A Rainy Day

Inuyasha could smell the thunderstorm approaching. The sulfuric smell that hinted at lightning told him that he needed to get Kagome into some shelter quickly, not to mention the fact that she would be grumpy after getting wet, and they'd probably get into another fight. Just the day before when Kagome had informed them that she had ‘finals' in a couple of weeks and would be leaving for a while to study, he had stuck his big foot in his mouth by saying that whatever these ‘test' things were, they weren't as important as collecting the Shikon shards. Rubbing his nose as he thought about the rapid succession of 'sit-sit-sit' he'd received for his comment, Inuyasha glared at Kagome, his anger renewed.

Kagome, however, was glancing at the black clouds rolling in, and the breeze of the gust front suddenly lifted her hair away from her shoulders to play with it. Her face was calm, a little tinged with worry. His eyes softening, Inuyasha's shoulders relaxed, and his left hand came to rest on the hilt of Tessaiga. Kagome turned to question him with her glance, and Inuyasha's ears twitched a bit in the rising wind.

"Inuyasha...it looks like it's going to rain very soon. We should hurry to the lodging that Miroku-sama arranged for us." Her voice only had to carry the three feet it took to get to Inuyasha's ears, but the wind was getting louder through the trees, and he may not have heard her if he weren't half-demon. I guess it can't be helped. We'll have to stop for today. Kagome had felt the presence of a large Shikon shard in this area, and Inuyasha had insisted that they look for it, even though the storm had been visible off on the horizon that morning. Now that it was around noon, the storm was almost upon them, and they had ventured far from the temple in which they had stayed last night. Sango and that monk had said they shouldn't try to find the shard today, and even the stupid fox had agreed, but Inuyasha was impatient and insisted that they look, even if for only a few hours.

Kagome had come, of course, although grudgingly. She was trying to take the opportunity to finish her ‘homework,' whatever that was. Though they had been coming close to where the shard was, the now impending thunderstorm was more on their minds than the jewel.

"Aa, I'll hurry us back then." He turned and put his arms behind him, waiting for Kagome to climb onto his back. Feeling her hands on his shoulders, he reached to hook his forearms under her knees, and they adjusted for a couple of seconds. While Kagome took perhaps only two seconds to wrap her arms around his shoulders, Inuyasha took those two seconds to concentrate on the feel of Kagome's body pressed to his, and a flash of what he had done about a week before filtered through his mind's eye...

Kagome came back through the well smelling really good. Inuyasha helped her haul her huge yellow pack over the lid of the well, and realized that she had become fertile again. Only too well did Inuyasha know how human females cycled monthly. Kagome had smelt of her own blood for about five days, and a couple weeks had passed. Now that she was fertile...her smell was exciting. Though Inuyasha had lied to Kagome about her scent at first, he actually had to attempt to ignore the scent she carried when she was fertile the first two or three times he had been around to sniff out the change in her body. After he had come to at least like her, he would stay nearer to her during these times and take several deep breaths.

After the night when Kagome caught Inuyasha with Kikyou, practically promising the priestess his soul, Kagome had told him that she would stay with him despite the fact that he had made those promises. Now, Inuyasha would get antsy whenever Kagome was fertile. Unable to stand it, while Kagome was asleep one night, he had crept up to her and breathed in her scent for a few moments before darting off into the woods. Finding a bit of distance and privacy, he had opened his pants and pumped his hand over his arousal, thinking of Kagome and what it would feel like to mate with her. He would envision the few times he had seen her naked, whether by accident or not. Spilling his seed onto the ground, he would feel better for a while, but every night while Kagome was in her fertile stage, he would have to resort to pleasuring himself off in the woods.

Today, when Kagome came back, her scent tickled his nose, and Inuyasha had to think of killing Naraku in order to keep himself from embarrassing himself, despite the fact that he had baggy pants. Kagome had scrunched her eyebrows together at him, wondering why his face was so angry. Touching his shoulder to get his attention, she stood only a foot away and her face was close to his,

"Inuyasha? Are you okay?" Feeling himself stir at her proximity, Inuyasha snatched up her yellow pack, flinging it over his shoulder. He walked away, throwing over his shoulder that Kagome had to hurry up.

That night, they had managed to travel about twenty miles before stopping for the day. Inuyasha, perched above their campfire in a tree, was waiting for Kagome to fall asleep, needing to go through the ritual of gathering her scent before taking some time for himself. Kagome had changed into her pajamas that night since it was a bit chilly, and Shippou, for a change, was slumped over Kirara's tail on the other side of the fire, already snoring. The monk and the exterminator, after she hit him for groping her thigh, finally fell asleep, both exhausted and dead to the world.

Inuyasha pushed off the tree limb and landed silently in the dewy grass below. Creeping up to Kagome, he almost made a noise of surprise when she rolled over onto her back in her sleep. The top two buttons of her pajamas' top had popped out of their buttonholes, and Inuyasha saw an ample amount of cleavage since her breasts were still being supported by a bra. She doesn't take that thing off at night? That must be uncomfortable. As if to mirror his statement, Kagome frowned a bit, squirming in her sleep, which slightly jiggled her breasts. Inuyasha felt himself growing hard and crept closer.

Glancing over at Sango, his ears perked up to see if there was any hint of noise, and then flicked over to Miroku. Both dead asleep... He then pursed his lips a bit, and thought of actually living out one of the many fantasies he'd had of Kagome. Kagome's arms, both curled up to either side of her head so that the backs of her hands rested near her ears, twitched slightly in her sleep. I wonder what she's dreaming about. Inuyasha then approached her bedroll, carefully easing himself over her stomach, straddling it. He inched a bit further up on her body, and leaned down, breathing in her lovely scent. His arousal was in full force now, and he opened his pants right there. One claw reached down to let the third button in Kagome's shirt pop out of its buttonhole, and he cautiously spread the material, revealing Kagome's full cleavage to his hungry eyes. Having taken himself out of his pants, he set his length between her breasts, his eyes closing at the feel of her skin touching his most sensitive limb.

"Mmm...Inuyasha..." His eyes flew open, but Kagome's were still closed. She licked her lips in her sleep, and Inuyasha's heart slowed down from the adrenaline-driven pace that her soft whisper had caused. Moving his hips slightly, he rubbed himself on her chest lightly, his length grazing the insides of her breasts. Leaning down again, he gently pulled his tongue across her lips, deeply breathing in her aroma. Feeling himself coming close to his climax, he grudgingly left her, quickly buttoning her shirt as he softly panted, and attempting to keep himself from spilling onto her. Then racing only a hundred yards away, he fell to his knees, pumping his hand quickly over his arousal before choking out Kagome's name as he climaxed into the grass.

