Inuyasha knew he hated Kagome for an irrational reason. She couldn't help the fact that she looked like the ex that stomped on his heart 'til it was ground meat. But, it was the principle of it all.

"I'd really like it if you put your differences aside to get along with her," Miroku said beseechingly. "Sango and I are getting married, and you two are going to play a huge part in it."

The couple decided on a Western style wedding, in homage to the way the two met, studying abroad in the United States. Inuyasha had been deemed best man, Kagome the maid of honor.

"She's just so…" he struggled for a proper descriptor, "flouncy." Kagome's attitude was sickeningly kind. She dressed colorfully, she was a damn pre-school teacher for fuck's sake—and the understanding, calm expression she wore on her face most of the time made him feel nurtured. It reminded him he was a dick.

"Kagome is actually quite clever, you've just never said more than 2 sentences to her before you give her the cold shoulder," his best friend sighed in exasperation.

Inuyasha dismissed Miroku's pleas with a trademark huff, and the conversation continued in a different direction as if nothing had happened.

Inuyasha's 'Kagome has to be an idiot' theory solidified the day he received a text from an unknown number.

Hey! It's Kagome. I got your number from Miroku, I hope you don't mind

Why on earth did she think she could text him? He was busy…grocery shopping. Vital ramen choices are being made here; he had no time for humoring someone. Not that he ever humors people in the first place.

I mind.

Goodness, you've managed to be abrasive through text, congrats!

He didn't respond to her bait and continued with his errands. By the time he got home, Inuyasha noticed she had texted him once more.

Inuyasha

No punctuation, but still rather threatening. Inuyasha would never walk away from a potential fight.

What do you want?

I wanted to arrange a meetup for the two of us. Coffee? We should sit down and do some planning for the bachelor/bachelorette party

That's a year from now.

Yes, doofus. You know nothing about weddings, do you?

Doofus. That's the best she had when it came to insults. Another text came almost immediately after.

Are you willing to meet me?

Hm. Was he?

Not without a drink.

Charming, Inuyasha. I'll meet you for drinks, then

Kaede's. 8. Friday.

See you

Inuyasha was beside himself. He had plans to annoy the absolute shit out of her. He was going to make her so mad he hoped she'd go home fuming, and not even that stupid fat cat that was her phone background could suppress her irritation.

He arrived at 8:45. When he walked through the doors of the homely bar, he spotted Kagome immediately. Her wavy hair was trussed up in a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck, and she was wearing a wholesome sun dress in a bar. At night. The only excusable thing in her outfit was the cardigan she was wearing because it was chilly outside.

She was munching on fries and scrolling through her phone when he approached her.

"Kagome," Inuyasha sat next to her calmly, keeping his tone casual.

"I figured you'd be late," she smirked triumphantly, not even turning to look at him. "I only just got in 15 minutes ago."

He sputtered and got comfortable in the barstool. "I had some trouble with traffic." He actually just spent his time dicking around in his apartment after he got home from his job.

"Okay," she let it go. Easily—there was no satisfaction in that. Since she was turned away, he noticed a wispy strand of baby hair framed her jawline, down near her ear. Kagome shocked him when she turned around, catching his glance. Her expression stalled for a second, and he could tell she was calculating. She just smiled at him. "I got a beer for you, is that okay?"

Now he was forced to be polite. "Thank you, I guess."

He sipped the beer beside him, his face grimacing at the taste. It was warm. It tasted like shit.

She laughed, the dingy bar lighting twinkling in her annoying irises. "I ordered it when I got here. Sorry."

"Charming," he mimicked her text and coughed at the taste of his shitty beer.

"Just for you," she looked at him, a small smile on her lips.

Was this banter edging on the side of friendly? Horrible. Too much self-awareness he had use for, Inuyasha just decided to pop the bubble of wholesome fun that started to grow between them. "I hope not."

Kagome closed her mouth and glowered. She turned to her basket of fries, staring for a second before grabbing two and eating them. She must be sparing him some venomous remarks.

Inuyasha hid his smile.

"Do you think it'd be better to make it one big party instead of two separate ones?"

"Separate, I think." Sango would not be happy if Inuyasha hired a stripper.

"I'm thinking together," she sighed and dipped a fry in mayo and ate it. "Sango would be less nervous if he was at least in the same vicinity."

"What, she doesn't trust him?" he leaned in curiously, for the sake of Miroku.

Kagome leaned back, eyes blinking in bewilderment at the sudden proximity. "No…it's just that she knows there will probably be a dancer, and she's a bit jealous. Sango knows Miroku loves her, obviously, but we all have our weak spots."

Inuyasha thought about his own weak spots. His stomach churned in nausea.

"Well, maybe she just has to get over it," he grumbled.

"Um," she looked away, as if to weigh her options. "I think Miroku would be willing to make a sacrifice for his fiancée, since a dancer at a bachelor party isn't very important," she stared up at the ceiling while she sorted the situation out in her head, brows furrowed. "Maybe, instead, we could…arrange some alone time for the two of them at the end of the night?"

"Yeah, sounds fine," he wasn't in the mood to debate with her when she already made sense. He was just annoyed that she was right. Why did she invite him? Kagome could have planned this shit herself. He looked at the time. 9. "I'm gonna get going."

"Wait," she spoke softly. Her small hand gently touched his bicep as he moved off the barstool. His eyes traveled down from her worried expression to the foreign hand on his arm. Her small hand was manicured with a pearlescent pink polish. Of course. "Inuyasha…um. I think we should stay talking for a bit."

"Why?" he asked defensively. His entire body straightened and he stood. It was bad, he decided—he didn't want her knowing how far she was rooted under his skin at that moment.

She exhaled and the hand on his arm slid down near his elbow as she glanced away momentarily. Her hold was light, her hand was practically cradling his arm; he still couldn't budge.

She bit her lip before she spoke. "I know we don't get along, but I think we should at least try. Maybe we can sit and talk so we can understand each other a little more?"

The panicked feeling that came over him gave Inuyasha the kick in the ass to move. He snatched his arm away from her nonexistent grip. Ultimately, has no desire to become buddy-buddy with Kagome. She dressed infuriatingly, she hardly ever cursed, and they were in a bar and she didn't even order one drink. Her phone case was blindingly pastel and she cooed every time Sango was speaking about the wedding. Inuyasha couldn't get farther away from this woman.

"No, I don't fucking want to be your friend. I can live without knowing you and I'd be fine. We did the little planning discussion, and I'm finished. Call me when you pick the colors of the decorations, or something. I don't want it to look like a twelve year old girl designed it." He spat.

Kagome's expression did a 180. The once friendly look on her face turned angry. "Fine. I tried. I tried when I met you, I tried each time after that, I tried when I texted you, and I tried now. I'm not going to be your friend either, Inuyasha. I thought we could really work together to give our good friends an amazing night. But screw you." Her eyes welled up with tears, which floored him.

She fumbled with her thin clutch, pulling out some yen and slamming it on the counter. "Goodnight."

He watched her walk away, short heels clicking on the wooden floors. Inuyasha felt his face flush in embarrassment for the way he acted. A rarity, Miroku would have laughed in his fucking face.

Good riddance. Probably.

They went 2 months without interruption. However, there was a housewarming party for Miroku and Sango's luxurious new apartment, so meeting was inevitable.

Inuyasha walked in to the apartment with a wrapped set of generically sweet-scented candles, expecting to see the shock of bright colors that was Kagome standing alongside Sango's muted style palette. No unicorn vomit in sight.

"Hey, bud." Inuyasha hugged Miroku and handed him the gift.

"Scented candles?" his eyes glinted mischievously.

"You bet."

"You're just like the rest of 'em, my friend," he sighed in mock disappointment, "My house is going to smell like pumpkin spice forever."

"What?" Inuyasha said incredulously. "You expect a useful wedding gift and a useful housewarming gift from me? Greedy."

"Your thinking capacity probably couldn't handle the idea of two separate things. We understand, Inuyasha." Sango's arm snaked around Miroku's back and she leaned into his shoulder, her tone more grating than usual.

Miroku looked at Inuyasha sheepishly. No one could stop Sango when she was angry.

"You spoke to Kagome." He responded bluntly.

"Yes, you ass." she then went on to lecture. "Inuyasha, you're mostly a good friend, a little bad in social situations, but how can I remain neutral about your pettiness when you bite my best friend's head off?" Sango detached from her fiancé, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I wasn't going to lead her on by complying with her…uh…" Pick a word, pick a fucking word! His mind yelled. "…whimsical ideas." No way will Inuyasha live in a world where everything ended up lace-trimmed.

"Ugh. Why are you acting like Kagome was trying to fuck you? She just wanted to be able to speak to you for more than 5 minutes without you having a spontaneous aneurysm."

So, maybe he overreacted. Not like he can take it back now. "And I wasn't interested," he grumbled pathetically.

"We get it. You don't have the excuse to be intolerable towards her," she stepped closer, ready to square off with Inuyasha. He halfway believed her. "I don't even think she's coming tonight."

"Why? I'm fine! She can suck it up." Inside, he faltered, awash with a sense of guilt. He has become that friend. The one that divided company and did things like cut the possible invite list in half.

"Yeah. She told me she didn't feel like dealing with you. Are you happy? You've been officially recognized as a nuisance."

Three gentle knocks came at the door. All of the other guests went on with their merriment, but Sango walked away to answer the beckoning.

Miroku sighed and shook his head. "You've gotta work on that attitude, or else I might find you in a ditch one day and Sango's asking me to hide the body."

"Keh."

"Kagome!" he heard Sango's glee behind him. A giggle erupted from Kagome, and he could only assume they were hugging like squealing 16 year olds. As usual.

A part of Inuyasha knew Kagome was stronger than what he threw at her.

"This is Koga," her words faded as Inuyasha walked towards the snack table.

"Welcome, Koga," Sango said warmly.

"Hey, nice to meet you," a rough voice interrupted Inuyasha's snack perusal. He smelled wolf. His head turned around disdainfully to see the intruder. A tall man with clear blue eyes stood proudly on Kagome's arm. His hair was in a ponytail, how disgusting.

Kagome was dating. A wolf demon.

A dark smudge on canine demon existence. Smelled like ass. Too self-righteous for their own good. Inuyasha hated all of the purebred fuckers.

He grabbed a plate and shoved a handful of chips on it. If his mouth was full of chips, he couldn't stick his foot in it.

Miroku snuck up behind him. "Trying to eat your feelings?"

"No, I'm just enjoying the selection of gourmet eats you've got here." Honestly, this spread was more than adequate for Inuyasha's tastes.

"In a corner."

"The amount of cold air in this corner allows the flavors of this Dorito to come through," he clarified.

"Processed cheese is definitely a taste that you have to savor," Miroku played along. While Inuyasha was chewing on an obnoxious amount of chips, his friend's expression softened. "Go give her a quick sorry, at least."

"Why? I'm not sorry!"

"If you want Sango to actually show you a measure of kindness for the rest of our lives, then you should fake it 'til you make it." His hand slapped Inuyasha's shoulder encouragingly.

His golden eyes couldn't go further back into his head. He wasn't sorry for what he said. Kagome's sunny disposition was borderline unbearable to him, anyway.

"Seems like you won't even have to muster up your courage, Kagome's coming this way," Miroku grinned at his friend and walked away.

"Inuyasha, can we talk?" Her doe eyes looked up at him curiously.

A grumble rose in his chest. "Fine, I guess."

The pair of them walked out on to the balcony, Inuyasha sparing a quick glance behind them to see Koga watching the both of them intently.

'You don't have to worry 'bout me, bud' he wanted to say.

The balcony view showed their city blinking with colorful, hypnotizing lights. Kagome placed her hands flat along the railing.

"How are you?" she said gently.

"Alright, nothin' special going on," he conceded.

They proceeded with awkward small talk without interruption, and Inuyasha almost thought he could leave the balcony without bringing up Kaede's. Yes, Kagome, please, dance around the issue. No one would ever have to think about that argument at the bar and the pair of them could settle into a relationship full of false pleasantries and heavy resentment.

