Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

Elevator Music

Did You Build Rome?

(Wind)

Sometimes being in the elevator wasn't so bad.

Kagome thought that she was doing better, or at least she hoped she was. They had been stuck there for awhile now and since every minute more or less felt like eternity. Kagome was trying her damnedest to be calm, cool and collected.

Until she started really thinking about it, and then her imagination just went wild.

The Kouga guy still had yet to talk to them. His earlier attempt didn't work and shit, what had he said about what he was about to do? Was air even circulating in here? It was so dark, so goddamn dark for such a stupid little box that they were stuck in.

A little box – shit, how did she get into these messes? She should've just taken the stairs up to the top floor. Sure it would take thirty minutes but the alternative was this – stuck in an elevator.

Oh god. No air. No air.

Kagome's brown eyes widened as she opened her mouth to take in a deep breath – a deep breath where the air seemed stale and hot and not nearly enough to keep her alive. She was going to die in an elevator with her boss's half-brother.

Fuck, she was going to die. Who the hell cared who it was with? When it was over, it was over.

Shit.

She wasn't aware that she was hyperventilating but suddenly Inuyasha's warm hand on her wrist was like a punch to the stomach. Kagome glared up into dark brown eyes before pushing back and away, further from someone who was stealing her air, air that she needed to breathe with.

What she wouldn't give just to be outside. To feel the wind on her face and all that glorious air rushing past her, around her, surrounding her like it would never escape her grasp. Hell, even outside in the hallway would be fine. At least the AC could fake the outdoors and it would last her, surely enough so that she didn't throw up until she had stepped outside.

"Kagome, you need to calm down," Inuyasha said firmly, his words a smoothing undertone that seemed to relax her frazzled nerves. "You need to take slow, deep breaths."

"No air," she choked, big eyes wide and landing on him. "No air."

"There is tons of air," Inuyasha corrected. "It's still be circulated around. We're not going to run out of oxygen."

"Small space. No air." The words came out in stuttered, sharp sentences that seemed to pierce her more than her companion's words. Bile rose in her throat, clawing its way as she felt the panic fill her veins once more.

"Tons of room, tons of space and there's even some light," Inuyasha reassured her, the pressure of his hand on her ankle the new connection.

It didn't really matter anyways. Kagome still felt his heat wrapped around her wrist from before.

"Breathe Kagome, breathe."

Breathe. She could do that, as long as they didn't run out of air.

Inuyasha said that we weren't going to run out, she thought, weighing what her head was telling her and her heart. Fear still lurked deep within.

"This isn't good," Kagome whispered tightly, her hand lightly touching her throat where it still felt constricted, like a bind was closing it bit by bit. "I need to get out."

"We will get out."

Kagome sighed. "I'm sorry."

Smirking, Inuyasha squeezed her ankle before running the soft pad of his thumb over the velvet skin. "For what? You haven't had a heart attack yet."

Kagome winced. "You've had to calm me down so many times I've lost count. I can't imagine the number of times you've told me we'd get out of here."

Inuyasha nodded, thumb still stroking soft skin. "I've forgotten too but don't worry about it. I'm sure you can make it up to me later."

Too deep in her thoughts to really register the comment until much later, Kagome frowned at her companion in the elevator. "Was that a sexual innuendo you just threw at me?"

Inuyasha smirked, somehow rolling his eyes to push his point – whatever it was.

"Flirting with your brother's secretary has to be some sort of taboo," Kagome commented dryly.

"Half-brother," Inuyasha corrected. "And according to you, I'm the better looking one."

"You need to learn about sarcasm."

Inuyasha laughed; the sound bursting out of his chest and surprising the raven-haired beauty. His smirk widened to what could almost be considered a full smile before quickly disappearing. "I wrote the book, practically."

"I bet you did," Kagome scoffed. "Just like you did everything else. Did you build Rome too?"

"In one day."

Kagome sighed.

"You can't beat me."

"But I can join you?"

Shrugging, Inuyasha watched Kagome with intense, smouldering eyes. For a moment she felt lost, tumbling in strange sensations that made every part of her numb except the spot just above her ankle. "See? Now you're inviting yourself. I'm not complaining."

"The chance to screw your half-brother's secretary is too much, isn't it?"

"Not as much as other things," Inuyasha replied casually, still staring at her intently. "I mean, we are stuck in an elevator. There are far more other things to accomplish."

"Ooh, 'accomplish'! Good word," Kagome deadpanned. "You really need lessons on how to smooth-talk women. You suck at it."

"There's nothing in my sexual experience description that mentions sucking. You on the–"

"I'll slap you so hard your neck will break."

"Is that before or after the sucking?"

Kagome jerked her ankle away. "You're as bad as Miroku."

"I'm actually offended by that," Inuyasha frowned, reaching out for her again but missing when she dodged. "I'm nowhere near as bad as Miroku."

"You're right. You're a bigger dick."

"Well, I have–"

"Shut. Up."

Inuyasha smirked. "Come on, you totally walked into that one."

Pouting, Kagome crossed her arms and closed her eyes. Maybe if she kept them shut, he'd disappear momentarily, along with the elevator.

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