"Let's go, Inuyasha," Kagome softly declared into his ear once she was ready to leave. His ear twitched a bit as her warm breath rolled over it, and he launched himself into the air, his grip on Kagome's legs tightening. They were about half a mile away from the temple when the rain caught up to them, and Kagome clung to Inuyasha's shoulders in fright when the thunder and lightning lit up the sky and shattered it around them. Drenched, they finally came to stop about twenty feet from the porch roof of the temple's main building, and Inuyasha jogged the rest of the way to the porch. Under the welcomed shelter, Inuyasha let Kagome's wet thighs slip from his hands, and she let go of his shoulders. Turning around, he flicked his ears of the excess moisture and looked at Kagome, who was breathing hard and fairly soaked.

"Uh, sorry about that. We didn't quite make it." Kagome gave Inuyasha a half-hearted glare, but when Inuyasha's mouth fell open a bit, his gaze not on her face, Kagome looked down to see that her wet shirt was showing pretty much everything underneath. She was wearing her bra, at least. Gasping and bringing her arms up to cover her chest, Kagome gave Inuyasha a whole-hearted glare and stomped away. Inuyasha followed behind meekly, hoping she wouldn't sit him for ogling her rack.

Finding Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kirara all eating when she entered, Kagome pouted at Sango, who returned her pout with a look of sympathy. Miroku was smirking as he admired her skin peeping through the now transparent cloth of her shirt, but was smacked upside the head by Sango, who glared at him. He grimaced a moment, but then turned to give her a downright sultry look, which made Sango promptly lose her frown upon meeting his heated gaze. Kagome, confused, walked to her bag and hefted it to her shoulder. Then passing by Inuyasha, who was leaning against the door of the room, she walked down the side of the porch a bit to the other room that the temple's monks had let them use.

She fairly slammed the door shut as she slid it closed, and Inuyasha grimaced. He looked back into the room to see Sango blushing, and Miroku had an amused glint in his eyes as he finished his rice ball. Shippou was just looking at all the facial innuendos with confusion.

"Did you upset Kagome again, Dog Boy?" Shippou squeaked out, having at least figured out that Kagome was mad. Inuyasha stomped over to Shippou, who squeaked again, and picked him up by his tail.

"Shut up, you stupid fox! She's only mad because she's wet, just like me! So don't push your luck!" Dropping him, Shippou landed on his butt and whimpered, earning another sympathetic gaze from Sango. Shippou crawled over to her, clinging to the front of her yukata to seek refuge. Miroku eyed Shippou's hands, which were resting on the exterminator's chest.

"Did you find the whereabouts of the shard, Inuyasha?" Sango asked, and Miroku's gaze turned to Inuyasha, who was drying his hair near the fire. He shrugged his shoulders, quietly grumbling,

"We know about how far it is, and in what direction, but we didn't find its exact location." Running his fingers through his hair, his mind replayed the incident with Kagome's pajamas again before Sango's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Well, we'll at least have a better start tomorrow—that is, if the rain lets up by morning." She turned to pick up a bowl of rice and held it out to Inuyasha, who took it and sat down to eat his lunch. Hearing the sound of Kagome's door open again, he listened to her footsteps as she walked down the hallway. He then heard a small noise from Miroku as Kagome entered the room, and looked to see what had gotten the monk so worked up.

Kagome's spare outfit consisted of a tight-fitting black skirt and a white shirt. The skirt was a bit longer than her school skirt, but her school skirt wasn't nearly as form fitting. Her top, square-necked with three-quarter length sleeves, was designed in just the right way to cup her breasts snugly before smoothing down her flat stomach. The shirt just made her breasts that much more obvious. Inuyasha almost growled, wanting to snap at her to change into a different outfit. The look on his face told Kagome that he was angry for some reason, and it seemed that he was angry with her.

"What? You're the one who got us wet! It's not my fault your hair is soaked!" Plopping down next to him, she accepted the bowl Sango gave her, and began to eat. Inuyasha's jaw tightened, taking the insult instead of revealing his real reasons, but then his face turned to shocked lust when she thumped down because her breasts jiggled in reaction. Kagome was looking at her bowl of rice at the time, though, or else she may have seen his ravenous expression.

The group ate in silence then, listening to the crackle of the fire, the pounding of the rain, the thunder, and the creaks of the temple as it braced itself against the wind. Finished with his food, Inuyasha sat out in the hallway by the door of Kagome's room, needing to be away from the group for a little while. Soon after, Kagome stepped out into the hallway, telling Sango and Miroku she would spend the rest of the day studying, but to please come get her for dinner. Shippou and Kirara followed her out and went the opposite direction of Inuyasha, most likely to find something fun to do. Kagome then walked towards Inuyasha to enter the other room, and Inuyasha's eyes fed off of the way her hips and thighs moved under that black skirt. From where he sat, he could smell the aroma of rain in her hair, which was now dry.

"I'm studying, Inuyasha, so don't bother me," Kagome said as she paused in the doorway, giving him a stern look. He keh-ed and looked out at the wet landscape, trying not to glance back at her smooth thighs again, which were right near his head. She walked into the room, softly closing the door. As Inuyasha sat there, his eyelids a bit heavy, he wondered if Kagome even liked him the way she said she did. If he ever doubted her affections, he would think back to the time she had promised to stay with him, and he would feel better. As his chin dropped onto his chest, his ears relaxing a bit as well, Inuyasha pictured Kagome, and the way she looked that day.

Kagome sighed, having finished her algebra homework. That took way too long. She rubbed at her eyes for a moment, and then shoved her books back into her yellow backpack. Having actually finished her homework for that week, and mostly understanding it, though her English lessons were still a bit shaky, Kagome laid down on her right side. She looked to the sliding door, and saw Inuyasha's silhouette, still sitting against the wall outside the room. Feeling a bit nostalgic as she recalled how Inuyasha's behavior towards her had slowly changed over the past months, Kagome wondered once again how it was that Inuyasha saw her. Did he see her as pathetic? As a burden only pulling her weight because she could see Shikon shards and shoot accurately once in a while? Hoping that Inuyasha liked her, or maybe even deep inside loved her, Kagome fidgeted with the bag strap near her hand as her eyes roamed over his silhouette.

