Chapter 2
When Sango had invited Kagome along to her work's Winter Solstice party, Kagome had been a bundle of excitement, planning her outfit, picturing the muscled hunk she'd flirt up all night and coyly invite back to her place afterwards.
Unfortunately, Kagome knew as soon as she and Sango entered the pub that the bros with whom Sango worked were not Kagome's people.
She sipped her whiskey and ginger-ale and forced a polite smile at the story the man across from Sango regaled to the group about some pansy ass who struggled to hold a plank for forty-five seconds. Kagome must not be cultured enough to find the comment humourous but she forced herself to chuckle along with everyone else, Sango included.
Kagome chanced another look at the broody, silver-haired hunk at the bar who caught her eye the literal second she arrived. It was Kagome's habit to locate the alcohol as soon as she entered any place that deigned to have a bar, and there he was, positioned like he'd been waiting to greet her alongside the booze. Ever since that first look, Kagome found herself immediately smitten. As soon as his eyes met hers, she knew she was in for a night of stolen glances and coy smiles until one of them grew the balls to say something to the other.
She hoped it would be him, but she wouldn't be surprised if it was her.
She had a bad habit of being forward about this sort of stuff.
Kagome's eyes shifted to the man at the bar and smiled privately to herself when her gaze immediately locked with his.
Yep! Still staring at me! Alrighty then... Kagome moistened her mouth and looked away, promptly sipping her drink to give herself something to do.
It was a little ridiculous, this giddiness that came over her when their eyes met, to know that he was looking at her as often as she was looking at him.
It was also a little more ridiculous that she felt this compulsion to look at him, like she didn't have anything better to do with her eyeballs.
Kagome tried really, really hard to pay attention to a different gym bro telling some story about his protein intake and calorie cut, but Kagome couldn't even try to care less. She loved Sango, her childhood friend, dearly; however, she would never understand how Sango could stand working in a place that was such a blatant boys club. It was undeniable how even this work party was an utter sausage fest.
Kagome grew up with Sango as her role model, marveling throughout high school how nothing ever seemed to phase her. The brunette was the ultimate definition of take no shit and let no man walk all over her. It was admirable, and watching the way her friend interacted with these meatheads just proved that Sango could give as well as she could take. It was obvious that the men around her respected Sango, and it was that fact that perhaps made being in their presence the least bit tolerable.
Kagome felt the urge to look over her shoulder again at the man at the bar, the one with the most illuminous and gorgeous golden stare she'd ever seen. She'd never met someone with eyes that colour before. Kagome just wanted to storm right up to him with a curt, You don't mind, do ya? and just peer into those warm, golden eyes like sinking into a bath.
Screw it, Kagome thought, straightening her spine, I'm allowed to look.
So she did, only to find that he was too. Kagome felt...flabbergasted. How was he still staring? Kagome's two seconds of confidence faltered and her stupid red cheeks were back, heating her face to the point she wanted to clasp her face in her hands but dared not let him know he was getting to her with just a look.
Because that was just ridiculous. No one should have that much power over someone else just by looking at them.
Maybe it was the fact Kagome hadn't been with a man in a long time—like, half a year, long time—but part of her had accepted Sango's invitation to be her plus one tonight because Kagome hoped she'd meet someone. It didn't even have to turn into anything long term. Kagome was a woman with needs after all, and there were plenty of virile men at a solstice party for people who worked for a gym. That meant corded muscles, veiny forearms, and good stamina to hopefully bring about an orgasm or three. As a veterinarian, Kagome worked hard and had a bleeding heart that made it hard for her to say no to others. What was the harm in enjoying herself on a night out with her best friend, enjoying every last drop thanks to these drink tickets, and flirting a little with some meathead gym bros?
She didn't come out tonight looking for a husband. As long as he was pretty and touched her where it mattered, what did it matter?
Kagome felt a tingling in the nape of her neck and a gooseflesh-inducing sensation along her scalp that had her spinning to look at the silver-haired man at the bar again. Did she literally just get that sensation because she could feel his eyes on her? That...that wasn't possible. Right?
He reclined onto his elbow, his large and plush bicep jutting out from the sleeve of his shirt. At the sight of his well-formed pectorals straining his shirt, Kagome turned away. The heat on her cheeks was too much to stomach. She drained her drink, grateful she still had three drink tickets to see her through the night.
When Sango basically dragged Kagome to the bar, Kagome found herself trying not to trip over the three-inch heels on her knee-high boots. It felt a little scandalous earlier, dressing herself in the tightest jeans she owned, paired with an emerald green, sleeveless mock-neck blouse that accentuated her C-cups. But Kagome felt dainty, feminine, and liked the way her legs and ass looked when she complemented the jeans with the boots so... If you got it, flaunt it, right? Even if Kagome couldn't help but refer to her own shoes as hooker boots. Despite her initial worry that her outfit screamed asking for it, she tried not to let the flirty little outfit she chose bother her too much, especially when she thought, with a smile on her face, that she was, in fact, asking for it.
Especially when she wondered why the man at the bar seemed incapable of looking at something other than her. Not that Kagome didn't like the fact he stared at her. She just...wanted to know why. Was it her? The outfit? Her ass? Kagome sighed internally, it was probably her ass. She was surrounded by gym bros. Of course they'd appreciate lean legs from years of running and a toned, round buttocks from Pilates with Sango and the occasional use of a squat rack.
When Kagome relinquished her third drink ticket and sipped on her new whiskey ginger, she chanced a look at the man who stood a few stools down from her at the bar. She smirked to herself, noticing how he was so clearly trying to appear like he wasn't paying attention to her. On closer inspection of him, Kagome could only hear the word babe circulating in the basest, most uncivilized part of her brain.
He wore a red t-shirt and jeans but somehow, looking at him and the way he filled the shirt, the way the jeans sat low on his hips, it felt like a crime to say he only wore a red t-shirt and jeans. His hair was silver and pearlescent in the way it flowed down his back, his face framed with bangs that accentuated the darkness of thick yet manicured eyebrows that had the gold of his eyes popping. His body was something otherworldly, all hard lines and taut muscles and corded, veiny deliciousness that had Kagome's fingers twitching with an eagerness to touch and fondle. She settled on clutching her glass in both hands and guiding the small black straw to her lips.
He was lean but toned and he was positively beautiful. If this was some ancient time, Kagome was convinced he'd be painted onto vases or he'd be erected into a marble bust or statue. There was something heart-poundingly appealing about the symmetry of his face, his thicker bottom lip and the swell of his cupid's bow that gave the allusion he was a mean kisser. Kagome felt a little ridiculous, aware Sango was saying something to her but Kagome, for the life of her, couldn't do anything but obsess over this man who was so magnificently put together she only wanted to stare.
If only it wasn't socially impolite to do nothing but stare, gape-mouthed at a perfect stranger.
The next time their eyes locked, Kagome offered him a small smile, and when he smiled back, Kagome's heart donkey-kicked her in the chest. Was this for real? Getting this worked up over barely a smile? He was an obvious grump, his frown lines visible from here, and Kagome wasn't even at the bar anymore! Fine, let him be grumpy, Kagome decided. He was gorgeous as is, and if he wanted to be miserable, let him be miserable—he made misery look damn fine, anyway, with those appealing, pouty lips of his.
"You used to destroy at beer pong, Kagome!" Sango cheered, grabbing hold of her friend's hand and dragging her in line to sign up for the silly game. "You need to play. Let's sign up to be a team."
It took Kagome a second to snap back into the present, remembering the pretty black-haired man with the microphone announcing beer pong.
Oh, right, she remembered, Sango wants to play.
"Didn't that guy say it's assigned teams?" Kagome replied. "We wouldn't be placed together even if we sign up together."
"That guy is Miroku Houshi, Kagome, he's one of the Senior Trainers at the north club. My co-lead on the social committee, if you recall my recent and plentiful complaints."
