#inukag fluff

[nabikyu]

Inukagmoro silly doodles;

No feudal era, both are humans and met each other at school.

[heynikkiyousofine]

Happy Holidays @aerin-of-the-isles I'm your Secret Santa! I wrote this cute little one shot for you, and had some amazing work commissioned by @heavenin--hell to go along with it. I hope you love it as much as I do!💕

Finding Home In You

Summary: Querenica: (spanish/adj.) a place where one feels at home, a person where one feels at home with

He sat with his back pressed against the rough wall, a mere few feet from the entry of Kaede’s hut, with even less space from a certain miko on his right. Inuyasha claimed this particular spot along the edge, the perfect place to reside while he watched over her, months ago when they began their journey for shards of the Shikon Jewel. Glancing around the well lit hut, he determined they were safe for the evening, his posture relaxing slightly at the thought, though he would remain on guard while they slept through the night.

Read here on ao3

taglist under the cut

@blairex ; @mamabearcat ; @enchantedink-ag ; @splendentgoddess ; @mandirox89 ; @sailorlolo ; @mustardyellowsunshine ; @knittingknots ; @yukinon-writes ; @clearwillow ; @keichanz ; @serial-doubters-club ; @malditamigs ; @zelink-inukag ; @shinidamachu ; @banksdelivers ; @that-one-nerdy-gal ; @sarahk21 ; @dchelyst ; @anisaanisa ; @lavendertwilight89 ; @otaku-108 ; @sailorbabydoll92 ; @queerkagome ; @chit-a-to ; @liz8080 ; @lightmidnight ; @shikonstar ; @soliska ; @inusecretsanta ; @inukagbot ; @brain-rot-hour ; @xanthippe-writes ; @hahaalaine ; @moonkissedart ; @lostinfantasyworlds ; 

[nartistadigital]

Moments before…

An InuKag moment for Karina 🌸

[malamira]

QUIET LOVE, OH HOW IT SCREAMS

synopsis: "i'd never let anything happen to you, if i could help it."

a/n: GOD, i love doctor!au inukag. i did a lot of editing and revising for this, so it's a different beast from what it was when smutmas version came out. i'm not 100% happy with the ending, but i mean. if i did any more i had a feeling i would just ruin it instead of help it.

— 💓 —

“You’re going to love me,” Sango sing-songed, sliding into the seat next to Kagome’s.

Kagome grunted, massaging her temple. The bar wasn't too crowded, thankfully, but the noise level was high enough that she had to speak up to be heard. “Why? Did you kill the hospital director yet?”

“No,” Sango said primly; Onigumo Industries owned the hospital Kagome was a surgeon at, and Sango's father was vice president of one of the subsidiaries. “But,” she said, grasping her friend’s arm, “I kind of have a solution to your extended shift problem.”

“You mean the hospital is hiring another surgeon?” Kagome mumbled grumpily, knocking back her watered down whisky. The moisture that collected outside the glass splattered unto the bar when she slammed it down. 

“No! A guy!”

Kagome stared at her best friend, first blankly, then sourly. “Sango, I love you and I know you only have my best interests at heart, but seriously? I barely have time to bathe Buyo. I don’t have time for a guy.”

“No, I mean like to fuck!” her friend said encouragingly. “It’s been rough the past few weeks. Maybe a good orgasm will fix you right up!"

Kagome's cheeks colored. "I don't—"

Sango wasn't having any of it. "Aw, come on! It's just some harmless fun. He’s right over there, by the booth—”

“Now?” Kagome said incredulously. “I’m in my scrubs. I have a stain on my shirt!”

“So? Is it a shit stain?” 

“I’m not even going to correct you on how many hospital protocols I would’ve broken if it were a shit stain.”

“Lighten up, Kagome!” Sango insisted, jumping up from her chair and tugging at her friend's arm. “It’s Friday and you deserve to get laid. Come on.”

“It is a testament to our ten-year friendship that I am choosing to trust you,” Kagome said flatly, throwing a few bills on the counter to cover her drink. She called over the bartender before letting Sango pull her away.

“Hello, gentlemen,” Sango said brightly, then brandished her friend from behind her. “As promised, my lady doctor friend.”

“Hi,” the guy at the edge of the booth said, dark hair and bright, blue eyes. He was cute, Kagome could admit, if a little too... pedestrian, for her tastes. He extended a hand to shake. “I’m Kōga.”

“Kagome,” she introduced herself, taking his hand for a brief shake. He scooted over and motioned for her to sit next to him. 

Sango had already settled into the side of a guy who had a short ponytail and earrings. “I’m Miroku,” that guy said. 

She only just managed to land her butt on the leather seat of the booth, she felt a familiar vibration pattern in her pocket. Her emergency pattern.

Before Kōga—or Sango, for that matter—could utter a word, she’d straightened and fished out her phone. “Hospital. Gotta go.” 

Without so much as a look back, she bolted.

—

“I’m here,” Kagome panted, running into the ER. "I'm here!"

“Doc!” Jinenji, one of the nurses on shift, called out, timidly holding a clipboard to his chest as he approached from the nurses' station. “I know you just got out—”

“It’s fine.” She waved away his concern. “What do you need?”

“We did a test for Nazuna, the one who had the appendectomy earlier today, and the results required a change in dosage,” he informed her, then turned sheepish when he continued, “I’m really sorry; her mother was getting… irate, and I couldn't get another physician—”

Kagome shook her head and let out a breath. “It’s okay, Jinenji; it's not your fault. Good thing I was nearby.” A bar two blocks away wasn't necessarily nearby, but Jinenji didn’t have to know that. She took the clipboard. "Nazuna... the one with anemia, right? Can we check if she needs a transfusion? Her RBC's looking pretty low..."

“Dr. Higurashi!” another nurse cried as soon as Jinenji took off with her advice. “Thank God you're here; I need you!”

Kagome sighed and got to work.

—

A few hours later, she yawned as she pushed back against the desk in the middle of the doctor's lounge, her chair screeching against the floor. "Oh my God," she groaned, exhausted.

“I hear Higurashi,” a gruff voice called a few hours later, and a light-haired head popped into the admin room doorway. Gold eyes peered at her with interest. “Hey. Isn’t your shift over? Why are you still here?”

Kagome stretched in her chair and rubbed her eye with the back of her hand. She smiled tiredly at Inuyasha, who regarded her with curious eyes. “Had to do something. You haven’t left yet?”

He strode into the room, hands in his pockets. He’d forgone his lab coat and scrubs, changing into jeans and a button-up shirt. “About to, yeah. Where'd you come from? Your house?”

She shook her head. “No, I was at the bar two blocks down. You know Shikon?”

Inuyasha smirked and jerked his head. “Come on. I’ll drive you back. Unless you wanna walk…?”

“Nah, you’re good,” she said, collecting her things and leaving the room. She fell into step next to him. “And excuse you, I had one drink.”

He opened the door to the stairwell and let her pass; the elevator to the parking was under repair. “Shikon’s for kids anyway. Why not head to, I don’t know, Totosai’s, or something?”

“I didn’t pick the place,” Kagome mumbled. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she fumbled for it, shoes echoing as they made their way down the cement steps.

“Oh? Were you out with friends, then?”

"Yeah." Kagome groaned, pausing in the middle of the stairwell, "And she’s fucking pissed at me.”

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, curious. He hopped back up a few steps to get back to her level and peered at her phone, eyes widening at the slew of texts she'd apparently ignored.