Her thighs squeezed together as she recalled the times when she had seen Inuyasha in...an aroused state. Blushing at the memory, Kagome would wonder if it was her that excited him, or if it was just a dog demon thing. She would pretend she didn't notice, such as the time only a week before when she had come back through the well with a bag full of books, medical supplies, and food. Inuyasha had taken her hand and pulled the bag off of her shoulder with his other, hefting her and the bag out with little effort. After adjusting her skirt for a bit and brushing off the front of her shirt, Kagome's eyes had noticed the bulge in his baggy pants and then had flicked to Inuyasha's face, hoping he didn't see where her gaze had been. He apparently hadn't noticed, but was looking off in another direction, obviously upset by something.

Just to tease him, she had came closer to touch his shoulder and ask what was wrong, even though she had known that he was probably trying to psyche himself out. When he had drawn away from her touch and flung her huge yellow backpack over his shoulder, Kagome had stifled a smile as he moodily told her to hurry up.

That night, after changing into her cotton pajamas and tucking herself into her sleeping bag, a little disappointed that Shippou didn't come to sleep on her stomach like he usually did, she had fallen asleep with her body turned towards the fire...

A tiny noise reached Kagome's ears, and she brought herself out of the dream world to listen more closely. Hearing a rustling of clothing behind her as someone approached, Kagome had to clench her jaw to keep from smiling. Her hands, close to her chest and resting underneath her chin, moved ever so slowly and let two buttons on her shirt fall from their buttonholes. When she heard Inuyasha come closer and pause, she chose that moment to roll over onto her back and fling her hands into position, hoping Inuyasha would take advantage of the situation. If he does...I'll know that he at least desires my body...if I can know at least that...

Sure enough, she heard him crawling closer, and tried to keep her heart from beating too fast. As he eased himself over her stomach, Kagome could feel her face blushing, but hoped that Inuyasha would attribute the redness in her cheeks to having her face turned to the fire for so long. Hearing his soft, quick breaths, Kagome had to try to calm her own breathing, and continued to take in deep, long draughts of air that constituted a person asleep. She felt him lean down and breathe deeply. Her heart warmed at the fact that he was taking in her scent, which she had learned was not displeasing to him on one of the nights when he was human. Kagome then heard him adjusting his own clothing. When she felt his hands on her chest, Kagome's mouth fell open just a bit, and her heartbeat uncontrollably increased. One of his fingers freed a third button, and Kagome was grateful that she had a bra on as he spread the material quite gently. True, she wanted him to look, but Kagome was so self-conscious about her body that she wasn't sure how much she wanted him to see.

She normally would have taken off her bra, but ever since that idiotic Nobunaga stole her undergarments, Kagome only removed her bra to bathe, however uncomfortable it was to have it on at night. Kagome almost jerked in response when she felt what had to be his manhood resting between her breasts. Instead, she tried to mumble out some encouragement, hoping she sounded like she was asleep. Then to entice him to look at her mouth, she lazily wetted her lips with her tongue. Feeling him react in surprise to her whisper, Kagome tensed only slightly when she felt him lean down again and run his wet tongue over her moistened lips. Oh, God, Inuyasha... Kagome was sure that her heartbeat was too fast, but thankfully Inuyasha didn't notice. Inside her sleeping bag, Kagome knew that the smell of her arousal was probably barely hidden beneath the thick cloth.

As Inuyasha leaned back and slid his length between her breasts, the smooth, hard surface rubbed her skin deliciously, and Kagome had to fight her body to keep from squirming. His breathing definitely got faster and heavier as he stroked himself against her, but when his breath seemed to catch on something and he scooted away from her to close her shirt, Kagome was incredibly disappointed that he was leaving her. He then took his slight weight off of her stomach and ran off, the sounds of his footsteps dying away as he left the area. Kagome then jerked up into a sitting position and leaned forward to look into the darkness where he disappeared.

Kagome felt her stomach grumble a bit, and wondered if Sango and Miroku had made dinner out of the Ramen she brought. Standing up, Kagome carefully walked to the door and slid it open. Inuyasha was apparently asleep, and Kagome couldn't help the little smile that crept to her face. She rubbed his closest ear into her palm, which got Inuyasha purring. A breathy chuckle escaped her mouth, and, looking beyond Inuyasha, she saw Shippou and Kirara playing with the drops of water dripping down from the porch roof.

Turning her head down to the other head of the hallway, Kagome walked to the other room. She didn't smell dinner, but heard panting instead. Wondering what was going on, she was about to open the door when she heard Sango,

"Miroku...it feels too good...oh, God..." Kagome's eyes widened, and she blushed a deep scarlet, knowing what they were doing. She was about to walk back to her room, but she glanced down in that direction, and saw that Shippou and Kirara were still distracted, and Inuyasha was still asleep. Well, no one's looking... Glancing at the door again, she raised her hands and slid it open only a crack. Leaning forward slightly, she peeked through the gap, and her mouth fell open.

They were faced away from the door. Sango had her forearms braced on the opposite wall, her forehead pressed to its surface. Miroku, his inner robe still on, was pressed up against Sango's hind end and thrusting into her body. His hands weren't on her hips, though. One was braced on the wall, and the other, to Kagome's surprise, was underneath Sango, most likely touching her where they were joined. Sango's yukata was on the ground near them, and Kagome saw their feet poking out from under Miroku's robe. Sango's feet indicated that her legs were spread wide, and Miroku's feet were just outside of Sango's. Kagome felt her own womanhood throb as she watched Miroku pump himself in and out of Sango's body. She began to feel a bit wet, but her mouth was dry. Two people can make love that way?

Inuyasha, having awakened when Kagome opened her own door, had pretended to be still asleep. When she rubbed his ear, he couldn't control his purring, to his great dismay and embarrassment. He had heard Kagome giggle, though, so he didn't feel as dumb since his purring made her happy. After Kagome walked away, that's when Inuyasha smelled it. Miroku and Sango are mating. Hoping Kagome would get a clue and not open the door, Inuyasha stayed still. Wait, since when were they mating?! Hearing Kagome's barely audible gasp without the sound of a door opening, he breathed a sigh of relief since she hadn't invaded the privacy of the monk and exterminator. He didn't hear her moving, though, and turned his head slightly to look at Kagome. She had her hands on the door, and was sliding it open just a bit. Inuyasha was shocked. After all the fuss Kagome made about her privacy, she was peeping!

Hearing Sango's voice, but unable to make it out, he looked at Kagome's face, seeing the play of expressions. He could hear how fast her heartbeat and soft breaths had become. That's when he smelled her arousal. Biting on his inner cheek, Inuyasha wanted to get Kagome away from the door so that he could sleep that night, but he couldn't without thoroughly embarrassing her. She had just finished her monthly cycle, and Inuyasha had been looking forward to the two-week reprieve he would have from her luscious scent.

Kagome, still watching, saw Miroku pull Sango away from the wall a bit, and Sango placed her hands on the floor. Miroku then leaned down, resting his chest lightly on her back, but bracing most of his weight on his hands, which he planted on the floor. He then resumed his thrusts, breathing heavily. Kagome heard him whisper,

"S-Sango...it...just gets better every time. So warm..." Kagome's heartbeat sped up even more, and as Miroku's thrusts got pretty fast, bringing a soft cry out of Sango, Kagome knew she had to leave before she got too aroused, or else Inuyasha would smell it when he woke up. Though she knew he wouldn't say anything, he would probably give her a funny look because of it. Kagome had a hard time leaving, and watched how Sango jerked forward every time Miroku bucked his hips into her. Sliding the door closed as softly as she could, she heard Sango and Miroku both moan as they climaxed, and turned to walk back to her room. Inuyasha was still asleep with his hand on Tessaiga's hilt.

Kagome blushed as she walked by him back into the other room. Laying out her sleeping bag, she had nothing else to do but take a nap, and hoped that someone would call her for dinner sometime. Lying on top of the sleeping bag, Kagome closed her eyes, trying not to think of what she had just seen, but failing miserably as the memory replayed over and over again. After about fifteen minutes, she finally fell asleep to the sound of the rain pattering on the roof as it let up for a little while.

As Kagome passed by him, Inuyasha had to hold onto Tessaiga for dear life. The source of her arousal had passed within three feet of his nose, and it was all he could do not to dive at Kagome at that moment and pin her to the porch floor. She didn't slide the door closed, and he could clearly hear her pulling out the blanket. A sleeping sack, or something... After about fifteen minutes, he could hear her breathing slow down considerably, and he turned and leaned so that he could look inside. Kagome was facing away from him on her sack, sleeping. Standing up, Inuyasha looked down the porch to see the other door slide open and a very happy Miroku walk out. He smiled at Inuyasha, knowing that Inuyasha knew, and just whistled.

Inuyasha glared at Miroku as he passed. Then looking down the porch again, Inuyasha saw Sango emerge, looking like she felt refreshed, and she had a small smile on her face. Jerks! Inuyasha gave Miroku a hard look as he stepped back into Kagome's room. Inuyasha slowly slid the door closed, and Miroku smirked and nodded. Turning in the direction of Shippou and Kirara, he called them over for dinner. Inuyasha barricaded the door with Tessaiga, and heard Miroku tell Shippou an excuse,

"Inuyasha and Kagome are tired, so they're sleeping. We'll save some dinner for them." As their voices died away and Inuyasha heard the door to the other room close, he turned around, and found Kagome in the same position on the floor, breathing softly as she slept on her left side. Inuyasha simply stared at her for a moment, his body reacting to her presence. Then dropping to his haunches, he crawled to her side. She rolled onto her back, startling him. She has an annoying habit of doing that... Upon further inspection, though, Inuyasha could see Kagome's unmentionables since her skirt had worked its way up her thighs. It was only a peek, but it was enough, and Inuyasha's heartbeat sped up.

Trying to stay calm, Inuyasha smoothed the tension from his face and lied down next to her, propping his head up on his left hand. Mindful of his claws, he slipped his right hand under her shirt and explored the soft texture of her stomach. That's when Kagome decided to wake up. Her eyes drifted open, and she saw the guilty look on Inuyasha's face. His arousal was pressed to her thigh, and his hand was still under her shirt. Inuyasha was waiting for her to sit him, but she simply turned red and stuttered out,

"Wh-what are you doing, Inuyasha?" It sounded like a dumb thing to say, even to Kagome's ears. She said his name again when he didn't answer. Inuyasha's face held what looked like determination, and then he licked his lips, his hand pushing further up Kagome's shirt. Kagome's face was fairly flaming, but she wanted him to kiss her. She wanted Inuyasha to do to her what Miroku had been doing with Sango. She wanted Inuyasha to touch what had been twitching ever since Kagome had admitted to herself that she was in love with him. She wanted him to show with his body what he probably couldn't say out loud.

Inuyasha pushed his leg between hers so that his arousal pressed against her hip, and took his head from his hand's support, lowering it to Kagome's scrumptious mouth,

"Kagome..." Inuyasha's hot breath slid over her mouth before he pressed his lips to hers. Kagome closed her eyes and slid her arms around him. Her left hand rested on his bicep and her right arm snaked under his left as she reached up to massage his left ear. She clenched her thighs around the leg between them and arched her chest up, inviting the hand under her shirt to roam where it wanted. When the rain on the roof suddenly got much louder, Inuyasha broke the kiss and looked up at the ceiling. The storm had regained its strength, and was almost deafening. Kagome glanced up at the ceiling, too, hoping the storm would calm down. She then rubbed behind the ear in her palm and softly said,

"Inuyasha. Kiss me again." Inuyasha turned his face back to Kagome's, which was looking at him with longing, and closed his eyes at the feel of her hand petting behind his ear. His mouth sought out hers, and Kagome opened readily, pulling his tongue inside. Moaning into his mouth, she returned his kiss as well as she could, rubbing herself against his thigh.

Inuyasha's head was swimming with her scent, which had gotten even stronger than when she had passed by his nose only fifteen minutes earlier. Her mouth was warm and accepting, and the way she was pushing herself up and into him, Inuyasha suddenly had to go faster. The hand under her shirt slipped further up, and he fondled one of her breasts through the lacey cloth covering it, hoping to get the support contraption off of her as soon as possible. Kagome, sensing his urgency, used both hands to pull his shirt out of his pants. Slipping her hand underneath, she smoothed her fingers over the smooth skin of his lower back. She then slid one hand underneath waist of his pants and grabbed the hard flesh of his rear end, pushing his pelvis into her hip.

