Forgotten Snow
Chapter ten


Kagome looked at herself in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction. It had been a few days since Sango's 'dinner date' and she was getting ready for a real date with Kouga. Sure, he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was considerate of her feelings and was kind to her, which was a nice change considering the way she was treated at her work place.

She put some earnings on and grinned when the small gems glowed in the light. She wore a nice blue dress that matched the earnings, both seemed to sparkle under the light, but it was simply an illusion of the eyes. She looked up at the clock and deducted that Kouga would be late like most men. She sat nimbly on her couch and waited for the knocker on the door to click.

Fifteen minutes after the expected time, the doorknocker was heard along the apartment and Kagome stood up with a smile. Checking herself in the mirror one more time and making sure that all the wrinkles were smoothed out of her dress, Kagome opened the door.

Kouga smiled and handed her a bouquet of flowers. The soft delicate petals felt like silk under her fingertips as she invited him in and looked for a vase to put the flowers in before they left.

"You look stunning today," Kouga said. He'd been remarkably kinder since the first date where he felt like he'd driven her away. In a way he had, but it had mostly been Kagome's guilty conscience of knowing Inu-yasha was back at the office probably fuming. But then again, they had been over for ten years, why would she feel guilt towards him?

"Thank you, Kouga-Kun," Kagome said with a smile. "The flowers are lovely."

"Not as lovely as you," Kouga said with a smile.

Kagome couldn't help feel that comment was lame. Inu-yasha had-

Why was she thinking about him at a time like this?

She shook her head and turned towards Kouga with a smile. "Shall we go?"

Kouga smiled and took her arm, looping it with his.


Inu-yasha sat on the floor of his apartment staring at the ceiling as drop after drop of melted rain fell through the slightly ajar window. He had been too lazy to shut it and he found the cool air to be comforting him in a way he'd never achieve alone. His face was slightly red from punching his punching bag, but that had only been because he saw Kouga and Kagome walking down the sidewalk. His fury and his jealousy had flared and it took everything he had not to punch out of the damn wolf and to steal the human girl away from him.

He panted heavily as he wiped away some beaded sweat collecting on his brow. His chest raised in deep breaths, the wisps of silver hair over the black shirt swayed in the breeze filtering in from the window and overall he felt like he'd just lost the most precious thing in the world.

Or maybe he had long ago?

He was a fool...

He stood up quickly and grabbed his coat rushing out the door. He did not like Kouga at all. He would make sure that he didn't pull any funny business.


Kagome smiled at Kouga across the table. They had just ordered their food and Kagome was amazed at how nice the restaurant was. It was neat and tidy, the food smelled wonderful, the atmosphere was wonderful as well, Kouga was being sweet, he always complimented her, the waiter was friendly, and the music playing softly was charming…

…So why did she want to get out?

She sighed and nodded at something Kouga said and watched as he began to eat. She looked down and realized that her salad had come. She picked up her fork and began to eat the lettuce with delicate chews.

"Thank you for bringing me, Kouga-kun," Kagome said as she chewed on a radish thoughtfully. The bitter taste of the white root vibrated in her mouth and was glad for the excuse to stop talking. Why was she torturing herself with these dates? 'Because I want to forget,' she told herself numbly.

"It's my pleasure, Kagome, you know how I like to do things for you," Kouga said with a smile.

Kagome blushed and ate her salad in silence as Kouga spooned potato soup into his mouth. The appetizer was eaten in silence, with only a few smiles and nods in the others direction, but Kagome couldn't help but feel completely uncomfortable around the man. She felt a little dirty, using Kouga to spite Inu-yasha as well as to forget about the man. But her heart throbbed at the recollection of his face at Sango's. He seemed like he actually cared. But the next day at work he'd been his same jerky self.

She didn't understand him. She didn't understand him at all. One minute he was a total jerk and the next he was actually decent towards her. What was wrong with the hotheaded silver haired man that she was in love with?

What did she do to deserve this pain?

'Oh yeah, I broke up with him,' Kagome thought sourly, 'but so what! Life is life! You break up; you can't expect to spend the rest of your life with your first boyfriend you met in high school. Get over yourself, Kagome, you have a perfectly handsome and sweet guy sitting in front of you and you're totally neglecting him...and why don't I care that I'm neglecting him?'

Kagome smiled half-heartedly at Kouga, wishing that it was Inu-yasha she was having dinner with.


"Kouga-Kun, thank you for a lovely night," Kagome searched her purse for her apartment keys. "We should do it again sometime."

'Oh Gods no,' she added to herself.

Kouga nodded, "I had a nice time too." He leaned in close and Kagome's breath hitched. 'oh shit, he's going to kiss me, oh shit, oh shit oh shit.' She was so spaced out that she didn't realize that Kouga's lips were on hers until it was too late. His lips weren't as soft and delicious as Inu- yasha's had been, but they were ok. She didn't close her eyes for fear of seeing a certain hanyou behind the closed lids and instead simply gazed at the wolf youkai, who seemed absorbed in her lips.

It didn't feel right at all.

Weren't you just supposed to click with someone?

He pulled away and grinned at Kagome's blushing and slightly dazed face. He leaned in again and kissed her cheek. "Hey what's that on your ear?"

"Hm?" Kagome tried, stupidly, to see her ear. "What?"

"There's a puncture mark on the earlobe," he touched it softly.

Kagome smiled, "That's just a scar I got a long time ago."

"Oh..." Kouga smiled until he suddenly stopped. He tilted his head to the side and his gaze seemed to waver around the small hallway outside her apartment. Kouga seemed to back off a little and smiled, though it seemed false. "I'll see you later, Kagome."

Kagome blinked as Kouga marched off.

"Bye..." Kagome entered her house and proceeded to spend the rest of the night paying her bills.