InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Double Date ❯ Double Date ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters. And I do not intent to gain any kind of retribution for this work of fanfiction.

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~ Double Date ~

Sango stared at her boyfriend in the kitchen while he cooked dinner. She was sitting on the couch under the softest and fluffiest blanket he had. Tonight was their weekly special-date night, meaning she was supposed to choose a fancy place to have dinner after work and they would spend the night together in either of their houses, but tonight was extra special because Miroku's roommate would not be around soon. And she decided that her boyfriend making diner for her would be extra-special.

She wasn't sure what he was cooking, she only knew it was already in the oven when she arrived and it smelled delicious. She turned on the T.V. and made sure the movie he had chosen was ready to be played. She looked at her boyfriend again with a preoccupied expression.

“Do you think it will work?”

Miroku's attention moved from the popcorn he was arranging in two bowls. Neither of them shared popcorn so that arrange was important, and looked at her serious expression.

“What, my love?”

“The dates…” her eyebrows moved lower “You know how they both are. Really guarded and they don't reach out to people easily”

The man smiled sweetly. “They will be alright, Hojou is a nice guy and Inuyasha is…” He took a moment to find a kind word to describe his roommate “different from what she is used to” Miroku walked to the sofa with both bowls. “We planned this for a long time.” He handed the biggest bowl to her, along with the hot sauce. “Everything will be fine. Besides is just a double date, if any of them don't like it” he shrugged as lowered beside her “they can walk out of there”.

Sango let out a stressed sigh “I know. Is just that I really want it to work”

Miroku passed an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. “I want it too, but is no longer in our hands… if it is meant to be, it is. If not… well, there are always batteries”.

Sango let out an outraged gasp and elbowed him in the ribs. “Miroku!”

“Sorry, sorry…” he smiled sheepishly and reached for the remote. “The movie is on!” he chirped in a childish voice and avoided eye contact with his girlfriend.

She glared at him and put popcorn in his mouth “shut up…”

~~~~~~

Kagome looked at the clock for the umpteenth time in the last half hour, it was 7:05 and she had asked to go home earlier today. Early as in two hour ago. She told the manager it was a special occasion and, because Kagome almost never asked for something like that, the manager said yes when she asked, yesterday.

She let go a groan, the whole afternoon had been what it felt like an endless line of mishaps. The latest one ended up with her uniform soaked with beer. She hated beer so much it mad her dizzy.

A male who she could easily identify as an office worker had been tossing his beer around clinking it with others yelling ¡Kampai! In the last kampai he had thrown his mug back and it collided with her shoulder when she tried to get out of the way while having a tray full with dishes in her hand. Needless to say, now she smelled like she had the beers she very much needed to relax.

Her plans had included things like: finish her shift early, come home, get a shower (hopefully a bath if there was enough time) and along with her older sister go to the restaurant on time.

But after one of her fellow waitresses called in sick and the manager asked her to stay a little longer until someone from the night shift got to work, it all went to hell.

She looked again at the only clock in the changing room, “7:10 P.M.” showed in big red numbers. She cursed as she could only do when alone, thinking she was incredibly late, she was supposed to arrive at 7:00 P.M.

There was no time to go home now. Kagome decided to discard her black vest and her black pants, leaving her white dressing blouse on and putting on a green skirt. This particular skirt had been hanging in her locker for a long time, since a coworker gave it to her as a thank you gift for taking her night shift with short notice. Walked to the mirror and turned, staring at the combination, it looked… acceptable. The skirt was slightly shorter than she liked but it looked decent enough for a first date.

She took a deep breath to calm her she realized her hair still reeked of beer. The smell of beer made her stomach turn, she opted to arrange it in a high messy bun hoping it smelled a little less. A little lip-gloss was applied and she ran through the door.

~~~

At the same time inside a pizza parlor with an arcade, Kagome's sister sat in the same table with two men around her. The interactions had been limited, to say the least.

She arrived first, dress in a formal skirt suit. She had a presentation in the hospital and thinking she was late, she ran to the restaurant not changing a thing. She felt somewhat overdressed as she looked around.

The silver haired man beside her was the second person to arrive.

She looked at him since the moment he stepped into the door. He was tall, fairly built, with silver messy short hair, and a set of fluffy doggy ears on top of his hair. He had stepped inside, took his phone out, frowned as he stared at the display for a moment and he looked around piercing everyone with his golden eyes. When their eyes crossed she felt a shiver run her spine. Those eyes where intense. The only reaction she was able to get from him was how his eyebrows went up, hiding behind his bangs as he walked to her table.

He had arrived to the table and introduced himself as Inuyasha. She answered with her own name and without asking, he sat beside her comfortably. A nervous silence installed around them as neither of them uttered another word.

Luckily, shortly after the awkward silence was broken with a bright but calm voice. “Are you Kagome Higurashi's sister?”

Kikyou looked up and saw a man with brown hair and kind eyes. He was still looking at her expectantly with a soft smile in his lips. She found herself smiling back and nodding.

“Oh! Good!” he laughed heartily “When I saw you, I realized the good looks run in the family” He finished with a playful smile in his lips. Her cheeks tinted red as the man beside her scoffed.

He never lost his smiled as presented himself “I'm Hojo” he stretched a hand in front of the other man. “Inuyasha” was the half demon response as their hands shook. “May I sit?” asked Hojo with his soft smile.

Kikyou nodded again as Inuyasha talked “Why are you sitting down?”

Hojo was already sitting in front of Kikyou as he turned his head to the other man's direction “excuse me?”

“Why. Are. You. Sitting. Down?” He repeated with a condescending tone.

Hojo answered with an amicable tone he was going to wait for his date. Inuyasha almost hit his head, he had totally forgot this was a double date. The half demon saw Hojo's face distort in worry “or am I interrupting something?”

Kikyou looked at Inuyasha's face, noticing how his cheeks blushed and started to stutter his answer before clearing his throat to say “Khe! Sit down. And Shut up!…”

Kikyou looked at Hojo through her bangs as she pretended to look at her phone. He looked sweet and even if he looked a little older than herself, Kikyou thought he was good for Kagome, especially after dating someone like Kouga. She needed a man calm, sweet and reliable… She almost let out a dry laugh thinking `who doesn't?'

The door opened and Inuyasha used the noise to distract himself from the awkward silence and the stupid words around him. As he saw a woman walk in a smirk formed in his lips. She looked stressed and tired, with her face flushed and breathing rapidly, her eyes moved jerkily around the restaurant. He thought she was more fitted to go home than anywhere else.

For a baffling moment her grey eyes focused in his direction and she smiled. That smile changed her, the grey eyes sparkling with light, her lips in a perfect half-moon, making her irradiate warm. He shook his head trying to get rid of his half-crazed thoughts. `Irradiate warm? Really?'

She walked rapidly in his direction as he stared at her. Their eyes met for a moment, making him feel uncomfortable without knowing why, luckily her stormy eyes drifted to his side as a happy “You made it!” sounded from Kikyou.

Kagome walked to the table where her sister and two men sat, one of them had his back to her but from the brown hair and his business suit let her know it was Hojo. And the one sitting beside her sister was, without a doubt, a hanyou, and by the way his sardonic face trailed her entrance as she walked to them, a very rude hanyou.

“Sorry for this!” She said to nobody in particular, taking the last chair available on the table.

Kikyou waved her hand dismissingly. “No worries, the good thing is you're here!”

Hojo nodded energetically from his chair, with his trademark smile on his face “Yeah, I'm glad you're here”.

She turned to both of them to thank them as the man in front of her scoffed. “Finally! Can we order now? Or we're going to play family reunion a little longer?”

Kagome saw the instant change in her sister as the hanyou spoke, Kikyou looked at him with worry. The younger woman recognized the overbearing nature of the man, and just as she had done with Kouga before, she would let him know he was overstepping his boundaries.

She turned to the hanyou and offered her iciest smile before speaking in her chirpy-yet-cold tone. “I'm sorry for my lateness, but I am not an inconsiderate brute to skip introductions before changing subjects. My name is Higurashi Kagome, Kikyou's younger sister”.

She stared at him and laughed inwardly as he had, at least, the decency to blush and avert his gaze. He was still looking to the side when he spoke. “Inuyasha”.

“Nice to meet you, Inuyasha.” She looked around with a warmer smile “And if you are ready to order…” Kagome looked back at him, locking gazes for a moment “Let's order some food!”

Before it could become some kind of staring contest, Hojo called for her attention.

“How have you been, Higurashi?”

Inuyasha saw her face change again, the cold smiled became soft and warm as she looked away from him, and the daggers in her eyes were replaced by sparks as she turned to the talked to the other two people.

“Call me Kagome” she motioned a hand between Kikyou and herself “After all, we're both Higurashi”

Hojo nodded and turned to the other woman as she spoke “There's no problem if you call me by my name too”. She smiled at Hojo and then she turned to her side, when she noticed Inuyasha's frowning face, the smiled on her face withered. The change being noticed by the younger sister.

Inuyasha didn't even realized Kikyou was looking at him, or smiling for that matter. His thoughts about the differences between the sisters took most of his focus. Groaning he ask himself if the promised `1 week of free ramen' was enough to suffer the evening with one human that didn't deserve a second look, a good looking but meekly and boring woman and an irritating overconfident woman with questionable hygiene. He sniffed and crunched his nose, wondering if a drinking problem was on her list of problems list too.

“Hey, dog-boy…” the obnoxious woman was waving the menu in front of his face, and by the look on `hobo's' face, it wasn't the first time she asked. “what do you say? You're Ok with this?”

“Ah… yeah, whatever.” The hanyou said dismissively.

The older sister was looking at him with her brown eyes wide in surprise. The younger spoke again with a grin as she finished. “You sure?”

Inuyasha smirked and responded with a mocking tone “Have a hearing problem, wench?”

Kagome smirked back with malice, he instinctively put some distance between them as she spoke “Alright then, I'll place the order!”

Inuyasha looked at her as she walke to the counter with a spring in her steps she didn't have before.

“So, Miss Kikyou. I've heard you're a doctor…” Asked Hojo in his affable way.

She straightened her back and nodded. “I'm still studying but working on it” She looked at Inuyasha, who had now crossed his arms on his chest and was looking at her with his bewildering eyes. She rapidly centered her attention back on Hojo's face. “I will take the residency exam next month.”

Hojo made an appreciative noise and nodded. “Congratulations!” Kikyou blushed and looked down.

Oblivious to her sudden shyness, he bumped his shoulder with her side startling her. “What are you gonna be, then?”

“huh?” she asked staring at him with her big brown. For a moment he thought she resembled an scared deer.

“What kind of doctor are you gonna be?” repeated with the same gruff voice.

Kagome sat in her chair with an approving smile, Inuyasha found himself staring at her wondering why she was smiling like that. It was the first real smile she gave him. Kikyou started to answer his question and he reluctantly focused his attention back on her.

“I want to be a cardiologist” She declared proudly.

Hojo nodded, “That is a challenging path you chose… why Cardiology?”

The sisters lock gazes for a moment and something seemed to pass between them. It was Kagome the one who answered as Kikyou lowered her gaze again.

“Our little brother had a heart disease, the doctors could not figure out what was wrong with him. The accident happened when they were travelling to meet another specialist out of town.”

Hojo patted Kagome's back as Kikyou kept her eyes low and Inuyasha moved uncomfortable in his chair.

Suddenly Kagome looked up and smiled at Kikyou and the two men around her. “But now Kik is going to be the greatest heart doctor in town!”

Inuyasha was taken by surprise again, this girl sure had mood swings. Hojo said some encouraging words to Kikyou about her brave decision as Kagome beamed with pride.

The pizza arrived to the table and the hanyou knew something was wrong from the first sniff. And the weird look he was getting from his tablemates confirmed it without a doubt. Looked down and saw the pizza, it had mushrooms, ham, pineapple and something that looked like jalapeno.

“The fuck is this?” he yelled at Kagome, who ignored him and handed everyone else a slice, only after everyone else had one, she looked at him with an innocent face.

“Do you want one, Inuyasha?”

The hanyou growled deep in his chest “No! This is… who likes this shit?”

“Hey! Watch your language! This is a family restaurant!” Yelled Kagome when Kikyou started to withdraw from the table again.

“Fuck that, Bitch! This is shit and you know it! Who with half a brain would like this…this…” he waved his hands above the pizza. “… Abomination of pizza?!”

A waitress arrived to the table without their knowledge and stood there waiting for the voices to go lower before speaking.

Kagome glared at him during his speech and as soon as he was finished she took a deep breath and yelled back “We happen to like this pizza, actually when Kikyou suggested it…” she stretched her body getting as close as she could to the hanyou. He responded instinctively and got closer too. “I asked you” she pushed her for finger on his chest at the end of each sentence. “I asked! If you! All mighty dog-boy! If it was ok!”

Kagome felt a hand touching her arm. It was Hojo with an uncomfortable smile shaking his head. She glared at the man and answered to his unspoken plea without changing tone “Don't!”, then she looked back at the hanyou leaving the older man confused by her reaction. He had never seen her this riled up. And she was never this rude. Kikyou patted his hand in understanding as the other two kept yelling .

Inuyasha's answer was still a low growl as she kept talking. She started to mimic his tone. “`Ah… yeah… whatever' was the only thing you answered!”

Inuyasha slapped the finger that kept poking his chest “And you knew damned well I didn't know what you were talking about!”

She sat back and crossed her arms. “Not my problem someone is stupid enough to agree to something without knowing what it was!” she looked at the table and muttered “Ugh! I so need something to drink right know…”

Inuyasha snorted, making her head shoot back to him. “As if you hadn't drink a few before coming here!”

An incredulous gasp came out of Kagome “Excuse me?”

He crossed his arms mimicking her pose from before. “Wench, you reek of beer. Admit it, you were late because you were drinking. You smell like food and beer! If you wanted to get drunk, you should have let us now and go and have your fun!”

He expected a heated response and even some more curses. But, it didn't come. He wasn't happy to admit bickering with her had been the most interesting thing about this “date”.

Kagome looked down with blushed cheeks and an ashamed expression. The waitress took her chance and approached the table to put a pizza on the table.

“Meat specialty!” She declared with fabricated happiness, turned to Kagome “Just as you asked for, all of our not-very-spicy-or-hot meat variety toppings on the pizza! Enjoy!” The waitress turned around and left.

Inuyasha felt a heavy lump in his stomach, this was getting very bad for him. He felt even worse as Kagome's looked at him with grey watery eyes. Another blow on his stomach was delivered when she spoke “I knew this was too hot for an inu-youkai” she motioned to the second pizza “enjoy the pizza.”

She stood up and walked away. His eyes followed her to the restrooms before looking back at the table. On his side Kikyou was looking directly at him for the longest time she had, but instead of the shyness or wonder she had shown before, her brown eyes were shooting fire, not the burning fire her sister had, but a tempered cold disdain. She was mad at him and deep down he felt he deserved it.

Without uttering a word the older sister stood up and walked the same path the younger had taken. Before walking too far, she turned to him with her regal stance judging him with her stare. She opened her lips as preparing to say something, but before making a sound her delicate head shook, turned her back to him and made the rest of the way, leaving the two men alone.

He found Hojo was not looking at him, he was trying to get the attention of a waitress, he did and then ordered a pitcher of lemonade. He still didn't say anything as they waited for the lemonade. Only when Hojo handed him a glass of lemonade and he drank almost half of it in a single gulp, did the human look at his face.

“You were really out of line…” the human declared with a sad smile. “Kagome doesn't drink, she can't even stand the smell”

“How the fuck should I know that?” His tone was escalating again and Hojo raised a hand to calm him.

“True, there was no way for you to know” Inuyasha crossed his arms on his chest and nodded triumphant. “Did you know their parents died in an accident?” Hojo asked in a voice that was almost a whisper.

