InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Photo Shoot ❯ Epilogue ( Chapter 2 )

Photo Shoot

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha…

 

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A/N: A tad bit out of my comfort zone with that Kikyou thing, but oh well. You'll see.

Enjoy, peopleeeee :)
Well, this chapter is kind of big, but I had to stuff many things inside this one `box', so don't kill me. The conversations with Miroku and Hojo probably seem insignificant and boring to you, but they're not. So please take your time and read those, too.

Thanks :)

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` Who says life is simple? Just find me the damn bastard so I can shoot his ass off!'

If it wasn't for the dark bags under Kagome's eyes, you would say she was in a perfect condition. Truth was, she wasn't. She was a trembling mess. However, still calm, in a way.

Something had happened with her the moment she'd been with Inuyasha. Something had cracked inside her. On that faithful day. Now things were pretty much the same as usual. As before. And that was frankly destroying her.

Only now Inuyasha seemed to be avoiding her. He'd even gone to such extreme measures as to demand another photo shooter. Someone other than Kagome. Preferably female, he'd specified.

Female.

It wasn't that she was very surprised; she had been expecting him to go back to his rakish life, but this wasn't how she had thought she'd take it. She had convinced herself over and over again that she was not going to let this get to her. She had had sex with Inuyasha - amazing, mind-numbing sex - and now they should have gone back to basics.

Only they didn't. Inuyasha had something else in store for her.

So now she was sitting on a tall, white chair in the middle of a drastically white room in front of a familiar white screen. THE white screen. Miroku had made sure that nobody moved it from its spot since that day. If it was just to taunt Inuyasha or to get at her, she didn't know. She assumed it was the first one. He just couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut these days and a funeral was bound to happen soon if he didn't learn to stuff something down his throat in order to prevent any noise from coming out in front of his best friend. In front of Inuyasha.

And maybe he left it there for her, too. Not to tease her or anything, but to let her remember. The lecherous agent was pretty mild with her and didn't subject her to his rather lewd comments; for that she was immensely grateful. She didn't think she could stand listening to others talking about that event in front of her. Not now. Not ever.

Never again.

It had been the biggest mistake of her life and she was just now beginning to realize the true extent of her temporary mental lapse. This grotesque error she'd made. Yes, sleeping with Inuyasha was - while the most astonishing thing that had happened to her - the greatest oversight of her entire life. And she was only now comprehending how much it hurt.

She swiftly lit a cigarette, gripping it so tightly that it almost got ripped and her knuckles became ghostly white. Holding it to her lips she inhaled profusely, trying to stop her hands from shaking. She just couldn't seem to manage that these days.

For the past couple of days she had been on a break. Miroku had advised her to do that. And it seemed quite the intelligent thing to do, since she couldn't properly hold a camera in her hands without having it fall.

Yes, she was a mess.

She knew she couldn't return to her little game with Inuyasha anymore. She couldn't speak with him; he wouldn't allow her to. But why was he being such an ass about it? It wasn't like he had to avoid her like plague… They'd just… had… sex. Wasn't such a big deal, was it?

Oh, but she already knew the answer to that. Inuyasha wasn't one that would talk to the ones he'd fucked afterwards. He was one of those guys who just walked out on you after he'd got his full.

She'd expected him to taunt her forever with it, but instead he made sure to always avoid her. She hadn't seen him ever since that day, two weeks ago. And it was taking its toll on her.

So she stared. And stared. And then stared some more, as if it was the newest activity she's taken on. It pretty much seemed that way to her now. Truth was, she found the screen damn fascinating and couldn't believe she'd had sex with Inuyasha against it. In this all-white, ridiculously well-lit room. With huge windows that brought the outside in. That captured the beautiful landscape and dragged it inside.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, but Kagome didn't even budge an inch.

Miroku stood there watching her watch the screen. She - of course - knew it was him. This whole room was hers for whatever she needed it and he had strictly prohibited anyone else to come in. Ever since that day. He understood the fact that this was her sanctuary now. She didn't even use it to take photos anymore.

It seemed silly, she knew. No, actually it probably seemed downright outrageous. But it meant so much for her. It wasn't the fact that she had been intimate with Inuyasha - no; not by a long shot.

This was where her life literally began and ended. This here was her life. Because here she'd experienced something new and frightening at the same time. Not the sex. That wasn't anything new to her.

It was the connection they had had that brought goose bumps to her sensitive skin. What they'd shared during those moments of bliss. And afterwards, too. He'd held her close for a long time and they watched the sunset together. Curled up around each other. Every now and then, Inuyasha would release a few whimpers and at that time she thought she'd understood them. She thought she understood him. It had come as a radical disappointment later on to discover she had been wrong. Tremendously, undeniably wrong.

That day, every now and then she would trail light kisses on his smooth skin. She would relish his manly scent and delight in his possessive and comforting embrace. During those sweet, heavenly moments she had truly felt his. And - to her ultimate distress - she had thought he'd felt the same way.

“It's unhealthy, you know,” a voice flashed across the room, snapping her out of her straying thoughts.

That's right. She'd forgotten that Miroku was there, watching her every move. Or lack thereof.

She moved her head a bit to her right as if trying to see who was there, but Miroku knew she did it because he had pulled her out of her focus. He didn't have to ask in order to guess what she was thinking about.

“All this,” he explained, even though he knew he didn't have to. “Sitting there like that. Staring at that screen. At this rate you'll go mad.”

He had to admit he was quite concerned, because she had never acted this way. Inuyasha's completely inconsiderate behavior hurt her more than he had initially thought it would.

She just resumed her original position, looking at the screen and smoking with her eyes squinted, her lips puckered and the cigarette between them. It wasn't that she enjoyed smoking; she'd started smoking when she noticed Inuyasha's new behavior. It was a necessity. A way to spend time. And waste it, it seemed.

“Are you ever going to talk to me about it?” Miroku asked her despairingly.
To his utmost surprise she smiled a heartfelt smile, although still shaking uncontrollably. If he didn't know better, he would think she had Parkinson's.

“No, I'm not,” she answered and took another smokeful of Marlboro.

“You're overreacting, Kagome,” he told her gently, not wanting her to misunderstand. He was just concerned for her. It was only sex, for Heaven's sake!