Inuyasha, needing to feel her skin pressed against him quite urgently, leaned up into a sitting position, forcing Kagome to remove her hand. He shed his shirt, flinging it to the side and then drew Kagome up as well. Pulling the hem of her shirt up, he lifted it off her body when she raised her arms. He then looked at her bra in confusion, wondering how to get it off. His skin was radiating heat, and he edged closer to her, looking to her for help. Kagome took his hands and led them to her back, touching his fingers to the clasp in the back. Straddling her legs for a moment, he leaned over her and looked for the mechanism to release her breasts, his hair brushing against the skin on Kagome's chest and neck. Unhooking the bra, Inuyasha leaned back and drew the bra forward and off her arms. Kagome then leaned back, bracing her hands on the floor behind her, which displayed her chest quite well. The desperate look on Inuyasha's face excited Kagome to no end, and she whispered,

"Touch me...please." His hands finally came up and settled on her ribs. Sliding up to cup her breasts, the pads of his thumbs gently teased the nipples, which distended under his touch. Kagome gently bit her lower lip, a blush rising to her cheeks again. Inuyasha was fascinated. He molded and squeezed the mounds in his hands, then leaned forward to press an open-mouthed kiss to the valley between her breasts. Kagome's head fell back, her long dark hair lightly skimming the blanket beneath her. He moved his mouth to one nipple, tracing circles around it with the tip of his tongue before flicking it rapidly. Then drawing it into his mouth, he gently pulled on it, drinking up the taste of her body. The way he played with her nipples made Kagome melt, and the noises issuing from the back of her throat were music to Inuyasha's ears. Bringing his head up, he licked the dip in her throat.

Kagome brought her head forward again, and her eyes almost looked dilated. She got up on her knees, which forced Inuyasha to sit back and admire how her breasts lightly bounced as she moved. Finding the zipper in the back of her skirt, Kagome pulled it down and then pushed the waist of her skirt down to her knees. Inuyasha, mouth open and panting, devoured the sight of her unadorned thighs. The only thing left that blocked his roaming eyes was a tiny slip of fabric over her womanhood. He reached forward and hooked his index fingers under the waist, then pulled the last remnant of clothing down.

Sitting back onto her blanket, she allowed Inuyasha to pull the last vestige of clothing off of her legs. Kagome, a bit self-conscious now, kept her thighs shut tight and covered herself with her hands. Inuyasha tore his gaze away from the spot where he wanted to be soon, and looked up to Kagome's guilt-stricken face. Don't hide from me, Kagome... He decided to stand up, keeping eye contact with her as he loosened the waist of his pants. Letting them drop to the floor, he watched her gaze take in every plane of his body, and felt himself lengthen to his fullest when she stared the longest at his arousal. He then dropped to his knees onto the blanket and took one of her wrists away from her body. She didn't resist him, but didn't take away her other hand, either. He placed her hand on his length, growling in need when she closed her fingers around it. Gingerly, she scooted forward and explored his body a bit more, experimenting to see what made him excited. Her other hand came away from her body, and Inuyasha stiffened when she placed that hand on his hip.

Kagome knew a little about sex: how it produced children, a couple of ‘positions,' and that both partners came to a climax, whatever that was. The finer details were unknown to her, and she began to wonder if what she wanted to try was allowed. She looked up at Inuyasha with questioning eyes, and Inuyasha swallowed around the lump in his throat. His jaw tightened, and he nodded. Kagome kept eye contact with him, watching for a sign of disapproval as she molded her lips to his tip, slowly sliding him inside her mouth. Inuyasha's eyes crossed slightly, and his eyebrows scrunched together and up as his eyes fluttered closed. Kagome could hear rumbling in his throat, and his hands came to rest on the sides of her head. As Kagome slowly moved her head up and down, she tried to place the taste of his body, but could only define it as being Inuyasha.

It was one of Inuyasha's biggest fantasies to have Kagome perform such a service. That she actually thought it up on her own and was pleasuring him of her own will was almost too much, and Inuyasha felt his control slipping away. He was dying to thrust into her hot little mouth and then spill himself inside, but knowing that Kagome wouldn't be expecting it, he didn't want to ruin the mood that he had so carefully set up. Gasping, he pulled her head away from him, and opened his eyes to her confused and anxious face. Pulling her up to her knees, he pressed her close and cradled the back of her head in his hand. Tenderly sniffing along the curve of Kagome's jaw, Inuyasha mumbled out,

"You smell so good. I wish I could always have the chance to get this close to you..." Kagome's eyes closed at the romance in his words, and she melted into him. Pressing her breasts against his chest and straddling his arousal, Kagome pressed kisses to Inuyasha's cheekbones as her arms tightened around him.

"Inuyasha...how do dog demons...how do they make love?" Pulling back a bit, Kagome looked into Inuyasha's eyes. He visibly blushed, and responded with a pouty voice,

"They...well, the male mounts from behind...uhm..." Kagome smiled at his hesitation. She interrupted if only to make him feel less awkward.

"For our first time, Inuyasha...can we make love the human way?" Inuyasha looked confused at this...there was a different way? Kagome could tell he didn't understand. His dog instincts had told him how it was done.

"How...do humans mate?" Inuyasha grudgingly asked, not wanting to look dumb. Kagome then pulled away from him and lied down. Tugging at his hands, Kagome opened her thighs and pulled him between them.

"Lie on top of me, Inuyasha...you should be able to figure it out from there," Kagome whispered, feeling a bit empowered with her small store of knowledge, but still feeling vulnerable since Inuyasha had the dominant position. Inuyasha did as she told him, and bit down on his lip at the feel of her legs wrapping around his hips. He took a sniff of the air, and decided to bring Kagome closer to climax before entering her...though he sorely wanted to have his way with her right now.

Reaching between their bodies, he found Kagome's womanhood, already slick, and explored her, trying to find the spot that made humans aroused. He knew it existed...but to find it was a different matter. Inuyasha, holding Kagome's gaze as he probed her, found the eye contact erotic, watching her for her reactions as he searched her. Then leaning down, he sucked on her lower lip, grazing it with his teeth. When Kagome gasped in surprise, Inuyasha took note of the small bump in Kagome's skin that his finger had found. Rubbing it gently, Inuyasha felt Kagome stiffen underneath him. She closed her eyes, and a breathy groan emerged from the back of her throat. Unable to help himself, Inuyasha kept rubbing the spot, wanting to see the way she orgasmed, how her face looked and how she would smell.

Writhing under his hand, Kagome held onto Inuyasha's arm and hip. The sounds she was making were enough to get Inuyasha throbbing with need to be inside her, but he wanted to see...he had to see her climax. When she pressed her head back into the pillow, and opened her mouth in a silent cry, Inuyasha wondered if he was hurting her, but then Kagome's soft voice floated to his ears,

"Inuyasha...don't stop. Please..." When Inuyasha heard a short, high and breathy gasp, Kagome's body suddenly grew still, and the muscles underneath his hand began to throb. Kagome looked like she was in ecstasy, and Inuyasha could hardly wait to be there with her. The scent of her climax reached his nose, and he suddenly had to be inside her so badly that it couldn't wait.

Kagome, on the other hand, was in bliss. His gentle rubbing had slowly built up, like scratching an itch that only felt itchier the more you scratched it. At last, the build up came to a peak, and every tendon in her body stood at attention as if pulled towards her center. The pleasure flowed through her limbs and washed out of her, and her body was left relaxed and groggy. Kagome was vaguely aware of Inuyasha taking his hand away. Opening her eyes, she took note of the needy expression on his face, and readied herself for his body to enter hers. Kagome knew it would hurt, but she would never blame him for the pain. Inuyasha would be her first, hopefully her only lover, and if it wasn't him who took her virginity...Kagome didn't want to ponder that. Caressing the side of his face, Kagome got Inuyasha's attention as he placed himself at her entrance, poised to delve inside.

"Inuyasha, try to go slowly the first time in...but don't worry about me after that." Inuyasha looked confused, probably unaware that he was about to hurt her, but nodded, and Kagome forced herself to relax as he pushed inside.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome's face as he squeezed himself into her, stretching her inner walls, which were slick and warm. By the Gods, Kagome...it's so tight and hot. I love how you feel around me, beneath me... Kagome looked like she was in discomfort, and so it finally dawned on Inuyasha.

"K...Kagome. Does the first time hurt for a human?" Kagome nodded, and Inuyasha almost pulled out, not wanting to hurt her, even though not finishing inside her body would kill him. Kagome quickly slid her hands to his posterior, though, and pushed him back.

"Don't leave me, Inuyasha. If not you," Kagome paused, having pushed him to her hymen. "If not you, then someone else will take my virginity. Please...I want you to make love to me." Inuyasha looked almost pained at her words...I would never allow anyone else to touch you this way. Watching her face as her eyes closed, Inuyasha pushed past her barrier. Kagome took a deep breath, and he saw her jaw tighten. Smelling blood, Inuyasha's fists clenched near her shoulders as he rested on his forearms.

"I-I'm sorry, Kagome. But it just feels too good," he groaned out. Pulling back, he pressed in again, pumping into her body with a force that rocked Kagome's body back with each thrust. Kagome's legs tightened around his hips and her hands came to rest on his biceps, squeezing them for her own comfort. His instinct to mate had taken over, and he almost fiercely drove into her, but heard an indistinct, soft cry hiss through Kagome's teeth. Heat and sensation was focusing itself where Inuyasha was shoving into Kagome's warm body. The friction of her muscles around him was the best feeling Inuyasha had experienced yet in his life. He softly growled as he finally reached his peak, and then made one final push into her body. Choking out her name, he hid his face in her neck, breathing in her aroma as his groin tightened and then released, throbbing out his seed into her. Kagome...my Kagome now.

Kagome was happy. Mostly, she was grateful that he was done since it hurt pretty badly to have him impaling her entrance like he had been, but she was also glad that he was the one who took her virginity—that he was sprawled between her legs right now, panting against her neck as he spilled himself into her. Kagome knew her cycles pretty well, and realized that this was probably the best time for them to have unprotected sex even if the chance were still there for pregnancy. Cradling his head, Kagome lightly caressed the back of Inuyasha's ear, happy to have brought him pleasure, and that he had taken the time to give her some as well.

Lowering her feet to the ground, Kagome grazed his temple with her lips, waiting for him to catch his breath. Inuyasha, however, was still trying to gather the energy to move. If anything, he had to get off her chest so she could breathe easier. His ears, still being petted by Kagome's gentle fingers, gathered the sounds of the room. The storm was still going, but had calmed somewhat, and he could hear Kagome breathing, the air from her mouth blowing across the side of his head. Finally bringing himself back up to his elbows, he looked into Kagome's eyes, searching for a reaction. She smiled softly, bringing one hand to his face to brush her thumb across his cheekbone.

"Sorry, Kagome. I didn't want to hurt you." Inuyasha's face was remorseful, but Kagome lightly shook her head.

"It was inevitable, Inuyasha. I just may need a day or two before the next time," Kagome quietly whispered, blushing a bit. Inuyasha smirked. Next time? There is a God. Pulling out as gently as he could, Inuyasha helped Kagome stand up, and he scrunched his eyebrows at the blood on her thighs, himself, and the sleeping sack.

"We should probably clean up," he grumbled out. Kagome pulled the only two towels she had out of the depths of her enormous yellow backpack, wrapping one around her body and handing the other to Inuyasha.

"I'll wash the sleeping bag. We'll just go find the bath, ne Inuyasha?" Inuyasha wrapped her towel around his hips and walked to the door, pulling Tessaiga away from where it had been braced in case of intrusion. Kagome stood behind him as he slid the door open slowly, and Inuyasha jumped a bit when he felt her hand slide up his backside. She giggled a bit, but he sighed and stuck his head out the door.

"I don't see anyone," Inuyasha whispered, reaching behind to grab her hand. Then walking the opposite direction of the rest of the group down the porch, he turned around the corner and then around the bend a dozen meters down. Finding the bathhouse, they slipped inside and found a woodpile in the opposite corner. Inuyasha hauled in a few buckets from outside, already full of rainwater, while Kagome set up the fire beneath the tub. Having filled the tub, Inuyasha got the fire going, and the two of them stood there awkwardly as they waited for the water to warm up.

Kagome tucked the towel more firmly around her body and glanced up at Inuyasha, who had nothing else to do but stare at her. Blushing under his steady gaze, Kagome stuttered out,

"Wh-what is it?" Inuyasha stepped forward and pulled her against his chest, nuzzling his nose into the hair on top of her head. Kagome hugged him tightly and forced the tears shimmering in her eyes to stay put.

