The Rings

Summary: Eyes of the same steal blue intensity, clashed dangerously with one another, "I hate you..." Those words that fell from soft lips had no effect on the one they had been directed at, a small smirk forming instead on the recipients own lips, "Oddly enough, I'm fine with that."

Anime/Manga: InuYasha/Prince of Tennis

Pairing: Fuji/Kagome

Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Rated: M for Mature Content

-x-x-x-

"No,"

"I wasn't asking,"

"I'm not doing it!"

~SLAP~

Wait! Pause the scene...first, an introduction; my name is Kagome Higurashi, five foot four, with elbow length wavy black hair and steal blue eyes. I have that porcelain like skin, or so I've been told; and pouty lips, whatever that means. I don't pout, so I don't know how my lips are pouty. I am thirteen, and have been living with my dad since the passing of my mother. I am the one who is so against the conversation that you have yet to see all of.

Great! Now that you know who I am, let me introduce you to the other person, Mr. Do-As-I-Say-Or-Face-The-Wrath-Of-My-Hand-Against-Your-Cheek! That is actually...my dad. My mom and dad had always been at odds with raising me, and, where mom believed that I deserved my freedom, dad was more traditional...much...more traditional. He thought that females shouldn't speak out of turn, and that the alpha male would have seniority over the female in any situation, he also was all in with arranged marriages.

This brings us to the topic at hand. Yes, now you are all starting to understand! His business partner, no...that's not right...he wants to merge his company with his friends' Business whom he's known since he attended Tokyo Law and Business Institute. Yes, that is it. Somehow though, I got roped into it. They will merge, and the eldest son will become the CEO of the business. What does that have to do with me? So glad you asked! I have to marry the eldest son, to complete the merger, Contract SWAK! Meaning, Sealed With A Kiss...just not mine! The agreement to this, has, however, been Signed, Sealed...and you guessed it...Delivered! I will forever be married to this stuck up, rich, spoilt, prat of a son!

Life...Sucks...resume scene~

"You are not in any position, to bark commands or negotiations with me, spoiled girl!"

"...I'm your daughter, why are you forcing me to marry some guy I've never even met! He's probably rude, and selfish, and greedy, and...I don't know...a pervert or something! On another note, I'm only thirteen!"

"Be respectful of the Fuji Heir!"

Kagome growled irritably, "DID YOU MISS THE PART ABOUT MY AGE?"

"Thirteen is plenty old enough, you will become a good bride, and you will bring honor, much, to family!"

"...stop talking like you are from China and live in the Ming Dynasty!"

Her father glowered, "You need to become a mature young lady, and act the part of my daughter. I won't tolerate any of this disrespect, is that understood?"

"...I'm too youn─"

"Stop acting childish, you aren't too young, and besides, we already agreed that, although the arrangements will be made, for the wedding, you won't marry until sixteen. By the way, your birthday is in a month anyways, so you can drop the, I'm only thirteen, act. It doesn't work. Now, go clean up, you are to meet him at dinner and I expect nothing less than perfection tonight!"

"...yeah, whatever." Kagome stormed turned with her hair whipping fiercely around her shoulders in her rage. She left her fathers office and made her way out of the house, his house. "Stupid old man,"

"Who? Me?"

Kagome turned, taking in the appearance of a monk on a bike. "Who are you?"

"Judging from the sour look on your face, a god send."

Kagome raised a brow, "How do you figure?"

"Not sure, I was on my way back home, I just dropped off my sons' bento lunch...but I'm suddenly in the mood for tea, how about you?"

"...that...sounds nice." Kagome smiled, "But I really shouldn't."

"Come now, I'm a monk, share your problems with me, I'll listen."

Kagome thought about his offer for a second before nodding, 'If anything, he might have some advice for getting out of this arrangement.'

Kagome had walked in silence with the older man before they came to a quaint tea shop around the corner from where she had been walking. "So what's good here?"

"Well, do you like ice tea or hot tea?"

"Hot tea,"

"I recommend the Hibiscus and Chamomile tea,"

Kagome smiled, "I'll get that then,"

"Right," The man, she still hadn't gotten his name, placed her order at the counter along with his before returning a few minutes later at the table she sat at with their drinks in hand. "So, what's up kid?"

"...my dad has set me and the eldest son of one of his friends up in an arranged marriage, as soon as the marriage is complete, their businesses will be merged, but if I break the marriage contract by getting a divorce, or if he does, the merger is off. He will become the CEO of his fathers business...and I will become his trophy wife."

"Trophy wife? You must be quite talented."

Kagome blushed, "I guess, it's nothing special...actually, I'm not allowed to do sports anymore. Dad makes me take piano lessons, and I can play the Bamboo flute, I also paint, and I did ballet when I was younger. I used to play Soccer and Tennis, but when I moved in with dad, he told me it wasn't befitting of a lady to run around in the dirt with sweat soaked clothes. I'm also not aloud to swim, as, he says it isn't good for me to expose too much skin to anyone who I'm not going to wed."

"Ah, that explains the outfit,"

Kagome looked down at her clothes, a long sleeve maxi dress in white, it was breathy, made of polyester and cotton, comfortable, light...it flowed when she spun around, and if she sat on the ground in mid spin, it would fan out around her in a complete circle. She loved the dress, but the man was right, all of her clothes were made to conceal her body from the eyes of those she had no intention of marrying. That however, was something her father and mother, had agreed on, so even while living with her mom, she had worn pants, long sleeves, long skirts and long dresses. Her mom had owned an indoor pool though, so she had the luxury of swimming once she and her mom were alone. The two continued to talk for awhile, Kagome retailing the man about what all her father had said and planned for her, including dinner and meeting her mystery husband-to-be that night.

"Well, that is a predicament, how old are you?"

"Thirteen, I turn fourteen in another month..."

"I see," The man sighed, "My son is twelve, soon to be thirteen, actually...I don't know if he's even interested in girls, never talks about them, always out playing Tennis, not that I'm complaining."

Kagome smiled, "Your son plays Tennis?"

"Mm, he's is a regular on the Seigaku Tennis team."

Kagome's eyes widened slightly, "Impressive, and only twelve?"

"Yeah, which school do you attend?"

"...Fudoumine."

"Ah,"

Kagome looked at her tea and glanced up at the wall, her eyes widened at the clock above her new friends head, "Is it really that late already?"

The man looked back and jumped out of his seat, "My wife is going to kill me!"

Kagome smiled sadly, "Sorry, I didn't want to get you in trouble with your family,"

"I could say the same for you." He sighed, running a hand through his slightly messy hair, "Look, I don't want you to leave here without something to lean back on. The best that I can say, is meet this boy first. Worse case scenario, you can always run away and stay with me and my family on the shrine down the street."

Kagome laughed out loud at that, "I hope I'm the only child you've given that advice to, or should I be worried?"

He grinned, but turned serious a couple seconds later. "Seriously though, follow through with the meeting, act the way your father wants, meet him, get to know him, if he is something horrible, or the arrangement is something you really don't like, come find me."

Kagome looked at the older man and smiled softly, "I don't know your name,"

"Echizen, Nanjiro; look me up sometime,"

She watched the man wave goodbye, paying the tab as he left. Kagome looked back at the time before running all the way back home, desperate to get to her room before her father noticed her missing.

She, needless to say, wasn't so fortunate. As soon as she entered her room, she saw her father standing by her balcony view, staring out at the blossoms in the back garden. "Daddy...Dad, I─"

"Get dressed, and then meet me downstairs in the foyer, understood?"

"..." Kagome bowed, "Yes,"

He nodded then left her room, his anger imminent in her presence, she knew he would yell at her for sure if this night didn't go well. 'If I'm going to marry at the age of fourteen, then I'm going to make jaws drop!' Kagome smirked, "Wish me luck, Nanjiro~"

She grabbed a red dress from her closet, it was made with Chiffon, cut in a layered design with loose and flowy long sleeves, cascading ruffle embellishments along the sleeves and the dresses bottom with an off shoulder neck line. The dress trailed behind her a couple inches, rising off the floor in the front just enough to see her toes, which she hid with a pair of black peep-toe heels. A light brown braided sash tied neatly and loosely around her slim waist. She brushed her wind swept hair and sprayed it with a brush in silk & shine spray, grabbing a curler, she curled a couple locks to create big curls that fell over her shoulders, then shook her head and watched them fall apart to create many smaller curls around the bottoms of her long black hair. Her blue eyes were lined lightly in black liner with a touch of black and silver shadow touching the lids of her eyes. She took a tube of lipstick which one could clearly tell had been used a lot, and applied the blood red color before blotching it on a napkin. She looked herself over before spraying a body spray on her entitled enchanted garden.

"Eat your heart out," She smiled at her softly spoken words, then turned from the mirror and left her room, walking down the stairs to the foyer, she paused midway down and stared at her father, another man, and a boy around the same age as herself.

"Ah, there she is, my late daughter,"

Kagome mentally kicked herself for letting the time escape her while she had been with Nanjiro. "Have you ever known a woman to make an early entrance, Daddy?"

Her father laughed, "No, I guess I haven't."

"Fashionably late, you look absolutely stunning."

Kagome looked down the steps to see the boy she was supposed to meet today. She didn't even know his name! Kagome smiled, descending the rest of the steps, she took the extended hand and gave a small curtsy, bowing her head, sliding her foot back and dipping forward a bit before straightening.

She took in the boy before her, he was handsome, beautifully so. His hair was brown in color, and fell in a bob cut to his neck, she couldn't see his eyes, they were shut, which made her wonder how the hell he knew what she looked like in the first place. She would ask later when her father and his father were no longer present. She was positive that at some point tonight, the two adults would abandon them in the confines of the house to converse amongst themselves. She continued observing him, his hands, had a firm but gentle grip, as if he were holding a glass and trying hard not to break it. His body was slim, but she guessed he was probably athletic too. The smile on his lips told her he was nice, but something was hidden, something his father probably wasn't even aware of. Perhaps, a cruel, twisted, malicious and sadistic side to him that he kept hidden from the rest of his family.

"Thank you," Kagome smiled, giving way to the boy and letting him guide her the rest of the way down the steps. She put a little weight on his hand and felt him tense beside her. It was that very moment that she realized that his father must have given him a similar talk before they'd arrived.

"Why don't we settle down for dinner, my chef just put together a rather delectable cuisine, I do hope you enjoy it."

Kagome watched her father walk off with her soon-to-be father-in-law, before turning to the boy next to her, "If I am to pretend to be interested in tonight, I might as well have a name to call you, yes?"

"...Fuji, Shuusuke."

"Just call me Kagome, and loosen up, you aren't the only one here against their will." She walked past him in a swift stride before pausing at the door, "Well?" She looked over her shoulder and watched him walk gracefully forward.

"Forgive me, I do look forward to when I receive a chance to talk with you alone, though. With all honesty, I find that this arrangement won't be completely horrible, if anything, it may prove to be...entertaining."

'Give the guy a medal, he said it with his eyes shut and still sounded cool.'

-x-x-x-

Kagome could curse the gods for the way this dinner was turning out. It was absolutely perfect, and if she screwed anything up, she'd feel it later. Her father had never abused her, but then, she'd only been with him four a couple of months, and she'd yet to do anything really bad, however, she knew he wasn't below slapping her a good few times to knock some sense into her. Back to the topic, she could see the bonds between men forming at such a quick rate she would have thought she was in science class watching a video on fast-forward.

"So, Shuusuke, I hear you are on the Tennis team at Seigaku Academy, a regular, right?"

Kagome frowned, 'Why did you need to bring Tennis up,'

"That's right; Seigaku has a tournament coming up this fall actually, I'd love for both of you to attend."

Kagome had a mental image of herself firing arrows at the boy across from her, but smiled all the same. "I would honestly love to go, but isn't the tournament on a school day?"

"Nonsense, you can skip one day to watch your fiancés match!"

'Fiancé...? Since when has he been my fiancé? I know we are supposed to get married, but don't I get a ring, at least?' Kagome smiled bitterly, stood up, bowed, and excused herself politely.

"Where are you going?"

"...the gardens for some fresh air."

Her father smiled, "Wonderful idea, take Shuusuke with you,"

Kagome stopped dead in her tracks, not turning, she listened to the footsteps of her intended grow nearer, "Of course," She left with Shuusuke right beside her, walking through a pair of double doors and out into a hall, she took the first left and left the mansion through a glass door with fine flower like detailing.

"Why do I feel like you aren't even willing to try this?"

'Because I'm not?' Kagome turned and gave a small smile, "Why would you think something like that?"

He too smiled, but his seemed much more natural, as if he was used to putting on a false smile," I like you Kagome," That moment opened up a whole new definition for the word intense, she stared in surprise as, for the first time that night, he opened his eyes.

"You must be one of those sadists, taking joy from other peoples pain," She scoffed, "I'm not like that, I have no interest of playing some spoilt sons pet!" She snapped, "I won't marry you, I don't need to know you, I know enough..." Eyes of the same steal blue intensity, clashed dangerously with one another, "I hate you..."

Kagome eyes couldn't grow any wider if she had been shot, soft lips were pressed firmly to hers and both her hands were held in tight grips at her side. She closed her eyes and turned her head away, a hand moved to her cheek and she felt a finger run along it before pulling away. She took notice of the wet spot and realized she had started crying, and he'd seen it.

Those words that fell from soft lips had no effect on the one they had been directed at, a small smirk forming instead on the recipients own lips, "Oddly enough, I'm fine with that." He released her wrist and made his way back inside, leaving her alone outside with her own thoughts.

-x-x-x-

Kagome sat quietly on her bed; her father had just walked their guests to the door and now stood across from her.

"So tell me, what do you think of Shuusuke?"

"...I'm not impressed,"

He laughed, "That's too bad, seeing as how his father has already started constructing a house nearby for the two of you, not to mention...the transfer."

Her ears perked at that, "Transfer? What transfer? What house? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that by the end of this month, you will be attending Seigaku Academy, and your schedule will be matched to his."

"...what?"

"I am also talking about you and Fuji moving in together by the end of this year."

"...no..."

He smiled, patting her on the head, "I don't know how you managed it, but he was truly interested in you, he requested your attentions come next Saturday, he wishes to take you out to get to know you better,"

"No! I don't want to!"

"Grow up Kagome, you need to act like a woman, responsible, and respectable, keep your thoughts to yourself and your mouth shut, you'll go far." He walked out of her room, shutting the door behind him.

Kagome fell backwards on her bed and cried into her pillow, still dressed in the red dress, this was how she fell asleep only an hour later. Dreaming of nothing but the many years of hardships she would no doubt have to endure upon the day she'd wed.

-x-x-x-

Me: I hope you all enjoy this fic, let me know what you guys think, nai!