Author's Note: HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm sorry for being so late. I tried to get this out during the Christmas time but again... it's Christmas time. Who isn't busy during the holidays? So then I really wanted to get this out by the New Year and even though it didn't happen exactly on the date, here it is, the new year. I hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday season, ending 2020 with gratitude and coming into 2021 with the right mindset.

One thing I did want to say: I know some of you have been wanting more in terms of Kag's past and why she is the way she is. There is a lot there, and once things pick up, they will become dark. Kag and Inu need to work on the trust between them first before she will tell him about things, which is what I've been doing all this time between them. I will warn you during those chapters when there will be lemon or when things will get dark. But just so you know... I do hear you. I just want you to hear me: be prepared. You will get to know more about Kag's and Inu's past as the story is about the past coming back to haunt them (mostly her). But thank you all for sticking in it and just letting the storyline play out.

I did only proofread this once so I hope all the grammar is okay. I was trying my best to rush this out to you, hence the one proofread, so forgive any typos or grammar errors. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

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RTR

hive-chan: Awww I'm glad you picked up on Ayumi's/Midoriko's love and friendship with Kag. They definitely didn't start out that way as all the girls keep to themselves and their privacy. But these three are becoming good friends and I'm loving it. Good for Kags. As for Sai... yeah I love that man. He definitely has a good heart and loves Kag. Yes, Inu has his playboy ways but he's really not a 'playboy'. I mean, yeah he fools around to a certain degree but he doesn't go seeking after women to sleep with them and break their hearts for fun. With Kag, it's his natural, demon instincts to desire her and want her: heart, mind and soul. When lemons happen, oh you'll see his nature come out :) Yeah, Onigumo and Naraku have similarities, and I feel like they both will have it in for themselves by the end of the story. Thanks for your review. I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I hope you like this one!

susu-anon: Hahaha, drop as many reviews as you want, and I also like when you check in with a "Where the heck are you?" review lol. Makes me smile but know that I read them and it helps motivate me, kicking me in my behind. Ah, yes, the music video. Well... as you can see that's the title of this chapter so I assume you know what's going to happen. I hope you enjoy this one!

anime-geek: First, thanks for your review and honesty. I'm glad you liked that pole scene with Kags thinking about Inu. I flipped it now as a few chapters ago it was Inu getting off by thinking of Kags. As for your comment of irritation, yes, I understand. Like I said in my AN, I understand a lot of the fans are frustrated and impatient, wanting to know what the heck Kags is hiding, running from. I would be the same way. But the reason I'm stalling is for Inu's sake. She needs to find herself and to trust him. Once she does... things will get dark. But by then, at least she will know that Inu won't reject her and leave once he knows "all" there is to know about her, or at least what's she's willing to tell him slowly over time. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

xsophiex: OMG I loved your review. Brought a smile to my face and giggles. I totally get it. She's getting all these men (don't forget Koga) who want her and yet it's so hard for us single women to get one man lol. Such is the real world. You'll see Mir/San's proposal soon, next chapter :) As for Oni, yes, he's a character. I can only imagine how things are going to go for him when Inu finds out about him and her work. Like I said in my AN, things will get dark. Anyways, sorry I couldn't update during Christmas time but here's a new year's gift! I hope you enjoy :)

MinxieXCX: Haha, was the bed scene and them cuddling together why you asked about their height? lol, too funny. Well, Kags is 5'4, about 135lbs and Inu is 5'9, about 170lbs. Think of it as Kag's forehead being up to Inu's lips, she can rest her cheek on his collarbone against his neck. ;) Yes, the two of them are finding their way with each other and you will see more about how they feel for one another in this chapter. As for Kags being recognized, if you remember, Onigumo has had to do damage control right after her video went viral during HI's concert. Many clients had asked him and figured out the correlation between the 'blue-haired dancer' (later she revealed her name) and Sapphire. He then had to write up this new contract to protect her, to forbid them of disclosing this correlation, or harassing her outside of Midnite and using either her pet name or her real name at the wrong times. That chapter (C9) Onigumo talks about the new contract and how clients would eventually put the two together and figure it out themselves so he needed to bind them from saying anything. That night she also told Sai she was the blue-haired dancer after he asked. Also during the charity event (C11), there was a client named Hiroshi who used her pet name at Inu's parent's house and she had to correct him to use her actual name. There were also other clients there as the Fujimotos are well-known people. So Midnite's clients do know about her, some to a certain degree, and they all signed a new contract not to reveal any identity, both in and out of Midnite. But... money talks right? Who knows what people will do with money. Then again, Onigumo is a powerful man who protects his girls so who knows. But thanks for your review! I hope you like this one :)

val-rommel: Yes, I hear you about being impatient and getting on with Kag's past already. Like I said in my AN, I would feel the same way. I hope you bear with the story a little more. Kag really needs to feel like she can trust Inu as you will see that trust is a big problem for her. Thank you for your review! I hope you like this chapter :)

Rosie B: Haha thanks for your review. Yeah, society isn't used to hearing of women masturbating, it's the norm for men to masturbate as if it was like talking about yesterday's news. Nothing wrong with women doing it too. As for me on hiatus, no, don't plan on going away. I try my best to do one chapter a month but sometimes that doesn't cut it. I know it's a long time between but with my life... I try :) Anyways, I hope you like this next chapter :)

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Kagome followed behind Inuyasha, not sure where she should be going or what she should be doing. She was going to follow his lead on this. Her eyes scanned the place as he held the door open for her. Once she walked in, voices echoed in the room. The dance studio was huge. The academy was big in that it held many dance studios and locker rooms. But this dance studio was big just as one building, probably the size of three of the academy's rooms. She stopped short and waited for Inuyasha at the top of the stairs. The entrance into the studio was on the first level while the studio itself was short of a level down, giving them a good view of the entire room and the opposite side of the room that was a mirror to their's with stairs that led up to another door. There were mirrors with ballet barres that spanned the entire length of both sides of the room.

"This place is huge," she commented in awe just as Inuyasha came to stand next to her.

"I've never been here before but I heard this place has a good reputation. Most of their students make it big," he said, causing her to make a face of approval. With a studio like this, she could only imagine the cost to be a student here but at least the investment would be worth it.

"Inuyasha! Kagome! Come!"

The two of them looked down to see Akari waving at them. The dance floor was littered with the people who worked with Kikyo's record label, busybodies with headsets on. Everyone was doing their job on this production set, some setting up the cameras, some readjusting the lights, some tidying up the cords along the floor so no one injured themselves. Kagome had never seen what it was like behind the scenes of a music video production and she was taking it all in, marveling at how everyone worked together and focused on their task.

She followed Inuyasha down the stairs, looking at all the many cameras laid on the ground with wires strewn everywhere. There was also a camera on a weird contraption with wheels as if it was a moving camera that someone sat on and operated. She thought that was cool to see. There were a few tall chairs set up on the left side of the room where a few people stood in small groups talking to one another. Kikyo stood in one of the groups.

"You look nice," Kikyo called out, leaving Akari's side as she smiled at Inuyasha, walking up to meet him when he got to the bottom of the stairs. Inuyasha smiled at her, nodding his head.

"Thanks. Where's Naraku?"

Kikyo shrugged, nudging her chin up towards the door. "He left a couple minutes ago. Said he needed to talk to the manager to get some clearance on things before we start shooting. You guys like your costumes?" she asked them, looking over at Kagome who came to stand next to him.

Kagome smiled at Kikyo, appreciatively. The costume Kikyo had chosen for her and Inuyasha complimented their favorite colors. For Kagome, Kikyo chose a sapphire colored dress to match her hair and eyes. The sleeveless dress was so comfortable and it hugged her torso down to her waist where it flared out, draping to give the dress movement while she danced. At the front, the dress draped down to her mid-thighs while the back of the dress went down to her ankles, a chic high-low cut. On her feet were blue and black sneakers to help her dance comfortably. The bodice of the dress hugged her torso with a sweetheart neckline at the front and it went down to her waist in the back. Over the dress there was a butterfly lace design covering the front of her chest up to her shoulders and neck, coming around to the back where it stopped at the top of the back of her dress. It was so comfortable, so form-fitting and it looked like a dress that moved on its own, fitting with the butterflies. The hair and makeup crew kept her look simple. She had on blue eyeliner on her top lid while she had blue glitter eyeshadow under her lower lashes. Aside from that, she had smoky nude eyeshadow with nude lipgloss.

Kikyo dressed Inuyasha in a scarlet red short sleeve button-up shirt, with white buttons. The red matched him perfectly and Kagome remembered that night at the charity event where he wore that red suit that suited him. Red really was his color. It brought out his golden eyes. He also had on black dress pants with a white belt and white sneakers.

"I love mine," Kagome said, grabbing some of the fabric and playing with it. "I love how it moves."

"Me too!" Kikyo said happily, glad that Kagome liked it.

Inuyasha arched his eyebrow, wondering what was up with Kikyo. Her attitude had changed since he last saw her three nights ago at the club. Maybe now she was resigned to the fact that she had to let them do the duet and give it a chance. Whatever it was, she was acting awfully cheery when he thought she would be in a sour mood.

Kikyo reached out to grab the buttons on his shirt. "Here. I want a couple of your buttons undone so you can really give the fans a good look at you," she said, unbuttoning the top three buttons.

Inuyasha arched his eyebrow at her, letting her have her way. "Seriously? It'll make the shirt look all crooked while I'm dancing."

Kikyo shook her head with a smile. "No it won't. The fans will love it."

Kagome watched the two of them interacting and turned, not really knowing why their relationship affected her so. They were good friends and business partners so it was only natural for them to be this intimate with one another after all these years. Still, with her feelings for him, she was having a hard time separating business from pleasure. Kagome walked towards the middle of the room, wanting to get away from them but also wanting to get a good feel of the space. It was a huge dance floor so they would have a lot of space to move around and figure out where they would be dancing. She turned when she heard the door close, looking up to see Naraku standing at the top of the stairs.

"Good. Everyone's here. Let's get started." Because it was a big, empty room, every voice in the studio echoed, so she could hear him clearly. Naraku walked down the stairs as Kagome walked to the corner where the high chairs were setup, where Akari sat. There were ten other people here that she could see were a part of the production team. Many got to their spots, holding lights or reflectors in their hands while others waited to be directed at their equipment.

Kikyo waited until Naraku joined her and Inuyasha at the bottom of the stairs. "We're starting at the top right?" her voice demanding and authoritative, switching to her work-mode.

Naraku nodded as he looked up the stairs. "Yes. The camera will film you both ways, at your front and your back. This camera," he said, motioning towards the one that moved on wheels, "will get your front from down here while the other camera on the cameraman's back will get your back and walk down with you. We'll take several shots of you walking through the door and then down the stairs with one camera at a time. Well… the director makes the call."

Kikyo nodded her head and production was underway. She gave the director a smile, catching his eye, and that was his cue to start. He directed his people to follow Kikyo up the stairs. Kagome watched as all the men filed up the stairs after her, one carrying the wires that connected to the camera that was on the shoulder of one man, while two women carrying reflectors walked behind the cameraman. The director remained at the bottom with the camera on wheels as it would be the first camera to shoot while the man holding the iPad remained off the contraption but close enough to him. There was another man sitting on the chair with the mounted camera, able to control the machine and camera while the director simply watched the screen.

"Is that the director?" Kagome asked, sitting next to Akari, not wanting to get in anyone's way.

Akari nodded, following her line of sight. "Yes. The one with the iPad controls the music so that Kikyo can lip sync to the song. Although the song is added later in the final music video."

"Oh." Kagome thought about all the little intricacies that went into the video production.

The set grew quiet as the music began to play, echoing in the room. Everyone looked up. The door opened just as the chorus ended, leading into the bridge, and Kikyo walked through, lip syncing to the song. She motioned with her hands as she sang, just like she would do during her performances, putting emotion into her lyrics. Her eyes told the story as she sang to the camera or when she would look out above the camera and at the studio below. She walked down slowly, making sure to look at the camera every so often but also out at the space around her. She got to the bottom of the stairs and stood there for the remaining lines of the bridge, sometimes closing her eyes as she sang and sometimes looking ahead at the camera while it wheeled back away from her. The music suddenly stopped.

"Okay. Again. Kikyo, I want you to be a little more sexy. Touch your body a little more and look into the camera more this time. Next one we can change to you just looking down at the dancers." Kikyo nodded her head as she turned and went back up the stairs, fixing her hair a bit. The director looked up at one of his crew at the top of the stairs. "You guys just stay in the other room until I get what I need from the front. Then, we'll shoot her just from the back." The man nodded his head and went to tell the other three who waited for his direction.

Naraku grabbed Inuyasha's attention and had him follow him to the group of chairs where Akari and Kagome sat.

"Kikyo will probably be doing this scene for an hour or so," he said as they walked over. "I think the director wants to get some shots of other random things too like her feet walking down and what not," he said with a shrug as the music came back on, making him talk a little louder. "The next scene will be the first chorus. That's the one where you two will be dancing in the background while the camera is still focused on her. The last chorus is where we'll bring the camera in on just you two dancing but your faces won't be shown until the last line."

Inuyasha nodded. "So how do you want us to do this?"

Naraku shrugged. "The director probably has his ideas of where he wants you two based on where he's going to put Kikyo. I told him I want you both in the back of her in some shots while she's walking along the dance floor but blurred out. The main thing I don't want is your faces shown yet."

Akari nodded as the two of them joined her and Kagome on the chairs. Naraku sat next to her while Inuyasha sat next to him. "We don't want your faces clearly shown until that last line. It has to be a surprise of who you two are until the end. Although I'm pretty sure with your hair color that the fans will know who you are. We still want to draw out the suspense."

Inuyasha arched his eyebrow with a smirk at Naraku. "How's Kikyo taking this? She seems too happy today."

Naraku smirked, looking up as Kikyo was halfway down the stairs, singing to the camera sexily. "I had a few words with her yesterday and this morning. She's been doing better with it. She just threw a tantrum because she was jealous that you had a dance with Kagome and that it would be in her video. But she's come to terms with it and has seen it for the better."

"She knows it's for the best," Akari said, her eyes going to Naraku. "Whatever is bothering her about it needs to stop. This is business," she said, warning Naraku. "Kikyo can't let personal feelings get in the way of her success."

Naraku held his hands up. "Not my doing. I talked to her many times."

"So have I," Akari said, sighing with a shrug. "At least she's listening now."

"Well, there's nothing she can do about it. She's fought it every step but even the director likes the idea and wants to see it play out. Plus, Kikyo knows the limited time we have. The video needs to drop midnight on Friday so I don't think she'll fight it anymore."

"I take it there's history between the two of you," Akari said, looking at Inuyasha with a curious look. She really didn't know the history of the group as she hadn't been with them since the beginning and she wasn't around all the time to know the gossip and the drama.

Inuyasha shrugged. "History."

Akari sighed. "Whatever it is, it can't get into potential business."

"Tell that to Kikyo," Inuyasha said rudely, crossing his arms. "I talked to her about it many times. She's the one with the problem."

"Whatever," Naraku said, waving off the subject, knowing it was futile to continue. "If you two want to go warm up or practice, you can use the dance floor on this side. It won't be in the shot. If not, you have about an hour or longer to wait until the next scene is shot."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha and nodded. She checked to see that Kikyo had reached the bottom of the stairs and the music shut off. The director said a few things to her, directing her more, and then they went back up to the top to shoot it again.

"I'll stretch out a bit," Kagome said, getting off the chair. She went closer to the mirrors and sat on the ground, spreading her legs out towards the mirror to watch herself. Even though she wore black booty shorts under her dress, she still made sure her dress covered her crotch. A few minutes later, Inuyasha came to sit next to her on the ground, stretching out his thighs first.

"Nervous?"

Kagome smiled at him, nodding her head. "A little. I've never done something like this before."

"Me neither. It's the first time I'm in a music video," he said with a smirk. "I feel famous."

Kagome giggled, switching her position. She sat on her knees and heels, leaning forward into a child's pose to stretch out her lower back, her cheek on the floor as she looked at him. "I hate to break it to you, but you are famous."

He smiled at her, his boyish features lighting up his face. "I know," he said with a wink. Kagome giggled and shook her head at him. At least there wasn't any tension between them after what happened yesterday morning. She was grateful for that. She didn't want it to be awkward between them and she was glad that they could still be friends. Kagome laid on her back and stretched one leg up in the air at a time, stretching out her hamstrings. Inuyasha stretched out his groin, the two of them chatting a bit about the dance floor and the studio as Kikyo's song kept playing over and over. Kikyo did take a couple of breaks here and there, needing water or needing her crew to retouch her hair and makeup. The director also wanted some time to review his shots while showing Kikyo to make sure she was satisfied with them.

A little over an hour later, the director looked to Kagome and Inuyasha from the bottom of the stairs, calling out to them. "Inuyasha! Kagome! It's your turn now."

Kagome stood, following Inuyasha as they walked up to the director. Some of the crew were getting other things ready while Kikyo went to sit down and take a break. Her makeup crew were working on her while Akari and Naraku talked to her.

"Come," the director motioned, making the two follow behind him as he walked further out onto the dance floor. "What I'm going to do is have Kikyo walk this way out onto the dance floor. She'll be more on this side of the room," he motioned with his right hand, "while you two will be dancing on this side of the room," motioning with his left. "The cameraman will be capturing Kikyo at different angles and getting you in the background of the shots. The motorized camera is just capturing Kikyo for up-close shots of her face. She'll be singing to both of them but the floating camera is the one that will get the two of you."

Inuyasha nodded his understanding. "So just do our thing?"

"Yeah. I want to do a first take to see if I like it and then make adjustments. I haven't seen your choreography yet so I don't know how much space you'll be taking up or what you two look like in motion." Inuyasha nodded and looked back at Kikyo to see if she was ready. She was still sitting on one of the chairs getting touched up while she checked her phone and drank water.

"Wanna go warm up a bit?" Inuyasha asked, turning to Kagome.

"Sure. I want to see how I move in this too," she said, looking down at her dress. "I just don't want to step on the back of the dress." Inuyasha nodded his understanding and looked at the director.

"Wanna see what the choreography looks like?"

"Sure." He called over his assistant and the four of them went to the left side of the room where the two would be dancing. The director told them where to stand while he and his assistant stepped back.

"That should be good," the director said, tilting his head. "I think here you'll still be in the shot." He turned to get a better view of the entire dance floor, trying to figure things out in his head while Inuyasha and Kagome stayed in their spots. Inuyasha turned around, smiling at Kagome, extending his hand to her. She smiled at him and walked up to him, placing her hand into his.

"Ready?" he asked her.

Kagome smiled, nodding at him. He squeezed her hand and then let her go, looking at the director's assistant to give him a nod. The man understood and started the music overhead.

"How should we face?" Kagome asked him, wondering what the director wanted them to do.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Face the mirror like we're practicing at the studio. He'll tell us if he doesn't like it."

Kagome nodded, moving to the beat. She felt the intimacy start between herself and Inuyasha as soon as the music began. It was almost like there was a pull between them. And as her eyes met his, she could tell he felt it too. She smiled shyly at him for a moment before she forgot there were eyes on them, forgetting anyone was there. She walked up to him, running her hand up his arm and onto his shoulder. She smiled at him, bringing her body close to his as he smiled at her, bringing his arms up to her waist. The chemistry was there between them.

The cue came and the two of them easily fell into step, their chemistry electrifying, as if they had been dancing together for years. The director watched with intrigue and amazement, walking around them to get different angles but without getting in their way. He watched the way their focus was totally on each other, their eyes always finding the other's, their hands always touching the other's body. Their feet moved in step and the sensuality of the dance, especially of Kagome's feminine body, was a perfect blend to Inuyasha's commanding masculinity. The two of them were beautiful together in his opinion. He smiled, nodding his head as the bridge came along, the parts of the song they were filming for today. He watched them carefully, picturing in his mind where and when he would want the camera to capture them. He definitely wanted to get shots of their bodies alone, the way their hands touched each other's bodies and the way their feet moved in time together. He watched in anticipation as they did the final end of the song, wondering what it would be, but breaking out in applause once he saw it.

"Wow! That was amazing! I'm so glad I'm directing this," he said, his eyes sparkling. "This is going to be a huge hit!" He turned to face Kikyo, calling out to her, as Kagome and Inuyasha straightened themselves and caught their breath. "I know how I want to do the big reveal. It's going to be on that last three words of the song. But before that, I'll have the camera start to move from their feet up to their faces, but not getting their faces. By then, I'll have their entire bodies in the shot. Then, with each word, I'll change the shots to get close ups with each camera until I find an angle I like, and definitely end on a close up with that dip." The director clapped his hands together once, finalizing his ideas. His assistant remained at his side, jotting down notes of every idea he spoke aloud. "Kikyo. What do you think?"

Kikyo waved her hand in the air with her hydroflask. "I like it." She looked ahead at Inuyasha and Kagome who were smiling and talking amongst themselves. She frowned, really seeing the two of them in a different light now. She hated to admit it but after seeing that… she couldn't deny that there was something there that she and Inuyasha never had. She tried not to let it bother her as she still had a lot of work to do.

"I liked this dress," Kagome said, feeling giddy. She looked at herself in the mirror, playing with the dress. "I can move easily in it and I like the way it moves."

Inuyasha smiled, watching her childish antics in her reflection. "It compliments you well," he said, placing his hands in his front pockets. Kagome turned to him and smiled at his compliment.

"Thanks, Yasha."

"Alright! Let's move on to the next scene!" the director called out, walking back towards his cameramen.

Kikyo sighed, turning her gaze from Inuyasha as she got off her chair. "Where do you want me?"

The director led her to the bottom of the stairs. "We'll start you here. I want you to walk at an angle towards the right but keep turning around so that you look at both cameras throughout the chorus. Those two will just keep dancing and we'll see how it goes." Kikyo nodded her head as he left her in her spot. She shifted onto either foot as her eyes went out to watch Inuyasha and Kagome. The two of them were getting ready, touching each other and trying to find their places, turning to watch the director. Kikyo looked away, setting her focus on her task. She just wanted to get this music video over and done with. It pained her to see Inuyasha so happy and comfortable with Kagome as if he cared for her. He never showed that to her, especially not in a work environment. The jealousy cut her like a knife.

"You ready, Kikyo?"

"Yep." The crew were ready and began filming as the music started from the ending of the bridge.

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha and smiled, seeing his face. 'Inuyasha…' She loved dancing with him. Dancing with him was what brought her joy. She could always lose herself in dancing, especially when it was with him. And no matter how chaotic it was in the studio with all the crew and the equipment and all the small details that they needed to remember to make the shot just right, Kagome could just focus on Inuyasha and she was content. There was nothing to worry about.

Their cue started and she smiled before she strutted into her step with him following her. The two of them danced together as Kikyo walked forward onto the dance floor, heading more to the right while the cameraman walked in an angle to capture the dancers behind Kikyo. The other camera that was on the moving contraption stayed behind her, following her slow steps. Kikyo turned around, singing to the moving camera for a couple of beats before turning to sing to the floating camera. She kept walking and kept moving, her attention focused on both cameras but also keeping it organic, not really thinking about it but just letting herself go.

"Cut." The music cut off and the director looked behind Kikyo at the dancers. "Good job, you two. I loved the look. I can get you two dancing at this angle as Kikyo is walking. Let's do it again. I'm still trying to find something in this scene."

"Let us know if you need a break," Naraku called out, sitting with his laptop on his lap. "The makeup crew is ready to retouch you both and we have some handheld fans to help if you get sweaty."

Inuyasha nodded with a wave, looking at Kagome. "If you get tired, just tell me. We'll stop. It seems like we'll be dancing for a long time."

"Seems like it," she said with a shrug. She could assume this was what it was like to make a music video. Most of the time the artists did nothing but look pretty and lip sync. But for the dancers, she never really thought how tiring it would be for them to perform over and over just to get that perfect shot. It was way different from a concert. A concert, you only had one shot to get it right and whatever it was, there was no do overs. A music video, you could redo it as many times as you needed to in order to get that perfect shot. "I'm okay for now."

"I don't want you guys to get too tired because I want the next scene to be absolutely perfect since it'll be your scene," the director reminded them. "So if you have to, you can step out of the scene after a couple shots and come back in later. If I get what I need, I'll let you know so you can stop and take a break while I just focus on Kikyo."

Inuyasha and Kagome nodded before the director called everyone back to their original spots. They ran through it again and again for thirty minutes before Kikyo needed a water break. They all took the opportunity to take a break, walking back to the chairs where Naraku and Akari sat. Akari smiled at them as they approached.

"You should go see makeup and hair, Kagome. And get yourself some water," Akari offered.

"Thanks. I'll go up there," she said, excusing herself. Kagome made her way up the stairs and out the door, needing some water and wanting to sit for a bit.

Inuyasha went to sit on one of the chairs next to Akari, sighing. "How much longer?"

"Not sure. It's whatever the director wants."

Inuyasha looked over to see him with his assistant looking down at the iPad. Both of them were huddled together, staring intently at the iPad and touching the screen. The director looked like he was looking through all the shots while everyone took a break. Kikyo came and sat on the other side of Inuyasha with a sigh.

"My feet hurt," she mumbled, crossing one leg up on her knee to rub her calf. "You two must be tired," she said, turning to Inuyasha. Her assistants came over and one stood behind her chair while the other in front of her, fixing her hair and retouching her makeup. One gave her water and her phone.

Inuyasha looked over and watched as the two fussed over Kikyo's look while she checked her phone. "It's not that bad. It's almost like a concert. Two hours of dancing with barely any breaks in between."

Kikyo nodded with a smile, looking down at her phone. "I guess you're right." She didn't really know what else to say to him. She had a raw and honest conversation with him that Saturday night and now without talking about business, she didn't know what else to talk about without bringing up the elephant in the room. She sighed and went through all the emails and texts that came in since the last time she checked it.

The director came over and sat on the available chair next to Naraku, his assistant behind his seat. "We've got some great shots," he said, thoroughly pleased. The director looked at Inuyasha, impressed. "I really like the shots I got of you two. It gives the video an intimate but mysterious feel," he said, using his hands to emphasize the way the scene came across as. "Kikyo, this is a brilliant idea to incorporate the dance into the music video. It brings life and love into it."

Naraku, Kikyo and Inuyasha looked at each other, all three of them stunned at the director's choice of words. He laughed, looking at all of them.

"You should see your faces."

Kagome came back in and walked down the stairs, listening to the director laughing. She smiled, noticing all of them sitting on the chairs. The hair and makeup followed her down, both women wanting to retouch Inuyasha too. Kagome made her way over to them, hearing their conversation.

"Seriously though," the director said, crossing one leg over the other. "This music video is going to be a huge hit. I know it," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "I've done a lot of music videos for the label. But this one… there's something real about it. The way we move from the rooftop to the dark and lonely alley and now to this scene full of emotion and love… whoever came up with this idea is a genius!"

Kagome smiled as she thought about how both Inuyasha and Naraku were to thank. If it wasn't for Inuyasha making the choreography to begin with, whatever his motivation for it was, there wouldn't be a dance. And it was Naraku's idea to put it in the video while having to persuade Kikyo.

"I think it was a joint effort between Inuyasha and Naraku," she said softly. Inuyasha turned as she approached behind him and he got off the chair, moving to stand behind it.

"Sit down."

Kagome smiled tenderly at him, nodding her head in thanks. 'What a gentleman.' She went to sit between Akari and Kikyo while the hair and makeup women began to work on Inuyasha.

"Who's ever idea it was, it's brilliant," the director commented. "I was telling them that your dance completes this song. It brings a lot of emotion and love into the video. It brings to life the words of the song. The entire video brings the lyrics to life. I have a feeling this is going to be on the top charts for a while."

'Top charts?' Was it really that big of a deal? She knew that Inuyasha's choreographies were amazing and the fans loved them. But was it that big of a deal to put Kikyo on the top charts? If that was so then she could only admire Inuyasha all the more. He truly was an amazing choreographer. Kikyo should be proud to have him in her group. She turned to Kikyo to see her rubbing one of her calves.

"Sore?"

Kikyo looked at her, smiling. "A little. Walking up and down the stairs and standing on my feet all this time in these heels is starting to get to me."

"Let's finish up then," the director said, hopping down from the high chair to head back to the cameramen. "The sooner we can finish this scene, the sooner you can relax." Kikyo sighed and got off the chair, leaving her things on it as she followed behind the director.

"Should we go?" Kagome asked, turning around to look at Inuyasha over her shoulder.

He shrugged. "You up for it? I don't want you to get worn out before the last scene. Naraku's right. It is important we look our best for the finale."

Kagome smiled and got off the chair. "I'm good. It's really not that bad since we're just doing the chorus over and over. Let's do it." He loved her enthusiasm and energy, smiling as he followed her back to their spots.

Kikyo began shooting again, doing all the things the director told her while also doing what she wanted to do, to keep her own uniqueness and personality. She lip synced as she walked through the dance studio, the two cameras following her slowly. Sometimes she would twirl around to the beat or add a little slow and sultry walk. Kikyo was a natural. She loved every minute the camera was on her and acted like no one else was in the room but her and the camera. Inuyasha and Kagome were naturals as well, doing the same thing as Kikyo, as if it was just the two of them. The director kept them in the background of the shot while he kept the camera focused on Kikyo. Their two bodies moved behind her but their faces were still blurred and unfocused, only their hair colors giving a hint as to who they could be.

"Cut. Thanks, Kikyo. Let's take a break before the last scene," the director said as everyone put their equipments down and headed off to take a break.

"Inuyasha, Kagome," he said, calling them over as he walked halfway towards them. "We're going to take a fifteen minute break and then we'll shoot the last scene. I think this one might be faster than an hour. I don't want to overwork you two and make you dance it twenty times. But I also think I can get what I need in a few shots. Of course, Kikyo would have to approve of them too."

"Can we go over what you have so far before we move on?" Kikyo asked, coming up behind the director. She wanted to see what he had from this last scene before the director called it a day. She loved the past two days and how the videos came out absolutely perfect and exactly what she wanted so far. She could already anticipate what the final video would look like, especially after seeing Inuyasha's choreography for today's shot. She was sure the director's prediction was right.

The director smiled at her and nodded. "Let's look it over while we take a break." The two of them walked back towards the chairs where Naraku and Akari sat while Inuyasha and Kagome sank to the floor.

"What are you thinking?" Inuyasha asked as Kagome spread her legs out to stretch.

Kagome shrugged with a smile. "I'm really loving all of this." She looked around her at the dance studio and all the equipment and people putting Kikyo's music video together. "I love music videos and now I can see how they're being made." She turned back to look at him, seeing his whole attention was focused on her. She smiled. "I'm glad to be a part of this with you."

Inuyasha smiled at her, nodding his head. "Me too." He wouldn't have thought to have done something like this. Ever. He never danced with anyone in the group like this or ever made a duet choreography before. But with Kagome, everything was different. He was different. He watched her as she stretched out, listening to how she was loving today and to be able to see everyone moving around behind the scenes. As much as it was all new for him too, the only thing he really enjoyed about this moment was that he was here with Kagome. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't be here.

After Kikyo saw all the shots the director took throughout the day and was satisfied, the director called everyone back to shooting for the last scene. He walked over to the two of them as they stood up from their spots.

"Do you think you might be able to get this done in one or two takes?" he asked them.

Inuyasha nodded, confident. "For sure. We can get it done in one take if you want."

The director shook his head. "Two. Three maybe? Five at the most, just to give me something to work with. But I think you can do it in fewer." He turned around as the cameraman came up to one side of him and the other camera drove up to his left. "Both my cameras will be getting shots of your feet and hands and of your bodies. Can you show me your ending moves again?"

Inuyasha nodded as Kagome moved to his side, the two of them getting into position. She walked into his arms, placing her left hand in his up against his chest while her other hand rested on his shoulder. "Ready?" he asked her, seeing her smile and nod. She had one leg out and to the side behind her, ready for the next move, while Inuyasha had his other hand at her waist to help with her momentum.

The ending part of the choreography was Kikyo's final line, "Who's. Got. You?" Inuyasha counted the beat and the two of them did the last three moves to each word as he said them out loud. "Who's" had Inuyasha pushing at Kagome's waist as she spun out of his embrace but he held onto her hand, their outstretched hands the only thing connecting them as she tried to get away from him. "Got" had Inuyasha yanking Kagome back into him as their hands unlocked and she threw her arms around his neck, going up on her tiptoes, their eyes nearly level with one another, planting her chest against his as his hands came up behind her, one at her top back while the other at her lower back. "You" had Inuyasha keeping his left hand against her upper back while his right came around to hold up Kagome's left knee she brought up against him as she dipped and fell back, his hand at her back supporting her as she threw her arms out and dipped backwards, bringing her knee up against him. Inuyasha hunched down as Kagome threw her head back, her arms out, while he rested his forehead against her collarbone, easily supporting her weight.

"Great!" the director called out. "Love it! That's a shot right there!" He clapped his hands, making the two come out of their pose as Inuyasha helped Kagome up to her feet, the two of them smiling at each other.

"Okay. Let's get started."

They filmed for another half hour, the two only needing to do the dance three times. They would watch the playback with Kikyo until they were all satisfied with what they got. Then, the director called it a day. By then, it was lunchtime and the filming for Kikyo's video was complete.

"Wanna get lunch?" Inuyasha asked Kagome as they walked up the stairs of the dance studio, heading back outside to grab their things while the others kept talking and wrapping things up.

Kagome smiled at him. "Sure."

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Kagome smiled as the men passed her, the three of them taking a moment to stop to bow at her, and smile approvingly before they continued on. She watched them as they walked away, leaning her back against the bar.

"Anymore clients?"

She turned around at the sound of Kohaku's voice. Kohaku was their youngest employee at Midnite. He was only twenty-one and with such a boyish look, it was hard not to see him as her little brother. He had short, spiky black hair with silver tips at the end. He was dressed like Hojo in their bartender uniform. Both had on black dress pants with a white, long-sleeve button-up dress shirt. Some nights they would roll up their sleeves if it got too busy behind the bar. The outfit was finished with a purple tie. Kohaku standing next to Hojo always seemed like the complete opposite of him. He was obviously younger in the way he looked with his colored, spiky hair. Hojo liked to gel his hair back and sometimes wear a black fedora to complete his look. He was a little bigger built than Kohaku, a little taller too, but the two of them made a great team of bartenders and she loved working with the both of them.

"No." Kagome moved to sit on one of the barstools, crossing her legs as she relaxed, just as Kohaku slid her favorite drink her way. She smiled in thanks. "I only had two tonight. Besides… the night's almost over." She turned to see Onigumo walking her way, his eyes going to Hojo who nodded. Hojo was quick in making Onigumo his drink as he came to sit on the stool next to her. No one sat at the bar. Everyone was on the floor or in the lounge relaxing for the remainder of the night. It was half an hour until closing and there were only a handful of gentlemen left, wanting to stay as long as they could, just enjoying themselves and the company.

"How was your night, Sapphire?" Onigumo asked as he sat, turning to look at her with a smile.

Kagome straightened a little and smiled and him. "It went well."

"That's good to hear." Hojo came over to them and slid Onigumo's drink up to him on top of a napkin. "I talked to Sai on Monday." Kagome's interest piqued. She watched him take a sip of the dark liquid, waiting for him to continue. Onigumo leaned his forearms onto the bar, staring ahead.

"I talked to him about what happened Sunday night. He was very apologetic and wanted to see you. He was worried about you and asked a lot of questions if you were all right."

Kagome frowned, remembering what happened four nights ago. It was Thursday night, well technically Friday morning as it was past midnight. She remembered the last time she saw him and the kiss they shared. She was concerned for him and if he was okay since she had been so caught up in her own breakdown. But she wasn't sure if she was ready to see him and face him after her shaming incident. "What else did you say?"

"I warned him about getting too close to you." Kagome frowned, looking at Onigumo with disappointment and irritation. "I just wanted to make sure that he understood his boundaries and that he wouldn't cross them again."

"What boundaries?" she asked softly, one hand resting on top of the bar.

Onigumo turned to look at her, his face neutral but his voice hard. "That you are mine. That him falling for you would be meaningless. That this was his only warning." Onigumo turned back to his drink, listening to the soft, melodic music playing. "I warned him not to think that he can 'save' you. He's not your 'knight in shining armor'."

Kagome turned her head from him, looking down at her drink. She took another sip, nursing it, feeling her irritation at Onigumo starting to boil inside of her. She was frustrated with how he micromanaged her. She can take care of herself. And besides… it was her fault to begin with. "It wasn't Sai's fault. I was the one who initiated the kiss. He's not trying to save me from anything."

"Well… now he knows. He's no one's savior and he's not to be intimate with you again. Your relationship together is strictly business. His membership is still active because I like him. He's a man with lots of money and power. And he's loyal. To you." Kagome turned to look at him as he got off the barstool, downing the rest of his drink. "Just thought I'd let you know that I talked to him. And as a warning to you… don't play with your clients, Sapphire." His eyes glared at her, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Don't lead them on into thinking that you will both live happily ever after."

Onigumo turned to leave, walking behind her onto the floor. Kagome stared ahead at the wall of the bar, her heart racing and her blood boiling. Onigumo never got into her clientele business. He never meddled. He was there for the repercussions or for the reprimands, but never to meddle and micromanage. Yet, here he was, micromanaging her business with Sai. She couldn't say anything to him because he was her boss and what he did was for her best interest, also for his best interest. She also couldn't say anything because, in a way, he sacrificed a lot for her. He spent a lot of money and resources to keep her safe, to keep Koga from finding her. He saved her, gave her a job, a place to live, money to eat, and for that she owed him her life.

Kagome turned around to look at Onigumo walk up to a table with two men. The two looked up at him with smiles as he joined them at their table. She thought about Sai. Did she really see him as her 'knight in shining armor'? Did she think that he would save her from this place like all the other men promised her? No. She didn't see anything in him that she hadn't seen in others before. He had good looks, he was handsome, rich, kind and said all the right things that every woman wanted to hear. The only thing different about Sai was that he saw her. She felt comfortable around him that she told him more about herself than she told any other client in Midnite. And yet he saw her. Just like Onigumo saw her that night in the alley. Perhaps both of them wanted to save her. But honestly, she didn't need someone to save her. She can save herself. She took care of herself, always had and always will. She just wanted someone to see her, to be there for her, to love her and care for her more than she cared for herself. She just wanted to be wanted. Not possessed like a piece of property.

Kagome frowned. 'Stop this.' She could feel her heart tightening as her eyes stung with tears. But she would not cry at work. She reached for her drink and downed the entire glass, pushing it away from her. "Thanks Kohaku!" she called, getting a wave from the boy as he was cleaning the glasses for the night. Both he and Hojo were closing up the bar as last call rang out and the lights began to brighten a little more, signaling the patrons that the club was closing. The girls began to say their goodnights to their clients as they slowly began to head back to the dressing room. Kagome made her way to the door next to Onigumo's stairs, her eyes catching his as he smiled at her. She gave him a look of pure irritation before she headed to the dressing room.

Once Kagome got through the hallway and into the dressing room, the room was bustling with the girls coming in and changing, everyone calling it a night. Kagome smiled at Yuki as she passed by, heading over to her makeup chair to sit. She went into her purse, suddenly feeling butterflies. The night's events were gone from her mind, Onigumo meant nothing now. The only thing that mattered was checking YouTube.

"Oh my gosh!" Ayumi yelled, closing the door behind her as she ran into the room and up next to Kagome. Midoriko and Kagura came in together. Midoriko headed straight over to Kagome with eagerness in her steps.

"It's time! Let's see it!" Ayumi said, hanging onto the back of Kagome's chair as she bounced around.

