Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with Inuyasha, as much as I have dreamt, wished, and prayed to do so.

Rating: M - Due to contents that I do not really need to explain. They will take place later in the story.

Summary: Him, with the golden eyes, and voice. Plus a sexy body - and face - to die for. Her with the beautiful everything. Two perfect people couldn't find each other in a more awkward situation. Him as the treasured Bestie, and Her as the overprotected younger sister.

Major Series Characters: Kagome, Sesshomaru, Kagome's Mom, Kikyo, Souta, Sango

Major Original Characters: Kiro, Haru, Ai

Minor Series Characters: Inuyasha, Kouga, Ayame, Naraku

Minor Original Characters: Val, Carol

Setting: Present Day, America - Summertime.

Sensation

Chapter One:

The Best Friend

Heat.

Blistering heat.

The only thing that could be felt upon the skin now, the only sensation the nerves sensed and sent to the brain. The sweat came through pores and poured over said skin, slowly molding with the thin fabric that was her shirt. It was short sleeved, white and V-necked with a simple pattern that was black cheetah print forming into a heart. Her shorts were barely at the edge of her thighs, they were black denim that were made to look like they were cut from pants, the remnants of the material dangling from the edge of them. The excess material was now pressed to her sweat laced thigh, of course.

She regretted letting her hair down that day, the darkened silk-like strands attached to the liquid that escaped as her body's attempt to bring the external and internal temperature down continued. It stuck like glue to her exposed neck, she tried - futilely - to remove it from her neck by quickly jerking her head. It wouldn't budge, it was as stubborn as a mosquito with a nice human that held fresh blood to devour. She was seriously considering cutting the thick sheet of hair that almost grazed her bottom, just so she could cool down a few degrees.

She shifted on her sneaker clad feet as she held the non-helpful mini fan in front of her face. The battery powered mini fan that she previously purchased from a local shop - it guaranteed a cooling sensation much like a windy winter's day - hardly worked, it only served to blow hot, dry air onto her sweat soaked face, alas making her sweat even more. She wiped her forehead with a napkin that she had handy in her purse and sighed mentally, she really hated waiting on hot days. Especially when she could be at her air conditioned home watching television mindlessly.

But, she was obligated - more like bribed, begged, and ultimately blackmailed - to stay and await the arrival of a relative and his friend that were visiting on their break from college. The relative was her oldest brother, he was twenty-one now and almost completely through with his fourth year studying to become a neurosurgeon. Ever since their grandfather passed away due to a stroke he was determined to become one. He wanted to stop strokes from ruining families forever. She admired her brother's dedication to his course of study. She, herself, did not want to become a doctor of any kind, though she knew that's where most of the world's money was made. She always enjoyed reading and writing. She would be content with being a novelist or an editor. Anything where she could be surrounded by one of her greatest loves, she didn't need to have millions. As long as she had enough to survive and prolong her happiness, she'd be fine.

She checked the time with her phone before sliding it back into the confines of her purse. Her brother and his friend were late, extremely late. A groan ripped through her throat as she contemplated the thought of leaving and retrieving a cold beverage to help relieve her of this overbearing heat, once again. She glanced around for the umpteenth time, searching for the familiar raven-haired male that she knew her brother to be, with no luck in sight she opted to sit on a nearby bench, hoping the seated position would reserve her quickly dwindling energy. She should have listened to her mother and carried multiple beverages with her to keep cool, she could feel her tongue struggling to maintain a slick salivary mouth. Sadly, she figured she wouldn't be waiting as long as she has, she regretted her decision immensely.

She leaned back against the wooden bench, and looked at the sunlit clear blue sky. She wondered how the summer could be so unbearably hot but so astonishingly beautiful at the same time. Was it the will of the faceless god that many believed in? A beauty that brought pain with the glorious sites, views, and new freedom to seek out entertainment? It all seemed cruel, but necessary. The world was a mysterious place, a place that hid its treasured secrets until a worthy opponent claimed them for their own.

