Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters.

Chapter 1

The projector light glared daggers into him. He stood silently, patiently - too patiently - for a response. The presentation went well, the hanyou thought. There had been no interruptions, no shuffling of papers out of boredom. The leaders of the company were willing to listen to his ideas. Sure, it might have helped that his brother was one of said prestigious leaders, but he was silently hoping his discoveries would be taken seriously. After all, his scientific findings could either build this medical company up or cause its collapse. Silently, he knew where nearly all of them stood on his findings. All except for one member in that board room.

Inuyasha Takagi had given countless academic presentations throughout his research. With a PhD in Medical Technology, formal presentations came with the territory. Being a leader in the innovative world meant he was used to meeting with powerful and distinguished individuals. He had even once shaken the hand of the president of the United States. Of course, it was for a casual photo opportunity, but still something he held dear to his heart - to his pride.

Sesshomaru, his brother, had warned him of a set of ears that may not hear Inuyasha's presentation as innovation. In fact, Sesshomaru had warned, she may not bend at all which could destroy the whole purpose of this damned thing. The leaders of similar corporations followed her: followed Kagome Higurashi. She had a knack for picking out diamonds in garbage. If she declared Inuyasha as garbage then and there, nothing was going to reverse it. Nothing.

Finally, after what seemed an hour, Kagome's soft cough echoed through the room and the projector's light shut off, followed by blinding white overhead lights flickering on. All eyes were on her. She glanced down, her well-manicured fingers brushing against the pamphlets and informational packets the hanyou spent hours preparing for that day.

"Okay," was all she said as she stood, brushed her skirt off, nodded and walked out. Her little assistant scurried to follow after her. The small woman hurriedly gathered all the paperwork and gave a sheepish smile to them all before booking it to follow the commanding woman.

A collective sigh escaped them all as the men in suits slumped in their chairs, looking to smile at Inuyasha. And then, congratulations followed. He stood there as each – one by one – shook his hand, nodding with words of encouragement.

"Well done, sir."

"Happy to work with you in the future."

"You did great."

"We'll set meetings up to begin the process."

And then finally, his brother came up to him, and rested a clawed hand on his shoulder, "Good job, little brother."

Inuyasha was dazed. "She's that powerful?" The way the others in the room reacted to both Kagome's presence and her absence showed how truly finalizing her decisions were.

Sesshomaru chuckled and let his hand drop. The smile was strong until his face settled into a grim seriousness. "Brother, you have no idea." With that he began to leave the hanyou in the room. Before exiting he looked over his shoulder and smirked, "That miko is going to wrap you around her little finger."

Miko, Inuyasha thought, eyes widening. Well, that was something Sesshomaru should have mentioned before.

"Shit," he whispered to no one and looked at the empty seat directly in front of him. The one she had occupied only minutes before. "Shit," he mumbled again and shook his head. She was going to wrap him around her little fingers – each and every one of them. And he knew, hating the truth, that there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Damn mikos, was his final thought before briskly making his way out of the building. All the while, vowing to himself that he wouldn't bend to her will – not yet, at least.

"Rin," Kagome's breathless voice called through the intercom.

The small assistant shot from the desk, a notepad in hand and rushed into the large office.

Miss Higurashi's back faced her assistant. The long black hair of the powerful woman was swept into a tidy bun, not a single strand of hair was out of place. The knee length skirt lacked any semblance of wrinkles, and her arms were crossed behind her back, locked by her intertwined fingers. She was looking out her large window, staring into the dawning sky and watching the city lights begin to take over.

"Miss Higurashi?" Rin asked expectantly, running her lithe fingers through her tousled bangs.

Kagome's eyes followed towards the voice as she made to half turn. Smiling at her assistant, Kagome acknowledged her and took a breath, "Arrange for Mr. Takagi to meet me here in," she glanced at her desk clock before finishing, "30 minutes."

Rin made a quick note and stayed dutifully, awaiting any other request.

Kagome smiled to herself. She liked Rin. It was easy to feel comfortable with the small woman behind her. Rin was gentle in appearance, and absolutely swift in thought. Musing to herself, the composed CEO marked off another day before Rin received her deserving promotion.

"Ask Sesshomaru to attend this meeting as well. That's all." Kagome finished and spun to settle in her black leather seat.

Rin's heart rate peaked at the mention of the youkai. He was...gorgeous? No, Rin mentally shook herself as she walked out. Gorgeous doesn't cut it. She had worked for Kagome and her company for 2 years. When she had met the silver haired youkai, Rin almost quit: she thought there was no way in hell she would survive looking at that man every day of her life. But then Miss Higurashi, being who she was, proposed an offer Rin couldn't refuse. Smiling to herself, the assistant silently thanked her gracious employer for her past actions before making the two calls for the woman sitting patiently in the large office.

