Late Sunday afternoon Kagome was finally walking back into her apartment. The entire Shinkansen ride she had sat in a dull stupor, numb to the world. She was still in partial shock. She walked sluggishly into the living room before plopping down on the couch. She didn't turn on the TV as a distraction, instead she sat there in utter silence. She wasn't sure how long it had been before she felt Sango's quiet presence sit down beside her. She was in a daze. She was hurting, a lot. It wasn't until she felt Sango's strong arms around her, pulling her in for a tight, comforting, hug that Kagome felt herself spill over again. Through her tears she managed to tell Sango what had happened; about Ayame, about Koga, and about her decision.

"You did the right thing…"

Kagome's tears were muffled now, lessening slightly from the relief of sharing her burden with another. She looked up at Sango and smiled ever-so-slightly. "Thanks…" She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and leaned back. "I mean it Sango… Thanks, for everything… I don't know if I would have been strong enough to do this if it wasn't for you."

Sango's eyes widened before she smirked. "Yes, you could have. Don't doubt yourself like that Kagome." Sango looked away, focusing on the blank TV instead. "You've always been stronger, braver, than you thought you were."

A comforting silence fell between them for a moment as Kagome took in Sango's words. They had touched her and warmed her heart, soothing some of the pain that lived there.

Sango turned and looked back at Kagome, her own eyes glistening. "Kagome… I don't mean to put this on you now… Not with your break up and everything…" She trailed off, her voice going soft as her shoulders hunched up slightly, hesitant.

"Don't worry about that. What is it?" The concerning lacing Kagome's voice shook the hesitation from Sango who, now, looked her square in the eye.

"I'm… I'm scared."

"Of?" Kagome's question was leading, gently probing Sango to answer.

Sango sighed and looked away, her fingers twiddling together. "I think I love him." Her fingers stiffened, as if she had only just realized she had been fidgeting, before she laid them flat on her legs, her eyes daring to look up at Kagome once again. "No, I don't think… I know… I'm in love with Miroku." A rosy blush spread across Sango's cheeks and Kagome couldn't help but react.

She threw herself on top of Sango, hugging her tightly, her heart torn between the pain she felt over leaving Koga and the exuberance she felt for Sango. Sango, of all people, deserved to be happy and find love.

On Monday Kagome was still lost in a daze. Thoughts of Koga danced through her head. Thoughts of the good times, when they would walk to school holding hands, when they would go to the movies, when he would randomly surprise her with flowers. She loved the little gestures, the small things, that didn't cost money. She loved when she would wake up and there would be a little note for her on the bedside table. She loved when he would brush out her hair for her before running his fingers through the tangle-free locks. She loved their first kiss at the top of the Ferris Wheel… Images of Tokyo lit up at night, the lights of the Ferris Wheel flashing slowly around them, stuck in her mind as she remembered how he had reached over and grabbed her hand… How he had scooted over closer to her, their shoulders touching each other… How nervous and excited she felt as he turned to face her, their eyes locking in anticipation… How it felt the first time he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. She was stuck remembering the distant past, the time before… The time before things had changed between them. She could feel the pain of their break-up with each beat of her heart.

The slight movement of Inuyasha sitting down beside her broke her from her reverie.

In a daze, she looked up at him. His adorable doggy ears were twitching but his eyes had immediately glued upon her left hand. Glancing down she once again noticed the absence of her engagement ring.

"You ok?" His voice was soft and warm.

Her left hand clenched into a fist before she slid it underneath the table to rest on top of her leg. She was simply unable to stare at it. It was the visual representation of the finality of her relationship with Koga and it hurt to be so face-to-face with it. She didn't answer his question. Instead, she focused straight ahead on the professor who, thankfully, had just begun lecture.

When lecture was over Inuyasha didn't try to talk to her again right away. They walked out into the courtyard side by side, neither quite willing to leave the other with no words being said.

"So…" His deep voice rattled her and made her feel things she wasn't sure she was ready to feel yet. Still, she let herself fall… fall into the sound of his voice and the way it simultaneously calmed her and made her heart skip. He frowned slightly at her depressed expression before continuing. "You and Sango should join Miroku and I tonight…" He quirked his head at her, a smirk on his face. Clearly, he was trying to help her feel better. It made her feel warm, loved, to know that he cared so much as to probably go out of his way to cheer her up.

Still, she wasn't sure if she wanted to go out. What she really wanted to do was go home, throw on her pajamas, and curl under her covers. "I have a lot of exams to study for…" Her excuse was weak, and they both knew it.

"Oh, come on Kagome! It'll be fun…" He wiggled his ears at her and an instant smile appeared on her face. She was overcome with the giggles. His smirk grew and he wiggled his ears again which made her laugh harder. A few minutes later, when she was finally back under control, she looked at him and sighed, resigned.

"Ok. Ok. We will meet you there."

His face instantly lit up and she tried not to let that make her as happy as it did.

