Kagome’s Secret Service by Luna

Kagome’s Secret Service

Standard disclaimer applies. I do not own Inuyasha.

Summary: Kagome fell in love with a voice. It was crazy, stupid, but she couldn’t help it. It wasn’t as if she’d ever meet the man in person anyways… right? Then again, it IS Valentine’s Day, and you never know who might come knockin’ at your door!

Rated MA, because my r0o wouldn’t have it any other way <3

Happy Valentine’s Day, r0ominator!

…

Kagome’s Secret Service

To: Sugar0o

By: Luna

…

Kagome fell in love with a voice.

It was crazy, crazily stupid, crazily crazy – but she had. And she looked forward every Wednesday night at eight o’clock sharp to hearing the dark, deep timbre of his voice, like smooth whiskey, but without the sting. She’s heard that voice go cool like a glacier, hot and dark with passion, low and smooth as silk, and whisper as soft as a butterfly wing. She loved his voice; there were so many nuances to it, that often times she would get so fascinated that she would almost forget that their world was one of pretend – and she was charging him by the hour.

Because Kagome has never even seen his face. In her line of work, she never did.

She moaned, letting the sound of pleasure build deep into her chest before letting the syllables roll off her tongue, her breath coming out in short pants. “Touch me more, baby, fuck me so hard I see stars.”

“Hell yeah,” a voice – not her favorite – panted like some inexperienced schoolboy. She supposed, in a way, that was probably exactly what he was. His voice was nice too, she supposed. But she’s heard so many that only her favorite really stood out.

She panted, as if affected by his would-be thrusts. “Oh, that feels so good. Harder, please, harder. Tell me what you’d like to do to me.”

“I want to spread your legs wide, watching as my dick thrusts deep inside you. I’ll run my thumb over your clit, then watch your eyes go wide with pleasure. Then I’m gonna smack it, smack it hard, and listen to you scream as you orgasm.” His voice was breathless with pleasure, rising with each word until she was almost positive he came already.

“Oh God, slap me again. I love it when you’re rough. I love…” Kagome drew a few more lines on her doodle, before studying it for a moment, judging her own expertise even as her breath quickened and she let out a keening cry, followed by his voice shouting out his release. Kagome checked her watch. Man, right on time. She wondered how he was able to time it perfectly every single time; she was the master at faking orgasms, and she could hear one a mile away – he definitely wasn’t faking. “Thank you, baby,” she murmured into her phone. “I hope that was as good for you as it was for me. Till next time.”

She snapped her cell phone shut, reaching for her notebook and writing down an impressive number before she continued with her sketch of the ocean. She sold her voice for twenty dollars every fifteen minutes, forty for a half hour, and so on. Baby-Daddy voice always paid for two hours of her time; he liked foreplay more than the actual act, and loved going into detail before he might have actually done something.

She had other callers that paid fairly well; Trekky-Voice loved it when she played Dr. Dehner – when Trekky first placed his call, while she processed his payment she had to hurriedly look up the character and attempted to act like a slutty version of her fast. She much preferred to be Princess Leia; she grew up on Star Wars, not Star Trek, and it was easier to role play with characters she knew. Apparently she pleased him enough, for he called almost every other night for Dr. Dehner.

Sometimes she played the submissive role, and other times men wanted her voice to dominate them. To Kagome, it was all for work; she wasn’t really like who she was on the phone. In fact, the real Kagome has only had sex once, which was an embarrassing ordeal, to say the least, and convinced her that real sex was for dummies. When she graduated college with her degree in creative writing that got her promptly nowhere, Kagome found herself stuck in debt and no clear way out of it.

Until someone suggested she talk her way out of it – literally. There were many men who paid over and over again for make believe sex they’d never get in real life. Kagome happily charged them for it; after all, it was just her voice. She didn’t consider herself a slut, like she had been accused of before. It was her voice she sold, not her body. The way she saw it, the only difference between her and a celebrity singer was the fact that celebrities sang of love and heartbreak – Kagome’s voice only sang for pleasure.

It wasn’t a profession she went around bragging about. Even she knew a job like hers wasn’t looked highly upon. But with no credentials, and no way out of her debt, it wasn’t as if Kagome had a choice.

Her work phone rang. Checking it, she noticed it was Dominate-Me-voice. Checking her wall clock, she gauged her time and determined if she could take his call; Sexy Voice would call in twenty minutes. Dominate-Me usually only lasted ten.

She picked up the phone.

“What the fuck do you want?” She snapped, deciding that she would paint her ocean scene with watercolors; it would match the dreamy mood she had been in when she caught sight of the ocean last time she ventured outside.

“I’ve been a bad boy today,” the voice, surprising in its deep, husky quality; when he had first called, the last thing she had expected was the owner of such a deep voice to be into being dominated. But then again, when she first started in this business she hadn’t expected a lot of things, but when she checked her bank account after two weeks and nearly fainted at the amount, she had learned pretty fast. She had a set up where the callers had to put in their payment information first, and they would automatically be charged depending on how long they managed to last. She focused when she heard the whine low in his voice.

“You naughty boy.” Her voice was hard, not as teasing as the words might sound . She tsk’d angrily in her throat even as she selected a light, airy blue. “You touched yourself without my permission again, didn’t you?”

“Yes, Mistress.” His deep voice shuddered in shame – and repressed pleasure.

As she swiped her first stroke across her canvas, Kagome beat the man down into a pile of humiliated pleasure – then ordered that he call her back if he went against her word again.

She barely hung up when her phone rang again, and her heart jumped in her throat when she recognized his number. Eyes darkening, Kagome chose a vivid red for her sunset, mixed in with a dark, dusky orange. “Hello?”

“Today was hell again.” His voice was tired today. She was sure not everyone would be able to detect the note of weariness in the cool voice, but she had studied it almost religiously so that she knew each and every octave. It was crazy obsessive, but Kagome knew she’d never meet him, and wasn’t all that worried; she rarely left her apartment since her phone was ringing almost constantly, and she would be too embarrassed to take one of her calls in public.

“Oh no,” she murmured, painting her sky in bold, passionate colors. “I’m so sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama. What happened today?”

Sometimes it was like this. The first time he called, he literally had only wanted to talk. It was such a big city, and from what she gathered he didn’t have much in the way of family and friends, and he was lonely. Moved more than he could know, Kagome had talked to him for hours that first night, letting him tell her every stress, every secret, every private pain. He had talked until his voice faded, and then, very quietly, he thanked her and hung up. It was only when she had charged him did Kagome ever feel sick about her job.

Sesshoumaru-sama was obviously a very lonely man – and a workaholic, at that. Kagome had felt happy that she was able to be there for such a beautiful voice, one that hadn’t wanted her for sex. He never gave her his full name – she doubted his real name was Killing Perfection, but that was all right with her. She didn’t need to know his name in order to be there, if only for him to make a once a week call to an anonymous girl who was willing – and being paid – to listen.

“My brother came back from America. He’s now tattooed all over, wears ridiculous clothes, and bought what he called a ‘chopper’.” Sesshoumaru’s voice was aggrieved.

Kagome resisted a smile as she chose a much softer color to paint the sand; the only thing that pained her about using watercolors was that she wasn’t able to show the sparkling of the sand as it glittered gold in the sunlight. “A motorcycle?”

“Yes,” he sighed, annoyed. “I don’t know why he did that. Tattoos and bikes aren’t going to get him a job in the corporate world.”

“Not everyone aspires to be a businessman, Sesshoumaru-sama.” She told him gently. “If getting tattoos and being a badass makes him happy, you shouldn’t try to change him. Let him find his own way in life.”

“Hnn,” Sesshoumaru didn’t sound very pleased. “You sound like my step-mother.”

Kagome laughed. “I’m sorry. Should I sound like someone else, instead?”

“You can sound like you,” he told her, his voice deepening, “If you can tell me what you’re wearing right now.”

Kagome let her finished watercolor dry as she walked over to her bed and stretched out, a smile lingering on her lips as she let his voice lull her. “Mmm. What would you like me to wear?”

“Nothing.”

Kagome’s smile widened as she looked down at her worn flannel pajamas and the baggy t-shirt she usually wore when she painted. As an afterthought, she took off her shirt in case she accidentally got some paint on it; she didn’t want to stain her new bedspread like she had the last one. “I’m sorry to disappoint you. I’ve actually just got out of the shower. I’m wearing pink underwear, a robe, and a smile.”

The underwear and smile she didn’t have to lie about. His was slowly starting to get relaxed; she could hear it as he said, “I was hoping you’d be naked.”

“Nope. But I’m taking off my robe now. My skin is still soft and wet from my shower, little drops of water still clinging to my skin, running down my back and legs. I have to pat my skin dry, gently, before I slowly spread cream across every inch. I like it when my skin is soft and smooth, so when I run my hands down my sides it’s like touching warm silk. I want it to be soft… for you.” She ran her free hand down her arm as spoke, then her body in light, teasing caresses. Only with him did she touch herself; he was special. No one else deserved her real pleasure.

“I want to touch you. I wish I was able to kiss you.” His smooth murmur gave her goose-bumps.

Kagome watched her skin pebble all over with a smile. “Where?”

“Your neck. There’s something very beautiful and elegant about a woman’s neck.” He told her softly, and she could almost imagine smooth lips caressing her there, kissing her gently. She let her fingertips trail up her stomach, in between the valley of her breasts, and up to her neck to let the tips of her fingers dance over where she imagined his lips would be.  “Then I’d work my way up to your beautiful mouth, and kiss you softly, slowly.”

“Mmm,” she whispered it, softly, because the Sesshoumaru she was imagining in her mind really was kissing her – kissing her like she was someone he cherished, like she was someone important. She let her fingers caress her lips, and parted them as her fingers barely traced the inside of her lips. “I love it when you kiss me like that. I’m holding you now, can’t you feel it?” She whispered, closing her eyes and picturing it in her mind. The imaginary Sesshoumaru was just as beautiful as his voice. “I’m running my hands down your back, soothing all those aches away.”

“Hnn,” his voice was soft this time, and even a little sad. “No one in real life would touch me like that.”

Kagome didn’t want her imaginary lover to fade; it sounded as if he was getting ready to hang up already. “I would,” she told him. “Someone who works as hard as you deserves to have someone do something for you every now and then.”

“How would you take care of me?” He whispered, sounding so tired her heart ached.

“I’d love you how you want to be loved,” she said, and realized her error when the breath on the other end froze. To cover herself, she added smoothly, “I’d be soft, just like now, when you’re tired from working all day. Then I’d speed up, going a little faster, a little harder. I’d kiss your chest, biting just a little, and kiss my way down until…”

His breath came in short puffs, and she imagined him touching himself, stroking his cock with his large hands as her voice flowed over him like hot honey. “And then?” He prompted.

“I’d touch you, very gently, almost teasingly, around the base of your penis,” she whispered, her hands moving down to trace the vee of her thighs over her pajama pants. She dipped her hands into her panties, and traced the seam of her womanhood. “I’d run my nails up your thighs, then lightly over your balls, circling the base again before I ran my fingertips up the sides of your dick before I gently circled the tip.”

“Tease,” he murmured, his voice going dark with pleasure. He was touching himself, she knew he was.

“Oh yes,” she told him breathlessly. “I’d kiss the tip, then slowly, slowly take it in my mouth, running my tongue in circles as I swallowed it deeper and deeper. I’d roll your balls in the palm of my hand, memorizing their shape and texture, their weight. Not soft, but a little hard as I sucked just a little bit harder, stroked you just a little bit faster.”

“My hands would be in your hair,” he murmured. “I’d guide your head, up and down, and then I’d push even harder and see if you can swallow me whole.”

“I’d take every inch,” she told him, her fingers sliding into her moist folds to circle her clit. Her breath caught in her throat when she stroked her clit hard. “Then I’d swallow and let my throat convulse around you, before I pulled out until just the tip is still in my mouth, and then I’d suck hard, just once, before I started to kiss my way down until I reached your balls again.”

“And then?” His breath hitched, as if he knew what she was going to say. Kagome slid her fingers inside, as deep as they could go, and thrust in over and over in slow, silky glides.

“And then I’d take them in my mouth one at a time and suck gently, feeling as they tightened in my mouth even as your body shuddered in ecstasy.”

“God, yes.” Sesshoumaru groaned, and in the background she imagined she heard his hands stroking himself hard and fast.

“But you can’t come yet, not yet.” She told him warningly. “I’d pull back, then crawl on top of you, resting my hands on your shoulders for balance.” Kagome looked at the clock regrettably. If he was already this close to coming, she knew that he would hang up soon and she wouldn’t be able to hear him until next week. “I’d hover, just over the tip, so you can feel how wet I am.”

“I want to touch you,” he told her darkly. “Kiss you in your most intimate of places. I want to know every part of you.”

She blushed, imaging his head down there doing God knows what – her imagination was great, but real time experience was very limited; she had never experienced in real life what he was describing to her now. What would it feel like, she wondered, to have a man kiss her down there? To lick her clit like it was an aphrodisiac and thrust his tongue as deep as he could, and then… well, she wasn’t quite sure what else would happen, but she was positive it would be glorious.

“Next time,” she promised him, a hint of regret in her voice. “I want you too bad to wait. After all, you’ve been at the office all day, and I’ve been waiting just for you. Don’t let me wait any longer, Sesshoumaru-sama.”

“Come down on me, hard.” He told her, his voice gruff and husky with desire. “And ride me as fast and as hard as you can. I’ll help you, with my hands on your hips, guiding down my shaft. Oh God, I can almost feel you convulsing around me, hugging me like a fucking glove. After such a tiring day, I don’t want you to be gentle now. I want you to be hard, a little rough, a little fast. I burn for you.”

Kagome dipped her fingers into her moist center again and again, crying out as she circled her clit with her fingers before pressing down, then moving lower to alternately thrust in with her fingers before moving back to pinch her clit. So close. Already, she was so close. She wouldn’t reach it though; she had never been able to orgasm by herself, not even with his voice guiding her. She wasn’t quite sure how to go about it, and despite what she said to men, even though she was alone she still felt embarrassed when she tried touching herself, so she generally avoided it.

But his voice was so beautiful, so sensuous; she had to at least touch a little…

“Oh, my God, I’m coming!” She cried out, and when his breath shuddered in her ear, she smiled in satisfaction at his low groan, even as her own cried out its dissatisfaction. What did an orgasm feel like, anyways…?

“Thank you,” he murmured to her, and for a moment Kagome felt tears prick her eyes because she knew what he would say next. “Until next time…”

Even when she heard him hang up, she kept the phone to her ear for a long, long time.

…

Kagome peeked out her apartment door the next morning, looking both ways before she slid out and carefully closed it behind her, taking the time to lock all seven deadbolts. She wasn’t paranoid, just safe. At least, that’s what she told herself. The neighborhood she lived in was sketchy at best, and she liked to escape in the early morning when most of her apartment’s inhabitants were still sleeping.

Forgoing the noisy service elevator (which broke down more times than it was working) she tiptoed down the stairs and into sunlight, squinting a little when it hurt her eyes. When was the last time she had been outside…? A week, Kagome thought, frowning as she tucked her hands into her sweater and walked to the bus stop. No, probably more like two weeks. She usually stocked up on thirty cent ramen that lasted her that long before she dared venture back outside.

She supposed, she thought as she boarded the bus, that she could go back and live with her mother. But she couldn’t. Pride, she had learned once she graduated college with nothing but debt, was a very hard thing to swallow. She didn’t feel as if she was able to go back anymore; she would never be able to tell her mother what she did for a living – at least not until she found a better job.

Lucky for Kagome, the bus stopped about a block away from the convenience store; she wouldn’t have to travel far carrying bags of ramen, but she had her trusty yellow back pack with her, so it wouldn’t be too bad. Right before she walked into the store, the park across the street caught her eye, and she hesitated. Ever since she took her odd job, she became more reclusive than a mole. Early morning was her only time to really do anything when she needed supplies, since it was the only time that everyone was still asleep. It had been so long since she’s been to the park…

Spending some of her money, she bought a bottle of a coveted soda pop (she could never afford bottled drinks, since everything she earned went straight into rent, her phone bill, paint supplies (her one luxury), and sometimes, on food. She knew that her ramen diet had turned her into a skinny, shapeless person, but she was barely able to feed herself as is, and ramen was the cheapest kind of food she could find.

Kagome looked both ways before running across the street. Walking a little more leisurely, she breathed in deeply. Grass, trees, flowers… everything smelled so fresh in the mornings. She used to love walking through the park near her home, but since bus fare was too expensive to travel that far, she usually only saw her mother once a month when she scrounged up enough money to make the trip.

Reverently, Kagome opened up her soda, but right before she was about to take a drink, something hard knocked her up against her shoulder and her soda went flying out of her hand, spraying the ground and emptying within seconds.

“Oh, no!” Kagome cried, kneeling down by the spilt drink with tears gleaming in her eyes. It had cost so much money! She could have bought six ramen with what she spent on that one soda.

“Excuse me.” A deep voice, arctic, a little stiff, intoned above her.

Kagome froze, her blood heating up before freezing just as abruptly, making her feel a little dizzy. She knew that voice. Slowly, she looked up from her position on the ground. The man’s face dazzled her, just as she knew it would. Silver hair cut stylishly around a masculine face too gorgeous for words, his gray suit and cobalt tie standing out like a sore thumb in the dingy park.

What was he doing here?

Her heart beating wildly, Kagome could do nothing but stare, scared out of her mind. What if he recognized her voice like she recognized his? Sure, Sesshoumaru’s facial expression was so cold as to give frostbite, and he looked about as warm as an ice cube, but what would she do if she spoke and she was able to see his face change? What kind of expression would he make, anyways? Surprise? Confusion?

Disgust?

It was the disgust that scared her into silence. So, in silence, Kagome only stared.

Sesshoumaru scowled down at the pretty girl kneeling in the dirt at his feet. Sure, he hadn’t meant to run into her so hard, but he didn’t think she was hurt from it. Instead, she sounded more heartbroken over a spilled drink.  When she had at first turned those wide blue eyes on him, Sesshoumaru had felt frozen. The girl was indeed very beautiful, if a little on the skinny side. Her blue-black hair gleamed in the early morning sunlight, and while her skin was a little on the pale side, it was smooth and blemish free.

“I’m lost,” he finally said, his voice curt. “I’ll pay you a hundred dollars to guide me back to the main road.”

Kagome felt a pinch of fear; being a recluse so long had made her a little uneasy about the outside world – and because of that thought she bolstered her courage and stood, sniffling only a little from the spilled drink. Besides, he said he’d pay her just to walk him two streets over. Without another word Sesshoumaru pulled out some bills, giving her half up front.

“The rest,” he told her coldly, “you’ll get after you guide me there.”

In this neighborhood, the thought of getting fifty dollars alone would cause them to take off running. But this was Sesshoumaru, her fantasy man in the flesh – and she needed the extra fifty dollars. “This way!” She said, forcing herself to sound cheerful, then went into a coughing fit at his sharp look, having forgotten to mask her voice. She made herself breathe through her mouth only, the effect making her sound slightly nasal. “It’s not that far away.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as he frowned at nothing, probably thinking he was hearing things – or maybe he just couldn’t place her voice. She cleared her throat. “How did you get this far anyways? I can’t see someone like you conducting business in a place like this.”

“In a place like this?” He repeated, his voice smooth as silk, with a slightly edged tone. She wondered why that term made him angry; he had money written all over him.

“The slums,” she clarified, even though it was obvious he hadn’t really meant for her to. “Well, not really the slum slums, but you know what I mean.”

“No, I’m sure I don’t.” He said coldly. “I was on my way to a business meeting. My car was hijacked by someone hoping to get a ransom for me, but they were mistaken in thinking I was defenseless.”

There was a cold look in his eyes that made her wonder. “Did you kill him?”

His look was still cold, but she could see surprise in the slight incline of his brow. “Of course not. I’m a business man, not a criminal.”

“I’m sure that’s what the mafia says too,” she said candidly, mainly just to needle him.

He sent her an irritated look. “I wouldn’t know.”

She had no idea he was so high-handed and stuffy in real life; a real snob. It might have been disappointing – if she didn’t already know how he really was. Inside, he was a very warm person – and just as lonely as she was, if not more so. Perhaps it was because of this she could take his cold comments and sidelong looks of disgust at the neighborhood she lived in. Or perhaps she was still so amazed to see Sexy Voice come to life that she was willing to overlook it.

“So where does someone like you work?” She asked, rolling her eyes at his quick look of suspicion. “Don’t worry,” she told him candidly. “I can barely afford the bus to get to the park. I can’t pay for three bus fares in one day. There’s the one trip to the store, and the one trip back to my apartment. I won’t stalk or try to kidnap you, honest.”

Sesshoumaru huffed. “I work at Taisho Corps.”

He was the CEO of the most influential business in Japan, Kagome thought, awed. She knew he was a CEO from their weekly conversations, but she hadn’t known of what. Suddenly, she felt very, very small standing next to him, and hated herself for it. Her job didn’t make her less of a person, after all. She lifted her chin a little in determination, keeping her smile fixed firmly on her face. “That’s impressive. I bet you get pretty stressed working in a place like that.”

“What makes you say that?” He asked, his voice sharp.

Kagome blinked in surprised, wondering at his tone. Was he always such a jerk? Why was he so suspicious of her? They were only questions, after all. But then again, he did just get carjacked and stranded in the middle of (to him) nowhere…

He was still a jerk. No wonder he didn’t have real friends; during their conversations, Kagome assumed it was because he was too busy and didn’t give himself time to socialize. Now she wondered if it was just because he was a dick. “Because,” she said simply. “Working for such a huge corporation would be stressful for anyone, I imagine.”

“Hnn,” he murmured, but Kagome, who knew his voice so well, heard the disdain. “I’m not sure someone like you would understand.”

Stung, Kagome stopped just where she was. “You’re such an asshole.”

Sesshoumaru stopped too, both eyebrows raised in surprise. “I beg your pardon.”

“Just to let you know, asshole,” she hissed. “I do have a degree from university. I’m not uneducated, and I’m not shy either. Just because I’m poor and in debt up to my eyeballs doesn’t mean I can’t see or understand how someone can be stressed from their job. And just because you’re rich and dressed in silk doesn’t give you the right to look down your nose at me. The main road is that way.” She pointed. “Find your own way out, dick.”

Without looking back, Kagome shoved her hands in her pockets and powerwalked back to the convenience store. It was only when she was back in her apartment with ramen and a sack full of real fruit and canned goods thanks to the fifty dollars Sesshoumaru gave her, did she realize that, during her spiel as she was telling him off, she forgot to mask her voice.

She only prayed that, when he called her next week, he wouldn’t remember.

But, of course, he did.

Or she thought that maybe he did. Because today was a Thursday, but Sesshoumaru had called her anyways. Kagome stared down at her cell phone with wide eyes, and was almost too scared to pick it up.

Kagome picked it up. Of course she did.

“Hello?”

“I met an interesting person today. She called me an asshole.” He gave a considering pause. “And a dick. She was quite crude.” As always, Sesshoumaru got right to the point.

Kagome repressed a smile, even as nerves fluttered in her belly. “Maybe you were being an asshole.”

Sesshoumaru’s silence made her think that he was contemplating that. “Perhaps.”

“You’re early, Sesshoumaru-sama.” Kagome said, licking her lips, suddenly extremely thirsty. She stood up to get a glass of water.

“I supposed her opinion of me irritated me enough to call an expert.” Sesshoumaru told her, and from the tone of his voice Kagome imagined him frowning – frowning, because now she could picture his face in her mind, every detail lovingly crafted.

His words confused her. “Expert?”

“Your help line,” Sesshoumaru explained. “Isn’t that what your ad said? You offer relief to those who desperately need it.  I was surprised to find a help line, and I’m happy I decided to call. I never knew how soothing it was to talk to a complete stranger, and you’ve really helped me.”

“Help… line?” Kagome whispered. Was that what he thought she did? A crisis help line?

“But we’re not really strangers anymore, are we?” His voice dropped down low, the timbre soft and sexy.

“No,” Kagome whispered softly. “No, we’re not.”

He thought she ran a crisis help line. In any other circumstance, perhaps she would have laughed.

Instead, all she wanted to do was cry.

…

Kagome met him again while venturing outside her neighborhood, suddenly ashamed and feeling the need for a different job. The first place she stopped at with a help wanted ad was a fast food chain, WacDonalds. She stood outside, staring in the window at all the people munching on their food, and she felt… sad. Unbearably sad, but for the life of her she couldn’t figure out why.

Just as she couldn’t understand why she couldn’t make herself go inside.

“It’s you again.”

Kagome turned sharply around, staring into the face of her favorite customer. Her eyes were wide, and for a moment she couldn’t speak. Scowling, she took a step away from him. “What are you doing here?”

Sesshoumaru seemed untouched by her attitude, and merely raised a cool brow at her. “It’s a public street. I believe everyone is allowed to be here if they wish.”

Kagome’s heart was still jumping madly, like it always seemed to do when she heard his voice – only now, ever since she met him face to face, it seemed to have worked double time. “Yeah, well.” Kagome kicked at the side walk as she frowned into the window again. “Whatever. See ya.”

Turning, she started walking back to the bus station. It had been a stupid idea to come all the way here. And for what? She was making a living, even if barely. She shouldn’t let a man – even if he was her favorite man – make her feel embarrassed over her type of work, especially since he didn’t even know what she really did in the first place.

A shadow fell over here, and she looked up in surprise to see Sesshoumaru walking right along with her. “What do you what?”

“I just happen to be going this way.” Sesshoumaru replied, his voice cool.

Kagome thought to object, but really, why should she? Swallowing hard, she tried smiling a little. “You were trying to go into WacDonalds, weren’t you?” When Sesshoumaru blinked and looked down at her, Kagome’s smile bloomed fully. “You were! I didn’t think rich people ate food like that!”

Sesshoumaru stared down at her for a few moments longer, a look in his eyes Kagome didn’t recognize, but for whatever reason made her blush. “Er, well, what’s your name, anyways? I’m Kagome. Kagome Higurashi.”

“Sesshoumaru.” He said after a moment. “My name is Sesshoumaru Taisho.”

Staring in disbelief, Kagome couldn’t help but snort out a laugh. The Killing Perfection really was his name. Only Sesshoumaru would give his real name to a phone sex operator. Looking away, Kagome’s smile softened. “What a name.”

“Hnn.”

When Kagome stopped at the bus stop, Sesshoumaru did too. She looked up at him in confusion. “Um, you’re not taking the train, are you?”

“No.” He said, his eyes intense as he looked down at her. “I want to see you again.”

Kagome could only stare. “Why?”

“Perhaps I’m doing a study on obstinate poor girls,” Sesshoumaru snapped furrowing his brow. “What do you mean, why? Women don’t usually act so surprised when a man asks to see them again.”

At that, Kagome’s eyes widened even more. “Are you serious?”

“If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have asked.” Sesshoumaru sounded irritated now. He was staring at her with a scowl. “Give me your number.”

Kagome’s heart thumped dully. “I don’t have a phone number.”

“Everyone has a phone number,” Sesshoumaru snapped. “If you don’t want to see me again, just say so.”

“I do want to see you again!” Kagome blurted before she could stop herself. “But I really don’t have a cell phone. Or a phone phone. Honest.” At least, not one she’d be able to give him. Besides, he technically already had her number – but she couldn’t bear to give it to him again.

Sesshoumaru looked at her with something akin to consternation. “Work number?”

Kagome gave him a disapproving frown. “Work numbers are for work.  Can’t we just… agree to meet up somewhere?”

“Hnn,” Sesshoumaru frowned when the bus pulled up to the stop. “Kagome Higurashi.”

Kagome looked back from her climb up the bus stairs. “What?”

Sesshoumaru smiled slightly as the bus doors started to close. “I will find you again.”

It was foolish, but Kagome hoped he would… and prayed that he wouldn’t.

He did. Their first and second date was at WacDonalds, their third was a day at the zoo. Every day was nothing but happiness for Kagome, even if at night and on Wednesdays Sesshoumaru had stopped calling her. Instead, during their dates he would talk. Not much, but Kagome already knew him so well from her job that it didn’t seem to matter.

Sesshoumaru was such a nice person. She knew others didn’t think so; in fact, she saw it for herself. He was cold, rude, and his manners were horrendous – but, in his own way, he was always gentle with her. She was primping for her date; she had stopped buying her beloved paint to save up for a dress, and even though it was a clearance item at the thrift store, it was the nicest dress she owned. It was a blue cotton dress, and she was also able to get some brown sandals that went with it nicely.

Though she put her cell phone in her purse, it was on silent. It was a Friday night, and she would most likely be up all night. After her date she would have to turn her phone back on, and hopefully her regulars wouldn’t go to other operators; she needed their service.

She stared up at the glossy building of a fancy hotel, already feeling somewhat lightheaded at the amount of bus fare it took her to get there. She still refused to let Sesshoumaru see where she lived; she didn’t want their differences stand out any more clear than they already did.

“Kagome.”

Kagome turned, a smile blooming on her face. “Sesshoumaru-sama!”

There was an intent look in his eyes as he stared at her. Kagome’s blood started pumping, and she knew that tonight he planned on making love with her. “You look beautiful.”

She didn’t, not really. Not compared to him. But she smiled anyways, and thanked him. Her attitude turned a complete one-eighty since their fateful meeting. He was still an ass – and she still called him one when he acted like it – but there was a level of camaraderie between them that made her heart flutter.

He led her into the restaurant, his warm, large hand a reassuring presence at the small of her back. He ignored the stares he received, from both men and women, as he led her to the restaurant he picked out.  The host bowed deeply when they arrive. “Taisho-sama, we have your table prepared.”

Sesshoumaru nodded curtly, saying nothing until they were seated at a candlelit table. Kagome whistled appreciably. “Do you come here a lot?”

“No.”

“He sure seemed to recognize you.” Kagome looked up at him for a fleeting moment before she reached for her menu.

“He should,” Sesshoumaru told her. “I’m his boss.”

Blinking, Kagome stared. “What do you mean?”

“I own this building,” Sesshoumaru reached for his menu as well. “If they didn’t recognize me then I would have to question their training, and the management wouldn’t like me to notice such an over sight.”

“Hmm.” Since Kagome’s eyes were crossing at the price of a simple dinner salad, she quickly put her menu away, and smiled tightly at Sesshoumaru’s questioning stare. “I have no idea what half that stuff is,” she admitted with an embarrassed smile. “As long as it’s not snails or frog legs, would you mind ordering for me?”

Sesshoumaru smiled slightly, closing his menu and leaning back in his seat. “Of course.”

She grew warm underneath his stare. “Erm. So…” She reached for her water.

“I’m surprised we met like we did. Who knew a carjacking would allow me to meet Sexy Voice?”

Kagome choked on her water. “W-what?”

Looking at her knowingly, Sesshoumaru smirked. “Come now. Did you really think I wouldn’t recognize the voice of the therapist I’ve been talking to?”

Kagome’s heart hurt… she put it down to its sudden fast rhythm. “Sesshoumaru… I’m not –“

“Should we really wait this long?” Sesshoumaru interrupted her, his eyes fairly burning as they stared at her. “I’ve wanted to touch you in person for such a long time… that first night we went past the bounds of… decency… I’ve wanted to touch you for real. But you’d never tell me who you were. I never knew why.”

There was a question in his eyes now. Kagome took another sip of water and pretended she didn’t see it. She wanted him so desperately… not only as a real lover, but a real physical presence in her life. They’ve only seen each other physically for a week, but they’ve been speaking to each other for much longer than that. Could she cross that line with him…? But he didn’t know. She didn’t know how to tell him and–

“Kagome…” She jerked her eyes up his. Sesshoumaru reached across the table, his hand gently threading his fingers with hers. “Don’t be scared. Not with me.”

“Sesshoumaru, I’m not…” Her voice trailed off when he stood, and she watched him with wide eyes as he came around the table and pulled her out of her chair… and into his arms.

Uncaring of the other patrons, Sesshoumaru dipped his head down and slanted his mouth across hers, instantly dragging her into a deep, passionate kiss. His tongue swept over the seam of her mouth, and she opened to him without thinking, and shivered when his hot tongue swept across hers in a daring caress.

“Come up stairs with me,” he murmured into her ear, flicking his tongue out to trace its edges. “Come with me, let me lay with you. It is Valentine’s Day, after all.”

It was what? Kagome jerked in his arms without thinking. Valentine’s Day was the busiest day of the year for her – she could make tons…

Sesshoumaru was looking down at her, showing his confusion by the minute furrow of his brows.

And Kagome pushed aside thoughts of money, of customers. She pushed aside everything, and let Sesshoumaru take her hand and lead her away.

The door clicked behind him softly. The suite was lush and painted in soft creams and gold; Kagome almost expected him to jump on her – wasn’t how Kouga did it that first time? – but he didn’t. As she stood before him with her back tense and her muscles locked, she felt his hands come to rest upon her shoulders and start to knead.

Her body started to relax under his knowing fingers; with every sweep of his thumbs over the delicate skin of her back, heat flickered and danced. Cupping her shoulders, he gently drew the straps down, but went no further than her upper arms as he drew her closer to him, pressing a kiss to the sensitive skin on her neck.

“Relax, Kagome.” He murmured gently. “I won’t hurt you, I promise.”

“L-look, Sesshoumaru,” she stammered, her breath hitching in her throat when he rolled his hips in a slow, deliberate roll, pressing his hard erection against her bottom. “I… I don’t have much experience in these matters.”

Sesshoumaru raised his lips from her throat a fraction. “The calls?”

“Erm,” she flushed red. “Imagination?”

Sesshoumaru’s eyes closed as if pained. “Good Lord,” he whispered. “I can’t wait until you do every damn thing you teased me with.”

He rolled his hips again, only this time her body seemed to move on its own by pressing her bottom back with it. The flames under her skin burned hotter when Sesshoumaru’s tongue traced the shell of her ear, only to pull back and bite it, gently tugging on her lobe. His hands came up and cradled her pert breasts; even with the dress in the way, she could feel him like a brand – everywhere felt hot.

“No bra,” he murmured, his voice pleased as he rolled her nipples through the fabric, the gentle tug and pull make her shift uncomfortably. Something was happening to her body; she already felt hot and wet, but her skin was suddenly so alive, and so, so sensitive.

“S-Sesshoumaru…” Not knowing where to put her hands, she slowly dragged them up her hips, shivering when she passed over her womanhood, to cup Sesshoumaru’s hands as he kneaded her breasts. “I… tell me what you want me to do.”

“Just stand there,” he kissed her throat again. “Let me unwrap you slowly…”

He did just that. With slow, unhurried movements, he drew her dress down, sliding his hands over her body. Down her sides, his fingers pausing to caress the sides of her breasts before lowering even more, down over hips and kneeling to draw it down her legs. On his knees behind her, he only stared at the smooth globes of her bottom, his throat so tight he had to clear his throat before speaking.

“You weren’t wearing underwear this whole time?” He asked, his voice tight. “On the bus, while waiting, sitting across the table and talking so casually to me…”

Kagome flushed. The truth was she couldn’t find anything sexy. All of her underwear was either granny panties or so faded and unattractive that she couldn’t bear to wear them, so she went without. She tried to find excuses, but then she couldn’t find anything at all in her brain when Sesshoumaru suddenly leaned in from behind her, kissing each cheek as his hands ran up her legs, as his thumbs gently pulled at her from behind, spreading her so he could see her moist folds.

“Lean forward,” he said gutturally. “Put your hands on the bed. Yes, just like that…”

The scent of her arousal reached him like a shot to the gut, and he shuddered even as his hand spread her from behind, and he felt her privately for the first time. “You’re so fucking wet…”

He stood, spinning her around before his hands encircled her waist and he flung her in the middle of the four poster bed, smirking devilishly at her surprised squeak. The way she landed, her legs automatically spread wide, her sandaled feet planted firmly on the bedspread. When she realized her position, he could see the look in her eyes and noticed that she automatically went to close her legs… but she didn’t. Slowly, her eyes on him, she spread herself wider, her hands cupping her breasts and rolling her nipples just like he had moments before.

Reverently, he removed one shoe at a time, tossing them over his shoulder carelessly so his hands could return to caressing her delicate skin. He studied each foot, each perfect toe, before he ran his hands up her smooth legs to the inside of her thighs. He crawled up on the bed knelt before her, pulling her closer so her legs fell over his.

Kagome breath puffed out in soft pants as she watched Sesshoumaru slowly devour her with his eyes. Her fingers still kneaded her breasts, but she wanted more, she wanted… she let her hand slide down her belly, brushing over the trimmed curls as they ventured even further. The heat in Sesshoumaru’s eyes flared hotter at the first stroke of her fingers over her clit, rubbing slowly, circling the hard bud until she wanted to cry, because she wanted more but didn’t know what to do. She closed her eyes, only to have them snap open when Sesshoumaru’s fingers joined her; the fingertips of one hand slowly circled the rim of her passage, before dipping down slightly and rubbing her just on the inside before swirling around again. She cried out when his finger slowly slid inside her, deeper than she was ever able to go by herself.

He stroked her slowly, leisurely, as she squirmed in his lap and cried out, desperate for more. When he added another finger and curled, Kagome suddenly couldn’t breathe as something seemed to have exploded inside of her, the burst of pleasure so shocking that she started to cry. Sesshoumaru never stopped stroking her. Instead, she felt him shift, but she couldn’t see how because stars were blinding her. When something hot and wet brushed over her clit, Kagome’s eyes finally snapped open, she looked down in amazement as Sesshoumaru diligently went about blasting her fantasy to pieces with the full effect of reality.

Her hands had fallen uselessly to her sides during her first orgasm; now she entangled them in his hair, clutching desperately as his tongue circled her clit before he sucked on it hard, curling his fingers once more into that special spot inside of her that, amazingly, she felt herself start to come… again.

“Amazing,” he murmured, pulling back so he’d be able to watch his fingers as they worshipped her moist flesh. “You come apart so easily in my hands, so beautifully.”

His shirt was off. When had that happened? Kagome didn’t really care, because now his hands were on his belt, and then his pants were open and those beautiful hands were cupping his arousal, stroking his length slowly as he watched her with hot eyes. “Come here, Kagome.” He murmured to her, never stopping as he stroked himself. “Touch me. Feel me. Kiss me where I’ve always wanted you to.”

Kagome slowly sat up, her eyes fixated on his hard erection, and crawled closer so she could touch, so she could taste. She gently removed his hands, wrapping her fingers around him and squeezing gently. She heard his low groan, and smiled a little. “So hard. So smooth. Like silk over steel. Let me…”

She explored him. The very tip of his cock was traced with gentle fingers, then down to the rigid sides until her fingers were able to momentarily thread inside the trimmed pubic hair surrounding his dick. Tugging on that gently, she then let her hands fall even lower, tracing around his balls before finally cupping them in her hands, kneading them gently, reverently.

“Kagome…” Sesshoumaru was shuddering. Pushing him to his back, she gave him a feline smile as she gently cupped under one knee, and drew it up and over so his legs were spread before her. She studied every inch of him with her eyes before she laid down on her stomach, her head between his legs. She kissed the tip of him before swirling her tongue around like she was savoring candy. Slowly, inch by inch, she swallowed a little bit at a time before she stopped, unable to go any further. She sucked gently at first, before picking up speed, even as one of her hands came up and she wrapped her fingers around the base, stroking where her mouth couldn’t reach. Her other hand rolled his balls in her palm.

“Oh God, Kagome stop.”

Freezing, Kagome slowly pulled away and looked up at him with eyes heavy with passion. Did she do something wrong? Did he not like it?

He reached down and grabbed her from underneath her armpits before dragging her up over him. When she lay sprawled on top, only then could she clearly see the flush of passion on his cheeks, the way the skin was stretched tight all over, as if he was physically trying to hold himself back. Despite what she had just done, he kissed her hard, until they were both breathless and panting.

He rolled her over, his hips fitting between her legs like he belonged, her breath caught in her throat when she felt the tip of his arousal pressing against her entrance. When he gritted out, “Kagome, look at me.” She couldn’t resist, and she was staring into his eyes when he thrust into her body for the first time.

“You’re so fucking tight,” he growled, his teeth grit together as he pushed deeper, praying she would be able to take all of him. When he was nestled in at the hilt, his breath shuddered out of him in relief. He pulled out slowly, letting only the tip of him remain before he thrust heavily back into her body, ashamed at himself for wanting to come already. “So wet, so good,” he murmured, kissing her again and again. “So tight. God, I wanted this…”

Kagome felt so full with him inside her, so complete. As his pace sped up, her legs came over his hips to wrap around him, even as her arms came around his shoulders, clutching at the skin there as an unbelievable kind of pressure started to build deep inside her. “Oh my God,” she gasped at a deep thrust, automatically tightening her walls around him when he hit a spot inside her that made her cry out in pleasure.

Sesshoumaru gasped when she closed around him, ecstasy unlike anything he’s ever known rolling through his body. Faster, harder; he couldn’t help himself. He was rough and he knew it, but the way she was squeezing him didn’t leave much in the way of his control. When her walls suddenly convulsed, clamping around him like a vice, his cry joined her scream – and for the first time, they came together.

He couldn’t move. He felt like he was paralyzed with pleasure, and to be honest he didn’t want to move. He was still inside her snug heat, and he reluctantly pulled out. He didn’t move much farther than that; his arms were under her shoulders in a hug, and his head rested in between her breasts, his breathes sliding over her erect nipples in invisible caresses. He heard her fast heart beat from below, and was content to listen as it slowed down. When her hands came up again and stroked over his shoulders, then threaded through his hair, Sesshoumaru had the scary thought that he never wanted to leave.

“Sesshoumaru…” Kagome whispered. “That was… wow. I mean, wow. I don’t think I can move.”

He smiled lazily, even though she couldn’t see. “Then don’t. Stay with me…”

Kagome didn’t argue. Closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep.

She woke up several hours later; the alarm clock beside the bed showed four-thirty in the morning. Sometime during the night, Sesshoumaru had moved, and they were now spooned so closely together that she could swear she could feel his heartbeat at her back. Smiling wistfully, she gently disentangled herself from him, sliding off the bed before padding towards the bathroom, picking up her purse along the way. After she took care of her business, she wrapped herself up in one of the hotels complimentary bathrobes, and sat on the closed toilet seat as she pulled out her phone.

Seventeen missed called, ouch. She winced, thinking of the money she could have made, but immediately dismissed it. Her night with Sesshoumaru was worth it. Before, she fell in love with his voice. Now she knew she was in love with the man. Would he accept her, even once he found out the truth? She didn’t know, and now she was too scared to find out.

Her phone started vibrating. Looking at the caller I.D., she noticed it was her One-Hit-Wonder Voice; one hit since he hardly seemed to last five minutes. She debated, wrestling with herself. Since she started dating Sesshoumaru, her budget had been even tighter than usual; buying new clothes and extra bus fare had strapped her. If their relationship was going to continue, she knew that she’d need all the help she could get. Taking a peek at the closed bathroom door, she guiltily shifted away from it so her back was turned, and answered the phone.

She was quick, her voice still husky with sleep and sex, and she ended it as soon as she possibly could. She was starting to get cold, and she wanted to return to Sesshoumaru as soon as possible. With a sigh, she dropped her phone back into her purse before she stood and turned around.

Only to encounter a coldly furious Sesshoumaru leaning up against the open door, his arms crossed and still beautifully naked. “Who was that?” He asked, his voice deceptively calm. “Another boyfriend?”

Another? That must mean he considered himself her boyfriend. The feeling of happiness she felt at that was outmatched by her sudden feeling of dread. “N-no. He’s a customer.”

His eyes narrowed, his face contorting into something akin to disgust. “Customer? You make it sound as if you’re selling yourself.”

“Not myself,” she whispered. “My voice.”

Sesshoumaru was frozen, staring at her without a word. She could practically see the wheels of his mind turning furiously, piecing together little bits of information at a time before he had the whole. “Your ad says you offer relief.” Sesshoumaru’s lips curled, and he pushed away from the door. “You would never give me your number, either.” Snarling, he spun around, pinning her in place with a look so venomous it actually hurt. “Do you take me for a fool? Have you been making fun of me this entire time? Is that what you’ve been doing?”

“No, of course not!” Kagome cried, hurrying towards him, her fingers clutching as his hand desperately. “When I realized what you thought I did, I couldn’t bear you really know. Because I knew that you’d react like this!”

Just like everyone else. God, who knew such pain would follow such pleasure in one night?

“Was tonight a lie too? Were you faking it with me just like you were faking it with that loser?” He ripped his hands out of her grip, striding to where their clothes were piled in a discarded heap. He jerked on his pants before picking up her dress and tossing it at her. “For Gods sakes, get dressed.”

Kagome was sobbing, rubbing uselessly at the tears that just wouldn’t stop. “It wasn’t like that. You’re different. You’ve always been different. Sesshoumaru, I love you!”

Sesshoumaru flinched as if she slapped him. “You say that now, after you’ve finished letting some stranger have sex with your voice after you’ve had sex with me?” Sesshoumaru turned away, unable to look at her anymore. “Get out. I’ll send you a bill for your services later.”

“But Sesshoumaru –“

“Get out!” He yelled, picking up her shoes and stomping towards the door, opening it before tossing them outside.

Kagome, who barely finished putting back on her dress, stared at him in frozen disbelief. Did he really just do that…? He still stood by the open door, staring at her with furious expectation. Picking up her purse, Kagome walked listlessly through it, and didn’t even flinch when it slammed at her back. She felt absolutely numb. Listlessly, she strapped back on her shoes. It was roughly five in the morning; she would be able to make it home by nine.

Her mind still devoid of thought and her heart broken, Kagome left the hotel… and went home.

…

“Kagome, breakfast is ready!”

Groaning, Kagome cracked an eye open, glaring at the sunlight streaming through her window. When her mom called her again, she drew off the covers and swung her legs out of bed, automatically tucking her feet into the slippers she kept by her bed. Pulling on a robe, she made her feet move in the direction of the stairs, gaining momentum as the smell of breakfast reached her nose.

A month had passed since Sesshoumaru left her and, surprisingly, things had actually turned towards the better. Somehow Kagome’s name had been chosen in raffle, and the sponsors involved paid off all of her college loans. Since Kagome moved out of her apartment and cancelled her cell phone, she was, for once, debt free. The thought of Sesshoumaru still hurt; it had hurt so bad that Kagome fled to her mother’s arms, because Mrs. Higurashi was always there for her daughter, and Kagome needed her.

She picked up a normal part time job in an attempt to help her mother with the expenses. Now, she rode on a paper route with a guy named Hojo. He was such a sweet guy, and obviously had a crush on her, but Kagome didn’t think that she’d be able to love another person for a very long time, if ever. As she passed the clock hanging in the living room, she figured she had about forty-five minutes to eat and take a shower before Hojo came for her. Their paper route started at six and ended at seven; Kagome had never been so thankful at the fact that her mother was naturally an early riser.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled warmly at her daughter, passing an affectionate hand down her daughters hair as she passed by on her way to the table. “Good morning, my dear. Sleep well?”

She could tell that Kagome hadn’t; dark rings still marked her eyes, and her skin was wan and pale. Kagome smiled tiredly at her mom as she plopped down. “A little. I’m just tired, is all.”

And heartbroken, but Mrs. Higurashi didn’t say that. Depression often made a person tired all the time, and since they both knew Kagome wasn’t pregnant, there wasn’t any other reason for her lack of energy and trouble sleeping. Mrs. Higurashi knew all about heartache; when her husband died, she hadn’t been able to function for months. Thank God Grandpa Higurashi was there to watch her babies; she hadn’t been a very good mother during that time, yet she had vowed ever since that she would be the best mother possible to her children.

So far, she thought she did pretty damn well. She ached at not being able to help her daughter during this hard time, but there wasn’t anything she could do except wait until the pain eventually fades. “Hmm. Hojo should come early today. I’ve invited him to breakfast with us, since his mother is a friend of mine and tells me he always leaves in a rush, and never takes the time to eat. You don’t mind, do you?”

The doorbell rang at that time, and Kagome smiled wryly. “No. It wouldn’t really matter anyways, right?”

Mrs. Higurashi laughed. “I guess not. Dig in, honey. I’m sure he won’t mind if you eat before him.” She walked to the front door, opening it with a smile. “Oh, my.”

Hojo stood there beaming up at her, while another man a few years older stood next to him, a frown on his handsome face. “Hello, my dear. Kagome’s waiting for you at the breakfast table.” She smiled politely at the handsome stranger. “May I help you?”

The man’s scowl had deepened even more. “I’m here to see Kagome as well.”

Just like that, Mrs. Higurashi’s inner light bulb clicked on. Though her smile never wavered, she shifted a little in front of the door as if she could protect her daughter from the stronger man. “I’m sorry, my daughter is eating breakfast right now. Perhaps you can come back later?” Or not at all. Nobody who put that defeated look on her daughters face could possibly deserve her.

The man – Sesshoumaru, she knew – stood stiffly in front of her. Then, before her amazed eyes, bowed deeply at the waist. “Please let me see your daughter. I need to talk to her. I need to apologize. I need her…”

His voice trailed off at the sound of her laughter. The pain in his eyes when he rose started to soften her, yet it was the miserable expression as a whole that made her reconsider. She hesitated for a moment longer, her smile fading and her eyes narrowing. “Just know that I own an illegal firearm, and I know how to use it. Do not hurt her again.”

Though Sesshoumaru’s brows rose, he said nothing, instead bowing to her once more before following her inside. Kagome was sitting at the kitchen table, looking wane and tired as she smiled half-heartedly at the boy sitting across from her. When she looked over at the sound of their entrance, her face completely froze up in surprise.

“S-Sesshoumaru…?” She whispered, casting a hurt look at her mother.

Before she could run away, Sesshoumaru grit his teeth and bowed from the waist for the second time in his life. “Forgive me. Please, Kagome, forgive me.”

Kagome stared, unable to say anything as he rose only to kneel by her side, reaching for her lax hands and staring into her eyes, letting her see the misery in his. “I over reacted, and I hurt you. I didn’t listen, and I didn’t believe. Please,” he thought these words would be hard to say; with her, they were strangely easy. Anything to get her to come back to him. “Please forgive me. Come back to me. Love me.”

Kagome paled, but she didn’t look away from him. “Sesshoumaru, do you love me?”

Conscious of the dismayed stare of the boy, and the hopeful stare of her mother, Sesshoumaru nodded curtly. “I would like to court you properly,” he said, blanching when her eyes started to fill with tears. “If you can accept my apology, I will court you like I should have done from the beginning.”

When she stayed silent, mutely staring at him with tears in her eyes, he roughly continued, even though defeat seemed likely. “You are the only person that knows me.” He told her. “Knows all of me. You are the only person that ever will.” His patience threadbare, he finally snapped. “For God sakes, say something!”

Kagome burst into tears. While Sesshoumaru was looking around in a panic for something to give her, she merely leaned forward and let her momentum carry her towards him, until she crashed straight into his chest and they both sprawled on the ground in a tangle of limbs. She fit so perfect in his arms…

“Never,” he said on a sigh, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around her, holding her so close he could feel her heartbeat through her shirt, pumping in sync with his. “I will never let you go.”

“You better not,” Kagome sniffled. “Not ever again.”

While the couple sprawled on the floor, completely oblivious to all else as they wrapped their arms around each other, Mrs. Higurashi turned to the dismayed Hojo with a cheerful smile. “I’m sorry, my dear. I don’t think Kagome will be going on that paper run with you today.”

No, he thought, staring at the blissful couple. He didn’t think so either.

Kagome looked more than content to stay exactly where she was, wrapped up in the arms of a man who clearly loved her.

~FIN~