Hey guys!
Sooooo...Happy belated New year.
I suck. I know. *Cringes*
My updating for this story will still be Tuesday/Thursday's.
...and any days in between that are college certified holidays.
...Sighs.
recap: Chuckling Inuyasha shook his head, charmed. Shaking his head at her innocence display of charisma, he gently tapped his glass against hers, gaining her attention. "You wanted to discuss my Uncle's terrible singing?"
"Yes. I hadn't realized...didn't know that I'd be conversating with the Tashio Bunkuseno, New York. I couldn't stop stuttering." She paused and threw Inuyasha a glare that was scary as kittens. He struggled not to laugh and ended up choking and spluttering on his flute of shochu. Kagome really tried to swallow her own laughter but ended up snort-laughing with him and at him.
Eventually, their laughs died down, and the glaring onlookers realized that their angry scowls weren't going to be noticed by the obnoxiously noisy couple, so with indignant huffs, they turned away from the rowdy spectacle. Inuyasha had managed to make a mess of his burgundy shirt, spilling two nickel sized wet stains of his drink on him while nearly knocking over the bucket of ice. Kagome handed him her napkins patiently while silently trying to contain her laughter.
Inu knew he should be upset, should feel guilty at the ruckus they were making in his fine, upscale environment, but he couldn't find it within himself to really glare at Kagome's happy face. Not when she did that cute little scrunching of her nose when she laughed and her blue eyes sparkled with mirth.
When he had finally dabbed his ruined shirt enough times to sufficiently dry his shirt, he leveled a glare at Kagome. "Not. A. Word. Kagome." He growled playfully.
Her tiny shiver didn't escape his intense molten golden eyes either.
Clearing her suddenly dry throat, Kagome tried not to shiver again under his abruptly intense gaze on her. She reached for her forgotten flute of shochu and drank slowly, well aware that her audience was enjoying the little show of her delicate neck and the swallows she took. When she finished she held his gaze under her long lashes, feeling her cheeks and neck bloom. Nervously she licked the sweet juice from her lips, her pink tongue darting quickly to catch the rest of the substance.
"It's so..strange." She began in the heated silence between them. "The Tashio Bunkuseno is my lawyer." Her gaze drifted towards the night sky above them, lost. "He said he'd get the necessary documents for me. The birth certificate, the red tape...He said 'It's no trouble at all'." Her gaze landed back on the man before her. She smiled a slow, sensual smile.
It was Inuyasha's turn to hide a shiver. "Tashio's are infamously known for getting exactly what we want." He all but growled at her.
The waiter appeared with the leather-bound menu's, his professional demeanor undermined by his excitedly swishing tails behind him. Kagome smiled warmly at the excited young sommelier.
"I've read so much about your family. Your grandfather's a legend to all of youkai."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes playfully. "Someone sounds like they've got a crush." He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. Kagome blushed again prettily and ducked her head. Inu chucked and sat back, rubbing his chin absently. "Honestly he'd love to meet you. Pop's a handful. Stubborn as a mule. But smart. Nothing gets past him."
Kagome smiled. "You love him."
Inu snorted. "Love doesn't even begin to cover it. Family comes first, last, and always."
Because he'd thought she'd enjoy it, he told her the story of how the young Inutashio had met, wooed, and won his wife, Tsuki Inukimi. "She must've been extremely brave becoming the first female CEO of the Tsuki family business. There were so much misogyny and inequality back then and even today."
"She's a force to be reckoned with." He agreed.
"Do you have brothers? Sisters?"
"One older brother Onigumo, my twin Shiori, and Ginta. Onigumo died when I was seven." Inu paused, his chest feeling tight. A warm hand settled on top of his, squeezing lightly before falling away. He cleared his throat before continuing. "And a bunch of nieces, nephews, too many cousins.."He started shaking his head in mock exhaustion. "When we get together it's like a barnyard."
Kagome laughed easily. She leaned in, smiling at him. "You wouldn't change it for the world." It was hardly a question.
"Nope."
She turned away to look at the discarded menu in her lap. "I always wondered what it would be like to-Oh! How does anyone figure out what to order? There are so many choices!"
"What do you want to eat Kagome?"
She looked up, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Everything!"
Inuyasha
She sampled all her stomach could hold, and then some. she ordered highly recommended Otsumami dishes that went great with their selection of alcohol, Wakame seaweed salad, piping hot yakisoba, some onigiri rice balls and tons of karaage. (Mainly Inuyasha stuffed his face with lots of karaage. Whilst Kagome did the same with the incredibly greasy yakisobas.)
Unable to resist the temptation, Inu grabbed his portion of yakitori and gently pressed his own skewered chicken to her lips. Her eyes fluttered closed, a throaty moan made peoples head turn, and she licked her lips deftly catching any stray crumbs.
His blood boiled with unbridled desire.
He'd never known a woman so openly sensual, so genuine in her simplistic desires-or so obviously new to the experience of it all. 'She'd be a treasure in bed...absorbing, lingering over his every touch, every taste, every movement..'
He slowly shook himself free of his alcohol-induced haze. He could still see it-all her little sighs and murmurings..the new awakenings he'd gently introduce her to before devouring her sweet, pus-
He was cut off by one of her little sighs now as her eyes slowly opened and blinked quite innocently at him. Her lips twitched into that playful-but charming- grin. "Whatcha looking at Hansome?" She teased.
Kagome found herself leaning forward. Absently she traced her finger along the edge of her newly filled wine glass. "I like looking at your face, it's so strong looking. People watching is what I do best."
From another woman, he'd take it as an invitation. He cocked his head, studying her. From her, he'd brush it off as... too much alcohol. But he didn't think he'd be strong enough to ignore her if she unknowingly teased him into helping her lose virginity tonight, so he tried to switch the direction of the conversation. "So..your a runaway right?"
Kagome blinked at him.
And then nodded slowly-albeit hesitantly.
"You said your parents died right-in a fire?" Another hesitant nod.
Inuyasha tried not to curse. Getting answers out of her was like pulling teeth! He casually ate some of her Wakame salad-and almost choked. "It's a lot.." He coughed as the seaweed salad barely went down his esophagus, "S'lot to deal with ne Higurashi-san?" She tried not to giggle at his red face and slightly green teeth.
Oblivious he continued to prod. "So...you decided to get away?"
She started to agree, the after kagome smartly trying to control her mouth when she stopped. In truth she was tired. She didn't want to run anymore, didn't want to hide. Or constantly be on her guard. She didn't completely trust Tashio, but she felt he was genuine. She pushed absently at her fringe of bangs. Inu noticed her slight change in disposition her leaned back casually, picking his canines with a toothpick-as not to scare her.
"I lost my job... months ago." She paused her humiliation coloring her face. It still stung her, after all this time... She cleared her throat and wet her lips nervously. "After the fire. I was only 17 human years. Money was always a problem for me after that. Constantly worrying about rent, food, shelter... Until he came." Her mouth twisted sharply in a grimace. His name burning the back of her tongue like acid. "I wanted to go to college, study animals or history." She smiled wistfully. "My parents left me with very little savings-just enough to rent an apartment and take a couple of classes at community college. I...wasn't very good with the money. I should've budgeted better." Frustrated she exhaled through her mouth, trying not to dig her nails into her arm.
She tried to go on, honestly. Tried to force her limp tongue to force out the name that sent more terror through her heart than an actual weapon, but she couldn't. After-Kagome refused to let her speak his name into existence. Refused t bare their soul to the first kind soul who took a seemingly innocent interest in them. She needed to protect them if before Kagome refused to do her job.
She simply couldn't.
So she stalled instead. Inu watched her waver, watched her almost crumble before pulling herself together. Her chest rose and fail shakily. Her hands fidgety and trembling. Finally, she spoke. "I can't believe you're just giving me almost two million dollars. I thought dogs were supposed to be selfish, not kind." Her watery blue eyes begged him to go along, to not ask any more questions lest she break-or worst runaway and disappears as quickly as she'd enterned his life.
He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.