The group headed across the massive property of the Higurashi shrine and descended the long staircase. Inuyasha had offered Kagome his elbow on the stairs to make sure she wouldn't fall. She was wearing a stylish pair of winter booties to keep her warm and complement her lovely dress. The heels made her a couple inches taller, but she was still tiny next to her power house of a date. Her long peacoat covered her body down to her knees, shielding her from the cold.

She was surprised when he lightly tugged her in the other direction, away from his red car and toward a silver car. She raised a questioning eyebrow at him and he smiled as he pressed the alarm to unlock it.

"I borrowed a car for us this evening. Don't forget... that's Sesshomaru's car. This is my mother's." He nodded toward Sesshomaru, Rin, Miroku and Sango getting into the red car. Kouga and Ayame were behind Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Are we all going out together?" Kagome asked as she got in the passenger seat.

"I'm just dropping them off. Sesshomaru is gonna drop off Miroku and Sango at their concert and they're gonna take a train to their hotel," Inuyasha explained as he started up the engine. Ayame and Kouga slipped into the back seat, giggling and whispering to each other. Kagome blushed, remembering the last time Kouga and Ayame had a sexual tryst in the vicinity of everyone. They really were unashamed of their intense sexual attraction to each other.

"Please wait until you get to your hotel before you start stimulating each others genitals." Inuyasha snapped. "And put your seat belts on. I don't want any shit with my mother's car if I get pulled over."

"Calm down, ass." Kouga bellowed from the back seat, making Kagome jump. "As if you and Pip Squeak aren't gonna fuck in this car tonight. You're fucking idiots if you don't. Actually, you're fucking idiots either way. Get it?"

"Kouga!" A slap was heard from the back seat as Kouga whined. "Stop being such an ass! It's a holiday!" Ayame was adamant and Kouga let out a stubborn hmph.

"So what are you guys doing tonight?" Kagome asked in hope of lightening the mood.

"We're going to a teppanyaki-ya and staying in the hotel there." Kouga said gruffly.

"Sounds expensive."

"Oh, trust me," he sounded exasperated. "I had to save up for a fucking while to make these reservations."

"I bet."

"His mother is paying for it," Inuyasha grinned.

"She's helping me pay!" Kouga protested.

"What about you two?" Ayame asked excitedly and Kagome's gaze snapped to Inuyasha, drinking in his attire, loving the way his suit accentuated his masculinity. His eyes slid over to glance at her and he smirked.

"It's a surprise."

"Dang it," Kagome muttered cutely and Inuyasha chuckled.

"It was worth a shot, Kagome." Ayame giggled from the back seat.

"This is why I can only trust Rin with these things." Inuyasha was grinning wickedly now. "We have enough dirt on each other that we really can't tell on each other without being blackmailed."

"Some friendship you guys have..." Kouga muttered and Inuyasha chuckled again.

"She's more like a very annoying and bossy little sister."

"I can attest to that," Kagome giggled. "So what dirt does she have on you?"

"I've told you most of my secrets, haven't I?" He sounded playfully insulted.

"I don't know... I feel like I should know more about you." She smiled at him. Though he couldn't look back at her while he was driving, he smiled too.

"You can get to know me all you like tonight." He said quietly, hoping that didn't sound dirty.

"Sounds like they're gonna get to know each other in bed." Kouga grinned widely.

"Shut up, wolf boy." Inuyasha snorted.

"You guys do realize we're still in the car, right?" Ayame laughed.

After some time, they pulled up in front of a massive hotel in Shinjuku City. Kouga slid out of the car and walked to Inuyasha's side to let out Ayame, then leaned up to Inuyasha's window to slip him a tip a tip and wished him a good night. That was extremely out of the norm for him and for some reason, it made Kagome nervous. Whatever Inuyasha was planning for their night, it must have been a big deal if even Kouga was being so encouraging. Or maybe even someone like Kouga was capable of being charitable on the holidays.

"Alright, Short Stuff." He turned to face her briefly as he pulled out of the massive hotel lot. Kagome gulped. "I made a promise that you would have fun tonight. For starters, are you hungry?"

"Yes, actually." She gave him a small smile. She was famished. She'd only eaten an omelet and a bowl of soup earlier.

