#inuyasha ff

Cat demon Tribe and the Wolf demon tribe. The both weren't on good terms which is why a arrangement was set. The marriage between Y/n and Kouga was to be set, the two leaders to destroy what disagreements they had and stop this ridiculous rivalry.

Kouga, had nothing but the up most respect for you. So did some of the wolf demon tribe members. Those 'Some' being the few you grew up with as a child. You'd never thought in a million years your parents would force you to marry.

Kouga, willing to wait. A total gentleman, not to mention beautiful and agile. Though, you...not with any of it. More like you hated Kouga. Dispite your uncooperative-ness Kouga loved you anyway.

Avoiding him at all costs because you wouldn't deny you were attracted to him, you just wanted to live in denial.

A warm evening you decided to go for a bathe in a nearby pond. Bringing soaps and shampoos, which a human friend of yours 'Kagome' gave to you as a gift. You set your items down and began to strip. Neatly folding your clothes, you jump into the water; fully submerging yourself.

You relaxed completely under water, enjoying the way the mini current felt on your face. That was until, you sensed something..rather someone. Quickly bringing your head above water you turn around to see who it was. Your fiancé sat at the edge of the pond.

"Hey Y/n." He said softly,"I didn't know cats loved water." You stared at him blankly.."Mm, delightful.."

Kouga chuckled,"Is it okay if I hop in?"

"Yes, I was getting out anyway", You say with a tinge of annoyance in your voice. Going to the opposite end of the body of water to get out.

Kouga raised a brow,"Getting out? Oh come on, I saw you just get in." Oh, you'd been caught, like a deer in headlights.

You feel your cheeks burn, realizing what he had said. You turned to face him before scolding him, "Y-You watched me?! So you're a pervert! I knew I-". Stopping mid sentence as he was fully naked and getting in the pond. You were visibly flustered as the sight before you. "O-Oh my god!" Quickly turning around, your mouth gaped as you looked at the picture in your mind.

Kouga slowly making his way to you,"Y/n I don't mind if you look at me...". Still stunned, you fan yourself with your hand and whisper, "Be gone bad thoughts be gone.."

"Oh? I thought I was a pervert.."

You turned around to face him,"Look here you– Im-!.." Is he doing this on purpose?! Its like he's trying to get you to see his body. You turned around and because of how much taller he was than you; your eyes meet at his chest. Sculpted abs, toned biceps, his curved collar bone– then up to his neck, that delicious adam's apple. His jawline was well-defined and sharply angled, like it could cut anything with a simple touch. Then, his face. Handsomely majestic–

You knew you were staring, you were checking him out and it was plain as day. He didn't say anything, he just watched you do so as you day dreamed. When you snapped out of it, you took a deep breathe before turning away.

Kouga wouldn't let you, he pulled your arm back. "Hey..Why avoid me again? It's not going to stop you from marrying me you know."

I laugh,"So far its worked–"

Kouga sighed,"Thats because I let you be. I could bug you like I am now, but I didn't." He reaches for your hand, he guides it to his chest. Sliding your hand along his torso. Pulling you in close, his free hand looping around your body and placed on your waist.

Kouga's voice, whispering: "You can't run from me forever"

You whisper back,"I will..watch me."

Kouga sighs,"What do I have to do to get you to love me?"

"Nothing, because it's not happening."

Kouga narrows his eyes, raising a brow. He smirks,"Sweetheart, you've been feeling me up for the past 5 minutes.."

"You started it..", you hissed.

"You're right, but I let your hand go. So, A: it seems like your hand has a mind of it's own..or B: You're the pervert."

You look at your hand and, its migrated up to his bicep...You retracted your hand and walked around him with annoyance. "You're starting to get on my nerves!" You couldn't stay any longer or you were for sure to give in to your desires.

You should've known, nothing would get past him. "Y/n, will you please stop avoiding me." He follows after you, "I don't understand why you don't like me so much. I can assure you we can come to an agreement– I promise to treat you like a goddess." You turn around facing him.

"You hardly know me, why are you okay with this marriage?"

"I just want to stop this useless fighting"

"So you admit you're using me to get my tribe to side with yours? Hm? What tired of having so many enemies?",you smirk.

"No! I'd never do that Y/n..I just want all this ridiculous rivalry to come to an end. I want everyone to be happy."

You fold your arms. Kouga reaches his arms out to you,"You know, Im more than willing to protect and cherish you."

You back up, and Kouga walks forward with an soft empathic smile. "W-What if I dont want to." You continue to back up, Kouga persistent, he continued in your direction. "We'll come to a conclusion, help me understand."

Your back hits the edge of the pond, Kouga stops in front of you. "Help you understand huh.."

You scoffed,"Understand this..I dislike you..." Kouga caged you against the pond wall, both hands on each side of you. "Is that so..do you..dislike me as a man? Or as a person?"

"Both..", you said unsure. Kouga's not dumb, he's far from it. He can read you like a book. He leans in, his face now in front of yours. "Tell me..what you dislike about me, and I'll fix it for you."

His gorgeous face a few inches away from yours. 'H-He's gotta be doing this on purpose', you think to yourself.

"I'm sick of you, and your pretty face. Your attractive body too. It's– Annoying." You admitted embarrassed. Kouga chuckles,"Oh..You want me to fix your attraction towards me?" He said with a large smile.

You stand there flustered not knowing what to say.. but definitely enticed by his lips as he was enticed by yours. "So?..Do you want to consider loving me someday? Or keep living in denial, hm?"

A finger under your chin, making you look at him; your arranged fiancé. His blue eyes look back into your orange eyes. "...You're really pushing for this huh?" You whisper as you gaze at his lips. Have they always looked so bite-able, so kiss-able like that?

"I am, if you let me. I will give everything you want and more." Kouga looked down at you with a gentle smile, his k-9's peaking past his lips. Kouga leans in, still using his finger to keep your eyes on him.

Your dark cheeks tented a slight red, you shut your eyes closed tight. Expecting to be kissed by Kouga. Though when you felt nothing you opened one eye looking back at him confused. Both eyes opened, batting your eyelashes at him. "I thought you were.."

"Hm? Gonna kiss you?"

You nod, this making Koga smile. Maybe he was getting some progress from you. "You mean you want me to kiss you?" Feeling bashful you nod just a tiny bit, realizing what you'd just admitted to wanting to kiss him. Once again, it was obvious you were attracted to Koga. Even to him, he could see it from a mile away.

"Thats..not what I ment to say–"

Koga smirks,"Then what?~ hm..I'll kiss you, if you want me too."

You scowl,"I did but no! You're pissing me off. If you haven't realized, this is inappropriate! We've been so close together, naked in this springs and now you're trying to get me to admit I want to ki-"

You went silent, with a pair of lips pressed to yours. Your hand instinctively going to his shoulder, as Koga pulls you in close. You sighed into his lips, finally giving in to some sort of affection from him. Koga pulls away, leaving you a breathless, heart-fluttery mess.. "See what happens when we come to an agreement and talk like adults?"

"Shut up..", you rolled your eyes, tugging at his arm. He took your subtle hint.

Koga smiles, leaning close,"Yes ma'am". Once again kissing you, and you gladly kissed back. Letting him lead, you followed his fluid like motions. Your eyes closing, pulling him in close and him doing the same.

Giving into to Koga felt wonderful. Being able to melt into his touch..could I feel like this all the time Im with him? His left hand on your waist and right on your cheek. Your hands on his chest, the both of you fit together like a steamy puzzle piece. When it seemed like the two of you were about to get carried away–

"Koga! Koga! We've got some trouble with the Northern Wolf Demon tribe."

Another voice,"Hey Sis!"

You yelp as you pull away, mid kiss– hiding behind Koga. "Ginta? Hakkaku?" You peak from Kouga's shoulder. The wolf demon with a spikey white mohawk spoke,"Wow! You're finally getting along?"

You visibly flustered,"We are Not!" You scowled. Hakkaku tilts his head in confusion,"Really? Because to me it looked like the two of you were a bout to-

Koga clears his throat, interruption Hakkaku. "E-Enough...now you two can head that way..I'll be right behind you."

The boys nod then take off. Hakkaku waves,"Bye sis! Glad to see you're finally coming along!"

Your eye twitches,"Don't call me that–"

Koga smiles,"You should probably stop denying it." You stare at him blankly, and scoff. Kouga gets out of the pond, shaking off what water he can before putting his clothes back on.

He smiles brightly at you,"Its okay, I know you love me. Its only a matter of time before you accept it, and when you do. I'll be waiting."

You fold your arms, embarrassed you look away. "As if! go run off to your tribe." Kouga, fixes his last clothing needed. "I'll catch you later, okay? Next time we meet I'll be sure to do something sweet for you!" He says starting his light jog.

"Stop being so nice to me!" You shout as he gets farther and farther away.

You hear a light laughter from his direction. "Just trying to help you chose beautiful ♡!" He shouts from what now is a cyclone zipping away.

....You sit in the pond..shivering..

"Sheesh. Some fiancé...he could've helped me wash my hair before he left...", you mumble. Smiling to yourself as you place your fingers on your lips..

.."I cant stand him ♡"

He first met Kagome when his traitor of a best friend, Sango, decided to set him up on a date. A blind date. She invited him to a restaurant for dinner, and who was he to ever turn down his friend? He showed up, not surprised in the least to see Miroku sitting next to Sango, but was definitely startled when he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on sitting across from the couple. It didn’t take long after getting there to put two-and-two together and see what was going on. While the girl was gorgeous, that thought immediately became irrelevant considering the irritation displayed on both of their faces, and Inuyasha absolutely minded Sango throwing him into a blind date. The last date Sango set him up on had turned into a total disaster, and he swore to never let her do it again. But, this Kagome girl had a hell of a mouth on her that she put on full display when their friends' intentions became loud and clear, and it did something to his heart that he did not and still doesn’t fully understand. He couldn’t very well let his best friend and the guy she’s dating know that he may sort of be attracted to this girl now, could he? That would make it too easy for them, and he'd be damned if he gave them that courtesy after the shit they'd pulled. He and Kagome had made an unspoken agreement then; they could never like each other. 

Miroku and Sango had eventually become more subtle in their attempts to get the two together, but anyone could tell that they wouldn’t be backing off anytime soon. All he and Kagome had to do were show that they are just friends and nothing more, hopefully convincing them in the long run. Inuyasha will be the first to admit he’s not the easiest person to get along with. It made hanging out with new people awkward at times, but Kagome seemed to fill in the gaps he couldn't and made it feel surprisingly easy. Even enjoyable. She wouldn’t force conversation, and seemed to understand that silence was actually okay between people. 

