Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Waiting on a Wish	By : Quillwing717 Category: InuYasha > General Views: 42890 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
Disclaimer:
Inu is not mine. Inu is hers (Rumiko Takahashi). So are the others.
*sniff* There, are you happy? You made me cry. *sniff*

Chapter
3

He
hadn’t shown up today for a follow-up.

Sighing,
Kagome signed herself out at the front desk and waved her goodbyes to
Miso. She was annoyed with herself for the disappointment that had
plagued her all day. The hunter had probably healed fine. He didn’t
really have any need for a doctor anymore. She just wished she could
rid her thoughts of him. Tucking her sweater in the crook of her
elbow and swinging her heavy bag of medical supplies over her
shoulder, Kagome walked out of the clinic and into the late afternoon
sunshine. It was warm now, but the air was getting cooler every night
as winter approached.

Such
nice weather. Maybe, after she was done with her next stop, she would
go out and--

“Doctor
Higurashi.”

The
familiar voice, rough yet gentle, rasped along her nerves, stopping
her in her tracks. She turned to spot him lounging against the wall
by the doors, hands stuffed into his pockets,
expression….indecipherable. Her pulse jumped. He was dressed
casually today, in worn jeans and a close-fitting, black knit
t-shirt. His long hair was loose around his shoulders, spilling down
his back almost to his waist, and a pair of high-brand shoes were on
his feet.

The
contrast to his attire from their first meeting was striking. These
clothes were comfortable and informal, fitting well around his body,
revealing lines of muscle that the hakama had hidden. The jeans
weren’t tight but snug, and as he straightened from his
position on the wall, they stretched briefly, outlining well-shaped
thigh and calf muscles. His bare arms flexed slightly, smooth skin
poured over compact, unyielding muscle. Kagome groaned silently at
the light, fluttery tingle that slid down her throat and settled in
her stomach as she watched the graceful, fluid movements of his body.

“InuYasha.”
She heard the slightly breathless tone, and fought to keep a wince of
embarrassment from her face. His golden eyes watched her knowingly,
and she could swear she saw humor and the smallest glimpse of the
satisfaction she’d seen the other night flash briefly in the
amber depths. She cleared her throat. “Please don’t worry
about formalities--my name is Kagome.” She studied him briefly.
“You seem to be feeling better. Shall I check your progress?”

“No
need. I’m fine. My wound is completely healed over. I’m a
youkai, remember? I recover fast.” He hesitated, his eyes
intent on her face. “I came to thank you--for helping me the
other night. You…probably saved my life.”

Kagome
couldn’t help the warm smile that spread in response to the
soft words. “You’re very welcome.”

He
surprised her by returning the smile with a small one of his own. “I
guess now I owe you for helping me. How does dinner sound?”

Surprised
again, she studied him for a moment. “Well, you don’t
really owe me anything, but…” Dinner? With him? As in
a…date? Her eyes widened at the thought, and her heart
gave tiny thump of…something. Her gaze dropped to his chest.

Was
it a good idea? He was a patient. Of course, he seemed fine.
She could detect no hint of bandages under his shirt, and his
movements held no hesitation, no indication of pain or discomfort.
She wished he’d let her check him to make sure everything was
okay. Still… “When?”

“Tonight.”
He said it firmly, almost demandingly--as if he’d already
decided what her answer would be.

Something
inside of her responded to his tone, and a tiny, rebellious part of
her mind immediately objected. For a split second, she considered
telling him no…but a much larger part of her eagerly overruled
the notion as pure insanity. Her interest in this patient of hers had
grown ridiculous in the intervening day since the emergency. Maybe
this would be a chance to exorcise him from her thoughts. “Dinner
sounds good.”

Besides,
she wanted to know more about him. The little that Sango had
told her had only served to spark her curiosity, and the insistent,
irrational pull she’d been feeling all day had been driving her
crazy.

One
dinner won’t hurt. It’ll be a good way to find out more
about him.

She
couldn’t deny the tiny thrill of excitement at the prospect,
either. “It’ll have to wait until I’m finished
though.”

His
eyes turned quizzical. “I thought you were done for the day.”

She
indicated her bag with a nod of her head. “I’m done at
the clinic. I have one more place to go before I’m done with my
shift.”

His
eyes glanced over her heavy bag before he reached out and snagged it
from her shoulder. “Fine. I’ll drive you and we’ll
go from there.” He slung the medical supplies over his shoulder
effortlessly.

