Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters associated with it. This story is rated for a mature audience.

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Note: I hate coming back from a break. I always feel like I'm repeating what was already said/done. If you are binge reading and notice me repeating things over again, sorry! I don't mean to, honest!

oOOOo

Kagome glanced down at her phone as it chirped again. Frowning, she read the text on the screen before turning it face down on the table next to the couch. Lexie was getting antsy at her unannounced and unplanned retreat. She was more than a little peeved at having to move around appearances and interviews, but it was her job to manage that sort of thing. It wouldn't be the first time a racer went AWOL from the public eye for a few days and Kagome needed the break to get her head on straight. The team wouldn't collapse in the two days she had been gone.

Arms around her knees, her attention remained fixed on the TV. It was an older drama she had started watching a few years back but never got around to finish. Fortunately, she still remembered most of the plotlines the show had been building back when she still watched. There were three seasons left, which made it perfect to binge on while avoiding all other responsibilities. Inuyasha was there with her. For the most part, he let her do most of the talking. She wasn't sure if he was just being supportive, or if he didn't know what to say to her. Even though she had told him what transpired at Paradise Ascending, they always seemed to tiptoe around the topic. She was still trying to decide if she was glad they weren't having that conversation, or worried that he wasn't bashing her over the head with it.

Sighing, she tightened her arms against her legs. Inuyasha had left to get dinner. She had wanted to go with him, but he insisted she stay here. She had some clothes from her trip still, but nothing to disguise herself. Not that she was making use of her clothes now. Instead, she had commandeered one of Inuyasha's shirts that did a good job hiding her underwear. It worked out well since his apartment tended to run hot. He had told her that the heater had two modes, off and sauna. Right now, it was set to sauna, which worked out well considering her current state of dress.

The door opening brought her attention to the present. Getting up she stared towards the hall leading to the door. At first, she wondered if it was Inuyasha with dinner, then realized that he had only left a few minutes ago. Standing in front of the couch, she watched a familiar woman step out of the hall into the living room, her arms loaded with bags. For a moment, both women stared at each other in surprise. I know I've seen her before… but where? She couldn't put a name to the face.

"Oh, uh, hi," the woman said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Hey," Kagome said. Her response was lame even to her ears. She felt like a child who had been caught red-handed doing something naughty.

"I wasn't expecting—" Her eyes widened slightly as she took in Kagome's state of clothing. "Oh god, did I interrupt something?"

"What?" She glanced down before tugging at the bottom of the shirt, pulling it lower. "Oh. Oh no!" she said quickly. "Inuyasha's out right now getting dinner."

A flicker of disappointment flashed across the woman's face. It disappeared as the woman sighed, turning to walk into the kitchen area. "I really wish he would eat better," she said wistfully as she placed the bags on the counter. Kagome trailed behind her, watching as she went to work putting things away. It's clear she does this often… Catching herself, she frowned. Am I seriously jealous? She knew she had seen this woman before, but placing her was driving her crazy.

"Um…" Kagome started, not sure what to say.

The woman stopped, turning with a surprised expression. "Oh, right! Where are my manners? Kikyo," she said, introducing herself with an offered hand.

"Ka—"

"Kagome, I know," Kikyo said with a smile. "I figured you wouldn't remember me. I'm Hideki's fiancé. I think we might have passed each other once or twice."

Right, now I remember. She smiled, feeling her shoulders relax. Now it makes sense why she seems so comfortable here. "I knew I had seen you somewhere before." Kikyo continued unpacking the food.

"You know, I was surprised when he said he was dating you."

"Surprised?"

Kikyo nodded, her back to her as she put a few cans in the cupboard before closing it. Turning, she leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms. "You don't seem like Inuyasha's type."

"And what 'type' would that be?" Kagome asked, arching an eyebrow as she leaned against the wall. She didn't care that the shirt rode up and exposed her in this position. Her eyes were locked with the other woman, unwilling to back down.

A few seconds passed before Kikyo broke her gaze, stepping over to the remaining bag. "You, apparently."

Kagome bristled at the tone. There was far more implied than the two little words spoken. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

She didn't look back as she pulled out cans and packets from the bag, setting them on the counter beside it. "I'm just surprised he decided to date a racer is all." She paused, glancing over her shoulder. "Or that you even agreed to date him. I thought you took yourself off the market after Hojo."

Kagome felt the corner of her mouth twitch. "People change."

"Right," she said, turning back around.

Pushing herself off from the wall, Kagome stood at her full height. "After all, Inuyasha seems to be embracing the racer life quite well. I seem to remember him making headlines not too long ago." That got a reaction from her. Kikyo's back went stiff, her hand frozen over a package of noodles. Both women knew the truth behind that incident. Inuyasha wasn't the man the paparazzi had caught, rather, it was a certain woman's fiancé.

"I think we both know Inuyasha would never do that," Kikyo said slowly, still facing away from her.

"You're right," Kagome said, taking a step forward. "Inuyasha isn't like that. Which makes me wonder, if you despise racers so much, why are you marrying one?"

"I don't despise racers," she said softly.

Kagome crossed her arms with a huff. "Really? You could have fooled me."

Kikyo turned around and took a step forward. Both eyed each other. Kagome didn't like that she had to tilt her head ever so slightly to meet the other woman's gaze. "I just know what it's like to love someone who doesn't share the same idea of what that love should mean." Her voice was quieter as she continued. "I also know how easy it is to slip into the life." Kagome blinked in surprise at the tiny peek into her sex life. Kikyo's expression tightened, her mouth a thin line. "That's right. I used to be just like Inuyasha. I thought I could ignore it and pretend it wasn't happening. I pretended until I couldn't any longer. Now I share my bed with another." A finger pressed against Kagome's breastbone. "I don't care how he feels about you. Inuyasha is like a brother to me and I will not let you hurt him."

Kagome slapped the finger away. "You say that like I want to hurt him!"

Snorting, Kikyo rolled her eyes. "It seems like you two have been seeing each other for a while now. Tell me Kagome, in all this time you two have been together, how many men have you slept with?" Kagome was silent, her throat tightening. "Do you even know? You don't, do you? You think Inuyasha is okay with that?"

"He said—"

"Are you really that stupid?" Kikyo asked, shaking her head. "You honestly think Inuyasha is okay with that? You are either dumber than I thought, or you don't know Inuyasha as well as you think you do."

Kagome backed away, arms crossed defensively. "I warned him what he was getting into. I tried to end it before it got to this."

"Oh get off your high horse. Inuyasha may be a man, but he is still a child when it comes to relationships. He'll follow you around like a lost puppy you handed food. Don't stand there and pretend you had no choice in the matter. If you truly wanted to end it, you would have." Kikyo shook her head. "But that's not what you wanted, was it? You have the cake, and you want to eat it too."

Kagome grit her teeth angrily. "Who the fuck are you to come in here and judge me? You don't know me, and you have no right to interfere in our relationship."

Kikyo stared down her nose at Kagome. "I know enough about you, I know your type, and I certainly know Inuyasha a hell of a lot better than you do."

Planting her hands on her hips, Kagome glared up at her. "What, one brother isn't good enough for you?"

She looked taken aback. "What?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You may be fucking Hideki, but just because he doesn't give you the emotional support you need doesn't give you the right to cling onto Inuyasha."

"I'm not 'clinging' to Inuyasha."

Kagome gestured to the now empty bags on the counter. "What is this Mother Hen act then? Were you going to cook for him too? Play the happy family before going back to fuck your fiancé and the new whore he brought home tonight? And you have the nerve to blame me of wanting too much! If you care so much about Inuyasha, maybe you should be screwing him instead of his brother."

"Maybe I should be." Kikyo's answer caught Kagome off guard and slipped through to show on her face. "You would be okay with that, wouldn't you? It's only fair after all."

Kagome snorted, doing her best to hide the unease that built inside her as she brought her facial expression under control. "And you say you know Inuyasha. He would never do that."

Kikyo raised an eyebrow, a smug little smirk on her face. "I'm sure he wouldn't." It was that tone she used, suggesting something that Kagome didn't know. Before she could respond, there was a bang as the door opened. Immediately, Kikyo turned around and began crumpling the bags to throw away. Kagome took a step back too, her eyes lingering on the other woman before turning towards the hall.