Inuyasha nodded, feeling again that pit in his stomach. Hojo continued. “Kagome once told me she was almost eighteen and finishing high school when their parents and little brother died in a car crash, the driver of the other car was a drunk college student. None of them survived.” Hojo never stopped looking directly at Inuyasha's eyes. “I understand she has never drink after that… I think you should go and say something to her”

Inuyasha looked back at the restrooms and was surprised to see Kikyou standing close to the table. When their eyes crossed she looked to the side and walked to her chair. Hojo asked how Kagome was doing and Kikyou said she was trying to rinse the smell out of her hair, but it was impossible with only water.

Kikyou look at him with her cold rage, and with a steely voice he didn't thought it was possible for her to make, she only said “Go…” and turned to Hojo.

After being dismissed from the table he took a few hesitant steps. Gathered the strength to walk there thinking how it was an honest mistake and he had not wanted to hurt her, and the wench needed to know that, and only when he convinced himself of that truth, he slowly walked the rest of the way. He approached to the door and tried to listen to the sounds inside, searching for cries, sniffles, sobs or gasps. He could only hear water running and occasional grunting. There were three people inside, and he had to wait by the door for the other two to walk out, when it became obvious that the only person inside was Kagome, he knocked, waited for a moment and there was no response and he tried again. He tried a third time voicing her name.

A gruff “wait!” was the answer before hearing the hand blower turn on. He was getting impatient waiting for the damned blower to turn off as the minutes passed.

He pointed his ears to the door when the blower finally stopped. Soft steps followed and the door opened showing Kagome with her hair down and still a little wet. She walked to him and stood looking at the hanyou with unspoken questions in her eyes.

She was the first to talk. With her hands on her waist she just let out a defiant “well?”

Inuyasha looked at the petite woman that stared at him, then averted his eyes to look around. She was tapping her foot now and he kept silence.

That became too much for the hanyou, how dare this petite human woman to press him like that to apologize?

He looked back at her and like with an attitude that would make an elementary schooler feel proud he said “Well what?”

She huffed clearly exasperated with his attitude and walked a step closer, invading the hanyou's personal space. “Does my hair still reek of alcohol?”

Inuyasha blinked at the sight of her black hair in front of his face. Was this all she was asking? He mentally shrugged and took a deep breath closing his eyes. He could still detect some of the beer's scent, but it was faint, humans may not be able to smell it even if they tried. He smelled her again, it was the first time her scent, the one that was entirely hers, got to his nose unmarred with the other odors of her day. He reluctantly admitted to himself her scent was really pleasant. He sniffed again… was there a pup? Pups? She had many smells on her, faint smells but from many children. Why would she…

A sharp poke on his chest, in the same place she had been poking before took him back from his nose investigation. She was staring at her with exasperation and an arched brow. “Well?” she asked again.

“Um, well. The smell is still there” Her shoulders slumped “But! But is difficult to smell it” before she could ask what he was talking about he tapped his nose “Inu-hanyou nose”

She nodded but didn't move away from him, she was expecting something else from him. “Nothing else to say?”

He started to fret again as he looked around.

“Keh!”

“If that's all…” Kagome turned to leave, but a clawed hand stopped her from walking away.

“I know I was an ass! OK?” He was scratching the back of his head and staring at the children playing in the arcade zone of the restaurant.

She opened her lips to tell him it was alright when he spoked again. “I didn't know about the alcohol thing and you.” He let out a dry laugh and his golden eyes came back to her “I talk too much and say a lot of stupid things…”

She was aware that he had not say he was sorry. Kagome doubted he knew how. But it was enough for her. The woman gave him a wide smile, and nodded “I know…” the smile became playful “You have a mouth bigger than your brain” she then turned again and started to walk to the table.

After a moment the hanyou followed to the table.

Hojo and Kikyou had watched the conversation. For Kikyou it was clear something was happening there, the expression on the hanyou's face when he dipped down to smell her hair was so calm and soft she almost believe that the man there was not the rude hanyou that had been with them for the past hour.

In Hojo's case he was still thinking of Kagome's reaction when he tried to talk to her and calm her. She had yelled at him and told him to stop. This time she was behaving so different for the Kagome he had met two years ago. Always polite, soft spoken, with smiles and compliments for everybody. He sighed, this was not the Kagome he thought her to be.

As Kagome walked up to the table she thought about the mercurial temper of certain hanyou. He changed from being a complete jerk to a sweet, yet immature, little kid. It was fascinating.

When he had mentioned the alcohol with his sardonic and accusing way she felt bad enough to run from the table, but as she made the escape a sudden clarity came to her. It was impossible for him to know how much she despised alcohol. By the time her sister reached the restroom she was more ashamed of her childish reaction than angry at him. Her sister turned out to be the one mad at the poor hanyou and Kikyou had said to her with a straightforwardness uncommon on her that Inuyasha got to her nerves, that he was rude and purposely belligerent to Kagome.

Kagome laughed and hugged her sister telling her it was okay but the eldest had turned and walk away telling her over her shoulder that suffering a second date with him was impossible for her. Kagome chuckled and started to take the smell out of her hair.

Kikyou was still sending freezing cold looks at his direction when he came back. Without thinking he stared back for a moment, lost in his thoughts. If Kikyou, his date, was so displeased by his actions and that acrid smell of barely contained anger was any indication, there was no second date.

It was curious how now Kagome was smiling at him, with real smiles this time, and the soft spoken, mousy sister was broadcasting her dislike, making obvious for him she was not happy and he was the reason why. He shrugged mentally and took a slice of pizza from Kagome's offering hands and bit into it, feeling relived.

Now that the pressure and the expectations of a first date were over he found himself breathing with more ease, being able to straightening his back and observe what was really happening around him.

“So! Inuyasha how do you know Sango and Miroku?” Kagome asked with pizza still in her mouth. Trying to break the heavy silence.

“Oi! Don't talk with your mouth full!” answered the hanyou, who also had pizza in his mouth. A piece of napkin was thrown to both of them from a mildly angered Hojo.

Kagome said sorry with a sheepishly expression to Hojo and her sister, Inuyasha Khed but covered his mouth with the napkin.

Under the curious eyes of Kagome he answered “I've known the stupid one since Kindergarten, after college we became roommates and when Sango became his girlfriend, she was almost always around” He took another bite.

Kagome gasped and with wide eyes and a big smile and she pointed a finger at him, again. “You are THE hanyou friend he talks about!”

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and his eyebrows lowered as Kagome started to laugh again. “What are you talking about, wench?” asked carefully.

Kagome ignored him and turned to her sister “Kik, do you remember the story Miroku always tells about his hanyou friend that made a bet with Miroku and lost? The one he calls `The Greatest bet ever made'” Kikyou stared at her sister for a moment before snorting a laugh, instantly she covered her lips with her hand and looked around shyly with her cheeks flaming. Hojo stared at Kikyou thinking how cute and delicate Kikyou looked at that moment, when their gazes crossed he smiled softly trying to convey that everything was fine… and for him it was.

Inuyasha was far from fine, he went pale at the mention of a bet. There was only one bet he made with Miroku that ended bad enough to make people snort with laugh. `The chimney bet'. He groaned but the others were not paying attention to him.

“What was the bet about?” asked Hojo sincerely curious watching the varied reactions.

Kagome smiled at Hojo “The bet was if a hanyou person could go down a chimney…” another snort from Kikyou made Kagome laugh before continue looking at Inuyasha with eyes that were half playful half evil. That look made something funny in Inuyasha stomach. “… and they tried to prove it”

Inuyasha was sending daggers to the three of them as he growled low in his chest. To his dismay the three people in front of him ignored him completely and continued to talk about him.

“Someone said that it was impossible for a person to go down a certain chimney they knew, but…” Kagome grazed him with a sideways glance before continue “… certain hanyou said that maybe for a human was impossible but no for people with demon blood”

Inuyasha growled again, Kagome was enjoying this way too much for his liking, she was going as far as raising and lowering her voice in a theatrical way to make the story dramatic. She was telling the story as someone would to a room full of children. For a moment he wondered where did she learn to do that? But another snort coming from his side let him know that the story had advanced to the worst part.

