Lead Me Down the Garden Path

Two Months

Kagome would have described her first two months at Sengoku Manor as "interesting".

One of the greatest changes to have taken place was that Sango was around more. The change happened directly because Miroku found out about Sango's legal background. Having taken over all of Inuyasha's responsibilities, Miroku determined he couldn't comfortably juggle all the roles required of him by Inuyasha: head of security, head of the household, PR manager, general associate to Inuyasha—or Inuyasha's bitch as Miroku put it bluntly to Sango—and assistant to Inuyasha's solicitors. Even for Miroku, it was becoming too much.

When Miroku overheard the girls talking one day, and learned that Sango had education making her eligible to take over his work with the lawyers, Miroku jumped at the opportunity to unburden himself in any way possible. With Inuyasha's initially hesitant blessing, Miroku had made Sango the offer to become Inuyasha's legal representative and collaborator at the house. Sango happily accepted the opportunity, even though it was only part time, since it would allow her to spend more time at the house and with Kagome. Although, as the months passed, Sango also realized she appreciated being able to spend more time with Miroku.

Much to Kagome's delight, as she grew used to her living arrangements at the manor, she loved having Sango around more.

Sango's company, to some extent, made up for the fact that Kagome's family wasn't willing to come to the manor house to visit. After a month of not seeing her family, and her mother's constant apologies that she couldn't visit—although she never did provide reasons for why she couldn't—Kagome decided to take it upon herself to bridge the gap that had developed between her and her family. One Sunday afternoon, when everyone else in the house was busy, Kagome had asked Totosai to take her to the Shrine. However, once they got there, and Kagome saw just how many people populated the Shrine's grounds that afternoon, she told Totosai to forget it and take her back to Sengoku Manor. How could she expect to have a quality visit with her family when the visit would be so public? Never mentioning the attempted visit to her family, for the past two months, Kagome had settled for the occasional group chat with her mother and grandfather, and texts from her brother.

Kagome found the days slow but the weeks fast. She couldn't have been happier that she had the company of her friend more often; however, according to Sango, Inuyasha's lawyers were incredibly old and even more disorganized, so it was clear Sango had her work cut out for her. But, Sango's being busy never stopped her from taking lunch with Kagome or spending an afternoon on the back patio with her friend.

During Sango's increased time at the house, it was obvious to Kagome that Miroku also enjoyed Sango's company. He would drop everything to answer a question Sango had about an administrative process. He popped into the office several times throughout the day when she was working, asking if she needed anything. There were even times when, forced to work through her lunch, Miroku brought her a tray of food and drink so she wouldn't go without while working. Overall, Sango seemed sceptical of Miroku's kindnesses; however, she eventually grew to appreciate the man's considerate attention.

Nevertheless, Sango was acutely aware of how Miroku flirted with the female staff at the house, and she heard the risqué conversations he shared with a few of the security guards around the property. Sango knew Miroku was a dangerous flirt and womanizer. Many times, too, Sango found herself the centre of Miroku's flirting. It wasn't lost on her the times when she saw how obviously his eyes dipped to look at her breasts when they were talking, or feel his eyes on her backside when she walked away. His playful teasing combined with his genuine consideration of Sango seemed to level the man out in her books. The more time spent with him, Sango realized she liked his doting on her, but she also found herself sprouting feelings of jealousy when she saw him focus his attentions on another woman.

Kagome appreciated the friendship that had developed between her and Miroku while she was at the house. Miroku had been very accommodating to Kagome as well, making himself available to her whenever she needed. When he left the grounds for work, he frequently returned with books or movies for Kagome to entertain herself with. He had arranged for Kaede to leave snacks specifically for Kagome that he learned, through Sango, Kagome liked. Even if he was in the middle of something, when Kagome came around, Miroku would stop for a chat to ask her how her day had been going. She saw how thoughtful the man could be, and she wasn't oblivious to the spark between him and her friend.

As for Inuyasha, things between him and Kagome had been…annoying.

Kagome didn't know how to read him. One second they were sharing in the most romantic first kiss she had ever had, and then the next second he's bickering with her over trivial things. That is, when he was even around at all. Kagome had deliberately gone behind his back to leave the grounds with Totosai that one afternoon. When they returned, Kagome had been overwhelmed with guilt when listening to Inuyasha yell at the driver. When Kagome chose to stand up for the older man, Inuyasha merely walked away with red cheeks. She hadn't meant to tell him off then; however, her pent up frustration for his mixed signals got the better of her.

Dinners were quiet between them. Even the evenings when the four friends sat outside with a glass of wine it seemed that Inuyasha's conversations with Kagome were polite but minimal. He was stubborn about her leaving the property without him, which bothered Kagome more days than others. When the cabin fever sometimes became too much, Kagome found solace in the quiet of the backyard, preening the gardens that had been ultimately left alone since Kouga's work was decommissioned. She figured she had learned a thing or two from her short time at RTL that she may as well put a few of those skills to use. That is, until the gardener's Miroku hired didn't appreciate Kagome doing their job.

Most days, as the morning, then afternoon, then evening crawled by, Kagome found herself seeking episodic distractions from her thoughts about Inuyasha.

Whenever they were around each other, she wasn't ignorant of the looks she occasionally received from Inuyasha. In fact, the looks were the source of her confliction. Some meals, Kagome would turn her eyes upwards from her plate to find him already looking at her. She would even have argued that sometimes his eyes appeared sad. When their eyes would meet for the briefest of seconds, whether that was while they were on their respective jogs, or Inuyasha walked into a room when Kagome was there, Inuyasha always seemed quick to look away or leave.

Kagome resorted to convincing herself that he regretted the kiss, and Kagome just tried to move on best she could. Although, when she felt convinced that Inuyasha wanted nothing to do with her, she found him staring at her again. Kagome's embarrassment at catching his glances usually trumped the desperation within her to know what his deal was. Sango tried to comfort her friend best she could; however, even the more experienced female struggled to read Inuyasha's signals.

The occasional time Kagome grew restless with the situation, she tried to think about other living arrangements that could be open to her. However, when the newspapers or TV reminded her that she and Inuyasha were still heavily on the public's mind, thoughts of leaving the manor were extinguished. Kagome knew the media and general public would flock to her the second they saw her, and that was more unappetizing to her than Inuyasha's mixed signals.

Tired of wallowing, Kagome had decided to make the best of her situation. However, it was still frustrating for her to juggle Inuyasha's distance, their semi-frequent bickering, and trying to understand the kiss that had happened. Much to Kagome's chagrin, there had been no other signs of intimacy between the two of them. At the end of the day, when her frustration with Inuyasha was running high, Kagome was just grateful for Sango's company. Her friend was a welcome distraction from Kagome's continuous wondering about why Inuyasha acted the way he was.

Inuyasha's arm had healed up completely, causing him to resume his regular schedule of afternoon swims when the August heat became too much. Kagome, not wanting to go near the pool house since Inuyasha walked in on her, had avoided the pool at all costs. Instead, she had decided to make use of the active wear Yura had coordinated for her, and Kagome started going for daily runs around the ground's parameter. Running, she found, was an acceptable replacement of the solace she felt while swimming. Other times, when she wasn't running, Kagome passed the days with the books and movies provided to her by Miroku. At least, these were the things with which Kagome occupied herself while Sango was working. When the girl was free, and Miroku wasn't vying for her attention, Sango and Kagome were inseparable.

Sango had been excited to start the job, coming to the house in her suits and business formal attire—her outfits signifying that she was there for work and not a social call. While working, Sango would disappear for hours at a time into Inuyasha's office—he wouldn't allow her to use the other office in the house—performing all the paperwork, research, or auxiliary legal services required by Inuyasha's team of lawyers. The first morning Sango had been there, she and Kagome sat in the smaller of the two dining rooms, drinking coffee, when Sango received a direct call from one of Inuyasha's senior lawyers requiring the girl to attend a meeting on Inuyasha's behalf. Kagome couldn't recall the last time she had seen her friend so excited.

With the passing of most weeks, Sango found herself at Sengoku Manor, most days, for breakfast through dinner. There was even a few times when she ended up staying the night for the convenience of not having to travel home and then return the next morning. Kagome had been more than accommodating, telling the maids in the house not to bother with preparing another room. It had been far too long since the girls had one of their semi-regular sleepovers.

During their time together, Kagome had been very forthcoming to Sango about what had happened between Kagome and Inuyasha, including the incident at the pool house. Sango had almost fallen off the bed in stitches from Kagome's recount of the story; however, ultimately, Sango had praised the situation, stating Kagome and Inuyasha likely would never have had that opportunity to be alone at the clearing if Inuyasha hadn't walked in on her. Kagome had grumbled that she may have agreed; however, Sango had changed the subject then to focus on the kiss.

Kagome's eyes glazed over with complete admiration when she reflected on that evening. From Inuyasha being gentleman enough not to bring up his walking in on her—in fact, that confrontation had never been discussed between them—to his gentle yet incredibly sexy instigation of their first kiss. Kagome felt her heart tremor in delight at recalling how genuinely concerned Inuyasha had been with her well-being and happiness, and Kagome couldn't help how often that memory came to mind. He had started the chase, and Kagome felt goosebumps at the thrill of it. She frequently relived the memory of his taking her cheeks between his palms and guiding her reddened lips to his once more. When lost to the nostalgia, Kagome often came back to reality disappointed. She wanted so much more. After two months, a dejected Kagome would have just loved to spent time with him alone. She longed to feel his lips against hers again, whether or not that led to anything else. There were a few times when Kagome wanted to approach him and request they spend some time together—especially to figure out what that kiss meant to him—however it almost seemed like he was intentionally keeping himself from being alone with her, and a good time never seemed to appear where Kagome could ask.

Although Kagome didn't know it, Inuyasha wanted to be alone with her more than anything. However, when the second month of Kagome's being at the house was upcoming, he had intentionally begun to sequester himself from her. Inuyasha spent all his energy ensuring security had more of a presence. He scoured the grounds himself for signs of tampering. He even went as far as having Miroku and Sango connect with his solicitors to learn whether Inuyasha could legally install extreme security measures, like electric fencing, on his residential property. Whatever he could do to ensure Kagome's safety, Inuyasha wanted to do it.

Inuyasha knew that the number 'two' contained incredible amounts of symbolism to the Family. From Kagome's second week there to any day of the month with the number two in it, Inuyasha wasn't willing to take any chances. He felt badly being somewhat curt with Kagome when she and Sango wanted to leave the property to go shopping or when Kagome wanted to visit her family, but he couldn't help it. He didn't want to risk Kagome leaving the safety of the property. He knew he couldn't keep her here forever, but he needed time to develop a plan. When he could see Kagome's cabin fever was getting the best of her, he felt guilty, but he knew a safe and slightly annoyed Kagome was better than an injured, or worse, Kagome. He was doing this for her own good. The Family had marked her, and Inuyasha needed to keep her safe.

Especially after that kiss.

From the moment he felt the electricity of their lips touching, and Kagome's tongue prodding his bottom lip to intensify the kiss, Inuyasha wanted to be with Kagome more than anything. But he couldn't allow himself to get close to her. Not yet. He needed his head clear and his wits about him, especially as another milestone "two" was around the corner. If the Family was going to do something, it would be now, or soon. Although it took all of his willpower to stay his raging heart and not ask Kagome to join him for another evening on the clearing, Inuyasha knew that some distance would keep them both safe. The Family preyed on weakness, he kept reminding himself, and the closer he got to Kagome, the more of a weakness she became to him. If he was too obsessed with wanting to be with her, he was more likely to miss something. So, he kept his distance. He needed to stay alert.

It was a Saturday morning when the four friends sat around the smaller of the dining room tables, only taking up one end of the sixteen-seater. Kagome sat beside Sango and across from Inuyasha. He hadn't once looked up at her from his breakfast that morning. Sango, made aware by Kagome of Inuyasha's unexplained coldness or reservation from her, kept her eyes peeled on the man, trying to read his expressions and body language to help her friend understand what the kiss may have meant to the man or how he felt about Kagome. As usual, in the past month, Sango was just as unable to read Inuyasha as Kagome.

Kagome sat at the table silently. From the moment she woke up next to Sango she felt irritated. It was going to be a long day. Her mind was running in circles: how was it Inuyasha could have instigated their first kiss, said such incredibly romantic and considerate things to her, and then nothing? No more dinner requests, no more late night drives, no more kissing. Nothing.

"Sango, you remember our scheduled conference call with the partners this morning?"

Sango turned her eyes to the welcoming visage of Miroku's cool, contemplative eye. He was the first to break the silence since the four of them sat at the table. Sango couldn't help the slight intensity of her heart rate when she locked eyes with the man.

"Yes, I remember. With a senior partner?"

"With the senior partner," Miroku corrected. "To my knowledge, I don't believe you have interacted directly with the man. He's a tad…"

"Crotchety," Inuyasha added, his eyes not deviating from his omelette.

"Old school," Miroku opted for instead. "As much as I don't agree with his mental models, I'm afraid you may have to prove yourself a bit more simply because you're a woman."

Sango sighed and rolled her eyes before offering Miroku a smile. "Being a female in law, it's not the first time I've encountered sexism, Miroku. Thank you for the warning, but I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" the man prodded, piercing his breakfast with a chopstick. "I wouldn't mind setting aside some of my morning schedule to join you for the call."

"You just want to be in the same room as her," Inuyasha spoke up bluntly after a mouthful of coffee. Sango reflexively turned her eyes to her plate and tried to self-talk the blush away from her cheeks. "Sango's proven herself plenty competent," Inuyasha continued, finally lifting his eyes from his plate. He turned his bright eyes to Sango. "She'll put Old Man Jojogi in his place."

"Thank you, Inuyasha," Sango beamed, appreciative for her employer's kind words.

Turning a quick eye to Kagome, who had barely spoken a word at the table, Sango tried to lean forward to catch the girl's eye. Sango wanted to review her notes again before her call with Jojogi, but she also didn't want to leave an introspective Kagome alone at the table. The fact that Inuyasha hadn't said anything to her—let alone looked at her—was heavy on Kagome's mind.

"What do you plan to do today, Kagome?"

Kagome blinked her eyes rapidly in response to her name. Turning her questioning eyes to Sango, Sango smiled understandingly at her friend, patting the girl's knee affectionately under the table.

"Oh, I'm not sure," she said, herding some diced onions and peppers around her plate. "Likely a run. I'll probably call Souta again to see if he's willing to take some time away from studying to visit."

Sango leaned closer to her friend, her eyes emotive. "You know they'll come around soon," she whispered. She was all too aware of the male onlookers across the table. "Give them some time, Kagome."

"Two months isn't enough time?" Kagome laughed, releasing her grip on her chopsticks and leaning back in her seat. "If anyone will visit, it's likely Souta. Mom and Gramps seem pretty dead set that I need to go to the Shrine to visit."

Sango frowned. "You tried, Kagome. Don't be hard on your—"

"—No, no, I understand, Sango," Kagome interrupted, an appreciative smile on her face. "It's just—"

The jovial chime of Kagome's ringing phone interrupted her train of thought, and she turned bewildered eyes to her dress pocket. A hopeful swell expanded in Kagome's chest. Maybe her brother had been omniscient that he was being talked about. Raising her phone to her ear with an optimistic 'hello,' Kagome couldn't help the slight tinge of disappointment that caused her shoulders to sag when the caller identified themself as Kouga.

"How you doin', Kagome?"

"Hi, Kouga. Not too badly, thanks. You?"

The stiffening of Inuyasha's posture at the sound of the male name went unnoticed to the others at the table.

Kagome, not wanting to be rude, tried to stand to excuse herself from the table; however, when her eyes met Inuyasha's wide, questioning—she would have even used the word 'imploring'—ones, she sat back down onto the leather cushion of the dining chair and gripped her phone tightly. She angled her eyes down towards her lap, as if that would partition her off slightly from the others at the table.

"I was looking at the books this morning, Kagome, and I wanted to check in with you. It's been two months since you started your leave. How are you feeling?"

"Thanks for checking in, Kouga. That's really thoughtful. And I'm good. It's been a quick two months, that's for sure."

Inuyasha had to bite his lip not to frown at the appreciative tone in Kagome's voice.

"You know, Shippou was asking about you the other day," Kouga chuckled. The warmth of his tone over the phone caused an involuntary smile to cross Kagome's face. "He wanted to know when you were coming back to work. It made me realize I haven't spoken to you in a while, so I thought I'd give you a shout."

Kagome guiltily pulled her mouth to the side in a frown. "Honestly, Kouga, I don't know when I'll be ready to come back. If I will be ready, even. I just…" she paused, shaking her head, her words jumbled. She truly didn't know why she was having this conversation publically at the table. At least Miroku and Sango had been kind enough to start a conversation between the two of them. The fact that Inuyasha's eyes hadn't left her the moment she answered Kouga's call wasn't lost on her.

"No, it's okay, Kagome," Kouga stated supportively. "You know you'll always have a job here, whether that's now or a year from now. 'Kay?"

Kagome laughed and shook her head, even though Kouga couldn't see the gesture. "You know I was only there for a week, right?" she chuckled. "You're being too nice."

Inuyasha clenched his fists under the table. He didn't like hearing that tone in Kagome's voice directed at another man.

"Nonsense, Kagome," Kouga smiled in returned. "You left a really positive impression here, you must know that."

Kagome turned her gaze down to her lap, her wide, brown eyes running the length of her dress's hem across her thigh. She licked her lips. The gesture caused Inuyasha's mouth to go dry. He wanted to know what he could do to get her off the phone. He didn't want to see her blush or lick or bite her lips in response to another man. That was supposed to be for him. Inuyasha's jaw began to ache from how tightly he clenched his teeth together.

"Anyway, Kagome, I was wondering," Kouga paused, licking his own lips to get out what he wanted to say. "Do you have any plans this afternoon?"

"This afternoon?"

Miroku heard the murmur of a growl rumble jealously in Inuyasha's chest, and he turned his eyes away from Sango to look at Inuyasha. Miroku couldn't hide the understanding smirk that took over his face.

What do you expect the poor girl to do when you kiss her, and then take no notice of her for two months? You're an idiot, Inuyasha, Miroku thought, shaking his head gently. Miroku knew Inuyasha's intentions behind keeping his distance from the girl; however, how was she supposed to know Inuyasha's feelings behind the scenes when he tried to hide them from himself, let alone her?

"Um," Kagome continued, licking her bottom lip. "Nothing," she shrugged. "Why?"

"Would you like to have lunch with me?"

Kagome felt her cheeks warm uncomfortably under Inuyasha's gaze. Her neck and shoulders felt heavy under the heat developing across her face.

Maybe the kiss wasn't that great, an insecure voice shouted to the surface. I mean, what else could explain why Inuyasha hasn't shown an interest in you since then?

Don't listen to her, Kagome, another voice consoled. He's a famous celebrity. You don't know what his schedule's like, or how busy he's been. You see the way he looks at you. You know he likes you. Say no to Kouga, it's the right thing to do.

Do you really know that though? The other voice countered. What has Inuyasha done in the last two months to prove that he likes you? Kouga has checked in on you consistently since the home invasion. Say yes to Kouga.

It's true that Kouga has been consistently nice. But you know how you feel about Inuyasha. True, we don't know what's been going on with him, but how could he not like you after that kiss? Would his eyes linger on you the way they have if he wasn't even slightly interested?

Oh, the other voice responded facetiously. You mean the kiss that happened two months ago? What's the harm in lunch with Kouga? Maybe a little rivalry might even be good for dear Inuyasha to get his shit together.

Kagome shook her head to silence the two conflicting voices. She hated that both voices spoke parts of the truth. She knew she was interested in Inuyasha and that it hurt he hadn't shown much of an interest in her after they shared, what she thought, was an emotionally-charged kiss. However, she also knew that Kouga had never given her reason to doubt he was a nice guy. He'd been more than accommodating of her situation, showed a genuine interest in her well-being, and he asked her out to lunch.

Why shouldn't she accept? Because of Inuyasha?

"You still there, Kagome?"

Kagome blinked her eyes as she escaped her introspection, and she rolled her eyes at herself.

"Yeah, sorry, Kouga. Yeah," she said resolutely, straightening her back in her seat. "Lunch would be nice."

It's just lunch, she argued to herself. Inuyasha isn't my boyfriend; I don't owe him anything. If another guy wants to take me out, then Inuyasha can just deal.

Atta girl! One of the voices encouraged. Kagome felt her breast rise with pride.

"That's great, Kagome! That's really great," Kouga cheered. "It's nine o'clock now. Let's say one PM at Manitou's downtown. I'll meet you on the patio. Would that work for you?"

Biting his lip to keep himself quiet, Inuyasha fidgeted restlessly in his seat. His rage was threatening to leak out of every pore. He wanted to get Kagome's attention to tell her not to go out with this guy. The only thing keeping him quiet was the fear of looking like an idiot. Releasing a strained breath through his nose, Inuyasha wanted nothing more than to punch this guy through Kagome's phone.

"That sounds great, Kouga. Thank you. I'll see you then."

Kagome hadn't anticipated the table lighting up with conversation the second she ended the call with Kouga. Sango turned an eager smile to Kagome to inquire about the details of her agreed-upon date with Kouga. Miroku turned to Inuyasha with outstretched hands to ward away the man's anger. And Inuyasha couldn't bite his tongue any longer.

"Are you kidding, Kagome? You can't go out with that guy!"

Kagome's mouth opened slightly and she blinked confusedly at Inuyasha. "Why not?"

"Because," a flustered Inuyasha argued. "The guy hasn't passed our security clearance. Who knows what his deal is."

Sango rolled her eyes and Miroku sighed audibly and crossed his arms.

"It's just lunch," Kagome argued. She furrowed her eyebrows at him. "I'll take Totosai with me. It's a public place, I'll be fine."

"No, that's not the point," Inuyasha contended childishly. "How well do you know this guy?"

Kagome shrugged with tightened lips. "Well enough, I suppose. Kouga's a nice guy. Besides, what's it to you, Inuyasha?" Kagome finally asked with a tenser tone.

"Feh," Inuyasha responded, leaning back hotly in his chair and crossing his arms. "It's nothing to me. I just thought you didn't want to be in public, is all. Plus, we don't know this guy so I don't trust 'em."

Kagome rolled her eyes then leaned forward in her chair. "First, if it's nothing to you, then don't worry about it. Second, I've been cooped up in this house for so long I'm more than happy to stand a couple of hours in the public eye. Besides, nothing's happened for two months. I don't know what you're so on edge about. I'll be fine."

"You don't know that," Inuyasha argued, his dark brows tightly drawn. "What if—"

"—Nothing will happen," she interrupted. "What's the worse thing? I get hounded by the media?" Kagome rolled her eyes. "If anything, Kouga will protect me. I'm sure of it."

Kagome's words set Inuyasha on edge and he sat forward madly in his chair.

"That idiot can't do shit for you, Kagome!"

"Inuyasha," Kagome softly mumbled, her eyes wide.

The suddenness of his words hung in the air heavily between the two of them for a while. Miroku and Sango were severely silent, both sets of eyes dancing between the arguing couple. Eventually, the harshness of Inuyasha's words dissipating, Kagome narrowed her eyes as anger caught in her throat uncomfortably.

"Inuyasha, how can you not see how bored I am?" she quarreled. "You, Miroku, and Sango all have stuff you can do. Meanwhile, I'm stuck in this house trying to find ways to entertain myself while waiting for one of you to become free. I don't have my car to take myself out. I don't get to run my own errands. You even give me a hard time about seeing my family! I'm going out, Inuyasha," she sighed hotly.

"Don't be an idiot, Kagome. You don't understand," he asininely bellowed, leaning forward in his own chair to counter Kagome's gesture. "That guy's a douchebag, Kagome. He's—"

"—I don't care what you think of him," Kagome interrupted, her cheeks going pink from shouting. "You don't know Kouga."

Inuyasha growled. "I know that dick well enough! He worked on my property for two weeks. I think I—"

"—Are you jealous, Inuyasha? Is that it?" Kagome interjected, her tone teasingly sardonic. With a raised eyebrow and flushed cheeks, Kagome watched his eyes widen.

"What?" He almost choked on the word. Hiding his emotions behind his sarcastic emotional wall, Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Feh. What the hell would I have to be jealous of? I don't give two shits if you like the guy, Kagome. If you want to date the bastard, that's fine. But if he turns out to be a real prick, don't come crying to me."

Kagome held back the questions and rage that she wanted to direct his way. What about the kiss? She wanted to scream at him. What the hell was that between us a few months ago? Do you really not care, Inuyasha?

"You're a jerk, Inuyasha," Kagome mumbled suddenly, the browns and blacks of her eyes storming intently to keep tears from shedding. Her blustering eyes never left his.

Inuyasha was left speechless by Kagome's sudden comment and the intensity of words he didn't mean to say, which came flying out of his mouth due to jealousy and stupidity. Kagome pouted angrily, barricading in her throat the questions she wanted to propel at him. Turning her eyes away from the intensity of his, she pressed her palms to the table to stand. Before walking out of the room, Kagome turned an apologetic smile to Miroku and Sango. She tried not to pay any attention to Inuyasha through her peripherals.

"Sorry for spoiling your breakfast, you guys," she uttered before turning to leave the room.

Miroku and Sango continued to sit quietly, trying to make subtle their glimpses of Inuyasha once Kagome left the dining room.

"God dammit, Kagome!" Inuyasha seethed between his teeth before screeching his chair out underneath him and storming from the table.

Miroku and Sango sat in silence for a few seconds. A sigh whistling out through Sango's teeth was the first thing to break the quiet.

"You're an idiot, Inuyasha," Sango exhaled, shaking her head as she reached for her tea.

Miroku mirrored her incredulous sigh and head shake. "You couldn't be more correct, Sango," he conceded.

Kagome sat her body down heavily in the limousine's back seat, her head resonating with the silence of the vehicle once Totosai shut the door behind her. She hated the montage that had been playing in her head since breakfast.

'You idiot. Don't you realize I didn't want you to be alone after what happened? It doesn't matter that I was busy, I should have made you a priority. You're my guest after all. It's my responsibility to make sure you're coping okay.'

Then, Kagome's cheeks burned in memory of feeling of his palms on her cheeks, his tongue stubbornly not leaving his mouth despite her aching desire to taste him. He had kept their first kiss gentle, cautious. He wouldn't allow either of them to get carried away. At the time, Kagome was frustrated by his reservation. However, now, it only proved how gentle and meaningful the kiss had been. Or, at least seemed to Kagome.

The image of the kiss melded away into the look on Inuyasha's face right before she rounded the table to sit beside him.

'What can I do to make you happy, Kagome?'

Then…

'Are you jealous, Inuyasha? Is that it?'

'What? Feh. What the hell would I have to be jealous of? I don't give two shits if you like the guy, Kagome. If you want to date the bastard, that's fine. But if he turns out to be a real prick, don't come crying to me."

Kagome's lips flapped from the intensity of the exhale she pushed out her mouth. Keeping the back of her head against the seat, she turned a lazy eye out the window as the car began to move. Kagome never used to struggle this much when reading people; in her entire life, she had never struggled to understand a man this much. She could easily tell Kouga was interested in her, she wasn't that dense. But Inuyasha? He was so hot and cold with her. He was the king of mixed signals. Did he like her at all? How could he one second beg her to tell him what he could do to make her happy and then suddenly distance himself from her for months? Did he not burn like she did to repeat that kiss?

Leaving the gates of the manor's property, Kagome's eyes surveyed the ample countryside, knowing they would find themselves in the city in a few short minutes. Frustration with Inuyasha was hot on Kagome's mind, and she gripped her phone tightly in her palms in her lap. Despite how badly she wanted to understand Inuyasha, a part of her also felt guilty for allowing thoughts of Inuyasha to occupy her mind when going on a date with another man.

Did she really agree to go on a date with Kouga? Kagome's cheeks flushed at the realization that Sango's ability to read Kouga during their first week at RTL had been spot on. What about Ayame? Kagome pondered. Was there anything between those two? Did she know Kouga had asked Kagome to lunch?

Kagome scrunched her nose at the amount of questions she had spinning around her brain. It always frustrated her when she had more questions than answers.

'What can I do to make you happy, Kagome?'

Ugh, Kagome thought, resting the side of her head against the window. Being straight with me would be a good start. Stupid, Inuyasha.

You know, a voice spoke up from her muddled mind. You could be the one to let him know how you feel. You don't need to wait for him to make the first move.

Kagome grumbled in her throat, an action she hoped would stop those annoying truth-saying voices.

With her right temple leaning against the cool, tinted glass, Kagome's eyes followed the lines of hills marking the countryside along the road. She felt her heartbeat increase within her chest and she tried to evaluate whether the cause of it was her frustration with Inuyasha or her anticipation of seeing Kouga for the first time in a couple months.

A moving object in her peripherals caught her attention, and Kagome sat up to observe the item directly. What she had initially thought was a tractor in the distance was actually a vehicle that looked to be a large sport utility vehicle.

That's a strange place for an SUV, she thought, watching the dust fly up from the back tires and surround the vehicle. Squinting her eyes, Kagome tried to make out the model of the vehicle, but she couldn't decipher any distinguishing features because of the amount of dust encasing the vehicle.

As Totosai made a left turn, the SUV was out of Kagome's line of vision and she faced forward in her seat, immediately replacing all thought of the vehicle with concerns to do with Inuyasha.

Gripping her phone once again, Kagome activated the screen and bore her eyes into the message application icon. Miroku had given her the phone numbers of most of the security staff, a line to the manor house directly, Miroku's number, and even Inuyasha's. Kagome had never really thought anything of having Inuyasha's number before, other than the fact Inuyasha once told her to call him or message him any time she needed anything if he wasn't at home. However, once Inuyasha had given all his responsibilities to Miroku, he had never been too far away. Although, Kagome would argue that Inuyasha seemed much further away despite his being in the same house. He seemed like he was intentionally keeping himself away from her, and Kagome just wished she knew why.

Kagome's phone vibrated with a text message from Kouga telling her he just arrived at the restaurant. He sent another text immediately describing where he was seated on the patio, and ended the message with a smiley face emoticon. Her eyes taking note that it was 12:45pm, Kagome responded that she was on her way and turned off her screen.

Her eyes staring incessantly at the blackened screen of her cell phone, Kagome resolved that she needed to distract herself with things outside the vehicle. Otherwise, she would give in to the temptation to message Inuyasha to make him explain his earlier behaviour. He was so confusing.

Turning her head to look out the window on the other side of the vehicle, Kagome saw the SUV again. The large white vehicle was still driving through the field. Cocking her head to the side in confusion, Kagome unbuckled her seatbelt and slid over the bench seat to the other side of the car.

Why on earth aren't they driving on the road?

Resting her hand on the window ledge, Kagome angled her head to look further out the window, her nose pressed against the glass. The SUV, barely within her sights, emerged from a dust cloud, just turning onto the road behind the limo. Kagome guessed the vehicle had to be approximately six car lengths behind them. Peering her eyes, she still couldn't make out the emblem on the front; however, Kagome would have guessed from the headlights that the car was a Toyota or Lexus. Kagome's eyes traced how the pearl white hood was covered in a mustard-coloured grey from the car's driving through the sandy farmers' fields.

The occasional tree on the side of the road gave way to small and large residential buildings, eventually turning into large commercial buildings once Totosai drove into the city. Kagome watched as Totosai turned right at an intersection and, curiously, she turned to see the SUV do the same a few cars behind them.

Laughing at herself, Kagome criticized her wandering mind for watching too many crime-related TV shows. She guessed that the road they just came off was one of the main roads leading from the country to the city. Looking at the traffic around them, she continued to venture that the street they turned onto was one of the main grids leading to the downtown area. Of course there would be other vehicles taking the same route. Rolling her eyes at herself, Kagome faced forward again.

Still, unable to deny the nagging sensation rising in her chest, Kagome sat forwards with the intention of changing her seat. Pushing herself off the leather, Kagome chose to sit herself on one of the seats facing the rear of the limo. This way, she wouldn't have to turn her head to look out behind the limo; the rear window gave her a perfect view. With the back of her head facing the mostly-closed privacy window between her and the front seat, Kagome kept her eyes focused on the exterior of the limo. Stopped at a red light, Kagome watched people on sidewalks turn from their phones or companions to look and point at the stretch limo. She felt a little ridiculous riding in such a luxurious vehicle; however, Totosai explained that Inuyasha was adamant Kagome take the limo rather than any of his other vehicles. Despite Kagome's incessant 'why's' directed at the older man, Totosai had merely smiled and said he was just following Inuyasha's instructions.

The light must have changed because the limo began moving once again. Looking out the rear window, Kagome saw that the SUV was now three cars behind them. There was a Honda Civic, followed by a Rav-4, followed by a Mazda, and then the dirty SUV in question. Biting her lip, Kagome wanted to tell herself she was being silly. How long had the Civic or the Mazda been behind them? She was merely obsessing over the SUV because she decided to pay particular attention to it. It was no different from the time one of her headlights had been out and she started to notice all the other vehicles with only one headlight. Or, when she realized the multitudes of white Corollas in Tokyo once she bought hers.

Totosai took another left. Kagome watched as the Rav-4 went straight, the Civic disappeared she didn't know where—she hadn't really been paying attention—and the Mazda continued to follow them. Her brows furrowed when she watched the SUV turn behind the Mazda. Kagome had been right; the SUV was a Lexus.

Curiosity and concern twisting in her stomach, Kagome rotated her phone within her hands. Unsure how to explain the rationale screaming at her from the back of her mind, Kagome turned on the screen and sent an impromptu text to Sango.

How can you tell if you're being followed by another car?

Sango's response had come almost immediately, and it wasn't a surprising remark considering the randomness of Kagome's initial text.

What?! Why would you ask?

Kagome bit the inside of her cheek, leaving Sango's text unanswered. She watched as they passed through a light about to turn red. Able to see the now crimson streetlight through the rear window, Kagome bit her cheek a little harder when she saw the SUV accelerate to cross the four-way intersection. It wasn't blatantly running a red light; however, it was very close. She needed to be sure. She was probably just being crazy. But the 'what if's' flying through her mind caused her stomach to flip uncomfortably. She just needed to be sure.

Her heartbeat resonating noticeably throughout her chest, Kagome rapped on the privacy window with her knuckles and Totosai immediately rolled down the glass.

"Yes, miss?"

Kagome gulped. "Totosai, um, do you think you could go around the block a few times before dropping me off at the restaurant?"

Her mind raced to try to think of an explanation should the man ask her why she had made such a strange request. However, to Kagome's relief, Totosai merely responded, "Of course, miss," causing Kagome to take a hungry lungful of air when she realized she had been holding her breath expectantly.

For the first two left turns, the Mazda had kept the limo separated from the Lexus; however, when Totosai made the third left, almost completely rounding the block, Kagome watched in horror as the Mazda continued straight, but the Lexus turned behind the limo.

The Lexus SUV was directly behind them now. By the first complete rounding of the block, it became clear to Kagome that the Lexus was following them.

"How many times, miss?" Totosai asked, seemingly oblivious to the trailing vehicle. Kagome's eyes never left the SUV through the tinted rear window. She couldn't make out any distinguishing features of the driver through the SUV's windshield, or how many individuals may have been in the car. She swore the darkness of the tint must have been illegal.

"Please," Kagome's voice quivered. "Just a few more times."

Kagome gripped her phone tightly as she watched in stunned alarm as Totosai completed his third lap of the block and the Lexus was still behind them. A coup of some sort intervened briefly; however, once the limo made another left, the coup went straight and the Lexus was next in cue once again.

Despite her fear and anxiety in the back seat, Kagome didn't know that Totosai had been fully aware of the Lexus since it first made its appearance on the country road. Intentionally having taken an indirect route to the downtown, he became aware of their pursuit long before Kagome. Before Kagome had asked Totosai to round the block several times, Totosai had followed protocol and paged Miroku, planning to alert the man to the current situation. However, Kagome's knocking had caused the driver to roll down the privacy window, preventing him from answering Miroku's call in order to appease Inuyasha's primary rule.

If there is danger, potential or not, do not bring it to Kagome's attention. You hear me, old man?

Inuyasha had given Totosai the instructions directly, and Totosai tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he made another left turn. Totosai swore to himself when he realized that Kagome picked up on the situation herself; what else would cause her to make such a strange request? The driver released a hesitant breath as the screen on the middle console lit up with another call from Miroku. Stopping behind a large bus at a red light, Totosai released a jittery breath. Trying to weigh his options, he didn't know where to look: at the back of Kagome's head, the car following the limo, or at Miroku's name on the console.

Miroku swore under his breath when Totosai didn't answer his second call. When he leapt up the stairs to Inuyasha's office, Miroku stood in the doorway with widened eyes upon seeing Sango holding out her phone to Inuyasha. Sango was showing Inuyasha the text she received from Kagome about being followed.

"Fuck!" Inuyasha raged as he stormed out of the room.

Sango watched, horrified, as Inuyasha's chair swung in wobbly circles from how roughly he had propelled himself out of it and out of the room. Miroku, staying the chair with both hands, tried not to let the panic of the situation affect him. Detaching a walkie-talkie from a belt loop on his pants, he paged the security supervisor on duty. Miroku spoke the instructions slowly and clearly into the mesh covering of the speaker.

"Send out the van. Kagome is in danger."

"Yes, sir," came the prompt response, and Miroku attached the device back to his pants with not another word.

"Miroku," Sango called hesitantly, breaking the silence, her eyebrows tight with worry.

Seeing her bronzed eyes begin to shimmer with the onset of tears, Miroku reached forward to grip Sango's hand tightly in his. Squeezing her fingers gently, he tried to offer her a comforting smile, but the uncertainty of the situation hung heavily over both their heads.

When the time was approaching for Kagome to leave for her outing—Inuyasha refused to call it a date, his jealous temper wouldn't let him—it had taken all of Inuyasha's willpower not to follow behind Kagome and Totosai. Sango had advised against it, and, like an idiot, Inuyasha had listened.

"Kagome will be pissed if you follow her," Sango had warned. "Give her time, Inuyasha. She'll come around. I honestly don't think she's even all that interested in Kouga."

Inuyasha hmph'd in memory of Sango's words. Not that Kagome's interest in that douchebag Kouga even mattered...

The memory of letting Kagome go without a fight caused his heart to quake within his chest. Inuyasha flung his body down the stairs as he ran to the garage. Punching in the garage door's passcode, Inuyasha bent at the waist to enter the garage, too impatient to wait for the door to open itself fully. He barely thought to buckle his seatbelt before gunning his silver Porsche Panamera Turbo S out of the garage. His tires squealing, Inuyasha urged the car forward out of the property's gates.

"Fuck," he hissed, unable to stop shaking his head with disbelief.

'Feh. What the hell would I have to be jealous of? I don't give two shits if you like the guy, Kagome. If you want to date the bastard, that's fine. But if he turns out to be a real prick, don't come crying to me.'

Inuyasha's earlier words resonated heavily in his mind as he kept skipping his eyes to look through his windshield then lower to observe his speedometer and the clock.

"I'm a fucking idiot," he hissed to himself, continuing to shake his head. How could he have talked to her like that? He should have apologized before she left. He shouldn't have let her go at all. He hated that his inaction from a stupid, childish jealousy allowed Kagome to be in this situation. Surging down the country road, Inuyasha swore and abrasively struck his palm against the leather steering wheel. His skin stung from the contact.

"Fuck, Kagome," he cussed, his heart aching fearfully.

Skidding as he madly rounded a corner, the city slowly entered into his view. Wishing he had the control of a manual car, Inuyasha merely applied greater pressure on the foot pedal to heave the car forward. Thankfully, the car was turbo charged, and it didn't take much goading to have the car accelerate several kilometres per hour faster.

The interior of his car ringing with a high-tone chime, Inuyasha kept his head forward but diverted his eyes to the middle console. Inuyasha couldn't answer the call fast enough when the name "Kagome" appeared in white, bolded letters.

"For fuck's sake, Kagome," he shouted gruffly after accepting the call. The standard 'hello' greeting never even occurred to him. He was just relieved to hear from her, relieved that she chose to call him. His chest was heaving from how little air he could get into his lungs.

"Inuyasha," she cried. He could hear the fear lacing her voice. He could only imagine how she must be feeling, alone in the back of the limo. The thought caused a growl to escape Inuyasha's throat.

Entering into the city was a disaster. People crossed at designated crosswalks, safety arms descended to ward vehicles and people from passing trains, streetlights directed the flow of traffic. Inuyasha didn't give two fucks about any of them. He needed to find Kagome. He needed to get to Kagome. Flooring his acceleration pedal, Inuyasha surged through a light just barely turning red. A woman screamed at him to slow down, but Inuyasha ignored her. His eyes turned back to read the name on the console. Kagome.

"Where are you, Kagome? What is Totosai doing? Do not leave that car, Kagome, do you hear me? I don't care what happens. Do not fucking leave that car."

"We're just going in circles around the block," Kagome cried, her voice cracking when she said 'circles.' The sound of her gulping down saliva crackled over the car's Bluetooth speakers. "Inuyasha, you were right. I shouldn't have—"

"Don't you dare," he barked, interrupting her. His knuckles were turning white from how tightly he gripped the steering wheel. "Don't you dare apologize, Kagome. Getting you out of this situation is the only thing that matters. Do you understand?"

Kagome nodded, then spoke an unsteady 'yes' when she realized Inuyasha couldn't see her nodding her head.

"What is the car that's following you?"

Kagome gulped. "It's a white Lexus SUV."

"Do you know the model? What's the registration plate number?"

"There is none."

"What do you mean there is none?"

Kagome took a trembling inhale. "Where there should be a plate, there isn't. I don't know."

"Fuck," Inuyasha muttered under his breath. Pressing his foot heavier on the acceleration, Inuyasha watched as he forced the car through an obvious red light. A couple pissed off drivers honked at him as they skidded to avoid Inuyasha's oncoming car. However, Inuyasha couldn't be bothered to worry about them. He just kept driving.

"Kagome, where in the prefecture? Where are you right now?"

"Uhm…near Takashimaya," she breathed. "I'm not—," she took a breath to stay her maddening pulse. "There's a large men's formalwear store we keep driving by. It's called—"

"Sakamoto's," Inuyasha interrupted. "I know the area. Tell Totosai that, no matter what, he will not stop moving that car. Tell him, Kagome. Right now."

"O—okay," she stuttered. She did as she was told.

Inuyasha sat tensely, dodging a car turning right and running an almost-red light. He was able to push the car fast enough to evade the lowering arm warning of an oncoming train. Inuyasha was grateful he chose to take one of his cars with the best handling.

"Inuyasha," Kagome almost choked suddenly. He could hear the tears and urgency in her voice. "Inuyasha, there's a man leaning out of the passenger window."

"What?" he snapped.

"He—he's," Kagome stopped, trying to control the tears that wouldn't stop rolling down her cheeks. "Oh my God. Inuyasha," she cried as another wave of tears consumed her. "There's a gun in his hand, Inuyasha."

Author's Note

I know I spoil you all with relatively quick updates, so apologies for the delay with this one. It was just one of those chapters that required rewrite after rewrite. It got the point where I was like: Welp! Good enough, haha.

I also just wanted to take a quick second to give particular thanks to the following people for their continued support and positive reviews of the story:

NarukoSon

Shiroi-Papillon

lolalove85

Chelsea Tygers

eternalnight8806

Warm-Amber92

Taino Delsan13

Min-chan17

You guys have been such wonderful and loyal followers since I started this story, so thanks a million.

To everyone else who is keeping up with the story and updates, it's for you guys I'm doing this. Thanks so much for taking enough of an interest in my humble lil story.

'Til next time! :3