Hey guys! I know, I know! It has beenlike forever sicne I've updated this fic and there are no excuses except for the obvious lack of inspiration and writer's block. But now I've returned as most of you can see with all the other things I've been updating lately. Anway I want to thank you all for being so patient with me so here it is!

Disclaimer: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I don't wanna say it! Lawyers begin drawing up papers and handing me their pens... All right all right, I do not own Inuyasha and Yu YU Hakusho!

Chapter 3

After the Fact

"So what was that all about?" Kurama asked, face blank but eyes peering mischievously into the wide blue eyes of Kagome as she blushed and tried to look away from his intriguing eyes. The duo were walking along slowly, Kagome nibbling and licking her ice cream every now and again as Kurama walked beside her, not at all in a hurry to get to his home. Kagome paused momentarily, and Kurama was internally grateful since it was beginning to drive him crazy every time her tongue darted out of her mouth to lick up a stray drop of raspberry ice cream. It made him want things, wicked things he had no right to want from someone he'd just met.

"Er, well, you see, back at my old school I had these three friends, although now a day I just like to call them acquaintances, since they are too nosy for my tastes. Anyway they were always trying to set me up with different guys and things and at the time I just wasn't interested in meeting boys and going out on dates," Kagome explained. She stopped short to throw one of her sticky napkins away and Kurama paused a few paces ahead of her. "Eventually Hojo came along, I guess you could say he was kind of like you, the school's heartthrob." She shot him a quick teasing grin and his cheeks turned red.

"So why didn't you ever accept?" Kurama truly was curious. This Hojo seemed very nice, maybe a little too nice, but certainly a girl like her would be into a guy like him.

Kagome shrugged and then screwed up her face in a scowl. "Don't get me wrong, Hojo's nice and all but he's a bit….boring, not to mention a little over bearing. I tried letting him down gently but nothing seems to get through to the poor boy. I'm afraid he's a bit on the dense side."

Kurama cocked his head to the side in a contemplative manner. "I don't know. I'd be pretty persistent too if a girl like you turned me down." He grinned down at her and chuckled when she blushed. She had to smile though.

For someone who was so blatantly popular, she hadn't expected Kurama to be quite so nice. After all, in her experience most of the more popular kids took their lives for granted, thinking the whole world would simply bow at their feet. Or they could be like Hojo and be a total dunce with a capital D. And with all those girls vying for Kurama's attention…she couldn't help but wonder if he ever dated any of those stupid bitches. They drove her up the wall just by being there. It was probably even harder to date one.

While Kagome was caught up in her thoughts she finished her cone, unknowingly driving Kurama insane again as his eyes kept flickering between her sweet, tempting lips and small, pink tongue. If she would have looked up, she would have noticed his emerald eyes darkening ever so slightly as he continued to watch her.

Kagome felt eyes boring into her and turned to see Kurama staring at her in a peculiar way and for a moment she wondered if something was wrong until he directed his stare lower, just as he'd done that morning. He ran his eyes boldly over her face and neck, down her chest, and further down to her long, luscious legs.

Kagome was caught up in a world of her own, deciding that if he was allowed to look then so was she.

He was still wearing that god awful pink uniform that somehow still managed to make him look perfect. She loved his eyes, so much power and knowledge behind their hidden exterior. She knew he held secrets, deep, dark secrets, and yet that made her want to know more. Why was he so closed off from everyone else? His friends seemed to be the only important people in his life. The few times she'd managed to catch a glimpse of him at school, he was always by himself if he wasn't with Yusuke or Kuwabara. She wanted to get to know him, know the man or demon, behind that placid mask of his. And despite all the secrets lurking in his eyes, she knew deep down that she could trust him whole-heartedly.

