Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 10

Once at the restaurant, Yuki and his elegantly clad date were immediately ushered to their table. While his date perused the menu, Yuki's mind began to drift off and for a second he could almost see Kagome sitting across the table from him instead of the intensely attractive college girl he'd picked up from his nightclub. It would have been Kagome, if she hadn't turned him down.

He still couldn't believe what happened. She actually turned him down! Him, of all people! He'd never been so insulted in his life! No one turned him down. Ever.

After this very first rejection, he soothed his wounded soul at his club where he drowned himself in liquor and found this lovely young thing who was more than willing to go out with him. By the end of the night, he was feeling pretty damn good. Kagome didn't know what she was missing.

But now, the good feeling he'd had since the night before was gone and he had to refrain from grabbing the table and chunking it across the restaurant in frustration. Why didn't Kagome say yes? The meaning behind her refusal was completely beyond his comprehension.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves, his eyes slid over to a couple who had just come in and his heart froze. He had no trouble recognizing the pair. In fact, it was the mere presence of the tall, silvery haired man that had drawn his attention at first.

Him.

Morikawa Sesshoumaru.

Was this was the reason why Kagome always kept her Wednesday nights free? Because she went out to dinner with Sesshoumaru? No, it couldn't be.

Could it?

Before more questions could fly about in his head, they vanished swiftly as his gaze settled on Morikawa's date. Kagome looked magnificent in that warm peach colored dress he'd seen her buy the day before when he followed Hiro out to the mall. She had seemed to be alone except for Hiro and he went over and speak to her. But as he began making his way over to them, he spotted Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku making a beeline for her. Kouga called out her name and she whirled around to face him, a welcoming smile on her face much to Yuki's dismay.

Looking at her now, he saw that the gown clung in all the right places, moving with her body and causing her fair skin to glow with a soft golden tint. Her soft black hair hung straight and loose down her bare back. She had never looked more natural... or more beautiful.

Beautiful? Yuki frowned. Where had that come from?

Turning his attention back on his date who sat across the table from him, he felt a twinge of irritation. Something made him take a good, long look at her and it just hit him all of a sudden. Sure, she was a lovely girl with a perfect figure, small waist and good sized tits, and yes, he'd do her. But looking into her hazel eyes, Yuki knew that there was nothing substantial behind them... which was pretty evident by the constant flow of meaningless words that kept pouring from her mouth. There was no doubt about it; the girl was a beautiful idiot.

And he didn't even remember her name.

His mind automatically switched off under the barrage of her inane chatter. He was bored with her already, but why? When had a girl's level of intelligence ever been a factor in his desire for her? Normally, he didn't care what went on between the girl's ears. All he wanted ever wanted was what she had between her legs and that was enough to satisfy him.

His green gaze slid over to where Kagome and Sesshoumaru were sitting. Kagome's back was to him, but he didn't have to see her face to know that she looked happy sitting there with him, listening raptly as he talked to her, replying when asked a question or making a comment every so often. The ditzy creature sitting across from him probably never even knew when to shut up, as it was so clearly evident at the moment. She didn't even realize that he wasn't paying attention to her anymore.

Yuki reached up and gingerly rubbed his temples. His head was about to split from the noise, i.e., her abrasive, irritating voice, but thankfully, the girl's phone rang and without even pausing to take a breath, she answered it with girly gusto. At least her attention was diverted elsewhere... for now.

He groaned. She'd been hot last night. But now... since the alcohol had long since worn off, he just wanted to ring her neck. Why wouldn't she just shut up for awhile? Didn't she realize the strain her vocal chords were under?

That's what he got for asking a kid just starting college to go out with him. Sure she was a bit young, but that's what he liked.

Wasn't it?

'Right,' said a silky voice in his head, startling him. 'You like it so much that your fingers are itching to grab your steak knife and slash her throat with it. Then she wouldn't be able to talk anymore, now would she?'

Shoving back his murderous rage, a light, tinkling laugh washed over him, relieving his tension somewhat and he looked back over at Kagome's table. Morikawa had apparently made a funny and it was tickling her pink. Funny, Yuki never would have thought that such a prim and proper man like Morikawa would know how to be funny unless he was beaten down by the funny stick. Even then it would be hard to imagine it.

Kagome shifted slightly in her chair, crossing her legs at the knees and carefully situating her skirt. Yuki scowled. That dress looked really good on her.

