As always, thanks to everyone for their kinds comments and reviews. Can't tell you how nice it is to read those when I'm having a rough day ;-)
So, here's chapter 19. When we last left our not-quite-yet-official couple, our heroine had taken a step—thank god—toward more official-ness.

Quotes:

"Soon she would learn—just as he had—that there was no outrunning the demons of one's own creation."
–Susan Dennard, Windwitch

"Alone. It's one of those small words that means entirely too much. Like fear. Or trust."
–Jim Butcher, Fool Moon

When Kagome kissed him, Rikuo froze. It was as if the shock of her doing so caused some integral piece of mental machinery to slip, and the entire mechanism ceased to function. Or maybe there was simply too much racing through his mind, to the point that it had overloaded the circuitry.

But when her hands left his collar and she started to step back, Rikuo finally snapped out of his daze. He wrapped one arm around her waist and yanked her tight against him, kissing her hard. She let out a startled gasp that shifted to a low moan as he ran a hand over the curve of her hip, and he took advantage of her parted lips to deepen the kiss. Kagome lifted onto her tiptoes and looped her arms around his neck, kissing him back with equal fervor.

When they finally separated, both breathless, he cupped her face and rested his forehead to hers.

"You know," Kagome said teasingly, "for a second you had me worried."

He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before straightening. "Oh?"

One side of her mouth quirked up. "Well, yeah. Not exactly good for a girl's ego when the guy she kisses goes completely stiff." Her cheeks flushed scarlet, and she covered her face with one hand. "Um…that…came out wrong."

Though her unintended meaning wasn't too far off base, Rikuo laughed. "I think I know what you meant. Sorry, blue eyes. You caught me off guard."

Kagome separated her fingers to peek at him. "In a good or bad way?"

You have no idea what you do to me, do you? "Good, definitely good."

She removed her hand and smiled warmly. They were both silent for a moment, as if neither quite knew what to say. Then, in tandem, they both spoke.

"So, uh…"

"Well…"

They each paused, waiting for the other to finish, and after another second of silence, Kagome laughed. "Oh, just kiss me again, will you?"

Rikuo grinned and complied. Who was he to deny the request of a beautiful woman? No, not just any beautiful woman. This woman.

She fisted one hand in his shirt and threaded the other through his hair, and he couldn't contain a groan. He might not like other people touching his hair, but Kagome could any time she wanted to. She tasted minty sweet, likely from the gum she'd been chewing, and all he could think was that he had been correct earlier in the week—she was going to be the death of him.

Rikuo reluctantly drew on every ounce of his self-control to pull away, clearing his throat. "We keep this up, your neighbors are gonna talk…"

Kagome sighed. "I guess you're right…" Then she yawned widely, slapping a hand over her mouth afterward and blushing again. "Sorry…it's been a long day."

He stifled a yawn of his own, nodding. "Agreed. We still on for tomorrow? Dinner, pick you up around sixish?"

Something unidentifiable flickered in her eyes before she replied. "Yep! Looking forward to it."

"Perfect. All right, well…I'll see you tomorrow then."

He gave her one last kiss, keeping it short lest he give in to temptation, and turned to leave.

"Ne, Rikuo?" Her hand clasped his suddenly, and he looked over his shoulder. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?"

Kagome hesitated, and when she spoke, her voice was small, timid. "Do you believe in time travel?"

Huh? That's…kind of random… However random, though, he could tell by her tone and the way she watched him carefully that his response mattered. So instead of teasing her about such a strange, out-of-the-blue question, he genuinely thought it over for a moment and answered seriously. "Honestly? I've never really given it much thought. But considering all that I've experienced in my life, at this point, I'd be stupid to completely deny the possibility."

The brittle smile she gave him made his chest ache. "That's…that's good. Really, really good."

Both the question and her reaction confused the hell out of him. "Why do you ask?"

