Insatiable

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 14: Beyond Random Kisses
 
 
Inuyasha watched the sunlight touch her beautiful face. Frowning in her sleep, Kagome hugged him closer burying her face further into his chest. She sighed contentedly; glad to rid herself of the sun's rays. He smiled. She had always amazed him, even with her sleeping. And apparently, she had always appealed his playful side. So he went on pestering her. He tickled her nose, brushing it lightly with his forefinger. She groaned annoyingly, rubbing her nose with her knuckle. He chuckled as her nose turned red with her relentless assault.
 
“Stop it, Buyo,” Kagome complained sleepily, turning away from him.

He raised an interested brow.

Buyo? He thought. Oh yeah, she had told him she had a fat cat named Buyo. Still, he annoyed her by blowing teasing breezes into her ear.
 
“Buyo, Stop it. Or else, I'll do liposuction on you before you can say meow,” she continued to say in her sleep. She fisted her hand raising it up in the air as if to strike her point.
 
Inuyasha, who was watching her intently, had not expected the upward hook. He howled in pain, as her fist connected with his right eye.
 
“Awww,” he moaned massaging his bruised eye. She did have a hell of a punch.
 
“That's what you get, you stupid cat,” she mumbled as she slowly crept awake, mistaking Inuyasha’s moans for Buyo’s meows.

Not realizing where and what she was doing, she turned to him trying to find the most comfortable position – which turned out to be cuddled close to Inuyasha’s chest. God, this position sure felt good. She couldn’t help but recall her dream last night. Not just a dream, but a really steamy and sexy dream. She moaned at the thought. In her light sleep, she had not noticed that she was sleeping in a bed, naked in all her glory with an injured silver-haired Adonis, who also happened to be equally naked as her. She forced herself to go back to deep sleep.

But failed.

Stupid cat. She blamed Buyo in her thoughts that she had hissed those words out loud.
 
“Stupid ca…,” she whispered once more, yawning as she opened her eyes only to meet Inuyasha's smirking face.
 
She gaped at him, wide-eyed, breath caught in mid-yawn. He grasped her frozen chin and closed her mouth for her.
 
“Morning,” he whispered right after he had kissed her forehead.

“Morning,” she replied as everything quickly sank in. At the same time, she sank against his chest hoping to hide her blushing face.
 
“Did I sleep in?” she asked lowly against his chest.
 
“We both did.” He played with a lock of her hair.
 
“What time is it?”
 
“Quarter to 10.” His right hand was now gently caressing her bare back.

She could not stop the shiver that ran up her spine.

He chuckled.

Damn him. He had noticed that.

“Did I wake you up?”
 
“What do you think?” she answered, as her lips curled up into a small smile. She surmised that she had mistaken him for her fat cat, Buyo, who had tried to wake her up just minutes ago. And that meant another thing too. With a goofy smile painted on her face, she looked up at him and stared at his right eye. It was already starting to bruise. She lightly touched it and Inuyasha flinched for a moment, but still he let her trace the corner of his bruised eye.
 
“Does it hurt?" she asked.
 
“Is that a trick question?” He smiled, and then suddenly pouted like a puppy.
 
She giggled.

He pouted like an old fish – whatever that looked like. She bit her lip giggling even more until it was uncontrollable. Noticing that she would not stop anytime soon, Inuyasha glowered down at her and growled like a growling old fish – whatever that looked like.
 
She bit her lower lip to stop her laughing fit.
 
“You`re making fun of me... again,” he said in mock disappointment.
 
“Oh, but I am.” She sounded so serious.
 
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes.
 
“I mean…” She cleared her throat. “I am?” That was a goofy smile on her face. He was sure of it.
 
“See that? That's exactly what I'm talking about,” he told her.
 
“I’m not quite sure what you're talking about,” she further mocked him.
 
“Oh, I do know that you know exactly what I've been talking about, and I swear that I'm sure of what I'm talking about. So just drop the act Kagome and say what needs to be said. And you know what I`m talking about,” he ranted on, narrowing his eyes, frowning some more as he linked his arms across his chest.
 
She frowned, genuinely confused this time. “Oh… So, what exactly are we talking about?"
 
“Kagome,” he whined.
 
She laughed aloud. He sure had a short fuse in the morning. But you got to admit it, what he had ranted on was just mad. He had surely gotten her thoughts whirling around with all the you-know-what-I'm-talking-about stuff he had said. The blame couldn’t be on her. It was still early in the morning and her brain cells still hadn't decided to cooperate with her. Besides, what was more enjoyable than waking up and sharing a laugh with a naked Inuyasha in the morning? Okay, so she wasn't exactly sharing a laugh with him, but she laughing at him. But the point was... she was laughing.
 
Her bell-like laughter was music to his ears. Inuyasha looked at her gleeful face and smiled thinking that this was how mornings were supposed to be – and that would be waking up with her in his arms. But minus the punch in the eye, of course. He waited for her until she had finally stopped her laughing fit. When she did, she cutely peeped at him.
 
“Hah, that felt good,” she whispered, as he only smiled at her.
 
Hesitantly, she lifted her left hand to caress his bruised eye.
 
“Sorry.”

Inuyasha took her dainty hand and kissed it. “Did I say good morning?” he suddenly asked.
 
“Yes.”
 
“No, I meant `Did I say good morning?'” he asked huskily dipping in for a kiss.
 
“No…,” she sighed breathlessly into the kiss as he deepened it.
 
Kagome hugged his shoulders, as he snaked his arm around her lower back. He pulled her towards him so that she lay on top of him. They kissed fervently. But this time, with slow abandon – their limbs desperately pulling each other close. He released her from the kiss to trail open mouth kisses down her neck, leaving a couple of kisses on her left shoulder. She in return kissed his bruised right eye, her fingertips brushing his cheek as she looked deeply into his amber pools. It shined like the morning sun.
 
“You've got cute morning hair,” she whispered.
 
He only smiled.
 
“You punched me,” he said with big puppy eyes as he pouted.
 
“No, I did not. It was an accident. You were in the way. Besides, it was your own fault. You shouldn't have woken me up. Now look what happened.”

He raised a brow. “But you told me to wake you up.”
 
“That's so not true. I haven’t asked you to wake me up,” she protested.
 
“All right, I confess. I've woken you up for nothing.” He gave her a sheepish smile. He scratched a cheek. His voice turned mocking. “But you were snoring so loud I had no choice but to wake you up, or else everyone else in the mansion would hear it.”
 
She gaped at him. She didn't snore. She was a really silent sleeper, except when she was talking in her sleep of course.
 
“I do not snore.” She hit his chest with her fist.
 
“Yes, you do and it sounds just like this,” he continued to mock her as he imitated her non-existent snore. He sounded like a snorting pig.
 
“I do not snore like that,” Kagome told him off. “That's just too obnoxious.”
 
He laughed at her outburst and continued making all the snorting sounds he could possibly produce.
 
“That was when you were hugging me. This one was when you were hugging the pillow,” he said as he imitated a high-pitched wheezing kind of snort, as if he had a sudden attack of asthma.
 
“You're horrible. Just terrible,” she said hitting his chest harder than before.
 
She angrily sat up. And he guffawed, as he laid and cradled the back of his head with his arms. It was just too much fun fooling around with her temper. In one swift swipe, she had pulled the sheets off of him. She smirked as she bunched the sheets around her and stole a pair of his pants and shirt, wearing them as swiftly as she could and headed towards the door.
 
“Wait, Kagome,” she heard him call but she snubbed him, as she wore his shirt. The sheet fell into a heap on the floor, as she muttered hissed cusses under her breath.
 
“I'm not talking to you,” she yelled trying to put her right leg inside the right leg pant.

But before she could do so, she was roughly swept by strong arms, as Inuyasha hugged her from behind. He kissed the side of her neck, his hot breath caressing her skin sending shivers down her spine.
 
“Tease….”
 
The hands that hugged her skimmed down to sensually touch skin, brushing like feather to move slowly up her inner thighs, detouring to the swell of her hips and her tiny waist as he turned her around to face him.
 
She swallowed the lump on her throat. “I wasn't being one.”
 
“Oh, but you are,” he purred against her neck. “You just don't know it, but you do it to me, Kagome.”
 
“Inuyasha.”
 
“And I love it, Kagome. I just love the fact that you tease me,” he whispered against her ear, as his hands sensually caressed every inch of skin he reached.
 
God, what was he doing? She wasn’t being a tease. She had meant to leave the room. But right now, leaving was the last thing on her mind. She held unto him.
 
“And I love…” He was about to say but the phone rang.
 
“You should get that.” She was panting breathlessly.
 
He groaned in disapproval, as he released her and answered the phone gruffly.
 
“What?” Inuyasha started heatedly. “I'm asleep. Because I'm answering the phone, ass. Yes, my eyes are closed. Of course, I am. What! Of course not! And if I do, it's none of your damn business. …. Wha? Are you talking to me? I'm telling you I'm fucking asleep. I've called Mako already. Yeah, do all that fuck, ass.”
 
He grumbled as he dropped the phone back.

Kagome had an amused grin while she watched him. She had only one guess as to who had called. But it would not hurt to ask, would it?

“Who was that?”

He smirked. “Sess.”

He was beaming, his gaze drinking her in from head to toe. They lingered on her exposed legs. Even with his shirt covering her upper thigh, her legs still looked like a mile long.
 
“You know, you’re cruel to your brother,” she told him.

He frowned. “If that was cruel, then what Sesshomaru does to me is torture.”

A slim brow slanted.

Inuyasha shrugged stepping in front of her. “My brother has a sadistic streak – when it comes to me.” He held her shoulders. He did not want to talk about Sesshomaru right now. He had other more important things to do.

“Where were we?”
 
She just stood there and continued to smile.
 
“Ah, I know. I heard you last night. You said my name while you were sleeping. Were you dreaming of me last night?”
 
“Perhaps.” Was that a purr she was hearing? God, his teasing mood was infectious.

“Hmmm... And you said my name when you were snoring, too.”

She lost her smile and glared at him. He smirked knowing that would rile her up.
 
“Damn it, Inuyasha! Just leave the snore-subject okay?”

To comfort her, he petted her hair like a little girl. “I was just joking,” he told her.

She looked so cute when she was mad that he couldn’t help himself but tease her. He just had to do it. All because he wanted to see the fire in her eyes. And he had succeeded. Her eyes were now a blazing ocean. He brought her in his embrace.
 
 “I don't snore,” she whispered against his chest.
 
“Of course, you don't. You just make cute noises when you're asleep that's all. Some of them are weird-sounding. But they`re okay.” That earned him a light giggle and a playful slap on the back from her.
 
He chuckled. “I didn't know you were this violent in the morning. Do you think I need to wear a head gear the next time?”
 
She groaned in disagreement, but stiffened when she had heard him say the “next time.”
 
“Maybe we can have a sparring match right now here in the room?” He wriggled his brows playfully. Or perhaps in the bed with you on top this time. What do you think?”
 
“You're impossible,” she told him.
 
“I suppose that's a `no.' What about breakfast?”
 
“Lunch.”
 
“Brunch then.”
 
“Shower.”
 
“With me?” Inuyasha teased.
 
“Alone,” she answered feeling heat rushing to her cheeks.
 
“Blushing?” he said upon seeing her flushed in his arms.
 
“No,” she replied instantly.
 
“What then?”
 
“Um… allergy?” she answered meekly.
 
Chuckling, he raised a skeptical brow.
 
“Fr-from hunger,” she stuttered. “I get flushes when I'm hungry. Food allergy!”
 
“Food allergy?” he asked unbelievingly.
 