Sango 23:44 Is everything ok?

Sango 00:22 Kagome we’re still at the bar in case u wanna come back, I’m telling Koga ur coming back

Sango 00:28 Can u reply so i can give an update

Sango 01:18 Kagome PLS!! Trying to call u, pls answer

Sango 01:31 Koga left. He’s kinda pissed and I’m super embarrassed

Sango 01:56 Leaving too, it’s been 2 hours

Sango 02:03 Call me in the morning when I’m more important than your job

He whistled lowly. “She’s really mad, huh?”

“No, really? What gave that away?” Kagome said blankly, furiously typing back. Sorry, stuff at the hospital got hectic. Will make it up to you tomorrow. She sent the message and pocketed her phone, pressing a hand to her forehead. She took a deep breath before turning to climb back up the stairs.

“What’s up?”

“You go on ahead,” she said.

“What?" She could hear Inuyasha climb up after her. "Why?”

“I’m heading home,” she said, looking back at him. She lived on the other side of town, opposite the direction of Shikon.

Inuyasha put his hands in his pockets and looked at her like she was crazy. “Are you crazy? It’s two in the morning, Higurashi. I’ll drive you home."

She gaped. “Are you crazy? I live an hour away!”

“Traffic won’t be too bad,” he said with a shrug, not looking at her. “I don’t mind. Seriously.”

“But—”

He sighed and climbed further up the stairs until they were a step apart, his eyes meeting hers with barely a tilt of his head. “Kagome, seriously. You work too hard and give too much."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm fine—"

"Oh, come on," Inuyasha said, clearly exasperated. "Don’t think I hadn’t heard of you being wheeled out of the operating room after that cystectomy last week.”

She flushed at that. “I—How’d you know about that?”

“Jinenji’s very easy to manipulate.” 

She gaped and lightly smacked his arm. “That’s mean! You know he’s scared of you.”

“He’s scared of a lot of things,” Inuyasha shot back. “And I would’ve known anyway.”

“How?”

“Kagome,” he said, one of his hands slipping out of his pocket to gently grasp her wrist. He raised it so it hovered in between their faces. “You’re shaking.”

Her hand twitched before her eyes, and she bit her lip. “I'm fine, I'm just tired—"

"Tired? But you're consistently taking 24-hour shifts?" He lowered her hand, but didn't let go of her wrist. "Come on, Kagome. Admit it; you're overworking yourself."

She sniffed. "I didn’t know you watched me so closely.” It was meant to corner him, but it came out feeble and shy.

He sighed and lowered their clasped hands. “Seriously, Kagome,” he mumbled as he, to her surprise, rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “You need to take care of yourself more.”

She looked down at his hand, watching as his thumb dragged tenderly over her skin.

Her relationship with Inuyasha was both surprisingly simple and terrifyingly complicated. They had met in medical school, when she was a sophomore and he was in his last year. They'd gone to different schools—rival schools—but they had a mutual friend who introduced them, thinking they’d be perfect for each other.

It couldn’t have gone more wrong.

She looked too much like his ex, he said, while she claimed that he was too big of an asshole. While they were both planning to eventually become surgeons, it seemed like the similarities stopped there. Whenever they managed to come across each other it was like they wanted to bite each other’s head off for the smallest of things—like breathing too loud, or walking too slow—until they discovered that they’d work together in the same hospital, in the same operating team.

They'd learned to deal with each other. At least until the day Kagome’s brother had been wheeled in into the ER.

Sōta had been shot.

Kagome had nearly lost her mind with worry, snapping at anyone who denied her access to her brother, until Inuyasha had to practically manhandle her to sit down on the couch in the physician’s lounge. He had talked her down, told her that he was handling the operation, he'd be the one to take care of her brother, but she needed to calm the fuck down, okay? 

She'd grabbed his hand and made him promise to do everything—everything—he could.

He'd kissed her forehead, unbidden, and left the room. The shock of it was like the icing on the proverbial cake, rendering her speechless. It was too much all at once, and she ended up sleeping on the lounge couch. A few hours later, Inuyasha woke Kagome up and she bolted to see her brother.

Sōta had made it, albeit looking a little worse for wear. Her mother had screamed at the police on the phone, the angriest Kagome had ever seen her. Turned out Sōta had been shot by an unknown assailant after being mugged, and the man was still on the loose. 

The police had found him eventually, Kagome had told Inuyasha when he asked, and she hadn't known anything beyond that. The other surgeon nodded, looking pensive. Kagome had realized she hadn’t thanked him yet, for all he’d done. She had suggested that she pick up his shifts in return.

He'd declined (surprisingly politely). Instead, he'd offered to pick up her shifts while she took a break. When she'd asked what for, all he said was, "To take care of your brother," and left it at that.

She'd thought he'd take one or two shifts, but he'd crossed her name out of the shift sheet for a total of three weeks, declaring that hanyōs didn't really need sleep, and therefore could take on more work. ("I'm the ideal ER doctor, if you think about it," he'd said.)

"Inuyasha," she said.

His thumb resumed its motions. "Hm?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked him.

That seemed to snap him out of whatever stupor he'd landed himself in, and he let go. She kind of missed it.

With a blush on his face, he scoffed and looked away. "I—You know, I pick up your shifts when you're out, you know? I—You shouldn't take—If you get sick, I'll have to take more shifts."

Awkward silence settled over them, and Kagome stepped down to stand closer to him. They were practically nose to nose, and Inuyasha's gold gaze met hers with an intensity that made her want to shiver.

"You're lying," she challenged boldly, and that made him scoff again, sounding completely offended this time around.

"Why would I lie?" he said with a roll of his eyes, turning away and stepping down.

Kagome was growing frustrated. She couldn't put into words what she wanted to tell him.

"You're always—" She shook her head. She was ready to yell, but she wasn't angry. Once upon a time, she would have snapped, called him a coward, and stomped past him. But gone was the pure loathing that defined the early stages of their relationship. So where did that leave them?

Where did that leave her?

He turned and looked back up at her. "Look. I can drive you home, and I—" He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Just get some rest, okay? You've had a long day. I can take your shift tomorrow, just... just get some rest."

The next thing she knew, she was watching his back as he climbed down the stairs, and that's when it dawned on her.

Her brother, her job, her wellbeing—why hadn't she realized sooner that—

"Inuyasha."

He paused and sighed, turning back to face her. "Kagome, just—"

Maybe it was the exhaustion, but the way he looked at her made her eyes prick with heat. She bounded towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shirt collar. "Thank you."

He was clearly taken aback, but managed to keep both of them upright. "Wh—For what—"

"For taking care of me," she mumbled. "That's what you're doing, right?"

She felt his body go rigid before relaxing. His arms slowly came around her middle. "Stupid girl," he murmured with so much affection it made her heart skip, "Only because you're doing a terrible job at it."

She sobbed. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"It's okay."

"And I'm sorry for not noticing sooner," she sniffled. "I'm sorry for being a workaholic, and for being exhausted, and for crying."

His arms tightened just a bit. "It's okay."

"I'm sorry for being annoying about it."

His low laughter rumbled in his chest. "It's okay."

She hugged him tighter. "And I'm sorry I never thanked you for Sōta."

He lets out a breath and turn his head. "You don't have to apologize or thank me for that, Kagome," he told her gently. Pressing a soft kiss to the shell of her ear, he continued, "Your family is important to you. I'd never let anything happen to them." Then, softer yet louder at the same time, "I'd never let anything happen to you, if I could help it."