"That's good. Our stop isn't far from here." He said and Kagome pouted.

"Are you going to tell me what we'll be doing?"

"You'll find out soon enough." He grinned widely. "I'm gonna feed you, then we'll enjoy a night out on the town."

"You're not giving much away, are you?"

"Funny you should say that." He bit his lip. He was enjoying himself so much and part of Kagome wanted to laugh, despite being annoyed with his teasing. It was difficult to be mad at him when he was being so playful and adorable. Kagome wanted to squeeze him when he was like this.

She tried to hide her smile as she crossed her arms and looked out the window. It was a beautiful, clear night, apart from being cold. Inuyasha pulled up to a massive sky scraper and Kagome craned her head to view the whole thing, her jaw dropping in awe. After leaving the car with the valet, he escorted her up the walkway to the lobby. It was a rather tall building, one of the tallest she'd ever seen. For someone who lived most of her live in New York City, that was saying something.

Once through the first set of glass doors, Inuyasha led her into an impressive lobby with a huge grand staircase. She was glad she'd dressed up the way she did, as all the patrons were adorned in dressy clothes and suits. She twiddled her thumbs impatiently as they waited for the elevator. Once inside, he pushed the button for the 40th floor.

Kagome leaned her head against the wall of the elevator as she thought back to her days of treatment. Her specialist's office was on the 34th floor of the building and she used to press her face up against the window and stare out at the massive city of New York. Despite being hundreds of feet in the air, it was a secure feeling, being hidden away in her tower and away from everyone and everything that made her feel different. Though ironically, she was in her tower because she was different. And while her tower was secure, it was also extremely lonely and suffocating.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha cocked his head to the side as he gazed at her. "You okay?"

She flushed. "Yeah, sorry."

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked as he lead her through a beautiful specious hallway up to a set of dark wooden doors.

"I like elevators," she said quietly and he raised a brow at her.

"Oh? Any particular reason?"

She shrugged. "I'm used to being in high-rise buildings. I like the views they offer."

Inuyasha smiled softly. "Hopefully you'll like this one." He looked nervous as he pushed the double doors open. Kagome's jaw dropped as she took in the scenery of the massive room. It was a restaurant with dark wooded walls, tables and a bamboo garden set up throughout the seating area. A large koi pond occupied much of the central space, decorated with tropical Asian flowers. There were plants and stained glass lanterns decorating all the tables and an enormous panoramic window facing the city.

The hostess seemed to recognize Inuyasha as she greeted him warmly and addressed him by his first name. Kagome arched a brow as they were led to a table against the window, and Kagome's breath caught in her throat seeing the city of Toyo spread out beneath her, the lights of the city twinkled, and Mount Fuji was visible way off in the distance. Inuyasha helped Kagome out of her coat, giving him a good look at her dress from earlier. Her flawless creamy white skin was visible on the right side of her back. Luckily the dress still covered her enough that it didn't void the dress code.

Their waiter came to their table to give them their menus, and as Kagome opened it, she noted that there was something familiar about this waiter, though she couldn't for the life of her figure out what it was. She shook her head to dispel the thought and glanced at the appetizers, raising her eyebrows at the menu layout.

"It's also in English," she mused and Inuyasha smirked. "Did you purposely chose this place?"

"Well, yes, but not because it's translated into English. This is one of the best international restaurants in Japan. The chef on the Paradise floor specializes in Italian cuisine."

"Oh, that's interesting."

"And on there's a New York City-style bar and grill on the fifty-second floor," he continued.

She raised a brow. "You sure know a lot about this place."

He gave her a toothy grin and gestured toward her menu. Kagome grimaced and looked down at her appetizer menu to make her choice. It all looked really good, but the prices...

'Jeez, I feel kinda guilty that he's going out of his way to spend so much money on me.' She sighed and glanced up over her menu to watch him, but his eyes were on her and his hands were folded on the table. He hadn't even touched his menu. She gave him a weak smile, embarrassed and flattered to catch him watching her with a politely patient expression.

"Would you like to try something from the tasting menu?" he asked her softly.

"No, thank you." 'I'd like to make this as cheap as possible, to be completely honest.'