“Yes! Exactly!” she replied and gave him a triumphant smirk.
 
He smirked in return. Who would believe anything she had just said? Allergies? Seriously? But she had cunning thoughts. And so did he.
 
“Kiss?” he purred.
 
“Gave you one already.” She dismissed him.
 
“Or else,” he mocked.
 
“Try me,” she replied fiercely.
 
“My pleasure.”

She had a quick glimpse on the golden glint of mischief in his eyes before she found herself hoisted up his shoulders. She yelped as her abdomen came up against his broad shoulder.
 
“Inuyasha put me down!” she protested as she hit his back with light jabs.
 
All she heard was his hearty chuckles, as he slapped her backside in response to her protests. He opened the door of his room and walked out to the hallway. Kagome had immediately stopped her loud protests, afraid that someone would hear them.
 
“What the hell are you doing? Put me down. Now!” she hissed at him looking at every direction.
 
A gasp escaped her when Inuyasha suddenly dropped her on the carpeted floor. He held both her shoulders while smirking at her. Kagome turned her head to both sides, looking for anyone who could have seen them come out from his room.
 
None.
 
She sighed in relief.
 
“What were you doing?” she scolded him. “Someone could have seen us. What would they think?”
 
“I don't care what they think,” he said staring at her intently.
 
She caught her breath, taken aback by what he had said. All this time, both of them had avoided the most important questions that needed to be asked tiptoeing around the subject. Both were uncertain what each other's responses would be – how each other's reactions would be. Emotions swam in conflict and disarray as one part relished each other's unspoken claim for one another; yet, the remaining part doubted whether these claims were real and recognized by both of them.
 
“Inuyasha,” she whispered uncertainly, unable to respond to his sudden admission.
 
He slid both hands from her shoulders down to her hands and held them in his.
 
“They can just shove all their thoughts up their asses. But this is what I want. You are what I want... need, Kagome,” he confessed. “I'm taking my chances. I'm asking if you will leap for yours.”
 
“Inu…” She was about to say but he pursed her lips with his fingertips, stopping her from uttering further than the first few syllables of his name.
 
“I wish to call you mine. I always have, since that night that I've met you. Will you let me? I wish for you to let me,” he whispered.
 
“Inu…” she whimpered.
 
“Please…” he whispered as he brought his forehead against hers.
 
They looked deeply into each other's eyes. She let go both of his hands, and he slumped, heartbroken. He sighed weakly. He was defeated, rejected. It was not her fault. He had chosen to pour his heart to her, aware of the risk of her rejection. Taking a deep breath, he took step away from her.

But she stopped him, her hands grasping the sides of his face crashing her lips to his for a sudden kiss. She opened her mouth, moving her tongue and mouth in a languid caress, coaxing him to join her. Her actions had taken him by surprise. For a few moments, he just stood there. But that was moments ago. Right now, he was returning her kiss with equal fervor. He devoured her mouth, as he kissed her fervently. She sucked his tongue and he moaned into the kiss snaking his arms around her, pulling her closer to his hot body. Her hands moved up and tangled with his silver hair, massaging his scalp as her other hand trailed seductive caresses against his bare chest. Both did not care if they were seen by everyone French-kissing in the hallway. Well, maybe not everyone… they wouldn't want Sesshomaru barging up on them while they were in the middle of a make-out session.

Inuyasha released her from the kiss but kept her close.

“Hungry?” he whispered.
 
“A bit,” she replied cuddling close to him.
 
“I reckon Nana Kaede saying yesterday that she'll be in charge of lunch today because Sesshomaru has requested her Japanese cooking.”
 
“Chicken?” she asked eagerly.
 
“Perhaps,” he answered.
 
“Shower,” she said scrunching her face into a frown.
 
He chuckled.
 
“Are you sure you don't want to take it with me?” he teased.
 
“Hmmm, let me see.” She playfully tapped her chin.
 
“Please,” he begged.
 
“Maybe next time,” she purred against his ear and kissed his right cheek before she quickly scampered to her door, opening it and hurrying inside.
 
Inuyasha stood in the middle of the hallway with a silly grin on his face, as he stared at her door. He touched his right cheek. She was his now, right?
 
“Continue doing that and you'll pop your eyes out,” someone said loudly. “What are you smiling at, baka?”
 
Inuyasha sighed in response. This someone didn't need introductions.
 
“What do you want, Sess?” Turning, he faced his brother who happened to be carrying… a shirt.
 
Wait… That was his shirt. Wasn’t that the shirt Kagome had worn last night? Oh fuck! They had left the shirt in the hallway.
 
“Shit!” The curse was a whispered hiss. He just prayed to all the gods out there that Sesshomaru had not noticed or heard that.

Unfortunately, he had.
 
“Care to explain why I've found this in the hallway?” Sesshomaru threw the shirt at Inuyasha.
 
Inuyasha caught it instantly, as he searched his mind for something smart to say.
 
“Oh… Wow thanks, Sess. You've found it,” he started. He hugged his shirt, and for some reason, he these were the words that left his lips. “Come here shirt. I've been looking everywhere for you. Where have you been?”
 
Now, was that something smart to say?
 
“Right,” Sesshomaru raised a very skeptical brow, as he watched Inuyasha walk towards his room. “And do you think that talking to your shirt will convince me to leave this subject alone?”
 
“Subject? What subject?” Inuyasha replied as he opened his door.
 
“Stop playing the fool, Inuyasha, and answer the damn question,” Sesshomaru told him. “I reckon you are not wearing this shirt yesterday, in fact…”
 
“Jee, I am so touched Sess,” Inuyasha interrupted him. “You just love your little brother, don`t you? You even know what's in my wardrobe. Love to chat, but I gotta run.”
 
“Wait just a second, Inuyasha,” Sesshomaru called him.
 
“Bye,” Inuyasha winked at him before shutting the door.
 