“There. Your damn tree is up. Now make yourselves useful and decorate the thing.” He huffed, wiping away the pine bristles from his shirt. 

Sango let out a high-pitched screech and Inuyasha pinned his ears back along his head to briefly block it out. She rushed over to the bag of decorations they bought, and emptied one out onto the carpet. Kagome joined her, sliding her feet across the wooden floor and turning up the Christmas music on her way. He knows he shouldn’t find the way she slides across the floor like that as cute as he does. He shouldn’t be thinking like that in general. At least not with the infamous couple in the room. He swears Sango could read his every thought sometimes, and he does not need her knowing how attracted to Kagome he actually is. 

“The tree is hardly straight.” 

Yeah, okay, that’s his fault.

“It’s as straight as it’s gonna get.” Miroku replied, propping his hands on his hips. 

“You guy’s are going to help decorate, right?” Sango asked, letting the lights dangle from her fingers. 

“Fat chance!” Inuyasha snorted, falling onto the loveseat behind Kagome, catching a small whiff of the sweet perfume she always wore. “We did the hard part.”

“What a scrooge.” Sango quickly shot a sneer in his direction. 

“You don’t want them decorating the tree, Sango.” Kagome started as she helped wrap the lights around. “They’d somehow manage to make it ugly.” 

“Rude.” Miroku tossed an empty water bottle towards Kagome, barely hitting her. She giggled, kicking it away, and carried on decorating with Sango. Using the hearth of the fireplace as leverage, Kagome balanced on her tiptoes to reach towards the top of the tree to place the lights, her lack of height hindering her attempts.

“Alright, move over.” He said, reaching for the wire in her hand. He looked down at her, waiting for her to hand it over. Kagome’s eyes met his, and he heard a feeble catch of breath, almost distracting him from what he came over to do. He brushed the back of her hand with his fingers, gently pushing her out of the way,  “I –uh…I can get it.”

He’ll pretend he didn’t notice the way her cheeks flushed as she thanked him and moved aside. 

Sango made her way around the tree after stringing her lights, looking over at Kagome and then back at him with a smile. “What was that?”

Inuyasha grunted, “What was what?”

“That?” She pointed between him and Kagome, “That was a moment.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, setting the lights at the top of the tree and sending a twisted stare toward his friend. She and Miroku were always looking for something. Anytime Kagome and he did anything, one of them chalks it up to be something else. Kagome wasn’t tall enough to reach, he saw the struggle, he _helped, _and this is the thanks he gets. 

“It wasn’t a moment. I was helping her, and also you. You're welcome.” He reached for another ornament, passing it off to Sango before picking up one of his own, “There is absolutely nothing going on between Kagome and I.”

“I'm not blind, Inuyasha.” 

“Neither am I.” He glanced to Sango, raising an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say there would be more people here?” 

“Did I say that?” 

“Yeah, I'm pretty sure you did.” 

Sango hummed, tapping a finger against her chin before shrugging. “Guess we forgot to invite them. Oops.” 

“Sango.” 

“Hm?” 

“You did it again, didn’t you?” 

“Possibly.” 

Inuyasha growled, turning away from his friend. “You’re the fucking worst.” 

Sango was notorious for meddling in his life; more specifically, his love life. The one and only time Inuyasha had let her set him up on a blind date was with a girl named Kikyo, and it was a mistake he refused to relive. It was the single worst date he had ever been on. Sango had talked Kikyo up, made her sound like the best person in the world, and like she’d be perfect for him. Downfall: she failed to mention to Kikyo that he was a half demon. Granted, that part isn't entirely Sango's fault; she never really thinks anything of his demonic status. Never has. Kikyo, though, had her own set of preferences and made it clear that she never planned on dating one. Yet, there she was. Sitting across from him at the table, a grimace marring her face the entire time. They hardly spoke a word throughout the almost-laughable, painfully awkward evening, and it was the date that showed him Sango could not be trusted in any department regarding romance.

“You’re thinking about Kikyo, aren’t you?” Sango’s voice had taken on that dangerous tone that he was all too familiar with. How did she always know what he was thinking? 

“Not technically. I was thinking about how you set me up with her and how awful that turned out to be.” 

Sango huffed, “It wasn’t that bad.”

“You weren’t there.” 

“That’s irrelevant now,” Sango waved her hand dismissively. "What you should be concentrating on is that you and Kagome would actually be good together. She’s really a good person, Inuyasha.”

Kagome is everything he isn’t. She’s outgoing, compassionate, and feisty. She doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind, and that’s something Inuyasha will never admit to liking aloud. He, on the other hand, has always been more of a loner. Sango has been his friend since they were kids, and no matter how many times she tried, their small group never expanded. Inuyasha had met Miroku at the elementary school they both teach at and the guy just stuck around, despite Inuyasha’s attitude towards him wanting to date his best friend, or his attitude towards him in general. It’s because of Miroku that Inuyasha and Sango met Kagome in the first place, so the guy can’t be all that bad if Kagome's been his best friend for years.

“I know she’s a good person.” Inuyasha said quietly, staring down at the ornament he was holding. “What if she turns out like Kikyo?” 

“Don’t say that. Kagome is the nicest person I have ever met. I learned my lesson after Kikyo, and if I didn’t think Kagome was good for you, I honestly wouldn’t even try. Miroku wouldn’t try. We just want you both to be happy.”

“So, what are you planning?” 

Sango gasped, feigning offense. “Me? Planning something? Never.” Inuyasha gave her an unamused look and she sighed defeatedly. “Alright, Miroku plans to have us leave you two alone together tomorrow.” 

“What? Sango! You can’t do that!” 

A shout from Miroku and the sound of a bottle hitting the counter caught their attention as they looked over, both raising an eyebrow at their friends in the kitchen.

“Just some friendly banter. Nothing to worry about. Turns out I’m smarter than Kagome.” Miroku beamed, grinning their way.

“Yeah, okay.” Sango snorted, turning her attention to the ornament in her hand. 

“Sango.” Inuyasha hissed, taking the glittery, green orb from her grasp as soon as Miroku and Kagome absorbed themselves in their conversation once more. “You can’t leave us alone tomorrow.” 

“I’ve been working on that ornament for forever, give it back.” 

“Stop avoiding the subject.” 

Inuyasha handed the ornament over to her, watching as she hooked it and reached for the tree. She side glanced him, avoiding full eye contact, before sighing. “We’re literally just going to be leaving you two for an hour at the most. It won’t be that bad. You've been alone with her, right?”

“Not often, but yeah.”

“Then you'll be fine.” 

“Sango, you really shouldn’t -“ 

“Miroku!” Sango called, cutting their argument off at the knees, and rushing over to the island where Miroku and Kagome stood, taking a hold of his arm and pulling him to the open area behind the couches. “I love this song, babe. Dance with me?”

Inuyasha watched his friend as she wrapped her arms around Miroku’s neck. Miroku isn’t a bad guy, really. If he was, Inuyasha would have put up more of a fight when Sango mentioned she was interested. He trusts him with Sango, and he knows Miroku will always take care of her. As long as Sango is happy, that’s all that matters. 

He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, choosing to scroll through his neglected notifications. He didn’t have much; a text from Sesshomaru telling him to babysit Rin when his trip was over, a couple emails from coworkers; nothing of importance. He scrolled through old alerts he chose to keep, anything to keep himself busy so he wouldn’t have to watch the couple, and anything to keep his mind off the conversation he'd just had with Sango. 

Kagome walked over and Inuyasha watched her as she picked up some ornaments, turning to the tree to place them. “Is Christmas your favorite holiday?” He asked, locking his phone and sliding it back into his pocket. 

Her brown eyes met his while she answered, “Yeah. Ever since I was a kid.” She looked away from him and to the tree. He only felt a little disappointed by that. “Is it yours?” 

“Feh. I don’t have a favorite holiday. They’re all cheesy.” He took a few steps back to lean against the bricks that makeup the fireplace. 

“Oh, come on. Not one?” 

“Anything that gets me out of work, I guess.” 

“So, almost all of them.” She giggled. 

Why does he like the sound so much? 

His attention wandered over to the couple dancing. Seeing his best friend, someone he considers a sister, groped is something he definitely hated seeing. And he really, really did not need to hear her giggling like that.

He groaned, grabbing the nearest couch cushion and chucking it at his friends with plenty of force, “Knock it off! That’s disgusting!”

“Get a room, you say?” 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “No one said that.” 

“We can take a hint. Come on, Sango!” Miroku pulled his girlfriend down the hall and towards the master bedroom before slamming the door shut. 

Inuyasha frowned, still staring down the hall. He was thankful that Kagome had made the move to turn up the music before shifting her attention to clean up the cabin. He could help her, should help her; it held the potential to keep his mind from Miroku defiling his best friend. Instead, he chose to go outside and get some much needed air. 

He walked down the front porch, heading a little ways out into the snow and sticking his hands in his front pockets. A part of him knows he shouldn’t be so annoyed by the couple running off like that, but the other, less rational part of him will always be protective of Sango. He grew up with her, always looked out for her, and that’s not something that's going to stop just because they’re well into their adult years. It probably should, though. Sango has Miroku, and he knows Miroku would do anything to keep her safe. 

The sound of the cabin door opening had him turning around, seeing Kagome walking out with a jacket clutched in her hands. “What are you doing out here? It’s freezing.” She was slowly stepping down the front porch so as not to fall, wearing only a beanie to keep her ears warm and the light sweater she’d been donning all day. 

Inuyasha made his way back towards the porch, the snow crunching under his feet. He didn’t miss the way she was fighting off the cold. 

“I could ask you the same thing.” She smiled, hugging herself a little tighter, “I wanted to make sure you were okay, and bring you your jacket.”

Inuyasha could kiss her with how close they stood, and how quickly her lips had turned a darker shade of pink from the engulfing chill in the air, attracting almost all of his attention. If he wasn’t already fighting off the feelings he has for her, and if he knew she might feel the same, his self control might not exist. 

“I’ve got demon blood. I’m fine. You, on the other hand..” Inuyasha took the jacket that she was offering to him, wrapping it around her shoulders, “Should be inside.” 

He adjusted the coat that nearly swallowed her, meeting her gaze as he held it shut to keep some of the warmth in. He watched as snow fell, catching onto her dark hair. She tilted her head upwards, letting the snow land against her face. Inuyasha stared at her, taking in how peaceful she looked. He’d never seen anyone more gorgeous. 

“It’s so beautiful.” She whispered, grinning happily. 

