When Kagome suffers the ultimate betrayal, she decides to take drastic action, enacting her revenge with the person she knows will hurt her boyfriend the most. But things don't go the way she planned…
Stuck
Kōga had been acting weird for a while now.
Kagome first noticed her boyfriend's odd behavior after a night of mediocre sex.
"I love you so fucking much," he moaned, his quick, shallow thrusts leaving a lot to be desired.
"Could you maybe not make eye contact so much?" His eyes were wide and his forehead was pressed against her own, his skull rubbing against hers in a way that was less intimate and more really fucking weird and annoying.
"What?"
"…I want to be on top."
Ever accommodating, the wolf demon disengaged from her and assisted her in mounting him. Kagome faced away from Kōga and rode him in reverse cowgirl. It was much better this way. She might even not need to bother with foreplay when she took her vibrator in the shower after this. But then his grip on her hips shifted and his claws started to trace hearts on her skin. The enthusiasm with which she rode him dulled after that. Luckily for him, it didn't matter. Kōga finished with the same growling humps and yelps he always did.
"You're amazing." He removed the condom, tying it off and flinging it in the general direction of the trash can. It missed. She knew from experience it would stay there until she picked it up.
"What do you want to watch?" she asked, stifling a yawn as he handed her a towel.
"…Um, I'm actually gonna head out."
Kagome looked at the clock. It was almost six. Usually, she didn't jump him as soon as he got home, but he had interrupted her while watching Outlander, and that always got her in the mood. Where was he going? Why hadn't she heard about it before? Why wasn't she going with him? All the questions started to pour out at once, but he kissed her, effectively cutting them off.
"Work thing. Wanted to see you first and, uh, yeah. I'll be back soon! Maybe. Don't wait up, yeah?"
With averted eyes and a quick kiss to the cheek, he was gone.
It was weird, but she brushed it off. This way she could go back to watching Outlander with her vibrator. Waiting until she heard him finish showering and leave, she turned off the random cartoon she'd left on and switched back to her rough warrior dreamboats.
The phone rang. Kagome rolled her eyes at the "PRIVATE CALLER". The landline was only ever used for Kōga's mom, who claimed cell phones "didn't work" for her. She talked to her son every day, multiple times a day, always working into the conversation stories about the attractive young wolf demonesses she knew. Her conversations with Kagome were brief and tense, especially lately. Kagome rolled her eyes. She knew it would be all about whether she had found work yet. But if she didn't answer, then she'd just keep calling, and that would be even worse…
Kagome took a deep breath and picked up the phone. "Hey, Mrs. Ookami!"
Silence. Then a click.
The bitch had hung up on her.
Kagome grit her teeth. That was a new one. The old bitch never passed up the opportunity to make her uncomfortable and subtly put her down. Coupled with Kōga's weird behavior, that was enough change to make her a little anxious. Kagome dialed her number, waiting an unbearable four rings before she picked up.
"Kōga? I was just about to call you!"
"Hi, Mrs. Ookami!" That was all she was allowed to call her—to her face. "This is Kagome."
"Kagome?" she repeated in disbelief. "Is Kōga okay? Was there an accident? I'll fly right over!"
"No, everything's fine! Kōga's great. I guess we got disconnected when you called just now, but I just wanted to let you know that Kōga's out right now."
"I didn't call, dear. Were you taking a nap? Maybe it was a dream. You know, you could use this time for—"
"Whoops, sorry, the cat got out and I need to track him down."
She hung up without regret but a whole lot of confusion. Maybe it was a wrong number? But for Kōga to leave right after sex was so strange in and of itself. And no cuddling? Most of their relationship was cuddling. He never had his hands off of her.
Kōga didn't come back for hours.
When he did, she was waiting. Hair and make-up done, sexy nightie on. The bad feeling she had was probably just paranoia, but she needed to be sure.
"What are you doing up?" he asked, voice high and eyes shifty.
"Have you been drinking?" she returned. His collar was open and his hair was messed up.
He shrugged. "Just a coupla drinks with the guys. We should go to bed. I'm tired."
Kōga never missed a chance to ravish her when she put the effort in. Even when she didn't, he was still all over her. When he was in the bathroom, she did what she had always thought only crazy women did and checked his phone. What was the passcode again? Wait, why did he need a fucking passcode in the first place?
A text notification popped up and she was able to read the first few words.
AYAME: I had fun tonight :) Tomorrow, we should…
"What the fuck are you doing?"
Kōga yanked his phone out of her hands, claws scratching her.
"…You got a text," she said, rubbing the injured area. "I was going to bring it to you."
His expression shifted quickly, softening, but she knew what she had seen.
Fear.
"Did I hurt you?"
"It's nothing."
"It's not nothing, Kagome, let me look at it."
Her eyes filled with tears as he examined the scratch that didn't even bleed.
"Shit, is it that bad? Do we need to go to the hospital?"
Just like that, he was her caring-to-the-point-of-being-annoying boyfriend again. Since when did it take tears to have him act like he gave a damn? And what the hell was all that earlier? Her stomach twisted.
Later that night, as Kōga snored obliviously beside her, she texted Sango to meet up the next day. This was an emergency. One that Sango would know all about considering who her boyfriend was.
Kagome went out at the same time her boyfriend left for work. Kōga was surprised she was going out at all. Yeah, it had been awhile since she had done anything fun and social, but relationships took work. At least she had been dedicated and loyal and kind and caring…
He dropped her off at the cute breakfast place she had been promising to meet Sango at for months, cancelling and rescheduling over and over. They were finally going to get together again for the first time in ages, and that was enough to make her perk up a little.
"Love you," Kōga called out like a mom sending her child off to school. He puckered his lips for a kiss. Kagome pretended not to notice and slammed the door.
As she had arrived before her friend, she sat down at a random table and watch Kōga drive off, absently biting her nails. How long had this been going on? How had she missed the signs? One day, everything was normal, and the next he was…
"Hey! Sorry I'm a little late, the dojo was—"
Kagome didn't even wait for Sango to sit down. "Kōga's cheating on me!"
