"Kagome! Kagome!" Sango Kyouko knocked loudly on Kagome Higurashi's door to try and rouse her from her sleep in their two-bedroom apartment.

"Mmph…" Kagome mumbled. She didn't want to leave the warmth of her bed. But…she knew she would have to get up some time. Tonight was the Halloween party. With Inuyasha. Remembering this, she bolted out of bed.

"Sango! What time is it?" She rushed to the door and pulled it open, revealing a very tired, but excited Sango behind it, dressed in her pajamas, the pants decorated with slain demons, and a very irate demon exterminator on the front of her white shirt, on which the words "I don't take crap from anyone. Not even demons." were printed in bold.

"It's ten past eleven, Kagome! Kami! We're going to be late to the costume shop! All of the good costumes are going to be gone!"

"Oh, will you shut up? We're going to get there in plenty of time! Just let me take a shower, and…get dressed while I'm at it, Sango. I know how long it takes you."
"But…"

"No buts! We still have to get something for Inuyasha's brother and the guy he shares the mansion with. They were really nice to invite us, you know."

"Hai…they were. But I still wonder why Inuyasha was invited in the first place."

"Because…"

"Why? He told you, didn't he? I'm always left out of everything! No doubt he's already told Miroku!"

"Will you hold on a second? I'll tell you!"

"Oh. Okay."

"It's because Sesshomaru hates Inuyasha…and their father wants them to try and get along. Sesshomaru was forced to invite him. And…well…I guess he could bring us along…so he's going to."

"Great. We're going to be shunned."

"Maybe not. I mean, the last time I saw Sesshomaru…he didn't look like he hated me…too much…heh…"

"You know he's the prince of ice. Don't even try to deny it. He's going to be sending us evil glares tonight."

"Whatever, Sango! We have to get ready, so don't worry about it now!"
Kagome pushed past her friend and ran to the bathroom, where she quickly turned on the shower and immersed herself in the steamy water. As she scrubbed her hair, she thought of the last time she had seen Sesshomaru. It wasn't on very many occasions that he made an appearance. Only when Inuyasha had done or said something terribly wrong. Or when his father forced him to. Like last time. It was Inuyasha's birthday.

Flashback…

There was a knock at the door to Kagome and Sango's apartment. Kagome, who was sitting with Inuyasha, was waiting for the other guests to arrive. Sango and Miroku had gone out to finish gift-shopping…a few last minute things that Kagome had not had time to buy. It was Inuyasha's twenty-first birthday.

Kagome shot up from the couch to go answer the door.

She was surprised to see who was behind it.

"Hi! Welcome…Sesshomaru?" Kagome's mouth dropped to the floor.

Sesshomaru Taisho was Inuyasha's half brother, born of a different mother, but to the same father, Inutaisho. Sesshomaru was not fond of Inuyasha, by the least. He seemed not to hate him, but to be annoyed greatly by his presence.

"Hai, wench. I'm here. Not because I wish to be."

"Well…erm…we're…certainly glad to have you, though. Please, come in and make yourself comfortable!" Kagome smiled warmly, despite the insult he had just thrown at her.

"Hmph."

He pushed his way through the door, nearly making Kagome fall on the floor. She caught herself, however, and managed to shut the door before following Sesshomaru to the living room.

Inuyasha, at seeing his older half-brother, growled angrily.

"What the fuck is he doing here, Kagome? Why did you let him in?"

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. But you know I can't turn someone out of my apartment…especially when they show up for birthdays. I'm not going to be mean."

"Damn it…"

Sesshomaru interrupted then.

"Little brother. I am not here of my own choosing. Understand this. Father forced me to come. I know you will derive much pleasure from that." Sesshomaru sneered angrily.

"Not really. You're still here. Asshole." Inuyasha stuck his tongue out at the older boy with long silver hair similar to his, and very childishly huffed and crossed his arms.

"You are nothing more than a child, you…"

Kagome did not want another fight breaking out between the two. Like one normally did. So she interrupted them and tried to make things more…comfortable. Which didn't work too well.

"Hey…guys…maybe we should just…um…play a game or something?" Kagome tried to cool things down.

"Hey…Kagome?"

"Hai?"

"Think you could stay out of my business for once?" Inuyasha snapped.

She was speechless.

"Me. Stay. Out of your. Business." Kagome fumed. How dare he try and tell her to mind her own business, when he was in her apartment, fighting?

"I didn't stutter."

Kagome broke. SLAP!

Kagome drew her hand away from Inuyasha's right cheek, which had a large red handprint streaked across it.

"Inuyasha, you…bastard! How dare you?"

Kagome stomped out of the living room and into the kitchen.

'Why does he always have to do and say things that he knows will hurt me? He's always…so…insensitive!' Kagome thought as she sniffled slightly. She turned to pull a Kleenex out of a box next to the microwave when she heard footsteps behind her.

Without turning around, she hissed.

"I don't want to talk to you right now, you horse's ass. How dare you treat me this way? What the hell did I do to you? I was just trying to stop you and your brother from fighting! Is there something wrong with that? I don't understand why you can't just get along! You're both acting so immature!"

No answer. No huffing in annoyance…no growling. Just silence.

"In…Inuyasha?"

She whirled around to see that it was not Inuyasha standing before her, but Sesshomaru. He raised a slender eyebrow at her, his golden orbs fixated on her chocolate brown eyes.

"Oh…Sesshomaru…I'm…uhh…"

"That was quite interesting. And I am sure that if my brother had been in my place to hear your speech, he would have found it so. After yelling at the top of his lungs at you."

Kagome laughed slightly.

"You should tell him that you do not appreciate being treated as you are, Kagome."

'That's the first time he's ever used my name…it's usually…wench.' She thought as she blushed slightly.

"I…well…I would. But he wouldn't listen."

Sesshomaru shrugged.

"Make him."

And with that, he exited the kitchen after leaving his gift to Inuyasha on the counter. A few seconds later, he had disappeared from the apartment.

He confused her sometimes. He could be ruthless to Inuyasha…but at the same time…give advice to her…from the heart. Yet he still acted as if she was the most disgusting thing on the planet. What was his deal? Nevertheless, their discussion did not faze her, and she returned to Inuyasha, and he apologized kindly. The party went off without a hitch.

End Flashback…

Kagome stepped out of the shower and onto the fluffy rug that adorned the tile floor beneath her. She squinched her toes in the cords of soft cotton and smiled. She had done that since she was a small child. It was warm for her feet after stepping out of the shower and hitting cool air.

Suddenly, she realized that she had a limited amount of time to get ready to go to the costume shop. She and Sango would be looking for something kinky for their dates to gaze at. Kagome wanted to go as Inuyasha's 'pet', something he had hinted at earlier in the month. Miroku Ririshii, Sango's boyfriend, had wanted her to go as a demon exterminator, wearing a skin-tight black leather suit, and he as a monk. Inuyasha would be going as himself. He was never one for costumes. Especially since Kagome insisted that if he were to get one, he should find a costume with fluffy dog ears. For some reason, she had been fascinated with dog ears ever since Inuyasha had worn a fake pair in the sixth grade, when they had first met, at Halloween. She couldn't stop rubbing them. He took them off and handed them to her, but the effect wasn't the same.

"Kag-ooomee! Are you ready yet?" Sango sung from outside the bathroom door.

"Almost! Let me put some pants and a shirt on, okay?"

She opened the closet and picked out a pair of faded blue jeans and an orange tank top that had a black cat on it, hissing.

Slipping the jeans on, and hastily putting on her shirt, Kagome slipped her feet into a pair of blue flip-flops and ran out of the bathroom, having already brushed her teeth and hair.

Sango was waiting for her at the front door, purse and keys to the apartment in hand.

"Ready to go?"

"Ready. Let's go find something that'll make the boys drool." Kagome snickered.

"Too late for that. They drool at everything with legs."

"Hey…that's Miroku. Inuyasha doesn't do that."

"Sure he doesn't."

"What? Have you seen him…"

"Kags. I'm just kidding."

"Oh…right. Heh. Let's go!"

They barreled out of the door and hurried to the costume shop.