InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Choices, Choices... ❯ Control ( Chapter 7 )

A/N: This chapter is not a full lemon, but it IS graphic. Semi-lemony, if you ask me. If you are reading at the following sites: The Red Curtain, MediaMiner, or Inuyasha FanFiction, then you will see the un-edited version. If you would like to read the toned-down, edited version, please look this story up at: deviantART or FanFiction. Don't say you weren't warned. ;) BTW - I'm sorry for making a good portion of this so Sesshoumaru-heavy again. I know there's been a lot of him lately, but I can't help it. Those of you that know me know I'm a SessKag addict. So I dedicate this chappie to all my fellow SessKag fans.

Thanks: deviantART - my number one fan, luvtodraw, also no1sangel and doggurl. At InuyashaFanFiction - Animefreak. At FanFiction - firegoddess372 and littlefoxdemon.

Replies: (all from MediaMiner) Unistar - Sorry, but I'm refusing to reveal what the pairing is! I know, I know, that sucks. But the story is called Choices for a reason, and half the fun is not knowing who she'll choose! Kokoronagomu - Ah, yes. But that would be too easy for our protagonist, wouldn't it? LOL Anyways, we know Kagome doesn't always think the best of every situation… As for Sessh, all he knows is this girl intrigues him like no other. He's not thinking it through, in terms of commitment. But we shall see, won't we? *snicker* buzzk97 - Thank you so much for all the lovely comments! I REALLY appreciate you reading more than one of my stories, as they are all different and each has something different to offer. It means so very much to me and I'm glad you're enjoying! Catsed1 - *blushes* Thank you so very much…

Also, at AdultFanFiction: swasdiva - Ah, I am in your debt!!! There are not too many that like more than one of my stories. And yes, Choices, indeed! This is just one of the intended meanings of the stories' title. Poor Kagome. You won't BELIEVE what I have in store for her. You live in Orlando!? WOW, you're the closest person to me!!! I go to Orlando once a year, usually. For either Disney, or some sort of convention. Perhaps we'll meet someday! -.- I know what you mean. Just leave one for me, Kagome!! I don't care which it is, just leave me one! LOL Haha! WH-AAAAT??? They're not real? I can't hear you, repeat that again? LALALAAAAA…. I can't hear you… Lulz Yeah, I feel you. Florida guys are so… ugh. I'm from NY originally, so I'm used to respectable, say-what-they-mean guys. So yeah, you'll find a few characters in here that are based off guys I know, or someone I've met. Thanks so much! I looooove long reviews! Just keep leaving them! :o)

 

Very personal Author's note: Everyone, I can't know that you like the story unless you review/ comment. Even if you fave /subscribe/whatever, I prefer comments. So please remember to leave your mark!

 

Now, on to the show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choices, Choices…

 

Chapter 7: Control

 

 

 

 

Kagome was halfway through her classes the next day when she remembered: she hadn't finished highlighting the documents last night! She had been so swept up in the momentum that was Sesshoumaru, she had fumbled the papers, stuck them back together and given them back! Did he know? Did he use them? What if her mistake would cost him valuable information? Horrified, she texted him using the number she had gotten from the secretary at work. `Sesshoumaru, I need to ask you something. Can you give me a call later? Thanks, Kagome.' She had just closed her phone and began to walk towards her next class when the telltale vibrations from her phone signaled her to a call.

 

She didn't recognize the number, but picked it up nonetheless.

 

“Hello?”

 

“It is I, Sesshoumaru. You desired to speak with me?” she heard the baritone voice say.

 

She was floored that a simple phone call from him could make her knees wobble, but wobble they did.

 

“Eh?” she said dumbly, smacking herself in the forehead. She could practically hear him smirk on the other end. “Right, yes. Um, I wanted to ask… did you use the files I was highlighting names for last night?”

 

“No,” he said. Relief washed over her. “I knew you had not finished, so I simply put them in a folder and took them with me,” she heard him explain. “I assumed you may want to finish them tonight.”

 

Tonight… Tonight? No, not tonight! Tonight's Thursday night! I have a date with Inuyasha! Panicked, she tried to appease him. “Er, well, you see… I can't come to the office tonight, so I was wondering…”

 

“Plans?”

 

“Eh?” she answered again, dumbly.

 

“Onna, do not speak unless you have something intelligent to say. I was simply inquiring if you had plans tonight,” he chided.

 

She felt stupid. Then again, stupid is as stupid does… “Yes, I have plans. That's why I can't come. So I was wondering if you could leave the folder-”

 

“I will drop them off when I am done with class,” he instructed.

 

“N-no, I couldn't ask you to-”

 

“You did not ask. There is no imposition. I am nearby. It would be foolish for you to drive to the office when I am at the same campus as you,” he quipped.

 

It made sense. Still… “But, you don't even know where I live…” Kagome whined.

 

“Baka, I was at your home the first time we met, was I not?” He sounded less than pleased.

 

Smacking herself on the forehead again, Kagome sighed. “Right, sorry. Ok. I'll be home around four-thirty,” she told him.

 

“I will see you then,” she heard him say before the line went silent.

 

What is wrong with me? Of course he knows where you live. Baka, baka, baka, baka, baka, baka, baka, baka, BA-KA! Stomping towards the building that housed her next class, Kagome began to calm and wonder where Inuyasha would be taking her tonight.

 

--------------

 

Kagome skipped home merrily, pleased with her work for the day. Her professor had commended her on her work today, and that only made her even happier; as it was, a date with Inuyasha had her floating around between classes. Sayuri had seen her, and commented on how she seemed `more joyous' than usual. Leave it up to Sayuri to say something like that.

 

Now in her room, Kagome went about planning what she should wear. He had refused to tell her where they were going, and she had texted him a couple of mornings ago; as he was not an early riser, he had messaged her back in the afternoon telling her that it was a surprise, but she didn't have to wear a dress. Well, that's somewhat of a sign. At least we're not going anywhere fancy. I guess Inuyasha isn't the romantic dinner type. She went about grabbing a pair of simple low-rise jeans and a flowy but clingy, white silk top. She freshened up in the bathroom, and heard her phone beep with an incoming message.

 

Walking over to the phone, she flipped it open to find a message from Inuyasha telling her he was on his way over. She typed back that she would be ready by the time he got there, and added a smiley face for good measure. She would have laughed to see him roll his eyes at the obviously oh-so-Kagome gesture. She checked the clock on her phone before shutting it. Hmm, 4:28. I should have a good thirty minutes, right? Suddenly finding herself a little flustered with the oncoming date, Kagome noticed how aroused she was. Biting her lower lip, Kagome tried to think of a way to kill time. Unfortunately, her hardened nipples were proving to be quite the distraction. Reaching up to one, she tried to hold in down, attempting to quell the ache. But the pressure only made it worse, and she felt the electricity skate up her spine. Finally deciding that she needed to take the edge off her nerves, Kagome walked into her bedroom, stripping and putting some jazz music on her little stereo.

 

Sesshoumaru had known that he was running late, but he figured the woman was probably getting ready and wouldn't mind. He walked out of the elevator and turned left, entering her hallway. When he reached her door, he moved to knock, but something stopped him. He looked like a statue, fist frozen in the air, poised to rap on the door. He sniffed discreetly, and found that what he smelled made him quiver in anticipation. He literally began to shake as he smelled what inequivicably was Kagome's strong arousal. He was quite familiar with it by now, and he felt his fangs lengthen in response, as well as his own arousal, prodding the front of his khaki slacks. He willed his youki to calm, and his fangs receded. Shaking his head as if to clear his mind, Sesshoumaru knocked. He waited a few moments and there was no answer. He tilted his head slightly, and he heard - very faintly - the soft music coming from within the apartment. He wondered if she had company, as she did inform him that she had plans tonight. But another sniff told him that she was indeed alone. After a few more moments, he knocked again, curious as to what she was doing. Her scent was strong inside, but not in the hallway. Therefore, she had not left. Becoming impatient, he was about to turn and leave when he heard the girl cry out, and he could not stop the lengthening of his fangs or the appearance of his stripes as he heard her obvious pleasure moans.

