Chapter Five
"I Chose Unwisely"
He was pulled out of a very, very nice dream by the grating sound of someone's voice whom he'd rather not talk to ever again, if he was ever given the option.
"Fucking Kouga," he groaned. "What the hell is he doing up here?"
He knew for a fact that Kouga was on one of the lower floors of the hotel. Miroku had been very specific when requesting them, and Inuyasha had been there when they were organizing the guests into empty hotel rooms. Even his brother was a couple floors down. It was only himself, Kagome, and the newly married couple on the top floor. Kouga had no business being up here.
"Kagome, come on, babes, open up," Kouga said with an encouraging, but rather loud, knock on the door.
Oh.
Inuyasha frowned at the noise. Though, to be fair, he probably should be up now anyway. He sat up, rubbing his face.
"Kagome, don't be like that," Kouga urged from the end of the hallway.
He knew the wolf. He wasn't going to give up until Kagome gave him what he wanted. Which was her, and she was bound to already be miserable this morning, so Inuyasha made the executive decision to shoo the wolf away. Permanently, if all went according to plan.
He slipped out onto his balcony which was only a few doors down from Kagome's room. Sango and Miroku had moved into the suite at the far, far other end of the hallway. Again, an insistence on his part that he didn't need to hear their own personal celebrations.
He just really hoped that she was dressed and wouldn't mind the intrusion.
"Okay," he mumbled to himself before gauging the distance to her balcony. He leapt smoothly and cleanly to hers, pulling the door open.
Idiot.
Who leaves their balcony door unlocked? Anyone could just barge in. Oh, they were going to have a conversation about this. At length.
Because Sango had demanded that he keep her safe.
And not for any reason other than that.
"Kagome, come on!" More banging. "Love, open the door."
He could hear the shower running in the bathroom, and the low muttering of her behind closed doors.
"Why won't he just take a hint?" She grumbled to herself.
Now was his chance.
He pulled his sweatpants down low on his hips and threw the door open, and watched Kouga's face light up at it finally opening.
And he relished the way it crashed and burned at his presence.
He made sure that he looked as casual and provoking as he could.
He rested his forearm above his head on the jamb, keenly aware that he was not wearing a shirt, and the waistband of his sweatpants implied that there wasn't any underwear on underneath—which there weren't—and yawned, loudly and mouth completely open.
"Do you mind?" He asked, scratching his chest. "Some of us were up late."
Kouga looked like he was going to blow a gasket.
Inuyasha merely grinned.
"What are you doing in her room?" Kouga growled lowly at him. He recognized the tone for what it was. The wolf was jealous—as he should be.
"Why are you here banging on the door at—" He looked at his blank wrist as if checking his nonexistent watch before casually looking back up at the wolf. "Nine-fifteen in the morning?"
"It's ten, you idiot," Kouga corrected.
"My mistake." He gave the most 'I-don't-give-a-shit' shrug of his shoulders possible.
"You didn't answer my question," Kouga pointed out as he shifted to peer inside the room.
The bed was clearly unmade and looked like someone had just crawled out of it.
"You've got a halfway decent sense of smell, you tell me."
"She was drunk," Kouga pointed out, making a move for the door. Inuyasha stepped with him to block his access yet again.
"Are you accusing me of something?"
"She came here by herself."
"You came with Ayame," Inuyasha said with a shrug. "Don't see how that makes any difference, since I'm in here, and you're out there."
"Kagome!" Kouga called over Inuyasha's head.
"She's busy," Inuyasha stated, crossing his arms in front of his chest, still blocking the entry to her room. The water was still running in the shower, and he could hear her muttering to herself about 'the bastard' and 'why won't he just leave'. His grin was malevolent, knowing Kouga could hear her as well. "She'll be busy later too. Very busy. I'll make sure of it."
"Kagome is part of my pack," Kouga warned, shifting his body to stand in his personal space.
"Don't smell any wolf on her." He flexed his fingers. "In fact, didn't smell any wolves on any of her stuff. Kind of a shitty pack, if you ask me."
"I won't have her associating with mutts. She deserves better."
"Like who? You?"
"At least I know how—"
"We both know that you two-time every girl you've ever been with," Inuyasha hissed out, keeping his voice low and gravelly. "And you're not going to do it to her again."
Kouga visibly bristled at the not-so-subtle accusation.
Inuyasha had heard the rumors around Kouga and his human plaything. He'd sympathized with the girl when the rumor mill had started up with new ones about him marrying the granddaughter of another wealthy pack leader.
He knew what it was like to be treated as less than based on your blood.
"What do you care who she's with anyway?" Inuyasha straightened up. "And what were you planning to do if she let you in?"
"If?" Kouga questioned with a sly grin. "Kagome always lets me in. She can't tell me no."
"Well, then I guess it's a good thing that I'm here."
"Kagome!" Kouga called over his head. Sure, the wolf had a few, a couple, of inches on him, but Inuyasha knew which one of them would win in a fight. And it sure as fuck wasn't Kouga.
"If she wanted you back, she wouldn't be avoiding you," Inuyasha commented. "Like she has all fucking weekend."
Kouga snarled at that, flashing fangs at his once again not-so-subtle insinuation.
"Besides, isn't your big claim to fame that wolves mate for life?" Inuyasha goaded, lowering his voice as the water to the shower turned off. His ears flicked towards the sound.
Okay, he'd had his fun, but he had to get out before she realized he was in here, or the wolf got to see something he wasn't meant to.
"Which we all know is a fucking load of shit. So if you don't mind," Inuyasha moved to slam the door in his face, but Kouga's claws snapped around the frame, stopping it from closing.
"Kagome! I know you can hear me!" Kouga shouted angrily.
Inuyasha heard her squeak and the sound of a plastic bottle crashing to the floor.
"Shit," she hissed, and, for some reason, in his demented little brain, it was the cutest thing she could have whispered in her little bathroom.
"You want to talk to her so bad, do it at breakfast. You wanna stick your dick in something, go fuck the girl you brought here. Not Kagome."
Why was he even getting involved? He didn't have any ties to her.
Sango. He was doing this because Sango asked.
Kouga's face turned bright red, and he looked about ready to go ballistic.
"Kagome! Tell this mutt that—!" Kouga cut himself off and averted his gaze to something behind him.
Inuyasha felt his hackles rise, and he just knew that this was going to go over about as well as a shotgun blast to the gut.
"Kouga, leave. Inuyasha and I need to talk," her voice was monotone and firm, and Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head. Kouga grinned at him, all teeth.
"You are gonna get it, mutt," he hissed.
"Why are you still here, Kouga?" She asked again, but this time her voice was cold and unforgiving, and Kouga quickly turned tail and headed back down the hall. Inuyasha closed the door, wishing he'd had the foresight to bring his own room key with him.
Kagome wasn't speaking to him, but he knew that she had to be pissed. He would be.
Stranger in his room? While he was in the shower?
Yeah, no. He'd be fucking pissed as hell. He'd make sure the intruder wouldn't be able to walk for a week.
Unless it was Kagome. She could intrude as much as she wanted.
"I can—"
"Quiet," she cut him off and he snapped his mouth shut. "Has he gotten in the elevator yet?"
"Uh yeah, I just heard it ding. Look, I'll just—"
"You're in my room." It was a statement of fact, and he could not physically make his ears go any lower. "Why?"
"Uh," he stuttered, still facing the door. "I heard Kouga down the hall, and—" his voice drifted off.
"No, no, I meant how did you get in? Did you take my key?"
"No!" He nearly shouted this time. "No," he said softer, "I—" he winced, "jumped to your balcony, which the door was unlocked by the way," he chastised. "Someone could've snuck in."
"How was I supposed to know that someone could get in that way, we're like seven stories up!"
He deadpanned a look over his shoulder and immediately wished he hadn't, because she was still in a towel, and that was a lot of skin, a lot, a lot, a lot of skin. Skin that he could—noooope.
He suddenly regretted wearing sweatpants.
"I'll—uh—go back to my room," he stuttered out, wincing at the nervousness in his tone. He turned quickly, heading for the balcony, not eager for Kagome to see how exactly he was reacting to her.
"No! Ah! Wait!" She whimpered after taking a step, and that made him pause.
She was hurt.
He turned quickly and watched her try not to hobble her way to the bed.
Her feet—
He buried down the whine in his throat and stifled the urge to coddle her. He did, however, move to kneel down to look at her feet in the daylight. Trying really, really hard not to think about how she was sitting there, hair damp, wrapped up in nothing more than a towel.
She didn't stop him, making something deep down inside swell up in pride. She didn't let the wolf in to care for her. But she was letting him.
He lifted up one foot, staring at the angry red welts and large fluid filled blisters that spotted her heel and the ball of her foot. There was one across her arch that was looked pretty painful.
"I should've made you take care of these," he said. He should have. He'd thought about it, but it was only the barest of ideas that they would hurt tomorrow, but he'd shoved that thought away because there were others that were far more pressing at the time.
"They're really not that bad. I've honestly had worse," she tried to counter. Inuyasha grunted an acknowledgment that she had spoken, and he'd heard it but didn't care. His mother wasn't here to chastise him about it, so, he mentally shrugged.
She tucked her foot away from him, as if trying to hide it.
"I can help you take care of them. I just need to go change, and—" Kagome does too, he reminded himself, "bring a couple things over."
"Uh, sure," she answered, almost dazed sounding, and he stood to take his leave, heading to the balcony in one smooth movement. "Oh, Inuyasha!" He turned to acknowledge her. She'd swiveled just enough on the bed to face him. "You can come through the front door next time."
He grinned at her statement. He was welcome to come back into her room. Alone.
He definitely did not make a show of lining himself up for the leap.
He did not flex every muscle along his spine and shoulders for her to see, because he knew that she was watching.
He did not crouch lower than he needed to make the leap. It wasn't hard, their rooms were just high enough that it would hurt if he did fall.
He did not listen to see if she closed the balcony door.
He did not.
He.
Did.
Not.
Kagome sat on her bed in a daze for a few minutes after Inuyasha left.
She totally gawked at his ass when he bent down to leap.
In all fairness, it was an inhumanly good-looking ass.
And those sweatpants—
And those dimples just above his sweatpants—
She smacked her palm against her forehead. This was not the time to be gawking and ogling the best man.
Her face flushed even redder as she realized that she was still in a damp towel sitting on the edge of her bed. How did she completely forget that she was practically naked in front of him?
Oh God.
And Kouga!
This was going to be a rough breakfast.
At least she didn't have a migraine from all the shots last night. Probably should have stuck to wine instead of going straight for the hard liquor, but when Sango wanted to do shots, who was she to argue? It was her wedding after all.
She stood, wincing at the sharp stinging pain in her feet. Wearing those shoes, though they were super-cute, was a terrible idea. She'd thought that they would be comfortable to stand in for hours and maybe a little dancing, but, even though they were a reputable brand, it hadn't made a lick of difference in how badly her feet hurt.
The blisters nearly covered the side of her feet and pulled at the skin as she walked, the ones that were on the bottoms of her feet made everything feel like she was walking on mushrooms laced with rock salt and glass.
Hobbling into the bathroom, she knelt on the vanity seat in order to get the pressure off her feet while she made herself look presentable and not too hungover.
She actually did need to drive back home today. Though it was tempting for her to just stay for another day and relax after all the festivities, but there were things that needed to be tended to at home.
She'd need to go grocery shopping when she got back. She'd adamantly avoided it with the excuse that she was going to be gone for a few days anyway, but now—she groaned, hobbling back out and flopping back onto the bed.
She really needed to get dressed, but the temptation to just lay here—five minutes, right?
No.
No! She'll fall asleep and then she'll be late. And Inuyasha had already seen her practically naked, and she really wanted to make a good impression, especially since he was moving back to the city.
Maybe they could be friends?
Yeah, Kagome kinda didn't want to be friends with him. She'd kinda wanted to do way more than that. But how awkward would it be if he wasn't interested?
Or what if he had a girlfriend?
Had Miroku said anything? Wait, one of them mentioned something about him being single. But being single didn't mean that he necessarily wanted to date, or even date her. She was getting ahead of herself is all.
There was no sense in attempting to to making anything more than what it was.
No matter how much she might want to get to know him better.
A soft knock came at her door, and she limped her way to the door, opening it.
"Do you just open the door for anyone?" Inuyasha asked, looking down at her.
"You sound an awful lot like Sango," she commented, stepping to the side to allow him to enter her room. He was dressed in a button down and a pair of slacks. He'd braided his hair today, and how was it fair that his hair looked eight times better than hers?
He walked in, and she closed the door after him.
He'd left the top couple of buttons undone, and the glimpse of collar bone made her mouth run dry.
"Come on," he said, motioning to the bed. "Take a seat."
"You don't have to do this," she started, moving towards the bed anyway. He sat her down, and he rummaged through a small shopping bag.
"Please tell me that you didn't go buy things for this," she groaned, trying to lean over and reach for the bag.
He pushed her away easily, still holding one foot in his hand.
"Fine, I won't," he commented. "I'm practically a pro at this anyway. Between my mother and Sango, I should've known better than to leave the rescue kit at home."
"Rescue kit?" She asked.
"Yeah, because it's usually me having to rescue them from their dumb shoes. I'll go wash my hands and be right back." He stood quickly, effortlessly, and with more grace than she'll ever be able to muster up, and strode to the small sink in the kitchen, rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt.
Oh God, those forearms.
The tendons and muscles flexing underneath the surface of his skin practically screamed strength.
He dried his hands quickly and took a seat back on the ground.
"There's a seat in the bathroom that you can—"
"It actually works better like this," he said. "Alright, now this might be a little uncomfortable, but it'll feel loads better in a few minutes and way better by tomorrow."
He rolled his thumb across one of the blisters, the disjointed feeling of pressure, but not necessarily on her skin was weird, and then the pressure was abating, followed by a sharp sting of antiseptic. She jerked her foot, but it barely moved at all.
"Stop jerking your foot. It only hurts for a second, you baby," he growled out.
"I wasn't expecting it!" She sounded back. "What are you even doing anyway?"
He placed a weird looking bandaid over it, and she leaned over to pick up one of the boxes.
"What are these?"
"Blister bandages. Well, that's what I use them for anyway. They're designed to stay on for a few days and they're cushioned. My mother swears by them." He waited for her to finish. "Lay down," he told her and she raised an eyebrow at the request.
"Hmm, and here I thought you weren't trying to get me on my back," she mused as she flopped backwards, listening to him sputter and cough.
"That's not—I'm not—it's—I—"
She laughed at his flustered voice.
"I'm just kidding, Inuyasha."
He grunted but kept working on her feet, now moving onto the other.
"So you do this for your mother too?" Kagome asked.
"Yeah," he answered, obviously distracted. "She attends a shit ton of dinners and events with my old man."
"You don't make your dad do this?"
Inuyasha glanced a look that could barely be called a glare over his shoulder at her.
"My old man is too much of a pansy to do this. The last time, I was out of town, and he literally just carried her everywhere instead of dealing with it."
"Sounds like he really loves your mom."
Inuyasha grunted as he placed another bandaid on her heel.
"Are my feet going to be covered in bandaids?" She wiggled the toes on one foot. "It feels like there's an awful lot on there."
"You have a lot of blisters," he commented, still working.
"Am I going to be able to walk after this?"
"Do you want me to call Kouga to come carry you around?"
She shot up from the bed, shouting "No!" and jerking her feet away from his hands, or at least trying to, it felt like trying to break through iron bars.
"I'm just kidding," he said, waving at her to lay back down on the bed. She flopped backwards, wincing as he moved onto her next foot.
"Ugh, this has to be so gross," she muttered quietly to herself.
"I've seen worse," he commented. "Besides, you really won't be able to walk later if you don't take care of it now."
Kagome sighed.
Curse youkai hearing. She'd gotten out of the habit of not mumbling after Kouga had left.
She stared at the ceiling, trying to avoid thinking about the cutest guy she'd ever seen, who was now playing with blisters on her feet.
Yeah, like she was totally going to be able to get a date with this guy after this.
Wow, good going Kagome. Gross out the first guy you've actually wanted to date since—
Anyway, might as well cut her losses. It wasn't like her life was over. She'd gone this long without anyone, she'd just keep doing whatever it was she'd been doing.
Existing, her mind supplied, and she stifled a groan. Barely.
"There," he said, patting her knee. "All done."
"Thanks," she mumbled underneath the arm she'd thrown across her face. "It was really kind of you."
"It's no problem, really. Like I said, I usually do it for Sango anyway."
"I'm surprised she didn't ask you," she sat up and and looked at the bandages covering her feet. No cute sandals today. She'd have to wear her flats. The thought of pinching her toes together like that made her wince.
"Oh, she did. Called at fucking daybreak," he growled as he picked up the leftover trash off the ground.
"So did you go buy the stuff for her too?"
"Nah, told her she's married now. Make Miroku do it." He let out a barking laugh, and Kagome giggled.
"But you said you always did this for her before," she said, pushing herself to her feet, which still hurt and ached, but there wasn't the sharpness that there was before.
"I did, but she's Miroku's problem now. Not mine. Also, really didn't want to go into a room where they'd been going at it like rabbits." He waved his hand in front of his face as he made a noise of disgust, as if dismissing the smell in front of him. He looked over at her and glanced down at her feet. "How're they feeling?"
"Much better," she grinned, trying to slide on her shoes without messing up the bandages.
"Here." Before she could protest, he knelt down in front of her and grabbed her ankle, forcing her to grab onto his shoulders as he slid her shoe on, being mindful of the bandages and everything else. And holy shit, this man was made of marble.
Do not squeeze his traps—delts—whatever the hell these things were called—because they were solid, and she could feel them move under her hands.
"These aren't going to hurt?"
"I think everything is going to hurt at this point," she grumbled, "but these are the most comfortable shoes that I've got at the moment, so I'll have to make due."
"Gimme the other foot," he said and gently placed that shoe on her foot as well.
She set her foot down, feeling the tenderness as she placed her full weight on it.
"Good?" He asked her, and she realized that she was still holding onto his shoulders. His beautiful shoulders that she only got to nakedly stare at for a too-short time earlier.
She quickly let go and nodded.
"Yep! Fine! Good to go!" She squeaked. "In fact, that's what we should do!" She rushed past him, wincing as soon as she was out of view and snatched her card key from the counter. "You know, go. To breakfast." She held up her room key like that explained everything. Because she was awkward as hell.
"Yeah, okay," Inuyasha said, standing up and Kagome spun on her heel towards the door. Breakfast was in the same room where they'd had the rehearsal dinner, and while she wasn't really quite ready to face Kouga, she really needed to get around someone else that wasn't Inuyasha before she did something dumb and impulsive.
Inuyasha stepped out, and handed her phone over.
"Figured you might want that," he mumbled, shutting her door after him.
Was it possible for her face get any redder?
"Thanks," she squeaked, and then cleared her throat.
He shrugged.
"No problem."
Kagome shoved her room key into her phone case, and pressed the button to the elevator. Inuyasha stood beside her in complete silence, and she didn't know how she was going to even breach the silence that seemed to span a void that was simply a gulf too wide to cross.
He'd been really, really nice to her, and she understood when Sango told her that he was a sweetheart, even if his mouth did make him seem a little intimidating. If anything, it was the fact that the man looked like something that Michaelangelo carved out of marble, like he should be on display in a museum somewhere.
And she—she was no one special. Men hardly looked twice at her, even Kouga hadn't really paid attention to her at first. It was only after she'd talked with him a few times that he even bothered to look at her.
"You okay?" He asked, making her jump at the shattering silence.
"Yeah, I'm fine, sorry," she said, trying to think of something that wouldn't sound totally lame. She really wanted to at least be friends with him. So she couldn't be too much like herself. Didn't want to scare the poor guy away. "Just a little tired."
"You going to be up to driving home?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," she tried to wave off his concern, "I've driven on less, so it'll be fine."
"It's like—" he paused, nose scrunching up as he thought about it, "seven hours, isn't it?"
"So? It's like twelve for you!"
"Yeah, but I don't need sleep like you do. You're human. You can't run on two hours of sleep and be functional."
Kagome let out a mocking laugh.
"Clearly, you never talked to Sango about me during finals. Not only am I functional person, but I managed a 4.0 and worked eighty hours during finals week."
And then she crashed for almost seventy two hours straight, but that was something that didn't need to be said.
"That doesn't mean that it was healthy," he pointed out, and in her adult brilliance, she stuck her tongue out at him, to which he laughed.
The elevator paused on a floor, and they both stepped back slightly to allow whomever it was to enter.
"Ugh, great," Inuyasha mumbled as the doors opened, sidling up closer to her.
She realized a moment later why he wasn't thrilled about stopping on this particular floor.
Kouga and his fiancée—Ayame, right? That had been her name? She felt bad for not remembering, even though she shouldn't, but she did, because that's the type of person she was, even though she'd never admit that to Kouga—or his fiancée.
They were holding hands, and it was hard to believe that he'd been banging at her door just a little bit ago.
The girl was pretty; now that the shock of meeting her had worn off, Kagome could actually see her for who she was. Not Kouga's fiancée, but an actual person. She was dressed casually now, leggings and a long belted sweater, but she was still pretty and the color matched her eyes almost perfectly. She was put together, and obviously in love with Kouga from the way she looked at him. She seemed nice enough.
"Morning," Kouga greeted, staring at her.
"Good Morning," Ayame greeted.
Kagome gave her a smile in greeting, almost opening her mouth to ask if she'd slept well, but then she knew that Kouga would make some tactless remark about sleeping and she opted not to open that particular can of worms at the moment.
"Did you enjoy the wedding?"
"Oh, it was lovely, wasn't it?" Ayame smiled, holding onto Kouga's arm, inadvertently—or maybe it was purposefully—flashing the gem of her engagement ring at her. It felt like she was flaunting it, but it was on her ring finger, and she wasn't holding him awkwardly as if to rub Kagome's face in it.
She didn't want Kouga.
It shouldn't matter.
Except that it did.
The elevator dinged again, opening the doors to reveal the ground floor, where they all got out.
"So what're your plans for today?" He asked. The question was clearly meant for her, but it was vague and open enough that the both of them could answer.
"I'm driving home later this afternoon. I'm going to help Sango and Miroku pack up their gifts to take back to their apartment. They're going to leave from the airport nearby and start their honeymoon."
"You're sure that's a wise decision? You didn't head up until early this morning." At this, he gave a pointed look to Inuyasha, who stood much closer to her than she expected. He didn't strike her as someone who invaded personal space bubbles.
"I'm fine," she clipped, not wanting to deal with his so-called 'overprotective nature' at the moment; it was more 'territorial nature' if anything. She really didn't want to see him for a while.
A very long while.
"But—"
"If she says she's fine, then I'm sure that it's not a problem," Ayame added, and Kagome had a feeling that it was less that she was sticking up for her and more that she didn't want her fiancé talking avidly with his ex-girlfriend.
She could see how this whole exchange might be considered awkward, especially on her end.
"Well, if you'll excuse us, there's still a few things for us to check on. Enjoy breakfast," Kagome said, turning and walking away from the direction of the ballroom, purposefully passing it by so that it looked like she had somewhere else to be.
Before she realized it, she was at the bar, and wondering if a mimosa when she had to drive in a few hours was appropriate. She did have a slight headache, but that might be more from Kouga than alcohol.
"Well, that was awkward."
Kagome yelped, jumping away from Inuyasha who was staring at the bar as well.
"Why did you follow me?" She asked, trying to make sure that her heart was still beating and functioning properly.
"You said 'we' so I figured that was my clue."
"Your clue to what?"
"Follow?" His ears lowered, and he diverted his gaze from her, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "I can go though, if you wan—"
"No!" She shouted, before wincing at the echo in the high-ceilinged room. "No, it's fine," she spoke quieter as the bartender was looking their way, and she gave a half-hearted wave at him. "I just figured you were hungry and would've gone for breakfast instead."
He shrugged.
"Wanna get a drink before we face the prick and the prick-ette again?"
Again, a hand was at her back guiding her towards the bar.
"Hey, Ayame hasn't done anything wrong. She can't help that Kouga and I used to date."
He stared at her for a moment before turning towards the bartender.
"Whiskey double and—" He looked to her to order, and she blinked up at him.
"I'm driving this afternoon."
"So, ain't like one drink's gonna do you in for the whole day. What do you want?"
"A mimosa, please."
The bartender disappeared, and Kagome shifted her weight to the foot not currently aching.
"Take a seat," Inuyasha told her, and she opened her mouth to decline, "I know your feet have to be aching already, so sit. We're still a little early."
The drinks appeared on the bar, and he signed the receipt.
"I can pay my own way."
"Keh, if I can pay for a tank of gas for you, I can buy a couple of overpriced hotel drinks." He slid the paper across the bar, taking his drink in hand.
"Isn't it a little early for hard liquor?" She asked.
"That shit," he pointed to her flute, "is way too fucking sweet."
"But that's what makes it taste good!"
He made a face, tongue sticking out and nose crinkled before taking another sip of his drink.
"So what, you don't like sweet stuff?" She took a rather large drink of her flute, enjoying the fizzy orange taste against her tongue.
"I don't mind it, but that sort of thing—no appeal whatsoever."
She hummed, conceding his point, but still, the orange juice cut the dryness of the champagne.
"So what your plans for today?" She asked, swirling her flute. "Are you leaving with everyone else?"
"Nah," he answered. "I'm taking them to the airport later, so I'll probably leave when you do." He took another long sip of his drink.
Oh, so they would have some time together then.
"I can help you put the gifts and everything in your car." He paused, head tilting and it reminded her so much of a puppy that she almost commented on it. "Do you want me to follow you and help you unload?"
"What? No!" She shook her head. "You've got like three more hours of driving than I do! There's no way that I could ask you to do that! I'll manage just fine. I don't think there's anything that I can't lift. I can always ask one of the neighbors to help too."
"It's really not a big deal," he swirled his drink around, finishing it off. "I don't mind."
"No, please, you've probably got enough to worry about with your job and moving anyway."
He shrugged, turning slightly to set his glass on the counter.
"You ready?" He asked.
No. But she couldn't avoid breakfast forever, at least she wouldn't have to deal with Kouga directly though.
"I suppose."
She tipped her glass, finishing off the mimosa before setting the glass on the counter and sliding off the barstool and gingerly to her feet. They walked back to the ballroom where they'd had dinner the day before, and Kagome was eager to grab a plate and sit down again.
Her feet were no joke today.
Most everyone was sitting down, including little Rin, who was chatting eagerly with her parents. Kagome was curious as to how and why two full-blooded youkai adopted a human girl. Sesshomaru didn't strike her as the type to actively want to be in the presence of children or anyone else really, but it was clear from Rin's attitude that she loved him dearly.
And who was she to argue with that?
Picking her way through the buffet line, she was followed closely in step by Inuyasha, who looked like he was eating for three people.
"Youkai metabolism," he commented when she glanced back at him a few more times. "You should eat more. You eat like a bird."
"Oh, I do not," she countered, grabbing a glass of ice water was she went back to her seat, trying to ignore the blatant throbbing of her feet. "This is more than enough food for me, anyway."
Miroku and Sango were milling about the room, and she smiled back at Sango when she waved.
She sat down next to Kagura and Inuyasha sat on her opposite side again.
"Good morning!" Rin chirped before shoving a forkful of pancakes and whipped cream into her mouth.
"Good morning, Rin," Kagome greeted. "Did you have fun dancing last night?" She remembered the little girl attempting to dance with her father and Kohaku, who easily kept her entertained.
"I did! It was so much fun!" She took another large bite of pancake.
"Slow down, kiddo. There's plenty of time to eat," Inuyasha told her, taking a bite of his own.
"But it's so good!" Rin took another bite, washing it down with a large sip of water.
Kagome nibbled on a bite of French toast, smiling at the little girl.
"Do you have a long drive home today?" Kagome asked them.
"We did not drive," Sesshomaru answered, taking a long sip of tea.
"Oh, you flew in?" She asked, taking a small bite of fruit.
"In a manner of speaking."
Kagome knew that she was being played with and not given a full answer, but she didn't know what part was fake.
"Bas—" His name calling was cut short by a sharp glare from Kagura. "Sesshomaru can fly. So he packs them all up like a 'possum and carries them home."
"I am not a marsupial and that is not how it works." He set the tea cup down firmly on the table. "You are only jealous that you are incapable of such a feat."
"At least I don't go all fairy godmother, and bippity-boppity-the fuck outta some place."
A sharp snap next to her head made Kagome jerk slightly. Inuyasha yelped, rubbing his ear.
"What did I say?" Kagura warned as Inuyasha glared at her.
"It ain't like she hasn't heard it before," he mumbled, returning to his meal.
"And who would she hear it from exactly?"
Inuyasha's gaze shifted over to his half-brother, who stared at his cup in disinterest, but Kagome knew he felt Kagura's gaze on him, even though she was trying to ignore it. It was almost comical.
"We will talk later," she hissed, and Kagome looked down at her own plate.
"Mama?" Rin asked. "Can I have more water?"
"Of course," she said, and Kagome stood.
"I'll get it. I'm done, and there's some people that I need to say goodbye to before they leave anyway."
"You have not eaten much," Sesshomaru pointed out. "It is unwise to travel on such little food."
"I'll come with," Kagura said, taking Rin's glass. Kagome walked with her towards the beverages to refill her own glass. "The downside to puppy protection is that it doesn't ever end with those two."
"Oh, it's not so bad," Kagome said. "Sango usually acts as my mom friend."
Kagura snorted a laugh.
"What?" Kagome laughed.
"Oh, girlie, you don't even know the half of it." Kagura patted her shoulder almost dismissing her to go mingle. Kagome did so, moving towards Sango's family.
After bidding the guests farewell, the wedding party sat down at one of the empty tables as the hotel staff worked around them.
"Well, I think that went off surprisingly well," Miroku commented. "Was it everything that you hoped for, wife?"
Sango beamed a tired smile at him, shifting to rest her feet across his lap. Miroku's hand rested on her shin.
"It was, but I think that I could sleep for a solid 24 hours though. My feet are a mess." She groaned. "I can't believe you wouldn't help me."
"Hey," Inuyasha countered. "He's in charge of you now. Not me."
Sango moaned again.
"But you do such a good job, and it doesn't hurt."
At this, Inuyasha shrugged and took a sip of water.
"Practice makes perfect. If he could convince you to marry him, I'm sure he can figure out how to handle a few blisters."
Miroku made a face at that, and Sango shot him a glare.
"How are you doing, Kagome?" Sango asked. "Everything go okay?"
"Yeah, everything is fine. Why?"
Sango shook her head.
"Just checking. Kouga didn't bother you at all?"
"No, everything was great. He didn't bother me at all."
Inuyasha snorted next to her, and she hoped that Miroku didn't hear it. She knew that he would ask questions.
"Are you okay with taking the gifts home for us?" Sango asked.
"Of course!" She answered, setting her drink down on the table. "I don't mind at all, as long as you guys help me load up."
"Miroku and Inuyasha will do that."
"Hey, why are you including me on that!"
"Really? You're going to say no?" His ears twisted sideways, and he grumbled something before Sango grinned again. "I thought so. You wouldn't do that to Kagome, would you?"
This time, Kagome purposefully didn't look at him, afraid of what she'd see there.
"Ease off, Sango," she warned, and Sango just continued to smile at him.
"It's about time he got a little bit of his own medicine. Inuyasha likes to tease, especially when he knows that he's got the high ground because of his youkai senses," Miroku explained.
"I can't help that you weren't born with a sense of smell."
"I have a normal, human sense of smell, Inuyasha. We've been over this."
Kagome watched them interact. He'd been really kind to her this weekend and understanding of her issues with Kouga.
"We should probably go back and start loading up. We're due out in a couple hours," Miroku suggested, nudging her leg with his fingers.
"I should go get packed too. My room looks like a tornado hit it," she said, rising to her feet. They ached after spending so much time seeing off their families and the other guests.
At least in the car, she'd be able to kick her shoes off for a bit. That would probably be a bigger relief than anything.
The four of them rode the elevator up in almost silence. They were all tired, and Kagome contemplated taking a quick nap before she abandoned the room completely.
But that would be a terrible plan.
Unless she packed everything up first and then napped. That was a possibility.
The doors dinged, and they all stepped out, each couple slipping off in different directions.
"Five bucks says they go have sex and then panic pack their suitcases five minutes before checkout," Inuyasha stated.
"That's a given," Kagome said, glancing over her shoulder at her two, now married, friends. "We both know what's going to happen the moment they're on the other side of that door."
"I swear they're part rabbit." Inuyasha stopped at his door, fiddling with his key card before it opened. "You good?" He asked, turning slightly to look at her.
"Fine," she chirped. "I'll see you in a couple hours. If you need my car keys, knock."
She opened her own door and slipped inside, looking at her disaster of a room before deciding that packing first was definitely the better choice.
Miroku and Inuyasha were arguing, again, about what was the best way to pile all their gifts into the back of her car. She and Sango were currently watching and leaning against Inuyasha's sedan.
"I'm so jealous. Italy this time of year sounds amazing," Kagome said, leaning her head on Sango's shoulder.
"I'll send you tons of pictures," Sango returned the gesture. "Promise me that you'll take care of yourself."
"I always take care of myself."
Sango lifted her head to stare at her.
"Don't let your bosses con you out of getting a lunch break. And don't let them force you into working super late like last week."
"You make them sound so bad, Sango." She looked back at her poor car, who was in the middle of another argument. "They pay me really, really well. Like one and a half times more than I would get anywhere else. I know, because I've looked." She saw the argument already forming in her friend's mouth. "Look, unless I can find another job with my limited talents for the same amount of money, I'm not going to give up a good paying job just because things get a little tough every once in a while, you know."
"I'm not saying quit, but you need to put your foot down. You're so nice, Kagome. People see that as a weakness instead of a strength."
"I promise, I will be a bitch until you get back, okay?"
"Okay, as long as I don't have to text you every day and ask if you've eaten anything."
"It'll be fine. That hasn't happened in a while either. They've been really good to me lately. They even let me have tomorrow off too, so I'll have an extra day to relax before I have to go back to the grind."
Sango hummed.
"Four weeks in Italy. I'm going to get so fat on food."
"Gelato. You're going to get fat on gelato."
"Living the dream," she added.
The sound of a car door shutting drew their attention back to the men, who looked overly pleased with themselves at having come to a satisfactory packing situation. Inuyasha spun her keyring around his finger as they walked back towards them.
"All done?" Sango asked as Miroku slipped his arm around her waist.
"Yep, Inuyasha and I got it all packed away in there—"
"And you'll actually be able to see out of the back now," Inuyasha interrupted with a glower at Miroku. "Because that's a fucking hazard."
"Ah, see? Our dear friend has made sure your drive is as safe as can be."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he held her keys out to her.
"We need to get you two idiots out of here before you're actually late, so hug and kiss or whatever it is you fuckers do, and let's go." Inuyasha crossed his arms, resting his hip against the car. Kagome physically had to turn herself away from the way his shirt moved and stretched against his skin.
Was it wrong that she actively wanted to soberly feel him up?
Yes. Yes, it was. He was Miroku's friend, and she should not be objectifying him.
"Don't mind him. It's his way of saying, 'I love you,'" Miroku offered, leaning away from Sango to hug her tightly.
"The fuck it is!"
"Thank you for all your help this weekend. We couldn't have done it without you. You are second only to Sango in my heart." He squeezed her once for good measure, and she laughed at the bear hug, patting him on the back lightly.
"Bullshit," Inuyasha commented.
"Would you like to make this a group hug?" Miroku asked, extending his arm out in offering.
"Fuck no, I would not."
Sango slipped in though, adding another layer of bear hug to the mix.
"I'm going to miss you so much! You're amazing, and I love you so, so much!"
Both she and Miroku pulled away, grinning.
"I love you both, and I'll see you when you get back."
"You'll text us when you get into town?" Miroku asked, and she nodded. "Right, and no wild parties while we're away. We left food and money for if you get hungry. And there's emergency numbers on the fridge. And don't be afraid to call Inuyasha if you get scared."
The look on Inuyasha's face as Miroku continued his prattling like a parent to their child made her nearly double over in laughter.
"I'll miss you too, Miroku," Kagome said, wiping her eyes with the edge of her fingers. "Okay, I'm officially leaving, so you three can get to the airport." Another quick hug for Sango and Miroku each, and she stepped away towards her car as they climbed into the backseat together. She turned towards Inuyasha, smiling. "It was really nice to meet you this weekend. I've heard all about you, so it was nice to put a person to the name. But if you're in town and need a place to stay, feel free to call."
"Uh, thanks. It was good to meet you too." He opened his mouth to say something and then snapped it shut. She stared at him waiting as he sorted out his words. "Were you able to—Do you have any money to get back?"
"Oh," she smiled as he blushed vividly. "Sango and I were able to the bank, so I've got enough to get me home and then some. Thanks for asking though! It's really sweet of you."
"I'm not a complete asshole," he mumbled. "But if you need anything, I won't be too far behind, you know?"
"Thanks. You'll be the first one I call, promise."
He looked at her and smiled. Pushing off his car, he glanced towards the rear window.
"I guess I should get those two on a plane."
Kagome hummed.
"Don't be a stranger, okay?" She patted his arm before jogging off towards her own car, where she glanced back at him, giving him a small wave—that he returned—before climbing into the driver's seat.
"Okay, seven hours to go."
She started the engine and backed out.
Inuyasha regretted ever agreeing to drive them to the airport.
Well, that wasn't entirely true.
He just didn't want to go. He was tired, and he wanted to go home and sleep for two days straight after being around that many people for three fucking days.
Well, and he wanted to text Kagome, make sure that she was doing okay. All things considered, she wasn't awful to be around; he hadn't really minded her presence around him. And the fact that she was willing to fight some random girl in the club over insulting him—well, that was—promising—yeah, promising was a good word to use there.
He hadn't had anyone do that in—well, ever really.
"Hey, Inuyasha," Sango asked from the backseat, "Can I ask you for a favor?"
He glanced into the rearview mirror as he drove.
"At the rate you're going, I'm going to own your first born with all these favors."
"It's about Kagome."
His ears perked. He couldn't help the little shift, and he quickly shot a look to see if she'd noticed. Sango was looking at her phone, but Miroku was staring him down, brows furrowed.
Shit. Shit.
"Yeah, what of it?"
Good, sound casual. It's not like he didn't already have her number. Play it cool.
"Would you mind checking in on her while we're away? With the time difference, I don't want to miss something."
"Like what?"
"Just like make sure she's eating and goes home at a normal hour," she said casually.
"She's an adult, Sango. She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself."
"I know that! But—ugh, Miroku you explain."
"Kagome's boss tends to be a little demanding, and it's not uncommon for her to skip meals or work late into the night to try and appease him."
"He's an asshole," Sango muttered. "I've met him a few times, and the man has zero redeeming qualities. I'm not even sure how he hasn't been sued yet."
"Kagome is too nice to say anything, and one of us usually walks her home if she's working really late, so it would give Sango some peace of mind if you would check in every couple days or so."
"Uh, sure, I guess."
"Wow? Really? You're not going to complain about it?" Sango asked, leaning forward in her seat.
"No, because we're here, and you need to get out."
He pulled over into the drop-off lane and parked, stepping out of the car before they could argue.
Opening the trunk, he pulled out their luggage, leaving it on the ground beside them as they climbed out.
"You're a jerk," Sango commented, rising up on her tiptoes to give him a hug. He leaned into it with a roll of his eyes. "Don't act like you don't like it." She held on for a bit longer though. "Thanks for helping out so much this weekend. I know it wasn't your cup of tea."
"It's fine, Sango. It wasn't all bad."
"No, I suppose not, especially with as attached at the hip as you were with Kagome." Miroku waggled his eye brows before patting Inuyasha on the shoulder. "But seriously, thanks for everything. You were an amazing help."
"Don't mention it."
"I'm going to give you two a minute, meet me inside?" Sango grabbed her suitcase and headed towards the large revolving doors. Miroku let out a sigh as he watched her go.
"Did you sleep with Kagome?" Miroku asked him.
He choked on air.
"What? No! Why would you think that?"
"Kouga was mentioning some things and—"
"That fucker," he growled. "Look, I wouldn't do that to you or to her. It was just a misunderstanding, and Kouga should really learn to mind his own fucking business."
"It's none of my business either, but if you did, just ease her down gently. Kagome's been through a lot, and she's just starting to get back on her feet."
"That's what I'm gathering."
A horn honked, and Inuyasha shot them the finger.
"Go around, asshole! There's another fucking lane!"
"Ah, such patience," Miroku laughed as the car honked again, but went around anyway. "Well, again, thank you for being a part of our wedding, and I'm excited that you're moving back. It'll be good to see you more."
He gave Inuyasha a quick hug, barely more than a pat on the back.
"I'll see you in a month or two, you weirdo. It ain't like it's forever."
"No, I suppose not," he stood there for a moment.
"Go on. Your wife is waiting." Inuyasha turned away, tossing him a casual wave over his shoulder.
"She is, isn't she?" Miroku mused, a stupid smile spreading across his face. "See you!"
Inuyasha climbed into his car and took off for the highway. After a moment's contemplation, he dialed his father's number, listening as it rang.
"Hello, pup," his father greeted and Inuyasha shoved the argument that he wasn't a pup back down his throat.
"Hey, old man," he started. He should've thought this through before impulsively calling and leading them to assume things that may or may not be the truth.
"I assume you have a reason for calling."
"Yeah, actually," he said. He never talked on the phone like this. "That apartment you found in the city. How—When do you think it'll be ready?"
"Ah, missing us already?" He could literally hear the teasing smile on his father's face.
"Sure, if it makes you feel better."
"I checked on it, and aside from a few minor items left, it should be ready to move in by the end of the week."
Now for the complicated question.
"Do you think that the transfer could be moved up? Everything is done at my office. I was just waiting on the apartment to be ready."
"Well, the opening in the Tokyo branch won't be there for a couple weeks."
"Well, that'll give me some time to move in and, you know, acclimate," Inuyasha countered. He was reaching, and he just hoped that his father hadn't noticed.
The long pause between them proved that he was wrong.
"Well, I suppose that could be arranged. I can put in for the transfer and the moving company at the office tomorrow."
"Great." At least they weren't going to berate him for the reason why he was insisting on moving so suddenly when he could barely grasp it for himself.
"So I can expect that you'll be joining us for dinner next Sunday?"
"Uh, yes?" He visibly winced.
"Excellent. I'll send you an update tomorrow on the schedule for this week and when you can expect the movers."
"Great."
"Your mother is very excited to have you back in the city again. She's talked non-stop about you moving back since we announced it."
Inuyasha sighed.
"You're not going to tell her are you?"
"No, and neither are you. I want her to be surprised."
"You're going to give her a heart attack. She's only human."
His father laughed.
"Ah, but you know how she gets when she hasn't seen you in a while."
"You mean, you just want to watch her tackle me."
"One day, you'll understand," his father answered.
"Whatever. I'll talk to you later, old man."
"I'll talk to you tomorrow, pup."
Inuyasha disconnected the call and hoping that he hadn't misread things and caused himself an undue amount of work and stress for the next week. But if he hadn't, then that meant that he would have almost three full weeks just to be in the same city as her with no amount of meddling friends to make things awkward.
Besides a new friend out of the deal wouldn't be such a bad thing either.
He settled back into his seat, feeling somewhat confident in life choices so far.
A/N: Sorry about the lateness of this chapter, I got tied up with family and several other things today that waylaid my ability to edit and post this chapter for you all.
I hope you all have a blessed Easter holiday!
Be sure to let me know what you think!