Kagome gaped at the black-haired hunk whose muscles were politely confined but lovingly displayed in the tightness of his periwinkle waffle sweater. "That is Miroku? Holy crap, Sango, how did you manage to focus on planning this whole party when you had to sit next to that?"
Sango scoffed a breath that had her square-trimmed bangs blowing out of her brown eyes. "Oh, he's pretty to look at, that's for sure, but he's foul, Kagome. Keep your distance, I mean it. If he sinks his hooks into you, he'll drown you with the worst pickup lines in the history of polite conversation and you'll rue the interaction."
"Like...actual pickup lines?"
Sango steeled her stare. "Actual pickup lines."
Kagome giggled, stepping forward to sign up for beer pong. "That sounds kind of fun, actually. What line did he use on you?"
Sango hummed a sound of displeasure low in her throat, taking the proffered pen from Kagome. "Which time? I think some of the most memorable ones have been: Are you a haunted house? Because I'm going to scream when I'm in you—" Kagome couldn't hold back her howl of laughter— "Then there was, As long as I have a face, you'll have a place to sit—" Sango rolled her eyes, a smile carved on her face— "Then, just yesterday when we were finalizing things for tonight, he says, Are you an archaeologist? Because I have a large bone that needs to be examined."
"Oh my god, Sango!" Kagome giggled with a hand in front of her mouth. "He has a nice face, a great body, and he's witty? How is he not the future Mr. Taijiya?"
Sango snorted and looped her arm through Kagome's, leading the girl to where the beer pong table was set up. "Because I've heard him say similar things to at least a dozen other women and, don't look now, but he's currently surrounded by scantily clad women and he's wearing that shit-eating grin which means he thinks he's clever, which tells me he just used one of his lines on them. Plus," Sango added, flipping her long, chestnut brown ponytail over her shoulder, "I don't fuck my coworkers so—" She shrugged— "Let's just say it's not meant to be."
Kagome pulled a face and turned to look over at Miroku, who just so happened to be talking to the silver-haired stranger from the bar. God, he was pretty. "He's at a different location though, no? That hardly makes you coworkers."
"We're on the social committee together."
"So? Give it up. You complain enough about the extra work it causes you."
Sango squeezed Kagome's arm, her eyes narrowing. "You sound like you want me to go for it."
"Why not?" Kagome encouraged with a lone raised shoulder. "Could be fun?"
"You mean like Mr. Serious Stare over there? Who, by the by, is still looking at you."
Kagome blushed. "I know."
"You know?"
Kagome blushed harder and nodded. "It's kinda been this mutual thing we've been doing since you and I got here."
"And you haven't approached him yet, because...?"
Kagome turned her eyes away from Sango's accusing and spurring chocolate stare. "Because he looks miserable, Sango. A pretty face as grumpy as that just screams fuck off, and I'm not in the mood to ring in the winter solstice being rejected by some half-demon guy, regardless how pretty he is."
"You know you just called him pretty twice in one sentence, right?"
"Sango!"
"Just—" Her friend sighed, wrapping an arm around Kagome's shoulders— "I know the solstice is a hard time for you because of your dad, Kagome. I thought tonight could be a nice distraction for you, y'know? A chance to get out of the house, not think about work, flirt, fuck—"
"Sango!"
"—have some fun?"
Kagome sighed, not needing to remember the anniversary of her dad's death. Almost eight years now. Eight winter solstices without her papa. She lamented her empty drink because she definitely could use the distraction.
Instead, deciding that free rein and loose inhibitions was the name of the game tonight, she said, "Alright, I'll bite, Sango. Your gym bro colleagues may not make for titillating conversation, but their nice bodies imply good stamina, and some good sex sounds like some much needed medicine for my soul these days."
"That's my girl," Sango teased with a bright grin.