 

Kagome was happy with her selection of Coltrane, and she lay in her bed, naked. Feeling the anticipation of what was to come, she reached up to caress her nipples first. They were already perked, but they hardened further under her touch. As one hand tweaked the small peak, her right hand reached between her legs, finding that she was already a little moist. She parted her folds, feeling her most intimate parts. The small jolts of electricity sent shivers through her body, begging for more. As she applied more pressure, she was rewarded with stronger aching, which coaxed her to rub stronger, faster. She continued to play with her nipple with her left hand, and she began to make little mewling noises. Her body ached for release, and she became fevered; harder, faster, harder, faster. Her hips rose of their own accord to meet her hand. She grunted under the pressure, and she began to feel the tell-tale coils of pressure build in her abdomen. Squirming now, Kagome kept up her pace as she arrived closer to her peak, and her hand left her breast to grasp her comforter. Moaning and slithering on the bed like a wounded snake, she brought herself to climax; she saw stars and called out to no one in particular in ecstasy. Now panting and shivering slightly in post-climax bliss, Kagome kept her eyes closed and focused on the notes coming from the CD player to calm her body. She sighed happily as she turned to her side to look at the clock. It was 4:40, and she figured she should get cleaned up and ready. In a minute, she smiled to herself.

 

Sesshoumaru was stunned. He knew the demure little vixen was tuned into her body, but he hadn't known she was so… self-assured. His arousal was steadily becoming harder to ignore, and although he was a mighty Taiyoukai, he could hardly contain his youki. He knew he should leave the folder by her door and leave. But it was sensitive material; he couldn't just leave it in the hallway. And he would have wasted time to come here without giving her the files when he knew she was clearly home. So it only made sense to keep knocking until she answered the door.

 

He knew that he was lying to himself, that he actually just wanted to see her, smell her, touch her. But what good would come of allowing his inner beast to have whatever it desired? So he knocked again.

 

Kagome was blissfully unaware of her surroundings when she heard something. It could have been a knock - was Inuyasha early? Grabbing her plushy white robe, she tied it hastily as she padded to the front door. From the other side of the door, the knock came again; it was a little louder than she thought was necessary. He could have just called to say he was at her door…

 

Kagome opened the door to find: platinum hair, honey-flecked brown eyes, and a handsome face. But all three of these characteristics belonged to the person she was least expecting. Shit! I forgot I asked Sesshoumaru to meet me here! Frustrated with herself, Kagome scowled. He quirked an eyebrow at her, and she realized that he was assuming she was angry with him. She smiled quickly, greeting him. Unbeknownst to her, Kagome's cheeks were still flushed a pretty shade of pink, her hair was tousled, and she still held the scent of one who had recently engaged in throes of passion. Kagome noticed the odd stare Sesshoumaru was pinning her with, and she squirmed under his intense gaze. She realized he had not greeted her, nor did he move to give her the paperwork she had requested. She became uncomfortable; she felt as if he knew what she had been doing, although that was impossible.

 

Sesshoumaru had thought he was going to simply hand her the folder and leave promptly; however, when he took in her rosy cheeks and mussed hair, all he could do was stare. Actually, internally, he was doing much more. In the confines of his mind, Sesshoumaru was attempting to chain his beast to a wall. But his youki, empowered by the scent of a bitch in heat, was resistant. It clawed at him, howling and snapping its' jaws in the attempt to break away and take over the controls of their body. On the outside, Sesshoumaru seemed to be in a daze. His eyes were clouded over and his fingers twitched involuntarily. He didn't even notice that Kagome was growing nervous with his inactivity. And he didn't notice when she said his name.

 

“Sesshoumaru?” she ventured.

 

When he didn't answer, she had no idea what to think. Was something wrong? Was he hurt? Did he need help? What should she do?

 

“Sesshoumaru?” she asked again, placing a small hand on his bare forearm.

 

Her touch allowed for the beast to take over, distracting Sesshoumaru just long enough for his youki to place him in chains and control his body. Instantly, the feral Sesshoumaru grabbed Kagome by the shoulders and pushed her inside. He closed the door behind him, then turned the woman and forced her against the closed door. Before she made contact, his lips were already on hers, hungrily devouring her as if her essence could feed him for eternity.

 

Kagome had no time to think. She had been so concerned, and then she saw a slight change in the color of his eyes - although later she thought it was probably her imagination - and then her world was topsy-turvy. The next thing she knew, his mouth was pushed hard on hers, and she felt the flood of desire return to her body. It hadn't been long since she had finished herself, so all the right hormones were still flowing freely amongst her muscles and in her brain. She welcomed him into her mouth, and he grunted with satisfaction at her submission.

 

Inside his own mind, Sesshoumaru only half-heartedly fought to regain control of his body. In a way, he wanted this. He wanted to take the woman, make her his. Something didn't feel quite right though, and this was the reason he fought his youki at all. With all that happened, he hadn't examined the reason he didn't completely give in to the beast.

 

Wild with passion, Sesshoumaru now pushed his large frame against the small girl, pinning her against the hard wood. He had dropped his things, the papers sliding around the floor once again. Neither paid any mind, however. Kagome whimpered into his mouth; he responded by grinding his hips against her suggestively. Kagome welcomed his newfound openness and pushed back, making him grunt in pleasure.

 

Now was when the coherent Sesshoumaru began to find the reasons he shouldn't be doing this. Number One: His beast was coming very close to revealing exactly what they were to her; a little more and his fangs and claws would be seen, and his stripes may begin to appear. She was a good girl, but who knew how she would react? It would not do for all humans to realize that demons lived amongst them. Demons prospered around the world, using their birthrights to prosper by opening businesses, or performing services, or however their talents served them. Number Two: He was not the type to lose himself in a female, let alone a ningen one. He had seen all types of strong, demonic males bow to the will of a female, ningen or youkai. He would not be one of them. He was stronger than that; he did not need a mate. Number Three: This particular female was going to ruin his reputation. Not that she was bad, per say. But when he was around her, he happened to do all kinds of things he would never dream of. He seemed to feel more emotion, and acted on impulse, which was as much ridiculous as it was incredibly stupid. So, how to regain control of the beast that had not only escaped control, but locked him in the bindings of his mind? Apparently step one was to break the chains of control.

 

Kagome had tried to take control. She attempted to move both herself and the god-like man opposite her towards her bedroom; all thoughts of a date had fled with the first heated kiss. But apparently, Sesshoumaru prided himself in being the dominant one, and he resisted, unless he deemed it best. They made it about four feet from the apartments' entrance before they both tumbled to the floor, limbs akimbo and lips never leaving the others'. Knowing his master was trying to regain control, it used Sesshoumaru's hand to travel from her shoulder to her stomach, trailing lazily along her breast on its' way down. His hand - of its' own accord - came up and parted her robe, grasping a full breast. When his palm rubbed against her hardened nipple, she gasped as she rocked her hips into his full arousal. Encouraged, the beast pushed the hand further south, kneading her hip as it came to it. He barely had to grasp her before she was pushing up into him, begging to be taken. It had no intelligent words, but Sesshoumaru knew what his youki was thinking - that she was in heat and it would be easy to take her.

 

The hand moved further down still, parting the robe below the belt. Her leg bent as he grabbed her on the backside of her thigh. His hand travelled down the smooth skin of her thigh as it reached the apex - where her thighs joined. She cried out, much to the beasts' pleasure, when he reached within her moist folds to tease her. She rocked into his fingers, pleading for more. He continued to assault her mouth with his own as he fondled the swollen nub that brought little whines of satisfaction from her. Deep within, both the youki and Sesshoumaru knew that Kagome was still at a sexually high point from only several minutes earlier. Taking advantage, he made small circles with the pads of his fingers, making Kagome moan as they had heard from outside the door. He plunged his fingers deeper, into her hot cavern, and she writhed with pleasure, making a little `o' with her mouth. He made sure to pay attention to her nipple as well, and finally bent down to take a hardened peak into his warm mouth. Little cries escaped her as he teased the pink, taut nipple with his teeth and tongue, keeping the razor-sharp canines away from the sensitive flesh. She buried a hand into his hair, pulling gently at first, then harder as her pleasure increased, as if to keep his head there, latched to her breast.

 

He used his thumb to apply pressure to her swollen clitoris, while using his first two fingers to caress inside, searching for the spot that would make her cry out as she had earlier. When she began to make little gasping noises, he knew he had found it, and kept caressing, inside and out. He continued the assault on the three sensitive areas, and when she began to shake with the anticipation of the oncoming climax, he moved his mouth back to hers, kissing her hard and swallowing her whimpers and pleas. Within seconds, he felt her tighten around his fingers, and he released her mouth only to hear her cry out the name of his master. He returned to her lips; little soothing, calming kisses along her lips and neck.

 

A very smug Sesshoumaru smiled in the confines of his mind.

 

As arms and legs twisted, struggling for control, Kagome began to place a few passionate nibbles on his jaw, coming to his neck and biting. She heard that wonderfully lusty sound she described as a growl and did it again - harder. He responded by grabbing the back of her head and placing his lips to her own neck, his elongated fangs above her throbbing vein. He kissed her there, and she whimpered. With the pleasurable sound, he upgraded to taking her flesh in his mouth and sucking gently, then harder when she squirmed in delight against him. The youki could take no more. He was on the edge as it was, after her display. Lips still against her pulse point, he opened his mouth fully, and bit gently, scraping the sharp points of his canines against the tender flesh. She cried out in ecstasy, and he had every intention of drawing blood to feed his hunger as well as his lust, but he felt something within himself snap - and it was then that the beast receded, knowing that its' master had regained control.

 

Sesshoumaru had tried to be reasonable with himself and think things though, like he always did. But time was running out. His untamed side had progressed nicely, and the lusty bitch had responded beautifully. He prided in himself, knowing it was he she was aching for. He only allowed himself a small, wicked smile before realizing that his other self intended to draw blood. She had already felt his fangs, although she probably would not realize what they were. But if he were to wound her, she would definitely know. She may even mistake him for a vampire. He chuckled to himself. Silly, imaginary beings that humans came up with. Knowing that even though he wanted to continue, he must take control and stop, Sesshoumaru fought with all his might against the chains that bound him. These were the only bindings that could hold this particular Taiyoukai, but they were not meant to hold him for long. When he was free, he instantly took over, giving himself a few moments to bask in the passionate glow his other self had created. He willed his claws and fangs to recede, and his markings wavered back into his skin. He brought his lips back to hers, changing the mood and slowing the kiss until they both lay, panting, on the floor.

 

He knew she would be looking for an explanation; she was smart and witty, but she was also very sensitive. If he didn't handle this correctly, not only would she never speak to him again, but it could affect his work life. And both were very good reasons for him to bring up what he had least wanted to speak of, since he was assuming she had a date. Hopefully, however, she would only be thinking of their encounter wherever she went tonight. He decided to speak as she turned to look at him with her big, blue eyes.

 

“Kagome, did you not say you had somewhere to be today?”

 

He watched with hidden amusement as her lazy, contented look turned to one of confusion. Then it switched to realization. Then to utter horror.

 

“Nani? NANI?!” Kagome shrieked, hurting the sensitive hearing of the Taiyoukai.

 

Suddenly very conscious of what was happening, she drew her robe shut and sprang up onto her feet. Sesshoumaru, who barely had a hair out of place, only watched her with interest as she scrambled about. She began to pick up the papers, but only managed to pile them before deciding that Sesshoumaru had to leave before Inuyasha showed up. It wouldn't do to have one man exit her apartment as another entered. If she was lucky, her neighbors wouldn't notice.

 

“I-I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru, but I need to get ready…” She didn't want to finish her sentence. She felt like she sounded like the guy in the relationship, making up a lame excuse to get rid of the woman.

 

Sesshoumaru knew she needn't be reserved now, but he allowed her the respite and nodded, picking up the messenger bag he carried his books in. He opened the door, turning one last time to take in the way Kagome looked; her hair was even more tousled than before, and her cheeks, lips, and parts of her neck were rosy from their shared passion. She seemed to recognize the longing look he wore, and she moved towards him, smiling gently. But he didn't allow her to know his weakness. Instead of letting her come to him, he swiftly strode to her, grabbed her about the waist, and kissed her deeply yet gently. She melted again into him, but he quickly let go, turning and leaving without another look back.

 

Kagome watched him until he made the right to get to the elevator. She smiled as she closed the door, remembering what had transpired over the past few… wait, what time was it anyways? As she spun, Kagome noticed the messy pile of papers and made a mental note to pick them up. But when she turned to the kitchen and the microwave informed her that it was quarter after five, she forgot everything except Inuyasha.

 

Panicked, Kagome raced to her bedroom and quickly rinsed off in the shower. She brusquely scrubbed any evidence of her lust-filled encounter away and returned to her closet where she had hung the items she intended to wear. Suddenly, she didn't like the way the clothes looked. Rifling through her drawers, she found a loose pair of jeans that had one single rip in the left knee. She threw them on, rationalizing that if Inuyasha had wanted her to look nice, he would have told her she would have to dress appropriately. Finding a three-quarter sleeve baseball tee, she pulled the crimson and grey shirt over her head. She ran again to the bathroom to try to make some sense out of the birds' nest that used to be her hair. Running a smoothing serum through her ebony locks, she managed to form some sort of semblance just as there was a knock at the door. She hoped it was Inuyasha this time.

 

Jogging to the front door, her heart raced with anticipation. She practically flung the door off its' hinges, and could tell from Inuyasha's shocked expression that he hadn't expected this sort of welcome.

 

When Inuyasha heard the quick footfalls coming to the door, he assumed she was merely running late; it wouldn't be very surprising to find out she was primping. He hoped she wasn't dressing up. When she tore open the door, he had been taken aback at the wide-eyed, panicked look she wore. She didn't look ready at all. In fact, she reminded him of a schoolgirl that had woken up late and was now rushing off to school. He moved to touch her arm - comfort her. But before he made contact he stopped dead in his tracks. Inhaling sharply, he took in the heavy, heady scent of Kagome's heat. It was very strong inside. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he gave her a once-over. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair, although it wasn't messy, was not as kept as it usually was.

 

Inuyasha pushed his way in. Kagome was stunned as he stared at her and invited himself in. Did he suspect something? How? How would he know? She decided to ignore him and act as if nothing had happened; as far as Inuyasha was concerned, nothing had happened.

 

“Hey, Inuyasha. Sorry, I was running late. Give me five minutes and I'll be ready for whatever. By the way, is this ok?” she asked, flailing her arms so he could see her outfit.

 

Inuyasha's mind was racing with questions. Had she just been with another man? He didn't really scent another male, but what other explanation was there? He was none too happy about the prospect that he was going out with someone who had just had sex with another man. He hadn't seen anyone leave… Was the male still here? Was she protecting him? Is that why she was in a rush? So that they would leave, giving the other guy time to get out afterwards?

 

“Is… something wrong, Kagome?” he asked, scowling.

 

She was a little taken aback by his question. Maybe she just looked frazzled. “Er, no. Why?”

 

“You just seem to be in such a rush to get out of here. We have plenty of time,” he sneered.

 

To be honest, Kagome didn't feel comfortable in her home, knowing what she had done with Sesshoumaru and having Inuyasha right in front of her. So she was in a hurry to leave. But it was making Inuyasha worry, so she would just have to bear it for a while.

 

“I… well, I thought you were coming over early so that we could go. I didn't want to make you wait…” she stammered.