By this moment Kagome was holding her sides and all that theatrical vibe was lost as she giggled in between sentences “… and then he threw his pants and shirt… saying he was stuck there because of them… he managed to push himself lower but” another laugh at his expenses from everyone and Kagome wiped her tears as she looked at his contorted face “he got stuck again… and not even his demonic strength helped him… and the firefighters had to take him out” Inuyasha growled for the umpteenth time and was ignored once more. “It was in the news… right?” She waited for him to answer with her watery half open eyes, flushed cheek and the widest smile.

He hit the table with his hand with what he hoped it was a menacing snarl but as the woman in front of him patted and tenderly stroked said hand Inuyasha was convinced it was not as effective as he wished.

With most of his ire gone but still wanting to show himself as a menacing hanyou he spoke through his teeth “You are telling it wrong, wench”

Kagome kept her ministration on his hand as her attention turned to his face, with her widened eyes she waited for him to elaborate.

“Khe! It was Miroku who said that I could and when I jumped inside I was fully dressed, It was that fucking ass-groping pervert who said that I was stuck because the fabrics were easy to get clung if the chimney was only cement in the inside.” He shot a pointed look at his companions “and it was…” Kagome's face was now hidden behind a napkin as she tried to muffle her laugh, that hobo guy was looking away but his jerking shoulders gave him away, just like Kikyou's even as she pretended to look for something inside her purse. “I took off my shirt and threw it up the chimney, and got rid of my pants and they fell to the bottom.” He lowered his voice to a whisper as the heat in his cheeks spread to his neck and chest. “They fell along with my boxers, and the family inside the house noticed the clothes.” At that moment he felt like running away but the encouraging grasp Kagome had on his hand made him stay and face the last humiliation. “They called the police and that's how I got `rescued' from there”.

Inuyasha was barely finished when the three humans lost it for good. Their giggles, snorts and almost wailing sounds ringed in his ears as they flicked around and flattened on his head. Trying to present himself the most dignified after one of his most embarrassing stories, he took another slice of pizza, the meat pizza not the other monstrosity that was beside it, and bit into it as his tablemates heaved to regain some kind of normal breathing.

It was the man who spoke first wiping his face “You mean it was some stranger's house you were trying to break in?” the voice was hoarse and slow.

Inuyasha even wiped his mouth in an elegant manner before answering, but the answer itself made them go into full out wailing again “Oi! We looked for someone we knew that had a home with a chimney, but those are rare and the one Miroku used to explain why it wouldn't work was the only one we knew. That's why we used it”

After the hysterical laugh subsided, again. Kagome was the first to speak “but why didn't try it when the house was alone?”

Inuyasha looked away and whispered. “It was alone when I started, not when I took off my pants” answered avoiding eye contact.

Kagome wrapped her free arm around her when a coughing fit interrupted her, the hanyou offered some lemonade that she accepted immediately. The others were still laughing when a phone started to ring, everyone distractedly reached for their own.

Kagome gasped and looked at Kikyou with a worried expression. “Is the nanny” was all she said before answering and walking away from the noises of the arcade games.

Inuyasha stared at her feeling something he couldn't exactly name but something heavy installed in his stomach, his ears were still pointed at her as she walked, part of the conversation reached him, but he couldn't understand a thing from the beating of his heart on his ears.

Feeling his mood go sour, the silver haired man tried to change the focus of his attention and stared rudely at the best target that was still on the table. Hobo. “You knew Kagome before this, right?” he made a hand gesture indicating the table and the four of them.

Hojo finished his drink and nodded, his lips opened ready to say something but the not-so-happy voice of the other man cut him off. “How? From where?”

Kikyou was looking at him with slightly amused by the hanyou's jealousy display and felt the need to share something. “They met two years ago, when Kag was fighting for Shippou's custody” she said matter-of-factly before sipping from her drink and studiously observe the mahogany haired man, blatantly ignoring the flaring temper of the hanyou beside her and his piercing stare drilling into the side of her head.

Inuyasha's was enraged. She had a child! A child! A child of hers and another man! The small rational part of his mind. Who suspiciously sounded like his bastard of his brother, screamed that he had no reason feel anger, not even a reason to feel anything about it. But the animalistic, instinct-driven part of himself wanted to snarl and shred the man that dare to lay a hand on her. Unknown to him a slow angry growl reverberated deep in his chest as the image of Kagome with a swollen belly, carrying a child appeared in his mind. He shook his head trying to clear it as he bit down a rising snarl again.

Kagome's soft footsteps reached through the red haze in his head and his golden orbs shot her an accusing look. A look she never registered as her attention was focused on her older sister. She started to speak as she reached the table. “Ayame has a family emergency and is going to bring Shippou here, because is faster than waiting for me to run home”

Kikyou nodded but soon her face contorted into one of disbelieving “You hired Ayame tonight?” Kagome looked down and nodded, her older sister huffed and raised her chin “Unbelievable Kagome! You hire your ex-boyfriend new girlfriend to watch your son?”

Kagome groaned before raising her head “hey! I have always been a good friend with Ayame, besides Kouga and I ended the relationship in good terms! And they've been together for more than a year!”

“I don't care how long they've been together Kagome. It's about boundaries and closing cycles!” Kikyou sighed and stood up “Be right back!” she said before walking to the restrooms.

Hojo took a bite trying to stay away from the conversation, that from the look in Inuyasha's face it was soon to explode.

“So…” Started the hanyou with a dry, monotone voice “you have a child…” He expected her… he didn't know what he was expecting from her but surely it was not the smile that she gave him, it lit her face and her eyes poured the love she had for the kid, and he was almost sure that a warm energy touched him.

“Yes I do! He just turned two years old last month, he is the light of my life” She declared with her voice laced with the love and pride that only a mother can project.

Inuyasha only nodded and stared grumpily at his half eaten pizza. “You are a divorced woman, then?”

He could not see her face but all his other senses where centered on her “what? O no… never been married” her voice sounded surprised and nervous.

Inuyasha's eyes shot to her face. The heavy weight in his stomach became lighter, but the sickening feeling was still there. “Then your child is a bastard?”

The girl sucked in a shocked breath and her face reddened with anger “My. Child. Is. Not. A. bastard.” She declared with a steeled voice as her poking finger came back to push his chest. “I am single mother by choice! You idiotic chauvinistic pig!”

The hanyou looked away and grabbed her hand moving it away from his chest without letting it go. “There is nothing wrong with being a bastard, Wench! I am, and have been since birth.” He looked into her eyes and she saw how that little fact had been used to hurt him before. “That's one of the reasons my half-brother hates me” a humorless laugh escaped his lips “well, not so much lately.”

Kagome tightened her grasp on his and her eyes softened. She wanted to tell him something to make him feel better but the strident sound coming out of her phone prevented her. He let go of her hand and she answered.

Ayame let her know she had arrived and Kagome ran to the doors. At the same time Kikyou sat back at the table being welcomed only by the human man that smiled at her.

Inuyasha stared at the doors with his heart pounding in his chest, his hands clasping jerkily under the table and his ears flicking trying to catch any sound from outside.

The doors opened and Kagome entered with a big bag strapped on one shoulder and a blanket covered bundle on her other. Inuyasha found himself looking for the child's scent. Taking a deep breath he detected Kagome's scent, wolf youkai and Kitsune.

His brow lowered in confusion. Was the kid part wolf youkai? Or part Kitsune? The think that confused the most was how none of the three scents were mixed. Kagome's was full human, and the other two were full youkai, nothing hanyou on them. Inuyasha shook his head, maybe he was imagining things.

Kagome arrived to the table, put the big bag under the table and settled the bundle on her lap with loving movements.

“He doesn't smell hanyou…” Inuyasha let out as he observed the still covered kid on her lap.

The mother looked at the man with a confused looked. He looked at the baby and then back at her “He doesn't smell part human”

She smiled at Inuyasha and shook her head. “That's because he is a full Kitsune”

“huh?” his mouth fell from the surprise, the giggle that came from his side made him recover. “You adopted the kit?”

“Yes, he has been with me for two years” She declared proudly.

Inuyasha turned to Hojo with a still frowning face “You said she fought for the kit's custody”

Hojo's eyes widened but was Kikyou who answered “I told you that… and she did, she fought against Social Services for Shippou” The eldest sister gave Kagome a proud look and the youngest blushed.

