Here's a little lime for you minna!

Thanks so much for reading, you guys are the best!!

Ja ne!

~Sabichan~

Sometimes I'm a strong man

Sometimes cold and scared

And sometimes I cry

But that time I saw you

I knew with you to light my nights

Somehow I'd get by

First time I saw you

I knew with you to light my nights

Somehow I would get by

Lovers forever...face to face

My city or mountains

Stay with me stay

I need you to love me

I need you today

Give to me your leather

Take from me...my lace

**I POV**

The shower turned out to be less sensual than I had planned. She kicked me out after a few minutes because I wouldn't stop touching her. That and the fact that she could feel me pressing up behind her, ready for seconds.

I let her have some peace as I dried off and finally got dressed. Walking out of the bathroom, I made my way slowly down the dim hallway, blowing out the candles as I went. I was getting kinda paranoid, and really didn't want my apartment to burn down. I hated to kill the romantic atmosphere, but what could I do?

Once the living room was well extinguished, I sat down at the table in the kitchen. I had left the door to the bathroom open, and could now hear the wonderful sounds of Kagome's voice floating down the hallway.

"She sings in the shower...how cute." I muttered to myself.

Taking a sip of the glass of water I'd poured, my mind began to race.

My day had started like any other day. I'd woken up, had my crappy bachelor breakfast, and the now ritual burning of my hands. Then, Faye had called. And after that point, my entire routine had changed once again, right when I was starting to get used to it.

After my impromptu concert, and shopping "adventure" with Miro and Sango, I'd almost been relieved to get to the mailroom. I used to hate it there, being alone for hours, with nothing but the beeping of the scanner to keep me sane.

I'd spent so much of the past year, especially the time there, thinking about what my life would be like when Kagome came back to me.

And now that she had...I was terrified again.

I could handle the intimacy. It was easy. I had always known that Kagome and I would never have trouble with the physical aspect of our relationship. And after what had just happened, I had pretty much reassured myself that I was right about that.

But now....

Now came the hard part.

Seeing her waiting at that bus stop, in the pouring rain, under the same umbrella that had first brought us together...that was a dream come true. My uncharacteristic patience had paid off, and I would forever remember the feeling of when I realized she had come back to me.

But there were things that had to be talked about, explanations, and most likely a lot of tears on her

part. It could not be avoided. If I wanted things to work with Kagome Higurashi, I had to make sure she was on the same level that I was. Leaving the first time had been hard on her, there was no doubt about it. But the second time...the second time is always easier. And if she ever got so frustrated with me, that she found it necessary to walk away once more...I knew in my heart that I would not be able to take it.

I couldn't go through that hell again. The shock, the numbness, then the overwhelming despair of being alone. Then....then there was the anger. There had been a point, although very short, where I had been so pissed off at her. Everyone avoided me for weeks as any little thing could set me off. And I mean, anything...

I'd almost hit my best friend for merely mentioning her name. Miroku had been scared shitless when I'd raised my fist, just barely able to restrain myself.

It took a lot of strength for me to let go of all that anger. First I came to realize that it hadn't been caused solely by Kagome's departure. No, it had been building up inside me for a long time.

For more than half of my life, I'd been left behind. I'd been teased and taunted throughout high school because of my looks, I'd been saddled with responsibilities that no kid should ever have to shoulder. I'd never had a chance, was never even given one, and never even bothered to take one. I had just been...breathing to live.

I was angry at my father, for being so stubborn, for always working twice as hard to make up for his disability. If he had just let us in, past the facade of invincibility, I could have been by his side in his last moments. I could have said goodbye.

I was angry at my mother, for not being one. She had let me down, left me burdened with her sorrows, eventually forcing me to seek sanctuary with Kikyo. And that had only led to more troubles.

I was angry at Sesshomaru, for the obvious reasons. He had abandoned me at the worst possible time, offered me no support for eight goddamn years. And I was jealous that he had been there when my father died. What I would have given to see him one last time...

The Houshi's had done me no real wrong. They'd had their troubles as it were. Shippo's illness when he was younger, tough times for business, and all of those things had begun to take a toll on a seemingly perfect marriage. I could not be angry with them...

But I was definitely angry at Kagome. Her above anyone else.

Why?

It took me some time to figure it out. But after a lot of thinking, it seemed so obvious.

Number one: She left me, just like Dad, just like Sess. But what had hurt most was the fact that she already knew how their disappearances had affected me. Did she really think I wouldn't have abandonment issues? Well...there was no changing that now. What was done was done.

Number two: She was the first and only thing in my life that I ever felt was worth living for. Meeting her, falling in love with her had been like waking up after sleeping through my entire adolescence.

She'd made me feel like no one else could. She'd brought me to life.

And then, as suddenly as she had given it to me, she'd taken it away. She'd let me bang away at her door in pure misery, proclaiming love I felt with every inch of my being, and had not even given me a chance.

When she left, it was like she had shot an arrow straight through my heart. I had felt so much like the half demon of legend, and just the fact that it seemed like our love had been doomed from the start...that had angered me to no end.

I remembered, the night after I'd almost hit Miroku, standing in the bathroom, staring at my reflection.

My face, constantly drawn in a tight grimace. My eyes, dark with rage, red and bloodshot. I admit now, I even scared myself.

At that point in time, I hadn't known who that man staring back at me was, or why he was so controlled by his rage. I only knew I didn't want to be him anymore.

The next evening, I came home to find my mother waiting at my apartment. She'd cooked dinner for me, and by the look in her eyes, I knew she'd come for much more than a visit.

We had talked all night, something I had never actually done with her. She apologized for her actions, for the hell she'd put me through. She did her best to explain what was going through her mind all those years, and I was more than surprised to find out just how similar her thoughts were to my own.

She had been just as angry.

For the first time since I was a little boy, I looked at my mother and saw her as just that. Not just the woman I took care of, the woman who cried over a man I'd once called my father. I saw her for who she had been, for who she was trying to be again.

After that, she'd started coming over every week, and we'd talk again. Slowly, but steadily, we started to reforge the bond we'd once shared as mother and son. Sometimes, Sess would join us, and the family that had been shattered began to pick up the pieces. We began to move on.

The relationships with my family and friends were solid. I knew that they would never leave me again, and that I could always depend on them to help me no matter what.

But my relationship with Kagome was not the same. This was completely different from the love I shared with the others. And even now, just the thought of her leaving me again...

Blinking back the involuntary tears, I took another sip of water. This was going to be tough.

I only hoped Kagome was prepared for it.

**K POV**

I was stalling.

I wondered briefly if he knew I was doing it.

After all, I'd kicked him out of the shower almost twenty minutes ago. My fingers were beginning to prune. But even as the happy tune fell from my lips, I could feel the fear building up inside me.

So far, this night could not have been anymore perfect. He had welcomed me with open arms and an open heart. We'd made love, and he'd given me the jewel once more. This time, I knew what that represented.

I'd accepted it without hesitation. And I'd meant what I'd said. I would never take this jewel off, and I hoped that by now, I'd regained at least an inkling of my credibility.

Of course, he had every reason not to trust me. I'd done too much for him not to be wary of my actions. And honestly, even I was a little bit afraid of what I was capable of.

But...no...

No.

There was no way I could ever leave him again. I would not let myself become that weak, or ever let myself be that selfish ever again. My father had taught me better than that.

I turned off the water, and toweled off. My clothes from earlier were almost dry...but the thought of wearing his seemed much more appealing. I tiptoed back into his room, noticing that he'd blown out all of the candles already. I slipped on my underwear and his t-shirt and took a deep breath.

"You can do this Kagome. You owe him." I whispered.

Finally, I walked down the dark hallway to the kitchen, where I could hear him drumming his fingertips on the table. I stepped softly on to the linoleum, and he raised his eyes to meet mine.

I could see it plain as day. He was just as scared as I was.

"Took you long enough. I was starting to think you'd washed down the drain." He said with a half smile.

"I was distracted. I was thinking about what I wanted to say."

"So...you know what I'm going to ask you then, right?"

"I was thinking about you the whole way home." I walked over and sat across from him. "I was terrified of seeing you again. I wasn't sure how you'd react. Now of course, I'm glad I left with Sess."

"You...you don't need to tell my why you left. I already know your reasons. I just want to know..."

"If I'll do it again?" He lowered his eyes to the glass before him before nodding slightly.

"On the plane, I wondered the same thing. And even just now. But I know. I know I couldn't leave you again. Not knowing what I know now. I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

A moment of tense silence passed.

"You hurt me Kagome. You really did."

"I know. And I know how hard it must be for you to forgive me, but I hope that you can."

"It's not a question of forgiveness. I've already done that. I forgave you immediately, because I understood why you had done what you did." I sighed, and blinked back tears.

"I don't deserve to hear you say that."

"I don't really give a fuck. I did and I'm telling you. But...I have to know. I have to know what you want now that you're back. And I need you to be honest with me."

I sat in shock for few minutes. This wasn't what I was expecting. I was anticipating a lecture, or at least a discussion on the repercussions of my actions. Instead, he was asking me again, if I would leave him.

"You...you have to believe me. And I know that's a lot to ask. I'm not going to leave again."

"Tell me what you want then."

"I want to stay with you. I don't ever want to be away from you again, Inuyasha."

I could see him smiling, but his eyes were still hidden by his long bangs.

"You were always better with words than me. Actually I think even Shippo is better than me. I just fuck things up, I have a big mouth. It always seems to get me into trouble."

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm apologizing in a very roundabout way." I frowned, confused. He looked up at me and laughed softly.

"I love when you do that." I cocked my head sideways and he chuckled again.

"Yep, that's the look....Kagome...I'm sorry for what I said that day. You know, in the hospital."

"You're saying sorry for that? That was so long ago! You don't have to apo-"

"Yes I do, so shut up and let me. I got angry that I couldn't protect you. And I let it get the best of me. I...I know that this whole thing, all these troubles we've had aren't entirely my fault or yours. But

I can't help but wonder how things would've been if I had just kept my big mouth shut."

I stood and padded softly over to him. Scooting back in his chair, I slid onto his lap and wrapped my arms around him as he did the same.

"Then I probably would have said something just as bad. Inuyasha...things were meant to be this way for us. It was meant to be hard. I mean, I admit I over reacted to the whole Kikyo thing. If anyone is wrong here, if anyone has the most regrets, it's me. I didn't see what was right in front of me. I left looking for something, even someone to fill this void inside, and that only made it worse. I should have known. I should have known all along, from the first day I met you, that the one thing waiting for me, the one person...they weren't across the country or even across the sea. He was sitting next to me every morning at that bus stop. I should have always known it was you."

He was silent, but I could feel him shaking. The wetness on my chest told me he was crying, just like I was. Finally he pulled back and looked up at me. His golden depths glimmered, and a small smile rested on his lips.

"I hate crying. Makes me feel like a girl."

"You look adorable though."

"Keh." he glanced away, slightly blushing as I wiped his face clean.

"I love you Inuyasha. I swear I'm not going to leave you."

He was quiet again. After a few moments of thoughtful silence, he spoke.

"I was mad at you. Before. I started to wonder if I actually hated you."

"I understand."

"I love you too much though. I love you too fucking much to hate you. I...I've learned a lot this past year. About my family. My friends. About me too, and that was probably the hardest part. Was it the same for you?"

"Yeah. I...found out I can take care of myself. I can survive on my own. I realized that I don't need anyone to stand by me."

"So then why did you come back?"