But he knew she wouldn't isolate them from the party if she was going to talk to him about the weather.

"Listen, I'm not comfortable with the way we left things at Kaede's." She cracked. Why would she be? He tore her a new one and she started to cry. "Let's just say my mother wouldn't be proud of my outburst."

When you put it like that…

"Yeah, we don't exactly get along," he acknowledged.

Kagome let out an exasperated sigh. "I think we can get along. I don't have anything against you, Inuyasha. I would like to be friends. I feel like if you really tried to talk to me without any hang ups or misconceptions—"

"Hang ups? Misconceptions?"

"I'm not Kikyo, Inuyasha. I'm Kagome." She said firmly.

He wanted to choke. He felt naked. And stupid. "You don't know me. It's not just the fact you bear a crude resemblance to my ex. Some people you just know you can't stand," he barked.

A flash of hurt moved across her face. Quickly, that hurt transformed to guilt. Inuyasha swallowed his dread and kept talking.

"I don't think you got my point at Kaede's," he paused to swallow. "I've no interest in being your buddy. You've got a boyfriend right over there," he pointed away from them, inside the house.

Her temper flared. "Excuse me? What does that even matter to you? You think I have some kind of crush on you, who has been a complete asshole to me?" Good question. "My relationship with Koga is none of your business," she spat.

"Feh! Good. Spare me." Her hands balled into fists at her sides in reaction to his retort.

"I am constantly shocked by the outlandish opinions you have of me, considering the fact that we've hardly ever had an actual conversation!" Her furious demeanor stunned him into silence. "The fact is, YOU don't know ME! Whatever reason you hate me has completely to do with yourself and not with me, you asshole!" Her cheeks were flushed pink in her anger, giving her a fiery glow.

Koga heard the argument, speed walking over to the glass doors to be at Kagome's side when she stepped back into the apartment. The wolf demon shot him an icy glare and mouthed 'Stay away from her.'

Not like that would be a problem now.

So, Kagome actually had the capacity to say words like 'asshole.'

A half hour had passed since Inuyasha joined the rest of the party. Miroku and Sango had completely ignored his re-entrance, staying in a social bubble with Kagome and her date. Inuyasha tried to preoccupy his time by thinking of ways to get back at Miroku for being a turncoat.

"Inuyasha," Naraku's satin, slimy voice invaded his personal space. It made his spine tingle.

"Naraku," he sighed. Everyone else can tolerate Naraku just fine, but Inuyasha couldn't stand the guy. He was feeling too isolated to deny the attention, so he begrudgingly reciprocated. "How are you?"

"Fine," he chuckled darkly, what could he be plotting? At a housewarming party? "How about you?"

"I'm peachy," he was not.

"I love peaches," and that was the moment where Inuyasha knew that the conversation would be going absolutely nowhere. He was in hell. He was going to talk about inane things like fake fruits and wallpaper options with the unsettling and evil looking Naraku for the rest of the night.

Well, fuck that. He wasn't going to lose his friends to Kagome. She wants friendliness? Okay! Inuyasha will be charming as fuck. He'll be so damn apologetic that they'll all like him again he won't have to think about Naraku tonguing a peach.

"I've got to go relay a message," Inuyasha spoke stiffly and left the strange man. He deliberately walked towards Kagome and company. Koga immediately sensed his incoming presence, turning around to glare menacingly.

He was about to rise to the bait, but stayed focused on his goal. He was going to get his friends back. Miroku, at least.

"Kagome," he spoke firmly. "I'm sorry for being a dick."

Her expression was already lively from her conversation with the group, but when he spoke to her, her face fell from that amused expression to surprise.

"Uh, okay," her brows bent in confusion, a nervous chuckle coming from her.

"Alright," he huffed. "So what were you guys talking about?"

A minute of awkward laughs from everyone else, and then the conversation started to flow again. Inuyasha did some basic huffs and nods, okay with his place in the background.

5 months without actual talking. Kagome only ever contacted him with minute party details:

Purple party decorations?

Okay.

Open bar?

Definitely.

Inuyasha felt like something was unresolved between them. It sat inside his chest, weighing him down, even though the conversation was about something benign.

Kagome.

Yes, any questions about the venue?

No. Um. I'm sorry. Again.

She didn't respond for 4 hours.

Thank you, Inuyasha.

Kagome stopped texting Inuyasha about party decorations. She asked him other things, too.

Are you a dog or cat person?

Obviously dog.

I didn't want to deprive you of the chance to be interesting, she responded quickly.

You a cat person?

Yes. My cat's name is Buyo

Sounds like he's fat.

Absolutely, and he smiled when he read that.

What's your favorite color?

Red.

She never answered with hers until he brought it up days later.

What about you? Your favorite color.

Red :)

Another thing. She was using emojis now.

One night, Inuyasha didn't know how to continue their conversation, but he wanted to keep messaging her nonetheless. He asked what had been on his mind for several weeks now, thanking the gods that she couldn't see his face.

How's the wolf?

Koga's fine

Not sure he likes me very much.

At least you'll never have to see him again

Isn't he your wedding date?

No, just a coworker!

His shoulders relaxed considerably.

Inuyasha's phone started to ring. It was Kagome. Wait. It was Kagome? Calling his phone? Does etiquette officially allow her to call him because they sort of tolerate one another?

"Sort of tolerate" might be an understatement. They're texting daily now.

More importantly, why is she calling him? He let it go to voicemail and listened to her message.

"Hey, Inuyasha. I just wanted to call and ask you if you had any pictures of Miroku when you were kids?" He actually had albums full of the two of them. His mom's fault. "I thought for the reception we could show a nice slideshow of Miroku and Sango growing up and then meeting each other. It's a surprise! Anyway, get back to me whenever you can."

Inuyasha stared at the lifeless device in his palm. Call her back?

No. He can't. Fuck.

Instead, Inuyasha cowardly sent her a text for confirmation a day later.

Kagome, I got your message. I've got tons of pictures.

That's perfect! My brother is really good with editing software, so he can pull together a wonderful video slideshow. I'm so excited \^u^/

Breaking News: Kagome had a brother.

We can meet up somewhere this weekend and I can give you a couple of albums.

Ah, I'm not free this weekend. Is it possible I could go to your place and pick them up tonight?

It was 6:00.

If you're already home, don't sweat it. Maybe I can meet you at work.

I'm at a boring work function right now. Going over to your place would be doing me a favor. Where are you?

Inuyasha texted her his address and the restaurant Kagome was dining at was surprisingly close to him.

I'm leaving now

Shit. Inuyasha had to clean.

After stuffing an ungodly amount of miscellaneous items underneath his bed and throwing random things in cabinets, Inuyasha's place looked reasonably presentable in the 15 minutes it took Kagome to walk over to his apartment.

When he opened the door to reveal her, he was a little overwhelmed at her appearance. She looked a little windswept in another button up sweater and dress combination. This time, her hair was down, framing her face in glossy waves.

"Um, hi." He floundered.

"Hi." She looked up to him and rewarded his good behavior with a big smile.

Now that he's gotten to know Kagome better, he couldn't continue on projecting the negative feelings of a bad breakup on to her. It had been a while before they had seen each other in person. The two stalled for a second, basking in the lack of animosity crackling between them. In fact, it seemed like a new kind of tension took its place. She blinked at him expectantly, her full lips pulled into an amused smile.

"Oh, yeah, come in," he stepped back and held open his door for her to enter.

She then crouched down to remove her heeled shoes. Inuyasha watched her go from only a few inches shorter than him to a whole head beneath him.

"I know, I'm a little lacking in the height department," she joked.

"S'all right," he spoke without thinking, "you don't act small."

A rosy blush bloomed on her cheeks, and Inuyasha felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment immediately.

"Um," he began to stutter a bit, "this way." Inuyasha led her down the hall into his living room, where the albums sat on a coffee table. He began to lean over to hand them to her, but she stopped him.

"Wait, I think we should pick them together." She locked eyes with him and he blinked in bewilderment, uncomprehending for a second. He shook it off quickly when he noticed her teasing grin.

"That makes sense," he coughed and sat on the couch, Kagome following his lead.

She leaned over him and grabbed one of the albums. Her soft chest pressed into the side of his bicep momentarily, and Inuyasha's heart nearly leaped out of his chest.

He felt her nestle into the couch cushions with a small album in her lap. When she opened the cover, she immediately crooned.

"Oh, this is precious," she smiled and pointed at a photo of Inuyasha and Miroku as toddlers, play fighting.

"Miroku stayed over a lot, 'cause of his pop's job. My mom used to put us in the yard and sit on the patio while we tore the place up."

The two of them were flipping pages alternately, exchanging anecdotes about their friendships. Kagome laughed about the time she and Sango cut each other's hair to their ears, and Inuyasha explained each battle wound that could be seen in his childhood photos.

"I recognize these triumphant expressions," she wiggled her finger in front of his and Miroku's smiling faces. "My students look like that about halfway into snack time."

"That was the time Miroku and I thought it would be a good idea to slide down some stairs with a couch cushion. Our bodies were black and blue for about 2 weeks."

Inuyasha felt a fuzzy feeling in his chest while he looked at the photos with Kagome. He didn't feel nostalgic often. Growing up with Miroku was great, because his actual brother, Sesshomaru, was so shitty in comparison.

There were a slew of photos scattered across his coffee table. They had more than enough for a slideshow.

"You guys seemed to do everything together," she smiled and turned to look at him, "Why didn't you go overseas with him?"

The question itself was innocent, but it was a sore subject for Inuyasha. "It just didn't work out, I couldn't make the deadlines or afford the trip. Miroku offered to pay, but I wasn't comfortable leaving anyway."

He watched Kagome's face intently, studying the expression on her face. Her lips drew together and she bit her lip, and he figured that she wanted to ask why.

"Why?" her voice was quiet, like she might have an idea about it already. He wasn't very surprised, seeing that Kagome knew Miroku for the 6 years that he was dating Sango—she must have heard something about his home life at some point. He coughed.

"I—uh, also wanted to stay to take care of my mother," he mumbled, astonished with his own honesty. "She was getting really sick, about to die. Since my dad passed when I was young, she had no one around to take care of her. Couldn't fucking rely on my half-brother to make sure she was comfortable."

Her face turned sympathetic and she placed her hands on the pictures to cover them. She leaned into his side, pressing her shoulder to his in silent support. "Oh, Inuyasha, I'm sorry."

He pulled away from her a bit. "It's over now, I don't need pity."

Her voice stayed quiet, soothing. "It's not something as shallow as pity. It's sympathy, there's a difference."

A disgruntled huff came from him and she sighed softly in response before she spoke again. "I lost my grandpa a couple of years ago, he was the only father figure I had left and it still hurts."

He exhaled and tried to calm down the heat that was burning up his face. Being this vulnerable was stressful. But, Kagome was sharing something intimate with him. He didn't want to argue with her for trying to be nice to him anymore. He felt unable to produce words, so he brought his hand to hers and gave her fingers a light squeeze.

A short inhale came from her, and her fingers twitched underneath his palm. After a few seconds, he coughed and moved his hand away, placing it on his knee. "I think we've got enough pictures."

Her eyes were half lidded and directed at her lap. It took her a moment, but she looked up and responded with a laugh. "I guess you're right. Thank you so much."

She piled the pictures and gently held them, looking at him expectantly. He stood up and led her to the door in silence.

Once Kagome carefully placed the pictures in a folder and put it in her purse, she turned away from Inuyasha to slip her feet into her heels.

A buzz of panic rose from his feet into his chest. Something in Inuyasha felt like he needed her to stay longer.

"A movie," he blurted and she turned to look at him from over her shoulder, blinking curiously. She only had one shoe on.

"Do you want to watch a movie? I, uh, feel weird just sendin' you home, after—that."

Immediate understanding flashed in her eyes. He knew she'd get what he meant. How could he be so open with her and let her leave 6 minutes later?

