Shuffle

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Tuesday 7:24 pm EST
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"You gotta relax, sweetheart," he said as he moved his body over top of hers.

"I-I know… I'm trying, really I am." Poor thing… She was so nervous, and there was no need for it.

He leaned down and kissed her. "We don't have to do this tonight… We can wait til you're ready."

"I'm ready!" she almost shouted.

"Are you really?" He moved back to lay at her side, his rough hand resting on her soft belly. "I don't think you are, even though it's been almost six months."

Sango sighed and rolled away from Koga, and then she blurted out in a voice that sounded as if she were crying, "Maybe we should break this off. I don't know if I'll ever be ready."

Koga's arm wrapped around her and pulled her into his strong body. "Sango, I already told you, I'm not going anywhere. I love you, I love your kids… I can't imagine myself anywhere else, or with any other person." He tilted her face so that he could look into her teary eyes. "This ain't something that’s on a deadline. When you're ready I'll still be here." He kissed her as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

She rolled to her back and looked at him. His long black hair was down and loose, his bright blue eyes almost glowing in the low light of the few candles that were lit in the room, his chiseled physique was awe inspiring, and the part of his body that made him male… It was a thing of beauty, almost a piece of living art, and Sango couldn't deny that she longed to be filled by him, filled physically the way he already filled her emotionally.

"Sango…" his breath hitched and his hand cradled her face, "If it's something I've said or done…"

Sango's jaw dropped. "You've done nothing wrong, Koga! Gods, how could you even think such a thing!" Her hands gripped his face. "You've been an angel to me. I can't imagine being with anyone else either."

Koga buried his face in the crook of her neck, gently kissing and leaving a love bite. His hand came up to cup her large breast, causing Sango to cry out softly. He came up from her pulse point, his face so close to hers and said in a whisper, "Marry me, Sango…"

Her chocolate eyes went wide, and her mouth worked, but nothing came out. Koga seized her mouth and tasted her breath, felt as her timid tongue darted out and met his, dancing in a slow sensuous way until he pulled back panting. "Don't think about it, just say yes."

Sango giggled. "I can't even make love to you, but you still want to marry me?"

Koga smiled at her. "You will eventually. So tonight's not the night, maybe it'll happen on our honeymoon. Ain't that the way it's supposed to go anyway?" His thumb brushed over her cheekbone. "That is, if you say yes. You still haven't answered me."

Feeling brave and bold and overjoyed, Sango reached down and wrapped her hand around his manhood, listened as his breath stuttered a bit… She pulled gently at him, feeling him harden and grow in her grasp. When he was throbbing in her hand, and he was grunting with every stroke she made, she whispered, "I'm ready now."

Koga hovered over her, admiring her form as she lay ready to finally receive him. "Are you sure?" he gasped.

"Yes." Sango reached down and guided him to her entrance. "Yes, I'm sure," she said as her gaze softened upon his face. "And yes, I'll marry you." Before she knew it, Koga had thrust all the way to the bottom of her depths in a single stroke, filling her so fully that she moaned his name. He kissed her deeply as he began to move within her slick passage, thankful she'd told him he didn't need any kind of protection, because he was certainly enjoying feeling his new fiancé in this most delicious of ways.

"Dammit, Sango!" he groaned. "You feel so fuckin' good!" His hips moved completely of their own accord, meeting Sango's halfway as they raced together to their combined end. "I'm so glad we waited so long," he puffed. After a few moments, he sat back from her, reached down and rolled her to her side into a new position, throwing her leg over his shoulder and entering her once more.

"Kogaaaaaa!" she cried as he began to grind circles inside her, then pump slowly and deeply, but always coming back to those circling movements that teased her into a writhing mess underneath him. She laid moaning and gasping, feeling that aching warmth grow in her belly until she thought she could stand no more. Koga sensed she was close, and he reached down and caressed her breast tenderly as he continued to stimulate her most inner secret place with his expert movements.

