Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

A Fool's Redemption	By : Grumblebear Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > InuYasha/Kagome Views: 23728 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Chapter
14 – Devil's Fancy

Inuyasha
never did manage to get back to sleep, mostly due to the heavy ache
that had begun rising between his legs the moment his lips touched
Kagome's. It had taken nearly half an hour to persuade his body to
calm down again. Even now, as the sun was just beginning to cast
bright streaks in the morning sky, he was having to keep a firm check
on his body's natural reactions to the warm, soft woman lying beside
him.

The
amount of concentration he was having to put into it was annoying him
a bit, though. He couldn't remember the last time he'd reacted this
strongly to a woman, and he hadn't done anything more than kiss
Kagome. It felt like weeks rather than days since the last time he'd
indulged his physical urges, though it would have been even longer if
he hadn't let those two women drag him into his shower that night—had
it really been less than a week ago? So much had happened since then
that it felt as if more time had passed.

She
was still lying against him, her back to his chest, one of his arms
wrapped around her waist. He was trying to lessen the physical strain
on himself by keeping his hips pulled back, away from the temptation
of closer contact, and away from the risk of that contact leading his
mind back toward thoughts that might make his body even more
difficult to control. The last thing he wanted was to have her wake
to find him pressed suggestively against her first thing after the
delicate events of the previous night. He doubted she'd welcome that
gesture as readily as she had the kiss.

And
he was still amazed at how well that had gone. The kiss, like
everything else he'd done the previous night, had been on pure
impulse. He hadn't thought, he'd simply done. From the moment his
composure had been snapped by Naraku's goading, he'd been running on
a kind of desperate recklessness, taking risks and pushing boundaries
all night long. It was a wonder she hadn't really lost her
temper with him.

And
for that matter, it was a wonder that he hadn't lost his temper
either. He snorted softly, remembering the instigating look Naraku
had given him. Years ago, during the first few months after he'd been
set free, Inuyasha had made the decision to never again allow
violence to so completely take over his mind as it had on the morning
of his escape from the lab. If if weren't for that decision, if he
were still a violent man, he might have torn Naraku's arm clean from
its socket.

That
Naraku thought he had even a small chance to come between them was
ridiculous. There was no way Inuyasha would
let anyone try to steal Kagome away from him now. She practically
belonged to him. Besides, he remembered the way she had looked in the
mirror those few weeks ago. That longing was still there. He'd proven
it with the kiss.

He
sighed, remembering the taste of her mouth, the feel of her soft,
wandering hands. The eagerness with which she'd responded to him
still made his breath catch. But when he'd felt her body shaking,
realized there was a hint of uncertainty in her touch, he knew that
he had to stop. It had taken all the willpower he possessed
to push her away, and for a terrifying moment he thought that maybe
he'd gone too far. But she'd reacted calmly,
even questioning why he had
stopped. Inuyasha decided then that he'd taken enough risks with
their relationship for one night. Even though he doubted either of
them would be able to, he said to go back to sleep, and had been
amazed when she'd managed it.

But
as morning drew closer, the high he'd been running on all night was
turning to apprehension. How would she respond to him when she woke
up? Would she regret what had happened? Would she be angry at him for
all of his unexplained antics? He released a long, frustrated breath.
All the worry was beginning to ruin an otherwise pleasant morning.

He
pushed the concerns from his mind and willed himself to spend the
rest of the morning as he had most of the previous night, enjoying
the press of her body, memorizing the sound of her gentle breathing
and the scent of her hair.

Still
fast asleep, Kagome shifted against him, leaning into his chest as if
trying to find a more comfortable position. He loosened his hold,
giving her room to move, and she turned onto her back with a sigh.
“Needs more pepper,” she mumbled, settling beside him.

Inuyasha
had to bite back a laugh. What the hell is she dreaming about?

Now
that she was lying face up, his view was no longer confined to the
back of her head and the curve of her side. He studied her peaceful
sleeping expression, admiring the fullness of her lips. It sent his
mind back to the memory of how they had felt against his own, the
warmth of her tongue against his, the
searing touch of her hands as they trailed across his skin.

When
the faint sound of her alarm caught his ear from across the loft, he
realized his mind had wandered a bit too much. He was hard again. He
turned his eyes to glare in the alarm's direction. It wasn't very
loud from this distance, he didn't think it would wake her. But if it
did, he was going to take it out his front door and throw it over the
railing. Hopefully there wouldn't be any one standing below at the
end of it's sixty-story drop.

He
pulled his hips back a bit more and settled his gaze on her again,
letting his eyes pass down the line of her throat, to watch the rise
and fall of her breasts beneath her shirt as she breathed. He placed
his hand on her stomach and rested it there for a moment, wishing he
could slip his fingers beneath the fabric to feel the skin
underneath. His eyes drifted lower, to where the blanket lay draped
across her hips, remembering the pants she still wore from the night
before. They were black, and tight enough to give away the lithe form
of the body within. His fingers twitched, wanting to wander lower, to
undo the small button clasp and slide down below the waistline. He
wondered what kind of material he'd find there. Cotton? Or something
silkier?

Kagome
suddenly pulled in a long breath and stirred beside him. He watched
her face, now painfully aware of the extent of his arousal, silently
cursing himself for letting his imagination get so carried away. For
a minute, it looked as if she might fall back to sleep, but then her
eyes flew open, first staring at the ceiling, then shifting slowly
toward him. He tried to look groggy, as if he'd just woken up as
well.

“Morning,”
he said, forcing back a smile at her abashed expression.

It
took her a second to respond. “Morning,” she answered
finally, reaching up to nervously swipe a few stray hairs away from
her face.

“Sleep
well?” he asked, relieved that she hadn't immediately started
trying to force her way out of his hold or launched into an angry
tirade. It was a good sign.

She
opened her mouth to answer, but then stopped, turning her eyes toward
the opposite side of the loft. Inuyasha realized she'd heard the
alarm. “What time is it?” she asked, frowning.

“Dunno.
Clock's behind me. I haven't looked at it,” he replied, still
tamping down a smile. Damn her alarm clock. If it hadn't been for
that hateful thing, he might have been able to distract her mind away
from the time, might have gotten her to stay a bit longer.

She
cursed and tried to sit up. “How long has my alarm been going
off?”

He
held on tight, refusing to let her go. “A few minutes, maybe,”
he said, sounding unconcerned.

“We're
going to be late!” She pushed at his arm. “Let go.”

“Let's
call in. I wanna stay here like this alllllll daaaay.” Dragging
out the last two words obnoxiously, he released her to stretch his
arms. As he expected, she shot up from the bed in an instant and
turned to give him a sharp glare.

“You're
more than welcome to. But I have to work today,” she said,
heading toward her side of the loft.

He
watched her go, allowing the smile to finally break free and spread
across his face. It appeared his worrying had been for nothing. Their
interactions still seemed as easy as ever. Besides that small hint of
embarrassment when she first woke, it
didn't appear that she held any misgivings about the previous night.
At least none that had appeared yet.

He
began to roll onto his back, lifting his arms to fold them behind his
head, but quickly remembered his body's over-excited state,
and decided it best to stay on his side instead. While part of him
wanted to see how much more he could do to delay her leaving, another
part—particularly
the heavy one rising up from between his legs—was
screaming for him to let her go, begging to be relieved of the
pressure that had been building and taunting him all night.

Thankfully,
Kagome didn't appear to be in the mood to take her time getting
ready. It was only a couple minutes before she reemerged from behind
the sheer curtains, dressed in her work clothes, hopping on one foot
and pulling a shoe onto the other. She was heading back toward him.

“What
is it?” he asked as she reached the side of his bed and swept
her eyes across the rumpled sheets and blankets.

“The
comb you pulled out of my hair,” she said. “Where is it?”

His
eyes joined hers, searching the bedding. “I don't know.”

“I
need it,” she grumbled, lifting up the pillow she'd slept on.
Not finding it there, she reached for the bedsheets and yanked them
aside.

Her
question had distracted him, and it was only after she'd begun
lifting the sheet that Inuyasha remembered why he still had it pulled
across him in the first place. By the time he realized what she was
doing, it was too late to cover himself. He didn't have to follow her
wide stare to know that the tip of him was poked out well beyond the
top of his pants. She sucked in a startled breath, dropping the sheet
and turning away quickly, pretending she hadn't seen it. But her
fierce blush gave her away.

Inuyasha
pulled the covers a little higher up on his waist, clearing his
throat awkwardly. It was only a second before the urge to tease
overcame him again. “Didn't find what you were looking for?”
he asked in as casual a tone as he could manage.

She
was on her knees, looking under the bed. “No,” she said,
her voice a little rough.

“Too
bad,” Inuyasha mused, laying his cheek
against the pillow, hugging it. A second later he heard her give a
small sound of victory, and she stood, comb in hand.

“Must
have fallen...” she said, avoiding his eyes as she headed to
the end of his bed, bending to pick up her boots that had been
discarded there the night before. “Jesus, Inuyasha. You
practically tore the laces out of these things.” She held one
up, inspecting the long lengths of cord that had been pulled out.

Inuyasha
remembered what a pain they had been. He'd had to unlace them almost
completely just to get them off. “You should wear boots with
zippers,” he said.

“It'll
take me forever to relace these,” she complained softly,
considering the boot in her hand for a moment, and then, without a
hint of warning, launched it at him. He reacted just fast enough to
bat it away before it connected with his head. She hadn't thrown it
very hard. It wouldn't have mattered much if she'd met her target.

“What
the hell!” he said, sitting up, his voice a mix of laughter and
surprise.

“That
was for all the crap you pulled last night,” she said, turning
toward her side of the loft. He could see she was fighting back a
smile.

“You
could have put my eye out with the heel on that thing!”

Kagome
tossed him a smug look over her shoulder. “Suck it up,
princess,” she said as she began to walk away.

He
was struck speechless, staring at her back for a moment before
managing a reply. “Excuse me?” he said, smirking as he
pulled up his knees and wrapped his arms around them. Finally, she
was in the mood to play.

“You
heard me,” she called back.

“You
shouldn't say things like that to your boss!” he said, having
to raise his voice as she began down the stairs, heading toward the
front door.

He
could hear her scoff from across the apartment. “What are you
gonna do, fire me?” she answered.

Inuyasha
laughed. She had a good point.

*****

His
laughter followed her down the stairs but had faded by the time she
walked out the door. The banter had helped to calm her nerves a bit,
but she knew she would be fighting a horrible blush all the way down
to the domes. Her heart was still pounding much faster than normal.
As she entered the elevator, her mind was spinning with the previous
night's events, incessantly returning to that overwhelming kiss, the
security of his arms, his body—the
feel of it against hers...the sight of it, under the sheets as she'd
searched for her comb...

The
muscles just below her stomach gave a fierce quiver at the memory.

Truthfully,
she'd wanted to stay, wanted him to pull her back into the bed and
force her to stay with him for the morning the way he had the night
before. She hadn't really needed the comb. She was only looking for a
reason to wander back over to his bed, to drag out their time
together a little longer, trying to persuade herself that she was
just looking for some way to return a bit of the hell he'd been
giving her. The eyeful she'd gotten had nearly ruined that plan,
though.

Kagome
screwed her eyes shut and released a long sigh, trying to clear her
mind of everything except her morning tasks. After what had happened
at the concert, she didn't want her coworkers to notice her dazed
state and start asking questions, or worse, start drawing conclusions
on their own. There would be plenty of time to think about everything
later. Drawing in a deep breath as the elevator neared the ground
floor, she steeled herself to focus on the day's work ahead and
nothing else.

