It was raining heavily. Kagome rubbed her arms and peeked out from her umbrella. She was waiting for Inuyasha. He called her earlier in the day claiming he had something urgent to discuss with her. She was feeling a little antsy. Mostly because she believed he was finally going to propose. She chewed her lip and smiled brightly. A passing stranger caught her glance and smiled back.

"Kagome?" She spun around to see her 3 year boyfriend jog across the street soaked head to toe.

She sighed fondly, "Didn't you look outside today?" she moved towards him and extended her umbrella, sharing the protection. He shrugged. She linked arms with him and motioned towards the small restaurant she had previously stood in front of. "Let's go, I heard that place has great chili chicken." She took a couple of steps and realized she was alone. Her arm no longer winded with her boyfriend's own. "Babe, did you forget something?"

He looked at her with all seriousness. "Kagome…"

"You said you wanted to talk…let's go inside and talk Yash."

He slipped his hand into his pocket and stepped closer. She felt tremors. It was happening. It was finally happening. He was going to take out a ring and slip it onto her finger and then ask her to marry him and he would know the answer but she would say it anyways. She would scream it and the whole world would know. Everyone would see how much they loved each other. Her eyes welled up. Inuyasha stepped even closer until his breathe brushed her nose. He gripped her hand and she closed her eyes. He pressed a ring into her hand she could feel it small and circular with the negative space in the middle. She couldn't help the short giggle that came from her, it wasn't exactly how she planned it but it was wonderful nonetheless. He closed her hand around the ring and then he stepped back.

"I'm sorry."

Her eyes snapped open. Something was wrong; this was not how it was supposed to happen. He was supposed to propose. Why was he apologizing? Was the ring ugly? She didn't care, he knows she wouldn't care, so why? She looked into her palm and her breathe caught in her throat. In her palm, innocently sat a promise ring; Inuyasha's promise ring, identical to none other than her own promise ring. They had gotten them custom made together over a year ago as a sign of their future marriage and everlasting love.

"It's over."

She let out a shuddering breathe and squeezed her eyes shut. Despite her attempts, the tears still flowed. She clenched her fist and breathed deeply. The wooden handle of her umbrella strained in her hand, some of her unused miko powers splintering the oak material.

"Kagome, plea-"

"Just… tell me why."

"One more," Kagome lifted her empty shot glass and motioned for the bartender.

The man behind the counter had a small smile on his face. He set a glass of water in front of Kagome. "I think you've had enough for the night, Miss."

Kagome frowned. "I'm fine." Her words slurred and she blinked rapidly before dropping her shot glass. The glass shattered on the counter and she squinted at the shards. "You broke it."

The bartender grabbed a rag and gave Kagome a worried look. "I don't think I did. I'm sorry miss but you'll need to pay for shot glass you just broke." He started gathering the shards furthest from her.

"I… break everything." She sniffed and then rested her arm on the counter before resting her head on her arm. "I break everything?" The man jumped and started to plead with Kagome to slowly remove her arm. "Shut up! I didn't break anything! You did! You s-stupid…I love you, stupid!" Her strings of affectionate slurs were halted as she slipped into a state of unconsciousness.

The bartender called out for a couple of bodyguards and they hefted the sleeping woman into the employee's lounge. He examined her and carefully removed the bits of glass one by one until all that was left were a couple of gashes in her arm. He then wrapped it gently and Kagome didn't wake until after he was done.

"Akuma… how did you find me?"

The bartender could see that Kagome still hadn't quite sobered up yet. "I'm not a devil Miss." He chuckled lightly. "How are you feeling?"

"Aku, I'm sleepy and I'm sad and…" her face wrinkled and scrunched. "I love him…"

"…Miss, do you know where you are?"

Kagome threw her injured arm over her eyes and cried. "I'm so tired Aku."

"My name is Miroku. I'm a bartender, you are at a bar. Do you have someone you can call?"

"Aku…"

Miroku stood and drew his hand through his hair and then looked at his watch. He was really looking forward to that date with Sango tonight. But it seemed that once again, it would have to wait. He just prayed she wouldn't sic her vicious cat on him again. He sighed heavily and picked up the bag he had seen Kagome hold when she sat at the bar. He rifled through it and fortunately plucked out a phone. He turned it on and watched as the screen lit up with Kagome's smiling face and that of a white haired fellow. "Ah, this must be the stupid one." He swiped and went to her call history. He paused momentarily. Normally he'd call the first person on a drunken customers call history but in this case he heard Kagome specifically mention someone. He decided to search for this demon character on her phone and called the number.

The phone rang, once, twice, three times, four times, five times and Miroku began to doubt his decision.

"I'm working brat, what do you want?"

Miroku frowned. "Is this Akuma?"

The line was silent for a bit. "Who is this?" The voice sounded dark and ominous. Miroku felt the hairs on his body rise. "If you did anything to my sister, I will make sure to personally make your life a living he-"

"Ah, no, no, my name is Miroku, I'm just a bartender at Rick's Bar and Grill; your sister just had a little too much to drink and passed out. I was calling to see if you could pick her up." He chuckled lightly and paused momentarily, "Please." He added. Better safe than sorry.

The line was silent once again and Miroku was just praying he wouldn't have to hear another threat.

"You said Rick's right? I'll be there in 10 minutes."

Exhaling heavily, Miroku nodded to no one. "Once you get here just let security know you're here for a pickup and they'll lead you to the back."

There was a grunt and the line went dead.

Miroku looked down at the sleeping woman and closed his eyes. He massaged his lids and dropped the phone back into the bag. "Sango's going to be so upset."

He set tled himself into a chair adjacent from Kagome and fished out his own phone to text his girlfriend an apology. Less than a minute later he received a reply. He texted back and rather soon found himself reading all capitals and many exclamation marks. While his responses were short and sweet the replies he received were furious and lengthy. He had hardly noticed the ten minute time frame was coming to an end until he heard the door separating the employee lounge from the bar open rather abruptly.

He put his phone away and stood upon seeing a pale man probably a couple years older than him enter the room. Dark almost purple hair was tied in a high ponytail and eyes that seemed more red than brown softly landed on the woman drooling on the couch.

"What a nuisance," Akuma muttered.

Miroku took notice of the concern and suddenly felt like this Akuma character wasn't going to disembowel him; instead he was just a very concerned sibling. "Akuma?"

The man kneeled on a knee and shot a look at the bartender. "Put her on my back." Miroku did as requested and watched as Kagome's arms dangled uselessly over her brothers shoulders.

"You are Akuma, right?"

The man picked up his sisters bag and wrapped the strap around his wrist. "It's Naraku." He stood without a grunt and frowned. "Akuma is just a nickname."

Miroku nodded thoughtfully.

"What is this?" the ominous voice was back and it made Miroku straighten up. He watched as Naraku laid his hand on Kagome's neatly wrapped wound.

He bit his lip. He had forgotten about that. "Your sister, she-."

"Kagome."

"…ah, yes, Kagome had broken a shot glass and a laid on a couple of shards once she had passed out." He watched Naraku's eyes get darker, "It wasn't all that much glass. I removed all the shards. As long as she puts some ointment on it there should be no scarring." Naraku glared. "I'm a med student." He blurted. Seeing Naraku visibly relax Miroku did also.

"What's your name?"

"Miroku Ishou…"

"I'll be sure to visit once more to repay your efforts, Mr. Ishou."

Miroku blinked slowly, and watched as the brother piggybacked his sibling out the employee lounge and frowned. He felt like he would be seeing Naraku and his sister more than once more.