"Come on Sango," he grunted. "Let it all out on me, I want to feel you cover me in your sweet honey…" He was so close himself, but was determined not to go first. He reached down with his free hand and strummed her engorged bud of silk, encouraging her even further to let go, to give him the gift of her orgasm; to give him the gift of her release that he'd waited to bring her to for so long.

"Unnnggh, Koga! I'm… I'm gonna… Huuunnh yessssssss!" Sango's silken interior fluttered around his pulsing cock, shattered so completely around him and covered him in the sweet wetness that he'd desired for so long… His relief that she was pleased with him and what he'd done was enough to cause his own explosion within her, and she cried out, "It's so hot and so good! Gimme more, Koga! Fill me up inside with that sweet hot cum!" He convulsed and pumped what felt like a gallon of his seed inside of her waiting womb, caught his breath as her thigh quivered on his shoulder in remembrance of he delicious release. He withdrew from her and flopped down at her side.

"I love you," he whispered roughly and he pulled her into his arms. "I love you so much."

Sango's eyes watered as she felt herself wrapped up tightly in his loving embrace. More than six months had passed since she began dating Koga, and he'd respected her every wish concerning the speed of their relationship and letting plenty of time pass so she would be ready to be intimate with him at her pace. "Thank you, Koga."

"For what, baby cakes?" he asked as he played with her braided hair.

"For being patient and respecting my wishes. I really feel like you're a genuinely great guy and that you loved me long before we finally had sex. It makes me love you that much more." She snuggled her nose into his hair that draped down over his shoulder.

"Of course, my love." They lay in each other's arms for a little while longer, then Sango suddenly gasped.

"Koga! I said 'Yes'!" She smiled as he leaned down and kissed her soundly. "I've got to tell the kids! I've got to tell my mom and Kohaku!"

"Whoa, slow down! I have to get you a ring!" he said as he grinned. He sat up and reached for his jeans. "We have time before the mall closes if you'd like to go look now."

Sango pulled him back down to her. "I don't care about the useless symbols, Koga. I only care about you, and the fact that you cared enough about me to ask me in the first place. That's all that really matters anyway." She felt him growing hard again as she whispered all this into his ear.

"So you don't want a pretty diamond ring?" he asked, kissing her neck and letting his hands wander over her body.

She moaned when he nibbled on her ear, and her hips bucked wildly under him. "I was thinking if I ever wore another wedding ring that I'd like to have one tattooed permanently on my finger. You know, something that can't be taken off or lost or stolen. A reminder of the promise that's supposed to last forever."

Koga put his forehead against hers. "I love it. We could go tomorrow if you want."

"Not tonight?" she asked as he pulled her leg up and around his waist, then her other leg followed suit.

"Nope. I have other plans for tonight…" he murmured across her lips, sliding deep inside her once more, claiming her quivering female flesh for himself once more.

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Tuesday 9:57 pm EST
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Kagome sat at the kitchen table, glancing over some paperwork that InuYasha had asked her to look at. Her hands rested gently on her swollen belly, feeling the new life within her bounce and kick around. She hadn't yet felt these movements from outside her stomach, but waited anxiously for the day when she could, so she could share with InuYasha the joy of feeling their baby move.

Her silver haired husband came out of the bathroom from his shower, flannel sleeping pants on and a towel around his dripping wet head. His nose was super shiny from being freshly washed, and he grabbed a drink from the fridge and pulled a chair out next to her. "So, what do you think?"

Kagome pursed her lips in thought as she continued to read. "It sounds good… There's a good yield on it and it should be pretty mature by the time the baby's old enough to go to college…" She looked up and pushed the papers away. "I think we should do it."

"It" was some kind of investment plan that a financial advisor had worked up for them to use as a college fund for the baby. There was a retirement fund that they'd agreed to before they found out Kagome was pregnant, and so the same guy worked up another one for them. "Alright, I call him tomorrow and get it all set up then." InuYasha cracked the can of Mountain Dew open and drank deeply. Kagome stood up and uncovered his wet head.