Her eyes didn't meet his when she answered. "No reason. Sorry. Anyway, thanks for bringing me home."

A strange question and another evasion. He quelled the desire to ask for clarification, figuring she'd explain when she was ready. So he simply grinned and gave her hand a quick squeeze. "Of course. Anything for you."

She shook her head a little at that, then released him and waved before disappearing into her apartment. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he headed toward Ukiyoe town, well aware of the goofy grin he couldn't keep off his face. Never thought she'd kiss me first. I have a feeling she's going to keep me on my toes.

Her impromptu question still puzzled him, but he was too tired to consider all the potential reasons she would have asked. I'll have to remember to ask her tomorrow…

Back at the clan house, Rikuo chatted with a few clan members briefly before making his way to his room, yawning and looking forward to some uninterrupted sleep. Just as he grasped his door to slide it open, a disembodied voice spoke, spooking him.

"So, how's your miko?"

Seemingly out of nowhere, his grandfather was standing next to him. He probably did that intentionally…

Rikuo turned to face Nurarihyon, crossing his arms. "Fine. But, seriously, old man, going to the cat sanctuary just to meet her?"

Nurarihyon pressed a hand to his chest, affecting innocence. "What do you mean? I went to see the cat sanctuary because I hadn't been there yet. I had completely forgotten she worked there till I arrived."

Rikuo tilted his head to one side. "Come on…that doddering old fool act isn't going to work on me. I know damn well you're not getting senile."

Nurarihyon shrugged and then grinned. "She is quite good-looking, spunky too. I can see why you like her." He pulled a bottle of sake out of his kimono sleeve. "Have a drink with me?"

So much for going straight to sleep… Ah well, no matter. The sake might help him sleep anyway. "Sure, why not?"

They sat on the engawa outside Rikuo's room, and after taking a couple sips of his sake, Rikuo sighed and shoved a hand through his hair. "I can't explain it, jiji. I know I haven't known her for all that long, but there's just something about her… It's like…like I'm…" He trailed off, grasping for the words.

"Like you're intoxicated by her? Maddeningly so?" Nurarihyon's tone held no trace of teasing, and his expression was serious.

Rikuo's eyes widened. "Yes…actually, that's a pretty accurate description."

"And more than anything, you want to make her happy?"

"Yes…" Where's he going with this?

His grandfather suddenly barked a laugh, reaching over to ruffle Rikuo's hair affectionately, disregarding the scowl he received in return. "Oh, my kawaii grandson. Not sure whether to congratulate you or offer condolences, but it looks like you're going to follow me and your father once again. Truthfully, being the Third Heir is probably an easier task…"

"Thanks. I think." Rikuo gave him a half smile. "So…you're okay with this? I mean, she's a miko…"

Nurarihyon rubbed his chin. "I already told you—if she turns out to be a threat, we'll handle it. But, hmm, well, I won't lie. You'll probably run into a bit of opposition over it. But hell, I did too with your grandmother." He grinned. "Setsura was pissed."

"How would you know? Setsura's always pissy. Truth be told, I'm pretty thankful Tsurara's not much like her mother. Anyway, Kagome… Let's not put the cart before the horse. I don't even know how she feels. No point in borrowing trouble."

His grandfather narrowed his eyes. "She involved with someone else?"

"Not that I know of…" It occurred to Rikuo that he didn't know, and the thought sat uncomfortably with him. Surely she wouldn't have kissed me if she was…

"Well, even if she is, it's not like they'll be much competition," Nurarihyon said, smirking. "After all, who's gonna top the Lord of Pandemonium?"

Rikuo snorted. A valid point, but… "Dial it down, jiji. I don't even know if there is competition." But he seriously hoped there wasn't. We should probably talk about that…

The two men drank their sake in silence for several moments, and then Nurarihyon hummed softly, stroking his chin again thoughtfully. "You know… Something about your miko seems oddly familiar."

"Oh?"