"I just can't believe you're mine. Just knowing that you're my mate makes me happy," Inuyasha rumbled into her hair. Laughing a bit, he continued, "It makes me happy in more ways than one." Kagome, at his words, became aware of the bulge against her stomach. "By the Gods, Kagome, knowing that I can touch you how I want to now..." His voice died away as he rubbed small circles in her lower back, which pressed her stomach against his arousal. Wanting to help him but still not ready to make love again, Kagome pulled out of his arms and looked around the bathhouse, hoping to find an extra towel. Seeing a cupboard on the inside wall, she walked to it, glancing back at Inuyasha, who was giving her an...untamed look. She opened the right door and found a few cleaning supplies and the axe used to chop the wood. The left door had a high stack of towels, not fancy but clean. Coming back to Inuyasha, Kagome stood close and held the unfurled towel in her left hand. Then reaching with her right, she pulled the towel off of Inuyasha's hips, and let it fall to the floor.

"K-Kagome...what are you—" Inuyasha's voice simply stopped when Kagome took his length in her hand and gently tugged on it. Inuyasha's hands found her shoulders, and Kagome stepped close, her stomach on the other side of the towel in her hand, which was lightly grazing the tip of Inuyasha's arousal. She then began to pump her hand over him, and leaned forward to press an open-mouthed kiss to the side of his neck. Inuyasha bit down on his lower lip, and his forehead fell to Kagome's shoulder as an agonized moan squeezed past his lips.

"Does it feel good, Inuyasha? Tell me," Kagome whispered into his neck, pressing more soft kisses to his smooth skin. Her hand moved faster over him, and Inuyasha's grip tightened on her shoulders.

"Y...yes." Clenching his teeth, Inuyasha's throat croaked out another moan. For about a minute or two, Kagome stood there, pleasuring him and listening to his heavy breathing and groaning. Kagome, having felt what Inuyasha was feeling, tried to find words to help him finish,

"Show me how good it feels, Inuyasha..." Kagome turned her head to press her lips against his cheek, and felt the muscles underneath clench at the same time that his hands tightly squeezed her shoulders. Inuyasha heard her clearly and gritted his teeth. Her warm, soft hand was squeezing him just right and creating the most heavenly friction.

The combined effect of Kagome's hands, her voice and kisses, and her smell, all brought Inuyasha to a roaring climax. He whimpered softly as the sensation shot up his arousal, but choked on his own voice before emitting a loud growl and releasing into the towel in Kagome's hand. Letting go of her shoulders, Inuyasha wrapped her in his embrace and buried his nose in her neck, breathing in her scent. His orgasm emptied him of his strength, and it was all Inuyasha could do not to fall onto his knees. Once Kagome was sure that Inuyasha was done, she wadded up the towel and let it fall to the floor, another item added to the laundry for the day. She wrapped her arms around his back, feeling as if she was almost supporting him. Nudging him a bit with her cheek, though, Kagome said,

"I think the water is ready now." Inuyasha leaned back, and put an arm out to grip the edge of the tub so that he didn't embarrass himself by falling down. From between the strands of hair in his bangs, Inuyasha almost lit Kagome on fire with the look he gave her. "Inu...yasha..." Kagome wondered if he was angry for simply grabbing him, but then Inuyasha reached forward and tugged the end of Kagome's towel and let it fall to the floor. Kagome, unused to walking around naked in front of him, covered herself as best as she could, gasping at his audacity, but still glad that what she had done didn't seem to have angered him.

"Kagome...get in the tub," Inuyasha hoarsely said. She stepped in, finding the water to be fairly warm, though not as warm as she might have liked. Sitting down on the wooden bottom with her knees close to her chest, Kagome watched Inuyasha climb in and sit cross-legged, and they washed themselves in a matter of five minutes. Kagome felt uncomfortable in the silence, especially since Inuyasha watched her the whole time, cleaning himself without looking. She twisted slightly to find the towel lying on the floor, and was about to grab the end when she felt Inuyasha's hands on her knees. Turning back to see if something was wrong, she saw that he was much closer than before. Inuyasha's hands slid down her shins, and from underneath the water, Kagome felt him grab her ankles and pull them forward over his hips so that her legs stretched out, though her knees still poked above water level just a bit.

Already knowing in general what his intentions were, Kagome relaxed a bit against the wall of the tub, and Inuyasha's eyes watched how the water slid over her breasts as she breathed. Then gliding the pads of his fingers along the insides of her thighs, Inuyasha watched Kagome's face as he found her womanhood and gingerly spread her, mindful of his sharp claws. As the warmth of the water intimately touched Kagome, her mouth parted a bit, and she brought her hands out of the water to grip the sides of the tub. Finding the bump he had played with earlier, Inuyasha at first gently rubbed it, massaging it in circles, and pressing at it.

"Inuyasha," Kagome breathed out, her voice having left her some time ago. Her mouth fell open further and her eyes closed when he carefully pushed a single digit into her body, then pulled it back just as gently, pumping in and out slowly as the thumb from his other hand rubbed a bit faster at the little gemstone hidden inside her body. Kagome's hips of their own accord started to push back against Inuyasha's hands. Inuyasha then slid a second finger into her body, moving the two in and out just as slowly. His thumb rubbed harder, and mimicked Kagome's earlier words,

"Show me how good it feels, Kagome...I want to see it again." Though he pushed just as slowly, his two fingers pushed inside a little deeper into her body, and he held them there as he concentrated on moving his thumb, rubbing fast and hard. Kagome was finally starting to fall apart. Her hands gripped the sides of the tub as if trying to hold it together, and she let out a high-pitched, shaky groan, her eyes shut tightly as her body concentrated on the warm liquid filtering down to where Inuyasha was touching her. Something in her body came into focus and the muscles hugging his fingers began to squeeze and tremble. Inuyasha reveled in the way his mate climaxed in such a responsive, uninhibited manner. He pulled his hands away and scrubbed them together underneath the water as Kagome came down from her peak.

Kagome emerged from the fog in her mind to see Inuyasha drying himself with a towel next to the tub. He toweled the ends of his hair and then tied one of Kagome's towels around his waist. Reaching into the tub, he lifted Kagome out and gingerly set her on her feet. Inuyasha rubbed a borrowed towel over her body, paying special attention to her thighs, buttocks, and chest, Kagome noted wryly. Then dropping the towel on top of the other two, he turned to pick up her towel and wrap it around her body securely.

"Well, this might keep me from fondling you for another hour," he grumbled. Kagome smirked, but ran her hand down his arm and said,

"Arigatou, Inuyasha, for what you did." Inuyasha turned a bit red, but mumbled a reply and picked up the pile of dirty towels on the floor. He led them back to their room, as Inuyasha affectionately called it, and told Kagome to dress while he took care of some things. Kagome watched as Inuyasha picked up the soiled sleeping bag and left the room, closing the door behind him. A guy who does the laundry...what better world is that?

Walking around the room a bit in her towel, Kagome realized that she didn't feel sore any more, although it was probably only because she had just bathed and the warm tub water had softened the abused flesh. Finding her pajamas and blushing a bit at the memory, Kagome slipped them on, and then padded her way down to the other room. The sun had just set, and she opened the door to see all four of her companions asleep with Sango and Miroku loosely holding hands. Quietly, she checked the pot to find about half of the Ramen left and took it off the smoldering fire. Stepping outside the room, she slid the door closed and began to walk back to the other room. Inside, Inuyasha was lying out what could only be a borrowed blanket until hers was dry.

"One of the monks let me use this. It was a bit upsetting how he stared at me, though," Inuyasha ground out. Kagome, looking at Inuyasha in his towel, didn't bother to explain that seeing a half-naked dog demon would get an odd reaction out of almost anyone. As Inuyasha stood up, Kagome hugged him from behind and pressed her cheek to his back. He had to swivel his ears a bit, but he heard Kagome say,

"Inuyasha, I have a confession to make." Turning in her arms, Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, who blushed prettily up at him. "About a week ago, the night before we found the last village we've seen since the temple...do you remember that night?" Inuyasha gulped, his memory of that night still fresh in his mind, and nodded. "Well, I wasn't asleep..." Inuyasha took about two seconds to take that in, then his mouth fell open, and his cheeks flared rose red.

"Y-you let me do that to you?" he stammered out. Kagome nodded, and continued,

"I wasn't offended, Inuyasha. I pretty much laid myself out for you to take advantage of me. It was very, uhm...erotic." Kagome's hands, which had been sitting peacefully on Inuyasha's back, slid down to cup his taunt buttocks in her hands, and Inuyasha jumped a bit. "Uhm...do you want to try it the dog demon way now?" Kagome asked, blushing furiously as her eyes darted away from his.

"But...I thought you were sore," Inuyasha softly said, but secretly hoping she would give him an excuse to make love to her again. He began to grow aroused just at the thought of it.

"I think I'll be okay. I think the bath helped, and I might be able to...you know...feel good when we're done?" Kagome looked back up at Inuyasha, who was smiling at her with male pride. He brought his hands up and began to unbutton Kagome's pajamas top, going way beyond three measly buttons. Kagome loosened the towel around Inuyasha's waist and then pushed her pajamas bottoms down far enough to slide the rest of the way to the floor. After releasing the last button from its home, Inuyasha glared at the closed sliding door behind Kagome and walked over to bar it shut with Tessaiga. Walking back to Kagome, who had turned around to watch him, he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her away from him again. Pulling back on the shirt, he let it slide down her arms, leaving the two of them naked above the thick, soft blanket on the floor.

Inuyasha set his hands on Kagome's waist and then smoothed them up her ribs to cup her breasts in his hands. One of Kagome's hands came up to hold Inuyasha's forearm and the other went up to rub his ear in her palm. Laying her head back on his shoulder, Kagome allowed Inuyasha access to suckle on her neck, leaving little bruises. His arousal was prominent against her lower back, so Kagome took her arms down and lowered herself to her knees. Inuyasha followed closely, hunkering down behind her. Mimicking what she had seen earlier that day, Kagome leaned forward and pressed her hands to the blanket and set her knees far apart. Seeing Kagome in such a position got Inuyasha more aroused than he had ever been. Getting onto his knees, Inuyasha sidled up behind her, his shins pressing into the blanket outside Kagome's shins. His arousal, pressed lengthwise along the seam of Kagome's womanhood, put Kagome's heartbeat into high gear. Breathing faster and heavier, she felt the lubrication of her excitement and rubbed back into Inuyasha's pelvis.

Leaning down onto his hands, his back lightly resting on hers, Kagome now knew what had made Sango so excited...this position felt good. It felt carnal and exciting, and Kagome pushed back into Inuyasha a few more times.

"Inuyasha...please," Kagome whispered. She felt him move his hips, which brought his manhood back and into position at her entrance. Kagome heard him lose his control as Inuyasha growled into her ear, and then gasped as he shoved into her, pumping into her warm body as hard and deep as he could. Kagome's body rocked with each impact, and her inner flesh grated a bit at the invasion, but the discomfort was nothing compared to the way his length was sliding against the pearl underneath her skin.

Inuyasha shifted to hold his weight on one arm and brought his other hand up between Kagome's arms to wrap around her shoulder, holding her to him as he thrust in and out of her body. Both breathing heavily now and glowing with sweat, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and cried out,

"Inuyasha! Oh, God..." An intense jolt of sensation shot down through her body and galvanized her inner muscles to pulsate, pounding around him as he gave one final push. A gritty groan made its way out of Inuyasha's throat, and he held his Kagome close to his body as he emptied himself into her. Though it felt as if he was giving all of his strength to her, Kagome's arms were shaking underneath her, and her head was hanging down between them. He held her up as best as he could, waiting for the both of them to complete the moment. Nuzzling the nape of her neck and memorizing her scent at this moment, Inuyasha's heart became unbearably full. He had to say something or it would burst,

"Kagome, I love you." A blissful expression came over Kagome's face as she lifted her head, and a couple of tears made paths down her cheeks. He does love me...he does love me. Her voice cracked a bit, but Kagome managed to reply,

"Me, too. I love you, Inuyasha, so much." She felt his arm around her chest tighten, and he brought her down to the blanket, turning her in his arms and holding her close. She slid her arms around him, holding tightly as Inuyasha brought the blanket over them. As the Ramen grew cold, uneaten, beside them, the two fell asleep, unaware of the two people listening at the door.

"Miroku, I'm glad they finally found each other, aren't you?" Sango whispered, taking hold of his hand. Though his other reached to fondle her backside, Sango didn't react except to put her hand on hind end, too.

"It's about time, ne?" Giving her a gentle kiss, he led her to the porch railing, where they looked out at the drizzle of rain in the faint light of the porch lamps. "I guess they were just saving it for a rainy day."