My Girl

by Foayasha

Disclaimer: The epic of Inuyasha, while wonderful, does not belong to me. Thus I cannot, and do not, claim to own any of the characters in this short story... but, I can take cred. For the one who is suspiciously absent in this chapter, lol.

Shagsthedustmop is over 9000 for beta'ing my fic.

My Girl Chpt 7 – Youkai third base

Another double play!

Kagome grit her teeth in annoyance, glaring at the object of her discontent. Being interrupted while in the midst of a glorious artistic rush was more than enough to behead the offender. The project she was working on was difficult to get engrossed in, and when she finally started to let the juices flow, the powers above thought that just wouldn't do. Someone just had to drop in and ruin it for her.

Ugh, there it went again, the shrill artificial tone continuously beckoning her. Being firmly seated at her computer chair, she was reluctant to acknowledge it. Although, she knew it was inevitable. She would need lean to the furthest side of her desk, and answer the phone. Who made phone calls at five in the evening? It should be illegal.

The phone rang once more; it seemed louder than the times before.

"Fine, fine," she murmured to herself. She braced her elbows on the side of her desk, and leaned in as far as she could to reach the phone. It was placed at the far end of her desk, on a mound of schematics. Whoever left it there should really think about placing it back in the charger... She picked up the small black receiver, and looked at its plain green display, and nearly dropped the item when she read it.

[Incoming Call: Takahashi, Inuyasha | 867 - 6548]

Holy crap, he had her phone number!

Why on earth was he calling her? Why was her heart racing that fast? He wasn't that interesting, or attractive, or delicious…

Whatever he was calling her for, she could handle it... She got a chill thinking of his lulling voice; harsh, yet surprisingly sexy and wicked. Getting a call from him could be a good thing right? It wasn't like he was calling her to yell at her, or insinuate something rude again? Wait... he is an asshole. He probably was calling to yell at her.

Well, we'll see about that. She thought with finality. She set the phone down as it rang its ending tone, which in her mind seemed to be like a whimper. Maybe she should have answered it. Probably not, he was a jerk after all, and their last encounter was proof enough. What had she gotten mad about? Who even remembers anymore, it was like any time she was with that man, she couldn't think past her hormones.

Even though her mind was telling her she did the right thing, she still had her doubts. They had flirted a bit at the park, and she had to admit it was fun. There were even times she thought about sneaking up to his room to talk to him after school. Of course several of those thoughts took place while she was in bed; she would sneak up to his room at all hours of the night. What reasons he would still be at the school at that time, with bottles of wine no less, or why she would be going to the school in just a nightie... well, she didn't really rationalize. But they were some darn fun fantasies.

It wasn't like he thought of her like that anyways. He practically threw himself away from her anytime she was near. It seemed like just being close to her was enough to make him want to vomit, or pass out. His face would flush, then pale, then flush once more. At the park she had watched him carefully, and for a short time, she actually believed that she had misread him, and that maybe… just maybe, he was interested… in her.

She sighed, and now here he was calling her, late on a Thursday. Okay, well it wasn't that late, but she was still working, and didn't have time to be interrupted by the rude man. Right? She had a lot of work to do, and really, she didn't even care if he called back or not. She liked her peace and quiet, and didn't give a rats butt if he wanted to speak with her. Most likely to yell at her, or sling a few insults. Who needs that?

When the phone rang again, she 'Eeped', but didn't hesitate to scramble to pick it up. Clutched tightly in her grasp, she looked at the ID: Inuyasha Takahashi. He obviously didn't believe her to not be home or unavailable if he was calling back so quickly. It rang a second time.

Should she answer? Oh Gods, she wanted to talk to him. She moaned to herself, and bit her lower lip as she slowly moved her thumb to the green 'answer' button. Her eyes wide, and if a youkai were in the room, probably would have smelt her apprehension. Well, any youkai living on her street could probably smell it, to be honest. Upon hearing the beep, signaling the connection, she cautiously lifted the receiver to her ear.

"This is Kagome, may I ask who's calling," she said, attempting to keep the nervousness out of her voice. Did she fail? Probably.

"Hi Kagome? It's Inuyasha Takahashi," he answered, sounding calm, and pleasant. His voice did crack slightly upon saying her name. It was a warm feeling though, whenever she heard him say it. As if he treasured the very syllables of its composition. It made her feel oddly safe, why is that?

"Um, hello Inuyasha," she answered, really unsure of what to say to him. Was he calling about a problem with Aimi? Or, should she dare to hope he may have been calling to apologize for being rude a couple of weeks ago? There was silence after the initial greetings were out of the way which caused her palms to begin to sweat. Finding the absence of conversation unbearable, she ventured, "So, erm... Can I help you with something?"

