for him anyways. But he's been undercover for years, fighting and clawing his way through the depths of depravity and horror to bring down what's been lurking in the shadows, growing bigger. And he's almost there. So close, he can nearly taste it.

He just needs the jewel.

"That's the thing about rumours," he murmurs, ignoring the speeding of his heart and the thrum of blood pulsing in his veins. "Not all of them pan out. Tell me Kagome: are you going to ruin my day?"

At the mention of her name, the woman goes still. It's pure body language though her wicked smile never dissipates. She raises yet another eyebrow, as if the gesture is enough to convey her sense of superiority. "My name tag says Kikyo."

"Does it?" Inuyasha flicks a glance towards it before smirking. "Oops."

There's a moment of silence – a bubble, surrounding them and only them in the horrible, dingy, dirty bar their transports are in. It's weak but tense and Inuyasha waits it out despite the hammering of his heart. Finally, slowly, like sudden movement will kill them both, Kagome stands back up. "Nazuna!" she yells, never taking her dark brown eyes off of him. "I'm going on break."

There's a clatter and a curse from the back room adjacent to the bar. Kagome's wicked smile turns foolishly amused by it. Inuyasha is captivated.

"I think you should settle up," Kagome tells him, already spinning around to the tablet to close his tab. "Maybe head outside."

"And go home?" he questions, already knowing the answer. Deep in his bones, he knows. But it doesn't mean he's made any more headway, doesn't mean that this paradox of a woman is going to help him or hurt him. He's simply made it through the first barrier. If only he had known.

Kagome presses his bill down on the countertop in front of him. "No," she says pointedly. "Don't go home."

Inuyasha pays in cash and leaves a generous tip. He doubts it'll help him at all and Kagome barely bats an eye at it. He leaves without saying anything more and Kagome doesn't give him any instruction. When he steps outside, the smell of cigarettes is still far too strong. He heads towards the side of the building, the one he camped out earlier and saw led to the kitchen. Without anything to go on, he leans against the brick wall and waits.

He doesn't have to wait very long.

There's a shudder as the metal back door creaks open. Kagome's pale face is there, lips still curved in a smile as she gestures for him to come inside. He doesn't speak and neither does she, not even as she leads him down to the basement. Inuyasha doesn't see a single soul in the back but he hears them, the sounds of kitchen-life and banging pots and pans evident. It's strangely private, the back area, but when he considers exactly what it is Kagome does… Maybe it's not strange at all.

Kagome stops at the bottom of the stairs where a door awaits them, electronic security lock evidently in place. She spins around to face him, too close. Far, far too close. Inuyasha doesn't mind at all. "Close your eyes," she whispers.

"I don't feel like getting stabbed," he replies, smirking.

The woman scoffs. "The sharpest thing on me is my nails." As evidence, she flaunts the pointed, painted black tips at him. "You, on the other hand, could kill me in a blink."

"That wouldn't be very helpful if I'm not already inside the door."

Kagome hums, but it's pleased. "Close your eyes, Inuyasha."

And he never told her his name, never even hinted at it. There are rumours, and then there are rumours. Inuyasha's been undercover for so long, the sound of his name on her lips is like a homecoming, visceral and fierce. He closes his eyes.

Six beeps and then a click. Inuyasha opens his eyes just as Kagome opens the door, flipping on the light switch and stepping inside. He's close behind her, smarter than he looks. Just because the woman isn't armed now, doesn't mean there's nothing right inside the doorway to protect her with. Killing him down here is much, much easier than in the open space of the bar.

Yet, she makes no sudden moves, sure in herself and the walls surrounding her. It's not much more than a storage room but Inuyasha is no idiot. The boxes are locked and protected with spells that even his hybrid blood can feel. There are weapons lining the walls and another room to the side, still dark, likely additionally protected. He returns his gaze to the woman, who's leaning against an old side table that's against the far wall. Her arms are crossed but there's nothing aggressive or defensive about it. A simple comfort, a preference.

Inuyasha prowls closer.