The cliche move would have been to quietly mention _"_yeah, you are," but he bit his tongue. Literally. Fighting off the impulse that surprisingly came to mind. Inuyasha took a small step back from her just as he could feel his face grow hot. 

“Here, your coat.”

He shook his head, looking away from Kagome so she wouldn't pick up on anything. He could only hope he was nothing like Sango who never missed a beat. “Keep it.”

“No really, I just wanted to bring it out to you.” He could feel her eyes lingering on him, almost as if she were studying him as she fell quiet for a moment. “Didn’t uh… Didn’t..” Inuyasha glanced down at her, cocking an eyebrow skeptically as he waited. “Didn’t want you getting sick on Christmas.” 

“I don’t think I’m the one we should be worrying about.” He smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re shivering, Kagome. Get inside.”

Kagome removed the jacket from her shoulders, giving a slow nod and biting her lip, his stomach responding with a rush of fluttered heat. He really shouldn’t like that as much as he does. He took the coat, their fingers brushing, and Kagome smiled up at him before turning and heading back towards the cabin. 

Inuyasha had been awake since around six that morning. Initially, he had woken up at five on the dot, but refused to face the day yet, managing to get at least forty-five minutes of more sleep. It’s his vacation damn it, his internal alarm shouldn't even be activated. He accepted his awakened state when his body refused to cooperate any further, staying in bed and opting to scroll through his phone. Anything sounded better than getting up at the crack of dawn. Inuyasha had thought ahead to bring his briefcase to stay on top of grading, but he was too lazy to lug himself out from under the thick comforter, the heavy snow and frost along his open-curtain window giving him further motivation to stay put. 

After hours of mindless social media that he hardly ever checked on, and occasional staring at the flat ceiling while listening to the creaks of the cabin as it settled against the wind, Inuyasha reluctantly slid the blankets off him and peeled himself from the mattress, heading to the opened suitcase on the opposite side of the room to shift through the messily-packed clothes. Soft footsteps lightly patted against the wood flooring from a room down the hall, and he pulled the thick, black sweater over his white undershirt a little hastier than intended, throwing his long, white hair into his signature ponytail to keep it as neat as possible and out of his face. Miroku and Sango were probably still in bed from what he could hear, or couldn't in this case, and he couldn't help but want to use the opportunity to be alone with Kagome without coercion or prying glances from the manipulative couple.

The squeak from a door opening caught his ear, and he paid close attention to the footsteps sliding down the hall and passing his room, the familiar and fresh scent of Kagome's vanilla body spray wafting through the cracks of his sealed doorway. He opened his door silently, following her path out into the living room, not missing the way she hadn’t seemed to notice him coming. 

“Morning.” He brushed passed her on the way to the kitchen. “Coffee?” 

“Yes, please.” She paused a small moment, and he assumed she had returned her attention back to her phone. “Uh, it’s snowing.” 

“It’s been snowing.” He remarked. Was this Kagome’s version of small talk? Inuyasha scooped coffee grounds into the filter, not knowing in the least if he was preparing the right amount.

“Right. No, I meant harder. A lot harder. Looks like we’re in for a bit of a storm.” Kagome walked passed him in the kitchen, heading towards the fridge and pulling out the three creamers they had ridiculously purchased on their group trip to the grocery store on their way up. 

“That’ll be fun. Money down that Miroku complains about it all day.”

Kagome laughed, and Inuyasha noticed how simple everything felt around her. When there was no pushing or shoving to get them in a room together, it was clear to see that it had the potential to almost be enjoyable. If he had to endure Miroku’s bitching all day as a compromise to avoid the planned scheme, he’d willingly accept it.

“Well good morning, you two.” Miroku greeted, leaning against the framing of the kitchen. “Just like I left you. Did you two even sleep, or…”

“Ah, geez. Would you shut up?” He tossed the filter into its respected spot in the machine, hitting the brew button and shooting a glare over to Miroku as he leaned against the counter. 

“Different clothes though, hm…” Miroku rubbed at his chin, looking over the two of them. “Slightly disappointing.” 

“Well, this got uncomfortable quickly. Guess I’ll be going.” Kagome walked by him in an attempt to escape the kitchen, but Miroku stopped her before she could get very far. 

“Okay, I’m sorry! I’ll be good. Nothing else. Hi.” He kissed her cheek, placing her back in her spot next to the counter. He reached into the cupboard, taking out four mugs and setting them out for everyone. “Chris Pine’s looking sharp over there.”

This was a joke, right? Did he just kiss her? Isn’t he dating Sango? Wasn’t he the one trying to set them up together? What would possess him to kiss Kagome like that? Who the hell was Chris Pine?

“Wh- you named the tree?” Kagome didn’t sound as muddled as he clearly felt, but she’d also been putting up with Miroku for years. Maybe she’d built up some sort of resilience to his dumb ass antics.

“Even trees need names, Kagome.”

“What a nerd. Go finish decorating it.” She joked, taking the purple mug from Miroku’s hand. 

“Okay guys, what are we doing today?” Sango joined, calling out to them over her shoulder and rubbing her hands together, the universal sign for being cold, heading over to the thermostat to turn the temperature up. 

“Nothing.” Inuyasha said, enunciating the two syllables as if proving a point, shooting his best friend an arrogant grin. “Didn’t you look outside, Sango?” 

“It’s just a little snow.” She waved him off and pulled her fingers into her sweater sleeves. “Let’s go sledding!”

“What? No! There’s a weather advisory, dummy! You can hardly see ten feet in front of you.”

“That’ll pass!” She dismissed, walking to the island beside Kagome and claiming an old-looking, ceramic mug.

“Actually, it’s only supposed to get worse.” Kagome stated.

“Thus the advisory.” Inuyasha rubbed in, pouring himself a piping hot cup of coffee before evacuating the crowded kitchen.

“What? No way! I didn’t know this.” Miroku whined, his shoulders slumping dramatically.

“Yup. Too bad.” Kagome shrugged. “Looks like we’ll all be staying in today. I brought some board games we could play!” 

“And you called me a nerd.” Miroku murmured, looking away from Kagome and sliding over to get some coffee. 

“Alright, I’m calling it!” Miroku announced, “It was Miss Scarlet, in the library, with the revolver!” 

“Wrong.” Inuyasha objected, not bothering to look away from the essay he was reading as he lounged on the loveseat behind Sango, his fist propping his chin up while he attempted to ignore his friends playing Clue. Miroku snatched the yellow envelope from the center of the game board, opening the flap and taking the cards out. 

“You chose not to play, so you stay out of th- son of a bitch!” 

“Wrong?” Kagome asked, feigning sympathy. 

“Shut up.” Miroku rolled his eyes, returning the cards to the envelope before dropping it back to its place on the board. The girls began laughing at his expense, Kagome falling back from their makeshift table as her giggling grew harder. He stood, stomping his way to the kitchen, “It’s not even that funny!”

“Yes it is! You were so smug!” Sango laughed, “Oh, don’t be mad!” She stood, using the edge of the loveseat to regain some balance, rushing to the kitchen to chase after Miroku, and disappearing behind the couch and out of Inuyasha’s view. Kagome gave another small giggle, his ear unconsciously flicking in her direction. 

Inuyasha felt Kagome’s eyes on him as he flipped the page of the essay he was reading, hearing her scoot a little closer in his direction as he pretended he didn’t notice, continuing on to read the sloppily-written paragraph.

“Can I ask you a question?” Her voice was soft. Curious. Inuyasha glanced at her from around the paper he was holding, slightly raising an eyebrow in response. “Your ears… they-“

“What about them?” Inuyasha questioned. He knows he came off defensive,** **mostly unintentionally of course, but he was never too fond of his demonic traits being brought up in conversation; casual or not.

“Well - and I hope you don’t mind my asking - but can you hear things that are far off?” 

“Yeah, I guess. Why?” He lowered the essay, his brows furrowing in skepticism. 

“Is that why they do that flicking thing?”

“Shit!”  Miroku coughed, choking on his drink as he fought back a fit of laughter. Inuyasha jolted upright, watching his coworker fan his face with his hands before covering his own mouth, shutting his eyes tight and seemingly blinking back tears, his face a deep shade of unbridled crimson.

“Are you-“ 

“Crap, that burns! I can’t! Oh my god, I gotta go! Time to go!” Miroku dropped his can of soda on the counter, hastily making his way down the hall while he attempted to hold off disgusting, sputtering sounds. Kagome and Inuyasha both looked to Sango over the loveseat, who held a hand to her mouth as she tried to come off as laid-back as possible. 

“What the hell was that?” Inuyasha asked, stabbing his friend with a glare.

“Oh, he shot soda out of his nose. Totally normal.” Sango shrugged, pressing her lips together. “I should go check on him.”

“The fuck, you should! Stop being weird!” He demanded. 

“Weird? Who’s weird? Don’t you have homework to grade? Mind your business.” Sango disappeared down the hall, slamming the bedroom door shut behind her. 

“And to answer your question, my ears don’t do any flicking thing.” He directed at Kagome, his justifiable annoyance furthering the heat in his blood. 

Kagome swallowed her reply, thankfully. Flicking thing! Inuyasha has full control over his ears, he would be the first to notice if they were moving. The question itself was innocent, sure. It was more Miroku and Sango’s reaction that got to him. What was their fucking deal? Miroku, especially. The guy was getting weirder and weirder the more time he seemed to spend around him. Who the fuck over the age of ten shoots soda out of their nose?

“Flicking thing.” He grumbled, turning his attention back to the essay in hand. 

The room fell quiet. Peaceful, even. The only noise being Kagome’s fingers tapping against the screen of her phone and the howl of the wind blowing outside. Inuyasha enjoyed the silence, even relished in it, finding it difficult to focus on the work in front of him anymore. It was nice until Miroku returned, causing Inuyasha to almost cringe.

“Alright, guys, we’re headed out.” Miroku announced.

“What?” Kagome shot her attention over the sofa behind her.

“Gotta go to the store. Need anything?” Miroku smiled annoyingly. 

“Miroku, no!”

“Sango, here’s your coat.”

“Don’t ignore me! I’m serious! Will you just give up already?” Kagome was climbing over the sofa, stumbling slightly as her feet hit the ground one at a time, darting over to Miroku like a fucking leopard. 

Inuyasha was stunned as he watched Kagome go after her friend. Someone should probably stop her. He should probably stop her, but he couldn’t even bring himself to look away? He had a gut feeling from the beginning that Kagome could handle herself, and right now the girl looked about ready to throw hands, confirming his hunch. Just the sight of it made his mouth go agape. He’d never seen anything more attractive. 

