Simply Business Chapter 31, an inuyasha fanfic

A.N. I always get bummed around this time every July. So I'll keep this to a short but heartfelt thank you. I love you guys tons.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Inuyasha and never claimed ownership at any point during this story.

(Tsuki)

Simply Business

Chapter Thirty

(Tsuki)

Rin descended the stairway dressed neatly in the dress that Kagome had picked up for the girl as a parting present. It fit Rin's petit, but lithe form perfectly and she looked positively radiant. Her hair was completely down for once and she had tied a thick golden ribbon behind her bangs as a headband. She descended the steps quickly and exuded excitement.

Kagome smiled as she saw the girl. But instead of it being a smile for the girl, it was one of relief, because it wasn't someone else. She was profoundly relieved now that she knew for sure that Kagura was not making an appearance and Sesshoumaru secretly wasn't messing with her.

She was however annoyed with herself for being so mitigated. Kagome felt a twinge of disgust.

At this rate she would end up proving Sango right.

She shook her head and gave an inwards sigh. Really… Why couldn't she just stick to Kouga? Life would just be so simple. Kouga was eye catching, had an amazing personality, and he could cook! He was basically soul mate material!

But no, her heart did jumping jacks only when her domestically challenged boss came within a foot of her with that trademark smirk of his.

Really! She just had to poach this forbidden fruit and just like Eve, she was being thrown out of her perfectly comfortable life and into a land of misery and hopelessness.

'Yes, being in love with Sesshoumaru is like falling into a pit…an abyss, if you will, of bad, bad things. Or maybe it's the realization that's like the quicksand of despair, because I was perfectly happy when I was oblivious.'

She only snapped out of her somewhat delirious state of simile construction, when Rin and threw herself into the raven haired girl's arms. "Nee-chan!"

Kagome let out an 'oomph' as she instinctively bent to hug the girl. She giggled after the brief moment of surprise passed, "Hey Rin! I see you chose to wear my dress!"

Rin nodded enthusiastically and smiled shyly, "Does it look alright, nee-chan?"

Kagome held the girl out at arms' length and looked her over, though even a glance was enough to see that she looked magnificent. The sunflower color seemed to add a peachy glow to the girl's face and the overall look was dazzling. "You look stunning, Rin!" Kagome smiled and twirled her around, "Can I pick a dress or what?"

Rin giggled and turned her attentions to Sesshoumaru, "Is nee-chan coming instead of Shippou-kun, Papa?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head, "Fortunately, no. She is, however, staying here with the hellion. He is still sleeping, I gather?" He inquired and Rin nodded with slight pout.

Kagome grinned a bit, "Aww… Shippou's upstairs taking a nap?"

Sesshoumaru gave her a look that seemed to insist that there was nothing to 'aw' about. He did not voice that, though. In its stead he murmured, "So you don't have much to do, I suppose. Just check in on him occasionally until he wakes up."

Abruptly Kagome had to resist the urge snapped her fingers abruptly in frustration, 'I wish I had taken some school work with me. I was supposed to spend today doing catch up on all the slacking I had to do this week.' She sighed. But maybe that was a good thing. It would give her an excuse to lock herself in her room and not talk to a certain brunette once she returned home.

She pasted on a smile, "So in the mean time, it's just me and Gome?"

Sesshoumaru took a hold of Rin's wrist and went for their coats from a closet in the foyer but before he exited, he responded briskly, "The dog is currently with a veterinarian acquaintance of mine for shots and a check up. I was told everything would be finished later this evening."

Kagome furrowed her brows and let out a puff of air and called after him. "So I'm all by myself?"

Rin gave Sesshoumaru a frantic look that clearly said that she did not want to leave the older girl by herself. Sesshoumaru purposefully disregarded it in favor of commencing his search for their outerwear. They were cutting their reservation time close and he was somewhat in a hurry. He would deal with everything else once he returned.

He addressed Kagome's question, however, by saying, "Technically, you are not. You are however, the only person who will be awake once we leave." He smirked at her, "Is that a problem? You've been alone in my home before, so I don't see why exactly it would be one."

Kagome gave him a stiff smile, "Exactly! I'm fine! Enjoy yourselves!"

Sure it wasn't a problem, unless of course you were someone who didn't want to be alone with their thoughts.

(Tsuki)

Mirouku looked at Sango, "I think you should call Kagome and apologize. It won't do either of you good if you let this hang over your friendship, love."

Sango snorted, "What friendship? I crossed a line that a friend never would have crossed."

"So you plan on leaving it like that, then?" Mirouku placed a calming hand on Sango's arm. "Do you really think Kagome would throw away—what?" He rolled his eyes heavenward, "Nearly two decades of her life because of five minutes of arguing?"

The girl let out a scoff and rolled her eyes, "When you put it that way it feels like I'm being stupid."

The look he gave her implied that she was in fact being stupid. Amazingly though, it still held quite the loving undertone.

She shrugged helplessly and threw a hand up, "But I just can't talk to her right now. I feel too ashamed to." The girl looked frustrated. Her brows knit together in incredulity and she lowered her voice sadly as she admitted, "She said I don't trust her…"

Mirouku smiled slightly, "And that's what caused the end of the world?"

She furrowed her brows tighter together as she spoke, "I've trusted her to help me with everything from salvaging fifth grade science project disasters to family crises. I don't remember any time before this that I've ever doubted that girl…" She smacked her forehead, "I trust her to keep any and all of my secrets but when it comes to just believing her side of a story—I flake!"

Mirouku rubbed her arm, "What exactly did you say, love?"

Sango's cheeks turned a distinctly red hue at the question. "I basically called her an insensitive, childish whore or something to that extent. It was like in rant form but that really is the basic gist…"

The man lifted a brow and was silent for a moment, fishing for words. After a minute, he simply uttered, "I see…."

The brunette fell backwards so that she was on her back on the couch, "And to be honest… What I saw was a bit too odd to be 'kissing' anyway. I know Kagome has some weird hair fetish she hasn't owned up to yet, but she seemed way too focuses on doting attention on his hair than to his face." She squeezed her eyes shut, "I definitely can't face her after today, Mirouku."

The man suddenly chuckled dryly. "As much as I love a woman's vulnerable side, Sango, I can't help but feel as if I always catch those moments when I'm the least prepared."

The brunette smiled slightly and feigned an air of commiseration. "I'm sorry. Next time I'll let you comfort me when I do something more normal. I'll make an effort to lose our next match so we don't go to States. Be sure to schedule that in, okay?"

Mirouku stretched Sango's legs across his lap, "You're so considerate, love! Thank you—that's just the level of normalcy I'm prepared for."

Sango let out a giggle and Mirouku let a smile grace his lips until Sango clasped her hand over mouth. In a muffled voice she groaned, "I can't believe I'm laughing a time like this!"

With a heartier chuckle, Mirouku reached over and pulled her up with her unoccupied hand so that he could remove the other appendage from her mouth. He planted a quick peek on her lips before he moved her legs and rose, "Everything will be fine. I'll make you a cup of tea, add some chocolate with that—and voila—you can stop stressing and take a quick nap. Good tea, my country's best chocolate, and sleep. That's a secret French remedy for heartache." He paused his perusing of her cupboards to wink at her, "Don't tell anyone."

Sango unfolded herself from the couch and moved to join Mirouku in the kitchen with a bit of a smirk. "I'm not heartbroken, Mirouku." She laughed a bit, "You've ceased doing stupid thing after all."

Mirouku flushed a bit as he took down a bright red teapot from one of the shelves above them. While he ran water from the faucet into the container, he said softly, "You care for Kagome, Sango Not in a romantic sense, I know, but she is closer to you than any other man or woman that you know. Of course you are heartbroken from this. You think you've caused yourself to lose an invaluable friend." It was Sango's turn to show discomfort.

As he shut off the faucet and placed the pot to boil he remarked, "But it will work out for both of you. You're too close for this or any nonsense."

A coy smirk suddenly made its way to his mischievous face, "And do note I've come to terms with the fact you love her more than you care for me—so in those regards and for future reference… if Kagome doesn't mind—"

Sango narrowed her eyes as he opened his mouth to say the next word, she warned, "I get the feeling you're going to say something completely perverted, so let me just stop you there."

Mirouku threw his hands up in the air, "I'm wounded! I was merely going to suggest that the three of us play a board game… watch a movie or something—"

"You're done Mirouku," the girl deadpanned but Mirouku brightly grinned at her, "And a distraction. Tea, chocolate, sleep, and one hell of a good source of amusement—all make for one wonderful cure."

Sango let a genuine smile grace her lips.

As Mirouku searched through her tea supply, Sango leaned on the counter, deep in thought. "Heartbroken, huh?" the girl had let the words fall from her lips more for her benefit, than Mirouku's. The raven haired man was still able to catch wind of her murmurings though. He smiled to himself and finally decided on a chamomile, lavender combination to soothe the girl.

Sango touched her heart almost gingerly and abruptly straightened mere seconds after he had mentally reached his decision.

"I'm going to tell those two what you said."

Mirouku put the box of tea bags down and raised his brows in surprise, "Those two meaning Kouga and Kagome?"

Sango nodded enthusiastically, "Yes—"

The raven haired man licked his lips with uncertainty. "Forgive me for being worried, but I say a lot of things Sango. Some of them, taken out of context may or may not be received that well," he scratched the back of his head, "What exactly are you repeating?"

Sango smiled reassuringly, "Pushing for the Kagome-Kouga thing is a lost cause like you said. I won't say that you said that of course, but when I see Kagome I'll tell her not to worry about things with Kouga because I was just being stubborn." She shrugged, "I've been trying to deny it for awhile but Sesshoumaru's actually tolerable with Kagome around. Before I suspected she loved the guy I kinda even started to like him myself." She smiled brightly, "If she's head over heels for that guy, so be it. It's only right to leave Kagome and Kouga to end up where they should be."

The spout of the teapot came to life with a heavy whistle.

(Tsuki)

Kagome had listlessly gone about the process of making dinner after the two left. Her plan of menu action, though, was really just to put things in a pot, add heat, and hope to God it came out tasting like something edible.

She was, however, so inattentive to everything outside the scope of her mind that she failed to notice a certain redhead peek into the room chomping on a handful of cherry Twizzlers.

It was unavoidable being so preoccupied, though.

Her mind was trying to logically piece together a proposal of why it didn't make sense to feel the way she did.

She needed to pitch something that would just be so plausible that she would have no choice but to relinquish her feelings and go about her day to day.

Very obviously she was failing.

"You know Kagome," came a voice from the kitchen doorway. Kagome gasped in surprised at the boy's voice and whirled around, nearly dropping a stock of kale. Shippou leisurely walked into the room, "You seem a little down. Tell, Shippou what's wrong so you can go back to being fun."

"How have I not been fun?" Kagome suddenly felt defensive as she shook her head and a stream of defying sentences were uttered, "I've been so fun since Sesshoumaru left that it's not even funny! You should have seen how fun I was—I was like a one-woman party!" Kagome did not know why she was being so shifty…. And spewing the most blatant lies ever told to man, but she was shocked that someone had noticed that she was acting oddly that evening.

Shippou's next words truly drove home, though, exactly how off her game she had been. He rolled his eyes," Despite the fact that the old man's gone and I've been up for the last twenty minutes, you haven't offered once to watch a movie with me." He accusingly pointed his Twizzler wielding hand in the direction of the living room, "the TV's off, you're adding vegetables to dinner and you're not even trying to pick a fight with me over how much candy I'm about to eat!" He narrowed his eyes and took a bite of a Twizzler for added effect. While still chewing he muttered, "I don't even know who you are anymore!"

Kagome gave him a wan smile. 'Ouch….' She thought back to his earlier offer to have a heart to heart and murmured, "I wouldn't even know where to begin, kiddo. Sometimes I wish I could just fast forward to next year. There's too much drama in house sitting."

Shippou placed a consoling pat on her leg, "Come on, finish cooking, and tell Uncle Shippou what's wrong."

Kagome gave a fugitive glance at the pot and decided to cut her loses and claim being done. After she plopped onto the kitchen floor after turning off the stove. Shippou asked, "Is it boy trouble?"

"Isn't it always," she scoffed bitterly.

The red haired boy shrugged, "I guess… I kinda really don't know."

Kagome resisted the urge to giggle at how adorable the boy was. In what she hoped was a serious tone, she inquired, "If I tell you what's wrong, do you promise to keep it a secret?"

"I promise nee-chan."

"Meaning no telling anyone, Shippou" she stressed. "Not Rin, not Sesshoumaru, not the kids from school—no one!"

"Yeah, yeah, I promise."

The raven haired girl took in a deep breath and in a hurried, yet low tone, she breathed out rapidly, "I realized that I really like someone."

Shippou interjected with a confused, "Isn't that good, nee-chan?"

With a frustrated groan, Kagome shook her head, "Only when they like you back!" She narrowed her eyes, "But this guy is a total psycho! He's callous and sarcastic and he has a stick that's like permanently wedged up his domestically challenged butt!"

"Jeeze… sounds like that guy should meet the old man! They have a lot in common."

Kagome almost smiled as she thought sardonically, 'He already has…' Out loud, however, she said, "I don't even know why I like this guy, but I realized that I do and… it's frustrating! My roommate's mad at me over this and I feel like an awful person cause of the whole Kouga thing. I even tried to sabotage his date by putting as much makeup as I could on him!"

The coat she had slipped on before she left had her eyeliner, mascara, and rouge blush. Guyliner had been one application away from meeting Man-scara and Brouge.

Yes, it was only in retrospect that trying to make his boss look like an effeminate clown to deter someone who had been dressed as a mouse their first meeting seemed a trifle futile now.

Shippou shrugged and murmured consolingly, "That's a little weird, sure, but love makes people do some crazy things, nee-chan."

Kagome giggled and hugged the boy, "Thanks for trying to make me feel better but even love shouldn't be that crazy! I was so close to straddling the guy and giving him a makeover from hell, just because I thought he was going out with someone I couldn't stand."

"You know what I think, Kagome?"

"What?"

"You wouldn't have these problems if you just dated Sesshoumaru."

(Tsuki)

The anniversary of receiving a daughter…

The man ran a hand through his platinum locks as he looked across from the exuberant child as she scanned the menu—the adult section of course since it was a date.

But from the look on her face, she looked as if she was being cheated by this new menu with talk of rare-done meat, complimentary wine she couldn't have, and no mention of chicken fingers.

He smiled slightly and as he already had chosen his meal, he let his mind wander for a bit. His face was an impasse mask as he thought of something that Inuyasha had said in America.

The unfortunate thing about being in his brother's home was perhaps the fact that the younger Taisho had a skeleton key and an internal clock that urged him to the bathroom at four in the morning.

The sound of a turning key had instantly woken Sesshoumaru and the man had sat up simultaneously as his red pajama clad brother quieted tiptoed in.

"No." Those had been Sesshoumaru's first words at the sight of the male. After all, that troubled, we-need-to-talk, look, screamed, 'we need to talk.' Besides, it was far earlier than his normal wake up time and seeing all that bright vicious red was perhaps more infuriating than the person beneath the clothing.

Inuyasha groaned, "At least hear me out!"

"No." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, "Go to sleep, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha instead did the exact opposite of what he said and sat—with him—on the foot of the bed.

The queen sized guest bed felt tiny now that he was sharing it with Inuyasha and he was abruptly tempted to get up and leave… perhaps try barricading himself in the library, someplace Sesshoumaru was nearly confident Inuyasha would not enter. 'Lest his eyes burst into flames at the sight of culture…'

"I want to talk to you about Rin, Sess."

Sesshoumaru lost all his thoughts of strategic fleeing and sharply questioned, "What about her?"

Inuyasha looked unsure of how to approach the topic. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before saying,, "I think you should spend some time considering that she needs more than a father."

Sesshoumaru scowled, "I was woken up before daybreak to hear something I already have considered. Thank you, Inuyasha."

"You have not, so don't get all snide with me! If you had you'd at least be meeting people—going on dates!"

"Keep your tone down."

Inuyasha grunted in frustration but did lower his voice, "As your brother, the half regardless, I worry about you in the next few years when Rin's uterus deep in that awkward teenage stage and you're not gonna know what to do. She's already straddling teendom, Sess, but you're in some freakish perpetual bachelor land."

Sesshoumaru raised a brow and couldn't help but repeat, "Perpetual bachelor land?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "You know what I mean..."He shrugged helplessly, "You haven't had a girlfriend since Rin started living with you and it's concerning considering you were like Japan's top Lothario before that."

Sesshoumaru scoffed, "That was hardly the case."

"Believe what you want to believe, Sesshoumaru, but think on it."

Sesshoumaru looked over at Inuyasha, "Rin needs a mother figure. That is something I am aware of. But what woman wants to be the mother of a daughter barely over a decade younger than them? I refuse to introduce Rin to a shallow witch that would not take care of her. She deserves better than that. Far better. So that, Inuyasha is why I do not date."

The younger man looked a bit saddened, "Not all women are like that, Sesshoumaru Once they get to know her—"

"If they decide to give her an initial chance," Sesshoumaru interjected with a snort.

Inuyasha rubbed his brow, "Not everyone will consider her extra baggage or someone to be shipped off to boarding school. Thinking like that will make you unable to consider the people who actually do have potential!" His eyes lit up, "Like that Kagome girl! She likes Shippou for God's sake and you and I both know he's a demon in disguise."

"Higurashi is my employee, Inuyasha. Besides," He wanted to quip about how inept she would be in handling a household…but as they both knew, that was unfoundedly incorrect.

He cleared his throat and murmured, "She is leaving Japan after she graduates."

Inuyasha grunted, "Not to sound conceited, pal, but we both have amazing genealogy and a solid financial legacy. If you asked her to stay, what woman in her right mind wouldn't drop everything and move in the next day? If her new job pays more—match and raise it. If she has a boyfriend, boyfriends aren't always forever." He grinned, "There are ways around everything, Sess, if you want it bad enough."

Inuyasha looked at the older male and said. "She's great with our family and there's a seventy five percent chance she doesn't totally hate you! It doesn't even have to be a marriage thing, if you actually like being a bachelor. It'll just be what you have now but until Rin's off in college. And by that many paychecks, Kagome'll be financially set! Who in their right mind, Sess," he repeated again with a shake of his head.

Sesshoumaru actually took the time to think over the statement. Perhaps he could make her an offer to stay in his permanent employment.

Why make things a matter of love or like?

Everything was much simpler when it was simply business.

And then for a moment he felt guilt. Pure and shocking guilt. He was attempting to rob her of her ambitions and the prime of her life. He and she would know that the second he made that proposition. If she accepted it, she would feel obligated to be locked there until Rin didn't need her anymore. And that was excluding Shippou as a factor...Including him would lock her in for almost another decade.

If she didn't accept his proposal though…wherever she went, she'd feel a selfish remorse because she hadn't stayed. He inwardly sighed as he looked at Inuyasha.

Who in their right mind, he asked?

"Kagome Higurashi," he answered.

"Papa?"

Sesshoumaru snapped back into reality at the sound of Rin's voice. "Yes, Rin?" The brunette looked dejected and Sesshoumaru was instantly alert. "What's wrong?"

"Rin does not know what to order for dessert." He looked in amusement as the Rin fretfully chewed at her bottom lip and scanned the dessert section of the menu.

Sesshoumaru let another of the soft smile ease that seemed reserved only for Rin onto his face and he feigned a bit of shock, "Oh my…"

Rin nodded furiously, "It's terrible, right Papa? Rin can't choose between this one and this one." She held up her menu for him to see and pointed at the respective dessert items.

Sesshoumaru opened his own menu and looked up the two items. He almost cringed at the lack of health benefits. Ice cream, marshmallows, milk chocolate syrup, and caramel sauce for one. Cheesecake covered in a whipped topping candied almonds and miscellaneous frozen fruit.

He closed his menu as he came to a decision right as the waiter approached. "Go with both…"

Rin's eyes widened and she looked like a kid in a candy store, "Really, Papa?"

Once upon a time, he had felt burdened by this girl. She had been someone he had to take care of only because of a stipulation in a will.

Yet he had unwittingly grown to care for her.

And now he loved her as if she was truly his blood daughter.

Sesshoumaru smiled at her and said softly, "Today is yours, Rin. Whatever makes you happy is yours as well."

But he had to wonder if it was within his power to always keep her happy. Like nearly all males, he was blissfully oblivious to the workings of teenage girls.

For a moment he felt goaded by that toothy smile.

It was his motivation now.

If possible, he wanted to do anything to keep it there.

(Tsuki)

Sesshoumaru and Rin came home to a relatively quiet house. The only sound was from the television, though, even that was somewhat muted from where they stood. Gome cheerfully padded into the house behind them once the entered and Sesshoumaru took off Rin's coat.

The girl immediately followed the dog into the living room, undoubtedly to greet a certain raven haired girl.

Sesshoumaru shook his head somewhat as he put away his and Rin's coats in the foyer closet before he made an appearance.

Kagome's cheeks reddened as soon as the silver haired man. It was obvious that she and Shippou had fallen asleep on the couch together watching a nearly finished animated movie. But that was only half of the reason she was blushing.

Not only did she probably look like a wreck, Shippou had chosen a movie about epic friendships and unbreakable camaraderie so she was pretty sure she had cried herself to sleep… And no eyeliner wearing female ever looked good after crying with make up.

Sesshoumaru raised a brow as he saw a half eaten box of mushroom, onions, and olive pizza and he abruptly had to question the two's tastes.

Kagome groaned, 'And I forgot to hide the pizza!'

Kagome quickly stood and after greeting Rin addressed Sesshoumaru, "Sorry about the pizza," she said taking the lift eyebrow as a sign of annoyance rather than astonishment. She continued, "Shippou refused to eat the dinner I made—not that I blame him," she added quickly as Sesshoumaru looked somewhat annoyed. "It was actually pretty bad to be honest, so I ordered pizza."

Gome pawed at the table with the pizza box on it and giggling Rin took a cold slice and began feeding the dog.

Shippou groggily nodded as he woke himself up and muttered, "I tried to eat it, but was sooo gross, old man."

Sesshoumaru almost shuddered. How 'gross' could the concoction have been that buying pizza with black olives was a better alternative? "It's fine," he eventually murmured.

He finally took in the girl's appearance and he frowned. "Would you prefer to stay the night, Higurashi?"

Kagome was stunned by the abrupt offer and wasn't not sure what to say. Sesshoumaru continued, "I'll lend you clothes for the night, if you wish."

Kagome joked weakly, "I have class early in the morning and I'd rather now walk onto campus swimming in your PJs. After all, I don't think 'Walk of Shame' was ever included in our dress code. Thank you for the offer, but I can't." She stopped smiling and said in a sad tone, "Plus, that wouldn't make the Sango situation any better…"

Sesshoumaru nodded, "Then at the least, I insist you take a few minutes in the bathroom to collect yourself. For once, you have not intentionally looked like a wreck."

The girl knew he was making an attempt to make her smile and that made her all the more saddened. Before heading into the half bath in the foyer, she cast him a smile, but it did not quite reach her eyes. Once she exited, she said goodnight to Rin and Shippou and then finally Sesshoumaru with a demurred, "Good night, Mr. Taisho."

She really would have like to stay but she wanted to spend some time by herself to really sort out what she was feelings.

Sesshoumaru saw her linger at the doorway and murmured, "She cares for you Higurashi, of that I am sure. Whatever happened between you two today should not come between what you both have built how ever many years prior."

Kagome thanked him and finally stepped onto the porch, knowing that he'd be standing there until she finally drove off. The night air caressed her face with cool tresses and soon she was on the road slowly driving back to an apartment that she was almost tempted to hope was empty.

(Tsuki)

As Kagome arrived at the apartment building, she almost hesitated on going in. She sat in her car foe ten minutes before the building pile of school work awaiting her return beckoned her inside.

She was greeted with something other than her homework though. Upon arriving at the doorway she was met with the sight of a certain dark haired male.

She looked in shock as she saw Kouga Aotama in the process of knocking on her front door. The raven haired girl was almost grateful she had taken the time to freshen up at the Taisho household before heading home.

She instinctively called his name and the blue eyed male looked over. He flashed her a grin that portrayed his pleasant surprise at catching her.

"Hey, you! I was just stopping by to say hey! I'm glad I caught you Kagome," he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I haven't really been making time for you, huh?"

And for a split second, Kagome had a new epiphany.

Time…

Maybe what she felt for Sesshoumaru was only a product of the amount of time she spent with him.

Maybe her strange feelings—or lack there of—for Kouga were because she didn't try hard enough to spend the time to like him for more than superficial factors.

Sango was in any case right though. If not for Kouga's sake then for own she needed to go through with seeing this out.

She probably had more in common than someone like Sesshoumaru Taisho and even though opposites were supposed to attract, it was the similarities that really made a couple last.

When that fraction of time passed, Kagome smiled and moved in to hug the blue eyed male, "It's been my fault too, so don't take all the blame, there. My team contribution has been pathetic at best."

The man leaned his head on hers as he wrapped his arms around her petite form.

"You said that you want to make this work…And so do I."

And that's how Sango found them.

(Tsuki)

The brunette felt a twinge of alarm as she finally mustered, "What's going on…?"

The two separated quickly out of shock. When Kouga realized it was the brunette he chuckled and murmured, "You had me scared there for a second Sango."

Kagome flushed and stood somewhat frozen in place. She had not expected to deal with brunette and from the look on the other girl's face, neither had she.

Sesshoumaru words struck in her head though. She cares for you.

Those four words were the only things that kept her from bolting. Kagome's feet moved on their own accord and she buried herself in the older girl's arms.

Without a word spoken between the two they simply burst into tears and apologetic rambles.

Kouga stood behind then immeasurably confused. Mirouku abruptly appeared behind the girls and chuckled as he saw Kouga's alarm. He said two words to the befuddled young man that cleared everything up, "Girl fight."

(Tsuki)

A.N. I want to do like seven more chapters and an epilogue. Or eight more chapters and an epilogue so I can end on an even number. So maybe nine chapters left. (For real this time it's around that area. I won't go past 45 chapters with this I think). No lemons, though, in answer to that question I saw. I'm a relatively clean writer and my story ratings never breach T.

R&R