He took the phone. She could tell by the look on his face that he knew who it was on the other end.

"Oh, hi Kikyo." he said.

"Who was that?" she asked

"Nobody." he replied, not wanting to go into it just yet.

"Yashy, I need you." she replied.

He winced. He really hated it when she called him that. "Now's not really a good time." he told her.

"I had a really bad fight with my boyfriend and I need someone to talk to." she explained. "You promised."

He sighed loudly. A promise was a promise. "All right." he replied.

"When will you be here?" she asked.

"As soon as I can." he told her.

"Oh Yashy I've missed you." she said.

"Yeah...uh...me too." he finished and hung up.

Kagome was looking at him waiting for an explanation. She hadn't heard both sides of the conversation, but was trying not to jump to conclusions. "I have to go." he said at last. "I shouldn't be too late." She nodded. She didn't want him to think that she didn't trust him. He had never given her a reason not to. He hugged her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

Kagome sighed when he was gone and finished the dishes. She refused to let herself get upset over nothing. She tried watching a movie but found it hard to concentrate. She kept looking at the clock. She had also played a few games with Shippou but quit when she noticed that he was letting her win.

"I think I'm going to bed." she said to Shippou when nine o'clock rolled around. "I have a bit of a headache. Will you be all right?"

"Don't worry about me." he said. The young kitsune frowned as he watched Kagome go into the guest room and shut the door. This was InuYasha's fault. He just knew that baka would find a way to mess things up.

It was almost midnight when InuYasha came home. He really hadn't meant to be gone so long, but he had lost track of time. After Kikyo finished her rant about her boyfriend who InuYasha thought sounded like a bigger jerk than Sesshomaru they had spent the time catching up. What's worse is he couldn't help but feel like he had betrayed Kagome. He didn't know why but he hadn't mentioned her to Kikyo.

He was surprised to find Shippou up on the couch waiting for him. "What are you doing up?" he asked.

Shippou looked at him for a moment before moving closer and smelling him. At least InuYasha didn't smell like he had done anything wrong, yet. "I was waiting for you." he replied. "I wanted to tell you that you better not mess things up."

"What's that supposed to mean?" InuYasha asked. "And where's Kagome?"

Shippou shook his head. "She said she had a headache and went to bed." Shippou told him before going to his own room and shutting the door.

InuYasha opened the door to his room quietly, so he wouldn't disturb Kagome, but soon realized that it was unnecessary because she wasn't in there. He was tempted to go check on her, but he didn't want to risk waking her. At least it would be a while before Kikyo called again and hopefully by then he and Kagome would be mates. He hoped she wasn't upset with him.

Kagome heard InuYasha come in. She had decided that no matter what she wasn't going to make any assumptions about what had or hadn't done on tonight. She pushed all the bad thoughts away and concentrated on the good ones. How it felt when he kissed her, the way he looked at her. Surely he could fake those things.

In the morning Kagome was up making breakfast when InuYasha came out of his room. She didn't seem upset. He came up behind her and kissed her neck as he had grown accustomed to doing over the last couple of weeks. She turned to him and smiled.

He was eating when the phone rang and so she answered it at his request. See you have nothing to worry about. If he had another girlfriend surely he wouldn't want you to answer the phone for him. She picked it up, feeling better about the whole thing.

"Hello." she said.

"I wish to speak to InuYasha." came the cold voice of Sesshomaru.

She held out the phone to him. "It's your brother."

He groaned and took the phone from her. "What?" he asked. "You have got to be kidding me...All right damn it...Fine..." He hung up.

"I have to go to a meeting with him again today." he said with a slight growl. She nodded.

As her went to change an idea formed in Kagome's mind. He would be in a bad mood when he got home and she decided to do something special for him. She also thought it couldn't hurt to remind him what he had here, just in case. Once he was gone she called her mother to ask her to pick Shippou up from school and then went shopping.

InuYasha called Kagome shortly after five to tell her that he would be home within the hour. It was perfect. When InuYasha came in the lights were low. He was so curious about what was going on his bad mood slipped away. He entered the living room and caught sight of the dinning table. It was set for two and throughout the kitchen and on the table there were candles. The he saw Kagome. She was wearing the black dress she had worn on their first real date. She had her hair down and she wasn't wearing any shoes. The candle light danced in her eyes. She had never looked more beautiful.

Kagome smiled as she watched the stress leave his features, and saw something entirely different appear behind them. "Are you hungry?" she asked. She went to him and led him to the table. She brought over the first part of the meal.

She set it in front of him and he looked at her. It was ramen. He knew she had made it only because it was his favorite and not because she particularly cared for it. "Kagome this is..." he started. He wasn't sure what to say. She had obviously spent a lot of time and energy getting this ready for him. "Thank you." She smiled.

When he finished his ramen she went to the stove to get the main course. The phone rang and InuYasha cursed. He got up and answered it.

"Hello." he said. He heard female sobs coming over the line. Oh kami, not tonight, please. I can't leave her tonight, not after she did all this for me.

"He broke up with me." Kikyo sobbed. "Please come over."

"I can't." he replied.

"You have to. I don't know what I'll do if you don't." she told him.

Damn it, Damn it all to hell. Kagome is going to be upset, but what else can I do. "All right." he said at last. "I'll be there in a few." He hung up the phone and turned to Kagome. When he saw her face he never regretted anything more in his life than he now regretted answering the phone.

There was no masking her pain this time. It was all she could do to keep from crying. She looked at the food in her hand and set it on the counter. She then started clearing the table. She had to keep her mind occupied to keep from crying in front of him. He came up behind her.

"I have to go." he said. She simply nodded. "I'm really sorry." She nodded again. "I promise I'll make it up to you." He wanted her to do something to say something, to ask him, tell him not to go, but she remained silent. "I'm sorry." he said again and then left.

As soon as she was sure he was gone, she let herself cry. She didn't want to believe he was seeing someone else, but she knew he was hiding something. Why didn't he just tell her where he was going, if nothing was going on? She finished cleaning up and as soon as she was sure she could control her voice she asked her mother to bring Shippou home.

She was watching TV as the exuberant young kit came bounding in. He had known about her dinner plans. "Where's InuYasha?" he asked. Kagome looked at him and he could tell she was trying to hide the fact that she was upset. "You're going to leave us aren't you?"

She wished that for once Shippou wasn't so perceptive. "I don't know." she replied.

He went to her and hugged her. "I don't want you to go." he said softly. "I finally feel like I have a family again."

"Hey." she replied wanting to cheer him up. "No matter what I'll still come see you okay."

"You promise?" he asked. She nodded.

"I'm going to go ahead and go to bed, but I don't want you staying up like last night." she told him.

"You were awake?" Shippou asked She nodded. "All right." he went to his room mumbling something Kagome could have sworn was InuYasha no baka.

Kagome laid in bed, waiting, hoping that he would come home soon and tell her it was all a big misunderstanding. At ten she could wait no longer and went to sit on the couch. She had the tv on but the sound was turned off so she wouldn't disturb Shippou. At ten thirty the front door opened. She tried not to cry, but a few tears made their way down her cheeks.

The first thing InuYasha smelled as he entered the house was the slaty scent of tears both old and new. How was he ever going to explain this to her. She'd never believe him especially since he hadn't explained things from the beginning. "Kagome?" he said softly as he approached. He sat beside her. "I am sorry."

She looked at him. "Sorry? For what? For the lipstick on your face, for the makeup on your shirt, or for the smell of cheap perfume?" she asked. She stood up and went in her room. She fell on the bed and sobs wracked her body. She hadn't wanted to believe but the proof was there and it was more than she could ignore. On top of it all he looked so guilty.

He followed her into the room. "Kagome..." he started.

"Go away." she interrupted. "I'll pack and be ready to leave tomorrow so you can be with her." Say something baka, or you'll lose her. He went and sat and the floor beside her bed. He put a hand on her back. "Don't touch me."

He removed his hand. "I'm sorry for hurting you." he said. "I want to explain and then if you still want to leave I'll even help you pack." She didn't say anything, so he took it as a sign to continue. "Kikyo was my high school girlfriend. The night we graduated I finally told her what I am. She broke up with me, calling me a freak and said she never wanted to see me again..." Kagome had to steel herself against the pain in his voice that made her want to comfort him. "...I told her I didn't care and I promised that no matter what I would always be there for her, always come when she needed me. For two years I didn't hear from her, but one day her sister was in an accident and lost an eye. She called me. Yesterday she called because she had a fight with her boyfriend and she wanted someone to talk to. She usually calls me once or twice a year when something really bad, or really good happens. I really did lose track of time last night talking to her."

"Did you tell her about me?" Kagome asked.

It was the one question he hoped wouldn't come up. "No." he said. "But tonight I did. When she called she was crying. Her boyfriend dumped her. I went to see her, and at first things were fine. She cried on my shoulder, that's where the makeup came from I guess. When she stopped crying I told her I had to leave. She stood up and grabbed my arm. When I turned around she had open her robe. She asked me if I wanted her and she kissed me. I pushed her off of me and told her that I found someone else, someone who accepted me for who I am and that I wouldn't ruin what I had with you for a single night that would mean nothing to either of us. She got mad and started throwing things at me. For the last two house I have been driving around trying to think of what to tell you, of how to make you believe me. I'm sorry."

She heard him get up to leave. She looked at him and thought she saw tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry too." she whispered. She didn't know what to think or if she should believe him. She laid there thinking about it and decided that maybe if she looked at him she would be able to tell if what he said was the truth. She got up and went to his room. When she opened the door he was sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. At her approached he hastily drug the back of his hands across his eyes and looked up at her. Now she knew he had been crying.

"Tell me again." she said softly. "Tell me that nothing happened."

He looked directly into her eyes. "I swear to you Kagome, nothing happened." he said.

She studied him intently. She saw hope and pain in his eyes but no sign of deception. She wanted to believe him. "I want to believe you." she told him. "Inu...."

She was interrupted by the phone. This time InuYasha didn't bother not to keep his curse silent. "Damn it." he growled. The caller ID said it was Kikyo. With fresh tears in her eyes Kagome turned to leave. InuYasha suddenly had and idea. He would get Kikyo to talk about tonight and prove to Kagome what he had said was true. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down beside him. "Please stay."

He picked up the phone and held it between them. "What the hell do you want?" he asked.

"Has your little bitch left yet?" she asked.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Are you really that clueless?" she asked. "Surely you didn't think I really wanted you. I was supposed to get that little miko bitch of yours to leave you. For some reason my boyfriend doesn't want the two of you together and he is also looking for the favor of the wolf demon tribe, so he decided to kill two birds with one stone so to speak. I'll be sure to tell Kouga to be ready for her."

"What is going on?" he asked.

Kikyo laughed. It was a cruel sound. "You did think I was coming on to you." she laughed again. "Didn't you ever wonder why I really broke up with you?"

"I know why." he replied. "I'm a freak."

"You really are a baka." she said. "I knew what you were all along. In fact it was the only reason I agreed to go out with you. I broke up with you because while you talked about commitment and love I got tired of waiting for you to start acting like a real man. You wanted a relationship and all I wanted was to be bent over a table and taken like your bitch. It seems that you still haven't changed in that area."

InuYasha growled into the phone. Kagome snatched it out of his hand. "How could you do that him, you bitch." she said.

InuYasha looked at her in shock. He took the phone back from her. "Hear that Kikyo." he said. "Kagome heard the whole thing and know she knows I never touched you. Thanks. Oh and tell your boyfriend and Kouga that if they ever try to come between me and Kagome again, I 'll hunt them down and have them begging me to kill them." He hung up the phone.

Before he could say anything Kagome put her arms around him and knocked him back onto the bed. She kissed him. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you." she said.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything from the beginning and trust that you would understand." he replied. "Does this mean you aren't leaving?" Her smile was answer enough. He sat up and pushed her off of him. She looked at him, confusion clearly evident on her features. "I need a shower."

Then she understood. She was already in bed with the lights off when she heard the water turn off. A soft light washed over her as he opened the door. With her back to him she could hear him opening the drawers of his dresser. When it closed she turned over to face him. She felt heat rising to her cheeks as his towel fell away. She knew she shouldn't be looking at him, but she couldn't not look. What was worse is that just before he reached into the bathroom to turn off the light he had turned and seen her looking. His hair was obscuring his face and she couldn't see his reaction. She put her head under the pillow.

She felt him lay down beside her. "I'm sorry...I didn't..." she mumbled under the pillow.

He had to fight not to laugh. "It's all right." he said. "If it makes you feel any better I peeked at you in the shower."

In her anger she forgot to be embarrassed and sat up in bed. She punched him in the arm. "Hentai." she yelled.

"Ouch." he said in mock pain. "I was only teasing to make you feel better, and you're one to be calling me hentai."

This time he couldn't hide his laugh as she one again buried her head under the pillow. "I'm sorry." she said.

He laid close to her and lifted the pillow. He face was nearly touching his. "Don't be." he whispered pressing his lips to her ear. "I like that you looked."

InuYasha was having trouble controlling his instincts, all of which were screaming at him to make her his. He held them back, but couldn't keep from kissing her neck. She really was driving him crazy. It didn't help that she had started to moan softly at his touch or that she had moved to willingly bear her neck to him. He forced himself to kiss her one last time on the mouth, before pulling her into his arms. He heard a soft whine of disappointment. He kissed her forehead. "Go to sleep." he said softly. He was relieved when she didn't protest.

The next day InuYasha woke her earlier than she expected. "Come on." he said. "I want to take you somewhere before work."

Reluctantly she got out of bed. When she was ready they left. She was surprised to find that the place he wanted to take her was a store, so she could get a cell phone. "What are we doing here?" she asked.

"I want to you to have a way to reach me at all times. I'll be damned if that bastard hurts you because you couldn't call me for help." he said. She knew he wouldn't let her argue and honestly she really didn't want to.

She picked out a phone and much to InuYasha's dismay a cover. It wouldn't have bothered him if it hadn't had a picture of a little white dog on it. "Did you have to get that one?" he complained.

She laughed. "What? It's cute and I can't help it if it reminds me of you." she said. He shook his head.

He dropped her off at work. She went inside to find Yuka working at the desk. "So,." she started not wasting anytime. "How are things with you and your boyfriend?"

"Fine." Kagome replied.

"Just fine?" Yuka asked. "You know I stopped by your apartment last week to make sure you were okay. Funny how you don't seem to live there anymore." Kagome felt herself blush.

"It's not what you think." she said.

"Sure it isn't." Yuka came back. "You're living with a total babe and you expect me to believe that you and he aren't..."

"Yuka." Kagome said loudly. "We're not."

"Did I detect a trace of disappointment in your voice?" Yuka teased. "At least tell me you've kissed him."

"Of course I have." Kagome said.

"And?" Yuka questioned.

"And it's amazing." Kagome told her with a blush.

"What else?" she asked.

"Nothing." Kagome sighed and this time she realized that she was disappointed.

"I could always give you some tips that will having him begging." Yuka offered.

"No thanks." Kagome said. "I'm sure I can handle it." Kagome shook her head. She didn't know how Yuka did it. She was so open about these things. Sure it was nice having a source of information in that area, but sometimes it was embarrassing. Maybe she would have to see what she could do about inciting InuYasha to be a little bit more forward. They had been together for months, not to mention the fact that she was living with him. Just because she wasn't ready to become his mate didn't meant they couldn't do anything else. She blushed at her own thoughts. You are a hentai. Miroku must have rubbed off on me. She sighed and put those thoughts aside in favor of reading a story to the kids in her class.