A/N: This was written for KogKag Week on Tumblr. 7 prompts 7 days. The story will be longer than 7 chapters but the week kicked off, so here we prompts for the 1st day were first or last. I went with first.

College Life

1.

Why was she here?

The fraternity house was crammed up past its limit and yet they kept shoving new people inside, squishing them like sardines. The music's volume had reached a deafening level and everything she touched was sticky or wet; she was not sure which one she preferred. Alcohol was flowing left and right, red cups being passed around like candies, and people getting louder as they drank more. Nobody was paying attention where they were going and simply all bumped into each other, elbows digging into ribs and hands slapping everywhere. This was not her scene. She made a point to avoid parties and she had managed to stick to it this long. She had her schooling that required all of her attention and this was not a distraction that she needed or even enjoyed. The humidity of the summer caused the air itself to stick to her skin on top of everyone's layer of sweat.

"Kagome," warned Sango as she glared at her friend. She knew this was not quite her scene, but the girl needed it. "Please try to have some fun."

The day before college. That was when Kagome's boyfriend had decided to end the relationship. That led to Kagome living a very sheltered life during her first year of college, forgoing all of the experiences one should have when they move on to college. Sango had allowed her time to grieve but that was over now. After a year, Kagome had not managed to pull herself out of her misery and Sango was tired of watching it happen on a loop. Monday would mark the beginning of their second year and she refused to let her best friend waste away for another year. Her ex was not worth all of this pain.

Kagome kept saying she disliked parties, but she had never been to one. As college student she had to experience it at least once. Plus, how could she say she did not like it if she never even tried it? "It might be fun."

She doubted that. "Sango, can't we just go back to the dorm?"

"Kagome, if I see you sit on that damn blue chair one more time, I will lose it."

"But -"

"Two hours."

"What?"

"If after two hours you're still this desperate to go, we'll leave." Kagome was about to speak but Sango stopped her. "But you have to try. Really try."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Fine." The only reason she was even agreeing to this was Sango. Her friend had been there for her high and low and well - she probably owed her that much.

Victory flowing through her blood, Sango displayed a large smile. She turned around until she spotted the table she was looking for; the alcohol. She grabbed two red cups and handed one to Kagome while keeping the other for herself. "Drink up."

"Sango," she protested.

"Ah, ah, ah!" she warned with a judging finger pointed at Kagome. "You said you would."

She sighed as she stared at the weirdly pinkish liquid swirling inside of her plastic cup. The last year had left a bitter taste in her mouth - the breakup, the start of school, the broken dreams. They were supposed to get an apartment together, near the school and then suddenly, Kagome had found herself with nowhere to go. Sango had luckily gotten a room alone and offered to share with her, saving her butt. They were supposed to start their common life, attend classes together - and none of it had been true. Now, she lurked the hallways, making herself as small as possible, scared to see him. The moment Sango had said the word frat she had said no. Fortunately, it was not Inuyasha's frat and she hoped that meant he would be nowhere to be seen. Wasn't there supposed to be rivalry between fraternities? She hoped so.

"One sip."

And one it was. She brought the rim to her lips, the taste already disgusting her, but she did not stop. She allowed the liquid to burn her throat as its made its way down and she grimaced the whole time. One down. A gazillion to go.

"It'll be fun."

That remained to be proven.

Minutes turned into nearly two hours and despite the loud music, Sango's fruitless attempts and the drinks… Kagome's level of fun had not risen any higher. Her head had gotten a lot woozier but except for that, she was not feeling at ease. No, instead she found herself angry. It was not as though she was attempting to be a lurker in the corner but… this whole party made her realize that all she had was Sango. She did not know anyone, she had never been to one of these parties before. People shouted words, played games, greeted each other - and she was not part of it. Her first year had involved her locking herself away in her room. Even Sango knew half the people present and she was not even a party girl. Everybody had been busy making a life for themselves, socializing and she had been…alone.