Sango practically fell into her chair, mouth dropped open. Sliding her sunglasses off her face, she said, "Tell me everything."
She sniffled. "L-last night, he went out right after he came home and he was super shifty about where he was going and with who. Then someone called the house phone and hung up and it wasn't his mom! And then he got a text and it was some girl and he grabbed his phone and he was so mad and oh gods, Sango, he's cheating on me!"
She frowned. "That's it? You haven't seen him with anyone?"
"What do you mean that's it? It's Kōga! He's always been obsessed with me, so this is more than obvious."
Sango nodded. "Yeah, he's been wild about you ever since he first saw you. I thought that was one of your problems."
"What problems? We had no problems until last night."
"Really, Kagome? Haven't you been trying to break up with him since you were a teenager?"
She shifted uncomfortably. "Well, yeah, but it wasn't like there was ever anything wrong with him. Or us together. But don't you see, Sango? That's exactly why he can't be the one to end this!"
Sango sighed and flagged down a waiter. "Let's get some coffee and waffles. We're gonna draw up a plan."
Since Sango had more experience in the relationship department as well as in the being cheated on department, she was the one who engineered the plan. It had taken her years to finally tame Miroku, and they were going to get married in just three months. If anyone could help Kagome, it was her.
"So, you say he always goes to lunch at one?" Kagome nodded. "Here's what you're going to do. Show up to his office today with his favorite takeout, be all cute and sweet with him to lull him into a false sense of security, and then when his guard is down, calmly tell him to look up Ayame's pussy for the antidote to the poison you slipped in his ramen."
She took a small vial out of her purse and slammed it on the table with a triumphant look on her face.
"…Um, I think that scenario is a little bold for me," Kagome said, pushing the bottle away from her with a fork so she wouldn't leave fingerprints. "But thanks for the tip. I will bring him lunch today, get a peek at who he's been sleeping with, and we'll talk."
Kōga's favorite takeout was a ramen place down the street from his work building. It seemed like everyone in his office went there. By the time she was done having her girl chat and breakfast and shopping for her hot new outfit, WAP playing on her phone for confidence, she was left with only a few minutes to enact her version of the plan. Worriedly, she glanced down at her new outfit. Was it too much? The pink gingham crop top showed off too much of her breasts and stomach and the ripped white shorts were too tight and cut far too high. Kagome was reminded that it had been a while since she had departed from her active outdoor lifestyle.
But Kōga loved her this way. That was what he had repeatedly told her, and she had no reason to doubt him before last night. Thick thighs were in now, though, right?
The sight of her boyfriend across the street interrupted her reverie.
Kagome stood stock still, watching the man she shared her life with walk with some skanky redhead all close together like they were a couple. The woman was a demon, wolf by the look of her, and looked up at him adoringly. It was just the way Kōga used to look at her.
Finally comprehending that her relationship was over, Kagome started to cry.
"Uh, this is your order, isn't it?"
"W-what?" she blubbered, barely able to make out who was talking to her with her tear-clouded vision.
"For Kagome. The guy's been calling your name for the past two minutes. It was startin' to get a little weird."
Kagome stared at the brown takeout bag in the blurry man's hands.
"Keep it."
"What? I'm not homeless even though I dress this way, I just wanna— Fuck, are you crying? I didn't mean to— Oh fuck, look, let's get you outside, huh? Some fresh air?"
Kagome sobbed and allowed herself to be gently escorted outside the restaurant packed with people gossiping about her. There was a small park with picnic benches next to the lot and he sat her down at one of the tables.
"…Do you want to talk about it? I could call someone or you can tell me."
She sniffled and hiccupped, shaking her head. "M-my boyfriend… He-he-he's cheating and I just saw it and we were supposed to have lunch and…" Whatever else she had been trying to say was swallowed by more sobs.
"Hey, take a deep breath, okay? Now hold it. Good. Let it out slowly."
For some reason, she did as the stranger said.
"Feel better?" he asked after a minute or so of her repeating the breathing exercises.
Kagome nodded and dried her eyes with the heels of her palm, wondering how much of a mess her makeup had made of her face.
"Yeah. Thanks. Sorry for—"
She stopped mid-sentence, mouth open in disbelief. The man who had been so kind to her was none other than her cheating asshole boyfriend's boss. Kōga hated the guy and was always complaining about him. His face was creased with kind concern and she blinked owlishly at him, wishing she had five minutes of privacy and a mirror.
"You okay?"
"Yeah! Uh, yeah. Thank you. For listening and helping me and everything back there."
"Yeah, no problem. You want me to take this?" He gestured at the bag of food. "I could chuck it at your dumb boyfriend's car or something."
Kagome giggled. Privately, she wondered how it was possible he didn't remember her. They had met three times already at all the dumb unnecessary parties his office had. Even Arbor Day had warranted a celebration. At least there was always an open bar.
The fact that he didn't remember her meant he was most definitely an ass like Kōga always ranted about, but it would also make this easier.
"He's parked down the street, if you're serious and you have time."
He smirked and she felt her stomach flutter a bit at the thought of what she was about to embark on.
"Lead the way."
Kagome was grateful for her short shorts when she noticed how his eyes lingered just a little too long on her legs as she got up. Smiling at him in what she hoped looked solely like gratitude, she walked just a little bit ahead of him, not too proud to make her hips swing the slightest bit more than they naturally would otherwise.
"So, uh, how long were the two of you together?"
Just thinking about it make her clench her jaw. "Ten years."
"Wow," he laughed. "How is that even possible?"
"We met in high school. I was with someone else at the time, but K— he was very aggressive in his approach to dating. And we've been together ever since."
Inuyasha shook his head. "I just can't imagine that."
"What? Being together so long?" He must be a playboy type.
"No. That he threw such a good thing away. A whole life!" He shook his head again. "Keh, what an ass."
She relaxed a little, enough to look him in the eye and smile without tensing up.
"I'm guessing by the tone you're taking that something similar happened to you?"
He nodded hesitantly, unsure of how much to share. "It was a while ago. But yeah, she was seeing someone else and swore it was innocent and I knew it wasn't. It hurts, you know? The person you were with them dies with that relationship. Doesn't mean you have to stay empty, though."
They arrived at the car. "Did messing with her property make you feel better?"
Inuyasha grinned at her. "She was into competitive archery and made the mistake of leaving her equipment at my house and then not checking it before a meet. Lost her title immediately." He glared at Kōga's car. "Of fucking course he drives a Land Rover."
Kagome checked the street for cameras or witnesses and grabbed the bag from him. Standing on her tiptoes and holding the bag of food at the top, she slammed it down on the roof just above the windshield. The gratifying feeling of watching the thick broth and sauces ooze down the windshield was muted by the loud ringing of the car alarm.
"Fuck!" Inuyasha cursed, grabbing her hand. "We gotta go. I'm Inuyasha, by the way."
She shrieked with laughter as they ran off and he glanced at her, an answering smile on his face. It seemed completely natural when he tugged her onto his back and they ran off at speeds she'd only seen from inside a car. After that, as they were panting and laughing in the park where they'd been earlier, it again seemed only natural for Kagome to kiss him.
It was clumsy and awkward, but it was born more of a desire to do it than to piss off Kōga, and that made it okay. Inuyasha blinked down at her, gauging the shifting expressions on her face, and grabbed her shoulders, kissing her. Thankfully, he was much better at it than she was. His tongue touched her lower lip and she opened up to him, accepting the delicately calculated strokes. When he nibbled on her lower lip and pulled away, she opened her eyes in wonder, not having realized when she closed them.
"Was that okay?" he asked, for a second looking adorably unsure.
"It'd be a whole lot better than okay if you came home with me."
Inuyasha took a moment to reply, but the way he looked at her let her know what his answer would be before he even said anything.
"Fucking you in your idiot, asshole boyfriend's bed? My pleasure."
Kagome was so focused on trying to appear sexy and still keep her cool and act like this was no big deal but also like she didn't do this all the time that she barely noticed the car trip back to her and Kōga's apartment. The leather interior of his car made her nervous, but when he put a hand on her knee and didn't try anything the entire ride there, she knew this was the best decision for her.
Her hands shook as she grabbed for her keys to open the door. Every cell of her expected Kōga to be there, same cheesy grin on his face that he always had when looking at her. But there were still hours before he'd be home and when only the cat greeted her, she breathed a sigh of relief. Inuyasha was right behind her and suddenly things were so real, too real. Had she even processed that her decade-long relationship was over?
"I-I've never been with anyone but him," she said shyly, clutching Buyo to her chest.
Inuyasha kissed her right between the eyes. She blinked at him, slow, wondering why he wasn't running.
"It was the same with me and my ex. You still want to?"
After a moment, she nodded, and dropped a complaining Buyo to the floor to lead her boyfriend's boss by the hand into their bedroom. Her body was humming with anxiety and heartbreak and so many things, but above all was desire.
Kagome hadn't been lying when she said she hadn't been with anyone but Kōga. She'd only had one boyfriend before him and they hadn't done anything other than a few innocent kisses she still cherished. Would it be different with a half-demon or a human? What was it like to have sex without being fond of the other person? She reasoned that Inuyasha was closer to her now than Kōga was. After all, when was the last time her boyfriend had made her laugh? And not at him.
The two of them were just standing there, staring at the bed. She wished she could hide behind Buyo again. How the hell had it come to this? Just yesterday she had felt like her life would never change and she and Kōga would stay in their tiny one-bedroom watching Netflix for the rest of her life.
It was time to let go.
She took a step forward, eyes on his shirt. Tugging on the hem, she slowly pulled it off of him with his help. There he was, and goddamn, he was beautiful. Like all the faceless fantasies that she held captive in her mind while Kōga was inside her.
Wide eyes and curious hands were all it took to have him all over her. Inuyasha couldn't help himself and attacked her with a vigor that made her wonder if he had been with anyone since his ex. Kagome could barely keep up with him and before she could process it she was flat on her back on her bed.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered, kissing down her neck. "I wanted you right when I saw you."
Mentally thanking Sango for the suggestion of the new outfit, she took off her top, allowing him to reach under and undo her bra. When he unveiled her breasts, he laughed aloud in disbelief, pressing his lips to hers for a kiss. The fact that he so obviously considered himself lucky to be with her was a heady feeling and she reveled in it. It didn't hurt that she was feeling the same way.
Kagome had no idea how Inuyasha could continuously murmur things to her when she barely had control over how her moans sounded. Every touch of his hands on her skin had her writhing. The slow drag of her shorts and underwear down her legs made her stomach flip. His eyes meeting hers made it so much worse. Had it ever been like this with Kōga?
"Stop thinking," he demanded, suddenly eye to eye with her.
"I wasn't—"
Inuyasha buried his tongue inside her and she interrupted herself with yet another moan, clawing at his hair from how enthusiastically he attacked her pussy. His tongue was a gift, fast and skilled and everywhere at once. Whatever train of thought she'd had was completely obliterated and she came with a cry of his name and his name only.
"You even come pretty," he said, kissing her deeply and showing her how she tasted.
She shivered when his fang brushed against her lip. Her body was already primed for more and she clung to him, kissing him like this was not only the last time she'd see him but the last time she'd be with anyone ever.
When he entered her, it was surprisingly at her doing, bringing him close and leading him between her legs with a kind of giddy eagerness she'd never experienced before. It was like the first time all over again. This time, however, there was no regret, no awkwardness, no staring at the ceiling and waiting for it to be over. When Inuyasha moved inside her, every hair stood on end and her hips moved in response.
One of his hands went to her breasts, roughly fondling her. That kind of treatment wasn't something she was used to and it thrilled her. Her breasts were bouncing from his thrusts and his bright eyes were fixated on them. Slowing down until his movements were torturously slow swirls, he sucked a nipple into his mouth. Then he thrust deep inside her, so deep she could feel him brush up against her spot and probe deeper. The pattern continued, his pace increasing as he lost himself to the feel of her the same way she was doing with him.
Sex had never made her shake and tremble and cry before, but now she was nearly tearing out her own hair and pulling his, arching her back and squirming, begging, pleading, wanting more and wanting him to stop and telling him to slow down and go harder and faster and all sorts of contradicting demands. Inuyasha kissed her, whether to silence her or because he just wanted to. Kagome didn't care. That kiss pushed her over the edge and she wailed, pulsing around him in the most intense climax of her life.
When he came inside her, she came again, her pleasure aided by the fact that she had never allowed her boyfriend to raw her no matter how much he begged.
"You cum pretty, too," she said, voice hoarse. It was true, his full lips parted to show off his delightfully devilish fangs and his brow furrowed in a way that made her want to kiss it, eyes shut tight as he rode the wave of his orgasm. It showed her he was as helpless a victim to the pleasure of their union as she was.
Inuyasha snorted a laugh, carefully withdrawing from her and flopping down beside her on his back. "Nah, I probably looked like a fuckin' Rottweiler, snarling and slobbering above you. That was fucking… That was wow."
She nodded. For a moment, she had lost herself. It seemed like it had been the same for him.
"You were wow."
He leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed her shorts, fishing her phone out of the back pocket. Kagome looked at him questioningly but he paid her no mind, instead just grabbing her hand and putting her thumb to the fingerprint reader. Quickly, he put in his number.
"I'm gonna get a lot of shit for walking out at work without notice." He grinned at her and something in his eyes was more gentle than it was lecherous. "But it was completely fuckin' worth it."
Kagome laughed and watched him call himself from her phone. "Thanks, Inuyasha. Really. I needed this."
He kissed her again. She guessed it was meant to mean goodbye, but it felt like he was trying to start her up all over again. The way his hands cradled her face and how sweet and soft his lips were made her feel too much and she wanted to cry.
"Don't worry about me," she said. "Get back to work."
"It's not a problem, we can—"
"I need to be alone for a bit."
Inuyasha nodded slowly, understanding. With a chaste kiss, he left the bed. Kagome couldn't bring herself to watch him undress, the mere idea of his glorious nakedness making her cross her legs in an attempt to soothe her throbbing pussy.
"I'll call you."
Kagome stayed in bed staring at the wall until he left. What she had done was irrevocable. There was no reconciling, no going back to her normal life as she had known it for the past decade. This revenge had changed her life and it had felt fucking phenomenal. Even though she didn't regret it, she now had to deal with the fact that she wasn't sure who she was outside of being Kōga's woman.
There was just enough time for her to launder the bedding and air out the room before Kōga got back. It wasn't necessary for him to find out like that. She also felt strangely protective of the experience. The details of her encounter belonged to her and Inuyasha alone. Though she wasn't above dramatically throwing the fact of it in his face.
"Kagome!"
She jumped. Was it her imagination, or was the voice angry and accusatory? She had showered twice, using Kōga's soaps.
"Hey," he said, finding her in the bedroom still making the bed. He kissed her cheek and she relaxed. "How'd ya get home? I called you a whole bunch. I was hoping to pick you up from the mall or whatever after your girls' day."
"Uber."
Kōga paused at her shortness. "Okay. Uh, I'd like it if you picked up your phone next time. I was so worried I almost left work."
She paled at the thought of what could have happened. "It won't happen again."
Calming at her reply, he went on, "Some asshole dumped their lunch all over the rover today! Like who the fuck does that? The alarm was going off and someone called the cops."
"Wow. That's crazy."
"Are you tired or somethin'?"
"Not particularly."
She was just trying to figure out how to do this. Seeing him had at first been a shock, but she was quickly filling up with anger. All the betrayal rushed her and she wanted to throw it in his face and just walk out. Going back home to the shrine in defeat would be nothing compared to the humiliation of continuing to live this rotten lie.
"Let's go out." He put his arms around her, either not noticing or not caring when she tensed up. "You look beautiful and I want to show you off."
Kagome thought about it for a second. It might be better that this be done in public so there wouldn't be much of a scene. She nodded and they set out, him beaming the whole way. When they approached what had been "their" place, Kagome knew what was going to happen.
Kōga was planning on dumping her.
Even though she wanted nothing to do with him, it still made her want to punch him in the throat. How dare he! After everything she had put up with to be with him. All the stupid mandatory wolf demon meetings, his mother's stage whispered racist put-downs, his constant annoying misunderstandings. She smiled all the way through being seated. It was unusually fast for such a busy night. Almost like he'd had a reservation. How fucking long had he been planning this?
They sat down across from each other at a round table in the center of the little eatery. Kagome knew it wasn't possible, but it felt like everyone, from the hostess to the waiters to the diners, was staring at them. Even Kōga seemed nervous.
"I have to tell you something," she blurted out. The rage that was sustaining her was quickly burning off and she was starting to feel fragile again. It needed to happen now.
"Me too." Was he sweating? "Let me just go ahead and do it because I won't even be able to make it through the wine if I don't."
Kagome figured revealing that she had slept with the man he hated most and that he was a hundred times better in bed would be more dramatic if she waited a little, so she nodded.
"Yeah, go ahead." Her fingers tapped on her thighs and she twisted the napkin. Hurry the fuck up already!
Pushing back his chair with a loud screech on the wooden floors, he got down to one knee and held up a diamond ring.
"Will you marry me, Kagome?"
She choked on her own spit and started coughing. "What?"
He was so happy he started babbling. "I was so nervous you would find out! I really wanted it to be a surprise. Mom said it was better that way. One of the girls in the office helped me pick it out since I couldn't ask your friends because I just knew those bitches would tell you."
"So that was why you were acting weird?" she said hollowly. "You wanted to… You were going to ask… A surprise?"
"Wow, you sure do look surprised."
"Yes, obviously," she hissed, suddenly angry in a whole different way.
Kōga whooped and got to his feet, pulling her up into an embrace. "She said yes!" he yelled to the restaurant. Kagome accepted his kiss with wide eyes, the applause a dull roar compared to the beating of her heart.
Had she just accidentally gotten engaged?
Her phone vibrated on the table. Inuyasha was calling.
"Oh my god!" she said, tears filling her eyes.
"Aw, you don't hafta cry, beautiful," Kōga said. "We're getting married! We're happy! We're going to be together for the rest of our lives!"
Kagome sobbed.
O\o/O
Looking around nervously even though she knew it wasn't possible that Kōga knew she was here, Kagome checked her phone, reading the text he had sent two weeks ago over and over again like she'd been doing since he sent it.
Hey. I had a great time today and I really like you in more than a partner-in-revenge kind of way. Can we get together?
He liked her. Like, really. Her face flushed. Since most of her youth had been spent with Kōga, who chased off even the Amazon delivery guy who never paid attention to her, she only had a vague idea of her level of attractiveness to the opposite sex. All she knew was that she was into him in several ways and she wanted to see him again.
The problem was that she was now engaged instead of single.
Inuyasha had called her a few times and sent her a couple more texts just to check in. Kagome was beginning to fear that he would lose interest if she continued to put him off. So she'd sent him a quick text to meet for lunch at a place Kōga hated.
"I was beginning to think you ghosted me," Inuyasha said, a big grin on his face as he sat across from her.
The fact that he was happy to see her made her stomach flutter and twist. How could he make her so nervous when he'd already been inside her? She wet her suddenly dry lips, not missing how his eyes followed the movement.
"Um, this is kind of awkward, so I'm just going to say it," she said. "My boyfriend and I are engaged."
His expression was stony. "Didn't he cheat on you? I thought you were over. That was the whole thing."
"Well, that was sort of a misunderstanding."
"So you cheated."
"No! Well, yeah. But only because I thought he did and I wanted to hurt him!"
He stared at her for a moment and she wondered if she had ruined everything. "Well, that's dumb."
Kagome nodded and nervously sipped her water. "Tell me about it. Now I accidentally accepted his proposal and I feel so bad about everything that I'm going to have to marry him."
"And you don't want to?"
"No!" The answer was explosive and instantaneous. It made him smirk and her blush. "No. I've tried breaking up with him for years and he just ignores it and acts like nothing happened while scaring away any guy who comes near me. I figured no one else would love me as much and so here we are." She shrugged lamely.
"That's not love, that's insane fucking delusion and dysfunction." He grabbed her hand. "C'mon, let's go back to my place."
She gaped at him. "No! I came here to tell you that we can't hook up. Ever."
Inuyasha sat back in his seat and crossed his arms. The pout he wore was not helping her resolve. "You're awfully firm with me but when it's Kōga you're all vague."
Kagome was about to defend herself when she realized something. "How do you know my boyfriend's name?"
"Really, Kagome? We met like three times before we hooked up."
"But you acted like you didn't remember me!"
"Well you acted like you didn't remember me, so there!"
She huffed. What the hell was her life? "You're childish."
"Do you even remember that we kissed last year?"
Kagome turned so red that she wondered if she would ever really be embarrassed ever again compared to this nightmare.
"I-I need to leave, Kōga is waiting for me."
"He's still at work," Inuyasha said to her retreating back. "In the office where we kissed. The Christmas party was the reason why I've been throwing stupid office parties for every little thing since!"
She stumbled out of the door, the smirk in his voice making her knees weak.
It was something that had felt like a dream, but it hadn't evaporated with the daylight. The Christmas party was the first one she had attended. Kōga had already shown her off to his wolf demon office buddies and then promptly ignored her without realizing what he was doing. She was the only human in that corner of the office and it felt a little weird, so she wandered off, drinking way more punch than she should have. Unfortunately for her, she had severely estimated how strong the drink was and ended up more than a little tipsy.
Stumbling to the bathroom, she threw open a stall door and gagged. The pride that filled her when she didn't throw up was something she probably should have examined. Kagome groaned and wished she hadn't come for the hundredth time that night.
When she left the stall, she was so appalled by the sight of herself in the mirror with her smeared mascara that she didn't realize that she wasn't alone until the other woman started talking to her.
"You're Kōga's friend, right?" she asked.
Kagome wet a paper towel and blotted her face. "Uh, his girlfriend. Yeah."
"Sure." There was something sharp in the redhead's tone that compelled Kagome to give her the ol' up-and-down-dress-down look. Bitch. "Isn't it weird being with a wolf demon?"
She shrugged and washed her hands. "Not as weird as this," she mumbled mostly to herself.
When the other girl gasped, she remembered that demons could hear very well.
"You know, we were willing to give you the benefit of the doubt since Kōga likes you so much, but I'll tell you right now that the two of you will never last. You have no idea how to keep an alpha like Kōga. It takes work and commitment. You need to stay by his side and serve him, dote on him every second. The fact that he had to get his own drinks is enough to tell the rest of us your relationship is a sham."
Kagome snorted, facing the redhead and swaying on her feet. "I'mma tell you somethin'. I don't give a single fuck about keepin' Kōga. Never have. I can't get rid of 'im! So maybe your 'pick me' ass bitch philosophy is all kinds of fucking wrong."
Feeling unreasonably confident for someone was still walking unsteady and everything was blurred around the edges, she made her way outside. It was time to find Kōga and tell him they needed to leave and also she hated his fucking friends and they should get pizza.
Her grand plans were still being formulated when she bumped into someone who made the gears stop turning.
"Watch where you're goin'!" His voice was rough and she looked up into golden eyes.
Kōga's boss looked grumpy. He had come without a date and someone had forced him into a Santa hat after he had lost some sort of bet. The sight of him had her wanting to make Snoopy jokes but she wasn't sure if it was racist or not. Her gaze continued upward and she saw something hanging above them in the doorway. Giggles that could not be smothered left her mouth and she leaned into him.
"Mishletoe," she slurred, punctuating the statement with a hiccup.
Inuyasha sighed. "Fuck, what's Kōga thinking letting you wander around like this?"
Kagome jumped up and kissed him. The stunned look on his cute face made her laugh again and she kissed him again just because, a little longer this time. He tasted good. A little like pizza… She removed herself, wandering off to go find Kōga so she could leave.
She still couldn't believe she had done that! Hell, she hadn't been that drunk, just a little more than tipsy. But he was so cute and she had the excuse of the mistletoe, and oh gods, thankfully Kōga hadn't seen.
Even though seeing Inuyasha had been difficult, Kagome still couldn't suppress that little internal thrill that he wanted to see her again. All the stupid little parties ever since Christmas had been for her. Now she wished she hadn't skipped out on most of them. She almost fished her phone out to read the text yet again, but stopped herself. Things with Kōga were still unresolved. Kagome knew she didn't want to marry him, but had no idea how to extricate herself from the situation.
"Hey!" Kōga said as soon as she walked through the door.
Kagome jumped. "Shouldn't you be at work?"
"I took off." He kissed her cheek. "The big boss left so my supervisor let me go for the rest of the day, no problem." Kōga frowned. "That asshole never lets me off. When I request it, he works me harder. I bet the fucker does it on purpose."
The fact that he might actually be right had her clearing her throat. "Um, what's all this?" she asked, gesturing to the mess of papers piled on the kitchen table.
His triumphant grin had her anxiety climbing. "I planned out the entire wedding! You don't have to worry about a thing."
Kagome blinked at him and opened her mouth to say something, but he continued.
"It will be on my tribe's ancestral grounds in the mountains. The soonest we could have it is January, so I booked it." She shivered. "Ginta will officiate and the honeymoon will be at my family's cabin."
She held up a hand. "Stop."
"What?" he asked, looking baffled.
"What about my family's role? The shrine has been in our family for hundreds of years and it's important to me. I've always dreamed of getting married there."
Kōga's expression never changed. It seemed he was having a hard time absorbing that she could have an opinion on her wedding day at all.
"But when we're married, you'll be a member of the tribe. You're my woman and we have to do things the wolf way."
Making a sound of exasperation, she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "You think your way is the only way, and you know what? It isn't and I hate it!" It was a childish way of telling him what she wanted to, but everything was just spilling out all at once. "When was the last time we actually talked and you listened, Kōga?"
"All the time!"
"Really?" She crossed her arms and raised a brow. "What's our cat's name, Kōga? What's our only pet's name?"
"Uhhh…" It was clear that he had no idea and was instead trying to think of a way out. "Who cares about that? We're getting married! Your cat isn't important."
"What. Is. Our. Cat's. Name!?"
A pause. "Fluffy?" he squeaked, sounding as pathetic as he looked.
"Come on, Buyo, we're leaving!"
O\o/O
A part of Kagome must have been expecting that she'd have to abruptly walk out on Kōga someday, because she still had a ton of stuff back in her room at the shrine. Since everything remained untouched, it seemed like her family had felt the same way. Her phone remained off for a week straight and she avoided social media.
Finally, her mother insisted she turn her phone back on and just block everyone she didn't want to hear from if she was so set on it. Somehow, turning on her phone and seeing the notifications pile up felt even worse than walking out on her boyfriend—fiancé?—had.
As could have easily been predicted, most of them were from Kōga. She ignored them, only raising a brow at the sheer number—five hundred. And those were just the texts. The calls numbered more than twice that. It was starting to remind her of their early days together when she had just been trying to be nice and he took everything as her showing interest in him. A few more texts were from Sango, wanting to know what the hell happened and if she was really engaged.
And one from him.
It was simple. It was basic. It was nowhere near as poetic as whatever the hell Kōga had been trying to say to her. But it touched her far deeper.
Are you okay?
Everyone else was demanding things from her, whether it be time or information or whatever, but he just wanted to know how she was. Her phone started to buzz in her hand and she nearly dropped it. As if he was psychic, Inuyasha was calling her. Biting her lip, she ignored the voice in her head that said it was wrong to talk to him and answered.
"…Hello?"
"Kagome," he said. The way he said her name made chills run up and down her spine. No one had ever done that to her before. "I was wondering what's going on with Kōga. He's been calling out of work every day and not answered his phone."
Once she heard him ask about her ex, she deflated. What had she been expecting anyway? A date? A relationship? Another really good fuck, this time in her childhood bedroom?
"I wouldn't know," she answered icily. "I left him a week ago. What he does is no longer my business and you can tell him that. While you're at it, tell him not to call me anymore."
And she hung up.
The rest of the day was more or less normal, aside from the fact that she felt like she was a teenager again. Kagome helped her grandfather clean the shrine, watch TV with her brother, and helped her mother prepare dinner. When the doorbell rang, she thought nothing of it, assuming it was one of the worshippers dropping off another donation.
"Welcome!" she called out, halfway into her bow before she recognized the actually very unwelcome party.
"Kagome." It was a whine and a plea and an apology all in one.
She said nothing. Gods, but Kōga did look like shit. There were dark circles under his bloodshot eyes, his hair was down, and she could smell even a foot away from him that he hadn't showered.
"You need to leave." Mentally, she congratulated herself on how strong and firm she sounded. If Sango had been there, she would have high-fived her at the display of girl power. Or told her she should have poisoned him and then they wouldn't be in this mess.
He put his foot in the doorway to prevent her from closing it. "I love you, Kagome. Please don't do this. I don't wanna live without you."
It was getting a little too loud and she glanced back inside to make sure her family were still pleasantly unaware.
"Not in front of my family, Kōga!" While they had always gone out of their way to be nice to him, none of them really liked him much. They had been not-so-secretly relieved when she had shown up, Buyo in her arms.
"Just give me one more chance, please!" He grabbed her hands and she moved to pull away, but he was strong. "Let's go away for the weekend, okay? We can talk. Or you talk and I'll listen. Anything you want." When he saw her wavering, he continued, "Come on, we'll go to the beach."
That clinched it for her. The wolf demon tribe didn't have any beach properties so she knew they might actually get time to themselves for some much needed closure.
"I… Fine," she sighed.
"Great! We leave Friday morning." He kissed her knuckles. Already, he was looking better. "Fuck, I missed you."
This time, he let her close the door on him, and she leaned back against it, staying there long after he had gone. What the hell was wrong with her? Going on a trip with her ex barely a week after she had decided to dump him for good. Her phone vibrated again and she frowned when it wasn't the name she wanted to see.
Kōga had sent her the check-in time and name of the hotel. She was surprised by how nice it was since he was normally kind of cheap. Maybe she could get something more than a headache out of this weekend getaway.
Friday would prove that she was incredibly fucking wrong.
When the Uber dropped her off, she gaped at all the balloons and signs she saw all over the hotel property.
WELCOME, TESSAIGA EMPLOYEES!
Kagome didn't believe what her eyes were seeing until she started to recognize some of the people arriving. Every single one of them was a co-worker of Kōga.
This wasn't a romantic trip intended for them to reconcile and talk. This was a fucking corporate retreat.
"Kagome, you're here!" Kōga bounded over to her. "I was waiting out front for hours, but I had to go to the bathroom, so I guess I missed you even though I wanted—"
"You didn't even want to pay for this?" she hissed. "How are we supposed to talk or do anything when you need to be off fucking synergizing or whatever!?"
"We'll have time," he said, easily dismissing her concerns. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her through the hotel doors. "C'mon. Have a drink and loosen up. Then we'll go to our room and you can remember how good it is when we're together."
"You're paying me back for the Uber! And I want a separate room. Don't you dare ignore me this time, K—"
"Kōga! Come on, the drinks are here!"
Kōga dropped her wrist. "I'll be right back, let me just grab some stuff and then we can go straight upstairs."
Kagome's eyes shot daggers at his retreating back. This was so unbelievable. This was so stupid. This was so Kōga.
"Hey. What're you doing here? Thought you were done. Again."
Her heart beat faster in reaction to his voice, feeling the deep timber in her solar plexus. She wanted to be curled up in bed with him, pressed against him, and feel the vibrations pass from his chest to hers while he told her sweet things.
"It's just another misunderstanding," she said, throwing her bag on a table and sitting down.
Inuyasha sighed and sat down next to her. "I think you need to stand up for yourself. Do you have a job?"
She shook her head. "I did. And I really loved it. I used to work at a camp for kids with special needs. But then Kōga got this job and insisted he was making enough money for me to not have to work. He kept showing up at inconvenient times trying to take me to lunch when I was on duty and trying to take me home when I was supervising lights out. He basically annoyed my boss so much that she laid me off until I break up with him."
He stared at her and she fidgeted. "Fuck. And how long did you stay with him after that mess?"
"…A year."
"It would be good for you to be independent from him. You're not happy when he's all there is to your life. I'll text you some job opportunities." Inuyasha retrieved his phone from his pocket.
"Don't act like you know me. We're not friends."
He gave her a look. "Kagome, I don't have to know everything about you to notice what I've noticed. It's obvious to everyone but that idiot."
It was a strange feeling having a guy she slept with once and exchanged only a few words with perceive her better than her boyfriend of over a decade. Kagome's cheeks turned pink.
Inuyasha grinned and leaned closer to her, a twinkle in his gold eyes. "Being alone with me brings back memories, huh? I'd be happy to ditch for the rest of the night and take you up to my room."
"There you are!" Kōga ambled up to her, only noticing her company at the last minute. Since he couldn't openly say anything to him, he instead focused on her. "You look so beautiful," he crowed, taking her in his arms and kissing the side of her face she couldn't turn away from him. "Let's go up to our room and not leave until we've had a mini honeymoon on every surface."
The half-demon snorted and rose to leave. Kōga glared at his back until he was gone.
"Gods, I hate that fuckin' asshole. Always sniffing around you and acting all high and mighty just 'cause his daddy gave him one tiny branch of an international fuckin' company."
"He's not that bad," she said, feeling strangely wilted now that Inuyasha had left. "It is the best performing branch. And everyone says he'll inherit all of it whenever his father passes."
The look he gave her was almost sharp. "How do you know that?"
She shrugged. "Got bored and googled him after the hundredth time you blamed him for everything wrong with your life."
Somehow, Kagome managed to hold Kōga off until dinner. He had a few conferences to attend and begged her company, but she instead explored the hotel, which was enchantingly empty as every other guest was at the retreat. When she sat down beside him at their table, she wasn't surprised to see that though he had saved a spot for her, she was again the only human there. Everyone else was a wolf demon. After giving her a kiss on the cheek, the most she allowed, he again ignored her.
This time, it didn't hurt her feelings. Especially when oden was served as the main dish and she looked up, catching Inuyasha's eye. A nod confirmed he had done it for her.
"I need some air."
"Sure," Kōga said without even looking at her, continuing to describe the wedding that would never happen to the rest of the table.
When she went out to the fountain, she was again the only one there. The night was chilly and she again wondered what the fuck she was doing. No matter what, she didn't want to go back inside. So she sat on the bowl of the fountain and tried to add up the money in its depths the way she used to do as a child in the park by her house.
"That bad, huh? You'd rather freeze to death?"
Kagome smiled when she saw him, unable to do anything else. "It was just a little suffocating in there."
He sat beside her. They spent a moment in silence, the two of them staring at the water.
"Did you tell him about us yet?"
She frowned at him. "Absolutely not. He doesn't need to know at this point, and there is no 'us'."
"I think we want there to be an us."
Kagome almost went back inside but then she saw how much Kōga was enjoying himself when she wasn't around.
"I like you," Inuyasha said, making her turn back around. "I really like you, and I think if the two of us had met first, you never would have even given him the time of day."
Her knees were weak. Her lips were trembling. "…I'm grateful for your encouragement, but the way things started between us just made everything too complicated right off the bat."
He got to his feet and smiled down at her. "So why don't we start over?"
"How?"
Inuyasha held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Inuyasha and I think you're pretty."
Kagome took his hand and he held hers instead of shaking it. He was making her so flustered that she didn't even know what to say, what to do.
"Get the fuck off my wife, asshole!"
She saw the fist at the same time she heard the words and she screamed. "Kōga, no!"
Inuyasha had been so focused on her and she on him that they hadn't noticed when the wolf demon had come outside. Kagome held her hands to her mouth in horror as the two men duked it out in the fountain, splashing water everywhere.
"You are so fucking fired!" Inuyasha roared, punching Kōga in the jaw.
"It's worth it!" Kōga retaliated with a kick to the shin and an elbow to the gut. "How dare you put your hands on my woman and flirt with her!"
Seeing how he had reacted when all he'd seen was Inuyasha holding her hand, Kagome was beyond glad that he had no idea about any of the more intimate things they had done.
"I'm not your woman!" she shrieked.
They stopped. Both men were staring at her and she felt the eyes of an audience gathering behind her.
"I should have been firm a long time ago, but Kōga, you never listen!" she said, throat tight. Her eyes stung with tears. "How many times have I said this in the past? I like you, I do, and I want to be your friend, but I don't love you, Kōga. Not how you love me."
"K-Kagome," he stuttered, awkwardly stepping outside the fountain. His leather shoes squelched. "You don't mean that."
"I do!" Her chin was dimpled with stubbornness and he must have recognized that look in her eye, because Kōga seemed to crumble from within.
"I'll change. I swear. Just don't leave me. I'll do whatever you want."
"That's the problem, Kōga," she said softly. "I wouldn't want you even if you did change."
Inuyasha clapped, callously ruining the mood. "Way to go, Kagome! You heard her, wolf. Now stop gaping at her and leave her alone."
"I'm not yours, either." Kagome glared at him and then back at her ex. "The two of you are so embarrassing! Lose my number. I'm done."
She walked away, for the first time feeling good about a break-up with Kōga. This one just might stick.
O\o/O
It took her six months, but she finally got her job back and was able to afford her own place. Kaede trusted that she wasn't going to have her personal life interfering with her work and she was again the star employee. Being able to do what she loved once more changed her life. Her skin was glowing, her hair was shiny, and her Netflix subscription was cancelled.
"Kagome," Kaede said, limping over to her desk where she was filling out a minor incident report. It was one of her rare down times and she was listening to a podcast, just enjoying the relative quiet.
"Yeah, boss?"
She smiled at her. "You have a visitor at the main office."
Kagome froze. It was like two years ago all over again. But she had blocked Kōga's number and he had stopped trying different ways to get in touch with her. If he tried to ruin this for her, she didn't know what she was going to do.
"It's a child and his guardian. They specifically requested you."
Instantly, she relaxed. "Thanks. I'll run right over."
The fancy car at the entrance wasn't a huge surprise since many of their campers didn't even apply for grants or anything and instead paid out of pocket, but it still made her heart race. It was almost like his. Beaming her chipperest Camp Shikon smile, she stopped in her tracks when she saw the glow of his moonlight hair, the breadth of his shoulders. She remembered the taste of him, the feel of him, and gods, she remembered all the fantasies her horny little brain had conjured up ever since she had last seen him.
"Miss Kagome!"
The little fox demon scampered up on her shoulder and gave her a big hug.
"Shippo?" she said in surprise. Kagome hadn't noticed him at all, caught up as she was with the man of her dreams. Honestly, she was surprised he had remembered her at all since they hadn't seen one another since her last time working there.
"My godfather said he'd give me a hundred bucks if I threw a tantrum in school and they had to bring me here."
Kagome glared at Inuyasha who pretended like he wasn't listening. Shippo had ODD that he was managing exceptionally well, but at the beginning there he had only taken to her, thanks to her special blend of scary sternness and candy.
"Bribing a child? That's low, Inuyasha."
"…I wanted to see your face," he admitted. "But I didn't think you'd see me without a good reason, so I made one."
"What do you want?" Shippo busied himself by digging in her satchel for candy. For once, she let him.
"Thought I'd tell you that I transferred Kōga to a branch across the country. He didn't even fight it." A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth but he smothered it, noticing the look on her face. "Ayame applied to transfer to the same one a day later. They might get that nightmare wedding after all."
"Google could have told me that, had I cared."
His eyes were on his feet. "Yeah, I guess. Look, I really wanted to ask you, if maybe you weren't busy this weekend, like, maybe we could possibly—"
"Miss Kagome, will you go out with me?" Shippo blinked his big green eyes up at her, mouth smeared with chocolate. "I have a hundred dollars and I bet we can play all the arcade games with that kinda money."
She smiled. "And is your godfather going to be joining us?"
"Yeah, Inuyasha's my driver," he said. "He goes wherever I want."
"In that case…" Kagome held out her hand. Inuyasha stared at it. "Hi! I'm Kagome, and I think you're really pretty."
Barking out a laugh, he covered her hand with his own. "Promise you won't dump ramen on my car when I piss you off?"
"Promise not to piss me off?"
"Deal."
Inuyasha kissed her and Kagome allowed herself to be swept off her feet.