The brunette's sneer was infectious because Kagome's face bloomed with a smile. "I told you that was the name of the game tonight, right? Distraction, distraction, distraction!" Kagome snickered and then sighed. "But, yes, I appreciate the distraction, Sango, and you looking out for me. It can get a bit depressing at the shrine around major holidays. I think lots of booze and maybe a good one night stand and I'll be right as rain, at least until the new year."
"You know I'd do anything for you, right, Kagome? You're my best friend." When Kagome nodded with a smile, Sango continued by saying, "I saw Mr. Serious Stare consorting with Miroku. Because I love you so much, I will stomach socializing with my co-lead so you can use it as an excuse to at least get Mr. Serious Stare's actual name and—"
"Alright, gentlemen and fine ladies of Shikon Fitness! I am most pleased and humbled to announce that we are ready to begin our first game of the evening!"
Sango and Kagome exchanged a mirthful look as pairs were named off and the game began. When Miroku announced the pairs had been written down and the list visible where the participants had signed up, Sango dragged Kagome to the bar to use up another drink ticket, claiming the women could just consult the list to find out who their partners would be. Kagome just got her hands around her newest drink, the tiny straw just perched on her lip, when Miroku cupped his hands around his mouth to shout at Sango.
"Sango! It's you and me against the world, baby! Let's do this thing!"
Sango grimaced with a loud groan and Kagome smirked at her friend, watching the brunette drain half her glass with one sip before pushing away from the bar to approach Miroku. Kagome enthusiastically watched her friend and womanizing co-lead win against the opposing pair and Kagome wrapped her arms around her friend in a celebratory hug.
"I'll admit that was fun," Sango cried, smiling at Kagome as she wobbled on her feet. After all, she was four drinks in and had three half-filled plastic solo cups she had to chug as a result of playing beer pong. "Miroku may be an asshole, Kagome, but he's—"
"You're Kagome?"
Kagome looked up towards the unfamiliar voice that, for reasons she couldn't explain, had heat blossoming in her centre and spreading to her extremities. When she turned around, she was met with a firm chest encased in tight, red cotton. Kagome tipped her head back and back some more before she was ensnared in the familiar, golden heat of eyes belonging to Mr. Serious Stare.
"It's you," she found herself saying quietly, wide-eyed, her eyes raking his features, appreciating the sinful sexuality of him this close.
He quirked a dark eyebrow at that. "It's me," he echoed, his tone sounding like he was making fun of her but Kagome couldn't put her finger on how. "You and me're paired up."
"Are we?"
He nodded, his eyes turning to Sango, who mumbled under her breath, "Well, that's serendipitous."
"Let's go," he said, motioning with his head towards the beer pong table. "We're up next."
Kagome's eyes narrowed at him as he turned away, like he was trying to shepherd her along. "You're not even gonna introduce yourself first?"
Mr. Serious Stare stalled at that, his gaze turning stony as he sneered down at her over a long, slender nose. "Inuyasha."
Kagome returned his furrowed stare. "Is that supposed to be a medicine, or...?"
He scoffed an exaggerated blast in the base of his throat. "That's my name, dumbass," he snorted. "I'm Inuyasha."
Her eyes narrowed at him further. Was this really the same beautiful man she'd been staring at pretty consistently for the past thirty minutes? He was definitely all bark and...more bark and maybe a little bite. He was...sassy, crude, definitely rough around the edges.
Kagome couldn't help but focus on the little white triangles atop his head that flicked in every which direction as he surveyed his environment.
"You gonna keep starin' at me or can we actually go play this stupid game?"
Kagome stared at him even harder. "I'm pretty sure you were staring at me first," she scoffed under her breath.
"Come again?" he barked.
Kagome harrumphed and jutted her chin out at him. "You've been staring at me, Inuyasha. Ever since I got here."
"You got a point to make?"
Her cheeks flushed with irritation. "You can't give me shit for staring when you were staring too!"
He rolled his eyes. "I'm not starin' atcha now, dummy. You wanna play this dumb game or not?"
"Oh, she does," Sango piped in, causing both Inuyasha and Kagome to snap their heads in her direction, like they forgot others were around. "Kagome was the best beer pong player in our friend group in uni. Your competitors don't stand a chance!"
"Sango, dearest," Miroku chuckled, approaching the three and wrapping an arm around Sango's waist, which she promptly slapped away, "we are their competitors."
Sango knit her brow, her head snapping between the two men and Kagome, and Kagome couldn't help but laugh as she wrapped her arm around Sango's shoulders and guided her friend to the beer pong table.
"Be gentle with me," Sango yelled over to Kagome, who now stood on the other end of the beer pong table, the cups adjusted and ready for the next round.
"But, Sango, you were just saying earlier how much you liked it rough and har—"
"Kagome Higurashi!"
Kagome guffawed so vigorously her stomach hurt and tears threatened to smudge her mascara. When Miroku side-saddled up to Sango to inquire about her interest in roughness, Kagome was genuinely shocked that Miroku survived that comment unscathed—that had to be a sign that Sango liked him. When the heat of Inuyasha's body appeared next to her, Kagome's tittering faded to silence and she gazed at him through her periphery. He was tall and built and Kagome felt something flutter in her stomach over how good he smelled, like sandalwood and cedar, woodsy, earthy, with a warm spice that pleased Kagome's nostril with every inhalation of him.
Coming down from her laughter, she shot a smile up at Inuyasha who frowned back down at her. Kagome quickly lost all interest in humour as she scoffed indignantly and rolled her eyes at being partnered with Mr. Kill Joy.
"You two ready to be pummeled by our prowess?" Miroku goaded, causing Inuyasha to turn away from Kagome and roll his eyes.
"You're all talk, Miroku," the hanyou replied with a snide tone, a wry grin snaking from his lips. "You two don't stand a chance." He snorted. "That is if my new partner doesn't drag me down."
Kagome couldn't roll her eyes harder. "Please," she spat with a shrill scoff that had him turning his head to look at her, "you just worry about your half of the table, alright? And do your best, Inuyasha, to not drag me down."
Inuyasha exhaled a curt, blunt laugh. "You even know how to play?"
"Obviously," she replied hotly, "I wouldn't've signed up if I didn't know how."
"How should I know that?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "She could just be the kinda girl who likes havin' others carry her to victory."
"And you could just be the kinda boy who gets off on feeling holier than thou to perfect strangers!"
"Holier than thou?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes so hard and so sarcastically it made Kagome want to smack him. "Not my fault if I'm just better at the game than you."
"We haven't even played yet! How would you know that you're better? Which you're not! I probably threw around more ping pong balls during my four years of university than you probably have your entire life!"
Inuyasha turned to face her fully, his hand resting on the table as he leaned over, bringing himself closer to her eye-level. "She has previous experience handling balls, does she?"
Kagome flushed and pushed an accusing finger into the centre of his—dangerously and attractively firm—chest. "She's an expert at handling balls," Kagome deadpanned, "especially little white balls that need to be put in their place."
Inuyasha's cheeks flushed, prompting her to grin up at him wryly. "J-just don't miss, alright?" he snapped, clearly flustered. "There's no way I'm allowin' myself to lose to fuckin' Miroku of all people."
Kagome snorted, turning away from him, feeling the heat radiating from her cheeks. "Don't distract me and I won't miss."
Inuyasha pounced on that. "Distract you? How the hell would I distract you?" He snorted a curt laugh. "Not my fault you find me attractive."
She flushed, her heart speeding up. "I didn't say I found you attractive!"
"So, you're saying I'm unattractive then, Kagome?"
"I-I'm not saying that either!"
"So which is it? I can't be both attractive and not attractive at the same time?"
"Inuyasha!"
"What?"
"Y-you're holding up the game!" She accused, barely able to meet his eye.
He snorted. "Hey, Miroku," he called over the table, "you mind if Kagome and me wrap this up before we—?"
"Not at all, my friend," Miroku chortled from the other side of the table. Apparently, he and Sango had been engaged in their own dialogue and started to ignore Kagome and Inuyasha shortly after the first of their quips were fired.
Inuyasha gestured an arm over the table in vindication, a cocky eyebrow high on his forehead. God, Kagome wanted to smack him. "See? Now, you don't gotta worry about holdin' up the game by not givin' me an answer."
Kagome's heart was pounding as she stared up incredulously as this beautifully intimidating and infuriating man. "An answer to what?"
"Whether you find me attractive. I think you do," he said with a sly grin, "otherwise, why go to all the effort to stare at me all night?"
"I wasn't staring at you all night."
"No? What would you call earlier then? Every time I looked at you, you were already lookin' at me."
"Well," she spat, her hands in fists, "why were you looking at me? Do you find me attractive?"
Inuyasha's cheeks coloured and Kagome couldn't help but feel a little vindicated herself. "I-I asked you first."
She snorted. "What're you, twelve? I don't care that you asked me first. I just asked you if you think I'm hot. So?" He steadfastly looked everywhere but her. "Inuyasha!"
"What?"
"Answer the question!"
"Why does it matter if I find you hot or not?"
"B-because!"
"That's not a reason!" He yelled, his cheeks redder.
"Yes, it is! Just tell me why you were staring at me."
"Because you were starin' at me!"
Kagome growled at him with frustration, stomping her foot. "You know—"
"Hey, uh, you guys gonna get your round started soon, or—?"
When the brown-haired gym bro interjected with his hands out in a cautionary, defensive maneuver, he startled when Inuyasha and Kagome both yelled at him in unison to "Shut up!"
Kagome sighed, running a vexed hand through her bangs and blowing out a breath. "Obviously I find you attractive, Inuyasha," she admitted in a small voice, not looking at him. "You don't have to be an asshole about it."
"I'm an asshole?"
"Yes!" she cried, turning to him abruptly. "You're picking a fight with me for literally no reason."
"I have a reason!"
She quirked an eyebrow at him and he looked away quickly, rubbing at the back of his neck. "You really just getting off on making me feel badly for being assigned your partner? That I'm going to be the reason we lose? Not very sportsmanlike of you," she puffed indignantly.
"I wasn't getting off on anything, Kagome," he groused, leaning over her.
She flushed and cast her eyes low until she was staring at her boots. "I should hope not," she mumbled under her breath, "'cause that would be highly inappropriate."
"Whatever," Inuyasha scoffed. He turned from her suddenly, grabbing four ping pong balls in one hand, offering two to Kagome. "Here," he snapped, not looking at her.
Kagome smirked, trying to ignore how raggedly her pulse thrummed in her chest. "You offering me balls as a peace offering, Inuyasha?"
His flush deepened and Kagome couldn't withhold a faint tickling giggle in the back of her throat. "Just...don't suck alright?"
At the sound of Miroku's boisterous laughter, both Kagome and Inuyasha's heads shot up, their faces flushed and red. "You do realize, Inuyasha, that you just told an attractive woman you don't want her to suck your balls?"
Sango gasped and thwacked Miroku in the arm with the back of her hand. Kagome covered her face with both palms absolutely mortified when a bunch of gym bros around them started Oohing with laughter in response.
"God, you're an asshole, Miroku," Inuyasha groaned to the ceiling, his face a bright flush. "Can we just play this stupid fuckin' game now?"
"We've been waiting for you and Kagome to wrap up your domestic, Inuyasha," Miroku jeered with a sickly-sweet smile. When Kagome met his eye, Miroku winked at her. "Ladies first, Kagome."
"You guys won the last round," Kagome argued, her flush settling, "shouldn't you go first?"
"Fair point," Miroku answered. He held out two ping pong balls to Sango. "Sango, my love, my balls are yours to do with what you will."
"Ew," the brunette responded under her breath, staring down the offering then looking back at Miroku. "Why don't, uh, you keep those and go first?"
Miroku chuckled. "I can certainly take the lead, Sango, but first, I'm dying to know—"
"Fuck, here we go," Inuyasha groaned from the other side of the table.
"—Are you wi-fi? 'Cause, girl, I'm totally feeling a connection." There were audible groans around them and Miroku stifled a quiet laugh. "No? Okay, well, how about...Can you do telekinesis, Sango? Because you've made a part of me move without even touching it."
"Ew," Sango repeated at the same time more groans echoed around them that had Miroku laughing boyishly.
"Can we just play the fuckin' game, please?" Inuyasha shouted across the table, his hands on his hips.
Noticing he still had the ping pong balls in his clutch, Kagome's fingers brushed Inuyasha's as she tried to collect the two he had offered her earlier that she didn't take. His eyes snapped to hers quickly and she flinched in response. "I-I'm just taking the balls."
His eyes snapped a path between his hand, the ping pong balls, her hands, and her eyes. After a few rotations, a sly smirk grew from one side of his face. "Oh, right, I forgot how masterful she is with balls."
Kagome scoffed an outraged little noise. "More masterful than you," she grumbled.
"I should hope so," Inuyasha snorted crudely, "given I'm not in the habit of playin' with balls."
"Other than your own," she answered flippantly. A tinge of redness sprouted over the bridge of Inuyasha's nose that had her mentally fist pumping with victory despite the redness on her own face.
Kagome was grateful when Miroku started the game. Inuyasha was the first one to sink a ping pong ball in one of Sango's cups and then Kagome followed suit with another ball on Sango's side.
"This feels like bullying," Sango cried when she emerged from a gasping sip.
Miroku leaned into the table with his head hanging low. "Good lord, Sango," he gasped, causing the woman's brow to furrow with worry not knowing what was wrong with him all of a sudden. "That was such an alluring little sound you just made. It makes me want to ask you: what's the difference between a cheeseburger and an erection? You're not giving me a cheeseburger right now."
"Ew, Miroku," Sango cried, reluctantly snickering. She stepped away from him with a wrinkled nose. "Stop."
"Because they're so good."
"No," Sango couldn't help but laugh, "they're so bad."
He grinned. "So bad, they're good?"
Kagome could only laugh brightly, which Miroku seemed to appreciate. The exchange had Inuyasha scoffing with an exaggerated roll of his eyes, complaining under his breath that she shouldn't encourage the pervert.
On the next round, Miroku sunk a ball in one of Kagome's cups, then Inuyasha had a double jump that removed two cups on Miroku's side and Kagome got one more on Sango's side.
"Only one?" Inuyasha clicked his tongue at Kagome with an admonishing shake of his head. "What happened to you bein' better than me?"
"Are you kidding me right now? I haven't missed yet and you're still giving me shit? You're an asshole," she grumbled, turning her focus back on the game.
After a few more rounds, and pauses in the game when Kagome finally missed and Inuyasha wouldn't let her hear the end of it, Inuyasha and Kagome found themselves in the lead. Sango only had one cup remaining and Miroku had three. It was Kagome's turn once more and she was so frustrated, so riled up, so high on the competitiveness Inuyasha seemed to bring out in her, and so stupidly attracted to the asshole, that she couldn't stop herself when she said, "If I get this next shot, I get one of your drink tickets."
Inuyasha sucked his teeth. "Sorry to disappoint, sweetheart, but I don't got any left."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "First, don't call me sweetheart, and second, fine, I don't need a drink ticket. But if I get this shot, my next drink is on you."
"It is, is it?" He raised a playful eyebrow at her and she sneered up at him smugly.
"If I get the shot, yes."
"Feelin' thirsty, Kagome?"
She raised her chin a little higher. "Parched."
He chuckled, turning to her and simultaneously taking a step closer so his chin almost poked her forehead. "Alright, I'll bite. She gets this shot, I'll buy her a drink."
When Kagome landed her shot in Sango's remaining cup, there was a loud cheer from the crowd. Kagome had to admit she was a little appreciative and wickedly pleased when someone in the crowd started to chant Buy her drink. Apparently, the meatheads in the crowd were equally as invested in the competition Kagome had instigated.
"You hear the people," Kagome teased, "I'll take a whiskey ginger-ale, if you please."
He rolled his eyes. "Her highness want that now or can we finish the game first?"
Kagome beamed up at him. "Her highness will permit the delay."
"Our gracious sovereign," Inuyasha mocked with a simper that had Kagome chuckling.
The next time it was Inuyasha's turn, Kagome heard herself saying, "You miss this shot, you have to dance after the game is over."
"Excuse me?" he snapped. "I don't dance."
Kagome snorted. "Better not miss your shot then."
"I'm not dancin', Kagome!"
"Yeah, I heard you," she answered with a dismissive wave of her hand. "But you don't have a counteroffer, so..."
"What?"
She shrugged. "It's a game, Inuyasha. Cite your terms. I told you that you have to dance with me if you miss. If you don't miss—" She gestured at him to fill in the blank.
His stare turned molten. "If I land this shot, you have to kiss me."
Kagome didn't know what made her blush deepen more, the instigating ooh from the crowd in response to what Inuyasha said, Miroku's proud cheer of Inuyasha's forwardness, or the fact that Inuyasha would even want a kiss from her given all the bickering and arguing they'd been doing. His comment...startled her to the point her heart was beating so fast she couldn't focus on anything else.
"Alright, fine," she responded quietly, her face hot and eyes low.
"I don't know what I want to see happen now," Miroku cried to Sango mirthfully. "Not that I want another cup to disappear, but I certainly think a kiss would—"
When Inuyasha tossed the little white ball with a flourish of his wrist, Kagome could have sworn she heard the crowd take a collective deep breath and hold it until the ball sunk into Miroku's cup with a dull plunk.
The crowd of onlookers had no right getting as excited as they did that Inuyasha landed the shot and she, therefore, now had to kiss him. Kagome's heart was a treacherous beat that hammered with desire and glee, like the organ had the audacity to have been rooting for Inuyasha to win.
When Inuyasha turned to her expectantly with pinkened cheeks and an expectant, pleased little smile, she turned her nose up at him. Her cheeks burned. "You get your kiss when I get my drink."
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "I get my kiss now."
They stood in a silent standoff for a few seconds, which Kagome chose to end for fear he would hear how loudly her heart was pounding. "Why?"
"'Cause maybe I don't think she'll stand firm on the bargain."
"I wouldn't do that!"
"No?"
"No!"
He smirked. "Then give me my well-earned reward, Kagome."
She rolled her eyes, her heart hiccupping when Inuyasha took a step closer to her. "I wouldn't go as far as to call it well-earned—I mean, you did only toss a tiny ball into a cup, so—" She shrugged.
"Kagome..."
"What?"
He quirked an eyebrow at her that made her gulp audibly. "My kiss, please."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
She looked up at him. Her cheeks grew redder. Her heart beat harder. Her breaths became faster as Inuyasha's head descended towards her. All she could do was stare at his lips. Her eyes refused to look anywhere else except for the gorgeous peak of his cupid's bow and the gall of his slick, pink tongue slipping out to moisten his bottom lip.
Kagome pressed her palm to the centre of his chest, surprised by the heat of him but pleased by the small hitch in his breath from her unexpected contact. She fought back a smile but lost. She wanted her touch to unravel him and make him feel as flustered as she did. Kagome was glad to see his cheeks flush and his eyes turn away from hers.
"You really wanted me to kiss you, huh, Inuyasha?" His eyes snuck to hers in acknowledgement before crawling away again and Kagome giggled softly, breathily. "Alright, fine," she sighed, her words painting his lips. She was hyper aware of the moist warmth of his exhales on her cheeks, drifting over her forehead. Her next words were barely audible, as if she didn't have enough strength behind her breath to push them out. "To the victor go the spoils, I guess."
One hand on his chest, the other braved the ascent to his face and her palm gently cupped his cheek. Pushing up on her toes, leading with her chin, her eyes closed, and she kissed him.