Kagome immediately stepped out of her shoe and turned to face him. "Okay."

He chuckled and smiled in relief.

Inuyasha handed her the remote for his television when she sat on his couch again, except this time she tucked her feet underneath her. Her pale skin glowed in the blue light from the television as she looked up at him and watched him retrieve a blanket from the linen closet. By the time he had come back with the blanket, the opening sequence of whatever movie she picked started on the screen. When he handed the bundle to her, she looked at him in fascination, a grin spreading on her face.

Inuyasha sat beside her, leaving only about a foot between them. He was extremely self-conscious now. Kagome shook out the blanket and turned towards him.

"Want some?"

She wants to share. Should he? He looked down and stared at the white fuzzy throw in her hands, almost scared of it—what it meant. He worked up his nerve and nodded.

Quickly, she laid the blanket out over his lap and pulled the other side up around her chin, getting comfortable as the film's plot began to unfurl.

He could barely watch the movie. They were about 30 minutes in, but all he could do was watch emotions play on her face. She pressed her mouth together when she tried to hold back her laughter, a puff of air coming from her nose. Her actual laughs were quick and loud, her entire face lighting up in delight. Inuyasha was going back and forth from looking at her and chuckling at the jokes he heard, but in the end his eyes either fixated on her mouth or the waves in her hair that was tucked behind her ear.

Kagome inhaled deeply and looked at him, surprising him. What did you expect, you moron, he thought to himself.

She turned completely to face his direction. "Inuyasha," she whispered.

His eyes locked on hers. "Yeah?"

"Well," she looked down nervously. "When we argued that last time, I'm sorry for what I said. And, well, I…I lied when I acted like I wasn't attracted to you."

Wait. What? She just admitted she was attracted to him! Before he imploded, he felt compelled to reciprocate. "I know I said you like things that look like unicorn vomit…but I don't really think that anymore."

A goofy grin spread on her face before she broke into uncontrollable laughter. "You sound like a child apologizing for putting gum in my hair."

A violent blush broke out on his cheeks. Thank goodness it was dark. "Well…I was just trying to be honest!"

Her head dipped down as her laugh died, and she peeked at him. "I didn't feel too offended when you insulted my style, Inuyasha."

"Keh, I didn't offend you at all? You've got some thick skin," he spoke innocently. Inuyasha didn't remember much about what he said to her, which goes to show how much those words mattered.

She looked up to meet his eyes, half of her face illuminated by the TV screen 4 feet away from them. "Some of it did hurt, yes."

He blinked at her. And then it dawned on him. "Kagome…" he struggled to explain his childishness. Just about all he said to Kagome about Kikyo only confirmed her suspicions that he was comparing the two. "You are nothing like Kikyo to me. You have similar features…but you're a completely different person, and I like you better that way. I know I pretty much said the opposite of that, but…" he fumbled to complete his thoughts, struggling to articulate the fact that he pretty much adored Kagome now, especially for the things he once resented.

A rueful laugh came from her, and she looked down. "I wish…I had gotten to know you better earlier."

"I think that's my fault," he admitted, and leaned in closer to see her face.

"I mean, I could have tried harder to become your friend, or something." She shrugged, meeting his eyes again. This time, she inhaled sharply at their proximity.

"And I probably would have driven you away even faster," he whispered.

"I guess things happened…" she struggled a bit, their noses brushing together. "the way they should have."

Her words caused a swoop in his stomach and his heart pressed firmly against his ribs in excitement. His hands moved up to grab her face and he pecked a kiss on her lips before he lost his nerve.

A small giggle came from her as she pressed her lips against his, keeping their mouths together. She tilted her head and he could feel her smile on his mouth.

He felt her bravely tease her tongue at the seam of his lips, and he opened up for her. She sucked his lip into her mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck, almost sitting in his lap. To accommodate her hug, he gladly moved his hands to her waist instead.

While their tongues explored each other's mouths, the pair closed the gap between their bodies and Kagome was fully seated in his lap. She was comfortably holding his hips between her legs, which were at either side of him.

From animosity to tentative friendship, Inuyasha had never thought of kissing Kagome. He didn't understand why, because it felt amazing.

A gasping moan came from her as she pulled away to catch her breath. Their mouths were shiny and wet, and he felt some of the saliva that had pooled on his tongue from her kisses. His hands kneaded her waist and she leaned her head back and bit her lower lip. To occupy his own mouth, he went straight for her warm neck, licking and biting the skin there. She moaned loudly, subconsciously grinding into him.

He felt his hardened cock twitch at the feel of the heat between her legs and groaned. He was about to put a stop to the whole wonderful make out session they were partaking in because she was bound to notice his excitement.

"You're hard," she breathed out and looked at him, moving against him as she spoke. Not the expected reaction. "It feels…really good, Inuyasha."

Whatever apprehension he felt before washed away, her compliment the only thing he needed to become cocky. "Oh yeah?"

"Yes," she grinned. His arms pulled her closer and he claimed her lips again, pushing his rigid erection against her warm crotch.

Their kiss was headier this time, both parties wanting to feel the other more forcefully. Inuyasha suddenly pulled back, growling. "Are you wet?"

"Yes," she heaved, rubbing against him desperately. His hands slid down her body, over the fluffy sweater she was wearing, and down to her ass. He squeezed and she whimpered.

"You can touch me more—" she closed her eyes, as if trying to fight the embarrassment she felt at saying these words. "Underneath my clothes, if you want."

If he gaped at her lust-glazed expression any longer, drool would start dripping from his mouth. At his trepidation, Kagome unbuttoned her sweater as he watched. It was hypnotic, watching her unlatch flower-shaped buttons from the bottom to the top of her sweater. Underneath it was a pale blue dress that had a white zipper down the middle.

Fuck.

The tip of her manicured fingers flicked the zipper pull up and down. She released a breathy laugh, and he met her eyes. She was teasing him, and he just realized it.

Her actions coaxed him into grabbing the zipper and dragging it downward. It gave rather easily, but what he didn't expect her breasts to be revealed so quickly. He thought there would be a bra that he'd have to struggle to unlatch, but lo and behold, Kagome's wonderful breasts were right in his face when the zipper's teeth unhinged. A thin gold chain with a small lavender stone on it rested just above her cleavage.

The pliable fabric of her dress languidly slipped down to the curve of her waist and then around her hips. All that covered her was her fuzzy white sweater. Two dusty pink nipples peeked from where they were covered, and Inuyasha could tell Kagome's shyness began to kick in. She was visibly flushed all the way down to the top of her chest, small goosebumps appearing on the skin.

Inuyasha immediately wanted her to feel comfortable. He pushed the soft cardigan aside to reveal her chest fully. The garment slid down her shoulders and Kagome allowed it to drop to the ground.

It was strange, although Inuyasha wasn't very dark, he could still see a major difference between his own tawny skin and her milky complexion. The flat of his thumb brushed against her right nipple, and she inhaled deeply.

"I want to lick them," he said dazedly, staring at her breasts and squeezing each one with either hand.

"Go ahead," she whispered, and he didn't take a second to place his mouth on one of her peaked nipples. He swirled his tongue against it and sucked, simultaneously rubbing his erection against her as well. Kagome moaned, putting one of her hands on the crown of his head and gripping the strands of hair there.

He groaned against her skin, the lust he felt was like a blooming sensation in his brain. He lapped at her nipple, thoroughly coating it in his saliva before he moved to the other one to give it the same thorough treatment.

She mewled when he nipped the actual flesh of her breast, holding on to his hair unforgivingly. He kissed it the red spot, and then both of her nipples, which had deepened in color from his attentions.

"Y-you seem to like boobs," she stuttered out, panting.

"I like yours," he said frankly, pressing his face between them and he felt her shiver in his arms. Inuyasha reveled in the soft feel of her skin against his face, kissing whatever part of her skin his mouth touched. She let out a small laugh, squeezing him to her.

"Your eyelashes are tickling me."

Kagome began to pull away from him and he panicked for a moment, before she slid down from her position in his lap to between his knees.

Fuck, again.

"I can use my mouth, too," she smiled up at him, sliding her hand up his knee to palm his erection. Her fingertips gently slid against the length of him—her curiosity almost felt like an appraisal. Unwilling to wait much longer, Inuyasha readily unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants, pitching upwards so that he can slide his pants down to his calves. She moved back to accommodate his shuffling, but quickly moved forward to free his dick from his briefs by herself. Her eyes widened a bit as soon as she had him in her grip, but he paid no mind to it and groaned.

"So silvery," he figured she was gawking at the hair at the base of his cock, her grip tightening a fraction as she spoke.

"Gah," he gasped, leaning back at the sensation. The movement shifted him from being fully seated on the couch to almost laying down, partially sunk into the couch cushions. It gave her easier access to him, his legs spread in front of her. She nuzzled her nose underneath his shaft as she held him, carefully running the flat of her tongue along his sac. Inuyasha whimpered and thrusted into her hand involuntarily. He could feel the leaking precum coming from the head of his dick, and he couldn't bring himself to feel embarrassed. He'd gladly submit to the woman holding him in her hands.

She let go of him, and his dick was painfully erect, stiff enough to stay up before her. It leaned towards his stomach, the tip reaching his navel. She moved to grab him again, making sure to catch his precum with her fingertips so she could use it to lubricate him as she jerked him off.

That didn't last for long, because around a minute later of him staving off an embarrassing amount of noises she leaned upward and took the tip of him into her salivating mouth.

"Fuuucck," he said aloud, trying to hold himself back from shoving his dick deeper down her throat. His idle hands grabbed her hair and he pulled, a small "mmf" coming from her.

Kagome took in what she could, using her hand to make up for the rest. He was bombarded by the feeling of her mouth suckling the head of his cock and her hand pumping him rhythmically—he thought he was seeing stars. Her other hand started to massage his upper thigh, squeezing the corded flesh there before she moved down to cup his balls.

Inuyasha forced himself to watch her as she worked him over, biting his lip when her cheeks sunk in and she sucked. "You're going to kill me," his voice was strained, gravelly. It sounded almost unrecognizable. His entire body was ready to snap, the tension increasing each passing second she had her mouth on him.

The sheer amount of her saliva coating him was driving him insane. It was noisy, it was sloppy, and he was sure his cock could explode at any moment but he futilely tried to hold out for as long as he could. She released his dick with a pop, a string of spittle left behind in her wake, attached to her lower lip. He wanted to lick it off. She circled her tongue around the head of his swollen cock, jerking him quickly as she looked up into his eyes and her mouth glistened before him.

"Kagome—" he panted, hands flexing in her hair. "I'm going to cum, you might wanna just let me—" he tried to speak as eloquently as possible, before he did something like release his load on her face and traumatize her.

In response, Kagome unabashedly took him into her mouth again.

"Shit," he whined. It was too much, her mouth just felt so moist and hot around his shaft, he felt like he might pass out.

She hummed around him and he grunted, unable to fight his release anymore. He exploded into her mouth, and she moaned as his semen gathered on her tongue and down her throat. Once she couldn't hold it anymore, she moved away from his dick, still holding his softening dick in her hands as she swallowed everything that filled her mouth. Inuyasha watched her in astonishment.

Some more cum made it on to her knuckles, and she licked that off too. How many times could he think the word 'fuck'? Because, fuck.

He was still partially hard, but he had to give this woman a kiss. This fluttery woman, with pretty eyes, shiny hair, and plush lips.

He quickly sat up and leaned forward and picked Kagome up from underneath her arms, her dress sliding off her completely in the process. He hugged her possessively, bringing her mouth down to kiss her for the five-star treatment she just gave him.

She smiled, laughing breathlessly as he kissed down her neck and tried to grasp at the sheer pantyhose that covered her legs and midsection. There were soft sounds of her stocking tearing, caused by his claws.

"I can help you, Inuyasha," she whispered, pulling away from him. Once she was standing in front of him, he noticed that she was almost completely naked and he still had a top on. He quickly remedied that, pulling the shirt over his head and kicking off the rest of his clothes pooled at his feet. Once he was done, he watched as Kagome hooked her thumbs under the band around her waist, turning around to show him her ass as she shimmied the pair of nylons off her body. Her panties fit her nicely, its hot pink color a shock against her skin.

As she was shaking the stockings off her feet, he grabbed her by her midsection to pull her down in his lap. She immediately scrambled to hug him again, their limbs tangling momentarily as their hushed laughter filled the air.

She was seated sideways in his lap, hugging his neck as she played with the hair at his nape. Being pushed up against her collarbone and shoulders, he placed open-mouthed kisses on her smooth skin. He inhaled her aroused scent, letting it invade his nostrils and go straight to his brain. His arms squeezed her possessively and she squeaked at the pressure.

"I like the way you smell," he whispered into her skin. Inuyasha could feel the shiver go up Kagome's spine.

She pulled away, a big grin on her face as she slid her hands through his thick hair. "I like the way you taste and smell."

He felt his entire body flush. Why was he getting embarrassed now? Her honesty sincerely freaked him out a bit, as if he had forgotten she'd shocked him tons of times beforehand. However, it only made the lust he held for her pool deep inside of him, a burning wish to be with her that he wasn't sure he could sate.

"W-would you," he broke away from her gaze sheepishly, "like to see my bedroom?"

"Lead me," she moved his face towards hers and kissed him tenderly on the lips. He couldn't help himself, he returned it urgently, running his tongue along her lower lip to suck it into his mouth.

As they kissed, he picked her up from her knees and supported her back with his opposite arm. Once he was up, he had to stop kissing her or he'd definitely bump into a wall. She leaned her head on his chest as he led them to his bedroom and shuffled the door open. It was a small room, his bed taking up most of the space. He tossed her onto his bed with ease, and she giggled as her body sunk into his downy quilt momentarily. She didn't bother to adjust herself to lie vertically.

He didn't join her immediately. He turned on the dim lamp at his bedside table, wanting to see her as clearly as he could. He stared at her as if she were prey.

It didn't take Kagome long to catch on to the game he was playing. She languidly stretched on his bed like a cat, putting her hands behind her neck to make sure he clearly saw her full breasts. Her black hair was spread across his red sheets like tendrils. In the better lighting, he could see every little birthmark that was sparsely scattered across her body, and he wanted to find each one she had and kiss it.

For now, he grabbed her by the soles of her feet and slid her body to the edge of the mattress. Kagome never protested; her eyes were half-lidded and almost pitch black as she watched him with rapture. He pressed his thumb into the soles of her feet, massaging it carefully lest he slice her skin with his claws. A deep moan came from her and he looked down at her face, taking note of her biting her lower lip and her brows coming together as she let herself enjoy his attention.

He released his grip and slid down to her heels, her calves, and then her thighs, pushing them towards her body as he moved, opening her up to him. Her breath hitched when he kneeled in front of her spread legs, licking the soaked spot on her panties.

"Oh," she spoke breathlessly.

"Stay like that, okay?" Inuyasha didn't wait for her response, simply releasing her and pressing a knuckle against the wet spot as he spoke. "Can I rip these?"

"Please," she panted, legs twitching in excitement.

He quickly cut into the fabric at her hips, then pulling it off with ease. He was face to face with her puckered pussy, labia shining with her wetness.

"You're gorgeous," he said hoarsely.

"Huh?"

Instead of clarifying, he did what his instincts told him: he licked at her sex hungrily for a brief moment, letting the taste of her soak in to his taste buds.

Inuyasha knew his pupils were dilated, he could feel his entire body thrumming with lust for her. His cock felt like a hard and heavy presence between his legs, and he ached to be inside her. But, with the image of her pussy, there was no way he could fuck her without making her cum with his mouth first.

"Spread them," her delicate fingers slipped down her body to do exactly as he asked.

At the sight of her clitoris, swollen with arousal, he placed his mouth on back on her without preamble. Kagome yelped and then whined at the sensation of his soft tongue massaging the delicate nerves there. She started to writhe a bit when he carefully sucked it between his lips, so he hooked his arm around her hip and pressed his palm into her stomach, ceasing her wriggling.

"Oh, oh, oh," she breathed, toes tipping into the air and curling as he feasted. He couldn't finger her because of his claws, so he simply moved downward to push his tongue into her awaiting heat, nose nudging her clit. She was practically sopping and Inuyasha could feel the lower part of his face getting drenched in the process. He decided to put his other hand to better use and started to rub her clitoris in measured circles while he pressed his tongue into her.

Kagome's moans started to become desperate mewls as he brought her closer to climax, interchanging between slurping her pussy and her engorged clit. He even sucked gently at her labia, bringing it into his mouth and releasing in favor of broad licks up the length of her. She removed her hands from between her legs, unable to hold herself open to him any longer because she needed something to hold on to, and that was his hair.

"You taste good, too," the purr of his words vibrated against her and she wailed in retort, probably hearing mumbles instead of his compliment. She started to buck against his mouth shamelessly, a clear sign that she was close. He sucked her clit once more, flicking it with the tip of his tongue, and she cried out.

"Aaaaaah," she keened, jerking as gushing liquid began to come from her pussy. Inuyasha greedily licked it into his mouth, enjoying her taste. Her legs were too tired to hold themselves up anymore, and she dropped them against his shoulders. He happily tried to clean up the mess between her thighs, but Kagome started to push lightly against his forehead. It was time to stop.

Inuyasha gripped her legs and sat up, leaning over her body to see herself blink back into reality.

Her entire body was limp, arms laid out. He grinned down at her and she puckered her lips for him to go down and kiss her. He knew he had a distinct shine from her juices on his chin and lips especially, but was pleased to realize that she didn't care just as much as he did.

He leaned closer to her, moving in to kiss her neck. This brought his hips down further, his throbbing erection pressing against her wet folds. Kagome pushed upward, trying to gain further friction from his hard shaft.

Inuyasha groaned, pushing the length of him against her, grinding in order to partially coat himself in her wetness.

"Condom," she reminded him, but her actions didn't indicate she wanted him to pull away from her. Her legs wrapped around his hips and she placed her hands on his shoulders, kissing the dip in his collarbone.

He sat up, letting her hold his hips as he stretched over to his bedside table to grab the only box of condoms he had. It was sealed, out of use for a couple months now. Kagome's thighs moved up around his hips, pulling him towards her with her legs once he had the box in his hands.

"You're in a rush." He grinned, pushing his shaft into the cleft of her labia. She moaned deeply at the friction.

"I can be growly and impatient, too," she rasped, snatching the box from him to sit up and release his hips. He let her jab slide, figuring he deserved it for years of unfair treatment.

"Come here, Inuyasha." Her command was soft, suggestive. He obeyed and cupped her neck to lean down and kiss her. Kagome exhaled deeply through her nostrils while they kissed, dropping the box of condoms in her lap to hold his jaw and kiss him back.

Her hands moved up his legs, fingers spreading over his hipbone. She sat on the edge and stared with hungry eyes, and Inuyasha knew she was taking in the sight of his body, hard cock bobbing in the air and aching to feel her.

Kagome licked her lips, moving her hands away to tear open the box. She looked at the foil wrapper and read the description aloud. "Ultra thin."

"Lubricated," he added.

She smiled, ripping the wrapper open and grasping his cock. She stared at it, jerking him a couple times. Kagome locked eyes with him after she placed the condom on his dick, holding the latex at the tip as she rolled it down to the base of his shaft.

Her eyes blinked up at him and she leaned back on her elbows, spreading her legs before him.

In the moment, with Kagome's eyes asking him to come closer, Inuyasha experiences a rush of awe that shakes away some of the desire ridden cloud that has fogged his brain.

Inuyasha is lucky.

He grabbed her shapely leg and hooked it into the crook of his elbow. He ran the knuckles of his other hand up the seam of her labia, the image causing his dick to twitch in excitement.

"Inuyasha, please," she whimpered, canting her hips in his direction, "I want this. Please—"

He gave her what she was asking for, moving his hand to position his cock at her leaking center and nudging the sensitive head inside her. Kagome panted, completely breathless, and he could feel the lush walls of her pussy contracting at the feeling of penetration. For leverage, Inuyasha pressed a steadying hand to her stomach before he plunged inside her the rest of the way.

"Fuck, you feel great," he stalled to allow himself to relish the sensation.

"Oh my goodness, Inuyasha," her insides clutched his dick and her body tensed at the intrusion. "You—you're so—oh…"

Inuyasha started to move, indirectly cutting off Kagome's sentence. His measured pace was made fluid by her juices. Growls and grunts came from his gritted teeth. Her exclamations grew progressively louder, bouncing off the walls of his room and becoming a pleasant ringing in his ears.

He was absorbed by her fluttering eyelids and the beads of sweat that were dripping down the line of her cleavage. Kagome did her best to meet his hips with her own, but she was struck with a tremulous shaking in her hands. Unable to hold herself up by her elbows any longer, she dropped her head onto the bed and balled up her hands into fists. It was cute.

He leaned over just to whisper how delightful she was being in her ear, changing angles.

"Aaaaaahhh," she whined and threw her head back, squeezing his cock as he bit her earlobe.

"I—I can't, Inuyasha, not for long, I'm—" he sucked on her neck, reaching his free arm up to hold her hands above her head and fuck her harder into the mattress.

"Right there! Please," she cried.

Their flesh was smacking loudly and her slippery pussy made lewd sluicing noises between their joined bodies.

"I can't believe I've been so blind," he growled, "I didn't hate you, I wanted to fuck you," the intensity buzzed between them like electricity and had Inuyasha pushing his face into the crook of her neck in order to stay grounded.

His previous words in tandem with his rasping voice and brutal pace seemed to be the combination that sent her over the edge. Kagome arched up involuntarily, pushing up his torso some while her muscles spasmed around his thick cock.

Inuyasha was at the cusp of orgasm already and the feeling of her walls trying to milk him dry caused him to let out a brief shout. His thrusts turned sloppy, slowly descending into lazy pushes as he spent himself inside the condom.

"Fuck," Kagome exhaled.

He slowly pulled off of her, kissing her neck and collarbone and biting her nipple before he completely stepped away from her and pulled out his dick. Inuyasha removed the condom and tied it off, tossing it into the trash.

With his back to her, Kagome cooed, her voice throaty, "Nice butt."

He turned his head suddenly, meeting her cheesy grin with one of his own. "It's fake, don't tell anyone."

"I didn't peg you for a liar," she lazily rolled around on the bed, finding a spot on the right side.

"No one can see past the asshole, it lets me get away with everything else." He plopped down next to her, running his hand along the side of her body.

"I don't think you're an asshole," she looked up at his ceiling as she spoke.

"I don't think you're annoying," he retorted, staring at the line of her jaw and watching her swallow his words. "Anymore."

She turned to him, smiling mischievously. "Likewise, pal."

Her warm expression was infectious, causing him to smile for her. She clearly looked tired, her body sticky with sweat and the smell of their sex strong on her skin. Kagome opened her mouth, and then closed it, obviously struggling with her words.

"Inuyasha?" she bit her lip, a calm expression appearing on her face shortly after.

"Yeah?" What would she say? This was a mistake? It was entirely possible—he damn well knew he was an asshole no matter what she said—

"I like you."

"I understand." Inuyasha didn't even listen to her words in favor of getting this awkwardness over with.

Her neck jerked back at his immediate, callous response. "Um, oh, okay."

She sat up, scanning his bed for something to cover herself. Kagome, chagrined, is something unfamiliar. She settled for a pillow and squeezed it to her body and stared at her hands in her lap. Aw, hell. He'd have to move out of town. No, out of the country. He'll miss the wedding, he'll even change his name and take up knitting in atonement for this catastrophically awkward situation.

She squeezed her hands together and spoke quickly with her eyes squeezed shut. "Inuyasha, I get it, you don't like me like that," wait—what? "That's fine, but I'm tired of being pushed away by you and pushing back. It's not productive. Not that we need to, like, produce—god, what am I saying? Uh, well, I'd just really like to be your friend…oh, why are your ears flattening like that?"