She
stared at him in momentary surprise. “Oh…well, ok…no
need to drive, though. It’s only a few blocks away, and I enjoy
the walk.”

InuYasha
paused, then nodded, turning to fall in next to her as they walked
under the trees lining the sidewalk.

“You
don’t drive?”

Kagome
shook her head. “Why bother? I can get anywhere I need to go by
bus or train. If I need to go outside the city, I’ll either
fly, or rent a car.” She smiled. “Besides, I like
walking. When I was younger, I used to ride my bike to school every
morning. I guess I just got used to traveling outdoors.”

InuYasha
looked dubious. “Do you even know how to drive?”

She
nodded, her smile growing fond. “My Jii-chan insisted that I
learn when I moved out to live closer to Tokyo U. He wanted me to
know, just in case.” She tilted her head up to smile at the
trees lining the streets as they passed beneath them. “My
younger brother Souta is just starting to study for his license. He
insists he’s going to get a car, even though no one in our
family has had a car since my father died when he was just a baby.”

“Sounds
like you and your family are close.”

Kagome
nodded again. “Very close. We kind of had to be, I think,
because my father’s death left a void that we all had to rush
in to fill. Souta, Mama, and I all had to work in the family shrine
to help keep it running. Of all the things in my life, they’re
the most important.” Recalling what Sango had told her about
InuYasha’s family, she cast him a sidelong glance, wondering if
she was treading on sensitive territory. His expression had grown
distant, his eyes preoccupied.

They
were quiet for a while, walking in companionable silence. Kagome was
amazed at how easy she felt in his presence. He was a virtual
stranger to her, and yet she didn’t feel the need to fill the
silence with nonsensical chatter. The stillness between them was
comfortable, curiously lacking in the awkwardness that should have
been there.

She glanced over at him again. He was still carrying her bag over his
shoulder. It was heavy, but he carried it easily with just two
fingers. Her eyes focused curiously on their claws, prominently
displayed as they curled overtop the strap. Not nails.
Dangerous-looking weapons, probably more than capable of slicing
flesh and bone. She wondered if he ever cut himself with them. “How
long have you been a hunter?”

His
ears twitched, drawing her attention, and his head turned as he
focused on her. “For the Alliance? About ten years.”

Ten
years sounded like a long time, but Kagome knew that Sango had been
hunting for almost as long. “Do you get hurt like that often?”

He
scowled briefly, and she caught the soft sound of an actual, literal
growl. “Trust me, what happened the other night wasn’t
normal. The rogues that we usually fight are low-level nothings.”

She
gave a slight smile. “So you don’t usually make a habit
of pulling people out of bed in the middle of the night to fix you
up.”

Her
comment seemed to surprise him for a moment. Then, for some reason,
he seemed almost amused, and she thought he smiled again, although
she couldn’t tell from her angle. “Heh. I don’t
usually make a habit of letting people fix me up.”

It
was her turn to be surprised. “You don’t mean that you
never get hurt?”

He
snorted. “Not enough to need help healing.”

She
rolled her eyes. “And the other night?”

“Tch.” He glanced away, ears twisting with agitation.
“That was a fluke.”

Kagome
had a hard time suppressing a smile at the obstinate tone. Male pride
was universal across species. Although, she had to admit, she found
it utterly fascinating when he growled like that. She looked him over
again, still rather impressed that she couldn’t detect any
lingering effects. “Do you like it?”

“Hn?”
Those golden eyes of his had turned back to her. “What?”

“Being
a hunter. Do you like it?”

He
stopped for a minute to give her a blank look. “Do I like it?”
He started walking again, looking thoughtful. “Maybe.” A
quick golden glance slanted her way. “Do you?”

“Like
what I do?” She smiled. “Very much. But you’ll
probably understand when we get there.”

He
considered her for a minute, then took in their surroundings. “Where
are we going, anyway?”

She
led him around a corner, and they found themselves in residential
area. Walls lined the street on both sides, broken only by the
occasional entrance to the private houses hidden behind them. Kagome
nodded her head at the lone house sitting behind a high gate at the
end of the street. “That’s where we’re going.”

InuYasha
blinked as he read the sign, surprised. “An orphanage? You’re
making a house-call to an orphanage?”

Kagome
smiled again. “The Makiguchi Home for Children in Need of Care
is funded by the same group that funds the clinic. They prefer the
children’s care to be given in-home, so the caretaker of the
establishment doesn’t have to cart twenty young children with
her whenever one of them gets sick. Since the clinic wouldn’t
exist without the Makiguchi group, we are more than willing to help.”

