Chapter 2- In Which Koga Takes Five Steps Forward and Kagome Stumbles Back By Two
"Okay, I'm ready," Kagome emerged from the bedroom, fastening an earring. "Let's go—oh god, no."
Koga and Sesshomaru stood a few feet apart of each other, trading skeptical look from their peripherals.
"Kagome, your husband is here to see you," Sesshomaru said with steel in his voice. "I don't think he wants sugar."
"Hey babe," said Koga with an easy smile.
"Husband?" said Kagome with a frown, eyebrows bowing to meet in confusion. "Husband?"
"Is that incorrect?" Sesshomaru asked.
"No"—"Yes", Koga and Kagome said at the same time.
"Shut up," Kagome pointed an angry finger at Koga. She looked at Sesshomaru, "He is not my husband. He's my ex-boyfriend. We broke up two weeks ago."
Koga gave a quizzical look to Kagome. "What do you mean by 'ex'?"
"As in we broke up," Kagome snapped. "It's over. Finished."
"This is the first time I'm hearing of this!" Koga cried. "I proposed to you!"
"And I said no!" Kagome cried back. "God, you don't listen! One of the many reasons why we broke up! I haven't spoken to you in almost three weeks. You didn't think there was something odd about that?"
"I thought you went to your mom's," Koga justified. "You're always running home when I do something wrong."
"Shall I show him out?" Sesshomaru interjected with a small smile in his voice.
"Please," Kagome replied. "I don't want to be late for the movie."
"Say no more," Sesshomaru said, opening the door. He grabbed Koga by the arm to usher him out but Koga roughly brushed him off.
"Hold on there, Lady Gaga," he tossed Kagome an angry look. "You're on a date with this guy?"
"Yes," they both said at the same time.
Koga eyed Sesshomaru up and down. He was wearing a tailored black suit, lightly pinstriped, with an open jacket that hinted at the well-toned torso that lay beneath his clean white shirt.
His white hair flowed all the way down to his back but was neat and controlled, unlike Koga's bed-headed style.
Koga motioned his hands up and down as he looked at Kagome.
"Seriously?" he asked incredulously. "This guy? He looks like he's about to pull up his socks and dance the entire video to 'Billie Jean.'"
He shot Sesshomaru a sympathetic look. "No offense, of course."
"Of course," agreed Sesshomaru with murder in his eyes.
"Goodbye, Koga," Kagome huffed as she turned to grab her purse.
"Aw, Kagome!"
"Goodbye, Koga," Sesshomaru said with a small wicked smile.
Koga was ushered out.
The door was slammed in his face.
But Sesshomaru meant no offense.
Really, he didn't.
"So he just showed up?" Sango asked as she furiously squeezed glue on a paper plate.
"Yeah," Kagome said, taking a plate from Sango and sprinkling mass amounts of glitter on it. "They ran into each other. It was very awkward but Sesshomaru was really nice about it."
They talked in hushed tones, knowing that the conversation was not work appropriate.
"So then, how was it?" Sango couldn't help but ask. Now she was reaching for the tongue depressors. "The first date, I mean."
Kagome fought against the growing blush, "Really wonderful actually," she admitted. "He brought me chocolate covered strawberries. Then we went to an art museum and a movie. We're having a lunch date today too."
"Mmm," Sango said. "Sounds classy yet so sexy," she blinked away her sudden chocolate desire. "I say marry him already."
The girls giggled to each other before shaking their paper plates off onto the newspaper before them. They turned to the classroom full of round bright faces.
"We're done," Sango called to the class, holding up her hastily made artwork.
"Can we see yours?" Kagome asked.
Small hands raised their glitter glued plates to the sky, their faces huge with proud grins.
Kagome and Sango gave a huge happy sigh and said in unison,
"They're all so beautiful!"
Step one: Locate the target.
Kagome readjusted her purse as she walked across the street away from the school yard where children were screaming their heads off.
Step two: Engage target.
"Yo, Kagome," Koga said as he lightly jogged across the street to catch up to her.
She turned, saw him, and flashed him an angry look. "Nope," she said as he approached. "Not going to do this, not now." She turned away and tried to speed up her pace.