"Sorry it took so long. There was a—Oh. Hey Kikyo," he said, glancing anxiously over at Kagome. "I didn't know you were coming over."

"Yeah, I figured you were running low on supplies," she said, gesturing to the two crumpled bags in her hand. Kagome could have sworn she heard her mutter, "Especially since she's here."

"Ah, right. Kikyo, this is Kagome. Kagome, Kikyo."

Kikyo nodded, giving her a warm smile. Kagome was actually surprised how quickly she snapped into that warm, motherly like persona. It was like nothing had transpired between them. "It was nice to meet you, but I should leave you two alone."

Inuyasha gave an awkward glance to the food he carried. "There is enough for three here," he suggested, lifting the bag slightly.

"No, no. That's quite alright. You two enjoy." She slid past Inuyasha, giving him a brief peck on the cheek. Kagome noted how long her hand lingered on his shoulder, Kikyo flashing a quick look at her before leaving.

Frowning, Inuyasha looked at Kagome. "What was that all about?"

She forced a smile, leaning back against the wall doing her best to appear innocent. "What do you mean?"

"She seemed off." He paused. "You two have a fight?"

Kagome gave a light laugh. "Hardly. Just a chat." His eyes narrowed. She took a few steps closer, taking the bag from his hand and setting it aside. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she stared at him. "Just giving me the 'Big Sister' shakedown. Nothing I can't handle." She kissed him briefly before stepping away. Looking towards the bag, she quickly shifted the conversation away from Kikyo. "So what did you get?" As Inuyasha laid out the food, explaining the contents, Kagome gnawed gently on her lip. She was just trying to get a raise out of me… right?

oOOOo

Kikyo was in a daze, still reeling from her confrontation with Kagome. The entire thing could have gone better. She knew that, but seeing Kagome there, half-naked, had set something off. Like it hadn't been real until she saw it. Inuyasha's a grown man now. He's more than capable of making his own decisions. Good or not. That didn't mean she had to approve of his decision to date Kagome. Maybe she was a nice woman and had a great personality. Kikyo might even have given her the benefit of the doubt about making changes in her life had she not all but confirmed she had been sleeping with other men while dating Inuyasha. She knew how Inuyasha must feel about it. If he knew. He has to know. He's not that clueless… right? She realized she was biting her lip and released it, rubbing her lips against the back of her hand. So he knows and he's still with her. Either he had completely fallen for her or there was something else going on between them that she couldn't see. It would have been simple to link it to the sex, but she knew Inuyasha would never have a 'friends with benefits' relationship.

And like I have any room to talk. Glancing over her shoulder, Kikyo watched as the tiny, pert breasts of her latest bedmate jiggled under her husband-to-be. Hideki was taking full advantage of the open status in their relationship. At this point, she would be more surprised to find him without some girl on his arm when he returned home. Worse still was the indifference to it. She was getting used to the touch of another woman… being with another woman. The faint sense of repulsion was gone, replaced by simple acceptance. It scared her. This wasn't the woman she wanted to be, but it was the one she was becoming. Her eyes lowered to watch where her fiancé was thrusting himself into the moaning woman, listening to their panting breaths as they made small pleasurable sounds. Her throat tightened. Is this going to be my wedding night? Spent in the company of another woman? She wanted to believe that even Hideki had more tact then to do that, but she was talking about the same man who proposed to her immediately after screwing another woman. By then, would she even care?

"Something wrong babe?" Hideki asked, sweat beading on his forehead. A few lines ran down his temple – a testament to the effort he was putting into his work. She shook her head, forcing a smile as she met his eyes. He reached for her with a single hand. "Then why don't you join us?"

She had already 'joined' in before. The night had started with her eating the girl out while she got Hideki hard. This girl had been quite vocal about Kikyo's skill, meaning she was either polite or had never had a skilled person between her legs because Kikyo knew her ability was pathetic in that department. But practice makes perfect, and thanks to Hideki, I'll have more than enough practice material. Her reservations didn't stop her tonight, just like they never stopped her any other night.

Hideki was smiling as Kikyo hovered over their companion, shivering slightly as the wet tongue ran along her slit. The jolt of pleasure caused her to gently bite her lower lip, holding the moan inside. Her eyes fell on Hideki, still grinning like a fool as he rammed himself into the woman, excited at the sight of his woman with another. A moan escaped her. And another. They switched quickly, Kikyo on her back while the girl positioned herself between her legs. She did her best to keep Kikyo happy with Hideki ramming her face into her with his powerful thrusts.

Eventually she would cum. Kikyo knew it was inevitable. Either the girl would get her there, or Hideki would after he finished up in her and switched. So she relaxed back onto the bed, watching as the girls head bobbed between her spread legs. Her cries joined Hideki's low grunts. How easy it was for her to forget everything. All the worrying, all the fear - everything was simply washed away in the torrent of pleasure where nothing mattered anymore.

As her body tightened and quivered in orgasm, she let the pleasure wash over her, pulsing waves that pushed everything from her mind for blissful seconds. Collapsed against the bed, she gasped for air, sweat covering her body. The girl had stopped, focusing now on Hideki who was still hungrily revenging her body. Her yells of passion seemed distant to Kikyo, a buzzed grin on her face.

There, hiding in the back of her mind was the small realization of why Kagome angered her so much. She was becoming just like her.

oOOOo

"Kikyo doesn't like me," Kagome said suddenly. It had been eating at her all through dinner and the following episode. Inuyasha was taken aback by her sudden announcement, his attention having been on the TV.

"So you two did get into a fight."

"Of sorts."

"About what?"

Kagome gave him a flat look. "What do you think?"

He sighed. "I'll talk to her."

She was shaking her head before he finished. "No. I don't think that will help. I think that this is something we need to work out ourselves."

Crossing his arms, he frowned. "She's been trying to set me up with someone since she started dating Hideki. Now that I'm finally with someone, she doesn't approve."

"I think it's just me personally."

"That's because she doesn't know you. Give it time and she'll warm up to you."

Kagome wasn't as confident as he was. "It's because I'm doing to you what Hideki is doing to her."

"I said—"

"Please Inuyasha, don't tell me you're okay with it, because I know you're not. You've been super sensitive ever since I told you what happened at Paradise Ascending."

"Well what do you want me to do, because I honestly have no idea. Should I stomp off in a rage, breaking whatever stands in my way? Yell? Scream? Will any of that make you stop?" She was silent, looking down at her hands resting in her lap. He sighed, letting the heat drain from his voice. "No, which is why doing any of that is pointless. The only one who can stop you is you."

She nodded slowly, still looking down at her lap. "I want to. I really do."

"Do you?" Her head shot up, giving him a surprised look. "I'm only asking because saying you do, and actually going through with it is two vastly different things. One is easy. The other is probably one of the hardest things you will go through." He cleared his throat, reddening slightly. "I've actually kind of wondered…" She tilted her head slightly. "No. No, never mind. Forget I asked."

"What?" When he didn't answer, she pressed on. "Come on, what do you want to know?"

"What is it that's lacking?" he asked softly, not making eye contact. "What am I not doing?"

"It's not you," she said, matching his volume. "Really, it's not. I know I teased you about being fast at the beginning, but that has long since ceased being the case." She gave him a small smile. "It's just experience now and the skill that comes with it."

He wasn't smiling. "Then what?"

Her grin faded. It was time to get serious. "It's the thrill."

"Thrill?"

She nodded slightly. "It's like those people who shoplift even though they could easily afford it. The rush you get doing something you know is bad. You know it's immoral, but you can't help but do it anyways."

"I see."

She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself. We've come this far, might as well get everything out there. "I do a lot of things, but my personal favorite is swapping. It's where you swap your partner with another," she said, answering the question she could see forming. "Sango and I do it quite a bit. More-so recently."

"I remember you mentioning that. I thought it was just threesomes and…" He trailed off.

"Orgies? Yeah, I do those as well." Taking a deep breath, she nodded to herself. "I've done quite a few threesomes, and I do enjoy them too, but my favorite thing is still swapping."

"Why?"

She bit her lip, trying to find the words. "Why do you like Ramen?"

He pursed his lips. "What does that have to do with this?"

"Just answer the question, please."

He rubbed his jaw. "I don't know. It tastes good."

"Why? What makes it taste good?"

There was a long pause as he thought. "I never really thought much about it. It just does."

"Same goes for me."

"There is a huge difference between enjoying your favorite food and swapping sex partners."

"But just like you can't describe what makes that food taste good, I can't describe why doing that makes me feel so good. Or like Sango probably can't tell you how other people watching her have sex really sets her off."

"Would you swap me?"

Her stomach twisted in a knot, her mouth slightly agape. "What?"

"If you and I were in a hotel room with Sango and her partner, would you switch with Sango knowing that she would be with me and I would be there watching you with another man?"

Heart racing, her eyes met his. She knew the answer. One simple word to get things moving in the right direction. Never in her life had she been so tempted to lie. "Yes," she finally breathed, her chest feeling like it might pop from the pressure.

He simply nodded, the disappointment clear in his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Sighing, he leaned back against the couch arm, facing her. "I was expecting it. Hoping for something different but…" He shrugged. "You do know that swapping a partner is an almost guaranteed way to end a relationship."

"Because I have an amazing track record with those." She let the silence linger for a moment. "We're still good?"

"I wouldn't say good, but yeah. I said I would give you time." She managed a smile. She wanted to lean over and kiss him, but she knew this really wasn't the time for that. The mood wasn't there. "But time is a finite resource. Use too much and it will run out."

She nodded. "I understand."

He glanced over at the TV. Half the next episode had played while they talked. Frowning, he hit pause. "You aren't going to restart it?" she asked as he set the remote aside.

"No," he said before taking a deep breath. "I think it's time I get to know the real you."

Taking a deep breath, she gave him a half-smile, suddenly terrified of what he had in mind.

oOOOo

Inuyasha handed her a cup of hot tea. She took it, blowing on it before taking a sip. Hot, but it helped with the itching in the back of her throat. They had been talking for over an hour now, well, mostly it had been her talking. She hadn't been expecting this kind of interrogation, especially from him, but she was answering everything truthfully – even the things that didn't paint her in the best light.

Lowering the cup, she looked over top of it as he settled back down in his seat. Clearing her throat, she continued. "But to answer your earlier question, I think I like two guys better than two girls. With two guys, the attention is all on me. Mostly," she added as an afterthought.

"Somehow, I figured you would say that."

She feigned a frown. "What are you implying?"

"That you're an egotistical—" He stopped short.

She finished another sip of tea. "Go on. Say it."

"Slut," he mumbled.

Kagome tipped an eyebrow up. "Feel better getting that out?"

"I just called my girlfriend a slut, so no, not really."

She repositioned on the couch, crossing her legs under her as she set her tea aside. "You know, you've asked me a bunch of questions, but I have nothing on you."

He nearly choked on his tea. "Nothing really to tell."

"Come on," she said, scooting a bit closer. "Ah! For example, what's your favorite position? We've done several now."

His cheeks darkened slightly as he scratched on with his index finger. "I actually like the missionary one."

"Of course it would be. That's the most vanilla position ever. Why would I expect any different?" she asked in a flat voice. Her eyes lit up. "Oh, what about that side one we tried the other night?"

"The one where you elbowed me in the face?"

Her eyes narrowed. "You tickled me."

"I was trying to grab a boob."

"And missed completely." She crossed her arms.

"And what about yours?"

"My what?"

"Favorite position."

She frowned. "I know you know what it is."

"Right, for just one person."

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm starting to wonder if you get off on this."

"Huh?"

"Listening to me talk about what I do."

"I think of it like having a rover on another planet. You aren't actually on the other planet, but you still want to learn more about it."

"What if you had the ability to go there?" He furrowed his brow in confusion. "To the planet. What if you had a spaceship that could take you to the other planet? Wouldn't you want to experience it yourself?"

"It's a dangerous trip."

"But it could be worth it."

"It could be, or the entire thing could fall apart and you die. Thanks, but I'll stay firmly rooted to good old terra firma."

"Not even a single visit?"

He was silent a moment. "Would you want me to?" She bit her lip, contemplating her answer. Flicking her eyes over to him, she felt an anxiety weigh on her chest. Is he seriously considering what I think he is? Am I seriously considering this? It had always seemed impossible, so she never imagined it. Now that it was seemingly on the table…

Her throat tightened as their eyes met. "Are we talking about what I think we are?"

"About visiting another planet? Yes."

She ignored his quip about the planet. She knew what it represented. "You're serious." It was a statement, not a question. Her eyes widened. "You actually are serious."

"You still haven't answered the question."

She fidgeted in place. "We talking girl or guy?"

"I don't choose the landing area. That's all mission control."

Kagome frowned. "Be serious here!"

He sighed. "Fine. But since you are asking for girl or guy, I guess I know the answer."

"No," she said quickly. "I just want to know all the facts before I answer."

"Does it really matter what sex the other person is?"

"I suppose not…"

"So… Yes then?" She opened her mouth, her answer on the tip of her tongue. "Who knows? Maybe I'll actually enjoy it. You and Hideki do, so it can't be all that bad." The mention of his brother caused her jaw to snap shut.

There was a long silence as she stared at him. "If I said yes, would you actually go through with it?" He remained silent, meeting her gaze. "Because the answer is 'no' regardless."

"Is that your final answer? This may be the only launch window available in our lifetime. You will never get another shot at this."

Kagome gave a firm nod. "I'm sure. Some people were just never meant to leave the planet." She grinned. "Besides, you have that rover there right? That's the next best thing."

He managed a smile. She could tell he was relieved that she had told him no. But what if I had said yes? He looked ready to do it. Had she just given up her only chance? She mentally shook her head. Doesn't matter. She only had to look at Hideki to know how bad an idea it was. Why she was even considering it was a mental lapse beyond stupidity. "True," he said, his smile taking a step towards the sad side. "But even rovers eventually wear down and die."

"Right," she said slowly, understanding what he was getting at. If she didn't work to get to where he was, eventually their connection would fade and die. After a few moments of awkward silence and them drinking tea, she broke the silence. "And I would have to say reverse-cowgirl double penetration is my favorite."

He nearly spit out his tea. "Excuse me?"

"My favorite threesome position. Where one of the guys is on his back, I mount him reverse-cowgirl and lean back to allow the second man access. It's awkward and tricky, but done right…" She trailed off, nodding. She noticed his speechless expression. "You were the one who asked," she muttered before taking another sip of tea.

oOOOo

The phone made a loud chirping noise, snapping Kagome out of her sleep. Beside her, Inuyasha groaned as she lifted her head off his arm. Sitting up, she let the cover tumble away, exposing her bare breasts as she rubbed her sleepy eyes. Three in the morning. What the hell. She was going to flay whoever was calling her this late. Or early.

Leaving the warmth of the covers, she scooted over to where her phone rested against the charging slate. She frowned as she glanced at her phone. It was still chirping loudly despite her having set it to mute. That meant it was an emergency call, bypassing the volume controls.

"Hello?" she asked, pressing it to her ear.

"Kagome? Where the hell are you?" It was Lexie, and she sounded near panicked.

She glanced over her shoulder at Inuyasha who was just now sitting up. "What's wrong?" she asked, ignoring the question.

"TV. Now."

It took her a moment to find the remote and turn the TV on. "What channel?" she asked groggily.

"News."

Fuck. What now? "Which one?" she asked resigned.

"Any. It's all over the fucking place."

Kagome stopped on one of the 24/7 news channels and nearly dropped her phone. Mouth open, she watched as firefighter's poured water on a car engulfed in flames. Inuyasha joined her, standing silently as he watched the images play out on the screen. Her eyes moved to the scrolling text at the bottom.

Live scene of G-1 racer crash. Knight Gunmen racer Leone feared dead in fiery crash.

"Oh my god," Kagome whispered in shock, free hand covering her mouth.

"Where are you?" Lexie repeated.

"With Inuyasha."

There was a slight pause. "Fine. I'll pick you up at six."

"Okay," she said softly, not giving Lexie her full attention.

"Don't go anywhere."

"I won't."

"And Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

Another pause. "I'm going to need his address."

oOOOo

I know it's been a long time since I last updated, but I hit a major wall and it took a lot to get over it. But here it is! New chapter! Yay!

I keep thinking 'Getting close to the end! Getting close to the end!' Then at the end of the chapter, I feel like the story hasn't moved at all. Still debating what to do with my Miroku/Sango side arc I had planned since adding it in now would require changing what I originally had planned.

For all those that are still here, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next time…