Complete Summary:

Kagome Higurashi, fresh out of college, has left home to try and make a living for herself. It's not easy though, especially when the roommate you're pretending to be married to for cheaper boarding prices is so bad-tempered, and you have to pretend to like your boss so that he'll promote you. With so many conflicting "relationships" getting in the way, Will Kagome ever be able to find true love? Or will she have to settle for either her roommate or her boss, or maybe even both? Inu/Kag/Mir

Disclaimer:

Is this really necessary? I don't own Inuyasha...blah...blah...blah (lol, done!)

A/N: Please review!!!

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Kagome Higurashi ran across the street, ignoring the traffic that was flying by without taking any notice of her, valiantly trying to protect her exposed head from the pouring rain by holding up her job applications and certificates. "I should really get myself an umbrella," she muttered to herself. "The only problem is . . . I can't even afford that! I do hope my next job interview works out, or I'm in serious trouble. And I've still got to find a place to room . . . I can't stay at Sango's anymore because I know I'm putting too much pressure on her, even though she doesn't say anything because she's so nice . . . "



Suddenly Kagome felt a hard bump as a man walked into her. "Hey!" Kagome protested as she found herself shoved to the ground, all her breath knocked out of her. Her papers were strewn all across the sidewalk and she was soaked, her long wet ebony hair hanging heavily on her back.

"Hey yourself. Watch were you're going next time you stupid girl!" A young man with gleaming silver hair that appeared to be magically waterproof, (but on closer look you could see that the hair was actually wet, though the water droplets were almost invisible because of the color), looked at her disapprovingly with piercing gold eyes full of disdain, as he stood up, quickly recovering from his fall.

Kagome's stormy gray eyes flashed as she glared back at the silver-haired man. Realizing she was on the ground, she picked herself up before making her accusation. "Excuse you, you're the one who bumped into me!"

"I beg your pardon, you were foolishly walking with your eyes up in the sky when you walked straight into me!" The silver-haired man mocked the way he had described Kagome's walk by looking up into the clouds, spreading his arms out wide, and taking little baby steps across the street.

"You!" Flustered, Kagome stomped with one foot like a spoiled child being denied more candy. "You owe me an apology!"

"I owe you?! Yeah sure whatever. I apologize for just minding my own business and being knocked off balance by your clumsiness. I express my sincerest regrets for behaving like an absolutely normal person would if they were shoved to the ground for clearly no reason at all. Happy now?" The man sighed, purposely loud. "You're just wasting my time . . . I'm sorry but I must take your leave now." The man bowed lavishly and ran off.

"Wait, come back here! If this is how you behave normally, then . . . " Kagome trailed off as she realized the man had already disappeared around the corner. "Should I go after him and demand an honest apology?" Kagome asked herself. "Nah, it's getting late, and I have to get back to Sango's . . . Oh no!" Kagome looked down at the street. Most of her papers had flown away, and the few that remained were badly soiled. "Curse that moron! There goes my job at the cafe, the bookstore, the daycare, and all my credentials that any hiring workplace will require. What will I do now?" Kagome wailed hopelessly, as she flung herself on the street trying to rescue what she could.

"Here you go, are you all right ma'am?"

"Huh?" Kagome looked up to see a tall man with bluish-black hair and kind, sparkling blue eyes trying to hand her her a few of her papers he had managed to salvage from the street full of zooming cars.

When she didn't try to take the the papers from the man, he stuck out his other hand. Kagome slipped her hand in his. His hand felt good, it was warm even though it was wet, and Kagome felt a kind of pleasant tingling rising up her back. The man pulled Kagome up and shoved her papers into her hand. "Have a good day now!"

Kagome laughed nervously. "I'll try. Thanks for--" Once more Kagome was cut off from finishing her sentence as she found the man had already walked off and was now nowhere to be seen. Kagome sighed. "Whatever. I've really got to get going now." And with that Kagome rushed off down the street in the direction of Sango's house.

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"You're late." Sesshomaru lounged on a makeshift couch made from a tarp stretched over a couple of crates as he looked at his younger brother with an indifferent look.

Inuyasha sighed. "It's not my fault, some idiot girl walked into me and then started yelling at me for apparently walking into her."

Sesshomaru laughed. "You should have apologized to her, poor girl."

"Feh, I did," muttered Inuyasha through clenched teeth, "though it was she who should have apologized."

Sesshomaru smiled once more, before his face took on a serious look. "You know brother, not meaning to kick you out or anything, but you've got to find a place for yourself as soon as possible. I don't make enough to support both of us. I mean look at what I've got for a couch. And the T.V. is ancient, not only is it very tiny, but it's in black and white."

"They say all the recent techonologies out on the market are getting smaller. The compactness is supposed to be a sign of advancement and modernization," Inuyasha joked.

"I don't think that applies to T.V.'s," said Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha laughed. "Maybe . . . anyways, since you're so eager to rid this dump of me, I'll need another place to stay you know . . . "

"I already have that figured out. You know that brat Shippo?" Inuyasha nodded slowly, hiding the fact that he thought of Shippo as being better than what Sesshomaru made him out to be. "Well, he said he found a place where the rent's really cheap and the rooms are well-sized."

"Great," said Inuyasha mockingly, "excuse me if I find that hard to believe because that's exactly what I've been looking for these past six months! Where's the catch?"

Sesshomaru hesitated. "Well . . . the place is called the Marital Haven, and the owners only rent out rooms to married couples."

"WHAT?! You're saying I should get married? Absolutely not!" Inuyasha roared.

"No, no," Sesshomaru rushed out quickly, "Shippo said he'd already found a girl who's looking for cheap boarding also. You're going to room with her, and you'll just pretend you guys are married. You don't actually have to do it, like you know, the whole ceremony and stuff, and once you start making more in that pathetic job of yours, you can move out to a better place and live by yourself."

"So we're not actually getting married?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Of course not," Sesshomaru said assuringly, "So will you do it?"

"I'll consider it."

"Well, I'm kicking you out of the house tonight. You snore too loud."

"I do not. But of course you need your beauty sleep, don't you?" Inuyasha glared at his older brother.

Sesshomaru wisely appeared not to hear.

"I can't sleep outside tonight. It's raining," Inuyasha stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, that's not my problem is it? Oh I do recall Shippo saying that rooms were available immediately should you should desire to move today."

Inuyasha looked at his brother accusingly. "You--you're trying to force me into this aren't you?"

"So what if I am?" Sesshomaru grinned mischieviously, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

Inuyasha sighed resignedly. "Fine. But this girl better keep her distance and pay her share of the rent on time."

"You just worry about yourself, younger brother. I'm sure the girl will be able to take care of herself. Now let me just call Shippo and tell him the good news . . ."



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Kagome knocked on Sango's door. Fortunately for her it opened right away, and Kagome was able to relieve herself from the pouring rain outside as she rushed inside, not bothering to see who had opened the door. Once she had tiredly flopped herself onto the large and comfy armchair in Sango's family room, and took a good look around the room, Kagome let out a cry of surprise. "Shippo!" she exclaimed as she jumped up from the chair and ran to hug her little fox friend.

"Hey, watch it Kagome! I mean it's nice with you hugging me and all, but you're suffocating me here!" Shippo tried to struggle out of Kagome's arms, but his efforts were in vain as Kagome just hugged him tighter.

Sango walked in to the room, Kirara following closely at her heel. "Oh hey," she greeted Kagome, "I see you two have already gotten comfortable." Sango nodded at the sight in front of her; Kagome with her arms wrapped tightly around Shippo, who was on the verge of biting Kagome's hand in order to make her let go.

"Oh hi," Kagome said. Realizing the silence that greeted her was due to her overenthusiasm at seeing Shippo again, Kagome let go of Shippo suddenly, laughing sheepishly, her cheeks taking on a reddish tinge.

"Ahhh," Shippo rubbed at his neck. "Now that we've all settled down--"

"You can tell her about the offer," Sango told Shippo.

"Yes, exactly." Shippo looked at Kagome seriously.

"Huh? Offer? What offer?" Kagome looked wildly from Sango to Shippo with a blank look.

"Just wait to find out," Shippo said irritatedly, before continuing once more, "I have heard that you have been looking for a place to live."

"She already has a place to live, she just needs one of her own," Sango added hastily.

"Go on," said Kagome, admiring Sango's kindness.

"Well . . . I've found you one!"

"Okay . . . you do know I don't have that much money to pay for the rent, don't you?" Kagome asked Shippo nervously.

"You won't have to worry about that," said Shippo, beaming, "You'll have a roommate!"

"Oh goody!" said Kagome excitedly, "I was a bit apprehensive about living by myself . . . what's her name?"

"Not her . . ." Sango said hesitantly, "him . . . "

"WHAT?! I have to live with a boy?"

"No," Shippo cried brightly, "a guy!"

Sango resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Kagome on the other hand had gone into a state of total shock. "I can't live with someone of the opposite gender unless they're married to me!"

"Of course, I've got that all figured out . . . you're going to live with your husband!" Shippo looked at Kagome, who was on the verge of fainting.

"Uh Shippo? I think you'd better let me handle the rest." Sango looked worriedly at her friend. She quickly finished up the rest of Shippo's explanation by describing the place Kagome would be moving into, the Marital Haven.

Kagome nearly cried upon hearing the conditions for cheap rent. "I-I-I can't--" she started to say. Sango looked at her with such understanding it brought tears to Kagome's eyes. No, she thought, I can't pressure her any longer, I have to move out as soon as possible. "On second thought . . .I'll do it!" exclaimed Kagome, trying to look happy.

"Will you?" Sango asked, desperately trying to hide her relievement.

"Of course, I've been wanting to move for ages now. I need to learn how to take care of myself, don't you think?" Not waiting for an answer, Kagome went on, "by the way . . .when do I move?"

Shippo grinned. "Tonight! You'll be meeting your roommate around seven tonight. I suggest you use the time you have now to get your things ready. Meet us at the Marital Haven, alright? Don't be late!" And with that, before Kagome could reply, Shippo raced out the door, not even bothering to close it behind him.

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Inuyasha tightened his raincoat around him and continued walking despite the heavy rain making vision almost impossible. Shippo had told Sesshomaru to have him meet his roommate at the Marital Haven, where they'd be staying. "I just hope this girl knows how to mind her own business," grumbled Inuyasha.

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Kagome walked out Sango's door for the last time. The good-byes to Sango and Kirara had been painful, but Kagome had promised to visit often. The Marital Haven was just on the other side of town. Kagome blinked away tears and blundered on blindly in the rain. It wasn't far now . . . she wondered what her roommate would be like.

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Shippo awaited at the Marital Haven. Just as he was checking his watch for the third time, he saw both Kagome and Inuyasha running towards him from opposite directions. Once they reached him, huffing and puffing for air, Shippo scolded them for being so late.

"I'm sorry Shippo, I live far away . . . er make that I used to live far away." Kagome smiled apologetically.

"We don't have a clock," Inuyasha grunted.

"Oh well," said Shippo brightly. "Kagome, Inuyasha . . . I'd like you to meet . . .um . . . Inuyasha! Kagome!"

"Huh? Oh--" Kagome looked from Shippo to the man standing next to him.

"Feh--" Inuyasha looked from Shippo to the girl standing next to him.

"YOU!!!--" both Kagome and Inuyasha exclaimed indignantly, and said in unison, "No way! I'm not living with you."

"Ahem," Shippo cleared his throat. "You both have agreed to this deal, now you have to stick with it. Your room number is 123 on the second floor. Enjoy!" And with those few words of advice, Shippo bolted away, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha to stare at each other, both their eyes brimming with hatred.

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Okay, that's it for this chappy, next update comes as soon as those reviews come in, so please review. Inuyasha and Kagome fight over who gets the bed and Kagome applies for a job in the next chapter.