"Kagome, hey—hey, Kagome," Koga called sulkily and very lightly touched her arm. "C'mon, wait a minute. Let's talk."
She turned on him with pinpoint eyes of frustration. "About?"
Step Three: Avoid Direct Answer if Question is Dangerous, Proceed with Compliments.
"You look really pretty today," he tried.
"I also looked pretty on all of the dates you stood me up on," Kagome reminded him.
Step Three, Plan B: Abort Compliments, Proceed with Merciless Apologies and Self-Deprecation.
"Look, I'm sorry," he grabbed her shoulders and gently bent his knees as if sagging. "I'm so sorry. I'm such a dumb ass."
"Yeah you are!"
"You have every right to be mad."
"Yeah I do!"
Step Four: Combine Truthful Statement with Boyish Pout and Puppy Eyes.
"But I'm miserable without you."
Wait for it…
Wait… for…it…
Kagome's angry look turned into one of slight concern. "Really?" she asked softly.
Step Five: Attack! Attack!
"Yeah, really!" Koga stood up straight, towering over by a feet or two. "You know I'm crazy about you," he put his forehead to hers. "I've missed you."
Kagome narrowed her eyes.
Step One: Refuse Good Looks and Boyish Charms. Focus On Anger.
"But it took you three weeks to know I was missing in the first place."
Koga pulled away and grimaced. "I thought I was giving you space. Honest."
Step Two…Damn It…Accept Stupid Man Excuse, They Can't Help It. Just Don't Giggle Three Times or It's Over.
"You should have called me," Kagome lightly lectured with a rough poke to the chest.
"You know what happens when we close the bar," Koga smirked. "My phone's either in pieces or it's in-"
"-Someone's beer," Kagome finished for him with a giggle.
Damn it!
"That was a crazy night," Koga's smirk turned into a smile, "But it was better because you were there. Thank god you knew CPR or that midget escaped convict would have been a goner."
Resist…
Resist…
"It was fun," Kagome acknowledged with a stifled giggle.
Traitor! Pull yourself together, woman!
Kagome cleared her throat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to meet someone for lunch."
"Who?" Koga's jealousy was written all over his face. "That Lucius Malfoy dude from last night?"
"Don't do that name calling thing," Kagome waved a finger in his face. "And as a matter of fact, yes. He's very nice."
"Oh come on, what could you possibly see in that bozo?"
"He's a surgeon," Kagome's impressed tone was hard to hide. "A kid surgeon. I teach them, he saves them. Tell me that isn't romantic."
"Romantic?" Koga grabbed Kagome's hand. "I can be romantic. I caught you when you fell off my bar-"
"That's the time we met-"
"-And the six times after. Bridal style every time."
Kagome hung her head in shame. "True…"
"And if you let me," With a boyish smile, he squared his shoulders and tucked his hands in his pockets. It showed off the muscles in his arms and made him look harmlessly sexy at the same time. "I want to be there to catch you every time you fall."
Kagome looked away and blushed, "How sweet…" she said, throwing step one out the window.
"Look, the bar's gonna open up soon," Koga gently pulled Kagome to him by her fingertips and wrapped his arms around her with a boyish pout. "Promise you'll stop by tonight? It would make me so happy."
"I don't know…"
"I'll fire up the karaoke machine,"
"But…"
"Unlimited Amy Winehouse and Coldplay songs. You can run me out of business tonight, I wouldn't even care."
"I'll stop by around eleven," Kagome said with a giggle.
Koga kissed her forehead. "That's my girl."
He reached down to kiss her on the lips but she pulled back.
"To talk," she enforced. "Just talk. I haven't taken you back just yet, you understand?"
He gave another boyish smirk. "But you will," he said and let her go, taking her hand and kissing it. "Especially when you see the surprise I got you."
"Surprise?"
Kagome was that easy.
"What is it?"
"Look up surprise in the dictionary then meet me at the bar," Koga smiled and walked off with a wave.
Kagome couldn't help it.
She giggled again.
But stopped when she realized her lunch date wouldn't find it as funny.