But it wasn't being worn for him. Knowing that that peach-hued confection was being worn for another man instinctively made Yuki want to go up to her, snatch her up and run away with her. Then he would take her home, strip her naked and teach her that he was the only man she should dress up for. But seeing as how she was with Sessoumaru, he'd probably be hunted down and shot on sight for daring to touch property that wasn't his.

As for that bastard, he was obviously enjoying her appearance, for his pale yellow eyes never left her. While Kagome's dark head was bowed over the menu, Morikawa's eyes looked over her body, almost like he was studying every inch of her and committing her appearance to memory. Was it wrong for a man to be staring like that at his step-sister? Apparently not, since it had never stopped Inuyasha, who had managed to cop a feel on her.

The waiter finally arrived with their food, but by then Yuki was now not only ignoring his date (who had hung up the phone and was now talking away to him yet again) but he was also openly staring at Kagome. She had lifted her head to look at her companion, who had reached over and clasped one of her hands in his.

Irritation filled his soul. Should he go over there and crash their little party?

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Sesshoumaru was thoroughly satisfied. Kagome looked exceptionally beautiful this night in her new gown and he was glad that she and Hiro had also chosen this one. He would have as well, but he needed a ruse to get Hiro to accompany them. He had not wanted to leave Kagome alone when his secretary had called in a panic and asked that he return to the office immediately. Having two of his top managers coming to blows over... well, that was another story. They were instantly suspended for two weeks without pay for acting like idiots.

But back to his beloved. One of the reasons he loved her peach gown was that it was backless. When he had first seen it on her, he very nearly wept. Hiro was definitely keeping up his end of the bargain. Sometime in the near future, Sesshoumaru would pull him aside and ask him what he would like as a reward. No gift was too great or too expensive when he'd caught a glimpse of her naked back looking like this for the first time in years.

Her ribcage was no longer visible.

Flesh had returned once more, filling out her little frame delightfully. It wasn't a whole lot, for she was still quite thin, but it was just enough to keep her delicate bone structure from being seen. Of course, he would demand that Hiro immediately stock up the pantry with fattening foods. He wanted her to gain more weight, to completely remove that look of vulnerable fragility that seemed to have housed itself permanently on her features. He wanted again to see that rosy-cheeked, black-haired cherub who ran around playing hide-and-seek with Hiro when the two were children. That little girl had always taken his breath away.

But times hadn't really changed.

She still did.

Kagome, seeming to sense her guardian watching her, looked up. He was studying her again, she thought with a small sigh and gave him a smile. "What are you thinking, Sesshoumaru?"

Returning her smile with one of his own, Sesshoumaru took one of her hands in his. "I'm thinking that you look deliciously stunning this evening. Shall we just order dessert and then leave?" His amber eyes twinkled mischieviously.

A light laugh bubbled out of her throat. "Nani? I thought you were starving?" She shifted in her chair, recrossing her legs.

"Oh, I am," her companion replied, "but I don't like seeing other men staring at you so openly. I'd like to be able to concentrate on my meal, rather than having to keep the riff-raff away from you. Such agitation is not good for the digestion, you know."

"Don't be silly, Sesshoumaru. That was only one guy. He ran away when he saw you approach me, remember?" Kagome chuckled softly, but did take notice of the worry in his eyes. "But if that is what you wish, then I'd love something drenched in chocolate."

He nodded and she opened her menu once more, giving him an opportunity to study her again... and not just her, either. Just a few tables away, sat Hiro's troublesome brother, Yuki, who was staring, with narrowed eyes, at Kagome.

His mind turned back to the file that had lain on his desk earlier that day. The summary had read as follows:

Yamadera Yuki, businessman. Born in Tokyo into a stable home to loving parents. One younger brother, Hiro. Ran away at the age of 16. Became involved in shady business dealings and ended up a millionaire by the age of 19. Now owns the highly successful nightclub, Netsu, amongst other establishments. Is known for his mistreatment of women; was rumored to have devirgin-ized ten young women in one night for a bet.

That was all Sesshoumaru could take in one sitting. He'd closed the folder, thankfully hiding the rest of the lurid details from his tired eyes.

Now, taking a delicate sip of his mineral water, his gaze fell upon the blond man again. Yuki's attention was momentarily diverted by the female sitting with him. Oh yes, Sesshoumaru thought, he'd made it his business to find out all he could about Yuki and he'd find out more if he deemed it necessary. After all, why not? Yuki had taken it upon himself to hunt down his brother and now had become a constant bother to Hiro and to Kagome. Sesshoumaru was only taking steps to ensure the safety of his little Kagome. The man was dangerous; anyone could see that.

There was more in the file but Sesshoumaru had decided to leave it for later for it was making him upset. How dare a man like that go after Kagome? Compared to Yuki, Inuyasha was a complete angel.

The way he was watching Kagome was making Sesshoumaru's stomach turn. Those green eyes, fierce and unblinking, fixed predatorily on his little one, worried him. If he kept this up, Sesshoumaru wouldn't be able to sleep alone tonight... but he couldn't impose on her again so soon. Although, if this Yuki guy managed to follow them back to her home, he just might stay overnight to ensure that Kagome wasn't disturbed.

"You know, Kagome, I know this great new restaurant near your house that sell these fantastic fudge brownies... why don't we order dinner from there?" When she opened her mouth to speak, he grabbed her hand and kissed it. "I got to see you all dressed up and the fact that you did it for me means a lot to me, Kagome. I know it makes you uncomfortable to eat in places like this but its only out of my selfish desire to see you look so beautifully made up that I ask you to have dinner with me."

Kagome shook her head. "You're not selfish, Sesshoumaru, but you're welcome. Thank you for purchasing it for me."

From behind her, Sesshoumaru could see Yuki's body tensing up. About to make his move, then? Well, a repeat of her date with Inuyasha was not going to happen here.

Lifting a hand, Sesshoumaru summoned his waiter. Whipping out a couple of large bills and handing them over to the grateful man, he quietly explained that he and his companion would be leaving but he noticed that the fair-haired man a couple of tables over was looking rather unwell. Perhaps the waiter should go and see if he was alright? He seemed to be lightheaded. "I would have him keep his seat until the faintness has passed. I trust you will look after him personally?"

The waiter nodded vehemently and bustled off to see to the 'ailing' man, while Sesshoumaru gathered up Kagome and hustled her out of there quickly before Yuki could follow them.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Yuki loathed being fussed over. He wasn't an old woman, damn it!

With an angry cry, he slapped the man's hands away from him. "Oi! There's nothing wrong with me, you idiot! Get away!"

"But sir, the gentleman over there was worried about you. He said you looked unwell--"

The gentleman over there? It just had to be Sesshoumaru!

Jumping to his feet, Yuki stepped away from the waiter and smoothed down his dinner jacket. "Well, as you can plainly see, my good man, I'm perfectly alright." He ran an agitated hand through his already mussed hair and looked over at Sesshoumaru's table...

He froze. She was gone. They were both gone.

He'd been tricked by Sesshoumaru! That clever bastard...

Yuki looked everywhere for the missing pair before dashing outside. They were nowhere to be seen!

Crushing defeat engulfed him. How could he not have seen that coming? Perhaps he underestimated Morikawa too much? No way; he'd utterly and completely underestimated him. Of course Sesshoumaru would take notice of some other man encroaching upon his territory. He most likely recognized Yuki from that night he and Inuyasha had it out on Kagome's living room floor. And Morikawa, being the brilliant man that he was, would instantly recognize a threat if he saw it a mile away.

Damn it! Had he been looking too eager? Most likely. Yuki bemoaned the fact that he would never make a good poker player. It was difficult trying to hide his emotions.

With a heavy heart, Yuki went back inside to pay the bill and left, leaving his clueless date behind. She was probably talking to herself or one of her equally stupid friends on her phone anyway.

As he drove away, he wondered if he should stop by Kagome's house to check to see if she made it home, but decided not to. It wasn't as if he cared anyway. She meant nothing to him...

Nothing at all.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A couple of months had passed by, peaceful and Yuki-free, and summer rolled easily into autumn. Kouga, after three weeks of intense wooing, was ecstatic when Kagome had finally agreed to be his girlfriend. Ginta and Hakkaku were overjoyed that Kagome had now become part of their pack and did everything they could to make her feel welcome. Of course, she already felt as though she belonged with them and invited them all to her house often.

Thankfully, Sesshoumaru did not put up much of an argument. Naturally, he'd had Kouga investigated, but turned up nothing. He would have dug deeper, but Kagome seemed very happy with her obsidian-haired prince so he did nothing more.

Of course, Sesshoumaru had demanded to meet with the man privately and interrogated him thoroughly. But Kouga wasn't phased at all by the coarse treatment he received and seemed eager to answer any question Sesshoumaru might have. From what Sesshoumaru could gather, Kouga truly cared about Kagome and didn't mind that all this was to put her guardian's fears to rest. When asked about his feelings toward the girl, Kouga's blue eyes lit up with such joy that Sesshoumaru couldn't help but feel jealousy course through his veins.