Her worried eyes met his bewildered ones and he just noticed what he missed. She was telling him she liked him. Like liked him.

"Me too," he spoke dumbly. "I like you, too."

His confession was met with a perplexed expression.

"I kind of…thought you were letting me down easy."

Kagome's entire body sagged in relief, the pillow dropping from her arms in favor of her jumping into his arms.

She kissed his head, then moving to the rim of his ear, whispering, "I had sex with you because I wanted to."

They soon pressed foreheads, sighing and closing their eyes to take in the moment. Affirmation that they weren't the only one afflicted with an inexplicable attraction, something that seemed to be rooted there before they even bickered the first time.

It was new, exciting, and definitely a little weird. But mostly Inuyasha was just tired.

Inuyasha woke up on what felt like a cloud. A weight had not only been removed from his shoulders, but he's now being carried away by that floating feeling that accompanied being in Kagome's axis.

He rolled over, ready to prolong the constant physical contact between them. However, when he looked at her side of the bed she was gone and the sheets were cool to the touch.

The smell of butter and batter hit his nostrils, and suddenly Inuyasha knew what Kagome had left to do. Since he was paying close attention, he could hear her soft shuffling and humming along with the clinking of spatula meeting pan.

He shuffled out of the bed, nearly tripping over his sheets. When he turned the knob and opened the door, a gush of air hit his midsection and his bare dick—

Shit! Boxers.

Inuyasha rummaged through his drawers to find a new pair of boxers, since the pair from last night had been left behind in the living room.

He wondered what Kagome could be wearing.

Although there was no reason to hide, Inuyasha treaded lightly down the hallway in order not to disturb Kagome. He wanted to watch her work unfettered. By the time he approached the archway to enter the kitchen, Inuyasha saw that Kagome chose to wear his red shirt from yesterday, which landed around mid-thigh for her.

For a second, Inuyasha did not notice the gigantic pile of dishes beside her.

"Are you cooking for a family of twenty?" he asked.

Kagome turned around immediately, bewildered. "Inuyasha," but then she smiled warmly, "Good morning. I made breakfast. And, well, I know you must be wondering why I used every bowl, dish, and pan in your house but I kept messing up and I wanted it to be perfect."

What she admitted made him want to squeeze her tightly in his arms. He didn't want to tell her that he probably would have eaten poorly made food happily.

At his silence, she spoke up again. "I'm going to wash them, I swear."

They locked eyes and he exhaled from his nose which caused her to wince. "I'm not mad. But, can we eat first?"

"Okay," she grinned, "I'm proud of these hot cakes, so I hope you like them."

He led her to the dining table and helped her bring the completed plates over. There was a pancake with a dollop of whipped cream in the center, powdered sugar sprinkled over top and sliced strawberries decorating a corner.

He didn't even remember having all these ingredients, and he told her as much.

"Oh, I went out and bought the sugar and the strawberries. You love ramen and your cabinets make it seem like you don't eat anything else."

It was practically true.

The two of them sat across from one another, a bottle of syrup between them. The mid-morning sun streamed through his windows, basking the area in a comforting light that made the entire ordeal feel almost idyllic.

Her toes poked him in the ankle. Inuyasha looked up in shock, but Kagome was keeping her eyes trained on her own plate, cutting into the fluffy breakfast she prepared.

It had to be deliberate. No one swings their leg upward while eating on purpose.

"Kagome," he mumbled.

She looked at him with an innocent expression.

"Your foot."

"Yes?" she smiled.

"It…um, poked me." He felt blush begin to take over his face, and he almost groaned aloud. Will this be a regular occurrence? Because Inuyasha isn't sure he could take it.

"And?" Her expression was knowing, teasing. Why? He wanted to whine, his stomach churning in the sweep of her affection.

"…Nevermind," he grumbled, shoving a strawberry in his mouth to stop looking like a nervous dork.

She leaned over the table, pecking a kiss to his lips, which were closed unflatteringly to keep all of the food inside his mouth.

"I had fun last night," she spoke after she settled back into her seat. "Well, more than fun, honestly…"

After he swallowed the ungodly amount of food in his cheeks, he coughed and responded to her. "Me too."

She smiled, and something dawned on him. She was waiting.

"I like your breakfast," he was blunt, "and are you doing anything today?"

Inuyasha and Kagome settled into a pleasant pseudo relationship, a month passing by without the pair of them establishing what exactly was going on beyond 'I like you' and 'the sex is spectacular.'

No one in their circle knew about the recent development, and at the moment Inuyasha was pretty okay with that. It gave him the chance to fully enjoy being with Kagome without the pressure of Miroku's teasing or Sango's threats.

At the moment, Kagome was leading him down a grocery aisle, and he couldn't help but recall the first time he received a text from her. It's completely insignificant to her, but to him it was the start of something that, in retrospect, it seems he had no control over.

Kagome was continuing her campaign for his house to be actually stocked with foodstuffs instead of being a barren wasteland. After all, she had been spending the night a lot at his place. He had only been to hers a few times, but she often worried for Buyo's safety as Inuyasha played with the chubby cat relentlessly.

"Inuyasha," she was looking down at some packaged meats. "Do you like steak?"

He peeked over her shoulder, resting his chin there and he felt the slight tremble travel up her body, inhaling her scent.

"I don't know," he wondered aloud, "it expires soon. Are we making that today?"

He knew she was resisting the urge to cuddle him in the middle of the unflatteringly lit beef and poultry aisle.

Kagome's hands squeezed the packaging and she huffed, determined. "I've never really succeeded at steak, but we can try today."

She turned away from him, dropping the packet into the basket beside her.

"Well," he nearly laughed, "Are you trying to give me food poisoning? You're not making me very confident."

They locked eyes. "Foiled again!"

"I guess I'll have to make the steak by myself," he offered, "At least then it has half a chance of coming out decent."

"You've made steak?" They walked around the market together as they spoke.

"When ramen just gets too boring, and that is rare, I buy foods like steak."

Kagome threw a couple of condiments into their little basket-trolley hybrid, which was steadily getting fuller.

"I'm excited to try your five star steak." She was skimming the vegetable aisle now, scooping up broccoli and carrots and dropping them in.

"Ten star," he corrected.

She laughed joyfully, walking up to the cashier and loading the conveyor belt. Beeps rung in the air as each item passed the scanner. "This must be the best steak in the world, then."

Both of them shared the burden of carrying the full bags to his apartment. In the midst of their talking, Inuyasha noticed a familiar head of hair far ahead of them.

Rin.

She was waddling down the sidewalk, very pregnant with his future niece or nephew. Her hair was long, reaching down her back and pinned to one side, a trend she's kept since Inuyasha met her as a teenager.

Kagome.

He was going to spontaneously combust out of worry. Rin was completely non-threatening as far as sisters-in-law go, but he still dreaded the idea of her interacting with Kagome. What if she said something that scared her off forever? Right when things were getting started!

Kagome didn't notice his panic, simply attempting to continue their conversation. He simply nodded.

"Yeah," he spoke absently.

Although they had only been slightly closer to her, the rumble of his voice alarmed the short woman in front of them. Rin stopped walking and looked over her shoulder. She smiled from ear to ear, obviously happy to see him.

"Inuyasha!" she called.

There was no avoiding it now. Kagome turned to look at him quizzically.

"My sister-in-law," he clarified.

Her eyes lit up with interest. He felt his heart shove itself in his throat.

"Stop that," he whispered harshly.

Kagome stifled a laugh, walking with him towards Rin.

"Inuyasha!" Rin grinned, touching his arm fondly. "I've missed you. Sesshomaru does, too."

Yeah, likely story, Inuyasha almost grumbled, but he hugged her instead.

Kagome elbowed him, a clear sign she wanted to be introduced.

"Rin, this is my…Kagome." Dammit, that was weak.

"Nice to meet you," Kagome smiled at her, completely unencumbered.

Realization dawned in Rin's eyes, but she didn't push it, and simply shook Kagome's hand.

"Hi, I'm Inuyasha's sister-in-law."

"Interesting," Kagome's voice lilted, and Inuyasha swallowed his panic.

Once she had been asked about the baby, Rin went on a tangent and Inuyasha was sure they'd never leave the middle of the street. Kagome, a complete sap, was enjoying every second of Rin's rambling.

"How far away is your house from here?" she asked.

"Just about 5 minutes," Rin clarified.

"Let's walk you."

Kagome was a miracle worker.

Inuyasha's phone vibrated with a text.

Inuyasha! You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend! I'm so happy for you! You must come over for dinner with her.

He simply locked his phone, ignoring the text, avoiding the inevitable popping of the bubble that he and Kagome currently nestled in.

Inuyasha kissed Kagome's forehead, and she cupped his face and pulled him down for a much more intimate kiss instead.

Time flew by. Somehow, Inuyasha found himself in a limo with his best friend and company on the way to the party venue. He could have sworn he found out about the wedding a few days ago.

Inuyasha dressed simply, in all black. Nothing outstanding. Miroku had already commented that he looked like a waiter that was off shift, and even took the joke far enough to continuously ask for beers and stuttering, "o-oh, sorry, I thought you were taking my order!" He had obviously been pregaming.

Kagome had reflexively defended him.

"I think he looks handsome," she spoke frankly, meeting his eyes demurely. He knew his cheeks were turning pink, but he couldn't help but smile slightly. No one seemed to notice.

Sango snorted, just as tipsy as her fiancé. Miroku nearly spit out his water with a muffled chuckle.

"Don't go complimenting him, Kagome," Sango stage-whispered to her best friend, "he'll bite your head off."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, and he looked the opposite direction, huffing.

"Keh."

Miroku bumped his friend's side, clearly a little wobbly. "It's okay, Inu, we know you and Kagome have decided on amnesty. We appreciate your efforts tremendously."

It was more than amnesty. He and Kagome had something. How does he say this? Does he have a right to say it? Is it only him that feels this way?

No, definitely not, there is no way he could go on doubting himself like that when she clearly uttered the words 'I like you.'

He turned to look at Kagome and found she was already looking in his direction, obviously searching for his attention. Her face was apologetic, and she gave a slight shrug at their friends' behavior.

It had been so long, 6 fucking years of clear discontent between them, it would definitely shock Miroku and Sango to just say 'Haha, we're fucking now! And I think we're in it for the long haul!'

Inuyasha's turbulent thought process went on long enough for the limo to pull up to the venue. Once he was back on planet earth, he saw Miroku was primping and Sango was laughing at the crude 'bride to be' sash Kagome had given her moments before.

"I love it, it's perfect!" and Kagome looked so overjoyed and proud of herself for making her friend happy that Inuyasha wanted to kiss her.

The four of them stepped out of the vehicle. Miroku and Sango were ushered into the party first, all of the guests giving a triumphant cheer at their arrival. Since they were after the guests of honor, Inuyasha and Kagome slinked in unnoticed.

Magenta and purple banners decorated the pitch black walls surrounding them, white accents lining the bar and available tables. The napkins were decorated with the names of the bride and groom, printed neatly in the center. For a finale event, Inuyasha and Kagome reserved a suite in a nearby fancy hotel for the betrothed couple to end their night in.

Having a brief moment alone, he looked at her and said, "I think you look amazing."

And she did. Unlike him, Kagome had been dressed to the nines, but not as much as Sango in order to avoid outshining her best friend. The dress she was wearing was short, a muted white that showed off her legs spectacularly. The heels she wore were taller than her usual affair, and he wanted to take all of it off, frankly. Her hair was down, and it was more curly than wavy this time, so he knew she styled it.

Her lips, painted with a rosy lipstick, stretched into a goofy grin. "Thank you, Inuyasha. I'd kiss you if it didn't expose us and take the night away from our friends."

"You think we're that important?" he quipped.

"I know it'd be intriguing to everyone, considering neither of us ever acted very discreet whenever we didn't agree," she added. "Also…we're pretty important. At least to me."

His heart fluttered.

"Me, too," he whispered.

All Kagome did in response was put her small hand on his upper arm, sliding down until she reached his hand and squeezed ever so gently, so quick that anyone else but him would miss it. To an outsider, unless they were looking straight into her eyes, at the quirk in her mouth, or the color in her face, it would look like she's just awkwardly trying to be friendly with a beast. But he knew how significant it really was, it was in her body language, even her aura. Most definitely, it was in the imperceptible squeeze of his hand in hers. She wanted to hold him much longer.

"Go entertain your best friend," she spoke as she walked ahead of him, "and text me when you're leaving."

Following what felt like a torrid moment between him and Kagome, Inuyasha decided to get sloshed on such a glorious occasion. Miroku, the man he'd been friends with all his life, has found the girl of his dreams and has managed to marry her and not scare her away. A cause to rejoice.

One of Miroku's many jokes of the night (at his expense) was Inuyasha's unrelenting curiosity when he was drunk. Liquor had a stronger effect on him, and when he was at his most drunk during a party, he'd wake up to Miroku snickering about the fact that Inuyasha had left the house to chase a stray cat.

However, tonight the only thing he had been chasing in the midst of the festivities was Kagome. His eyes consistently searched for her, and he always felt a rush when it only took moments for her to turn and meet his glance. It made him giddy.

Honestly, it felt like there was a tether that stretched between them, the tautness of it pulling at him and reminding him of their current distance. He shook off the dull, unexplainable ache. He sipped even more vodka tonics.

Miroku had gone to the bar with a great deal of their friends to get snacks. Inuyasha decided to stay on the lavish couch, playing weird games on his phone and waiting for everyone to come back with what he hoped was buffalo wings.

His phone buzzed, and a photo message from Kagome flashed on the screen.

He clicked the notification, and nearly jumped out of his seat. Inuyasha looked around grumpily, making sure that no one else got to see the precious photo but him.

In front of his hungry eyes was a picture of Kagome's butt.

She was in her party dress, so there was no way she was recycling some ol' faithful photo she took a long time ago. It was pulled up to reveal her lacy panties, which curved over her ass cheeks nicely. Her thighs looked full and smooth, trailing down till the photo cut off. It was taken in some harsh lighting, probably in the bathroom of this very establishment.

Something entirely different from the warm sensation of alcohol in his stomach began to affect him. The liquor in his system seemed to make him even more aware of his body's functions, and he could almost feel his pupils dilating. His entire body heated up quickly, arousal creeping over him like a curse.

His dick was going to get hard.

Inuyasha shot up, speed walking to the nearest single bathroom in the area. He barged in, closing the door behind him and locking it pointedly.

The chase had become real.

He wasn't very good at sexting, if he was being honest with himself. He tried it once before, and he felt awkward and extremely untalented through the entire ordeal. But, in the end, that was without liquid courage, that was before Kagome.

Inuyasha knew he couldn't think of a proper response out in the open. He just wasn't as quick as her.

But he will be worth the wait.

couldnt wait until later tonight, huh

me neither

i want to see your breasts

He stared at the photo she'd sent earlier, his dick throbbing under the pressure of his slacks and underwear.

Kagome knew exactly what to do to bring about this reaction in him. It seemed innate, the push and pull that lived among them.

Kagome's response came around three minutes later.

youre lucky im not wearing a bra, mister

The photo she sent him was hot, to say the least. The straps of her dress were off her shoulders, her pretty chest exposed for him. She jutted them forward, and the clarity of her camera captured some of the details of her nipples that he loved so much.

and I think youre next

His whole body flushed at her words, and there was no way he could leave this bathroom. It is strange for a best man to go MIA at a bachelor party, he supposes, but Inuyasha cannot bring himself to care. His attraction to Kagome was a force to be reckoned with.

He quickly unbuckled his belt and opened his slacks to reveal his hips and covered cock. He pushed his shirt up a little bit so Kagome could have a view of his stomach. He pulled his briefs down to reveal most of his length and caught a shot of everything. Just from the photo, Kagome would be able to tell that his dick was incredibly hard.

this is what is waiting for you tonight

He resituated himself but didn't bother to redress just yet. He needed to remove some of his strangling clothes or else he'd pop.

oh, Inuyasha

why later tonight why not now

oh fuck

His thoughts echoed through text. Now? How could they even get away with that? Kagome was obviously a little drunk and so was he because after about a second it doesn't even seem like a bad idea. They wanted each other. Only the other one could fix it.

Alcohol could make him numb, but he felt anything but numb right now.

come to me im in the bathroom near the couches

knock five times so i know its you

please

Sober Inuyasha would have berated him for saying please. He knew she would come, why say please? Drunk Inuyasha said please because the power she had over him in that moment felt completely insurmountable.

It could have been seconds or minutes before the five knocks beat against the door.

Inuyasha opened the door but had the sense to step aside to let her in, making everybody who could be watching see that she was entering an empty restroom. Loud music faded in when she stepped in, dying once she turned around to shut everyone out.

The door closed and the lock latched with an auspicious click.

Kagome was staring into his eyes, breathing hard. Despite the fact that they were comfortable with each other in this regard, this was still new territory.

Fucking in public.

Well, what essentially felt like public, because on the other side of that door was everyone they associate with and more. The bathroom seemed small then, a pulsing threat that was ready to cave in as soon as they fucked up.

Well, who cares?

Inuyasha moved in to kiss her and Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lipstick will be all over his mouth. Her scent on his skin. It was all he wanted.

She moaned slightly, and he growled in return.

Yes, yes, yes! The imagined chant rung in his ears, goading him into squeezing her ass in his hands and slipping them under her dress to play with the panties that started this whole mess.

"I can't wait to feel you," he groaned.

"Do it," she whined. Her hands pressed to his shoulders, pushing him away so she could turn to face the marble sink. Kagome pulled down her panties from her hips and they slipped down her legs to catch on her heels. The mirror was tall and clearly reflected their disarray.

Without question, Inuyasha pushed up the form-fitting dress up to her waist, uncovering her now bare behind.

"Fuck, I love this," he said in awe, stroking her.

"Don't wait," she wriggled, pressing against his hips and sighing.

One hand on her hip and the other pulling out his dick, Inuyasha responded to her concern, "Don't worry."

There was a passing thought in his mind that mentioned a condom, but the synapses in his brain were not being allocated to such diligence. He pushed his leaking cock into her awaiting sex, her glossy folds parting for his entry.

"Oh," they groaned in unison.

Inuyasha blinked dazedly at the sensation of her tender walls hugging his dick. It was a wash of relief, but also a rush of intensity that spiraled him further into his desire for release. Kagome grinded into him and subsequently pushed him out of his reverie. He pressed into her as deep as he could and she moaned quietly, trying not to disturb the party outside the door.

"Please," she begged.

Inuyasha began to move, thrusting into Kagome with rapid fire. She was biting her lip to stifle her yelps and moans, obviously trying to be at least a little quiet, to no avail. He was grunting and even felt the sweat drip down his temple and slide into his shirt's collar.

Her pussy was insistent on his dick, gripping tightly whenever he hit the right areas. It was elusive, momentarily, but then Inuyasha got his shit together and angled her hips and pounded. Her hips pushed back against him and their skin smacked together loudly in the bathroom. When he looked down to where they were joined, Inuyasha could see his dick moving in and out of her pussy, cock covered in her juices.

"Do you hear that, Kagome? The sounds you're making?" Her open desire merely made him more confident.

She moaned a little louder in response, and Inuyasha felt her become wetter.

He stared into the mirror momentarily to see their coupling. Kagome was flushed; the cleavage of her dress showing enough of her breasts that he could see they were bouncing against the force of his thrusts. Her hair was messier, lips a wash of a dark pink because of their earlier kisses. Her eyes were shut as she moaned ceaselessly.

Inuyasha took the time to glance at himself, noticing he looked wild. He was ravishing Kagome and she was undoubtedly enjoying it. Euphoria hit him.

"Look at us," he said, mostly to himself.

Either way, Kagome obeyed, and when she opened her eyes her pussy squeezed him like a vise.

"I-I, I think I'm gonna cum," she announced, but her sex spoke for her already. She was trembling around his dick, clasping and releasing frequently in search of release.

"Yes," he growled, "I want to feel it."

"Harder," she demanded.

He complied and performed slamming thrusts, rendering her mute. Her mouth was open; a silent scream. She came with a bang, and Inuyasha didn't have the stamina to hold back in the face of her climax.

He pushed in as deep as he could, to the hilt of his cock, pumping her full of his cum.

Kagome flopped forward, dropping on to the sink as she took greedy gasps of air. Inuyasha didn't move out of her just yet, simply stroking her back.

After what felt like an eternity, Inuyasha slipped out of her, a jolt shooting through his body at the last suggestion of movement.

He adjusted himself, putting his dick away but leaving his pants open for the moment as he moved to tend to the exhausted Kagome.

He saw the sticky, white fluid that was dripping out of her. Sure, it was a combination of their arousal, but clearly he filled her enough for it to overflow.

She started to stand up, heaving breaths all the while.

"Oh, goodness," she rasped, "You came inside."

He did do that. And without hormones to cloud his judgment, Inuyasha just noted what a colossal mistake that was. Before he could even get on his knees and beg forgiveness, Kagome cut him off.

"You're lucky twice tonight," she clarified. "I'm on birth control."

She looked at him over her shoulder, a knowing smirk on her face in reaction to his brief panic. His mind kicked into gear, and Inuyasha fumbled around in his pocket to find his handkerchief to hand to her.

She laughed and wet it, using it to wipe herself off. She pulled her panties up and smoothed her skirt over them and then pecked him with a kiss on the cheek after she noticed he was watching dumbly.

"I think you might want to leave first, Inuyasha. Miroku must think you're dead."

The party! Right, that existed.

He redressed, letting her fix him up into some realm of decency.

"You have so much hair, and it's dead straight," she commented, "It stops you from having sex hair since it all just falls back into place."

Before he departed, he took her into his arms and gave her a parting kiss. He'd be leaving with her pretty soon, but it felt like if he didn't kiss her when he could, there was something wrong.

As she sometimes does, she laughs happily into his kisses.

Inuyasha reluctantly left the bathroom and entered the booming party. Miroku was surrounded by his less important friends, laughing off a probably stupid joke.

"Hey, man," he tried to remain casual so Miroku didn't realize how long he'd been gone.

"Inuyasha! That must've been a monster shit!"

"Well," he decided to play along, "you know what alcohol does to me."

"I love you man." Miroku moved away from the small crowd of men in order to sling his shoulder over Inuyasha's. "You're my best friend. No, like…my brother."

Inuyasha's heart clenched, remembering that he was lying to the person closest to him. In his peripheral vision, he saw Kagome leaving the bathroom quietly. He took a second to catch her scent in his nostrils, clear notes of their mingled sweat sinking into his brain.

Miroku brought him back into reality, squeezing his shoulder and swaying under his arm.

"Lessssssssgo get some bar pretzels." They began to walk.

"Miroku," Inuyasha steadied his friend, sighing. His head felt a bit like gelatin, and he knew he was still a little drunk. "You're like my brother, too."

"I'm so happy Inuyasha…I am marrying the best woman in the world…I have the greatest best friend in the world…" and, without warning, Miroku began to tear up.

"Oh no-" he started.

"I'm so lucky!"

Gods, he felt like the worst best friend for keeping his relationship with Kagome under wraps.

"Uh," Inuyasha stopped their trek to the bar, causing Miroku to stumble a bit. "I have something to tell you."

"Wha?"

"Um…well, to put it simply—even though it's not simple…" he struggled, trying to not look Miroku in the eye. "Kagome…uh…"

"Yeah?" Miroku asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I…I."

"Uh huuuuuhhh?" his friend dragged out his words, getting impatient, visibly shuffling on his feet. "C'mon, I feel like I'm getting more sober by the second and you're making this less fun."

"Kagome and I slept together." Inuyasha screwed his eyes shut, waiting for some kind of meteor to hit him. He sent a silent apology to Kagome, for exposing them.

Miroku immediately pulled away from his friend to look at him face to face. He was cupping his cheeks, mouth agape and eyes alight with mischief.

"No, no, no, no NO." He scolded his best friend, trying to stop the annoying twinkle in his eye. He could tell that he wanted to jump up and down at this information. "Stop that."

Miroku deflated, shrugging his shoulders and looking off to the side. "I understand, my friend. You didn't perform well so you don't want to mention it."

"Hey!" Inuyasha yelled way too loudly. Almost everyone in the room turned to look at him, even Kagome, who looked amused even though she didn't know what his conversation was about. His stomach sank, but he just growled and turned to look at his friend instead and spoke in hushed tones. "It's not that I didn't perform well…I…it's…it's a secret!"

Miroku leaned in conspiratorially. "So it was good?"

Inuyasha met his friend's eyes and darted his gaze to the ground. "It was—um, amazing, I guess."

He cackled. Not a chuckle, not a snicker, a cackle that made Inuyasha's entire body shudder in defeat.

"Inuyasha, when I asked you to get to know her I didn't expect you'd get to know her that well—"

"Please, PLEASE, Miroku, would you shut the fuck up!" he leaned in close, gripping his friend by the shoulder and dragging him to a barstool and plopping him down. "Just eat your pretzels."

"This is possibly the greatest wedding gift."

"Gods."

"I mean, what could be better?"

"For the love of—"

"A blender? Child's play!"

"Can you just—"

"Not only was I right, I hit the ball out the park!"

"Yes, I get it, so if you just be quiet—"

"Sango—!"

Inuyasha's hand smacked over his friend's mouth with demon speed. "Fuck no. Do not. Stop!"

"But why?" Miroku's voice had been extremely muffled under Inuyasha's hand, but he heard it just fine.

"Because…we're keeping it a secret. I just felt bad for not telling you."

"Awwwwwhhhh—" he clasped his hands together and tilted his head to the side, not acknowledging the hand over his mouth.

"Please, Miroku, I'm going to die if you keep going at this rate," Inuyasha pleaded one last time.

His friend nodded. Inuyasha let go.

Miroku was still grinning like the cat that caught the canary.

"You have managed to shock me." he shook his head good-naturedly. "You're so stubborn sometimes...actually, all of the time."

Inuyasha leaned back in his stool, resting his elbow on the bar and signaling for the bartender to bring two beers. "Well, I think she's more stubborn than I am."

"She chased you?"

That didn't seem accurate for some reason. "Uh…I think it was more like she didn't allow me to be a shithead when we were planning all this." He waved his hands around, gesturing to the party decorations and other amenities available within the venue. "Before I knew it we became friends."

"So you experienced a sneak attack."

"I don't think she knew what she was doing either, honestly."

"The pair of you just fumbled into each other's laps?" Miroku teased as the beers clanked onto the counter beside them.

Inuyasha's cheeks flared up, and he felt the tips of his ears burning. It was alarmingly true.

"Hey fellas," the bartender broke into the conversation. "I have a question. You're the groom, right?"

Miroku beamed. "Yes." They shook hands.

"Congratulations, man. My name's Hojo."

"Thanks, Hojo. Nice to meet you."

Hojo smiled. "I just wanted to know what that girl's name is," he pointed, "The one in the short white dress over there."

The bartender, who completely had Inuyasha's attention now, looked wholesome. He had light brown hair and looked extremely nice. He hated this man immediately.

Miroku's eyebrows rose up in amusement, looking at Inuyasha with an impish expression.

"Oh, that's the maid of honor."

"Her name is Kagome." Inuyasha cut in, sharply, looking at Hojo directly in the eyes, an unspoken claim on her.

Hojo floundered for a second before he bounced back with an easygoing expression. "Is she your girlfriend?"

He was speechless. What does he say? This man is technically insignificant, but Miroku is sitting right across from him, listening. Inuyasha found himself wanting to say it even more. "Yes."

"No problem, dude. Sorry for overstepping my bounds, but she's gorgeous and I had to ask."

Inuyasha had already turned his head to the side, effectively ending the exchange with Hojo, who ended up leaving awkwardly.

"Your girlfriend?"

Commit or you'll look like an idiot. "Yeah, so? You still can't tell Sango." Or else she'll tell Kagome.

More skepticism from Miroku. His friend knew he was bluffing.

"Maybe you should ask her first."

He sighed and put his head in his hands, ears folding back. The liquor swam in his stomach again, it stole away his confidence and weighed him down. He glanced at his friend. "…yeah."

"I'm nervous, Miroku."

"About what, my friend?"

"She'd say no." The heels of his palms rubbed into his eyes. Suck it up, suck it up…

"Now why would she do that?"

"Because—" he stammered, trying to find the reason. So what if she said she liked him at some point? With sweet tempered men like Hojo around? So what if they had sex, it could be all there was.

"Because—I'm an asshole, that's why."

The clicking of heels. The wash of her scent. Her voice. "Is everything okay?"

His best friend just laughed, smacking him on the shoulder blade and leaving his place on the seat. "Just your everyday existential crisis in the middle of a bachelor party, Kagome. I'm going to go find my fiancée. Please make sure he doesn't drown himself in beer."

Kagome's gentle touch rested on the nape of his neck and he could just feel her body step closer. "Inuyasha," she whispered.

He dragged his face up to look up into her eyes. He noted the slight frown, the bent brows. "Yeah?"

She sighed, sitting on the stool that Miroku had just left. "What happened?"

He debated telling her. Would she get mad? Probably.

"I…um. The bartender, he asked what your name was. I didn't know what to do, so—"

Kagome's eyes widened and she put her finger over his lips. Apparently she didn't want to hear anymore. "Are we moving too—? You know. Am I…pressuring you?"

Inuyasha's eyebrows rose and words just pushed free without his discretion. "Kagome, things have never felt this natural before."

Kagome's lip trembled. She reached out her hand tentatively, as if to touch him, but instead dropped it onto the bar counter. "Yeah, me too."

He studied her expression. It looked almost as if she was in pain, and suddenly Inuyasha understood the damning struggle of holding back.

"We can tell them, right? Soon, maybe." He spoke softly, an irrational fear of her answer plaguing him.

She blinked and then turned to look down at her hand, one of her fingers was twirling in a small puddle of condensation left over by their friend's beer.

"I want to tell them," she paused and then met his eyes. "But what are we telling them? I know that we've been…" her mouth shut, not willing to articulate any further. "but. We've never said."

"Kagome. When that bartender asked me just for your name I started to freak out. I called you my girlfriend without ever even asking you, I got so fucking angry." Hojo was so nice looking and just like Kagome. I'm the opposite of nice.

Her face transformed into a serious expression. "Ask me now, then."

What? Her eyes remained trained on him, encouraging him, inviting him. What he'd wanted for the last month

"Now's your chance, Inuyasha," she reminded him, "Ask me now."

"Kagome…I want you to be my girlfriend."

She beamed. "Did you really think I'd say anything but yes?"

"Yes to what?" Inuyasha hadn't noticed Sango approaching, but she was almost as drunk as her soon-to-be husband.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to dig a hole. Or maybe he wanted to take Kagome away from everybody else because he couldn't seem to be alone with her right when he needed to be.

Sango stood next to Kagome, fixing Inuyasha with a firm gaze. He had an uneasy sense of dread strike him. Nervously, he looked around for Miroku.

When he found his friend's gaze, Miroku merely gave him a half smile and shrugged. Of course he would be useless now. He lived for this shit!

Kagome was visibly shaken. She looked to her best friend and back at Inuyasha frantically, obviously unsure about what was going to happen. She simply barked out a laugh, clasping her arm on Sango's shoulder to jostle her.

"Haha, we're talking about your surprise!"

Inuyasha was very confused right now.

"Bartender, what time is it?"

Hojo, that fucking asshole, turned to look at Kagome happily. Inuyasha pointedly met the man's gaze.

"Aha, um," he was nervous now (serves him right), "it's about 1:35AM, ma'am."

"Perfect timing!"

"Huh?" Inuyasha and Sango said in unison.

"I think it's time I tell you that Inuyasha and I reserved a fancy room for you and Miroku at the nice hotel Kagura mentioned to us." Kagome was grinning, shaking Sango from her previous concentration.

"Oh my goodness, really?" Sango exclaimed in disbelief.

Kagome nodded, waving to Miroku to come over. "The party's probably going to end soon so Inuyasha asked me if we could tell you."

Okay, he thought. Inuyasha is no stranger to avoiding the issue.

The woman's eyes welled up with tears and she hugged her approaching fiancé. "I love our friends."

Miroku gladly hugged Sango, squeezing her in his arms and closing his eyes. "I love you more, my dear."

"We're going to a hotel!" Sango smiled at him. Miroku's eyebrows rose, and then he grinned.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha looked at Kagome, hoping for her to elaborate on the segue she made. They were on the brink of a serious moment and he had a sinking feeling that maybe it was gone forever.

Kagome put a finger to her lips. "Later," she mouthed.

It settled him, for now.

The party had finally ended. Inuyasha and Kagome shuffled Miroku and Sango off into the limo, giving the driver the directions to the hotel where they'd spend the rest of their evening in romantic bliss.

Inuyasha and Kagome were cleaning up the fallen decorations and tissues as the turned down music hummed around them. The bartender had left the venue about thirty minutes beforehand, telling them to lock up when they were done. Kagome was walking around in the debris barefoot, kicking large pieces of trash into in a growing pile.

"I think this was a great success," she talked to him across the venue. "They're happy."

Inuyasha didn't respond in a timely manner. So, while he was bending down to pick up a cup, Kagome threw a roll of streamers at his head.

He turned around immediately, and she was grinning. The paper streamer was wrapped around her shoulders like a boa and its ribbon trail lead to him and unraveled at his feet after she threw it.

"Hi," she waved.

"You know," he said teasingly as he walked the line of paper to reach her. "This is just making a bigger mess."

"I'm okay with messy," she tiptoed and kissed his nose. "If it's with you."

Inuyasha's mind briefly flashed to the image of his cum dripping down her thighs. His gaze met hers, and he knew she knew what he was thinking about; she brought his mind there herself. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to shake it off for now.

"Later," he whispered.

"That's fine," she said coyly. "C'mon, let's get the broom and sweep it all up. I'd like to get to later as soon as possible."

The two of them worked together to compile all of the garbage into three large bags. They trekked out to the dumpster to fling them in.

"Ah!" Kagome smiled at Inuyasha. "We're done."

"Good riddance," Inuyasha remarked, "let's hope they even remember the damn thing. They were so drunk."

"I'll remember it for them," she replied, "but I'll keep some stories to myself."

Inuyasha would most certainly remember his first successful sexting experience.

"I can't wait to see the pictures!"

"Even that shitty one we took together?"

Soon after Sango learned about the hotel reservation, she pushed the pair of them together for the photographer to capture. "I love these two! We need to immortalize them!" she yelled.

"Even the shitty one," she agreed.

Once all the lights were out and the doors were locked, Inuyasha and Kagome loitered in front of the venue for a while, taking in the city lights around them.

"I'm gladthe worst part is over," she laughed a little. "Can we go to my place this time?"

He looked over at her and noted how tired she was. Her makeup was wearing off and smudging, and her hair had never recovered from their earlier tryst. She was also fidgeting on her feet.

"Do your heels hurt you?"

She blinked at him curiously. "Yeah, why?"

They didn't have a ride anymore, although it didn't make sense to call a cab. Her apartment was not too far to begin with.

"I'll carry you," he offered.

Kagome blushed, but didn't leave him hanging. "Okay."

She slipped out of her heels and carried them in her hand before she carefully climbed onto his back. Inuyasha secured his hands around her thighs, and she squeezed his hips to adjust herself. He could smell her very well at this proximity without the city's industrial air between them. Her skin was thoroughly coated in his scent with just a bit of faded perfume and sweat mingling with it. She nuzzled her face in his neck and a waft of her shampoo and hairspray struck his nostrils.