That made her gut wrench and heart swell and it made her cry harder.

He held her close as she did.

[serial-doubters-club]

Happy Birthday @xfangheartx !!!

Thank you for all the joy you bring to the fandom! We hope you have an amazing day! 💝💝💝

~ From the IY Birthday Crew

Read on AO3

Rated G

One of Inuyasha's favorite things was putting Kagome to bed.

Typically, she got home earlier than he did, and lately she had been working so hard that she started falling asleep in odd places around the house.

At first, he would come home and find her asleep on the couch with the TV on or at the kitchen table, the ingredients for dinner laid out across the table, the clean knife still in her hand.

With time it got more interesting, and he had to rely on his nose to track her scent around their home until he found her.

One time, she was still buckled up and snoring away in her car in the driveway.

Another time, she fell asleep in the bathtub amidst a growing cloud of bubbles.

Just last week, he tracked her scent to the garden where she slept among the flowers.

Then there was the time she'd almost made it to their bedroom, and he found her in the middle of the hallway.

But his absolute favorite was when he found her sleeping in the laundry room on top of the washer, the loud, metal giant shaking her body so vigorously it was a wonder it hadn't flung her off.

Each and every time, Inuyasha would scoop his Sleeping Beauty up into his arms, maneuver her body out of whatever predicament she'd gotten herself into, and carry her up the stairs to their bedroom without disturbing her slumber in the slightest.

Laying her down onto their bed, pulling the covers over her, and slipping in beside her had become an art, and his reward was getting to listen to the gentle sound of her breathing and watching her sleep peacefully until he too drifted off.

It was an honor for him that Kagome trusted him with her body, that she trusted him to protect her while she was in such a vulnerable state.

But the best part of all was waking up beside her every morning, seeing her smile contently, and hearing her say those words.

"I knew you'd find me."

[inuyashamybeloved]

Against his wishes, Inuyasha is forced to attend the company’s Christmas party. He’s definitely not happy about it and would much rather stay at home and cuddle with his new girlfriend; the same girlfriend who happens to be his brother’s assistant. How the hell is he gonna manage to spend time with her at the party if nobody knows they are dating?

Characters: Inuyasha, Kagome Higurashi, Miroku, Sango, Bankotsu, Hojo, Naraku

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome

Rating: Explicit

Genre: Humor, Romance, Lemons

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Fluff, Smut, Grumpy Inuyasha

Chapters: 1

Status: Complete

Read on Ao3

This is my Secret Santa gift for the lovely @arisukingdom | Hope you enjoy it! ❤️💚

@inusecretsanta

[kstewdeux]

@inukag-week 2023 | June 2 | Prompt “Heat”

Summary: Inuyasha has a collection.

Read here or on Ao3

Drifting lazily to the scuffed tile, the pressed wildflower seemed out of place amidst the chaos of the halls. It belonged in a long forgotten meadow. In another time and place.

‘Sango must’ve put it in here and forgotten it,’ Kagome thought absently as she knelt down - the chemistry textbook hanging limply by her side. Despite lacking any evidence, the instant conclusion comes as easily as breathing - in and out without any real thought on the matter. In the commotion of the students trying to make it to their next class, she almost missed the three others that gracefully cascaded from their hiding place. What Kagome found strangest of all was that she hadn’t brought this particular textbook to the feudal era in weeks. The fact that the flowers had been undisturbed too was also rather damning. A reminder of how very screwed she was academically. One of her hardest subjects and she hadn’t given it a second thought until this morning.

‘Well guess I’m failing chemistry then,’ Kagome thought bitterly as she carefully gathered the delicate flowers up and lightly tucked them back between the pages. She’d be the last to admit it but the idea of just dropping out had crossed her mind more than once. At this rate, with how far behind she was in literally all of her classes, she’d probably have to repeat the grade anyway.

But dousing her life in the modern era with gasoline, lighting a match and walking away wasn’t an option. There was always a chance the Well would stop working and who knew which side she’d get trapped in. With the jewel almost complete, time was running out and giving up now was a luxury she couldn’t afford. One way or another, a coin flip was going to determine the trajectory of her life and she knew, she just knew it was going to hurt either way.

Yeah, okay, so….

Sango wasn’t the one pressing flowers in her textbook. The first thing the slayer had done was gasp about how pretty they were and the second was ask Kagome where she got them.

This reaction raised so many questions because now the suspects were (a) a lecherous monk, (b) a child who managed to get a new girlfriend in every village they visited and (c) Inuyasha. Option C was immediately dismissed which left Miroku and Shippo.

God, she hoped it was Shippo. If Miroku was meticulously preparing and then handing out flowers to pretty girls, Sango was going to lose her mind. With the kit, at least there was the possibility he was just a kid doing an art project.

Setting down her textbook with the flowers tucked safely inside, Kagome casually walked over to the little boy who was busy ‘hunting’ a beetle in the grass.

“Hey Shippo?” she asked and large green eyes looked up at her, “I found some pretty flowers. Do you want to see them?”

He’d smiled then said ‘no thanks’ and crouched down with his tiny booty wiggling in the air. The fact that he wasn’t interested wasn’t exactly surprising nor did it prove anything but somehow she managed to reach a conclusion anyway. For one, Shippo would’ve mentioned something by now if he had hidden flowers away in her textbook. Two, Shippo preferred drawing to crafts. And , of course, three was that Shippo had never been interested in flowers.

Sighing softly, Kagome gracefully got to her feet and began looking around for Miroku. A movement to her right caught her eye. Inuyasha. Reaching casually for her textbook without stopping, quickly flipping to the exact place where she’d hidden the flowers and then carefully putting the book back down. The whole action hadn’t taken more than ten seconds and he’d barely paused in his stride.

Chewing the inside of her cheek, Kagome continued to watch. A handkerchief was discreetly pulled out from inside his robe, opened and the flowers were delicately put in. The movement was fast, smooth and easy to miss if you weren’t looking directly at him.

Okay. So…Inuyasha was pressing flowers for some reason. The question now became why. Was it a hobby? Did it have to do with scent like some type of makeshift cologne? Was it something he’d always done? How long-

Hey, wait a minute, that was her handkerchief!

No one said she was a rational human being all the time. Nobody said she didn’t have impulse control or that she didn’t have a temper. No one said she thought this through.

“You took my handkerchief!” Kagome gasped angrily as she began storming over to an Inuyasha who froze like a deer in the headlights.

“What are you talking about? No I didn’t!” he hissed back even though his hand flew up to his chest like he was protecting something, “You’re seeing things woman.”

“Okay. Then what are you hiding in there?” Kagome challenged and a flash of panic zoomed behind his eyes.

“Hiding where?!”

“In your shirt stupid!”

“Where would I even be keeping it?!” Inuyasha scoffed defensively, “What? You think I sewed a pocket in there or something?”

That was exactly what he’d done but there was no way in hell he was telling her that. So what if he’d decided to start collecting things, huh? That was a thing people did. No one got mad at Sango for her weird collection of knives or at Miroku for stockpiling so many sutras that his robes were weighed down. And what about Shippo? Kagome had a whole folder in her room filled with all the drawings the kid made. What was so bad about wanting to collect something of his own? He liked scents, okay? It only made sense that he’d collect flowers and…other things that smelled good. It didn’t hurt nobody and it was nobody’s business.