 

“Keh,” was all Inuyasha could manage, not believing a word.

 

Kagome looked guilty, but nevertheless, she turned and stalked back to her room, calling to Inuyasha that she would be back in a minute. She went back to her bathroom to fix her hair again, and noticed that between the unkempt hair and flushed cheeks, she indeed looked like something had been going on. Realization hit her. But… what could she say? How would she explain? She couldn't possibly tell him that there had been another man here with her, but she also couldn't tell him the alternative, that she had been pleasing herself. Resigned, she continued to get ready, applying some bronzer to flush away the pinking of her cheeks and brushing her hair thoroughly.

 

Inuyasha watched her return to her bathroom. He sighed, knowing he couldn't really ask outright. He decided he would wait for her on the couch. The slight rustle of paper grabbed his attention, and he looked down towards the source. Sprawled on the floor was a flurry of papers and a file folder.

 

“Oi, Kagome. Ya know you got a bunch of paperwork on the floor? What's with the mess?”

 

There was a pregnant pause before she answered him.

 

“Uh, yeah. Well, when I ran to get the door I dropped it. It's ok, I'll get it later,” he heard her call to him from within her room.

 

One silver eyebrow arched as the other dipped low; he figured he would be nice and pick them up for her. Bending down to shuffle the papers together, he was simultaneously hit with two shocking discoveries. Now that he was close to the floor, he smelled her essence even stronger than before. But there was something else: he now smelled a male. And not just any male. No, this strong, dominant, heady scent was extremely familiar. At the same time, his eyes confirmed what his heart was trying to deny. On one of the papers that stuck out from the pile, there was a letterhead. `Cohen & Cohen Law Firm', it said. The same company his brother worked for. And of course, the male's scent he discovered was none other than Sesshoumaru's.

 

When he had first smelled his brothers' powerful yet unmistakable scent on Kagome's suit, he tried to reason, thinking that she way have run in to him. Her arousal, after thinking about it, wasn't uncommon. His brother exuded sex; many times they had been out together, and he had been ignored by women that were propositioning his older brother. Not that it had mattered to either. Sesshoumaru had never shown interest in ningen onna's, and barely paid heed to the youkai ones as well. And with a broken heart - his first love dead now for fifty years - he didn't care if they ignored him.

 

But this was different. For the first time in half a century, he took interest in a girl. And of course his brother had to be interested in her too. What chance did he stand against his walking-sexpot brother? His stomach clenched painfully, and he tried to push the feeling away. Chancing to be seen, Inuyasha bent lower, his forearms resting on the floor and on his knees. He looked like a dog, sniffing for scraps. Except he was sniffing for evidence. A part of him wondered why he would torture himself further, but he kept on. A few feet from the door, the smell of both Kagome and Sesshoumaru's scents mingled. It was strong on the floor, implying that they had been lying here on the soft, off-white carpet. The only thing he was glad for was the fact that he didn't smell the sour, acrid scent of semen. Of course, that could mean that it had been easily disposed of… The foul image of Kagome on her knees, pleasing his brother came to mind, and he shook his head, hoping never to think of it again.

 

Attempting to think optimistically, Inuyasha reasoned that perhaps they had done something, but had not actually had intercourse. This made him feel marginally better. Grumbling to himself, he decided to push the thoughts aside for tonight. Maybe he would analyze it later, when he was alone, and not in here, where the smell of them was strong. When he had the paperwork in a manageable pile, he walked to the kitchen and tapped the papers, forcing them into a stack that was at least straight. If she wanted them forward-facing and right side-up, she would have to do it herself. As he closed the folder, he took a last look at the files, seeing that some of them had streaks of highlighter and all of them were heavily worded. What was she doing with these anyways? Why did she have lawyer-type papers when she was in med school? No wonder she knew Sesshoumaru. She must have met him through the law firm. But why?

 

The object of his questions walked into the room, looking much neater than she had, although she was not as primped as she usually was. He could tell that she was obviously trying to hide that she had been doing something. He sighed to himself. She wasn't his. He couldn't force her to not see Sesshoumaru. They weren't a couple, but he suspected that she wasn't with his brother, either. She was a single girl, and unless he stepped up and asked her, she would not stop seeing others. But he couldn't ask her to be exclusive - last time, it ended with the death of his lover. And she hadn't accepted him the way he was. He couldn't - wouldn't - let that happen again.

 

“Err… Kagome?”

 

She looked at him suddenly as she adjusted her jeans.

 

He took this as a sign to continue. “Why do you… um… what's with the law papers? You getting' sued or somethin'?” He at least looked sheepish for snooping.

 

Kagome realized he had picked up her mess and smiled.

 

“It's kinda complicated, but no, I'm not getting sued. I'm not a doctor yet.”

 

She laughed a little at herself, and he smiled at her lightheartedness.

 

She pleaded with him. “Can I explain later?”

 

He sighed and nodded. “All right, let's get going. We're gonna hit rush hour as it is…”

 

She grinned and nodded back, grabbing her purse off the kitchens' bar counter. The files rested on the counter, next to where her purse had been as they exited the apartment.

 

They both seemed a little happier as they left and he held open the door of his prized car for her. She didn't bother asking where they were going, and she didn't care. Kagome was happy just being with him.

 

About an hour later, Inuyasha pulled into a parking lot. He had to pay an attendant, and they began to walk. Kagome reached for his hand, and he accepted it, smiling at her as he clasped it. He led her across a set of railroad tracks, and they turned a corner. Soon, they came to a set of stairs. They climbed the stairs, and a man at the door checked their ID's. Inside, a band played loud rock music, and different colored lights flashed around the rooms; there were three connected rooms, but the band played only in the main room. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, and he grinned back. He pointed to an area where there were comfy couches, and she nodded - the music was too loud for anyone to have a sensible conversation.

 

When they were situated, Kagome leaned back on the plush seat. She sighed, closing her eyes. She felt a hand on her knee, and opened her eyes to find Inuyasha staring at her with a concerned look. She smiled, and he seemed to lighten. She loved the way his eyes danced in the candlelight - they almost seemed to glow. Shrugging off her obviously overactive imagination, Kagome decided she was quite hungry. She had no idea what to expect out of this place - it was strange, they way the band was situated, yet there were big, plushy couches. There was even a huge bed - complete with chiffon drapes over the bedposts for some privacy - and a very nice looking bar. She grabbed a menu and found many things to her liking. She asked Inuyasha about it, and he told her that the place is only rock every other Thursday. The rest of the time, it was kind of a hip-hop club. She had nodded, and Inuyasha got the feeling that she would like to see it then as well. He made it a point to bring her some time next week, when it was R & B night. He recoiled. Next week? Did he really think he was going to see her again? Should he see her again? Shouldn't he stop seeing her, before it was too late, before he was in too deep, before she was in too deep…

 

He shook his head. No, he shouldn't see her again. But knowing himself, he probably would. Somewhere, deep within his heart, he knew he was already in too deep. But she was still with others… The recollection of what he had found out earlier boiled within, and he let loose a growl that luckily was not loud enough to be heard over the loud music. His brother. Fuckin' Sesshoumaru had been at Kagome's apartment. And they had been alone. Wait… the day that he had smelled him on her suit… could he have been there as well? No, probably not. Only the suit had smelled of him. She had probably been at the office, and Sesshoumaru had been there as well. But the same, heady scent of both their arousals' had been there, like tonight.

 

The thought made him want to tear out his brothers' throat, gouge out his eyes, rip out his tongue. He wanted to rub himself all over Kagome's body, leaving his own scent. His own jealousy shocked Inuyasha to no ends. He had only felt like this once - when his previous fiancé, Kikyou, had told him that someone at work had a crush on her. At the time, she was only being honest. But he wished she had never told him. That didn't stop what happened, however. If only he had gotten there in time. If only he hadn't taken it so lightly…

 

At the twisted turn his mind was taking, Inuyasha decided it would be best to stop thinking. At all. He hadn't noticed that Kagome had stopped reading her menu and was watching him grumble to himself and scowl.