"No, really. Take your time. I'm in no hurry." He was sincere. It made her heart hammer restlessly.

Kagome bit her lip. She looked uncomfortable. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She glanced away. "This place is very expensive."

"Yes."

"It just seems unfair that you're going out of your way to spend so much money on me for only one night."

Inuyasha sighed. "Well I'm getting charged on a... special bill. Don't worry about the cost. Really. You can order anything you like."

Kagome smiled. "Thank you. You're very generous."

"Keh. It's nothing. Besides," he grinned wickedly, "I booked this place over a month ago, so you better eat up, Short Stuff. I don't want this reservation going to waste."

"Okay, okay," she giggled. "I've made my choice for an appetizer."

"What'd you decide on?"

Kagome gave him a smug smirk, a thought popping into her head. She raised her menu and glanced it over and then read from the English menu: "Pan-seared scallops, sun-dried tomatoes, wasabi, celeriac purée and hazelnuts." She closed her menu and peeked up at him. He was staring at her with his mouth hanging open, but he looked amused.

"Uh... in Japanese, please?" he chuckled and Kagome shook her head. "And so it begins, Short Stuff."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She bit her lip again.

"You know I learned some English in school." He grinned.

"Not enough, apparently."

"Hey," he held up his hands in front of him in defense. "It's not my fault I never got to travel across the world and learn a new language like you did. Plus, I'm sure being around tons of native English speakers was a help."

"I've learned other languages while I was there." She grinned. "I know some Spanish."

"Then the chef would love you. He's from Argentina."

She raised a brow. "How do you know so much about this place?"

He gave her a dark smirk. "I work here."

Kagome raised her brows. That must have been why there was something so familiar about their waiter. She'd seen Inuyasha in that same uniform before. For some reason, it made her smile. She watched him wave over the nearest waiter and they placed their orders for their appetizers. When the waiter left, Inuyasha turned back to Kagome, taking in her attire and curly hair. She really did look gorgeous.

"I like you with curly hair." He smiled charmingly, folding his hands on the table again.

"So you don't like me with straight hair?" Kagome pouted and Inuyasha chuckled.

"You know what I meant. Your dress is really nice, too. It complements you."

She blushed deeply. "Thank you. I just hope it doesn't show too much skin for a formal setting."

His eyes briefly fell to her bare shoulder and collar bones. "No, not at all. They wouldn't allow you in if they felt you weren't dressed appropriately. How did you guess I'd be taking you somewhere so formal?"

Kagome shrugged. She didn't know, but she guessed by how secretive he was about it and his refusal to answer her questions that he'd be doing something big for her. Luckily her therapist sent her a dress that would be suitable for almost any kind of date.

"I dunno. I just wanted to dress up nicely. Much like you." She ushered toward his suit.

"Me?" He raised his brows.

"You look so..." she narrowed her eyes, looking for the right word. "So... sharp."

"Sharp..." he repeated, pondering the word.

Kagome nodded. "Yes. I've never seen you dressed like this before."

"Woman, you see me in my school uniform every day."

"Well, yeah," she said sheepishly. "But that's not a suit and tie."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You know, I wore a suit to Miroku's uncle's wedding. We all did."

"From what I saw, you were wearing a coconut bra." She clasped her hand over her mouth to smother her giggling and Inuyasha bit his lip to hide his smile as he shook his head. "I'm sorry," she managed between giggles. "Where did you even get a suit? I'd assume yours would have to be custom made, right?"

Inuyasha stared at her with his mouth gaping open in playful outrage before he recovered. He leaned across the table and said in a low voice: "You're so lucky we're in public."

"Oh? You gonna hoist me over your shoulder again?" she challenged.

"Not while you're in a dress, no. Anyway, this suit is custom made. For my father."

She raised her brows. "Your father?"

He nodded. "He's had this suit for a long time. This is the very suit he was wearing when he proposed to my mother."

"That's so sweet." She smiled. "And he gave it to you?"

"Well, I guess you could say that. He doesn't wear it any more but he keeps it for the sake of having it. Sentimental values, ya know? But I had to have the pants hemmed. He's taller than me."

"I believe it. I've only ever seen him once, though... on Sports Day. Your whole family is pretty tall."