Kagome narrowed her eyes and Inuyasha winced. Maybe he shouldn’t’ve thrown the idea of pockets out there. Also maybe he shouldn’t be pressing his hand against said pocket but a part of him was terrified about the possibility of losing the first things he’d ever owned. His little flower collection was the only thing he hadn’t inherited. The first thing he made with his own hands. What made the collection more special was that they had no real value. They weren’t worth anything. Not really. They were pretty and they smelled good. Ergo, the pressed flowers were a luxury.

He was at a place in his life where he could afford luxuries.

“Why did you steal it?” Kagome sighed - reigning in her anger and folding her arms across her chest.

“I didn’t steal shit,” Inuyasha countered as he stiffly lowered his hand and copied her posture. Technically speaking what he said was true and now the flowers suddenly became secondary to the most precious piece of his collection. She would need to tear that handkerchief out of his cold dead hands and he’d rather die than admit why he wanted it so bad. Besides, it wasn’t hers anymore and he’d put way too much effort into making sure it smelled right all of the time and he needed it. Actually needed it and she’d probably lose it like she lost it the first time.

“So you’re lying to me now?”

Despite his resolve, Inuyasha winced again and his stomach churned.

“Does this have anything to do with the flowers in my textbook?” she challenged before immediately regretting bringing it up at all. Inuyasha turned a little green and fear flickered across his face. Silence fell over the camp. A quick glance confirmed that each and every one of their friends - including Kilala - were now watching the showdown.

“W-what flowers?” he managed but his voice cracked and his ears flattened against his skull. Kagome’s anger faded away as quickly as it’d arrived and she slowly straightened up.

“Are you…are you collecting them?” she asked curiously - her voice horrifically soft. Inuyasha’s chest began heaving in mild panic.

“N-no. Why would I d-do that?”

Kagome chewed her lip for a second - her eyes searching his pale face before a warm smile played with her lips.

“You know what? Never mind,” she hummed - her voice gentle and calm - before moving over to her textbook and backpack, “Hey Sango? Can I borrow Kilala? I forgot something at-“

“You’re leaving over this?!” Inuyasha squeaked out as he quickly moved to her side with half a mind to grab her, “Seriously?!”

“I just forgot something. That’s all. I’ll be back before dark,” Kagome promised and the affectionate look in her eye confused him endlessly. It was almost like she understood something he really didn’t want her to understand quite yet. Shit, he hadn’t even fully come to terms with it and he did not feel ready.

In his panic, Inuyasha was powerless to stop her - even without the sit spell. Sango was pissed because, obviously, Kagome had left because of their fight. Shippo wouldn’t stop badgering him and demanding to see his collection no matter how vehemently denied its existence. Miroku just seemed amused.

It was after dark, for the record, when Kagome finally came back and, of course, the first thing she did was come find him presumably to start fighting all over again. A part of Inuyasha wanted to cry but he refused to make matters worse by shedding tears. He just wanted something nice. Why couldn’t he have nice-

Kneeling down in front of him, Kagome shrugged off her backpack and began digging through it. A few things were pulled out.

“Okay. So I got this little plastic sleeve. Waterproof, you know?” she began as she glanced up and gave him a soft smile, “To protect the non-existent flower collection.”

Before he could stop himself, Inuyasha’s defensive posture relaxed and he crouched down.

“W-wha-“

“And this,” she continued as she pulled out a square book and flipped through the glossy pages, “Is for if you decide you want to show them off. We call it a scrap book in my time. I took the liberty of getting some paper already but you’ll need to use these-“

She reached down and grabbed a sheet of odd clear dots, “To hold the flower in place. So they don’t fall out.”

Inuyasha blinked a few times like his mind was having trouble comprehending what was happening.

“I know it’s a little bulky and if you don’t like the paper we can go buy something different. And it won’t fit in your non-existent pocket,” she continued, “But I could put it in my backpack. Or we could keep it with Kaede or even in my room if you want.”

Inuyasha finally reached for the book with trembling fingers and sat down on the grass.

“It’s scents. Nice scents,” he whispered sheepishly as he lovingly ran his fingers over the matte floral cover, "T-that's all."

With a soft laugh, Kagome smiled. She almost looked like she’d just won some sort of victory but he didn’t care beyond knowing he was the real winner here. Still, he should probably say something like a ‘thank you’. Give a peace offering. A shuddering breath followed as he thumbed through the pages and glanced at the pretty paper staring up at him through plastic, “M’sorry. For lying. I never had anything of my own before and I-I just-“

“Well, now you also have a book,” Kagome offered - tucking a few stray hairs behind her ear before continuing, “You don’t even have to put the flowers in there if you don’t want to. You can put whatever you-“

Inuyasha dipped forward and pressed a brief chaste kiss against her lips before turning his attention back to the book and delicately pulling her handkerchief out of his secret pocket. It took the miko a good minute to regain brain function.

“S-so I’m gunna assume that was you saying thank you?” she managed - her voice coming out slightly panicked and high pitched. Inuyasha nodded absently as he gingerly unfurled the white napkin and laid out the dozen or so flowers on top of it.

“Can you show me how to do it right? I don't want to break them,” he asked breathlessly as he glanced up at her - eyes bright and excitement showing plain in his face. It was the most precious thing Kagome had ever seen.

She smiled.

“Yeah. Yeah I can do that."

A pause.

"So, does this mean I can have my handkerchief back?"

Not even bothering to look up from his delicate task, Inuyasha snorted and shook his head.

"Nope, part of the collection.”

[shinidamachu]

CHAPTER SIX: Sweet Dreams

SUMMARY: “and I’d choose you. In a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.” – Kiersten White. For each chapter, a prompt from the One Hundred Ways to Say I Love You list.

WORDS: 1.446

GENRE: fluff

FANDOM: Inukag

FORMAT: multichapter

ALSO FOUND ON: AO3, FF.Net

Kagome went about her bedtime routine with newfound excitement.

The nightly ritual of taking a warm bath, putting on the most comfortable clothes available in her closet, following every step of an intricate skincare and eagerly succumbing into her soft mattress was always a divine experience on its own, but this night was different. Special.

Because this time there had been someone in the bath with her, complaining without pause that the water was way too hot and accusing her of scalding attempt. This time, her lace babydoll was tossed aside in favor of a worn out Queen t-shirt that did not belong to her. This time, her beauty products were interspersed with aftershave, cologne, deodorant — each one presenting a comically aggressive masculine title to describe their particular fragrance — and the second toothbrush that had now taken permanent residence next to hers. This time, there will be someone waiting for her on that mattress. And the night after that. And the night after that, and the night after that, until they equal a lifetime.

Kagome watched her reflection smile at her in the mirror, delighted at the concept of never having to say a long lasting goodbye, of coming home to him every single day, of falling asleep and waking up in his arms.

Not that she was a complete stranger to the feeling — they had stayed over at each other’s places as often as their work schedules would allow them — but there was a certain solemnity, an inexplicable sense of finality brought forth by calling her apartment theirs. And to be quite frank, Kagome loved the sound of that.

At the restless age of twenty six, the world insisted on shifting under her feet. Change itself was the only constant, the only steady variable in her life.

Until Inuyasha came along.

Suddenly, everything changed again, but for once it was in a way that made complete and perfect sense. As if, in the great scheme of things, every twist, every push and pull, every switch and every turn had led her there. Exactly where she was supposed to be.

Maybe it was naive, to believe in fate. Kagome wouldn’t go as far as to call herself a believer, at least not until he happened. Even so, if there really was such a thing, she had no doubt hers got sealed the minute his golden eyes locked with hers.