 

“What, woman?” he ground out.

 

“Inuyasha…”

 

His eyes softened then, and he forgot everything he had been thinking of.

 

She noticed the change. “Is something bothering you? You've been very quiet,” she told him.

 

“Ah, no,” he lied. “Nothing's wrong. But I was wondering…”

 

She looked at him expectantly, and suddenly he lost his nerve. She tried to encourage him, but now he wasn't so sure…

 

He wasn't really sure if he wanted to know. And he wasn't sure if he could take it if she lied to him, not knowing he knew the truth.

 

He sighed. “Well, I wanted to know if someone had been at your place before I came over.”

 

Kagome's eyes widened and her heart began to pound in her chest. She could barely grasp onto a single thought that raced through her mind. She didn't even think to investigate how he would know something like that, just that he had possibly seen Sesshoumaru leaving… Panicked, Kagome could only stammer.

 

“Um… uh… hmm… what?”

 

Inuyasha would have laughed had it not been such a heavy subject. He didn't repeat himself, he only waited.

 

Kagome let loose a huge sigh. “To tell you the truth, yeah.”

 

He was a little surprised, and his eyes widened a little, his eyebrows shooting up. But he said nothing, curious as to how far she would go.

 

“A colleague dropped off the paperwork you saw, and well…”

 

He scowled at her. A colleague? She was in medical. She knew that he knew she was in medical. Why would she lie? And what does `and well…' mean?

 

She looked away for a moment, and he thought she was going to leave it at that. But suddenly, she looked stern and determined.

 

“Okay, I didn't think we were going to have this talk, but I guess here goes.” She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she began. “Inuyasha, you're not the only one I'm seeing,” she lied. She tried to gauge his reaction, but he didn't seem surprised, which worried her. Did he know something? Has he been watching her? She shuddered at how creepy that was, but pushed it aside, knowing she wanted to get this off her chest. “The thing is, it feels like you've been hurt before. And I get that. You… you're protecting yourself. That's why you don't want to get close to me. We're not officially dating, just kinda seeing each other. You don't seem to want to be exclusive, and I'm sure you have other girls fawning over you.” She paused for a moment to catch her bearings. He had no reaction so far. “Myself… I've been stuck in a loveless relationship in a while, and I'm just getting back to dating. I know you're not serious, so yeah, there was someone over. Actually, I hadn't planned for him to be there. Like I said, he was dropping off some paperwork I had left at the office, and stuff happened…” She felt like such a whore in that moment but she rationalized that she must really like him to feel that way, since she wasn't doing anything wrong. Everything she had said was true - they weren't officially dating, and he was a little emotionally distracted. Twice he had left her after they shared a passionate moment - well, the first time, they had only slept on the couch, but he freaked out all the same. Now, she watched interestedly, waiting for his reaction. She hoped he wasn't going to be violent, like her ex-boyfriend, Tim.

 

He looked down at the table. Well, that was straightforward. He hadn't expected that. And she was right. Hadn't he said himself that they weren't even officially dating? She only reiterated what he had been thinking. Then… why did it feel wrong? It shouldn't be like this, both of them telling each other or thinking that they weren't even together. Then why did they keep spending time together? Why did he ask her here, and why did she accept? She shouldn't have. If she knew what he was… Regardless, he either needed to stop seeing her, or take the next step. But he wasn't ready… for either. Could he accept the only other option? Could he keep seeing her while she saw other men? He already knew he didn't have the urge to see anyone else. Didn't that mean that from his point, he was already exclusive? And when she said there were others, how many was she talking about? The jealous rage came back, and he scowled.

 

There it is, she thought. He's angry. But why? Surely, he can't think that we were already exclusive so soon. But… what if he did? She didn't feel like she had cheated on him. In fact, it had felt quite right to be with Sesshoumaru, although she really didn't know much about him. But she really didn't know much about Inuyasha, either. Either way, that only proved that she wasn't going to be exclusive anytime soon. How could she commit to one guy when she hardly knew anything about either? Now, she would wait for him to answer, even if she dreaded it.

 

After several moments, he seemed as if he was going to speak, but they were interrupted from their thoughts by a young, provocatively dressed woman.

 

“Oh my god! You're the singer from `Shards of a Jewel'! I looooooove your band! I saw you guys here two weeks ago, and you rocked! I'm Kimmy, and my friends and I…” She pointed towards a table across the room.

 

Up until now, Kagome had just sat, shocked. She understood that Inuyasha was an underground celebrity of sorts, but she hadn't expected a girl to come out of nowhere and bother them on a date. It wasn't like before, when they had just stopped playing and the fangirls had exploded on him. He wasn't even playing tonight, so he shouldn't be bothered. A twinge of jealousy sprung inside her, and she realized that this must be what Inuyasha was feeling.

 

Inuyasha had been surprised at first, but anger quickly took hold. He was on a date, for christ's sake! He didn't mind when he was with his band mates or by himself, but now? It was ridiculous. Didn't anyone have a sense of privacy? He held a hand out to her, palm facing the girl, a gesture to stop. He calmed himself before speaking; he didn't want to sound over-callous.

 

“Listen, whoever you are. I'm sorry, but I'm with someone here. It's kinda rude. And I don't wanna be mean, but could you give us some privacy? Thanks,” he told her, turning back to Kagome in obvious dismissal.

 

Kagome was even more shocked by his words, but it made her proud in an odd way. She almost felt bad for the girl, who turned away looking dejected. Almost. She smiled and turned to Inuyasha, hoping that he would continue with whatever he was going to say. She watched as he still frowned, but began to speak.

 

“Listen, I totally-”

 

“Hi, my name is Karen, I'll be your waiter tonight,” a smiling older woman said, coming up to the table.

 

Both inhabitants groaned, and the waitress looked sheepish, realizing she had interrupted. “I'll just come back later…” she said, twisting and pointing to some other tables.

 

“No, no,” Kagome said, smiling, feeling a little sheepish herself for making the woman feel that way. “I'm hungry anyways. Do you know what you want, Inuyasha?”

 

He grumbled and frowned even more, making Kagome giggle. She knew why he was upset; it was a little frustrating when you wanted to talk but something always got in the way.

 

“Fine, I'll have the New York Strip, medium rare, with fries,” he ground out. Kagome noticed he never looked at the menu. Obviously he knew it well.

 

“Um… I'll have a cheeseburger with fries. Oh, rare please,” she told the older woman. “Oh, and can I have a diet coke?”

 

The waitress nodded and smiled. She asked Inuyasha if he would like anything to drink and he told her to bring him a few shots of tequila. She nodded again and left them.

 

Inuyasha looked a little out of sorts. “Rare?” he asked, stunned. He had never heard of a girl asking for meat cooked rare. In fact, they usually acted disgusted. He never asked for it that way again in front of a girl, even in front of Sango, even though she knew about him and had no problem with it.

 

Kagome looked a little embarrassed, but kept her cool. “Yeah, you got a problem with it?” she playfully challenged.

 

He hadn't expected her to respond in that manner, and he took the challenge. “I think you like vampires a little too much…” he sneered.

 

She was taken aback that he had remembered. Nevertheless, she felt the need to explain herself. “Now, what kind of doctor would I be if I was afraid of a little blood?” she asked, an eyebrow arched, daring him to answer.

 

He thought about it for a second, realizing. Then he grinned. “Damn it, you're right. Yeah, it makes sense. You know, I usually like it rare, too, but I never ask for it like that `cause girls don't usually like it.” He looked a little uneasy at his proclamation.

 

Kagome decided to make it a little more lighthearted. “What'cha tryin' to say? I'm manly? I'm not a girl?” She had an obviously playful smirk on her face.

 

He took the bait. “Keh, maybe that's what it is…” he said, turning his head away and closing his eyes as he crossed his arms.