"It's not her face—I haven't met her before. And not her reiki either… I can't quite put my finger on it though… I don't know…"

"Yare, yare…I take what I said earlier back." Rikuo grinned. "Maybe you are getting senile."

"Oi!" Nurarihyon cuffed the back of Rikuo's head. "Respect your elder and pour me some sake. Tell me, how was Tōno?"

At some point during their conversation, Tsurara joined them, and once his grandfather wandered off to do gods-only-knows what, he and Tsurara sat in companionable silence. That being said, Rikuo didn't miss the looks she kept sneaking at him.

"Oi, Tsurara. You okay?"

Her golden eyes went wide. "Yes, fine!" It came out in a rush and higher pitched than he figured she had intended.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Look, if there's something on your mind, just tell me."

She flushed slightly and covered her mouth with the sleeve of her kimono. He waited patiently, and finally she mumbled, "Anou…" She lowered her arm, but began fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve in her lap. "You seem more like yourself than you have been in a while, happier too, and of course that makes me happy, but I'm also worried…"

"Worried? About what Ryūji and I are investigating?"

"No. The miko."

Oh. No wonder she didn't know how to bring it up. He held in a sigh. He'd known someone would broach the subject eventually. In some ways, he was relieved it was Tsurara.

"Are you sure that it's a good idea, Rikuo-sama? That she's safe?"

Rikuo smiled. "I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'a good idea,' but no, I'm not concerned about the fact that she's a miko. I trust her."

"It still worries me…" Tsurara said doubtfully. Then she returned his smile and added, "But I will trust you if you say she's safe, Rikuo-sama."

He knew she would too, for her faith in him had always been unshakeable, though at times he wasn't certain what he had done to warrant such unyielding loyalty. "Hey, if that allays your concerns, then trust in me. But I assure you—Kagome is not a threat to the Nura clan."

To his surprise, however, her eyebrows furrowed at his statement. "And to you?"

He laughed lightly. "What, are you asking if she's a threat to me? Tsurara…" He tsked. "You don't have to protect me anymore, you know."

"I will always try to protect you," she said crossly. "It is my duty as your attendant, a member of your hyakki yakō"—she held up a hand as he started to protest—"and as your friend."

Well, damn. When she puts it like that… "Aw, hell, Tsurara," he said, scratching his cheek. "How'm I supposed to argue with that?" He didn't have to add, "when I feel the same way about you."

"You're not!" she replied, her expression brightening. "So…I heard from Zen-san that you won a bet with Itaku… What're you planning on asking him for?"

Apparently gossip about their Sandaime travels fast… Nosy bunch, the whole lot of them. "Can you keep it a secret for now?" At her nod, he grinned. "Taking Kagome to Tōno."

"Ehhhhh? The miko? To Tōno? But, Rikuo-sama, why?"

"Because…" He thought of what his grandfather had mentioned earlier and shrugged. "I think it'll make her happy."

Sunday

The arrow hit the target with a light thwack, but Kagome sighed. Her aim was off today.

Maybe because you're thinking too much about last night and not concentrating?

She rolled her shoulders and tilted her head from side to side, trying to work some of the tension out. She had hoped the repetitive motions of practicing her archery would help her relax, take her mind off of things. Instead, her mind kept wandering and her practice was suffering as a result.

Heaving another sigh of frustration when the next arrow missed the target entirely, Kagome flopped onto the ground, lying on her back, staring at the clouds scattered across the sky. Might as well face what was on her mind instead of trying to avoid it.

Which are you avoiding? The part where you kissed him? Or the part where you randomly asked him about time travel without any context? So much for reassuring him you weren't drunk. Can't you do anything right? Arghhhh… She hadn't been that drunk—just her already poor impulse control emboldened by the alcohol, the drinks affording her a little liquid courage. But it wasn't like she had done something she didn't already want to do. Or ask, but still…

Her stomach tensed and knotted, and restless energy prickled throughout her limbs. What must he think of her? Hell, never mind that. What had she been thinking? You have no clue how he'll react when you tell him the truth about yourself, yet you go and do something ridiculous like kissing him. What did you get yourself into? You know full well if he reacts poorly, it'll hurt that much more. Way to go, moron.

