Author Notes: I just came up with a new story and I hope it will turn out good.

Queer Practicality

Chapter 1

How it all started...

"Sango, we have to get going unless you want to be late for the conference meeting again." Kagome impatiently cautioned her close friend Sango. "You know happens if we're tardy once more." She sighs. "Our boss won't be happy about it you know. The last time we had to do like mountain piles of paper work. I don't want to imagine anything worser than that which is about to come true, whatever it is if we don't move."

"I know but it's not our fault that we're in a traffic jam you know, besides how can we move. So I think he will let us off the hook and be lenient this time. So relax Kagome I don't think we'll be in trouble." She reassured her anxious friend with an encouraging smile.

"Yeah but it is our fault that we bumped into those two jerks and had to start a quarrel with them and forgot about the time!" She bangs her fist on the wheel.

"Oh right that is our fault." Realization struck her with guilt.

"We are in a major crisis of getting fired!" Kagome furrowed her brow.

"That's a little overstated I think."

"It's all that arrogant jerk's fault! That idiot. I just accidentally bumped into him and I did apologized to him politely and all but nooo.... He just had to criticize me and worst of all, he called me Kikyou! The nerve he has.... " She smoldered in anger.

"He knows Kikyou?"

"Yeah, I suppose." She blandly replied.

"Hmm... I wonder who he is? As far am I concern, Kikyou doesn't have that many friends or maybe even none."

"Who cares? If he's a friend of Kikyou then he is worser than a jerk."

"Speaking of jerks, I think the one I encountered was worst than you. That idiotic pervert... caressing my butt." She fumed at the thought. "But at least I get to slap that pervert." Sango said with a satisfied smirk.

"At least you got your revenge."

"Didn't you trip him though?"

"But how come the steam is still boiling inside of me?! Aaaaahhh!" She shouts.

"All out yet?"

"No but it's better than before."

"Good."

"Yep and so now we are going to step out of our car and run to work. It will be only 30 minutes away." She opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle.

"What! So we just abandon the car out in the streets!" Sango retorted.

"We could either do that or stay stuck here and anticipate terrible punishments later on." Kagome grunted out.

Sango gave a long sigh but she agrees with Kagome. "Okay let's go." Without wasting time, she popped out of the car and secures the lock.

"The worst thing is that we're wearing suits and these high-heels otherwise we could run faster." Kagome looked down at her outfit.

"No use talking and start running." Sango already made a head start and past by Kagome.

"Wait up you cheater!" Kagome dashed after Sango in the fastest speed she could undertake due to the shoes. "Sango how can you run so fast, especially with these shoes?"

Kagome tried as hard as she can to keep up with her friend. All she saw was the back of her with her long, black pony tail flying.

As though they were running a marathon, they scurry nonstop until they reach the corporation, similar to rabbits when foxes chased them. Down the streets, bystanders could see two young, desperate girls flew by close together in full speed.

~«*»~

"Kagome! Sango!" Workers outside the boss's room could hear the C.E.O. yelling. "You guys were fifteen minutes late for the meeting." He said calmly and coldly, which usuallly meant danger of getting fired to an employee.

Quickly Kagome raised her hands in defense. "Let me explain." Kagome tried to manage a smile. 'Okay Kagome think of some good excuse to bail you out.' She watched intently at her boss face to see if there's any kind of reaction.

"So what have you got to say this time?" He looked at his employee with his golden eyes.

"First of all..." she put her hands behind her back, "we're really sorry. You see we got into this stupid traffic jam which we waited for like half-an-hour and then we had to abandon our car at the side of the road and run all the way, actually darting down four streets to get here. We tried our best to be here on time." She spoke in a very apologetically way. "We are really sorry."

After thinking for several minutes the boss actually changed his attitude. "Well I guess I can be tolerant and excuse you guys this time but I warn not to be late again or else, got it." His expression turned more pleasant, although still stoic and but at least without the threatening glare.

"Thankyou!" Kagome and Sango lit up, relieve spread over their faces. They looked at each other and nodded and begin to approach the door.

"Hey I'm not finished yet. Kagome, stay for a bit. I have something to tell you. Sango you may go." Kagome halt with a sigh and saunter back to the chair, sitting facing her boss while Sango exits the office.

"Is there something?" Kagome asked, slightly anxious. Her fingers were fiddling with the rim of her skirt while eyeing the aristocratic man reaching his drawer to extort a folder.

"Yes." Giving her a weird look. "I'd decided to give you this project." He hands her the file.

"Are you sure boss? You're giving me this project? Even after I'm tardy for three days straight?" She eyed her boss in disbelief and then hurriedly averted her gaze down to the top of the desk, afraid that it will aggravate him.

"Yes I repeat I'm giving you this project and you are incharged of it but you're also working with Kikyou. And you better not disappoint me, understand." He confirms.

"Why?" Her smile faltered.

"You may take this as a punishment but it just part of your work. You both are good working with these market sales but together you will make the best. Now I want this commercial to be successful."

"You do know that we have some...uh hum.... issues between us and so I don't it's best that we should work together."

"I know so that why I'm giving you guys time together to work it all out. This is for the Pessotto Company's benefit you know, so don't mess up."

"Why not give it to Kouga or Sango then?" She asked promptly.

"Because they already got like a million things in their hands to close up. Plus you already finished a few and I must say I'm quite impress that you did it in such a short time and without any blunder too. Uh hem" -he held his hand up in a fist when he coughs.

"But-"

"No buts just do it." He commanded, cutting her complaint.

"Yes sir, Mr. Sesshoumaru." Kagome simply nodded.

~«*»~

'Okay okay, today's a bad day, a very bad day indeed!' She seethed. All the other workers could feel her gloomy aura emitting from her signaling for them to stand aside and not to be in her way. 'Out of all the people in this company why do I get stuck with her? So not fair! Hmmph... I bet Kikyo will react the same.' She starts tapping her pen on the desk with her right hand and fiddling her necklace with the other. 'Actually she hadn't always been like this but ever since I got to sit on the same position as her she's been such a ill-tempered bitch. She just has to disagree with everything I say or do. She used to be so friendly and welcoming but I guessed she just got jealous and turned sour.' She gave another scowl.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in." Kagome answered without looking up to see who because she was too occupied with her writing utensil.

"Hm... I guess you already had the talk with our boss."

Kagome abruptly lifted her head up and stare at the person entering her office. "Kikyou, what do you want?" She asked the paled-faced woman that is standing still before her desk.

"Nothing just stopping by and say hello, because we be working together soon." She gave the girl an insincere smirk and left at the door.

Of course this only worsens Kagome's mood more.

~«*»~

Kagome steps out of her office, closing the door behind her, and heads to the printer with the files in her hands.

"Hey Kagome." A person tapped her shoulder from behind.

She turned around, "Oh hi Kouga." She said in the same old mood, obviously hasn't change since this morning.

"Hey are you busy this evening?" He asked approaching closer to Kagome and held both of her hands in his.

"Yes I am really busy." She instantly. "As a matter of fact, I have a new project to work on." She wanted to end the conversation as quickly as possible. "I'm sorry but-" she tried to pull her hands out of his strong grip.

"Well then next time then." He cutted her off and grinned. He unwillingly let go of her hands and turned around to travel back to his work office with his long, black pony swinging behind him.

"Whoa what's with him?" Sango came up to Kagome. "He never seems to get it, does he?"

"I guess not." Kagome shrugged. "I mean I'd already turned him down a hundred times but he still doesn't give up. Well you got to admit it; he's very persistent. Too bad I don't like him anymore than a friend."

"You could just say it to him."

"I know but I don't want to hurt him, anyway I don't want to lose a friend. I mean I don't know how he will react."

"Okay whatever you want. Hey but I know that there's some people that do like him." Sango laughed.

"You mean Ayame and Yura." Kagome blinked.

"Don't we have good observation?" She high-fived Kagome.

They both were the best of friends because they can always start a topic whenever they get together and chat ceaselessly while laughing their heads off. Whilst gossiping, they started to walk down the hall to where the copier is located.

"Yura is obvious of course; she is always following him and trying to do anything to seduce him. Ayame is quiet but I can see it in her eyes." Kagome said as she's watching the light scanning the original copy.

"Well I think Yura is the insane type and she will do anything just to get him. Ayame... she's the kind that doesn't do any thing at all." She said holding the files she already copied in her grasp and stand waiting patiently for her friend beside the copier. "Anyways I think Yura is starting to get jealous of you." She now had a serious tone. "She is always throwing you menacing glares, haven't you noticed that?"

"Hmm..."

"Just look out for her."

Kagome gave Sango an appreciated smile.

"By the way what had Sesshoumaru said to you?"

"Oh yeah," returning back to her previous mood," he said I have another project to work on. And as always he hopes that it will be another ideal commercial for the products."

"Well...isn't that good but you sound so miserable." She replied with a perplexed tone. "What's the problem about it?"

"The problem is..." already annoyed, "is that I'm working with Kikyou." She said it bluntly. Sango was taken aback but she nodded in agreement.

'Uh oh. The day that Kagome and Kikyou working together in perfect harmony is the day that the sun rise up in the west.' Sango mused.

"I'm really tired already and I still have a lot of things to finish. A lot of things had been going on lately." Kagome said in exhaustion. "Have I told you yet?"

"You mean the unexpected boyfriend of your mother that popped out of nowhere?"

"Yeah I mean I never ever hear my mother or grandpa mentions it before and just starting two weeks ago I suddenly have soon-to-be father. It just doesn't feel right." She put her hand against her forehead. "Now he is always coming over like he owned the house or something. And for some reason I don't think I trust him though. The best way is to wait and see I guess. I have been down on my luck lately."

"Hey there are ups and downs."

"Yeah but I really hate my vicissitude of luck. It always seems like I'm at the bottom of the hill though."

"Hey I just thought of a fun activity that we could do. It's a good idea to get rid of stress but we need more people though. Oh never mind we could all of them to go."

"What are you talking about?"

"A war-game."

~«*»~

"Don't you think that the two girls we met this morning are cute, Inuyasha? Especially the older one with the burgundy eyes." He asked his pal which is sitting across from him drinking his coke.

"Keh, she was the one who slapped you Miroku." He smirked.

"Well I like her attitude." He continued to fantasize while Inuyasha rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Beautiful eyes... perfect body...."

"God you're such a pervert." Then he remembered the incident with the girl. "It weird though...." He had baffled look. "That girl had a similar resemblance to Kikyou."

"You like her...." Miroku said teasingly.

"Hmph....I'm not like you, you pervert. As if I like that girl...that stupid wench. She tripped me right at the sidewalk made me fall face down." He crossed his arms.

"And I thought you have great reflexes. Oh look at the time. It's time to get going or we'll be late for the session."

"I don't know why I even bother to volunteer for it."

"Well if it's not for your tough, or should I say, aggressive actions in catching criminals then you wouldn't be suspended and since you're on suspension you have nothing better else to do. So you might as well be training others or yourself in the time being until you realized what you had done wrong." Miroku reasoned practically.

"You're not my mother."

"So?"

"So I'm going to crack your head open if you say anymore of your logical reasonings!"

"Your check."

"Again?" He asked incredulously. "C'mon you know I'm on suspension."

"Fine but you owe me." Miroku sighed.

~«*»~

"So what's with this war game? It better be worth my time." Kikyou sat mannerly with her legs crossed on the bench. "If it's not for this EQ training, I wouldn't be here. Look at this army outfit I'm wearing, it even smells."

"Shut up. Stop your moaning and groaning for god's sake." Kouga growled.

"You tell her Kouga." Yura said perkily, keeping her eyes glued to him.

"Oh please."

"Guys, just think of it as some activity to keep you fit and in shape. Besides it could take out some stress." Sango spoke up.

"Sango did you say that this was an EQ training thing?" Kagome whispered to Sango.

"Actually I mentioned to the boss that it would be a great idea for all the co-workers to go out and do activities together as a reward for all the hard work and to improve relationships between workers."

"No wonder."

Just as Kagome finished talking a whistle blew, signaling for group, which is starting to get impatient after waiting for 15 minutes under the tent with mosquitoes and the unpleasant heat, to march out to the opened area in the tarmac. They all stand straight in a single row facing their instructors. But to Kagome and Sango dismay, the two that appeared to be their instructors were the two they met this morning.

Miroku walks towards them first followed by Inuyasha on his usual sulky mood. They observe their class and also recognized the two girls. In Inuyasha's eyes, he also noticed Kikyou in the back, who was becoming mosquito food. Actually he find the sight quite amusing and tried to concealed his grin by looking down; most of his face covered by his bangs.

"My lucky day." Miroku said silently to himself so no one could hear him, save for Inuyasha who has sensitive ears and as well as standing next to him.

"Why does it have to be them?" Sango whispered to Kagome as she drooped her head.

"Just my luck." Kagome sighed and lowered her head to look down also.

"Good afternoon." Miroku politely greeted them. "Let me introduce us first. My name is Miroku Kazan. And my friend here is Inuyasha Hitoushi. Now we are all here for training right. Well the first thing you have to know is to follow orders." He said while stealing glances at Sango. Sango's eyes which noticed it, begans to twitch in fury. Miroku that also become aware of her glares quickly looked away. "Now Inuyasha," he turned to him, "would you please explain the instructions to the training?"

"Sure why not." He smirked and cocked his head. "First we'll be divided into two teams. Each team will try to get to the top of the hill and retrieve the yellow flag. And of course the team that obtained the flag will be the winner. Whenever you get hit, you will immediately raise your hands and leave the area. Everyone clear?" He then looked around the group. "You" he pointed to Kagome. "Stand up and come over here please."

"Me?" Kagome walked up to him.

"As you see the paint-balls have colors." He held the gun up and just fired at Kagome's protective covering.

"Hey! -" She jerked when he fired again.

"I told you all to raise your hands when you're shot!" He brusquely shut her.

"What the-" She bursted in fury and walks up closer to him

"Now go to the restrooms and get that stain washed out right now!"

"You-"

"Move!" He barked at her as he confronts her face to face, his tip of of nose pointing at hers while they glared at each other; her brown eyes vs his violet.

Feeling a little defeated, she then stomped off wrathfully beside him. Partially because she doesn't want to be embarrassed in front of the others and moreover, she wants to get as far away from him as possible.

'I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.' She perpetually recites this mantra inside her mind as she walk to and out of the bathroom till when she bumped into Sango.

"Kagome...." Even Sango's a bit scared when she looked at her. "He must have really pissed you off."

"Hell no! I'm going to get my revenge." She curled her fingers into a fist.

~«*»~

beep

At the sound of the whistle, the two troops scattered through out the field with their hands clutching the prototypes and ready to shoot at their enemies. Meanwhile they hid or crouched behind these stone tablets that were made for defense in the game.

'Now where's Inuyasha? Hmm....' Kagome sneakily cocked her head from her place to scan the area. 'Ah ha.' She spotted him near the tree. She holds out her firearm and pulled the trigger, hoping she got him. But as on instinct, he ducked at the very second and quickly averted his eyes to his shooter. 'Darn.' She stooped down when she noticed him looking to her direction.

'Oh...two can play that game.' Inuyasha sneered and switched to another position to aim the gun at her but she was gone. 'What the-' he began to search with his eyes. 'There.' He spied the girl from behind, crouching adjacent to the stone tablet. 'Got ya.' He fired.

"Ow!" A voice shouted out.

'Oops. I guess I got the wrong girl.' Inuyasha shrugged.

"That's it! Stop! Stop the game!"

"What's the matter with you, Kikyou?" Kagome took off her helmet and took a step forward, a short distance from Kikyou.

"Shut up you traitor!"

"What are you talking about? If you're not satisfied that you got shot you could just go again."

"Haven't you hit me enough on everything I do at work and now you have to hit me with a paint-ball gun!"

Everyone on the field paused, witnessing the two's dispute.

"Alright! Stop it already. Geez what's wrong with you women. Damn you all pissed me off." Inuyasha, getting annoyed by them, stands in a few feet behind Kagome while Miroku and Sango starts to walk towards the group.

"Shut up Inuyasha. No one asked for your concern." Kikyou snapped angrily.

"Keh. I'm not even interested of getting myself embroiled in these silly cat fights."

"I had enough of you!" She turned to Kagome. "At work you always take the things I want! You just have to exceed me don't you? I hate you! I wish you would disappear off the face of this world!" She lifted her paint-ball shooter and starts shooting madly at Kagome on her protective covering.

Kagome rolled her eyes in response while Kikyou continues to fire at Kagome until the paint-balls run out.

That's when the real gunshot rang out.

As though in slow motion, a deadly silence surrounds them as the bullet shot directly at Kagome, aiming at her heart. Agony hit her at full blast when the incisive bullet pierce through her, penetrating her heart and reaching into Inuyasha's in the same shot but didn't perforate. Right when the bullet hit him, an ethereal swirl of thin air also pierce in simultaneously.

For a moment no one said a word. They were all in astonishment by the very scene from the attack to now where Kagome and Inuyasha are slowly collapsing onto the ground. Then everything came back to life. Miroku and Sango hurried to their friends that are lying lifeless on the ground without a sound, whilst others set off to locate a phone to call the ambulance and the police. Some were still freezed by the sight like Kikyou for instance. Not long afterward the resonance of an ambulance can be heard nearby, coming closer on their direction.