And life will go on, as life goes. Things will change, as things do. But this won’t. In a roaring sea of transformation, wave after wave of novelties and adjustments, Inuyasha was the shore she kept crashing into, a continuous presence she could forever rely on. That unshakeable knowledge was what made every other change bearable — almost irrelevant — because Kagome might not be one hundred percent sure of anything else, but she was completely and irrevocably sure of him.

That’s why there was little to no debate on whether or not they should take their relationship to the next level. It was a natural decision. Simple. Obvious. Water was wet and skies were blue and they needed to live together.

He had moved in with her that very morning.

Kagome finished applying the unscented moisturizer she got acquainted with ever since they started dating and stepped out of the bathroom to find Inuyasha taking full advantage of their shared Netflix account, lying in her bed — their bed — on the side he had unconsciously claimed as his for what it felt like had been ages ago. 

His attention turned to her right away, as if he had been aware of her every move the entire time.

Which he probably was. 

A wide grin broke into Inuyasha’s face while he appreciatively scanned through her figure. Keeping his gaze on her, he raised the remote, effectively making the incessant noise of explosions, gunshots and people screaming bloody murder on whatever action movie he was watching come to an end.

“Ready for bed?”

Inuyasha himself was a sight to behold, nothing covering his body except plain white sheets and the pitch black ink of his tattoos. It was amazing how he managed to simultaneously look like both a fish out of water and the final piece that fit precisely there, setting the puzzle of her life complete.

“That’s an understatement,” she said.

He had done all the heavy lifting for the day while Kagome had helped out in any other way she could, cleaning, unpacking and organizing until there were no boxes left. Although her tasks were considerably less demanding, physically speaking, it’s also true that Inuyasha had the upper hand: his demonic genes made it so he had an infinite supply of energy.

She was exhausted. Inuyasha, on the other hand, seemed positively unbothered by the exertion — be it from moving furniture around, be it from the R rated bath they took after to celebrate.

Kagome turned off the lights and joined him on the bed, where she was welcomed with a chast, sweet kiss. They had to be careful. The smallest of touches, the simpler of looks could reignite a blaze they knew Kagome was too tired to put out.

At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to be cuddled and Inuyasha could instinctively tell. There was a point — and neither Kagome nor Inuyasha were able to put the finger on the exact second it happened — when her needs became as clear and as important to him as his own.

He pulled away ever so gently, surprisingly faking a yawn and turning his back to her, hogging the blanket in the process.

“Good night.”

Her lips hung agape, still tingling from the touch and paralyzed in confusion.

Kagome blinked fast, recovering even faster.

“Oh,” she snorted, “so this is how it’s gonna be.” Partially retrieving the covers and tucking herself in, her back strategically turned to Inuyasha. Two could play this game. “Fine. Suit yourself.”

“What?” He asked, feigning ignorance. “Did ya want somethin’?”

She could practically hear his infuriating grin, picture with astonishing accuracy the little fang stubbornly poking out.

Hell would freeze over, though, before Kagome gave him the satisfaction of begging for it. There had been plenty of begging during their bath already and she refused to indulge his sadistic habit of making her thrash and plead for something they both wanted, only to give it to her anyway.

That she had done just that not much earlier was irrelevant.

This was a battle of wills.

And she had every intention to come out victorious.

“You’re the worst.”

Pretending nonchalance, Kagome waited. 

Then waited.

And waited.

Inuyasha didn’t budge an inch. So she did.

Knowing he wouldn’t resist physical contact, Kagome moved backwards. Closer. Carefully. Slowly. In what she was confident to be a subtle, elusive advance, hoping to try and ask with her body what she refused to demand out loud.

In retaliation, Inuyasha caught one of the many, many pillows at his disposal and deliberately set it between them.

“What are you doing?!” Kagome half chuckled, half exclaimed and completely amused that he was onto her. And rather quickly. People used to say she is an open book and perhaps that’s true. Or perhaps Inuyasha is the most avid reader she has ever met.

“Tryin’ to sleep,” was his answer. Kagome wasn’t having it. Unceremoniously and unapologetically, she grabbed the offending pillow that separated them and tossed it to the other side of the bedroom. Without a word, she resumed her previous position, feeling like she had won that round.

Inuyasha took another pillow and simply replaced the one she had discarded.

That was it.

“Inuyasha!” 

Before he could properly nestle it between their bodies, Kagome stole the pillow away to hit him with it. Repeatedly. He broke into a fit of laughter, not an uncommon occurrence when it was at her temper’s expense.

“Alright, alright,” Inuyasha surrendered, lowering the toned forearms that shielded him from her fury to regain the pillow, tossing it aside and pulling Kagome to him in a swift moviment, her back perfectly molding to his chest. He sneaked his arm under her shirt — a compromise he made so he could see Kagome in his abnormally large clothes without having to fully give up the enjoyments of her naked skin — and wrapped it tightly around her waist. “That's what you wanted?” He breathed in her ear, forging a trail of kisses from her neck to her shoulder.

Kagome let out a satisfied sigh, her sleepy mind hoping that it’d be enough of a confirmation. Their legs tangled up on their own accord and her eyelids closed, at last.

“Sweet dreams,” he wished.

But she was already living in one.

A/N.: hey @inukag-week it's officially my favorite week of the year! Happy Inukag Week, everybody! Today's prompt is "domestic" and it coincided with Valentine's Day here in Brazil, so I went extra fluffy there.

Speaking of Brazil, those of you who watched Big Brother Brasil this year have probably caught the "pillow fight" reference I threw in there. Don't judge me. I'm only human.

Last but not least @lostinfantasyworlds I can't believe I missed your birthday. Here, have a very short, very belated and yet full of love birthday gift dedicated to you. Hope I can offer you something juicer next year.

[thornedraven]

FOR RUDDCATHA ♥️

Skin against skin, he wrapped his arms around her waist, his legs on either side of hers. She was so small, so fragile-no… not fragile. She was never fragile. How many times had she proven that to him? She was strong, resilient… perfect. His lips brushed against the smooth skin of her back, revelling in the warmth that spread from her. He heard her sigh and he squeezed her just a little tighter. Kagome was the light in his life. When she disappeared for three years, Inuyasha felt like his heart had left with her. Now that she was back, there was no way he was ever letting her out of his sight. He wanted to keep her as close to him as possible. To never lose her scent, how sweet and fresh it is. Even more now, with their newly combined scents; made his heart thud and his youkai preen. She giggled when he wrapped his entire body around her even tighter.

“You okay Inu?” her voice was soft.

“More than okay. You’re here in my arms. What else could I possibly want?”

Kagome wriggled a little closer into his embrace and sighed in contentment. This was where they were meant to be.  

Well hello! I am very pleased to present to you, this image and little blurb that was created as part of our weekend celebration of @ruddcatha! She is such a wonderful, talented, bright light in our fandom. I am so lucky to have met Rudd online and get to know her better! As you may know, Rudd is currently fundraising to attend a national pageant in July; if you have a moment, and would like to donate to Rudd’s ko-fi to help her get there, we would so appreciate it. Thank you, and enjoy! We love you Rudd!! ♥️♥️

Taglist below the cut!

@fawn-eyed-girl @ruddcatha @neutronstarchild @superpixie42 @dawnrider @hopidoodle @itzatakahashi @lavendertwilight89 @lemonlushff @eringobroke @loveyou-x3000 @dreaming-of-soup @anisaanisa @kalcia @kazeinori @liz8080 @arcprz @eriimoonsstuff @akikazetohoru-12 @enchantedink-ag @saraayoungart @bluejay785 @themusicalshoo @malditamigs @blakckat3

[katballesteros]

Commercial break between the angst

[skyguyy]

Lying here together, forever

[heynikkiyousofine]

Happy Birthday @jeremymarsh💕🎂 I hope you've had the best day! Enjoy a little InuKag fluff that goes along with @clearwillow's amazing art that you can see here.

Springtime Naps

She had forgotten how much she enjoyed sitting in the grass, appreciating the earth around her. Spring was in full bloom, with flowers coloring the fields and the cloudless sky giving her a perfect view of the village, of her home. Sighing happily, Kagome leaned back on her hands, aware of soft footsteps approaching behind her, his aura caressing hers in a loving way.

“Whatcha doin’ up here by yourself, wife?”

“Just admiring the view.” 

He didn’t say anything, just merely collapsed to the ground beside her and snuggled his way into her, his head perched on her thigh. While this particular position wasn’t new to them, Inuyasha having done so outside of their home was. Running her fingers through his silver locks, she thought back on the last year, the year she returned to the place she now considered home.

It was late into last spring when the well reopened and she was married to Inuyasha by the end of the summer, taking the time to build a home together. The image of her husband cursing up a storm when he clipped his finger as he hammered down the roof, made her giggle.

“Oi, what’s so funny?” His deep voice pulled her from the memory, Inuyasha pulling her fingers from his hair to intertwine his own with hers.

“I was just thinking about the past year, particularly when we built our home and you being on the roof.”

“You were laughing because I kept hurting myself with that damned hammer.” he wasn’t angry at her, but the faint blush of his cheek told her he was still slightly embarrassed at reacting the way he did by the time the roof was finished. He all but flung the hammer into the woods and somehow managed to hit Miroku as he was walking down the path towards their home. Sango almost beheaded Inuyasha for knocking her husband out when he was supposed to be helping her deep clean their home. That had been a day to remember.

“It’s amazing how many hits Miroku has gotten over the years and he’s still the same, just like my favorite hanyou.” She teased him, leaning down to place a quick peck to his warm cheek.

“Favorite? You only know two other hanyou. I don’t think that’s a good enough title.”

“How about my favorite husband?”

“Now you’re gonna get it.” Using his youkai speed, he managed to flip their positions, so her head now settled in his lap and his fingers danced along her side, making Kagome squeal. Begging for him to stop, he repeated her action from earlier and placed a kiss to her cheek, his happiness contagious. Her yawn snuck up on her, causing Inuyasha to chuckle as he shifted his leg once more, making her as comfortable as possible. 

Closing her eyes, basking in the sun's warmth, she felt him recline his body, their hands somehow still intertwined as if it were their lifeline.

The last thing Kagome thought before she fell into a light doze was the quick prayer to whatever kami was listening that they would have peaceful springtime naps together for the rest of their lives.

taglist:

@blairex ; @mamabearcat ; @enchantedink-ag ; @splendentgoddess ; @mandirox89 ; @sailorlolo ; @mustardyellowsunshine ; @knittingknots ; @yukinon-writes ; @clearwillow ; @keichanz ; @serial-doubters-club ; @malditamigs ; @zelink-inukag ; @shinidamachu ; @banksdelivers ; @that-one-nerdy-gal ; @sarahk21 ; @dchelyst ; @anisaanisa ; @lavendertwilight89 ; @otaku-108 ; @sailorbabydoll92 ; @queerkagome ; @chit-a-to ; @liz8080 ; @lightmidnight ; @shikonstar ; @soliska ; @inukagbot ; @brain-rot-hour ; @xanthippe-writes ; @hahaalaine ; @moonkissedart ; @lostinfantasyworlds ; 

[nartistadigital]

Inukag in a summer festival 🎊

This was a commission reward for Marie, one of my patrons in patreon.com/nartista

[malamira]

I HOPE YOU KNOW YOU HAVE MY HEART (EVEN IF I DON'T REALLY SHOW IT)

synopsis: co-workers to enemies to friends...? no, that's not right. they skipped the friends part entirely. so, the benefits are... what, exactly?

a/n: wrote this years ago and decided to bring it back to life! with a few edits and revisions, of course. i know some people were disappointed that i took this off the internet, so here it is!

i plan on reposting majority of smutmas at some point throughout the year, so if it's anything to look forward to, i hope you keep your eyes peeled!

— 💓 —

The repetitive ringing tone in Inuyasha’s ears made him grip his steering wheel harder. “Come on, Kagome,” he hissed. “Pick up, pick up, pick up.”

Finally, the tell tale sign of a click resounded. “Hello?”

“Thank fucking God,” he breathed out. “Where are you?”

“I’m out,” she said, and he could hear the bass in the background. “What’s up?”

“Where? I’m picking you up.”

“What? In—” She let out a sharp breath. “No! Are you crazy?”

“Halfway there,” he muttered under his breath. “Look, I’ve had a shitty day, and I need you to blow off some steam.”

“Should I be flattered?” she said sarcastically, then softer, as if she pulled away from the phone. “Just work. I—Hey, Sango, wait—”

He was halfway to the business district and decided to pull over at an emergency bay. The sounds of a scuffle was heard on the receiver, short puffs of wind and rustling. Sooner than later, a new voice floated into his ear. “Hello? Who is this?”

“Kagome’s boss,” Inuyasha snapped.

“Wait—Inuyasha? Why is Inuyasha calling you?” That last part was softer, said to Kagome. She came back. “Why are you calling Kagome?”

“None of your business!”

“Sango!” Inuyasha heard, in various volumes. She must’ve been struggling to snatch her phone back. “Give me back my phone!”

“Of course it’s my business,” Sango said. “She’s my best friend and you’re garbage. Why are you calling her?”

“Garbage?” Inuyasha exclaimed, affronted. “I thought we were friends!”

“The amount of sex you have is unhealthy and every relationship you’ve had has been a dumpster fire,” she pointed out.

“I’m twenty-nine,” he snapped. “The amount of sex I have is just fine, thanks. And it's not my fault all my exes were psychos!”

“Don't call them psychos when you're part of the problem!"

Inuyasha held himself back from flinging his phone. "Ju—"

"The reason why they ended so badly was because you’re an emotionally constipated asshole incapable of communicating and you know it!”

He tried to not break the phone in his grip. This was not the time nor the place to deep dive into his personal issues. "Not the time, okay, Sango? Just let me talk to Kagome."

“Are you gonna have sex with Kagome, too?” she needled.

Sango didn’t have to know the honest answer to that question. “No, for God’s sake. We have an emergency deliverable on Monday.”

“It’s Friday night! Well past office hours!”

“Ask Kagome if she wants to work on it over a full weekend or start tonight and finish tomorrow to get Sunday off,” he snapped.

Sango was evidently Not Happy. “Fine. Ugh, fine. The one time I actually manage to get her out of the house… Kagome, here.”

More rustling.

“Thank you,” Kagome said. “Hey, sorry. So what was that?”

“Sango thinks we’re having too much sex.”

“I heard her little tirade. I know it's a you problem."

Jesus fucking Christ. “Whatever. Message me where you are as soon as I hang up,” he demanded. “Every second longer will make me want to fuck you rougher.”

“You’re so impatient,” she complained. “This is why you don’t have a girlfriend.”

He ignored her and ended the call. His phone darkened as he waited, then lit up again a full minute later, her name popping up on the screen. It took her a full minute. He smirked as he shifted gears and sped away.

—

As soon as he picked her up, he sped over to a fairly full parking lot and parked in the darkest corner he could find. Before she could ask, he unbuckled his seatbelt and practically assaulted her, pressing his lips to hers and palming her breast over her shirt.

“Inuyasha,” she gasped when he pulled away.

“No bra?” he grinned wickedly. “I should be so lucky.”

“Wasn’t for you,” she snapped, and somehow that irritated him. She pushed him off her. “And what gives? I thought we were going to your place.”

“I’m impatient.”

She shook her head. “No. If I’m gonna be a booty call, I’m gonna get the whole nine yards. That means sex on a comfortable bed and a shower immediately after.”

“Jesus, you’re demanding,” he grumbled, strapping his seatbelt back on and reversing out of the parking lot. “Even my exes didn’t make me work this hard.”

“That explains why we’ve been having sex longer than you’ve been in any relationship,” she quipped.

He didn't respond. Was it Psychoanalyze Inuyasha Night? What the fuck?

His house was a bit of a drive from the central business district, maybe around thirty minutes, and normally Kagome liked to fill the silence. When she wasn’t chatting up a storm like she normally would, he reached over with one hand to push her skirt upwards as he caressed the inside of her warm thigh. “What are you thinking?”

That pulled her out of her reverie. “Huh?”

“Normally you’d be halfway through your tenth conversation topic by now,” he said, flicking on his turn signal. His eyes darted to his mirrors before switching lanes. “What’s up?”

“Oh. Uh, nothing. I just… I guess I didn’t realize it’s been over a year.”

“Since we started having sex?”

“Since your last relationship.”

His face soured. “Can we not talk about that? I wanted to get laid tonight, and you’re killing my boner.”

“Sorry.”

“No, you’re not.”

“You’re right, I’m not.” Kagome reached over and twirled a silver lock that escaped the bun on his head around her finger. “I did this because I wanted to help you, you know.”

Inuyasha scoffed. “And the fact that you also broke up with Kōga around the same time had nothing to do with it?”

“Well, I didn’t say I wasn’t also doing it to help myself.” She shrugged, more nonchalant than he liked. “I’ve always found you cute. Didn’t expect you to say yes to this kind of… arrangement, honestly.”

“Didn’t expect you to propose it,” he said, glancing at her. “Given our… history.”

“You mean you being a complete asshole to me every time you saw me?”

He winced. That was deserved. “I said I was sorry.”

“I know.” She trailed her finger along his jaw. “But… I don’t know. I think I’m not… I think I’m not helping you, anymore.”

His hand stopped the motions along her thigh. “Care to elaborate?"

"Maybe this whole arrangement is just a band-aid solution for your actual relationship problems?" she mused aloud.

"What?"

“Are you even seeing anyone? Like, at all?” she asked, nose wrinkling as she spoke. “Wasn’t that the deal? We blow off steam through sex, go on with our lives. We see other people, and stop this as soon as we do. That’s what we talked about.”

“So? What are you trying to say?” Something clicked in his brain that made him stiffen. “Have you been seeing someone else?” Inuyasha asked, unreasonable rage simmering beneath his skin. “Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“Can you not freak out?” Kagome snapped. “You’re overreacting.”

“I’m not—” he huffed, pulling his hand back and setting it on the steering wheel. “Just give it to me straight. Are you seeing someone else? Enough to make you—make you want to stop… whatever this is?”

“What if I said yes?”

He didn’t know what he would feel—that was a lie, he knew exactly what he would feel, but the unpleasant way his stomach curled, like he was just punched in the gut; the intensity of it wasn’t something he was expecting. He turned to a familiar emotion, instead. “Then why the fuck are you here, then?”

“You called me, remember?” she shot back.

“You didn’t have to say yes!”

“That’s not the point!” she snapped, adjusting herself in the passenger seat to fully face him.

“Then what is your point?!”

“My point is is that maybe this—this—this arrangement is starting to be harmful rather than helpful!” she shouts, throwing her hands in the air and narrowly missing the ceiling of his car. “Just being fuck buddies is becoming a problem! We’re both not in relationships but regularly see each other, and it’s stopping us from seeing other people!”

“We don’t stop each other from seeing other people!” he shot back.

“Inuyasha, I’m not wearing a bra, I have a condom in my purse, and I was ready to get wasted in a club. Yet I’m in your car on my way to your place because I will have sex with you.”

Despite the sheer irritation that manifested itself on his face, Inuyasha took the time to deeply inhale, then exhale. Dealing with Kagome was a true exercise in patience if he’d ever had one, and he’d since learned that she was more receptive when he was visibly calm, or at the very least not shouting, mainly because he’d observed that she felt dumb for screaming her head off when he was calm in the face of her wrath.

And besides, this was not a conversation to be had while driving.

Silently, he drove on and stopped at the first emergency bay he came across. He punched in his hazard lights and took off his seatbelt for a second time, before turning to look at her.

“So what do you want?” he said, looking her straight in the eye. “Tell me what you want.”

Kagome’s gaze was steady, but she breathed in. Her hands shook as she took off her own seatbelt to mirror him; she was nervous.

“Do you want this to end?”

“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I was just… Someone asked, and I thought—”

“Asked what? Who asked?”

“Yura, from Marketing. She said she was interested. She asked me if we were dating.”

Yura? Who’s that? He deemed it insignificant and barreled on. “And what did you say?”

“What do you mean what did I say? I said we weren’t dating, and that you were single. What else would I say?”

“So you’re okay with me dating her? Is that what this is about?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know.” She gingerly rubbed the underside of her eye, careful to not smudge her makeup. “Do you?”

“I’m not interested in Yura,” he said flatly.

Kagome groaned. “That’s the problem, Inuyasha. You’re not interested in anyone. It’s been over a year! This has to end at some point.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why? Didn’t you just hear what I said? You’re not interested in anyone!”

“Jesus Christ, Kagome. I can’t believe I have to spell this out for you.” He ran a hand over his face. “I’ve been having sex with you steadily over the past year because I’m interested in you.”

She blinked, then gaped, then stared back at him, horrified. “What?”

He glared at her. “No need to look so disgusted.”

She fixed her face. “Sorry, I didn’t—I mean—What?”

“I’ve been asking you out on a proper date for the past year,” he said exasperatedly. “You were there. You shot me down every time.”

“I thought you were kidding!” Kagome cried, frantic. “You don’t do emotionally available—or anything emotional, for that matter. That’s not you! You don’t ask people out! I had to ask you, the first time!”

“Yeah, well,” he mumbled, “It’s different when it comes to you, apparently.”

"I mean, Sango said you had a communication problem—"

His ears twitched. "Don't listen to her—"

“—but I could disagree, but you’re sure as hell not patient. I’ve been turning you down for a year and you didn’t get the slightest bit pissed off?”

“Like I said,” he continued, looking every bit as perturbed as she was. “It’s different when it comes to you.”

Her cheeks burned. “Wh—Wh—” She struggled with her words, before deciding to simply stare at him, jaw unhinged.

Inuyasha reached over to gingerly close her mouth, before taking her chin in his hand and brushing the corner of her mouth with his thumb. Her lipstick smudged in the slightest. “Look, you’re right. I don’t do feelings. That’s not me, that’s never gonna be me. I'm bad at talking about them, too, because I didn't see the point. It’s why all my past relationships went down in flames; I never made the effort to try, because I didn’t think it was worth it, or that it mattered.