She sighed. She hadn't been thinking; that was the whole problem. She'd just acted, done what she wanted to do without considering the consequences. And damn if it hadn't felt good too. Not kissing him—though, yes, that had been fantastic—but doing something without agonizing over the decision for days and days on end, without weighing every single detail against the worst possible outcome and determining whether it was worth it. But as was too often the case when she acted impulsively, her anxiety was more than happy to berate her and list practically infinite reasons why whatever she'd done was the end of the world.

What if he didn't believe her? Being open to the idea of time travel in theory was one thing; believing it when someone claimed they had done it was quite another. He's liable to think you're nuts. I mean, come on, of all the things to try to convince him of, not only time travel, but also being the shikon miko? Talk about your delusions of grandeur.

And what if he told Natsumi, or worse, the entirety of his clan how insane she was? She'd lose him, likely her job, the yokai in her life, maybe even her friendship with Natsumi.

But then again, what if he did believe her? The thought sent warmth rushing through her, but at the same time, it had her heart clenching painfully. What if he did believe her, and she pursued whatever this was between them? What then?

She rubbed the heel of her palm against the ache in her chest, exhaling slowly, mindfully, against the panicky feeling that arose with old insecurities. What if she got hurt again?

Will he leave me for someone else? What if he's not interested in something serious? Hell, do I even want something serious?

Stupid question.

Okay, but even if I do, that doesn't mean he does. For all I know, he's seeing other people. And if he's not…what if… What if…

Kagome sighed and sat up. The what-if game was pointless. She had to do it. She had to tell him, and she had to trust that he would believe her, or at least hear her out. She owed Rikuo that much—he'd never given her any indication he wasn't trustworthy. Plus, if he did want a serious relationship with her, she wouldn't want one built on falsehoods.

Besides, if he thinks I'm batshit crazy, well, I'd already resigned myself to an eternity—or however long I'll live—alone. Mulling this over again and again repeatedly serves no purpose.

Kagome massaged her temples, willing the self-doubt away. She would see him today, and she would tell him today, before she lost her nerve. Period.

An idea came to mind, and she snatched her phone up off the ground. An unanswered text from Natsumi momentarily distracted her.

Natsumi: Rumor has it Rikuo-kun was in a really good mood when he got home last night…know anything about that? wink wink nudge nudge

Kagome normally would have laughed, but at present, she was a bit too nervous. She'd reply to Natsumi in a second, but first… She licked her lips, trying to draw moisture to her abruptly dry mouth, and took several deep breaths. "Okay, Kagome. You got this. Trust your instincts…you can trust him… It's going to be okay." She thought about the dream she'd had, what Inuyasha had said then, what her mom had said after.

Not to mention you kissed him. And, damnit, don't forget—curse or no curse, you're the shikon miko. Compared to all you faced back then, this is small fry.

Heart pounding, she sent a quick text to Rikuo.

Kagome: Hey! I know we talked about going out to dinner, but would you mind coming over to my apartment instead? maybe sometime this afternoon? I need to talk to you about something important.

There. Done. Fuck you, anxiety.

Rikuo was sitting outside with Kubinashi, catching up on things that had happened while he was in Tōno when the sound of a text notification drew his attention to his phone. Kagome? Once he read the text, his stomach flip-flopped in his gut. "I need to talk to you about something important." What the hell does that mean?

Kubinashi leaned over and, after reading the message, let out a low whistle. "Ouch. In my experience with women, 'we need to talk' is never a good sign."

"She didn't say 'we need to talk.'" When Kubinashi rolled his eyes, Rikuo conceded. "I know, I know. Close enough."