“Woah! Crap, you’re fast.” Miroku backed up quickly, bracing his hands to stop Kagome. 

“Why are you being so stupid?!” Kagome demanded, her temper seething.

“Wait, what’s going on?” Inuyasha stood from the loveseat, his papers falling to the floor in his rush, finally feeling like it was time to do something.

“Sango, get in the car!” Miroku shouted, tossing his keys over everyone’s head. 

“Got ‘em! See you out there!” Sango shouted, ducking her head as she ran out into the snow. 

“Inuyasha, they’re doing the thing! They’re gonna do the thing again!” Kagome seemed semi-frantic, like a child tattling on another.

“Are you fucking kidding me? You’re still going through with it?” Inuyasha groaned. How did he somehow end up with the two most conniving, meddling people in his life? One was certainly enough from the get-go.

“It’s nothing to worry about!” Miroku shifted his weight from one foot to the other, shifting his dark eyes between the two of them. “There’s no reason for all of us to go! We’re literally just doing a beer run. Nothing else. Maybe some brownie mix. Kagome, you love brownies!” 

“Don’t try to butter me up, Miroku!” She yelled, jabbing his chest. 

“I can get butter, too.” Miroku innocently shrugged, nodding vigorously.

“Dead.” Kagome said gruffly. Even Inuyasha took a step back from how dangerous she seemed. 

“What?” 

“You’re dead to me. I warned you.”

Oh, yikes. Who knew Kagome could be so terrifying? Inuyasha made a bolded, highlighted, three-time-underlined mental note to not get on her bad side.

“Okay, no! You’re doing that scary thing!” Miroku seemed justifiably hesitant to touch her. “Let’s talk.” 

“You really want to have a conversation right now?” 

“Absolutely not, but I’m pretty sure I have to if I want to make it out alive.” Miroku grabbed her hand, taking Kagome down the hall and slamming a door shut behind them. 

What just happened? He knew what their friends were planning, but god damn, he didn’t think Kagome would be this furious about having to be alone with him. Sure, he’s not thrilled about dealing with yet another set up, but he’s not about to go out and kill Sango over it. He is, however, going to have a nice, little chat with her. Inuyasha slipped his phone out of his front pocket, hitting Sango’s contact, the ringtone stopping all too quickly as she answered.

“Inuyasha, hear me out!”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He asked as if it were a new question. She had hightailed it out of there when he previously asked, so the repeat was fair.

“We’re just giving you two some alone time.” She defended. Yeah, he knew that much. “You two should spend this hour getting to know each other better.”

“If we wanted that, we would take the initiative ourselves. We don’t need you and Miroku pushing us together like we’re a couple of high schoolers.” He took a deep breath, glancing down the dim hall to make sure Miroku and Kagome weren’t coming. “Why Kagome? What’s so special about her?” 

Sango paused, the swallow in her throat loud enough for his ears to pick up. “I think you know the answer to that.” When Inuyasha didn’t respond, she let out a ragged sigh. “Look, Kagome is good for you, I know it. I feel it in my bones, Inuyasha. This isn’t going to be anything like Kikyo, because Kagome isn’t anything like Kikyo. You can’t be scared that every girl you meet will turn out like that.” 

“I-I’m not -“ Inuyasha sputtered.

“Don’t try and lie to me. I know you. And you know I would never purposely set you up to be hurt. Kagome is a genuinely good person. She’s never given you a reason to doubt her, so don’t! She doesn’t care that you’re a half demon. In fact, I’m pretty sure she likes it!” 

Likes that he’s a half demon? That has to be the first time he’s ever heard something like that. Sango’s told him plenty of times that him being a half demon shouldn’t stop him from making friends; that it shouldn’t keep him from letting people in, but it contradicted the entirety of his childhood. Inuyasha grew up with a half brother, a full-blooded demon, who mocked him for being what he was, and had him convinced that it’s almost impossible for a half demon such as he to have any real relationships, romantic or not. Sango being the exception.

“I highly doubt that.” 

“My god, you’re obtuse.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Just try and get to know her some more. You like her, and you have the potential to actually enjoy your time with her. We’re literally going to be out of the house; the only person holding you back at this point is you. You can be mad at me all you want, Inuyasha, but I’m just being the supportive B.F.F. I’ve always been to you.”

Inuyasha opened his mouth to reply, a witty remark sharp on his tongue, but the sound of the bedroom door creaking opened stopped the words in his throat. He huffed, crossing around the furniture and falling back in his seat on the couch. “Whatever. Have fun ditching us, asshat.”

“Inuyasha, don’t-“ 

He hung up before she could finish, instant gratification filling him at the three, dull beeps she was receiving on her end of the line. Miroku walked over to the coat rack, the same, annoying smile from before raising his cheeks again, grabbing his beanie and waving goodbye before walking out the door. Kagome followed close behind, locking the door aggressively and sighing out. 

She glanced over her shoulder at him, and he gave her a moment to say something. Anything. Kagome gave him a small smile instead, scrunching her nose as she made her way over to the larger couch, allowing her body to sink into the cushions. 

“So, the plans in motion, huh?” He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs to get the answer he already knew. 

“Looks like it.” 

“What did he tell you was gonna happen this time around?” He groaned. He found Miroku had a more detailed way of thinking than Sango; a more expansive imagination, if you will. Sango hadn’t exactly given any details on what she expected to go down since this was her boyfriend’s idea in the first place. 

“That they’ve got the ambience perfectly set for us and so long as we roll with it, we’ll be in love by the end of the holiday.” He felt his face flush, shifting his sights to anything else in the room that wouldn’t notice his sudden embarrassment. 

“How stupid.” He shifted uncomfortably, looking around the room, making sure to keep his eyes off her. One of those, I-can’t-see-you-so-you-can’t-see-me things. Those work, right?

“Don’t worry,” She began, standing from her spot and heading towards the decorations next to the tree. “They’re a cliché mess.”

“What?” Inuyasha asked, not knowing what she was getting at in the least.

“Are you kidding me? Christmas in the cabin, a set mood, two people alone while it snows outside… This is a hallmark movie in the works! Ten bucks says the power goes out later.” Kagome giggled, picking up the decorating where they had left off the night before. She glanced over her shoulder and winked at him. “Just don’t fall in love with me, and we’ll make it out of this holiday alive.” 

Did she just.. Don’t fall in love? What a joke. That wouldn’t be hard considering he’s a master at avoiding feelings. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, the heat in his face never faulting as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at anything but Kagome. “I don’t plan on it.” 

Inuyasha picked the mess of papers up from the area rug, deciding it better to focus on that as opposed to the girl before him. He took one last, lingering look at her as she continued to decorate the tree before tearing his golden eyes away and giving his undivided attention to the essay he had yet to finish grading. His eyes skimmed over the fictional story about wolves, and one glance at the name in the corner told him he shouldn’t have been surprised. He read over the same passage multiple times, trying to keep his concentration glued to the essay and not Kagome, finding the task to be more difficult than he’d anticipated. He tapped the pen against his thigh repeatedly, a tick of his that annoyed Miroku, reading through, yet again, for any mistakes. 

The sound of Kagome sauntering his way pulled away the remainder of his attention, his gaze shifting upwards to the star in her hand, then to the smile on her face. “Would you like to do the honors?” 

“The star?” He asked. 

“Mhm.”

“Can’t reach, huh?” Inuyasha bit back the snicker. He hated that he loved how short she was.

“Nope.” Her smile never diminished, an unbridled warmth spreading throughout his torso.

He shook his head, no longer holding back his laugh. Sitting the paper down in the pile next to the armrest, Inuyasha rose to stand, holding his clawed hand out to take the star. Kagome happily handed it to him, closely following him to the tree. 

“You’ve gotta plug the…” She instructed, and his eyes landed on the end of the lights she was referring to. He connected the chord to the star’s extension wire before firmly setting it on the branch. “Yeah, like that.” She let out a squeak of delight that really shouldn’t have been as cute as it was to him. The Douglas Fir lit up with multiple colors, glowing and sparkling and reeking of that Christmas joy people always vomited. “Ta daaa!” She held her arms out beside her, much like that Will Smith meme his students laugh at every time, her face beaming almost as brightly as the tree.

Inuyasha grinned, trying to keep his eyes on the Christmas tree but unable to fully keep his attention off of her. “You’re pretty good at this.” 

“You helped.” She slid over to stand next to him, admiring their work gleefully. 

“Hardly.” Inuyasha dismissed.

“I saw you last night. Plus, the star just now. We can’t have a Christmas tree without a topper.” Kagome looked up to him, her shoulder brushing gently against his bicep, his eyes locking on her deep brown ones, all thoughts in his head briefly becoming a haze of fog.

Pulling himself out of his reverie, he chuckled lightly, finding it almost unbelievable how easily he could become so captivated like a lovesick puppy. What was this girl doing to him? Inuyasha stepped back to his original seat and picked up the paper he had set down while Kagome went about cleaning the mess. He could hear her placing the ornament boxes back into their bags, putting them in a corner of the room. He really needed to focus on these essays; he has to give them back to his students when they returned from break. Final drafts were to be written immediately. But, how the hell was he supposed to concentrate when he’s alone with the girl he found himself wanting more and more by the minute, but couldn’t fucking have? 

Kagome sat down on the couch neighboring the loveseat he claimed, the heightening storm outside almost blocking out her throaty sigh. “Homework?” 

He peeked up at her, nodding his head. “Essays.” 

“Are they hard to grade?” She asked, her body inching closer to his in interest.

“Oh, uh… not really.”

“Can I help?”

Inuyasha can only think of one person who has ever offered to help him grade. Miroku. The two would often correct papers and exams together, helping each other out when one finished early, the assistance being fully welcomed when their classes of thirty-plus students become overwhelming during test season. The difference between this situation and past ones being, Miroku’s also a teacher. Kagome is not. At least, that he knows of. He hadn’t heard much, or anything, about her profession, trying to pick up clues when Miroku lamented about her “good qualities.” Inuyasha figured there was no harm in letting her have a go at it. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to correct spelling and punctuation; literally anyone could grade these papers. 

“Uh, sure.” He shrugged, taking the stack of papers and placing it on the small side table between them. “I had them write short, creative stories before winter break since there was a gap between testing and vacations. We’re working on their grammar and use of adjectives.” 

Kagome took the short story from the top of the stack. “So, what am I looking for?”

“Basically anything that stands out. I try to let them do their own thing with projects like these; no rules or restrictions other than consistency, so you’ll probably see a thing or two about unicorns and mermaids from the girls. I’ve been showing them different ways to describe the picture they’re painting for us. Simple enough. So far, from what I’ve read, these aren’t half bad. Let the kids have their go at things without someone looking over their shoulders every step of the way, and they can really surprise you.” Inuyasha explained.

“You sound like a really good teacher.” 

“Nah. I just do enough to get the job done.” He shrugged dismissively. “Miroku calls it lazy teaching.”

“What’s lazy about it? You gave them lessons preparing them, you gave them instruction on what to do, and you’re sitting here grading these on vacation. From my point of view, which may be worthless considering I’m no teacher, I think you’re doing plenty.” 

It’s not everyday people tell him he’s a good teacher, and even though she hasn’t witnessed first hand what his teaching style entails, it still felt good to hear. Her opinion isn’t worthless in the least, but he wouldn’t tell her that. 

Inuyasha cleared his throat, tapping the pen against his leg as he felt his nerves rising. “So, uh, just look for your basic grammatical errors, spelling errors, and correct anything that doesn’t make sense. If you’ve got any questions, just ask.” 

Inuyasha watched Kagome for an instant, soaking in the sight of her as she read over the assignment she held in between her thin fingers before turning his eyes to the paper he was supposed to be working on. There was something peaceful about it. Homey, even. It’s relaxing to be able to just sit in quiet and grade papers with someone. Her. It’s much better than the forced conversation he was worried was going to happen, but he should have known better by now. It’s Kagome, and she doesn’t force anything. She doesn’t have to. Everything came so naturally with her.

The feel of her fingers delicately brushing against his arm pulled him out of his untrained thoughts, and he glanced over to her wiggling digits. Kagome pointed towards the red pen in his right hand, and he handed it over as soon as he got the hint, watching her uncap it to make a correction before tapping the pen against her lip. He needed to look away immediately to stifle the unmitigated and stupid-as-all-hell craving to kiss her. 

They went on like that for a while, passing the pen back and forth to correct mistakes. The stack had a good dent in it when the lights started flickering, causing him to look around the room as the power died out and came back. Kagome stood, walking around the armchair closest to the window and looking out. 

“Jesus, it’s a blizzard out there!” Inuyasha approached from behind her to see for himself, watching the snow whip around crazily. 

“Do you think Miroku and Sango are okay? They’ve been gone for a long time.” 

“Who cares? They’re the ones that wanted to meddle.” Inuyasha sneered, rolling his eyes.

“Inuyasha!” She shut the curtains, turning on her heel and frowning at him accusingly. 

“What? I’m sure they’re fine! Why even worry about them?” He easily disregarded.

“It’s dangerous.” She stated, “What if they get lost because they can’t see the road? Or, worse, are in an accident because of it?” 

“Let’s be real, Kagome, there’s no way they were on their way back. Chances are they stopped to see a movie or something.” 

“What if they didn’t?” Kagome challenged.

“Then there’s nothing we can do about it!” 

Sango had assured him before that it would only be about an hour they’d be alone, though he didn’t exactly believe her. Especially since she’s with Miroku, who seems significantly more adamant on getting he and Kagome together. He one-hundred percent believes that the two are fine. Even if something has happened to the couple, he knows Sango works well under pressure. Miroku may panic, sure, but she wouldn’t. 

The electricity went out once more, and the two were left standing in the darkened room, the ongoing silence becoming worse as the hum from the vents died out, the creaks and howls from the wind growing louder. They stood there, waiting for the power to return like a couple of idiots until Inuyasha’s agitation increased, a rumble biting through his throat.

“Fucking great!”

“It’s not that bad, Inuyasha.” 

“Yeah? Can you see?” He didn’t even try to swallow the sass in his tone.

“Actually, yes. It’s not completely dark yet, so let’s just hurry and find the candles okay?” Kagome walked passed him, appearing as a shadow in the lifeless lighting as she held her arms out to help guide her way towards the kitchen. He heard her open some of the drawers, things rustling and sliding about, like she knew exactly what she was looking for, dropping something against the counter in an achieved manner. “Where’s that light-ow!” 

He tried not to laugh, honestly. semi-tried, at least. Kind of. In the end, he couldn’t stop the snort of air that left his lips as he pictured Kagome’s abundant confidence dwindling because she stubbed her damn toe since she couldn’t fucking see. Her eyes were like daggers, even from across the room, but the glare was more than worth it. 

“I’m sorry, what was that?” 

“Lighter.” She huffed. “I’m pretty sure it was on the mantle of the fireplace last night.”

“Yup.” He took a few steps back, reaching towards the mantle and dragging his fingers along it until they bumped the plastic object he seeked. “Heads up.” He tossed the lighter in her general direction, the loud crack signaling that it hit the hard flooring. 

“Inuyash-ah!” 

“Oh, yikes. Do you mean to tell me you can’t actually see?”

“Inuyasha, I swear to god.” Kagome threatened. He knew he shouldn’t be egging her on, his previous glimpse at her bad side enough to bait him away, but he couldn’t help it.

“Relax.” He droned teasingly. “I didn’t get you.”

“You could have! I don’t see why you couldn’t have walked it over to me.”

“Because I don’t want to take a chance of stubbing my toe. Duh.” He’d shrug if he knew she would see it.

Kagome groaned as she picked up the long-stemmed lighter, illuminating a small area around her by holding the small flame to the candles. She lit a few of them, an insignificant glow hovering above the surface of the counter. 

“Awesome. Three candles. I can see everything perfectly.” He said flatly, folding his arms over his chest. 

“Hey, here’s an idea: instead of being a sarcastic punk, how about you shut up and get the fire going.” The bite in her tone was evident and clear, and Inuyasha found that he liked her attitude a little too much. 

“You have the lighter?” He asked more than stated. 

“Then I guess you should just shut up.” She remarked. He watched her as she pulled more candles out, lighting them one by one, the yellow lighting becoming more prominent in front of her frame. Kagome slowly became easier to see, the soft glow and flickering shadows reflecting along her face. Inuyasha stood there, stunned. He’s far from blind, he knows Kagome’s gorgeous, but right now she was positively mesmerizing. He didn’t want to look away. There could be a crowd around him, people talking to him, shouting even, pulling and tugging at him, and his eyes would still stay glued to her. She shuffled over, carefully placing a few candles on the hearth before turning to him, taking out the long-stemmed lighter that she’d tucked into her back pocket, holding it out to him. It took him a moment to shake himself out of his reverie, noting the arch in her eyebrow and her solid demeanor as he removed the item from her hand. “Now will you light a fire?”

“Yeah, whatever.” Inuyasha grabbed a few logs from the pile next to the fireplace, setting them up on the metal stand inside. He took a few sheets from a newspaper next to the wood that would be used as kindling, balling up its pages as Kagome called out to her phones Siri. He brought the small flame to the edge of the paper, letting it catch before gently setting it against the rest of the kindling. 

Kagome fell onto the couch as Inuyasha took the tea lights from the hearth, moving them to the mantle. “Any word from them?”

“Nope,” Kagome sighed, a woosh sound coming from her phone as she sent a message. “Nothing. I really hope they’re -“

The familiar sound of Miroku’s text tone went off, catching their attention. Kagome turned, both of their eyes landing on the lit up phone sitting on the table in the doorway. She howled a dramatic whimper, turning back in her seat and shrinking down. 

“Of course.” 

“Do you think that was part of the plan?” Inuyasha sat in the armchair next to the tree, stretching his legs out to rest on the ottoman. 

“Why would anyone intentionally leave their phone behind?” Kagome asked.

“Considering the bind we’re in, the notion fits. We’ve been alone for hours, we’re snowed in, and the power’s out. They’re impossible to get ahold of - meaning no interruptions, candles and firelight set the mood, and you’ll probably get cold soon so I’ll have to hold you to keep warm because they’ve most likely hidden every blanket in the house.”

“Not even half of that was part of their plan.” She blinked, the bewilderment in her eyes growing clearer as the fire caught and grew.

“Are you kidding? This whole evening was probably a play-by-play of everything they imagined.” Inuyasha mentioned matter-of-factly.

“Yes, because last I checked, Miroku and Sango have become such a power couple that, so long as they’re together, they can literally control the weather. Look out, world! Hurricane MirSan is on the loose!” Kagome flailed her arms in front of her startlingly.

“What - what is that? MirSan?” Inuyasha forced himself to seem unamused. She’s not funny.

“It’s their ship name.” She said. “Also, I would just like to mention, fire equals warmth. I could sit by it if I get cold. Also, Sango probably has her phone, so I’ll just text her.”

Inuyasha didn’t respond, looking toward the fire as it ate at the log, the incessant popping drowning out all other noise in the room. He watched as the flames danced around while Kagome texted their friend. It only took a few minutes before she got a reply, and that was enough to reassure him that they were safe somewhere. 

Kagome set her phone down after the notification dings ended, rising from her seat and heading towards the kitchen. “They’re okay. They’re in a restaurant waiting the storm out. Looks like the power outage is throughout most of town.”

“Told you they were fine.” 

“It didn’t hurt to check. Dinner?” She offered, spreading the tea lights out around the kitchen. 

“How do you plan on cooking?” Inuyasha asked.

“It’s a gas stove. All I need is the lighter.” She pulled out some groceries, a few vegetables poking out of thin, plastic bags, and set them on the counter. Inuyasha got up, grabbing the lighter from where he’d left it on the mantle and traveled into the kitchen, offering it over to her. She smiled, taking it from him and sliding it into her pocket. 

“What can you even make in a blackout?”

“Almost anything, really. I’ll whip up some chicken, sauté some vegetables, and make some rice on the side. How does that sound?”

Delicious, really. 

“I don’t think they have a rice cooker here, Kagome.” He mentioned, opening one of the cabinets and peeking in. 

“No, but we have plenty of other cookware here, and you can make rice in a pot.” Kagome opened the large cabinet on the island, pulling out a skillet and a small pot with its lid. “My mom never had a rice cooker growing up, so we always made it this way. It’s not too different.” 

Inuyasha watched her lay everything out neatly so she’d be able to see it. If his phone wasn’t already at thirteen percent before the blackout, he’d be holding the built-in flashlight up to help out. She poured the rice into the measuring cup before turning the stove on, using the lighter to get a small flame going. He watched her move around expertly, almost with no thought to what she was doing. It looked like it was second nature to her. It was interesting gathering the rhythm she had going. He almost felt like he was in her way until she pulled a huge ass knife from a nearby drawer. 

“Woah, no! It’s way too dark to go cutting shit! You’ll lose a finger!” Inuyasha made to take the knife from her, but Kagome stepped back, putting the blade behind her and out of his reach. 

