I have created a Spotify Playlist of the songs used, so you don't have to go hunting for them. The Playlist will be updated as the fic is updated, so there'll be no spoilers about what's coming down the the link in my bio, though there are no songs used in this particular chapter.

"So, what d'ya think?" Kouga asked with a confident excitement in his voice, his hand pressed flat onto the glass of the table they were currently sitting at while he casually reclined back into his chair. Patio season just started, and the weather was finally beautiful enough to sit outside without getting a chill. And yet, something made Kagome's spine shiver for a second as she sat pin straight in her seat, despite the amazing opportunity she'd just been presented with and the gorgeous weather.

Kagome could only try to read over the papers he'd placed on the table, attempting to comprehend everything he'd just told her. To put it mildly, "It's a lot to process."

"Well yeah, but think of all the potential! You'd have access to some of the industry's best producers, marketing to promote your music. You'd easily become the next big thing in Japan!"

Kouga had spent the last few days pitching a contract to the executives of the studio, playing Kagome's raw vocal recordings for them, and then mixed in with the songs themselves. It would be a lie to say they weren't interested in her, and especially in scooping her up before any other studio got wind of her. Considering she was already active in the industry to some extent, Kouga was positive she'd have offers coming her way in no time, and he'd wanted to be first in line.

"I know, and it's a very generous offer," Kagome continued, her voice unsure.

"But…?" she heard him start.

She sighed, "But… with my internship at the orchestra, I'm pretty sure I'd likely be offered something full-time next year. If I were to give that up, and all my work to get there, it'd have to be for something I'm 100% confident in."

"I totally get that," Kouga replied, his tone understanding, "It can be a lot to take in, and I wouldn't want you to sign on to something that I myself wouldn't sign. But trust me when I say this is practically a hole-in-one for you. Most contracts don't start this generous."

Kagome calmly placed the papers back down on the table, before turning to him and asking, "Would it be alright if I took this home and looked it over more carefully? I'd like some time to really think about it, if that's alright?"

Kouga nodded eagerly, "Of course! You take as much time as you need, and we can talk about it again when you feel more ready to give an answer."

She thanked him with a smile, and Kouga quickly paid for their lunch. Though Kagome tried to at least pay for her share, Kouga shut her down, saying he'd just write it off as a business expense and it was no big deal. They parted ways, and Kagome soon arrived at the practice studio to hang out with the guys. When she came in, she was a little surprised to see only Inuyasha there. She peeked in through the glass window, and saw him strumming away on an acoustic guitar in between writing some notes in a book in front of him.

'Maybe he got here early to get some writing done?' she wondered, reminded of how Kouga had told her the previous week that Inuyasha had sold some songs to the studio before.

She looked at her phone to check the time, realizing she was a few minutes late, and the others must've been late too.

She gently opened the door, trying to not disturb him if he was concentrating. But his ears swiveled up before his eyes matched them, following her movements and giving her a welcoming wave of his hand.

"Hey," she greeted him sweetly before closing the door, "Did I miss something? Where is everybody?"

Inuyasha gave her an exaggerated sigh, "There's an accident on the roads close to where Sango and Miroku are coming from, and Shippo texted saying he was caught up with something and is gonna be about an hour late."

Kagome mouthed an 'oh'. She set down her purse before walking over to where Inuyasha was seated, and asked, "Working on something new?"

He shrugged before finishing a note and closing the book, "Nothin' much right now. Just some ideas."

She sat down at the piano bench facing towards him, "Kouga told me you wrote that song we recorded last week. I didn't realize you sold your songs too."

He played it off casually, "I only sell what I'm not confident in playing myself. If Kouga or the studio can do something with it; great. Gets me a bit of extra money to work with, so it's always a plus."

"Why not write full-time? I'm sure the studio would pay you very well for it," she asked, genuinely curious.

Inuyasha shrugged, making a face that said he disagreed with the idea, "It's not that I couldn't do it if I was motivated to. But… I dunno, it'd feel like selling my soul a little. Like everything I make or create isn't mine to own."

Kagome thought about that for a moment, thinking back on her conversation with Kouga earlier that day. She wondered if she should talk to Inuyasha about it. After all, he had experience working with the studio and Kouga specifically. Maybe he'd be able to give her some perspective on the offer.

After a few moments of quiet between them, she started hesitantly, "Um... I had a meeting with Kouga… earlier today."

Kagome noticed Inuyasha's ears flicker at that, and wondered if it was a tell of his, "He said the studio wants to sign me as an artist and gave me a contract to look over. Said I'd have access to all kinds of things and that it might lead to some big things down the road."

Inuyasha swallowed to clear his suddenly dry throat, not raising his eyes to meet hers, his voice hollow as he said, "Sounds like a great offer."

"Thing is…" she said quickly after he finished, "I'm not so sure it's what I want."

Inuyasha did lift his gaze, only to see hers had lowered, turning back towards the piano and delicately tracing her fingers over the keys without pressing them down, causing them to resonate. It was a quiet gesture, designed to show her hesitation and uncertainty, "I just graduated from the conservatory, and I only just began my internship. At this point, I've accomplished the only thing I'd set out to do with my music, which was to be able to show my father how much his passion for it influenced me. But… part of me sometimes wonders… after he's gone… What do I want for myself? I'd never really given it a ton of thought before, and I just wonder…"

Inuyasha considered what she'd said carefully, and asked as he set his guitar down beside him, pulling Kagome's attention back in his direction, "Well… what motivates you? If money wasn't an issue, what route do you think would satisfy you more?"

Kagome shrugged, nervously running her hand into her hair to shake it out and play with the ends, "That's just it. I'm not sure what I'd pick. I love composing for orchestral music, but there's something about doing RnB or Pop that just hits me differently than the classical stuff does. Does that make sense?"

He nodded, "Of course. Music doesn't just have to mean just one thing to a person all the time. It satisfies different things at different times."

Kagome leaned in a bit, leaving barely a foot of space between them, "You have experience with this kind of thing. What would you do?"

He was taken aback by that. He wasn't sure anyone had ever asked him for his opinion on such a crucial life decision before. It felt nice… that she wanted to know his thoughts about it, and wanted his input.

He stuttered for a second, "I ugh… I mean, you know what I'll say. We've been offered contracts before, and we didn't take them because… we wanted control of our music. Stuff like that, if you want to be a big shot, you want your name in lights, access to other producers and artists, a budget behind you to get your music out there, and the money that could come with it all… it has a cost, and that can be at the expense of your own voice."

Kagome looked back at him their eyes meeting and holding for a few seconds before he continued, "Listen, I can't answer this for you. No one can. I can only give my perspective, but, in the end… you're the one who's gotta decide what you wanna be doing with yer life. Whatever you decide… it has to be right for you."

She solemnly smiled back at him. Clearly something he'd said struck a chord with her.

Inuyasha felt his cheeks get a bit warm as he turned back to grab his guitar again in an subtle attempt to hide his embarrassment, "Then again, you could always give 'em a counter offer."

"A counter offer?" Kagome asked curiously.

"You've just started this internship, right? Goes for a year?" he asked, earning a nod from her, "Well, why don't you take the year to try producing some of your own music while you do the internship? See what you come up with and… see if it's stuff the studio wants to back. Gives them a chance to hear what you'd want to make, and for you to assess if they'd allow you to have the creative freedom you'd want over it. At the end of the year, when you've got a better handle on things, you'll have something from both ends you can look at and see what works for you."

Kagome sat dumbfounded, "That's… not a bad idea!"

"Right?" he asked, "I mean, who knows if Kouga and the exec's will go for it, but if they really want to sign you, they'd probably consider it at least."

Kagome nodded, "Yeah! And it'll give me time to really figure things out."

Inuyasha agreed, but when he looked back at her, he saw the joy on her face as she said honestly, "Thanks! I really appreciate your input on this."

He felt like he'd lost his voice for a moment, before sheepishly saying, "Keh, it's not a big deal."

She giggled at that and he couldn't help but smile at her. He felt so calm around her. Normally, it was so hard for him to get this comfortable with people, but with Kagome, it just felt safe.

For a brief moment, Kagome had a thought in her mind, and before she could even stop herself, she looked back at him and said, "Well, if they go for this counter offer…"

"That's a big if," Inuyasha emphasized sarcastically.

She giggled, "—IF they go for it, I'm gonna need some help with my songwriting. It's always my biggest weakness in music production," she left the statement hanging there for a moment, "What would I need to do to, say… hire you… as a songwriter?"

Inuyasha looked back at her in a bit of confusion, "Seriously? You'd want my help?"

"Well yeah! With your writing and my compositions, I can't imagine it'd be a bad collaboration. I feel like it'd be a great fit," she hesitated for a second, thinking longer on it, "U—unless, of course, you're not interested. I mean, you already work multiple jobs, and I doubt you have any free time to help me with a project like this… F—forget it, it was silly to a—"

"Let's do it," he interrupted her, not letting her continue to ramble on like she was, regardless of how cute she looked doing it.

He was rewarded with the brightest look on her face, "Uh, really?!"

He gave her a nod of affirmation, "Sure, but it's a one-time deal. I'll even do it pro-bono… just 'cause."

Kagome let out a squeal of happiness before leaping across the short distance to hug him, letting out a litany of 'thank yous' before Inuyasha had to tell her to calm down and practically pry her off of him.

"Remember, that's if they agree this. They could just as easily say 'no', and that's the end of it," he reminded her, "It's never a sure thing with any of this stuff, so be ready to have your heart broken."

Kagome refused to let the smile leave her face, even as she nodded, "I know, but even if it doesn't go through, I guess it just means it wasn't meant to be, right?"

Inuyasha couldn't help but be in slight awe of her optimism, "Sure, whatever."

It wasn't long after that Sango and Miroku arrived, interrupting the pair as they walked in.

Miroku gently chided them, "Oohh, don't let us interrupt the moment, you two!"

Kagome and Inuyasha both got a little red in their cheeks, realizing just how close they were to each other and how it might have looked to their friends. Sango slapped Miroku on the arm to get him to stop his teasing, her tone sounding only mildly exhausted by his antics, "Miroku, lay off."

He playfully rubbed his arm, "Oh Sango, they know I was just kidding, right guys?"

Kagome nodded vigorously, "Yeah! Of course, Miroku," before tentatively looking back in Inuyasha's direction, seeing him giving her a knowing look in return.

A few days later, Kagome was wandering around her apartment as she spoke on the phone to Kouga, unable to stop her nervous pacing.

"So, what'd they say?" she asked him eagerly.

Kouga played coy for a moment, "Well, it wasn't easy. They don't normally like to negotiate when they think they've already offered such good terms."

"Hehe, oh come on, Kouga!" she chided him playfully, "What's the verdict?"

She could hear his laugh at her eagerness, "Hahaha, alright! They agreed to the terms. You have the year to develop some music, and if they like it, they'll sign you on with no creative strings attached. The only condition is that you sign an Non-Disclosure Agreement and there'd be a Non-Competitive Clause so you can't sign on with any other studios during the year as well. That sound reasonable?"

"That's amazing, Kouga!" she cried over the phone. She couldn't believe it had actually worked! The studio accepted the counter offer Inuyasha had recommended her to use, and she'd be given the time to really hone in on what she wanted to do with her own music.

Kouga continued, "Aaaand, as an added bonus, I've managed to work in some recording time at the studio, free of charge, along with any help you may want from me on the production side of things, should you want any help with that."

"Thanks so much, Kouga! I really appreciate you negotiating this for me," her tone was honest, and she was genuinely appreciative of his efforts to act on her behalf with the studio. He didn't need to do so much work, and she understood that if it weren't for him, she probably wouldn't even be getting this chance.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. Just feel free to hit me up whenever you want to schedule some studio time, and I'll get it sorted out for you. I'll send over a copy of the agreement once they get it to me, and you'd just need to sign it," he concluded.

Kagome's body shook with excitement, "Awesome! I'll get that back to you as soon as possible. Thanks again, Kouga!"

Once she hung up her phone, there was only one person she wanted to call and tell the good news to. She pulled up Inuyasha's number on her phone — having gotten it from him after the last jam session where he'd agreed to help out with song writing —and waited as it rang.

"I assume this is a business call?" she heard his joking voice over the receiver, causing her to smile even wider.

She couldn't contain her excitement, "They agreed! They're gonna let me produce my own music this year and we'll reassess a contract once my internship is over!"

"That's great, Kagome! I'm glad it worked out for you," he replied.

"So…" she started again, "I figured… we should start scheduling some time together?"

There was a long pause over the phone, where it sounded like Inuyasha had completely forgotten about their agreement. Kagome rushed in to expand further, hoping it didn't sound like she was making it out to be something it wasn't, "For the song writing…?"

She heard his voice come back a moment later, "U-h, yeah! For sure. What works for you?"

Kagome relaxed a little at that, "I'm free most weeknights, and Saturdays work for me too."

" 'Kay, what about Sundays?" he asked.

Kagome paused for a second, "I'm going home on Sundays these days, to visit my family. Dad's been getting a bit worse lately, and…"

Inuyasha easily curbed the conversation, "No worries, we can work around whatever you need to. You do whatcha gotta do."

That touched her, "Thanks, Inuyasha."

They soon agreed on a relatively consistent schedule that worked for them both.

"So Wednesday's after work, and Saturday afternoons, as long as you guys don't have a show or anything that conflicts," Kagome concluded, "Does that sound right?"

"All good with me," he replied casually, "Where would you prefer we meet up?"

Kagome thought about it for a second. After living in her apartment for a few weeks now, she realized that her walls weren't exactly the thickest or built for sound-proofing. As a result, she had already had a neighbor or two ask her to keep the music down while she practiced.

With that in mind, she proposed, "Do you think Miroku would mind if we used the practice studio?"

"Maybe…" he said, unsure," But I know he uses it for other projects he's working on, so might be tough to get consistent time there uninterrupted."

Kagome sighed, "Well, I'm all out of ideas then. Unless you have a space stashed away somewhere"

"Maybe…" she heard him start, but cut himself off.

"Hmm?"

"Well… feel free to completely shut the idea down, but we could always work at my place," he offered.

Kagome's mind short circuited for a moment as she tried to even process the idea. Though he was still talking — saying something about how his apartment was over the shop he worked at, and no one's there after 6pm most days, and how he's usually able to practice as loud as he wants without worry — Kagome was just trying to not lose herself at imagining being alone with him in his apartment.

"Kagome?" she heard his voice suddenly, shaking her from her current daydream and worried at just how long she'd been silent.

"Oh, yes, sorry! What'd you say? You cut out there for a bit…" she lied.

"I was just saying that my place is always an option, if that works for you," he repeated in a more condensed form.

Kagome agreed, "Sure, as long as I'm not putting you out or anything."

"Keh, it's fine. I never have anyone over, so it's not an inconvenience at all," he remarked.

"Hehe, what? No girlfriend you bring home?" the joke left her mouth before she even realized what she'd said, feeling her face instantly get warm again. Kagome lifted the phone away from her cheek, as she soundlessly berated her awkward as hell self, 'What the hell was that, Kagome?!'

Luckily, it wasn't more than a few seconds before Inuyasha scoffed the comment off nonchalantly, "While I'm flattered you think that my award winning personality could even attract a woman; no, that shouldn't be an issue."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, trying vaguely save herself, "Cool, sounds good then."

'Well, at least I know for sure he's single…,' Kagome thought to herself. But she soon wondered why she was even thinking about that. She had already established a rule for herself that she wouldn't romantically pursue men she would or could have professional ties with. And based on this whole arrangement, Inuyasha was very quickly becoming not only a good friend, but a colleague as well.

Could she jeopardize that on the off-chance that they might go out a few times, only for it to potentially end catastrophically and complicating not only their friendship, but the friendships with Sango and the guys?

And then she realized, 'Kagome, get a hold of yourself. You're thinking ten steps ahead when the guy hasn't even shown any interest in you besides just being generally nice to you.'

She couldn't think on it much more before Inuyasha was giving her the address to the shop, and told her to just come over whenever she finished work on the coming Wednesday.

When Wednesday did finally arrive, she put a little more thought into her outfit that morning, and just a few dashes of make-up more than usual. Nothing extreme, but she wanted to feel… confident? Maybe? She wasn't sure, but she did it anyways.

She arrived at the address a little before 5:30pm, and felt unsure if she had the right place. From the street, it just looked like an older, run down, detached brick building. The sign out front looked like it hadn't been replaced in decades, but the neon sign clearly said it was 'open', even if the O and the E were half burnt out. She gently pushed her way through the door, hearing a small beeping go off as she did so, only to find a dusty, empty waiting area and receptionist desk with no one in sight. Kagome worried if she was in the right place, pulling out her phone to double check the address and possibly call Inuyasha to ask for more directions.

However, before she could dial his number, a door to the side of the receptionist's desk burst open and an older, hunched, balding man, wearing a ragged-looking yukata that was covered in grime and holes, came walking through with a giant hammer over his shoulder, looking like he hadn't a care in the world. Kagome immediately recognized his ears and realized he was a demon.

"Well, hello there, young lady! What can I do for ya?" the old man asked casually with a raspy and aged timbre.

Kagome said cautiously, "Um… I'm sorry. I'm not sure if I'm in the right place."

"Oh? Are you here for a custom sword or some blacksmith work?" he asked, using his pinky finger to clear out his right ear, not giving much of a care for his appearance in front of a potential customer.

"Ugh… no, I'm supposed to meet up with Inuyasha. Is he here?" she asked, hoping she hadn't gotten totally lost.

"Ooooh! That runt of a boy?" the old man said in what Kagome guessed was a joking manner, "Yes, he's here. He's just working around the back. If you head around towards the alley, to the back where the garage is, you'll find him there. He should be finishing up soon."

"Thank you," she said politely with a bow, and left to head back behind the building as he'd instructed. When she turned the corner and found the garage with the doors wide open, she was not prepared for the sight she came upon.

With his back turned to her, Kagome got a great look at the muscles on Inuyasha's back that she'd only ever dreamed about. They were barely covered by a discolored off-white tank top and what looked to be a week's worth of ash, sweat, and soot all over his skin and clothes. His lower half was covered by a faded grey jumpsuit that he'd tied off at his waist — clearly being too hot for him to wear as it was intended — and Kagome suddenly wondered if she had a thing for this look. His long, silver hair was tied up in a loose bun, keeping his hair off the back of his neck, but still matting in some places where sweat had accumulated the most. He was hammering away at a piece of glowing red hot metal on an anvil, causing sharp pangs and sparks to shoot out across his workspace, with some catching and lighting on the hems of his clothes, burning holes into them. With each hit, his muscles would flex and relax in tandem, becoming mesmerizing to watch.

Kagome hadn't ever felt more attracted to a man in her life, and she was already pretty damn attracted to him after watching him play his guitar last week.

'Snap out if, Kagome!' she reprimanded herself, hoping to pull herself together, if only just a little.

However, before she could muster up the courage to approach him, she heard the gruff voice of the old demon again, shouting from the main office area as he poked his head out, "Hey! Inuyasha!"

"What is it, old man?! I'm kinda busy!" she heard Inuyasha snarl back aggressively, not stopping the task he had in front of him.

"You've got a visitor!" the man replied almost jovially.

Inuyasha paused what he was doing, letting the hammer in his right hand go limp at his side as he turned and spotted Kagome standing there, looking like a deer in the headlights. He noticed the slightly tighter fit of her clothes and the touch of color on her lip. She'd put an effort into her appearance today, he realized. It didn't matter to him much, he thought she always looked gorgeous. She could wear a paper bag, and he'd still think she looked cute. He quickly slid the piece of metal he was working on into a cool bucket of water, igniting a sizzle of steam that erupted behind him. He grabbed a nearby hand towel, already covered in swipes of dirt and sweat, and he gave her a wave to come over.

As she approached tentatively, she was overwhelmed by the smell of the garage; molten metal and smelting smoke surrounded the space which enveloped her completely. She wondered how Inuyasha's sense of smell coped with it.

"Hey, sorry, didn't expect ya to get here so soon," he greeted her.

"Oh, it's no trouble! I can wait somewhere until you're done," she said hastily, trying to excuse herself.

Inuyasha nodded his head before pointing towards a spiral, rot-iron staircase that lead up to a lofted apartment over the office the old demon had just come out of, "See those stairs?"

Kagome nodded, following his direction, "Yeah?"

"Head on up to the apartment at the top, and I'll be there in about ten minutes," he explained as he started to wipe his hands and face, "I just gotta shower off and I'll be right up. 'Kay?"

She tried not to stare as he wiped his brow free form the sweat that had been threatening to fall since he spotted her.

Kagome quickly nodded again, "Sure…" before passing him by and excusing herself to climb the stairs and make a desperate attempt to hide so she could get her hormones under control. She hoped he wouldn't mind if she helped herself to a tall glass of water, because she suddenly found herself very thirsty.

I knew I had to end the chapter with that last line, it was too good not to!

However, the next chapter will pick up right where this leaves off, so be sure to follow/subscribe for updates!

Thanks for reading, and I hope ya'll are enjoying this fic!

Until Next Time…