"Give me that comb, I'll help dry it." She laid the towel across his shoulders and began to comb and dry the layers of hair as she untangled them, and by the time she was finished, his hair was soft and silky and only a little damp. She turned to sit back down, but her husband caught her and kissed her belly, put his lips next to her stretching skin and spoke calmly.

"I know you can hear me, little one. I love you, I wish you'd kick hard enough so I could feel you too." Kagome smiled as she ran her fingers through his mane, listening to him talk to their baby. "Daddy can't wait to meet you, little one. Can't wait to find out if you're a boy or a girl next week either. Then I'll know what color to-"

Kagome gasped. "You felt it didn't you?"

InuYasha had the look of an idiot on his face. "Yeah…" he said in an awed voice. Then he looked up at his wife with a worried expression. "Does it hurt? I mean, that was a pretty good kick there."

She shook her head. "No, it just feels really weird. See if you can feel it more."

He put both hands on her belly and rested his cheek in between them, waiting for the next little motion. Moments later, his left hand was being bumped and then suddenly his chin was kicked. InuYasha sat back laughing. "Feisty little guy, ain't he?"

Kagome sat down with her own hands on her stomach now. "He? You seem sure it's a boy now."

"Come on, anybody that kicks that hard from inside you at such a small size has to be a boy." He was grinning from ear to ear. "That was the coolest thing ever."

"Just wait til you see it moving on the ultrasound monitor. Then you can see what all is going on in there. It's truly amazing to watch your baby's heart beating, and then to see it move and flip is even more exciting. It kinda explains all the motions I feel when I can see what body part is causing all the commotion." She dropped her hands and stood. "Well, I think he's gone to bed for the night. I think I'm going to as well."

InuYasha hopped up and followed her into the bedroom. "I wanna go too."

She smirked as he grabbed her hands from behind. "Do you wanna sleep? Or did you wanna play?"

"Oh mama, as much fun as it would be to play," her husband said as he wound and arm around her expanded waist, "I'm really beat. I think a nice hard sleep sounds so much better than a nice hard fuck don't you?"

She chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, especially since I can't seem to find a comfortable position to sleep in anymore." She yawned into her hand, then walked to her side of the bed and quickly changed into her nightgown. InuYasha flipped the overhead light off as she turned her bedside lamp on. "I was thinking about names today."

"Oh yeah?" he said as he crawled into bed beside her, yawning as he did so. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I thinking of Masahiko if it's a boy, and Kikyo if it's a girl."

InuYasha's heart sank. He hadn't ever mentioned to his wife anything about Kikyo. They had met a few times, inconvenient chance meetings way back before the Love Nest, back when h was still bringing her to his house to have fun. He hadn't spoken to or heard from his former mistress in months. He certainly didn't want to have to confess his sin, but on the other hand maybe he should… Gods, this was not going to go well…

"Umm, I don't think Kikyo would like that."

Kagome looked over at him, confused. "Why not?"

"She would be pissed if I had a child by you and named it after her, because… See, she really wanted me to give her a child." InuYasha turned away from her. "Kagome, I have something I need to tell you, but… I… Kagome I fucked up bad. And I know you're gonna leave me when I tell you."

"InuYasha…" Kagome took his hand. "I know."

He looked at her, his golden eyes large as saucers. "What?"

"I knew when it began, what days it had happened, and when it stopped."

"Why didn't you say anything? Why did you let me keep it up?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"I knew she didn't really hold your interest," she said calmly. "Just a plaything that would eventually get old and uninteresting." They sat in silence for a moment. "I have to ask though, what finally ended it?"

InuYasha stared at the place where his feet lay under the blankets. "Her job became permanent to Chicago, and she asked me to leave you and come live with her. I couldn't do that to you, not after I had broken the bonds of our marriage already. Not after I'd betrayed you so badly."

He started crying as he kept staring at his feet. "I'm so sorry Kagome. I can't imagine how you must see me now. I'm the scum of the earth, the lowest of the low. I wish you would have thrown me out, tossed me aside like the garbage I am."

"Shh, InuYasha, didn't throw you out because I knew you didn't love her." He nodded in agreement. He didn't love Kikyo. "And I was still getting my fair share of the sex, so I didn't care. I knew you had urges that were more than I could handle. I was actually kinda relieved." She reached over and grabbed his hand. "I felt like you knew I couldn't handle you and some of the things you wanted to do, and that you were sparing me from your desires." She smiled then and leaned over, wiping his tears away and kissing him gently. "There is nothing to be guilty over. It's all over now, and you taught me some new things in the end anyway. I still love you. And I still like the name Kikyo."

He grunted. "Can't we name it an American name? Do we have to name it something Japanese?"

She settled back in the bed, as if nothing had happened. "What did you have in mind?"

"I like the names Karly and Jason. Maybe something even like Erica or Jessica, maybe Chris or Mark for a boy."

Kagome mused out loud, "I suppose we could go with something a little less traditional in the Japanese sense. We have to find something that goes well with Higurashi, though. I don't want our kid to have a stupid sounding name."

InuYasha snuggled next to his wife as she reached up and turned the lamp off. "I know you said there's nothing to feel guilty over, but I still do. And I am truly forever sorry for what I've done."

"It's done now, don't let your mind think of it any more." She kissed him on the mouth. "Let's get some sleep."

"I love you Kagome, with all my heart and soul."

"I know honey. I love you too."

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Tuesday, 11:19 pm EST
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The flicker of the TV was the only light in the room. Miroku laid in the bed with Rin tucked close to him as he watched the nightly news with half lidded sleepy eyes. At the commercial, he looked down at her, his softly snoring princess, and kissed the top of her now highlighted hair. He sighed quietly to himself. This right here, this calm sense of peace, was all he ever wanted. This girl he'd found love with… there weren't words to describe how she completed him, healed him, and how wonderful she made him feel inside. And though she couldn't quite put words to it herself, she felt the same for him as well.

Gone now were his feelings of guilt over having drug his children into the middle of everything. Gone now was the anger with Sango at how she'd tried to force him into changing himself into some kind of person he didn't want to be. And Rin had finally made peace with her father, found forgiveness for him in her heart that cold March day in Japan, and she felt happy as the word "family" began to take on a different meaning.

Miroku smiled to himself as he brushed a stray lock of hair from his new wife's sleeping face, then reached over and grabbed the bottle of beer to his right, taking a swig as he watched the weather report. Rin stirred awake, and he tightened his arm around her silky smooth back.

"Miroku, did you remember to let the dog back in?" she asked in a quiet voice.

He gently squeezed her shoulder as he kissed the top of her head again. "Yes, dear. He's asleep right here in the floor next to me." He pulled the covers up around her shoulders as she snuggled closer to him.

"Ok," she whispered, her hand absently drifting back and forth across his chest as she lulled herself back to sleep. She gasped when her husband grabbed a hunk of her backside and squeezed roughly. She leaned her head back to face him and he devoured her mouth in a fierce kiss, tasting the sweet hops on his breath. When they broke for air, she gasped, "What was that about?"

Miroku's violet eyes, now wide awake, were smiling as he said, "I'd really like the opportunity to love my sweet wife once more before the day is out…" One of his sneaky hands snaked down past her bottom and he slipped a single finger in between her quickly moistening folds as the other came up and rolled a perfect nipple into standing at rigid attention.

"You're insatiable!" she moaned as she rocked back to take his finger deeper and shoved her chest forward to push her tit more firmly into his hand.

He rolled her so she could straddle him, then he sat up and began to suckle gently at her neglected breast. "Ahh, but so are you my sweet vixen… So are you." He ran a finger down to where her body joined his, pulled it back and noted the gleam of her wetness on his fingertips. "See? So wet already and we've barely begun… You know you want this just as badly as I do." He grinned against the swell of her flesh, listening with great joy at how she hissed when his hot tongue laved her taut nipple.

As the sports report flashed across the screen, as well as several commercials and then the beginning of the late night talk show, they sealed their union once more, reminded each other of how sweet it was to be together and not to have to hide anything anymore, reminding each other of how incredible it was to be happy in the wake of such misery… When they were finished, he reached down and grabbed a towel from the nightstand and wiped his tiny bride clean, then wiped himself clean and put on the boxers he'd shed when they first came to bed nearly three hours ago. He gave the dog a pat on the head, threw his beer bottle away and flipped the TV off after being sure his alarm was set.

Rin smiled at him brilliantly in the dark. "Is this what it means? Happily ever after?"

Miroku laughed as he gathered her into his arms and kissed her tenderly. "I hope so, Rin. Let's get some sleep." She snuggled in close to him, her face buried in his chest.

"I love you, Miroku. I'm the happiest girl in the world."

Silence followed her admission as he fought happy tears in the darkness of their bedroom. When he had control over his voice, he quietly said, "I love you, koibito. You've made an old man feel young again, and happy again." He kissed her forehead, felt as she tilted her face back and then kissed her lips gently, not wanting to stir the fires within his loins again. "Time to go to sleep my love."

And so their happily ever after began on an ordinary Tuesday night in the suburbs of a big city. It was an ordinary ending to extraordinary love affair.

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Wednesday 12:42 am EST (2:42 pm Tokyo time)
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Shinju sat in the park, chewing nervously on her fingers as she waited anxiously for Sesshomaru to show up. Before repairing the rift between he and his daughter, he wasn't much on public places, wasn't really into taking time out of his day to simply enjoy the world around him. Here lately though, he and his young bride made it a point to walk at least once a week through the park or the gardens on top of the building they lived in, and he seemed to be a much happier man for it.

She saw him coming towards her, and it was all she could do to keep from leaping up and tackling him in the grass. Shinju bit harder on her fingers, trying to force herself to calmly wait for him to come sit on the bench next to her.

"Hello my pet," he said in his silky baritone voice, leaning in to kiss her quickly. "You sounded upset on the phone, what's so urgent?"

Shinju glanced down at the ground. "I wasn't sure how you'd react, so I chose a public place." She saw through her peripheral vision that his brows had knitted together in confusion. "I went to the doctor today."

His eyes narrowed and his large hand came to rest on her knee. "Are you?" She said nothing, but when she began to cry he knew what the answer was. His arms came around her shoulders and he whispered in her ear, "Don't be upset my sweet. This has made me very happy."

Shinju sniffled and croaked, "Really?"

"Of course, Juju. I am so happy that you're going to bear me a child."

"But what about what happened to Kagura and your son? Aren't you afraid?" she asked as she pulled away from him and wiped her face on her husband's handkerchief.

"Shin, that happened a long time ago, the advances in medicine have come so far now. I'm sure you've got nothing to worry about." He kissed her deeply. "I so happy that the gods have given us this blessing, and given me a second chance to prove my worth as a parent. And you're going to be a wonderful mother, Shinju. If you could take the man I was and turn me into the man I am now, then I have no doubt you'll be able to successfully mold a child into a kind and decent person." His hand slid to her abdomen. "I can't wait to see how your body will transform. You will be so beautiful."

Shinju hugged him tightly, so relieved that he wasn't mad or begging her to "have it taken care of". She leaned her head back and let him kiss her again. "I love you so much Sess. This baby is such a wonderful thing."

"Do you think it's time we told your parents I had no intention of ever sending you to college?" he asked. "Should I tell them I wanted to spoil you with every luxury for as long as the gods allow us to be together?"

She giggled and whispered in his ear, "Maybe after we go home and celebrate our good news a few times." Without a word he picked her up and carried from the park bench to his car, then hurriedly drove back to their penthouse, where he made love to her and showed her without words how happy he was at the day's good news.

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Wednesday 2:42 pm EST
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It was a bright and sunny afternoon, and she was strolling through the campus grounds on her way back to her dorm room. Izumi stopped to peek through the trees at the clouds slowly drifting past in the blue sky, listened briefly to a cardinal singing out happily. As she rounded the corner from the educational area to the dormitory area, she saw someone she knew waving to her. "Hey Izumi!" the handsome young man yelled. It was a Caucasian guy named David Stone. They shared some classes together, particularly a lecture class on ancient cultures and a psychology class.

"Hi David!" she said as she got closer. "What's up?" He was handsome; average height, medium build, dark blond hair and beautiful green eyes. He wore a t-shirt and jeans and was carrying a heavy looking backpack.

"My fraternity is having a party on Friday, and I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come." He was smiling broadly at her, hoping she'd say yes.

"Well, it's not that I don't want to go with you, but I'm really not a crazy party girl… I don't drink anymore, and I'm incredibly shy around people I don't know." She shifted her weight and apologized to him.

"Oh, no problem. Uh, maybe next time then." His face became red and he turned and started walking away.

"David?" Izumi called after him. He turned around. "If you want to go to the movies or something, y'know, something where it's just you and me, I'd be happy to go. I just don't do parties."

He brightened and walked back to her. "Well, there is this really cool new zombie movie coming out on Saturday, maybe we could go to the evening showing?"

"Sure!" she said. "We could grab a bite to eat after the show and hang out for a while!"

"Do you have a preference on show times?" he asked as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and began to look up the show clock.

"Maybe somewhere around 7 or 8-ish. Not too late to grab some food when it's over, but not so early that we have to put up with people and their kids." She knew from experience with six little brothers how much fun a crowd of kids was.

"How about 7:20 then? And then we can go to that restaurant that has those really cool booths, you know, the Ferris wheel booth, the prison cell booth, the '57 Chevy booth."

Izumi was sure her face was going to break from smiling so hard. "Oh that place has the best burgers! That sounds great!"

"Alright, then let's meet by the girl's dorm at 6:45 on Saturday night." The boy was proud of himself for saving what could have been a total bomb on asking Izumi out. Now he was excited again, even though she didn't want to come to the frat party.

"Sounds great, David. Hey, what's your phone number, I'll save it in my phone…" She saved his number, then called him so he could save hers. Then they went on about their business as before, Izumi going back to her dorm room to study and do homework, and David going back to campus for his last class of the day.

Izumi's steps were light and cheerful. She'd come a long way since trying to drink herself to death in her parents' basement. She and Rin had come to terms with everything that had happened and were now good friends, she and her mother were at a deeper understanding now, her brothers had all grown to love and respect her in a different way since she had helped groom them into more disciplined and more mature kids. She and Shinju talked almost everyday, always around five or six in the evening, early morning for Shinju. And now it appeared she had her first date in over a year with a really decent guy, not like the last dude who left her when he heard she was in depression.

She sat her books down on her desk and opened the window to the room she shared with another girl her age. The sun was warm and bright, and as she propped her feet up on the windowsill and leaned back in her desk chair, she thought of how happy she was that all the miserable crap that happened in the past year was over, and despite all the pain and initial heartache, everything seemed to have worked out for the best. She thought of her family, of how it seemed they were all part of a deck of cards… She thought of how they were all shuffled about and how they seemed at first to land in all the wrong places. Now Izumi had come to think of 'the Great Shuffle' as something that needed to happen, something that was necessary to make her family continue to grow and carry on.

And now a new card had been shuffled in, David. As she sat basking in the warm sunshine she felt more at peace and happier than she had in a really long time. Maybe it wasn't so bad to be shuffled after all.

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THE END