Later that night Sango and herself walked into the arcade. It was a decent size. It had two stories and a small internet cafe. Sango was a pile of nerves which made Kagome feel a bit better about her own situation. She was nervous to see Inuyasha, but that was nothing compared to the nerves Sango was feeling. Kagome gently bumped Sango's side encouragingly when they saw the boys. Ever since Sango had admitted to Kagome the night before that she was in love with Miroku she had become a bit of a nervous wreck around him. She had admitted to Kagome before they left the apartment that she felt so torn about telling him. She wanted him to tell her first, but she also wanted to be brave and just admit it to him. She couldn't make up her mind, and Kagome didn't blame her. When Koga and herself said 'I love you' for the first time she had been wracked with nerves.

It had been about three months after they started dating. He had taken her out to some fancy restaurant and bought her flowers. He was so nervous… Thinking about it now made her smile as that now familiar pain of loss settled in the pit of her stomach. In the end, he had said it first and that had given her the courage to say it back. It had been romantic albeit a bit awkward. Neither of them had ever confessed to someone before. It was, in all honestly, terrifyingly intimidating.

By the time Kagome could shake the memory from her head Sango was standing nervously beside a twitching Miroku. Tenderly, he took her hand and the instant blush on Sango's cheeks was really something to cherish. Kagome couldn't help but feel overwhelmingly happy for her friend. She had been alone for so long, never bothering to even think about a boyfriend of a future. She secretly thought that Sango had just been too scared… Too scared to fall into something that could be so crazily unpredictable… something that she couldn't have any real control over. But, now that it was happening, Kagome loved getting to see the pure joy and happiness on Sango's face. It was about time she found happiness… Even though Miroku seemed to have his quirks underneath it all, she was sure, he was a good man.

"Well, my lovely beautiful dear Sango…" Miroku scratched the back of his head, eyes averted from Sango's blushing face. "Shall we go play some air hockey?" Kagome saw him squeeze her hand lightly as Sango muttered out a soft "mhm". Miroku blushed slightly before turning to wave at Inuyasha and herself as he gently pulled Sango away.

"I guess its just us."

"I guess so." She turned to him and smiled, really smiled, and decided she was going to allow herself to feel happy tonight. She was going to ignore her pain as best as she could and just focus on Inuyasha and the feelings he gave her. She had to keep reminding herself that it was ok, it was ok for him to give her butterflies, it was ok to like his golden eyes, silver hair, and doggy-ears. It was ok.

They wandered around the arcade for a while playing individual games and cheating the other on or playing team games. Simply, the enjoyed their time together. Kagome enjoyed his presence. The smell of him… she couldn't quite describe it but it soothed her in a way she didn't know possible. His bright eyes drew her attention and when she had the chance to look at them, really look at them, it felt like she was falling. Like she could see the real him. He beat her at the games constantly, and she would tease him that it was only because of his demonic prowess. He'd simply grunt and she would nudge him with her elbow slightly, which only made him tease her back.

She loved it. Every second. She loved it all.

About an hour later they were standing in front of a single-person shooter game. There was a fake gun you had to hold and point at the screen to kill an onslaught of invading zombies. Inuyasha did simply amazing, hardly missing any shots and making it to round 17 before finally dying. Kagome, on the other hand, couldn't get past round three. She sighed, frustrated, after her second attempt and was just about to put the gun back before Inuyasha intervened.

His deep laugh was like honey.

"Here…" He stepped up behind her, his body carefully and sensually molding against hers. He wrapped his arms around her and showed her how to hold the gun. "Like this…" His voice was breathy and deep, a hidden need evident within its low tone. She could feel his arm muscles tense slightly around her as he showed her, slowly, how to hold the gun and aim. His body was flush against her back and her skin tingled wherever he touched it. Her breathing was coming fast now, unsteady, as the feeling of him against her, basically holding her, vibrated through her entire being. He was just so close… His hair was mixing in with hers and his breath was hot against her ear from where he softly mouthed commands. She could hardly pay attention, letting him do most of the work slaying the zombies. "See, that's how, good job…" She nodded slightly, plainly aware that he was actually the one killing and not her. Her own arms were limp against the gun, her body only supported by Inuyasha's intoxicating embrace.

It was only when his lips nearly brushed against her cheek, the near proximity making her tingle in anticipation, that a memory shook her.

For their first date Koga had taken her to a festival. It had taken place near the Ferris Wheel where they shared their first kiss. At the festival, there were some game booths. Kagome had tried and tried to win herself a stuffed monkey by throwing a small ring onto the top of a specific bottle. After failing twice she heard Koga chuckle deeply before he came up behind her and held her from behind. It was so intimate that it shocked her. So intimate on their first date… It had made her blush and her whole body became flushed. The heat from their bodies touching was like nothing she had ever experienced before. His arms tightened around her stomach as he nose dug slightly into her hair. He mumbled intoxicatingly into her ear, "Let me show you." before stepping back and winning the stuffed animal for her. He handed her it and she had blushed, squeezed it tightly, and hid her blushing face within its fluffy fur. It had been so soft. She still had it sitting in her room, off to the side.

She hadn't thought about that day in a long time. She hadn't thought about the fluffy monkey in so long even though it sat in an easy to see place. The memory shook her and the pain returned full force. She felt a desperate longing for that time, for the beginning of their relationship, to when everything was new and thrilling. She longed for the way they used to be…

With that thought the feeling of Inuyasha's arms around her felt suddenly forbidden and wrong. She still wasn't over it. She wasn't over Koga. She gulped as the pain settled back within her and she couldn't push it away. Inuyasha noticed her go still and she could feel him looking at her. She was sure he was wondering what went wrong, what changed, but she couldn't tell him. She felt frozen, rooted to the spot, alien to herself. Her mind was separated from her body. In her mind she was with Koga, reliving that first date. She was reliving the good times and using selective memory to momentarily ignore the bad. When the game was over Inuyasha backed away, confused.

"Kagome?" His ears were drooped slightly.

Kagome was about to speak up, explain… She was sure that he would understand. She didn't have concrete proof yet, of course, but she just felt like he understood her. Inuyasha simply understood her. But, she wasn't ready. Not yet… She had to completely move on from Koga first. It wouldn't be healthy plus…. There was one other person she couldn't forget.

Kikyo.

The beautiful woman who was girlishly strolling towards Inuyasha right then.

Kikyo walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding onto him like she knew she could loose him. She had a slight glint of desperation in her eyes that Kagome thought drastically contrasted the rest of her demeanor. She was dressed fashionably in something modern with dashes of pink that accented her curves and feminine mystique. Her hair was perfectly straight, hanging down in a black curtain. So unlike Kagome's slightly wavy hair which bounced and flowed like a waterfall. For a moment, Kagome was confused as to why Kikyo had shown up unannounced and, presumably, uninvited. But, then she remembered what Miroku had said… That Kikyo enjoyed being seen with Inuyasha in public. Almost like putting on a show.

Inuyasha had stiffened as soon as Kikyo's arms were around him. His ears twitched, one towards his girlfriend while one stayed firmly on Kagome. His golden orbs turned to face the woman clinging to him and Kagome noticed that his smile seemed forced, pained even.

"Ki-Kikyo…" He looked back at her but his attention was drawn once again to the woman who was now leaning up to kiss him.

Kikyo pulled back a minute later looking satisfied with herself before turning to look at Kagome, seemingly only just noticing her. "Who is this, Inuyasha?" Her voice sounded silky but her eyes were like daggers, digging into Kagome and making her flinch. Her guilt grew and she took another step back. Inuyasha still had a serious long-term girlfriend. Plus, she wasn't over Koga either. It wasn't time. It wasn't right. She nervously wrapped one arm around herself and glanced down at the ground, only glancing up every once in a while. She felt awkward. That sense of peace and comfort she had felt was completely gone, it had only been a temporary happiness due solely to Inuyasha's presence.

"This is Kagome, remember? You met her at Dansu Dansu?"

Kikyo's eyes evaluated her. Her smile had fallen and instead her face became icy and cold. Kagome got the distinct impression that that's how her face naturally appeared. The smile was the act, the cold flat look was the real Kikyo. Kikyo's thin fingers dug into Inuyasha a bit harder, bunching his clothes up slightly in her small fists.

"Oh?" Her voice rose, skeptical. "I don't remember you."

Inuyasha's eyes were flashing between the two. He looked confused, unsure of how to navigate the situation. So, instead, Kagome did it for him.

"I think I better leave. I have a lot of exams that I really need to study for." She took one more, lingering, look at Inuyasha before she turned slowly and started to head for the door.

"Kagome, wait. Hey, wait up!" She felt his warm hand encircle her wrist, gently pulling her to a halt.

She turned and looked back at him, her body still half facing the exit. She looked at him and smiled softly. "It's ok Inuyasha. I do need to study…" She caught Kikyo's eyes. Kikyo was standing a few feet back, arms crossed, high-heeled foot tapping impatiently. She looked stern and annoyed, her face sharp. "And… honestly…" She took a breath, steadying herself. "I need time… I need time to get over him." She didn't have to say his name, they both knew who she was talking about. "It's going to take me time… I'll see you to work on our project." With a pointed voice she forced herself to say what she had been thinking. "You should join Kikyo."

At her words and her pointed tone his ears turned backwards and laid flat. It nearly looked like a form of submission. His large clawed hand released her wrist and her arm dropped limply against her side.

She turned and left. When she got home she curled into her blankets after grabbing the stuffed monkey from where it had been placed on the window sill. She fell asleep squeezing it tightly while curled into the fetal position. The soft fluffiness of the monkey was wet from her salty tears. The image of Inuyasha's submissive pose bothered her on a deep level. Still, for tonight at least, her mind was consumed with images from her past with Koga… From when they were happy. She fell asleep with the memory of the Ferris Wheel circling, slowly, in her head.

~ Author's Note~

So, what do you think will happen next? Let me know your thoughts.

Please review! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

Things are really going to pick up in the next two chapters, I have them all planned out and I am really hoping that you will enjoy them.

~ FeudalAi