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"Random Subject Prompt"

Chapter 013: Christian Grey

Movie: Fifty Shades Trilogy

Prompt: Birthday

Chapter Warning: some spoilers ahead

Author's Note: Takes place during Fifty Shades Darker

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After his relationship with Anastasia Steele erupted, Christian thought reuniting with Kagome Higurashi had been a sign of fate. He was normally too hard and cynical to believe in a higher power, but the moment the raven haired beauty walked back into his life it made him question his beliefs.

His heart had still been bruised, but Kagome had a way of healing him without even realizing it. Just a few days in her presence drove away the nightmares, and his thoughts weren't clouded with Anastasia. Kagome… centered him. It was the only way he could describe their acquaintance.

Christian stood at the end of his bed, staring contemplatively at the young woman tangled in the silk sheets. They were a dark green, and contrasted beautifully with her pale, smooth skin, raven dark tresses, and overall petite frame. He had to head into the office soon, but he found himself unable to leave Kagome.

The first time they'd met, they were teenagers, and Christian had been Elena Lincoln's submissive for about a year. As a sixteenth birthday present, Elena had somehow arranged it for Kagome to spend the night with Christian. It had been the first time he'd taken the dominant role, and he'd been eager and – admittedly – nervous as Hell.

I still don't know how Elena managed that, he thought now, a small furrow appearing between his brows. He placed his hands in the pockets of his slacks. It didn't matter, anyway. He was just glad he'd gotten the chance to meet Kagome – have her become a part of his life. Why should he question his good fortune? Anastasia had made it clear what she'd thought of the older blonde woman, and a part of Christian agreed.

But he couldn't change the past. He could only go forward, because that was the only direction left to go. He could hate his childhood, hate what and who his biological mother was, mourn the loss his heart would never get over, but he could. Not. Change. It.

And because his past involved Kagome, he definitely wouldn't change any of it if he could.

He watched as Kagome stirred awake, sleepily blinking open mesmerizing amethyst eyes. Christian had never seen that color anywhere else. They were utterly unique, just like their owner.

Kagome smiled at him, snuggling into the pillow. "Why are you awake?" she asked, voice husky from sleep. "We had a late night. I thought we could sleep in."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, his hand came up to stroke gentle fingertips over her cheek. "I have to go into the office," he explained. "Something came up that needs my personal attention. I'll call you when I'm finished or if it ends up running late."

"Alright," she easily replied. "Don't work too hard, Christian." Her eyes sparkled with her teasing.

"No promises." He smirked, playing along. Leaning down, he pressed a firm, affectionate kiss on her lips. "Have you given any thought to moving in with me." The inquiry came out as more of a statement, obviously a man used to getting what he wanted.

"Christian…"

"I know," he said, resigned. "I know it's fast, Kagome, but you spend most of your time here, anyway. We enjoy each other's company, and we've known each other for a long time." He gazed into her eyes, conveying how serious and earnest he was. "I want… I want to keep getting to know you. I want to learn everything about you."

Kagome was silent for several long, endless seconds. But her gaze never dropped or lowered, so Christian took that as a good sign.

Finally, a beautiful smile broke across her near-angelic features. And she said one word that sent his heart soaring:

"Okay."

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Within a short amount of time, Christian and Kagome had had to deal with Leila Williams and Jack Hyde.

The former had been a past submissive and was stalking Kagome in a misguided bid to get Christian back. Kagome had been able to handle the situation without breaking a sweat, showing Leila that, while she enjoyed playing a submissive behind closed doors, she was very much the dominant, predatory figure outside of it. Before Christian and Taylor had burst into Kagome's condo, the raven haired beauty had Leila kneeling on the titled floor while she, herself, was making tea like nothing unusual was happening.

Jack Hyde had been a little more complicated, especially when Christian had come face-to-face with Anastasia Steele once more. He hadn't known she'd started a job at Seattle Independent Publishing, which was also a company he'd been planning to take over in order to further expand his own business. He only worked with the best, and SIP had been it.

And, as Christian held a clearly freaked out Anastasia, his thoughts kept racing with thoughts of Kagome and wondering if she was okay. He'd sent Taylor up to see what was going on, but the resulting minutes that followed felt like an eternity.

Just when he was about to say 'fuck it' and leave Anastasia with the car, Kagome and Taylor came out of the building. Even as his ex-lover clung to him, his eyes sought to make sure his current girlfriend was unharmed.

But Kagome wouldn't meet his eyes. Instead, her gaze was locked onto the pretty brunette desperately clinging to him and crying into his chest. It didn't take a genius to realize how their position looked.

"Anastasia Steele?" Kagome inquired gently.

Anastasia stiffened, sniffled, but turned to face the other young woman. "Uh, yes, that's me," she answered. Her hands still gripped Christian's lapels. "Who are you?"

Kagome smiled. "Jack Hyde won't be a problem anymore. We've already called the proper authorities," she said, completely ignoring the question. "I believe these belong to you." She held out a purse and coat.

Finally letting go of Christian to accept the items, Anastasia nodded in gratitude. "Thank you. I'm not sure how to repay you," she quietly said.

"No repayment necessary. To be honest, I've been investigating some… unusual occurrences, like the fact that Hyde has gone through a number of assistants in a short amount of time. None have come forth to say anything, but it was suspicious enough to raise questions." Kagome cocked her head to the side. "Because of his… nature, shall we say… I've been working to bait him into confessing or revealing what his behavior has been like. I suppose I should be thanking you too for speeding up the process."

Anastasia blinked, not sure how to take that last part. "Um, no problem. I guess," she settled on saying. "So, are you, like, the police or something?" From the corner of her eye, she gave Christian an inquiring look, hoping he'd clear up what was happening.

Kagome released a light laugh. "Let's just say that I have various interests. 'Cleaning house,' so to speak, for SIP is one of them."

"I… see. What happens now? We don't have an editor. And Jack was supposed to go to New York for the book expo."

"I'm sure everything will be sorted out. Just come in to work like usual and help where you can."

Anastasia rubbed a hand against her forehead, feeling a headache forming. "Right," was all she said. Then she turned her attention onto Christian. Her eyes softened as she looked at him, and she nibbled her bottom lip as she struggled with what she wanted to say to him. "Um…"

Kagome still wouldn't look him in the eye, let alone in his direction. It made Christian crazy and frustrated, his hands clenching and unclenching within his coat pockets.

"I'll let you two catch up," Kagome casually said. With that, she turned on her heel and started walking down the street.

Christian took a step to stop her, mouth opening to give the order, but the raven haired beauty was quickly swallowed up by the crowd. His clenched his jaw but turned to face Taylor. "Follow her. Make sure she's safe. I'll handle Anastasia."

"Yes, Mr. Grey."

When they were alone, Anastasia gave Christian an imploring look, one she knew he couldn't resist during the course of their relationship. It was that lost, innocent appeal that had first drawn him to her and had made him incapable of leaving her alone.

"Christian, what is going on?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Where the Hell did he begin to explain the things that had happened since their break up?

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When Kagome came back to their place, Christian was anxiously pacing in the living room. His cell phone was gripped in one hand, obviously contemplating calling the police to fan out and find her within the city. She didn't know why he bothered – Taylor been with her the entire time.

"Where the Hell have you been?" Christian instantly demanded upon spotting her figure. He stormed over to stand in front of her, hands gripping her in desperation and concern. "I was just about to call the damned cops to look for you throughout the city. Damn it, Kagome, you can't just disappear like that!"

Kagome gently brushed his hands off, taking a seat on the couch to rest her feet. She had mostly walked around, but she had convinced Taylor to grab an early dinner with her before heading back home.

"There was nothing for you to worry about, Christian," she soothed, knowing better than to dismiss his worries. "You sent Taylor after me. He's more than capable of watching out for me. You know that, otherwise you wouldn't trust him as much as you do."

Christian growled. "That's not the point. You shouldn't have left in the first place." He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. When he exhaled, his shoulders relaxed. "I thought you were upset with me," he confessed, voice quiet. I thought you were never coming back.

Kagome gave him a startled look. "Upset with you? Why would I be upset with you, Christian?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "Because of Anastasia."

"I don't understand. What about Anastasia? I know you two were together, and I know you started to open your heart to her. But so what? It didn't work out and, geezus, how many of my exes have you run into over the years? You didn't freak out. In fact, you do business with a couple of them."

Put like that, he felt like an idiot. But he still had to say it. He needed her to understand his feelings, his concerns.

He dropped heavily into the seat beside her, their eyes locked. "I didn't want you to think that you're somehow her replacement. You're not, Kagome." His voice lowered, became vulnerable in a way he wasn't with anyone else. "Earlier, you wouldn't look at me. And then you just left. What was I supposed to think? I thought you were leaving me."

Kagome's heart softened as did her gaze, and she grabbed one of his hands to squeeze reassuringly. "I'm not leaving you. And I'm sorry about earlier. To be honest, I wasn't sure how much you wanted to tell Anastasia about us, if you wanted to even do that." She paused for a second then continued. "I know what it's like to be someone's replacement. I know what it's like not to measure up to another, no matter how much you wish it or try your hardest. But, Christian, when you look at me…" She smiled warmly. "When you look at me, I don't see any of that. I know you see me, not anyone else. Just like I see you."

His heart was full to bursting with an emotion he wasn't entirely familiar with, and his next words were blurted out but the most truthful he'd ever spoken.

"I love you."

The smile that appeared was like a thousand Suns, and he was left dazed and blinded by its magnificence. But not too blindsided to hear her response.

"I love you, too, Christian. So much."

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Anastasia sat with Kate, Elliot, Mia, and the others gathered inside Christian's living room. The news was playing, everyone focused intently on the screen in the hopes of hearing something about Christian's current state and wellbeing. So far, the reporters were only talking about the disappearance of Christian's personal helicopter and speculating about where and why it had gone down so suddenly.

All Anastasia wanted was to find out if Christian was okay or not. If they would just say which hospital he was in, she and the others would fly to his side. At this point, any indication of his health would be a blessing, because they were reporting absolutely nothing.

Tears spilled down her pale cheeks, her arms squeezing the pillow to her chest tighter in hopes of gaining some comfort from the action. Ever since her abrupt meeting with Christian outside of SIP, her thoughts had once more been consumed with him. She had finally stopped crying over the man, and now this was happening.

It certainly brought things into perspective for Anastasia. She was still in love with Christian. She wanted to give them another chance, no matter how unlikely it seemed. They could just talk things out, right? Learn to communicate better and compromise. That – and the punishments – had been the main thing driving them apart. There had been no complete understanding between them.

The elevator suddenly opened, and everyone – including Anastasia – jumped up, all hoping it was Christian. But only Kagome Higurashi stepped out, her facial features set into calm lines, and her aura practically radiating soothing waves.

Anastasia could admit to being disappointed, in more than one way. She had hoped it would be Christian standing there. She had hoped that he and Kagome had broken up by now. At her last meeting with her ex, he'd explained that Kagome and he were together, but hadn't said anything beyond that. He'd called a car company to drive her home afterward, and Anastasia hadn't seen or heard from Christian since. Because he'd been so close-mouthed about his new relationship, she had thought – had hoped – it didn't mean anything serious, not the way they had been.

But she should have known better. She should have known that Christian wouldn't easily talk about something that was important to him. Something that was clearly close to his heart, like his childhood.

"Kagome, dear," Grace said, trying to smile like usual. It fell short, lips quivering in distress as she stepped closer to hug the raven haired beauty. When she pulled back, she used a tissue to hide her sniffle. "Have you heard anything? Have you heard anything about Christian?"

As Kagome stepped further into the living room, the rest of the Grey family closed in to hear whatever she had to share.

"Not yet, Grace," Kagome answered, using her most gentle tone. She grabbed the older woman's hand, squeezing reassuringly. "I'm sure we'll know something soon enough. I have people down there investigating what happened."

Kate Kavanagh asked, "Who are you?" Her eyes couldn't help switching between the newcomer and her best friend. She knew Anastasia hadn't taken her break up with Christian very well, and this other young woman seemed close with the Grey family – particularly the missing Christian. Close enough to show up at his house, in any case.

Elliot answered, "This is Kagome Higurashi. Christian, Mia, and I have known her since we were teenagers." He paused for the smallest second, his eyes drifting in Anastasia's direction out of concern, but continued speaking. "She's, ah, Christian's girlfriend. She just moved in with him not too long ago."

Even as an arrow shafted through her heart at the revelation, Anastasia dazedly turned when the elevator opened once again. With almost unseeing eyes, she watched as a filthy, slightly blood smeared, Christian Grey walked into his home.

Upon seeing everyone gathered, Christian paused to stare at them with an almost disapproving glare. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"Nice to see you too, bro," Mia responded, though her eyes sparkled with tears of happiness and relief at seeing him walking around and overall fine. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly to reassure herself that he was there. "Geez, don't worry us like that again. You made Mom cry."

As everyone else converged on him, making sure he really was okay and didn't need to return to the hospital, Kagome stood back to watch the reunion. Her amethyst orbs were soft, her smile warm as she watched the scene.

"Did you know he was okay?" Anastasia asked, stepping up beside Kagome. She didn't know what exactly possessed her to talk to the other woman, but she knew Kagome must've been something amazing to stand beside Christian without flinching or backing down. Unlike what Anastasia had ended up doing.

Kagome hummed thoughtfully. "I wasn't one hundred-percent sure he was okay," she admitted. "But I knew everything would be fine."

"Because he's an experienced pilot?"

The raven haired beauty shook her head. She finally turned to lock gazes with the pretty brunette. "No, not because of that. I suppose you could say it was faith. I had faith that everything would be okay, and that Christian would know what to do in that situation." That he would come back home to me.

Before the women could exchange more words, Christian's voice caught their attention.

"Give me a second, Mom. I want to hug my girl." His eyes were locked onto Kagome, making no mistake of whom he was referring to.

Kagome was enveloped within his arms in the next second, her own rising up to embrace him around the waist. She smiled when she felt him press a kiss onto the crown of her head, and the way he murmured comforting words for her ears alone had her smile turning into a grin. While she did have faith that he would be okay, it was still preferable to have him right there, standing in front of her. It was also funny how Christian wanted to comfort her when he'd been the one in an accident.

"Sorry about… them," Christian said, subtly referring mostly to Anastasia's presence. He didn't have hard or lingering feelings for the pretty brunette, but he still found it awkward to have her in the home he shared with Kagome.

Kagome shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Christian. They were worried about you, and they're more than welcome to come here whenever they want."

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't let them hear you say that – especially Mia," he cautioned, raising an amused but exasperated brow. His sister would definitely invite herself over at the most inopportune moments. He would hate to have to ban her from the building.

She lightly pinched his side, more playful than reprimanding. "Be nice," was all she said in response.

"Yes, Ma'am." He grinned. Then, turning back to face his family and friends, he said, "Thank you for coming, and sorry for the worry I caused. You should all head home now, though. I'll be fine." To add emphasis, he wrapped an arm around Kagome's trim waist to hold her close.

Grace asked, "Are you sure? Your father and I could take you back to the hospital, Christian."

Christian shook his head. "I promise I'm fine, Mom. I'll see you and dad, and the others, tomorrow. Get some sleep, and I will, too."

Anastasia took a hesitant step forward, fingers kneading nervously at the coat over her arm. "You're okay, though, right?"

"Yes, Anastasia," he replied, keeping his tone friendly but distant. "I have Kagome with me," he added, more towards his parents to stop them from worrying about him. "She'll know what to do in case of an emergency."

Grace nodded, breathing out a sigh of relief. "Yes," she agreed, "yes, you're right. We'll leave now, then, and see you two tomorrow night at the house." She gave Christian a stern, motherly look. "Don't you dare try to skip it. I want to see both of you."

Kagome cut in before Christian could even think about opening his mouth. "Of course, Grace. I'll make sure Christian and I make an appearance. It is his birthday, after all." She smiled at the last, knowing without looking that the man in question was rolling his eyes.

"Good, good. Call us if you need anything." With that, Grace led the way for everyone else to the elevator to leave the penthouse apartment and the couple living together. The Grey matriarch smiled when Kagome waved a farewell, while Christian just stood beside her, his arm still holding her close to his side. At first, Grace had been saddened that Anastasia and her son had broken up, but, now, with Kagome in the picture…

Yes, she thought, I think she's perfect for him.

When the elevator doors closed, it was quiet for a second before Kate asked a question that had been racing through the minds of everyone not part of the Grey family.

"So, what does Kagome do?"

Grace answered, "Kagome is actually a doctor at the hospital I used to work at, but she also has interests in various fields. She's done business with Christian, too, though I've heard she only came back to Seattle a couple of years ago."

"Where was she before that?" Anastasia inquired, curious.

"She was in Japan, where she was originally born. Most of her business interests lie there. Her name is well-known."

Anastasia murmured, "I see." She nibbled her bottom lip, inwardly knowing there was no way she could compete with someone like Kagome for Christian's heart. She knew it didn't matter, but it was within human nature to think that way. Christian had been lost to Anastasia the moment he'd reunited with Kagome and formed a relationship with her, had asked her to move in with him. His heart no longer thought of Anastasia the way she still thought about him.

And now, she would have to find a way to live without him.

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After Kagome checked Christian for any wounds he didn't give the doctors a chance to examine and dress, and finding nothing to cause worry, she sent him to take a shower to wash off the filth he was covered in from the emergency landing.

While she waited, she stood in front of the window overlooking the city, arms crossed under her breasts. She could finally relax now that she knew he was safe and unharmed.

"What are you looking at?" Christian whispered into her ear, wrapping his arms around her from behind. He was so close to her, her back was snuggled to his front.

"I just realized something, that's all. Something about you," she answered. Her tone gave away nothing about what she was thinking.

It caused Christian's brows to furrow. "What does that mean?" He turned her around to face him, his body backing her up against the glass to cage her in.

Her hands slowly slid up his chest, an intimacy he hadn't allowed anyone else, to wrap around his neck. Her amethyst eyes gleamed with amusement and the love he was beginning to be familiar with, especially since his own started reflecting that same emotion.

"It's midnight," she softly stated. "Happy Birthday, Christian."

He smiled, leaning down to kiss Kagome. "Thank you. This is the best birthday I've ever had." He suddenly smirked, a devilish light entering his eyes. "Besides my sixteenth one, I mean."

Kagome playfully rolled her eyes. "Shut up and kiss me," she ordered. When he did just that, she softly moaned when he easily lifted her, and her legs wrapped around his waist. She pulled back a few breathless moments later. "Let me get you your birthday present."

Christian held her in place, eyes gazing deeply into hers. "I want to ask you something first."

"What?"

"Will you marry me?"

Her heart skipped a beat, and she was suddenly breathless for a whole different reason. "Christian…" she mumbled, stunned speechless by his proposal.

"I know it's sudden but having a near-death experience has a way of putting things into perspective," he said. "When the helicopter was crashing, all I could think about was you, Kagome. I realized some things about myself – and about us."

"What did you realize?" she softly questioned, wanting to hear his answer.

He smiled, a little self-depicting. "I realized I was an idiot for not knowing you were it for me. I didn't realize – maybe didn't understand would be a better word – that I had already met the one person, the one woman, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. And that's you, Kagome. You have always understood me in a way no one else has before. Hell, you're the only one I let touch me. That should've told me right then you were different."

Kagome's eyes watered with happy tears at his words. "Oh, Christian," she mumbled.

"So, what's your answer? Will you marry me?" he asked again, laying his forehead against hers. "And just to be clear, I'm not going to let you say no."

She laughed, arms squeezing him that much closer if possible. "How could I say no to that?" she teased. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you, Christian."

"Good girl. Like I said, this is the best birthday I've ever had." His devilish smirk came back, and Kagome instantly knew where his mind went. "Now, let's go to bed, future-Mrs. Grey."

As he walked off with her bodily clinging to him, Kagome raised a brow. "It's going to be 'Mrs. Higurashi-Grey' – and don't you forget it, pal."

He threw her onto the bed, smirk still in place, and started unbuttoning his shirt. "As long as I get to call you mine, I don't care."

*Special Thanks to: Meo Sunset (chapter 10), kakashixangela, Deadpool-girl, Taisho no Miko, Bunny.W.K, and Applejax XD!

Meo Sunset: Thank you so much for reviewing! Your words are so kind and highly appreciated (: I enjoyed writing chapters 8 & 10, too, so I'm hoping you also liked the chapters that came after it! :D

kakashixangela: Yeah, it felt like that's what Dean would do in that situation :D It was super fun writing that scene! Thanks for reviewing again!

Deadpool-girl: I agree, I love Kagome paired with Dean (or Sam or Castiel, haha)! I think they'd make the perfect combination. Thank you so much for reviewing again! (:

Taisho no Miko: It felt very 'Dean-like' as I was writing the chapter, so I went with it :D So glad you enjoyed it! Chapter 13 is definitely new for me, so I'm just hoping it came out okay :P Thank you again for reviewing!

Bunny.W.K: Thank you! I'm in the same boat as you, haha :P I only heard about coffee jelly within the last year or so, and Dean felt like the best choice when doing this random prompt :D Glad you enjoyed it! Chapter 13 is definitely new for me, but I went with it, so I'm hoping it just came out good (:

Applejax XD: I can't honestly see him liking coffee jelly, lol! That's why he's so perfect for that prompt :D Thank you so much for reviewing! Hope you liked this chapter, too! (:

Also, a huge thank you to everyone who followed and added this series of random prompts/one-shots to their favorites list (: