Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

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Winner! 1st Place for Best Inu/Kag Romance, Feudal Association, 3rd Quarter 2010

Winner! 1st Place for Best Lemon, IYFG, 3rd Quarter 2010

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A/N:

This story takes place during no specific time frame, earlier in the mission while they are still hunting jewel shards. Also, Kouga's character is taking some collateral damage with my need for him to be a bit out of character in this particular universe. This is hardly the first time Fandom-Kouga has been made more assertive in his desire for Kagome, and I'm sure it won't be the last, but he is not truly vicious in this particular one-shot; he just doesn't understand the ways of humans.

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~ Twice Bitten ~

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Treking across a scarcely used trail that cut deep through the overgrown forest, the Inu-tachi headed North, towards the direction of a small fishing community Miroku recalled from the days of his solitary travels. With no current lead for a jewel shard, they thought it best to stick to the more rural, less beaten paths, with the hopes that a shard-possessing youkai might find them in the mean time. It was much less likely for an oni to attack them on the open roads pounded heavily by horse and cart. Though, then again, with Kagome's jewel shards shimmering their power from within their little glass bottle, one would assume that a youkai already in possession of a jewel shard would seek her out no matter where she was.

The sun was high in the sky as they walked on in silence, though the canopy of the forest offered shade for the noonday travelers as they marched onward, the pleasant echo of birdsong offering a peaceful soundtrack to their journey. Patches of blue sky could be seen from between the trees, and a light breeze rustled the branches. It was, what Kagome would call, a beautiful day. Inuyasha understood the future-born miko's wonder with the supposed beauty of his time more than he used to, having become familiar with just how ugly her time really was, but to him, it was still just a day, not unlike any other. He was grateful for the calm weather, though. While he wouldn't go so far as to call the day beautiful, he couldn't argue that it wouldn't be less pleasant if it were raining. The day also had another positive going for it in that they were actually out there, fulfilling their mission, not sitting on their asses in Kaede's village waiting for Kagome to gift them with her presence. While the supposed importance of her schoolwork had been explained to him, that was another thing that Inuyasha simply couldn't grasp. How the hell was taking tests more important than stopping an evil force like Naraku from continuing to grow more and more powerful as he gained possession of more and more jewel shards? Yes, Inuyasha understood that her schooling was a matter of honor, but when it really boiled down to it, honor was in the eye of the beholder. Who cared if the other people of Kagome's time didn't know of her mission in his world? The greatest sacrifices were made by those who left their good deeds unknown to the public. Ultimately, didn't Kagome's honor demand that she correct the mistake of shattering the sacred jewel, first and foremost?

She knows that, though… Inuyasha told himself as they continued onward.

Kagome had even admitted as much. In the beginning, the only reason she had decided to come back at all was because she had known she'd needed to correct her mistake. He mentally cringed a little at the memory. At first, she hadn't really wanted to have anything to do with him, not that he could blame her, with as much of an ass as he knew he'd been to her in the beginning. She no longer only came back because of her obligation to the jewel, though. He'd even overheard her say as much to Sango, once. Kagome now believed that, in reality, Kikyou could take her place in the shard hunt, if it ever became truly necessary for her to do so. Now, the only reason the future-born miko continued to come back was because she wanted to, because she wanted to stay by his side, and because she knew that he wanted her with him, as well. That was an understatement if ever there was one, but Inuyasha was admittedly grateful for her decision, and thinking about it, he knew he couldn't really blame Kagome for wanting to at least try to maintain her life in her own time as well. If anyone understood the turmoil of being split between two separate responsibilities, it would be him. Yes, he still had his obligations to Kikyou, and she was important to him, just as Kagome still had her own obligations back in her own world that were important to her, but ultimately, Inuyasha knew what was more important, just as Kagome truly understand the importance of their mission in his time. Kagome would never leave their world during the heat of battle to go take a test; she only ever asked (or demanded) to go home when there was truly nothing of immediate importance happening in his world. He also knew that if they were on their way to take her home, but then something happened, like a youkai with a jewel shard suddenly showed up, Kagome would stay with them and help them fight the monster, rather than insisting that she still needed to leave. Kagome was perfectly capable of saying screw her tests, when the moment truly called for it. He knew she would make that choice…she'd already done so on at least one occasion. And while he had thankfully never been faced with a similar dilemma, Inuyasha knew deep down inside that if he were ever faced with the split decision of say, saving Kikyou's life versus saving Kagome's, while a part of him would die along with the undead miko, he had sworn to Kagome that he would always protect her, and he could not, would not, willfully choose to disregard that vow. True, he'd fucked up a few times, but there was a big difference between being an idiot and making a mistake, and deliberately choosing a certain path because you simply didn't care. And Kagome always forgave him for his mistakes. She always forgave him for the upset it caused her whenever he left to see Kikyou. Honestly, he didn't understand what the big deal was. If she could put their mission on hold to go back through the well, then he should be able to visit with Kikyou from time to time. Surely she didn't think that he and Kikyou were…

A sudden gasp followed quickly by the sound of a hand hitting clothed flesh had Inuyasha spinning around to find Kagome staring wide-eyed with her hand on her chest.

"I sense two jewel shards!" she declared, and he smirked.

"Keh, things're about to get a whole lot more interestin'." he stated, sniffing the air as he asked her if she could pinpoint a direction.

With Miroku and Sango on guard, Shippou huddling upon Miroku's shoulder while Kirara roared to her full size, everyone shared the disappointment that was evident in Inuyasha's tone as he took a deep breath before grumbling, "Wait, it's only the fleabag."

On cue, Kouga's whirlwind appeared at the edge of their vision, zigzagging through the trees on an apparent collision course.

"Looks like Kagome's jewel shards only attract weak youkai." Shippou murmured sarcastically as he leapt down from Miroku's shoulder, no longer fearful of a battle.

Inuyasha smirked in the kit's direction and silently decided he wouldn't fight Shippou over the last fish for dinner that night.

Unfortunately, his momentary distraction over Shippou's words were all that were needed to find himself suddenly pinned on his stomach, not from one of Kagome's sit commands, but from the mangy wolf deciding to run him over like he liked to do.

"Grrrrrrrr…get off!" Inuyasha yelled, jumping to his feet while Kouga easily sidestepped to keep his balance.

"Oh, Mutt-face, I didn't see you there." the ookami greeted with a false tone of apology before swaggering over towards 'his' woman.

"Kagome…" he cooed, reaching for the miko's hands. "And how are you fairing on this fine, lovely day?" he asked, adding smoothly, "Though of course, it is not as lovely as you are."

As usual, Kagome was not moved by his words or his tone, unless you counted the beads of sweat gathering at her temples.

Honestly, this guy is worse than Hojo! When will he wise up to the fact that I just don't see him that way?

"Just great!" she answered overenthusiastically, in a tone that everyone in the group, sans Kouga, easily recognized as the false cheeriness she typically displayed during any sort of awkward situation. Even Inuyasha had come to recognize that tone whenever Kagome would attempt to tell him that she was fine after he had, in fact, upset her in some way. But the wolf merely smiled, pleased to hear that his woman was doing well, remaining completely oblivious to the fact that nobody really wanted him there.

Of course, Sango and Miroku truly had nothing against the wolf, per se, but being more familiar with ookami youkai than Kagome clearly was, the slayer and monk were both also aware of the fact that Inuyasha's dislike of the wolf wasn't entirely misplaced. Kagome didn't seem to comprehend the true severity of Kouga continuing to believe that he had a valid verbal claim on her. She was attempting to brush the guy off without being rude, hoping he would catch the hint to save face. What she needed to do was put her foot down and demand once and for all that he accept the fact that she was not his woman.

Had Kagome possessed any foresight into just what Kouga had planned for her on that fine, lovely day, she wouldn't have hesitated to do just that.

"Are you ready to ditch Inu-kuso yet and come back with me to my den?" Kouga asked her not for the first time.

She smiled in a way that she hoped was as polite as it was pitying.

"Kouga, I've told you before, my place is here. I need to stay with my friends, I need to collect the jewel shards and defeat Naraku. I'm just not ready to think about anything else."

In Kagome's mind, that was a polite 'no', but off to the side Inuyasha was mentally grimacing.

Fucking hells, Kagome… That just makes it sound like you'll agree once this shit is all over! he mentally scolded the girl, trying to stay out of it so as to avoid tasting dirt. Witnessing Kagome 'subdue' him whenever he stepped forward to challenge the wolf only added to Kouga's smugness, and he wasn't in the mood to humiliate himself today.

"That's fine, my sweet. I do understand the importance of your mission. But you must also understand that my verbal claim was never meant to last this long."

Misunderstanding, Kagome thought that Kouga was telling her that he wouldn't wait for her forever, which was just fine with her. If his supposed 'verbal claim' only made her his woman for so long before it became null and void without her compliance, then she would do a little mental happy dance on the day he told her she'd had her chance and she blew it.

"I understand, but my position hasn't changed. This is where I belong. I'm not going anywhere."

Something about her tone on those last four words had Kouga furrowing his brow. Was his woman actually trying to reject him, or was she really just that caught up in her current mission that nothing else mattered until after the defeat of Naraku? Hell, he wanted Naraku defeated, too! He was doing his own reconnaissance to try and sniff that bastard out, so that he could kill the fucker once and for all. First, he owed the bastard for what had become of his people. But second, the sooner Naraku was dead, the sooner he and Kagome could settle down and start rebuilding his pack.

Picking up a warning growl from the mutt that he was quickly wearing out his welcome, Kouga shot Inuyasha a menacing glare, knowing the hanyou had eyes for his woman. Who knew how much longer it could take to defeat Naraku, truly? And Kagome had also said that she needed to complete the jewel. Honestly, that was all right with him. The more jewel shards in their possession, the better! Kagome would be his, after all, so her part of the jewel would be his part of the jewel. But if he was going to continue to allow her to travel with her 'friends'…especially the mutt…then something needed to be done. Something permanent.

"Okay, Kagome, my love…I understand. You are not yet ready to think about the future, with your head so thoroughly into your present mission. Truly, I admire that about you, your sense of determination and responsibility. But would you be willing to do me one, little favor?" he asked with a deceptively calm voice, knowing all hell was about to break lose as soon as dog turd realized what he had planned.

"What is it, Kouga?" Kagome asked, her voice betraying nothing of her sudden unease. She could feel Inuyasha's youki growing more agitated, and she sent him a quick glance, her eyes pleading with him not to attack. Whatever Kouga wanted, so long as it wasn't unreasonable…she just wanted to get him to get going before Inuyasha snapped.

"Promise me you'll always be mine." Kouga stated, his tone unexpectedly authoritative.

Kagome blanched.

"Don't you fucking dare say something so stupid, Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, earning Kouga's shout of "You stay the fuck out of this, Dog!" in return.

"Kouga, that's just crazy! I can't promise you something like that." Kagome replied. Mostly because I was never yours to begin with…

Kouga's eyes narrowed at Kagome's refusal to comply, no doubt the hanyou's doing. Fine, then he would just have to take matters into his own hands.

Easily sensing the rising tension in the air, Sango and Miroku both readied their stances, predicting that something drastic was about to happen.

Unfortunately, nobody could move as fast as a full-blooded ookami youkai with two jewel shards in his legs.

Coming up on Kagome from behind, Kouga grabbed her upper arms tightly, but not too tightly to risk injuring her. In the half-second it took Inuyasha to react, closing the distance between them, Kouga leapt backwards, carrying a shrieking Kagome with him to land a good fifty feet away. While Inuyasha's eyes filled with terrible visions of Kagome being kidnapped again, he ran towards their position as fast as his legs would carry him, only to come to a screeching halt one second later with his eyes widening in horror at the sight before him, the sound of Kagome's heart wrenching scream tearing his own heart from his chest. Kouga had sank his teeth into her neck.

He let her go after a moment, his posture smug as Kagome stumbled away from him, Sango and Miroku both taking her into their arms as she collapsed to her knees, frantically asking her if she was all right while Inuyasha drew his sword and pointed it at Kouga's throat.

"You. Bastard." he growled out, though he made no immediate move to strike, and Kouga made no move to run away.

"What…the…hell…" Kagome wheezed, staggering to her feet with her friends' assistance, her hand clamped down over her throat.

She didn't understand why she was even still alive after an attack like that, let alone why he would've done such a thing, but she would puzzle over why the wound wasn't even bleeding after giving Kouga a piece of her mind.

"You can stay with your friends for however long it takes now, Kagome. There's no need to worry about keeping me waiting any longer."

"What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded, mildly amazed in the back of her mind that she could speak so clearly, and without pain. While the lingering sting was fading rapidly, at the time it had felt as if he'd tried to rip her throat out. Why the hell were young girls so into Vampire fetishes?

"You see what you did, you fucking asshole?" Inuyasha shouted, absolutely livid. "She doesn't even understand!"

"What's there not to understand?" Kouga replied, brushing off the hanyou's comments. "What's done is done."

"Will somebody please explain to me what's going on?" Kagome asked of no one in particular.

Hesitantly, it was Sango who came forward first.

"He…he marked you, Kagome. That's a mating bond."

"A what?"

"He may as well have fucking raped you is what he did!" Inuyasha bellowed, "That mark bonds you to him. You are his mate." He spat the words as though they were acid on his tongue.

Kagome couldn't understand what was stilling Inuyasha's hand after hearing something like that. The hanyou looked about ready to transform, despite the giant fang held tightly in a white-knuckled fist, the tip pointed straight at the wolf.

"Come on, Kagome, don't play innocent. You've known you were mine for a long time now." Kouga spoke up, understanding the mutt's reaction, but truly finding Kagome's behavior perplexing.

Ignoring Kouga's words, Kagome continued to try and wrap her mind around what Sango and Inuyasha had both just told her. "But…but I'm human…" she mumbled after a moment, feeling a little dizzy as she desperately tried to take it all in.

"That does not matter." Miroku spoke up in that moment. "Youkai easily have power over the human body, in many ways. In one sense, this is no different from a possession, his youki entering you through the bond. Between youkai it is a show of dominance, of possession, of ownership and of belonging to…the alpha and omega of the relationship. Your being human does not diminish the significance of the bond in the eyes of youkai, but merely secures your position as the weaker of the pair."

Kagome was just trying to grasp what Miroku had said when Kouga's voice pulled her attention back in his direction, her eyes instantly narrowing at his smirk.

"Don't worry, Kagome, my love…" he began, misunderstanding her comment about being human. "Though I realize with your human status, our children will be hanyou, they will be wolf hanyou. I don't want you thinking my disdain for the mutt could ever translate into me hating my own offspring. It isn't Dog-shit's human half that bothers me so much. It's his inu half that's so utterly disgusting."

Sucking in a sharp breath at his words, Kagome glared at Kouga with a newfound hatred.

"Kouga…you and I are not having children, ever." she stated matter-of-factly. "I want absolutely nothing to do with you." she added, no longer concerned over possibly hurting his feelings.

"Well now, that's just too bad, isn't it?" he teased. "You're mine whether you like it or not."

"You can't do that! I'm my own person and I have a say in the matter!" the miko insisted.

"No, you don't." Kouga replied, looking more and more confused by the moment. "Kagome, you knew I had a verbal claim on you, and I just told you that that claim wasn't meant to last for so long. You said you understood."

"I thought you meant that you'd give up on me after you waited long enough!"

He snorted a laugh. "Kagome, wolves mate for life, I told you that the day I claimed you! If you wanted any chance of rejecting my claim, you would have needed to do so then. It's far too late, now. You are mine, and you've been mine since the day I decided it."

"I won't cooperate! Where I come from one person cannot own another person!"

"That mark on your neck would say otherwise, darling."

"Fuck this…" Inuyasha said then, his eyes never leaving his target. "Kagome, get on Kirara and head to the well. He can't reach you on the other side. Even if you have to stay there for the rest of your life, it's better than-"

"No!" Kagome interrupted, causing Inuyasha to falter, and lower his sword arm as he gazed her way in confusion. Kouga's smirk increased.

"I can't just run away from all my problems. I have a mission to complete here, or have you forgotten?" Her eyes softened as she met Inuyasha's gaze, pleading with him to understand, but also at the same time pleading with him to help her out of this mess.

"I would not advise travel through the well, at any rate." Miroku spoke up once more. "While my knowledge of youkai mate-bonding is admittedly somewhat limited, the chance is great that the well will either deny Kagome access, or even quite possibly grant Kouga access into her world."

"Really, something about mating you don't know?" Shippou piped up sarcastically. True, he really was just a kid, but he was also a youkai, and he wasn't stupid.

"Kagome, there is a way out of this!" Shippou informed her.

"Bah, I should have fed you to my wolves when I had the chance." Kouga grumbled, glaring daggers at the kitsune who in turn stuck his tongue out at the wolf.

Kagome narrowed her eyes even further before stating in a deadly calm tone of voice, "Kouga, you will undo whatever the hell it is that you've just done to me. I. Am. Not. Your. Mate."

"Oh yes you are…" he sing-songed, in no way showing any remorse for having forced Kagome into something she clearly hadn't wanted. "And already you can feel the changes happening within you, can't you? I infused you with my youki. It can't be undone. You're mine, forever, and there's nothing that can be done to stop it."

"That's not true!" Sango spoke up, sending a hesitant glance in Inuyasha's direction. "Shippou's right. Because your mark was forced, Kagome has the right to reject your claim if she chooses somebody else!"

"You're damn right I have the right to reject his claim!" the miko shouted, not catching on to the second part of Sango's statement.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha spoke up then, his tone a bizarre sort of calm the miko had never heard him use before. Immediately, everyone in the clearing gave the hanyou their full attention, Sango and Miroku silently praying that he would do the right thing, while Kouga crouched slightly, preparing himself for battle.

"Inuyasha?"

"Kagome…there…there's no way to undo being marked. Once you're marked, you're marked forever. The only way to get free from Kouga's claim is…is if you choose somebody else, and if that somebody fights for you, and wins. Then his youki would be stronger than Kouga's, and his bite would overpower the wolf's."

Despite his calm exterior, Inuyasha was going crazy inside. He wanted to tear Kouga's throat out, and he already would have had it not been for the fact that he'd known Kagome didn't understand what was going on. As much as it was killing him inside, Kouga was right, on the surface, that Kagome had never rejected his verbal claim of her, and while Inuyasha knew that the real reason was because Kagome simply hadn't understood their ways, youkai custom demanded that she choose her champion, herself. Now that she was already claimed, he couldn't fight for her unless it was what she wanted.

Kagome knew what Inuyasha was saying. Even with the insanity of biting and marks and bonds and youki, there was no way to be confused by his words. But…he had an obligation to Kikyou! He loved Kikyou! How could she ask this of him? It must be her decision, she gathered, which explained why he hadn't attacked Kouga outright immediately, though it'd been clear he wanted to gut the wolf for what he'd done. But if he'd fought Kouga and won before she'd understood what was going on, then that would've been no different than what Kouga himself had just done, forcing her to be his without her consent or even her understanding. However, now that she did understand, Kagome realized that she was faced with one, fairly straightforward decision. If there was simply no way to undo a mate bond, then whining about it until the cows came home wouldn't do a lick of good, now would it? So…did she want to belong to Kouga, or Inuyasha?

That's the easiest decision I've ever had to make…I just hope he can forgive me.

"Please…" she spoke up then, her eyes closing when she found she couldn't face his questioning stare, a silent tear slipping down her cheek. She knew she shouldn't be so selfish, but… "Please free me from Kouga's claim."

While Shippou cheered and Miroku and Sango each exhaled in relief, Inuyasha turned to glance Kouga's way with a wicked smirk curling up the edges of his lips. While he never in a million years would have fathomed that Kagome would truly become his in such a way, there was no way in hell he was gifting her to the wolf. Failure was not an option.

He attacked immediately, without words, without threats or taunting, and those observing could instantly tell that he meant business. Kouga was hard pressed to dodge out of the way. Not wanting to risk endangering his friends with the power of the Wind Scar, Inuyasha reframed from unleashing Tetsusaiga's true power, not that it was necessary to defeat the sniveling ookami anyway, in his opinion.

While they battled, Kagome curled herself into a little ball, sitting against the base of a nearby tree, with a concerned Shippou coming into her line of vision to ask her if she was okay.

"I just won't be able to forgive myself if Inuyasha gets seriously hurt because of me, or worse." she murmured softly to the kit.

I'm sure it's a fight to the death… she thought forlornly, knowing that Inuyasha would never give up.

If Inuyasha lost, then not only would she have to live with the guilt of being directly responsible for his death, but she would still belong to Kouga, and she would then have to be the mate of her true love's murderer… Maybe it would have been better to just choose Kouga and be done with it? But no…she didn't love him, and she could never love him, especially not after what he'd just done, forcing himself upon her like that. Inuyasha was right, Kouga might as well have raped her. Tightening her arms around herself, Kagome couldn't help but to feel incredibly violated. And now she had more or less forced herself upon Inuyasha in return. Of course he was willing…his detest for the wolf was more than enough to ensure his compliance. But did he really want her in that way? He wanted to save her from Kouga, and this was the only way to do it. Surely if there had turned out to be a way to simply remove Kouga's mark from her body, he would have offered that route instead.

"Don't worry, Kagome." Shippou spoke up then, placing his hand on the miko's leg for support. "You know there's no way Inuyasha can lose to Kouga. That's why you would sit him before, to save Kouga's life, 'cause you didn't want him hurt and you knew Inuyasha was so much stronger."

Snorting dryly to herself, Kagome mumbled, "Definitely not stopping him this time."

Several feet away but still within youkai hearing range, Inuyasha smirked triumphantly in the wolf's direction at Kagome's words.

"Hear that, bastard? She knows this is a fight to the death and she ain't gonna stop me from killin' ya." he stated as he lunged, Tetsusaiga aimed to skewer Kouga's gut.

Quickly spinning out of the way and using the energy of his momentum to springboard himself backward into Inuyasha's direction, his feet raised for a powerful kick, Inuyasha bowed down just in time to avoid a shattered jaw, Kouga leaping over his enemy's head before spinning in midair to turn and land on the ground with his feet planted squarely, Inuyasha having stood up and spun back around himself, sword raised for another strike.

Charging again, their battle raged onward, and it wasn't long before each of them got in a few hits. Kouga was serious, as was Inuyasha, and neither of them were pulling any punches. Drawing his own sword, Kouga squared off against Tetsusaiga. While Inuyasha by far had the more powerful weapon, Kouga had his incredible speed going for him, and thanks to the power of the jewel shards in his legs, he really was faster than what Inuyasha could keep up with. Zipping around the hanyou, he slashed him from behind, and Inuyasha cried out before spinning around only for Kouga to be nowhere in sight, until instinct told him to jump and he did so just in time to avoid being stabbed in the back.

Figures the bastard fights dirty! Inuyasha thought in concern as he used his elevation to launch a barrage of iron claw blades of youki down in Kouga's direction, which he managed to dodge, just barely.

Sango and Miroku watched on in concern, knowing that neither of them could offer their assistance. Inuyasha had to win this battle on his own.

Over against her tree, Kagome's heart was racing. She could feel it, Kouga's youki pulsing through her, and the sensation frightened her, not because it was uncomfortable in and of itself, but because she could sense that it was Kouga, and he wasn't who she wanted. She'd tried to purify herself moments ago, thinking that perhaps since she was a miko, she would in fact have the power to remove Kouga's mark from her body. Then she could've put a stop to their fight! But it hadn't worked. It was as if his youki was somehow a part of her, and her miko powers did nothing to rise up against it. Maybe if she had been trained, maybe if she really knew what she was doing…but as it was her single ray of hope that she wouldn't have to tie Inuyasha to her so unfairly had been distinguished. Now all she could do was pray that he would be successful, because she really didn't want to be stuck with Kouga. She would attack the wolf herself if she had to, and she was sure her friends would help her. She could use Sango's stink pellets to overpower his senses, then Miroku's ofuda to immobilize him. She could use her arrow to chip his jewel shards out of his legs, and then Miroku could suck him up in his Wind Tunnel. Even if she never got rid of Kouga's youki in her own system, so long as she didn't actually have to live with the guy…

While I never loved Kouga, I did used to consider him a friend, but not after today…

Unbidden, silent tears traveled down Kagome's cheeks. Everything was ruined.

Inuyasha was aware of Kagome's condition. He could sense the rise of Kouga's youki within her, and he had sensed it when her own miko aura had flared to life. He had actually hoped that she would be successful, not because he wasn't looking forward to the idea of marking her himself, but because he knew it would ultimately be in Kagome's best interest to not be tied to him in such a way. But she had not been successful. After her miko aura had settled back down, there was no change in Kouga's youki, and the wolf before him smirked triumphantly, having sensed the same thing. The scent of Kagome's tears reached them then, and they were what finally tipped the scale.

Kouga was noticeably confused by Kagome's reaction. Sure, a youkai bitch would be pissed off to be marked without warning like he'd done, but she would know her place and accept it. Or, if she truly didn't want him, then she would perhaps issue a challenge, like his current battle with Mutt-face, but she would be standing proudly on the sidelines, willfully prepared to become the property of whichever male proved strongest. He was starting to pick up on some of her emotions, thanks to their bond, and the utter despair he was reading from her confounded him to no end. But instead of feeling empathy, guilt or remorse, or any other emotion most commonly associated with humans, the ookami youkai merely shrugged it off, remaining steadfast in his belief that he would be successful in his battle against the hanyou, and that Kagome would remain his woman for the rest of time. Whatever was bothering her now, she would just have to get over it. She was a strong miko, and she was an ideal mate for him. Even with taking her human blood into consideration, their offspring would be strong. He threw human words like 'love' around all the time, knowing how human females liked to hear such things, so what more could she possibly want? He wanted her, he 'loved' her, in his own way, so shouldn't she love him in return? Of course, he wasn't an idiot, and knew it had to be because she had feelings for the mutt, but once he took care of Inuyasha once and for all, then Kagome's heart would be free to love him, and him alone.

When Inuyasha caught the scent of Kagome's tears, he nearly lost it. He didn't need to be bonded to her to know what she was feeling, and he shared her emotions. Kouga had ruined everything, but he didn't have time to worry about that now. All that mattered was saving Kagome from the wolf's claim. He wouldn't control her life like Kouga surely would, demanding that her place was in the den, birthing cubs. He would still think of her as Kagome…still his equal, still his friend. He would still let her go back home for her 'tests', even if, thanks the bond, he had to go with her in order for the well to let her pass. He would give her whatever she wanted, even if that included her freedom, his own entrapment be damned. But first…he had to win. Eyes bleeding red, despite the sword in his hands, Inuyasha's vision burned with images born from his own twisted imagination. Images of Kouga winning, of dragging Kagome away kicking and screaming, of…forcing himself upon her.

"No!" he shouted suddenly, stripes appearing on his cheeks as he lunged, Kouga's eyes growing wide as he attempted to backpedal away from the oncoming demon, and that was precisely what Inuyasha looked like in that moment.

But the fraction of a second that he had been distracted by the scent of Kagome's tears proved to be Kouga's undoing as he now couldn't find his center, having to repeatedly dodge only to dodge again without allowing himself the time necessary to plan out an attack of his own, as Inuyasha charged forward like a relentless tsunami, his youki rushing to the surface and granting him the power needed to match Kouga's pace. Running forward, Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga over his head like a mad man, though mad he was not, which he proved when his swing came down and he slammed the blunt end of Tetsusaiga against Kouga's neck. Knocked sideways and into the dirt, Kouga's head was pounding as he tried to push himself up on shaky arms, only to stop cold when he felt the kiss of steel against the back of his neck. Propped on his hands and knees, Kouga knew that if he moved, Inuyasha wouldn't hesitate to decapitate him.

"You are beaten." the hanyou stated with authority, his voice sounding normal as his eyes shifted back to their usual amber, the stripes fading from his cheeks. "Concede defeat and I will let you live."

Everyone gasped at Inuyasha's declaration, aside from Kouga who was afraid that even that slight movement might be all it took to end his life. Petrified, the wolf attempted to weigh his options, of which there were none. Meanwhile, Sango, Miroku, Shippou and even Kirara were staring at Inuyasha in shock, not having expected the – truly unnecessary, not to mention completely unheard of – show of mercy for such a situation. Battles over mates were always battles to the death, though granted, that wasn't because of any kind of official rules on the matter. More simply, no male youkai was ever willing to give up, to walk away from their chosen mate, and so instead they were all fully prepared to fight to the death for the one they wanted. With the imbedded belief that whomever they were fighting would also not give up until their own demise, no youkai combatant would ever hesitate to deliver the final deathblow, as Inuyasha had just done in this instant. Theoretically, if Kouga somehow managed to get free, then the battle would continue to progress, not having been won by Inuyasha's hesitation to conclude it once and for all. But everyone knew why he was offering Kouga this one chance to live.

Rising to her feet, wiping at the tears staining her face, Kagome came forward. Inuyasha's right ear shifted in her direction for a moment, acknowledging he was aware of her proximity, but his eyes never left the enemy.

"Kouga, Inuyasha has won. The only reason he hasn't killed you yet is because he knows I would feel guilty over your death. If only I had understood, if only I had rejected your verbal claim from the beginning, then none of this would have happened. Truly, this is my fault, so please don't add your death to my guilty conscience. Let me go. I do not want you. If you say anything other than agreeing to abandon your claim of me, then I will not fault Inuyasha for doing what he must, and I will just have to learn to live with the guilt. Speak now."

The seconds seemed to stretch on forever, as everything in the forest around them came to a screeching halt. The birds in the trees became silent, and even the breeze seemed to stop blowing. In a span of time truly no longer than five seconds, a thousand years seemed to pass, as Inuyasha stood with his arm steady, Tetsusaiga thirsty for the wolf's blood. But he would spare the ookami his life for Kagome's sake, if Kouga chose not to die on this day.

"I…" Kouga began, swallowing thickly and licking his suddenly very dry lips. "…surrender."

Immediately, Kagome sighed in relief while Inuyasha lifted Tetsusaiga up and away from the back of Kouga's neck. Transforming the blade back into its dormant state and sheathing it, he then reached his right arm out towards the miko, his eyes still focused on Kouga's still form, as the wolf remained on his hands and knees for a moment longer. Seeing and recognizing the gesture Kagome immediately went to Inuyasha's side, and he wrapped his arm around her protectively. Finally, after what seemed like another thousand years, Kouga rose to his feet. He didn't know what to do. By all rights he shouldn't still be alive. If Inuyasha hadn't used the blunt end of Tetsusaiga for that first swing, then he would be dead. Well, if he were dead, then there was truly nothing that needed to be said, was there? A corpse did not talk, after all…

At least, not without the wind witch controlling it…

Remembering his pack, his reason for vengeance against Naraku, Kouga silently thanked the hanyou for sparing him. He would not have done the same. Nodding once in Inuyasha's direction, Kouga turned and left, never saying a word to either him or Kagome.

Once everyone was sure that the wolf was truly gone, and that he would honor his surrender to Inuyasha in battle, a collective sigh of relief could be felt between every remaining member of the Inu-tachi. But the peaceful atmosphere didn't last long.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha said after less than a minute had passed from the wolf's departure.

"You have to do it now, don't you?"

He nodded curtly. "While my youki still sings of victory, and his still knows its defeat."

Nodding her understanding, Kagome turned in Inuyasha's embrace to expose the right side of her throat, where Kouga had previously bitten her. Pulling her hair off to the side, Kagome turned her head and scrunched her eyes shut.

Circling Kagome to come up on her from behind, just as Kouga had done, so that he could more properly bite in the exact same location, Inuyasha leaned down slowly, whispering next to her ear so that only she would hear him, "I'm sorry."

He sunk his teeth into her neck.

Doing her best not to scream a second time, Kagome whimpered loudly, tears springing to her eyes that flowed freely down her cheeks no matter how tightly she pinched her eyes shut. Inuyasha had to leave his fangs imbedded within her flesh longer than Kouga had, needing to make sure his youki completely overrode the wolf's in every way. It was a domination that both Kagome and Inuyasha could feel taking place almost immediately, as she realized she could no longer sense Kouga's presence within her, but that instead, it was Inuyasha whom she could now feel wrapping himself around her very soul. That sensation was noticeably less unpleasant, and she found herself relaxing against him, opening herself to his invasion. She could feel her own aura dancing with his, but she did not worry about her miko powers interfering with the bond. Truly, if she couldn't even purify Kouga's essence out of her system when she had tried to, then there was absolutely nothing to worry about as far as her miko powers subconsciously rejecting Inuyasha. Not with how much she loved him and wanted to be with him.

As for the hanyou, he was in sensory overload. Even after he was certain no trace of Kouga remained within Kagome, he found himself unable to pull away from her, at first, the power of his demonic aura using his fangs within her neck as a conduit to share their very souls back and forth between them simply too much for him to walk away from. Kagome was as much within him as he was within her, and he found that he was not bothered by that realization. The faint taste of blood in his mouth was not as distressing as he'd thought it would be, either, his instincts understanding that Kagome was not truly hurt. The force of his youki creating the bond between them kept most of her blood at bay, preventing the seemingly life threatening wound from becoming truly dangerous. Finally feeling that enough was enough, and that their bond could truly grow no closer, he pulled away from her, and the wound on her neck healed before his very eyes, closing almost immediately. Sealing over, the scar became his mark, branding her as his for the rest of her life. Which would be much longer now, thanks to the power of his youki infused within her human system. There was much he still needed to explain to her. But things like how being bonded to a youkai mate would make her stronger, make her live longer and heal faster…those were things that hadn't truly needed to be told in order for her to make the decision between himself and Kouga. Those were changes that had already been done to her body the instant Kouga had laid his claim. Inuyasha had done nothing that Kouga hadn't already done, in that regard, and the only difference where Kagome was concerned was truly just in regard to whom she was bonded with. Though he did know that he would need to explain everything else to her, at some point.

As it was, Inuyasha found that he couldn't even meet her gaze, as he pulled away from her more fully only to turn his back, staring off into the trees. Kagome was his now. He should feel elated. Truly, he would probably be jumping for joy had she merely come to him, declaring her desire to be his mate and for him to permanently mark her as such. But because of the way it'd been…forced upon the both of them…he just wasn't sure what to think. He didn't regret rescuing Kagome from Kouga, and in actuality, he had been hoping, praying that she would ask him to save her from the wolf, but it was still true nonetheless that the action had been against their will, thanks to Kouga having forced himself upon Kagome in the first place. Part of him wasn't really ready to think about having a mate yet. Yes, he loved Kagome, but they could hardly settle down and raise a family while they still had jewel shards to hunt and Naraku to kill, not to mention the fact that Kagome was from another world entirely. What if she had been planning on returning home to her own time, permanently, once the mission was over? That wasn't really an option any more. Well…that wasn't true. There was really nothing holding him to his time, and so if Kagome wanted to return permanently to the world beyond the well, he would just have to go with her, simple as that. After the defeat of Naraku, his obligations to Kikyou would be over, and while he considered Miroku and Sango his friends, it was true that he wasn't anywhere near as close to them as he was to Kagome. No, Kagome was his mate, now, and wherever she went, he would follow.

As the girl in question stood in that moment staring forlornly at the back of the man she loved, she couldn't stop new tears from forming. They would get through this, together, somehow, but she couldn't stop the guilt from bubbling up within her. This was all her fault, because she hadn't put a stop to Kouga's advancements. Because she had allowed the ookami youkai to believe that his claim of her wasn't disputed, he hadn't seen any problem with just up and marking her as his, thus forcing Inuyasha into action or else be willing to surrender her to the wolf. Kagome was sure Inuyasha had been torn inside over such a decision. While she was convinced that he 100% did not want her to be with Kouga, she was also convinced that him fighting off the wolf to mark her himself had merely been the lesser of two evils. He didn't really love her like that, after all. Sure, Kagome believed that Inuyasha cared for her deeply, she was his first true friend, or so he'd told her on occasion. But she wasn't the one he loved. How would Kikyou take to learning what had happened? Would she forsake him? Would she attempt to kill him again? Would she merely throw the word betrayer in his face before turning to walk away, cutting him with words more deeply than any blade ever could? And what of the more…intimate…connotations associated with them being 'mates'? Was she ready for such a thing? Was he? Did he even see her in that a way? What if he never loved her the way she loved him, and he never wanted to-

Kagome was pulled from her spiraling thoughts when a sudden sensation coming over her that was wholly not her own had her gasping in surprise, as she stared with wide-eyes as Inuyasha turned to face her. She could sense him, and the feeling she was getting in that moment matched the look in his eyes perfectly. Shock. Why was he suddenly so shocked, though? Shocked over what? Had he…had he just sensed her feelings, as well? But she'd been worrying over him never loving her 'like that'. Was he shocked that she could think such a thing, because he truly did love her as she loved him, or was he merely shocked to learn of her feelings for him in the first place? She was feeling confused, now, and desperate, and Inuyasha calling her name in that moment was a welcomed distraction.

"Kagome…" he spoke up softly, the feeling of shock she could read from him dissipating quickly to be replaced with…determination. No doubt he could sense her confusion. "We need to talk." he stated then, and she instantly relaxed at his words.

"We'll look for a place to make camp around here." Sango chimed in, realizing that Kagome and Inuyasha would need some privacy for a while. "Come find us when you're ready." she added, before practically dragging the smirking Miroku away by his robes. The hentai houshi was imaging that their friends would probably be doing more than just talking before too much longer. Rolling his eyes, Shippou followed after the two humans, a kitten-sized Kirara tagging along behind him.

Watching his friends take their leave, Inuyasha nodded to himself before turning back to face Kagome again.

"Come on, we'll go some place where they can't eavesdrop." he said before turning and crouching down before her, knowing there were things that they both needed to say that they would both probably be hesitant to admit with the potential threat of their friends peeping in on them. While he knew they meant well, some things were meant to stay private.

Hesitating for only a moment, Kagome stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Inuyasha, smiling into the back of his suikan as he hooked his arms under her legs before hoisting her up onto his back. An immediate feeling of contentment washed over her, and it only took Kagome a moment to realize that half of the emotion wasn't coming from herself. They were both content at the close proximity. That was encouraging.

It's like…it's like we can read each other's thoughts, though only on an emotional level, Kagome realized quickly, feeling his youki wrap itself around her in a comforting embrace.

Taking off through the trees, Inuyasha ran for several long minutes, the journey silent, though their equal feelings of contentment didn't lessen. Finally coming to a stop in a small clearing that contained a hot spring, Kagome shot Inuyasha a questioning look as soon as she climbed down from his back, but he merely gestured toward the still pool and said, "Figured you might want to see your mark."

I hadn't even thought of that…

Ordinarily she would've had her backpack with her, and among her many possessions was a small pocket mirror, but when the others had gone off to make camp Kagome had handed her bag to Sango so that the others would have her supplies, including matches. Stepping up to the edge of the water, Kagome peered down at her reflection. The mark was silver, like the white skin of a normal scar, only…different, and it was in the shape of Inuyasha's teeth. There was no doubt about it, it was definitely a bite mark, though there was a certain quality to it that immediately distinguished it from an ordinary scar of a similar nature that could've been caused by a large animal. It almost…sparkled…though she got the distinct impression that it was only her miko aura that enabled her to see the magic behind it. To humans without 'the gift', it probably did look like a normal, horrific bite scar. But she could see youkai light, especially Inuyasha's. She still remembered the first time she saw the glow of his youki, illuminating a section of forest all the way from Kaede's village, and she hadn't even known at the time that nobody else could see that light except for her.

Turning and smiling shyly in Inuyasha's direction, Kagome raised a self-conscience hand to her throat.

"Guess there's really no way to hide it, huh?" she asked awkwardly.

Inuyasha's ears swiveled at her words, and at the barrage of emotions she could suddenly sense from him, uncertainty and apprehension among the strongest, she offered him a larger, more confident smile as she stated with all honesty, "I don't want to hide it."

"Kagome…" he sighed, walking away a few paces before plopping himself down at the base of a tree.

Quickly following suit, the miko took a seat a few feet away from her…mate.

That's going to take some getting used to.

"Kagome I…I suck at talkin' 'bout emotional stuff, though I guess thanks to the bond it'll be kinda hard for us to hide our feelings from one another any more."

"Maybe we shouldn't worry about it too much, then, and just say what needs to be said." the miko suggested then, practicing what she preached by immediately continuing with, "I'm so sorry for pulling you into this, though I can never thank you enough for being willing to do what you did."

Turning his head to look her way with unsure eyes, Kagome could still feel the hesitance within him, self-doubt reflected back to her in his gaze, as if the feeling she was getting from him through their bond wasn't confirmation enough of his insecurities. Could he possibly be worried that she didn't want to be his mate? She thought of trying something in that moment, then, and deliberately concentrated on just how desperately she loved him, how in love with him she had been for some time now. While she was still uncertain regarding the true depth of his feelings for her, Kagome knew that there was simply no point in trying to keep her own feelings hidden from him any longer. He was bound to find out sooner or later, and since they were mates now, she didn't honestly feel as if it was the sort of thing that should be kept hidden from him, anyway.

Kagome was surprised, but then immediately overjoyed, by what Inuyasha did in return, his instant relief making way for a whole other barrage of emotions that she had no trouble identifying. Wordlessly, he had followed her example, simply allowing his heart to flood with his feelings, his feelings for her. It was so much easier to think about his emotions, the hanyou discovered, when he knew he didn't have to force himself to actually bring voice to any of them. Kagome was ecstatic to suddenly know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved her too. The information had been deposited directly into her brain via the connection they now shared between their souls. Inching her way closer to him, Kagome snuggled herself right up against Inuyasha's side, as she'd done on a few rare occasions in the past, and tilting her head sideways to rest on his shoulder, she felt more than heard him sigh in relief and contentment before tilting his own head to rest slightly atop of hers.

"So now that that's out of the way…" Kagome spoke up after a moment, knowing that even with as wonderful as the knowledge was, they couldn't end their conversation with the simple realization that they both loved each other. "There are some things that we definitely need to use words to discuss." she stated almost reluctantly, her lingering worries ringing clear to him through their bond.

Sighing again, Inuyasha muttered, "If you're worried about Kikyou, feel this…"

Kagome gasped.

Once again he had flooded himself with emotion, allowing himself to feel to the fullest what she knew he would never permit himself to express aloud. He did love Kikyou, but…but in an entirely different way from the way he loved her. There was a fondness within him for her preincarnation that she could not dispute, but as he allowed her to feel the entirety of his heart, Kagome finally understood the difference, and no longer was she worried about there being any room in his heart for her as well. There was more than enough room, and not only that, but Kagome now knew that she was the one taking up all the prime real estate. Inuyasha did indeed comprehend the fact that Kikyou was no longer among the living; she was a memory, an echo of the past that he could not, would not ever allow himself to forget. But Kagome…she was precious to him in an entirely different way. He did not regret marking her. In fact, Kagome would almost swear she could hear him shouting it through their bond, that he had no regrets.

"You said you were sorry for what happened, for pulling me into it…" he started slowly, quietly, "But…I'm not." he confessed. "The fact that I had to save you from him, I don't regret that. While you don't deserve what happened, I ain't the bastard, Kouga is. I would've never…well, the important thing is that you're mine now."

"Inuyasha…" she stressed, and his ears flattened to his head, resisting the sudden urge to straighten and scoot away from her a few paces.

"Inuyasha, I've been yours for a while now." Kagome finally confessed, and she smiled at the wave of relief she felt rush through him, as he wrapped his arm around her side.

They stayed like that for several long minutes, enjoying the silence, enjoying each other's company without the added complication of too many words. A lot of words weren't necessary when they could read each other's emotions so well. Kagome did state, briefly, that she'd only been sorry for forcing his hand, especially when she had believed that his heart truly still yearned for Kikyou. Now that she understood that his love for Kikyou as a treasured memory paled in comparison to his love for her as a woman, Kagome no longer felt guilty for trapping him into something that she'd momentarily believed he hadn't wanted. Inuyasha also confessed, briefly, letting their bond do most of the talking, that he had only felt uncertain because of the fact that he believed she deserved better, and because of the complication of them being from two different worlds. His emotions let her know just how deeply he truly wanted her, and she assured him – both with her words as well as her heart – that they would find a way to make it work, with regard to her being from his future. If she had to abandon her world for his sake, then so be it, and he also admitted that he was willing to do the same. They would cross that bridge when they came to it, however, considering that that worry was still quite a ways away. They still needed to complete the jewel and defeat Naraku, after all.

While they both admitted that, had there truly been a choice in the matter, they would've each opted for Kagome to simply remain unclaimed by anyone, at least at this point in time, neither of them were willing to truly regret what had happened, or the fact that they were now mate bonded.

"All things happen for a reason." Kagome stated softly.

It took him a few minutes to build up the courage, but Inuyasha eventually, hesitantly confessed the rest of what she needed to know with regard to them being bonded; that his youki in her system had made her stronger, that she would heal faster and live longer. They would be together forever, now, rather than merely for the rest of her mortal life, as she was no longer mortal in the human sense of the word, and would be spending the centuries with him. But even in death, when it eventually claimed them, their souls would still be bound together, and they would remain together in the next life, too; they were soul mates.

Kagome was understandably shocked, but then much to Inuyasha's relief and joy, she was delighted with the news, rather than devastated. He had presumed that she would mourn the loss of her mortality, and would lament being forced to watch everyone around her grow old and die while she remained the same. While Kagome confessed that it was a fate she would not have wanted to endure on her own, being with him made it not only bearable, but something she was actually looking forward to. Not the 'witnessing everyone else around her age' part, but the 'sharing the centuries with him' part.

"Why would I have wanted to force you to watch me age and die?" she asked him, and blinking in surprise, he remained silent, and merely embraced her tighter.

Allowing her mind to wander in the silence that followed, it wasn't long before the teenaged girl began thinking, once again, about what it really meant to be Inuyasha's 'mate'. One would presume that, at some point in time, the act of mating would become involved. She blushed at the thought, and desperately tried to calm her suddenly rapid heartbeat, only to feel mortified when she felt Inuyasha's amusement.

Inuyasha was pulled from his own peaceful thoughts of a long future with Kagome by his side when the girl in question, still snuggled against him, suddenly drenched herself in feelings of arousal swiftly followed by embarrassment. He couldn't help but to chuckle quietly, which only caused her embarrassment to skyrocket even further.

"Relax, Kagome…" he finally stated, his voice reflecting the mirthfulness she could feel from him.

Once again lacking the courage necessary to say too much with words, Inuyasha decided to again show Kagome what she meant to him, this time in a different way, as he allowed his mind to reflect back on some of the more vivid daydreams he'd had involving the young miko. He'd seen her naked on a few occasions, so it wasn't hard to imagine her naked in that moment, as he thought about all of the things he could do to her now that she was his. While Kagome couldn't literally see into his mind – and thank goodness for that, otherwise she probably would've smacked him upside the head while shouting 'Hentai!' – she could immediately feel the change consume him as his own arousal grew…both figuratively and literally.

Not so subtly shifting his legs to sit a bit more comfortably given his sudden 'condition', Kagome's embarrassment was back with a vengeance, but then – and not so surprisingly – so was her arousal.

He really does see me that way!

Picking up a spike of what he sensed as pleased and relieved surprise, Inuyasha chuckled again as he more or less read her mind, stating aloud, "Of course I'm attracted to you, Kagome, I ain't blind."

"Hmph!" she teased good-naturedly, poking him in the ribs. "Well how am I supposed to know that, when you've always denied thinking me pretty?"

"You ain't pretty." he told her bluntly, feeling her stiffen against his side as she sensed the honesty of his words. Lifting his head up and away from her, he turned his face to meet her eyes as she gazed his way searchingly, and confessed… "You're beautiful."

Truly touched by his words, Kagome found herself lost in the moment, lost in her feelings of love, and his feelings of love and arousal that she could still feel pulsing within her in time with their heartbeats.

Their heartbeats…

Their hearts were beating in synch with one another. When had that started and how had she not noticed it sooner? As her own heart sped up at the intensity of his gaze, so did his, as he licked his lips, anticipation suddenly added to the medley that she could feel from him.

He…he wants to kiss me… she realized slowly, her mind foggy as she began having trouble distinguishing between their emotions, which ones were his, and which ones were hers…

So then kiss him! Another part of her mind commanded, and she readily obeyed.

Closing the distance between them, Kagome eagerly touched her lips to his, and the sudden spike of satisfaction and desire she could feel from him had her gasping against his mouth, which he took advantage of as he used the opportunity to deepen their kiss, cupping her cheeks with his hands. Wrapping her own arms up and around his neck, eyes closed, Kagome melted into the kiss, allowing him to dominate the act, to dominate her, even as she projected just how deeply she shared his desires. It wasn't until they eventually broke apart for air that worry and doubt began creeping their way into her being. Were they truly ready for this? Were they moving too fast?

"We only kissed, Kagome." Inuyasha spoke up suddenly, sensing her fears. "We don't have to go any further if you don't want to."

"It's not that I don't want to." she admitted shyly, blushing prettily at the confession. "But…" Biting her lower lip, she turned her face away, unable to bring her thoughts to words. Honestly, she wasn't even sure what she was nervous about.

"You're my mate, Kagome, so I definitely don't think it's rushin' things, but at the same time, I ain't gonna force ya to do somethin' you ain't ready for."

Turning back to face him, Kagome felt awed by the sincerity she could see in his eyes, not to mention the honest love she could feel from him through their bond. Not even one single part of him was the slightest bit disappointed or frustrated with her. While she could tell that he was still aroused, and still willing to go forward if she was, he was also equally as content to cease and desist with their physical activities until some unnamed point in the future when she was ready. For that consideration, she couldn't express with words how deeply she appreciated it, though she knew she didn't need to, since he could feel it through their bond. By all rights, she imagined that by youkai custom he would be within his rights to outright demand that she comply; she knew how the human world of that time period viewed women's rights, or lack there of, when it came to matters of the marriage bed. And she was his wife, wasn't she? Well…sort of. Though even though they hadn't had any kind of a wedding ceremony, she comprehended the fact that the youkai bonding they now shared was a thousand times stronger than any marriage vow could ever be. Human marital vows were merely promises, statements that you declared, swearing on your honor that you would forever remain with your chosen partner. But in all reality, those vows could be broken, and were broken, at least in her time period, much more often than they should be. With her and Inuyasha…divorce literally wasn't an option, which was just fine with her considering that she did not personally believe in divorce, anyway. In her mind, if you were going to swear your love and life to somebody, then you should damn well mean it.

So since she was Inuyasha's wife, for the rest of their lives, what was the point in delaying a physical display of their union?

"I'm ready." she declared suddenly, surprising them both by the lack of uncertainty behind her statement.

Shifting her eyes to spy the suddenly rather inviting looking hot spring, Kagome smirked as she glanced back Inuyasha's way and said "Bathe with me." before rising to her feet and heading toward the water.

"We don't have any of your supplies with us." he thought it best to point out, even as she slipped off her shoes before pulling off her socks.

"We'll make do." she answered, reaching steady hands up to unbutton her blouse.

Undressing this way, with the mentality of getting into the hot spring, Kagome found that the action was not as awkward as she thought it would be. Families bathed together all the time, and he was family. It was as simple as that. The obvious appreciation he had for her body didn't hurt, either, his legitimate attraction to her that she could feel through their bond meaning more to her than any verbal compliment ever could.

Standing mesmerized for a few minutes longer as he continued to watch Kagome undress, it wasn't until the nude miko slinked her way into the steamy water that Inuyasha remembered he had been invited to join her. Who needed towels? Quickly pulling Tetsusaiga from his obi and laying the sword within reach of the spring, he worked on unfastening his robes, forgetting to feel embarrassed about revealing his body's excitement to her gaze until he was already naked, and she was blushing and turning away at having accidentally caught a glimpse of his arousal. Still, as he settled himself into the water at her left and scooted over to sit by her side, she did not shy away from his close proximity. She could feel his mild embarrassment, so quickly turning to glance his way, she offered him a small smile while allowing more of her desire for him to seep through their bond. She did not find his body unattractive.

Offering her a crooked grin as he sensed her feelings on the matter, Inuyasha hooked his right arm around Kagome's side, once again snuggling himself up against her, only this time it was flesh on flesh. Kagome felt heat rushing to her face at the contact, but it was not from embarrassment. Still, she couldn't help the slight rise of anxiety she felt along side her physical attraction.

"There's no need to hurry." he stated quietly, feeling genuine contentment just to have her near him.

For a long time they remained like that in silence, Kagome once again resting her head against his shoulder with his own head cocked to lean against the top of hers, until Kagome's inner teenager started getting the best of her. She wanted to look. The water was clear. Just one little tilt of her head would be all that it took, but she couldn't do it discreetly with him resting his own head atop of hers! Unfortunately, she had temporarily forgotten about the fact that a certain somebody would be able to sense her rising curiosity. She was immediately reminded of it when she felt Inuyasha's sudden amusement.

"I can't help it!" she blurted pitifully, as if he had verbally teased her, earning a snorted laugh from the hanyou before he pulled himself up and away from her.

"If you want to look Kagome, go ahead and look, but I get to look as well." he stated, waggling his eyebrows.

Blushing slightly, she slapped his shoulder playfully, earning herself a soft chuckle that time from the man who then scooted himself a bit further back on the large rock ledge they were each using as a bench seat under the water. Almost immediately, her eyes locked onto his form, and the miko quickly found that she couldn't be bothered by the intensity of his own heated gaze on her body when there was absolute perfection sitting before her. It wasn't long before her eyes ventured beyond what was visible above the water's edge, and the clearness of the pool provided no hindrance to spy what rested under the water. He made no move to conceal himself from view, and before Kagome even realized what she was doing, she was reaching her left hand out to touch it, her fingers wrapping around him securely.

He gasped in surprise at the contact, having become thoroughly distracted by the hypnotic sight of Kagome's breasts dancing weightlessly in the water. Then before he could even attempt to wrap his mind around what she'd just done, the sensation was gone, followed swiftly by an emotional barrage he had no intention of allowing to continue.

Kagome was inconsolable, unable to believe herself. Immediately at his start she had yanked her hand away, mortified beyond words. They had only kissed just the once, and hadn't even done anything along the lines of allowing their kisses to venture, suckling necks or nipping chins. They had also skipped all the 'over the clothes' stuff thanks to her idea of getting into the spring, so there went all the experimental groping that usually preluded more intimate activities. He hadn't even dared to cup a breast yet! How brazen was she?

But before Kagome could continue to berate herself, she was suddenly the one gasping in surprise, as she felt herself being lifted from her seat on the smooth stone to be repositioned onto a warm, inviting pair of legs. Instinctively, her own legs opened in response to how he'd placed her, and blinking into a smirking pair of amber eyes, it took Kagome a moment to realize that she was straddling his lap, their lower bodies pressed together intimately.

Immediately, her heart attempted to fly from her chest, but his soothing chuckle followed by the repeated words, "Relax, Kagome…" had her subconsciously obeying the command, his own rapid heartbeat slowing back down in time with hers. Even now she couldn't miss the fact that their hearts were beating as one. If she got excited, his body matched her pace automatically. There really would never be a way for either of them to hide their feelings from one another any longer, but that was a good thing, the miko decided then. There would never be any misunderstandings between them; no concealed fears or worries. Even though they couldn't truly read each other's minds, and some secrets could still be kept if one simply refused to say the words needed to explain them, the fact that there was a secret would be revealed almost instantly.

Like now, for example, when Kagome suddenly got the distinct impression that Inuyasha wanted to tell her something.

"Kagome, I…" he started suddenly, his hands on her back smoothing over soft flesh with a sense of wonder, before lowering to playfully cup her bottom.

She giggled.

Then his lips were on hers, and pouring into her was everything he wanted to say. How deeply he loved her, needed her, wanted her, and desired her. While he would be content to simply have her in his life, that did not mean he didn't hunger for her, and in that moment he devoured her very being, his left hand rising up to cup the back of her head as he deepened the kiss, while his right hand on her ass began a subtle rocking motion between them, encouraging her to grind against him. They each moaned into the kiss at the sensation. Time itself lost its meaning as they continued to embrace one another. Kagome reached up and removed Inuyasha's hand from the back of her head, grabbing his wrist to redirect his grip onto an eager breast. He began palming and molding her pliant flesh immediately, encouraged by the way her emotions spiked with want. As Kagome continued to rock against him, for a moment, the hanyou was hard pressed to not reach down between them and readjust himself to complete the final act of their joining, but he knew that in the water was not the best place for them to experience their first time. The water of the hot spring washed her juices away, ironically making the warm, steamy pool one of the 'driest' places to have sex. Considering she was a virgin, he definitely didn't want the experience to be any more uncomfortable than what was strictly necessary. Besides…he was a virgin, too, and he'd had a certain reoccurring fantasy regarding his first time with Kagome that he wasn't so willing to walk away from, now that the woman in question was actually his.

So it was in that moment that Inuyasha rose to his feet within the water, returning both hands to Kagome's backside to hold her against him. Squeaking in delighted surprise, the miko didn't protest being raised into the cool air and merely wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding on for dear life as he leaned forward enough to spread out his fire-rat suikan on the grass before slowly lowering both himself and Kagome, until her back gently touched down and she knew it was safe to disentangle herself from his being. Following her down, he immediately stretched out on top of her, his excitement once again coming into direct physical contact with the junction between her legs.

"So beautiful…" he managed to murmur before reclaiming her lips with his own.

Kagome melted underneath him, her arms wrapping back up around his neck, holding him to her as she readily returned his kiss. Her right hand snaked higher after a moment, delicately capturing his left ear, and he groaned into the kiss, unconsciously tilting his head ever so slightly into her touch. Finally pulling back after a few minutes, desperately panting for air, Inuyasha gazed down at the girl below him with an indescribable feeling warming his heart. There she was, just like in his dreams, looking up at him from her place lying on his suikan, on the grass. It was a simple fantasy, but the one that he cherished above all others. One day, he would absolutely want to take her sitting in the hot spring, and pressed up against a tree, and from behind with her on her hands and knees, and perhaps even with him lying flat on his back and her bouncing on top of him. Yes, eventually, he would be more than willing to try any position she wanted, but this time, for their first time, he wanted her below him, his robes protecting her naked flesh from the harshness of the ground.

"Kagome…tell me now, if you're really not ready for this." he beseeched of her quietly. While he wouldn't hold it against her, he would have to excuse himself for a few minutes.

She responded by raising her hips to rub against him, and he closed his eyes as he hissed in pleasure. It didn't matter to her that they'd skipped just about all foreplay, or even that that very morning she had still believed in the depth of her soul that her love for him was unrequited, and that his heart still yearned for Kikyou. Finding out that he loved her had been surprising, but she'd felt more relief and joy than anything else. They weren't moving too fast when this was something that she'd been dreaming about for months now. True, had they merely confessed their feelings to one another, Kagome was sure that she would want to wait before taking such a big step, allowing their relationship to build up more slowly, but the fact that they were already bonded really changed things. Be those changes for better or worse, she couldn't say, nor did it honestly matter. There was really no point in worrying about whether or not their relationship would remain successful when there was simply no way that it couldn't. They belonged to each other for the rest of eternity, and while she supposed that it was theoretically possible for two people bonded in such a way to come to hate each other, and to be miserable for the rest of their lives stuck in a partnership they no longer wanted, she had absolutely no fear of such a tragedy ever befalling her and Inuyasha. Not with as deeply as she knew she loved him, and how deeply she now knew he loved her. No matter what life through their way, they would get through it, together.

Wordlessly, Kagome reached down between them in that moment, wrapping her hand around him once more. Pulling his hips back enough to give her room, Inuyasha's eyes never left hers as he felt her shift below him, aligning them together. She could sense the awe in him, the desire to cherish this moment in time, and suddenly, she found she had the words he needed to hear.

"I would say to please make me yours, but I'm already yours. I've been yours not since the moment you bit over Kouga's mark, but from the moment I saw you pinned to the Goshinboku. From the moment you taunted me to pull out the arrow, asking if I wanted to live. How accurate you were, for I was not alive until the moment I released you. I am not so foolish as to think that our lives together will forever be without problems, but whatever the outside world throws at us, I know that we can face it, together, and we will win. I'm already yours, so please…take me."

"Kagome…" he whispered on a choked gasp, fighting back the sudden sting of tears. Slowly pressing forward, Inuyasha watched her face closely as he gradually completed their bond, the sensation of being one with her in this final way nearly too much to bear.

Kagome hissed in discomfort at their joining, although it was not as painful as the talk of her modern world had led her to believe. Her maidenhead having been lost long ago from kami knew what, Inuyasha encountered no resistance as he continued to sink himself within her, until finally, at long last, the oneness of their physical bodies matched the oneness of their souls.

"Kagome, I…I still ain't no good with words…" Inuyasha began slowly, cupping her face with both hands as his intense gaze locked onto her own. "But…I love you."

Kagome's eyes widened. With their newfound silent communication, his feelings for her were quite obvious by that point, but at his words it only just then dawned on the miko that neither of them had bothered saying it aloud before now. Even with her own little speech of moments prior it had unthinkingly been left unsaid, as redundant as it may be. With her eyes softening back up, a gentle smile finding its way to her lips, Kagome lifted her left hand to tweak his right ear as she replied gently with, "I love you, too."

Leaning down to capture her lips once more, this kiss was slow and tender, as the hanyou retracted his hips before slowly pushing forward once more, the girl below him wincing only slightly at the lingering sting of newness. Insisting that she was all right and for him to continue, Inuyasha hesitantly obeyed, but then gradually, as the newness faded, he could tell when Kagome began finding more and more enjoyment with the act. Before long they found a steady pace, not too fast or too slow, as they lost themselves in the rhythm of their joining.

Sensing his release on the horizon, Inuyasha did his best to hold himself back, not wanting to finish without Kagome, but there finally came the moment when he just couldn't hold it any longer. Immediately stilling all movement, Kagome blinked up at him in confusion, only to find instant understanding at the emotions she could read from him combined with the expression on his face.

"I-"

"It's okay."

"But what about-"

"I'm fine." she assured him gently. Her words were honest. The only thing he could feel from her was love.

"I'll make it up to you." he answered then, a playful glint in his eyes. Then his eyes were pinched shut, his face contorting in blissful agony as he quickened his tempo. It wasn't long before he was stilling above her again, though this time for an entirely different reason, as he grunted his completion.

At the sensation of his release, the miko was momentarily worried about conceiving, though she was pretty sure it was the wrong time of the month.

Settling himself on top of her, sweaty and panting, Inuyasha nuzzled the side of Kagome's neck, unable to ignore the brief flash of worry he'd sensed from her.

"I think we're fine, Koi, but I'm sure the baba has some herbs you can take if you're too worried."

Wrapping her arms up and around his back when she felt him starting to lift himself away from her, holding him to her as she projected her love, Kagome attempted to explain, "It's not that I don't want to have your child…" She needn't have worried about a misunderstanding, though. Not with their emotional bond firmly in place.

"I understand, Kagome, I do. This ain't the right time for you to be carryin'." he agreed, maneuvering his right hand to her left breast, playfully tweaking a nipple. "I ain't upset, I swear. Not with how I can tell you feel about me 'n' my youkai blood. Once all the crap we gotta take care of is taken care of, there'll be plenty of time to raise some brats."

Laughing in a combination of relief and amusement at his own playful attitude, Kagome reached up to tweak an ear one last time before finally allowing Inuyasha to pull himself up and away from her.

"Looks like we need another bath…" he commented lightheartedly, adding with a mischievous smirk, "Plus, I've got a promise to keep."

Twenty minutes later found Kagome once again sitting against the smooth rock within the hot spring, leaning back as far as she could with her head resting on the bank behind her as she squealed, while the hanyou between her legs demonstrated just how long somebody of demonic blood could hold their breath under water.

Finally making their way back to their friends and camp, their hair still wet, neither the hanyou nor miko bothered attempting to hide their new found level of closeness, and even Miroku's playful teasing couldn't persuade Inuyasha to decline when Kagome asked him openly if he would mind sharing her sleeping bag with her. Spooning against the miko, Kagome, his love, his mate, Inuyasha knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that her earlier words had been true. While life was bound to try and interfere with their relationship, he knew they simply wouldn't let it. Regardless of what her family might say, or what Kaede and the villagers might say, or what might happen if Naraku found out, or what Kikyou or Sesshoumaru's reactions were going to be, Kagome was his mate, in body and soul, and nothing else mattered, simple as that. The rest of the world could either accept it, or go screw itself.

As he felt the woman in his arms surrender to the luring pull of slumber, the soothing rhythm of her heart lulling his own body into a matching state of tranquility, Inuyasha's last lingering thought before allowing sleep to consuming him as well was that he knew they were bound to cross paths with the wolf again, at least once. Kouga did still have his jewel shards, after all, which they would eventually need to collect from him, unless the fleabag got careless and allowed Naraku to get to him first. But provided that that didn't happen, then it was only a matter of when, not if, and as Inuyasha's mind began drifting into the land of dreams, where his visions took him on a tour of his and Kagome's future together that now seemed much more premonition than it did fantasy, he knew he owed the wolf a debt of gratitude. Who knew if he ever would've gotten up the courage to approach her with his feelings otherwise? But Kagome was right, all things happened for a reason. Of that he was certain.

.

~ Fin ~