“Would you relax? I’m a professional. I know how to cut a bell pepper without getting my finger in the mix.” She stated, mindlessly brushing him off.

“A professional at cutting vegetables?” He asked, unamused. 

“A professional chef. I literally do this for a living.” 

Inuyasha relaxed. She literally did know what she was doing. It wasn’t often that people said that and were actually able to back it up. “You’re a chef?” 

“I sure am.” Kagome grinned, making her way around him and back to the cutting board. It made sense now why she moved so effortlessly and comfortably around the kitchen. He took her queue to light the other burner as she brought over the skillet, melting some butter and allowing the meat to cook, stepping back and closely observing the way she worked as she started cutting the vegetables. She may be a professional, but that doesn’t mean accidents never happen. Especially in a dim-lit room. It was natural, in this case, to be a little worried that she’d slip up and cut herself. 

His eyes stayed on her as she moved about the kitchen, taking the lightly-browned chicken from the skillet and placing them aside on a plate. She melted some more butter in the pan, mixing in the vegetables. 

“Okay,” She began, her voice coming out high-pitched. “How about we play a game.”

“A game?” Inuyasha lifted himself to sit on the counter. 

“Yeah! A question game.” She pushed the vegetables around in the pan. “We’re gonna be stuck in the cabin for a while. Our best friends, A.K.A. our only mutual ties to one another, are out. How about we get to know each other while we have the chance?”

Sango did tell him to get to know Kagome, and there was a good chance of hell to pay if he didn’t at least try. Kagome was literally presenting the opportunity on a silver platter, and quite frankly, the risk wasn’t worth it.

“I guess. You start.” 

Kagome added the chicken back to the pan, messing with the heat. He couldn’t tell you what kind of seasonings she put in, but it smelled good. She hummed to herself as she thought, passing by him and opening the fridge to pull out the opened bottle of wine from last night. 

“Go for a hike or stay in and watch Netflix?” She asked, pulling two glasses down and pouring the red liquid into both.

“Hike. You?” He took the offered glass.

“You can’t just ask me the same questions every time!” Kagome shot, shaking her head.

“Ugh, okay. Fine. Wine or beer?” 

Kagome lifted her glass in answer, taking a quick sip. “Wine, of course. Cats or dogs?” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Sorry,” She laughed, the sound causing his ear to twitch pleasantly. He’s not about to admit to her that he likes cats when he’s got dog demon blood. He’d be a walking contradiction, like those fucking Starburst commercials. “Never mind that one! New question: have you ever been on a cruise?”

“No, and I’ve never been interested in going on one.” Inuyasha wrinkled his nose, taking a big sip of his drink. Kagome only nodded, heading back to the stove to give her attention to the food cooking. 

“Your turn.”

“Okay, have you and Miroku ever been a thing?” He challenged. 

Kagome nearly choked on her wine, holding the glass as she spewed it back in. He flinched back, unexpecting the response he got. “What?!”

Inuyasha laughed, waiting for her to say something more. She noticeably shuddered, the disgust twisting at her lips, and he urged her to answer with a raise of his brow. 

“Was that a serious question? Of course I’ve never been with Miroku!” Kagome said a little too loudly.

“You say that like being with Miroku is a bad thing.”

“Well, yeah! It is for me!” Her tone was getting higher and higher.

“Why?”

“Nope, my turn.” She cut him off at the knees, stealing her game back as she adjusted the heat on the vegetables and removed the lid from the rice. She took a fork from the drawer, stirring the rice around a bit before replacing the top. “You ever been with Sango?”

“I thought we weren’t supposed to ask the same questions!” Inuyasha mocked, jumping from the counter and heading towards the fireplace. He picked up the fire iron, poking at the burning logs to keep them going. 

“We aren’t. At no point did I ask if you dated Miroku, did I?” She teased.

“Loopholes.” He grunted, shaking his head and sitting in the armchair. He leaned back, eyeing her as she got comfortable against the marble counter closest to the stove. “No, I’ve never dated Sango. Never even considered it. She’s the closest thing to a sibling that I’ve got.” 

“Wait, I thought I heard Sango mention you had an older brother.” She said, turning the burners off and opening the cabinets to get down two plates. 

“Half brother and the only good thing that came from him was my niece. Now answer my earlier question.”

Kagome portioned their food on the plates in front of her, not bothering to look at him as she answered. “Miroku and I have been strictly platonic since day one and that’s how it’ll always be. Plus, I’m not into that whole rat tail thing he has going on.” Kagome giggled. 

“You’re honestly telling me that at no point in the recent years have you two been attracted to one another? B.S.. I don’t buy it.” Inuyasha shook his head confidently, casually taking a sip of the overly-sweet wine. Maybe she wasn’t lying. Maybe she never thought of Miroku as anything more than a friend, but if he’s learned anything about his coworker, it’s that the guy wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to hit on a good looking woman, and Inuyasha had a feeling that Kagome wasn’t a late bloomer.

“No, seriously, we’ve never looked at each other that way.” She defended boldly. 

“Really? Because you guys seemed awfully comfortable with each other earlier.” He could argue about this for days.

“When?”

“The kiss. This morning.”

“What, the kiss on the cheek? The super simple, meaningless, friendly peck on the cheek I got?” 

“It could have meant something else.” He waved off.

“Yeah, but it didn’t. Why do you even care so much? You sound like you’re jealous of something.” Kagome baited. 

“N-no! Obviously, I’m not! It just… I don’t know, it seemed like maybe there was something more there!” Inuyasha wanted to put a halt to that thought immediately, ignoring the heat in his cheeks. Him? Jealous? Fat chance. He was just looking out for Sango, plain and simple. He didn’t give a rats ass if Kagome and Miroku had ever been involved before. He did and he didn’t. He did. Fuck, he did. He really fucking did.

“Believe me, there isn’t! He’s my best friend, Inuyasha. And he would never hurt Sango like that.”

He looked away from her, staring back at the fire, watching as the wood charred and broke apart, the flames dancing around languidly. He crossed his arms over his chest, tensing his jaw. He was maybe a little jealous this morning, but he refused to admit it to anyone other than himself. The bigger part of him, or so he thought, had wanted to make sure that Miroku wouldn’t hurt Sango. He’s making excuses to himself, and he knows it. Kagome chuckled at something and he consciously felt his ear flick in her direction. 

Inuyasha had noticed after Kagome had taken it upon herself to point it out, like a hyperawareness, that one, or even both, of his ears would sometimes twitch for no good reason at all. He hadn’t been able to place why it happened before, but at this point, he has a pretty strong hunch. There’s not much noise inside the cabin; the crackling of the fire, the occasional whistle of the wind against the windows, the creaking floors when they walk. Aside from that, and their conversations with all they entailed, it was mostly quiet. The only sound he could think of, the only sound of all of the aforementioned that he remotely enjoyed, that would have a strong enough affect on him to cause a twinge in his own, sensitive ears had to be Kagome’s laugh. Typically, Inuyasha was perfectly capable of liking things in secret. He’d appreciate whatever it was, keep the news to himself, and move on with his life. With Kagome, it was like an entirely different story. He had minor feelings for the girl, and people can apparently see it written all over his face like a damn billboard. He found something about her endearing, and Sango calls him out every fucking time they have a “moment.” He appreciates the sounds of her joy, and his _ears, _a part of his own body, betrays him with zero remorse. So much for total control over the appendages.

Maybe Sango was right- surprise, surprise. Kagome has never seemed put off by his half demon traits. She was the kind of girl to accept anybody and everybody with open arms. The girl is an actual saint. But, just because she doesn’t hate that he’s a half demon, doesn’t mean she likes _him, _per se. A part of Inuyasha would like to believe that she does. The side of him that’s hopelessly falling for her more and more with each giggle, poorly-told joke, and sassy remark. He’s not one to willingly set himself up to be hurt, though. He won’t allow himself to get his hopes up that a girl like Kagome could like someone like him. 

Kagome laughed to herself again, and he felt the same ear twitch in response. Son of a bitch. No. Nope. What the hell is she even laughing at? 

He shifted, pulling his phone out of his back pocket and unlocking it. He needed to distract himself, to keep himself busy and not focused on the girl in the kitchen. He opened his message thread with Sesshomaru, realizing he never replied, typing a simple “_sure” _as slowly as one could pop in the four letters.

Kagome cleared her throat, running the sink water briefly. “Okay, dinner’s ready!” She announced, clearing off the island countertop. “It’d probably be easier to eat over here.” 

Inuyasha stood, slipping his phone back into his pocket as he made his way over to the island. He thanked her quietly as she slid a plate to him, opening a drawer and pulling out some knives, carefully handing him one. 

“More wine?” He asked, taking the bottle from the counter and filling his cup halfway.

“Please.” Inuyasha poured what was left of the wine into her glass, before finally turning to his plate to start eating. “So, whose turn was it? Mine?” 

“Oh, yeah.” 

“Okay, um…” Kagome took a bite of chicken, thinking up a question and clicking her tongue when she had one. “What’s your brothers name?”

“Douchebag.” 

“What?” She laughed. Oh fuck.

“That’s what I call him.” He shrugged as nonchalantly as possible. “Most other people know him as Sesshomaru, though. What are your hobbies?” 

“Binge watching shows on Netflix and playing with my cat.” Kagome said.

Inuyasha snorted as he finished his bite of food, reflexively shooting the back of his hand to his mouth to try and cover his chortle. “No wonder Miroku wanted to set you up with someone.” 

“Shut up!” Kagome grabbed an untouched candle from the package nearby, throwing it at him without an ounce of hesitation. He blocked it easily with his shoulder and laughed. “I do not need help getting a boyfriend, just so you know! He just hates everyone I date!” 

“Awe, it’s so nice knowing Miroku approves of me.” He said, holding a hand to his sternum and feigning delight.

“Mhm, still haven’t figured out why.” She said sarcastically. 

“Rude ass.” Inuyasha snorted again.

“Okay, speaking of exes, what’s your story? Have you had awful ones and Sango’s just decided to take the lead in your love life, or what?” 

Inuyasha finished his dinner, the aftertaste of Kagome’s cooking just as good as the meal itself. He made his way over to the sink, gently dropping his dishes in. “Not really. None of my exes actually led to anything special. Sango just thinks you’re nice…” 

“I do have my moments.” Kagome agreed, the humor heavy in her voice.

“I would fully appreciate it if she stayed out of my love life though, lack thereof or not.” He mentioned, strongly wishing the notion would travel through Kagome’s ears and somehow reach Sango’s.

“Why does that sound like she’s done something wrong?” 

“Because she has.” Inuyasha turned the water on, rinsing his plate off and finding the sponge, but Kagome got his attention before he did anything more, softly swatting his arm to gesture that she would take care of it later.

“And…?” She squeezed by him, setting her plate in the sink and letting the cold water run over it. 

“And it was the worst blind date in existence. It would have never happened if she didn’t set me up, and I’m not looking to relive it. What’s your favorite food?” Inuyasha asked, keeping the game flowing.

“Pasta.” She picked up her glass of wine as they moved to the living room, making herself comfortable on the sofa, folding her legs beneath her. “May I ask what happened, or is it too bold of me?”

“Pretty bold of you, but I guess there’s really no harm.” He sat at the other end of the couch after prodding at the fire again, the jostling of the cushions from his plop down hardly affecting the girl at the opposite side. “She set me up with this chick that has a thing against demons, and considering I’m half… well, you can imagine how the night went.” 

Kagome’s jaw dropped, a gasp leaving her lips. “No way!” 

He chuckled and nodded, her reply more dramatic than he expected.

“Well then, I definitely don’t blame you for not trusting her sense of judgement.” She confirmed.

“What about you? What has Miroku done to make you skeptical of his?” Inuyasha asked, genuinely curious to see how much worse their mutual friend could get.

“Nothing, actually. He’s never done this before. I had settled on the idea that he was just over protective of me and therefore would never like a guy I introduced him to, you know? Like, the whole no-one-will-ever-be-good-enough-for-you thing. Then, suddenly, he’s head over heels about the idea of you and I going out. I don’t get it.” She raised the glass to her lips, taking a languid sip.

“Maybe there’s nothing to get.” Inuyasha said, his eyes gazing over at her. There was a small lick of disappointment in his chest, but he pushed it away. It wouldn’t do him any good to focus on it at the moment. Or ever. “I’m sure he has his dumb reasons, but if you aren’t interested then you aren’t interested. Just leave it alone. He’ll give up eventually.” 

“It’s not that I’m not interested. I’m just curious about his sudden change of heart.” Kagome mentioned carelessly. The words didn’t take long to sink in, bringing him into an extremely alert state. Did she literally just say that after almost punching Miroku’s lights out not even a few hours ago when they were about to be left alone?

“You… W-wait, you are interested?” His mind was racing a mile a minute, turning to face her as he waited impatiently for a response. This could be a mistake, he was well aware of that. People say things and give off the wrong messages all the time.

“Hm?” Kagome’s face resembled something similar to a lenticular image, transitioning through a few expressions ranging from calm, to confused, to aware, to absolute terror.

Inuyasha stared at her. Waiting for her to fucking say something. Her lips parted, and he immediately braced himself for the confirmation or the denial. 

“Whose turn was it? Mine? What’s your nieces name?” Her voice cracked slightly as she tried not to appear flustered, clearly giving her best effort to throw him off track with their stupid question game.

“Rin. Kagome, are you serious?” Inuyasha dove right back in. There was no denial.

“Please elaborate.” Kagome straightened in her seat, her body noticeably tensing from unease.

“Do you - I mean… J-Just, go back to what you said earlier. Did you mean that, or…?”

Her cheeks managed to show a dark shade of crimson, and it looked like she wasn’t going to try diverting anymore, her attempts feeble as they were. He wanted her to admit it. God damn, Inuyasha wanted to hear her say she liked him. If there was even a small chance for him, he wanted to know. Now.

“Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“You’re really gonna make me say it?” Kagome radiated embarrassment, but there was no way he would back down now.

“Kagome.” Inuyasha said firmly.

“Ugh- Inuyasha! Yes, I have feelings for you! I got roped in god knows how long ago, and I kept up the facade I had going because I thought that was the right thing to do! Miroku and Sango treated this like a game! We couldn’t very well let them win; we would never hear the end of it! This isn’t altogether my fault thought, I want that to be noted! I mean, look at you!” She gestured to his entire body and he blinked in surprise, mouth open slightly at her admission. “Oh my god, no. That came out wrong… what I meant was, I can’t really explain what I feel when I see you, but it’s… nice. I mean, I can, but I’d really rather not because I’ll start rambling and that’s just a whole different side of me that no one should have to deal with.” 

“You’re already rambling.” Inuyasha stated, keeping his tone steady as he tried to absorb everything, hoping he wasn’t coming off as anxious as she clearly was.

“Believe it or not, it gets worse.” She mumbled, gently bobbing her head from side to side in admittance. “Look, we can drop it. We never have to talk about this again if you don’t want to. We’ll mind our business like we normally do and move on with our lives. Miroku promised me that after Christmas they wouldn’t push us on each other anymore, so we don’t have anything to worry about.” 

Inuyasha didn’t respond immediately, watching as she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, biting down on the plump skin. His head was spinning uncontrollably, his heart racing as if he’d just ran a marathon. Kagome likes him. How much time was appropriate to take in order to process what he had just heard? Not much, apparently, because Kagome was walking away from him by the time he was able to sigh out a stable breath.

“Wai- Kagome, where are you going?”

She didn’t answer. Kagome kept her pace around the couches and towards the hall, Inuyasha just barely managing to reach her arm before she disappeared into the darkened area. He pulled her back to him, and she bashfully turned to face him. There was no way in hell Inuyasha was about to let her walk away before he had a chance to say anything back. 

“What, were you just gonna hide in your room for the rest of the night?” 

“Not exactly.” Kagome gave a measly shrug of one shoulder.

“Then why did you leave? I didn’t get to say anything.”

“I didn’t think you would!”

“You threw a lot at me, Kagome! I needed a minute to take it all in!”

“Ugh, we really don’t have to talk about this!” He could feel her try to get her arm free, though her efforts were weak.

“Did I say that’s what I wanted?!” Inuyasha pulled her closer, her face completely shadowed from view, his broad body blocking all light that could reach from the fire, the sweaters over their frames grazing against one another’s as their chests rose and fell from their breaths. He kept his tone low and steady, “Give me a fucking moment to wrap my mind around a girl like you liking a guy like me.”

Inuyasha released his grip on her arm, allowing his hand to slide down and hold onto her small wrist. Kagome still held some tension in her muscles, their bodies so close together Inuyasha could feel it for himself. The language in her bones confirmed everything she said to him, and more. She was just as afraid of rejection as he was.

“I haven’t been able to keep my eyes off you since the day we met, Kagome, and after hearing all that, I don’t give a shit if they win.” He admitted, his feet inching him closer.

Inuyasha curved his hand around the soft skin of her jaw, over her ear, and threaded his fingers through her silky, dark hair. He didn’t need to see her in order to know that his words did something for her, and that’s all he found himself wanting to do over and over. Kagome’s happiness had somehow become his own. She glanced up above him, and his eyes followed her trail, landing on the green mistletoe hanging from the beam. 

“Of course.” He commented, not sounding surprised in the least. Kagome bit her lip, her hands grazing up his sides, fingers clutching to the black cotton adorning his torso, pulling his attention back to her. He dipped down without a second thought, succumbing to the overwhelming urge to take her, the fingers in her hair gripping tenderly as he slowly tilted her head back to welcome him in. 

“One more set up won’t hurt.” She whispered against his lips, her warm breath drawing an approving rumble from his chest. His kiss starting slow, needy, and deep, evolving into something fierce and all too satisfying. He didn’t know how badly he’d wanted, needed, Kagome until now, and he fucking had her. Maybe Christmas wasn’t all that bad after all. Both his hands hooked under the crook of her jaw, holding her to him, their chests pressed tightly to one another’s, her hands undeniably pulling him closer and closer as he felt a heat that rivaled the fire’s beyond the hearth. 

Her own parents were convinced that the Marquesss would be a solid match for her, with Kagome insisting that it was meant to be as Lord Houshi and Inuyasha were fast friends just as the two of them were.

“Be thankful he’s taken an interest in you, girl.” Her father had boomed, patting her head fondly to take any bite out of the remark while her mother fussed over her gown.

“It’s fortunate that the Lord and Lady Higurashi volunteered to sponsor your coming out, Sango,” her mother continued, “your only duty now is to make a good match and do us proud.”

She could have vomited, really. The last thing she’d ever want was to strike a match with the Marquess of Houshi, a rake of the worst sorts. She’d heard the servants talking, whispers that her ears had definitely not been meant to overhear, about how the blasted man was never spotted with the same woman morning, noon, and night.

Disgusting.

“Oh!” Kagome gasped, yanking on Sango’s arm like she’d pull it out of its socket. “He’s headed this way!!”

Keeping her back firmly turned to the approaching Marquess, Sango clasped her hands together tightly, hoping that it would hide their sudden shaking. She couldn’t figure out why her traitorous heart had taken to galloping away in her chest at the knowledge that he was approaching her.

“Ladies,” Miroku spoke, and Sango could just envision the smile on his face, quaint and charming.

And bestowed upon anything wearing a skirt. A rational part of her piped up and she tampered down the flurry of emotion within her. She wished she could just ignore him, continue to stare at the far wall where the Western Duke was still pretending he didn’t hear the marriage-minded mamas vying for his attention, but she realized that to give a Marquess the cut direct was simply not in form. Especially not for her.

“My lord,” Kagome said courteously, sinking into a flawless curtsy and bestowing him with a fond smile. Sango barely resisted the urge to snort in a most unladylike fashion.

“Lord Hou-” she began, only to be cut off when he sidled forwards, his eyes glittering as he took her gloved hand and laid a kiss against the back of it.

“You, my dear, may call me Miroku.”

She could have slapped him. The use of his given name? Such intimacy was surely unwarranted from the few encounters they’d had thus far. Anger overrode good reason and Sango found herself hissing furiously at him.

“What I will call you is a rake. A most reprehensible and appalling one at that.”

Kagome’s low whimper of horror reminded Sango that she and the lecherous Marquess were not alone and she straightened up quickly, having leaned towards him to snarl her words.

“Ah,” Miroku cried dramatically, placing a hand against his heart, “such sweet poison you spit, little viper.” He smiled down at her, leaning casually against the pillar behind him, the image of dangerous perfection. Dangerous because a single wrong move from her and she’d be compromised and added to the list of his conquests.

“Did you know,” He said in a conspiratorial whisper, looking at her with the full force of his dark eyes, piercing straight into her, “I’ve heard it said that reformed rakes make the best husbands.”

Kagome gave a sharp indrawn breath, her hand flying to her breast and Sango glanced at her for a moment to see her gesture pointedly to the Marquess, signalling that she continue this…… conversation.