"Hello?" Inuyasha asked into his phone after the second ring. "30 minutes? But we just - I see. Yes. Yes, I understand. Of course. I'll be there shortly." Hanging up, he stared down at the meal he had just ordered at a nearby cafe. Well, he thought, so it begins. He quietly growled to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose as he raised his hand to call over the waiter. This had better be good, he inwardly complained and handed his credit card over before pulling out his phone and making a call of his own.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku's voice was husky over the phone, and the hanyou chuckled into the receiver.

"Sango over?" Inuyasha asked as he stood to make his way to the building across the street. At least I stayed within the city after the meeting.

"Yeah. Well. You said it was my day off today!" Miroku's lecherous smile could be heard through the phone and so were Sango's soft giggles. That woman was the only one capable of taming the perverted scientist.

Stopping to press the crosswalk button, Inuyasha spoke, "Don't get a stick up your ass. I just need a quick fav-"

"Inuyasha," Miroku groaned, elongating the "n." "This is not the time to be asking me for favors."

"Miroku, seeing as how my grants are keeping us afloat, you're damn right this is the time. Now," he glared at the crosswalk light, willing for it to change, "Go into the network and send me over simulation A6."

Miroku's silence on the other end of the line was prolonged before he asked softly, "They agreed?"

Inuyasha grinned and hurried through the intersection in long strides. "Yes, they damn well did!"

Another prolonged silence and then the hanyou yanked the phone away from his face as the overexcited scientist on the other end of the line hollered and smacked something fleshy before there was a scream of pain.

"Hey, Inuyasha," Sango's sing-song voice fluttered through the receiver, "Miroku is a little down now, if you know what I mean." The hanyou laughed. "Congratulations though! I'll make sure he - what did you need him to do?"

"Simulation A6. Thanks, Sango." And with that he hung up, as he exited the elevator on Sesshomaru's floor. He glanced at his wristwatch. 15 minutes left. Perfect.

He bounded into his brother's office. "I need you to connect to my personal network through your computer."

Sesshomaru didn't hesitate, and set his paperwork down to turn towards the desktop. "I'm taking it you received the phone call?" The youkai asked as his fingers glided silently over the keyboard.

Inuyasha moved to stand behind his brother, watching to make sure it connected before nodding, "Yeah. You weren't kidding about her, were you?"

Sesshomaru paused and glanced to his younger brother. "She isn't something to joke about."

Hearing the slight possessive tone in him, Inuyasha raised a brow, "You already laying claim to her?"

Sesshomaru returned to his task and shook his head, "I admire her."

Inuyasha, deep down, felt a bubbling of anger churn in his gut. He ignored the feeling and went back to look at the computer screen. Simulation A6 began to run and he glowed with pride.

"Wow, little brother." Sesshomaru stared at the program in awe. He had seen impossible things occur before. But this - what his brother had discovered - was going to change everything they knew.

"I know," the hanyou spoke, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "This thing is going to save lives."

"Sesshomaru, Inuyasha," Kagome's voice came from the illuminated large desk pushed near the overbearing window of her office. She gestured smoothly to the seats in front of her. "Please." The single word carried with it power. Pure and unlocked magic. It rushed to the two visitors and the air sizzled around them.

The two brothers walked in fluid motion. Instincts kicking in as they approached the powerful miko. Sesshomaru had played this dance before with Kagome. And through his experience he had learned to always let her lead and to stand down. Glancing at his young hanyou brother, he hoped Inuyasha would catch on quickly.

The hanyou in question stared in almost a daze at the powerful woman sitting in front of them. He pulled the seat, and kept eye contact with her as he made himself comfortable. There was nothing betrayed by her expression. Nothing that gave away what he could do to please her. He bit back a growl and maintained control of his emotions. But he was furious. This miko, whom he had met that very same day, had him wanting to roll over and beg for belly rubs. Fucking mikos, he inwardly grunted and broke eye contact, choosing to look out the window behind her instead. It wasn't nearly as enthralling of a sight but it was still better than turning into a mushy puppy inside.

"Miss Higurashi," Inuyasha began, and from the intensity of which he could feel his brother glaring at him, he immediately knew he had made a mistake.

Kagome's face stayed passive, calm, nothing telling of what went through her mind. She linked her fingers atop her lap and sat back. If the half demon wished to step forward, she would be lying to herself if she said she didn't want to see how it played out for him. Either an idiot or a genius, she noted, stifling a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

Inuyasha had an option. Either he was going to retract his words and play puppy dog, or he was going to prove that a hanyou could stand up to a miko. Averting his eyes from Sesshomaru's glare, Inuyasha chose the latter. Like hell he was going to let someone he didn't know play the power game without a fight from him. He was a scientist. He had demon blood running through his veins. And it was because of his half demon self that they were sitting there in the first place. This miko isn't going to make me bend.

