Disclaimer: I do not own any Inuyasha characters
Author Notes: So this pairing is new to me, as I watched the show over again I am starting to see Koga in a new light. I love my fan's… please read and review… Your reviews make me smile
Kagome lays crying in her sleeping bag, having Inuyasha run off once again in search of Kikyo.
"He is such a jerk… I almost died for him today, and this is the thanks I get"? Kagome thinks as she shoves her face into her pillow, muffling her own sobs. Miroku, Sango and Shippo could hear her as they attempt to sleep. Her friend group felt guilt laying there in silence; however they had run out of comforting words to say to this broken woman. Hours pass and Sango, Miroku and Shippo finally fall asleep, leaving Kagome alone with her thoughts.
The sun was just beginning to rise when she finally heard Inuyasha come back to camp, landing on a tree just above their campground. He had been gone for hours, the whole time Kagome was imagining him in the arms of Kikyo. Kissing Kikyo, holding and making love to Kikyo. It was unbearable to think that Inuyasha had really chosen that woman made of dirt, clay and a shadow of Kagome's soul over Kagome herself. She could hear him begin to snore softly; Inuyasha wasn't phased by what he was doing to the poor time-traveling miko that managed to sleep soundly.
This caused something in Kagome to break, a small piece of her shattered and crumbled. She knew from this moment on that she would never be the same upbeat, glowing woman again. She knew that she couldn't allow herself to love Inuyasha anymore.
Her innocence about love and romance is gone.
Tomorrow morning starts the change. Kagome will no longer love, pine, or be sweet to one particular half-demon. She fell asleep with this knowledge stirring through her mind, she had a restless sleep but felt better with her decision made.
The next morning comes swiftly, and the group is woken up by Inuyasha's normal statement.
"Hey, Wake up! We don't have all day to look for more jewel shards"
Kagome, Miroku, Shippo, and Sango start packing up their few belongings and walk behind the anxious half-demon. Kagome walks slower then the rest, nibbling on a granola bar with fruit in it to keep her energy up after a night of little sleep.
"Oy! Kagome hurry up, we can't keep waiting for you" Inuyasha yelled at her impatiently. Kagome didn't respond, simply quickened her pace slightly and allowed her mind to wander to other things.
Inuyasha noticed her distance but thought that it all had to do with the fact that he had run off to see Kikyo last night. He wasn't going to push the matter, he had every right to see Kikyo whenever he wanted, Kagome and he were just friends.
Lunchtime came around quickly and the group stopped for some of Kagome's infamous ninja food. She made a quick round of noodles for everyone, purposefully serving Inuyasha last to make him wait while the delicious smells floated through the air.
" 'bout time wench" Inuyasha said teasingly as he finally got his food and started slurping loudly.
"Whatever" Kagome muttered as she walked back to her own food and started eating slowly. Partially because it was hot and partially because she wanted to piss Inuyasha off by taking so much time to eat.
Once they head off again, Inuyasha was steaming mad from the time they had already "wasted". He knew better then to say anything when she's in this indifferent kind of mood, which is normally when she sits him so many times he has trouble getting out of the crater in the ground!
"Ugh…. I smell wolf" Inuyasha grumbled angrily. That is just what he needed after a day like this, this wolf sniffing around Kagome. For some reason Koga's attention to Kagome really pissed him off, where did he get off thinking he was good enough for her.
Koga landed in a whirlwind in front of Kagome holding a small beaded necklace with a large bead carved into a wolf in the middle, dangling like a modern charm.
"Kagome I made this for you." Koga said proudly, holding out the piece of jewelry. It wasn't very well made or very pretty but he had made it for her so she felt warmly toward him. Especially after a day of cold hearted Inuyasha and his attitude.
"Keh! You made her that! It's hideous, as if Kagome would wear something like that" Inuyasha sputtered out proudly. Causing Koga to pull the jewelry away and turn toward the jealous dog.
A fight was about to start when Kagome's small voice broke through to the two angry canines.
"You made that for me?" Kagome whispered, tears pooling in her light honey eyes. Her voice and tears caused both men to turn toward the small priestess. Kagome stepped toward Koga, waiting for her answer.
"Ya… I know it's not much…. But…." He murmured getting embarrassed because of what Inuyasha's had said earlier. Kagome's delicate hands reached out for her present and rolled it over, examining it with her small fingers.
"It's beautiful Koga, and so thoughtful." Kagome said, mustering all the sincerity she had in her body to compliment the man who went out of his way to make her happy.
"Will you help me put it on?" Kagome handed the necklace back to him as she turned her back to him and lifted her raven locks out of the way. Koga's rough, fighter hands wrapped the leather beaded strap around her neck and hooked it. Kagome dropped her hair and turned to face him.
"How does it look?" Kagome questioned timidly.
Inuyasha was simply standing there dumbfounded by the actions taking place in front of her.
"Looks nice" Koga pointed out gruffly.
"Oh it's beautiful Kagome" Sango said, enjoying the discomfort Inuyasha was going through after putting Kagome through so much pain.
"Kagome, it looks like it has always been a part of you, it matches you so well" Miroku said, allowing the compliment to soak into Kagome who had already been filling herself with doubt because of Inuyasha's many betrayals to her young heart. Now more then ever she needs the reassurance that she was wanted, beautiful, and someone to be valued.
"How did you know that it was my birthday Koga?" Kagome finally questioned. She wouldn't have asked except that curiosity got the better of her.
Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo stood dumbfounded by the recent development. She had kept them in the dark so they wouldn't buy her anything or try to get her to go home to spend time with her family, she just needed to finish the jewel so she could be done with Inuyasha and Kikyo forever.
"Oh gosh Kagome we are so sorry, we didn't get you anything, we had no idea it was your birthday" Sango blurted out embarrassedly. She kicked herself for not knowing her best friends birthday.
"It's okay Sango, I didn't tell you guys on purpose, we need to stay on track and find all the jewel shards. But…. Koga, how did you know?" Kagome assured her friend while restating her question for the man standing in front of her.
"Uh. You told me the day that I abducted you and brought you to the cave that you had only been with Inuyasha for a month and you were already endangered, and then you told me that you met him on your 15th birthday, so…. I guess I just figured it out" Koga said slightly red from his comment.
Kagome's heart skipped a beat at the embarrassing confession that she decided that she would treat the wolf-man who always managed to say and do the right things.
"Thank you Koga. I really love my present. Did you know in my time there is a very important birthday tradition that I am missing out on because I'm in the past."? Kagome started coyly.
"No what is it?" Koga said cautiously.
"A birthday kiss, If I don't get one by the end of the day I'll be followed by bad luck for the rest of the year. With searching for the jewel shards and fighting Naraku I need all the luck I can get it… and since you were the only one who knew it was my birthday, will you give me my birthday kiss?" Kagome asked innocently looking at the man in a different light.
He was tall, very tall. Scared by his many battled but toned and built. His eyes were striking and his mane of hair was only matched by her raven locks. For some reason she felt the need to pet the tail waging behind the tall clan leader.
Kagome didn't remove her eyes from Koga as he turned bright red from the request. She knew Inuyasha was fuming next to her and Miroku and Sango were probably genuinely amused by what she was asking.
"This is really a tradition where you are from?" Koga question as he looked around at her friends. The whole time Kagome's eyes were stuck to the wolf prince who was infatuated with her.
"It is. But if it weren't. That would mean I was just asking you to kiss me, would that really be a bad thing"? Kagome was teasing him now, and was enjoying his reaction to her words.
Koga leaned forward brushing his lips softly against hers, surprisingly gentle for the warrior wolf. It was a quick kiss, a peck really, but it made Kagome's heart to skip a beat and Koga to rush away in a burst of spiraled wind.
"Bye Kags! Happy Birthday" Koga yelled after Kagome as he ran away, red faced and joyous.
"She asked me to kiss her! The mutt was there and everything and she still wanted me to be the one who gave her that birthday kiss. I'm going to have to thank the guys for suggesting I make something instead of buying it." Koga rushed home full happy energy, eager to recount the story to his pack.
Kagome just stood there a moment following the kiss, enjoying the sensation in left on her lips. When she realized all eyes were on her she started walking and shouted back after her friends.
"Comeon guys we gotta go, we don't have all day to look for jewel shards" Kagome mocking Inuyasha and enjoying that fact that for once, she was the one who shocked them.