Kouga looked up at the flashy apartment building, as ivy vines twisted round the side of the stone base of the building. His eyes trailed down from the top floor, where he knew Inuyasha lived. It was clear the old building had been upgraded and had more modern apartments built on top. Kouga shook his head, scoffing. "New money..." he muttered to himself, as he walked toward the door, retracting his hand as the doorman opened the door for him, his eyes flickering over Kouga's body. "Can I help you?" he asked gruffly, glaring at him. The doorman simply grunted in response. Kouga grumbled and rolled his eyes as he walked over to the concierge, slightly taken aback by her extremely pale skin and white hair. He drummed his fingers against the granite of the counter as he waited patiently for her to get off of her phone call, eyeing the orchid on the counter.
"How can I help you?" The concierge asked politely, to which Kouga beamed a charming smile, chuckling slightly.
"Hey, sweetness. How ya' been tonight?" He purred, still smiling at the woman. The woman smiled softly, glancing down to her hands.
"I've been quite well."
"Good..good...hey I gotta go up to see Inuyasha?" The woman squinted at him and he rolled his eyes. "Super attractive, very tall, buff guy."
"Ah," she said, slightly embarrassed, "you mean to say Mr. Takahashi." The woman purred, slightly blushing at the mention of his name. Kouga watched as she bent down and brought out a binder, she flipped through it.
Internally, Kouga cursed as he strained his neck to catch a glimpse of the binder's contents. He watched her stop at a picture of Inuyasha, next to it his name and contact information were listed. She slid a manicured fingernail down the list of names.
"Erm," she glanced up at him, "What's your name?"
"Kouga...Wolf. I don't think I should be in there, I'm an old...old friend of his. I'm surprising him." Kouga said, smiling as he looked down at the binder and then back at the woman.
"That's odd...it says here he doesn't enjoy having surprise visitors... usually he or Mr. Miroku call the office beforehand and inform us of any new people that we should expect to come through." The woman says, and furrowed her eyebrows as she looked up to Kouga. "Are you sure he'll take kindly to your visit?"
"Positive." Kouga said quickly, grinning. "We haven't seen each other since he moved from Calabasas."
"Oh really? Calabasas...wow." She responded, stammering. "I... I had no idea he used to live in Calabasas...I mean I knew he was wealthy, obviously...but..."
"Oh yeah no... big, sprawling property. Don't know why he chose to move from that to this," Kouga joked, scratching the back of his neck. "Was an easier commute to his fights too but... anyways," He cleared his throat, "I'm gonna head on up, you take care now!" Kouga threw over his shoulder as he walked away from the counter. She waved back, smiling at him. That was way too easy, Kouga thought to himself as he took a deep breath and called the elevator. He briefly looked over his shoulder and noticed the doorman stepped away from the door, and was now having a casual conversation with the concierge. He stepped into the elevator, and clicked his tongue as he searched for the penthouse button, finally finding it, he pressed it. Kouga felt anxiety rise in him, but also anger.
How dare he.
He knew Kagome was smaller than him, weaker...delicate. Her soft, olive skin should never be damaged, by anyone. At least, not while Kouga was around. The elevator dinged, allowing Kouga into the dark apartment. Inuyasha definitely lived here, his scent was overpowering. Kouga scrunched up his nose as he was hit with a wave of it. He stepped out of the elevator, carefully removing his shoes so that the sound of them wouldn't give him away. It was eerily quiet in the apartment, the only light he had was the lights of the city that came in through the windows. "I know you're here Kouga." A disembodied voice said in the dark, causing the hair on his nape to rise.
He realized that he had crossed an invisible line of respect by daring to go into the dog demon's home uninvited, and unannounced. Nonetheless, he put on a brave front. "Where ya at mutt?" Kouga's voice called out, he sniffed the air, trying to see where his scent was the strongest. However, he couldn't pinpoint where exactly he would be.
"In the kitchen." Inuyasha said gruffly. Kouga was hesitant to move, glued to his spot. "Move." His voice took on a stern, demanding tone. His usual rather husky tone of voice replaced with one that was toneless, conveying no emotion. "Either do what I say, or I'll kick your ass all the way down to the fucking lobby, Kouga."