Inuyasha grinned. "Believe it or not, I'm the shortest male in my family. Sesh is 6'4 or 6'5, my dad is 6'6. My grandfather was also 6'5."

"And you have the nerve to pick on me?" She grimaced. "That's bullying, ya know."

"I only tease you, Short Stuff. You know I think your size only adds to how cute you are." He smirked and Kagome bit her lip as she stared into her lap, flushing in pleasure.

"Plus, you've been trained to defend yourself from bullies. I, on the other hand, used to get picked on for being big all the time."

Kagome's head snapped up to see Inuyasha sporting a serious expression. "Oh?"

"Mhm." He nodded. "I was bullied at one point in my life, believe it or not. A lot of people were afraid of me because I was always the tallest kid in class, but I was really skinny so I looked very disproportioned. I earned nicknames like String Bean and Bigfoot and Noodle Legs. But when I got older–" He gave her a wide grin. "–I started working out and put on muscle. When I got accepted into the same high school as Sesshomaru and people learned that I have an older brother who's even bigger than I am, I got less heat."

Kagome blinked at him before she suddenly giggled. Inuyasha raised a brow at her expression and she apologized. "I'm just happy that you told me this."

"Happy?" he was baffled. "Hearing that I got picked on makes you happy?"

"I'm happy that you understand what it's like to be treated differently." She smiled sweetly. "And I like that you opened up to me about your hard times. It's a reminder that you're as human as I am."

"Human? You think I'm not human?" He was amused.

Kagome shook her head. "No, I know that you're human, obviously. But you don't normally discuss your hardships with me. I just like that you trust me."

Inuyasha stared at her as the waiter returned with their appetizers. Adjusting her napkin on her lap, Kagome flashed him a smile before she dug in. Inuyasha shook his head before he smiled back and they enjoyed their meal.

Leaving his mother's car in a parking garage, Inuyasha escorted Kagome through the streets of Shinjuku. They were in the middle of a vast sea of shops and boutiques, restaurants, Christmas carolers, decorations and Christmas light shows. Inuyasha had his arm looped through Kagome's, keeping her locked against him so as not to get lost in the sea of other couples. Everyone was bustling, as per usual, but the excitement and lust in the air were tangible.

They'd gone through a long stretch of the city admiring the views of the decorated buildings, streets, and shops. Inuyasha sang along to himself with a Japanese Christmas choir group. One of the parks they happened across had a delightful bounty of flower-shaped lanterns and canopy lights. It was absolutely stunning, Kagome's mouth hanging open as she took in the scenery. She hadn't spent Christmas in Japan since she was a small child, and she never got to explore Shibuya or Shinjuku during the season. Inuyasha hoisted Kagome up on one of his broad shoulders at one point so she had a better view of a firework display. Her eyes were lit up like a small child's the whole time.

She'd made a promise to herself to get to know him better and opted for "interviewing" him, but he kept pestering her with questions in return, distracting her from her mission. He was only doing it to tease her, but she was so easily distracted and he loved getting her to talk to him. So as they walked about, they settled on a game of "interview tag," where they would take turns listing off random facts about themselves and asking each other questions in order to get to know each other better, or as Kagome had playfully put it, to uncover some of the dirt Rin must have had on him. She couldn't recall a time she spoke to someone so much who wasn't her family.

"Okay, I'll give you one more and then it's your turn." Kagome craned her neck to look up into Inuyasha's curious eyes.

"Alright, but hurry. I don't want you getting sick again because we're out here." He grimaced. He'd slipped on a parka to keep himself warm after they had their dinner. Kagome touched her chin with her free hand, trying to think.

"Um... I hate feet. They creep me out."

"Of course you're creeped out by feet. It's so you."

"Shut up," Kagome smirked, noting that she had indeed picked up quite a few of his characteristics after spending so much time with him.

"I have a giant teddy bear named Bon-Bon, I prefer to take baths than showers because they're more relaxing, I'm petrified of flooded toilets, and I've never eaten ox tail before."

"Really?" Inuyasha grinned. "I know exactly where I can take you to try some. Better yet, I can cook some for you."

"You cook?"

He nodded and grinned. "Don't act so surprised. Mother is fond of cooking. She taught Sesshomaru and I the basics of home training at a very young age."