 

Kagome was wide-eyed as she took it in, but decided he wasn't going to get the last word. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of anything to say, so she just socked him instead.

 

He almost forgot to say `ow', but when her little fist connected with his upper arm, he knew he had won that one. He smiled triumphantly. His expression softened to a smile, and he reached out to caress her face, which made her soften as well. She instantly forgot that they had been verbally sparring, and she waited to see what would happen next.

 

“Kagome,” he said.

 

Her eyes snapped to his, as they had closed momentarily as she leaned into his touch.

 

“Listen, I totally understand that you don't want to be exclusive yet. I'm not blaming you for anything - I'm just glad you're honest with me. Really, I'm not seeing anyone else. But that's my decision. By the way, if you're going to be a doctor, what did you mean by a `colleague' stopped by? Wouldn't a coworker be another med student or something?”

 

Ugh, too many questions. Something sent off alarm bells, but in her earnest to keep up with everything he was saying, she forgot about it to listen. The last question irked her. It obviously bothered him that Sesshoumaru had been there, and he wanted answers.

 

“Well, remember those papers?” She waited for a nod. “Well, I'm helping a friend - er, a coworker - do some of his work on a case we're working on.”

 

“We?” he said, as if the word had venom in it.

 

“Yes, Inuyasha. I didn't think it was important to tell you, but I used to work for this law firm during the summer. They have this big medical case they're working on - a wife is suing a hospital for something she thinks is a wrongful death and it has something to do with him having heart surgery. Anyways, they asked me to help them with the case,” she explained, sighing heavily at the end.

 

He felt so stupid. It was a logical reason. It made perfect sense. But why did it have to be Sesshoumaru's law firm? Of course, his big brother never talked about his cases, and Inuyasha liked it that way since he found law to be boring. So of course he hadn't known about this. Damn it!

 

Kagome had been watching his expressions, and knew he felt foolish for overreacting. Her mind wandered, since he hadn't said anything. What was that first thing? Something he said earlier was bothering her. They had been interrupted by the waitress, and given their orders. He started by saying he understood… Her eyes went wide with anger and recognition.

 

He was busy berating himself for not being more involved in Sesshoumaru's personal life for his own reasons when he saw Kagome's face. She looked ready to snap. He was going to ask what was wrong when she took the initiative.

 

“Wait, hold on,” she said, and eye twitching. “I don't want to be exclusive? Who are you talking to? How could you know what the hell I want when you never ask? And how could I ever think to be exclusive with you when you run away at the sight of me? You keep stuff from me, you kiss me, and then you run. There's a pattern, and don't you dare deny it. Always with the sadness, the faraway look. I try to get into your head, I want to know you, but you're so bottled up. You always wear a hat - yeah, even now - and you freak out when I try to touch it. What are you hiding? You got another nose up there or something? Or maybe a pair of mule ears, like in Pinocchio.” At this point, she was furious, and crossed her arms, pinning him with a glare.

 

Her sarcastic tone bit at him, and he felt ashamed. But her last remark hit a nerve, and he panicked. “What if I did? What does it matter? Why do I gotta take it off? You have somethin' against hats?” he said angrily, pointing to the backwards Panthers cap he had on.

 

Kagome took this as baiting, and refused to be pulled in. She considered his words, pulling them apart for their hidden meaning. She had taken quite a few psychology courses - after the required amount was fulfilled, she took them because she enjoyed them.

 

“Inuyasha, why do you think I'm going to run away, kicking and screaming, from whatever secrets you're hiding? You don't have to tell me everything, but I assure you, I'm pretty understanding…”

 

“You don't understand. If you knew who I was…”

 

“You're right. I don't understand. If you would tell me, I might, though. And I'm sure that whatever you've been through…”

 

“No!” he cried, pounding a fist on the table enough to make the drinks the waitress had brought while they talked to spill a little. Her eyes widened in shock, and he turned his eyes downward. “No. You won't understand.”

 

Kagome felt the pinpricks of tears sting at her eyes. She abruptly stood. She began to walk away, shouting that she would be going to the bathroom. He sighed as he watched her go. Better for her to leave me now than to get pulled in more…

 

Kagome tried to look for anything that could remotely tell her where the restrooms were. But there were so many people… could she even find her way to the bathroom? The overwhelming feeling of being crowded allowed her to stop crying, but she felt she really did have to go to the bathroom now. Finally, she saw a line of girls in the corner, almost behind the stage in the room to the right. She noticed the line was about twenty girls long, and it could be even longer inside. She sighed. There was nothing she could do. Good thing she didn't wait until she really had to go.

 

Inuyasha hadn't bothered watching her go. He knew it was going to be a difficult conversation, and now he downed two of the tequila shots before looking up. He didn't see Kagome anywhere, and with this many humans, it would be impossible to pick out her scent. He would just have to wait…

 

Ohmygod, that feels soooo good, Kagome thought as she finished in the bathroom. As she washed her hands, she realized that she wasn't quite sure how to get back to their table. How long had it been? Twenty minutes? More? As she left, she snickered at the painfully contorted faces of the girls that were trying to get into the ladies' room.

 

He had motioned for the server to bring him more shots, and she had complied, hoping for a large bill. As Inuyasha downed his fifth shot, he realized that it had been quite a while since he had seen the girl. Probably over a half an hour. He wondered if she was going to come back at all. He had never been stood up before, but he imagined that this was what it felt like. He grabbed another shot glass to swallow. What did it matter anyways? Wasn't this what he wanted, for her to turn her back on him? Wasn't this what he expected? Didn't he want them to not see each other again? He sucked in his breath sharply as he swallowed the tangy, golden liquid. He stood to leave, rummaging in his back pocket for his wallet when he saw her. She was in front of the main stage, and she was searching. He smirked to himself. She's probably looking for a door to run out of, he thought.

 

Kagome had found the main stage, but the music was so loud, she could barely think. On top of that, she didn't remember which way she had gone after leaving the table. She had been upset, so she hadn't really paid attention. Now, she was being roughed up by a bunch of kids, thrashing around in front of the band that was playing. One of them bumped into her - hard - and if she hadn't rammed into someone's shoulder, she would have fallen on the floor. She was more than panicked now and she tried to squirm her way out of the mass. An elbow jammed into her ribs, and she cried out. But no one cared, no one was paying attention. This group had a purpose - to harm one another. So they didn't care if an innocent was found in the middle. She clawed at the group, attempting to get away from them. Someone's' head found the back of her own, and she saw stars as she lost her bearings. A tear came to her eye, and another elbow found its' way to her back, making her cry out in pain again. She was afraid to turn around for fear of getting hit in the face, but she didn't think she could turn if she wanted. As it was, she was crouched down low on the floor. Suddenly, strong hands gripped her and pulled her up. She braced herself for the worst, thinking another wild boy was going to hurt her. Then she was in the air. She felt mildly confused.

 

Why do I put myself through this, Inuyasha asked himself. He knew he wasn't going to be able to handle another relationship. So why had he sought her out? Perhaps it was because she had looked similar to Kikyou… He should have known better. This girl was definitely nothing like Kikyou. She had all the spark, all the liveliness that Kikyou never did. Kikyou was such a sad soul. She was beautiful and good, and she never intended for their relationship to sour. But everything that could have gone wrong, did. And in the end, she died not trusting him. And he hadn't trusted her, either. It had been both of their faults, and it couldn't be fixed. He shook his head, clearing out the ancient thoughts that tried to consume him. Fifty years, she had been dead, and he still thought about her constantly. Although, he reminded himself, not as much when I'm with Kagome.