"I wanted to thank you, before we began." It shocked both his brother and the woman in front of him. He knew it had. It wasn't what his brother expected, of course. As for the miko? Glancing at her slightly widened eyes and stiff posture, he wondered if anyone had ever thanked her. "I'm really looking forward to working with you. And I'm hoping for great success."

There. He had done it. Inuyasha relaxed into his seat and sat quietly. It may not have been a power play, but it was enough to set in that he wasn't going to roll over and allow her to hold the leash by taking away his right to speak.

Her eyes softened just the slightest. If he hadn't been obsessively mesmerizing her face, he would have missed it. "Kagome is just fine." Nodding, she pressed a button on the corner of her desk, and a projected hologram settled itself on top of her forgotten paperwork.

Her indifference shocked Inuyasha as he awed at the display. He was sure it was an everyday thing for her, but did she really take for granted what was at her disposal?

"I took the liberty of beginning the disassembly of simulation A6." Her nonchalant voice crackled the slightest with her magic. Almost like a warning towards the two men, asking them to behave and not interrupt. But, seeing as how it was Inuyasha's pride and joy, he balked at her words. "I was notified of the network transfer and began the defragmentation as I wa-"

"Excuse me, but what?" Inuyasha didn't hold back the aggression in his words. Long gone was the kindness in his eyes and the admiration he had from his previous words. His back was rigid, and his muscles were taut. He was ready to pounce on a scurrying mouse if he needed to.

Kagome scooted closer and rested her clasped hands on the desk. She was no mouse. "I'm disassembling it." She waited.

And didn't have to wait long, "Why the fuck are you doing that?" This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. Inuyasha's countless hours on that simulation just being tossed down the drain with a flick of the miko's wrist and some dismissive tone.

"Brother, maybe listen to-," Sesshomaru was interrupted by Kagome's raised hand.

"No. Allow him to finish." She leaned closer and cocked her head to the side, giving Inuyasha the opportunity to continue.

Blinking, he let out a gurgled sigh, "I just don't understand why on earth you would destroy something that is damn near perfect!"

He hadn't noticed how close he had pulled himself towards her. His clawed hands were splayed on the table. Seeing she was still digesting his words he decided on another tactic, clenching his fists and letting his clawed fingers dig into his rough skin all in the hopes of keeping him stable. "You're an expert in what you do, Kagome. You know the ins and outs of the business. And that makes you a perfect leader - in business." His emphasis lingered on the word before continuing, "But I'm a scientist. That's my expertise. And I can tell you without a doubt that this "disassembly" is going to hinder our progress than help it." With that, he relaxed again in the chair. He could feel his brother's eyes on him again. But he didn't dare avert his eyes from the woman thrumming her fingers on the oak wood.

It was silent for a long while before she shut the hologram off in a quick motion. "Inuyasha," her voice coated his name in that miko-siren way and he inwardly melted back into a puppy. The smile came slowly and deliberately before she said, "You are absolutely right."

Sesshomaru felt the strings of jealousy pull at him. For the 13 years he had worked with her, Kagome had never once praised him in such a direct manner. And here his half-demon brother was, basking in that delectable smile of the powerful miko. Miko, the word vibrated in his mind. And he attempted to regain control of himself. Of course he was feeling this surge of emotion. Mikos and youkais had spent centuries battling one another for dominance. The fact that they were in a time where peace reigned among all species didn't alter the instinctual pull to prove his power over hers. He smiled at his inner correction and turned to his brother. Yes, that's all it was. Instincts. Nothing more. Secretly, he hoped it was nothing more.

Inuyasha, not noticing the inner conflict within this brother, leaned forward, his ears swiveling and perking up her way.

Her smile stayed in place, but her eyes changed. They weren't the soft and warm brown, weren't passive and attentive anymore. They were cold, empty and a storm chocolate full of a dangerous void. And in that instant he saw the amount of power resting behind them.

"Inuyasha, you are absolutely right," the miko repeated, her voice silky smooth and dangerous. "I am an expert in what I do. A prodigy to the institution. And while you may be a scientist, I own you now." Her words were jagged and sharp, he could feel them digging into his skin sharper than his claws. "Sesshomaru," her void eyes snapped to the eldest brother.

The youkai's blood froze in his veins. And the palms of his hands itched. "Yes, Kagome?"

"Please escort your brother out of my office." She turned her attention back to the hanyou. "If I were you, puppy, I would be careful with how you speak to me. Your kindness and your discoveries had given you favor, but your arrogance just managed to put you on my shit list. Be here tomorrow with a new attitude and a willingness to listen to me." Her words lingered, as if she had more to say. Her eyes filled with warmth and her smile, once almost demonic, softened as she sweetly said, "Have a good night, gentleman."

A/N: Well, there it is! Please let me know your thoughts and let me know if I should begin a regular update. :) Peace and love.