With sapphire eyes still burning through him, Kagome slowly pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and grinned, a blatant hunger seeping into her stare. He waited, his heart pounding while his mind caught up to his actions, watching Kagome with bated breath as her hands unraveled. Inuyasha's head tilted to the side as she revealed the satin tie she had purchased at Jizzney Land while he had been busy chasing their friends. He raised a single brow in surprise and intrigue as Kagome shifted on top of him, her nimble fingers wrapping the fabric around one of his wrists before the other, then tying them together behind his back, with a mischievous smirk so hot and suggestive it would surely send even him to an early grave. And he'd happily go.

"Well?" Kagome murmured, her lips ghosting over his after securing the tie, "are you going to kiss me now or not, Inuyasha?"

He had a million questions springing forward, not the least of which was, 'where the hell did she get the tie?!' None of his questions really mattered though. None were anywhere close to being more pressing than his insatiable need to taste her again.

Which suited him fine, words were never his forte…

Inuyasha crashed his lips into hers, reveling in her instantaneous response and the unrivaled feeling of her soft, smooth lips coming together with his. Kagome pressed her entire body into him, molding herself against him desperate for some form of touch. Even if his hands couldn't glide across her body like she desired, feeling the rest of him, the way his heart pounded in his chest and the rush of his lips against hers, would have to be enough.

When their lips met, something snapped in Kagome's brain. She no longer cared about where they were, who they were out with, or anything. Her only interest was him. She'd spent days essentially petting him and begging for crumbs in return. But this was different. He was hungry and she could feel it. Even with his hands tied behind his back, Kagome felt him press back into her, refusing to let even a thin film of air exist between their bodies. And she was more than happy to oblige.

Kagome dug her hands into his silver hair, rolling her hips against him and gasping in fervent delight when she felt a low growl reverberate across his chest. It wasn't sharp or vicious like when he was upset and it wasn't gruff or short like when he was annoyed, it was low and wanton as it hummed across him further exciting her. 'Almost like a purr,' she thought cheekily to herself and only to herself, uninterested in ending the moment between them by comparing him in any form to a cat.

Time felt like it stood still between them, each refusing to break apart for fear that if they did they would never return, that it would signify some finale - that this would be the last time they could be like this with another. Even as song after song played in the background, even as Inuyasha's ears flickered occasionally picking up on some other person walking by, his attention was immediately pulled back by Kagome's hands running all over him or by her lips reminding him why no one else would ever fucking compare. Even as the world moved around them, they refused to part. They refused to it end.

Until a familiar yet unwelcome voice began to tug at the edges of Inuyasha's consciousness. He had no interest in wasting the mental effort or risking the physical break to ascertain who the voice belonged to or what it was saying. All he knew was that the voice didn't belong to Kagome and, thus, it wasn't worth paying attention to.

No, not when kissing her felt like drinking from an elixir crafted by the gods themselves only to be bestowed upon him at that dingy bar in fucking Florida. He didn't give two shits who it was, Inuyasha leaned in more, practically crying in joy as Kagome's arms wrapped around him, pressing him into her intimately and refusing to let go.

Like him, she could barely make out someone attempting to get their attention, but she was drowning and didn't want to be saved. Kagome wanted to suffocate in the brilliant and majestic mess that was her current lip-lock with her best friend.

Someone cleared their throat next to Inuyasha, the sound louder and closer than it had been a moment earlier, and this time, the growl that ran through him was irate. 'Who the hell?!' He thought angrily, trying to ignore it until the obnoxious and incessant fake coughing began.

"Inuyasha! I know you can hear us!"

His head fell back immediately, breaking the contact with Kagome to his immediate and unrelenting dismay, before he let his head loll to the side, dryly facing Sango and Miroku as they stood at the end of the booth.

Kagome sat up straight, swallowing hard and blinking quickly, taking in her surroundings for the first time in… hours.

"Bar is closing. We gotta go," Miroku stated flatly, his hair sticking up at odd ends and lips just as red as Inuyasha imagined his might be.

"Oh," Kagome mumbled, noticing that the other patrons were leaving and that all the lights had been turned on, while silently wondering to herself when the hell that had happened and how had she not noticed?! "Right," she muttered, reluctantly sliding off Inuyasha then adjusting herself.

"Um, can we go?" Sango asked impatiently, glaring at Inuyasha.

He narrowed his eyes right back at her before turning to Kagome, "can you, uh, can you un-tie me now?"

"Oh, right," Kagome laughed nervously, reaching behind him and removing the satin tie, purposely avoiding both Sango's surprised and Miroku's utterly entertained gazes.

"Have fun?" Miroku inquired in jest to Kagome as she passed.

"Shut up," she hissed, shoving the tie in her bag and stalking toward the exit, her cheeks burning so brightly she was sure that her blush would have been clear even in the dead of night.

They walked back in a disjointed group, each quietly contemplating the bets they'd all entered into. Sango snuck longing glances over at Miroku pretending she hadn't enjoyed what little contact he was able to give her, while Kagome chewed on her bottom lip reliving the pure bliss it had been to have been so close to Inuyasha. Miroku sighed heavily, violet eyes cut downward trying and failing not to acknowledge how little he cared about anything other than Sango, and Inuyasha walked silently, gold eyes staring upward, his heart sinking in his chest as he reached an unsavory realization.

Kagome entered their shared hotel space first, nervously walking back to their room and rummaging through her suit case for her night clothes. Attempting to be stealthy, she bundled her vibrator in with her pajamas, intending to covertly bring her new friend into the bathroom with her before her much needed shower.

"Where'd you get the tie?" Inuyasha asked absentmindedly from behind her.

Kagome's entire body became rigid before she slowly turned to face him, clutching the bundle of clothing tightly in her hands. "Uh, I, erm… I bought it…"

"Yeah," he replied dryly, looking nothing if not bored with her response, "where?"

Kagome sighed heavily, refocusing her gaze on the clothes in her hand before mumbling out, "Jizzney Land."

"Ah… that all you buy?" He pressed, a tiny smirk playing across his lips before quickly falling back to a frown.

Her head snapped back, sapphire gaze narrowing as she perceived him. "What's it to you?"

"Just askin'," Inuyasha exhaled, walking by her toward his stuff at the other end of the room.

Kagome pursed her lips, standing with her things in hand. She chose not to otherwise engage, then walked into the bathroom, closing the door and placing her things on the sink. Her hands reached behind her, grasping the zipper to her pleather skirt and attempted to pull it down. "Fuck," she mumbled, fidgeting with the damn thing, pulling it up and down over and over before realizing it would not budge. "Inuyasha?!" She called, opening the bathroom door.

"What?" He answered, sounding every bit as annoyed as he looked.

"Can you help me?" She whined, "my zipper is stuck again…"

"Seriously?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes but walked over to her all the same. "Turn around," he demanded, grumbling nonsense behind her as he began to work on the zipper.

"What is your problem?" Kagome bit back, "it's just a stupid zipper I need help with but you're acting like I'm propositioning you for something wrong! It's not like I'm asking you to undress me or anything. Friends help friends! And we are friends after all…"

The last sentence came out far more bitter than Kagome had intended, leaving her to tightly suck in air.

She wasn't sure what response she was expecting - or even hoping for - from Inuyasha, but it wasn't the dark, strangled, self-deprecating bark of a laugh that she heard. "What's wrong?" She asked again, turning to face him even though the zipper hadn't been fixed.

His hands fell to his sides, shaking his head as he chewed on the inside of his cheeks, "friends? No… we aren't just friends anymore." Inuyasha looked away from her, unable to meet her gaze as he gulped down the hard truth that he couldn't just… he couldn't participate in this charade anymore. It was too… real to him.

"I-I don't understand…" Kagome swallowed thickly, her eyes widening in shock and pain, immediately devastated at the prospect of not having him in her life anymore. 'Did I… did I push him too far this evening?'

"Friends don't know what you taste like," Inuyasha stated firmly, running a clawed hand through his hair before turning away from her. "I think I should switch rooms with Sango and stay with Miroku for the rest of the trip…"

"What?! Why?!" Kagome cried, walking over to him. "Is it because of tonight?! I know we didn't discuss the tie when setting up boundaries-"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha snapped, whirling around to face her, "I don't want to play this game anymore! I don't give a shit about the bets!"

"I thought… I thought… who said anything about the bets?" She questioned softly, desperately grappling in her mind for a coherent thought that wasn't pure panic brought on by the prospect of him leaving.

"You do! Every damn day! This-this isn't fun for me," Inuyasha replied, lowering his voice, ears drooping at the same time. "I-I can't keep doing this."

"I don't-"

"I like you," he interrupted. "Okay? I fucking like you. A lot and… This hurts!"

Kagome stood in silence for a moment, letting his words wash over her repeatedly in her mind - 'I like you, I like you, I like you, I like you' - before looking back at him. "I think… In that case… I think I can convince you to stay…" She murmured, stepping closer to him, her heart pounding and body flooding with excitement. 'He likes me!'

Inuyasha rolled his eyes immediately irate. Did she not understand?! He didn't want fiction, he wanted real; hot-blooded physical and overwhelming-all-rational thought type real. And she had just said moments earlier that they were friends… friends wasn't going to cut it for him. Not until he got his shit under control, away from her. "Kagome… I'm not playing. If this is about the bets again…" He bemoaned, running a hand through his bangs, unable to look at her.

"Who said anything about the bets?" She pushed, walking over to him.

"I-I don't understand what you're saying," he growled, burning amber turning to face her and pausing, his mouth parting slightly and eyes blowing wide as Inuyasha took in Kagome's molten gaze. "K-Kagome?" He stammered taken aback by what he saw, feeling a familiar yearning heat creep through his system.

"I'm telling you to stay… forget the stupid bets," she whispered, hands landing on his chest and curling around his shirt, gripping him tightly. "And… while you're at it… help me out of this damn zipper."

"Ka-Kagome… wha-"

Rolling her eyes impatiently, Kagome pulled him down, into her, wrapping an arm around his neck and kissing him with a gusto fueled by the years of pent up and repressed feelings she had for him, refusing to let go until she felt the absolute ecstasy of his arms draping around her in return, pressing her into him. Kagome pushed herself flush up against him, gripping him tightly and refusing to back down.

He needed to get her message loud and clear. When she felt his grip tighten and hands wander over her, Kagome felt confident that her favorite dense idiot was finally on the same page as her.

Pulling back incrementally, Kagome sucked on his bottom lip for a beat before speaking, "I like you too, 'kay? And I hate to be a nag about this but… I'm a little… frustrated… so… could you help me with the fucking zipper… please?"

Inuyasha nodded his head but couldn't hide the overwhelming smile that painted his face, noticing that she still clung to him and the way her heart hammered in her chest, matching the rosy flush that painted her cheeks. "How much do you like that skirt?" He whispered, breath tickling her ear as he leaned over slightly, refusing to break their contact now that they were in the privacy of their hotel room and there was no opportunity for Miroku or Sango to interrupt.

"Right now? Not very much," Kagome murmured in a breathy whisper that had him near choking with delight and anticipation.

Wordlessly, Inuyasha slipped a clawed finger between the edge of the skirt and her skin then dragged it down, ripping open the flimsy pleather until there was enough space for her to step out of it entirely.

"Your bed or mine?" Kagome brazenly asked next, kicking the skirt to the side and watching his dark pupils broaden, seeing the lace thong that matched her bralette.

"How is that not a bra?!" He exclaimed, pointing at the matching set.

"Really? Really?! That's what you want to do right now? You want to fight me on the classification of my apparel right now?!" She spat back, placing her hands on her seductive hips.

"I'm just sayin'!" He quipped, as Kagome stepped forward and pushed him backwards, choosing to fuck him on his bed seeing as he was evidently too preoccupied with her damn clothes to answer her question.

"Ugh, whatever," Kagome mumbled, hands dropping to the zipper on his shorts, "can we have that discussion later?!"

"Depends, does this bralette have a clasp in the back?" He sneered, trying and failing to hide his jubilation at her ardent and overt desire to take things up a notch.

[Scene Available on Archive of Our Own – Cut to comply with FF Rules]

"So," Kagome began, watching him pad across the room and toss out the condom. "You…ah… you really like me?"

Inuyasha paused mid-walk to face her, shaking his head in disbelief. Was she really questioningthat now as if it weren't plainly obvious to anyone with eyes?! "Yeah… I do. I have for years."

"Right…"

"Why don't you believe me?" He snapped, a black brow raising in question.

"Um, because in high school…"

"In high school what?" He pressed, crossing his arms over his chest and head tilting to the side.

Blushing and looking down at the terrible hotel carpet, Kagome fidgeted with her fingers. "Well… in high school I asked you if you wanted to go on a date and you said no…"

"What are you talking about? You never asked me on a date," Inuyasha scoffed. "I think I woulda remembered that."

"I totally did!" Kagome protested, looking up at him, "I asked if you wanted to go on a group date with Yuka and Eri and I!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes openly and in exaggeration, "no… you asked if I wanted to join you all at the movies, which… I didn't… They were annoying enough in school! Eri talked through all the movies!"

"It was going to be a group date! They were bringing their boyfriends!" Kagome explained, sighing in exasperation. "I was asking you to be my date for that!"

"Why would I want to go on a group date?" Inuyasha questioned, narrowing his gaze, "I don't give a fuck what they do! I just like you!"

Kagome huffed, rolling her eyes, but smiled back at him anymore. Did it really matter anymore? Probably not. Even if it had taken longer than she would have preferred, Kagome grinned happily because they had still managed to come together. 'All because of Sango and her stupid bet…'

Stepping up to her, rolling his eyes for a second time though his smile drained it of any bite, Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome. He held her close to him, enjoying the simple pleasure of having her in his arms, before whispering, "so… where'd you hide the vibrator, you filthy liar?"


The next morning, Kagome's hands flailed over her head desperately for a pillow. Her evening with Inuyasha had been fine, perfectly and totally fine, save for the utter lack of sleep. They had ended up taking a shower together, he had found her vibrator as they got ready for that, then he had made fun of her endlessly for hiding it from him before deciding to test the limits of her coordination with shower sex.

The man was incorrigible… and she loved every goddam second.

[Scene Available on Archive of Our Own – Cut to comply with FF Rules]

"You think Sango and Miroku realize they won the bets now?" Kagome joked, sliding off of him and settling into the crook in his arm, listening as his heart rate incrementally returned to its normal pace. A gentle peace settled over her as she rested on his chest, looking up at him giddily, basking in the rays of day light as the sun climbed and drinking in his warm amber gaze.

Inuyasha laughed as he curled an arm around her, keeping Kagome close, intent on not letting her leave his side then or ever, "something tells me they haven't quite figured it out."


"Stop it," Inuyasha hissed, glaring over at Kagome who stared back at him, her sapphire gaze mixed with a sinful heat that had him wishing they'd never left the hotel room. There were still so many surfaces they had not sullied yet and he had already crafted at least ten different ways he was going to pay Kagome back for refusing to let him touch her and that little stunt with the vibrator she pulled. Yes, so many delicious ways he wanted to play with her and yet… they were at brunch… waiting for their friends… who were late. Thereby prolonging his next opportunity to be alone with her and make up for lost time by memorizing every damn curve and line of her body.

Kagome pouted, next to him, her hand running up and along his thigh as if the bets were still on instead of definitely over after she'd elicited the most wretched and wrecked moan he'd ever produced in his goddam life - that he'd sworn her to secrecy over immediately after. That embarrassing sound was for her ears only.

"Sango and Miroku are late," she stated like it wasn't an obvious fact that he was fully aware of. "What's wrong with having a little fun in the mean time?"

"You're playing with fire and you know that," he growled back, watching her lips move as she spoke, having trouble getting the image of her riding him that morning out of his mind.

"Oh… fire," she murmured, leaning closer next to him in the booth, her lips dancing over the edges of his ear just like they had earlier when she had fried his brain for at least a solid thirty minutes. "I like fire… the way the flames lick and lap up everything with a tantalizing and carnal heat, begging to be quenched," Kagome continued, the pads of her fingers pulling at the top of his shorts, her warm breath dancing over him before she placed a tender kiss on his ear.

"You're not playing fair," Inuyasha whined, flicking his ears back, flat against his head, and away from her ridiculous mouth.

Kagome sighed dramatically, "fair?… I believe you mentioned that I was… let's see… how did you phrase it? Oh, yeah, that I was cute enough to 'eat out' and yet… that never happened. Now, that doesn't seem fair to me…" She teased, dipping her fingers slightly below the surface into his shorts.

"Cut. It. Out." He snapped, attempting and failing to stay calm. Inuyasha wasn't going to make it through brunch alive. That much was slowly becoming obvious to him. Kagome was going to kill him. And he… he didn't hate it… But he also did. A little.

He and Kagome hadn't really talked about them… They had gone from zero to sixty in a matter of minutes the prior night and hadn't actually taken a fucking second since then to clarify things. Important things like… when they returned home whose bed would they break first or whether shirts and pants should be optional moving forward or, you know, whether she was interested in going steady after the thrill of sleeping with him waned. "I think we need to refrain from any further antagonizing until we can talk."

She rolled her eyes in frustration but pulled away, respecting his request. Kagome worried her lip then took a long, drawn out sip of her water. 'Maybe this will quench my thirst for a minute…'

"Well, well, look who decided to show up," Inuyasha mocked, grinning wickedly as Miroku walked toward their table.

Kagome turned and sputtered, nearly spitting out her water as she took him in. Miroku's hair stuck up at odd ends in various different places and he was wearing the same shirt he'd had on the day before, but it was the various hickeys that littered his lower neck that had Kagome not only gaping but modestly covering the lone hickey on her collarbone with a free hand. "Um… wow… sleep well?" Kagome teased her voice a little hoarse after her morning - and evening - and earning her a quick side glance from Miroku while she remained unable to pull her eyes off of him as he took a seat across from Inuyasha. Kagome drank in the ludicrous view that was his current state of existence.

"I did, thank you for asking!" He beamed, the bags under his eyes telling a very different story.

"Where is-"

"Sorry!" Sango called, racing over to the table and hurriedly scooting into the booth next to Miroku looking far more put together than he, though her concealer did little to hide her dark circles. "Sorry! I know, I know, I'm late! I had a fight with my blow dryer."

"Right," Inuyasha sneered, "is that what people are calling it nowadays?"

Her mulberry eyes burned near red as Sango glared back at Inuyasha. "Excuse me? What exactly are you implying here?"

Turning to Miroku, who was still grinning like a fool utterly unashamed or concerned but, if anything, parading around in the evidence of his evening, Inuyasha lifted a black brow and offered his friend the opportunity to come clean first, "you have anything you want to fess up to?"

Miroku's smile faltered as he joined Sango in glaring at the half-demon, unappreciative of the smug look on the man's face. Both sat stiffly, quietly waiting while Inuyasha's smirk broadened. He purposely let the silence hang between them all, simmering pleasantly in his goading and gloating as Sango and Miroku became increasingly more fidgety.

Kagome's gaze flitted between the people in front of her. "What's going on here?" She asked cautiously, her eyes landing on Inuyasha who looked more over-confident than usual.

"Sango and Miroku had sex last night," Inuyasha stated, "isn't that right?"

"Damn fucking ears," Sango snarled, crossing her arms over her chest aggressively, turning away from his cocky stare.

"Ah ha!" Kagome exclaimed, standing up from her seat, nearly knocking the table over in the process, "I told you!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Sango scoffed, "you were right! So what?! Bite me!" She replied bitterly, refusing to look her friend in the eye.

"Looks like you did enough of that last night…" Inuyasha commented, chuckling as Miroku finally attempted to cover up the purple bruises marring his pale skin muttering curses under his breath at Inuyasha. "Oh don't give me that!" He pushed back, "you're literally wearing the same shirt as last night! You're gloating about having sex at brunch! Don't act like this was supposed to be some big secret!"

"You're just jealous," Sango bit back, tossing a deadly glare at Inuyasha who merely found the attempt to be threatening more entertaining.

"Yup, you got me," he laughed, "I'm so jealous I can't even stand it. Who wouldn't want to have you take a bite out of them? After all you must have been ravenous," Inuyasha practically sang, golden gaze boring into her.

Sango chewed on the inside of her cheek, immediately recalling her earlier goading of Inuyasha outside the elevator on their first night in Florida.

"Hope you got your fill," Inuyasha snarked as her cheeks burned and Sango failed to come up with a good retort, her mouth flapping open then closed until all she could do was shake her head angrily.

"So," Miroku interrupted, "should we hang out by the pool later today? I don't think we've been yet and it looks really nice… has a bar on site…"

"I like that plan," Kagome mumbled back, lifting up her menu to take a look at the food for a change of pace, listening as Sango and Inuyasha continued to jest each other over her and Miroku. Kagome was genuinely famished after her evening with Inuyasha and while she knew that she would eventually have to tell Sango that she and Inuyasha hadn't really won the bets, for the time being Kagome was thoroughly enjoying watching the woman squirm after trying to deny her attraction to Miroku for… ever. And, Kagome figured, what was the harm in letting Inuyasha have a little fun too?

'I'll tell Sango later,' she resolved , 'at the pool. Where there are other people… so she can't easily murder me.'


Miroku sighed in contentment, laying out on one of the lounge chairs next to Inuyasha after brunch. It had taken both Kagome and Miroku to convince Sango to refrain from throwing food at the half-demon during brunch and Kagome stepping on Inuyasha's foot under the table for them to finish their food. "What a splendid day!" He exclaimed, stretching out, enjoying the sunshine and the crisp ale at his side.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, only half paying attention to his friend's weak attempt at gloating while his phone went off again. Sango had practically yanked Kagome's arm off when she pulled the woman toward the other end of the pool when they arrived, summarily declaring that she needed "girl time" with Kagome. Evidently, girl time wasn't that interesting because almost as soon as Kagome and Sango had settled into their spots next to the pool Inuyasha's phone had began incessantly buzzing.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?" Miroku accused, sitting up and looking over at Inuyasha, his violet eyes drawn to the phone in Inuyasha's hand, watching irately as the man's clawed thumbs moved rapidly across the screen. "Please, please tell me you are not texting Kikyo right now! Look, I know that you might be feeling a little… envious of my truly spectacular evening with Sango - I mean… the woman is flexible - and I think I understand why… there's only so much your right hand can really do-"

"Stop," Inuyasha growled, pulling his gaze off his messages to give Miroku a warning. "I could care less about you and Sango fucking. Just, next time, don't cry at the end."

"I did not cry!" He hissed indignantly.

"Fine, don't weep, whatever…" Inuyasha exhaled sharply, feeling his phone vibrate again in his hands and groaning out loud at the intrusion. Kagome had accepted that he hadn't wanted to be heavily pet in public until they talked but apparently she thought she was cute by sending him a never ending stream of text messages that were more than a little suggestive.

"Okay, but seriously… who are you texting? Your phone is more active than my drug dealer's," Miroku teased. He didn't really have a drug dealer and Inuyasha knew that but the point was valid regardless.

"It's Kagome," Inuyasha bit out, looking down at the long line of sexts she was sending him from across the pool where she and Sango looked engrossed in conversation. "How the hell do her fingers move that fucking fast?" He grumbled to himself, rolling his eyes as she sent him another message promising to take him to Jizzney Land for a "real ride."

"Wha-what, uh… what is she saying?" Miroku asked anxiously, leaning to peer over Inuyasha's shoulder and get a look at the messages, worried that it had to do with his late night with Sango, and more precisely, what Sango might have thought about it.

"None of your business," Inuyasha snapped, clenching his jaw and shaking his head as her next message consisted of mainly egg plant emojis and donuts, with a couple winky faces.

"You would tell me if I was a bad lover, right?"

"What the fuck?!" Inuyasha exclaimed surprised by his friend's question and growing more impatient with Kagome's messages. Facing Miroku for the first time since Kagome began assaulting his phone with her overwhelming thirst, Inuyasha replied "why the hell would you ask me that?!"

"Because you're talking with Kagome! What do you think 'girl time' refers to?! It's when they talk about us!"

"I always talk with Kagome!" Protested Inuyasha, feeling his phone vibrate again and shaking his head. The woman was persistent.

"Yeah but she's over there talking to Sango, after Sango and I hooked up! It's suspicious!"

"Okay… and?! What does that have to do with anything?!"

"I know you're talking about me! Let me see the phone!" Miroku demanded in a huff.

"No!"

"Inuyasha!" He cried, glaring at his friend. "You're being a bad friend!"

"I have a right to privacy!" The half-demon insisted, cursing Kagome mentally for leaving him with an insecure Miroku hell bent on reading the sexts she was teasing him with. Did she not realize how little swim trunks hid?!

"Yeah against the government, not me!" Miroku exclaimed before launching himself from his chair across Inuyasha and flailing for the half-demon's phone, elbowing the half-demon in the side and causing Inuyasha to gag from the pain and impact.

"Get off!" Inuyasha insisted, his demand ignored by his friend who was practically laying on top of him still reaching for his phone and tossing elbows a little too close to Inuyasha's face and with his knee positioned a little too close to Inuyasha's family jewels. "We are not talking about you!"

"Liar!" Miroku spat.

"It's my phone!"

"Just let me see! Come on! I'm your friend! What are you hiding from me?"

"No and nothing!"

"Why not?! I know everything else about you and your crush on her! Just show me the fucking phone!" He insisted, pushing himself further up along Inuyasha's body.

"Miroku!" Inuyasha snapped, coughing as the man pressed down on his chest.

Inuyasha closed his grip around the hand held device, attempting to keep it from Miroku's greedy paws but Miroku dug both of his hands into the crevices between Inuyasha's fingers and the phone, prying his hand open then successfully freeing it from Inuyasha's grasp before rolling off to the side.

"Ha!" Miroku exclaimed triumphantly, standing and looking down at the messages, while Inuyasha became momentarily paralyzed by fear.

"Miroku!" Inuyasha snarled, getting to his feet and stalking over, his heart racing in his chest while his friend scrolled rapidly through the text messages before then slowing down, eyes pausing over the screen reading what Kagome had been sending Inuyasha all morning after brunch. The half-demon swallowed thickly, ears dropping as he waited for Miroku to do or say something. He just stood there for what felt like a century, blinking down at the messages.

Slowly, Miroku turned, facing him, phone still in hand. "You… and… Kagome…."

"Miroku… give me back the phone…" Inuyasha requested, his voice low and cautious, unsure of what to do next. Yeah, he and Kagome were going to tell them but… they still hadn't. And Inuyasha had spent the better part of the last two hours giving Sango and Miroku shit for the same thing he and Kagome had done.

"Not until you admit it…" He demanded. "You and Kagome… had sex…" The last word came out as a squeal and Inuyasha watched in abject horror as Miroku's previously stern expression morphed into a weird mix of pride and unfettered glee. Inuyasha half-expected the man to burst into song on the spot like some half-baked musical or SNL skit. He would have preferred yelling or screaming even a smack on the head to Miroku's unyielding jubilance.

"Fine, yes," Inuyasha muttered quickly, his cheeks burning red. "Now can I have my fucking phone back?!"

Miroku nodded slowly, extending his hand and placing the phone back in Inuyasha's hands, grinning up at him like he'd won the fucking lottery instead of merely learning about his friends' tryst.

"Would you stop looking at me like that?" Bemoaned Inuyasha, feeling uncomfortable under his friends strange smile.

"I fucking love Florida man. Sex is in the air."

"I will drown you…"


Sango sipped angrily at her drink. "What? You're not going to gloat like Inuyasha did all morning?"

Kagome sat by quietly, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she waited. Sango was still riled up and… shy. "No, I'm not going to make fun of you or gloat. I'm genuinely happy for you."

"That's almost worse," she whined, placing her drink off to the side and dramatically falling back in her lounge chair, casting a brief glance over to the boys and pretending not to notice Kagome sneak a quick text.

"How?"

"Because… the bet was that you and Inuyasha were supposed to end up together! Not… me and Miroku…"

"Actually, I'm pretty sure that is exactly what I had bet on happening," Kagome replied, biting down on her lip before sending Inuyasha a provocative message with a healthy dose of innuendo.

"I like him, okay? There I said it!" She groaned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I would hope so because he's absolutely smitten with you and would have been heart broken if last night was the end of it," Kagome answered, daring to take a quick look over at the boys. Her heart fluttered in her chest as her gaze landed on Inuyasha and the way the light emphasized his ethereal appearance.

Kagome turned back to face her friend, worrying her lip before looking down at her phone. 'When would be a good time to break the news to her…'

"You think?" Sango mumbled quietly. "I-I know he's a bit of a flirt…"

"So… talk to him," she suggested.

Sango pursed her lips and sighed loudly before reaching for her drink. "I guess…" she muttered, barely turning back when she noticed dramatic movement across the pool. "Hey, uh… what's going on over there?"

"Wha-" Kagome turned, following Sango's eye line and immediately stiffening. Her mouth ran dry as her sapphire gaze caught Miroku climbing over Inuyasha reaching for his phone. The same phone she had been texting. The same phone that contained a litany of dirty and x-rated promises for Inuyasha's amber eyes only. "Fuck," she muttered, immediately getting to her feet and half-running half-walking around the pool leaving a confused Sango to trail behind her.

"Kagome!" Sango called, getting up and following immediately.

Kagome bit down on her bottom lip, hard, the sound of her heart thundering in her chest pushing out all other noises. She watched anxiously as Miroku pulled the phone out of Inuyasha's hands, leaving her-her… boyfriend? Lover? Hook-up?! What even were they now?! - Leaving Inuyasha coughing on the side before he finally got to his fucking feet.

Even before Kagome got halfway there she could see that the damage was done though as Miroku's expression shifted and body stiffened. "Fuck, fuck, fuckitty-fuck," she muttered, picking up her pace.

"I will drown you," was all she heard as she finally approached. "H-Hey… everything alright?" She stammered nervously, a strained smile painted on her face as she attempted to act calm.

"Oh Kagome," Miroku proclaimed, violet eyes dancing with joy as he clapped his hands together and walked up to her. "How lovely it is to see you!"

"Uh, you too…" she mumbled, blushing and nibbling furiously on her bottom lip while Miroku stared at her with a wolfish grin.

"Would you mind keeping Inuyasha company for a moment while I get a refill? It seems I've spilled my beer," he finally stated, eyes dancing in delight at her discomfort while Sango approached from behind.

"Uh, er, sure," Kagome muttered, watching him closely as he leaned in closer to her.

"So you fucked him against the window, huh? Nice," Miroku whispered as he passed by, his gaze flickering over to Sango just as she arrived behind Kagome. "Sango! Why don't you accompany me to the bar? I think these two need a second to chat."

Kagome chewed on the insides of her cheek, watching him drape an arm around Sango's shoulders before guiding her toward the bar. "He knows…"

Inuyasha pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers and sighed heavily. "You just couldn't fucking help yourself, could ya? Just had to sext me forty times in a row…"

"Hey," she hissed. "Last I checked you were feeding it not stopping it! Plus, you're the one that spent all morning harassing them when you knew we'd lost too!"

He rolled his eyes and let his hand drop, "well? What do we do now?"

Kagome shrugged, "does it matter? Miroku will probably tell Sango, Sango will threaten some form of physical harm but…" She grinned, letting her gaze drag over him. "Now we can have some real fun."

Inuyasha sighed loudly, "Kagome, I don't… I don't really care about the… sex…" He grimaced as he spoke. Of course he cared about the sex but there were other more important things, right? Like making sure that she didn't want to have sex with other, for example. That seemed important too.

"I… I don't understand…" She began, worrying her lip. "Wa-was it… bad?"

"No!" He insisted quickly, intent on stopping that train before it fully left the station. "That's not what I'm saying. What I'm trying to say is that… I just want… you."

"Okay…"

Eyes cast downwards, nervous despite having spent the better part of the evening prior being with naked with her, Inuyasha continued. "W-What are you interested in?"

"I am also interested in you…" She stated, her head tilting to the side in confusion. "What's happening right now? Did Miroku hit you in the head?"

He let out a frustrated scoff and ran a hand through his bangs, "I mean… would you be interested… in… maybe… being… mine and maybe… trying a relationship and my, uh, my…?" Inuyasha bit down on his lip, shaking his head and internally lambasting his idiocy. Was it really that hard to ask her to be his girlfriend? The burning blush on his cheeks and sudden constricting of his lungs said that it was.

Kagome felt the blush creep along her skin as she looked down at the concrete below her feet, a shy smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "You mean like… as your girlfriend?"

"Yes," he replied flatly and with a sudden exhale of air, ears pressed against his head and nerves dissipating when he looked at her. He almost let out a barking laugh in relief seeing her rosy cheeks and adorable smile while she fidgeted with her fingers unable to look at him.

"I'd like that too…" Kagome murmured, slowly lifting her gaze to meet his.

"Good," he replied. "Delete the wolf's number. Now."

"Are you fucking serious?!" Kagome roared, forgetting her shyness. "If this was all just a trick to get me to stop talking to Koga-"

He rolled his eyes immediately. "It's not a trick!" Inuyasha spat, stepping forward.

"Then let me decide whose number I keep!" Kagome hissed.

"You spent all morning sexting me and you're really trying to keep his number in your phone?!"

"No!" She pushed back, getting on her tip toes and yelling back. "But, just because we're dating doesn't mean you can dictate who I text!"

"I don't care who you text! As long as it's not that fleabag!" Inuyasha insisted.

Kagome shook her head, looking back at him and his fiery gaze. She would delete Koga's number… later when he wasn't paying attention. For now, what Kagome really wanted to do was just… hang out with her boyfriend and enjoy the rest of their last Spring Break.

Instead of quipping back at him, Kagome leaned in, grabbing his hands and lacing her fingers between them. "What? You don't want to have a threesome?" She teased, cackling as he fake-gagged at the prospect. "Oh come on! I saw you sneaking peaks at him at the wet-boxer contest!"

"I take it back. I don't want to date you anymore," he joked, squeezing her hands tenderly despite the deep, bitter glare Inuyasha was giving his girlfriend. Releasing her hands, he leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"Okay, I relent! The bets are over though!" Sango called, walking back up to them with Miroku in toe and water in hand. "You don't need to make fun of me or keep pretending to like each other, now! Can we all just get back to normal?" She whined, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, were you pretending just now?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically, pulling back an inch to look at Kagome.

"No… were you?" She answered, giggling lightly.

"Me neither," he grinned, leaving Sango stupefied where she stood.

"Sango," Miroku sneered, "they had sex last night too…"

"What?! How dare-" She began, stopping mid-sentence as her brain churned. "What time?!" She snapped walking up to the duo and grabbing onto Inuyasha.

"Sometime after you started moaning for Miroku to pin you down and take you 'like a man,'" Inuyasha answered, wiggling his ears for a little extra emphasis.

Sango glared at him. "You spent all morning teasing me?! After you had had sex with Kagome?!"

Inuyasha stepped away from Kagome, just… grinning. He didn't fucking care. Kagome, his first and only real crush, the woman of his goddam dreams and every fantasy he'd ever fucking had, liked him and had already agreed to be his girlfriend. Was he a fan of Sango yelling at him? No, not particularly. But not even that would sour his mood because he'd be leaving the pool, hell he'd be leaving fucking Florida with Kagome on his arm and an implied promise of ruining more windows in the future.

And really… he had Sango to thank for everything. Miroku was always concocting schemes, but these bets? Inuyasha knew they had Sango's name all over them. Miroku's plots always failed, but this time… they had worked. All because she had gotten involved. All because she refused to sit back and watch him flounder and Kagome doubt herself until the end of time.

"Yeah, pretty much," Inuyasha grinned.

Sango wanted to be angry, she really did but her mulberry gaze drifted over to Kagome who stood behind Inuyasha with a gentle smile and a genuine joy in her gaze. The half-demon would be insufferable for a while to come, that much was clear as day to Sango. Still, she smiled. "You and Kagome?" Sango asked gently.

"Dating now," he answered honestly looking happier than Sango could ever recall seeing.

Sango nodded, biting down on her bottom lip and smiling. Without warning, she threw her arms around Inuyasha, startling the half-demon. Inuyasha had been expecting a punch or slap to the face, not a hug. "I'm happy…," she began, murmuring as she buried herself into her friend, "I'm really happy that it worked out… for everyone… Even if I still hate you…"

Inuyasha snorted, returning her embrace before quickly sparing a glance back over at Miroku, who stood holding both his new drink and Sango's cocktail. The man looked damn near crushed that Sango was hugging him. "Don't be too rough with Miroku," he cautioned in a whisper. "He's not as… kinky as you are."

Sango released Inuyasha, a wicked smirk breaking free across her lips as a devious thought bubbled to the surface. "Yeah? You wanna bet on that?"