Cruelty

Part two

He kept his promise. I didn't expect him to but he did, he left me alone, without any interference from his part, without any disturbance. I appreciated it, I really did; at least I knew that he was sincere to some extent.

He also gave me a job in one of the top companies in the country, but not one of his branches as I had expected. To my surprise, he chose his fiancee's company. I was satisfied by this sudden choice.. I was enrolled as her personal secretary: I would organize meetings, appointments; help her with anything she would request. I would never work for him again, directly or indirectly.

She was his complete opposite to the point that I wondered why she was engaged to such a cruel man. For instance, she was sweet and understanding while he was rude and demanding. She treated me really well, as if she was my friend and not my boss. For the past six months that I spent in her company, I was deeply satisfied with my job. I missed Sango but I made new friends, new relations with my coworkers.

In my new company, there were liberties that were not present in the old one. I could tell my opinion without fearing for the safety of my job, I could ask for a short vacation when I am sick, and most importantly, I could look at myself in the mirror and be pleased with my proper achievements, no dirty secrets anymore, no sinful looks or unpleasant remarks.

I was happy, I was completely totally happy. I even enrolled Souta in a good school. But since it was really far from my apartment, he stayed at the dorms. He was happy too. Everything was perfect. My life was again relaxed and satisfying.

As for him, well, he was from the past. I couldn't help but feel glad when I learned that he left the country for a five months business trip. Apparently, some branches were facing difficulties and he had to attend to the administration there. It was a relief to know that he was not breathing the same air I was breathing now, that he was far away from me, that he would soon forget about me and never bother me again. Seeing him would be difficult. So for five months I enjoyed life again. I went out to restaurants with my new coworkers, we attended social events that our company organized…everything was perfect.

… So perfect to the point that I forgot he even existed. I forgot about what he did to me, what I let him do to me. I decided that it was a nightmare, a nightmare that was long over, but somewhere deep within my soul I knew, I knew that he would come back one day, that I would have to face him again. And I knew that the nightmare was not a complete nightmare for me, I knew that I felt enjoyment somehow, and that scared me…it scared me because I knew that I could fall again in the trap of the devil. Him. Always him.

"Hey Kaggie!"

I was startled from my own thoughts by the loud call. I looked around and chasing all my fears away smiled when I saw Kouga leaning on the door of my office. Kouga was something else, really something else. He was the most joyful and persistent guy I had ever met. Sango told me once that I should take his offer one of those times and date him. He was handsome after all, with his strikingly blue eyes and arrogant smile, but I simply couldn't. I wasn't ready yet.

"Hey!" I replied, smiling at him, "what are you doing here?"

His smile widened as he came closer, sitting on the chair opposite to mine.

"Kikyo wants to see me." He said motioning to the door on my left. That's where Kikyo's office was. Kikyo as by my boss and Taisho's soon to be wife.

"Why? Are you in trouble or something?" I asked a little bit concerned. I considered Kouga as a good friend and I couldn't see any reason why Kikyo would want him right now. After all, he was responsible for the external affairs of the company…so why would she need him? I suddenly heard him laugh. I looked at him, surprised, a little bit angry that he would take my concern so lightly. As if sensing my thoughts, his laugh turned to a little smile.

"Relax baby, I am not in trouble. It's about some unfinished business, that's all."

I smiled back, and moved my hand to press the intercom in order to inform Kikyo of his arrival when his hand suddenly caught mine. My eyes flew to his, a little bit surprised by the action. All traces of humor were gone from his face as he stared right into my eyes. I gulped, feeling suddenly very uncomfortable under the intensity of his gaze. It kind of reminded me of a certain golden stare…

"Are you doing anything tonight?" He asked, squeezing my hand enough to get my attention. I cleared my throat, obviously embarrassed. Why would he ask me that so suddenly? How could I refuse his offer without hurting his feelings? I knew that he was the most wanted bachelor in the whole company, he was handsome, funny and as some employees say quite wealthy, but I wasn't ready, and I didn't want to lead him on.

"Kouga…" I sighed in defeat, my eyes never leaving his. He only wanted me because I was probably the only girl who refused his offer. Perhaps that was the source of his persistence. I didn't want to ruin our friendship; I really appreciated him as a friend, nothing more, and nothing less.

"Come on.." he cut me out immediately, his eyes still staring into mine, "come on Kaggie, we can go to this restaurant…say yes for once, it won't be that bad…I promise…"

I took a deep breath. Maybe it was not such a bad idea, going out with our company's infamous playboy. It would be fun, entertaining…distracting.