“But I—I don’t know. I’m just not interested in anyone except you. I haven’t been interested in trying on making anything work, except when it comes to you.”

“Because of the sex?” she asked, so innocently that it made him want to laugh.

“Maybe. I don’t know. The sex is good. But spending time with you isn’t so bad.”

"'So bad'?"

He rolled his eyes. "It's not bad. At all."

“Because of the sex,” she repeated flatly.

“Look, I’m not going to dissect whatever the hell I’m feeling, okay?” he snapped. “All I know is that I like you, I like having sex with you, I like spending time with you, and I’m not interested in anything with anyone else. I’m not going to further elaborate because that means talking about my feelings and I’m not gonna do that.”

“That’s fair,” she said thoughtfully. “I mean, I won’t ask that from you. I know you and that’s not who you are.”

See, this was why he liked Kagome. She wasn’t the type to demand stuff of him, unlike all his former girlfriends, who demanded flowers and birthday celebrations and grand, romantic gestures—which, ultimately, led to the demise of all those relationships. Because, as they said in one way or another, he didn’t give enough.

But he was a giver. Ask Kagome, even. He was so giving. But these women wanted things that he didn’t give, didn’t want to give. Never planned on giving, because he either didn’t see the point or just didn’t find them worth giving. With Kagome, it was different. What he was was what he was and that was fine. No pressure, no expectations.

Maybe it had to take a friends with benefits situation to realize it, but regardless, it worked; they were happy, there was no pressure, and he really, truly appreciated that. “Thank you,” he said, and meant it.

Her pondering continued. “But…”

He raised an eyebrow. “But what?”

“You’re going to have to ask me out properly.”

He violently rescinded his earlier thought about her not being the type to ask stuff of him. Inuyasha stared at her, unamused. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”

“Look, if we’re gonna date,” she said shortly, “I expect the whole nine yards. Dinner. Maybe a movie. A romantic walk somewhere, preferably by the beach. A kiss when you bring me home. That kind of stuff.”

“There’s a pattern with you,” he mumbled under his breath. Louder, he said, “Fine. Anything else?”

“Yeah. No sex on the first date.”

“What?!” His jaw dropped. “Kagome, we’ve been having sex for over a year! I think we’re past that point by now!”

“Rules are rules! No sex on a first date!” she insisted.

“Rules are—” Inuyasha dragged his face down in one sweep. Was this even worth it? “You know what? Fine. Fine. Jesus fucking Christ. But what else? And are you sure?”

“What do you mean, 'am I sure'?”

"I know you're siding with Sango about me having a communication issue? You really wanna get into a relationship with me?"

The corners of Kagome's mouth turned down in a frown. "Hey, I never said I agreed with her. You never had a problem telling me what you wanted, or what you expected."

Looking back at it, he really didn't. Maybe because they stepped into the arrangement with no expectations, that he didn't feel like he needed to hide or think about anything.

"Why are you asking?"

His cheeks flared up with heat. "Um. Nothing."

"Seriously? Just tell me."

"I'd really—"

"Inuyasha," she said sternly. Inuyasha took in her expression and decided that no, she was not being stern, she was being stubborn, which was worse.

“Fine." He cleared his throat. "I... I don’t know, I just—I want this to work out. I’m not gonna be the reason why another one of my relationships fail because I’m—as Sango said—emotionally constipated. So I’m going to… try.”

Her face went from shocked to incredulous then straight up teary-eyed. “Inuyasha,” she whimpered. “You want to try for me?”

Oh, good fucking God. “This is why I’m not a feelings person.”

“No, no, no,” Kagome said, pressing a hand to her chest and sniffling. “That was just really sweet. I didn’t think you had it in you."

His eyebrow twitched. “You’re baiting me and I won’t fall for it.”

“I won’t be too hard on you,” she placated, leaning forward. The hand that was on her chest went to pat his knee, then moved to cup his cheek. “And for the record, I don't think you're emotionally constipated. You're just bad with feelings. and you're too shy to talk about them.”

"Okay, enough,” he declared, ignoring the giggle Kagome let out just as he closed the distance to press a deep, wanting kiss to her lips, her soft lips parting under his careful attentions. When he pulled away, something made him ask, “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Yeah,” she said, a little breathy. “Yeah.”

“Okay.” He kissed her lightly. “Are you free tomorrow for dinner?”

She laughed in a way that made his heart swell. “Yes, of course.”

He pulled away and resituated himself in the driver’s seat, driving out of the bay as soon as Kagome had strapped back in. His hand made its way back to the inside of her thigh and they drove the rest of the way in comfortable silence.

“To make things clear, tomorrow is the only day I’m going to hold off on sex with you,” he said with finality when he pulled up into his one-car garage. “Got that? All bets are off for date number two.”

“I figured,” Kagome said with amusement. Inuyasha hopped out of the car and met her on the other side, helping her out. “And tonight?”

“Like I said,” he said, smirking. He slammed the door to his car behind her and pressed her against it, his lips starting to work on her neck. He relished the sound she made when he wrapped his arms around her thighs and hoisted her up to carry her into his house. “I’m impatient.”

[serial-doubters-club]

🎉Happy New Year!🎉

For a hot minute, I really didn't think I'd post before my one-year without an update was up, but looks like I made it just in time!

This fic has haunted me for just a little over 2 years and I figured it was time to finish it up and send it off into the world. This story was inspired by Episode 89: "Nursing Battle of the Rival Lovers," specifically that scene in which Inuyasha looks through Kagome's photo album and gets a glimpse into some of the most important moments of her life. I was always fascinated by his expression, and this story was born out of my ideas about what that expression might mean and the thoughts and feelings running through Inuyasha's mind and heart.

Thank you to all my lovely Discord peeps in FC who kept this little dumpster fire going. Without you, I would have sat on this fic for another 2 years! 💙🧡💜

Enjoy!

Born For Each Other

InuKag | Rating: G | Words: 2925 |

Tags: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Modern Era, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Found Family, Romance, Falling In Love, Love

Summary: They say a picture's worth 1000 words, but Inuyasha worries he won't find the words he's dying to hear in between the pages of Kagome's photo album.

Inspired by the last scene in Episode 89, "Nursing Battle of the Rival Lovers"

Read on AO3

Preview below the cut:

Inuyasha was afraid.

No, he thought, shaking his head. That can’t be right.

But there was no mistaking it. There it was again after all this time, that old, familiar apprehension like a heavy fog expanding in his chest, desperately making him want to rip it open to find relief.

Inuyasha never imagined that he could feel this way ever again. Up until now, he’d foolishly believed that he’d been cured of all fear, that nothing could ever scare him again. He’d forced himself to earn that courage, purposefully pinning himself against the vilest of youkai, each one more atrocious than the last. With every one he slayed, Inuyasha felt another drop of fear dissipate until there was none left to feel and he’d finally reached a level of recklessness, one that made looking for fights and endangering his life feel as natural as breathing. 

No prior battle could have prepared him to face this enemy. This time he wasn't standing on a battlefield. His body wasn’t positioned in its usual offensive stance with Tessaiga drawn and pointed at the enemy. For the first time in his life, he was up against an enemy he couldn't fight with physical force or whose next move he could predict. This time, he found himself standing on unfamiliar ground in unfamiliar territory.

[tinysupervicki]

I had the itch to draw one of my otp again 🥹