#a sequel?

Finally he lifted his gaze and gold collided with slightly arrogant dark brown. The corner of his mouth kicked up in a smirk as he drawled, “You think so, huh?”

 Kagome’s eyes glinted impishly at him as she damn near purred back, “Oh, I don’t think. I know.”  Then she crossed her arms, cocked a hip, and raised an infuriating eyebrow at him, a silent challenge.

 Inuyasha didn’t know if it was his instincts or simple male pride that goaded him into accepting, but he did all the same and wordlessly, keeping his eyes on hers, Inuyasha untied his robes, shrugged out of them, then carelessly tossed the garments to the side. “Alright, little girl,” he growled, rolling his shoulders. “Let’s see how tough you are.”

 Absolutely delighted and trying not to gawk at her husband’s muscled chest and abs, Kagome grinned and followed suit on disrobing, shrugging out of her light kosode and tossing it aside, revealing the simple wrap around her chest she’d been using as of late. It was lightweight and didn’t restrict movement while she trained so it was her homemade version of a sports bra.

 She didn’t miss the way Inuyasha eyed her bared stomach appreciatively and her grin morphed into a smirk as she sunk into a sparring stance, legs apart, knees bent, hands raised. Kagome watched him to the same and a tiny thrill traveled through her body at the almost predatory look in his eyes.

 Inclining her head, Kagome breathed, “Come at me, Inuyasha,” and braced herself.

 Golden eyes flashed, fangs were bared in a lethal grin, and faster than a blink he shot forward, prepared to take his wife down to the ground in a single swipe.

 He was not expecting to encounter empty air, however, his hand making contact with the space Kagome had been standing in a second prior. Quickly he spun around and just narrowly missed the punch aimed at his face by ducking and retaliating by driving forwards and shoving his shoulder into her stomach. Kagome grunted and used the momentum to hitch herself up onto his shoulders, roll over his back into a perfectly executed somersault then landed gracefully on her feet behind him.

 Slightly impressed, Inuyasha didn’t give her time to recover before he was coming at her again, sweeping out his leg to knock her off her feet but again his wife surprised him by deftly leaping out of the way and responding with a swift kick to his side with enough strength to maybe leave a tiny bruise. Maybe. Frowning, a tad put out, Inuyasha turned, made to grab her around the waist and hoist her over his shoulder, but his sneaky little wife bested him again and ducked below his grasping arms, hooked her fingers into the waistband of his hakama, and threw her weight to the side to in turn throw his balance off. Predictably he stumbled and she released him in time to avoid the upper cut she was sure he’d only deployed as a reflex.

 Getting annoyed now – just when the hell did his mate get so fast? – Inuyasha scowled and turned to regard her silently and he fumed even more to see her standing there completely unwinded, calm as you please and staring at him with a smirk that looked awfully familiar. “Something the matter, Inuyasha?” she had the gall to ask him and his eyebrow twitched. “And here I thought you wouldn’t hold back on your wife.” She sighed, and Inuyasha really didn’t like the glint in her eye as she cooed, “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of getting beaten by a girl, Inuyasha. That’s adorable.”

 Inuyasha gaped at her. She did not.

 Kagome smiled sweetly, fluttered her lashes, and blew him a kiss.

 She did.

 Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed and a low rumble thundered in his chest. “That’s it,” he growled and he sprung forward; Kagome barely managed to dodge with a yelp and then suddenly she was avoiding swings left and right, doing some fancy footwork in order to miss his feet that kept trying to knock her off of hers and yet the entire time she was smiling because this is what she’d wanted!

 Laughing in pure delight, her bright expression completely at odds with Inuyasha’s determined scowl, Kagome gave as good as she got, darting in with quick jabs and kicks while simultaneously blocking and eluding any of her husband’s attempts to splay her on the ground, keeping his claws away from her skin at all times. There were a few close claws, to which he always had a mini panic attack, but his nimble wife always managed to escape with scant few centimeters and he could breath again and concentrate on their spar.

 They were so absorbed in their scrape that they failed to notice the two onlookers who drew ever closer, one face filled with pride while the other unabashed amusement, both of them silently rooting for the smaller of the duo.

 Several more intense moments passed of the two of them dancing around each other, dodging, sweeping in, jumping back, aiming a punch, and repeat and by now Kagome was starting to breathe a little heavier now, sweat dotting her brow and running down her temples. She was immensely pleased to see that Inuyasha was in similar straights, sweat glistening on his chest and dampening his silver hair to his forehead. Still, it would be best if she wrapped this up, and soon because she knew her mate and also knew that his endurance far outweighed her own, no matter how much progress she’d made in Sango’s training. Long, sweaty nights told her intimately how much stamina he possessed, but now was definitely not the time to be reflecting on that.

 Blessedly, it was only a moment or two later that she found her opening and she was a little surprised she hadn’t noticed earlier. One of Inuyasha’s favorite maneuvers was an intimidation tactic, she was sure, which was to dart in really close, crowding her, and cage her with his arms, but not wrap them around her. She suspected it was used to make her fumble, forget herself, but it hadn’t worked thus far. She supposed Sango’s training really had paid off if all she was focused on was the fight and not her sexy husband’s gloriously sweaty body so close to hers.

 This time, however…she’d let him think he’d finally gained he upper hand.

 So when Inuyasha suddenly charged forward and stretched his arms out on either side of her, Kagome fought against the initial reflex to flee and instead purposely blundered like he expected her to, pretending to misstep and “fall” back into him. Surprised, but reacting swiftly, Inuyasha snapped his arms around her upper chest and shoulders and Kagome just managed to pivot her hips in the right direction before she was hauled against him, his groin snug with the outside of her hip and her right arm poised to snake under his left arm.

 A dark, slightly husky chuckle sounded right next to her ear, her mate’s warm breath ghosting over her skin and eliciting a very real shiver. “Gotcha now, wench,” he growled and made the grave mistake of loosening his hold, thinking he’d already won this scrapping match. Kagome let him think that and allowed herself to enjoy their proximity for a minute or two, knowing she could end this any time she wanted.

 “Oh, no,” she murmured as Inuyasha nuzzled the shell of her ear, so absorbed in his apparent victory that he completely missed her soft words. “Whatever shall I do?” Then, with a wicked grin, Kagome abruptly bent forward, dragging the hanyou at her back with her and she heard his soft grunt of surprise as she dug her hip into his pelvis, feeling his heavy weight drape over her back and with a mighty heave and a rough cry, Kagome threw her much heavier half-demon husband over her shoulder and onto the ground.

 Inuyasha wasn’t quite sure how it happened. One minute he had his delicious smelling wife trapped against him quite nicely and was nuzzling her ear, about to suggest they take their antics to a more private setting, and then the next he was suddenly staring up at the sky, dazed and truth be told, a little sore.  And as realization slowly dawned that his small wife had indeed kicked his ass, so too did he realize that there were others who had witnessed his defeat as the sound of hysterical laughter penetrated his stunned thoughts.

 Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha sighed then scowled as he turned his head to regard the stupidly laughing monk, bent over and holding his stomach and loud guffaws continued to escape him, face red, tears leaking from his eyes. Vaguely he was aware of Kagome squealing in delight and from his peripheral he could see her bouncing in front of Sango excitedly, exclaiming about her victory and generally just being so damn happy that Inuyasha couldn’t find it in him to be mad. He sighed and closed his eyes, figuring it wouldn’t hurt to let his mate have her bragging rights. Just this one time, though. Next time – and there would be a next time – he’d show her a thing or two about sparring, and if he planned it right, it would end up with them in naked and in bed.

 Miroku’s obnoxious laughter interrupted that particular daydream and Inuyasha scowled again, opening his eyes and glaring at his supposed “friend.” “Shut up, monk,” he growled, annoyed that he found his defeat so hilarious.

 Miroku, of course, ignored him and continued cackling. “How’s it feel, asshole?!” he managed to gasp out between laughs. “What was it you told me? ‘You got your ass handed to you!’” Doubling over again, he continued to taunt and snort, making a complete fool out of himself in Inuyasha’s opinion, while the girls completely ignored them and went over the fight, Sango pointing out her strengths and commenting on certain moves while also praising and giving advice.