It was Hojo's turn to explain. “I helped in Kagome's case when she asked to be Shippou's adoptive mother. After he was left in the day care she worked when he was only a moth old and his birth mother never came back. When social services made the investigation and was unable to locate the mother, Kagome started the process to become his mother.”

Inuyasha was looking at Kagome in awe as her face flushed again in righteous anger with the female kitsune that abandoned the baby. “I couldn't believe someone could leave their month old baby at the day care”. She looked down at the boy in her arms and uncovered his head showing his bright red hair and his pointy ears. Now that he was paying attention the kid was smaller than a human or hanyou baby, he had the size of a year old human baby.

Kagome's voice took him out of his thoughts “It was love at first sight for both of us” she planted a kiss on the baby's curls “and when his mo-, the Kitsune didn't come back” Her eyes drilled into his looking for his understanding “I needed to do something. I couldn't let him go, alone. He was a baby!”

The hanyou was impressed at her protectiveness. She was a good mother and the kit was lucky to have her. Of that he was sure.

The little boy started to fret on his mother's lap and two huge green eyes opened. “you're awake, baby?” the child blinked a few times before smiling and jumping to her neck. “oka!”

Shippou nuzzled his mother neck for a moment before he froze. Inuyasha smirked, the little brat realized there were unknown male scents around his pack, and as a youkai he didn't like it one bit, the smirk became a full smile as the human was stupid enough to approached the kid without announcing his presence. As fast as he put his hand on the red curls the kit turned his head and bit, hard.

With the surprised yelp coming from Hojo, Kagome knew Shippou had done something.

“Shippou! Let go of his hand!” Kagome put her hand on her child cheeks and pushed trying to open his jaws, but the kid was strong and Hojo's hand was still being pressed with his pointy teeth. She was shocked as a menacing growl came from Inuyasha's chest.

“Oi! Shippou! Let go of his hand!” he shouted with a serious voice as the growling went up in volume. Shippou let go of the human's hand and whimpered into his mother's chest, Kagome stroked his back. Another growl came from Inuyasha and she stopped for a moment. “Don't do that”

Kagome stared angered at the hanyou and he explained himself under her stare “If you pamper him right now, he won't understand how bad what he did was, and he will do it again. You need to reprimand him and tell him what he did is wrong” He crossed his arms on his chest and motioned her to comply.

She nodded and took Shippou's head into her hand “Baby. We don't bite people! Biting is wrong!” the little kid sniffled and whined but nodded “no bai-thing..” Kagome nodded and Shippou continued “bai-thing wong!” She nodded again and turned to Inuyasha with her huge grey eyes asking him if she could comfort her kid now. Noting how she was as close as the kid from crying he nodded.

The young mother loss no time “You are right Shippou, biting is wrong” she enveloped the kid in a tight embrace as the baby whined in a youkai way asking for forgiveness.

Inuyasha smirked at the sight, without realizing she had giving him the status of alpha in this little pack. He noticed how the kid was giving him secret glances through his mother hair. The kid smelled curious more than scared so he took his chance as Kikyou was checking the damage on Hobo's hand.

“Oi! Kid, wanna eat?” He said with his friendliest-yet-manly voice.

Shippou raised his head and look at Inuyasha openly. The hanyou took a slice of pizza, the good one of course, cut a smaller piece and offered to the kit. The emerald eyes went back and forward between his face and his hands, when the boy didn't move Inuyasha move his hand closer to his face slowly “If you don't want it, I'm gonna eat it!” Shippou used his youkai speed to take the pizza from the hand and stuff it in his mouth.

“Tasty right, kit?” The little kitsune swallowed the food and smiled at him. Inuyasha extended his arms to the child “If you want more, come here!”

Inuyasha felt his chest puff with pride as Kagome's face lit up again and move her child closer to his arms. Shippou doubted for a moment and jumped into Inuyasha's waiting arms. The half demon was fast to position the child on his lap and give him another small piece of pizza.

“He has never done that before…” Kagome said softly.

The hanyou scoffed. “It's because you have to show who the alpha is and who the whelp is” Under the fascinated stare of the young lady in front of him, he felt the need to elaborate. “Is a youkai thing. Every pack has structure and the kit needs to be taught that he is a child, not an alpha, not a beta, but a whelp”. He distractedly stroked the soft curls as he continued “If you don't find someone to teach him that, you will have it tough as he grows up”.

Kagome nodded as he kept feeding the child. The image in front of her warmed her heart. Never before had Shippou interacted with a man is such a way. Her little son was sitting in his lap, with his back on Inuyasha's belly as he munched on the pizza. The inu-hanyou spoke to him and his fire-red curls swayed as his sparkling eyes looked up to the man. She smiled, now the kit had moved and sat sideways on the man's lap, resting his back on Inuyasha's arm as both of them ate.

“How bad is you hand?” said Inuyasha in a strangely amicable way.

Hojo smiled softly and raised his hand, it had deep puncturing in a half-moon pattern. Inuyasha sniffed in his direction and gave the human a half smile. “Good he didn't draw blood, huh?”

The human's face made an uncomfortable expression as the sound of his response was ambiguous. Kagome put her small hand on Hojo's shoulder “I'm so sorry! I didn't know he would do that! I'm really sorry!”

As the mother kept asking for forgiveness Inuyasha lowered his head to the child's “look pup!, your mother is saying sorry for you” The kit whined when he registered his mother pleading tone. “Say sorry to him” the hanyou patted Shippou's behind and circled his little body as he stood up on Inuyasha's leg. The little child looked again in his direction and he nuzzled the back of the small head. None of this lost to the elder sister, who smiled knowingly.

“Sowyyy!” he yelled at his mother and friend as his eyes got watery “Ssipou good! Ssipou no bite!”

Kagome looked at her son as he apologized for the first time. Motherly pride bubbled in her chest along with gratitude at her hanyou friend. She noticed how he kept nuzzling her son's neck and the child snaked his little arm around the man's head. “Yes my Shippou is a good boy and he doesn't bite anymore!”

Shippou nodded solemnly and hid in Inuyasha's neck. She could swear she heard him say softly “Good pup. Good pup!” as Shippou burrowed himself deeply around his neck.

Beside her Hojo and Kikyou resumed their conversation about medical malpractice and law suits. There was no way she was going to participate in THAT.

Looking up she saw the silver haired hanyou staring at her with and deeply intense gaze. Her belly went wild with butterflies as her breath got stuck in her chest. He opened his lips, way too pretty lips for a man she may add, but before a sound came out her son demanded his attention.

He was tugging one of Inuyasha's ears as he pointed with his other hand something in the arcade area. “Doggy! Doggy! Go! Go! Play!”

She laughed at the hanyou's face as he tried very delicately to disengage her son's clawed hands from his sensitive ear. After trying a couple of times she walked to them and separated the hand but to her dismay her son recoiled, moving away from her until he enveloped himself on Inuyasha's side under his arm. Okay that hurt.

Inuyasha let out an uncomfortable laugh as he reached for her hand and those eyes that made funny things to him focused on his face. “He just wanna play with me a little more.”

He softly pushed her back as he stood up. Gaining a gasp from the three humans as he never reached for the kit.

Watching how Shippou was still lapping himself to his side, Kagome send a surprised look at Inuyasha “He is not falling!”

“Khe! He's a youkai kit, wench!” he scoffed “This one is stronger and smarter than a human whelp” he finished with a smug smile.

Without a word the hanyou with the clinging shield turned and started walking to the place Shippou had signaled. He kept his ears on her and as her soft steps didn't sound, he stopped, crossed his arms on his chest and gave her and exasperated look. “I ain't babby sitting your pup wench” he jerked his head to the side and began walking again.

Kagome smiled at his back and turned to the remaining people on the table, arching a brow as she saw Kikyou's delicate hands cradling Hojo's injured one. The youngest woman gave them a sly smile “enjoy your time alone kids” and followed her hanyou. Leaving both of them deeply blushed.

By the time she reached the pair, Shippou was already climbing a net towards the highest part of the playing area.