 

With the thought of the woman once again, he sighed and looked towards the location he had seen Kagome last. He was horrified to see that she had wandered into a mosh pit. The kids there were going crazy with the metal thrashing of the bands' music. He watched as she was pushed and thrown around. When he saw her double over, he became furious. Pushing his way into the crowd, no one could stand in his way. He had the strength of ten men, and easily pushed them to the side, parting them like the Red Sea. When he got to Kagome, he could hear her whimpers. He felt so bad that he had had such nasty thoughts just a few minutes ago. He grabbed her upper arms and hoisted her to her feet. Someone jabbed his side with their leg, but he was unmovable. He began to push, but the crowd was frenzied. Panicking, knowing she would get even more hurt if he lingered, he had only one choice. Hoping to whatever Kamis looked after him that most of these kids were on drugs and either wouldn't notice him or pass it off as an effect of the drug, he leapt. When he landed at the stairs that led to the balcony where all the tables were located, he let go of Kagome and looked around. It seemed that no one here had noticed, or just saw him land, so they didn't suspect anything. Satisfied, he spoke.

 

“Kagome, daijoubou-ka?”

 

She opened her tear-filled eyes and looked up at his concerned ones and tried to smile.

 

“Y-yeah, I think so…” she trailed off, wiping a tear that attempted to fall.

 

He let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

 

“B-but, Inuyasha… how did you… I mean when we were down there… The crowd was so big… It felt like we were flying…” She was obviously still in a state of panic.

 

Fear crept into his expression as Inuyasha realized what she was asking. He grasped her suddenly and embraced her, soothing her by running his hand along her hair, almost petting her. It seemed to work.

 

“When I'm ready, I'll tell you everything,” he whispered in her ear.

 

It was then that Inuyasha realized he had lost himself to her.

 

-----------------

 

An hour later, full and a little happier, the couple left and Inuyasha grabbed her hand, leading her to his car. They found it easily, and he drove her home. He had been surprised that she hadn't pursued - she didn't make him explain, she didn't ask for clarification. She simply seemed happy that he was going to eventually open up to her. And it made him feel happy that he could please her with something so simple, although he felt she deserved more.

 

He weaved through the still-packed streets of Miami, but found the drive home a little quicker. He brought her to her door and kissed her passionately before turning to leave. Her eyes told him to stay, but he couldn't. As it was, his fangs had lengthened after a few minutes of their heavy kissing. Also, he was reminded of her session with Sesshoumaru, which was why he hadn't come inside. Besides, he hadn't told her yet, and he wouldn't even think about what could happen until after he told her what a monster he was. Although the come-hither eyes had nearly dissolved his resolution, he had turned and walked to the elevator.

 

On the drive home, he wondered in which manner he should go about questioning his dear older brother about the woman.

 

 

------------------

 

The next morning, Kagome had several bruises in many spots. I feel like I've been run over by a steamroller, she thought. She was also quite sore as well, her muscles protesting as she sat up in bed. She held a hand to her forehead and remembered getting lost in what Inuyasha had told her was a true mosh pit - kids, with no regard to their or anyone else's health, thrashing around violently to the music. She cursed herself for being stupid enough to get caught in there, but at least Inuyasha had saved her. She was surprised again as she remembered the weightless feel of them moving to the stairs of the seated area, as if by magic. But she didn't dwell on it. After all, he said he would tell her in his own time, and that was good enough for her. It had almost sounded like a promise, and even if they didn't work out as a couple, she at least hoped that she could help mend his heart a little. He was harboring a lot of pain, and if anything, she felt there might be some betrayal and guilt as well.

 

Pleased with herself for remembering her psychology courses, Kagome grunted her way out of bed and to the bathroom. After a few minutes she felt better but was still very achy. And then, very suddenly, a wretched thought came to her, and her world came crashing in, threatening to swallow her whole.

 

Her heart thumped erratically, her adrenaline coursed, and her body froze in terror. A lump formed in her throat, but she had forgotten how to swallow.

 

Today was Friday. She has school. And she was already approximately 10 minutes late for her first class.

 

Reacting instinctively, her body bolted towards her dresser, picking up a ratty, old `Rolling Stones' tee shirt and a pair of capri's. After hastily applying the first bra she found, she dressed quickly and thrust her feet into a pair of thong sandals. Grabbing her briefcase that held her school items, she ran out of the door, running to class, all thoughts of pain far away.

 

--------------

 

The day hadn't been as bad as she had first perceived. She had never been late for class in her entire high school and college career. But she had only been half an hour late, and when her professor had eyed her, wheezing for breath at the door, he had only smiled and continued whatever he had been saying. Everyone knew she was the star of the class, and her poor choice of pants had revealed - unbeknownst to her - a large, purple bruise on her left leg. No one had said anything, mostly because they had never seen her in such disarray, but they all eyed her curiously. She seemed oblivious, only worried to catch up to anything she had missed.

 

After class, she had apologized profusely to Dr. Rosenstein to which he replied by telling her that with her impeccable record, she could stand to miss a class once. She shyly told him that she wasn't that good, and he laughed heartedly. He hadn't missed the bruise, however, and reminded her that if she needed to talk, he would be in his office. She had thought it strange, but thanked him and moved on to her next class.

 

After her second class was over, Kagome trudged home. She felt disgusting. She hadn't showered, and knew everyone was eyeing her because she didn't look as pristine as usual. She hoped she didn't smell…

 

And then, she felt a pair of eyes boring into the back of her head. She turned around, angry and ready to yell at someone for their disregard for others' privacy.

 

She just about went into cardiac arrest when she saw who it was.

 

Not ten feet behind her was a tall, lean, dark-skinned young man, his dark brown hair flowing gently in the breeze. He smiled at her, and she felt herself being pulled into darkness.

 

------------

 

When she awoke, Kagome was back in her apartment. Had it been a dream? Did she actually go to school today? It felt real… She sat up, and a wet towel flopped into her lap. She realized it had been on her forehead and reached up to find the soggy spot where the cloth had been. She didn't remember coming home and resting on the couch. Then she thought about her walk home, and remembered being angry and seeing…

 

Kouga! She whirled to find him grinning at her from the kitchen, where he was making tea.

 

“Man, even when you faint, you don't give yourself time to rest,” he quipped, coming to sit beside her.

 

She thought about his words, but didn't understand. He grasped her hands.

 

“Are you feeling better? It's a good thing I was there, or you would've taken a nasty spill. Good thing I know where you live, too…”

 

It wasn't until now that Kagome realized all he had done. He must have caught her, and carried her as well as her things back to her apartment. She took her hands back from Kouga, resting her face in them as she groaned. How could she be such a burden?

 

“I'm so sorry,” she managed.

 

Kouga was a little taken aback. What could she be sorry for? He voiced his concern.

 

“I mean, I didn't want to be so bothersome, and…”

 

“You weren't bothersome,” Kouga told her angrily. “I'm glad I was there. I haven't seen you in a while, and to think you would've hit the pavement…”

 

Now that she thought about it, Kagome knew she would have been badly injured if she had hit the concrete sidewalk, and was grateful for Kouga's presence. She noticed how protective he was being, and it tweaked her heartstrings. She reached out and placed a hand on his forearm.

 

“Thank you, Kouga. I don't want to know what would have happened if you hadn't been there,” she told him genuinely.

 

He smiled at this, and got up. “I'm making some tea. Hopefully it will help the bruises.”

 

Bruises? Kagome was puzzled, but as she swung her legs down to the floor to get up, a blotch of violet caught her eye. She was horrified at the condition her leg was in, and as she twisted to get a better look, her body was lanced with pain from other muscles that had been damaged. Kouga was by her side instantly.

 

When he had opened the door to her apartment, Kouga had been shocked to find that it reeked - of dog. Two male inuyoukai - no, one youkai, one hanyou, he corrected himself - had been here recently, and their smells were fresh. The one of the hanyou, which he had recognized as the inuhanyou that sang for the band where he had first met Kagome was more recent, and his stink was still fresh on Kagome's body. Had he forced himself on her? Is that why she was so badly hurt? He had sniffed her thoroughly as she lay unconscious, but there were no signs that the two had had sex. He had only been mildly relieved, though. So why was she bruised, then? He sighed as he willed himself to wait until she told him herself. Now, the question remained as to who the hanyou was to her. Obviously they were close - too close. But she had just gotten out of a relationship with a very much so human. He wondered, offhandedly, if she knew her `friend' was a hanyou. He doubted it, since she didn't know that he himself was youkai. He didn't think she knew about the third, certainly powerful youkai, either. This other youkai was strong, as was his scent. But it was still older than the hanyou's. Was this girl involved with both of them? Kouga was sad instantly, wondering what chance he stood if she was testing the waters so well.

