AN: Thank you for the kind feedback so far! This story has ended up taking a different shape than I expect, and I am excited about the direction it is going. In particular, I'm excited to have Kagome in a role where competency and strength can shine through, in addition to her caring nature.
Kagome took in the smug look on Koga's face and sighed heavily.
"I might as well put on the kettle for some tea. It seems I'm in for a story, hm?" She asked, politeness edging her voice. She turned to walk back to the kitchen and motioned for Koga to follow her. She was stopped, however, by a large, rough hand grasping her smaller one.
"Thank you, Kagome," Koga smiled, turning her so he could look into her eyes. He brought her hand up to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. "You won't regret this."
Dropping her hand, Koga made his made to her kitchen with Kagome hot on his heels. As he reached for the kettle on the stove, Kagome's hands stopped him. Confused, he turned to look at her.
"I don't know what your game is," she began calmly, "but I don't want to be a pawn in it. That's no good for me and definitely a very bad idea for you. But I am willing to listen and see if I can help. That's it. Now," she released his hand, "fill the kettle with water while I grab my tablet so I can take notes."
As she turned to walk away, Koga interrupted her cheerfully. "No need!" He expressed. "My story is a quick one. A sharp girl like you can remember the details without writing them down."
Kagome turned to face Koga, eyeing him before she pulled up a chair. Man, his emotions are all over the place, she grumbled to herself, I'm having a hard time getting a read on him. What's his deal?
Kettle filled, he placed it on the stove and turned on the burner to heat the water. Koga slid into the chair opposite Kagome's. "I truly have no doubt that you are the perfect person for my…dilemma. All you have to do is say yes." Koga began.
"I'm not agreeing to anything without being fully aware of the situation—" Kagome began.
"I know, I know." Koga interrupted. "And I wouldn't expect any less from you," he continued on, tapping her on the nose.
Kagome grumbled, "You said you didn't even know my name until tonight. If we're being frank, I don't think you're the best judge of character."
"But, Kagome, Kagome, I have all the information I need!" Koga soldiered on, ignoring her less than enthusiastic response. "The long story short is—I haven't been on a date in a while."
Kagome's hands dropped to the table top and she pushed her chair away. Standing, she spoke in a deceptively calm voice. "You woke me up and barged into my apartment so you could ask me out on a date? Someone you don't even know?"
"Please, sit back down," he begged. "That was the abridged version of the story."
Kagome warily took her seat. "Proceed."
Koga rubbed his face before sighing deeply. "I haven't been on a date in a while. My friends have been…concerned to say the least. As I'm sure your friends would be if you were dateless for a significant span of time?"
Kagome remained silent, an unimpressed look on her face. Koga grimaced slightly before gathering his thoughts. OK, not so subtle. Going to have to go for the 'I'm so helpless, silly me!' angle.
"Anyway, they decided that if I didn't go on a date by the end of the month, they would set me up. And here we are, the last day of the month. So when they gave me the heads up that they would be coming to collect me and they had my date with them—"
Kagome relaxed before finished his thought, "You came over to my place to hide."
Koga grimaced, "Ehh, yes and no."
Her spine stiffened before she grit out. "What. Did. You. Do."
Interrupted by the whistling of the kettle, Koga promptly stood to remove the kettle from the heat and prepare the cups of tea, humming to himself all the while. After three minutes, he brought the tea back to the table. "Careful," he said quietly, "it's hot."
"Koga," Kagome pressed, although less sharply than before, "what did you do?"
He smiled, collecting his hands in hers, "Well, you know how a good neighbor can come over to borrow a cup of sugar? Or a hammer?"
Kagome blinked, her facial expression carefully arranged to be neutral.
Koga loosened one of his hands to tug at his collar before running his fingers through his hair. "Consider yourself the cup of sugar. I told them you were my new girlfriend, and I'd be spending the night at your pl—"
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Both heads turned quickly to face the door as Kagome mentally ran through the conversation once again.
"Koga," she groaned. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."