"Yes! I mean, yes," he replied hastily. She could hear him clear his throat, and then he continued. :"I, Um, wasn't expecting to have you answer the phone. I was bracing myself for Aimi to answer it."

"So you were calling for my daughter?" she said dumbfounded. This man was so odd at times.

"NO! Oh, no, not at all. I just mean at school, whenever we do an exercise that involves a telephone, she screeches into it; like she expects the person on the other end to be hard of hearing. I just wasn't prepared to have a normal person answer when I dialed your number," he explained. She was perplexed at this point. She felt her protectiveness build within her as she picked up on the slight insult at her daughters normal-ness. Sure, she had thought the same thing about the girl, it wasn't like she had ever answered the phone in that way. So learning that behavior from example wasn't really the reason. But really, he couldn't just waltz into her life, and make such comments about her child. Only she could.

"Are you telling me that you think my daughter is strange? The nerve-" she began, but he cut her off.

"No, no! No... No, that isn't what I meant. Calm down Kagome, I wasn't trying to be rude," she noticed the rushed and exasperated tone he took. She also didn't fail to notice how the sound of his voice permeated within her, creating a sense of nervousness an adult woman shouldn't feel. What was she, in grade school? It wasn't like she had never spoken to a man before.

He continued as her thoughts swept through a variety of different conclusions for why she was feeling so out of sorts.

"I just meant that I was expecting her to answer, but you did instead. That was all, nothing more. I promise," he soothed. Oh dear, why did he have to sound so sweet. Oh yeah, she was going to have a hard time keeping that voice out of her naughty late-night fantasies.

"Ok, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to jump all over you," she giggled at her wording. And wait, why was she apologizing? "So, would you like to explain your reason for calling then?"

"Kagome, I uh, firstly... Yes. I would like to tell you, again..." he began, and she felt like he was making progress on his sentence forming skills. But really, couldn't he just spit it out? He cleared his throat again, and began once more, "Kagome, I'm really horrible with words; I wanted to apologize for how I have been acting."

"Alright, go ahead," she teased.

"Er, what?" he floundered, sounding lost. She knew that the offer to apologize was nearly as good as the apology itself, but really. Was he was going to offer to apologize, but not actually do it? This man was really something else. "I think I already did."

"No, Inuyasha, you said you would like to. So I gave you permission," she grit her teeth. How was it possible that no matter what he did, or said, it could always end with her wanting to punch him in the nose?

"Woman, I don't need your permission." he said roughly.

"Well you still have it. Aren't you going to apologize, Mr. Takahashi," she sneered. There he goes again, Woman this, or Woman that.

"Don't call me that, I already have so many runts that address me that way, that's my dad's name. And, I already apologized, damn it woman."

"No you didn't, you said that you wanted to apologize. And really, if you're going to call me Woman, then I'll call you whatever I damn well feel like calling you, MR. TAKAHASHI!" she fired back at him.

"Wench, are you for real? I don't think I can take this much more of this," he yelled back at her.

"Well nobody told you that you had to," she said, feeling like the world was falling around her. She was just as bad as he was, why couldn't they talk without arguing?

"Well, maybe I won't," he snapped.

"Well, I won't stop you," she jeered.

"Well, good."

"Good for you."

"Fine."

"Fine."

And then he hung up.

Really? She dropped the phone in her lap, and rested her temples in her hands, braced on the desk. What the heck is wrong with us? We're like bickering little kids. Maybe she was a bit too anti-social. She'd need to quit turning down her old school friends invitations to go to the bar.

The phone started to ring again, and she smiled when she looked at it. Guess who? Her eyes soften, and she took a cool breath before answering. That's what she needed to do, just let the negativity flow out, just like in Yoga class. Not that she was any good at Yoga, go figure.

"Hello, Inuyasha?" she replied, doing her best to portray her now calm mood.

"Kagome," he spoke her name like he would never get to say it again. It almost shattered her heart to hear him sound so broken. She could almost see his dog ears drooping. "I'm sorry…for... for everything. I just... I guess I need to get out more or something, I really don't mean to fight with you like that."

"It's ok, I'm not much better," she assured him, but she did feel a little tired, so she helped him along. "So, Inuyasha, you want to tell me the real reason you called?"

"Right, yeah. I.. Kagome, You and I… I er... would like to know, if you're available..." the rest of his statement was only a muffled grumble, and she smiled. He was sweet when they weren't fighting.

"Yes," she said, knowing what he was trying to ask.

"Yes? You will?" he sounded surprised, and relieved. She really hopped she hadn't just agreed to house sit, or possibly do free landscaping.

"If you're asking me out," she said boldly, trying to get some strait answers out of the flighty half-youkai. "Is that what you had asked? I couldn't really hear you."