Reluctantly, Kouga moved, walking toward the Kitchen as Inuyasha turned on the light. He stood at the kitchen counter, his free hand gripping the edge of the counter top, while his other hand held a cup of water to his lips. Inuyasha's eyes flickered over Kouga's body, before he took two large gulps from the class cup. He placed the cup down calmly, licking his lips as he did so. "Why..." Inuyasha croaked, clearing his throat, "why are you here, Wolf?" Kouga opened his mouth as if to respond, but nothing came out. "Answer me."
"Kagome." Kouga said, finding his voice. "I ran into her on the train."
"And?" Inuyasha grumbled, looking up from the counter of his kitchen. He was irritated to say the least. It was late, and he had just worked up the courage to get up from where he was kneeling, after much time apologizing to the walls of his apartment. He was emotionally exhausted, and wasn't in the mood to entertain visitors.
Much less disdained, uninvited visitors.
"She had a bruise on her arm...and her hands had little marks in them...like nails had dug into them." Kouga said, looking down at Inuyasha's hands. His nails were shorter than usually, after having been cut for the recent fight, but they could still do damage. Blue eyes looked up into hardened gold ones, emotionless...which wasn't usual for the hanyou that stood in front of him. "Said y'all got into an argument." Kouga added, tilting his head as he crossed his arms. "We don't have a problem here... do we?" Kouga questioned, scrunching up his nose slightly.
Inuyasha snorted, smirking as he moved to calmly place his glass in the sink. He chuckled darkly to himself.
"My relationship, Kouga." He said darkly, as he turned on the faucet, and ran the glass under the water, "is no one's business but mine and Kagome's"
"Did you hurt her?" Kouga asked firmly. He was done dancing around the question, rolling it around in his mouth like a piece of hard candy. Inuyasha stopped in his tracks, looking up from his sink.
"Yes," he admitted calmly, "but not intentionally."
Kouga furrowed his eyebrows, dumbfounded. "And the marks in the hands?"
"She did that herself." Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders, then glanced up at the man. "Are you done, Wolf."
"No." Kouga said, causing Inuyasha to raise an eyebrow. "I'm not done. You still hurt her. And for what? You were careless!" He growled; his hands balled up in fists. "Like did you even stop to think that you were going to hurt her, that you're bigger than she is, stronger than she is, you're a half demon for fuc—" Kouga wasn't allowed to finish his sentence; Inuyasha had heard enough.
His hand connected with his jaw, powerfully. Kouga's head whipped to the side, as he stumbled back, his hand's gripping the back of the couch. Kouga felt a metallic taste in his mouth, and liquid drip out of his mouth, trailing down his chin. He spit it out to one side, and gingerly brushed his fingers over the area where Inuyasha had stricken him. He looked up to see Inuyasha towering over him, his hand reached out, gripping him by the front of his shirt while the other hand was drawn back, ready to strike. "I'm not exactly in the mood for your shenanigans today, Kouga." Inuyasha said, his voice showing no sign of anger, irritation...remorse.
He was a shell of himself, and the very thought of it made the hair on the back of Kouga's neck raise. What's wrong with him?
He moved his head to one side, dodging the punch that Inuyasha threw his way. He used the little bit of time he bought to kick Inuyasha in the stomach, making him release his grip on Kouga. He kicked Inuyasha in the knee, causing him to drop down to both of his knees. Why isn't he fighting back? Kouga thought, as he stood to one side, taking deep breathes as he stared at the half demon. "Inuyasha...yo." Kouga called, slightly worried about him.
The worry vanished the second Inuyasha turned on his heel and charged in his direction, his hand shooting out from his side, gripping Kouga by the throat and lifting him, growling lowly. Kouga felt his hand squeeze gradually around his throat and he scratched desperately at Inuyasha's arm, audibly gasping for breath. "Did you think you could just waltz into my territory, my home and demand answers from me?" He pushed Kouga up against one of the windows, his eyes gradually turning blue and red. Kouga had seen Inuyasha get mad before, but this was on another level. He tried to swallow, but was finding it hard for obvious reasons. "What did the girl tell you?" Inuyasha questioned, and when Kouga didn't give him an answer he slammed his head against the glass of the window. "Tell. Me." He repeated.
"Inuyasha...bro...calm down." Kouga said cautiously, "relax."
"Oh." He grumbled, his claws digging into the side of Kouga's neck. "Now I have to relax?" He slammed Kouga's head against the window again, this time harder. "I said answer me, Kouga."
"She said... she-ouch...she said nothing other than that...ow...you didn't hurt her." Kouga choked out, his still gripping Inuyasha's arm.
"She...what?" His grip on Kouga softened as his eyes went back to normal, he let Kouga's body fall as he removed his hand from Kouga's throat. "She said what?"
"That you didn't hurt her." Kouga said between gasps of air as his hands went up to his neck, touching it gingerly. "Judging by your reaction though...that ain't exactly true." He sniffled as he dragged the back of his hand across his nose. He sat back on his knees, sighing as he closed his eyes. "Fuck man...you almost killed me." He whispered, coughing. "Fucking christ."
Kouga was still confused by the whole ordeal. Kagome lied to him and told him Inuyasha hadn't touched her, Inuyasha got super defensive when Kouga mentioned it (the guy almost killed him!), and all in all Inuyasha just seemed...unhinged. He was having a hard time deciphering the truth from what had been told to him, and part of him wanted to excuse himself from the situation, regretting even asking entirely. But the other part of him, the part that was intrigued by Kagome was screaming at him to get to the bottom of it all. He sucked in a breath as he rose to his feet. "I'm...confused here." Kouga said finally, Inuyasha's eyes flickered from the kitchen to Kouga.
"There's nothing to be confused about."
"Yes, there is." Kouga growled, trying to remain civil. "What exactly happened...between you two? Did she hit you and you hit her back? Was she walking away from you and you grabbed her arm? I'm...conflicted." He sighed, rubbing his eyes with his hand. "I want to know what happened."
"It's none of your business what happened." Inuyasha spat back, glaring at the wolf demon in front of him.
"Kagome is hurt. And I saw it...it's my business now." Kouga responded, clenching his jaw. "So, what happened." He asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I need to know."
"Or what?" Inuyasha spat back, growling under his breath, "what the fuck are you going to do if I don't tell you."
"I'll press charges on you for domestic violence." Inuyasha's eyes went wide, in equal parts terror and surprise. It was an incredibly clever way for the Wolf to persuade Inuyasha into talking, the half-demon would give him that much.
"Shit." Inuyasha cursed under his breath. He paused for a moment, a hand on his forehead. How had this all escalated so quickly? How did a simple talk become this? How...how had his life come to this point. He felt his breathing become shallow as he struggled to keep his hands from shaking. "Oh my god." he breathed, his chest heaving up and down with every breathe he took.
"Start talking mutt-face." Kouga said calmly, tilting his head. "What. Happened. Today." He said, his eyes flickering over the nervous-wreck of a hanyou in front of him. He couldn't fight down the smirk that rose to his lips. It was absolutely exhilarating to have the upper-hand for once. The mental distress Inuyasha was going through was great, he was sure; but for once being the one with the upper hand against him was...refreshing. He watched as the half-demon slowly recomposed himself, taking time to run his hands through his hair numerous times, worrying the watch on his wrist.
"Okay." Inuyasha said defeatedly. Not telling him was worse than telling him, and he certainly wasn't willing to go to jail over the woman. He bit his bottom lip as he turned toward Kouga, "We got into an argument in Vegas..."
"The nerve of him!" Kagome exclaimed, pacing the tiny living room of her apartment that she shared with Sango. Sango sat on the couch, following Kagome's movements with her eyes. "I mean the absolute nerve of that man, Sango!" Kagome added, looking at Sango. She stopped in her tracks, placing her hand on her hips. "Telling me?! To get over it?! AS IF!" Kagome yelled, throwing her hands up in the air.
"The last time I fucking checked he's the one who's always extremely aggressive! It's like the guy can't go even a minute without saying something fucked up! God, Sango he's fucking insufferable!" Kagome said, letting a hollow laugh, and rolling her eyes. "I mean you can't even imagine the shit he does and says, he acts like he's entitled to forgiveness and like everyone has to fucking understand him. I don't understand him! He doesn't understand me! We aren't compatible, at fucking all, Sango! I want out! This was the last fucking straw!" Kagome complained, making a cutting motion over her neck.
"Wow you're really angry." Sango said, raising her eyebrows in surprise. She had never seen Kagome as angry as she was now, pacing the creaky floor of their Bronx apartment, running her hand through her hair, motioning with her hands. She knew Inuyasha was difficult, of course, it was clear from the beginning. However, she hadn't anticipated for him to be that bad. "So, you're done...with the contract?" She asked plainly, cocking her head to one side.
That caused Kagome to pause in her tracks, staring at the wall, blinking hard.
Was she done with the contract? There was no penalty for her if she did break the contract. After all, they can't control the fact that she and Inuyasha just aren't compatible as people. They could put on an act... sure, but behind closed doors it was constant screaming and fighting and nver coming to an agreement. It was countless nights yelling at him over the phone until the wee hours of the morning. It was fighting before his fights, after his fights, and any time they found themselves in private with no cameras. It was a war, a constant, never-ending war.
And she was growing tired of it.
It wasn't that she didn't want to help Inuyasha; she saw his raw talent for what he does, she's seen the passion and the blood and the sweat and tears he put into making a name for himself. She would hate to see his career crumble as a result of his poor decisions.
She realized that his passion for what he does was the only thing that she could relate to, actually relate to. But that wasn't enough for her to stay. Neither was the money. She had told herself long, long ago that her health and her happiness was of the upmost importance, and fuck anyone who dared disturb that for her. The money would have been good...it is good, really good. But fuck...she couldn't just let him have her way with her for a year for one million dollars, especially knowing that she may come out of this with way more attention on her life than she would want to. It's not you stop being famous the second you leave someone, especially someone like him who she would dare to say was as popular as some mainstream singers and actors.
"I don't know." Kagome resolved, sighing as she slumped her shoulders. "Fuck, Sango he's just such a vile person." Kagome said lowly, throwing her head back.
"I don't question it." Sango said plainly shrugging her shoulders, "dude hada rough childhood, rough life...he doesn't know stability...in anyway." Kagome shot Sango a bewildered look. Was she serious right now? "Look, even now, every month or so he's on a jet to Vegas for a night or two, and then he comes back."
"He's stable, Sango." Kagome uttered, crossing her arms under her breasts. "He goes for one night, comes back and has a routine. He trains every day for like six or seven hours a day, goes home, eats, and sleeps."
"That's exactly my point Kagome...he's awkward, socially...and it manifests in aggression." Sango suggested, bringing her knees up to her chest as Kagome sat across from her on the couch.
"How do you know that?" Kagome huffed, rolling her eyes.
"Miroku and I talk about you guys a lot. I know all about Inuyasha, Kagome. The poor guy has been through so much shit...he's been emotionally stunted. He's aggressive by nature, but also as a result of what he's been through." Sango sighed as she made a pained expression. "As much as it pains me to say it... have patience."
"Or maybe it's the fact that he's still not over his fucking ex." Kagome muttered, turning her face away from Sango.
"And that bothers you?" Sango inquired, raising her eyebrows at the woman. "Are you...do you have a crush on him?"
"Absolutely not!" Kagome said defensively, waving her hands. "No! No! It's just that I know a thing or two on how a bad break up can fuck you up mentally..." her voice trailed off as both she and Sango recalled how her last relationship ended.
Or rather, crashed and burned, proverbially speaking.
"So..what are you going to do, Kags?" Sango questioned, resting her head on her knees as she stared her friend. Brown eyes watching her every move intently. "Do you want me to call Miroku, so you guys can discuss what your next steps are going to be?" Sango offered.
"No..." Kagome's voice trailed off as she bit the tip of her thumb.
She wanted so badly to just cut herself free.
Lose any and all commitment to Inuyasha's future success.
But every time she contemplated making the call to Miroku and Sesshomaru...the voice in the back of her mind screamed at her about the money, how it would help her get out of her crippling student debt, expand her business.
And those rewards far outweighed anything else she could possibly think of.
But this time was different. This time she was willing to genuinely cut ties with the whole ordeal, step away from the limelight...watch him crash and burn from afar. This last argument had been the straw that broke the camel's back. But yet again the voice in the back of her head screamed at her.
The money!
The blasted, god forsaken, green money! The money!
She felt shallow, making a choice purely for the money. But god damn it... it was good.
"What would you do?" Kagome spoke after a long time of not speaking, turning her attention back to Sango.
"Huh?" Sango said, blinking hard. "Me?"
"Yeah." Kagome said, nodding her head. "What would you do if you were me?"
Sango furrowed her eyebrows in thought.
"Like..if I was in your position?" Sango asked, pointing to Kagome. Again, she nodded her head. "Um..." She trailed off, clicking tongue as she turned her head up to the ceiling. Fuck, Sango thought, what WOULD I do? She had to admit that her friend's situation was unique. It wasn't every day that you get thrusted into the spotlight to play arm candy for a wealthy, fucked up, fighter. It also wasn't every day you get paid one million dollars for doing so.
"I'd just stick it out for the money." Sango admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "Take the money, and go."
"See the problem is I can't just take the money and go." Kagome muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. Sango snorted.
"Why the hell not? Sure ya can." She said, scrunching up her face.
"No, I can't because you and Miroku are a thing now." Kagome said, pushing her hands together. "Which means Inuyasha and I are gonna see each other a lot, even after we stop 'dating'." Kagome said, putting air quotation marks around the word dating. Sudden realization settled on her friend's face as she made her mouth into an 'o' shape.
"Ohh," Sango said, facepalming herself. "That's why you're hellbent on you two being civil!"
It wasn't really that she wanted to be civil with him for her friend's relationship, it was more so for her own sanity.
But, sure.
That worked too.
"Uh yeah sure." Kagome hissed under her breathe, folding her arms. "What do you think I should do about what happened today, though?" She looked down at her hands, the blood had dried and she had cleaned and bandaged her wounds.
She had, however, cried a little bit as soon as she got home.
She was just so...so...so frustrated with him. She had never known that much frustration in her life.
"Should I...try again?" Kagome questioned, raising an eyebrow at her friend. Sango shrugged.
"Whatever you do...I'll support you, Kagome." Sango said, smiling weakly at her friend. "I may be a little biased on giving him another chance though, I did ask you to have patience."
Patience.
Kagome would admit that she wasn't necessarily known for being patient, at all. Patience was virtue she had yet to master, it seemed to also be one that Inuyasha had trouble with. It was quiet for a moment, as Kagome sighed and sunk into her corner of the couch. Perhaps they were both at fault...and both of them were just too stubborn to see it. He was stubborn, just as she was.
Perhaps even more so.
"Okay." Kagome said, returning the smile to her friend. "Thank you, Sango." Kagome said, as she stretched out her arms to Sango. Smiling, Kagome crawled over to her part of the couch and hugged Kagome back. "I don't know what I would ever do without you." Kagome joked.
"Well I guess we'll never find out, will we?" Sango said, sighing as she pulled away from Kagome. "I'm kinda hungry, takeout?" Sango suggested, and Kagome nodded.
"Sure...that sounds good." She said, yawning. Sango nodded and disappeared into her room. It was still relatively early in the day, but it was late enough for the sun to begin to set. However, the woman was already exhausted, the day's events had taken a toll on her, mentally and physically. Originally, she planned on going to central park to clear her mind, and gather her thoughts before she went to Inuyasha, to apologize...or, erm...
Try to make amends?
Of course, that hadn't worked out well and now here she was in her apartment, frustrated, confused, angry, and hurt
But she also felt terribly sorry.
She realized that she may have been terribly rude and crossed a line with the final comment she made. In her defense it was made entirely out of frustration and anger. But that wouldn't exactly mean anything. She had already said it, and saw the little flames in his eyes be snuffed out. She groaned as she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms. "Ah, fuck..." She cursed under her breath, sighing. "I probably crossed a line I shouldn't have crossed." In retrospect, she realized just how deeply she may cut him, and in her fit of rage hadn't realized how fucked up what she said was.
Ultimately...she was in the wrong this time. She sighed as she got up from her spot on the couch and shuffled disappointedly into her room, letting her body fall onto her bed. She turned her head in the direction of her phone and stared at it for a while, hesitating to pick it up and call Inuyasha. Groaning, she picked up her phone and unlocked it. Her finger hoovered over his contact name.
Inuyasha Takahashi.
It made her sick that she had to call and admit to that beautiful, damaged, tainted man that she was wrong for today. That both of them were wrong but that she, ultimately, had only made matters worse. She sucked in a breath as she called him, and placed her phone to her ear. The phone rang...
And rang.
And rang.
"Kagome?" his voice answered on the other end in a gasp, as if he wasn't expecting her call. Her heart tightened as she noticed the slight note of anger in his voice as well. Great. He's still angry. "Why'd you call?" Inuyasha asked, rubbing his eyes with his hand. Kouga had left a little after he told him the complete story of what happened, ultimately deciding that this was definitely more of a relationship issue and less of a domestic violence issue. He got up out of bed and walked over to the wall length window, looking out to the city as the sun set behind all the buildings.
"I...uh..." she stammered awkwardly, "I wanted to apologize." She muttered, pretending to inspect her nails. "For what...I did, um, today." She heard Inuyasha sigh on the other end, and she felt a pang of hurt in her chest. "I shouldn't have called you...all those...things." She added awkwardly, sighing.
It was quiet for a moment as Inuyasha considered her words. "That hurt." He said simply, clearing his throat as he turned on his heel, bare feet walking across the cool cherry wood floor of his bedroom.
"Yeah," Kagome responded in a hushed tone, biting her bottom lip for a second. "I kind of noticed the second it left my mouth that I shouldn't have said that. I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean-"
"I beat myself up about what I did earlier." Inuyasha stopped her, saying everything in one breathe. "I shouldn't have grabbed you like that. I'm stronger than you, bigger...I told you I wouldn't hurt you. I stand by that." Inuyasaha said, nibbling on his bottom lip. "I'm sorry, too." He added offhandedly.
"It's okay." Kagome reassured him, now sitting up in her bed. "I, um..I kind of started this whole thing, I'm sorry." Kagome said, letting out a small laugh. "I shouldn't have been as dramatic."
"I should have listened." Inuyasha said quietly on the other end, plainly as he walked in circles around his room. "I..." He opened his mouth as if to say something else, and then closed it. "Nevermind." He said.
"Remember what you said about starting over?" Kagome questioned, looking up in the direction of her doorway, where Sango leaned against the frame, armed crossed as she cocked an eyebrow at her friend. "You said you wanted us to have a clean slate."
"I never said that." Inuyasha said hurriedly, and then stopped, taking a deep breath. "Well. I may have hinted to it." He added, stopping in his tracks. "Why?"
"Can we? Start over again?" She bit her lip nervously, "I realize that we started off super bad and we were both just... nasty toward each other and we didn't even give each other a chance and I just...I want this to work for you. I want to help you."
"Yes." Inuyasha responded quickly, smiling down at the floor. "Of course, I'd like that...that is if that's what you—"
"Yes." Kagome said, smiling. "I don't want to argue anymore Inuyasha. I just...it's tiring."
"I know...I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" Kagome asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
Inuyasha sighed on the other end and stretched. Kagome's stomach tied into knots at the soft moan he made. "I'm a tough person to deal with, I know that. I'm constantly reminded of it. So, I guess...I'm sorry for being so difficult?" He added the last part sheepishly, his voice shifting into a questioning tone. "I, um...fuck." He chuckled, "I forgot what I was going to say."
Kagome giggled, smiling down at her bed sheets, making circles with her finger. "That's fine." She said, looking back up toward Sango who fanned herself with her hand. She threw a pillow at her, causing Sango to dip back into her room. But her head popped out from her room still, she smiled. "Listen um...I gotta go, but I guess I'll talk to you soon?"
"Yeah. That's cool." Inuyasha said, running a hand through his hair. "Bye, Kagome."
The way he said her name sounded...different. It didn't sound forced, or harsh...or mean. It was natural. The way it rolled off of his tongue, the harsh Japanese pronunciation of the 'K', somehow sounded softer.
She smiled.
"Bye, Inuyasha."
Kagome hung up, and let her body fall back onto the bed. Sango popped back out from her bedroom, and belly flopped onto the other side of Kagome's bed. "I think we're good now." Kagome said, turning her head to smile at her friend. Sango rolled her eyes, and gently nudged her shoulder.