I was about to agree when someone cleared his throat from behind Kouga startling us both, making the latter drop my hand immediately. My eyes flew to the intruder and my heart stopped beating for a second. It must be a hallucination, I told myself as I stared at the silhouette casually leaning against the doorframe. My throat felt very dry and I thanked God that I was already sitting since I was not sure that my legs functioned anymore.

The last person I expected to see standing on my door, in my office, was the devil himself. His eyes were glued on me, cold, insensitive, cruel as always. He had not changed. Six months had passed and there he was, beautiful, deadly, cruel, staring at me as if it was yesterday.

Kouga was the first one to recover as I saw him move towards him, a smile plastered on his face.

"Inuyasha!" he exclaimed, patting him on the shoulder, thus attracting his undivided attention. "You're early! Kikyo and I talked about the merger and you don't have to worry about a thing! All the papers are ready, you just have to sign and all would be done. Man, it's good to finally see you again. It's been six months…wow; you really know how to disappear. So, how is your father?"

My previous boss adjusted his position, standing now on his full height. He smiled a little, pushing Kouga a little bit away from him. The gesture surprised me, or rather shocked me to be more precise. Was he being playful with Kouga? Was that even possible?

"He's fine. The old man is stronger than we all thought. Is Kikyo in her office?"

It was then that Kouga remembered that I was in the same room with them. Turning towards me, he flashed me one of his trademark smiles that would usually make girls swoon, almost. It did not have the same effect on me. In fact, I found it to be…well…hilarious.

"Kaggie, Kikyo is in her office right?"

I could feel him staring, I could just feel his eyes on me, and it made me more uncomfortable than ever. Shifting slightly in my seat, it took me all the effort I could master to ignore him and focus on Kouga. Smiling back as naturally as I could I nodded.

"Yes, she's in there. Do you want me to inform her of Mr. Taisho's arrival?"

"No need." The latter replied coldly, arrogantly, and viciously as he made his way towards the door, opening it and stepping inside as if he owned the place. Kouga followed him but before stepping inside, he cast me a look that told me that our conversation was not over yet. He then closed the door behind them.

As soon as I was alone, I exhaled loudly, my body suddenly stressed, my heart beating loudly and my head hurting as hell.

One sentence kept repeating itself in my head over and over and over again. He was back.

They stayed in the office for a long time, all three of them. And during this time, I was successful in calming myself. He didn't do anything to intimidate me; he just stood there and then entered his fiancée's office. I shouldn't be that emotional after seeing him, he was just my previous boss. And I was sure that once the merging papers were signed he would never be back again. I felt myself relax considerably.

It was just for today and then everything would be fine. I didn't even have to talk to him. Kouga was there and even if I had to talk to him, it was not a big deal. I was now a big girl. I could take care of myself. What could he possibly do? Nothing at all! He had done his worst. And in addition, he had promised that I would never have to deal with him again, and so far he had kept his promise.

Kikyo's office door suddenly opened and Kouga stepped out, followed closely by Kikyo. I stood up as she made her way towards me, her face a little bit anxious. I could also tell that Kouga's face was not so relaxed either.

"Kagome, I need you to do me a favor." She said, looking at me seriously.

"Of course, anything."

She smiled, approving my answer before continuing.

"I want you to stay with Inuyasha and keep him from leaving until I return. There are some problems with the papers and we have to rectify them immediately. Just go into my office and ask him if he wants anything to drink or eat…I don't know what you should do, just keep him preoccupied until I return. Don't let him leave. You are his previous assistant, you know what to do."

My eyes widened dramatically as each word fell from her mouth. I couldn't do this! I couldn't go into the office and distract him! I was a coward, I couldn't face him after all what happened between us. I couldn't even look at him square in the eyes! And to add it all, it was my time to leave, my shift was over damnit!

I opened my mouth to protest when Kouga cut me off, his eyes almost begging.

"Kagome, we're in trouble. He doesn't want the merger anymore and he's making excuses by criticizing the contract. We have to fix all the clauses that he has opposed to immediately."

I knew that I had lost, because I didn't have any valid reason to say no. I was kikyo's personal assistant and such matters were in my domain. In addition, I used to be his assistant, so they must have thought that he would rather spend time with me than with another employee from this company. And to sum it all, if they left him alone, he would certainly leave.

Any protest that I would issue would raise doubts. And that was the last thing I wanted. I couldn't help but agree.

I slowly entered the office, searching for him with my eyes. I immediately spotted him sitting on the couch, obviously in a terrible mood. His eyes immediately caught mine and I could see the displeasure evident in those beautiful eyes of his.

"Good evening sir." I said as coldly as I could, my eyes never leaving his. I wanted him to know that he did not intimidate me anymore. I wanted him to know that I didn't work for him anymore, that I wasn't inferior to him.

"Close the door." He ordered, clearly not affected by my tone; however these three words made me infinitely uncomfortable. But I complied. I didn't want to start a new war between us, a war that he would certainly win and that I would certainly lose.

Silence stretched in the big luxurious office as I sat on one of the chairs opposite to the couch, near the desk. He seemed to be lost in his own world and for the first time I noticed that he was terribly tired, even anxious. He let his head fall between his hands and sighed loudly, almost desperately.

"Is something wrong?" I finally asked, unable to see the man that I considered as the devil so beaten up. It made my insides feel suddenly funny. He raised his head to meet my eyes.

"No." he answered, still holding my gaze. "What about you, how are you doing here?"

His question caught me by surprise. Why would he ask that? Did he even care? Despite myself, I felt my cheeks redden and my face grew hot. It was not every day that I made a simple casual conversation with the only man I have ever slept with. I cleared my throat, trying as much as I could to hide my embarrassment.

"I am fine. Thank you for asking."

"Too bad." He replied before leaning his head on the couch, as if he planned to go to sleep. It took me several seconds for his words to sink in. When they did, I frowned, not wanting to understand what he meant.

"What do you mean by saying 'too bad'?" I asked my voice a little louder than I had intended. It was as if he had never left. The same tension had settled again between us, the same embarrassment, fear or whatever it is that would hunt when I was with him

He smiled and looked at me again, however, this time I was able to see the hidden cruelty behind his golden orbs.

"I am not merging with this company." He answered as if he was telling me how the weather was. My mouth fell open and my eyes widened. Did he just say that? His smile grew even bigger as he saw my facial expressions. He stood up, walking towards the door, leaving me sitting there, completely speechless.

"Tell Kikyo that I left. If she wants to speak with me again, she could find me in my own company. You know where my office is."

I stared at him, still blown up. What the hell just happened? Why would he want to destroy his fiancee's company? He smiled one last time before walking out of the door.

I sighed for the millionth time. It felt as if my soul was slowly leaving my body. I was finally in front of the building where my apartment resided. I was tired, very tired. This feeling that I had forgotten for six months had returned with full power. The fear of what Taisho was planning.

After I told Kikyo what he said, her face lost all of its joy. The thing that I hated most about Taisho was his ability to destroy happiness with one simple word. How could he?

I climbed the stairs, my head still trying to understand why he would change his mind, why he would decide to destroy the company he was supposed to merge with. Finding no answer, I decided to let the subject drop. After all, Kikyo had told me that she knew how to make the situation right. She told me that Taisho was probably trying to show who the boss was. Kouga had agreed but I seriously doubted their logic. I knew him well, maybe too well, and this was not his type. He would never destroy a company just for the sake of doing it. There must be a reason, a hidden reason to his actions.

I finally made it to the door of my old dark apartment. I opened my purse to find my keys when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Immediately alerted, I opened my mouth to scream when the same hand muffled my cry. My head started aching immediately as the possibilities of who was holding me in such a death grip could be. My chest heaved and tears started to form into my eyes. Was I that unlucky?

It was then that I heard the unmistakable voice that hunted my nights whisper in my ears.

"Calm down. It's only me."

He then let go of me. My heart thundered in my chest as I slowly turned around. I could see him, standing right behind me, tall, arrogant…cruel. He looked down at me with those strikingly golden eyes and I felt myself on the verge of breaking down. He had just given me the worst scare anyone had ever given.

Too shaken, the next thing I heard was a loud slap as my hand made contact with his cheek, effectively turning his head to the side. We both froze, me trying to comprehend what had just happened, him too surprised to even react.

"I am sorry…" I finally breathed out, reaching towards his face to check the damage I made; he immediately slapped my hand away.

"You scared me, I…" I couldn't find the words. I just hit him and I didn't mean to. I felt horrible; I never imagined I could do that to the cruel devil…that I could hurt him.

"I must go." He suddenly said as he moved towards the stairs. Guilt started to eat me up, so before he could get any further I followed him, grabbing his wrist with both hands. The action seemed to startle him as he froze in his spot.

"Let me put some ice on it…it's going to swell."

He turned around, smiling cruelly, as he always did, but I stood still, refusing to be intimidated.

"Please, don't make it seem as if you regret your action. You have never had such satisfaction before. Slapping me was the most pleasurable act you have ever done...just admit it. Say it…" He whispered in the darkness. For anyone who might have seen us, it would have seemed that he was whispering sinful words in the darkness. The words he spoke would come to no mind other than his. I felt…pity.

"Just come in…the ice will be useful."

We stared at each other for a few seconds before he made his way towards my door. I felt as if I had just made an accomplishment. I had just convinced him to do something that I wanted. Maybe there was hope after all. Maybe if I talked with him, he would refrain from destroying the company I worked for.

He sat in the living room, in the same spot he had occupied six months ago when he made the lewd proposition, the one I was forced to accept. But what was he doing right in front of my door? Why was he waiting for me? As I grabbed the ice from the refrigerator, my eyes scanned him discreetly. I almost laughed when I saw how unfitting he was. His suit alone was probably the same price as that of my whole apartment.

Not wanting to anger him, I did not ask him what he was doing, why he was waiting for me. Instead I sat next to him and asked him to turn his cheek towards me. Apparently, my hand was pretty powerful as I saw the imprinted red marks. I placed the ice and saw him wince but he said nothing.

"Can you just hold it there?" I asked him as I moved away, not wanting to be physically close to him. So we stayed in silence, both of us staring at each other, daring the other to speak. I was the first one to lose the staring combat.

"Why?" I asked.

He smiled a smile void of any emotion, a smile that was more than a frown.

"Why what?" he countered, his golden eyes meeting mine again.

"Why do you want to destroy Kikyo's company? She's your fiancée. You should bring her happiness. Not sadness. I cannot understand you. You're…you're so cruel." I murmured, glaring at him, feeling offended by his ever growing smile.

"Cruel?" he repeated, "Do you know who you are talking too? I can destroy you in one second. Just think about that okay? Put that in your pretty little head." His voice was now growing in volume as he stood up, obviously angry. "And you don't have the right to intervene in my relationship with my fiancée! You are poorer than dirt! How dare you assume that you know better than me?"

My eyes widened. That was it. He had finally done it. Any compassion I might have had towards him simply disappeared. He was insulting me, again, degrading me, again, and making me feel lower than scum, again. I stood up, refusing to let him dominate my life once again.

"What the hell is your problem?" I shouted staring at him with all the hatred I could master. "You tell me that I am interfering with your relationship with Kikyo while you are the one standing on my apartment's door after six months! You tell me that I am worthless, that I am poorer than dirt while you keep coming back, ruining my life! What's wrong with you! If you hate me so much than just disappear from my life! Leave me alone for once! I didn't ask for you to come, I don't even know why you came in the first place! Just get the hell out of my apartment, I don't want you here, I don't want you in my life. I was happy before you, I was happy after you but never with you! Get out!"

By the end of my outburst, I was panting for breath, exhausted, tired. He looked as if I had just shocked him with a thousand volts. He threw the ice bag on the floor, still glaring at me.

"Do you think I want this?" he asked me calmly, motioning to my apartment. "Do you think I like it that even after not seeing you for six months I cannot get you out of my head? I keep thinking about you, I keep imagining things…you…with other men!"

I gasped, backing away slightly. That was not supposed to happen. He was supposed to yell at me for yelling at him, threaten me then storm out of my apartment. He was not supposed to speak like that.

"Please don't make things any worse…" I begged, trying to block away his words but failing miserably. My heart thundered, begging me to hear him out while my head refuse his explanations.

"I did not want to come here! I did not! But I couldn't! You are so beautiful, so very beautiful that it makes me dizzy, just looking at you. You don't know how breathtaking you are. Even Kouga, you saw how much he was interested in you."

"Please, get out!" I replied, turning my back towards him, my face growing hotter than ever.

"No! You wanted to hear the truth than hear it!" he yelled, making me flinch. I hugged myself, not knowing what to do, how to make these strange feelings just stop.

"I know that what I did was wrong, I know that I forced you to be with me but I couldn't help it. I thought that you might accept me if I offered you things that you wanted…money…a position in the company."

"You wanted me as your mistress. You are engaged Mr. Taisho. Don't forget that fact."

I thought that my words silenced him since no sound was heard anymore in the entire apartment. I bit my bottom lip, congratulating myself for being so strong, so determined.

"I love you." He whispered but his words kept ringing in my ears. My eyes widened and I froze, unable to make any move. "So deeply, so greatly…I am crazy with you, since I first saw you, I tried to fight it, but it grew bigger and bigger…the urge to have you became uncontrollable, I love you."

My body trembled and I felt as if I had a fever. My heart, my head, my body, all of me could not assimilate the extent of those words. But I knew better, I knew better than to fall in the trap of the devil.

"Too bad." I found myself answering, mirroring his previous reply. My eyes misted with tears and my lips trembled in denial of my own cruel words but I kept my back towards him, not wanting him to read my emotions from my face. Because I knew that one day I would have to face him, and one day I would know that I loved his cruelty, that I loved his arrogance, that I loved his monstrous side…

"Is it because I am engaged?" he whispered. "What if…what if I call off the engagement? You don't understand how much I love you, I love you even though you are nothing like me…I love every part of you."

"I do not love you." I whispered back, silent tears running down my cheeks. He was lying. He was toying with my emotions. I would not let him. "I love another man."

Silence again, dark dreaded silence dominated until I heard him laugh behind me, the sound odd, and bitter, desperate…heartbreaking.

"What a fool I am. When we were together, I thought that you loved me, that you felt something towards me, I thought that such emotions cannot be artificial…"

He was lying, I kept repeating to myself. The devil would never change. He was just tempting me, waiting me to succumb, to fall in his trap.

"I was thinking of him."

His cell phone suddenly rang, startling me. I heard him flip it open before answering, his voice calm, composed, cruel…

"Yes Kikyo, I was not joking around. The merger is off, and the engagement too."

My eyes widened, my breath hitching in my throat.

"Don't cry, it will not be useful. I know about your affair with your lawyer…" He paused for a few seconds before continuing. "I see that you have nothing to say anymore. The truth hurts doesn't it? I didn't want to tell you that in the office because Kouga was present. I did not wish to embarrass you. Your company will be fine without mine. You should be thankful Kikyo, we were going into a loveless marriage, and you saved us both."

I knew he hung up when I heard the soft click of his phone. I was too shocked to register what happened. Kikyo was having an affair with her lawyer? Did he mean Naraku? He did not want to embarrass her? But he was supposed to embarrass her, he was cruel…he was…cruel.

I heard my door opening but I couldn't move. It was as if my body had failed to obey my mind.

"I know that I am cruel, but you are crueler than I would ever be." He whispered.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my raging heart. He had just said that he loved me, called his engagement off and somehow apologized. And I lied to him; I told him that I was thinking of another man while I was only thinking of him. My chest heaved and I turned around to deny my lies…except…he had already left.

"To say the truth, I had begun to think that you will never accept my invitation." Kouga said, leaning across the table to take my hand in his. I smiled, looking shyly at my surroundings.

"Kouga, I think that this restaurant is a little bit expensive don't you?" I asked, smiling a little. He shook his head negatively, his hand squeezing mine.

"You are so beautiful, do you know that? The most beautiful girl I have ever seen." He whispered. My eyes widened slightly as I could hear his voice, memories of what he had told me that night in my apartment. "I did not want to come here! I did not! But I couldn't! You are so beautiful, so very beautiful that it makes me dizzy, just looking at you. You don't know how breathtaking you are. Even Kouga, you saw how much he was interested in you."

My heart gave a painful pang as I extracted my hand from Kouga's. Since that night, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, and I couldn't breathe without thinking of him. I was cruel with him, too cruel; I never gave him a chance. I always misjudged him. I always assumed he was a monster.

"Hey Kaggie, what's wrong? You seem sad." Kouga asked, clearly concerned. I shook my head negatively.

"We're friends, aren't we?" I asked him, wanting him to know that our relationship was bound to be just that of a friendship. I didn't want to mislead him, I didn't want him to think that I wanted more than that from him, not now, not when my heart was burning like hell, not when my blood had turned magma in my veins.

He leaned back in his seat, his striking blue eyes looking at me as though he was seeing me for the first time. I tried to escape his gaze, feeling that the slight eye contact would reveal all my secrets.

"Damn!" he explained, smiling slightly. "I know that emotion in your eyes."

"What emotion?" I asked, fearing the answer myself.

He laughed, holding his wine glass and taking a zip from it.

"L'amour, my dear Kagome. I can see love in your eyes."