He
looked at her speculatively. “You do this often?”

“Every
week.” She wasn’t sure whether to be amused or concerned
with his reaction--a strange mix of skepticism and curiosity.

“Why?”

“Because
I want to. I love the children, and I love making sure they stay
well. It brightens up my whole week to see them.” He seemed to
have a hard time grasping the concept. The doctor punched in a code
and pushed open the gate. She grinned, wondering what he’d
think when he actually met the children.

Inside,
the courtyard was filled with greenery--trees, shrubs, and flowering
bushes grew along multiple paths in a barely controlled chaos.
Somewhere within the grounds, the faint trickle of running water
mixed with the laughter of little children at play. The house itself
had two stories and multiple wings that spread out in a maze over the
grounds. It seemed more the getaway of a rich old retiree than the
home of parentless children.

They
started up the main path to the house, a long, curving walkway with
several sets of short, shallow steps leading up to the main door.
Kagome glanced at InuYasha. “You might find it interesting what
this particular orphanage--”

“KAGOME!”

The
excited shriek rang through the yard. Kagome turned to face the
source of the noise, a smile blooming on her face. A tiny ball of
orange and blonde fur barreled down the walkway at a blur, on a
collision course with Kagome. InuYasha leaped in front of her,
shoving the surprised physician safely behind him as he raised a
hand.

He
reached out and plucked it from the air, mid-jump.

Bringing
it level to his face, he frowned at the miniature bundle hanging
frozen in his hand. A small kitsune--no more than five years old,
with orange hair, pointy ears, an oversized puff of a tail and
enormous blue eyes--stared in shock at the hanyou responsible for
halting his mad dash.

Both
youkai sniffed cautiously.

Then
the small demon-child began to wail, kicking his fox-feet, flailing
his arms, and wriggling about in an attempt to get free.

“Hey!
Let me go! Let me go! Waaaah! Help, Kagome, help me!” His
screech was deafening.

“InuYasha,
put him down.” Kagome struggled to hold in a laugh as the
hanyou scowled at the volume, turning his head away and flattening
his ears. She stepped forward and grabbed the kitsune out of
InuYasha’s grasp. Immediately, the tiny fox-demon scampered up
her arms and clung to her back, glaring suspiciously at InuYasha from
behind her hair.

“Who
the hell is the little fur-ball?” InuYasha returned the glare
with a glower of his own.

The
little fox crawled forward and turned big, overly innocent blue eyes
on Kagome. “Kagome, did you get a pet?”

InuYasha
rumbled warningly.

“Shippou,
InuYasha is a patient of mine, just like you.” Kagome looked at
InuYasha reproachfully. “InuYasha, you should be more gentle.
Shippou’s only a child.”

He
snarled. “That child needs to be more careful. He almost
knocked you over flat. We’re on stairs, in case you haven’t
noticed.” He looked away, mumbling. “You could’ve
been hurt.”

Shippou
studied the hanyou with shrewd blue eyes, his nose twitching. Then he
turned to Kagome. “I would never hurt you, would I Kagome?”
A sly gaze settled on InuYasha. “Besides, since when are you
her protector? You’re just a hanyou, aren’t you?”

“Shippou!”

“Listen
here, brat!”

Shippou
squealed and ducked behind Kagome, away from the threatening swipe
InuYasha took at him. “EEEK! Kagome, save me!”

Kagome
fought to keep the grin from showing on her face, her midnight eyes
dancing. “InuYasha, be nice. He really didn’t mean
anything by it. Shippou is one of the children who live here, you
see. He’s also my favorite patient, aren’t you Shippou?”

Shippou
nodded, throwing InuYasha a look of self-importance. “Of course
I am. I‘m Kagome‘s helper when she comes to make sure
everyone here is well. Sometimes, we even go out for ice cream after
we’re done, because I’m such a big help.” His eyes
brightened as they fell on Kagome’s bag. “What did you
bring me this week, Kagome?”

Kagome
laughed, pulling him from her shoulders and hugging him in her arms.
“We’ll have to see after your check-up, won’t we?
Where is Mrs. Hashimoto?”

“Oh,
her?” Shippou shook his head sadly, his face solemn. “Poor
thing. She’s been busy with Kina all day. I’m pretty sure
she might be sick.”

“Oh
dear. Sounds like I came just in time. Can you show me where Mrs.
Hashimoto and Kina are?”