"I'm sure everyone can see my butt right now," she joked into his hair.

A flare of jealously lit inside of him. They'd just have to get to her house extra fast.

Inuyasha started running at demon speed.

Kagome yelped, using her arms around his neck to nearly choke him in an iron grip. "Oh my god!" Her entire body attempted to cocoon around him, pulling him closer and holding on for dear life as she screamed in laughter.

"I know you wouldn't drop me but —" Kagome squealed as he jumped across a street and picked up the pace. The wind whipped their hair around. "Can you slow down? Just a little?"

It felt like perfect timing, because when he begun to slow down to a stroll they were in Kagome's neighborhood.

"I've taken the bullet train before," she commented, breathing heavily, "but that was insane."

"It's easy to travel like that," he responded, "'cause a 10 minute walk shortens to 2."

"It was kinda fun, holding on to you like that," she squeezed his torso, "a bit like a roller coaster honestly."

"So I'm simply a means of entertainment to you?" He feigned offense.

"You're entertaining, all right," she admitted.

He would have left the banter at that, but she continued on.

"But I think I'd like to be your girlfriend for more than piggy back rides."

He stopped mid-step, jostling her on his back. His cheeks reddened. He wanted to hear her say it again, just to make sure.

"What?"

"Oh, jeez," Kagome sounded quite young right now. "You're going to make me die of embarrassment."

"I want to hear it again," he whispered.

Inuyasha could feel Kagome's heartbeat speed up behind him. He was almost glad he didn't have to look her in the eye.

The pair of them must have been quite the sight.

"I. Want. To be. Your girlfriend," she huffed against his shoulder. "Y'know…you asked me earlier and I didn't give you a proper response."

Happiness rose within his body starting at his feet. It whirred up his legs and swelled in his chest and forced him to grin cockily. He speed-walked to her apartment building, hopping up the stairs.

Once they were at her door, he set her down. "I think we're going to have fun tonight."

Kagome looked up at him, a knowing grin spreading on her face. She pulled his face down to exchange a heady kiss.

"Wait," she said against his lips and pulled away shortly after. "I think we should tell our friends."

"Soon," he grumbled, trying to bring her lips back to his. He tilted her chin up to resolve his problem.

"We're not even in my apartment yet!" Kagome laughed against his hungry mouth.

"Let's go in," he spoke offhandedly, wanting to cover his new girlfriend in kisses. The door was his only obstacle. Maybe the cat behind it, too.

She fully pulled away and tapped in the code to get inside the house. Her hand was placed firmly on the handle. "But wait."

His brows furrowed impatiently. "What?"

"Can we have lunch with Miroku and Sango this week?"

It suddenly struck the slightly inebriated Inuyasha that he had already told Miroku that they were involved without telling Kagome at all. He didn't want to upset her, and he really just wanted to be alone with her anyway, so he agreed. He'd have to tell Miroku to keep his mouth shut when the time comes.

They were about 2 days away from the wedding, and Kagome thought it was a perfect time to break the news to their best friends over a nice outdoor brunch.

Inuyasha was panicking.

He'd told Miroku to stay quiet, but he knows that he wouldn't do it if the situation had too much potential to escalate. He'd watch the world burn for his own intrigue. Inuyasha honestly thought Miroku became a psychiatrist for that very reason.

Sango looked quite coy, sincerely filling the role of a blushing bride-to-be. She was happy, which meant Kagome was extremely happy.

"I'm so excited for you two," Kagome declared.

"Yes," Miroku echoed her sentiment, "and, I'm very glad the two of you have become friendly."

Kagome decided to fidget with her napkin, avoiding Miroku's comment. Inuyasha glared at Miroku, trying to send him a message to shut up. Sango narrowed her eyes and Inuyasha noted that Miroku was biting the inside of his cheeks in a suppressive gesture.

"Well," Kagome coughed to clear her throat.

"Do you have something to tell us, Kagome?" Miroku leaned in.

Inuyasha barked in defense, "Do you have something you want to ask, you ass?"

Sango sighed, "Kagome, I think you should say it before Inuyasha has a heart attack." What? Inuyasha quickly turned to Kagome and she met his eyes and winced.

"Darling, I think maybe we should let them take their time—" Miroku condescended.

"You knew?" Kagome turned away from him and gasped at Miroku.

"Miroku!" Inuyasha yelled at his friend. All of the patrons turned their heads to watch them now.

"I never said anything!" The pony-tailed man pleaded falsely. His inflection was a clear indication that he knew something.

"But she obviously—" His deep voice boomed, a clear sign of his panic. He turned to the bystanders and scolded them all, "Stop looking at us!" The other restaurant goers looked guilty, quickly turning their heads away.

"Oh thank god," Kagome sighed in relief, interrupting the chaos. "Sango, he told Miroku!"

"I told you," Sango argued. "And you just said 'oh, I trust him!'"

"I kinda hoped he would," she conceded.

"I knew he would crack," Sango boasted, "No offense, Inuyasha. It was written all over your face," she looked to Kagome. "He was completely smitten."

Inuyasha, who was indulging in a sip of water, choked on his drink. Fuck! He was obvious.

"Sango, I asked you what was going on and you never told me! What about the bond between married couples?"

"You hoodlums aren't married yet," he grumbled.

"I promised Kagome, Miroku."

"I'm hurt," Miroku sighed. "To think I only found out 5 days ago."

"You held out for a while, Inuyasha." Sango commented. "How long did you wait, Kagome? A day?"

The girl in question looked off to the side, trying to avoid it. "I…"

"A day, huh?" Inuyasha leaned in.

"She was excited."

"Excited, huh?" He whispered.

Kagome flattened her face onto the table and groaned. "You'd think we were all in high school."

Miroku had been pacing around the room briskly. His white suit looked crisp and new, a small bundle of pink daisies pinned to his lapel.

"How many more minutes?"

"Miroku. I told you 10 minutes about 20 seconds ago."

"I almost feel like I'm going to forget my vows at this point." The groom shook his hands outward in an effort to relieve the visible tension in his body.

"You're the king of words, I doubt you'd fuck up a speech," Inuyasha wasn't as much of a wordsmith as his best friend, but he knew that Miroku took comfort in his blunt nature. One of them had to understand the virtue of silence or else their friendship would have died a long time ago. Instead of stressing out, he fiddled with the uncomfortable braid that trailed down his back, which Sango had ordered him to do.

"How's my hair?" Miroku flicked the small rat tail at the nape of his neck.

"It looks the same as when you last asked me!"

"Your bedside manner is horrible, Inuyasha."

"You're not dying!" He spat.

There was a knock at the door. When Miroku asked the stranger to come in, a boy of medium height strolled in. He had scattered freckles across the bridge of his nose and looked painfully shy. Inuyasha recognized this teenager to be Sango's brother.

"Kohaku!" Miroku exclaimed.

"Hi, Miroku. Since Sango is almost done, Kagome told me to tell you to get all of the groomsmen in place with you at the altar." The young man was also donned in the same button down shirt and slacks as Inuyasha, complete with a purple bowtie around his shirt collar.

He couldn't help it, but Inuyasha felt a jolt when he heard Kagome's name.

"Great, great," Miroku chuckled nervously, "We're getting married…in a matter of minutes—let's go, Inuyasha. Before I puke."

He couldn't dismiss his friend's stage fright any longer. Inuyasha firmly locked his hands on Miroku's shoulders, looking him in the eye.

"Miroku. Today's the day your dreams come true."

"Yes."

"Sango, who you've repeatedly told me is the greatest girl you've ever met, is waiting across the hall to get married to you very soon. You're going to create the family you've always wanted. I'll probably babysit your multiple kids, even."

"Oh man, you will? Gods…" Miroku seemed to stare off, and Inuyasha knew this man was about to buckle at the knees.

"Yes, against my common sense, I will babysit your kids sometimes when you need to spend time with your wife. 'Cause I just know you'll take care of her. And all of your future rugrats."

"Yeah…" His friend's face softened in awe.

"Believe in yourself because I believe in you. No, because Sango fucking believes in you."

Miroku shook out of Inuyasha's grip and hugged him tightly.

"I'm glad to call you a brother, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha, slightly jarred, quickly picked up the slack and hugged his closest friend. "Yeah…same."

Kohaku coughed loudly, and they released each other. "Uh…are you ready now?"

"Yeah, Kohaku," Miroku grinned, back to his usually charming self, "I'm ready to be your brother-in-law."

"Oh, jeez…" was all the boy said in retort.

All of the men walked down the aisle in a single file. Miroku started to silently speak with the minister, so Inuyasha stared at the extravagant wooden doors. He heard the hushed speaking behind it, even Kagome's directions to the flower boy and ring bearer. She promised them lollipops in exchange for good behavior. There was also the tapping of the impatient Sango's heel against the hardwood floor, and she was clearly as nervous as her husband-to-be.

"Sango, this is going to be a magical day," Inuyasha strained a little to hear Kagome's quieter voice behind the layer of wood, "so enjoy yourself. You planned everything perfectly. Miroku loves you to death, and I'm here to fix anything that goes wrong."

"You're right," Sango chose to speak at regular volume, and her determination was clear.

"Good," Kagome had said in return.

Two well-dressed ushers opened the doors, and out came a small girl fluttering out flower petals down the aisle for Sango and her bridesmaids to walk on. Next to her was a little boy, a small white pillow in his hands carrying the couple's wedding bands.

Inuyasha, who had never been to a western wedding outside of films, was not sure about how everything was supposed to play out. Once Sango appeared the threshold with a giant pink bouquet, Miroku gasped. Inuyasha distinctly heard his friend's heart beat speed up at the sight.

It was strange to see Sango in an extravagant, off the shoulder gown. Kagome was behind her in a dress of her own, but hers was pink. She carried a much smaller flower arrangement. All of the flowers gave the room a lovely aroma.

Sango finally reached the altar, passing Kagome her bouquet for her to hold. Behind their friend's heads, Inuyasha went to look at Kagome and found her already looking at him. She smiled widely, and he couldn't stop the quirk of his own mouth.

The ceremony passed on as usual, with tears streaming down Sango's face when Miroku got to the vows. Kagome seemed to know that would happen, and passed her friend a pretty handkerchief. Miroku didn't succumb to waterworks, but he couldn't fool Inuyasha's nose—he could smell the salty tears that pooled in his friend's eyes as Sango spoke slowly but surely.

After the wedding had finished and photos were taken and the reception was in full swing, Kagome and Inuyasha sat at the same table, a glass of wine in each of their hands. She leaned on his shoulder comfortably, her feet propped up on the chair adjacent to them.

Her hair was mussed, and so was his. The braid had unraveled a while ago, much to Sango's dismay. Kagome merely laughed, and whispered to him that she liked him both ways.

Her wine glass clinked against the table as she put it down. Her hand rested on his thigh gently before she squeezed his knee.

"You know what, Inuyasha?"

"Hm?" He leaned his head on hers.

"I'm thinking that we should be thanking Miroku and Sango," she sighed contently.

"For what?" He rasped. He knew what she was going to say now, anyway. He felt it too.

"For bringing us together." She held up her hand for him to take it. He put down his own glass to accept her offer.

"Yeah, I already promised Miroku I'd be babysitting his kids."

Kagome sat up abruptly with a laugh, hand still in his. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

"I guess I'd have to help, then?" She squeezed his hand, a small grin gracing her features.

"I figured that went without question," he smirked at her.

"Yeah, you're right," Kagome leaned up and kissed him on the lips. Inuyasha definitely felt excited for the future.

NOTES: Oh my goodness this...this piece took me a while. To a friend of mine who has been planning her wedding (and has no idea I write fics)- thanks for the idea! A LOUD thank you to my amazing friends who read multiple drafts of this story. There's no way it would have gotten here without them. 3 Lastly, this was completed in time for InuKag Week 2017, posted for the prompt family/pink. I hope you all enjoyed it.