“I believe,” she said, pausing when she heard how breathy she sounded and clearing her throat before continuing, “I believe that reformed was the integral word there. And you, my lord,” she said pointedly, placing emphasis on his title, “are anything but.”

He drew back then, looking surprised for a moment at her response. Surprised but oh so pleased.

“Very good, my dear.” He laughed, crossing his arms over his broad chest with a wide grin. “Very good, indeed. There’s hope for you yet.”

Sango prepared to deliver another scathing retort but froze, dread and a strange sense of anticipation creeping through her, when the music began.

“May I?” Miroku asked, extending his arm in her direction, the picture of propriety. She chanced a glance in Kagome’s direction and found her already accepting the arm of Sesshomaru, who looked as if he’d rather be dead than where he currently was, him being honour bound to dance a dance with his brother’s betrothed in his absence. Left with no other option, she cautiously placed her hand on Miroku’s arm, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor where the waltz had begun.

Some part of her wondered just how many women he’d done this with when he led the dance with the ease of one well versed in it, and a larger part stomped it into silence. She had no business thinking anything of the sort. Biting her tongue in an effort to remain silent, she kept her gaze averted from her partner, staring instead at his expensive looking shoes as they led her around the dance floor.

“The thing about animosity,” he whispered and she jumped when she felt his breath on the side of her neck, “is that you’re supposed to enjoy the discord, love.”

Surely there had to be some rule about this? Surely gentlemen were not permitted to just...breathe all over ladies?!

“I couldn’t hope to entertain even the thought of any ill-will towards you, my lord.” Sango crooned in what she hoped was a deceptively mild voice. “You are a lord of the realm, and I? I am but a merchant’s daughter.”

How could she truly tell him how delectable - er… despicable she found him when there was such a chasm between them in social standing?

“Quite right you are, lovely Sango.” Miroku nodded and she gasped when she felt his fingers brush over her waist, scalding her through the fabric of her gown. “It is unheard of for a merchant’s daughter to mouth off to a Marquess.”

She really bit her tongue then, to try and keep herself from screaming that she was already aware of that and that was precisely why she had just said that.

“But,” he continued, pulling her closer to him in a move that made her freeze, knowing instinctively that all eyes must be on them now, “it is not so far-fetched for a woman to share her thoughts with her husband.”

Her heart must have skipped a beat. She was sure of it. Her face was suddenly flushed, her heartbeat thundering in her ears as her eyes flew up to his in shock. Husband? Was - was the ton’s most notorious rake proposing marriage to her? Without the threat of her father suing him for compromising her?

He must have had some inkling as to the direction her thoughts had taken when he beamed down at her and lifted her hand to his mouth again, placing his lips softly against the back of her hand again.

“I implore you to think upon the…rebuttal I have just given you.” She felt her cheeks heat again in a blush that must have carried across her entire body, and his eyes sparkled with mirth in response. “And I will call upon you in the morrow to hear your reply. Until then, I bid you adieu.”

In a whisk of black satin, he had departed, striding confidently towards the grand doors, leaving Sango staring after him. A pin could have been dropped just then and the sound would have reverberated through the room. The hand he had kissed rose to clutch at her chest, a small smile crossing her face in spite of herself. Call on her, would he? Well he would get his answer. She could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on her and wondered how she would divert attention away from herself when it happened.

“Will we get on with this sordid affair? Is it your belief that I have absolutely nowhere else to be and so can afford to spend hours at your ridiculous party? And I say, Miss Higurashi, do move your feet.” Sesshomaru’s cold voice rang out and Sango turned around in time to see her friend’s face contort into barely concealed malice as she deliberately brought her heel down on her future brother-in-law’s foot and his eyes flared at her in response.

How many nights had she spent staring at the piece of paper, begging any divinity that was listening to help her remember. Some part of her knew that this Inuyasha, whoever he was, wherever he was, was someone she loved. She didn’t know how she knew this, but she knew it was so.

What other explanation could there be for his name being enough to cause her heart to clench as if a part of it was missing. As if he had taken it with him when his memories had faded from her mind, one by one. Silver, and something red. The scratchy warmth of something wrapped around her while she sat in front of a crackling fire, leaning into a firm chest. She would glance up, feeling the swell of affection in her chest only to have his face be blurred from her view. She would reach for him and he would fade away from her. She would scream and cry but he was gone. His hand slipping out of hers, something sharp pricking her fingers - claws?

It was enough to make her head spin. She would glance at the window beside her bed, seeing the golden rays of sunshine, a colour that tugged at her heartstrings, paint pictures on her wall and realize that she had spent another night sleepless, before pulling herself out of her bed. It was as if life was passing her by and all she could do was hold on for dear life while everyone around her kept progressing. Some part of her knew she had no reason to be like this. She had a job that paid well and that she found enjoyment in, there was roof over her head, and she wasn’t lacking anything.

Except him.

How could she miss someone she didn’t know? How could she long for someone she had never possessed?

Kagome’s commute to work was a relatively short one, and yet every day she felt as if it took her hours to reach the building. She walked up to her office, nodding politely at people who stopped to greet her along the way. And then he arrived.

She knew the moment he walked out of the elevator, even without turning around. The sudden hum in the air, and her own heart’s erratic beating betraying her. His name was Taisho. That was it. Nobody knew his first name and when asked he would grumble under his breath and evade the question.

Part of her hated herself for reacting to him the way she did. He wasn’t an overtly kind man or even a social one, and she could count the number of times she had spoken to him on one hand. But sometimes, when he thought she wasn’t looking, she could feel his searing gaze on her, the oddest shade of blue and a deep grey, and wondered if he felt the odd connection between them just as strongly as she did. Kagome’s breath caught in her throat when she heard his footsteps in the hall behind her, heard him gruffly answer a called out greeting in that deep voice of his that made her feel as if she had finally found the part of her that had been missing for so long.

But she didn’t know him. How could Taisho be what she was missing? How was she supposed to fight to remember someone who was already in front of her? How could she even think about him when clearly there was someone else in her heart. Inuyasha. Inuyasha. Inuyasha. His name was like a constant loop in her mind, and yet whenever she found herself thinking about Taisho, the ache seemed to dull in her chest.

“Are you just going to stand there in the middle of the hallway?” He spoke from behind her and Kagome was suddenly hyper aware of every sense in her body. She could feel him towering over her, and in her mind’s eye she could already see him. Hands stuffed in his pocket, shoulders slightly hunched and glowering down at her as if she had ruined his entire day by entering his line of sight. And if he was half as tormented by this desire that plagued her, then she supposed she had.

She turned back slightly, glancing up at him over her shoulder, to find him already staring down at her. His dark hair was longer than other men in the office, with the thick strands falling forwards into his eyes, softening the severity of his scowl. All of the tension seemed to ebb out of her as she looked at him, something about him so shockingly familiar that it made her want to run into his arms and hide there forever. She didn’t know how or why but she knew she could trust him, that he would protect her. Even at the cost of his own life.

The anger faded from his eyes, replaced by something she knew only too well herself. Longing. Did he ache just like she did? Did he want to hold her just as badly as she wanted him to press her to his chest and shield her from the world that she wasn’t so sure she belonged in? Without saying a word, Kagome stepped out of his way, barely managing to swallow a gasp when his shoulder brushed against hers as he walked past her.

She swallowed hard, realizing she was fighting tears as the ache seeped back into her being as he strode away from her. She wouldn’t cry, she had promised herself that she was done crying. Not wanting to make more of a fool of herself than she probably already have, Kagome hastily hurried into her office, shutting the door behind her and immediately leaning against it.

When she felt the dampness on her cheeks, she knew that she had already broken her own promise.

_______________________________________________________________________

She had thought that perhaps the powers above had finished ridiculing her for the day. She was wrong. It hadn’t even been an hour when she received a phone call from her superiors informing her that they had assigned her a partner in the project she was working on because he “has a knack for this sort of thing.”

And who else had walked into her office besides Taisho himself. For his credit, he looked just as uncomfortable with the situation as she did, refusing to meet her gaze as he ducked under the doorframe and stood in the corner of the room.

“Did you want anything? A cup of coffee?” Kagome asked, brushing her skirt off as she stood up, willing her hands to stop shaking in response to his being in her space.

“Sure,” he muttered, glancing up at her for a heated moment before tearing his eyes away again with a low growl. “Thanks,” he tacked on as an afterthought, hands clenching into fists.

She wasn’t sure where her mind was as she filled the cup, reaching for the creamer and sugar and adding it in. It was only when she was handing him the cup and found him already staring at her in shock that she realized she hadn’t even asked him how he took his coffee.

“How did you -” he began, his eyes flicking between the cup in her hands and her face.

“Call it intuition.” She laughed weakly, watching his eyes surge with an emotion she couldn’t quite place.

He reached for the cup, fingers brushing over hers and her breath caught in her throat, eyes flying up to meet his when a spark shot through her at the contact of his skin with hers.

“Son of a bitch-” she heard him mutter, her heart leaping when his fingers tightened around hers and his hand remained where it was for a moment longer.

It seemed like hours had passed with them just staring at each other before he spoke again.

“What’s your name?” His brow furrowed over his dark eyes, a frown tugging at the corner of his mouth as the question spilled from his lips urgently. “I know your last name is Higurashi but -” he trailed off, and when his jaw clenched and she could make out the sheen of tears in his eyes, she felt as if she was looking in a mirror.

“Kagome,” she whispered. “My name is Kagome.”

He seemed to go slack-jawed for a moment, the cup of coffee slipping from between his fingers, shattering on the floor between them. She was dimly aware of the hot liquid splattering against her legs, but the sting was shallow compared to the way her heart was galloping.

“Kagome - how - how do you know that name!?”

His hands wrapped around her shoulders, fingers digging into her flesh slightly when he pulled her closer to him.

“Do you hear it?” She breathed, revelling in the slight fading of the ache in her chest at his proximity. “Do you hear my name echoing in your mind -”

“Like it’s been carved into my brain.” He finished weakly, his fingers loosening on her shoulders, caressing the skin there with painstaking gentleness.

“What’s your name?” Kagome asked, feeling tears well in her own eyes when he squeezed his shut. Part of her already knew the answer, but she needed to hear it. Needed to hear him end her torment.

“I don’t go by it - it’s stupid.” He hedged, looking away from her. Her hands reached up then, cradling his face in her fingers and turning it back towards herself.

“I need to hear it.”

That flare of something was back in his eyes and she wondered whether she was imagining the slight tremble in his figure as he took a deep breath and spoke.

“Inuyasha. My name is Inuyasha.”