"Do you love Kouga?" Sango finally asked her older sister as they went into the garden to look for salamanders.

Kagome blushed at the question before shaking her head and going back to her magazine, "I've only known him for a couple of months now."

"I thought so. Mom is crazy. She saw you holding his hand yesterday and said that you two would get married soon."

She just laughed patting her sister on the head. It wasn't rare in this family for young women to marry quickly upon meeting her future husband, but though Kagome had a goal she decided to take it slow with Kouga and it had been benefiting everyone.

Kouga had made it clear many times that his mother wouldn't give up his money until he found a suitable wife and was ready to settle down in a home of his own. Kagome didn't know if she could be seen as suitable now, so she decided to work through Kagura to get a good word in. The moment Kagura had come home with the baby she stayed up long hours feeding and changing the child so the Mistress of the mansion could rest. Kagura had still been bitchy towards the women of the family, but didn't seem too much in a hurry to kick them out.

"You won't marry him will you Kagome?" she asked, "you don't like him do you?"

She just smiled avoiding the question. Perhaps her marriage would be unlike her parents. She could see herself spending the rest of her life with Kouga. They'd been strangers when he agreed to stop doing drugs and partying for her own sanity, so he would be responsible enough to be a good husband.

He wasn't very understanding of the hours she spent playing piano, but she wasn't expected to know what type of fuel his prized classic Thunderbird ran on so it didn't matter. Sango thought it meant he wouldn't care of her if he didn't care about her biggest hobby, but then again Sango was eight.

"I need to buy you a cell phone," Kouga grumbled one night while he walked her through the dark hallway to her bedroom, "that way we can text each other during dinner and point out every stupid thing that Kagura says."

She giggled, "Kouga I don't want any gifts or anything like that. I will figure something out when we move-

"Hopefully that's long off."

"Probably not. We've burdened my brother enough I guess, and the only reason Kagura hasn't thrown us out yet is because I've been helping her out a lot lately."

He grinned, "I noticed that. Trying to impress my family love?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

He remained silent for a moment before picking her up and cradling her. As he carried her bridal style he took notice in how beautiful her chocolate eyes were against her skin.

"Kouga let me down," Kagome said closing her eyes worried.

"Do you think I'm going to drop you?"

"Maybe. I don't like any kind of heights. Even if its a few feet."

"It wouldn't hurt that bad, but I guess you just don't like any kind of pain. I'll make you a deal. I'm going to let you down, and you're going to give me a kiss. If you don't I'm just going to have to carry you elsewhere."

She smiled when she felt herself being lowered on the ground. When she made sure that this was indeed her door she'd been dropped off in front of she waited for him to lower his head. By this point they hadn't known each other long at all, but it felt right when it came to Kouga. She couldn't help herself as she pressed her lips against his.

Kouga wrapped his arms around her before kicking her door open and carrying her in once again.

The moment he dropped her in her bed her mind was racing. Were they going to have sex? Was that what Kouga was expecting from her?

As he kissed her once again deeply her hand went to her chest. She'd been working out before coming across him outside therefore was wearing a workout jacket. Her hand moved to the zipper to pull it down hoping he could work out the details with her tank top and sports bra.

He managed to keep the promise he made to her and had been staying away from heavy drinking and drugs, so she probably owed him this. His eyes had only been for her since that night they met by the pool so he'd been without sex for a few months.

She was simply returning the favor for his company.

"Kagome," he whispered his name after she softly took his hand and laid it on her breast, "I can't."

She looked up at him puzzled. This was a first.

"Listen," he sat next to her and held her hand.

Her eyes widened and he quickly continued, "Wait! I'm not going to end this or anything if that's what you're thinking. I just don't...Kagome...we haven't known each other long, but I- I love you."

She was lost for words. If her mother was in here right now she would have smiled and gotten ready for wedding preparation. It was just too good to be true. Kagome was in a state where she had to prepare herself for career of marrying for money and doing everything she needed to do to keep it. She figured she would have a little bit longer, but everything was lying in her lap now.

Kagome tried to keep her eyes on the prize for the family and seduce her admirer properly, but there was a problem.

She had feelings for him as well.

If they were to marry she would do everything for him as her provider, but the fact that she was dating him in this kind of situation made her feel cheap.

"Kouga...I...like you," she admitted to him still feeling guilty.

"Put a smile on your face," he stroked her hair, "we just admitted that we loved each other and here you are looking gloomy. My future wife can't be looking that way. Haven't I already told you? I'm a babe magnet and my reputation means everything."

She laughed for a moment, but when she thought of the words 'future wife' her stomach churned.

"There have been girls I thought I felt this way for before," he then said, "and me being the way I am went too fast, I was even engaged in high school, and it always turns out wrong. So I was wondering Kagome, if this time I can try things differently. As much as a stud like me will suffer from this I want to go slow with you."

Kagome quickly hugged him. It was the perfect solution for her problem. She loved him, and he loved her, and if they took it slow the looming cloud of her goal to snag a rich boy would go away. She would no longer be pressured to give him sex or do drugs just to make up for the guilt that was in here.

"I think I can manage loving you Kouga," she gave him a kiss.

"You can manage? Kagome, my woman, sometimes you make me seem like a chore."

Though they had agreed to go slow with each other in secret Kikyo figured out what her daughter was up to. Too many occasions had gone by where they were accidently holding hands under the table and making out when they thought they were out of sight.

Kikyo knew it wouldn't be long before her daughter found her happiness, so it kept her starry eyed the whole time sorted laundry during Sango and Kagome's absence. Everything had been been serene, that is, until Kagura entered the room.

"You have to do something about this!" the woman shouted when entering.

"About what?"

"My brother and your daughter of course," Kagura hissed, "this cannot go on."

Kikyo just smiled ignoring her, "I don't see why not. The two seem to get along well. One of the servants told me the other day that the two were telling each other how much they were in love."

Kagura's eyes flared up at the thought of her blood with one of them. True it was her family since she was married to Naraku, but in the kind of culture the rich and beautiful lived in half blood didn't count.

"Someone is going to get hurt Kikyo."

"Calm down. Trust me, my Kagome will treat your brother well."

"I was talking about Kagome getting hurt. I can care less about my brother's affairs with gold diggers-

Kikyo prepared to interject at the harsh term Kagura used for Kagome. So it was true. Kagome at the end of the day would have to marry for money, but it was something Kagome had accepted for a while and was something that was all too common in this society. Kagura is one of many women who took this path, so what right did she have to talk? That, and something told Kikyo that the two had feelings for each other.

"Perhaps that was too cruel of me," Kagura made an attempt at an apology, "but due to the circumstance that has befallen your family anything Kagome does will look like a desperate attempt. Kouga can deal with the rumors if he wants, but it's our mother who won't allow it."

"Can't your brother think of himself?"

"Not if he wants his father's money. Mom wants him to go to law school like his father and do something with himself. If he doesn't become someone of status mom isn't giving him anything, which would be a shame. Kouga's high school grades and attendance are nothing to brag about and my poor brother has no talent at all. The only other way mom will grant him his money is if he settles down with a nice woman."

"Are you saying that my daughter isn't good enough for him?"

Kagura snickered, "By my mother's eyes? Of course not. Only women who are really rich, and right now you are penniless living off of Naraku's generosity, and those of high status, which you don't have without money. I want my brother to be happy, but mom would never allow it. If Kagome marries Kouga I'm afraid he'll be moving in with you or raise the children with Kagome in a shabby apartment with an Abercrombie and Fitch paycheck."

Kikyo decided to ignore Kagura's words. Though Kikyo would love for her daughter to marry into a rich family she still wanted her to be happy. If it meant welcoming Kouga into their home and settling less it would happen.

"Perhaps though," Kikyo told herself, "I've outgrown this place."

Kikyo had given up on any hope of staying in this familiar neighborhood, and now desired to move as far away as possible. If the Mistress of her former home didn't plan on doing anything other than making fun of Kagome while Kagome's own brother remained in the shadows this home was no longer a place they needed to be associated with.

"We are finally moving," Kikyo had announced the next day at breakfast.

She tried to ignore Kagura's grin, "The place isn't too expensive is it? I have to save up for Kanna's birthday present."

She shook her head, "No. We have been burdening you too much I'm afraid. Naraku do you know my cousin Kaede?"

Naraku who only paid attention when numbers were being discussed nodded, "Her and her husband own a hotel in Tokyo I believe."

Kikyo nodded with a smile, "She heard we were in need, and has agreed to put us up rent free in one of the rooms. We won't be needing utility assistance either."

Kagura smiled, but was kind of sad she wasn't going to get a chance to force them into a shabby shack, "You three should be quite comfortable there. I assume you won't be taking much. It can't be that large."

"It's furnished and has a good stocked mini bar, so besides a few personal items we will leave the rest of my husband's belongings to you."

Kikyo had been full of fear when she learned they were getting hardly anything from her husband's will, but this announcement felt good. True they would be burdening someone else, but her cousin owed her for hooking the hotel up with a talented interior designer, and the point was they would need nothing from Naraku ever again.

Though she never spoke of it Kikyo had been deeply depressed ever since she was blacklisted. As a child she had a great life thanks to her father's riches, and when she lost her job she grew accustomed to her husband's money. There was no man in her life now for her to fall back on, and it felt great. For the first time she was truly independent.

While Kikyo was happy and proud Kagome squeezed Kouga's hand in fear that they would soon be separated.