Together side by side they saw little Shippou climb the net up to the highest place of the play area. He smiled brightly and waved his little clawed hand as he followed other toddlers to the tunnel maze.

Inuyasha watch the little kid move around the obstacles and crawl his way in the tunnels, his ears flicking around to find any threat for the kid. It had nothing to do with the cute little gasps and sighs Kagome made beside him. It was completely unrelated to the almost imperceptible sound her feet made with every half step she took closer to him. Totally not because of those things. Just as his deep breaths were completely unrelated to her sweet and fresh scent, even if it was slightly mixed with beer, food, wolf youkai and Kitsune. It was not because he wanted to smell more of her under all those things.

He looked up and watched the kid stop cold on top of the slide. Both of them walked closer to the slide and watched him standing on the edge of the slide but grabbing to the sides and refusing to go.

Kagome moved to the end of the slide and raised her opened her arms to the child. Shippou giggled and let go pushing himself down.

Inuyasha saw the child slide down and jump a moment before reaching the bottom falling into her waiting arms.

Kagome knowing he liked to jump at the last moment she was ready to catch him and spin “Shippou is back!!” she yelped as she slowed down with the giggling child on her neck. When they stopped beside the silver haired hanyou Shippou turned to him “Doggy!” shouted between giggles and jumped from his mother's arms to the hanyou's chest.

“Ough!” Inuyasha put his hand on the back of the still cooing and giggling baby as he climbed up his body until he sat on the man's shoulder and hugged his head with one arm and pulled at his ears with the other as he screamed “Doggy! Doggy!” Before Kagome even reached the tortured hanyou's ears a deep growl came out of him.

Many things happened at once and she didn't have time to react until it was over. The growl started when the Shippou started to yell in his ears but at the same time the child tugged hard at his ears it became a snarl causing the baby to let go rapidly and losing his balance falling on the waiting hands close to the man's chest. The snarling stop but there was still a soft growling sound in his chest as the white haired head closed distance with the frozen child and with a low deep voice “No ear pulling pup! Never…”

Kagome watched as Shippou made a whining sound and took a step closer but the look he shot in her direction made her stop. He nodded and stared at the whining boy, the growl in his chest changed and in Kagome's ears it was a rumble close to a purr.

Inuyasha moved the boy closes to his chest as the rumble became stronger and Shippou tried his best to keep the man face visible. The hanyou's face lost the menacing scowl and he ask with a voice barely above the rumble. “My ears hurt when you do that. Shippou won't hurt me again, right?”

Shippou clung to his shirt and shook vehemently his head as he wailed “No! Ssippou won't hut doggy! Ssippou good pup!” Inuyasha patted the boy's back as the little Kitsune climbed his body to nuzzle his neck and the man nuzzled him back in reassurance everything was good again.

“Oi!” The hanyou waited for the kitsune to pay attention. The little red hear moved to look at his eyes never putting more distance between their heads making the boy crossed eyes as he stared solemnly at what the man wanted to tell him.

Inuyasha lost his composure for a moment and move him to rest on his chest again. “What's your name, pup?”

Shippou smiled, happy to be able to answer the question. “Ssippou!” Inuyasha made an exaggerated nod and smiled back “Very good! Your name is Shipou!” the silver head tilted to the side and with his best confused voice he asked “And what's my name?”

Shippou's happy face contorted, his eyes widened as his eyebrows lowered and his smiled became a small tight line. Looking very unsure “Doggy?” was his whispered answer.

Inuyasha shook his head theatrically slow as he let out a disappointed sight making the boy fret.

Kagome's eyes crossed with his playful golden gaze and he winked. Taking that as her cue, she walked closer to the pair into the Kitsune's visual field.

“I think I know your name…” she declared distractedly.

Shippou's head shot in her direction and gave her his best puppy eyes he had. She pretended to decide if she should tell him or not out loud “Okaaa! Pdease!”

The mother faked a gasp “He said please!” Inuyasha nodded “Yes he did!”

Kagome reached her son's ears and whispered the hanyou's name in a way she knew it would trickle the little kid and in no time he was giggling and wiggling in the hanyou's arms. She moved back and as fast as Shippou's breathing became normal again, emerald eyes crossed with the golden gaze and with a triumphant voice he declared “Yassa!”

Kagome snorted a laugh and turned away for a moment. She heard him say with a laughing voice “Very good pup! My name is Inuyasha!”

She turned back as she hear a high pitched wail coming from her sun and saw Inuyasha throw the toddler up in the air and catch him. After a few times he put Shippou in the grown and told him to go play.

A calm silence formed between them as they fell into a cycle. Shippou would climb, play in the mazes, wait for Kagome at the end of the slide, jump and twirl with his mother, then ask to be thrown into the air a couple of times by Inuyasha and start the process again.

As Shippou started to climb again Kagome turned to Inuyasha with curious eyes “What do you do?”

“huh?” was all his answer.

Suspecting he was making it difficult on purpose, she tried again with and over enthusiastic voice “What do you do for a living, Inuyasha my friend?”

Said friend chuckled and scowled at the same time ruining the effect. “I work, Kagome”

Kagome gave him an exasperated looked and continued with the same obnoxious voice “Oh my! You work! What kind of work do you do?” Inuyasha chuckled again and opened his lips to answer when she poked his chest and added with a low voice. “Answer already!”

In return he pushed her softly to the slide as Shippou positioned to go down. They did their part of the routine and Kagome heard him speak.

“I work with my self-righteous asshole of my brother. I'm in charge of the heavy vehicles.”

Kagome was still looking at him “We have a body shop business”

“Oh… That's really cool!”

Inuyasha smirked at her and nodded, the wench was easily impress if he working with cars was cool. “And what do you do?”

Kagome gave him an over the top innocent face “I work too!”

“haha… funny”

“I really do work! I swear!”

Inuyasha nudged her with his side and she gave him a happy look “I work as a teacher assistant in a Kindergarten in the mornings and at a restaurant in the afternoon waiting tables”.

“You studied to be a teacher?”

Keeping her eyes trained on her son she kept explaining “I studied Children development, but originally I wanted to study Graphic Designing, but the career is expensive and Kik was already studying Medicine when our parents died. I decided to study my second option and Kik promised me not to abandon the career.

Inuyasha knew there was too much said between the lines. It was obvious for him that Kagome ended up making the biggest sacrifices after their parents died and her sister went on with her life normally.

Inuyasha frowned as his eyes followed the little boy, he kept quiet as he tossed him a couple of times again.

Kagome noticed his mood change and thought that maybe he was disappointed at what she did, maybe he though she was boring, or weird. She had to agree her case was out of the ordinary, a human single mother, of an adopted youkai baby, working two jobs… weird indeed.

Inuyasha's dry voice took her out of her musings “So… you work two jobs, have a Kid and by the looks of it, you take care of the house…” She nodded feeling her hunch was right, he thought she had too much baggage.

His voice sounded angry “you do all that! While your sister goes to school and spends your money like a little princess!”

Kagome looked at him with wide eyes as he kept going. “I mean you made sacrifices for her! For the kid! And she just accepted? Said thanks and let you do all the work?”

For a moment she was relieved that his anger was not at her, but the image he had of Kikyou was wrong. “Inuyasha, that's not how…”

He waved a hand dismissing her words “It was really easy for her to let your dreams get all fucked up and work on her own! Really easy right! Stop poking my fucking chest!”

“You stop yelling and I'll stop poking your chest!” She made her point hitting him harder. He responded holding her hand to prevent more poking, she started to attack him with her other hand and he soon had each of her hand in one of his.

“Ha! I win wench!” he declared proudly.

“I don't care!” she pulled at his hands and fought to free herself ending up flushed and out of breath “You! Don't! Get it!”

Suddenly the situation registered in Inuyasha's brain. She was squirming against him, with their hands tightly clasped above their heads, she was pressing most of her body as she used his own body to anchor her pull. Feeling the instant reaction of his body he let go of her hands causing her to stumble back a few steps.

She walked back to him, restraining her poking fingers but spitting fire with her eyes. “I wasn't the only one to suffer! She did in her own way” her ire lost in a second being replaced with hurt and sadness “She lost a year as she came out of her depression… ONE YEAR until we were sure she could pass a day without crying…” Kagome's eyes asked for understanding as she refused to cry.

Before Inuyasha could think if hugging her was appropriate his arms enveloped her and pushed into his chest. She froze inside his embrace and for heart stopping moment he wondered if he finally crossed the line to make her run away from him.

Kagome found herself trapped against a warm chest and rounded by his strong arms and for a moment she didn't know what to do, she stayed there enjoying the silent comfort he was giving her. A soft sigh escaped her and her arms mirrored his feeling how he seemed to relax at her response. They both felt how something was changing between them.

Their own small eternity ended as the neglected child started to climb up Inuyasha's leg and pushed his small body between them until he was nestled against their chests “Hug Ssipou! Ssipou wants hug too!”

Both of them exploded with laughs as they kept hugging Shippou. After the laugh died out he raised a hand and wiped her tears, hoping those were happy tears. He felt her lean on his touch and smile tenderly.

“Excuse me. Mister, Misses.”

They bolted away from eachother, Inuyasha holding Shippou, or better said Shippou clinging from Inuyasha's chest.

The waitress looked at them with contained laugh “We are about to close”.

“Huh? Oh… of course! We're leaving” said Kagome taking Inuyasha's arm and pulling him towards their table.

When they arrived at their table the two occupants were so immersed in their conversation that only recognized the presence of the trio when Kagome threw the Baby bag on her chair.

“Oh! You're back!” said Kikyou with a placid smile.

“Yep, and they are closing, so we gotta go!” Kagome declared with a bitter voice that raised a brow in her sister's face, a full smile appeared on the eldest sister when the youngest started to search for something inside the bag in a pissed off manner.

Kikyou moved her inquisitive gaze to Inuyasha, who was still blushing but shrugged not knowing the reason for Kagome's sudden sour mood.

“Ha! Here it is!” She opened her arms and automatically Shippou jumped into them. She made him stand up on the chair and put his little red jacket on and adjusted his little hoodie covering his ears. “Ready to go baby!”

She turned to Kikyou “I think we should get going, we need to catch the last bus” Kikyou nodded but didn't move.

“Kagome…” Inuyasha's hesitant voice came from her side and she turned to face him. He was blushing from his cheeks to his chest as he avoided her eyes and scratched the back of his head. “I could take you home, you know?”

“You would?” Kagome said sounding hopeful at his offer and he finally looked back at her.

“Yeah, you know being this late… Is dangerous for a woman to go alone… and you will be carrying you pup with you and all…” he cleared his throat “I'll take you home!”

Kagome gave him a smile assured him it was a great idea, one of his best ideas ever!

Kikyou snickered at the scene as Hojo looked to the opposite side with a suspicious trembling on his shoulders.

Inuyasha turned to the two people still sitting as Kagome prepared their things to go. “You need a lift too?” He asked amicably as his body language told them he was completely against taking them with him. His ears pointed back in a defensive way, his arms were crossed on his chest, not in a nonchalantly way as they have been seeing him but in a way his arms muscled bulked and he appeared even bigger than he was, his brows were down and part of his fangs were resting on his lower lip. All this standing behind a busy Kagome.

“No, thank you Inuyasha” Hojo answered before looking at Kikyou “I think we are going for a coffee before taking her home”

Inuyasha nodded as Kagome arched a brow and ask suggestively “A coffee?”

“Yes, Kagome, a coffee!” Kikyou said with a dry voice.

“Alright! We're going!” Kagome tried to lift the bag just to be ripped from her hands and strapped on the Hanyou's shoulder. “Shippou say `bye' to your aunt and Hojo”

Shippou waved his little hand and told them good bye repeatedly as they walked to the door.

The way to Kagome's home was short, and as every time Shippou took a ride, he arrived completely asleep. Inuyasha parked and without a word walked to her door and opened for her, helping her to get out of his truck. He took the baby bag and walked behind her.

He was suddenly nervous about how this was going to end. Technically he was her sister's date. But truly that date died the moment Kagome walked into the restaurant. He huffed mentally. And Kikyou never paid him attention as a date. She was more in tuned with the Hobo guy just as he was completely in tune with Kagome… still he was nervous. Was it appropriated to end the date with a kiss? Should he even count this as a `date'? He groaned inwards as Kagome opened the door to her apartment complex and they started to walk up the stairs.

Kagome felt her hands sticky and trembling, he was silently walking behind her and hadn't said a word apart from asking directions. What was he thinking? Was he planning to drop them off and go home? Would he try to end the date with a kiss? Should she hint him she wanted a kiss? Wasn't it too inappropriate wanting to kiss her sister's date? Even as she went somewhere with her own date? She wanted to scream! This was so messed up!

They finally made it to her apartment and she tried to open the door but her trembling sweaty hands along with the weight of her son made it difficult.

“Hand me the pup…” said Inuyasha with a silky voice. That voice made her even more nervous as she turned and let him take the toddler from her.

“You're finally quiet, whelp” said him in the same silky voice that sent shivers across her back. Shippou stirred as Inuyasha nestled him on his chest, a soft rumbling came sounded from his chest and the child relaxed again and sighed.

Kagome finally opened the door and hurried inside turning on the lights, noting how some of Shippou's toys were scattered in the living room. She turned to Inuyasha with an awkward smile “Home sweet home! Welcome…”

The hanyou gave her a smile back and signaled the baby in his arms. “Where do I…”

“Oh! I need to change him, give him to me”.

Inuyasha complied and she disappeared in one of the bedrooms. He used the opportunity to take a deep breath and try to identify the scents. He smiled as the apartment was free from male scents. He sat in a sofa and closed his eyes enjoying the calming effect her scent had on him.

He cracked open one eye as something tugged on his hand. It was Shippou, dressed with a pajama, with small puppies printed across his chest.

“Hello buddy!” Shippou started climbing him, apparently it had become one of his favorite activities very fast. The toddler sat on the hanyou's belly and signaled his pajama and Inuyasha's head.

“Your pajama has puppies with ears like mine!” Shippou giggled, the hanyou flicked his ears around gaining more giggles from the toddler. Inuyasha stroke his back motioning the child to lay on his chest, soon the kit was draped on his chest in something that looked more like a full body hug than anything else. He sighed and started to make the same rumbling sound he used to get her hyperactive niece fall sleep.

Kagome watched him from her room's door frame with a tender gaze, thinking how good he was with Shippou. He stared at her with intense eyes.

“You said you were not going to babysit and look at you… sorry.”

Inuyasha made a dismissive hand gestured but kept quiet. He got up and started to pace around the living room, Kagome ran to pick up the toys put them back in his son's toy chest.

After a few more minutes Inuyasha asked where did Shippou sleep and she told him to put him on her bed. He did and they walked back to the kitchen. Having no more tasks at hands made it easy for them to return to the awkward silence.

Kagome sensed Inuyasha was close to say good bye, trying to speak before him she blurted out “Do you want a coffee?”

Inuyasha smirked and asked ironically “we are going to drink coffee?”

She got the joke and made an exasperated face “Yes! Coffee! Do you want one?”

“Yes! I want one, wench!” Kagome walked to the kitchen with the half demon following her, he sat unceremoniously on a chair by the bar and watch her prepare the coffees.

“Oi! Question…”

Kagome turned to him and tilted her head. “What?”

“Did you even had dinner?” He asked her with his head resting on his hand, leaning on the counter. As his ears swiveled around, the picture was really cute for Kagome. When she didn't answer he tried again. “Wench… dinner! Did you have any?”

She frowned trying to remember, she took a slice, bit it once, and the whole beer incident happened, then Shippou. She looked up to him “I did not…”

He instantly perked up, straightening his back, even his ears “I thought so… I'll bring you something to eat!” The hanyou got up and walked to the door. Over his shoulder he told her to boil more water.

She wondered what kind of food could he get at this hour, she looked at her clock, it was almost midnight. Kagome shrugged and did as he said before going to her room and change into her most presentable pajamas.

She was walking back to the kitchen when he returned with a yellow backpack on his back and a childish smile. “I didn't know which one you like so I brought one of every kind”

“th…thank you…”

He looked around sniffing “Is the water ready?”

They walked to the kitchen at the same time the water started to boil.

“Sit! I'm going to make dinner for you!” he declared with a toothy grin.

Not noticing Kagome's careful reaction he went on talking about how this was the best food ever invented. He took the backpack and started to place plastic wrapped containers on the bar.

“This is chicken, this one is shrimp, this one is teriyaki, this one is yakisoba, and this one is curry” he stopped and looked at her with a hopeful expression “do you like any of this? I like chicken better and can't eat curry… too spicy.” He stopped and waited for her answer.

He was so excited talking about ramen that she couldn't bring herself to tell him she preferred to go to bed without having dinner than eating instant ramen, she sighed and chose yakisoba forcing a smile on her face. “This one”

“Oh! Yakisoba, that one is good” He busied himself preparing the noodles, she chuckled when the hanyou took out his phone and opened a special stopwatch to make the perfect ramen.

She found herself laughing during their impromptu dinner. He talked about his asshole brother and how he adopted a human child. That fact, he assured her, kept him awake at night sometimes. She explained how they sold their parents' house and came to live in the apartment.

“How old are you, Inuyasha?”

“26, why?” he answering through a mouth full of half chewed noodles.

“Just because… You have the same age as my sister, and two years younger than Hojo” she mused.

“So… you're younger than me?” She nodded, he narrowed his eyes. “How old are you, wench?”

“What's with the `wench' thing, Inuyasha?” He shrugged and kept eating. “How old do you think I am?”

The half demon shook his head and swallowed. “I'm not going to play that game!”

Kagome blinked at him “What?... Why?”

“khe! The one who guess always loses. If I guess you're older, you will think I see you old, wrinkled or some other stupid idea. I ain't playing this…” She batted her eyelash “Stop that! I ain't playing. Because if I guess younger you could end up thinking I have some kind of weird kink or that I'm attracted to teenagers or that I plan to have some kind of relationship with a minor… I ain't answering that!”

Kagome felt her cheeks go hot and tingly. She heard all he said between the lines. Being attracter, planning a relationship. The stupid butterflies in her belly wreaked havoc in her body as he came back to eat his forth cup of ramen.

She took some deep breaths before feeling capable to continue the conversation. “Miroku told you that, right?”

His ears lowered and he knew she was right. All that bullshit came from their perverted friends mind.

“Don't believe what that letcher says…” He looked at her with his head still down. “And I'm 24 years old”

Inuyasha nodded but didn't say anything else. “So… you thought I was younger or older”

He grunted “Still not answering that wench…”

They finished their dinner and she suggested they could watch a movie. They chose to start “The mummy” and they settled on the couch, with him on one side, with his elbow on the couch's arm, and Kagome beside him, close enough to feel her warm presence but not enough to touch.

Inuyasha stared at the toy chest beside the T.V. and turned his head to Kagome “Your child is adorable…” She placed her head on his shoulder and let out a tired sigh.

“Thank you… I really appreciate it” she stared at the movie without really watching it for a moment “Sometimes I think I don't do enough for him, I think that I can't do enough… Like today, every time he misbehaved you knew what to do and he got that instantly.”

He took one of her hands in his and caressed it. “You are doing a great job, he is a lovely kid, and you can tell immediately he feels loved and he fits in your life. What I did today was only taking advantage of his instincts and my size. You only need someone with youkai blood close to teach you how to use those instincts of him.”

She nodded on his shoulder at the same time it down on him what he just said and how it sounded. He took his hand from hers and started to babble.

“I didn't mean… I thought someone could…” It was Kagome's turn to seek his hand and enveloped it with hers.

“I know what you meant, don't worry and let's watch the movie”

~~~~~

Inuyasha woke up for the third time that morning. He looked up and the clock announced 8 o'clock. He needed to start moving, but he truly didn't want to move a muscle.

He looked at his chest, Kagome was half on top of his chest with her head resting close to the crook of his neck, and she was so close that if he wanted to he could kiss her temple. Not that he had done it during the night when she fell sleep watching the movie. Of course he wouldn't.

On the other side of his chest rested the little Kitsune, the reason he woke up the first time during the night after he had finally found a way to lay down keeping Kagome comfortable and around him. Almost at two a.m. Shippou came out of the room looking for his “okaa”, and when he found them the toddler simply climbed to this chest and positioned him under the arm Kagome had thrown across his torso. And there he had remained immobile.

The second time something awoke him was around 3 or 4 in the morning when a pair of giggling, stumbling adults tried to walk into the apartment without being noticed. He smelled them and relaxed knowing they were Kagome's sister and what he could guess her new boyfriend by the rhythmic and private noises that came out of the room as soon the door closed and the giggling ended.

The hanyou smirked thinking about how his friends were wrong and right at the same time planning the double date.

He looked at the clock again, 8:15. He really needed to get going.

He stroked Kagome's back at the same time he made the rumbling sound. The sound that she said she loved it, she was half awake but he thought of it as truth.

She started to stir and cracked one eye open. “Good morning…”

He gave in to the impulse and kissed her temple “good morning, wench”

Shippou woke up with a loud yawn and a purr. Kagome kissed the little boy good morning and Inuyasha ruffled his hair.

With his arms around them he move them until they were standing up, causing her to giggle.

Kagome frowned and looked around. “Did Kikyou come back during the night? I don't see her things.”

Inuyasha gave her a sly smile and wiggled his eyebrows. “They came back” Kagome's eyes went wide. She could see his ears flicking around before smiling evilly “and they are trying to walk out of the room without being noticed. He turned his head to the side and shouter “We are awake and we know you're there!”

Kagome laughed at the outraged gasps and curses coming out of her sister room.

Inuyasha put her son on the couch, who lost no time to run to the T.V. and searched for the Saturday morning cartoons as Inuyasha walked to her. “I need to go, I promised my idiot of a brother that I'll help him with something today”.

Her shoulders slumped as she forced a smiled on her lips “If you promised then you need to go” Inuyasha nodded and walked to the kitchen to retrieve his backpack.

She followed him to the door hiding her unhappy expression, oblivious to the fact he could smell her sadness.

He walked out of the door and she stood on the frame looking up to his eyes.

Inuyasha took a deep breath and walked to her resting his forehead on hers and inhaling her scent.

“Damned…” he said close to her face. “Now I have to thank that fucking pervert”

Kagome looked at him confused “what?”

“I'll have to thank him for the best first date I've ever had”

Kagome blushed furiously and the butterflies appeared again. She smiled mischievously looking into the golden eyes that were fixated in her as she pushed back.

“You count this as a date?”

Inuyasha's demeanor changed and suddenly he was serious. “Yes, I do.”

She smiled nervously at him “And why is that?”

It was his turn to smiled mischievously “Because I get to kiss my date at the end”

Kagome gasped as his lips touched hers in a reverently soft and delicate way she wouldn't associate with him. Her arms went around his neck and pulled him closer to her, molding her body against the hard plains of his chest. He cradled her face and tilted it to the side as the kiss became deeper. She found herself pinned against the doorframe as he moved his hand moved to her lower back and raised her until she was in a position to wrap her legs around his hips.

The kiss ended abruptly as someone cleared her throat rather loudly.

“You know the door is open and you're giving that display outside of the house, right?”

He let Kagome back on her feet as she shot daggers at Kikyou, who shrugged and walked into the kitchen.

Inuyasha scratched the back of his neck before giving her a chaste kiss and walk down the stairs waving his hand over his shoulder.

She looked at him walk to his truck as her fingers touched her lips softly.

“Yep, that was the best date ever indeed…”

~~~~~~~oo00oo00oo00oo00

A/N: It's finally finished!

Thank you for Reading until the end!

I started this story thinking about the differences and similarities between Inukag and how special is that couple. And suddenly I had this freakishly long fic in my computer.

Now that I have this story out of my system, I will start with the next chapter of Memories of Us…I'll try to update it this week!

Every review is appreciated, and thank you again for staying this long!

Love,

Nanna