"Who said 'we need to talk'?"

Rikuo glanced up to see his mom and Tsurara coming toward them, arms full of clean laundry. "Kagome. And she didn't say that exactly… She said, 'I need to talk to you about something important.'"

His mom pursed her lips briefly before giving him a sunny smile. "I'm sure it's nothing, dear." She patted him on the shoulder. "Here, I can take the laundry, Tsurara. Thank you."

Wakana started to leave and then stopped. "My advice to you, Rikuo, is listen. Actually listen, not think about how you're going to fix whatever it is you've done wrong." Then she was gone around the corner, leaving her son gaping like a fish and Kubinashi snickering.

"Who said I did anything wrong?"

Tsurara sat next to him, smiling encouragingly. "I'm sure you didn't, Rikuo-sama." A pause. "Demo… If there's a chance that you did…" Another pause. "Wakana-sama is right."

Rikuo spread his arms wide, palms up. "Damnit, I didn't do anything wrong!"

A voice came from behind him. "Kid, the sooner you learn that as men, we do everything wrong, the better off you'll be." His grandfather grinned.

Tsurara bristled, and the air surrounding them dropped several degrees. "I think that's a rather broad generalization, sōdaishō. You make it sound as if we're never happy." She leveled her gaze at Rikuo. "Don't worry too much, Rikuo-sama. If you say you did nothing wrong, then I believe you. But in the event you did, then I have no doubt that you are more than capable of apologizing and making the necessary amends." She stood and brushed off her kimono. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" Without waiting for anyone to reply, she strode off in the direction Wakana had gone.

The three men stared after Tsurara for a moment, and then Nurarihyon started laughing.

"Oi, Rikuo. What was it you said last night about her not being like Setsura?"

"Oh, I think Rikuo-sama's right about that," Kubinashi said, chuckling. "You wouldn't have gotten off so easily with Setsura. She'd have turned you into a popsicle."

His grandfather sat down with them, and while he and Kubinashi talked about nothing of great import, Rikuo replied to Kagome.

Rikuo: Sure, that's fine. What time?
Kagome: Maybe 3 or 3:30ish? You sure you don't mind?

How can I mind when I have no idea what's going on?

Rikuo: of course I don't mind. but… should I be worried?

He frowned and erased the text, revising it.

Rikuo: of course I don't mind. looking forward to seeing you

Whether she tells me that I shouldn't be worried or not…I'll still be worried.

While Kagome was subduing her anxiety and Rikuo was becoming more anxious, across town Ryūji glared at his phone after hanging up with one of his contacts at the Tokyo police department. A couple bodies had been found in Tochigi Prefecture earlier in the week, and someone apparently thought there could be a potential link to their investigation. Although he was plenty irritated they hadn't told him sooner, right now, he just wanted the case files, preferably as soon as possible. Which they were going to get to him. On Wednesday.

Maybe. Possibly Thursday or Friday.

"You have to understand, Keikain-san, these things take time. A few days shouldn't make that much of a difference."

He ground his teeth. A few days most certainly could make a difference, not that he expected them to comprehend that.

This fucking case… Piss-poor leads and one dead end after another. He also still had not heard anything back from that "cupcakesamurai" person on the Kiyojūji paranormal investigation, though as far as that lead was concerned, he wasn't holding his breath.

When his phone buzzed again, he snarled out loud, "What?" before looking down. Oh.

It was a text from Haruka saying, "Where you staying? I'll come to you."

It didn't take her long to arrive at his hotel, but when he opened the door, instead of ushering Haruka in, he gaped at her. Sure, he hadn't seen her in almost two years, but he hadn't expected her to dye her honey-brown locks a vibrant fiery red.

She thumped him under the chin. "Close your mouth, idiot. It's called hair dye." Then she shoved past him into the room, closing the door behind her, and, before he could react, she jerked him into a quick hug.

Ryūji tugged at her ponytail. "What brought that on?"

She lifted one shoulder, let it drop carelessly. "Bored and wanted something new. You look the same as ever… When're you gonna grow, shorty?"

His lips twitched. Some things never change.

They settled outside on the miniscule balcony so Haruka could smoke. He still found it hard to believe that someone who knew as much as she did about all the health risks would engage in such a habit, but whenever questioned about it, she'd shrug and say something snarky about the inevitability of death.

"How'd you know I was in town?"

She took a drag off her cigarette and gave him a look. "Intuition, my chibi onmyoji."

"I've told you not to call me that," Ryūji snapped.

Haruka snorted, a puff of cigarette smoke curling from her nostrils. "You're an onmyoji. And you're so adorably short. Get over it."

He inhaled slowly, counting to ten, and exhaled equally slowly. Never mind that she couldn't have been more than an inch, maybe two tops, taller than him. "Seriously, though."

"I was being serious. Guess I've got some kind of Ryūji radar, dunno. Does it matter?"

"Not particularly. So, that vampire shit you mentioned. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about, or something else?"

She exhaled slowly. "Yeah, that. Like I told you, we got a call about a guy who collapsed in his apartment. His roommate said he thought he just had a really bad stomach bug, but then he panicked when he found the guy passed out. He was maybe eighteen, nineteen. He came around, sort of, as we were starting to check him out, babbling about weird shit. Saying he was a vampire, that he needed blood. Tried to bite Kei, can you believe that shit?"

Haruka's partner was a tall, well-built guy who reminded Ryūji uncomfortably of Aotabō from the Nuragumi. From what he could tell, though, Kei was actually human. So the thought of some punk kid trying to bite him…

Ryūji snickered. "How'd that go over for him?"

She gave a short, gravelly laugh. "Kei didn't deck him like I thought he might. But lil man found himself restrained pretty damn fast after that. At first we thought drugs, or just a whackjob, but I got that feeling, ya know?" He nodded. "So I slapped one of your ofudas on him, to see if it made any difference. It didn't. Had to sedate the bastard."

"And that worked?"

"Yup." Haruka shrugged. "Who knows. Anyway, long story short, turned out the kid had iron poisoning."

Ryūji's eyebrows flew up. "What? From…"

"Your best guess is as good as mine, but I'd be willing to bet drinking blood or cannibalism. Had his canines filed to points, even." She shuddered visibly, which surprised Ryūji. In her line of work, he knew she saw all kinds of weird stuff.

"That bad?"

"Yes and no. No, it's not the worst thing I've dealt with, even if I hate that the kid didn't make it. Just…the whole thing felt kinda hinky."

Ryūji cursed internally. So much for questioning the guy. Haruka read his expression and laughed. "Unless you're suddenly both a medium and an onmyoji, good luck, shorty."

"Shut up, princess. Anything else, anything useful you can tell me?"

She stared at him for a moment, silent, before saying, "Ryūji…I could be wrong… But I swear, I think this guy truly believed he was a vampire. Up until we sedated him. I can't explain it." Then, she reached into her bag and tossed a file at him. "Anyway, you never saw this, we never talked."

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill." He resisted the urge to look at it now. He knew her well enough to know when she'd had her fill of "shop talk."

Haruka lit another cigarette. "How's Yura-chan? The guys?"

"They're fine. Yura is Yura."

"Oh?" She grinned, brown eyes lighting up. "My little Yura-chan pull one over on you recently or what?"

He grimaced and changed the subject. "Hey, you aware of anything else weird going on? Even outside of work?"

Haruka scrunched her face up like she always did when she was mulling something over. "Not off the top of my head, but you know me. I try to fly under the paranormal radar."

"You mean you're a wuss."

She rammed an elbow into his side, hard. "Not all of us want to run headlong into certain death, ya know. Nothing wrong with wanting a normal life."

"You? Normal?" He scoffed. "Please."

"You see, this is why I never miss you. You're a jackass." Despite her words, she smiled, one full of sisterly affection. "Anyway, why'd you ask? I won't join your little supernatural crime fighting gang, not gonna happen and never will, but is there something I need to be aware of?"

If she doesn't already know…ignorance is bliss, right? Yeah, right up until it got you killed. No, she needed to be informed, if for no other reason than so she could watch her back. "Yeah, actually, there is…"

He fired off a short text to Rikuo, telling him he better be back from roaming around aimlessly in the middle of nowhere and that he might have some news. Assuming this counted as news.

Then, he leaned back in his chair and began the rather lengthy task of filling in Haruka. "So, it's funny you should mention vampires… A few weeks ago…"

During the course of his explanation, Ryūji noticed Haruka growing more and more tense, one arm crossed over her chest, fingers drumming against her bicep. He assumed it was because of the topic, or perhaps even sympathy frustration for him since he had so very few promising leads on this case. However, when he finished telling her everything—including about Higurashi Kagome, his curiosity over her curse, and his research into her—the first words out of Haruka's mouth weren't about vampires or his case.

"So you not only blackmailed this miko girl into telling you about her curse, but you've also visited her shrine, questioned her family, used Keikain resources to investigate her, and then stalked her on campus?" Haruka's tone was devoid of the usual playful lilt it had when she spoke to him.

Her question irked him. Why's she getting all pissy about a stranger? "I didn't blackmail her. And 'stalking' is an exaggeration," Ryūji said defensively.

Haruka crushed the cigarette she'd been smoking in the ashtray and turned around to face him. Then, before he realized what had happened, she was in his face, her finger stabbing into his chest. "Listen here, you little asshole. And I don't mean that in a sweet sisterly way. Because, right now, you're being a grade-A asshole."

"Hey!" What the fuck is her problem? "I am not—"

"Shut. Up. Now," Haruka snapped. "Your assholishness aside, you're out of line. Beyond out of line—never mind as a decent human being, as a representative of the Keikain onmyoji organization."

"What the hell are you on about? Yura knows about my investigation into the miko."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You stupid bastard. Why do I doubt Yura knows the real reason why you're looking into her? Lemme guess—you've led her to believe you think this Kagome girl has some sorta connection to the case when in reality, you're just indulging your own curiosity."

Ryūji shifted his gaze away from hers. The truth was…she wasn't wrong.

"Hmm. Guess I'm right then. So tell me this, Ryūji." Haruka paused until he made eye contact with her. "How would you feel if someone were digging around in your private information? Nah, ya know what? I take that back. How would you feel if someone were doing to Yura what you've been doing to this Kagome? Someone in a position of authority and power, like you are as a Keikain onmyoji?"

A flash of protectiveness and anger surged through Ryūji, and he clenched his teeth. "I suppose I wouldn't like it very much."

"'Wouldn't like it'?" Haruka snorted. "Bullshit. You'd track the asshole down and do your damnedest to intimidate or manipulate them into never even thinking of Yura again, let alone snooping around or talking to her. Ryūji…" She lit another cigarette and took a long drag. Shaking her head as she exhaled, she said, "I'm pretty fucking disappointed in you. You've always been a manipulative jerk, but to act so unprofessional and unethical? To abuse your status and resources as an onmyoji? What is wrong with you? You're supposed to protect people. Not be one of the things people need protecting from."

Her words hit him like a slap in the face. "Haruka… I…" He what? "I'm sorry," he said quietly. It wasn't a phrase he used often.

Haruka stood, still frowning. "That's all well an' good, but I'm not really the one you owe an apology. But I can tell you one thing." She grabbed her coat where it lay across the back of the chair and draped it over her arm. "Don't bother calling or texting till you get your head out of your ass."

She stalked through his hotel room and toward the door, tossing a halfhearted wave over her shoulder. Before she shut the door, she glanced back and said, "You owe Yura an explanation and an apology too. And if you won't tell her…I will."

Then she left, the sound of the door slamming shut making Ryūji wince.

As much as it pissed him the fuck off, Haruka was right—he had crossed some boundaries he shouldn't have. He couldn't have told you why he did it, but… Does that even matter at this point?

He looked between his cell phone and the case file Haruka had given him. He picked up the file and thumbed through it, eyes widening with interest at the mention of a tattoo the young man bore on his shoulder.

I'll deal with Kagome tomorrow.

Rikuo read the text from Ryūji and shoved his phone back into his pocket. "Roaming around aimlessly." Asshat. Texting the onmyoji could wait. He had more important things to do right now.

He stared at the door of Kagome's apartment before finally knocking, his stomach twisting uneasily with the uncertainty he felt over whatever it was that she wanted to discuss.

"Coming!"

Seconds later, the door swung open, and Kagome peeked from behind it. "Hey. Thanks for coming over."

She waved him inside, and as he slipped his shoes off in the tiny foyer, Rikuo glanced around. The foyer led to a narrow hallway immediately into the little kitchen area, which was open to a larger room with a small dining room table closest to the kitchen and a sofa and other living room furniture on the far side. The books piled on shelves as well as in stacks on the floor shouldn't have surprised him—they had met at the library, after all.

"Nice place."

She shrugged. "Thanks. It's home. I mean…the shrine is home, of course, too, but it's nice to have my own space, you know, it gives me privacy, plus it's quiet. Don't know what I'm going to do when my lease is up, probably move back to the shrine, even though…" Kagome trailed off and shook her head. "And I'm babbling…" She rubbed a hand up and down her arm.

Is she nervous? Why is she so nervous?

She motioned toward the sofa. "Please, make yourself comfortable. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks though." He perched on one end of the couch, watching as she grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge, which she set on the coffee table. He expected her to sit next to him, but instead, she paced around the living room area, steepling her hands.

Rikuo's mouth suddenly went bone dry, a sour taste creeping up the back of his throat, and he regretted not taking her up on the offer for a drink.

"So…like I said, I need to talk to you about something."

"Eto…" Rikuo rubbed at his neck anxiously. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Huh?" Kagome stopped pacing and stared at him. Then she let out a huge sigh and dropped her head, examining her sock-clad feet and laughing lightly. "Um… No. You didn't, but I…kind of did."

He had no clue how the hell to interpret that. But just as he began to ask her to clarify the confusingly cryptic statement, she spoke quietly.

"The truth is…I haven't been completely honest with you since we met. And I'm sorry. So I'd like to fix that now, and tell you the truth—all of it."

A frisson of trepidation ran through Rikuo, and he swallowed hard. "About?"

Kagome lifted her gaze to meet his. "About me."

Author's notes:

1. Well, we finally made it to Kagome spilling the beans. Phew :-)

2. A shout-out and thank you to LovelyPolkaDots for both reminding me that it doesn't matter if I don't condone the behavior of certain characters if they're not held accountable for their actions in the narrative, as well as for inspiring a lot of what Haruka says to Ryūji. It was already planned for Haruka to be in this chapter, and she was more than happy to be the one to hold Ryūji accountable. Can we hope for an attitude change from the irascible onmyoji? I'm not so sure about him doing a complete 180, but perhaps now he'll be a bit more professional/ethical, or at least think twice about crossing certain boundaries.

3. A bit of good and bad news – I'm going to be moving in about a month or so, and while it's just to a different place across town, I'm going to be a basket case getting moved and settled and all that. So odds are pretty good my writing muse is going to go on an extended leave of absence. The good news is that I've got a significant chunk of the next chapter finished, so fingers and toes crossed, I can get that finished and posted before we move.

Those of you celebrating Easter, have a lovely Easter, and those of you who aren't, have a lovely weekend!