They paused at a street corner to wait for traffic. Why anyone bothered to drive on a day like this was beyond them, seeing as there were people everywhere. Kagome shuddered deeply as a gust of wind blew by. Frowning in disapproval, Inuyasha released Kagome's arm to pull off his gloves.

"Here, put these on," He commanded gently. Kagome obliged, slipping his too-big gloves onto her little hands. They were warm on the inside. As they crossed the street, Inuyasha put his arm through hers again. A thought occurred to him as they neared a decorated shop that was blaring loud, upbeat Japanese Christmas music. Inuyasha grinned excitedly as he tugged Kagome a bit, forcing her to break into a light jog.

"Where are we going?" she huffed breathlessly and Inuyasha slowed to a walk and stopped as they neared the source of the music. It appeared to be a bar, but the party inside was in full swing and there were people at the tables outside smoking, drinking, eating, and having a good time. Inuyasha turned to face Kagome as he grabbed both of her hands and slowly started walking backwards while bobbing to the beat.

Kagome's eyes widened as she caught on. "Uh... what are you doing, Inuyasha?" She stared at him incredulously as he broke into a dance that was rather uncoordinated, especially since he was so tall. He looked ridiculous, but the big goofy grin on his face with infectious.

"I'm trying to warm you up," he said as he took her hands again. "Dance with me."

"But I don't–" Kagome squealed as he suddenly pulled her against him and wrapped his arm around her and held her other hand in his, guiding her into a rather awkward step. He was much too tall to dance with her as he kinda crouched down in a squat-like stance and she was still only up to his neck. She blushed deeply as a couple bystanders were watching them in amused disbelief.

Inuyasha suddenly grabbed her by the waist and dipped her low, causing her curls to bounce around her face as she felt the blood rush to her head before he stood her up right and took her hand, leading her into a spin. She laughed loudly as he released her and clapped his hands before he started doing the running man.

"Don't be a party pooper, Short Stuff." He laughed wholeheartedly, his golden eyes dancing with mirth. Kagome shook her head and bit her lip as she watched him continue to dance in circles around her, occasionally stopping to tweak her nose or pull gently on one of her curls, fascinated at how they bounced back into place.

"You're a terrible dancer," Kagome laughed and he shrugged as he continued his frolicking.

"Doesn't matter. It's the fun of doing it that counts, right?"

"I think you're the one who needs to warm up," she shook her head in mock disapproval as she put her hands on her hips.

"I can assure you I'm very warm, little one." He stopped dancing and looped his arm through hers again. "What about you? Are you warm?"

"I'm toasty, thank you." She smiled as they continued their stroll down the block.

"Good," he said simply as he slipped his arm free and wrapped it protectively around her shoulders. "Now, where were we?"

"It's your turn," she said shyly as she wrapped her arm around his waist. "Just a few random things."

"Jeez." He had the gal to become flustered as he peeked down at her. How he could be embarrassed now after his little show was beyond her. "Fine. Before I became a waiter, I was a busboy."

"I already knew that." She pouted.

"What do you want? My life story?"

"I've got time," she smiled up at him and he unwillingly smiled back. He couldn't help it. "Don't tell me you don't like talking about yourself, because I wouldn't believe you."

"Oh?"

"The way you're always gloating about being better than Kouga, you definitely take a lot of pride in yourself."

"Keh. That's because Kouga's an ass and it's nice to shut him up."

He led her to a seating area on a small bridge with benches and tables lined up under a series of decorated pavilions. They sat on one of the benches lined up with the railing of the bridge and Inuyasha pulled Kagome close, hovering over her a bit to shield her from the wind.

"Anyway, where was I? My life story?"

Kagome nodded as she leaned against him.

"Let's see... I was born in Tokyo Medical University Hospital. I was severely underweight when I was a baby and I was put on a special formula diet. I learned to walk when I was ten months old. I've never cut my hair before, and I don't plan to." He grinned at her.

"Not even a trim?"

"I trim the occasional split ends every few months, but never more than an inch."

"I can't say I'm surprised," she said distractedly as she twirled a strand of his long hair between her fingers. His hair was even longer than hers. "Go on," she gently urged.