Kagome giggled, trying to control her shaking hands as she opened the lock on her phone. She saw she had twenty-two missed text messages. 'Woah!' She quickly opened her message app and noticed that most of the messages were on the group text with the gang. She opened it up and scrolled through all the different colored bubbles, quickly breezing through everyone's comments. 'The video is live!' 'Oh my gosh!' 'Super hot!' 'Inuyasha, Kagome, you two look awesome together!' 'Sexy as hell!' Kagome blushed with a smile, feeling giddy at everyone's reactions. Midoriko and Ayumi looked over her shoulder at all the text messages, smiling at each other as they waited. Kagome then noticed she had a text from Inuyasha separately but because she wasn't alone, she didn't want to read it yet.

"Okay," she said, going to the YouTube app on her phone.

"Sounds like you guys already have hot reviews," Midoriko said after seeing all the texts.

Kagome nodded, butterflies in her stomach. "I'm glad they liked it." Honestly, she never saw the final product of the music video and tonight was the release. It was on her mind during her down time and now that work was over, she was suddenly excited to watch the video. She typed in Kikyo's name with the song and clicked on the first music video that popped up. Ayumi and Midoriko crowded in closer behind her to get a better look.

"Oh my gosh, Kagome! Look at how many views it has already," Ayumi pointed out. She looked and her eyes widened.

"60,000 views?!"

The music video began to play and the three of them grew quiet. Kagome put her volume up as loud as it could go with everyone's chatter in the dressing room and Kikyo's voice began to sing. Some of the girls began to crowd behind her as they watched along, wondering what they were looking at. Kagome smiled, nodding her head to the beat as she watched Kikyo sing on the rooftop of a building. The camera got close shots of her and far away shots with a drone, just like Naraku had mentioned on Monday. The girls behind her began to sing along softly, totally getting into the video. They all voiced their excitement and approval as Kikyo sang to the camera and out towards the skyscrapers. As the chorus ended, the camera dove from the building, shooting down to the city street into an alleyway where the camera caught up to Kikyo walking through the alley. Kikyo sang about finding her love, looking for him in all the dark places of her life. It fit perfect with her walking down the alley. Her face was somber, sad even, as she stared down at the ground or as she looked around her. No one was there. Kagome could feel her emotions through the screen. She sort of felt Kikyo's sorrow and yearning to find someone to love, to find someone to love her. She hadn't really seen the song in this way but now, watching the video performance, she was surprised as to how deep and emotional the song was for Kikyo. Kikyo went from shouting on the rooftop, searching, to walking through a dark alley, lost. The emotions were raw and Kagome had to applaud Kikyo for thinking of all this at the last minute and shooting the video so quickly.

The chorus ended just as the camera faded into the alley wall and it transitioned to a door opening with Kikyo walking through into the light. 'The dance studio!' The camera focused on the light ahead of her and followed her down the stairs. Kagome bit her bottom lip, knowing this scene well. She watched as it played out with Kikyo singing until she got to the bottom of the stairs.

"That's Kagome and Inuyasha!" Ayumi exclaimed, shaking Kagome's chair. Kagome giggled, trying to calm her down, her heart racing a million miles. She was nervous and excited both at the same time, watching what she had done a couple days ago play out in a real, live music video. It was surreal. Even though no one could tell who it was dancing in the background, the hair colors was a big giveaway if people knew who she and Inuyasha were. Their faces and bodies were still unfocused behind Kikyo but it was the hair that were the biggest hints. The girls behind her began to say little comments about her and Inuyasha dancing and Kagome could see what the director was talking about on Tuesday. He definitely built the scene up as Kikyo went into the chorus. The way he kept the focus on Kikyo but the video started to transition more into focusing on the two dancers, the movements of their hands and feet. The transition was smooth between the two choruses and to hear Kikyo singing with such emotion while she and Inuyasha danced with such emotion, it was raw.

The final chorus came on and she and Inuyasha became the main focal point of the video. The camera caught the two of them at the perfect times like when their backs were to the camera or when there was no reflection in the mirrors to see their faces. It caught just from their noses down the body as they danced together. It was an amazing job that the director did, keeping from revealing who the dancers were but still giving away parts of the faces and the entire bodies. Finally as the last line came, Kagome steeled herself, knowing the ending was the dramatic finale. Her hands shook and she had to hold the phone as best as she could so everyone could watch along. Kikyo's voice rang through her phone, the last three words of the song and Kagome watched as the camera faded out to reveal who the two dancers were. Behind her, the girls squealed, she didn't know if it was for her or for Inuyasha, but it only made her giggle at their excitement at the 'big reveal'. She watched herself twirl away from Inuyasha, then back against his chest, their faces close together. The camera was focused on just their two faces, from the shoulders up as their noses touched, holding this shot with her blue hair intertwining with his silver hair. Then the shot faded out wider as she fell back, bringing her leg up as Inuyasha brought his head to her chest. The video went dark.

Cheers and applause erupted around her as Kagome felt numb. 'Wow… That was unbelievable…' She couldn't believe how the director had made the video so raw, so real. As the girls around her cheered for her and Inuyasha, but also congratulating her on her first, big music video, her ears were ringing. She was still floored as to how raw that video was. She couldn't believe how her and Inuyasha looked together. 'We looked like a couple.'

"Wow, Kagome," Midoriko said, arching her eyebrow with disbelief. "You sure you and Inuyasha aren't dating?" The others quieted, making little moans and groans, trying to get her to reveal something they didn't know.

Kagome snapped out of it and shook her head, still shocked. "No. We're not."

"I'm joking," Midoriko said, laughing at her reaction. "Gurl, you need to calm down. You look like you could die at any minute."

"Kagome… that was unbelievable," Ayumi praised, just as the others said another round of congratulations and left the three of them. Ayumi looked at Kagome's reflection in the mirror. "Really. The chemistry between you and Inuyasha… I haven't seen something like that before."

"We never saw you two dance like this," Midoriko mentioned.

Kagome looked at the two of them in the mirror. "You both saw me perform on television before," she pointed out.

Midoriko shook her head with a smile. "Honey, that's not the same. You dancing with a group of people is different then when you're dancing alone with someone. There was passion with you and Inuyasha dancing together."

"Passion?"

Ayumi nodded her head, giving her a look. "Come on, honey. You can't deny that there's passion between the two of you. Especially after watching that."

Both of them spoke the truth. Of course there was passion between herself and Inuyasha. They slept in a bed together for crying out loud. But if the world could see this passion that her friends talked about, was it real? Or just lust? Kagome looked down at her phone, checking the views again. Her eyes widened, shaking her head in disbelief. "I still can't believe there's almost 60,000 views already."

"And to think the video just dropped an hour and a half ago," Midoriko said, turning around as she spoke over her shoulder while she headed towards her makeup chair. "This is going viral, Kagome. You need to brace yourself if you're not ready for it."

Kagome's blood chilled, an immediate reaction. 'Will I ever get over this fear?' This initial fear she felt every time she thought of herself going viral, her face being spread around on the internet like wildfire. It was the fear of being seen, of being found, and yet… it was exactly what she desperately wanted. She wanted to be seen. She wanted to be found. She wanted to be seen by people who would cheer her on, who loved her dancing and who inspired her to be more than what she thought she could be. But she was ready. After all she had already done since she has been with Kikyo, she has been adjusting to this life of being on the screen and in the media. Her immediate response might be that initial fear, but she still accepted it and was grateful for it. Ayumi placed her hand on her shoulder, looking at Kagome in the mirror.

"Midoriko's right, Kagome. I know you've had time to think about this as you were making the music video. But you really need to make sure you really are ready. If there's 60,000 views within the first two hours, this video will explode by the end of today. And can you imagine over this weekend? Be prepared that it's really what you want." Kagome looked up, seeing the encouragement in Ayumi's eyes. She felt grateful for her and Midoriko, the two of them always cheering her on and being there for her. "It's okay to want this." With that, Ayumi squeezed her shoulder one last time and walked towards her chair to call it a night.

All the girls were busy, changing out of their costumes and preparing to leave for the night. Kagome could only focus on her phone, remembering the final shots of her and Inuyasha together. 'Inuyasha…' She went back to her messages, going to Inuyasha's name to see what he had texted her.

"My favorite part of the video was the end…"

She smiled to herself, feeling butterflies. 'Inuyasha…' She couldn't deny what she felt for him. She just couldn't see the two of them ever being together. But Ayumi's words rang in her head. "It's okay to want this." Was it really okay to want this, this new life as a dancer on the big stage, this new life in the spotlight? Was it really okay to want something more with Inuyasha and see where the two of them could go in their relationship? She knew the deeper question wasn't if it was okay. It was if she would be okay with this new life, with this relationship with Inuyasha. Such a huge change for her, someone who never had a life like this before or a man in her life who made her feel this way. She didn't know if she was ready for it. But as she looked at herself in the mirror, she promised herself one thing. 'I will follow my heart.'

She smiled and quickly replied back to Inuyasha. "That was my favorite part too." She sent it and closed her phone, shaking her head with a smile as to how freer she felt. Day by day she hoped that it would get easier to accept this life and her feelings for him but for now, she would just let it happen and see where life took them.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Later that morning, Kagome, fresh from a shower and with her morning coffee, went out to her balcony. She sat down and watched the video a few more times, truly feeling numb and in shock. It felt so surreal to see herself like that. No matter how many times she watched it, she could feel Kikyo's emotions and saw the song differently from when she first heard it before she joined the group. The lyrics of the song and now the way it played out in a video, Kagome wondered if this song had something to do with Kikyo's relationship with Inuyasha. She could sense their relationship was more than just friends, but she really didn't know to what extent. Maybe one day, when she had the courage to admit her feelings for him and to be honest with herself, one day she would ask him. For now, she loved Kikyo's music video and how well the director put everything together. It was amazing how he made that last part of the video in the studio. Since she was there, she knew first hand what it was like to have the camera on them and to see the raw footage. But to see the edited version and how he was able to hide their faces but still give away so much for the fans to see, the director was truly amazing. Kagome even read some of the comments, adding to her anxiety. Most people were buzzing about the ending and the two dancers. There were always some haters, some people writing about how they didn't like the way Kikyo made the video or why it ended with people who weren't the artist herself. But still, most of the reviews were positive.

By the time she knew it, the sun was rising over the buildings and she received a text from Inuyasha. "I'm glad you liked it too. The three of us are coming to pick you up in an hour."

She checked the time. It was already eight in the morning. Tomorrow they were going to head back down to Osaka early in the morning for the whole day again. It would be their last time going for the day. Next weekend they would be staying at Hotel Hankyu International to practice on the full stage with everything completely ready. It was getting closer to concert day and after this music video, Kagome could only imagine how things would start firing up for them, especially for Kikyo. She smiled to herself as she stood, heading back inside to get ready for the day.

Meanwhile, a black limo was driving through heavy traffic, heading through the busy streets of Matsuyama City. Morning rush hour was always hectic, leaving for a slow, stop and go ride. Koga sighed as he leaned further back into the leather seat. His phone buzzed in his front jacket pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the screen.

"You need to see this. Watch until the end." A text from Ginta. It was a YouTube link. Koga clicked on it and waited for the app to open. Once it did, he frowned. He wasn't one to watch music videos, but then again, Ginta knew that which was why he made it a point to tell him to watch until the end. So he waited. Once in a while, his eyes went up to look at the passerby outside his window, disinterested in the video. He pressed on the screen of his phone to see that there was about a minute left. Then, he noticed it. He noticed her. How could he not?

Koga brought the phone a little closer to his face, trying to make out the people dancing behind the singer, but the video was unfocused on them. He cursed, agitated that he couldn't see who it was. But he remembered her hair. The color blue. The same one he saw in that viral video from Hawai'i. The same as her eyes. The same as the nickname he gave her. Bluebird.

Then, the camera focused in on the dancers' bodies and finally on their faces. As the woman fell back, Koga could clearly see it was her. 'Kagome.' He smiled, seeing her again making him hard at just the thought of her body. Those endless nights they had together. He could still remember it. She was his wife. How could he forget her? Koga watched until the video went black and he quickly called Ginta.

"Sir."

"I want you to find her. Bring her to me." The thought of having Kagome with him again brought him butterflies. She was precious to him. She had always been. He was never going to give her up, never going to stop looking for her. The last time she resurfaced, she had gotten away from him. Now she had resurfaced with a complete makeover, but no matter how much she changed her look, she still couldn't hide herself from him. He would notice her anywhere. Especially that scent of hers. He would never forget her.

"Last time she was in Hawai'i. Now she'll be performing in Osaka in two weeks," Ginta informed him. Obviously, his men knew what he would want and expect of them. Since the video in Hawai'i, his men have been trying to track her down using social media. Besides her on-air performances and fan pages, they couldn't track her exact whereabouts in Japan. This frustrated Koga for months but he was a patient demon. He could wait. He had for years and he knew his men would find her for him one day.

"Book yourselves a flight and get tickets to that concert."

"Hakkaku already bought them when we saw the video. We got VIP tickets. It has backstage access with meeting the pop star but hopefully we can meet the dancers too."

Koga nodded his approval, rubbing his other hand along his thigh. "Good. Make sure she doesn't spot you first. I don't want her running like last time. She can't know that I'm on to her."

"Understood."

"If you can't get to her then just keep an eye on her until you can. Take your time with this. I don't want her spooked and I don't want her running. Now that I know where she is, it's only a matter of time before I have her again." With that, he ended his call, satisfied with himself. This time he wasn't going to lose her.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Kagome walked in with Sango and the warehouse was quiet, save for a few phones that were playing something. The others looked up, huddled in groups along the ground watching each other's phones, and they all broke out into smiles.

"Oh my gosh!" "You guys were awesome!" "Holy cow that music video was on fire!" "Congratulations!" Everyone got up from the ground, shouting, excited, clapping as the four of them walked up towards the group.

Inuyasha waved his hand at them trying to get them to settle down. "Alright, alright. Thanks everyone."

"Oh come on, Inuyasha," Miroku said with a smirk, nudging his side. "The music video is really good."

"The best Kikyo has ever made so far," Itsuki said ecstatically.

"It was really good, Inuyasha," Shippo said, coming over to place his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "The whole music video told a story but the ending was just explosive."

"That was all Naraku's idea," Inuyasha commented, giving the man credit. "Him and Kikyo thought the whole thing up and he talked Kikyo into letting in the duet."

"Well, whosever idea it was… I'm shocked as to how amazing that video is," Mai said.

Kokoro nodded her head in agreement. "And the views keep climbing."

"It's only been nine hours and already there's almost one million views!" Kimiko said, looking back down at her phone. "And the things people are saying…"

"What are they saying?" Sango asked, putting her bag down as she walked over to stand next to Kimiko to look at the girl's phone.

"Ugh… I don't want to know," Kagome said softly. Inuyasha turned to look at her, curious.

"Why?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. People will always have their opinions. I read some this morning. Most of them were good but some people had their little jabs. You can never make everyone happy."

"That's true," Inuyasha said as the door opened and Kikyo walked in with Naraku and Akari. The three of them walked over to the group as Kimiko was reading off some of the comments.

"'Inuyasha is so handsome! Please be mine!'" Kimiko said with a giggle. Sango rolled her eyes, looking for the next one.

"'Kagome, I love your body. So sexy'," Sango said, looking up from her phone to wiggle her eyebrows at Kagome. "Everyone loves your body. A lot of people are commenting on it." Kagome blanched, unsure of how to take that compliment. She never would've thought people would be commenting on that.

"Some are jealous of you, Kagome," Itsuki said with a laugh as he looked at the comments on his phone. "Those women want Inuyasha and envy you." She looked at Inuyasha and blushed a little. She could totally understand what those women were feeling. At one time, she also saw Inuyasha as someone who she wanted to be with and dance with, only seeing him on the big screen and never in person.

"'Blue Lightning is on fire! Can't wait for the concert.'" Sango made a face, confused. "Blue Lightning?"

"Yeah, a lot of the fans have been using that," Shippo said, looking between Inuyasha and Kagome. "I think it has something to do with your hair." Inuyasha and Kagome both looked at each other, shrugging at the thought of it.

"Wherever it came from, it's going viral. And it's in all the hashtags," Shiori said, looking at her phone. "I'm on Facebook and that's all people are using on Kikyo's fan page. #BlueLightning. They're calling the two of you that."

"Yeah, I'm getting that on Insta too," Aiko said, her thumb swiping up as she read through all the comments and posts. "Fans are calling you two 'Blue Lightning'."

'Blue Lightning?' Kagome thought, looking at Inuyasha. She liked it. It was an interesting nickname and she could see how the fans got it from Inuyasha's silver hair and her blue hair. She smiled to herself, treasuring the fact that she had something with Inuyasha that was just the two of them. It meant something to her.

"The internet is exploding with Kikyo's video," Naraku commented as he, Akari and Kikyo joined the conversation after listening to everyone.

"Yes. There has been so much positive reviews this morning," Akari said, a huge smile on her face. She looked at Inuyasha and Kagome. "I can't believe the firestorm that your nickname is creating."

"Firestorm?" Kagome asked.

Naraku nodded, crossing his arms. "It seems like the two of you got a new fanbase. Blue Lightning. You have both fans and haters. Many are talking about how great a couple you two are and your chemistry together on the dance floor. Others are saying how jealous they are of you two and how they hope you're not a couple," Naraku said with a snicker.

Kagome couldn't believe how in a few hours, overnight, she could blow up into this huge thing where now people are creating new names for her and a new fanbase. Still, all of it gave her so much joy because she was glad to be a part of something so big as Kikyo's music video. But most importantly, this firestorm with Inuyasha brought butterflies to her stomach, making her think about what their future will be like now. She glanced over at Inuyasha as Kikyo came up to him and began talking to him about the video. She was congratulating him and thanking him for his idea to come up with the duet. Kagome had to remember that no matter what was between the two of them, that she still felt something for Inuyasha. And this new nickname with him was something that only she had with him. She felt possessive about it.

"Let's get started then," Naraku said, calling everyone's attention. "We got two weeks until the concert."

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

A week later and they were all heading back down to Osaka with an overnight bag. Things had exploded for Kikyo after her music video was released. Television shows, media outlets, radio stations, everyone was contacting her to get her to do a live interview to promote not only her music video but also the upcoming concert. She was big news in Japan and everyone wanted a piece of her, filling up her schedule for the whole week. Her album was also on the top charts in other countries around the world and her song 'Who's Got You?' claimed the number one spot for the entire week in Japan. Her music video was also a hit, remaining within the top three music video spots for the entire week. Her concert tickets sold out the day the music video dropped. Osaka was being reported on all radio and television stations with hotels giving special deals and restaurants flaunting their food for when the city was expected to explode with 50,000 fans. Kikyo Hayashi had become the talk of the country.

Inuyasha and Kagome had more than their share of rising fame. Much to everyone's prediction, Inuyasha and Kagome got a lot of requests to do interviews on radio shows and podcasts, especially from the dance community. A lot of dance studios were asking for Inuyasha and Kagome to teach their students at least one lesson. Professional choreographers were calling and asking to learn under Inuyasha, even being so bold as to ask to be a part of Kikyo's dance group. Throughout the week, they had been on two radio stations and two podcasts. Thanks to Akari, she took the calls and forwarded them either to Kikyo or to Inuyasha and Kagome. She helped to setup Inuyasha and Kagome's schedule and calendar.

This was all new to Kagome, some to Inuyasha too, but for her, it was a foreign world. Akari went with them to all of their interviews. Since the two of them represented Kikyo, Akari not only had to look our for their best interests, but ultimately Kikyo's. Kagome mostly remained quiet, letting Inuyasha take the reins and answer many of the questions that were asked. He helped to keep the mood light until she was comfortable enough to join in on the conversation. A lot of the questions asked were of the relationship between the two of them. When they were asked that the first time, Kagome could only stutter, making the interviewers laugh at her embarrassment after a dance like theirs. And because they were live, it only fueled her embarrassment. But Inuyasha always stepped in to give an honest answer, telling the world that there was nothing between the two of them. The more into the week's interviews they got, the more they were drilled harder, people and fans wanting to know what was between Inuyasha and Kagome. Everyone could tell by that dance that there was chemistry between the two. But both Inuyasha and Kagome could only deny that there was anything between them besides the fact that they were good friends who loved to dance together. That was it. Though the interviewers tried for the fans' sake, they could never get Inuyasha or Kagome to say that there was anything more.

All in all, the week went very well and like Naraku predicted, the music video was not only a way to tease the fans but also to boost Kikyo's ratings and her concert sales. She required a little more bodyguard protection now. She always had Ben as her personal bodyguard. But now, Mike and Brady were added to her full-time protection detail, for now. Naraku had to work on getting more bodyguards for the concert weekend and Akari had to look into all the security details for the hotel, the tour bus, the stadium and all the places they would be going. Thankfully, the media and the paparazzi are not as bad in Japan as they are elsewhere, like in the United States. Their culture with photos is very reserve and respected, even so bold as to be looked down upon if you take photos of people without their permission. So it was a little easier for a celebrity to travel in Japan as opposed to other countries. But still, fans will always be eager to meet their celebrity crush or idol, no matter what country they're in.

The tour bus took them through the city until they reached Hotel Hankyu International, the single tower looming over them as the bus pulled around to the side of the hotel. The bus couldn't fit in the main entrance driveway, so they had to park on a side street and walk up to the entrance door. Once the bus parked and the doors opened, everyone's excitement began to spill out.

"Oh my gosh, we're here!" Kikyo exclaimed as she took a step off the bus, looking up at the gorgeous hotel. "It's so beautiful." Ben, Mike and Brady were already out and canvasing the area, trying to give her space while also staying close but not in her or the dancer's way. There was no one nearby except for the few passerbys who nodded at Kikyo, clearly recognizing her. The others came out behind her, all of them talking about how excited they were and commenting on the fun weekend they were going to have together.

"Okay. Let's head up to the main entrance and get checked in," Naraku said. It was still early in the morning but Naraku had decided to start at the hotel first and get everyone checked in before they headed off to the stadium. Since they would be at the stadium into the night, he wanted to check everyone in and feed them. "I called ahead so our rooms should be ready." They all filed in behind him in groups, talking amongst themselves up the driveway, following Akari, Naraku and Kikyo who led the way.

They got to the main entrance where two doorman stood on either side of the opening doors, bowing to them as they entered. Once they walked in, they could tell it was a luxury hotel. From its beautifully tiled floors with its designs, up to the stone pillars and walls, it felt like a European hotel. Naraku led them up towards the front desk as Kagome took off her glasses, looking around her with awe and wonder. She had never been in a hotel like this before. The more she worked with Kikyo, the more she was always taken aback as to how well treated they were as they traveled for business. Traveling with Kikyo was definitely a plus when it came to accommodations. Kagome turned and looked at Inuyasha as he and Miroku were walking together. Naraku, Akari and Kikyo went straight up to the counter while the others stayed back, out of the way.

"Wow…" Sango whispered at Kagome's side. "I can't believe Naraku picked this."

"Well it is halfway between the airport and the venue. I can see why he did it for convenience," Kagome said.

"Yeah… convenient, alright," Sango snickered. "Not my money at least." Kagome giggled, agreeing with her.

"Do you guys know who's staying with who?" Mai asked as she came up to the two of them.

Sango shook her head. "Inuyasha said that those three were figuring it all out on their own," she said, motioning towards the three checking them in.

It was only nine in the morning, too early for checkin. But because it was Kikyo Hayashi, the hotel made an exception for the star and her entourage, grateful that she had chosen their hotel to stay in. The hotel welcomed her eagerly and even added a few extras for next weekend as their way of saying thanks. After ten minutes or so, Kikyo and the others walked back towards the group with welcome pamphlets in hands. They all gathered together.

"We have everyone's room assignments and keys," Naraku announced, looking down at his iPad, opening the screen.

"Everyone is staying in a luxury superior suite that holds up to four people," Akari said. "I know by now you are all comfortable with rooming with each other," she said as the others nodded their heads, smiling at one another, "so we got three rooms for the twelve of you to share. Kikyo will have an executive suite to accommodate her assistants to help her get ready."

"Okay, here's the room assignments," Naraku said. "One room is the men- Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo and Itsuki. The second is with Kagome, Sango, Mai and Kimiko. The third is Emi, Aiko, Shiori and Kokoro."

"I have Kagome's room," Kikyo said, lifting up her hand with four pamphlets. Kagome smiled and grabbed the four pamphlets, distributing them to her roommates.

"I have Emi's room," Akari said, as the girl stepped forward to grab all of their keys. Miroku stepped forward to grab the men's keys from Naraku. They all quickly looked over the hotel pamphlet, marveling at all the pictures of the hotel and its accommodations, with the hotel key inside.

"Everyone has everything they need," Naraku pointed out, making sure as he looked them over. They all had brought only one overnight bag, all of them resorting to their regular duffle bag. They were only staying for the night and only needed enough to dance and sweat in for the next two days of practice. They all brought an evening wear just in case they decided to go out tonight or to have dinner somewhere together. "I want everyone to get settled into your rooms first, maybe freshen up or whatever you need to do before we head to the stadium. I also want us to go grab something to eat before we head over. Anything you guys hungry for?"

They all looked at one another and shrugged. Kikyo spoke up, looking into the pamphlet. "There's a tea lounge on the second floor the receptionist said. They're doing brunch right now but it's light meals with coffee and tea. There's only a few restaurants in the hotel open right now for breakfast. Do you guys want the light brunch in the tea lounge, or do you want Japanese or French?"

A few groans and moans went out as they were all hungry after their early flight, grabbing only small snacks in the airport to keep them satisfied.

"Let's do something small," Inuyasha suggested since no one spoke up. They all agreed, willing to eat anything.

"Okay. Let's just go to the Tea Lounge upstairs," Kikyo said, smiling at him. "Meet there in half an hour." They all agreed and made their way to the elevators that would take them up to their rooms.

Kagome slid her card in the slot and the door clicked. She opened the door and her eyes widened. "Oh. My. Goodness."

Sango, Mai and Kimiko came in behind her and were all shocked like Kagome. Kimiko closed the door as they took off their shoes, placing it in the cubby holes next to the door, and grabbed the provided room shoes. They slid them on and dropped their duffle bags near the door, their faces lighting up with excitement and wonder.

"Check out that view…" Sango said. Coming in from the door was the main living room with a sofa and a sofa chair next to a small coffee table facing the television on their right. Directly across of the door was a glass wall displaying the city of Osaka just outside their room.

"Oh my gosh this view is amazing!" Mai yelled as she walked over to the glass wall. There was a sofa that lined the wall, long enough to fit two people lying down from opposite ends. Mai brought her knees up onto the soft cushion and her hands onto the hardwood countertop between the sofa and the wall. "This is unbelievable. Can you imagine this view at night?"

"With all the lights on? It'll be so beautiful," Kimiko squealed as she joined Mai on the couch, the two of them leaning forward to try and look as far down as they could, getting a little dizzy from the height.

Kagome giggled and turned to her left, seeing a mirror that looked like it was a part of the bathroom. She walked in and saw that there was a sink with a mirror directly in front of the doorway. To the left was a vanity with a cushion stool while to the side of that was a closed door with a toilet inside for privacy. On the right side of the bathroom was the shower room that was tiled once you stepped into the door. It was a main shower area with a bathtub behind the door. But the main star of the room was the view. The walls in here were also glass, starting at the waist level, allowing the occupants to look out at the city while showering or in the tub. There were shades pulled up for now in case they wanted privacy. There was a river nearby with a few bridges while buildings remained on either side of the river. But not many reached the height of Hotel Hankyu International.

"Wow, this bathroom is nice," Sango commented from the doorway. Kagome turned around and smiled.

"All of us could be in here at the same time doing our thing."

Sango laughed. "I don't think I could use the bathroom if all three of you were in here listening to me." Kagome laughed and had to agree with her. The two of them left the bathroom and met the other two across the living room area, in the bedroom.

The only thing that separated the living room from the bedroom was a wall in the middle of the room that held the entertainment system. Either side of the television were walkways with a step up into the bedroom. There were two king size beds next to each other with room to walk on all sides. And the same glass wall allowed them to fall asleep to the city lights and wake up to the rising sun.

"Wow. These beds are huge," Mai said, flopping belly first onto one of them. The others laughed and smiled as they went to sit on the beds, testing them out.

"Oooo they're so soft," Kagome said, lying back. It was so soft and snuggly that she sank a little, making her want to call it a day already. 'This is the life,' she thought to herself as she closed her eyes, relishing in all this luxury.

"Don't get too comfortable," Sango said beside her. "We need to meet the others in fifteen minutes. We should start heading down since we don't know where this restaurant is." They all agreed, standing up reluctantly.

"Just think, ladies," Kagome said as they left the bedroom. "We get to look forward to this when we come back after a long day of practice." That alone gave them motivation to look forward to their day.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

The elevator doors opened and she was greeted by a marvelous display of architecture and design. Kagome exited the elevator, smiling as she walked along the tile floor, her eyes going up and around. True to the hotel's theme, this floor was all French inspired with its water fountain up ahead that had a stone statue of a woman and a man in an embrace. She smiled as she noticed Inuyasha standing next to the fountain, his silver hair standing out. As if on cue, he turned around and smiled at her, making her feel butterflies.

'Inuyasha…' He was her Achilles heel. And he was her biggest mystery. She just couldn't figure him out or figure 'them' out, if there was or ever could be a 'them'.

"You look nice," Inuyasha said as she approached him. His eyes took in her figure and she looked down at herself. The only thing she brought was a sleeveless, red cocktail dress that flared out at her waist down to her knees. She brought ankle-high heeled boots and some earrings and makeup along with her main sweats and exercise outfits that she mostly needed for work. Her hair was down, not wanting to go too fancy and over the top for a dinner, especially since she didn't have a lot of time after work to get ready with four women sharing a room.

"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself," she teased him. Inuyasha always looked good in anything he wore. He seemed to make everything look hot and masculine, especially red, which he had apparently brought. Both of them had clearly decided to pack red outfits and now they looked like a couple. He had on a red, button up short sleeve shirt with black slacks and black shoes. She smiled to herself, thinking of how it was so much easier for men to dress up than it was for women.

"Thanks," Inuyasha said, extending a bent elbow towards her. She smiled at him before placing her hand in the crook of his elbow, letting him lead her towards the entrance of the restaurant.

"This place is beautiful," she commented, her eyes going up and around her at the walls. The roof was painted, reminding her of what it must look like in Europe with their decorated walls and windows.

Inuyasha nodded as he looked up. "I went online to check out this restaurant when we got back. After Kikyo mentioned about the French restaurant, I wanted to see what else they had. But the French looked good."

"And very fancy," she said, looking over at him with a look.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I got the money for it."

"So do I," she said, tilting her chin up. The two of them laughed as they walked towards the entrance into the restaurant. There were people coming and going, all dressed up very nicely, talking amongst one another, having a great time.

After today's practice, which had gone all day as to be expected, they left Yanmar around six in the evening, after the sun had set. The stadium had finally completed the entire stage as planned for this weekend's practice, so they were able to fully practice as if it was concert night. Kikyo wanted to see what the stadium would be like at night when they were to perform, and since this was the first time they were here overnight, they had waited until nightfall when they could turn on all the lights. It was beautiful with the stage lights and the stadium lights high above, giving a different feel and vibe to their performance. The crew was able to work on some lighting with Kikyo and Inuyasha now that they could watch the group perform and figure out how they wanted the lighting to be. Spending the whole day at the stadium was grueling. They took an hour lunch break as food was provided for them and the crew by the stadium who had their chefs cook for them. Then, they had enough time to take a quick nap, which many of them needed and took. Inuyasha, on the other hand, had continued to work with the stage crew on adjustments while everyone else slept. After that, they all got right back to work until six. There were still a few more things that needed to be done and adjusted to their liking but for their first nighttime practice, everything went smoothly and it was a long, productive day. Next Thursday would be their second and last time practicing at night before the concert on Friday.

It was the first time Kagome felt like this was getting real. In less than a week they would be performing in front of 50,000 people, another dream and milestone for her. She couldn't believe how fast time had gone. As they all filed into the tour bus and headed back into the city, everyone began to make plans for tonight, even though they were wiped out and pooped. Some decided to call it a night so that they would have enough strength and rest for tomorrow's practice. Some decided to have dinner together for a couple of hours. Inuyasha was one of them. He was the one who asked her to have dinner with him tonight, just the two of them. Miroku and Sango decided to have dinner on their own, too, while those who wanted to have dinner all decided to go in pairs or groups to the restaurant of their choice. Kagome had felt a little nervous at first when he had asked her, only because of her feelings for him and not wanting to deepen them any further. But she wanted to go. She wanted to be with him. So she accepted.

"Good evening. Name for the reservation?" The hostess smiled at them as the two approached the podium at the entrance into the restaurant.

"Inuyasha Fujimoto."

The woman looked down at the podium for a moment and smiled with a nod. "Ah yes. Mr. Fujimoto. Right this way," she said, grabbing two menus before she led the way.

The two followed behind her. The restaurant was full and bustling with conversation and the sound of silverware. The hostess lead them to a table for two right next to the glass wall, giving them prime view of the city. She placed their menus on their table and bowed as she took her leave.

Inuyasha held out her chair and she sat with a smile. "Thank you."

He went to the opposite side and sat, the two of them getting comfortable. Kagome looked down at the city below them, marveling at the view. "It's so beautiful. Thanks for inviting me to dinner, Yasha."

He shrugged with a smile just as a server came to pour water into their empty glasses. "I wanted to have some alone time with you."

She smiled, her heart pounding at his statement. She didn't know what he felt for her but she couldn't deny what she felt for him, and he knew her feelings for him. Well, only the fact that she was falling for him, and that was true. But she didn't tell him the extent of her feelings.

"Good evening," another server said as he came up to their table dressed very nicely. "Can I get you two anything else to drink?"

Inuyasha grabbed the drink menu, opening it to look through. "You want anything to drink, Kagome?"

She shrugged, opening the menu too. "Nothing in particular."

"Can we have a bottle of red Zin?"

"Yes, sir. We have three options," he said, helping Inuyasha find the page with the red wines. Inuyasha scanned through the three and pointed to the one he wanted. "I'll be right back, sir."

Kagome watched him leave and then looked at Inuyasha with an arched eyebrow. "A whole bottle? You trying to get me drunk?"

He chuckled and closed the menu. "I know your room number," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Kagome giggled. "Yeah right." She was thankful that they could still have this teasing and bantering after all they had been through. She was thankful to have him in her life. He definitely was a looker, since the first day she had auditioned. She had been hot for him since day one, and that feeling never went away, it's just been tamed because he was her boss and she was one of his dancers. Still… she couldn't deny the physical attraction she felt for him. Emotionally, she was definitely starting to have feelings for him. As much as she tried to deny them, she couldn't. The things he made her feel, especially during times like these when it was just the two of them, she had such a hard time trying to block her feelings for him.

Kagome looked up and noticed that his full attention was on her, his golden eyes looking at her intently. She flushed, leaning back into her chair, placing her hands in her lap. "Inuyasha…" She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing else came out. How could she tell him how she felt about him? How could she tell him that she was falling in love with him, her boss? She didn't want him to laugh at her or reject her feelings. What decent person would fall in love with someone so fast, without really knowing much about them? She had been with the group for several months now, almost a year. But still, she didn't know much about Inuyasha and he definitely didn't know anything about her.

"How about this…" Inuyasha said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "I share something about myself in exchange for you sharing something about yourself."

Kagome smiled, her eyes warming. "Why would you want to know more about me?"

Inuyasha's golden eyes, so intense and beautiful, warmed. He rested his arms in front of him and leaned a little closer to her. "I told you, Kagome… I have feelings for you. I want us to be friends but for me… friends isn't enough."

Kagome clutched her purse in her lap, squeezing it. His declaration made her feel happy and terrified at the same time. 'What's wrong with me?' She couldn't be the person for him. She would only cause him a life of misery. She was too messed up to be with anyone, and her emotional state now only proved she was unstable.

"I want to know everything about you, Kagome. I told you that we can go on dates. You said courting, that's fine. I want to court you, then. I want to date you. We don't have to be official. But for me… I won't give you up, Kagome."

Kagome looked up at saw the seriousness in his eyes. "Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha sighed. He didn't want to explain what it meant for demons when they found their other half, their mate. He didn't want to explain what it meant to go through the mating ceremony and all that stuff, not right now. He just wanted Kagome to feel safe and comfortable with him and his feelings for her. He told her the truth. For him, he had already made up his mind and his heart. Kagome was his. He would prove to her that she could trust him with her heart and soul, the same way he was entrusting his to her. They would go at it slowly because he knew that was what she needed. If she needed slow, he would give her that. If she needed time to trust, he would give her that too.

The waiter came back with their bottle of red wine and began to open it table side, leaving the two of them to stare at each other. Kagome was trying to figure out what to do, fast. The waiter poured her drink and she watched the liquid pour out. Inuyasha said he would share something about himself if she shared something about herself. He wanted to get to know her. Nobody really knew her. Not even Onigumo. Nobody knew everything there was to know about her. Nobody knew how truly messed up she was. And yet, here was someone, a man, who wanted to know everything about her. He didn't know what he was asking of her. The waiter finished pouring their drinks and asked if they wanted an appetizer.

"Give us a couple minutes," Inuyasha said. The waiter bowed and left them again.

"Kagome…" he called out, wanting to get her attention. "I want you to trust me."

Kagome's eyes began to sting, watering as she stared at the glass of wine. "You don't know how much I already do." He really was the only man she trusted herself to. Even if she didn't tell him much about herself, in fear that he would reject her, she trusted herself to him more than she did to anyone else.

Inuyasha's ears went up, her words filling him with pride and relief. He needed to know that. He needed to know that he was making progress. He could tell since the time she first started working with them up until now that she has definitely made some strides in her social awkwardness and in opening herself up to everyone. Especially to him. But there was still so much about her that he didn't know. And he had a feeling it was a lot of deep things when it came to her.

"Kagome…" He waited until she looked up at him, waiting for him to continue. She blinked her tears away but she looked so beautiful to him. "Thank you for trusting me."

Kagome's heart softened. 'Oh, Inuyasha…' She loved him. She had to admit it to herself. In this moment, the way he looked at her. So adoringly. His eyes soft and intense, focused only on her, wanting to know about her past and her shame. She loved him.

She swallowed, her throat dry, and went to reach for her glass with shaking hands. She took a sip as he did the same. She couldn't tell her boss that she loved him. That would be a conflict of interest, wouldn't it? 'Miroku and Sango are together. So are Shippo and Mizuki. They all work for Kikyo.' She was trying to be reasonable, trying to figure all this out.

"What are you thinking?" he asked her, placing his drink down as he opened his menu. He could tell that she needed time to digest what he said and what she was feeling, so he gave her time. He began to look through the menu, not wanting her to feel like all the attention was focused on her, even though she was the only thing on his mind.

Kagome put her glass down and gazed out the window, needing to be truthful with him. If he wanted her trust, she would have to trust that she could give that to him. She would give him the benefit of the doubt. "There's a lot of things about me, Inuyasha, that… I'm afraid you won't like about me," she whispered. Even in this crowded and busy restaurant, she knew he could still hear her.

Inuyasha placed the menu down and reached for her hand on the table, placing her hand in both of his. She looked at him with sad, fearful eyes, feeling him squeeze her hand in reassurance. "Nothing you tell me will make me not like you, Kagome. I won't explain to you what I feel for you. Not yet. I don't think you're ready for it. But I will in time. You need to know my feelings for you and how deep they are." Kagome's hand squeezed one of his, her eyes going soft and hopeful. "For now, just know that you are very important to me. I won't give you up. Even if it'll take you years to trust me. I have all the time in the world." Truly, he did. He would outlive her. He would wait as long as he had to for her.

Kagome's eyes began to water again and she brought up her other hand as one tear slid down. "You're making me cry," she whispered, taking her other hand back from him as she used her napkin to pat away her tears. "Let's order first. I'm starving." Inuyasha smiled softly, glad that she hadn't shut down on him, and nodded his head.

The two looked over the menu for several minutes before the waiter returned, noticing they were choosing their meal. Kagome went first, ordering an appetizer that she wanted to try and then her meal. Inuyasha did the same, both of them starving. Kagome had ordered the steak, just like him, and they both ordered seafood appetizers that they both wanted to share. The waiter took their menus and bowed before placing in their orders.

Kagome took another sip of her wine before she looked out the window at the beautiful lights of the city. She placed her hands down in front of her, leaning onto them, as she decided that she would tell him about herself slowly over time, hoping that he would not reject her for it. It was only fair if he was going to do the same. Tit for tat. And truly, she did want to know more about him and his past too.

"Inuyasha, you really are the only one who I feel like I can tell you everything about," she started. Inuyasha frowned but remained quiet, wanting her to take her time. "I trust you more than I have ever trusted anyone… in my life," she said, looking at him with a soft smile. "Ever since that first day I met you in my audition, I could feel something pulling me to you. But then… even now… I fight it," she admitted, turning her face from him so he wouldn't see her shame. "There's something between you and I that I fear."

"Why?" he asked her, his voice soft. She didn't hear any anger or accusation at her actions of trying to run away from what could be between them. She just heard his genuine puzzlement.

Kagome thought about it for a moment, wondering what she should tell him first. There was so much about herself that he didn't know and to pour it all on him at once would ruin their friendship, and possibly cost her her job. So she needed to choose her words and memories carefully.

"I've never felt what I feel for you with anyone before…" she confessed. "I already told you that both of my parents were drug attics," she said, turning to see if he remembered. Of course he did. "I can't remember how old I was when they got addicted to crack and heroine. I know I was young, too young to know how to take care of myself on my own, but that didn't stop them from leaving me to go on their drug binges." She looked back outside the window, recalling those painful memories for his sake.

"My father and mother never were rich, but they got by with what they had. They loved each other deeply and decided to have a child together. But after my mother had me… things changed." Kagome didn't want to get sad, but she couldn't help it. She hadn't talked about her past in years, not even Onigumo knew all there was to know about her past. He only knew what she needed to tell him so that he could help her get a brand new life. To remember all of this again only brought pain and rejection once again. She turned and reached for her drink just as both of their appetizers got to their table.

Inuyasha thanked the waiter as he left them and his eyes went right back to Kagome. "If it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to tell me."

"No, I want to tell you." Really, she did. He deserved to know. If he said he had feelings for her and that he wasn't going to give up on her, then he deserved to know everything about her. But selfishly, she didn't want to tell him everything in fear he would never love her, and his love was the only thing that she wanted. No one ever loved her, not the real kind of love, and she yearned for that love from Inuyasha. Then again, she also didn't know what real love was or what it looked like.

Kagome looked at the food, her stomach growling. "Itadakimasu!" she said, hands out in front of her in gratitude. Inuyasha smiled and did the same, watching as she reached forward to help herself to the appetizers. "After I was born, my parents told me that my mother had really bad postpartum depression. She didn't want to go see a doctor and no matter what my father did or said, she wouldn't listen to him. Eventually, he resorted to alcohol and not coming home at night while she resorted to cutting herself just to remind her that she was alive. Sometimes he would come home and find me screaming at the top of my lungs, hungry and soiled, while she was locked in the bathroom."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, never thinking that two parents could be so childish and selfish as to not seek help for the sake of their newborn. He remembered her telling him about her father and how he picked jasmines for her but only when he remembered he had a daughter in his drug haze, and that alone got a rise out of him. Now, not only did he feel frustration and anger at her parents, he also felt compassion for them. They had a good life and he was frustrated that they chose not to get help.

Kagome took a bite of the crab appetizer, using her chopsticks as she brought it to her mouth. "Eat something while I talk," she said with a smile, placing the food in her mouth. She chewed and watched him slowly shake his head but obliged her, trying the same dish she just tried. "That's so good," she commented, pointing her chopsticks at it. She placed her chopsticks on her plate and continued.

"I think my parents resented me for being born."

Inuyasha's chopsticks stopped halfway to his mouth, his eyes going to hers. She saw them darken, making her reach out her hand to his other that was on the table. She placed her hand on his, wanting him to understand.

"I don't hold it against them. It was my fault. After I was born, my mother never recovered and my father couldn't deal with it all. If I hadn't been born…"

"Stop talking." Kagome stopped, hearing the authority in his voice and watching as he placed his chopsticks down with the food it still held. He placed his other hand over hers and squeezed it. "It wasn't your fault, Kagome. You being born wasn't your fault. They wanted you. And it was their fault as parents to have made the choices that they made. They chose drugs over you. They chose not to try and find a solution for your mother's sickness. They chose to neglect you. That was the choice they made. It is not your fault."

Kagome's eyes widened at the wisdom in his words, and it hit her hard. No one has ever told her that, then again, she has never told anyone to receive feedback like this. To hear Inuyasha tell her that it was her parent's fault, it was like he 'sees' her. Her parents obviously never did, her mother forgetting to feed and clean her while her father left to drown himself in alcohol and other women. Another tear slid down her cheek and she quickly brought her hand back, dabbing at her face.

"I shouldn't have worn any makeup tonight," she said, sniffling and giggling.

Inuyasha smirked, but remained serious. "I don't want to hear you say that, Kagome. It's not your fault that your parents made the decisions they made. That's not a burden you should be carrying."

Kagome nodded, looking in her purse for her mirror to check her makeup. "I know. I was never told that before and never saw it that way. Thank you, Yasha, for telling me that. It means a lot to me." It really did. Her whole life, she thought that she had been the reason for her parents choosing drugs. She loved them more than they loved her and took care of them more than they took care of her. She was more a parent to them than they were to her, and it was something that she felt she owed them after the life they had because of her being born. What Inuyasha said made sense, but she would need some time to digest it and truly believe it. It just felt so good that he saw her, that he stood up for her when her parents didn't. She pulled out her mirror just to check and make sure her eyeliner wasn't smudged.

"You look beautiful."

Kagome gasped and looked up, watching as he picked up his chopsticks and resumed eating. He chewed as she just stared at him for a moment, shocked. Then, she composed herself and smiled, amazed at how he made her feel.

"Thank you."

Inuyasha went for the other dish which was the shrimp. Both appetizers were plated beautifully, looking more like art than a food dish. They not only looked good but also tasted good. Kagome tried the shrimp too and moaned, both of them agreeing that both dishes were amazing so far. Both of them silently agreed to enjoy their food as they sat in silence, eating. Inuyasha was able to think over everything that Kagome shared. He could understand more as to why she had such a problem with trusting people. Though he knew there were probably more things in her life that caused her not to trust people, he knew that the main reason she had trust issues was because of her parents. It all started there. He wondered if they were also the cause of the fear she had with men in particular or if that was because of her ex. He could only assume the ex caused the fear with men and her parents caused the trust issues. He wanted to do everything he could, everything in his power to prove to her that she could trust him. Not only him, but everyone. He wanted to rewrite everything that happened to her in her past and give her a new future. But as much as he wanted it for her, he couldn't do it if she kept running from him, if she didn't want it for herself.

"So…" Inuyasha said after they had finished both their appetizers. He poured them another glass from the bottle and then looked at her patiently. "I'd like to hear more about your parents."

Kagome smiled, grabbing her drink and taking another sip. "So eager…"

"I want to know everything there is to know about you, Kagome," he said seriously. She placed her drink back down, tired. "I don't want you to feel like you can't trust me with anything. I don't want you to have any secrets with me."

Kagome smiled with a small giggle. "I think it's a rule for women to have some secrets."

"Not with me." She looked at him and saw that he was serious.

"Geez, Inuyasha. You sound like a dictator."

"No. Just a possessive inu-hanyou," he pointed out factually. "My species are known for their protectiveness. We are vicious when it comes to protecting those we love and care about. For me, you are one of them."

Kagome's heart pounded. 'He loves and cares for me?' She stared at him, shocked, while her heart beat wildly in her chest. Did he really love her? Were those the feelings he told her he had for her but that she wasn't ready to hear?

Inuyasha reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. "Finish your story. Whatever else you want to tell me. Then, I'll tell you something about my past." He could hear her heart beating and he wanted to still her fears before she shut down on him.

Kagome bit her bottom lip. She did want to tell him a little more. He released her hand and gave her time and space to continue. Kagome looked in the restaurant at all the other full tables, listening to all the noise and conversations floating around. Everyone looked so happy at their tables, so content while they ate. There was happiness all around her, and even though she was having a serious conversation with Inuyasha that made her nervous, she was still happy. He hadn't shown her any rejection so far and that gave her hope that she could tell him more.

"So after I was born, my parents resorted to escaping through any means they could find. But when they both discovered illegal drugs, they both came back together and had this sickening love for one another that was solely based off of getting high together. Now, they had something in common, something they both loved, and that was the only thing holding them together."

"How old were you when they started?" he asked. If drugs were the only thing holding them together then they had forgotten the fact that they both had a child, whom they brought into this world because they wanted her.

Kagome shrugged, looking down at the empty plates. "I think I was a toddler by then. They told me it wasn't until sometime after I was born, so I'm assuming maybe when I was two or three. I can't remember that far back."

"What is the first memory you had of them doing drugs?"

Kagome thought about it. There were so many memories she had of them shooting up, snorting it, smoking it, eating it. However they could get it into their system, they had done. She couldn't really pinpoint what was the first memory she ever had of them using. "I can't remember. I do know that they started with cocaine first. Then they discovered heroin, and that became their favorite. But they liked to mix both for a better high."

Inuyasha just couldn't believe how selfish people could be, especially humans. Too many times he had seen this over the years. Parents abandoning their children, leaving them to die or killing them swiftly. He had seen it as a hanyou growing up and he had seen it in his adult years. He couldn't understand why people would choose to have children and then neglect them once they had what they wanted.

"Anyway… we lived on Shikoku Island. I used to love it there. I remember this one hill that overlooked Matsuyama City and the surrounding ocean. I would go there sometimes and watch the ferries come in or watch the sunset. Sunsets were always my favorite." Inuyasha smiled, remembering the time they had together outside of the warehouse when it was sunset.

"I told you that sometimes I would be left alone for days while my parents went on binges. There was this certain part of the town where the drug dealers liked to setup shop. I would always go there first to check if they were there. That part of the town was where the jasmines would grow, so whenever my father came back with a jasmine flower, I knew that they had gone there again to do drugs." Kagome smiled sadly, the flower holding both good and bad meaning to it. "My parents lost their home when I was young. They lost their jobs and used all their money for drugs until they had to sell the house and use that for drugs too. We ended up living in abandoned homes or in alleys or at homeless camps. The homeless camps were the easiest since we were in a group and usually in the outskirts of the city, in the woods where we could be left alone. But there was also danger within the camps as people can become desperate and do desperate things for themselves." Inuyasha nodded his head, knowing full well what she meant, but stayed silent.

"I didn't have any friends. Well, I did make friends with the other homeless people. Usually the older ones were kinder than the younger ones. They taught me how to take care of myself. They taught me how to make money picking up garbage or selling vegetables and fruits that I could find. They taught me how to sell myself out at the fish market where they were always looking for help early in the mornings when the fishing boats came in with their catch. I would always wake up before the sun and run down to the harbors where I would go around asking for some work. What I made, I used to buy me food and water for breakfast. Whatever money I had leftover I would buy food for my parents. I never wanted to give them money because I knew they would use it for drugs."

The waiter came back once again with their dinner as one took away their appetizer dishes and the other dropped off their main course. He explained their dishes and excused himself.

"Anyway… that's all for now. It wasn't easy. Not in the least. I'm sparing you all the nasty details since we're eating and having dinner," she said with a smile, wanting to cheer him up because of how serious he looked.

"You said your father died?" he asked, remembering what she said at the charity event.

Kagome nodded her head, getting her napkin and placing it on her lap. "He died of an overdose when I was fifteen."

"And your mother?"

She shrugged. "I don't know and I honestly don't care." She frowned. "I hate to admit it, but as much as I love my mother, I realized that she didn't love me. At least, not in the way that I loved her. So I left her and I came to Tokyo."

"You left Shikoku alone?"

She nodded, smiling at him. "I told you. I'm pretty resourceful. I've learned to take care of myself at a young age and I've been doing it ever since. I'm frugal with my money, putting most of it away in savings for a rainy day. I know what it means to be in need and I am not going to go back to that life."

'No, you won't.' Inuyasha would make sure that she would never be in need of anything.

Kagome smiled, cheering up. "Now it's your turn," she reminded him, looking down, cutting her steak. Inuyasha did the same as he shared about himself.

"Well, for me, I had a rough childhood too." He focused on his steak as he cut, thinking back to his childhood. "I was born during the middle of the Edo period."

Kagome's knife and fork hit the plate as she stopped cutting, her eyes going to Inuyasha in wonder. "Edo period?"

He smiled, looking up at her. "How old did you think I am?"

Kagome shrugged, never really thinking about it. "I don't know. You look… young. I would say… maybe late twenties?" He laughed, causing him to stop cutting his steak. Kagome glared at him. "Don't laugh. I know you're a hanyou and I know that demons age differently than humans. I know about how demons age slower and they look like they never grow old. Demons are nearly immortal."

Inuyasha sobered, shaking his head. "Not immortal. I've killed many demons during my lifetime. We're not immortal, just hard to kill."

Kagome frowned, nodding her head. 'He's killed many demons?' She hadn't really thought about Inuyasha as a demon. All she knew of him was his human side. Well, aside from his obvious demon traits like his golden eyes and his hanyou ears, of course not to mention his heightened senses, she always saw him as just another person. She never really thought of what he was like as a demon, to get to know him as the inu-hanyou that he was and what that was like for him before she knew him. To hear that he had killed a lot of people. Did that really matter?

"You're frightened," Inuyasha said. He could sense the change in her. He knew that she would have a hard time accepting him and his demon because he's never really brought it up to her. But she needed to know everything about him, the same way he needed to know everything about her. The last thing he wanted, especially from her, was to be feared.

Kagome shook her head. "Honestly, I'm not. You just shocked me. I've always known you were a hanyou. I mean, all of Japan knows, or at least those who believe in demons know and can see that you are. But I think since I've known of you, all I've seen is just… maybe the outside?" She wasn't sure what she was trying to say but she didn't want to offend him. "I think maybe I've just been seeing you more as a human, within the limitations of human thinking and reasoning. I never really gave much thought into your demon blood, like how long you've been living."

Inuyasha nodded his understanding. "I get it. You've never really seen the demon side of me come out, besides my physical traits and my heightened senses." Kagome nodded, remembering the conversation they had at lunch when she had first started working for Kikyo. Inuyasha had explained about his heightened senses as a demon, how he could see and hear better than humans. His sense of smell was the most important sense for him. But to her, he was just a normal guy. Demon or human, she still loved him. It didn't matter what he was.

Inuyasha nodded. "Understandable. I think I shown you that night at my parent's charity event some of the things I can do. My strength is something that you haven't really seen yet, aside from the fact that you always telling me you're too heavy when we're dancing together," he said with a roll of his eyes.

Kagome snickered, getting back to cutting her steak. "Whatever. So you were born during the Edo period which makes you… two hundred years old?"

"I'm two-hundred-forty-nine years old to be exact."

Kagome gulped, nodding her head slowly, letting that sink in. '249? I'm in love with an ancient, old man?' She giggled, her thoughts running away from her as she thought about what he might look like now if he did age like a human. She only giggled more at the images she tried to conjure up. "I can't believe my boss is two-hundred-forty-nine years old."

Inuyasha chuckled, going back to cutting his steak. "You still have feelings for me? I hope my age doesn't affect the chemistry we have," he said teasingly. Kagome looked up at him with a look, shaking her head with a smile. He chuckled. "You're taking this rather well," he said, thinking about her reaction, or lack of.

Kagome shrugged, keeping her eyes down. "I believe in demons. Always have since I was young. I've met many before on my wanderings in the city as a child. And I know about a demon's lifespan and general qualities."

Inuyasha watched her for a moment, nodding his head at her confession. "Being born during the Edo period, I had my share of living in a different time and in a different culture. The modern day Japan is different from feudal Japan. It was a different world back then. Demons and humans found a way to live together, whether it be peaceful or by killing. There were a lot of wars and senseless killings during that time. It was the way of life."

Kagome frowned as she finished cutting her steak, feeling sad for him. Her life might have been bad because of drugs but his life was bad because of murder. She couldn't know all the things he had seen as a child and wouldn't want to.

"My father is a full-blooded Inu-taiyoukai. He was the ruler of the Western Lands then and he is still now. All he knew was war, conquests and death. But my father was a fair man and he stood for justice, for both humans and demons. He didn't have hatred in his heart for humans as most youkai had during that time. Demons hated humans and vice versa. Both were always trying to kill the other to the brink of extinction." Inuyasha took a moment to eat a piece of his cut steak, savoring the juices.

"Wow," he said, chewing the food in his mouth. "This is really good."

Kagome moaned and agreed with him. "Mmmhmmm. It's so juicy!" She took a bite of the rice and waited for him to continue, watching him silently, smiling encouragingly at him. The same way he supported her and waited for her, she did the same for him.

"My mother is a human. She was the daughter of a village chief and their family was highly respected, almost regarded as royalty. One day, my father met my mother during one of her trips to another village and that was the beginning of their love. At the time, demons and humans hated each other and it was looked down upon if either were to intermingle, let alone marry and have children. When my mother told her parents that she was in love with a demon, they forbid her to see him and even tried to lock her away a few times. But my father always came to her at night. One night he took her away and that night I was conceived," he said matter of factly, making Kagome giggle as she swallowed her food.

"He only let her stay with her parents because of her insistence and her love for them. They kept their relationship a secret and no one knew about their secret meetings. Not until a month later when my father told my mother that she was pregnant and that he was going to take her back to his home where he could officially make her his mate and take care of her. It took my mother some time but she finally decided to leave her parents. When she finally told them, my grandfather slapped her and beat her, trying to kill me inside my mother's womb."

Kagome gasped softly, horrified at the inhumanity of a grandfather, of a father to his daughter. Inuyasha smiled reassuringly at her, taking another bite and a sip of his wine before he continued. "Obviously he wasn't successful…"

"Still," Kagome insisted. "What a horrible man!"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I never knew him so I couldn't say. But that night when my father came to her and found her beaten, he flew into a rage. My mother couldn't stop him. He killed her parents and the entire village in his fury, condemning everyone for their hatred towards demons. My grandparent's hatred towards demons made them forget their love for their own daughter. My father wouldn't tolerate anyone who hurt my mother. When he killed every last villager, my mother went with him back to the Western Lands and started a new life there. She had me nine months later." Kagome smiled, grateful that his grandfather didn't kill him in the womb. Inuyasha was a blessing to her and to many of the fans out there who loved him.

"That was just the beginning. Growing up, I had the same treatment as my mother. In my father's kingdom, we were safe as the people respected and loved my father and my mother. They had no hatred towards humans or demons, and so I was treated well within the boundaries of my father's lands. But when we traveled with my father during wars or during diplomatic meetings in other lands, that was when I experienced first hand what this world was like for demons, hanyous especially."

Kagome frowned. "Hanyous? But… hanyous are treasured."

Inuyasha snickered, feeling sick. "Yeah, now we are. Back then, not so much. Hanyous were hated above all else. Hanyous were worse than humans and worse than demons. No species loved hanyous and all species wanted them dead. They were just a reminder that humans and demons should never be together and procreate."

"How horrible!" Kagome said, leaning back in her chair. She lost her appetite. She felt sick, pitying Inuyasha as to how he must've been treated.

"I remember whenever we traveled, my mother would never let me leave her side, and my father would always command my mother to remain with him as much as possible. Whenever his duties required him to leave us, he would do his best to keep my mother and me safe and protected until he returned. But I was just a child and I wanted to be out in the world with the other children. I remember many times when I would sneak away from my mother and go out into the streets to find someone to play with. But the villagers would only throw stones at me or call me names, telling me to die and to kill myself."

Kagome clutched at her napkin on her lap, picturing the child Inuyasha being tormented in such a way. She felt anger at those people, compassion for that child and helplessness as she wished she had been there for him. She would've been his friend. She would've played with him. He probably was just like her. No friends, no one wanting to be with someone like them so they would've naturally gravitate towards each other. Just like now, like the first time she met him.

"There was this one time when I left my mother while she was shopping and went into a hut to look at some of the items that the man was selling. When I walked in, the visitors all left, yelling that there was a demon. The owner came up to me and started yelling curses at me, hitting me and kicking me, telling me to get out. He grabbed a clay pot and threw it at me. It hit me on my head and I fell. I remember blood going down my face and into my eye. I couldn't really see that well but I was terrified, wishing that I hadn't left my mother's side." Kagome quickly reached across the table and grabbed his hand with the fork, sending him her strength. He smiled thankfully at her, the memories as if they were yesterday.

"My mother bursted in and shielded me with her body as the man kept kicking her and punching her in the back. I just… I just sat there in her arms as she whispered to me that everything was going to be okay. All the while the man kick hurting her. And all I remember is that for a split second, I saw red in both eyes. When I regained consciousness, I realized what I had done." Kagome squeezed his hand again, making him squeeze hers back reassuringly, dropping his fork and knife onto the plate. He hadn't realized how hard it would be to tell her this, or even for him to remember this. This part of himself, his past, was something that he didn't look back on a lot, though he always accepted it as a part of himself. He just didn't recall this memory very often and it brought on a lot of emotions- from rage and fury for his mother's sake, to horror and helplessness when he realized what he had done and who he was.

"In my rage, I killed the owner. I'll spare you the details since we're eating, but it was like an animal had torn up the owner. When I looked down, there was blood all over my hands, my hair and my clothes. My mother quickly picked me up and ran with me back to where we were staying. She knew the danger we were in and quickly packed what we had and we left the village. Some of the villagers came after us in revenge. My father eventually found us after he returned to the village for us. He knew we would flee back home and he tracked our scents. By the time he found us, I was completely healed but my mother still had a few wounds on her head and her back. My father was enraged and was going to go back to the village to kill everyone there, but my mother calmed him down. My father then explained to me what happened. I had transformed into a full-fledged demon. That it happens to hanyous when they are triggered emotionally and they lose control to their demon blood. By now, I already knew of the time when I lose my demon blood but now I learned that there was also a time I could lose myself to my demon blood. I was frightened when he told me that I would lose all sense of myself and lose all self-control. And I remembered it, how I totally blacked out and killed the man in such an animalistic way. My father was right."

Kagome bit her bottom lip. Inuyasha watched her expression, hoping that she wouldn't be afraid of him and who he was. But all he saw was her compassion for him. She didn't say anything, but just her touch alone meant a lot to him. Touch was everything to him. Back then, touch meant rejection for being who he was. Touch was pain and torture, people hitting him or hurling things at him. But touch from his parents meant the world to him. Their touch was love and acceptance, much like Kagome's touch was now. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand one last time, then motioned down at her food.

"You should eat before it gets cold."

Kagome shrugged, bringing her hand back to her lap as she stared down at her food, still not having an appetite. "I don't care. I just… I don't know what to say."

"Just tell me that you're not afraid of me."

Kagome quickly looked up at him, shocked. "Of course I'm not afraid of you! Why would I be? Just because you told me that you've killed people? That you have a demon side of you that you can't control?" Inuyasha was shocked at the way she spoke, trying to keep her voice down but she was passionate, her blue eyes on fire. "I'm not afraid of you, Inuyasha. Even though I haven't seen that side of you… I know you would never hurt me."

Inuyasha blinked, her words cutting his heart. She really didn't know how much he loved her. He loved her already. His demon already accepted her as his mate. His human just needed to fall in love with her. This woman was his. Everything that she was, all the times they spent together, his human was realizing that he loved her. He truly did. And he wasn't going to let her go.

"During this modern era… hanyous are valued now because of how rare demons have become. Nowadays, people don't believe in demons and some humans are truly amazed and accepting of someone different from them. We live in a world where differences are embraced and everyone can be who they want to be and who they want to be with. With many demons being killed off during the Edo period, many ran and hid to other countries or are now hiding here among us. Some still refuse to come out as still the entire world has not accepted demons yet. But still… there are those who have chosen to live with humans openly in this world and we do so with protections and limitations. Because of the rarity of demons, hanyous are valued for their demon blood by both humans and demons. So we don't receive that hatred that we had centuries ago. Well… it still exists."

Kagome couldn't shake the suspicion that there were still some demons and humans in this world who still hated him for being a hanyou. Their hatred for demons and hanyous in general blinded them to see what a beautiful man and person Inuyasha or any hanyou/demon was. It wasn't fair.

"Well, that's a little bit about me and my past. Tit for tat," he said with a smile, taking a sip of his wine. He felt relieved that he told her and she still accepted him. He wanted her to know more about him, about his past, and hope that she would accept all of him and who he was.

She didn't know what else to say. He just gave her a lot about what it was like for him growing up and she couldn't imagine what it's like for him now, if he still does receive hatred for being a hanyou. If he does, he plays it off well and is still successful no matter what society has labeled him as. To her, he was just Inuyasha.

Kagome smiled, sighing deeply. "Well… thank you for telling me that. I appreciate it."

"Same here," he said, lifting his wine glass.

Kagome giggled. "Kanpai."

They spent the rest of their dinner in lighter conversations, talking about the practice today and Kagome asking him about all the logistics. He knew more about the behind-the-scenes than she did as he was the one changing things and making things happen. They talked about how excited they were for the upcoming concert. The waiter came back to clear their empty plates and they decided to share a matcha cheesecake. After dessert, Inuyasha paid the bill, much to Kagome's disappointment as she tried to pay the bill. But she was grateful as it seemed like he was willing to pay for her and take care of her, something she never had before.

Slowly but surely, Kagome was thinking about the possibility of the two of them being together. It was something that she needed to think about, to weigh the pros and the cons. She might've told him a little bit more about herself, but there was a lot that he still didn't know. A lot she was hiding and was running from. As much as she loved him and wanted to be with him, she needed to make sure this was the right thing to do. Her heart said 'yes' but her mind sometimes told her 'no'. She was at a standstill with herself. But tonight's dinner only helped her to be truthful to herself and her feelings for him.

As the two of them walked out of the restaurant, Kagome sighed as he led them to the elevator.

"Thanks, Yasha, for dinner. I really enjoyed it."

Inuyasha looked down at her, seeing her smile and her happiness, and he felt so much happiness because of her. She made him feel accepted, appreciated and loved. The things she did to him, she didn't understand how much she meant to him. Inuyasha smiled and stopped, making her stop against him, standing next to the water fountain. He bent and kissed her cheek tenderly.

"You're welcome."


I hope you liked it! :) LMK ;P