"Keh, yeah. I was," he said, and she knew he was blushing. They really were like kids.

"I'd love to..." she replied, and heard him let out a breath he probably didn't know he was holding in.

The two sat for an hour or so after they finished setting up plans for the date. Talking about some of the new developments Inuyasha had found on Aimi, and Kagome's research. Really though, they weren't any closer to finding out who here parents might be. Kagome was satisfied at this point though.

She had been told her daughter was youkai, and she had a great mentor to help her learn control. That was all she was truly concerned about. It happened to be a bonus that said mentor was interested in her, and from what Aimi said, he wore shirts that were inappropriate at times. She smiled.

Well, maybe it wasn't so bad that she was interrupted from work today.

[:::]

She was floored, blown away, completely and utterly shocked. Three hours into the date, but Inuyasha and herself had yet to get into a single argument. Playful teasing, sure, but she had not once felt like his face needed to be shoved into the ground with the force of a falling grand piano. That had to mean something.

It was pretty amazing, that not only had she had a great time in his company, but he had actually planned a fairly entertaining date, and the time they spent together seemed to fly by. They started out with something to eat, dining at a quiet ramen and tea shop, which he had mentioned was one of his favorites.

While they were there, Kagome went over the basics of her current habits, and occupation. He seemed impressed to know she owned her own freelance industrial design company. She had worked pretty hard to get herself made business really up and running; with several reliable, and steady clientele, she had a very healthy income. It was really a blessing after Hojo had left, and she was struggling a bit with finding a nearly full-time baby sitter for Aimi.

He had told her a little bit about his family life at this time as well. He shared with her that his parents had passed away, and that his only living relative happened to be his brother. The way he described that man was humorous unto itself. He seemed like a total psychotic, according to Inuyasha, but surely this Sesshoumaru couldn't be that bad.

Other than the basic information, they had spent the rest of the time teasing each other, and really, it was fun. Very fun. As a matter of fact, Kagome never laughed so hard in her life. So much so, that at one point the waiter had thought she may have been choking, and attempting to perform the Heimlich.

That had definitely been the highlight of the dinner, because after the young man found out that she was okay, and that it was a huge misunderstanding, Inuyasha pouted for at least ten minutes. Complaining that the boy had only been trying to 'cop a feel' on his date. She learned that he really was the sweet guy that Sango had said he was, and really must have been that bad with words. She would need to go easier on him for sure.

After dinner, she was once again surprised to see he had already planned out the next portion of their date. It made her wonder how long he had actually been waiting to ask her out, and if he had been meticulously planning out the night weeks in advance. That is the only way that they could have gotten tickets to a sold out venue, with box seating. The performer was a young Korean classical guitarist, who had been on his first tour of the US. He only played small shows, and they were always sold out.

Later she found out that Inuyasha was a fan of this particular artist, and style, and had reserved the box for the evening. He said that he normally would have attended the show alone, but was happy to bring her along. She was glad he did, because she found the melodies that the boy played were beautiful, soulful and clean. They didn't spend much time talking while at the show, but instead sat quietly and listened. Occasionally, he would point out a particular riff that he liked, or admired.

She was content to sit quietly though. The box at the show house was very nice, with a small round table, which was surrounded by a plush circular bench. This allowed the two of them to sit flush up against each other, and she readily leaned into his shoulder, and propped her feet up on the seat to be more comfortable. At first he was stiff as she closed the distance between them, but he quickly relaxed, and by the end of the second set, he had casually draped his arm around her shoulders. The night had ended up so perfectly.

And that's where they were, the evening was chill as the two walked out to his car. A light smile couldn't be held back on Kagome's lips, as she held his hand; his large warm one held her's securely, yet softly. It was a quiet tender moment as he opened the door for her, and she slipped into the passenger seat, rubbing her arms to warm them.

He hopped into his side of the car, starting it to let the car warm up, rubbing his own hands together for warmth. When she turned to look at him, her arm brushed on the side of the door frame, which made a slight swishing noise. His triangular ear twitched in response, and she giggled.

"What's so funny," he smiled at her.

"I was just thinking those ears of yours, they're pretty cute," she replied with a twinkle in her eye. He pouted at her words however.

"They aren't cute, if anything they're handsome, thank you," he said, and she assumed that she may have slightly dented his pride. "To be honest, nobody has said anything about them being either, so I guess you're just crazy."

She puffed out her cheeks, now Shippo and Inuyasha thought she had crazy ideas.

"Alright, handsome. Your little ears, they're so fuzzy, and handsome," she teased, expecting him to pout again, but he just smiled at her softly. She stayed locked within his gaze for a moment before she realized that they were staring at each other in silence for well over a minute. He chuckled when she blushed and looked away.