"I was obsessed with the Teen Titans when I was younger. My first pet was a tarantula, and I named him Gizmo. I tried to feed him jelly beans and carrots... He died as a result." He pouted.

"That's awful."

Inuyasha shrugged. "I didn't wanna give him live animals or bugs. I didn't have the heart. After seeing a snake eat a rabbit..." He shuddered then continued. "I love animals, but I've never really been able to have a pet because my mother has bad allergies. And I think Gizmo traumatized her."

Kagome raised a brow. "Arachnophobia?"

"Yeah. He got out of his cage and ended up in her closet." He grinned. "But now that I have my own place, maybe I can get a new pet. So long as the landlord approves."

"How are things at the apartment?" she perked up. "Are you all moved in?"

"Yep. Got the last box unpacked yesterday. Rin doesn't want anyone to see it until the New Year party, though." He squeezed her a bit tighter as the cold air circled him.

"How do you like it so far? Is it haunted?"

He laughed loudly, bouncing against her. "No, I haven't experienced anything paranormal yet. But I like it. I have to admit I really like the way Rin decorated it, too. And I have my own bathroom now. I mean it's not in my room like theirs, but it's right across from me and they don't use it. Also, when Sesh and Rin aren't there I can walk around naked all I want."

"What's with men and wanting to be naked all the time?" Kagome raised a brow.

"See, that," he lightly tapped her nose, "...is a man thing. You wouldn't understand."

Kagome rolled her eyes. She slept mostly naked almost every night, so she did understand. Somehow she felt that wasn't the kind of thing she should share with him. After hearing that he shied away from sexual intimacy, it just didn't seem appropriate to talk about it. Still, she couldn't help but be curious if it was because Kikyo made him uncomfortable, or if it was because he was completely against it.

Back to the present, she cocked her brow at him. "So if I ever wanted to visit you, I'd have to keep my eyes closed, right?"

He laughed again. "No, I'm modest enough to wear clothing around girls. My mom kinda raised me that way. She doesn't even like when men walk around without a shirt on in their own home."

Kagome thought back to the night they spent in the guest house. Miroku and Kouga removed their shirts because they were so hot, but Inuyasha and Sesshomaru didn't. "Not even your dad?"

"Nope. Unless it's in the bedroom, she thinks it's inappropriate."

"That sounds kinda silly." Kagome pursed her lips. Inuyasha chuckled.

"Well if you ever come to visit me, I'll make sure I take my shirt off for ya," he teased and Kagome blushed hotly as he howled. "I'm only kidding, Short Stuff. You don't have that privilege."

"I wanna ask you something," she gave him a small smile and he tilted his head in curiosity. "What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?"

He stuttered a bit. "You mean besides ejaculating in a public library and having to run home with soiled pants?"

"Oh, right." Kagome giggled. "I forgot about that."

He removed his arm that was around her shoulder to fold his arms between them as he pouted. "You don't remember the secrets I tell you? Not to mention the ones that I'm not proud of? See, I could've avoided saying that again if I'd known you forgot."

"Does it bother you that I know?" she asked, genuinely intrigued and he shrugged.

"Well I'm not exactly ecstatic that you know, but I trust you." He smiled as he sat back and rested his arms along the back of the bench, the picture of ease.

"The night you told us all... that... um..." Kagome fiddled nervously with one of the buttons on her jacket. "I feel like there was something else that you wanted to say before you said that."

"There was." He was serious now.

Kagome continued to fidget and she could feel his eyes on her. "I was wondering what... that was," she barely managed to whisper.

"You wanna take a guess?" he asked, his voice low. Kagome shook her head as she continued to avoid his gaze. She couldn't talk again. She was too flustered. The heat was building in her chest, but for the first time she welcomed it. She knew what he was going to say, and her heart yearned to hear the words again.

"Kagome, look at me." He demanded softly and she jumped a bit at the sound of her name. These days he usually directly addressed her as Short Stuff, only using her actual name if he was talking to someone else about her. Otherwise, he was being serious if he used her name. She turned to look at him and he suddenly sat up on the bench so his body was against hers as he stared down his nose at her. He felt something in him shift as he wrapped his arm around her again.

