Kagome sighed contentedly as she bounced down on her couch beside her boyfriend, who instantly pulled her closer to him with his arm around her shoulder.

"Inuyasha!" she giggled, as he buried his nose in the crook of her neck.

"Yeah, wench?"

The growled words tickled her skin, making her laugh as he pulled back, turned her, and kissed her lips.

As the phone rang, she pushed him with one hand while twirling the end of his long hair with her other hand. He growled and kissed her again, more forcefully.

"Inuyasha," she warned when she pulled away. "It could be my mother."

"So?"

Kagome glared as she stood up and grabbed the cordless phone.

"Hello? Oh, hi Hojo."

After about three minutes of short answers and long pauses, Kagome said, "Hey, I have company over…Sure. Bye Hojo."

She hung up and exhaled heavily before sitting down and smiling despite Inuyasha's glare.

"Who's Hojo?"

"Don't worry about it, Inuyasha. Are you hungry?"

Without waiting for an answer, she stood and made her way to the kitchen. Inuyasha growled as he followed her.

"Who is Hojo?" he repeated more fiercely. He considered grabbing her so he could stare her down, because that always got results. But he decided it could wait until she started making his ramen, since he had been forbidden to use the microwave.

Concentrating on standing on her tiptoes to reach the shelf with the instant ramen, Kagome dismissed his question absent-mindedly. Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha easily reached the shelf from behind her and handed her the package. She smiled gratefully and began to pour water. As she started the microwave, Inuyasha gripped her forearms.

"Who- Is- Hojo?"

Sighing, Kagome replied, "He went to my high school. He used to like me, so he calls once in a while."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Once in a while?"

Squirming, Kagome amended, "Once…a week or so."

Kagome bit her lip as Inuyasha continued to glare at her. Sometimes it really sucked having a boyfriend who was a living lie detector, like right at that moment, when the look on his face indicated that he knew she wasn't telling the truth.

"Once…every other day…give or take," she admitted.

Eyes widened dangerously and teeth bared, Inuyasha let go of her and turned violently, walking out quickly but silently.

"Inuyasha, what about-"

As the door slammed, she finished with, "Your ramen," just as the microwave beeped.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was driving across town, much faster than the speed limit permitted, and storming into his apartment, stopping between his roommate and the TV.

"Miroku, if some guy was calling Sango three or four times a week, what would you do?"

Miroku blinked a few times.

"Huh?"

Inuyasha repeated his query, growing more aggravated with every syllable, but Miroku just shrugged.

"Nothing, I guess. But I'm not as jealous as you are, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha considered this. "You don't have a right to be," he teased coldly as he realized that Miroku was right. "Considering that, for the first six months you two were dating, Sango had to slap you daily for flirting with other women."

"Fair point," Miroku agreed. "But you were still hung up on Kikyo six months into dating Kagome."

Inuyasha growled. "That was then. We've been dating for two and a half years, now. And she hadn't told me about this guy. Doesn't that mean somethin'?"

"It means that she knows you well and doesn't want to risk the death of an old acquaintance that, though annoying, is seemingly well-intentioned," Miroku reasoned.

"Then why doesn't she just tell him to get lost?" his friend exclaimed.

There was a silence before Miroku concluded, "Inuyasha, think about what you're suggesting. Do you honestly think Kagome would have the heart to tell someone they aren't wanted?"

There was a pause as Inuyasha thought about it. Kagome could only be mean when she was mad, and he had only seen two people, himself and her brother, who could make her that angry. Of course she wouldn't tell someone to beat it. That had been the problem with Koga, hadn't it?

"I've gotta go back."

"I'm glad you're going to be reasonable and listen to her side of the story."

"Well, yeah, there's that." Inuyasha opened the door, ready to walk out. "Plus, my ramen's probably starting to get cold."

Miroku blinked as his friend shut the door behind himself.

When he got to his girlfriend's house, he swung the door open and stomped into the kitchen, only to see Kagome standing there with his ramen still in her hands. He leaned down to kiss her hungrily, taking the bowl as he pulled away and went into the dining room. When he sat the bowl on the table, he turned and pointed at Kagome.

