"Kagome Higurashi, Inuyasha Takahashi's girlfriend, relaxed as she's spotting spending time with the UFC star's horses at his one million dollar Vermont estate." She scanned over the photos of herself momentarily, appearing to be taken from a distance, her head hung as she gently led a horse out of the stable. There was one in which she looked in the horse's direction, eyes squinting against the sun. "Inuyasha has opted to spend much of his preparation for his upcoming fight against Koga, privately training in Vermont. But is this really training? Or a romantic getaway?" Kagome almost scoffed at that last part. Romantic getaway? Hardly! She glanced up at Inuyasha, who merely raised his eyebrows at her words. "What are your thoughts, Inuyasha?" She asked, making him glance in her direction.

"Well...for one they got the price of this property wrong."

"Oh...my god." Kagome laughed out, pushing her sunglasses up onto her head. "That's what you took away from this? That they got the price of the house wrong?!" She laughed, wiping away a tear. "How much was it then?" She questioned, tilting her head curiously.

"I'm not telling you that." He scoffed, sitting on the edge of his pool chair, a towel hanging around his neck, water dripping off of his bangs as he sent off a text on his phone. "Ain't your business."

"Fine, I'll just look it up." Kagome huffed, "I'll just look up the address on Zillow and...oh, well then."

That is an absurd amount of money.

"Well...it definitely wasn't one million." She breathed.

"Yeah, no shit."

"I think it's creepy how they can just...take pictures of me. Of you...of us." Kagome said after a few seconds, still staring at the photos on her phone screen. The top of her screen flashed with a message from Sango, a link to the very article she was reading. "Like...an invasion of privacy. Makes you wonder how much they see. Like right now...can they see us? Are they taking pictures of us near the pool right now?" She pondered, sitting up as she adjusted the strap of her red bikini.

"Probably." Inuyasha mused, looking over his shoulder, beyond Kagome and into the trees. "Bet they're hiding in the trees just...clicking away on their cameras...disgusting." He muttered.

"Why don't you have a fence around your land? Wouldn't it be...I dunno...safer for you?" Kagome asked, and Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders.

"I could...but this area is so secluded, the only people that live around here are rich old politicians...and my nearest neighbors are like a 10 minute drive away. Not worth it. Especially since this is a vacation home, I won't be here too long out of the year." He answered, pushing his wet bangs out of his eyes, and laying on his back, closing his eyes. "Just ain't worth it."

"Yeah but...if it would give you, and your visitors a little bit more privacy...wouldn't you want that? Wouldn't you want just something extra to make you feel like you aren't living in some glass house?"

"That's exactly what a fence would be...something extra." Inuyasha responded lazily, raising his hand and waving it dismissively in the air. "Ain't worth it."

"Hmm." Kagome hummed, pushing her sunglasses back down over her eyes, settling back into her chair, but her mind still raced with questions. Needless to say, seeing candid pictures of herself being plastered on the front cover of the gossip magazine was...disturbing. It was something about the pictures being taken without her knowledge. She didn't even know how they managed to get them! Especially without her knowing. Her skin crawled, the back of her head felt cold, like she could feel eyes just glaring holes into her head. "I feel uncomfortable."

This caused Inuyasha to crack one eye open, staring up at the sun for a few seconds before turning his head in her direction. "Why?"

"Because...that feels like they crossed a line. I mean, sure I've had candid pictures taken before with you. But it was always somewhere public, like the sidewalk after leaving a party or walking down the street so...it felt different. But I'm at your home. Your private residence." Kagome explained. "Just…feels...violating, I don't understand why you're so unbothered by it."

"They're probably taking pictures of us right now." Inuyasha muttered, a semblance of a smile flashing across his features. "Maybe we should give 'em somethin' to photograph?" He suggested, glancing up at her. The smile on his face was one of a mischievous child who was certainly up to no good, and something about it made Kagome smile back.

"Like what?"

"I don't know...didn't think that far." He admitted, "Thought you would've shut me up by now."

"I contemplated it." Kagome said, giving him a small smile. "What have you done before to get them to stop taking pictures of you? Like...unsolicited pictures."

"Have you seen that article of me breaking some guy's camera?"

"Ah...well," Kagome laughed, "what have you done that was nonviolent?"

"Nothing. Or, er, nothing that I can remember right now." He responded as he got up from the pool chair he was laying down on, stretching as he did so. "I'm getting back in the pool," he motioned with his head towards the water. "You comin'?"

"Ah…" Kagome glanced over at the pool, and then back to Inuyasha who gave her an expectant look, awaiting an answer. The ears atop his head pointed in her direction. "Sure."

She sat up, slightly surprised by the outstretched hand, and the hardened eyes that met hers when she glanced up, taking off her sunglasses. Reluctantly, she took his hand. "Giving them something to photograph?" Kagome asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Just in case." Inuyasha responded, winking. "Ya know...so they have something to photograph that's actually worth it." He added, letting his hand slip away from hers. "Anyways," he started suddenly, sighing heavily, "pool? It's...really fuckin' hot." he grumbled, turning back towards the pool.

"Are you jumping in, or taking the steps?" Kagome questioned, although it was more of a tease as she crossed her arms across her chest, giving him a slight smile as she glanced between Inuyasha and the pool. She was finding it hard to look away from him, between the near glowing skin, silky hair and tempting v-line and—

Before she could get an actual answer from him (or get the thoughts that were running through her head to stop), she felt cold water splash against her face, jolting her out of her trance. She wiped the water out of her eyes, cursing under her breath as the water mixed with the sunscreen on her skin and made its way into her eyes. "Ow! I have sunscreen water in my eyes, dumbass!" Kagome yelled, scowling in his direction.

"I mean...you asked me if I was gonna jump...I gave you an answer." Inuyasha said, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. He squinted against the sunlight and watched as Kagome sat down at the edge of the pool, feet dangling into the water as she continued to rub at her eyes. "The more you rub, the more it'll get into your eyes, dummy."

"I refuse to believe you." Kagome grumbled.

"Alright, hartford."

"It's Har-vard. Harvard." Kagome corrected.

"Sparvard."

"ARUGH!"

Inuyasha laughed. "Farvard."

"INUYASHA!"

"Oh I'm sorry...did I offend you, Harvey?"

"Very funny, fuck you!" Kagome yelled, kicking water in his direction. His hands shot up to shield against it.

"Oh my god, in public?! Kinda risky, don't you think?"

Kagome couldn't help but laugh at him. "You're kinda funny." She admitted between laughs, her eyesight had cleared just enough for her to be able to make out the smug smile on his face.

"Are you getting in the pool or what?" He called, swimming toward her, "If you don't come in, I'm draggin' ya."

"No you aren't!" Kagome barked at him, although she couldn't fight back the nervous laughter that came out once she felt his hand wrap around her ankle, tugging at her foot lightly. She tried to pull away, but he was much stronger than her. "Let go!"

"Not a chance." Inuyasha responded in a sing-song voice, his other hand cupped her calf, "you either jump in or I drag ya."

"And what if I don't want to do either?"

Inuyasha kissed his teeth, "Pulling you in wins by default." Kagome squinted at him, before feeling him tug at her leg, her butt scooting against the concrete edge. She planted her hands firmly on the ground, lifting her butt slightly and pulling her leg closer towards her.

"No! Absolutely not!"

"I'm going to win regardless, I'm stronger than you!"

"Over my dead body!" She ground out through clenched teeth, but she knew she was losing this battle. Her hands were beginning to hurt from being planted into the ground with all her might and he was stronger than her. She reached forward, aiming to pull at one of his ears but her idea backfired on her. Before Kagome could even register what she did, she felt her body come tumbling forward, falling face first into the cold water. Inuyasha quickly let go of her leg, watching carefully.

When she surfaced, Kagome couldn't help but gasp, and her hand reached out to grab onto Inuyasha's arm for stability. "I hate you." she said between gasps, wiping at her face to get her hair out of her eyes. Inuyasha tsked at her.

"Whatever you were tryin' to do...it was dumb." He responded, "Maybe you wouldn't have fallen if you hadn't tried it."

"I was trying to pull at one of your ears to get you stop fucking pulling me."

"And how did that go for you?" Inuyasha replied, giving her a knowing look. She hated that look. The smug smirk, the proudness in his gaze, the way he made her feel so...small.

He always makes me feel so damn small with those eyes.

"Your eyes are sort of intimidating." Kagome said, although she never broke eye contact. She wasn't sure what it was that made her say that, maybe it was the fact that they had slowly become more comfortable around each other. Or maybe it was the proximity of their bodies, her hand still gripping onto his arm for stability.

Inuyasha was, quite frankly, caught off guard. "Is that a compliment?" It was probably a dumb question. But the way her mouth twisted slightly, and the glint in her eyes said otherwise. He could see her cheeks begin to flush, she held her breath. "Hm?"

"Let's not go down that road." Kagome said after what felt like a painful few seconds.

"So it is." Inuyasha resolved, raising an eyebrow.

"If you want to take it that way." She responded, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. "Nothing wrong in a compliment."

"I never said it was wrong of you to do so."

"When did I say you had?" Kagome responded, never once looking away. After a moment she moved her hand, and splashed water in his face, causing his head to whip to the side, his body falling back into the water. Kagome laughed, "gotcha!"

"That was a dirty move." Inuyasha muttered as he resurfaced, and Kagome quickly noticed the mischievous look in his eyes. Her smug smile faded, and she quickly turned in the opposite direction, her hands grabbing onto the edge of the pool. She tried to pull herself out of the water, but wasn't quick enough.

His arms wrapped around her torso and pulled her backward, and before she knew it Kagome was once again plunged into the water. But the second they were under the water, he let go, letting her swim back up to the surface.

When Inuyasha came back up for air, Kagome was —as he expected—glaring in his general direction, arms crossed. "That was a dirty move."

He could handle a lot.

He'd lived his whole life enduring so much from the people that were supposed to care and protect him. He'd gone his whole life having the people who were supposed to never turn on him, do exactly that. Especially when things got rough. The people around him turned their backs. All except a few.

But everyone had a hard limit, a line drawn in sand that they wouldn't dare cross. Even the most docile, supportive people did.

Rin, it appeared, was no exception to this rule.

When Inuyasha was informed of Sesshomaru's apparent return to the United States, it wasn't Miroku's name that flashed across the screen. It was Rin's.

A hand lazily reached for the nightstand, claws banging against the wood until they fell on the smooth surface of his phone. Without lifting his head from the pillow, or opening his amber eyes, Inuyasha pressed the power button, silencing the call.

Whoever it was, they would call again if the conversation was that urgent. But for the moment the hanyou snuggled closer into the pillow, arms hugging it closer to his head as he drifted back into sleep. But his bliss was short-lived, as the phone rang again, vibrating against the wood and bumping around on the table. Irritated, his head shot up as a hand snatched the phone from his bedside table, reading the name that flashed across his screen. Golden eyes squinted against the bright screen, his palm rubbing against his eye.

Rin usually never called. Or, well, she never called this late. Sighing, Inuyasha answered the phone call, sleepily pressing the phone against his cheek (momentarily forgetting that, of course, his ear was atop his head, not on the side of his head). "Hm?" He vocalized, clearing his throat. "What is it?" Inuyasha added, his voice hoarse.

"Inuyasha," Rin started, her voice losing much of it's usual sweet tone. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" She asked, not needing him to answer. She knew she did by the sound of his voice. Inuyasha nodded on the other end as if Rin could see him. "We need to talk."

"Right now?" He sighed, looking over to the alarm clock on the table. "It's 2 am." Inuyasha grumbled, rubbing a hand across his face. "Can it wait?"

Rin rolled her eyes. "I-...no, not particularly."

"This better be important." Inuyasha grumbled, elbows digging into the mattress as he held the phone in front of his face, momentarily distracted by an Instagram notification. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Rin said through pursed lips, "or rather, as alright as I can be."

Lately, Rin had begun to make a habit of making small jabs at Inuyasha about his brother's disappearance from the face of the earth. Inuyasha could usually just brush them off (people taking jabs at him was a common occurrence in his life). But at that moment he was tired, and just a tad pissed at being called in the middle of the night. Especially when he was having trouble falling asleep at a reasonable time. He blamed withdrawal for that. "Did you call me to take jabs at me, Rin?" Inuyasha snapped back at her, squinting at the phone. "If so I'm going to hang up."

"No." Rin replied dryly, "I'm calling about your brother Inuyasha, he called me yesterday...he's coming back to New York."

"Oh great, the hobbit came out of his hole. And now you can stop bitching at me about my brother not answering your calls." Inuyasha retorted, "that it?"

"Well he wouldn't have blocked everyone's number if someone hadn't sent him away." Rin responded, there was a bitterness in her voice that was unfamiliar to Inuyasha—as Rin was typically anything but bitter. "Inuyasha—"

"Oh for the last fucking time, Rin! I didn't send Sesshomaru away—he sent himself away! All I did was fire him!" Inuyasha defended, trying his hardest not to be too disrespectful toward his future sister-in-law. Although that was proving to be sort of difficult with the way she was taking the conversation. "You have every right to be mad at someone, Rin. But I'm not the one."

He could practically see Rin's angry expressions over the phone, the furrowed eyebrows and angry dark eyes and crossed arms. The raking through her hair, chewing on pen caps. And quite frankly, he didn't give a single fuck. "Be mad at my brother," he continued, "Sesshomaru is the one who practically abandoned you, Rin."

"He wouldn't have done that if you hadn't—"

"He threatened me, Rin. And I was done with his fucking judgement and overbearing attitude or whatever the fuck." Inuyasha growled in response. "Am I just supposed to roll over and accept that shit from him?"

"No but you didn't have to fire him, Yash!" Rin exclaimed, throwing her hand up in the air, "for fucks sake, he's your brother!"

"I'M HIS BROTHER, RIN." Inuyasha bellowed, using her own words against her. "I am his brother! He threatened his brother, Rin. What the fuck is that shit?!" Rin was quiet on the other line, seething silently with her own rage. "Did you call me to belittle me or actually tell me something I'll give a shit about?"

"I'm calling off my engagement to your brother...I can't be with someone who can simply throw me to the side when things get hard. That's not what couples do, much less engaged couples."

"You should, Rin. No one deserves that shit, and I'm sorry that happened to you." Inuyasha replied, fighting off the sleepy feeling that was attempting to come back over his body. "But if you thought I would care about Sesshomaru's return...you're wrong."

"Of course you don't, Inuyasha. You don't see how much he's sacrificed for you." Rin hissed, the change in her demeanor made Inuyasha outwardly flinch, as if stricken. This wasn't the Rin he knew. The Rin he knew wouldn't speak to him like this, she was never angry with him, she was reasonable and kind and gentle and, as much as he hated to admit it, protected him from his brother.

But this Rin, this new Rin...she had a fire in her that even he wouldn't dare to rouse. He swallowed. Hard. A lump was beginning to form in his throat, he couldn't breathe. And—by god, were those tears?

You're such a little bitch!

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha took a deep breath, trying to steady his breathing. "Sesshomaru has done nothing but control me, belittle me, berate me...and I've had enough of it, Rin. I'm an adult. I don't need to constantly be babysat, and if he can't handle me telling him that I've had enough then that's on him."

Rin was silent.

"As for your engagement…" Inuyasha paused. What was there to say? He couldn't save their relationship; that was between Rin and Sesshomaru. He didn't all but break things off with her, Sesshomaru did. He didn't abandon his relationship, Sesshomaru did.

But she's right, he couldn't have done that if it wasn't for me.

There was nothing he could say in that respect. Nothing except: "I'm sorry to hear." Which was met with bitter, empty laughter.

He truly was...sorry. Inuyasha always knew that out of the both of them, Sesshomaru was more likely to lead a 'normal' life. Or at least he thought he would, after hearing that he had proposed to his long-time girlfriend.

It was difficult for him to comprehend what this meant for his own relationship with her. Do we stop talking? Is it appropriate to keep her in my life?

Am I losing someone else?

"I'm sure you are." Rin said, although he could practically feel the sarcasm in her voice. "You need Sesshomaru, you just don't want to admit—"

"I don't need Sesshomaru, I make millions regardless of his presence." Inuyasha said sternly, the sleepiness in his voice had long gone. "I have two other lawyers, and Miroku has found me an accountant so…" His voice tapered off, but the message was loud and clear. Sesshomaru was not needed, nor was he wanted around anymore. "And if I need another lawyer, I can find one."

He was done with being under Sesshomaru's thumb, feeling judged and resented just for living. And it seemed Rin was beginning to go down the same road.

He didn't need her around either, if that was how she was going to act.

"I'm calling off the engagement." Rin announced suddenly, and Inuyasha shrugged in response.

"I-...you should. He's a piece of shit for cutting you off like he did, I would too if I were you, Rin. Again, what the fuck do you want me to do? I'm not the person you're engaged to, nor am I the one you should be mad at." Inuyasha huffed, "and when you see him, tell him his brother says to go fuck himself."

He didn't wait for Rin to respond, if she was going to, he just hung up, and flung the phone on the floor, letting his body fall back onto the bed.

Another enemy made, another friend lost.

He was used to it.

Although some of them (like Rin) were unexpected and sudden, while others he could feel bubbling just beneath the surface. He was used to the eventual drop that would happen, or the switch. He had a way with fucking up good things in his life. Rin, although annoying with her constant efforts to repair the barely there relationship between himself and his brother, was a rare 'good' thing in his life. She stuck up for him when Sesshomaru didn't and for that he was grateful.

But she was quick to turn on him, right when her relationship with Sesshomaru was jeopardized; she made that very clear. Inuyasha couldn't blame her for that either. He bit his lip as the conversation replayed in his mind. The accident had caused a rift in his relationship with many people, Rin included, it seemed.

Sighing, he turned over onto his side, unable to fall back asleep. He was stressed and anxious, and nervously chewed on the inside of his cheek, wincing slightly when his fang poked into it a little too much.

He fought the urge to get up from his bed, tip-toe down to the kitchen and have a drink to help settle his mind. Inuyasha promised himself not to do so for the time he would spend in Vermont. But the call with Rin made it hard for him to keep to that promise, especially when he was already going through a pretty bad withdrawal. His irritability was high, and just the smell of it through the cabinets made his hands shake. Nausea was common, but had begun to die down.

He didn't feel like he needed the alcohol, at least not as much as he used to. Which was a weird feeling to have.

But he did want it.

A lot.

"You don't need it." he muttered to himself, burying his face into his pillow, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to fall back asleep, and ignore the voice in his head telling him he did need it. Very much so. But it seemed like everything had a noise. The room was quiet, but it hummed as electricity coursed through the outlets, the clock on his nightstand ticked. He could hear Kagome down the hall sneeze.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

Who sneezes that damn much?!

His pillow seemed too…pillowy. His hair was annoying him.

It's too hot in this damn room! He pulled the sheets and duvet off of himself, leaving one leg exposed.

It was still too hot.

He was trying with every fiber in his being to resist the urge to drink. He really was. But his frustration with the conversation was making it hard to resist, and it didn't help that he could no longer go to sleep.

Sighing, he got up from his bed and walked toward the bedroom door, his hand resting on the doorknob for a few seconds as he fought with himself.

But one drink won't hurt.

Just a shot, and then you'll come back upstairs and go to sleep like nothing ever happened.

You'll be fine.

But you've been sober for two weeks, this is the longest you've gone, don't fuck it up, Inuyasha!

But I'm so stressed out…

Inuyasha took a few steps away from the door, hands clasped behind his head, golden eyes staring at the doorknob. He could fight it. Sure, he would likely stay up all night now that he could no longer sleep, but he could fight off the crave. He started to walk back to his bed, when he stole another glance toward the door, and without thinking his feet started to take him in the direction of it.

At that point the fight was lost. His body was choosing the alcohol and he wasn't going to fight it. He opened the doorway and started down the hallway and down the steps. Turning the corner and walking down the corridor to the kitchen. He paused at the sink, hands gripping the porcelain with a wight knuckle grip. Head hung low, his eyes glued onto his hands, still trying to fight against it.

You can still turn around and choose not to, Inuyasha. He said to himself, although he knew that it wasn't exactly true. He could turn around, but he knew he'd eventually end up here. In the kitchen, inches away from the alcohol cabinet. He drew in a shaky breath, crouching down, his hands still holding onto the edge of the sink.

He wanted to turn around. He really fucking wanted to.

But it was so hard.

It was much easier to just give in to the craving than it was to walk away from it. Releasing the breath he was holding, Inuyasha got back up and opened a cabinet, picking out a whiskey glass, he set it down and moved over to the alcohol cabinet, mindlessly picking out a bottle. He didn't quite care if it wasn't whiskey that was poured into his glass, so long as it was alcohol.

Only a few seconds later he found himself staring into the glass, the thoughts in his head were getting louder and he just wanted everything to stop.

But he still had one important decision to make, standing over the kitchen sink.

Pour it out, or drink?

The question, or rather the decision, was fleeting, although it seemed to hang in his mind for hours. He took a sip, and then pretty soon after, gulped down the rest of what was in his glass.

Congratulations, you bastard.

You're back at square one.