She shook her head and merely replied, “You don't understand.”

At that, Miroku snapped and dashed in front of her, shaking her by the shoulders. “Then make me understand!” he urged, a little louder than he would have wanted.

She merely moved her eyes to gaze at his then redirected her focus on the screen behind him.

“You're so infuriating. I'll go lock you in a sanatorium! How does that sound to you?”

She merely nodded and he went towards the door. He could barely keep his anger in check. Miroku was known to be a calm man, but Kagome had become like a sister to him, since she was his fiancé's best friend and spent so much time with them. He hated the fact that she was like this. And what he hated even more was that she wasn't really suffering, but she was still in a daze where everything hurt and confused her. She couldn't wrap her mind around the way things evolved. She couldn't accept it as a whole. Inuyasha… their new, nonexistent relationship…

“I don't want you to understand,” she said at last and he stopped dead in his tracks. Right then he knew he was getting an explanation. “I don't want to understand, either; but I do. It's not that bad, you know.” She stopped to take another inhale. “Once you get used to it, it's Heaven on Earth.”

“Heaven on… What the Hell, Kagome? You're full of shit.”

“No, I'm not. Seriously. I think I can accept the fact that I was stupid enough to think that he'd at least talk to me afterwards. I don't know… maybe tell me what he thought we should do. If we weren't to see each other or if we should go on with our… our situation. But instead he hides himself and I get it. It doesn't take an expert to see that. It's just…. puzzling, that's all.”

“Are you going to sit here for the last of your life and just… gawk?” This time Miroku's words were gentler now that he understood. She turned her head to look at him and smiled. He suddenly felt warm inside and knew there was still hope for this girl.
“No. Just until the mystery fades.”

Before leaving, he felt he should suggest something.

“Maybe I should bring Sango to talk to you.”

“I don't need counseling, Miroku. Honestly. I'm fine. I'll be back at work by Monday. Just give me four more days. I'll be fresh, I promise.”

And she seemed confident that that was going to happen. Miroku had no choice but to trust her.

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He was late. Damn. Not again… He hated having to do late hours. He was least tolerant in the evening. Besides, there was just so much going on that he couldn't focus on work. Or anything that was not Kagome-related, for that matter. Kagome Higurashi. The witty, annoyingly sexy photo shooter. His ex-photo shooter.

Ex. That sounded extreme, all right.

He wanted to go back to his insensitive self, but he found he couldn't.

Taking a few deep breaths, he opened the door to the shooting room. There was no one there. Perfect. Relieved, Inuyasha took a chair and sat on it, continuing with his thinking.

He wanted to see her so much it fucking hurt. Physically. It seemed that his youkai side didn't have that much self-control anymore and it couldn't fathom the fact that he wasn't going to be with her. Damn, the irritating thing kept bugging Inuyasha in his mind, demanding that he make Kagome his mate.

Mate. Whoa, there. That was a big step. Biiiiig step.

And he wasn't sure he could ever do that. Ever.

But the past two weeks had been pure torture and his mind was constantly elsewhere. Namely in a world full of new and unknown feelings that he had recently discovered he harbored. He had made a dreadful mistake when he chose to screw the girl. Even though it was the most satisfying thing he'd ever done. It just didn't seem fair.

Now he had to fucking hide from the damn bitch, cause he didn't know if he could stand seeing her. It would only serve to make him more agitated and push his demon side to take her. Irreversibly. And for him `irreversibly' had a terrifying meaning.

His best friend didn't help much, either. Miroku had made it his permanent job to constantly remind him of Kagome. He'd come to him daily on false pretexts - saying he had to talk to him from agent to model - but would always end up making him fantasize about that rocking body of hers.

`Damn, now's not the time,' he thought as a tell-tale feeling washed over him, making him try to think of ice or anything non-sexual.

Truth was, Inuyasha was scared. Scared of the prospect of having to stay faithful to only one woman, coming home to her every night and waking up next to her every morning of his entire life. Cause that was what taking a mate meant. Committing yourself to that woman for the rest of your life.

But - more or less - that's what he'd been doing for the last couple of weeks. He hadn't slept with even one woman. It hadn't even occurred to him to do it. And he felt repulsed by the idea. He had requested a female photo shooter and that's what he'd been given, but damn Miroku! He somehow found a girl that looked so much like Kagome that it was damn infuriating. Even so, he didn't want to fuck her. He didn't think it would be any good for him. He was aware of how much of a pussy he sounded.

`Fuck! I gotta get my mind outta the gutter!”

He had made a promise to himself back when he was young. He said he'd never be tied to a bitch. He'd never find a mate. What did he need one for, anyway?

The sound of approaching steps made his youkai ears twitch and tilt in the direction. He sniffed and groaned, irritated with the sudden turn of events. The damn monk was coming to see him. And he thought he'd be able to escape him…

Miroku had finally entered the room and Inuyasha turned to look at him, immediately noticing the knowing glint in the monk's eyes.

“Aren't you going to pose for your new photographer?” he asked Inuyasha with an attitude. What was with him these days?

“Leave me the fuck alone, Miroku. I'm not in the mood for your shit today.”
“Really now? It's curious, cause Kagome was.”

At the mention of her name, the hanyou's ears shot up straight, focusing intensely and his heart picked up pace, but Miroku could only notice the first `symptom'.

“She made me understand a lot of things today.”

Inuyasha would never in a million years admit it, but he was more than a little curious as to what Miroku had to say.

“Did I mention she is on a break now?”

A break? From photography? That seemed pretty radical for Kagome. She loved her job. Was there something wrong with her? At that thought, the demon in him roared in anger and slight anxiety. Miroku could probably sense the strain, so he felt the need to explain.

“She's a mess. The only thing she does is sit in that room staring at that screen,” Miroku said, emphasizing the right words so Inuyasha couldn't be mistaken about the statement.

Raw passion shot through the hanyou so promptly that he could hardly breathe, let alone think. And it was caused by the mere memory of him fucking Kagome against that screen.

“She's started smoking,” he added and heard Inuyasha groan in disapproval.

`Good. Let him be frustrated.'

“But I think she only needs a few days and she'll be over it. Like, really over it.”

Inuyasha found this idea enthralling and horrifying at the same time. He didn't know if he should leave it like that or not. The thought of taking her back crossed his mind for an instant, but he chased it away.

“A few days ago, I suggested she went on a date with someone.”

`Oh, yeah. The livid growl was definitely worth that last one,' thought Miroku. Inuyasha seemed ready to punch him for suggesting this to Kagome.

“Maybe Kouga. Or Hojo Akitoki. That guy really likes her and she likes him, too. As a friend - for now - but it might become something more.”

Damn Miroku for trying to enrage him. Double damn him for succeeding.

“Hojo seems to be the kind of guy a girl can marry and then have children with. Lots of children. Like… a litter or something,” he said deliberately, enjoying the fury obviously written on his friend's face. “He'll take good care of Kagome,” he concluded, as if her whole life was already planned and he knew for a fact that the two of them were an item.

Inuyasha was tempted to bite back a reply, but carefully avoided speaking. Who knew what would come out? Instead he opted for the old-fashioned gritting of impossibly-sharp-and-ready-for-some-tearing teeth.

“I thought you were wise. I thought you wanted her. Isn't your demon side trying to convince you to take her?”

Fuck, the pressure…

“Don't you think about her every damn moment? Don't you see the curves of her body in front of you all the time? Even while watching other women?”

Inuyasha's claws were digging in the skin of his palm, drawing blood. Not to mention the impossibly tightly closed eyes.

“Don't you wanna fuck her till she can't speak? Don't you wanna be inside her?”

The hanyou's eyes slightly rolled back into his head and he started visibly sweating and shaking.

“Don't you want to be the father of her pups? Will you allow anyone else to take your place? To claim what's yours?”

Jesus Christ…

“NO!” Inuyasha roared subconsciously, an unrefined rage coursing freely through his veins. Mixing with his blood.

“I'll leave you to your devices. But remember… without Kagome, you're a piece of shit. Nothing more,” Miroku said, hoping he'd made a statement that got through to Inuyasha.

As soon as the monk left, Inuyasha cursed his inability to shut Miroku up every time he came. It seemed like the damn monk had him under a spell every time he made him imagine all those torturous things.

He remembered suddenly - much to his despair - an ideal scenario his mind had mustered during these last two weeks of torment. Kagome giving him head on his porch late at night, surrounded by the untouched sky and sparkling stars. It was a random fantasy, but it was his favorite regarding him getting sucked off.

He was painfully hard right now and he was damn tired of jerking off in the bathroom. He felt like a damn teenager when he wasn't one anymore. He was a man.

Suddenly, Kikyou, his new photo shooter - the one he had requested - came in, self-assuredly holding her camera. Her dark black hair swayed with every step she took and he imagined Kagome walking in, heading towards him right now. Only Kagome didn't walk that way. Her steps were less punctuated and her whole posture wasn't as stiff as Kikyou's. Kagome exuded freedom and acceptance.

But Kikyou was the closest thing he had now. He could pretend.

Determined, Inuyasha got up from his chair and made his way to the woman. She was always pretty reserved, but she had shown plenty of times that she was quite interested in him. Only he didn't want her. But if she could help him find release, he'd use her.

Intent on doing just that, he grabbed the wrist of the hand in which she was holding the camera and carefully lifted it a bit, trailing his other hand down her side. He brushed his lips against her ear and felt her shudder. He was glad he hadn't lost his skill, but slightly mortified when he didn't feel anything making her shiver like that.

“How about we call it a day?” he asked hotly in her ear. Her aroused scent hit him immediately and he instinctively compared it to Kagome's. There weren't any terms of comparison, but he had to settle for Kikyou tonight. Just to release the tension, he told himself.

He didn't want to admit he was running away from reality, that he was trying to prove himself wrong at the same time.

“We haven't even started shooting,” she argued half-heartedly, but then he took her lobe into his mouth, sucking it lightly.

“And do what?” she asked in a meek but hoarse voice.

“Oh, I think you and I both know the answer to that, gorgeous,” he answered with his practiced husky voice. He knew he had her knees-weak and dripping wet for him.

“What are we waiting for?” she asked, her voice cracking. He smirked and then mentally smacked himself for not being able to pull a more realistic smirk, but the girl didn't seem to notice.

He led her outside the room and down the hall towards the building exit.

Suddenly his whole body tensed and his mind went haywire. The scent brought by the wind was undeniably familiar. Unquestionably hers. Kagome was close.

This knowledge unnerved him greatly and he was even more alarmed because he was holding Kikyou's arm. Or rather, Kikyou was holding his arm. Either way, their intent was clear. He was bringing Kikyou to his house to fuck her brains out.

Willing his mind not to go there, he sped up, all but dragging the willing female along with him. Kikyou didn't object; she probably thought he was eager to take her home. Damn blind wench.

“My house is a couple of blocks away from here,” he told her and she nodded. She held a nervous scent.

After a few minutes, he realized Kagome's scent persisted, as if she were stalking them. His heart was suddenly gripped by a dreadful feeling.

It couldn't be their game - right?

She couldn't be following them. It just… wasn't Kagome. It might have been her in the past, but not now… Not after being with him. He knew she couldn't stand the thought of him being with others anymore.

Afraid of the outcome, he darted a single glance behind him and what he saw almost froze him to the spot. A few feet behind them was Kagome, her hands in her pockets, her head turning from side to side as if to make sure no one saw her. She didn't even pretend not to be there. She was just… following them. Openly.

It seemed to be a challenge.

Reaching his house, he let go of Kikyou's hand to look for the keys. Kagome's lingering scent almost brought tears to his eyes for some reason, but somehow he found the keys and promised himself a great night. An amazing, passionate encounter.

Now that he'd had a whiff of Kagome's scent, he was sure to remain in this aroused state for a very long time.

Then a fleeting thought crossed his mind.

This was it. This was the big IT. For him it was nothing more than a mindless fuck, but not for Kagome. She hadn't come here just to indulge in their stupid game. She wouldn't do that anymore.

For Kagome this was closure. It was the end and he knew it.

Still, he briefly thought of the responsibility of having a mate and shook his head violently, leading Kikyou into his house.

Before he entered himself, he did something stupid. He snuck a glance at her. What he saw puzzled him greatly.

Leaning against an old car, Kagome had her arms crossed. She was smiling. And the smile felt real to him.

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She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She'd told herself this was the last time. If she saw him drag a female into his house then she'd know he wasn't worth the trouble. The ache.

Still, she'd hoped he wasn't over her. She'd hoped he stayed true to her. But now the mere thought made her snort.

Yes, she had followed him to his house. Again. And she knew he had noticed it. She was very curious to see his reaction, but he seemed relentless to get into that girl's pants. She recognized her. It was his new photo shooter.

`You fuck your every photographer, don't you?' she thought bitterly.

Kagome leaned against a car in front of his house. Silently, she watched him fumble for the keys hurriedly. That girl was looking at him intently. Kagome frowned briefly when she realized that the aforementioned woman didn't seem to be slut or a mindless idiot. She gave the impression of having personality.

Inuyasha aimed high these days, didn't he?

Kagome almost straightened up ready to leave when she saw Inuyasha lead the girl through the open door, but something froze her to the spot. She felt a loose smile tug at the corner of her lips and she felt oddly at peace with what she was witnessing.
She needed closure. Sango had told her this much.

And now she had it.

She saw Inuyasha's eyes connect with hers for a fraction of a second and his surprised expression. Probably at seeing her there. Or because of her smile. Her heart felt light, ridden of a useless burden.

Then he followed his screwing partner inside and she left, never looking back.

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Inuyasha couldn't concentrate. It sounded like Kikyou had asked him something, but he didn't know what.

“I said, where is the bathroom?”

Yeah, that was probably it.

“To the right,” he told her and she followed his directions.

His legs were shaking and he couldn't get Kagome's smile out of his head. She was smiling? Seriously? She had to be a damn good actor to look like that smiling at him. Or maybe…

He dreaded this idea. His youkai side screamed at him for control and thrashed almost uncontrollably inside his stiff body. He moved like a zombie towards his bedroom, sitting on the bed. He loosened his tie and then clutched his head in his hands.

Soon, Kikyou came smelling fresh and very much aroused. And he was disgusted by this whole situation. Still, Kagome's recent scent was arousing and he couldn't help but let his thoughts stray to her.

Kikyou came closer to him, lowering herself to her knees in front of him. She started kissing his neck, untying his tie and pulling it from around his neck. His first two shirt buttons were already open, but she unbuttoned the rest of them, tailing kisses and licks across his chest.

He imagined it was Kagome doing this to him, Kagome making him crazy with desire.
Kikyou pushed his shirt off his shoulders but it wouldn't come down, so she left it hanging loosely on his broad shoulders and aimed lower. Intent on making him enjoy himself, she went straight to his pants, unzipping them.

Strangely enough, Inuyasha didn't feel any more need and throbbing than originally and he wasn't anxious to this. But he let her do it, still pretending it was Kagome, but finding it harder than he had thought.

Even though this woman looked like Kagome, she didn't smell nor act like her. She was nothing like Kagome. Kikyou didn't possess Kagome's fire, even though she did seem a passionate woman.

His hard cock was suddenly released from the confines and he shuddered. The woman in front of him lowered her head, taking a long lick along his length, eliciting a hard moan from the hanyou. Soon, she was increasing peace and bobbing her head, trying to take as much as him inside her mouth. He was sure she was no stranger to blowjobs, but this just didn't seem right. He couldn't get off.

He felt the building pressure, but it was nothing spectacular and he was getting frustrated with the thought that he wanted Kagome in Kikyou's place.

Kikyou.

That's right. It was Kikyou with him there. And he was using her. And Kikyou wasn't a bad girl at all… She didn't deserve this, he thought, feeling her lick the underside of his dick, which made him groan.

Suddenly she wrapped her mouth tightly around him, pulling him gradually in, so that he was weak with pleasure-filled sensations and his mouth went ahead of him.

“Kago…” he froze all of a sudden and pushed Kikyou off him almost violently, yelling, “Stop!”

The girl looked confused and he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes just yet. He'd used her. And he hadn't even climaxed yet. And they'd been here at it for - how long?

This wasn't going to work. It was time to face the music.

“Don't you think about her every damn moment? Don't you see the curves of her body in front of you all the time? Even while watching other women?”

He remembered Miroku's wise words and realized the damn lecher had a point. He was right. Fuck, he was always dead-on.

“Look,” Inuyasha started, but Kikyou cut him off.

“No. You know what? I understand. I know all about her. The whole building does. Miroku made sure it was like this. It's just…” she trailed off and he wondered what she'd say next. “I hoped you were going to forget her. I hoped you were going to notice me. I kept trying to get you to see me, but you just saw her. Even now you were distracted. Probably imagining I was her…”

“Listen, Kikyou…” he tried urgently, but she wouldn't hear it. Everything about her seemed sad and resigned.

“I'm leaving now,” she announced, putting her shoes on. “I think she loves you, you know. I've been… hearing things. And I think you love her, too. Good luck with that. I just wish you didn't use me like that.”

Then she left, leaving a completely desolated hanyou behind her.

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Kagome flipped her cell phone open and dialed Miroku's number, waiting for him to answer.

“Hello?” she heard a tired voice ask. “Listen, Miroku,” she said. “I need you to do me a favor.”

“Kagome?”

“Who else? Listen - ”

“Wait. You sound… ok.”

“Yeah I do. I'm okay. I told you I would be okay. You never listen, do you?”

“Did something happen?”

“I just… I followed Inuyasha to his house. Him and his new photo shooter. They're probably really busy right now. But this isn't what I wanted to talk to you about. Could you - ”

“He WHAT?” Miroku shouted in the phone.

“Why are you so surprised? He's probably been doing it during these last two weeks like always.”

“Kagome... are you high on something?”

“No. I've just accepted it. There's no chance for Inuyasha and I. We can never be together. Listen, stop interrupting me and give me Hojo's number.”

“Hojo?”

“Akitoki. Remember him?” she taunted, which surprised Miroku even more. She seemed in the mood to be sarcastic and tease. Was she really okay about it or just a good actress? Was it this ultimate, rash thing Inuyasha did that brought this closure? Knowing Kagome, it most likely was.

“Right,” he acknowledged and told her the number. Then without notice, she hung up.

Miroku groaned, thinking about the stupidity of his friend. Now it was all over. Something that could have been so amazing for both of them. Miroku was sick and tired of seeing Inuyasha chase after brainless girls. He wanted him to settle down… and Kagome was the perfect woman for him.

“Fucking idiot,” he muttered and right then the phone rang again.

“Hello?” he snapped. He was quite irritated.

“Miroku?” The voice was weak and male. And Inuyasha's. And Miroku felt a twisted need to strangle him at that moment.

“You're lucky I'm not next to you, asshole,” Miroku threatened and Inuyasha's ears went flat against his head.

“Why?' he asked meekly.

“Kagome called.”

“Oh.”

“Go figure. You lost her, pal,” Miroku said seriously and Inuyasha's head snapped up.

“I did? I mean… I know.”

“No, I don't think you know. She didn't say anything about it. About how she felt. That means you lost her.”

“Yeah…” the hanyou trailed off. He felt drained.

“She asked me for Hojo's number,” Miroku added, wanting his friend to suffer a bit to see how it was like. Inuyasha's anger instantly caught fire.

“That fucker's? Why?!”

“Don't you dare get possessive about it! You get to fuck Kikyou but she's not allowed to screw Hojo?! Well news flash, buddy! She can do whatever she damn wants, is that clear?” He was beyond yelling at this point. More like roaring. It felt good to let it all out… he had been their messenger so far and he was sick of it already.

“She's gonna fuck him?” Inuyasha asked mildly.

“Most likely. She was very calm and cheerful about it.”

“I see,” Inuyasha said and sighed, trying his hardest to ignore the way his youkai side started gnawing at his mind to be let out.

“Why did you call Inuyasha?” Miroku asked finally.

“I didn't fuck Kikyou,” Inuyasha blurted out. “I couldn't.” When Miroku didn't say anything, he continued, “I let her suck me off but I couldn't get off. That's fucking sick, man,” he complained. “All I was thinking about was Kagome… I… I want her back”

“You can't just want her back Inuyasha. She's dead to you. You've gotta accept it. She accepted your bullshit after two weeks of torture. Now you accept this. You've got no choice.”

“I feel like I gotta go blow my brains out.”

”What?” Miroku asked seriously. He knew Inuyasha wasn't one to joke with such things. Perhaps his demon side was more persistent than Inuyasha was ready to admit.

“It depends on how hard it gets. If it gets unbearable, I'll have to release the pressure somehow. I feel like my chest is going to explode.” Inuyasha sounded depressed.

“You fucking moron! Why the fuck didn't you do something about it sooner?”

“I tried to deny it. But truth is, I can't anymore. It's gotten to the point that I gotta be straightforward and say it loud and clear to anyone who's willing to listen. I want her, man. I need her. I feel like I'm going to die without her. And you just can't imagine how hard it is to hear she's going to ask Hojo out.”

Miroku was actually mollified by the hanyou's words. His friend was suffering.

“I love her,” Inuyasha said so low that Miroku had trouble understanding it.

“You love her?”

“Yeah.”

“Then fight for her!”

“Will she have me back?”

“I don't know,” Miroku replied and his brows knitted together in deep thought. “I know I wouldn't” he told his friend truthfully. “She thinks you screwed Kikyou and countless other girls during this time and I don't think there's anything you can do to prove her wrong. Cause this hurt her pretty badly. I can't say I blame her, Yash.”

“I know… and I'm sorry.”

“Well you should tell her that, not me.”

“I will… even if the end result is still my death, I swear I will.”

“Okay, man. Now leave me the Hell alone. I need to have some thinking done.”

“Okay… thanks,” Inuyasha said.

“No problem.”

Inuyasha ran a frustrated hand over his face, swallowing the gradually expanding lump in his throat. Even his lungs felt ready to blast any minute now. He felt like a walking, talking, fucked up bomb. He had to do something fast or else it would be too late. He felt dirty for letting Kikyou in his house, but he'd worry about that later. Now he had to focus on Kagome.

Determined to make things right for once in his life, he got up, grabbed the keys off the end table and rushed out the door.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

“I' m so glad you called,” a pleasant young man said, taking a hold of Kagome's hand. He was slightly leaning over the table, clearly admiring Kagome more than the interior design of the cozy restaurant they were in.

“Me too,” she said, quite distractedly. She felt a little nervous, like something was bound to happen, but quickly shrugged the feeling off, intent on enjoying the evening together with Hojo. Only… it was damn hard to do that when all she could think about was Inuyasha and that woman. And besides, Hojo wasn't such a charming character. He was plain and quite boring, if she were to admit.

However, feeling a blinding urge to somehow get back at Inuyasha, she decided she'd pay him back in his own coin. Perhaps by the end of the night she'd have Hojo in her bed and brag about it to Miroku, who would surely tell Inuyasha. She knew there was no chance for them, but she wanted him to be just a little bit hurt. Perhaps his pride would suffer from this, if nothing else.

The only quite important issue was that she didn't feel any attraction towards this smiling man in front of her. Maybe she should have asked for Kouga's number instead… but that idiot had an ego bigger than his brain and she just couldn't stand his cockiness. Inuyasha's - however - was a whole other deal.

But she wouldn't go into that.

“Say… Hojo… what's you favorite past time?”

“I like cycling very much, so I guess that would pass for my favorite past time.”

Nice. That was an interesting sport.

“That's great… and what do you feel about painting?”

“Painting… ugh… I don't paint,” he replied confusedly.

“No, that's not what I meant. What do you think about painting... as an art?”

“Oh… well, to tell you the truth… I'm not very interested.”

“Oh,” Kagome replied. She had to admit she was quite disappointed. He really seemed the type of guy to enjoy art. “Don't you like art?”

“Nah… not really,” Hojo answered scratching his nape awkwardly while looking away. “I'm not that interested in it.”

“Okay,” she said and decided to drop it. Maybe he would change the subject, but it seemed all he could talk about was about some medical cures his family had invented over the years. Natural stuff. He promised to bring her something daily in case she ever needed to treat an infection or something similar.

Her mind was playing tricks on her, because soon she didn't even listen to what Hojo had to say. She just sat staring past him, subconsciously wondering what Inuyasha was doing. He was probably still fucking that girl. Or maybe they'd finished long ago and it was even possible that the girl wanted him to stay in her arms a bit longer, too. Like Kagome had.

She closed her eyes tightly to prevent stray tears from falling and ignored the distant sound that was disturbing her peace.

Truth was, as much as she wanted to deny it, what Inuyasha did hurt her more than anything. It had completely destroyed her. All the way back home from his house she had kept telling herself she was better off this way, but it was a lie. It was a fucking lie. She still wanted him, but he wanted every girl in town so she had a minor issue here. No; make that a gigantic issue.

“Kagome… Kagome… Kagome! Snap out of it!”

Hojo's voice cut through the fog that had settled in her brain and she watched him with puzzled eyes.

“You weren't paying attention,” he explained. “Listen. I'd better take you home, okay? It's obvious that your mind is not here.”

“Hojo, I - ” she tried to say, but he didn't seem to hear her.

“And I think I know why. It's been the top 1 gossip for the last two weeks or so. Has to do with that idiot Inuyasha.”

“I…”

“Nah, don't worry. You know, it actually surprised me that he didn't make a move on Kikyou when she came.”

“Kikyou?” Now she was confused. Who the Hell was this Kikyou?

“Yes… his new photo shooter. She's a nice girl… she kinda looks a bit like you, now that I think about it. Anyway, I heard he'd specifically requested a female photographer,” Hojo said and Kagome snorted, but he ignored her and continued, “and after he got her he wouldn't even talk to her. She'd ask things and he'd just assume his pose and stare into distance, ignoring her. People started saying he was going mad. There are a lot of things that happened the last two weeks and many involved him. He just wasn't himself.”

Kagome's interest was spiked up and she leaned towards the man in front of her, devouring the details.

“That's… unusual - seeing as Inuyasha just fucked the girl.”

“Really? That's odd, because even she complained because he'd never pay attention to her.”

“I think it was all a trick. To make us all believe he wasn't okay or maybe keep their little thing hidden. He is like that, you know? He wants to impress and surprise. If you asked me, I'd say he's an attention whore.”

“Whoa, that's a little harsh, Kagome,” Hojo admonished, but Kagome wasn't fazed at all.
“No, I don't think so.”

A long pause ensued and Kagome was starting to feel a little overwhelmed. There was a myriad of emotions tugging at the corner of her heart and she wished she could sort out the new information and store it safely.

“Did you fuck him?”

Kagome's eyes widened and she had to ask herself twice if the one that asked the question was indeed Hojo.

“Excuse me?”

“Did you fuck him?” he repeated. The way he said it, it seemed a harmless question.

However, Kagome didn't want to start a rumor, or rather acknowledge and confirm an existent one so she debated on what to say. She was rendered speechless, because she hadn't expected it at all.

“I don't think that's any of your business.” She wasn't being rude at all.

“I don't want to seem nosy… but I wanted to know if the rumor is true. I heard that you two had sex and now you are both acting quite strangely and that's why he requested another photographer. If you don't want to, you can choose not to answer,” Hojo offer resignedly.

“Yes, we did,” Kagome replied so quick that Hojo barely understood her.

“You did?”

“Yes… But it seems to be an extremely usual custom of his to fuck his photographers.”

“You're wrong,” Hojo told her quite seriously that it made her wonder why the sudden standing up for Inuyasha. The guy was a jerk to everyone.

“I'm quite good at judging characters, Kagome,” Hojo began and Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Inuyasha has never been a player until you came.”

“He hasn't?” Shocked surprise embraced her tightly and didn't seem to want to let go.

“No. He was very different. Something made him snap when you came. It is widely discussed in the whole building. We even have meetings to talk about this particular subject,” he admitted.

“WHAT?”

“You have to admit. It's a rather strange thing, the way you two act. We think he wanted to show off. And to see if you cowered away. To see if you could accept him with all his flaws. But that's probably just wishful thinking of our part. And then Miroku comes along and tells us you're supposed to be mates.”

“Mates? Oh, no. I don't think so.” She crossed her arms and scoffed for further emphasis. She hoped Hojo would get the drift.

“Oh, yes. He's the only one Inuyasha talks to, didn't you know? So it's the same as if I knew from the source himself.”

Kagome was taken aback by all this. She was supposed to be Inuyasha's mate? Did that mean he felt the need to mark her? Was that why he avoided her at all costs? But then… why did he go and sleep with Kikyou? Was it to prove himself he didn't need Kagome?
God, the son of a bitch was damn infuriating!

“Judging by the look on your face you've never thought of it this way.”

“It's not possible that I'm Inuyasha's mate. I've heard mates - even potential mates - couldn't cheat on each other after reuniting. So it's highly unlikely I am to be his mate.”

“You're talking as if you know for sure he's been with Kikyou.”

“Oh, but I saw them!” Kagome said indignantly.

“What - you mean like on a tape or something?”

“No, I - ” she started then stopped. She couldn't just tell Hojo she had followed the twosome all the way to Inuyasha's house and watched them get inside. That would be plain weird.

“Listen, Hojo. I think we should go home,” she suggested. No more embarrassment for one day. Enough was enough.

“I understand. You know... I knew from the very beginning that I never stood a chance with you. I'm glad to have talked to you, though,” he told her truthfully and smiled. His smile proved to be contagious, because soon it was reflected on Kagome's face, too.

“Yeah, me too.”

“Want me to take you home?”

“No, I'd…. rather walk,” she said and gave him a light hug. She felt at ease around him. He really was a nice guy.

“Thanks,” she said and he nodded.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

He had been planning this thing for the last half an hour. It had to be perfect. It had cost him half an hour to track her down by her scent, but he managed to find her inside a restaurant with that Hojo guy. She seemed untouched. That was a good thing. As soon as she came out, she'd walk straight into his trap. Of course, there was Plan A and Plan B.

Plan A was in case she didn't intend to bring the idiot home. This was the desired case. And Plan B… well it was in case she did want to bring him home and Inuyasha would be forced to sever them.

So he waited and waited until he saw them exchange a friendly hug and Inuyasha released a deep, relieved breath.

The twosome parted ways and Kagome headed home. Well, Stage One was over.

He made a dramatic jump and landed on a block nearby, watching her every move. He found that even in the middle of the night with the wind blowing slightly, leaving a cool feeling even on his skin, she still looked amazing and downright delicious in that miniskirt she'd chosen for her date. She didn't have the heart to do it with Hojo after all, did she?

Inuyasha was surprised how much their relationship seemed to be based on the meaning of sex, but he let that thought go.

She seemed wistful, he noted. The way she was walking, chin held up high, steady but careless steps, arms wrapped around her upper body, she was the embodiment of a pensive goddess. And he felt he didn't deserve her at all. But his instincts kicked in and urged him to hurry and catch the damn prey once and for all.

Inuyasha was hesitant.

He realized she was getting closer to one of the most dangerous neighborhoods around.

Stage Two was down.

He'd never admit it out loud, but ever since he met her - whenever he could - he'd follow her on her way back home to make sure nothing happened to her. Now was the first time he was glad she had to pass by it in order to get home. It would make things more interesting.

He noticed she shivered, but not because of the chilliness. He supposed she was quite scared to pass through this neighborhood at night.

She ought to make sure demons didn't come eat her.

Smirking wholeheartedly, Inuyasha jumped on the sidewalk and hid himself behind a wall. It wasn't very original, but it had to do. He heard Kagome's steps closing in and knew he had to act.

As she passed him by without noticing him, he quickly came out of the shadows and grabbed her by the elbow, pushing her flat against the wall of an apartment block. They were in a rather narrow space between two suspicious-looking apartment blocks, so he had to make sure she wasn't that uncomfortable.

It must have been pretty rough for her to suddenly face a wall, because she let out a moan of pain. Her whole body began shuddering and he smelt the pungent stench of fear. He felt the sudden urge to protect her from harm. His bitch was afraid and he had to off the enemy. Only then he realized he was the enemy and that made him grin smugly, even though she couldn't see him. She had yet to show any reactions.

“Who are you?” she asked and he pushed his body further against hers, feeling every curve melting into him. It seemed oh, so right.

He didn't answer for fear of being recognized, but grunted instead. It seemed to be a sort of a warning groan and she froze instantly. Her hands trembling, she dropped the bag to the ground.

His hardness pressed into her backside and her fear rose to outrageous levels. He almost choked on it.

Bracing himself, Inuyasha took hold of her wrists and brought her arms up against the wall. Thank God she was wearing a sleeveless, strapless shirt, because he could feel her skin tingle against his body. The fact that her miniskirt left very little to the imagination didn't help him that much, either. He swore to himself to forbid her to wear such short skirts in the future unless they were alone in a room with a comfy bed.

The claws of his right hand came in contact with the skin of her right arm when he trailed his fingers along it, eliciting a surprised, but pleasure-filled gasp from her.

“Inuyasha?” she instinctively asked and it momentarily froze him. Did she recognize his touch?

`Ridiculous,' he thought and went on with his plan. He really hoped nobody would come by and see them. People in this neighborhood were rather violent and he didn't know if he could fight them in that state of mind.

Trying to be rough - the way Inuyasha would never be with her - he pressed her harshly against the wall and she hissed in pain. Then he nudged her legs apart with his, resting his hands on the waistband of her skirt. His instincts had gone haywire by now.

He realized - though in a daze - that he was actually a full demon. It amazed him to be able to be able to control his usual demonic blood thirst, but he knew this had to do with finding his mate. He had tried to deny it for so long, but he couldn't do that anymore.

“Inuyasha, you bastard. If that's you, I'll,” she started, but he shut her off by grabbing a few tresses of her hair and pulling backwards till she hissed in pain and he let go.

“If you're not Inuyasha, please let me go,” she begged in a desolated voice that he almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

If you're not Inuyasha… Those word struck him like a thousand chords as he realized the meaning. If he was Inuyasha, then she didn't want him to go. That meant he had a chance.

He brought a steady hand up to her hair, subtly twirling a dark lock on his finger. He ever-so-lightly brushed his mouth against her sensitive earlobe, taking it between his moist lips and pulling at it, then traced her ear with his tongue.

Her body's reaction called out to him then. His eyes suddenly rolled back into his head and a shiver slithered down his spine, making him want to arch his body into Kagome's.

He decided to risk speaking, since she wasn't used to his deep, hoarse demonic voice.

“I take it you like it, bitch,” he groaned in her ear and her knees buckled so that he had to support her and prevent her from falling. His chuckle sounded evil.

“Let me go,” her words begged, but her body told a whole other story.

Inuyasha snuck a sly hand between her body and the wall. He cupped her breasts through the fabric and realized she wasn't wearing a bra. His grin was colossal.

Feeling bold, he let his hand travel underneath the cloth finding skin, praising the invention of strapless shirts. Her body arched back into his, driving her ass into his crotch. They broth groaned and he caressed her breasts eagerly.

His mouth searched her neck and he began to nip and lick the column of her throat, which she had exposed for his reach. She was starting to give into him by now.

His free hand traveled further down, reaching between her legs. In a clean, swift motion, he cut away her panties and flicked his finger against her fleshy nub. This caused her scent to rise to enormous intensity, leaving him panting in need. He inserted two fingers inside her and she stated rocking in rhythm with his hand.

“Inuyasha…” she whispered in the apparent heat of the starless night.

“Shut up, bitch,” he demanded and grazed her neck with his now longer and sharper fangs, relishing her unadulterated begs for more.

“I know it's you,” she purred hotly, making him stiff with desire and pride. His bitch knew him well, didn't she?

He ground his pelvis against her backside when she was raising her hips to meet his thrusting fingers, pushing them further inside and tearing a stunned, but aroused whimper from her. When she recovered her breath, she continued speaking in hopes that he'd admit it, even though she was sure it was Inuyasha by now.

“I can f-feel it in yo… ur touch,” she said with words broken from desire.
His answer was increasing the speed of his fingers.

“When you finger me,” she said and it amazed him to hear her talk like this. It was making the job to control himself a while longer very hard for him.

“When you… lick me…” Inuyasha knew she was close to orgasm as soon as he smelt her scent become deeper and deeper. He doubled his speed and soon Kagome was trying to reach that peak.