My breath hitched and I had to take a gulp from my own wine in order to calm my raging emotion. Was it that apparent? To the point that even Kouga could see it?

I was about to respond, to deny such accusations, to defend myself when Kouga's eyes drifted behind me before widening.

"I can't believe it!" he whispered before standing up, waving towards someone. "Look who's here!" he exclaimed loudly. I turned around and immediately regretted accepting Kouga's invitation. There he was, coming towards us, collected and arrogant as ever. As soon as he spotted me, he hesitated a little, but Kouga's calls made him continue his way towards us.

Both men shook hands amicably before Kouga forced him to sit with us.

"I really don't want to impose my presence." He said, looking at me from the corner of his eye. I tensed, not able to be so close to him after all what happened. I just needed to get away, to get up and run where no one can find me. I just needed, I just needed to be with him, my mind finally admitted.

"Were you planning on having dinner by yourself?" Kouga asked, frowning. "Why would you do that? It's been like two weeks since you broke up with Kikyo. Come on man, it's time to get moving with your life. Go out! Date! Get laid already."

I had never detested Kouga until now. Why would he do this to me? Why would he give his friend such horrible advices? I could not handle that! I could not sit on the same table and pretend that I was with Kouga when my heart was completely under the mercy of the devil.

"No, I don't think it's the right time…" Inuyasha mumbled, looking around him as if he was trying to avoid the conversation. But Kouga would not drop the subject.

"Come on Kaggie, tell your old boss that he should start seeing women again. If Kikyo betrayed you with Naraku, this is her loss not yours. Tell him Kagome."

My eyes met his golden gaze for the first time in weeks. He stared at me, but this time I could see even behind the cruelty mask, I could see his heart. The words died in my throat. How could I say such a thing? I couldn't! I simply couldn't!

"We should not interfere in such matters." I whispered, taking another gulp of wine to calm my raging heart. I was on the verge of tears. What was I supposed to do now?

"We are not all as lucky as you are, Kouga." He finally said, his eyes glued on me. "I can see that you two, you have an excellent relationship. I really envy you."

I could almost taste the sarcasm in his voice and it hurt me, it hurt me that my own lies and insecurities had driven us to this point, the point of no return.

I could hear Kouga laughing while shaking his head negatively, his blue eyes twinkling with excitement. Apparently, this conversation was pleasing to him.

"Oh no, Kagome and I, we don't have this kind of relationship. She's not my girlfriend."

Inuyasha laughed, but I could sense that there were no true feelings in his laugh.

"I see. You just screw each other don't you?"

All laughter immediately died and the atmosphere became charged. My eyes widened, my hand still frozen on my wine glass. I couldn't believe he just said that. He had just insulted me in front of Kouga. The latter didn't seem any less shocked than I was as he stared at Inuyasha, completely dumbfounded.

"Do you have to pay or does she do it for free?"

I pushed my chair away, getting up as fast as I could. He got up as well, his form towering over me and by now, we were the main attraction of the whole dining people in the restaurant.

"What's the matter?" he mocked, staring at me as cruelly as he could. "Did I hit a nerve, Kaggie?"

My eyes immediately went towards the table and before he could process it, I threw all my wine in his face and stormed out of the restaurant, him hot on my heels.

I had just made it to the parking when he grabbed me by my arm almost painfully, turning me around so that I could face him.

"Damn you!" I yelled in his face, trying to free my arm from his death grip. It only seemed to tighten more, and I knew that it would bruise.

"Is it Kouga? Huh? The guy you were thinking of when you were with me?" he yelled back, bringing me closer so that our noses collided. I used my other hand to push on his chest, trying to put distance between us. "Answer me!" He yelled again, shaking me more forcefully.

Before I could say anything, I felt him being ripped away from me and tossed on the ground. My eyes widened when I saw a very pissed off Kouga standing between us.

"What the hell?" He asked, looking between us as if we were from another planet. "Are you crazy Inuyasha? Why did you say all those things back there? Are you drunk or something? You have no right to insult her that way!"

Inuyasha slowly got up, his eyes fixed on Kouga the entire time.

"This conversation has no room for you, Kouga, so stay the hell out of it." He replied, his eyes threatening the man standing between us.

"It's my concern since Kagome is with me. What the hell is wrong with you Inuyasha? Huh?" He asked again, eyes full of concern.

Inuyasha's golden stare softened considerably before he staggered back, away from us.

"I am sorry…" He whispered, backing away. "I won't bother you anymore. I am sorry. I am just so stupid, so stupid…"

I helplessly watched as he moved far away from me until I was barely able to see him. It was then that Kouga's voice broke me out of my trance.

"What's the matter Kagome? Why are you crying?"

Surprised, I touched my cheeks, finding them wet with my tears. I couldn't hold it any longer. All that drama, it was too much…I fell on the ground, sobbing like a little kid.

And here I was, waiting for him, hoping that he would come back. I sat on the stairs, watching the empty dark street. It was nearly two in the morning but I wasn't going to back away. I was going to clear all the misunderstandings between us. I was going to rectify what happened earlier in the restaurant. And that's the reason why I was patiently waiting at the doorstep of his luxurious apartment, the same apartment he brought me to six months ago, however, this time, I came because I wanted to, not because I had to.

I finally heard some steps coming towards me. I lifted my eyes and there I saw him, frozen in his spot, staring back at me. I got up from my sitting position, wincing slightly when my bones protested.

"What are you doing here? Get the hell away from here!" he ordered cruelly but I knew better. His cruelty was just a façade, a façade to hide his insecurities, his fears, his desires…

"We need to talk." I replied, calmly smoothing my black dress. His eyes followed the movement for a second before he glared at me again, as if blaming me for the little distraction.

"I am tired, I am sleepy and I am fed of your shit so go away before I call the police." He said, moving towards the door and unlocking it.

"Just give me five minutes."

"No." he cut me out immediately, throwing the door open and stepping inside.

"Three minutes and then I will leave without any disturbance."

He frowned slightly, considering the offer before looking at me as coldly as he could.

"One minute, start talking." He ordered.

I smiled a little. One minute would be enough to tell him all what I wanted to. It should be enough. So without any hesitation, I quickly moved towards him, my hands grabbing the sides of his face and pulling him down for a kiss, my arms immediately working their way around his neck.

I pressed my lips against his, bringing my body as close to his as possible. But he didn't react, he stood there, frozen, his lips cold against mine, his arms on his sides. My courage dissipating immediately due to his coldness, I let him go, blushing from both embarrassment and rejection.

"I am sorry." I stammered, backing away slightly… "I shouldn't have…"

My words died in my throat. I thought that he would accept my apology. I never thought that he would refuse me, so plainly, so cruelly. I refused to look at him as I backed away even more.

"Why are you torturing me like that?" he whispered, attracting my eyes towards his. I could see there what I couldn't feel in the kiss. While the kiss was cold, his eyes were heated; warm…it gave me hope again.

"I lied to you…" I whispered back, never leaving his eyes, "there was never another man, there was only you, I just wanted to hurt you like you hurt me. I hated myself, I hated myself because I knew that I had feelings for you, while I shouldn't have had anything but hate. And when you came to my apartment, I was so sure that you were lying, that you only wanted to hurt me even more, I considered you as cruel…and you cannot deny that you gave me every reason to think of you like that, but now, now I must tell you that I love you too, I love you so deeply that it hurts, I cannot even breathe right when I think of how much I love you. I even love the bad you…"

"The bad me?" He asked, a small smile making his way towards his lips. Encouraged, I stepped towards him.

"Yes, the bad you."

He leaned against the door, his eyes still glued to mine, as if he was evaluating my words, searching for the truth, the unmistakable truth.

"Can I come in?" I asked, flushing at my boldness. He simply stepped aside and as soon as I was inside, he closed the door behind us. To my surprise, his once impeccable apartment was now trashy, and seeing the amount of empty alcohol bottles, I knew how he spent most of his time.

Any words I was trying to find died in my throat when his arms enveloped me from behind, his breath hot on my ear.

"This is your fault." He whispered hotly, sensually. I felt my knees go weak and I almost collapsed if not for his arms caging me against him. "I knew about Kikyo long ago. About her and Naraku but I didn't care, not until I met you, loved you. And then…"

He didn't continue and I soon felt his mouth press urgently against my neck while he pushed me towards the door at the end of the hall. I turned around in his arms so I could see his face. My hands caressed his broad shoulders and settled on his chest.

"Then what?"

"And then Kikyo was not good enough anymore."

I backed away from him before turning around, almost smiling at his confused face. I made my way towards his room, opening the door and stepping inside. In a blink of an eye, he was behind me, his hands doing quick work of ridding me of my dress while his mouth was occupied with my neck, my shoulders, and my face, everywhere he could reach.

"I want you so badly…please, I need to know that you want me too." He mumbled between kisses and soon I found my dress pooling around my legs. I faced him again while he backed us slowly. I suddenly felt something hit the back of my knee and we both went down on the bed, him on top of me. I didn't know how, but he quickly rid himself of his clothing before joining me again in the darkness of the room.

He kissed me with urgency, with desperation and I answered each one of his kisses with a passion of my own. There was a feeling of freedom, the freedom of being able to love without any restrictions, without any taboo.

He slid down my body, kissing all the way while my hands held fists of his hair. I closed my eyes, gasping softy as his masculine body traced mine, his lips going down from my neck towards my shoulders before settling on my chest.

My eyes immediately flew open as waves of pleasure started to wash over me. Feeling myself begin to pant, I wrapped my legs around his waist, trying to free the ache that was slowly building.

My lover seemed to understand my pain but ignored it, his hands and mouth still focused on my chest. He played with my body as much as he wanted, his hand creasing my breast while he slowly captured my nipple with his mouth, sucking at it lazily.

"No, stop it…" I whimpered in despair, bucking against him, the ache becoming almost painful.

"Soon…" he whispered, his breath coming on my now wet nipple, causing a loud moan to escape my lips. He smiled, sliding up until our lips were inches apart.

"Answer me…" he whispered. My heart thundered in my chest, my body ached for his. I bucked against him once again.

"I want you." I murmured, my hands gripping his shoulders, traveling down his back, "I love you." I continued but was cut by his lips on mine. This time, the kiss was powerful, demanding, passionate, and almost painful and I accepted it with all my heart, with all my love.

His hands returned towards my breasts, twisting and tugging until I broke away from the kiss, breathing hard.

"Inuyasha…I can't…"

"Soon." He promised, rubbing against me, giving me just a portion of what I truly needed.

"Liar." I breathed out, smiling when he did. "Cruel…" I tried to continue, but he chose the exact moment to fulfill his promise. My head fell back on the pillow, beads of sweat running down my forehead. I could hear him panting as he pulled away and thrust again, this time more deeply, more roughly. His name escaped my lips over and over again…

For the first time, I actually slept. No remorse, no dark thoughts, just pure love, fulfillment. When I woke up, I was alone in bed, and it was nearly noon. I quickly got up, wrapping the sheet around me tightly, searching for my dress.

"Going somewhere?" I turned towards the door and saw him coming towards me, fully dressed in his black suit. He never looked so handsome in my eyes.

"Yes…" I answered, pulling him down for a morning kiss. "I have work and I am very late. I see that you are late too."

"Hmm." He replied, sitting next to me, his hands clutching the covers that I was holding securely around me. "Do you want me to help you get dressed?" He whispered huskily, his eyes already glued to my body. I blushed and pulled away.

"Don't look at me like that!" I warned him, smiling despite myself.

"Like what?" he asked innocently, leaning dangerously close, his lips brushing against my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

"Like as if I was breakfast or something…"

He laughed, pulling me into a fierce hug. He kissed the top of my head tenderly, making my blush intensify.

"I called my father today…"

I didn't answer, too content into snuggling in his arms. It didn't show well in his suit, but he was quite muscular.

"I told him that we are going to get married. He was very happy and he asked me how…"

"We're getting married?" I asked incredulously, pulling away to look in his eyes. He ignored me, pulling me back against him.

"And then I told father about you working with Kikyo, and he made a very interesting remark, my wife cannot work anywhere, that's why, today, I faxed your resignation…"

"You what?" I yelled, pulling away, my face now pale. He was taking over my life. "But I love to work…"

"You can work for me Kagome." He whispered, caressing my cheek lovingly. I melted in his touch, my anger long forgotten.

"What about Souta, I cannot leave him."

"He will live with us."

Before I could argue anymore, he silenced me with a kiss that I was more than happy to give. When we finally broke away, he placed his forehead against mine, staring directly in my eyes.

"And I forgot to tell you something."

"What?" I asked, nudging my nose against his, happier than ever.

"I am twenty nine."

I looked at him, not getting his point. He smiled again, diving for another kiss. I turned my head to the other side denying him the kiss.

"Wait Inuyasha, what does that have to do with anything?"

"I want a child before I am thirty."

I opened my mouth to protest but yet another fierce kiss silenced me, making us both fall on the mattress...

Two hundred and eighty five days later, our first child was born.

Fin