Kagome and the Hanyou's Secret

Over the next week, Inuyasha became increasingly short-tempered. He sniped and complained constantly, spending most of the time he was at home on the roof or in a tree. They fought constantly, until Kagome was nearly at wit's end. I hope this isn't what he's really like, Kagome thought in the aftermath of their most recent argument. She had thought he was sweet and rather kind beneath his rough exterior--but now she was beginning to doubt her first impressions.

Not knowing what to do, and having no one to talk to--Myoga having vanished days before-- Kagome went to visit the graves of Lady Kikyo and Lady Izayoi. She hoped for advice in the form of an omen, or at least a few hours of peace in which to meditate. When she reached the shrine that marked their graves however, she was surprised to find someone there.

A youkai, a tall male, with long white hair like Inuyasha. He wore a white kimono ornamented with red flowers, and his obi was blue and gold. His ears were delicately tapered, and there was a crescent moon on his brow, and stripes on his cheeks. He was the most beautiful, most terrifying being she had ever seen.

Kagome's grip tightened on her bow, heart pounding, feeling rooted in place by the sight of the youkai, and the energy that seemed to crackle around the still figure. She had fought youkai before, the small nearly-beast monsters that sometimes slipped past Lord Inuyasha, but she had never seen a youkai who looked this human, who looked this inhumanly perfect. The only thing marring that perfection was that the youkai was crippled--one sleeve of his kimono hung loose and empty. "You are tresspassing upon a family shrine," she said, amazed that her voice shook only a little. "This land belongs to Lord Inuyasha, my husband."

Amber eyes studied her so impassively she wondered if he had even understood her. "I am Sesshomaru, his brother and liege-lord. The land he holds is land I granted him."

"I--forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru," Kagome said with a deep bow. "I didn't know."

"I would not expect you to know," the youkai replied in an neutral voice. "Any more than I would expect my brother to inform me that he had wed once more." Sesshomaru tilted his head slightly. "You bear more than a passing resemblance to his first wife, the lady Kikyo. Are you perhaps a relative?"

"Not as far as I know, my lord," Kagome replied. He hadn't asked for her name, and she didn't feel comfortable offering it. "May I ask the reason for your visit?"

"I will be patrolling this territory tonight and tomorrow night." Sesshomaru said with an unreadable look. "In accordance with my duties as his liege lord. You will tell him to meet me here, lady."

"Yes, my lord," Kagome said with another bow. When she rose from her bow, Sesshomaru was gone. She wondered at his words. Neither Myoga nor Lord Inuyasha had said anything about a visit from Lord Sesshomaru, or that he would be taking over Inuyasha's duties. She wasn't sure whether Sesshomaru expected her to deliver his message immediately or not, so she only burned some incense before returning to the house.

Inuyasha was sitting in one of the cherry trees near the house, sulking like an angry child. The twitching of his ears was the only sign that he was aware of her presence. Kagome supressed a sigh, and went over to the tree. "Husband," she said with a bow. "I do not wish to disturb you, but your brother--"

"Sesshomaru's here?" Inuyasha jumped out of the tree, and stalked over to her. "Did he say anything to you?" He demanded.

"Only that he wished to speak to you. And that he would be patrolling tonight and tomorrow night," Kagome said.

"Keh," Inuyasha said. "I'll be back before nightfall. Don't bother saving any dinner for me," he said, and bounded away, leaping over the high fence.

Kagome sighed and went into the house. She missed her little brother, and the village children, and helping Kaede in her garden. She was used to a village full of people, and listening to her friends gossip and giggle. Except for Myoga, Inuyasha, and Shippo, she had no one to talk to. She wished she could visit her friends and family, but she wasn't sure if Inuyasha would grant her permission. Had Kikyo ever asked to go home? According to the story, she had never been seen again by any member of the village after she had left it.

She made supper for her self, and took a bowl of rice out to Shippo. The kitsune child showed her the illusion tricks he'd been practicing, and showed off the various "treasures" he'd found in the forest. After admiring the shed snake skin, the hawk feathers and quartz pebbles, she accepted his gift of herbs and flowers. and took them back into the house. She hoped she would be able to find a way to convince Inuyasha to at least let Shippo stay in within the fenced yard at night. Though she knew that Shippo was better able to care for himself than a human child would be, she still worried. He was still a little boy, even if he was a fox demon, and children shouldn't be on their own.

Inuyasha returned home a few hours later, walking with a slight limp. He was bruised and battered looking, but the bruises were fading even as she watched. "I'm fine," he growled at her tentative inquiry. "Wife, tonight, you must sleep in here by the fire instead of in the bedroom," he said. "There's a spare futon in the back room, you can use that. No matter what you hear tonight, don't come into the bedroom, all right?"

"Of course, husband," Kagome said, puzzled. Why would he ask her to stay out of the room? "May I ask why?"

Inuyasha looked away. "No. Just stay out of the bedroom. No matter what."

"I wish you would tell me what's wrong, husband," Kagome said. "You've been out of sorts for days."

"Nothing's wrong," Inuyasha said, still not looking at her. "There's nothing you can do about it anyway." He flushed, and gave her a quick, mortified glance, as if he'd said more than he intended to. "Just stay away, Kagome," he growled, and stalked into the bedroom.

Kagome glowered at the doorway her husband had disappeared into and stalked into the back room, and hauled out the spare futon. She made her bed by the fire, and made some tea to calm her nerves, every so often glancing toward the quiet bedroom. What was wrong with Inuyasha?

There's nothing you can do about it, anyway. Kagome puzzled over Inuyasha's words. Something was going to happen tonight, she realized. What could it be, that would make him so upset? Something that Inuyasha was ashamed of, if the look he'd given her meant anything. Sighing, she finished her tea, and went to bed. Maybe she would try--one more time--to talk to him in the morning.

She was startled awake a few hours later by a shout from the bedroom. "Inuyasha? Are you all right?" Kagome called, casting aside her blankets, and approaching the bedroom doorway. Remembering Inuyasha's order, she didn't enter. Instead, she knelt beside the tapestry covering the door.

"I'm fine! It was just a dream," Inuyasha snapped. "Don't come in here!"

"I won't," Kagome said. She thought that Inuyasha's voice sounded very odd, as if it had lost some tone or timbre that was noticeable only by its absence. "A dream? What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Nothing's wrong."

"Yes there is," Kagome said. "There is something that's been upsetting you, and I want to know what it is."

"I am not upset! There is nothing wrong, so go back to bed, Kagome!"

"No," Kagome said, suddenly angry. "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"Wife, you're supposed to do what I say!"

"Not if you're not making any sense I'm not!" Kagome shouted.

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm--I am not going to have this childish argument with you," Kagome said, and jumped up to her feet. "I'm going for a walk, Inuyasha." She needed to get out of the house and away from her infuriating husband for a while.

"What? No!" It sounded as if Inuyasha were very close to the bedroom doorway, but he didn't leave the room to shout at her, as she would have expected, having become accustomed to his fits of temper. "You can't go! You have to stay here!"

Kagome didn't bother to reply, stalking toward the door, though she didn't reach it. Inuyasha tackled her before she could take more than a few steps away from the bedroom doorway. All the breath rushed out of her as she hit the floor. "Let me go!" Kagome shouted, and struggled, getting in a lucky blow that made Inuyasha grunt with pain.

"You can't go," Inuyasha repeated. "It isn't safe!"

"Let me go, Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted once she got her breath back. She twisted, and much to her surprised, managed to flip Inuyasha off her back. Inuyasha yelped as he hit the floor and rolled against the hearth. Kagome started to give Inuyasha a piece of her mind, but the words trailed off as she stared in surprise at her husband.

Inuyasha's hair was black. Still long, and hanging in his face as he crouched by the fire, but black, not white. The fingers of his hands had flat nails instead of sharp claws, and his ears were round shell-curls set at the side of his head.

Inuyasha was human.

"Inuyasha?"

Dark eyes glared at her in the firelight. "Now you know what's wrong. Happy?"

"You're human?" Kagome said, not quite trusting what she was seeing.

"Tonight, anyway," Inuyasha said, looking away. "On the new moon. You can't go out when I'm like this. I can't protect you."

"Why couldn't you just tell me?" Kagome asked. She had heard of course, that there was one night out of the month where a hanyou lost their powers, but she had not known that this meant that the hanyou would become human. "Don't you trust me? It's true that we haven't been married for long--"

"S'got nothing to do with trust," Inuyasha muttered. "I just didn't want you to know."

"Well I know now, what are you going to do about it?" She glared at him.

Inuyasha looked at her, then away again. "Go to bed." He rose, and started to go toward the bedroom.

Kagome rose to her feet, and followed after. "Inuyasha--" She caught him by the arm. He stopped and glared at her, but didn't try to pull free. She touched his face, and he bared flat human teeth in an expression that wasn't a smile. "Husband, you are such an idiot," she said, and before he could speak, she kissed him, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck and holding on tight.

"Mph'mnot!" was all that Inuyasha could get out, and a whine that sounded like, "k'gome!" He started to kiss back, and slowly relaxed against her. His kisses slipped sideways, and he nuzzled her neck and jawline. "Don't call me an idiot, woman," he grumbled. "Why am I an idiot?"

"You just are!" Kagome said, angry tears fogging her vision. "You should have told me, instead of--instead of being so bad tempered and horrible!"

"No. Oh no. Don't cry on me, woman!" Inuyasha said, half angry and half chagrinned. "I can't stand crying--"

"Then don't make me cry, idiot husband!"

"I'm not!"

Kagome tried to hit him, but he caught her by the wrist. "You are!"

"I thought you didn't want to have a childish argument with me." Inuyasha sounded like he was trying not to laugh. He let her wrist go, and stroked her back, holding her close.

"I don't, but you keep acting like one," Kagome muttered. "Don't laugh at me," she growled when Inuyasha drew in a breath that sounded like a barely suppressed chuckle. "You were horrible."

"Wasn't."

"Shut up!" Kagome hissed, and kissed him again.

"Kagome," Inuyasha murmured, in a soft, intimate voice.

Kagome smiled, despite her still simmering anger at Inuyasha. Greatly daring, she started to walk backward, toward the futon, drawing Inuyasha with her. "Be with me tonight, husband," she said softly, when he began to balk. "Please?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened, and for some reason, a faint blush colored his cheeks. "You really want me to?" Inuyasha asked. "Even though I was horrible?"

"Even though," Kagome said with a smile.