He took a deep breath, being a bit nervous himself and he gave her a soft smile that reached his eyes. He took hold of one of her hands in his free hand and gave it a little squeeze.

"I like you." His voice shook a bit and he cleared his throat. "I really like you. I've liked you for a very long time."

Kagome stared at him blankly, unable to verbally respond. Even though it was natural for her to shy away from such bold declarations, she wanted to hear him say it. She needed to hear him say it. They've never truly had a chance to talk about their feelings for each other, and this was the closure she needed. This man that she chanced upon was completely smitten with her, even after learning of her drawbacks. What's more, she felt the same way. She didn't care that he was much taller than most people. She didn't care that he use to be really skinny with unkempt pubes. She adored him. Her sentimental admission choked her speech. Overwhelmed by her scattered thoughts and emotions, her little hands started to shake and tears welled up in her eyes. Inuyasha felt and watched her reaction and his eyes widened as his heart pounded.

"Jesus, Kagome. You okay?" he lightly gripped her shoulders. He'd seen this happen before and he really hoped he didn't set off her anxiety every time he tried to be affectionate with her. That wouldn't go to well in the future if they were gonna have some type of relationship.

Suddenly, she smile a big, goofy smile that made him melt. Unsure if she was still able to verbally respond, she nodded.

"Damn, you scared the hell out of me!" he yelled in playful outrage and she started giggling. Before he knew it, he was laughing with her, relieved that she was okay. As they came down from their laughter, he took her hands again.

"I better get you home. It's going on nine and we still have to go get the car."

Kagome sighed and looked into her lap before glancing up at him again. She nodded and they stood off the bench. Wrapping their arms securely around each other, they made their way through town back to the parking garage.

They both sat in Izayoi's car, continuing their game of "interview tag." Kagome had starting talking again after they got situated in the car, much to Inuyasha's relief. They were parked in front of the steps to her shrine, but they still had some time before she had to be back in the house. Midnight's Absolute Reprise crooned softly from his speakers. It had become the norm for him to listen to American music after letting Kagome get a hold of his playlist.

"I can't imagine you with a lisp." Kagome giggled as she purposely lisped on the word 'lisp.'

"I told you I had a bad gap in my teeth when I was younger." Inuyasha grinned. "Thankfully, I got braces when I was seven. Would've been one extra thing for people to pick on me for if I was tall and skinny was a speech problem. So I kinda know how it was for you to have issues with speech."

"Well, aside from the fact that I have perfect teeth," she flashed him a big playful smile and he poked her rib, making her jump a bit.

"I do too, you little butthead." He shook his head as he flashed his teeth in return. His fangs were long and sharp, almost like a canine's.

"Did I tell you that I also had a speech impediment?" she asked and he shook his head. "When I was learning to speak English I had a difficult time with pronunciation."

"And how did you improve?"

"I sang in English." She smile. "I would record myself singing and listen to it. I liked how I sounded."

Inuyasha leaned his head on his arms over the steering wheel. "You should sing to me some day."

"Maybe with time." She chewed her lip. "If you cook me some ox tail, I'll make you a recording."

He smirked and closed his eyes as he shook his head. "It's my turn. I'll ask you one more question for the night, then I'm taking you upstairs before you grandfather tries to give my penis an exorcism."

Kagome threw her head back in laughter and he chuckled a few times before he got serious again. "Go ahead," she gently pressed.

He breathed deeply through his nose. This question had been nagging at him for months. "How come you don't let me call you?"

Kagome's face fell and Inuyasha's did too at her expression.

"It's a bit difficult to explain," she sighed. "It's just... There are certain things that are still difficult for me. Talking on the phone is one of them."

"Ah," he said quietly.

"It's not you, Inuyasha. It really isn't." She looked at him with a sad expression. "Please don't let this come between us."

"I'm not," he sat up straight and turned his body to face her. "I know that certain things don't come easy to you like they do to most people, and I'm okay with that, Kagome." His face heated a bit. He knew that when dealing with someone who had her condition, he'd have to be understanding and supportive. For Kagome, he was willing to be both.

"I can work up to it," she said uncertainly. "I can work up to a lot of things now." She added, though she seemed to be talking to herself. She glanced back at Inuyasha and he raised a brow at her.