"Kags!" a masculine voice called playfully. She sat up at the nickname that was given by the brother that she was expecting. The same one that had her waiting in the heat, sweating so harshly that she could be mistaken for a woman that just left the bath, she grunted gruffy as she looked in the direction of the voice. Her eyes landed on a bright-red haired male with eyes similar to her own azure ones, smiling and waving at her. Kagome bit her lip before a chuckle could escape her. He looked absolutely ridiculous! She smiled and waved back before standing, grabbing her purse, and walking over to him. She wondered what possessed him to dye his perfectly black locks? She would be sure to ask him during the walk back to their house.

She looked up at him through squinted eyes, his hair was bright enough to blind the sun. "Hey, Kiro." She greeted as he pulled her into a bone crushing hug. She giggled as she hugged him back, happy to see her brother for the first time in many months. They released each other after a few moments, Kagome looked around before returning her gaze back upon Kiro. "Where's your friend, Kiro?" She lifted an arched raven colored brow.

"Oh, he's on his way. He figured since we're late and it's such a hot day he'd grab some drinks." He explained as he stretched, lifting his arms above his head, and arching his back.

She nodded at his information, and pulled out her phone to check the time once again. She clicked her tongue and placed it back into her purse, "I hope he comes back soon, Mom is probably preparing dinner, she hates when we're late for dinner," She chuckled half-heartedly.

"Don't worry, Kags. He'll be back quickly, he's very diligent. He's the reason we sent our luggage ahead," He stood erect and slid his hands in his pockets.

Kagome nodded, and tapped her fingers against her thigh. She really wanted to go home, it was hot and she missed her air conditioning dearly. She used a hand and pushed her hair behind her ear as she started to hum one of her favorite songs. Kiro smiled as he watched his sister's waiting habits, she was still as adorable as he'd left her.

"Ay, Kags, whatcha been up to?" he asked before casually running a hand through his hair.

She bit her lip as she complied her recent activities into a simple sentence."Well," she started, "Nothing much, just laying around under the air conditioning. I hung out with a few friends but nothing too out there." She shifted her purse over her shoulder. "What about you, Kiro?"

"Ah," He smiled, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Just college stuff, studying, part- uhm. . .doing homework," he coughed, and Kagome rolled her eyes. "Hanging out with a few friends while, and when I can. Nothing too big," He smiled, then caught a glimpse of his friend coming their way. "Speaking of friends, here comes the man of the hour." He pointed somewhere behind Kagome.

She turned around and widened her eyes at the visage of the man that was coming towards them with an arm full of drinks. He wore a simple black T-shirt that clung to his body, showing off his muscles that were absolutely delectable to gaze upon. He had light blue jeans that held rips in them, giving teasing glimpses at his toned legs. His hair was silver - more of the platinum blonde variety - it reflected the sun almost perfectly, she couldn't see his eyes from that distance but she bet that they were gorgeous just like rest of him. She gulped before smiling shyly as he reached them, absent-mindedly straightening her clothing.

"Ay! Sesshomaru! Welcome back!" Kiro shouted excitedly, with a smile that looked as if it would split his face in half.

The male who was apparently named Sesshomaru, grunted and shook his head. "You do not have to shout Kiro, I can hear quite well. Though, I'm beginning to think you will be the reason I go deaf." Sesshomaru said gruffly as Kiro laughed.

"I'm sorry Sesshomaru. Hey, I'd like you to meet my sister." He wrapped his arm around Kagome's shoulder - she managed to calm down as they interacted so she wasn't straightening up like a shy girl on her first date any longer - "Kags, this is Sesshomaru, my best friend. Sesshomaru this is my younger sister, Kagome."

Sesshomaru looked down at the shorter girl. His eyes almost widened, she was absolutely breathtaking. He never saw a girl of such beauty before in his lifetime. Her beauty was simple but exquisite, she was very pleasing to the eye. The way her hair was tucked behind her ear - showing him even more of her slender neck, he could just imagine his fingers, lips, and tongue gliding over it before his teeth nibbled just a bit - her clothes clung to her skin, the teasing outline of her made him wonder about the body that lied beneath them.

He cleared his throat and nodded his acknowledgement of her, mentally shaking his head. He didn't want to be caught eyeing his best friend's sister. That wouldn't end well, at all. Especially with the way Kiro was towards females he cared for. Kiro was very overprotective, he also had a major hero complex, which got him in trouble a few times - a major understatement the entire campus police department knew his name. Plus, he knew that this infatuation was simply that, infatuation. It would disperse as quickly as it came. Somewhere in the back of his mind whispered that it was more than simply infatuation, the attraction he held towards her somehow was automatically deeper. That would not bode well, if it were true. He quickly squashed the voice into nonexistence, making sure the thought remained in the furthest corners of his mind.

Kagome looked up at him, she could see his eyes now. They were a brilliant hazel, almost amber in comparison of color. They seemed to shine in the sun, like freshly cut diamond after polishing. 'I bet his smile is gorgeous.' She thought admirably before chastising herself, 'oh look at me, I'm acting like a schoolgirl with a crush.' She mentally shook her head, and regained her composure, hopefully he hadn't noticed the blush on her cheeks, or the admiration that she was certain her eyes reflected.

"It is very nice to meet you, Kagome"

Her heart thumped against her chest at the sound of her name coming from his mouth. It was like a deity beckoning her to his heavenly embrace. "And you as well, Sesshomaru." She smiled shyly at him, not knowing how it affected him, making his heart pound and his wanting to close his eyes and bathe in the tranquility that was her voice, but he restrained himself. He cleared his throat and offered her one of the many drinks that were in his grasp.

She blinked, and accepted it, smiling softly. Her hand silently rejoicing in the coolness that the drink offered. "Thank you Sesshomaru, I was dying of thirst because someone was late." She turned to glare at her brother who looked in the opposite direction, avoiding her scrutinizing gaze. She sighed, and shook her head. "Well, let's get going, it's way too hot to be standing around here." Kagome opened her drink and started sipping it before turning and heading toward her house.

(Interval)

"So. . .what happened to your hair exactly?" Kagome asked as they walked toward their destination, she was genuinely curious. Kiro laughed heartedly at the mentioning of his bold hairstyle choice. Kagome guessed there was some type of amazing tale behind it, since her brother was laughing at the mere mention of it.

"You mean, you don't like my choice in color?" He joked.

Kagome looked at him blankly, blinking slowly. "No, it looks ridiculous." As Kiro pretended to feign offense, she could have sworn she heard Sesshomaru chuckle lightly from his place behind them. The thought that he actually found her somewhat humorous, caused her to blush slightly, she cleared her head of the thought, she hoped no one noticed the rosy tint to her cheeks.

Kiro laughed once again. "I guess so. Well, I was at a par- study group and I was dared to dye my hair to this exact color." He ran his hand through his hair, smiling nervously.

Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You were at a study group. . .and they dared you to dye your hair?"

"Yep." Kiro responded with a nod.

"I find that very hard to believe." She heard Sesshomaru chuckle once again, she spared him a glance over her shoulder, smiling shyly as their eyes met briefly. Sesshomaru felt if he froze in time as he saw her smile. It was so warm and genuine, a smile such as hers only belonged to those who held truly kind hearts. He returned the smile with one of his own. His smile was dazzling, - just as she imagined it to be - it made her heart skip a beat - she could've sworn it stopped altogether.

Kagome removed her eyes from Sesshomaru's and returned to a criticising gaze aimed at her eldest brother, though her thoughts lingered on his gorgeous smile. Sesshomaru was left feeling somewhat disappointed as she looked away, it was as if he was reading a book that ended in a cliffhanger - it left him breathless and wanting more.

"Believe whatever you want, It's the truth!" Kiro nodded at his attempt of persuasion "And, look there's the house!" He pointed at the little blue house at the end of the road, the house that most of their childhood was stored in. He hoped that the subject change would get his little sister off his back. She was so admirably persistent but, he didn't want to set a bad example by saying that he spent a lot of his free time partying and getting drunkenly dared to dye his hair to a bright red that even had the sun questioning his motives. He would only mention his getting on the dean's list every semester and achieving his dreams to be a neurosurgeon, she didn't need to know about his infamous background.

Kagome nodded enthusiastically, she couldn't wait to get out of this heat! If she had the energy she would run. The air conditioning was calling to her, beckoning her like a siren in the open sea. She used what was left of her dwindling energy and quickened her step to a steady power-walk.

(Interval)

Once they reached the house they were greeted by the smells of a brewing dinner. Sesshomaru went to formally meet their mother Eri, along with Kiro who longed to see the woman who raised him -and to sneak portions of tonight's dinner-. Kagome - who was gladly feeling the air conditioning upon her moistened skin - walked over to the sofa that sat in front of the television, their cat Buyo laid there licking his paw thoroughly, as if he had no other care in the world but to clean himself.

Kagome groaned and waved her hand to get Buyo to remove himself from the sofa, but alas Buyo remained, just gazing at her with little interest before going back to licking his paw yet again. She sighed restlessly and picked him up and sat him on the hardwood flooring before sprawling out along the cushioned seats. She breathed calmly as she gazed at the ceiling, the only thoughts occupying her mind were closely aligned with the gorgeous male that was going to be staying with them for about a week or so.

She didn't know why he remained on her mind so prevalently but she couldn't say she objected. He was her brother's best friend, so he could be trusted - hopefully. She saw nothing wrong with looking, even though her mind wanted more than just looking, there was a unspoken rule against dating a sibling's bestie. But Sesshomaru would be a challenge to not pursue.

'You're assuming too much Kagome,' her mind whispered. 'He probably doesn't even like you, he is five years your senior. He wouldn't want someone so young, or someone that was considered Jailbait.' She sighed as her hopes were crushed by her own subconscious. She was too young for him, she wouldn't be eighteen until two weeks from now. Which, sadly, meant that they wouldn't be able to even start a legal relationship until then but he would be back in another state and in college. Kagome bit her lip and closed her eyes and removed the technicalities from her mind. She didn't want to think about the unlikely situation that she was in, she wanted to entertain the thoughts of kisses, cuddles, and romance with Sesshomaru. Even if she knew it would never happen, she could at least have a private fantasy that was all her own, no one had to know about her slight obsession with Sesshomaru, especially not Sesshomaru.

"Kagome! Souta! Dinner's ready!" their mother called from the kitchen. She sighed and got up from her position of the couch. She stretched her limbs, arching her back and lengthening her arms and legs until her bones cracked audibly and relief flooded throughout her. She stood up straight once more, running her hands over her clothing to hide the evidence of her previous stretched state.

Kagome started walking toward the kitchen, prepared to divulge in a hot meal, followed by a lightly mewing Buyo. Kagome reached the kitchen just as she heard her youngest sibling come dashing down the stairs with his sneaker clad feet.

"Sota! No running in the house!" Eri scolded, as she too heard the young boy's rushed movements.

Kagome shook her head as she chuckled under her breath, he would never learn. Sota was a little rascal or 'daredevil extraordinaire' as he liked to call it, though Kagome was almost certain that he didn't understand what that meant. Sota was the youngest of the four Higurashi children, him being born just before they relocated from Japan to America. That was almost ten years ago now.

Kagome caught a glimpse of Sesshomaru in her peripheral vision, he seemed almost at home sitting at their kitchen table. It was as if Sesshomaru was already considered family, even though they'd all just met a little over an hour ago. He was simply dazzling, and she could feel the warmth in the room, the love that was already spreading for Sesshomaru. He was truly charming, the charisma he held must have landed him many women and comrades alike - it made Kagome a bit jealous. Kagome had charisma, and was quite charming herself, but she was more of the quiet type when it came to crowds of strangers. She tried to tackle the anxiety that came with large crowds of unknown people, it was a slow process that she hoped would get faster as she got older. Since she was about to go into her senior year of high school, she wanted to be able to get ready for the crowds of new people that would most certainly be there.

They were all settled around the table, passing around servings of the wonderful meal that Eri had created. They laughed and shared stories of recent and old times. The room was filled with warmth and love, as if it was destined to be that way. . .all along.

(Interval)

With full bellies and light hearts Kiro, Eri, and Sota Higurashi left to discover a comfort that only a soft bed, blanket, and pillow could bring, and a slumber that could only be achieved on nights like these.

Kagome and Sesshomaru silently cleaned up after the meal. Neither of the two deciding to say anything, both fully focused on cleaning and keeping their passionate thoughts at bay. Sesshomaru placed the recently washed dishes in the cabinet amongst the others as Kagome wiped down the table and stove. It wasn't too tense of an atmosphere, it was oddly calm. They worked well together, both settling on cleaning without so much of a word needed for coordination.

Kagome finished her cleansing of the table and sighed before looking over her shoulder at Sesshomaru. He was putting away the last dish, she watched as he effortlessly placed it within the cabinet, she usually had to strain to reach the first shelf. He was astonishingly tall, luckily they didn't have any low ceilings. She wondered if he played any sports in college, or high school even. He had the perfect build for it, broad shoulders, long arms, lean yet muscular body. She couldn't help mentally noting these features, those fantasies quickly floating into her mind, this visit would be hell for her. . .she could feel it.

Sesshomaru felt as if was being watched, and out of curiosity he looked over his shoulder. Kagome bit her lip as their eyes met for a moment, she quickly looked away. Her heart began to pound and she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. His eyes - those amber-hazel eyes - glowed in the light. His platinum blonde hair looked dazzling against his slightly tanned skin, and loose clothing. Why did he have to be so irresistible? Kagome sighed again and shook her head.

"Is something wrong, Kagome?"

Sesshomaru noticed the look in her eye when their eyes met, many girls had sported such looks for him many times. That was the look of attraction; lust. Usually he would simply ignore such looks, but with her. . .a warmth in his chest bloomed, pride grew there, the occurrence astonished him. Never had a girl truly made him feel anything, ever. Along with his astonishment, fear also lingered, this time not for her brother's objections but for her intentions, what did this young girl even want from him? Was she like the other girls that he attended college with?

He quickly snapped out of his thoughts when he saw her look away, it hurt a bit to see her beautiful sapphire eyes were no longer locked upon him. Now he seemed like a selfish child that wanted to bask in attention. He needed to get a hold of himself, he was acting so out of character that it scared him. A sigh reached his ear, once again calling his attention to her. He wondered what was wrong, so he asked.

"Hm?" She blinked and looked over at him, once again caught in the beauty that were his eyes.

"I asked what was wrong. You seem a bit bothered."

She widened her eyes, could he tell that she was thinking about the misfortunate attraction that she held toward him? "Ah-um. . .there's nothing wrong," She said with a breathy half-hearted chuckle. "Why would you think that?"

He mentally sighed at her attempt to hide her inner struggle. If she was going to hide how she truly felt then, he wouldn't push to appease her feeling. Though he wasn't sure why her reluctance to share her innermost feelings bothered him, they had just met earlier that day, it would be a bit odd to be confessing fears and worries so soon. "Hm. Never mind it then. It must have been my imagination." He turned back to the cabinet, reaching up effortlessly to close it.

"Well, I'm off to bed! G-good night, Sesshomaru!" She rushed out of the kitchen toward her bedroom, barely catching Sesshomaru's grunted good night. She rushed up the stairs quickly, almost tripping a couple times, then walked down the corridor toward her room. Kagome sighed, she overreacted in a painfully obvious way. She was just so embarrassed that he could see her emotions all over her face and if he'd turned around sooner- the shame she would feel - she couldn't imagine. She opened the door to her room and threw herself on her bed, staring at the ceiling as her thoughts jogged around her mind. She would have to apologise to Sesshomaru for being so weird, if she had the slightest chance with him before. . .it was gone now, for sure. She put a pillow over her head and screamed into it, the muffled cry lost to the world. Being a teenager with a crush was so difficult.

(End)

A/N: Hi there! I'm alive - I think - and this is my little comeback.
Let me know if it's a good one, yeah? Review please. (:
Thank you all for taking the time out of your day and/or night to read this. I am truly grateful for your support, even though I am constantly disappearing. Believe me, I will get back on my horse of updating.
I hope you enjoyed it. (: