A quick kiss to the lips was the last of the goodbye he was prepared to give before reluctantly leaving her nude in his bed. She'd tried to convince him to stay under the covers with her, the temptress she was, but Inuyasha knew he needed to go in, if only for a half day. The lower lip that jutted out in a pout almost had him a dead ringer but he held his resolve with the promise of coming home later to give her what she wanted. Taking her arms from his neck, he heard that familiar whimper that typically brought down the last of his defenses - not this time.

"When will you be back?" she asked, hands running over his shoulders and down his arms as he remained leaned over her.

"Probably around three," he replied easily, looking over her face, "But the longer you keep me here, the later I'll be," he teased, seeing her frown towards him out of disapproval.

A soft huff of defiance left her, running her hands back up his forearms and down to his wrists a few times as she contemplated his words, "Or you could just not go in," she didn't mean that, not truly. The last thing she wanted was to make him feel like she was always top priority in all aspects of his life, and she knew that he understood it was all in jest.

"Y'know I gotta," he countered before swiftly leaning down, giving her a quick kiss and managing to escape her grip, "I'll be back around three," he stated, seeing her sit up, as if she was preparing to chase him to the door, "Bye, babe."

Bringing her knees to her chest, she rested her elbow on the cap of one before resting her chin in her palm, "I can't believe you're leaving me all on my own," the tone of her voice was exaggerated and clearly put on in a playful manner.

"Yeah, yeah. I think you'll live," he countered, grinning towards her to see her offer him a cheeky smile in return as she stuck her tongue out at him.

Grabbing his bag, he slung it over his shoulder before walking out of the bedroom and down to the front door. Hearing the front door shut, she lay back down onto the bed before rolling onto her side and grabbing her phone. She'd posted another small video of Inuyasha on her instagram story. He was only in the background as she updated her followers on upcoming videos, but seeing him in yet another small snippet had people DMing her for answers. It had been nonstop for the last day or so, but she ignored them as much as she could.

A spiteful part of her had been tempted to post a picture of her in his bed, naked and only covered by his sheets. Those types of thoughts weren't like her, but it was beginning to become frustrating having people giving her negative comments for moving on 'too soon'. A picture like that would have been a giant middle finger to those who left such comments, but she had a feeling that Inuyasha would most likely have a problem with that.

Mischief came to the forefront of her mind as she turned on her phone's camera and aimed it towards herself. Trying different poses and emphasizing different parts of her body by wrapping the sheets in specific ways. Nothing really was shown, just the implication that she was still in bed and very much naked.

She couldn't post it to her social media, but she could send it to someone directly.

[SMS sending to: MechDaddy ?] - 2 attachments (seen ✔️)

[SMS sending to: MechDaddy ?] - just a reminder of what you left behind this morning (seen ✔️)

With a self-satisfied smirk, she figured that he was probably driving and wouldn't see them until he was walking into the shop - wouldn't that be a treat.

Closing her phone, Kagome finally managed to drag herself out of bed to pull on a pair of shorts and tug on one of his shirts. With a yawn, she grabbed an elastic and put her hair up in a messy bun before heading downstairs to grab herself some coffee and something to eat.

As always, Inuyasha had left her fully satisfied but starving.

The rest of her day was spent updating her social media and answering emails, having purposefully brought her laptop with her. A meeting with her managers ended at two o'clock and, right as she was closing the meeting and preparing to go back to her emails, there was a knock on the door.

Brows furrowed in confusion, having been in the middle of taking a sip of her second cold brew of the day. Kagome left it for another moment, thinking perhaps she'd heard things. Yet, when another knock at the door came, she put her coffee down and climbed to her feet, "It must be a package, or something…" she murmured to herself as she made her way to the front door, still dressed as she'd been that morning as she knew that it wouldn't be long until she was back to being completely nude once he came home; the responses to her picture more than confirmation enough.

Getting up on her tiptoes, she peeked through the peephole and did not see what she expected. Instead of a courier dressed in the typical khaki shorts and matching button up, she saw a rather intimidating-looking man standing on the other side of the door.

Dressed in a rather expensive-looking suit, Kagome couldn't see his face, as his height made it so his head was outside of her eyesight. Intrigue and confusion washed over her, unable to keep herself from opening the door.

The instant she'd opened it, she needed to crane her neck upwards to find his face, even with the doorstep giving her a couple of inches to her five foot frame. When she caught his gaze, it felt oddly familiar, the amber hues almost identical to that of her boyfriend's. Her own eyes widened when she saw two distinct blue stripes that framed the man's cheek bones, silver hair pulled into a ponytail.

"Uh," she began, blinking a few times out of confusion before snapping out of it and leaning on the doorframe, "Hello. Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Inuyasha," he stated in a deep baritone that matched his stature rather immaculately.

"He's...not...home," her words slowed as she kept scanning the man's face, finding resemblance after resemblance to the man she had memorized every detail of, "I'm sorry, who are you?"

The mysterious man ignored her question completely, "Do you know when he'll be back?" The way he spoke held so much authority that Kagome couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated.

"In an hour or so. Would you like me to tell him someone stopped by?" Kagome asked, keeping her hand on the door as she continued to lean against the frame.

The expression on the man's face was unreadable, almost like stone as he remained standing on the front steps of his target's home, "You're his…" he trailed, implying for her to continue the statement, once again dodging her question and ignoring it completely.

"His girlfriend. Now, would you care to tell me who you are to him?" There was a little bit more edge to her tone, beginning to feel frustrated with the lack of answers the man was giving her. He had to be Inuyasha's relative in some capacity - their resemblance was too uncanny to not be.

"His father," the man stated bluntly.

Kagome felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Inuyasha had avoided talking about his family, not having mentioned much about them except for his brother (and that was after she practically tore it out of him). And what an introduction on her part, dressed as if she had no intention of 'adulting' that day.

"Wow, what a great way to make a first impression, Kagome."

To see Inuyasha's father in front of her, it had her slightly panic, taking a step back before gesturing for him to come in, "Do you want to come in and wait?"

The man looked down at her, skeptical. Surely Inuyasha wouldn't be too happy he was there, regardless of his eldest son telling him that was what his youngest had requested in an odd, roundabout way.

"He told me he'd rather you just go, if you want his attention," Sesshomaru had stated when Touga had asked him to go check in on his youngest pup. Touga was hardly surprised by that statement and, for once, decided to try and take matters into his own hands.

Stepping through the threshold wordlessly, he scanned the entryway as Kagome stepped aside to let him do so. Closing the door behind her, that age old habit of filling the silence reared its head, "My name's Kagome, by the way."

The man peered over his shoulder towards her, "Touga," he stated simply before looking back ahead and making his way towards the living room. The name struck Kagome with an undeniable sense of familiarity, racking her brain to try and find where it was tucked away.

"Touga Nōnēmu?" Kagome asked, using the last name that Inuyasha had told her was his own.

No name.

A scoff, one Kagome realized mimicked her boyfriend's perfectly, "Is that the surname name he gave you?" Touga inquired as he continued to scan the home his son seemed to have made for himself. The unmistakable scent of union coated every inch of the house and the older daiyoukai pondered on how the term 'like father like son' was so accurate in that regard.

"Yeah," Kagome had always wondered why his last name was so ominous and, to be honest, sad. The realization that it wasn't his actual last name stung her heart, thinking back to how she'd asked him to be honest and more open with her. She would have to talk with him about that later, "Would you like something to drink?"

"No. I won't be staying long once he gets here, I assume," Touga was nothing but honest, perhaps to a fault. Taking a seat in an armchair, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and he continued to take in the decor of his son's home. The stance had Kagome highly amused, seeing where Inuyasha had managed to inherit most of his traits and mannerisms.

"So…" Kagome began, walking over to the living room with cold brew in hand before taking a seat on the couch. Tucking her legs under her, she leaned against the arm of the couch, "If that isn't yours...his surname, what is it?"

"Takahashi."

"Ta...ka...hashi…" it hit her like a tonne of bricks, all of it coming together and realizing just who sat across from her. Eyes went wide with shock as a sense of embarrassment crashed over her. Not only was it her boyfriend's estranged father but also, "You're the Touga Takahashi?" There was a very real possibility that she could have dropped her coffee all over herself, as the man across from her was one of the most well known and wealthiest people in the world, "I didn't even know you had two children."

The founder and CEO of Taisho Incorporated, the company that spearheaded the advancement of computer technology and had been built on for over at least two hundred years - all by the same man's hand. The CEO of one of the largest companies in the world was her boyfriend's father.

And she had no idea.

It was obvious to Kagome that Touga wasn't surprised that she had no idea that he was Inuyasha's father. The young whelp had always tried to separate himself from him in some capacity but never fully. It is because of that small sliver of contact that Touga persisted in becoming closer to his youngest, even though he knew how to get under his father's skin in no time at all.

"Yes. And I do." he replied simply, keeping his attention on the woman who sat across from him on the absent owner's couch, "Kagome, was it?"

Said woman was partially dumbstruck, taking a moment to register his words as she came to terms with the fact that she was in the same room as Touga fucking Takahashi.

"Uhm, yeah. Yeah," she sputtered, a flash of deja vu running through her, "Kagome Higurashi," she added, seeing a brow cock upward, as if he'd heard her name before. It was faint, locked in the back of his mind like it had been nothing but a passing statement, not worthy of being memorized.

"Hm," Touga hummed in thought before narrowing his gaze towards her. He could sense a slight twinge of anxiousness coming from the girl, but otherwise she seemed content with his presence. When the memory didn't come to him, he relaxed some, glancing towards the door for a split second before finding her face, "How long have you and-" he let his hand swivel from one side to the other, gesturing towards her and the door, as if Inuyasha was on the other side of it.

"A few months, but we've known each other for almost a year now. I met him at his shop, 'cause my car kind of just...stopped working," she explained with a slight shrug, "Our first meeting wasn't the greatest," she continued before giving a small pause, debating whether or not to make her next statement. Another beat passed before she couldn't see any harm in it, "Your son can have terrible manners, y'know."

That statement had a wry smirk pull at the youkai's lips while giving a small huff of amusement. Didn't he know it.

"I'm afraid I don't know where that trait came from," Touga deflected rather casually, no defensiveness held in his tone as he wrung his hands together, "Didn't get it from me and certainly not from his mother."

His mother. Inuyasha had never said much about her.

Perhaps it was unfair to try and get some answers from his father, but Kagome had felt so distanced from Inuyasha in that sense. It pained her to be removed from that part of him, but it wasn't fair to pressure him into telling her anything. Though, finding out just who his father was, it made sense why he didn't come out and tell her. It must have been nerve wracking to let people in, unsure if maybe people had the wrong intention of being with him. Kagome had experienced that at the start of her career, when she was starting to get big; fake friends would be rather prevalent and she had to learn how to pick out those types of relationships so they could never start in the first place.

"His mom, he hasn't told me much about her, either," Kagome mused, resting her elbow on the arm of the couch and letting her hand hold her chin, "He's just told me she passed a long time ago."

Now that shocked Touga, eyes widening the most miniscule bit with new knowledge that Inuyasha had gone as far as to not mention his mother to those close to him, "Does she look like you? I mean - is she the same, like -" she was stuttering, finding her first question to be worded poorly and she didn't really know how to properly ask the question, "Demon," she finally managed to say, feeling her cheeks heat up with embarrassment from how she'd just spoken to him.

Touga gave Kagome a quizzical look, head tilting to the side slightly as if waiting for her to correct herself. When that correction didn't come, his face fell into one of melancholy disbelief.

"He hasn't told her?"

The drive to work was simple enough, only hitting a few lights on the way, typical for leaving earlier in the day as he missed morning traffic more often than not. Even beneath his backward cap, his ear twitched at the small sound of vibrations in his cup holder, where he kept his phone while he drove. He didn't even need to look at the phone, knowing Kagome was the one who texted him. Whenever she got needy in the morning, he would often show up at work with a follow up text, innocent in nature. A 'miss you already' or a bunch of hearts was simple, but Inuyasha cherished those texts more than he'd like to admit.

With the car in park, sitting in the back of his shop, Inuyasha grabbed his phone before exiting his car.

Thank the gods he did.

[SMS received from: Babygirl ❤️] - 2 attachments (seen ✔️)

[SMS received from: Babygirl ❤️] - just a reminder of what you left behind this morning (seen ✔️)

The pictures attached to the message had his eyes go wide with awe. That was not what he had expected.

Sitting back against his seat with that same look of disbelief, he had half a mind to save them to his phone so he could revisit them on lonely nights that had them separated for days at a time. Sure, she wasn't completely nude in those photos and nothing too explicit was shown, using the blanket to frame her curves in the most delicious ways. In the first one, he could see the bite mark that he'd left on her left hip; he had no idea if she'd meant to highlight it, but he was glad she had.

Grinning to himself, he wasted no time typing out a response.

[SMS sending to: Babygirl ❤️] - damn, baby. you're killin me. can i save these? (seen ✔️)

Turning off his phone, he pocketed it while grabbing his bag and climbing out of the car. Greeted by no one (just how he liked it), he opened the shop and walked in, disarming the security system before heading straight to his office.

Going through his schedule, he organized his day before slipping on his jumper and doing the same as he always did by tying the sleeves around his waist, leaving him in a tank top. There was no point in putting the jumper on completely, it was always too hot for him, no matter the weather.

The vibration against his leg had him pulling his phone out, he opened the text message notification to see her response.

[SMS received from: Babygirl ❤️] - why save them when you could have the real thing if you stayed? (seen ✔️)

She was being feisty, as she sometimes got when she was riled up for whatever reason. Sometimes it was absolutely his doing, but sometimes, like that morning, she seemed to have done it to herself.

[SMS sending to: Babygirl ❤️] - i want both (seen ✔️)

[SMS received from: Babygirl ❤️] - that's greedy, babe (seen ✔️)

[SMS sending to: Babygirl ❤️] - so you're sayin i can't save em? (seen ✔️)

[SMS received from: Babygirl ❤️] - why do you wanna save them anyways? (seen ✔️)

[SMS sending to: Babygirl ❤️] - i like them (seen ✔️)

That back and forth happened throughout the day, with an hour or so in between each response. Inuyasha knew she was busy that day, especially when it came close to the time he was getting ready to go home. So, when he got no response around that time, it wasn't shocking to him.

By the time two thirty rolled around, Inuyasha began wrapping up his day, having gotten through most of his list, he felt good leaving when he did. The day had gone by much quicker than normal, having been more interactive with his staff than normal. Now, he wasn't a bad boss by any means, perhaps rough around the edges, but he was always there to praise when it was relevant. He'd grown close to a couple members of his staff, but still kept them at arm's length, as he did with most people.

Stripping off his jumper, he draped it over his office chair before pulling on his hoodie and heading out to his car.

A wave of deja vu hit him as he turned the corner and drove towards his home. It wasn't the same car, but Inuyasha knew what the matte black BMW in his driveway meant. Panic overtook him then, frantically pulling into the driveway with a terrifying realization.

Sesshomaru was in his home with Kagome, alone.

"You have got to be fuckin' kidding me!" he shouted to himself as he parked his car beside the one that had taken home closest to the front door, "Why the fuck would she let him in?!" a lower growl this time, moreso to himself as he opened the car door and stepped out.

That's when it hit him. That wasn't Sesshomaru's scent. It was worse.

Walking to the front door he stopped just before opening it, hand on the knob as he made the attempt of taking in a calming breath. With his jaw clenched enough to bring a slight pain to his gums, he closed his eyes and could hear the muffled words of Kagome on the other side of the door.

Wait.

They were having a conversation.

Fuck.

Putting his key in the lock, he heard the familiar click before turning the knob and stepping inside.

"Does she look like you? I mean, is she the same, like...demon?"

Before Touga could answer, he heard the sound of an engine pulling into the driveway and felt the raging heat of his son's demonic aura coming closer to the door.

"He's back," the youkai spoke easily, casually, despite knowing that it would devolve rather quickly once Inuyasha made his official entrance.

