I don't own anything. Consider this story disclaimed.

Harder than Life

Chapter 4

The plane touched down and the passengers began to clap. It was a response that Kagome never quite understood – clapping when the plane lands. She never partook in that ritual, feeling that clapping as the plane lands means that she had assumed the plane would crash and was therefore happy it didn't. But despite her feelings, people clapped anyway as the plane taxied to the gate and the captain turned off the "Fasten Seat Belts" sign. Kagome got out of her seat, putting her large sunhat on as she did. Reaching above her into the overhead storage she removed her small carry on bag and walked down the aisle and off the plane.

Stepping off of the plane into Milan International Airport made Kagome smile uncontrollably. She hadn't been back to Italy in a year and forgot how much she truly missed the country that made her life what it was now. She took her phone out of her purse as she made her way to the baggage claim, pressing the number 2 button, her phone automatically calling Inuyasha.

"Hi babe" He said as he answered the phone, "Make it there in one piece?"

"Yup. I'm heading to baggage claim now and then I'm off to Sango and Miroku's place. I just wanted to call and tell you I'm here safely."

"All right. Tell Sango and Miroku I say hi and that I can't wait to see them in a month."

"I will. I love you."

"I love you too. Ciao Bella." He said in Italian, making Kagome smile even more.

"Ciao bello." She responded and hung up the phone.

It only took a few minutes for her to retrieve her two suitcases and within ten minutes of her conversation with Inuyasha she was headed to the exit of the airport, looking around for someone waiting to pick her up. She assumed that Sango and Miroku sent a car for her, so as she looked at the chauffeurs holding signs she was shocked to see Sango and Miroku standing in the group holding a sign that read "KAGOME!" in large red letters.

"Sango! Miroku!" She shouted and ran to her friends, hugging them both at once, "I didn't know you were coming to pick me up!"

"Well we obviously couldn't send just anyone to get you." Miroku said with a smile. "Now let's get back to the car before any of the paparazzi notices we're all were together." He took both of her suitcases in hand and began to walk to the exit, Sango and Kagome following behind, catching up.

It was a short ride to Sango and Miroku's house, one that Kagome had yet to see. The car pulled up into the large circle driveway and Kagome's jaw dropped at the size of the house. In a city where apartments drown houses, houses mansions are hard to come by and yet Sango and Miroku now lived in one.

She got out of the car and stood in awe of the house. Sango laughed as Miroku pulled the luggage out of the car. "Kagome, you're catching flies. Are you going to come in or just stand in our driveway for the paparazzi to see?"

She followed them into the house was immediately tackled by a dog as tall as she was.

"Apollo! Get down!" Miroku scolded, causing the large Great Dane to back away from Kagome and trot into another room. "Sorry about that Kags. He loves people and sometimes it's hard to control him."

"He's a giant!"

Sango laughed, "He makes for a good guard dog. We have one of those invisible fences and we love to watch the photogs scurry when we let him outside. It's as close as we get to privacy now that we live together."

"I'm sure living in a mansion doesn't help either."

"Well when we decided to move in together, an apartment just seemed too small." Miroku said, shrugging his shoulders.

"So obviously the next step up is mansion." Kagome said teasingly, "Give me a tour! Show me where I'm staying."

Miroku carried her bags up the stairs, depositing them in Kagome's room while Sango gave her the grand tour of the house. The walls were decorated with Miroku's photographs, many of them of Sango, and every room in the house was perfectly accessorized. Kagome could tell right away that Sango and Miroku had decorated it completely on their own, their essence oozed out of every room.

"It's beautiful guys, really. You've certainly made yourselves a home. It beats the hell out of Inuyasha's and my apartment."

"Well, Tokyo is a harder city to find a house like this in. But I'm just it's exactly what you guys need. And your brother is living with you two isn't he?" Sango asked as the sat in the living room.

"Yeah, my parents didn't have the money for him to live in the dorms so Yash and I invited him to stay with us. It's fun to have someone else in the apartment, he and Inuyasha get along really well."

"And does anyone know he's living with you guys? Are you worried about paparazzi?" Miroku asked, "It's a pain in the ass around here."

Kagome shrugged, "For us it's Inuyasha that really has to worry. Movie star will always have more trouble with paparazzi than a model does in Tokyo. But Souta doesn't want any photographers hovering around him so he's sure to not let anyone know who he lives with. For all of our sanities."

"When have you or Inuyasha ever been sane?" Sango joked, causing Kagome to gasp in "offense" before the three of them started to laugh. As she joked and laughed with her friends, Kagome realized even more how much she missed being around Sango and Miroku and Italy altogether. She loved Japan and Inuyasha, but something about being back in Italy completed her in a way she hadn't felt in a while.

"So…go get dressed! We're meeting Ayame and Kouga for dinner!" Sango said, slapping Kagome on the knee as she got to her feet. "Be ready in an hour."

"They're both still in Milan? I could have sworn that Ayame would have dragged him to Ireland." Kagome joked as she headed towards the stairs.

"Well, they bought a house there but they live here. Not much of a market for models in Ireland."

"True. Well, I'm off to wash an 8 hour flight off of me. I can't wait for dinner!" Kagome called over her shoulder as she made her way to her bedroom, excited for the night to come.

Author's Note: Well, here it is. I hope it's all right and that you guys enjoy it. I will do my best and get the next chapter our STAT. I'm getting back into the groove again so I promise chapters sooner! Thanks for sticking with me!