LOL OKAY SO I wrote a chapter that was too big to be published as one single chapter so...

For the sake of readability and convenience this baby has been split into two parts. 🙈🙈🙈

Enjoy loves. 💖💖💖

I let him win.

A lot.

It was his birthday after all… His smile and his laugh were too precious to me, far more precious than even claiming victory in air hockey. Sure, Inuyasha had grown weary of my actions pretty early on into the day but he knew as well as I did that he loved winning too much to be that upset with me. He'd force me to rematch him the following weekend at the arcade and give me shit for placating his ego but it was worth it to see those gold eyes burn so brightly and see the tips of his fangs poke out in his wide grin.

Dealing with Kikyo was still annoying though, even if I knew what I wanted to do and felt pretty confident about it, she was… she recognized that I wasn't playing her game anymore and that frustrated her further. For example, every time Inuyasha and I ended up by ourselves she'd notice and correct that. Often before I'd even count to ten, I'd see her fingers easily curl over his shoulder as she sidled up next to him, her gaze directed solely towards me as she did so.

And each time she did that I resisted the urge to wretch but, worse, I watched that light in Inuyasha's eyes dwindle a smidge and his smile dull incrementally. Part of my heart jumped for joy because, wow, Inuyasha really had meant it when he said that he wanted to spend his birthday with me. But seeing that play out in real time also had a little part of my heart aching because it was the first time I began to notice that there might have been real damage laying beneath the surface that my king was keeping from me.

For the first time I realized that my king may have had insecurities too. Ones that weren't so obvious to me like mine hadn't been obvious to him.

I was pretty sure that it wasn't Kikyo's presence that upset him but that it was something else. It wasn't anything I could point to, it was more a gut feeling brought on by a hint of guilt and fear that nibbled at the back of my mind. Every time Kikyo came over to us it sort of reminded me of the way an alarm would go off in the morning. One minute you'd be living in a literal dream before your phone would go off, harshly bringing you back to a reality that wasn't as wondrous as the visions you'd just left. That's what Inuyasha looked like each time she placed her hand on him; like he'd been woken up from a dream he was enjoying only to realize his life wasn't quite as awesome.

I didn't like that one bit. He deserved to be excited to wake up every morning and live his life.

Each time Kikyo arrived, grounding both Inuyasha and I in the present, I would smile at him confidently before looking over at her before I walked away, giving them some alone time. I know, I know, you're probably thinking that was the opposite of what I literally just said I was going to do but it's not.

I was making my move. I was killing her with kindness.

She could stand by him for a few minutes here and there because…

She'd never take my place in his heart.

Proof of that was in everything he did. Inuyasha sought me out every chance he could. Not once that evening had I gone up to him, save for the very beginning, every other time he found me. And each time he did, my heart pounded so hard in my chest, feeling the intimate yet casual way his claws grazed my skin to let me know he was there. It made my cheeks flush and my whole frame swell with warmth.

I swallowed thickly as he did it again at the end of the party. I was standing near the table where the food and drinks were held, assisting my mother in packing up, when I felt the light pressure of Inuyasha's claws dance down my forearm then slide over my palm before he leaned against the table I was cleaning. He stared up at me, a wry smile and cocked eyebrow facing me.

"Can I help you?" I asked, smirking as if I didn't know what he was going to ask about.

"I asked for one thing…" Inuyasha began teasingly, not a lick of anger to his voice though it was rich and warm.

I bit down on my lip, pausing to look back at him. "And I told you that I had a surprise for you…" I replied softly, trying to ignore the heat painting my cheeks or the way my hands started to shake with nervous energy.

I felt so stupid to feel so jittery next to him, to my king of all people, but I couldn't help but get butterflies and find it hard to breathe when he was right there and looking at me like I, Kagome Higurashi, held the keys to the goddam universe. Which, I guess, in that moment I did because I was all that stood between Inuyasha and ramen.

Just a tip for you all, don't ever get between that man and what he loves.

It's a precarious place to be and I recognized it then as those gold eyes looked me over, a hunger in them that make my skin feel hot to the touch and reminded me that he was a predator just like my knight except so much more lethal.

"It's not a surprise if I know it's coming," he remarked, taking that radiant gaze off me to pick apart a napkin thoughtlessly.

I scoffed lightly, angling my body so that I was fully facing him, a teasingly glint in my eye. "Oh… I'm pretty sure it'll still be a surprise," I purred, watching as he turned to look at me again just in time for me to watch him go cross-eyed as I lifted an index finger and booped him on the nose like a puppy. I laughed as his whole face scrunched into a scowl right before I turned on my heels and sauntered off.

I hadn't even needed to look, Kikyo had already noticed that Inuyasha was out of her sight and was walking over to us as I shimmied away from him, more interested in building the anticipation than addressing his comments. She glared over at me and I stopped mid-step.

"Hey Kikyo," I began sweetly, watching those dark eyes land on me and size me up, her back straightening as I waited. I smiled to myself because it really hit me then that I didn't care in the slightest what she thought anymore. I paused, looking at her from a different perspective and realizing that even if I was working to address my insecurities, even if I understood that those were a me issue… she may not have. And she was human too… Kikyo must have had her own demons that she grappled with. One of them may have even looked a little too much like me…

"Thank you for coming today, I hope you had a good time."

She nodded curtly, eyes narrowing slightly as she perceived me.

"Would you do me a favor?" I continued, leaning toward her pleadingly. I could see Kikyo's jaw tense as she waited for me to lash out or something. "Would you mind keeping Inuyasha company while I clean up?"

The flawless usurper recoiled at my question. She hadn't predicted that, which, was the point. Inuyasha told me it wasn't a competition and I was going to believe him. Kikyo could play her games if she wanted but I knew my place.

It was right next to Inuyasha, just so we're clear.

Plus, I had a whole second-half of a birthday to set up without a certain nosy half-demon following me around as I tried to handle that. She could take care of him for a bit.

Kikyo did a great job distracting him long enough that my mother and I were able to sneak out of the arcade under the cover of night, undetected. My brother and grandfather were staying behind to provide assistance as the rest of the party goers left but also because they were going to the mall nearby afterwards for some pre-holiday shopping. They would be gone for most of the night, thankfully, which left me and my mom to finish the preparations for part two of my king's surprise.

My mother sped through the streets of the city and threw the car in park once we arrived at the shrine. I basically fellout of the vehicle before jumping to my feet and sprinting toward the house. My plans for that part of the evening were a little ambitious…

Obviously, we had his ramen, duh, but I had so many other little things I had to get ready, including myself.

Now, you may be wondering why I split up his party into two sections and had the first part at the arcade. Well, it was getting cold outside so outdoor activities were a no-go but I still wanted to give him the opportunity to celebrate with his friends. If I'd learned anything over the prior several months it was that good friends were invaluable and I wanted him to see that there were several people who saw his worth and loved him.

Of course, Inuyasha hadn't told me that was what he wanted at all, which is why the party was broken into two sections.

He'd told me all he really wanted was ramen.

And me.

So that's what part two was for.

Ramen and us.

Izayoi stalled and held him back at the arcade while my mother and I put together the ramen, which she helped me to not burn. More than that though, I put up a silly little banner in the middle of our living room proudly exclaiming 'happy birthday' for him. I queued up all his favorite movies on the T.V. and I laid out bowls of all his favorite junk food, all ready for him to shove his brilliant face into should the desire strike.

Oh and, of course, plenty of cinnamon hearts.

I had a few other things up my sleeve too… Just wait, I'll get to those in a minute.

But anyway…

My mother and I had raced to get it all together and just in the knick of time. The moment I bounded down from the stairs with his present in my hand, I heard his mother pull up to the shrine. I sucked in a large breath then shook out my arms as I exhaled, radiating a nervous but excited energy.

I stood in the middle of the hallway, holding that silly bag, not even trying to mask the scent of the ramen, in a change of clothes. I still wore the necklace he'd given me but I had traded my dress for something a little more, well, it wasn't comfortable but it was certainly entertaining…

His mother slid open the front door and I watched Inuyasha's golden gaze immediately connect with the banner. My king rolled his eyes but grinned so broadly, his nose immediately twitching, no doubt taking in the scents of his favorite things.

I smiled and laughed as he stepped forward, gaze dipping to the coffee table where his delicious soup sat, contained in literally the largest container our family owned. Then he looked at me for two magnificent seconds of heart stopping intensity before Inuyasha took a second to examine my attire.

"I can't fucking believe you!" He laughed, blinking and shaking his head as I walked over to him.

"Why is that?" I feigned innocence, pretending that I wasn't wearing the most embarrassing shirt you'd ever seen. It was a novelty shirt with the likeness of one of his favorite cartoon characters from middle school except they only made the shirts in kid sizes so it really didn't fit me properly…

I handed him the gift bag. He looked in it for all of two seconds before barking out another laugh. They hadn't had any shirts that would fit him but I had managed to find some pants…

He lifted the fabric out of the bag and cocked a single eye brow at me. "Really?"

"Yup!" I nodded proudly before bending over and summarily yanking down the sweat pants I had been wearing over my matching set of pants. "Am I still pretty?" I asked, barely containing my own laughter, cheeks tinged pink, my entire leggy and reformed bean of a body decorated in garishly bright colors and reproduced images of characters we'd grown up infatuated with.

Inuyasha pressed his lips into a fine line, trying to stifle the laugh that his eyes betrayed. "You look… so… youthful," he teased, shaking his head even while his gaze held a warmth that I just…

For months I had been so cruelly confronted with cold and dark expressions of his that I hadn't ever known before high school but standing there, with mesmerizing amber eyes roaming over me, my heart did a little flip because that languid smile and that comfortable warmth he reflected back at me without so much as an ounce of tension in his frame, was so new and so lovely.

I instantly loved that expression and I wanted him to wear it endlessly.

I swallowed thickly, a finger shaking as I pointed to the bag still in his hand, seemingly forgotten as Inuyasha continued to take me in. "There's a card too," I breathed. "You don't have to read it, I didn't write anything but you should open it."

He nodded, pulling out the card and quickly opening it before immediately looking back up at me with big, wide gold eyes and a huge toothy grin.

For his final gift? I'd put in tickets for paintball.

Yup.

I would walk through fire barefoot for him, paintball couldn't be that painful, right?

Inuyasha stood almost vibrating with joy as I rolled my eyes. "Come on," I murmured, gesturing toward the living room where his dinner sat, "the ramen is getting cold."

"One minute," he answered hurriedly, walking past me to the bathroom, the pads of his fingers gently running over my arm then across my shoulders as he moved. I nodded dumbly, my skin tingling and dancing under his gentle touch before I walked over to the table, my lungs finding it hard to process air.

Inuyasha came out roughly three minutes later wearing the ridiculous pants that, wow, um, were very tight. I snorted, dropping my gaze to the floor, chuckling from where I sat on the living room floor, a small bowl of ramen in my hands as he walked over.

"What's so funny?" He asked, very carefully lowering himself down into the spot next to me, likely so as to not rip the tight as sin pants.

"I just… I never noticed how lean you are," I teased, poking at his undeniably skinny legs.

Inuyasha scowled at me but only for a moment before he looked back at his food, ignoring my comment. He had bigger things to deal with, mainly, the large as fuck bowl of ramen that nearly dwarfed him.

He ate the whole damn thing.

I'm afraid you're not picturing it accurately… The boy barely breathed as he inhaled it all seemingly in one long, drawn out slurp.

Ugh… it was truly unfair how even such a ridiculous display as Inuyasha slurping down an unhealthy amount of noodles and broth some how made me love him more. Gross, right? Whatever, I was so far gone that I was sure even an exorcism wouldn't scratch the surface of his possession of my heart.

We sat like that, right next to each other, for the rest of the night, me in a shirt that was so tight it dug into my arm pits and him in pants that clung to his thin frame so narrowly he was scared to move too much, even after we'd finished the ramen. I smiled so big and for so long that my face hurt, enjoying the silent comfort of his presence that just felt so good as we watched his favorites, side by side.

I'd missed moments like that. I felt so warm and comfortable at his side, so happy to be there with him without having to fight for his attention or worry about dressing nicely for appearances sake or any other nonsense.

We were just… content.

At some point, I couldn't tell you when but it was long after my mother had gone to bed, I had turned toward him, intending on asking a question but stopping in favor of becoming immediately overwhelmed by my affection for the only person who ever made me feel like I mattered in a meaningful way. Inuyasha's gaze faced forward but he dropped cinnamon heart after cinnamon heart into his mouth and I just… My skin still burned from his touches all day and my head was swimming in the euphoria of his company. I couldn't stop thinking about kissing that scrawny-legged boy.

I wanted to so badly…

And I did.

Just not on his lips…

The urge was overwhelming and I didn't want to refuse it. If he was uncomfortable I'd find out but I wanted that freedom of expressing to him how much I valued that moment with him. So, I placed a tender kiss on his cheek before whispering, "happy birthday."

I pulled away slowly and watched as his whole face turned red, even the tops of his ears adorable ears that he didn't let me play with anymore. Inuyasha's eyes widened before he stuttered and stammered out a "thank you," then immediately reached for a new box of cinnamon hearts.

My head tilted and my gaze narrowed slightly as I recalled that he… he only ate those around me.

I'd kind-of-almost forgotten about why he ate them after all the recent drama with Kikyo but seeing him grab for them immediately after I'd kissed his cheek caused a strange pang to shoot through my heart as I briefly wondered if I was too close to him and if he was using it to mask my scent. I still had no idea what he used those shits for, if not the flavor. But I watched as Inuyasha immediately tore the new box open, relaxing as soon as he crunched on the candies.

I leaned forward unthinkingly, my nose nearly grazing his lips as I frowned, trying to get a literal whiff of understanding.

"Um, what the hell are you doing, Kags?" Inuyasha asked, his cheeks darkening again in that same manner they did whenever I complimented him.

"Trying to see if I can smell the candies…" I answered dryly. Was it weird? Absolutely. But I had to try it once, right?

Inuyasha blinked at me quickly before placing a hand on my shoulder and gently pushing me away from his mouth. Then he handed me one of the spare boxes next to him. "You can just smell those…"

"Right," I mumbled sheepishly before frowning down at the box in my hands.

There was something about them that frustrated me so much more than usual that night, especially as Inuyasha continued to chow down on those shits relentlessly. What was it about the damn hearts that had him so ravenous?

I was dying to know.

There was a noticeable difference in the air that hung around Inuyasha and I after that evening. Things just started to change.

I wasn't moving away from Inuyasha when Kikyo approached us at school or giving her extra space to move betweenhe and I but the craziest thing was that… he stopped moving away from me.

It was thrilling.

The little touches, the ones I had missed and craved were resurfacing and the gap that had seemed near insurmountable only a few months prior was closing.

It wasn't totally bridged but it was getting there. What once felt like a massive fissure now felt more akin to a little crack in the side walk you barely noticed as you walked by.

My skin was constantly tingling from his presence.

He was killing me and I'd never felt more alive. I was high all the damn time. It was a problem but it wasn't the biggest problem he and I were facing.

Fights were breaking out… bitter, brutal fights.

Not between me and him but…

Between he and Kikyo.

The first one happened in the hall one day. I didn't hear what was said, I just heard the volume. She was angry. He was irate. They were going back and forth, everyone could hear it, all the plebeians and their mother's too. I was on my way over to my king when Miroku's hand curled around my wrist sternly, urging me to stay away, instead dispatching Sango to defend our friend.

I didn't like it, being held back from Inuyasha, but I innately understood why Miroku had done what he did. It didn't take a genius to see that Inuyasha and Kikyo were likely brawling because… I was a problem to Kikyo. I always had been.

Inuyasha's mood was sour for days after that.

We all pretended not to notice the whispers or the stares of the lay people when Inuyasha was around but for every fight that happened between Inuyasha and Kikyo, Sango would look over at me, a giddy glint in her eyes. Truthfully, it was bittersweet for me. I didn't like Kikyo and I obviously like-liked him but I hated that forlorn expression he'd begun to wear. I hated the dejected looks he'd have after each fight with her.

I had wanted to see him smile. I hadn't wanted to see him look so broken.

It all seemingly came to a head on a very specific Friday at lunch during spring semester of sophomore year. Mid-terms were coming up and the air around the school was tense but it was worse at our lunch table.

While Inuyasha and Kikyo hadn't had a fight earlier that day they'd certainly had a 'disagreement' that had made Inuyasha particularly foul to be around. He'd been snippy with me all morning so as lunch rolled around I hadn't felt all that inclined to speak with him.

Plus, I was one of the unfortunate souls with a midterm. Yuck.

I had been sitting at the table at lunch, skimming over my notes for the history exam I had the period right after. Inuyasha sat across from me, Sango at my side, with Miroku sliding in next to my king. The silence at our table felt prickly but I ignored it. I had some terrible, old, white men to memorize things about…

Miroku smiled at the rest of us as he took his seat, eyes dancing between his friends. "Jeez, it looks like everyone got up on the wrong side of the bed today…" He commented, more as a joke that didn't land properly than as a real jab.

I exhaled loudly but didn't otherwise respond. I knew it was probably rude of me but their feelings could all wait, whereas my exam… well… that bitch was coming for me in less than thirty minutes.

But it wasn't meant to be, my studying that is, because just as I began to re-read the same section of my notes for the third time in a row, a low growl pulled my attention from the book in my hands. I glared forward, looking straight at Inuyasha, before noticing that he wasn't facing any of us. His gaze was off to my side.

I turned just in time to feel a large hand clasp around my shoulder and find ice blue eyes and a big, mischievous grin looking back at me.

"Hi Koga," I stated flatly, trying to convey through my tone that that really wasn't a good time to chat. That and Inuyasha was still growling from his seat across from me.

"Hi Kagome," he answered cheerily, locking his eyes with mine for a moment before flickering his gaze over to my king, frowning as he perceived him, undoubtedly hearing Inuyasha's displeasure. "Calm down puppy, I'm just here to say hi and personally invite you all to my next party."

Inuyasha's lip snarled as Koga addressed him in such a manner while I shifted in my seat, watching in relief as my knight took the hint for once and removed his hand from my shoulder. I opened my mouth to respond, pausing as I looked over at Miroku, expecting to see his eyes meet mine, large and wide with delight at the invite but instead he merely just… he gave me a weak thing of a smile, eyes dull despite the prospect of going to an upperclassman's party. "Uh, thanks Koga," I replied, thrown off balance by my duke's expression before bringing my attention back to the wolf, "we'll check if we're free."

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer that was more akin to an 'I'll think about it' than an actual acceptance of his offer. Still, Koga was a problem for later because, again, my exam…

Koga smiled, bidding me farewell then blew a sarcastic kiss over to Inuyasha before leaving, joining his friends at a different table. I hadn't thought much of the interaction personally, I had merely dropped my head back into my notes but Inuyasha resumed his growling, his leg bouncing irately, shaking the table beneath us.

I sighed in irritation, flicking my gaze back up and narrowing my eyes at him. "Can you not?" He looked back at me, his eyes burning with a heat and a disdain that made me almost gasp in surprise. "What's that look for?" I hissed.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest and huffing, "nothing."

Liar.

"Oh for the love of…" Sango admonished. "Just say it."

He glared at her easily and immediately, turning his nose up at me as he answered. "It's nothing… I just didn't realize you were so fucking keen on kissing that moron again," Inuyasha spat indignantly. "How nice of him to 'personally' invite you to his next party…"

"Why you-" I began angrily, fully planning to yank on his ears until he begged and pleaded for mercy but Sango cut me off before I could even lift my irate butt off my seat.

"Wait, what?!" She exclaimed, whipping her head around and gawking at me. "W-when did you kiss Koga?"

Oops… evidently I had forgotten to tell her that little did bit… Thanks Inuyasha…

I glared at my king. I understood he was having a shit day dealing with his shit girlfriend but I didn't feel like I deserved his ire. "He kissed me," I clarified bitterly, still looking at Inuyasha as I spoke to Sango, unwavering even as his eyes locked with mine.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?!" Sango continued. I could hear the hurt in her voice. I had inadvertently forgotten to mention it. That was all, there wasn't any malice behind it. I hadn't mentioned it to her because it hadn't mattered to me, not really. Like I said, Koga didn't haunt me, he barely kept my attention especially if Inuyasha was near.

Okay fine, he barely kept my attention even if Inuyasha was in Tim-Buck-Two or wherever. But that was the point!

"Because it wasn't important to me," I answered, still not addressing her but watching as my king's irritation slowly seem to melt into something too akin to pain. I didn't like his expression but I was also still upset with him and how he'd accused me of wanting more from a wolf after I'd literally jumped into his arms and told him that wasn't what I wanted after Koga's brief acquaintance with my face.

"But that's still something," Sango argued.

"It wasn't some hot kiss!" I protested in a whine. "Or like I even really wanted it!" I was flailing as I tried to explain why Koga's kiss had been so meaningless, so inconsequential, to me that I literally hadn't thought about it after that evening at all. I hadn't even noticed that none of the normal gossip mongers hadn't mentioned it in passing or anything! It was a blip on my radar that I thought about only in the context of how insignificant it had been in comparison to having felt nirvana when connected to Inuyasha's lips.

My king who… I should I have been paying more attention to. I should have seen the way his eyes dropped as I described the fleeting and utterly banal nothingness that was a kiss I hadn't asked for and I should have understood better that even if I was clear that I was only talking about Koga's kiss, that to his ears, I could have also been describing the one he'd given me.

"Right," Sango grumbled, looking dejectedly down at her food.

"Probably would have enjoyed it more if it were Hojo," Inuyasha muttered bitterly. "Seeing as demons aren't your thing…"

I glared at him, chewing on my cheek. I really wasn't in the fucking mood. And I was going to tell him that except queen-kill-joy so magnanimously graced us with her overbearing presence just as I prepared to tell Inuyasha exactlyhow big of a moron I thought he was.

She really had some impeccable timing that one…

"Hey!" Kikyo exclaimed, walking up to all of us, pretending that we were all good friends versus three people who were tired of her and one person who was a big stinking butt face of a moron! But I digress…

I huffed and ducked my head back into my notes. I'd talk to Inuyasha later and straighten it out then. I wouldn't let it fester for too long but I had other dense men to learn about for my mid-term.

"So," she continued, sliding in next to Inuyasha as if were totally normal for her to eat with us instead of the awkward intrusion it was on an already tense occasion. "I was thinking that tonight we could-" she continued in a chipper voice, her eyes suggestively staring at Inuyasha while she pulled in her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down on it lightly. A habit that I'd noticed she only recently picked up. Odd.

"Sorry can't," Inuyasha interrupted. "Kags and I are studying for math."

My brows furrowed in confusion before I lifted my head out of my book and looked over at him. He wasn't speaking in his normal tone but it was appreciably less bitter than before even if it was still filled with frustration.

"I don't understand," Kikyo mumbled, looking at him for another brief moment then glaring at me, as if I understood what was going on and had plotted against her.

Look, I didn't like her, but I didn't care about her enough to constantly and consistently plan out and execute methods to bring her down. I had more important things to worry about, like my fucking history exam that everyone clearly wanted me to fail.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "what's not to understand? Tonight Kags and I have plans."

A strained silence fell over our table, the only sounds coming from Miroku munching on his meal and the chatter around us from other students. Kikyo was no longer biting her bottom lip seductively but chewing on the side of her cheek, jaw clenched. She, evidently, had not been a fan of the manner in which he had addressed her or that he was refusing to budge.

Yeah, welcome to the club. He was being a real pain in the ass.

"Can't you and Kagome hang out next week-" she tried again.

I pursed my lips and looked back down at my notes. Though I was also wondering what 'plans' Inuyasha was referring to that were so inflexible and so definite that they couldn't just wait - oh.

Oh.

It hit me fast and hard. Duh.

That evening was the New Moon.

I nodded slowly, realization sinking in.

"No, it can't," he growled, glaring at her.

Truth be told, he was probably already feeling the impacts of the New Moon. That would explain why he had been extra grumpy all day. His sense of smell was a pretty big thing for him and that tended to be the first sense that faded. His appearance, claws, fangs, etc., that all went away at sunset, but his hearing and smell would slowly dwindle throughout the day and it would make him more than a little anxious.

My king had one big secret and that was his human night.

In the eleven years I'd known him, I was the only human besides his mother that knew about his night. Every New Moon since he'd shown me, and I mean every, I went over to his house and kept him company as he hid away from the world.

Apparently, several months of dating was not enough to convince Inuyasha that Kikyo was worth letting in on the big secret. To be fair to her, Sango and Miroku still weren't privy to it either, though Miroku usually put up less of a fight and would even deliver our homework to us on the few occasions that his night resulted in us - me, really it was me, Inuyasha would stay with me just to thank me for my company - needing to stay home the following day to catch up on sleep.

Oh yeah, that's because Inuyasha didn't sleep the night of the New Moon. Like, at all. I would usually pass out at some point against my will but he'd stay up all night until he felt the familiar breath of demonic power fill his lungs signaling his dreaded human existence had subsided.

I was pretty sure that Miroku had an inkling of why that night was such a powder keg for him and Miroku had probably let Sango in on the theory because she almost never put up a fight related to it either. But Kikyo? Apparently she was in the dark all by herself.

I could see the heat in her eyes even from my position at the other end of the table. Kikyo would let the argument subside for the time being but she wouldn't drop it entirely. Until that point, she pointedly avoided my gaze and ate in quiet, like an animal licking its wounds before the next fight.

I had chosen to ignore her. Neither of us were under the illusion that we were friends any more. It wasn't worth trying to engage Kikyo or make her feel better. She just didn't know. She'd take it as another time I stepped in between her relationship with Inuyasha but she wasn't a concern of mine anymore. Whereas my history exam… that was.

Kikyo though, wouldn't let that be the last between us either. After school that day, while I was bemoaning to Sango about how I was sure that I bombed my test, Kikyo approached us. Her face looked serene and even cheerful except for her eyes. Those were hard and cold.

She was out for blood.

"I'm sure you didn't do that badly," Sango replied, trying to comfort me as I sighed heavily and gripped onto the straps of my backpack tightly.

"I don't know… it was pretty bad…" I mumbled in self-pity. "Oh well, guess I better start studying for the next history exam."

"I thought you and Inuyasha were studying math," Kikyo spat, walking up to us.

Sango rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in a huff. "What does it concern you what they do?"

"He's my boyfriend. Everything he does concerns me."

"Not sure that's how a healthy relationship works," Sango remarked, narrowing her eyes.

"What can we help you with?" I asked, not unkindly just without malice or warmth.

"I had special plans for Inuyasha and I this evening," Kikyo began.

"So save them for next week or something," Sango growled.

"Can you please talk to him?" Kikyo continued, ignoring Sango's comment.

I rolled my eyes and rubbed my temples with the pads of my fingers. "It's not my decision to make," I spat, glaring at her with all the ferocity my exhausted frame could muster. "He said no. Take it up with your boyfriend."

"I did," she fought, clenching her fists. "He said it was important to you."

I exhaled loudly, my shoulders slumping and glare pulling away from her to search the school grounds for him. Either she was lying, which, let's be real here, was a very real possibility, or Inuyasha was using me to get out of addressing a problem between him and Kikyo. I didn't mind being his scapegoat for the New Moon, that wasn't what had set me off. It was how common place it was becoming for those types of interactions to take place.

Anytime Kikyo didn't get her way with him she harassed me.

She'd done it at the mall over Fridays and, apparently, Kikyo thought that since that prior time had been so successfulthat whenever Inuyasha told her 'no' that I was her trump card. I didn't like that one fucking bit.

I finally saw his effervescent silver hair bob through the crowd of students and noticed that the ears on the top of his head weren't swiveling like they normally did, meaning that his ability to hear was already fading. Instead of calling out for him like I would normally, I pushed by Kikyo, ignoring the huff she released as I did, and made a bee line for him and Miroku.

I stomped right up to him like the super mature and elegant queen I was, blocking his path and glaring up at the only thing that ever gave my heart warmth during those days, unintimidated by the glower he returned.

"What?" He growled, "why are you looking at me like that?!"

"Kikyo just harassed Sango and I because she wants to hang out with you tonight and said that you told her that I had an issue with it?" I hissed, eyes flickering away from his to acknowledge that Kikyo and Sango were also making their way over. "Look," I whispered, "I'm happy to fall on the sword for you because I know what tonight is but Yash… please…" I begged, looking up at him and losing my ire as a new wave of exhaustion swept through me, "don't make me the bad guy to Kikyo. She's your girlfriend and I want to support you!"

He didn't respond to me but Inuyasha immediately turned to address Kikyo as she and Sango approached. "We are nothanging out tonight!" He snarled, smoldering eyes narrowing and lip curling up while he clenched his fists. "How many fucking times do I have to say that?!"

"You said-"

"I said that I have plans!"

"But you and Kagome-"

"I get these plans happen to be with Kags but it doesn't mean you can bully her into changing my mind!" Inuyasha exclaimed, stepping closer to her.

He was mad. Like… Naraku pushed me off the swing and broke my arm mad. Which did happen and resulted in a bitter brawl between ten year olds that I'm sure was quite the sight for all the adults. You could practically feel the heat of his anger radiating off of him like a furnace as he stood glowering at Kikyo.

Like I said earlier… don't get between that man and something he loves… it's a precarious place to be.

I noticed that even Sango and Miroku had taken steps away, not wanting to get caught in his cross hairs.

Inuyasha was a grumpy person, that was a pretty well known fact. He's rough around the edges and snarky, he's defensive and skeptical, sure, but he's rarely ever angry. It could be hard to tell the difference if you didn't know him the way I knew him, or the way Sango and Miroku had come to know him, but there was a fine line that separated our lovable but brash half-demon and genuine rage.

Kikyo had crossed that line when she stood between Inuyasha and I, especially on his human night.

"I don't see why it can't just wait?!" She rebutted.

"Why can't your thing wait?!" He barked, the implied 'stupid' hanging at the end of his inflection when he finished his question.

"Because she got you last week!"

"I'm not a kid in a custody battle!" Inuyasha replied, throwing his hands in the air. "You don't have claim to certain dates or times! Kags and I are hanging out tonight and if you don't like it date some one else!"

I forced my eyes shut and swallowed thickly, shifting uncomfortably on my feet, cold guilt flooding my veins. I felt Sango's hand brush along my arm, her mulberry eyes watching the two quarreling lovers next to me. She gestured quietly for me to back away and give them space.

I heeded her advice and slowly began to inch toward my duchess. That wasn't my fight. I had been thrown into the middle of it, yeah, but it was between them.

Still, as I began to step away I saw something. I saw something that had me moving back toward my king. While I had intended on giving him what I thought he needed, which was space, Inuyasha reached out for me. It was the same way I'd reached out to him for years, a silent, gentle, but swift extension of an arm, the pads of his fingers grasping at the air for me to, in a sense, steady him.

He hadn't once abandoned me and I wasn't going to abandon him.

I caressed the palm of his hand briefly, letting him know I was still there, by his side.

"Is she really that much more important?" Kikyo murmured.

I heard Sango roll her eyes before Miroku shushed her as I looked at the ground, fidgeting with my fingers behind my back. I didn't know if I wanted to hear his answer to that, but…

"She's my best friend," he bit out. "You never ask me to re-arrange my plans with Miroku or Sango, only Kags. If you want me to choose… you already have your answer."

"You spend every waking co-dependent moment of your life with her! What's so wrong with wanting time alone with my boyfriend?!"

I really didn't like being talked about like I wasn't there, even though I was… right… fucking… there. It was, in a word, uncomfortable. I felt sick to my stomach and could feel the eyes of our nosy, peasant classmates all circling to watch the crowns air their dirty laundry as if they didn't have better things to do on a Friday night. It was almost as grotesque as the knot in my stomach threatening to send my lunch back up in Kikyo's direction.

"It's one fucking night!" Inuyasha spat.

"It's not one night! It's literally every free moment you have! Why does your girlfriend have to barter with your friendfor your time?!"

"For fuck's sake. I'm not his keeper!"

Here's the thing… I had thought that I had said that in my head, or, at worst, had muttered that under my breath. That was not what actually happened. I had yelled that at her, like full on screamed in her face. It was not a pretty sight, though Sango did do a slow clap behind me.

"You're the only one that sees it that way," Kikyo hissed. "Ever wonder why when Sango and Miroku want Inuyasha to come along with something they look to you? Wherever you go… he follows."

"I think you've said enough," Miroku interjected, stepping up next to Inuyasha as the tears of frustration began to prick at the back of my eyes. I stared at the ground but I could feel Inuyasha's gaze on me. It seared a brand of him into the side of my cheek. "We look at Kagome because it's her mother that brings Inuyasha places. His mother, as I'm sure you're aware of by now, works. A lot. Mrs. Higurashi is very, very generous with her time and Inuyasha would never pressure Kagome."

It was a partial truth.

I hated her in that moment but I already knew that Kikyo had a point. It was, after all the reason I had previously been trying to give them space. I knew that he and I were basically inseparable and had been since kindergarten. I could understand her frustration, I could. She just wanted to spend time with him. That shouldn't have been a big ask. Kikyo just happened to dig in her heels on the wrong day. If Inuyasha hadn't already told her about his human night, her actions then weren't going to get him to willingly open up.

Kikyo chewed on her cheek but didn't press the matter. She had anticipated push back from Sango and I, Inuyasha too, but not Miroku.

It was a tense moment, Miroku and I standing next to Inuyasha like glorified body guards, with Sango directly behind us, and Kikyo standing all by herself at the edge of her relationship with Inuyasha.

"Fine," she mumbled, shaking her head and leveling her heavy gaze at my king one final time.

I don't think any of us could tell exactly where their relationship stood as Kikyo walked away but we knew that that was a question for another day and one that Inuyasha would have to figure out for himself. As her figure retreated into the crowd of students who were all suddenly pretending they hadn't just awkwardly watched the implosion of a relationship, I heard Inuyasha swallow thickly and watched the tension fall from his shoulders.

A chill sank into my frame and I stepped away from the group. I didn't like the guilt or the shame that I felt beginning to worm its way into my heart. I knew a pretty significant part of me was jealous of the firsts Kikyo got to experience with him, jealous that she knew him in a way I didn't but so gravely wanted to. Still, I hadn't wanted to see him go through that…

I couldn't help but feel partially responsible for the cluster fuck that we'd all witnessed that day. If I had just kept my mouth shut, if I had just-

"Stop," Inuyasha snapped, gold eyes seemingly peering into my very soul.

"Excuse me?" I had asked, confused.

"You didn't cause that," he replied. "I can smell the hideous stench of guilt all over you. She should have just let it the fuck go or yelled at me later about it."

"Kagome, you can't control how other people act or respond," Miroku added gently, walking up and putting his arm around me. "That was uncomfortable for all of us but you're not responsible."

I nodded but worried my lip all the same. Their words were nice, slightly comforting even but they felt hollow. Any way you sliced it, I was pretty sure that I was the problem.

I had tried building alliances with her. I tried ignoring her. I tried to find a middle ground and I wondered if she ever knew that half the time that she hung out with Inuyasha, I had been the one telling him to go. I tried to support their relationship but no matter what she saw me as the enemy.

"There's a weird giveaway going on at the frozen yogurt place on 3rd Street," Sango tossed out, thumbs sliding across her phone as she tried to shift the conversation to something less distressing.

"Yeah, let's do that," Inuyasha grumbled, immediately stepping forward and charting a course for the shop before anyone else agreed or objected.