"Time to go upstairs," he smiled a bittersweet smile. As they got out of the car and headed up the staircase, he looped his arm through hers again. Upon reaching the small set of steps that went up to the front door, Inuyasha stood on the bottom step while Kagome stood a step above him, at neck level.

"Did you have a good time tonight, Short Stuff?" he asked softly and she nodded, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. "I did too. Thank you."

Kagome took a deep breath as she grabbed hold of his hands. She'd given his gloves back to him earlier. "You know, I still have a lot of questions for you." She smiled and he chuckled a bit as he wrapped his fingers around hers.

"So do I. I don't think my curiosity will ever go away, to be honest. There's a lot more to you than what meets the eye, ya know. And that's saying something." He lowered his voice, inching his face closer to hers. Kagome's heart pounded as his eyes flickered to her lips. He looked back into her eyes, inching forward, making it clear what he was going to do. Kagome's breath hitched as his face dipped into hers, their noses and foreheads touching as their eyes fluttered shut.

"Kagome! You're home!"

Kagome and Inuyasha jumped apart as if they were electrocuted when the porch's harsh light flashed on and the front door jerked open. Kagome's grandfather was standing in the doorway behind her, giving Inuyasha a murderous stare.

"Y-yeah." Kagome stuttered. "Don't be mad, Jiji. I'm not past curfew, am I?"

"It's 9:54" He grumped. "Get inside, before you catch a cold."

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'll be right there."

The old man simply huffed and walked out of the doorway, but didn't close the door. Kagome sighed, taking the hint. She turned back to face Inuyasha and he was grimacing with his hands in his pockets. He gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He looked disappointed. Frustrated, even.

"I guess that's my cue, eh?"

Kagome hung her head. "Yeah, I guess." Lifting her head to look into his eyes, she gave him a tight smile. "I'll see you at the party tomorrow, right?"

"Of course," his eyes and his smile softened. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Right." She shuffled her feet awkwardly. "Goodnight, Inuyasha."

His expression fell a bit as he gave her a small wave. "Night, Short Stuff. See ya tomorrow." He stuffed his hands back into his pockets as he turned and peeked at her over his shoulder before he starting walking across the shrine toward the stairs.

Kagome felt like a big piece of herself had been torn from her very being while looking at his dejected posture. She turned around and walked into the house, hanging up her coat and kicking off her shoes. Her chest kept stuttering and she felt like she was going to cry. It was similar to the feeling she got when she became mute, but her body was usually unresponsive to the pressure building inside her. Now, her tears flowed freely down her face. She roughly wiped them away with the backs of her hands and paused in the doorway.

Tonight had been the best night of her entire life. Inuyasha coming into her life and showing her his world and opening up to her with friendship and laughter was so new. She'd never met anyone, not even family, who made her happy like he did. He had such a lovely, playful personality. He made her smile and laugh and talk a lot. He was exciting and competitive and talkative and fun and refreshing. She felt like a completely normal person when she was with him. He brought out the best in her and she was positive that she was starting to fall in love with him.

Before she knew it, she'd taken off outside, running at top speed, not caring that her bare back was exposed to the cold, not caring that her bare feet were scraping against the cold, hard ground. She ran to the staircase and sprinted down it as fast as she could. Inuyasha had just touched the base of the stairs and was now walking to his mother's car. Kagome panted desperately for air as she closed in on him. Her loud breathing alerted him to her presence, and he turned to look at her with a bewildered, curious expression, seeing her in nothing but her dress running at him like a bat out of hell with a flushed face.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to ask her what was wrong, she bounded into him harshly, causing him to stumble back, but he recovered before they fell, holding her around the waist. As he righted her, he was reminded of the very first time they met, literally crashing into each other. They'd both been so frantic to get to their destinations, only to wind up lost in each other. They held onto each other, staring into each other's eyes before they couldn't take it anymore and she stretched up onto her toes while he leaned down to meet her–their mouths meeting in a fierce embrace.

From this point on in the story, the main focus is the progression of Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship, rather than Kagome's anxiety. I considered changing the summary, but fuck it. Ya tu sabes.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

As always, please review, my lovelies. :3