"I wanna be here the next time Hobo calls."

Kagome closed her eyes and mouthed numbers through ten. "Inuyasha," she began slowly. "I don't know when he's going to call again. It varies, and I'm not a mind reader."

That surprised him. She always seemed to know what he was thinking

"Then I'll stay until he calls back."

"Inuyasha…" He could tell that she was struggling to stay calm. "You can't answer the phone everytime it rings until Hojo calls."

Inuyasha cocked his head. Was she really not a mind reader?

"And, no, I don't read minds, Inuyasha. I just know you very well."

He smiled as she went on, but he wasn't listening. No one had ever known him this well. Not even Myoga, a friend of his father who had raised him since his mother's death. And he needed Kagome…

He began to listen again just as she said, "It's not even a big deal. Hojo's just—."

She broke off with a sharp intake of breath as he pulled her against his chest, holding her there like he wanted her to melt into him…and she was tempted to take him up on that offer.

"It is a big deal." With one hand on the back of her head, he pulled her even closer, held her even tighter. "You're mine. I'm not gonna let him take you."

She pulled back and looked into his eyes, stern, but tired. "Inuyasha, you and I both know that I have no problem with being yours. But you've never asked—"

"I did!"

"You've never claimed me or marked me in any way. And how am I supposed to know if you're mine?"

After a pause, in which Kagome's gaze stuck to her feet, Inuyasha's eyes saddened as he said knowingly, "This is about Kikyo, isn't it?"

She looked back up, somber, as she took a large step back. "It's not just Kikyo, Inuyasha! It's how you act like you don't care unless you feel threatened. You put up this bad boy front and… sometimes I don't know if you want me or if you just don't want anyone else to have me."

"You know," he said in his usual harsh tone, generally used to hide his emotions, "For someone who knows me so well, you're missing something really big."

His golden eyes were mesmerizing as they locked onto hers, and she couldn't pull away, even as he took a step towards her.

"When I asked you to stay with me, that was me asking you to be mine."

He took another step and placed his forehead on hers. Then he whispered, "And when I asked you to accept me as I am, that was my way of asking if I could be yours."

Smiling, Kagome nodded, trying not to cry because he could smell her tears and would think the worst.

"Then yes. The answer is yes."

A small grin was the only indication Inuyasha gave of how much that pleased him.

"How 'bout we go grab somethin' to eat?"

Smiling from ear to ear, Kagome agreed. "Just let me go change. I'll be quick…What about the ramen?"

"I'll be done by the time you are. Now go get ready."

She smiled and bounced up the stairs, and Inuyasha finished inhaling the ramen five minutes later.

He was starting to become impatient when the phone rang, and an internal battle began.

On the one hand, Kagome had told him not to answer the phone unless she told him to.

On the other hand, it could be Hojo.

On one hand, it could be Kagome's mother, and she wouldn't like him if she thought he was at her daughter's house doing something "inappropriate".

On the other hand, it could be Hojo.

Growling, Inuyasha dove for the cradle and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Um, hi," a shy male voice greeted. "Is Kagome there?"

"Maybe. You Hojo?" Inuyasha barked.

"Um, yeah, so…can I talk to her?"

"She's getting ready."

"Oh, well. I'll call back."

Glaring into space, Inuyasha replied, "She's getting ready for a date. With me: her boyfriend."

There was a short silence before Hojo stammered, "She has a boyfriend?"

"Yes: me. And I'm here to stay, so you've got no reason to call her anymore."

Hojo stuttered out a good-bye, to which Inuyasha replied, "Whatever" before he hung up, grinning triumphantly.

"Okay, Inuyasha. I'm ready."

She stood at the base of the stairs, beaming, and Inuyasha returned the expression.

"You look great. Where do you wanna go?"

She looked at him incredulously as he opened the door.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Kagome asked, obviously pleased.

With a sly grin, he answered, "Nothing. The ramen was just really good."

And he shut the door behind them.