“Oh, fuck,” she hissed when she felt her muscles clench uncontrollably around Inuyasha's fingers and her cum slightly drip down on his hand.

Inuyasha figured there was no point in hiding his face anymore, so he turned her around.
Her eyes widened when she saw his demon traits, but he smiled at her dangerously and licked his fingers clean. He noticed her eyes were glassy as she was watching him enjoy her taste and her lips were slightly parted, demanding to be kissed. But he refrained himself for the moment.

Instead he lowered his head and trailed kisses along her bare shoulder, reveling in the softness of her skin. Soon he was dragging his tongue along her collarbone while her hands were tangled in his silver mane, pulling slightly. Her head tilted back and she gasped in pleasure when he nipped at her oversensitive skin.

Her eyes opened groggily while he was still bestowing his affections on her neck and chest and her gaze fell on his neglected ears. She had always wanted to see if they were sensitive and she would do just that. Leaning closer, she closed her lips over the tip of a pointed ear, feeling it twitch inside her mouth. She proudly felt Inuyasha's body go stiff. Deciding to be a little bolder, Kagome stuck out her tongue and traced each ear with it, repeating the motion over and over, each time more seductively.

All of a sudden, a vicious growl was torn from Inuyasha's chest and he pounced on her, crushing her against the wall. His voice was strained and lacked any trace of self-control.

“Let's pick up where we left off,” he offered confidently, “we'll start again the way we should have, deal?” he asked, not really expecting her to answer. She merely moaned while his hands roamed all over her body, testing and looking for erogenous spots. Each time he found one, she would groan and let out such a sweet, intoxicating scent that he never wanted to part from her.

“I can't last much longer,” he whispered more to himself, but Kagome heard him all the same. Driven by an all-consuming lust, she fumbled for his fly to pull his pants down while he had his head buried in the crook of her neck, panting heavily. He decided to let her do this job, since it was very arousing to know she was undressing him. She realized she could feel every exhale of his and it made her skin tingle in anticipation.

As soon as she released him, Inuyasha lifted her right leg to wrap it around his waist and looked at her for a few moments. Unspoken promises went between them and he could feel the intimacy of this moment wash over him in tight waves. His hungry eyes traced her lips and she noticed where his gaze had strayed. Licking her lips unconsciously, she felt Inuyasha shudder in her arms. Suddenly, his lips were pressed against hers in a frenzy and they both closed their eyes shut as he entered her agonizingly slowly. He filled her to the hilt and waited for a few moments, relishing the dead silence that welcomed only the sounds of their lips and tongues slowly fighting.

He started with slow, hard thrusts that made her interrupt their kissing to tilt her head back. But soon he found her mouth again and their kisses mimicked the rhythm of their bodies. Erratic groans and growls were torn from their throats, swallowed by each other's hungry mouths, reverberating deep inside the other's chest. It was as if they took everything the other had and dragged it inside themselves.

It hadn't occurred to Inuyasha that he was being far too gentle for his demon side until it was almost too late and he stopped his kisses to tell her something important, but not before nibbling on her lower lip and then pressing his forehead against hers with his eyes closed, still thrusting at the same, slow pace.

“I have to make you my mate. I need you, Kagome,” he told her and he nodded against his forehead.

“You'll be mine for eternity,” he explained and she hastily replied, “I know.”

This finally brought out his inner beast and he roared, starting to pound furiously into her.

“Say,” she managed to groan between thrusts, “What do… you th-think about… art??

He moaned hotly increasing the pace slightly, trying to find the special spot inside her that would have her screaming in ecstasy.

“Painting a-and photography,” he answered, his voice quite strained. “I paint,” he admitted, something no one really knew about him. Not even Miroku and they had been friends since… forever.

She smiled and let go of a pleasure-filled grunt when he finally hit that spot. “That's it,” she said and he brought a hand between them to flick her sensitive clit. Her hips snapped against him in surprise and the pressure was suddenly too much for her. Her muscles clamped down on him, making him even more aware of her tightness and wetness. He let out a roar and sunk his fangs into her neck, letting go completely. After a few more powerful thrusts, he pulled his teeth out of her skin and watched it heal instantly, leaving their mark in their place.

He hugged her tightly and jumped on the building they had been up against. On the roof, he sat down and placed her on his lap with her back pressed against his chest, safely secured in his arms.

“Next time let's do it on a bed,” she suggested. “I'm tired of standing.”

He agreed.

Her scent changed suddenly and he knew he had some explaining to do.

“You're a bastard, you know,” she told him heatedly.

“I didn't use you for sex…” he cut her off.

“You fuck her then you fuck me. Too bad I'm your mate now; you can't fuck her anymore.”

“I didn't fuck her,” he argued.

“Don't lie to my face,” she warned, scrunching her nose.

“I didn't. I couldn't. You were my mate… even back then. I felt it. It was you…”

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips after hearing this. She was too tired to inquire more about this.

An idea popped into her head.

“You took advantage of me.”

“It was consented,” he disagreed.

“I wasn't in the right mind,” she argued and he couldn't deny her that. She had been driven by desire.

“I want you to understand why I did this,” he said with a long sigh. “We started by having sex… and it formed a Hell of a bond between us. We can't go on without each other. So it seemed only fair to continue with the mating ritual and to make it memorable.”

“Yeah... you mean in a dangerous neighborhood against a wall?”

“Why not? It was exciting, wasn't it?” he asked her and smirked when he heard her heartbeat start to beat erratically inside her chest. “We're mates, Kagome,” he said, as if he was testing the words on his lips. They were absolutely scrumptious.

“You could be pregnant now,” he said quite seriously. “Of all the planning I did… I forgot the condom,” he admitted miserably, but was relieved when she didn't panic.

“I've always wanted a child with your ears,” she said cheerfully and reached back fumbling to find his ear, which twitched away from her.

“Hey, cut that out. D'you want round two?”

“Later, dog-boy,” she answered with a yawn.

He embraced her tighter and whispered hotly against her year, “Sleep, mate. Tomorrow I'll bring you to our house and we'll have all the seconds and thirds and so on we need.”

He settled for watching her eye lashes gently flutter against her skin, wondering how angels always fell into demons' laps all the time and praising the fate that his case was no different.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

< i>A/N: The end, obviously. I hope you liked it :)