At this point she could not tell the difference between her own regret and the bitterness that came with the amount of alcohol she drank. She felt bad. And now she had lost Sango. It had taken Kagome nearly 20 minutes simply to locate a bathroom and during that time her friend had slipped away from her. The quicker she found her, the faster they would be out of here. If Sango wanted to remain, she would not argue, but she had to get out of here. She was uncomfortable, out of her element and - and she felt like a moron. And yes, Sango had been right about these parties. She could see the appeal, she honestly could.

But that only worked for someone who had many friends and a social life.

It did not apply to her.

Her eyes darted into the room, trying to locate her best friend, searching every head for a dark haired ponytail and a shiny white skirt. Unfortunately for her, she found a different kind of shiny. Silver hair. Her heart stopped beating, time froze and while her throat clammed up her toes curled. Her gaze darted as she clutched her own hand; it was him. Everything around her stopped moving except for the image of him walking in - with someone. Someone that was not her. His pale hand was wrapped around a girl's fingers, the red fingernails sticking out. She had porcelain skin, perfect long dark hair framing her face and piercing brown eyes. He had a girlfriend. But - he had not been ready. He wanted to live the life, see the world —

He did not want her.

It was not about the world. It was not about finding himself and knowing what college was all about.

All that was load of crap.

It was about her.

Her heart dropped to her stomach, while her mouth slacked. Her eyes were void of any emotions as she found herself voiceless, not even able to form tears. She needed to get out of here. She did not care how, she only knew she needed to flee the scene before she was found out. She began walking backwards, her back hitting different people. He was staying by the door; she could not make it out. He would see her and if he saw her she would die. She was a hunted deer trapped with no escape. She could run away. No, she could not. If she ran, she would attract his attention and he would… he might say her name, he might chase her down… and she could not. She watched as he turned his head - and she panicked.

"Yo, Inuyasha."

Oh for - he was coming her way. Many ideas flashed through her mind but none of them would work.

"Hey watch it."

She reacted to the voice since this time the comment was directed at her. She was unable to see the speaker's voice but she took notice of his long brown ponytail swinging as he looked away from her and resume his conversation with his friends, the incident now past him. He was near a wall. A wall could work. Walls were good for hiding. Hiding - she could hide. Her brain was struggling to form a full idea, the alcohol slowing her down. She was scattered only focusing on the present moment and trying to figure out a way out of this impossible situation. Anything was better than facing Inuyasha. She did not think twice about it as she grabbed the guy's arm and tugged him in her direction.

"What -"

"I'm really sorry," she slurred out. Wow what happened to her speech. "I just - my ex is here. And I can't. I just - help me." She could feel the tears pooling in her eyes. The alcohol affected her brain and she could not make a clearer sentence than this. She hoped it would be enough.

It was all the warning he received before she grabbed the hem of his blue t-shirt and crashed her lips on his. At first, he felt tense against her body and her small hands kept the cotton fabric tightly held as though to prevent him from fleeing. After a beat, she felt him relax which helped her do the same. It was insane, she was insane. His large hands found her hips and he gripped her firmly before she felt the wall against her back. He backed them into the corner, his tall frame towering over her as he took control over the kiss. His lips moved smoothly against hers, washing away the taste of alcohol from her mouth. Warmth irradiated from him, increasing the feeling of buzz she experienced from the alcohol. It felt like he was crushing her with his much larger body as his tongue wrapped around hers.

Her cheeks turned red, her body became like laval and she found herself leaning her head backwards as his hands moved upwards, squeezing her hips. Dizzy. That was the word. For a moment, it all stopped; the party, the incoming doom. The kiss lasted a few more moments until finally she felt him pull away from her, leaving her lips glistening and swollen. Her eyes were half-lidded as she tried to make out his face, taking notice of his blue eyes. As she did so, she saw the silver hair far behind his head. He had gone passed her - and he had not noticed her. The sight of Inuyasha gave her a cold return to reality.