Kagome peered over her shoulder towards the door, hearing the jingling of keys followed by the click of the lock and turn of the knob. Hearing the footsteps that made their way towards them, she knew she'd made a mistake of allowing the other man inside. Walking through the threshold, both Kagome and Touga could see the confusion, fear and absolute rage that seemed seared into his expression.

A suffocating silence fell between all parties, Inuyasha staring down his father with many unspoken questions, but only one left his lips, "What the fuck are you doing here?" The hanyou's heart was pounding in his chest, anxiety climbing up his spine at the thought of him somehow telling her what he was.

"You left rather abruptly last time we saw each other, didn't give me a chance to explain," it was the most that she'd heard Touga speak since he'd entered the house. Watching the older demon climb to his feet, he seemed to try and stare down Inuyasha into a sense of submission. Kagome let her attention fall back to her boyfriend, seeing him holding a rather defensive stance: arms folded over his chest, feet hip width apart and spine straight.

The look Inuyasha gave Kagome stole the breath from her, seeing a sense of betrayal laced within every other emotion he held in that moment.

"Don't be angry with her," Touga defended, staring down his son and forcing Inuyasha to meet his gaze once again, "She didn't know."

Kagome climbed to her feet then, prepared to make an attempt at comforting Inuyasha by walking around the couch and making her way towards him. That same betrayal in his gaze flitted towards her and she stopped in her tracks, matching his gaze with the most sincere apology she could muster.

"Kagome," his tone was almost emotionless as he addressed her, keeping that same energy as he continued, "Go upstairs."

"Inuyasha, I-"

"We'll talk after," he replied, showing more anger in his voice thereafter, his next words pointed and curt, "Now go. Upstairs."

Doing as she was told, she urgently walked past him, not taking a moment to look his way as she made her way up to his bedroom.

Guilt gnawed at her, leaving her heart raw and stomach filled with rocks as she sat on his bed, knees pulled to her chest in the attempt to self-soothe. It didn't occur to her that his relationship with his father was that bad, that he was hiding who his father was due to his status and wealth. Yet, she'd only thought that after Touga had been let in and she found out who he was. Before that, she figured it was fine - it was his father, afterall.

But then another piece of her was hurt and wounded at the fact that, again, he hadn't told her anything about himself. He'd said he'd try, but that was starting to not become good enough for her. It was unfair for her to be the only one so vulnerable and him so unbelievably guarded that he knew nothing about his family.

"I'm so stupid," she whimpered to herself as she rested her chin atop her knees.

With Kagome upstairs, the hanyou pulled in a deep breath, closing his eyes before releasing it with a low growl as his eyes opened, "You have some nerve showin' up at my house."

"Would you rather I sent your brother? He told me you'd rather I make my own appearance," Touga countered, taking a few steps towards his youngest pup until they were a few feet from one another. Amber hues of the younger man narrowed out of pure frustration and burrowed rage.

Letting a silence fall over them for a moment or two, Touga lowered his voice, the tone of it even softening, in the attempt to keep it between them, "You haven't told her?" The question didn't need to be elaborated on, Inuyasha knew exactly what his father was asking about. Kagome didn't know his mother was human, that he has a hanyou.

It boiled deep in his blood, that question having his lips curling to a snarl as he spoke through gritted teeth, "Shut up."

"She should know," Touga countered, head tilting as his eyes gave his son a sense of threat, as empty as it was.

"Did you come all the way here to try and give me relationship advice?" A venomous scoff, mocking and resentful in nature as he turned his head away from the man who sired him, "That's pretty fuckin' rich, comin' from you."

Quelling the rising frustration in his chest, Touga closed his eyes and pursed his lips for a moment showing great composure despite his dissolving restraint, "I already told you why I'm here."

The younger of the two turned his attention back to his father, gaze narrowed and skeptical while he spoke with a healthy dose of cynicism, "I don't know what you think you can say this time to change my mind but sure old man. Tell me. What were you trying to say back in your office last time we met?"

Touga moved to sit on the back of the couch, one leg straight while the other bent to make his stance more comfortable, "You were correct in me wanting to your shop-"

Inuyasha's lips pursed, nostrils flaring as he shook his head and released a hot breath through his nose out of waning patience.