"No one's ever had the balls to say my name before," Kagome says, not even flinching as his steps bring him into her space. Crowding her. Backing her into a corner. "You're a bit of a dick, aren't you?"

"Depends on who you ask." Inuyasha stops less than a foot away. With her sitting, she's shorter than him, her face in level with his chest. She doesn't look worried though, or remotely scared. It's amusement. "How'd you know my name?"

"I knew who you were the second you walked into this town," Kagome answers, shrugging. "No half-breed or full demon can get through my protections without me knowing."

A whole town, protected. By her. Inuyasha had known she was integral to their world of shadows and power plays, but this was next level. This was far beyond what he had known. His intel had been for shit.

The Miko. Of fucking course. Inuyasha should have known better than to believe the details his team had claimed to know. Only so many things could be pulled from informants and databases.

Kagome studies his face and then smiles again, beautiful. "It's good to know that my secret is still well-kept."

"Well, now you've just told me."

She shrugs. "I'm not worried."

"You going to kill me?" he asks, eyes once again drawn to her lips. Irresistibly so. Infuriating.

Like she knows exactly what power she has over him – and maybe she does, maybe he's an open book and every thought he's had is like a neon sign above his face – she tilts her head back, bearing her neck. "You want the Jewel of Four Souls?"

"Yes." He says it like a prayer. Kagome doesn't take her eyes off of him. "I need it to end Naraku once and for all."

A sharp intake of breath. She hadn't known his name, the one who lived in the shadows and infected those in kind. "That's what it'll take?" she asks. "To kill him?"

"It's what he's after and we can bait him with it." She's been honest with him so he can give the same courtesy. "I need you to tell me where it is."

For a long moment, there's only stillness and silence. Her chocolate orbs glaze over, gone is her mind from the present. She's thinking or searching or calculating – Inuyasha doesn't know and doesn't care. He simply needs the Shikon no Tama, a matter of life and death.

Fighting true evil was definitely not what his mother had in mind for him.

Then, in a blink, she comes back. Kagome grabs at his hand and pulls it towards her, lets it rest on her lower abdomen where her t-shirt has risen up slightly. The skin is warm to the touch, the cotton of her shirt soft. Her smile turns rueful. "It's right here."

It takes him a moment. The feel of her underneath his palm is almost enough to distract him from her words. But she answered his question and now he's confused, brain connecting the dots sluggishly and falsely. Because how can the jewel be…?

"It's inside you." And his voice is rough with emotion because this has never been something he expected. The only saving grace they had to take down one of the most powerful evils in the world, and it was inside of the woman before him.

"It is me," Kagome corrects softly. Her free hand is held out to the side and Inuyasha watches as tendrils of pink light creep from her skin, alive and dancing. "My power. My body. I am it. Unless you want to put those sharp claws to use and dig it out of me."

It's an image that barrages his mind before he can stop it. There's blood and guts and Kagome, dying, in his arms. It promises freedom from evil but wretches his muscles and constricts his lungs. This woman before him, more alive than anything he's ever seen. A weapon, a jewel, a priestess.

A human woman.

"Fuck," he whispers.

Kagome lets out a shuddering breath. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea." And just like that, the light is gone from her hand and she's reaching for him, pulling him down to put her lips against his. It's clumsy and hard, a bit off-centre, but the feel of her soft lips has him moaning before he can stop. In an instant he's all over her, his hand on her stomach lifting cotton away while the other tugs her ass in closer. Pressed together, hips and chests, Inuyasha lets out a ragged exhale before capturing her lips again.

Kagome keens, her hands scratching at the back of his neck like there's no possible way for him to get close enough. It's a disaster of reaching and touching and tugging, desire thick enough to cut with a knife as her legs wrap around his waist. It's a feeble attempt at getting any closer, if only because it's impossible to do so. With a growl Inuyasha pulls back, his hands sliding up her t-shirt and removing it. When the cotton comes off her hair falls around her, and with her lips swollen red and pupils dilated with hunger, Inuyasha's never seen a better sight. It takes his breath away but only for the second that his brain catches up with him, giving him his next goal. He pushes her gently back into the wall, more of a sprawl than anything else, but he bends to get access to her neck, her collarbones, the swell of her breast.

"This was not a part of the plan," Kagome whispers, breathless and panting as her hands clutch at the back of his head.

"You had a plan?" The words are mumbled between sucks and licks, and Inuyasha can't take it anymore. He fishes around for the bra clasp, fumbling for a moment before it finally – finally – falls apart.

He'd been wrong before. Now, he's never seen a better sight.

And maybe she sees the way his desire is a palpable, living thing. Maybe it's the way he feels like he can't get enough air, or the way his hands are rhythmically smoothing along her hips, clenching and unclenching. "Shit, you're hot," Kagome pants and that does it. It undoes him.

He bites along her breast, tiny, playful hints of teeth before latching onto a nipple, already tight. As if his life depends on it, he sucks, barely giving her a moment of reprieve as his hand toys with the other. It's not gentle, but they're not gentle people. Kagome moans and curses and bucks underneath him for all that she can, the tiny table she's on creaking ominously. When he goes for the other nipple she gasps at the sting of air on her wet breast and reaches for his shirt, nearly clawing up his abs trying to get it off.

It seems counterproductive but Kagome doesn't complain when Inuyasha stands up to take it off. Her dark gaze roves up and down his body, her cheeks flushing as her eyes land on the obvious bulge in his jeans. "Those need to come off," she says.

Inuyasha isn't much in the way of a showman but he gets with the program. The button is simple, and lowering the fly almost makes him gasp out. He's hard and nearly leaking for it, and the absence of ungiving pressure on his cock is like fucking bliss. Kicking off his shoes, he only partially struggles with the jeans before they're finally gone. Kagome's searing gaze is very much not.

"Those too," she pleads, but it's not the tone of voice that gets to him. Kagome's touching herself now, unselfconscious and stunning with it. One of her hands slides across a nipple while the other is down the front of her pants and—fuck.

"You're actually going to kill me," he says but takes off his boxers anyways.

For the first time since they started kissing, she grins at him, devilish delight shining through. "Maybe this was the plan all along."

He groans, wrapping a hand around his cock because the sight before him is far, far too much. He needs to touch her, a roaring fire thrumming in his veins that he can no longer ignore. Inuyasha goes for her jeans with a kind of viciousness he usually left to cuffing criminals, but Kagome doesn't seem to mind in the least. She keens when his hand presses against hers, against where she's been steadily rubbing her clit with teasing satisfaction. It's a momentary weakness that distracts him before Inuyasha tugs off her pants entirely, tossing shoes without care and letting her jeans drop unceremoniously to the ground. He doesn't stare at her again, no, because he's looked his fill and if he stares much longer it'll be over before it's even begun. Inuyasha grabs her instead, using his strength to haul her into his arms and press her back against the wall. A better height, with the worryingly unsteady table still below. Here though, his cock pressed hot and tight against the softness of her belly and the wetness between her thighs. That first thrust and—

Inuyasha groans, head hitting the wall behind her back. He could come, just like this, with her squirming desperately in his arms for his cock while he pushes against her. It's thrilling and heady, but it's not enough.

"My purse," Kagome pants, her nails digging into his shoulders. The pain helps clear his head and he looks back just enough to see her face, to see the heat in her eyes as she licks her lips.

"What?"

"Condoms in my purse," she says, and it makes him frown because he doesn't remember her ever having one before but she waves a hand out to the far wall of the room. It forces him to follow and he sees – her purse, small and black, sitting on a proper desk. An office then, where she had left it earlier. Inuyasha groans and pulls away slowly, enough that Kagome sits back down on the unsteady table and he disappears, traipsing across the basement completely naked. "Back pocket, in the zip," she calls to him.

Inuyasha finds them, grabs one and then makes a face before grabbing two. It's only a minute at most, but it feels like an hour when he finally gets back to her. Kagome looks at him like she wants to tear him apart and he gets it, understands the feeling deep in his bones as he drops one of the foil packets and rips open the other one. He's harder than he's ever been in his entire life, cock near leaping by his own damn hand as he rolls the condom on, too sensitive already and shit, fuck, he needed get a grip or—

Kagome's first touch on his dick is like a rocket shooting off. The sound that escapes him is desperate and fierce, vibrating out of his chest before he can stop it. The touch is barely more than a tease, a slide up and down his length like she's studying for a damn quiz. Her thumb swipes across his slit and Inuyasha has to stop her or that'll be it, it'll be over and that can't happen. So he crowds into her space again, ignoring the squeak of the table as he bends down to kiss her, lips and tongue desperately seeking to get more.

His hand trails down her body, listens to the keening sound she makes and that he swallows down. When he touches her, he presses his thumb between the folds to feel the slick wetness, already there. It rips a groan from his throat, the thought of all the things they could do. It feels like they have all the time in the world – dangerous things to think about, always so dangerous – but he thinks this once he can give in.

"Kagome," he whispers, and it's a plea and prayer all in one.

"Fuck, yes, please," she begs back, twisting her hips as best as she could on the unforgiving table. It squeaks ominously once more and Inuyasha is done with it, is over the whole thing. Hands scooping under her, he picks her up and kicks at the wood underneath, forcing it away as he presses her into the wall. Her small hands wrapped around his neck, fingers interlaced with his strands to tug and pull mercilessly. She's smiling wickedly though, so similar to the way she was looking at him earlier at the bar, and it flares a rocket in his chest. He can't do anything but kiss her breathless, kiss her until the smile is gone and the only thing separating their bodies is sweat and latex.

Her legs are wrapped around him tightly, clinging and his first thrust against her soft stomach is like ecstasy. He isn't even inside of her and dear god, he wants to come. Inuyasha wants nothing more than to rock into her hard and feel the way her body clings to him in all the right places, the heat overwhelming and just–

Kagome shifts then, pulling herself up just enough to reposition her body, his cock sliding from her stomach to her slit. It's not enough – she needs to be higher, dear god – but she grinds against him like it'll be the last thing she ever does. He holds her closer, lets her writhe against him. Kagome's head falls back into the wall with a thunk, a moan escaping her swollen lips as she keeps rocking against him. She's taking her own pleasure, plain and simple, and Inuyasha groans at just the thought. With her neck bared, he ducks forward and latches on to the soft paleness of her flesh. It's smooth and hot and vibrant underneath his lips, and all he desperately wants to do is suck. So he does, marking her, thinking about how an hour from now, a day from now – more – she'll see the bruise and know exactly who gave it to her.

Her high-pitched keen is a rush, the desire shooting straight to his cock as he rocks against her, tiny little thrusts in counterpoint to her own writhing. He feels her legs lock around him tighter, her arms spasming against his shoulders and neck, like she can't decide if she wants to relax into it or push for more.

But she should push for more. Dear god, he wants her to.

"Don't fucking stop," he tells her, breathing the words against her skin.

"God, I need more," she pants, hands scrambling. She tugs on a lock of his hair and it yanks his head back, a sharp pain that's gone all at once when she licks his jaw and back into his mouth, like she's desperate for it. "More," she whispers.

And he can't help but to oblige.

Stepping back, Inuyasha brings her down from the wall and all but drags her to the tiny, lone office chair by the desk with her purse. It's the only thing that looks remotely comfortable, and it's either that or floor. So he pulls her and sits, legs together so she can spread out above him. Her gaze is heated and lips open in a pant. Instantly her hand reaches out for his cock, hand running up and down the lubricated length like she wants to memorize it.

Inuyasha throws his head back. "Fuck, don't or this is going to be over quicker than you want."

Humming, Kagome lets him go and he's not sure whether he wants to cry at the loss or be relieved it's not yet over.

But his thoughts are barely more than a jumble and they absolutely disappear the second Kagome straddles him, pale legs spread wide over his quads. Before he can blink, or beg, or mutter words that he'll absolutely mean but probably shouldn't say, she's grabbing his dick and lowering herself onto him.

It's like a fucking adrenaline rush. It's heat and tightness and the slick press of bodies. He's moaning uncontrollably but Kagome doesn't seem much better. The chair is just as impractical as the wall but she can at least control herself on the seat, feet barely touching. He grips her again, hands full of her ass before sliding up her back, down her slides, up her stomach.

"Oh fuck," she whispers, before capturing his lips with her own. It's wet heat, mouths swollen as they press and beg for more. Slowly, like the torture is the most exquisite kind, Kagome shifts up and down his cock. She's pressed tight up against him – any closer and they would fuse forever, together, he's sure because this kind of thing doesn't just happen like this – and he can feel the way she's grinding relentlessly against him.

He slides a hand down between them, careful of his claws, and lets the pads of his fingers rub against her already sensitive clit. The first touch makes her whine, the second gasp, and then she's uttering curses and prayers and fuck yeses over and over. All Inuyasha can feel is the hot heat surrounding his cock, tightening around him again and again and again. It's relentless, electrifying. "Shit, fuck," he hisses, barely remembering to do anything at all with his other hand. He's too wrapped up in her, in the feel. Sliding his hand across her back, he pulls her tight against him, as tight as they could possibly go. It's awkward for his other wrist but the notice of it is fleeting when Kagome gasps and pants like the pressure of his arm is the greatest thing she's ever felt.

She pushes against him harder, faster, driving them closer and closer to the edge. Kagome's whispering his name, numb lips biting at his jaw, his throat, his mouth. He doesn't want this to end but it's inevitable, the tide crashing in off the moon's pull. It's gravity. It's the strike of lightning. It's an inferno that ticks, ticks, ticks just before it explodes and Inuyasha is desperate, needs Kagome to come.

He twists his wrist to press a little firmer and Kagome groans loudly, clamping down around him like she wants to trap his cock inside of her for good. She grinds against his lap, his hand, seeking and moaning, breasts bouncing.

It's all the enticement he needs. Inuyasha bends out, licks at a nipple and barely gets it in his mouth to suck hard when she cries out, a near scream. The reaction to him – his touch, his body, his cock – is too much. It's all he can do to grab her hips and shove himself as deep inside of her as he can, revelling in the tight heat before he comes, vision going black as his eyes roll back.

It takes a minute.

It takes a couple of minutes.

Kagome's head is on his shoulder, her breathing evened out. Idly a hand plays with his stomach, the ridges of his abs and the happy trail of silver hair underneath his belly button. In an unspoken agreement she slowly gets up, wincing a little as she does so while Inuyasha holds the condom in place. He ties it and tosses it into the garbage, both of them silent. It's comfortable though, something Inuyasha honestly thought would be impossible given the circumstances.

But Kagome's standing before him, that dark gaze just as alluring as before. There's not a hint of shyness but her one hand is pressed against her abdomen, the place she told him was where the Shikon no Tama sat within her. She opens her mouth, closes it, and then seems to make up something in her mind because she nods decisively.

"I can't take it out," she murmurs, "but I can help you stop him."

"You don't have to." The words are immediate and at Kagome's glare he bites his lip, for once trying to think before he speaks. "What I mean is, that that wasn't what this was about."

Kagome actually snorts at that, rolling her eyes. "The sex was good, but it wouldn't have been enough to convince me to join you if I didn't want to." She pauses, takes the time to study him again. "Naraku needs to be stopped. We both know it."

He wants to put up a fight. He wants to tell her it's too dangerous, not worth it. But the fight is worth it – life or death, remember? – so he does the only thing he can.

Inuyasha stands up and reaches a hand out. It's an ask and an offering, all in one.

And without hesitation – like Kagome knew from the second he stepped into the bar exactly where it would lead them to, what exactly would transpire and how her future would be affected – she reaches back.

Fingers touch. Palms.

And their hands intertwine.

"Besides," Kagome murmurs, coy as her dark gaze skitters from his face to the chair they'd once been on. "Practice makes perfect."

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