Kurama couldn't help it. She was so pure and beautiful and yet she was coy and mysterious. And the way she looked at him with those warm, blue eyes, it was like she was reading his soul, searching for something. If she were anyone else, he might have been worried that someone was able to get under his skin enough for him to trust them. But she was Kagome. She made him want to spill everything, his shadowed past as Yoko Kurama and his new life as a spirit detective. She wasn't like any woman he'd ever met. She was so different than all those other women who literally threw themselves at him. She was shy and yet he knew she had an attitude hidden under that tempting skirt as well. His eyes wandered her curves, taking in her flawless body and long legs and he mentally wondered if he was drooling. He thought she was beautiful standing at a distance. She was even better up close. Wide, lovely blue eyes framed by thick black lashes, heart-shaped mouth and that sweet, tempting tongue of hers. She wore no make-up but then again, a girl who looked like her didn't have to. That would only hide who she truly was.

"Uh, Kurama," she questioned, bringing a hand in front of his face, instantly snapping him out of his trance. Kurama simply blinked at her and didn't even bother to appear embarrassed. What did he have to be ashamed about? She was a gorgeous female. What red-blooded male wouldn't be attracted to a girl like her, especially a kitsune like him?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare," he apologized though they both knew he didn't mean it. "I was…analyzing your aura. Tell me, how is it that you are a miko? I thought they all died out many hundreds of years ago."

Kagome stared at him skeptically, knowing that was not the full reason he was raping her with his eyes….not that she really minded….what! Kagome fought down the rising blush at the sudden misdirection of her torrid thoughts and tried to turn her attention back to the conversation at hand.

"So you did notice?" She asked softly biting her lip. She shot him a worried glance. "I hope it doesn't bother you. I'm not here to harm anyone, especially any demons such as you…or your other friend, Hiei was it?"

"Don't worry," he stated soothingly. "I'm not worried and neither is Hiei."

"He didn't seem to like me very much," Kagome muttered thoughtfully. "I thought maybe it had something to do with me being a miko."

Kurama had to chuckle. "No…Hiei is like that with most everyone, so don't worry about him."

"So…why do you call yourself Kurama? Is that your demon name?"

"Well sort of," He paused, wondering if he should really tell her or not. I mean he didn't even know her, not really, although he was dying to know her. "It's a really long story." He shot her an apologetic glance and Kagome simply smiled in quiet understanding.

"It's okay Kurama," she laid a gentle hand on his arm unknowingly sending shivers traveling through his entire body. "You don't have to tell me now if you don't want to. Believe me, I know all about long stories." She sighed as memories of her time in the past began to replay across her mind. She shook her head. This was no time to bring up memories she'd decided to put behind her. "But you are a kitsune right?" she asked. "What kind?"

Kurama smiled at her sudden curiosity and of course the way she blinked up at him. "Yes, and I'm a silver kitsune."

"What's that?" Kagome tilted her head to the side cutely and Kurama had to squash the sudden urge to kiss her as she glanced at him innocently.

"A silver kitsune has the power to manipulate plant life," he explained. She still looked a bit confused so he reached in his hair and pulled out a tiny seed. "See." She came closer and stooped low over his palm, wondering what he was going to do. Kurama held back the groan of want as he caught sight of her nearly exposed posterior as she leaned over to get a better look at the tiny seed. "Now watch," Kurama said, clearing his throat and turning back to his seed. Kurama's magic grew inside of him, causing the seed to grow into a pretty red rose. Kagome watched in awe as a rose the size of Kurama's hand grew before her very eyes and she gasped at the pure beauty of it all.

"Wow," she giggled, eyes sparkling with delight and wonder. "That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen."

Kurama ran a hand over the stem and retracted the thorns. "Here," He whispered bending down to her level. "This is for you to keep." Gently he tucked her hair behind her neck and placed the flower over the shell of her ear, brushing a few stray locks of satin hair away from her perfect skin. Kagome couldn't help but lean into Kurama's soft touch, enjoying the way his fingers felt against her suddenly flushed skin. She blinked up at him, not realizing she had maneuvered her body so close to his. He moved closer to her, getting lost in the touch of her skin and the majesty of her eyes as they stared imploringly into his own.

Kagome's hand came up and placed it over top his, closing her eyes and leaning into him when he stepped closer and wrapped his right arm around her waist.

"Kagome," he whispered, lowering his head to peer into her darkening blue orbs.

"Hm," she murmured, once again lost in the sea of his eyes, fingers intertwining with his own.

"Go out with me," he stated more than asked and she looked confused.

"On a date?" She asked and then held back the wince of the total obviousness of his question.

He smiled warmly and nodded. "Tomorrow night."

This time Kagome visibly winced. She had that festival at the shrine tomorrow and she promised her family she would take part in the archery exhibition. "Is there something wrong?" he asked, concerned that she was about to say no.

"No, there's nothing wrong…really. It's just that tomorrow is our family's annual Sunset Shrine Festival and I promised my family I would help out."

"Oh," Kurama sighed a little relieved that she wasn't turning him down. "Well, how about I stop by the festival then," he suggested and Kagome thought it over.

"Sure," she finally agreed. "I'm sure my family would love to meet you. And I could probably manage to get away for a few hours so you weren't by yourself the whole time."

"It would be worth it," he murmured softly in her ear, lips brushing against the tender flesh. Kagome shivered in his arms.

"So…are we set?" She asked pushing him away slightly, a bit frazzled by his closeness.

He let her go and stepped away. "Just tell me when and where and I'll be there," he replied, taking her hand and not missing the blush that once again covered her face. He held back the naughty grin that was threatening to break, pleased that he could have such an effect on her.

Well, good, he thought smugly. The feeling is mutual.

The next night Kagome sat in her room, going crazy about her wardrobe. She closed her eyes picturing the dreamy red-headed boy with his large, cat-like emerald eyes and his perfect hair and soft skin. Oh, and roses. She couldn't forget the way he smelled like roses and pine. All day long he'd made it a point to sit next to her and walk her to class and she hadn't been able to concentrate on anything but that tempting red head who sat so tantalizingly close and yet so far away at the same time. When he wasn't looking she'd sneak glances at him and she knew he had done almost the same thing. And after school, he'd walked her home so he knew where she lived and even double checked that they were still on for the evening. Kagome sighed dreamily. He was so….so perfect.

And this is why she found herself rooting around in her closet, pulling out things she hadn't worn in years as she wanted to look nice for Kurama, but not overly dressed up. She didn't want to appear too desperate either. She didn't want to appear sluttish or over done, so she finally settled on her priestess robes which were a gift from an old friend. They were quit expensive and had a more modern look to them, instead of the old red and white ones she was forced to wear a time or two. Her haori was a dark blue color which brought out her eyes and had a picture of a red-haired kitsune on the back in a state similar to Sesshomaru's large inu form. The hakamas were a simple elegant white, which made her legs seem longer than they really were.

Kagome pinned part of her hair back in two braids which connected in the back and let the rest fall down her back like a cascading water fall. She wore no make-up and white slipper like shoes to match her hakamas. Kagome glanced in her bedroom mirror and grinned looking for any signs of left over dinner stuck in her teeth and closed her mouth when she was satisfied. At 6:15 the festival was now underway, which began with a retelling of all the ancient mysteries surrounding this particular shrine. She would have taken over that task had her grandfather not begged to do them instead. She allowed him to, as it was his passion to speak of the old stories and she had to admit he could be a good story teller when he settled down enough not to ramble on and on. The festival would go on late into the night and there would be several demonstrations of the days of old, featuring many different species of 'mythological' demons.

There would even be a battle scene between a miko and a demon in which she was take part in as, of course, the miko. After that she would go on to demonstrate how to properly shoot a bow and arrow.

She sighed and stared nervously at her reflection. Oh, kami what am I doing? Getting involved with another demon and a kitsune no less. Oh yes, she'd heard the stories about seductive kitsunes with enough prowess and virility to make even the strongest woman fall into their arms. Of course she heard this mostly from Shippo, some from Sango, and occasionally from Inuyasha when he simply felt like ranting at something. Hadn't she learned her mistake the first time, crushing on a half demon? Of course she later found out that what she had was a crush, possibly a giant crush, but it wasn't love. She may have wanted it to be love at some point, but her hopes quickly died when it appeared that Inuyasha would never view her as Kagome; always Kikyo.

She had been home for only a few months, having finished the jewel a few months prior to her 18th birthday. The surprising thing about it was that she wasn't sad any more. Sure, she had moped around and cried a lot when she realized she could never go back and visit her friends. But after awhile she began looking towards her future, choosing to look back on her past with fond memories instead of sad ones. She may never be able to see them in person again, but she would be eternally thankful to have met them all in the first place. Inuyasha had chosen, surprisingly, to remain on earth and as far as she knew remained a hanyou. Sango and Miroku had gotten married, no surprise there and Shippo was going to stay with them for a few years before venturing out on his own to find his own path in life.

She and the group had pondered for awhile what to wish for until Rin had found the jewel one day and asked that Sesshomaru never be lonely again. It was a pure wish for Rin since she had asked for nothing but her master's happiness. The jewel granted her wish…and made sure Sesshomaru would never be lonely by causing Rin to become a tiny dog demoness. Boy was everyone surprised to wake up and find Sesshomaru holding the little pup with both arms and looking down upon his new daughter with a softened expression on his face. She thought Inuyasha was going to bust a nut.

Kagome gave a little start when she heard a soft knocking on her door, realizing she got lost in her thoughts again, and turned to see her mother opening the door. Kun-loon smiled at her daughter through the eyes of a proud mother. Her daughter had grown up to be a beautiful person, both inside and out and she couldn't help but marvel how she had raised such a daughter.

"Hey, mama, do you think I look all right?" Kagome asked, patting her clothes nervously.

Her mother smiled and crossed over to embrace her and give her a kiss on the forehead. "You look perfect, dear," she stated kindly eyes filled with delight. "Except one thing is missing."

"What's that?" Kagome asked turning back to her mirror in case she really had missed something.

"Here." Kun-loon brought out a lovely carved longbow made from the wood of the God Tree and Kagome's eyes widened in wonderment.

"Oh, mama," Kagome gasped. "Wasn't this yours?"

Kun-loon nodded. "Yes, but it has also been passed down for several generations. My mother passed it on to me when I turned 18 and you're 18 now so I want you to have it." Kun-loon held out the antique and Kagome took it from her running a finger along the finely carved wood and plucking at the taunt, seemingly perfect string.

"Thank you mama, it's perfect!" She exclaimed hugging her mother closely. "I think I'm going to try it out tonight!"

"Wow, sis," Souta poked his head in her doorway and caught sight of his sister all dressed up and looking like some kind of ancient warrior. "You look mad cool. I bet Kurama will like it," he teased in a sing song voice, wondering what this guy looked like. Kagome had come home the day before positively beaming. She kept talking about how she met this new guy and how nice he seemed and blah, blah, blah. He just wondered what kind of attentions he had set on his older sister. After all while he was still young, there was no rule about him being able to look out for her once in awhile.

"Erg, Souta," Kagome growled then blinked. "Do you really think he will?"

Kun-loon giggled at her daughter's hopeful expression and couldn't help but think the same things her son was. She hadn't seen Kagome looking so happy in quite a long time. It was nice to see her so content for a change.

The door bell rang and everyone froze until… "I'll get it!" Souta cried just about tripping over himself as he raced to answer the door. Kagome was torn between racing after him and staying here and making one of those dramatic first entrance scenes and then figured she would just start walking. If she managed to reach the front door before her brother let her date in, then she would smile and greet him.

Yes, Kagome nodded to herself stepping lightly out of her room followed closely by her mother. And if she was late then she would-. Take him to bed.

Kagome's jaw dropped to see the boy she'd been fretting over for the last hour and a half, staring at her, hands jammed in his pockets and hair tied back in a low ponytail as he gazed out at her from behind those heavenly bangs with molten green eyes which looked as if they would devour her any second now. Oh kami, help me! She cried out in her mind, trying with all her might to get her mouth to work but all that came out was a startled squeak which might have sounded kind of breathy.

"Kurama."

And then he did the sexiest thing she'd ever seen. He grinned, the tiniest grin possible, lips tipping up at the ends as his emerald eyes flashed and stared wantonly into her own suddenly darkened eyes. He stepped towards her and kissed her cheek, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Good evening…Kagome."

So there! Its done and man did that take awhile to write. Well, I hope it has made you all extremely happy and rejuvented

Ja ne

Kura-kun's-lovr