"Thanks."

It was all she had time to say before she dashed away from his view. She bumped into a few people - and objects - on her way out, but she made it. Sango be damned, she would text her. Never again. As she walked away from the front door, she wiped her lips with the back of her hand - they were still moist from previous ministrations.

She had kissed a stranger.

She had kissed someone for the first time since Inuyasha.

Meanwhile, back inside the house, he stood there, confusion taking over his features.

"Oi, Koga, you're okay?"

"Yeah."

"Who was that chick?"

"I have no idea."

He had his fair share of ladies throwing themselves at him, but he had to admit, this was a first. He had not quite understood the reason behind their little make out session but he did sense her panic. He had never seen that girl before and as someone who lived in a frat, he was familiar with nearly all of the girls. Maybe she was a freshman? His blood was still racing in his body from their little moment. There was a twitch in his nose as he tried to see if her scent was familiar to him, but it was not. She was a mystery girl.

He wanted to find out who she was.

-C-

"You owe me you know."

Sango came out of the bathroom, a yellow towel wrapped around her long black locks. "I was really worried." Kagome had disappeared on her without leaving a trace and had taken awful long time to reply to her. Sango had been worried that something happened to her or that someone had spiked her drink. She had not appreciated it. She accepted the fact that her friend was not a fan of the party lifestyle but she would have liked a warning.

"I told you, I didn't feel good," Kagome explained as she shoved one of her giant books into her brown leather bag. She did not want to share with Sango what happened - including the whole Inuyasha thing and the kissing a stranger thing. Sango had been begging her to see other people and go on dates and if she knew she kissed a perfect stranger, she would never hear the end of it. It was better this way.

"Uh, uh."

"I'll be let for my class," she explained as she threw her bag over her shoulder. "But, I will treat you to a nice dinner tonight," she offered with a smile.

"You better."

Kagome was like a sister to her and she had been worried sick when she went missing. Sango was not trying to give her a hard time but, she was trying to shake her from the downs she had been experiencing lately. How was she supposed to take her anywhere if she was going to disappear on her like this?

She offered Sango a smile wave of the hand before she exited their room, her back tensed. A sigh rolled off her lips as she the door behind her. The beginning of a semester was always a stressful times for her. She did not know what Inuyasha's classes and schedules were. What if she ran into him in the halls or worse; what if they had class together? She could not live through being stuck in the same space as him, 3 hours a week, every week. She would not survive it. She knew they did not have the same major but that did not mean that they would not end up crossing paths at some point. Life had a funny way of throwing him back in her face at any given moment.

She walked through the halls as she stared down at her phone. Usually, she organized herself the night before but Sango's little party had made her behind on her school schedule. A-235, Hall F. This was the little note she had left in her electronic agenda. She headed straight for it while glancing at her cellphone in her hand. The numbers 8:21 were staring back at her, flashing in white. She preferred to be more than 9 minutes early to class, but it would do for today. As the door came into view, Kagome could not help it but frown as she felt a shiver travel down her spine. Why was the big wooden door closed? She took quiet steps as she approached it and peeked through the tiny rectangle window, trying to see what was happening inside. Her eyes widened; the classroom was completely empty and void of life.

How could it be possibly be empty? There was no way she was the first to arrive.

Panic filled her chest, her heart thundering with every beat it took and she forced herself to run her tongue over her dry lips. Kagome grabbed the handle and opened the door, listening to it creaking. She went inside, hoping it would provide her more answers on the current situation. Unfortunately for her, the classroom was just as empty s it had appeared from outside. She let her arms fall to her side as her guts twisted, nausea rising up in her throat. Had she looked wrong? Did she think it was a different day than it was? She pulled out her calendar from her phone, panicked eyes staring at the screen, and she confirmed what she feared; she was in the right location. It was what was in her phone, and it was the right day. She had never been late for a class before… never in her life. What was she going to do now?

Creaaak.

Her head spun in direction of the door as the sound echoed through her ears. Someone else was coming in! Maybe she had indeed been early and it so happened that nobody else cared bout being on time to class. She watched as a tall man walked in, his long brown hair neatly tied into a high ponytail, short bangs covering the right side of his forehead. She was about to shyly enquire about the class when she suddenly found herself staring at two deep blue eyes. Blue eyes that she recognized. It was not possible. No, no, no. It was a bad joke, it had to be - because it could not be. He was the guy. Her mouth opened, only to close again. Did he recognize her too? Should she be saying something? Maybe apologize again? Dear god - this was the end of her. She was going to die of shame right here in this spot.

"That ain't right," he said as he glanced around at the empty classroom.

Months ago, back when he had scheduled his classes, he never actually planned on going. Now there he was, trying to be a good student… and the fucking classroom was empty? For fuck's sake.

Well there was one person at least. He looked less like a fucking moron. "Was the class cancelled?"

Oh god - he was talking to her. Words were actually coming out of his mouth. And she had to try and pretend that she was not dying of shame. She could do it… right? "Hm, I, eh, I don't think so…" That sounded perfectly normal right?

"Then where the fuck is everybody?" He was late - not early.

"I'm not sure." She could not even hear the sound of her own voice over the heartbeat of her heart.

As she turned her head to face him, he was face with a feeling of familiarity. "I know you."

"I don't think so," she replied before tilting her head forward, forcing her bangs to cover a portion of her face.

Where did he know her from? He had not fucked her or he would at least remember her. She could not be from one of his classes - he did not attend enough classes to remember any of his classmates. He let his nose crinkle and twitch, trying to that in her scent. It was her scent that he knew!

"You're the girl!"

"Excuse me?"

"The girl who kissed me!"

Oh crap. Really? How could he tell so easily? It had been dark, and - alcohol and noises! "I really don't think so," she repeated.

He smirked at her. "A youkai's nose doesn't lie."

Youkai? Great. It was like she had a magnet for anyone who was not human.

"I-I…"

"Came for seconds?"

He had not gotten the best look at her at the party, especially considering how fast everything had happened, but now that he had the time to look at her - she was cute. Her scent had left a pleasing trail behind and he had more than enjoyed their smooch. He might have felt a little used but now, he did not mind the kiss that they had shared. He found himself leaning forward, his body overshadowing hers and he felt a rumble in his chest. He watched as she held her breath, nervousness spiking her scent as he came closer to her.

Who did he think he was? Did he just - A flare of rage flew through her and before she could even stop herself, she was slapping him. The small echoed through the empty classroom, startling them both. As she watched his head turned to the side, a sense of panic filled her for a moment. Oh god. Did she actually slap him?

She slapped him. She actually slapped him. He never had a woman slap him before - especially not a woman who had initiated the action. He could not help but scoff as he grabbed his face with his hand. She packed a punch for a tiny human. A youkai slapping human. That was a first. He did not know a lot of humans who would do that. She had guts. He liked her even more. "Hey youkissed me," he pointed out with a smirk. He had been innocently talking to his friends when she had grabbed him and pressed her lips to his. And he was not about to let a slap stop him.

He had a point but it had not been done with the intention to seduce him. It was not her fault that she had been in a jam, and he had been her way to escape that situation. Nothing more. Not that she wanted to share her love life situation with a perfect stranger… A strange who she had just slapped. "It was an accident."

"The kiss or the slap?" She got flustered easily and he was getting a kick out of seeing her blush.

"Just -ugh forget it! I need to figure out how to get to class."

As if on cue, a ding echoed through the emptiness of the classroom, getting both their attention. Kouga finally broke the eye contact with her to reach into the back pocket of his jeans and he pulled out his cellphone. Kagome waited as he stared at his phone with knitted eyebrows. It was not too long before he was groaning, tilting his head backwards in desperation. For fuck's sake.

"We're in the wrong classroom."

"What?"

"The teacher switched the room."

No that could not be! If they had changed the classroom, she would know! She would have seen it yesterday when she… she did not…. Do it. Because of the party, she did not do her usual pre-school little preparation routine, and now for the first time in her life, she was going to be late for her class. Great, just freaking great. The amount of anxiety building inside of her forced tears to sting at her eyes - she was stuck between him, Inuyasha and the stress of school and she was not certain how much she could do without having to express that anxiety.

"Where is it?"

"Building next door."

As much as he wanted to tease her, he was mostly frustrated at the moment. Being this late for his first class was not going to help him achieve his new goals. Well, they were not his own goals that he wanted to attain, but they were the ones life had imposed on him. He was already struggling enough as it was and he did not need this on top of it. Now he needed to actually take the time to go over his classes' schedule and review every classes. He could not have this happen to him again.

"Come on," he said before sighing.

She wanted to protest against him, and she wanted t say that she was not going to follow him… but she could not say that. She had to follow him; it was her only option. She had not done much exploring and she was not very familiar with the many labyrinths of the hallways of her school. He seemed to know where he was going and if she followed him, she had a better chance of making it to her classes without being insanely late. However, she did intend on keeping a distance between them - there was no reason to give him any more ideas. Already, her little kiss had apparently been very misleading, despite the fact that she had outlined that it had been done out of necessity and not need.

Why did her life always end up like this?

-C-

After a torturous silent walk, they had made it to class slightly late. Luckily, they were not the only ones who were late, leaving the teacher to appear only a little bit irritated by all the latecomers. She had been relieved that her mystery man had not sat by her side. Instead, he had joined his friends on the other side of the room and she assumed they were the ones who information him of the change of location. She had also been relieved that this was not a class she shared with Inuyasha. She could live with being in the same classroom as her mystery man but not her ex boyfriend. On the down side, she did not know anyone in this class, forcing her to sit by herself. It was what she had to do during most classes. Times like these, she felt like Sango might have been right about her social life.

But that was fine.

Once the class was over, Kagome was quick to gather her things so that she could flee as rapidly as possible. She shoved her books in her leather bag, accidentally folding some pages by accident, but regardless of that she closed the flap and swung her bag over her shoulder. She was half way down the hall when she hard someone shout hey. Somehow she did not need to turn around to look to know it was addressed to her and who was calling her. It was him. Instead of giving him any kind of attention, she hurried down the hall, hoping that she would have enough time to disappear into the crowd. Her face was burning like fire as the sound of his voice echoed memories through her mind.

Hopefully he would leave her alone so that her shame could die down.

Meanwhile, Kouga was left trying to track down a girl who did not want to be followed.

"Hey Kouga! Where are you going?" called out one of his friends. His nearly white blond hair was in a mohawk leaving the sides of his head freshly shaved off.

"Nowhere."

Honestly, without being full of himself, he always felt like he had it quite easy with the ladies. Usually, a flash of his grin, a twinkle in the eyes, and he had their full attention. Though it could be quite easy, it was not as though he was going around, picking up every girl he came across. He was not a man whore. Still, he enjoyed being able to have their quick attention. It was not the same with this girl. She had rejected all of his advances so far - and she had even run away from him. This was not a reaction he was used to…

"You know, being late to class isn't gonna help ya get good grades."

"I know."

"'Til you're runnin' again, you gotta do better."

"I know," he stressed.

As if he did not know how serious the situation was - he was the one living in it. He was well aware that if his grades did not go up, he was n trouble. It was hardly his fault though! He never had to pay attention to this kind of things… He never expected that he, a youkai, would be injured to the point that he would be unable to practice the sport that he loved. He was not dealing with that fact very well at the moment, and he was not certain how he was supposed to give up his love for running. Considering how important this was to him, he did not need anyone rubbing it in his face constantly, especially not by his friends.

"Maybe you should get a tutor," a second guy said. His hair was much different shorter and spiked up. The middle was white while the two sides of his head were a dark charcoal color.

"I don't need a fucking tutor."

"Dude, I don't think you even know how to study."

He had avoided exams for years by excelling on the track field, there was not a youkai in the world that was faster than him. Well at least, it was this way until his accident…

Kouga sighed as he watched a mane of dark hair retract into the crowd. A tutor huh?

Maybe he could do it.

-C-

This was not happening.

She refused to be late to another class.

And yet, there she was, hiding behind some looker like a coward, hoping that the gods would have some mercy on her. She had been innocently walking down the hall, minding her own business, when she saw him. He was there, standing tall and leaning against some metal yellow locker, chatting away with some of his friends. At least that girl was not there this time. Not that this was any of her concerns of course. He was a free man, free to do as he pleased. At least these were the words she told herself to try to get over the pain that was currently suffocating her. This was not who she was - this was not who she used to be. Before he wrecked her she had been different. She did not want to be this.

"Hey Party Girl!"

No, no, no. Also, how in the world did she end up as party girl. At least that would not attract Inuyasha's attention.

"Please."

He arched an eyebrow, observing the expression painted all over her soft features. It was close to the one she had when she kissed him at the party that night; pure panic. Had she not also mumbled something about an ex-boyfriend? He tried to glance around but he could not see anyone that fit her caliber. Plus, except knowing that she had great taste in picking someone to kiss, he did not know much about her, or her preferences? Human? Youkai?

"Still avoiding your ex?"

Ugh, was it that obvious? "No?"

"I never did get to find out who he was."

"Why are you torturing me?"

He quirked an eyebrow: had he not been nothing but pleasant? "Just tryin' to help."

"I don't need it."

She did - but she was not quite convinced it was help that he could give her. The ideal thing for her would be to return to what her life was before it was shattered to pieces. Kagome tilted her head backwards and allowed herself to take a deep breath; she could do this. She would not let her life slip her for a second year. However, it did not matter how many encouragements she gave her body; it refused to move. Damn it.

He enjoyed teasing her, despite how little she seemed to enjoy his flirting ways. However, his humor was vanishing now; she was not happy. She was in a complete state of freight and it upset him. What had that boy done to her that this fiery, feisty girl feared him? He did not like it. He had to come here to beg for a favor and try to get to know her a little bit, but now his plans were slowly changing. It could not be about him anymore - it had to be about her.

"Listen." He cleared his throat. "How about a trade?"

"What?"

"I help you, you help me."

She did not know if it was the insane amount of stress she was under, or the lack of sleep but - she could not understand what he wanted from her. "Help me?"

"Listen, I need some help with my classes."

"Why are you asking me? You don't even know me."

"I know you're smart."

"No, you don't."

He smirked. "I looked you up. I know you're smart." It had taken him a long time to track her down. Nearly no one knew who she was, but in the end, he had been able to track down her name. It was some boy named Miroku who let it slip. He was about to find out a little bit about her - her presence on the internet was not big either. She excelled in her classes, she was a straight A student. She was what he needed. "I need to pass my exams."

His voice was different than before. He had the same fear she had when it came to Inuyasha. For the first time, instead of looking cocky and self assured, she saw something else behind his blue eyes. "And?"

"And in exchange, I'll make sure whoever you're avoiding - doesn't see you."

Actually, what he wanted to do was beat him to a pulp, but he was going to start with this for now.

She should say no. She did not know him - except she knew he was persistent. And yet, right now, as she was trapped like a chased animal, she wanted to say yes, she wanted to give in. Her choice were to say no, and get herself out of it on her own, or say yes. She could feel the beads of sweat dripping down her necks, the hammering of her heart and the twisting of her guts as her glance flashed from his face, to the mane of silver hair. Did she really want to make a deal with a stranger?

There had to be a first to everything.

"Fine."

-C-