"But I want to buy it from you, not take it from you," he continued, seeing his youngest pup turn his attention towards him with a side glance as if to give the slightest hint that he was listening and inviting him to continue, "And yes, I want you to work for me, Inuyasha. From what I've seen, you know how to run a business well and want to see that talent grow to its full potential."

Inuyasha's gaze narrowed once again, quick to respond aggressively, "You honestly think I wanna work for you? I don't do corporate bullshit. It's for stuck up, pompous drones that sit at desks all day and have zero personality. Just look at Sesshomaru."

It took everything in Touga not to laugh, allowing the smallest of smirks to tug at the corner of his lips. Sesshomaru inherited more of his mother's traits than his own which included a rather muted expression and range of emotion, "Besides," Inuyasha's voice caught his father's attention once again, "If you hired me, everyone would know who I was, or would you get me to sign an NDA to keep my mouth shut?" The last words were spoken venomously, challenging his father to give the honest answer.

"They already know who you are," Touga stated cooly, causing Inuyasha to stiffen some, head pulled back in shock and confusion, "Well, some do."

Too good to be true.

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha's head followed them and ended with his gaze finding a wall, "Figures," he murmured in a way that was meant to be just to himself but knew his father would be able to hear.

"Things have changed," Touga began, straightening himself and mirroring his son's stance by folding his arms across his chest. Out of both sons, Inuyasha resembled Touga the most, not just in appearance, but in mannerisms and character, "There is no longer a need to protect you."

Snapping his attention back to his father, Inuyasha held nothing but the weight of angry skepticism, "Oh yeah? And what happens when the word gets out that you've had a bastard son this whole time? Huh? What then?"

"I care not for the pettiness of gossip, that has never been my reasoning of keeping you hidden," Touga's voice held a genuine earnesty, keeping his gaze much softer than the last time the two had been face to face, "My reputation is built on my work, not my personal life."

The offer in front of him was slightly tempting, stil Inuyasha remained guarded even as he began to lose himself in thought. Seventy years of living in the shadows, hidden and kept as some sort of skeleton in a closet, it weighed on him heavily. Even though what his father was offering him was something he'd wanted, there was still too much resentment in him to give in and agree point-blank.

"And if I refuse? Everything stays the same and I'm kept in the dark," it was more of a statement initially posed as a question, lip still slightly curled and brows furrowed in defensiveness.

"No. Regardless of your decision, I don't care to carry on our relationship as it is. I know what I did hurt you-"

"That's an understatement," Inuyasha interjected, only to hear the low rumble of his father's irritation bubbling in his chest.

"Your mother would not want to see us like this," Touga snapped, mirroring his son's curled lip of annoyance.

Any warmth that may have threatened to have seeped through was turned to ice as Inuyasha's anger flared at the mention of the woman that raised him and that his father had left behind, "Don't use my mother as a sympathy card!" The volume of his voice had risen at that, Inuyasha seeing his father struggle to reign in his own irritation.

"The offer is there, Inuyasha. You can take it whenever you like."

"Don't hold your breath."

It was with that, that Touga felt it was best to take his leave, walking towards his son with the intent to simply carry on through the door. Yet, when he reached his son's side, he simply spoke, head still looking forward, "You need to tell her."

The response he got was a low growl, obviously encouraging Touga to leave.

"See you soon, son," Touga murmured before making his way to the front door, opening it and letting himself out. That left Inuyasha standing in his living room, reminded that his girlfriend had been upstairs throughout that entire time. There was irrational anger towards her, too, for letting him into his house without permission, for showing the man any sort of decency. His father didn't deserve that, especially from Kagome.

Turning, he let his arms fall to his sides as he made his way upstairs to his bedroom. She'd closed the door, having him turn the knob to open it. Seeing her on his bed, hugging her knees with one arm as the other scrolled through her phone, it was obvious that it was an attempt at a distraction from whatever had been happening downstairs.

Hearing the door open, she lifted her head to meet his gaze and placed her phone on the bedside table. A stifling silence fell over them, Inuyasha seemingly staring her down as if asking for an apology. For some reason, it infuriated Kagome, igniting the feeling of betrayal within herself for not telling her anything about his family.

"You didn't tell me," Kagome stated bluntly, looking at him with a sense of hurt, "You didn't tell me anything-" she paused before shrugging, "Again," the volume of her voice lifted then, holding more conviction and confidence.

That tone of voice tugged at the last nerve he had in his brain, feeling as though he was owed an apology from her, "You invited him into my house!" It was more of a bark than anything else, "Without me here! Had a fuckin' conversation with him! What? You tryin' to get some dirt on me or something?"

Her knees relaxed then, legs moving to a more natural potion before moving to climb off the bed and onto her feet, "Wh-" she was speechless and enraged at that point. Her face contorted as if his words had been complete gibberish, eyes closing as she shook her head, "Do you hear yourself right now?!" she countered, distress showing through slight cracks in her voice, "Getting dirt on you? Is that really what you think I was doing?!"

"Why else would you bother talkin' to him!?"

He was being completely irrational, emotions getting the better of him and blinding him from the fact that Kagome was right. He'd told her nothing and, if he had, this could have been avoided. Even still, he didn't want to place the blame on himself, he felt he didn't deserve that after what he's been put through, but he should have known better than to project that onto Kagome, the absolute last person who deserved any of it.

"Because he's your dad, Inuyasha! I figured it was polite to invite him in! How was I supposed to know what your relationship with him is like?! I should be the one pissed! In fact, I am pissed!" she spat, "Your dad is one of the most well known, wealthiest people on the planet and you didn't tell me?!"

"Oh! Maybe the fact that I didn't want to tell you jack shit about 'im! That should have been a fuckin' red flag right there! Fuck sakes, Kagome! Why can't you jus-" she interrupted him mid-sentence to combat his point with one of her own, "What difference does it make?!

"It doesn't but it's the principle of the matter! You don't let me in!" the last few words were spoken through a cracked throaty sound, frustrated, hurt and insulted at the fact that he kept her in the dark, only to turn around and use it against her, "It's not fair!"

"Not fair?!" he countered, staring her down as he took a step towards her, fists clenched at his sides, "What's not fair is coming home to my girlfriend trying to pry information from my dad, in my house, without my permission!" His own voice was beginning to hold grit, teeth bared and face contorted, morphed into all things angry.

"I was only asking him things that you should have told me already! Because you never tell me anything!" They were going on circles at that point, Inuyasha obviously not fully grasping the concept; at least, in Kagome's perspective he wasn't. A pause fell between them, Kagome noticing that he was about to start up again and stopping him in his tracks, "I just want to know more about you, is that so wrong?!"

Whatever fight he had in him had been slightly doused by her question, though his stance remained on the offense as his mind began to reel. No. It wasn't wrong for her to want to know more, but what was wrong was what she would find out about him. She'd come to realize that he didn't deserve her, that he never deserved to have anyone and the fact that she'd stayed as long as she had was a miracle.

Kagome could see some of his anger waver, taking a few steps towards him with that same hurt etched into her features. "I told you that you needed to be more open with me," she was much softer in tone with those words.

"I said I'd try," he reminded her, finding a way to opt out of what she was trying to convince him of. His tone matched hers, though still holding a remaining semblance of grit within it to tell her that he was still angry.

"And have you?" another step was taken towards him, needing to crane her neck back to look up at him. He hated the way she looked at him, with her eyes wide and filled with emotions that he never wanted to be the cause of. The only thing he ever wanted to bring her was light and life, not darkness and shadow.

Pursing his lips in thought, he stared down at her with a softened gaze, though still rather apprehensive.

"Have you tried?" Kagome repeated, feeling as though he was on the edge of talking but refrained; she hoped a little coaxing would get him to open up.

"Yeah," he stated earnestly, though he was still rather defensive in his delivery. That was all he gave her - no elaboration or explanation.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Kagome crossed her arms in front of her chest and averted her gaze from him. She didn't know where to go from there, how to move forward. Yes, he said he tried and, at some capacity, that helped ease some of her anxiousness, but finding out about his life through someone else was difficult for her to swallow.

"Kagome," she didn't give him the satisfaction for turning towards him as he said her name, causing Inuyasha to give a slightly vocal sigh. How could he be so selfish to try and keep her around when he knew he couldn't give her what she wanted? He wasn't vulnerable, walls so impenetrable that not even his ex had managed to break through - and he thought she was the one who would.

Yet, Kagome had her grip on his heart so tightly that he was scared it would stop beating if she let go and, to an extent, it terrified him.

"I-" he tried again, letting his own gaze cast downward to the ground, "I don't know when I'll be able to give you what you want from me," his own arms crossed over his chest then, "And I don't know how long you're willing to wait for it to happen-"

"As long as you need me to," she interrupted, Inuyasha lifting his gaze to see hers staring back at him, "I just want you to show me that you're trying. I don't know what that looks like."

Inuyasha stopped, racking his brain for some sort of answer. He didn't have words to provide an actual explanation, but he figured what he said next was the closest thing he had, "He wants to buy my shop and have me work for him."

At first, Kagome was confused by the statement, brows furrowed to mirror how she felt until it clicked; he was showing her what it looked like to try. Her expression softened then, managing to take one more step so she was less than a foot away from him, "Yeah? And what did you say to that?"

"Told him to get lost."

Relaxing his arms, he let them fall to his sides before gingerly reaching out and wrapping one around her waist. He half expected her to pull away but was instead rewarded by her wrapping her own arms around his neck. One of her gentle, warm smiles touched her face for the first time that day, a smile he was afraid of losing, "Thank you," she murmured, letting her eyes glance over his features.

Why was she thanking him? If anything, he should have been thanking her for not leaving, for not packing up and walking out on him. He didn't know how to handle his emotions, when Kagome seemed to be the master of hers.

Letting her hands unwrap from his neck, she ran her hands down the front of his chest before gently patting one of his pecs, "I think I'm gonna go home," her tone was low and matter of fact, making Inuyasha tense.

"What? Why?" Panic. He was panicking. What did that mean? Kagome could see that panic as clear as day, pushing up on her tiptoes to press a peck against his lips in the attempt to calm him.

"We're both pretty riled up, I think it's best for us to just...calm down on our own for a bit."

On their own? That panic remained lurking beneath the surface of his seemingly new calm demeanour. They never went off on their own afterward, just the opposite. They would come together in truest sense of the word; sometimes he was sure Kagome picked a fight with him just so he'd be riled up enough to fuck her as hard as she needed it.

For that not to happen, it was uncharted waters and he didn't really know how to react.

Pulling from his grip, he let his arms fall to his sides, "I'm gunna get changed and head out, alright?" Kagome added, giving him a reassuring smile before seeing him nod. It was similar to that of a child being scolded by their mother, like they'd been told that their parent 'wasn't made, just disappointed'. Something told her that this was new to him, that maybe taking a step back and giving space meant the inevitable in his mind.

Meeting her at the front door, he watched as she perched the strap of her large tote bag on her shoulder. Tension had been lingering between them the entire time she was getting dressed, with Inuyasha hiding in the kitchen while nursing a beer as she did so. It was only when she called him to the front door that he met her there.

Opening the door for her, she stepped through the threshold, only to hurt towards him with that familiar reassurance in the smile she gave him, "I'll call you later," she was confident in her statement, seeing that familiar apprehension, regardless of the nod he gave. Lifting a hand, she cupped his cheek, pushing up on her toes to give him a proper kiss. Languid and affectionate, Inuyasha wanted to deepen it, to prove to her that she didn't need to go home. This all scared him tremendously. What if she didn't call?

No. He trusted her more than that.

Feeling her pull away, his head followed her in an attempt to chase the taste of her. When she was out of his reach, she dropped her hand from his cheek, "Bye, babe," she murmured, catching his gaze through half-open lids.

"Bye, baby," he breathed, heart quelled by the pet name she gave him.

With that, Kagome turned and made her way to her car, unlocking it on the way there. Inuyasha remained in the doorway, watching as she climbed in and drove down the street.

When she was out of sight, he pushed himself from the door frame and turned to head inside, closing and locking the door behind him. A part of his told him he shouldn't be surprised by how she reacted, that he deserved it. That same part told him what he was afraid to give into the reality of.

He didn't deserve her.