She
squared her shoulders and stepped out onto the atrium floor, fully
aware of and trying her best to ignore the curious stares she
received as she hurried toward the
conservatory lab. Her determination only got her that far. As Kagome
feared, the assault began the moment she walked through the door.

“Kagome!”
the blonde with the curls squealed, sliding off a stool and moving
out from behind her desk with an eagerness that made Kagome groan
silently.

There
was a muffled crash from the storage closet at the back of the room,
followed by a sharp curse, and then another girl came rushing out
toward her. “Where have you been?” she cried. “We've
been waiting all morning!”

Evidently,
neither were in the mood to waste time on pleasantries.

“What
happened last night?” the blonde asked, beginning the volley of
questions.

“Did
he really jump across the terraces?” The other girl this time.

“That's
what we heard.”

“Yeah,
we heard that.”

“Did
you know he could do that?”

“Why
did he do it?”

“Is
he gonna do it again? I wanna see!”

“Me
too!”

Kagome
stared helplessly at the two women standing before her. These were
the same two that had dragged her into the greenhouse to watch
Inuyasha smashing rocks in the quarry field. They never were very
graceful when it came to satisfying their curiosity. Kagome certainly
couldn't blame them for their fascination with Inuyasha's celebrity,
but it did annoy her when they hounded her like this. It was as if,
by being her coworkers, they assumed they had free access to a source
of information about him. Often she felt more valued for that purpose
rather than as their peer. She opened her mouth, struggling to come
up with some solid answer that would not only appease them, but put
an end to their questioning as well.

Nothing
came out. She couldn't think of a thing to say, and as she stood
there with her mouth hanging open, she saw that they were about to
launch into another fit of inquiry, and braced herself.

“Ladies!”
a sharp voice cut them off before they had a chance to begin.

Together,
the three of them turned to the source of the interruption.
The head lab tech sat at her desk a few feet away, staring at them
over her computer screen.

“I
need you two to keep an eye on those levels. If something gets
through I'm holding both of you responsible,” she said calmly,
but with enough authority to prompt the women standing before Kagome
to quickly hurry back to whatever it was they'd been doing.

“The
north well went down early this morning,” she explained to
Kagome. “We don't know if it's the pump or a break in the line
yet. They sent a team to find out. Until all the water cycles through
we have to keep an eye on the system to make sure no contaminates
sneak in.”

“We
have to run physical tests every half
hour,” the blonde grumbled from her desk.

Kagome
nodded. “What do you need me to do?”

“Just
your regular stuff, Kagome. We can handle this.” The woman
inclined her head toward the door with a knowing smile, and Kagome
realized that she was being offered an escape.

She
quickly turned and grabbed the small case that held her testing
equipment, the test schedule for the day, her lab coat and the scarf
she kept with it for cold mornings, and hurried back out the door,
tossing a grateful look toward her boss as she left. She knew the
other two wouldn't be brushed off so easily. They would definitely
find another time to plague her with their questions. But hopefully
by then she would think of something to say that would bore them
enough to loose interest.

Slipping
on the thin lab coat and wrapping the scarf tightly around her neck,
Kagome headed into the eco-dome, the cold morning air hitting her the
moment she stepped inside. Her late arrival had put her only slightly
behind schedule, but she knew that if she wasn't careful about making
up the lost time, she might not get everything done by the end of her
shift. Thankfully, the first five test sites on her list gave her no
trouble. Even her sixth stop, an area that almost always came back
positive for some problem, due to a fault in one of the many
germination pads beneath the soil, showed no issues. By the time she
made it to her tenth stop, she was completely caught up on time.

If
this keeps up, I might actually get out early today, she mused as
she crouched near the farthest end of the large waterfall-fed pool.
She pushed the wand of her testing kit deep into the soft dirt, and
sat back on her heels, waiting. She'd nearly completed her rounds in
the dome. There was only one stop left before she moved on to the
greenhouses.

A
large gathering of brightly colored fish had risen to the water's
surface upon her arrival, and they stared up at her hopefully,
darting around each other, mouths gaping, ready to snatch at any bit
of food she might offer.

“Sorry,
guys,” Kagome said, remembering the small bag of food she
sometimes brought with her, at the moment stashed away in one of her
desk drawers. “No treats today. Tomorrow, though. I promise.”
With a low tone, the test completed and she pulled the wand from the
ground. She had just finished repacking the kit when she heard a
voice call out to her over the steady roar of the waterfall.

“Kagome!”
It was Emory, standing on the main path a few yards away, waving an
arm high at her.

“Hey!”
Kagome exclaimed, picking up the case and heading across the grass
toward him.

“When
did you get back?” she asked as she joined him on the walkway.
The last time she'd seen him was just before he and his girlfriend
had left for their trip to the ocean, nearly two months back. His
hair had gotten longer, but he was still just as lanky and small as
he'd been when she first met him.

“Last
night,” he said, beaming up at her with his silly, childlike
grin.

“You
two were gone for a while. How was the ocean?”

“Cold!
Anike didn't like it very much.” He giggled, then lowered his
voice furtively. “But I made it up to her after the wedding.”

“What
wedding?”

His
already wide grin stretched even further. “Mine.”

Kagome
nearly dropped her case. Over the next few minutes, Emory told her
all about the wedding, his mother's incessant
involvement, an unfortunate incident with the bride's dress, and some
of the less carnal details of their honeymoon.

“How
are things with Inuyasha?” he asked, shifting the conversation
away from himself.

She
snorted and rolled her eyes, and the young man laughed.

“I
heard about what happened last night,” he said with a knowing
smile.

A
small flash of fear, striking Kagome as ridiculous
even as the thought occurred to her, swept through her that perhaps
word of her night in Inuyasha's bed had somehow gotten out. “What?”
she asked, a little too quickly. “What did you hear?”

“About
what he did at the concert,” Emory said, frowning, obviously
having noticed the sudden anxiety in her response.

“Oh,
okay,” Kagome said, relieved and feeling foolish for it.

Emory
raised an eyebrow at her. “Why? Did something else happen?”
he asked.

“No,”
she answered, again too quickly. It was clear from his expression
that he didn't believe her.

Perceptive
little punk, Kagome thought sourly. She sighed, figuring she
might as well tell him. If there was anyone who could offer insight
into Inuyasha's behavior, it was his old assistant. Besides, she knew
very well Emory wasn't a gossip, especially when it came to his
former employer.

“He
made me sleep in his bed last night.”

Emory
coughed out a laugh. “What?”

“He
grabbed me and wouldn't let me up,” she added peevishly.

The
young man stared up at her, looking as if he was having difficulty
holding his smile in place. “You slept with him?” he
asked.

“Not
with him,” Kagome said, her face burning with
embarrassment. “Next to him,”
she corrected.

The
boy's smile slipped entirely this time, shifting to an expression of
open wonder. “You slept in his bed? With him?”

“He
didn't give me a choice,” she mumbled, grateful she had decided
against also telling him about the kiss.

“Wow,”
Emory said, his stunned
gaze drifting.

“It's
weird, isn't it?” she asked, cringing at his reaction.

His
eyes snapped back to her. “No!”
he said, shaking his head. “Kagome, I don't think you
understand.” He paused for a moment, as if making a careful
effort to choose the right words. “Have you ever seen Inuyasha
bring a woman home?” he asked.

She
thought back, realizing that she hadn't. Even the few ladies who had
been brave enough to show up at his door had all been politely
turned away.

“No,”
she answered.

“Neither
have I,” Emory said. “Inuyasha never shared his bed. With
anyone.”

She
frowned slightly, considering his words. “Even when you
worked—”
she began, but Emory cut her off with a quick shake of his head.

“Never,”
he said. “He didn't stay with anyone either. He always
came home. Alone.”

It
was true during her time working for Inuyasha as well, she realized.

“You're
the only one he's ever done that with, Kagome,” he said, his
voice thoughtful.

She
swallowed, her blush suddenly raging at this new understanding.

“Well,”
Emory said as a fresh smile lit up his face. “I guess I don't
have to worry about you two getting along anymore. You're doing way
better than I expected.”

Kagome
felt her face growing even hotter. She was going to have to find some
way to get that hateful reaction under control.

In
a poor attempt to hide her embarrassment,
she muttered, “I'm glad you have so much faith in me.”

He
leaned in closer with a sly expression. “You sure nothing else
happened? You haven't picked up any of his naughty habits have you?”

Kagome
answered by stomping on his foot.

Emory
jumped back with a squeak. “Even worse!” he cried
playfully, retreating back down the path the way he'd come. “You've
picked up his violence!”

“I'm
never telling you anything ever again,” she shouted after him,
smiling.

He
disappeared with a wave over the bridge and
into the cave entrance to the middle tower, and Kagome turned and
began heading toward her last test site in the dome. She realized she
was once again behind schedule and quickened her pace. The
conversation with Emory had not only delayed her, but had also
completely derailed her effort to keep all thoughts
of Inuyasha from her mind. As she finished the final test in the dome
and headed toward the greenhouses, the nervous distraction she'd
steeled herself against while leaving the apartment, the same
distraction she had been determined not to let pull her attention
away from the morning's work, once again saturated her mind. There
could be no more shying away from the fact that their relationship
had undergone a profound change, but the understanding was going to
take some getting used to.
Over time, she'd become so accustomed
to Inuyasha's hostility that this new affection still seemed
incredibly strange.

She
was relieved to find the back greenhouse, the one used to grow fruit,
closed for pollinating. The humming of bees was loud enough to
resonate through the sealed glass doors. It saved her a good
half-hour of work, and by the time she was finished with the grain
house she was again ahead of schedule.

Pausing
at the entrance of the newest and nearly completed greenhouse, she
took a hardhat from a pile that had been set aside for visitors who
weren't a normal part of the construction crew. She set it on her
head and used the shadow of the brim to allow her veiled eyes to
freely roam the massive glass and iron building. Inuyasha was here
somewhere. She wanted some idea of where he was before she headed in.
She finally spotted him, high on a rafter at the far end of the
building, helping with setting a large glass ceiling panel into its
frame. Hopefully, he would be too busy with the task to notice her
wandering the fresh soil beds below.

The
first layers of soil had been laid out only three days ago, and each
day when she came in to test it he had stopped whatever it was he'd
been doing to walk with her for a few minutes, using the excuse that
he was 'just taking a break'. She hadn't minded his company. But his
new unpredictability made her nervous. Considering what had happened
between them the night before, who knew how he would act around her
in public now. If she could just finish this last set of tests
without him noticing her, she might be able to put off finding out
for a little while longer.

The
soil beds—wide,
five foot deep troughs set into the floor of the building—were
only partially full at two layers with another three yet to be laid.
Because of this, she had to gently jump down into each one, to avoid
damaging the delicate germination pads resting just below the
bottommost layer, and then hoist herself back out before moving on to
the next. She worked her way quickly down one side of the building
and then started up the other, expecting Inuyasha to interrupt
at any moment, but he didn't seem to notice her from his perch high
above. They appeared to be having some trouble fitting the heavy
glass into the frame.

Kagome
was standing in the second to last trough, wiping dirt from her
hands, when movement from above caught her eye. Looking up, she found
Inuyasha heading toward her, walking easily with perfect balance down
one of the iron support beams that ran the length of the arched
ceiling. She'd been spotted after all.

He
was nearly overhead when his pace suddenly slowed, his posture
shifting forward. She caught the glint in his eye and realized,
almost too late, what he was about to do.

“No!”
she cried, raising her arms.

Inuyasha,
already heading into the fall, spun around and grabbed for the beam,
catching it under his arms with a pained grunt.

“What?”
he shouted at her, obviously startled and confused by her warning.

“Don't
you dare jump down here!” she yelled back, pointing to the
ground beneath her feet. “You'll break the germination pads!”

He
glared at her for a long moment. Kagome met his gaze defiantly until
he finally looked away, snorting out his indignation. But instead of
pulling himself back onto the beam, he slowly lowered himself until
he hung by his arms, idly kicking his feet back and forth, as if
content to stay there for a while. The smirk on his face made it
quite clear he was doing it just to torment her.

Instead
of giving in to his challenge, she picked up her equipment and headed
toward the edge of the trough. As she lifted herself out and began
moving to the last soil bed, a heavy thump sounded on the pavement
behind her. She turned and greeted him with a flat expression.

“What
happened to acting normal?” she asked.

“No
point now that everyone knows it's an act,” he replied,
shrugging.

Kagome
rolled her eyes and began walking again, Inuyasha falling into step
beside her. She was suddenly torn between being irritated with him
for his obnoxious little stunt, and being happy that he was again
choosing to spend time with her of his own accord. But as they walked
together in companionable silence, she realized that the moment he'd
joined her, all of the anxiety and uncertainty that had been choking
her mind the entire morning had begun to dissipate, like the sun
chasing away morning fog. Even if she'd wanted to remain angry, she
didn't think the warm feeling that his presence sparked within her
would allow it. Sneaking a quick glance at his face, she noticed his
confident expression, as unclouded now as it had been when she'd
woken up beside him.

Stopping
at the edge of the final trough, she set down her equipment case and
eased herself over the edge and gently onto the soil.

“Are
those things really that fragile?” Inuyasha asked, holding the
case out to her.

She
nodded, taking it from him, and wandered a few feet away. “We
already had to replace one on the other side that broke during
installation.”

“So
why can you walk on them but I can't?”

“Because
I'm walking, Inuyasha. Not jumping down from two stories up.
You can come down here if you really want,” she said as she
continued along the trough, stopping every few feet to insert the
testing wand into the soft ground.

“No,
thanks,” he sniffed, feigning sudden disinterest.
“Don't wanna get my boots dirty.”

She
snorted. “Don't pout. Once the last three layers of soil go
down, the pads will be protected, and you can swing from the rafters
all you want then.”

He
appeared to be willfully ignoring her, turning something over in his
mind.

“What
if something heavy accidentally fell
in there before then?” he asked. “Like a cement block.
Would that break it?”

Kagome
narrowed her gaze at him. “I really, really hope this is a
hypothetical question.”

“Of
course.”

“Then,
yes. It probably would.”

He
considered that for a moment and then continued. “And if it
needed to be fixed, does that mean I'd get to see more of you in here
while that happened?”

She
tried to hide the smile in her voice as she replied, “No, but
you'd probably get to see the very angry team of engineers
who would be doing the repairs. I imagine they'd have a lot to
say to whoever was responsible for the 'accident'.”

“Hypothetical
accident,” he corrected.

“Of
course.”

“Hmm.
Never mind then. I probably wouldn't be
around to watch it pan out anyways.”

“Why
not?”

Inuyasha's
playful disposition seemed to fall a bit. “Did you hear about
the main break?”

“I
heard about the problems with the north well,” she said,
thinking back to her earlier conversation
with her coworker. “So it was a break after all?”

He
nodded. “The guys who went out to check it this morning just
called in. The pumps are working fine, but there's a new lake growing
a half a mile or so away from the well station, along the pipe line.
I worked on a similar main break about a year ago, so they asked me
to help out. Somehow I ended up being named team foreman.” The
last bit was muttered through his teeth.

“That's
good though, isn't it? At least you'll get to be in charge,”
she said. With a low beep the last test finished and she began
repacking her equipment.

“I'm
in charge of enough around here. I'd rather let someone else take the
responsibility for once.” He sighed. “We won't know how
bad the break is until we get out there and start digging. If it's
small enough, we might be able to patch it. If not, we'll have to
replace the entire section of pipe. We'll probably be out there two
to three days.”

Kagome's
heart sunk a bit at the news. Just when we're finally
starting to get close, she thought.
The disappointment
must have shown on her face as she walked to where he stood above her
on the edge of the trough. When she looked up at him, his thoughts
seemed to falter and he said nothing for a moment, then he cleared
his throat and continued.

“The
team will come back here at night, but just long enough to eat and
get some sleep, and then we'll leave again in the morning. So I won't
be around much,” he said, bending down to take the case from
her.

“I
see,” she said softly, handing it to him and bracing her palms
against the ledge to push herself up. But before she could, he was
suddenly crouching in front of her, the corners of his mouth pulling
up in a presumptuous grin.

“Will
you miss me?” he asked.

“Get
out of the way so I can pull myself up,” she replied dryly.

“That
wasn't nice. I was being sincere,” he said, affecting a hurt
expression and slipping his hands under her arms. With a sudden,
effortless burst of strength, Inuyasha lifted her out of the trough,
swinging her high into the air, and then gently set her down on the
pavement in front of him. He'd done it so quickly that she'd barely
had time to react with anything more than a tiny squeak of surprise
as the earth had disappeared from beneath her.

“You
didn't warn me this time,” she gasped, steadying herself
against him. It was only then that she noticed how close together
they were standing. He hadn't bothered to put any space between them
when setting her back on her feet. She stood only a few inches from
him, near enough to feel the warmth of his body contrasting with the
cold early winter air.

“You
were mean to me, so that's what you get.” He smiled down at
her. “Since I won't be around, think of the next few days as a
vacation.”

“With
everything you've put me through lately, I think I need one,”
she said.

Inuyasha
bent his head just enough to touch his forehead to the rim of her
borrowed hard hat. His breath, like his body, was warm against her as
he said, “Enjoy it. When it's over, you might find it hard to
get away from me for a while.”

The
intensity with which he spoke those words stirred an excitement
within Kagome that she'd never felt—never
allowed herself to feel—with
Inuyasha before. She wondered at the meanings, the promises, behind
those words as he leaned down further to touch his lips to hers.
Embarrassment instinctively flooded her at
the thought of others seeing the two of them like this, and her first
reaction was to pull away. But instead of giving in to that impulse,
she rebelled against it, perhaps a bit too much. Grabbing a fistful
of his coat to steel her nerves, she pressed up into the kiss,
determined not to let any further doubt ruin the moment. He was the
one who kept taking the initiative to push her in the direction she
had wanted to go all along. It was time to start trusting him.

His
lips were just as warm and enticing as they had been the night
before, though a bit rough from the cold morning air.

“Easy,”
he breathed, pulling back a little. “You'll get me all worked
up again.”

“Ah,
sorry,” she said with a flushed smile and stepped away, picking
up her case from where Inuyasha had left it. “When do you
leave?” she asked.

“At
two, once the morning shift is over. We'll be back sometime late
tonight.”

“Three
days, huh?”

“At
the most.”

“Well,
I hope it doesn't give you too much trouble,” Kagome said,
turning from him with a devilish grin. “But if it does, I won't
mind the extra time off.”

His
only reply was a snort and a chuckle as she walked away. Stopping at
the door to return her hardhat, she turned to watch as he headed back
toward the other end of the greenhouse, springing easily into the
overhead beams to rejoin his coworkers, still struggling with the
same pane of glass.

By
the time she made it back to the lab, she was only slightly ahead on
time. Luckily, the others all seemed too busy with their work to
continue the earlier inquisition. She uploaded the data from her
equipment into their computer, made sure they didn't need her help
with anything else, then retreated quickly out the door. The
realization of just how tired she was didn't hit her fully until she
walked into the apartment and noticed she was still wearing her lab
coat and scarf. She stared down at the extra clothing and sighed,
suddenly wondering how much sleep Inuyasha had managed to get the
night before. If it was any less than what little she'd gotten, the
rest of his day was probably going to be very unpleasant.

But
it was his own fault, really. She certainly hadn't been the
troublemaker last night. Letting loose a yawn, she headed up to her
room, unwrapping the scarf from around her neck and shedding the coat
as she climbed the stairs. She flopped down onto the mattress and
glanced out the giant windows, noticing a few black clouds gathering
around the tops of the distant mountains.

More
storms, she thought, her mind hazy with the pull of sleep. I
hope he doesn't get rained on.

It
was nearly dark when Kagome woke later that evening, the excitement
of having an unexpected night off driving her out from under the
covers and toward her phone. A few minutes later, plans had been set,
and an hour after that, she was out the door and on her way
downstairs to meet Sango. Together, they spent the evening dancing,
drinking and talking, high above the crowds on the red prince's
terrace, after Sango's insistence that they
shouldn't waste the opportunity to have it all to themselves while
Inuyasha was gone.

It
was just after 2 a.m. when she got back to the apartment. The large
space was silent and almost completely dark, except for the soft red
glow of the heating tower next to Inuyasha's bed. She crept up the
stairs to her room as quietly as possible and brushed the curtains
aside, walking on sock-covered feet across to his side of the loft.
She stopped a few feet away, afraid that getting any closer might
risk waking him. He was buried under his thick blankets, only the
side of his face and a sweep of hair, reflecting red in the light of
the heater, were visible. His breath was heavy and even, and she
smiled, remembering the feeling of it against her neck.

Without
a sound, she turned and headed back to her side of the loft.

He
was already gone by the time she woke later that morning, just as
he'd said he would be. It always felt so strange to wake up on those
rare occasions when he wasn't there. She felt restless, like there
was something she needed to be doing, but besides getting herself up
and ready for her own job, there was nothing to do. The day passed
uneventfully. No one bothered her as she made her rounds through the
new greenhouse. No one dropped from the ceiling to greet her, and she
thought how ironic it was that just the day before she had been
trying to avoid him. Now that he was gone, she missed even that small
amount of time together.

Kagome
told herself she was being ridiculous. She
lived with and worked for the man. She spent the majority of almost
every day with him. What did the loss of a few minutes matter?

Well,
it mattered plenty. What made it so special was that he chose
to spend that time with her. There was no oath-bound obligation, no
employee and employer, no red prince and his assistant. It was just
Inuyasha and Kagome, enjoying each other's company, even if they did
often end up annoying the hell out of one another.

She
kept telling herself that it was for the best. The greenhouse
wouldn't be under construction forever. Sooner or later there would
be no reason for him to keep going there every day. And so she
decided that, when he came back, she'd make sure not to take their
morning visits for granted anymore.

Once
her shift was over, she headed back up to the apartment and set to a
few routine tasks: putting away laundry, hanging fresh bath towels,
doing the dishes, changing his bedsheets as well as her own. Soon the
afternoon had faded into evening. Sango was working, and so Kagome
decided to stay in for the night, entertaining herself with a few
movies that Inuyasha had laying around, and then a long, hot bath and
a book.

She
crawled into bed shortly after, glancing at the clock as she reached
to switch off the light. It wasn't even after eleven yet. He probably
wouldn't be back for a while. The sky beyond the windows was cloudy
tonight—there
were no stars or moon to replace the artificial light. Darkness
filled the loft, with the exception of the small lamp next to
Inuyasha's bed that she had left on for him.

For
some odd reason, a piece of her conversation
with Emory suddenly echoed in her mind. He always came home,
he'd said. She really didn't understand why her mind had offered up
those words, but as she sat staring across the loft at the empty bed,
she found them strangely comforting. Sinking into the covers with a
sigh, she closed her eyes and was soon asleep.

A
slight movement of the bed woke her some time later, and she felt the
sheets lift and then settle again. The haze of sleep cleared just
enough for her to realize that she was no longer alone, but before
she could whip around to see who had joined her, a familiar voice
said quietly, “It's just me.”

She
let out the startled breath she'd been holding, and then sucked in
another, preparing to turn and confront him. But she didn't get the
chance as Inuyasha eased in behind her, fitting his chest to her back
and trapping her against him with an arm.

“Is
this alright?” he asked, his mouth delightfully close to her
ear. It only slightly tempered her annoyance at his boldness though.

“If
I say no, will you go back to your own bed?”

“Probably
not.”

“Then
I guess it's okay,” she sighed.

“So
agreeable,” he said, laughing gently and settling down beside
her.

Unlike
when they had first shared a bed, this time sleep came easily for
both of them.

Kagome
awoke alone in the morning, but with the wonderful memory of
Inuyasha's warmth beside her. Like the previous day, this one also
proved to be mostly uneventful, and by late afternoon she was
determined to find a way to avoid the tedium of the night before. It
would be another evening without Sango, but this time Kagome didn't
let that hold her back. She considered visiting with her uncle, but
was informed when she reached the top of the stairs to his terrace
that he wouldn't be coming down to the hall until much later in the
night, if at all. Left with few other choices, she finally settled on
dancing as her diversion of choice. The hall was crammed
full of people. Blending into the crowd would be easy. After a quick
drink to loosen up—she
always found it easier to dance after a drink or two—she waded
out into the mass of people that filled the dance floor.

As
she began moving with the music, her eyes wandered through the crowd,
passing over the faces that surrounded her, most belonging to
strangers, almost all of them nameless to her. She'd been in this
city for nearly half a year now and still knew so few people, thanks
to her time-consuming arrangement with Inuyasha. As she swayed in
time with the rhythm, she though to herself that she ought to do
something about that. It would be nice to have more friends.

After
what felt like hours, Kagome finally pulled herself free of the
throng and made her way toward the best place she knew of to rest and
relax. And the one place that was, at the moment, accessible only to
her. The iron stairs leading up to the red prince's terrace seemed
unusually long as she climbed them, especially after so much exertion
on the dance floor. She unlocked and opened the door at the top,
closing it behind her, and then headed for the mini-bar along the
wall.

Drink
in hand, she settled herself on the long couch that faced the railing
and stared for a while at the crowds below, feeling grateful for the
privilege to have the terrace all to herself. When her glass went
dry, she refilled it, but only once. For
her, there was a very fine line between tipsy and smashed. With three
drinks in her system, it was a line she was already recklessly close
to, and one that she didn't really feel like crossing tonight.

She
was staring down into the crowd again, her mind swimming
unpleasantly, when she realized that
someone had opened the door and walked onto the terrace. She turned
her head too quickly, and once the world stopped spinning, she was
surprised to find Naraku heading toward her, an effortless smile set
into his handsome face.

It
took a moment for the shock to clear her mind—the
booze wasn't helping—before she could greet him properly.

“Hi,”
she said simply, her face pulling up into a welcoming smile.

“I'm
not bothering you, am I?” he asked.

Kagome
shook her head. “Not at all.” She nodded at the expanse
of couch beside her, a polite offer to join her if he wanted to. She
remembered that she hadn't yet had a chance to apologize for her
abrupt departure during the concert, and was suddenly grateful for
this unexpected opportunity.

Naraku
seated himself and leaned back, relaxing against the cushions. “I
hope you don't mind, but I noticed you sitting all by yourself over
here and wondered if you might want some company,” he said.

“That
was nice of you,” she said, trying to tamp down a slight blush.

“You
looked lonely, and I couldn't resist,” he said, grinning. “I
heard Inuyasha's still out fixing the break.”

“Yeah.
He said it might take a few days.”

“I
see,” Naraku said. “Must be pretty boring without him
around.”

It
was like he'd read her mind. She nodded. “It's weird not having
anything to do.”

“But
it must be nice to have some time to yourself.”

“It
is.”

“Have
things between you two gotten any better? I remember it was a bit
rough for you at first.”

Kagome
nodded again, and this time her head spun in response. It must have
shown.

Naraku
chuckled and nodded at her empty glass sitting on the low table
before them. “How many have you had tonight?”

“Evidently
too many,” she replied.

He
reached for the glass and stood. “Water?” he offered.

Kagome
gave him an appreciative smile. “Yes, thank you.”

She
watched as he stood and headed toward the mini-bar, finding herself
fascinated by the graceful movements of his tall, slightly muscled
frame, and the sway of his black hair, hanging loose down his back.
He was so elegant that it was almost unnatural. Not wanting to be
caught staring, she averted her eyes as he returned and resumed his
position beside her on the couch.

Naraku
handed her the glass, and after a few long, slow sips, Kagome sighed.
“I should have paid closer attention to how much I was
drinking. It's a little embarrassing...”
She trailed off, letting out a nervous laugh.

“Don't
be embarrassed,” he said, his tone
softening. “It's not like I found you passed out on the
floor. That's something to get embarrassed about.”

She
grinned up at him, finding herself suddenly much more comfortable. It
was all that damn charm and charisma of his. After that, they slipped
into easy conversation for a while, seeming to talk about everything
and nothing at the same time. His presence was remarkably calming,
she thought as she listened to him speak, his deep voice adding to
the soothing effect.

It
wasn't long after that the subject of discussion shifted to Inuyasha.
Kagome started when she realized they'd been talking about him for a
while and she hadn't even been aware of it. She was loosing track of
the conversation. The water wasn't doing it's job. She swallowed
another mouthful.

They
seemed to be discussing the incident at the concert a few nights
prior. Here she'd been, wanting to apologize and had almost missed
her chance.

“I
am sorry about that,” she said, her brain too fuzzy to tell her
whether or not she was slurring her words. She didn't think she was.

“It
wasn't your fault, Kagome. Besides, a man willing to do something
like that just for a woman's company...” Naraku trailed off,
letting his words hang in the air before continuing in a warm, almost
sensual voice. “He must have really wanted you.”

A
moment later, barely audible, he added, “...with him.”

Her
mind sluggishly worked to process his words. She'd heard the last
part, but was still focused fully on what he'd said before that. He
must have really wanted you. A shiver rolled
its way down her spine.

His
voice was closer to her ear now, the words coming slowly, more
deliberately. They had a distorted sound, as if she were hearing them
through the far end of a metal pipe. “Inuyasha cares for you so
much. The time apart is hard for him, too. If you only knew how much
he cares for you, Kagome. How much he needs you.”

Staring
out over the hall with unseeing eyes, her mind flooded with images
and memories of Inuyasha, with all of the sensations
he had created in her over the past few days. All she could think
about, all she could see, was him, and now his words were coming
softly into her ear again.

“Let
me show you. I want to be close to you. I want to feel you...”

There
was a hand, Inuyasha's hand, on her chin, gripping gently,
turning her face away. She felt his mouth tasting the line of her
jaw, and then begin moving lower.

“Close
your eyes, Kagome. Just feel...”

There
was something different about Inuyasha's voice. But the words, oh
those words were exactly what she'd been wanting to hear for so long.
And as she did what he asked, his hands began roaming.

“Feel...”
he whispered as his fingers slipped under her shirt, dragging warm
lines across her stomach, up to the hollow between her breasts.

“Inuyasha,”
she breathed.

“More,
Kagome. I need more.”

She
arched against his hand as it slipped over her bra, fingers digging
at the material.

“That's
it,” he breathed against her neck, nipping at the skin with
sharp teeth.

And
then, as if they had never been there in the first place, both hands
were gone, replaced suddenly with the crush of his mouth against
hers. His tongue shoved at her lips, but when she opened them for
him, he wouldn't go deeper. Slowly, the kiss changed. It became
gentle, almost affectionate.

“Open
your eyes,” he said finally.

When
she did, she found herself staring into a pair of startling red eyes.
They were not Inuyasha's.

With
a shriek tearing its way from her throat, her world went black.

Continued
in Chapter 15 – Shutting Out the Sun

A/N:
Long author's note is long.

And
the chapter started out so nicely, too. Just to let you guys know, I
really didn't want to stop there. It was my original intention
to end the chapter a little further into the story, but that would
have made this release stupid long, and the place I ended up leaving
off at, while slightly maddening, just ended up working better. I
know, I hate me too.

The
good news is, though, after feeling a bit brain stunted while working
on the last chapter (kudos to iPoe for picking up on that, lol. By
the way, lady, congratulations on the book deal!), my writing feels
like it's finally getting back to the way it used to be, which makes
me quite happy, and not...feeling broken in the head, for lack of a
better way to put it.

To
those who reviewed, thank you so much! It was awesome to hear from
all of you, and I was so glad to see that many of my old readers are
still around and haven't given up on me! And thanks for all of the
well wishes too!

And
holy cow! Huge thanks to the IYFG members who nom'd, seconded, and
voted for AFR last quarter! It makes me incredibly
happy to know so many people enjoy this story so much.

As
always, I hope everyone liked chapter 14, god-damned cliffhanger
ending aside. Please let me know what you think!

Now,
on to questions!

To
Lizz456: 1. Sorry for not getting this out over the weekend ;), and
2. You asked for book recommendations, so here are a few, all titles
that I consider favorites (and I'm an absurdly picky reader). In no
particular order:

-
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, and it's sequel, The Dark
Volume, by Gordon Dahlquist. I spent the last few months reading
these, slowly, so as to drag out the experience longer. It's a
scifi-Victorian type of story (I refuse to
use the term steampunk), full of dark alchemy, evil cabals, steam
powered technology, erotic encounters, and danger, mystery and
suspense on nearly every page. And Cardinal Chang is a babe. 'Nuff
said. Highly recommended.

-
Graceling, by Kristin Cashore. An original, highly enjoyable fantasy
read, even if it is classified as teen fiction. And Poe is also a
babe.

-
Howl's Moving Castle, and its two sequels, Castle in the Air and
House of Many Ways, by Diana Wynne Jones. Excellent bunch of books
right there.

-
Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden.

-
Red River (manga), by Chie Shinohara. Best. Damn. Shojo Manga.
Period. I love it. I love it more every time I read it.

To
cu-kid: I'd love to work another performance scene in here somewhere,
and actually considered it a while back while writing the outline,
but I still can't think of where it would go as the story stands
right now. Who knows though. This thing tends to write itself. If it
wants one, it will find some place for me to put one x)!

To
Ryo: Your English was perfect, my dear ;) Thanks for the sweet
review!

This
is mostly for AFF users (but also for anyone else who's interested):
I know some of you wanted to be added to an email update list, but
some who asked had no address in the profile and hadn't included one
in the review. If you do want to get emails when I update, just let
me know and make sure I have some place to send it to.

Influential
music for this chapter

Diamond
Crevasse – Sheryl Nome starring May'n, Macross Frontier OST 1,
Nyan Furo

Je
t'aime, Je t'aime – Tommy february6, Tommy Airline

Enjoy
the Silence (Mike Shinoda remix) – Depeche Mode, Mike Shinoda
- 13
- 14
- 15
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

A Fool's Redemption