Sighing contently, he leaned back into his seat, and closed his eyes. When he did so, he missed the wicked glint in her eyes. In her head she laughed manically.

Ever so gingerly she scooted her bum along the bench seat of the car, careful to not let the car dip too drastically as she inched nearer to him. Once she was within range, her small pink tongue peeked from her lips, and her hand lifted higher in the cabin. Reaching slowly towards the silvery top of his head, she extended her arm carefully, as to not alert the hanyou to her movements. However, she ended up so carefully focused on her target that she failed to notice a single amber eye had opened to a slit, and was watching her closely.

A light 'eep' escaped her lips when a clawed hand met her own before she reached her goal. A cocky smirk greeted her when she looked down at his face. Even after being caught in her actions she didn't move from her half-crawling position. She wouldn't have been able to move after that moment anyways, because his other arm snaked around her waist, and pulled her slightly closer to him.

"And what, may I ask Miss, do you think you are doing?" he purred smugly, his eyes burning with intent.

"I can't help it," she whispered guiltily, with a giggle. "Lemme touch one."

"Oh really? I didn't think that you were that kind of girl. You know, caressing the ears in the youkai world, it's like getting to third base," he teased, but kept her positioned closely to him. Her arm and waist still held in his grasp.

"You're just making that up," she frowned, but her fingers began to twitch, itching with anticipation. She really wanted to touch it.

Much to her surprise, he leaned back into his seat, still holding her hand outstretched. The heater in the car had done its job, or maybe it was more the work of their bodies doing the heating; whatever the cause, the car's interior was very warm. She noticed his eyes had closed, and his breathing was even, like he was about to nap.

Slowly he brought his hand from her wrist, up to carefully cover her own small hand. The drag of his skin against her own, even though it was in such an innocent place, burned a path on her wrist. She almost groaned when his hand found a place directly behind her own, spooning gently, but without grasping it. His fingers came up to cup hers softly, and he guided her arm upwards, closer and closer to the nearest furry triangle.

When her sensitive fingertips first grazed the edge of the downy appendage, it twitched quickly, tickling her palm. His hand was still directly behind hers, his fingertips tracing sinful patterns on her knuckles, pressing her deeper, urging her to be bolder. His thumb massaged her pinky, and even though she was enjoying her own investigation, the attention he was giving her was slowly driving her into insanity.

His puppy ear continued to pivot and flick, brushing her skin lightly. They were so soft, and delicate, intricate and sensitive. Soon enough her innocent musings became more lustful as she imagined her tongue slipping out to burn her own path upon him. She imagined him moaning and purring, the way she might, if he had decided to nibble and lick her own sensitive ear. All of these thoughts were causing her to throb and ache with yearning.

Eventually she realized he had released her hand, and it was now sitting in his lap, sadly. To compensate, his other hand was slowly teasing at the hem of her blouse, where the skin was lightly peeking through. Goosebumps had formed on her thighs from the contact, and pricked at the nerves in her body. Still entranced by the moment, Kagome continued to outline the thin edges coated with light fur, reveling in the softness.

Without realizing her actions, eventually she began to lightly apply pressure on the thin membrane, with her thumb and forefinger. Stroking and pulling on the skin, heating it with her touch, creating circles of warmth. In response she felt a thrum of appreciation blossom from within the hanyou's chest. Her mind whirled when she realized the sensation she was creating for him was as pleasurable as the teasing of his fingers upon her bare hip. Their caresses were so sensual, and at the same time, so innocent.

She blushed at the techinique which he had just allowed her, and showed her how to perform. As if he was teaching her a new way to make love. When she sank into her seat, her own body was radiating its own heat, and she knew that if they didn't end this evening soon, things would quickly lead south. Literally. Not that it was a bad thing, but really... First date? She wasn't that sort of girl.

"Told ya, third base," he teased huskily, sounding extremely smug from the driver's side of the car. She turned to look at him, but he was still stuck in his own world. After a moment, as if he felt her eyes on him, his head lolled to the side and he caught her glance. She smiled shyly at him, and when she began to flush again, she turned her grin to the floor.

From her peripheral vision, she saw him put the car into reverse, and pulled out of their parking spot. She dared a glance in his direction, but he caught her, and she blushed again. Like a little blushing machine, that's what she was. Now whenever she looked at him, all she would be able to think about is 'youkai third base'. She was pretty sure that she wanted to try that again.

Lost in her thoughts for most of the car ride home, she didn't even realize that they were back in town, only a few minutes away from her house. Damn, she wasn't ready for the night to be over.

"So, is Aimi staying at Miroku's house tonight?" he ventured. "If she is, and you don't have a curfew, we could go back to my place."

Was he reading her mind? They were adults, so it wouldn't be rushing things if he stopped by. At least, that is what her mind was saying. Well, she could certainly control herself, as long as no liquor was involved. "How about my place? We're nearly there."

They finished out the ride to her house, with only quiet instructions. When she opened to the door to him, he waited for her to walk in, and closed the door for her. She showed him to the living room, and went to put on a pot of coffee. The microwave clock only read 10:40pm, and it was a Friday. Neither of them had to work the next day, so who cares about caffeine?

When she entered the room where she had left him, he was nowhere to be found. Feeling foolish for holding two coffee mugs, when only one person was in the room, she decided to search for him. Just to be sure she investigated the bathroom first, but he wasn't there. Where was he? Her house wasn't that big, after glancing in the bedrooms as she passed them, she bonked her own head. Why didn't she check the study first? It was directly next to the living room. That is where she found him, sitting at her desk, looking at schematics which had been strewn about her partially clean, partially messy desk.

Leaning on the doorframe, she grinned at him, "And what, may I ask Sir, do you think you're doing?"

"Keh, you were taking so long in the kitchen, I got bored," he said plainly. He was still flipping through a large binder of sketches and blueprints when he asked with interested, "What's this?"

"That's a project for a charity. I was asked to create some designs for a few eco-friendly mopeds," she said. "Call it a pet project, I've been working on it for about two months now."

"This is really impressive Kagome, wow," he said, sounding true. She smiled at him as he stood up, and blushed when he took her hand to lead her back out of the study, walking back into the living room. When he sat at the couch, she grabbed the two mugs of coffee from the other side of the room, and set them on a side table.

"You wanna watch a movie? I don't have anything new, but I probably have something you haven't seen before."

"Sure, whatever you want," he said carelessly.

She put the volume on low, and decided that the movie she picked would probably make a better background noise. Why watch a boring moving when you can talk with a sexy hanyou? That is if he didn't try to retaliate for stealing his 'third base' earlier in the night. Her face seemed a little bland at that thought; it was probably sitting on the edge of his mind at the moment. He is a man after all.

So she sat on the opposite end of the couch. He didn't seem to mind, and she just propped her feet up across his lap, and lounged. He didn't seem to mind that either, only looking from her feet, and then curiously back up to her. She only shrugged in response, and took a sip of her coffee.

"So, is this your house? Or do you rent?" he questioned, probably trying to think of good conversation, and find out something a little more personal. She considered that, and figured it was probably a good idea to let him know the details up front about her less than flattering past.

"I own this house. My ex and I bought it with a combination of inheritances," he scowled. She giggled a little, but a small frown appeared. Was it ok that she was dating so quickly after Hojo's death? Was she handling it the right way? When she first heard, she had barely even said anything, the truth not really setting in until later that night. She did feel pain, but she couldn't really show it, or it would have affected Aimi. She sighed, and decided that Hojo didn't want her to sit around being depressed all the time. Before or after his death.

"Earth to Kagome? You there?" Inuyasha interrupted her train of thought.

"I'm so sorry, I uh… just had something on my mind, I didn't mean to zone out like that," she answered, and looked up to him. He looked like he wanted to ask her what was wrong, but at the same time, like he didn't.

"Uh… er, well, um… did you, ya know, want to talk about it?" he said, his ears leaning backwards slightly. He was uncomfortable, but was it because of her, or what he thought she may be troubled about? Did he think she was having doubts about the two of them?

She eyed him carefully, not really wanting to burden him with that much information on the first date, but it wasn't like this was a blind date. He knew that she was married before, and that she was raising a child on her own. Should she let him know about Hojo? She didn't want him to date her out of pity, but… she hadn't talked to anyone about it since it happened. Not even her mother.

"Kagome, if there is something wrong, really… I don't mind you telling me," he said, sounding dejected. He must have thought she was having doubts about them.

"Inuyasha, for the record, I'm having a great time with you," she reassured, and he immediately perked at her words. "Recently, right before the beginning of the school year, I got news about something that I've been kind of… not really facing. Going on this date with you kind of made me think about it is all."

"Oh… well, I mean…" he stammered, but seemed to be fighting some inner turmoil. "Keh, Kagome, I'm not great with words, I've told you that before. But, if you wanna talk, I can listen."

His words seemed a little harsh, but she was happy to hear them. Even though he was feeling out of place, letting her confide in him, he still wanted to help her.

"You're sweet Inuyasha, I don't know if this is really first date material," she said self consciously.

"Just spit it out woman," he scowled, and she giggled. Alright, she'd tell him.

"Well, you can't say I didn't warn you, better not ditch me after this," she mumbled, looking away from him. Taking a deep breath, she thought about how to say what she needed to say. Careful not to look at him, as his appraising gaze was making her words fumble in her throat.