Kagome, as he knew very well, was crazy about Kouga, so he let the matter rest. Although, he did request that Hiro continue to monitor Kouga discreetly, which Hiro agreed to do. Hiro, of course, knew all about Kouga's checkered past but said nothing to Sesshoumaru about it because Kouga really had changed. He was still a cocky bastard; that side of him would never alter, but he was a cocky bastard that would do anything for the girl he loved... even going so far as to blatantly lie to her overprotective guardian to keep her.

For Hiro, it was hard keeping a secret from Sesshoumaru, but seeing Kagome's face light up whenever Kouga appeared, it was totally worth it. He would never tell her Kouga's past; it was up to that one to come clean, although that seemed rather unlikely. Hiro felt that Kouga most probably would never tell her anything about it.

By the first of November, Inuyasha began to phone. Kagome, who by now had forgotten her fears of retribution from him, willingly accepted his calls. His time in Kagoshima was being well-spent and he loved every minute of it. He still loved her, he confessed, and was waiting anxiously for the day when he would return and could see her again.

Kagome merely smiled and said the she was looking forward to his return to the family.

oooooooo

And so the days slipped by. Winter's cold clutches replaced the remaining warmth of fall. Christmas came and went, and this year, Kagome's little house wasn't empty during the holidays like it was the previous year. On Christmas eve, her home was full of people: Sesshoumaru, Souta, Hiro, Kouga, Ginta, Hakkaku, Sango and Miroku. Inuyasha had been unable to make it home, due to a rather nasty flu virus that kept him bedridden for nearly three weeks.

Feeling bad for him, Kagome sent him several gifts a couple of days before Christmas, one of which was a set deep red flannel pajamas. He responded immediately with a weak, but overjoyed phone call from his sick bed. He hadn't been able to decide on what to get her, but by the time he'd figured it out, he'd gotten sick and couldn't go by the store to purchase it for her. Kagome told him that she was fine, that she didn't need anything.

Her reply had so disturbed the sick man, that when he began to ask her why she didn't want anything from him, he began to stammer terribly, which in turn brought on a fit of coughing that frightened her. Kagome was afraid he'd expire while on the phone with her and quickly reassured him that she could not wait to receive his gift. This seemed to pacify Inuyasha and Kagome said nothing else about it. The coughing eventually ceased and he whispered to her that he was exhausted and needed to sleep.

The day after Christmas found Kagome staring the heaps of presents given to her by her family and friends. Sango, Miroku, Hiro and her little brother Souta had given her modest amounts of gifts, just as she had done for them. But the largest piles were a tie between Sesshoumaru and Kouga and Kawase brothers. To Kagome, it felt that they had been in some kind of contest, one side trying to out do the other. There certainly seemed to be some tension between her boyfriend and her guardian, but Kagome, for the life of her, couldn't see why that should be so. What had they to be jealous about? Sesshoumaru was her guardian/big brother, while Kouga was her boyfriend. Each knew what the other meant to her, so what was the problem?

The loveliest gift given to her was a diamond necklace that Kouga had given her, Kagome remembered Sesshoumaru's body tensing up and seeing the cold anger in his eyes when it was presented to her. She hadn't really given that moment a second thought, but later on she couldn't help but remember it when Sesshoumaru had looked with some distaste at the necklace as it lay around her neck.

Perhaps Sesshoumaru was old fashioned, she wondered. Did he believe that expensive gifts like jewelry were only meant to be given to one by one's spouse or betrothed?

Nah...that couldn't be. He'd never struck her as the old fashioned type.

Thankfully, his anger over the diamond necklace soon abated, but winter did not. By late January, it snowed almost every day, blanketing Tokyo for the most part with pure, lovely whiteness.

One day while she was out shopping with Hiro, she ran into someone. Literally. She had been bundled up and hunched up against the icy cold winds when she made bodily contact with something that felt like a brick wall.

A pair of strong, leather-gloved hands shot out and caught hold of her arms, keeping her from falling over. "Are you okay?" a male voice asked. A deep, buttery smooth voice...

Her head jerked up and saw Yuki, bare-headed, staring down at her. "Y-yuki-sama," she whispered and out of pure reflex, scuttled backwards before bowing to him. "Gomen nasai! I didn't see you."

"It's fine," replied Yuki, turning away from her.

When Kagome looked up, Yuki was holding his arm out to the woman who stood beside him. She was a vision in white mink, but her hair was a frosted blond tint. It was pretty apparent that this was not her natural color.

The woman took the proffered arm with a disdainful sniff and the two walked off together. Kagome sighed as she watched them go and looked down at her own clothing. She felt dowdy in her brown overcoat and black boots.

A pair of arms encircled her from behind. "You look better than that two dollar tramp any day, sweetie," Hiro's voice murmured in her ear. "Besides, she won't last long. I'd give it about...um... less than five minutes."

As they stood there watching, the woman turned to Yuki with a loud, demanding voice and asked him something. Yuki turned to face her, his face never changing but his eyes seemed to grow harder. After a minute of patiently listen to the woman's high-pitched, querulous voice, he shoved her from him and walked away towards the parking lot.

Hiro chuckled softly. "You can tell he's been tired of her for hours now. I bet you anything he wants to see her slip and fall in the snow. He'd only laugh at her and leave her lying there."

Sure enough, the woman tried running after Yuki in her impossibly high heels, but Yuki only stood and watched, waiting for her to fall. That of course, was exactly what happened. Her foot slipped on the ice and snow covered asphalt and she fell faceforward onto the slush-covered street. Yuki just stood there and watched as she fell, making no move to help her, a huge smile on his face.

After a moment, the smile vanished. He turned and walked away, leaving her to flail helplessly.

With a cry, Kagome rushed forward to help the woman up. At first, her hands were rebuffed, but when the woman realized that Yuki was not coming back, she accepted Kagome's assistance.

"Arigato," she muttered, brushing the snow from the white pelt of her coat. "That bastard didn't help me up. What a fucking lowlife!" She turned to look at Kagome with a rueful smile. "Stay away from men like him, honey. That kind of man is always the worst. They don't give a shit about anyone but themselves." With that, she walked away.

Kagome watched the woman go. Yuki had been attracted to her at some point... so when had he lost interest?

"Hiro?" she asked fretfully, slipping her mittened hand into his, "Will Kouga get tired of me that soon, too?"

Startled, Hiro turned to stare at her. "Are you kidding me? Kouga? Get tired of you? I'm surprised that you aren't tired of him yet," he interjected. "That man is always at the house, I swear. Either that or he's calling you on the phone. I don't think he can get enough of you."

"Why?"

He looked down at her and grinned. "Probably because you're so damned cute!" he cried and lowered his hands to tickle her.

She laughed hard and managed to get away from Hiro's hands. "Stop that!" she exclaimed, laughing.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Seeing her again after all this time had been a shock to his system. He hadn't expected to see her on this side of town. Hiro was probably with her then, for he knew this side pretty well.

But all the same, it had been a surprise.

Even now, as he sat in his car, engine running, Yuki saw her in his mind's eye as the little scene played over and over again. She was still scared of him, he thought with some confusion, remembering how she hurried to move away from him. Was he so repulsive to her that every time he touched her, she flinched from him? Damn, that girl sure knew how to bring a fellow down.

With a sigh, he reached forward and turned the key to start the ignition. A protesting squeal came from the engine and Yuki slapped his forehead. Of course... his car was already running. Baka...

As he drove home, his thoughts kept returning to that scrawny little girl. For the past several months, he'd been hard-pressed to try to push her out his mind and actually keep her out. He had been tired of wondering again and again just why she never fell for him or why he couldn't stop thinking of her. She hadn't changed much at all, so of course he wasn't attracted to her. So he decided that she just wasn't attracted to him in any way, shape or form. Sure, it hurt when this finally sunk in, but he finally accepted it. As beautiful and perfect as he was, not everyone would love him as much as he loved himself. Sad, but true.

Right now, high above the snow covered city streets in his penthouse, Yuki was enjoying a leisurely smoke outside on his balcony. The cold didn't bother him; in fact, he loved it. He smiled as the bitter wind bit the flesh of his face and he snuggled into his dark green hoodie.

Since he'd stopped obsessing over dominating Kagome, life had went along pretty much as it had before, except this time, for some inexplicable reason his interest in women had decreased considerably. However, that was not the only change he noticed in himself as time had gone by. His mood, in general, had almost completely altered. He was relaxed, easygoing and (dare I say it?) far more agreeable than he'd ever been in his life.

As for the woman he'd taken home last night...well, she'd been a mistake, obviously. That dye job he'd been fool enough to spend money on was far too old for him, but last night she had looked like perfection itself, thanks to the gin and tonics she repeatedly heaped upon him.

Exhaling, he grunted at the memory. Free alcohol or not, there was no excuse to get plastered out of his mind. He really needed to cut back on the booze. Although, watching the dirty skank end up face first on the ground more than made up for the inconvenience she put him through. He had thoroughly enjoyed watching her embarrassing trip to the ground. Laughing at the expense of others was an old habit that he had no plan on breaking any time soon.

But now that he'd seen Kagome again, he knew it would take an act of Kami-sama to rid his mind of her once and for all. Perhaps it was life's way of giving him a second chance at her... and if that was the case, he was going to take it.

Tossing the cigarette butt over the side of the balcony, he went back inside his warm apartment. The thought of starting the chase up all over again was exciting to be sure, but for some reason, making her miserable hadn't even crossed his mind.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was the beginning of February and by now, Yuki's mellow mood had somewhat passed and he was mostly back to his usual obnoxious self. On this freezing cold day, he was planning to take Kagome out on a date after long last, no matter what. He'd been made to wait far too long for this.

While waiting for Hiro to pick up the phone, Yuki was standing in front of the full-length mirror, clad only in blue jeans, staring lovingly at his perfect figure and holding his cell phone to his ear. Damn, he was gorgeous.

"Moshi-moshi?"

"Hello, little brother!" trilled Yuki happily.

A muffled, pain-filled groan. "What do you want, Yuki?" came the weary reply.

"Hiro, prepare dinner, if you please. I am coming over for a visit and to ask Kagome out on a date again. Okay? Good. Expect me in an hour. We won't be going out tonight because I plan on allowing her the opportunity to find out more about me. I just know she'll feel honored to know that I am once again interested in her." Yuki grinned handsomely at his reflection and ran a hand through his hair, which was looking especially soft and golden this evening. There was no way Kagome could turn all this down again. He was looking just too hot!

"I wouldn't do that," muttered Hiro quietly.

"Excuse me?" Yuki's attention was momentarily diverted from his beautiful reflection and actually frowned. He turned away to keep from seeing the creases in his smooth forehead.

Hiro sighed. "I said, I wouldn't do that."

Shaking his head, Yuki went back to studying his face, sans frown. "Nonsense, little brother, why wouldn't I want to do that?" He swiveled his body around and turned his head to look in the mirror over his shoulder. His ass was just too perfect! If he could, he'd date himself...

Another sigh came from Hiro's end of the phone. "Yuki, I... There's something I think you should know..."

The tone of his brother's voice caused Yuki to turn away from his handsome image. "What are you saying?" Another frown crept over his face. "What's going on, Hiro?"

"Yuki..."

A wave of anger rolled over the golden one. "Tell me, Hiro. Oh, I see. Is something going on between you and Kagome, then? I won't have it, you hear me? I won't --"

"Its not me, Yuki."

Feeling a sense of doom creep over him, Yuki went over to his bed and sank down up on it. He shut his eyes, not wanting to hear the answer, but dying to know just the same. "Who, then?" Who was stupid enough to cross me and sign their own death warrant?

"Just promise me you won't storm over here and---"

Yuki's temper flared to an unnatural degree, one that surprised even him. "FUCKING TELL ME NOW!" he thundered into the phone.

Hiro's answer came out in a rush. "It's Kouga. She and Kouga are dating, Yuki. They've been seeing each other for awhile now."

Yuki's free fist clenched around a handful of his comforter, but what he really wanted was to wrap his fingers around Kouga's neck and throttle the life out of him. "Why the fuck didn't you tell me?!" he hissed furiously.

"Why? Because you'd try to have him bumped off, that's why!" Hiro shot back, equally angry. "Kagome has every right to be happy, Yuki, so don't interfere."

"Oh, really. Well, what about my right to be happy, Hiro? Ever think about that?"

A derisive snort erupted from Hiro. "Oh please. Kagome tried being nice to you. She even tried to take your verbal abuse to make you happy. Do you remember remember how that went? You got your jollies off of making her miserable. I think it's only fair that she think about her own happiness and screw yours."

While Hiro raged against him into the phone, an unpleasant thought struck Yuki.

Why did Hiro not want him to come over? Was it because Kouga was over there right now? Was she with him this second? His arms around her? His filthy hands on her body??

No! No, no, the idea was repulsive. Don't think like that, baka. Of course she wouldn't do something like that. Not with Kouga, of all people.

But just to be sure...

"Where is Kagome, by the way?" he asked, straining to hear if Kagome was somewhere in the background.

"Oh, she's with Kouga, right this second. And you know what? They're making out in the living room. How about that, Yuki? Wait! Do you hear that? That's the sound of Kouga slurping on her tonsils. Doesn't young love just warm that ice-infested organ you call a heart?" Hiro replied triumphantly, hanging up the phone.

When Yuki, who was already well on his way to an explosion of vitrolic rage, heard the dial tone, he let loose a thundering roar before chunking his cell phone across the room, where it smashed into pieces against the wall. He sat on his bed, staring daggers at the pieces of phone scattered on his floor, trying desperately to force his rage down.

Why should he care? She was nothing to him!

Managing to keep his fury somewhat under control, Yuki stalked out of his bedroom and over to his wet bar, where he opened the little refrigerator and grabbed the brand new bottle of vodka he'd bought just the other day, as well as a shot glass. His eyes jumped from the bottle to the glass and back to the bottle. His hand bypassed the glass and he began drinking straight from the bottle.

All the while he was chugging, his mind was whirring, spinning at the improbability of this situation. Kagome would never be with a guy like Kouga. That was just a preposterous notion! Besides, Kouga's taste in women did not include a female like Kagome. She too much of a goody-two shoes type for someone like Kouga, who had always preferred his women fresh out of high school and on the slutty side.

Kagome was nothing like that. She was far too sweet and pure for--

Slamming the bottle back down to the counter, Yuki's upper lip pulled back in an impatient snarl. But who cares? He certainly didn't. She was a nobody! She was nothing!

Eventually, he gave up arguing with himself and left his penthouse and went out into the dark winter night. Taking the bottle with him, Yuki had decided to go out to see for himself. There just had to be some mistake. There was no way she could possibly be involved with a man like that.

ooooooooooooo

He had found Kagome at home, alright. Standing in the snow and looking into the living room window, he saw that she was indeed at home, cozied up to Kouga, snuggled into his arms and they were kissing. Not just kissing... making out like a couple of hormonal teenagers. Just as Hiro said they were...

In his drunken state, all he knew was that Kagome was allowing that traitorous man-whore to touch her pure body in ways he'd only dreamt of.

Not fair! his mind screamed. Its not fair!

Unable to contain his rage any longer, Yuki burst into the house, kicked the front door in, wrenching the door completely off of its hinges and dashed into the living room.

His eyes flew wildly between Kagome and Kouga. The cuddling pair jumped apart when he burst in on them. Kagome stared with frightened bewilderment at Yuki, who was leaning drunkenly against the nearest wall for support. "You... and him?" he spat, feeling as though his heart was being wrenched out his chest. "Why? Why him? Why not me?! What's wrong with me?!"

Blushing furiously, Kagome got to her feet, a bewildered look on her face. "Yuki-sama!"

"Look at me! I'm beautiful! I'm fucking wealthy! Any women who looks at me, wants me! Why did you turn me down for... for... that?" He pointed an unsteady finger accusingly at Kouga.

"Ano... gomen nasai! Please, come and sit before you fall...!"

Rage filled Yuki's alcohol-addled brain and he gave a harsh laugh. "No, of course you didn't want me. You were too busy trying to get into his pants--"

At this point, Kouga jumped up and lunged at Yuki. He grabbed the blond man's throat and shook him. "Don't you dare speak that way to Kagome!" he snarled. "Apologize now or I--"

"Or you'll what, Kouga? Or you'll what? Kill me? That's a story in itself, wouldn't you agree? Hey Kagome, did Kouga tell you what he used to do for a living?"

"Shut your trap, Yuki!" Kouga hissed furiously. "Kagome, don't listen to his lies!"

But Yuki only laughed at the panicked, frightened look in the man's bright blue eyes. "Oh, dear. You haven't told her about your past profession, have you?" More sinister laughter.

"Told me, what? Kouga? What is he talking about?" Kagome looked from one man to the other, her heart sinking into her belly. Something very bad was about to be revealed.

"Oh, Kagome, Kagome. You really should find out all you can about a man before you let his tongue slide half way down your esophagus. Your boyfriend here was a paid assassin, my dear. Didn't you know that? He used to murder people for money! What do ya think of that, huh? Think he's marriage material now?" Yet another ugly laugh wrenched from Yuki's throat as he felt ice form in his chest. He turned his attention back on Kouga. "You stole her from me, you damned bastard. You knew I wanted her and yet you snuck around and --"

"Kouga--?" Kagome's gaze slid over to Kouga, questioningly, and he could see her trust in him wavering. "I-is that true?"