Sesshomaru sighed deeply and knocked on Inuyasha's door.
 
“Don't think that I'm stupid and not know what's going on,” he yelled over the door and after 10 seconds, his phone rang. He flipped it open and answered the call.
 
“Open the door, baka,” Sesshomaru said over the phone. However, all he heard was a strangulated voice like that of the vengeful spirit in the horror flick Ju-on.
 
“Stop it, Inuyasha,” he said, but the scary voice went on. “I told you to stop it.”
 
Sesshomaru suddenly heard a loud chuckle.
 
“Baka,” he cussed rolling his eyes.
 
“Um, did I scare the Great Sesshomaru?”
 
“Don't push your luck, baka,” Sesshomaru said hearing Inuyasha's boisterous laughter over the phone.
 
“Oh, and Sess?” Inuyasha started.
 
“What?” Sesshomaru asked heatedly.
 
“What I do is none of your business. Bye.”
 
“Baka.” Sesshomaru shook his head. Sighing, he walked away, but not without leaving a parting glance at the guest room where Kagome was staying.
 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
Shun hailed the cab driver to stop in front of a fancy restaurant in the midst of London. He could see the colossal London Eye as he came out of the cab. He would be meeting his company's future business partner this evening. Not knowing who that partner was made him jittery. Nonetheless, he was optimistic that he would pull the deal off as early as possible so that he could go back to Japan to take care one urgent matter named Kagome. Or was it Inuyasha?
 
“I have a reservation,” he said to the woman on the desk.
 
“Name, please?”
 
“Shun Natsume.”
 
“A pleasant evening, Mr. Natsume. Please let one of our waiters usher you to your table,” she said.
 
“Right this way, sir,” the waiter said as Shun followed him. “I believe your date has already arrived and waiting for you at your table, sir.”
 
“Really? That's wonderful,” he answered.
 
“Yes, as a matter of fact, she arrived a little earlier than you.” They stopped in front of one of the VIP rooms. “Here we are, sir.”
 
“Thank you,” Shun replied gratefully. However, he wondered why the waiter only brought him before the door of the VIP room. Wasn't the waiter supposed to open the door for him and usher him to his table? Petty, yes – but still. At least he had brought him to his destination. He fixed his suit as he inhaled deeply, calming his nerves. Slowly, he opened the door and went inside.
 
The room was just simply exquisite. The walls were gilded and expensive paintings adorned them. In the middle was an oak table for two with gold-plated edges. And standing with her back to him was a woman in an expensive pinstriped power suit. Shun stood before the door, and then froze when he discovered who the woman was when she turned around to face him. Leering at him, she smiled conceitedly.
 
“Hello, Shun. Long time no see,” she drawled leaning against the table.
 
“Shizuru,” he whispered. The tone of his voice was unrecognizable and laced with shock and disbelief. As far as he’d known, she was in France. Happily married. He sneered in his thoughts to his utter disdain. He hadn't expected to see her again under these circumstances. Hell, it was the last thing he had expected because he thought he would never again see her after they had parted ways the last time.
 
“How are you, Shun?” Seductively swaying her hips, she walked towards him.
 
“I am doing fine, Shizu,” Shun answered choosing to shake her hand when she tried for a hug.

She cackled. Then, had the audacity to pout at him. “Oh come on, Shun. That`s such a cold way to greet your ex-bestfriend, ex-girlfriend, ex-fiancee and ex-bride, don`t you think?” She was purring now. “Can you be more affectionate? We have shared the same house and bed once upon a time. After all, I will be your business partner once we've finalized this deal. So, will you… at least act a little more friendly towards me? Please…” She skimmed her fingertips along his collar, moving flirtatiously down to undo his topmost shirt button.
 
“There… you look sexier with your shirt like that,” she purred and gave his left cheek a chaste kiss. Her left hand moved passed him clicking the lock of the door.
 
“Privacy,” she whispered against his ear before moving towards their table.
 
He followed her.

“Why don't we sit down?” she offered.

 
Staring at her, he thought of how she had looked less than a year ago when he last saw her. She looked more beautiful than ever. He frowned knowing that the pang he was feeling now was jealousy over the man whom was the source of that glow.
 
“So, how are you, Shun?”
 
“I am fine. Shall we talk business?”
 
She chuckled darkly.
 
“Oh Shun, loosen up, will you? We are not talking business today. You will be here for half a month. It is more than enough time to seal the deal between our companies. Don't you think we should catch up with both our lives a bit? Isn't that more important?”

That was the last thing he wanted to do. He refused to listen about her life – especially the part where she’d brag about her marital bliss.
 
“Shizuru, I've come here for a reason and that's business. So that means we are talking about business.”
 
“Are you trying to play that macho-thing again with me, Shun? I admit I do miss it a lot.” She smiled, as she cradled her chin with her right knuckle.
 
“I am not playing games with you, Shizu.”
 
“As am I,” Shizuru answered back.
 
He stared at her, as she stared at him. He had his lips in a thin line while hers curved in a devious smile.
 
Clearing his throat and placing the contract on top of the table, he uttered, “Continuing on, I have brought the documents…”
 
“I am not interested in that Shun,” she interjected as she roughly swiped the contract off table. It fell in a clutter on the floor.
 
“What the hell, Shizu,” he scolded kneeling down to gather the documents one by one. He placed them on top of the table once he had all of them.
 
“I've told you. I'm only interested in knowing how you are doing right now. Nothing more, nothing less.” Shizuru stood up and walked to his side. She sat on the edge of the table. “So tell me Shun. How are you doing?”

He pushed his chair away from her and looked sternly at her. He crossed his arms. “I told you. I’m doing fine.”
 
“Hmmm… Are you?” she said. “I hear you're engaged?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“Really?” she replied as she laughed aloud. Her tone mocking – like it was impossible for him to be engaged with somebody else except her. “Oh God, I just can't believe it. You… engaged?”
 
Shun looked hard at her.
 
 “With whom?” she asked with a smile painted on her face, yet her brown eyes blazed with malice. “That shabby, second-rate little girl whom you called your girlfriend the last time I came to Tokyo?”
 
Shun only stared at her.
 
“So, I’m right then,” she said. “Tell me, Shun. Have you told her the reason why you’ve left her the last time? I mean, we were gone for several months without even a message or a call. She must have asked you why you did that.”
 
She stood up and walked towards his sitting form.
 
“Did you tell her that you cheated on her that time? By any chance, had you told her that while she waited for you in the café where you were supposed to introduce us that you had fucked me in your car?” The car was parked right in front of the table Kagome had been seating. “Had you told her that we had watched her wait for us while you drilled my pussy with your dick?” She sighed as if remembering that day. “That was arguably the most exciting thing you did with me.”

Shun was now glaring at her – tense as a rod.

“I guess not.” Her expression darkened. “Tell me, Shun. Does she even know that the ring around her finger is originally mine?”

It was his turn to smirk. “Why Shizu? Jealous?”
 
She chuckled loudly. “Dream on, Shun. I will never be jealous of her. As a matter of fact, I pity her because I'm sure her fiancé hasn't even told her that he loves her. Such a pity.”
 
“You're wrong about that. I’ve told her I love her.”
 
“Liar.”

He was losing most of his patience, as he watched her make a fool of him. “If you’re done with this bullshit, can be proceed to more important things? I have a few appointments to attend to after this.”

Shizuru brought her hand to her chest as if hurt by his words. But she was grinning deviously, as she watched him pace the room.

He stiffened his back. With an accusing finger, he stressed his point. “You have no right to judge me. Let me remind you that you were the one who left.” At the altar on their wedding day. There had been no note, or word why she left.

And he had lived after that. Only barely for a couple of years. But still… he had lived.

Meeting Kagome during those hard times had helped him cope faster. She was a handful. She had kept him on his toes most of the time trying to catch up with her wit, her humor, and the overall sense of her. He understood at that point that Kagome might be more than he could possible handle. But she gave him the chance to forget – a chance to move on. Moreover, she had cared for him. And he had started to care for her deeply.

Then out of nowhere, Shizuru came back asking for a chance to start over again. He was enthralled that she was back. He would have blindly followed her anywhere. Sadly, he had. Despite that, she still broke his heart because she left again.

“I left because I had to, Shun.” There was no sign she was lying. She probably was, but her expression was somber.

He snorted at that. What a bunch of bullshit. “Don’t take me for a fool, Shizu, because I’m not one.”

She shook her head taking a step closer. “I’m not fooling you.”

“Then what’s the reason why you left?” He gritted the words in between his teeth.

Shizuru was silent. She only stared at him. Sighing deeply, she finally answered. “I left because you were not willing to leave her. When I asked you to break it up with Kagome, you did not do it. Everyone might call me a bitch but I still have my pride, Shun.”

Shun chose a few seconds to just watch her. For a moment, standing there in front of him, she had looked vulnerable. What he saw was the girl he had met when he was just a boy. Gone was the haughty attitude, the devil-may-care stance. But her head was held high. Her gaze was firm. She demanded his honesty this time. He would give it to her.

“I was happy you came back. It was obvious how fast I jumped back into your bed. But I feared you would leave me just like before. So I… so I kept her.”

She snorted at that – indignant with his words. “Typical.”
 
He glared at her. She had no right to sound so angry. She was the one who left. She was the one who had ended their relationship permanently when she had gone to London and gotten herself married.
 
“You got married,” he hissed.
 
“But not to you.” She grinned deviously. The vulnerability he had glimpsed a while ago was gone. Now, she was back to taunting him. “So what did you do Shun? You wooed her back, put the ring on her finger and asked her to marry you. What an amazing feat…” She clapped her hands. “Bra-vo.”
 
“I just wonder if your proposal is genuine, or just some pitiful attempt to mend a wounded male ego. But I bet you a fuck, it's the latter.”

He stood there rooted on the spot. What the hell was she trying to pull?

“So, what's it gonna be Shun? What will you choose? One fuck with me, or you pretend to be the honorable fiancé that you are not and lie about your proposal being genuine?”

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
“You win… again,” Sesshomaru said, defeated as Rin clapped her hands merrily. He was playing Go-Fish with Rin and Kaede. Unfortunately, he always lost every game.
 
“Daddy, you suck,” Rin told her father who was shuffling the cards.
 
Kaede agreed and laughed while Sesshomaru groaned.
 
“Well it's good to know that Fluffy sucks at something,” Inuyasha said as he entered the family room.
 
“Uncle Inuyasha!” Rin exclaimed running towards him. She embraced him hard as they collided.
 
“Morning Princess.” Inuyasha picked her up and kissed her cheek. He strode to the empty seat across Sesshomaru and brought Rin to stand on the floor. He smiled widely at his niece. “Are you enjoying kicking Daddy's butt?”
 
She nodded. One thing Sesshomaru did not overlook.
 
“Rin,” he scolded.
 
“Um… Sorry Daddy,” she said dejectedly.
 
“Loosen up, Sess. We're just playing around.” Inuyasha chuckled sitting down the empty chair. He pulled little Rin to sit on his lap. His niece beamed at him, as she made herself comfortable.
 
Sesshomaru almost felt jealous at the bond between uncle and niece. But he knew that was out of hand. The two had always been close. He doled out the cards.
 
“All right! Let's play some Go-Fish and kick some Fluffy butt,” Inuyasha announced, as he arranged his cards.
 
He took a peep at Rin's.
 
“Ahh!” Shrieking, his little niece went to sit down beside her dad.
 
Everybody chuckled while he smirked.
 
“Uncle Inuyasha's cheating!” Rin hollered for everyone to hear.
 
“I can't believe you, Inuyasha. You're still a cheat even up to now?” Sesshomaru threw a knowing look at his brother.
 
Inuyasha shrugged. “It's called tech-nique, Sess. You wouldn't know any of that, since you suck at this.”
 
“Yeah, right." Sesshomaru only snorted.
 
“Okay, loser treats everyone to…,” Inuyasha said.
 
“The beach house,” Rin supplied.
 
All three heads turned to her.
 
Unfazed by the sudden attention, Rin continued, “Grandpa said we had a beach house in the coast. Can we go there?”
 
“Ah,” Kaede trailed.
 
“I don't know, Rin. Ask your dad,” Inuyasha said looking at Sesshomaru who had gone stiff as a board.
 
“Can we daddy?” she asked sweetly. “Please….”
 
Inuyasha watched as his older brother struggled for an answer. He understood Sesshomaru's difficulty, as the beach house had been his and Sarah's home when they were married several years ago. Back when she was still alive. Back when Rin had not yet to arrive in their lives. Actually, it had not been a beach house, but a villa overlooking the Pacific. That villa held a lot of happy memories for Sesshomaru. When Sarah had died, Sesshomaru had decided to live in Tokyo together with the whole family. He had refused to return to that house because he would just be reminded of his deceased love.

On the other hand, Inuyasha understood why Rin wanted to visit the place. She was a smart girl and she had been curious about who and where her mother was. They had not lied to her that her mother had passed away while giving birth to her. For such a young age, Rin knew that the villa was vital to knowing her mother better. Perhaps, she also wanted to visit the coast and do some swimming. She was good at it.
 
“What do you say, Sess? You’ll be leaving for Hongkong at the end of the week. Might as well enjoy your vacation,” Inuyasha told his brother, as he ushered Rin to sit on his lap again.

Game totally forgotten, Rin waited excitedly for her father's reply.
 
Sesshomaru looked at her daughter's expression and sighed. He wouldn't want to return to villa. After all these years, he still avoided the villa at all costs. But…
 
“Please daddy.”
 
Sighing deeply, he replied, “All right. Early Saturday morning, we'll drive there.”
 
“Oh yes!” Rin exclaimed jumping up and down. She turned to Nana Kaede. “Here that Nana? Daddy’s taking us to the beach!”

Everyone could not help but smile at her antics. Damn, she looked like she could bolt straight to the ceiling with her excitement. And she was making plans. She would take lots of toys. She would take her laptop. She would go snorkelling. And last but not least…

“Can we take Dash and Chase with us?”
 
“NO!” Sesshomaru’s answer was automatic.
 
Rin pouted. What she hadn't seen was that Inuyasha had pouted too.
 
“Please,” she said sweetly.
 
“No, sweetie. They are staying,” Sesshomaru replied. Inuyasha’s dogs were not coming. The villa had a vast garden that Sarah had made when she was still alive. He had made sure that the garden was well-kept until now. His little brother’s two over energetic huskies were no way going near his wife’s garden. He had seen what those mutts could do. The mansion’s garden was full of craters because of those two.
 
“Please… please Daddy.” But Rin was adamant. And this time, she had a plan. She pulled Inuyasha’s shirt sleeve. “What do we do?”
 
She looked at him with mischief in her eyes. Inuyasha smirked. Perhaps, Rin had spent too much time with him in the past because they could understand each other with only a look. The look they had right now was sinister. His was a handful more of hers.
 
“Follow my lead,” Inuyasha told her lowly.
 
She nodded and waited for her brilliant uncle's plan in action.
 
“Hey, Sess,” Inuyasha called.
 
“What?” Sesshomaru answered. He immediately froze when he saw his brother’s face.
 
“Please…” Inuyasha begged in a childish voice, showing the most adorable puppy eyes that he could possibly muster.
 
Fast on Inuyasha’s heels was Rin. “Come on, daddy. Please…” she begged sweetly.
 
Kaede giggled in the sidelines and watched Sesshomaru's reaction while uncle and niece – still with those adorable puppy eyes – faced each other and pouted at the lack of response from Sesshomaru. Simultaneously, they faced Sesshomaru with pouts in their faces and begged again, “Please….”
 
This was too much fun. Kaede joined them. “Please…” She batted her lashes.
 
Sesshomaru dropped his cards while Rin and Inuyasha winked at Kaede. And then…
 
“Please…” the three of them chorused.
 
That was the scene that Kagome had stumbled upon entering the family room. She watched the interaction and chuckled lightly, remembering how she and Souta acted with each other when they tried to woe Grandpa with their requests.
 
“What are you doing just standing there, Miss Kagome?” Myouga asked coming to stand beside her.
 
With a smile on her face, Kagome pointed a finger towards the four people in the center of the room.
 
“What's going on here?” Myouga asked no one in particular. “And what's with the eyes?”
 
“Just follow our lead, Myouga,” Inuyasha told him.
 
“What? Why?” he asked.
 
“Please…” begged Rin, as she faced the old man with those puppy eyes.
 
“O-okay,” Myouga replied. He gave Sesshomaru his pout.
 
“Don't you do it,” Sesshomaru warned him. “I'm telling you, Myouga. Don't you…”
 
“Please…”
 
Sesshomaru groaned and covered his face with a throw pillow. They were ganging up on him. “O-ryt,” he said against the pillow.
 
“Pardon me?” Inuyasha said.
 
Sesshomaru took the pillow away from his face. “All right! All right! The two mutts can come along. Just don`t do the pouting and begging anymore. And lose the big eyes. It freaks me out.”
 
“Yey!” Rin exclaimed jumping up and down as she high-fived Inuyasha.
 
“I swear, Inuyasha, one of these days, I'll have a restraining order for you to stay 10 meters away from Rin,” Sesshomaru murmured watching his daughter tribal danced with her uncle. They were howling like idiots, while Myouga and Kaede chortled in the sidelines.
 
Sesshomaru just sighed turning his gaze to the entrance of the room and saw Kagome. She was giggling, as she lovingly watched the racket his little brother had started. He examined her, and what he saw made him smile. Why? Because Kagome wasn't really looking at the group; she was only seeing Inuyasha.
 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 Many people would say that the busiest and maybe noisiest department in any hospital would be the emergency room. The busiest, well, for obvious reasons as it would receive all urgent and emergent medical cases. But the noisiest? Was triaging basically a noisy protocol? Of course not, but right now, it was in Tokyo General Hospital ER.
 
Nurse Dani watched her attending, Dr. Kouga Mibu tend his handsome friend. Hiten hissed in pain when his wound was washed with saline solution. He glared at his doctor friend who was evilly smirking at him. Kouga had been ending his shift for the day when Hiten had barged in appearing to be in all hysterics, yelling that he was going die because he was poisoned by some… by some…
 
“You got yourself punctured by a nail?” Kouga asked his friend as he controlled himself from guffawing. He was a professional after all.
 
“Yes! But a freakishly gigantic nail! Just look!” Hiten exclaimed alarmingly, as he tossed a four-inched rusting nail to Kouga. “I heard that tetanus could kill in seconds! So I rushed here the second I realized I got punctured.” There was pure horror reflected in his eyes. “And this is not just a puncture wound, Wolf. See here, it`s been lacerated,” he added. “The junkyard's guard dog almost got me. So I jumped over the fence while escaping but my feet got stuck in the bard wire.”
 
“Lucky for you, you hadn't got your head stuck in the barb wire.” Kouga refused to conjure an image of that scenario. Then, he turned Hiten a reproaching look. “And why the hell were you in a junkyard anyway, stealing some lame old metal junk?”

He dabbed the antiseptic sponge on the wound a little too roughly that Hiten flinched moaning in pain.
 
“Oh fuck. What the fuck is that?”
 
“Medicine… Hurts, doesn't it?"
 
Hiten glared at him. His nostrils flared, as he took in air. Kouga matched his glare with his own. He was prepared to subject his friend to more pain if that would put some sense into Hiten’s brain. He doubted it would work but he could try.

Suddenly, Hiten chuckled darkly.
 
“Oh, you're not getting into me, Wolf. I know what you're doing. If you must know, I've come prepared.” He reached for his pocket pulling a piece of paper out of it. He showed it to Kouga.
 
Kouga took it and started to read. “Pain is but a figment of a weak human mind. Pain is nothing but a fabrication of your weak self. Pain doesn't exist as it is all in the mind. You are invincible. You are indestructible. You feel no pain.”
 
“Amen," Hiten said reverently and smirked at his doctor friend.
 
“What the fuck is this rubbish?”
 
“It's called analgesic words. They say it works.”
 
“And is it working now?” Kouga asked putting more pressure unto Hiten's wound.
 
“Fuck! Awww! Damn it, Wolf!” he cursed giving Kouga's shoulder a rough punch.
 
“Just as I thought… Rubbish.”
 
Hiten swiftly leaned forward and blew on his wound.
 
“Hiten, damn it! Hands off! And don`t you fucking blow on it! You'll get a fucking infection!” Kouga scolded and immediately stopped Hiten in mid-blow.
 
“I was just helping.” Hiten pouted.
 
“Well, don't… because you're not,” Kouga reproached. “And for your information, tetanus can't kill in seconds. It happens in weeks. You're lucky that dog didn't get you though. Or you'll probably have rabies and that's worse. And in exchange for what? Some scrap of metal junk?”
 
“Well excuse me, but that lame old piece of metal scrap is one ass-kicking piece of art, and it is the perfect addition to the one that I'm making at the moment. I've gotten my eye on that piece for 2 weeks now. I've tried buying it from the old caretaker but he says it isn't for sale and that I just shove my money up my ass because he'll die first before my dirty artistic hands can get it. Of course, it will be easy to just strangle the life out of the old bastard but I'm not that of a criminal-mind to commit murder for the sake of art,” Hiten explained.
 
“So you'd steal it?” Kouga asked frowningly at his artist friend. He knew Hiten was very serious when it came to his passion. He knew that he would go the extra mile just for amazing art, whether it would be in acquiring a piece of it or in the process of making it.
 
“I was desperate. And that old man was torturing me. Every time I passed by his junkyard, he gave me this taunting smirk reminding me of that piece that I wanted so much but couldn't have because he said so,” Hiten defended. “He's a sadist I tell you. I swear. He drives me nuts.”
 
“Well, if you ask me. You're both stupid. The old man because he decided to keep a piece of junk rather than sell it to you and earn some cash; and you, for stupidly trespassing because he has refused to yield,” Kouga reprimanded as he dressed Hiten`s wound. “And where the hell have you heard that tetanus kills in seconds? That's just so wrong.”
 
“Manten told me.”
 
“But Manten's a fucking 3 year old toddler. Why do you believe any medical information coming from him?” Kouga watched his friend unbelievingly. He knew Hiten was rather unusual, but not to this extent. “Wait; are you on crack or something?”
 
“What the hell?! Of course not! What the hell do you take me for! I’m no crackhead!”
 
“Well, that's good since I'll be giving you some injectables.”
 
Alarm bells rang immediately in Hiten's mind.
 
“Injectables? What kind of injectables?” That was dread he was feeling boiling up in his chest.
 
“You know… the kind that I get to stick a needle in your flesh.”

“But you just cleaned my wound. That should be enough, right?”

“You need antibiotics and a dose of anti-tetanus.” Kouga smirked upon seeing Hiten’s pale face. “Why, scared?”
 
Hiten snorted. “Oh hell no!” Swallowing the lump on his throat, he shook his head. “Why should I?”
 
“Yeah, you tell yourself that, Ten. Don't worry. It just feels like an ant sting,” Kouga consoled him.
 
Chuckling, Hiten shrugged and wiped the sweat off his forehead. “An ant sting? Huh! Highly tolerable. I can handle that… easy as pie, a walk in the park, a piece of chocolate dipped fruitcake.”
 
“Yes, easy as pie indeed.” With the syringe in hand, she smirked at Hiten. “Bum's up, Ten.”
 
“Oh shit! What the hell is that?” Hiten yelled pointing a finger at the syringe. His eyes trained particularly at the needle.
 
“An injection,” Kouga simply said rolling his eyes.
 
“But that needle's huge! Oh no way! There's no fucking way you're sticking that into any part of me, Wolf… especially my ass,” he shouted.
 
“Stop! You're scaring the hell out of the other patients,” Kouga scolded.
 
“Oh hell, if I care! But that thing is not touching me. It`s dangerous, I tell you,” Hiten exclaimed. “You might hit something!” he continued in a squeak. “You might hit a nerve or a blood vessel. If you do, I might not get an erection. I will rather die of tetanus than deprive little Hiten of what he wants.”
 
“Hiten, stop! Shut up! You're over-reacting. And don't talk about your fucking erection when there's a 10 year-old lying on the stretcher next to you!” Kouga hissed as he bowed apologetically to the staff and the horrified mother of the child next to them.
 
But Hiten was beyond comprehension, and Kouga had no choice but to restrain him with three male nurses.
 
“Please! Please, oh please don't!” Hiten yelled as the nurses wrestled with him.
 
“Stop! No!”
 
“Oh shit! I'm gonna die for sure!”
 
“Oh please, kill me now!”
 
“Damn it, Wolf. Don't!”
 
“Ahhh! NO!” he shouted when Kouga injected the medicine.
 
“Mama, I'm scared,” the 10-year-old said as he hugged his mom.
 
“Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Everything's gonna be fine,” his mom told him, and then glared at Kouga.
 
Kouga sweat-dropped. He was about to scold Hiten but when he turned to look at his friend, he only smiled and shook his head as Hiten had already passed out.
 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
“Wow,” Rin exclaimed. Her eyes twinkled with admiration as Kagome traced a flame sketch on the paper.
 
“See. You have to draw the lines as quickly as possible. And you have to use smooth strokes,” Kagome told her. “Here, give it a try.”
 
“Okay,” Rin said as she scampered to the center table.
 
Kagome smiled.
 
“She adores you,” someone said.
 
She jolted, turning around to his face a smiling Sesshomaru.
 
“My daughter adores you, Kagome.” He had watched the interaction from the corner of the room.
 
“That was nothing at all. I was just showing her the basics of drawing.”
 
Smiling, he continued as if he had not heard her. “And I'm glad that she does.”
 
Kagome blushed causing Sesshomaru to chuckle. She was an intriguing woman. One minute she was feisty; the next minute, she was shy. By the way she stood against Inuyasha last night over staying at the mansion proved to him that she was beyond those other women who panted over his brother. It was refreshing seeing some woman square-off with Inuyasha. Sesshomaru understood the appeal. He understood why she appealed to his brother.

“She’s a really great kid.” Kagome managed to say over her already flushed cheeks.

“Unfortunately, I think she's taking on Inuyasha too much though. I'm afraid that she'll also take on some of his stupidity,” he said with a frown. Grinning, he continued, “You saw what happened during Go-Fish, didn't you?”
 
She nodded.

He took a framed picture from the counter. The picture was of Inuyasha and Rin carrying two Siberian husky puppies. He stared at it. “But I am really grateful to Inuyasha. He has loved Rin so much, especially during those times when it was needed.”
 
Kagome wondered why Sesshomaru was telling her all those things. Nonetheless, she listened. She gazed at all the pictures inside the room, but only one picture particularly caught her attention – a group shot of the five friends during their high school graduation.
 
“Sometimes my brother's an idiot, Kagome. He's hasty and sometimes irresponsible. He acts without thinking, which most of time brings him more trouble than gets him through it. He's loud and has a hot head. He might be impossible for most people who don't know him.” He stared at her intently. “But he's a Takahashi. And we're all suckers when it comes to love. When we love, we give it our all. That's a fact that remains incorrigible.”
 
“Why are you telling me this?” she whispered as she watched him take the framed photo she had stared upon, handing it to her.
 
“I don't know what's truly the deal between you and Inuyasha, but I have a feeling it's deeper than I've thought.”
 
She gasped.
 
“I just want to ask you one thing, Kagome. Are you sure of what you're getting in to?”
 
“I… I…” she struggled to answer.
 
Sesshomaru gave her shoulder a pat and smiled. “You don't need to answer me, Kagome. Because the answer to that question is for you alone.”
 
He left her heading to Rin's direction. Kagome followed him with her gaze. She looked down at the photo. Inuyasha and the rest of his friends wore matching grins, as they raised their diplomas up in the air. Inuyasha stood in the middle, sandwiched between Shun and Miroku. He had a noogie on top of Shun's brown head, as Shun laughingly subjected himself to it. This was taken when all had been okay, when their friendship had not fallen apart yet. A friendship that both were trying to build again after all these years. And she stood in the midst of it.
 
She fisted the shirt against her heart. It was beating so fast and strong that she could almost hear it. It felt like it was the first time to have ever done so all her life.

Her heart.

Beating.

And it was for him. For Inuyasha.

 
“I don't care what they will think.”
 
“This is what I want. You are what I want….”
 
Along with every single beat, her emotions grew, overpowering her. She shut her eyes.
 
“I wish to call you mine. Will you let me? I wish for you to let me.”
 
“I'm taking my chances….”
 
A single tear fell from her eyes as she opened them.
 
“I'm asking if you will leap for yours.”
 

As swiftly as she had heard her heart drummed so loudly, it also went quiet in an instant, making way for silence, peace, clarity, and certainty.
 
She was starting to fall for Inuyasha.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

R&R!