Kagome was a good girl, until that night…

Themesong: Flower by Liz Phair

Flower

Almost as if slapped out of her grip by an unseen force, the coffee fell from her hands and right to the elevator floor, splashing everywhere (but mostly on her). The two men in the elevator gave her a disgusted glance, quickly getting off at their stop. Kagome bit her lip and tried not to cry, the skin of her calves burning from where she'd been splattered. Squatting down, she began to blot at the mess with the tiny single napkin she had. It didn't even make a dent. The tears gathered, burning her eyes, but she was wearing too much mascara to dare let them fall. Stuffing the soggy napkin into the now empty cup, she got back to her feet, hoping her boss would be understanding.

Exiting on the top floor, she dumped the trash in the nearest bin, quietly making her way to her workspace. Since summer, she had been working at Taisho Inc. It was her first job ever. Having just finished high school, her sister had convinced her to take a gap year and intern before starting at an actual university, and where else would be better than her husband's company? Kagome knew Kikyo just wanted her to keep an eye on Inuyasha, but she needn't have worried. He spent all his time right where he said he did and his employees were mostly male, even his secretary. After the summer internship, the temporary position she'd been hired to fill was as assistant to his secretary, Miroku. It was obviously an unnecessary position created solely to please Kikyo, but she tried to do her job well regardless.

The key word there was "tried".

She wasn't used to being bad at things. Everything she had always done had been almost effortless, instinctual, intuitive. But that was school. This was the real world. And she sucked at it. She couldn't even bring the boss a coffee without screwing it up, for heaven's sake!

Nothing she ever did was good enough for Miroku or Inuyasha. She was bad with clients, couldn't work the phone right, forgot even the most miniscule of things, and what she didn't forget she did wrong… The list went on.

"Where the hell have you been?" Miroku whispered to her, eyes flashing with impatience. He'd been nice when they first met, almost too nice, but that hadn't even lasted a week. "I sent you out for his coffee an hour ago!"

Her lower lip trembled. "I-I'm sorry… I just… The shop was full. And then—"

"And then you didn't just make the most basic, obvious choice of going somewhere else? Ugh, I don't care. Get in his office, he wants to see you."

Kagome sighed. Every day, the same thing. A lecture right before she was allowed to go home. If Kikyo would only let her, she'd have quit by now. Feet dragging, she went over to the overly masculine office, shutting the heavy solid wood door behind her. Already knowing by now not to sit on his precious leather sofa, she instead stood in front of his desk, fighting the urge to cross her arms and roll her eyes. High school was over. It was time to act like an adult.

His golden eyes flashed the minute he saw her and he ended his call quickly. Instead of launching into whatever he wanted to say, he just stared at her, silently tearing her down.

"Your outfit is not work-appropriate. Go home and change."

Eyes widening in disbelief, Kagome gaped at him. "This was good enough for the school dress code. No one ever had a problem with it."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Obviously his definition of adult behavior was different from hers. "Your skirt is too short. Your blouse is transparent, as is your bra. I can see your nipples."

Her hands flew to her bosom. "Why didn't you say anything before!? Why didn't anyone say anything?"

He shrugged. "We had work to do. Now get changed and come back. You need to make copies of all the new contracts like you were supposed to do two days ago."

"But I did!"

"The ink was low. I want the print darker, so do them all over again." He sneered at her. "You should have realized that the first time. Then you and I wouldn't have to stay late. Again."

Kagome looked out the window. Almost sunset. If she hurried, she could be back before dark. "Will you at least give me a ride?"

"Nope. You've got legs. Anyway, you could use the walk."

Swallowing an insulting retort, she left, walking past Miroku who watched her leave with something close to relief on his face. Gods, why did Inuyasha treat her this way? True, the walk back home wasn't that far, but he didn't have to be mean like that. He used to be so nice to her back when he and Kikyo were dating. Then again, living with Kikyo could drive anyone to bitterness. She would know better than anyone since they'd shared a room until two months ago.

While Kikyo was ten years older than her, she was very traditional. No sex before marriage and no leaving home before marriage. Kagome had always thought she'd end up being an old maid, so when Inuyasha had come into her life a year ago and they'd begun their whirlwind romance, she was a combination of happy for her and somehow annoyed. It wasn't that she hated Inuyasha. No, she had really liked him until she started working for him. He was funny and sweet and kind and generous and handsome, not at all like the rich asshole she'd expected him to be. But that was all just some act to get her and the rest of her family to approve of him.

No one was home when she got there. Sighing, she trudged upstairs. Looking in her full-length mirror with the sun coming directly in her window, she could admit that the blouse was see-through, and yes, it was possible that a slight shadow of areola was visible when the light shone there. Crap, she'd never stop blushing now. She got dressed as quickly as possible. Finding an appropriately ugly and baggy thick sweater, she tugged it on. Now for a skirt. All her skirts were above the knee. What exactly was "work-appropriate"? Figuring a plain black one that hit her just above the knee would have to do, she ran out. Sunset had come and gone already. How long had she taken looking over her wardrobe choices? Biting her lip, she hurried back the way she'd come, hoping Inuyasha wouldn't make her stay too late again. She did have a life.

Kagome didn't even make it half of the way there.

So concentrated on getting back to her torturous workplace, she didn't pick up on the sound of footsteps behind her, getting closer and closer. A sharp tug forced her backward and her scalp burned. Someone had grabbed her by the hair. It was too surreal for her to comprehend. Her gray eyes went wide as her eyes met the ink black eyes of her attacker, like he forced her to look at him. His face was concealed by a dark mask with openings only for the mouth and eyes. They stood like that for a second, her head arced back to lay on his broad shoulder, muscles in her neck straining, pulse fluttering like a hummingbird's.

Her lips parted. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to attempt to reason with him or scream for help, but before she could even draw a breath he slapped a prepared length of duct tape on her mouth, hard. Quickly, he dragged her behind the scraggly line of trees that in their sleepy community served as a gate blocking off a grassy vacant lot. No one was there. No one ever was. She squeaked when he tugged her hair harder and he kissed her throat, his tongue circling on her skin, lips sucking her. That was the moment when she knew what was going to happen. Her breath began to come in pants and tears streamed down her face.

"Shhh," he said, voice soft, almost pleasant. "Get on your knees. I promise I won't hurt you. Won't take too long…" His gloved hands caressed her face with restraint, as though he longed to feel her skin on his but wasn't allowing himself. The eyes behind the mask changed and hardened. Kagome tried to figure out who she was reminded of but everything was happening so fast she could only exist firmly in the moment. "I said get on your knees."

Carefully, he peeled the tape from her mouth. He didn't have to tell her not to make a sound. Feeling numb, she watched as he pulled down his zipper, the sound tearing through the night like the whistle and thunk of a guillotine. Taking his hard penis in one hand, he stroked himself a few times, the hand in her hair almost caressing her scalp. She flinched when he touched the head of his erection to her cheek, rubbing himself in her tears.

"Open up."

She did it. Gods, she didn't even fight him. She was too scared.

His taste was different from what she'd been expecting. Kagome had been anticipating something like bile and garbage. In comparison, it was rather nice, if salty. Not knowing what to do, she just left him in her mouth, eyes looking up at his, silently asking if she was doing it right.

He chuckled. "Suck it. Lick it. Kiss it. No teeth. Don't be afraid to enjoy it, Kagome."

That he knew her name sent a new shock of fear through her. This wasn't random. He knew her, probably stalked her. New tears escaped and soon she was sobbing, his dick still in her mouth. The rapist sighed and patted her on the head, withdrawing from her mouth. Just when she allowed herself to hope he was going to let her go, he kneeled down and looked her in the eye.

"Would it be fucked up if I kissed you?"

Should she say no and get on his good side? Be honest and say yes? Tell him anything between them would be beyond fucked up because he didn't have her consent? It seemed he wasn't really waiting for an answer, because he took a kiss just like he'd taken her. Kagome found herself enjoying the pressure of his lips before she could remind her body what was going on. Her first kiss. Her first kiss was in some trashy vacant lot by her house with a masked man who was intent on raping her and would probably slit her throat and dump her in a ditch. Moaning, he tilted her chin up and his tongue entered her mouth, probing it and dancing with her own, which was precisely when she realized she was kissing him back like she had the fastest and most extreme case of Stockholm Syndrome in history.

His hands moved down and her sweater was removed, leaving her shivering, but not for long. His mouth left hers and went to her breast, sucking her through the thin lace of her bra.

"It's because of how you were dressed," he murmured, his big hand completely covering her other breast and squeezing. "It's not how it sounds. Fuck. I'm not saying you deserve this or you're asking for this. I know I'm sick. I saw your nipples all hard and there for anyone to see and I was done just watching. Thought about this a lot but never thought about really doing it until today. And I couldn't keep telling myself no when it was the perfect night. Don't worry, I'll make it good for you."

When she didn't respond, he went back to her breast with a vengeance and she gasped. His teeth tore the lace and went to work on her nipple, sucking and licking and biting and she cried out, pressing him to her, not wanting the heat of her breasts or the churning of her core to stop. It definitely wasn't random. He had been watching her for a while. It was because of the shirt. Damn Inuyasha for not giving her a ride! Damn… He took her bra off completely and buried his masked face between both breasts, cupping them and squeezing them. His hands smoothed along her sides until they were at her ass. He lifted her into his lap and she felt his cock, still hard and exposed, against her inner thigh.

The fear came back, rioting in her brain, telling her to run and not ever stop until she was back home and safe in her room. Kagome almost got to her feet, but then he pushed her down on her back, holding her in place by the shoulder while he dragged her panties down her legs, putting them in his pocket. Instead of kicking him like a tiny voice in her head screamed and pleaded for her to do, she froze, paralyzed by the fire behind his eyes. He meant to have her and he would. If she ran, he'd catch her. Holding her by the ankles, he spread her wide, eyes devouring her as he panted, his breath visible in the cool evening air.

"You're wet," he said, following it with a laugh like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. A noise sounded from somewhere behind the trees and then his eyes were hard again. "If I'm caught, it's going to be inside of you."

"No, please—!"

He thrust inside her, one hand over her mouth. She wouldn't have made a noise, anyway. She couldn't even breathe. He felt bigger than he looked, and he'd looked huge and thick. He took a shuddering breath and removed his hand, cradling her head instead, thumb caressing her cheek and jaw. They stayed like that, eyes connected, for a long while, and then he began to move. It was electric and she gasped. It was like she was alive for the first time in her life, brought to life by his touch, by his overpowering will. He kept moving and she clung to him, whimpering, wanting something she didn't know the words in order to request.

"You feel it too?" he asked as he picked up the pace, slamming inside of her and making her moan. "Now you know. How can this be wrong if everything tells me you're supposed to be mine?"

"Please…" she whimpered. "Please…"

He kissed her and brought a hand down to where they were joined. "I've got you, baby. Told ya I'd make it good…"

When he pinched her there in the spot she had only ever suspected existed just as the tip of his cock brushed up against that good place deep inside her, she lost control of her body, mind, and soul. All she could feel was the most intense pleasure, bordering on painful. It was like she had died and was reincarnated in his arms, completely new. Every thought about how this night had come about flew out of her head. She couldn't stop clenching around him, and soon she felt him spill inside her, repeating her name over and over. It was the last thing she heard before she was taken over and dominated by her feelings and allowed herself to fade into darkness.

O\o/O

The hospital was cold. She knew she was in a hospital before she even opened her eyes because it was the only place that smelled this way. Years ago when Gramps was sick, this very smell had nearly made her vomit. Death and disease and excrement barely covered up by chemicals. Disgusting.

"Oh, gods, she's awake!"

That was Kikyo's voice. Kagome's nose wrinkled. How could she tell when her eyes were still closed? Mildly angry, she opened her eyes to see her entire family in the small curtained room, crowding around her bed. Gramps, Mama, Sōta, Kikyo, and Inuyasha.

Her mother was crying. "How are you, Kagome? How do you feel? Are you okay, sweetie?"

She shrugged. Truth be told, she was feeling great. Aside from the slightly painful throbbing between her legs, her entire body felt like it was glowing and full of warmth and goodness. Never before had she felt this state of total relaxation. Had they given her drugs?

Kikyo took over, concerned but abrupt. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

It took her a second, but then she did. "Yeah. I was walking back to work and then a man grabbed me…" Her hands began to shake and she clenched them into fists. "And… And he…" She couldn't say it.

Kikyo sat back in her chair, a murderous look on her face. It scared Kagome before she realized it wasn't directed at her but at her rapist. "Do you remember what he looked like?"

She shook her head. "He wore a mask. But he had dark eyes and long black hair. His voice was… He had a nice voice."

No one was listening to her.

"Why the hell did you let her walk alone, Inuyasha?!" Kikyo screamed, looking a second away from physically striking him.

"Leave him be, Kikyo," Gramps said. "He feels guiltier than the rest of us put together."

For the first time, Kagome really looked at her boss/brother-in-law. It was true. She could tell from how exhausted and just strained he looked that he was feeling entirely responsible. He wouldn't meet her eyes.

"He was the one who found you," Mama said quietly, helping her tune out the one-sided fight the married couple were having. "When you didn't come back right away, he got worried and called you and kept calling, walking to the house to get you. He checked a few other places, and in the early morning he heard your phone in that vacant lot and called an ambulance. He even rode with you and stayed until the rest of us could get here. He's been here the entire time."

"Long black hair," Kikyo said suddenly, face twisting in thought, "and a sexual deviant. Could it have been Miroku?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I would know if it was him. I work with him every day. The… His hair was longer. Down his back."

"Did he wear a condom at least?"

She shook her head.

Kikyo leaned back in her chair like she was the one in pain. "We'll get the nurses to give you a pill."

"No!" Kagome was surprised by how strong her voice was. "I don't want that."

Her sister glared at her. "You know what happens when a man does that to a woman, Kagome. You don't need a reminder of this."

But she did. She needed something to tell her it had been real, something to connect her to the masked man. "I don't care. Whatever happens, happens."

They all stared at her. The conversation started up again as though she hadn't spoken. They all talked around and over her, all but Inuyasha, who sat silently staring into space. Finally, they shuffled out at her insisting she needed rest, everyone seeming afraid of interacting with her. Nurses came and checked on her, giving her some food and juice. The food she didn't touch, but she drank all the juice, suddenly thirsty. Police came and took her statement, acting like everything was routine and that this wasn't the defining moment of her life.

It wasn't until she was discharged that her sister told her she'd convinced the nurses to hide the crushed bits of the morning after pill in her drink. Kagome stopped speaking to her after that.

Life went on. Her family told her she didn't have to work anymore, but she did. Letting them think she called a car or took the bus, Kagome walked alone to and from work, always looking for men with long dark hair and ink black eyes with a voice that would wake her from this living nightmare.

He was gone.

Inuyasha was nicer to her now. He never called her into his office and he never complained or made her stay late. Miroku was nicer, too. Everyone was so nice.

It made her sick.

In her brain, the logical part of it at least, she knew it made no sense. Why was she so obsessed with finding her rapist? And not even to bring him to justice. No, she just wanted to find him, to talk to him, to touch him… She shook her head and brought out the next piece of paper in the giant stack, sticking it in the copier. Maybe it was because of how her life was at the moment he'd taken her. Her friends had all moved on with their lives, going to schools far away and finding new friends and new adventures. She was a typical middle child, always wanting more and never getting it, and this had only been emphasized now that she no longer had school and the people there who valued her to distract her. At work, everyone hated her. There was no use pretending differently. She fucked everything up and made their jobs harder, but they had to tolerate her or else the boss would be sleeping on the couch.

But someone had wanted her.

Someone had taken the time to watch her, follow her, learn about her. It should have been horrifying, but it made her feel real. Like she wasn't just a vaguely annoying ghost people were silently and fervently hoping would exorcise itself.

To that someone, she mattered.

Kagome looked for her someone in the face of every man she saw. Ears carefully trained, she listened for that soft and intense voice. As the weeks went by, her obsession grew to the point of a near madness. How could he abandon her after sharing something like that? How could he claim to want her and then just leave her alone, infected with his desire? It shattered her and warped her, made her in his image, and soon she was prowling about at sunset, long after Inuyasha had let her off for the day, looking for him and stroking the knife she kept in the pocket of her childish sky blue cardigan with embroidered daisies. She wouldn't hurt him, no, she just wanted to talk to him, to ask him why. And after, they could pick up where they left off.

Everything broke when Inuyasha decided to take on a new client.

Naraku was a big fish. The company had several like him, that was true, but they were old money. Naraku, though, was part of a newer class, one that worked their way to get to where they were, innovative and ruthless. They worked hard, they played harder, and they certainly played dirty. They were the scum of the earth and they made the earth go 'round. There was a lot more work to be done, which resulted in Kagome having to stay late once again, and this time Miroku wasn't let off the hook either.

Sighing, Kagome brought the latest stack of copied papers to Miroku's desk. Contract after contract, all in legalese. It was upsetting her. The knife in her pocket felt heavy and she longed to be outside, searching, hunting.

Miroku barely glanced at the work she'd done. "Thanks. Can you file these now? We need them to be organized like yesterday."

Gritting her teeth, Kagome did as told, retreating to the dimly lit, freezing cold basement. Half an hour later, she was still struggling with getting all the physical copies of the contracts put in their proper places. Before she'd come along, the old filing system had been a total mess, stacks and stacks of folders, some on the shelves, some in cabinets, some flung on tables and some in stacks on the floor, and she was still working on trying to get everything organized.

Miroku came down the stairs, footsteps loud and irritated, which made them irritating.

"Kagome, what the hell? I sent you down here almost an hour ago and you're still filing? You should've just dropped them off and come back."

Kagome's jaw felt like it was going to crack from the pressure of grinding her teeth together. "That's what everyone's been doing for a long time and it created this chaos. How are we ever supposed to find anything if we keep doing that?"

"We have the computer system! This is just for back-up."

"The back-up system needs to be organized as well!"

Miroku grabbed the contracts she was still holding. At first she thought he intended to help her, but he just glared at them.

"Do you see anything wrong with these, Kagome?" he asked, voice tight and deceptively calm.

"Obviously not."

"They're crooked. Again. You scanned them crookedly."

In disbelief, Kagome took the papers back. Yes, now that she really looked at it, it was slightly crooked, but all the information was visible and it was hardly noticeable.

"You're going to have to do them all over again," Miroku sighed in aggravation. "I don't want Inuyasha telling me—"

Kagome threw the papers to the ground and grabbed the secretary by his stupid lavender tie. Expression frozen in shock, Miroku didn't react even when she undid his trousers and slipped out his cock, stroking him until he was hard.

"Fuck me," was all she said to him.

Turning around, she bent over the largest stack of dusty files in dustier manila folders, lifting up her tight black pencil skirt. She'd stopped wearing underwear weeks ago, hoping she'd find her someone and wanting to show him what he'd done to her right away. She winced as Miroku grabbed and slapped her ass. It wasn't her, he didn't want her, just several of her body parts, and she knew that from the start. But still, this was just a pale imitation of what she'd experienced that night in the vacant lot. Miroku wasn't as thick or as long as that someone, and since Kagome didn't know enough and only had one person to compare him to, she found him extremely lacking, though she guessed it would have been all right for someone else. He made a decent attempt at pleasing her, with his long, slow, deep strokes, but once he realized she didn't care either way, he went at it with abandon, panting and puffing and wheezing her name. Just before he came, he pulled out, and only stroked himself once before he was spraying his semen all over her backside.

"You can take off for the night, if you want," he said awkwardly as she wiped the mess off of her with some random paper from fifteen years ago. "I'll cover for you if Inuyasha asks."

"Thanks," she said, nodding.

If nothing else, at least she'd found a way to get out of doing boring work.

O\o/O

When the Vice President of Marketing arrived at Inuyasha's office for his appointment, Kagome felt hope for the first time in a while. Long black hair, voice so close to being right… He could have disguised it, right? And just because his eyes were blue didn't mean anything. He could have worn contacts.

"My name's Kōga," he said, grinning at her like he had a secret. Kagome sat at Miroku's desk, taking over his job while he was out to lunch. "Don't tell me that idiot forgot to write my appointment time down."

Realizing she had been staring, Kagome blushed and clicked a few times until she saw the appointment log.

"No, right on time. I'm sorry, Inuyasha is out to lunch right now, but—"

"That damn dog," he scowled, "always pulling this shit."

"If you want, I can let you in his office early." She wasn't allowed to do that, but she'd have said or done anything to make him stay.

He grinned at her. "Nah, that's okay. I'll come back in an hour, and he better be back by then."

And with that, he went to the elevator, where he'd go back down to his floor. Heart racing, Kagome knew she couldn't just let this moment pass her by. Without a thought for her job or her boss who would be back in just a few minutes, she followed the possible someone to the elevator, sliding through the doors just as they were about to close.

Kōga looked at her in surprise, but with pleasure. "Woah, what are you—"

There was only one way for her to find out if it was him, and she was determined. Throwing her arms around his neck, she kissed him, doubting herself when their mouths opened and their tongues tangled and she felt his fangs. But maybe she just hadn't noticed that night. A lot had been going on, so it was certainly possible. The kiss quickly turned from passionate to almost frantic, and suddenly he was lifting her up, pushing her against the wall. Like her someone, he didn't ask her consent before he filled her, just assumed she wouldn't fight him on it. But from the moment he first thrust inside her, she knew she had been wrong. He was longer than her someone and not as thick. Not as warm. Not as full of that special feeling she could not quite identify. The realization had her nearly catatonic, and she lost all enjoyment of the act, instead turning inward. She felt like both Cinderella and the prince. She had been taken from her normal, boring life in one magical night and now she was trying to find the person who'd changed everything, trying men on one by one, hoping to at least recapture the thrill. How long could she do it?

The Vice President of Marketing came inside her with a grunt and she hurriedly pulled away from him, fixing her clothes. She got off on his floor with him, ignoring him as he called after her wanting to know her name and if she'd have dinner with him, going straight to the bathroom and cleaning up. She didn't need her boss to know she'd been away from her desk.

O\o/O

A couple weeks went by without incident. Their new client was making all sorts of requests and it was driving everyone crazy. No longer was she the biggest nuisance in the office. Now that title belonged to Naraku. He came in every couple of days with a new issue, taking all of Inuyasha's time, demanding he be physically present for even the most trifling of details, personally overseeing things he really should have been delegating. Kagome stood behind where Miroku and Inuyasha were seated at the conference table, needlessly taking notes in case Miroku missed something. Naraku sat across from them, an angry expression on his face. Apparently, he didn't like the lack of progress they'd been making and was threatening to take his business elsewhere. Hojo, the new intern from the university across town, was refilling their waters, looking scared. Kagome recognized that look from before she'd met her someone. It was one she'd had every day, that terrible anxiety, that fear of screwing up. Knowing you would because the fear would make you. It was an endless cycle.

She was startled out of her boredom by Inuyasha abruptly rising to his feet. "You know what? I don't have to take this. Whether you want to work with us or not, Naraku, that's your prerogative. But I haven't seen my wife awake in a week and I need to go home."

Inuyasha didn't look at her as he left, though Miroku did, his eyes lingering on her in a way that made her smirk in disdain. It was obvious he wanted her again, wanted her badly, but she had no intention of repeating that particular mistake. Their hurried fuck had eased her workload tremendously, and she was hoping that would continue.

Naraku glared at her. "Tell your flea-ridden boss I'm taking my business elsewhere. Once I'm gone, no one will go near this dumpster fire again."

Kagome studied the man carefully. When she had first seen him, she'd thought that maybe, just maybe, he was her special secret someone. But then he opened his mouth, and she knew by his effeminate whine that he was the wrong one. But her desperation made her think that perhaps he had changed his voice. That would make sense, right? If he didn't want her recognizing him, then perhaps he was disguising it? After all, why else would anyone actually sound like that?

Moving closer to Naraku, she sat at the edge of the table. All she had to do was raise her skirt a couple inches up her thigh and the man was on her, sucking at her neck and grinding himself into her.

"Turn around," he mumbled, fumbling with his belt.

Sighing, she braced herself for what was to come. It took him a couple tries to enter her, and that was how she knew he wasn't the one. But she let him do it anyway, because to leave would have been awkward, right? When she noticed a poor, shocked Hojo in the corner, still holding the jug of water, she beckoned to him, not wanting him to feel left out. With him in her mouth and Naraku behind her, she began to feel a little stressed, but they finished soon enough, and within fifteen minutes they were out the door and back to work.

Naraku didn't switch companies.

Kagome wondered if she told Inuyasha whether he'd be mad or give her a medal. Personally, she would have liked a raise.

O\o/O

She walked home that night like she did every night, every cell on the alert for that presence, that beautifully overwhelming presence that still captivated her. As always, he didn't show. When she arrived at her house, Kikyo was waiting. This was surprising since she rarely returned to the family home.

"What in the name of the gods are you doing!?" she screeched, pulling Kagome inside by the wrist.

"What are you talking about? I'm just walking home from work!"

"Alone! At night! Hell, Kagome, it's almost like you want something to happen to you."

Yanking her wrist away, she hissed, "Maybe I do."

Kikyo paled. "You need to forget about what happened. You need to let it go. Move on."

"I can't!" Kagome screamed, finally losing it. Her hands began to shake and she wrapped her arms around herself. "I need to see him again. I need to find him. I know he's nearby somewhere!"

Her sister shook her head. "You're crazy. I'm telling Inuyasha to drive you home from now on. I don't know why he didn't do it before."

If Kagome had been a different sort of girl, she would have slapped her sister. Instead, all calm and quiet, she walked right back out the door, breaking into a run when Kikyo began to yell. Kagome knew her sister wouldn't follow her. Instead, she'd go back inside and complain to their mother. She walked right back to work, past Miroku's empty desk, and straight into Inuyasha's office, slamming the door behind her.

He scowled at her. "What're you doing back? I let you go off early with the rest, don't come and—"

Since summer, she had wanted to slap him, and now she finally did. She and Kikyo were family, so she couldn't hit her, and since she already wanted to do this, Inuyasha would have to take her place. The stinging of her palm was barely felt when compared to the singing in her heart.

For a moment, he just sat in his chair and stared at her, stunned. Then his eye twitched, his lips turned down into a sneer, exposing his fangs, and he sprung out of his chair and slammed her down on her back on his desk. Her head hit the wood hard, but he didn't seem to notice or care. Inuyasha growled in her face, his claws digging into her skin where he held her arms down.

"I'm sick of your shit. Day in, day out, acting like you've had a fucking lobotomy, thinking about that night. It's not right. You need to forget!"

"So make me," she said, her voice as small as she felt underneath him. "Make me forget, Inuyasha."

Expression stricken, he did nothing at first, but slowly he lowered his head to hers and then they were kissing. It wasn't until their lips touched that Kagome realized she had wanted this for as long as she'd known him. All this time, he'd been the reality behind the faceless fantasies she'd daydreamed about. Something about his taste made her think of that someone, but she told herself it was just her seeking him in everyone. As Inuyasha continued to kiss her, she realized that he actually could make her better. If she had him, she wouldn't stalk the streets searching for that other man. Not for a while, anyway.

Pulling himself away reluctantly, he pressed his cheek to hers and hid his face in her hair. "You don't want to do this to Kikyo."

More like you don't want to, she thought to herself. "I just want to be with you. I don't care about anything else."

With a soft sigh of submission, he kissed the skin beneath her ear, working his way to her jaw and then down her throat, sucking wherever he wanted, sometimes hard enough to leave a mark, which would certainly raise questions once she got home. The palms of his hands ran up and down her legs, always stopping just before they got to her ass, teasing her. She spread her legs open even wider, whimpering and raising her hips, wanting him to touch her, to take things so far they could never go back to how they were before.

"I've got you, baby," he murmured, unbuttoning her blouse slowly, kissing her bare skin inch by inch, his lips so hot they burned into her skin and her mind. "Let's make this the night you remember."

His big hands pushed the cups of her bra up and he greedily devoured her, first with his eyes and then with his mouth. Kagome felt herself responding to him in ways she hadn't with her other lovers, not even the masked one. Was it because she knew him? Was it because she wanted him? Was it because he was off limits? All thoughts were knocked out of her head when he gave her nipple a small bite, sucking and licking it afterward to soothe the pain he'd created. One hand drifted between her legs and he ran his thumb up and down her pussy lips, feeling how smooth she was, spreading her wetness around. His other hand eagerly mauled the breast that wasn't in his mouth, pinching the nipple, releasing it, rubbing it, repeat.

"Please…" she moaned, just like on that night. "Please…"

Abruptly, he stopped, removing himself from her and sitting back in his chair, taking deep breaths as he gazed at her with his big black dilated pupils ringed with gold.

"A bed. I want to fuck you in a bed. Let's do this right." He handed her the keys to his car and cleared his throat. "I'll call Kikyo and tell her I'm coming home at midnight. She'll be at your place until then. Wait for me." Grabbing her by the back of the head, he gave her a fierce kiss, something to keep her wet while she waited.

It was like there wasn't a floor beneath her feet. Kagome felt like laughing, like singing, like crying. The short trip down to the parking garage passed by in a blur. Inuyasha's expensive sleek red car was the only one on the first level and she sat in the passenger seat, idly wondering if she should surprise him by getting undressed now. But that would be awkward once they had to leave the car and go into the house… She decided on keeping her blouse mostly unbuttoned and removed her bra all the way. Opening the glove compartment to store her undergarment, she almost didn't believe what she was seeing.

A mask. The mask.

And lube and tissues and binoculars and a camera. All stuff that would come in a basic stalking kit. In case she had any doubt, there were her panties in a ziploc back.

Her breath began to come in pants. Her heart beat so fast it sounded like one constant sound in her ears. It was him. Inuyasha was him. Her someone had been just one room over every weekday all this time and she'd never even noticed. The dark eyes, the dark hair. It must have been his human night. That was what he had meant by "perfect night". All the dots connected themselves, the only answer she didn't have was why. Pulling out her phone, she typed a quick message and hit send.

Kagome jumped when the door opened.

"I ran all the way here, I'm fucking—" His eyes landed on the mask she was cradling in her lap. "Fuck. Kagome, I need to talk to you. It's critical that you listen and understand me." He was using his boss voice on her now.

She began to cry. No amount of mascara in the world could stop her now. She flinched when he got in the car and closed the door, calmly inserting his key into the ignition and taking off. He was going to keep them moving, keep them moving so she wouldn't try and run from him.

"Why?" she whispered, unable to summon up a stronger voice. "Why did you—"

Their speed accelerated and she was glad there was no one around. "Because I fucking wanted to!" he roared. "I've always wanted to. You must have known, you must have seen the way I looked at you."

"Not that! Why did you just leave me alone?" Kagome knew she probably looked and sounded pathetic, but she couldn't help but be honest now. Her fingers stroked the knife she'd stuck in her boot, an idea forming in her mind.

"What the fuck was I supposed to do? Take you home, turn my basement into a dungeon and just keep you there? I'm not crazy, Kagome, and I'm not cruel. I swore that would be the only time, that it would get you out of my system, but…" His voice faltered and he glanced at her. "But it didn't. And then this happened."

"Turn around." Her voice was dull, her mind running through what she was going to make happen. "We missed the turn."

"You don't still want to?" One look at her had him tensing up even more. "Fuck, okay, we're going home but we are going to talk."

Inuyasha's house was big, much bigger than where she lived, an imposing testament to his success. Paranoid, he kept looking around them as they entered his long driveway, telling her to duck if one of his neighbors was around walking their dog or something. They entered through the garage, and he sprang into action, going right to the kitchen and getting himself some water.

"Want some tea? Hot chocolate? Coffee?"

He was facing away from her, attention on the contents of his cupboards, and Kagome went to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, resting her face against his broad back. Inuyasha went completely still, not even breathing. Slowly, she brought her leg up, bent at the knee, sliding it up the side of his leg. He began to tremble and she liberated the knife from her shoe and held it against his throat.

"The bedroom. Take me there."

Inuyasha laughed, but it sounded choked. "You can't hurt me, Kagome."

"If I have to, I will. And then I'll hurt myself." Her voice had never been so sure and steady.

"Okay, fuck, okay!"

She removed the knife from his throat, keeping it at his back as he went up the stairs and made his way to the master bedroom. Kagome barely glanced at the bed where he and her sister slept together every night, had sex, talked about the future. All she did was push him enough so that he got the picture and sat down on it. He was glaring at her, eyes intense and full of the evil longing he'd had that night.

"Lay down."

He did so with a huff and she straddled him, running the flat side of the knife over his chest and then down, popping the buttons on his expensive white shirt.

"You did something to me," she began, her fascinated eyes on his naked chest. "I want to be normal again but I can't. I need sex now, Inuyasha, even if I don't like it."

"Gods, Kagome." His voice was soft, regretful. "I snapped. Take everything out on me, okay? Do what you need to do. If you have to kill me to make it right, then do it. Whatever will make you better."

"I texted Kikyo." Leaning down, she kissed him, quickly slipping back into that almost drugged state of arousal. "She'll be coming soon. You're going to be caught this time, and it's going to be inside of me, just like you said."

With a whispered curse, he flipped her on her back, grabbing her wrist hard until she dropped the knife, flinging it to the floor before she could reach it. At first she was afraid he was going to run, but then he was kissing her, pouring all his rage and guilt and obsession and tenderness into her and she couldn't help but to be caught up in it all and respond. Picking up where he left off, he fondled her breasts, playing with her nipples for a few seconds before he began to suck so hard she knew she'd bruise.

"I wanted to taste your pussy before," he gasped, tugging down her skirt without unzipping it. "But I ran outta time."

They both moaned when his tongue made contact with her cunt. He licked her up and down the way his thumb had been teasing her back in his office. Slipping it inside her parted folds, he wiggled it around, tonguing her opening before lengthening his tongue and fucking her with it. Meanwhile, his hands grabbed at her ass, cradling the cheeks and squeezing. Switching it up, he ran his tongue around her clit in circles before swiping across it and then sucking it. It was too much for someone who had never been touched like that before and Kagome came with a sob, releasing her juices onto his face and into his mouth. Her brother-in-law continued to lick her until she was dry and then wet again, hips bucking, pussy aching for something more filling than his tongue.

Inuyasha tossed his ruined shirt in one direction and shucked his pants off, shaking them to the floor. Stroking his hard cock, he stared at her, eyes filled with lust as they traveled over her disheveled form. Going to her, he rubbed the tip of his cock at her entrance, coating himself in her wetness and plunging forward slowly, carefully. Kagome bit her trembling lower lip, her eyes locked onto his, each of them watching the other's face full of reactions to their reunion.

"You take my cock so good," he purred, kissing her in reward.

"So big," she said in a shaky whisper. "Give me all of it, now, please!"

With one thrust, he obeyed her, and they both gasped. Kagome saw stars and realized she was coming, the knowledge that the two men were the same overwhelming her and pushing her over the edge. Grabbing her legs under the knee, Inuyasha pushed them up and began to fuck her at a pace that was slow at first but gradually picked up in tempo. For his pleasure and her own, Kagome touched her breasts, mouth falling open in delight when she felt them still slick with his saliva. The sight of his abdominal muscles tightening, how his mouth bared more of his teeth beyond his fangs, how his eyes took on a crazed, feral look had her ready to come again.

The sound of the front door opening made her reach down and touch her clit.

"Come inside me, Inuyasha," she begged, frantically rubbing herself, not wanting her sister to walk in early, start screaming, and miss the big finale.

Chanting her name from between clenched teeth, he slammed inside her a few more times hard enough to move the bed before letting loose with a roar that would rival a tiger's, filling her with a new life just as Kikyo appeared in the doorway.