Shippou
nodded and sprang lightly to the ground. He looked up at Kagome and
pounded his chest with a little fist. “Just leave it to me,
Kagome. I’ll take you to them.”

He
turned and marched up the next level of steps, pausing on the next
landing to assure they were following.

The
doctor turned to smile at InuYasha. “Hurry up, InuYasha. I’m
going to need my bag.”

InuYasha
watched her hurry to catch up with Shippou, listening closely to the
story he was telling her. Together they climbed the steps ahead of
him, following the winding path to the house. He studied the pair
intently as the kitsune jumped back into Kagome’s arms and she
laughed at something he said.

His
expression softened. A ghost of a smile passed over his features.
Then he frowned--a swift, dark shadow that overwhelmed the smile
before they both died away, leaving his expression resolute.

He
followed them slowly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

InuYasha
sat wedged in the open window, one arm propped on a drawn-up knee,
one foot on the floor, head resting against the sill. His velvet ears
twitched regularly, listening to the calm resonance of nature outside
while he gazed at the chaos within.

Young
children had swarmed them as soon as they entered the small mansion.
Kagome had taken one look at the mass of young ones and gone into
super-efficient mode--sending Shippou off to get Mrs. Hashimoto
without her while she set up her examination room, and began checking
each child, youngest to oldest. His golden gaze roamed the room,
skimming briefly over the children milling in and out of the room as
they waited for their turn. His eyes settled on the Kagome, training
steadily on the young doctor’s movements, taking in the genuine
care and gentleness she treated every child with.

Every
hanyou child.

That
had been a bit of a surprise. He’d been expecting a bunch of
human or demon pups. Actually, he’d only seen about four
full-blooded children. Besides that annoying brat Shippou--who seemed
overly attached to Kagome, refusing to leave her side as she finished
with each child and gave them a treat--a little kitten girl and two
humans, sibling boys. They stuck very close to an older hanyou boy,
who kept a watchful eye on them as they played.

They
made him want to smile, those three. It reminded him of the early
days at the Alliance, back when he hadn’t been given anything
but trouble until a mischievous human boy had stuck up for him--his
scent completely devoid of the hostility a young hanyou was so used
to getting from the children around him. Even more incredible, the
new boy had stuck around. To him it had been a small miracle.

The
children here had no such problems. Hostility of the kind he had
dealt with didn’t exist here. They played together without
thought, the pure fun of childhood undiluted by differences. The
fights they had were normal ones, over who had whose toy, and who got
to stand in line first--not who had the dirty blood, or who should
die first. The insults that occasionally flew here were devoid of any
real hate. The air was clean here.

He’d
never seen anything like it.

Kagome
was impressive, handling it all with supreme patience and a warm
sense of humor. He felt the smile break through, curving the corners
of his mouth just slightly. She really was a good doctor.

An
orange ball of fur plopped on the windowsill beside his sneaker, and
bright blue eyes observed him astutely from behind a large pink
lollipop. One white ear flicked, and a wary amber gaze turned on the
little fox-pup.

“What
do you want, brat?”

The
lollipop came out of his mouth with a small pop. “Why are you
with Kagome? She’s never brought anybody with her before.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “You like her, don’t you?”

Golden
eyes drifted back to Kagome as she lifted a toddler onto her little
table. He snorted quietly at the phrase. “Like her? Maybe. You
got a problem with that?”

Shippou
stilled, briefly surprised.

“Hmmmmmmm.”

InuYasha
turned his head swiftly to find the small body perched lightly on his
shoulder, small face close, the arch expression now exchanged for a
speculative one. “What?!”

“Well,
it’s just that I didn’t expect you to admit it, is all. I
thought you’d tell me to mind my own business.”

“Fine.
Mind your own business.”

Shippou
made a face. “Kagome is my business. Anyone who wants to
be with her has to go through me first.” His look was
unimpressed. “I don’t know why she would want to be with
you. You don’t even look all that smart.”

He
growled menacingly.

A quick retreat, and the kitsune perched on the windowsill again. A
brief silence. “InuYasha?”

He
blew out an impatient breath. “What, runt?”

“You’re
not going to…ummm…could you not…please don’t
take Kagome away from me.” The conversational tone didn‘t
change, but his head was bent, and his bangs had fallen into his
eyes, covering his expression. “She’s the only one who
talks to me…the way…my mother used to.”