"He was my high school sweetheart, and I thought we were meant to be together. We got married my senior year, and were married for six years," she looked at him, to see that he was just patiently listening. That wasn't so bad. "While he and I were together, we learned that we couldn't have children, due to an odd incompatibility between us." She chuckled a bit, "You would have thought that was like a sign from God himself, but we decided that the next best thing would be to adopt.

"Aimi was wonderful, and I love her. When we picked her up from hospital, she looked just like him," she smiled at the memory. "He seemed happy, but in our hearts, we could feel ourselves growing apart. Once we brought her home, and she started to change, his true nature came out. We fought all the time, sometimes because of things his family would say about Aimi, or even sometimes, things he would say himself. Not to mention all of the other arguments we had, Aimi was just the icing on the cake."

She stopped her story short when she noticed that Inuyasha had began growling lowly, and had sat up a bit straighter in his seat, arms crossed, looking defiant as ever.

"Are you ok, Inuyasha?" she questioned, wondering if this maybe a bit more information than he should have heard.

"Keh, yeah, I'm fine. It just ticks me off like you wouldn't believe," he gave her a pointed glare, which she assumed wasn't directed at her. "If I ever meet this douche bag," he growled again, probably thinking about the different ways he could inflict pain on him.

She sighed again, "That won't be necessary Inuyasha, Hojo passed away." Oh that got his attention quickly. He stared up at her, wide eyed.

"Oh, Keh… I guess it won't," he whispered. Guilt has a funny way with people. A myriad of emotions began to swim across his features, as he stared into his coffee cup. He laughed bitterly which made her wince, she didn't like that sound. "Wow, I had no idea how much we actually had in common."

"Really? You mean that you're a woman? Odd, could have swore you weren't," she joked, attempting to lighten the mood.

He smiled at her attempt, "I'm not a woman… woman," he chuckled, "but I do have a 'that time of the month'. At least that is what my brother calls it."

"Oh great, I can just imagine you as 'moody'," she said with a mock shudder. He chuckled for a moment, but then reverted back into a more serious, focused expression.

"No, I just mean, this relationship you had, with that Hojo guy. It's a lot like the only other real relationship I had," he mentioned sadly. "Actually a lot like it."

Did he say other, just now? Her heart leapt hopefully in her chest. Did he think of her as more than just a date? Or maybe he didn't date often, and this was a big deal for him. While she was thinking of this less important detail of his previous words, he began to tell her a bit about himself.

"The only other woman that I was ever with," there was that other again, she smiled. "I found out a couple years back that she had passed away as well."

"I'm so sorry," she said, suddenly feeling guilty for her momentary hope. She was still hopeful, but really, speaking about the death of loved ones was not the time to be thinking about… er, what she was thinking about.

"No need, it was a long time ago," he said in a tone that tore at her soul. That hurt; did he still have feelings for that woman still? Wait, she couldn't feel jealous, she had just told him the same sort of story. She hadn't done it to confess that still had feelings for Hojo, because she didn't. She shouldn't jump to conclusions. "And things had turned out similarly to how you explained your marriage. She was young, and we were in love, but after a few years, we learned that it wasn't what we really wanted. That we just weren't as in love as we originally though. So we split up."

"Ahh, I understand. Yes, I suppose we do have a lot in common," she said mournfully. "What was her name?"

He winced at her words, should she not have asked?

"Kikyo Itou."

"Oh, I see," she said sadly. That name. Kikyo, the woman he mentioned on the day they met. Didn't he say she looked just like her? Ouch, that hurt too. Wow, a lot more than it should have. Jealousy is such a horrible thing.

"Kagome, please don't get the wrong idea," he rushed, probably reading the pain on her face. "I didn't mean for you to think what I can assume you're thinking."

"Pfft… What did I say about assuming things Inuyasha, can read my mind now?" she said, somewhat scorned. Damn, she really needed to calm down; it was their first date after all. It wasn't like she had any hold on him, and the woman had died. She should be more sympathetic.

"Keh, of course not. I can smell your emotions right now though, and I don't like the direction you are going with whatever it is you're thinking," he retorted bitterly. He paused for a moment, she assumed so he could word what he wanted to say the right way. He probably felt like he was walking on eggshells at this point, like his words could make or break their fragile relationship.

"Listen, Kikyo and I… yeah, I loved her, and I suppose a small part of me always will. She was a wonderful girl, I won't lie about that," he said sadly, still focused. He really didn't seem to know how to say what he wanted to say, but Kagome stayed patient, trying to not let despair enter her heart. She could do it for him, it was worth it; she could tell that if he would open up to her, she wouldn't regret it. "I couldn't still be her friend after things ended, because it was all too painful. I didn't want to see her with other men, like I knew she wouldn't want to see me move on either. It was difficult, I mean… at one time I thought that she would be my… well, I thought a lot of her. Sure I knew that things didn't work out between us, but when it happened, I wished I could have changed how I felt. I did wish for a while that I could have continued loving her. That just isn't how the world works… that isn't how a heart works."

Damn, this really was hard to hear. Was it as hard for him to hear about Hojo? Her heart was pounding in her chest as he opened up his own. So many emotions were filling her at this moment, but she willed them into submission until he finished.

"I don't sit around pinning after her Kagome, I hope you understand. People love, and fall out of love. I still have feelings for her, but feelings for someone that I loved once," her eyes were softened. She did understand exactly what he was saying. She felt the same for Hojo, of course she didn't love him as a lover any longer; it still hurt like a bitch when he left her, and when he died, no matter what she told herself.

"And when it comes to you, and how you happen to look like her, if anything, that is part of the reason my mind told me to stay away from you," he said with an honest expression. "I didn't feel like it was right of me, to…"

He stumbled over his words, and a small blush appeared on his cheeks while he waited for something to happen. Maybe he was waiting for his nerve to build back up for what he was trying to say.

"Look Kagome, I'm not looking for a replacement for her. I asked you out, because I wanted to know you. Not because I wanted to know the woman who looked like Kikyo. I wanted you, Kagome."

His soft words were powerful, and she could only blush more, and smile genuinely at his confession. She wanted to know him too; she didn't want him to feel guilt. She didn't want to feel guilt. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to jump to conclusions Inuyasha. You have been so great, to listen to me, that wasn't a very kind way to say my thanks."

"Keh, damn straight," he said with a smirk. She sighed and thought about his words. He wanted to know her, to get to know her better. How could she be such a manic-depressive? One moment it felt like her world was crumbling, and the next she was floating on cloud nine. She did her best to contain her grin, but felt like she was failing horribly.

"About your ex, how did Aimi take it?" his words brought her out of her reverie.

"Well when Hojo left, Aimi was pretty young. She barely even understood who he was supposed to be. She's so happy, I doubt she would have been mad at him anyways," she said with a smile. "When he died, she didn't really seem upset at all. He was never really there for her, so I can't blame her for not being affected."

"No you can't, she's a great little kid," he said quietly. "I don't know what it is about that girl, probably the Inu in her, but I can't help but want to be there for her."

"You're her teacher, it's to be expected," she assured. He didn't seem convinced, but he also didn't press the issue any further. They sat in silence for another few moments, but then she decided to totally change the topic.

"Inuyasha, can I ask you a question," she said hesitatingly.

"Maybe. What is it?" he responded curiously.

"Just how old are you?" she said, eyeing him carefully.

"Do you really want to know?" he said, no humor in his voice at all.

"I don't know, do I?"

He laughed, a large laugh, but it was a wonderful sound. Something she had never heard from him before, "I'm not that old Kagome. My brother, now he's old."

"Like how old?" she questioned, this time a bit bolder.

"He's about," he counted on his fingers, which seemed kind of pointless. "I would say, at least 1700 years old."

"Holy crap, that's pretty old Inuyasha," she said in awe, but then felt a little awkward. If his brother was that old, how old would he be?

"Don't worry Kagome, I'm fairly young, in youkai terms," he said with a smirk.

"That isn't really very reassuring," she said. What was she nervous about anyways? Did she really care how old he was? Not really.

"What are you nervous that you may have gotten to 'third base' with someone who could be older than your great, great, great... and so many other great, grandfather?" he teased. Oh he was getting a lot of fun out of this.

"So, will you ever age?" she said, musing.

"One day, but for now I'll look as I do until that point. Youkai will live until their appointed time. When they reach it, they and their mates will begin to age similar to a human, and eventually die." he said. A youkai nature lesson, how neat.

"That's fascinating. So your mate would live with you? Does that mean you haven't ever... *ahem*..." she blushed. How stupid and embarrassing, "Sorry, that was entirely inappropriate."

He laughed again, "Keh, don't worry about it Kagome. Mating isn't that same as coitus," he teased. She pouted, because he was obviously making fun of her now. Who says 'coitus'?

"Well how am I supposed to know, I don't know anything about youkai," she sighed. Really, maybe she should take a youkai studies class at the university or something.

"Don't worry, lots of people don't understand," he said with a smirk. Placing her feet to the floor, he crawled across the couch, dangerously close to her. Before she knew what happened, he had nearly pinned her to the arm, and was leaning nearer to her. She was frozen, couldn't move... was he trying to kiss her?

As if he knew what she was thinking, he swiftly moved around her and whispered roughly in her ear, "but if you want to learn about youkai, I would be glad to teach you."

Did she moan as his hot breath brushed over her neck? Did he just lick her ear? Why that… that tricky little… Hey, where did he go?

He had stood and started heading down to the bathroom. Wow, now what? She couldn't move, that's what. She was frozen, probably with the most dumbfounded look on her face. She really needed to snap out of it. This date was getting hot, and heavy, much too fast. And she liked it.

Cool air. She needed cool air, desperately.

Once she was able to pull out of her stupor, she rushed over to the front door, and flung it open. The air broke onto her face and cooled the film of perspiration that had formed on her body. It took a moment of standing outside before she regained her head. Without realizing Inuyasha had walked up behind her.

"Feeling warm? I have that affect on women," he teased, wrapping an arm around her waist, and pulling her back into his chest. Damn he was cocky, but she kind of liked that about him. She felt him lean down ever so slightly into her hair and take a deep breath. Was he smelling her?

"Mmm… Kagome, thank you for this evening," he whispered into the crook of her neck. His moist breath was warm in the cool evening air. She leaned into him a bit more, unknowingly. He stiffened again, and after a quick squeeze, he propped her back on her feet, and released his hold on her. "I'm gonna head home."

"Yeah, it's late already," she said, feeling somewhat relieved, but at the same time, very, very sad that he would be going. "I'm glad we went out tonight, call me again sometime," she said lamely.

"I will," he smirked. Taking her hand, he leaned in, and she closed her eyes. He surprised her when he leaned to her cheek, and placed a chaste kiss upon it, instead of a more intimate kiss on the lips. When he retracted, he was smirking again, probably at her confused expression. She had wanted to kiss him, damn it.

"What? I'm not that kind of guy Kagome. I don't kiss on the first date," he teased. "I know you do, Miss Third Base."

"Oh, get out of here!" she laughed, "I'll see you around, Inuyasha."

"I know," he said surely. "Good night, Kagome."

She stood at the doorway, and watched him pull out of her drive. Damn, she forgot to actually get him to tell her how old he was. Oh well, next time.

She walked back into the house and closed the door, heading to pick up the now empty coffee mugs. Her mug, her favorite, was a one of a kind pre-school creation; Aimi's unique finger painted script proclaimed her to be the 'bEst MomMY Evar!'. She smiled at the ceramic cup, and walked back to the kitchen to rinse them before she got ready for bed.

As the warm water began flowing from the faucet, she couldn't help but grin ridiculously. The night was so great, and Inuyasha… Wow, he was great. How had she ended up so lucky, to nab a date with someone like him? It was well… great.

Most women probably couldn't get past his gruff exterior, and heaven forbid one of them to disagree with him. She chuckled. That was probably it; after a minute or so of arguing, with any one of his dates, he probably ended up with a glass of 'whatever's handy' drenching his face.

Well, she hadn't done much better, if she could have, she would have thrown a glass of Elmar's glue on the idiot at times. At least Aimi seemed to love him. Aimi only had the best things to say about her teacher, almost like she was trying to paint him as a saint. Maybe she was playing matchmaker, she was a smart girl, so she wouldn't put it past her.

She smiled again; he seemed to like her too. But did Inuyasha really want a daughter? Was he ready for the responsibility of having a child of his own?

She paused in her actions. He hadn't said anything like that before, but really… who would want to get into a relationship with a woman who already had a child? Ignoring the fact that it was only their first date, Kagome frowned. She placed the cleaned cups into the drying rack, and stood motionless for a moment.

Inuyasha didn't seem to be that sort of guy; she could trust that if he was uncomfortable with the fact that she had a daughter that he would be forth coming about it. Right?

Sighing, she tried her best to push such random and unwanted thoughts away from her. Inuyasha was great, but she wouldn't sacrifice anything for Aimi. If he couldn't truly handle a relationship with a woman who had a child already, than it was a simple choice. All or nothing.

[~A:|:N~]

8175

Vocab Time!

Famous Guitarist You Say? – My reference here is to a young musician who blew me away: Sungha Jung. If you're a fan of Classical Guitar, look him up.

Coitus – It's not just for mating anymore. (haha… yes, I said coitus in a fic.) And… I guess, in case someone doesn't know…Coitus it is another, more technical, term for sex.

bEst MomMY Evar – Hell, you can't beat that. Unless you're the bEst MomMY Evar infinity +1.

Awww… I love this chapter. Now go brush your teeth kids.

So, thanks to Say0mi Saki for her pimp, btw. I have said it like 100 times already, but I wanted to say it once more. And thanks to everyone else who has been reading, and commenting, and favorite-ing, and well... just thanks everyone!

- Foayasha