Author's Note: Happy New Year everyone! It's 2022! My first chapter of the year. I did have a really long but great vacation at the end of 2021, into 2022. And I started the year running for work. So much to do, so little time within the first two weeks. But that's why I've been so MIA. I'm finally getting a chapter out and I'm excited for what this year is going to bring - not just with the story but with life in general. I have new goals to shoot for this year, new visions of myself, my character and my habits, so it's an exciting time.

I wanted to answer this question/comment since a lot of you seem to be wondering how this is possible: Why can't Inu smell Sai or any of the Midnite men on Kags? Well first, she takes a bath/shower before she meets the group for practice or anything, and the scents wash away. Two, the clients are not allowed to touch her, only when given permission. And honestly, Sai is the only one who touches her more than the other clients. But she usually lets them touch over her clothes or her hand/arm. Three, she uses the costumes at Midnite and not her personal clothes, so the scents stay with the clothes (well, they get washed) and even if she puts her clothes on over her skin that was touched by other men, she still washes them and washes her body later. Now... specifically with Sai since he touches her the most and she's most intimate with him... it's pretty much a combination of all three I mentioned above. Different clothes, takes a bath. Now... I am by no means implying that Inu's nose is weak or he's naive. You'll see in this chapter how strong his nose can be. All I'm saying, is that this is how I personally picture the concept of scents to be, how it can be washed away or kept on skin/clothes, even furniture. Trust me. I know you guys are all wondering how Inu doesn't smell men on her, how he doesn't know about Midnite yet. All of that will come out in due time. Even Kags doesn't think about that part of Inu, how he can smell scents like that, so it's not like she takes precautions to hide it from him. Anyway... I hope that answers that question/comment. It's just how I see "scents" to be.

Anyway... I hope you had a great holiday season in 2021 and that you're ready for 2022 too. This chapter is also a new beginning for our favorite pair as a business partner and as a couple. I hope you like this one. It's got some surprises and question marks left unanswered, but still building the stage for our great concert in the States.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. *Lemon*

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R2R

susu-anon: I gotta say, "Thank you!" Your reviews always motivates me and makes me smile. I saw your latest review last night and was like "Okay, get it together girl and get that chapter done!" So I did. Like I've said before, your guy's reviews always encourages and inspires me to write, so thanks for reviewing 3 times lol, with the last one being more of a kick-in-the-butt than a review. But to get to your review from last chapter... I hope I answered your question about Sai's scent on Kags above in my A/N. And like you, I love those cute cuddle scenes with the two. And the lemons... of course. As for Oni... well, can't say about that man. He's a trip. Enjoy this chapter :)

inusitter: Thanks for your review. Well, the guy talking to Sai was no one, honestly. Just a guy who knows who Kags is in real life, like many of the clients in Midnite do, and just making trouble between the two. Really of no importance, but I just wanted Sai to be tested in a way. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

hive-chan: Thanks for your review and sorry there wasn't two chapters in December. My holiday season got hectic, not because of family but because of work, when I was supposed to be on vacation. Oh well. But I agree with you on Naraku. Trust me, he won't have kids. Well... I can't say never, but definitely not with Kikyo or any of the group members for that matter lol. Hope you enjoy this next one.

anime-geek: Awww thank you, and thanks for rereading the chapter and dropping another review. I did enjoy my vacation, even though I still sort of had to work. But it is what it is. Work and personal life blend together for me because work is like my family, so I had to do some things for them while on vacay. All good. But thanks for your review. Yes, Inu is hot! And I can't wait to see him with facial hair of some sort, and how that would feel like with Kags lol (or me lol). As for Onigumo, he'll come up again and not in a good way. It seems like his streak in this story is running a very thin line, but we'll see how long he'll keep his hands on Kag. Sooner or later, that girl is going to have to stand up for herself, even if she feels like she owes Oni something. And yes, she does stand up for others more than she stands up for herself. She did it as a child and she's carried it into her adult life - other people's happiness and safety comes before her own. She did it with her parents, then Koga, and now with Kikyo (in a sense). Hope you enjoy this chapter.

MinxieXCX: Thanks for your review. Kag's jealousy really is just her insecurity, from a past of neglect and rejection from her own family. Then to top it off with the sexual abuse from two men... it's just the byproduct of a messed up childhood. I do want Inu/Jinenji to have an interaction, at least more, and to see how that plays out in a relationship or trust between the two. And as for Midoriko/Ayumi... yeah, they'll meet Inu and possibly the others soon enough. I think Kags is trying to keep her two lives separate, but is seeing how they are starting to blend together and she's not sure how to handle that. As for Kag's sexual needs and being open about sex... well yes, it is erotic. And those two definitely have a strong sexual chemistry. They both match each other in their high sex drive and thoughts/desires of sex/intimacy with one another. Anyway... thanks again. Idk when I'll bring Sai back, he needs time to figure things out. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Rosie B: Thanks for your review. I hope you had a good vacation too and am ready for 2022! I swear... I'm not sure if it's the site... or if one person is reviewing under two different names... but some parts of other people's reviews gets repeated into another person's review. I'm like "I'm sure I've read this before" and I have lol. I don't mind either way... it's just weird. Anyway... I do see your point about Inu/Kag/Kiyomi and all the sexual drama there. Yes, Inu/Kag's has a sexual chemistry unlike anything they've had before. Kags just grew up around and with sex, so perhaps it is an insecurity that she needs to be the best. As for Inu not liking her question his sex life, he mentions in this chapter how his sex life was different with Kiyomi. Not to compare the two, but to see that he has needs that he's not sure how to verbalize yet with Kags because of her triggers. He knows he has to take things slow with her, so that's what he's doing, at least for now in their relationship. They're still growing together. Oh, as for your second review, yes, Sapphire will come out again. She'll also come out in the bedroom, but I think she'll make a huge appearance in Midnite soon because some of the girls are starting to take her place, or so they think ;) Thanks again for your review and enjoy this next one!

xsophiex: Awww, yes, our poor hanyou was dealt a crappy hand, just like Kags. That's what I love about this story - 2 messed up people from messed up pasts come together to find love and healing in one another and for one another. It's bittersweet. That's why the title is what it is lol. I am still trying to figure out how jealous they are for one another, and what situations may happen in the future that could potentially affect their relationship, for the good or bad. Who knows :) As for your second review, yes, Oni is crazy. I'm not sure how crazy yet because he keeps surprising me with his possessiveness of Kag that is borderline homicidal. Mmmhmmm... I love men with 5 o'clock shadows.. and to think of Inu like that... *dreams* lol... Thanks for your review and enjoy this one!

vanessa: Awww, sorry you feel that way. I know it seems draggy, but that's just the way I do it to explain and give backgrounds. Plus to build the story. It's funny, though, since your review is sort of... on the right direction :) Won't say anything else about that. Anyways, I hope you like this one :)

val-rommel: Yeah, Kags really wants all of Inu, and she isn't afraid to talk about sex since she grew up around/with sex. It's second nature to her, but this time it's different from what she's always known, and it's a new territory for her sometimes. She'll find some ways to grow out of her inhibitions with Inu's help and love. As for Koga/Kag's marriage, yes, it was/is official. And like you said, she was only a mistress, while Koga fathered children with his true mate, Ayame. That will ruin a woman's self-respect and self-image. Thanks for your review. Enjoy this one

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Meeting after meeting. Everything became so repetitive some days. Today was one of them. Koga leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply. He rolled his chair back from his desk a few feet and then turned to face out to stare at the other buildings around him. He smiled. He couldn't help himself. Every time he thought about Kagome, all he could do was smile. 'I finally found her.' All he could think of every day was the thought of being with Kagome again, having her back in his arms. He missed the feel of her, especially that beautiful scent of hers. 'I'll have her soon.' Just the thought of her smooth skin and the scent of her arousal...

Koga shivered in need and desperation, closing his eyes as he pictured her face. "I'll capture you soon, my little Bluebird."

The buzz of his desk phone jarred him out of his thoughts. "Sir. Ginta and Hakkaku are here."

"Send them in."

Getting Kagome back was the end goal that he was sure to achieve. The anticipation was half the fun, and the hunt was the better half. The door opened and he turned his chair to see Ginta and Hakkaku walk in as the door closed behind them.

"Did you see the news?" he asked them, seeing their nod. Both of them were casually dressed, walking towards him with their hands in their pockets.

"Yeah. Kikyo's new concert is coming up next month in the States," Ginta acknowledged.

Koga smirked. "Then, I guess you two are going."

Hakkaku sighed, groaning. "I knew you were going to say that."

He watched them as they both went to stand on either end of his desk, Ginta leaning his hip against the desk while Hakkaku half sat with his leg on top of the desk. He eyed them warily. "Have you found any new leads?"

Ginta shook his head with a frown, crossing his arms across his chest. "We haven't pinpointed where she's at in Tokyo, but we did find something interesting." Koga arched an eyebrow, watching Ginta's sly smile. "She's hosting a dance class at the Japan Dance Studio with Inuyasha for the next four weeks starting today. I don't think we'll be able to get her. It's all over social media and fans are going to be at the studio wanting to see them. It'll be too dangerous for us to be caught on anyone's phones or security cameras." Ginta paused, looking out the window, thinking things through. "But if we were to go to the concert, I'm sure we can find a way to get to her without being noticed in a sea of people."

Koga smiled, his eyes revealing his excitement. That's why you're going to the concert. But you won't be the one to get to Kagome. Like you said... it could be dangerous if you were caught on camera."

Koga stood and walked towards the window, standing as close to the edge as the building allowed, looking down at the tiny cars driving on the streets below. "I want you two to book three flights and one suite at the Caesar's Palace. Find out, if you can, when they'll be heading to the States and book your room the same time. If not, go earlier and wait for them. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to notice when a popstar is in town," he said with a smirk, turning around to look at them.

He walked back towards them, standing in front of his chair. "Track her movements. Watch every performance. Find out how they get into the theater and how they leave. There will probably be a lot of security, so use your discretion on how to handle them. Wait until the last day of the show so that no one suspects anything or goes looking for her when she's missing." Koga smiled, envisioning seeing Kagome standing on the other side of his desk.

"Bring her to me," he said, suddenly serious.

Ginta and Hakkaku nodded their understandings, as Ginta shifted to speak. "Who's the third ticket for?"

Koga smirked, his eyes twinkling with a hidden trump card. "Her."

Both of them looked at Koga, wondering who he was talking about for a minute, and then it dawned on them. The two looked at each other, skeptical.

"You sure about that?" Hakkaku asked, looking back at Koga. "She's unpredictable. And besides... she'll only be in our way."

"I only want her to be at the final performance. She'll be the one to confront Kagome in the crowd. I'm sure Kagome will recognize her in a sea of fans," Koga said, proud of his clever little plan. If everything went according to how he envisioned it, she will be the one to call to Kagome and lure her to a place where Ginta and Hakkaku can easily capture her without too many eyes. He just needed to get Kagome alone, and especially away from the rest of her group, and that damn hanyou. "Send her out into the fans at the end of the performance to catch Kagome's attention. Have her lure Kagome to you, away from the crowd, and then do whatever means necessary to keep Kagome in your hands until you bring her back to me."

Ginta and Hakkaku nodded, both of them steeling themselves for the work ahead.

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They've been walking for about ten minutes now, crossing streets and dodging fellow pedestrians as they made their way to the dance studio. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, smiling as he looked down at her, his golden eyes so beautiful in the sunlight. She shifted her bag strap so that her duffle bag remained on the opposite hip while she wrapped her arm around Inuyasha's, keeping her body close to his. It felt like she was in high school, walking around campus and wanting all the students to see that she was with Inuyasha. It was a territorial feeling, claiming Inuyasha as hers, while at the same time feeling like she needed to be close to him. He didn't seem to mind.

"You ready for today?" Inuyasha asked, looking ahead. He and Kagome had planned to dress alike, to come as a team, to the dance class. They kept it simple with white shirts, black pants and white shoes. Kagome wore black tights while he wore black joggers, and she had a white crop top while he wore a fitted white shirt. He had put his hair up in a ponytail like Kagome, and both of them had their duffle bags and sunglasses on as they made their way to the studio. If no one knew they were a couple, it would be strikingly obvious now by the way they matched each other like a couple. Not to mention the way they walked together.

Kagome shrugged, bringing her other arm to wrap her hand around his bicep, looking at the studio coming up on the next block. They stopped to wait at the crosswalk, giving her time to prepare for the crowd ahead.

"I'm excited. I've never done anything like this before. Have you?" she asked, looking at him.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Never. I don't do this kind of thing."

She smirked. "What? Dance and teach?"

Inuyasha glared at her, though he knew she couldn't see his eyes. She just laughed, knowing that he was giving her a look, and the two moved on instinct when everyone else around them started to cross. "No. I meant I don't teach others like this. I only agreed to dance for Kikyo, and that's it. I was never interested in teaching classes and being one of those dance teachers."

"Well... in a sense you still are dancing for Kikyo. You'll be teaching her song and this is to help her career in the end. And think of it like you're teaching it to our group, or to new members for our group," she suggested. Inuyasha blew out air.

"Yeah right. We are not hiring anymore people."

"I didn't mean we would be. I'm just saying it's really nothing different from you teaching our group how to dance Kikyo's songs," she offered, squeezing his bicep. "And I'm going to think of it like I'm just another student in your class who knows the dance and the others will watch."

Inuyasha looked at her. "I'll be relying on you a lot."

She smiled up at him. "I know," grateful that he needed her.

"And if you see anything or anyone who needs help, or if you think we need to go slower or faster, then you let me know. I've never taught a class this big before so I'm not sure I'll be able to keep an eye on everyone's progression and struggles."

Kagome nodded. He needed her to know that she had a purpose too. She wasn't here just to dance. She was here to be his partner. Even though she technically already was his dance partner, this was a moment when he needed her to be his equal, as she was. He needed her to step up and speak up, to be another 'him'. The same way he always had Miroku and Sango to help him with Kikyo's dance group, he needed Kagome to help him with these students at the dance studio.

"I got your back," Kagome said with a smile, understanding what he meant. She truly felt like his partner. Even though he was her boss, in this moment, he needed her as a partner. He wasn't her boss teaching her dance moves, he was her dance partner and they both had to teach a class. She wasn't the student anymore, but the teacher. It would be a new thing for the both of them, for that she was grateful. They would be feeling the ropes together in this, and they would be leaning on each other a lot through this.

They got to the other side of the road and could immediately tell that a crowd had formed outside of the dance studio. People were all crowded around each other, moving back and forth on the side walk, but remaining in the same area.

Inuyasha moved Kagome's hand off his arm and held her hand, intertwining their fingers together. "Ready?"

Kagome nodded with a smile. "Smile." He smiled at her and nodded.

The two of them headed straight for the crowd, clinging tight to one another so they wouldn't get separated. He wouldn't let that happen. Inuyasha walked a little in front of Kagome as they got closer, and soon a few of the fans looked up to notice them walking towards them. One at time, as more of the crowd started to notice that some of the crowd was moving away, they all started to realize that the objects of their interest had shown up. The fans started to move to meet Inuyasha and Kagome as the two made their way to the first three of the fans that began to come to them at once.

"Blue Lightning!" "Blue Lightning!" "Can I get a picture with you two?" "Me too!"

Inuyasha turned to look at Kagome, seeing her nod and squeeze his hand reassuringly. "We have a class we have to teach soon. We can only take a few photos." With that, many of them already had their phones out and waiting, open on their cameras in order to be at the ready. Inuyasha brought Kagome to his side, keeping her a little in front of him, moving his hand to her waist. A girl turned around and extended her hand, holding her phone up while trying to stand next to Inuyasha with his duffle bag at his hip, the three of them smiling for the selfie. Inuyasha then urged Kagome forward, the pair still slowly walking towards the entrance while making their fans move with them while quickly trying to get a picture at the same time. A lot of people were calling their names, asking questions. One question Kagome heard often was if they were dating, which only made her smile considering how intimately Inuyasha held her to him. She smiled for the next photo and the next one. Others just decided to either video their appearance or take photos, not selfies, wanting a glimpse of the pair and not to intrude on their personal space. The pair only took five selfies before they made it to the door and the fans kindly cleared out and gave them a little bit of space once they got to the door. They wouldn't follow into the establishment, that would be rude and disrespectful.

"Thanks guys!" Inuyasha said with a wave of his free hand, and then went to open the door, pressing on Kagome's lower back to urge her in before the fans began to ask for more.

Kagome smiled at them and waved. "Thanks everyone!" She walked in and Inuyasha followed behind her. The two of them were immediately greeted by a man who had been standing at a desk on their right.

"Good morning, Inuyasha, Kagome," he said, coming up to greet them with a low bow. The pair bowed back and said their 'good mornings'. The man straightened and smiled at them. "My name is Tatsu. I'm one of the managers here at Japan Dance Studio. We're delighted and so excited to have you both dance and teach here at our studio. It's an honor," he said, slightly bowing his head.

Inuyasha smiled, taking in the man's appearance. He looked middle-aged, which could explain his formalities. He wore jeans pants with a black belt and a maroon shirt tucked in. He had facial hair, a five o'clock shadow, and his hair was spiked. His appearance looked young, but he definitely was a lot more formal than the younger men nowadays.

"Thanks. We're glad to be here. It's actually both of our's first time ever doing something like." Kagome stood at Inuyasha's side and smiled with a nod, taking in the man's appearance as well.

"I'm glad to hear that we're the first to be taught by the one and only Blue Lightning. You two are all the rave right now. When I called Kikyo's manager and spoke with her publicist, she told me that there had been a lot of prospects and business offers that you two were getting. So we were glad to hear back from her that you had agreed to teach a class for us."

'Akari...' There was no talk or negotiation about this, from what Inuyasha recalled. He only got a call from Akari on Tuesday about starting this dance class for the following Monday, that Kikyo had already approved, and so he figured it was a done deal that he couldn't reject. Apparently Kikyo and Akari had talked about it, and he was the last to hear about this, so him 'agreeing' to teach the class was sort of never in the mix.

"Yeah, it's been a crazy month... several months actually. And this month will be crazy for us too getting ready for the concert, so I don't think there'll be any more business offers that we'll take up anytime soon," Inuyasha assured.

"Of course. That's why we're so lucky to have you both," Tatsu said, looking at Kagome with a smile. "Let me show you two around."

Tatsu went to stand in the middle of the room, opening his arms out. "This is our lobby and lounge area," he motioned with his hands. Kagome took in the room with its chairs and couches and tables scattered around. She glanced at the floor to ceiling tinted glass walls that separated them from the outside fans, peering in to get a look at them in the lobby. Everyone outside remained there, watching the two, unable to leave out of sheer excitement and curiosity. Kagome smiled briefly at the fans, and took in the room.

"This is a nice lounge. How many students do you have?" she wondered with the room being able to hold a couple dozen of students at a time.

Tatsu smiled, grateful for the compliment. "Thank you. We have a couple hundred students, not sure at the top of my head. But when we offered this class to our students, it was immediately booked within a half hour."

"I think in the email it said this was a class of thirty students?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes. Thirty students for the entire eight classes of the month."

Kagome nodded, looking around at the room and taking in all the interior design. "These students for our class... how many years have they been dancing?"

Tatsu motioned for them to follow him as he wanted to continue showing them around. The pair followed him towards one of the two doors in the room. They started by going to the door on the left. "We only offered the class to our intermediate and advanced dancers. So those who have over three years experience in dancing." He reached out for the door handle and opened it inward, walking into a small hallway that split into two directions.

"This is the bathroom for the women and the men," he motioned, pointing to both doors on opposite ends of the hallway from each other. "The bathrooms are equipped with lockers and showers too." Inuyasha stepped out, not interested in checking the bathrooms. Kagome followed him out as Tatsu brought up the rear, heading to the other door in the lobby.

"This is our studio room." He opened the door and the three walked into a big dance studio. Kagome smiled as she took in the room, noticing the two dance poles to her left at what seemed to be the back of the room. Normally, the entrance into a dance studio would be at the back of the room so that the dancers wouldn't get distracted should people come and go. The two dance poles caught her attention immediately and made her smile, wondering if the studio offered any pole dancing classes.

Inuyasha watched as Kagome walked around, going straight for one of the poles. She wrapped her hand around the pole and spun her body around to face him, her face lighting up with a smile. He arched his eyebrow, staring at her with wonder. He noticed the way she threw her weight down and spun around, as if she had done it so many times before. He stood staring at her with her bright smile.

"Do you offer pole dancing?" Kagome asked, her eyes leaving Inuyasha's to look at Tatsu.

"No. Some of our dancers would play around with them, but we don't offer those classes anymore. Not with only two poles." Kagome nodded her understanding, agreeing with him.

Inuyasha decided he would ask her about that later, thinking for sure that she knew how to pole dance. He went to the wall on his left and dropped his duffle bag, turning around to survey the room. It was very spacious, big enough for thirty of them to move around and cover some ground. "How do I hook up to your sound system?"

Tatsu motioned for Inuyasha to follow him. Inuyasha unzipped his bag to grab his iPod and iPad, and then followed Tatsu to the front of the room. Kagome went to drop her bag next to Inuyasha's and turned to see the two of them at the left corner of the room up front. There was an elevated corner with what looked like a small area for a DJ or a sound guy. On the counter, there were a few tech equipment and she watched as the two men were talking and touching some of the buttons. Kagome left them to it and walked around the room, taking everything in. The walls were made up of mirrors except for the back of the room with the door. On the left and right walls, there were mounted barres the whole length of the walls. She looked at herself in the mirrors as she walked along, smiling.

'This is a change...' She never, in a million years, would have ever seen herself here, like this. It was already so surreal for her to be doing the thing she's always dreamed of, which was to be a professional dancer. And all the perks and amazing things that came with being Kikyo's dancer was a blessing. But now, to be a dance teacher, to be teaching a routine to a class of students who paid for her services to learn from her and to aspire to be like her... 'No one aspires to be like me,' she thought with a sad smile. If they only knew the life she came from and where she dances at now... no one would aspire to be like her.

The sound came on, making her turn to look at the two at the counter, but then it cut off as Inuyasha was just testing to make sure he had connection. She went to the middle of the room and began to stretch out, spreading her legs and bending over to grab her ankles. When the two of them were finished, they came to join her in the middle of the room, talking about the arrival of the students. She and Inuyasha had arrived a half hour early and the students normally showed up as early as fifteen minutes before class. So any minute now.

Tatsu asked if they needed anything else. Inuyasha thanked him and Tatsu took his leave now that they had everything they needed.

"So... what's with the pole?" Inuyasha asked, going to sit with his legs spread out, facing her. She smiled at him, knowingly.

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

Inuyasha arched his eyebrow, grabbing one shoe to stretch forward. "You know what I mean."

Kagome chuckled, looking at the poles. He obviously could tell that she had used a pole before. 'Just from that one swing?' "I've danced... on poles before." She was careful with her words, not wanting to lie to him but also not wanting to give away too much that might anger him. She knew that he was jealous like she is, though she had never seen his jealous streak, the same way he hasn't seen hers. So she tried to play her cards right and test the waters. But the thought of dancing for Inuyasha, on a pole, had never crossed her mind before. She stared at the poles, looking them up and down. 'Until now.'

"When? Where? And why do you have that look on your face?" he asked her, suspiciously watching her.

"I pole dance once in a while with my friends." She turned to look at him, smiling seductively, trying to get the subject off her. "But I've never thought about dancing for you before."

Inuyasha's ear perked, making her laugh. He looked at her with her legs spread open, stretching her arms and hamstrings. He licked his lips, thinking about the image of her on a pole, dancing, for him. Him only.

"Get that look off your face before the students get here," she said with a laugh. "If you looked at a student like that you might just kill her."

Inuyasha chuckled, bringing his legs together and moving to his knees. "I wouldn't get this look if I looked at another girl. Just you." He leaned back to stretch his quads a little. "And I would very much like to see you pole dance for me."

Kagome smiled, licking her lips. "One day," she promised. She wanted to. She wanted to dance for him, the way she danced for men who paid for her, is the same way she wanted to dance for Inuyasha because she loved him. Because he wanted to see her dance. Because he loved her. She wanted to seduce him with her body, to capture his attention and make him only see her for a night. She wanted to be the center of his world and give him whatever he wanted. Kagome bit her bottom lip. She had to be careful. Her two worlds would blend too much and too soon that she wouldn't be able to untangle them.

Inuyasha's ears twitched, catching her attention, and his face lost its softness and love. He looked towards the door and then she heard the mumbling of voices before the door opened. Inuyasha became all business. She loved that about him. When he was with her, he was a huge softie, nothing but a pushover, his eyes and his body language showing her how much he loved her and loved being alone with her. But when others were around, he always had that professionalism and seriousness about him. He never let his guard down fully around others, only with her. And he was always aware of others around them, only showing to her his soft, loving side, whenever he looked at her or held her. That look in his eyes when he looked at her was only for her.

Three female students walked in, their excited voices echoing in the room as their eyes fell on the pair stretching in the middle of the room.

"Blue Lightning!" they waved, making their way to the pair. Inuyasha and Kagome stood up, dusting themselves off, and put on their smiles as they met their first students.

Soon enough, the room was filled with the thirty students that had signed up for the class. Everyone was dressed to impress. Some of the women either wore shorts and crop tops, showing lots of skin, while others kept it casual and comforting. Some of the men did their hair or wore their favorite sneakers, but they kept their looks in check. The women all tried to dress to impress, and to catch Inuyasha's attention. As everyone got to know the pair and introductions were made, Tatsu came into the room to announce that everyone had checked in. Inuyasha thanked Tatsu and he excused himself. All the students were gathered in front of Inuyasha and Kagome, facing the front in a big group.

"Alright, everyone. I want to thank everyone for showing up and for signing up for this class." He turned to look at Kagome, seeing her encouraging smile that gave him strength and encouragement. "We know that this class filled up very fast, so we're grateful for the love and the support that we have from you all. And Kikyo also appreciates it and gave us her blessing. She allowed you guys to borrow us for a few days out of this month." Everyone laughed, high off of getting to learn from a big time choreographer and dancer. Their spirits were up on this first day.

"So since it's our first day together, I want to start with the legalities to get that out of the way." He looked around at everyone. "I know that you all had to sign a contract in order to take this class. The only thing worth mentioning from that is that this class is not a game and it's not a time to mess around or take photos. There are no photos or video recordings allowed during our time together. I shouldn't even see your phones out. They should be off, in your bag." He paused, liking that no one left the group to go to their phone, so they must've known the rules.

"I want to take today to get to know you guys and see how good your dancing skills are," Inuyasha said. Everyone looked at each other, smiling, ready to show off what they had. Kagome watched their interactions together, seeing as how they all sort of knew each other, and how they all seemed so excited. She kept her thoughts to herself, hoping that they didn't think at the end of this, they would have a spot on Kikyo's team. If they were hoping for that end gain, they would be sadly disappointed. She wondered if they were just wanting to show off to get a job or if they wanted to show off to get Inuyasha's attention. Of course, it was mostly the women who outwardly displayed their feelings and intentions in the way they dressed. The men, on the other hand, were a bit more laid back and took a different approach from the women. She could tell that many of them were staring at her, even as she looked at some, their eye contact never averted away. Instead, some of them gave her a smile or a smirk, clearly trying to get her flustered with their looks. She held in her giggle at these 'boys'. Though they all looked to be around her age or younger, they were still 'boys' to her, compared to the men she gets on a regular basis.

"Let's do three groups of ten. How about you guys split yourselves up into three groups." They all did as instructed, moving a part so that each group had space in between one another. Inuyasha motioned with his hands, pointing at each group. "One. Two. Three. Group one will go first. I'm going to play one of Kikyo's songs and I want group one to be the only one on the floor dancing. We're going to be watching each and every one of you. This isn't a competition. There won't be a winner. It's just a way for Kagome and I to get to know the degree of skills that we're working with," he said, looking at Kagome to see her nod.

Inuyasha went to the corner with the music counter and Kagome followed him, standing next to him with her back against the mirror. The two of them faced the students as groups two and three fell back, sitting down against the back wall, while group one came forward and spread out. There was no line formation but everyone was staggered on the floor. Inuyasha started the music and leaned his shoulder against the mirror next to Kagome, watching everyone's movements critically.

As Kikyo's voice started, everyone knew the song and knew when to begin. The ten of them moved on their own, dancing the feelings in their bodies from the beat of the song. Inuyasha looked at everything- from their feet, to their hands, to the style of dance they chose or blended, to the way they took up space. He liked people who took up the stage, commanded it, and was comfortable being the star of the show. He liked movement. He noticed how some touched their bodies a lot more than others, while some had a lot more footwork than others. They all had their own style, making him pleased with the first group of students he watched. When the song came to an end, he and Kagome clapped, applauding their efforts and so did the rest of the students. Inuyasha called up group two and played a different song this time, changing things up.

Kagome watched the group, trying to think and see the way Inuyasha would. She wanted to get into his mind and understand what it was he was looking for and noticing. For her, she could notice many things, like the way some of the women liked to flip their hair one too many times, or the way some of the men grabbed their crotch a little too much. She thought too many excessive things tried to distract from an insecurity or a lack in another area, and she wondered if that's what Inuyasha thought too. She didn't have a choreographer's eye like he had, but she reminded herself that she had been dancing for ten years and had seen many women in her line of work dance different styles for different reasons. All of them, to her, seemed to have been dancing for a few years, like Tatsu had explained to them. And all of them clearly loved to dance, as they all had fierce or happy looks, staring at either herself and Inuyasha or at the mirrors in front of them. After the song ended and they applauded for the group, group three was called up to dance to another different song. Once all thirty students were able to dance off, they all gave one another one last applause.

"Good job, everyone. I can tell that all of you have danced for a few years, maybe more. I liked how everyone had their own style and flavor that you brought to the floor. I also liked how many of you gave us a few different styles of dance, which I thought was smart. And..." Inuyasha pointed at a girl who had a purple, cut-out shirt with black tights. She immediately fumbled at his attention on her as everyone in the room looked to her. "I also noticed how you snuck in a little bit of my choreography for your dance. Good job."

The girl beamed at his praise, blushing at the smile he gave her. She bowed quickly, flushed and embarrassed, but totally beaming at that compliment from him. "Thank you, Inuyasha."

He smiled and turned to Kagome, seeing if she wanted to add anything. He rose his eyebrows up quickly, obviously letting her know that he wanted her to say something. She thought it might be best for her to say something encouraging, to lift their spirits, though she had no doubt that girl already was high as a kite from Inuyasha's attention.

"Well, I just want to add that I'm amazed at everyone's style of dance and your love for dance. I, for one, am a dancer who dances from my heart. Inuyasha can attest to this..." she said, stepping forward a bit. "But when I dance, I dance with passion and I put my heart out there. You can see my love for dance not just in the way I dance, but in my eyes and in my face. It's all about portraying not just your love for dance but also the soul of the song that you're dancing to. That's a skill that not all dancers have. I saw many of you give me a little of that passion and that heart that you have for dancing. So I just want to say good job again, and that I'm hopeful for our time together and excited to be able to be dancing with you all."

Inuyasha came to stand next to her as the students applauded the both of them for their speech. She turned to look at him, smiling at the love and adoration she saw in his eyes. She wrapped her hand around his wrist for a moment, giving him a squeeze, and then brought her hands behind her back, smiling at the students.

"Alright," Inuyasha started, walking forward as he motioned them forward towards him. "The song you'll be learning is Kikyo's 'Let's Make Time For You and I'. I'm sure you've seen the choreography at her concerts, and it'll be the exact choreography that you'll be learning." The students all gasped out of excitement to be learning something that Kikyo had performed to the nation and internationally. They would now have bragging rights after they learned this dance and would be able to perform it as if they were a part of her official dance group. "My style of teaching is different..."

"Hard," Kagome interjected. He turned to her with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. She shrugged, smiling up at him and turned to look at everyone's amused and alert faces, hoping she didn't frighten anyone.

"Strict, I would say," Inuyasha said, looking back at the group. "I'm all business once practice starts. I expect everyone to come in, do your stretches either before you arrive or get here early and stretch before class starts. We start exactly at nine and end by eleven at the latest. I want everyone to form staggered lines so that I can see every one of you." They all began to move back and around one another, some not giving up their places in the front lines, wanting to be as close to the two as possible. Inuyasha and Kagome waited, watching the way they interacted with one another and how they handled the situation. Kagome could tell that many of them loved the attention while some was better standing in the back. Those were the ones that she would keep her eyes on. The ones who stayed in the back were usually the most shy but sometimes the most humble, and always underestimated themselves.

"The tracks I'll be playing are made from our DJs, Suikotsu and Mizuki. It's an hour loop of the instrumental version of the song. It's the same thing we listen to when we practice." Inuyasha turned around so he faced the front mirrors, looking at everyone's reflection as Kagome did the same. "When I teach a move, I want you guys to watch either myself or Kagome. Sometimes I'll be walking around while you dance, and Kagome will be leading you guys. Watch her. Ladies! Watch her. Take notes on how she moves and the expression of her face. Guys! Watch the ground that I cover and how clean my movements are. I like my men to be crisp, clean and sharp. I like my women to be elegant, fluid and sexy," looking at Kagome when he said 'sexy'.

The room erupted in laughter at his words, sounding as if he had a thing for both men and women when he was only talking about what he liked in his students. The more he joked and talked to them, explaining what he expected of them and how he worked, the more the students relaxed and felt a little more comfortable. It was intimidating to be dancing with the hottest dance couple in Japan right now.

"Okay. Let's begin."

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

"Thanks again, everyone," Kagome said, waving as she and Inuyasha walked out of the studio. It was already ten past eleven. They had stayed a little later to talk with some of the students and answer their questions. But they still needed to take a shower, grab lunch and head off to the warehouse to meet with the group. Another reason why they brought Inuyasha's car today. They had places to be with little time. As the two walked out into the lobby, they noticed some of the students were still lingering around, laughing and talking together, obviously on a high after class. They had only gone through the first verse, and over half of them hadn't gotten the entire routine down. But they all enjoyed learning from both Inuyasha and Kagome as the two gave great instructions and tips to the students who treasured their feedback.

Kagome waved at some of the girls as she and Inuyasha made their way to the other door that led into the bathrooms. "They seem to be enjoying the class." She was really proud of herself. Proud of herself for doing something like this. At the beginning, when Inuyasha brought up the contract, she was reminded of her own contract with Kikyo, and how she never wanted to be in any PR things. But here she was, stepping way outside of her comfort zone, putting herself out there to a bunch of students. Yes, Kikyo and Naraku respected Kagome's contract and tried to limit the amount of social media ratings that she could get by not allowing the students to use their phone during class. But sometimes you just couldn't control people's actions. She knew she was taking a risk, she was always taking a risk whenever she danced for Kikyo in the public eye. But that was the risk she was willing to take. And she was proud of herself for not only teaching the class with Inuyasha, but throwing herself into it, really enjoying the process and starting to see it in a different light now. Thanks to Inuyasha. She would never be able to do something like this without him.

"Hmmm. They seem to be too into showing off right now, especially the women," Inuyasha said, opening the door to let her in. They stayed at the fork in the hallway, turning to one another before they went their separate ways.

"They're showing off for you," Kagome's voice echoed in the enclosed space. The door behind her opened and two of the girls came out, gasping and silencing their conversation as they saw the two of them. She smiled and looked back at Inuyasha with a knowing look. "Ten minutes?"

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, startling her. He kissed her, deeply, marking his claim on her. And her body responded. She immediately went soft, rubbing against his chest, feeling her sex clench as his tongue danced with her, making her moan. And just like that, he was gone. She blinked through the lust-filled haze he had left her in, suddenly remembering that they had an audience as the giggling of the two girls got closer. She blushed, not used to be taken off guard and advantaged of like that. The two girls excused themselves, sneaking past the two and heading out with giggles, no doubt watching the whole kiss go down and already getting the first confirmations that the two were clearly dating.

"I never noticed." Kagome blinked, looking up at Inuyasha, confused. He chuckled and released her wrist, kissing her forehead as he brought his hand up behind her head. "I never noticed the women showing off for me."

Kagome snickered. "Is that how you prove your point?" Even though she sounded displeased and irritated, she definitely was turned on and loved how he showed affection to her, even in public. The thing about their culture was that public display of affection was always looked down upon in Japan. Parents rarely even told their children they loved them. Lovers rarely held hands in public, let alone kissed. Although the younger generations were starting to change the culture of the times, the older generations still looked down on showing too much affection in public. Yet with Inuyasha, he never seemed to care what anyone thought. He always wanted to hold her hand or touch her or be next to her, no matter where they were. And her love language was physical touch, so she loved that about him. Even in times like these where he kissed like sin and made her toes curl in the middle of a public bathroom. She would jump on him if they were alone.

The sound of a door opening and male voices brought her out of her thoughts. Inuyasha kissed her head one last time and let her go, moving backwards. "Ten minutes," he promised.

Kagome smiled lovingly, shaking her head as the guys behind him called his name and he turned to greet to them. She turned around and headed to her side of the bathrooms, walking in the women's room to shower quickly and change.

After leaving the dance studio, Inuyasha and Kagome drove to a restaurant near the warehouse to grab two takeout lunches. Then, Inuyasha drove them to the warehouse to meet with everyone else for practice. The two got out of the car, grabbed their bags while Inuyasha also grabbed the most important one, and the two walked towards the warehouse.

"I need a stretch," Kagome said with a groan, shifting her bag strap over her shoulder.

Inuyasha adjusted his bag to one side and held their lunches on the same side so that he could wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her against him. "I can give you a massage."

She smiled at his offer. "That sounds good. Maybe later?" she asked, her eyes going up at him. Inuyasha caught the look in her eyes, his memories going back to when her legs were wrapped around him and she stared at him with dark, hooded eyes.

The memory nearly made him miss a step. "Sleep over."

A demand, really. But she knew he was asking. They had talked about this when he wanted her to live with him. But now, all he was asking was for her to sleep over. Not live. She could do a sleep over. "Tonight?"

He shrugged. "Tonight. Tomorrow. Forever."

Kagome laughed, leaning her head against him for a moment, savoring the closeness of him. "So another way of asking to live with you."

Inuyasha remained silent. Of course he wanted her to live with him. Well, with him, Miroku and Sango. But in all honesty, he knew that Miroku and Sango would be moving out soon. They would be married soon and would want their own place. They would want to settle down and start a family. Miroku had talked to him about this and Inuyasha was prepared to see them go, even help them find a new place. Of course he would miss his best friends, but he was happy for them. They would be able to start a family together, something that a lot of people wanted. And he would be alone, not that he mind. But that was why he found it perfect for Kagome to live with him now that he would have the entire apartment to himself.

"Maybe just for the night," she said, tilting her head up at him as they reached the door. Inuyasha looked down at her with surprise, then with satisfaction. She could take a picture of his face right now, he looked so cute and yet so hot at the same time.

"Maybe I can change your mind on how long," he said. She swore his words came with a dark promise. Kagome took a step away from him as he reached to open the door around her. She stared at his golden eyes, seeing that promise she thought she heard. His eyes grew heated, staring at her, and her body responded. A warmth bloomed in her stomach, thinking of his hands all over her. And his mouth. She stared at his mouth, thinking of how his mouth did so many things to her body, her sex, her breasts.

"You'd better wipe that look off your face and get inside," Inuyasha said roughly, feeling himself respond to his mate's need of him. He saw and sensed the sexual need in her and his body could only respond to his mate's need. No other woman or man had such a hold on him as Kagome did. "Get inside."

Kagome bit her bottom lip, containing her laughter at the two of them. The sexual chemistry between them was strong, which she had always known. But now that she had had him, all she wanted was more of him. And it seemed like he felt the same way, which only pleased her.

Kagome walked in and saw that Mizuki and Shippo, along with Itsuki, were the only ones here. They were ten minutes early so more would be showing up soon. Kagome waved as Mizuki waved at them from the corner near the door, where they had their lounge area always setup for breaks. A few potted plants gave the corner a much-needed, calming atmosphere for them to get away for a moment from their job.

"Hey guys," Kagome said coming over to them, Inuyasha a few steps behind her. "Did you guys just get here?"

Mizuki shook her head, sitting on a chair next to Shippo. "We got here a half hour early. I wanted to tune everything and get it all setup for me and Suikotsu. Naraku gave us the digital versions on Friday, but he and I wasn't planning to come in until today, so we didn't make any of the instrumental tracks yet," she said, looking at Inuyasha.

"It's fine, Mizuki," Inuyasha said. Kagome moved to sit on one of the couches, going to the end closest to Shippo. "We'll be practicing here for two weeks, until Kikyo's album is released and we can go into a public place to play her songs. Until then, we're stuck here."

Mizuki nodded, thoughtful. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Suikotsu and I were just stressed, thinking we needed to get you the instrumental tracks by today, or this week at the latest. We haven't even listened to the album yet to know how we would want to rip it. It all just seemed stressful and so last minute that I think we just put it off until this week."

"Pfff... you're telling me," Inuyasha said, moving to sit next to Kagome. He sighed heavily, dropping his duffle bag at his feet while putting their food on the table in front of them. "Kikyo just thinks everything is going to come out of thin air at the snap of her fingers."

The doors opened and they all turned to see Mai, Shiori and Aiko come in, waving at them all.

"She's busy with her own schedule," Inuyasha continued as everyone looked back at him. "Once the album releases, she'll be doing PR stuff to promote it. And she'll have to be here to practice with us, not just to get her moves down but also so we know how we're going to dance around her." He brought one ankle up to rest on the opposite knee and placed his left hand on Kagome's thigh, needing the connection with her.

Kagome smiled tenderly at him and placed her hand over the back of his, intertwining their fingers together. "I'm sure Kikyo has a lot on her plate too. We were all just given a crap of a timing, that's all."

"But this will be good for Kikyo and the label," Mai said, joining them. "Las Vegas is the place for stars. Everyone goes to Las Vegas, not just from the States. This will continue to put Kikyo up there and keep her up there since she was given an entire weekend to perform."

"That's true," Shiori said, dropping her bag next to the couch as she sat at the opposite end of it. "It wasn't the best timing, but at least she was given this opportunity."

"We're just gonna have to make it work," Shippo said, bringing his hands behind his head with a smirk. "Like we always do."

"Like we always do," Inuyasha affirmed, smirking back at Shippo. He was grateful for his team. They were all in this together. They all had strong work ethics, they took their job seriously, and they always delivered whenever he needed them to, with whatever he needed them to.

The doors opened again but this time the costume designer came in, walking backwards, pulling with her a rack of clothes that had her assistant at the opposite end, while her assistant pulled the end of another rack. The pair smiled at the group in the corner, turning to wheel the racks towards them, thankful that they didn't have to walk all the way into the warehouse.

"Moe," Inuyasha said, rising to his feet to greet her. Kagome watched from her seat as Moe smiled at Inuyasha, placing her hands on her hips. Moe, Kikyo's costume designer, had really good tastes in fashion, as Kagome could tell by the plaid red jumpsuit and white crop top she wore today. She had created all of Kikyo's costumes since the beginning of Kikyo's career, and Kagome really loved her style and creativity.

"Inuyasha. It's good seeing everyone again," Moe said, looking around at everyone. "Are we early?" she asked, looking at her watch. Just then, the rest of the others showed up. Kokoro, Emi, Kimiko, Sango and Miroku all walked in at the same time. Moe turned to see them and smiled. "Perfect! Let's get to the fitting. There's a lot I want to show you guys."

Moe's excitement was contagious as they all looked at the two racks that she brought in with her assistant. Everyone's eyes were fixated on the many outfits they saw, one rack obviously being for the women while the other was for the men. The others quickly joined them in the corner, dropping their things and sitting around the table or on the ground, leaving their lunch on the table.

Mizuki stood and motioned for Emi to sit in her place. "Here. I'm going to go fire up the album so that you guys can listen to it while getting fitted."

"Thanks," Emi said, taking the now empty seat, as Mizuki walked away with a smile.

"Is this for the new songs?" Inuyasha asked Moe, sitting back down again.

"Yes. Kikyo and I were talking while she was recording her album. She wanted to get a head start on her costumes just in case." Inuyasha rolled his eyes, thinking Kikyo had the foresight to at least get this checked off the long list of things.

"We talked a lot and she gave me her ideas. Over the months, she made many changes to my ideas, and finally she settled on what I have here," Moe said with a proud look on her face, smiling at her assistant. "So..." she said, turning towards everyone. "We're going to get everyone's measurements today and I'll show you guys what we came up with."

The others nodded, excited. Moe then began to show them all of the costumes that she brought, one for every song in Kikyo's new album. There were fourteen for the women and fourteen for the men, many of which matched or complimented the other sex, so they knew it would be for the same song. Moe and her assistant began to pull out the same song's costume for each gender, all of the hangers having a paper with the name of the song. As they were looking at the first costume, music erupted into the empty warehouse. Everyone smiled and listened to Kikyo's album as their background music while Moe showed them the next outfit. Many of the costumes had black and red in them, as if that was the common color theme for the entire album. None of them saw the album cover so they didn't know what the theme was or what the songs talked about. But they could at least tell that Kikyo wanted to keep the black and red consistent throughout.

"Why the black and red?" Itsuki asked, voicing everyone's question.

Moe smiled, looking down the line of the racks. "Kikyo said her new album talks a lot about her self-growth, and how she's growing as a person and as an artist. I think a lot of her songs talk about her life and how she got to where she is, and what she is now compared to then. So she wanted to use black as a starting color, to represent her past and where she came from. And the red represents her passion for life, and the many ranges of emotions and struggles that she had been through to get to where she is, becoming the person that she is now."

"Wow," Sango said, her eyebrows up. "That's deep." Sango did notice that Kikyo was definitely 'growing up' in a sense. She knew Kikyo, when they first met, and how Kikyo had that selfish, privilege mentality that a lot of rich kids had. But beneath the outer layers, Sango knew the shy, quiet and sweet girl that Kikyo always tries to hide. And over the years, Sango saw Kikyo come out of herself more. Of course within their group since they were all so much closer, but also with others and in the press. She wasn't as quiet or shy anymore. She had courage to talk to the media and hold her head up as a successful pop star. Sango was proud of her for all of her hard work and passion.

"Well we have been through a lot," Miroku said with a smile, looking across at Inuyasha. "We all have grown in our own ways as individuals and as a group," he said, looking at everyone. "Hell... we even got a new member almost six months ago." Everyone looked at Kagome with a smile, agreeing with Miroku. She smiled at them and then looked at Inuyasha, grabbing his hand with a smile.

"We've all grown in our own ways," Inuyasha confirmed, squeezing Kagome's hand before looking back at Moe. "They all look nice. And cohesive. I think they'll definitely make a point, especially if we're mixing songs from the last album."

Moe nodded her agreement. "Yes. They make a statement and they're a completely different style and color scheme from last album's costumes." She turned to look back at the racks one last time, then nodding at her assistant.

"So let's get to measurements. We'll both do six of you each and if any of you want to try on the costumes, you're welcome to while you wait."

"Everyone brought lunch right?" Inuyasha asked, looking around to see their nods. "We can eat lunch after our measurements and it'll be good if we listen to the songs while we wait for our turn."

"What time is Naraku coming?" Shippo asked, running his palms on his thighs. The door opened and everyone looked, thinking it was Naraku. But instead, Suikotsu walked in and waved at them. He made his way over to Mizuki to help her with ripping the tracks.

"He said around one. He wanted to give Moe time to measure us," Inuyasha informed.

Moe and her assistant went to their own bags that hung on the end of each rack to pull out a clipboard and pen. The two then went to use one of the side tables between the chairs, setting their clipboards down to pull out their measuring tapes from their pockets. Moe then called up two, Emi and Kokoro, who were sitting closest to them, and the two began to measure them. The others just watched or talked a bit while still trying to listen to the songs.

After everyone was measured, Moe and her assistant said their goodbyes and left with the costumes. The group all took out their lunches and began to eat now that they had their measurements taken cared of. Naraku showed up on time, walking in alone with just his laptop bag slung over his shoulder, wearing a black suit. He made his way over to them, greeting everyone as they were finishing up their meal.

"Where's Kikyo?" Aiko asked, setting her chopstick down.

"She's at the label company finishing up some paperwork with the album and with the concert." Naraku went to take a seat since some of them were sitting on the floor next to the table with their food. He started to unzip his laptop case. "Did everyone bring your devices?"

Naraku had texted the group telling all of them to bring their iPod or phone, whatever they wanted, so that he could give each of them their own digital copy of Kikyo's new album. They all nodded and some got up to get their items out of their bags.

"Again... Kikyo's album drops in ten days, next Thursday. So this music isn't to be played for anyone's ears but your own. It has to be kept on the down low."

Shippo rolled his eyes, taking out his phone. "Yeah, yeah. We've been through this before, Naraku."

"Kagome hasn't," he reminded them, looking at her.

Inuyasha's eyes slashed at Naraku's. "And you think she would sell Kikyo out?"

Naraku didn't even look at Inuyasha but went to open his laptop, turning it on. "I'm just saying she's new to all of this and everyone needs a refresher. It's not every day that Kikyo drops a new album."

Miroku looked between Naraku and Inuyasha, noticing there was much more tension there than there used to be. He wondered what happened between them.

Naraku asked for everyone's devices and they placed it on the side table next to his chair. Some gave their phones while others their iPods, depending on what they used to listen to their music. He began to plug in the devices one at a time, downloading the entire album onto their device.

"So just to give you guys an update while I do this," Naraku said, looking up as the downloading began on the first device. "The label is still working on our flight arrangements. They're still in talk with Caesar's Palace and they're giving us a deal on their rooms. Akari is going to make the flight and hotel. And I'll be talking with the venue to get some dimensions and photos of their production."

"When are we thinking of going?" Inuyasha asked, his arm draped around Kagome's shoulders, holding her close to him.

"Possibly the weekend prior. And then leave on that Sunday night, right after the performance, and sleep on the plane ride home."

"It'll be direct?" Sango asked, thinking of how long that would be.

"No. Most likely we'll have one layover in California."

"We won't have time to take a bath?" Shiori asked, making a face at the thought of boarding a plane right after sweating for a couple hours. Naraku shook his head.

"I don't think we should leave right after the concert," Inuyasha said, clearly not liking the idea either. "We'll all be sweaty and stink, even if we change out of our costumes. We'll be flying for over fifteen hours and that won't be comfortable. What did Kikyo have to say?"

Naraku shrugged. "We never talked about flights. It was just an option to fly back after the concert or the next morning."

Inuyasha arched an eyebrow. "You guys haven't talked about flights yet?"

"We only mentioned it and threw out ideas of when to go and return. Not specific times and stuff."

"Well I think we should wait until the next day to fly out. It'll be better for us performers. If Kikyo wants to fly back right after, she can. But book the twelve of us on a separate flight for the next day," Inuyasha demanded. He was only thinking of the health and welfare of his team. It made no sense to him why they were rushing to get back right after, unless Kikyo had another arrangement. And if that was the case, then she could come back on her own with Naraku and let them rest for the night before hopping on a long flight across the world.

Naraku unplugged the phone and put in another one, shrugging. "I'll talk to Akari and Kikyo about it. Nothing has been booked yet, so it's good we're talking it out."

"I agree with Inuyasha," Miroku said. "I don't wanna fly sticky and sweaty, and then get cold on the plane." Sango agreed and so did the others.

Naraku waved his hand. "I got it. I'll see what other flights we have. Since they're giving us deals on the room, it shouldn't be a problem to stay another day. Once we book everything and Akari comes up with the itineraries, then I'll give everyone your packets and we can go over everything like always."

"Are we having the same sleeping arrangements like before?" Emi asked, sitting on the floor in front of Miroku and Sango. Naraku nodded.

"Put Kagome and I in one room," Inuyasha said. "Which means Miroku and Sango would be in one, and everyone else will be paired by gender. So we'll still have six rooms."

Naraku eyed Inuyasha and Kagome, looking at the way Inuyasha draped his arm over Kagome's shoulders. He didn't say anything, but went straight back to switching the devices.

After Naraku downloaded Kikyo's album onto everyone's phone, he got up and left, claiming he needed to be back at the office to help Akari with all the travel arrangements. Once he left, everyone got back to finishing their lunch and listening to Kikyo's new songs. Inuyasha then wanted to practice, while they were there, just to get some movement and to reacquaint themselves with the numbers they already knew. So after thirty minutes of letting their stomachs settle, they all went to the middle of the room to where they normally danced. Shippo asked Mizuki to play one of Kikyo's older album's songs as they were going to practice. She began to look up Kikyo's songs while Suikotsu continued to work on making the tracks with the new songs, focused on the laptop with his Beats headphones on.

Mizuki called out the song name and everyone got into their positions, taking up their same spots from the last concert in Osaka. As the song started, they all began to move, their bodies remembering every movement and every step. They moved as one unit, as a group who has practiced many times together. It was a stark contrast compared to this morning's dance class.

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

"Why don't you want me to come with you?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome could see that he was frustrated, even in the tone of his voice, but even though his face showed frustration, his eyes looked sad. She frowned, not knowing what to do. "Inuyasha..." She had told him on their ride here to park at Shinjuku Gyoen and wait for her while she packed up her things to sleep over. It was something that he and Miroku always did. They picked her up at the park or dropped her off at the park. None of them ever came to her apartment. And she never wanted any of them to.

"Why don't you want me to come with you?" he asked, pulling at her heartstrings. He looked at her with a frown this time, showing her that he was hurt beneath all that frustration. He wanted to come up with her and to see her home. He didn't understand why she wouldn't want him there. She never did invite him over and she never did tell him where she actually lived. He knew she lived around here because she said so. But he also knew that he could find where she lived without her help. All he needed to do was follow her scent and he would find her apartment. But she seemed set on him not knowing where she lived, and he wanted to understand why.

Kagome sighed, turning her back to him and his car, giving her some privacy in her confession. "No one ever comes to my home, Inuyasha. There's only four people in the world who know where I live. And I trust them with my life."

Inuyasha straightened, though she couldn't see him with her back towards him. He stared hard at the back of her head, now getting upset. "And you don't trust me?"

She turned around quickly, shaking her head. "No, that's not what I meant."

"But that's what it sounded like you said."

Kagome sighed, her head going down. "Of course I trust you, Inuyasha."

"Then what?" Like Kagome, he only wanted the truth. The truth was better than being lied to or being kept in the dark, no matter how hurtful.

Kagome intertwined her fingers, nervous. "I've never invited anyone to my place. Mostly because I have a hard time trusting people. And if he ever found where I lived..." She shook her head, dismissing the thought of Koga. "I also... have never invited anyone over because my place is not really a friendly place to be. I live very close to a red-light district. And my building... it's definitely not like the Roppongi Hills, that's for sure."

Until this moment, she never really thought about inviting people over because it was never pressured on her to have visitors. And it's not like she had friends, at least not those kind of friends who came over and watched rom-coms or had sleepovers like normal girls did. She wasn't that kind of girl and she didn't have that kind of friends, if barely any. The thought never crossed her mind to invite Inuyasha or the others up because she was ashamed. After she had been in their apartment, she didn't want any of them to come into hers. Yes, she trusted them, that they wouldn't give away her address and somehow Koga found her because of them. Then again, the less who knew where she lived, the better. But she was really embarrassed, and it felt like this apartment was a part of her life that she didn't want them to know about. The apartment was given to her from Onigumo, a five minute walk to her work place in the red-light district, and it was a link to a part of her that they knew nothing about. She wanted to hide this part of herself from them. She felt embarrassed and ashamed to show them her rundown building and her tiny apartment, that she loved and was perfect for her, but that was the total opposite of their lives.

Kagome felt Inuyasha's arms around her, bringing her against his chest, and she was caught off guard. "Kagome..." Inuyasha nuzzled his chin on top of her head, holding her tight against him. "Do you think I would judge you based on where you live? Do you think I'm that shallow?"

She shook her head against him, now feeling so ashamed for even doubting Inuyasha or making him think that's what she thought of him. "No," she said, unclasping her hands to wrap her arms around his waist. She held onto him, her only lifeline.

"Do you trust me?" She nodded against him.

"With my life," Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha pulled back enough to lean down to kiss her. He needed her to know that whatever insecurities she was feeling, that he didn't care about what she thought he would think of her. He was going to show her how he felt and what he thought about her. He kissed her gently, sweetly. And she whimpered at his gentleness. Her hands came up to his shoulder blades, holding him tight against her, making him not wanting this moment to end. He pulled back and looked down at her, all serious.

"Let's go get your things."

Kagome smiled slowly, nodding her head as she let go of him. She went to grab her duffle bag from his trunk and he took it from her, slinging it over his shoulder. He reached for her hand and she took it, the two of them walking through the park to head outside to the main road.

"You know that I could find your place by your scent, right? Even if you never took me to your place, I could still find you."

That gave her pause. She stopped, pulling him to a stop a foot in front of her. Kagome stared at him, shocked and a little annoyed. "What do you mean?"

Inuyasha smirked, seeing her reaction. She tried to pull her hand out of his but he wouldn't let go of her. "I can find your place by following your scent."

"What scent? In the air?" she asked, clearly confused and in disbelief. What kind of a demon could find her in a city as crowded as Tokyo just by scent?

Inuyasha could tell that she was getting upset, so he didn't want to push it. "Never mind."

"No. I want to see." She really wanted to see if he could truly find her apartment without her help. "Take me to my apartment."

Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow at her command. "You sure?" She nodded, confident. Inuyasha shrugged, smiling. "Alright then." He turned and pulled her with him, feeling her follow his lead as he led them down the sidewalk.

It took him a minute or two to find her scent. There had been many people who had come and gone through this area. Even though it was in the more notorious parts of Tokyo that wasn't heavily visited, there were still a lot of traffic because of Shinjuku Gyoen. Lots of people flock to parks as a reprieve from living in a densely populated city. So it took him a bit to get through all the scents that still clung to the cement and the asphalt. But her scent was there. He found it. He could smell it on the wind. Kagome's scent was the one thing that he could never forget, the one thing he would always find.

Inuyasha walked them down the sidewalk, passing by a few buildings that were shops or restaurants, all smaller than the bigger malls. But finally they came to a few buildings that were a bit more run down, definitely a change in vibe and scenery from the smaller shops just a block away. And as he looked ahead, he could tell by the signs he saw on the road further down that the red-light district was a block or two ahead. He frowned, wondering how and why she found an apartment in this part of Tokyo. He slowed when he came to the building he knew she lived in, his eyes going up, sniffing the air. He could smell her scent up on one of the balconies. The third? No, the fourth. Her scent was on the breeze.

He looked ahead at the building that looked too old, too run down, to be an apartment building. But looking at all the balconies, it was obvious that people lived within these walls. Inuyasha walked forward to the door, letting her go in first, still keeping her hand in his. Once the door closed, he could focus his senses and home in on her scent without too many other scents distracting him. But in here, he didn't expect to be hit by so many foul-smelling scents. 'There.' He smiled inwardly and headed past the mailboxes in the narrow hallway and up the stairs.

"We're taking the stairs?" Kagome asked, her body protesting after a long day of dancing.

"Well I'm pretty sure that your apartment is on the fourth floor, but we'll take the stairs to be certain."

"And how did you guess the fourth floor?"

"It's not a guess. I could smell you on the balcony. At first I thought it was the third, but after sniffing, I think it's the fourth. I'm pretty sure I'm right." He didn't ask her if he was right. He wanted to prove to her that he could find her without her help or acknowledgement. He was a demon. A tracker. He and his family knew how to track demons or humans and he had done it for years. But after the feudal era, he hadn't used a lot of his hunting and fighting skills that he used during the ages of battles and wars. There was no need for it, not with technology nowadays.

Kagome bit her bottom lip. 'He really can find me.' That only brought on a sense of dread. If Inuyasha could find her like this, so easily, and he was a half-demon, she could only imagine that Koga could do the same. But better as a full demon. 'He can find me.' The thought shook her to her bones, and she nearly tripped over a step if not for Inuyasha steadying her with his hand. She stared up at his back as she followed him up, amazed as to how he was doing all this.

Once they got to the fourth floor, Inuyasha went down the narrow hallway, listening to all the sounds behind the paper-thin walls and doors. He could hear people talking about dinner, the news on the television, the sound of a child playing with their toy dog. This place really was a dump. The scents alone in here were horrendous. It wasn't that bad downstairs. But the higher they climbed, the more he could smell the scents of the residents and their lifestyles. Lots of different odors from sex, to body odor, to the smell of rotting food, even alcohol and drugs. Again, he thought about how she had found this place. He couldn't imagine letting her live in this dump for another night. He would really have to persuade her to move in with him. This place was not safe. Not for a lonely, young female. He didn't like this place, not the way it smelt, not the way it looked or the way it made him feel. It felt like sex and death clung to his skin.

"Here."

Kagome stopped behind him, staring at her door in amazement. 'He really can find me.' She didn't say a word as she let go of his hand to grab her key. Nothing like his apartment's swipe card to get into an elevator and into their apartment. Hers was an old-fashioned key. She opened the locks and opened the door, letting him follow her in and close the door. Turning on the lights, she looked around the place, smiling as she turned to him.

"Well... this is my home."

Inuyasha was a little shocked. He didn't expect this. Her apartment was nothing like what the outside of this building looked like. He could tell that a lot of money went into it. There had to have been a lot of renovations done to make this place as modern as it was. Yes, it was a small apartment, as he walked further in, going into her living room area to drop her duffle bag at the end of the couch. He sat in the middle and looked ahead at the shoji that no doubt opened into her bedroom on the other side. The couch, the walls, everything didn't look new but it looked newer than the outside of the building. She also had a few potted fern plants in the corners that made the place look homey. It was as if only this apartment had been renovated while the rest of the building was still from another century.

"When did you move in here?"

Kagome turned from him to open the shoji, pulling it back to reveal her bed. "Almost ten years ago." She walked to the couch to grab her duffle bag and then headed into her bedroom. Inuyasha watched her the whole time, watching the way she unpacked her dirty clothes and then fished for clean clothes in her drawers.

"Bring clothes for a couple days." Kagome turned her head to glare at him.

"I didn't say I was staying for 'days'."

Inuyasha smirked, laughter in his eyes. "I'm sure you will after tonight."

Kagome lost her glare as she stared at him sitting on her couch. The way he sat there, staring at her like a hawk, the only thing she could think about was jumping on him. He was so sexy, sitting there with his legs open, comfortable in her living room, looking at her with that sexy look of his. It felt so surreal and yet so right to have him here. Never had she thought she would have a boyfriend, especially here in her apartment. The promise of what tonight might bring only made her imagination run wild after this morning's hot kiss she remembered. Her body came alive at the thought of his tongue, kissing her wildly, and now looking at him sit on the couch, as cool and collected as he was, looking at her with those golden eyes.

"Do you want me to prove my point right now?" he asked with a smile. Inuyasha could see the desire in her eyes. His beautiful mate. He could read her more and more now. The way her eyes changed shades of blue, depending on if she was happy, or angry, or turned on like now. He knew what she was thinking without even reading her thoughts with that look of hers. Even she could ignite him on fire with that look she was giving him. He thought of nothing else but pinning her to her bed and taking her. "Hurry up and pack or else we won't be leaving for a long time."

His warning was enough to make her giggle. She turned her gaze from him and tried to focus on what she was doing. She obeyed his earlier demand, just because she knew that she would be unable to resist him if she tried to go home earlier than he wanted. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to ever leave his side, not with the way she felt for him. Day by day, her love for him grew stronger and stronger. She thought of him more, desired him with every thought and breath she took. Now that she had him, his body and soul, she only wanted more. 'Is this what it feels like to be in love?' She wasn't sure if love was supposed to be this possessive. It was a strong feeling, and she loved it. She never had anything that was hers before, and he was her first in many things.

Kagome moved quickly, adding two pairs of exercise clothes and two pairs of casual clothes in case they went out after practice. "I'll bring only a couple pairs and I can wash at your place if I stay longer. But I have to be back by Wednesday night."

"You work Thursday night," he confirmed, knowing her schedule. "I'll bring you home Thursday after practice."

"Okay." She decided not to fight him. It pleased her that he wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him.

After she finished grabbing her clothes, she went past the living room and into the bathroom to get her toiletries. She brought all of her products, wanting to have everything that she uses on a daily basis with her for the next three nights. She walked out carrying a bunch of things.

"We should go to the store and buy all those things you need and keep them at my place."

Kagome went back in her room thinking that over. Basically he was telling her that she would have her things at his place for whenever she wanted to sleep over. It pretty much was close to living there with him, as if she was moving her things in, but her physical body was going back and forth.

"Maybe not tonight. I'm tired." That was the truth. But she also didn't want to think about 'moving in' to his place right now. She looked around her room, making sure she got everything she needed, but also thinking if she was ready to leave this place. This apartment had been a part of her past ten years. She wasn't sure if she was ready to let it go yet.

"Okay. Ready."

Inuyasha nodded, standing to grab her bag from her, and walked to the door as she turned off all the lights in the apartment, making sure everything was locked up. She followed him out and locked her door, smiling at him. He reached for her hand and she gave it to him, letting him lead the way back down the stairs and out of her building. For some reason, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She felt like slowly but surely, she was closer to telling Inuyasha the whole truth. If she truly felt the way she did about him, and if she wanted to go further with him, which at this point she felt like she did, then she knew she would have to tell him everything. He deserved to know. About Midnite. About Koga. About being married. About her identity. He deserved to know everything about her, not just her scars and her rapes. But everything. And she felt like she was beginning to work up the courage to tell him. The greatest fear she had was his rejection, and that was what kept her from telling him. Inuyasha was the only one in the world that she couldn't, wouldn't, live if he rejected her.

Once they got to the car, they drove off into the busy streets full of people walking around, heading off to dinner or getting off work. The sun had just set and the air was getting colder. October was that sweet spot just before fall and winter, that crisp chill in the air. Even now, the trees were starting to change, but just barely. It was as if the earth was getting the shivers.

Kikyo's song in Inuyasha's car cut off as his phone began to ring through his bluetooth. He pressed a button on the steering wheel.

"Yeah?" Kagome looked at his dashboard console to see it was Miroku.

"Hey, where are you guys?"

"We just left Kagome's place. We're heading home."

"Do you guys wanna come out to dinner? Sango and I are leaving the apartment to meet the others." Kagome could hear the elevator ding in the background.

Inuyasha looked to her, seeing her shrug. She actually didn't want to go. She wanted to go back to his place and spend time with him. She wasn't hungry after lunch. She was tired, though, and just wanting to take a hot bath and spend time with her man. Maybe not all in that order, making her bite her lip at the thought.

Inuyasha snickered softly, reading her well. "Nah, we're good. We're gonna head home. We're still twenty minutes away if traffic doesn't get any worse."

"Okay. Wait. Is Kagome sleeping over?" They could hear Sango in the background.

"Kagome, you're sleeping over?!" she asked in the background.

Kagome giggled. "Yeah."

"Yes! Finally!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes at Sango's comment.

"Alright. Talk to you later," Inuyasha said, hearing Miroku sign out as well. He ended the call and shook his head.

"Seems like Sango's more excited to have me over than you," she teased. He didn't look at her though, his whole attention on the road.

"Is that what it 'seems' like?"

She bit her bottom lip with a smile, holding in her giggle while looking out her window at the passerbys, playing with her shirt in anticipation.

The drive to his apartment building felt like a buildup of need and tension. Need because she needed Inuyasha to take care of her, to make love to her, to ease this tension coiling deep within her core. Tension because of the sexual tension she felt in the car the entire way. It was like electricity between them, their bodies and energy saying more than words. But none of them spoke. They simply listened to Kikyo's new album as they made their way to his parking garage. And now that they were there and she was out of his car, she felt nervous. She still wasn't used to being at his place, definitely not used to sleeping anywhere but in her apartment. And things were moving fast, especially with Inuyasha. But her nerves left her when he reached for her hand again and she gave it to him. Just feeling the warmth of his skin calmed her nerves.

They walked to the resident's elevator and waited for it arrive.

"Have you thought about the dances for Kikyo's songs?" she asked, needing to talk about something. The silence between them only made her thoughts wander about what she wanted to do to him, what she wanted him to do to her.

Inuyasha shrugged. He had both their bags slung over each of his shoulders, but he carried them easily. "I have some ideas. But I need to take time tomorrow to listen to the songs alone. Sometimes I like to take notes of each song to get the purpose and story behind them. The story always helps to influence how I want the dance to go. Both need to be in sync to tell the full story."

She loved learning about how he does his art as a choreographer. It was amazing to her to see how things come together, from a singer's song to the dance that is made for it, to the final performance that the fans see. They don't get to see the hard work and thought that goes behind making a song or a dance. It truly intrigued and amazed her. Inuyasha turned to smile at her and she smiled back, loving to see his golden eyes so full of love and joy when he looked at her.

The elevator dinged and they walked in, pressing the button to head up to the 40th floor. When they got there, he scanned his card to let the doors open once again and they walked into his apartment. She took off her shoes in the foyer and followed him to his room.

"Do you want anything to eat? We haven't eaten dinner," Inuyasha said, knowing exactly what he wanted. It wasn't food that he was hungry for. But he wanted to see to her needs first before he sought to his own.

Kagome shrugged, following behind him. "Maybe something small. I'm not that hungry." She looked around at his room, remembering it to be the same since the last time she was here. He went to his bed to drop their bags on top of it while she walked to the balcony door on the other side of the room, smiling as she saw the lights of the city. It was so beautiful up here, so much higher from her building where she could see only so many city lights. Up here, she could see most of Tokyo on this side of the building and it was gorgeous. Even Tokyo Tower was so beautiful, lit up like gold at night. The sky was a dark blue as the sun had set and the lights of the city were all on, giving light to those who need it.

She smiled when she felt Inuyasha come up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought his nose right behind her ear.

"I love having you here," he whispered, sending goosebumps along her skin.

She brought her hands onto his arms, running her hands along his arms and turning her head to look over her shoulder at him. He took her mouth, making her moan at his aggression. His tongue explored her mouth, sending shivers straight down to her core. She clutched at his arm and brought her left hand up behind his head, holding him to her, her anchor. Her nipples grew hard as she arched into him, that burning fire in her belly already lit for him. She needed him, as much as she needed air.

Inuyasha stepped closer to her, pressing his body flush against hers. She felt his erection, his need for her as strong as hers was for him. His left hand went to her right breast, squeezing it, swallowing her gasps as her breathing got rougher. His right hand traveled down, lower, with her hand over his, as if she was guiding him to her sweet spot. He could already smell her arousal, feel her growing need for him, her desire as her heart sped up. He ate at her mouth and found his prize, swallowing her gasp as he laid his hand over her mound and rubbed his middle and ring finger over her clit. She was so sensitive, moving her butt back into his erection. He broke their kiss and she threw her head back to rest on his shoulder, her hand still tangled in his hair, holding him to her.

"Will you come for me like this?" he whispered, licking up the side of her neck, behind her ear. He brought her earlobe into his mouth, sucking. She moaned again and rocked herself against his erection and fingers. He bit down. "Answer me."

"Yes," she whispered. Kagome couldn't comprehend what was happening, or that he asked a question until he sent that painful nip to remind her she hadn't answered him. She would do anything for him if he asked her to. His mouth was sin. She lost herself in his kiss and now his fingers rubbed against her clit, making her core clench at the emptiness of not having him in her. She was wet. Needy. She rubbed herself against his erection, wishing they were both naked and he was in her. She missed him. The feel of his cock inside of her, filling her, stretching her until pleasure and pain blended together. He was all she wanted and all she thought about, her mind a haze of lust. "Inuyasha..."

He planted a kiss behind her ear, taking one last sniff of her, and then stopped his explorations. He pulled back and felt her hand fall back down to her side. She looked at him with confusion, her mouth open and flushed, breathing hard. He brought his hands up to her hips, smiling wickedly at her.

"Let's get you fed." He grabbed her hand and walked them out of his room, pulling her behind him.

Kagome had to get some sense back into her mind. 'What just happened?' He was playing with her. Once she got her mind to focus and think again, she realized that he was having his way with her. The same way she had her way with her clients and played with them, he was doing the same thing to her. Of course, he didn't know this was her game. But she loved how the tables have turned. Now, she was able to reap the pleasures of being the one spoiled upon. But still, she didn't like being told 'no'. He had basically just turned her on and was almost masturbating her, and now he acted calm and cool as if there was something else more important than him finishing her off. She frowned, looking at the back of his head. She wondered what he was doing. It was exciting and arousing to not know what he was thinking, but to know that he was going to finish what he started. She knew because he needed her too.

They got to the kitchen and he released her hand as he walked to the fridge and she went to the stools around the island, sitting as she watched him. She crossed her legs, needing the added friction now that her clit was throbbing. She frowned, placing her elbow on the island as she rested her chin in her hand, sulking.

Inuyasha turned around with a bottle of red wine in one hand and two bentos that had already been touched in the other. He looked at her and laughed. "You look terrible." He set the things down in front of her and turned back to head to the cabinets, grabbing two wine glasses.

Kagome glared at his back. "Well if you had finished what you had started then I wouldn't be in a bad mood," she grumbled. She reached for one of the bentos and opened the lid. There were leftover chicken, meat, rice balls and cooked veggies.

Inuyasha chuckled as he walked back to her, setting the chopsticks down in front of her and placing the wine glasses down. He opened the bottle and poured them wine, looking at her with a knowing look. "I like to think of it like that proverb: If you wait, there will come nectar."

He pushed a glass towards her and walked back to the fridge to put the wine away. "What nectar are you waiting for?" she asked, teasing him. 'Two can play this game.' She smiled inwardly, wanting to see how far both of them could go before one of them broke. She was sure she would lose. She needed him too much. He walked back to her, so calm and cool. Her eyes went down and noticed his erection was gone. He was cool and collected while she was still so needy for him. It wasn't fair. She was used to getting what she wanted. And she knew how to play. It's just this time, he had all the power and she had no control, especially in how her body responded.

Inuyasha stared at her like prey as he walked back to her, a small smile on his lips. "Yours." He wanted nothing more than to bury himself in her right now, take her rough and hard, regardless if she was ready for him or not. But he needed to be careful. He never wanted to frighten her or trigger her. There were some things that he needed to be a little more cautious with, unlike before with Kiyomi. There were times with him and Kiyomi that were more crazy, wild, uninhibited. Those had been times when he allowed his demon freedom, times that he needed to fulfill that sexual need in him. To control and dominate his mate. To please and satisfy her. But with Kagome, it would take time. He had no doubt that Kagome would please him the way that he needed. She already did. She was his mate, his true mate, not no puppy love this time. She would satisfy and fulfill all his needs because she did as his mate. It was her purpose. As it was his to satisfy and fulfill all of her needs as her mate.

Kagome arched her eyebrow as she watched him return to her, taking a sip of the wine. He went for his food, taking a piece of chicken from his bento. She remained silent as the two of them decided to eat a little. She picked up her chopsticks and ate some of the chicken and rice, moaning. "Is this yours?"

"No." She shook her head with a giggle, thinking of Miroku and Sango coming home to find their food missing. It seemed like he didn't care, or maybe they did it all the time, which she found endearing. The three of them were as close as thieves.

"How long have you guys lived here?" she asked, looking around at the high ceilings and the modern design of the kitchen.

"Mmmm... three... four years?" he said with a shrug. "Long time. Living with them is like watching a chick flick sometimes."

Kagome laughed, taking a sip of her wine. "You say that with such disdain," she giggled, knowing he loved Miroku and Sango like family. But she could see how he might've felt like a third wheel sometimes, even in his own home. He didn't seem to mind, though.

"I'm just grateful my Father recommended making the walls soundproof." He left it at that.

Kagome shook her head with a smile, taking another sip. "Did you notice that song in the car?" she asked, wondering if he thought the same. One of Kikyo's songs they listened to on the way here was awkwardly a little too personal, at least, from what she could glean from it.

"Which one?"

"The one that talked about her relationship with you and Naraku." The song was slower, like a chill pop song, probably a love song in a sense. She watched his reaction, watched the way he took a sip of his wine and looked at her with curiosity.

"Did you think it talked about us?"

"Yeah. Don't you?"

He shrugged, setting his drink down. "So long as she doesn't mention my name in any of her songs or say something that points directly to me... I don't care what she sings about. It's just a song."

Kagome frowned. "Inuyasha... the song was clear in how she feels for you and Naraku. She talked about how one of you made her feel like a queen and how you took her to the stars."

Inuyasha arched his eyebrow, making a disgusted face. "That was probably Naraku. Not me."

She huffed, sitting taller. "Doesn't it bother you?"

"The way that it bothers you?" he asked, smiling at her expense.

She glared at him. "I just... don't like it."

"Why?" He set his chopsticks down, giving her his full attention. He found her so adorable, angry because she was jealous that Kikyo had talked about her relationship with two men in her song. Quite honestly, he didn't care that she did. Yes, he heard the implications and the similarities in those characters in her song and how it could possibly refer to him and Naraku. He didn't know what her relationship was like with Naraku, but it was obviously more than what he had with her, so everything in the song that was deeper and more intimate was between her and Naraku. Unless she had another man in her life, which is none of his business. And he didn't really care if she wrote a song about them. It would've been nice if she had told him or given him a heads up, but their relationship had been rocky a few months ago and only now was getting a little better.

"Are you mad that Kikyo told the whole world about us? Or are you mad that Kikyo and I had a thing?" he asked, curious as to her jealousy.

Kagome turned her head from him, caught. She frowned, blushing. 'What's wrong with me?' Like Inuyasha said, it really was just a song. No one knew who Kikyo was talking about except her inner circle of friends, and the actual people who the song might be talking about. But everything was still speculation. "I don't know."

Inuyasha came around to her, turning her in the stool so that she faced him with her legs spread apart so that he could walk into her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He looked down at her, serious. "Tell me, Kagome. Are you jealous?"

She frowned, feeling too exposed and vulnerable this close. She turned her head from him but he bent to kiss her, leaning her back so that he could get a good angle. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his waist, wrapping her legs around his thighs too. Inuyasha pulled back and stared down at her, silent, expecting an answer. He didn't seem angry. He seemed generally curious as to why she was so mad.

She clutched at the back of his shirt, biting her bottom lip. "I am jealous." There, she said it. He knew that she had a jealous streak. She had warned him before. But it was already coming out, and she wondered if he would want to be with her, someone this jealous over a silly song that named no names.

"Why are you jealous?"

Kagome sighed, turning her head to look at the food. "Because she had you. And now the whole world knows."

Inuyasha smiled, his eyes softening. She refused to look at him because she was ashamed, but he loved that she was truthful. He loved that she was jealous. He would've gotten jealous too, heck, he would've made a bigger scene than she did. But he wanted to know what was really bothering her. He wanted her to talk to him, to talk out her feelings so that they could go through it together. And he didn't want her to worry about Kikyo making a song that might've sound like he and Kikyo had a relationship when it was far from that. It was a song written from her perspective and from her heart. It had nothing to do with how he felt for Kikyo.

He grabbed Kagome's chin and made her look at him, looking into her beautiful blue eyes. "Kagome... Kikyo never had me. I only gave her what I wanted to give and I took more than I gave. You know this."

She frowned but said nothing, already feeling uncomfortable for being so open with her irrational feelings. Inuyasha smiled, his eyes going a dark gold. "You have me now. You have my heart, my body, my soul. And you always will."

Kagome looked up at him, touched. She didn't know how to respond, but she was grateful she didn't have to because he bent to kiss her again. This time, he was gentle. And that was enough to melt her heart, nearly bringing tears to her eyes. 'I love you, Inuyasha...' She tightened her arms around him, sitting up as much as she could to deepen the kiss. He moaned, bringing his hands to frame her face, gently coaxing and kissing her. He was so gentle and attentive that he was slowly building that fire in her core. She felt butterflies again, and the drop in her stomach made her core clench at the way his tongue slowly danced with hers, taking his time tasting her. But it was more than what he was doing to her that made her feel so special and loved. It was what he was telling her without words. He was telling her that he loved her, only her. He was telling her that she was the only one for him. And what he didn't say was louder than his moans.

She brought her hands up under his shirt, running her hands along his flat stomach, feeling all that muscle and definition. He moaned again and she wanted to run her hands all along him, especially his back. She loved his strong back. She loved the way he felt, all that strength and power beneath his skin. Especially when he was driving himself into her. Her core clenched and she urged him closer with her legs, bringing his crotch against hers.

Inuyasha growled and in an instant had changed. His kiss grew rough, hotter, and his hands went down her body to her thighs. He caught beneath her thighs and lifted her easily, bringing her against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck, turned on at his strength and how he always carried her so easily. She wondered if he could make love to her while standing and holding her up. The thought made her smile.

Inuyasha broke the kiss, staring at her with his heated, golden eyes. "What are you thinking, love?"

She shook her head with a giggle as he brought her to the other side of the island and sat her down on top. "I'm having a fantasy of us having sex standing up with you holding me."

He smiled a wicked grin. "Later. Right now, I'm hungry." He silenced her reaction as he kissed her, needing the taste of her. Her moans only fueled his demon's lust. He let the feeling rush over him, noticing all the ways his demon recognized and reacted to his mate. His demon only wanted to please his mate, and his mate was giving off her need and her lust for him in her scent, in the way she clung to him and rubbed herself on him, and his demon could do nothing more but satisfy her. At the same time, he would be satisfied. He loved her.

He brought his hands to her waist to find her pant's waistband, hooking his thumb under her underwear and pants. Kagome broke the kiss, looking at him with shock and trepidation.

"Inuyasha..."

"Lean back." She stared at him for a heartbeat of a second, and then he saw the change wash over her. Her eyes became a darker shade, like a midnight blue, and her chest lifted as she took a deep breath. She obeyed him. She leaned back on her elbows and lifted her butt up to help him as he pulled her pants and underwear off, leaving it on the ground by his feet. He ran his hands up her legs as he stood, watching her dark eyes the whole time he rose to his height. He stood between her legs and the smell of her sex was intoxicating. She was already wet. He knew she had been since they had been in his room and he had played with her. He could tell as he watched her breathed heavily, her breath coming out in gasps, that she was aroused. She was his prisoner. He was going to have his fun with her body until he wanted to stop.

He brought his hands all the way up to her thighs, and he felt her thighs quiver at his touch. He smiled and ran his right hand up to her sex, hearing the hitch in her breath and his ears twitched. He placed his thumb over her clit, rubbing in small circles. Kagome let out a long, deep moan, her arms quivering as she tried to hold herself up on her elbows. Her head fell back and all that hair fell on the island. He took her in, watching the way she moaned and moved, right there on the island. She was a sight to behold.

Inuyasha stopped what he was doing long enough to reach beneath her knees, draped over the side of the island, and brought them up so that her feet planted on either side of him, opening herself up for him. The action made her lose her balance and her arms slid so that she was lying on the island, looking above to make sure she didn't hit any of the bentos or the wine glasses. But then reality sunk in and she quickly sobered, looking down at Inuyasha as she quickly shut her thighs close.

"No, Inuyasha." She saw the reprimand in his eyes immediately as his face grew hard.

"Don't deny me, Kagome."

His voice was so deep that it brought a flutter of butterflies in her stomach. "No... I didn't wash... I'm still sticky and sweaty." She knew what he was going to do and the thought not only turned her on but it frightened her. She didn't want him to taste her when she hadn't had time to clean up down there, especially after their practice today. It would be embarrassing.

Inuyasha placed his hands on her knees but he didn't force her open. He just stared at her, like hunted prey, his eyes hard. He didn't like being told 'no', especially when it came to what was his and what he knew she needed. Especially when he knew her fears was irrational. He didn't care about her washing up for him. He loved her taste whenever and however he could get her. And right now, he didn't like being denied her taste.

"Open your legs." He wasn't going to ask again. He watched her think, as if the wheels in her head was turning behind those midnight blue eyes. After a few breaths, she relaxed her legs open just a fraction. He was the one who pushed her knees apart and in one swift move, brought his mouth to her sex and licked her good, plunging his tongue shallowly into her so that he could lick her straight up to her clit. He heard her moan, a deep, guttural moan as her back arched up in ecstasy. He brought his arms up under her thighs, lifting her butt up a little to scoot her back some. He closed his mouth over her clit and sucked, hearing her cry out his name at the sensation. 'Her taste...' Her taste was an aphrodisiac. He pushed her back a little more on the counter so that he was comfortably leaning his chest on the counter with his arms beneath her thighs, her butt cheeks resting on his biceps as he held her legs open to his feeding. He clutched at her thighs as he went back and forth, sucking her clit and then licking it with a few good swipes, tasting her juices.

"Ohhh... Inuyashaaa... you're so good..."

He kept going at it, taking his time in a rhythm. He sucked her clit, noisily, wanting her to hear her own juices mixed with his spit. He knew it turned her on as much as it did him. Then, he thrust his tongue into her, spearing her a few times. He rubbed his nose along her lips, drinking in her scent like a drunk man. He was intoxicated. He was addicted. He went back and forth between sucking and licking, listening to her moans, watching the way she writhed on the counter. She was a sight to behold. He was so turned on just by watching her and getting her off. He could feel his demon clawing to the surface, needing its mate. He growled, pushing it down. He was going to prolong this as long as he could.

Kagome cried out, feeling her body going higher and higher. She never wanted to come down. The things he was doing to her body with his tongue was something indescribable. He knew how to work her out. He was so good. "Inuyasha... baby..." She was close. She could feel the coil in her, wounding up, ready to unwind and explode. He was taking her higher, giving her body pleasure beyond words. She brought her feet up, pressing her toes onto his shoulders, getting a better angle. Her body shivered and her toes curled as she tried to move her hips but his hold on her was too strong. He held her still and his eyes kept looking at her. She looked down at those golden eyes, eyes that were so dark and full of desire.

She shut her eyes as a wave washed over her, her body tingling, breaking out in a sweat. "Inuyasha!" She was so close.

Inuyasha brought his head up, licking his lips. He brought his right thumb to her clit, rubbing the pad of his thumb in circles as he stabbed his tongue into her, burying his face into her. Kagome arched her back up as another wave washed over her and her toes pressed down against his shoulders.

"Baby! I'm coming!" He growled his consent and moaned into her, rubbing her slowly with his thumb, making her come. Kagome gasped and then cried out as the tidal wave crashed over her, flying high above the stars as the orgasm washed over her from her head to her toes. She cried out at his continued assault only heightening her pleasure, throwing her into another mini orgasm. She didn't have time to catch her breath before the first rolled into the second, leaving her disoriented. She tried to clutch at something but all her hands found was the cold countertop as she scratched her nails against the marble. Every muscle and nerve ending in her body lit up, making it hard for her to catch her breath.

When she finally got some sense back, she was highly aware of the counter beneath her and how uncomfortable it felt. But she was sated. Inuyasha kept her grounded when she thought that she would fly and never come down. He gave her orgasm after orgasm, and she was afraid that she would lose herself at the intensity of them. His mouth and fingers did wonders to her body. And she was spent.

Inuyasha moved, standing up while licking his lips and wiping the rest with the back of his hand. "Time to get you to bed."

She opened her eyes to see him standing above her at her waist, looking so handsome and desirable as he licked his lips like that. She couldn't believe that she was getting turned on again just by the way he sounded, the way he looked, the way he licked her cum from his mouth. But the sight of Inuyasha, still fully clothed, just brought on a wave of lust and desire for this man.

He bent to grab her pants and underwear, then came around to the side of the island and reached under her to carry her bridal style. She wrapped her arms around his neck, looking up at him sheepishly.

"We should clean the countertop before Miroku and Sango get home." She didn't want the others to come home to their unfinished dinner and the less-than-obvious evidence of sex on the countertop.

Inuyasha turned and headed straight out of the kitchen. "Don't worry about it. I need you."

She heard the need in his voice. He sounded strained, as if he was holding himself back, but also needy, as if he couldn't control himself any longer. She loved that she did that to him. She loved the power she had over him, that he would want her so bad that he lost his self control. She especially loved when he transformed and his demon came to the surface. During those times, he just couldn't or maybe didn't want to hold his demon back. She loved that. She wanted him to be himself with her, all of himself, and hold nothing back.

Inuyasha took them into his room and closed the door behind him with his foot. He dropped her clothes halfway to the bed and took her to his bed. He kneeled onto the bed and crawled on his knees until he got her onto his pillow, lying her down. But she didn't let go of him. Her arms tightened around him and her body turned so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. He looked down at her smile, seeing the gleam in her eyes.

"Love, you have to let me go so I can get undressed," he said, holding back his laughter. He could think of nothing else but to bury himself in her, and if she wanted to play, then he would just find ways to get into her while keeping his clothes on.

Kagome giggled, loosening her legs off him. "You're too sexy to let go."

"I'm too sexy?" he asked, moving back to strip off his shirt. "You're the one lying naked in my bed." He sat so that he could take off his pants and briefs, throwing everything on their duffle bags at the foot of the bed. He was too desperate for her, too needy. His cock was strained, the skin taut, bobbing back and forth as he crawled his way over her body. "I need you, Kagome."

She smiled, reaching up as he came above her, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt his head at her entrance and he slowly pushed into her, making her moan at his invasion. He was so big, stretching her out inch by slow inch. She dug her nails into his shoulders, closing her eyes at the intensified pleasure of having him in her. He brought his head down to her neck, licking over her pulse, then kissing and sucking her skin but not strong enough to leave a mark. The action alone made her wet, hot and desperate for him. She wrapped her legs around him, urging him all the way in, and he obliged her. He reared back and surged forward, burying himself all the way in her.

Kagome let out a cry of pleasure, making Inuyasha's ears twitch, and he let his demon loose. He could feel the change come over him immediately, the sudden need to mate and claim her in his heightened state of lust and desperate need overcame him. Inuyasha propped himself up on one elbow and hooked one of her legs up in the crook his other arm. He began to pound into her, needing that friction, that tight sheath of hers that held him viciously. He was so hard for her, only her. So needy for her. His demon roared at its claim, letting out a deep growl that sounded more animalistic than anything.

"Baby..." she whispered, reaching up. Kagome could see his face a little in the darkness, thanks to the city lights that streamed in from above his bed. She could see his red eyes staring down at her and she ran her thumbs over his cheeks where she knew his purple markings should be, but it was too dark to tell. He held her pinned, driving into her, the sound of their flesh resounding in the room with their heavy breathing. He felt so good, so right, and yet her mind was already taking her places she didn't want to be. "Talk to me..." She needed to hear his voice. She needed him to keep her grounded when her mind was taking her to places she didn't want to be.

Inuyasha kissed her because he loved her, his heart ached for her. He could sense her tinge of fear, and he wasn't sure if it was because he was being rough with her. He slowed his pace a little and reared back to look down at her. "Are you afraid of me?" he asked, because that was the last thing he wanted.

Kagome shook her head, running her hands down the sides of his chest. "No. It's just... my mind."

Inuyasha understood what she meant. She was having one of her episodes, so she called them. So he needed to pull her out of those haunting memories of hers. He kept his pace slow, building that fire in her the same way it built in him. He brought his head down to her neck, breathing onto her neck, feeling her shiver at his hot breath.

"Do you know what you do to me, love? You make me lose control." He kissed her neck, then sucked, then nipped. She moaned and grasped his sides, digging her nails into him. "You feel so good, Kagome. I love how your cunt tastes, and how you come for me. Do you want me to make you come again?" he whispered in her ear.

Kagome moaned. "Yes..." she breathed out. "I love you, Inuyasha..."

He kissed her because he loved her. He loved the feel of her, the scent of her, the heart of her, the joy of being with her. She completed him. He would give her the moon and the stars if she asked. If she asked him to slow down and talk to her, he can do just that. "I love you, Kagome... more than you know."

He moved then, picking up his pace a little, burying himself all the way. He swore he hit the end of her, as if he was hitting her cervix. Her body was made just for him, and his for her. He would give her more pleasure than she could imagine. "Your body was made for me, Kagome. I know your body. The way it tightens around me whenever I tilt your hips up and hit your spot." To prove his point, he tipped her hips up, pushing her hooked knee closer to her chest as he drove into her.

Kagome gasped, moaning with each stroke of his cock on her sweet spot. "Ohhh Inuyasha..." He did know her body so well, so soon. He paid attention to the way she screamed his name or the way she moaned and gasped with a sense of urgency, as if he was getting her closer to orgasm. He noticed every detail, especially with her neck. Her neck was her secret sweet spot, and he always paid attention to her neck, whether they were making love or not. She loved it.

"Inuyasha..." she moaned again, squeezing her eyes shut at the intensity of the pleasure. Her toes curled and her core clenched, pleasure bordering into pain. It hurt so much, the pain of such intense pleasure, the pain of loving him so much. "Harder, babe. Pound into me." Her blood was on fire for him. She wanted him rough, satiating that need in her. She brought a hand down to his butt, squeezing it and pulling him into her. "Give it to me, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked down at her and without another word, he gave her exactly what she wanted. He pounded into her, their flesh and their heavy breathing erupting into the room to create a song of lovers. He could feel his balls tighten with every clench of her greedy sex. "Your cunt is so greedy," he growled, bringing his head down to her neck, holding his weight up with his elbow on the bed next to her. He felt sweat break out on his skin, holding back his orgasm, wanting to wait for his mate. She came first.

"Ohhh Inuyasha... baby..." she breathed with each pant. Kagome tossed her head back and forth, feeling every muscle in her body clench as she went higher and higher. "Inuyasha!"

"You coming baby?" he asked, nipping her neck. He sucked on her neck and then licked, breathing hard as he felt her clench around him again. He moaned, growling at the pleasure. "You coming babe?"

"Mmmmhmmm..."

"Wrap your legs around me." She did immediately when he let her leg go. He brought both hands on either side of her, staring down at her. He wanted to see her cum, watch her fall apart at the pleasure he gave her. He pounded into her, watching as she tossed her head back and forth, her beautiful hair a halo around her head. Her legs tightened around his waist and she gasped at the angle that he was hitting. Her hands went to his upper back, using her nails to dig into his skin, giving him more pleasure than pain. The feel of her was everywhere. Her scent was in his lungs and all over his body.

"Inuyasha! I'm coming..."

He knew. He could feel the tremors start from deep in her core, clenching his head and then his shaft, all the way down to his base. His entire cock was being strangled as the first wave took over her, telling him she was so close. Her thighs tightened against his sides even with him moving desperately into her. Then, her hands dug deep into his back and she squeezed her eyes shut as the orgasm took her over the edge. She moaned and cried out his name while he watched her come apart. He moaned with her, the feel of her strangling him so intense that it drew his balls up.

"Ahhh... Kagome!" He came with her, shooting his sperm into her with every stroke, every pull of her muscles as she milked him clean. They both couldn't stop moaning, the pleasure too intense and prolonged as they both came with one another. She clung to him as he slowly pumped the last of his seed into her, feeling her body tremors post-orgasm. She was so tight. "Kagome..." he breathed, falling onto her as his arms gave out.

She held him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and tried to catch her breath. He was a little off to the side of her so that his whole weight wasn't on her, but she still had a hard time catching her breath after that. She smiled, her body hot and sticky from the sweat, giggling. "You're sweating."

He chuckled, his chest rumbling against her breast. "So are you."

She giggled again and moved his hair back out of his face. She kissed his forehead and relaxed, feeling like everything she needed was right there in her arms.


Hope you liked this one. LMK what you thought ;)