The
smell of salty tears reached InuYasha’s nose; he saw the tiny
drop fall onto the lollipop in the kit’s hands. Golden eyes
widened, and for a moment, he panicked. Why do I get to be the
lucky one to hear the kid’s worst nightmares?

Then
his eyes softened slightly. Right. An orphan. Damn.

He
sighed, and reached out to rap his knuckles lightly on thick orange
hair. “Baka. Don’t worry about Kagome leaving you. Even I
can see how much she loves you. I don’t think anyone could get
her away from you--not even her mate.” The little fox sniffed.
He briefly glanced askance at the ceiling. “You shouldn’t
cry, runt. Men should be strong. Be strong and protect those you care
about. That’s what we do.”

The
young kitsune stared at his lollipop.

“Someone
took my mother away,” he said quietly. Another tear dropped
onto his treat. “My father couldn’t protect her…and
he was strong. Two big youkai burned them alive with lightning, and I
could only watch. I couldn’t do anything to protect the ones I
loved then.”

Amber
eyes widened. Lightning? Shit. The Thunder Brothers.

InuYasha
remembered them--the badass, two-man gang of brothers who had
terrorized parts of the city a few months ago, indiscriminately
killing both humans and youkai. Of course he remembered them. He’d
exterminated them. Those hard-ass bastards had made Shippou an
orphan? They’d killed his parents in front of his eyes?

SHIT.

He
looked from the leaking kit over to Kagome, who had noticed them and
was sending concerned glances to the two in the window. Great.
“Tch! A little pup like you couldn’t have done anything
against the Thunder Brothers.” He shook his head. “And
Kagome…like I said, don’t worry about her. I’m
protecting Kagome from now on.”

Damp
blue eyes peaked out from behind orange strands. “But what if
the Thunder Brothers come back?”

A sneer curled his lip, revealing a fang. “They’re long
gone, squirt. They won’t be coming back.”

“How
do you know?” He was skeptical, but the tears were drying.

“Because
I’m the one who killed them.”

The
little fox-kit fell silent for a moment, absorbing InuYasha’s
quiet, confident tone.

Blue
eyes widened with awe. “You’re a hunter?” He
breathed.

“Keh!
Only the best there is.”

The
fox-kit hesitated, then looked suspicious. “You’re not
lying, are you? Sometimes grown-ups lie.”

InuYasha
rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Oh I’m a hunter all right.
I don’t lie. Trust me, they’re dead. Now stop crying,
brat. I promise you, I won’t let anything happen to Kagome.”
An orange head bobbed, and a small hand came up to brush underneath
his bangs.

“InuYasha,
are you being mean to Shippou again?” Kagome walked up to them,
the makings of a royal temper brewing in her face. “Didn’t
I tell you to be gentle with him?”

InuYasha
sighed, truly put out now. I try to do something nice, and this is
what I get. Dammit. He had no doubt the little rat-face would
milk the situation for all it was worth.

Shippou
was shaking his head. “Don’t worry Kagome. We were just
having a conversation--man-to-man. It’s nothing for you to be
concerned about.” InuYasha’s eyebrows shot up.

Kagome
looked surprised. She blinked. “Really?”

She
looked at InuYasha, who quickly schooled his astonished features and
looked away. “Feh.”

Kagome
looked uncertainly between the two, not quite sure what to believe.
“Gomen, InuYasha. My mistake. I thought…I thought
Shippou was crying.” She peered suspiciously at the kitsune,
trying to discern evidence of recent waterworks.

Mrs.
Hashimoto finally walked into the room, looking extremely harried.
“Dr. Higurashi! I’m so glad you’re here. I’m
sorry it took me so long to find you, but Kina’s needed all of
my attention for the past few minutes. She’s been running a
high fever all day, and I’m very concerned about her. Please
come see to her right away.”

Kagome
threw one last glance at the two on the window before she turned and
walked out of the room with Mrs. Hashimoto.

InuYasha
glanced down at the little kitsune sitting next to his foot, licking
contentedly at his lollipop, all signs of trauma vanished. What
the hell?

“No
need to thank me, InuYasha. I figured I owed you, since you avenged
my father and all.” He darted a narrow look at the hanyou. “But
don’t think this lets you off the hook about Kagome.”

“WHAT?!”
He stared at the furball in disbelief.

“I
know you’re up to something with her, and I won’t let you
do anything to hurt her. I will protect her from you if I have
to.” The little fox studied him critically. “You might
not be good enough for Kagome. I still don’t think you’re
very smart. I‘ll be watching you very closely from now on, and
if you try anything funny...” He nodded, a serious frown on his
face. “You better watch out--we foxes can be very dangerous
opponents.”

With
an irritated snort, InuYasha kicked him off the windowsill.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m
so sorry about dinner, InuYasha. Kina was much worse than I thought
she’d be. I had to bring down her fever and get her quarantined
away from the other children. I just didn’t expect to be so
long. I can’t believe you waited for me.”

InuYasha
grunted. “What did you expect me to do, just leave you there?
It’s late, you idiot. It’s dangerous to walk alone at
night.” The street they walked on was dark, with a few
streetlights spaced far in between, and only the silvery half-moon
lighting the way in the interval. The apartment complexes on either
side were silent, most people having gone to bed long before now.

Kagome
yawned and stretched, pulling her sweater closer around her to ward
off the chill. Somewhere in the back of her mind was a little note of
surprise that she hadn’t taken his insult seriously. “Well,
thank you for walking me home anyway.” She looked around the
deserted street, grateful that she wasn’t alone. Normally she
didn’t think twice about walking home in the dark, but
InuYasha’s presence made her feel safe--something she’d
never noticed not feeling before.

She
yawned again, a jaw-cracking one, and rubbed at her eyes with tired
hands. Damn. And I have an early shift tomorrow. How does this
always happen?

She
heard InuYasha blow out an irritated breath, and suddenly, her feet
were no longer on the ground, and her body was no longer vertical.
Her arms went around his shoulders automatically, and she blinked,
peering through the darkness at his features, trying to see his
expression. “Uhhh…”

“Just…be
quiet about it, will ya? You’re practically falling asleep on
your feet. Baka. Don’t you ever sleep?” His rough voice
was low and irritated, but the curiously tender undertone took the
sting from his words. He pressed her close. Butterflies took flight
in her stomach.

“I
sleep,” she defended. “I’ve just been…”
she fought another yawn, “…very busy the past couple of
days.”

“Yeah,
yeah. Shut up, Dr. Higurashi.” It was that same tone again, the
scratchy, gentle one that played havoc with her internal systems. She
was reacting to that voice. Oh man. I think…I might be in
trouble.

She
pulled herself closer to his warm body, resting her head where it had
been once before on his shoulder. He didn’t have a jacket, and
his arms were still bare. They wrapped underneath her body, pulling
her securely against him, trapping her in a cage of heat. So…his
body was this hot all the time, huh? She closed her eyes, snuggling
close.

Now
how in the world did this happen?

He
shrugged his shoulder. “Hey, don’t fall asleep on me. I
still don’t know where I’m taking you.”

“Two
blocks down, and take a right,” she mumbled against his shirt.
“My apartment is on the second floor, last one on the right.”

Her
eyes remained closed, and he didn’t bother her again. But she
didn’t sleep.

She
was too aware of him to sleep. His body was pressed against
hers--AGAIN, for Kami’s sake!--and of the smooth,
efficient way his muscles moved beneath his clothes. His chest rose
and fell in an even cadence, and his heart beat steadily against her
ear. The warm, rigid strength of his arms supported her against
him--the only things separating her from the ground--and she felt
like she was floating. His claws pressed into her thigh through her
skirt, and into her sweater, just above her breast--not hurting her,
just making her sensitive to their presence. She felt safe and secure
in his arms.

She
liked the way he smelled, too. Earthy. Faintly spicy. Just a little
wild.

Her
heartbeat was picking up, and the butterflies in her belly had
started a current of tingling sensations rushing through her. She
squeezed her closed eyes, embarrassingly aware of her body, of how
her breathing became shallow, and a liquid ache had formed between
her thighs. Her flush no longer had anything to do with
embarrassment.

Sex.
Even her thoughts were
breathless, almost awed. Unbelievable.
This is sex, pure and simple. Physical attraction,
nothing more. She bit at her
lip. Ok…so I find the guy attractive. So what? I
find lots of guys attractive.

Her
conscience gave a whispery peal of laughter. Liar.

She
bit into her cheek, trying to break out of whatever lunacy had taken
control of her body. Her attention focused on the even
movements of his body against hers as he carried her through the
night, desperately trying to ignore the excitement tugging sharply at
her insides. The excitement that grew more and more insistent by the
moment.

She
was almost disappointed when his movements stopped. A few moments of
charged silence followed.

“I
don’t…have…the keys.” His voice was
uneven--harsher than normal.

Her
eyes snapped open. For the first time, she became aware of the
accelerated pounding in his chest, of the ragged breath that nearly
matched her own. For an instant, her heart ceased beating. Her breath
caught, and every sensation she’d been fighting for the past
few minutes rose up, overwhelming her mind. Oh, my…. Had
he noticed her reaction to him? Had she somehow triggered a similar
reaction to her?

Wide-eyed, she lifted her head from his shoulders, bringing her face
very close to his. The dark obscured his features, but she could feel
his irregular breath on her face, caressing her skin, mixing with her
own.

He
released her legs, letting her body slide slowly along his until her
feet touched the ground. She stood motionless, leaning against him.
Her hands on his chest rose and fell with each breath he took. She
should step back. She really should.

She
could see the outline of his mouth, and she watched, utterly
captivated, as his lips parted. “Kagome….” Her
eyes widened even further. It was the first time she had heard her
name from his lips, and the rasp of the word washed over her senses
like a drug, drawing her towards him, blurring what thoughts she had
left.

She
shook her head, trying to clear it, unsure if she really wanted to.
“I…I don’t…” The air between them was
magnetic, pulling her closer. Her body pressed against his as she
leaned forward. “InuYasha…” She whispered his name
helplessly, some black-magic spell to save her from insanity.

Too
bad it didn’t work.

With
a deep growl, his hand slid up her back to her neck, and he tugged
her to him, his mouth crushing hers in a fierce kiss that she
returned wholeheartedly. Her arms wrapped themselves tightly around
his neck, her hands clutching at the silk of his hair. She felt his
hand return the gesture, weaving into her blue-black strands, cupping
the back of her head to better cradle her mouth against his.

His
lips ravaged, probing, opening her mouth. His tongue slipped inside
to coax at hers with raspy little strokes. She couldn’t help
but respond, angling her head slightly as the kiss deepened.

When
that wasn’t enough, he backed her against the wall, pressing
their hips together firmly so his hands could wander her body. She
gasped into his mouth when his fingers grazed along the curve of one
breast, the feeling deliciously real even through the thick material
of her sweater. Her back arched, pressing against his hand, and he
responded in kind, fully cupping around the curve, long digits giving
gentle little strokes. She could feel him pressed against her hip,
noted how aroused he was becoming, was vaguely aware of where they
were heading.

Didn’t
care.

Impatiently,
his hands skirted the untucked hem of her blouse, sliding underneath
to find the smooth expanse of her back and stomach. Claws abraded her
skin, so gentle they almost tickled. Hot hands flattened, smoothing
upward along her spine.

Her
body temperature skyrocketed.

She
moaned loudly, her head falling back against the wall, struggling for
breath. InuYasha released her lips, but not her skin, his mouth
trailing down along her jaw to taste her neck, licking and kissing
his way to her ear, nibbling. He reached her ear and drew the soft
lobe into his mouth, sucking gently before scraping his teeth along
the sensitive lower part.

Her
arms gripped around his neck, her fingers pressing into his
shoulders. At the small bite, she dug her nails into the corner of
his jaw, and a tiny sob left her throat. He groaned deeply, and the
vibrations scattered through her whole body. For a few moments, she
was utterly lost, her mind caught in a haze of sensation.

It
was the mouth moistening her bra that brought a brief return of
sanity. She had no idea how he’d gotten her blouse unbuttoned,
but the shock of his warm mouth through the silk brought her out of
her haze.

Oh,
God!

She
brought her hands to his shoulders and pushed, edging him away from
her. “InuYasha, stop.” Her voice was weak, uncertain,
soft. She wasn’t sure she wanted him to stop, but…”Please,
InuYasha, it’s too fast.”

He
froze, trembling for an instant in her arms before his mouth left her
breast. Slowly, his hands pulled away from her body, claws scraping
briefly as they left her skin. She shivered. His hands hit the wall
on either side of her head, pressing firmly in an effort to keep them
still, and they stood together, bodies still molded, struggling for
breath, desperate to regain composure.

His
head bent to hers, his mouth grazed her ear once again as he
whispered. “Are you sure?”

Kagome
closed her eyes briefly and clutched her blouse together with one
hand. Drawing a deep breath, she nodded. “I’m sorry,”
she whispered back. “It’s too fast. We just met. I
can’t…”

With
a deep, frustrated growl, he drew back, crossing the hallway to lean
against the railing, wrapping his hands around it, digging into the
metal.

Kagome
blinked, shocked to find herself standing bereft on rubbery legs in
the hallway outside her door. She hesitated, staring at him,
surprised by the hollow feeling of loss, her heart racing, skin
heated by a flush. She wasn’t sure what to do.

After
a few moments, he sighed. “Your keys...?” His voice had a
gritty undertone--almost like gravel.

She
blinked again. Keys? Her eyes widened slightly. We’re
right outside my apartment. Please don’t let anyone have seen
us!

She
looked around frantically, finally spotting her discarded bag on the
floor next to the door. Bending over, she rummaged for her keys with
shaking hands.

She
had a hard time getting the key in the lock, and she struggled for a
minute. Then, with another put-upon sigh, he was behind her, his
hands closing over hers, placing the key, and turning the lock. It
swung inward, and they stared into her dark apartment.

InuYasha
reached around her, found the wall switch, and the lights went on. He
tossed her bag inside by the door and gently turned her to face him.
They stared at each other in the light, at features ravaged by
passion, and eyes miserable from the loss of it. His gaze had
darkened to the deepest shade of gold she’d ever seen, giving
them a bronze-like sheen.

The
passion was still there, lying just below the surface. She could
still the feel the magnetic pull. An insane half of her wanted to
jump at him, to just give in and let the threatening storm consume
her. The other half was more cautious, scared of such an overpowering
attraction to someone she barely knew. She swallowed.

“Do
you have to visit the children tomorrow?”

Confused,
Kagome shook her head.

“Do
you have a late shift?”

Another
negative.

“Do
you have any other obligations to fulfill tomorrow?”

No.

Satisfaction
swept over his features. “Good. I’m taking you to dinner
tomorrow night. I’ll meet you at work.”

Stunned,
she shook her head. “Wait….”

He
growled, and grabbed her by the shoulders. “I won’t let
you pretend this didn’t happen, Kagome.” He stepped close
enough that she could feel the warmth of his body, but stopped short
of touching her. Releasing her shoulders, he brought a finger up to
drag down her face. She suppressed a whimper. That claw of his--he
knew what it did to her, damn him.

“Kagome.”

There
it was again, her name in that
tone. Oh, gods. Make him stop.

She
swallowed. His face was intense--packed with so many different
emotions she couldn’t sort them all out. The claw drew
forward--slowly, meticulously, outlining her lips. “I can smell
you. Your scent tells me how much you want me. You can’t run
away, and I won’t let you be a coward.” He paused.
“Tomorrow.”

Kagome
nodded.

He
glanced around the entryway, sniffing to ensure the apartment was
safe, then gave a gruff parting order. “Get some sleep.”

The
door clicked behind him.

Utterly
stunned, Kagome just stood for a long time, staring at the door,
allowing her body to cool down. Finally, she turned and headed for
the nearest mirror. Her reflection shocked her--the swollen lips, the
wildly mussed hair, the flush all over her body. The look in her eyes
was new, too.

Kagome
knew about sex. She knew all the mechanics of sex--she was a doctor.
She’d thought she’d known what it would be like,
what it would feel like. She’d had experience. She’d
kissed boys, allowed them to touch her.

She’d
never been kissed like this before.

Not
even Houjou, her boyfriend through most of high school, had ever had
this effect before. Even the young men she’d allowed the
privilege of kissing her in college hadn’t had this sweeping,
irresistible impact. She’d thought kissing was fun before, an
enjoyable pastime. Now….

But
it had felt so intense, so emotion-driven. How could it be? She
barely knew InuYasha, yet she had come within a hair’s breadth
of giving him her body. And they were still there--all the feelings,
all the emotions. She had to deal with it. He wouldn’t let it
go. She wasn’t sure she wanted him to.

Reaching
a decision, she left the bathroom and picked up the phone. It was
extremely late, but Kagome didn’t spare a thought for remorse.
This was payback for countless nights with little or no sleep during
university.

The
phone rang for a while. A sleepy voice finally answered.

“Sango.
I have a few questions I need you to answer.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N:
Ok, so this chapter gave me a conniption fit. I started out writing
one thing, and I ended up with this. It’s not what I originally
envisioned, but hey, sometimes writing works that way. I’m not
sure about this one, so please let me know what you think--what you
liked, what you disliked. I’m still perfecting my timing on the
citrus, so I need all the help I can get. Again: Thank You, Thank
You, Thank You, to all of you who have been giving me such warm
reviews. I appreciate every single one of them. You have no idea how
much they help. Keep them coming! ‘Till next chapter, Quill.
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Waiting on a Wish