Chapter 18

Hitomi scowled, looking at the abandoned house in front of her. At least what was left of it. The construction workers were currently tearing it down, leveling it so they could build something else in its place.

She had asked just to be sure and was at the correct address. The workers told her that no one had lived in that house for years. That meant she had the wrong address. Kagome wasn't living in this abandoned dump.

So, where was she?

Whoever gave Kouga this address either wanted to die or was brave. When Kouga found out about this, he was going to be furious. As she took a minute to think about it, she realized that it was most likely Kagome's lawyer that had done this. It would be too easy to track down Kagome using the divorce papers, and her lawyers knew that.

They also knew Kouga had connections, so lying about Kagome's address was the only way to keep Kouga from finding her. That was more than just an annoyance. Hitomi had no idea what she was going to do now.

She thought about calling Kouga for the address of the law office. That address would have to be correct, or the paperwork and other necessities that came with divorce wouldn't be able to be received by the Taisho's. However, it would serve no purpose. Going to a law office and demanding to see one of their clients wouldn't work. They wouldn't tell her anything.

She was not about to call Kouga. He would flip, threaten her, and begin screaming about what she needed to do. Rolling her eyes, Hitomi placed her phone back into her purse and continued walking. It was getting late and she needed a plan.

Kagome was most likely in this city. The Taisho's wouldn't have picked an address too far off, because they wouldn't want to come under suspicion for using a fake address in the first place. In fact, the real address is probably some sort of variation of the fake one. The numbers could have been jumbled, the letters in the street name switched. If she took the time to look over it, she may be able to figure out the truth. By just switching up the name and numbers, the Taisho's would be able to claim a simple error should anyone discover what they did.

Lawyers. They played by the books unless they needed something. Then they were okay with switching things up so they could get what they wanted. She knew all too well how lawyers could be. She had been married to one that eventually became a judge. Those years had been hell.

Hitomi continued to walk, well away from the torn down house now. She would keep looking. Keep searching for her daughter. She had to be somewhere in this area, and with a bit of digging, she would find her.

Pushing through a crowd that was forming at the doors of a strip club, she shook her head in disgust. Vermin. All of them. Thoughts going back to Kagome, Hitomi decided to hail a cab. She would rent a hotel and then see if she could figure out the possible code that was the address given. Something would lead her to her daughter, she just had to give it time.

…

Miroku wiped his hands on his clothing, looking at the scene before him. A lounge couch had been pushed up onto the stage, the projector screen pulled down with the opening screen of a romantic comedy on it. Normally the screen was used to play music videos behind the girls, but sometimes they would have a movie night. Candles were lit, flickering in the darkness of the club, with rose petals scattered over the floor.

He was nervous.

He had promised Kagome a date on her birthday. It had been a week since then and he was finally getting a moment to get everything together. The bar had shut down for the night, and InuYasha and Sesshomaru stayed behind to help Miroku set up.

Kagome was getting dressed in her room. She had no idea what Miroku was planning. He thought about taking her out, but then realized that wasn't what he wanted. Call him selfish, but for their first date, he wanted it to be just the two of them . He just hoped Kagome would be okay with that. "Should I just take her out? I may still be able to get reservations somewhere."

"If you ask that question one more time…" Sesshomaru flicked a rose petal over his shoulder dramatically as he glared at Miroku.

"What woman wouldn't like this? Wouldn't be surprised if you got laid." InuYasha paused for a moment, setting up the food on a picnic table. "Maybe I could do this for Sango. Can I borrow the club one night?"

"Sango would burn it down before she agreed." Miroku rolled his eyes, taking the food from InuYasha and placing it the way he wanted. InuYasha scoffed, standing up. He was tempted to kick everything over if it meant getting his brother to relax.

"She will give in any day now." InuYasha's chest puffed up, then deflated as both Sesshomaru and Miroku stopped what they were doing to raise an eyebrow at him. "Fuck both of you."

"She gets off on saying no to you." Miroku twisted a plate, making sure it was perfect. "You need to show her that she can find just as much enjoyment by saying yes." Before InuYasha could speak, Miroku stopped him. "It's not always about sex. I'm not doing all of this without the expectation that Kagome has sex with me. I actually know that won't happen. I just want to see her happy."

"I bet your balls are like blueberries." InuYasha laughed loudly, grunting as Miroku threw a fork at him.

"It has been awhile for you, Miroku." Sesshomaru smirked, once more teasing Miroku. The youngest of the three grumbled about missing the point, turning back to the dinner that was laid out on the blanket. It was still in packages so it would still be warm for dinner; plates and silverware surrounding it. Two glasses were set out with sparkling cider. He didn't drink, and Kagome never had before. She didn't mention an interest in trying alcohol, so he figured it would be okay.

"Anything else you want us to do before you woo the woman who isn't going to give it up to you." InuYasha dodged the punch that was aimed for his head, laughing as he went to hide behind Sesshomaru. They all understood why Miroku was taking things slow. Kagome had been through a lot, but that didn't mean they weren't going to tease the hell out of him.

"Get out." Miroku pointed to the door, glaring at his brothers. They both left, chuckling as they did. As much as they annoyed him, he wouldn't change anything about it. With a sigh, he checked over everything once more, then turned and made his way to Kagome's room.

He knocked, once more wiping his sweaty palms against his shirt. He didn't understand why he was so nervous, but it was something he would have to push away because the door swung open revealing the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

She wore another little dress, one that had his body heating and his throat closing. She was so attractive, and she had no idea. Her body called to him, and in that moment, he saw blueberries and wanted to kill InuYasha. It had been far too long.

"You are beautiful. As always." Why did his voice have to be so husky? Clearing his throat, he held out his hand, and with a blush she took it. "I hope you don't mind, but when I pictured our first date, I saw just the two of us. Dinner and a movie, but alone."

He led her out of the hallway and to the stage, letting her see what he had set up. She gasped, hand covering her mouth. "I love it. It's perfect, Miroku." She beamed at him, and any nervousness he felt washed away. Just like that with one simple smile.

"Would you care for some dinner?" He motioned to the blanket and helped her to sit down. He may have gone overboard with the food, but he wanted to be sure she had plenty to choose from. He served their food, then sat across from her.

"This is a perfect first date." Kagome chuckled, taking a sip of her sparkling cider. "I've never been on a date at all before this."

"Really?" Miroku was cutting into his steak, looking up at her as he placed a piece in his mouth. Tender and juicy. A lot like Kagome's legs that were peeking out from her dress. Scolding himself, Miroku refused to let his lecherous side come forth.

"Yea. In high school, I wasn't interested in dating. I was focusing on my studies. I got married to Kouga right after I graduated, and well, he wasn't the romantic type." She shrugged, almost unbothered by admitting that. Still, Kouga wasn't someone she wanted to talk about on her first date, so she changed the subject. "How did you do all of this by yourself while I changed?"

Miroku blushed, looking down. "Sesshomaru and InuYasha helped. I came up with the idea, they helped me to set up. I kicked them out before I came to get you." She chuckled, the sound soft and tender.

"I'll have to thank them." She said with a smirk. He relaxed when he realized she wasn't upset that he had help. He didn't know why he had thought she would be in the first place. Dinner continued, and they talked and laughed like they had no care in the world. They somehow managed to eat the dessert he had ordered, and when they were finished, neither one really wanted to move.

Still, Miroku stood, helping Kagome to her feet. He led her to the couch, letting her sit down before he sat himself in the corner. He started the movie, and then drew a blank. It was dark, a romantic comedy playing, and just the two of them. Did he wrap his arm around her? Let her lay on his chest? He wasn't sure what she would be comfortable with, so he took a deep breath and tried to relax.

She knew she was in control of their relationship. They went at her pace, and nothing more. About half an hour into the movie, she leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder. An hour in, and he was laying on his back, with Kagome draped over him as they watched the movie. He was more than happy to hold this woman in his arms. He never wanted her to leave.

A romantic scene come on the movie, the couple kissing and then having sex. It didn't show anything, but anyone who watched knew what was happening. Miroku hadn't seen this movie before and regretted picking it. He didn't want to send the wrong message.

Kagome shocked him more than the scene did. She leaned up, tenderly pressing her lips to his. At first it was soft and quick, her pulling away to run her fingers over his lips tenderly. After a moment, she kissed him again, still slow, but this time with something deeper.