 

Resolved, he grinned to himself. If he had to fight for her affections, so be it. Then he would make sure that his time spent with her was time well spent.

 

Kagome had known that she had gotten hurt at the club Inuyasha had taken her to, but she hadn't expected it to be to this extent. But it explained why she was in so much pain, and it probably had something to do with why she had fainted. Sighing, Kagome lay back against the couch and closed her eyes, wishing she could go back to her bed. But she had things to do. She had to finish the documents she had been working on for Sesshoumaru…

 

Sesshoumaru.

 

The name had struck her as if a very large bell had been rung. She hadn't thought of him for the rest of the day yesterday, or at all today. But now, the memory of their… whatever had transpired between them, hung heavily in her mind.

 

Would they have had sex if he hadn't reminded her of her plans? And what was with that, anyways? Any other guy would have just had sex with her, not caring if it messed up her plans, or her life. Then again, Sesshoumaru was no ordinary guy. Now, she was anxious to see him again. What would happen? Would he still be receptive? What if he had gotten what he wanted, and wouldn't speak with her again? The thought made her sick, and she dreaded going to the office. No, she would wait until tomorrow to go to work. Most likely, he wouldn't be there during the day. He always came to the office late at night. Willing herself to forget him, she chastised herself for ignoring the sweet, caring male next to her.

 

Kouga had gotten up to retrieve the tea, but was sitting next to her again, the two steaming mugs on the table in front of them. He smiled at her as she came out of her reverie and she smiled back. He was so handsome, and he was really accomplished. And let's not forget how well he treated her.

 

“Hey, Kouga?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Are you going to be into sports all your life? I mean… will you make a living out of it?” she asked.

 

He grinned at her interest. “Yeah. Actually, I'm going to be in the 2008 Olympics. I wasn't going to tell you, because I don't like to brag, but since you asked…”

 

It sounded like a line, but he looked serious, and she took him to be sincere. She was stunned, knowing that the beautiful man in front of her was going to be in such a famous activity.

 

“What categories?” she asked him, amazed.

 

“Let's see. 1,000 meter dash, 1,000 meter hurdles, and the high jump,” he said, rubbing his chin with a hand.

 

Kagome laughed a little. “Wow, you really like to run,” she stated.

 

“Yeah, well, it's what I'm good at. It's not different from you. You're incredibly smart, and you obviously have a way with hearts…” he trailed off.

 

Kagome realized he was flirting, but she loved the praise. Her usual lines included `beautiful' and `sexy', never `smart'. She found herself incredibly turned on.

 

“Th-thanks,” she stammered.

 

He was staring intently into her blue eyes with his own azure ones, and the gaze penetrated her. She noticed, offhandedly, how intense he was. Out of the three men, she knew Kouga the most. He was open to any conversation, hid nothing from her, and didn't mind taking things as they came. It seemed that the other two just pounced on her whenever it was convenient to them, and then ran away when they tired of it. Not Kouga. He was here for her, now that she needed it. And he wasn't trying anything, although she could tell he wanted her. He was respecting her and her boundaries. She realized he was probably waiting for her to make the first move. She sneered, knowing she had the power. But it felt good, and she knew that this would be different than with the two other men in her life. With Kouga, there would be no running away.

 

Kouga had reached for his cup, sipping at the tea. He wondered if Kagome was going to understand that he was not going to try anything, since she had to be absolutely sure she wanted it. He would not - could not - force anything on her. He put down the mug, turning back to the beautiful woman beside him. It shocked him that she was staring just as intently at him as he had been doing a few moments ago. Her lips were just barely parted, and before he realized, she was leaning towards him.

 

Kouga gulped; he had not anticipated her decision so quickly. Besides, they had only been on one actual date, and this wasn't exactly considered a date, either. He caught himself leaning away from her, towards the arm of the couch. But she leaned on to her hands, catching him in a submissive pose as she loomed over him, dominating him.

 

He didn't exactly look scared - maybe more like surprised. But what did he think? Had he assumed he could flirt with her - that he could toss the ball in her court - and she wouldn't respond? Was that it? Did he think she couldn't hold her own? Well, Kagome thought. I'll show him.

 

She leaned over him and lowered herself until their noses almost touched. He watched her, and now she could see the burning lust enter his eyes. In one quick movement, she swept in and planted her lips upon his. Without a moment's passing, she motioned for him to allow her access, and he complied as her tongue explored. She kissed him greedily, needing someone to want her badly, needing to complete himself with her. But the others were afraid, or were holding back for whatever reason. No, she thought. That's the last time I compare him to them. And with that, she allowed her mind to only know the hunger of desire.

 

They were a mess of entwined legs and wriggling arms until Kagome broke the kiss as a test. Yes, she enjoyed the dominance she had. But she wanted a man, not someone who looked like a man but couldn't take charge. She backed slightly and watched his expression.

 

“Thank you for bringing me home,” she said coyly. To make sure he got the hint, she licked her lips for good measure.

 

Kouga hadn't been able to think. One minute he was letting her know she was in charge, and the next she had indeed taken charge. He allowed her to ravage him, but now she thanked him? And it seemed she was hesitant to continue. No, he thought as he watched her little pink tongue dart out and run deliciously over her swollen lips. She's not hesitating. She wants me to take over. Okay. Two can play this game.

 

Like a wolf, he sprung up and pounced on her, pinning her to the sofa cushions. She giggled at first, but knew he was serious, so she willed herself to stop. As soon as she regained composure, Kouga's lips swooped down, capturing hers. At once, they were tangled again. This time, however, the youkai took it a step further. He waited for some sort of signal - there, she moaned into his mouth - and then he reached up, confidently grasping one breast in his palm. She whimpered, and he broke the kiss to lean down and take the hardened nipple in his teeth, although she was still clothed. She gasped in delight, and he knew she was ready. He came back to her mouth, relishing attention onto her lips. Their tongues twirled around each other as his hand caressed her beautiful breast. He broke the kiss again, both of them panting hard, and spoke.

 

“You're welcome,” he said, grinning.

 

She was in a state of shock - the blood had left her brain to travel to other parts of her body - and she thought he might stop. But instead, she felt his arms curl around her. One went around her back and the other around her legs. In a moment, she was being hoisted into his arms as he carried her to what she assumed was her bedroom. He stopped at her door to kiss her, trailing his lips along her jaw and neck. She made no move to stop him, so he walked to the bed where he placed her gently. He kissed her the entire time, making sure she was comfortable. When he stopped, she looked up at him lovingly but was alarmed to find a serious look on his face.

 

“Kagome,” he began. “There's something I have to tell you before we go any further,” he told her, fidgeting as he spoke. “Because I don't want you to hate me later.”

 

Oh Kami, here it comes, she thought. He's married, he's a murderer, he's a pedophile…

 

“You see, I'm not human,” he said, watching closely for her reaction.

 

“Nani?”

 

He decided to continue. “I'm youkai, Kagome.”

 

“NANI?!” she cried.

 

----------------

 

End Notes: LOL Sorry for the major cliffie. But this chapter was too long, and now it ends so that I have plenty to write into the next chapter. Didn't think Kouga would be the first to tell her or `get' her, huh? Well, all you Kouga haters can bite me. He deserves a little attention. Also, if I'm wrong about the Olympics categories, don't kill me. I didn't feel like doing the research… O///O BTW, Nani = What? Or - Huh? See you all next time!