"Because I also realized that I wanted someone to stand by me. And I wanted to take care of someone. I didn't want him to be alone. I know how that feels now." He sighed and closed his eyes.

"I'm...I'm so glad you're home." He rested his head on my chest as I played with his bangs.

"Me too."

"Kagome."

"Hmm?"

"I...I have something else to ask you."

"Yes?"

"I um...I need to know...when you're moving in."

I froze for a second.

"What?" He brought his eyes back up to mine. He was smirking again, looking so adorably obnoxious.

"I said, when are you moving in?"

"Why would I move in with you?" I teased.

"Because you said you wanted to take care of me. And I'm helpless without a woman in the house. Plus, it's not like you ever had a choice anyway..." He added, shrugging. I glared at him.

"What's that supposed to mean? You're not my master you know!"

"No, but you've got a lot to make up for. You left me for a year. I expect at least a year's worth of sex in return." The color drained from my face.

"I can't believe it. You've become Miroku!"

"Deal with it." He muttered, crushing his lips against mine. I pushed him away roughly.

"You've got a lot of nerve, thinking you can boss me around! `Deal with it'? That's real romantic! You could at least make some sort of effo-"

Before I knew it, I was over his shoulder and he was walking back to his bedroom. I pounded on his back, kicking and demanding that he put me down. He eventually did, it just happened to entail dropping me on this bed.

A minute later, my clothes once again lay on the floor, discarded.

"I told you, no clothes in the apartment." He mumbled against my bare skin. As he began to once again play with my sensitive breasts, I responded between moans.

"Why...why are you so-oh!....Gods....so..." He stopped for a moment and looked at me.

"Why am I so what?"

"So freakin horny?"

"I've waited a long goddamned time to get you alone. I've dreamt about this so much, and now," He ran his tongue over the shell of my ear. "Now, I've got exactly what I wanted."

"I...just never expected you to be so wild. You always got so shy when I only hugged you."

"I've always thought about you like this. You've given me a lot of hentai thoughts." I giggled at the word.

"Doesn't explain your dirty mouth." He blushed profusely as he realized what I was hinting at. When he'd told me to cum for him...that had just pushed me over the edge.

"You don't like that?"

"Did I say that?"

"Well then don't make fun of me. I mean, do you realize how loud you are?" It was my turn to blush.

"Weren't you busy just now?"

He grinned wide and immediately resumed his attack on my breasts.

We made love a second time that night, a little more gently as I was already sore. Of course going slow had it's advantages. Like me discovering the joy of being on top. I felt so in control, and I got to watch his face as he reacted to each and every move I made.

During sex, it was like we became two very different people. We were loud and reckless, caught up in the passion of our lovemaking.

He seemed to be determined to make me feel good. His hands roamed my body, learning where I was most sensitive, and a few times, where I was ticklish. After I began to tire, he quickly took back control and proceeded to drive me insane with pleasure. I was beyond shocked at how good he was.

It just seemed to come so natural to him, the rhythm of his thrusts, the speed, his kisses and caresses. If my talk with Shiori taught me anything, I realized it must run in the family.

When I reached my climax not too much later, he coaxed me, telling me to cum for him again. And once again, I complied practically screaming his name to the heavens above and neighbors below.

The rush of liquid heat inside me that followed, and his own cries of ecstasy sent more shivers through my body than my orgasm did. Just hearing him, knowing that I was the reason, that it was my name he was whispering like a chant...Gods....it was amazing...

Exhausted, he pulled my back up to his stomach, curling his body around mine. He ran his hands over me, tracing my curves over and over, whispering softly to me.

"I love you so much...I'm never letting you go, ever again, you hear me? Never again."

All I could do was nod before I gave in to sleep.

Lovers forever...face to face

My city or mountains...stay with me stay

I need you to love me...I need you to stay

Give to me your leather

Take from me...my lace

Take from me...my lace

Take from me...my lace...

Tbc…