"You're distracted again," Kagura said, the smirk turning into more of a smile when he didn't deny it.
"You have expressed in prior instances that you condone such behaviour," he retorted, tapping his claws on his desk.
"I do," she readily agreed. "Especially when it's about a certain blue-eyed beauty." She shuffled a few papers on her desk, stapling them together before shoving them into a folder. "What's got you this time? Did you burn something?"
Sesshoumaru scowled at his partner, but Kagura was unrepentant, and he sighed as she grabbed a handful of rubber bands, intent on snapping at him until he filled her in. "Nothing quite so simple," he said, leaning back in his chair. "It is far too easy to gain access to her apartment. And the burglar from her area has not been caught yet."
"You're worried she might be an easy target?" Kagura sat up straighter, the detective side of her taking control.
"I am worried she could let them in without realizing it."
Ruby eyes widened. "She can't be that bad!" she admonished. "Airheads have never been your type."
Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Far from it. But she is too trusting. She approached me after only two interactions. And ended up inviting me over for dinner." Among other things. He hid his smirk, not having revealed the true nature of the start of their relationship, even to Kagura. Once the two women met up, and he had no doubt they would, Kagome would be mortified once Kagura started poking fun about her propositioning him.
And Kagura would absolutely do so.
His partner clicked her tongue. "You can't fault her for having good taste. She knew you were a detective. She's supposed to trust you."
He sighed again. He couldn't tell if he was just being paranoid or overprotective. She certainly fell within the second category, but she had also opened the door without checking her peephole more than once, and he was worried she'd end up doing it for someone with less morals than himself. It would be far easier if they lived together. Then he could—
His eyes widened as the idea settled into his brain—and how easily it did so. Their relationship was anything from ordinary, but she'd sparked something in him from the beginning, and even parting ways that morning had left him with an empty feeling in his chest. And all because he wasn't sure when he'd see her again.
His fingers curled into a fist before slowly loosening, and Kagura chuckled softly. "You just figured something out, didn't you?" Pursing his lips, but not agreeing one way or another, he fished his phone out of his pocket, sending a quick text to Kagome requesting to see her that evening. Her response was immediate and, to his relief, in the affirmative.
The worst she could say was no, but he was confident it would be a 'not yet' as opposed to a flat-out refusal, and he grabbed a pile of papers, intent on finishing them early so he could pick Kagome up before the end of her shift.
Kagome smiled as she tucked her phone into her bag. She'd planned on waiting for Sesshoumaru at the café, but there'd been a last-minute confession in one of his cases, and he was running behind. He'd been adamant about taking her to her apartment, but she'd told him she'd meet him there. It would give her enough time to start dinner anyway.
"You really like him, don't you?"
She flushed, refusing to look at him. "Who?"
Bankotsu rolled his eyes. "Come off it, Kags! Your entire face lights up when you're talking to him. Or about him. Or with him."
She gave him a startled look. "He hasn't been to the café in weeks!"
Bankotsu grinned. "Meaning I'm due for an official introduction."
Kagome groaned. She'd walked right into that one. "I'll have to ask him."
He draped his arm around her shoulders. "You do that. Make sure he knows he's gotta pass the bestie test while you're at it."
She tried to keep her laughter contained, but it was a struggle. "You're going to sick Jak on him, aren't you?"
"Damn straight. And if he tries anything, he'll get a nice, new haircut." She elbowed him in the side, knowing he was only half-joking, but he only tightened his hold on her. "I'm serious! You've been better lately, and as much as I wanna claim credit, I know it ain't me." They walked in silence for a block as Kagome processed his words.
She'd noticed subtle changes. Talking to Gramps wasn't as hard anymore, and she found herself humming around her apartment more often.
The smiles came a lot easier, too.
She felt her phone vibrate and knew it was from him, the edges of her mouth twitching. He was probably telling her not to worry about cooking and that he'd pick something up on his way over, but she enjoyed sharing a homemade meal with him.
Her cheeks heated at the thought of their first meal together, but the memory wasn't as embarrassing as it had been before. Her skin itched with need as she thought about what could happen after dinner, clearing her throat to keep Bankotsu from noticing. "He makes me happy," she conceded.
"As he should," he replied, not missing a beat. "You deserve it, Kags. You've been given a shit deal, and it's time for karma to pay up." Or someone else would, was his not-so-silent response.
Kagome sighed, but it was half-hearted and not in the least bit melancholy. She knew she needed to tell Sesshoumaru how she felt but hadn't found the right time. It was a big deal, at least to her, and she wanted it to be special.
The promise of their first official date surfaced, and she perked up. They hadn't made it to the botanical gardens yet but were supposed to try again this weekend, so that would be the perfect moment to confess.
Her shoulders straightened in resolve, and she turned to Bankotsu to let him know, but he'd already stopped, eyes turned back towards the bookstore they'd just passed. Kagome followed his gaze to find a shapely brunette in a pencil skirt reaching for something on the top shelf. "That's her," he whispered.
"Who?" she asked, squinting to get a better look.
"Her," he repeated. "The woman of my dreams."
A frown marred her brow before she snapped in recognition. "The lawyer from the café!" All Bankotsu could do was nod, and Kagome rolled her eyes before detangling herself and shoving him toward the shop. "Go on! Rescue the poor damsel! Just don't try to sweep her off her feet. She looks like the type that would stab you with her stiletto."
He swallowed, and she poked him in the ribs, causing him to jump. "I'm going, I'm going!" Running a hand through his hair to make himself presentable, he cast one last look over his shoulder. "Text me when you're home. And tell Mr. I-Could-Melt-You-With-a-Glare that I wanna meet him."
She gave him a thumbs up, then watched as he sauntered into the store, only faltering when he turned down the aisle the woman was standing in. Sliding up next to her, he grabbed the book she was reaching for, offering it to her, along with a slight smile. The woman was wary but accepted the book, eyes widening when he didn't let go right away.
To her credit and Bankotsu's luck, she didn't blow him off, giving him a thoughtful look before he finally let go. His chest puffed out slightly, and she checked her watch before shrugging casually. A wide grin spread across his face, and Kagome had the feeling it took everything in him not to jump up and down.
Instead, he offered the woman his arm, startling her once again before a delightful blush spilled onto her cheeks, eventually accepting the invitation.
Shaking her head, Kagome continued to her apartment, going through all the ingredients in her fridge to try and decide on what to make for dinner. Maybe she'd make extra so Sesshoumaru could take some home with him. Not that she wanted an excuse to have him think about her after he left or anything.
She never enjoyed it when he did, but she understood the necessity, especially regarding his job. Maybe they could set up some sort of routine when it came to their shifts, not that there was a routine to being a detective. Biting her lip as she grasped for a better solution, she slipped her key into the lock, frowning when the usual click didn't happen.
Turning the knob, she started to push the door open, gasping when it was yanked open for her, a hand wrapping around her wrist and pulling her inside. Disoriented, it took a moment for her to focus, apprehension pooling in her stomach at the sight of Hojo grinning at her.
"Welcome home, Higurashi."