Kagome stood in the hallway while Inuyasha and Shippo hauled the last piece of furniture into the old guest room. A thump and a muffled curse followed by the scrape of moving furniture marked the end of a long day of moving. Inuyasha officially lived in the same house as her.

She wasn't exactly sure how she felt about that. The last few weeks were a whirlwind of training, moving, running the shrine, and more training. The box from Kikyo was still sitting in her room waiting to be perused and she kept delaying a sit-down with Miroku and Shippo to discuss their discoveries. Her mixed feelings towards Inuyasha were just another item on a long list of things that were stressing her out.

"You get the hang of the charm yet?" Shippo asked Inuyasha as they joined her in the hall.

"Keh, of course." He touched the rosary and his appearance went from human to hanyo, his yoki flaring around him. He touched it again and his hair shortened and turned a light brown, his eyes changed from gold to bright green, and his yoki disappeared. "Be nice to finally leave the damn shrine, even if I do look like an asshole."

Right, they were venturing out into the real world tonight, just her and Inuyasha. He'd even offered to drive. "I don't think you look like an asshole," Kagome said, looking at his too-short hair. "You just look...different." She wasn't a huge fan but at least his face looked the same.

"Whatever. I'm just ready to be somewhere that isn't here for once."

Kagome tried not to take the comment personally. He was escaping the shrine with her so it wasn't like he was trying to get away from her personally. "It's getting late so I'm gonna start getting ready so we can get out of here." She pushed past the two men and made her way upstairs. She paused at the top when she heard Shippo's voice.

"You gonna talk to her tonight or is Sango gonna have to kick your ass again?"

"Mind your own business, runt. I'm fucking working on it."

Talk to her about what? Their interactions over the last few weeks were down to grunts and waves. There were no more texts, no more conversations over lunch, no more teasing or flirting. He barely felt like an acquaintance at this point. She still wasn't sure why she'd even agreed to this little outing tonight.

"You just need to get out for a while. You're spending all your time training with either Kikyo or Sango. You need to relax. There's no reason we can't let all that shit go for a few hours."

She'd been able to think of several reasons but caved anyway. They really did need to get away from it all and just take a breath. The truth was, despite how much he'd hurt her, she still missed talking to him and just being around him. Tonight she was hoping they could at least get back to being friendly with each other. They didn't need to flirt or text constantly but she wanted to be able to hold a conversation with him.

"Hey, you ready?" Inuyasha called from the bottom of the steps.

"Be down in a minute," she called back.

At the bottom of the steps, Inuyasha tapped his foot. He wasn't sure what compelled him to set this outing up considering they weren't really on speaking terms. He supposed he thought if he got her alone it would be easier to talk to her. And fuck did he need to talk to her. Sango was going to castrate him if he didn't.

He looked up when he heard her coming down the steps. She'd changed into a black skirt with black stockings and a dark red long sleeve sweater. Her hair hung around her shoulders in waves, swaying gently as she walked. The scent of flowers and earth hit his senses and suddenly it was hard to breathe. How long had it been since he let her scent wash over him like this? Too long.

He should say something nice to start the night off on the right foot. "Aren't you going to be cold wearing a skirt?" Fuck.

"I'll be fine, it's only November," she said, rolling her eyes as she walked past him.

He followed her, trying in vain to not stare at her legs or the way her hips swayed under the skirt. When she pulled on knee-high black boots he knew he was done for. He just barely resisted the urge to ask about the practicality of her chosen footwear, as sexy as it was. Surely she was doing this on purpose. His dark jeans, red t-shirt, and black leather jacket didn't look nearly good enough to be seen next to her.

Kagome led the way to her car, pulling her keys out and turning to Inuyasha. "Here ya go," she said, tossing him the keys. "Just listen to the GPS and you'll be fine."

He caught the keys easily, despite his shaking hands. His last two times in a car were…

"You alright?" Kagome asked. "You don't have to drive."

"I'll be fine." He walked around the car and climbed into the driver's seat before he could lose his nerve. He knew how to drive since he'd gotten his license as soon as he turned 18. He just didn't have a lot of experience.

Kagome got in and put her seatbelt on. She motioned for him to do the same before she pulled her phone out to set up the GPS. "There shouldn't be a lot of traffic and we're taking a route that avoids tolls. Just take your time, alright?" She let out an unsteady breath and gripped her phone a little tighter.

"Maybe I should be the one asking if you're alright."

"I'm fine." Her bouncing knee and tapping fingers told a different story but she couldn't seem to stop.

"We don't have to do this. Or you can just drive if that makes you feel better." He reached over and covered the hand that was holding her phone. It relaxed a little under his grip but he could still feel the slight tremble. "Kagome," he tried.

Yes, her hands were shaking but it wasn't just because she was nervous about him driving. Being a passenger brought back bad memories of..."I'll be alright, I promise," she said, looking over at him. He was staring at her, forehead crinkled with concern.

He was about to say something but he didn't want to start their conversation here. He wanted to be away from the shrine, to go somewhere neutral so he could think straight. "Alright," was all he said before letting her go and starting the car. "You really need to get this check engine light looked at."

"Why? The light works fine. It's on all the time." Her tiny smile was met with a look of disapproval.

"You know what I mean," he said and let the conversation drop as he started down the driveway.

He was a little shaky at first, stopping a little too hard and accelerating a little too quickly. A few minutes into the drive though, and he was feeling much more comfortable. Traffic was light and following the little voice coming from Kagome's phone was easy. They traveled in silence, Kagome staring out the window most of the time.

About 20 minutes later, they pulled into a tiny parking lot and parked one spot down from the only other car. A perk to their chosen restaurant: they had their own (free) parking lot. Inuyasha hopped out before Kagome could even get her seatbelt off. He leaped over the car and opened her door for her, holding out a hand to help her up.

She couldn't stop one corner of her mouth from pulling up a little. The intensity of his look and set of his jaw combined with the light blush across his nose and cheeks was almost too much for her to handle. She took the offered hand and thanked him as he pulled her out of the car.

"Not much business this late on a Wednesday," he commented while they were walking towards the door. "At least we'll have some privacy."

"I guess. Don't know what we need privacy for." He was pretty sure she hadn't meant for him to hear the second part. She looked up at him and blushed, probably remembering that he could hear well even without his dog ears showing.

They approached the front of the restaurant and he held the door open for her. A short neko hanyo greeted them warmly and led them to a booth in the far corner of the dining area. There were only four moor booths along the wall and five tables in the middle of the room. Everything was wood with round lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The cushioning for the booths was a deep red trimmed with gold.

Kagome glanced over the small menu, trying very hard not to think about how much this felt like a date. She kept stealing glances across the table and caught Inuyasha staring at her almost every time. It was distracting and the silence stretching between them wasn't helping. The waitress brought their drinks and they ordered their meals. Inuyasha was the first to break the tense silence.

"We need to talk," he said and gave her a serious look.

"Nothing good ever came after those words," she replied. "Should we wait until after we eat?" Not that it mattered since her appetite was almost non-existent anyway.

"No. I want to talk now." He needed to start before he lost his nerve. And hopefully, after everything was out there, they would both be able to relax.

She cleared her throat and ran her fingers over her glass. "Alright then, go for it." She looked at him, heart thundering in her chest.

He took a breath and ran his hand over his face, bracing himself. "First, I'm sorry. For keeping things from you, for putting you through all my bullshit, and...and for that night that I...that we kissed. I'm an asshole and I'm sorry."

It wasn't exactly what she expected but it wasn't a surprise either. "Why?" she asked. "Why wait this long to say anything? Why not just tell me then that you didn't want that with me?"

Sighing, he tried to explain. "You've got it all wrong. I did...I do want that with you. But it's not…we can't just..." He was having trouble finding the right words.

"But it's not what? We can't what?" She averted her eyes and crossed her arms. For a second she'd almost gotten her hopes up.

"It's not that simple." She scoffed but he ignored it, continuing. "I'm scared of what could happen to you."

She glanced back at him but quickly looked away again. She wanted to stay mad and looking at his face and seeing that pleading look was making that difficult. "What could happen? You mean besides emotional whiplash and weeks of awkward looks?"

"Kagome, that's...fuck, that's not it at all and you know it." He would not get angry. He would not ruin this. "Do you know what could happen to you if they find me?" he asked, voice low so only she could hear him. "If something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself. And as much as I want to be with you, I want you safe and alive even more."

Kagome whipped her head up so fast she almost gave herself real whiplash. "So you're telling me you want something with me? And the only reason the last few weeks sucked so much was because you were worried about my safety?"

She looked pissed but he knew he had a point. "What if they find me? What happens to you then? You could end up like…" Like his mother and that wouldn't end well for anyone. He'd hunt down and tear through anyone who hurt her until they fucking killed him. His growl surprised him and he forced himself to take a few deep breaths.

Kagome was still trying to wrap her head around everything. He wanted her, wanted something with her. But he was concerned about her safety? "Nothing would happen to me. You wouldn't let it."

"That's not," he started, not sure how to respond.

"I wouldn't let them take you and you wouldn't let anything happen to me. So what's the problem?" she asked. Her voice was rising, her words coming quicker. "You're saying you left me hanging for three weeks to protect me but I'm still connected to you on some level. What we do personally isn't going to matter if shit hits the fan. Right?"

He stared at her, stunned even though Sango had been saying the same thing for weeks. "I didn't really think-"

"Obviously," she cut him off. Her eyes focused on his face and she sat up a little straighter, her hands coming to rest on the table between them. It was time to cut the shit. "What do you want, Inuyasha?"

His mouth opened and closed a few times. Before he could answer, the waitress showed up with their food. The momentary distraction gave him breathing room and allowed his brain to process the myriad of emotions he was dealing with.

"Did you need anything else?" the woman asked and Inuyasha almost laughed. Did he need anything else?

He looked at Kagome who was waving the waitress away, insisting they were fine. "You," he said when they were alone again.

She gave him a confused look. "Me?"

"You asked what I wanted."

It took a second to process and he knew the instant his words hit home. Her sharp intake of breath, the blush, her heart speeding up… "Oh."

"Keh. All that and all I get is an 'oh.'"

She recovered quickly, letting her lips curve into a wide smile. "I supposed that means this could be considered a date then?"

That caught him off guard. "Um, yeah, I guess. But only if you want it to be," he said. "I know I fucked up and I don't expect you to-"

She waved her hand to stop him. "You're a dumbass but you had good intentions. So, I forgive you." She reached over their plates and took one of his hands, too relieved to care about his fuck-up at the moment. "Plus, Sango told me how many times she's knocked you on your ass, so." She shrugged.

He squeezed her hand before letting go. "That woman is scary."

Kagome giggled and all was right with the world again. Well, mostly right. He was still trying to process that they were on a date now. Was it really that easy? With them, apparently, it was. They fell back into their conversation, all tension evaporating as they caught up on the day-to-day of the last few weeks. It was like that night he ran away from her never happened.

"So how are things going with Kikyo?" he asked a little while later when they were waiting for their dessert.

"Good. Another few weeks and she'll take the last barrier down. Can you feel any of my power?" Hiding her reiki was practically second nature by now. Though it was hard to hide it completely now that most of it was free from its seal.

"Not really," he said, concentrating on her. "I'd probably guess you had some small amount of reiki if I didn't know you but that'd be it."

Kagome clapped once, grinning from ear to ear. "Once the last barrier is down and I can control the last piece of my reiki, I can start working on controlling and using my power. Don't wanna accidentally purify someone."

"Like me. Yeah, no thanks. She hasn't taught you any of that yet?"

"Not really. We've worked a little on my yoki-reading skills but beyond that, she said hiding my power was more important for now. It's not like I'm going to be fighting yokai. I just want to avoid any accidents." She remembered the box sitting on her desk. "I do have something she gave me to go through though. Some history that's supposed to explain why she sealed me."

"You haven't looked at it yet?" He'd seen the box so he knew what she was talking about.

"Not yet. Maybe we could go through it...together?"

Inuyasha nodded, eager for any time spent with her. When they eventually left the restaurant, neither of them were ready for the night to end. Inuyasha got back behind the wheel but didn't start the car.

"Is there...somewhere else you want to go?" he asked while Kagome buckled herself in.

She crossed her arms and tapped her fingers against her bicep. "Hmm, not much to do on a Wednesday night. Although…" She gave him a look, assessing.

He didn't like that look. "What?"

"There's this karaoke bar that me and Sango go to sometimes-"

"No," he cut her off. "No, nope, no thank you, and no again."

Her lip stuck out in a pout and she tilted her head down to look up at him through her lashes. "C'mon Yash, please?"

Yash? Where the fuck did that come from? He'd ask what he did to deserve this but he already knew so… "Fine, get the GPS going." Her little cheer and the smile that lit up her face made it all worth it. Maybe. He still had to survive karaoke before he could make his final judgment.

Kagome hummed while he drove, going over what she wanted to sing in her head. "I won't make you sing. I promise." She looked over at Inuyasha. He was scowling and it was adorable. "Don't be so grumpy."

"I'm not grumpy."

"You are."

"Not."

"Are. Grumpy as a wet cat."

Stopped at a red light, Inuyasha looked over at her. "Nobody says that. That's not a real saying."

"I say it. Are you telling me a wet cat wouldn't be grumpy?" She raised an eyebrow and the corner of her mouth twitched, trying to hide a smile.

Inuyasha turned his attention back to the road, the light turning green. "Maybe it's a cat that likes water," he said under his breath. She couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up and the sound brought a familiar flutter back to Inuyasha's stomach.

They drove for a few more blocks before Inuyasha noticed a pair of headlights in the rearview mirror. It shouldn't have set off any warning bells. They weren't the only people out at this hour. He tried to brush it off, told himself he was just reliving a bad memory. At the next intersection, he made a left.

"Hey, you're supposed to be following the GPS," Kagome said, glancing up in time to see the car behind them make the same turn.

"Right, I know that. Just, I'll make a couple of turns and we'll be back on track." He tried to keep his features neutral so he wouldn't worry her. It was probably nothing. He made another left; the car behind him did the same.

"Is something wrong?" She sat up straight in her seat and glanced into the side mirror, the same headlights shining brightly behind them.

Another left and the car was still behind them. "I think we're being followed," he said, knowing she would figure it out soon enough.

To her credit, she didn't turn to look. Her eyes remained glued on her side mirror as Inuyasha made the last left to take him back to where he started. Sure enough, the car behind them did the same, though they had to know at this point that they were on to them. "Shit," Kagome said under her breath.

"I hate to say this, but heading back to the shrine is probably our best bet." They would be safe behind the barrier, at the very least. He couldn't risk a fight out in the open right now. If any type of law enforcement got involved he was screwed.

"Do you think it's Koga?" Kagome asked. A few quick taps on her phone screen and the GPS started directing them to safety. The car behind them continued to follow, staying a few car lengths behind them. She glanced at her phone and saw they still had 15 more minutes of driving.

"Maybe, or someone who works for him." Inuyasha tried not to glance in the rearview mirror too many times. The lights weren't getting closer but that could easily change. "I wish I knew what the fuck they were doing. Do they just want to see where we go or…? Shit." Or were they planning on attacking them? He'd almost said it out loud but he was trying very hard not to worry Kagome.

Kagome, however, was already pretty worried. If Inuyasha weren't driving he would have surely noticed how bad her hands were shaking. Her heart rate was through the roof and it was getting hard to breathe. "I'm going to try something," she said. "You're going to feel my reiki but it won't hurt you, I promise."

"What are you-" he cut off when he felt her power start to expand. She had incredible control for someone who only had three weeks of practice.

Kagome let her reiki flow around her then started to try and direct it at the car behind them. "Inuyasha, slow down a little and let them get closer. It'll make this easier."

"Be careful," he said, easing his foot off the accelerator. The sudden drop in speed cut the distance between the vehicles in half.

"Wolves," Kagome said after a minute. "Two of them. One yokai and one hanyo, not Koga. They're...they're unsure of something, I think."

Inuyasha almost slammed on the brakes in his shock. How the hell? "How do you know all that?"

"It's part of my training." She pulled her reiki back in, not willing to let it loose when she wasn't concentrating. "When I said I could read yoki, I meant it almost literally. It's why I've been training so much. I'm starting to be able to pick up on emotions, feelings."

He tucked that tidbit away to examine later. "How far are we from the shrine?" he asked.

"About 10 more minutes. Why?"

"Hopefully you're right about them being unsure. Maybe they're just trying to figure out who I am with the concealment charm on."

The headlights started dropping back as Inuyasha accelerated back to a normal speed. To distract from their current situation, he decided to ask a question that had been bothering him since they'd left the shrine. "Kagome, why were you so nervous about me driving tonight?"

"Huh?" she said, not paying attention. "Was I?"

"You had your phone in a death grip and your heart was beating like a damn drum."

"Oh, right. Um…"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, it's alright," she said, turning to look at him. "I always get nervous when other people drive. I was...I was in the car the day my dad...the day he died. I wasn't hurt but he...he didn't-"

"Shit, Kagome. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Hey, stop. It's alright." she rested a hand lightly on his shoulder, noticing the way his hands were tensing on the steering wheel. "It was a long time ago."

They didn't talk anymore after that and the next few minutes were tense but uneventful. When the turnoff for the long driveway came into view, both occupants breathed a small sigh of relief. They were almost to safety. The other car drove past when they made the turn, not bothering to follow them up the driveway. Still, neither of them spoke until they were safely within the barrier, parked, and out of the car.

"Well, that was an exciting end to our first date," Kagome said after taking a few calming breaths. She leaned against the car to steady herself.

Inuyasha walked around and leaned against the hood next to her. "You're not kidding," he mused. "First date...How did we go from not speaking for three weeks to that turning into our first date?"

"Well it's certainly not the normal way to do things," she said, grateful for the lighter topic. "But there's really nothing normal about us at this point. So whatever, I don't mind making it up as we go."

"Same here," Inuyasha agreed, relaxing. An idea struck him. He grabbed her arm gently and spun her to pull her into his chest then tilted her face up with a finger under her chin. "You know what would really make this feel like a first date?"

"I have a few ideas," she said, a little breathlessly. Kagome's heart started beating a frantic rhythm in her chest. Her body was still humming with adrenaline and being pressed against Inuyasha's solid chest wasn't helping. "What did you have in mind?"

Instead of answering, he leaned down and crushed his lips against hers. Her response was immediate, arms coming up to wrap around his neck and pull him closer. He turned them so her ass was against her car, their bodies molded together. His tongue ran along her bottom lip and she opened up eagerly.

She moaned and this time he didn't run away. Her blood was rushing through her veins, heart pounding in her ears. She was on fire and all they were doing was kissing and letting their hands wander. At some point, he'd gotten his hands under her thighs and lifted her so she was sitting on the hood of the car. His hips nestled between her legs and she moaned again when something hard pressed against her.

"Inuyasha," she breathed. He was kissing her neck, running his hands up and down her back, over her arms, her shoulders. It felt like he was everywhere at once and still she wanted more. Her hands tangled in his too-short hair and fuck, she wanted to touch his ears. "Charm, your charm." Somehow she got the words out, hoping he understood.

Inuyasha was lost in her, in the taste of her skin, in how her breasts pressed against his chest, in all the little sounds she was making. How he'd resisted this for the last three weeks would forever be a mystery. Somewhere in the haze of pleasure, he heard his name then the word charm. One hand cupped her neck and he kissed her again with almost bruising force. His other hand touched the rosary, revealing his silver hair and dog ears for her pleasure.

Her delicate hands immediately found his ears and she began tracing the edges before gently rubbing them between her fingers. He buried his face in her neck and groaned. His hips ground against her and he was rewarded with her sharp intake of breath and throaty moan.

"Kagome. Fuck, you feel so good." He received a breathy chuckle as a reply. They kissed and explored for a few more minutes before he managed to regain some semblance of control and pulled back to meet her eyes. Trailing his fingers over her flushed cheek, he smiled and let one fang show over his lip.

She returned his smile and leaned forward to rest her forehead against his. "That was a very pleasant way to end our first date. Five stars, second date material." She snorted, the sound out of place but cute as fuck nonetheless. "Would not recommend to friends because he's all mine."

He groaned but there was nothing sexual about it this time. "I'm both flattered and embarrassed by how corny that was."

"Jerk," she said, giving his ear a gentle tug.

"Maybe. But at least I'm your jerk." He pulled back, searching her face. "That is, if that's what you want."

She tilted her head and gently ran her finger along one of his ears. "Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, dog boy?"

His voice deserted him and all he could do was nod once, his stomach clenching while he waited for her answer.

She leaned in and kissed him, a gentle brush of her lips against his. "As long as you promise not to do anything stupid to 'protect' me. No running off without a word and avoiding me. We talk about that stuff from now on, alright?"

He finally found his voice. "Alright, girlfriend."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "And don't just call me 'girlfriend' now. I still have a name, you know."

"Do I have to come up with some corny pet name now?" he teased. "Like honey or sweetie or pumpkin?" He made a face with each new suggestion.

"I'm sure you'll come up with something. You act like you've never had a girlfriend before."

He blushed and looked away from her. "I uh, I haven't. Kept myself pretty busy, you know, before shit happened."

"Damn, I'm sorry. I didn't realize-"

"Hey, it's alright," he said, stopping her apology. "I'm not complaining or anything. Just, it's all new for me, all of it, so go easy on me, ok?"

Kagome blushed, catching some of the implications. The intensity of their little make-out session would not have led her to believe he was a virgin. It only made her want him even more.

"Why are you turning red, woman?"

"No reason," she said, somehow managing to sound normal despite the sudden surge of arousal.

His nose twitched and he smirked. "No reason, huh?"

Shit, he could smell her? Damn his sharp senses. "We should probably head in, it's getting late," she said, not wanting to go too far so soon after making up. "I really need to go to bed. To sleep," she emphasized.

He chuckled but helped her off the car, keeping his hands in neutral territory. They held hands as they made their way inside, both thankful that everyone else had turned in for the night. At the bottom of the steps, they shared another chaste kiss before reluctantly separating for the night.