"Kagome, I----" He turned away from her to stare daggers at the blond man in his grasp. "Damn you, Yuki!" With a growl, Kouga slammed Yuki up against the busted up doorframe, pure hate burning in his blue eyes. "For your information, I didn't sneak. I won her over showing her kindness and caring and I sure as hell didn't use your approach; what with all the scheming and lying you do just get into a woman's bed for a quick one-time roll in the hay. Perhaps if you were more of human being, you'd be able to understand that women have feelings too."

Yuki's green eyes slid over to where Kagome stood quite still, utterly distraught, wondering if she should say something to make everything better, but not knowing what to say. It appeared that she was pretty well shaken up by the revelation of Kouga's past.

Damned bitch...serves you right for messing with that loser...

What she needed to be saying was how sorry she was for demanding all of Hiro's time. All he ever talked about was Kagome. He lived and breathed for Kagome, very rarely leaving her side. He'd even given up having a life of his own to make sure she was looked after and cared for. Hiro even neglected to spend time with his brother! His own flesh and blood! All because of a stupid, ignorant little female...

And then there was Kouga. In his mind's eye, Yuki was treated to the sight of Kagome wrapped up in Kouga's arms once more and his anger flared all over again.

The bastard's hands had been all over her. His hands, those filthy, bloodstained hands, and his lips... all over Kagome...

Yuki shook his head, trying to clear it. But it didn't work. He was jealous, he realized with shock.

Jealous... him...

So bloody jealous of an ex-assassin who loved her... and who got to hold her... to touch her... to taste her...

Damn her. Why should he give a shit? She was such a stupid, pathetic, miserably insignificant wench... who meant nothing to him...

He finally managed to shake the thought of her and Kouga together and went back to the topic of his brother. Anything to stop thinking of her with another man...

"You! You've ruined my life and stole Hiro away from me! He went running to you to get away from me! Why did you have to fucking matter so much to him?!" he roared at Kagome, shoving Kouga away from him with great force.

"Yuki-sama, I---"

"Shut up!" he screamed at her and she flinched. He felt horribly confused, not knowing if he wanted to go after Kagome or the man who'd been attached to her face a moment ago. So he went after the weaker of the two, the one who had hurt him the most. "I fucking hate you, bitch! You... irritate me! Arghh! I wish you never existed! Why didn't you just die back then, huh? You shoulda starved to death... you... you damned... you--" He panted heavily, unable to continue.

As his tirade peetered out, he saw the glimmer of tears as they streaked down her ghost white face. His murderous rage instantly dissipated. Sparkling green eyes opened very wide, stricken with shock. What was he saying? Oh no...

Kagome? Kami, please don't cry, Kagome. Don't you dare cry! I didn't... I didn't mean what I said...

As she lowered her head, hiding those exquisite eyes from view, the nearly-empty bottle of vodka dropped from his nerveless fingers, shattering at his feet... and then he fled. It was too much, far too much, for his wounded heart to bear.

Without realizing it, Kagome had hurt him. She wanted Kouga, but that wasn't enough to tear his heart in two. From out of nowhere, his desire to possess her had gone far beyone wanting to use her for her body. He not only wanted her, but he wanted to monopolize all of her attention and to have her treat him as she did Hiro... and it pissed him off when she wouldn't do it.

His damned heart was yelling at him, demanding that he go back, grovel on his knees before her and apologize for being the biggest bastard that ever existed, but his mind was only a swirling mass of confusion and fear. She would never forgive him for that, for what he had said. Not even Kagome would be able to find it in her gentle heart to forgive him.

So out into the night he ran, stumbling drunkenly along the way. Her face... those eyes... those huge, tear-filled eyes... were burned into his brain, his memory. Never would he be able to forget her face, the way she looked at him after hearing all the terrible things he said to her.

Somehow, he managed to locate his car in the bitterly cold night and climb into it, his trembling hands fumbling with his keys. Eventually, he found the ignition, started up the car and drove away into the night. The ice-covered roads did not deter him from speeding along. All he wanted was to get as far away from her as possible. Perhaps then, when he was far enough away, he could forget her.

'Forget her... forget her...' his mind repeated endlessly. But as his car skidded off the road and slammed into a tree, the damned chanting mercifully ceased.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

While Kouga was comforting a sobbing Kagome, Hiro's phone rang. He picked it up off the coffee table... listened... and dropped it. It clattered loudly on the glass top and both Kagome and Kouga turned to look.

Hiro's face was completely drained of blood. Kagome, alarmed, jumped up and rushed over to him. "Hiro! What's wrong?"

"Its... Yuki." He looked up at Kagome. "There's been an accident. He... wrapped his car around a tree."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo